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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Genuine dialogue Dialogue is both a kind of conversation and a way of relating. It is a communication process in which participants may say or hear something they never said or heard before, and from which they may emerge irrevocably changed. The approach emphasises listening, learning, and the development of shared understandings. Dialogue differs from other central modes of communication, including mediation, negotiation, discussion and debate. In discussion, for example, parties try to persuade each other of the accuracy of a particular point of view. The goal is to bat ideas back and forth, evaluate multiple perspectives, and select the best one. Parties try to justify and defend their assumptions and convince one another that theirs is the right opinion. In discussion, disputants have a tendency to become defensive and reactive. Dialogue, on the other hand, seeks to inform and learn rather than to persuade. It is a conversation “animated by a search for understanding rather than for agreements or solutions.” One is concerned not only about oneself and one’s own position, but also about the other party and the position that that party advances. Participants focus on their relationship and the joint process of making sense of each other, rather than winning or losing. Dialogue has no fixed goal or predetermined agenda. The emphasis is not on resolving disputes, but rather on improving the wayinwhichpeoplewithsignificantdifferencesrelatetoeachother. The broad aim is to promote respectful inquiry, and to stimulate a new sort of conversation that allows important issues to surface freely. While opponents in deep-rooted conflict are unlikely to agree with each other’s views, they can come to understand each other’s perspectives. The following conditions help to ensure productive dialogue: People speak openly, and listen respectfully and attentively. Derogatory attributions, attacks and defensiveness have no role in dialogue. Participants do not make assumptions about the motives or characterofothers.Questionsaresincere,anddrivenbycuriosity. When people enter into conversations with others, they bring with them basic assumptions about the meaning of life, their country’s interest, how society works, and what is most valuable. Most of these basic assumptions come from society and are rooted in culture, race, religion, and economic background. As a result, people coming from different backgrounds have different basic assumptions and values, and these clashing views and perspectives often lead to conflict. Dialogue attempts to expose these assumptions and the thought processes that lie behind them. It calls on participants to pay attention to their thinking, feelings, assumptions, and patterns of communication. Their patterns of thought include feelings, desires, and ways of interpreting information. Individuals typically have a sense that their way of interpreting the world is the only way that it can be interpreted. They are not immediately aware of the degree to which their conception of reality is biased and influenced by their personal needs and fears. In dialogue, participants explore the presuppositions, beliefs, and feelings that shape their interactions; they discover how hidden values and intentions control people’s behaviour and contribute to communication successes and failures. However, this can happen only if people are able to listen to each other without prejudice and without trying to influence one another. Because its broad goal is to increase understanding about parties’ concerns, fears, and needs, dialogue centres on inquiry and reflection. Participants refrain from assuming that they already know the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of the other. Instead, they assume that the other is speaking honestly from experience and listen closely. This process of deep listening and reflection typically means that to be fully open to new ideas, participants must be ready to abandon their old ideas in the face of new and better ones. They must be willing to change their minds and emerge from the dialogue as altered people. If they instead strive to convey their own points of view and defend their positions, genuine dialogue will not be possible. We, in Guyana, particularly our decision-makers, seem oblivious to this fact.
Thursday May 29, 2014
Letters... Where your views make the news
Govt. has to weed out all those poor performers executing its projects DEAR EDITOR, At a workshop hosted by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) titled, ‘Procurement and management of professional services workshop for consultants,’ the Government has finally acknowledged that it has encountered serious problems with contractors and consultants executing Governmentfinanced projects as they have failed to perform in accordance with the terms and conditions of their contract. Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh made the lame duck excuse that the Government’s hands were tied so tight that it could have done nothing to make the errant contractors and consultants accountable for their shoddy work. This is unfortunate as the Government was aware of this problem for many years now but little or nothing constructive was done to remedy the situation. However, the landscape seems to have changed and the Finance Minister now acknowledges that the Government had the political responsibility to ensure that all the contracts it awarded should have been executed as per their contractual agreements and that they should have been completed within the time frame and costs. Sadly Minister Singh claims he was not aware of any known mechanism which could have been used to penalize the contractors and consultants who have defaulted. So they kept on getting Government contracts. If the contractors working on Government projects were selected based on their track record, competency and financial viability among other considerations, and not because they were the lowest bidders, many of the problems now being encountered would have been avoided. Similarly, the consultants employed should have been screened to ensure they had the relative experience and
capability for the assignments, and that their support staff was qualified and experienced. All construction contracts should have enforceable penalty clauses to get rid of contractors who fail to perform in accordance with the terms and conditions of their contracts. Contractors should also provide contract bonds to ensure that money will be available in the event of a problem. Similarly, consultants’ contracts should hold them responsible for faulty designs, shoddy work, corruption and fraud. In many countries they are usually hauled before the courts and sentenced to prison terms for such practices. The Government cannot sit on the sidelines and state that its hands are tied while the contractors and consultants perform as they please and get away with shoddy performance. In a managed project, the supervising consultant monitors construction progress and ensures that milestones are met as are shown on carefully prepared work progress schedules. Therefore any delay could be spotted quickly and addressed to the satisfaction of the Government to get the project back on track. If no satisfactory action is taken and slippages continue then the contract should be terminated rather than allow a bad situation to get worse. It is this reluctance by the Government to deal with tardy contractors who fail to perform that projects such as the Hope Canal, East Bank and East Coast Highway upgrades are in such a mess. Project supervision is usually done by consulting engineers and/or engineering firms specializing in project management. It is not unusual for the consultants who designed the project to be retained for supervision of its construction. The construction
supervisor is obligated to execute his duty in a professional manner in accordance with his contractual agreement. Failure to do so could lead to legal proceedings if he engages in such malfeasances as falsifying payments or approving shoddy work. Construction supervisors’ primary duties are to ensure that a project is constructed in accordance with the plans and specifications, monitor construction progress, determine valuation for work done, recommend payments and sign off when the project is completed. They are not responsible for design flaws and although they could recommend changes as they often do to the design and specifications, these have to be approved in the first instance by the client (Government) and the design engineer. If the Government has determined that a design consultant, management consultant or contractor has failed to perform his duties in accordance with his contractual agreement, then the Government should legally terminate his employment and debar him from future Government work for a predetermined period or entirely depending on the cause. Unless the Government enforces severe penalties for those who have failed to perform, contractors/ consultants will continue to carry out their work as they have done for the past several years, leaving Guyanese to pickup the tab for the cost related thereto. The Government cannot continue at this rate and conduct business as usual. It has to weed out all those poor performers and bring in those firms with the relevant experience and qualification to do the job. It could probably elicit some help to do so from a newly constituted Public Procurement Commission (PPC). Charles Sohan
I AM VERY BULLISH ON GOLD
DEAR EDITOR, I was asked by a V.I.P of this country to give a view on the versatility and expectations of Gold on the market. I was hesitant, but he insisted. I said to him that even my guru, the maestro, the scholar on trade and economics, the man who earned quarter of a million US dollars for a one and a quarter hour speech to a business forum in Toronto, Canada, cannot make an assertive prediction. As a matter of fact, the economic genius, the world’s brightest brain on financial matters - Mr. Ben Bernanke said, “Gold is an unpredictable commodity”, you may have indicators, but nothing is conclusive and no one can make a perfect prediction. With my limited knowledge of the commodity, I will look at some of the indicators concerning this amazing product “Gold”. The US Federal Reserve has cut back on its money printing programme. The world’s biggest economy (United States of America) states that its official national debt is close to eighteen trillion US dollars, and with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and now
ObamaCare, the debt is close to two hundred trillion. The Japanese national debt just hit one quadrillion Yuan. Many countries in the Euro zone are drowning under debt as the European Central Bank recently started talking about printing more money to get the Euro zone out of this mess. Mr. Narendra Modi – the newly democratically elected Prime Minister of India is a Pro-Business leader and will embark to implement a wide range of economic reforms. Analysts believe that the new government of India may ease several restrictions on gold imported into India. This will certainly cause a new wave of increased demand for gold into India. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, another un-conservative move by President Putin was an order to Moscow not to supply gas to other European countries through Ukraine; if Ukraine does not pay their debt of three and a half billion dollars by the 1st June, 2014, this is an indirect threat to the European Union and from all indications Kiev cannot settle that huge debt. For decades, Russia has been trading their gas, oil and petroleum
products for US dollars, but because of the sanctions imposed by the West and European Union to Russia; gas, oil and petroleum products coming out of Russia are now being traded for other currencies. In addition, President Putin is of the view that the US Dollar will lose its status as the World Reserve Currency; while most of the Western Central Banks and the Bank of Japan continue to develop their respective currencies. We can predict an intensified currency war in the near future. Iran and China have already consented and started to use other currencies and to accumulate more gold for their national reserves. The GeoPolitical tension around the MiddleEast and the Balkans is intensifying with no political solution in sight and inflation will soon be a major global issue as the world economies remain in crises. The leading Banks, Federal Reserves, Bank of England and Banque de France have confirmed that they have leased their gold on the market and once these leases mature they would not be rolled over. From this statement, one can draw a logical conclusion that the (Continued on page 5)
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
GOVERNANCE AND The Attorney General should accountability in Guyana be appointed a Senior Counsel
DEAR EDITOR, Governance and accountability, or the lack thereof, remains the most critical hindrance to progress in Guyana. A society cannot progress through the stages of development unless those elected to govern are held accountable to those they are sworn to govern. As we celebrate 48 years of Political independence we must question the continued lack of accountability in our society. Who demands answers from whom, who is accountable to whom and who enforces that accountability are major determinants of a free and democratic society. When Guyana ushered in free elections in 1992, the hope was that we would’ve continued to deepen the democracy, but what we have since witnessed is the process of dedemocratization as citizens’ rights are trampled upon with unchecked frequency. Accountability has two core principles at its helm, answerability and enforceability. Answerability refers to the obligation of government, its agencies and public officials to provide information about their decisions and actions and to justify them to the public, and those institutions of accountability tasked with providing oversight. Enforcement suggests that the public or institution responsible for accountability can sanction the offending party or remedy the contravening behaviour. By all accounts, both answerability and enforceability are seriously lacking in Guyana. The PPP regime has a sordid record of accountability. Public officials operate with impunity, as they are not held accountable for their actions. Guyana is ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world, yet charges of corruption are seldom, if at all prosecuted. Additionally, a transparency provision remains an elusive policy and a crude demonstration of the lack of good governance. However, although governance and accountability are ultimately the responsibility of the PPP/ C, opposition political parties in parliament have a duty to ensure that the PPP/C is held accountable. They are failing in this regard. Parliament has
a crucial role to play in ensuring that public officials, agencies and institutions operate in an accountable and transparent manner. But opposition political parties cannot rely on parliamentary procedures alone to ensure this process, especially, when authoritarian governance has enveloped the society. It is imperative that opposition political parties activate citizens’ full participation in the affairs of the state. We cannot continue with this level of apathy and fear that is demonstrated by non-action in the society. Apathy is the greatest enemy of democracy. The Guyana Police Force and its culture of unaccountability has become the guardian of oppression in Guyana. This I believe is a deliberate mechanization by the PPP regime, so that it can suppress activism. However, I cannot explain why the opposition is so timid with its silence on this agency. A great example of this lack of accountability is the impunity with which the Force operates. A 15-year-old young man is shot in the mouth by a cop who allegedly tortured the youth with a game of Russian roulette, and to date no charges have been filed against the cop. This is just one example of a frequent number of police brutalities against poor Guyanese. The Home Affairs Minister, President nor Parliament demand accountability from the Guyana Police Force. The Police Complaints Authority is extremely inefficient and often neglects to demand that offending officers are answerable for their crimes. Additionally, what undermines accountability is the unsustainability of actions and awareness. Civic groups in Guyana have a tendency to respond to egregious offences with short-lived outrage, and so, the offenders, knowing this type of behavioural response, simply bide their time until such outrage dissipates. For
a government and its agencies to be held accountable, activism by citizens and civic society must be sustainable. Last but not least, the media’s role in ensuring accountability and good governance is crucial. The media in Guyana suffers from two critical maladies that undermine accountability, which are, unsustainable and non-investigative reporting. Not only are reports about offences by government and government officials short-lived in the media, the lack of investigative reporting, which contributes to a lack of detail in such stories, does nothing to keep people aware and interested. Notwithstanding, the media in Guyana operates with the threat of lawsuits, so that names of the alleged parties are normally withheld from publication. This being the case, officials cannot be publicly sanctioned for their contravening behaviour. If the media invests in good investigative reporting then it would not face the threat of lawsuit, since detailed reporting would make the offender aware that information of offensive actions exists, and so, ward off any accusation of slander and threat of lawsuit. However, while the media has its role to play, the Judiciary must play its part in protecting the media from those who intend to silence it. Freedom of the press is the most important mechanism to ensure accountability and thus good governance. Forty-eight years is old enough for any society to understand its responsibilities. If we do not begin to develop a culture of accountability, then it will always be easy for dictatorship or its tendencies to take root, regardless of which political party is in power. Dennis Wiggins
DEAR EDITOR, The Attorney General, and Minister of Legal Affairs Mr. Anil Nandlall should be appointed a Senior Counsel (SC) since he has fulfilled all the requirements and beyond for such conferral to be made which was advertised in the newspapers. Mr. Nandlall is one of the most important young intellectuals produced by the Hugh Wooding Law School in the 21st century, and this is demonstrated in the depth and breadth of his scholarship as the holder of such an important office. The foundation for Mr. Nandlall was laid as a student at Queen’s College, amidst a class of highly competitive
colleagues where he breezed through, as well at the Hugh Wooding Law School, where he performed exceptionally well. His acuity and integrity as an academic has brought dignity and refinement to his office, as well as to all areas of law, which is reflected in the many publications which bore his stamp, and he has demonstrated the qualities we need to move this country forward by his brilliant advocacy of law; both in the Courts and in Parliament. His wealth of experience, erudition, humility and genuine respect for everyone is an inspiration, which he continues to demonstrate with importance, which
I am very bullish... From page 4 Central Banks would start stockpiling gold once again; thus increasing the demand and pushing the stock market price up sometime in the future. The prudent minority would not be beguiled into holding paper currency; rather they will diversify into hard assets, such as gold and silver. Once this time emerges, investors from every corner of the world will flock to buy gold causing an increase in
demand. This will have the potential to push the commodity to new heights, never seen before, but for the moment gold is expected to trade sideways. I am very bullish on gold. Nazar Mohamed
young Attorneys should try to emulate, since relationships are what life is all about. His stellar performance as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs since 2011, his passion for his job, has inspired many and influenced political discourse, since he is never daunted by the forces of those who think that they are a better advocates of the law, but in many instances are forced to eat back their words so to speak. He is best known for the passion with which he advocates his independent thoughts, since he understands the importance of a good debate and citizen engagement in politics as a strategy of institutionalizing democracy, and is never daunted by those frivolous minds who write issues of the law. Mr. Nandlall is truly an outstanding legal son of Guyana, and there is no doubt that he deserves to be conferred with Silk. Peter Fraser
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Kaieteur News
Thursday May 29, 2014
Caribbean Airlines plane crash at CJIA…
US Court ruling paves way for injured Guyanese to sue The Eastern District of New York recently issued a significant ruling in personal injury cases against Caribbean Airlines (CAL) arising from the 2011 crash landing of Flight BW 523 in Georgetown, Guyana - a flight that originated at New York’s JFK International Airport. The plane broke into two. The plaintiffs, Rajendra Persaud, 64; and Prampatie Persaud, 64; reside in Florida, while Shanti Persaud, 34, and her two minor children, ages 10 and 7, live in Guyana. They were traveling on tickets between Florida and Georgetown when the crash occurred. In a question of first impression, the court ruled that the Republic of Guyana is not a party to the Warsaw Convention - a multilateral treaty that governs international air travel - and therefore allowed a personal injury lawsuit against Caribbean Airlines to move forward in the U.S. and paved the way for the plaintiffs to seek damages for emotional pain and suffering, in addition to physical injuries. The ruling may also impact airlines that fly between Guyana and the United States in that claims of passengers who fly roundtrip from Guyana will not be covered by the Warsaw Convention, which is seen as being protective of airlines over passengers. The personal injury cases are being handled by the law firm of Colson Hicks Eidson. Colson Hicks Eidson attorneys, Curtis Miner and Stephanie Casey, filed several lawsuits against CAL on behalf of the plaintiffs who were passengers on Flight BW 523 and suffered personal injuries when the plane overshot the runway and broke in half. The complaint asserts common law negligence claims and claims for damages under the Warsaw
Convention. CAL, in its defense, filed a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction claiming that Guyana is a party to the Warsaw Convention and that the U.S. was not one of the specified forums in which an action against an air carrier could be brought under the Warsaw Convention. The defendant contended that Guyana is a party to the treaty because the United Kingdom ratified the Warsaw Convention on behalf of its colonies in 1935 when British Guiana –the predecessor to Guyana – was a British colony and that it did not need to take any further action when it became independent. Pointing to expert opinion testimony and other historical evidence, Miner and Casey successfully argued that Guyana never took formal actions to properly and effectively ratify or accede to the Warsaw Convention following its independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, and the Government of Poland (the depositary nation of the Warsaw Convention), the United States, and the International Civil Aviation Organization do not list
Guyana as a “High Contracting Party”tothe Warsaw Convention. The court ultimately sided with the plaintiffs and concluded that the Republic of Guyana is not a party to the Warsaw Convention and the treaty therefore does not govern this case. “The Warsaw Convention contains caps on the damages that can be recovered, and the Supreme Court has held that the Warsaw Convention bars recovery for purely emotional injuries,” said Miner. “This ruling is significant as it allows us to move forward with pursuing our claims against the Airline in the United States and seek damages for the plaintiffs who suffered from severe emotional distress as a result of this accident. “The ruling may also impact airlines that fly between Guyana and the United States in that claims of passengers who fly roundtrip from Guyana will not be covered by the Warsaw Convention, which is seen as being protective of airlines over passengers.” Eight Guyanese had moved to local courts to seek compensation also.
