Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News

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Thursday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

DISMAL REPORT The government has been in office for sixteen months but is yet to develop a solid plan or strategy to boost the economy, create jobs and improve the lives of the masses. Much more is needed than just talk. Words without followup action are useless. By now the GDP growth rate should have been improving to reach four percent as forecast earlier by the Finance Minister. However, the claim by the opposition that the government has done little in the past year to prevent the flat-lining of the economy seems to be partially correct. The truth is the economy is indeed heading in that direction. The assessment by the opposition is supported by a recent report from the Bank of Guyana, which evaluated the progress made during the past nine months. According to the Central Bank, the economy has not performed as expected, and all is not well in Guyana. The Bank stated that all the major sectors except the mining sector have experienced a lower growth rate and the country’s financial system faces serious threats that could result in a shortfall in revenue. However, Guyana’s GDP growth rate which is at two percent is still higher than most CARICOM states. While the production of gold has increased by 94 percent due to rising prices on the world market, the Report highlights the fact that the earnings from sugar, rice, bauxite and timber fell significantly. The steep fall in production has resulted in a sharp decline in export earnings while the country’s import bill has skyrocketed. The Ministries of Agriculture and Business, along with GO-Invest, have done very little to improve the economy. In fact, the Minister of Business has essentially admitted that there has been no significant foreign investment in Guyana in recent times - despite the trips to Canada, New York and elsewhere by several officials. The Central Bank attributed the fall in production and export earnings to a weak global demand, inclement weather and unfavourable commodity prices on the global market, which are beyond the control of the government. However, the Bank predicts that expenditure in several areas, including construction, transportation and mining, will likely contribute to a higher growth rate and increased revenue by the end of the year due to stricter tax compliance measures. Managing the economy has to do with creating and expanding opportunities for the population, especially as it relates to the creation of jobs, increased production and reducing the debt, which is roughly US$1.5billion. Strategies must be developed to reduce the foreign debt it inherited from the previous administration. Given the previous government’s failure to create jobs and reduce the debt, it is not surprising that the country has such an alarming youth unemployment rate, which is approximately 35 percent, and a general unemployment rate of 12.5 percent. With the decrease in production in the agriculture sector, the government should focus on tourism, which has increased substantially in the past year. It should forge ahead with ecotourism, which has succeeded in Ecuador, Belize, Thailand, Kenya, and Costa Rica, among others, because of their rich biodiversity, which is an asset that Guyana also has. However, the success of ecotourism in Guyana is dependent on the government investing in infrastructure and inspiring confidence in the people by assuring them of the importance of ecotourism to the country. The country’s image as a crime-ridden society must be improved in order to attract tourists. Canada’s warning to its citizens earlier this year to be careful when visiting Guyana does not bode well for the country and the tourist industry. It could eventually lead to fewer tourists coming to Guyana from that part of North America. But the country must maintain a positive image, both at home and abroad, if it is to compete successfully with its Caribbean neighbours for tourist dollars. It is a matter of addressing the issues that are needed to boost the development of ecotourism and tourism in general.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

Minister Bulkan contradicts Teixeira and Nandlall Dear Editor, I refer to a letter signed by Mr. Norman Whittaker captioned, ‘The Local Government Commission should be established’ (SN, October 9), in which Mr. Whittaker makes erroneous assertions which I intend to hereby address. The current administration – having respect for the rule of law – has repeatedly made clear that it is committed to setting up the Commission. Moreover, the government has taken concrete steps to have the Commission established. Pursuant to Section 4 (1) (b) of the Local Government Commission Act of 2013, which states that the Local Government Commission shall include, ‘three members appointed by the President acting on Advice of Leader of the Opposition after consultation with other Parliamentary parties,’ I had written to the Honourable

Leader of the Opposition on May 11, 2016 requesting his co-operation in this regard. On July 6, 2016, Opposition Chief Whip Ms. Gail Teixeira replied to my correspondence on Mr. Jagdeo’s behalf, naming three persons: Mr. Clinton Collymore, Mr. Norman Whittaker, and Ms. Carol Sooba. I subsequently wrote to Ms. Teixeira on July 30, 2016 requesting confirmation that ‘consultation with other Parliamentary parties’ as required by Section 4 (1) (b) of the Act, leading to the submission of the three nominees by the Leader of the Opposition, had indeed occurred. To date, I have not received a reply. Editor, e v i d e n t l y, f o r a n administration that respects the law we cannot proceed to establish the Commission in the absence of confirmation that the requirements of the law have been met by all the

s t a k e h o l d e r s . E d i t o r, regarding another matter, on the same day, Mr. Anil Nandlall wrote a letter in the Kaieteur News captioned, ‘Anil Nandlall documents the current abuse of power.’ Mr. Nandlall made several claims; I wish to address two of them. Mr. Nandlall, pronounced on the “lawfulness” of my input in the appointments of Mayor of Mabaruma and the Chairpersons of the five tied Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. As an Attorney, and moreover the former Attorney General, I am shocked that Mr. Nandlall would comment and further, pronounce on a matter which is before the court. Needless to say, I will offer no comment on this matter which is sub judice. Secondly, Mr. Nandlall stated that the government systematically uses regional officials (“Overseers,

Regional Executive Officers and Town Clerks, all agents of the executive”) to thwart and frustrate the work of local democratic organs not controlled by government. Editor, I categorically reject this ridiculous statement. I am puzzled; I wonder upon what basis is Mr. Nandlall’s statement premised. In any case, as has been repeatedly stated, this government has a policy of decentralisation of decision-making power and continuously strives to ensure harmony between the elected and appointed elements of all councils. And unlike the PPP regime, this administration does not hoard power in central government. That being said, I would welcome Mr. Nandlall sharing any evidence of such conduct so that if there is any merit in his statement, the matter can be addressed. Ronald Bulkan Minister of Communities

GAWU is more interested in protecting the PPP than sugar workers Dear Editor, It is with growing concerns that I am penning this letter to your newspaper, so as to give my view on the sugar industry. With all that is being said and done, we

need to understand that the sugar industry is not viable anymore. We the citizens need to understand that it is not this government that causes the problems in the industry. But we all know of the cut from the EU back in the years that posed a serious

threat within. Some of the things that also caused the industry to be in this crisis, is the poor management by the previous government and bad administration from Guysuco management. Over the past fifteen years or so, workers were

denied several packages from the PPP government. GAWU, who we all know is in bed with PPP did not represent the rights of the workers in a fair and timely manner. It is my belief that many cases was sold out by (Continued on page 5)

Friday October 14, 2016

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Kaieteur News

GUYANA’S BAUXITE; 100 YEARS OF OPERATION DEAR EDITOR; Guyana, the only English Speaking Country in South America, a small developing country of a size of 83,000 square miles, and with a population of about 750,000 people. This beautiful country is blessed with many natural resources, such as Bauxite, Gold, Diamond, Manganese etc. just lately Exxon Mobile discover large oil find. This year Guyana (Linden) will complete 100 years of bauxite mining, which started some 68 miles up the Demerara River at a place called Maria Elizabeth and nearby Akyma. This special

reddish, greyish material was first discovered in 1821 near a village called Lex-Baux, about 50 miles North West of Marseilles in France when Pierre Berthier of the French Royal Corp of Mines analyzed samples of that non-plastic material which was then called bauxite. It is not known when bauxite was first discovered in the then British Guiana, but the Christianburg deposits on the left bank of the Demerara River were first seen by Sawkins in 1868. He did not recognize it then, and even when Barrington Brown saw the deposits in 1873, he did not

know it was bauxite. Sir John Harrison, who analyzed samples from Christianburg in early 1910, was the first person to identify it as bauxite. However, the results were not published until June, 16 1910 in the Nation Official Gazette. In the follow up to this discovery, a Scottish Geologist by the name of George Bain Mackenzie visited the area in 1912 and collected samples of the ore also for testing. He was understood to be a pioneer for Alcoa. In 1914, he brought lands for mining on the eastern bank of the Demerara River. It was also understood that he was able

GAWU is more interested in... From page 4 the union, all because the President of GAWU is a strong PPP member and MP. As I move around workers reps are telling workers that this government wants to kill the sugar industry. Well those are the same reps that join with GAWU to sellout the rights of the workers over the past years. Indeed workers deserve better wages\salaries, working conditions and health care. How can an ailing industry that makes no profit upgrade those mentioned without money\profit? GAWU and the PPP know that the industry is not profitable long now, but still fooling the workers. How long will the Government continue to bailout Guysuco with billions of dollars on a yearly basis? Can Guyana afford to put all those monies into a dying industry? Will the country generate the amount of revenues needed to keep the industry going? The time Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP took to invest billions of dollars on the so-called Skeldon Modernization Project they should have to think of the future of the industry and the workers. They should have ensured that the monies they spend there on a white elephant be put into a special fund for the workers. We cannot blame the sugar workers for the fall of the industry. We have to blame the leaders of Guysuco over the years for poor management. We cannot continue to have the bad management that is taking place in Guysuco at the moment. Workers are complaining of being pressured by some

managers all because of the change of government. I have received such reports from workers at Blairmont Estate over the past months, whereby managers of the estate used all sort of remarks from political to racial towards the workers. They will deny workers their right to work for a fair wage. GAWU is also doing same by calling unwanted strikes on a regular basis. Guysuco’s administrators and the Minister of Agriculture must understand that Estate Managers cannot live a millionaire lifestyle provided by Guysuco when the sugar workers are crying and the industry is going down. Government esp. the Minister of Agriculture must act now by cutting some of the benefits that the managers are enjoying to date in a failed industry. Why is it that a dying Guysuco still have to provide window blinds, gas, slashing of yards, painting of houses, maids, transportation for children, etc for the managers? Those managers need to understand that the industry is not viable anymore to provide those facilities. They cannot want to have a huge salary and still have those amenities provided at the cost of the sugar workers. Sugar workers are trying their best to feed their families at this time, but yet managers are enjoying fancy life styles. Sugar workers understand the time in the industry but Guysuco needs to adjust to what is happening. Government needs to cut some of those benefits given to the managers and their families. In this way the industry can stand a little more. Guysuco will save millions per month

by doing this. Guysuco and the Minister of Agriculture need to restructure the management of the industry for the day to day operations. Managers must take up their responsibilities without fear or favor; without any political sidelines and racialism. Managers must work for their dollars in ensuring that the industry is meeting its target. GAWU must stand by the workers and ensure that they work in meeting their targets so that the industry can meet its tariff. GAWU cannot encourage workers to strike at this time knowing the industry is slowly dying. I called on Guysuco, GAWU and the Minister of Agriculture to make changes toward the benefits of the managers at the estate. This will help tremendously to keep the industry going. Managers cannot live like kings when their employees are falling apart in a hole. Who will pay them when the employers fall? Where will they get those benefits when their employers fall? Government need to seriously start restructuring Guysuco management and start diversification slowly. The industry is going and we need to ensure there are alternatives for the workers to have an income. I want to applaud the Government for continuing to pump billions of dollars in this dying industry just because of the workers and their families. By doing this, it shows that the government does care about the welfare of the workers and their families. Abel Seetaram APNU\AFC Regional Councillor Region 5

to purchase unoccupied lands at very cheap prices from owners, because he claimed he would cultivate orange there. Very few persons at that time had known anything about bauxite and its potential value. A paper was presented in London in 1916 on the occurrence of bauxite in Guyana; it generated great interest in London and the USA. The Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) in the same year incorporated the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA). The Demerara Bauxite Company had acquired almost all the lands in Linden and surrounding areas. It commenced bauxite mining in 1917 at Maria Elizabeth of which 2,037 tons of ore was extracted and exported. In 1922 the operation was expanded and processing and shipping facilities were established at Mackenzie. In 1929, Alcoa handed

over the operation to its Canadian associate, Alcan, and production continued at a steady rate over the next decade. As the Bauxite operations expanded so was the population, with about 70% of Afro- Guyanese and about 30% Indo Guyanese and about 2% others. The Amerindians who existed there migrated from other part of the country to Bauxite Town area to work at the Bauxite Company or to do business at Linden. At the outbreak of World War 2 the Company was already positioned to supply the raw material needed for the war requirements. Aluminum was in great demand during wartime. This created greater expansion of the company’s operations. A railway was establish to allow for the transport of bauxite from the mines, also the first bridge was built across the Demerara River to extract ore from the Hope mine on the

West Bank of the Demerara River. This mine had contained large tonnage of bauxite and had a shallow overburden, making it comparatively easy to mine the ore there. In other mining areas ore was located at depth 50 to 100 ft. and some cases up to 200 feet below surface soil. There was a slump in the Bauxite Industry between 1930 and 1936 and causes some hardship. However, trade pickup around 1939 and the demand continued to increase and in1943, the peak output of 1,900,000 tons of bauxite was reached. Between 1917 and 1971, the bauxite companies exported over 60 million tons of bauxite, calcine and aluminum, valued over billions. In 1956 the export was 2,085,243 tons valued at G$29,335,099 at that time. In the same year Demba started the construction of a 300,00 tons Alumina Plant at Speightland which (Continued on page 6)

Pontifications on the role of the WPA DEAR EDITOR; Editor’s note; this is the conclusion of the letter carried in our edition yesterday Whether the WPA’s time has come and gone depends on them to show, no doubt they need to have new recruits, young vibrant blood who, it would be better, are attracted to the movement by what they see – like Kissoon does. He examines the party from a practical perspective and sees it in that light: “I cannot as an academic seriously deny what I see in front of me” he says. Now he is not alone on this. Some years ago at a Walter Rodney death anniversary, I met a fiery enthusiastic brother in his early 40s and in love with the WPA, he couldn’t hide his excitement, he said to me “I never know Rodney, yuh know, ah neva see he when I join this party he did done dead.” He was sharing with me some things he wasn’t pleased about; “Dem banna gat to fire up moe buddy, I like this party, but we gat fuh keep it strong, why yuh think every anniversary I does come”. What this brother expressed to me then in my humble opinion represented the views of many then and now about the WPA. He wasn’t satisfied with the activism of the party and was afraid that if it continued, then it was only a matter of time. Quite rightly they have

much work to do if they must remain within the prevailing scheme of things; failing to keep eye on the flow of the tide is often costly. It also behooves any organization to make allowance for comrades who have noticeably become battle weary – as they say, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t gat the swing. And as always; when a movement fails, it is its leadership that is always questioned. But here’s an observation I need to make: Now there are those who single out individuals within the leadership of the WPA as being among the intelligentsia and refrain from attacking them, they don’t need that sort of fight while ordinary respectful members are disrespected. Freddie Kissoon is an exception, bold and forthright, he can get under your skin – matters not who you are. I recall seeing a letter by someone who responded to Ali Majeed, a WPA activist who

stood in the battle line for a better Guyana, lost his job too. The letter-writer referred to him as “a battle scarred WPA activist from the Burnham area” One could have felt the. He subsequently made an apology to the WPA leadership of which Majeed was not a part of, though Majeed’s letter was in defense of the WPA. I have a problem with intellectuals who delight in putting down ordinary everyday people who in their estimation they consider as “nutten”, I abhor with a passion those who behave this way. Now back to Kissoon, Freddie may blast the WPA as he often does, but no one knows better than him the invaluable contribution of the WPA. Tacuma Ogunseye was smack on when he states of him: “On the one hand he sees the WPA as dead, and on the other hand he has high expectations of this dead (Continued on page 6)

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Kaieteur News

Some questions for David Hinds about the Coalition Govt. DEAR EDITOR: Please allow me to comment on Dr. Hinds’ article; “Most corrupt PPP has outmaneuvered most inexperienced Govt. of our time” When did Dr. Hinds become aware of the “inexperience” of APNU/AFC? Is Dr. Hinds admitting that the current government is in a state of, not only incompetence, but also dereliction, since it is subject to “being outmaneuvered” by the PPP? Dr. Hinds suggests that the PPP has managed to maintain control of the government, despite having lost the 2015 election, and the people of Guyana were duped into believing that they had achieved “change.” I read, with interest, the comments of the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, The Honorable Basil Williams. Mr. Williams claims that the process to acquire lands in Georgetown was started by the PPP. The Honorable Attorney General, Mr. Basil Williams was incapable of re-

scinding this decision of the PPP, assuming it did exist. Mr. Anil Nandlall has since refuted this claim. Does this instruct the people of Guyana as to the quality of the functions of Mr. Williams? In which of the situations, should the people question his position as Attorney General, or rather, his ability to think and act logically? Would Dr. Hinds agree that Mr. Williams has volunteered his ability to be outmaneuvered by The PPP? Was the award to BK International/Tiwari, and subsequent statement that such award may be repeated, find their origins in the Halls of Freedom House? As I understand, The PPP was certainly not “a friend” of BK. Dr. Hinds stated, “serious political observers have begun to ask the inevitable question—how did this happen?” How did Dr. Hinds arrive at this conclusion? Did he poll “serious political observers”? If so, who are these “se-

rious political observers?” Mr. Editor, I would like to comment on a statement Mr. Moses Nagamootoo made in the past: Mr. Nagamootoo stated that Guyana’s problems were the result of twenty-three years of PPP’s governance? Would Mr. Nagamootoo tell us, for how many of those years, was he a member of that party? Would he then share a proportional responsibility for those twenty-three years? Or, may we ask; was Mr. Nagamootoo’s statement an indication of an act of outmaneuvering executed by the PPP? Dr. Hinds claimed; “the PPP, from the first days of the new government, launched a race-driven “ethnic cleansing” campaign against the government and has kept it going up to this day.” Mr. Editor, Dr. Hinds may have no recollection of the period during which members of the PPP were being granted political asylum, by the Canadian government. Such was the action of the PNC, that Canada deemed it

Building an oil refinery is very, very we only not moving away from food. expensive tryhaveistoverylookvolatile; When The US Ambassaat the countries DEAR EDITOR, The letter of Ms. Jocelyn Grant, speaks to concerns we seem to have about outsiders telling us what to do. I think it would be better if diplomats allow members of the Government to make those statements. We know very little about the oil industry and will have to depend on experts from outside for a long time to come. We have been in control of sugar and bauxite production for over forty years, and should have some expertise in those areas, but they are still struggling. The oil indus-

whose economies depend solely on oil. Our learning curve will be decades, not a few years, can you imagine us moving immediately into refining crude oil. We can plan for a refinery in the future, if it is considered feasible. Refineries are very costly, Uganda’s is going to cost about $2.5 billion, and will be 60% owned by foreign investors. We should concentrate on sustainable development, anchored by commodities and products that have less volatile markets. The world is moving away from fossil fuels, it is

dor a few months ago suggested that we use revenues from oil to develop valueadded agriculture, hat was good advice. Food security is at the top of the list of global concerns, followed by water. If we are going “Green” there is nothing wrong with purchasing the refined fuels we need for energy. The cost will go down every year, and the cost benefit of such a move should be favorable. Let us avoid as much as possible the geopolitics, and other pitfalls of the oil industry. . Weldon Kendall

