Kaieteur News

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Thursday Edition October 25, 2012 - Vol. 5 No. 42

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Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

EZ Jet boss accused of stealing US$5.4M

Sonny Ramdeo

… transferred money to airline from hospital chain

Automatic scholarships for top two CSEC and CAPE performers - President Ramotar

Govt., opposition Canadian found Linden Commission of Inquiry ...

Cop says entry murdered at showdown looms over security budget Blankenburg falsified in arms …controversy over Rohee heats up seashore book for shotgun US$40M GPL cable in crisis ...

Steel or concrete poles to replace wallaba - GPL boss

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Kaieteur News

Gov’t, opposition showdown looms over security budget The government anticipates another showdown with the opposition when the National Assembly meets next and it could be similar to last Monday when Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee was not allowed to have a voice.

The government is going to the opposition-controlled National Assembly to approve increased spending for the security sector, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon announced yesterday.

However, having passed a no-confidence motion against Rohee, the opposition has made it clear that it will not support anything under Rohee’s hand.

Last Monday when Rohee stood and attempted to introduce new gun control measures, he was silenced by chants of “Rohee must go.”

The government remains defiant and is not budging on its position regarding Rohee, with Dr Luncheon saying that the position taken by the opposition is unprincipled.

Now, the government is ready for what it says would be the opposition’s “next absurdity” foreseeing a nonapproval of the extra spending

…controversy over Rohee heats up

Clement Rohee

for the security sector.

In fact, Luncheon has already pointed to what he said is the opposition’s “planned starvation” of the security sector.

Dr Luncheon said that the extra funds are needed, given that the security sector had to deal with a number of unplanned events this year, making references to unrests in Linden and Agricola, East Bank Demerara.

The government has moved to the High Court to challenge the no-confidence

motion that was moved by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Leader, David Granger, and passed in the National Assembly on July 30. The motion called on President Donald Ramotar to dismiss Rohee.

The constitutional notice of motion was filed on September 13, and seeks to have the Opposition’s motion declared as, “unlawful, a violation of the doctrine of separation of powers, unconstitutional, null, void and without any binding

force or effect in so far as it purports to censure and express no-confidence in the Home Affairs Minister.”

The government has argued that the no-confidence motion against Minister Rohee is incapable in law or under the constitution, of removing him from Office.

Ministers are appointed by the President of Guyana in accordance with Article 106 and are assigned ministerial portfolios by the Head of State in accordance with Article 107 of the Constitution, the government has argued. Last Monday, Granger said that the decision of the House to pass a “no confidence” motion against Rohee has been the subject of contempt, and vilification, and the House “must demonstrate the seriousness of its debate and decision making.”

“We took a decision and we must not allow ourselves to be the victims of a pattern of intimidation and spurious challenges,” Granger charged.

AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan added weight to the opposition’s argument, saying the decision ought to be respected, and the government must desist from its “arrogance” on the matter.

Thursday October 25, 2012

US-captured marijuana boat was heading to Guyana - Guyanese still in custody Jamaica (Jamaican Observer) – Five Jamaican men who were reportedly held on a boat in a United States territory with almost 7,000 pounds of compressed ganja were recently offered $800,000 bail each when they appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The accused men are Herman Goldson, 64, of Port Royal in Kingston; Radcliff Simmons, 39, fisherman of Jones Town in Kingston; Leaford Kidd, 59, marine engineer of Port Maria in St Mary; Taluka Lyttle, 32, marine engineer of Spanish Town Road an address in Kingston; and Joslyn Foster, chef of Cooreville Gardens in Kingston.

They were among seven men who were arrested on October 10, by US coastguards about 250 miles south of Haiti but were handed over to the local police who charged them with possession of, dealing in, trafficking and conspiracy to export ganja.

The court was told that a US Coast Guard vessel was carrying out a routine patrol on the Caribbean Sea when a vessel was spotted with seven men aboard. The US guards reportedly went on the vessel and found the five Jamaicans along with a Trinidadian and a Guyanese man aboard.

The boat was searched and 6,900 pounds of the drug were reportedly found in a secret compartment in the lower section of the vessel.

The Jamaicans were handed over to the local authority, along with a sample of the drug weighing 41 pounds, as well as the vessel, while the other two men were held by the US coastguards for prosecution in the US. When the matter was called, attorney-at-law Xavia Mayne, who is representing all the accused, raised concern about the legality of his clients being prosecuted in Jamaica when the alleged crime was committed in another jurisdiction. In (continued on page 8)

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

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EZ Jet boss accused of stealing US$5.4M … transferred money to airline from hospital chain WEST PALM BEACH (Court House News Service) - A hospital chain claims in court that its payroll manager and his two companies embezzled US$5.4 million from it.

Promise Healthcare and 11 of its hospitals sued Sonny Ramdeo, PayServ Tax and EzJet GT, in Palm Beach County Court. It claims it hired Ramdeo eight years ago to manage payroll for its 3,500 employees in its hospitals nationwide.

Promise accuses, “Sonny Ramdeo, and his companies (of) stealing over five million dollars from Promise through a sophisticated scheme of fraud and deception.

Specifically, Ramdeo incorporated a company called ‘PayServ Tax Inc.’ and deceived Promise’s senior management into believing that PayServ was a legitimate payroll tax processing company affiliated with the nationally known payroll processing company, Ceridian.

“Based on this lie, he deceived Promise into transferring millions of dollars to PayServ Tax Inc. and diverted over five million dollars of Promise’s money to himself and his companies,”

the complaint states.

Ceridian is not a party to the complaint. ”Around October 2010, Ramdeo incorporated PayServ,” the complaint states. “Thereafter, through a sophisticated fraud including false representations, fabricated documents and emails, and a fictitious website, Ramdeo deceived Promise’s senior management into believing that Promise’s payroll taxes were being received, processed, and paid

by Ceridian (a global payroll services company that Promise had used for years).

Instead, Ramdeo received Promise’s money allocated for payroll taxes through his own company, PayServ, so that he could steal millions of dollars from Promise along the way.

Upon information and belief, he did this by forging signatures on standing transfer orders that purported to authorize Promise’s bank to debit f u n d s from Promise’s account for transfer to PayServ’s account at PNC Bank. ... ”Significantly, in the past two months alone,

Promise Healthcare and 11 of its hospitals have sued Sonny Ramdeo, PayServ Tax and Ez-Jet for a US$5.4M embezzlement.

Ramdeo stole US$5,387,000 from Promise by diverting its funds to Ez Jet. He did this by diverting money in the PayServ account that had been deposited for payment of Promise’s payroll taxes to his jet charter company, EZJet GT Inc. ”Upon information and belief, since creating PayServ, Ramdeo has been knowingly and intentionally misstating the amount of payroll taxes

actually due by Promise and/ or misstating the amount of payroll taxes actually transferred to government agencies and stealing the excess funds (in a sum that exceeds US$5,000,000).

“Ramdeo effected this fraud through a sophisticated scheme of fraud that deceived not only Promise’s senior management, but also its auditors. This is because Ramdeo not only fabricated

documents, but also emails and websites to deceive Promise and its auditors into believing that Ceridian was receiving and processing Promise’s payroll taxes.

For example, when Promise’s senior management requested additional information from Ramdeo regarding the Ceridian bank account where payroll taxes were being deposited, Ramdeo provided Promise’s senior management with a document - on Ceridian letterhead which purported to identify ‘the Payroll Trust Account information in which Promise Healthcare’s taxes are being collected into and disbursed out of.’

Ramdeo even fabricated an e-mail to himself from a p u r ported Ken Taylor of Paytax so that it would appear as if he had received the Paytax letter from a third party.

However, like Ramdeo’s other representations, the PayTax Letter and the e-mail from a purported Ken Taylor were fraudulent. They were fabricated by Ramdeo in response to Promise’s request for additional information

about th e p a y r o l l t a x account. ”The PayTax Letter and email were only one part of Ramdeo’s scheme. For example, upon information and belief, Ramdeo also purchased the domain name Pay-tax.com and directed that Internet address to link directly to Ceridian’s website so that anyone investigating Pay-tax.com would be deceived into thinking that they were dealing with Ceridian.” (Citations to exhibits omitted; parentheses in complaint.)

The hospitals seek damages for fraud, unjust enrichment, conversion, and civil theft and imposition of a constructive trust. They are represented by Matthew Triggs, with Proskauer Rose, of Boca Raton.

EZjet started flying to Guyana on December 16, 2011, but competitors in the industry questioned the source of financing of the company.

It was revealed that Ramdeo had a US$348,000 mortgage on his Fort Lauderdale home.

In early March, Ramdeo flew in several of his (continued on page 16)

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the 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

Those maternal deaths Childbirth was always seen as one of the most natural things in the world. It is the key to the continuation of human existence. In recent times Guyana has been recording unusually high numbers of maternal deaths. So disturbing was this fact that the government launched an investigation.

At the time most of the deaths were being recorded at Skeldon and at Linden. And these were happening at a time when the government was making a loud boast of the numbers of doctors returning from Cuba to boost the functioning of the medical services in Guyana.

There was a promise that the reports from the first investigations would be made public and that action would be taken if it were discovered that there was a case of gross negligence. This was all well and good but it turned out that the hospitals were not keeping records of what was transpiring within their walls.

In every other case of people entering hospitals there are copious records. The various vital signs are recorded and there is a history of the medications issued. This would allow for anyone paying a repeat visit to a hospital to be treated by any doctor. In this day of computerization all the records are stored and can be retrieved at the drop of a hat.

A woman going to a clinic would have her records properly stored for use at any time. However, in every case when a death was recorded in Guyana it was as if the patient was being seen for the first time.

The investigation launched by the government in the wake of the spike in maternal deaths found that there was poor record keeping. There was precious little on any of the mothers who died.

The nation expected fireworks for this serious lapse in the health system. Instead there was deafening silence.

More than a year has elapsed and we are still to be provided with information on these women’s death. No one has been disciplined and we are nowhere closer to finding out whether the situation has changed and whether there is record keeping.

Last week another young mother died. The post mortem revealed that she bled to death. Surely there must have been something to suggest that there could have been complications.

We understand that she delivered by Caesarean section.

That tells us that there was some surgical intervention. We are left to conclude that the doctor who performed the surgery did something to cause the woman to bleed incessantly.

Some time back, a medical doctor said that he could not help but notice that people still die of injuries to their spleen.

This doctor said that such should no longer be the case, since medicine had advanced to the point where such injuries are easily corrected.

That would suggest that the local doctors are not as qualified as they should be.

There is more. There have been complaints from the nurses and one would find this really shocking, given that most of the nurses are women.

The view is that they would be overly sympathetic to the woes of another woman. Instead, they are said to be the most unsympathetic. In fact, in some of the cases of maternal deaths, nurses were accused of informing the mother that she was not ready to deliver.

We notice that Trinidad is also reporting a spike in maternal deaths. We are certain that the root causes may be different. According to reports, many of the fatalities in Trinidad are women who delayed the onset of their childbearing.

The doctors are convinced that the risk increases with the age of the woman.

However, many of the women who died in Guyana were young so they were outside the scope of the Trinidad experience. And many of them were attending clinic because these days pregnant women tend to be more conscious of the need for regular medical checks.

And as for the promised reports on the maternal deaths, these are still to be forthcoming. It is as if the government has resigned itself to substandard practices in the clinics and hospitals.

There is one group that has everything to gain by changing its voting behaviour DEAR EDITOR, The PPP and PNC/APNU have failed Guyanese for nearly six decades. They have given us the pain and shame of ethnic politics and race voting.

This chokes Guyana as the two major ethnic groups, Indians and Africans, who according to the 2002 Census comprise 73% of the population vote out of fear, insecurity and mostly blind racial reasons as opposed to voting on issues, values, future-driven ideals and economic considerations.

Racial voting has trapped Guyana into accepting all kinds of disgusting, failed and elitist leadership from failed parties (PPP and PNC/ APNU). Racial voting is why the Jagdeoite-controlled PPP could suspend a mandatory PPP party congress and handpick a weak leader like Ramotar and yet still command the support of Indians.

Racial voting is why PNC/ APNU supporters, mostly Africans, would vote for a party that has been soundly hammered in five consecutive elections and demonstrates weak opposition tactics. Some

would argue that racial voting is why thousands of PNC/ APNU supporters who supported the multiracial AFC in 2006 returned to the PNC/APNU in 2011 only to be rudely reminded it is the same PNC dressed up in an APNU frock.

Because of racial voting, crooks, frauds, bandits, agent provocateurs, vagabonds, miscreants, yes-men, soupdrinkers, the corrupt and the criminal can dominate political parties and get away with it.

Because these parties are guaranteed of racial votes, they have no incentive to change.

To make matters worse, Indians and Africans are the only two ethnic groups with political movements. The Amerindians and Mixed Races do not have their own political parties. Therefore, these two groups (Indians and Africans) get to dominate the nation’s political landscape and its direction.

How could race voting change? Education and economic development rooted in poverty elimination, which are strong deterrents to ethnic politics, have not arrived to the masses in

Guyana. The motivation has to be power and a push to share or influence political power.

In Guyana, political power means economic power.

Government controls about two-thirds of the economy.

Any deprived ethnic group has to seriously think about its strategy in order to gain power to get a fair share of the pie held and controlled by government.

Africans cannot continue this strategy of supporting the PNC/APNU, as this approach inevitably produces political defeat simply because Indians outnumber Africans, and Africans will always lose to the larger Indian population in a straight race voting contest. Five election defeats by the PNC/APNU have cemented this fact.

While many Indians detest their own PPP hijacked by a corrupt elitist cabal, they detest the PNC/APNU more.

As long as Africans continue to back APNU/PNC making it a dominant political force, Indians will counter by voting for the PPP. This voting behaviour lead to the result of one group

getting power and getting it absolutely while other groups get none or just scraps. This is how the cycle of exclusion and marginalization is perpetuated.

Even worse, the 2011 election result showed the PNC-created monstrosity of a constitution allows the executive (presidency) that wins just a plurality to operate as if it won a majority. So, voting race has backfired spectacularly on the smaller ethnic group (Africans) in democratic Guyana even when African votes contribute to a majority parliament but still is insufficient to control the presidency, which is where the real power lies.

Although Indians will slowly leave the PPP, this is occurring too slowly, and will not have an impact on the PPP losing power until probably the 2026 election.

As it stands, the overwhelming majority of Indians will not alter their votes as long as the PNC/ APNU remains and continues to be overwhelming supported by Africans.

Therefore, race voting in free and fair elections has delivered nothing of substance to Africans.

It has for PNC/APNU leadership who get seats in Parliament and gold-plated salaries, pensions, benefits and concessions from being a toothless opposition while the PPP dominates everything. But the African masses get nothing. No equal access and no fair share.

Africans are at a crossroad in this country.

A change in the African political and economic condition will not occur until and unless Africans leave the PNC/APNU en masse.

Indians have no incentive to make this change as they control the race voting outcome by sheer numerical superiority and their fear of the PNC/APNU remains potent. Africans have to make the move, not Amerindians, not Mixed Races.

Those latter groups have no political formations and no history of ethnic antagonism.

They have no party. They are not as large as the African ethnic group. They cannot provide the psychological and psychic catharsis Africans can provide to this country by taking a massive step away from racial voting.

There is no moment greater than now for Africans to take the leap of faith to moulding a new Guyana.

Indians are disgusted with the PPP hijackers. For the first time in 62 years since the formation of the PPP, Indians Continued on page 6

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

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

Why aren’t the requirements of the law being enforced?

DEAR EDITOR, We wrote a letter to the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority on the 15th August, 2012, and have not received acknowledgment or response on a very important matter pertaining to the Laws of Guyana, consumer protection, and protection of the environment.

We have noted that the Commissioner-General and Guyana Revenue Authority do not hesitate to respond to letters and matters pertaining to the Authority in the press.

We trust that with this publication the Commissioner-General may respond and attend to this important matter. His office

has confirmed receipt of this letter. The following is the text: Mr. Khurshid Sattaur Commissioner General, Guyana Revenue Authority 210E Albert and Charlotte St, Georgetown.

DEAR EDITOR, I must address the management of the Guyana Water Inc., which I believe is devoid of the basic minimum of decency and concern for the customers they serve.