Last year, Ernest Scott, Abdool Latif, Maylene Persaud, Chelsea Persaud, Crystal Persaud, Shanti Persaud, Rajendra Persaud and Prampatie Persaud were all seeking to be awarded damages. The passengers would also like the court to award them interest and for Caribbean Airlines to cover the cost of the litigation. All of the passengers who have made the move to the Guyana Court in this latest matter are being represented by Attorneys Sase Gunraj and Jaya Singh. The flight had crashed through the fence after coming to rest at the edge of the ravine. Some 163 persons were on board the midnight flight. No one died but several passengers suffered serious injuries. One passenger had his leg amputated during a surgery. A preliminary report on the crash by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority faulted the pilot for the accident. The investigation reportedly found that the pilot landed the aircraft beyond the designated touchdown spot and was unable to bring it to a controlled speed in time.
Guyana is China’s spy playground The Caricom-related nations of Guyana and Jamaica are probably the Caribbean’s leading benefactors of Chinese investments, and arguably the region’s principal users of mostly counterfeit technology out of Beijing. But few would realize that their respective relations with China are mostly a byproduct of something more sinister and dangerous that even mere common sense would not be able to comprehend. From the computer units used by every Government department, to Guyana’s One Laptop Per Family Project, the Chinese Government-planted Hubber Spy Worm has certainly given China a firm clandestine hold on every single keystroke, email, and communication emanating from the Guyanese Government, and even that of its citizens. This spy tool, along with a Chinese dedicated propaganda news channel broadcasting from Georgetown, has now given Beijing a firm grip over the national security, social, economic and diplomatic affairs of Guyana; and by extension, a larger section of the English speaking Caribbean Community. While a greater number of other Caricom member states also trade with Beijing and use their Government-funded gadgets, their dependency on Chinese technology is way lower than Guyana or Jamaica. Hence their ICT security risk is somewhat reduced, though not insulated. But by itself, Guyana is probably China’s main regional economic playground, communication harvesting hub, and largest but unwitting host of HUB 79; - a Chinese Government-backed cyberarmy in the Caribbean. Strangled by accusations of rampant corruption, a parallel underground economy and political nepotism, Guyana opportunistically became the ideal candidate for the Chinese Government regional spy hub and an epicenter for information harvesting, more than five years ago. According to Rabin Seth,
a retired Israeli intelligence officer whose Government has been busy uncovering a map of China’s cyber warfare hubs; - the primary objective of Hub 79 (in Guyana) is to dig into the computers of Guyanese Government officials, the Caricom secretariat, diplomatic missions, media houses, journalists, politicians, diplomatic officials, military personnel, and similar units, to retrieve all information that can advance China’s economic, trade, security, and military interest. He added that the Chinese government-funded Datang Group purchase of shares in Guyana’s main telecommunication service provider, GT&T, was no accident, neither is the presence of Huawei Technologies in that country’s eGovernance Project a coincidence. He reminded this publication that several countries, including the United States, has banned Huawei from their respective Government projects, since the company was repeatedly classified as a Chinese Government intelligence tool, and a serious threat to many countries national security. But being technologically docile, and lacking the availability of even a single qualified ICT Security Engineer, Guyana would probably never be able to detect, much more to deter China’s continued spying on its entire technological infrastructure. After all, the United States itself has already warned the Caribbean about the scope and degree of Beijing’s cyber army, and has even issued wanted bulletins for several Chinese Government officials for thousands of spy attacks on U.S technological interest over the past few months alone. However, even with those warnings, countries like Guyana and Jamaica continue to toe the technology line unguarded, but had never stopped to wonder how the Chinese Government could have known that either nation needs a deep water harbour or an expanded airport, long before they even asked Beijing for funding. (Epoch Times)
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
East Ukraine city largely calm after battle, rebels seek Russian help
Miners from around the region walk during a demonstration in support of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic ” in Donetsk, May 28, 2014. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) - Relative calm returned to the streets of Donetsk yesterday after the biggest battle of the proRussian separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine, a conflict transformed by the landslide election of a pro-European leader who vowed to crush the revolt. Reuters reporters heard sounds of distant gunfire coming from the south of the city and local media reported brief outbreaks of fighting on the outskirts, although this could not be independently confirmed. However, this appeared minor compared with on Monday and Tuesday when government forces killed dozens of rebel fighters in an assault to retake
Donetsk International Airport, which the rebels had seized the morning after Ukrainians overwhelmingly elected Petro Poroshenko as president. Pro-Moscow gunmen have declared the city of a million people capital of an independent Donetsk People’s Republic. On Wednesday their leader Denis Pushilin appealed again for Russia’s help. “The residents of the Donetsk People’s Republic are on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe,” he said. “We are Russians and this is precisely why they are killing us. We want to become part of Russia.” In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of
pushing Ukraine into “the abyss of fratricidal war”, and reiterated his call for an end to Kiev’s military offensive. His ministry urged Kiev to let it send humanitarian aid to civilians trapped by the fighting in eastern Ukraine. The rebels’ plight puts pressure on President Vladimir Putin to act, even though he has reduced the number of forces he has massed on Ukraine’s eastern border and has said he would recognize the outcome of Sunday’s election in Ukraine. Rebel fighters were strengthening their barricades with sandbags on the road to the airport near the hulk of a truck where many of them were killed by government fire on Monday.
Boko Haram still holding 219 girls, after escape of four more reported MAIDUGURI Nigeria (Reuters) - Four more of the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram last month have escaped than previously thought, Nigeria’s Borno state said yesterday, but 219 others were still missing and assumed held by the Islamist militants. The girls were taking exams at a secondary school in the remote northeastern village of Chibok on April 14 when the Islamist gunmen surrounded it, loaded 276 of them onto trucks and carted them off, according to official figures. Fifty-three escaped shortly afterwards, say authorities in Borno state, which lies at the epicenter of Boko Haram’s insurgency. Education commissioner
Musa Inuwa told Reuters by telephone the four had been reunited with their parents since then, but he declined to give further details of their escape or say when it happened. A senior Borno state official said it was not clear when they escaped, and it may even have been several weeks ago. The parents had not contacted authorities when the girls returned. “It was a little after the initial escapes but we doubt it was a recent escape,” he said. The girls’ abduction shone an international spotlight on the militants, whose violent struggle for an Islamic state in northern Nigeria has killed thousands and turned them into the
biggest threat to security in Africa’s top oil-producing state. From being a religious movement opposed to Western culture - Boko Haram means “Western education is a sin” in the northern Hausa language - the sect has emerged as a well-armed insurrection with a growing thirst for blood. Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh said on Tuesday the military knew where the abducted girls were but ruled out a rescue by force for fear of endangering them. Most officials think any raid to rescue them would run a high risk that the girls would be killed by their captors. Boko Haram has repeatedly showed ruthlessness in targeting civilians.
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Thursday May 29, 2014
US$ worries to end soon Trinidad Express - The recent tightness in the domestic foreign exchange market will soon be at an end, possibly before the end of the week, Central Bank governor Jwala Rambarran said Tuesday. “With the sizable intervention we have made we have cleared all of the accumulated demand and put more in to clear the demand going forward. We have put enough into the system to clear out all of the demand for the period ahead. June is usually a very liquid month for foreign exchange. And we’ve changed how we sell in that we will be making more timely interventions than before-even before tightness in the market, we will be coming in,” he said at the Bank’s Monetary Policy Forum at the Magdalena Grand Hotel in Lowlands, Tobago. The quantity of foreign exchange in the commercial banking system (from customer deposits) is about US$4 billion. The overall
Jwala Rambarran demand is about US$6 billiona difference of US$2 billion that is usually picked up by the Central Bank. For the first five months of 2014, the Bank has injected US$610 million into the financial system. Rambarran hit back at critics who had blamed the apparent shortage in the
financial system on the Bank’s new auction system to authorised dealers. “There have been many opinions circulating on this topic and I will say in most cases these opinions have been uninformed,” he said. He noted that last week, the “sensitive issue” entered the political domain via comments made by “those who displayed little knowledge and understanding about the Central Bank’s role in the domestic foreign exchange market”. He assured the country that the dollar was not in danger of being devalued, and that the country had sufficient foreign exchange to meet demand. Foreign exchange reserves, he said, amounted to US$10.5 billion, or more than a year of import cover. He explained the Bank’s new system, introduced in April, and which replaced the previous 21year-old system instituted after the liberalisation of the market in April 1993.
Venezuela government accuses opposition leader of ‘coup’ plot CARACAS (Reuters) Ve n e z u e l a n o ff i c i a l s yesterday accused hardline opposition leader Maria Corina Machado of leading plots to topple President Nicolas Maduro in league The allegations are the latest in a torrent from the government, which says three months of protests this year were a veneer for a U.S.-backed conspiracy to unseat the successor to late socialist leader Hugo Chavez. Opposition leaders deny and deride those accusations as a smokescreen for a struggling government, saying the demonstrations, in which 42 people died, were a spontaneous response to economic hardship, insecurity and state repression. Maduro’s top officials lined up for a much-touted news conference, which all local broadcasters were required to carry live, to denounce Machado and other opposition figures for “assassination” and “coup” plots against the president. They also accused U.S. envoy to Colombia, Kevin W h i t a k e r, of being involved and in touch with Machado. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in
Maria Corina Machado
Colombia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. “What we are presenting is part of a criminal investigation,” ruling Socialist Party official Jorge Rodriguez said, showing emails he said were proof of the plans. Machado, 46, who was instrumental in calling Venezuelans onto the streets for three months of demonstrations against Maduro this year, scoffed at the accusations as “infamy” via Twitter. Rodriguez, a psychiatrist as well as a politician, showed iPad screenshots of various emails he said were from Machado, showing language typical of “serial killers.” “We need to clean up this rubbish, starting at
the top, taking advantage of the global climate with Ukraine and now Thailand, as soon as possible,” read one. “The time has come to join forces, make the necessary calls and obtain the funds to annihilate Maduro.” Machado and another hardline opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, were the main proponents of the p r o t e s t s t h a t began in February. Lopez was jailed in midFebruary and his wife, Lilian Tintori, who is also close to Machado, met Pope Francis at the Vatican yesterday during an international tour to garner support for her husband. Three generals and an army captain were also imprisoned in March on charges of “coup” plots.
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
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A GOOD IDEA WHICH CAN BE MADE BETTER The government has established or plans to establish an Internal Audit Department as a means of ensuring greater accountability and in order also to reduce the incidence of fraud and public malfeasance. This Internal Audit Department will fall under the Ministry of Finance. All departments of the government must be responsible to some subject minister and in this instance the proposal is for such ministerial responsibility to be reposed in the Minister of Finance, as it rightly should. It is the Minister of Finance who is responsible to the National Assembly and by law under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act for the proper spending of public funds. As such it is only fit and proper that it is who should hold ministerial responsibility for the Internal Audit Department. This Department in no way dilutes to takes away the ultimate responsibility for the auditing of public funds from the Office of the Auditor General. No the Auditor General is still expected to pronounce upon the use and accounting for public funds. In so doing the Auditor General cannot be expected to detect every fraud and correct any flaws in systems. The job of State auditors is not to comb through every transaction done within the government. The principal
task is to pronounce of the government accounts as presented for auditing. Too often, far too often, the Office of the Auditor General is being summoned to investigate alleged frauds within government. Too often scarce resources available to the Office of the Auditor General have to be deployed to help investigate malfeasance and fraud within government departments. This should not be happening and is an unnecessary burden to the Office of the Auditor General. The Auditor General cannot be expected to micropolice the bulk of government transactions. This would represent an onerous burden on his Office. The Office of the Auditor General cannot be reasonably expected to detect every fraud or incidence of maladministration in so far as the finances of the government. And every time there is a suspicion of a fraud within a government agency, the Auditor General should not be summoned to conduct an investigation. This violates the independence of the Office and turns the Office of the Auditor General into an Internal Audit Division of the government, allowing the Office of the Auditor General to become a servant of the government rather than the external Auditor which the Office is expected to play. Each government department should have its
own internal audit departments. These departments are better suited to the type of fine-teeth comb policing that many people expect of the Office of the Auditor General. It will also allow for proactive work in preventing fraud. Each government Ministry should have its own Internal Audit Unit to ensure that the day to day financial transactions are conducted in
external auditors of the State but the internal auditors should not be centralized as is presently proposed. There is no need for a centralized Internal Audit Department. What is needed is for every government department and ministry to have its own internal audit departments. This will be costly but accountability has its price. Instead therefore of there being a single Internal Audit
Department located and accountable to the Ministry of Finance, there should be individual but small internal audit departments in each government Ministry.
“REPORT ALL FEVER CASES” - Chief Medical Officer warns
- as Guyana tackles first cases of Chikungunya virus Although it is seen as an unorthodox public health threat in this part of the world, the Chikungunya virus which has in recent times been infiltrating a number of Caribbean territories has finally reached Guyana. Two confirmed cases, a four-yearold girl and a 50-year-old woman, both of Canje, Berbice, have been detected, sending the local Health Ministry into overdrive mode to control the potential impact. The two cases that were confirmed on Friday are from two separate households – one in Canefield and the other from Cumberland – this publication understands. And since there is no known vaccine or specific treatment to combat the virus,
Dem boys seh...
