Skip to main content

Kaieteur News

Page 1

Friday October 13, 2017

Under the reign of the PPP, a ghost stalked Guyana DEAR EDITOR, During the reign of the PPP it seemed like an evil spirit was hovering over the nation of Guyana. Death from murders, accidents, suicides and the like were prevalent. Many people surmised that it was because neither Cheddie, Janet, Bharrat or Donald, were people of any spiritual anointing. It must be remembered that the PPP has never had a leader who ascribed any reverence to a higher spiritual power. And while Burnham was not a conventional Christian, he did show interest in the spiritual rituals of his African ancestors. Cuffy stands as a permanent testament to Burnham’s religious leanings. So like I said, there is no PPP leader who ascribes any homage to the creator God. One must then understand that Guyana could never have fully prospered under the PPP. In fact, the high levels of corruption, especially, during the latter 15 years of the PPP’s rule, is also proof solid that the leaders were completely disconnected from the ethical dictates which is the hallmark of one who subscribes to spirituality. It cannot be denied that the change of government brought an initial breath of fresh air. After the United Republican Party (URP), had in-

vested so much time and money to launch a campaign bid to oust the PPP, I sat on a flight to New York with President-Elect David Granger and promised him our party’s support. Like most people, I too was excited about the change. While I knew that the PNC and the PPP are two pieces of the same cloth, I was hopeful that I was wrong. I was optimistic in my belief that maybe – just maybe – the curse of the racial and corrupt ‘jumbie’ did not contaminate the newly formed coalition. However, like we can all see on full display, there are no difference in the administrative approaches of the two camps; only that one does not accept that there is a God and hence behaves in a manner which proves it and the other say they believe there is a God but acts in a manner that disproves it. The scandals are now rolling off the Coalition’s machine like coconuts from a Pomeroon truck. The bridge, the Durban Park, the hospital drugs, the drug bond, the walk over and the carriage ways, the oil blocks; the list is lengthy. In just two years, most of the supporters of the Coalition are now admitting that the current administration is a twin to the last one, well, except for their racial make-up. And the sins of this administration are swiftly catching up

with it and the country has now returned to the grip of the racial and corrupts ‘jumbie’. Murders that had shifted to a downward slide are on the rise again. Just like under the other party, our sons have become embolden, again, and have returned to their killing sprees. They are maiming and murdering their victims, no matter their age, vulnerability, nor social value. The black horse of death has saddled up again in our dear land and he is riding across our country. Suicides that were ticking downwards are now ticking back up. In just two years – just over 24 months – the young Coalition government has been able to sap the expectant and hopeful spirits out of every Guyanese, except for a few of their diehard followers. Don’t take my word for it, ask around. Find out if your friends and family really believe that there is a difference between the two administrations. Then ask them, “Why is the stench of death and corruption just as high in this socalled, “Godly” dispensation, as it was during the PPP’s ungodly reign. I would not be surprised if your answers point to the fact that money and power have been able to do to the current administration, exactly what it did to the last. Know God or No God. Dr. Vishnu Bandhu Leader, URP

Here is proof Dr. Cheddi Jagan asked for partition DEAR EDITOR, In response to my letter which appeared in Kaieteur News 10/3 edition, Mr. Hydar Ally, in a letter appearing in your letter section, Kaieteur News 10/7, made some interesting, if not, instructive comments. Firstly, he constructed the phrase “purportedly,” in addressing the specifically referenced letter written by Dr. Cheddie Jagan to the then Colonial Secretary Sir Anthony Greenwood, raising the issue of partition in then British Guyana after the 1964 elections. Editor, the use of that phase was instructive, however, not surprising, coming from Mr. Hydar Ally. He has a certain unwavering narrative that he consistently pushes in the public space. That is indeed his right. Nonetheless, my provision of the source confirming the authenticity of the letter should allow readers to draw their own conclusions. Yet, in the second and

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

third paragraphs of his response letter, Mr. Hydar Ally introduced some salient points as part of his narrative. He stated that Dr. Cheddie Jagan was strong anti-colonist, nationalist, and, an advocate for national unity. Given those credentials, nothing of the sort would form part of any communications or letter. However, and, to my relief, Mr. Ally provided context to what he deemed a “purportedly written” letter. He told us that the reference was specific to the talk of partition in the country, given the fear that a majority of the electors would have been denied the right to have a government of their choice. Given the above, how can Mr. Ally assert that his intervention was necessary in order to “dispel any myths and fabrications,” when he himself acknowledged and provided context for the letter. Moreover, in my letter, I asked the question of Mr. Ally, given that the issue of partition was raised by Dr. Jagan in a letter

now accepted as authentic by Mr. Ally himself. Editor, Hydar Ally has every right to his opinions and historiography. However, he is not entitled to his own facts. Or, he certainly cannot invent and embellish that which I did not write. I understand his burden given the binary world from where he exists. Leroy Nelson Brooklyn, New York

PPP says it welcomes inquiry in the crime period after 2002 DEAR EDITOR, The letter published by the KN, penned by one, Earl Hamilton, demands a response, if only to underscore the unschooled repetition of untruths, in the face of available facts. When Hamilton talks about the “the nightly staccato of automatic gunfire that left bodies lying in the city suburbs and its environs” in Guyana, one wonders if the writer found himself lost in the script of one action flick or another. But that is an aside. Moving on to the contents of Hamilton’s letter, he does admit that he stands to be corrected and I intend to do just that – correct him, if only in an effort to stress the need for the disrespect and discounting Guyanese’s intelligence to be discontinued. The letter writer says that former president, Bharrat Jagdeo, “presided over what is now recorded as the most traumatic of our modern political history.”

Where are the facts to support this allegation? Hamilton claims that organised crime flourished, but it was the PPP/C that advanced the establishment of the Special Organised Crimes Unit (SOCU) to go after organised crime. Instead, under the Coalition government, SOCU has been hijacked to pursue a witch hunting effort. And the fact to support this lies in the case of directors of the Guyana Rice Development Board – all linked to the PPP/C – being taken to court over an accounting error, something they had no responsibility for. Hamilton claims too that Guyanese men were “systematically murdered”. But the claim, first peddled by the People’s National Congress (PNC) has been discounted via supposed ‘evidence’ provided by the PNC itself. The list of 400 young men, who were supposedly killed

under the former PPP/C government, was made public by the PNC. If one were to go through that list, it is clear that the list includes repetition of names, the names of victims of crime and the names of police officers killed in action. Yet, despite these facts, Hamilton peddles untruths, joining the bandwagon of other ‘two-by-twos’ seeking to make a name for themselves by attacking prominent public officials. Hamilton says he looks forward to an inquiry of this period – parroting the Coalition government’s promise of an inquiry. But he fails to admit that Jagdeo and the PPP/ C have made clear that an inquiry will be welcomed. The only question left to be answered, therefore, is why President Granger hasn’t moved to establish such an inquiry – especially since Commissions of Inquiry seem to be a fetish of this Continued on page 6

Practice of using dangerous gold-cleaning chemicals at Charity, Essequibo DEAR EDITOR, Kindly permit me a space in your newspaper to highlight a dangerous practice that is being carried out by a gold dealer. Mr. Editor, this particular businessman operates a jewelry shop in Charity and it has been observed that on a daily basis he buys “raw gold”. For those who are not aware, raw gold is the term used for gold that is in its pure state or gold that has been mixed with mercury (quick silver) that is used in the extractive process of this precious metal.

One day while sitting in the vicinity of his shop, I noticed some drops of assumed rained and I exclaimed that “in this hot sun, we going and getting some drizzled” to which another person in the vicinity responded, “ it’s not rain, is mister X burning gold.” Ignorant of the process of the gold burning, I enquired from the said gold trader about the process and he willingly explained it. I then asked about the droplets that we saw outside of his shop to which he instantly replied that it’s the “quick silver gas” coming

through his chimney. I was shocked’ Mr. Editor, from my readings, mercury is a very toxic metal and when inhaled or ingested, it causes serious and permanent medical anomalies. This mercury vapor coming out of this gold dealer chimney, which in my opinion is too short, poses a serious threat to the vendors and shoppers alike in the area. I’m kindly asking the relevant authorities to please look into this situation before it causes serious medical conditions to the persons in the environs. Worried Charity citizen


PAGE 6

A question for Sir Ronald Sanders on the hurricane disaster DEAR EDITOR, In a feature article by columnist Sir Ronald Sanders which appeared in KN on Oct. 8, he stated that the Caribbean has suffered extensive damages from recent hurricanes and will continue to experience much of the same unless building codes are upgraded to withstand Category 5 hurricanes with specification enforcement accordingly. Therefore Caribbean Governments should implement laws to encompass these requirements in their future building structures, failing which they will suffer from much of the same for years to come. Building structures to withstand hurricane forces are costly and unfortunately Sir Sanders who is familiar with the Caribbean, its peoples, and their economies made no mention in his missive as to where funding will come from to rebuild the damaged properties particularly for the people of Barbuda. Most of the people on this island were employed in the hotel industry which was severely damaged and it will take years for them to rebuild if

Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

they choose to do so and thus provide meaningful employment for the people once again. Most Governments of the region are heavily indebted and would be unable to obtain substantial external financing to rebuild their damaged infrastructures and houses to satisfy category 5 hurricane building code and thus qualify for expensive insurance premiums to cater for future risks. Given these constraints, it will be helpful if Sir Sanders, given his extensive knowledge and experience, could offer some insights as to how poor Caribbean peoples who have lost their properties during the recent hurricanes could access quick infusion of cash to rebuild and get their lives together once again, since most of them have no place to go to particularly those from the former British Colonies. CARICOM, that dysfunctional organization to which many of them belong is unable to provide any significant help financially and otherwise now when it is most needed. Charles Sohan

Some of Jagdeo’s GECOM choices for chairman were outrageous DEAR EDITOR, His Excellency President David Granger has rightfully insisted that he will only select someone who is fit and proper to serve as the next chairman of the elections commission. His efforts are being stymied and held up by the incompetent and indolent Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, who had the unmitigated gall to say that President Granger was not fit and proper to select the chairman of the commission. From time immemorial all appointments to the election commission that had the involvement or influence of the PNC either in opposition or in government, were above board, and those individuals served with integrity and distinction. On the other hand, there were many appointments that were tainted by the PPP and their usual attributes. The manner in which Jagdeo is submitting his nominations is clearly an effort to

tie the Presidents hands. Prior to 1991, according to the 1980 constitution, the President appointed a chairman of the election commission after consultation with the leader of the minority (as the office was titled). Two more members were appointed; one from the ruling party, and one from the opposition party. After the intervention of the Carter Center, and the PPP’s request for a change in the process of appointing the commission, then President Desmond Hoyte agreed to a new formula. The leader of the opposition would submit a list of six names that were acceptable to the President, and the President would choose any one of the six names that were acceptable to him. This provision found its way as a permanent fixture in the current constitution. Any list that contains unacceptable names to the President must be roundly rejected. Jagdeo has proven that he is incapable of producing a list

of fit and proper persons. For example he nominated Professor James Rose who was a PPP candidate in the 1997 general election. How can any sane individual expect the chairman of the election commission to be someone with active or previous political bias? Who in Guyana doesn’t know of Gerry Gouvia’s bias towards and coziness with the PPP? Jagdeo nominated a former member of the magistracy with questionable conduct. The three lists he submitted can never be acceptable as prescribed in the constitution, because they contain people with questions about their character that do not meet the high threshold required of someone who will chair the elections commission. But why should we be surprised? The PPP and Jagdeo are only satisfied with questionable characters that they can manipulate. For example the most dis-

graceful chairman of the election commission was Doodnauth Singh. This is the man that conducted a secret swearing in of Janet Jagan as President, and applauded her as she threw the court order over her shoulder. It was under his watch that results were declared without signed statements of poll. So comfortable was the PPP with this character that he became a minister in Jagdeo’s government assuming the Attorney General portfolio. The people of Guyana elected His Excellency David Granger to safeguard Guyana’s constitutional offices. They are relying on him to do the right thing by the country and appoint someone who is fit and proper with the requisite integrity and moral standing in society. With th e f o r e g o i n g qualifications being required, one can understand why it is bear impossible for Jagdeo to come up with an acceptable list. Jerrick Rutherford New Jersey

PPP says it welcomes inquiry in the crime period after 2002 From page 5 Government. Hamilton states that “narcotics became the symbol of state affluence,” but again fails to substantiate his claims. If ‘drug money’ was the reason for economic progress under the former PPP/C administration, then we should have seen the crackdown on drug dealers to correspond with the current downturn of the local economy. There is no logic in such a claim. Reference to major projects, including the Marriott Hotel, and the nonrelease of the related contract was also mentioned. But, with the Marriot Hotel contract being the least of the lot, Jagdeo has called for the release of all contracts for projects, which the Coalition government had claimed were corrupt. This includes the evaluation report for works related to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project. Why hasn’t government done so? Is it because the release of the

projects’ documents will show up APNU+AFC’s claims of corruption as shallow and empty talk? Crime rates also get mention from Hamilton and he claims that statistics point to a decrease in crime. Has he even looked at the statistics for himself from a disaggregated point of view? For example, there have been 39 disorderly type murders, 15 domestic murders, 12 robbery murders, 4 execution murders, 8 murders where the circumstances are unknown and 2 murders under the category of ‘others’ at the end of August 2017. Hamilton’s unfounded assertion that the private sector complained about crime increases, because it had “benefitted in so many ways from tax waivers and tax concessions” from the former PPP/C government is preposterous. First of all, the representatives of the private sector have a legitimate right to express concern about something as major as crime if they

are being affected. Secondly, the private sector is globally acknowledged as the engine of economic growth for countries and if the crime rate drives business down, it is a legitimate problem that needs to be addressed. Allegations about what the government’s “many audits” supposedly prove were raised by Hamilton, who says the audits “tell a story of wholesale theft of every type.” While this is untrue, Hamilton also fails to admit that the 40 audits cost the

Guyanese people over $133M and the costs of at least five others remain unknown. He fails to say that the Coalition government ignored the procurement process and handpicked auditors – many of whom are vocal s u p p o r t e r s of APNU+AFC – to do these supposed ‘forensic’ audits. He fails to say that the audit reports were published without the responses from the entities being audited, in an attempt to paint a lopsided picture of the actual state of affairs. Cedric Lord

Ways governments can... From page 4 in place systems to confront corruption risks. In our country I believe that we have a number of entities in the Public Sector that provide services that are high in dollar value to companies (Local and International) that operate in industries that rank very high on the Corruption Indexes and we must therefore try to manage the corruption risks associated with the provision of services. If the Policy Makers ,the Board of Directors ,the Senior Officers and Managers are desirous of developing and putting into place at their entity an Anti- Bribery / AntiCorruption Policy ( AB/AC) and its companion an AntiCorruption Compliance Pro-

gram (ACCP) and they do not have the in-house expertise then I would suggest that they go out and hire in the services ; I believe that some entities may be able to obtain funding from an International Development Organization to undertake such a project Finally, I hope that this letter generates discussions as to how the Policy Makers ,the Board of Directors ,the Senior Officers and Managers would go about evaluating their entities corruption risks and developing and implementing an Anti- Bribery/ Anti-Corruption Policy (AB/AC) and its companion an Anti-Corruption Compliance Program (ACCP ). Dunstan Barrow. AA; MBA (Hons); BSc (Hons )


Friday October 13, 2017

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

Govt. steams ahead with Sheriff St./Mandela Ave project despite mixed signals It appears that despite what is being reported, Government is moving ahead with the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue Roadway Enhancement Project.

