Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
Letters... Where your views make the news
Why no Guyana representation at the OAU 50th anniversary summit DEAR EDITOR, The Organization of African Unity is celebrating its 50th anniversary formation in 2013. As part of these celebrations, there is a planned OAU/AU 50th anniversary summit from May 19, through May 27, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. According to AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Ais h a Abduallahi, “world leaders and heads of government expected during the week long gathering are those from Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Republic of Ireland, Russia, Serbia and Sweden.”
Interestingly, no mention was made if the government of Guyana would be in attendance, and if so, will the representation to this symbolic event be at the level of Head of State or Prime Minister. Given that Guyana and Guyanese political and academic leaders have historically had strong ties to Africa and African solidarity, how does one interpret this non-attendance? Over the years, we have seen interesting attempts to cement relations with the Republic of Iran at the level of State visits. Our Head of
State even found his way on the road to Damascus so as to affirm our strong ties with President Bashar AlAssad and the people of Syria. It is therefore curious and revealing that the critical issue of showing solidarity with the African nations by our presence at the anniversary summit of our brothers and sister who have historically stood with us. Information from the anniversary secretariat reveals that Guyana’s participation is the mere delivery of a diplomatic note. Leroy Nelson
DEAR EDITOR, Kindly permit me space in your letter column of your newspaper to respond to an article on the above mentioned subject which appeared in Stabroek News on Tuesday April 30, 2013. I have read it with great interest but what concerned me most is the comment by one of the nurses about the system of Security. “The grounds were not being effectively patrolled and the current system of guards monitoring the area make no sense because they just getting hired and just standing around, “ she wrote. A maid working at this institution is getting a salary
of $42,815 per month for twenty two days work; a Porter is being paid a salary of $47,624 per month for twenty-two days work while a security guard receives a salary of $21,120 for the same twenty two days of work. On many occasions the security guard not only performs the work of the security guard but he / she has to do the work of the Porter and messenger, to take patient in the hospital and to call the nurses and doctor when the patient arrives. While Bill f/ 23 of 2012 clearly stated that security guards must be paid a minimum of $140 per hour effective June 1, 2012 guards
are still being paid $120 per hour and despite numerous publications of complaints in the newspapers nothing is being done to rectify same for no one in the government, even the opposition who voted in favour of the Bill, even cares. I do hope that some remedial action will be taken by the authorities. Affected Security Guard
DEAR EDITOR, I wish to raise some salient points on the Governance, National Assembly and the Budget cuts. In November 2011, it was clear that the people had spoken at the election. The PPP was given the Presidency and minority in Parliament while the opposition gained the majority in parliament which is now a new dispensation. When the PPP was given the mandate to govern as the majority, they could have presented a budget and have it passed without amendment despite recommendations made by the opposition. Last year, the opposition saw that there were some breaches of accountability by the government for not putting NICIL, GGTIC, Lotto Funds in the Contingency Fund, for not establishing the Public Procurement Commission, and providing equal access to N.C.N. After not giving proper answers, the budget was cut. The government claimed that it had met with various
stakeholders on the 2013 budget but failed to meet with the largest stakeholder, the opposition, before it was presented so as to give the budget a smooth passage. The PPP government must know that it is a new dispensation. The old must make way for the new. The Government minority cannot present a budget and want the majority opposition to endorse what is wrong. This would make a mockery of parliament and subsequently remove the role of the majority in parliament. The constitution gave the right for a government of majority to rule and to object to or pass the budget but certainly not a minority government to have its budget passed by forcing the majority to accept and pass same. The opposition should not support and pass bills by the government if the government does not assent to the bills passed by the opposition. Concerned citizen
Sit in begins at West Demerara Regional Hospital for better security
It must be tit for tat
Hamilton Green...
From page 3 he died a block away from the prison? The problem with Hammy is that even today what is firmly fixed in his mind is the explanation that was worked out 33 years ago by the intellectual authors of the assassination plot when the decision was taken to get rid of Walter Rodney and the challenge he posed to Burnham’s hold on power. Tell me Hammy was it not the intellectual authors intention that the explosion would have taken place next to the prison fenc? Tacuma Ogunseye
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news
Continuous Noise Nuisance through Station Street Kitty
DEAR EDITOR, We the concerned residents of Station Street, Kitty would like to know when we would get peace in the community. We have made several reports to Kitty Police Station about noise nuisance coming from the rum shop, customers and vehicles, in the wee hours of the morning. This problem has been going on for too long now. We think it’s time this nonsense stops. Whenever reports are made to the respective police
district about this matter, some of the police patrols sometimes don’t come upon hearing that an Ex-Officer is the proprietor of one of the businesses. However the place attracts several vehicles with loud music sets; two of the regular vehicles are PPP 7061 and PMM 2886. We think that when the police come and see these vehicles they need to take them in and not just warn them and leave. The law clearly states that liquor restaurants should be open for seven and a quarter
hours per day but these rum shops open from twelve noon till five o’clock next morning which occurs every day of the week. We all know these rum shops should have a time limit but not those through Station Street Kitty: We are once again calling on the relevant authority to have measures in place so that this c r u e l t y, harassment and wanton disrespect of people’s rights and disregard for people’s health be brought to an end. Residents of Station Street Kitty.
The thieves within GPL
DEAR EDITOR, We welcome the Opposition Parties decision to cut GPL subsidies. Mr. Brassington needs to get out of his ivory office and take a ride with his employees on one of their trucks beginning from Sophia and all the other areas to see how many of his “so-called” customers are stealing electricity. His employees are in the same boat with the thieves. They collect money from the stealing customers to allow them to continue stealing electricity. Some customers pay as high as $50,000 to
these men to not have their electricity disconnected. Some of his meter readers take a bribe from those who are already disconnected and aid them in the illegal hook-up. I f M r. B r a s s i n g t o n w a n t s m o r e m o n e y, h e could recover a lot of his losses by seriously going after the thieves, some of these are known business men and women. If a concerned customer tries to complain to GPL office employees, they are told to “mind their own business”, and in many cases the complaints fall on deaf ears,
and nothing is done, while the stealing goes on. How many persons have been prosecuted for stealing electricity since Mr. Brassington’s campaign began? The honest customers are penalized through higher billing to make up for the losses. We, the honest customers are fed up with the double standards. What have you done Mr. Brassington to recover your losses from the electricity thieves? Your very own employees are filling their pockets from this blatant scourge in our land. Concerned Customers
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
“Sex worker”, two neighbours remanded for robbery under arms An almost inconsolable woman sought the mercy of the court yesterday as she tearfully explained “your worship I am a single mother and is just me alone with my two kids. I does have sex and do my li’l work with men, but I swear, oh gosh, I swear to you, when these two men get rob I had nothing to do with it ‘cause all three ah we de having sex.” She was among three defendants who were brought before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, to face the charge of robbery under arms. The charge stated that on May 19, on South Road in Georgetown, Samantha Primo, Sean Williams and Lasol Duke, armed with a knife, robbed East Coast resident Harrichand Nacknand of one cell phone, $10,000 and other articles amounting to a total value of $75,000. It was also alleged that on the said date, whilst being armed with a knife, they robbed Intiaz Ali, who also resides on the East Coast, of one cell phone and $4000, a total value of $11,000. The defendants were not required to plead to the indictable charge. Appearing for Primo was attorney at law, Paul Fung A Fat, who stated that the 33year-old is innocent. The lawyer stated that on the night in question the virtual complainants approached the woman, who is a ‘lady of the night’ for some business. She agreed after an offer was made to engage in sexual relations with both of the victims. During their threesome, they were interrupted by two men, Duke and Williams, who robbed the complainants. It is upon this basis that the lawyer requested bail as he reiterated that his client was simply performing her duties but was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Primo then begged the court for an opportunity to further explain the unfortunate circumstances of which she was only a victim. “Your worship these men approached me on the said night and ask me if I working and I said yes. I took them in my yard after they agree to do vaginal sex for $2000 and I agree to it. During the heat of the sex, one of them gon ask me to do anal and I told him that I don’t do anal sex for that li’l bit of money. Then we had a lil scuffle as they tried to do it. Then Williams who lives at my apartment, come out with Duke to rescue me, but end up robbing the men and I holla on them and tell them they gon get me in trouble.”
One of the defendants, Sean Williams In spite of the defendants’ appeals, the prosecution strongly objected to bail as they emphasised the seriousness of the offence, the sentence it attracts, and if granted bail they may not appear for their trial. Magistrate Latchman upheld the objection and the defendants were subsequently remanded. But that was only the beginning of a period of chaos which caused almost the entire of the Magistrates’ court to come to a halt. The obviously upset defendants whilst being escorted out of the courtroom exchanged a few words with a police officer. It was observed that Williams and Duke began threatening the officer for holding onto them in a rough manner. The disagreement among the three escalated into a fight which caught the attention of at least eight ranking officers at the court. As officers tried to settle the melee, it continued to disturb the court proceedings. The accused duo continued to unleash punches and kicks at the officers that swarmed them. They were eventually parted but on their way down, Williams reportedly pushed another officer into a wall of Magistrate Fabayo Azore’s court as he was being taken to the holding cell. His actions left a large hole in the wall which was later patched with paper tape. Life is meaningless without a voice. Jagdeo’s deed with respect to radio/ cable licences has given life to only those who matter to him. The citizens of this country must understand that this action is an attempt to turn them into robots. We must wake up and live. Let our voices be heard!
The hole left in the wall of Magistrate Azore’s court
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Teen mom tries to abandon newborn in hospital toilet - Detained by alert patient An alert patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Monday saved the life of a newborn boy who was about to be abandoned by his teenage mother in one of the hospital’s toilets. According to reports, the West Coast Demerara woman was experiencing labour pains and she visited the hospital. After completing the necessary paperwork, she left to go use the washroom. F o r t u n a t e l y, t h e w a s h r o o m i s a l w a y s a b u s y place. This probably saved the young mother ’s life. A patient recalled, “After she walked out of the washroom, another patient walked in and saw the baby on the floor. She then confronted the young mother before summoning the security. She was about to walk out of the hospital with the Placenta (afterbirth) still inside of her and of course, it could have killed her.” Mother and the baby are said to be in a stable condition at the health institute. The incident has drawn the attention of a social worker.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
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WHAT’S THE FUSS ABOUT? Why should Guyana be rushing to pass updated antimoney laundering laws without adequate time for these laws to be considered by a parliamentary select committee? What is the fuss about? In whose interest anyway are these proposed laws? These laws serve the interests of the G20 grouping, comprising the world most powerful countries. These laws have nothing to do with Guyana but are intended to serve the national security interests of the
industrialised world that are interested in curtailing the flow of funds from the sale of narcotics and to terrorist organisations. There is no evidence that anyone in Guyana is funding terrorist organisations. And if there is money from the trafficking in narcotics, then this money is flowing from the very countries which have failed to shut the backflow valves and which now want countries like Guyana to pass antimoney laundering or face the threat of being blacklisted.
Why should Guyana be rushing to pass any laws? Simply because the industrialised countries want this? These countries already have you stripping down to your socks and having to take off your belt when passing through your own airport. Do you know how disconcerting having to take off your belt is to men who have big bellies? Do you know how hard it is for heavy-sized men to bend down to take off their socks? It is hard enough getting them on much less to have to take
Orealla village controversy… Ministry officials ‘break promise’ of visiting community Orealla residents are no longer depending on the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to bring forth much needed changes in their community. They have planned a general meeting for June 2, where the way forward will be charted. Apparently, the failure of Ministry officials to visit the village last week, as promised, has left the impression that the Ministry is uninterested in resolving their issues. This is according to Carl Peneux a resident of Orealla, who has been at the forefront highlighting perceived mismanagement of the village council. Following an article in this publication highlighting several alleged discrepancies and the Ministry’s slothfulness in responding to the villagers’ concerns the state-owned Guyana Chronicle on May 6, reported that a team would visit the village to address the concerns “next week”.
According to Peneux, residents were patiently awaiting the meeting to voice their concerns and were hopeful that finally their challenges would have been resolved. Previously, Yvonne Pearson, Advisor to Amerindian Affairs Minister, visited the village and listened to their complaints. Her duty was only to report to Minister Pauline Sukhai. In a letter signed by Peneux recently, sent to Sukhai, there were claims of several financial irregularities, particularly in relation to Presidential Grants. In response, Orealla Toshao Floyd Edwards said that the Council is considering taking Peneux to court for unfounded and malicious allegations against the Village Council. Edwards said that Peneux’s allegations were due to bitterness because he lost the elections for Toshao in 2012.
“He ran against me for Toshao in April 2012. I won the elections by two-thirds of the votes. He lost. He is a bad loser. This, I believe, is the real motive behind the lies that he is spreading about the Council.” But, Peneux said he never contested the elections to be a Toshao. According to Peneux, from the inception residents have been acting within the confines of the Amerindian Act and are disappointed with the outcome thus far. He noted that the future of the village will be determined at the upcoming meeting. The resident noted, “We the villagers want to get benefits from the Presidential Grants. We believe that the money is being misused. Right now Orealla is without electricity for four days - the generator is non-operational, there is no potable water, and this month makes make one year since the community boat is not working.”
Dem boys seh...
