Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
More proactive roles needed for Excesses of the Police Occupational Health and Safety must be curbed
DEAR EDITOR, Last week we observed Occupational Health and Safety week. A week before I read of two accidents on construction sites in Georgetown. At one of the sites, Giftland Mega Mall at Liliendaal, the accident resulted in the death of a worker; the other accident which occurred on the Food Court building at Robb and Camp streets, has left a medical team struggling to keep an injured young man alive. The stories associated with these accidents and the work sites definitely should have seen a more proactive role from concerned agencies and bodies, but as many would say the lot of the poor and voiceless is just that. From the corner of my mind I am being reminded that along with the Human Right to work there is an accompanying rider which the employer and society is obligated to satisfy, a safe working environment. Based on third party reports the necessary conditions to create safe working environments were absent in both cases. These
include the requisite safety gear, instructions and notices. Organisations like the ILO agree that while it is understandable that developers would work on a tight budget safety should never be compromised in the process. From all appearances this was one of the areas that were not given adequate consideration and apparently continues not to be attended to at the sites in question. It is instructive to note that on one of the sites the need for safety is seemingly addressed as events unfold. At that site, based on local press reports there were three significant occurrences of injuries. • A few months back a worker was injured after falling with poorly erected scaffolding; • a passerby suffered injuries from falling debris and most recently; • a worker walked through an open elevator shaft. The press to my dismay also reported that the OHS Division of the Ministry of Labour adopted the position that they could not deal with at least two of these incidents since they received no
THE RECENT POLICE RESHUFFLE DEAR EDITOR, With reference to the subject, Guyanese need to remain focus on the recent distraction to the hierarchy of the Guyana Police Force by the authorities. This lame explanation given that this reshuffling is merely to fill vacancies is very absurd, and also a total insult to our intelligence. To overlook senior and qualified officers to fill these positions is an orchestrated plan to suit the purpose of this P.P.P regime. With elections to be held soon, the P.P.P does not want officers in strategic positions that they cannot give direct instructions to. Hicken and Watts are known for their aggression and hot temperament, so they are placed at ‘A’ Division and T.S.U respectively. The P.P.P Government does not look at professionalism but rather put people in position who they can instruct, to harass people. It is disgusting Mr. Commissioner (ag). Name and address withheld
complaints. That is like a police man seeing two mangled vehicles and saying he did not get a report so there was no accident. While emanating from the other site where the young man lost his life the talk around his community is that the Boss man after the accident was more concerned about the safety and integrity of the glass panels than removing them to possible save the man’s life. There is also talk of a total absence of personal protective gear around the site. With reference to the site with the three reported accidents, one would have expected that the Chief Occupational Health and Safety Officer would have taken action to • ensure that the site comes into compliance; • ensure that the remedial efforts are sufficiently publicized; • publicly state what sanctions/penalties were applicable for the repeated breaches. In view of the fact that currently we are experiencing these phenomena within the construction sector which brings into focus the lacks in areas such as Occupational Health and Safety, it is time that a prerequisite to commence construction on (large) projects should be an OHS plan. The implementation of this plan must also be monitored. Elton McRae
DEAR EDITOR, It was bound to happen again because Guyana’s corrupt and undisciplined police force is operating like a run-away train wreck and it appears that no one wants to stop it. First it was the burning of the genitals of 14-year-old Twyon Thomas by Sergeant Narine Lall and Constable Mohanram Dulai at Leonora Police Station in October 2009. The torture and inhumane treatment dished out by these two rogue cops on this teen has made headlines around the world. It was not only a shameful revelation, it also led many in the world to see how the government treats its citizens. Then we had Colwyn Harding who was reportedly sodomized by one constable in the presence of senior police officers at the Timehri Police Station. And now we have 15-year-old Alex Griffith, who was shot in the mouth by an intoxicated police officer, according to news reports. These are just of few of barbaric treatment dished out to the youths of Guyana by rogue members of the police force and the incompetent Minister of Home Affairs has done nothing to stop such abuses. The excesses of the security forces in Guyana reside in infamy and are brutally felt by too many of our people, especially our youths, many of whom are
innocent. Their outcries have been loud and numerous. Under the weight of a number of previous tortures, the Minister of Home Affairs and the PPP regime have not properly investigated and prosecuted, where appropriate, the conduct of unruly and rogue members of the police force. This suggests that they have given the police carte blanche to brutalize the youths of Guyana. There is evidence that those who were prosecuted were eventually set free because of missing files and poor prosecutorial procedures. For years, the police force was allowed to operate in the same manner without fair oversight, meaningful measures of accountability, adequate quality-control mechanisms and appropriate punishment. To d a t e , t h e r e i s evidence to suggest that only a handful of the large number of rogue cops in the force was ever
disciplined for the brutal and ineffective way of carrying such unlawful and barbaric acts against innocent citizens. It is estimated that two out of every five police officers are considered rogue cops but their inhumane conduct and behaviour are only known to the public when exposed by the media or when they have harmed, injured or killed someone. The actions by these rogue cops will ultimately diminish the morale of noble policemen and women who must put themselves in the line of fire and then be subjected to criticism by the public. If all honest and dedicated members of the police force have a vested interest in having the public’s confidence in them be restored, then they have a duty to report the illegal actions of rogue cops, including those of their superiors. Dr. Asquith Rose, Harish S. Singh and Aubrey Reteymer
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Kaieteur News
Cocaine in SSS tonic…
FATHER SAYS SON OUT OF DANGER By Zena Henry and Romila Boodram Jamal Waterman, one of the five persons who unwittingly ingested the contents of a bottle labelled SSS tonic, which was laced with liquefied cocaine and was to have been carried to the USA, appears to be out of danger. The 12-year-old is hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and according to his father, Wilbert Waterman, his son is talking, walking and he seems healthy. However, the man said that the difficult part is to convey the deaths of the four persons, which includes his mother and brother, to him. The father is presently working with a social worker to find a way to inform the boy about the tragedy. Jamal Waterman’s mother, Simone Pryce, 36; her reputed husband, Alex Blair, 42; their six-year-old son, Jahaquel Blair and a family friend, Natasha George, 36, all of East La Penitence died at GPHC last Sunday after ingesting the deadly brew. Yesterday, head of the local anti-drug unit, James Singh said concerns are rising as the recently found liquefied cocaine in a multivitamin tonic appears to be a new form of trafficking method for Guyana. The Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) is the country’s leading drug
- CANU speaks of “new form of trafficking”
STABLE: Jamal Waterman investigating arm, and according to Singh, while the police are taking the lead in this case, in which four people are dead and one hospitalized, they are doing their own checks in finding out who is responsible for sourcing the illegal substance. Singh further told Kaieteur News that CANU is making all the necessary checks in relation to the drug connections, but one main concern, “is that we now have to look out for drugs being trafficked in this form.” James said that the agency has dealt with cases involving liquefied cocaine, but never before has it been trafficked this way (in medicine). He agreed that a
special process would be needed to distill the two mixtures before bringing the drug to its solid form. Guyana has seen several methods of trafficking cocaine: in lumber, coconut milk, achar, rice and pumpkin just to name a few. CANU says it will now be adding medicine to the list. Crime Chief Leslie James told Kaieteur News yesterday that investigators are still seeking persons of interest. It is alleged that a cousin of Pryce, referred to as “Barney”, is the one who gave the deadly substance to her sister to take to USA to give to someone. The woman, however, refused to take the bottle to the United States, claiming that the mutlivitamin is cheap over there. She is scheduled to return to Guyana by weekend. According to sources, she has expressed regret and anger at what transpired and is in contact with the police. The Crime Chief said that the police have been speaking with the woman, but he is unaware of her return. So far no arrest has been made following the death of the persons. Two persons were held but later released as investigations revealed that they were not involved with the illicit item.
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Prisoner mysteriously vanishes from La Grange lock-ups P o l i c e o n t h e We s t Coast of Demerara got the shock of their lives yesterday morning when they turned up at La Grange Police Station to collect an armed robbery and burglary suspect for court, only to find that the cell he was being held in was empty. Two Constables who were tasked with guarding him are in hot water over the mysterious disappearance. This newspaper was reliably informed by a senior police official on the West Side that the man, whose name was given as Travis Joseph, called Travis Rose, was held in the lock-ups over the weekend, having been arrested last Friday. He is suspected of being involved in armed robberies committed all the way in Berbice and had sought
refuge in the Westminster area, to avoid incarceration. However, his criminal instincts did not desert him for long and he soon returned to his thieving ways. According to the source, the man was recently fingered in the burglary of a policeman’s house. Before long he was captured and placed in the lock-ups pending a court hearing which was to be held yesterday. But when the investigating ranks turned up for him, he had vanished and the two Constables on duty who were supposed to be guarding him could not give a proper explanation for his disappearance. Kaieteur News learnt that the senior of the two ranks told investigators that he was out on a report leaving his colleague in charge of the
prisoner. However, when he returned he did not check to see if the prisoner was still in the cell. The ranks also did not immediately tell their superiors that the prisoner had escaped, even when they discovered it was so, early yesterday morning. There were signs of a breach of the lock-up door, but senior police officials still believe that the prisoner was aided by those who were supposed to guard him. “I believe there was some collusion, although there are signs of breaches to the door. But the police should have heard if anyone tried to breach the door; that’s what they are there for,” a senior police official on the West Coast of Demerara told Kaieteur News.
Toshao allegedly rapes daughter, 10 A Toshao of a Region One Village has reportedly confessed to raping and impregnating his 10-year-old daughter. Kaieteur News understands that the girl was taken to the area hospital after she fell ill. At the hospital, it was revealed that the child is four months pregnant. Medical inspections indicate that the child was sexually active and “it wasn’t
a one-time act”. A source told Kaieteur News “the child has been having regular sex, but it is only because she got pregnant the village now knows about it”. The source added that incest is common in the village. “They would drink, get drunk, and go have sex with their relatives and those that born and grow into it don’t even know that it is
wrong. Many children in this area don’t even go to school; it is a disgusting situation.” This publication was told that the child is still hospitalised. However, a child care official says that the child is in protective custody. Police sources indicated that the Toshao has since been arrested and remains in custody. He is expected to be charged today and eventually placed before the court.
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
Both sides bury dead as Ukraine slides towards war
Pro-Russian armed men take positions near the town of Slaviansk, eastern Ukraine. REUTERS/Baz Ratner K R A M AT O R S K / ODESSA, Ukraine (Reuters) Both sides have been burying their dead as Ukraine slides further towards war, with supporters of Russia and of a united Ukraine accusing each other of tearing the country apart.Yesterday was generally quieter than past days in most of eastern and southern Ukraine, but violence flared at dusk in the eastern port of Mariupol, where a spokesman for proMoscow militants told Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency that one person was killed and three wounded in an attack on a checkpoint.
In Kramatorsk, a separatist-held town in the east that saw an advance by Ukrainian troops at the weekend, the coffin of 21year-old nurse Yulia Izotova was carried through streets stilled by barricades of tires and tree trunks on Monday. Scattered red carnations traced the route.In Odessa, a previously peaceful, multiethnic Black Sea port where more than 40 people were killed on Friday in the worst day of violence since a February revolt toppled Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, pall-bearers carried Andrey Biryukov’s open
casket from a van to the street corner where he was shot. In Mariupol, the main port for the eastern coal and steel region of the Donbass, proMoscow militants told Russian news agencies that one of their checkpoints on the outskirts was attacked late yesterday - by Ukrainian forces or by pro-Kiev militia and they were preparing to repel further assaults. Local Web site 0629.com.ua posted pictures of tires blazing outside the city council building and thick smoke pouring over the town center. Some streets were barricaded by buses.
Hagel warns Americans of the risks of isolationism Washington (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel yesterday warned Americans against isolationism, saying the United States could not afford to turn away from the world’s crises. Hagel’s appeal coincides with a growing fatigue at home with the country’s international commitments, after 13 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Pentagon chief acknowledged Americans were wary of foreign commitments but said the costs of pulling back from the world would carry even bigger risks. “Turning inward, history teaches us, does not insulate us from the world’s troubles,” Hagel said in a speech in Chicago. “It only forces us to be more engaged later — at a higher cost in blood and treasure, and often on the terms of others,” he said.
Hagel said staying engaged with the world was not an act of “charity” but a matter of practical national interests. “Although Americans today are increasingly skeptical of foreign engagement and global responsibilities, it is a mistake to view those responsibilities as a burden or as charity,” Hagel said. “Let us remember that the biggest beneficiaries of American leadership and engagement in the world are the American people,” he said. The current era of “unprecedented prosperity” could not be taken for granted and had evolved partly due to America’s diplomacy and military strength, Hagel said. He said that “walking away from the world, and our relationships, is not an option for the United States.” Some critics on the right have accused President
Barack Obama of weakening US leadership in the world through his cautious approach to intervention in Libya, pulling back from military strikes in Syria and moving slowly to aid Syrian rebels fighting the Damascus regime. Even with the US withdrawal from Iraq and a drawdown in Afghanistan, Hagel said the American military currently has about 400,000 troops deployed around the world in nearly 100 countries. A recent poll by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News reflected Americans’ mixed feelings about the country’s international role. According to the survey conducted in March, 47 percent said the United States should be less active in global conflicts but about half said they want a president who will take on America’s enemies abroad.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Haiti leader names group to oversee elections P O RT- A U - P R I N C E , Haiti (AP) — Haitian President Michel Martelly announced yesterday he has appointed a new council to oversee legislative and local elections that are two years overdue, an important step to organizing a vote whose tardiness has frustrated many. In a posting on his Facebook page and in a separate email, the leader said that the newest member of the council is Frizto Canton, a highprofile attorney who is defending former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier against human rights abuse and embezzlement charges. The council will include three representatives each from the executive, legislative and judicial branches. “The president is doing everything he can to make sure elections happen ... this year,” Joseph Lambert, a former senator and now Martelly consultant, said
Michel Martelly on Radio Tele Zenith FM. He shrugged off a question about Canton’s position as attorney for the controversial former dictator who returned to Haiti in 2011, saying, “A lawyer lives by his profession.” Efforts to hold the vote have been held up because of political infighting between the executive and legislative branches, but representatives of the two sides signed an agreement
to hold elections before y e a r ’s e n d , a p p a r e n t l y appeasing international donors who have been increasingly frustrated over the delay. The Chamber of Deputies recently approved the agreement, which proposes late October for the balloting. The Senate has yet to vote. Wa s h i n g t o n w a r n e d Haitian authorities last month that that $300 million earmarked for the country’s tiny coast guard, health ministry and other projects is at stake because of the tardy vote. But the U.S. is unlikely to act on the threat because of its overall support for the Martelly administration. The elections would fill 20 seats in the 30-member Senate, all 99 seats in the lower chamber and 140 municipal positions. The terms of 10 senatorial seats are due to expire in January, and leaving only 10 seats, making it unable to form a quorum. If the vote isn’t held by then, Martelly would rule by decree.
Jamaica gets new lending programme from World Bank KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — The Caribbean director of the World Bank says Jamaica will receive $510 million under a four-year lending programme. At a news conference yesterday in Kingston, Country Director for the Caribbean, Sophie Sirtaine, said that the programme is part of a reform project led by
Jamaica. Sirtaine praised positive economic signs, including hitting fiscal targets and a recent return to growth. But she also points to J a m a i c a ’s w e a k n e s s e s , such as its high vulnerability to shocks. She says, “It’s not an easy walk, but I think that everybody is trying to do
their best to make sure this works.” Last year, Jamaica began a four-year loan package with International Monetary Fund to stabilize its economy. That deal was reached after Jamaica launched a debtswap programme and halted what the prime minister described as a “serious economic crisis.
Cabinet revokes EWI licence
Vin Lawrence to head enterprise team KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaican Government has rescinded the licence granted to Energy World International (EWI) to construct the 381megawatt power plant, usually reliable Jamaica Observer sources said today. The decision taken by Cabinet was expected to be announced yesterday when Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell makes a statement to parliament. The sources did not obtain information on the fate of the embattled minister who has been at the centre of a firestorm of criticism over his handling of the EWI bid by activist
groups and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Andrew Holness. Paulwell was expected to announce a new committee headed by Dr Vin Lawrence, the veteran but controversial negotiator, supported by Professor Gordon Shirley and Alston Stewart, to oversee the project, the sources said. Asked for a comment on the reports that the EWI licence has been revoked, Opposition spokesman on energy, Karl Samuda said he was reluctant to speak before the energy m i n i s t e r ’s s t a t e m e n t t o parliament. But Samuda insisted that the Opposition would
find it difficult to support any new arrangements if it meant the price of electricity to consumers would be above 12.88 cents, the figure offered by EWI. “ A d d i t i o n a l l y, we would not be happy with the appointment of persons who were previously close to the Jamaica Public Service Company to determine who would now be involved in the new arrangements,” Samuda said. He would not be pressed to elaborate or call names but Shirley and Stewart are known to have worked for the light and power company.
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
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THE PREQUALIFICATION CRITERIA MAY BE LEGALLY CHALLENGED Three experts have been identified to examine the bids for prequalification status for companies wishing to supply pharmaceuticals to the government. These experts must not be made into political scapegoats if and when they prequalify the company or companies that everyone anticipates will be prequalified. These experts are constrained by the criteria that they have to judge the bids on. The opposition has long held that these criteria are biased in favour of a certain local company which is believed to have had close ties with the Jagdeo administration. It is alleged that the prequalification rules are biased in favour of this company. The experts who have been appointed are there to make a determination as to which companies will be prequalified. This determination has to be done, however, in accordance with a points system that is set by the government. As such, the experts are merely being asked to arrive at a decision based on rules that have been imposed on them. It is these
rules which have been criticized by the opposition as being in favour of one particular company. Critics of the rules point to the fact that the rules favour those companies that have local manufacturing capacity. It also gives a 10 per cent price advantage to locally manufactured goods, thereby erasing whatever price advantage cheaper externally manufactured pharmaceuticals hold. The rules also favour those companies that have local warehousing facilities. But it does not end there. In spite of these advantages to locally manufacturing companies and to those with local warehousing, in order to be prequalified the successful company or companies must not just show they have the ability to supply the goods, but are required to acquire an 80 per cent score in the prequalification process. This all but makes it impossible for external companies to have any chance of being prequalified. But the rules get tougher when it demands that the successful companies have a net turnover of over one
billion dollars, have $500 million in assets and pay $50 million in taxes. These rules ought to be challenged as being unfair. They are against the spirit of fair competition, which is the principle on which the liberalization of the procurement sector is based. Instead of encouraging competition, they actually shut out competition. They are also in violation of regional and international trade laws and thus can be challenged. For one, international trade rules preclude any favouring of local companies over overseas suppliers. By favouring local manufacturers, the prequalification rules are in contravention of the principle of national treatment. By favouring companies with warehousing facilities in Guyana it is doing the same, because this is not an absolute necessity. By granting a 10 per cent benefit to locally manufactured products, these rules violate the same principle. And by urging that companies have a certain turnover and assets and pay taxes in excess of $50
Dem boys seh
ROHEE FORGET WHO PUT DEM IN OFFICE There is a saying, not what goes in a man defiles him but what comes out of him. Rohee defile heself nuff time. Sometimes he does try fuh talk fat, but instead he does talk faat. Irfaat is de same thing. He like a baby diaper, always full. Rohee read a statement and is only as he read he realize what he want fuh seh, and he nah prepare de statement. He realize that he was ungrateful, that he want bite de hands that put food in he mouth, roof over he head, and clothes pun he back and kept Hammy away from he tail. While he reading he looking fuh see if dem had another set of paper fuh he read. Dem boys nah certain who give he it fuh read. But when he revoke Glenn Bradbury visa he didn’t ask de Foreign Affairs people wha gun be de backlash. Is after de Foreign Affairs people tell dem ‘Bai, this ah big trouble abee ah play wid hay. Is all abee visa dem gun tek way one by one.’ Is hay Rohee realize that he visa can get revoke fuh de second time and he switch he
tongue. He start fuh cuss de Hap New man. He seh how as a leader, Granger get exposed; how he, Granger, mek a stupid statement against the Pee Pee Pee in respect to de man work permit and visa wha he Rohee tek way. Then he switch he tongue and cuss up de man who visa get tek way. He cuss de man nasty and call de man all kind of names. He seh how de man arrogant, deceitful and counter-productive. But it had to be that he was talking bout de wrang man. Dem boys know he mek a mistake. Is Jagdeo Rohee was really talking about.
