Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
You cannot treat Merriman Mall’s vendors so ruthlessly DEAR EDITOR, It was very disappointing to learn that the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown at the final Statutory Meeting, this group of Councillors would be involved in, approving a recommendation by the administration of raising the fees for vendors plying their trade at the Merriman Mall by a whopping 500%. This is just plain wrong, unscrupulous, dishonest, corrupt and ruthless. What is the justification for doing this? Is it because they have put up four metal poles and a few zinc sheets over the heads of the vendors? Or is it because they know that the vendors lack an alternative? How could the City Council justify waiving tens of millions of dollars in accrued interest owed by mega companies and wealthy
businesspersons whilst squeezing a small vendor who is just selling a few baskets of produce that they grew in their backyards? Why does the Georgetown Municipality need this massive increase? Is it to fund their 200 million dollar per month payroll that these fat cats and their friends and relatives that they have employed at the Council live off of? Or is it to continue to pay the super contractors that they created. That they pay hundreds of millions of dollars to clean a few parts of the City? What the government ought to realize, is that this reckless action by the Council will only result in the escalation in food prices, as the vendors unable to absorb this draconian increase will be forced to pass it on to the consumer. Most unbelievable of all, is the fact that this cruel
action was perpetuated by all of the very Councillors who are seeking to be re-elected and to become the next Mayor and Deputy Mayor. I hope this would be a wake-up call to those persons who were considering voting for them. Their only interest is to take advantage of the hard working small farmers and vendors in order to fill their own pockets. Shame on them! The question I would like to ask is how much the ‘Jerk Hut’ outdoor Grill and Restaurant that is situated just opposite and for which it is common knowledge of its association with a very senior officer of the Council is paying? If we are to compare it to the little stalls the w h o l e s a l e vendors are paying 1500 per day for then it should be at least 5,000 per day, but of course they won’t. Debra Gibson
UG and Vincent Alexander have been cruel to us
DEAR EDITOR, This letter is in reference to an article which appeared in the Guyana Chronicle, March 08 2016. It centered on the Court of Appeal dealing with an issue involving the University of Guyana and a former student of the said institution, Mr. C. Cox. I wish to add that along with Cox, at least two other students , myself and Marcus (the calypsonian) have been dealt with in similar fashion by the said institution. Over the past thirteen years (2003-2016), all possible means have been tried to resolve this matter but to no avail. Letters were sent to and/ or meetings were held with every conceivable person in authority whom we assumed had the power to resolve this matter, such as Dr. B. Jagdeo, Dr. Prem Misir, Mr. Nandalall,
Dr. Chanderbali and several others. My most recent attempt was a letter to Dr. Roopnarine, the current Minister of Education. Nothing was heard from his office. This institution has, for some inexplicably reason, resisted calls from those we had met to have this matter resolved amicably. And yet again, inexplicably, we were always referred to Mr. Vincent Alexander as the only person who could’ve resolve this matter, when in the first instance, he was the one responsible for this entire issue. May I add, that as
politicians, individuals such as Vincent Alexander harp about Blacks being unjustly denied opportunities by Indians. Yet in this instance, this ‘champion of the black cause’ has singlehandedly destroyed the careers of two hard working Black men for no proper reason. Frustrated at not being able to resolve this matter through dialogue, Mr. Cox turned to the Courts. As expected, U.G. tried its level best to derail the process but by all indications, the impending Court of Appeal decision will finally see justice done. Sheik Mustapha
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Why is Banks DIH putting the Independence Arch elsewhere? DEAR EDITOR, While it is commendable that the local beverage giants, Banks DIH Limited, have decided to fund the reconstruction of the Independence Arch, once situated at Ruimveldt, Georgetown, adjacent to First Street, Alexander Village. Indeed, that such a piece of historical landmark, upon being dismantled to facilitate the construction of the four (4) lane roadway, couldn’t have been stored safely for reassembling. Since this unfortunate situation occurred under the previous Government/ Administration. Editor, it’s my sincere desire that never again should such callousness occur! Moreover, with sentiments of antinationalism attached! Similarly, the re-sitting and its implications, whereby the following have to be taken into serious consideration: The adjoining communities of Alexander Village and
Riverview are both predominantly IndoGuyanese, which by extension can be construed as PPP/C supporters. However, the current administration at the last National and Regional Elections, through the AFC made inroads, in securing additional votes when compared to the previous Elections. As a consequence, relocating the Independence Arch from Ruimveldt to Agricola, reeks of ethnical preference. At this juncture a meaningful thought for reconsideration, relating to the shifting should be entertained. Additionally, the economical benefits that Banks DIH LTD have derived for the past 50 years, from both communities! How would the management react if a boycott of its products or a lull in sales is implemented by both communities? In relocating the Arch, would nationalism, nation building,
inclusiveness and democratic values all essential for selfrule, ahead of observing fifty (50) years of Independence be achieved? Maybe business communities in close proximity of Agricola can be approached to fund an Arch/ Monument/Sculpture as a dedication to fifty (50) years of Independence. Likewise this would be applicable to other areas, i.e E.C.D, for any further undertaking of a similar nature. Would it be prudent for the Semi-Arch, in Industry to be dismantled and be relocated in Sophia, or the possibility of an injunction being filed in the High Court, challenging the legality of relocating the Ruimveldt Arch? Can the relevant Minister, provide the appropriate answer (s) for this exercise, since it defies logic, inclusiveness and transparency? Lester Sealey
From page 4 drains and mosquito ridden gutters; I saw young men, unemployed, gambling and smoking to pass the time; I saw abandoned homes with weed infested yards; I saw dogs looking hungry; I saw very poor looking young girls, pregnant; as I walked my district of the Wortmanville/ Werk-en-Rust area, I saw people who need these Local Government Elections. Yet, because of the prevailing sense of political dissatisfaction, these very folks will boycott the LGE in droves. Editor, this letter brings me to the end of my commentary on the LGE. In my campaign I
have been out spent and out maneuvered by groups and individuals who could have afforded more than me but I fought valiantly. I therefore would like to thank my constituents, first for nominating me and then for allowing me to interact with them at such a personal level. When the dust is settled, one of the six contestants in my district will win; no matter how many folks turn out to vote. I promise that I will work with
whoever wins because I was doing what I do long before I had the opportunity to run for Councilor. I pray only, however, that the winner does not squander the trust of the residents in this constituency, for whether or not they turn out to vote, God knows, they need a good Councilor to represent their cause. Wendell Jeffrey, Pastor Independent Candidate Workmanville/Werk-enRust/Stabroek District #8
On the campaign, I saw the...
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 18, 2016
City Hall hosts ‘bittersweet’ farewell for Mayor Green Mayor Green addresses staff and members of the outgoing City Council yesterday
A section of the gathering at the farewell event. A farewell for outgoing City Mayor Hamilton Green yesterday was described by some with whom he worked closely for years as a “bittersweet” affair. The event was one that saw staffers of the Mayor and City Councillors (M&CC) of Georgetown and members of the Council gathered together under a tent in the City Hall compound at Regent Street, Georgetown. The 81-year-old Green was first elected to office in 1994 and has continued in that position ever since, with the exception of one year (1995-1996) when Mr. Ranwell Jordan was elected Mayor.
And Green is leaving City Hall with a sense of pride. This he associated to the fact that after being stifled for a number of years by the previous administration that trend was completely reversed when the coalition A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) was elected to office last year. Mayor Green for a moment yesterday shifted into campaign mode for APNU+AFC. He passionately urged those in attendance to exercise their democratic right today and vote at the Local Government Elections (LGE) in favour of the APNU+AFC. “This Government, under President David Granger, has emancipated the whole concept of what a true authentic democracy ought to be. A democracy in which there exists two tiers of governance – central and local
government – which is intended to allow people in their respective communities, particularly young people, to release their creative energies and in collaboration with central government, do things for their respective communities,” Green highlighted. And it was with the support of the new administration headed by President Granger, and with the close collaboration of new Town Clerk, Mr. Royston King, Green said that City Hall was able to facilitate the removal of 200,000 tonnes of garbage from the city, commence restoration of buildings, and put other measures in place to restore the integrity of the city. He, moreover, noted that “had it not been for those barbarians (former regime), imagine what Georgetown would have been if that position, that momentum, was
allowed to be put in place from the time we came in office – 1994.” “I stood my ground,” said Green who also shared his conviction that “I have been vindicated...it is time for me to exit on what I believe is a high note,” Green declared, as he pointed out that Georgetown is well on its way to fully embrace the title of a ‘Green Garden City’ and dispel the disparaging ‘Garbage City’ label, under the astute leadership of the Town Clerk and a new and vibrant Council. In making reference to himself and the outgoing Council, he noted that “we leave at a time of great excitement. I am glad that I was able to steer this ship for over 21 years,” a disclosure that evoked a bout of resounding applause from his audience. But his decision to not attempt a return to the office
of Mayor was not one he made entirely on his own. Green divulged that it was after consulting with his wife, Dr. Jennifer-Basdeo-Green, and his six daughters, that he took the philosophical decision not to contest at the Local Government Elections slated for today. Amid a chuckle he confessed, “On a personal level, my wife and six daughters would kill me if I did not take that decision...” And this is owing to his desire to spend more time with his family and indulge in a bit of writing too. The need to do some writing, he revealed, was encouraged by some influential people. “When I speak to people like Freddie Kissoon they curse me and tell me that I have a responsibility to write so that our young people would know the history of our country...a nation that is bereft of its history is nothing at all. The Europeans created a history for their own purposes, and a difficulty we’ve had in Guyana (is that) many of our contemporary leaders have not written, and I want to make that my legacy...to write from my own experiences so that you and your children’s children will have a document upon which to anchor their forward movement,” said Green. He continued, “You have
got to know your history, your background, to know where you are and to know where you are going and to sell two messages ‘no surrender’ and to let our young people know that here is a man, in spite of the challenges and the temptations, who was never up for sale.” Green currently holds the portfolio of Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) and, according to him, this is a far greater task than what he had as Mayor. “We have got to fulfil the promise given by our President to make sure that every citizen has a decent roof over his or her head...” asserted Green. Yesterday’s event was chaired by Royston King, the Town Clerk, who spoke fondly of Mayor Green. “When you think of Mayor Hamilton Green, one thing you have to think or say is that he is a fighter - a fighter of no mean order - and as he would say ‘I never carry a white flag’.” Green’s zeal for his task as Mayor was also accentuated by outgoing members of the Council and outgoing Deputy Mayor, Ms. Patricia ChaseGreen. Chase-Green is a contestant at the elections and hopes to return to Council life.
Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
Wary EU leaders meet on Turkey migration deal
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron talks to European Parliament President Martin Schulz (L) next to Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) during a European Union leaders summit over migration in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir Reuters - European Union leaders met yesterday seeking agreement with Turkey to stop migrants reaching Greece and voiced a mix of hope for a fix to the crisis and caution that a deal could fall through or prove unworkable. European Council President Donald Tusk said he was “more cautious than optimistic” before chairing evening summit talks where the 28 EU national leaders aim to forge a common position before meeting Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu today. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who first devised the plan with Davutoglu and sprang it on surprised peers at a special summit 10 days
ago, said she thought it possible to overcome fellow leaders’ lingering concerns over the legality and practicalities of deporting all new migrants back to Turkey in return for political and financial concessions to Ankara. “These will be complicated negotiations but the basic direction is clear,” she told reporters, adding that she shared Tusk’s “cautious optimism, with the emphasis on cautious”. A major problem is Turkey’s four-decade-old dispute with EU member Cyprus, whose President Nicos Anastasiades insisted there could be no agreement to speed up Turkey’s EU mem-
bership talks until Ankara stops barring Cyprus from its sea and airports - itself a result of a refusal to recognise the Cypriot state. “Cyprus is not the obstacle,” Anastasiades said. There is anger in Nicosia at Merkel for appearing to make Davutoglu an offer without consulting Cyprus - especially at a time when talks on reuniting with the Turkishbacked north of the island are at a delicately hopeful stage. And Tusk, a former Polish premier, made clear Cypriot interests must be respected. “The agreement must be acceptable to all 28 member states, no matter big or small,” he told a news conference.
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 18, 2016
Soesdyke remigrant’s murder...
Remaining Suspects Captured A massive operation by the police, including members of its SWAT unit, ended with the capture yesterday of the two remaining suspects in the brutal murder of Soesdykebased Agriculturist Anthony Breedy. The two men surrendered after they were cornered in a bushy area in the West Bank Berbice village of Ithaca, where they were reportedly hiding out since Sunday. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Kaieteur News last night that the men were captured and were brought to the city for questioning. The men had been implicated by the prime suspect in Breedy’s murder, ex-convict Paul Goriah, who was nabbed on Tuesday on the East Coast of Demerara, a day after the victim’s body was discovered. According to the Crime
Chief, the police, acting on information, swooped down on the usually low key village in what was described by residents as a well organized operation, seen for the first time in their community. He said that the police were told that the men were armed and hence they adopted a tactical but cautious posture by surrounding a large area where the men had sought refuge. Realizing that they were cornered, one of the men quickly surrendered, while the other remained in hiding for awhile. He was eventually persuaded by his partner to come out. No weapon was found on the men but when questioned, they took investigators to another location in the village where they had stashed a .32 pistol.