These people operate as if they are doing us a favour, and with the new CEO, instead of making things better, it is getting worse with this essential service provider.

With specific reference to the situation regarding the Bachelor’s Adventure well on the East Coast of Demerara, the GWI has compounded its eye-pass for consumers with a press release that reeks of contempt.

For several days the communities that are served by this well have been without water.

The GWI, in true contemptuous manner, did not see it fit to inform the population about the default.

It was only after the matter was highlighted in the newspaper that the Public Relations Officer sought to relay the problem.

To say that the General Manager had conducted outreaches with the affected communities is being dishonest.

I live in the affected community and at no time did the GWI personnel engage the citizens about the problem; all we knew was that the water pressure suddenly became too low to be considered potable.

This is the height of the dry season and the GWI has not even proposed any measure to alleviate the suffering that would certainly arise from this disdainful situation.

All we are hearing is that “GWI apologizes for any inconvenience experienced by customers; alleviating the service delivery challenges of the community is a priority and GWI’s East Coast team is working swiftly to restore normal service to the community. Customers can call 227-8701 for updates or e m a i l customercallcentre@gwi.gy.”

What a joke!!!

This is 2012, and while this administration likes to boast about its achievements in the area of potable water, the situation is no different from when Guyanese were seen fetching drums of water from far distances. Is the GWI for real?

Disgusted consumer

Dear Sir, Ref: Illegal Importation and sales of Air Conditioning equipment containing Ozone Depleting Substances HCFC (R-22) ban under the Trade Order # 19 of 2007 and Trade Order # 6 of 2010.

With reference to our letter to you dated 10th May 2012 and the response from

GWI’s management lacks concern for consumers

the Deputy Head, Ms Karen Chapman of the Customs & Trade Administration in a letter dated 21st June 2012, and the subsequent meeting with Ms K. Chapman and the relevant Customs officials, as such we are again seeking your intervention into this matter.

We wrote Ms Karen Chapman, the Deputy Head of Customs & Trade Administration, a letter dated 27th June 2012, in connection with our meeting and had also sent a copy to you, but did not receive a

response. Please note the specific requirements of the Commissioner-General as outlined in the Trade Acts are as follows: 1. Enforcement of the ban of equipment containing Ozone Depleting Substance, HCFC (R-22). Since the pass of this law in May 2010 the importation of equipment Air Conditioning Units containing ozone Depleting Substance HCFC (R-22) continues unrestricted to date.

2. Public displays and sale of banned equipment

containing HCFC (R-22) without retrofitting and the required labeling as outlined in the above Trade Acts and the Guyana Standards GYS 9-10:2002.

3.No public information by the Customs & Trade Administration to importers and consumers, and on the prohibition on the importation of equipment containing Ozone Depleting Substance HCFC (R-22), specifically Air Conditioning Units.

These requirements are not being enforced as

required by the law. The importation and sales of Ozone Depleting Substances HCFC (R-22) in air conditioning equipment has continued since 2010 without the intervention of the Customs & Trade Administration.

We would be grateful if the Commissioner-General may advise us as to why the requirements of the law are not being enforced.

Samuel Barakat Chief Executive Officer Engineering & Construction Inc.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

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

An astonishing question and comment at the Linden Commission of Inquiry

DEAR EDITOR, I listened with astonishment to the question and comment directed toward Mr Desmond Trotman MP at the Linden Commission of Inquiry.

Commission Chairman Justice Lensley Wolfe, who had asked whether persons had the right to break the law, asked Trotman: “are you suggesting that the failure of the government to do something entitled a person affected by that failure to break the law?”

When the APNU MP and WPA activist continued to defend the occupation of the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge, Commissioner Wolfe came up with a shocking rejoinder:”it is indeed disappointing to hear a member of the legislature saying what you are saying.”

Both statements by Chairman Wolfe are remarkable for their absence of context and history, and constitute crass disrespect for the MP, whose duty it is to represent people’s grievances in all conditions and formats, whether the

people of Linden or any others engaged in mass protest in Guyana.

Commissioner Wolfe’s preoccupation with “order” is based on social class and power and shows complete disdain for the historical struggles of working people in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean, including mass demonstrations. Maybe he and some of the other Commissioners would do well to reflect on Caribbean history. He cannot be unaware of Jamaica’s past of civil disobedience whether of union, political party, or the masses of men and women, who after countless exhortations to civil society and government, have been forced to take peaceful protest to the streets.

He must surely also be aware of the many times that such peaceful protests included acts of civil disobedience. A Jamaican, he must have heard of the Morant Bay revolt of 1865 where the colonial state led by a law and order Governor, shot and killed protestors in

their hundreds in the aftermath of unrest where a courthouse was stormed.

The Baptist deacon Paul Bogle, a leader of the people’s protest against a crippling poll tax was later hanged; today he is a national hero of Jamaica. Civil disobedience may be non-violent or it might lead to riots. 1865 was an illegal assembly before it became a full scale riot.

In Guyana there have been countless demonstrations and riots against civil and police authority. We can name the 1872 Devonshire Castle indentured labourer protests, the Angel Gabriel riots of 1856, the 1889 Stabroek Market “cent bread” riot, the shooting of sugar workers at Enmore during a demonstration, the 1905 riots, the 1924 Ruimveldt labour protests and shooting of workers, and countless other exhibitions of civil unrest.

What was the cause of these events? Were the people just deliberately unlawful? No, riots and planned civil disobedience

always arrive after simmering discontent occasioned by the failure of formal structures of appeal or lack of representation by members of the legislature.

In all these cases, whether civil disobedience, labour demonstrations or riots across the region, the one unifying element is that there were countless demands for change which fell on deaf ears prior to the unrest.

It is not my place to tell Commissioner Wolfe or any

Commissioner what questions to direct, but a better question from Mr Wolfe – given that he has come to investigate alleged police violence against the people - would have been to enquire as to the sources of the grievances and unrest that caused the demonstrations in the first place – the angst that made the men and women of Linden take to the streets to demand their rights.

Cause and effect in

science is equally applicable to responses of human beings. Walter Rodney’s history of the 1905 riots provides one of the best examples of context and identifies the real “owners” of violence.

During the riots in Georgetown, one Guyanese demonstrator told a British soldier: “The people are doing nothing. It is the Government who are rioting and shooting down the people.”

Nigel Westmaas

From page 4 have reached across the divide in the last election with thousands voting for the AFC after breaking free from the PPP. The mood for redemption and the atmosphere for reconciliation remains a powerful trade wind blowing across this land. Indians are ready for change. Africans cannot miss or lose this moment. They have to change to offer Indians sickened by the PPP a sign and signal of change. Africans march away from the PNC/APNU and their advances into new territory of multiracial politics and multiethnic voting is necessary for the numerically dominant group (Indians), listless with their own party and desperately seeking release from their political imprisonment to a PPP entity that has vilified their core morality, to march free. One group has to make the sacrifice for the other to consider changing the future of this country. That group has to be Africans.

One of the two warring ethnic groups in this country has to commence the long journey and with everything to gain and nothing to lose, Africans must

reach out with an olive branch in the rebuilding of this country by walking away from the PNC/ APNU in such massive numbers, it will find itself on the brink and into political oblivion.

WhenAfricans migrate away from the PNC/APNU and start voting for multiracial parties like the AFC, it boosts multiracial politics by giving it critical mass.

Youths who have abandoned the bitterness of our political menagerie will return to democratic participation. Those Amerindians and Mixed Races who departed from the political scene in 2006 will flood back into a place of political renewal.

More talent will emerge.

Vibrant leaders will appear. We will get our Barack Obamas, Winston Churchills, Lee Kwan Yews and more.

More parties will appear with greater internal democracy and inclusivity than the PPP and PNC/APNU. Leaders will emerge across this land. People will feel free to change political parties.

Even if the AFC gets a massive influx of Africans, those voters will shift to newer and better parties if the AFC does not reform. The PPP and PNC/APNU will undergo serious reform in order to recover some of their lost

flock. This benefits Guyana immensely, as new leadership in these old parties will push Guyana in a better direction.

Parties will have to work incessantly to please voters.

If Africans miss this mood in this country and continue on the beaten path of electoral beatings under the PNC/APNU, theirs will be a political legacy of decades more in the wilderness and its attendant marginalization.

Continued African support for the PNC/APNU amounts to voting for continued African exclusion.

For twenty years, Africans have gone down the path of race voting with absolutely nothing to show for it but misery and marginalization. The only way to change the dynamic of power in Guyana is to change voting behaviour. There is one group that has everything to gain and nothing to lose.

This country’s future lies in their hands. Africans changing race voting behaviour is the only way Guyana will change. It will be the greatest act of political good faith ever undertaken in this country since our forefathers stood up to slavery and indentureship.

M. Maxwell

There is one group that has...

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Prominent Guyana-born Queens District Leader on federal corruption charges New York (New York Times) – A Queens district leader and two-time candidate for the City Council surrendered to federal authorities Wednesday morning to face corruption charges, including mail fraud conspiracy and obstruction of justice, stemming from what prosecutors said were campaign finance improprieties.

The district leader, Albert J. Baldeo, a Democrat and immigrant from Guyana, is accused of using phantom donors to funnel illegal campaign contributions to his unsuccessful 2010 campaign for the City Council, to fraudulently increase the amount of matching funds provided by the city, federal prosecutors said He is being charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, attempted mail fraud, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and obstruction of justice.

Baldeo, whose district includes Richmond Hill and Ozone Park, surrendered at the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at Federal Plaza shortly after 9 a.m.

He is expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Federal District Court in Manhattan.

The charges were announced by the United States attorney in Manhattan, Preet Bharara, and Mary Galligan, the acting assistant director of the F.B.I., who heads the bureau’s New York office, in a statement issued by Mr. Bharara.

Galligan said in the statement that Mr. Baldeo’s fraud, according to the government, was fabricating contributions to his campaign to receive six dollars in matching funds for every dollar he reportedly raised.

Facing charges: Albert Baldeo

“These were nothing more than funds drawn from his own bank account, disguised as donations from others,” Ms. Galligan said. “When F.B.I. agents began to uncover his deceitful scheme, Mr. Baldeo told straw donors to lie to our agents and in some cases threatened and intimidated others in a vain attempt to derail the F.B.I.’s investigation.”

Mr. Bharara said that Mr. Baldeo “was so focused on securing a position with the New York City Council that he was willing to break the law to increase his chances – including engaging in a scheme to circumvent campaign finance laws by funneling his own money through straw donors.”

Baldeo, a lawyer, could not be reached for comment.

Essequibo beating death ...

Police awaiting post mortem results The results of the post mortem to be performed on 13-year-old Travis Emmanuel Benjamin sometime this week, will determine the likelihood of a charge being instituted against his mother who is said to be mentally challenged.

The woman lives at Onderneeming, Sand Pitt. The child died after he was beaten, allegedly by his mother.

Police said they are continuing to gather statements from the mentally challenged woman. Veronica Benjamin, a single-parent is accused of beating her eldest son to death sometime Monday night last.

Benjamin admitted to dealing her son who was said to be a mute, some lashes with a belt. She claimed he was

making uncontrolled noises for an extended period.

However, neighbours are maintaining that the child was beaten severely and died later.

Benjamin also stated that her son contracted a fever and diarrhea and said that she didn’t make an effort to seek medical assistance for the child, since she concluded her son was going to die.

Neighbours who reported hearing loud screams from Benjamin on Monday night all related they were unable to render assistance to the boy since his mom behaves violently and is deemed a severe threat to the community. Benjamin attended the psychiatric clinic at the Suddie Public Hospital.

Her husband walked out of their home a few years ago.

His lawyer, Henry E. Mazurek of Clayman & Rosenberg, said in a prepared statement that Mr. Baldeo had devoted himself to public service, and had been singled out in unfair treatment.

“The government crusade against Mr. Baldeo is particularly vindictive and discriminatory given that past history reveals that more sinister conduct alleged against establishment candidates often resulted in civil administrative proceedings — and not criminal cases,” he said.

“We intend to vindicate Mr. Baldeo’s good name and commendable civil service. We regret, however, that the government will force this well-intentioned community servant to suffer the emotional and financial costs that criminal litigation entails.”

Baldeo also ran unsuccessfully for the City Council in 2005 and for the State Senate in 2006. A district leader, also known as a state committeeperson, is an unpaid, part-time elected official who serves a two-year term. The leader’s duties include endorsing candidates and helping to select the county party’s leader.

Albert, a former magistrate and prosecutor, is also an arbitrator, mediator, lecturer, columnist, community leader and advocate for his district. He was also appointed a Special Prosecutor and tried homicides, violent crimes and fraud indictments, before serving as a magistrate.

He has been practicing law for over 25 years, and is well known for his expertise in public benefits and immigration law, and even judicial temperament. Many of his cases have created legal precedents in the Caribbean, the Commonwealth and in the USA.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

Canada-based Guyanese found murdered at Blankenburg seashore Police on the West Coast of Demerara are investigating yet another bizarre murder in the district. The incident occurred sometime on Tuesday.

According to reports, 77year-old Moneer of Blankenburg who was holidaying in Guyana, was found dead on the Blankenburg seashore around 6:30 hours on Tuesday.

A post mortem revealed that the man died as a result of compression injuries to the neck, multiple blunt traumas to his head and asphyxiation.

This publication was also told that the man’s body also bore stab wounds. Sources close to the investigation said that it is believed that the man was attacked at one location and subsequently dumped at the seashore.

The dead man’s brother, Hakim Hussein, told this publication that his brother arrived in Guyana about a week ago. According to Hussein, Moneer left the house on Tuesday saying he was going to a nearby

cemetery to visit his son’s grave and then to see other relatives in the area.

As the place began to get dark the man’s relatives became worried and formed a search party. Hussein said while searching, a resident of the area said that they saw the man earlier walking and that he had indicated that he was going to check on his relatives.

According to Hussein, they knew that the man would also visit the seawall from time to time, hence they decided to check that area. To their shock and horror from a distance they said they noticed the body of a man lying face down at the edge of the seashore.

Within seconds, Hussein said it dawned on them that it was his brother. This publication was told that the man’s cap and watch were found nearby and his pants were half way off.

Hussein said that contrary to speculation, his brother was not sexually assaulted

by his attacker/attackers. He said that the post mortem did not reveal anything to suggest a sexual assault. The man said they immediately informed the police who arrived and began processing the scene. Moneer’s body was subsequently removed and taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home.

Meanwhile, the man’s brother said he believes his brother was killed by someone whom he knew.

“This place got nuff junkie around and is an old man. Even if you rob he, you ain’t had to kill he. They kill he because he must be know them”.

Hussein said that he was told that his brother had recently changed US$600 at a man in the area so he believed that his brother had a sizable amount of cash on him at the time he was attacked.

“He does walk around with money when he going and visit he relatives because he does give everybody a li’l raise,” Moneer was scheduled to return to Canada in January.

Committee zeroes in on city garbage piles The listing below illustrates some of the areas within Georgetown that are affected by the garbage pileups in the city. This information is a direct result of the work done by the members of the Implementation Committee along with the City Constabulary Department of the Mayor and City Councillors of Georgetown over the past few weeks.

This will be part of an ongoing exercise.

The monitoring team setup has been going about different strategic areas in Georgetown to ascertain the level of garbage pileup as well as the health risks along with other impeding factors which are as a result of the pileups.

The list below gives an idea of some of the businesses and agencies which are affected on a daily basis.

As a result of the above, the Implementation Committee along with the M&CC will be contacting businesses and entities to follow up on these findings.

US-captured marijuana boat ...

From page 2 addition, Mayne also pointed out that the exhibition was in another jurisdiction.

However, as it relates to his clients, the lawyer told the court that his clients, who are part of the ship’s crew, were on their way to Guyana to carry out repairs to the vessel and to collect 60,000 pounds

of fish when the boat ran out of fuel and drifted off into US waters. Mayne said that his clients had no knowledge that the drug was on board.

The men were subsequently offered bail by magistrate Lorna Shelly Williams on conditions that they report three days per week at the nearest police

station to their home in their respective community and surrender their travel documents with a stop order in place.