De same Jagdeo couldn’t help Rohee wid de visa when Uncle Sam de tek it away. Donald tek heself out. He seh that he never tell Rohee fuh do that, that Rohee tek lead up from Luncheon and Jagdeo. Dem boys want tell dem that Jagdeo and Luncheon is like two bull wha going to slaughterhouse. Dem nah care wheh dem seh… Dem boys want remind Rohee and Donald that is dem same people mek dem deh in office today. If not, by now dem woulda still got Hammy like a stick in dem behind. Talk half and thank Carter and Uncle Sam.
million, the prequalification rules are anti-competitive. These rules should be challenged and the case should be taken to the High Court, since Guyana has acceded to international treaties and conventions which are being violated by the prequalification rules. This matter may also be raised with the local and regional competitiveness councils because as argued before, they are inconsistent with fair competition. The opposition entities, which have complained about the unfairness of the prequalification rules, seem to have resigned themselves to the fate that there is nothing they can do unless there is a Public Procurement
Commission in place. They are wrong on that score and they are wrong in the assumption that the Public Procurement Commission can and will improve the fairness of the system. There is nothing to stop the government from perpetuating these rules under the Public Procurement Commission. But there are remedies available to challenge these prequalification rules. There is the remedy of a High Court challenge to the rules as being inconsistent with fairness and inconsistent with Guyana’s trade obligations under the World Trade Organization and the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. There is also the remedy of
having this matter raised before the National Competitiveness Council and its regional counterpart. The question is who will bell the cat. Do not expect the opposition to lead the way in doing so. They had an opportunity to force negotiations on this matter during the consideration of the Budget Estimates. They abstained. Instead they gave the government a blank cheque when they did not disapprove of the allocations sought by the government for the procurement of medicines for the health sector. In so doing, they threw fair play a curveball.
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Wednesday May 07, 2014
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
The Rodney Commission and Burnham’s fatal flaw I repeat what I wrote in a column weeks ago – that I will not participate in the Rodney Commission of Inquiry. If the inquiry was not set in a political context and in a timeframe where political motives dominate, I would have fervently taken the stand and told what I know, especially the role of two security officials at the time of Walter’s death. The PPP, like the police in Northern Ireland, think people are stupid and moronic. The police hauled in Gerry Adams to question him about his role in the murder of a woman by the IRA in 1972. That was forty-one years ago. And they did it just three weeks before an election. Any fool would know that the timing of Adams’s arrest was tied to the election. The identical situation exists in Guyana. On the horizon is the inevitability of the local government poll. If postponed, then a general election will be the replacement. Looked at from
all angles, the commission was set up in a context of electoral conspiracy by the PPP. Make the PNC look bad, broadcast all the dirty things the Burnham Government did in the period when Walter Rodney was active; tell East Indians that these are the people the AFC is in bed with and bingo! You will win a majority in the national elections. Why would anyone bastardize the legacy of Rodney in such a nasty way by playing into the hands of the PPP? There is, however, a positive spin-off from the Commission that will have tremendous value for those who are concerned about the legacy of Forbes Burnham, his historical role, and how strong was his greatness. Many things will come out of the Rodney Commission that hold tremendous importance for the worshippers and admirers of Burnham in understanding the personality of Burnham. One fact about Burnham will
not emerge from the hearing as a specific fact, but will have to be discovered through meticulous analysis of the proceedings. It is the brutal reality that Burnham’s shortsightedness or lack of brilliant strategizing helped to create an international popularity for his enemy, the PPP, and helped to make the PPP a phenomenally strong organization in Guyana. Today, with the destructive instincts of the PPP set to devastate the future of this country, one man, and one man only is responsible for that tragedy. It is Forbes Burnham. The sooner the worshippers and admirers of Burnham accept this fact, the better it will be for their psyche. If Burnham did not create the fertile bed from which the PPP was able to germinate, Guyana would not be in the mess it is today. Maybe a future would have been there for the countless who are now strewn all over the world. Forbes Burnham was a
very brilliant political thinker. Maybe it came from his love of chess. Burnham knew who was who in the world of politics in Guyana and the Caribbean. The only Guyanese from the fifties onwards who understood the nature of Jagan and his wife was Forbes Burnham. Burnham knew Jagan was a prisoner of Mrs. Jagan; that Jagan was more emotional than intellectual in understanding Guyanese sociological nuances; that the Jagans gave no recognition to and had no respect for traditional democratic forms of government with accompanying concepts like the neutrality of the civil service; that the Jagans were not interested in any form of democratic inside the PPP itself; that the Jagans rigged
their own congressional election; that the Jagans and the PPP were not interested in winning over broad African support but were content to be an Indian party; that the Jagans in power will not run a fair and democratic government. All these things Burnham knew about the PPP, but Burnham spent his time in power carrying out one tyrannical act after another and within each act lay the expansion of the PPP popularity. How can you expect to weaken your opponent when one morning Guyanese parents wake up and find out that their daughters in the final year of their university studies have to do compulsory national service? It happened and Cheddi Jagan and his party became
Frederick Kissoon the overnight saviour of the nation. Why would you want to ban one of the most learned historians in the world from working at the country’s only university? Burnham banned Rodney, the PPP took up Rodney’s cause and Cheddi Jagan and the PPP became the overnight saviour of the nation. Why would you want to ban flour and split peas? Burnham did that and Jagan and the PPP became the overnight saviour of the nation. The rest is familiar history.
Head of Strategic Management Dept. on vacation leave - Home Affairs Ministry The Ministry of Home Affairs has refuted reports that the Head of Strategic Management Department (SMD), the civilian body that is overlooking the implementation of the Guyana Police Force’s reform process was sent on Administrative leave. In a reactionary press release issued three days after the publication of an article on the subject in this newspaper, the Ministry stated that the head of the SMD is merely on vacation leave, which was properly approved. The Ministry had initially passed up on the opportunity to comment on the matter when this newspaper was making enquiries last Friday. “The records at the Ministry of Home Affairs have revealed that Mr. Mentore was granted approval to proceed on vacation leave with effect from Monday 28th April 2014, as a result of an application made by him. This was in keeping with the terms and conditions of his employment as Head of the Strategic Management Department (SMD) of the Guyana Police Force,” the Ministry said in its release. “The Ministry of Home
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Affairs is unaware of the suggestion in the Kaieteur News that Mr. Mentore was sent on ‘administrative leave’,” it added. Last Sunday’s article had stated that Patrick Mentore, whose appointment last year as Head of the Police Strategic Management Department was mired in controversy, has been sent off to facilitate a management audit of the department. The article further stated that from all indications the Force’s administration is not too pleased with the department’s performance and output over the past 12 months, and recommended that he be sent on administrative leave. According to sources, Mentore has not endeared himself to the top brass of the Force because of his forthright manner of doing things. He was not inclined to withhold his observations once they are in keeping with best practices of police reform. This aspect was very evident during his presentation at the recently held Police Officers’ Conference where officers appeared very uncomfortable with the issues he raised. But the Home Affairs Ministry has dismissed these reports, pointing out that it is a fact that a Management Audit of the SMD is about to commence. “This is not an unusual event as it forms part of the monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the SMD that was implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs by
Head of the SMD, Patrick Mentore virtue of its oversight responsibility for the Guyana Police Force.” According to a source at the Ministry, Mentore’s contract has not yet been renewed, although this is not the case with the other members of the Department. One indication of the Force administration’s displeasure was the inexplicable recall of a Force vehicle that former Commissioner Leroy Brumell had allocated to Mentore. In response, the Ministry said that the issue of the assignment of a vehicle to the SMD is a matter that falls under the purview of the Guyana Police Force. According to a senior police official, the vehicle was loaned to Mentore for a short period, pending repairs to his personal car. The officer is of the view that since Mentore and the other civilians were appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, that Ministry should have been providing a vehicle to support the work of the Strategic Management Department.
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Upgrades for access roads, bridges in Region Four Bids were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board for the upgrading of access roads and bridges - Caricom Development Bank Lot Three – Laluni all-weather road, Kuru Kururu to Laluni Farmland, Region Four. The bids, falling under the Ministry of Agriculture, for the Agricultural Sector Development Unit (ASDU), were opened at the Ministry of Finance, Main Street.
The Community Road Improvement Programme (CRIP) under the Housing Ministry received bids for the supply of computer equipment and accessories.
The Tourism Ministry received a lone bid for the extension of a generator hut at the Guyana International Conference Centre.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Housing and Water received bids for the provision of security service 2014.
Security guard indicted for alleged litterbug’s murder A 53-year-old security guard was yesterday indicted before a senior Magistrate for the alleged stabbing to death of another man at a city premises. Kelvin Chisholm appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, charged with murdering Nigel Lawson in Georgetown on May 1, last. He was not required to enter a plea since the charge was laid indictably. Representing the Prosecution was Corporal Bharat Mangru who did not reveal the details of the crime. He indicated that the investigations into the matter are thus far incomplete.
The Corporal said, however, there are currently seven witnesses to support the police’s case against the accused. It was also revealed that advice has not yet been sought from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Chisholm who was represented by a legal counsel was remanded to prison. The case will be called again on May 16 for report and fixtures. It was previously reported that Lawson lost his life last Thursday night after he was stabbed by a security guard while allegedly trying to dump garbage in a Quamina Street, South Cummingsburg premises.
ACCUSED: Kelvin Chisholm
High court bail for narco-traders sends the wrong message - Rohee General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, who is also the Minister of Home Affairs, is questioning whether the court is being as stern as it should be with matters relating to the narcotics trade At the PPP’s weekly press conference, Rohee said that he is “obviously” concerned about the level of drug trafficking as most “decent-minded people” would be. “Law enforcement will be concerned about that; even those who are engaged in those activities who haven’t been found they would be concerned about the frequency with which their activities have been
unearthed, so the concerns are far and wide.” Asked if he thinks the laws are sufficiently stringent and if the penalties are severe enough, Rohee’s response was that the laws are “quite adequate.” He said the question is whether the courts are being as stringent as they ought to be in meeting out the penalties. “ We h a v e s e e n i n recent times, attempts to legitimize, decriminalize the use of narcotics. We have seen also attempts to decriminalize activities s u c h a s w a n d e r i n g . We have seen attempts to provide cover for drug lords by not passing the Anti-Money Laundering
and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill. The key question to ask here is where that coming from and who is hiding it.” The General Secretary said that he doesn’t think there is a weakness in the law but legal technicalities step in the Court and as a result “people would get off “scot free.” “With the frequency of bail applications in the High Court, particularly cases with respect to narcotics, we see a flurry of granting of bail to such persons, and the question is what signal does that send to others who may be bent on involving themselves in such illegal activities.” (Abena Rockcliffe)
Still in the Tourism Sector, bids were opened for the procurement of security service for the Guyana International Conference Centre 2014.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 07, 2014
US envoy hands over automated fingerprinting equipment to Guyana - diplomatic spat downplayed
A technician demonstrates how AFIS works to US Ambassador D. Brent Hardt and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee. US Ambassador D. Brent Hardt and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee yesterday downplayed the escalating diplomatic spat between the two countries, as the US envoy formally handed over a sophisticated Automated Fingerprinting Identification System (AFIS) to the Guyana Police Force. But the Ambassador did
quip that “I guess I should begin by saying here I am meddling again,” in direct reference to a recent statement by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) that described him as “a known meddler in local politics.” AFIS is a computer system that stores fingerprints in a large database to help
investigators to match prints of potential suspects. The equipment was acquired last November via the US and Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). Prior to a formal signing ceremony at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary, Home Affairs Minister Rohee thanked the US Government for “its persistent and
consistent support” of Guyana’s security sector. “I know that there are some who are wondering…what I am doing here, associating with the US Ambassador and the US Embassy. There is no contradiction. There is absolutely no contradiction, because the cooperation between the government of
Guyana and the government of the United States, particularly in the security sector, has been very productive…and the track record of contributions made by the US to the security sector will not go unrecorded in the annals of the security sector,” Rohee said. “It is important that I emphasize that notwithstanding differences we may have in other areas of cooperation, the Ambassador himself and his staff, and the US government itself, have seen the importance of maintaining the same persistence in supporting the security sector of this country, and problems and differences in one area have never affected cooperation in the security sector, and I think this is a laudable achievement and accomplishment.” “The fact of the matter is that whenever we reach these roadblocks, we have to try to diffuse the situations. I know that diffusing situations as this is not unknown to him (Hardt),” Rohee said. The recent differences stemmed from the Government’s rejection of the US Government’s Leadership and Democracy Programme (LEAP), said to be geared towards strengthening democratic institutions in Guyana. The Government has also revoked the work permit and visa of Canadian Glenn Bradbury, who was in charge of implementing the Project. It escalated on Monday, with the PPP branding US Ambassador Hardt as a “meddler”, after the diplomat criticized government of censoring the local media. Rohee also noted that after Education and Health, Government’s third largest budgetary allocation was for
security. Billions are being spent on the training of the SWAT team and the president has asked for similar teams to be established, not necessarily of the same strength, in different police divisions. He predicted that the acquisition of the USdonated fingerprinting technology will be a shot in the arm for the technological aspect of the Force. Journalists were told that the fingerprinting technology has already helped local lawmen to solve some 63 cases, including three murders, 53 break and enter and larceny cases and four robbery under arms matters. Ambassador Hardt explained that AFIS is “a powerful and useful tool that provides immediate results for law enforcement. He stated that CBSI experts have been working with the Guyana Police Force entering old fingerprint cards into electronic databases. This is a massive undertaking and ultimately a successful one. The new centralized highquality digital database means that records will never degrade or disappear. “AFIS is now the recognised international standard for law enforcement investigation and rapid investigation. The AFIS system will provide law enforcement with empirical evidence of a criminal’s guilt, and will assist prosecutors in building solid cases against suspects, by providing empirical evidence to tie criminals to crime.” According to Hardt, a positive by-product of the AFIS will be to build increased public trust in Guyana’s justice system and the Police Force.
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
Haslington New Scheme attack…
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Police detective’s murder….