GUYANA’S BAUXITE; 100... From page 5 was completed in 1961 and was commission by the late great father of this Nation Dr. Cheddie Jagan, then Minister of Trade and Industry. I must mention that during the erection of the plant persons who were dwelling nearby had to be relocated, however there was one person, Mother Hubbard who refused to move

and I think her house is still standing in that area near the Old Plant. On April 5th 1970 Prime Minister Forbes Burnham announced to the nation the firm policy of his Government was to take control of all Natural resources. This triggered negotiations with Demba to have major control of the Bauxite Company and the request in the first instance was to have 51% share and Demba 49% share of the Company. During those

discussions Demba requested to have a re-capitalization of the Company and requesting the Government to provide their part of US$22.5 million to put into the enterprise. That meant that the Government would have had to borrow money (an I.B.R.D loan was suggested in advance of the agreement). Also Alcan requested to have the C.E.O and 30% the profit of the Company. The Burnham Administration did not agree to that. Andrew Forsythe Former Board Member of Bosai Editor’s note; this is a long letter. Its other half will appear in a subsequent edition

necessary to grant political refuge to Guyanese. It was during the time of the PNC’s illegal acquisition of the government/governance of Guyana that the Guyana Defense Force, the Guyana Police force and the Public Service became, almost entirely, dominated by PNC supporters. Dr. Hinds states, as follows “The PPP took that line....., The PPP knows....., they (the PPP) know....., the PPP also knows....”Dr. Hinds must have greater insight into the PPP than the PPP has into itself. Dr. Hinds is an academic, endowed with quite amazing abilities. I must state that there are some senior PPP-installed government officials whose services should have been terminated from the day APNU/AFC assumed power. I would also argue that some of those, appointed to senor positions in the current governments, should have been “fired.” This includes, among others, Mr. Harmon, Mr. Trotman and Dr. Norton. However, we observe President Granger rising to their defense. These must be characterized as acts of “outmaneuvering” by the PPP which calls into question, the Presidency itself. We must remember that

the PPP did not pursue the PNC for its twenty-eight years of indiscretions and the subjugation of an entire country. My suspicion became and remains unchanged that the PPP did not pursue the PNC because they (the PPP) were about to embark on similar indiscretions, while governing the country, on a mandate granted to it by the People of Guyana, a mandate which the PNC never had. Again, Mr. Editor, it appears that the APNU/AFC will fail to act against the PPP, for fear that, in the event that the PPP prevails in a future election, they, the PPP, will not “seek vengeance” against the APNU/AFC government. Mr. Editor, it seems that the Guyanese people are not merely a pingpong ball being driven back and forth by a racket, but rather a soccer ball being kicked all over the field. Dr. Hinds wrote: “the PPP was so confident that it could not lose power, that it did not hide its transgressions.” Had this been true, then the audits would have been necessary to discern the extent of the transgressions and formulate the evidence needed for legal action. However, the audits were quite revealing, of several transgressions, of which the

general public was unaware. It is my opinion that there was not much that the PPP could have done to hide its acts of indiscretions. Any competent auditor would have ferreted out such acts and there were many. Dr. Hinds wrote: “The PPP knows that this government is not corrupt and does not promote corruption.” What a revelation! Go tell it on the mountains. Or should I say “...to the mountains.” May I ask Dr. Hinds some additional question? Dr. Hinds, did the APNU/ AFC, in its campaign for the 2015 elections, inform the people that they (the people), were actually electing a questionable set of politicians, who would be persuaded from expressing their true nature, by a massive increase in their emoluments? Does the increased burden of the politicians’ salary, on the tax payers of Guyana, allow you to claim that this government is not corrupt? Finally, a note to Dr. Hinds: Politicians are awarded a mandate to govern, based on the exercise of the democratic right of the people to choose their representatives, through the ballot box, not for their ability to competently and honestly manage the people’s affairs. Zamir

More complaints against the leadership in Lethem DEAR EDITOR; We the youths of Lethem, Culvert City and Tabatinga view with grave concern the undemocratic attitude of the Mayor of Lethem Town Council, Mr. Carlton Beckles in his letter to the editor published in Stabroek news 10/6/2016. The Mayor sought to hog all of the credit for the establishment of the J E Holiday park and the Children’s park in Culvert City effectively throwing citizens’ contributions in the waste dump along with the discarded equipment. That has been the attitude of the Mayor since he had acceded to office; it’s all about “I”. There isn’t reference to “we and us.” The APNU-AFC came to power on the backs of young people who number some 65% of the population and if that’s

the way we will be treated by those who are supposed to be guiding us then we have no other option than to withdraw our support; and believe me, we the youths are well connected. I am most appalled by the Mayor’s recent behaviour at the sitting of the Town Council dated 10/6/2016. The Mayor evicted two young people preventing them from listening to the town affairs and thus robbing them of an opportunity to see local democracy at work. The Mayor needs to read and comprehend the entire Municipal and District Councils- Act 28:01 and not just the sections that are convenient to him. The Act states that the Mayor has the authority to ask members of the public to withdraw from the meetings;

however, it further states that a motion needs to be carried out before this is done. May I remind you Mr. Editor the last general elections and subsequent local government elections aroused in the youths an interest in politics unmatched in our recent history. We the young people of Lethem, Tabatinga and Culvert City put the collective leadership of APNU/ AFC on notice here and now that should the Mayor continue in his dictator-like attitude we will not be supporting any efforts by this government in any way. We the youths like everyone else in Region Nine (9) know that the Mayor of Lethem has no political capital but is operating like the bully he is. Magdalene Paulino

Pontifications on the role of... From page 5 entity”, exactly! In his head I think he would like nothing better than to see the party “raising from the ashes” into a mighty flame, I don’t think he would ever seek to destroy genuine comrades of the

party he has worked with over the years, turbulent years at that. Harsh as he maybe, I want to disagree with David Hinds, another brother who has been in the front line in saying Freddie remains a part of

the family though he wouldn’t blare it out; that is why his interest in the WPA still burns. I think somewhere hidden he does harbor a bit of sentiments; things aren’t always what they seemed. Frank Fyffe

Friday October 14, 2016

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Kaieteur News

Despite industrial catastrophes…

Coalition met commitments of nation’s public servants - President Granger By Kiana Wilburg The inherited liabilities, the current state of the economy and the way forward for Guyana, were the focal points of President David Granger’s address to the nation’s Parliament yesterday. Even though the political opposition staged a walkout before he commenced his presentation, an unfazed Granger still preached inclusivity before members of his Government, the Diplomatic Corps and other invited guests. The President told the Parliament that the Government entered a depressing financial landscape in May 2015. He said that the economic legacy that the nation inherited was characterised by a lack of strategic planning and whimsical decision-making. Granger said that the absence of a policy to provide employment opportunities for youth, and to reduce extreme poverty and the failure to energise the manufacturing sector, weakened the economy. The President said that economic mismanagement

was accompanied by huge debts for unpaid international obligations and court judgements. The Head of State said that the gravest financial problem was the bankruptcy of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) which owed $89 billion in debts. “Your Government was forced to divert money from economic development and social projects to rescue the ailing corporation with an immediate injection of $12 billion. An additional $11 billion had to be provided the next year, 2016, making a total of $23 billion bailout in 18 months.” Granger said that these transfers exclude the servicing of GuySuCo’s debts in respect of the Skeldon Estate Modernisation Project. He deemed the project to be a monstrous and monumental US$200 million mistake and, probably, Guyana’s single most costly industrial catastrophe of all time. The President said, too, that paddy farmers in the rice industry were not spared the previous administration’s reckless mismanagement. In this regard, Granger pointed to the PetroCaribe Fund which was used to meet payments to farmers for rice and paddy shipped to Ven-

ezuela. He said that the Fund contained less than US$1 million in May 2015. Again, Granger said that the Government was forced to make available nearly $4 billion immediately, so that poor paddy farmers could be paid. “Your Government inherited a large number of liabilities, including judgements in excess of US$34 million (or G$7 billion) in favour of NH Elias, in respect of the East Bank Demerara Road; judgement for $1.3 billion in favour of Rudisa Beverages; judgement in favour of Trinidad Cement Limited; settlement for$1.4 billion with B.K. Tiwarie on Haags Bosch Project and several other judgements that will cost the State over $1 billion.” The Head of State said that the Government, also, was obliged to provide another $5.4 billion bailout to the National Insurance Scheme as a consequence of the previous administration’s irresponsible investment in the Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO). Granger emphasised that despite encountering this immense mountain of debt, the coalition administration was “able to meet commitments to the nation’s hard-working public servants”. In this re-

President , David Granger gard, he reminded that the minimum wage grew from $39,520 in May 2015, to $55,000 in January 2016, an increase of 39.2 per cent in seven months. “Public servants have benefitted, in addition, from the raising of the tax threshold, from $600,000 in May 2015 to 660,000 in January 2016; the removal of income tax from workers’ contributions to the National Insurance Scheme and a tax-free payment of $50,000 to all workers earning less than $500,000, in December 2015.” Granger said that these benefits, taken together, aug-

mented workers disposable income significantly. He noted that collective bargaining with public servants’ unions could result in additional benefits in the form of increased increments, allowances and adjustments made for ‘de-bunching’. The President also reminded that old-age-pensions have been increased from $13,120 to $18,200 or by 38.7 per cent, and Public Assistance increased by 24 per cent during the same period, May 2015 to April 2016. With the aforementioned in mind, the President recommitted to Government’s promise of a better life for all citizens. The President said that the provision of quality public services is associated with enhancing the ‘quality of life’ of citizens. “We are mindful of the need to improve public administration to make public services more accountable, accessible and affordable. Continuous training and filling resource gaps in the public service will be integral to the process of reforming our system of public administration. We will improve the professionalism of the public service in 2017,” the Head of State expressed. The President also noted that his Government remains committed to good gover-

nance and to the reform of the Constitution. It will, in this regard, convene a Consultative Constitution Reform Commission in 2017. “We have demonstrated our determination to ensure that local government elections are held. We will, without fail ensure that elections are held every three years as required by the Constitution. Citizens’ right to elect the representatives of their choice at free and regular elections will not be suspended again. Public policy will be undergirded by an inclusionary political process.” Granger added, “The empowering of local communities through the holding of the historic local government elections of 18th March, 2016 created a platform for government to be brought closer to the people, and for authority to be exercised through their own elected representatives.” The President said that the derailment of public policy marked by the previous administration’s bizarre determination not to conduct local government elections, by uprooting neighbourhood democratic councils and by imposing a perverse form of dictatorial on local government organs, has been brought to an end.

Port Kaituma murder…

Barefaced murder suspect walks into police station, gets arrested

Murder suspect: Kemo Scott

Murder suspect: Shurland Mohan Scott

Murdered: Ryan English

A 21-year-old murder suspect, who believed that he was unrecognizable, was arrested yesterday when he walked into a police station—more than a month after he allegedly murdered a dredge owner in Port Kaituma, Region One, with the help of his father. Kemo Scott was in the company of two females when they were stopped at Vr e e d - e n - H o o p , We s t Coast Demerara for a traffic offence. One of the females was the driver of the vehicle. A brave Scott walked into the Vreed-en-Hoop

Police Station to assist the female in settling the matter, not knowing that he would have been arrested right there for the murder of 32-year-old Ryan English, a dredge owner. Kaieteur News was reliably informed that while Scott was in the station, a police rank recognized him and pointed him out to his colleagues. He was then arrested. The dredge owner died on September 4, last, two days after he was allegedly stabbed by Scott and his 4 4 - y e a r- o l d f a t h e r, Shurland Mohan Scott,

who was charged for the murder on September 7, last. The younger Scott had been on the run since then.

According to information received, English and the younger Scott were reportedly imbibing alcohol at a shop in Port Kaituma when an argument ensued, which later resulted in English sustaining a small chop wound to the head. Kaieteur News understands that the two men had a previous disagreement and while consuming alcohol, they were taunting each other about the issue—this resulted in the suspect getting angry and attacking the dredge owner. English’s wife, Lashana Nichols, had explained that when her spouse was chopped to the head, he

went further up the backdam, less than a mile from where he was drinking, to meet with his attacker’s father and complain to him about what his son had done. “When he reached to the camp to complain to the boy’s father, the man hold his two hands and his son come and start chop he (English).

The workers dem who were in the camp run away because of how they were chopping Ryan,” Nichols s a i d . This newspaper was told that the older suspect had sustained a chop wound to his hand in the process. He was arrested at the scene while his son fled and remained at large until his arrest yesterday.

PAGE 8

2017 Budget aimed at fiscal and environmental sustainability - Granger Fiscal, environmental and institutional sustainability will be the pillars of the 2017 budget which is expected to be presented by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan in D e c e m b e r . This was asserted by President David Granger during his address to the nation’s Parliament yesterday. There, the Head of State said that the Government adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of which the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are compatible w i t h G u y a n a ’s s o c i a l agenda. The President said that the 2017 National Budget will reflect the harmonization of the SDGs with Government’s national development plans, particularly in the social sector. The Head of State said that the preparation of this Budget started several

months ago and has been characterised by an inclusive and consultative process. “It will be designed around a results-based format. It will be guided by the objectives of fiscal sustainability, institutional sustainability and environmental sustainability.” The President stated that budget measures will include renewable energy generation and improved energy efficiency which he deemed to be key initiat i v e s o f G o v e r n m e n t ’s green agenda. Granger said that Guyana’s future is linked to renewable energy generation and increased use of energy-efficient technologies. “We will graduate our economy increasingly towards greater renewable energy use across all sectors of Guyana. Government buildings will be pow-

ered, eventually, by renewable energy sources and will utilize energy-efficient technologies. Incentives will be offered to the private sector to follow the government’s lead.” Additionally, the President said that the 2017 National Budget will include measures aimed at developing a more diversified and climate-resilient agricultural sector. He said that the Government will promote agricultural expansion further inland by introducing mega farms in the Intermediate and Rupununi savannahs; promote the expansion of non-traditional agricultural production such as cocon u t s , f r u i t s a n d spices; and promote the increase of aromatic rice production, which will add to crop production in the rice sector at a higher end of the value chain.

Unidentified body found at Presidential Park Detectives were summoned around 15:30 hrs yesterday to remove the body of an unidentified man from a trench at the Presidential Park, formerly known as Merriman Mall, in the vicinity of the Georgetown Cricket Club ground. When this newspaper arrived, undertakers had already removed the body which was spotted by school children on their

Friday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News

way home. The body was said to be that of a man of East Indian descent and about five feet, seven inches tall. There were no marks of violence. Early yesterday, vendors spotted a brown object in the trench and assumed that someone had thrown a piece of cardboard in the water, but it was actually the victim’s brown shirt that was floating.

An alarm was raised when a few school children who were playing in the park spotted it. “I come in since morning and see this thing and I fretting and asking is who throw cardboard in the trench already.” Her comments were rooted in the fact that the people of Guyana are bent on maintaining a clean environment. The woman said that it was only when the children pointed out that it was a body that she observed it. The police believe that the remains might have been t h e r e s i n c e We d n e s d a y night.

Oil and Gas Association Directors to examine allegations against CEO

Guyana Oil and Gas Association (GOGA) Head, Bobby Gossai Jr. The Board of Directors of the newly established Guyana Oil and Gas Association (GOGA) is considering as a matter of urgency, corruption allegations leveled against its Chief Executive Officer, Bobby Gossai Jr. The review on the part of the entity comes on the heels of an article published by this newspaper on Thursday, exposing the unethical behaviour of Gossai during his time as Secretary of the Guyana Gold Board. This was chronicled in a detailed forensic audit report conducted by Ram and McRae, Chartered Accountants. The Board of Directors of the GOGA said that it was unaware of the specific contents of the Audit Report referred to in the Kaieteur News article. The Board said that it has since secured a copy of the Audit Report, and will be considering the contents of the report as a matter of urgency. The GOGA made it clear however that the employ-

Director of Guyana Oil and Gas Association, Nigel Hughes ment of Bobby Gossai Jr. is part of its start-up process. They stressed that Gossai is currently on a probationary period. This period has not yet come to an end. The Board sought to assure the public that it is committed to the highest levels of transparency and disclosure in its efforts to develop a viable successful Oil and Gas Industry in Guyana. The damning forensic audit report on the Gold Board fingers Gossai in several corrupt acts. In one instance, Gossai is accused of being involved in a clear case of forgery. The auditors said that during the course of their engagement, they were advised that the Board Secretary (who was Gossai), improperly lifted the signature of the former Chairman, Dr. Gobind Ganga, from one document and improperly used it in a letter purportedly from the former Chairman to the then General Manager. This information was confirmed by the Chairman and the

t h e n G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, Anataram Balram. Elaborating further on the issue, the auditors said that in the course of their reviews, they were presented with a letter bearing the signature of the former B o a r d C h a i r m a n , D r. Gobind Ganga addressed to Balram. The forensic auditors said that the letter allowed the General Manager to proceed on his remaining annual leave for 2014 which amounted to 49 days. The Chartered Accountants said that Balram was required to resume full duties with the Gold Board on November 4, 2014, and was therefore on leave since May 2014. Acting on information provided to them, the auditors were able to confirm that the signature of the former Board Chairman was lifted from another document. The forensic auditors said that this is a gross act of forgery that should be pursued by the appropriate authorities.