De young ones scampish, de old ones dotish Guyana in trouble; dem politician, some too young and some too old. De young ones scampish and de old ones dotish. De young politicians is Jagdeo, Irfaat, Rob de Earth, Basil de Willy, Vodka Larrince, Double-O-7 and Ash Knee. De old ones is de Donald, de Rohee, de Gale, and de Lunch Man plus Granger, Grinidge and Hammy. Brazzy, that fat crook, he is neither old nor young. He in between. He is old-young. He like hang round young Brian. He scampish but he does play dotish when he get ketch. Jagdeo, Brazzy and de young ones initiate all de scampish project that dem self can’t defend. When dem boys use to ask question dem use to run and hide. When dem get corner, dem use to lie. Now de old ones come and dem suh dotish that dem trying fuh defend something that dem don’t even have a clue about. Tek Rohee. He become de new GS fuh de Pee Pee Pee. He tek over from Papa Cheddi
accordance with established rules and procedures. Such departments will help intercept fraud and ensure that systems are being complied with. They will also conduct investigations into alleged fraud and therefore relieve the Office of the Auditor General of having to be summoned to undertake such investigations. The Office of the Auditor General should remain the
and de Donald. Papa Cheddi was de first GS. That did stand fuh General Secretary. Donald was de second GS. He own did stand fuh Go Slow. Rob de Earth did tell dem boys suh. Now de party got Rohee as GS. That stand fuh Goat Sh..t. Dem boys seh that if you got a goat leading a party, God help de party and de voters. As a General Secretary of a party he must be able to defend any project and answer any question without fumbling fuh answer. He can’t get upset and resort to cuss down and buse out and talk out you mind. He must not read from a piece of paper on any subject like wha he do fuh de Marriott hotel de other day. He shoulda love to clear de air of any misconception or in conception (if he understand wha dem boys mean). But then again he behaving wuss than a goat. Maybe that is why people saying that he is de new Goat Sh..t fuh de party. Talk half and watch Goat Sh..t roll.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud The Aedes aegypti mosquito which transmits the Chikungunya virus the health sector is therefore reliant on patient management aimed at relieving symptoms, according to Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud. He disclosed that Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which is quite common along the coast of Guyana. The disease, which is similar to dengue in many regards, is one that is known to cause a moderate to severe ailment that can be life threatening with symptoms including fever, rash, muscle and joint pains and malaise. “We are encouraging people with these symptoms such as high fevers above 39 degrees with associated joint pain, back pain, muscle pain, any form of rash to seek medical attention because early intervention can prevent complications from occurring,” said Dr. Persaud. He disclosed that while Chikungunya itself is not a high cause of death directly, it can have some long term effects that can include prolonged joint pains that can last, at times, as much as three months. “The resulting fever together with pain,
particularly in young children”, Dr. Persaud said, “could lend to bouts of convulsions and even cause dehydration”. According to the CMO, there have even been rare occasions that the virus has been known to be associated with the Guillain Barre Syndrome which is a disease that causes the body to become paralysed. “Even with medical care, you might still experience this pain depending on how the body reacts beyond the incubation period,” said Dr. Persaud. The incubation
period can span two to six days with symptoms usually appearing four to seven days after infection. Guyana has been on high alert ever since reports surfaced of the virus’ entry into parts of the Caribbean last year. According to Dr. Persaud, on December 12 last year the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Laboratory in Trinidad was informed of 10 transmitted confirmed cases on the French side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. Since then more than 1,800 confirmed cases were reported from Anguilla, (Continued on page 23)
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Kaieteur News
Thursday May 29, 2014
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
The ‘yes’ people, the ‘no’ people and ‘De Donald’ Will we get anyway in the stalemate in the body politic of this sad nation aggravated by the arrogation of total power by a minority government? The scenario is a pessimistic one. Two possible reasons can explain this; one is based on mischief, the other on psychology. When the leadership of the PPP, without exception, dissects the body politic of this nation it sees a superior agency, the PPP, fighting an evil opposition which in the collective mind of the PPP also includes independent organizations and critics bent on removing the PPP. Is this conceptualization based on a psychological prism that has taken on an independent function in the collective soul of the PPP? A psychologist would argue that what lay people see
as mischief in those who hold power, may be the subjective, Freudian mechanism at work. In other words, the dictator is driven by a phantasmagoria of objects that he/she considers real and is not being deceptive and devious. How do you know that Tony Blair did not want his Macbethian moment of fame so he deceitfully lied to the British people about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction? A lot of British citizens believe Blair was a conspirator who schemed with President Bush to bomb Iraq and if there wasn’t the weapons excuse, he and Bush would have invented one. Blair on the other hand, in his memoirs, tells a different story. He wrote that he truly believed that Iraq was a threat to the world and he acted out
of that belief. Whichever way you look at it - mischief or psychology - authoritarian leaders should not be tolerated because they are driven by psychological fixations rather than deliberate lying. They should be punished for the wrong things they do and should be made to understand that there can be no excuse for hurting a nation because you believe you were doing the right thing. It is this tragedy that is playing out in Guyana. Since the results of the last general elections, the PPP leadership has invented a political conversation named “we versus dem” or “yes” people versus “no” people. The “we” is the PPP and its beneficiaries who are building Guyana. The “dem” are the enemies of progress who
want to stop the PPP The “yes” people are the PPP and its extended cabal who are saying yes to all the things that need to be done to make Guyana better. The “no” people is a broad conglomeration of people who criticize the PPP. So President Ramotar (I like the usage of, “De Donald”) was on the attack again on the “dem” and the “no” people during his Independence anniversary speech. He intoned that the politics of “no” in the current Parliament is damaging Guyana. But who is in the “no” in this type of politics in Parliament? That is not so important a question as compared to whether “De Donald” really believes in the existence of a “no” group. My take on this is that it is mischief and not psychology at work. “De Donald” knows very well that in Parliament there is no opposing side saying no and
a concurring side saying yes. The opposition says no, and the PPP says no and “De Donald” says no quite often. Ramotar has said ‘no’ to the Bill limiting Jagdeo’s extra benefits as a former president. Ramotar has said no to three other Bills including important local government legislation. Ramotar has said no to the holding of local government elections. Ramotar is saying ‘no’ to the enactment of the Procurement Commission. Ramotar has been saying ‘no’ for three years now to the opposition demands for their ideas to be included in the national budget. This is the same Ramotar who yelled out, “For Christ’s sake, let’s try them” referring to the ideas of politicians for developing Guyana whether from PPP or the opposition. A wonderful idea by the AFC to break the deadlock on the Procurement Commission has met with a resounding ‘no’ by Ramotar.
Frederick Kissoon The AFC has submitted the plausible suggestion that Cabinet can retain the right to object to a tender but that right will be extended to members of the Procurement Commission. “De Donald” still says ‘no’ to the idea. In his address, the President called for renewed patriotism and nationalism from all the political parties. Make no mistake about it, this renewed patriotism and nationalism must come from “dem” not “we” since “we” are committed patriots and nationalist. An English poet, Richard Aldington once wrote: “Nationalism is a silly cock crowing on its own dunghill.” Inside the PPP, there are lots of cocks.
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Marriott International appoints ILO building a future General Manager for Guyana with decent work
Members of the AHI and Marriott Hotel team paid a courtesy call to President Donald Ramotar yesterday to introduce Roberto Grisias. From left: Chairman of AHI, Winston Brassington, President, Donald Ramotar, Roberto Grisias, Company Secretary of AHI, Marcia Nadir Sharma, and Area Vice President- South America, Rahul Vir. Marriott International Inc. yesterday announced that it has appointed a General Manager for the Georgetown Marriott Hotel. The announcement came through Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI). Marriott International Inc. has appointed Roberto Grisias to be General Manager of the Guyana Marriott Hotel Georgetown and he will assume his new role effective June 1, 2014. Roberto began his Marriott career in 1985 as Banquet Manager at the Washington Dulles Renaissance Hotel. He was Director of Food and Beverage at various Marriott properties spanning fourteen years and in 1999 he was promoted to Director of Operations and then Hotel Manager at the Casa Magna Marriott in Cancun. Roberto was appointed General Manager in 2002 of the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel and Casino in Santo Domingo. Subsequent General Manager Roles include the JW Marriott Caracas Hotel, and Venezuela Country Manager overseeing the operations of the JW Marriott Caracas, the Marriott Venezuela Playa Grande Hotel and the Renaissance Caracas La Castellana. He is also the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba where he successfully opened the hotel in 2013. Roberto brings to the position 29 years of industry experience. During his tenure in Venezuela he was successful in creating a cluster office for Reservations, Finance, Sales and Marketing, Revenue Management and Engineering resulting in increased revenue and
maximized profits year after year despite the adverse economic, political, and social conditions of the country. Over the course of his career Roberto has received several leadership and sales and marketing awards. Most recently, he was awarded a Mustang Award in recognition of his ability to overcome adversity. Roberto is a graduate of LaSalle Schools, La Paz, Bolivia where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities. He is fluent in Spanish and English. The announcement comes on the heels of a previous one by AHI when it named the Private Investor; a British Virgin Islands registered company, ACE Square Investments Inc. The project has been mired in controversy ever since its inception and criticism recently resurged given the announcement. Alliance For Change Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, recently had scathing remarks for the project and has since called for a forensic audit of all of the local stakeholders including former President Bharrat Jagdeo, Winston Brassington and Dr. Ashni Singh. According to Ramjattan, US$19.5M that the National Industrial and Commercial
Investments Limited has put in the project is, public monies must not be dealt with by one “who is so inexact with the facts…This kind of conduct must be penalized.” Ramjattan said, “It is misconduct like this which gives rise to justifiable suspicions that this project will see huge, illegitimate benefits and kickbacks to these local players.” “What also makes it smell fishy too is that there is no justification for a two-thirds proprietorship for inputting only US$8M when NICIL is inputting US$19.5M… Why this shortchanging of the public for the private?” He noted, too, that not wanting to be pessimistic, if the fate of the hotel is not as successful as Government is propagandizing; the taxpayers would have made a major loss of a sum which could have been better spent on so many other priority issues. Ramjattan was adamant that the evidence of successes in the hotel industry is not there, “not from what is happening with Tower Hotel.” He added, too, “Quite frankly even Princess Hotel is struggling…I just hope its (Marriott) fate is not similar to that other project architectured by Jagdeo, the Skeldon Sugar Factory.”
Labour migration, employment strategies, strengthening ILO Convention 29 on forced labour, and facilitating transitions from the informal to the formal economy are the priority items on the agenda of the 103rd Session of the International Labour Conference, which got underway Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland. This is according to the Ministry of Labour in a press statement yesterday. The Conference is being attended by workers, employers and government delegates from the International Labour Organization’s 185 member States. It is expected to focus on “Building a future with decent work” Guyana’s delegation is being led by Labour Minister Dr. Nanda. Gopaul and Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle.
Representing local workers is Mr. Seepaul Narine, Treasurer of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions, while the employers’ delegate is Ms. Jerry Goolsarran, consultant to the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industries. According to the Ministry, the International Labour Conference, among other things, is responsible for supervision of the application of Conventions and Recommendations at the national level. It examines the reports which governments of all member States are required to submit, detailing their compliance with obligations arising out of ratified Conventions. The International Labour Conference crafts and adopts international labour standards in the form of Conventions and Recommendations.
The Conference is also a forum where social and labour questions of importance are discussed and every two years it adopts the ILO’s biennial work programme and budget, which is financed by member States. Since the adoption of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), another important function of the Conference is to examine the Global Report covering the four fundamental rights, namely: (a) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; (b) the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; (c) the effective abolition of child labour; and (d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. The Conference concludes on June 12, 2014.
(Left to Right) Labour Minister, Dr. N.K. Gopaul, Chief Labour Officer, Mr. Charles Ogle, Mr. Seepaul Narine, Treasurer of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions, and Ms. Jerry Goolsarran, Consultant to the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industries in attendance at the 103rd Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva
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Kaieteur News
Thursday May 29, 2014
GRA still charging Eusi Kwayana denies that WPA helped Gregory Smith to leave Guyana ‘discriminatory’ - describes Smith’s book as “fiction to escape guilt” Environmental Tax By Latoya Giles Veteran political activist Eusi Kwayana yesterday sought to discredit a book written by the late Gregory Smith calling it a fiction to escape guilt. Smith, who is the author of “Assassination Cry of a Failed Revolution” according to several sources including the Guyana Police Force, is the man responsible for the death of Dr. Walter Rodney. Kwayana told the commission yesterday that the book was merely a “fiction of guilt on the mind of a ghost writer”. Kwayana said that the book had several major discrepancies which could not be supported. The activist denied that the Working People’s Alliance aided in Smith’s departure out of Guyana. “The WPA didn’t provide Smith with a passport or money to aid in his departure from Guyana,” Kwayana told the commission. He however suggested that it was either the police or the GDF that assisted Smith. He also rubbished the assertion in Smith’s book that Rodney was going to cause damage to the Georgetown Prison. According to Kwayana this could not be so because Rodney’s car was nowhere near the prison. He said that, secondly, there were armed officers at the prison,
and they were placed there a year before the actual explosion. Kwayana said that he knew nothing about former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) electronics expert Sergeant Gregory Smith, before his name was mentioned in a statement by Donald Rodney. He told the commission that Smith’s name came out in the statement as being the person who handed Rodney package which contained a “walkie talkie”. He said that during initial investigations by the Working People’s Alliance, the GDF had denied that Smith was ever part of the organization. However he said they made way when a woman named Pamela Beharry visited the WPA office to give a statement vouching that Smith was indeed a member of the GDF. Kwayana explained that a statement was taken from the woman at a building on King Street. He said that the woman told him that she had lived near Smith and that she and his wife were friends. The woman, he said, had told them that she had followed the woman to visit Smith while he was stationed at the Marine Wing of the GDF. Kwayana also reiterated what other witnesses had said about political violence that had been meted out to the WPA in the 1970s and early
Eusi Kwayana 1980s. He said that it included the breaking up of meetings and the seizure of vehicles by unidentified persons in the full presence of the police. “The police never intervened in these matters,” he said. Kwayana was also grilled about his political life in the 1970’s and 1980’s. According to Kwayana he became a political person in 1947 when former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan was getting into the legislative council. Kwayana said that he has been active since then. He told the commission that he has been considered as someone with “controversy and often regarded as public danger”. Kwayana said that it was in the 1960s when he changed his name. “My original name was
Sydney King and I changed it to Eusi Kwayana…which meant Black Man of Guyana”. He went on to explain the main reason behind the name change which he said was based on his view that Africans need a cultural resolution to link them to the “motherland”. According to Kwayana, he supported Jagan because of the active role he played in politics which was making a remarkable move. He said that he surmised that someone from the “other side” should get on board. Later on Kwayana said that former President Forbes Burnham returned to Guyana from England and assumed the Chairmanship for the PPP. He said that in 1956, he got in a controversy with the PPP. Kwayana said that he later joined the People’s National Congress and became editor of the New Nation. He said that he worked with the PNC with the aim of them becoming a multi ethnic party. He described that feature as the essence of Guyana’s problems. Kwayana told the commission that many thought that Rodney was an inspiration. He said that the notion of “Human Rights” was cut off. Kwayana explained that many even thought that Rodney was the cementing factor to get groups to work together.
Police, Prison authorities find more weapons at New Amsterdam Prison As investigation continues into the brutal chopping of the four prisoners in the New Amsterdam Prison on Friday by a fellow inmate, authorities have upped their surveillance and searches of the penal institution. On Tuesday, the police and prison officers
conducted a joint search of the prison to look for illegal items. During the search they found a cutlass which was starting to rust and seemed to be in the prison for some time, improvised cellular phone chargers, cellular phone batteries, sharpened spoons and other improvised weapons.
The law enforcement authorities were expected to return yesterday afternoon to continue their investigations into the brutal attack and their search for illegal items. It is understood that most of the illegal items were hidden in a section of the prison called ‘the Wall’. Meanwhile, the Ministry
of Home Affairs has launched a full investigation into the fracas in the prison that resulted in injury to several inmates last Friday. In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry informed that at approximately 17:40 hours on Friday, four inmates at the New Amsterdam Prison were admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital after they were attacked by four other inmates. The injured, Clarence Williams, Kwame Bhagwandin, Abdussalim Azemulla and Davindra Harrichand, were subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they are receiving full medical attention. According to the Ministry, initial reports suggest that a prison officer was checking the security of the cells, when it was alleged that he was attacked by an inmate who took away the keys, opened several cells of his associates and proceeded to attack and injure the inmates.
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is continuing to impose Environmental Tax despite a recent ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice that it was discriminatory and a breach of the revised Treaty of Chaguaramus. This was confirmed yesterday by a source within the GRA, given that the Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur, refused to comment on the matter saying that he was on leave and currently overseas. Surinamese based Rudisa
Beverages and Juices had taken Guyana to court over the tax charged on each bottle imported into Guyana and was awarded US$6M. Rudisa, a Suriname based company, produces and sells beverages in non-returnable containers. Caribbean International Distributors Inc. (CIDI), a locally owned subsidiary of Rudisa, imports and sells them in Guyana. The CCJ had also ordered the Government of Guyana to cease collecting the tax but this order has not been complied with as yet.
Miners on bail after stealing raw gold Two miners accused of stealing two ounces of raw gold were on Wednesday placed on $300,000 bail each by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry. Wesley Morrison, 42, of Belfield Housing Scheme and Royston Herod, of Two Friends Village, East Coast of Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that between April 28 and May 2, last, at Aranka, Backdam, Cuyuni River, they stole the raw gold valued $420,000, property of Ivor Wade. Police Prosecutor, Bharat Mangru, objected to bail for both defendants on the grounds that there are likely to be charged with other offences and as such the men may be flight risks. Mangru said that Morrison had fled the area, after committing the act, but
was later apprehended. The duo was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Rexford Jackson, who requested that both his clients be granted bail. The lawyer said that both men were employed by the virtual complainant for a considerable time but have never encountered any such allegation. Morrison was employed as a General Manager while Herod was a miner. The lawyer also noted that there were at least four other persons in the camp, at the time but that none of the other persons was questioned in regards to the alleged crime. The Magistrate ordered that the men lodge their passports and report to the police until the completion of their trial. The case was transferred to Bartica Magistrate’s Court to be heard on June 12.