The matter was then set for today when an officer from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution is to attend court to make special application.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

PARLIAMENT IS IN CRISIS Guyana’s reputation as parliamentary democracy is going to suffer disrepute unless there is a significant improvement in what takes place in parliament.

At present what is occurring in parliament is making a laughing stock of the country and the relationship among the parties in parliament needs to be dramatically improved so as to avoid further shame to Guyana.

For the greater part of twenty-four years Guyana was the pariah of the Caribbean. Guyanese had to endure the taunts and insults thrown their way whenever the question of politics arose.

Guyana was mocked then as not being familiar with democratic practices.

All of this because of the lack of electoral democracy resulted in an unrepresentative parliament which gave the country a bad name outside of these shores.

Injury was added to insult when given the harsh economic crises that ensured after 1972, Guyanese were only allowed a meager US$40 to leave the country, making us the mocking stock of the Caribbean.

The restoration of democracy and the subsequent improvement in the economic development of the country meant that Guyanese could at least hold their heads with greater dignity, and especially after they could avoid the stigma of not having a representative parliament.

Dem boys seh...

Another one bite de dust Coconut tree does fall one by one; awarra does fall one by one and lime does fall one by one. Is just suh Bharrat friend falling into trouble. Ed Ahmad fall because he see other people money and he think was he own.

And according to dem boys, he didn’t tek li’l bit. He tek suh till he couldn’t fold he hand. Now de Easy Jet one fall. He start just like Ed and now dem boys find out that he tek other people money. De man suh shame that he ain’t talk to even he best friend.

When dem boys call nobody ain’t answer de phone. It guh straight to voice mail. Then somebody claim how de Feds visit he office in Queens and tek way documents.

One man claim how dem tek way de Easy Jet man too and that is why he can’t answer he phone.

From de time he start de Easy Jet service dem boys know that trouble been right behind. Wha dem didn’t

know was that de money was coming from another source.

De man was tekking hospital money fuh operate a plane.

And why a plane?

Because from he own mouth he claim how he like fuh travel to Guyana and he don’t like fuh pay. It look like if he gun travel in a prison van fuh a long time and he wouldn’t have to pay.

Bharrat shame. All he friends who talk bout investing in Guyana coming wid thiefing money like if Guyana need more thiefing money.

De one good thing is that when dem thief in de States dem does go to jail. In Guyana all of dem woulda been given a medal or a national award because thiefing is matter of pride. De more people thief in Guyana is de more famous dem does get.

Thanks to Aunty Dora Irizarry, all who thief heading to a small room wid bars.

Talk half and wait fuh more of dem fall.

Barbados forging ahead with double taxation agreements with other countries Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation - The Barbados government says it will sign double taxation agreements (DTA) with Bahrain, Qatar and Singapore and is forging ahead with its efforts to secure more agreements as the island seeks to strengthen its international business sector.

“I am hoping that they (Qatar) will have a delegation in Barbados during the course of November at which time we could have the formal signing of the agreement so it can come into effect,” said International Business and

International Transport Minister George Hutson, adding that discussions were ongoing for an air service agreement with the Arab state. “So the opportunities are there for business, and certainly it creates the environment for the local business sector to take advantage of,” he added.

Hutson said government would be taking to parliament the promised Private Trust Companies’ legislation while the Foundations legislation was expected to go before the Lower House before the end of this session in December.

It does, however, seem as if what is taking place in the National Assembly these days will hold the country up to new ridicule.

There are a host of wrongs taking place.

Firstly, it seems as if the National Assembly is being reduced to a fish market.

There is constant heckling and cross chatting and most of it is not done in good spirit.

This form of cross-talk is quite pronounced in the British House of Commons but this does not mean that our parliament has to imitate that raucousness.

Parliament should be a

place of civilized discourse. It should be the House where manners and civility resound.

It should be a place where parliamentary norms, conventions and practices should be scrupulously observed.

It should provide an incentive for the peoples’ representatives to be on their best behaviour. For example, good parliamentary decorum demands that when the Speaker is on the floor, everyone should hold his or her tongue. No one should be standing or speaking when the Speaker intervenes or is on the floor.

Yet consistently during this parliament, and as was quite evident last Monday, there were times when the Speaker could hardly hear himself. The Speaker was supposed to have the microphone but in effect his statements were being drowned out by the din. This shows scant respect for the position of Speaker.

This form of disrespect should not be tolerated. If members cannot control themselves, if they cannot still their tongues when the Speaker is speaking, then the Speaker should simply adjourn the sitting and have

a serious chat with the Chief Whips of the respective parties that are represented in the National Assembly.

When the Speaker is addressing the Assembly, you should be able to hear a pin drop. Instead, what is happening is that parliamentarians are most often than not carrying on their own conversations.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

The tenth parliament or the failed parliament?

In philosophy there is a school of thought that goes back to the 18th century but it was the 20th century radical French thinker of post-war Europe, Jean Paul Sartre, who popularized the role of existentialism in modern philosophy.

After Sartre, existentialism came out of the cloistered corners of academia and into the world of

journalism, politics and popular debate. It was now common to find ordinary folks making reference to things existentialist.

According to existentialist thought, we humans are responsible for our own action and not God. We consciously decide the situation we enter into. In existentialist thinking, we choose of our own volition,

the life we live. In Guyana, the leaders in the PNC and AFC chose to enter parliamentary politics on their own accord and not by coercion. They then have an obligation to do the things for their country that they consciously set out to do.

A trade unionist, a u n i v e r s i t y p r o f e s s o r, a lawyer, doctor and others have a right to criticize their

parliamentarians for nonperformance and the parliamentarians cannot accuse them of noninvolvement because they, the parliamentarians, opted for leadership roles.

If you know that you cannot devote full time attention to the struggle for justice then why did you go into Parliament?

You chose that route and

you have to know it carries obligations. The long recess of Parliament was inexcusable for the opposition that promised their voters that they will use their success to roll back a mountain of authoritarian policies inherited from the Jagdeo reign.

If the country was reeling from autocratic governance as the opposition described it in the election campaign, then surely all space and time had to be used to free the country from the tyranny that the opposition said Mr. Jagdeo created.

A two-month recess was vulgar but even more deplorable is the nonachievement of the 10 th Parliament so far. If there is any beneficiary of the 10th Parliament it is the wife of the Finance Minister.

A parliamentary committee reappointed her to the Auditor-General’s office in a vote that saw APNU’s Carl Greenidge taking advice from Gail Teixieira that he, Greenidge as chairman of the committee could not vote.

The AFC’s Trevor Williams was in Essequibo and couldn’t be present. The nation has learnt that Parliament cannot cancel Mrs. S i n g h ’s reconfirmation.

We are approaching a year of the 10 th Parliament.

The PPP has chalked up two victories; the opposition has none. But more than this, the opposition is being made to look stupid in Parliament by the minority government.

The Executive refused to abide by two motions of the House—one that expressed no-confidence in Rohee, and the Police Commissioner’s blatant rejection of the motion that called for the removal of the barricades around Parliament.

On Monday when the barricades went up, not one MP from the opposition went outside to talk to the police officers. This columnist had no support from opposition MPs as he sought to get the barriers removed

Frederick Kissoon Mr. Christopher Ram and a Stabroek News editorial have been harsh on the opposition for their failures in the 10th Parliament.

They have hit back but cannot do what they have criticized the Government for not doing. They cannot state the facts for the nation to examine.

This columnist has nothing good to say about the opposition’s performance in the 10th Parliament because a particular irony exists in his life.

My contract was terminated at UG with Ms. Gail Teixieira leading the charge for my removal from UG. This same Teixeira offered Carl Greenidge advice on his voting rights which he accepted and Mrs. Ashni Singh got her contract renewed.

The irony is that I campaigned in the last general election in which the opposition captured the 10th Parliament.

After Mr. Ralph Ramkarran resigned from the PPP, this writer took the position that the intended snap poll desire of the PPP was put on the backburner.

Circumstances have changed considerably in the PPP’s favour.

This columnist believes that if a snap election is called the PPP will take Parliament.

It has nothing to do with Agricola.

The disappointment with the opposition is immense.

The statistical reality will see a preservation of PPP voters but a precipitous decline in opposition votes. The reason is that substantial numbers from the opposition constituencies will not vote. Over a hundred thousand registered citizens did not vote in 2011.

We don’t know why but we must put into the equation, the role of cynicism among opposition voters.

Also 2011 saw a mere four percent increase in the Georgetown turnout. The 10th Parliament is a failure.

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. Colin Powell

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Automatic scholarships for top two CSEC and CAPE performers - President Ramotar The two top performers at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certification (CSEC) Examination and the two top performers at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) are now eligible for scholarships to attend institutions of higher learning.

This offer, which comes compliments of the Guyana Government, was announced, yesterday, by President Donald Ramotar as he delivered the main discourse at the Ministry of Education’s 16th National Awards Ceremony to honour and duly award top performers of the various 2012 examinations.

According to the President, “We are giving more scholarships than ever to students of this country to attend institutions of higher learning in Guyana and abroad.”

“I have instructed our colleagues in the Cabinet to see that the top two students from CSEC and CAPE be given scholarships automatically to study here (Guyana) or overseas.”

The President premised his decision on his recognition of the important

President Donald Ramotar and Minister of Education Priya Manickchand are flanked by Top CSEC performers. From left are Tamasha Maraj, Karran Singh, Sarah Hakh and Deowattie Narine. role that education plays in the area of national development. He pointed to the fact that Guyana has directed some $30 billion to the social sector of which the education system is a major

part even as he added that “investing in our country is investing in our future.”

The ceremony, which was staged at the National Cultural Centre, saw top performing candidates of

CSEC, CAPE, the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) as well as those from the Cyril Potter College of Education, the Guyana Technical Institute and the Carnegie School of Home

Economics being presented with awards.

Also receiving awards yesterday were top performing differently-able candidates as did the Most Improved Primary, Junior and

Senior Secondary Schools.

According to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, the results obtained this year are reflective of the work that was put into the sector for the past several years. However, she admitted that there is yet more work to be done.

“There are a number of things that we can do to make the system better because (we know that) investment can bring a return and so you (top performers) have given us hope to continue...you have given us the reason to continue.”

The Minister noted that her assumption of the Education portfolio was at a time when major value is placed on the equity of service. This mode of operation, she said, is very evident in the sector thereby allowing for all schools, regardless of their location, to be served.

She made reference to the fact that the top performers of the country and even the region are no longer coming from a single school but rather from schools across the country. She was at the time (continued on page 18)

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

First Federation tenants owe thousands $$$ in arrears More than half of the 31 tenants of the governmentowned First Federation Building on Croal Street have no rental agreements with over $1.1M in arrears owed.

Some 14 of the tenants had rental agreements that expired since 1991.

About 21 years later, the tenants including lawyers, auto sales company, a salon and Justice of Peace, are paying what government officials have said is a mere pittance when compared to

… have no rental agreement what market prices in the city are going for.

First Federation losing its majesty now is located south of the High Court in Georgetown.

Earlier this week, the 2011 Report of the Auditor General was released in Parliament and it addressed the issue of the First Federation Building which over the years has fallen to disrepair.

Earlier this year, the government had issued removal notices effective October 1, but the tenants had reportedly moved to the courts.

According to state auditors, probing the affairs of the building, which falls under the Ministry of Legal Affairs, there were 31 tenants occupying the building who should have entered into

Guyana establishes diplomatic relations with Palestine Guyana has established diplomatic relations with Palestine, upholding the PPP/ C Government’s support for Palestine in the 65-year conflict with Israel.

According to Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon, Ambassadors to Palestine would be appointed on a non-resident basis.

At his address to the United Nations General Assembly r e c e n t l y,

President Donald Ramotar underlined what he said w a s G u y a n a ’s s t r o n g support for the peaceful settlement of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.

Guyana recognises the State of Palestine based on its 1967 borders and supports its aspirations to full membership of the United Nations, President Ramotar stated.

“The Palestinian people deserve the same right as

people everywhere: to live in dignity, security, freedom and independence, at peace with all their neighbours and with the right to move freely within their homeland, Ramotar stated.

According to Ramotar, his government is of the view that the resolution of this conflict, which has lasted for too long, is key to a lasting peace in the Middle East.

tenancy agreement since last year. However, 17 of them had no tenancy agreements and 14 had agreements which had expired since 1991.

“Although notices were sent to the d e f a u l t i n g tenants for outstanding rent, only $390,000 was collected and at the time of reporting, there was also evidence that rent was in arrears totaling $1.161M for the period under review.

The sum of $917,000 remained outstanding for the

previous period. Responding to questions, the Head of the Budget Agency said that default letters dated May 14th, 2012 were written to the occupants to have them liquidate “their indebtedness for license fees owed for their occupancy of the rooms in the building.

“As a result, some persons came forward and made payments. From May 14, 2012 to date, approximately, $580,000 was repaid.”

The Audit Office urged

that the Ministry follow the proposal of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and prepare new contracts with “realistic tenancy rates for the occupants of the building and take legal action against defaulting tenants”.

Government had disclosed plans to rebuild another structure which will house a number of critical offices in the judicial system including several registries.

These include the Land, Deeds and Corporate, among other departments.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Rustlers steal and slaughter 15 cows from Corentyne farmers ...dump skins, heads in backlands

The cattle farmers stand among the dumped remains of the cattle Several cattle farmers on the Corentyne are now $3M poorer after rustlers broke into their cattle farm and carted off 15 cows. They transported the cattle to a bushy area in the Nigg backlands (a village away) and slaughtered them, taking away the meat and leaving the heads, intestines and carcasses behind.

These disturbing events were related by Narine Sammy Permaul, yesterday. Permaul, who has been rearing cattle at a farm in Williamsburg, Corentyne, has been a farmer for over 20 years.

He and the others have over 200 head of cattle on their farm. They are all partners in the cattle rearing business.

The result is that they are all suffering since they all pooled their resources some time ago and started up the cattle rearing business.

Permaul said that as he was about to open his pen early yesterday to proceed with milking his cows, he observed that 15 cows were missing and the bars were ajar.

“Them slaughtered and killed them and took away the meat and left the guts and heads”. Permaul believes that the cows were driven to the area by the men, but nobody around saw anything since the area is located in the backlands of the village, near the seaside.

A blue Canter truck was spotted, though, by some residents near the cattle farm at the time. Yesterday morning, a search party left

the village and found the remains of the animals at the location, about one mile south of the public road.

“They used to thief one, one, but this is the first time they steal so much,” Permaul complained.

Among the stolen cattle, the farmers complained, were their “milking cows” and mating bulls. “We ain’t got no bulls now to serve them cows; we gotta look for something,” said Ghansham Ramlogan, another farmer.

They estimated their losses at $3M. “The cows had calves in their bellies and all that they killed and throw away”. My milking cow was giving over one-and a half gallons of milk,” he stated.

The farmers believe the meat was transported to the city, “because them meat this cannot sell in Berbice—they took them to the supermarkets. This bull weighed about 800 pounds, and three heifers weighed about 400 to 500 pounds, each,” said Permaul.

Permaul said that this is a major blow to him and his family. He took “pay- off” from the Albion Estate few years ago and used that money to buy cattle. “Me ain’t get milk, too, to give me customers and all two flock bulls they killed out.”

He is now asking for another flock bull from the Ministry of Agriculture and would appreciate some assistance.

The police have since

launched an investigation and Region Six Chairman David Armogan has “promised to send the Crime Chief”.

“This is our daily bread and we want justice! We don’t want them to allow any carcass over the Berbice River Bridge. Them a kill them cows and take the meat to Georgetown and this is the result we getting”, said another irate farmer. “We want justice! The police should raid all the supermarkets and ensure the meats were stamped and inspected by sanitary and inspect where they got the meat from—they should do that all over Georgetown”, she said.

“It is Georgetown people coming and do this! Them man a come with gun and we cannot go with cutlasses and fight these men. The Agriculture Minister supposed to give these cow cattle men gun because these men depending on this for a living,” she stated.

“I was really appalled to see that kind of disaster happening to these poor farmers. Apparently, they said a Canter truck was in the area that does not belong in the village,” Armogan said.

“I called the Commander and Crime Chief and doing some checks to see what blue Canter”.

Armogan said that he has heard, too, that there was a similar incident at Rose Hall Town. “Somewhere along back of Rose Hall they found couple heads too”.