Friday October 14, 2016

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Kaieteur News

UNDER THE CANOPY Any businessman knows that your clients are your number one priority. You look after your clients and then you take care of all the other free riders. This is the law of success in business as it is in government. The dilemma that City Hall faces is that it is on the one hand claiming to be interested in stamping out illegal vending, but on the other hand it is trying to facilitate vending. City Hall, so long as it adopts the position that it is obligated to facilitate vending, will find itself in confusion as to what to do. For years, the Georgetown municipality has allowed a monster to grow. It cannot control, any longer, that monster. And so what it is doing is chopping off the feet and the legs of the monster in the hope that it can bring some sort of control to its movement. The monster, h o w e v e r, i s n o t g o i n g away. It is here to stay, and therefore, it has arrived at a point in which its actions

are increasingly becoming contradictory. City Hall cleared the Stabroek Square of vendors who had been vending their wares there for years. The Square however is now being used not as a place where people can walk freely and meet and assemble. It is now a large parking lot. Criminal elements have returned, and recently it was said that a gun was found under the canopy. This has led to a suggestion that vendors under the canopy of the market should be removed. Some of these vendors have been there for thirty years. Where are they going to be placed? As a matter of strict policy, no vending should ever have been allowed outside of markets. The markets are part of the city. They have popularized the city. The vendors inside the markets are not doing any significant business, because there are just as many people selling out-

side the markets than inside. City Hall has therefore been for decades destroying its markets by allowing vending, including illegal vending, to be on the rise outside of the markets. Why would anyone go to shop inside of the markets when they can get everything they want outside? The stalls inside the markets have been in state of business decline for decades while vendors outside are doing far better. This situation needs to be reversed. Those who are paying rentals for stalls inside the market should be enjoying higher sales. They cannot, because right now the sales are being monopolized outside of the market. This is unfair to be legitimate of City Hall within the markets. At some markets there is a greens section. But the greens section is becoming like a deserted town. No one is going there to shop, because the vendors are being allowed to vend on the side of the road, which

Gold miner’s body found in shallow grave The body of a 24-year-old man was found buried in a shallow grave at 14 Miles, Port Kaituma, Region One, on Wednesday. The dead man has been identified as Abraham Mohamed Khan of Bartica. Police suspect that the young man was killed during a robbery, since his motorcycle and other belongings were missing. One man has been arrested as the investigation widens.

A police source explained yesterday that ranks received information on Wednesday that a body was discovered at 14 Miles, Port Kaituma. When the ranks got there, they found Khan’s body in a shallow grave. On examining the body, a wound was discovered on the head. It is suspected that the man had been struck with an object. Reports are that the incident occurred around 17:00 hrs on Monday.

not only shortchanges the vendors in the greens section who are paying rentals to City Hall, but they are not doing any business at all. City Hall is now indicating that it will consider relocating bus and car parks, and that the vendors will be part of this process, meaning that vendors may be relocated near to where the new bus and car parks are to be situated. It means that we are going back to a disordered town. There is indeed a

need to relocate bus and car parks, but why allow vending areas to develop around these new locations? The solution to all of this is for City Hall to simply discourage all illegal vending. It should also not be granting any permission for persons to vend on the pavements and on the side of the road. There is no need, also, for City Hall to find places for vendors. There is a greater obligation for City

Hall to support its markets and to try to encourage more people to shop within these markets, because this is where the City earns a great deal of its revenues.

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Friday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Jagdeo stays at Pradoville 2 and laughs at us From the time the APNUAFC Coalition came into power in May 2015, it should have carried out its moral obligation to the philosophy of freedom. Mind you, not to the Guyanese people, but to philosophy and history, by removing the tyrannical symbols imposed on this country by Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar. It is paying and will pay a terrible price for this short-sighted incompetence. Even before it settled down to govern with its own policy directions, the Coalition should have removed Charles Ramson as Information Commissioner; Bibi Shadick as UG Pro-Chancellor, Carvil Duncan from the various commissions he is on; Mahendra Sharma as head of the Energy Agency, because it is a conflict of interest to be an election candidate and a public servant at the same time; Valmiki

Singh from the National Frequency Management Unit; Marcia Nadir as head of the Privatization Unit; Leila Ramson as head of the Teaching Service Commission; Phulandar Kandhai from that very body. The list is too numerous to mention. All of these appointments were born in the womb of PPP’s incestuous politics. These selections were determined more by politics than by merit. Take Kandhai. He was a money changer on America Street and at a cambio named Blue Flame. Kandhai’s boss, a friend of mine, was the head of Guyana Softball Association. Kandhai changed money for me more times that I can count. The PPP took him from America Street and made him the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education. And put him

on the Council of the University. Mr. Kandhai remains at the Teaching Service Commission. What are the qualifications of Carvil Duncan to make him eligible for being on the Police Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission and head of the Public Service Commission? Mr. Duncan was also on the board of GPL, and was one of two signatories to sign cheques. He is before the court accused of signing a GPL cheque which he paid to himself. The PPP boycotted the Presidential address at Parliament yesterday, and the reason Jagdeo gave puts this country in dangerous directions if the tyranny of the PPP is not confronted. One of the reasons for the boycott was because of the suspension of a PPP incestuous appointee on three constitutional commissions. And who is the appointed one? Carvil Duncan. In practical terms, what the PPP is telling this nation is that the government of the day cannot remove PPP political installations from when Jagdeo and Ramotar were in power. In other words, this country must accept what the PPP did when it was in power, even though what it did was immoral, unethical, illegal and depraved. Will there be more boycotts when Ramson is removed? The asi-

ninity of the PPP is expanding with every passing day. Here is another reason for the boycott yesterday. Here is Jagdeo in his own words; “You then come…to the Parliament which is the place our laws are born …our democracy is protected…” When and where under Jagdeo and Ramotar was Parliament a place where democracy was protected? Laws passed by that very Parliament were refused the presidential assent and Jagdeo violated the Constitution by not adhering to the ten days’ requirement for written explanation of presidential rejection. Jagdeo never sent back the Bills within the ten days’ requirement with his explanation for refusing to stamp his assent. It was this same Parliament that cut several items in the Budgets of 2012 and 1013 that were illegally restored by the Minister of Finance

under the presidency of Jagdeo’s hand-picked successor, Donald Ramotar. It was this same Parliament during the tenure of Jagdeo that passed a Bill to allow for the appeal of an accused freed by a judge and jury in the High Court. That Bill was designed to punish critics of Jagdeo after two High Court juries refused to convict Mark Benschop on trumpedup charges. Where under Jagdeo and Ramotar was Parliament a place of democracy, when the very Parliament was suspended when it sought to bring a no-confidence motion against the minority regime of Donald Ramotar? The PPP spent two decades deriding what they called the Burnham Constitution, yet PNC Presidents Burnham and Hoyte never made use of that Constitution the way successive PPP

Frederick Kissoon presidents did. Look who is talking about democracy and good governance? Bharrat Jagdeo. What a mess this country is drowning in! Former Presidents in Brazil whose integrity Bharrat Jagdeo can never match, even if he was President for a million years, are before the courts for illegal transactions. And Jagdeo stays in his mansion at Pradoville 2, which was illegally acquired, and laughs at this nation.

Dem boys seh...

De opposition mek Soulja Bai talk and answer Eeself When dem scamps been in power people believe that voting fuh de coalition would bring about a change. De way things going, it seems as if nutten change. All de politicians in Guyana is de same. Wha happen in parliament yesterday reinforce that we have li’l children running de country. De other day Soulja Bai tek action against Carvil Donkey and Jagdeo decide to boycott Parliament. He follow Rohee and he criticizing everything that de government do. Suh he seh that Soulja Bai was wrang and like a hooman ee stamp ee foot and seh that ee ain’t going to hear Soulja Bai talk. Is de same thing he and ee colleagues do when was

de investiture ceremony. “I am not talking to you so I am not coming to you party.” When Soulja Bai and Rum Jattan was in de opposition was de same thing. Dem never go to an investiture ceremony and Jagdeo never give dem a national award. Donald Dumb invite Soulja Bai to a meeting and de man refuse to turn up because de meeting was to be at Freedom House. When Donald shift de meeting to Ohh Pee Soulja Bai refuse to go because he seh that he ain’t no toy. Was excuse and game dem playing. Is de same thing going on now. Dem boys plan to change all of dem. Dem gun look fuh some Pastors, Pandits and Moulvis. De problem is that dem boys got to recruit dem

Pastors who don’t thief collection, dem Pandits who don’t grab women like Trump, And de only Moulvis dem gun tek is dem who don’t have beard. And like Robin Hood everybody gun sit round a round table suh nobody gun be at de head or de tail. De idea is to create a new culture. Dem boys don’t want to see no corruption. Dem see enough over de past couple morning. And one thing fuh sure; if people don’t vote fuh dem boys is because de people love corruption, scampishness and skullduggery. Talk half and tell dem politician to get dem axe together to start chopping dem tree in de interior come next election.

Friday October 14, 2016

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Kaieteur News

Wärtsilä will not be totally gone …GPL sees role as long term partner The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) has confirmed that it will be moving to reduce the role of Finnish-owned Wärtsilä when it comes to electricity generation in the country. Fielding questions yesterday during a press conference at the Pegasus Hotel, GPL’s Chairman, Robert Badal, assured that it is not the plan for Wärtsilä to be out of the picture completely. Rather, Wärtsilä will remain a long-term partner as a supplier, among other things. The company, which has been retained to manage and maintain generating sets since the 1990s, has built up a staffing complement of around 100 persons, and from its two engines at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, they now manage over 18 engines across the Demerara and Berbice areas for GPL. However, GPL has been paying hundreds of millions in fees to Wärtsilä annually. The power company, with a new management and Board since last year, wants to reduce its costs with about a third of its power being lost to technical issues and electricity theft. On Tuesday, Kaieteur News broke a story that GPL is ending its contract with

GPL’s Chairman, Robert Badal Wärtsilä. Yesterday, Badal admitted that the story had caught GPL off-guard, as negotiations are still ongoing. Wärtsilä, through its subsidiary, Demerara Power Company, is reportedly meeting with staffers next week to update them. Badal denied that the recent hiring of Canadianowned Manitoba Hydro International Ltd. (MHI), to assist with its management strengthening, had anything to do with the decision not to renew Wärtsilä contract. A full disclosure will be announced once all

Guyana will discontinue Wärtsilä’s management of its power engines when the current contract ends later this year. arrangements are in place, he assured. Regarding concerns that ending relations with Wärtsilä may leave GPL in a precarious state, the Chairman made it clear that the risks are limited. He said that while in the past, there were issues of reliability, Guyana “has come a far way with Wärtsilä as a

partner”. GPL has developed sufficient capacity and training, with improved competence in the generation of power. Badal stressed that current outages that are facing Guyana are not generation-related issues. Rather, they are a

combination of technical issues. A broken submarine power cable across the Demerara River has left GPL without power from the new plant at Vreed-en-Hoop, leaving the East Demerara and Berbice grids on thin ice. With Wärtsilä offering services relating to

technology transfers, maintenance and consultancy, the official disclosed that GPL sees Wärtsilä as having a continuous presence as a supplier among other things. A decision to end Wärtsilä’s contract would represent one of the most (Continued on page 12)

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Friday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News

Former Minister’s alleged $639M theft …

Public Service Dept. has no records of memoranda signed by Dr. Westford - court hears There are no records at the Ministry of the Presidency (Public Service Department) to verify that 24 memoranda with signatures purported to be that of Dr. Jennifer Westford for hundreds of millions of dollars, were sent to the then Office of the President (OP) for approval to carry out activities from 2011 to 2015. During this period, Dr. Westford was employed as the Minister of Public Service. This was told to the court yesterday by Mr. Andre Dazzell, the Chief Accountant at the Ministry of the Presidency Department of Public Service. Dazzell was at the time

testifying when the trial of Dr. Westford and Margaret Cummings continued before Magistrate Judy Latchman. Attorneys Dexter Todd and Bettina Glasford entered appearances on behalf of the defendants. Westford and Cummings are accused of stealing $639,420,000 between August 2011 and April 2015, while being employed in the Public Service of the Government of Guyana. They have denied the allegation and are currently out on $4.8M bail each. According to court facts, Westford, of 55 ‘AA’ Victoria Avenue Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was

employed as Minister of Public Service from 2001-2015, while her co-accused was the principal personnel officer of the Ministry. Cummings, of 709 Section A, Great Diamond, EBD, was also in charge of the Ministry’s accounts department. It was discovered that on 24 occasions Westford signed memoranda amounting to $639,420,000 and sent them to the Office of the President for approval. Approval was granted and cheques were prepared and encashed by Bank of Guyana. The monies were requested to carry out various activities throughout

the 10 administrative regions. However, personnel were contacted and denied ever receiving the cash. Investigations were carried out but the monies were never recovered. Guided by State Prosecutor Natasha Barker, Dazzell told the court during July 31, 2015, in an interview with the police, he was shown about 23 to 24 memoranda signed by Westford for various amount of monies. He said that 23 of the memoranda for the period August 24, 2011 and April 23, 2015 were shown to him. According to (Continued on page 31)

Margaret Cummings

Dr. Jennifer Westford

The Table below shows the Memoranda that were sent to the Office of the President with signatures purported to be that of Dr. Jennifer Westford. It includes the Memoranda numbers, dates, captions and amount of money.

Wärtsilä will not be totally gone... From page 11 significant taken for the power sector since the coalition government came to power in May 2015. The Finnish company came here in the early 1990s when Guyana was struggling with widespread power outages because of a number of aging engines. It established the first Government-owned plant at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara and since then, the country has installed at least 18 engines in the Demerara area. The Guyana Sugar

Corporation (GuySuCo) also has Wärtsilä engines at the Skeldon factory and there are more at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast. Under the arrangements, GPL would provide the fuel for the engines, while Wärtsilä through its local subsidiary, Demerara Power Limited, conducts the maintenance. It is the proposal that under new arrangements, a company owned jointly by GPL and the Government of Guyana, will be established to manage the Wärtsilä engines. It is the plan for the new

company to take over the staffers of Demerara Power Limited, and for them to continue maintaining the engines, a Government official said earlier this week. It is likely that the staffers will be rehired under the same conditions that Wärtsilä enjoys. GPL is facing major challenges to keep up with a growing demand for power, especially on the coastland. Wärtsilä is described as a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets.

Friday October 14, 2016

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Kaieteur News

Cabinet to GPHC Board - “Khan must go home” - Chairman says Board abiding by instructions Cabinet has taken a decision to send home Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Mr Michael Khan. This publication was reliably informed that Khan will serve out months of accumulated leave at home, after which his contract as CEO will not be renewed. Next week Friday will be Khan’s last working day in his office at the public hospital. His leave will commence on the following Monday and come to an end in July 2017. This state of affairs was confirmed yesterday by Chairman of the Hospital’s Board of Directors, Dr. Carl ‘Max’ Hanoman, at a press conference convened at the hospital’s Dialysis Centre. Khan who attended the press conference yesterday insisted that he was

not being sent home because of any wrongdoing as was reported in the media but rather because he has accumulated leave and legally must take it. “That is not entirely accurate,” Dr. Hanoman clarified yesterday, to which Khan injected “I am being politically correct.” Dr. Hanoman shared that Khan was perhaps attending the final press conference in his capacity as CEO. When questioned yesterday, the Board Chairman said that he was in receipt of correspondence informing that Cabinet had taken a decision to send Khan home. But Hanoman intimated that the letter did not share details of the specific reason(s) for the decision. He related that since be-

ing appointed as Chairman of the Board, he has ensured that the Board functioned in the best interest of the organisation. He however added “we cannot go against the decision of the Government. Cabinet has said that Mr. Khan will be on leave till the end of his contract...they have written to me that he has to go, and I have written to him (Khan) informing that Cabinet says you have to go...” But according to Dr. Hanoman, “I had plans for Mr. Khan until the end of November.” The plans referenced by the Chairman, entail Khan overseeing a number of projects that are already in progress. “The Board is of the view, at the moment, that we have numerous projects that we cannot disrupt,” Dr.

GPHC’s CEO Michael Khan, at yesterday’s press conference Hanoman had earlier told this publication. He added “because we

cannot disrupt progress at this moment, we have to stick with one who has institutional

Auditor General decries “worrying” abuse of Contingency Fund to meet “routine” expenses After years of bashing the former regime for the abuse of the Contingency Fund, the coalition administration has found itself guilty of the same transgression. This is according to Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma, who in his latest report criticized the Government’s advances from the Fund.

Sharma said that during the period under review, amounts totaling $799M were drawn from the Fund, by way of 24 advances. He said that it was disappointing to note that the advances continued to be granted, even though they did not meet the required criteria. Kaieteur News was informed by the AG that he was

left in a state of concern having learnt that eleven advances totaling $604M were granted from the Fund to meet “routine expenditure” for the year 2015. Over the years, the abuse of the Fund was a topical issue for A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change when the parties served as the Parliamentary

opposition. In fact, it was AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan who had emphasized on several occasions that the National Assembly is the first device or mechanism for which emergency advances can be protected from abuse. The politician had asserted, “The (PPP) has been (Continued on page 31)

Auditor General, Deodat Sharma

memory; so that we can get the best results at the hospital...our idea is to see what is best for the hospital as we go forward.” The Chairman also noted yesterday that it was his expectation that the CEO would have been able to groom a Deputy CEO. The hospital is currently seeking applications for the new position of a Deputy CEO, and Dr. Hanoman said yesterday “we will have an array of people to choose from...I had hoped that when we got the Deputy that could have learnt from him (Khan), but I am not going against Cabinet.” Despite some calls for Khan to be terminated following the release of an audit report on the operation of the public hospital, Dr. Hanoman said that he made the decision to retain Khan because of his vast institutional knowledge. When asked to comment on the decision for him to be sent home, Khan yesterday re-directed questions to the Chairman, pointing out that the Board was privy to a meeting with the auditor, which suggested that he committed no wrongdoing. Dr. Hanoman in response said that “I can only go with what is presented to me...I don’t have any ulterior motive. A report was sent to me, I asked some questions, and if I didn’t find a fault what am I to do? I have no agenda to keep Mr Khan; I wanted somebody who can do the work.”