Nobody didn’t sleep last night By tonight is either people crying or dem cussing. People who got money to spend might find that dem can’t buy nutten. And dem who spend money to wash money gun now get vex that all de money dem got ain’t mean nutten. Whole night last night some of dem who been thiefing all dem life suddenly know de man above. Dem start fuh pray. Nuff of dem call Granger and tell he that if he vex he can refuse to vote. Dem tell Prakash that dem gun give he anything he want. He seh that he want de procurement commission. Well that is another story because once dem have a commission de contract can’t go to friends, party and family. De same thing did happen wid de radio licence. De best went to friends, party and family. Bobby get de best of de absence of de procurement commission. Nobody couldn’t question de contract he get because dem didn’t have de procurement commission. Berry Berry actually justify why Bobby got
a right to charge wha he charging. Dem boys seh that de sad thing is that dem have poor people who can’t even buy a food when dem got people who giving away money just to mek sure that Uncle Sam never question dem about how dem get dem money. And dem in de government. De dirty habit dem got, have poor Donald apologizing to Granger. Gail was de person who got to advise Donald and she forget fuh do she wuk. De next thing dem boys know is that Granger get vex and poor Donald didn’t know why. Now that de story come out Donald telling Gail that she got to find another wuk if she continue to embarrass he. She crying and today in Parliament dem boys gun see she wearing sun shades all de time fuh hide she eye. And dem boys looking out fuh see who walking wid briefcase to buy votes. That is de norm. Talk half and don’t hold you breath fuh de anti-money laundering vote
off your shoes and then your socks for security checks at airports. Why should Guyanese travelers be asked to take off their belts and shoes at airports simply because more than ten years ago there was a terrorist incident in New York City in which aircraft was used. Since then you cannot even take a bottle of water in your hand peace. We should not be rushing to pass any money laundering laws just to ensure that we are not blacklisted. Let Guyana be blacklisted. The world will not end. Our legislators need time to consider the proposed legislation. The public also needs time to be consulted on this legislation. Why new legislation on money laundering when the last set of regulations passed
caused so much problems and disruption? Guyanese must not forget when all the banks called on their depositors to produce proof of address or risk having their accounts frozen. That caused a great deal of problems. Guyana was not yet ready for this. We were also not ready for a situation whereby if you go to change a US$20, you have to produce identification at the cambio or bank. This means that when you go and change foreign currency, third parties know your business and this can place you at risk. We therefore cannot be rushing into passing laws. The international community has to understand that not because they say jump, Guyana must ask how high. This is wrong and there is no reason why any legislation of
this nature should be rushed through parliament without being considered by the public and without scrutiny of a select committee. If it takes one year for this process to take place then so be it. Guyana should not be afraid of being blacklisted. Let us be blacklisted, who cares? We should not be rushing through any legislation simply to satisfy any international task force and more so since the very laws to be passed are more about foreign countries’ interests rather than our own.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 22, 2013
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
The dance of the zombies “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”George Santayana “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” - Edmund Burke Many time on this page, I made the analogy between the success of Hitler’s domination of Germany and the ease with which Bharrat Jagdeo exceeded the autocracy of Forbes Burnham. Any honest historian would acknowledge that
Hitler’s excesses were no enigma or a random act that the majority of the German people did not know about. There is no way in modern human society that Hitler could have pulled off a sadistic extirpation of millions of German citizens without some solid form of support or brazen silence from the German people. In Guyana, we were once a Caribbean pariah. Thirty years ago, many Caribbean people complained to this columnist that Guyana has too many political problems;
it had bad government. Caribbean people thought that our persisting ill was that we didn’t have democracy. Lack of democracy made the world scorn us. In 1992, we were supposed to rejoin the world’s family of democratic nations. In 1999, we got Bharrat Jagdeo. Mr. Jagdeo, for reasons maybe one day a scholar will explain, got entangled in a mad rush to outshine Burnham as a maximum leader and he succeeded. But like Hitler, like Germany, the citizenry
supported Jagdeo’s descent and when we didn’t, we remained reticent. We as Guyanese have not learned from epochs and ages gone by. Two great thinkers, Santayana and Burke warned us a long time ago that our selfishness will cause us to relive what we do not want to see. There isn’t a day that goes by in this country that democracy is not assaulted by our government. The signs are there to warn us, yet we contemptuously and vulgarly ignore Santayana and Burke. Not a day goes by in this country when elected institutions and elected politicians are not assaulted and humiliated by a government that ignores the pleas that came from Guyanese and Caribbean people more than thirty-five years ago that our problem is bad governance. Not a day goes by in this nation when the crass behaviour of certain stakeholders does not remind us of the era of Nazi Germany and how Hitler came to be a little god. One morning in 2011, I saw this Private Sector Commission official, who is a shameless supporter of the PPP Government, walking with his daughter in the National Park. The child was of my daughter’s age. I gazed at him and the first thing that came in my mind was the
feeling of a parent. I have a young girl like his daughter and I wouldn’t want an implosion of my country to destroy her destiny. But can we learn the lessons of the past. The most barefaced among these State supporters are the organizations within the business community. Not a word has come out of the mouths of these people about the long absence of the Procurement Commission, a vital constitutional organ that can help stem the raging tide of corruption. Not a word has come from these people over the long absence of another priceless constitutional body, the Human Rights Commission. Not a word has come from these people on the refusal of the governing party to resuscitate the office of the Ombudsman. These very people are now doing the dance of the masquerade. Maybe the dance of the zombies would be a better description. The very opposition that is so disrespected by the Government and about which these private sector organizations are silent, want this very opposition to assist the Government in passing the Anti-Money Laundering Act. Since the 2011general elections which saw a victory for the opposition in
Frederick Kissoon Parliament, these State supporters have been concerned, shamelessly, with their profits than with the social health of Guyana. What is typical of the pathological attitude of these business folks is the crass opportunism that emanates from their souls and hearts. While calling on the opposition to assist the government with parliamentary passage of the Act, there isn’t even a faint exhortation to the Government that it has to meet the opposition in at least some of its desires that in fact originated from the people that voted for them. Don’t votes count? Are elected people voted into office so they can hold and exercise power? Where is the recognition by the governing party of the Parliament and the elected democratic councils that the opposition controls? Maybe after all, you can’t blame the profit-merchants. Money is what they seek for themselves. But they should not ask others to make their demands the nation’s priority.
Builders press for opening of new quarries Those in the field of construction, particularly home builders, are calling on the Ministry of Natural Resources to make the opening of new quarries a priority. This comes in light of a repeated shortage of stone on the local market. Following countless complaints, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, told this newspaper that the opening of new quarries is something that is being considered. And while that move is still being contemplated, home builders are pressing for it to be made a priority, because when construction on their homes is stalled as a result of the shortages, it puts an undue strain on their home loans. It was as of late last year
that there has been a troubling fluctuation of the availability of this key construction material. The opening of new quarries is expected to ease the tensions of especially these home builders. Kaieteur News understands that the groundwork, which is vital in order to determine whether or not these new quarries should be established, is currently ongoing by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). This groundwork is expected to determine the level of production and output, so as to determine why it is that these shortages occurred in the first place, and what can be done to make things better. This repeated shortage of quarry materials on the local market would usually result in
the few local suppliers having to ration the stones. According to a few builders and truck owners, the shortages have become a bit too regular, and something needs to be done. Kaieteur News understands that while there is a general shortage of these materials, there are times when there is absolutely no stone available. “This affecting us terribly, because we working on a loan from the bank, and my husband quit his job to look over the work, and we are struggling for a daily bread as it is, so when we don’t get the materials, the work does left stalled. The bank does question us, and it causing a real strain on our pockets,” Nalita Singh, one home builder said. Others affected include truck operators who transport these materials in an effort to provide for their families. Those affected are calling on the Minister to speed up the process, as they can no longer tolerate operating at a loss.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Dietary supplies for GPHC attract $$M bids The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) received bids for the procurement of dietary supplies. The bids were opened yesterday by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Ministry of Finance, Main Street.
Five bids were opened for the construction of a health post at Yarashirima, Wakapoa district, Pomeroon River,Region Two. Under the Ministry of Local Government, bids were opened for the procurement of two waste collection vehicles.
The Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU) under the Ministry of Agriculture tendered for approval of shortlist consultants for supervision of Polder Supplementary Drainage Works Phase Three. Bidders were required to place bids for lots 2, 3 and 4. The agencies are as follows:
The Ministry of Local Government Regional Democratic Council, Region Two, received bids for the construction of a rehab centre at the Suddie Hospital Complex Essequibo Coast.
Bids were also submitted for the construction of teachers’ living quarters at the Martindale Primary School Annex, Pomeroon River, Region Two.
Bids were also submitted for the construction of Curry Road, Perservance, Essequibo Coast, Region Two.
Still in the Local government sector, four bids were opened for the procurement of transportation equipment (Supply and Delivery). The bids were divided into two lots.
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Kaieteur News
Scotiabank drops in on drop-in centre
Wednesday May 22, 2013
APNU’s pullout is a move that goes against the country - Minister Rohee By Abena Rockcliffe
The Senior Management team of Scotiabank last Friday donated a quantity of foodstuff to the Drop in Centre. Managers pooled their personal resources to purchase the items and got together to wrap the gifts. In this photo, Mrs. Roberts of the Drop in Centre receives the gift from Scotiabank Country Manager, Amanda St. Aubyn, while the other members of the team look on.
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee yesterday accused A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) of “going against the country” and acting without the interest of Guyana at heart. The Minister was referring to the latest move by APNU to withdraw its support from the Special Select Committee set up to fine tune amendments to Guyana’s law on financial crimes. On Monday, Leader of APNU, David Granger sent President Donald Ramotar a letter informing him that the party will no longer contribute to the Special Select Committee. That move is one that will drastically affect the government’s plan to have the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill passed. Granger attributed his party’s pullout to the fact that he wasn’t given a letter sent to the President by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) since April 10, last; one which was supposed to be shared with him and the rest of the opposition. The CFATF is an arm of the International Financial
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee Action Task Force (FATF), an independent intergovernmental body that develops and promotes policies to protect the global financial system against money laundering and terrorist financing, among other financial crimes. Granger is asking for an explanation from the President, as to why the letter wasn’t shared for the information of the Opposition, before the party participates again in the Special Select Committee. Yesterday, Rohee, who sits on the committee, referred to APNU’s sudden pullout as an “unfortunate development.” According to Rohee, the Party is going against the country by not supporting
the Bill. He said that the move “does not help Guyana at all” and any move that would not “help our Country” is one that would be regretted in the long run. Rohee told media operatives that the way he sees it is that APNU never intended to see the Bill to the end of the road and was only looking for a reason to withdraw “which they eventually found in the letter.” “The letter issue is being used as an excuse to pullout. I’m not so sure it is really the letter. I think it is a host of other matters. The opposition has always been looking for an excuse to pull out. The AFC (Alliance for Change) was more brazen in stating their position. But APNU sought to find an excuse which they eventually found in the letter to which they keep referring.” The Minister sought to point out that the opposition hadn’t the control at the level of the select committee and inferred that to be one of the reasons for the non support. “They didn’t have the chairmanship, but Teixeira (Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira) is the chairman and she, the Attorney General (Anil Nandlall) and the Finance Minister (Ashni Singh) put forward strong, very convincing arguments and they gave them (APNU) every single document requested…” Rohee said that another factor could have been the fact that the government is pressed for time and wanted to meet more frequently than normal. In conclusion, Rohee said that there are definitely other factors contributing to the pullout and they are “of course of a political nature”.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday May 22, 2013
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Several Parfaite roads for upgrades - Housing Ministry Several roads in the La Parfaite Harmonie Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara, are set for repairs, the Ministry of Housing and Water said Monday. Responding to a front page photo in Kaieteur News of Saturday, May 5th, the Ministry said that the upgrading of roads is continually being included as components of annual work programmes, as was the case for the past several years. Government has been grappling with upkeeping the roads as heavy vehicles, including sand trucks and increased traffic pose challenges. A number of contractors have also been accused of performing poorly and delivering bad quality. According to the Ministry, it only upgrades roads and other infrastructure when the occupancy rate reaches approximately 75%. La Parfaite Harmonie is one of several new housing schemes introduced by the
government over the years. It is one of the largest and is located along Canal Number One Polder and west of the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Already, the scheme has grown to include several other additions. “The 2013 work programme caters for upgrading of roads in Parfait Harmonie, Westminster, Onderneeming, RechtDoor-Zee and Schoonord Housing Schemes to asphaltic concrete surfaces, amounting to 12km, and construction of an alternative access road (approximately eight metres wide and 2.8 km long), within the vicinity of Goed Fortuin, linking the West Bank Public Road to the La Parfait Harmonie Housing Scheme.” The Ministry also said it is expanding the housing area with additional works later this year. “Also, included in the 2013 work programme is new infrastructural development at Plantation Lust-En-Rust which is immediately west of
The Housing Ministry says that several roads in the La Parfait Harmonie Housing Scheme are set for upgrades and maintenance this year. Plantation Recht-Door-Zee, Phase I and II and will bring direct benefit to more than 1,500 families.”
EU funds development programme for Amerindian Village
Head of Delegation Ambassador Robert Kopecký and the Vice Chancellor of University of Guyana Professor Jacob Opadeyi with some of the graduates Seventy-one (71) villagers of Sand Creek recently graduated from European Union (EU)’s capacity building programme aimed at bolstering the community by increasing the scope of their activities and affording villagers the opportunity to branch off into other areas of trade. The programme, facilitated by the University of Guyana’s Institute for Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE), sought to enhance the development of the community by improving the levels of competence and education of its diverse populace.
It encompassed guidance to village captains in key areas of leadership and management; made provisions for women to involve themselves in courses which will enhance their abilities such as sewing; and provided training for both men and women in areas of trade such as construction management, farming and mining. A secondary school has also been constructed as part of the project and is being serviced by English and Scottish volunteer teachers. Head of the Delegation of the EU to Guyana, Ambassador Robert
Kopecký, at the graduation ceremony held last Thursday, noted that the large number of graduates was a testament of the programme’s success. The Ambassador also took the opportunity to inspect other EU-funded projects in the Lethem area. He expressed satisfaction at the operations of the Lethem Public Library and Resource Centre, while identifying areas in which the St. Ignatius Secondary School Poultry Production Unit could heighten its output so as to serve the educational purposes related to the secondary school and produce for the local market.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 22, 2013
US Ambassador to Guyana New roadway in Region Two a product of ‘self help labour’ pays visit to Food for the Poor The Wakapoa community in Region Two achieved a major feat with the construction of a critically needed roadway to facilitate safe passage between three of its islands – Waipaqua, Yarashima and Myrie. The Wakapoa Health Post for the community is located on Waipaqua and could only be accessed by boat or on a dangerous narrow foot path. Hence, the aim of the project was to provide easy access to this primary location from the other islands, Yarashima and Myrie, where the majority of the population in Wakapoa resides. According to Mr. Seaford Fredericks, elder of the Waipaqua Village, the construction of this critically needed roadway had been a major goal of the community for more than two decades but did not materialise because of the absence of funds. However, the project was finally initiated when Lesley
Allenby, U.S Peace Corps Volunteer assigned to the Wakapoa Health Post, formulated a plan to address the situation. After meeting with village leaders, she solicited the services of U.S. non-governmental organization, Builders Beyond Borders (B3), with its labour team of high school students to come to Guyana to work alongside villagers on the construction of the road which commenced in February last. Assistance and funding for the project were provided by the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Peace Corps Guyana, US non-governmental organisation Builders Beyond Borders (B3), Digicel Guyana and Friends and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Guyana (FROG). The new roadway, which now carries the name “Lesley’s Memory Lane” was constructed with locally logged wood and materials, mostly without the use of machinery. Villagers and
students pulled logs with ropes and carried sand bags through swamped savannahs to the project site to develop the 518-metre (1,700ft) road from Waipaqua to Myrie and the 366m (1,200ft) road from Waipaqua to Yarashima. At the recent official opening of the road, thanks were extended to Lesley Allenby for her commitment and hard work and to the people of Wakapoa in the form of a plaque. Region Two ViceChairman Vishnu Samaroo, speaking on behalf of the regional administration described the project as the largest ever undertaken by the community and extended thanks to the contributors and the villagers. Region Two Executive Officer Sunil Singh; Executive Director of Builders, Amy Schroeder-Riggio; Flavio Rose of U.S. Peace Corps Guyana; and B3 Directors Steve Lewine and Tony Sanfilippo were also present at the ceremony.