Linden school child fails to wake up A second form student of the Mackenzie High school was on Tuesday rushed to the Mackenzie Hospital Complex after efforts to awaken her proved futile. The family had taken a trip to Georgetown over the Independence holiday weekend and returned on Monday evening so that the children could attend school on Tuesday. The student reportedly retired to bed that night but never woke up the following day. She was subsequently taken to the Linden Hospital Complex, where she was pronounced dead. The 14-year-old student known as Yeng (only name given) was a Chinese National, who resided with her family at their place of business- a popular Chinese
restaurant on Co-op Crescent, next door to the popular Church’s Chicken outlet, at Mackenzie, Linden. All the Chinese restaurants on the Mackenzie shore, remained shut tight yesterday, so efforts to contact relatives for a comment, proved futile. Information reaching this newspaper has suggested that the student, who has a twin sister, was a victim of bullying at her school. “Some children used to be telling her Chinee, you don’t belong here, go back to your country”, sources claimed. Both sisters were reportedly subjected to the derisive comments. Over the past decade or so, at least two children from this premier Linden Secondary School, have committed suicide.
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Investigation continues into fracas at N/A prison Investigations are continuing into last Friday afternoon’s fracas during which four high profile remand prisoners were brutally chopped and burnt by fellow inmates. The violence broke out around 18:00 hrs in what apparently was gang warfare. The four men are reportedly members of a gang within the prison. Pandemonium broke out first outside the New Amsterdam Prison and then at the New Amsterdam hospital as relatives got word of what was taking place in the penal institution. Reports are that shots were fired outside the prison as the crowd pressed forward in an effort to get a closer look at what was happening. The big question is how the inmates got possession of prohibited materials such as cutlass, acid and cell phones. One relative said that he got a call from inside the prison telling him to come quickly, because they were being murdered. As word spread, more and more relatives poured down to the scene. The situation was quickly brought under control and the four men were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
At the Hospital, pandemonium broke out as more relatives arrived. The hospital authorities locked the door and relatives desperate to see their loved ones banged at the door and broke the windows. Police reinforcement was quickly summoned and more armed ranks arrived. This however, did not stop the relatives from venting their anger and abusing the ranks and hospital authorities who firmly stood their ground. This was after relatives were told that they could not enter the Accident and Emergency Unit where the men were. Although days have passed since the incident occurred, neither the Guyana Prison authorities nor the Guyana Police Force has issued a statement on the incident. Senior Officers in the Police B division, including Commander, Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph, were busy conducting investigations. Also, during the night the prison service rushed senior officers to Berbice among them, Acting Deputy Director of Prisons Carl Graham, to get a hand on the situation. However, information remained sketchy with many
versions being peddled as to how the men got injured. One report was that the men were injured by one Randolph Rodrigues, called ‘Shoulders,’ who is serving a 20-year sentence for murder. Another report is that the perpetrator wrestled a prison warden and took away the keys after which he armed himself with a cutlass and opened the cells where the men were, before chopping and burning some of them in what was said to be a well planned attack. An inside source stated that there were three persons who carried out the assault. One of the injured men told a relative that the lock was opened by one of the Samaroo brothers who are the leaders of the ‘Scare Dem Crew’ from Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam. There are reports that a cutlass and a corrosive substance were smuggled into the prisons recently. According to a hospital source, the four men all received multiple chops about their bodies and were in critical conditions when they arrived at the hospital. However, they were stabilised before they were transferred to the
Murder accused dies in jail one day after being remanded The 49-year-old man who murdered the 19-year-old mother of his child and then drank a dose of poison died in jail, yesterday, one day after he was remanded to the penal institution. Robert Sandy, called ‘Jug’, who was a carpenter of Mai Mai Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, stabbed Oneka Greaves, the 19-year-old mother of one of his children to death on the evening of May 19, last, before ingesting poison. He was subsequently hospitalized in the New Amsterdam Hospital under guard. He was discharged on May 26 and taken into police custody. On Tuesday, he appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court and was not required to enter a plea to the indictable offence. Sandy was remanded to jail and placed into the prison infirmary where he fell ill. The man was removed from the prison and taken to the New Amsterdam hospital where he was admitted under guard. Sandy was subsequently discharged from the institution hours after, and was returned to the New Amsterdam prison. Prison authorities, whilst making regular rounds in the jail,
Robert Sandy leaving court on Tuesday discovered him dead on the floor around 05:15 hrs. Sandy was accused of brutally stabbing the woman after she allegedly spurned him. The man, who had four grown children – aged 25, 23, 21 and 18 –, was reportedly upset that the young lady had told him that they should end the relationship since she wanted to move on with her life. She had endured what was said to be an abusive relationship. He was also peeved when he learnt that she was seeing someone else. The man had given a statement that he and Oneka Greaves were together since
she was 14 years. A post mortem examination conducted by Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan at the New Amsterdam hospital showed that Greaves died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple incised wounds and damage to vital organs including her kidney. She also sustained incised wounds to the spine, pancreas and diaphragm. Robert Sandy was expected to return to court on June 26. A release from the police stated that Robert Sandy died yesterday, at the New Amsterdam Prison.
Georgetown Public Hospital. Those confirmed injured are Davendra Harricharran, called ‘Bara’, 27, of Nigg Squatting area, Corentyne, Berbice; Quammy Bhagwandin, 32, of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam; Clarence Williams called ‘Wild Hog’, 41, of Angoy’s Avenue; and Adbussulum Azimulla called “Sato” 31 of Lot 183 Hampshire Corentyne Berbice. Harricharran is on remand for the $10M armed robbery committed on April 9, last, at Rose Hall Town, on businessman Mangalie Ramlinggum . Investigators had received information that Harricharran was the owner of the getaway motorcycle. He was also a member of the notorious ‘Pop Corn’ gang and was recently freed on a murder charge. He was charged along with Gansham Jagassar called ‘Suresh’ and Adbussulum Azimulla called ‘Sato’ for the 2004 murder of Gary Simon which occurred at Nigg Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice. He is on remand on the murder charge. He is also charged with two counts of robbery under arms, while in company with others and armed with an AK 47 rifle on Saturday 2nd June
2012 at Cumberland, East Canje. He robbed a business couple of millions of dollars in cash and jewelry including foreign currency. Azimulla was on the run for more than eight years after the murder. He was subsequently charged with the capital offence and remanded to jail. Quammy Bhagwandin, 32, of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam was wanted by the police for a series of break and enter and robbery offences and was captured when he turned up at the Sisters Magistrate’s Court for an impending matter. Bhagwandin was remanded on two charges of discharging a loaded firearm on February 13, last, at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice and attempted robbery on the businessman and his son. That incident led to a high speed chase over the Berbice River Bridge. Two men were subsequently captured and identified Bhagwandin as the master mind. He was also wanted in connection with the break and enter that occurred at C and K Pharmacy and drugs store. Police had recovered a number of items from a dilapidated house at Angoy’s Avenue which was
reported to have been frequented by Bhagwandin. He was also wanted for breaking and entering and robbery of the Furniture World business establishment at Main and King Streets, New Amsterdam. He is still being investigated for a number of other robberies that occurred recently. Clarence Williams called ‘Wild Hog’ 41 of Angoy’s Avenue had written to the Chancellor of the Judiciary citing victimization and undue delay and a number of other issues. Williams’ matters include sacrilege, robbery, possession of house breaking implements and break and enter and larceny which were committed in the months of April and May 2009. Williams who was in custody for the four matters is also charged with escaping from lawful custody while being a prisoner at the New Amsterdam Prison between June 1st and 2nd, 2009.He had dug himself out of his cell and scaled the fence before making good his escape. He had fled to neighbouring Suriname where he was recaptured and brought back to Guyana. While on remand, Williams had also assaulted a police officer.
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FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 PVC Ceiling Panels, PVC Mouldings, Medallions. American Standard!!! – Call:614-8564, 680-0862 Pure Rottweiler pups, parents are imported pedigree dogs Call: 2642870 or 672-6402 after 6pm 665-9140 or 639-1431 Dell computers with 17" Leds -$59,000, laptops from -$64,000, Blackberry 8310 $9,000 @Futuretech – Call: 231-2206; 644-6760 Live/pluck chicken call: 6504421, 220-9203 Dressed and mill cut lumber: Kabukalli, Silverballi, Greenheart, Purpleheart etc – Call: 688-6579 American made Werner Aluminum Ladders; 25 feet -$35,000, 17 feet, multipurpose - $28,000 – Call: 609-7257, 602-5794 One business property @ Lot 1 Durban & Smyth Street, One house & Land @ 119 Pike Street Kitty – Phone:231-1966 Modern Doors Automation Systems: Garage Doors in multiple designs & sizes @ Lot 43 Croal &Alexander Street Stabroek, Call: 658-2990 Toyota 4 Runner, great Condition - Call: 223-9719/ 227-1028
Kaieteur News
FOR SALE/RENT American Pool tables – Call: 277-0578
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Secured Concrete bond 87’X32’, Public Road Mc Doom, next to Police Outpost suitable for storage/factory etc- Tel: 233-0570 G.T TOOL RENTALS SPECIAL: ALL SAWS CIRCLE, CHOP, TABLE, WET, $20,000 PER WK CALL: 675-0767 OR 627-5098 1 Business bottom flat, bridge to road, approximately 1000 SQFT Call: 628-1342/ 226-6071 Fully furnished apartment as low as - $4,000 per day @ Secrete Villa Albouystown, Georgetown branch or call: 223-0994 All prices have been reduced as low as - $4,000 per day @ Secret Villa, Land-Of- Canaan or Call: 266-5243-5 Lower flat apartment at 220 Lamaha Street Kitty, G/town Call Margret: 231-1187/ 6706849/678-6573 One upper flat @ 6th Street Cummings Lodge, ECD – Call: 622-3580
One house lot, in Butcher Shop Street, Parika. Contact # 650-0402
Model ‘M’ truck with winch, working order GPP series, $2.8 Million or nearest offer Call: 679-5161 Games for PS2, PS3, XBOX360, WII, consoles also available – Call: 6722566, 265-3231
VACANCY
Prime Business. Established Business, Three storey building 220 South Road Lacytown Georgetown – Tele: 227-1042, 601-3369. Serious callers only!
Drivers, visiting & security officers. Apply within NM Security Solutions Inc, Lot “O” Ruimveldt Georgetown – Tel: 225-5773/76
1-2 storey building, wooden & concrete In Northon St, 5 building from Camp St. Second building from Main Rd. $19M Neg - Call: 628-0972
1-2storey wooden & Concrete house with 5 bedrooms upper flat & lower flat 4 apartments located@ Shell Road, kitty - $38.9M Tel:642-7898 Kitty - $32M, AA Eccles $55M, Republic Park - $22M, Lamaha Gardens – $55M – Contact Diana: 227-2256; 626-9382 Lot 1064/65 Aubrey Barker Street, South Ruimveldt Park. – Serious Offers onlyCall: 619-7299
CAR RENTAL Dolly’s Car Rental - Call: 225-7126/ 226-3693 dollys autorental@yahoo.com/ www.dolly sautorental.com Progressive Auto Rental: Cars & SUV for rental- $4,000 & up per day- Call: 643-5122, 6282284 ,Email:pro_ autorental @yahoo.com Wings Car Rental- Call: 6431131/ BBM pin: 24E17558 Aidan’s Car Rental, Canter & Pickup- Call: 645-7981/ 6987807
24 Hour East Coast Guyoil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl, office assistant & handyman- Call: 670-8893/684-2838 Accounts clerk with 4 Subjects CXC, 2 yrs experienced, knowledge of Peachtree WBD area. E-m a i l : sase_shewnarain@hotmail.com. 1 – Civil engineer, security personnel, skid steer & excavator operators, labourers, mechanic, body works man (spray), office assistant – Call: 603-4098 Real estate clerks, Road foreman, operations manager & cleaners – Call: 603-4098 Restaurant / bar help & managers @ Friendly’s Bar & Lounge (Timehri), apply in person @ 198 Camp Street, GLU building - Tel: 623-5011
One 2 flat wooden & concrete house, 4 bedrooms, 2 washrooms, Annandale, Sandreef, ECD, Built in 2006 Call:220-3133 or 615-5538 Prime business and residential 3 storey property in excellent condition, situated 11 Camp and Norton Street G/town, negotiable – Call Pearl Realty: 689-9991 Are you planning to buy or sell a house in Guyana or Florida? Call Ron’s Real Estate – 218-5591
TO LET Rooms – Call: 225-9223 Campbellville - $90,000, AA Eccles (House) – US$1200, Kitty -$140,000, Ogle $160,000 – Call Diana 2272256; 626-9382 1 - Four bedrooms house with all modern conveniences, semi-furnished - $300,000 monthly, Happy Acres – Tel: 231-7839 (working hours) Furnished and unfurnished two bedroom apartments in Eccles, for short or long term Tel: 643-1131
EDUCATIONAL Balloon Decorating Classes – 31st May 2014 – Call: 2253133 or 613-7513 for more information and to register.
Clean garden earth, also Bobcat & Excavator rentals Tel: 626-7127 Three lots at Blankenburg behind the gas station Contact # 650-0402 House lots in Schoonord Contact # 650-0402 Food Caravan for sale, payment plan available – Call: 675-5448
PROPERTY FOR SALE
Lot 81 Lamaha Street. No Agent! - Call: 673-5882 Prime Business property, huge land space, 200’X50', next to Police Outpost @ Mc Doom 233-0570 FOR RENT
Thursday May 29, 2014
Foundation/ summer classes: Form 1, 2 &3 – JulyAugust. Mathematics, English, Spanish, Music, I.T, etc - Call Mr. Lee: 227-7850
Three bedroom apartment ‘B’ Field Sophia - $50,000, 3 months advance, furnished small office space – Call: 2231719, 223-1273 Rooms – Call: 225-3234 2 bedroom apartments @ Factory Road Paradise, ECD. Large living, dining, etc. One month’s security - $38,500 monthly – Call: 672-2677, 625-9939 One furnished upper flat 3 bedroom, @ Pike St Kitty, long & short term - Tel: 644-8015
LAND FOR SALE High income land (100ftX50ft) @ La Parafaite Harmonie -$2.4M, New Grove (corner lot) with foundation $2.6M–Call:218-5591,675-7292
SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773 Earn a certificate in cosmetology, wig designs or nails alone, limited spaces Call Abby: 619-7603, 666-5241 Beautopia - Offering hair & nails courses, also available - Brazilian & Indian Virgin Hair - Call: 604-3002/ 699-8477
2006 Toyota Tacoma fully loaded - $3.5M - Tel:6857659, 622-0445 2-1RZ mini bus BLL & BJJ diesel, good working condition – Call: 628-1342 or 226-6071 STAR CARS AUTO SALE: Premio, Spacio, Allion, IST, Feilder, Altezza, new Raum, Axela, Carina 212 – Call: 679-3140, 615-1199 First Class Auto: Allion, Premio, Spacio, IST, 212, Fielder, Raum, Allex, Runx, Bluebird, Axela - Tel:6098188, 638-3045
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.–CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.
ALYEA AUTO SALE: SPACIO 2004, DARK INTERIOR, FOG, PRICE TO GO. LOT 40 CROAL STREET G/TOWN – TEL:622-3823/ 231-5789 One Toyota RAV4 automatic model UA-ACA 21W (Rav4) Plate PPP series - Call: 2276903,Cell:676-6109Price:$3.8M One Toyota Land cruiser Prado, PMM Series Call: 2250188, 223-7500, Mon-Fri 8:154:15pm, Sat - 8:15-1:15PM
COOL TECH : Repairs Services & Installation of all types if homes appliances: Air Condition & Refrigeration units - Tel: 233-2008; 675-4959
Toyota Avensis 2003, PRR series 18" Rims, leather interior, HID, A/C, Alarm, TV, $3.250M, immaculate condition! Tel: 609-7257, 602-5974
We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar:2310655,683-8734
Unregistered Spacio, TV Flair Kit, Noah mini buses BSS series – Call: 697-0294
Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032, 647-2943
One Toyota Carina AT192 $560,000, 1 compressor c/w air tool kit master craft $110,000 – owner migrating: 641-6239
Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045 Building and need exceptional quality service at an affordable price – Please contact Rica on 223-2695/ 661-6073
One 2 Ton Mitsubishi freezer canter truck, 4D-38 engine (not computerized), immaculate condition – Call: 220-3133; 615-5538.