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Friday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News

5G offers to ease GPHC’s dialysis treatment burden The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has been offered a proposition that could see its limitations to offer dialysis treatment being considerably reduced. The proposition entails the 5G Dialysis Centre taking on the task of offering dialysis treatment to just over 100 patients who seek this service from the public hospital. Sharing the proposition yesterday was Director of the 5G Dialysis Centre, Mr. Asafo George. According to George, 5G Dialysis could offer the service to some 110 patients for a cost of $250 million per year. This is the very cost that the hospital estimates that it would require to expand its existing service in order to offer dialysis treatment to its patients in need of dialysis in both its inpatient and outpatient units. Currently the GPHC lacks funding to expand its dialysis service and is therefore looking to the private sector to help its limitation. George asserted yesterday that the proposition will entail not only offering patients treatment for the sum in question, but sufficient machines and their

Director of 5G Dialysis Centre, Mr. Asafo George maintenance and repairs, installation and even training and medication. This is opposed to the fact that GPHC’s Kidney Transplant Surgeon, Dr Kishore Persaud’s disclosure that the estimated $250 million will only cater to supplies. “You can’t even compare the two, they are not comparable,” asserted George. His revelation caused Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Carl ‘Max’ Hanoman to question “how can you do that cheap?” George however asserted that his organisation’s ability to offer this service is premised on the fact that it is

an established institution that has been offering quality service for a number of years. 5G Dialysis Centre, he said, was launched in 2004, and has been treating patients since the following year. “5G is the first provider of dialysis...we enabled dialysis in Guyana, we have trained many of the people in the field, including Dr. Surendra Persaud, who is chairman of NIS, and who is the first to be trained in creating the access for catheters and fistulas...5G enabled that training for free,” George disclosed. He pointed out that once his organisation is able to engage in a partnership with either the GPHC or the Ministry of Public Health, “we will again strengthen the human resource. This is not new, these are offers we have had out there from the Minister in 2005 to the Minister or Government today...this has been on the table for a very long time.” George said that he turned up at yesterday’s press conference after reading an article published in the Thursday’s Edition of the Kaieteur News which revealed the sum that the hospital estimated it would have to spend in order to expand its dialysis service.

From left: GPHC’s CEO, Mr Michael Khan; Kidney Transplant Surgeon Dr. Kishore Persaud and Chairman of the Board Dr. Carl ‘Max’ Hanoman According to George, he immediately recognised that the sum could be spent more efficiently if expended by his organisation, which has been involved in the business of dialysis treatment over a decade. The 5G Director made reference to Dr. Persaud’s disclosure yesterday that the GPHC is spending more money on dialysis than it is spending on cancer, and the fact that “the care being offered is not the kind of care that should be offered.” The hospital yesterday announced that it now has in place seven functioning machines which, however, is not nearly enough to treat the patients that seek its service. According to Dr. Persaud, the hospital will require about 40 machines to offer an adequate service.

George asserted that “we have laid out plans to the hospital, as well as to the Ministry, that will provide a solution easy for the same money...we are not asking for a new budget line item. We are saying if you partner with us we will deliver and offer a much better quality of care for patients.” He continued by boasting yesterday that “most of our patients go back to work, they are working and doing dialysis. I am sure the patients here (at GPHC) are doing dialysis to return to dialysis... they can’t have a life between sessions.” At yesterday’s press conference Dr. Hanoman underscored that “we need corporate Guyana to get involved. Let’s start a Kidney Foundation...let’s develop the hospital – more machines,

more peripheral centres, let’s go into partnership with the private individuals so that Guyanese can have a better delivery of care. We have limited resources, we have limited space, but we are doing the best we could.” Although accepting that he is aware of 5G’s offer, Dr. Hanoman noted that approval for the collaboration will have to come from Government. The current state of affairs at the Dialysis Centre, according to Dr. Persaud, is that an average of 35 to 40 patients are seen on the wards, on a daily basis. Two outpatient clinics are conducted per week, during which an average of 30 patients are seen per sessions, Dr. Persaud said. The Centre, according to him, conducts both peritoneal (Continued on page 27)

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Kaieteur News

Carvil Duncan’s suspension sets gloomy precedent for future of democracy - Opposition Leader The suspension of Carvil Duncan, as Chairman of the Public Service Commission, in accordance with Article 225 (6) of the constitution by President David Granger, has been described as a cavalier and ominous act by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. He said that it relates to the future of democracy in Guyana. Jagdeo held a press conference at Parliament during a break in the Parliamentary sitting, yesterday, to address the issue. He said that his party’s refusal to sit in Parliament while the President made his speech, was done to send a strong message to the President and the Executive that constitutional protection must not be treated lightly. “Carvil Duncan, for whatever he is, has constitutional protection by virtue of the office or offices he currently holds.” Jagdeo said that his party believes in the doctrine of separation of powers as the foundation of the nation’s democracy. He stated that when the Executive extends its arm to deal with people who are protected by the constitution, they have to do so in a manner that is prescribed. The former Head of State said that such persons should not be dealt with in a way that intimidates them to take certain actions. “We believe the whole affair surrounding Carvil Duncan does not exhibit any of the fair treatment that is required in this case.” The opposition leader said that Duncan has been charged for misappropriating $20,000 a month for a few years. Duncan is said to have misappropriated a whopping $900,000. “That is already clear that it was a director’s fee, but he is being charged and placed before the court for that matter,” Jagdeo said. But the money Carvil Duncan took was never approved, a point Jagdeo failed to mention. Duncan had claimed that the money represented a pay increase approved by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. But the then Prime Minister said that he never approved any such increase. Jagdeo said that the allegation against Minister of State Joseph Harmon and President Granger for asking Duncan to resign is a direct

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo interference by the Executive, trying to get a constitutional post holder to succumb to their will. “Immediately thereafter the President puts in place this tribunal, which is an affront to natural justice and to the law of the presumption of innocence, because the court is still hearing the case and has not ruled on whether Carvil Duncan is guilty or not.” Jagdeo said that Tuesday’s action by Granger to suspend Duncan was the proverbial last straw, since the Tribunal is still ongoing. “This indecent haste to get rid of Carvil Duncan is unbelievable. By itself it may not mean much, but given that Carvil Duncan has all these constitutional protections, what about ordinary citizens?” The opposition leader is of the position that if the government can get away with the removal of a constitutional post holder then it can get away with anything when ordinary people have to engage with the government. Duncan was suspended pending the outcome of the tribunal which comprises Justice Roxanne GeorgeWiltshire, Justice (retd) Winston Patterson and Attorney-at-Law, Robert Ramcharran. The trio is expected to present its report to the President on or before Monday October 31, 2016. The law prescribes that if the tribunal clears Duncan, then the president must reinstate him. According to a statement

President David Granger

Embattled Carvil Duncan issued by the Ministry of the Presidency, Duncan has also been suspended from performing the constitutional functions as ex-officio member of the Judicial Service Commission, the Police Service Commission and other functions as ex-officio member of the Commissions of the Board of the Guyana Defence Force. Duncan with his lawyers, Anil Nandlall and Satesh Satram, had reportedly moved to the courts during the week to challenge the legality of the tribunal which was established on September 15, 2016 in accordance with Article 225 (4) of the constitution. The trade unionist is currently before the court on fraud charges after it was discovered by auditors that he paid himself approximately $1M and allegedly conspired with Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Power and Light, Aeshwar Deonarine for an unapproved transfer of some $28M into Deonarine’s account.

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Those who steal state property will be brought to justice – Granger By Kiana Wilburg In the interest of restoring transparency and accountability, President David Granger emphasised that his Government is committed to promoting standards of probity in public office. The Head of State made this comment, among others, during his address to the Parliament yesterday. In this regard, he said that the administration will ensure that those who stole state property are brought to justice.

He added, “We will pursue the recovery of all stolen State assets.” The President also stated that the State Assets Recovery Bill will establish a State Asset Recovery Agency to recover State property that has been unlawfully acquired, through civil proceedings. A series of consultations led by the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the State Asset Recovery Unit have already been held. The Bill, according to several stakeholders, has

been deemed to be an extremely comprehensive document. Among other things, the crucial draft legislation contains provisions covering the nature and availability of legal assistance arrangements that may be concluded between Guyana and a foreign state or territory, in relation to matters concerning civil recovery. The Bill says that the Minister of Legal Affairs may enter into reciprocal recovered property-sharing agree-

Govt. probes Demerara Timbers claim of closing operations - to seek investor willing to respect workers’ rights Days after sacking 11 workers, who participated in protests action for increases, a major logging company is finding itself in hot water. Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) could very well lose the over 500,000 hectares of forest concessions it has, because of current unease with workers and threats that it is winding up operations and seeking new investors. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources yesterday, it is gravely concerned about the recent dismissal of 11 workers of DTL for engaging in protests action against the company. The workers, earlier this month, took action to press for an increase. However, shortly after resuming work, the employees were issued letters severing their services. The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) has complained that labour regulations were breached in the sacking of those workers. The ministry in a statement yesterday expressed its desire for the matter to be resolved amicably and speedily between the company and its union. The ministry said that it is also concerned about confirmed reports in sections of the media that the company will be winding up its operations at Mabura and closing by the end

of 2016. “The Guyana Forestry Commission has been mandated to investigate and provide a report,” the ministry said. In the interim, the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the GFC, will seek new investors willing to operate the concessions held by DTL, the ministry said. The process will be done in a manner that is “sustainable, environmentally friendly and respectful of workers’ rights”, the ministry assured. DTL has over 516,000 hectares in Timber Sales Agreement in areas at Mabura, Region 10, making it one of the largest concession holders in the country. The company is officially controlled by an investor, said to be from Malaysia. The David Granger administration, since taking office last year has vowed to tighten oversight on the country’s resources and other regulations, including adherence to labour laws. A few weeks ago, GFC announced that it has taken away the forestry concessions of BaiShanLin, a Chinese company that was the second largest holder in Guyana. The decision had to do with outstanding payments.

ments. The Bill also sets out that the Director may enter into agreements to collect and share information with a relevant foreign authority. The Court or Director, in acting upon a foreign request for assistance, may take any action including where appropriate, a civil recovery investigation, restraint and civil recovery proceedings (section 95). The Director may make a direct request for overseas assistance, or may issue a letter of request, if he/ she believes that there is relevant evidence in a country or territory outside Guyana. The request may be sent to any authority recognized by the Government of the country or territory concerned as being appropriate for receiving requests, or the court or tribunal specified within the request. Alternatively, a request may be sent through the Central Authority which should forward the request to the court, tribunal, Government or authority in the country or territory concerned. It was explained by SARU Head, Dr. Clive Thomas that

the Director may also initiate proceedings in a foreign country to recover property he/she believes to be proceeds of any unlawful conduct (section 100), but in both cases the Director must inform the Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs in writing of the request for assistance or of the institution of proceedings (section 101). He stressed that this is designed to ensure the relevant Ministers are kept fully informed, and to avoid the risk of a diplomatic incident being caused inadvertently. “Evidence obtained by means of a request for assistance cannot be used for any purpose other than for the purposes of the investigation for which it was obtained. However, the court, tribunal, government or authority that received the request and provided the evidence, can consent to the use of the evidence for other purposes,” Dr. Thomas explained. The SARA Bill also contains provisions granting immunity to the Director, SARA

staff, any person acting on behalf of SARA, an Asset Manager or any person appointed by the Court for any act done in good faith in the intended performance of any duty under the Act. There are also provisions providing protection for SARA staff making it a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment for, among other actions, threatening a member of SARA staff or a member of their family. Additionally, transitional arrangements are to the effect that existing members of staff of SARU automatically become members of staff of SARA on the coming into force of the State Assets Recovery Act, and within six months thereof, the Parliamentary Committee on appointments must recommend to the National Assembly a person to be appointed as Director of SARA. Section (106) of the Bill enables the Minister to make Regulations for the carrying out of the provisions of the Act and imposes a criminal sanction for a breach of those Regulations.

Berbice businessman murder PI…

Five more witnesses to testify At least five more witnesses are scheduled to testify in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Berbice businessman, Shameer Ali Mursalin. The matter which is ongoing at the Magistrates’ Court at Springlands, East Berbice, Corentyne, was yet again adjourned to a later date. Mursalin, called ‘Kazo,’ a trader, of Grant 1805 Weld Tank Dam, Crabwood Creek, Berbice Corentyne, in Region Six, was fatally shot, reportedly following a longstanding dispute with a fellow businessman, on October 24, 2015. Berbice trader Dennis Veerasammy, called “Diggles” and two of his employees, Basheer Harrinauth and Delroy Fraser, were arrested and charged. They are before the court for

the murder. The matter was briefly called yesterday before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh, but was stood down until afternoon. By the time the matter was recalled, Magistrate Singh noted that time would not permit him to take the evidence of the three witnesses that were present. The witnesses included Tameshwarie Kishore called “Sunita,” the sister of the deceased, and two police witnesses. Some of the witnesses expressed frustration at the adjournment, citing that they had travelled all the way from Georgetown to give evidence in the PI. The matter is expected to continue on October 24.

Auditor General finds “significant breaches” of FMAA, Procurement Act during 2015 The Auditor General’s Report of 2015 is riddled with cited instances of malpractice. Among those boldly highlighted were actions that violate what is stipulated in various pieces of legislation. Specifically, Auditor General Deodat Sharma said that there were “significant breaches of legislation, especially as it relates to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA), the Stores Regulations and the Procurement Act.” It was noted that the expenditure of the government was overstated by $2.5B in respect of 16 ministries, departments and regions due to breaches of Section 43 of the FMAA. Section 43 of the FMAA states, “Except as otherwise

provided in this Act or in any other law, at the end of each fiscal year, any unexpended balance of public moneys issued out of the Consolidated Fund shall be returned and surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.” Sharma said that included in the overstated sum of $2.5B is the sum of $1.6B related to 1,784 cheques on hand at 31 December 2015. The report stated that of the cheques on hand, 946 amounting to $1.2B were in respect of the Ministry of Public Health, the overstatement also included the sum of $885.2M, representing unspent balances on 11 Inter-Departmental Warrants issued to the Ministry of Public Health by the 10 Administrative Regions which were not credited to the respected Regions’

Appropriation Accounts. The Audit report noted that the Procurement Act was breached by 11 Ministries, departments and regions including the appointment of tender boards and basis of award of contracts among others. Further, there were several breaches of the stores regulations. The Auditor General said that this occurred especially as it relates to the maintenance of stipulated records including shores ledgers, historical records for vehicles/ equipment, and master and sectional inventories, among others. Moreover, the Auditor General said that some records were poorly maintained, in that, pertinent information was not recorded and in other cases, some were not even kept.

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Delays in projects result in $8.4B shortfall in 2015 The Auditor General’s 2015 report has revealed that the government has failed to spend over $8B of the money it budgeted for that year. Some of this money had to be returned to the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB). The Audit Office describes this as an “unsatisfactory situation.” Auditor General, Deodat Sharma reported, “Central Government failed to achieve their anticipated levels of capital expenditure activities during 2015.” He said that the actual capital expenditure was approximately 79 percent of the approved allotment of $39B “resulting in a shortfall of over $8.4B. This shortfall was attributed primarily to delays in the implementation

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Kaieteur News

- Audit Report of key infrastructure projects.” Sharma said, “This unsatisfactory situation resulted in the return of disbursements totaling US $5.3, equivalent to $1B, which was requested by the InterAmerican Development Bank from the loan agreements Road Network Upgrade and Expansion Programme and Sustainable Operation of the Electricity Sector and Improved Quality Service.” Nine Ministries failed to complete projects. These are the Ministries of Finance, Presidency, Agriculture, Business, Public Infrastructure, Education, Public Communications,

Public Health and Public Security. Ministry of Public Infrastructure has the highest shortfall. That Ministry failed to utilize $4.9B, followed by the Ministry of Communities which failed to spend $1.5B. The Audit Office said that the unspent amounts under the Ministry of Public Infrastructure include portions of US$4.4M and US$900,000 that were disbursed on two loans, and had to be returned to the IDB based on the bank’s request due to the non–performance of the loans. In keeping with the recommendation of the Audit Office, the Ministry of Finance has vowed that it will “continue” to advise all Heads of the Budget to commence early preparatory work on bid documents so as to facilitate tendering with respect to the execution of capital works during the first quarter of each year. The Audit Office advised that with early preparation, issues will likewise be detected early and can be dealt with in a timely manner, so as to avoid delays and ensure amounts are expended as budgeted.

Resurgence of diphtheria in Venezuela puts Health Ministry on high alert The Ministry of Public Health is taking preventative measures to reduce the risk of Diphtheria crossing the border from Venezuela where an outbreak has been found in San Antonio, Sifontes, Bolivar State. Doctors in Venezuela have reported 17 deaths they attribute to the outbreak. Diphtheria is an upper respiratory illness caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria, which primarily infects the throat and upper airways, and produces a toxin affecting other organs. Diphtheria is transmitted by having direct contact with a patient, contaminated objects or by sneezing or coughing. Skin lesions can also transmit the infection. The symptoms of Diphtheria include sore throat, fever, adherent membrane over the nose, tonsils and throat and skin lesions. The diphtheria toxin causes a membrane of dead tissue to build-up over the throat and tonsils, making breathing and swallowing

difficult. The diphtheria toxin causes a membrane of dead tissue to build up over the throat and tonsils, making breathing and swallowing difficult. During days one through three of infection, persons are likely to notice whitish membrane in the throat, while on days four through six it is likely to change to a greyish colour. If left untreated, Diphtheria can result in infection of the lungs, heart failure, kidney damage, paralysis (inability to move arms and/ or legs) and in some cases, death. Diphtheria can be cured successfully if treatment is started early enough. The most effective way of preventing Diphtheria is through vaccination. DPT vaccine protects against Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus.

Guyana has repeatedly attained over 90 percent vaccine coverage, however there are areas within the interior locations where coverage is less. A multidisciplinary team of health professionals will be targeting villages bordering Venezuela. The team will provide vaccinations to all vulnerable children and ensure health officers in the regions are on the alert for any probable case. The DPT vaccine is highly effective and safe and it is available in all the public health facilities countrywide. Treatment for Diptheria includes the administration of antibiotics such as erythromycin and penicillin which are available in Guyana. For more information on Diphtheria, contact the Maternal Child Health Department on 226 7338.