US Ambassador D. Brent Hardt (right) views items for distribution in the company of the Manager of FFTP Mr. Kent Vincent (centre) and Chairman of FFTP Mr. Paul Chan-A-Sue United States Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. D. Brent Hardt, was apprised of the operations of Food for the Poor (FFTP) in Guyana when he visited the Festival City location last Monday in response to an invitation from the organisation. The Ambassador was given the opportunity to view
a collage of pictures illustrating past projects, items for distribution to the poor which were on display, and a DVD depicting the work of the organisation. He also had discussions with the Chai r m a n a n d Senior Managers of FFTP pertaining to the role and nature of the work of the
organisation in Guyana in assisting the poor and needy and the support received from donors and sponsors in the USA. The members of the organisation expressed their appreciation to the Ambassador for visiting the entity by presenting him with a small token.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
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APNU slams Housing No breach of regulation, procedure prior Minister for “sinister plan” accusation to plaintiff’s departure - Asst. Commissioner testifies McBean wrongful dismissal case…
By Zena Henry As the High Court case into the alleged wrongful dismissal of former Superintendent of Police Simon McBean continues, Assistant Commissioner of Police Balram Persaud took the stand on Monday as one of the defence witnesses. Persaud testified before Chief Justice Ian Chang that according to documentation, there had been no breach of procedure or regulation by McBean prior to his departure to the United Kingdom to pursue academic upliftment. Apart from being Assistant Commissioner, Persaud said he is also Deputy Commissioner (Administration) and in that capacity, he is responsible for the procedural aspect of force members seeking to attain any type of leave. Holding this position, Persaud said, gave him access to McBean’s personal file and he could thus testify to information of McBean’s application for leave. While being led by Defence Attorney Patrice Henry, the administration officer said that he is stationed at the force’s headquarters at Eve Leary. He said he is responsible for all matters of leave for regular
Former Superintendent of Police Simon McBean and auxiliary staffers of the force, before explaining that to attain leave of any kind, police officers, particularly inspectors and officers, would have to apply for leave through their various heads of department. Persaud said the applications would be processed through administration before they reach the Ministry of Home Affairs. The processing procedure, he said, is aided by a staff officer - one who works under his guidance in recommending the type of leave and the duration. The request is then delivered to the Home Affairs office for approval. Once approval is refused or denied, the document is
return to the force’s administration where the Commissioner of Police would have preview to it before the applicant is notified as to whether is application was successful or not, Persaud testified. Reiterating that in the capacity of Deputy C o m m i s s i o n e r (Administration) he would have accessed McBean’s personal file, the senior officer presented it to the court. In perusing the file, Persaud told the court that McBean, during his time in the force, applied for study leave with pay to pursue studies in global policing offered by the British government. He said that this application was refused by the Home Affairs Ministry, citing no policy relating to studying overseas for police ranks. The senior officer’s testimony continued that McBean again applied for study leave but this time without pay; but to this request, McBean got no response from the Ministry. He said McBean was granted annual leave instead of study leave - in excess of 100 days – and it was stated the location in Britain that the officer was going and that should any difficulty arise, the relevant contact should
be made with the force. McBean therefore went on his annual leave the court heard, and while studying during that time, he got ill. Persaud said that McBean did send in the relevant medical certification, and upon perusal of the former officer’s personal file it highlighted that the record shows no breach of regulation or procedure. He concluded that had there been any violation of the force’s regulations, McBean would have been charged under the Police Disciplinary Act 17:01. Assistant Commissioner of Police Balram Persaud will return to court next Wednesday (May 29) to continue evidence in relation to what transpired while McBean was studying overseas. In 2009, former Superintendent McBean was dismissed from the Police Force for allegedly leaving the country on a study scholarship without permission. McBean is contending that all procedures were followed when he became ill while on annual leave. This however was not the view of the then Commissioner of Police Henry Greene (now deceased), as he dismissed McBean for allegedly breaching the force’s rules.
- dubs remark as “dangerous, irresponsible scaremongering” Emphasising the notion that “scare tactics is the product of a diseased and uneasy mind,” A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) yesterday slammed remarks made by Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, which suggested that the parliamentary opposition is working in collusion to destroy the country. Ali was at the time speaking at a PPP press conference on Monday, during which time he noted that the approach being embraced by the opposition is one that is akin to a “political blockade that is being developed against this Government and against the infrastructure of this country.” It is Ali’s view that there is currently a “comprehensive understanding” among the members of the opposition to block development, economic advancement and financial reforms, all aimed at seeing the Government fail. “They want to see the Government fall; they want to make governance impossible and they want to see the economic gains stalemated.” The Minister, who also oversees the Tourism
Ministry, described unsupportive tactics portrayed by the opposition as “psychological warfare” aimed at developing a sense of frustration and withdrawal syndrome among the populace, thereby allowing the opposition “to score cheap political points.” Ali’s assertions were forthcoming even as efforts were made to denounce moves by the Alliance for Change (AFC) to withhold its support for Government’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill. And as he slammed the declaration of AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, that Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, is a “hypocrite” for expressing anger and shock at the AFC’s decision, Ali warned that the onus is now on the entire Guyanese society to guard against political pettiness. Although APNU has not indicated plans to withhold its support for the Bill, it has questioned the Government’s rush to have it passed. According to Ali, the society must not only guard against the uncooperative (Continued on page 27)
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Opposition seeking to unleash diabolical blow to our economy - PPP Executive Secretary “The Alliance for Change (AFC) is prepared to let the entire nation suffer” was the utterance of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Secretary, Zulficar Mustapha, when he along with other representatives of the ruling party shared the spotlight during a press conference on Monday at Freedom House. Reading from a statement, Mustapha disclosed that the PPP is deeply concerned at the “Anti-Nationalistic” stance taken by the AFC in an attempt to have its own way. He was at the time making reference to the decision taken by the faction of the parliamentary opposition to withdraw its support for the Government’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill. According to Mustapha, “such is the reality that even their staunchest of supporters are now coming to grips with that party’s latest position on the Bill.” This development, he said, comes even after the AFC and A Partnership for
National Unity (APNU), which together hold the majority in the National Assembly, sought to indicate the importance of the amendments to the legislation which was enacted in 2009. However, a gap in the Act required that it be amended in order to not only synchronise a number of other pieces of legislation, but also to ensure that “dirty money” does not go undetected. But according to the Executive Secretary, although the opposition had seen the need to have the amendments sent to a Special Select Committee, “what we have not heard from them are any tangible suggestions on what they would like to have included in this amendment.” Moreover, he noted that the action of the opposition has only served to confirm the ruling party’s suspicion that “the only aim of the opposition is to stall this bill past the deadline so our nation can be blacklisted internationally and our people, particularly the business sector, suffer.”
PPP Executive Secretary Zulficar Mustapha (centre) is flanked by other party officials during Monday’s press conference. Government has been desperately advocating for the passage of the Amendment Bill, as failure to do so could see Guyana being blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, for not doing enough to combat money laundering and stop the financing of terrorism. The Task Force, made up of 29 states of the Caribbean Basin, was created in 1990 following meetings in Aruba, and is mandated to
implement measures to address the problem of money laundering. Guyana is slated to undergo a review in this regard from May 27 through May 31, 2013. According to Mustapha “their (opposition) plan of destabilizing our country by attempting to weaken our economy is a most diabolical one, more so since our nation has been experiencing unprecedented economic growth for the past seven years, and this is projected to increase with, as you know, our country recording the second highest economic growth rate for 2014 in South America.” He also pointed out that
the opposition’s dramatic cuts of over $30 billion of the 2013 national budget are clear examples of their agenda to stall economic growth. “Who suffers, if our economy begins to shrink? Who suffers, if our businesses begin to downsize or close up all-together? Who suffers, if our revenue base begins to decrease and Government cannot afford to pay wages and salary increases or even maintain current increases? Who suffers, if Government cannot maintain its massive social sector programmes in health, education, water, housing and pension?” “Who suffers, if Government cannot afford to
assist farmers and construct critical infrastructure? Ultimately, our people will suffer and it will not matter who they voted for or who they support or what they look like,” Mustapha said that the PPP is fighting relentlessly to stave off a bleak future for Guyana adding that “the time has come for us in a united voice to let the opposition know that they should put the interest of the nation and our people first rather than any narrow political agenda.” He said that the party will continue to fight against “this attempt to destroy the economic livelihood of our people.”
Specialised forestry training to benefit 300 youths Three hundred (300) youths are to benefit from a partnership between the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security’s National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) to create wider skills within the forestry sector. According to Chairman, Board of Industrial Training, Clinton Williams, that entity has been very successful over the years in providing vocational training and education to a large number of youths in every region, equipping them with marketable skills in various occupations. Adding that the Board was established more than 40 years ago under the Industrial Training Act,
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Chapter 39:04 of the Laws of Guyana to provide training opportunities for youths and equip them with marketable skills, Williams said simultaneously, the Guyana Forestry Commission in accordance with its commitments laid out in the National Forest Plan, has added this programme to the curricula of the Forestry Training Centre Inc. (FTCI) which already offers vocational training. He explained that this development is a direct response to the obvious lack of skills in the forestry sector. Primarily, the objective is to equip approximately 300 youths with highly marketable skills that could guarantee their immediate employment within the aforementioned sector. Williams underscored that the programme is diverse and includes courses in tree identification, pre-harvest forest inventory, directional felling, heavy-duty machinery and equipment (Bulldozer and Skidder) operation, wood processing,
saw-doctoring, and timber grading. In keeping with national priorities, the courses will necessarily include segments on critical life skills, such as combating HIV and AIDS and gender-based violence. The major portion of the training will be carried out at the FTCI’s field based training facility (located on the left bank of the Cuyuni River). The BIT will also add this new curriculum to the training schedules at all of its available facilities which have traditionally been used for vocational training and community development. “To date, the response by youths across all regions to these training opportunities has been encouraging. Interviews of applicants have begun and the programme for the first batch of trainees is scheduled to commence in June 2013,” Williams said. Applications will be invited shortly for the second round of training courses due to commence later this year. The programmes will continue annually.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
NY Court hears… An undercover officer known only as ‘the African’ was scheduled on the stand yesterday in the case where a gang in New York is alleged to have stolen motorcycles and sold them or shipped them to Guyana, other parts of the Caribbean and Senegal in Africa.
Container with stolen motorcycles shipped to Guyana, recalled by Feds
The undercover testimony was being given to a closed courtroom to protect his identity, ongoing and future investigations. He was the buyer planted in the ring by the New York Police Department (NYPD). However it was the critical testimony Monday
Tobacco companies in push to fight smuggling The world’s four largest international tobacco companies have forged a joint venture to fight the illegal trafficking of excisable consumer goods. No surprise, the move is generated by the loss of revenue suffered by tobacco companies through smuggling. In Guyana, cigarettes are smuggled from Suriname and sold openly in the marketplace. British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco Group, Japan Tobacco International and Philip Morris International have launched the Digital Coding & Tracking Association (DCTA), set up to promote international standards and digital technologies to help governments fight smuggling, counterfeiting and tax evasion. The DCTA draws upon the industry’s collective expertise in securing international supply chains and developing sophisticated technologies to help distinguish genuine products from counterfeit. Eliminating the illicit trade in cigarettes and alcohol requires international cooperation and smarter tools to help customs, border and tax officials tackle the criminals who carry it out. The DCTA offers a proven, secure and cost-effective solution, based on Codentify technology, for this purpose. Codentify makes the leap
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into the digital age, offering quick and easy access, through a mobile phone, to all the information governments need to protect tax revenues, verify the legitimacy of shipments and meet international regulatory requirements, including the World Health Organisation’s protocol to eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco. Pat Heneghan, spokesperson for the DCTA, said, “Today’s legal supply chains are global, complex and involve many parties. When combined with the sophistication of the criminals and terrorists who traffic illicit goods, it means national governments must use the latest advances in technology to secure supply chains if they are to make any real progress in addressing this dangerous and growing problem. “The world’s four largest international tobacco manufacturers have come together to launch the Digital Coding & Tracking Association in order to offer governments a twenty first century solution to the international problem of illicit trade. Heneghan concluded: “With governments looking at ways to secure tax revenues in these austere times and crack-down on the criminals that prosper from the black market, we are certain that the DCTA can provide the technologies and expertise needed to make a real impact.”
APNU slams Housing... (From page 25) strategy, but it must seek to recognise that moves are being made by the opposition to generate enough energy around what he dubbed a “sinister plan” to destroy the country. But according to APNU, there is a clear impression that the “sinister plan” only exists in the head of the Minister. As such, it is demanding that Ali “produce evidence to support his claim. And should the Minister be unable to produce such evidence, APNU said, “we demand an immediate withdrawal of the statement.” According to the party, it not only strongly condemns the reckless and irresponsible remarks of the Minister, but it sees “this type of rhetoric as dangerous, irresponsible scaremongering, which needs to be roundly condemned by all right thinking Guyanese.”
afternoon of an officer from the Federal Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (BEST) that may have complicated matters for the four defendants including Guyanese Steve Dow. The officer produced photographic surveillance of the shipping of the motorcycles through a company called Lenmar Shipping of Brooklyn and delivered other riveting, comprehensive testimony. In one case, he testified that, the dismantled motor
cycles and (All Terrain Vehicles) ATVs were in a container that reached Demerara, but was recalled by the Feds and searched upon its return. The container left New Jersey on April 16th, 2012, and returned to the US on May 22, 2012, where it was searched and an expensive Ducati was found among the stolen cargo. It is still unclear from the Guyana end how motorcycles and other vehicles that all have international tracking numbers known as VINs
(Vehicle Identification Numbers) could land in Guyana without the knowledge of the authorities. The agent testified that several of the vehicles did not have keys. It has been determined that all sorts of vehicles enter Guyana ostensibly as salvaged vehicles without keys and are then reassembled and keys made for them in Guyana. The theft of over 40 motorcycles in the New York area has resulted in the arrest of over 30 persons, several of
them Guyanese. Four are on trial in the Manhattan Criminal court, Steve Dow, Trumaine Francis, Omar Thomas and Damian Jones, only Jones is out on bail in this case. Some of the others in the ring who were arrested have pleaded guilty or are still to face trial. At least one Guyanese is a cooperating witness. The case has its genesis in another Federal investigation into drug and gun running involving Guyanese and others in the New York Tri-State Area.
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Kaieteur News
Tunnel collapse leaves 21 dead, seven missing Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) — The death toll from a tunnel collapse last week at an undergro u n d m i n e training facility in Indonesia has risen to 21 after emergency workers recovered more bodies from the rubble, the mining company said Tuesday. A further seven people remain unaccounted for, according to PT Freeport
Indonesia, which mines gold, copper and silver in the region. Rescuers had managed to save 10 people from the accident, which occurred on May 14 about 500 meters from the entrance of the Big Gossan Mine. The facility is in the eastern Indonesian province of Papua. The Indonesian government said a tunnel roof
collapsed after a landslide. Hundreds of current and former employees have joined prayer services for the victims in recent days, according to the mining company. Freeport said it had appointed staff members to provide food, accommodation and transport to the family members of those affected.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Killer begs for life in prison PHOENIX (AP) — Jodi Arias begged jurors yesterday to give her life in prison, saying she “lacked perspective” when she told a local reporter in an interview that she preferred execution to spending the rest of her days in jail. Standing confidently but at times her voice breaking, Arias told the same eight men and four women who found her guilty of first-degree murder that she planned to use her time in prison to bring about positive changes, including donating her hair to be made into wigs for cancer victims, helping establish prison recycling programmes and designing T-shirts that would raise money for victims of domestic abuse. She also said she could run book clubs and teach classes to prisoners to “stimulate conversations of a
Jody Arias higher nature.” Arias became emotional as she played a slideshow of pictures from her photo album for the jury. The images included family portraits, pictures of her and friends and boyfriends and young relatives she has met only from behind bars.
Arias concluded her statement by pleading that jurors not give her the death penalty for the sake of her family. Arias admitted killing boyfriend Travis Alexander and said it was the “worst thing” she had ever done. But she stuck to her story that the brutal attack — which included stabbing and slashing Alexander nearly 30 times, shooting him in the head and nearly decapitating him — was her defense against abuse. “To this day, I can hardly believe I was capable of such violence. But I know that I was,” she said. “And for that, I’m going to be sorry for the rest of my life.” Her testimony came a day after her attorneys asked to be removed from the case, saying the five-month trial had become a witch hunt that prompted death threats against a key witness in the penalty phase. They also argued for a mistrial. The judge denied both requests. Arias acknowledged the pain and suffering she caused Alexander’s family, and said she hoped her conviction brought them peace.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Trinidad opposition releases damning e-mail...