Luxury building construction, general contractors, general building construction concrete, wood, ceiling, roof, etc – Call: 592-6954062, email:anojaisari @yahoo.com
1 AE100 Toyota Corolla, excellent condition, A/c, mag rims, alarm, DVD player – Price: $775,000 – Call: 2253217, 695-6461, 612-9625
One [1] Ford Driven 60HP Tractor 600hrs, almost new -$2.2M. Contact Junior: 6654611; 261-5304
For Grill work, aluminum, cast iron, stainless steel, vessel, trailer -Call Khemraj: 666-2101 Travel with Ron to Florida or Washington DC. For just $US3000 with hotels & car rental provided - call: 2185591, 675-7292
EDUCATIONAL Just completed Level 6? Need transition/foundation classes – Forms 1 & 2 – Call Mr. Lee: 227-7850 IAE - Camp Street - Registration has commenced Forms 1-5 (full-time school); day & evening, adult CXC classes Call: 683-5742, 223-0604
VEHICLE FOR SALE
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 B & C Driving School: Lot 5 Hadfield Street Lodge- call: 225-0150, 229-7258, 680-6826
WANTED Live-in experienced caregiver Call: 664-8150
WANTED Person to draw cones from machine and sell.Good Rates Tel:227-1830 (Continued on page 23)
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Too much illegal guns in the Region... From page 18 reducing impunity of firearms related offences. Guyana's Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, who delivered the key note address, reminded the audience that his government remains committed to peace disarmament and development, a commitment which dates back way beyond when the People's Progressive Party/CIVIC came into office in 1992. He said that disarmament both at the national and international levels is a foundation principle to which the government of Guyana is committed, since disarmament would impact positively on peace and development. The Minister said that it is this context that Guyana became a signatory to many of the protocols and conventions of the United Nations to demonstrate its commitment to the UN Charter. “It is further in manifestation of this commitment that we have signed on to the Convention in respect to the illegal trafficking in firearms…. and only recently in the national assembly the motion was passed and later on signed into an act,” Rohee stated. He however, acknowledged the challenge that faces Guyana with its porous multiple borders, and he welcomed the assistance of the United States Government and other multinational agencies.
But these challenges, he said, are being undermined by the position taken by the local judiciary with regards to persons who are charged under the firearms act, granting bail to such persons who commit crimes with illegal firearms. “We do not look for concubinage with the judiciary; what we look for is a balance between pretrial liberty of individuals who have been charged with commission of a gun crime and the human rights of the victims. It is important that this balance be taken into consideration and the balance be struck between those who seek pre trial liberty through the courts and the victims who have suffered physical damage or economic losses,” the Home Affairs Minister declared. Rohee welcomed the training, which he said, will always be a work in progress for law enforcement in any field of its mandate. Juliet Solomon disclosed that the current training activity is part of a broader assistance package which the agency has been providing to the government of Guyana since 2013 with the support of the United States of America. “As the regional arm of the UN office of disarmament affairs, UNLIREC is willing with the support of the donor community to continue providing assistance to Guyana in its efforts to reduce gun crimes and strengthen public
security,” she said. Deputy US Ambassador to Guyana, Bryan Hunt, noted that security is one of the main areas of cooperation between his government and the government of Guyana. He said that there is no question that illicit arms trafficking is a global problem and the United States is not insulated from the violence that is derived from the proliferation of firearms. Hunt reminded the audience of the recent shooting at
two returning as confirmed cases of Chikungunya. About 20 per cent of the cases tested were confirmed as mild forms of dengue. “We know that there is circulation of type two dengue in Guyana and we are hoping to confirm the types but as it relates to the Chikungunya virus, we are still doing some investigations regarding travel of these persons and to find out also if people travelled to their households too,” said Dr Persaud. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry, through its Vector Control Services Department has intensified fogging activities in Berbice as well as other areas across the country to combat the virus. But, according to Dr. Persaud, “vector control is not just about fogging so we would like to get people involved...to protect their environment by keeping it clean in order to keep out mosquitoes. Any place that water stays for more than seven days becomes a breeding site for mosquitoes,” informed Dr Persaud. Added to this, he said that teams of inspectors will be visiting homes, particularly where the cases have been detected, as well as where increased cases of
spective on the best strategies that can be used collectively to investigate, successfully prosecute and to bring to justice those who choose to engage in gun violence and the trafficking of illicit firearm ammunition and explosives,” the US diplomat said. He said that the course is a model for inter-agency collaboration which is tremendously important when dealing with important cross-cutting societal problems.
Developing human capital... From page 3 some type of concessional arrangement to ensure steady progress. Many of our problems originate from outside of the Caribbean and have impacted heavily on us,” the President added. He also stated that what has been clear over the years is that technology has impacted every aspect of life and as such it is important for the Caribbean region to develop ways in which this can be integrated into the agricultural sector among other areas. He said, “Our food importation bill is too high and we need to continue to see food security as being extremely important. We need to broaden what we produce and harness our agricultural potential and invest in the area.” “We must always be cognizant of the inequalities that
‘REPORT ALL FEVER... From page 9 Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Martinique Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Barthelemy, Saint Maarten and St. Martin. Three confirmed resulting deaths were reported by Martinique and St. Martin. “With the introduction of this new virus all of the countries started to monitor their situations...so we had several things going on,” Dr. Persaud said. “Among these”, he said, “were moves to improve regular surveillance systems, whereby intensified efforts were made to monitor, on a daily basis, cases of fever syndromes including fever with rash and fever with joint pain”. According to Dr. Persaud, this process allowed the Health Ministry to detect, in early May, a spike in the cases of fever syndromes seen at health facilities in Berbice. Moreover, a system was put in place to collect samples for testing. Although the majority of the cases were negative, Dr. Persaud said that close to 30 samples were sent to the CARPHA Laboratory, with
the University of Southern California, pointing out that gun violence is a problem that the entire international community has to work together to combat. “ The United States is not in a position to lecture anyone on how to prevent illicit firearms trafficking and I would never presume to do so, which is why I'm so grateful that we've been able to bring the experts from UNLIREC here to engage directly with the stakeholders in Guyana to offer an international per-
fever syndromes are reported, to undertake inspections. This will be done, he said, even as continued efforts are made to monitor the various Ports of Entry.
exist in our world and see what policies can be pursued to close the income gap within our region and even internationally. Some of the figures are too startling and that tells us that if we don't do something we are courting disaster.” The President highlighted as well the importance for member states to continue to broaden international relations as it is also important in giving countries greater possibilities. To the CDB members he said, “On the issue of climate change, it is imperative that we continue to fight for a solu-
tion. However, one of the big challenges that you can help to make a major contribution in is to help to identify new sources of growth. “Additionally, and probably more significantly, one of the things the bank needs to look at is how do we deal with the big debts that many countries in the region face. Debts that are becoming a millstone around the necks of the region and helping to retard the development of the region... These are the immediate challenges that confront us .The region or the bank is not short of talent and we can find a way forward.”
MP denied access to... From page 16 Corps be transferred to another Ministry or agency that possesses the requisite personnel and skills and is better prepared to tend to the lives of juveniles sympathetically. Last week Jones had made a call to Government to have the caregivers at the New Opportunity Corps undergo lie detector tests. Jones told the media that
a threat by caregivers has since silenced the girls, as they are now withholding certain information. “All caregivers should be subject to lie detector tests and if they fail, they should be dismissed,” Jones said yesterday. Jones maintained that his Party will do all in its power to ensure that the girls do not return to the NOC.
(From page 22)
WANTED One shop attendant & one handy boy to work in the interior Call: 681-6044 One Honest counter clerk, 3yrs experienced selling Japanese Spare Parts . Contact Ray’s Motor Spares & Auto Sales: 231-7839 (working hours) 3 female general workers between ages 22-35yrs, 1 male general worker between ages 18-30 – Contact: 225-6337 Live out domestic babysitter and live in babysitter –Call: 225-0188, 225-6070 (Monday to Saturday) (8:15am-4:15pm) One domestic worker, one domestic cook @ East Coast Demerara - Contact: 6115398, 621-8478 Urgently needed live in waitresses to work in bar, attractive salary offered – Tel:259-0574 Two half days cleaner, must be from the W.C.D to work in Tuschen – Call: 662-9341 Driver living in Georgetown with Mini-bus License for contract – Call: 646-8748 Drivers, hire cars & bartenders to work at Flambouyant Taxi Services/ Restaurant – Call: 678-4470 Domestic maid, work available at Diamond Housing Scheme – Contact: 609-1535; 227-8529; 2160979 Experienced Salesgirls, with secondary education @ Christine’s Variety Store – Contact: 609-1535/ 227-8529 One driver and a Cummings Mechanic to work in the interior - Contact: 681-6044 1 Skilled tile man, 2 skilled masons - $6,000 per day, 2 porters- $4,000 daily from W.C.D to work @ Tuschen Call: 684-8231 General help must be willing to cook puri & egg balls – Call: 626-2629 To buy 2 low income land in La Parafaite Harmonie & one high income in Scoonord – Call:218-5591 or 675-7292
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Thursday May 29, 2014
Mahdia power woes… Date for banning the use of Styrofoam extended $43M generator set to provide The June 2014 deadline for restricting the importation of Styrofoam containers in Guyana has been shifted to a date to be announced later. The restriction may not be challenging since local companies have welcomed the move and indicated their willingness to comply with the ban. This was revealed by a senior official in the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment during a recent interview with this publication. According to the official, In Guyana, Styrofoam constitutes about 2 percent of the waste stream and is widely used in the food industry. The improper disposal of this mostly single used item has threatened public health, safety and welfare, urban aesthetics and resulted in death or illness to marine life. “The environmental cost to clean-up Styrofoam waste is borne by taxpayers to the tune of millions of dollars since it is not included in its purchase price. This has rendered Styrofoam as one of the cheapest and most available food service containers. Styrofoam food packaging popularity is so popular that businesses seldom stock alternatives as they are not specifically mandated to either through legislations or policies,” he said. As such, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has embarked on an initiative that will see a significant reduction in the littering of Styrofoam products, resulting in further development of new enterprises since bio-degradable containers will be utilized. The official noted that the Ministry had submitted to Cabinet for consideration a memorandum titled
improved power supply
‘Restriction on Styrofoam Products’. This document recognized the ubiquitous nature of Styrofoam containers and its negative impact on the environment, and outlined two measures to be instituted on Styrofoam products with an eventual ban in two years. Cabinet, at a meeting held on June 25, 2013 approved the proposed actions leading to the restriction on the use of Styrofoam products being implemented. These are: the imposition of stamp duty and environmental tax charges to Styrofoam which is a nonreusable, non-returnable commodity for one year; and the availability of incentives to the Private Sector for the importation of biodegradable alternatives. According to the official, the first national stakeholder consultation on the importation ban on Styrofoam was held on November 18, 2013 at Duke Lodge. It is the intention of the Ministry to schedule a second consultation with both government and private stakeholders including the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, and the Georgetown Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The second consultation is intended to further apprise stakeholders of the need for the impending ban on Styrofoam; to inform on the
interim actions to be imposed on the importation of Styrofoam containers; and to garner stakeholder’s concerns on the type of incentives to transition towards biodegradable containers. It was noted that local companies through the Private Sector Commission have raised several reasons to support the ban. They pointed out that Guyana does not produce Styrofoam products. There is no recycling Styrofoam recycling plant to close once the ban is in place; and the food service industry will not be badly affected even though many already use Styrofoam. The official said whilst a new date for the deadline is being set, the Ministry is working with the Environmental Protection Agency to set standards for the chemical composition of imported biodegradable products. The Litter Regulations have recently been tabled and enacted by Parliament, after which the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment through the Environmental Protection Agency has been working assiduously on the implementation plan of these regulations and more recently the hiring of 12 Litter Wardens. Although the Litter Regulations do not capture any penalties for the usages of Styrofoam, it focuses on the improper disposal of waste that affects the environment and Guyana as a whole. However, with the establishment of the new Enforcement and Compliance Division at the Environmental Protection Agency, it is envisioned that the Regulations which are now being drafted will capture penalties and fines for the use of Styrofoam. Styrofoam is also known as polystyrene, a synthetic material consisting of large molecules called polymers, derived from petrochemical. Styrofoam is not considered hazardous waste, however, its ubiquity and impact on the environment can be detrimental as experts agree that Styrofoam will never decompose. Added to that, Styrofoam is generally not recycled as the polystyrene resin contaminates the recycling process.
Residents of Mahdia and surrounding communities in Region Eight should have longer power supply as a recently procured $43.7M generator is set to fully begin its operation this week. According to Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ronald Harsaywack, residents have been affected by severe rationing of electricity in Mahdia, with a reduced power supply from 24 to 12 hours. “The engineers out of the Office of the Prime Minister are doing the final installation and the generator should be up and running this afternoon (yesterday),” Harsaywack noted. “Residents should receive approximately 18 hours of power a day and based on the calculations its can probably go up to 24 hours.” Underscoring that this was due to Mahdia Power and Light Company’s shortfall as a result of limited resources, the REO explained that the operational cost of the power company has for long far exceeded the revenue accrued. The company does not have enough customers on the power grid to get enough revenue to generate 24 hours of electricity. However, Harsaywack noted that there are just about 500 customers on the grid, of which about 85 do not pay for their power generation, since the first 15 kilowatts of electricity is free. He said the power company has a 750kva generating set, but only utilises roughly 250 kva. In essence, the set is too large for the small customer base and the main reason why
Region Eight Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ronald Harsaywack Government would have invested in a smaller generating set to meet the needs of residents. This would allow for the consumption of less fuel and by extension, less overhead costs for the Mahdia Power and Light, while at the same time, providing more hours of electricity generation to the residents. The REO met with residents of Princeville over the weekend, in the company of the Local Government and Regional Development Minister Norman Whittaker, where they heard the concerns of residents as part of Government’s focus on reaching out to residents on issues of community and national development.
Minibus conductor, businessman charged for drug possession A minibus conductor of Victoria, East Coast Demerara and a businessman from East Ruimveldt, Georgetown were yesterday remanded to prison, after they appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on separate drug related charges. The defendants, Eucland Frank, 26 and Jason Cummings, 31, were allegedly found in possession of 2.5 grammes of cocaine and one gram of Ecstasy tablets, respectively. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges According to the allegations, on Monday at Hadfield Street Georgetown, Frank was found with the cocaine tucked in the waist of his pants during a search, which was conducted by the police on mobile patrol. The police allegedly found the prohibited drug in Cummings’ pants pocket, while he was in the vicinity of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, on Saturday. Both men were represented by Attorney-atLaw, Paul Fung-A-Fat, who requested bail on the grounds that the drugs were not found on his clients or in their possession. Fung-A-Fat contended that the drug said to be Frank’s were found in a yard on
Hadfield Street. In regards to Cummings, the lawyer argued that the drug was found in a taxi in which there were three other persons. However, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Deneshwer Mahendranaught, objected to bail on the grounds that no special reason was given to the court for Frank to be
placed on bail. The Assistant Superintendent of Police also argued that Cummings along with others were in a taxi when it was stopped at a roadblock, and a search was carried out on the occupants of the car. The Ecstasy tablets were found in his pants pocket. Bail was refused for both defendants who will now return to Court on June 12.
Insurance companies... From page 19 deductible. Now that this practice has changed, policyholders have been crying out because most times they are forced into a position where they need to accept the Insurance Companies' offer because they need to replace their car immediately so they need money as fast as possible. Datadin said that had the shoe been on the other foot then the employees of the Insurance Companies would not like it. The lawyer said, “It must be nice when you are setting the rules that you would not have to comply with because its application is discretionary.” He said that it is likely that if one of the senior employees of the insurance companies was involved in an acci-
dent and the vehicle was determined as a total constructive loss and a claim was made on the company then there would be no offer to pay 60 per cent of the value insured and a demand for that employee to sell their own wreck to recoup the remainder of the sum insured; the offer would be for the value of the car and the payout would be immediate. And Insurance Companies know that this is unfair but they have been getting away with it because it has not been challenged. Ramson added that the practice is particularly unconscionable because “I don't see Insurance Companies going out of business in Guyana … in fact they are making billions… So why take advantage of policy holders like this?”
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Kaieteur News
Thursday May 29, 2014
Israeli lawmakers introduce Egypt’s Sisi heads for big win in early provisional count legislation to annex occupied land CAIRO (Reuters) - Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former army chief who toppled Egypt’s first freely elected leader, was on course for a sweeping victory in the country’s presidential election yesterday, early provisional results showed. But a lower than expected turnout figure raised questions about Sisi’s credibility after his supporters had idolized him as a hero who can deliver political and economic stability. Sisi captured 91.8 percent of votes cast in 50 percent of polling stations, judicial sources said. His only rival, leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, gained 3.4 percent while 4.8 percent of votes were declared void. Fireworks erupted in Cairo when Sisi’s results began to emerge. His supporters waved Egyptian flags and sounded car horns on the crowded streets of the capital. About 1,000 people gathered in Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the popular uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and raised hopes of a democracy free of
An election worker waits for voters in front of a ballot box at a polling station in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) influence from the military. But the former military intelligence chief may not have the popular mandate needed to restore healthy growth to the economy, ease poverty and unemployment, and end costly energy subsidies in the most
populous Arab nation. Turnout was 44.4 percent of Egypt’s 54 million voters, according to the judicial sources. That would be less than the 40 million votes, or 80 percent of the electorate, that Sisi had called for last week.