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Thursday October 25, 2012

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Thursday October 25, 2012

St Francis Community Developers commissions multimillion-dollar centre

By Samuel Whyte One of Guyana’s leading Non Governmental Charities and Social Service Organizations, “St Francis Community Developers (SFCD)” of Portuguese’s Quarters, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice has made a big jump in taking the lead in community development in Guyana.

On Tuesday it hosted the commissioning of a multimillion-dollar, state-ofthe-art two storey concrete training centre and Conference Hall now sited at its headquarters at Portuguese’s Quarters, Port Mourant Corentyne, Berbice.

The facility which was launched on November 11, 2011 was built through funding from the government of Japan through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP), with support from Food For The Poor Guyana Inc which provided the furniture and most of the internal facilities. St Francis also raised some of the needed funds.

The Japanese government grant was worth US$103,597 with the SFCD providing approximately

$18M in matching funds toward the project. The building was constructed at a cost of $40.3M. The structure has a number of amenities inside including a multipurpose hall to house over 250 persons, a conference room, other areas for support services, an information technology centre, a media centre, a library, area for an archive, book binding and six offices for various counseling and consultancies.

The vast structure which will be used mainly for training persons in various skills in community and human development also includes a kitchen area and toilet facilities on both floors among others.

The building was commissioned at an impressive ceremony which was attended by the Japanese Ambassador to Guyana, Ambassador Yoshimasa Tezuko; Region Six Chairman David Armogan, SFCD President Alex Foster, Manager of FFP Kent Vincent, Mr Tsuyoshi Koga, Second Secretary Economic Cooperation Officer; Abhee

Solomon, Deputy Representative UNICEF, Chrisa Mikami Deputy Representative UNDP, a number of other dignitaries and collaborating partners of the SFCD organisation.

The commissioning and ribbon cutting was done by Ambassador Yoshimasa Tezuko with assistance from Regional Chairman Armogan, FFP Manager Vincent and Foster. A Plaque was also unveiled by Mr. Tezuko.

Mr. Foster highlighted some of the achievements of the organization which date back some 25 years. He stated that over the years the club has grown and has become one of the leading NGOs in the country and the Commonwealth and their ambition is to become the best in the world.

It conducted a variety of activities and touched people’s lives in various parts of the country, the Caribbean and the wider world.

Foster said the centre will be used for a number of activities, but mainly for training especially in community and human development. Persons are

Handing over the symbolic keys to the project is Ambassador Yoshimasa Tezuko to SFCD President and founder Alex Foster. expected to come from all over Guyana and the Caribbean.

There are plans to open a music school.

He thanked the Japanese Government, Food For the Poor and other collaborating partners for having the foresight and coming on board with his organisation to make the project a reality.

Foster also welcomed the government of Guyana on Board for the first time and stated that they have already started to work together on a number of initiatives which will make the lives of Guyanese better.

He stated, “This is the first time in 20 years that the government has welcomed his organisation”. Regional Chairman David Armagon is the first Regional Chairman to visit and collaborate with his organization, he added.

The club has won the Caribbean Youth Award on three occasions and its members have also won a number of individual awards on many of occasions.

Armogan congratulated Mr. Foster and his team at the SFCD for a job well done and for setting the pace in community development and

he challenged others to catch up or match the pace set by Foster and his team.

He stated that the government is always willing to work with organisations to get things done and will be working with the SFCD on a number of initiatives. The Regional Chairman promised to follow up with the president on most of the agreements made between the Government and the SFCD and have them implemented as quickly as possible.

Ambassador Yoshimasa Tezuko in his address stated that his government is pleased to be of assistance to the SFCD and the people of Guyana. He noted that from what he has seen in such a short time they are convinced that they have made a right move. He stated that the Japanese and Guyana Governments have a long, friendly and fruitful relationship and this project is one such. He also looks forward for further cooperation and continued engagements between the two countries.

Manager of FFP Kent Vincent congratulated the SFCD for a job well done. Also speaking at the ceremony were Mr. Tsuyoshi Koga

Second Secretary Economic Cooperation Officer, Abhee Solomon Deputy Representative UNICEF, and Chrisa Mikami Deputy Representative UNDP, During the launching ceremony a contract was signed by Second Secretary in the Japanese Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago Koji Fujimura and President, Founder and CEO of the SFCD Alex Foster.

This undertaking is part of the SFCD initiative called project ‘RESCUE’— Reforming Education Skills and Capacity for Ultimate Empowerment.

Among some of the items donated by FFP were 24 sets of Executive chairs, two executive conference tables and four book shelves. Food For the Poor also tiled the building. Metro Office and Computer Supplies donated two computers for the computer centre.

The Training centre is part of an 18 structure complex being constructed by the SFCD on a 10-acre plot land which will be called the village.

The Australian and German governments are also on board.

EZ Jet boss accused of ...

From page 3 executives to deny that EZjet has links to former President Bharrat Jagdeo and his businessman friend, Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop.

According to Ramdeo, his operating licence in Guyana was granted after an economic study was done which justified the investment. The company stood in the line and waited its turn and was granted no favors, it was said.

The company was granted permission and started selling tickets in late November. Ramdeo said he used part of his mortgage to fund the startup of the

company to the tune of US$1.5M ($300M).

In the process, the former investment banker said he had to utilise the proceeds from his investments funds, stock options from the bank where he worked and his 401K, a retirement savings account.

The US1.5M was used to pay security deposits, bonds, for the aircraft, he said.

Regarding having a mortgage on his Florida home which, taking a risk to invest such a hefty sum on what is considered one of the riskiest businesses in the world, Ramdeo was of the opinion that it had no bearing. “…And if you truly

believe in a business that you can make work when you have done enough homework and research, then you can mitigate the risks that are out there.

It is a worthwhile investment. Sure there are investors that take those measures (and) those that don’t.”

“The fact that I have a US$348,000 mortgage has no bearings whatsoever on a business idea. The fact that I did not pay off my mortgage tends to lend to the fact of what if I do pay off my mortgage, take the money and pay it off and then what?”

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Crime Chief testifies to communicating with Hicken on July 18 Telephone records presented to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) yesterday showed that former Commander of E and F Division, Clifton Hicken, called Crime Chief Seelall Persaud four times on his cell phone before the July 18 shooting in Linden. That shooting left three persons dead and several dozens injured.

Telephone records also showed that between 17:55hours and 17:56 hours on the said day, three calls were made from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Crime Chief’s cell phone.

Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, who is representing those injured at Linden, posed questions to the Crime Chief pertaining to his actions on July 18.

The Crime Chief said that he spoke with Commander Hicken on July 18, but that was after 19:00hours on the day of the shooting. “At no time before, did I speak with Hicken,” he testified. Persaud however said when asked by Hughes, that he would not deny speaking with Hicken prior to 19:00hours on July 18 if phone records showed that he did. He explained that even if so was proven, he had no recollection of speaking with the former E and F Commander.

The phone records were shown to Persaud and he accepted receiving calls from Hicken at 14:36 hours, 14:58hours, 17:37hours and 17:41hours on July 18. Some of those calls lasted between 27 seconds and 127 seconds.

Persaud however maintained that he could not remember receiving the phone calls and when asked he said he could not remember the contents of those conversations.

The Crime Chief explained that Hicken may have called him because since the commencement of the protest action in Linden prior to July 18, the Commander had been in constant contact with him, relating the status in Linden.

He said that he would not retain those phone calls since there was nothing significant about the conversations.

He said, when asked by Commissioner K.D. Knights, that he was able to retain Hicken’s phone calls subsequent to 19:00hours since it related to shootings by the police and the news of injured protestors. Persaud also testified that he only learnt about the incidents in Linden subsequent to 19:00hours.

The Crime Chief further testified that on July 18 he never spoke with Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee. He said that he never spoke to anyone at the Home Affairs Ministry regarding the Linden matter. He also

said that he can’t remember talking to anyone at the Home Affairs Ministry on matters other than the Linden matter and if he did, that would be normal.

Attorney Nigel Hughes suggested to Persaud that the number 225-7270 was the direct line to Home Affairs Minister and he (Persaud) received three calls from that number on July 18 between 17:55hours and 17:56 hours.

Persaud however related that he would not know if the number was the Minister’s direct line.

He said that as far as he is aware, to get to the Minister someone always answers the phone. On every occasion, he said that when he calls the Minister, he goes through someone else.

Persaud said that he would not deny receiving calls from the Home Affairs Ministry since he is in constant contact with the Minister about several law enforcement and security programmes spearheaded by the Ministry that he is engaged in.

Apart from that information, Persaud said that in a review of the police file into the Linden shooting, it was apparent that the person or persons who killed the three persons in Linden had to have used shotguns.

Persuad however, said that according to investigations police officers could not have killed the Linden protestors.

He said that he would not say it was civilians who did the shooting but it was persons other than police officers who did the shooting.

Investigations to ascertain who fired at the protestors, Persaud said, have not proven that persons other than the police shot at the protestors.

At the beginning of his testimony, the Crime Chief said that he may have used the cell phones of other police officers to make contact with Hicken. Persaud said he did speak with the Commander by cell phone and explained that subsequent to 19:00hours on July 18, he received a call from Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell and was informed of the Linden incident.

Persaud said that other officers were present at Brumell’s office and together they were trying to get information from Linden. As a result, Persaud said that he may have used his cell phone, the Commissioner’s phone or the cell phones of the other officers present.

The Crime Chief, in response to another line of questions, testified that after calls from the Commissioner he had an investigation conducted into the Linden shooting. He said around 05:00hours on July 19 he verified

that three persons had died at Linden, but prior to that he verified that the police had discharged their weapons.

Persaud testified that on July 18 he was informed by Commander Hicken that the police had discharged shotgun rounds on the ground during the Linden protest. On July 19, The Crime Chief said he received information as to which ranks had discharged weapons.

Persaud said he gave instructions that the firearms be sent to the forensic laboratory headed by Superintendent

Stephen Greaves which tests for gun powder residue.

Persaud said that checks are still being made to ascertain whether the police force ever acquired 00 buckshots.

According to him, Sergeant Jackson, firearm and ammunition examiner had made checks and found that within the last six to seven years the force had not stocked that type of ammunition. Jackson however said on Tuesday that he overheard from one of his superiors that 00 buckshots were not used after 2005.

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Crime Chief Seelall Persaud

Page 18

Kaieteur News

New Amsterdam Town Week gets underway New Amsterdam Town Day 2012 got on the way on Sunday with an opening ceremony and cultural show at Main and New Streets, New Amsterdam, which was preceded by a march-past around the town of New Amsterdam.

The procession which was led by the Cofono Band Corps began in front of the New Amsterdam Secondary School at Strand and 39 Stanleytown under the theme “Collaboration and Unity for the restoration of New Amsterdam.”

The feature address was delivered by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Irfaan Ali.Also speaking were Regional Chairman David Armogan and Georgetown Mayor Hamilton

Green. Ali congratulated the Mayor and Town Council for reaching such a milestone and observing yet another Town Day. He said the government strongly supports the New Amsterdam Town Week activities and plans to work with the Council and people of the town to bring back the town to what it used to be. He also encouraged the people of the town to help build and make their region the best.

The week of activities saw a domino competition which was slated for Monday at the New Amsterdam Town Hall.

Tuesday was set aside for a day with the Senior Citizens at the Penguin International Hotel.

The elderly residents were

pampered and served with lunch.

An Impromptu Speech Competition for Primary schools in the town was staged yesterday at the New Amsterdam Town Hall.

The rest of the Week will see a Gospel Night being held today at the New Amsterdam Town Hall. Two activities are planned for tomorrow— a one day Netball competition at the Drop-in-Centre Court at Smythfield is set to take centre stage during the day and a movie night at the Penguin International Hotel will follow.

The Town Week of activities will be climax on Saturday with the much anticipated Street Fair and exhibition along Main and Church Streets stretching to

Stelling Road beginning at 09:00 hrs.The activity will culminate on Sunday with a grand fun day at the All Saints Scots Church School for 10:00 hrs.

The Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA) is expected to play a meaningful role in the Town Week activities. During the week many businesses have special promotions and giveaways.

This is the twelfth year that the celebrations are being held.

New Amsterdam is also celebrating its 121st Anniversary as a Municipality under the theme “Striving Towards Improving the Standards of New Amsterdam.”

Thursday October 25, 2012

Automatic scholarships for top two CSEC and CAPE ...

From page 11 referring to the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) administered CSEC examination which saw Sarah Hakh of the Abram Zuil Secondary School securing the top spot. Over the years students from Queen’s College dominated the top performing spot.

As the overall top CSEC performer for the Region and the Country as well as the top Junior Secondary School top performer Hakh was presented with three trophies.

She secured Grade One passes in 16 subjects: Agricultural Science (Single Award), Biology, Economics, English A, Food and Nutrition, Home Economics Management, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Office Administration, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies, Spanish, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport and Human and Social Biology.

Similar accolades were presented to Deowattie Narine and Tamasha Maraj of Bishops’ High School who were adjudged the most outstanding performers for the Region in the areas of CSEC Science and Business Education respectively.

At CSEC Narine gained 13 Grade One passes in the subject areas of Additional Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, English A, English B, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Physics, Social Studies, Human and Social Biology, and Electrical and Electronic Technology.

Maraj also wrote 13 subjects among them Economics, English A, English B, Mathematics, Office Administration, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies, Electronic Document Preparation and Management; and Additional Mathematics, Caribbean History, Information Technology and Human and Social Biology (Grade II).

Securing an award for the Most Outstanding Candidate in Technical Vocational Education at CSEC for the Region was Karran Singh of the St Rose’s High School. He achieved Grade One passes in 12 subjects – Agricultural Science (Double Award), Biology, Building Technology (Construction), Chemistry, English A, Food and Nutrition, Home Economics Management, Mathematics, Building Technology (Woods), Chemistry, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Human and Social Biology, and Social Studies; Grade II in Technical Drawing and Grade III in English B. The four top regional performers will be eligible for additional awards in December when CXC hosts a prize giving ceremony in Anguilla. The CXC

prize package will include a full scholarship to the University of the West Indies, monetary prizes, plaques and books, according to a release issued by the examining body.

The Education Ministry’s ceremony yesterday also saw senior secondary schools top performer Jessica Anthony of Queen’s College being honoured. She is the daughter of Culture Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, and Head of the National AIDS Programme Secretariat, Dr Shanti Singh.

Also receiving awards for the same achievement were her colleagues Jennelle Cadogan, Rosanna Bisnauth along with Deowattie Narine and Kaleshwar of The Bishops’ High School.

Aside from Hahk, best performers of Junior Secondary schools were Bibi Ameena Nazaralie of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School and Meikel Mahabir of the West Demerara Secondary School.

Topping the list for the CAPE performance was Kelly Ann Persaud of Queen’s College who was not on hand yesterday to receive her award from President Ramotar. Her absence, like that of her colleague Navindra Baldeo, was due to her attendance at the University of the West Indies.

Also listed among the best performers of CAPE were Jonelle James, Christopher Chinnatambi, Melodie Lowe and Raphel Bascom all students of Queen’s College.

Yesterday awards were also given to the New Market Primary School of Region Six for being the Most Improved Primary School, the Fort Wellington Secondary School for the Most Improved Junior Secondary School and St Stanislaus College for being the Most Improved Senior Secondary School.

The top NGSA awardees were Michael Bhopaul of Graham’s Hall Primary and Ramesh Ghir son of Chief Executive Officer of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Ramesh Ghir. The two youngsters both secured a total of 547 marks. Other top performing NGSA awardees were Rawletta Barrow and Angel Moonilall both of Success Elementary along with Talicia Sukhraji of Mae’s Under 12.

Yesterday’s award ceremony, which also saw special awards being presented to differently-able students including Leana Cheea-tow and Musa Haynes of St Rose’s High along with visually impaired Ganesh Singh officially marked the end of the Ministry of Education’s activities for its observance of Education month.

The month of activities was held under the theme ‘Transforming the nation through inclusive education’.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 19

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

US$40M GPL CABLE IN CRISIS…

Steel, concrete poles to replace - GPL boss

By Leonard Gildarie Government’s electricity programme has suffered months of delays because of a shortage of wallaba poles.