Wanted bulletin Soiled carpet tendered into issued for wounded evidence before court woman’s lover
WANTED: Errol Khan called Venood Maraj
Four days after the brutal death of fisherman Chetram Bharrat, police have issued a wanted bulletin for the man who was involved in a relationship with his wife. Police in a press release yesterday said that 38-yearold Errol Khan known as Venood Maraj is wanted for questioning in relation to the murder of Chetram Bharat which occurred on May 02, 2014, at Haslington, East Coast Demerara. Khan has been described as thinly-built, brown in complexion, and his last known address was listed as Lot 72 Blossom Scheme, East Coast Demerara. On Friday morning last, Chetram Bharrat was hacked to death while asleep in his bed, while his wife Lomattie Ramdat was chopped several times about her head and body and is presently a patient under police protection at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. The woman during an interview with this newspaper on Monday had
fingered her lover as the mastermind of the attack and called on the police to apprehend him as quickly, since she fears for her safety and that of her children. “It got to be he send somebody fuh do dis…all body ah talk how he swear he go kill me and me husband…because if you nah do something, wha you go mystic for?” Ramdat said. This is despite the fact that she is maintaining that two cutlass-wielding men had entered the house and carried out the attack after which they reportedly made off with $300,000 having ransacked the house. Although police have taken a statement from Ramdat, they believe that she has not told them the whole truth about what transpired on Friday morning, hence they have indicated that they will be seeking a further statement from her. “Based on what she has said in the Kaieteur News, we believe that she has not given Continued on page 27
The carpet and sheet, in which the body of Police Detective Igris BobbBlackman was reportedly found wrapped and thrown into a septic tank, were tendered into evidence before the court yesterday, when the murder trial of Desiree Jeffers continued at the High Court. Jeffers, 61, of Lot 622 La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara is on trial for the murder of the former Police Detective. The trial is ongoing before Justice Dawn-Gregory and a mixed 12-member jury. When the case was called up yesterday, Police Detective Orlan Alleyne told the court that he had collected items of evidential nature from the crime scene, which included a multicoloured green carpet and a sheet that had wrapped the body of the murdered police detective. “I can identify the items because I packaged them in separate white rice bags and marked them…Both parcels bear police seals.” Alleyne subsequently produced two white parcels, which he had allegedly collected at the scene of the crime to the court. The detective, however, noted that there was some damage to the markings on the outer layer of one of the packages. After the parcel was examined by the members of the jury and Defence Attorney, Peter Hugh to ensure that the seal was intact, the soiled multicoloured green carpet was then presented to the open court. A subsequent police witness, Sergeant Paul Wintz told the court that he visited the scene of the crime and saw when the body of detective Bobb-Blackman was being pulled from the septic tank. According to Wintz, when he arrived at the scene police investigators had already found the body. “It was floating in a septic
MURDER ACCUSED: Desiree Jeffers tank.” However, while under cross-examination by the defence, Wintz agreed that the body was partly submerged. “It was about two feet away from the opening of the septic tank…the carpet was easily visible.” State prosecutor Mercedes Thompson later called Brentnol BobbBlackman to the stand. The witness identified himself as the brother of the deceased. He claimed he had reported his brother missing at La Grange Police Station on January 11, 2011. He also said that he had visited his brother at his Lot 622 La Parfaite Harmonie residence on numerous occasions, for religious functions among other things. Bobb-Blackman told the court that it was as a result of a conversation he had with Gail Franker that he went in search of his brother. The witness said that he was accompanied by two police officers. They went to the La Parfaite Harmonie residence. “I called for Desiree Jeffers and there was no answer….we went into the yard, the house was locked. We checked around the yard including the septic tank area
DEAD: Igris Bobb-Blackman but we did not find anything…We returned to the police station.” Bobb-Blackman said a search party later returned to the residence. “Myself, Gail Franker, police officers and the accused returned to the house and we checked the yard which included the septic tank again…I looked into the septic tank and saw a yellow lighter, a bottle of ‘Seven Seas’ tablets, a notebook and a part of a
multicoloured green carpet at the top of the water in the septic tank…. Desiree Jeffers was there and she said ‘oh my God, oh my God I know nothing about this,’” the witness recalled before pointing to the accused and stating “that is Desiree Jeffers.” The man said that he later identified the body to be his brother, Igris Bobb-Blackman, before police cordoned off the area and declared it an official crime scene.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Mocha 9-year-old’s rape/murder…
Accused engaged in forceful sexual exercise General Practitioner Dr. Mohan Persaud told the court yesterday that he had examined Charles Cush and Jevon Wharton after they were arrested for their alleged involvement in the rape and murder of nine-year-old Sade Stoby. After being deemed an expert in his field of medicine by the court, Dr. Persaud read out his finding in relation to examinations which he had conducted on the two accused. Persaud told the court that he found lacerations and abrasions on the private areas of the two men which suggested their involvement in sexual intercourse, “particularly in a forceful manner”. According to Dr. Persaud, on November 4, 2007, he interviewed and examined 16year-old Jevon Wharton and 18-year-old Carlos Hubbard, in the presence of Detective Constable Devon Bowen. The two boys were initial suspects of the crime. “Based on a conversation I had with the Detective, I proceeded to interview and examine the two individuals separately…I conducted a
- medical examiner
Charles Cush (left) and Jevon Wharton complete examination of the body and genital area of Jevon Wharton… I recorded my finding on a medical form provided by the Detective… The examination conducted on the uncircumcised penis of
Jevon Wharton revealed lacerations to the head and lower aspects of the penis …abrasions to the head and shaft of the penis…” However, the doctor noted that the injuries could
have been caused by frequent masturbation, or due to a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), or a yeast infection.” At this point, Prosecutor Judith Gildharie-Mursalin made an application for the medical record of Carlos Hubbard to be tendered into evidence before the court. Hubbard was initially arrested for the crime but was later released based on advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP). Mursalin’s application met with objections from the Defence Attorneys, George Thomas and Raymond Alli, but Justice Navindra Singh subsequently overruled, allowing Hubbard’s medical record to be tendered as evidence before the court according to which, the doctor said that no marks were found on Hubbard. Dr Persaud subsequently read out the medical record of Charles Cush. “The medical examination conducted on the body of Charles Cush revealed an abrasion to the left shoulder and multiple abrasions and lacerations on the penis area which suggests involvement in a forceful sexual exercise.” Government Pathologist
Dr Nehaul Singh also presented his evidence to the court, in accordance with the post mortem examination, which he conducted on the body of Sade Stoby, on November 5, 2007. “The body was bloated, the eyes were bulging, the hands and feet were wrinkled, which suggests that it was submerged in water for some time, there was evidence of haemorrhage from the head and neck. The brain had started to decompose; there was thick black mud in the trachea or the wind pipe, which suggests breathing while under water. There was bruising on both sides of the vagina and the hymen was ruptured which suggests forced entry or forceful sexual activity just before the time of death. Her intestines were also protruding…. which could suggest possible sexual activity,” Dr Singh explained. The doctor revealed the cause of death to be asphyxiation due to submersion (drowning) and blunt trauma. He later explained that child may have died between 46 hours to five days. At the opening of the case, Prosecutor Mursalin
Sade Stoby gave the court a detailed and gruesome report of how the body of a little girl, who had gone missing for three days, was discovered near a ditch a short distance from her Barnwell North, Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara home. The evidence suggested that the girl had been raped and murdered. After the discovery was made, the child’s alleged killers were identified to be two teenagers who lived in her village, Wharton and Cush. Wharton, now 23 years old, and his alleged accomplice Cush, 21, are being represented by Attorney Raymond Alli and George Thomas, respectively.
Granger’s position on LEAD project is against sovereignty - Rohee Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) David Granger has been criticized by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee for APNU’s support of the controversial United Statesfunded Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project and disapproval of the work permit revocation of its project coordinator, Canadian Glenn Bradbury. The project, which the government has said it would not be engaging under “duress” because of the position by the US Ambassador to Guyana Brent Hardt to move ahead without the blessings of government, has since found support with the combined opposition APNU and Alliance For Change (AFC) since, according to them, it would have benefited Guyanese empowering them with knowledge of the functions of democracy and local government elections. According to Rohee, Granger ’s recent pronouncements on the LEAD project, particularly with respect to the revocation
of a work permit for Bradbury, renders him a stranger to foreign policy and therefore makes him incapable of making any meaningful contributions on this particular matter. Granger had warned the government of the US “retaliating” and expressed regret for the actions that government took to revoke Bradbury’s permit. He believes that government will have to pay the price for the actions it took and had said that “in this diplomacy it is going to be a juk for juk situation”. According to Rohee, given Granger’s sentiments, “his unfamiliarity with foreign policy and international diplomacy has once again been revealed. Moreover, his inadequacies as a leader have been exposed as he continues to make irrational and uninformed utterances against the PPP Government in this regard.” Rohee said that Granger’s criticism of the government’s position poses a direct danger “as it promotes disrespect to Guyana’s right to defend its national interest
and to take independent positions as a nation. “It appears as if it is a crime for the government to protect its national sovereignty. The PPP will not countenance any position which will render Guyana a mere flag-bearing mendicant which clearly the opposition leader wishes our country to be.” Rohee said that APNU is unaware of how foreign policy is managed and that is realized in their “ability to evaluate this matter in a broad objective and nationalist perspective. “As far as the APNU is concerned, protecting the national interest appears to be a crime. Other countries in the world have stood up for their right for independence and sovereignty and in this regard Guyana ought to be no exception. APNU’s cowardly and weak-hearted position is therefore out of sync with the reality of today’s world; such foreign policy utterances do not gain traction among the populace who are keen with the need for Guyana to protect its national interest.”
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Pensioner rescued from burning home
A distraught family member (sitting) contemplates her next move as a neighbour looks on at the badly damaged house. A 73 -year-old man is now thankful to neighbours who saved him from being burned to death yesterday afternoon. Dhanpaul, called ‘Father Bull’, was luckily pulled from his Lot 99 Onion Field, La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara home. The fire, which started shortly after 13:00hrs, has left three other persons homeless. Dhanpaul had been sharing the two-storey
property with his granddaughter and her two children. The latter mentioned were not at home as the fire raged. Dhanpaul said that after returning home having had a few drinks with his son-in-law, he realized that smoke was emanating from the adjacent bedroom, which was occupied by his granddaughter and her children.
Despite this, Dhanpaul, who lived at the house for over seven years now, said he went into his bedroom to take a nap. The pensioner said that he was later awakened by intense heat and the sound of neighbours calling out to him, relaying that his house was on fire. According to Dhanpaul, he came out and saw the fire, but could not do anything to help himself. That’s when
neighbours rushed to his aid and dragged the weakened man out of the burning building. “Me drink me li’l rum and yuh know how drunk people does be. I couldn’t ah come out ah deh. Is good thing dem boy pull me out…God save me life here today,” Dhanpaul said. While the man hinted that his greatgrandchildren usually play
with matches, neighbours are suspicious that ‘Father Bull’ himself might’ve caused the fire. Onlookers told this publication that the children could have never been responsible for the damage amounting to millions, as they had been in school all day, while their mother had gone to work. “De man does drink steady; awe does tell he about this drinking, but he nah hear. He want fuh blame dem children and seh is dem cause this fire, but even if they does play with matches like he seh, dem children gon ah school since eight o’clock this morning. He, heself careless, suh me wouldn’t be surprised if is he mek the place bun down. He alone been home, suh ah he gah fuh know” one neighbour told this newspaper. Another noted, “de girl live there with she children and it gon be hard fuh her because she nah have nowhere else to go. Is she I sorry for. Roseanna is a good girl and she does hustle fuh a better life. This gon be a real downfall fuh she here. “Bull” is a big man, he got he children dem and suh, but me ain’t know wha guh happen to she.” D h a n p a u l ’ s granddaughter, “Roseanna” was too traumatized to speak with this publication. She sat
The homeless pensioner, Dhanpaul on a rock in front of the yard, crying. The house was gutted, with all of the family’s belongings going up in flames. Residents said that the Guyana Fire Service responded promptly, and firefighters were able to prevent nearby houses from being burnt. As of last evening, the cause of fire was unknown, but investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, this newspaper understands that an ‘A’ Field Sophia resident is currently on the run after attempting to set his house alight while his reputed wife and 11 children were inside. Firefighters managed to save the home and prevent the loss of lives.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Shot-in-mouth teen “refuses $1M settlement” By Romila Boodram The teenager who was shot in the mouth two Wednesdays ago by a Cadet Officer has reportedly refused to accept $1M offered to him as settlement by a number of the suspect’s close associates. Alex Griffith was yesterday discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after being shot in his mouth. Griffith, of North East La Penitence, was shot a stone’s throw away from his home by a rank attached to ‘C’ Division. The policeman along with three of his colleagues had gone to area to investigate a robbery committed on a female relative of the said policeman. During a press conference yesterday with the teen, his mother, Marcel along with Social and Political Activist, Mark Benschop, stated that a number of persons have telephoned the teen’s mother and offered her money to settle the matter. Among those who called was someone identifying himself as a lawyer, and pleading with the mother to accept the settlement. “I am a grieving mother. My son doesn’t know anything about that robbery and although people tell these policemen that my son is innocent, they still beat my son and shoot him,” the
woman said. She further added that even though she pleaded with the ranks not to kick her son in his abdomen, they still did. The woman said two of the policemen held her down while the other two proceeded to brutalize the teen. The mother expressed her concerns about her son’s safety since, according to her, a number of persons have been calling and demanding that she settle the matter outside the court. “I am scared because I don’t know who is who. Strange people were visiting my son at the hospital, including one of the policemen who harassed and almost killed him,” the mother exclaimed. The policeman who visited Alex Griffith while he was a patient at the hospital revealed during a telephone interview with Benschop that he had only gone to the hospital to check whether the teen was out of danger. Asked what triggered his colleague to shoot the teen, the rank said he is still trying to figure out what went wrong that night. During the telephone interview, the content of which this publication managed to obtain, the policeman said, “I don’t know what happen to him (suspect). The Devil must have taken over, because nobody
expected he woulda shoot. I am still trying to figure out what happened.” Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the suspect who is attached to the Mahaica Police Station breached the office regulations by keeping the police weapon in his possession for more than 24 hours. A senior official said the policeman uplifted the gun on April 22, last. It was never booked out until the teen was shot eight days later. “The question is what he was doing with this weapon so long,” the senior official questioned. According to the official, on the night of the shooting, the officer in question along with a party of policemen went to the Mahaica Police Station from St. Cuthbert’s Mission after completing an investigation. It was while at the station he received a telephone call after which he immediately left the station. He reportedly went to the East La Penitence Police Station, collected three ranks, and went to the scene. Yesterday, Benschop questioned why only the shooter is under close arrest when the three other ranks also assaulted the teen. “This boy has been discharged from the hospital. He has no proper care, and one of my concerns is that the police should take responsibility; knowing that
Mark Benschop speaking to the teenager and his mother yesterday at his office he was shot by one of their own, they should have taken care of him medically,” Benschop related. He further questioned the reason for the Crime Chief saying that they are proceeding with the investigation to see whether the suspect’s intention was to shoot. “Anyone who puts a gun in someone’s mouth, knowing there is a bullet, there is only one intention and that is to shoot!” Benschop stressed. According to the activist, the policeman should be charged with attempted murder. Recalling what happened on that fateful night, the teen explained that just after he reached home after a hard day at work, he went to purchase plantain chips from a nearby shop. “When I buy my chips, it had a movie showing, so I sit down and was watching a
movie and then I hear a li’l girl who does live there come and say a girl just get robbed and everybody go behind she, but nobody ain’t see is who…only the li’l girl see,” the teen recalled. He said after the commotion ended, he continued looking at the movie after which he went home. “I reach home a little after 9 o’clock and li’l after a man come and holler for me and say that I know something about what happen, and then three policemen come and ask about the robbery…so I tell them that I didn’t see anything, but a li’l girl see. They ask me to carry them and I take them.” He added that while taking the policemen to locate the “eyewitness”, the Cadet Officer hit him in his abdomen with his torch light. “When we reach, I show them the li’l girl and she tell them what she see and she
even describe the clothing the two thieves wore, but the police still carry me at the back and start beating me. They stand on my foot, and stamped me,” Griffith recounted. He said that the policemen then dumped him in their van and drove a short distance before they came to a stop. “They ask me to come out and he (suspect) take out the bullets from his gun and gave it to another policeman, and then he tek another bullet and put it in the gun.” The 15-year-old said that the first time the rank cranked the gun, it did not go off but it did the second time. He was then taken to the hospital, after which his mother was notified by a nurse at the health institution. The teen and his mother are determined and said that they will not accept compensation. “If any form of compensation is accepted, it will be in the courts.”
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
Town Clerk locks Mayor out of office - forced councillors to hold meeting in compound
Several Councillors arrived to find tightly locked doors to the Council’s chambers By Zena Henry The meaning of extraordinary was perfectly exhibited yesterday as City Hall’s Mayor and Councillors sat in the blazing afternoon sun to host their extraordinary Statutory meeting when acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba locked them out of the Council’s Chambers. The extraordinary meeting was set to deal with three motions, one of which is to remove the acting Town Clerk from her post and another, to remove the Council’s Finance Committee Chairman Junior Garrett. The Councillors voted unanimously to remove Sooba, the Finance Chairman, and then, to discipline all those who took part in the illegal sale of Easter spots at the seawall two weeks ago. The Council’s regular statutory meeting was adjourned by Mayor Green last week as the Town Clerk (ag) decided that the meeting was unconstitutional because she was not allowed to say the prayers. She ordered all Council officers to leave the meeting before she walked out. Mayor Green had requested that the Town Clerk call an extraordinary meeting last Friday after what had transpired, but Sooba refused. Despite her office accepting another letter to convene an extraordinary meeting yesterday, when Councillors arrived at the chamber, they were left lingering as windows and doors were tightly shut. Determined to hold their meeting, Councillors quickly started to set up chairs and desks in the agency’s parking lot, braving the hot afternoon sun. Some Councillors described the development
as “madness”. Members of the police force had also visited City Hall, but left after Councillors convened their meeting in the parking lot. Recognizing the presence of a recording clerk and the Council’s mace, the Mayor and Councillors got the meeting underway after reading out the sections of the Municipal and District Council Act which give them the power to do so. The motion to remove Sooba was forwarded by councilor Hector Stoute and seconded by councilor Randolph Atherley-Waite. Several councillors spoke of the extent to which Sooba’s actions has reportedly set back the Council, as well as her disrespect to the executive body and the rules that govern the organization. Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green was adamant about Sooba’s disregard for the decisions the Council makes and other acts which she said are sometimes personally beneficial to her. The councilors mentioned the illegal sale of Mashramani and Easter spots, the firing of Cevon’s Waste management, and a number of disrespectful
correspondences to the Mayor and Councillors among other things. Public Relations Officer (PRO) Royston King was voted in to perform the duties of Town Clerk until the Local Government Commission is put in place. The motion against the Finance Chairman was brought by councillor Gregory Fraser and seconded by councilor Eon Andrews. They claimed that Garrett has been making decisions unilaterally and capriciously to sign-off payments to expend Council’s money without authorization. They said Garrett along with a PPP councillor Kamala Ross signed off on money that Sooba took without the Council’s permission, while he did the same with over $100,000 to sell spots on Easter day when the Council was not aware. They continued that Garrett refused to place other Councilors’ concerns in the 2014 budget and he had also signed off an improper letter to the bank asking them to release money to be returned to the Japanese government (Continued on page 27)
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Daunting failure rate at CPCE bothers GTU A disturbing failure rate at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) has been attracting the attention of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU). In fact, President of the Union, Mark Lyte, during an interview with this publication, described the situation as worrisome. Training of the country’s teachers is currently undertaken at the CPCE’s campus at Turkeyen and also at a number of satellite centres across the country. Lyte divulged that there are reports that at a single centre, which started out with some 200 teachers in training, there are now a mere 20. “It is really startling to know how so many teachers have fallen away after one semester. The situation I understand is that there is a rule now that you cannot fail more than two courses for the whole programme...So imagine what will happen by the third and fourth semesters,” Lyte considered. Moreover, he noted that the GTU will be seeking to engage both the Minister of Education and the Chief Education Officer in order to have the matter addressed. A number of teachers in training have expressed their concern about the daunting state of affairs, with a few even intimating their conviction that they are deliberately being awarded failing grades. The troubling development, this publication was told, is one that is particularly affecting teachers undertaking degree programmes, who are convinced that the situation they are faced with is one that is designed to ensure that they are not in a position to be better remunerated. Their belief has however not been corroborated by any official
of the Ministry. While the GTU has not speculated on the cause for the prevailing failure rate, Lyte said that the matter was discussed when the body held its biennial conference recently. “We are concerned about that because a lot of money is wasted...Some teachers who have gone for a year would have expended a lot of money (to attend classes) and now have to drop out of the programme...It is very tough and we know that teachers are not very wealthy, so we hope to engage them (education officials) on that, to see if we can come up with some amicable ways in solving this problem.” This publication understands that the failure of two or more subject areas will require that teachers redo an entire programme. Lyte revealed that information of the troubling situation was not based on authentic research but rather on feedback which suggests those affected are the inservice teachers. “These are the teachers that are actually teaching in school but are expected to carry a number of courses from 3 – 7pm (15:00 to 19:00 hours). It was put to the Chief Education Officer, whether the in-service teachers should be given a longer period of time to complete the programme and that would reduce the burden of having to do all those courses in the afternoon compared to the pre-service – those who don’t work anywhere and are
GTU President, Mark Lyte just studying, and they are more at an advantage than those in-service.” According to Lyte, who recently assumed the presidency of the GTU, moves are currently being made to work along with teachers to provide a better education, even as teachers themselves are educated on their rights and responsibility. Moreover, he said that the GTU will seek to support teachers in understanding what is expected of them in the system. Added to this, Lyte said that the GTU will be looking to undertake its own investigative work with a view of embracing measures that define what happens in the classroom that are based on feedback from key stakeholders such as teachers, parents and students. This is essential, he noted, to ensure that the GTU does not simply join in with the policies of the Ministry, but is able to acquire its own findings as well.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Report warns of negative impacts of hydro dams in Amazon basin...