He was critical of the delays in using the loaned funds as was intended. IDB is being asked to put almost US$30M to fund new housing projects.

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan In a full-page advertisement in Kaieteur News on Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) invited bids for the project. “The Government of Guyana has applied for a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) towards the cost of the Sheriff Street-Mandela Avenue Roadway Enhancement Project. The Government of Guyana intends to apply part of the proceeds of this loan to payments under the contract for enhancement to the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue Roadway (approximately 7km),” the advertisement said. The project, announced under the previous government, came in for question after the administration earlier this year disclosed that it had applied to the IDB to have the monies applied to housing. More than US$60M was sitting idly for a number of years since IDB’s approval, in 2012, without the project moving off the ground, they said. The link is a critical one between the East Bank Demerara, Central Georgetown, the East Coast Demerara and Berbice. Despite a host of top business places along the Sheriff Street strip, the road had over time become a little too narrow for the volume of traffic. Several bridges, including the one near the National Cultural Centre are in a bad state and deteriorating rapidly. Recently, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, in lamenting the delay in using that IDB money despite interest being paid, disclosed that there are more critical projects to pursue.

The project which is proposed to be done in six lots is for a duration of two years. Contractors have until Tuesday to submit bids. It will be opened on that day also.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

With regards to the condition of the Sheriff Street/ Mandela Avenue, Minister Jordan said that works will be done, albeit to a number of key areas, including bridges. However, the details of the advertisement yesterday, would contrast sharply with his statement. The advertisement explained that the scope of works for the project includes asphaltic pavement, road safety, upgraded traffic intersection signals at each of the major road junctions, and traffic and drainage improvement works. “There will also be structural works to bridges, culverts and other supporting infrastructure. Pavement works will include the construction of a two-lane roadway with a median portioning the two lanes along Sheriff Street.” With regards to the Mandela Avenue area, the project will involve the expansion of the roadway from a two-lane to a four-lane with a median in the centre. “The total distance of roadway to be rehabilitated/ constructed is seven kilometers and would involve road widening, reconstruction of failed sections and asphalt overlay.”

The project is opened to overseas firms as well. IDB had advertised the project on August 24 with a deadline given as October 10, 2017. The project will be seen as a key one to ease congestion. There is another major project to ease traffic on the East Bank Demerara roads. This will include the building of a road behind Diamond, leading to Ogle, East Coast Demerara. The idea is to ease traffic congestion from the problematic East Bank highway. Another major project in the works is the construction of a new bridge across the Demerara River, between Houston and Versailles. To do away with the bottlenecks at the bridge entrance area, it is being proposed that flyover bridges be built over the East Bank roadway, leading to that Ogle link. Traffic heading from West Bank to the Timehri airport will have to use that link leading to the Diamond area.

The Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue project is happening, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure says.


PAGE 8

Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

GPF to receive 30 containers of Nandlall calls for investigation into leak of casino licence application equipment for crime fighting efforts Attorney at Law, Anil Nandlall, is calling for an investigation into the leak of Sleep-In’s casino license application which was in the

stated that the Authority did not hand over the document to Williams and that the body is fully aware of its responsibility to be confidential.

Attorney at Law, Anil Nandlall custody of the Gaming Authority. Almost a week ago, Nandlall accused the Gaming Authority of handing over the document to Attorney General, Basil Williams. This was after the application was filed as exhibits in three separate affidavits in three separate legal proceedings. Following Nandlall’s public accusation, Chairman of the Gaming Authority, Roysdale Forde issued a statement that categorically

Nandlall is now stating that if the Authority did not officially hand over the application to the Attorney General then Forde has a responsibility to investigate how the document was leaked. “I acknowledge and indeed am grateful for Mr. Forde’s public recognition of the Gaming Authority’s obligations to keep confidential, information that has been submitted to it. A careful reading of my letter to Mr. Forde and my

comments on this issue published in the press will confirm that I did not “impinge on the integrity of the Gaming Authority”, as Mr. Forde asserts. All I did was to request an explanation from Mr. Forde of how documents submitted to the organisation of which he is the Chairman, have reached the hands of unauthorized strangers, to wit, the Guyana National Newspapers Limited, the Editor of the Chronicle Newspapers and the Attorney General. A request, which I am professionally obliged to make on behalf of my clients,” said Nandlall. Nandlall continued, “Now that Mr. Forde has denied that the Authority ever made these disclosures, it is incumbent upon him to launch an investigation in respect of how these documents left the custody of the Gaming Authority, lest he himself exposes the integrity of Gaming Authority to the “impingement” to which he refers. He must appreciate that in the circumstances a bare denial would not suffice. The consummate professional that I know he is, I am sure that Mr. Forde is aware that a member the Authority is also a member of the board of directors of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited. “I will be bold to suggest that maybe a direction in which the requested investigation should focus, at least as a start.”

As part of efforts to boost its capability to fight crime, the Guyana Police Force, (GPF) is set to receive 30 containers of equipment which includes 56 vehicles and other mechanism from the Chinese Government. This is according to Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan. Ramjattan was at the time addressing reporters during a press conference at the boardroom of the Ministry of Public Security, on Brickdam on Wednesday. Ramjattan said that he believes that the assets received from China will boost the efficiency of the GPF. He disclosed that the shipment of some 30 containers from China with assets to be utilised by the GPF will be cleared in a matter of days. “We are going to have a huge set of assets coming in from the People’s Republic of China. Thirty containers are out there to be cleared with a whole lot of vehicles, ATVs, computers and a whole lot more.” Ramjattan noted that support from other countries is extremely appreciated. He said, too, that the much needed supplies came at a time when the 911 system throughout the country will be up and running soon. “The 911 system, which is being tested with GTT and Digicel officials, should be cleared for operationalising in

- Minister of Public Security

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan another two weeks,” he said. Ramjattan asserted that adequate training for the quick response system was conducted. “The training has gone on and so when people now make a report, they are going to get the answers and we are going to have the assets by that time too, to respond. Our response time in and around Georgetown, we want to be in minutes and with all that hardware that is going to be coming in, we’re certainly going to have a Christmas that is better than previous years,” he said Since assuming office in

May, the APNU+AFC government has announced several initiatives to boost the crime fighting capacity of the GPF. Among those initiatives was the Citizens Security Programme (CSP). Government has formulated an “emergency smart street safe city proposal” that will see the installation of over 100 CCTV cameras in and around the city, where over 50 per cent of crimes are committed. The footage from some of CCTV cameras has since led to convictions in hundreds of careless driving and dangerous driving cases.


Friday October 13, 2017

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

The Private Sector Commission should step aside The poor turnout at the second day of the Business Summit has doomed that event to failure. But it also is a reflection of the lack of confidence in the present political and private sector leadership in Guyana. The poor turnout reflects the loss of confidence in Government’s ability to boost growth. But it equally suggests that the local private sector is out of its depth when it comes to development. The government has provided little direction as to how it is going to stimulate the economy. One day before the Summit, the Minister of Finance, announced that next year’s Budget will see a boost for small businesses. This

may be good ‘sound bytes’ but is not the answer to Guyana’s economic problems. Small businesses cannot boost an economy. It has never done so in any part of the world. A plantain chip economy represents an economy in crisis. The poor turnout on the second day of the Summit is an indictment against the existing leadership of the private sector. The private sector had to outsource the organization of the summit to the IDB. The Private Sector Commission is not up to the task of developing any plan to develop Guyana without significant government input. We have long been treated to the mantra that the private sector should be the

engine of economic growth. But the local political class has always, however, had apprehensions about the ability of the local private sector to that engine. It would be politically incorrect for local political leaders to publicly admit that Guyana’s private sector is woefully inadequate and inept. Some local politicians have not said this outright but may have been pointing in this direction when they indicated that a new economic class is needed in Guyana, one that takes greater risk. When he was in power, Bharrat Jagdeo did not say these words but it is clear that he was intent, during his tenure, to promote a new

Businessman shot dead while leaving City hotel - Gunmen escape with victim’s gold jewelry A 48-year-old businessman was shot and killed around 18:00 hrs yesterday as he was leaving a City hotel with a female companion. The victim has been identified as Godfrey Scipio, called “Sagga” of D’Urban Street, Georgetown. He was shot to the chest and died while undergoing surgery at Woodlands Hospital. According to information received, Scipio was leaving a hotel in Kitty, Georgetown with a female when a lone gunman confronted him

and demanded his gold chains that were slinging on his neck. The businessman was shot when he allegedly put up a fight. This newspaper was told that the gunman allegedly grabbed Scipio’s jewelry and escaped. The now dead Scipio had been selling at the Berbice car park for several years. Persons who are familiar with the businessman said that he always wore a lot of gold jewelry.

economic class to countermand the present lot of private sector operators from which the terms risking taking is alien. The President did ask how it was that that the Americans, the British, the Canadians, Trinidadians, Suriname and Turks could be investing in Guyana and yet the local investors are not. The private sector is not interested in answering that question because it is not part of the answer. The Summit was poorly conceptualized. It turned out to be a talk shop. Everything that was said there has been said before. It should have been structured for negotiations with Government. It was not. The IDB should be banned from any future involvement in such exercises. It had its own agenda. It has wasted an important opportunity. The private sector’s idea of an engine of growth can be caricatured by a cartoon of the local private sector sitting in the bonnet of a car, thereby representing the engine, but the car is being pushed or pulled by the government. The local private sector is extremely limited in terms of the capital that it can raise. It likes to complain about being bypassed by Governments but when put to the test it cannot stand its

ground. A new economic class, therefore, has to emerge to help develop Guyana and unfortunately that class is likely to come from some other country. The poorly attended second day of the Business Summit shows that even the most ardent of private sector supporters had become disinterested in that event by the end of the first day. Many of them came to hear President Granger deliver a bag of economic goodies. Many of them were hoping that he would tell them how they will benefit from the oil money. He did none of these things and this left them disappointed and dejected. The local private sector is not interested in being any engine of growth. It wants the government to boost its coffers so that the members can enjoy a life of luxury in

other countries. They wanted tax reforms but their idea of tax reforms is for tax concessions to subsidize their operations, wages and profits. Their idea of an efficient tax system is one in which they benefit. Guyana has nowhere to go with the present bunch of private sector operators. A new class of entrepreneurs has to be blooded. The Private Sector Commission (PSC) should step aside and allow for others to take command of the Guyanese economy. The PSC is wasting time. It is not up to the task of developing Guyana. It should allow for the emergence of a new economic class.


PAGE 10

Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The words of my wife tell the story of a failed country On Wednesday morning, our family was leaving to go out. My daughter and I were in the yard ready to drive out. My wife coming out the door yelled down to me; “I’m turning off the fridge,” to which I responded, “Why? We have ice-cream, yogurt and meat.” She explained that with the daily blackouts we get at Turkeyen, she doesn’t want to take any chances leaving the fridge on while we are out because the resumption of electricity can come in a burst and damage the fridge. When we leave home, we turn off all switches except the fridge but my wife has included that now. I was pensively silent for a brief moment as my wife joined us in the yard. Those words of my wife tell the sadness of at least one citizen in this land – me. Here in the 21st century, I, a product of the 20th century, have to turn off the fridge whenever I leave my home

because of daily electricity disruptions. As a young unmarried man studying at UG, I endured blackouts and those interruptions have followed me since then into my mid-sixties. If such a country has not failed then, there are no longer any yardsticks to use to measure development. I am not going to continue this column on blackouts; I did too many. But one incident, Sunday, needs mentioning. There is a lady in Eccles that has been an avid read of this page over the years. She would call from time to time to tell me about stupid and heartless things taking place. She called on Sunday afternoon to inform me about blackouts where she lived for the entire day. I was laughing as we chatted because she was complaining about something we at Turkeyen were in the middle of right there and then.

We had electricity withdrawal the entire Sunday. So what is new about blackouts? Well, nothing. But here is the thing. In the midst of this abysmal failure of Guyana to provide electricity to its citizens, I have to endure the energy of a political party that ruled my country for twentythree years and wants to control it again. In case you don’t know, twenty-three years is just a year short of six consecutive terms for many presidents and prime ministers. How can one particular organization administer a country for twenty-three years and could not dissolve the electricity difficulties? I have to see the faces of these past leaders in the newspapers telling Guyanese about their abilities and capacities to run Guyana after 2020 when they ran it for twenty-three years and left us without electricity. David Hinds constantly

reminds us that this terrible party that ruined Guyana is on a media rampage. After a political rampage

Frederick Kissoon for twenty-three years that stopped the flow of electricity they are now on a media blitz to inform us of their presence and intention to rule Guyana again. So let’s assume they get back in. All Guyanese from age sixty and up will end up in their eighties and die and

not have electricity in their homes because if they couldn’t fix it in twenty-three years why assume that they will overcome it in another twenty-three years? I honestly doubt Guyana will survive in twenty-three years’ time. There are souls in this country that truly believe salvation has arrived at last because oil money will make us rich. Reminds one of the hackneyed, worn out expression – live in hope, die in despair. But seriously I doubt anyone in Guyana these past sixty years has really lived in hope. So I have to turn off my fridge when I leave my home but all is not lost. The Government of Guyana has announced that it has accepted funding from the British Government to landscape three waterfront sites for recreational purposes.

The adjective, “recreational” was the word in the press release. The places are Stabroek Square, Vreed-en-Hoop stelling and the Georgetown seawall from Kingston to Ogle. After that refurbished architecture, Guyana then becomes a country for old men because the older folks can take their spouses to Vreed-en-Hoop and have a rebirth of nocturnal romance. I will definitely take Janet Kissoon to Vreed-en-Hoop to see how the moonlight illuminates the Demerara River. But I have a personal dilemma. I love ice-cream terribly. I use non-sugar and not fat ice cream daily. It is always in the fridge. After coming home from Vreed-en-Hoop, I won’t have ice cream. Remember I have to switch off the fridge each time I leave home.

Dem boys seh...

De local business people chuck de Business Summit Yesterday dem boys notice that almost everything at de Business Summit was foreign. And dem notice that dem foreign businesses who come to tek part bring dem own sugar, dem milk, dem tea and some nearly bring dem own food. De thing was so embarrassing when dem boys think that people from de local manufacturing sector was there. People start to ask wha dem manufacturing. A time dem use to mek chewing gum but de thing was so hard that somebody name it Beharry Bullet. Dem stop mekking it because it became a dangerous weapon. Years before that dem use to mek pasteurize milk. Dem had to stop because people start to get serious problems wid de septic tank. Dem boys seh all de local manufacturers was planning to do was to get money from de government as incentive to manufacture. Nuff people use to get incentives to mek things and then dem claim how something always go wrang.

