Kaieteur News

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Ramotar calls for unity at ACP meeting

By Ivan Cairo PA R A M A R I B O , Suriname: President Donald Ramotar on Saturday called for geater unity among these developing countries.

Adressing the 30th session of parliamentarians from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific nations (ACP), in neigboring Suriname, Ramotar, a special guest at the meeting, told the audience that the ACP has to broaden its relationship with the European partners, “but we have to look at our own interest”.

The Guyanese head of state also called for greater unity within the ACP Group.

He noted that there are attempts to form the ACP into different political groups similar to the situation in the European parliament. “I think it will be a mistake for us to go in that direction”, the Guyanese leader said.

According to Ramotar, the ACP nations have one thing in common that unites the member states as a group fighting for a better life for our peoples.

“We must not allow ourselves to be divided into different political blocks. As ACP we are a power and a force to be dealt with”, the Guyanese leader added.

For the first time since its inception in 2005, the ACP Parliamentary Assembly has been addressed by Heads of State.

While chairman of the ACP parliamentary meeting,

President Ramotar addressing parliamentarians at the ACP session Musikari Kombo, stressed the need for strengthening and deepening of regional integration, President Bouterse noted that “in the face of common challenges, unity and solidarity remain the key vehicles to overcome obstacles to our shared progress”.

According to President Bouterse, the ACP group finds itself at the crossroads.

The Agenda for Change, formulated in 2011, has profound and immediate impact, he said. “Indeed there is reason to believe that the very existence of the Organization is in danger”, Bouterse stated.

He argued that regional integration remains an important vehicle for the development of the ACP regions and countries, and called for new ways of cooperation.

In his address, ACP’s Parliamentary President Kombo advised the government leaders to take the lead in improving governance, judicial and security systems. Special attention must be paid to the promoting of the rights of women, children and the elderly.

There also must be zero tolerance for war, etnic division and corruption.

Guyanese singer Pamela Maynard loses battle to cancer Canada-based Guyanese singer, Pamela Maynard succumbed yesterday to a long battle with breast cancer.

The former member of the Guyana Defence Force was one of Guyana’s singing icons who was versatile in Reggae, Gospel, Soul, R&B, Calypso, Jazz and Soca.

Born in Georgetown, she was the daughter of Guyanese singer/songwriter Mavis Maynard, who wrote Pamela’s debut hit Lost, Lonely and Helpless. She performed alongside Eddy Grant at a memorable show in their hometown.

After leaving school in 1976, she joined the army where she sang for visiting dignitaries such as Fidel Castro. She also represented Guyana at song festivals from the age of 15.

She performed with artistes such as Ben E King, the Platters, the Drifters and

Canada-based Guyanese singer, Pamela Maynard Ray Charles; also top JA acts such as Jimmy Cliff, Hopeton Lewis, John Holt, Byron Lee and The Dragonaires and Boris Gardner as well as calypsonian giants Lord Kitchener, the Mighty Sparrow, Shadow and Baron.

After a year in Barbados between 1977-78, where she sang at most of the island’s

top venues and hotel resorts, she then joined a well known Trinidadian group called the Troubadours, enjoying considerable acclaim in the process.

The following year she became lead singer in soca creator Lord Shorty’s band, with whom she toured Canada.

It was to prove a memorable experience since the group split up just a year later, with the band members being left stranded far from home.

Undaunted by their predicament and confident in her ability to pull through, she began performing both solo and with bands (including Aubrey Mann’s on the Canadian club and talent show circuit).

A real highlight of her Canadian stay was singing at the Guyanese Consulate in Toronto.

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Two detained for taxi driver’s murder Police have detained two men in connection with the murder of taxi driver Omar Harper who was stabbed to death in Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara on Saturday night while going to the aid of a woman who was attacked by robbers.

Kaieteur News understands that the suspects were apprehended shortly after Harper’s death.

Reports are that the 32year-old Trooper Taxi Service driver was outside his Cummings Lodge residence washing his car when a woman raised alarm and indicated that she had been robbed.

The incident occurred in Fifth Field, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara at around 18:30 hrs .

This newspaper understands that she showed Harper the direction in which the robbers, who

were on a bicycle, had fled, and he drove behind the men until he reached a bridge which he could not traverse.

Harper then left his car and continued the chase on foot. However, reports are that the two robbers stopped after Harper indicated that he recognized them.

The one who was being towed reportedly turned back and stabbed Harper in the abdomen.

The Good Samaritan collapsed and was taken to Trooper Taxi Service by villagers. He was then rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC.) He succumbed to his injuries while being prepared to undergo surgery.

Kaieteur News understands that Shafiek Harper, one of the man’s brothers, received information about the whereabouts of his brother’s

Dead: Omar Harper killers and notified the police.

The two suspects were nabbed in separate locations in Cummings Lodge. This newspaper understands that they are in police custody at the Turkeyen Police Station.

They were reportedly positively identified by the victim of the robbery.

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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

Transparency and Corruption

Corruption, most would concede, is not a new problematic in our body politic. Some would say that the very act of creating offices and bestowing power on their holders unleashes corruption. The 19th British historian Lord Acton famously observed: All power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Last Saturday, T&T’s Transparency International gave the local TI and their civil society supporters some timely advice: be transparent.

Generally, corruption is regarded as a consequence of political and economic, socio-ethnic, and even moral reasons: politicians need votes; businessmen need favours; officeholders favour “their own” and all these are judged to be “bad” reasons for making decisions that involve the patrimony of the state. After all, the latter is supposed to be held in trust for all the citizenry and to be distributed fairly.

Now all the foregoing might very well be true as far as the genesis of the phenomenon of corruption is concerned, in our country. But as the cancer has metastasised and overtaken almost every institution in the country – in and outside the state - the quantitative has altered the qualitative nature of the disease. Corruption itself has become the overriding factor that defines both the state politics and economy, and even social relations in our society.

With the departure of the British, especially after 1968, we have gradually but inexorably created a new form of the state and political system – in which their foundations are firmly based on unmitigated, absolute corruption.

Corruption has expropriated the political system, altered the state apparatus to itself, and promulgated new “rules of the game.” As a consequence, political authoritarianism and social demagogy of those in power have become unavoidable products of the pervasive corruption in the state system. It is important to note that it does not matter what the nominal form of the state might be: what we will now have is a liberal-corruption, socialist-corruption or conservative-corruption state etc.

In this new world where corruption has become the norm, democracy and its undergirding principle of the “rule of law” inevitably become subversive elements which are just as inevitably countered by authoritarianism. The democratic system of checks and balances, legislative and judicial autonomy, an unfettered and free press etc. are concrete mechanisms that facilitate an effective struggle against corruption. Consequently, the only path of survival for such corrupt systems (of whatever variety) is to attack and eliminate democratic principles from state and societal processes.

Take the problem of bribery and graft that is so prevalent in our country. There is a great outcry as to why the constitution, laws and regulations are not applied with the same vigour to all transgressors. The answer is simple: unless you have been defined as an enemy of those in power (or their friends) it means that anyone prosecuted energetically has simply not greased the appropriate palms.

The formal rule of law is a sword to destroy the critics and a shield to protect the power elite.

However, there is a more insidious aspect to the widespread acceptance of bribery and graft by those in power. When a citizen proffers the bribe and the official accepts it, they both fulfil their immediate wants. But most importantly from the standpoint of maintaining the corrupt regime in place, the transaction means that the citizen tacitly accepts the status quo. He boasts of having “lines” and the corrupt administration knows that he is less likely to storm the Presidential Compound. Corruption becomes a substitute for violence.

Then there is the role of the press. The corrupt politicians become incensed when incidents of corruption are charged to the political regime by the press. They would rather than corruption goes unreported, or at worse, is blamed on the local lackeys. The true extent and nature of the corruption – which is the entire political system – must be hidden from view. It is imperative that the veil of secrecy be lifted over all transactions: from government and civil society.

Monday November 26, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

Ultimately, the will of the people must be respected DEAR EDITOR, The Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs has the prerogative to apply his interpretation of the Constitution and advance argument in defence of his cabinet colleague, but this prerogative must be challenged at the point when he decides he is going to insult the intelligence of the citizens.

While the President by Constitution (Chapter IX) has the responsibility to determine his Cabinet and the members’ portfolios, those who are appointed to such position must discharge their duties in a manner that guarantee the safety, well-being and confidence of the people. Government is about people and people’s development and in those whose hands our business is placed, they must be able to command and maintain the respect and support of the citizens.

Votes in the National Assembly reflect the will of the majority, and as per our Constitution, unless otherwise stated, a simple majority carries the day on the issue.

As such, any Head of Government or Head of State that is prepared to work in the interest of the people must take note of this timehonoured principle and practice and act accordingly.

Consequently, the strident position to oppose the will of the people by applying a mangled interpretation of the Constitution and laws is indicative that we are operating in an atmosphere

where dictatorship reigns.

There are three branches of government – Executive, Legislature and Judiciary- and each branch must be respected and allowed to do its work. And in the case of the current Minister of Home Affairs being denied the opportunity to speak in the National Assembly on matters pertaining to internal security, if anyone has objection to the decision of the National Assembly, the Court must be allowed to do its work and adjudicate on the matter.

Until such time, the people must reject the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs’ foray in seeking to impose upon us that the decision of the majority in the National Assembly is ineffective and unconstitutional. While the

National Assembly cannot by Constitution determine the Cabinet the President chooses, on behalf the people, there is nothing that prevents the National Assembly from expressing its concern/dissatisfaction with the performance of any member in the Executive.

What is before us is a National Assembly noconfidence motion in Clement Rohee discharging duties as Minister of Home Affairs. To wit the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs is advised that this very Constitution at Article 50 vests ultimate power in the hands of the people and if the Parliament -the people’s representative body- as the “supreme organ of democratic power in Guyana”

has spoken, then it says that the people have spoken!

No one must be allowed, irrespective of the position held in government, to believe that s/he can cherry pick the Constitution and malign this Constitution for any self serving end.

Ultimately, the will of the people must be respected. If our parliamentarians, on both sides of the House are serious about their role and responsibility under the Constitution and to the people, they will ensure that whatever strategy they employ on this matter, at the end of the day the No-Confidence Motion must be upheld, unless otherwise determined by the Court or the people ask that they change direction.

Lincoln Lewis

My agency remains duty bound to report to the authorities any illegal activity DEAR EDITOR, I have been bombarded with several calls and emails accusing me of being contracted by the People’s Progressive Party to conduct surveillance and tap phones of certain politicians from the opposition party.

In view of this disturbing development, I wish to categorically on behalf of the president of Strategic Advisory Services (SAS), Mr. Joe Hunt of Wisconsin, USA and myself that at no time, have myself or the Strategic Advisory Services, which is a private investigation and security consultancy firm, been contracted by the PPP to spy on opposition members.

SAS, of which I am proud to be the local director, is a professional organization made up of highly-trained specialists, and our policy has always been to stay clear of any political activity.

We have, however, over the years, conducted several specialized training

programs on intelligence investigations and security for several government agencies and individuals.

I further state that there is no need for the PPP to restrain us to monitor the elements when they have at their disposal the Central Intelligence Unit, Police Special Branch, army intelligence unit, and two other state controlled spy agencies capable of conducting espionage and counter espionage activity.

As a responsible private sector body, my agency remains duty bound to report to the authorities any illegal activity that is observed while conducting private clandestine field operations that can affect the smooth running of the government. SAS also has a policy that they will be loyal to the government of the day.

Robert Gates Director of Strategic Advisory Services

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news

The problem of improper disposal of waste is national DEAR EDITOR, Please refer to a letter which appeared in your newspaper’s November 23, 2012 edition: “Is this a Joke?”

by Harry Gill. In fact, we appreciate the interest shown by this citizen to events in the city, particularly the garbage crisis facing the Mayor and City Council and residents of all local communities. Indeed, this civic attitude could only help the Council and its officers to pay more attention to their responsibilities to the citizens, and to enhance their capacity to provide a better service to the city.

However, we are challenged to understand certain aspects of his letter.

We will point these out and at the same time seek to explain the realities facing the Municipality.

First, in paragraph 1, Mr. Gill states: “Without a doubt, the chronic garbage crises in and around Georgetown is so appalling, it requires a permanent fix, not a shot-inthe-arm as is practised by City Hall.” The Council has always contended that the problem of improper disposal of waste is not a city problem, it is a national one. It is more visible in Georgetown because it is the capital, and obviously, more people traverse the city to do business and for pleasure than any other region in Guyana. When they come they bring and generate waste, which we have to deal with in circumstances where our limited resources are already overstretched.

Furthermore, we were never under any illusion that our efforts alone could actually fix the solid waste problems in the city. We continue to say that the unhealthy situation blighting Georgetown requires the cooperation and support of all concerned: government, corporations, economic, social, cultural and religious organizations and all citizens.

This is the reason why we welcome all environmental initiatives, projects and activities, including: “Pick it Up Campaign”, “Guyana Shines” and others.

This is why too, we continue to appeal to the electronic and print media to make a special effort in their daily reports to include aspects of the environment and issues that affect health, and to promote those citizens who are trying to keep their surroundings clean and to encourage citizens to do more to stamp out littering. We agree that it is not the responsibility of the media to do that but responsible journalism could not ignore it.