The state-owned Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) has now moved to find alternatives including steel or reinforced concrete poles.

The problem has been brewing for several years now but has placed GPL in a crunch that has delayed expansion works in new housing areas by up to two years.

The power company’s Chief Executive Officer, Bharat Dindyal, yesterday admitted that a US$40M project to run new transmission lines on the coastlands have run into trouble with works delayed by at least eight months.

And the problem may not necessarily be that the wallaba trees are not there in the forests. Rather, loggers and suppliers have been holding GPL and the Chinese contractor, China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, at “ransom”.

According to the official, GPL and the Chinese company were forced to fork out over more money for the

GPL is short of 12,000 poles to string its transmission lines.

The Chinese contractor has also been receiving just over 100 poles monthly, a fraction of the 800 it immediately needs for its work.

So what exactly is the problem? According to Dindyal, suppliers are claiming that their forestry concessions simply do not have any more logs in

commercial quantities.

Loggers claim that they have to travel farther into the backdams for the wallaba trees, incurring more costs.

The Guyana Forestry Commission has reportedly said that it has issued enough logging concessions that have the wallaba trees. But there are reports that some (Continuedon page 21)

GPL’s CEO, Bharat Dindyal

Aranka mining pit accident...

Operators were forewarned about danger – GGMC

poles but still received short supplies.

The problem has affected electrification of new housing schemes and regular

maintenance, Dindyal said.

Currently, GPL has an urgent need for 12,000 poles but has only been receiving between 700 and 800 monthly.

Operators of the Aranka mining pit, Region Seven, which failed and claimed the lives of three men and injured two on October 3, were forewarned of the danger that was ahead if they had dug deeper than 10 feet.

Twenty-five year-old Deonarine Singh, called ‘Chubby ‘of Ann’s Grove; and cousins Elson Singh called ‘Papa Johnny’, 47; and Devon Barry, 22, both of Two Friends, were killed, after the walls of the pit they were working in caved-in burying them alive.

Two weeks prior to the accident Mines officers attached to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) visited the concession where several groups were working in an area of unconsolidated materials which proved a failure during rainy weather.

According to GGMC’s Deputy Commissioner (Administrative) Rickford Vieira, the miners were operating in a mining pit to a depth of 10 feet. Some unsteadiness were observed but were not detrimental to anyone’s safety. The officers

had advised the operators not to dig beyond the 10-foot limit. However, the operators proceeded to dig a further 10 feet resulting in the failure of the mining pit.

He made these revelations yesterday during the handing over of the report by Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle on the accident to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Robert Persaud.

Investigations of the accident were done collaboratively by the Ministry of Labour, GGMC and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association. One of the major findings was that the area in which the men were working was unstable.

According to Vieira, the normal safety precautions in mining operations were not adhered to resulting in the accident. He stressed that while GGMC is trying to prevent persons from working under those conditions, safety is the responsibility of everybody.

He noted that the regulatory body will be working with the Ministry of Labour and the mining

association to sensitize miners of safety requirements. Vieira emphasized that the capacities of regulators are limited owing to the geography of the mining sector.

He noted that absence of technical knowledge of miners should not be a limitation since GGMC offers free technical advice to miners.

Colin Sparman, representative of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association said that from observations the operations were in an area that was very unstable.

“The guys were working tailings, essentially old tailings pond as we know the material is unconsolidated and when you add water it is very difficult to work in. In summary I would say it is negligence from the operator,” Sparman said.

According to Ogle, there is a 10-point recommendation coming out from the Ministry of Labour. He noted that it is the view of the Ministry that the miners did not adhere to mining operational procedures with safety and health being the priority.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Robert Persaud receives report from Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle and flanked by representatives of GGMC and GGDMA

Thursday October 25, 2012

Linden Commission of Inquiry....

By Latoya Giles Police Constable Colin Rodney yesterday testified that he collected his weapon, a “12 gauge shotgun”, on July 17, and never returned it until five days later.

However, police records which were brought to the inquiry showed that the weapon was returned on July 18. Rodney denied ever handing it back on July 18, stating that he has no knowledge of who signed in the registry that the weapon was lodged.

The officer also told the commission that he did not know what type of ammunition he would have been given for his shotgun to go to the Mackenzie Bridge on July 18. Rodney said that he knew what calibre it was but not the type.

These admissions came out after Rodney was asked a series of questions by Attorney at law Nigel Hughes.

Rodney told the commission that he is currently stationed at the Mackenzie Police Station and he is part of Linden anti-crime unit. Rodney recounted that the protestors remained on

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Entry falsified in arms book for shotgun the bridge after hearing orders on the loudhailer from ASP Patrick Todd.

Soon after, he said that they started to fire several tear smoke canisters in the direction of the protestors.

He said that the protestors on the bridge started to throw bottles, stones and other things at the police.

Rodney said that Todd continued to fire tear smoke as the ranks moved closer to protestors on the bridge.

According to the witness tear gas was fired about ten times by ASP Todd. Rodney said that the riot unit moved closer to the bridge with the anti-crime unit from Linden closely behind. “Todd and other officers removed obstacles which included tarpaulins, logs and scrap metal that were erected on the bridge and I heard explosions but I can’t say if they were gunshots” Rodney stated.

He added that it was Sergeant English who later informed him that protestors were vandalizing and trying to set fire to the Guyana Revenue Authority building.

Rodney said that there were about 70 protestors who were breaking windows and trying to access the building.

He said that a small fire

was started and it was English who ordered another officer to release tear smoke into the crowd that had started to pelt bottles and other items at them. Rodney told the commission that he was later ordered to discharge a round into the air, which he did.

While at GRA and the Linmine Secretariat he said he saw fire but protestors blocked the fire tender and he discharged a round on English’s orders. Rodney further stated that they received another call that the PPP building was under attack by protestors.

The witness said that he and officers then went to PPP regional building, where he saw about 200 protestors.

Rodney said that the persons were in and out of the building. The witness said that the protestors threw bottles and other items at them after a tear gas was discharged.

Under cross examination, the witness was asked how officers would normally store the cartridges. According to the witness officers would store the cartridges on their person. He was asked if his weapon which he uplifted was loaded when he arrived at the scene, Rodney said no.

According to the witness, he loaded his weapon some time after noon on July 18, and it was only because he felt threatened by the protestors.

The witness said that he loaded one casing of pellets into his shotgun.

He was asked if he received any instructions to do so, and answered in the negative.

He also admitted that no other officer did the same, nor did he tell any officer that he felt threatened. The witness was then asked if he handed over his weapon for ballistics testing.

He said that he gave the weapon to English some days later. Rodney also disclosed that his hands were never dusted as part of the investigation.

He also noted that he handed the weapon back to the McKenzie police station, but he did not collect the spent shells. He was asked by Hughes if that was normal and he said that it wasn’t procedure but that the situation warranted it.

Rodney further stated that he did not observe anyone else with shotguns.

He believed that he alone was issued with a shotgun.

He was asked if he saw

anyone throwing missiles, and he said no.

Commissioner KD Knights in questioning the witness sought to ask why Rodney only placed one case of pellets into his shotgun.

“You said you were threatened…but you only placed one case if something was to happen. What do you think would happened?”

Knights asked.

According to the witness he would have been able to change the casing within seconds. The witness admitted to the commissioner that he would have placed himself in danger.

The witness was then

showed a video from July 18, which showed that he placed a second casing of pellets into a shotgun. “Mr. Rodney you had earlier stated to the commission that you only placed one case of pellets, but the video shows different.”

The witness admitted that he was incorrect in this regard.

He was then asked if he knew the difference between “00” double buckshot, 04 or 06 cartridges. According to Rodney he did not know the difference.

The witness was asked if there was the possibility that he uplifted various cartridges and he answered in the affirmative.

Steel, concrete poles to...

From page 20 concession operators are just not harvesting enough.

Whatever the reasons being given, GPL, according to Dindyal, is no longer buying it.

“We can no longer be held to ransom and that is why we are examining alternatives.”

Wallaba is known for its resilience to harsh conditions for years and has been a cheap source as poles for not only GPL but also the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph

Company (GT&T).

According to an advertisement by GPL in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle yesterday, it was inviting interested parties to submit expressions of interests for the supply of “alternative types of poles”.

These include the possibilities of pre-stressed and reinforced concrete, tubular steel, treated pine or composite.

Companies have until today to submit the bids.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

‘Public believes corruption exists’ Trinidad Express - While the Prime Minister has declared there is no evidence of corruption in her Government, the public perception is that corruption exists, according to several political analysts and business heads.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had said on Sunday night — during a fund-raising dinner hosted by the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya — there is no evidence of corruption in her Government and if such came before her, she would take swift action, as she did previously.

Former head of the Public Service Reginald Dumas said Tuesday: “There is certainly a perception of corruption and unethical behaviour on the part of many members of boards. I think the media have spoken about a number of things recently.

“If the Prime Minister wants evidence, I think that she should set up a couple of people to go look for evidence... you have to go and look for evidence. It will

not come before you.

“I don’t think it is right enough for the Prime Minister to say that there is no evidence. There are too many instances now that we have seen over the years, in the last few months in particular, where representatives that have been appointed are not behaving at the kind of ethical level one would expect.”

Political analyst Dr Winford James said the Prime Minister needs to explain her definition of corruption so people would understand exactly what she meant.

“I myself, using a particular definition, might say we don’t have any evidence, in the sense that no charges were made, there is no court case from a legal standpoint,” said James.

“But, if you stand back and you ask what was involved in the appointment of Reshmi Ramnarine as head of the SSA (Strategic Services Agency), when Ramnarine was not qualified for the job, you have to ask

which suggests to me that all was not above-board,” said James.

Political analyst Derek Ramsamooj said there is a perception from the people that there is corruption in the Government, but this was a problem that plagues not only this administration but those of the past.

“The fundamental

challenge of the various administrations has been their political will to bring about public procurement legislation that will ensure accountability and transparency in the disbursement of public funds for public goods,” said Ramsamooj.

“Any political leader that wishes to transform the political culture of our country must have the tenacity and the capacity to change the tendering process so as to avoid any public perception of kick-backs or fraudulent activities,” he added.

Ramsamooj said what was required is public integrity hearings, in which all public officials can justify their revenue resources to the electorate. “ To b r i n g a b o u t t h e transformation of our political culture, meaningful and relevant constitutional reform to our society must occur. The culture of patronage must be transformed into a culture of productivity,” he

said.

Political scientist Bishnu Ragoonath said, “Like the Prime Minister, I don’t have any evidence either.”

However, he said it was clear there was a lot of mismanagement in the system, as reported in the media.

“I don’t know whether there is corruption or not, but what the media is putting to us is that there is corruption... public perception is that there is corruption,” he said.

President of the American Chamber of Commerce Hugh Howard said the perception of corruption in this country can hamper investments.

“If what she is saying is that there is no evidence of corruption, she would be correct in that no one has come forward and found evidence to say X has done so. But in life, perception and, in particular, in terms of investment, perception is a reality,” he said.

SAO PAULO, Brazil – AP - A 41-year-old car washer shocked his family when he interrupted a funeral being held for him at his mother’s home in the town of Alagoinhas in northeastern Brazil, police said Tuesday.

Police inspector Roberto Lima said by telephone that on Sunday Jose Marcos Araujo identified a body at the city morgue as being that of his brother, Gilberto.

Lima said that Jose Marcos took the body to his mother’s home where a wake was held.

“The confusion started

when news started circulating that a car washer had been shot dead,” Jose Marcos’ wife, Ana Paula, told the UOL Internet news portal. “Police called my husband and told him that his brother had been killed and his body was at the morgue.”

Lima said the confusion was “understandable.”

“The two men closely resembled each other and both worked as car washers,” Lima said adding that the man whose body was in the morgue was named Genivaldo Santos Gama.

He said further

information on Gama was not immediately available.

A few hours before the Monday burial “a friend of Gilberto’s saw him walking down the street and told him that his family was mourning him,” he said.

“So he went to his mother ’s home to let everyone know he was very much alive.”

When Araujo showed up at his wake “some people fainted and others were so scared they ran away. It was a big shock,” family friend Maria Menezes told the G1 online news site.

Analysts weigh in on PM’s declaration... whether that was corruption. Clearly the Prime Minister was not referring to that,” he added.

James continued, “What was involved in the Section 34 fiasco? The Prime Minister denied that there was any attempt to hoodwink anybody. What then was there? An indecent haste to proclaim a section that would benefit financiers of her party? Some people would say corruption was involved.”

The Prime Minister, said James, may have been right that there was no evidence of corruption, based on her notion of what corruption is.

The Government’s nonfulfilling of its promise of procurement legislation, he said, was also cause for concern, as “we see people getting contracts left, right and centre and we don’t know how they are getting these”.

“There are certain acts this Government has taken,

Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Man turns up at his own funeral

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Duprey defends role in CL Financial PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC - Former executive chairman of the regional conglomerate, CL Financial, Lawrence Duprey, is blaming among other factors, the “refusal of government owned entities” to back the group for its financial demise in 2009.

CL Financial is the parent company of the regional insurance giant, CLICO, whose financial collapse has resulted in severe socioeconomic hardship for policy holders throughout the region.

Duprey, who has filed a witness statement to the oneman Commission of Enquiry probing the collapse of the company, said there were also factors that led to the situation resulting in the Trinidad and Tobago government having to pump to date TT$21 billion (One TT dollar= US$0.16 cents) in a rescue package.

“The global collapse coinciding with an ever impossible revamp of the regulatory framework and a refusal of government-owned entities to back the Group, after all the years of benefit that they had received from the interest income that the Group had generated, led to the need for some ultimate

government support. “I would have preferred ... if the intervention had not been so politically motivated and had been directed at protection for I believe, had that been the position we would have fared a great deal better,” Duprey said in the witness statement, parts of which were published in the Trinidad Express newspaper yesterday.

Duprey, who resides in the United States, said he was “firmly of the view in January 2009 that the run on CIB (CLICO Investment Bank) and the resultant liquidity or cash-flow issues were much inspired by the decision of State-owned and run entities making decisions at or about the same time to withdraw rolling deposits which had been previously rolled over from maturity to maturity without question.

“The decision to seek the funds back came in reality out of the blue and caused severe problems,” he said, dismissing suggestions that he should be held responsible for the collapse of the company.

He described himself as “a hardworking and dedicated citizen who worked hard to create wealth for all and was instrumental in the

Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation - The Barbados government says it will sign double taxation agreements (DTA) with Bahrain, Qatar and Singapore and is forging ahead with its efforts to secure more agreements as the island seeks to strengthen its international business sector.

“I am hoping that they (Qatar) will have a delegation in Barbados during the course of November at which time we could have the formal signing of the agreement so it can come into effect,” said International Business and International Transport Minister George Hutson, adding that discussions were ongoing for an air service agreement with the Arab state.

“So the opportunities are there for business, and certainly it creates the environment for the local business sector to take advantage of,” he added.

Hutson said government would be taking to parliament the promised Private Trust Companies’ legislation while the Foundations legislation

was expected to go before the Lower House before the end of this session in December.

“That legislation is going to be significant because it opens up the opportunities that we have for investment within the Central and South American markets,” he said, explaining that the South and Central Americans’ legal systems were based on civil law as opposed to the common-law legislation that existed in Barbados.

“The Foundation legislation and the Trust legislation creates the sort of vehicle that persons engaged in the international business sector in Barbados should be able to take significant advantage of that particular initiative going forward.”

Hutson noted that when Barbados lost its advantage with the Canadians over other jurisdictions like Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, practitioners in the industry were forced to look outside traditional markets.

Barbados is observing International Business Week under the theme “Innovation, our Path to New Horizons”.

Barbados forging ahead with double taxation agreements with other countries

creation of thousands of jobs” and that he never regarded the CL Financial as his “personal kingdom.

“At all times, I sought the best interests of the company so that the benefits derived would redound to the policyholders, shareholders and employees,” he said.

In his witness statement, Duprey, 78, said that he had been severely hampered in the process of preparing the document, including the lack

of access to material, his age and the fact that he did not have the detailed recollection that he used to of events and people he once did.

Duprey also said he is not as robust as he used to be and is not able to spend hours concentrating without becoming tired.