Bankers, contractors will hog benefits A new report has indicated that a staggering 400-plus hydro-power dams will be built in the Amazon basin, including two planned for Guyana. It would potentially lead to the “end of free-flowing rivers” and contribute to “ecosystem collapse”, causing huge social problems. The report also warned that the majority of the benefits derived from the construction of megaprojects directly go to actors, including multi-national corporations and the financing institutions. Of the 412 dams already in operation, under construction or proposed, 256 are in Brazil, 77 in Peru, 55 in Ecuador, 14 in Bolivia, six in Venezuela, two planned in Guyana, and one each in Colombia, French Guiana and Suriname. Brazilian Anthropologist, Paul Little, at the launch of the English version of his report, “Mega-Development Projects in Amazonia: A GeoPolitical and SocioEnvironmental Primer”, said that 151 of the 412 dams
involve five of the six main rivers that drain into the Amazon after birthing in the Andes. The report was launched by the Brazilian in Lima, Peru, late last month. Little is attached to the Department of Anthropology, University of Brasilia, Brazil. “The construction of many large-scale dams in the vast headwaters region of the Amazon Basin – encompassing parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia – will produce critical changes in continental water flows, with little knowledge of the ecological consequences of this policy,” the report states. “This new wave of dam building in the headwaters of the Basin is a “hydrological experiment” of continental proportions, yet little is known scientifically of panAmazonian hydrological dynamics, creating the risk of provoking irreversible changes in rivers.” The report, co-authored and circulated by Peruvian NGO DAR, divides “megadevelopment projects” into two kinds - infrastructure,
The construction of hydro-electric dams in the Amazon Basin will have negative effects on the area, a Brazilian university anthropologist has warned. such as the transport and electricity sectors, which in turn includes hydroelectric dams; and extractive, such as oil, gas and mining. According to a report yesterday in
www.guardian.com, the focus is on the number of current projects, the larger global financial, regional and geopolitical contexts, and the potential social and environmental impacts. “The weight of these socioenvironmental impacts is distributed in an extremely unequal manner. The majority of the benefits derived from the construction of megadevelopment projects accrue to economic and political actors external to Amazonia, such as
large multi-national corporations, the administrative apparatus of national governments and financial institutions.” The report also warned that the majority of negative impacts of these same megadevelopment projects are borne by indigenous peoples, who suffer from the invasion of their territories, and local communities, which suffer from the proliferation of serious social and health problems. A section of the report makes recommendation to what
can be done to counter such projects and the impacts they may have, and includes proposals for a “pan-Amazonian agenda for an alternative model of development.” According to Little, 1.6 million square kilometres of the Amazon is covered by mining concessions with 1.1M set for oil and gas concessions. The Amazon rainforest spans 5.5M square kilometres (2.1M square miles) and includes territories belonging to nine nations. The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in Ve n e z u e l a , E c u a d o r, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Guyana is currently pursuing building a 165megawatts facility at Amaila Falls, Region Eight. The project ran into problems last year after the National Assembly remained divided on how the US$850Mplus would be spent. It would be the largest ever infrastructural project for Guyana, if financing is found and given the requisite approval. Talks are still ongoing with the financiers, Chinese contractor, and US developer on that project. Talks are also continuing with neighbouring Brazil to build a hydro-electric dam in the Lower Mazaruni, Region Seven. Brazil would be taking a significant portion of the power with the rest being introduced to the Guyana system. Guyana has been desperately seeking alternative power with its import oil bill continuing to account for a huge chunk of its foreign spending.
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 27
Health sector must guard against complacency to retain gains – Minister Although the local health sector has been making noticeable strides in the quest to ensure that a wide crosssection of the population remains healthy, there is need for more attention to be directed towards sustaining these gains. This notion was emphasised by Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran. According to the Minister, despite the evident achievements that have been realised “we are at pains not to be complacent because there are continuous threats of reversals.” And such developments, Dr Ramsaran said, could be linked for example to patients’ resistance to medication which could be a direct result of them failing to regularly take their medication to treat various ailments. This, the Minister pointed out, could create a situation whereby the causative agent of a disease being treated can become resistant. And this, he said, has been observed in the treatment of Tuberculosis. This development has created the
need for the Ministry to put in place an efficient DOTS programme. Through the DOTS programme workers are dispatched into the fields to reach patients wherever they are. “This might seem to be a costly addition to the payroll, and policymakers might want to know why, but to be considered is the cost of not doing it,” said the Minister. He disclosed too that the focused efforts of the Ministry have been instrumental in reducing the incidence of TB even as threats such as malaria, dengue and chagas, among other vector-borne diseases are being controlled. The Ministry has also been directing much attention to the threat of yet another vector-borne disease, Chikungunya, which has belatedly been found in a number of Caribbean territories in recent times. In its quest to combat vectorborne diseases, the Ministry has been intensifying its measures to monitor and reduce the prevalence of mosquito vectors. Among
these efforts has been the procurement of millions of dollars worth in fogging machines. “Yes we have made progress but at the same time the threats are ever there,” said Dr Ramsaran. Moreover, the Minister said that efforts are continually being made to advance the Ministry’s efforts, even through continuous training of health workers. Several Community Health Workers and Medex, according to him, have been trained as Microscopists, to particularly aid the fight against malarial vectors which have for some time posed a threat to the health sector. Added to this, he disclosed that the Ministry has been sustaining its treated bed net distribution programme. The Ministry has over the years been collaborating with other agencies including the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, among others, in its fight against malaria. Last year alone some
Wanted bulletin issued for wounded... From page 13 us 100 percent and we have to get a further statement,” a senior police official on the East Coast of Demerara told this newspaper. The woman had said that she and her husband retired to bed around 20:00 hours on Thursday and they only awoke when they were attacked around 04:00 hours the following morning. But police said that they were informed by a man who had passed the couple’s home around 02:30 hours on Friday that Ramdat was awake, since she called out to him. The man did not stop, but
returned a few minutes later and saw the woman in the yard with a man who was clad only in a pair of briefs. “We don’t know if the man was her husband, because he was clad only in his brief when he died, but we are looking at this information seriously. The woman is still a person on interest, that is why we have a police guard at the hospital,” the official said. Since the incident, police had been interested in questioning the woman’s lover after several relatives fingered him in the attack. They have made several searches for him in the
Haslington and Enmore areas but he continues to elude them. The wanted man’s relatives are however blaming the police for harassing the wanted man’s elderly mother, who they say has no knowledge of his whereabouts. The police said that anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Errol Khan, known as Venood Maraj, is asked to contact them on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-2227, 229-2701 to 2703, 229-2557, 911 or the nearest station. All information will be treated with strict confidence.
Town Clerk locks Mayor out... (From page 25) without the matter being brought to the Council. He was also voted out unanimously. The Councillors later voted to discipline the voted out Town Clerk (ag) and all those who aided her in illegally selling Easter spots. They said that no authorization was given to Sooba by the Council to sell spots. The Mayor and Councillors later blasted the Local Government Minister for his continued involvement in the affairs of the Council.
Both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor explained that on several occasions an audience has been requested with Minister Norman Whittaker and former Minister Ganga Persaud, but they have refused, “yet they want to run this Council”. Chase-Green said the minister is disrespectful for telling Councillors to not hold the extraordinary meeting. “I can’t tell the Minister not to call his meetings, I can’t tell him not to go to Cabinet,” she charged. Minister Whittaker emailed the Mayor over the
weekend warning that they should not hold the meeting. Despite Sooba walking out of the last Statutory meeting, he maintained that Councillors should wait until the Town Clerk calls the meeting. The Councillors said that once the Council’s mase, a recorder of minutes and a quorum are available, the meeting can take place. “They thought that if they locked us out we can’t have our meeting because once we cast our vote; that is it. They tried to stop us from voting, but it didn’t work,” one councillor explained.
Vector Control workers testing a recently procured fogging machine. 50,000 of these nets were distributed to at-risk populations, and according to Director of Vector Control Services, Dr Reyaud Rahman, there are plans to distribute even more this year. The vector threat, Dr Rahman had earlier told this publication, is likely to escalate further in light of the ever-occurring climate change situation. As such, he stressed the need for the vector control fight to be sustained, a situation that requires continuous
investment. Moreover, Dr Rahman has vocalised his conviction that “investing in the fight against vector-borne diseases is a wise and necessary investment as we have climate change, apart from other factors, which invariably means that vector habitats will be altered.” According to him, expansive vector control work is required in light of the increasing number of persons venturing into interior
locations to undertake mining, logging and other commercialised activities. In order to help sustain the achievements that have been made, efforts are continually made by the Health Ministry to ensure that adequate drugs to treat vector-borne diseases are always available. Recently the fight was bolstered by a US$1.2 million Global Fund grant which was lobbied for by the Vector Control Director.
Male sex worker remanded for violently “robbing” customer A senior city Magistrate yesterday remanded a male sex worker to prison after he was brought before her to face a robbery charge. Twenty seven-year-old Junior Millard, also known as “Alicia” of First Street, Alberttown, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was charged with robbing a man (reportedly his customer) of his $70,000 BlackBerry cell phone and $10,000 cash. The accused pleaded not guilty and submitted a bail application through his lawyer but the court presided over by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry ordered him held until his next court hearing. The defence attorney, Paul Fung-a-Fat, claimed that on the day in question his client was given counterfeit $5000 bill for services rendered, but “Alicia” who realised he was being defrauded “held” onto the man’s phone as a form of assurance for payment. Fung-a-Fat said that the “customer” instead ventured to the police station and made a report which led to his client being arrested and charged
ACCUSED: Junior Millard for robbery. His application, however, was met with sharp objections from Corporal Bharat Mangru who represented the Prosecution. Mangru explained that about 22:00 hours that day, the victim was at the Shell Gas Station when he took out his cellular phone to use it. “Your worship, the accused approached the victim, hit him to his head and took away his cellular phone.” The Corporal said that the accused held onto the victim’s shirt while an accomplice
relieved him of the cash in his pockets before they escaped. The matter was reported and subsequent investigations led to Millard being arrested and charged for the offence. Mangru offered objections on the serious nature of the offence and the penalty thereby attached. He opined that if granted bail, Millard will not return to face the charge instituted against him. The defence attorney, however, sprang to his feet and continued his application. “Your worship, even the complainant wouldn’t show his face here today. He gave my client counterfeit money for her work and ran away. Yet the police didn’t do anything. This is no robbery! This is sex gone bad your worship,” he contended. Notwithstanding the defence attorney’s application, bail was refused and Millard was remanded to prison. The case was transferred to Magistrate Judy Latchman for report and fixtures as well as the filing of statements. It is set to be called again on May 19.
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FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Pure bred Rottweiler puppies, 8 weeks old – Call:682-2148 or 618-2903 One smoothie machine and ice machine – Call:231-0655 or 683-8734 Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Pork - $380, Pork Chops $650, leg pork - $480lb, salted pork -$450 (8 Lbs pails) @ Geroge & Hadfield Sts. Wed bred Yankee stallion, sea rockette yearling, going reasonable – Tel:601-0993 Honda Welder, 270 Amps, 2002 Tundra – Call:611-5114, 220-4495 PORK WHOLE SALE, WHOLE, HALF & QUARTER CARCASS. NO HEAD! NO TROTTERS! – CALL:266-2711, 609-4594 1-CAT 320 excavator, 1-22 RB long boom dragline, 1helmet & hammer, 1-120G motor grader -D4H CAT bulldozer- Good conditionCall:660-4021/275-0578 1 Playstation3 with games $65,000, 1 – XBOX360 with games - $60,000, Used XBOX360 - $25,000, PSP $15,000, DS - $15,000 – Tel:621-7497, 603-8643 One 210 Hyundai Excavator with one complete 6" Dredge and also 4" Dredge Contact: 690-1568 CBR motor cycle- Honda 2007 model with installed power commander - $800,000 neg. Contact Chris Da Silva 678-0545, 226-4985 & 2237376 Pit-bull pups, 7 weeks old – Contact Chandra:695-7340, 699-1625 2 months old Rottweiler pups & 7 weeks old Rottweiler pups for sale- Tel: 683-4832, 263-5755 PVC Ceiling Panels, PVC Mouldings, Medallions. American Standard!!! – Call:614-8564, 680-00862 Brand new Acer Chrome book C7 laptop - $39,000 – Call: 627-4468 for more details 1-48 Feet Boat with 900lb ice box, price negotiable - Tel: 609-0783 FOR SALE/RENTAL American Pool Table – Call:277-0578
Kaieteur News
FOR SALE Toyota Forklift - Excellent condition, 4,000lbs capacity, 117" Lift, Solid Wheels, Automatic Transmission, 4 Cylinder LPG Motor. Call: 604-6108. One Long Base mini bus, BJJ Series – Tel:667-6045 40Ft round bottom boat, 40HP Yamaha outboard engine, 350Lbs 5" Nylon anchor seine – Call:604-0038, 6014585
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. COOL TECH : Repairs Services & Installation of all types if homes appliances: Air Condition & Refrigeration units - Tel: 233-2008; 675-4959 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Permanent & Visitors Vi s a Applications, P r o f e s s i o n a l Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 6626045 Repairs to washers, dryers, stoves, deep fryers, control system, etc – Call:619-0793, 699-8802 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING FOR ONLY $10,000CALL:694-9843/227-2766 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer. Call Omar:2310655,683-8734
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale.Call:627-5416 Double lot with house at East Bank Demerara, one block away from Public Road – Call: 621-1766 1 – 2 storey wooden & concrete house with 5 bedrooms, upper flat & lower flat 4 apartments located@ Shell Road, kitty - $38.9M – Tel: 642-7898 One commercial property located at Broad St, Charlestown, close to the Public Road – Call:615-7526, 661-9885 1 Newly built 2 storey concrete house @ Canal No#2 Belle West - Tel: 6153333; 648-9428 Prime Business property, huge land space 200’X50'. Next to Police Outpost at Mc Doom. Tel: 233-0570 One flat house for sale at Railway Embankment – Price:$6,500,000Contact:689-6255 Property at Section ‘D’ Turkeyen, E.C.D – Call:6046973 or 695-7610
CAR RENTAL Dolly’s Car Rental - Call: 225-7126/ 226-3693 dollys autorental@yahoo.com/ www.dolly sautorental.com Progressive Auto Rental - carsCall: 643-5122 or 225-8711, Email:pro_autorental@yahoo.com Wings Car Rental- Call:6431131 Aidan’s Car Rental, Canter & Pickup- Call: 645-7981/ 698-7807
LAND FOR SALE 138FT x 1750FT 5.5 acres at Canal No.2- Price $15MCall:227-7734 Transport Land at Klien Street, Pouderoyen, W.B.D – Price $3.7 neg. Call:687-5746 100FtX50Ft High Income land at La Parafaite Harmonie; light, water & road exist. Prime location – Call:675-7292
EDUCATIONAL Practical Electronic Course beginning May 6th 2014 – Call Abdul Electronics – 2266551 or 225-0391
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 One upper flat @ 6th Street Cummings Lodge ECD – Call:622-3580 House @ Lot ‘M’ First Street, Grove Housing Scheme, E.B.D – 3 bedrooms & bottom flat, big yard space – Tel:265-3055, 647-2296 One bedroom apartment – self contained, fully grilled at Land of Canaan, EBD – Contact Navo: 615-9441, 266-5563 One nails table – Tel: 6289297 or 602-5469 BRAND NEW 3 STOREY modern building. Located on North Road, between Oronoque & Albert St – Tel:629-0037, 626-6909 Secured Concrete bond 87’X32’ at Public Road McDoom, lots of yard space. Suitable for Car Mart. Tel: 233-0570 One large bedroom apartment for rent, preferably couple at Lot 28 Hadfield Street Lodge – Call:696-9299 G.T TOOLS RENTAL: CONCRETE SAW, RANDSOM & MORE. EVERYDAY SPECIALS – CALL:675-0767 OR 6275098 House to rent in Friendship, E.B.D – Tel:266-0163 BRAND NEW 4 STOREY modern building. Located on Regent Street, between light and Cummings St. Call:6266909, 629-0037
TO LET Furnished and unfurnished two bedrooms apartment in Eccles, for short or long term – Tel:643-1131 New modern 2 bedroom apartment @ Bel-Air. Furnished, AC, Hot & Cold, CCTV, Expat preferred, no agents please – Call:692-0986
Wednesday May 07, 2014
SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773 Natural beauty salon & spa: Grove Market Street EBD Tele: 265-4138, 652-5800. We specialized in everything for women.
2008 Blue Bird - $3M, 2005 Spacio - $2.1M, 2006 Premio - $2.3M. ALL VEHICLESFULLYLOADED & UNREGISTEREDCall:642-7295 VACANCY One machinist & one welder Call:234-0780 or 613-1588 Office clerk senior/junior. CXC: English, Mathematics & computer knowledge an assetCall:225-0188/223-7500 One Trainee refrigeration, A/ C Technician – Tel:231-0655, Call between Monday Friday (8:00am-4:30pm) General managers to work on land dredges in the interior with popular mining firm – Tel:226-9768, 615-6172 Model ‘M’ truck drivers to drive into the Interior, must be sober headed & ability to service – Call:226-9768, 6156172 Professional HAIRSTYLIST NEEDED at DIVA HAIR SALON, TORTOLA BVI. 5+ years experience required. Federal Management Security Services: Armed, Baton Officers, bus drivers. Located @ 120 Peter Rose Street, Queenstown – Tel:2260633, 226-0652, 226-0637 Surveyor/Ranger to monitor mining lands. Must have vast knowledge of G.P.S & riding ATV bikes – Call:226-9768, 615-6172
VEHICLE FOR SALE One AA60 Carina - Call:6895254, 643-0332, 256-0504 2 Ton freezer canter, GRR Series – Call:658-3209
One two bedroom apartment to rent at Lot 72 West Ruimveldt - $50,000 per month – Call:692-7377. One newly built 2 storey concrete house, 2 bedroom for short or long term Bartica – Call:685-2707 One bedroom concrete bottom flat apartment located at Middle Road, La Penitence - $25,000 per month. Preferably a bachelor – Contact: 666-9534
VEHICLE FOR SALE First Class Auto: Premio, Allion, Spacio, Raum, 212, Allex, Runx, IST, Fielder, Bluebird, Axela – Tel:6098188, 638-3045 One 8,000 Ford Tractor, one 450 Ford Towing Truck & size 16 & 17 tyres - Contact Floyd: 694-5599
WANTED Experienced taxi driver, mini bus driver and dispatcher at Princess Hotel – Tel:2657075, 265-7076 Urgently needed live in waitresses to work in Bar, offering an attractive salary – Call:689-8859
Unregistered Toyota Raum - Year 2004 , black interior, HID lights, power door, TV navigation – Tel:617-5536 Smart Choice Auto Sales: Unregistered: Premio, Spacio, Allion, Allex, IST, 2 1 2 , F i e l d e r, Vo x y – Call:652-3820; 665-4529 One Toyota RAV, 4 PNN Series- Contact: 650-7875. Serious Enquires only! Sold by first owner! Toyota Avensis, PRR Series, immaculate condition, leather interior, alarm, A/C, TV, 18" Rims, HID - $3.250 Neg. – Call: 609-7257, 6025794 Toyota Spacio – TV/DVD/ CD, body kit, reverse camera. Never registered $2.1M. Call:617-2891 One AE100 Corolla, in good condition, engine just overhaul - $600,000 – Call: 592692-0986 1 Carina AT212, PMM Series, very good condition. Leather seats, flash drive deck, rims. Price negotiable call: 663-1576 One Toyota Land cruiser Prado, PMM Series Call: 225-0188, 223-7500, MonFri 8:15-4:15pm, Sat – 8:15-1:15PM Toyota Raum, Spacio, AT212, AT192, NZE ,LTouring wagon, Fun Cargo, IST, Nissan E24 Caravan – Tel: 644-5096; 697-1453 1- Toyota Corolla AE100, excellent condition, A/C, mag rims, alarm, DVD player - $825,000 neg. – Call: 2253217, 612-9625, 695-6461 Seinta and Noah with Body Kits – unregistered and top notch condition with terms available – Call:641-8647 2 – 1 RZ Van -$660,000, bus$500,000, 1 RZ Boby, RZ parts & Spares, 1 Solid Def 2 Door, G5591 – Call:614-6410, 649-2450 New Model Hilux Surf and RX8 – Very clean vehicles. Terms available – Call:6418647 Stick gear and automatic Pitbull and RZ buses at the best prices around – Tel:641-8647 (Continued on page 29)
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 29
Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Frustration, corruption of the legal system in Berbice DEAR EDITOR, I am very frustrated and fed up with the legal system in Berbice. My father, Ramdarsan Pooran, bought his late mother’s property in 2002. The agreement of sale was prepared by Mr Charandass Persaud who is now a legal practitioner. Mr Persaud in 2010 made representation to claim the same property for someone else. Unfortunately the judge did not allow him to represent his client because he was the key witness that the property was sold to my father.