Second, Mr. Gill suggested that: “City Hall needs to focus its efforts on

cleaning up the garbage in the city, and ensure the safety of pedestrians by moving vendors off the streets and sidewalks to allow the smooth flow of vehicular traffic in heavily populated shopping areas, especially in the vicinity of Stabroek Market.”

It has not escaped our attention that Mr. Gill seems to believe that Council must be blamed for the current condition of the city.

However, we have a different view; citizens must demonstrate civic pride and respect for their general surroundings and the environment. We have said and continue to say that the problem we face as a municipality is not to clean up the city but to keep it clean. We spend about $1million dollars every day to collect garbage from households, parapets and roadsides in the city of Georgetown but residents who are bent on hurting the environment just simply continue to indulge in illegal dumping without any thought of the consequences of their actions.

Also, we have to say that many big businesses are involved in illegal dumping around the city. Some businessmen pay pittance to “junkies” to remove large amounts of garbage from their premises to anywhere in the city.

Every morning, workers employed by some businesses along Regent Street, Water Street and Robb Street could be seen sweeping debris from their stores into the street drains. Others wash the pavements, in front of their stores, with scented things in the mist of pedestrians and others who use these thoroughfares.

We have been appealing to businesses not to do that but a few of them insist on this crude method of collection. We will write the Private Sector Commission and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry on this issue, and seek their help to persuade their members to account for their waste and to secure the integrity of the city.

We had also suggested to businesses, particularly food restaurants and other provision shops that they should assist by putting in place adequate receptacles on their business premises to allow their patrons to dispose of wrappings and boxes and other things in an environmentally friendly manner. Therefore, we must be very clear that not only the vendors but also some big businesses and many citizens are involved this really embarrassing action.

Citizens will ask about us enforcing the law but this has its own challenges as well including the processes

involved in apprehending litter- bugs and the cumbersomeness of the courts.

Nevertheless, our antilitter campaign has been modestly effective.

Mr. Gill talks about relocating the vendors: “One way to do this is to temporarily relocate vendors to the sparsely used Parade Ground during the Christmas season, until a more permanent location can be identified.” This is a very complex issue that requires a wider intervention than just relocation.

The truth is, we have relocated vendors to new shopping facilities- Stabroek

Bazaar, Merriman’s Mall, Riverview Market, New Vendors’ Mall and quite a few other places but that did not solve the problem. Perhaps, there is need for research and a comprehensive project to address street vending in Georgetown. What we know is that some businesses and vendors have a symbiotic relationship. Indeed, many are encouraged to ply their trade by some businessmen, who provide them with credit facilities.

Also, the traffic congestion, in certain areas, mentioned in the letter, could not be fairly linked to street vending alone. There are numerous other factors that

contribute to the vehicular traffic problem in the city, including, the need for a different approach to public transportation in Guyana, the lack of proper parking facilities and a good network of appropriate public spaces to encourage cycling and walking by citizens.

Finally, Mr. Gill has challenged the Council to “adopt a ‘Zero Tolerance’ approach to polluting…”

Council has already adopted that approach but lacks the requisite resources to strictly enforce it. For example, the Constabulary is working way below its authorized strength, we are short on staff at the Public Health Department and

the city coffers are peculiarly shallow.

Some time ago, we had put forward the suggestion of a Municipal Court to expedite such matters as littering. Also, we had suggested instituting the ticketing system for litterbugs. Therefore, the effectiveness of that approach depends on the appropriate resources, which the Council does not possess at this point in time. As a result, we have to depend on the individual pride and cooperation of citizens to our efforts to improve the condition of the city.

Royston King Public Relations Officer Mayor and City Council

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 26, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news

The plight of teachers at the great Queen’s College DEAR EDITOR, I write this letter to highlight some serious injustices that are taking place at my Alma Mata. Over the years I have heard and seen some things, but this beats all. My son came home last Monday due to the flea infestation at Queen’s College, and he was told to return to school on Wednesday in the hope that the problem would be fixed.

When he returned on Wednesday, the problem had become worse and I was then told to let him remain at home for the rest of the week so that this problem could be remedied.

Upon investigation I learnt that a senior member

of the school’s Board of Directors was told about this problem since the week before and failed to do anything about it. What he actually did was berated the teachers for sending the children out of the school when they students reported to them that they were being bitten.

Moreso, the Director was more interested in the image of the school than the plight of the teachers and students, since he issued a directive that teachers must remain in the building while the pest control agents sprayed a poisonous substance in the hope of tackling this problem.

Today I will not talk about the flea infestation which was probably caused by the

heavy pile up of garbage at the back of the school.

There are also huge rats, dogs and cats roaming the school compound and these may have also contributed to this very infestation. Instead, I was told that it was the teachers who were once again blamed for this menace. Since when are teachers responsible for cleaning when there is an administrator who is paid to look into all these things?

However, if he is not given the necessary support, he too will be handicapped in performing his duties effectively. Thus the condition under which teachers work at Queen’s College are more deplorable in many ways than one.

It is not this issue that I seek to speak to but to highlight the plight of teachers at my alma mata for they are unable to speak for themselves. It was once spoken by a great philosopher that evil will continue to exist when good men and women sit back and do nothing.

Take for example the plight of one of the core subject teachers’ who has not been paid since the beginning of this year and when she asked about her salary the director in question said that she could leave the job if she so desires. Oh my goodness, is this man human? Would he have tolerated this if he was treated

by his employers in this manner?

Tell me is this fair?

Secondly, is it fair to teachers who have to teach sometimes 90 to 120 students in a class and when they cry out about the work load which involves marking IAs & SBA etc., they are given a cynical smile? Tell me, is it fair to the teachers who have to enter a classroom and have no piece of furniture to sit on but are still expected to teach or else?

Are we still living in the days of Masa Buckra? I wonder!!!!

Is it fair to teachers who have to carry out practical SBAs with their students and there is no proper working stoves or refrigerator in the Home Economic Department to do these practicals, to the point that an affluent colleague parent decided to donate a stove so that his daughter could do her practical’s and not fail for want of equipment?

Is it fair for a teacher who has to take her own money to buy ice so that students’ practical could be stored in a cool place because the refrigerator has stopped working for a long time and the Director when told about it is saying that the school doesn’t have money? These

are only a few of the injustices that are taking place at Queen’s College.

Further teachers at Queen’s College are expected to work above and beyond the call of duty, so as to keep this institution’s flag flying high, but with little or no support. When the students don’t excel as expected, they are verbally abused by high government officials.

Yes I would like to highlight that all educators know that academic excellence comes about when all the variables are working harmoniously to produce a desired result. This is definitely not happening at the great Queen’s College.

Teachers are expected to make bricks out of straw like in the days of Moses.

I am first a human being before I am a parent and I will say that what is happening to teachers at Queen’s College is a travesty and must be highlighted to the public by someone.

I would not be one of the good men who know about the injustices taking place at this school and not say a word about it. The plight of teachers at this school is grave and I weep for then.

Concerned Parent

This has been the most unproductive phase of Parliamentary action in the last 20 years DEAR EDITOR, As the nation’s socio-economic progress is once again held up because of a political Opposition bent on disrupting the nation’s hard fought for and hard won democracy, one must enquire as to the mindset of these representatives, masquerading as the peoples’ representatives. How can they honestly have been invested with such a solemn responsibility? Do they really understand what it means, especially against the background of the Tenth Parliament’s peculiarities?

For all their high sounding declarations of all working together for the common good, the Opposition’s general behaviour has been a travesty, and an absolute tragic experience in the annals of local parliamentary history. And without fear of contradiction, this has been the most unproductive phase of Parliamentary action in the last 20 years; of course, compliments of the reckless conduct of that strange collective that sit on the opposite side of Government.

The people of Guyana deserve better than this, and must indeed be concerned as to the latest charade, sanctioned by the Speaker. The latter definitely buckled in the face of his opposition colleagues’ verbal assault. This incident now calls into serious question, his ability not merely to maintain order in the House, but also his integrity as upholder of the Constitution of the Land.

Already, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has voiced its concerns over the dangerous gridlock that now prevails, and its consequences for the nation’s progress. Other stakeholders must now make public similar concerns, since, what is occurring, if allowed to continue, holds serious implications for all.

As to the many thousands who supported these two opposition parties – they must now evaluate whether both the APNU and the AFC, should be trusted with the nation’s business, hence having their future electoral vote.

Carlton Bruno

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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17 years on…

By Enid Joaquin February 17th, this year, marked exactly seventeen years to the date of one of the most horrendous tragedies to have occurred in the town of Linden.

It was a day when the entire town was plunged into mourning, following the death of four school children, whose lives were snuffed out, after the bus they were travelling in exploded.

FRIENDS FOREVER The four children that perished, nine year old Mellissa Wills, eight year old Dacia Alert, nine year old Chiaka McKinnon and eight year old Onica Best, were very good friends and school mates, and were students of the Mackenzie Primary School. On that fateful day, they were on a bus on their way home, from what should have been a school tour. But the tour ended up being a ‘picnic’ on the Linden / Soesdyke highway, after their bus developed problems on the way to Georgetown.

A Dodge Ram, called the ‘Cutty Ranks’, was driven to the scene to pull it. The Dodge Ram was also defective. Someone had rigged up a bottle of gasoline in ‘Cutty Ranks’ vehicle. That individual had then inserted one end of a hose in the container of gasoline and used the hose as a makeshift fuel line leading to the engine.

Someone then made the foolish and fatal decision to transfer some of the children to the Dodge Ram with the gasoline container.

It was in the vicinity of Guyana Stores at Kara Kara that tragedy struck.

BALL OF FIRE Some boys that were playing football nearby were the first to get a glimpse of the horror that was taking shape. One of them had spotted a ball of fire at the bottom of the ill-fated Dodge Ram, as it stopped for some children to disembark.

An alarm was immediately raised, but by the time people got to the bus, it was too lateit had exploded.

A few fortunate children and a teacher made it to safety, but the four friends, who had been sitting together, would die together, even as they had played together; and because they were burnt beyond recognition, they were also interred together, in a single coffin.

Their funeral was one of the largest to be held at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground.

As news of the tragedy spread, frantic Lindeners converged on the scene, many of them wondering

Melissa Wills

Dacia Alert

whether their child was in the bus, and checking other tour buses as they came in, bawling and screaming, all the while. There was hardly a dry eye. It was a heartbreaking and utterly chaotic scene. ”Fortunately for the driver of the bus, he had disappeared, or there might have been another tragedy that day”, one eyewitness later reported.

job as a Librarian at the Linden Library, as she felt she just couldn’t cope. She also went into depression and almost became a recluse. She later realized she was pregnant with another child, which she would give birth to eight months later.

Alert named her last daughter Sarai, and would later return to the world of work, when the child entered school.

“I became so concerned about her safety that I wanted to work at her school, it was like I had developed a sort of paranoia, after Dacia’s death, so I felt I had to be around wherever she was, to ensure that she was safe”.

She did get the job as a librarian, but at another school, which she noted helped her to return to a semblance of ‘normalcy’.

However, even now, after 17 years, Alert still cries for her daughter, as she did during our interview.

Mellissa Wills was the youngest child for her parents.

The eldest of the Wills clan, Monifa, said that she was sixteen years old, when Mellissa died.

“When I got the news that the bus had exploded I was at the shop, so I just turned back, and I then saw my mother screaming coming up the road”.

Monifa said that she remained in denial, as she could not accept that her sister was dead.

She remembers taking Mellissa to day Care, and later when she entered Primary School how she and the other three girls, would come over at their house, and eat their snacks, as the Wills’ house was in close proximity to the school.

“Mellissa was a bright child, and I still remember her with much sadness; and my mother she cried for years after-we all wonder what she would have become.”

Monifa said that her mother Bernadette Wills was not herself for a long time after Mellissa died.

As fate would have It, Monifa, who is now a nursery school teacher, said that a

A DAY THEYWILL NEVER FORGET Relatives of the four children described that day as the most tragic of their lives.

Desiree Alert, the mother of Dacia Alert, noted in a recent interview, “I can never forget that day. I had made a brand new uniform for her- I used to sew all her clothes.

And I remember seeing her all decked out in her new clothes, and so happy’.

Mrs. Alert said that she learnt of the tragedy as she was making her way home from work. “A man come up to me and say moms, you ain’t hear what happen, yall ain’t hear Cutty Ranks bus blow up, and some children dead?”

“Well after that was chaos, I had a bicycle but I couldn’t even ride, I had to run. My niece she later went and peeped in the bus and saw these charred bodies, and there was channa and other food items strewn on the floor.

“But you couldn’t recognize anyone of the children. It was later while at the hospital that I confirmed that Dacia was dead, because there was a list of names of the children that were accounted for, and hers was not on the list. But somehow, I had known all along, because I knew that if she was alive, being the child she was, she would have run to me and given me all the details.

“She was unique and brilliant, I never had to tell her to do her homework or anything, and even at such a tender age, she used to wash her own clothes. I often wonder what she would have turned out to be.”

After her daughter’s death, Desiree Alert quit her

child of the owner of the bus that was responsible for her sister’s death was at one time, a pupil in her class.