Dem boys hear that de local manufacturers plan to kak de foreign businesses but at de end of Day One when dem realize that de foreigners was serious people de locals decide that dem done wid de seminar. Dem stay away pun de last day. Soulja Bai tun up to tell dem bout dem determination and things like that. But de locals did not want to hear that. Dem want to hear how dem gun get money from de oil. Dem want to do de least wuk and earn de most money. That is why dem Chinee business putting dem under pressure. That is de attitude of de criminals. Dem see a man wid something and dem want it so bad dem would kill for it. Dem do that yesterday to a man who wearing he gold chain all de time. One of dem see de gold, go up to de man and shoot him. Dem boys know that hew ain’t gun survive lang. Talk half and know kak can’t pass every night.


Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

Police credit improved crime fighting skills to overseas-based training The Guyana Police Force is accrediting its improved capacity to solve crime to continuous training offered by their overseas –based counterparts. According to Police Commissioner (Ag), David Ramnarine, ranks from various levels of the Guyana Police Force have engaged in training offered by the Justice Education Society Programme, a Canadian AntiCrime Capacity Building Programme. He noted that the training has helped to improve the Force’s capacity as it relates to crime scene investigations. Ramnarine disclosed that ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department, (CID), are now more equipped in their investigative skills. He explained that the ranks have been exposed to new interviewing t e c h niques, note taking, forensic analysis, intelligence gathering and overall crime scene investigation methodology which has been instru-

mental in their crime solving efforts The Police Commissioner said that ranks have been exposed to at least 50 training programmes offered globally. He specified that within the last ten months officers were afforded the opportunity to travel abroad to engage in programmes to sharpen their investigative skills. Ranks of the Guyana Police Force have been undergoing training under the Canada-funded project “Strengthening the Guyanese Criminal Justice System”. The Government of Canada, through its AntiCrime Capacity Building Programme (ACCBP), is providing funds to the Canadian NGO, the Justice Education Society (JES), to implement this project over a two-year period to the tune of C’dn$750,000 ($106 million). This is Canada’s largest bilateral project with Guyana. The goal of the JES project is to develop the technical ca-

pacity of the police, police prosecutors, state prosecutors and magistrates to collect, analyse and present forensic evidence as a means of decreasing impunity rates. The JES team has been visiting Guyana since September 2015 and has commenced training activities within the Guyana Police Force on Major Case Management, Forensic Video Analysis and Crime Scene Management. JES is a Canadian non– profit organization with an impressive record of improving the effectiveness of justice systems in Canada and around the world. The JES programme in Central America has resulted in increased efficiency of criminal investigations, greater collaboration between institutions and reduced impunity rates. For example, in Guatemala, between 2009 and 2013, the conviction rate for violent crimes increased from five to 29 percent.

Businessman, Thomas Pinkerton, is suing the Guyana Water Incorporated, (GWI) and his partner, James Samuel, over an alleged breach of agreement involving a contract. He entered into an agreement with the water authority to mix, transport and supply to various well sites belonging to GWI, a liquid chemical used to eliminate iron from water. In the lawsuit filed on September 15, last, Pinkerton is claiming that both parties owe him money under the contract. In the claim filed by the businessman, he contended that James Samuels and himself are business partners, who entered into a partnership agreement. He also contended that the two of them first entered into an oral agreement with GWI, which was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Richard Van West Charles, to mix, batch, transport and supply liquid Seaquest to various Well sites with GWI purchasing and supplying to them the dry Seaquest. Later, this agreement was set out in a written Agreement dated June 23, 2016. The Business Partners initially only supplied five wells at Ithaca, Agricola, Edinburgh, Clonbrook and Goed Fortuin, but later this was increased to 13 wells. This contract was for a period of three months, but after this period had elapsed, they continued to supply the Seaquest to GWI.

Later, on December 30, 2016, the businessmen entered into another contract with GWI to continue supplying the liquid Seaquest. Thomas Pinkerton is contending that he has not received any money under these contracts even though the Seaquest has always been provided to GWI well sites; and the contract has not been terminated by GWI. It appears that GWI may have been paying Samuels monies under this contract to the exclusion of Pinkerton., who is therefore claiming damages in excess of $7 million against the two named defendants. He alleged that before fil-

ing the claim through his Attorney-at-Law, Lyndon Amsterdam, he attempted to resolve this matter by making personal interventions to the Chief Executive Officer of GWI and to his business partner. He even caused his lawyer to write to both parties, but all his efforts have proven futile and they continue to ignore him. The documents were therefore filed on behalf of Thomas Pinkerton and served on both GWI and James Samuels. The liquid Seaquest is used by GWI to purify the water supplied by GWI to the residents of Guyana.

Businessman sues GWI, partner over alleged breach of contract

PAGE 11


PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Several City businesses in breach of fire safety regulations - Fire Prevention Officer

A recent fire drill that was observed at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure A significant number of businesses in Georgetown were discovered to have breached the basic fire safety measures. This was a statement, yesterday, by the Fire Prevention Officer, Andrew Holder during an interview. Holder said that facts presented display the scary situation that several commercial entities are currently without fire extinguishers and fire exits among other shortcomings, objects which are nec-

essary in the event of a fire. This, he said, could have resulted from one of two things; from businesses not renewing its fire safety certificate or businesses proceeding to offer services even without a certificate. He referred to the fact that there are cases where a business was once a Clothing Store and was rented to Chinese immigrants, who would have changed the specification of business to a restaurant.

On the mention of this subject, Holder informed that the safety measures for a Clothing Store would differ from that of a restaurant. These discussions occurred during this week which is designated as Fire Prevention Week. The observation began on October 8 and will conclude on October 21. Fire Prevention Week is being held under the theme, “Embrace Fire Safety: Safeguard your Environment to

Promote Sustainable Development” and also commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the Guyana Fire Service. As part of the activities planned to spread awareness, several routine fire drills were conducted in prominent spaces including the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. At that ministry, employees were able to exit the building in two minutes and 40 seconds, quicker than the suggested time of three minutes to exit a burning building.

Friday October 13, 2017

Post Offices to become internet hubs With the commissioning of the Kitty Post Office, the Minister of Public Telecommunication has said that she is going to turn all Post Offices into ICT Hubs so that they can generate some other source of income in these changing times and technologies. The Minister ,Ms Catherine Hughes, stated, “I want to say that postal services are going through a metamorphosis. Fast advancing telecommunication technology has of course diminished the quality of hand mail. “By that we mean letters, postcards and the like, things that post offices normally handled for over 200 years. We recognized that times have changed, methods of communication have changed. “These national sources of revenue have undergone some challenges. This is why we are reviewing and reorganizing. Our focus to more effectively accommodate the 20th century needs of citizens and the necessary changing roles of the post office all across Guyana. “We recognized that with the increased connection with the World Wide Web for online shopping for most consumers the entrepreneurial activities and the possibilities of ecommerce and the many marketing opportunities the internet offers anybody that might be producing a good and is able to sell it online.” “They will not close instead they will focus on ecommerce by providing a fast, affordable delivery service for parcels and boxes around all the regions and internationally.” The Guyana Post Office Corporation plans to demolish most of the derelict structures and reconstruct and refurbish in a modern layout. These post offices will be inclusive of proper security mechanisms, ICT hubs , air conditioning, comfortable seating and of course lavatory facilities. The initiative is to be implemented and by the end of the year, and provide a lot of citizens with internet service and reliable ecommerce activities.


Friday October 13, 2017

PAGE 13

Kaieteur News

MOU between PPP/C Govt. and Sleep-In secured concessions galore Sleep-In International Hotel had secured a sweetheart deal through the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that it had signed with the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C). That MOU secured a 10-year corporate tax holiday, limited taxation on income, and even waivers on Value Added Tax (VAT) and excise tax. The MOU was signed in February 2015. Sleep-In went about investing in the hotel and casino on Church Street through the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest). Therefore, the MOU was prepared by Go-Invest. Interestingly, from all indications, the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GOInvest, Keith Burrowes, was in constant communication with former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall about the content of the MOU. Nandlall is now representing Clifton Bacchus, the owner of SleepIn in a number of cases. Kaieteur News has seen a letter that proves communication with Nandlall and Burrowes on the MOU. Burrowes was indicating that he made some “minor changes” to the document. Under the MOU, SleepIn’s obligations include operation and maintenance as well as upgrade and expand the hotel and casino “where

Sleep-In Owner, Clifton Bacchus deemed appropriate” by Sleep-In. “I was mandated to carry out effective management and hiring and training of local staff so that international best practices are transferred. The hotel also needed to employ non-Guyanese to the minimum of 25 percent. “Sleep-In also agreed to work with the appropriate local institutions and organizations in the tourism and hospitality sector to provide support in several areas. It was also required a minimum of 1000 new direct jobs “the specific areas of such employ-

Former CEO of Go-Invest ment was supposed to be clarified in the official investment agreement.” The MOU stated that the Hotel had to, as far as possible; seek to acquire goods, equipment and services form local manufactures provided that their quality and prices are competitive. The Hotel also agreed to comply with statutory requirements necessary for the operation of the hotel as well of that for the protection of the environment and the prevention of pollution. Sleep-In was also required to invest a minimum of US$15M for the

construction of the hotel and casino. There were also some other requirements. Under obligations of government, the MOU stipulated that “subject to the approval of the president”, Government will provide the hotel division and operations with a corporate tax holiday for a period not exceeding years and was supposed to have commenced from the commencement of business. The PPP/C government had also committed to facilitate the granting of a casino licence. This is despite the fact that the Gaming Authority is supposed to be an independent body. The MOU also stated, “Subject to the official approval of the President the casino division/operations will be taxed at 35 percent on the net profit and there will be an accelerated depreciation allowance and then unlimited carryover if losses from previous years according to the laws of Guyana; interest payment s, not the principal of foreign loans, will be subject to the 20 percent withholding tax when repaying; waive Customs Duty, Value Added Tax and Excise Tax, where applicable, on building materials, machinery, equipment, furnishings, fixtures, fitting and vehicles (proportionate to the invest-

ment and specifically for the project), for the expansion and upgrading of the hotel and casino facilities provided that all items will be demonstrably used for the purposes outlines in the business proposal..” Government also promised to waive Customs Duty, VAT and Excise Tax on casino equipment, the spares and related parts. Further, Government committed to grant visas and work permits through then Ministry of Home Affairs “provided the applicants meet the requirements of the laws of Guyana.” The MOU was clear that Sleep-In will not be the only

one to benefit from this. It stated that all incentives for the Casino that are granted by the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Gaming Authority to Sleep-In will be offered to the other licensed casino operators under the Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Act of 2007.

The MOU could have been terminated by the mutual consent of Government and Sleep-In. It could have also been terminated if Sleep-In failed to live up to its commitments “without providing a reasonable explanation” or if the company becomes insolvent. However, there was a force majeure clause. There was also a non disclosure clause.

Suspected robbers nabbed after raiding Chinese supermarket Swift action by the police has resulted in the arrest of two men who robbed the Golden World Chinese Supermarket at Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) around 20:30 hrs on Wednesday. The men who are between the ages of 27 and 17 who hail from Essequibo and the East Coast Demerara were held shortly after they escaped from the supermarket on foot. They robbed the proprietor, 37-year-old Jin Li-Luo. The suspects reportedly entered the supermarket, made a purchase after which one of the suspects whipped out a handgun and demanded cash. A police patrol responded and confronted one of the suspects. He was shot in the right foot when he tried to escape. The other suspect was held late Wednesday night in Parika.


PAGE 14

Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

Murder of Berbice carpenter…

NY judge orders Marcus Bisram extradited Less than a year after a shocking case that alleged a police cover-up and attempted bribery of investigators into the killing of a Berbice carpenter, a New York court yesterday ordered that businessman, Marcus Bisram, be extradited to face the court in Guyana. Bisram, well-known in Berbice for his philanthropic efforts to the police community and other charities, will be handed over to the US marshals pending his extradition by the Secretary of State. However, there are some formalities to be handled by the Secretary of State before he can be placed on a plane. The processing of Bisram would come in seeming record time as it was only eight months ago that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that he be sent back to Guyana to face a murder charge in the killing of Faiyaz Narinedatt. Narinedatt was beaten after he allegedly rebuffed Bisram’s sexual advances early November, last year. The carpenter was allegedly dumped in the trunk of a car belonging to an acquaintance of the businessman, driven to a public road in

Fall from grace: Marcus Bisram Berbice and the scene made to look like a hit-and-run accident had taken place. The businessman was arrested at a New York beach front property, in Far Rockaway, Queens, in early July after a US Judge had issued a warrant for him. Prior to that, Bisram was posted on the Interpol wanted list. Yesterday, New York

Murdered: Faiyaz Narinedatt

Judge, Peggy Kuo, filed the Certificate of Extraditability and Order of Commitment, paving the way for him to be sent back. It is not often that the US has extradited one of its citizens to Guyana. Guyana, on the other hand, has done so in a number of cases. The case would signal closer relations between

Guyana and the US. An extradition hearing was held on October 2, and according to Judge Kuo, after considering the evidence, in particular, the certified and authenticated documents submitted by the Government of Guyana, and the pleadings and the arguments of counsel, she has determined that her court has the jurisdiction

to handle the proceedings. Bisram’s lawyers had questioned whether there was indeed a treaty allowing the US to send back their client. TREATYIN EFFECT Bisram, according to filed court documents, was found and arrested on July 4, 2017, in the New York district based on a complaint filed by the United States in response to the request of the Government of Guyana. Judge Kuo found that the extradition treaty between the US and the Government of Guyana- Extradition Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of December 22,1931,47 Stat. 2122, (“Treaty”) was entered into force upon Guyana’s independence on May 26, 1966, and was in full force and effect at all times relevant to the Bisram action. In her order, the Judge said that: “This finding rests upon the documents submitted by the Government of Guyana in this matter, including the sworn witness affidavits attached to the affidavit of Germaine Laundry, Corporal of Police attached to the Criminal Investigations De-

partment Headquarters of the Guyana Police Force.” In certifying the extradition, the court said that the businessman will remain in the custody of the US Marshals pending further decision and surrender by the Secretary of State. Acting United States Attorney, Bridget Rohde, representing the Department of Justice, Guyana’s equivalent to the Ministry of Public Security, wasted no time after the Judge’s order yesterday. In a filed letter to Bisram’s lawyers, Mario Gallucci and Michael DeSantis, Rohde listed the next steps that will clear the way for the businessman to be sent back to Guyana. Rohde explained that now the extradition order has been issued, the Secretary of State then has to determine whether to surrender the fugitive to the requesting state. It was explained that typically, the fugitive is surrendered within two months of the issuance of the order. BISRAM’S OPTIONS Bisram’s lawyers were told that in contrast to a criminal conviction, the certification is not directly appealable Continued on page 31


Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

Absence of GRA’s annual reports for last six years flagged at Business Summit

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram The absence of the annual reports for the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for the last six years was flagged at the Private Sector Commission’s prestigious Business Summit which concluded yesterday at the Marriott Hotel. Specifically raising this point was Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram. He was one of the guest speakers on the panel which dealt with “Taxation.” Also on the lineup were GRA Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, Opposition Member and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall as well as Mark Wenner of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB). As he offered his take on the topic of taxation, Ram said that there are some important points which must be raised if one is to truly look at the challenges affecting the growth of businesses in Guyana. In this regard, he made several arguments in relation to the shortcomings of the Guyana Revenue Authority. Ram said, “How do we know where the tax evasion really is? We have not had an annual report of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) since 2010.” The GRA’s Annual Report for 2010 was presented in 2015 to the National Assembly. The Chartered Accountant noted, “We don’t know where are the areas that you have the taxes being raised and where are the areas it is not being raised. Do we have to read the Kaieteur News to find out what the policy about taxation really is?” Ram stressed unreservedly that this is an issue which requires an answer from the relevant authorities. While the Commissioner General did not respond to Ram at the summit, he did make a few pronouncements on this very matter earlier this year. In a letter to the press in

GRA Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia

June of this year, the Commissioner General had explained the state of affairs surrounding the delay in the agency’s annual reports. Statia explained that the Audit of the Revenue Statements for the fiscal year 2015 was completed by the Audit Office of Guyana. He said that officials from the Revenue Authority were thereafter summoned to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in relation to the findings that were highlighted in the Auditor General’s report. The tax chief also stated that the GRA annual reports however are dependent on the finalization of both the Audit of the Agency’s Revenue and its Expenditure, and the ensuing Financial Statements, which form an integral part of the report. He said that the Audit Office of Guyana has since completed the Audit of the Financial Statements for the year

2011. In his June 24 letter, Statia said that this was presently with the printers and will be presented to the National Assembly shortly. Furthermore, the Commissioner General asserted that the Audit of the Financial Statements for the years 2012 and 2013 were being finalized and the laying of these reports will follow shortly thereafter. The Attorney-at-Law stated that the Guyana Revenue Authority does not believe in double standards, and agrees that this inherited state of affairs must be immediately addressed with both the Audit Office of Guyana and the Revenue Authority showing a firm commitment to bringing the Audited Financial Statements up to date. He emphasized that this will allow the Agency conformity to not only the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003 but also the Revenue Authority Act 1996.

PAGE 15


PAGE 26

Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

Cop accused of smuggling gun from TSU...

Inspector testifies to arresting the defendant Police Inspector Prem Narine, was yesterday called to testify, when the trial of Police Corporal Shavon Marks continued before Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Corporal Marks, 36, of Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice, has pleaded not guilty to illegal firearm and ammunition charges, after he was allegedly caught attempting to (Continued on page 29)

Shavon Marks

How to make it in the... From page 22 no excuse anymore. Distance is also NEVER an excuse. If an agent can't trust you to meet them on time, they certainly are not going to trust you with their clients. However, on the other side of the coin, getting there too early is also a nuisance. Don't enter the agency for the appointment more than 5 minutes early. It's just as bothersome to have someone hanging around a busy agency as it is to be kept waiting for them. Take notes This one is so elementary but still worth mentioning. Bottom line, you don't look like a working talent if you don't carry a day planner and writing utensil. Be sure to pay attention to details and take notes of almost everything you find is important. Above all, be observant for it helps in the long run. Know how to market yourself Be realistic about where you fall in the market. If you're a 5'4 woman in her 40's you should NOT go fashion/glamour in all of your shots. Nor, should you show up in person with this look. It's not the agencies job to educate you. Before you invest in photos, get a good sense of the type of work you may be right for and try to mimic that look. Also show up to the agency with this look. Agencies need to see it to believe it in order to sell it. Submit to the correct agencies Investigate which agencies book your type and don't waste time submitting to agencies that don't book it. If you're a petite, see which agencies actually have that division and so on. It's a waste of postage and time to just send your materials off to everyone. Be reachable You must have a cell phone and answer it! Often projects come in at the last minute. Agencies must be able to get a hold of you! When these last minute jobs come in, most booking agents will reach for the people they can get a hold of. Many talent in the agency have a reputation for being hard to reach. I can promise you this. . . when a

client is calling at 5:30pm for a booking the next morning, a booking agent is not going to waste time trying to connect with people that don't normally call back within a few minutes. Instead, they call the folks that are usually available plus actually answer their phones. Follow up! Many potential models walk into agencies with material that is not quite marketable as they are. But, if the agency has a real interest in them, they will give them invaluable feedback and suggestions then ask them to follow up. You would be shocked at the percentage of models and talent that do not do so. If a booking agent has taken the extra few minutes to help groom you with your craft then I believe there may be something there. Follow up; they are often too busy to chase after you. Don't argue, accept criticism! It takes a certain type of person to handle this business. You need a strong sense of self to handle criticism. Admittedly, agents can have a harsh tongue. You can talk to 10 agents and get 10 different opinions. Listen to the information given and keep the stuff that makes sense. Don't begin jumping through hoops after one agency makes a suggestion. If you start to hear the same comment from several agencies, then you know that you need to act on it. Don't take criticism to heart. It's part of the business and the learning process in ANY career. Don't argue with agents, try to change their minds or put them on the defense. If an agent passes on you, don't question them. Simply thank them for their time, swallow hard and move on to the next appointment. There are plenty more opportunities out there. Go find them! Practice Prepare for your interview if you get one. Practice your photo face in front of a mirror, practice your walk and flick through magazines to get some idea of how models pose.


Friday October 13, 2017

Public Service Tribunal gets new... From page 18 senior counsel, are not dismissed or ignored as a result of the opinion of any individual or group. The Public Service Appellate Tribunal had been defunct for the past 20 years. In May, Justice Nandram Kissoon, Attorney Abiola Wong-Inniss and Mr. Winston Browne, were sworn as members of the tribunal. Giddings's appointment will see the full complement of the Appellate body. In an invited comment, Giddings said that she was pleased to be a part of a committee that will give persons who cannot afford to approach the Courts, a means of legal redress The Public Service Appellate Tribunal is an essential element in the system of public administration. It is a necessary mechanism for ensuring professionalism and fairness in respect to promotions and disciplinary actions in the Public Service. It affords public servants recourse, other than through the courts, to challenge unfair and unjust promotions, dismissals and other disciplinary action by the Public Service Commission. Guyana's Public Service is the muscle of public administration. The Public Service serves the public good. It ensures the efficiency and efficacy of the delivery of public services. It is responsible for advising and assisting ministers of the Government implementing Government programmes and projects, delivering public services such as defence, education, health, infrastructure; security; telecommunications and other services to the population at large. Executing public policy is intended for the benefit of the people. Article 215 (A)) of the Constitution of Guyana provides for the establishment of a Public Service Appellate Tribunal. The Public Service Appellate Tribunal was established by the Public Service Appellate Tribunal Act of 1984 which empowers the Tribunal to hear appeals from any decision of the Public Service Commission, in respect of the appointment by promotion of any person to a public office and the exercise of disciplinary control over any person providing or acting in any public office. The Public Service's work is enhanced when it is supported by a system which ensures respect for the principle of a meritocracy and the structure of a bureaucracy.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 27


PAGE 28

Kaieteur News

Friday October 13, 2017


Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

PAGE 29


PAGE 30

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK;Guyanapassport application. G r a p h i c s design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING& PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigration Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496/ 662-6045 I N S TA L L AT I O N S , REPAIRSAND PARTS FOR AC, FRIDGE, WASHING MACHINE, STOVE ETC: CALL NICK 627-3206, 6301600 Repairs to refrigerators, gas stoves, A/C units, washing machines. Call Lindon: 6411086/ 694-2202

FOR SALE

VACANCY Experienced s a l e s m a n , generaldomestic , p o r t e r . Apply with hand written application & recommendation @ Keyfood, McDoom Village.

LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

Experienced qualified teachers for Secondary Dept. @ Canadian School ,Diamond. Send resume to e m a i l : d a v i d s u k h d e o@ gmail.com

Foxtail, Supari, Royal Palm @ $1,000. Ficus & Exora 4 for $1,000. Organic potting soil. Crotoons- Tel: 626-1044

Experienced pharmacy assistant to work full time. Part time pharmacist. Pharma Choice Pharmcy, Durban & Louisa Row- Tel: 661-3124

Computers, office chairs, display racks, mannequins, supermarket carts, supermarket counters, freezers and chillers- Call: 6013395 Liquidation prices: 3 USA 855 Cummins ex-Miami fire station. 1 with 8" high pressure pump. Low hours- Call: 678-6013, 269-0021, 269-0026 Aluminum windows & doors at the best prices. Chenfeng Aluminum @ Lot 11 Public road Eccles, EBD- Call: 6968688, 682-8378 1- 32FT boat by 6" deep, 400lbs & 450lbs cat guts seine, 4 ½” & 5" seine- Call: 676-6002, 622-8697, 6656585, 695-9860 2ft x2ft full-bodied porcelain tiles approximately 3200Sq ftContact: 641-4952/ 662-1991 Brand new pitbull minibus for sale, BWW 3663.Asking price $1 million dollars.Contact :685-7064

LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).

Prime mining blocks located in Mourwah. Map sheets 50NE & 43NE- Call: 625-1413, 661-5307

Spacious 4 bedrooms concrete home with modern amenities @ New Amsterdam Berbice opposite N/A police station. $79M negotiable- Call: 718-6830884, 682-2046 House and land available @ La ParfaiteHarmonie, Providence, Etc. Financing assistance available. Contact Pacific Development: 2236035/ 227-8274

Cook/ Baker for interior. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020

Manager / Supervisor to work @ A&S Supermarket in Charity Essequibo accommodation provided. Send application: r t i l a k @adamantiumholdings.com , contact: 223-5273/74 Experience Accounts Clerks with 4 years working experience. Apply in person to Alabama Trading 65-66 Robb St. 1 Experienced Farm Manager to work on farm in the Pomeroon river. Accommodation provided- Call: 227-7528 Captains- valid certificate of competence as Master of Power Driven Vessel- Call: 226-1100, 226-5380

Purple Reign Beauty Salon & cosmetology schoolOpening Oct 16th, specializes in all hair & nailscall: 673-5987 (Hill Foot Soesdyke)

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL:656-0087,6435122 ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494

LAND FOR SALE

Farm $3.2M (East Bank), ParfaiteHarmonie $1.5M, Uitvlugt $3.2M, Herstelling $3.5M, Zeelugt $1.2M. Tel: 651-1969,656-0701

TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)

WANTED 1 male internet café & game shop attendant @ R&A Mobile Tech Café 19 President College road, E.C.DCall: 696-6849, 627-2020

FOR RENT

Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm Wash boys needed, Nandy Park E.B.D Call:233-5227 Salesgirl, send application along with a recent passport size photo to Kards Plus Gift Centre , City Mall, Camp St. Call: 227-1846

Meadow Bank, long term rental. Fully furnished 3 bedrooms apartment, parking, cameras etc- Call: 6714221

Electronic waste: computers, AC units, phones, printers & anything electronic- Call: 687-6072, 500-1844 One experienced cook, ages 20-45 to work in snackette & bar. Call:663-7741/ 223-5798

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Property for rent - 2 storey house at Republic Park, E.B.D$1200US. Call 647-1773 2-Bedroom apartment in Industry,E.C.D. For more information Call:623-7500,6143278 Apartment for rent , 7-8 Plantain Walk,West Bank Demerara. Call:264-2639

Looking for a seamstress and tailor- Call: 689-5877 Drivers, dispatchers and contract cars. 2 weeks free base fee- Tel: 231-0002, 2310316 1 Live- in domestic salary $60,000- Call: 669-5149 Responsible Hire Car Drivers. Call: 231-7200 Experienced live-in couple to work on a poultry farm at Yarrowkabra. Call:225-9304 Female general domestic must have cooking experience, ages 25-45- Call: 6299450 1-Able bodied male clerk.Tel:231-2029, 219-4533, 616-5954 We buy low income houselots. We need someone to build wooden picture frames. Tel:611-7223,651-1969 Bartenders & chefs/ cook to work in Essequibo, Purple Heart Hotel- Call: 226-9768 Salesgirls & porters, apply with written application @ 1E Dennis & Middleton streets, Campbellville. Waitress for bar- Call: 6122522 1 maid with cooking experience for East Bank areaCall: 614-4358

ParfaiteHarmonie $1.4M, $3.5M, $2.5M, $1.6M, Tuschen $2.7M, Herstelling $3.5M, $3M, Providence $3.5M- Call: 604-6724, 6869608 10 & 30ACRES OF LANDAT YARROWKABRA, LINDEN SOESDYKE HIGHWAY. CREEK AVAILABLE- TEL: 663-5524, 264-2967

WANTED

Gasoline mechanic wanted for the East Coast- Call: 623-0318

SECURITY GUARDS with personal firearm, HANDYMAN- Call: 266 4427

SALON

Phonics & reading classes, Kindergarten & garde 1. Lessons for grade 2&3. Registration ongoing for full time school- Nursery, grades 1 & 2- Call: 690-9378 FOR SALE/RENT

PROPERTY FOR SALE Large two storey 3 bedrooms wooden building for removal. Price negotiableCall: 668-7329

AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. -CosmetologyCourses:$120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257

EDUCATION Day Care and Pre-K classes available in Diamond Call Canadian School 2166921,216-6922

Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

Accounts Clerk for Eccles office, knowledge of Quickbooks and payrollCall: 614-4358 VEHICLE FOR SALE Allion, Primo, Fielder Wagon, Spacio, Bluebird, 212 Carina, NZE, Honda CRV, Toyota IST, RZ & Pitbull – Call: 650-7501 Mercedes Benz 2009 C200. Immaculate Condition- Call 616-5933 Nissan Pathfinder Jeep & Nissan Laurel car in excellent condition $1.4M negottableTel: 609-7766

TO RENT One bottom flat situated at lot 304 Good Intent, West Bank Demerara. Ideal for grocery/supermarket. Call 623-3895 SERVICES Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezer-Call: 610-5846 or 661-8158

VEHICLE FOR SALE Unregistered Axela 2011 $2.7M, dark interior, fully loaded, Nissan pickup extra cab $2.3M. Call: 617-5536 Mitsubishi Pajero. Best offer accepted- Call: 219-5354 Monday to Friday 8:15am4:15pm, Saturday 8:15am4:15pm


Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

NY judge orders Marcus...