Another man at that location was also arrested. A female resident of the area told Kaieteur News that she first noticed heavilyarmed ranks in the community at about 15:00 hours yesterday. “Dey surround a whole two streets…the men were in an empty lot between some big bush,” the resident told this newspaper. She explained that the ranks warned residents to remain in their houses and they complied, although some of them wanted to get a close-up view of the operation. She said that realizing that they had nowhere to go, one of the suspects quickly surrendered, while his accomplice remained hidden among the bushes. “He tek long fuh come out…is de other one who tell he fuh come out,” the resident
said. According to the woman, the two suspects are not from Ithaca, but they were taken there by a man who has relatives in the village. “The people at de house dey been staying didn’t know wha dey do, because dey just come acting normal,” the woman stated. She recalled that the men were first seen in the community on Sunday during the village’s Mashramani celebrations. From all indications they were enjoying the proceeds of their work the previous day. “Sunday we see dem at de mash, but nobody didn’t know wha going on. People see de strange men and ask, but dem ain’t get no proper answer,” the woman said. She told this newspaper that when the men were captured yesterday, they had
on the same set of clothing that they were seen with on Sunday. “Ithaca don’t get dis kinda story,” she declared. On Wednesday, police had arrested the girlfriend of the man who reportedly confessed to killing the 60year-old Breedy. The woman was held in the vicinity of the Demerara Harbour Bridge with some of the items stolen from Breedy’s house in a car that she was driving. According to Crime Chief Blanhum, the woman’s house at Bagotville was subsequently searched and the dead man’s cellular phone was discovered there. The prime suspect was arrested on Tuesday on the East Coast of Demerara, shortly after he had stashed Breedy’s stolen vehicle. At the time he was still carrying Breedy’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card. Breedy’s body was found at around 11:00 hours on
Monday in the lower flat of his house at Hill Foot, Soesdyke. His limbs were bound and he bore injuries to his head. His home was ransacked. There was no sign of forced entry to the house, which suggested that he was killed by someone who was invited there. Goriah confirmed this in his statement to the investigators. Since his arrest, the prime suspect, Goriah, an exconvict, has given detectives a detailed account of how Breedy was killed. Over the next few days investigators will be tying up the loose ends of the case with a view to taking the matter before the court soon. Crime Chief Blanhum said that the police have already secured permission to hold Goriah and his girlfriend beyond the mandatory 72-hour detention period.
Mystery Lamaha... From page 3 the City Council for the area in today's first Local Government Elections in over two decades. “A project of this nature will need the full blessing of a new council. It is too big and there are questions, and there seems to be a mad rush to finish it. It does not add up.” Mentore believes that the City Council should be more concerned about issues like drainage and other priorities. “As a resident I was not informed of the works. A situation like this should not take place.” Yesterday, a private contractor of a company called H&S Import and Export, said he was asked by City Council to do the works. He is doing it “voluntarily” and donating his workers and the equipment. He claimed Royston King, the Town Clerk, knows about the work and was the person who the newspaper should speak with.
The proposed works included clearing the vegetation and building a walkway and recreation area. It appeared that fences would have been erected with several truckloads of sand dumped already. Mayor Green explained via phone yesterday that he was on the site earlier in the day, and based on what he was told by residents and with the need to garner more information, he asked the foreman on site to cease works. Apparently, the contractor had no written documents giving him permission. Several calls were made to the mobile phone of the Town clerk, but these went unanswered. Messages were also left at his office at the City Hall, but there were no calls as of late last evening. With criticisms in the past of certain state and other contracts, there have been growing calls for more transparency and accountability.
Friday March 18, 2016
Prison deaths COI…
Kaieteur News
Page 9
“Lock de door and leff dem inside!”
Hero? Dead prisoner Rayon Paddy
Inmate Desmond James
By Jarryl Bryan Capital ‘A’ Block inmate, Desmond James, yesterday testified before the tribunal probing the deaths of 17 prisoners at the Camp Street prison that he heard Deputy Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, issue the order to lock the front door of the Capital Crimes prison block, thus sealing the fate of the inmates who perished. James, who gave his testimony to a hushed room at the Public Service Ministry boardroom in response to questions from Attorney-atlaw Dexter Todd, made it clear that while he did not see Samuels, his voice was well known, as he would
frequently make visits to the section. James testified that on March 3rd, he heard Samuels’ voice, from outside, command “lock de door and leff dem inside”. The inmate related that at this point, prisoners were either about to exit the facility or were packing their belongings, following orders that they leave so that a search could be facilitated. “He said lock de door and leff dem inside,” James related. “He was talking about the rest of inmates.” The inmate related that an officer was outside the door at the time. Pressed by Todd to describe the officer, James could not give a detailed
description. However, he testified that the officer immediately obeyed Samuels’ order, and some of the prisoners then returned to their bedsides. Samuels was sent on leave by the Government soon after the fatal blaze. At the time, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan had stated that the decision stemmed from concerns raised by prisoners, among other considerations. But James’ testimony that there was no disturbance by the prisoners on March 3rd, that would have necessitated that they be prevented from leaving, is in line with Wednesday’s testimony of Capital ‘A’ Block inmate Michael Lewis. James’ testimony that authorities did little to free the inmates during the blaze echoed Lewis’ statement. Under questioning from Todd, James also testified that it was unlikely prisoners were unduly upset on Thursday March 3rd, as searches were a regular exercise. James’ testimony and that of Lewis have so far largely differed from official explanations given by prison authorities for the events of March 2nd and 3rd. In a press conference the
- Inmate says were Deputy Director’s orders day after the catastrophic fire, Officer in Charge of the Georgetown Prison, Superintendent Kevin Pilgrim had told members of the media that the unrest was sparked by the monthly Mandatory Joint Services operation which began on Wednesday, March 2nd. According to Pilgrim, several prohibited items including 19 cell phones and a quantity of narcotics were seized during the two-hour search in the new capital
division. The officer-incharge had related that sometime later that evening, he received a call informing him that there were some disturbances on the same Capital Block. When he responded, he reported seeing the location in a state of unrest, with inmates setting fires to mattresses and other flammable material. “For the period of last night (Wednesday March 2nd) nine fires were set by the
hands of the persons within the capital division, but with the assistance of members of the Guyana Fire Service, we managed to extinguish those fires,” Pilgrim said. He had stated that the situation returned to normalcy that night, but the inmates were demanding early trials. He said that the prisoners also demanded the return of some of the seized items, but this was not complied with. He recounted Continued on page 11
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 18, 2016
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
What a mess this country is; what a mess it is in A big confidential meeting in the boardroom of the Court of Appeal took place last Wednesday. The topic? Commonsense. Present were the top guns of the Judiciary and the big wigs in the Executive minus the President. The subjectmatter was not the area of intrigue. It was the reason for such a confabulation. Overcrowding in prisons was the only item on the agenda. The reason for thinking about the subject was because 17 prisoners in the Camp Street jail met a horrible death in a violent protest - they were burnt alive. The obvious question that even a primary school kid would naturally ask – if those deaths did not happen, would the big boys have had that meeting? The answer is no. The deaths are now history. The curiosity is where does this country go after such a horrible, unspeakable, unimaginable tragedy? The answer is that it is going nowhere. Do people with power understand their role in
Guyana? Will that power be used to transform this sad, blighted land? Look at the two institutions that comprised that conference at the Court of Appeal. These are the two most important pillars of society along with the Legislature. Overcrowding in the country’s jails was a known fact decades ago. Unimaginable backlog in the judicial system is a profane denial of democracy. There are thousands and thousands of civil cases that are on the shelves of the High Court for decades now. The list inevitably includes litigation involving property dispute, land ownership, wrongful imprisonment, wrongful dismissal, compensation for damage, insurance matters, hospital negligence etc. What a mess this country is; what a mess it is in. With a population of fewer than 800,000, civil matters in the High Court and Commercial Court are incomplete after ten to fifteen years of filing. “Obamacare” was signed into law on March 2010. Since
then there have been several writs filed against it that went right up to the Supreme Court. The final case against Obamacare in the Supreme Court was completed on January 16, 2016. That marked the end of attempts to make Obamacare illegal. The US is a country with over 300 million citizens. Yet in tiny populated Guyana, civil matters are languishing in the High Court for over ten years. This is not only a denial of rights and justice, but brings into focus whether Guyana is not a failed state. So we have a huge, confidential meeting of minds in the Judiciary and the Executive to solve the abomination of overcrowded prisons. If we eliminate such a social scorn what next is our target? Does the Georgetown Hospital work? And if it does not, do the big wigs in the Executive have the will to effect decent changes? The answer is no. The overcrowding of prisons will not stop. All of this is because there is no transformative leadership in
Guyana. From President Granger right down, there is no boldness to confront the dangers that are devouring this country. Give Jack his jacket; President Granger tried in the sphere of justice. He committed himself to annual pardoning of convicts for minor offences. It is an admirable policy for which society should offer support. But some magistrates will ignore President Granger. Within the last ten days, a young accused has been jailed for theft of a cell phone and a teenager remanded for robbery involving 1000 Guyanese dollars. Which political and civic leader in this country will follow the pattern in Jamaica
and Brazil and question the competence in medical training that Cuba offers. We bad-mouth UG graduates, but in medicine in Cuba, the training is far below international standards. This column says with deep honesty that he is appalled at the incompetence of many Cuban-trained doctors at the Georgetown Hospital. I think people die at that institution because of that incompetence. I will have much more to say about the farce of celebrating fifty years of Independence, but the vividness of that uselessness was underscored by the fact that the worst prison protest in the history of the Englishspeaking Caribbean took place just two months before
Frederick Kissoon we celebrate the 50th year of Independence. It was as if fate was trying to show Guyana that in those fifty years it hasn’t anything to show for it. Maybe it was fate’s way of asking Guyanese what is there to celebrate. One thing I know for sure, the 300 million dollars that will be spent on the celebration isn’t going to stop the monster of blackout from showing his ugly presence on May 26, 2016. Wanna bet?
Dem boys seh...
De Bees like hang around Presidents Jagdeo, that scamp, had a set of Bees around him. De closest one was Babbie who got half of Guyana in ee pocket and was going fuh three-quarter. Soulja Bai just tek over that same chair wha Jagdeo use to sit down in and already a set of Bees hanging around him, ready to suck de honey wha lef in Guyana. One of dem even name after Jagdeo best friend, Babbie. Dem boys don’t believe that Soulja Bai know some of de things already going on using his name. Some of these people got side deals. Dem boys hear de boat wha taxpayers does pay to bring in fuel fuh Guyoil, bring in another set of fuel yesterday fuh a private man. Dem boys seh de private man is a Bess man and he padna who set de deal is a Black Man and dem boys not talking bout race. He come from de States. This man is a double Bee and he might be cutting both ways too. De fuss name is a Bee. Only Soulja Bai gun know that. Dem had another Black Man who was also
coming from de States. Dem boys believe that he and all was coming fuh do runnings but de Creatah fed up wid Bees in Guyana so he mek Uncle Sam step in and bangle him before he coulda set foot in de country. De fuss Black Man is one of dem who ain’t got a job but he touting deals all over, just like Soulja Bai Babbie. On this fuel deal dem boys hear he getting 10 US cents on each gallon. And he got to share that money wid some big ones at Gee Hee Hay and Guyoil. Dem boys hear de whole shipment of fuel going to Suriname. This man get licence to import fuel and he didn’t have a water tank in ee yard, much less a storage facility fuh fuel. How he get de licence dem boys don’t know. Then dem have de Chinee man who get licence to export fuel and Guyana ain’t even got water fuh sell overseas, much less fuel. Dem boys want to know how he get licence, too and who grant it. Talk half and if you don’t want a scamp or a deal broker in you family, don’t name you children anything wid Bee or Jay.
Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 11
“Lock de door and leff dem inside!”
From page 9 that on Thursday morning (March 3rd), members of the Joint Services were extracting inmates to repair burnt beds when some of the inmates became unruly. “As a result of some amount of prompting from members of the general prison population, some of the inmates refused to come out of the building. Chanting caught on throughout the prison, which resulted in the door being barricaded and fires being lit again,” Pilgrim had explained. He said that the standard action drill was initiated, so as to bring the situation under some degree of control, with the Fire Service responding and, after several minutes of fire fighting, the blaze was extinguished.
Part of the testimonies of the two prisoners has so far been that on March 3, there was no disturbance by the prisoners until after the door was shut, after which a fire was started near a hole made between Capital Blocks A and B. Lewis’ testimony has also been that the blaze was only accelerated by tear gas being thrown into the block, while James has claimed that the prisoners were left to die by authorities. James’ testimony was, however, hotly contested by Canadian-based Attorney-atLaw Selwyn Pieters, representing the state. Pieters called James’ testimony into question, especially his signed statement which was submitted against the objections of Guyana Bar
Association representative, Christopher Ram. It was subsequently established that due processes were not adhered to. Pieters also suggested that judging by his minor injuries (James testified that he only got injuries on his knee), he was not even in the area where Rayon Paddy and the other inmates burnt to death. He also queried whether James saw inmates attacking officers who were trying to help. Pieters went on to suggest that the prisoners were the authors of their own demise. This James denied and he also concurred with Todd, who pointed out how unlikely it was that prisoners, trapped in a burning building and terrified for their lives, would attack officers trying to free
After two-decade hiatus…
Historic Local Govt. Elections today Today the nation goes to the polls for Local Government Elections (LGE) for the first time in over two decades. The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in a statement issued last evening said that it has been working arduously to ensure successful operations when Polls open at 6:00 am countrywide. And according to GECOM, the Ballots for
outlying areas were transported via aircraft yesterday. The Ballots for Georgetown and locations near to the capital city were slated to be transported from 3:00 am today. Five hundred and seven thousand, six hundred and sixty-three (507,663) Electors are registered on the Official Voters’ List and a total of one thousand, five hundred and sixty- two (1, 562) Polling Stations will be opened to
facilitate voting, GECOM has advised. The Local Authorities (Elections) Act was amended in 2009 to include as many people as possible, apart from Political Parties. The total number of Groups, Political Parties and Individual Candidates contesting these Elections is eighty three (83) – three (3) Political Parties, seventeen (17) Voluntary Groups and sixty-three (63) Individual Candidates.
them from the inferno. Before the hearing proceeded, objections were also made by Ram about the fact that James should have been given the chance to waive his rights to an attorney. James was obviously unrepresented. Attorney Todd is currently appearing individually, on behalf of two prisoners. Ram’s application was ultimately denied and the hearing proceeded. HEROICS OF A DEAD PRISONER Only one day after Lewis would have testified of the advice the late Rayon Paddy had given to deal with tear gas, James also offered insight into the last actions of the ex-Guyana Defence Force rank, who once stood accused on two counts of
murder, several counts of robbery under arms and possession of narcotics. James made it clear that, had it not been for Paddy, he might have been among the dead. He stated that after Paddy advised him to drop to the ground; he complied and lay on his stomach at the side door. He said that he was “forced to breathe from the crease between the door jamb and the floor and scream for help”. He recalled that a prisoner named Bacchus finally came outside the door and subsequently returned with a prison officer who had a bunch of keys. However, he recalled that none of the keys worked and they subsequently left. James also recalled that
Paddy was not far from him and largely unharmed, until he realized that one of his friends, “Elephant”, was missing. James stated that Paddy left and went into the blaze looking for him. According to James, the next time he saw Paddy he had already been severely burnt with his skin hanging off. James also affirmed that the prisoners were neither suicidal nor desirous of burning down the prison block. He stated that they instead were calling for help for more than an hour but no one came. James related that he had to listen to the prisoners in the vicinity of the fire screaming in mortal agony until the screams eventually stopped.