My father legal representative was Mr Doorsami (paid $150,000). My father who has a stroke attended the court hearing for a few weeks in Guyana but these kept being postponed each time. The late Senior Counsel, Mr. Mr Crawford, showed empathy for my father’s illness and stood up in court and pleaded for the judge to try the case. Mr Doorsami, although present each time at the Land Court hearing, said very little.
A case of professional misconduct DEAR EDITOR, Guyana — the land of many waters—the land of many contrasts — the land of many two faced professionals who speak of one thing and do exactly the opposite. These kinds of personalities are found within the political sphere and they overwhelm all others. For this reason there is hope for Guyana to lift itself out of the morass of social degeneration and decay. There is a current gaff that a prominent member of one of the opposition parties is so rotten that he is aware that others know of his crookery, yet he screams from any soapbox about corruption. He is a lawyer, and feels justified because of what is going on in the Courts these days. He appears for a client who is involved in litigation touching on money and real property. It appears he is on the losing side so what has he done? He wrote the Commercial Bank where the person against whom he is appearing has an account, telling the bank that he is the
lawyer for that person and sought information concerning that person’s account. The Bank apparently believed him — Is he not a lawyer and politician? It supplied some information to him. The person against whom he is appearing learnt of this vulgarity and confronted the Bank. The Bank promptly recalled the document it sent to this “virtuous member of the legal fraternity and a politician” and reminded him that he had represented to them that he was the person’s lawyer. The Leader of the Opposition is aware of this matter and he is in consultation with his inner circle as to any course of action that may follow. Interesting days are ahead. Would the matter be swept under the blanket —to protect the turf? After all, this guy is not a jhagabat but a non-supporter of the Government. Would this letter see the light of day in the free press of this country? Harry Doobay
Those nicknames... From page 4 Puss In Boots, Mother Rat, Jagan Wash Pat (pot), and Goady Charlie. In Goed Fortuin we had Jumbie Soursop, Guana Pencil, and Meeh (the sound of a sheep). This man was reportedly a sheep thief. All we had to do was make the sheep sound and you had to run like nobody’s business. One day we saw an old man and somebody in the gathering of children shouted, “Look a ol higue. Anybody gat chalk?” To this day I don’t know where the chalk came from, but a long white line was drawn across the road. The old man turned back. He was
our new target. Expectantly, the man never crossed the chalk mark. Then there was Kobis, Mr. K. His legs were deformed and formed the letter K. He would hobble behind us but never catch anybody. In Plaisance, we had Mad Doc who was a voilent customer. We could not afford for him to catch us. Those were the days of the 60,s and 70’s. Those names were not liked by our ‘targets.’ They however, provided an avenue of fun for the neighbourhood children, an activity that has surely died, even in the rural areas. Carl Parker Sr. Regional Councillor
The following week a decision was made by the judge and legal practitioners, without a CASE HEARING in the absence of my parents. My father was told by Mr Doorsami that he (my father) was given right for the property but could not occupy it until he made an application for a transport. Mr Doorsami arranged for the land to be surveyed and publication made. The action was opposed. I became very suspicious
of Mr Doorsami’s representation in court and after the Judge’s decision. Mr Bacchus was contacted and was happy to take the case. Mr Bacchus had to redraw the Petition because Mr Doorsami, an experienced legal practitioner and former Land Court Judge, made errors with the Petition. Mr Bacchus’s legal fee is $300,000 and was paid $200,000 as requested. In November 2012 I had written to Mr Anil Nandlall
about my concern regarding Mr C. Persaud’s legal practice (copy of documents sent to Mr Nandlall). I had made several contacts via email to the Minister who always makes promises that he never fulfils. I have attached Mr Nandlall’s emails. The Land Court Hearing has been going on since 2010 and this is 2014. We are still waiting for a court hearing. I had made contact with Mr Bacchus’s clerk, several times.
The last was April 8, who said that the case can take another year or two. Who is responsible for the Efficiency, Transparency and Legal practices within the Legal System? How many years does one need for a Land Court Case? I would very much appreciate an enquiry into this matter. Thank you. Chanderdai Pooran
From page 28
WANTED Experienced roti/puri cooks, curry cooks, pastry makers. Apply at Hack’s Halaal, Lot 5 Commerce Street One mechanic to work in the interior. Must have knowledge about Cummings Engine – Call:681-6044 Live out domestic babysitter and live in babysitter – Call:225-0188, 223-7500 (Monday to Saturday ) (8:15am-4:15pm) Part-time salesman to sell locally manufactured Windows & Doors of High Quality - Telephone #6005253 Live-in waitress- Call:6439007/ 664-1804 Skilled carpenters to work in Linden- Contact:625-0930; 668-9863 Home tutoring in Diamond, Children 7 and 8, Time:35:30pm- Contact: 657-8732 Land to buy in La Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles & Herstelling. All low income land – Call:675-7292, 218-5591 Cars to work at GR Taxi Service – New Base at Sheriff St, Opposite Survival Supermarket. Base Fee $6,500 – Contact:614-6202 Live in small family – husband to labour, wife – domestic. Good accommodation/salary – Tel:227-1830 Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252/674-4665 Responsible hire car drivers – Call:226-0765 Do you need an excavator operator for the interior? 12 years experienced in mining – Call:254-1874, 698-6819 Republic Park Family needs live-in aid/domestic. Alternate week off - $12,000. Police clearance needed – Call:627-5098, 675-0767
Page 30
Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 07, 2014
Albouystown business community praises police
Police officers engage a youth in dialogue about the project. By Kiana Wilburg The “Impact Albouystown Project” which initially saw some opposition from some quarters is now being lauded by members of the business community who expressed that they have seen remarkable improvement in the area since its implementation. Leader of the political opposition coalition, David Granger, had expressed that his concern over the project and its “initial impact” on residents of the community, who had also expressed some weeks ago their frustration with the aggressive behaviour of the police officers. Granger, during his weekly press conference, said that he feels the project was off to a bad start and that
there was need for it to be reformed if it is to see any amount of success. He also informed that he made his views pellucid during a meeting with the Commissioner of Police (ag) Seelall Persaud. This publication spoke recently with several members of the business community of the neighbourhood. One businessman who owns a mini food stall expressed that the changes have been welcomed. “Well at first the project started off on a bad note. The police were not friendly. They felt as though they were on some high horse. So we used to keep away and not tell them anything. People would complain sometimes that as soon as they leave the shop
the police harassing them and checking their stuff. I don’t know what is it that made the police change their behaviour, but now they have a better approach to us. I mean, the police come around to the different shops and they talk to us and now they are very cooperative and friendly and that is what we want to feel, man. “We don’t want to fear the police. We want to feel that they are here to protect us and work along with us man. They have been keeping watch on the neighbourhood and I can testify that the community is safer. I use to get a lot of breaches at my gate. Sometimes the criminals in the area would break yuh locks or try to stick you up and rob you. I use to fear for my life in here sometimes and
Remand prisoner files motion to quash murder committal Attorney at Law Mursaline Bacchus has successfully petitioned the High Court to grant an order Nisi to compel Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo and the prosecution to show cause why a murder committal against his client should not be quashed. The order was granted by Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang. Overseas-based Guyanese Ramdhani Persaud who has been committed to stand trial in the High Court on a charge of murder committed on his wife has moved to the High Court to have his committal quashed. Persaud called ‘Prakash’ or ‘Prak’, 48, of 1071 New Area Canefield, East Canje, Berbice, is accused of killing his wife Bibi Shameena Deen on March 20, 2012, at their home. He is awaiting trial in the High Court. Persaud is alleged to have fatally shot the woman during a dispute at their home around 23:00hrs. The man, through his lawyer Mursaline Bacchus, in his affidavit stated that he appeared before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo, who conducted the Preliminary Inquiry at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court. During the P.I some 15 persons testified. He noted that at the end of the P.I his counsel made a no-case submission that a prima facie case was not made out and that the matter should be discharged. This submission was overruled. Ramdhani Persaud is further contending that his committal should be quashed on the grounds that it was not legal for the magistrate to commit him on the ground of a prima facie case. He can only be committed on a ‘sufficient’ case.
He also mentioned that the evidence presented does not amount to a prima facie case since the only evidence presented to establish a prima facie case is that of 13-yearold Ravindra Persaud. He is contending that Ravindra Persaud from the magistrate’s inquiry and the cross examination was incompetent to give sworn testimony; that his evidence should have been treated and considered as unsworn testimony and that he should be discharged since there was no evidence to corroborate his. Ramdhani Persaud is also stating that the committal was unlawful and contrary to law, in breach of natural justice, and unreasonable; that it was made without any evidence or sufficient or admissible evidence and irrational, and that no indictment has been proffered against him so far for the charge. He is therefore asking that the orders set out in the matter be discharged. After perusing the matter, the Chief Justice has granted an Order or Rule Nisi of Certiorari directed to Magistrate Nagamootoo, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commissioner of Police or his subordinates to show cause why a Writ /Order of Certiorari should not be issued against them to have the matter quashed on the grounds that it was bad in law - based on no evidence and/ or there was no evidence upon which the applicant could have been committed to stand trial, and the committal was unlawful, an abuse of process, irrational and made in bad faith and on the grounds stated above. The matter is returnable on May 12, 2014.
I used to be taken advantage of and since the community policing project come, I don’t get dem problems anymore.” A businesswoman said, “I feel that this is a wonderful initiative. I feel safer in here. The police would now give you updates on the project and tell you what it is all about. I mean the community was kind of skeptical about this project at first, because we didn’t know what kind of behaviour to expect, but yuh know the police eventually came around and they are kinder with us. I am happy about that. Since they are in the community I have seen remarkable improvement in the all-round safety and security in this community. It’s like you could breathe better. I just want to say a big thank you to the Commissioner who thought of this project. He is proving
to be a man of vision.” This publication also approached another businessman of a local shop who is also a farmer. “I would normally get a set of breaking in on my place. People always trying to thief my stock. Now that the police here I don’t get problems at all. I am seeing that their presence is making a big difference here. I would encourage them to continue.” The members of the business community expressed that considering the remarkable work, some of them will be starting their own mini-programme which involves the provision of coffee and other snacks as tokens of their appreciation of the officers who are working tirelessly to help restore peace and order to the community. One community member expressed, “We are not doing this for laurels. These guys
are doing their jobs but they didn’t have to do this project and we are appreciative of all that they’re doing. We know that in the beginning it was not accepted but trust me, we see where this project is going. For too long the criminal elements have been left to run this area like it’s their little sin city, but not anymore. I along with some other members plan to get some gifts together for the officers. We are also planning to get snacks and lunch for them. It is not often that we get to feel like this with the presence of the police. We want to show our gratitude and we want them to continue with the excellent work. We even got some gifts for them but that is going to be a surprise that they will be very happy for when we give them.”
Bail for man who stabbed another during drunken brawl Bail was yesterday set to the tune of $50,000 for a pensioner/watchman who during his first court hearing admitted to pelting a knife at a drunken man who was reportedly taunting him. Seeraj Sookraj of Second Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, made an appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to face a charge of unlawful wounding. The charge which was read to him by Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry stated that on May 1, in Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Stanley Persaud with intent to maim, harm or disfigure him. He pleaded guilty to the allegation. Representing the Prosecution, Corporal Bharat Mangru said that the two men are known to each other. Mangru explained that about 16:45 hours they were
both imbibing Guinness and beers at a stand at the corner of Cornhill Street and Brickdam. “Your worship, they had a heated argument over sexual activities and the defendant became annoyed. He pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim to his chest area.” The Corporal stated that the matter was later reported to the Stabroek Police Outpost and the accused was arrested, cautioned and charged with the offence. The Prosecutor said that there was no medical report filed and that the accused has had no prior charges or convictions. Mangru offered no objections to bail. The accused (Sookraj), however, had a different tale to tell and claimed that efforts have been for them to settle the matter. He began “Your worship, I am a pensioner and I got a wuk as a watchman. I
was going to work and I stop at the junction. I bought a beer and he (indicating to the victim) said he knows me.” “He called me ‘thief man’ and ‘rape man’ and ‘murder man.’ He turn around and lash me with the bottle. Your worship, I pull out a knife from me side and pelt he.” The accused explained that when the police arrived he had not fled but had remained at the corner shop. Sookraj said too that he and the victim decided that they would settle the matter. Based on his explanation, the Chief Magistrate recorded a not guilty plea. Meanwhile, the victim who was present at the court hearing confirmed that he had agreed to settle the matter in the sum of $150,000. Persaud said that he was begged to settle the matter. The case will be called again on May 30.
US Ambassador remains “committed” to LEAD project US Ambassador D. Brent Hardt says that he remains “committed” to the Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project that was launched here but which the Guyana Government has rejected. The US envoy made the remarks yesterday after handing over an Automated Fingerprinting Identification System (AFIS) to the Guyana Police Force. But Hardt declined to comment on Guyana’s revocation of the work permit and visa of Canadian Glenn Bradbury, who was in charge of the project. “I remain committed to the programme and I think it is doing very good things for the people of Guyana,” Hardt said, while explaining that the project was part of a framework from 2009 on governing justly and democratically. The US Ambassador also declined to
comment on recent statements that were made about him by the PPP administration. “I am not going to judge any statement. I am here to do my job, and my job has many facets, from security cooperation to public health, to democracy and governance, to economic prosperity. We work in all these areas, and our view is that all of these areas are interrelated and so we have tried to, over the years, have an integrated assistance programme that looks after all of this,” Hardt said. Government has rejected outright the US Government’s Leadership and Democracy (LEAP) project, said to be geared towards strengthening democratic institutions in Guyana, and the PPP on Monday branded US Ambassador Hardt as a “meddler”, after the diplomat criticized government for censoring the local media.
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India’s Modi takes election battle to Gandhi citadel AMETHI, India (Reuters) - Indian opposition challenger Narendra Modi, riding a wave of popular anger against the ruling Congress party, took his battle to the Gandhi citadel on Monday, telling voters it was time to send the dynasty packing for its broken promises. Modi, in the final leg of a mammoth general election, took his campaign to the seat of Congress heir apparent Rahul Gandhi, breaking a tradition in which top
politicians stay off each other’s home turf. Such has been the intensity of the campaign and the hostility between Modi and the Gandhis that he did not spare even Rahul’s father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1991. “In 60 years, three generations have been wasted here. This family has destroyed your dreams. I have come to fulfill your dream,” the prime ministerial
candidate of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) told a large crowd. Opinion polls show the BJP and its allies taking the largest share of seats in the five-week election. Congress, in power for the past decade, faces its worst defeat. Rahul Gandhi, the party’s campaign ‘face’, has been ineffectual on the stump and it has fallen to his sister Priyanka to lead late efforts to defend the
f a m i l y ’s s e a t s i n t h e northern state of Uttar Pradesh that vote today. “I know this is a difficult time for a mother,” said the 63-year-old Modi, mocking Rahul as a mama’s boy of his Italian-born mother Sonia, the president of the Congress party. “This moth e r h a s suffered for 10 years to get her son ready,” Modi said. “Your hard work is going down the drain and I can understand your
troubles.” Reacting, Priyanka Gandhi said at a separate event in Amethi: “The BJP has insulted my late father in Amethi and people here will never forgive it.” The Congress party dismissed speculation, h o w e v e r, t h a t R a h u l Gandhi would campaign in Varanasi, where Modi is running as a candidate. The holy city on the river Ganges goes to the polls on May 12, the final day of the election. Modi, campaigning on his economic record as chief minister of the state of Gujarat, sought to drive home his advantage as he seeks a parliamentary majority for the BJP and its allies. He accused the Gandhis of “looting” the country and allowing Amethi to go to rack and ruin. He vowed to transform the rural constituency in seven months and make it a model for others to follow. The Gandhis have been running Amethi and adjoining Rae Bareli since the 1960s, winning most elections by virtual
w a l k o v e r a gainst weak opponents. But this time Modi said he had picked a popular television star turned BJP politician to challenge the Gandhis’ domination of the area. “India is done with this dynasty, India has had them for 60 years. It’s time for the poor, the dispossessed, to rise to the top,” he said. Tens of thousands of people gathered in a field, most of them young, repeatedly cheered Modi as he spoke. Many wore orange headbands while others waved the saffron flag of the BJP. To b a c k u p M o d i ’s message, the BJP released a nine-minute video about Amethi that showed emaciated farmers, rutted roads, ruined homes and derelict factories. The party also highlighted poor sanitation, youth unemployment and poverty in the district. Only 2,000 families out of nearly 70,000 in the constituency had received work under a rural employment guarantee scheme championed by Congress, it said.