Friday October 14, 2016

Specialty rice seed paddy to be grown at Wales The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has entered into partnership with the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to plant seed paddy at Wales sugar estate. The partnership resulted out of the GRDB’s continued research aimed to develop new rice varieties for local farmers, a Government release said yesterday. To avoid cross pollination, GuySuCo was approached by the GRDB to use land and other resources made available through the sugar company’s rationalization plans. Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, explained that Wales was chosen since there is no rice being grown in close proximity, thereby reducing possibilities of contamination by other varieties of rice. “Seed paddy to be pure when multiplying, is ideally produced in an environment that is not in the midst of other kinds of rice,” Holder said. According to the

Minister, the arrangement will not require GuySuCo to acquire new capital, but rather utilize lands and equipment which may otherwise be idle as the highly indebted company continues to be reorganized. Further, the Minister said the partnership is an opportunity for GuySuCo to earn much needed finances as it continues to work at finding a way out of heavy debts. “GuySuCo needs to get into economic activities. It is punishing, it’s costing the nation over $12 billion per year,” the Minister said. According to the Minister, the arrangement between GuySuCo and the GRDB is a win-win solution for both entities. Since coming to office the Coalition government has undertaken to reorganize the Guyana Sugar Corporation with a view to making it profitable and less dependent on subventions from the treasury. Wales Estate is in a rice free zone, making it ideal

Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder for the development of seed paddy for specialty rice which is high in demand and attracts premium price on the world market. The century-old factory is to be closed this year-end, with staffers and operations moved to Uitvlugt, another estate in the West Demerara area. Government had announced a plan for alternative crops at the estate.

5G offers to ease GPHC’s dialysis... (From page 14) and haemodialysis with dialysis sessions being conducted six days per week with an average of nine patients per day. There are currently about 24 patients on haemodialysis, with approximately 120 patients

total, that are on dialysis. But the Centre is challenged by the shortage of staff, machines and finances, hence the need for support. “Yesterday (Wednesday) we only had three functioning haemodialysis machines, today we have seven

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Kaieteur News

functioning machines...we will have five units running and two on standby for emergency cases,” said Dr. Persaud, as he alluded to the fact that more patients have been dying because they can ill-afford to seek care outside of the hospital.

Guyana-born manager leads Brexit legal battle London - Gina Miller is a London-based investment manager for the firm SCM Private, which she cofounded in 2014. Miller, who was born in Guyana but grew up in Britain, is the lead claimant in a historic legal action against the Prime Minister. She is fighting her case with several other applicants, including the socalled “People’s Challenge” which has the backing of thousands of supporters. Ms Miller argues that individual members of the Cabinet have no legal power to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to leave the European Union without the prior authorisation of Parliament and MPs. She is hoping to overturn Mrs May’s decision in judicial preview proceedings at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Miller is the founder and chairman of Miller Philanthropy, which she launched with her husband Alan, the original “Mr Hedge Fund”, who made more than £30 million in the City. The couple also launched the True and Fair

Gina Miller Campaign, aimed at slashing charges on ISAs and rooting out ‘dishonesty’ in the financial services industry. She and her husband have been a major contributor to the Lady Thatcher infirmary at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, in addition to numerous small UK community charities and projects, and says her organisation always does its “due diligence” before helping any cause. She offers her foundation’s services completely free of charge, and Miller Philanthropy also has a pro bono directory, the

Goodwill Exchange, which is made up of experts, individuals and companies. The dispute is over whether Parliament as a whole or Ministers have the authority to formally declare to the European Parliament that Britain is withdrawing from the EU under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Article 50 states that any member state may leave “in accordance with its own constitutional requirements”. The Government says that its executive powers, under the royal prerogative, are sufficient for David Davis, the Brexit secretary, to formally announce Britain’s exit on behalf of Theresa May’s Cabinet. The case will be heard over three days at the High Court and could move to the Supreme Court before the end of the year. (telegraph.co.uk)

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

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Consultation with displaced vendors underway Vendors were afforded an opportunity to view the proposed designs by City Hall for the renovation of the Stabroek Market, Bourda Green and the New Vendors Arcade on Water Street. These plans were revealed by City officials, as the consultation aspect of these proposed projects began yesterday. Addressing vendors were City Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, Town Clerk Royston King, and Chairman of the Markets and Public Health Committee, Lionel Jaikaran, among other Council members and staff. Ryan Boodhoo, a stall owner in Stabroek market, who was representing the Stabroek Market Stallholders Association, said the ideas put forward by the council are “superb”. However, Boodhoo noted that not much was changed in the design for Stabroek Market, when compared to other designs presented. “From my knowledge, Stabroek Market happens to be a landmark of the country…I think we need a better facility.” Boohdoo noted. Boodhoo said that the other design catered for parking and elevators at these potential facilities, however, this was not the case with Stabroek market. Mayor Chase-Green in responding to Boodhoo said that there are plans to add a second floor to the back of Stabroek Market. However she pointed out that because the building is a heritage landmark, the council does not want to change the ar-

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Kaieteur News

chitecture of the Stabroek Market in a major way. The Town Clerk noted however that the council would be willing to reconfigure the internal aspect of Stabroek Market to give it a more modern look. Another vendor enquired about the former Guyana National Co-operative Bank (GNCB) building, just opposite where the displaced vendors are located, citing it as an ideal location that would not need much renovation. The Mayor however informed the vendor that the building in question was sold, and is now privately owned. The vendor also enquired whether the building could have been compulsorily acquired, just like the land for the New Vendors Arcade on Water Street, under the previous administration. The Mayor explained that compulsory acquisitions can only be done by the government of day, noting that those powers are not invested in the council. Another vendor, representing persons vending at Merriman Mall, questioned how the council was planning to encourage more unity and cooperation among vendors and the council, when vendors do not know the persons representing them. Councilors, he added, need to work along with vendors, and should introduce themselves. This way, the vendor said, issues can be raised with the relevant authorities. The vendor also touched on the provisions in the Laws for vending, as mentioned by the Mayor. He noted that the

problem with all the provisions and laws is that there is no enforcement. “There are laws and bylaws that are simply not being enforced, and only when things get totally out of order and to a magnitude where the press(media) can take advantage of it and the opposition can take advantage of it, you people(the council) look bad.” The vendor said. The Mayor made mention of the sale of illicit drugs at the markets during her presentation, the very outspoken vendor asked “where are your people?” in relation to the matter. He noted that this is an issue at every market, adding that the City Constabulary is well aware of what is going on. “They see it, they are part of it….if we want to get back some kind of order you have to be very serious as Mayor, the Town Clerk has to be very serious with his job as Town Clerk. Blind eyes are being turned to many things….so when you going to put all kinds of systems in place, saying we have to get rid of this and that, you have to get rid of some of your own,” the vendor explained. Day one on the consultation focused on issues facing vendors and finding long tern solution to the vending issues facing the City. Today’s session will focus on the relocation of Parliament View vendors. The council was given a December 31 deadline to remove vendors from the privately-owned property on Lombard and Hadfield Streets.

Efforts to acquire Clarissa Riehl, Beharry lands conformed to the rule of law -AG Attorney General Basil Williams sought to set the record straight yesterday regarding the controversy surrounding the acquisition of the two plots of land on Middle and Carmichael Streets owned by Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Clarissa Riehl and her husband, and the Beharry Group of Companies. His comments come on the heels of accusations that he was covertly trying to acquire the private lands for the expansion of his ministry. Prior to his statement to the media yesterday, the Minister had said that this was a situation he inherited from the former regime. But the Opposition has since denied this claim and challenged Williams to bring the evidence to support his statements. Nevertheless, Williams told the media yesterday that the APNU+AFC Government has pledged, and will continue to uphold the rule of law in all that it does. The Minister of Legal Affairs stressed that any acquisition of the land could not be accomplished without the owners’ knowledge or affording them the opportunity to enter into negotiations for the purchase of the land before any acquisition could be occasioned. Williams said that the two lots have no building or erections. He said, too, that it is relevant to note that the PPP/ C Government passed in 2001, the Acquisition for Public Purposes (Amendment) Act 2001 which says, “....it shall...be lawful under this Act to acquire land for the proposed construction of a

Attorney General, Basil Williams public work or for a public purpose whether or not there is any building or erection on such land.” With this in mind, the Attorney General said, “Now I don’t want the Guyanese people to believe that I entrapped (former Minister of Legal Affairs Anil) Nandlall or his Party. But any lawyer worth his salt would first seek to read the relevant law on the subject and not be hysterical after leaping into darkness.” The Minister stressed that the relevant law enables him to declare a work, a public work. He said that Section 4 of the Act, empowers the Minister by order, to authorize the Commissioner of Lands or any other person, their agents, servants or workmen to enter upon any land specified in the order for the purpose of surveying or otherwise examine it with a view to the acquisition of the whole or part of it for the construction of a public work.

He said that in Section 5 of the Act, the authorized person is empowered to enter upon and survey and take levels of any land where the public works are intended to be executed; or to dig or bore into the sub-soil of such land, or to do all other acts necessary to ascertain whether the land is adapted to the purpose. Williams said that one could consider that the provisions of sections 4 and 5 speak to a scoping mission. He continued, “Section 6 provides that the report of the authorized person together with a plan of the land must be laid before the Minister, who after considering them may enter into negotiations for the purchase of the land or if for any reason he deems it advisable, may by order, declare that the land or any part thereof is required for a public work, and may alter or annul any order so made.” The Attorney General said that it is manifest in this legal framework that the first option is to engage the owners on the question of a voluntary sale before resorting to compulsory acquisition. He said that for the “Nandlalls” and “Ramotars” of this world to accuse him compulsory acquiring the lands in question and blindsiding Mrs. Riehl, shows a blatant lack of knowledge of the law and an affinity for premature eruptions. The Minister of Legal Affairs then referred to Section 8 of the law which ensures that an owner’s land cannot (Continued on page 29)

CCTV footage of man attacking Montrose granny shown in court Video footage of a man sneaking into the home of Danrasie Ganesh and attacking her on the day she was found dead in her home was shown to the court, when the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the matter continued in the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court. Collin Alleyne, 23, of Timehri Cemetery Road, East Bank Demerara is currently on remand for the capital offence The battered body of 77year-old Ganesh also known

as Carmen was found in her Montrose, East Coast Demerara home, on August 1, 2015, by relatives who went to check on her after she failed to answer neighbours’ calls. The gruesome murder was captured on surveillance camera. It was reported that Ganesh’s killer, believed to be Alleyne, clubbed her on the head with a tyre wrench and dragged her into a corner, where she collapsed. It was then that the killer

wrapped a hand-towel around her neck, kicked and stomped the old woman until she lay motionless. Alleyne was captured three wee k s a f t e r t h e murder at Guyhoc Park, Georgetown. He reportedly told detectives that a male relative of Ganesh made him an offer of $700,000 to kill the old woman and steal documents pertaining to her property. At the court hearing, Detective Sergeant Julio Jonas, who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown was called to tender footage of the gruesome murder which was captured on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras. He was also called to tender video footage of Alleyne confessing to the crime at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary,

MURDERED: Danrasie Ganesh Georgetown. The unrepresented accused, who in the past had behaved disorderly in court, sat calmly in the prisoner’s dock as the videos were being played during the morning session. However, the case was adjourned to the afternoon session after the

Magistrate documented minutes. During the afternoon proceeding, the accused was visibly upset at the evidence being shown to the court and did not hesitate to show his objections. Alleyne blurted out a series of expletives. Magistrate Ally-Seepaul then ordered that the accused be escorted out of the courtroom, and adjourned the PI until January 9, 2017. At the last court hearing, Detective Inspector, Cedric Gravesande was called to t e s t i f y. Inspector Gravesande gave evidence in relation to a confrontation he had with Alleyne at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown. At the time of the murder, the police witness told the court that he was the Officer in Charge of crime at the Sparendaam Police Station. Upon completion of the

MURDER ACCUSED: Collin Alleyne witness’s testimony, Alleyne declined to cross-examine him. Police Prosecutor David Goodridge has since indicated that Detective Sergeant Rodwell Sarrabo would be his final witness.

Friday October 14, 2016

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Kaieteur News

Hurricane Matthew relief effort ‘Absolutely false,’ Trump says in angry reply to women’s groping allegations in Haiti enters new phase

Sacks of donated rice are loaded onto a truck for local distribution after being delivered by a U.S. military helicopter, in the mountain village of Beaumont, near Jeremie, Haiti, yesterday. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — An international relief effort for victims of Hurricane Matthew entered a more advanced stage yesterday as a second U.S. military ship arrived off Haiti’s coast and U.N. convoys and non-government organisations began reaching more isolated communities. Food, clean water and construction materials have begun pouring into the southwestern peninsula, though many people there still say they’ve seen little or no aid. Those working to send everything from water purification systems to building materials say the scope of the damage from Matthew and the difficulty reaching people create logistical challenges similar to those faced after the devastating earth-

quake that struck the crowded capital and surrounding areas in January 2010. But while the death toll from last week’s storm is in the hundreds, the Haitian government has said the earthquake killed more than 300,000. The Haitian government says more than 1.4 million people urgently need humanitarian assistance. Many people across the ruggedly scenic peninsula have watched passing aid trucks in growing frustration. But amid the challenges, the relief effort has risen visibly in recent days. Teams from the Haitian Red Cross and Civil Protection agency have fanned out across the peninsula and large convoys from the U.N. and the migration agency are seen more throughout the disaster zone. On Wednesday, the U.S. military made 13 helicopter flights

to hard-to-reach areas with 159 metric tons of food supplies, the U.S. Agency for International Development said. The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima arrived off the coast of the widely affected city of Jeremie to serve as a mobile helicopter base and logistics hub to bring supplies and construction assistance to the southwestern peninsula. It will relieve the USS Mesa Verde, which arrived shortly after storm started hitting the peninsula on Oct. 3 and 4. Along with widespread hunger and the loss of crops, livestock and fishing boats and gear, authorities warn that cholera appears to be rising, making delivery of water purification supplies a high priority as officials consider how to help the region over the longer term.

Moonilal insists on probe of troubling issue Trinidad Guardian - Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal says Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi may have committed a criminal act by allowing his children to handle high-powered guns last year and is calling on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to launch an investigation into the matter. Moonilal said his request was made in a letter to Rowley Wednesday, adding that it was copied to the Chief of Defence Staff, acting Commissioner of Police and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He said he was also considering sending a letter to the Integrity Commission. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Moonilal said he did not bring the children into disrepute when he made the revelation in the House

Dr Roodal Moonilal on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2017 budget debate. Referring to Al-Rawi, Moonilal said: “By putting firearms you brought the chil-

dren into disrepute. It is not my fault.” He said Al-Rawi was now attempting “to escape responsibility” in the matter. Asked to respond to AlRawi’s claim that his children were part of a protocol supervised and administered by the Defence Force last year after death threats were issued to him, Moonilal said under the Defence Act, “a soldier cannot transfer his weapon to a civilian, that is a breach.” He insisted “the Defence Force has no power to transfer their weapons to civilians, far less minors,” adding that “the only time the law is suspended is during a state of emergency.” The Opposition MP also said death threats to a minister were to be reported to the police.

Reuters - Donald Trump assailed as “absolutely false” the allegations by several women that he groped them, and blamed Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, the media and lobbyists of being engaged in a vicious effort to stop him from winning the White House. With his numbers dropping in opinion polls only weeks before the Nov. 8 election, the Republican presidential nominee told supporters at a rally in Florida that his campaign was engaged in “a struggle for the survival of our nation.” Trump said accusations that he groped women in a series of incidents going back to the 1980s were part of a coordinated attempt to keep him from the Oval Office. “These vicious claims about me of inappropriate conduct with women are totally and absolutely false,” he said, adding that “the Clintons know it.” He said he would make public at some point evidence to dispute the charges. Trump spoke after The New York Times reported that two women said they had endured sexual aggression from him, and several other women made similar allegations in other media outlets. The New York businessman’s campaign was already struggling to contain a crisis after a video surfaced last week showing him bragging in 2005 about groping women and making unwanted sexual advances. First lady Michelle Obama criticized Trump in scathing terms in a campaign speech for Clinton in New Hampshire yesterday. Her voice close to cracking with emotion, Obama described the Republican as “a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexu-

Donald Trump

ally predatory behaviour.” “It’s one of countless examples of how he has treated women his whole life and I have to tell you that I listen to all this and I feel it so personally,” she said. One woman, Jessica Leeds, appeared on camera on The New York Times’ website to recount how Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt on a flight from the Midwest to New York in or around 1980. The second woman, Rachel Crooks, described how Trump “kissed me directly on the mouth” in an unwanted advance in 2005 at Trump Tower in Manhattan, where she was a receptionist at a real estate firm. Reuters could not independently verify the incidents. Leeds and Crooks did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters. The New York Times said yesterday it stood by its story and rejected charges the article was libellous after a lawyer for Trump threatened legal action and demanded a retraction. Trump has slumped in opinion polls in recent days as uproar over the video threatened to engulf the former reality TV star’s White

House campaign in a way that earlier controversies surrounding him have not. A Reuters/Ipsos survey showed one in five Republicans thought Trump’s comments about groping women disqualified him from the presidency. The poll also showed him 8 points behind Clinton among likely voters. Trump trails Clinton by up to 11 points in other polls. He has never previously run for political office. Provocative statements have been a feature of his presidential bid since the day in June 2015 when he described Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals in a speech announcing he was running for president. Establishment Republicans have struggled to get behind Trump, alarmed by both his style and some of his policy proposals. Within hours of The New York Times report, several other media outlets published similar reports. People magazine published a detailed firstperson account from one of its reporters, Natasha Stoynoff. Stoynoff said Trump pinned her against a wall at his Florida estate in 2005 and kissed her as she struggled to get away.

Efforts to acquire Clarissa... (From page 28) be acquired by covertness. According to the law, “When an order is made under section 4 or section 6, notice thereof shall be served personally on the proprietor or his attorney if either is resident in Guyana and if he is not so resident or cannot be found shall be considered duly served if it is published in the gazette and in one local newspaper and a copy is also affixed upon a conspicuous part of the land.” Williams emphasized that as Attorney General he will

always endeavour to follow the letter of the law. He said that to indulge or engage land owners whose lands are under consideration, with a view to their acquisition, on the question of purchasing them by private sale, could open one to severe recrimination, if not done under the protec-

tion of a section 4 order, as was published in the gazette on the 24th September, 2016. In this regard, he said that the attacks by the Opposition, that he is covertly trying to acquire the lands, can only be seen as childish and impulsive.