“And do you know, he probably didn’t know me, but I found it strange that he never allowed that child to go on tour, unless her mother was going, but then I later realized why.

Gloria Mckinnon, Chiaka’s grandmother, remembers the day of the tragedy vividly.

“I remember I got up that morning at about 5:30 to help her get ready.

Her aunt had prepared her snacks and everything the night before, but what stands out clearly in my mind is how she refused to wear her new suede shoes, and decided she would wear her regular school shoes. Even a nice African bag that she eventually went with I had to persuade her to go with it, because she kept saying mommy this is your good nice bag, why you want me to take it.”

Recollecting her reactions on receiving the news later that day, McKinnon related, “I don’t know whether I walked, fly or what, but all I know is that I reach Guyana Stores, and I jump up to the window, but at the time I

The casket in which four victims were buried didn’t know that Chiaka was in the bus, so I enquired from a girl that had gone on the tour too, and she said that yes, Chiaka was on the bus.”

But McKinnon said she still kept looking in all the buses, as they rolled into Linden. She added that what she was most annoyed about was the fact that she later learnt that the children never

made it to Georgetown or Guyexpo, as they were stranded all day in their bus which had broken down.

What was even worse, she noted, was that the bus that exploded with them was not even the bus that was booked for the trip, but another vehicle that was sent to tow the other vehicle back to (Continued on page 24)

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Monday November 26, 2012

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Time for foreign cops to be brought in The contracts of two nonnationals recruited to run the police force of Trinidad and Tobago ended a few months ago. The extent to which they were successful at what they were tasked to do will be debated for some time but crime-fighting was never going to be easy in that country and the foreign nationals recruited always had their work cut out for them.

While the opposition in Guyana is busy passing motions, they seem to have totally ignored the need to address the security problem which has gotten worse because of the penetration by elements of the trans-national crime. In fact, during the last Budget debate, the opposition did not object to the allocations for the Disciplined Services but they chopped the subsidy provided to the GPL only to subsequently approve it.

The Guyana Police Force needs radical transformation, far beyond what can be achieved by shuffling around senior staff, changing a few heads every few years or even to what is not being done: linking financing of the Police Force to reforms. There is need for sweeping changes in the way the Force is managed and trained.

But if Guyana were to

follow the Trinidadian lead and recruit foreign nationals, there is going to an uproar in the country and serious resistance within the Guyana Police Force.

There will be widespread opposition to any proposal to have the Guyana Police Force headed by a foreigner.

As such the government should settle for a more acceptable option. They should invite a team of foreign policemen to come and be responsible for administering the administrative aspects of the Guyana Police Force. That will allow nationals to continue to occupy the top echelons of the Guyana Police Force but would ensure that the administrative departments of the Force are placed into hands of recruits from overseas.

This will free a great deal of resources to do traditional crime fighting. At present there are complaints about the shortage of police officers. And indeed if you go to some police stations at nights it will be observed that there is a skeleton staff there at most times.

Despite the Police Force having more persons than it did under colonial rule, there is still talk about the Guyana Police Force being shortstaffed. The reason for this is

Dem boys seh

Some bandits got a sour Christmas Five men try a thing. Dem decide fuh mek money by tekking other people money.

Dem lef town and go to Mahaica and rob some people.

Somebody had to talk bout de people who get rob because de five wait till de people come home. Dem shoot up but dem didn’t shoot nobody. Then dem mek dem getaway.

Dem didn’t bargain that de people gun follow dem and call de police at de same time suh when dem reach Cove and John dem butt up wid a roadblock. Dem panic and crash into two car then dem butt up wid de police gun.

That is why people does always seh that you loaf better than de other man own.

Under normal condition dem woulda deh fuh walk wid dem friends and tek a drink when Christmas come. Dem woulda eat all kinda of things because some people woulda got different things in dem house.

Now dem put demself in a situation wheh dem got to drink water down ginger beer and some stale black cake if de prison warder

decide to give dem any.

And if dem weak then dem gun got to be somebody wife this Christmas.

That is why dem boys does always seh that while it does look like if crime does pay because some people does get away wid it, it really don’t pay. All of dem who doing crime by thiefing de people money gun wake up one morning and holler.

Some of dem already trying fuh see if doctor can save dem. All de money that dem thief dem got to pay doctor.

Some of dem got heart problem but dem frighten to go to de States because dem believe that de people gun put dem in de pumpkin jumpsuit.

That is if dem can eat de food dem like because in jail is not like a restaurant wheh you can order wha you like.

Dem got one who thief and got nuff property and he crying every day because he can’t even enjoy one of dem because he sick.

Talk half and walk de straight and narrow or you gun drink sour ginger beer and wear de pumpkin jumpsuit that is one size fit all.

that far too many police officers are engaged in a different kind of police work rather than being involved in traditional crime-fighting.

The traffic departments, though undermanned, are still large. Then there is a large Immigration staff involved in the issuance of passports.

The police also handle firearm applications and licences, and a section of the Force used to be responsible for the constabulary.

These are all areas where the police should give up responsibilities. The police, period, should no longer be involved in the certification of vehicles for fitness. When one considers the tens of thousands of vehicles on our roadways, it is truly amazing that each year, considering the limited number of police stations available, the police

can still be able to issue all those fitness certificates when they become due.

The police are also involved in certifying drivers as to their competence to drive. This is yet another area that should be given to private companies to run so as to free the Guyana Police Force or more ranks to man their stations at nights.

The issuance of passports and the manning of ports of entry are other areas which can be relieved of responsibilities. There is no reason given the technology that is now available why the issuance of passports cannot be decentralized and handled by a government agency.

It is also about time that we have a revamped Immigration. Officers could be trained in foreign

languages because this is wave of the future and Guyana should not have police officers performing these duties.

None of these proposals are new. None are radical.

They have been around for a long time. What is lacking is the political will to do this and this lack of political will is also what is responsible for some of the problems now afflicting our country because if there was strong political will and the Joint S e r v i c es were given instructions and they could not carry out those lawful instructions, then action ought to be taken.

If there is any criticism that can be made about the PPPC government is that it has been weak-kneed when it comes to dealing with the Guyana Police Force and the

Disciplined Services.

By now international assistance should have been sought and had for reforming the Guyana Police Force from bottom up. By now we should have had foreign nationals manning important positions in the security apparatus as we have had in Trinidad and Tobago.

Guyana will have more success if instead of bringing someone to take over the top job of the Force, as was done in Trinidad, experts are brought simply to take charge of administrative and financial duties.

It is time the government gets serious about reform of the Guyana Police Force.

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By Latoya Giles Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, testified on Friday last that from the gunshot injuries he saw on Ray Walcott, death would have been instantaneous and from the injuries he saw on Walcott’s brother, Carl Andrews, he could not have lived for more than 15-20 minutes.

Dr. Singh was called as the final witness for the prosecution when the trial of Cyon Collier called ‘Picture Boy’ resumed before Justice Diana Insanally and a mixed Demerara Assizes jury.

Collier is charged with the double murder of Walcott called ‘Sugar’ and Andrews called ‘Alo’ on September 23, 2006, at the Victoria Four Corner, East Coast Demerara.

When the trial reconvened Friday, after Dr. Singh had testified about his qualifications and experience and the fact that he had performed more than 10,000 post mortem examinations and had testified more than 1,000 times in the courts of Guyana, Senior State Counsel Judith Gildharie-Mursalin applied for him to be deemed an expert in Forensic Pathology and Dr. Singh was so deemed by the trial Judge.

Kaieteur News

Dr. Singh had performed post mortem examinations on the bodies of the two brothers on September 25, 2006, two days after their bullet-riddled bodies were picked up from the scene.

Dr. Singh read and explained Walcott’s post mortem report first and told the jury that Walcott had sustained seven gunshot wounds. He was severely injured to the head which caused his face to be disfigured and brain material was evident.

He said all of the entrance wounds were to the front and side of Walcott and from the injuries he observed, death would have been instantaneous. Walcott’s cause of death was given as multiple gunshot injuries.

Dr. Singh then read and explained Andrews’ post mortem report in which he had found that Andrews sustained three gunshot injuries and died as a result of perforation of the lung due to gunshot injuries. Andrews’ injuries were to his back. He was asked by the Prosecutor whether that was consistent with him running away from the shooter and he said whether or not he was running, his back was to the shooter.

When cross-examined by Defence Counsel, Lyndon Amsterdam, Dr. Singh was asked to take the Judge and jury through the procedure of a post mortem examination.

Dr. Singh explained all that is usually done, including how the dissection of a body is done by the Eviscerator (the ‘cut man’).

Dr. Singh agreed with Counsel that a post mortem report had to be self-evident and was challenged on the issue of why under ‘external examination,’ there were internal organs, etc, mentioned which would not have been seen until after dissection and ought to have been mentioned under ‘internal examination.’ The doctor explained that he writes up his findings like that for cohesion and completeness.

Defence Counsel suggested to Dr. Singh that there is no cause of death as ‘multiple gunshot injuries’ but the doctor said, “nonsense,” denying the suggestion. At one point of the crossexamination when Defence Counsel raised his voice, Dr. Singh said, “don’t shout at me.”

Following the doctor’s evidence, the Prosecution closed its case, after which

defence counsel then made no-case submissions in the absence of the jury.

Gildharie-Mursalin will respond to the no-case submissions on Monday when the trial continues.

The Prosecution called 10 witnesses, including eyewitness Kwesi Stewart called ‘Silver,’ who testified that he and Collier had grown up together and that while he, Stewart, was playing dominoes with some friends, ‘Sugar’ and ‘Alo’ were watching the game when Collier rode up on a motor cycle with a “big gun” slung across his back.

Stewart said Collier sent ‘Sugar’ to buy cigarettes which he did, after which Sugar and Collier each smoked a cigarette. Collier was speaking with them when he began cranking the gun and aimed at Sugar. Stewart said he and Alo were running towards the seawall but Collier never shot at him, only at Alo, who jumped a fence into Nicola Goodchild’s yard.

Stewart said Collier then went back to the road where he joined a mini-bus. Stewart could not say if Collier had any other guns but he was positive there was only one shooter that morning and that the shooter was Collier.

Another witness who testified on behalf of the prosecution was mini-bus driver, Mohan Singh called ‘Jughead’ who said he was heading to Georgetown, from

Monday November 26, 2012

Ann’s Grove, with a bus load of passengers when the side sliding door of the bus began giving trouble. He stopped to fix the door at the Victoria Gas Station when Collier, whom he had known for some 12 years, came up with a gun and told him that he had to move now because he had just killed two people. Singh claimed he told Collier that he would take him where he wanted to go. Collier went into the front passenger seat after the two passengers had exited and Singh dropped him off at Factory Road, Paradise. Singh said by the time he had dropped off his passengers and was on his way back up the East Coast, the police pulled him in because the two passengers had already informed the police that Collier had joined his bus.

Some 12 days after the fatal shooting of the brothers, a party of about 30 police officers and soldiers found Collier at a home at Lot 23 Bachelor ’s Adventure at 5:00am with a number of guns and ammunition, including an AK 47 Assault Rifle. Collier was told of the allegation and arrested, following which he confessed, in writing, to shooting the brothers because he claimed, he had given Alo a .38 gun to keep for him and Alo did not give it back to him when he asked for it.

After a voir dire (a trial within a trial) in which the State had called nine

witnesses and the defence called three, including the accused himself, the Trial Judge had ruled that the statements were freely and voluntarily given and admitted them into evidence.

Ballistics Expert, Sergeant Eon Jackson, has since testified that the spent shells retrieved from the murder scene had been fired from the AK 47 Assault Rifle which Collier had shown to the police when he was asked by DSP Michael Kingston where the gun was that he had used to shoot the brothers.

Sergeant Jackson also testified that the bullet which was given to him for examination by Inspector Nolan Burnett and which had been removed from Alo’s body by Dr. Singh during the post mortem examination was a .32 bullet. He admitted under cross-examination that such a bullet could not have been discharged from an AK47 Assault Rifle.

However, when asked whether he had told DSP Kingston and DSP Linden Lord that in light of that .32 bullet further investigations were required, Sergeant Jackson said he told these officers that “a gun was missing,” and such a gun could have been either a .32 or a .38. Jackson explained that .32 ammunition can be modified to be fired from a .38 gun.

The trial continues on Monday.

Elimination of Violence against Women…

Society should protect women, girls - Govt.

As Guyana joined the rest of the world in observing International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women yesterday, statistics show over 60 percent of women involved in a relationship or union, reported physical abuse, in addition to verbal abuse and sexual violence.

Under the theme, “Eliminating Discrimination Against Women in Order to end Gender-Based Violence”, Government says the escalating culture of violence in general and the widespread epidemic of Gender-Based Violence in particular demands intensive and extensive strategic action by society. Thus, women and young girls need to be protected by society.

A Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Bureau of Statistics revealed that domestic

violence and abuse remain a challenge in Guyana.

Studies in both developing and developed countries indicate that between 20 and 67 percent of women globally experience violence in relationships.

Domestic violence is a behaviour that causes one partner to be afraid of the other. It can also take the form of physical and sexual abuse and force social isolation from family and friends and it is a violation of the person’s

right and should be treated as a crime.