Israel transfers Palestinian funds as threat of sanctions wanes (Reuters) Palestinian public sector workers received their salaries y e s t e r d a y, Palestinian officials said, in a sign that Israel had backed down from a threat to impose sanctions as peace talks began to collapse last month. Israel had said on April 10 it would withhold funds after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a series of international human rights conventions he hoped would allow Palestinians to eventually challenge Israel at the United Nations, which recognized Palestine as a nonmember state in 2012. U.S.-backed IsraeliPalestinian peace negotiations ended on April 29 with no breakthrough. Palestinian officials said the payme n t r e f l e c t e d Israel’s decision to transfer more than $100 million in customs duties it collects on goods headed to Palestinian-run areas through border crossings it controls. The money accounts for about two-thirds of the Palestinian budget and is key to keeping its large
public sector functioning and maintaining stability in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel had said it would dock payment of over $100 million it said the P a lestinian government owed it in utility bills. Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment during a national holiday. Speaking last week, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamda l l a h t o l d reporters Israel would be paying the near usual monthly amount of 450 million shekels ($130.3 million) and only deducting 20 million shekels ($5.8 million) as part of a loan taken out by a previous Palestinian government. Palestinians say their economy cannot reach its full potential while it remains under partial Israeli control. They seek an independent state in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials say they hope to revive peace talks given the right conditions.
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US team to aid Nigerian search for kidnapped girls
Mia Kuumba, of the District of Columbia, brandishes a wooden stick during a rally in front of the Nigerian embassy in northwest Washington, yesterday, protesting the kidnapping of nearly 300 teenage schoolgirls, abducted from a school in the remote northeast of Nigeria three weeks ago. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is sending technical experts to aid the Nigerian government’s search for nearly 300 teenage girls who were kidnapped from their school in mid-April, the White House said yesterday. The mass abduction has sparked international outrage and mounting demands for Nigeria do more to free the girls. “Time is of the essence,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the kidnapping yesterday during one of their regularly scheduled White House meetings. Kerry repeated the longstanding offer of U.S. assistance during a conversation yesterday with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. “The president was very happy to receive this offer and ready to move on it immediately,” Kerry told reporters at a State Department news conference with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. “We are immediately
engaging in order to implement this. We remain deeply concerned about the welfare of these young girls.” The experts, including a team to be assembled by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, will include U.S. military and law enforcement personnel capable of sharing their skills on intelligence, investigations, hostage negotiating, information sharing and victim assistance, as well as officials with other expertise, Carney said. The U.S. was not considering sending armed forces, Carney said. Kerry said the U.S. has been in touch with Nigeria “from day one” of the crisis. But repeated offers of U.S. assistance were ignored until Kerry and Jonathan spoke Tuesday amid growing international concern over the fate of the girls in the three weeks since their April 15 abduction from their school in the country’s remote northeast. Kerry said Nigeria had its own strategy for how to proceed. “I think now the
complications that have arisen have convinced everybody that there needs to be a greater effort,” Kerry said. “And it will begin immediately. I mean, literally, immediately.” A statement from Jonathan’s office said the U.S. offer “includes the deployment of U.S. security personnel and assets to work with their Nigerian counterparts in the search and rescue operation.” The statement added that Nigeria’s security agencies are working at “full capacity” to find the girls and would appreciate the addition of American “counterinsurgency know-how and expertise.” Nigeria’s police have said more than 300 girls were abducted. Of that number, 276 remain in captivity and 53 escaped. Nigeria’s Islamic extremist leader, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls. Shekau also claimed responsibility for the abduction and warned that his group, Boko Haram, will attack more schools and abduct more girls.
Gunmen abduct eight more girls in northeast Nigeria: police MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped eight girls from a village near one of the Islamists’ strongholds in northeastern Nigeria overnight, police and residents said yesterday. The abduction of the girls, aged 12 to 15, follows the kidnapping of more than 200 other schoolgirls by the militant group last month,
whom it has threatened to sell into slavery. Lazarus Musa, a resident of the village of Warabe, told Reuters that armed men had opened fire during the raid. “They were many, and all of them carried guns. They came in two vehicles painted in army color. They started shooting in our village,” Musa said by
telephone from the village in the hilly Gwoza area, Boko Haram’s main base. A police source, who asked not to be identified, said the girls were taken away on trucks, along with looted livestock and food. Boko Haram, the main security threat to Africa’s leading energy producer, is growing bolder and appears better armed than ever.
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Government-public sector $5.5M reward for information on killers unions to hold more talks National Security Council meets in emergency session…
of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – A reward of TT$3.5 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) is now being offered to anyone who can help with information leading to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of those involved in the murder of senior counsel Dana Seetahal. On Mondaynight, Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar said the Government is offering $2.5 million in addition to the $1 million reward being offered by CrimeStoppers. “The Government agreed we will contribute to CrimeStoppers. For information leading to arrest and prosecution $1 million has been offered. The Government will now offer a further incentive in terms of getting human evidence - $2.5 million with respect to arrest, prosecution and conviction. It is all very well to get the information and intelligence but what is important is to sustain what comes forward
Dana Seetahal into conviction,” PersadBissessar said. Persad-Bissessar said that Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams had accepted the offer for foreign expertise to be sourced if necessary. According to the Prime Minister, the attorney’s murder was a direct attack on someone who has operated
within the criminal justice system. “And therefore it goes far into the functioning of our country, nation and people.” And the Acting Commissioner of Police assured the public that everything possible would be done to ensure that the investigation was completed in the shortest possible time. In addition, security will now be provided to any member of the judiciary seeking protection. Gunmen shot and killed Seetahal, a former lecturer at the Hugh Wooding Law School here, as she made her way home from a casino during the early hours on Sunday. Two vehicles were used in the assassination and police found the body of Seethal, a former independent legislator and president of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago slumped behind the steering wheel of her Volkswagen Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) in Woodbrook, just on the outskirts of the capital.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia – Government and trade union officials will hold a second round of talks on Friday following their weekend discussions that Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony said were intended to identify the options available to his administration to revive an ailing economy. “This represents a first step in a process to arrive at consensus on the best way forward,” Anthony said Monday. Anthony met with the public sector unions to offer proposals on how recurrent expenditure could be reduced. He told them that if consensus is reached, then the government would be willing to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with them. He also indicated that the government is willing to establish a committee to monitor the implementation of agreed measures. “I reassured the union representatives that it is
not the intention of the government to deal with the situation by retrenching workers as alleged in some quarters. “ H o w e v e r, the government would need to act to prevent any further deterioration on the gains made in reducing the fiscal deficit,” he added. But the meeting was boycotted by the largest public sector trade union, the Civil Service Association (CSA), which has already signaled it will not accept a five per cent cut in salary and wages for its members. Newly re-elected CSA president, Mary Isaac, has warned that unless the Kenny Anthony administration changed its approach, there would be trouble ahead. She called the last weekend meeting a “farce” and a “cover up” and that it was “unacceptable” for the government to include a five percent pay cut in the estimates o f e x p e n d i t ure, then
summon the unions to a meeting to discuss the issue. “ We h a v e t o s e n d a strong message that we are not going to tolerate this because we need to be informed,” Isaac said. She told reporters that the 3000-strong CSA wanted discussion. “We are not saying that we will not agree to a cut or we will disagree to it, but when you lay your cards on the table and we see that you are honest and transparent then we will determine how we can act in a certain way,” Isaac said. During the meeting, the trade union representatives heard an analysis of the performance of the economy by Dr. Reginald Darius, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Finance and Economic Affairs who explained that in order to reduce the i s l a n d ’s d e f i c i t , t h e government needed to reduce expenditure by at least EC$75 million (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents).
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President’s X1 maintain advantage...
Greg Dyke: Football Association...
From page 38 Ali which appeared to come off his thigh pad at 148-5. It was soon 166-6 when Peters, who returned to bat, was removed by Ryan Shun. Shun also got rid of Ryan Adams (21) at 196-7 while number 10 batsman Travis Drakes hit three sixes and two fours in a thunderous 28 before he was last dismissed by Vivian Albert. Shun took 3-18, Alli 2-29, Albert 2-29 and Travis Persaud 2-36 for the President’s X1, who reached 19-1 by Tea as they lost Shun (9) off the lively Paul, minutes before the break. The President’s X1 then lost Nick Ramroop, caught behind off Wallace who
bowled a lot slower and flighted the ball much more yesterday. From 31-2 Avishkar Sewkarran (7) and Singh took the score to 46 before he was trapped LBW to Akini Adams, while Travis Persaud (15) was just getting into a groove when he played an impetuous cut at Kenaenu Harry and touched a catch to the Keeper as the President’s X1 slipped to 82-4. Baby of the team, National under-15 stand-out Ronaldo Mohamed (6), opted to pull a short ball which kept low from off-spinner Wallace, who bagged 5-96 in the first innings and was LBW at 935. Singh reached his fifty with his seventh four after being dropped at Square-Leg off
Wallace off the same ball. He also cleared the boundary once in his entertaining innings before he was caught and bowled by Harry and his team had slumped to 99-6. The 98 runs lead was becoming a very valuable asset for the President’s X1 even as the Essequibo fielders failed to provide any real support to their bowlers with some sub-standard work in the field. Albert and Shivnarine Srikisoon then saw their team to the close and will hope to score quickly enough today to give their team enough time to dismiss Essequibo a second time. Play is scheduled to commence at 10:00hrs today.
Wednesday May 07, 2014 ARIES (March 21 April 19): Old memories, traumas, and phobias from the past could affect your mood today, Aries. You might feel depressed without really knowing why. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 May 20): A friend might be feeling a little depressed today and need some cheering up. Social events or group activities could be of great help in doing that, and it would do you some good as well, Taurus. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 June 20):Pivotal career matters may need to be thought through today, Gemini. A lot could be at stake at work in the very near future. Whatever tasks you need to tend to could require a lot of effort and concentration. ******************** CANCER (June 21 J u l y 2 2 ) : Today you might find that a long-term dream finally comes true. Perhaps a trip that you've fantasized about for a long time finally shows promise of actually happening, Cancer. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Some strange and rather gloomy dreams could come your way tonight, Leo. They could, if you let them, catapult you into a rather depressed mood during the day. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 Sept. 22): A lack of communication with an unhappy family member could have you feeling a little downhearted, Virgo.
LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): The promise of a promotion or raise could be on your mind today, Libra. You might try to visualize the next steps and anticipate tasks that take more effort and concentration than you're used to. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): You might decide to spend a large part of the day working on a project that requires a lot of mental energy. Plans to spend some time with either a close friend or lover might not turn out to be quite what you'd hoped, Scorpio. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): A gloomy guest could arrive today, Sagittarius, and likely need some cheering up. Do the best you can, but don't try to do it by cooking a meal. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): Some rather depressing information could come your way, C a p r i corn, but don't take it at face value. It might not be as bad as it seems. Check the facts before making yourself crazy. ******************** AQUA R I U S ( J a n . 2 0 - F e b . 1 8 ) : Gloom over money matters might catch up with you at some point today, Aquarius. However, there's nothing really major to worry about. ********************* PISCES (Feb. 19 March 20) : Today you might find yourself feeling a little low, Pisces, but it doesn't seem as if there's any real reason for it.
From page 40 football. Commission members point to the fact that clubs in Spain, France and Germany all play B teams in competitive leagues - thought to be a big factor in those countries developing talent. Dyke is believed to be keen to open the debate about the state of the national game ahead of the World Cup finals in Brazil, which kick off on 12 June. There is a determination to get on the front foot ahead of the tournament to pre-empt the inevitable debate which will follow if Roy Hodgson’s England team put in a disappointing performance in Brazil. Ironically, the emergence of players like Raheem Sterling at Liverpool and
Adam Lallana at Southampton has taken some of the heat out of that debate in recent months. Some senior figures inside the FA are also urging Dyke to hold fire until after the competition and until all the finer details of the commission’s proposals are ironed out. The Dyke commission was set up last autumn to try to address ongoing concerns about the strength of the English national team and the lack of top-class English talent forcing its way through into Premier League first teams. The commission, which includes former England manager Glenn Hoddle, former Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson and Crewe Alexandra director of football
Dario Gradi, is aiming to deal with two major questions: the pathway for players aged between 17 and 21, and grassroots facilities. While it is thought the commission has done extensive work on the first question, the issue of grassroots football is not yet complete. Other proposals expected to go before the FA board include a shake-up of the loan system, improvements to coaching and changes to the homegrown player quotas operated by Premier League and Football League clubs. But it is the B team proposal that promises to be the most controversial.
Resaul keeps Guyana’s... From page 43 player failed to capitalize on the opportunities presented. The top ranked junior player of Antigua used his superior experience along with the partisan support to perfection to get past Beaton.Marcano had recently played in the ITF tournaments in Trinidad and Barbados. Sarah Klautky, the youngest player at 10 years eventually won her first game of the tournament in the consolation segment when she defeated hometown girl Chernia Morris 4/ 1, 4/0 and will now play for a place between 8th-13th. She failed to make it to the main draw. Kalyca Fraser also lost.
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Paul helps Clippers Wizards draw first blood silence Thunder in opener against Pacers in playoffs
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) loses the ball while being guarded by Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) during the first quarter in game one of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports (Reuters) - Chris Paul missed just two shots in a stunning 32-point display as the Los Angeles Clippers blasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-105 on Monday to seize a Game One victory in their Western Conference semi-final series. Paul made his first eight three-pointers, a career-best total, and finished 12-for-14 from the field with 10 assists as Los Angeles enjoyed a surprisingly dominant road win to open the best-ofseven series. “It was just one of those nights. This will definitely go down in the history books for me,” Paul told reporters. With the victory, the Clippers continued to distance themselves from the cloud of controversy that hovered above a first round
series overshadowed by owner Donald Sterling’s racist comments that led to a life ban from the NBA. The Clippers were expected to ease past Golden State but despite the unwanted distraction created by Sterling’s remarks, Los Angeles held on to edge the sixth-seeded Warriors in a hard-fought series that went the distance. The Thunder also waded through a seven-game struggle of their own against Memphis but appeared illprepared for a free-scoring Los Angeles team, despite 29 points from Russell Westbrook and 25 from Kevin Durant. Paul showed his hand early, pouring in five threepointers in the first quarter alone to lead the road team to
a 39-25 advantage at the break. The Clippers continued to build on their momentum as the Thunder appeared powerless to slow them down with Los Angeles leading by as much as 29 points late in the fourth quarter. All Star Blake Griffin finished with 23 points and Jamal Crawford added 17 off the bench in the winning effort. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha, regarded as a defensive specialist, rejoined the starting lineup after being benched for the past two games but his presence had almost no effect on the Clippers’ offence. “We have to be more physical with them, and make them feel us a little bit more,” Durant said.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots the ball over Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) in the third quarter in game four of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports (Reuters) - The youthful Washington Wizards showed no signs of wilting in the heat of the playoffs as they beat the top-seeded Indiana Pacers 102-96 in their Eastern Conference second round series opener on Monday. Second-year guard Bradley Beal scored a teamhigh 25 points, Trevor Ariza made all six of his threepointer attempts for 22 and the Wizards drew first blood on the road in the best-ofseven series. Washington turned heads when they beat the Chicago Bulls in just five games in the first round of the post-season and are playing in the second round for the first time since 2005. “We feel like we’re capable of winning when we play our style of basketball,”
Ariza told reporters. “We hadn’t won (in Indiana) in a while, why wouldn’t this be the best time to come in and get a win?” The Pacers, needed the full seven games to survive and advance against eighth seed Atlanta in the opening round also held form after they, again suffered from inconsistency. Paul George, who led the charge with 30 points in Indiana’s Game Seven triumph Saturday, was off his game against the Wizards, scoring 18 points on 4-for-17 shooting. George Hill also tallied 18 points for the Pacers but they could not catch up after Washington’s hot start, the Wizards scoring the game’s first eight points and leading 28-15 after the first
quarter. Washington, who stay in Indiana for Game Two on Wednesday, particularly pounded the Pacers inside where they won the rebound count 53-36. Center Marcin Gortat finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Drew Gooden contributed 12 and 13 rebounds off the bench for the Wizards. Conversely, Indiana big man Roy Hibbert, who has been in disappointing form in the post-season, did not record a point or rebound in 18 minutes. “We can’t put ourselves in these corners. We should learn from the first series,” George said. “It’s going to be a tough series for us, but we can’t allow ourselves to be put in these holes.”
GCB Inter County U-19 3-day tourney
Demerara grab first innings points from Berbice By Zaheer Mohamed Led by a fighting half century from wicketkeeper batsman Kemol Savory, Demerara grabbed first innings points from arch rivals Berbice when their second round game of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter County U-19 threeday U-19 tournament continued yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda. In pursuit of 140 for first innings points, Demerara resumed on their overnight score of 70-2 and were bowled out for 194 in 89.2 overs after lunch on the second day.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Rudolph Singh resumed on 18 and one respectively and took the score to 94 before Singh was LBW to left arm spinner Parmanand Ramdhan for 14. Sherfene Rutherford joined Chanderpaul and added 22 for the fourth wicket. Chanderpaul who hit a six over long on to bring up his team’s triple figure was acrobatically caught at mid off by Niall Smith for 32 (3x4,1x6) with his team 25 short of surpassing their opponent’s total. Ramdhan then accounted for the dangerous looking
Rutherford LBW for 16, while Sharaz Ramcharran sent back Malcolm Hubbard (04) in quick succession before Steven Sankar (00) was run out to leave Demerara in danger at 136-7. Keon Morris (01) was then caught behind by Hackeem Hinds off David Latchaya one run later, but the level headed Savory and Daniel Basdeo took their team to first innings honours as Demerara went to lunch at 153-8 with the former on 21 and the latter on eight. Berbice struck just after the interval when the
consistent Parmanand trapped Basdeo LBW for nine at 160, however, Savory continued to keep his cool and reached his well deserved fifty off 91 balls with seven fours. Pacer Grisean Grant had Kevin Paul (04) LBW leaving Savory unbeaten on 56. Ramdhan was the pick of the bowlers with 3-33; Ramcharran claimed 3-37 and Grant 2-36. Trailing by 54, Berbice lost the early wicket of Shimron Hetmyer (04) who flicked left arm seamer Daniel Basdeo to square leg with the score on 14. Balchan Baldeo and Viendra Gooniah batted
Savory hits half century sensibly to add 30 for the second wicket, but leg spinner Sankar ended their resistance by trapping Baldeo LBW for 26 (2x4). Skipper Sharaz Ramcharran (07) joined the solid looking Gooniah and was brilliantly caught and bowled by Paul as Berbice slipped to 55-3, but Gooniah who displayed sound concentration and along with Latchaya saw their team to the close without further hiccups at 103-3 in 52 overs.
Gooniah was given a let off by wicketkeeper Savory who failed to hold on to a difficult chance diving to his left off Rutherford and will resume today on 35 along with Latchaya who is not out on 27 (2x4). Berbice are leading by 59 and a lot will depend on this pair if they are to pose a defendable total going into the third and final day today. Basdeo, Sankar and Paul have so far taken one wicket each.