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 18, 2016
$300M is ‘peanuts’ for a 50th anniversary celebration -Finance Minister …Predicts record spending for Golden Jubilee Some critics have been lashing out at the coalition Government for allocating $300M for Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary celebrations. But Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, has said that such comments only reflect a “petty” mentality. He emphasized that for such a “historic” occasion, $300M is “peanuts”. Jordan, during his press conference on Wednesday, said that the money being spent will have a “tremendous” multiplying effect. He predicted that the $300M being spent may even bring in another $300M or more from overseas visitors. “I even heard of the new flights being put on for this 50th anniversary…But have you asked how much Barbados is spending on their celebrations? It is much more and they are experiencing financial problems. I don’t know why we are so small-minded and petty. How many of us will see the next 50? This is a grand occasion and we are crying over this money that will bring record spending and increase in tourists,” expressed the Finance Minister. He added, “But let us assume that each tourist brings US$500— we can blow that out in one night at Palm Court and they would walk with their ATM Card too…so trust me there will be record spending during this time. Lots of people are mobilized to be part of this celebration.” “We call on all Guyanese
to reflect on the journey of the past 50 years, taking into account the people and experiences that have shaped our history and the lessons learnt, while mindful of the opportunities we have missed,” the Minister said. In addition, Minister Jordan noted that during the reflections, the tools must be in place for young people to continue growing. “This is a time of reflection and celebration, even as we provide inspiration and tools for our young people to dream bigger and reach higher over the next 50 years,” Minister Jordan explained. During May, a number of activities are slated to take place in observance of the 50th Independence Anniversary. Guyana gained Independence from Great Britain on May 26, 1966. (Kiana Wilburg)
Ruben Hopkinson, 22, was shot and robbed by two bandits at Eden Street, Tucville, Georgetown, while on his way home, on Wednesday night. Hopkinson, of Festival City, Georgetown, is a Banks DIH employee. He was shot twice to the left leg and once to the buttocks. He was treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and sent away. He is to return to the hospital in two weeks to have the bullets removed. According to the police,
at around 21:30 hrs, Hopkinson was riding along Eden Street when he was attacked by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun. The release further stated that the perpetrators demanded Hopkinson’s jewellery and when he resisted, he was shot. Kaieteur News understands that the bandits then escaped with the man’s jewellery which is worth $240,000. Investigations are ongoing.
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
Festival City resident shot during robbery
Friday March 18, 2016
Rose Hall Estate protests…
Kaieteur News
Police called in again as workers storm compound for second day
Scores of workers gathered outside the GuySuCo Administrative Office at Rose Hall yesterday. For the second day in a row, lawmen, including newly-appointed Commander Assistant Commissioner of Police Ian Amsterdam, had to rush to the Rose Hall Estate as the strike at the entity intensified, with all the Harvesting and Fertilizing gangs now on strike. This was quite unlike Wednesday when only the Harvesting P workers took strike action and stormed the factory compound. The workers planned to escalate the strike action with the shutting down of the entire operation until their demands are met which include the removal of newly appointed Estate Manager Yudi Persaud. The extra security was sent for after the workers had forced themselves past the estate security and had entered the compound when
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the Estate Manager for the second day had refused to meet with them. According to the workers, the Manager left the location for Georgetown without speaking to them. The workers described the Estate Manager’s actions as “blatant eye pass,” dictatorial and aimed at undermining the Corporation, a view which was also shared by their representatives present. The genesis of the problem stemmed from the Estate’s refusal to offer the workers adequate amount of work. The workers who were backed by representatives of GAWU stated that for some strange reasons they were not offered work on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, the entire Estate was not required, while no work was offered to the harvesters on Tuesday. The workers said that they
are prepared to work every day, including Tuesdays. The workers said they want answers and are prepared to fight for their rights. However the workers stated they were not told anything and when they asked questions they were insulted by the Estate Manager who refused to meet with them or their representative. “We will not return to work until we get answers or until this man is removed from here.” The workers said that there was no reason why the estate could not give them work to do. A number of them stated that they have bills to pay and three and four days’ work cannot suffice, since they will lose out on incentives. According to GAWU Berbice representative
Some of the workers exhibiting their placards. Harvey Tambron, the Estate manager is breaching all the labour laws and conventions, including the constitution of Guyana, by not offering work to the workers.
“People want answers, Tambron said, “and if they don’t get answers then they will take action.” He stated that in the entire corporation it is only Rose
Hall Estate that decided not to provide work for its workers. The workers are asking the reason why the manager is taking this stance, (Continued on page 16)
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 18, 2016
23rd CARIFORUM meeting convenes The 23rd Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) opened yesterday at the Marriott Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Haiti, Lener Renauld and saw the various ministers from member states. including Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, participating. At the opening ceremony it was announced that the Council will be considering matters which are high on its policy agenda, with a view to advancing coordinated action on a range of policy objectives and priorities. In this regard, the Meeting will focus on the implementation and programming of the 10th and 11th European Development Fund (EDF), Caribbean
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, greeting some of the representatives at the meeting yesterday. Regional Indicative Programme (CRIP), the implementation of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the Future of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
— including the Eighth ACP Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government, scheduled for 31 May-1 June 2016 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea — and future ACP-EU Relations in the post-Cotonou period.
The Meeting will also focus on recent EU developments on financial services and receive reports from the two CARIFORUM institutions - the Caribbean Export Development Agency and the Caribbean Regional Information and Translation Institute. Delivering the opening remarks was the SecretaryGeneral of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); and Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States (CARIFORUM), Ambassador Irwin LaRocque. LaRocque told the gathering that a lot has happened since they last met in December 2014, and the day’s agenda, therefore, would reflect the urgent priorities on which members must give political and policy guidance and direction. “When we last met, we were in the process of negotiating the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Indicative Programme with the European Union (EU). I have since signed the Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (CRIP), valued at •346 million, with the EU. That Agreement will provide support to CARIFORUM in the areas of: Regional Economic Integration and Cooperation; Climate Change; Disaster Management, Environment and Sustainable Energy; and Crime and Security. These areas are among the most critical for us in addressing our competitiveness, fostering economic growth and sustainable development. “As we design the programmes and projects, these must have a positive impact on the ground in Member States. We must also take into account the need to build capacity at the national as well as the regional levels.” Delivering remarks also, was Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, who
described the meeting as an important and timely one. During his address, he said that while member states pursue their development in various fields, challenges remain. These development initiatives, he explained, continue to be challenged by regional vulnerabilities and, “exposure to external factors”. The meeting, he said, will address issues such as the implementation of the Joint Caribbean – European Union partnership Strategy; development of the European Development Fund Caribbean Regional Indicative programme; a review of the CARIFORUM– EU Economic Partnership Agreement; EU strategy for effective taxation, and the ACP Group’s future post2020. The European Union’s partnership with the Caribbean in particular, was described by Minister Greenidge as valued. “In this regard, the Joint Strategy aims to deepen EUCARIFORUM dialogue and structure bi-regional cooperation to respond to existing and developing challenges and opportunities,” Greenidge said in his opening remarks. Concern was expressed by the Minister about the EU implementation of its external tax-avoidance strategy for effective taxation as part of its anti-tax avoidance package. He stated that the EU’s assurances of dialogue and consultations on this matter were welcome but, the region stands ready to maintain its high standards and commitment in this process. Chairing the event, Republic of Haiti, Cabinet Chief, Jean Max Bellerive said that CARIFORUM has helped the region to unite and work against challenges facing it. He also reminded of the meeting’s objectives, vowing to work for a “successful
session.” CARIFORUM refers to the Caribbean Forum of ACP Group of States which are signatories of the Georgetown Agreement. This Agreement was signed in 1975, and it created the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). The grouping is composed of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific states. All Participating States in CARIFORUM, with the exception of Cuba, are signatories to the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement or “Cotonou Agreement” and the EPA, respectively. The CARIFORUM Members are: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. CARIFORUM was established in the early 1990s, and its functions are to Manage and coordinate policy dialogue between its Participating States and the EU; promote integration and cooperation in the Caribbean; coordinate the allocation of resources and manage the implementation of programmes financed by the EDF and by Member States of the EU and any other source as may be approved by the Council of Ministers from time to time; provide technical guidance and assistance to Participating States in meeting the commitments and securing the benefits provided for in the CARIFORUM-EU EPA; and provide support for the effective participation of CARIFORUM in the Institutions provided for in the CARIFORUM-EU EPA. The Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM is the Decision-making Body of the grouping. It provides policy (Continued on page 16)
Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Trial for man accused of killing toddler ends in third hung jury The murder trial of Calvin Bailey ended in yet another hung jury, after a mixed jury, following hours of deliberation, failed to return a unanimous verdict at the High Court in Georgetown yesterday. Bailey was charged for killing 18-monthold Shaquan Nero. He was accused of chopping the toddler to the throat, during an altercation with the baby’s mother Bernadette Nero in April 2007. Bailey, called ‘Lava’, of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden; Agricola, East Bank Demerara and Campbellville, Georgetown, faced a trial before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a 12member jury. The case was presented
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Calvin Bailey by State Prosecutors Michael Shahoud and Orinthia Schmidt. Bailey was represented by Attorney Peter Hugh. Although potentially cleared of the murder charge Bailey was however sent back to prison since he has another case pending. This is the second trial before a Judge and Jury for the accused. He had faced trials for the offence in 2013
and 2014. Both ended in hung jury verdicts. In his defence, Bailey gave an unsworn statement in which he told the court that it was in fact the child’s mother, who chopped the baby during the altercation. He claimed that the woman was leaving him and taking their son to Georgetown with her but he could not allow her to do so, since he shared a special bond with his son. But the child’s mother, who currently resides in Barbados, gave a different account of the incident. She recalled a brutal attack perpetrated by former spouse. The woman recalled on April 5, 2007 she was at her aunt’s residence at Cinderella City, Linden when Bailey came looking for her; she had decided to leave after the relationship became abusive. She recounted that he had attacked her and during that incident he had chopped the infant.
Friday March 18, 2016
Police called in again... (From page 13) as “the weather is excellent and the factory is working”. They view the action of the Manager as an attempt to sabotage the industry and undermine them from earning a decent livable wage. Mr. Tambron said when he contacted the Estate Manager concerning the workers demand; he was told by the official that he does not have to explain his action to nobody. One worker, Arthur Lewis, stated that he has been working with GuySuCo for 21
years and has a weekly loan payment of $6,000. Orin Mc Bean said he has a $10,000 weekly loan payment to make and is in need of work. The workers said that they are also willing to work on Tuesdays. Giving an example, one representative stated that two Tuesdays ago, 46 extra workers turned out to work, since the estate did not burn enough cane. On that day the gang harvested 76 punts of cane. “If that is not undermining the corporation, what is?”
More gangs are expected to join the strike, since they are all being affected. The representative stated. They want the Manger to be removed. Meanwhile, GAWU yesterday issued an official statement. “GAWU considers that the workers at Rose Hall Estate stand on good grounds and looks forward to the Manager and the representatives having a meeting without delay rather than to allow the strike to escalate.”
23rd CARIFORUM meeting... (From page 14) guidance and mandates. F u r t h e r m o r e , CARIFORUM has a rotating chairmanship, in the alphabetical order of the names of the Participating States and is held for a period of twelve (12) calendar months commencing, with effect, from July 1. The
current Chair is Haiti and Jamaica takes over the chairmanship from July 1. The Secretary-General of CARIFORUM is assisted by the Director-General, who also serves as CA RIFORUM Regional Coordinator of the EPA. Of note, the Director-General, inter alia, coordinates and
supervises the technical operation of the CARIFORUM Directorate, a technical and administrative body. Based in the CARICOM Secretariat, the Directorate comprises the Development Cooperation Unit and EPA Implementation Unit, respectively.
Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 18, 2016
Mom tries to kill baby Govt mulls ways to reduce court after ingesting poison backlogs, prison overcrowding A Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD) mother yesterday tried to kill her oneyear-old baby after ingesting a poisonous substance. Up to press time, doctors were monitoring the condition of both mother and child. The woman has been identified as Ronda Jeffrey of Lot 38 Friendship. Her daughter is Rakayla Gordon. According to information received, the woman left her home and went to the Kingston Seawall where she ingested the substance and then poured a portion of it (poison) on a handkerchief and tried to suffocate the baby with it. Luckily, the toddler’s father rushed to the location in time and rescued her. He raised an alarm and ranks from the Eve Leary Police Station, which is located just opposite the seawall, rushed to the
scene. Kaieteur News was told that the woman has since confessed to ingesting the substance, and she has also admitted that she tried to kill her baby. She claimed that she did it because the baby’s father was not assisting her to take care of the baby. The child’s father, Leslie Gordon, when contacted yesterday, explained that he was at the Demerara Harbour Bridge, heading to Parika to drop off passengers, when he received a telephone call from his estranged partner, Jeffrey. “She call me and tell me that she is at the seawall and that she going and drink poison and that she gon give the child poison, so I had to ask the passengers to come out the car and hurry to the seawall,” the man claimed. According to Gordon, he
panicked when the woman told him what she was about to do. He said that she did not give him any time to ask questions. He added that when he reached to the seawall, he saw Jeffrey lying on the sand, while holding a kerchief over the child’s face. “The baby eye de done start roll up and I grabbed her away and I call out for people and the police de done start running towards the area. The police tell me to take my daughter to the hospital and they gone bring her,” Gordon recalled. He said that he was informed by doctors that his daughter is going to recover since the “poison was not so strong.” The toddler’s mother, who is said to be in her 40s, is in a more serious condition. According to Gordon, he only spoke with the woman on Wednesday and she seemed fine. “I does call her everyday to talk to my daughter and I does buy things and take it for that child, so I don’t know what she talking about.” Investigations are ongoing.