According to Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, 125 countries around the world have enacted legislation to ensure that there are penalties in place for perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence. This is a significant step forward as compared to many years ago.

“We can see the results of our cumulative efforts today.

(Continued on page 24)

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Enmore factory workers strike in solidarity with suspended colleagues A group of workers from the Enmore sugar factory have downed tools to demand the withdrawal of suspension letters issued to three colleagues following the temporary collapse of a main mechanical component of the Enmore mill.

The workers believe that their three colleagues are being used as scapegoats for what they described as the estate management’s negligence, which resulted in the shutting down of a $53M gearbox which facilitates the boiler to generate steam to power the factory.

Management is blaming the workers for the equipment’s malfunction, a position that is being hotly disputed.

The workers were sent off on Thursday by way of letters which indicated that they are to resume duties on December 5.

But although the letter also indicated that the workers will be paid for the period of suspension, there is some uneasy feeling

among them and their colleagues that a dismissal letter will follow, as was the case on previous occasions.

Shift leader Faizul Ahmad, who has been working on the boiler for the past 33 years is one of the affected employees.

He believes that he is being victimized by a senior manager because he has been very critical of the manner with which the factory’s equipment is being looked after.

“I talk to the factory manager the week before…that the boiler fan dem vibrating, dey cutting bolt, Monday we had to change two bolt. But the engineer is claiming that the fans okay, but it can’t okay and cutting bolt,” Ahmad explained.

This situation he said led to severe damage to the boiler’s gearbox, for which the workers are being blamed.

Kaieteur News was told that the engineer accused the workers of negligence.

This newspaper was told

Some of the striking sugar workers. that the main mechanism in the gearbox had suffered extensive damage and the workers were blamed for not maintaining the proper oil level.

However when the equipment was stripped to carry out the repair work, it was discovered that it contained sufficient oil to

enable it to function properly.

According to Ahmad, the boiler had been running on a makeshift system for a while despite the advice of the workers to the management who in turn paid scanty regard.

The workers claimed that despite warnings that the gearbox was malfunctioning,

the engineer insisted that it be turned on, despite it shutting down several times.

The damage to the gearbox has cost the sugar company a few million dollars, especial l y s i n c e t h e workers will remain on strike until today when they will be meeting with representatives of their

union.

“Me ah wan PPP member, me does protect de place I wukkin. Me always like hey.

Me get bun deh, me foot bruk deh and me nah lef…me surprise fuh see dis letter wha me get,” Ahmad told this newspaper during a protest outside the Enmore sugar factory yesterday.

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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When is a woman not a woman Whether you call it a paradox or a parable, a lateral thinking puzzle or just a riddle, the question “When is a woman not a woman?” becomes increasingly important as the fate of Caster Semenya, the young South African runner, is being decided by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

An Indian runner, Santhi Soundarajan, was stripped of a silver medal she won at the 2006 Asian Games after failing a “gender verification test” which indicated that she “does not possess the sexual characteristics of a woman”.

Santhi reportedly attempted suicide in September 2007.

So let’s start with the predicament of the surgeon that I used to end last week’s column. What I said was, “Tony Deyal was last seen talking about the boy who, although badly hurt, survived a car crash in which his father was killed. The surgeon seeing the boy on the operating table said, “I can’t do this. He is my son.” I promised the answer in this column. Most of you would have worked it out by now but those who still think the surgeon was the boy’s stepfather, a former milkman who is now a surgeon, the “horner man” as one Trini friend told me when he phoned to say he had solved it, are wrong.

The surgeon is the boy’s mother.

So where did people go wrong? That answer depends on the individual but much of it has to do with how we are brought up and the stereotypes or generalisations that are both cause and effect of who we are and how we view, as well as how we respond to, the world. In our culture, when we hear “surgeon” many of us invariably think of a man.

We know at an intellectual level that there are women pilots, surgeons and nuclear physicists but the stereotype is a man.

The stereotypes for teachers, nurses and dumb

blondes are all female. What makes it worse is that while we may make exceptions, we don’t change the stereotypes. We may say, Dr Armstrong is a good surgeon for a woman but that doesn’t change the stereotype of surgeons being men.

The list is endless, Tony is a really good person for an Indian, Jew, Bajan, Trini or whatever but that does not change the stereotypes we have of different occupations and nationalities.

Interestingly, when I say gynaecologist, the stereotype is male. Carrie Snow, the comedian, seized upon this fact and quipped, “It’s silly for a woman to go to a male gynaecologist. It’s like going to a mechanic who never owned a car.”

The problem is different for Caster Semanya. She might own a car but that alone is insufficient to qualify her as a woman in the eyes of the IAAF. Journalist Melonyce McAfee points out, “Is a ‘gender test’ as simple as it sounds? No. You can’t tell for sure if an athlete is a man or a woman just by glancing at his or her genitalia.” In Caster’s case, the BBC reports, “A group of doctors, including an endocrinologist, a gynaecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender and a psychologist, have started the testing procedure but it is uncertain when the results will be known.

Weiss said testing was being done in Berlin and South Africa but admitted it was a complex issue. ‘At this stage, it’s confusing,’ he said.

‘Personally I have no clue what’s going on. I rely on and trust our doctors. We would have preferred not to have had a controversy’.”

Caster seems to be heading for the same situation as Santhi Soundarajan. A Time magazine report (September 1) states that Soundarajan was later diagnosed with AIS, or androgen insensitivity syndrome, a condition in

which a genetic male is resistant to androgens, the male sex hormones that include testosterone, leading the body to appear externally female.

As a parent with two daughters who, like Caster’s parents or Santhi’s, has seen them through childhood into adolescence, how can I accept that any of my daughters is not a woman, that my girl children are really boy children? Nietzsche the philosopher says that truth is a woman and wisdom is a woman. The IAAF, however, says that the daughter of a poor Indian family is not a woman and might say that the

daughter of a poor South African family is also not a woman while at the same time ignoring all the steroidpumping and testosterone taking East German and other Soviet-bloc “women” who won and got to keep their gold medals. Who will be next, Jamaican female athletes?

Ethiopian?

So when is a woman a woman or not a woman? We can take it from the high ground of Simone de Beauvoir (The Second Sex), “But first we must ask: what is a woman?”Tota mulier in utero’’, says one, “woman is a womb’’. But in speaking of certain women, connoisseurs

declare that they are not women, although they are equipped with a uterus like the rest.

And yet we are told that femininity is in danger; we are exhorted to be women, remain women, become women. It would appear, then, that every female human being is not necessarily a woman; to be so considered she must share in that mysterious and threatened reality known as femininity.” Or we can take it from the low ground to which ultimately it will descend. I

can see some coaches telling their young female charges, “The IAAF (or Olympics Committee or whoever) is now insisting that all women athletes do a sex test to prove you’re not a man. Come upstairs to my room for yours later tonight.”

• Tony Deyal was last seen quoting comedian Gilda Radner, “I love being a woman because you can cry, and you get to wear cute clothes. It must be great, or so many men wouldn’t be doing it.”

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 26, 2012

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 26, 2012

Multi-million dollar penny-bank fraud at No. 48 Primary School A massive school pennybank embezzlement scheme is reportedly unfolding at a Corentyne coast primary school, and angry parents are demanding that the teacher implicated in the scam, pay back over $3M which Grade 6 pupils invested.

The teacher has been sent on leave.

Red flags were raised a few weeks ago after the children did not receive their savings and bank books as had been promised.

Parents who raised queries received no satisfactory answers.

Kaieteur News was informed that officials from the Region 6 Department of Education visited the school on Friday and parents are accusing these officials of putting a lid over the issue.

One parent said that her child was supposed to collect $59,000 in savings.

She demanded the bank book from the teacher.

She noted her son started to save money since he was in Grade 2 and was supposed to collect his savings on his graduation day two Fridays ago.

Kaieteur News understands that at least two other students of the 26 involved had over $700,000.

A teacher is put in charge of the collection and supervises the entire process. Kaieteur News was told that the teacher can be the signatory to the bank account in which the money has been deposited and has complete access to the cash.

“She was the banking

teacher and nobody checked on her, and now when the children supposed to get their money, they can’t give account if the monies were being banked or not”, said one parent.

“The Ministry [of Education] promised us that we will get our money but that we will have to hold on”.

Another irate parent whose child is supposed to collect $78,000, said, “I do not know what Miss [name of teacher] did with the students’ money.

But several times, I asked for the money—up to graduation day I asked—she said we will get the money and eventually I did not hear back anything until I heard she was on leave and booked ticket to leave the country and all the ledgers in the school for the children’s names to get their money was canceled and she held up the kids’ bank books before school close.

“I do not know what is going on! I do not know if we will get robbed because I heard she is leaving the country on December 2.

This is unfair…I went to school and did pennybanking and this never happened”. The teacher, the parent said, should not be allowed to continue in the system.

Another parent said that his daughter’s bank book “has a lot of scratches”. His daughter was supposed to receive over $868,000.

Meanwhile, an Education official in Region 6 stated that apparently it was discovered

Several security guards employed by a city security firm have complained that they have not been paid since September. The firm serves schools in Region 5 from Mahaicony to Rosignol and as such, this newspaper was informed that several schools are currently without security, since many of the guards refuse to work unless they are paid for the three months.

Several guards summoned this newspaper to West Coast Berbice last Friday and aired their views about the non- payment and how it is affecting them and their families.

Corine Goodridge, a guard attached to the Rosignol Primary stated that “we have not gotten paid and every time we ask, they saying, ‘this week’ next week, ‘this week’ …but up to now when we called yesterday, they said the region did not give them money to pay us!”

“We are single parents— we need our money—it’s time, we have children and I get installments to pay!

Interest is going up and I got kids to send to school. I don’t have money to travel and you don’t get back your passage with this firm when the month is up and it is not fair and we need we money.

“I ain’t even get rice in me barrel; I am a single parent!”

“It gun be embarrassing when the people [store owners] can’t hold on anymore and they come to my house and take away the furniture from me and Christmastime coming. No part of this world you hear that a firm owe their workers two months and they ain’t paying.”

“I need my money!

Because I am a single parent with children and I’d like to have my salary”, Patricia Linton, another guard, complained. They also allege that the owner of the firm

that the teacher in question “drew out the money over a period of time.

The source went on to say that she has a 10-year U.S. visa and “pulled out the money with the intention to leave the country”.

The individual is questioning what has happened to the children’s interest that has accumulated, too, since nothing is being mentioned about that.

“What has happened to the children’s interest payments that have built up over a period of time”? They believe that the Ministry of Education should close down all the School Cooperative Societies, formerly referred to as the School Thrift Society, since there is a lot of rampant corruption and thieving by numerous educators in the various primary schools which practice the system of school co-ops.

A high- level team of the Ministry of Education did visit the school on Friday last and held a closed- door meeting with the teacher in question as well as the Head teacher.

According to a source, the teacher promised the officials to “put back” some of the money by late Friday.

When Kaieteur News contacted her yesterday, the teacher refuted the allegations.

Efforts to contact State Audit at the Regional Democratic Council in Berbice as well as the Regional Education Officer in the region proved futile.

West Berbice guards not paid since September

stated that “he will borrow some money to pay us this week.”

Samantha Prince, who worked at the Ithaca Primary School, also vowed not to work until she was paid.

Yonette Welch is working at the Ithaca Health Centre and she, too, is affected by the non- payment. “I need my money because I got children going to school and we ain’t get no money and we ain’t wukkin”.

Edith Dover also works at the Ithaca Primary School.

“It’s unfair that we coming out to work and not getting paid”.

“Unto now, we ain’t know what the region doing. No money no work!

Samantha Anderson is on maternity leave for three months, too, and she is acclaiming that the National Insurance Scheme has not paid her since.

Efforts to reach the Region 5 Chairman, proved futile.

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Bonasika murder…

Relatives turn killer in Relatives of the Bonasika murder suspect made good on their promise to the police as they turned the suspect, Dharmindra Persaud, over to the police yesterday.

According to reports, Persaud visited his relatives and indicated that he wanted to surrender. The man’s relatives then contacted investigators and made

arrangements for them to collect the suspect from the Hubu koker, located at Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

Kaieteur News was told that the suspect has since admitted to killing his reputed wife’s lover and wounding his spouse, saying that the night he saw them together “it was too much for him.”

The man reportedly told

Eccles businessman shot in face

A 34 year-old businessman from Eccles, East Bank Demerara was shot in the jaw after he was attacked yesterday morning by a man with whom he had a previous grievance.

Reports are that Rolly Smith was shot at around 10:00 hours while at a shop at Pigeon Place, South Ruimveldt. This publication was told that Smith was chatting with friends when the suspect, known as ‘Dass’ walked up to him, drew a gun and shot Smith at close range. The bullet entered the man’s jaw and exited through his neck.

The suspect then calmly walked away. Persons in the area rushed the injured man to the Balwant Singh Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery before being admitted.

A source close to the investigation said the incident may have stemmed from an old grievance between the two men.

Up to press time yesterday Smith’s condition was listed as stable while his attacker remains on the run.