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Guyanese Braithwaite, Fraser Waqar Younis: Former Pakistan lead X and O Divisions at WIFSC coach returns to the role Spanish Town, Jamaica - yards. 119 points and seven V-bulls, Guyanese Lennox Braithwaite, the reigning West Indies Fullbore individual ‘X’ Class shooting champion has taken the lead, while United States-based compatriot John Fraser is in charge of ‘O’ Class on day one of the individual competition at West Indies Fullbore shooting championships at Twickenham Park ranges in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Braithwaite dropped six points to finish the day with an overall 129 points with six V-bulls as the weather dictated the day’s events, first with winds changing from left to right before a wind storm later in the afternoon made the situation difficult for all the shooters. The reigning two-time champion was consistent shooting 34.3 at 300 yards, 48.1 at 600 and 47.2 at 900 yards to lead Canadian Alpar Katona who shot an overall 128 points with six V-bulls including a possible at 300
The experienced Norris Gomez of Trinidad and Tobago is third overall and second among Caribbean shooters with 127 points and 11 Vbulls including a possible at 600 yards. Another Canadian, Serge Bissonnette, is currently in fourth place with 127 points with eight V-bulls. Jose Nunez of Jamaica and Guyanese Ransford Goodluck are currently in fifth and sixth places with scores of 126.10 and 125.8 respectively. Goodluck shot 31.2 at 300 yards, 47.4 at 600 and 47.2 at 900 yards. National vice captain Dylan Fields is 11th overall with 123 points and five Vbulls. Fraser, who holds the 12th position overall, is the leader in ‘O’ Class with 122 points and four V-bulls. He shot 30.2 at 300 yards, 47.2 at 600 and 45.0 at 900 yards to lead Oscar Waldron of Trinidad and Tobago with
while Guyana’s Leo Ramalho is third with 118.7. There were three possible scores at 300 yards with Bissonnette shooting 35.4 and Katna 35.3 while Trinidadian Michael Perez also shot 35.3. Braithwaite dropped just one point at 300 yards range with 34.3 out of a highest possible score (HPS) of 35.7. National captain Mahendra Persaud shot 33.1, Terrance Stuart 33.0 and Goodluck 31.2. At 600 yards, Braithwaite shot 48.1, Stuart also 48.1, Fields 47.5, Goodluck 47.4, John Fraser 47.2, Leo Ramalho 46.3, while Paul Slowe and Sherwin Felicien had scores of 45.2 and 45.1 respectively. Trinidad and Tobago’s Norris Gomez shot the only possible at 600 yards with a score of 50.5. Today will be another intriguing day and could be made more interesting with rain forecast for the morning period over Jamaica. (GNRA)
BBC Sport - Three of Oscar Pistorius’ nearest neighbours said they heard a man crying loudly on the night the athlete shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. They also said they did not hear a woman screaming, contradicting earlier testimonies from other neighbours. The witnesses were called by Mr Pistorius’ defence team to testify at his murder trial, as it seeks to prove he shot his girlfriend by mistake. He denies intentionally killing Ms Steenkamp on 14 February last year. The South African Paralympic sprinter says he shot her through a toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking her for an intruder. LOUD CRYING The athlete’s next-door neighbour, Michael Nhlengethwa, told the court on Tuesday that on the night of the shooting he went to the house after hearing a man “crying very loudly”. “I saw Oscar kneeling next to the lady, he was just crying,” the witness said. His wife, Eontle, also testifying, said she heard the loud sound of a “male person’s voice” crying “help, help, help”. Another neighbour, Rika Motshuane, insisted that she heard a man crying, describing it as a “cry of pain”. The three witnesses said they did not hear a female
screaming, contradicting prosecution witnesses who had testified to hearing a woman scream. The defence’s case is that Ms Steenkamp never screamed, but that it was Mr Pistorius who screamed “like a woman”. Ms Eontle also revealed, under cross-examination from state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, that she heard the sound of one bang, compared with the two or three bangs heard by other neighbours who had testified. Mr Nel suggested that the noise she had heard came from the second set of bangs, after Ms Steenkamp had already been shot. Mr Pistorius kept his head in his hands as he listened to his neighbours’ testimonies. Mr Roux said on Tuesday that he expected to wrap up his defence case in a week, to which the judge responded “I hope so”. The court has now adjourned until Thursday the day after South Africa’s elections. On Monday two other neighbours - who were first at the scene - described Mr Pistorius’ frantic efforts to revive Ms Steenkamp. Johan Stander, the first person Mr Pistorius called after the shooting, said the athlete “was broken”, sobbing and praying for her life. In an emotional testimony, his daughter, Carice Viljoen, told the court she feared the athlete would shoot himself with the gun
used to kill Ms Steenkamp. Before the Easter break, the athlete faced several days of cross-examination from Mr Nel, who accused him of using emotional outbursts “as an escape”. As well as a ballistics expert, the defence is expected to call a psychologist to speak about Mr Pistorius’ disability and his acute sense of vulnerability. The prosecution has sought to show a pattern of reckless behaviour by the athlete and has argued that a reasonable man would have checked before firing four bullets through a locked door. If found guilty, the 27year-old - a national sporting hero and double amputee dubbed the “blade runner” because of the prosthetic limbs he wears to race - could face life imprisonment. Ms Steenkamp, 29, was a model, celebrity TV star and law graduate. If Mr Pistorius is acquitted of murder, the court must consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive about 15 years in prison. He also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies. There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.
Oscar Pistorius’ neighbours ‘heard man crying loudly’
BBC Sport - Former captain Waqar Younis has been appointed Pakistan coach for the second time, nearly three years after quitting for personal and health reasons. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced in a statement that Waqar had been given a two-year contract. Waqar, 42, said: “My immediate aim is to prepare the team for the upcoming busy season and next year’s World Cup.” Former coach Dav Whatmore decided in February not to extend his two-year contract with the PCB. Another former captain, Moin Khan, was named interim coach for the Asia Cup and World Twenty20 tournaments earlier this year and has now been appointed
Waqar Younis (Getty Images)
chief selector and manager for Pakistan. Waqar, who took 373 Test and 416 one-day wickets, formed a formidable new-ball attack with Wasim Akram in the 1990s before retiring in 2003. He was appointed Pakistan coach in March 2010 but left the post in August 2011. During his first spell as coach three players were
banned over a spot-fixing scandal during the tour of England in 2010 and there was a falling out with former captain Shahid Afridi. Waqar is Pakistan’s seventh coaching appointment since 2008 in a list that also includes the Australian Geoff Lawson, Intikhab Alam and Mohsin Khan.
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant named MVP
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) attempts a shot against Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes (22) during the third quarter in game one of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. (Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports) (Reuters) - Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder was named on Tuesday as the National Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player for the 2013-14 season. Durant won the MVP award for the first time in his seven-year career, claiming the honor by a landslide after capturing his fourth scoring title in five seasons and leading the Thunder to the Northwest Division title and the NBA playoffs. Miami Heat’s LeBron
James, who had won the MVP title four times in the last five seasons, finished a distant second in the voting while Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers was third, Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls fourth and James Harden of the Houston Rockets fifth. Durant received 119 firstplace votes from a total of 124 votes cast by sportswriters and broadcasters in North America plus one special fan vote. James picked up the other six first-place votes. During the regular season,
five-time All-Start Durant averaged a career-best 32 points per game to go with 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists, also a career high. In capturing his fourth scoring title, he joined Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, George Gervin and Allen Iverson as the only players to win at least four scoring titles. The 25-year-old forward, who also won a gold medal with the U.S. team at the 2012 London Olympics, scored more than 40 points in a game 17 times during the season.
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Brazil’s defensive brilliance key for a nation that demands winners BBC Sport – (Tim Vickery South American football writer) The first time I went to Brazil, 21 years ago, my little doze on the beach was interrupted by a huge roar, and I looked up to find, as far as the eye could see, people jumping up and down and cheering. News had just come through that Ayrton Senna had won the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo. After Senna died, I was surprised by how the country’s interest in Formula 1 fell. “You can’t really get involved in an event,” wrote one prominent Rio columnist on the recent Chinese Grand Prix, “when the best-placed Brazilian is fighting for 10th place.” Last Thursday was the 20th anniversary of Senna’s death. During the commemorations, 1970s racing great Emerson Fittipaldi lamented his compatriots’ tendency only to follow a sport if one of their own is in contention for the title - a habit well-known to local TV executives. Tennis, by no means a mass sport in Brazil, had a brief burst of popularity while Gustavo Kuerten was at his peak. In the words of Andre Rizek, presenter of a TV show on which I make regular appearances, “our national sport is not football, it is applauding winners”. It is a point of view that helps explain the importance of football in Brazil - and especially the World Cup. Every four years, the tournament holds the attention of many Brazilians who, on a daily basis, have little interest in the game. Put simply, the World Cup is where Brazil win on the global stage. As 1970 centre forward Tostao once told me, this is when for Brazilians football turns into “something heroic. The people feel avenged. You might be the First World at other things, but we’re the best at this”.
This emphasis on winning might surprise those who have fallen for the standard myth - of Brazilian football as a king of Carnaval in boots, everyone more concerned with enjoying and expressing themselves than with the result. The truth could not be more different. There is no myth in the individual skill that Brazilian football has produced, a tradition with worthy heirs in Neymar and Oscar. It should be no surprise that Brazil produces so many fine players; South America has a rich football tradition, where the game is the only true mass sport. The population is around two hundred million - of which many have limited opportunities for social advancement through more formal means. But in a low-scoring game such as football, flair on its own has rarely been enough. The way to get full value for that individual brilliance, and to ensure it has more space in which to operate, is to defend well. Brazil’s defensive record in World Cups is, and always has been, far superior to that of Germany. That is partly due to the fact that some of those great players the country has produced have been defenders. But it is also down to tactical organisation. Brazil were pioneers in the development of the back four, with its key concept of defensive cover. They used it in their first World Cup win, in Sweden in 1958. With the exuberant young Pele, Garrincha working his magic on the right wing and Didi pulling the strings from central midfield, it is one of the great stereotypical ‘Brazilian’ sides - and they did not concede a single goal until the semi-final. A left winger in that side and in the one which successfully defended the title four years later, Mario Zagallo was an early practitioner of the art of tucking back into midfield hugely influential in the way
Brazil defence will need to be on top of their game. (Getty Images) that Alan Ball and Martin Peters interpreted their wide roles in England’s 1966 side. Four years later, Zagallo was Brazil’s coach when they won in such style in Mexico - and he has told me that he is happy to consider that side as a forerunner of today’s 45-1, or 4-2-3-1. “We brought our team back behind the line of the ball,” he said. And there is another aspect to Brazil’s success which Zagallo also does much to illustrate. I told him that England went to Chile in 1962 without so much as a doctor, and he was so shocked he almost fell off his chair. In 1958, Brazil had taken a full delegation of doctors, a dentist, a sports psychologist (a premature experiment, as it proved, but revealing nonetheless) and physical preparation specialists. Every care was taken in pursuit of the ultimate aim, victory. This is the backdrop to the insistence of current coach Luiz Felipe Scolari that Brazil will win the 2014 World Cup. “Would you accept being second?” he asks. “No one would accept this. So let’s go
Barcelona’s Neymar (left) and Chelsea’s Oscar will be expected to provide defensive cover alongside their attacking duties. (PA) to work thinking of finishing first.” When he took charge towards the end of 2012, one of his first tasks was to draw up plans, soon circulated to the players, outlining activities all the way up to 13 July - the day of the World Cup final. When he names his squad this Wednesday - no flim-flam with a list of 30, he will go straight to 23 players - the chosen men will be well aware that only one outcome will be considered acceptable. It certainly can be an
issue - but only when results are disappointing. Then the cry goes up for more homebased talent - usually players who will be sold abroad within the next few months. When a home-based side has been tried out in serious competition - Brazil coach Emerson Leao went with it in 2001 - it has normally fallen flat. A home-based side from Argentina these days would stand almost no chance of qualifying for the World Cup. It’s not an exact comparison - not least
because ‘past their sell-by date’ would be a bit disrespectful - but some of this applies to Brazil’s 1962 side, which won the competition. It was essentially the same team that won in 1958, and almost all of them were over 30. The youngster was striker Amarildo, in for the injured Pele. Garrincha on the wing and centre forward Vava were in their late 20s. Midfield anchorman Zito was just about to hit 30- everyone else had passed that milestone.
GCB Inter-County under-19 cricket
President’s X1 maintain advantage going into final day By Sean Devers Avinash Persuad hammered a well compiled 85 for Essequibo at the DCC ground yesterday but Sunil Singh responded with an accomplished 53 to ensure the President’s X1 maintained
the advantage going into today’s third and final day of their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) second round Under19 cricket Inter-County match against Essequibo. The left-handed Persaud hit 13 fours and two sixes his
94-ball 85 and added 63 for the second wicket with 16-yearold senior Inter-County allrounder Kemo Paul to spearhead Essequibo to 234 all out, 38 minutes before Tea. They were replying to 332 made by the President’s X1
in their first innings to give the GCB select side first innings points and a 98-run lead. The President’s X1 were 112-6 in their second innings when play ended as they enjoyed an overall lead of 210. Essequibo resumed on
their overnight 9 without loss and lost Ricardo Peters who was forced to retire hurt when he collided with the wicketkeeper with the score on 15 and by Lunch were 1484 on a day blessed with glorious sunshine after losing
Paul for 17. After Lunch, Persaud played an array of delightful shots in his attractive knock and seemed unlucky to be given caught down the legside from a delivery by Ershad (Continued on page 35)
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Mumbai prevail in heated contest
Mitchell Starc is not impressed after Kieron Pollard flung his bat towards him. (BCCI) ESPNcricinfo - A calculated charge from Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard amid indisciplined bowling from Royal Challengers Bangalore set up Mumbai Indians’ victory, their second on the trot at home. Rohit and Pollard came together at 84 for 4 in the tenth over and
accelerated late to add 97 in the next ten. Combined with 25 extras, including 12 wides, it was well beyond Royal Challengers’ reach, though they had reached 94 for 1 in the tenth over. Harbhajan Singh then claimed Chris Gayle for 38, and Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers went soon
Harbhajan Singh is ecstatic with the wicket of Chris Gayle. (BCCI) after as the visitors’ challenge melted away. With one side of the ground smaller than the other, and a furiously quick outfield, both sides wanted to chase, and Royal Challengers did. Mumbai Indians’ top order of Ben Dunk, CM Gautam and Ambati Rayudu could not
Manchester City facing Uefa sanctions over finances BBC Sport - Manchester City and Paris St-Germain are facing fines in the region of £50m, restrictions on their Champions League squad size and a wage limit for failing Uefa financial fair play rules. BBC Sport has learned the two - among nine clubs under examination by Uefa for failing the governing body’s “break even” test - face similar penalties. It is believed a Champions League squad reduction could see the clubs restricted to using anywhere between 18 and 21 players in Uefa’s premier competition. A normal squad size is 25. A wage cap could also be introduced on the errant clubs to ensure there is no rise on this season’s squad wage bill for the Champions League. Negotiations between PSG and the investigatory panel of Uefa’s Club Financial Control Board (CFCB) are thought to be nearing a conclusion with the French club prepared to accept a 21player cap on the size of their Champions League squad for next season. That measure will be combined with a limit on the overall wage bill for their Champions League squad, meaning PSG cannot exceed the amount they spent on salaries this season. It is believed the club will
also have part of their Champions League payments and prize money withheld by Uefa for the next three seasons, equating to £16.5m per season. It is thought clubs have until Friday to agree a “settlement” with Uefa. Failure to agree a deal would see a club referred to an adjudicatory panel in June where a non-negotiable penalty would be applied. At that stage clubs could then seek a final appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. City manager Manuel Pellegrini sidestepped the sanctions issue at a news conference on Tuesday. He said: “When it is official news of Uefa we can analyse what happens with the team. In this moment we don’t know what happens.” Under Uefa’s FFP rules, clubs can lose no more than £37m over the previous two seasons. City posted combined losses of almost £149m for the past two seasons - £97m in 2012 and £51.6m in 2013. Arsenal and Manchester United were in the black for the last two seasons, so they have nothing to fear from Uefa’s financial fair play scheme. Chelsea made a £49.4m loss last year but registered a
£1.4m profit in 2012 so will comply with the new regulations. Liverpool, who have lost £90m over the last two years but have not played in Europe this season, will not have to pass the FFP rules until next autumn. Uefa introduced FFP because it fears many clubs are risking their futures by spending beyond their means, while Uefa president Michel Platini also believes the big spending of some clubs is ruining the game. PSG’s failure to adhere to FFP is understood to stem from the club’s controversial contract with the Qatar Tourism Authority. The contract is said to have been ruled as valid by Uefa but the overall value of the deal worth up to £165m per year has been deemed excessive. PSG are also understood to have argued with Uefa that French income tax levels in France made complying with FFP that much tougher. Sources close to the club say that, over a three-year period, they will pay £163.9m more in wages than an equivalent club based in Germany because of taxation. Uefa ultimately rejected the club’s argument that they have to pay higher gross salaries to attract and keep their star players.
really get going on a pitch with pace and bounce, but the numerous extras served up by the Royal Challengers quick bowlers ensured the run-rate stayed reasonably high. The visitors hit back with quick wickets as the halfway mark of the innings approached, when Pollard joined Rohit. With only Aditya Tare and the bowlers to come, the pair was forced to play cautiously for some time. The first five overs of the partnership produced only 29, despite some poor fielding. With about six overs left, Rohit and Pollard gradually opened up. Amid throwing his bat at Mitchell Starc in an ugly flare-up, Pollard contributed 43 off 31. Rohit cut loose in the penultimate over bowled by Varun Aaron. A couple of topedges flew fine for six, there was a straight hit for four and a sliced six over deep cover as 24 came off the over. Rohit
Chris Gayle got off to a rapid start. (BCCI) lofted Starc for four over extra cover off the last ball of the innings to surge to 59 off 35 as Mumbai Indians ended on 187 for 5. Gayle and Parthiv Patel responded with an opening stand of 53 in five overs. Parthiv did the early running before Gayle took Pawan Suyal for four successive boundaries in the third over. Rohit turned to Harbhajan, and after a quiet opening over, the offspinner had Parthiv bowled on the slogsweep off the first ball of his second. Gayle wasn’t done yet. He swung Harbhajan for consecutive boundaries in the same over. Rohit persisted with Harbhajan, who sent down a tight third over. Harbhajan was given a fourth on the trot, the first four balls of which went for 12. Gayle attempted a slog-sweep off the fifth, missed and was bowled for 38 off 24. In walked de Villiers and calmly reverse-
paddled Harbhajan first ball for four. When Mumbai Indians reprieved both batsmen in the space of four deliveries, it seemed the chances could cost them. Royal Challengers needed 72 off the last eight with Kohli and de Villiers looking good. However, de Villiers was bowled in the 13th over, missing after having backed too far across to Jasprit Bumrah. Kohli swatted Suyal straight to long-off in the next over. The asking-rate climbed rapidly now. Pollard ran out Yuvraj Singh, and though Rilee Rossouw tried, Royal Challengers had ceded too much ground with all those extras. Scores: Mumbai Indians 187 for 5 (Rohit 59*, Pollard 43) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 168 for 8 (Gayle 38, Kohli 35, Bumrah 2-22, Malinga 2-29, Harbhajan 2-33) by 19 runs.