Members of the judiciary and executive arms of Government at the meeting Addressing judicial backlog and overcrowding at the Georgetown Prisons is high on the agenda for the Executive and Judicial arms of Government. This disclosure was made by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, on Wednesday, following a meeting with key stakeholders from both arms of the government. The meeting was convened at the Court of Appeal, Kingston, Georgetown, at the behest of President David Granger. The Executive team led by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo included Vice President and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Attorney General Basil Williams. Representatives of the judiciary included Chancellor (Ag) Justice Carl Singh, Chief Justice (Ag) Yonette Cummings- Edwards, Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan and Director of Public
Prosecutions, (DPP) Shalimar Ali Hack. According to Prime Minister Nagamootoo, the initial discussions were aimed at dealing with persons on remand, accelerating trials and methods of conducting court hearings in a manner which will clear the congestion in the prison. Nagamootoo said that based on the preliminary consultations the judiciary is fully on board with the efforts to alleviate overcrowding in the prisons. This view was also expressed by Justice Carl Singh. He noted that members of the judiciary particularly at the level of the Magistracy can have significant impact on the manner in which cases are managed and disposed towards easing the prison congestion. The Chancellor said that the teams will host consultations for the next two weeks towards finding
solutions which assist in ending the backlog. According to him following the talks it is likely that measures to improve the system will be implemented. The consultations come in wake of a deadly prison riot which claimed the lives of 17 inmates earlier this month. The prisoners were killed even as eight others were injured after being trapped in a raging fire in the notorious Capital ‘A’ Block of the Camp Street Prison. The fire is believed to have been started by prisoners who were venting their frustration at what they felt was the inordinate length of time they were on remand while awaiting trial. Following the three-day riot the government embarked on a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the prisons as well as made promises to improve food, speed up trials and increase the number of telephone calls prisoners are allowed to families.
Friday March 18, 2016
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Friday March 18, 2016
Public discussion on proposed cybercrime laws…
Leaking confidential data, hacking of bank accounts raised
Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams (third from left) with US Charge d’Affaires, Bryan Hunt (left) and IDB Country Representative, Sophie Makonnen, and others at the forum. Proposed legislations that will change the way the country deals with internet crimes are up for public discussions with the US and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) promising to assist Guyana. During the stakeholder meeting on Wednesday, at the Pegasus Hotel, several issues were raised, including what happens when banks lose customers’ monies due to hacking and the possibilities of information about confidential customers being leaked by institutions. The consultation saw the attendance of Charge d’Affaires of the United States Embassy, Bryan Hunt; Representative of the IDB, Sophie Makonnen; Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Basil Williams, and
with representatives from the media fraternity, the private and public sectors. Other agencies represented include the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU), the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). The serious offences which the draft Bill criminalises speak to child pornography and the damaging of any computer system, device, network, computer programme or data vital to the State’s operations. Other offences that are criminalised include illegally accessing a computer system, illegally intercepting by technical means information on a server or a computer system, illegally interfering with data on a computer such as deleting or copying information, illegally obtaining computer data, illegally interfering with a computer system, the sale of device, software or
computers that can be used for hacking purposes, the unauthorized receiving or granting of access to information stored on a computer or a network, computer related forgery and, fraud and identity theft. US Charge d’Affaires, Bryan Hunt, in his remarks, indicated that critical infrastructure continues to be at risk from threats in cyberspace and a country’s economy is harmed by theft of intellectual property. “I firmly believe that if we address these threats systematically and together, we can ensure that the internet remains an engine for economic growth and a platform for the free exchange of ideas,” Hunt said. He added that the aspect of the legislation to address the threats of identity theft, cyber bullying and child pornography is needed because if left unchecked these can undermine the social fabric of the country. “Unfortunately, the child
Stakeholders during the discussion. pornography market exploded in the 1990s with the advent of the internet and advanced digital technology…the legislation under review…takes aim at those people engaged in this despicable, unlawful behaviour.” Protecting children and other vulnerable members of society is one of the most important duties that today’s leaders assume, Hunt urged. He was one of the persons who have been behind Guyana introducing laws to tackle cybercrime. Makonnen said that based on a recently published report by the IDB, Guyana’s internet threat level stands at 37%. She added that 80 percent of the countries in Latin American and the Caribbean region do not have cybercrime strategies; only five of the 33 do and they are Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. “We believe that the
report is a wakeup call in the region to what’s going on…The vast majority of the countries in the region are not yet prepared to counteract cybercrime,” Makonnen explained. She added that the consultation, while it is a work in progress, is a clear indication that the government is taking the threat of cybercrime seriously, therefore, the bank will stand by its side. Minister Williams explained that while the emergence of ICT has changed the way the country does banking, shop and conduct business on a day to day basis; it has led to the emergence of cybercrime. “The lack of cybercrime legislation may result in Guyana becoming a safe haven for cybercrime offenders as offenders may be motivated to commit such crimes in other jurisdiction because they will have no fear of prosecution,” Minister Williams explained.
Some of the types of institutions that are affected by such crimes include government agencies, banks, educational institutions, and businesses. “They include data espionage or illegal interception of data which allows criminals to gain access to critical personal and confidential information and the breach of such information can have deep impacts on the operations of such institutions,” Minister Williams explained. The fight against cybercrime needs a comprehensive approach therefore the creation of legislation is the first step. It criminalises such offences and provides the necessary measures for investigation which will lead to prosecution. Among, other things, the draft legislation is calling for hefty fines and lengthy jail sentences. The 2016 budget makes allocations for cybercrime legislation, training investigators, prosecutors, magistrates and judges to understand the nature of these emerging crimes. The purpose of the consultation was to garner the opinions, comments and criticisms of the stakeholders in relation to the draft bill prepared by the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Vonetta Atwell, Principal Parliamentary Counsel, gave an overview of the Bill and cited its various components. The panel consisted of Charles Fung-a-Fat, Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel; Atwell, Raymond KhanInformation Technology Manager at the University of Guyana and Cheyanne Lall, State Counsel. Also present were representatives of the private sector and the Director of Public Prosecution, Shalimar Ali Hack.
Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
SERVICES
WANTED
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Farmer to work and live in – Call: 622-4386; 696-4397
Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Building Construction: house plans & estimates, floor sanding, lacquering & painting, boat for Santa Mission –Call: 650-4362 Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves – Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 INNOVATIVE MARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Repairs to LED, Plasma, LCD and all other electronic equipment. Ordering of circuit boards. Abdul Electronics. Call: 225-0391 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Austin Power’s Repairs & Services: Re-gas, fridge, AC, freezer, stove, house wiring & washers. Call: 685-2588; 613-1711 Specialised in A/C installation, service, repair fridges, freezer & re-gas systems. Call: 656-6708, 6483955
SALON
PROPERTY FOR SALE
- Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
Transport property located @ Rosignol W.B.B: 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully furnished. Call: 679-3496; 6026333; 330-2576; 699-4689 (motivated settler)
Table hands – Call: 225-7417 between 11:00hrs-16:00hrs One experience captain to ply from Georgetown to Bartica must be 55 years and over. Contact: 650-0402 Live in waitress must have secondary education, 1825yrs -$70,000 monthly. Call: 610-3974
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Large quantity of selected 18months old coconut plants to buy between 2-3ft tall. Call: 231-1408; 642-9191
House for rent, top flat 3 bedrooms, bottom flat, 3 bedrooms @ First Bridge Diamond. Call: 664-1030; 6135212
Boys to work in the Interior, shop attendants. Call: 6741767
Gold and Diamond mining land for rent in Ekereku & Siparuni area. Call: 615-8810 or 668-3100
Hairdresser/sales representative needed for hair products. Must have a vehicle. Call: 231-4999; 6770480, email:irbcguy@gmail. com Experienced pastry maker, cake decorator, counter servers, cashier, roti/puri cooks, apply at Hacks Halaal, 5 Commerce St. Contract cars & drivers. Call: 227-1720, 227-1721 or 6606102 One experienced cook, with knowledge in baking, apply in person @ Bistro, 36 Public Road, La Grange W.B.D-Call: 678-3400 One salesgirl for shop on E.C.D age 17-24. Text your information to: 617-7823 One handyman to work in the Interior, must be 18-25yrs. Call: 680-2702; 661-3328
4 Bedrooms house in Bel-Air Gardens; all modern conveniences; no agents!Call: 231-7839 during working hours House in Bel-Air Park: 3 bedrooms upstairs/ downstairs, all modern conveniences - $1600US monthly-Call: 231-7839 during working hours Upper flat, 3 bedrooms at Golden Grove Housing Scheme- Call: 625-4195; 6248120 Top flat for rent @ Diamond, New Scheme. Call: 615-5833 Self-contained rooms in Prashad Nagar. Tel: 227-2993 Two bedrooms, bottom flat, with A/C, hot & cold, security, overseas clients only- Call: 226-1519
1 Male cook (baheir) to cook in the Interior. Call: 678-0565 One domestic cleaner & must be able to prepare vegetarian meals, apply in person @ Alabama Trading G/Town. LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 615-0964; 6895997 K ’s D r i v i n g S c h o o l (Berbice)- learn to drive with a professional instructor. Call: 615-8536; 649-0979 for more information. Register Now: Be Ready Driving School @ Vreed-enHoop, certificate program. Call: 264-3057
Housekeeper to cook for an Indian Family in Turkeyen, 6 days @ $15,000 weekly. Police clearance and reference required. Call: 655-6766 SALES PERSONS WITH CAR,WANTED FORAFOOD DISTRIBUTOR COMPANY. SALARY + COMMISSION. APPLICATION & POLICE CLEARANCE. CALL: 2318529 TAXI SERVICES GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
LAND FOR SALE Land for sale in Eccles, immediate position + transport -$4.9M- Call: 624-2857 Eight (8)Acres farm land at Kuru Kururu with creek passing through-Call: 643-1861 Eccles -$6M, Herstelling $3M, La Parfaite Harmonie $1.6M & $2.6M, Dairy (100ftx50ft) -$3M. Call: 6042207; 611-7223 PEN PAL Indian male is seeking female, age 30-33yrs. Write: M.D, 7475 Goreway DR #47 Mississauga on L4T 3T3 Canada.
Flat house in Grove, (corner property) 1 Block from main road, price negotiable. Call: 1905-626-2572 Transported property @ Grove $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461 3068 Amelia’s Ward Linden: 4 bedrooms, 1 self-containedCall: 640-4731; 641-6450 House & land fully furnished, 3 self contained rooms, 1 master bedroom, alarm systems, 9 cameras, 7 AC units. Call: 628-0016; 667-2536 2-2 Storey concrete structure 26X58- Call: 644-9552. 26X40Call: 622-9903, Anna Catherina, New Scheme, special deals, serious enquiries only. Transported property, prime, furnished liquor restaurant & bar, 2 freezers, 1 pools table, double lot @ E.C.D$26.5M neg. Call: 600-7228 House & land @ Block 8 Mon Repos, E.C.D -$28M neg. Call: 654-4312; 629-3344, serious inquiries only. Property @ Lot 87 Albert Street- Call: 669- 8701 Furnished 6 bedrooms house with attic, 4 self contained bedrooms located @ Anna Catherina, New Housing Scheme. Call: 611-5354; 6154728 Brand new house in Republic Gardens, E.B.D: 3 bedrooms, all self contained, selling as is -$22M negotiable, owner migrating, need quick sale. Call: 639-8182; 233-5117 2 Storey property: 4 bedrooms (1 master), grilled, toilet (both flat), concrete fence @ Q68 Guyhoc Gardens, Ruimveldt. Call: 231-9174 TOURS SURINAME EASTER WEEKEND TOUR TRIP: SHOPPING, FUN, TOURS & SIGHTSEEING DOLPHINS MARCH 23RD -28TH, 2016. CALL: 692-7270; 6655171; 639-2663; 223-0056 TO LET Two bedrooms apartment in TO LET Eccles, fully furnished for short & long term. Call: 2253234; 698-7807 Executive furnished suite in Diamond. Ideal for foreigners. Call: 600-2466 Eccles furnished apartment includes cable, Wi-Fi, A/C, etc. Call: 233-3974; 660-9139 FOR SALE One Toyota Spacio PPP series in excellent condition. Call: 600-2466
Friday March 18, 2016
FOR SALE
VEHICLE FOR SALE
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
Unregistered Bluebird 2006 model, TV, Reverse Camera, Dark interior low mileage -$2.3M. Call: 6553400
5 Acre farm at Pearl E.B.D, bearing fruit trees, equipped chicken pens etc, terms of sale negotiable. Call: 692-1999
Honda CRV (RD5), stick gear, PNN series - $2.1M negotiable. Call: 691-1198
Live and pluck chicken- Call: 220-1043; 621-4304 Leyland DAF55, Flatbed truck-in, excellent condition. Call to negotiate: 675-4287; 6280016; 667-2536; 233-2383 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc. Call: 225-9032;647-2943;604-5198 Nissan Titan- Call: 696-5135 175 DAF dump truck #GNN 5366- Call: 664-1030; 613-5212 Jet-Ski for sale: 1500cc, super charged. Brand New! Call: 231-7839 during office hours Labrottie puppies (jet black) for sale @ $50,000/each; 5 weeks fully de-wormed & vaccinated. Call: 654-7683 One complete snow cone cart in excellent condition. Call: 600-5325 Land in Diamond. Call: 6987807
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Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Subcommittee recommended illegal radio licences must be revoked “We have to start from scratch” – GNBA Member By Kiana Wilburg Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), Leonard Craig continues to dodge questions which require him to explain to the nation where the Authority is on the revocation of the illegally granted licences under the Jagdeo regime. This is in spite of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo making it clear two days ago that Craig would be the one to set the record straight. Yesterday Kaieteur News contacted Craig on the issue. He said, “I am not willing to make a statement on this matter just yet. We are
meeting next week on it. I am not willing to speak on this today and I shall speak on this at a press conference after our meeting.” The GNBA Chairman said that his Public Relations Officer would be dealing with the information on the related dates. It was since last year that Craig has been promising to meet with the media. This newspaper also asked Craig if he received reports, whether oral or written, from the subcommittee that was established to look into the issue of the illegally granted broadcasting licenses, among other issues.