Prime Minister, AG in plot to kill reporter
now”. Rowley said the e-mails also indicated that there was an attempt to plant a bug in the DPP’s office. He quoted from an e-mail from anan@gmail.com to garygriffith@hotmail.com sent on Monday, September 10, 2012 at 1.33 a.m.: “We have a problem. Things are getting heated. Need access to taps in DPP office. I want to know what his next move is. How soon can you arrange?” Said Rowley: “And of course, the captain, whoever he is, captain Gary Griffith “replies seven minutes later” stating “Will call SSA and get B. Dhanpat is out of the country. He would be against this move. You know he leaks”. Rowley said checks revealed that Dhanpat was in fact out of the country at this particular time and the B referred to “in our interpretation” is the head of the SSA, Bisnath Maharaj. A further e-mail from “the
captain” says: “Everything is already in place in the DPP office”. The e-mails also showed, according to Rowley, that after the US Embassy and the DPP issued strong statements on the Section 34 matter, kamlapb1@gmail.com received from anan@gmail.com and anand@tstt.com at 9.21 on the night of September 11 an e-mail message which stated: “Right now our best bet will be giving Gaspard a position on the bench. We could also feed our media people that Gaspard was part of the consultation at the Hall of Justice this year and he did not have a problem at the meeting. Let us try the judge position first.” Kamlapb1@gmail responded with this suggestion: “Have a chat with Archie. Let them offer him the position. Archie is normally cooperative”. But the most alarming emails, quoted by Rowley, related to the alleged efforts to silence, discredit and even injure reporter, Denyse Renne. The e-mail of September 8 reveals that the “Attorney General is asking help from Captain Griffith to stop a story”. The e-mail stated: “There is an article from the Guardian that a reporter from the Guardian called me involving our boys. I need you to get your feelers out there and nip the story”. Rowley said “lo and behold” in the Sunday Guardian of September 9, under Denyse Renne’s byline the lead story was “Piarco
The overturning of the conviction is related to a number of procedural complaints filed by the defence. The defense had argued that Rios Montt’s rights had been violated when his attorney was expelled early in the trial, and that the head judge should have recused herself. The Constitutional Court decided that the trial should have been suspended while these appeals were in place, instead of pushing forward a conclusion. Rios Montt, 86, had been found guilty of the genocide of more than 1,700 indigenous Ixil Mayans during his 198283 rule. The trial marked the first time a head of state was tried
for genocide by his country’s own judicial system. Dozens of Ixil Mayans took the stand during the trial to recount atrocities committed by the army. The witnesses told the judges about brutal killings, rapes and the razing of villages. The Constitutional Court’s ruling allows their testimony to stand. The trial’s original outcome was seen as a precedent for future charges against military officials accused of atrocities during Guatemala’s 36-year civil war. The war did not end until 1996, leaving more than 200,000 people dead and 1 million as refugees.Rios Montt said during the trial that he never ordered the killings of the Ixil.
By Ria Taitt Political Editor Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley on Monday presented a series of damning e-mails to the Parliament which, he said, implicated the Prime Minister, the Attorney General and Local Government Minister in “high crime”, “misbehaviour of public office” and a massive cover up. This alleged cover up involved a major conspiracy against: 1) the Director of Public Prosecutions; 2) a plot to harm and discredit reporter Denyse Renne; and 3) the payment of monies in exchange for freedom by an unnamed person. The e-mails coincided with the time when public outrage over the Section 34 scandal had reached its height in October and November 2012. Rowley quoted from an email from anan@gmail.com, sent to kamlapb1@gmail.com on the subject “Monies Owed” which stated: “I scoff that it’s too much. We are the ones taking the risk. At the end of this, I want a helipad on my roof top. There is no price for freedom. They know this”. Rowley said he wanted the Attorney General to say “who is it whose freedom is being bought and what was meant by “no price for freedom”. He said in another e-mail “kamlapb1 tells anan@gmail: “I am worried AG, I do not want this to blow up in our faces. Tone down the request and focus elsewhere for
Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley
Court overturns dictator’s 80-year jail term Guatemala City (CNN) — When former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt was convicted of genocide and sentenced to 80 years in prison this month, it was not expected to be the end of story. Observers knew that an appeal was coming, but it was a separate action — a ruling by Guatemala’s Constitutional Court — that provided the latest twist in the case. The Constitutional Court on Monday overturned Rios Montt’s conviction and sentence, and ordered the proceedings to return to the trial phase. The ruling does not annul the entire trial, but everything that happened after April 19, notably the closing arguments and conviction.
airport cases to be dropped” which detailed how the proclamation of the controversial Section 34 would allow Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson to avoid prosecution. Following this, an e-mail from kamlapb1@gmail.com asking anan@gmail.com: “what is going on? Did you see the article? I thought you had friends in the Guardian. How could this happen?” Rowley said the reply (from anan@gmail.com) stated: “I saw the article. Not to worry. Remember the Opposition supported this. That will be our defence.” The language used particularly by anan@gmail was extremely colourful. Rowley noted that “anan” was panicking as the Guardian reporter, Renne wrote another story stating that the Attorney General ignored the advice given by extradition expert James Lewis QC on the extradition of Galbaransingh and Ferguson. “Spoke with the PM and she is furious about the article. What about the reporter? Tag her as well”, Griffith asked “anan”, Rowley said, quoted the e-mail. Rowley satirised that PM “whoever that is, probably project manager—was angry”. Anan replied: “That f... whore don’t have f.. on me. More than likely she called Thomas at the Embassy. Do a trace on her. Every reporter has skeletons in their closet, and post it to our Facebook people. Find out how the f... she quoted from something (Lewis’ opinion) that she has no access to. I want this by this evening and I want to know who is her source?” Rowley stated: “When the rest of us are in our beds, seven minutes to midnight, whoever is kamlabp1@gmail.com cyar sleep, “and wrote the following e-mail on September 10: “The US contacted me and are f... angry. I thought you had a hold on this. This will cause major backlash. They even threatened to blacklist us.
Come up with a plan, AG”. On September 11, the next day, anan@gmail.com writing t o captaingarygriffith@hotmail.com, continued to hammer the reporter, Denyse Renne. “Something is not right with that bitch. She knows too much. Did you find out her source? I was the only one who had this and she does not know Lewis. She does not know any QC. That I found out from her court colleague. She quoted things and asking questions to lawyers that no one knows. Did you find out anything over how things are at the DPP?” The response to this e-mail was: “She (the reporter) has a file. It is really touch and go. She was in Florida at an institution in 2003, attempted suicide. Her family are PNM. Dad was in jail and recently released. Also added some stuff and sent it to facebook, they will take it from there”. Said Rowley: “All that he...whoever that Captain Griffith is...was digging up was not enough. He (captain) say, ‘I will add some stuff’.. We see in an e-mail that somebody is going to set out to defame and slander her (Renne). And of course, we have the corroboration of the e-mail attacking the report in the context of the timing of this e-mail. (There was a poison e-mail against Renne which was sent to many persons). Rowley said that by September 19, an email from anan@gmail.com goes to surujrambachan@hotmail.com stating: “This bitch is becoming a problem to me. I am told she has copies of documents and possibly cheques. I don’t want to leave anything to chance. I want that dealt with. Find a way. I passed info to FB - (that is Facebook)- and they would f.. her up. That’s not enough”. “Do something else to slow her up. PM is angry. I assured her that things will be good. I feel like I failed. Just deal with that bitch soon. If she has what I think, then we will all be implicated”. Asked Rowley: “Who is so panicked by a reporter
who might have cheques and who might be in a position to implicate all of them?” Rowley said “Suruj” replied: “What do you have in mind? Does she drive, walk? Do you know her movements? She should meet and discuss”. The Opposition Leader said anan@gmail.com replied: “I don’t care what you do. Just deal with the problem soon. Gary has the file on her. Whatever is done, let it be done through a third party. This is getting out of hand. PM is frantic and is begging me for a distraction. I don’t think anything on Hart will provide that”. Rowley said he presumed the Hart was Calder Hart. Rowley said the e-mail from anan@gmail continued: “I gave her (the PM) assurance that things will be okay. I also advised her to get rid of Volney.” The PNM Leader noted that the e-mail was dated September 19 and Volney was fired shortly thereafter. In another e-mail “suruj” told “anan”: “She will face opposition if she even contemplates getting rid of you.” Rowley said he received these e-mails six months ago. He said the strength of the e-mail lay in the fact that the contents were corroborated by the developments in the country and the actions of the Government at the time. He said he had given the then President of the country (George Maxwell Richards) the e-mails. He said yesterday that he was calling on the DPP to investigate. He said the Integrity Commission was also critical because the emails pointed to misbehaviour in public office. “I also call on the Integrity Commission to discharge its responsibility...And insofar as there is no Integrity Commission in place, I call on the President to immediately ensure that there is an Integrity Commission in place so that these matters can be investigated properly in short order”.
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Kaieteur News
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WANTED Business property for rent in Central Mackenzie- Tele: 444-5883/687-9992 One live-in maid to work in Georgetown- Call: 697-6747 One female experienced cook and kitchen assistant to work in home in InteriorCall:697-6747 One Live-in Babysitter for Georgetown age 18-30call:697-6747 Land in La Parfaite Harmonycall: 675-7292 2 General workers: Shift system- Call:225-6337
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Experienced driver & dispatchers to work in Gem’s Taxi- call:627-9424/227-0638 General domestic maid on E.B.D; 1 Handy Man, 1 Small Engine Mechanic 3 yrs experience- call:233-2408 Sawmill in Coverden, E.B.D: Immediately needs Edger operator - call: 609-8727/ 6835759 One female clerk- call:2315171 1 Attractive waitresscall:678-1481 Need 2 BarbersContact:683-1534 Need immediately, Diesel Mechanic familiar with John Deere engines- call:6098727/683-5759 Urgently wanted 1 house lot to buy: No Residential areacall:617-6015 Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252/674-4665 Sales girls apply in person with written application @ Best Buy Food Supplies: Middleton & Dennis St. Campbellville To buy one House Lot in Eccles, Providence, Herstelling area- Call: 6535941 Experienced and reliable assistant cook, bar attendant, waitressContact: 223-6284 Leisure Air Restaurant Handy Boys: Apply to Shanta’s @ 225 Camp & New Market Streets Office Clerk: CXC English/ Mathematics- Call:225-0188/ 225-6070 Business place wanted for rent: Preferably a bar space located in Central Georgetown- Contact Miss Lee: 618-5873 Person for security duties. Eccles area, call 227-1830
TO LET Secret Villa apartment, fully furnished apartments Landof-Canaan E.B.D - Call: 2665243/266-5245 Harmony Inn Apartments: Fully furnished, air conditioned apartments $5000 per night- Call:668-0306/ 6947817/602-8769 Furnished 2 bedrooms Apt to let- call:665-2548/693-0710 Fully furnished short term apartments, Eccles call: 6896668 Furnished 2 bedrooms Apt $US 50-60 daily- call:665-2548 Diamond- $75,000; Kitty$80,000; Bel Air-US $1800; Brickdam -US$6,000- call Diana:227-2256/626-9382 Furnished two- bedroom apartment in Linden for short term. Local & overseas guests: Hot & cold- call:6144415/444-4704
SALON New classes Cosmetology , Nails, Wigs, Designs, Make-Up, HairStyling; call Abby 2161950, 666-5241, 619-7603 Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call 660-5257, 6471773 Natural Beauty Salon & Spa: Grove Market Street EBD tele:265-4138,652-5800 specialized in everything for women & children
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY M E R C U R Y (QUICK SILVER) 9 9 . 9 9 9 9 5 % PURITY - $20,000 PER POUND CALL:604-6108 HID lights call: 642-2850 House and Land for sale @ D-Edward W.C.B- call:6892973/675-8518 1,000 LBS Scale $200,000/ obo- call:611-5929 125 HP Yahama Outboard engine –Call:611-5292 Dell laptops & desktops complete computers from $55,000 Futuretech, call: 2312206 3 Fridges: 2 Kenmore & 1 GEcontact:616-2338 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call:225-9032,647-2943 Rock star hollow blocks available in large quantity in 3",4" & 6" call: 269-1406, 617-9230 Lumber Sales, dressed (B) grade quality at Lumber Master Sawmill - Tele: 6845868 Marine parts, engines 120400HP Cummins/ Perkins, GM. Propellers, Transmissions, Shafts, All electronics, GPS, Radios- call:674-3735/652-8970
FOR SALE One 500 ton cargo ship with contract- call:687-6174 Purpleheart panel doors $28,000: Sizes (30", 32", 34", 36") × 80- call: 688-9712/6390501 Scrap aluminum for saleCall:226-8100/621-4839 50 pairs of steel scaffolding for sale- call:226-8100/6214839
Pure Rottweiler pupscall:220-6879 Fluffy Pups - Call: 642-6664 1 Perkings 4 cyclinder engine #248- call:604-1140 or 6919844 Swamee & Sons Lumber yard @ 2nd Street Herstelling: Best quality & price for rough & dressed lumber- Call: 6141466/ 686-9485 Khemraj & Son landscaping - Call: 6275969; 18 months coconut tree, plant for sale, mould for sale, trimming plants Brand new Asus desktop computers for just $100,000call: 645-9459 2006 Toyota Allion (white) $2.2M Neg- Call:639-6852 Live/pluck chicken call:6504421,220-9203 1 Flock sheep and goats and flock Rams- Call: 696-8103
CAKES & PASTRIES Courses for: Bridal accessories, Cake decoration & Floral arrangements, Cake and Pastry - contact Sharon: 672-8768/ 223-3303/612-4193
MASSAGE American Style massage services- Call:609-4036 The Gent’s spa: Come be pampered by beautiful sophisticated masseuses four hands special call:657-5979
EDUCATIONAL LEARN TO DANCE LATIN STLE:SALSA, MERENGUE, WALTZ, TANGO, ETC. COME & FEEL THE EXCITEMENT CALL: 6126475, 629-8842 Electronic Course- PracticalBeginning 3rd June: Limited space available: Abdul Electronic, 226-6551/225-0391 Lessons! Lessons! Forms 15: Maths, English & Accounts- Call:266-1587/ 613-3871/ 616-9415. Imperial College- Register Now: CXC 2014 fulltime/ lessons/adults classes: Excellent results-call: 6835742/227-7627
GMC Ton Truck, scrapNissan 720 pickup, one Industrial Lathe: Call Richard: 609-7675/233-2614 4 Cylinder Perkins Engine and 45 (gal) Plastic Barrelscontact Nicky @ tele:2267948 or 646-6000 3 Tons Bedford dump-truck, Scania long wheel base with Hyab and drop-tail- Call:2704485
Wednesday May 22, 2013
TOURS May 25th -27th: Suriname, Boa Vista-Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago, Kaieteur Falls - Call: 264-2851: Email: fallsviewtours@yahoo.com www.fallsviewtoursgy.com May 26th & 27th: Santa Mission, Fort Island, White Water- Call Joy: 218-1285/ 649-9059/692-3114 Specials to Kaieteur Falls: Daily Transportation to Suriname, Lethem etc. Call: CETS 225-2566/645-7333
VEHICLE FOR SALE 1-55 Leyland Daf excellent working condition have all documents ready to workcall:680-2095/261-5401 Black CRV: PMM seriescontact:692-5460
SERVICES Computer repairs: Reloading done for lowest priceContact:654-5638 or 672-7194 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call:225-9032,647-2943 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar Permanent & Visitors Vi s a Applications, Profressional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building: Call: 225-6496, 662-6045, 223-8115 Have somewhere for rent or sale? Contact D&J Investments: 223-8479/6473768 Technician specialized in repairs & servicing to washers, dryers, fridges, A/C units & stoves: Home Servicing available - call: 661-5099 Galaxy Tours: Bus service for tours, Airport, Springlands, Moleson Creek, Weddings, groups etc- call:629-5913/675-3093 Spraying of Vehicles- Call: 681-6603 House plans & estimatescontact T. Boodhoo: 6259883/675-9296 Computers repairs in HomesCall: 675-7292 Service & Repairs for Jet Skis, Jet Boats, ATVs, Inboard & Outboard (2 & 4 strokes) engine- call:694-7949 We Refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING FOR ONLY $10,000CALL:694-9843/227-2766 Ribbon printing and favors for any occasion- call:6169201/227-2766
VEHICLE FOR SALE Cruiser Auto Sales: Unregistered: Toyota Fielder, New Raum, Noah, Mazda, Axela- call:603-9700 Toyota Spacio: PNN series $1.9M negotiable- call: 6008338 Smart Choice Auto: Unregistered Runx, Allion call:652-3820,665-4529 1 Toyota Land-cruiser Prado PMM series- call:225-0188/ 225-6070 93 L.H.D Honda Accord: Excellent conditionCall:623-8909 First Class Auto (03 & 06) Allion, (03 & 04) Spacio, (01) Carina, (07) Axio, VerossaCall:609-8188/226-2689 Axio, Blue Bird, Pitbull: Going cheap- Call:697-0294 Leading AutoUnregistered: Allex, Runx, Spacio, IST, Allion, Premio, Tacoma (06), F150 (06)- Tele: 677-7666/ 610-7666 Bush Truck model M, GNN series, have winch and needs repairs $1.7 millionCall:674-3735/652-8970 2 New shape Avensiscall:698-0674 (2) F-150 Trucks, blue$1.8 million, white-$2.5 million: Both in very good working conditionCall:674-3735/652-8970 Toyota Allion 2.6 Million Negotiable- Tele:616-3001 RZ mini-buses, AT192, 212, Raum, unregistered Spacio, Canters, 100 Corolla, NZE, cheap cars- call:680-3154 LEYLAND DAF single axle, new gear box and new engine- call:613-6615/2161315 We buy & sell vehicles for cash; we also do trading-in of vehicles- call:680-3154 Mini bus RZ BLL Series: Excellent work conditionTele:622-3384/223-9955 Toyota- 4 Runner Surf, AT192, AT212, AT170, Ceres, EP82 & 71 Starlet, Solid DEF pickup, Nissan E24 van- call:644-5096 1 AT 170 Carina $600,000: 1 AE91 Sprinter $350,000Call:638-1666/650-6339 Unregistered: Premio $2.550M, Allion $2.450M, Pitbill $3.3M, N. Bluebird $2.9M, Verossa $3.350M, 212 $1.950M, used NZE $1.4M- Call: 663-0584 White Rav4: Excellent condition- Call:624-3950/ 225-5568/219-3972 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table - Call: 277-0578 (Continued on page 31)