(Reuters) - Rightwing Israeli lawmakers are calling on the government to annex about 90 Jewish settlements built on o c c u p i e d We s t B a n k land, with one of them saying it was retaliation for the collapse of peace talks with the Palestinians a month ago. While Israel has built dozens of enclaves since capturing the land in a 1 9 6 7 w a r, i t h a s n o t applied its law to the territory other than near East Jerusalem, which it annexed as part of its capital in a move never r e c o g n i z e d internationally. Prime Minister B e n j a m i n N e t a n y a h u ’s government said it does not support the legislation the right wingers introduced in p a r l i a m e n t y e s t e r d a y, but some cabinet members have urged such a step, blaming the Palestinians for the
collapse of a nine-month round of U.S.-brokered negotiations. Most Western nations and the United Nations regard settlements built on land Israel captured in 1967 as illegal and an obstacle to peace. Palestinians say the enclaves deprive them of land for a state they seek alongside Israel and where they have often lived for generations. N e t a n y a h u ’s p o l i t i c a l allies view the enclaves though as a biblical birthright. The legislation, which has no date set for a vote, seeks to annex enclaves Israel had hinted it may give up for peace, as well as four settlement blocs it seeks to keep under any deal. The settlements envisaged for annexation total roughly 90, and are located in so-called Area C, a swathe of West Bank land under full Israeli control since a 1993 interim accord. Some 300,000
Palestinians and 350,000 settlers live in this area, out of a total of 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, mostly in areas where Palestinians have a measure of self-rule under that agreement of 21 years ago. Orit Struck, a lawmaker with the farright Jewish Home party who co-chairs p a r l i a m e n t ’s settler l o b b y, s a i d “ u n i l a t e r a l steps are called for” after the Palestinians took steps to form a unity government with Hamas Islamists, sworn enemies of Israel. Israel suspended the already faltering talks as a result. Struck, a settler herself, told Israel Radio Israel ought to annex m o s t o f t h e We s t B a n k “but we understand it must be a gradual process” and that, for now, Israel should apply its law to areas where most Israelis living in occupied land live.
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Training for umpires starts today Thunder rumble past Spurs.. The Georgetown Cricket Umpires & Scorers Association (GCU&SA) training classes for the year 2014 will commence today at 17:00 hrs at the Demerara Cricket Club, Queenstown. T h e r e a f t e r, s e s s i o n s will be held on Tuesdays
and Thursdays from 17:00 hours to 19:00 hours of each week and will conclude with the Umpires Preliminary Examinations scheduled for Sunday July 27. Registration fee is $500. Cricketers, administrators, captains, coaches and reporters are
also invited to attend. A special appeal is made to the young males and females to attend these classes and aspire to become umpires since there is a growing demand regionally and internationally for these categories of umpires.
From page 32 from there for the Spurs, despite continued good play from their reserves, and they ended the night by slipping to their ninth straight loss to the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. “I thought the last two games we played as a group,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks
said after his team rebounded from two demoralizing road losses to level the series. “Russell’s defensive toughness really set the tone in this game tonight.” The series shifts back to San Antonio for Game Five on Thursday with the eventual winners advancing to meet either the Heat or Indiana Pac-
ers for the NBA title. “We’ve got to make it travel,” Westbrook said of the need for Oklahoma City to take their winning form at home on the road. “We’ve got to win one there if we want to win the series. “We’ve got to go there with the same mindset as tonight and try to come up with a win.”
Goldman sees Brazil beating Argentina... Thursday May 29, 2014 ARIES (MAR 21 - APR 19): New investment possibilities could present themselves to you today, Aries. This could involve an investment of time, money, or other resources. You might also consider an exciting new start of some sort. *************************** TAURUS (APR 20 - MAY 20): An opportunity to travel with a partner or colleague could come your way, perhaps for business. Any travel planned or begun today is likely to go well and bring you whatever results you hope for. *************************** GEMINI (MAY 21 JUN 20): News of a possible raise could come your way today, Gemini, possibly through some enterprise that you've been working on. You're feeling especially energetic, and therefore you could well be tempted to take on more than you usually would. *************************** CANCER (JUN 21 - JUL 22): A group might invite you to participate in a creative project of some kind today, Cancer. Whatever you do is likely to be stimulating and exciting. You'll want to channel a lot of energy and enthusiasm into it. *************************** LEO (JUL 23 - AUG 22): You might be planning to host a social event in your home tonight or perhaps in a few days. It could have you doing a lot of cleaning, rearranging, and beautifying around the house. A friend might drop by to lend a hand. ************************ VIRGO (AUG 23 - SEP 22): Today you might want to spend time visiting friends in your neighborhood, Virgo. Small purchases might be necessary, perhaps new clothes, perhaps objects that improve or add beauty to your home. You might have to squeeze a few errands in between visits.
LIBRA (SEP 23 - OCT 22): A chance to earn a small amount of money, perhaps by doing a little extra work at home, could come your way today, Libra. *************************** SCORPIO (OCT 23 - NOV 21): Expect a lot of intellectual stimulation to come your way today, Scorpio. Important news could come on the phone, necessitating action on your part in order to bring about a desired end. *************************** SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 DEC 21): Your creative talents should be operating at an all-time high today, Sagittarius. You might be offered an opportunity to earn some money putting them to use. Your excitement and enthusiasm are likely to ensure that you'll do the best you possibly can and earn a lot of approval from those around you. *************************** CAPRICORN (DEC 22 JAN 19): If you play your cards right, Capricorn, you just might be able to turn what you're picking up psychically into an exalted creative effort. The emotions and images flowing into your brain might be obscure, but they're significant in some way.
*************************** AQUARIUS (JAN 20 FEB 18): An exciting new project or opportunity could be presented to you today, Aquarius. It could involve a new love or at least a new friend. *************************** PISCES (FEB 19 - MAR 20): Contact with friends who live or work far away could bring a string of new opportunities your way. You might also be thinking of taking a trip, perhaps to another country or by boat. An opportunity to attend a seminar of some kind could present itself, possibly through friends. A lot is happening, Pisces, but try to stay focused.
From page 33 each of the knockout phases, while Argentina is forecast to beat Ecuador, Portugal and Spain. Goldman’s model though is not foolproof. Using data ahead of the
2010 World Cup, it had predicted Brazil, with a 26.6 percent chance, would win in South Africa. They crashed out in the quarter-finals. Eventual winners Spain, however, were second favor-
ites with a 15.7 percent probability of winning. Andres Iniesta’s extra-time goal gave Vicente del Bosque’s side a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final and their first World Cup title.
The answer to sports enthusiasts’... From page 31 sponsor, Jermaine’s Enterprise of 93 Regent Street, which deals with bio-degradable products, will also be prominent. Mr. Massiah is confident that the programme will fill a void for those local sports en-
Mahadeo guides Upsetters to victory Ryan Mahadeo chalked the maximum 18 games to guide Upsetters of Bartica to victory in the final of their dominoes competition played on Sunday last at Amit Ramnarine’s residence in Good Success, Wakenaam. Mahadeo got support from Salo Sheriff with 17 and A. Singh 16 as Upsetters scored 94 games to beat Mix Up of Bartica who managed 71 and third place All Star of Wakenaam with 63. W. Moses and David Drepaul marked the maximum 18 games each for Mix Up, while Vijay Persaud made 13, Nazeer Mohamed and Mohamed Kalam 10 apiece for All Star. Mix Up won the first round with 68 games ahead of Upsetters 67 and Double Six of Wakenaam 43. Drepaul scored 14 and Arnold Persaud 12 for the winners while Leonard Seepersaud recorded the maximum 18 and R. Mahadeo 12 for Upsetters. Suraj (only name given) made 17 for Double Six whose Alex Chung was the lone love bird. Upsetters who sponsored the competition and Mix Up collected $50,000 each.
thusiasts thirsty for knowledge in the various disciplines on the local and foreign scene. He is encouraging potential advertisers to partner with him as he endeavours to enhance the fortunes of local sports persons and by extension, the fraternity. Mr. Massiah will be
joined by popular broadcaster, Mark Watson along with several experts in the field und e r d i s c u s s i o n . “This is an experience that Guyanese sports enthusiasts will not want to miss,” Mr. Massiah pronounced. Interested sponsors can contact Mr. Massiah on telephone # 609-8132.
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Kaieteur News
Letter to the Sports Editor
Clive Lloyd welcomes Cricket Administration Bill
DEAR EDITOR, I welcome the Cricket Administration Bill (CAB) which was recently passed by the National Assembly of Guyana. I took note of the fact that it passed with the support of both the Government and the main Opposition Party. This Bill has been some three years in the making. It is the fruit of serious thinking about the future of Guyanese cricket and consultation with the widest possible cross section of the Guyanese public, including a parliamentary select committee. Quite apart from this, even before the Bill was approved, important stakeholders in the cricketing community and important individuals and recognized cricket authorities, such as the former West Indies all rounder Roger Harper, supported the Bill on the basis of its known inputs and the objectives it is intended to achieve: the restoration of a game that has made a significant contribution to the development of our country. I am encouraged by the fact that the CAB seeks to bring transparency, honesty and accountability to the administration of the game. I do not believe that there is a single Guyanese citizen who would not wish to see cricket so administered in our dear land. It is a given that a new administration can act as a spur to the development of cricket. And no one can seriously contend that in our
current circumstances our cricket does not need a shot in the arm. Without being too parochial I am constrained to note that when the New Zealand cricket tour starts in a few weeks time there will be no Guyanese cricketer among the eleven representatives. During my tenure as captain my focus was always about WI cricket and not any one territory. Contrast this with the era in my lifetime when we had as many as six players in the West Indies team, and could offer to West Indies cricket six Test captains, including myself, Maurice “Pacheo” Fernandes, Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Let me note here also that apart from the great batsmen who have graced the cricket field with our colours, Lance Gibbs was the first spin bowler to break the world record. Guyana has a proud and enviable record as a component of West Indies cricket. We must do everything to sustain that record. That record can only be sustained if we grapple with our current problems and as a nation, accord cricket the importance it deserves. The Bill is an important step in this direction. It can remedy the problems and difficulties facing the game and allow it to flourish as part of the cultural tapestry of this nation. The need for Guyana’s cricket to be
provided with an environment in which it can flourish does not need an elaborate argument. Cricket in Guyana has been an agent for national unity, for bringing communities together, for ensuring Guyana’s recognition beyond its borders and for providing the means by which our individual cricketers could realize an upward movement in their social status. In addition, Guyana must be able to return to the position in which it is a major contributor of talent, both in terms of cricketers and administrators, to West Indies and world cricket. A former Prime Minister of Guyana once told the story that he had difficulties Mentioned such names as Kanhai, Butcher, Solomon and Lance Gibbs. According to him it was instant understanding and recognition. That gr e a t A m e r i c a n patriot, Tom Payne, said that the American Revolution was an opportunity to make the world new again. The Bill is certainly not a revolution but it can decidedly offer this na t i o n t h e opportunity to make Guyana great again as a contributor to regional and world cricket. I am confident that the Bill can do this and I look forward to an era in which our cricket is again properly administered and a credit to every Guyanese citizen. Clive H Lloyd
Current Judo executives should resign en bloc says Blackman Former Guyana Judo Association (GJA) executive William Blackman feels the solution to the present constitutional problems affecting Judo locally could be easily solved if the current Raoul Archer led executives of the Judo Association of Guyana (JAG) resign en bloc and new elections are held. “An IMC must be installed to organize the elections and Andy Moore should be made President and myself secretary. Senior Vice-President of (Guyana Olympic Association) GOA, Mr. Charles Corbin is the cause of all of this mess and should not be involved because he knew all the facts and still ignored all the concerns we had,” Blackman,
an International Judo Coach, said. When Judo was resurrected in 2000, the name of the Association was changed from the Guyana Judo Association (GJA) to the Judo Association of Guyana (JAG). Judo was dormant in the 1980s and when competitions resumed in 2000, everything seemed on the right track to take the sport forward but things started to go wrong in 2004 leading to two factions being formed in 2009. It was revealed that the Association went to the GOA for Arbitration again and then last year Elections were held to ensure that the game took off. But things reportedly started to fall apart again.
“Our President (Raoul Archer) went to Brazil for a congress this year and came back with updates and told us that the IJF (the International Governing body for Judo) did not recognize JAG leaving us with a Constitutional crisis,” 2nd Dan Judo Instructor Bruce Fraser said recently. In 2012 National lightweight judo champion Raul Lall of the Rising Sun Judo Dojo became the first Guyanese Judoka to compete at the Olympics but Berbician Judo Instructor Moore questioned how was it that Lall was allowed to participate at the Olympics if the World Governing Body did not recognize the JAG?
Thursday May 29, 2014
Serena follows Venus out of French Open after shock loss PARIS (Reuters) - Holder and world No.1 Serena Williams was shocked 6-2 6-2 by Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in the French Open second round on Wednesday, an hour after her elder sister Venus was ousted at the second grand slam of the year. On a chilly day in Paris, Serena never looked the force that has won 17 major titles. Her 20-year-old opponent broke the American’s serve twice early in the first set and made the most of a series of unforced errors by a leadenfooted Williams. The Spaniard, ranked 35 in the world, did not release the pressure and the match became a repeat of the nightmare of 2012, when Williams lost in the first round, not the glory of 2013 when she beat Maria Sharapova in the final here. A netted return from Williams sent the Spaniard into ecstasy and even Williams’s mother, Oracene, smiled as Muguruza leapt about the court. “Of course, it’s amazing,” Muguruza said. “I had to be really aggressive and focused. “Today is a great day. I’m so happy,” the Spaniard shouted. Later Muguruza told a news conference: “She (Serena) said that if I continue playing like this, I can win the tournament. I said: ‘I will try, I will try’. Serena was philosophical, saying: “I don’t think anything worked for me today. It was just one of those days, you can’t be on (your game) every day. “It’s not the end of the world, there’s always next year.” After the defeat of China’s Li Na in the first round on Tuesday, it is the first time
since tennis turned professional in 1968 that the top two women’s seeds have failed to reach the third round at a grand slam. It is also the third time, after 2004 and 2008, that both Williams sisters have lost on the same day at the French Open. FEDERER THROUGH The big names on the men’s side of the draw suffered no problems in reaching the third round. Novak Djokovic, the second seed, despatched Jeremy Chardy of France 6-1 6-4 6-2 while Roger Federer, seeded fourth, won 6-3 6-4 64 against Diego Sebastian Schwartzman of Argentina, a player he had never seen before. Chardy, who beat Federer at the Rome Masters earlier this month, spelled out why Djokovic is fancied to end eight-times champion Rafa Nadal’s reign here. “He was simply stronger than me, bigger than me in all compartments. You’re always under pressure. He knows everything. He can do everything.” Czech Tomas Berdych, the sixth seed, started slowly before beating Aleksandr Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan 67(4) 6-4 7-5 6-3. Eighth seed Milos Raonic got past Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 7-6(4) 6-4 6-1. The Williams sisters had been due to meet in the third round but that was knocked off the agenda when Venus became the first seed to lose in the second round, falling 2-6 63 6-4 to Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia. The 29th seed, wearing long sleeves in temperatures of 14 Celsius, has never won the claycourt grand slam in 16 visits and, now 32, she may have to
accept she never will. Schmiedlova, aged 19 and ranked 56 in the world, wasted two match points on Williams’s serve before the American hit wide to set up a third, and the Slovak clinched the match with a fine backhand cross court shot. “This is the biggest win of my life,” said Schmiedlova, who broke down when expressing how much Venus had meant to her when she was growing up. SOLID START Venus was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease in September 2011 and since losing in the fourth round of Wimbledon that year, has exited in the first or second round of every grand slam she has taken part in. “I think she just played so well and just kept getting so many balls in the court,” said Venus. “It just wasn’t my day in the last couple of sets.” Flavia Pennetta of Italy, seeded 12th, joined the Williams sisters in heading for the exit after going down 5-7 6-4 6-2 to Sweden’s Johanna Larsson. Eugenie Bouchard, the 18th seed, recovered from a slow start to beat Julia Goerges of Germany in three sets. On the men’s side, Russian Mikhail Youzhny, the 15th seed, lost 6-0 6-3 3-6 6-4 to Czech Radek Stepanek before Spain’s Marcel Granollers overturned a twoset deficit to beat 20th seed Alexandr Dologopolov of Ukraine 1-6 3-6 6-3 6-0 6-2. Gilles Simon, the 29th seed, eased past Alejandro Gonzales of Colombia 6-4 6-0 6-2 and there were also straight-set wins for Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, the 27th seed, and Ernests Gulbis, the 18th seed from Latvia.