To this Craig said, “I guess they will do that at the meeting next week…But that is a matter for the press conference.” He was also asked to say why the board is only having a meeting regarding the way forward on the matter, when the subcommittee would have been set up by him since last year. Craig said, “Because now that certain things are being said in the press, it beholds the board to consider and reconsider the matter.” When this publication contacted the Head of the Subcommittee, Anthony Vieira, he provided more
Massy Group launches its... From page 18 said that the launch of the mega supermarket is affirmation of Massy's confidence in the economy and commitment. According to Massy's Chairman, Thomas Pantin, the opening of the retail store is big since it is a long term dream becoming a reality. He explained that when the company thought about opening a retail store here, it only had stores in Trinidad and Tobago. “Since then we have (stores) in Barbados, St Lucia and St. Vincent and now here.” He related that there are several reasons why the company chose to wait until now to launch its retail outlet here. A second store will be coming soon, he said.
“This is not about entering the Guyanese market with one store to see how it goes. This is about a full commitment to retail in Guyana. We promise you that that store will be a phenomenal experience with even wider offerings,” Pantin said. The company's CEO, Gervase Warner, said that Massy has been watching how Guyanese did their supermarket shopping. “They go from multiple locations to different markets, come out in the hot sun and back in their cars and drive another little way or catch a taxi (to go to another location). It is time- consuming, it is energy draining. It is time for a supermarket like Massy store to be present in Guyana,” Warner related.
He said that the store creates value for the public. The CEO said that it provides greater opportunity for the company to work closely with local suppliers and local producers. Minister Gaskin said that the company has created jobs for 1300 persons and contributes “handsomely” to the local company.” The Minister noted that Government will continue to ensure that a leveled playing field exists for companies and anyone who is willing to do business here. The Supermarket will be open from 8:00am to 8:00pm on Monday to Thursday and on Friday and Saturday from 8:00am to 9:00pm. On Sundays, the doors will be open from 9:00am to 3:00pm.
clarity on the issues. Vieira said that it needs to be clarified first of all that Craig is not an Executive Chairman with special powers. He said that Craig is just a chairman, and what he does in relation to the Authority, has to be in harmony with the thoughts and decisions reached by other board members. The broadcasting veteran said that there are a number of things wrong with Guyana’s broadcasting sector and as such, it becomes imperative for the entire system to be revamped, so that an environment of fairness can be had. “And I have said several times let’s call in the media so that they can know what we are doing and what we have done so far, because the impression is that the Broadcasting Authority is not working, and that is not true. Additionally, the entire broadcasting authority needs
restructuring. Even the Act also needs restructuring. But it is time we talk to the media, and I will be inviting them next week.” While Craig was not willing to say if he received reports from the subcommittee on the illegal radio licences, Vieira said that this was in fact done since last year with the understanding that revocation must be done. He noted, however, there are still some kinks which have to be ironed out regarding the way in which it will be accomplished. “But the whole broadcasting sector, from the licences to the Act, needs to be regularized. We need to start from scratch,” Vieira asserted. Weeks before leaving office, Former President Bharrat Jagdeo awarded his best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop five radio frequencies; New Guyana Company Limited, five, and
GNBA Head, Leonard Craig Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting Inc., another five. Jagdeo also ordered the grant of two cable licences to two of his closest friends, Vishok Persaud and Brian Yong. GNBA Officials revealed recently that Jagdeo’s ad hoc approach has led to prime spots on the spectrum being taken up. All premium spots on the television and cable channel frequencies are gone. There is little space left for new applicants on the radio spectrum.
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Three days before 2011 elections…
Ramotar’s close friend buys prime land at $0.5M per acre, others pay $4M-$9M per acre Prime lands behind Golden Grove, EBD, were sold for just $1.9M per acre to Mohamed ‘Arafat’ Qualander, a close friend of ex-President, Donald Ramotar
Former Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali
The Diamond and Golden Grove housing schemes, East Bank Demerara, have been described as two of the largest in the country. Initially, squatters started to take plots in the late 1990s before the Central Housing and Planning Authority started to take steps to regularize the area. It was all cane lands belonging to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Today, the two schemes have several thousand homes side by side. Despite its narrow roads and congestion, the two schemes have been touted as models of what other schemes should be like. They boast a fire station, police station, shops and a number of commercial banks and insurance companies. Lands in the two schemes are in high demand. A low income house lot acquired in the 1990s and early 2000s cost a mere $90,000. That house lot is now selling for $3M and $4M. One that cost $50,000 two decades ago will likely not go for less than $5M. In 2011, CH&PA was telling house lot applicants who were clamouring for lands on the East Bank that there were none left. Applicants were getting lands in Providence, Herstelling, Farm and Covent Garden, but little in Diamond and Golden Grove. As questions continue into the operations of CH&PA, it appears that entity had held onto to a large plot east of the Golden Grove area.
Three days before the November 28, 2011 general elections, CH&PA entered into an agreement with Savitrie Qualander, Mohamed ‘Arafat’ Qualander and Saudia Qualander, principals of Queensway, a Water Street business place. Mohamed Qualander is said to be a close friend of former President Donald Ramotar. The agreement for Block 22A of Block Y, Golden Grove described the plot of land as being 35 acres, The price was $18.375M or $525,000 per acre. Each acre could provide up to eight reasonably sized lots. According to the agreement, the Qualanders were to pay $10M up front and the balance with the passing of the transport. The price would raise eyebrows as other developers were made to pay between $4M and $9M per acre, further north on East Bank Demerara, in the Providence and Herstelling areas. The agreement made it clear that the private housing developer has to build internal infrastructure and construct and sell homes only. The developer was mandated to immediately mobilize and carry out infrastructural works, including access roads, bridges, culverts and drainage, and water and electricity networks. The mobilization was supposed to take place before May 2012. Signing the agreement on behalf of CH&PA was Chief
Executive Officer, Myrna Pitt, while Mohamed Qualander signed on behalf of Queensway. A visit to the area earlier this week determined that no work has been done or any home erected. The transaction with Queensway is among more than 20 other transactions done by CH&PA with private others on the East Bank Demerara that are raising eyebrows. More than four years after the deals were signed, little activity has taken place. There are no lands remaining on the East Bank Demerara for CH&PA to distribute for the more than 25,000 applications on file. Under the previous PPP/ C administration, it appeared that thousands of acres of lands under the authority of CH&PA and former Minister of Housing, Irfaan Ali, were given away for little or nothing. The lands that were sold under questionable arrangements to the private developers are all considered prime real estate, worth billions of dollars at the current market rate. On Wednesday, CH&PA Chairman, Hamilton Green, said he will be taking action next week after senior housing officials failed since December to hand over documents and agreements pertaining to the lands sold to the private developers. There have been numerous complaints of citizens waiting for years for house lots. CH&PA and its new Board
of Directors have been coming under fire to take back the lands. Last October, government officials carried out a surprise inspection on several plots in control of the developers and found that works were way behind. The developers were ordered to a meeting and given until February to complete infrastructural works. It was also discovered that in addition to breaching their timelines, several of the developers also broke the agreements and sold lands to Guyanese who already owned properties. Last week, the Land Allocation Committee - part of the CH&PA’s board expressed frustration at the
lack of information that was coming from senior officials of the authority. The committee recommended that the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Denise King-Tudor, be sent on leave for refusing to cooperate. The issue has been raised with a number of ministers, including Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan. The Board of Directors is expected to meet next week to determine the way forward. The Chairman says that several matters are currently under investigation, including the construction of scores of two-bedroom turnkey homes behind Providence. The board has ordered that work be halted on the turn-key homes after numerous complaints of poor quality work. CH&PA has been
CH&PA’s CEO, Myrna Pitt
Queensway owner, Mohamed ‘Arafat’ Qualander handling billions of dollars annually to carry out the housing programmes of government.
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Syria’s Kurds rebuked for seeking autonomous region Reuters - Syria’s Kurdishcontrolled northern regions voted to seek autonomy yesterday, drawing rebukes from the Damascus government, neighbouring power Turkey and Washington over a move that could complicate U.N.backed peace talks. The vote to unite three Kurdish-controlled provinces in a federal system appears aimed at creating a self-run entity within Syria, a status that Kurds have enjoyed in neighbouring Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The proclamation is an open challenge to many of the sides in Syria’s five-year-old civil war, as well as their international sponsors, who have mainly been battling for con-
trol of what they say must remain a unified state. The Kurds, who enjoy U.S. military support, have beaten back Islamic State fighters to control swathes of northern Syria, but the main Syrian Kurdish party, the PYD, has so far been excluded from peace talks that began this week in Geneva. The three Kurdish-controlled regions agreed at a conference in Rmeilan in northeast Syria to establish the self-administered “federal democratic system of Rojava - Northern Syria”, officials announced. Rojava is the Kurdish name for north Syria. Officials said at a news conference they intended to begin preparations for a fed-
eral system, including electing a joint leadership and a 31member organising committee which would prepare a “legal and political vision” for the system within six months. A document seen by Reuters, issued at the meeting, said the aim was to “establish democratic self-administered regions which run and organise themselves ... in the fields of economy, society, security, healthcare, education, defence and culture.” Both the government of President Bashar al-Assad and Turkey, a regional heavyweight th a t i s o n e o f Assad’s strongest enemies, were swift to denounce the declaration.
Islamic State committed genocide against Christians, Shi’ites - U.S. Reuters - Islamic State has committed genocide against Christians, Yazidis and Shi’ite Muslims, the United States said yesterday, a finding U.S. officials hope will bring more resources to help the groups even though it does not change U.S. military strategy or legal obligations. “In my judgment, Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yazidis, Christians and Shi’ite Muslims,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters, referring to the group by an Arabic acronym. “Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions.” Republicans, who control the U.S. Congress, had pressured the Democratic White House to call the militants’ atrocities in Iraq and Syria genocide and the House of Representatives on Monday passed a nonbinding resolu-
tion 393-0 labeling them as such. U.S. officials hope the determination will help them win political and budget support from Congress and other nations to help the targeted groups return home if and when Islamic State-controlled areas such as the Iraqi city of Mosul are liberated. While the genocide finding may make it easier for Washington to argue for greater action against the group, U.S. officials said it does not create a U.S. legal obligation to do more, and would not change U.S. military strategy toward the militants. On Wednesday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said: “Acknowledging that genocide or crimes against humanity have taken place in another country would not necessarily result in any particular legal obliga-
tion for the United States.” “The fact is that Daesh kills Christians because they are Christians. Yazidis because they are Yazidis. Shi’ites because they are Shi’ites,” Kerry said earlier, and accused Islamic State of crimes against humanity and of ethnic cleansing. Islamic State militants have exploited the five-year civil war in Syria to seize areas in that country and in neighboring Iraq, though U.S. officials say their air strikes have markedly reduced the territory the group controls. On-again, off-again peace talks got under way this week in Geneva in an effort to end the civil war, in which at least 250,000 people have died and millions h a v e f l e d t h e i r homes. A fragile “cessation of hostilities” has reduced, but not ended, the violence over the last two weeks.
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Curry hot as Warriors make it 50 straight The Sports Xchange - The Golden State Warriors recorded their 50th consecutive home victory Wednesday night, riding Stephen Curry’s 34 points to a 121-85 thumping of the New York Knicks. Golden State’s second consecutive season-series sweep of the Knicks capped a perfect six-game homestand and improved the Warriors’ home record to 32-0 this season. The 50-game streak, which dates back to January of 2015, is the first in the four major professional American sports. Topping 30 points for the ninth time in his last 11 games, Curry connected on 12 of his 20 shots and eight of his 13 3point attempts, including 4 of 7 in the first quarter, during which the Warriors (61-6) built as much as a 13-point lead. The game was never appre-
27. Rookie star Kristaps Porzingis was one of the starters who struggled. Playing three days after sitting out New York’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers because of a stomach ailment, Porzingis was held to two points on 1 of 11 shooting, his lowest scoring output since getting shut out on six shot attempts on
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ciably closer. Klay Thompson had five 3-pointers en route to 19 points, backup center Marreese Speights bombed in a career-best three 3-pointers during a 13-point performance, and Draymond Green (11 rebounds, 10 assists) missed a 12th triple-double by four points, helping the Warriors win for the 21st time in their last 27 games against the Knicks. Green’s rebound and
assist totals were game-highs. The Warriors shot 50.5 percent in the game and made 18 of their 37 3-pointers. Carmelo Anthony had 18 points and a team-high six assists for the Knicks (28-41), who lost for the third time in five games on the West Coast in the past nine days. The Knicks shot just 39.6 percent from the field, with their four starters other than Anthony combining to go 5 of
Hetmyer included for ‘must win’ game, Jaguars... (From page 38) on match day and second placed Barbados are just seven points behind the defending champions. A win for Barbados against the Leewards in St Kitts and a loss or a draw for Guyana would give the Bajans their 21st title and deny Guyana their eighth.