Banned Tyson Gay says he’ll
run again in 2014 LOS ANGELES (AFP) US sprint star Tyson Gay says he’ll race again in 2014, after his one-year doping suspension expires in June. Gay, attending a local school athletics meeting named for him in his native Kentucky on Saturday, told the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper he hasn’t been able to talk about his suspension, but he’s looking forward to the end of his ban on June 23. “Under the rules of USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency), they didn’t want me to speak on the case,” Gay said. “But they definitely understand what happened, and USADA understands that it was a mistake. That’s why they’re allowing me to
run this year.” USADA announced on Friday that the 2007 treble world champion had accepted a one-year ban after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid in two random out-ofcompetition tests. His one-year period of ineligibility began on June 23 of last year, the day his sample was collected at the US Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Gay, 31, also accepted the disqualification of all results dating to July 15, 2012 - the date he first used a product that contained a banned substance - and forfeited all prizes obtained from that date. That included voiding his effort on the US Olympic men’s 4x100m relay runner-up
squad at London. USADA said Gay has already handed over his silver medal to US Olympic Committee officials. Gay said Saturday he was heartened by the support he received from fans at the meeting in Lexington, where his daughter, Trinity, a seventh-grader competing for Scott County, won the 100m dash and helped her school to victories in the 4x100m and 4x200m relays. While the suspension timing means that Gay can return to competition next month, he will do so too late to take part in Diamond League meets at New York or Eugene, Oregon. It also seems unlikely that he would have time to qualify for the US Track and Field Championships at Sacramento, California, on June 26-29.
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Preparation continues for the Kennard Memorial Pre Independence horserace meet As preparation continues for the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) annual pre Independence one day horserace meet slated for Sunday 18th May at the club’s entity, Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice, over 50 horses have so far entered. The six race meet, which has close to $3.5M in trophies and cash incentives up for grabs, has so far seen most of the top stables around indicating a willingness to be a part of the day’s action. So far a number of sponsors are on board with Demerara Distilleries Limited (DDL), Trophy Stall Bourda market, N and S Mattai and Company, Hand in Hand Insurance, Berbice Bridge Company, Goodwood Racing Establishment, D. Gobin Agri Spares, Horseshoe Racing, Chatterpaul Deo and Anirude Ramcharitar among others. The feature event, which is for animals classified D 1and lower, is a one mile affair
Over 50 horses entered so far and with the first prize being set at $500,000 and trophy horses such has Treacle, Fresh Again, Run Nana Run and Stormy Flame have already entered to take the arena by storm in their quest for the top money. The other events on the day are for animals classified G1 and lower with the winner set to take home $300,000 and trophy over 6F. There is a race for three and four year old Guyana and West Indies Bred maiden animals which also has a winning purse of $300,000 and trophy up for the taking. The race for the ‘I’ class animals carries a winning purse of $250,000 and trophy over 7 Furlongs. The two J class races on the day’s card are both over six furlongs. The J1 race has a winning purse of $200,000 and trophy. The J3 and lower contest
will see the animals compete for a prize of $150,000 and trophy. The outstanding jockeys, trainer and stable will all received trophies and other accolades compliments of Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and the organisers. Horse owners, trainers, grooms and others interested in entering their horses have a few days left to do so since entries are set to close on Sunday May 11th. For more information and clarification persons can make contact with Justice Cecil Kennard on telephone numbers 226-1399, 225-4818 or 623-7609, club Secretary Niketa Ross on 662-4668, Roopnarine ‘Shine’ Matadial, 325-3192, Ivan Dipnarine 3310316, Isabella Beaton 6937812 or Dennis DeRoop 3253301 or 609-9143. Race time is 13:00 hrs. (Samuel Whyte)
BCB/Berbice Chambers Independence T20 Cup 2014
Hand in Hand Insurance Company joins list of sponsors Hand in Hand Insurance joined the list of sponsors for the Berbice Cricket Board/ Berbice Chambers’ third annual Independence T20 Cup 2014 to be held on May 25, the day before Guyana’s Independence Celebration. This tournament promises to be the biggest ever. It is expected for the first time to be played under international quality floodlights, the same as the National Stadium. Two star studded teams from Berbice will challenge two strong teams from Georgetown. Players such as Assad Fudadin, Devindra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Royston Crandon, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Rajiv Ivan, Shimron Hetmyer, Kandasammy Surujnarine, Jonathan Foo, Kevin Ramdeen, Keon Joseph and Raun Johnson will be in the Berbice teams, while Chris Barnwell, Trevon Griffith, Leon Johnson, Zaheer Mohamed, Chanderpaul Hemraj and Tagenarine Chanderpaul will don colours for Demerara. A feature softball game will be played between Memorex and Universal DVD Club. Proceeds from this event will go towards charity such as cricket clubs, orphanages, schools and health purposes among others. Attractive cash incentives will be up for grabs for players. Patrons can win gate prizes, while there will be
Wednesday May 07, 2014
GBL President to attend historic Africa Congress WBSC secures Mizuno as first ‘Global Sponsor’ President of The Guyana Baseball League Robin Singh leaves today to attend the historic and first-ever World Baseball Softball Congress in Africa, which was announced last month. Officials of the world governing body for baseball and softball, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), have announced a new key agreement with the Japanbased Mizuno Corporation, establishing Mizuno as WBSC’s first Global Sponsor and the Exclusive Official Game Ball Supplier of all 2014 Baseball and Softball World Championship platforms — from youth to professional level — overseen by the WBSC. “The WBSC is proud to partner with a sports industry leader like Mizuno, which will help keep the WBSC at the forefront of youth sport and further strengthen our youth engagement platforms,” stated WBSC Co-Presidents Riccardo Fraccari and Don Porter. WBSC leadership also
Robin Singh hailed the agreement as highlighting the value baseball and softball could deliver to the Olympic Movement, if included on the Olympic Programme. “The WBSC remains committed to Olympic Games inclusion, and this strategicpartnership — the sponsorship of our youth-, women’s- and men’s competition platforms — is critical to strongly
demonstrating baseball and softball’s youth and commercial appeal, and gender-balance,” the copresidents added. “We are confident that under the Olympic umbrella, baseball and softball’s global assets could further enhance and sustain the uniqueness, yearround message and economic positioning of the Olympic Games, while making the games increasingly relevant to women and vice-versa.” Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) was established in April 2013 and granted recognition as the sole competent authority in baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee at the 125th IOC Session in September 2013. The WBSC will be led by an Interim Executive Board until the Inaugural WBSC Congress in May 2014. The WBSC has National Federation members in 141 territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania.
Greg Dyke: Football Association to look at introduction of B teams
Tajpaul Ajodhia (right) hands over sponsorship to chairman of tournament of the organizing committee, Anil Beharry in presence of other staff members. entertainment for the children. At a simple ceremony held recently at the sponsor’s New Amsterdam office, Mr Tajpaul Ajodhia handed over the sponsorship cheque to chairman of the organizing committee Anil Beharry. In doing so, he said that his company is aware of the role of sports in the development of our communities. He said that the first two editions of this event impressed all who attended and his company feels compelled to renew its sponsorship. He alluded that his company has many branches across the length and breadth of Berbice and is happy to give back to the County.
In response, Anil Beharry, Organizing Committee Chairman, was delighted to have the insurance giant on board again. He said that Hand in Hand Insurance Company is a perfect example of a good corporate citizen, citing that all of the proceeds go back into the community. Beharry promised all sponsors and stakeholders that the tournament will run with the same level of accountability and transparency as was done before. He called on companies and private individuals to come on board and be a part of history at the historic Albion Cricket Ground.
BBC Sports - A new competition for B teams of Premier League and Championship clubs will be considered by the Football Association on Wednesday. One proposal is for these second teams to play in a league sandwiched between League Two and the Conference. Another option is to merge the B teams with League Two and the Conference to form two regional leagues. The plans are part of FA chairman Greg Dyke’s commission looking at ways to improve the national team’s fortunes. It is understood the Premier League and Football League clubs are broadly in favour of a new competition, which would give greater competitive opportunities for their young, home grown talent. But they have deep reservations about how it might fit into the pyramid and the knock-on effects to other leagues and competitions. The Football League Board has been regularly updated on the process and will met with Greg Dyke later this week. Football League chairman Greg Clarke described the purpose of
Dyke’s England commission as “laudable”. “We recognise the benefits a successful England team brings to the game in this country at all levels,” he said, adding that the meeting with Dyke will give the Football League board the chance to “ask some practical questions” about the likely impact of the proposals. “After fully considering the relevant issues, the Board will then take a recommendation back to clubs who will determine the League’s position on this matter,” he concluded. The Premier League would favour a beefed up academy league for players under the age of 23, modelled on the United States’ college football system. One question is whether current League Two clubs would be relegated into the Conference or the new B team league. The other difficult issue is how far B teams could be promoted. Alan Algar, sponsorship manager for Conference sponsors Skrill, told BBC Radio 5 live he had deep reservations about the idea. “I think it’s a disgraceful proposal because it makes it very difficult for non-league
clubs to feel part of the football pyramid,” he said. “People all over the world look towards England and are envious of our pyramid and the way things work here. To insert a number of teams that aren’t competitive and won’t have a fan base just makes it very difficult.” Gary Sweet, chief executive of new Conference champions Luton Town and a Conference board member, said: “These proposals would completely kill English football as we know it. “I think there is a serious political impact, particularly regarding the communities that are a part of the clubs that they represent. “To my understanding there has been no consultation process with clubs or leagues at this level.” Despite such worries, one source told the BBC that, following more than 300 interviews with clubs and other stakeholders in the game, led by research consultant Peter Beverley, there was a universal acceptance that a major overhaul was needed to give reserve sides and young, English talent more regular, competitive (Continued on page 31)
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Wednesday May 07, 2014
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Local athletes perform credibly in Telesur 10K in Suriname National long distance athlete, Cleveland Forde, registered a commendable overall timing of 32:38secs to capture the honours in the male open category when a team of local athletes competed in the Telesur 10K meet in neighboring Suriname Thursday May 1 last. Alicia Fortune clocked 50:07secs to finish second in
Cleveland Forde
Alicia Fortune
Roger Federer’s wife gives birth to second set of twins BBC Sport - Roger Federer’s wife Mirka has given birth to their second set of twins. On Tuesday, the Swiss world number four pulled out of this week’s Madrid Masters tournament to be with his wife for the birth. “Mirka and I are so incredibly happy to share that Leo and Lenny were born this evening,” tweeted Federer, who will likely miss next week’s Rome Masters. The 32-year-old, the 17time Grand Slam champion, already has four-year-old twin girls Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. The year’s second Grand Slam, the French Open which Federer won in 2009 starts on 25 May. Federer, who won the last of his Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2012, last played three weeks ago when
he lost to countryman Stanislas Wawrinka in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters. In Madrid on Tuesday, third seed Wawrinka, the Australian Open champion, lost 1-6 6-2 6-4 to Austrian qualifier Dominic Thiem, while fifth seed David Ferrer beat fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 6-3. Spain’s Nicolas Almagro needed 11 match points to beat Andrey Golubev 6-3 6-7 (9-11) 7-6 (7-4) and set up a second-round match against Britain’s Andy Murray on Wednesday. In the women’s tournament, eighth seed Maria Sharapova came back from 4-1 down in the final set to beat American Christina McHale 6-1 4-6 6-4 in round two, while China’s second seed Li Na beat compatriot Chinese Zheng Jie 6-2 6-3.
the 35-40 years category, while Andrea Foster emulated her feat to dominate the female junior category even as she eclipsed her previous personal best record of 44:00secs to 42:19secs. Notwithstanding, Guyana placed third overall with American, Eulene Tanner, carting off the top spoils in 40:12secs. Another
Guyanese, Alika Morgan, clocked 41:43secs to finish in the 2nd place with junior male athlete, Carl McKenzie finishing second. Cleveland Thomas and Kelvin Johnson clocked 32:52secs and 33:14secs to finish 2nd and 3rd r e s p e c t i v e l y, w h i l e Llewellyn Gardner dominated the 55-60 years Category in 41:48secs.
Cyrlees Phillips completed the journey in 51:12secs to seal off the second place in the 45-50 years category. Meanwhile, Fortune, who divulged the results to Kaieteur Sport, said that 10 local athletes attended the meet. She said that the same group is expected to return to Nickerie, Suriname on May 17 next to compete in the second leg of the meet.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 07, 2014
GSCL INC. /NSC INDEPENDENCE CUP…..
Regal takes Masters and Open title -Angels and Wellwoman are joint female winners
Man of the Match in the Masters category Mohamed Rafiek (left) collects his prize from secretary of the GSCL Inc. Telesha Ousman. Members of the Regal open and over 40 teams display their prizes. Regal carted off the top prize in the Open Category and Masters category of the i n a u g u r a l G e o rg e t o w n Softball Cricket League Inc/ National Sports C o m m i s s i o n Independence Cup, which culminated at the Everest Cricket Club ground last Sunday evening. They defeated Memorex of Berbice by seven wickets in the open final, after their Over-40 teammates overcame Frontline Rangers by four wickets in their final, while Trophy Stall Angels and Mike’s Wellwoman were crowned joint winners in the Female category.
In the Open category, Regal XI, who less than two weeks ago had claimed the Guyana Floodlights Softball C r i c k e t Association/Trophy Stall T20 title, inserted Memorex before reducing them to 154 for 8 off their 20 overs. David Lukenauth led with 37 (3x4, 2x6), Waheid Edwards made 32 and Enaam Singh 18 (2x6). Chien Gittens took 3 for 24 and got support from Lakeram Roopnarine, Troy Kippins and Safraz Esau, who picked up one wicket each. In their reply, Regal XI reached 155 for 3 from 17.2 overs in
fading light, thanks to an unbeaten 62 (5x4, 3x6) from Gittens which earned him the Man of the Match award. Richard Latiff stroked 23 and Kwesi Joseph 18. Roy Jafferally took 2 for 30 for Memorex. In the Masters category, Regal Masters won the toss and invited Frontline Rangers to bat first and restricted them for 153 for 5 in their 20 overs. Mohammed Rafiek cracked 63 (3x4, 3x6), Manoj Malone scored 24 (2x6, 1x4) and Kishon Mohabir 21. Rafiek and Malone had earlier added 60 for the second wicket, after Sheik Mohammed was caught off the bowling of Clyde Butts (1 for 18), while Rafiek and
S h a u n M a s s i a h ( 11 ) added an additional 40 for the third wicket. Satrohan Seeraj took 3 for 24. Regal replied with 154-6 in 18 overs. Younis Yusuf slammed 39 (5x4) while Eric Thomas supported with 29 (1x4,2x6), skipper Mahendra Arjune made 28 (4x4) and Longsford Klass 18. Rafiek captured 3 for 36. At the presentation ceremony that followed, Speedboat’s Greg Singh was named Man of the Series in the Open category, following his 205 against Karibee Boys on the penultimate day of the tournament, for which he received a three piece living room suite, while Regal took home $500,000, a trophy and 15 medallions and Memorex $200,000, a trophy and 15 medals. I n t h e M a s t e r ’s segment, Regal Masters carted off $400,000, a t r o p h y a n d 1 5 medallions, Frontline Rangers $100,000, a trophy and 15 replicas, while Rafiek was named Man of the Match in the finals and Floodlights Greg De France the Man of the Series. In the female category, Trophy Stall A n g e l s a n d M i k e ’s Wellwoman agreed to share the spoils evenly, after their game was cancelled due to insufficient playing time, following their semifinal victories over Regal Champs and Karibee Strikers.
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Wednesday May 07, 2014
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Boxing Association President heartened by community support Endeavors to broaden initiatives In a bid to popularize boxing, the executive of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has decided to take the sport to the communities with the added aim of involvement of those very communities. To this extent during last year, those executives have organized ‘open air’ cards in Berbice, Bartica and Georgetown among other regions. Notwithstanding the commendable support garnered from those initiatives, local boxing officials were especially pleased following a large turnout when they staged the National Novices Boxing Championships at California Square, East Ruimveldt May 2-3 last. President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle, was especially delighted by the response and praised his executives and officials whose efforts aided in the success story. Mr. Ninvalle said that he was somewhat concerned with the attendance and had been toying with the idea for quite some time. He said that the many boxers come out of the communities and he believes the idea to interact with these very communities may very well be the catalyst to the return of the crowd support. Meanwhile, Mr. Ninvalle said that he was somewhat disappointed that Bartica did not participate in the tournament though
indicating earlier that they would have. The GBA president said that he has not yet been furnished with the reason for the pullout but surmised that adequate funding might have been responsible. Ninvalle said that he was nonetheless pleased to see the boxers from the Onderneeming, Essequibo based, New Opportunity Corps (NOC), participating in the tournament after a lengthy hiatus. From a field of 4 boxers they won the 140149lbs division through the efforts of Andrew Newton. The boxers were trained by national coach, Wencel Thomas with an input from Lawrence Kellman and Mr. Ninvalle is confident that once they continue training the lads from the NOC would eventually gel. “We will continue working with them to foster the rehabilitative process so that these youngsters could be properly reinstated into the community when their t e n u r e i s o v e r, ” s a i d Ninvalle. He is also adamant that local coaches should be exposed to constant seminars in order to stay abreast of their trade. As such, the GBA will be organizing two coaching sessions where personnel from the NOC would benefit. Sessions will be conducted by Cuban coach, Francisco Hernandez Roldan.
Resaul keeps Guyana’s hopes alive G u y a n a ’s H e i m r a j Resaul has made it to the semi-finals of the Antigua Junior Invitational Tennis Championships after remaining unbeaten in the main draw which was completed on Monday on the Island. Resaul is the only Guyanese not to have conceded a match to date and came out of the main draw as the No.1 seed and favoured to make it to the final. In other results: Jordan Beaton lost his quarter final match to Justin Marcano (Ant) 5/3 4/2 and according to reports he played very nervous in the first few games. Marcano is no stranger to
Heimraj Resaul Beaton and the two played solidly, but the Guyanese (Continued on page 35)
Further, Mr. Ninvalle said that his executives will endeavor to broaden their horizons with community oriented cards and plan to stage the next such event in Buxton and Golden Grove ECD before ventilating other venues.
GBA President Steve Ninvalle (right) in the company of boxing notables at a recent meeting. From left; Herman Harris, Seon Bristol and Guyanese legend Lennox Blackmore.
t r o Sp GCB Inter-County Under-19 cricket
Demerara grab first innings points from Berbice
President’s X1 maintain advantage going into final day
Savory hits half century Avinash Persaud cuts for four during his 85 at DCC yesterday.
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Viendra Gooniah gathers runs on the on side
Guyanese Braithwaite, Fraser lead X and O Divisions at WIFSC Lennox Braithwaite
John Fraser
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