Julio Cesar: I’m more prepared for this World Cup From page 29 professional after the 2010 Wo r l d C u p , ” h e s a i d . “When things are going y o u r w a y, y o u e n d u p relaxing a little bit more. I was very confident in 2010 because of everything that had happened until then, and I think that too much confidence can hurt. Now I can say that from personal experience.” Although Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari named C e s a r t h e Wo r l d C u p starter long time ago, many still consider the goalkeeper the weakest link
in B r a z i l ’s squad, especially because of his lack of play in recent months. “I don’t think there is pressure,” he said. “I know many people are questioning me and why I was selected, but the coaches have the confidence in my game and I know that I can add a lot to this group.” Cesar conceded nine goals in seven matches with Toronto in the run-up to the World Cup, but said he was able to take advantage of the time he
spent in Major League Soccer. “My preparations were excellent, I feel I’m 100 per cent ready for the World Cup,” Cesar said. “Toronto was the only team that opened its doors for me. I talked to several clubs, including in Brazil, and the negotiations were not successful, many times because of the salaries here. But I knew I had to be playing so I could arrive well psychologically, it would have been hard if I hadn’t been playing anywhere.”
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Enterprise Busta 50-over Sterling says NBA ban, forced sale is illegal: LA Times festival to start Sunday The seventh edition of the Enterprise Busta 50 overs Festival is set to c o m m e n c e o n S unday. Better Hope will travel to Ogle for a game starting at 12:00 hrs, Lusignan will host Buxton at 12:00hrs, Enterprise B will stay at home to Enmore at 10:00hrs, while their B team will entertain Unity at 13:00 hrs. Golden Grove will journey to Strathaven and
Fairfield will host Bravado at 12:00 hrs. The competition will continue on June 7 with the winner of game one facing game three champions at Enterprise, the champion team of game two will battle game six victors at Fairfield, the successful team from game four will clash with game five champs at Lusignan.
The semis and final will be played at Enterprise on June 8 starting at 10:00 hrs. Teams are asked to note that guest players will not be accepted and can contact Jitlall Jawahirlal on 660-4783 or 617-2430 for more information. The tournament was scheduled to be played in 2013 but was postponed due to the unavailability of grounds.
Chris Jordan shines in Old Trafford rout BBC Sport - England recovered from Sunday’s record defeat to bowl Sri Lanka out for 67 at Old Trafford and win the third one-day international by 10 wickets. Paceman Chris Jordan took 5-29 as Sri Lanka were all out in 24 overs, with only three men reaching double figures. Dismissed for only 99 last time out, England needed only 12.1 overs to reach their target, Ian Bell (41 not out) sealing victory with a straight six. Victory puts them 2-1 ahead in the series with two matches remaining. A truncated game had been expected in Manchester - but that was because of the volume of rain across the region rather than a third lowest total in their ODI history from Sri Lanka, who had inflicted England’s heaviest home defeat in terms of runs only three days previously. Returning to the side after missing that contest through injury, England captain Alastair Cook won a vital toss under heavy skies. When play began after a 20-minute delay, James Anderson exploited the favourable bowling conditions o n h i s h o m e ground to dismiss both openers within five overs. He claimed 2-10 from an impressive opening spell of seven overs before first change Jordan, in only his 11th ODI, returned the best figures by an England bowler at Old Trafford. Jordan was awarded the man-of-the-match award for the second time in the series, further enhancing his claims for a Test debut in the two-match series against the same opposition starting on 12 June. The 25-year-old, generating impressive pace and bounce throughout, tempted Kumar Sangakkara, who top-scored with 13, into an edge outside off stump in his second over as Sri Lanka,
(Reuters) - Donald Sterling, banned from owning a pro basketball team for inflammatory remarks he made about African Americans, called the National Basketball Association’s action illegal because it was based on a “lover’s quarrel” that was “illegally recorded.” “This was an argument between a jealous man and the woman he loved that should never have left the privacy of the living room,” Sterling said in a letter to the NBA obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Reuters was unable to confirm the authenticity of the letter. Sterling, controlling owner of the Los Angeles Clippers for 33 years, came under fire after TMZ.com posted an audio recording of him criticizing a female friend for publicly associating with black people, including NBA great “Magic” Johnson. The NBA said in a statement on Tuesday night that it had received a response from Donald and Shelly Sterling regarding his termination, and added that the league’s Board of Governors will hold a vote on eliminating Sterling’s stake at
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling (C), his wife Shelly (L) attend the NBA basketball game between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, in this December 22, 2008 file photo. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/Files a hearing set for June 3, when he can address the charges before his fellow owners. If at least 23 of the other 29 owners vote to terminate Sterling’s ownership of the franchise, the Clippers would have to be sold, the NBA said. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last week he would prefer to let Donald Sterling and his wife Shelley Sterling sell the team “on a reasonable timetable” rather
than proceed with trying to forcibly terminate their ownership. Sterling handed controlling interest in his team to his wife, the co-owner, and she began negotiating with the league to sell the club, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources. Sterling said in the letter that he has received offers “in excess of $2.5 billion” for the team, but did not name potential buyers.
Julio Cesar: I’m more prepared for this World Cup
Chris Jordan shines in Old Trafford rout so disciplined in accumulating 256 at Durham on Sunday, were guilty of a succession of indifferent strokes. Their other star batsman, Mahela Jayawardene, was trapped lbw for 12 attempting to turn James Tredwell’s first delivery to leg. Unlike at Durham, England held their catches and Sri Lanka capitulated, with three wickets falling for no run in the space of four balls. Eager to wrap things up before rain could intervene, England’s openers
cruised home, despite Cook being put down by Lahiru Thirimanne at square leg. The match was completed in under three hours - before the scheduled interval - and was only England’s fifth 10wicket triumph in ODIs. England have name an unchanged squad for the remaining two fixtures, which finishes with games at Lord’s on Saturday and Edgbaston on Tuesday. Scores: England 73 for 0 beat Sri Lanka 67 (Jordan 5-29) by 10 wickets.
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar said Tuesday he arrives for the World Cup at home a lot more prepared than he was four years ago, when his mistake played a part in the team’s elimination in South Africa. Cesar said the difficulties he went through after the 2010 World Cup helped him become “a better professional” and made him “more focused” on his career. He admitted that he took things for granted before the World Cup in South Africa, at which time he was considered the world’s top goalkeeper. The 34-year-old Cesar said he joined Toronto FC because it was the only team that wanted him, but said his preparations were not affected by playing in a lesstraditional league. He called his time with Toronto “excellent” and said he is “100 per cent” ready. “I arrive a lot more prepared than I was four years ago,” Cesar said at Brazil’s training centre in Teresopolis, outside Rio de Janeiro. “During bad times you have
Brazil national goalkeeper Julios Cesar laughs during a press conference at the squad’s Granja Comary training complex here, yesterday. (PHOTOS: AFP) to try to find some positive things, and I did. It wasn’t only the elimination against the Netherlands, I also had to deal with problems at Inter Milan and then at Queens Park Rangers. I needed to find a lot of strength to come back.” Cesar failed to clear a cross during Brazil’s quarterfinal against the Netherlands in 2010. That led to the
equaliser for the Dutch, who eventually went on to beat the South Americans 2-1. Cesar said he thought about quitting football at the time, and things only got worse after he faced problems both at Inter Milan and then at Queens Park Rangers, where he was sidelined and played sparingly. “I became a better (Continued on page 28)
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Thursday May 29, 2014
Efficient CSK enter another qualifier
Knight Riders through to final after Kings XI unravel
ESPNcricinfo - After a few off games, Chennai Super Kings held on to all their catches, after which Mumbai Indians fumbled in the field to clear the qualifier passage for the most consistent team in the IPL history. The game was won and lost in the final few overs of Mumbai’s innings when they went from 140 for 2 in 16 overs to 173 for 8 in 20. Lendl Simmons’ halfcentury had set them up beautifully, but Mumbai batsmen fell one after the other as Super Kings bowlers remained accurate and stifled them with changes of pace. An edgy but quick start to the chase was driven home by Suresh Raina, who earlier in the day made his India comeback as the ODI captain. Mumbai wouldn’t have excepted such a facile defeat after a rollicking start provided by former Super Kings opener Michael Hussey and Simmons. They added 76 in 9.4 overs, finding gaps regularly and using the quick outfield and the slope of the Brabourne Stadium. A big, fighting total looked on the cards when Corey Anderson raced away to 20 off 10. R Ashwin, who had bowled well without success until then, drew a top edge to send Anderson back with the first ball of the 13th over. A platform had been set nonetheless, and Super Kings were still looking at a stiff target. And Mumbai seemed well on their way, with 41 runs off the next 23 balls, but like he had done earlier, Ravindra Jadeja provided another breakthrough with Simmons’ wicket. The ball had been turning, but this one didn’t, and the Super Kings spinners did their job with just 57 runs in their eight overs. Their contribution was crucial because Brendon McCullum’s comeback had meant Super Kings had no overseas bowlers. Mohit Sharma and Ashish Nehra ended well as Mumbai kept mis-hitting the big ones and kept finding the deep fielders. Quite opposite was the start of the Super
Lendl Simmons pulls during his half-century. (BCCI) Kings innings. Praveen Kumar looked more incisive than any of the Super Kings quicks, but he was denied by Umpire Bruce Oxenford, who let Dwayne Smith get away with possibly the plumbest lbw of the IPL season. Oxenford suggested the ball was going down; it was Mumbai that were going down after this decision. Corey Anderson suffered at the hand of his fielders, when Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu converged to attempt Faf du Plessis’ catch, with neither going for it. Harbhajan did manage to pull things back, though, with slow loopy offbreaks to take out both the openers after they had raced to 60 in the first six overs. With the ball turning and gripping, it seemed we could have a tight chase, a feeling reinforced by McCullum getting stumped to make it 87 for 3 with 10.3 overs to go. Raina, though, went on to display some of his vintage IPL form, in the company of
David Hussey. There never seemed any panic around. His six over extra cover, off the bowling of Harbhajan, was the turning point in this innings. Even though D Hussey struggled to get going at the start, Raina kept the asking rate in check with well-placed shots that weren’t necessary boundaries. As Super Kings took the game further without the asking rate getting out of hand, Mumbai kept getting pushed out with no death bowler in their ranks. Raina, who has played every Super Kings match in the history of the IPL, soon matched the record for most scores of 50 or more in the event, 23, by which time D Hussey had also got into the act and all but ended the game. Scores: Chennai Super Kings 176 for 3 (Raina 54*, D Hussey 40*, Harbhajan 2-27) beat Mumbai Indians 173 for 8 (Simmons 67, Mohit 3-42) by 7 wickets.
ESPNcricinfo - Kolkata Knight Riders eased into the IPL final with their eighthsuccessive win, beating a listless Kings XI Punjab at Eden Gardens. Robin Uthappa prolonged a stellar season and took the record for the most runs scored by an Indian batsman in an IPL season. Gautam Gambhir, though scratchy with the bat, had helmed an impressive turnaround by Kolkata Knight Riders. The satisfaction of making the final was sweetened all the more when both players returned into national reckoning. Uthappa found a place for the ODI tour of Bangladesh and Gambhir could contemplate a Test comeback in England. Rain tends to favour chasing teams, if it’s impact is expected. On Wednesday, sunny skies welcomed Kings XI and Knight Riders but as the evening waned, the weather soured. Kings XI would not have been flustered by a target of 164, but the advent of a non-stop drizzle in the third over meant they had to tackle one of the wilier bowling attacks with the prospect of the match being curtailed at any given moment. Having fallen behind the Duckworth-Lewis equation, one of the most assured batting line-ups suddenly looked out of their depth, but they have another crack tomorrow when they meet the winner of the eliminator. The jitters began when Manan Vohra, empowered by a few solid hits, miscued to long-on. His 26 off 19 had originally put Kings XI ahead on the rain rule but now they were four runs behind par. Glenn Maxwell’s attempts to dance around the crease to upset the bowler’s rhythm backfired when he was found plumb in front. Kings XI were 11 behind and the downward spiral steepened. Umesh Yadav was not among those bound for England in July. His chosen way to vent was an opening spell of 2 for 12 in three overs. As rain persisted, the batsmen were uncertain regarding the length of the
Umesh Yadav finished with 3 for 13. (BCCI) match and the approach they should employ. If they took undue risks and the game ended up lasting the 20 overs, they could end up without enough batsmen. If they didn’t press on, Knight Riders would clinch the game with ease. Wriddhiman Saha and David Miller flailed at the crease, attempting to hit on the up and hack across the line, and by the time their struggle came to an end their side was more than 20 runs behind the Duckworth-Lewis equation. With the umpires doing their best to ensure a full game - at one point they waved the invading groundsmen off the field to ensure five overs of the chase were completed the Knight Riders spinners continued the strangle. Shakib Al Hasan and Piyush Chawla grabbed a wicket each, while conceding only 11 runs in three overs, as Kings XI meandered to 97 for 6 in after 16 overs. George Bailey attempted a counterattack, but Sunil Narine kept the penultimate over to four runs to all but seal the result. Spin had played a prominent part in the first innings as well. Akshar Patel snared the inform Robin Uthappa and a
struggling Manish Pandey in the same over. Karanveer Singh furthered his stocks with three wickets. However, in between their strikes Knight Riders had benefited from important cameos to secure a formidable total. Uthappa was at his fluent best again, depositing Mitchell Johnson and Parvinder Awana into the crowd with authoritative pulls. Having showcased his skills off the back foot, he drilled some eyecatching drives both through and over the off side field to fuel his 10th 40-plus score on the trot. His exit however seemed to drain Knight Riders’ momentum until Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan contributed 41 off 33 balls in the push towards the death overs. Both batsmen fell just before a 20-minute break for rain, but Chawla, Suryakumar Yadav and Ryan ten Doeschate managed 49 runs in the final four overs to provide more than enough cushion for their bowling attack. Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 163 for 8 (Uthappa 42, Karanveer 340) beat Kings XI Punjab 135 for 8 (Saha 35, Umesh 3-13) by 28 runs.
Judo association holds... Club has produced two International Judokas in Hamza Eastman and Delroy Murphy under the Presidency of Archer, while Sensei of the Club Ion Weathers is presently training in Barbados for the CAC games scheduled for Mexico in November.
Results: Junior: Zakee Wray (1st), Zedy Wray (2nd), Daniel West (3rd) Junior: Naeem Yasseen (1st), Akash Persaud (2nd), Joshua Buchomer (3rd) Heavyweight: Azeez Abudla (1st), Terry Williams (2nd), Ryan Rodrigues (3rd)
Junior: Andrew Prince (1st), Seon Duncan (2nd), Ijaz Mursafin (3rd) Senior: Hamza Eastman (1st), Devon Gladson (2nd), Eskyne Trotman (3rd) Open: Terry Williams (1st), Kilbert Archer (2nd), Hamza Eastman (3rd). (Sean Devers)
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
GAPF Claude Charles Memorial & Masters C/ships
Fitness Express is main sponsor Following on from a successful Novice, Junior and Sub-Junior championships last month, powerlifters will once again assemble next month for the Claude Charles Memorial Intermediate and Masters Championships set for the YMCA, Thomas Lands on June 22nd. According to a press release from the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF), June 22, the day the YMCA will explode with strongmen and women trying to outdo each other, will also see the federation hosting a fund raising bar-b-que at the same venue and tickets will cost $1200. Long time corporate supporter Fitness Express has once again thrown its weight behind the sport as the main sponsor for this event. CEO/Manager Jamie Mc Donald handed over his entity’s contribution to GAPF Executive Member Erwyn Smith at his 47 John and Sheriff Street, Campbellville headquarters. Mc Donald noted that Fitness Express was very pleased to be supportive of the sport once again and is looking forward to another exciting competition among
Manager/Owner of Fitness Express Jamie Mc Donald (left) hands over the cheque to GAPF’s Erwyn Smith. the leading athletes in Guyana. Lifting time on June 22 is 10:00hrs. Some of the athletes expected to be staking a claim for top individual category honours and overall glory include Novices Overall male and female champions, Roger Callendar and Andrea Smith.Also in contention will be bodybuilder, Orlando Dublin who competed at the 2013 novices competition; Steve Ramnarine of Hard Core Gym in Berbice; Ahmad Rozan of Elite Fitness;
Te l i s h a R o l a n d o f Kingsrow Barbell Club and Chloe Hunter of Buddies Gym are all serious contenders for the female Best Lifter title. Meanwhile, athletes are being urged to register early since there will be no consideration for late registration. The deadline for registration is June 13. Forms can be uplifted at Basic Beauty on North Road or any GAPG Executive Member. Patrons will be asked to pay an entrance fee of $500 for the competition.