Brazilian found dead in Bartica hotel A 20-year-old woman from Agatash, Essequibo River, is assisting the Bartica police with their investigations into the death of Brazilian national Ezekeus De Souza Lira, whose body was found in a popular Bartica hotel on Saturday night.

Lira, 57, also known as “Zekkeus”, and the woman were observed around First Avenue, Bartica two days prior to his death. Kaieteur News was told that on Saturday night, Lira and the woman were in one of the hotel rooms when he went to bathe.

He then returned to bed, and the woman later realised that he was not moving. She raised an alarm and then made a report at the Bartica Police Station.

‘Zekkeus’ was taken to the Bartica Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Brazilian community in Bartica expressed shock at his death, with some claiming that he had a heart ailment.

Lira had operated a shop in First Avenue which sold Brazilian pharmaceutical products.

(Edward A Persaud)

investigators that he had tried his best to save his relationship but his spouse, Joy Meyers, was more interested in her lover whom he said is also a close relative of hers.

Sources say that on the day the incident occurred Persaud went to the Bonasika Outpost and reported that his wife had walked out on him leaving him with three of their four children. At the station the man reportedly begged the police to assist him in getting his wife to come back for their children.

He allegedly told investigators that he and his reputed wife never severed their relationship but she decided to leave their home after ‘falling in love’ with the now dead man, still identified only as ‘Richard.’

Kaieteur News was told that the man said he ‘tripped’ after he saw his reputed wife half naked with her lover and their youngest child present.

Meanwhile, investigators are expected to return to the Bonasika area sometime later today to retrieve the murder weapon. A post mortem is expected to be done later today on the slain man’s remains and charges are likely to follow.

On Thursday evening last Joy Meyers and her paramour, identified as Richard were attacked while at the home of Meyers’ father, located in Bonasika Creek.

Meyers’ lover sustained several gaping wounds, one of which almost severed his neck. He also hacked off Meyer’s left hand and she also sustained wounds to the head and neck. The woman’s three-year-old daughter, who was also in the house, was unharmed.

Page 17

Corroded components changed on Demerara Harbour Bridge

Rehabilitative works being executed at span 61 of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

Management of the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) revisited span 61 of the bridge that collapsed in July over the weekend and successfully changed the pivots and distribution beams that support that section.

The ‘A’ frame- the component found between the pivots and distribution beam- was changed during the first operation when the bridge sank.

In July, the DHB collapsed, after two temporary pontoons located at the western end of the bridge sank. The pontoons were facilitating maintenance and rehabilitative works between spans 60 and 61, situated near the western end.

General Manager of DHB, Rawlston Adams, had explained that the two temporary pontoons placed in that section to facilitate the change of the ‘A’ frames, which were severely corroded

and damaged, sank and caused the spans to submerge.

According to Adams, during an interview at the DHB yesterday, those two old pontoons are no longer used by the bridge to facilitate works. In fact, two new pontoons acquired by Management to facilitate works by the retractor span were used as temporary pontoons for the operations.

To facilitate the operation original pivots bought for the bridge over 34 years ago were modified and utilized.

The operation started

Saturday at around 08:00 hrs and the major works were completed by 17:00 hrs the same day. Minor works were executed yesterday and lasted for about four hours.

Maintenance works and similar operations have become a feature of DHB which has outlived its intended lifespan.

Adams assured that from a structural stand point the bridge is in a good enough condition to transport people but like any structure it requires maintenance. He reminded that the bridge will be 35 years old next July.

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Monday November 26, 2012

Mursi to meet judges over power grab

Mohamed Mursi CAIRO (Reuters) Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi will meet senior judges today to try to ease a crisis over his seizure of new powers which has set off violent protests reminiscent of last year’s revolution which brought him to power.

Egypt’s stock market plunged yesterday in its first day open since Mursi issued a decree late on Thursday temporarily widening his powers and shielding his decisions from judicial review, drawing accusations

he was behaving like a new dictator.

More than 500 people have been injured in clashes between police and protesters worried Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood aims to dominate the post-Hosni Mubarak era after winning Egypt’s first democratic parliamentary and presidential elections this year.

The country’s highest judicial authority hinted at compromise to avert a further escalation, though Mursi’s opponents want nothing less than the complete cancellation of a decree they see as a danger to democracy.

The Supreme Judicial Council said Mursi’s decree should apply only to “sovereign matters”, suggesting it did not reject the declaration outright, and called on judges and prosecutors, some of whom began a strike on Sunday, to return to work.

Mursi will meet the council today, state media said.

Mursi’s office repeated assurances that the measures would be temporary, and said he wanted dialogue with

Protesters run from the riot police during clashes at Tahrir square in Cairo yesterday. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany political groups to find “common ground” over what should go in Egypt’s constitution, one of the issues at the heart of the crisis.

Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at Cairo University, saw an effort by the presidency and judiciary to resolve the crisis, but added their statements were “vague”. “The situation is heading towards more trouble,” he said.

Sunday’s stock market fall of nearly 10 percent halted only by automatic curbs - was the worst since the uprising that toppled Mubarak in February, 2011.

Images of protesters clashing with riot police and tear gas wafting through Cairo’s Tahrir Square were an unsettling reminder of that uprising. Activists were camped in the square for a third day, blocking traffic with makeshift barricades.

Nearby, riot police and protesters clashed intermittently.

Mursi’s supporters and opponents plan big demonstrations on Tuesday that could be a trigger for more street violence.

“We are back to square one, politically, socially,” said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities, an Egyptian brokerage firm.

Mursi’s decree marks an effort to consolidate his influence after he successfully sidelined Mubarak-era generals in

August. It reflects his suspicions of a judiciary little reformed since the Mubarak era.

Issued just a day after Mursi received glowing tributes from Washington for his work brokering a deal to end eight days of violence between Israel and Hamas, the decree drew warnings from the West to uphold democracy. Washington has leverage because of billions of dollars it sends in annual military aid.

“The United States should be saying this is unacceptable,” former presidential nominee John McCain, leading Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Fox News.

“We thank Mr. Mursi for his efforts in brokering the ceasefire with Hamas.... But this is not what the United States of America’s taxpayers expect. Our dollars will be directly related to progress toward democracy.”

The Mursi administration has defended his decree as an effort to speed up reforms that will complete Egypt’s democratic transformation.

Ye t l e f t i s t s , l i b e r a l s , socialists and others say it has exposed the autocratic impulses of a man once jailed

by Mubarak.

“There is no room for dialogue when a dictator imposes the most oppressive, abhorrent measures and then says ‘let us split the difference’,” prominent opposition leader Mohamed

ElBaradei said on Saturday.

Investors had grown more confident in recent months that a legitimately elected government would help Egypt put its economic and political problems behind it.

The stock market’s main index had risen 35 percent since Mursi’s victory. It closed yesterday at its lowest level since July 31.

Political turmoil also raised the cost of government borrowing at a treasury bill auction yesterday.

Just last week, investor confidence was helped by a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund over a $4.8 billion loan needed to shore up state finances.

Mursi’s decree removes judicial review of decisions he takes until a new parliament is elected, expected early next year.

It also shields the Islamist-dominated assembly writing Egypt’s new constitution from a raft of legal challenges that have threatened it with dissolution, and offers the same protection to the Islamistcontrolled upper house of parliament.

Many of Mursi’s political opponents share the view that Egypt’s judiciary needs reform, though they disagree with his methods. Mursi’s new powers allowed him to sack the prosecutor general, a holdover from the Mubarak era who is unpopular among reformists of all stripes.

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Syrian rebels take airbase in slow progress toward Damascus AMMAN (Reuters) Syrian rebels said yesterday they had captured a helicopter base east of Damascus after an overnight assault, their latest gain in a costly battle to unseat President Bashar alAssad that is drawing nearer to his seat of power.

The Marj al-Sultan base, 15 km (10 miles) from the capital, is the second military facility on the outskirts of the city reported to have fallen to Assad’s opponents this month.

Activists said rebels had destroyed two helicopters and taken 15 prisoners.

“We are coming for you Bashar,” a rebel shouted in an internet video of what activists said was Marj alSultan. Restrictions on nonstate media meant it could not be verified.

The rebels have been firming their hold on farmland and urban centers to the east

and northeast of Damascus while a major battle has been underway for a week in the suburb of Daraya near the main highway south.

“We are seeing the starting signs of a rebel siege of Damascus,” veteran opposition campaigner Fawaz Tello said from Berlin. “Marj al-Sultan is very near to the Damascus Airport road and to the airport itself. The rebels appear to be heading toward cutting this as well as the main northern artery to Aleppo.”

Assad’s core forces, drawn mainly from his minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam that has dominated power in Syria for nearly five decades, are entrenched in the capital.

They also have devastating air superiority although they have failed to prevent rebels increasing their presence on the edge of

the capital and in neighborhoods on the periphery.

A Western diplomat following the fighting said Assad still had the upper hand. “The army will allow positions to fall here and there, but it can still easily muster the strength to drive back the rebels where it sees a danger,” the diplomat said.

“The rebels are very short of international support and they do not have the supplies to keep up a sustained fight, especially in Damascus.”

Iran said Turkey’s request to NATO to deploy Patriot defensive missiles near its border with Syria would add to problems in the region, where Iran is pitted against mostly Sunni Turkey and Gulf Sunni powers.

Iran’s Shi’ite rulers have stepped up support for Assad while Sunni Arab powers helped forge a new

Former Liberian president Taylor should be a “free man” - Judge AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Former Liberian President Charles Taylor should have walked free and not been jailed for war crimes because there was not enough evidence to prove he was guilty beyond reasonable doubt, a judge involved in his trial said in a magazine interview.

Justice Malick Sow’s criticism of how the trial was conducted and of the final decision-making process are likely to be seized on by Taylor’s defence lawyers as part of his appeal.

Taylor, 64, was the first head of state convicted by an international court since the trials of Nazis after World War Two. He was jailed in May for 50 years for helping Sierra Leonean rebels commit what the United Nationsbacked court in The Hague called some of the worst war crimes in history.

Sow, from Senegal, was an alternate judge at the Special Court of Sierra Leone that tried Taylor in The Hague, which meant he could step in if one of the three judges was unable to complete the trial.

W h e n Ta y l o r w a s convicted in April, Sow tried to read out a dissenting opinion, but was prevented from doing so by the court. He no longer works there.

Taylor “should have been a free man at this stage because I haven’t seen the proof of guilt of the accused,” Sow said in

Charles Taylor his first interview about Taylor’s trial, published in the December edition of New African magazine.

Sow could not be reached for comment by Reuters, but a person close to him verified his quotes in the interview.

“I couldn’t be indulgent in the face of the countless contradictions, lies, deceptions and manipulations in this trial, and conclude that the accused was guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crimes he was charged with,” Sow told the magazine.

“International justice cannot be based on rumours. These are mass crimes. This is where we must have the highest s t a n d a r d o f p r o o f . I t ’s about proving the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt. But they didn’t even reach the lowest standard of proof.”

Sow criticized the payment of witnesses and

some of the witness statements.

“The accused came with very official papers, with witnesses who were at the frontline, witnesses who were main actors of this whole conflict. How can you compare these witnesses with those people who didn’t get even close to the scene?” he said. “ T h e p r o s e c u t i o n ’s case by itself is so insufficient, so unreliable.

I t ’s about people contradicting themselves, people denying what they had said in previous statements.”

In the interview, Sow said it came as a “a total surprise” to hear in court that the three judges had reached a unanimous decision.

“In each of the very few times we discussed anything, there were very different opinions,” he said.

He said he had been excluded from the final discussions about Taylor, and questioned whether one of the three judges, who had already been appointed to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, should have remained as a judge at Taylor’s trial.

Morris Anyah, Taylor’s lawyer, said he wants to call Sow as witness in the appeals process and has asked for a waiver of Sow’s immunity from being called as a defence witness.

Bashar al-Assad opposition coalition this month recognized by France and Britain as the sole representative of the Syrians.

Syria has called the missile request “provocative”, seeing it as a first step toward a no-fly zone over Syrian airspace which the opposition is seeking to help them hold territory against an enemy with overwhelming firepower from the air.

Most foreign powers are reluctant to go that far.

NATO has said the possible deployment of the

missiles was purely defensive. The U.S.-led Western alliance has had some talks on the request but has yet to take a decision.

Turkey fears security on its border may crumble as the Syrian army fights harder against the rebels, some of whom have enjoyed sanctuary in Turkey in their 20-month-old revolt against Assad’s rule.

Ankara has scrambled fighter jets and returned fire after stray Syrian shells and mortar bombs from heavy fighting along the border landed in its territory.

More than 120,000 Syrian refugees are sheltering in camps in southern Turkey and more are expected with winter setting in and millions of people estimated to be short of food inside Syria.

Abu Mussab, a rebel operative in the area of Hajar al-Aswad in south Damascus, said the opposition fighters had given up expecting a nofly zone. “The bet is now on better organization and tactics,” he said.

The video said by activists to have been filmed at the Marj al-Sultan base

showed rebel fighters carrying AK-47 rifles.

An anti-aircraft gun was positioned on top of an empty bunker and a rebel commander from the Ansar alIslam, a major Muslim rebel unit, was shown next to a helicopter.