From left Radesh Motie,Niran Yacoob, Diadath Datt and Harripaul Parsram From page 14 and is subject to a “limited review by way of a petition for a writ of habeas corpus to the district court.” The lawyers were advised that Bisram’s last minute options of “Habeas Corpus” proceedings is available only to inquire whether the Judge had jurisdiction, whether the offence charged is within the treaty and, “by a somewhat liberal extension, whether there was any evidence warranting the finding that there was reasonable ground to believe the accused guilty.” “If a habeas petition is filed, the Secretary will suspend review of the extradition matter, and will resume review only when and if the district court denies the petition. Consequently, there is no need to obtain any form of stay, provided that the habeas petition has been filed.” Once the court has denied the habeas relief, Bisram has to surrender to Guyana. The US government also made it clear that it may oppose any application for a stay. Bisram’s alleged actions last November in Berbice, caused four men to be charged for the murder of Narinedatt. Radesh Motie, 39, an excavator operator, of Lot 124, Number 78 Village Corentyne, Berbice; Diadath Datt, 18, of Lot 98, Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice; Harripaul Parsram, 49, of Lot 164, Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice and Niran Yacoob, 37, of Lot 65, Number 67 Village, Corentyne, Berbice were remanded to prison when they

appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, in November last year. Also charged were Bisram’s mom, Shermella Inderjali, 45, a mother of two, of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. She and Maryanne Lionel, 25, a bank teller of Republic Bank, also of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice were arrested during a sting operation. They were charged for willfully attempting to pervert the course of justice. The Preliminary Inquiries are ongoing in the local court with the High Court set to make a key ruling. It was alleged that on November 19, 2016, at Eve Leary, Georgetown, they contacted a Detective Corporal and offered him $4M in cash to forgo charges against the four murder accused, who were at the time in custody pending investigations into the matter. THE BERBICE CONNECTION Bisram, described as a multi-millionaire and the founder of the Marcus Brian Bisram Foundation, is said to have donated $2M to a Berbice community policing group late last year and pledged $200M annually to the needy of the Ancient County. It is alleged that Narinedatt was murdered between October 31 and November 1 at Number 70 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. According to reports, on the day of the killing the overseas-based Guyanese had a party at his home, which Narinedatt and a few others

attended. At some point Narinedatt went to the back of the yard to urinate. The overseas-based Guyanese allegedly followed Narinedatt and began making sexual advances towards him. Narinedatt reportedly slapped and pushed away Bisram who allegedly ordered his friends to kill the carpenter. It was reported that several men beat Narinedatt at the businessman’s premises. He was then taken to a roadway and beaten until he fell into a drain. The men reportedly took the carpenter by vehicle to Number 70 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, where they dumped the body and drove over it with a car. Narinedatt had a son with wife, Pooja Pitam. His daughter was born after his death. Pitam travelled to the US and was in front of the Brooklyn court in early July when Bisram was arraigned, two days after his arrest. She was in tears while calling for justice during a television interview. Bisram’s fall would shock friends and family. Living the dream life, he reportedly had a luxury apartment in the pricy Manhattan area and was very active on the social circuit and in the mandirs. He reportedly left Guyana when he was a teen. He is 28 now and would have spent his August 20 birthday in jail, pending his extradition hearings. He was reportedly close to a number of high-ranking cops in Berbice, who allegedly were fingered in attempting to cover the murder up.

PAGE 31


Kaieteur News

PAGE 28 32

Friday October 13, 2017

Guyana’s public expenditure management characterized by irresponsible and extravagant spending –Ram By Kiana Wilburg Economists have often said that a budget should be a financial mirror of society’s financial and social choices. To carry out these choices, the government must do two

essential things; collect resources from the economy and distribute those in a practical and transparent manner. When it comes to the latter, Public Expenditure Management (PEM) is

crucial. But upon analysis by s o m e o f t h e n a t i o n ’s financial minds, it appears that Guyana is in the “danger zone”. Chartered Accountant a n d A t t o r n e y - a t - L a w, Christopher Ram finds that

CH&PA demolishes 21 illegal Sophia structures … cops forced halt to exercise

The vulcanizing shop that was demolished A demolition campaign was yesterday conducted in the community of ‘A’ Field Sophia, where squatters were seen aggressively displaying grave dissatisfaction. The homes and business places that were demolished were occupied by people who paid no heed to the notices that were issued to them, some one week prior to yesterday’s demolition. Kaieteur News understands that the decision taken was not only over the fact that the lands squatted on are government reserves, but that there has also been an alarming rate of violence and crime in the community. A source from the demolition crew told Kaieteur News that just around 25 men were part of the demolition exercise. They were supported by the Guyana Police Force which had a very ‘difficult’ time in dealing with the residents, who removed the bridges to their homes and demonstrated acts of violence, which was somewhat expected by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). Leader of the Selective Group of Sophia, Brian Sobers, said the myth about Sophia being a breeding ground for criminals happens to be only one of the few things that the CH&PA intends to change with the demolition of the illegal homes. He added that CH&PA is looking to continue the exercise until the village

reaches to the place where it has only legal residents. The demolition crew was thwarted at some locations when residents removed parts of their bridge and even blocked some. In one instance a pregnant woman stood on the bridge, blocking the entrance to her home. A recent document displayed that there are some 1200 squatters in the area and they have to be removed. General Secretary for the Alliance For Change, Marlon Williams, expressed dissatisfaction with yesterday’s exercise. He explained that although notices were given, there was insufficient time for the squatters to relocate, given the fact that they are obviously not financially stable. CH&PA, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, the Guyana Police Service and the Environmental Protection Agency are a few who would have collaborated in the activity with onsite participation. Yesterday’s exercise cleared at least 20 homes and one business, which was a vulcanizing shop that had been existent for quite a few years. The business which belonged to Kenneth Wray will be housed at another location in Sophia. In addition to Wray’s business being housed elsewhere, it was made clear that the homes that were in existence for numerous years will be relocated, however,

the exact location has not yet been made available by the CH&PA. This publication was further informed that a demolition exercise was scheduled for ‘B’ Field Sophia on the same date, but was delayed due to the violent behaviour displayed by the residents. CH&PA admitted that squatting is not only prevalent in Sophia. H o w e v e r, t h e C H & PA expressed that it has intentions of expanding this exercise soon to the other areas. The Central Housing and Planning Authority recently held a series of consultations with residents of North and South Sophia. This was to make the residents aware that the Government, in collaboration with the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) will be embarking on a series of Infrastructure and developmental projects – ‘Road Network Upgrade and Expansion Programme’ – in several communities in the North and South Sophia community. The proposed works include construction of roads and sidewalks, installation of street lights, upgrades to community grounds and buildings and subsidies for the construction of core homes and home improvements projects, which would have been adversely affected by the squatting population.

t h e n a t i o n ’s P E M i s characterized by irresponsible and extravagant spending. Ram, addressing the final session of the Private Sector Commission’s (PSC) Business Summit which closed yesterday at the Marriott Hotel, was very critical of the nation’s Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP). At the end of June, only 28 percent of all the moneys allocated for projects were used up. Since this revelation to the public, various ministers have been promising that by the time the next budget is out, Government spending would move up to as much as 60 percent or more. Ram however finds this appalling, to say the least. “Tell me how at the end of June you only expended 28 percent of the PSIP and by December you got 90 and 95 percent spent. Is there some kind of manipulation of the numbers? Or is there irresponsible spending at the end of the year?” He continued, “Do the people who are seemingly incapable managers suddenly become experts in the second half of the year and then when you go to the next year, they suddenly become poor managers again?” The Chartered Accountant added, “Something is wrong with public expenditure management and that is where the private sector needs to start this discussion. We are fooling ourselves thinking that it is only about taxation…The nation’s public expenditure m a n a g e m e n t i s characterized by irresponsible and

extravagant spending…We have had runaway public expenditure in this country…” Ram said, “Our current administration is the largest, single, Government in post independent Guyana; it has the most ministers, highest percentage of elected Members of Parliament forming the government, least number of technocrats and the highest cost. You take those and you add to them the non-statutory bodies and you have one of the highest levels of public administration anywhere.” “That is where this conversation has got to start. Let’s not avoid the real issues; let’s not fiddle with a tax rate here and a tax rate there…We have to look at the expenditure side of the budget.” PSIP T h e r a t e o f implementation of projects was also highlighted in the half year report of the Ministry of Finance. According to the Ministry, the Public Sector Investment Programme, which is financed by both local and foreign-funded sources, expended $15.8 billion during the first half of 2017, reflecting a 19.8 percent increase over the first half of 2016. Finance Ministry officials said however that this represents only 27.9 percent of the PSIP’s budgeted allocation of $56.8 billion. It was noted that the locally-funded projects were primarily constrained by delays in the project implementation as a result of a dearth of procurement planning, apparent lack of capacity, and delays in the tender process. The Ministry noted that

Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram this resulted in only 26.8 percent of the budgetary allocation of $34.6 billion expended at half year. The implementation of the foreign-funded projects was also plagued by delays emanating from the late finalization of a number of financing agreements with both multilateral and bilateral development partners and the subsequent setting up of the project implementation unit. The Finance Ministry noted that a mere 29.6 percent of the budgeted sum of $22.1 billion of the foreign-funded portfolio was expended. In the first half of 2017, the amounts expended for major projects including the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion Project, the Power Utility Upgrading Programme, and the West Coast Demerara highway Project, were $2.8 billion, $1.2 billion, $0.6 billion, respectively. At the end of June 30, 2017, there were a number of ministries which were below the 30 percent margin regarding their rate of implementation. The Ministry of Social Protection for example had a budgetary allocation of $477M but up to June, it had only used up $81M. This represents an execution rate of 17 percent.

Education Ministry continues to update teachers on new policies The Regional Education Officers in Bartica recently concluded three days of meetings with educators at the Three Miles Secondary School, Bartica-Potaro Road to further educate the teachers on some of the new policies. The programme also fostered an environment for persons to seek clarification on the delivery of education. The meeting, the first such in 16 years, was said to be attended by an approximate 200 teachers from the Lower Mazaruni

Ministry Official addressing teachers at the meeting area representing the n u r s e r y, p r i m a r y a n d secondary levels, Batavia, Itabali, Kartabo, Karrau Creek, Makouria, Holy

Name, St John the Baptist Primary, St Anthony’s Primary, Agatash, Two Miles Primary, Precious (Continued on page 29)


Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

PAGE 33


PAGE 34

Kaieteur News

Friday October 13, 2017


Kaieteur News

Friday October 13, 2017

PAGE 35

“Climate change – a hard Former Barbados Governor-General dies B R I D G E T O W N , 1996 — succeeding Dame In recognition of his reality” says Skerrit on Int’l Barbados (CMC) — Nita Barrow— until his long and outstanding legal Barbados’ sixth and retirement in October and judicial service to longest Governor- 2011. Barbados, he received the Day for Disaster Reduction General,serving Sir Clifford A l a w y e r b y highest national honour in Dominican PM Roosevelt Skerrit surveys the damage on the island with UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Husbands died suddenly at his home late Wednesday. Husbands, 91, served as the head of state from

profession, Husbands also served as deputy registrar, director of public prosecutions as well as Supreme Court judge.

1995 and was made a Knight of St Andrew. He was predeceased by his wife, Lady Ruby Husbands.

Education Ministry continues...

ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC) – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has once again urged the international community to not “turn its back” on the problem of climate change but to address it in a “meaningful way”. Skerrit, in his address to mark International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR), being observed yesterday, said this year’s theme “Home Safe Home”, resonated

strongly with the Caribbean people who have just experienced hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. “Home Safe Home” is also a strong reminder that in 2017 millions of people around the world have been displaced by drought, floods, storms, wildfires and earthquakes. These events often deprive people of the ability to earn a living as well,” Skerrit said.

“Today, thousands in Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Cuba, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are without a roof over their heads, and lack adequate access to water, schools, medical services, or roads. And too ma n y a r e i n mourning for lost loved ones.”

Inspector testifies to arresting... From page 26 facilitate the smuggling of the high-powered firearm out of TSU headquarters on February 28, last. It is alleged that on February 28, he had the rifle and 40 rounds of ammunition in his possession when he was not the holder of a firearm licence. He is currently out on bail. The police rank is being represented by Attorneys-atLaw Patrice Henry, Stanley Moore and Dexter Todd. According to court facts, police received information that Corporal Marks was planning to sell the AK 47 rifle. Ranks set up a sting operation during which Corporal Marks was seen handing over the rifle to an individual at TSU compound. The individual was seen placing the gun into a car which was later being driven out of the compound. But the car was intercepted by police and during a search the rifle, along with the ammunition, was found. The individual who was driving the car told police

that Corporal Marks gave him the gun to sell. During Inspector Narine’s testimony, he told the court that after he received information about a police officer who was planning to sell the AK 47 rifle, he and a party of police officers made contact with the defendant who was at the Tactical Services Unit Headquarters (TSU). Narine told the court that he made contact with the defendant who was standing at the top of the stairway, at that time, wearing his police pants and his boots. The court heard that the defendant was on duty at the time, working at the inquiry office. Narine said that after he made contact with the defendant, he told him that he was being investigated for attempting to sell an AK 47 along with 40 rounds of ammunition. He further stated that he took the defendant’s phone and cautioned him before arresting him. The Inspector was cross examined by Attorneys-at-

Law Patrice Henry. The matter was then adjourned to November 1.

(From page 28) Gems Nursery, Hill View, Beach View and Future Builders. Deputy Chief Education Officer Administration, Donna Chapman during her remarks lauded the region for its significant improvement of passes in Mathematics at the 2017 National Grade Six Examination which climbed from six to 100 individual passes. She said, “”We commend you for this achievement but we must not get comfortable as we have to focus on getting better even as we are encouraging you to focus on Grades 4, 5 and 6.” She urged teachers to not underestimate the necessity for students to matriculate at all levels. Chapman stated, while addressing another topic, that violence in schools must be tackled through the health and family life education programme. “Our role is to also provide

our students with social skills beyond the academic subjects. We also need to pay greater attention to children; maintaining the ratio even when they are at break,” she added. Her audience was encouraged to give more attention to pupils and students so as to create a safer environment, while highlighting the importance of teachers’ attendance and punctuality. A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e Ministry of Education, during the latter part of September issued a circular to schools across Guyana to ‘step-up’ the game in safety of pupils and students while in the care of their teachers. It was sent out through the Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, with mandatory instructions of the act taking immediate effect. The circular read, “The students must be supervised

at all times during play and at lunch while at school.” It further stated that a ‘schedule’ is expected to be developed, which will clearly state the responsible teachers for supervision over these periods, whether on a daily or weekly basis. “The rule of one teacher to 20 students must be observed if students are to be taken to any event/ activity outside of school,” the circular said. Additionally it sought to remind teachers and head teachers that parental consent must be sought whenever students are required to leave the premises of the school for any event. While this initiative may be benefic i a l t o children, it has raised much tension amongst teachers since they are being mandated to do more, and for the same cost, according to an educator.