Maximum Sports set for television launching The answer to sports enthusiasts’ queries and entertainment Local sports pundits are constantly engaged in heated debates on sports personalities and outcomes of sport events and if there is anything that could be said of the Guyanese is that they are very knowledgeable in sport. As such, sports pundits have always welcomed outlets to vent their feelings, be it on the performance of the regional cricket team or the rugby squad on another overseas engagement. It is with this in mind that, sports enthusiast and producer, Max Massiah, has decided to launch Maximum SportsCombat and Strength, a one hour television programme geared to entertain and inform. Apart from being a devoted sports enthusiast, M r. M a s s i a h h o l d s a certificate in Television Production earned at the University of Guyana Centre for Communication Studies;
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Republic Bank U-17 Inter Zone 50 overs New Amsterdam/Canje advance to final having lost less wickets in tied semi N e w Amsterdam/Canje cantered into the final of the Republic Bank Under-17 Inter Zone 50 overs cricket competition in Berbice h a v i n g been declared winners of their tied semifinal against Upper Corentyne by virtue of losing less wickets. Playing at the N o . 6 9 Vi k i n g s g r o u n d the game was reduced to 40 overs a side due to the late arrival of t h e N e w Amsterdam/Canje t e a m . N e w Amsterdam/Canje chose to take first strike and soon lost opener Alex Algoo and No.3 batsman Steve Deonarine to pacers Akram Khan and Davenand Chatterpaul respectively for 6 runs each at 22-2. T h e o t h e r o p e n e r, Kevin Sinclair then put on 20 for the third wicket with Joel Sietaram who made 12 b e f o r e f a l l i n g f o l l o w e d b y J o h n Sukhu (0) with the score at 42-4. Sinclair continued to hold the innings t o g e t h e r, p u t t i n g o n 6 3 for the 5th wicket with Felon Crandon (15). He added 17 more with K y l e Michael (1) and was e v e n t u a l l y c a u g h t o ff Kameshwar Chatterpaul for a well played 65 (6x4) at 1257. J a l e e l G a ff o r ( 1 5 * ) and Dion Sinclair (15) put on a valuable 30 runs for the 9th wicket that helped New Amsterdam/Canje to
Kevin Sinclair
Nicholas Seenarine
1 6 1 - 9 i n their 40 overs. Bowling for Upper Corentyne Davanand Chatterpaul took 3-15 from 8 overs, Kameshwar Chatterpaul 3-24 from 8 overs and Totaram Rajaram 2-15 from 3 overs. W h e n U p p e r Corentyne began their response, they lost R a b i n d r a n a u t h Roopchand to pacer Raymond van Kenic for a duck in the first o v e r to be 3-1. Dineshwar Boudhoo and Abdur Agib did well to put on 31 for the 2nd wicket before pacer Chavez Thomas had Boudhoo removed for 14. Left arm spinner J a l e e l J a ff a r s n a p p e d up two wickets and A g i b w a s c a u g h t o ff left arm spinner Sietaram for 25, l e a v i n g U p p e r C o r e n t yne shakily placed at 58-5 in the 19th over. A l l r o u n d e r Nickolas Seenarine held the innings together by putting on 34 for the 6th wicket w i t h G a v i n
Chatterpaul (13), 19 f o r t h e 7th with Akhram Khan (1) and 22 for the next w i c k e t w i t h To r e n d Shivambar (10). The score came down to 147-9 with 15 runs needed to win from the final four overs. Seenarine and No.11 Kameshwar C h a t t e r p a u l t o o k 7 off the bowling of Sietaram but could only get one in each of the next two overs bowled by Dion Sinclair and Chavez Thomas, leaving 6 to win off the last over by Sinclair. Five runs were s c o r e d o ff t h e f i r s t f i v e balls leaving 1 run to g e t o ff t h e l a s t b a l l t o win however Sinclair knocked over the s t u m p s of Chatterpaul for 2 to tie the match and see his team through with the valiant Seenarine still there at the end on 61. Bowling for New Amsterdam/Canje, Dion Sinclair took 221 from 7 overs, Jaleel Jaffar 2-30 from 8 overs and Joel Sietaran 2-34 from 8.
Cycling action set for Berbice this Sunday A representative of Jermaine’s Enterprise (right) makes his contribution to the show and promised continued support. he is also a certified Level one boxing coach. He has also been actively involved in bodybuilding and is knowledgeable in Martial Arts among other sports disciplines. “The programme will focus heavily on combat and strength, judo, boxing, martial arts, power and weights lifting,” he disclosed.
The show will be aired on National Communication Network and is set to start this Friday, May 30 from 21:00hrs and already several sponsors have indicated an interest. As such, when the programme gets underway, Fitness Express, suppliers of nutrition, protein and exercise equipment, will be a regular feature. Another (Continued on page 27)
Cyclists in the ancient county will this Sunday (1st June) have an opportunity to compete when the Flying Ace Cycling Club of Berbice along with coach Randolph Roberts once again organises a cycling event for riders in Berbice. The event, which is a 40 miles affair, is sponsored by a number of businesses in Berbice. The race is expected to pedal off at 08:30 hrs from in front of the Outar Motor Rewinding Establishment in No 2 East Canje, proceed to Bush Lot on the Corentyne
before turning back to finish in front of the First Impression Hotel at Hampshire Corentyne Berbice. Prizes will be awarded to the first eight finishers and the first female riders to cross the finish line. There will also be eight prime point prizes up for grabs. The females will race over a shorter distance. According to Roberts, the race will be used as a warm up for the annual Aqua Mist Cycle event sponsored Banks DIH Limited slated for the 8th June in Berbice.
Cyclists from both the FACC and Trojan Cycle clubs are expected to renew battle with the likes of Andrea ‘Padlock’ Green, Ray Millington, the Crawford cousins Romallo and Jebon, Elijah Brijadder, Andrew Hicks, Wasim Hassnu, Audrel Ross, Edmond Francis, Keith Griffith, Gary Benjamin, Turhan Harris and Syborne Fernandes among others. To p f e m a l e c y c l i s t Marica Dick is also expected to be on show. Race coordinator is Randolph Roberts.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday May 29, 2014
MCY&S/NSC Windball tourney-Region 3
Philadelphia Primary books semi final spot Members of the participating teams
Philadelphia Primary created the day’s biggest upset, beating three times defending champions Leonora Primary to book a place in the semi finals in the male category of the West Coast Demerara/ East Bank Essequibo zone of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/National Sports Commission Al Sport and Tour Promotions schools overhand Windball tournament played recently at Uitvlugt.
Leonora batted first and scored 52-1 with Heesham Outar scoring 27 and Aryann Batool 14. Philadelphia replied with 55-1. Amos Baird slammed 26 (4x6s). Windsor Forest Primary beat Blake Primary by four runs. Windsor Forest took first strike and managed 621. Srinivas Chatram 19, Vishan Sirpaul 16 and Ushardeva Balgobin 11 were their main batters. Blake Primary mustered
58-1 in reply. Nickolas Persaud made 14 and Hariesh Dhaniram 12. Meten Meer Zorg Primary overcame Den Amstel Primary by 18 runs. Meten Meer Zorg posted 621, batting first. Dhanraj Ramjattan stroked 24 and Colwyn Williams 11. Den Amstel Primary (The Best Uniform team) responded with 57-1, Jowel Robinson scored 26. Tuschen Primary 44-3 went down to Uitvlugt
Primary by six wickets. Tuschen scored 44-3, taking first strike. Fawaz Baksh and Collis Clark made 13 each. Bowling for Uitvlugt Primary Raynard Nedd claimed 3-1. Uitvlugt in reply made 45-4. Raynard Nedd cracked 15 and Malcom Dainty 12. Nicolas Klass took 2-3 and Sidarth Ramcharran 2-4 bowling for Tuschen. In the female division, Blake Primary defeated Den Amstel Primary by nine
wickets. Den Amstel batted first and scored 38-2 with Prudence Hilliman scoring 11 and Alicia Haywood 10. Blake replied with 39-1. Sarah Salim made 10. Defending Champs Leonora got the better of Philadelphia by four runs. Leonora batted first and made 46-3 with Kimerle Duncan hitting 20 and Narisa Chand 12. Philadelphia in reply were restricted to 42-0. Otshell Douglas stroked
15. Uitvlugt Primary beat Tuschen Primary by one run. Uitvlugt scored 25-5 with Merissa Carroll making 10. Rebekah Renee snared 2-2, Michella Gill 2-4. Tuschen Primary in reply were restricted to 243, Shakira Narine made 10. Meanwhile the Upper East Coast Demerara matches will continue on Tuesday May 27 at the Unity/Lancaster Ground from 10:30 hrs.
Thunder rumble past Spurs to level series (Reuters) - The Oklahoma City Thunder, superbly led by inspirational All-Stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant on their home court, outplayed the San Antonio Spurs 105-92 in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday. Dynamic guard Westbrook contributed a game-high 40 points and 10 assists while league MVP Durant weighed in with 31 points on 11-of-22 shooting as the second-seeded Thunder evened up the bestof-seven series at 2-2. The top-seeded Spurs, aiming for a return to the NBA Finals after losing to the Miami Heat in five games last year, were outshot by 49 percent to 40 from the field. Point guard Tony Parker and Boris Diaw, off the bench, led the way for San Antonio with 14 points each
but veteran All-Star forward Tim Duncan was held to just nine points on three-of-eight shooting. “I think I did all right,” a smiling Westbrook told Turner Network Television in a courtside interview after a stellar display that also included five steals. “Coming out with a win is most important. “I just try to come out and give maximum effort. My team mates ask that of me and that’s what I was trying to do at both ends of the floor.” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich applauded the performances produced by Westbrook and Durant, but felt his team had paid the price for not being aggressive enough. “I thought they (Westbrook and Durant) did a great job,” he said. “They are great players, and that’s what they do. I was
disappointed in our physicality.” FAST START San Antonio made a fast start, Kawhi Leonard pouring in two threepointers to help his team race ahead 8-0 but Westbrook sparked an Oklahoma City fightback and they ended the first quarter on a 13-2 run to lead 26-20. Durant then put on a spectacular show for his fans with a dazzling array of shots from all around the court, totaling 15 points in the second quarter as the faster-paced Thunder stretched their advantage to 58-43 at halftime. San Antonio’s second unit went on a rousing 18-5 run late in the third quarter but Oklahoma City maintained overall control and led 83-67 heading into the fourth. There was no way back (Continued on page 27)
San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second quarter in game four of the Western Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. (Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports)
Thursday May 29, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 33
Universal Sports Store supports Perry Promoters of no-confidence
motion confused-Matthias
Manager of Universal Sports Store Nathalie Rambarran (left) presents the bat to Joseph Perry Universal Sports Store of Second Street Alberttown has supported Everest C r i c k e t C l u b ’s wicketkeeper/batsman Joseph Perry who has landed himself a six-month contract with Vikings Cricket Club of Canada. The entity handed over a Reebok Topshot
cricket bat and a pair of Slazenger wicketkeeping gloves to the cricketer at a simple ceremony held at their location yesterday. Sports Manager Andrew Budhan said they always try their best to support sport personalities and ensure that they are properly equipped.
He wished Perry well in his future endeavours. Perry is expected to appear for Vikings CC division one team when the Canadian season commences shortly and is expected to leave Guyana by this month end. He thanked the entity for their backing.
Judo association holds successful Independence tourney
By Rawle Welch “Confused men with not so hidden agendas,” were the words used by President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Christopher Matthias to describe those who brought a motion of no-confidence against him recently. Matthias was speaking at a Press Briefing called yesterday to discuss the actions of the disgruntled officials who’re seeking to have the motion up for discussion at the impending Ordinary Congress which had to be deferred to a new date after promoters of the motion agreed to meet within 45 days of the last Congress. The GFF Boss who has been in charge for just over one year has seen his authority and character being attacked from the onset by members of the ‘old guard’ and those linked to the past regime for reasons which according to him cannot be validated. He added that the age of enlightenment has arrived and those bent on returning the sport to the period of ironfisted rule where being sidelined or even ignored was a reality if one dared to question certain actions must r e a l i s e t h a t FIFA/CONCACAF are no longer tolerant of such deeds.
Christopher Matthias Matthias said while the GFF still encourages dialogue, the entity will not entertain measures that are not supported by the constitution. “One cannot simply twist and turn the constitution to suit agendas, the governance of the sport must be guided by the constitution and nothing else.” He further condemned the actions of those officials who now seem to working in tandem with those who denied some associations their voting rights and those who fought for the restoration of those same rights, but who are now fighting strenuously to deny certain associations the same
rights that were denied from them for a prolonged period u n d e r t h e p a s t administration. Matthias advised that they use their energies to alleviate the astronomical debt that they racked up and to positively help in advancing the development of the game within the framework of the FIFA/CONCACAF mandate and the constitution. “We will continue to f o rg e a h e a d w i t h o u r development strategies and not be sidetracked by those who are bent on mischief and deceit,” Matthias concluded. Commenting on the challenge he had offered to the no-confidence faction, he said that no one came forward to accept the challenge so the nation now has the opportunity to judge who is sincere and who is not. Matthias had stated that if he is found liable of any wrongdoing by the public at large then he would do the honorable thing and resign. He also said that should the other side be found guilty of misleading the nation and helping to destabilise football they too should announce their willingness to relinquish their respective posts and apologise to the nation.
Goldman sees Brazil beating Argentina in 2014 Cup final
Medal winners after the Independence tournament at the Multilateral School. The Guyana Judo Association (GJA) held a successful Independence Judo tournament at the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School last Monday. Belle West Judo Club, Kitty Jammat Judo Club, Albouystown Masjid Judo Club, Multilateral Judo Club and the House of Water Club were the five clubs which participated with over 40 athletes participating. The Judokas were divided into five divisions and there was
also an open division. Prior to Raoul Archer ascending to the position of Presidency in March 2013 there were only three clubs but within a year that number grew to eight, showing the rapid growth of J u d o u n d e r A r c h e r ’s leadership. Archer, though satisfied, said there is a lot more room for improvement generally and he thanked all those who participated and his executives who helped to make the tournament a
success. The GJA top-man praised sensei Charles Ambrose, Sports P h y s i o l o g i s t Wa y n e Walcott, Guyana’s sole Judo Olympian Raul Lall, Permanent Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry George Jarvis, Khan Auto Sales, Sankar’s Auto Sales, Banks DIH, the parents and all those who were involved in making the tournament a success. The Kitty Jammat Judo (Continued on page 30)
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Rivals Brazil and Argentina are set to meet in the World Cup final in July, with the host country winning the title for a record sixth time, U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs have predicted in a report. Goldman sees a 48.5 percent probability that Brazil will win the July 13 final, with Argentina and Germany the next most likely teams to succeed with a 14.1 percent and 11.4 percent chance respectively. The predictions were based on a statistical model that analyzed about 14,000 competitive international matches since 1960. “Of course, it is hardly surprising that the most successful team in soccer history is favored to win a World Cup at home,” the Goldman report, written by Chief Economist Jan Hatzius, Sven Jari Stehn and
Brazil’s national soccer team goalkeepers Julio Cesar (L), Jefferson (C) and Victor pose for pictures after a news conference in Teresopolis near Rio de Janeiro May 27, 2014. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes Donnie Millar, said. “But the extent of the Brazilian advantage in our model is nevertheless striking.” South American teams have won all four previous World Cup tournaments held on the continent. Goldman’s predicted a 3-
1 victory for Brazil would add to the decades of rivalry with neighboring Argentina, who have won the World Cup twice previously. Brazil are predicted to reach the final after overcoming the Netherlands, Uruguay and Germany in (Continued on page 27)
Knight Riders through to Serena follows Venus out of final after Kings XI unravel French Open after shock loss P.30
Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her women’s singles match against Garbine Muguruza of Spain at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris May 28, 2014. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
Robin Uthappa launches one down the ground. (BCCI)
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MCY&S/NSC Windball tourney-Region 3
Philadelphia Primary books semi final spot Den Amstel won the best uniformed team
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