“With God’s help, the Marj al-Sultan airbase in eastern Ghouta has been liberated,” the commander said in the video. Eastern Ghouta, a mix of agricultural land and built-up urban areas, has been a rebel stronghold for months.

Damaged mobile radar stations could be seen on hilltops, with rebels waiving as they walked in the compound.

Footage from Saturday evening showed rebels firing rocket-propelled grenades at the base, and what appeared to be a helicopter engulfed in flames.

Last week rebels briefly captured an air defense base near the southern Damascus district of Hajar al-Aswad, seizing weapons and equipment before pulling out to avoid retaliation from Assad’s air force.

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Monday November 26, 2012

UN to launch new round of talks on global warming DOHA, Qatar (AP) — As nearly 200 countries meet in oil-and-gas-rich Qatar for annual talks starting today on slowing global warming, one of the main challenges will be raising climate aid for poor countries at a time when budgets are strained by financial turmoil.

Rich countries have delivered nearly $30 billion in grants and loans promised in 2009, but those commitments expire this year. And a Green Climate Fund designed to channel up to $100 billion annually to poor countries has yet to begin operating.

Borrowing a buzzword from the U.S. budget debate, Tim Gore of the British charity Oxfam said developing countries, including island nations for whom rising sea levels pose a threat to their existence, stand before a “climate fiscal cliff.”

“So what we need for those countries in the next two weeks are firm commitments from rich countries to keep giving money to help them to adapt to climate change,” he told The Associated Press on

Sunday.

Creating a structure for climate financing has so far been one of the few tangible outcomes of the two-decadeold U.N. climate talks, which have failed in their main purpose: reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases that scientists say are warming the planet, melting ice caps, glaciers and permafrost, shifting weather patterns and raising sea levels.

The only binding treaty to limit such emissions, the Kyoto Protocol, expires this year, so agreeing on an extension is seen as the most urgent task by environment ministers and climate officials meeting in the Qatari capital.

However, only the European Union and a few other countries are willing to join a second commitment period with new emissions targets. And the EU’s chief negotiator, Artur RungeMetzger, admitted that such a small group is not going to make a big difference in the fight against climate change.

“I think we cover at most 14 percent of global emissions,” he said.

The U.S. rejected Kyoto

because it didn’t cover rapidly growing economies such as China and India.

Some hope for stronger commitments from U.S. delegates in Doha as work begins on drafting a new global treaty that would also apply to developing countries including China, the world’s top carbon emitter. That treaty is supposed to be adopted in 2015 and take effect five years later.

Climate financing is a side issue but a controversial one that often deepens the richpoor divide that has hampered the U.N. climate talks since their launch in 1992. Critics of the U.N. process see the climate negotiations as a cover for attempts to redistribute wealth.

Runge-Metzger said the EU is prepared to continue supporting poorer nations in converting to cleaner energy sources and in adapting to a shifting climate, despite the debt crisis roiling Europe. But he couldn’t promise that the EU would present any new pledges in Doha and said developing countries must

present detailed “bankable programs” before they can expect any money.

Sometimes, developing countries seem to be saying, “OK give us a blank check,” he told AP. Climate aid activists bristled at that statement, saying many developing countries have already indicated what type of programs and projects need funding.

“They need the financial and technical support from the EU and others. Yet they continue to promise ‘jam tomorrow’ whilst millions suffer today,” said Meena Raman of the Third World Network, a nonprofit group.

Countries agreed in Copenhagen in 2009 to set up the Green Climate Fund with the aim of raising $100 billion annually by 2020. They also pledged to raise $30 billion in “fast-start” climate financing by 2012.

While that short-term goal has nearly been met by countries including the EU, Japan, Australia and the U.S., Oxfam estimates that only one-third of it was new money; the rest was previously pledged aid money repackaged as climate financing. Oxfam also found that more than half of the financing was in the form of loans rather than grants, and that financing levels are set

to fall in 2013 as rich countries rein in aid budgets amid debt problems and financial instability.

Meanwhile, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere keeps going up. It has jumped 20 percent since 2000, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, according to a U.N. report released last week.

A recent projection by the World Bank showed temperatures are on track to increase by up to 4 degrees C (7.2 F) this century, compared with pre-industrial times, overshooting the 2-degree target on which the U.N. talks are based.

UK calls for U.S. focus on Israel-Palestinian issue

LONDON (Reuters) British Foreign Secretary William Hague yesterday urged the United States to take a more active role in seeking a lasting settlement between Israelis and Palestinians, warning of a “final chance” for a two-state solution.

Eight days of fighting between Israel and Palestinians in the Hamasruled enclave of Gaza diverted U.S. President Barack Obama’s attention to the Middle East as he toured Asia on his first trip abroad after this month’s election.

Hague told the BBC it was “time for a huge effort on the Middle East peace process”.

“This is what I have been calling for, particularly calling for the United States now after their election to show the necessary leadership on this over the coming months, because they have crucial leverage with Israel and no other country has,” Hague

William Hague said. “We’re coming to the final chance maybe for a two state solution for the IsraeliPalestinian conflict,” he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke off from Obama’s tour of Asia to help negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to end this month’s bout violence.

Recent U.S. efforts to

coax the Palestinians and Israelis back into negotiations to agree a long term peace have failed, and talks are set become even more fraught if the Palestinians succeed in securing recognition as an “observer state”.

A vote on the diplomatic upgrade could take place later this month at the U.N. General Assembly, and if successful would implicitly recognize Palestinian statehood. Israel and the United States oppose the move and call for a return to talks. The last direct negotiations between Israel and Palestinian leaders in the occupied West Bank broke down in 2010 over the issue of Jewish settlement building across the territory.

Britain has also been pushing the United States, a close ally, to take a bigger role in helping to end the conflict in Syria, with Prime Minister David Cameron calling for greater engagement within hours of Obama’s re-election.

Nigeria: 11 dead in suicide bombs at army church

KADUNA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 11 people were killed and about 30 injured when twin car bombs hit a Protestant church in a major military establishment in northcentral Nigeria, officials said yesterday, a month after a deadly church bombing in the same state.

A bus laden with explosives first rammed into St. Andrew Military Protestant Church in the military barracks in Jaji in Kaduna state at about 12 noon, said the director of army public relations Brig. Gen. Bola Koleoso. Then a Toyota Camry car parked just outside the church exploded 10 minutes later, as people fled the first blast, he said.

Jaji is a symbolic target as it is home to the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, one of the country’s most important military colleges, training Nigerian and foreign navy, air force and army officers.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday’s attack, but a

radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram has previously targeted Nigerian military institutions in the past.

The attack comes two days after a special military taskforce announced that it would be giving a total of $1.8 million in rewards for information that could lead to the arrest of top Boko Haram members.

The twin blasts also came a month after another church was attacked in the city of Kaduna, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away from Jaji.

In that attack, a suicide bomber rammed an SUV loaded with explosives into St. Rita’s Catholic church holding Mass on Oct. 28 in Kaduna, killing at least seven people and wounding more than 100 others, authorities said.

The killings sparked instant reprisals in a city with a history of religious violence, leaving at least two more people dead.

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Police capable of handling CLICO investigations - Commissioner Trinidad Express - Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams has said the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is capable of conducting a criminal investigation against former CLICO executives and the related companies to which they were attached.

He recalled in a phone interview yesterday that it was the Police Service which investigated the Piarco Airport matter which was a complex financial matter no different from the collapse of insurance giant CLICO and related companies.

The investigation is being conducted by a special team of police officers, comprising members of the AntiCorruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) and the Fraud Squad.

The criminal investigation was first made public by Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard in a news statement on November 7.

Gaspard had then called

Stephen Williams on the media to refrain from publishing “anything which might jeopardise, hinder or otherwise prejudice the investigation or any possible proceedings which might result from it”.

The DPP had also expressed similar concern to Sir Anthony Colman, the lone Commissioner at the Enquiry into the collapse of CLICO and related companies and the Hindu Credit Union, that the case which the police were pursuing could be compromised by public

revelations in his Commission.

But Colman has declined Gaspard’s implied request for the Enquiry to be held in private saying it was contrary to “public interest.”

The acting Commissioner told the Sunday Express the criminal probe was the responsibility of the Police Service.

Williams dismissed questions on whether the local service had the internal capacity for such a 0probe.

He said should the TTPS require specialists in certain fields, the onus would be on the TTPS to obtain those services.

He pointed out that such outsourcing would be no different from the Attorney General hiring a Queen’s Counsel to assist in a matter.

For his part, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has publicly committed to “spare no costs in this regard and would leave no stone unturned in the journey for justice.”

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Drug abuse control commission to discuss Regional Trade SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica CMC - The region’s leading drug control officials will meet here this week to examine the impact of the illicit drug trade in the region and how to respond more efficiently to threats.

The Organisation of America States (OAS) said the 52nd Regular Session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) takes place from Wednesday to November 30.

Costa Rican President, Laura Chinchilla Miranda, will offer opening remarks, as that country assumes the presidency of CICAD for the period 2012-2013.

During the meeting, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza will report to the Commissioners on the ongoing development of the report on the drug problem in the Americas, which was mandated by the heads of state at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena in

April 2012.

The Commission will review a new set of evaluation procedures, standards and criteria for the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), the OAS’s instrument for assessing the efforts of Member States in dealing comprehensively with the global drug problem.The OAS said the new instrument recasts the process within the framework of the Hemispheric Drug Strategy, approved by the General Assembly in June 2010, and its Plan of Action, 2011-2015, adopted a year later.

The Commission will also take a “hard look” at the increasing toll of organized crime on public security, the rule of law, the economy and civil society, as well as the

José Miguel Insulza latest trends in the production and trafficking of illicit drugs, money laundering and corruption, the OAS said.

“To offset the drug trade’s damage, the Commission will examine.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

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Monday November 26, 2012

GraceKennedy responsible for half of Jamaica’s remittances, says Wehby Jamaica Gleaner GraceKennedy’s chief executive officer Don Wehby revealed that half of Jamaica’s remittances or some US$1.1 billion passes through the conglomerate’s network annually but it wants to retain more.

He also voiced victory at blocking lottery scammers

using GK’s remittance network. GraceKennedy operates the Western Union franchise.

Remittances into Jamaica totalled some US$2.2 billion last year and “Grace controls over 50 per cent of that market”, said Wehby addressing a Stocks & Securities Limited investor

forum in Kingston.

“So GraceKennedy as a company, in terms of US dollars, we have US$1.1 billion going through our network.”

He said a future service involving online payment on phones, otherwise called mobile wallets, would grow the group’s remittance fees.

“The question that we have to ask ourselves is, how can we retain as much as possible, and I submit to you that if First Global Bank and Western Union work together with a store card and mobile wallet, then that is the answer,” he said.

GraceKennedy expects the pace of foreign exchange

flows to continue despite the stated clamp-down on the lottery scam within its Western Union network. GK shut down its 14 Western Union offices in Montego Bay for two weeks in August to update its network to effectively block the transfer of funds garnered from the lotto fraud scheme.

Scammers call North America residents requesting remittance deposits to transfer fictitious lotto winnings.

“Significant software changes were implemented on the network to determine if a transaction would compromise our system,” Wehby told Sunday Business immediately following the forum, carefully choosing his words in consultation with his Chief Financial Officer Frank James.

Neither executive would go beyond that comment to describe the software’s defence measures.

GraceKennedy owns 75 per cent of the remittance business and Western Union 25 per cent. The American company bought into GraceKennedy Money Services in 2007.

“I have to be careful what I say, but we were trying extremely hard to curtail the lotto scam,” Wehby said earlier while parrying questions from the SSL forum audience.

“The FTC called us and they said ‘The complaints we are getting about the lotto scam are increasing over the year’. And we made the decision that we were going to take the principled stance and close our locations for two weeks and put in new measures and we have done so.

Remember, a lot of the remittance business is driven by technology coming from Western Union. A core system of changes were made and we have really strengthened the system to eliminate the lotto scam from any use of the Western Union

Don Wehby network,” the GraceKennedy CEO said.

GK represents Western Union in eight countries including Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana and the Eastern Caribbean countries. It has “done business” with Western Union for 21 years.

“We are market leaders in every market we are in (and) we are ready to expand the group into non-English speaking Caribbean and beyond that,” said Wehby.

“Why can’t we have a Western Union in Ghana?”

Wehby told shareholders that food and drinks sales growth within Ghana grew 300 per cent year-on-year, coming from a small undisclosed base.

Grace wants to tap into the new prosperity found in Ghana and most other African nations which have seen sustained GDP growth in the high single-digits.

“The Jamaican economy has not grown more than two per cent annually in the last 15 to 20 years. When I say to my shareholders that I want to grow at 10 per cent in US terms, the answer is in front of us: We have to go overseas,” he said of Ghana which offers the largest population with culinary habits similar to Jamaica at nearly 25 million.

Wehby insisted that Western Union continues to see growth.

“Remittances are still up above last year,” he said of the impact on inflows.

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 26, 2012

Society should protect... Still no justice for children...