“With Barbados only seven points behind now, we obviously have to play to win the next game outright” said Skipper Leon Johnson, who would like the GCB to allow the use of the lights at the Stadium in this crucial game. Johnson aims to join Clive Lloyd and Roger Harper as Guyana Captains with two
titles and become the first to do so in consecutive seasons. He is the only batsman with 700 runs and a lot will be depended on him with the bat. Vishaul Singh, who along with the Region’s most consistent batsman in recent times (Kraigg Braithwaite) has the most centuries this season (3) and is second in the aggregate with 690 runs. He is also a key batsman, especially since the experienced Shiv Chanderpaul is unavailable. Much would be expected of Rajendra Chandrika and Tagenarine Chanderpaul at the top of the order and the 19-year-old Chanderpaul would need to be a bit more positive since Guyana needs every batting point to stay ahead at the finish line. Hetmyer could bat at three with Johnson, Singh, Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Jacobs, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo and Keon Joseph coming in that order. The Jaguars bowling could hinge on Bishoo, Permaul and Jacobs with pace support from Joseph and Reifer. Jamaica’s batting will depend on John Campbell, Andre McCarty and Antiguan Devon Thomas are the only batsmen with a hundred this season. Bajan Kurt Edwards is the only other batsman with 300 runs. Jaguars’ squad: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rajendra Chandrika, Leon Johnson (Captain), Vishaul Singh (V/Capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Devendra Bishoo, Keon Joseph, Steven Jacobs.
Dec. 12 against Portland. He did lead the Knicks with seven rebounds. Reserves Arron Afflalo (15), Langston Galloway (14) and Kevin Seraphin (12) scored in double figures for the Kn i c k s , who clinched their third consecutive non-winn i n g s e a s o n . Knicks point
guard Jose Calderon left the game in the second quarter after injuring his right calf in a collision with the Warriors’ Green. X-rays were negative, and Calderon was able to return in the third quarter for a short stint before calling it a night. He finished with just two points on 1-for-4 shooting.
Raiders, Colts National Basketball Final should be... (From page 39) will go one better than before, underscoring three years of consistent performances with the national basketball title. Second, the game features the best backcourt in the country, Colts against the best frontcourt the nation currently has, Raiders. The diametric opposition makes for an entertaining contest, which has the ingredients of a really great showpiece. The night begins with the Diplomatic Corps taking on the Pioneer Masters. The third place game will follow
with the 2014 and 2015 champions, Ravens and Pacesetters. The championship game will headline the night that features a full entertainment package. Before the Final, Candace Fields will woo patrons with the National Anthem. Fields perform for the halftime breaks as well. In addition to Fields, models, cheerleaders and props will dominate a final hoorah to bring the curtains down on the Championships. The Mackeson Girls and Stereo Sonics Sound will add
to the entertainment. Patrons will be able to win I-phones and Tablets during the breaks. Generally the night is set to be pulsating with the sport and entertainment colluding for a riveting climax. Kirk ‘Chow Pow’ Jardine is the host. The winning team will pocket $500,000 while second place will go home with $250 000, third $150,000 and fourth $100 000 respectively. The national team will be selected from this tournament to play Washington D.C Jammers.
Friday March 18, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You probably aren't getting straight answers to your questions. You will be able to get along well with colleagues. Take a long look at your present direction and consider your professional options. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Take care of any pressing medical problems that you or one of your parents may be suffering from. Opportunities to get ahead will be evident. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Insincere gestures of friendliness are likely to occur. Changes could be overwhelming. You will be in an overly generous mood today. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Spend some time with the one you love. Pleasure trips will be satisfying. Don't let others know about your private affairs. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You will be overly sensitive when dealing with your personal life. Don't let your personal partner hold you back. Home improvement projects will run smoothly. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Avoid letting family get involved in your personal life. You must be careful not to ignore the needs of the youngsters in your family.
Talk to people who can give you important knowledge. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your generous nature could be taken advantage of. Your ability to see other people's points of view will allow you to come to reasonable agreements. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Try to calm down and listen to your partner's complaints. Compromise may be necessary. You won't have to look for the action. Talk to an older family member you have helped in the past. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Love and romance are evident. Travel and learning should be on your agenda today. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Don't bother trying to make someone you live with see your point of view. You can bet that situations will get out of hand if you allow others to interfere. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Don't let your lover put demands on you. Get out and enjoy some entertainment. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Investments may be misrepresented today. Be careful not to take on other people's problems.
Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Scorpions without Williams ousts Halep to set up Radwanska semi Miller for final round
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports A dominant Serena Williams proved far too strong for defending champion Simona Halep as the American eased into the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-4 6-3 victory on Wednesday. The world number one has yet to drop a set in four matches in California, and Williams made a tricky opponent on paper look completely over-matched in the quarterfinal encounter. The 21-time grand slam champion blasted 28 winners to Halep’s nine. She also recorded seven aces, aptly closing out the match with an unreturnable serve down the middle. Williams also broke the Romanian’s serve four times and improved her head-tohead record to 7-1 against her
fifth-seeded opponent. A right knee injury forced Williams to withdraw from the event last year, when she ended a selfimposed 14-year absence at the tournament, giving Halep a walkover in their scheduled semi-final. Halep ultimately defeated Jelena Jankovic to capture the crown but her defeat to Williams keeps the American on course for a first Indian Wells triumph since 2001. Third seed Agnieska Radwanska stands between Williams and a spot in the final, with the world number one expecting a tough challenge from the Pole. ”(Radwanska) knows how to play in big stadiums and big matches, big games,” Williams told reporters. “Obviously she does everything so well,
including running, and this is a good surface for her because it’s a slow surface. I think I expect there will be a lot of long rallies.” Radwanska booked her semi-final berth when she fought back from 5-2 down in the second set on the way to a 6-2 7-6(3) victory over world number nine Petra Kvitova. The 27-year-old, who was a runner-up at the event two years ago, raced into a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak before wrapping up victory after a little more than an hour-and-a-half at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. ”I am just so happy to be in the semi-finals here,” Radwanska, who will rise to number two in the next world rankings following the win, said. “I have nothing to lose, will have a good rest and be ready for the semis.” Radwanska, who beat Jankovic in the previous round, breezed through the opening set against an errorprone Kvitova on a baking afternoon in the California desert. Though the Czech produced much better form to open a three-game lead in the second, Radwanska clawed back the deficit before dominating the tiebreak with the help of a few generous net cords. (Reuters)
Djokovic gains revenge, Nadal rallies to advance Novak Djokovic avenged his only loss of 2016 with a ruthless 6-3 6-3 victory over Feliciano Lopez as the Serbian top seed eased into the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday. An eye issue forced Djokovic to retire against his Spanish opponent at the Dubai Duty Free Championships last month but he had his sights set firmly on victory for their rematch in California. The world number one needed just 66 minutes to prevail as he won 75 percent of his points on serve and broke Lopez three times. “I have respect for his game, which definitely made me very cautious of approaching this match and made me very determined to impose my game plan from the very beginning,” Djokovic told reporters. ”I was very solid. I didn’t allow him to come to the net too many times. It was a good performance.” Djokovic enjoyed his best performance of the tournament to date and
next meets Frenchman JoWilfried Tsonga, who defeated Dominic Thiem 6-3 62, as the defending champion seeks an unprecedented fifth title at Indian Wells. Earlier in the day, third seed Stan Wawrinka was sent packing in the fourth round and the Swiss was very nearly joined by Rafa Nadal, who pulled off a Houdini-like escape to reach the last eight. Fourth seed Nadal, three times a champion at Indian Wells, rallied from 5-2 down in the final set, saving a match point on the way, before battling past 18-year-old German prospect Alexandr Zverev 67(8) 6-0 7-5. The power-hitting Zverev had been bidding to become the youngest quarter-finalist at the event since 1989 and led 40-30 when serving for the match in the ninth game but his nerve deserted him at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. ”This is painful right now, but it doesn’t change anything about the process,” Zverev said. Spanish left-hander
Nadal won the last five games of the deciding set to advance and was delighted with the fightback. ”I am especially happy about the mentality on court, the fighting spirit during the whole match, believing that I can win a match during the whole time even in the tougher situations,” Nadal said. Wawrinka was ousted by Belgian David Goffin, who sealed a 6-3 5-7 7-6(5) victory when his Swiss opponent netted a forehand in a closely contested tiebreak after a wildly fluctuating match that lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours. It was only the second time in his career that Goffin had beaten a player ranked in the top 10 and it earned him a spot in the last eight of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the second time. Also advancing to the last eight was 12th-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic, who overpowered sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4 7-6(7). (Reuters)
The Jamaica Scorpions will be without champion leftarm spinner Nikita Miller when they take on leaders Guyana Jaguars in the final game of the West Indies Cricket Board’s four-day professional league at Providence in Guyana starting today. A news release from the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) said the 33-year-old has returned home for “medical reasons”. He is being replaced by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) back-of-thehand left-arm spinner Dennis
Bulli. Miller, among the most successful bowlers in regional first-class cricket, is currently leading the tournament’s bowling chart with 65 wickets. He picked up a match haul of 7-160 a few days ago as Jamaica completed a nine-wicket away win over the Windward Islands to end a sequence of defeats. Miller also passed 400 wickets in that game. The 33year-old now has 403 firstclass wickets at a miserly 16.87 each. Bulli, a former Jamaica Under-19 representative, is yet
to play first-class cricket. He took seven wickets last weekend as JDF defeated St Catherine Cricket Association by eight wickets in the opening round of the JCA’s Senior Cup. Jamaica Scorpions go into today’s game hoping to maintain their third-place position ahead of Trinidad and Tobago. The Jamaicans are currently on 82 points, with T&T on 77. Guyana Jaguars lead with 130 points, just seven points ahead of Barbados Pride. (Jamaica Observer)
Mohammed hits milestone in victory Chennai, India, CMC – Off-spinner Anisa Mohammed became the first bowler in history to take 100 Twenty20 International wickets as she spearheaded a brilliant West Indies Women bowling effort, to help dispose of Pakistan Women by four runs in a close Women’s Twenty20 World Cup contest here Wednesday. Defending a disappointing 103 for eight off 20 overs following another batting failure, West Indies Women amazingly restricted the Pakistanis to a paltry 99 for five off their 20 overs, to make a winning start to their Group B campaign. Mohammed picked up three for 25, a spell that hurt Pakistan Women’s momentum as she claimed the only two players to get into the 20s – Bismah Maroof with 22 and opener Sidra Ameen with 20. She was brilliantly supported by miserly spells from captain Stafanie Taylor whose four overs cost 16 runs and fellow off-spinner Hayley Matthews, who conceded just 14 runs from her four overs. Behind their combined efforts, Pakistan Women crawled to 44 for one at the half-way stage and failed to accelerate over the last ten overs. Earlier, Taylor topscored with 40 to become the third woman to pass 2000 T20I runs but she was the only player to pass 20 in the innings, as West Indies Women also struggled after being sent in at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. She put on 28 for the first wicket with Matthews who scored 15 but once the partnership was broken in the sixth over, the Caribbean side plunged to 37 for three in the eighth over.
Anisa Mohammed. Jan Kruger-IDI/IDI via Getty Images Shaquana Quintyne was run out off the first ball she faced – the final one of the over – without scoring and star batsman Deandra Dottin lasted just two balls before she was bowled by left-arm spinner Sadia Yousuf (2-14). Taylor, who faced 48 balls and struck five fours, then joined former captain Merissa Aguilleira (15) to revive the innings with a 35-run, fourth wicket partnership. The r i g h t - handed Taylor was bowled by Player-of-theMatch left-arm spinner Anam Amin (4-16) in the 15th over and yet again, the end of the partnership saw a cluster of wickets with another three falling for just five runs. Shemaine Campbelle (14) and Stacy-Ann King (12) added 21 for the seventh wicket, allowing West Indies Women to eke out precious runs at the end. In reply, Pakistan Women lost key player Javeria Khan when she retired hurt after the fourth ball of the innings but Bismah Maroof and Sidra Ameen added 40 for
the first wicket, to keep the score ticking over. With the Pakistanis fighting back, Mohammed struck for West Indies Women, claiming Sidra Ameen with the last ball of her second over. In her following over – the 11th of the innings – she made two key strikes knocking over Aliya Riaz (2) and Bismah Maroof to leave Pakistan Women in disarray at 44 for three in the 11th over. Captain Sana Mir mounted a last ditch effort, posting 27 for the fourth wicket with Muneeba Ali (15) and 26 for the fifth wicket with Asmavia Iqbal (19 not out), but the required run rate of seven runs per over off the last five overs proved too much. Scores: WEST INDIES WOMEN 103 for eight off 20 overs (Stafanie Taylor 40; Anam Amin 4-16, Sadia Yousuf 2-14). PAKISTAN WOMEN 99 for five off 20 overs (Bismah Maroof 22, Sidra Ameen 20; Anisa Mohammed 3-25).
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Dilshan’s 83* sees off NSC doles out more gutsy Afghanistan $$$ to associations
Tillakaratne Dilshan acknowledges the crowd after Sri Lanka’s six-wicket win, Afghanistan v Sri Lanka ©AFP A calmly compiled 56-ball 83 from Tillakaratne Dilshan steered Sri Lanka to a heartrate-steadying six-wicket win in their opening match of the World T20, but not before Afghanistan reminded them and the rest of Group 1 that they belonged in the Super 10s. With the bat, Afghanistan recovered brilliantly from a poor start, scoring 106 runs in their last ten overs to set a challenging target of 154. They bowled with skill and intelligence to claw back into the match after Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal had given Sri Lanka a bright start: 41 for 0 in five overs. In the end, it was only Afghanistan’s fielding that proved to be of less-than-elite standard, with three basic errors in the deep giving a jittery Sri Lankan batting unit valuable breathing room. First, in the 14th over, Karim Sadiq failed to get his body behind a regulation stop at deep midwicket. Then, in the 16th, Dawlat Zadran made the same mistake at deep backward square leg. The third misfield came from the substitute fielder Gulbadin Naib, who dived to his left at third man, got a meaty hand to the ball, and only ended up pushing it past the rope. Sri Lanka should have only got three runs from those three balls; they ended up getting 12. Sri Lanka would have appreciated the help, for barring Dilshan, their top order showed itself to be decidedly wobbly. Mohammad Nabi’s introduction in the sixth over exposed the wobbliness. Sri Lanka were going along comfortably when Chandimal stepped out and aimed a heave over the leg side. The ball turned a little further than expected and popped off the inside half of his bat straight to midwicket.