PAGE 36

Friday October 13, 2017

Kaieteur News

Russia says progress in anti- Nadal crushes Fognini, Federer doping reforms unrecognized joins him in Shanghai quarters

MOSCOW (Reuters) Russia has made significant leaps in its anti-doping reforms but the progress is not being recognized by the international community, sports officials from the country said yesterday. Russia’s athletics federation, Paralympic committee and anti-doping agency (RUSADA) remain suspended after reports commissioned by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) alleged state-sponsored doping. WADA in August called on Russia’s anti-doping authorities to accept publicly the findings of the WADAcommissioned McLaren investigation, which found evidence of widespread doping and manipulation of doping tests by Russian athletes and officials. Public acceptance of the

report by Russia is a condition laid down by WADA for RUSADA‘S full reinstatement, but Russian authorities have always denied the state’s role in the scandal. At a meeting of a statebacked anti-doping commission with representatives of Russian sports federations on Thursday, officials said Russia’s progress was being overlooked. “Our international colleagues are very poorly informed about the efforts undertaken by our country in anti-doping over the last while,” said commission head Vitaly Smirnov. “Our accomplishments are silenced. This is very bad.” Smirnov said the commission had prepared Englishlanguage brochures about Russia’s reforms in a bid to get its message out. He urged the heads of the

sports federations present — including tennis, swimming and athletics — to hand them out to foreign colleagues at international sporting events. “Unfortunately the information (about reforms) is not reaching everyone,” the president of Russia’s Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, told the sports federations’ officials. “This is why it’s very important for you to get this information to the international federations.” Zhukov stressed Russia had made significant progress toward its rehabilitation on the international stage, calling WADA’s decision in June to allow RUSADA to plan and coordinate testing “a big step forward”. He conceded, however, that Russia still had “lots to do” to be fully reinstated.

Friday October 13 , 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you might plan a quick trip by air, Aries. This could be business related. Someone else may have been meant to go but couldn't, so you may be taking his or her place.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) If you've been studying astrology, numerology, or any other occult science, Libra, today you might find some of the concepts you're studying a bit confusing.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A date to get together with a romantic partner might have to be broken at the last minute, Taurus.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) A friend could be having financial troubles and ask you for a loan, Scorpio. You like this person and understand what he or she's going through, so you want to help.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Sudden and unexpected problems could have your household in chaos, Gemini. This probably doesn't relate to difficulties with your housemates. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Too many communications may prove distracting today, Cancer. The phone could be ringing off the hook and your email inbox overflowing. Everyone around you seems to be talking at once.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Some equipment that you use a lot, perhaps an appliance, computer, or TV, might go on the blink today, Sagittarius. Don't try to fix it yourself even if you think you know how. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Some rather bizarre news could come to you today about metaphysical or paranormal matters, Capricorn.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A sudden but necessary expense could make a big hole in your budget today, Leo. Perhaps some repairs need to be made around the house or to the car.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) This could be a hectic day, Aquarius. Yo u will probably try to go too many places and do too many things at once.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Generally you're pretty emotionally stable, Virgo. Today's events might seem to conspire to create erratic moods that you aren't used to feeling. It's the only way you will remain calm today.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You might hear some rather b i z a r r e r u m o r s t o d a y, Pisces. Someone has misinterpreted a piece of information and blown it into something far different from reality.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (india.com) (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal continued to scythe his way through the Shanghai Masters yesterday, reaching the quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-1 thrashing of temperamental Italian Fabio Fognini. The Spaniard needed two minutes over the hour to dispatch Fognini, taking his winning streak to 14 matches since the start of the U.S. Open where he claimed a 16th

Hamilton Green Cup; Quarterfinal... (From page 37) the action witnessed last Saturday then fans on the East Coast are in for a treat. The action gets underway at 17:00hrs at Victoria with the first exhibition game that will pit Mahaica Determinators against Plaisance. The second friendly which kicks off at 19:00hrs is set to be a cracker with Victoria Kings tackling Buxton. The feature, knockout game will have its first whistle at 21:00hrs and will see surprise quarterfinalists Ann’s Grove and Soesdyke Falcons looking to continue their dream run in the tournament. The winner of that match will be guaranteed at least the $100,000 fourth prize.

grand slam title. The 31-year-old is closing in on finishing the year as world number one for the first time since 2013 but Roger Federer, the only man who can stop him, is looking equally impressive. Federer delighted his small army of Chinese fans inside the Qi Zhong Centre with an emphatic 6-4 6-2 defeat of tricky Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. Fognini was playing the day after being handed a suspended ban from two grand slams and $96,000 fine for verbally abusing a female umpire at the U.S. Open. But there was little fight

from the 30-year-old as Nadal lost only six points on serve in the opening set. While a Nadal-Federer final looms, Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro could ruin the script, as he did at the U.S. Open where he defeated Federer in the quarter-finals when a semi-final between the two greats looked likely. The former U.S. Open champion stopped third seed Alexander Zverev, recovering from losing the opener to win 3-6 7-6(5) 6-4. “I th i n k h e p l a y e d a great match, maybe one of the best of the season,” Zverev said. Sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov, who saved match points on Wednesday against Ryan Harrison, had a more comfortable day as he beat American 10th seed Sam Querrey 6-3 76(3). Bulgarian Dimitrov, who could claim a debut appearance at the ATP World Tour Finals in London next month by reaching the final in Shanghai, plays Nadal next. Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic also eased into the quarter-finals with a 7-6(1) 64 defeat of American Steve Johnson.


Kaieteur News

Friday October 13, 2017

PAGE 37

Swiss open World Cup criminal probe into former FIFA official Valcke, beIN CEO ZURICH (Reuters) Swiss prosecutors said yesterday they had opened a criminal investigation into former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, chief executive of Qatar’s beIN Media, focused on corruption linked to World Cup broadcasting rights. Barry Bercke, Valcke’s U.S. lawyer, declined to comment. Representatives in Qatar and Paris for beIN did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said it had begun the investigation in March into

Ex-Fifa secretarygeneral Jerome Valcke. Valcke, Al-Khelaifi - who is also CEO and chairman of Paris Saint-Germain soccer team - and an unnamed businessman in the sports-rights sector. They were under suspicion of bribery, fraud, criminal mismanagement

and forgery, the OAG said. Prosecutors interviewed Valcke yesterday, while authorities in France, Greece, Italy and Spain searched properties in various locations, the OAG said.

French prosecutors said they had searched beIN’s offices in Paris yesterday. In Greece, a judicial source said: “today, prosecutors participated in searches at residences. The operation is led by Swiss authorities.” “It is suspected that Jerome Valcke accepted undue advantages from a businessman in the sportsrights sector in connection with the award of media rights for certain countries at the FIFA World Cups in 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030 and from Nasser Al-Khelaifi in connection with the award of media rights for certain countries at the FIFA World

Antigua independence T20 Tri-Nation series

Jaguars into tomorrow’s final Coach Crandon happy with the attitude of his players By Sean Devers After starting with a loss against Jamaica in match two of the Antigua Independence T20 TriNation cricket tournament Guyana Jaguars rebounded with three consecutive wins to book a place in tomorrow night’s final at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound Antigua. The Leon Johnson led Guyana Jaguars will play the winner of last night’s game between Antigua Master Blasters and Jamaica. Jaguars’ Head Coach, former Guyana T20 allrounder Esuan Crandon, said his charges have shown great improvement in all departments after the first game. “I am happy with the attitude displayed by the players after we lost the first game. Yes, there are a few areas that we would love to improve on during the finals,” said Crandon yesterday from the Jolly Beach Resort. “The pitch was difficult from the first game Jamaica and Antigua played. It got better for batting when we played Jamaica and Antigua. Last night (Wednesday night) it was a bit more difficult especially when the spinners hit their areas,” Crandon explained. “Generally it’s not a bad pitch as long as it’s prepared properly …the scores in the second and third games suggested that batters could have played through the line of the ball. It also offered

Esuan Crandon bounce to the quicks and a little spin as well,” Crandon continued. He informed that the Jaguars players would be doing some pool work yesterday and have a full practice session today ahead of tomorrow’s final under lights. In last Saturday night’s match against Jamaica, which they lost chasing 180. The Jaguars were restricted to 129-8 when their overs expired. Openers Robin Bacchus (12) and Chris Barnwell (0) failed to fire before Gajanand Singh (7), Johnson (5), Jonathan Foo (7), Sherfane Rutherford (0) and Steven Jacobs (7) all fell cheaply. Kemo Paul (35 not out) and Wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble (33) offered token resistance, while Ve e r a s a m m y P e r m a u l remained unbeaten on eight. In Guyana’s second game Antigua made 170 as

Veerasammy Permaul

Jonathan Foo

Ronsford Beaton (2-45), Jacobs (1-27), Permaul (124), Rutherford (0-51) and Paul (1-25) were the bowlers used by the Jaguars. Guyana replied with 172 to win by four wickets after another bad start as Barnwell got a second duck, Singh failed to score and Bacchus fell for seven. But Johnson with 34 and Ricardo Adams 28 staged a fight back for the Jaguars before Foo, who was bowled with a no-ball on 51, destroyed the bowling towards the end to finish unbeaten on 71 to the delight of a reasonable crowd comprising mostly Guyanese. In their next game on Tuesday night they beat Antigua Master Blasters by seven wickets after the hosts were restricted to 137-9 in 20 overs with Devon Thomas top scoring with 46 before he was removed by Paul who had 2-28. Permaul took 3-35.

The Jaguars responded with 138-3 with Johnson leading the way with 42, Bacchus making 34 and Rutherford 28. Chanderpaul Hemraj, who replaced Barnwell in the side, was unbeaten on 31 and with him was Foo on one. Wednesday night’s game went down to the wire after the South Americans were limited to 106-6 after Bacchus (23) and his opening partner Rutherford (50) provided 69-run opening partnership. But after that wickets fell regularly with only Foo (11) of the other batsmen reaching double figures. Jamaica then fell two short of their target despite 35 from opener Steven Taylor and 19 from Fabien Allen as Permaul continued to impress with the ball taking 3-8 from his four overs, while Adams finished with 2-7 from three overs.

Cups in 2026 and 2030,” the OAG said. The OAG had already said last year that Valcke was suspected of criminal mismanagement and other offences. He has denied any wrongdoing. Zurich-based FIFA, the

global soccer body, has been trying to overhaul its operations in the wake of the worst crisis in its history, sparked in 2015 by the indictment in the United States of several dozen soccer officials on corruption-related charges.

Letter to the Sports Editor

Some persons continue to wreak havoc on Guyana’s Cricket Dear Sports Editor, That Anand Sanasie, Anand Kalladeen, Dru Bahadur and their other associates took over the court-ordered elections of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is another example of the extent to which that group will go to take away cricket from the bona fide stakeholders of Berbice cricket. These persons had no locus standi but through strong-arm tactics and bullyism they threw out several of the constitutional members of the BCB, hijacked the elections and manufactured the results. This was done despite an order by Justice Navindra Singh outlining the orders for the meeting and the Clubs/Areas to participate. Sanasie disobeyed all those orders and very vocally and in an intimidating manner imposed his own orders on the elections. Long- standing constitutional Clubs and Associations were deliberately disenfranchised and all the observers including the media and presidential candidate Hilbert Foster were locked out. This modus operandi was previously used in several Areas/Boards particularly the Demerara Cricket Board in a quest to take over and dominate the administration of cricket as if our national game were personal property. In doing so Sanasie and his group are creating mayhem in Guyana Cricket. They did this over on the West Coast of Demerara to the extent that nine (9) founding clubs of the West Demerara Cricket Association were thrown out of West Demerara cricket. Those clubs do not support Sanasie. Whichever club or association that does not unconditionally give their support and bow, they are removed from office.

In a self-serving manner, Sanasie took over and ran the elections and installed his cohorts in the Cricket Committees in Essequibo, on the East Bank of D e m e r a r a , i n We s t Demerara, on the Demerara Cricket Board and the Guyana Cricket Board. Even in Upper Demerara (Linden), he established parallel cricket body and refused to recognize the legitimate Upper Demerara Cricket Association. However, his tactics were thwarted in Georgetown and on the East Coast of Demerara. After having installed his own committee on the BCB, Sanasie now boasts that he supports that body when for seven (7) long years he directed the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) not to recognize nor support the legally-appointed BCB Executive. For those seven (7) years, the BCB did not receive a single cent from the GCB and Berbice players were threatened that they would be sanctioned and not be able to represent the West Indies nor Guyana at any level if they supported that BCB. Players were ordered not to participate in the 2017 President David Granger Cricket Tournament for teams in Berbice and organized by the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club. Having attended the meeting and seen first-hand the shenanigans of the Sanasie group, I am pleased to note that the Berbice Cricket Stakeholders are moving to the courts to have those sham elections annulled and to have persons answer to the law for disrespecting and disobeying the very explicit orders given by the Judge for the holding of elections of the BCB on 8th October, 2017. W. G. Boston Cricket Stakeholder


Kaieteur News

PAGE 38

Friday October 13, 2017

RHTY&SC hosts Ansa Mcal Tribute to Heroes, honour outstanding National Players “Each one of you has made us proud and as a Club we want you to know that we are proud to have you as a member of the best youth and sports organisation that Guyana has ever had. As a Club, we want you to be the best role model to every one of your younger Club Members.” Those were the words of Secretary/CEO of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, Hilbert Foster as he addressed Club Members who played for Guyana in 2017 at the junior and female level. Fourteen National Players along with Berbice Under-19 spinner Keith Simpson were honoured for making the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club proud. Foster in brief remarks stated that the first players to represent Berbice from the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club were Neil Williams and Ingram Dey in 1994, while Williams was the first National Player in 1995. Since then a total of sixteen national seniors, 54 national juniors and a total of 101 have represented Berbice at all levels. Five

The Players pose with Executives of the RHTYSC, MS, after the presentation. Club Members have also represented the West Indies at different levels and Foster disclosed that 89% of those players have been direct products of the RHTY&SC Cricket Development Programme.

Tournament fixed for Lusignan Golf Club tomorrow All golfers are invited to participate in the resumption of local tournaments tomorrow starting at 12:30pm. An exciting Medal Play Club Tournament has been scheduled. This resumption follows the break for the Suriname Invitational Open which was played last weekend. Up for grabs will be Cash Prizes for 1st to 3rd, Best Net, Nearest to Pin and Best Gross, and of course the fame of being the Champion. Keen competition is expected.

The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, the CEO stated, has Guyana’s most comprehensive Cricket Development Programme with teams from the Under13 to the Senior levels and would shortly be unveiling an Under-12 Team with students from the Rose Hall Town Primary School. The Under-12 team would feed the rest of the Club’s nine cricket teams with players who are properly prepared to represent the RHTY&SC on and off the cricket field. Foster noted that the success of the Rose Hall

Town Youth & Sports Club Cricket Development Programme has been due to the support of its official cricket sponsors - Poonai’s Pharmacy, Farfan & Mendes Ltd, Bakewell, Metro, DDL Pepsi and Gizmos & Gadgets. The National Players honoured were Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Rushanna Lynch, Aleema Arokium, Melanie Henry, Plaffiana Millington, Uma Matadin, Miriam Samaroo, Shakati Gajnabi, Sheneeta Grimmond, Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Sylus Tyndall and Kevin

Sinclair. Vice President Mark Papannah assured the fourteen members that the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club would continue to invest heavily into their careers and would work every day to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Papannah urged the players to remain focused and disciplined and told them they should be proud to be a member of the only Club in Guyana to have ever won a National Award. Female Captain and West Indies Player Shemaine Campbelle expressed

gratitude to the Management of the Club and Ansa Mcal for honouring them and pledged that they would work harder to maintain the status of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS. Special thanks was expressed to Ms. Beverly Harper, Troy Cadogan and Robert Hiscock of Ansa Mcal. Twelve of the fourteen players are full products of t h e R H T Y & S C developmental programme, while Tyndall joined the Club five years ago and Kevin Sinclair has joined two years as a member.