(From page 10) Guyana has a strong and robust legislative and policy framework for the protection of women. This includes our National Constitution, which enshrines the rights of women, several international treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and national legislation for example, more recently progressive pieces of legislation – The Domestic Violence Act (1996) and the Sexual Offences Act (2010).”

She explained that there are many ways that men can indicate that they are supportive of women.

Change begins with men of honour speaking out, to let perpetrators know that violent attitudes and negative behaviour against women are unacceptable in any circumstance.

Adding that violence in whatever form it takes is repugnant to human life and freedom, she said the rights

to life and liberty are enshrined within the Constitution and have the characteristics of being inalienable and fundamental.

“A life free of violence is a logical extension of these rights. There is nothing remotely excusable about violence against women.

There is absolutely no justification for this. At the level of the Government of Guyana we have already clearly articulated a “zero tolerance” policy against Gender-Based Violence.” The Minister noted “I wish to commend all those who have reached out to victims of abuse. I wish to recognize the leadership of all those nongovernmental organizations that have played an active role in advancing women’s rights.

We value your contributions and initiatives, which have no doubt saved countless lives, and have transformed the way we address these all too pervasive crimes. To our corporate and donor

partners, and friends in the media, we urge you to continue supporting initiatives towards the “Elimination of Violence Against Women”.

The Vienna Declaration (also known as VDPA, is a human rights declaration adopted by consensus at the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993) explicitly links domestic violence to sexual harassment, exploitation and trafficking in women; gender bias in the administration of justice; and the harmful effects of traditional or customary practices, cultural prejudices and religious extremism.

UNICEF is now urging the Government to learn from the successes achieved over the past years, so as to ensure that progress is made even further in the years ahead to ensure that all children, irrespective of their geographic location or socioeconomic status, enjoy their rights and are protected from abuse and harm.

The ill-fated Dodge Ram (From page 7) Linden. “Now this bus that the owner sent to bring the other one back, is a bus he had been repairing, and which was not even fit to be on the road, because in order for it to work, they had to put a bottle of gas in the bus, and connect a hose to the engine.

That is what caused the explosion,” McKinnon added.

To MacKinnon, the death of her granddaughter proved to be the most harrowing experience of her life. It affected her so much that one year later, while on a trip in the USA, she started screaming at the top of her lungs while travelling on a bus to Arizona, when she realized that she didn’t have to do any shopping for Shiaka.

Her husband, she noted was very embarrassed, as all the people on the bus were staring. “But for me it was a form of release of all the pent up emotions, because afterwards I slept for three straight hours.”

SURVIVOR One of the survivors,

Junell Norton, is now 26. He says he’s lucky to have escaped the inferno that killed his school-mates.

“I spent some time in hospital recuperating; how long, I can’t remember. I had been burnt in the face, ears and hands and those burns took some time to heal.

“But the most frustrating part was the court case, which seemed to drag on. We had to spend quite a bit of money to go to court every day, and at the end of it, nothing came out of it. The man got off scotfree. Where is the justice?”

Relatives and friends of the children, who perished, would later cry ‘foul’ at a justice system that allowed the owner of the bus that was responsible for the children’s demise, to walk free.

Gloria McKinnon, grandmother of Chiaka McKinnon, said that the star witnesses in the case were never called, and condemned the entire trial.

To add insult to injury, McKinnon claimed, was the attitude of the bus owner, who never showed any remorse, but was “high-fiving” with friends and relatives, and

even a few police ranks, after the verdict was handed down.

But today, relatives though still hurt, said that they have forgiven the owner of the Dodge Ram, and leaves further judgment to God. Pastor Lachlan McKinnon, grandfather of Chiaka, notes philosophically, ‘We just leave everything to God. We stop depending on man. We have forgiven him, and have released him to God. That has helped us to get closure, and that is how we were able to get peace again”.

Those sentiments were echoed by his wife Gloria, who notes that her daughter Shelley Codrington, Chiaka’s mother, never speaks of Shiaka’s death, or the trial.

The McKinnons, the Alerts, the Wills and the Best families have lived through what they consider to be their worst nightmare, and greatest loss, but still they hold fast to their faith, and their God, and the legacy of beautiful memories that Shiaka, Dacia, Onica and Mellissa have left them, thanks to their brief sojourn here on earth.

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Monday November 26, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): If managing your finances has become tricky, today you are in luck. A friend has some good advice that you should listen to. You might not like the sound ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Don't fret about any small complications or dramas, today -- they won't mess up your day as much as you fear they will. Unexpected stuff happens, so just roll with it. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): You need to be honest and understand what your true limitations are, today -especially in terms of your job.

If you aren't confident about your abilities in a certain area, then the worst possible thing you can do is to say that you are a master of it. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): You should buck up on your networking skills -- start using them in many more areas of your life than you currently do. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Avoid doing anything big or ostentatious today -- this is not the right time to finalize luxurious travel plans, make a major purchase, or commit to anything in formal legal terms. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.

22): Other people have a stake in what you are working on, and you need to let them be a part of your thought process.

Share what you have been thinking, ask them for their input, and really listen hard when they give you their honest feedback. *********************

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): You're eager for your future to begin, but when will that starting point come?

There is no telling, but a glimpse may come today -- if you step back and give yourself space to see it. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): You'll be dealing with a lot of different requests and invitations today, which could be confusing or even overwhelming for you. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): If you are trying not to overeat, you can make the task a lot easier by distracting yourself. Or even better, distracting yourself by getting active! .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): In all of your conversations today, you will want to avoid any and all misunderstandings -- because misunderstandings could grow into dangerous assumptions. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): Someone who you usually find fascinating will leave you feeling bored, today -- but don't worry.

That doesn't mean that you are no longer into this person, it just means that you need to take a break. ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): Try to communicate your emotions clearly to the person you are worried about right now. Being brutally honest is tough sometimes, but it is much more valuable than softening the truth with little white lies.

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 26, 2012

Nigel’s Supermarket and Republic Bank gives back Nigel’s Supermarket and Republic Bank are the latest companies to announce sponsorship of two primary school football teams, St. Gabriel’s and Tucville who were participants in the Courts Pee Wee Football Competition which concluded yesterday, at Thirst Park ground.

The presentations of uniforms and other related apparel were done on Friday and Saturday at Nigel’s Supermarket and Thirst Park respectively. CoDirector of Petra Organisation, Marlan Cole in his remarks said he was pleased to be able to request the support from the Business Community, but at the same time called on more business entities to step forward and follow suit.

At the Nigel’s Supermarket, Cole said the idea to have schools sponsored came after recognizing that many of the schools competing in the Courts sponsored Pee Wee Competition did not have access to the gears required to play the sport.

“We designed a proposal for companies and they were sent to various companies in the city, given the fact that the competition is being played in the city.”

Christopher Franklyn, Manager at the Supermarket said the company is happy to be honouring its social responsibility, “especially to youngsters as it goes a far way in instilling discipline and also help to develop their lives also.”

The Supermarket, he said, is sports oriented and always willing to assist in the development of sport irrespective of the discipline. Republic Bank’s Operations Manager Carlos Bernard said the financial institution is pleased to be making the donation.

“We recognize the need for this kind of support, particularly to our youngsters. Young people in Guyana today are our most valuable assets and we need to guide, protect and nurture them. This token I trust will go a far way in assisting the players.”

On both occasions presentations were done in the presence of class teachers and coaches who also expressed gratitude to the sponsors and hope that their sponsorship will continue into the next tournament since both schools plan on being part of the next competition.

Nigel’s Supermarket Christopher Franklyn (left back row standing) poses with Troy Forde (centre back row) and Marlan Cole seen with players from St. Gabriel’s recently.

Tucville Primary School Teacher Donette Munroe-Liverpool collects sponsorship from Republic Bank’s Carlos Bernard in the presence of Petra Organisation Marlan Cole (centre right), Coach Terrence Clark and players yesterday.

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 27

Knicks rout Pistons, end Sebastian Vettel wins his third F1 losing streak at 2 games world championship for Red Bull New York (AP) - Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points in just 32 minutes, and the New York Knicks ended a twogame losing streak with a 121100 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Steve Novak added a season-high 18 and JR Smith had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who started 8-1 and had the Eastern Conference’s best record before a couple of defenseless performances in Texas spanning the Thanksgiving holiday. They were much better Sunday, improving to 5-0 at home.

New York takes the short trip to Brooklyn on Monday to face the Nets, a game that was postponed by Superstorm Sandy. Brandon Knight scored 21 points and Charlie Villanueva had 17 for the Pistons, who have lost six straight games at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks have been a much-improved defensive team under Mike Woodson but had a slipup in Texas, allowing 114 points in a loss at Dallas and then yielding 131 while getting blown out Friday in Houston.

They were much sharper Sunday, save for a few minutes where they seemed to ease up after building a 20point halftime lead. Rasheed Wallace scored 15 points against his former team, and Raymond Felton had 14 points and 10 assists as the Knicks beat the Pistons for the fourth straight time. Wallace was back after missing a game with a sore left foot.

Anthony made four 3pointers after hitting seven and scoring a season-high 37 in Friday’s loss. He never needed to play in the fourth quarter, the Knicks blowing it open for good while he was getting his usual rest to begin

Taylor, Williamson bolster Kiwis in Sri Lanka Test Ross Taylor hit a solid century as New Zealand recovered from early blows to post a healthy 223-2 on the opening day of the second and final Test against Sri Lanka on Sunday. The tourists were struggling at 14-2 in the fourth over before skipper Taylor (119 not out) and Kane Williamson (95 not out) propped up the innings with an unfinished 209-run stand for the third wicket at the P. Sara Oval.

Taylor completed his eighth Test hundred, and his first against Sri Lanka, in the last session when he flicked seamer Shaminda Eranga to deep square-leg for two. Williamson provided valuable support and looked set to complete his third Test century when play was called off due to rain, with more than nine overs remaining in the day.

New Zealand, shot out for 221 and 118 during their 10wicket defeat in the opening Test in Galle, staged a more determined performance this time and Taylor led from the front.

The tourists made the most of winning the toss on a good batting pitch as Taylor and Williamson frustrated Sri Lanka with responsible batting against both pace and spin.

The New Zealand captain, who gave a difficult chance on 14 when his edge off Eranga went past Angelo Mathews in the slips, has so far hit 10 fours in his 241-ball knock, while Williamson’s 229-ball innings included eight fours. (AFP)

Carmelo Anthony the period.

The Pistons started 0-8 before winning three of their next five, but were back to being bad on Sunday. They committed 20 turnovers, leading to 33 points.

Anthony was 6 of 7 in the first quarter, hitting all three 3-pointers and scoring 15 points as the Knicks opened a 32-22 lead. The Knicks closed the first half with an 18-6 run, taking a 64-44 lead to the locker room. They got help from the Pistons, who turned it over 12 times in the half, leading to 19 points.

But the Knicks left their intensity behind when they returned for the second half.

They slumped back to the bench for a timeout after Kyle Singler left Jason Kidd standing still on a baseline cut for a layup, capping a 133 spurt to open the third quarter that cut the deficit to 67-57. Detroit got within eight later in the period, but Novak hit a couple of 3-pointers and the Knicks were back up 8672 after three.

New York finished it off with a 10-3 burst in the fourth, extending a 10-point lead to 98-81 on another 3-pointer

by Novak.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won a third consecutive world drivers’ title by three points in the Brazilian GP. In an incident-packed, rainaffected race, Vettel fought back to finish sixth after dropping to last on lap one following a collision.

His rival Fernando Alonso of Ferrari finished second, meaning he needed Vettel to be lower than seventh. McLaren’s Jenson Button won after leading team-mate Lewis Hamilton was hit by Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg.

The German was trying to pass Hamilton for the lead with 27 laps to go but lost control on the slippery track and slid into the side of Hamilton’s car. Hulkenberg, driving the race of his career up to that point, was given a drive-through penalty and finished fifth, behind Alonso’s team-mate Felipe Massa in third and Red Bull’s Mark Webber in fourth.

Vettel becomes the youngest driver in history to win three world titles - at six years younger than Ayrton Senna. He is only the third driver to win three in succession.

“It is difficult to imagine what goes through my head now even for myself,” Vettel said. “I am full of adrenaline and if you poke me now I wouldn’t feel it. “It was an incredible race. When you get turned around at Turn Four for no reason and it becomes like heading the wrong way down the M25 it is not the most comfortable feeling.

A breathless and topsyturvy race, with intermittent rain, created drama from the first lap. Vettel made a bad start from fourth on the grid and at the fourth corner was first tagged from behind by Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen and

then hit by Williams’s Bruno Senna.

The impact knocked Vettel into a spin, and damaged the rear bodywork of his car, and he was last as he crossed the line at the end of lap one.

Alonso finished the first lap fifth, but seconds later passed Massa and Webber as they went three abreast into Turn One to take third.

In those positions, Alonso would have been champion, but Vettel set about recovering lost ground and by lap eight was remarkably up to sixth place, while Alonso had slipped behind Hulkenberg after running wide at Turn One on lap five.

Through a series of twists and turns at the front, including varying degrees of rain and a safety-car intervention, Vettel was always in control of the championship. With 20 laps to go, Alonso was fourth behind Hamilton, Hulkenberg and Button, and Vettel seventh.