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 31
Over 1500 laptops given out in Region 4 With a total of 28,000 laptops already in the hands of families in numerous communities countrywide, the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Secretariat yesterday commenced the rolling out of a massive distribution exercise, targeting Region Four-Demerara/Mahaica. This will see, over the next few weeks, a total of 6,000 laptops being placed in the hands of recipients from the East Coast, East Bank and Georgetown. Yesterday, several teams from the OLPF Secretariat fanned-out across the region, and distributed over 1,500 laptops at several locations. On the East Coast, at the All Star Sports Club, Supply, Mahaica, 78 laptops were distributed to recipients of Supply and Strathavon, while at Chowbay’s residence, Helena, another team distributed 257 of the devices. In Georgetown, at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, 280 laptops were distributed to residents of Sophia, 170, at an exercise at the Hebrew Family of Guyana in North Ruimveldt to residents of South Ruimveldt Park, Lamaha Springs and Festival City, while 139 were presented at the Guyana Islamic Trust building in Albouystown to residents of Albouystown, Laing Avenue, Yarrow Dam, Riverview,
Ruimveldt and Alexander Village. PPP Member of Parliament Manzoor Nadir was in attendance at the exercise in Albouystown. He spoke to recipients about the genesis of the OLPF initiative, and the importance of the exercise, which he explained is for the social, economic and personal development of the recipients. “This piece of equipment that we have given out ought to bring to all of us opportunities; this is not about $60,000 the Government is giving you, this is about opportunities. This instrument that you are getting today is an important tool in you and your f a m i l y ’s development,” he said. The PPPC Government will be spending a huge sum to make the Guyanese people among the most computer literate in the world, as part of a strategy of ensuring that every citizen is fully equipped to take advantage of opportunities brought about by Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) that are currently driving the world. Nadir also explained that while the first 27,000 laptops that were distributed at the cost of over US$7M to the Government, this batch forms
part of 33,000 that was covered under a grant from the Government of China. He said that government could have used this grant for a number of other initiatives, but recognised the need to create the opportunity for Guyana’s children, and families to be educated in the use of such a device that drives the world. “…this One Laptop Programme is at tremendous sacrifice to people, because every dollar we spend on this programme could have been spent to do something else,” Nadir said as he urged that they care the laptops. He also advised the recipients that training in the use of the equipment is mandatory, and should the recipient not be able to attend all the training sessions; a family member must seek to do so. PPPC MP Indra Chandarpal also spoke to the recipients at the exercise in Supply Mahaica. At some of the distribution centres, recipients also benefited from the beginning of their mandatory ten-hour training; a condition attached to receiving complete ownership of the device. At other locations, recipients were only instructed on the basics, such as starting and shutting down
the device, as well as on care and maintenance. These recipients however, registered to commence their training, which is scheduled to begin this week. Government in 2011 among other initiatives launched the flagship OLPF programme. Pioneered by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, the programme’s goal is to place in the hands of 90,000 families a laptop, to provide, training in the equipment and free internet access to use the laptop. Come September, Government will complete installing infrastructure networks inclusive of fibre optic cables that will realise this free internet access, along with high speed delivery of e-Government content to all inclusive of the laptop recipients. A command of the use of ICT by all citizens has the potential to facilitate dramatic increases in social and economic welfare, and to catalyse major transformative changes in Guyana. The OLPF Secretariat will continue its Region Four distribution exercise tomorrow. Residents of Campbellville and Lodge are among those that will benefit from that distribution exercise. (GINA)
PANCAP hosting third capacity building workshop Approximately fifty persons living with HIV/ AIDS (PLHWAs) from 16 Caribbean countries are being trained at a two-day capacity-building workshop, in Trinidad and Tobago, hosted by the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS Coordinating Unit (PANCAP) and the Caribbean Network for People Living with HIV and AIDS. With funding support from the Global Fund Round nine Grant, the workshop
which began yesterday and ends today, is the third of its kind on the Caribbean HIV epidemic and the regional response for PLHWAs. The training is organized to enable PLWHAs to advocate for universal access to services and to apply the principles of community competence to prevention treatment and care. It is expected that participants will be integrated into their national response as advocates and service
providers to get people into service. According to CARICOM, the available evidence suggests that social and cultural barriers reflected in the legal, policy, and other arrangements, hinder acceptance and integration of PLWHAs and persons affected by HIV, as well as of those most vulnerable to the virus. According to the PCU Global Fund Strategy Officer, Mr. Dereck Springer, “directly and indirectly these obstacles
drive the HIV epidemic, because they restrict access to HIV services, particularly by groups that are also marginalized for other reasons, such as sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, drug users, youth and migrants…..it is therefore important to continuously facilitate an enabling environment for universal access to HIV services for everyone, whoever they are and wherever they are”.
(From page 30) PROPERTY FOR SALE At Clifton Port Mourant: Prime location on public roadContact:905-595-1813/6136795 or 322-5270/624-8799
1-3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathroom: House & Land located @ D’Edward Village W.C.B: Price $18M negotiable- call: 613-9438/679-9162
FOR RENT Two bedrooms house in Diamond- Call:264-1445 and 670-8793 2 Bedrooms apartment $55,000- Newly renovated Call: 674-3735/652-8970 Newly constructed apartments, with & without A/C: Parking & security available, L.B.I East CoastCall:628-8008/603-0000 Hutsonville, E.B.D: Furnished 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Bungalow with all modern convenience$100,000 Call:697-4131 Barber Stations: Located in Kitty- Call:646-0268 Rooms - Call: 225-3234 Farm with house at Yarrowkabra, Linden Highway: Water, light, chicken & pig pens: fully fenced- call: 686-7180 2 Bedrooms apartment: Working couple preferablyCall:656-2460
One two bedrooms concrete flat, 12th street Diamond Housing Scheme- $11 million - Call: 226-2924 or 613-9085
Fully furnished apartments to rent on E.C.D & Central Georgetowncontact Stefan:223-8479/647-3768
VACANCY Popular 24 hour East Coast Guyoil needs day & night pump attendants, sales girl, cleaners/maintenance- Tele: 698-5559/ 684-2838
CAR RENTAL Progressive Auto Rental cars from $4000 per day. Call 643-5122, 225-8711; email w w w. p r o g r e s s i v e a u t o rental.com Adian’s car rental- Tele:6987807
Versailles 5 Bedroom House with modern facilities and beautiful landscape- Call: 592-684-9203 / 592-624-8704 Prospect $13M, L.B.I $38M, Quamina Street $58M, Diamond $22M- call Diana:227-2256/626-9382 Two business properties @ Whim public road; 1 House & Land 4th street Whim, Corentyne: Price negotiablecontact:231-5171/619-7134 One 3 storey concrete building @ 26 Sussex street; Two-2 Storey; Two-3 Storey @ NonPriel & Sussex streetcontact Molly 226-3497 Business Property for sale, lot 32 Timehri public roadTele:667-6554 House for sale- Contact: 6090062
2 Skilled Upholsters and 1 Frame Builder- Call:6794396/220-8107 Clerical Staff: Computer literate: No age barrier: Apply @ Risans 51 Main St. Vacancy exists for drivers and porters: Apply to Alabama Trading Georgetown ferry stelling Stabroek Porters, lumber clerk, wood mizer operator, moulder operator, lorry driver @ Eccles Industrial Site: Call Richard 609-7675/ 233-2614 Sales girl (shift) must be computer literate: Phatz Style Boutique @ 16E Durban Stcall:227-0501 LEARN TO DRIVE B & C Driving School, pick up & drop off, call:2250150,229-7258,680-6826
Car Rental- Tele:643-1131 Premio, Vitz call: 689-6668 Adian’s car rental/PickupTele:698-7807 Fab’s Rental: Cars to rentcall:671-6051 or 609-6890
LAND FOR SALE Multiple house lots on E.C.D- contact Stefan:6473768/223-8479 7 Acres cultivated with house, 2 Acres cultivated, 2-1 Acres cultivated contact: 226-7968 House lot for sale: Friendship EBD & drafting of house plans call:223-0733, 223-0730
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Kaieteur News
President apologises to APNU leader for oversight Presidential Adviser on Governance Gail Teixeira yesterday during an interview with the National Communications Network said that President Donald Ramotar has issued an apology to Opposition Leader Mr. David Granger. This followed the decision by members of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), to walk out of a meeting convened to discuss the amendments to the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill. The opposition left the meeting after they were instructed not to take part in any further discussions by APNU’s leader. This was as a result of a perceived slight by the Opposition over a letter not being shared with them by the President. Teixeira, in reading a part of the President’s correspondence to Mr. Granger, stated that, “I received that correspondence on April 12, 2013, at which time, the Office of the President was pressing for the resumption of budget talks with the parliamentary opposition and preparing for same. Importantly, I was made aware of the situation surrounding Guyana’s compliance to the CFATF obligations derived from the outcome of the CFATF/ICRG assessments. I was equally aware of the planned intervention in collaboration with local, regional and international stakeholders in organizing a workshop on the same matter on Wednesday, April 17.”
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President Donald Ramotar The letter further stated that, “It is in that context that the omission took place during which I may have committed the imagined slight as your May 20, 2013 correspondence intimates. I can assure you that no such slight was ever intended as your participation was expected at the workshop where the status of Guyana’s situation was the key agenda item.” Teixeira said that while she appreciates that, “Mr. Granger may have felt some type of slight, it must be recognised that the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) encouraged the Head of State, and it was the president’s discretion, to invite who he wanted to, to a workshop where the issues surrounding the critical piece of legislation and recommendations by the oversight group of the CFATF, would be discussed. She noted, “The President in a generous way, quickly responded to a letter that he received the same day and tried to reach Mr. Granger, and also submitted a copy of this letter, both electronically and hard copy. We have received no
response and further attempts to reach Mr. Granger have been unsuccessful”. Ultimately, Ms. Teixeira, said, the possibility of meeting the internationally stipulated deadline for passing the critical piece of legislation is “very slim”. Initially tabled on April 22, the Parliamentary opposition voted however, to defer the bill after its reading in the National Assembly on May 7 to the Special Select Committee for consideration. That committee was expected to conclude its work by today (May 22). The Special Select Committee comprises government representatives Gail Teixeira, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh and the AG. On the opposition side, representing the Alliance for Change is Khemraj Ramjattan, whilst A Partnership for National Unity is represented by Deborah Backer, Joseph Harmon, Basil Williams and Carl Greenidge. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global watchdog against financial crimes, will meet in Nicaragua from May 27-30 and will examine how Guyana and other countries in the Caribbean are meeting international obligations. If Guyana does not pass the amendments within the given timeframe (May 27), then it shall be placed on a list with other delinquent countries, and would be visited with a regime of sanctions which will include restrictions in the manner that Guyana does business internationally especially involving wire transfers of funds. Once placed on that list, it takes an average of approximately seven years to come off. (GINA)
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Threat of financial blacklisting…
Govt. afraid its ‘boys’ pockets will run dry The government is rushing to avoid financial blacklisting because the “parallel economy”, overflowing with illicit funds which benefits its ‘boys’, could be dried up, Khemraj Ramjattan, leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) said yesterday. The government’s efforts to rush through amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2013 (AML/CFT) by at least today have failed. The Special Parliament Committee examining the amendments is not done with its work, so there is no report to put to the House for a vote today. The government wants the amendments passed before it faces the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) next week. The Task Force could recommend a host of sanctions which could stifle illicit funds which benefit government functionaries, Ramjattan asserted. He said the type of controls the amendments could put in place also caused the government to drag its feet on the issue, and it is now accusing the opposition of dancing. Guyana has been listed as being partially-compliant in its monitoring of “politically exposed persons” (PEPs) as recommended by the internationally-recognised Financial Action Task Force. This recommendation is designed to prevent the flow of money laundering and fraud by prominent, politically connected people. If the blacklisting goes into effect, bank officials must
- Ramjattan take reasonable measures to establish the source of wealth and source of funds and conduct enhanced ongoing monitoring of the business relationship.” “This means that ‘the boys’ will have to take their monies elsewhere than where they usually have it stashed. Here is another reason why the PPP was since 2009 doing all in its capacity to drag this thing out for as long as possible,” Ramjattan told Kaieteur News. He said that even when the Bill is eventually passed in the House, whenever that is, the PPP will not do much to implement it. The AFC has said it will not support the amendments unless the government signals concrete efforts to set up the Public Procurement Commission and unless President Donald Ramotar rethinks assenting to two Bills passed by the National Assembly. On Monday, the major opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), withdrew from the work of the committee over the fact that the government ‘ducked’ a letter from the (CFATF) which recommended that it (the letter) be shared with the Leader of the Opposition, the Parliamentary opposition and other stakeholders. The letter had said that Guyana’s report to the May 2013 CFATF Plenary should be comprehensive, in writing, and submitted to the Secretariat well ahead of the Plenary meeting and in any event by May 6, 2013.” The AFC said that among several issues of the utmost national importance outlined in the letter were several warnings and references to various earlier notifications to the Government of Guyana of the precarious position that Guyana was potentially exposed to since November 2012. The CFATF noted the government’s assertions to refocus the national efforts towards implementing measures set out in Guyana’s
AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan action plan, but pointed to several missed deadlines. “The AFC considers the suppression of the letter by the Government of Guyana from the Opposition and the people of Guyana a betrayal of immense proportions,” the party said in a statement. The AFC said “it (Govt.) ducked the letter from the CFATF to President Donald Ramotar and after having placed the country in great jeopardy and missing several deadlines, came with reptilean tears to the nation warning of the dire consequences of failure to support the Bill.” As a result, the party said that it is now clear that this government’s commitment to stamp out money laundering is highly questionable. “The AFC is of the firm view that the Government’s recklessness in the management of the country’s national and international affairs is nothing short of treachery. The country is now forced to seriously consider what other matters of national importance have been hidden from the nation.” The party said that it views the sustained attacks by Government on the Opposition on this issue as a smokescreen, to hide its delinquent behaviour in not pursuing reforms to fight financial crimes as required. “The accusations of ‘political pettiness’, ‘insensitivity’ and ‘irrationality’ aptly describe the PPP/C government,” the AFC stated.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
China eyes India, but latter wary (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, smiling and effusive, was out to smooth ruffled feathers in India this week, promising to ease tensions and increase trade between Asia’s fastest growing economies in his first trip overseas since taking office. “China will make your dream come true,” Li told a banquet hall filled with Chinese and Indian business executives in the financial capital of Mumbai as he wound up his visit on Tuesday. China’s overtures, which come amid worries in Beijing that it is being encircled by
the United States and its allies, however met with a cool response. India has been shaken by a recent border spat with China and is cautious about Beijing’s friendship with rival Pakistan, where Li flies on Wednesday. New Delhi is also concerned about a ballooning trade deficit with China and a flood of cheap Chinese-made goods undercutting local manufacturers. While India’s relations with the United States are cordial and it is a major purchaser of its weapons, New Delhi has stayed away from a close strategic alliance.