PAGE 30

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, C a n a da & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 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 Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar RAMDASS VISA APPLICATION & immigration services, room A-4, Maraj Building, Georgetown. Call Samantha: 227-0295; 6159295 Eagle’s: Re-gas -$8,000, Washing machine repairs, Gas Stove, Plasma flat Screen & more. Call: 6972969/646-0966 Hello the doctor is back! Have your gas stove service and repairs. Call: 601-0595 Guytec Repairs Services & Spares to washing machines, pressure washer, dryer, stoves, refrigerator, treadmill, vacuum, etc –Call: 680-2377 Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:629-4946 or 225-4822

SALON

Cargo Trawler. Call: 682-8724; 616-5954

- Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257

Vehicle lights, parts, mud flap and bumper on sale: Premio, Allion, Bus, Spacio, Raum, 212 Rav 4. Call:628-5000 Taxi service for sale, prime location, serious inquiries only. Call: 695-0704

TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)

WANTED Carnegie trained cook, male & female workers, bond clerk, accountants & maid. Contact RA Soda Factory: 330-2399/ 623-5920/330-2772 Experienced taxi drivers (hire car) and dispatcher at Princess Ramada Hotel. Call: 265-7076/ 616-5419 Male sales assistant /porters with sound secondary education & recommendation @ KeyFood Trading, Mc Doom Village. 1 Driver for office in Eccles. Call: 233-2745

PROPERTY FOR SALE

GE Gas Range/Stove, stand up freezer, supermarket mirror, hot dog machine, 2 Stihl Brush Cutters. Call: 680-3863

Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461

Empty 20’ container in excellent condition, please call: 225-7352/690-3575

Seven bedrooms property for sale with huge land space at Ruimveldt Public Road. Call: 609-7766

Items for sale panel doors (36" x 83"), living room set, used clothing. Call 231-1284

One Arc/Acetylene welder, Live in couple, husband – driving, wife- domestic, very good rates. Call: 227-1813/ 227-1830

Household items at reasonable price: microwave, blenders, music systems, etc. Call: 665-4944

Live in waitresses to work in bar– Call:692-4649/604-6606

New Executive European style four bedrooms house at Eccles, all modern conveniences. Call: 609-7766 House & land for sale $22.5M @ La Parfaite Harmonie, W.B.D. Call: Alex: 630-9479 Property at South Ruimveldt Park -$39.5M, 6 Bedrooms & 2 & half bathrooms. Call: 6162871/699-6161 Stanford Soloman.

Pools table cloth, balls, cue stick, coins, coinshute, pocket, rubber, chalk, springs, tips, spots. Call:669-9927 PSP FIFA 2013 & Pro evolution soccer 2013 $6,000 each. Contact: 6161759/275-0283

1 Domestic worker @ Dr. Miller Street Must be hardworking and trustworthy, ages40-55. Call: 220-7747

General workers, handyman to work at Hotel, apply in person @ 12 Henry Street, Werk- en-Rust. Call: 223-6284 Entertainment Manager to work in the Essequibo Coast: must have experienced in promotions, events & hotel managements. Call: 226-9768

VEHICLE FOR SALE RZ, Pit Bull, 212 Carina, IST, Verossa, Suzuki Vitaera, Premio, Allion, Fielder Wagon, Spacio- Call: 6507501/ 616-2577 Unregistered Bluebird 2011 Model, Tiida Latio 2010 model, Rush 2006 model( TV, Reverse Camera). Call: 6553400 Benz, Honda Accord Escalade 2012, Jet ski, truck, canter, bus, ATV- 700cc. Call: 628-5000 Not working Vehicles: 1 Surf, 2 Pathfinders, 1 Bobcat, 3 Toyota Cars, 1 Canter, 1 Fiber glass boat. Call: 227-4377/ 624-6013 1 Toyota AT192, Carina and 1 Mitsubishi Dingo for sale, excellent condition. Call: 6950704 Toyota Vigo Jeep, Nissan Pathfinder, Carina, 212 and Toyota Ipsum- Immaculate Condition. Call: 609-7766 One pit-bull BTT series, in good condition, alarm, etc, price $2.8M negotiable. Call: 685-9787/ 612-3456/691-8272 2005 Tacoma -$2.4M, Massey Tractor from Canada: MF 165 $1.7M, MF 135 $1.2M –MF 265 $2.2M, 165 Loader -$2.3M – Call: 682-5230; 628-9596

PS2 Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 -$4,000, PS3 –Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 $7,500. Call: 616-1759 or 2750283

Driver for taxi- Call: 646- 8748

Blowout Car Sale!!! IST-$2.1M, Spacio-$2.1M, Fielder-$2.1M, Audi A4-$3.7M. Contact#6500402/260-4988

Driver with minibus license living in Georgetown for job with company. Call: 664-0802

Toyota Avensis, PRR Series -$2.650M negotiable. Call: 641-7474

Property @ Lot 172 Zohora Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara. Call: 220-1583

Sale October 21st 2016: Playstation3 Station with 2 controls -$65,000. Call: 6161759/ 275-0283

Sales Clerk, must be able bodied ages 18-30yrs. Call: 643-7193

1 Pitbull, BVV series, never worked hire, 1 RZ BHH series, 1 Honda, Generator. Call: 678-1511

Property with extra large land well built with 2 storey house, good neighborhood. Won’t last. Call: 220-1583

Arriving Soon! Oct 21st 2016: Pro – Evolution Soccer 2017 $10,500. Call: 616-1759/6750283 HEALTH

One Roadside, 2 storey building @ V/Hoop (ideally business/residence). Call: 614-0107

Your health can improve. Contact Hazel’s Herbal Store. Call: 226-9136

One two bedrooms house $14M and one lot $3.5M (both at Kuru Kururu). Call: 643-0895; 261-5276

PEN PAL Single woman seeking male for serious relationship, must be single and hardworking. Call: 691-8708

Oswin J’s Auto Imports: New Arrivals: Premio, Allion, Fielder, Axio, Rush, X-Trail. Free full coverage insurance. Call: 609-2815

Harmony Inn: furnished air conditioned apartments & rooms, from $30USD. Call: 218-1400/668-0306/ 694-7817 CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP R E AT E S , S P E C I A L OFFERFOR THE SUMMER. CALL: 690-6494

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL: 4WD PICKUP,. CHEAPEST RATE & SPECIAL RATE FOR LONG TERM . CALL: 698-7807

LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 615-0964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Upper flat for rent 3 bedrooms in Atlantic Gardens- Call: 227-4377/2270613/624-6013 Business bottom flat for rent in New Road, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 227-4377/ 2270613/ 624-6013 Fully furnished apartment to rent: two bedrooms & three bedrooms (self-contained). Call: 672-1906 / 216- 2299 Office space to rent in Queenstown. Call: 615-2615 Space for rent at Ashmin’s Building. 50% off first month’s rent. Call today: 6837954 Two bedrooms bottom flat in Sophia -$35,000, no children. Call: 613-1847 1 Bedroom apartment to rent with toilet & bath at Grove, EBD. Call: 2660892/ 681-1047 Self-contained rooms in Prashad Nagar. Tel: 227-2993 Business apartment for rent: 1 snackette include glass cases, warmer & stove, grocery & beer garden @ 7 Durban Street, Lodge. Call: 690-5796 Two bedroom house – Call: 222-3554 2 Bedrooms apartment for rent on E.C.D- Call: 684-8906 One fully furnished two bedrooms house @ Bougainveillea Park, E.B.D, gated community with security guards. Call: 2261234/ 678-1234

1 Isuzu truck,6 cylinder engine. Contact # 650-0402 1 RX8 Mazda -$1,000,000 negotiable. Call: 602-6024

ACCOMMODATION

Need a fast & reliable delivery service? Delivery of meals, documents, groceries & more. SmartCart Delivery. Call: 2259727/679-7575/619-6218 Need water on your agriculture land? Contact: 676-0455

Friday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News

Toyota Raum -$800,000 – Call: 697-2550/ 613-1810 Model M truck GTT series $3.9M negotiable- Call: 6667380, 603-7090 FOR SALE/RENT House for rent/ sale @ Lot 107 Durbana Square Lamaha Gardens with 5 bedrooms large parking. Call: 661-8908 EDUCATIONAL International Opportunity: support worker/caregiver Training to live & work in Canada. Guyana Training College. Call: 227-4881

EDUCATIONAL Classes for slow learners in Reading, Spelling, Mathematics, and much more for children all ages. Call: 675-4379 IAE – CXC Jan/June 2017 – full time school; lessons/ classes for students, adults, repeaters & beginners. Call Mr. Roberts: 683-5742 Career Training: care for the elderly/care for children/first aid & CPR. Guyana Training College. Call: 227-4881 Continued on page 29

Friday October 14, 2016

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Kaieteur News

Craig body identified as handyman From page 28

LAND FOR SALE Land for sale at Eccles and Diamond reasonably price. Call:609-7766 La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.3M, prices are negotiable. Call: 690-9645

Forrester’s body being removed The decomposed body t h a t was found on Wednesday at Craig, East Bank Demerara (EBD) has been identified as a 53-

year-old handyman. Infant Forrester called “Bolt”, a father of three, of Timehri, EBD, was last seen three weeks ago by his son,

Accounts Department. “Me and my staff checked to see if there were such documents but they weren’t any”, the witness recalled. He testified that he is familiar with the defendant’s signature since he has seen several correspondents with her name. He explained, “I would have worked at OP from 1990 to 2007 and would have seen documents with purported signatures of the defendant (Westford).” Dazzell told the court that memoranda are usually signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry. During her tenure as minister, the witness said that Hydar Ally was Permanent Secretary. When questioned by the Prosecutor as to how the Ministry receives money, Dazzell related that the ministry gets budgetary allocations from the Ministry of Finance. He said once the monies are approved, the

Auditor General decries “worrying” abuse of... From page 13 abusing its understanding of the criteria of an emergency under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. When we run to the Fund it is only to be used for emergency cases, like if there is a serious flood in Mahaicony and we need to remove citizens. Money would be used in that

Ramnarine Mining Enterprise: welders, operators & labourers –Call: 679-0550/ 624-0501 One experienced dispatcher – Call: 231-5784/ 231-4000 Driver for water truck $5,000 per day plus commission. Call: 680-3863

Dexter Forrester. The older Forrester ’s decomposed body was discovered on the Craig sideline dam, weeks after

he left home to go to the hospital. A post mortem examination is expected to be performed today

Public Service Dept. has no records of... From page 12 the witness, 23 of the memoranda were captioned “Financial Assistance for Public Service Evaluation”, while one was captured “Award Ceremony.” To date, Dazzell said he is still unaware if an y evaluation exercises were carried out by the Ministry. In facts, he said that since he was appointed Chief Accountant on October 1, 2014, he has never seen memoranda for performance evaluation. However, he said that he is aware of the Ministry carrying out award ceremonies annually for Guyanese doctors returning from Cuba. The Chief Accountant said that he and other staff at the Ministry were instructed by the Auditor General Department to check and verify if records pertaining to performance evaluation were kept by the Ministry’s

VACANCY

case.” The Public Security Minister was also one who constantly called for sanctions to be imposed against former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh for his abuse of the Contingency Fund. Today, the Government now finds itself in the same boat as the former regime.

ministry would then prepare cash flow statements. This he added is done under the various line items which included the payments of salaries, allowances and other expenses. He explained that although monies allocated to the Public Service Ministry can be spent by another ministry, he said that his ministry utilizes 90 percent of funds given to them. “Monies can be spent by another ministry by the issuing of an inter-department warrant. Inter- department warrants are prepared by the Accounts Department. The warrant details the head and sub head of the line items in which the money is being taken from. It also details the purpose for the amount. It is prepared in five copies and must be signed by the permanent secretary of the

subject ministry.” These warrants, according to the witness, were prepared and sent to OP upon instructions by him or Ms. Cummings. The witness’ testimony was suspended until November 7, when the memoranda are scheduled to be tendered, admitted and marked as evidence. At a July 6, court hearing, Dazzell had told the court that Margaret Cummings was employed within the same ministry. He said that she was the former Chief Personnel Officer; Acting Administrative Officer and Confidential Secretary to Dr. Westford. Dazzell told the court, “She (Margaret Cummings) was also responsible for the day to day operations of the Accounts Department and the person I reported directly to.”

DRESSMAKING Jean offers courses in dressmaking, curtains, floral arrangement, and cake decoration @ 153 Barr Street Kitty. Call: 670-2653/ 638-8449

Store sales/customer assistant. Call: 624-0033/6803863 LORRY DRIVER, MINIMUM 3 YEARS EXPERIENCE, FACTORY ASSISTANT 266 5569 H o u s e k e e p e r / c l e a n e r, vacancy @ Aagman Indian Restaurant, 28-A Sheriff Street. Call: 219-0158 One efficient legal computer clerk. Call: 6247087/258-0213 Popular East Coast Gas Station (Non-Pareil) Day/ Night: pump attendants, sales clerk & office assistant. Contact: 695-9880/670-8893 1 Female Kitchen Assistant, 1 Male person to grill meat, must be able to work weekends. Call Mr.Khan: 695-6550; 656-9313 One experienced cook also required to do light house work, between ages 35yrs45yrs. Please Call: 617-9883

TO LET Apartments for rent preferably working professionals -$70,000. Call: 227-5194 1-3 Bedrooms apartment at Better Hope, Back Street, East Coast Demerara. Call: 220-1583 1-3 Bedrooms upper flat with master bedroom. 1-2 Bedroom bottom flat, fenced yard @ Tuschen Housing Scheme. Call: 692-5525/ 2663973 Newly constructed building having three kitchenettes for single p e r s o n s o n We s t S i d e . Call:617-0055/689-9898 One bottom flat to rent in Diamond Housing Scheme. Call: 678-3388

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Kaieteur News

Friday October 14, 2016

Friday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News

South Africa’s Zuma asks court to block anti-graft report Reuters - South African President Jacob Zuma has asked a court to stop the release of results of an anti-corruption investigation over allegations of political interference by his wealthy friends, his spokeswoman said yesterday. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela was due today to release her preliminary findings in a probe into the Guptas, an Indian-born family accused of using their close ties with Zuma to influence cabinet appointments. “I can confirm that the president has applied for a court interdict,” Zuma’s spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga told Reuters. Madonsela questioned Zuma for four hours last week as part of her final investigation before her seven-year term comes to an end tomorrow. In a statement late yesterday, graft watchdog spokeswoman Kgalalelo Masibi said Madonsela would release her last batch of investigation reports today and provide updates on the progress of other investigations. But she did not state whether the report on the Guptas would be among them. Although Zuma and the

Jacob Zuma Guptas deny wrongdoing, the allegations have damaged the president, who was separately forced to repay part of the cost of a lavish upgrade to his private residence as a result of an investigation by Madonsela. On Monday, Zuma asked Madonsela not to report her findings until he has had a chance to question other witnesses and reviewed any evidence that implicated him. But Madonsela said the president

had been given all the evidence implicating him on Oct. 1, and urged Zuma to answer questions to aid the probe. The main opposition Democratic Alliance party said in a statement that Zuma was “worried about what is contained in this report, and desperate to stop it from being made public”. Lawyer Gert van der Merwe, who represents Ajay Gupta, said his client would not seek to block the report.

Brazil court to try Lula on Angola corruption charges: Globonews SAO PAULO (Reuters) A federal court in Brazil will try former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for an alleged bribery scheme related to work by construction giant Odebrecht in Angola,

GloboNews TV reported yesterday. Separately, Globo TV’s website G1 reported that federal judge Sergio Moro had decided to try Eduardo Cunha, former speaker of the

lower house of Congress, for his alleged role in a graft scandal at oil giant Petrobras. Court representatives did not immediately comment on the judges’ decisions.

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Friday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News

Jamaica leads talks on correspondent banking issue KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of finance and the public service, Audley Shaw, says the government of Jamaica continues to lead discussions to counter the threat of international correspondent banks cutting ties with local financial institutions. “We are leading the way… to make sure that we have financial inclusion on a credible, transparent basis as we build a formal economy,” he said. The minister was addressing the final day of the fifth annual Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Conference in Kingston on Tuesday. Correspondent banking involves a bank in one country facilitating certain services for a financial institution in another country, including wire transfers, business transactions, deposits and gathering of documents. Over the last five years, a number of international banks have restricted or ended their relationship with the region due to concerns about money laundering, fraud and terrorist financing. Caribbean countries have been collaborating to set up the regulatory environment to efficiently supervise banking and money services and to identify and manage the money laundering and terrorism financing risks in the financial sector. They have also been lobbying banks to reconsider their decision to withdraw their services. Shaw, who participated in the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank

Audley Shaw Group Annual Meetings in Washington DC from October 6 to 9, said he believes the regional efforts to challenge the move by banks to cut ties have been bearing fruit. He said there was a “positive meeting” between regional leaders and the managing director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, in Washington, while the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States has issued a statement that provides guidance to US banks with respect to terminating foreign correspondent banking relationships. The statement called for the establishment of a governance function to review and monitor recommendations involving foreign account termination and provided insight into the impact of cutting ties with the region and the value of such relationships to the countries involved. “This statement has helped to open the door to greater dialogue. What we have to do now is to weave

into it our own sense of duty and responsibility here in Jamaica. We know what to do, so we have to do it,” Shaw said, referring to the need to bolster the regulatory framework governing the financial institutions. He noted that financial inclusion is critical, as the Jamaican economy is built around the movement of money through tourism, remittances and trade. The finance minister has indicated that the Caribbean is addressing the problem of de-risking by proactively reassuring international partners that t h e r e g i o n ’s A M L / C F T regulatory framework is robust. The two-day conference, on facilitating discussion on strengthening compliance, was hosted by the Jamaica Bankers Association (JBA) and the Jamaica Institute of Financial Services (JIFS) under the theme ‘Understanding our obligations… Safeguarding our Future’.