As rain began to fall harder, Hulkenberg closed on Hamilton and the two collided. So Hamilton’s last

race for McLaren ended in a retirement rather than a victory. More pit stops were needed for the leaders to fit intermediate tyres as the rain intensified, after which Button led from Massa and Alonso, with Vettel seventh.

Massa let Alonso by into second on lap 62, and two laps later Michael Schumacher, driving the last race of his career, moved over for Vettel to rise into sixth place and make his grip on the title more secure.

In the closing laps, Vettel was repeatedly urged by his team to slow down, reminding him that his position was good enough to win the title.

And then in a final dramatic twist, Paul di Resta crashed his Force India coming up the straight on the penultimate lap and the race finished under the safety car, confirming Vettel as champion.

Race winner Button said: “I want to congratulate the whole team. This is the perfect way to end the season. We have had ups and downs and to end on a high bodes well for 2013.”

(BBC Sport)

Guinness ‘Greatest of de...

From back page (E. Moses 11th min) defeated YMCA 1-0.

Game 6 - West Front Road (Randolph Wagner 17, 26) edged South Ruimveldt (Collin Daniels 27th) 2-1.

Game 7 - Leopold Street and Albouystown ‘A’ drew 0-0, but the former won 3-0 on penalty kicks.

Game 8 - Hope Street Tiger Bay (Solomon Austin 32nd min) squeezed past Alexander Village 1-0.

Meanwhile, more quarter-final action is slated for the East Riumvedlt Basketball Court tomorrow evening when eight matches including four exhibition games will be played.

19:30hrs Banks DIH Ltd oppose YMCA; 20:00hrs Guinness Bar play Oasis; 20:30hrs Clippers Barber Shop oppose Media; 21:00hrs East Front Road comes up against North-Last Entrance; 21:15hrs Upper Level match skills with Sweet Hand; 21:45hrs Globe Yard face Sophia B; 22:15hrs Back Circle tangles with Bent Street; 21:45hrs Broad Street B clash with East La Penitence.

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Kaieteur News

WICB Board of Directors decisions regarding Guyana Port of Spain, Trinidad – The West Indies Cricket Board, at a meeting of the Board of Directors, on Saturday November 24 and Sunday November 25 in Port of Spain, Trinidad, expressed grave concern at the length of time it is taking for a resolution to be had to the situation in Guyana.

The Board further implores all parties involved to use their best endeavours to ensure that the situation with regard to cricket in Guyana returns to a level of acceptability in the shortest possible period.

The WICB also reminds the public that at a meeting

of the CARICOM Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket held in Antigua in September 2012, the SubCommittee recommended that all efforts be made towards resolving the ongoing issues between the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Cricket Board, and appointed the Honourable Prime Minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart as mediator.

The Board awaits the outcome of this critical process; however restates its commitment to play its role in finding resolution and has acted in accordance with this commitment in the past.

The Board reiterates its position that it recognizes the Guyana Cricket Board as the sole governing body responsible for the administration, management and development of cricket in Guyana. Further the Board reminds that the Guyana Cricket Board is a shareholder of the WICB. The WICB has used its best endeavours to ensure that the players and match officials have participated in every regional tournament under the auspices of the WICB since the situation in Guyana developed.

The deadline for submission of squads to

participate in the Caribbean Twenty20 2013 was November 22, 2012. The GCB did not submit the Guyana team by this deadline and has not submitted the Guyana team to date.

The Board has therefore directed the WICB Management to again request the GCB to provide a Guyana team to participate in the Caribbean Twenty20 and for WICB Management to set a date by which the Guyana team is to be submitted.

The WICB Management will set the date and once finalised will communicate same to the GCB and the public.

Monday November 26, 2012

Best spurs WI to 10-wicket victory SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL Man -of-the-series

Khulna, Bangladesh – Tino Best improved on his career-best to rip out three of the last four Bangladesh batsmen and set up a 10wicket victory for West Indies in the final match of their two-Test series on Sunday here.

The livewire Windies fast bowler continued to defy a hamstring strain and finished with an impressive 6-40 from 12.1 overs, as the Bangladeshis were bowled out for 287 in their second innings about half-hour before lunch on the final day at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium.

Best was the visitors’ most successful bowler in the two-Test series. He grabbed 12 wickets at a miserly seriesbest average of 14.33. His economy rate of 2.98 runs an over and strike rate of 28.8 balls per wicket were also series bests.

West Indies’ openers Chris Gayle, not out on 20, and Kieran Powell, not out on nine, then made light work of a victory target of 28, needing just as many deliveries to finish the job.

Powell formalised the result on the stroke of lunch with successive boundaries off Naeem Islam, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin.

The result meant that the Windies swept the two-Test series 2-0, following a 77-run victory in the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.

It also meant that the visitors have never lost a Test series in Bangladesh, let alone a Test in three trips to the country.

Veerasammy Permaul gave West Indies a bright start to the day, after Bangladesh resumed from their overnight total of 226 for six. The little left-arm spinner struck with the fourth ball of the day, when the typically stubborn Mahmudullah was caught behind down the leg-

side for two, essaying a sweep.

After five more overs yielded precious little, Windies captain Darren Sammy brought Best on to replace Permaul and the fast bowler struck with his first ball, when he bowled Sohag Gazi for seven playing down the wrong line to a wellpitched delivery that moved back from outside the offstump.

Best followed up with another superb delivery, which also moved back and bowled Nasir Hossain for 94, uprooting the leg-stump and giving the West Indies fast bowler five wickets for the second straight Test.

He took 5-24 in the first Test of the series at the Shere-Bangla Stadium in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka, where he also denied Nasir a maiden Test hundred, after he dismissed him for 96 in the first innings.

Nasir struck 11 fours and one six from 107 balls in 3 ½ hours in his second halfcentury in the match, following 52 in the first innings. West Indies were frustrated for kept waiting for another half-hour, when Rubel Hossain came to the crease and resisted them with first innings century-maker Abul Hasan.

Fidel Edwards dropped Rubel at mid-on, but Best brought the fun to an end with the first ball of the next over, when the Bangladesh fast bowler was caught at mid-off for 14. Marlon Samuels was named Man-of-the-Match and Shivnarine Chanderpaul edged out Best for the Manof-the-Series award.

The two teams will now play five One-day Internationals on November 30, December 2, 5, 7 and 8 followed by a Twenty20 International on December 10. (WICB)

Monday November 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Hadi’s/GCA 1st div.

Johnson’s all-round heroics guides GCC to victory

Leon Johnson A fine all-round performance by Leon Johnson enabled GCC to overcome Transport Sports Club (TSC) by an innings and 2 runs when the latest round of play in the Hadi’s sponsored Georgetown Cricket Association first-division two-day tournament ended yesterday, three matches were played.

At Bourda, TSC resumed on their overnight score of 787 and fell for 86 in 44 overs.

Johnson finished with 5-37 and Almando Doman 4-31.

The home team then declared their first innings on 258-3 in 38.4 overs. Johnson hit eleven fours and four sixes in an unbeaten 112 while Robin Bacchus and Jitendra Sookdeo chipped in with 48 each.

Shahrukh Imran took 2-74.

TSC in their second innings were bowled out for 177 in 58.3 overs. Ryan Hemraj top

scored with 44 and Sherwin Lovell 41; Johnson bagged 519 to end the match with figures of 10-56. Raj Nanan also claimed 3-34.

At Everest, the host took first innings honours in a drawn game against GNIC. Everest began the day on 1674 and were bowled out for 228 off 76 overs in their first innings, Chanderpaul Hemraj top scored with 82 and Troy Gonsalves 78.

Off-spinner Collins Butts snared 5-55 and Ryan Shun 3-18. The visitors in their first innings were bundled out for 144 in 61 overs; Krishna Arjune getting 75.

Gonsalves took 5-57, Amir Khan 3-46 and Deon Thomas 2-21. Batting a second time Everest were 2 without loss after 1 over when rain stopped play.

At DCC, Guyana Defense Force (GDF) took first innings points from the home team in another drawn encounter.

Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) declared their first innings on 220-8 with Andrew Lyght Jnr. scoring 84 (5x4 2x6), Christopher Barnwell 37 and Paul Wintz 31.

Gilford Moore, Jeremiah Harris and Dillon Heyliger collected 2 wickets apiece.

GDF were 223-8 in 46 overs in their first innings when time was called on the final day.

Heyliger was their leading batsman with 63 (4x4 5x6), Kevon Boodie backed up with 51, Marcus Watkins made 45 and Travis Blyden 35. Left arm spinner Totaram Bishun bagged 4-49.

GCA\ Noble House 2nd div. tourney

Wins for GYO, Third Class

Loakesh Reid

Jonathan Alphonso

Fenton Persaud

By Zaheer Mohamed GYO and Third Class recorded victories when the latest round of matches in the Georgetown Cricket Association\Noble House Sea Foods second-division two-day competition concluded yesterday.

At GYO, the host defeated Malteenoes by 5 wickets.

GYO resumed on their overnight score of 165-8 and were bowled out for 169 in 29 overs. The visitors in their second innings fell for 140 in 25 overs.

Carlos La Rose was the only batsman that offered meaningful resistance with 44; Fenton Persaud grabbed 5-55 and Shiveshwar Sankar 4-40. GYO batting a second time reached their winning target of 139 losing 5 along the way in 29 overs.

Loakesh Reid top scored with 42 and was well supported by Pravindra Persaud 19, John Champayne 17, Wazeer Mohamed 17* and Abdool Rahim 15. Shaquille Williams claimed 3-44 and La Rose 2-25 for the losers.

Scores MSC 166 and 140, GYO 169 and 139-5.

At YMCA, Third Class overcame Ace Warriors by 7 wickets. Ace Warriors were skittled out for 64, batting a second time. Govinda Muniram captured 5-16 and Trevor Hussain 4-13. Third Class then responded with 67-3 in 12.3 overs with Alvin Castello scoring 32.

Scores Ace Warriors 125 and 64, Third Class 129-7 declared and 67-3.

A t G N I C, E v e r e s t Cricket Club took first

innings points from Transport Sports Club in a drawn encounter. Everest started the day on 63-3 and were bowled out for 194 out in 56.5 overs. Khamraj Ramdeen top scored with 64 (7x4) and Steve Ramdass contributed 56 (9x4).

Off spinner Jonathan Alphonso snared 5-52. TSC in their second turn at the crease made 159 all out in 30 overs.

Stephen Sampson led with 87 (15x4) while Sunil Singh chipped in with 20. Raphael Singh picked up 4-41, Garfield De Roche 2-23

Heat escape Cavs with late rally, 110-108 Miami (AP) - Down by seven points with less than 2 minutes left, LeBron James’ current team was in big trouble against his former team. That is, until the Miami Heat saved their very best for the very end.

James found Ray Allen for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18.2 seconds left, highlighting a nine-point run to end the game and lift the Heat to a 110-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

Miami held the lead for just 2 minutes, 29 seconds.

Cleveland led 108-101 with 1:58 remaining, before the reigning NBA champions found a way to stay perfect

at home.

James finished with 30 points for the Heat. Chris Bosh scored 23 points, Dwyane Wade added 18 and Allen finished with 17 - 15 in the fourth quarter - for the Heat, who lost Shane Battier in the third quarter to a sprained right knee.

Of the nine Cleveland players who logged minutes, everyone but Tyler Zeller scored at least 10 points.

Jeremy Pargo and Dion Waiters each scored 16 for Cleveland, which got 15 from Omri Casspi, 13 from Tristan Thompson, 12 from Alonzo Gee, 11 from Gibson, a 10point, 15-rebound night from Anderson Varejao, and 10 more points from CJ Miles.

Page 29

The Cavaliers were 14 for 31 from 3-point range, forced 18 turnovers and turned them into 22 points, led by 13 points in the third quarter - and still fell to 1-7 against Miami since James’ infamous decision to leave Cleveland and join the Heat in July 2010.

After Allen’s 3-pointer, Cleveland had a good look at the lead, but Wade blocked Pargo’s jumper with 3 seconds left. Allen added one free throw to stretch the lead to two, and when he missed the second try, Cleveland controlled the rebound with 0.6 seconds left, but never got anything near the rim.

and Mohan Ramdeen 2-45.

Everest were 11-1 in their second innings when the rain came and put an end to the contest in the last hour of the match.

Scores TSC 179 and 159-9 declared, ECC 194 and 11-1.

At MYO, the match between the host and DCC ended in a draw. DCC managed 222 all out in 60 overs after resuming on their overnight total of 122-5.

Kemol Savory scored 65 while Saheed Gittens took 468 and Richard Latiff 3-23.

The home team in their second innings declared on 270-6, facing 42 overs.

Zamal Khan smashed 85 (17x4), Gittens 63(11x4 1x6) and Latiff 37. Dexter George and Orlando Sturge captured 2 wickets each. When the game ended DCC were 30-2.

Shafeek Ishmile took both of the wickets to fall. Scores MYO 101 and 270-6 declared, DCC 222 and 30-2.

At UG, the host took first innings points from GCC. In response to GCC first innings score of 150, UG scored 175 all out. GCC closed on 175-9, batting a second time. Scores GCC 150 and 175-9, UG 175.

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 26, 2012