Heavy security escort Mubarak to court
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak CNN) — A medicallyequipped helicopter ferried former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to court Saturday, where 3,000 security personnel were gathered to maintain peace, state TV reported. At least 25 armored vehicles secured the court venue. The former autocratic leader faces retrial in the killings of hundreds of civilian protesters who took to the streets for two weeks in early 2011 to demand his removal from office after three decades of rule. Hundreds more civilians went missing during the revolution and remain unaccounted for. Past court appearances have stirred protests against him as well as impassioned supporters outside Cairo’s police academy, where the trial is being held. Both sides have clashed violently in the past. Mubarak appeared on the first day of the retrial with other defendants in a cage,
where defendants are customarily seated for trial in Egypt. He lay on a stretcher but appeared alert and wore dark sunglasses. Family members of those killed gathered outside the police academy and remained calm. Saturday’s appearance follows a previous attempt at a retrial in April, which ended abruptly when a judge recused himself and walked out of the courtroom amid jeers from angry onlookers. Some of them were relatives of protesters who were killed during the Egyptian revolution. The former strongman, who stepped down on February 11, 2011, and his former interior minister, Habib al-Adly, were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison last year on charges that they were complicit in the protesters’ killings. Mubarak’s sons, his interior minister and six of his security aides also face trial. The defendants were granted a retrial after appealing their convictions.
“We would not like to see India become a tool of other major countries, especially the U.S., to counterbalance or check or contain China,” said Hu Shisheng, an India specialist at CICIR, a Chinese government-backed think tank in Beijing. “We want, through closer relations, to support New Delhi’s policy that maintains equal distance. It’s not realistic to expect India to be closer to one country than the other.” Li, who is travelling with executives from 41 Chinese companies, said the two rapidly-growing economies should free up bilateral trade and do more business together, instead of relying on others for development.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
Wolf Warriors & Port... From page 43 ricocheted into the open as the batters scampered home in time for the much needed single, to the jubilation of the Karibee Rice team and supporters, led by sponsor and General Manager Mahindra Persaud. In earlier play in the male competition - Port Mourant defeated Karibee Rice boys by 7 wickets: Scores – Karibee Boys 106-5 in 10; Port Mourant 110-3 in 8.1. Wolves Warriors won from Universal DVD by 25 runs; Wolf Warriors 124-6 in 10, Universal DVD 99-6. Port Mourant whipped Skeldon by 9 wickets; Skeldon 63 all out in 8 overs, Port Mourant 64-1 in 4.1. In another game, Wolf Warriors squeezed past Capo XI by 3 wickets – Capo XI 119 for 6 off their 10. Wolf Warriors 120-7 off 9.2 overs. In the female category,
Karibee Rice Girls defeated Blairmont by 7 wickets. Blairmont 76-4 off their 10 overs, in reply Karibee Rice Girls 77-3 off eight. Mike’s Wellwomen got the better of Trophy Stall Angels by 4 wickets in a close encounter. Trophy Stall Angels 1126 off their 10 overs. Well Women 115-5 off nine. Trophy Stall Angels then took third place after squeezing past Blairmont by 6 wickets. Blairmont batted first and reached 42-5 off five. Trophy Stall Angels in their turn at the crease reached 48-4 off 5 overs. At the presentation ceremony Captain Nikita Toney and sponsor Mohindra Persaud collected the winning trophy and cash from the organisers. Abena Parker collected the runner up prize on behalf of Wellwomen. (Samuel Whyte)
CONCACAF aids TTFF to settle World... From page 43 and its leadership for their continued quest to move past matters forward and build for the future development and growth of the game in the country.” The source of the funds to pay the 2006 Soca Warriors and settle the near sevenyear-long conflict with the TTFF was collected from unclaimed commercial and broadcast revenue, which CONCACAF assisted in identifying through an exhaustive audit of the Federation’s financial statements. “I am glad that CONCACAF could have been of assistance to the Federation and will continue to set a clear roadmap that restores the integrity of the game in the region. We look forward to maintaining our joint efforts to continue developing football, as it is our duty to sup-
Wednesday May 22, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): You’re excited to express what’s on your mind today, but by day’s end you may wish you hadn’t said so much. Even if you believe your ideas are good ones, it’s likely that changing your tactics will be in order anyway.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): It isn’t easy to be around those who lose their composure over trivial things. But even if you feel like you’re the one riding an emotional roller coaster today, you probably have enough common sense to wait for a better moment to express yourself.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): It’s challenging to remain receptive if someone places emotional demands on you today.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You’re on edge after the evocative Moon enters your intense sign this afternoon, and you could exhaust yourself if your mood swings are too tricky to manage.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Your goal is to stay neutral in a complex political squabble that’s unfolding at work. But you grow less interested in idle chatter and more entangled in the current melodrama as the day wears on. CANCER (June 21–July 22):
Your mind is sharp today, yet you might be feeling lingering anxiety as you try to put the pieces of your life back into place. The mists are dissipating and you have more mental clarity now than you have had in a while. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): You wish you had more quiet time so you could revisit childhood memories ... unfortunately, you might not find exactly what you’re seeking anyway. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): You’re doing your best to live your life according to the limitations of other people’s rules and expectations.
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SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): You’re riding large waves of feelings that are probably better kept to yourself for a few more days while the Moon transits your 12th House of Privacy. CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): It’s hard to act on your good intentions now because your energy feels somewhat scattered. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): You’re feeling very passionate about your job today, which enables you to take on more responsibility without a lot of extra effort. But you aren’t in a mood to do everything in the same old way. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): You may be dreaming about taking a trip, and no one can talk you out of it no matter how hard they might try. Choose your destination as soon as possible and move forward with your planning.
port the younger generations in allowing them to fulfill their goals. I am confident this continued commitment and support will set yet another example of trustworthiness for the national football family. We are indeed hopeful to soon see a unified football community in Trinidad & Tobago,” added Webb. In March, CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb, along with General Secretary Enrique Sanz, invited TTFF President Raymond Tim Kee and Soca players Brendt Sancho and Shaka Hislop to a meeting in New York to discuss the availability of funds in order to fulfill the Federation’s commitment to satisfy the outstanding obligation to the 13 players. “I then had meetings with the president of Concacaf, Jeffrey Webb, who demonstrated a similar type of desire to assist, just that this time the person really assisting was him with the view of putting
some closure to the issue,” said Tim Kee. “I can tell you when Webb shared with me after several request for assistance that he had located funds that belong to us and asked me what I wanted to do, I told him a debt is a debt and
therefore at the top of our priority was settling our most vexatious and discomforting debt, one of promise to the players.” Tim Kee replaced Lennox Watson as TTFF President in November of 2012.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 22, 2013
GOLF ADOPTS RULE TO BAN ANCHORED PUTTING STROKE Golf’s two governing bodies outlawed the anchored putting stroke used by four of the last six major champions, approving a new rule that starts in 2016 and urging the PGA Tour to follow along so the 600-year-old sport is still played under one set of rules. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and the U.S. Golf Association adopted Rule 14-1b, which prohibits players from anchoring a club against their bodies. ‘’We strongly believe that this rule is for the betterment of the game,’’ USGA President Glen Nager said. ‘’Rule 14-1b protects one of the important challenges in the game the free swing of the entire club.’’ The decision Tuesday ends six months of sometimes rancorous debate. The rule was opposed by the PGA Tour and the PGA of America, which contended the stroke commonly used for long putters was not hurting the game and there was no statistical proof that it was an advantage. ‘’We recognize this has been a divisive issue, but after thorough consideration, we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf,’’ R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said at European Tour headquarters outside London. The next step - and perhaps the most important step - is for the PGA Tour to follow the new rule or decide to establish its own condition of competition that would allow players to anchor the long putters. Most believe that would lead to chaos in golf. If a special condition were allowed for the PGA Tour, it would mean players could not use the anchored stroke at the U.S. Open and British Open. Augusta National is likely to follow the new rule at the Masters. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said in February the USGA
and R&A would be ‘’making a mistake’’ to adopt the rule, though he also has stressed in just about every interview that it was critical for golf to play under one set of rules. The tour said in a statement it would consult with its Player Advisory Council and policy board to determine ‘’whether various provisions of Rule 14-1b will be implemented in our competitions, and if so, examine the process for implementation.’’ It declined further comment until then. ‘’I think it’s really important that the PGA Tour - and all the professional tours - continue to follow one set of rules,’’ USGA executive director Mike Davis said. ‘’We have gotten very positive feedback from the tours around the world saying that they like one set of rules, they like the R&A and USGA governing those. So if there was some type of schism, we don’t think that would be good for golf.’’ ‘’And we are doing what we think is right for the long-term benefit of the game for all golfers, and we just can’t write them for one group of elite players.’’ The new rule does not ban the long putters, only the way they commonly are used. Golfers no longer will be able to anchor the club against their bodies to create the effect of a hinge. Masters champion Adam Scott used a long putter he pressed against his chest. British Open champion Ernie Els and U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson used a belly putter, as did Keegan Bradley in the 2011 PGA Championship. PGA of America President Ted Bishop, who had some of the sharpest comments over the last few months, also said his group would discuss the new rule - and confer with the PGA Tour - before deciding how to proceed.
‘’We are disappointed with this outcome,’’ Bishop said. ‘’As we have said publicly and repeatedly during the comment period, we do not believe 14-1b is in the best interest of recreational golfers and we are concerned about the negative impact it may have on both the enjoyment and growth of the game.’’ Some forms of anchoring have been around at least 40 years, and old photographs suggest it has been used even longer. It wasn’t until after Bradley became the first major champion to use a belly putter that the USGA and R&A said it would take a new look at the putting style. The governing bodies announced the proposed rule on Nov. 28, even though they had no data to show an advantage. What concerned them more was a spike in usage on the PGA Tour, more junior golfers using the long putters and comments from instructors that it was a better way to putt. There was concern the conventional putter would become obsolete over time. The purpose of the new rule was simply to define what a putting stroke should be. ‘’The playing rules are not based on statistical studies,’’ Nager said. ‘’They are based on judgments that define the game and its intended challenge. One of those challenges is to control the entire club, and anchoring alters that challenge.’’ The topic was so sensitive that the USGA and R&A allowed for a 90-day comment period, an unprecedented move for the groups that set the rules of golf. The USGA said about 2,200 people offered feedback through its website, while the R&A said it had about 450 people from 17 countries go through its website. Among those who spoke in favor
MEXICO REVEALS ROSTER FOR BUSY SCHEDULE Mexico City - The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) unveiled on Sunday a list of 23 players called up to the men’s national team for matches through the conclusion of June’s FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. The six-time CONCACAF Gold Cup champion has a minimum of seven matches over that stretch, starting in Houston with a May 31 friendly against Nigeria. Domestic-based members of the squad, except those participating in the Liga MX final, are scheduled to start reporting to the FMF’s High Performance Center on Thursday. The six European-based players will be integrated upon the team’s arrival in Houston. The roster is highlighted by the inclusion of Javier Hernandez, who scored 10 goals this season in Manchester United’s run to the Premier League title. Monterrey’s Aldo De Nigris, the 2012-13
CONCACAF Champions League Golden Ball winner, was also selected by head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre. At 34-years-old, Cruz Azul midfielder Gerardo Torrado is the most-veteran player with 136 caps. MEXICO ROSTER May 23 - June 30, 2013 Goalkeepers: Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul), Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio/France), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca) Defenders: Severo Meza (Monterrey), Hiram Mier (Monterry), Héctor Moreno (Espanyol/Spain), Diego Reyes (Club America), Francisco Javier Rodriguez (Club America), Carlos Salcido (Tigres), Jorge Torres Nilo (Tigres) Midfielders: Javier Aquino (Villarreal/Spain), Pablo Barrera (Cruz Azul), Andrés Guardado (Valencia/ Spain), Héctor Herrera (Pachuca), Jesús Molina (Club America), Angel
Javier Hernandez Reyna (Pachuca), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Jesús Zavala (Monterrey) Forwards: Aldo De Nigris (Monterrey), Giovani Dos Santos (Mallorca/Spain), Javier Hernández (Manchester United/Manchester), Raúl Jiménez (Club America), Oribe Peralta (Santos)
In this May 9, 2013 file photo, Adam Scott of Australia putts on the 15th green during the first round of The Players championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. of the ban were Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker. ‘’I’ve always felt that in golf you should have to swing the club, control your nerves and swing all 14 clubs, not just 13,’’ Woods said Monday. Tim Clark and Carl Pettersson have used the long putter as long as they have been on the PGA Tour. Scott switched to the broom-handle putter only in 2011, and he began contending in majors for the first time - tied for third in 2011 Masters, runner-up at the 2012 British Open, his first major victory in the Masters last month. ‘’I don’t really have a backup plan,’’ Scott said at The Players Championship. ‘’I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and deal with it then. I don’t think there will be anything much for me to change. If I have to separate the putter a millimeter from my chest, then I’ll do that. ... My hand will be slightly off my chest, probably.’’