UWI refuses to appear before Parliament committee ST ANDREW, Jamaica — The University of the West Indies (UWI) has refused to appear before the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) of Parliament to answer questions about the use of Government subvention in the running of its operations. The Government’s support to the Mona campus of the UWI is $8.3 billion for this fiscal year. The PAAC had in August asked Permanent Secretary in the ministry of education, Dr Maurice Smith to ask the UWI to appear before the committee, but when the Dr Smith and his team came to Gordon House Wednesday, it was with a letter from the

UWI, stating its reasons for not showing up. “The university is in receipt of a letter dated August 12, 2016 addressed to you (Dr Smith) from the committee clerk…which purports to request the university appear before the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee …please be advised that the UWI is a public autonomous regional educational institution which serves 17 countries in the Caribbean. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1962. The university therefore has to be distinguished from other agencies of your ministry,” university letter said. he letter signed by registrar C William Iton, and cop-

ied to Vice Chancellor, bursar, and Principal drew reference to a legal authority from the Attorney General’s in January 2007, to support that position. The UWI acknowledged that that the government has a right to know how its funds are spent, but recommended that the permanent secretary seek the information requested for the committee, through the ministry’s representative on the university’s finance and general purposes committee. The university had previously submitted a report on its expenditures to the committee, but has since withdrawn the document. (Jamaica Observer)

Friday October 14, 2016

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Friday October 14, 2016

Kaieteur News

Hamilton misses Barcelona test to rest sore foot Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton of Britain in action during the race. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has pulled out of a tire test in Barcelona to rest a sore foot ahead of next week’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, his Mercedes team said yesterday. The Briton had been due originally to test the 2017 Pirelli tires with a modified

2015 ‘mule’ car on Wednesday but team mate and championship leader Nico Rosberg took on those duties instead. A team spokesman said German reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein, who races for Manor, would stand in for Hamilton on Thursday (yesterday).

”Lewis had some discomfort in his foot after training on Tuesday,” he said. “It was agreed he wouldn’t test so he could rest it and get physio to be in good shape for Austin, which he will be. No concerns on that front.” Hamilton is 33 points behind Rosberg in the world championship with four races remaining, meaning that even if he wins everyone it will still not be enough if Rosberg finishes second each time. The Briton won his third title, and second with Mercedes, at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas last year when Rosberg started on pole but made a mistake that gifted his team mate the victory. Rosberg, who is now heading for his first title, then went on to win the three races after that in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi before starting the new season with four successive victories. Both Hamilton and Rosberg were at the team’s Brackley headquarters and Brixworth high performance engine facility on Tuesday, with the Briton seen to be limping slightly later in the afternoon. Hamilton triggered a media spat at the last race in Japan when he was criticized for playing around with Snapchat during a news conference, taking pictures of fellow drivers and complaining of the boring format of the event. He then walked out of a media briefing on Saturday and hurriedly left the circuit after the race, flying back to Europe with non-executive chairman Niki Lauda and Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff. The team said then that Hamilton had to be back in Europe as soon as possible to be ready for Wednesday testing. (Reuters)

Bates, Satterthwaite thump South Africa by nine wickets New Zealand Women thumped South Africa Women by nine wickets in the third ODI to claim the last two ICC Women’s Championship points of the series and take a 2-1 lead. By winning the 1000th women’s ODI overall, New Zealand now have 20 points in the championship table, joint with second-placed West Indies, and one ahead of England’s 19 points. New Zealand cruised past their target of 189 in 33.1 overs with unbeaten fifties from Captain Suzie Bates and No. 3 Amy Satterthwaite as

they put on 174 runs for the second wicket. Once Rachel Priest was bowled for 10 in the fifth over, Bates, 88 off 82, and Satterthwaite, 89 of 97, scored briskly to not allow the hosts any more success. Bates struck five fours and two sixes in her 18th ODI fifty, while Satterthwaite’s 12th fifty included 12 fours. South Africa had chosen to bat earlier but things didn’t go as per plans as left-arm spinner Morna Nielsen followed her five-for in the second ODI with two early wickets. The hosts were soon 55 for 4, including opener Lizelle

Lee’s 36, before being revived by Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk. They took the score past 100 before Kapp was dismissed for 32 by mediumpacer Holly Huddleston who also ran through the middle and lower order, even though van Niekerk stayed unbeaten to score 78. Huddleston took four of the last six wickets to finish with 5 for 25 from 10 overs, her second five-for in only nine ODIs. Nielsen finished with 2 for 36 as South Africa were bowled out in 50 overs. (ESPNcricinfo)

Friday October 14,2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You can pick up some overtime today. Don't expect new acquaintances to be completely honest about themselves. Moves or the possibility of having someone different living with you may be difficult at first. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) This will not be the best day to try to push your ideas or concerns. Don't hold back. The answers can only come from within. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You can help sort out problems that friends are facing. Don't push your mate if you want to keep this union going. You may find that your boss is not delighted with your work lately. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Opportunities to go out with clients or colleagues will be in your best interest. Don't push your opinions on others today or you may find yourself in the doghouse. Any renovation or decorating to your home should include the whole family. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You'll regret every word for some time to come. You can enjoy social events and meet new potential mates; however, avoid being lavish. You can deal with large institutions or government agencies successfully today. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) It will be important that you have your priorities straight. Keep calm. Someone around you is bouncing off the walls. Your outgoing, aggressive nature will attract someone you've been eager to meet.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're eager to learn. There is not much you can do to alleviate the problem, but consider putting some extra work into your house. Don't be a pest or a troublemaker today. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The knowledge you have will enhance your reputation. Your lover probably won't put up with your behavior. Now is the time to concentrate on building a strong financial future for your family. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Try to deal with the problems of those less fortunate; however, don't allow them to make unreasonable demands. Talk to others about your plans. Your personal situation is fluctuating. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Trips will be favorable for business as well as pleasure. You will earn recognition for the work you are doing. Anger might lead to carelessness and minor Injuries. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Don't let your mate talk you into going somewhere you'd rather not go. Legal matters that have been pending may be alleviated through compromise. Outbursts of passion may cause arguments with your mate. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Get ready to do some fancy footwork when it comes to taking care of your financial situation. You could pick up valuable knowledge through conversations with experienced individuals. Romance can develop; however, it will most probably be short-lived.

Kaieteur News

Friday October 14, 2016

Scotiabank Kiddy Progression One Cricket

Cole 93, Mc Intosh 50 hand St. Stephen’s victory

Quancy Marks Jequan Cole struck 93 while Joseph Mc Intosh hit an unbeaten half century to give St. Stephens a 12wicket victory over Ketley Primary when the Georgetown Zone of the Scotiabank Kiddy Progression one cricket competition commenced yesterday at the National Resource Centre play field. Cole struck four fours and 11 sixes while Mc Intosh hit one four and six sixes as St. Stephen’s finished on 162-1 in 12 overs in reply to Ketley Primary 160-4 off their allotted 14 overs.

Asian favourites live up to expectations

Jequan Cole (right) and Joseph Mc Intosh Odeli Straughn assisted with 14 not out for the winners. Quancy Marks stroked 67 and got support from Ian Ward and Enoch Munroe both scoring 30 apiece for Ketly. St. Pius defeated West Ruimveldt by 10 wickets. B a t t i n g f i r s t , We s t Ruimveldt managed 39 all out in 12.4 overs. D. Harper made nine; A. Pereira claimed three wickets while Donna Lowe and D. Massey had two each. St. Pius responded with 45-3 in eight overs. Donna

Lowe got 16 not out and Colin Mc Donald 12. According to the competition regulations each team shall comprised of eight boys and six girls and each player shall bowl one over. If any team is all out before their allotted 14 overs expired they can choose to bat a second time, but 10 runs shall be deducted from their total. However, if any team bats their full quota of overs without being bowled out 10 runs shall be added to their total. Matches continue today at the said venue.

Walter ‘Boyd’ Moore retires from international football Defender Walter Moore will retire from international football after appearing in 103 games for Guyana at all levels. The 32-year-old made the announcement after a 4-2 loss to visiting Jamaica eliminated the Golden Jaguars from the 2016/17 Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup. ”I have been playing football for my country since 1999 from the youth level till the senior level today,” said Moore, who has played in 18 World Cup qualifiers. “I am 32-years-old with over 100 caps to my name and I feel now is the best time for me to step away from Guyana football in order to give the kids a chance at international football. It has been a pleasure to play for Guyana and I loved playing for Guyana.” ”I would like to thank the Guyanese people for all their support throughout the years; it means so much to me. I appreciate everyone that has cheered us on and will never forget these moments.” Moore, a member of

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Walter Moore Caledonia AIA’s CFU Club Championship title-winning side in 2012, says while he won’t be contributing on the field, there are other ways that he can assist the Guyana cause. ”Stepping away from the football does not mean I am turning my back on Guyana,” the FF Jaro standout stressed. “I am still committed to helping the youngsters gain opportunities in Europe and other places overseas. So I am available to help the country moving forward.” Moore competed for Guyana for more than a decade and was part of numerous

memorable moments. He was a member of the squad that got past Bermuda, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago to advance to the third round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup; the farthest the nation ever advanced in the competition. The former FC Vostok player plans to continue his club career and is already looking at future options. ”I have a few offers in India, Kazakhstan and where I play in Finland,” finished Moore. “But for now, I am not thinking of that, I just want to relax with my family.” (CONCACAF)

Action in the Korea vs Ghana match © Getty Images While the first day of quarter-finals at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016 witnessed the two teams who had progressed as group winners – Germany and Mexico – pack their bags for home, it was a different story with Japan and Korea DPR. The Asian champions and runners-up went into their respective fixtures as favourites and made sure there were no upsets, even if Japan’s 3-0 triumph over England was far more comfortable than Korea DPR’s win over Ghana. Indeed, the Koreans had to wait until the last seconds before sealing their return to the semi-finals of an U17 Women’s World Cup, having reached the last four at every previous edition apart from Costa Rica 2014, where they failed to make it past the group stage. For their part, reigning champions Japan continued their perfect run at the tournament by winning a fourth consecutive match, a period in which they have scored 16 goals and conceded just two. FIFA.com looks back on the standout moments of the d a y ’s a c t i o n . Results - Korea DPR 2-1 Ghana; Japan 3-0 England. Goal of the day - Korea DPR – Ghana, Ja Un-Yong (90+4'). The first penalty shootout of the tournament appeared to be on the cards, with just seconds remaining before the referee was to blow her whistle for fulltime. However, Korea DPR forged one last chance, earning a free-kick on the

right wing just outside the Ghana penalty area. Kim Jong-Sim swung the ball to the front post, where Ghana goalkeeper Kayza Massey was unable to catch it, instead seeing it slip through her legs. It took Korea striker Ri Hae-Yon by surprise, but although she could not control the ball inside the six-yard box, her team-mate Ja Un-Yong arrived from behind to poke it home and fire the side into the semifinals. Memorable moments A pair of super subs: Few people could have imagined t h a t G h a n a ’s G i f t y Acheampong, who had only previously played nine minutes at the tournament, and Korea DPR’s Ja UnYong, who entered the pitch in the 51st minute in place of goalscorer Kim Pom-Ui, would be the key figures in the match. Acheampong was at the heart of everything for Ghana, both good and bad. The central midfielder started off by giving away the penalty that allowed the Koreans to take the lead, before making amends by equalising in the 81st minute. Ja Un-Yong, meanwhile, became the unlikely heroine, choosing the perfect time to score her first U-17 Women’s World Cup goal: a last-gasp winner to send her team into the semifinals. Crossbar challenge The first player to hit the bar was Ri Hae-Yon. The Korea DPR No10 met Kim JongSim’s cross on the volley inside the box and it looked to be going in until the ball struck the

crossbar, bounced down onto the goalline and left the Korean attacker frustrated. Japan’s Hinata Miazama suffered the same fate with the very same crossbar a little while later. She was about to celebrate before the woodwork got in the way, with the ball once again bouncing down onto the goalline but not crossing it. Ueki, a star on the rise Despite Japan coach Naoki Kusunose rotating his lineup heavily throughout the competition, Riko Ueki has not missed a single match. On Thursday, she once again demonstrated exactly why that is. She began by putting her side 2-0 up with a fierce drive, characteristic of a classic penalty box No9. Yet the best was still to come. In the 80th minute, she picked up the ball deep in her own half and drove forward. Her speed took her away from the English players, who could not keep pace, and when Ueki was just a few metres outside the penalty area, she lifted her head and, without a seconds thought, smashed the ball into the top right corner. It was a truly stunning effort and simultaneously m a d e U ek i t h e L i t t le Nadeshiko’s top scorer on four goals. Next match day Monday 17 October, King Abdullah II International Stadium. Semi-finals Venezuela – Korea DPR, 16:00; Spain – Japan, 19:00. (FIFA)

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Friday October 14, 2016

Trophy Stall annual Golf tourney to be contested tomorrow The 7th annual Trophy Stall sponsored Golf tournament is set to be contested tomorrow at the hub of the sport in Guyana, Lusignan Golf Course, East Coast Demerara. Trophy Stall is a leading supplier of trophies in Guyana, and the tournament is always a highlight of golfers. When the competition was played in 2014, the Flights format was employed and it was a resounding success as then golfers were able to adequately prepare for the Guyana Open that followed within weeks. Last year’s tournament was conducted using the Open Medal Play System and the winner was Roberto

Grissi 27/63; 2nd – Laksmana Ramroop 26/63; 3rd – Richard Haniff 16/65; Best Gross (and 4th) - Sam Harry 11/67; and Nearest to The Pin (16") – Kassim Khan. Other close contenders were Deanand Bissessar 28/69; Mahendra Bhagwandin 23/71, and Mark Lashley 24/71. Keen rivalry is anticipated tomorrow and is likely to bring new winners in the top places. Club President Oncar Ramroop thanked Mr. Sunich for continuing to include golfing in his annual contributions apart from the many sports disciplines in Guyana. Tee-off is scheduled for 12:30hrs and the public is

invited to come out and enjoy the game, free of charge. For those interested in understanding and learning the game, here is a quick brief on Handicaps. A handicap is the number of points the player gets as an advantage, and is subtracted from the player’s gross score to determine his or her net score, which is used to evaluate how winners are placed. For example, consider two players of handicap 10 and 20. If they both score a gross of 80 strokes, then the 10 handicap player is given a net of 70 strokes, while the 20 handicap player is given a net of 60 strokes. Thus the

higher handicap player would win. But generally, the lower the golfer’s handicap the more skilful the golfer is, so that though the handicap is low, a golfer can still outperform the player with the higher handicap. Consider two players one of handicap 5 and the other of handicap 25. If the lower handicapper scores a gross of 70 (which is typical) giving him or her a net of 65, and the 25handicapper scores a gross of 100 (which is also typical) giving him or her a net of 75, then the 5-handicapper has outperformed the 25handicapper even though there was a 20 points advantage given to the

President Oncar Ramroop (left) receives a trophy, the symbol of Trophy Stall’s sponsorship from Mr. Ramesh Sunich, CEO of Trophy Stall. higher handicapper. So the handicap helps to give a measure of comfort to the weaker player, that he or

she can still enjoy the game and have a chance of winning, though competing against more skilful golfers.

New TD to focus on Youth Development

GFF ink 4-year contract with Englishman, Ian Greenwood Thirty-one year-old Englishman Ian Greenwood is the new Technical Director (TD) of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and has been given a four-year contract by the Wayne Forde led administration. Greenwood is an UEFAQualified Professional Football Coach, with over 10 y e a r s o f coaching/management experience at various levels of the sport including the U14, 15, 16, 18 and U-21 teams at Leeds United. In his career he has functioned as a Development Coach, Head Coach and Academy Coach for a number of English Football Clubs including Huddersfield Town – of the English Championship, 2007 – 2014 (Academy Coach) where he coached and developed young professional players to become capable of playing i n t h e E n g l i s h Championship; Leeds City College Football Academy. Greenwood who was a

defensive Midfielder during his playing days, replaces Claude Bolton who resigned as the GFF’s TD earlier this year. The new TD arrived in Guyana six days ago and was welcomed by Forde at a Media briefing to officially announce his appointment yesterday afternoon at the GFF Headquarters in Campbellville. Greenwood has a strong background working on youth development and coaching at the grassroots level and said he is excited to be in Guyana and wants to focus on Coach Education and youth development. ”I was told by players with Guyanese parentage that I have worked with in England that Guyana is a very beautiful place” Greenwood informed. He explained that he was looking for a long term project since his contract in England had ended. He added when he was approached by the GFF he felt this would be a perfect fit to put things in place do

things long term. Forde informed that many persons, including someone from Argentina, applied and after reviewing the candidates, Greenwood was one of three shortlisted. ”Because our focus is on youth development and Greenwood’s background is in this department, he was chosen. But he will be involved in every as aspect of Guyana’s football and like every other person in the GFF including me, his contract has a performance clause written into it” said the GFF Head. Forde pointed out that the performance of our U17s is not a true indication of their talent and it is planned to provide more regional youth tournaments for this group. He said there is a need for a common philosophy with regards to discussing the future of national teams. The GFF President spoke of the successful model implemented by Iceland which resulted in them beating England recently and said that that model could be well suited for Guyana. Greenwood had the opportunity to witness the Golden Jaguars 2-4 loss to

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in the Scotia Bank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup 2016 at the Leonora Stadium in West Demerara and disclosed that his first impression of local football was that the Guyanese have lots of potential. The TD however, wants to develop a ‘Guyana style of play’ and wants to see massive changes in the next five years but stressed there is no ‘quick fix’ and this will take time. ”I have ideas that I want to implement and a National Football Plan will be in place as I meet with all

stake holders including the GFF, the Ministry of Sports and the Director of Sports” said Greenwood. ”My immediate task is to meet with the stake holders, setting a developmental course for the different age groups and expand on the work done by the previous TD. See what things fit and what has to be tweaked” Greenwood pointed out. According to Forde, funding for Greenwood will come from FIFA but other aspects of Guyana’s football programme would require support from Government

and the Private Sector. He added that the GFF should be meeting with the Education Ministry shortly to design a programme for the schools. ”We want to tap into girl’s football at schools because what we have found is that we are getting girls who are older now starting to play Football” Ford concluded. Greenwood is confident of making a difference to Guyana’s football said his contract started from yesterday. (Sean Devers)

Five Russian race walkers handed four-year bans by CAS Five Russian race walkers have been handed four year bans by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after testing positive for the banned blood booster EPO in June 2015, the international tribunal said yesterday. Elmira Alembekova, Ivan Noskov, Mikhail Ryzhov, Vera Sokolova and Denis Strelkov have also had all their competitive

results between June 2, 2015 and July 15, 2015 disqualified. Accordingly, they will be stripped of any medals, titles, points, prize and appearance money received during this period, CAS said in a statement. Alembekova is a twotime European Cup champion who won gold in t h e E u r o p e a n Championships in Zurich in