Lahiru Thirimanne, back in Sri Lanka’s T20 side for the first time since May 2014, showed why he may have been out of the side for so long, playing only three scoring shots in 12 balls before inside-edging an attempted cover drive off the legspinner Rashid Khan onto his stumps. At the other end, like Mahela Jayawardene did during the two sides’ 50-over World Cup meeting last year, Dilshan provided the experienced head that guided Sri Lanka through this troubled period. He had started in his usual manner, hitting consecutive sixes off Dawlat Zadran - the second with a trademark scoop over his own head - and swatting Hamid Hassan for successive fours over midwicket, but did not take too many chances against the spinners. But he still scored freely against them, taking the singles on offer, putting away the bad ball, and running faster than every other 39year-old on the planet to pick up a couple of twos to the legside gaps. There were a couple more nervy moments, courtesy the run-outs of Thisara Perera and Chamara Kapugedera, but the cool heads of Dilshan and Angelo Mathews, helped along by Afghanistan’s sloppy fielding, took Sri Lanka home with seven balls remaining. Having only faced Scotland, Hong Kong and Zimbabwe so far, it took Afghanistan a while to come to terms with the quality of Sri Lanka’s attack. Mohammad Shahzad, unusually subdued early on, tried to break free of the shackles in the third over and clouted Angelo Mathews to the straight boundary before top-edging a pull to mid-on the next ball. Apart from a couple of
sweetly-timed leg-side flicks, Noor Ali Zadran struggled for tempo, and was bowled around his legs by Rangana Herath after adding 32 off 32 balls with Asghar Stanikzai. Herath settled into a beautiful rhythm, mixing his pace and trajectory cleverly, and the run rate plummeted as Sadiq and Nabi soon followed Noor to the pavilion. Stanikzai had moved to 18 off 23 balls when he made an abrupt change of gear against Milinda Siriwardana’s left-arm spin, launching him for successive sixes in the 13th over, before slog-sweeping Herath for another six in the 15th over, with a helping hand from a butter-fingered Thirimanne in the deep. At the other end, Samiullah Shenwari hit two fours and a six - including a reverse-swat off Perera that left the batsman on his backside - in successive overs before holing out to long-off. Stanikzai and Shenwari, the heroes of Afghanistan’s ODI win over Bangladesh in 2014, had put on 61 in 33 balls. It clearly rattled Sri Lanka, and Mathews dropped Stanikzai at cover immediately after Shenwari’s dismissal. It was a sitter, and Stanikzai, at 44 at that point, struck two more fours and a six to move to his highest T20I score before falling at the end of the 19th over. Afghanistan were by no means done. Najibullah Zadran, a specialist batsman, had only batted once in the tournament so far, and was slotted to come in at No, 8, but found his namesake Dawlat promoted above him instead. When Najibullah finally did come out, there were only three balls left in Afghanistan’s innings. No problem. Swinging freely through the line like a young Yuvraj Singh, Najibullah lofted Nuwan Kulasekara for a six over extra cover first ball, and then flat-batted him in the same direction for a four next ball. (ESPNcricinfo)
In keeping with its mandate to make meaningful contributions to the development of sports, both financial and structural, the National Sports Commission (NSC) yesterday handed over in excess of $3.7M to various associations to facilitate their programmes. In the simple presentation ceremony Director of Sport, Christopher Jones said that after receiving requests from various entities, the Grants Committee of the NSC met
and deliberated on amounts that should be given out based on the programme presented. ”In keeping with the mandate of the NSC to fund sport associations, Grants Committee met and deliberated before deciding on the amounts,” Jones said, before informing those present that the Committee comprise of him, Lavern Thomas and Edison Jefford. Those that benefitted yesterday were: The Guyana Amateur Boxing Association;
Guyana Boxing Board of Control; Guyana Badminton Association; Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation; Help and Shelter; Guyana Amateur Swimming Association; Athletics Association of Guyana; Mayor’s Cup. “They would have met the criteria set up by the Commission,” Jones stated. Funding associations and teams has been one of the hallmarks of this new Commission, which believes that funding is a necessary aspect of sport development.
Kraft/Toucan Industries Junior Squash Skill Level Tournament The Guyana Squash Association (GSA)/Digicel’s/ Kraft/Toucan Industries Junior Skill level tournament commenced at the Georgetown Club on Wednesday evening last with matches in seven categories. In Category ‘A’ Taylor Fernandes continued to show tremendous improvement by dominating Alec Melville. The tall and lanky player took the first game 11/3 but could not keep up the sustained attack and lost the next three games 9/11, 9/ 11, 6/11. Top seed Benjamin Mekdeci easily disposed of Shomari Wiltshire in straight games 11/3, 11/3, 13/11 while Larissa Wiltshire dropped the second game against Alex Cheeks before winning 11/2, 9/11, 11/6, 11/6. In Category ‘C’ which was highly competitive, Michael Alphonso triumphed over Dominic Collins in four games winning 3/11, 12/10, 11/2,13/ 11. But the match of the night was the contest between Ethan Jonas and Demetrius De Abreu. DeAbreu overcame a spirited challenge from Jonas in five hard fought games. De Abreu won the first game 12/10 but Jonas bounced back to win the next two games 11/5, 11/9 and at 10/9 match ball in the fourth it seemed all over for DeAbreu but he won the next three points to take the match into a fifth and final game. At 10/7 match ball for De Abreu, it seemed as if he had secured a remarkable comefrom-behind victory but then Jonas reeled off five consecutive points to win the game and match 12/10. Full Results: Category ‘A’ - Benjamin Mekdeci beat Shomari
Taylor Fernandes (left) pushed Alec Melville hard in their closely fought contest on Wednesday night at the Georgetown Club. Wiltshire 11/3, 11/3, 13/11; Alec Melville beat Taylor Fernandes 3/11, 11/9, 11/ 9,11/6; Larissa Wiltshire beat Alex Cheeks 11/2, 9/ 11, 11/6, 11/6. Category ‘C’ - Ethan Jonas defeated Demetrius De Abreu 10/12, 11/5, 11/9, 10/ 12, 12/10; Michael Alphonso defeated Dominic Collins 3/11, 12/10, 11/2, 13/11; Gianni Carpenter beat Lucas Jonas 11/6, 11/6, 1 1 / 3 . Category ‘D’ - Kirsten Gomes beat Aliyah Persaud 11/0, 11/ 5, 11/5; Abosaide Cadogan beat Jason Gomes 11/5, 11/2, 1 2 / 1 0 . Category ‘E’ - Nechemiyah Levans beat Georgiana
Fernandes 11/8, 10/12, 11/9; Haley Carpenter beat Nathan Rahaman 11/9, 11/4; James Mekdeci defeated Mohyryan Baksh 11/2, 11/5. Category ‘F’ - Liam Carpenter beat Mashal Allicock 7/11, 11/4, 11/5; Mikhail Persaud beat Damian Braam 11/4, 11/ 6 . Category ‘H’ - Lajuan Munroe beat Rayden Persaud 11/6, 11/6; Louis Da Silva beat Shilol Asregado 14/12, 11/4. Category ‘I’ - Christiana Fernandes beat Noah Rahaman 11/9, 12/10. Matches continue daily at the Geo r g e t o w n Club from18:00hrs and concludes with the finals on Sunday.
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STAG Elite League – FINALE Rodrigues exits CONCACAF race but issues warning to Caribbean 10-man Conquerors and GDF take full points
Mark Rodrigues, the US-based Guyana football entrepreneur, has pulled out of the race for the CONCACAF presidency leaving just three candidates – Canadian FA president Victor Montagliani, Caribbean Football Union president Gordon Derrick and Bermuda FA president Larry Mussenden. Rodrigues secured the backing of his own Guyana federation and two others, but only received the fourth nomination needed to enter the election the day after the deadline closed. But in leaving the campaign Rodrigues has issued a sharp rebuke to the confederation questioning how committed it is to reform and criticising what he sees as the power-broking of its executive. ”The ‘forces’ that run CONCACAF are not serious about effective change other than have the official control be a North American candidate. All of this talk about complete reform restructure in CONCACAF and FIFA is simply window dressing for the general public. The statutes are not the problem, they have been around from inception and have worked very well in managing the organisation over the years,” he said. ”Having now stated that the sta t u t e s a r e n o t t h e problem then raises the question – what is? “The problem is the remaining executive leadership in CONCACAF. Some of the remaining leadership has been in existence since Jack Warner and
Mark Rodrigues subsequently remained along with some new faces through the Jeffery Webb era… many questions need to be asked of the existing Exco who have done a good job of protecting themselves and covering their tracks to date. They all need to be replaced in the new CONCACAF Council,” said Rodrigues. He was realistic about his chances of winning the election, but says he had hoped to be given a better opportunity to make his case. “I must admit that all along I was well aware that my chances of being successful was significantly lower than the other candidates now officially in the race, but always remained hopeful that CONCACAF was truly ready to embrace credible, honest and transparent change, especially after the level of disgrace that they have wit-
nessed recently,” he said. ”During my campaign, I quickly realised that the ‘forces’ who actually do control CONCACAF have a greater foothold than the world realises. I was consistently blocked from attending meetings that would afford MA’s within CFU and UNCAF the opportunity to meet and get to know Mark Rodrigues. ”There was either a zero response to my emails or calls, and/or an excuse that the scheduled meetings were for other purposes. The most common used was ‘the purpose of this meeting is to address reform issues’, yet the other candidates (because of their affiliations with their respective MA’s) were present and all FIFA presidential candidates were officially invited.” Rodrigues believes that the favourite for the new presidency is Montagliani who “NAFU, UNCAF (the north and central American sub regions) and specific CFU supporters have quietly and efficiently put in a position to be the next P r e s i d e n t ” . He also issued a warning to the Caribbean Football Union which he says is in danger of “sleep walking to disaster”. “On May 13th, they will be solely responsible for relinquishing their power of having the majority of votes in CONCACAF to a non CFU member, by failing to rally around a CFU leader who they feel have the ability to effectively lead the Confederation,” (Paul Nicholson)
GMR&SC National ‘Race of Champions’ Meet
Rahaman relishing Group 2 showdown As competitors continue to confirm their participation, Group 2 driver Ryan Rahaman added his name to the list of drivers who will compete in the Group 2 category of this Sunday’s Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club ‘National Race of Champions’ Meet, at the South Dakota Circuit. Rahaman, who hails from a family of racing drivers including his father Jad and Uncle Ray among others speaking with this newspaper via telephone yesterday said that preparations on the car
is almost complete and he expects to be on the grid come race day. The young, but experienced racer, who has been around for sometime revealed that while his Ford Escort might not possess the desired speed in the straightways, his ability and understanding of the track will compensate for that lack. He, however, revealed that the team did some amount of modifications to enable the car to perform at optimum levels last year and he expects
his chances of doing well to be as good as any of the other drivers. Rahaman expressed optimism of being competitive n the Group and even sent out a notice to every other competitor in the division that he will be coming hard at them with every intention of winning. He did recognise the talent and competitiveness in the Group and while his confidence is high, acknowledged that fans will be able to see some thrilling stuff on Sunday.
Despite playing with a man short from the 13th minute after Okenie Fraser (former Pele player) was booked for a second time (5th & 13th) Fruta Conquerors still found the resolve to grind out a 2-0 win over Pele FC while the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) trounced Georgetown Football Club (GFC) 5-1 when the STAG Elite League FINALE continued on Wednesday evening last at the Tucville Community ground. Even with the return of Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson after serving a two game ban following a red card, Pele did not have the arsenal on the night to stave off the constant attacks of the home team which scored in each half to secure full points while consolidating their second place on the points table with 13 points; Pele is fifth on 7 points. Richardson did not do his confidence and reputation any good when he was red carded in the 90th minute for using abusive language to the Referee, his second red in
as many matches. The home side ensured that they combined to keep Pele’s most potent strike force, Richardson out of the lime light and they succeeded in that regard. Conquerors’ first goal was scored via a header from Jahall Greaves in the 11th minute. Richardson did get a few chances which were virtually sitters but failed to bury those opportunities which came back to haunt him and his side. With Conquerors’ defense proving too much for Pele to overcome, Jermaine Junior put the sealer on the game with his 66th minute strike. In the opening match, the GDF behind a hat-trick from Olvis Mitchell ensured that GFC remained winless in this round with a comfortable 5-1 win. Mitchell set the early tone for the Army as GFC were under tremendous pressure to contain the nippy Army squad. By the 15th minute GFC were trailing by 2 goals as Mitchell netted in the 12th and 15th minute respectively. GFC
reduced the GDF’s advantage in the 51st minute when Lennox Cort found the back of the nets but four minutes later, the two goal cushion was restored when Mitchell achieved his hat-trick in the 55th minute. Sherwin Ceasar in the 78th minute and Delroy Fraser in the first minute of added on time sunk the Army’s fourth and fifth goals respectively to seal victory for the GDF which took them into third place on 10 points, GFC remains at the bottom with a single point from six matches. Two matches were scheduled for last evening when play continued at the Leonora Track Facility Football Field. Alpha was down to play Buxton United while Slingerz opposed Monedderlust. Next Thursday play will continue at the #5 ground as the league takes a break for next Tuesday’s Men’s Caribbean Cup match between Guyana and Anguilla at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence from 19:00hrs. (Franklin Wilson)
PSSBA honours Keemo Paul
Chairman of the Parika Speedboat Association Curtis Adams presents the token to Keemo Paul in the presence of other fellow executive members. The Parika Supenaam Speedboat Association (PSSBA) has rewarded West Indies U 1 9 a l l - r o u n d e r Keemo Paul for his success in the recently concluded ICC U19 World Cup in Bangladesh. Paul who was the vice captain of the team scored an unbeaten 40 as the Young West Indies led by fellow Guyanese Shimron Hetmyer defeated India by five wickets to win their first World Cup at this level. The PSSBA which was formed over 10 years ago ha n d e d o v e r a n u n d i s closed sum of cash to Paul at a simple ceremony held at Parika Stelling yesterday. Speaking at the cer-
emony which was attended by the executive members of the association, Chairman Curtis Adams said they are happy with Paul’s achievement and think it is suitable to reward the youngster. ”We have recognised Paul’s contribution to cricket not only in Essequibo or Guyana but the Region and we hope that this will motivate other youths in Essequibo,” he added. Curtis congratulated Paul and
wished him well in his career. Paul, who was born in Saxacalli but grew up in Wakenaam where he plays for Noitgedacht Sports Club expressed gratitude to the association. “I am happy that they have recognised my achievement which came as a result of hard work, commitment and discipline, I will continue to work hard on my game so that I can keep improving,” he said.