“This has been a lifechanging and very shocking period for me since January 2009 and I have taken it all very badly,” he said, defending his

annual multi-million dollar income from the group.

“Some of the risks involved included becoming a target for threats, violence and kidnapping.

As with all business people I became acutely aware of the increasing severity of the repercussions of these threats, as the victims of kidnapping faced the additional risk of being murdered, whether or not a ransom was paid.

Lawrence Duprey

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Jamaica, land of wood and water, imports $3B worth of lumber annually Jamaica Observer Jamaica is said to import some $3 billion worth of lumber each year, despite the island being known as the ‘land of wood and water’.

This has forced at least one local producer of lumber to appeal to more Jamaicans to invest in the planting of lumber trees.

Dalkeith Hanna — operator of Croydon in the Mountains — a 132-acre farm in Catadupa, St James, which consists of several acres of Caribbean pitch pine trees — said the long wait for the trees to mature should not be a deterrent.

Hanna, who purchased the farm in the 1980s, said he farms other income-earning produce on the land while waiting the 20 years it takes for the lumber trees to mature.

“The reason why we can’t grow more lumber here is because nobody wants to wait for 20 years for them to mature,” Hanna told the Jamaica Observer.

This 20-year wait time, he said, is nothing compared to the more than 60 years it takes for certain types of lumber

trees to mature in some of the countries from which Jamaica imports lumber.

Hanna said when he first started planting the trees, the cost was 90 cents per square foot for lumber, but in less than two decades the cost is now more than $90.

He noted, however, that he still has been able to sell his locally grown lumber at a cheaper cost than the imported wood.

“Jamaica imports 60 million square feet of lumber from 21 countries each year, and this shouldn’t have to be the case,” Hanna said.

He explained further that he has a local market for all the lumber he is able to produce.

“I grow how much I want to because there is always a market for it,” Hanna said.

A 2007 Jamaica Promotions Company (JAMPRO) report said that other than the energy wood, very little of the total estimated annual demand for lumber is presently being met locally.

According to the JAMPRO document, the

National Forest Management and Conservation Plan (NFMCP) states that a number of incentives are provided to encourage investment in forestry development and conservation.

These incentives include the distribution of free timber seedlings from nursery sites as well as subsidised cost on other species.

Other incentives include the remission of property tax on lands declared as forest management areas or forest reserves; income tax exemption, duty concession on motor vehicle purchase, and waiver of General Consumption Tax on capital goods, activities and supplies prescribed under a forest management agreement.

There is also an approved forest management plan and long-term conditional leasing at competitive rates of public land for reforestation, agroforestry and other purposes prescribed in an approved Local Forest Management Plan, including investiture of full ownership of planted trees on the lessee.

Thursday October 25, 2012

No ‘fundamental disagreement’ with IMF ys Phillips says IMF,, sa Jamaica Observer Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips Tuesday declared that “there are no areas of fundamental disagreement between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Government” regarding the outline of the programme to be concluded with the lending agency.

At the same time, Phillips said that discussions now underway are geared at arriving at a draft letter of intent.

“There is no delay in the process of negotiations with the IMF, and we are proceeding in accordance with the timetable originally set out,” Dr Phillips said in a statement to the House of Representatives.

He said the areas to be covered include, among other things, the virtual elimination of the fiscal deficit by 2015/16. In other words, a central government budget consistent with an overall fiscal balance close to zero

per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), bringing the ratio of debt to GDP down to 100 per cent and programmes and policies that would reduce the ratio of wages to GDP of central government to no more than nine per cent by 2015/ 16.

Other areas included a programme and timetable for pension reform. He said important structural benchmarks for tax reform, including improvement to the Tax Administration, and the legislative framework regarding tax reform have also been settled.

In the meantime, h o w e v e r, h e s a i d s o m e important technical issues remain to be finalised.

“The primary issue centres on the shared view that, given the generally precarious conditions within the world economy and the risks that this negative outlook entails for indebted and vulnerable economies such as ours, there is a need

for us to construct buffers for such eventualities,” Dr Phillips said.

He told the House that discussions regarding such buffers continue. “ We a r e e x p l o r i n g issues regarding the possibility, for example, of additional debt initiatives such as debt for assets swaps with public sector bondholders and debt for nature swaps,” the finance minister noted. He however emphasised that his Government had no intention of conducting a Jamaica Debt Exchange such as was carried out by the previous Jamaica Labour Party Government.

A negotiating mission from the IMF visited Jamaica between September 24 and October 5 this year. Dr Phillips said mutual understandings were established relating to a growth agenda, structural reforms, and a preliminary timetable for implementing structural benchmarks to monitor progress.

AG sees new way to tackle drug lords

Barbados Nation Barbados may go after the illgotten property of drug kingpins by civil rather than criminal means.

Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite said Tuesday he favoured this method of civil forfeiture of illegally acquired property over the criminal route, “but we need to ensure as a jurisdiction that it is indeed constitutional and we are not in breach of any of our laws”.

As he signed an agreement at his office with United States Ambassador Larry Palmer for US$458 000, part of which will go towards strengthening Barbados’ counternarcotics control capabilities, Brathwaite said: “I do not believe that anyone should be allowed to live in this country and display their

ill-gotten gains without us using whatever apparatus we have at our disposal, within our laws, to ensure that it does not happen, because it does send the wrong signal to the rest of the community.”

He said though there were existing procedures in place for criminal forfeiture of assets, “the whole area of civil forfeiture is one area that I would like to see us as a country move towards because I am slightly upset that you can be driving along and you can hear that that vehicle belongs to so and so and it may be proceeds of crime and because there is no criminal conviction, he and she may be able to drive along nicely in his or her community”.

The Attorney General joined Palmer in the signing of an amended letter of agreement between the two countries for new funding to combat transnational crime and increase public safety under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).

St. George’s Grenada For the fifth consecutive year, the Government of Grenada will roll out its Duty Free Barrel Programme for the Christmas Season. This year’s programme will run from November 1st to December 31st, 2012.

As in previous years, under this initiative, each household in Grenada has the opportunity to bring in a maximum of two (2) barrels, including boxes, crates and cartons of equivalent size to

a regular barrel, containing foodstuff, clothing, toiletries and toys, without having to pay customs duties and taxes, customs service charge and stamp duty to clear the barrels.

In speaking of this initiative, the Minister of Finance said: “This programme is a ‘Christmas gift’ to our people. As we have said in the past, the intention of the programme is to ease the burden on all households, especially the

poor and vulnerable.

Notwithstanding the adverse impact of this initiative on G o v e r n m e n t ’s r e v e n u e , the Government feels this programme is still necessary at this time, given the relatively high cost of food and slow economic recovery.”

Based on Customs data for the past four years, over 9,000 households have benefited from the programme each year.

Larry Palmer

Go vt. rrolls olls out fr ee impor Govt. free importt ‘bar ogramme ‘barrrel’ pr pro

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Ecuador fears for Assange’s health, seeks UK safe passage MOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) - Ecuador is worried about the health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and has asked Britain to guarantee him safe passage from its London embassy to hospital if he needs medical treatment, a senior Ecuadorean diplomat said in Moscow.

Assange, an Australian, has been holed up inside Ecuador’s embassy in central London since June to avoid extradition to Sweden to face rape and sexual assault allegations.

British authorities say Assange will be arrested if he sets foot outside the embassy.

The apartment building, located just behind London’s famed Harrods department store, is under constant police surveillance.

“Assange has grown noticeably thinner, and we are very concerned about his health,” Voice of Russia radio quoted Vice Foreign Minister Marco Albuja Martinez as saying in comments confirmed by the Ecuadorean embassy in Moscow.

“If he falls ill, we will have to choose between two alternatives: to treat Assange in the embassy or hospitalize him,” Albuja Martinez said.

“This is a very serious situation and it can affect Assange’s human rights.”

Later yesterday, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told reporters in Quito that while he does not know if Assange has any medical problems, he is worried about his health as time goes on.

“It’s obvious that his health will deteriorate and we don’t have a protocol, we don’t have the necessary conditions” to deal with a possible health emergency, Patino said.

Ecuador has asked the British Foreign Office for a document that would enable Assange to enter hospital safely if necessary and return to the embassy with refugee status.

“I still haven’t had a response from Britain to see what we do if Mr. Julian Assange has an emergency .... At this point, the threat that they will arrest him if he sets foot outside the embassy still stands,” Patino said, adding that Assange is “suffering.”

Assange is said to be living a cramped life inside the embassy. He eats mostly take-out food and uses a treadmill to burn off energy and a vitamin D lamp to make up for the lack of sunlight.

In late August, the former

computer hacker said he expected to wait six months to a year for a deal that would allow him to leave the embassy.

The Foreign Office said it was unaware of Assange’s health problems.

“Ecuador have not told us that Mr Assange is ill.

However, were they to do so, we would consider the matter,” said a Foreign Office spokesman.

Ecuador granted Assange asylum in August and said it shared his fears that he could face charges in the United States over the publication by WikiLeaks in 2010 of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables.

When he appeared on a balcony of the building to address supporters in August, Assange appeared tanned and in good health.

But a BBC reporter who saw him recently described him as “a very pale man” in a story broadcast on Sunday.

Assange, 41, broke the conditions of his bail when he entered the embassy after running out of legal options to avoid being sent to Sweden.

Speaking about the safe passage request he said Ecuador had lodged with the Foreign Office, Albuja Martinez said his country was pleased that Britain “did not reject it outright”.

“We will not put pressure on them and will patiently await an answer, so that Assange can receive medical treatment if necessary,” he was quoted as saying in Moscow.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The government of Syrian President Bashar alAssad has indicated to Russia that it will accept U.N.Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi’s proposal for a Muslim holiday ceasefire in Syria, Moscow’s U.N. envoy said yesterday.

“We have had indications that they (Syria’s government) are accepting the proposal of Mr. Brahimi,” Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the 15nation Security Council during which Brahimi briefed council members via video link from Egypt.

Brahimi told council members that a final announcement Of a ceasefire with rebels was expected Thursday. Churkin seemed to confirm remarks Brahimi made

earlier on Wednesday in Cairo, when he said the government had indicated its acceptance of the proposed truce.

The council issued a statement after the meeting supporting the ceasefire, which would begin on Friday and last for several days at least during the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha, and urging “all regional and international actors to use their influence” to ensure the truce is implemented.

“The members of the Council agreed that an Eid al-Adha ceasefire could be a first step towards a sustainable cessation of all violence,” the council said.

After Brahimi spoke to the press in Egypt, the Syrian government appeared to contradict him, saying that its military command was still studying the truce proposal.

“The answer will be announced tomorrow officially speaking,” Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari told reporters.

“We have always been part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said Brahimi also contacted the opposition to persuade rebels to accept a temporary truce in the 19-monthold conflict that the United Nations says has killed around 30,000 people.

“He had been in touch with various parts of the opposition,” Lyall Grant told reporters. “Certainly the Free Syrian Army and other parts of the opposition had indicated that they were prepared to respond if the government took the first step in initiating the ceasefire over the Eid period.”

Julian Assange

Syria govt. indicates accepts holiday truce: Russia

Page 25

Russia demands expulsion of reporters, envoys over U.N. leaks UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia slammed leaks to the media from a closed-door Security Council briefing on Syria yesterday, saying diplomats and journalists involved should be stripped of U.N. accreditation for the release of confidential information.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin was angry that some diplomats conveyed to Reuters that the U.N.-Arab League mediator for the Syrian conflict, Lakhdar Brahimi, told the 15-member council that Syrian President Bashar alAssad had accepted Brahimi’s plan for an Eid holiday ceasefire.

“It’s a shame that somebody’s feeding information, or disinformation, to Reuters from the consultation room of the Security Council. This is a scandalous thing, we have seen this before. I hope they are paid well,” Churkin told reporters.

Reuters adhered to the highest standards in reporting this story, a company spokesperson said. “It is fair and accurate and we stand by it,” the spokesperson said.

Despite his frustration at the

leak, Churkin confirmed the Reuters article in comments to reporters at the Security Council media stakeout after the briefing on the 19-month Syrian conflict had finished.

Churkin, a former Soviet government spokesman, also said Russia had raised the issue during the meeting and asked the U.N. secretariat to investigate.

“We believe that this is a gross violation of professional ethics so we’ll be fighting that, if need be by stripping those who are resorting to this of U.N. accreditation,” Churkin said.

“We don’t want to have another Murdoch soap opera in the United Nations,” he said, apparently referring to the phone-hacking scandal that engulfed News Corp Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch’s British media empire.

Other Security Council delegations, including the United States, have complained in the past about leaks from closed meetings to the media, though none has called for reporters or diplomats to lose their accreditations over it.

The U.N. secretariat had no immediate reaction.

Around 30,000 people have been killed in Syria since a government crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protests in March 2011 spiraled into civil war.

The United States and European council members blame Russia, a staunch ally and key arms supplier for Assad’s government, and China for the council’s deadlock on the conflict. Moscow and Beijing have vetoed three resolutions condemning Assad and reject the idea of sanctioning his government.

A diplomat present at the Syria briefing, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Churkin had told the council it was illegal to report on confidential consultations.

“He completely lost it,” the diplomat told Reuters.

Other envoys confirmed his remarks.

Robert Mahoney, deputy director of the Committee to Protect Journalists said confidential sources were the key to reporters covering various beats, including international diplomacy.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

African Union reinstates Mali ahead of military action ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The African Union (AU) lifted Mali’s suspension from the bloc yesterday, saying an African plan to intervene militarily to help the country claw back territory from Islamist militants would be ready within weeks.

The pan-African body also laid out a political road map which foresees elections in the beleaguered West African country by April even as it is still grappling with the fallout from a coup in March this year.

Armed Islamist groups control the northern twothirds of Mali and have stirred global outrage by meting out executions and desecrating ancient religious sites under their own strict interpretation of sharia law.

The United Nations says they have systematically violated human rights, particularly of women.

Mali’s Foreign Minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly told state-owned television late yesterday that he was “happy and satisfied” with the lifting of the suspension.

He said it was the result of Mali’s “respect of signed

agreements and the creation of a government of national union conforming to the demands of the international community.”

It was not immediately clear, however, whether Mali had agreed to the AU’s poll deadline. The government in Bamako does not have a seat at the AU’s Peace and Security Council (PSC), which is comprised of a rotating body of members.

Nor was it clearly stated whether the vote would come before or after any military intervention against rebels in the north of the country where Bamako now has no control. “We are working ... to finalize the joint planning for the early deployment of an African-led international military force to help Mali recover the occupied territories in the North,” Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairwoman of the AU Commission, told ministers at the opening of yesterday’s PSC meeting.

“At the same time, we will leave the door of dialogue open to those Malian rebel groups willing to negotiate,” she said.

When the meeting concluded, Ramtane Lamamra, the AU’s peace and security commissioner, told reporters the council had voted to reinstate Mali.

The AU suspended Mali’s membership days after mutinous soldiers staged a coup against then President Amadou Toumani Toure. In April, an interim president, Dioncounda Traore, was sworn in but there remain doubts about who really holds the reins of power even in the government-controlled south of Mali.

Mali remains crippled by twin crises. The leadership in Bamako is still divided after the coup and the north of the country is occupied by Islamic militants.

The proposed path to elections was part of a “strategic concept” endorsed by the council that outlined measures including defense and security reforms to help end the turmoil in Mali.

“The road map provides for elections to be held 12 months after the return to constitutional order, meaning April,” Lamamra told Reuters after the meeting.

African Union Chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (L) talks to Ramtane Lamamra, the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security before the peace and security council meeting, yesterday. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri Before then, Lamamra Islamists and international northern Islamists anytime said, Mali’s authorities would criminal gangs, have been soon. have to come up with their hampered by divisions over Some envoys predict it own plan for holding how to help. could be months before any elections.

Foreign envoys have military operation is put in The document said Mali’s voiced concern that the AU’s motion. return to the AU fold would request for U.N. backing in Germany’s Foreign help establish an inclusive June lacked the necessary Minister Guido Westerwelle political authority. details, while others have said on Tuesday Europe must Regional and spoken of serious help restore security in Mali international efforts to deal reservations about the ability and could lend support with the situation, which has of the ECOWAS regional through military training to an created a safe haven for grouping to tackle the African-led mission.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 27

New NYT CEO: BBC sex scandal doesn’t alter Times support LONDON (Reuters) Incoming New York Times chief Mark Thompson told Reuters yesterday that his U.S. employer had given him full support since a sexual abuse scandal erupted at Britain’s BBC where he had been in charge until last month.