Cardinals CC makes donation to Pilgrim

Windies pacer Gabriel hailed for generosity (From page 36) last seven years, including a thrilling finale to the recent Pakistan series last May. The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, Queen’s Park Cricket Club and Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago have joined forces to stage a Hurricane Relief Twenty20 match here Saturday, to raise funds for those countries affected both by Maria and Hurricane Irma. Sebastien, a former Windward Islands player, said the situation in Dominica remained grave and any assistance would be welcomed. “Some people will not be able to survive this and it would take a long long time to recover,” he said. “If you visited Dominica before the hurricane and return now you would wonder if it is the same place. Dominica was a country that had so many trees. It looks like some army men came and decided that they wanted to bomb the place. “All our agriculture is gone and I fear we will be living very unhealthy in Dominica because our supermarkets were destroyed and we don’t know what we will eat.”

Ron Pilgrim (right) and members of the Cardinals CC at the National Park. The Cardinals Cricket team, on May 7, made a cash donation to Mr. Ron Pilgrim

at the National Park tarmac. Pilgrim, an ardent cricket fan, daughter was recently

murdered by a relative. He is a single father working a few jobs to make ends meet so

the club decided best to offer some support.


Kaieteur News

Friday October 13, 2017

Bakewell sponsors Region 10 Inter-school Championships In recognition of their late beloved Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Naeem Nasir, Bakewell yesterday sponsored the Upper Demerara/Kwakwani (Region 10) Inter-Schools Championships, which will r u n o ff t o d a y a t t h e Mackenzie Sports Club Ground. Rajin Ganga, the company’s CEO said sports was important to the late Nasir whom he said prided himself in helping Guyana’s sportsmen and women, and, as such, the championships will see Bakewell being the sole sponsor; covering all the medals and trophies. “This is a part of our one week of sponsorship of sports events around Guyana because Mr Nasir was a big sports fan and Linden happens to be one of his special places as well. So we’re happy to be a part of this championships and I wish all the athletes well”, Ganga posited at a simple presentation of the prize at

the company’s East Coast Demerara (ECD), Beterverwagting headquarters. Carmen Small, Chairman of the Upper Demerara/Kwakwani Sports Committee, said Bakewell’s sponsorship is cherished by the organisation since it helps to not only recognise the top performers and schools but also encourage others to give their best. Small mentioned that the Bakewell Company should feel proud of their contribution to the athletes o f t h e U p p e r Demerara/Kwakwani area, since the Championships will also help to select the athletes who will represent the district at the up-coming National Schools Championship. The Inter Schools Championship will start today with a cycle road race, which will peddle off from 6:00hrs, from Nut Farm at Dalgin on the Linden

Highway and end outside the Police outpost at Amelia’s Ward. Both Primary and Secondary School athletes will compete in the field events today, while on Tuesday October 17, the primary school students will take to the track. On Thursday October 19, Secondary School athletes will be on show as they go through the various heats and the finals for those track events will be held on Friday October 20. Mackenzie Primary and Mackenzie High School (MHS) are the defending champions of the Upper Demerara/Kwakwani InterSchool Sports. U p p e r Demerara/Kwakwani (District 10) is the most successful district in the history of the National Schools Championship, having amassed 15 titles; one more than their closest rival North Georgetown (District 11).

League invites NFLPA to join anthem discussion

PAGE 39

Digital Technology supports Stage of Champions 2

Videsh Sookram accepts the cheque from Raywantie Lall of Digital Technology. The second edition of ‘Stage of Champions’ body building, miss bikini and Men’s Physique competition which is set for November 18 at Theatre Guild in Kingston has recently gained the backing of Digital Technology which is now located at 74 Stabroek, Brickdam. Raywantie Lall, a representative of Digital Technology, who presented the cheque to organiser Videsh Sookram, said they

are happy to support the local bodybuilding organisations. She added that over the years they have sought to b e p a r t o f t h e development of local bodybuilders and will continue to lend support to the sport. Sookram expressed gratitude to the entity and promised the fans much excitement on November 18. Athletes from Guyana,

St. Maarten (French and D u t c h ) , Tr i n i d a d a n d Tobago, Anguilla, Suriname, Barbados and Curacao will vie for supremacy in the U143 lbs, U154lbs, U164lbs, U176lbs and over 177 lbs categories. Registration will be closed on October 15 and interested athletes can contact Sookram on 6499446 or 662-0389, while emails can be sent to stageofchampions@gmail. com.

Ireland confirm Pakistan as first Test opponents NFL players have been kneeling or and locking arms in protest which has angered President Donald Trump. (Reuters) - NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith will attend meetings next week where team owners will discuss the issue of player protests during the U.S. national anthem, the two sides said on Wednesday. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell invited Smith to the Oct. 17-18 meetings in New York, where the issue of some players kneeling in protest when the anthem is played before each game is expected to command much attention. “There has been no change in the current policy regarding the anthem,” the two sides said in a statement. “The agenda will be a

continuation of how to make progress on the important social issues that players have vocalized. “Everyone who is part of our NFL community has a tremendous respect for our country, our flag, our anthem and our military, and we are coming together to deal with these issues in a civil and constructive way.” The protests, in a league where African-Americans make up the majority of players, have continued through the season, with some players kneeling and others standing arm-in-arm in solidarity. The gesture is intended to call attention to what protesting players see as a pattern of racism in the

treatment of AfricanAmericans by U.S. police. The issue has been exacerbated after U.S. President Donald Trump said last month that players who did not stand during the anthem should be fired, prompting many NFL players to kneel and lock arms in solidarity. The NFL requires players to stand for the anthem and face the American flag, but no player has been disciplined for a protest. League spokesman Joe Lockhart, speaking during a conference call on Tuesday, said the issue had overshadowed the season and owners would discuss it in the hopes of getting “back to football”.

ESPNcricinfo - Ireland’s first Test match will be against Pakistan in May 2018 after the two countries came to an agreement during the ICC meetings in Auckland this week. Ireland, along with Afghanistan, were elevated to Test status earlier this year. “We are excited to welcome Pakistan to Ireland for our inaugural Test match next year,” CEO Warren Deutrom said. “It has been our wish to make our Test debut in front of our own fans within 12 months of becoming a Test nation, and against a big team, so I’m delighted.” Pakistan’s trip to Ireland will come before their twoTest tour of England which begins in late May. The date and location for the Ireland match will be confirmed in the coming months. “There is a lot of work to do from now to ensure that it will be an occasion to remember but we, and I’m

William Porterfield (AFP) sure our players and fans, can’t wait to rise to it,” Deutrom said. “We would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board most sincerely for agreeing to be our first opponent in Test cricket, the Pakistan team has been a regular visitor to our shores in recent years, and their agreement to be our opponent on this important occasion for Irish

cricket is further evidence of their terrific support.” Bangladesh were the previous team to join the Test ranks when they played their first match against India in November 2000. “Test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport and I know how much this game will mean to not only the players but all involved with Irish cricket. It’ll be another step on what has been an incredible journey for our sport in a relatively short passage of time,” William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, said. “It’s sure to be an incredible and emotional experience for all involved. I know how much this will mean to all the players and just how much we all will forward to our dream of b e i n g Te s t c r i c k e t e r s realised. I’m certain there will be an incredible atmosphere from both sets of fans who will be keen to witness a piece of history.”


Kaieteur News

PAGE 40

Berbice Cricket Board second division t20

Windies pacer Gabriel hailed for generosity

Whim, Chesney and Mount Sinai to participate in inaugural match The Berbice Cricket Board, thru its member The Chesney Cricket Club will be sponsoring a T20 competition on October 22, 2017 at the Chesney Cricket Club Ground starting at 09:30 hrs. The Competition will be a one-day affair and contested by Mount Sinai Cricket Club, Whim Cricket Club and Chesney Cricket Club. The competition will seek to stir the interest of young and upcoming cricketers in the county, and will encourage the 3 member clubs to adopt a vibrant and positive attitude to the game. Cash incentives and Trophies will be presented to the winning team, runner up, most valuable player, best bowler and best batsman for their performances in this competition. Mr. Dhieranidranauth Somwaru, President of the Berbice Cricket Board, in his brief remarks, stated that he is optimistic that tackling cricket at the grass root level is of utmost importance, if we intend to return to the standards of cricket to where it once was. He insists that the second division clubs do

all in their power to encourage its members to train hard, and focus on developing their skills in order to maximise their performances. He said that this competition, will be one of many that his administration plans to conduct among leading second division teams in Berbice. Kildonan Cricket Club, Police Sports Club and Fort Canje Hospital Club will be engaged in the second competition slated for mid November 2017. He reiterated that he intends to deliver on all his promises, as President of the Berbice Cricket Board. Meanwhile, the Mount Sinai Cricket Club has announced its squad for the competition: Martin Singh (Captain), Wahab Edoo, Ryan Mohamad, Campton Lindie, Raymond Mohamad, Ryan Victor, Michael West, Wa s i m Ya s s i m , J o h n Gansaw, Mootoo Sammy, Devon Persaud, Feroze Kassim, Michael Layne and Delroy Mickle. Members of the public are advised that admission to the venue is free.

WIFBSC Individual C/ships

T&T’s Varma Rambarran is O-Class champion Trinidad and Tobago’s Varma Rambarran was declared the winner of the OClass segment of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Individual Championships which are being run concurrently with the GuyanaNRA 150th Anniversary championship. Due to some technical issues with the programme being used to document the scores, Guyanese Roberto Tiwari was named the winner at the end of the competition on Wednesday afternoon at the Timehri Rifle Ranges. A s u b s e q u e n t

sanitization procedure revealed that it was Rambarran who would have won ahead of Tiwari by 2 points with a Grand Aggregate of 373.24 to Ti w a r i ’s 3 7 1 . 1 4 w i t h Antigua and Barbuda’s Laurne Benjamin still occupying the third place with a score of 365.19. Both Rambarran and Tiwari are competing at this level for the first time and have done themselves and country proud. As a matter of fact, the duo would have excelled ahead of many seasoned campaigners. (F. Wilson)

Friday October 13, 2017

West Indies speedster Shannon Gabriel. P O R T O F S PA I N , Trinidad, CMC – West Indies speedster, Shannon Gabriel, has come in for

praise from veteran cricket administrator, Lockhart Sebastien, for his generosity in giving towards the

hurricane relief efforts in Dominica. Sebastien, a Dominican who is also a West Indies selector, said Gabriel made a substantial contribution before he left for the twoTest tour of Zimbabwe last Monday. “I want to make a special mention [of] Shannon Gabriel. I met him last week and he said to me, ‘Sebo, I need to give you some things to take home because things are rough.’ I told him no problem,” Sebastien recounted. “On Sunday he came to the Brian Lara Stadium and he opened his vehicle and I asked him which box should I take. He looked and me and said ‘everything.’ “In it were two brand

new generators and maybe US$1,000 of stuff and I said to myself people look at cricketers and say they are greedy. This is a guy with a kind heart … I didn’t ask him for anything and he brought all this stuff and you have to congratulate people like that. “I was stunned by his contribution and Gus (Logie) made a contribution as well.” Hurricane Maria, a category five system on the Saffir-Simpson scale, struck Dominica last month leaving 30 dead and causing widespread devastation. There was also damage to the country’s lone Test venue, Windsor Park, which has hosted five Tests over the (Continued on page 34)

GuyanaNRA 150th Anniversary Individual Shoot Off

Rain curtails action after 3 of 5 ranges; to be completed tomorrow By Franklin Wilson The skies opened up at around 14:20hrs and never relented with the rain coming in from three different directions at varying times, even lightning and thunder visited the ranges forcing the organizers to abandon the shoot at 15:45hrs, yesterday. The action was warming up nicely with the top 20 of the initial 44 shooters contesting the Guyana National Rifle Association 150th Anniversary Shoot Off already decided after three ranges of competition, 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges. Competitors who had qualified following the conclusion of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Individual Championships on Wednesday afternoon were on their lunch break and preparing for the final two ranges (900 & 1000) when the rain came down in all its glory. Many of them being new to the conditions here, never experiencing the rain descending on a range from three different directions in such a short space of time. It was the opposite of earlier conditions which were hot and humid with subtle changing winds,

experienced earlier yesterday. At the 300 yards, a total of five possibles were recorded by Kimberly Pope (Ireland), Andrew Daw (England), Jack Alexander (Ireland), Nigel Stangroom (England) and Trevor Bryan of the Falkland Islands. Seven were recorded at the 500 yards range; Alexander, Lennox Braithwaite (Guyana), Alexander Gill (Ireland), David Calvert (Ireland), Bruce Mc Donald (Canada), Martin Liversage (England) and Richard Winney of England. No possible was recorded at the 600 yards range. Of the 20 shooters that have advanced to the final two ranges, the only three West Indians are Guyanese Persaud, Braithwaite and Dylan Fields. The first three ranges were very competitive; out of a possible 105 points from the three ranges, the last five persons making it into the top 20 were only six (6) points off the standard. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport after the Chief Range Officer, ICFRA’s Phil Harrison made the decision to call it a day; GuyanaNRA Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud

Lennox Braithwaite

informed that the final two ranges would be contested tomorrow following the Long Range Team Match which would also be contested at 900 and 1000 yards. He stated that if the weather presents another challenge tomorrow, they

would only be shooting at 1000 yards to decide the winner. He reminded that the scores obtained at the 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges would come forward in determining the winner of the GuyanaNRA 150th Anniversary Shoot Off.