The putter would have to be held away from the body to allow free swing. Mark Newell, head of the USGA’s rules committee, said the rule would be enforced like so many others in golf - players would have to call the penalty on themselves. Bernhard Langer also uses a broom-handled putter, and the 55year-old German was on the leaderboard at the Masters on the weekend before tying for 25th. ‘’It’s very disappointing,’’ Langer told Golfweek magazine from St. Louis, where he was preparing for the Senior PGA Championship. ‘’We’ll have to wait to see what the PGA Tour says, and right now, we’re all guessing. If they make their own rule, then nothing changes. If they don’t make another rule, we’ll have to adjust. It’s been talked about and talked about and it’s just disappointing. I just don’t understand why it took them 40 years to come to their conclusion.’’
New York boasts its... From page 40 takes on Olympic 4x100m champion Bianca Knight. In the 400m, two-time World champion Jeremy Wariner will line up against World bronze medallist Kevin Borlee and 2011 US champion Tony McQuay. Current world leader Abeba Aregawi headlines the women’s 1500m field, which also includes 2008 Olympic champion Nancy Langat, 2010 World indoor champion Kalkidan Gezahegn, 2009 World bronze medallist Shannon Rowbury and World and Olympic 1500m finalist Morgan Uceny. A trio of Ethiopians could threaten the US all-comers’ record of 12:56.98 in the men’s 5000m. Olympic silver medallist Dejen Gebremeskel, World 10,000m Ibrahim Jeilan and World junior record-holder Hagos Gebrhiwet are all in the field, alongside Kenya’s John Kipkoech – one of three men in the field with sub-12:50 PBs. After running a world-leading
48.02 last weekend in Ponce, Johnny Dutch will once again race against two-time World silver medallist Javier Culson. Olympic silver medallist Michael Tinsley, who was a late withdrawal from Ponce, hopes to make a return for New York. Having started her Diamond League campaign with an astonishing 7.25m in Doha, World and Olympic champion Brittney Reese will face World silver medallist Olga Kucherenko and Olympic bronze medallist Janay DeLoachSoukup. Elsewhere in the jumps, Olympic champion Christian Taylor takes on 2009 World champion Phillips Idowu in the Triple Jump, and two-time World champion Blanka Vlasic competes against Olympic silver medallist Brigetta Barrett in the High Jump. In the women’s Javelin, Olympic silver medallist Christina Obergfoll will be up against World champion Mariya Abakumova and World bronze medallist Sunette Viljoen.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
HOME RUN! Man City strikes deal with Yankees to launch New York City FC Manchester City and the New York Yankees have agreed a groundbreaking partnership to create a brand new American soccer franchise named the New York City Football Club into the MLS for the 2015-16 season. As part of a deal exclusively revealed by Sportsmail in April, City will be the majority owner of the 20th franchise and the club’s stadium will be built in Queens, near to tennis venue Flushing Meadows. The deal is worth $100million (£66m) and City are hoping it will raise their profile in America, as well as becoming a potential extra source of both income and players. Ferran Soriano, Manchester City’s Chief Executive, said: ‘New York is a legendary sports town with an ever expanding soccer fan base. We are thrilled to contribute to the energy and growth of New York City soccer.’ The Mayor of New York, Michael R Bloomberg, said: ‘Soccer is one of the world’s most exciting and popular sports and it should be played on the world’s biggest stage, in New York City. ‘New Yorkers are the greatest sports fans in the world and they will welcome an MLS franchise with the full-throated and loyal support they are famous for. ‘Manchester City has a great reputation for winning teams and serious community
PARTNERSHIP: Joe Hart pitches a baseball at the home of the LA Dodgers and Patrick Vieira (right) coaches outside the Yankee stadium
investment and that will help them fit in well.’ Meanwhile MLS Commissioner Don Garver was delighted with the prospect and believed it would be great for the league. He said: ‘This is a transformational development that will elevate the league to new heights in this country.’ By picking Queens as the location for the stadium, the
Yankees are stepping on the toes of rival baseball side New York Mets. City are currently in the US ahead of postseason friendlies against Chelsea in St Louis and New York. Soriano added: ‘New York City FC will have a permanent home in the city in the great traditions of New York sports and world soccer — a home that must be a sports, commercial and civic success.
‘But in considering any stadium site, we will listen first. This is what we have always done in Manchester and what we will do in New York. Only in this way, can the club truly represent the city whose name it will carry.’ New York City FC are looking for an interim venue to play at before their new stadium is completed. (Mail Online)
LIONEL MESSI URGES BARCELONA NOT TO CHANGE THEIR STYLE OF PLAY Lionel Messi has urged Barcelona to stick with their distinctive style of play, despite failing to win this season’s Champions League. Barcelona lost 7-0 on aggregate to German side Bayern Munich in the semifinals of this year’s competition. That result led to suggestions that the Catalans’ ‘tiki-taka’ passing game had been overtaken by the German power. “We can’t lose our heads. We can’t change our style of play,” the 25-year-old attacker told Television Azteca. “You can’t always win,” added Argentina international Messi, the current World Player of the Year. “We’ve been playing our brand of football for years and Managers and teams have studied it. “We have to stay calm and focus
on next year.” However, defender Gerard Pique thought the Spanish club would have to change and said: “We are not the best any more, other teams are.” Club Vice President Josep Bartomeu has also stated his belief that “four or five” new signings are required. Despite their Champions League campaign ending in disappointment, Barca claimed the La Liga title back from Real Madrid with four games left to play. This success came amid repeated health fears for head coach Tito Vilanova, who was sidelined for three months in December following an operation in New York to treat throat cancer. Vilanova, 44, in his first season in sole charge of the club after moving up from assistant to replace former boss Pep Guardiola, has also
Page 39
Bonuses in store as plans continue for Port Mourant/ Jumbo Jet horserace meet Over $8M at stake Despite the inclement weather the organisers of the Port Mourant Turf Club/ Jumbo Jet Horserace Meet are throwing caution to the wind and are continuing with plans for the event set for Sunday June 16 at the Port Mourant Turf Club, Corentyne Berbice. The organisers are also working out a palatable Father’s day package for turfites who are expected to throng the venue in their thousands come race day. Among the goodies agreed to so far are free parking for vehicles, free programmes, a reduction in the entrance fee to 10% instead of 12%, no reduction in prize monies regardless of how few the entries are in the respective races and a reduction of the entrance fee to the ground to only $1,000. The organisers are also looking at a few other incentives which will be announced shortly all aimed at helping to make patrons feel special on the day. Over $8M is at stake for the ‘sport of kings’ with eight races carded for the day. The feature event is the C & Lower race over a distance of 1600M with the winner set to run away with $1M and trophy. The co-feature is for three year old horses bred and born in Guyana and the West Indies and will see the animals racing over a distance of 1400M for a winning pocket of $500,000 and trophy. The E & Lower 1400M event also has an attractive prize of $500,000 and trophy at stake.
Then there is an event for G & Lower animals over a distance of 1200M for a pole position taking of $400,000 and trophy up for grabs. There is another event for Three year old horses, this time those bred and born in Guyana over 1200M for an encouraging winners money of $300,000 and trophy. There is a race for two year old animals that it is envisaged will be running for the first time over a distance of 600M for a winner’s money of $300,000 and trophy. The ‘I’ & Lower gallop is also over 1200M for a first prize of $250,000 and trophy. There is the event for J and Lower horses also over 1200M for a winning purse of $200,000 and trophy. No late entries will be entertained and horses are subjected to reclassification before the start of the event. The events will be held under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. The top individual performers, including top Jockey and stable will receive accolades compliments of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market. Interested persons can contact Chandu Ramkissoon (624-9063 or 232-0633), Kris Jagdeo (624-6123; 322-0369), Rajendra 618-7278, Ramnauth 337-5311, Romel Jagroop (624-1798) and Sancho 6900569. Race time is 12:30hrs. Jumbo Jet has expressed the commitment to the improvement of horseracing in Guyana as they forge ahead with quality Meets. (Samuel Whyte)
Thunder star Kevin Durant makes $1M tornado pledge
Lionel Messi
travelled back to America this week for more “pioneering treatment”. Messi believed the Coach’s absence has had a destabilising effect on the team. “Things went well with Tito, because he practically didn’t change anything,” said Messi.
“But we noticed a change when he left, not because Jordi Roura or the training staff who stayed on didn’t do a good job but because we were missing our head manager. “It wasn’t the same. One year is a long time and it’s great that we can finish it by celebrating.”
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma City Thunder are giving $1 million for tornado relief, matching a $1 million pledge by star player Kevin Durant. The Thunder announced Tuesday that they’ll give $1 million to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other disaster relief organizations helping after Monday’s disaster in suburban Oklahoma City. Earlier in the day, Durant pledged $1 million to the Red Cross from his Durant Family Foundation intended to match other donations and be an incentive for more people to give. Red Cross’ regional CEO Janienne Bella said the organization was thankful for Durant’s ‘’generosity.’’
Kevin Durant The Red Cross is accepting $10 pledges from people who text ‘’REDCROSS’’ to 90999. People can also donate at the organization’s website. On Monday, Durant sent a message to his 4.1 million Twitter followers with Red Cross donation information.
Page 40
IAAF Diamond League (IAAF Website) - Clashes involving dozens of Olympic gold medallists and World champions will abound at the adidas Grand Prix – the first US leg of the 2013 IAAF Diamond League on Saturday, at Icahn Stadium. While several athletes are strong favourites, including 2012 Olympic gold medallist and World record-holder David Rudisha in the 800m, the deep fields across the board are the best in the meet’s nine-year history and promise a day of thrills. Three events in particular stand out for remarkable fields: the women’s Pole Vault, women’s 400m and men’s Shot Put. In the Pole Vault, 2012 Olympic champion and World indoor record-holder Jenn Suhr of the United States will again have to contend with Olympic silver medallist Yarisley Silva of Cuba, who has just been added to the field. But that’s only the beginning, because the field also includes World champion Fabiana Murer, European champion Jirina Svobodova of the Czech Republic, European indoor
Kaieteur News
New York boasts its CSK crush Mumbai deepest fields ever to reach fifth final champion Holly Bleasdale and two-time European indoor silver medallist Silke Spiegelburg of Germany. To showcase what is perhaps the best women’s Pole Vault field ever assembled in this country, organisers have made the bold decision to construct a temporary runway to offer fans the best-possible views of the competition. The runway, borrowed from the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden, will be laid down in the infield along the homestretch, parallel to the main stadium. The permanent runway, at the south end of the infield, is perpendicular to the stadium and not as spectator friendly. Reigning Olympic gold medallist and American record-holder Sanya Richards-Ross of the United States headlines the field for the women’s 400m as she makes her season debut. She will be challenged by current world-leader (49.88) Amantle Montsho of Botswana and 2008 Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain, giving the women’s 400m field the last three IAAF
Tyson Gay
Sanya Richards-Ross
Veronica CampbellBrown
David Rudisha
World champions – Ohuruogu won the World title in 2007, Richards-Ross in 2009, and Montsho in 2011. Rounding out a field that boasts the depth of an
JOURNALIST PENS BRIAN LARA’S BIOGRAPHY
W I S B E C H , Cambridgeshire - A Chatteris journalist has written a biography of one of the greatest cricketers of all time. James Fuller charts the life of West Indian batting genius Brian Lara in his first book Caribbean Lives: Brian Lara. Lara, who retired in 2008, holds the world record scores in Test cricket (400 not out), first-class cricket (501 not out) and the most runs in a test match over (28). Mr Fuller wrote the book during the six years he lived in Lara’s homeland of Trinidad and Tobago. He said: “I wanted to write about Lara’s career from the Caribbean perspective, as that had never been done before. “Living in the Caribbean gave me the time and opportunity to access people who were close to him at every stage of his life and career: coaches, teachers, neighbours, family, school friends, fellow players both amateur and professional people like Jimmy Adams and Deryck Murray, “I also wanted to transmit that sense of vibrancy and fun
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Bay of Plenty Times reporter James Fuller has written a book about West Indian cricket legend Brian Lara. Photo: Joel Ford which is so much a part of the Trinidadian culture; a culture which helped shape one of the greatest batsmen the world has ever seen.” Mr. Fuller has been a journalist for 13 years and was named the Newspaper Society’s UK Young Journalist of The Year in 2002. He now lives in Tauranga, New Zealand, where he is a senior writer at the Bay of Plenty Times.
A keen cricketer, he played for Ely and Haddenham for nearly 20 years and for Chatteris in 2011. He said: “Being a cricket fanatic of limited ability, writing a book was also the only way my name would ever be mentioned in the same breath as Brian Lara’s.” Caribbean Lives: Brian Lara, published by Macmillan, is available on Amazon from May
31.
Olympic final are Novlene Williams-Mills of Jamaica, Francena McCorory of the United States, and Shericka Williams of Jamaica. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Tomasz Majewski of Poland owns the most impressive hardware in the men’s Shot Put, but given the quality of the field he will have to work hard for the win. Also in the circle on Saturday will be the American trio of Christian Cantwell, the 2009 World Champion and 2008 Olympic silver medallist, 2007 World champion Reese Hoffa, and World indoor champion Ryan Whiting, who owns the longest throw in the world so far this year at 22.28m. Also in the field are Canadian duo Dylan Armstrong and Justin Rodhe and European indoor champion Asmir Kolasinac of Serbia. In the men’s 100m, 2007 triple World champion and American record-holder Tyson Gay, who leads the world this year with 9.86, will take on Jamaica’s Nesta Carter, USA’s Ryan Bailey and 2008 Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson. World and Olympic sprint finalist Marshevet Hooker will make her post-childbirth return in the women’s 100m, where she’ll face Olympic finalist Tianna MadisonBartoletta and World bronze medallist Kelly-Ann Baptiste. In the longer sprint, two-time Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown (Continued on page 38)
The IPL faced new crises - including a hearing for alleged spot-fixers about 10km from the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium and a hearing asking for a ban on the event itself - but on the field the same old story of Chennai Super Kings’ domination of big IPL matches continued as they made it to their fifth final out of the six IPLs played. Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina powered them with 80s, but the 192 seemed inadequate the way Dwayne Smith hit 68 off 28. Into the game came Ravindra Jadeja with the wickets of Smith, Dinesh Karthik and Kieron Pollard. Mumbai get another shot at making it to the final when they face the winner of the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals. Super Kings looked a bit hassled in the eight-over slog against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their previous match, but in a full-duration big match you always back them to get back to their best. It was a typical Super Kings performance. It was Hussey and Raina first, who hardly ever disappoint in big matches, with an unbeaten 140-run partnership. That partnership followed a solid unhurried opening between M Vijay and Hussey. Hussey and Raina then got together as if they have been playing IPL qualifiers on Feroz Shah Kotla tracks all their lives. There were no uncertain prods in the beginning, no hesitation in the
running. Hussey, who reclaimed the orange cap during the innings, was special in how he took apart Lasith Malinga. It was actually a good over from Malinga - the fifth of the match - featuring two excellent yorkers. Hussey not only kept the yorkers out, he pushed two balls of that over for fours. No back lift, just timing. Even when the two exploded towards the end, taking 123 runs off the last 10, it hardly looked like they were taking risks. It seemed the innings was headed towards its natural end. What followed wasn’t quite expected. Smith went absolutely berserk in the chase. Everything he touched seemed to be going for either four or six. He didn’t spare the opening bowlers nor Chris Morris. He laid into R Ashwin too and took Mumbai to 86 for 1 in seven overs. Then Dhoni went to what has been his trump card all season. On came Jadeja and just like that Smith sliced one inexplicably. Gone. Then went Karthik to a skidder: 95 for 3. Rohit Sharma fell under the pressure too, but when Pollard began to hit sixes, the flat track and small outfield promised anything was possible. Not against Jadeja, though. Two sixes in that over were followed by a dart into the pads, which Pollard happened to flick straight to square leg. That was game over, but Super Kings went on to show brilliant pieces of fielding and celebrations.