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GCB engage Minister of Tourism on Tri-Series and other partnerships A Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) delegation consisting of President Drubahadur, Secretary Anand Sanasie, Marketing Manager Rajendra Singh and TDO Colin Stuart, held discussions with the Minister of Tourism, Catherine Hughes, regarding the June 2016 ODI Tri-Series featuring Australia, South Africa and West Indies, among other partnerships. Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Mr. Donald Sinclair, accompanied Minister Hughes to the Meeting. The gathering examined possible undertakings that would boost Guyana’s tourism industry and complement the GCB’s activities during these cricket events on the calendar for 2016 and beyond. Minster Hughes was particularly excited about the ODI Tri-Series in early June since it would be an opportunity for Guyana to further showcase its tourism packages as it follows closely on the heels of Guyana’s 50th independence celebrations. Minister explained that the short time span would allow for easy airline and hotel
Minister of Tourism Catherine Hughes (2nd right) flanked by from right, Colin Stuart (GCB TDO), Drubahadur (GCB President), Donald Sinclair (Director General, MoT), Anand Sanasie (GCB Secretary) and Rajendra Singh (GCB Marketing Manager). accommodation and possibly encourage visitors already in Guyana to remain for the matches which are slated for June 3rd, June 5th and June 7th. This series would be the first where Guyana would be hosting more than two international teams at the same time since the 2007 50-Over World Cup. Further, the first leg of the series would be played in
Guyana, giving us a significant amount of days to host visitors; a distinct advantage for the tourism industry. Strategies and ideas were discussed between the delegations and how best to promote and market these events on a joint basis. It is expected that the WICB would be having their next Board of Directors meeting in Guyana during that Tri Series tournament.
The Minister was also enlightened on the GCB organized T20 cricket festival slated for April 29 and 30, in observance of Guyana’s
Golden Jubilee Independence celebrations. Teams from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana would be featured. Minister Hughes said
she was willing to work along with the GCB for the event promotion. Minister Hughes said she was optimistic that the proposed ventures between the two entities can be realized, noting that they were definitely stimulating ideas which were indeed positive and exciting which her Ministry can embrace. GCB Secretary took the opportunity to present a copy of the recent Economic Impact Assessment Study that was conducted by an independent firm on the tour of England to the Caribbean in 2015. The Minister shared some statistics regarding the value and importance of tourism to the economy and acknowledged the growing importance of sports tourism to our country and the need for diversification from our traditional products.
Hubbard century hands West Demerara comprehensive win By Zaheer Mohamed
Birthday 6, Thunder register victories
Players in action during one of the matches. Birthday 6 and Thunder registered victories when the Lyall Gittens Birthday Anniversary dominoes competition continued on Monday night at Dynasty. In a keenly contested affair Birthday 6 chalked up 69
games to edge Sparton with 68 and Legend on 41. Paul Lewis and Roy Peters got 15 each for the winners, while Clarence Whitehead and Leroy Edwards made 15 apiece for Sparton. Thunder marked 69 games to beat Mix Up 64 and TNT
52. Rafeek Khan and Kevin Boston scored 14 each for Thunder, while Gilbert Mendonca made 15 and Mark Rodrigues 14 for Mix Up; Shawn Morgan got 16 for TNT. The competition concludes tonight.
A fine century from Malcolm Hubbard handed West Demerara a comprehensive 136-run victory over East Bank when the Demerara Cricket Board Inter-Association U19 50-over tournament continued yesterday. Hubbard anchored his team innings with authoritative batting on a decent pitch to guide West Demerara to a challenging 277 all out in 48.4 overs after they were inserted at Wales. Opener Ronaldo Renee and Travis Persaud added 73 for the second wicket after they lost Mark Jeffers caught of medium pacer Anthony Antonio for nine. Persaud hit four fours before he was bowled by leg spinner Ershad Ali for 40. Renee was then joined by Hubbard and carried the score to 140 before Renee succumbed for 42 with five fours. The home team lost a few quick wickets, but undaunted, Hubbard smashed the bowlers to all parts of the outfield; he dominated a ninth-wicket stand of 98 with Richie Looknauth to further frustrate the visitors. Hubbard slammed thirteen fours and five sixes before he was run out for 130 off 62 balls while Looknauth made 24. Ali claimed 3-27 and Christian Husbands 3-44. Mark Ramsammy and Shemroy
Malcolm Hubbard
Raymond Perez
Kendall gave East Bank a fair start with a partnership of 49 before Kendall was taken off Looknauth for 14. East Bank never really recovered and were sent packing for 141 in 43.2 overs. Ramsammy cracked five fours in scoring 36 while Abdel Bacchus hit a rapid 26 (2x4 2x6) down the order and Paul Thomas 22. Shemar De Souza snared 4-26, Looknauth 3-25 and Khesaram Seyhodan 2-19. At DCC, Georgetown defeated East Coast by seven wickets. Batting first, East Coast managed 189-8 in 50 overs. Bhaskar Yadram scored 50, Ramnarine Chatura 39 and Vishwanauth Ramlakhan 28. Darshan Persaud picked up two wickets. Georgetown responded with 192-3 in 33 overs.
Raymond Perez struck 60 while Sherfene Rutherford got 52; Rajpaul Tajpaul took two wickets. Meanwhile, West Demerara overcame Georgetown by 32 runs on Wednesday at Wales. West Demerara took first strike and posted 193 all out in 44 overs. Hubbard scored 46, Renee made 45 while Avishkar Ramgobin and Kelvin Shewpersaud got 22 each. Darshan Persaud picked 4-36, Ronaldo Mohamed 3-22 and Rutherford 2-39. Georgetown were bowled out for 161 in 45.5 overs in reply. Samuel Mc Kenzie made 36 not out batting down the order, Joshua Persaud 35, Rutherford 26 and Timothy Mc Almont 17; Travis Persaud captured 3-40, De Souza 2-13 and Seyhodan 2-31. The competition continues tomorrow.
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Shiv is Brand Ambassador for Texila American University By Sean Devers World renowned former We s t I n d i e s C a p t a i n Shivnarine Chanderpaul yesterday signed an Agreement of Cooperation with Indian based Texila American University and will promote the institution, which has been in Guyana since 2010, for a one-year period as their Brand Ambassador. The signing of the contract was done at the Pegasus Hotel and the outstanding Guyanese cricketer who holds the record for Test appearances by a West Indian and also the second most Test runs and centuries only behind Brian Lara, said it was always great to be recognised. ” I t ’s g r e a t t o b e recognised for what I have achieved in cricket and being the Ambassador of such a University is a great honor and a chance for me to give
back to the students since I a well known person around the and I could use that to get more students to k n o w a b o u t Te x i l a American University” said the 41-year-old who has 133 First-Class tons, 30 of them at Test level. Chanderpaul told the gathering of Students, Administrators and the Media, that he was not known for speeches and joked that his presentation was along the innings he plays. It was indeed long but very informative and gave a great history of the Medical School which also has students studying Dentistry. He told the students who are from India, Africa, Pakistan, Nepal, USA, Jamaica and T&T that there would be times when they would suffer setbacks but reminded that this was all part of their learning
Shiv Chanderpaul presents the signed one-year contract to Dr Arulsamy experience. The left-hander from Unity Village said the foreign students, who number 127, would spend close US$5000 for food, travel and other things and said this was good for Guyana’s economy and the tourism industry. He said before he
became well known all he wanted to do was play cricket and he became successful because he worked and for long hours, he encouraged the students to do the same. Among the persons representing the University which is the only one in the
Caribbean, located in Sparendaam and Woolford Avenue, were its Vice Chancellor Dr Anand A r u l s a m y, H e a d o f Operations Immanuel Surindram, Vice President International Operations Asriok Kumar who are all Indians and Guyanese
Sherry Ferroll the Human Resource Manager. The University has branches in USA, Zambia, Dubai, Philippians and India. The local branches have a staff which numbers 80, fifty three (53) of which are Guyanese nationals. ”Cricket is the most popular sport in Guyana and Shiv is well known all over the world as a cricketer with some wonderful records and we thought he would be able to influence a lot of potential students so we approached him with the help of Mr Orlando Charles who facilitated the process of getting him” informed Karu the accounts Manager. In addition to signing the contract, Shiv presented an autographed bat to Dr Arulsamy and took out photos with the excited students.
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Hetmyer included for ‘must win’ game, Jaguars battle Jamaica today at Providence By Sean Devers West Indies Under-19 World Cup Captain Shimron Hetmyer has returned to the Guyana Jaguars team for today’s must-win match
PCL four-day First-Class final round game against the Jamaica Scorpions at Providence. An aggressive lefthanded opener who could
also bat in the middle order, Hetymer has played four First-Class matches and replaces the injured Shiv Chanderpaul in one of two changes to the side which
held on for a hard fought draw in Antigua against Leewards. O ff - s p i n n e r S t e v e n Jacobs is the other change, coming in for pacer Ronsford Beaton on what is expected to be a slow turner at Providence. The Jaguars are hoping to become the only Guyanese side to win backto-back First-Class titles but
Jamaica who won a record five consecutive titles from 2008 and with no chance of being Champions this season, could deny Guyana with an upset win. The Jaguars have led from the start and have not lost a single game since Barbados won by two runs in November 2014 at Providence and has extended their unbeaten streak to 16
Shimron Hetmyer games. History however, means very little on what transpires (Continued on page 32)
Friday March 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
Raiders, Colts National Basketball Final should be entertaining The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) National Basketball Championships: The Mackeson Road to Mecca III Final between Linden’s Retr i e v e R a i d e r s a n d G e o r g e t o w n ’s C o l t s United promises to be entertaining for more than one reason. First, it brings together two teams that have now
both reached the Final of the tournament twice, which
intensifies the urgency to secure the coveted title. Raiders played in the 2014 Final where they lost to Ravens and Colts played in the Final last year, losing to Pacesetters. The Final tomorrow night, which begins at 6:30pm at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, guarantees a new champion. Either Raiders or Colts (Continued on page 32)
Banks DIH on board for Roy Fredericks Memorial T20 Banks DIH has partnered with Blairmont Cricket Club for the hosting of the Roy Fredericks Memorial T20 tournament set for March 19 and 20. The entity has donated an undisclosed sum to the club at a simple ceremony held recently. The two day event will see eight top teams tussling for supremacy; the 4 preliminary rounds bowls of 12:30hrs on Saturday with Young Warriors facing Bath Underdog, Cotton Tree Die Hard battling West Berbice Super King at 15:30 hrs and at 19:00 hrs, Blairmont Blazers will take on Skeldon Gladiators. On Sunday Rose Hall Youth and Sports Club will face Bush Lot United from 10:00hrs before the top four clash in the semi-finals followed by the Final. The fundraiser will look to address main concerns of the club, covers for the pitch. Another of the club’s aim is to promote a Spelling Bee and a Math Quiz for grade 6 students in Region 5 to prepare them for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) with the blessing of the Ministry of Education in the latter part of the year. Other attraction for the tournament will be a Domino and Volley Ball
Beverages manager of Banks DIH Clive Pellew (right) hands over the cheque to Shabber Baksh in the presence of Branches Controller Gavin Jodha (far right) and BCC U19 captain Zameer Inshan. competition, Cartoon Characters, Ice Cream and air horns giveaway, tassa drumming, trampoline, bouncy castle, live commentary and one man band entertainment. Other sponsors on board are GTT, Sign Arts, Angad Ganesh-Rosignol Mall, Republic Bank, Big B’sBaksh Restaurant, Sunil Sugit Beverage Distribution Service, Fashion World, Ricky Fishing Depot, Leon Construction Services, Andre Mohabir, Hassan’s Bakery, Nick Ramsaroop, Waqar Hassan, Mr. T. Hangout, Arshad Jewelry and Internet Services, Brian General Store, Mr. Rex,
Devendra Lalsa, Triple ‘R’ Trucking Service, New Building Society, Green’s Massive, Basil and Son’s variety store, Rosignol Mall, Berbice Bridge Company, Baksh Travel Service, A&A General Store, Roshan Gafoor, Vickram Singh Contruction and Party Rental Service, Romel Bridgemohan Gas Station, Feroz Auto Sales, Nick Ramsaroop, Silver line Auto Rental and Zair from Cotton tree.
Page 43
t r o Sp STAG Elite League – FINALE
10-man Conquerors and GDF take full points
Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant’s (right) shot to goal is punched away in the nick of time by Conquerors’ goalkeeper, Derrick Carter.
NSC doles out more $$$ to associations
Director of Sport, Christopher Jones (centre) and one of the Commissioners on the NSC, Edison Jefford (on his right) take a photo opportunity after presenting cheques to sport associations and organisations yesterday at the NSC Headquarters, Homestretch Avenue.
Raiders, Colts National Basketball Final should be entertaining Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210