His handling of the matter at the British Broadcasting Corporation should not prevent him from starting his new job in November as planned, he said in a telephone interview from New York.

“All of my colleagues here in the management team of the New York Times have been very supportive on this and more broadly as I prepare to take on the job,” he said. “I’ve been very well supported as the incoming CEO of this company.”

The BBC has been rocked by accusations of sexual abuse involving a former TV host, the late Jimmy Savile, and claims it had covered up his alleged crimes and dropped its own news expose while Thompson was in charge.

The furor prompted Margaret Sullivan, public editor of the New York Times,

to question whether Thompson was now fit to take up the role of president and chief executive of the respected American company.

A New York Times spokesman said yesterday that Thompson would join the company as president and chief executive the week of November 12.

“We believe his experience and accomplishments make him the ideal person to take the helm of the Times Company as we focus on growing our businesses through digital and global expansion,” spokesman Robert Christie said in an emailed statement.

Thompson said he did not know about the nature of the investigation by the BBC’s flagship Newsnight program into Savile, one of the broadcaster’s best known stars for decades, and had had no involvement in the decision to axe the report.

He said he had had a “chance meeting” with a journalist who mentioned the Newsnight investigation into Savile, but said he had not been told any of the details or the scale of the problem.

“I do not believe there is

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — President Barack Obama is confidently predicting speedy secondterm agreement with Republicans to reduce federal deficits and overhaul immigration laws, commenting before setting out yesterday on a 40-hour campaign marathon through battleground states that could decide whether he’ll get the chance.

Republican Mitt Romney looked to the Midwest for a breakthrough in a close race shadowed by a weak economy.

Romney declared, “We’re going to get this economy cooking again,” addressing a boisterous crowd in Reno, Nev., before flying back eastward to tend to his prospects in Ohio and Iowa.

Romney urged audience members to consider their personal circumstances, and he said the outcome of the Nov. 6 election “will make a difference for the nation, will make a difference for the families of the nation and will make a difference for your f a m i l y, individually and specifically.”

Obama talks 2nd term; Romney zeroes in on economy

anything that I’ve done in relation to this matter which should in any way impinge on my abilities to fully discharge the responsibilities I’ll have at the New York Times,” he said.

Thompson said he had approached his new employers to explain his role at the BBC and why he had not dealt with such an issue, despite being the director general and editor in chief of the world-renowned organization.

Under the structure of the corporation, such editorial matters would be dealt with by the BBC News division and would not normally reach the corporate level, he explained.

The BBC is a sprawling organization with 22,000 employees working at its eight national TV channels, 50 radio stations and an extensive website.

During the years when Savile and Thompson’s

careers overlapped, Thompson was in the news and current affairs area of the company rather than in its entertainment arm where Savile worked until retiring in 1994.

“Not knowing what they (Newsnight) had, it’s very hard to judge whether it should have been referred (to me) or not,” he said.

Thompson said he had not yet met with the board of the New York Times but would be happy to do so if they had further questions.

A spokesman for Thompson said the stance taken by Sullivan was purely editorial and added that he supported c o m p l e t e l y t h e p a p e r ’s need to cover the story.

“I’ve had many many conversations with my new employers in recent weeks and the moment this became an issue I absolutely wanted to talk to them, so they would

understand my perspective on what has happened,” Thompson said.

“The BBC is a very, very big organization. I don’t know how many investigations it does, it’s hundreds or possibly thousands every year. I was director general of the BBC and I cannot recall a single Newsnight item ever being referred to me, in 8 years.”

The scandal, which erupted this month when a rival broadcaster ITV showed its own investigation, has thrown the corporation into disarray and sparked questions over the handling of the crisis by Thompson and his successor George Entwistle.

The BBC is now facing parliamentary and police investigations into whether Savile, an eccentric host of the BBC’s legendary “Top of the Pops” music show who died last year at the age of 84,

abused women and girls over six decades.

“The Jimmy Savile affair is a horrible and distressing business,” Thompson said.

“The cruelty and the suffering of the victims, we can only imagine.”

In reference to his brief conversation with a journalist over the Newsnight program, he added: “I think I may have understood that we were talking about allegations of a sexual nature, although I’m not even sure about that.

“But I certainly wasn’t aware that it was going to include very grave allegations about pedophilia or rape or that it would involve actions which had taken place on BBC premises.

“Had that been made clear to me at that point I would certainly of wanted to know more and in particular about the decision making of whether to proceed with the program.”

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Kaieteur News

Bolt undecided - J’can star ponders other events ahead of Rio Jamaican athletic star Usain Bolt poses for the media during his visit to the Brazilian landmark Christ the Redeemer statue yesterday.

(Photo: AP)

Thursday October 25, 2012

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — Usain Bolt isn’t sure whether he will try competing in the long jump because he doesn’t want to risk a serious injury that could keep him from defending his sprint titles at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The Jamaican said he is still evaluating the possibility of taking on the long jump, but is concerned that his preparation for the event could make him more susceptible to knee injuries.

“The plan is (to compete in the) long jump maybe before the Olympics, but I have talked to my coach a little bit and he’s shown some concern about the fact that long jump can bring some problems to the knee,” Bolt said yesterday at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Bolt, who became the first man to successfully defend the 100- and 200-metre titles at the London Olympics, has been going back and forth about whether he will try competing in either the long jump or the 400 in Rio. “We will sit down and evaluate if we want to do it,” Bolt said. “Because if I do it, I may jeopardise my opportunity to come to Rio, so I may not do long jump. It concerns me. We will look over and see if it is possible.”

Bolt earlier this month said

his aim was to go for a three-peat of his Olympic sprint titles in Rio, but a couple of days later he said the long jump and the 400 were not out of the question.

The 26-year-old Bolt holds the world record in the 100 and 200.

He took time off from his promotional schedule in Rio yesterday to do some sightseeing around the city.

Bolt began his two-day trip by visiting the Christ the Redeemer statue, then took a helicopter tour over Copacabana Beach, Sugar Loaf mountain and Maracana Stadium, which is being renovated for next year’s Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup. On his Twitter account, Bolt posted a photo of the stadium and said: “Construction in full Usain Bolt speed ahead of World Cup football.”

The Maracana will also be used during the 2016 Games, but the athletics competitions will take place at Joao Havelange Stadium, also known as the Engenhao.

Bolt also visited a local athletics facility and met with young Brazilian athletes. He received Rio’s key of the city from Mayor Eduardo Paes.

Later he was expected to turn DJ at a party organised by one of his sponsors.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Guysuco wins BCCDA inter agency cricket competition Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) made full use of their home advantage to register their second win when the third edition of the annual Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association BCCDA –Cooperate Business in Sports CBIS Inter Agency 10/10 softball cricket competition was successfully played at the Albion Community Centre ground under the theme – Unity and Better Relationships.

Guysuco took on Neal and Massy in the final of the competition which was played under floodlights after they both progressed to the final after hard fought semifinal victories.

Asked to take first strike in the game which was reduced to 8 overs a side, the boys from the sugar belt made 69 for 4 from their allotted overs, with Phillips 21 (3x4) and Ally 20 (1x6, 1x4), being the top scorers. Neal and Massy in their turn at the crease were restricted to 48 for 6 in their allotment of overs.

K. Sinclair picked up 2-15 bowling for the winners.

Earlier in semifinal, play

Guysuco edged past Guyana Power and Light (GPL) in a cliff hanger. Guysuco had batted first and made 97-3 off their eight overs to which GPL replied with 96-8. In the other semifinal Demerara Bank Limited (DBL) rattled up 91-2 to which Neal and Massy responded with 93-3 off 7.2.

The teams had earlier registered victories in the quarterfinal matches.

Demerara Bank had defeated Ansa McAl by 10 wickets.

Scores were Ansa Mc Al 737, Demerara Bank 75-0. GPL 85-1, Nand Persaud “Karibee Rice” in reply made 81-7. Neal and Massy 118 - 5 beat Olderndorf Carriers 114-7 by four runs. Guysuco 107- 4 whipped Republic Bank, who fell for 45 by 62 runs. New Building Society 100-3 lost to Demerara Bank 101-2 by 8 wickets.

In other matches, GPL 1163 won from Edward Beharry and company Limited 92-3.

Hand-in-Hand Insurance Company 70-8 lost to Republic Bank 71-4 in seven overs. Oldendorff Carriers 944 won from Regional Chairman’s XI 70-6. Metro 805 lost to Karibee Rice 83-4.

Guysuco 133-6 clobbered Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company 77-4.

Neal and Massy 166-5 whipped Banks DIH 100-6.

In the presentation ceremony that followed, Guysuco were presented with the winning Digicel trophy and 16 medals, while runner up Neal and Massy also received a trophy, compliments of Digicel, who incidentally sponsored all the trophies for the competition.

The two losing semifinalists GPL and Demerara Bank were also recognised.

According to the tournament coordinator, Imran Saccoor, the tournament was a success despite the many challenges and thanked the many sponsors who contributed in making the tournament the success it was. He stated that next year the tournament will be even bigger and better.

The activity was declared opened by Regional Chairman David Armogan who welcomed all present and congratulated the BCCDA for a wonderful initiative on behalf of the Government of Guyana and the Regional Administration.

The winning Guysuco team display their trophy and medals after capturing the Inter Agency 10/10 Softball cricket title.

He also urged other organisations to take a page out of the BCCDA book and do likewise. During the night adequate lighting was provided along with Big

Screen Projectors, Fireworks and other entertainment packages added to the atmosphere. A number of top artistes including Granny Ivelaw and his dancing girls

were also in attendance.

Patrons also had an opportunity to win fabulous gate prizes including cell phones and a Motorcycle.

(Samuel Whyte)

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 25, 2012

Preparations intensifying for Colts to host First, Third Nov. 11 CMRC final leg face-off Division B/ball Tournament From back page among the administrative work that is currently being done is the preparation of accreditation for competitors, media and other related staff from teams that will be participating in the championship, while the physical groundwork include the sprucing up of the track, Pavilion and the addition of more paddocks for the pit since it is anticipated that more cars will be present for the final showdown.

Guyana has long been among the best host of the Series and according to the source, the executive and planning committees are brain storing their respective ideas to make the Meet a truly unforgettable one that could very well cement the legacy of the sport here in Guyana.

To add to what has already bolstered the reputation of Guyana as one of the leading countries within the Caribbean to host motor racing, Acting Minister of Tourism Irfaan Ali during the launching of the event which

was conducted at the recently concluded GuyExpo promised to make packages for fans desirous of coming to Guyana to witness the CMRC affordable from the airline right down to the hotel.

According to the source, the discussions are well advanced and details of the negotiations should be forthcoming very shortly, while the VIP Lounge which was a hit when it was introduced two years ago will also be a feature attraction on race day.

“When you include cars from the Cayman Islands to those from the traditional countries that compete annually, you would see right away why you must be there at the South Dakota Circuit on November 11,” the source added.

Last year Barbados became the first country to hold both the driver and country titles and word is that they will be sending a strong team to represent the ‘Land of the Flying Fish’.

Among them are current Caribbean king Roger Mayers and Doug and Mark

Maloney.

Currently, Jamaica leads the points standing with 113 points followed by Barbados on 64, Cayman Islands lies third on 26 and Guyana in the cellar on 21.

In the battle for individual supremacy, Summerbell, after copping a second and two third place finishes in Barbados, maintains his lead in the drivers’ Championship after six races, with 50 points and he will be supported by Peter Rae and Andre Anderson.

Guyana will be relying on Mark and Paul Vieira, Andrew King, Kevin Jeffrey and Vishok Persaud to thwart the challenges of the opposition.

Guyanese riders dominated the Super bike category and this feat is expected to be duplicated, especially since Stephen Vieira, Carlos Rodrigues, Joel Neblett and Carey Griffith will feel more comfortable on home soil.

It should be an exhilarating day of daredevilry that fans will surely not want to miss.

- in honour of the late Coach, Phillip George Colts Basketball Club, formerly known as the Bounty Colts Basketball Club, will host a Division I and III Basketball Competition in honour of the late Head Coach, Phillip George, who died last December after serving the sport for literally a lifetime.

Speaking to Kaieteur Sport yesterday, newly appointed coach of the club, Vijay Panday, said that all systems are being put in place to host the tournament that he says will be competitive since all the Georgetown clubs have been invited formally to participate.

“We don’t have full confirmation from all our sponsors yet, but this tournament will happen and we want to ensure everything is in place,” Panday indicated, adding that the fixtures have been in the making for a while and are already drawn up to be released.

Vijay Panday He said that the fixtures will be released on the launch of the event, which is set for next Friday, tentatively at Palm Court, Main Street. Panday said that the event will be duly dubbed the Phillip George Memorial Classic and will take place on Burnham Court.

Former National Basketball Coach, Phillip George was laid to rest in

January at the Le Repentir Cemetery following a funeral service at Our Lady of Fatima Church. George is credited with the honour of leading several junior national teams to overseas competitions.

In addition, he piloted the careers of notable Guyanese basketball players, Lorenzo Withrite and Andrew Ifill, who both went on to international acclaim. Ifill is still in the game today and plays in the semiprofessional League in Trinidad and Tobago.

George, who was also known as ‘One Foot’, ‘Coach Man’ and most recently ‘Mr. Fundamental’, was 63 years old at the time of his death.

The renowned late coach was a consistent visitor to the Burnham Basketball Court.

The Colts tournament follows closely on the heels of the Mackeson Smooth Moves and Pepsi Sonics ‘Refresh Yourself’ Competitions.

Guyana Draughts Association National Championship...

JAIRAM, POORANLALL, FRANCIS SUCCESSFUL

The respective winners pose with their prizes after the competition.

Jairam, Khemraj Pooranlall and Michael Francis won their respective categories when the Guyana Draughts Association held its Annual National Championship last weekend.

In the A division, which was contested on Sunday, Khemraj Pooranlall, who was recently promoted to this category, won with 39 games, he was closely followed

by Godfrey George with 35 and Wilfred Robinson on 34.

On Saturday, Jairam carted off the honours in the B division. He was tied with Esan Anderson on 26 points after the first round but edged out his opponent in a close tie breaking encounter. L. Wilson took the 3rd place with 24 points.

And in the C division Micheal Francis with

10 points grabbed the first place, while Mitra Persaud and Roy Harris occupied the 2nd and 3rd spots respectively.

Trophies donated by Trophy Stall were distributed to the top three finishers in all three categories. Ramesh Sunich, proprietor of Trophy Stall said that they will sponsor a bigger tournament in December.

Meanwhile, the international competition which will be played on the 100 square yards board is set for this Sunday at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue starting at 10:00hrs.This competition is being sponsored by the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

All players countrywide are invited to participate.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Not in the best of form, but I still have the game to be competitive - Rajkumar D

efending Digicel Open Golf Classic Men’s Champion Canada-based Roger Rajkumar speaking with Kaieteur Sport last evening shortly after completing a practice session at the Lusignan Club, said that even though he has arrived in Guyana with little form to defend his title he still believes that he possesses the game that will give him an excellent chance of being competitive.

Rajkumar, who played with a 12 handicap, last year, said that his form leading up to the tournament has not been good and he is really looking forward to some valuable practice ahead of Saturday’s tee off in the Classic that will also see other golfers from North America challenge the locally based players.

“I just got here and as you know it is a different golf here and it will take me a couple of days to get accustomed to the pace of the Couse and how it performs,” the champ stated.

Commenting on the Course, Rajkumar related that he has never seen it in better shape and credited the new executive for doing a splendid job in preparing it for one of the more prestigious vents on the golf calendar.

Among the visting players already in town are Andrew Claxton and Prem Ramnauth and more are expected to arrive shortly.

Rajkumar said the tournament should be a cracking one and urged golf fans to come out and support the Classic.

The reigning Ladies champion is Christime Sukhram and she Defending champions Roger Rajkumar (right) and Christine Sukhram pose too will be defending her crown.

The tournament ends on Sunday with the presentation with Digicel CEO Gregory Dean last year. ceremony set to follow its completion.