TCA 40-over tourney
Carmichael stars in Crusoe victory Guyanese Kellon Carmichael grabbed 4 wickets for 19 runs off 8 overs as Club Crusoe defeated C & B United by 6 wickets in the Tobago Cricket Association 40 over competition which continued recently. Hosts C&B United batted first and were sent packing for 91 in 19.2 overs; Marcus Daniel and Joel Boyce scored 22 each. Bowling for Crusoe, Kellon Carmichael took 4-19, Lusignan all-rounder Jason Persaud 3-13 and former Trinidad and Tobago allrounder Navin Steward 3-43. Crusoe replied with 92-4 in 15.3 overs. Navin Stewart led with 36 and Jahred Persaud 14 not out. Carmichael was named man of the match for
his spell. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Club Crusoe and Sports Elite played to an exciting tie. Crusoe took first strike after winning the toss and were bowled out for 185 in 39.5 overs; Kwani Thomas top scoring with 60* while Kellon Carmichael made 26. Bowling for Sports Elite Antonio Providence, Anthony Providence and Shaquille Duncan claimed 2 wickets apiece. Sports Elite in response managed 185-8 in 40 overs. Kellon Lynch led with 57, Antonio Providence 43 and Adrian Alexander 41 not out. Man-of-the-match Kellon Carmichael took 4-24 from 8 overs with 2 maidens.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Shelly-Ann launches Pocket Rocket Foundation Jamaica Observer - THE Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Pocket Rocket Foundation was officially launched last week at a ceremony at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. The foundation, founded and chaired by Olympic and World Champion athletics superstar Shelly-Ann FraserPryce, is focused on the development of promising young athletes in secondary schools by providing scholarships to cover their academic costs. “Our work at the foundation is about making sure our future athletes have the same and even better opportunities than I had,” the chairman said. Bruce James, president of the MVP Track and Field Club, who also serves as the foundation’s president, noted that “the foundation is pleased to offer scholarships to secondary school athletes that are eligible and meet the published criterion for the scholarships”. James further remarked, “...we are not focused on the particular sport you play, we are focused on the athlete as an individual. So all students,
Board of Pocket Rocket Foundation (from left) Donovan Walker, Raphael Walker, Jason Pryce (husband), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Paula Pinnock-MacLeod, Colleen Montague, Jeffrey Gordon, and Bruce James.
regardless of their sport pursuit, can apply to the Foundation for an academic scholarship.” Those who have followed Shelly-Ann’s meteoric rise to fame know that her exploits on the field would not be possible without the generous
support of donors overseas and locally. “I got the support I needed, and it made the difference. I wouldn’t be who and where I am today without it and the scholarships we offer here are investments in the development of sports in
Jamaica,” Fraser-Pryce said. She also commented that she was pleased to have the support of all her athletics sponsors on her new venture. The foundation also announced that it will partner with ISSA to host two PR semi-
nars annually for student athletes representing their schools locally and internationally. In addition to the chairperson and president, the foundation has five other board members — Donovan Walker, Jeffrey Gordon, Col-
leen Montague, Raphael Walker and Paula PinnockMacLeod. For further details on the criterion for receiving scholarships and to download an application form, please visit the foundation’s website at www.pocketrocketfoundation.com.
Shane Mosley plans to chase another Fit Samuels joins Windies at CT preparatory camp world title, so don’t ask him to retire One of the saddest sights in professional sports is trying to watch a one-time great who is well past his or her prime still trying to compete. Willie Mays is, arguably, the greatest all-around player in Major League Baseball history, but if you only saw him playing for the New York Mets in the 1973 World Series, you’d have a hard time believing that. Similarly, Johnny Unitas is one of the best quarterbacks to have ever lived, but definitely not to those who only saw him play for the San Diego Chargers. There have been countless boxers in similar situations and fans and media routinely plead with them to retire. Most recently, Roy Jones Jr. and Evander Holyfield have fallen in that situation, fighting on long since their skills have left them. Shane Mosley, the onetime lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight champion who is one of the best fighters of the last 20 years or so, is another of them. Mosley defeated Pablo Cesar Cano by a unanimous decision on Saturday in Mexico, winning for the first time in more than four years.
Shane Mosley (R) is 1-3-1 in his last five fights, but has no plans to retire (AP) The bout was not a farewell match, though. Mosley, now 41, tweeted on Monday that he not only has no plans to retire, he’s going to pursue another world title opportunity. The outrage among the fan base and the media was predictable, urging him to hang up his gloves. It would be a smart move to hang up his gloves, as there is no more dangerous sport for a man whose reflexes are diminishing. Boxing has no sympathy for the old, the slow and the less-talented. As former world
champion James Toney once said so perfectly, you play golf and you play baseball, but you don’t play boxing. Mosley would be smart to walk away. He still has his faculties, though some have expressed concern about the slurring in his speech. But he’s passed the medical requirements to be able to fight. And if he does, then it’s his right to fight. It doesn’t mean it’s right. It doesn’t mean it’s smart. And it doesn’t mean we have to watch. But if Mosley can meet the requirements to be
licensed to fight, then it’s up to him whether he does or not. Guys who fight too long are, unquestionably, a tragedy waiting to happen. Many of those who continue to fight long past the time when their skills would suggest they should do so because they need money. Mosley went through an expensive divorce a few years ago, but he tweeted to a fan that he still has “millions.” He wrote that his ex-wife “didn’t get it all still in the Millions and will be for a while not a fan of big spending” If he’s not fighting for money, perhaps it’s glory. It’s hard to walk away from the limelight after being the man everywhere you go for nearly 20 years. And it could be just the love of competition. Whatever it is, Mosley is within his right to fight. Of course, as a person who has covered all of his big fights and greatly admired his skill set, I’d rather he say goodbye. There is little good of trying to compete at his age with his diminished skills. If you’re repulsed by it, don’t watch. That tactic may ultimately be what gets him to step aside. If he’s not selling tickets and he can’t make money at it, he ultimately will walk away.
West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels, who returned home from the IPL in the last week of April with a groin injury, is back to full fitness. Samuels joined his team-mates at West Indies’ Champions Trophy preparatory camp, which started on Monday in Bridgetown, Barbados. Following the Barbados camp, CMC reported, West Indies will fly to the UK, where they will have a second preparatory camp in Cardiff. In Barbados, West Indies are without some members of their Champions Trophy squad - including new ODI captain Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard and Jason Holder - who are competing in the closing stages of the IPL in India. They are also without batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, who is currently playing for English county Leicestershire. The players at the IPL and Sarwan are expected to join their West Indies team-mates for the camp in Cardiff. West Indies Coach Ottis Gibson said getting acclimatised quickly is important. “We will have a week in Barbados where will we put in some hard work as well as look to do team building exercises,” Gibson
Marlon Samuels said. “We will then leave for Cardiff where we will put in some more work and get ready for the tournament. It is a great opportunity for us. We have quite a few players who have played in England and Wales before. “The hardest thing will be to get used to the conditions early. But we have quite an experienced one-day outfit at the moment, so once we get there and get acclimatised early we will be okay.” West Indies also play two warm-up matches in the leadup to the Champions Trophy, against Australia and Sri Lanka. They are placed in Group B for the tournament, alongside South Africa, India and Pakistan. Their opening game is against Pakistan on June 7.
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Pune Warriors pull out of IPL Sahara India - owner of the Pune Warriors franchise have pulled out of the IPL over financial differences with the BCCI stemming from the valuation of the annual franchise fee it has to pay. The decision comes three years after it bought the Pune franchise for $370 million, the highest price paid for any of the IPL franchises. It seems the immediate cause was the BCCI’s decision to encash the bank guarantee from Sahara that each franchise has to furnish at the start of each season; the guarantee is equivalent to the amount to be paid annually to the BCCI and can be encashed in case a franchise fails to honour its commitments. In this case, Sahara had furnished a bank guarantee for Rs 170.2 crore (approximately $30 million). Since the deadline for paying the franchise fees was May 2, the BCCI waited till Sahara’s IPL 6 commitments were over and encashed the guarantee on May 20. Reacting to the development, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said the board encashed the bank guarantee according to the rules. “Yes, it (Pune Warriors) has pulled out. As per the rules and procedure of the BCCI if a franchise fails to pay the fee then we encash the franchise’s bank guarantee. We are extremely sad by their decision to pull out. This should not have happened,” Shukla said. Pune Warriors Coach Allan Donald was caught offguard by the decision. “This is a massive surprise to me,” Donald told ESPNcricinfo.
“I’m shocked because we had spoken, not in great detail but loosely, about prospects for next year. The owners were really upbeat for next season and the next three years because next year we’d have new contracts, new players. We spoke about the possibility of building a culture within the team.” Donald was also a part of the team when the owners decided to pull the franchise out of the IPL before the auction last year. Pune Warriors finished eighth in the current IPL season, winning four out of their 16 matches. This is the second time Sahara have pulled out of the IPL; they quit on the day of the 2012 auction and withdrew from sponsorship of the Indian team. This time, though, Sahara will continue its sponsorship of the Indian team until the end of December 2013, when their present contract expires. “We share an excellent relationship with the players and will not want such dedicated and good human beings who serve the country so committed to get harmed financially due to unsporting attitude of BCCI. So we have given time to BCCI to get the new sponsorship in place from January 2014.” Sahara’s actual franchise fee has been a contentious issue ever since they bought the Pune franchise for Rs 1702 crore ($370 million) in March 2010. Sahara had been demanding that the franchise fee from their original agreement should be recalculated since the minimum matches per year
Sahara India, owners of the Pune Warriors franchise, pulled out of the IPL for a second time (BCCI) have been reduced to 14 from the 18 promised to them. In a lengthy statement, Sahara detailed its dispute with the BCCI over franchise fees. It said it was “disgusted” by the BCCI’s attitude towards it and would not rejoin the league even if the entire franchise fee was waived. “In 2010, Sahara had bid Rs 1700 crore for the IPL franchise on the basis of
revenue calculation on 94 matches. But we got 64 matches only,” it added. “We and the Kochi team [also bought at the 2010 auction] immediately protested and requested the BCCI to reduce the bid price proportionately for viable IPL proposition. Nothing was heard. We waited with confidence that such a sports body should have sportsmanship spirit,” it said.
‘I am innocent’ – Sreesanth In his first public statement since his arrest last week, Sreesanth has denied any wrongdoing. “I am innocent and have done no wrong,” he said in a statement emailed by his lawyer Rebecca John. “I have never indulged in any spotfixing.” Sreesanth and his two Rajasthan Royals teammates, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, who were arrested on Thursday for their alleged involvement in spotfixing, were remanded on Tuesday by a Delhi court to a further five days in police custody. The Delhi Police has charged them under Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with criminal breach of trust and is a nonbailable offence.
Sreesanth Sreesanth said he was confident that his name would be cleared. “As a cricketer, I have learnt to take knocks along with accolades, in my stride. I recognise that I am going through a tough period in my life.
“I have utmost faith in our judicial process and I am confident that with time I will be proved innocent, and my honour and dignity will be vindicated and restored.” In a separate development, Mumbai Police announced it had made three fresh arrests, including that of Virendra Dara Singh Randhawa, also known as Vindoo, the son of famous Indian wrestler Dara Singh. “The first [arrest] is that of Alpesh Patel, who was a hawala operator connected to these bookies. We have recovered Rs 1.28 crores (US$230,000) in cash from his premises,” Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police (crime) in Mumbai, said. “[Vindoo] has also been arrested for links with bookies
who have been arrested by us (on Saturday),” Roy said. “The third is Prem Taneja. There are in remand till May 24.” The BCCI had suspended the three cricketers, pending inquiry, following their arrest in Mumbai for allegedly indulging in spot-fixing during three IPL matches. The Delhi Police also arrested several bookies, including a former Royals player Amit Singh, for their role in the matter. Meanwhile, PTI reports that the government-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd suspended Sreesanth, who was employed as an assistant manager in its marketing division and posted at Irumpanam, near Kochi.
Wednesday May 22, 2013
GDA fails to qualify for WDF tournament The Guyana Darts Association (GDA) efforts to participate in the upcoming World Darts Federation (WDF) tournament to be held in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, in early October of this year, were unsuccessful. After a series of back and forth correspondence, the GDA was referred to the WDF rules of eligibility where it states that in the 12 Months period leading up to the tournament date the players must have participated in at least 2 WDF sanctioned International Tournaments. The GDA had posted that financial and other constraints such as acquiring visas, impacted on the players’ ability to participate in International Darts tournament. The Association was reminded that the rules are the rules and as a result the GDA has endeavoured to pursue a plan of action to ensure their participation in the next World tournament which is expected to be held in 2015. However, the planned trials in anticipation of their participation, which were set for Sunday last at the CCWU Sports Club, did go ahead even though an announcement was made to
the players that the GDA was not eligible to participate in the international, this year. It was felt that the trials would give an assessment of the talent level. The games played were using the round-robin format with two games per match and one point awarded for each game won. The players participating were; Sudesh Fitzgerald, Anthony Bissoondyal, Lallchan Rambarose, Sherwin Greene, Colin France, K. Bissoondyal and Nicholas Seetaram. The top four players emerging, which would have been the team for the WDF Tournament, were Greene with 8 points; Anthony Bisoondyal with 8 points; Fitzgerald with seven points; and France with six points. Seetaram recorded the maximum throw of 180 points, while France recorded the fastest game finishing in 14 darts. There were also two 17 darts finishes and two 18 darts finishes. A total of 97 hundreds were thrown in the 42 the games played which were indeed of International Standards and were supervised by Grantley Culbard and Rayman Williams. (Zaheer Mohamed)
Debutants Vive-La-Force, Patentia, West Ruimveldt, Redeemer latest to win Debutants Vive-La-Force was among the latest schools to register wins when the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport (MCYS)/National Sports Commission(NSC)/ALSport&Tour Promotions Windball Cricket Championships continued recently, at Wales Community Centre Ground. In the opening encounter, (Boys) – Vive -La Force beat Vreed-en-Hoop by 3 runs. Debutant Vive -La Force led by a swashbuckling 34 from Dev Seepersaud which included 5x6s reached 62-1 off the allotted overs. Vreed-en-Hoop replied with 59-5, Paul Samaroo 13, Balram Persaud & Shemar Thomas 12 apiece. Brendon Bowling 2-12.
Patentia and Vreed-enHoop then played to a tie Vreed-en-Hoop compiled 352. Patentia in reply, ended on 35-2, Asif Rambarran 18. GEORGETOWN GIRLS Redeemer beat St. Pius by 7 wickets - St Pius 42-2, Serena Hope 10. Redeemer 433, Natasha Thomas 13. West Ruimveldt eased to a comfortable 15 runs win over Thomas More. West Ruimveldt made 48-0, Shellon Bobb 23, Alexandra Mc Roy 11. Thomas More 33-5, Tasha Wilkinson 10. St. Agnes completed a similar victory over Redeemer. Redeemer 39-3, N. Thomas 15. St. Agnes 40-3, Deslyn Leitch 14, Darreel Dorway 10.
Canada-based Guyanese sponsors Darts tournament The Guyana Darts Association (GDA) will be hosting Draw Doubles and Mixed Triples tournaments this Friday, at the Pegasus Sports Club. According to a release from the entity, the events are being sponsored by Canada-based Triple 20 Darts Team member Theodore Camacho and up for grabs will be cash prizes. The release added that the games will commence at 19:30 hrs and most of the game’s leading exponents are anticipated to participate in the competition.