2014. Ryzhov won silver in the 50 kilometers at the 2013 World Championships. Noskov won bronze in the 50km at the 2014 European Championships, while Strelkov won bronze in the 20km at the same event. Sokolova, the 2003 World Youth Champion, won the European Cup in May last year. (Reuters)

Kaieteur News

Friday October 14, 2016

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Azhar Ali hundred ensures tough grind for Windies

Off-spinner Roston Chase … claimed the only wicket to fall, that of Sami Aslam for 90. Dubai, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Beleaguered West Indies endured another chastening day here yesterday as opener Azhar Ali stroked his 11th Test hundred to spearhead Pakistan’s domination of the opening day of the historic day/night first Test. The visitors were kept in the field all day at the Dubai International Stadium as Pakistan, opting to bat first, finished on 279 for one with Azhar ending unbeaten on a superb 146. He put on 215 for the first wicket with 20year-old partner Sami Aslam who fell for 90, a partnership which was the country’s

fourth highest opening stand in Tests. Asad Shafiq was looking ominous at the close, unbeaten on 33, already having shared a 64-run, partnership for the second wicket with Azhar. O ff - s p i n n e r R o s t o n Chase, who has sent down 21 overs – the most by any bowler – claimed the only wicket to fall to finish with one for 63. He accounted for Sami Aslam, bowled off the under edge, half-way through the final session with the advantage firmly in Pakistan’s favour. Having lost every game on tour courtesy of humbling

3-0 whitewashes in the preceding Twenty20 and One-Day International series, West Indies would have been hoping for a brighter start but instead found themselves at the mercy of the opening pair of Azhar and Sami Aslam. The duo hardly put a foot wrong as they comfortably batted through the first two sessions, carrying Pakistan to 81 without loss at lunch and 172 without loss at the second interval. The right-handed Azhar, playing in his 50th Test, has faced 268 balls in six hours at the crease and counted 14 fours while the left-handed Sami Aslam struck nine

fours in an innings spanning 212 balls and just over 4-¾ hours. Neither batsman suffered much alarm during the first session as the West Indies bowlers failed to produce anything threatening with the pink ball in only the second ever day/night Test. In fact, their best chance of the session came when Azhar slashed pacer Miguel Cummins in the air through gully where Leon Johnson was late in responding, as the ball raced to the boundary. Sami Aslam, opting for the sheet anchor role, registered his first boundary after 64 deliveries when he came down to part-time offspinner Kraigg Brathwaite and struck him to the wide m i d - o n b o u n d a r y. H e followed up with another straight hit for four off the very next delivery. At the break, he was unbeaten on 36 with Azhar

on 39, and it was the junior partner who pushed on after the break to reach his halfcentury first with a cut to the point boundary off Chase, half-hour after the resumption. A z h a r, m e a n w h i l e , survived a review for lbw off seamer and captain Jason Holder in the second over after lunch, with television replays showing the delivery missing leg. However, he soon settled to raise his halfcentury by punching pacer Miguel Cummins to extra cover for a couple, about 45 minutes after the interval. He celebrated with backto-back boundaries off Devendra Bishoo off the first two deliveries of the legspinner’s sixth over, and also smashed speedster Shannon Gabriel to the backward point boundary off the first ball of a new spell, to race into the 70s.The pair raised

the 150-run opening stand half-hour before the second interval when Azhar clipped Gabriel to mid-wicket for a single, and were in full command at the break with Azhar eyeing triple figures on 89 and Sami Aslam on 75. Azhar then made history in the sixth over after the interval by becoming the first century-maker in day/night Tests when he stroked Chase through midoff for his 10th boundary. However, there was no such luck for Sami Aslam as he added 15 runs before finally perishing agonisingly short of his maiden hundred, when he botched a sweep at Chase and was bowled. His dismissal, however, brought no respite for the Windies as Asad Shafiq, who has faced 66 deliveries and struck four fours, joined Azhar to extend the fielding side’s misery.

Windies A eye win after dominating third day Pallekele, Sri Lanka, CMC – Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall snatched a five-wicket haul and Test opener Rajendra C h a n d r i k a a n d wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton lashed their second half-centuries of the game, as West Indies A produced a telling performance to put Sri Lanka A on the ropes on the penultimate day of the second four-day “Test” here yesterday. At the close, Sri Lanka A were struggling on 36 for two in pursuit of 481 for

victory at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium – still requiring an improbable 445 runs on today’s final day to win the contest. Earlier resuming on 128 for four, they were bundled out for 245 in their first innings as Cornwall ripped through the innings to finish with six for 91. Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella top-scored with 88, Captain Dimuth Karunaratne got 68 while Asela Gunaratne chipped in with a vital 46, but the hosts lost their last five wickets for

just 25 runs in a swift collapse, about 25 minutes after lunch. Yet again, Cornwall spearheaded the Windies attack, taking four of the last five wickets to collect his second five-wicket haul following on from his eight-wicket innings haul in the opening “Test” in Colombo. With a healthy first innings lead of 264, West Indies A then raced to 216 for three declared, with Chandrika stroking 68 and Hamilton a whirlwind unbeaten 56 off just 30

deliveries. Captain Shamarh Brooks also gathered an uptempo unbeaten 53 off 63 balls while Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with 28. Left-ha n d e r K i e r a n Powell fell cheaply for two with the score on four in the fourth over of the innings but three successive half-century partnerships put the visitors in command. The right-handed Chandrika put on 65 for the second wicket with Hetmyer who carved out five fours in a busy 37-

ball knock before falling on the stroke of tea, lbw to leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay. After the break, Chandrika added a further 67 for the third wicket with Brooks, as West Indies A controlled the final session. All told, Chandrika struck five fours and a six off 110 deliveries while Brooks hammered three fours and two sixes in an enterprising knock. When Chandrika was lbw to teenaged off-spinner Charith Asalanka, Brooks and Hamilton combined to

plunder 80 off 51 balls in an unbroken fourth wicket stand which stunned the hosts. Hamilton, who made 99 in the first innings, was the main aggressor, lashing five fours and four sixes. Left with 11 overs to negotiate, Sri Lanka A slumped to seven for two with seamers Delorn Johnson and Kemar Roach removing both openers cheaply. Avishka Fernando, on 18, and Roshen Silva, 11, then added 29 to prop up the innings.

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Friday October 14, 2016

GAPF / Fitness Express Barbell Wars

De Sinco Trading, Trophy Stall and Pizza Hut chip in with sponsorship With mere days away from the inaugural Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation / Fitness Express Barbell Wars to be contested at the Queens College Auditorium on Sunday, a number of other corporate entities have been showing tangible support for the effort. Trophy Stall, Hut and De Sinco Trading are the latest to come on board in support of this initiative which has attracted a total of 25 athletes made up of veteran and young powerlifters, gym enthusiasts, cross fit athletes, weightlifters and bodybuilders who will be showing off their power and endurance skills as they aim to make their mark at this event. All three entities have expressed delight at being a part of the event which will see athletes trying to outduel each other in activities that also enhances their health. According to the organizers, spectators can look forward to an exciting

Paul Adams collects Trophy Stall’s donation from their Rep. Ms. Alexis Barrington. evening as the 20 male and 5 female athletes vie for top honors apart from trophies and cash in 2 rounds of competition. The first round will

comprise of 3 exercises, squat, military press and power cleans at 20 repetitions each. The top 8 athletes recording the fastest times after all rounds are

Managing of Fitness express Jamie McDonald (left) hands over contribution to Navin Singh. completed will advance to the second and final rounds where athletes will compete in deadlift and benchpress at 15 reps each and 30 second suitcase hold which will be

done one hand at a time. The top three fastest times will be declared winners. Weigh in would be done between 13:30hrs to 14:30hrs while competition

will get underway at 15:00hrs. Tickets are $500 and are on sale at Fitness Express on Sheriff Street. Spectators can also pay $500 at the venue.

Caramel Secondary is first beneficiary of Yvonne Murray Scrabble Initiative Scrabble is not a spectator sport but has been touted as the most enjoyable and self-gratifying board game. It also has the ability to enhance one’s vocabulary thus creating a platform for improved academic achievements. It was with this conviction that Yvonne Murray aspired to have the game placed within the school system and over the past months she has worked assiduously, making the necessary preparations to achieve her goals. L a s t We d n e s d a y afternoon, Ms. Murray journeyed to the Caramel Secondary School, Sussex Street Charlestown, where she donated the first of a set of scrabble equipment to the school’s administration and was accompanied by another scrabble affiliate, Michael Benjamin. The items consisted of two boards complete with tiles, a special scrabble

The children show off the scrabble sets along with Headmistress, Yvonne Adams (2nd left) and other teachers, Donette Butters (extreme left) and Odessa Smith Barker (extreme right). Yvonne Murray is 3rd left. dictionary and an extensive list of 2, 3 and 4 lettered words. The process received the blessings of the Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, in collaboration with the sports department,

who donated the funds for the scrabble boards, tiles and dictionaries. Several of the school’s teachers inclusive of H e a d m i s t r e s s , Yv o n n e Adams, Donette Butters and

Odessa Smith-Barker attended the simple ceremony where Ms. Murray handed over the materials while delivering a brief pep talk. She explained the

rudimental aspects of the game while sharing basic concepts like word formation skills and some of the rules of the game among others. She urged the children to practice

diligently and also to support their colleagues on their way to proficiency. She further committed to visit the institution randomly to assess their progress and offer technical advice. Mr. Benjamin also lauded Murray’s efforts and urged the students to make good use of the gift. He supported Murray’s view of improved academic performance and also delivered a short pep talk where he urged the students to enjoy themselves during the learning process. The teachers were all delighted and thanked their benefactor for the gift. They further promised to support the children in their new endeavor. Several other schools will benefit from the Murray initiative and on Monday she is scheduled to travel along the East Coast Demerara to make similar presentations at the Annandale Secondary School and the President’s College.

Kaieteur News

Friday October 14, 2016

Bel Air Lions Domino Competition officially launched Country’s top teams among those expressing interest By Rawle Welch Recognised for its goodwill and service to humanity, the Lions Club of Bel Air in collaboration with the Georgetown Dominoes Association (GDA) will be staging a massive competition on Sunday, October 30, at the Lions Civic Centre, Enachu Street, Section ‘N’ Campbellville, starting at 12:00hrs. This disclosure was made during the official launch that was conducted yesterday, at the Lions Civic Centre in Campbellville. Among those in attendance were Club President Fazal Hamid, L i o n s S M V N a s e e r, Yo g e s h w a r R a g b e e r , Orlando James and Ramchand Ragbeer, while the GDA representatives included President Faye Joseph and Rodwell Philips. Lion Naseer speaking on behalf of the Club first reminded those present about the primary endeavors of the Lions which is to extend goodwill to communities in need in addition to the organisation of sports and games as a specific project to generate revenue to give back. ”Every penny we earn after expenses we are bound to give back to members of the public,” Naseer said. Naseer thanked the GDA for offering its support to the cause by lending its expertise to ensure that the tournament is well run and in accordance with the rules that will govern the competition. He closed by extending the Club’s support to the GDA should it request any assistance in any future endeavour. Responding on behalf of the GDA, Joseph said they were grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Lions fund raising activity and at the same time seize the chance to further spread the sport. She reminded that since she ascended to the President of the organisation her promise has always been to advance the sport and take it to a higher level. ”I want to say here today that the executive of the GDA unanimously agreed to come on board since we are extremely supportive of

such worthy causes as it represents giving back to the public, “Joseph stated. In highlighting how far the sport has come, she disclosed that the World Body usually hosts an international tournament every two years and Guyana is always represented. ”The sport of Domino has certainly emerged over the years and has gained tremendous popularity in Guyana.” Joseph asserted. Phillips in his remarks said it was indeed an honour for the GDA to be invited to be part of the Lions project and urged the hosts to ensure that it becomes an annual event. He revealed that since news of the tournament was released there has been a positive feedback from the Domino fraternity and this he added is guarantee that it will be well supported. The GDA rep assured that the tournament will be graced by the presence of many of the country’s top teams including those from the corporate community and he anticipates a day of fun and success. Lion Ramchand in closing also extended thanks to the GDA for accepting the invitation to assist the Club in its fund raising effort, adding that he hope it is the beginning of a strong collaboration between the two entities. He thanked the sponsors, Clear Waters, Colin Talbert Contracting Services, ART Sawmilling E n t e r p r i s e , H a m i d ’s Hardware, N. James Consultancy, Creative Jewellery & Pawn Shop, Trophy Stall and others. The winning team will receive $100,000 and a trophy, while second and third placed finishers take away $60,000 and $40,000 respectively, while a special prize will be given to the Most Valuable Player. Registration forms could be collected from Faye Joseph’s residence at 1223 Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt, Ramchand Auto Spares on Sheriff Street and Ray’s One Stop Auto Spares on Sheriff Street. The closing date for registration is October 23 and contact could be made to Orlando James on tele#665-1235 or Rodwell Phillips on tele#686-0632.

President of the Bel Air Lions Club Fazal Hamid (2nd left) and President of the GDA Faye Joseph (on his immediate left) poses with Lions and GDA representatives yesterday.

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Game winner! Shaquan Richard (on ground) scores the winning goal for Beavers against Eagles FC.

Kaieteur News

Friday October 14, 2016

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Nat. U-17 League

Beavers clip Eagles’ wings; Den Amstel win by WO Beavers FC ballers showed admirable resolve to erase a two goal deficit before storming to a memorable 3-2 victory over Eagles FC when competition in the inaugural G F F / N A M I L C O Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 National Intra Association League

continued over this past weekend. Battling at the Den A m s t e l g r o u n d , We s t Demerara on Sunday, Beavers seemed to be down and out after 21 minutes of play which was totally dominated by the high flying Eagles; but showed that they possessed the patience and desire as they stormed back to clip the wings of the Eagles. Eagles had cantered to a 2-0 advantage on account of goals from Glenroy Duncan in the 16th minute and Mickele Small in the 21st minute. Up to that point the young Eagle were large and in charge but hadn’t the faintest of ideas that Beavers would have dominated the rest of the match, especially the second half. Halving the lead was Beavers’ Shaquan Richard in the 28th minute, it was a goal that not only eased the pressure on Beavers but it also tilted the pressure on Eagles to defend their slim advantage. Eagles just could not do that as, after the break, Beavers turned on a serious amount of pressure on the Eagles in drenching sunshine. Eagles just could not duplicate the first 21

minutes of the match. The young Beavers were on a mission to shut their opponents down and that they did in fine style in a match that was not played for the full 90 minutes. Drawing Beaver level in the 40th minute was Telbert Baptist who made no mistake when he converted from the penalty spot after one of his teammates was brought down in the box. Calculated plays and excellent timing brought the winning goal when Courtney Liverpool eased past the Eagles defenders and the advancing goalkeeper to nudge the ball into an open goal in the 46th minute. The goal completed a well scripted come from behind win for Beavers which left the Eagles a wounded unit. Den Amstel won via the walk over route from Wales United on Saturday. Matches would continue this weekend at the same venue. To m o r r o w f r o m 12:00hrs, Beavers would be aiming to notch another win when they oppose Wales United while on Sunday, Eagles would be seeking redemption when they engage Slingerz also from12:00hrs.

Beavers’ scorers from right, Shaquan Richard, Telbert Baptist and Courtney Liverpool.

Kaieteur News

Friday October 14, 2016

PAGE 43

IGG to commence on October 21 The 2016 Inter Guiana Games (IGG) is set to commence on Friday October 21 with host Guyana and Suriname battling for supremacy in several disciplines. The games will get underway at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with female basketball from 13:00hrs followed by male basketball at 15:00hrs. Simultaneously, female and male volleyball will be played at the National Gymnasium. The opening ceremony will then be held at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora from 1 9 : 0 0 h r s . On Saturday the National Gymnasium will be the venue for Badminton (09:00-12:00hrs), female volleyball (15:00-17:00hrs) and male volleyball (17:0019:00hrs) while the Sports Hall will host Futsal (13:00hrs-14:00hrs), female basketball (17:00-19:00hrs), male basketball (19:0021:00hrs). The track and Field events will be held at Leonora starting at 16:00hrs. On Sunday, action will move to the National Aquatic Centre where the swimming competition will commence at 09:00hrs. Male and female volleyball will continue at the National Gymnasium f r o m 1 3 : 0 0 h r s . Fustal, table tennis and basketball will be contested at the Sports Hall from 09:00hrs followed by closing ceremony. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport yesterday Director of Sport, Christopher Jones said he is pleased with the preparation and expects a successful hosting of the games.

Christopher Jones

However he added that his main concern is the a t t e n d a n c e . ”As been observed in the past, a lot of fans don’t come out to these events which was evident when we hosted the CAC games. The facilities are up to standard and the advertisement’s has been good so we hope for a good turnout at the events,” h e p o s i t e d . Some of the disciplines will take place simultaneously, but Jones feels that will not affect the attendance. “This provides a good opportunity for fans to choose which event they want to support.” Jones indicated that the hotel accommodation and meals have already been arranged. The Director of Sport related that trials to come up with the various squads would have started a month ago and some of the organizations have already shortlisted their teams. He said hosting of the games will cost around $12M and there has been support from Digicel, Banks DIH, Impressions, E Networks, Woodpecker Products and Hit and James Radio. Admission to the various venues is free. Jones informed that French Guiana will not be participating this year but he hopes they will come onboard in 2017. “We had serious difficulty is making contact and getting a timely feedback from them, we rather suspect that this is due to them having elections and there were some changes in administration,” he added. Meanwhile, when quizzed about the Sports Policy, Jones pointed out that the

NSC is currently working on same which is overdue and they will be meeting with Sports Minister Nicolette

Henry later today to have discussions on it. His hope is that it would be in effect soonest.

DOS Jones pleased with preparation

t r o Sp

Azhar Ali hundred ensures tough grind for Windies

Azhar Ali sends the ball square ©Getty Images

Opener Rajendra Chndrika struck his second half-century of the game with a top score of 68. (Photo courtesy WICB Media)

Windies A eye win after dominating third day

New TD to focus on Youth Development

GFF ink 4-year contract with Englishman, Ian Greenwood

New TD Ian Greenwood is welcomed by GFF President Wayne Ford at a Media briefing yesterday.

Walter ‘Boyd’ Moore retires from international football

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