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Thursday October 25, 2012

Sportsmax: Walters fight to pull record TV audience SPORTSMAX and the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control (JBBC) have announced the return of international championship boxing to Jamaica with the staging of the WBA featherweight title fight, dubbed ‘Rumble on JamRock’.

The bout is slated to take place at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday, December 8, 2012.

The fight card sees Jamaica’s Nicholas ‘Axeman’ Walters, the WBA Fedelatin featherweight champion and No 1 contender, going up against Colombian Daulis

Prescott, the No 5 contender, for the vacant WBA featherweight title.

The title became vacant after reigning WBA featherweight champion, Panamanian Celestino ‘Pelenchin’ Caballero, relinquished the belt due to a controversial situation involving his mandatory defence.

WBA executive vicepresident Gilberto J Mendoza said: “Let’s respect Caballero’s decision and the doors of the WBA will always be open for Caballero.”

Following his only

professional bout in Jamaica in June of last year against Mexican Argel Salinas, whom he floored in the second round for a TKO victory, Walters had expressed hopes of fighting for the world title at home.

Despite his disappointment his opponent will not be Caballero, it’s a dream come true for Walters, who boasts an impressive record of 21-0 with 17 KOs. Prescott has a 26-1 record with 19 KO record, which makes this fight potentially electrifying.

“This is a big deal and we

want to make a big deal about this. We want to create Jamaica’s own version of Vegas,” said Oliver McIntosh, President and CEO of SportsMax. With the WBA’S approval to host the world title fight in Jamaica, the JBBC teamed with experienced sports marketers and the leading sports broadcaster in the Caribbean, SportsMax, for promoting and broadcasting event.

Stephen Jones, head of the JBBC who was the driving force in getting the fight for Jamaica, sees the ‘Rumble on JamRock’ as the event that will showcase the talent of yet another son of the soil to the rest of the world while raising the country’s profile for boxing and major sports events.

“Working with SportsMax, the JBBC sees a great opportunity in promoting this historic bout on the worldwide stage, the first of its kind to be staged in Jamaica since the “Sunshine Showdown” between Joe Frazier and George Foreman in 1973,” he said.

The fact that the fight is a WBA title bout puts the event on the international

Nicholas Walters faces Colombian Daulis Prescott for WBA featherweight title on December 8

sports radar, unlike any other that has taken place in boxing in Jamaica.

McIntosh believes ‘Rumble on JamRock’ will pull a record TV audience from all

over the world to a Jamaican event and record spectator support. This is a promotion not only for the awesome Axe Man Walters, but for Jamaica.”

Practice session for Over-50 veteran footballers fixed for GFC tomorrow Over-50 veteran footballers will have another practice session tomorrow, Friday, at the Georgetown Football Club ground, Bourda from 9:00 this morning.

The players are preparing for a two match Goodwill tournament against Flamingo of Suriname, who will be here from November 1. All Over-50 veterans are encouraged to come out to today’s session.

While additional sponsorship is welcomed, several businesses and individuals have chipped in to assist in various ways and the organisers are expressing gratitude.

Among those helping to date are; Western Union, Demerara Mutual life Insurance Company, the Guyana Football Federation, Minister Robeson Benn, Cummings Electrical, Jerries Restaurant and Bonny’s Supermarket.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 33

All Saints Primary retains New Amsterdam Inter Primary School Athletics Championship Two times defending champions All Saints Primary School once again came out on top when the New Amsterdam Branch of

Ministry of Education/ Guyana Teachers Union held their annual Inter Primary School Athletics Championship at the All Saints Scott Church Ground on

West Demerara Cricket Association/ N D and S Furniture 40-Over cricket continues The West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA) and ND &S Furniture 40-overs cricket tournament continued last weekend with games at Wales, Zeeburg and Joe Vieira Park.

On Sunday Independence “A” came up against All Youths at Joe Vieira Park. Batting first, after the match was reduced to 35 overs due to early morning showers, Independence accumulated 246 for 7 in their allotted 35 overs with David Alert and Vivian Beckles contributing 62 and 25 respectively. Bowling for All Youths Rahul Persaud captured 3 wickets for 31 runs in 7 overs. All Youths could only muster 97 runs in reply with a patient 24 being scored by Azim Haniff. Bowling for Independence “A”, Mahendra Dhanpaul captured 3 wickets for 10 runs in 5 overs while Jagnarine Etwaroo returned with 3 wickets for 17 runs in 6 overs.

At Zeeburg ground, batting first Zeeburg made 198 all out against Mc Gill Sports Club. Bowling for Mc Gill, Jagdesh Balgobin captured 3 wickets for 28 runs in 8 overs and Jevon Hector had 2 wickets for 26 runs in 6 overs. In reply Mc Gill were bowled out for 121 with Chris Persaud and Mandolall Odnarine capturing 3 wickets each.

At Wales, Western United battled against the Wales CDC team. Batting first Western United scored 135 with Doodnauth Balram contributing 35 not out. Bowling for Wales CDC Steve Sukdeo and Ramzan Ally took 2 wickets each. In reply Wales CDC rapidly overtook the required runs in 17 overs scoring 139 for the loss of only 4 wickets. Bowling for Western United Orin Stanley captured 2 wickets for 16 runs in 3 overs.

Sanasie 40 over cricket - Leguan...

Zaman stars as Satro beat Rebels Mustapha Zaman slammed a swashbuckling century and grabbed 2 wickets for 30 runs to guide Satro to a comfortable 160 run victory over Rebels when play in the Anand Sanasie 40-over cricket competition continued last Sunday in Leguan with one match at Enterprise ground.

Zaman hit 133 and got support from Zahir Razack 70 and Shazad Razack 39 as Satro piled up 350 -9 after the game was reduced to 35 overs. Brian Roopchand took 2-51.

Rebels in reply never threatened to overhaul the target and fell for 190 in 22.4 overs. Deroop Jagdai 48, Satesh Latchana and Roopchand with 32 each were their principal scorers as Kevin Gordon 2-32 and Rick Stephen 2-33 supported Zaman in the bowling department. The competition continues on Sunday.

ARAF Auto Dealer over-40 T20 cricket - ECD

Khan bags 7-wkt haul for United XI Basheer Khan grabbed 7 wickets for 17 runs off 4 overs to lead East Coast Demerara Daredevils United to a 10 wicket win over Rastafari XI when action in ARAF Auto Dealer over-40 Twenty \20 competition continued last Sunday on the East Coast of Demerara.

Playing at Lusignan, Rastafari XI were bowled out for 54 in 8.2 overs after batting first. Kevin Ross also took 2-3 off 1.2 overs.

United XI in reply scored 56-0 in 9.2 overs. Suresh Sookram led with 30, while Tyrone Daniels scored 18. The competition continues on Sunday. GYO, Unity and Lusignan SC are the other competing teams.

Tuesday. At the end of the day’s competition which saw the students taking part in both track and field events.

All Saints Primary ended with 355 points with St Therese Primary once again finished second with 295 ½.

There were some rearrangement with the placement of the other positions with Edinburgh Primary moved into third with 285

points, School of the Nations finished fourth with 159 points, and St Aloysius Primary occupied the fifth spot on 120 points.

Overwinning Primary was sixth 59 ½ points, seventh was Lochaber /Sandvoort Primary on 48 points with Friends Primary occupying the cellular position on 15 points.

The top athletes were U8

Ashanti Mickle among the girls and Niquan Samuels among the boys, they both were from All Saints.

In the U10 category Akella Peters of School of the Nations was the top girl, while Shamar Welcome of St Therese Primary was the most outstanding boy. The U12 outstanding performers were Brianna Trotman of

Overwinning Primary among the girls and Edron Stephens of St Therese being the top male on show. The Inter Branch Competition which will effectively be used to select the District teams to participate in the National school Athletics, Swimming and Cycling Championships is expected to be held shortly at a venue to be decided.

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Marian Academy Secondary School Badminton tourney 2012...

Narayan Ramdhani, Meshonn Persaud claim respective titles The Marian Academy Secondary School Badminton Tournament concluded on Tuesday at the school’s badminton courts and Narayan Ramdhani and Meshonn Persaud were crowned Boys & Girls Secondary School Champions.

The pair played excellent games to emerge on top of their challengers and secure their respective crowns.

The results of matches played are: Boys Singles Finals: Narayan Ramdhani defeated Jonathan Mangra: 21:12 Third Place went to Simon Joseph Girls Singles QuarterFinals: Tisel Patterson defeated Alexa Williams: 21-8 Anesa Bird defeated Aaliyah Rodrigues: 21-7 Girls Singles SemiFinals: Meshonn Persaud defeated Tisel Patterson: 21-7 Anesa Bird defeated Angelica DaSilva: 21-11

Narayan Ramdhani (right) and Meshonn Persaud take time out for a photo following their victory.

Girls Singles Finals: Meshonn Persaud defeated Anesa Bird: 21-8

Third Place went to Tisel Patterson who defeated Angelica DaSilva: 21-5

Thursday October 25, 2012

Contador says Armstrong being “humiliated and lynched” (Reuters) - Spaniard Alberto Contador expressed support on Wednesday for disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong saying the American was being “humiliated and lynched” by doping accusations which have led to the stripping of his seven Tour de France titles.

“It seems to me that at certain times and in certain places Lance is not being treated with any respect,” Contador, a double Tour champion who returned from a two-year doping ban in August, told reporters in Paris at the presentation of the 2013 edition of the race.

“He is being humiliated and lynched, in my opinion. He is being destroyed,” the Saxo Bank-Tinkoff rider, who had a difficult relationship with Armstrong when they were team mates at Astana, was quoted as saying

by Spanish media.

“Right now people are talking about Lance but there has not been any new test or anything,” Contador added. “It’s based exclusively on witness statements that could have existed in 2005.

“I respect each rider’s decision but I would have liked it to happen a bit earlier.”

Armstrong was stripped of his 1999-2005 Tour victories on Monday when the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to erase his results from August, 1998.

Armstrong, who fought back from cancer to dominate the sport, has always denied doping and says he has never failed a drugs test. “What there is (in terms of evidence) I don’t know, what I do know is that if cycling is popular in the United States it’s thanks to

Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador attends the presentation of the itinerary of the 2013 Tour de France cycling race in Paris October 24, 2012. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier him,” Contador said.

“If they know over there what the Tour is it’s thanks to him, if there are top-level teams and races in his country it’s thanks to him.”

Contador said the current testing was regime was adequate as a means of preventing illegal doping, Contador said. “There is little that needs to be changed at the moment. The tests we have are as rigorous as possible, we have to be able to be located at all times,” he said.

“There will be people who will have doubts, given everything that has come out, and I understand it. “I say to them that they should believe completely that riders win races without help, also on the Tour.”

National Darts C/ships starts Nov 3 The Guyana Darts Association (GDA) launched its national championships 2012, at the Clerico Club (CCWU) on Tuesday.

Six events will be played off on Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 4 next.

According to a release, each event has a separate sponsor and they are as follows: 1. Team event (sponsor – New Guyana Pharmaceutical Co.) 2. Mixed Triples (sponsor – Apex Insurance Brokers) 3. Men’s Doubles (sponsor – Queensway) 4. Mixed Doubles

(sponsor – Guyana National Newspapers Ltd.) 5. Men’s Singles (sponsor – John Fernandes Ltd.) 6. Women’s Singles (sponsor – Dr. Terrence Joseph) Three of the sponsors were in attendance to formally hand over cheques to the GDA (NGPC, Queensway and GNNL). In addition, NGPC provided three hampers of its products, which would go to successful players. All events will be played on the K/O system. Only teams and players registered with GDA are allowed to participate.

Entries will be accepted by any executive member of the

GDA, and payment for same up to just prior to the start of the first event on Saturday 3 November at 16:00hrs. Play on Sunday 4 November commences at 13:00hrs. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies will be awarded in all six events, and in the team event each player in the successful teams will receive a trophy.

In addition, there will be cash incentives for outstanding individual performances. All prizes will be presented at the conclusion of the championships.

Players are reminded that practice sessions have been arranged at the venue commencing at 18:00hrs today.

Bedford Athletics Academy to hold High Performance Training Seminar The Bedford Athletics Academy of Laluni Street, Queenstown will be holding a seminar, Models of training for High Performance in Sport, on Saturday October 27, 2012, at Guyana Olympic Association, Olympic House, High Street, Kingston.

The objectives of the seminar are to raise awareness that Sport technology is available in Guyana, to increase knowledge of the Theory

and Methodology of training for high performance in sports, to create a favourable attitude, to encourage support in promoting the healthy nature of sport to sponsors and funding agencies, to reinforce support and to build loyalty in promoting the benefits of sport tourism to Guyana’s economy.

The topics to be discussed are Sports Medicine, Nutrition for Sport,

Psychology for Sport, Pedagogy and Sociology for Sports.

Dr. Max Hanoman, Dr. Etan Simeon, Dr. Emanuel Cummings, Mr. Wayne Walcott and Mr. Harry Baptiste will deliver lectures on the topics listed.

Clubs, Associations, Coaches and Athletes from across the country are encouraged to attend and are asked to be registered from 08:00 to 08:30 hrs on Saturday.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Banks DIH on board with Rising Sun Rodeo as preparations heighten A

s Rodeo time draws nearer the Rodeo Fever is beginning to catch on with preparatory works heightened for the annual grand one day rodeo organized by the Rodeo Committee of the Rising Sun Turf Club set for Arima Park West Coast Berbice on Sunday November 4 beginning at 11:00 hrs.

With the anticipated skills, thrills and spills expected to take centre stage once again, the Rodeo King competition is expected to hold its own, with interest already been shown for this event.

The Brazilians will be looking to hold on to the reigns of the King competition with the likes of defending champion Maxcelso Farias, Beto Saraivo, Ranvendo Antonio and Odo Peters among others coming up against a bevy of cowboys from various parts of Guyana.

According to coordinator Inshanally Habibulla more vaqueros have shown an interest in participating this

This cowboy found this bull very uncooperative during last year’s action and this year will definitely be no different.

year and the best will be selected to display their skill against the visitors.

Habibulla stated that he

is pleased with the way things are going so far. He stated that so far about 12 events are listed for the day.

Among them are steer roping, bare back bronco, male and female barrel race, wild cow milking, calf

roping, wild bull riding, saddle bronco along with the Rodeo King and Queen Competition and the popular

Tug o War events. A number of other novelty events are also carded for the days programme included the Beer drinking competition, gyrating on Horses back etc.

The venue is getting a do over and already the arena has been ploughed and is being reset with regular wetting and rolling.

Apart from the Brazilians, Vaqueros (cow boys) are expected from Suriname and Venezuela to match skills with their Guyanese counterparts.

According to the veteran Horseman and cattle owner a number of local riders have been visiting the Rising Sun arena to enhance their skills in preparation for the big day.

Local vaqueros are expected from the Interior locations of Guyana including Lethem and the Rupununi Savannahs, West Coast Berbice, the Corentyne and Berbice River areas.

Prizes will include cash incentives and trophies for the outstanding performers.

(Samuel Whyte)

t r o Sp

Preparations intensifying for Nov. 11 CMRC final leg face-off This is what the South Dakota Circuit could look like come November 11 when Guyana host the final leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship.

P. 21

By Rawle Welch

Wi t h i n t e r n a t i o n a l cricket facing an uncertain future in Guyana due to the ongoing impasse between the Guyana Cricket Board and the Government

implemented Interim Management Committee and the eventual elimination of the ‘Golden Jaguars’ from the FIFA qualification competition the stage is now set for the next ‘biggest’ event on local soil.

Just around 18 days left before Guyana play host to the final leg of the Caribbean M o t o r R a c i n g Championship (CMRC) at the South Dakota Circuit and the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club is in full

operational mode as it prepares to accommodate what is anticipated to have the largest amount of sporting fans in attendance for a single day event.

Speaking with a source close to the club, he revealed

that the entity is gearing up to execute what is believed to be a large influx of motor racing fans from across the Diaspora in addition to those based locally.

“We have begun to prepare early since there are

a number of administrative and physical preparations that need to be done to make the event a memorable one for the thousands of fans that are expected from overseas,” the source informed. He said (Continued on page 30)

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