Kaieteur News

Friday October 13, 2017

PAGE 41

Hamilton Green Cup; Quarterfinal National intermediate Boxing match to be played at Victoria on Sunday Championships punches off in two weeks One of two teams will be one step closer to winning the $500,000 first prize of the Hamilton Green knockout football cup when the $1million competition stops at the Victoria community ground this Sunday, bringing three fiery

clashes, inclusive of two (2) exhibitions and one (1) knockout. When the final whistle of the competition blew on Saturday last at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground in Linden, two come from behind

victories were witnessed in the first night of quarterfinal action with Silver Shattas upsetting city side GFC and Wi n n e r s ’ C o n n e c t i o n getting past Eagles FC. If Sunday’s third quarterfinal game is anything close to (Continued on page 32)

GSCL Inc Guyana Panama Softball Cup

Rafeek, Esau strike tons as Ariel, Regal and Amazon Masters triumph

Mohamed Rafeek

Ejaz Mohamed

Mohamed Rafeek struck a fine century as Ariel defeated Tropical Springs by six wickets when the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc Guyana Panama Cup continued on Sunday last at Malteenoes SC. Tropical Springs took first strike and managed 243-9 with Hackim Majeed s c o r i n g 7 5 a n d T. Emmanuel 60. Karran Jaikarran took 4-39 and Rudolph Johnson 2-39. Ariel replied with 246-4 in 16 overs. Rafeek slammed 101 off 46 balls, while Ron Ramnauth got 57 from 33 deliveries. T. Emmanuel had 2-30. Amazon beat Ariel Masters by nine wickets. Ariel made 161 all out in 17 overs batting first. Ron Ramnauth scored 68 and Mohamed Rafeek 39. S. Bacchus claimed 4-18. Amazon responded with 162-1 in 15 overs. V. Persaud struck 77 while R. Narine got 37. Regal Masters overcame HS Masters 28 runs. Regal Masters took first strike and managed 170-9. Saheed Mohamed struck 48, while Shaun Massiah made 27 and Mohendra Arjune 23. Hanoman Singh had 3-30 and Kelly Ifill 2-19. HS

Masters were bowled out for 142 in 19.5 overs in reply. Barloo Lakeram made 37 and V. Debra 36. Arjune had 2-12 and Parsram Persaud 2-19. Ariel got the better of Regal Masters by eight wickets. Batting Regal Masters posted 173-9. Eric Thomas made 47 while Mahase Chunilall and Mohendra Arjune got 40 each. Ejaz Mohamed claimed 4-22 and Kishore Dindyal 3-38. Ariel replied with 174-2 in 12 overs. Mohamed Rafeek led with 67, while Ejaz Mohamed stroked 57 not out and R. Ali 30 not out. In the open category, Regal All stars led by a fluent century from Safraz Esau defeated Farm by 108 runs. Regal All stars took first knock and posted 247-4 in 20 overs. Esau stroked six fours and eleven sixes in scoring 115 while Fazal Rafiek hammered seven fours and one six in an even half century. Farm were sent packing for 139 in 17.5 overs in reply. Patrick Khan made 31 as Delroy Perreira grabbed 3-20, Marvin Bobb 2-2 and Narine Bailey 2-42. Regal All stars beat Success by 114 runs. Regal All stars scored 199-6 in 15 overs, batting first. Kumar Bishundial made 32, Safraz

Ron Ramnauth Esau 28 and Sachin Singh 23. Success were bowled out for 85 in 13 overs in reply. S. Boodhoo made 40; Sachin Singh snared 4-20 and Fazal Rafiek 2-15. The competition will continue on October 22.

Amateur action returns as the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is set to host their National Intermediate Boxing Championships that will get underway with fierce encounters at the National Gymnasium on Friday October 27th and will conclude on Sunday the 29th. The medical and weigh in for the three-day tournament will be one day prior to first bell on Thursday October 26th at the host venue from 17:00hrs. This amateur boxing

event will have 12 bouts each night in the Youth, Elite and Female categories. Some ten (10) gyms have already registered for the event, which follows the Andrew “Six Head” Lewis’ National Novice competition that was held in June. Those boxing gyms will include, Guyana Defence Force, Republicans, Young achievers, Forgotten Youth Foundation, Harpy Eagles, Vergenoegen, Rose Hall Jammers (Berbice), Carryl’s and Pocket Rocket. The Guyana Defence

Force dominated the last amateur bout and some of those and the other top performers from the national novice are set to excite fans at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue as they take it up a notch to the intermediate level. Those top fighters include GDF’s Akimo Watts (Junior Flyweight Champion), Kevin Moore (Bantamweight Champion), O k i m e y B a k e r (Middleweight Champion) and Jirl Peters (Light Heavyweight) champion.


Kaieteur News

PAGE 42

Friday October 13, 2017

World renowned marksman David Calvert excited to be in Guyana again WIFBSC President s a l u t e s i c o n B y F r a n k l i n Wi l s o n World renowned shooter, Irishman David Calvert who is a multiple Commonwealth Games gold medalist who have also shone brightly at Biseley and Palma (World) Matches is presently lighting up the newly refurbished Timehri Ranges as a member of the Ireland team here to celebrate and compete at the Guyana National Rifle Association / West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Caribbean Championships being run concurrently. Calvert who was in Guyana in 2014 with the British team that shot in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados where the WIFBSC took place says it is good to see such a big entry for the championships in the Land of Many Waters with teams from Canada, Ireland, England, Falkland Islands, Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, Bermuda and Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o , competing. ”This is a good and competitive field and we are having a lot of fun and the w e a t h e r, i t ’s b e e n demanding for us and demanding for everybody I think, even those that are used to the temperatures and the heat. But at least it

remains mostly dry and so we haven’t had discomfort a n d t h e d i ff i c u l t y o f everything getting wet and the delays that can entail, so it’s worked well.” Calvert commended the GuyanaNRA for the professional manner in which the championships have been organised and ran so far. He was also high in praise for the quality of the Timehri Rifle Range. ”Big thanks to the West Indies Association and I guess particularly to Mahendra and his team, they have done a superb job and it’s particularly nice to see Mahendra shooting so well despite all the work load and all the distractions, really impressive performance.” Commenting on the standard of shooting over the past days, Calvert explained that overall the scoring is lower than one would have expected compared to some of the championships but believes that it is down to entirely to the conditions. ”So many of us are just not used to coping with the heat and the humidity on such a regular basis, day after day, so that would have an effect on performances; so we’ve really got to look at relative performance rather than overall score performance.” Calvert commended the GuyanaNRA for hosting the

Chilling Out! WIFBSC President Major (ret’d) John Nelson (left) and world renowned marksman, David Calvert. 150th Anniversary Shoot off where all the shooters started even. He said that he has been nominated by his country to a t t e n d n e x t y e a r ’s Commonwealth Games but will know his fate until the New Year. ”I hope to go and that would be my 11th in a row, in fact, I suppose that’s all the Commonwealth Games because my very first one was when they changed it from the British Empire G a m e s t o t h e Commonwealth Games, so I am very lucky.” President of the West

Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Major (ret’d) John Nelson stated that he is very respectful of Calvert and is someone he looks up to for his ability to continue shooting at such a high standard. ”It certainly shows that age means nothing in the sport that we are in. David Calvert is a name that is known worldwide and he continues to ensure that his standard is at the very top.” WIFBSC to mirror GuyanaNRA 150th F o r m a t Impressed with format of the

GuyanaNRA 150th anniversary championships, Nelson stated that going forward; the Council will be mirroring this format in the various countries. ”I told Mahendra that the way the new WIFBSC is going to go is that this particular competition is going to be start of how we’re going to operate in t h e We s t I n d i e s f o r shooting. We’re going to bring in ammunition for everybody so all territories will use the same ammunition and we’re g oing to start inviting international teams.”

Nelson noted that going this route is good for competition whilst also informing that the WIFBSC will be aiming to travel every year as a team. ”It doesn’t matter where we go, we’re going to try and go overseas whether it’s Canada or to Biseley, were going to try and go away as a team, whether it’s eight or ten we will compete against the best shooters in the world.” Nelson said that he looking forward to seeking more young shooters coming into the sport, he recognised the new entrants, T&T Varma Rambarran who ended up winning the OClass ahead of Guyanese Roberto Tiwari. A mix up with the scores on the final day of the Individual Championships Wednesday had put Tiwari ahead but that was subsequently corrected yesterday. ”If we don’t have them coming out at some point in time, us, older shooters will be giving it up and we need that continuity. We don’t have the Cadet Force that the UK has or Canada, we are starting with a Cadet programme in Jamaica and every effort is being made to ensure that the young shooters continue to do this sport.”

Construction of multipurpose court at National Gymnasium commences D P I , G U YA N A , Construction of the longawaited multipurpose centre on the northern side of the National Gymnasium, located on Mandela Avenue, commenced on Wednesday last. The versatile court will allow for several disciplines including lawn tennis, futsal, basketball, and volleyball. The contract for construction of the quad was awarded to two contractors. Randolph Taylor Construction Company will construct the lawn tennis court which is expected to be 120ft long and 60ft wide, at a cost of $12.9M. Simcon Engineering Company will construct the court which will facilitate futsal, basketball, and volleyball at a cost of $11.6M. This court is expected to be 115ft long and 72ft wide, along with two

Director of Sport Christopher Jones (second from right) in discussion with the contractors on the site at the National Gymnasium where the Multipurpose court will be constructed. bleachers 30ft in length and 6ft in width. Both contractors are slated to complete construction within three months. Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, speaking to the Department of Public Information (DPI), said that

the construction of the multipurpose court is part of a plan to remodel the National Gymnasium. It was one of the major projects for the development of sports, accounted for in the 2017 National Budget.

The multipurpose courts will also facilitate athletes who want to practice their discipline at nights, as the Gymnasium is already outfitted with lights. Jones stated that, “If you noted, the lights that we

would have erected last year were done on lamp poles, this time around when they are going to be erected they are going to be on a permanent structure because now we know exactly where the courts are being laid so the permanent structure are

going to see galvanized pipes.” Additionally, there will be a designated area created for the senior citizens to practice recreational activities and a WIFI friendly environment for the youths.


Kaieteur News

Friday October 13, 2017

PAGE 43

Banks DIH official beverage sponsor of Pan American Hockey Championships Banks DIH limited has signed on as the official beverage sponsor of the Pan American Indoor Hockey Cups which will kick start on Monday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with nine (9) anticipated clashes in an action packed day from 10:00hrs to 20:00hrs. The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) and the local beverage company formalized the arrangement and announced the partnership during a presentation ceremony on Wednesday last at Banks’ Thirst Park boardroom. Vice President of the GHB Alan Newark received the sponsorship cheque from Banks DIH Limited Communications Manager, Troy Peters in the Sales Conference boardroom. Banks DIH will be partnering through their Rainforest Water, PowerAde and Malta Supreme brands

Alan Newark, Guyana Hockey Board Vice President (Third right) receives the sponsorship cheque from Troy Peters, Communications Manager. Looking on are Errol Nelson, Clive Pellew, Clayton McKenzie and Mortimer Stewart. in the tournament which will attract the top playing hockey nations from North, South and Central America along with the Caribbean.

Upper Corentyne make strong reply to Georgetown’s 274

Newark expressed gratitude to Banks DIH Limited for sponsorship towards the prestigious tournament; the first of its kind being hosted by the GHB and Guyana. “Banks DIH has always been a partner of the Board and we appreciate the company playing a major role in providing beverages and other support for the

tournament,” Newark related. Peters congratulated the GHB for their successful bid to host the tournament and assured all that the players and officials will be hydrated thanks to his company Banks DIH. “We extend a warm welcome to the visiting teams and officials, and look forward to a successful tournament with

the expectation that the local men’s and women’s team will emerge victorious,” Peters, who is a former national hockey player, remarked. Also present at the handing over ceremony were Brand managers Clive Pellew (Water Beverage), Clayton McKenzie (NonAlcoholic malts), Errol Nelson (PowerAde) and

Outdoor Events manager Mortimer Stewart. The tournament will run from Monday October 16th to Saturday October 21st and will feature men’s and women’s national teams from Argentina, Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, and Uruguay along with host Guyana.

Ambris shines with hundred but rain wrecks play

Eon Hooper

Balchand Baldeo

Upper Corentyne were 131-1 in reply to Georgetown first innings score of 274 when the final round of the GCB/Jaguars 3-Day league commenced yesterday at Port Mourant. Balchand Baldeo is unbeaten on 73 off 82 balls, while Kandasammy Surujnarine made 54. Earlier, Georgetown posted 274 all out in 71.1 overs. Travis Mohammed made 45, Raymond Perez 41, Kellon Carmichael and Shemroy Barrington 39 each. Bowling for Upper Corentyne Eon Hooper grabbed 5 for 58, Sean Pereira 2 for 65. Meanwhile, the three other matches in the final round will commence today from 09:30 hours, with Upper Demerara/ East Bank opposing East Coast Demerara at the Everest Cricket Club ground, West Berbice hosting the second placed Lower Corentyne at Bush Lot and league leaders Essequibo will battle with third placed West Demerara at the Tuschen ground.

FLORENCE HALL, Jamaica, CMC – Sunil Ambris increased pressure on West Indies selectors by carving out his fourth first class hundred, but rain allowed just just 3-1/4 hours play, on the second day of the opening four-day “Test” against Sri Lanka A here yesterday. The 24-year-old struck 106 as the hosts, resuming from 236 for four, reached 364 for eight in their first innings before rain arrived 41 minutes after the lunch break to end play prematurely at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium. Though the rain abated, conditions kept players off the field and play was eventually called off late in the day. Ambris was supported by overnight partner Vishaul Singh who hit 81 while all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall chipped in with 25. Left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara claimed three for 104 while medium pacer Chamika Karunaratne picked up two for 61. Right-hander Ambris picked up where he left off on Wednesday’s opening day as he dominated the Sri Lankan

bowling yet again. Resuming on 62, the Vincentian stormed to three figures in an innings which included 12 fours off 156 deliveries in just under 4-1/2 hours, all told. The innings was a further reminder for the Windies selectors who ignored Ambris for the Pakistan, England and Zimbabwe series, despite his heaving recent scoring in the domestic competition. Ambris extended his fifth wicket partnership with Singh to 136 before adding a further 51 for the sixth wicket with Cornwall. In contrast, Singh’s innings was a patient one, lasting 219 balls in just under 5-1/4 hours and including four fours. Windies A were perched on 333 for six at lunch but only 15 overs were possible afterwards before the weather curtailed play. Scores: WEST INDIES A 364 for eight (Sunil Ambris 106, Vi s h a u l S i n g h 8 1 , J o h n Campbell 56, Rahkeem Cornwall 36; Malinda Pushpakumara 3-104, Chamika Karunaratne 2-61) vs SRI LANKA A.

Batsman Sunil Ambris celebrates his fourth first class hundred on the second day of the opening four-day “Test” against Sri Lanka on Thursday. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)


t r o Sp GuyanaNRA 150th Anniversary Individual Shoot Off

WIFBSC Individual C/ships

Rain curtails action after T&T’s Varma 3 of 5 ranges; to be Rambarran is completed tomorrow O-Class champion

WIFBSC President Major (ret’d) John Nelson and Secretary Ryan Sampson updating Team Captains yesterday afternoon at the Timehri Rifle Ranges. (Franklin Wilson photo)

Varma Rambarran of Trinidad and Tobago - WIFBSC O-Class winner, 2017.

Bakewell sponsors Region 10 Inter-school Championships

Bakewell’s Sales Supervisor Roy Van Tull makes his company’s contribution to Upper Demerara/Kwakwani Sports Committee representative yesterday at their ECD Beterverwagting Headquarters. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook