Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

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

LET’S GET ON WITH THOSE FORENSIC How could this gentleman be so hypocritical? AUDITS, LET’S CLEAR THE TABLE DEAR EDITOR, Everyone within Guyana and many without would have heard the booming allegations of huge, widespread, deep corruption of hundreds of billions of dollars, against our PPP/C Administration of the last 23 years. There have been calls for and offers of international assistance to trace those billions of dollars of illegally spent money. To this I say, let’s get on with those forensic audits as thoroughly, as widely, as deeply and as quickly as could be. Let us welcome and encourage all assistance from bi-laterals and multi-laterals so that we could have expert and experienced as well as honest and fair audits, as early as possible; for we cannot move forward until those allegations are cleared one way or another. And I do not have blinkers on. I make no claim that we are angels all, in the PPP and PPP/C; nor do I hold out that any of us is an angel all the time; that we, members all of this society have never succumbed to the pressures and temptations in our society. I say as our (former) President Ramotar said, the reports of corruption have been grossly exaggerated; and I say further, much of these allegations have arisen from misunderstandings and wrong expectations of many and the distorted presentations of others who know better. There could be no moving forward on the issues dear to us all – national cohesion and some form of and sense of shared governance, until those allegations have been determined. Quite likely you share the concerns about the new, ‘fish-market’ lows remarked upon, to which our Honourable Members descended in the recently concluded budget debate. I doubt that it could have been otherwise, with all those

allegations in the air. Let me confess that I was so hurt during the elections campaign by all the false allegations and abuse hurled against us, and the grotesque distortions of so much that we had worked at for people and country, that I found myself angered beyond recognition. Let me further confess that during considerations about when we, PPP/C, should enter Parliament, my expressed inclination was that we should enter Parliament as soon as the forensic audits would have been completed and declared, but not before. Better judgement and the arguments for participation in our national budget review prevailed. Regrettably, our last elections evolved into too much of a matter of life and death. There was a letter to the Editor on which I had reflected, with the headline, ‘Why don’t the PPP/C just stand down? Presumably, after twenty three years in Office, there were some sentiments, ‘why doesn’t the PPP/C not declare its innings and take to the field and let the other side have a chance to bat, showing what they could do?’ Perhaps the abuse we felt obliged to hurl at each other has taken away, even if only temporarily, our right to criticise such an argument. As much as we wished we could, the flow of abuse could not be turned off just so, on a declaration of the results of the Election. I particularly regretted the vehemence of the new, young Honourable Member from Region 10, in his charges of marginalisation and discrimination against us PPP/C, when clearly Linden/ Region 10 shared equitably in what we had. No doubt he was presenting as he thought he should, but I wondered whether his presentation with all that vehemence and ignoring hard, visible facts, was any less an

exercise in racial consolidation than any with which we of the PPP/C have been charged. Let’s get on with those forensic audits, get them done and out of the way so that we can get back to focusing on growth and development, national cohesion and the practice and a sense of shared governance. Blind faith and hope kept us of the PPP and later the PPP/C going, since that split of 1955 through 1964 to 1992, and through what was unleashed on us in the run up to and after our 1997 elections. Recall too, that reflecting on and taking opportunity of the close returns of the three parties which contested the 1994 Local Government Elections, for the City of Georgetown, we proposed and participated in a trial of ‘ shared governance,’ in a rotating Mayorship of Georgetown. That trial was collapsed when our turn came. And recall too, much more recently, in talks during Budget 2012, our PPP/C administration conceded and implemented a larger increase in old age pension but the leaders of the then Opposition abandoned the subsequent agreement to initiate a multiyear phased reform of the

electricity supply in Linden. And there was on the table a further step to engage the then Opposition in the allocation of about one third of the revenue from VAT. We were but one step away from a real sharing in governance. Let us have conditions conducive for national cohesion and a sense of shared governance. We of the PPP and the PPP/C have been and will continue seeking national cohesion and the practice and a sense of shared governance. We have too much invested, more than any other. But our country cannot go forward now with those serious allegations hanging in the air. These allegations cannot just be dropped or forgotten; they must be determined then removed from the table. Until then, I fear all our meetings would be but a continuation of what we had in our budget debate in Parliament. Mr. Samuel A.A. Hinds Former Prime Minister and Former President of Guyana

DEAR EDITOR, Just a few months ago, I read in the letter columns of the dailies, a letter written by Ranwell Jordan, Former Mayor of Georgetown and captioned “The PPP/C wants to continue a family dynasty”, in which he was extremely critical of the list of candidates the PPP/C had put forward for the National and Regional Elections, opining that it had contained the names of family and friends. He then went on to condemn Former President Romotar for allowing his children to be employed at the GGMC and with the EGovernance project. He further went on to say that Guyana was all about the PPP/C, their relatives and friends, and no one else; and that persons must not allow this to happen in Guyana; and that everyone must vote collectively and solidly against it. Upon reading this letter, I thought of how morally erect this gentleman was and that here was someone who had no tolerance for nepotism or cronyism. Indeed, I was tempted to write a letter commending this gentleman and his ideals. You could then imagine my horror when I visited City Hall to pay my uncle’s property taxes to discover that one of the staff members working in the Finance Department happened to be a daughter of Mr. Jordan. Wanting to be certain, I asked one of the tax clerks whether it was indeed his daughter, and the clerk not only confirmed this but advised me that this was at least the third time she was being employed at the Council. To my further dismay I learnt that she was not the only child to be employed there that she had a son holding a senior position at the Mechanical Workshop and many other relatives scattered among the various municipal department. How could this gentleman be so hypocritical as to write to the press of this wrong doing when he is the biggest culprit. Nadine Jerrick

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Tolls stalemate…Berbice businesses back Govt. on water taxis

- urge review of concession agreement The Berbice Chambers are calling for a review of the agreement with the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI). This came out when Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, and Second Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, met Monday with representatives of the various Chambers of Commerce in Berbice. Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, was also at the meeting. The meeting with representatives from the Upper Corentyne Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UCCCI); West Berbice Chamber of Industry & Commerce (WBCIC); Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) and Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCC&DA) provided the opportunity for the government to inform

businesses in the region on the status of negotiations with BBCI and the intended implementation of water taxis, a statement from Government said yesterday. Minister Patterson informed the Chambers that the government made approaches to the management of the BBCI, to reduce the tolls by $300 for motor vehicles, and ten percent on other vehicles, in lieu of a subsidy. The subsidy was planned to increase yearly, as it was the administration’s intention to reduce the tolls at the bridge every year bringing it to an acceptable rate for commuters. “Today the discussion is not moving apace, because the BBCI put up a position that there were other issues they want discussed first, such as an extension of the concession period, fee increase and so on,” Patterson told the representatives of the Chambers. He added that although

Ministers of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, Annette Ferguson, and 2nd Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, at the meeting on Monday with the Berbice Chambers of Commerce. Also in the photo are Regional Chairman for Region Six, David Armogan and Regional Executive Officer, Dr. Verasammy Ramayya. the administration indicated its willingness to pursue talks on the matters of concern to BBCI, the company continues to hold the commuters to ransom. During the interaction, members of the Chambers of Commerce revealed that businesses moving large goods and lumber were affected by an unfair implementation of charges by the bridge company. Patterson said that such a practice does not augur well for business. Additionally, a faulty

scale saw persons paying in excess of US$300 to ship goods from Crabwood Creek to Georgetown. This increased transportation costs, thereby causing the businesses to lose their competitive edge. “Representatives from the Berbice Chambers of Commerce recommended that the government scrutinize the entire agreement with a view to making necessary amendments. Further, tolls should be reduced to $1500 for motor cars,” the Government statement said.

Patterson said that amending the contract would mean that Government would have to exercise its power on the bridge company, a thing that the administration is not keen on, as it sends the wrong impression to potential investors. “We intend to stand on the agreement made, and work within its confines. Also, we will work to further negotiations with management (of the Bridge), to arrive at an agreement,” Patterson told the Chambers. Other recommendations

made by the Chambers of Commerce are to extend the concessions offered for the elderly and school children to include nurses and teachers, to implement a shuttle bus service system, and to review the financial model of the agreement to ascertain whether or not it is feasible to increase the concessionary period and simultaneously reduce the tolls. The meeting ended in consensus on the implementation of the watertaxi service. Minister (Continued on page 11)

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

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U.N. says 850,000 to cross sea to Europe in 2015 and 2016 Reuters - At least 850,000 people are expected to cross the Mediterranean seeking refuge in Europe this year and next, the United Nations said yesterday, giving estimates that already look conservative. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR called for more cohesive asylum policies to deal with the growing numbers. Many are refugees from Syria, driven to make the voyage by intensified fighting there and worsening conditions for refugees in surrounding countries due to funding shortfalls in aid programmes, UNHCR said. “In 2015, UNHCR anticipates that approximately 400,000 new arrivals will seek international protection in Europe via the Mediterranean. In 2016 this number could reach 450,000 or more,” it said in an appeal document. Spokesman William Spindler said the prediction for this year was close to being fulfilled, with 366,000 having already made the voyage. The total will depend on whether migrants stop attempting the journey as the weather gets colder and the seas more perilous. So far, the numbers do not appear to have slowed down as the colder months approach, with many appearing spurred on by

Migrants wait to board a train after crossing the Macedonian-Greek border near Gevgelija, Macedonia, yesterday. REUTERS/STOYAN NENOV Germany’s announcement that it will ease the rules for Syrians seeking refuge who first reach the European Union through other countries. A single-day record 7,000 Syrian refugees arrived in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia on Monday, while 30,000 are on Greek islands, most of them on Lesbos, it said. Many arrive first in Greece, then leave the EU to travel up through the Balkans

to Hungary and onward to Germany. “So obviously the discussions this week in Europe are taking even on greater urgency because it obviously cannot be a German solution to a European problem,” UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told a news briefing. UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres called for an increase in the number of legal ways for refugees to come to

Europe, such as an increase in number of visas and ways to reunite people with their families. “I am convinced that with the proper instruments in place, this will be much easier to manage,” he told a news conference in Paris. Germany told its European partners on Monday they must take in more refugees as it handles record numbers of asylum seekers.

The European Union’s executive Commission is expected to unveil a programme this week that would redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers who arrive in Italy, Hungary and Greece. Peter Sutherland, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for migration and development, called for a “harmonised system” and “fair allocation” in the European Union. He said Europe’s “Dublin rules” requiring asylum seekers to apply in the first EU country they reach would have to be amended, or they could jeopardise the principles of border control-free travel in the bloc’s Schengen zone. “Coherence is going to require leadership and leadership before we see the destruction of great achievements like the Schengen agreement,” he warned. “I think Dublin doesn’t work.” Other countries including the United States, wealthy Gulf states and Japan must face their responsibilities, he said. The White House yesterday said the Obama administration is taking into account the urgency of the migrant crisis in Europe as it considers further steps that the United States can take. White House spokesman

Josh Earnest declined to discuss the options at a briefing with reporters but said: “Everyone is well aware of the sense of urgency.” Germany’s decision last month to open its doors to Syrians who arrived elsewhere in the EU has brought the issue sharply into focus, as did images last week of a drowned Syrian toddler washed up on a Turkish beach, which appeared on newspaper front pages across the continent. Germany alone expects 800,000 asylum applications this year, including those who have crossed the Mediterranean, others from Balkan states and some who arrived in previous years. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday that Europe needed to implement a joint system for dealing with asylum seekers and agree to binding quotas on how to distribute refugees across the continent. “This joint European asylum system cannot just exist on paper but must also exist in practice. I say that because it lays out minimum standards for accommodating refugees and the task of registering refugees,” she told a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in Berlin.

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Kaieteur News

UK says more deadly drone strikes possible, despite criticism Reuters - Britain will not hesitate to carry out more deadly drone strikes against militants in Syria planning attacks on the United Kingdom, defence secretary Michael Fallon said yesterday, as he defended the killing of a British Islamic State fighter. Prime Minister Cameron told parliament on Monday that he had approved an air strike against a vehicle carrying a British jihadist in Syria who he said was plotting attacks against Britain. The attack killed Reyaad Khan from Cardiff and two other Islamic State fighters including another Briton, Ruhul Amin. “We wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. If we know there’s an armed attack likely, if we know who’s involved in it, we have to do something about it,” Fallon told BBC Radio. Human rights groups and some lawyers criticised the decision to authorise the strike, which was carried out in August, saying the government needed to give details about what evidence it had that attacks were planned and to disclose the legal basis for the attack. They said the action

Michael Fallon mimicked controversial U.S. drone strike policy and blurred the lines on what Britain was prepared to used such tactics for. “The fact that David Cameron has bypassed parliament to commit these covert strikes is deeply worrying – as is his refusal to share what legal advice he was given,” said Kat Craig, a legal director at rights group Reprieve. The opposition Labour Party said the decision should be subject to an independent review, and asked for more information on the legal advice the government had received.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Obama musters more Senate votes for Iran nuclear deal Reuters - President Barack Obama yesterday secured 42 votes in the U.S. Senate for the international nuclear deal with Iran, more than enough to keep Congress from passing a resolution disapproving of the pact. Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal, Gary Peters, Ron Wyden and Maria Cantwell announced they would support the agreement, just as lawmakers returned to Washington from a monthlong summer recess. Forty-two votes is one more than the minimum needed in the 100-member Senate to block a Republicanbacked resolution of disapproval of the nuclear deal, announced on July 14. That would spare Obama the embarrassment of having to use his veto power to protect a deal reached with five other world powers, seen as a potential legacy foreign policy achievement for his administration. Obama had been guaranteed enough votes to sustain a veto once he reached 34 “yes” votes in the Senate, but backers say avoiding the veto process would send an important

message to Iran, and the world: Washington is unified behind it. “This agreement with the duplicitous and untrustworthy Iranian regime falls short of what I had envisioned. However, I have decided the alternatives are even more dangerous,” Wyden said in a statement explaining his support. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration was “gratified” by the growing support for the nuclear accord. The last hope of bipartisan Senate support was dashed on Tuesday when Senator Susan Collins, the chamber’s last undecided Republican, announced her opposition. All of the senators supporting the deal are Democrats or independents who caucus with them. Every supporter in the House of Representatives is a Democrat. Senator Joe Manchin yesterday became the fourth Senate Democrat voting against the deal. At least 17 House Democrats have also said they would vote with Republicans against it. To block the resolution, deal supporters would need

President Barack Obama at least 41 senators to vote in favor of using the Senate’s filibuster procedural rule to keep a disapproval resolution from advancing. It was not immediately clear if any would break with Democratic party leaders and oppose a filibuster, but most said they would back the procedural measure. “If the cloture (procedural) vote becomes in effect the opportunity to vote in support of the agreement, I will vote in favor of closing debate,” Blumenthal said. Groups on both sides of the issue were waging fierce last-ditch campaigns to

influence senators’ votes on the procedural measure. Given Republican unity against the nuclear agreement, pressure on Democrats for the past two months has been intense, particularly from pro-Israel groups that normally enjoy strong support from members of both parties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a vociferous opponent of the Iran deal, calling it a threat to his country’s existence. Republicans invited him to address Congress about his opposition to the deal negotiations earlier this year. Many opponents argue that the deal offers sanctions relief in exchange for too few nuclear concessions from Iran. They want negotiators to return to the table to push for tougher terms. However, the five other world powers that reached the deal have made clear they have no intention of resuming talks. They will also ease sanctions, regardless of Congress’ vote on the accord, if Iran fulfills its commitments. Iran denies its nuclear program aims to produce weapons.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

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The vendors are pawns in a bigger game The vendors are once again being used as pawns. They have been used before and they will be used again. They have been used in the past for political support. They were actively encouraged to vend on pavements, in front of established businesses and on reserves. They were used then and they will be used again. When certain forces wanted to apply pressure on Carol Sooba, the support of the vendors was solicited and they led protest demonstrations calling for her removal. They were used then and they will be used again.

There is a problem. The Old Bedford School building needs to be pulled down. It cannot be pulled down without falling on those persons who are vending along its eastern perimeter. Those persons have to be removed in order to facilitate the dismantling of the building. They know that. They know that they cannot remain there while the building is being dismantled. They know that they had to go. But they also know that the issue is not just the dismantling of this school. There is a bigger problem in the economy. There is a loss

of business confidence and it is not getting better even though the government has begun to spend the $160 billion that it proposes to spend this year. The completion of the budget debate has not made any appreciable impact on the fortunes of business. In the meantime, vendors feeling that they have a sympathetic government in place are swarming all over Regent Street. They have even taken over those spots outside the GUYOIL Gas Station which for decades have always been off-limits to vendors. The pavement outside

Dem boys seh...

Berbice Bridge deal sweeter than honey is to bee Brazzy stand up in front of a mirror and admiring heself. He wife stand up behind him. He seh, “Honey, I feel bad about myself. I look fat and ugly. I really need you to give me a compliment.” De wife turn and tell him, “Honey, you have perfect eyesight. If wasn’t fuh you perfect eyesight, you would have never crafted de contract fuh de Barriott and fuh de Berbice Bridge.” De private investors in that Bridge get a guaranteed rate of return on their money of 15% to 23%. Nowhere in de world, anybody can invest money and get that rate of return. That agreement by itself is a sweetheart of a deal. It such sweet that nobody would want to lef it; just like how bee can’t lef honey and ants can’t lef sugar. Dem boys seh that this lawlessness ain’t done deh. It goes deeper than anybody can expect. Everybody does pay tax pun profit. Guess what!! De Berbice Bridge

investors ain’t got to pay no tax pun de big, big profit dem mekking. Dem boys seh that de Waterfalls boss man would willingly put in money and tek half of wha dem getting fuh rate of return. And if you think it done deh, you lie. Dem got de nerve to tell de nation that dem losing money on de bridge. But yet dem want extend de ownership contract from 21 years to 50 years. Who really dem talking to? Dem seh that dem under threat of shutting down, unless dem raise de toll. What is also amazing, is that de Bridge investors expect us to believe that even though dem running at a loss for the last 6 years, if we increase their concession period they will lower the tolls and become profitable. Who dem think dem fooling? Soulja Bai or de people? Jagdeo and all of dem behave like if de people of this country got no rights. Well dem boys got news fuh dem.

De Guyanese people have all kinds of rights guaranteed by the constitution and by the Universal Declarations of the United Nations to which Guyana is a signatory. These rights cannot be given or taken away. If dem can claim that Soulja Bai dem can’t adjust de toll then the previous govt illegally sell de rights of each and every single Guyanese. The people have already passed sentence on that Govt. Talk half and tell dem to move de bridge from cross de river.

Fogarty’s which usually did not have many vendors is seeing a small invasion. The vendors feel that they have a sympathetic government and they feel they can sell wherever they want. It is difficult to walk on Regent Street these days because there are persons selling all along the pavement. There is simply little space to walk. On top of that one particular store brings out a stereo system on Saturday with a DJ sitting on the pavement playing music. The situation is becoming a Wild West case. There is no control. There is no order. I would not be surprised if some vendors are brazen enough to sell outside of City Hall. In fact, if City Hall loves the vendors so much why some of them are not relocated outside of City Hall? The problem is not the vendors on Orange Walk. There are enough empty stands at Merriman’s Mall to relocate these vendors. But they do not want those spots.

They want to sell where they were selling even at risk of that old building tumbling down on their heads. The vendors are not the problem. There is a bigger economic problem. The economy is stagnated. Businesses are closing down. A lot of people have shops and stores but there are no sales. This is the reality and it is not the first time that it has happened. Many years ago, the situation with vending on Regent Street got so bad that the entire street was converted into a tent city by vendors. Buyers stopped going to shop because they could not get to go into the stores and enjoy shopping. Business slumped and the City Council was forced to move against the vendors. They cleared the entire street of all vendors including provocateurs who were trying to encourage resistance. One man did a dance when he was beaten by City Constables that would

have been in the envy of any Carifesta. Within months of this activity business began to boom and huge investments in renovation and improvement took place within the business community in Regent Street. Businesses began to boom and a great many jobs were created. The same situation is happening again. The economy is in a slump. Vendors are taking over Regent Street. Business needs breathing space and so the vendors have to be removed. This is not about pulling down a building alone. It is also about raising up the fortunes of the business community at the expense of vendors. They have been used before. They will be used again.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 09, 2015

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

KAMLA LOST: King Voter is de maan It is never good for freedom and justice when a country has a Political party that wins election after election. Philosophers say human behaviour can never be reduced to scientific predictions and that determinism has no place in the study of ontology. But some forms of behaviour come close to deterministic patterns. One such mode is guaranteed power. Once power is assured, it will be abused, its holder will become arrogant and the divorce from

reality is inevitable. The analyst, no matter how erudite will produce nonsense if his/her analysis of the PPP’s defeat in 2011 and 2015 excludes the irrationality guaranteed power brings. After winning election after election, PPP leaders knew that ethnic demography will bring permanent power. The PPP then didn’t have to perform, please anyone, apologize to anyone, account to anyone or listen to anyone. Absolute power made the PPP feel invincible. It was the combination of invincibility

and irrationality that swept the PPP from power I would argue a crucial factor in the declining credibility of the PPP was its insane refusal to discipline its bad eggs. It simply boggles the mind how the PPP couldn’t see that Mr. Jagdeo was wild and irresponsible in his presidency. He allowed the most awfully immoral misconduct to take place and it exasperated the nation. But Mr. Jagdeo went in wilder directions; he elevated his bad eggs. You would have

thought that after three strikes “Killamaan” would have been out. On the contrary, with each debauchery, “Killamaan” got promoted. Once elections are free and fair the electorate should punish politicians who beg for votes then before the ink is dried on the swearing-in document, they divorce themselves from the people who put them there. If you think it cannot happen here after 2015 then you are fooling yourself. It is certain that because of age, Hamilton Green is gone from

the mayorship after Local Government Elections this year but whoever he supports in the election may not get into City Hall because the charges of betrayal of the vendors by Green are reverberating all over Georgetown. Mark Benschop and I spoke to some of the vendors yesterday. These people have evidence of being legal vendors. Mayor Green even visited them during the election to ask them to paint their stalls in the colour of the APNU –green. I will have more to say on the early morning assault on the vendors as I do my research on the ownership of the derelict building and why City Hall is in a frenetic hurry to move the vendors. Important to note is the dilapidated building once named Bedford School is not City Council property. It is owned by a private businessman who seems to be pretty close to some City Hall officials. On leaving, I told the vendors that after what has been done to them, they must remember Municipal elections are around the corner. Interestingly, Mark Benschop who is running for Mayor has been with the vendors for three days now. Kamla Bissessar lost for the same reason Alexis Tsipras will lose in Greece this month. When these politicians transform from opposition to power-holders, for some unknown reason, the electorate no longer exists. The promises made on the campaign trail are forgotten. Power has been obtained and power becomes an end in itself. I have just seen that with five Ministers of the

Frederick Kissoon present government in Guyana; two in APNU and three in AFC. All five of these Ministers have said to very close political colleagues of mine that the elections are over and they are not dealing with politics. They have openly said to these political activists that they see themselves as Ministers and they do not want to be involved in active politics. They would not prefer to deal with political activists once they are Ministers. I will not name the Ministers but I will name my friends who have heard these Ministers saying words to that effect. In identifying some of my friends, I make my accusation more credible. They are Leonard Craig, Dr. David Hinds, Trevor Williams, Tacuma Ogunseye, Michael Carrington and Leon Hunt and Marlon Williams. Hunt and Williams are less known but are active AFC members. It is this kind of attitude that made Tsipras in Greece call a snap poll. After he came to power, Tsipras moved away from the kind of politics that made him become the Prime Minister. Some of his closest allies in his party rejected his leadership and voted against him in Parliament thus the early election this month. Kamla Bissessar was no different. King Voter threw her out.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Govt. defends buying oil from Trinidad

Government says that its increased acquisition of oil from Trinidad and Tobago is to ensure a stable supply to the country. Government has defended the increased purchase of fuel from Trinidad and Tobago saying that it was to ensure that there are no shortages on the local market. During the Government’s weekly post-Cabinet press briefing last Friday, at the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, explained that it is the responsibility of the administration to keep things rolling. Kaieteur News had reported on the increased shipments with indications that no oil came from Venezuela since July when a vessel was delayed. “It is the Government’s commitment to ensure that there is a reliable and regular

supply of fuel, to drive industry in this country, and we as a government will do what is necessary in the public interest, to ensure that the wheels of industry continue to turn,” Harmon said in response to questions. According to Harmon, Cabinet was briefed on this matter by the Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson. Guyana has been purchasing fuel from Venezuela under the PetroCaribe arrangement, but there have been occasions when shipments arrived late. “A few weeks ago, the vessels that had gone to Venezuela to collect fuel, were not provided with the fuel on time, and this type of on and

Berbice businesses... (From page 6) Patterson said that the implementation is an opportunity for entrepreneurs in the area to earn a living. He added that while he can utilize available vessels under his command, he prefers the entrepreneurs from Regions Five and Six to provide the service. The bridge is a sore point for Government which has said that the former administration hijacked it from the Guyanese people, placing its close friends as shareholders although the State has more monies in it. BBCI, as a result, has been dictating the direction of the bridge without allowing much say from the Government of Guyana.

off arrangement…we have to ensure that we have an alternative arrangement put in place, to ensure that this will not lead to a shortage of fuel in Guyana,” Harmon said. According to the minister, fuel was already purchased from Trinidad and Tobago. “We have both arrangements in place…a standby arrangement…which we will utilize from Trinidad and Tobago, and the PetroCaribe arrangement (Venezuela), which is in place by contract,” he explained. Questioned on the feasibility of the new arrangement, Harmon said,

“We do not see or feel that this arrangement will put in jeopardy any of the users of petrol/fuel in the country. In fact, it is feasible, the terms are very favourable for us and I believe that we have a commitment from that country for the supply of petrol. The financial arrangement is no less favourable than that which we receive under the PetroCaribe agreement.” Trinidad and Tobago is aware of Guyana’s arrangement with Venezuela through PetroCaribe agreement. In the event there is a shortfall or a problem with that agreement, the Trinidad facility will be there to cushion the effect. The increase from Trinidad and Tobago would come amidst a claim by Venezuela on Guyana’s waters and lands, following the discovery of oil offshore Georgetown by US-owned ExxonMobil earlier this year. Former Prime Minister of the Twin-Island Republic, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, had offered Guyana to help meet its energy needs. Guyana has been depending largely on Venezuela and to a lesser extent, Trinidad and Tobago, to meet its oil needs. That deal, which allowed Guyana to delay payments for

up to 20 years, saw the country shipping rice in exchange. The rice deal is set to expire in November. Venezuela is unlikely to renew it. The Guyana Oil Company was taking the majority of an estimated 1.3 billion barrels of oil annually, from Venezuela. The shipments had been coming from Venezuela fortnightly, depending on the stocks held by GuyOil. In 2013, GuyOil’s acquisition of oil was a significant $44B. Oil imports account for the biggest chunk of Guyana’s foreign exchange spending.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

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Wednesday September 09, 2015

Major delays found on East Bank housing projects…

Private developers face stiff penalties Government has expressed its unhappiness with the slow pace of work by private housing developers on East Bank Demerara. It is now warning that it will take action. Yesterday, during an inspection of the housing schemes there, Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott, announced that he has summoned senior principals including some from Sunset Lakes Inc. and Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited to update him. Along Mocha Road, Courtney Benn has reportedly acquired 50 acres of land behind New Providence. The gates were locked and it appears that not much work was being done. The land was allocated around 2011. Further north, behind Princess Hotel and Casino, Dax Contracting Services also has a plot of land. Owner, Faisal ‘Dax’ Mohamed, has been selling plots of it. Only one house has been built. He said he will be working with his house lot owners to

Minister Keith Scott and other housing officials meeting the Chinese officials of Sunset Lakes. speed up construction. The Minister, accompanied by his team of engineers and technical staff members, was concerned that lands were being sold without homes being built, which was tantamount to speculations. Dax will be monitored to ensure that it is adhering to the agreement it signed with the Central Housing and Planning Authority

(CH&PA). At Sunset Lakes Inc., a 100-acre plot sold by Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to businessman, Brian Tiwarie, and located behind the National Stadium, housing officials found a desolate area. The scaffolds on buildings had no signs of activities. A Chinese official who

spoke English and who was in the gated area drove off and returned a short while later with four others. They could not speak English. They were from Baishanlin. Scott requested that the principals and Mr. Tiwarie meet with him tomorrow afternoon to update him. This particular transaction has been testing CH&PA and the new Government as

Sunset Lakes was reportedly sold en-bloc to the Chineseowned logging company, Baishanlin. Sunset Lakes (Tiwarie) reportedly bought the 100 acres for $458M and reportedly resold it for over $800M to Baishanlin, a logging company. According to the Sunset Lakes agreement of sale and purchase, the purchaser (Sunset Lakes) must complete all infrastructural works within eight months of taking possession in 2011. He had also two years to complete the construction of all houses in the proposed housing scheme and to have 100 percent occupancy. Failure by Sunset Lakes to construct homes within 24 months could see CH&PA fining the developer up to 25 percent of the current market value of the vacant parcel of land. There have been criticisms how the more-than 400 acres of land stretching from behind Republic Park to Little Diamond had ended up mainly in the hands of close friends of the previous administration.

At least 16 private developers benefited from as early as 2011. Still another 11companies, as of July last year, were set to receive lands from CH&PA for areas in Little Diamond and Great Diamond. One company, Luxury Reality Inc., which has lands in Providence, has listed as its Director/Secretary, Roopnarine Ramcharitar, a right hand man for Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop. Ramroop is the owner of New GPC, a company that was investigated by the Opposition for a number of questionable deals. He is the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Hi Tech Construction Inc. is another Chinese company involved. Hi Tech has Su Zhi Rong listed as its Director while the Secretaries are Zhang Ling Ling and Ming Chen. The other companies that were allocated lands between Eccles and Mocha were Queensway Dax Contracting Service, Nabi Construction Incorporated, Buddy’s (Continued on page 29)

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 15

Reading takes centre stage as Int’l Literacy Day is observed Minister of Education, Mr Vincent Alexander. Both Sam and Alexander who spoke on behalf of Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, sought to zero in on the importance of reading. In its fervent quest to tackle the challenge of illiteracy, the Ministry of Education had long embarked on training initiatives, particularly targeting reading and methods to motivate children to read. Tactics in this regard, have been usednot only for teachers but also for parents said Ms Doodmattie Singh, Deputy Chief Education Officer

A scene from the observance of International Literacy Day yesterday With 15 minutes of reading yesterday, the Ministry of Education spearheaded the local observance of International Literacy Day, which is celebrated annually on September 8. While 11:00 hours was the designated time to ‘drop everything and

read’, the gathering under strategically set up tents along Main Street avenue, between Church and Quamina Streets, Georgetown, started a few minutes early. Scores of educationaffiliated and school children alike took time out to read. The

reading activity marked the end of the ceremonial start to an Education Ministry’s Book Fair, which was in fact the main attraction of yesterday’s observance. The opening ceremony saw presentations from Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam and Technical Adviser to the

(Development), during an interview with this publication yesterday. Singh was tasked with coordinating the Ministry International Literacy Day observance. According to her, “we have seen improvements in our results both at the National Grade Six Assessment and at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination level and we are thinking that our drive in literacy would have caused that.” She intimated too that while the Ministry of

Education has been observing International literacy day for many years, it was only last year that the Book Fair aspect was introduced. The fair, she explained, is meant to showcase various aspects and ways in which parents and teachers can help to motivate their children to learn. She continued by asserting that children can learn through song, poetry, storytelling and even mime. “All these are ways in which teachers and parents can teach children or can motivate (Continued on page 16)

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Kaieteur News

56-yr-old shot by bandits during home invasion Bandits left a 56-year-old North East La Penitence resident nursing a gunshot wound in his right foot after invading his home early yesterday morning. Police said that at about

02:30 hours, four men, two of whom were armed with handguns, broke into the home of Andrew Lee and held him at gunpoint. Lee who reportedly lives alone raised an alarm and one

of the men shot him. The men took away a television set and an IPod, then escaped. After the men left Lee managed to get help to go to the hospital where he has been admitted.

Police recover stolen $4.5M, after... (From page 2) tracks cleanly. The detectives’ hunch proved to be correct, when a man came in and told them that he had seen Bailey “hailing up” one of the accomplices, who is known in criminal circles, on Parade Street. Armed with this information, the police kept Bailey in custody and made the trip to the known accomplice’s home on East Bank Demerara.

A search was carried out and the police recovered a stash of cash in excess of $3M in a black bag in a bedroom. The suspect was arrested and it was he who spilled his guts and told police about the entire plot. Acting on further information he provided, the detectives went to the home of the other accomplice, where they met his wife. The woman, sensing trouble, handed over another

$1.5M in cash, all in $5000 bills. “She had strictly $5000 bills. Like he took all the $5000 left them with all the $1000 and $500 bills,” a source close to the investigations told this newspaper. The police are still to arrest the other suspect. When contacted last evening, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed the story and praised his ranks for their professionalism. “They are seasoned detectives and they were able to crack the case and recover all the money,” Blanhum told Kaieteur News.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Reading takes centre stage as... (From page 15) them to learn to read,” said Singh as she disclosed that it was for this reason that the programme yesterday incorporated all of these features. The day-long fair was strategically designed to attract a wide cross section of stakeholders including: pupils, students, teachers, education officers, members of the public, among others, with a view of encouraging a culture of reading. Those at the fair were eligible to take away at least one book for their own reading purposes. The Ministry of Education-spearheaded activity was realized through the support of some individuals and organizations. And according to Singh, “many persons donated books, so we at the Ministry didn’t have to purchase any of these books. Once we announced that we were doing this (the fair) people started calling in to donate books…” Repsol was among the entities that donated to the fair yesterday. According to the company’s representative, Indira Chandarpal, Repsol has in place a global

corporate responsibility programme, which includes supporting environment, education, health-related programmes in the countries in which it operates. Moreover, Repsol yesterday donated over 200 copies of the Guyana Annual magazine for distribution at the fair. “We thought it was a good opportunity to support this event because literacy is an important element of our programme as well as towards the development of Guyana,” added Chandarpal. The staging of a book fair to commemorate International Literacy Day was first held last year. While Singh is convinced that the fair of last year yielded some successes, she was however not in a position yesterday to ascertain to what extent. “It is difficult for us to say that improved performance was as a result of the Fair but I can talk about the responses that we have had,” said Singh as she disclosed that a number of persons, because of the fair, have since offered their support towards the improvement of literacy. Literary improvement has also been fostered over the

past few years with the introduction of the ‘Give a Book Tent’. The initiative commenced in 2013 with the Ministry of Education encouraging people to give books. According to Singh, the hosting of this initiative last year saw 24 persons outside of the Ministry seeking permission to establish their own ‘Give a book’ tent in their respective communities, in observance of International Literacy Day. Although last year a number of persons informed the Ministry of their willingness to independently set up tents, this year the Ministry was only aware of eight ‘Give a book tents’ in Region Six alone. Last year there were reading tents in Regions One, Three, Five, Six and several in Georgetown. However, Singh did not rule this as “reduced support” for the initiative but rather “people may have just decided to do their book giving activities without informing us.” Singh shared her optimism that the reading tent initiative has been causing persons to become conscious about reading. “Whether there have been improvements as a result of it, we will have to wait to see that…I think it takes time,” asserted the Deputy Chief Education Officer. International Literacy Day was held under the theme ‘Literacy and Sustainable Societies’.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 25

PM’s special representatives appointed for Berbice, two other regions Following an announcement on Saturday at the Community Outreach Meeting in Whim Village, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, yesterday appointed four new Special Representatives in regions Two, Five, Six and Ten. According to a Government release, the representatives are Karan Chand - Region Two; Abel Seetaram – Region Five; Gobin Harbhajan – Region Six and Vladimir Glasgow – Region Ten. At the Prime Minister’s Community Outreach Meeting at the Whim Cricket Ground on Saturday, Nagamootoo announced that the region will soon get its dedicated Special Representative attached to the Office of the Prime Minister. “The Prime Minister’s Representative will be responsible for liaising with the public on matters of concern and working through the Office of the Prime Minister to assist persons in their respective regions to improve their lives,” the PM said.

Region 5: Abel Seetaram

Region 10: Vladimir Glasgow

Region Two: Karan Chand

Region 6: Gobin Harbhajan

The Prime Minister’s representative initiative was designed to take the Office of the Prime Minister beyond Georgetown. Harbhajan, who signed his contract yesterday, is a Berbice businessman for over 30 years, “Harbhajan said he was both humbled and elated at the appointment as he has a deep desire to advance the development in Region Six. This appointment is timely and I am honoured to have been identified by the Prime Minister as his representative in Region Six,” Harbhajan said. “I have a keen interest in

working with the rice farmers and cash crop farmers and the GuySuCo workers to facilitate addressing the issues which affect them in an effort to improve their lives.” “Working with government and nongovernmental organizations to address the scourge of suicide in the region is also high on my agenda along with matters relating to security and piracy,” the newly appointed Regional representative said. His office will be based at Number 57 village, Corentyne.

Chand will be based at Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast while Glasgow will be in Linden. Seetaram’s office will be located on the West Coast of Berbice. Chand, according to the statement, is a veteran educator who has worked as a teacher and administrator for over 30 years in Guyana, Belize, Turks and Caicos, the

United States and Canada. He remigrated last year. He holds a degree from the University of the Guyana and a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Chand has pegged jobs and vocational training for young people, adult educational programmes and community resource centres

as among priority areas to be addressed. He also noted that given the high rate of suicides in the region, he will seek to have counseling available. He is also keen on putting systems in place to provide English language training for the Cuban doctors stationed at the Suddie Hospital. Glasgow is a former student of the Linden Foundation Secondary School and is a vibrant Social activist. The issues of jobs, security, housing and youth development top Glasgow’s agenda in Region 10. Greater access to agricultural lands is one issue which is common to all four of the regions.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Land Court judge’s home invasion, robbery...

Incomplete police file stalls trial An incomplete police file and further advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) have been hindering the trial of the five men accused of the brutal home invasion and robbery perpetrated against Land Court Judge, Nicole Pierre and her husband, Mohamed Chand. The accused, Warren Mc Kenzie, 22, of Lot 18 Brutus Street, Agricola; Damien Millington, 22, of Lot 118 Caesar Street, Agricola; Nicholas Narine, 18, also of Caesar Street, Agricola; Premnauth Samaroo; and Anthony David, 28, of 63 Hadfield Street, Stabroek, are currently facing three indictable charges. Yesterday they were further remanded to prison by Magistrate Zamilla Ally. They had made their third court appearance. They were still not required to plead to the charges.

Land Court Judge, Nicola Pierre and her husband Mohamed Chand The first charge alleges that on July 9, at Montrose, East Coast Demerara (ECD), the men, while armed with a handgun, robbed Mohamed Chand of five wrist watches, a Samsung Galaxy S5 phone, US$8,000, a wedding ring, four Oakley sunglasses and one brown leather wallet. The second charge alleges that the intruders

robbed Nicola Pierre at gunpoint. They allegedly relieved her of a quantity of gold rings, diamond jewellery, a clump of gold, a quantity of gem stones among other items, all totalling $1M. In addition, the men are also charged with discharging a loaded firearm at Roy Peters, with intent to maim,

disable, disfigure or cause him grievous bodily harm. When their matter was called in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, Police Prosecutor, Lance Corporal, David Goodridge, indicated that the police file is still incomplete. Further, the prosecutor informed that the file has to be sent back to the DPP for advice. As such, he requested another adjournment which now extends to October 27, when the matter will come up for report on the DPP advice. However, Goodridge presented the evidence against Warren McKenzie, who was discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) a few weeks ago. The prosecutor said that on July 14, last, the police acting on information conducted a raid on a house at Craig, East Bank Demerara. He said that during the raid McKenzie was shot and admitted to the GPHC for medical treatment. Goodridge added that after Mc Kenzie was discharged from the hospital he was told o f t h e allegations and brought before the court. According to Prosecutor, Goodridge said that spent shells that were recovered from the robbery scene, match those of a gun that was allegedly found in Mc Kenzie’s possession. He said that this evidence can be

Warren McKenzie

supported by results from ballistic tests. Additionally, the prosecutor informed the court that one of the virtual complainants in the matter had recently returned from overseas after receiving medical treatment for injuries. At the men’s August 10, court appearance, Police Prosecutor, Sherlock King had told the court that there is sufficient evidence against the men, including a confession and identification by the virtual complainants. This was done in the absence of the investigating rank, who was due to produce evidence supporting the case against the accused. According to reports, heavily-armed bandits inflicted a brutal beating on the Land Court Judge and her husband after overpowering

an on-duty Special Constable and storming the couple’s home located in a gated community at Felicity, East Coast Demerara, on July 9, last. The couple was attacked while they were asleep. They were gun-butted into unconsciousness after the men, gained entry to their home via a window. The robbers carted off a small safe containing US$7,000, jewellery, and a suitcase containing other valuables. But they were forced to drop their loot when they came under gunfire from a security guard who was stationed at a businessman’s home nearby. Pierre sustained a broken jaw and other injuries, while her husband received severe injuries to an eye. He has since lost the eye.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

Dynamic Airways recruits 12 flight attendants In an effort to boost its hospitality services, Dynamic International Airways has recruited 12 new flight attendants. This was disclosed to the media yesterday during a press briefing that was held at Duke Lodge, Kingston, Georgetown. Representatives of the Roraima Group of Companies said that they participated in the recruitment process of hiring the most capable and qualified Guyanese applicants for the vacancies of Flight Attendants. The advertisements were placed in the local media during the period August 17 to August

25. They said that the recruitment period gained the interest of more than 400 applicants who for the most part were interviewed by a panel inclusive of Aviation specialists, Human Resources experts and officials of Dynamic International Airways which commenced on August 28, last. In conducting interviews and assessments, officials said that there was strict adherence to the criteria, including academic qualifications, to ensure that all applicants had an equal chance of securing the position. The interviews and assessments, they said,

helped the panel in identify effective communication skills and the applicants’ knowledge of their country. These were also among the criteria required for such an ambassador of Guyana. Six of them are expected to begin training by September 28. The first batch of trainees includes Youlanda Armstrong, Kemo Bayley, Amber Low and Demi Nunes. This newspaper was also informed that the finalists demonstrated a high level of professionalism, academia and the potential to be exceptional ambassadors of Guyana.

GWMO helps 11-year-old hinterland rape victim The Guyana Women Miners Organization (GWMO) has reported that it has helped an 11-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by a minibus driver. The child was then abandoned by her mother. The GWMO has been able to get the child into Secondary school. The girl who reported that she was raped in June was fitted out with uniforms, school books and stationery by the GWMO. She started going to school, yesterday, President of the organization, Ms Urica Primus reported. The minibus driver is before the court on a rape charge. Before the court, too, are the bus conductor and an adult female who was an acquaintance of the child: both charged with being accomplices to the alleged rape. The 11-year-old alleged that the rape occurred at the home of the adult female

friend in the presence of that friend and the bus conductor. The grandmother of the child subsequently took her into her home after the mother failed to get the child to accept $100,000 as compensation for the rape, Primus said. Primus said that the GWMO became aware of the plight of the 11-year-old via a report from a GWMO “point” person living in that community. The “point” person became involved after it was observed that the mini bus driver who was a popular person in the community was not being arrested by the police, even after reports about the crime had been submitted. The GWMO’s intervention led to the police subsequently taking statements from the child, the arrest of the driver and his two alleged accomplices, being placed before the court. In an unrelated matter,

Primus additionally disclosed that the child’s mother is currently in court on a charge of trafficking in persons. The woman allegedly ran a “kayamoo” (a house of prostitution) in the hinterland community. She had reportedly held a 13year-old girl there against her will, for purposes of prostitution. With respect to the 11year-old, the GWMO will, with the support of its “point” person in the community, follow up to see that the child attends school without hindrance. The GWMO will also ensure, Primus said, that the grandmother of the child who has taken custody of her, gets social assistance and that the child gets other forms of support with respect to the trial of the minibus driver, the conductor and adult female who were identified as accomplices.

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SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana Passport application. Graphics design, Advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. PARTY DECORATING: balloon creation, back drops etc. for weddings, birthdays, anniversary etc. Make your event extra special! Tel Maya: 642-6664 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES,AIR-CONDITIONERS, WASHINGMACHINES,TVS, MICROWAVES,FREEZERSCALL: 629-4946 OR 225-4822 REPAIRS & SPARE, FRIDGE, FREEZER, A/C, WASHERS, STOVES CONTACT NICK: 6831312, 627-3206 Floor sanding & Lacquering House plans, Estimate & painting, boat for Santa Mission - Call: 650-4362

Kaieteur News

Male sales clerk to work at hardware store at Pouderoyen West Bank Demerara. Call: 264-2524 Two receptionist/ housekeepers to work shift system- Call: 665-7474 One live in domestic must know to cook Indian dishes $70,000 monthly. 25yrs40yrs-Call: 610-3974 Experienced Dental Technician to work part time –Call: 695-0007 Straight stitch/Over edge machine operators. Call: 2222541 (8:00am-4:00pm MonFri) Experienced Cook @ Hibiscus Restaurant –Call: 231- 5857

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Eagle’s fridge re-gas @ 99100 New Market Street - $8,000 & washing machine repairs. Phone: 697-2969, 223-5818

Office clerk: senior/junior. With CXC Maths/English, Computer Knowledge is an asset. Call: 219-5354

Licensed Custom Broker/tax consultant: tax compliance certificates, assistance with customs documentationsCall: 660-9478

One cleaner; apply in person, at 4 First St. Alexander, 4 building left from Cummings Street. Call: 225-3234

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SALON

CAR RENTAL

VEHICLE FOR SALE

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Wednesday September 09, 2015

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

EDUCATION

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VEHICLE FOR SALE White NZE PNN 6837, excellent condition -$1.65M – Call: 667-3101; 672-5347 One Honda CRV Immaculate Condition 17" mags, CD, AC, price -$1,850,000 negotiable – Call: 626-2884 1 Pit Bull Minibus, 19 seats, recently sprayed & service also brand new rims & tires. Contact: +592-695-3813 60 Seater Bluebird bus, brand new, air conditioned, electronic doors (front & back) for schools/ church etc –Call: 675-3062 Automotive and Manual buses, premio, Hilux. Two and three bedrooms apartment to rent in Bougainvillea Park. Call: 6167635 TO LET Kitty 2 Self Contained Bedrooms apartment, cable TV, Internet, parking security cameras-$100,000 monthly –Call: 645-0247 Apartment in Eccles, rooms in Albertown –Call: 225-3234 Continued on page 29

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Govt. seeks market value for Pradoville 2 houselots

Remigrants paid ten times the price that former President Bharrat Jagdeo paid for house lots. Remigrants paid $1,111 per square foot to Jagdeo’s $114 per square foot. Government’s State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) is actively considering several options in its investigations of the Pradoville Two house lots. On Monday, Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott, said that there are indications that several persons, including ex-ministers and former senior Government officials, owned properties before they were invited to purchase house lots in the exclusive Sparendaam area, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Under Government regulations, persons or families who owned properties cannot be allocated State lands for housing. “It was discussed and it is the thinking that one option of recovery will be that persons who own other properties and yet benefitted from house lots in Pradoville Two will have to pay market value for the house lots. We are not sure what system was used to allocate these lands. We are seeing that some of them that benefitted have turned back and sold (the lot).” Scott said that it appears that ex-Government officials were advised to treat the house lots as investments. The minister, who has responsibilities for housing, insisted that the role of Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) was usurped by the National

Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). In early August, Scott announced that the Pradoville Two deal was handed over to SARU for investigations. The transaction has evolved into a scandal which at first glance speaks of abuse of State resources by the previous administrations under the People’s Progressive Party. At the very least, Government officials said, the deal was improper. Forensic audits are being carried out at both CH&PA and NICIL. The land was taken over and sold by a Cabinet decision under the Bharrat Jagdeo administration. His last term in office ended in 2011. The state-owned NICIL/ Privatisation Unit was authorized to do all acts necessary to ensure the vesting of the new development project in the CH&PA, the body which is tasked with overseeing housing developments in Guyana. NICIL/Privatisation Unit was headed by Winston Brassington, an executive who oversaw a number of contentious multi-billiondollar public infrastructure deals. The allocation of parcels of lands to the several former ministers, senior Government officials and friends close to the PPP administration, along with the method to determine the prices paid, were not assessed by the CH&PA.

“Those who were allocated the parcel(s) of land, whether they were the owner(s) of land at the time of allocation and the price attributed to each parcel of land, were not under the control of the Central Authority,” Scott had explained. The authority’s role in the Pradoville Two construction seemed to be limited. “The plans showing the survey of the area were done at the behest of NICIL/Privatisation Unit.” The infrastructural works were contracted to Atlantic Construction by NICIL/ Privatisation Unit. It has been revealed that NICIL paid more than $100M to remove a transmitting tower from the Pradoville Two land, an area of prime land on the East Coast of Demerara that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. An entire new facility had to be rebuilt along Dairy Road, West Bank Demerara.

NICIL reportedly also spent tens of millions of dollars to build roads, drainage and culverts and lay pipes and in some cases, underground power cables. The developed house lots, complete with infrastructure, were then sold below market value to Jagdeo, several ministers and Government officials and friends. There is no evidence that the house lots sale was advertised or what procedures were used in the allocations of the parcels of the ocean-front properties. Jagdeo himself, according to details of allocations, received two parcels equivalent to two acres. On it, he built an imposing mansion, complete with pool and overlooking the seawall and the Atlantic Ocean. He paid a total of $9.8M. He had owned a property along the Ogle Airport Road in the community that was known as ‘Pradoville One’. However, he sold that property to Trinidadian advertising executive, Ernie Ross. In effect, Jagdeo paid three times less than what ordinary citizens in the Diamond and Grove Housing Schemes, East Bank Demerara, would have been required to fork out. Jagdeo’s payment for the Pradoville Two parcels translated to $5M per acre which works out at $114 per square foot; the ordinary man pays $317 per square foot for his plot. The sale of the Pradoville Two house lots for such a low price would contrast starkly with what remigrants had to pay under the Government’s scheme for returning to Guyana. Remigrants paid more than ten times the price Jagdeo paid for the same size house lot. They paid $1,111 per square foot. Other beneficiaries include Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack; former Head of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Dookoo; former Ministers Clement Rohee, Priya Manickchand, Robert Persaud and even former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon.

Private developers...

(From page 14) Housing Development, Cumberland Developers Inc., Vikab Engineering Consultants, Kishan Bacchus Construction, Caricom General Insurance, Navigant Builders and Windsor Gardens. Queensway has been allowed several acres in Golden Grove. As of July last year, those that had applications at CH&PA for lands were Buddy Housing Development, Queensville Housing Development, A&R Jiwanram Printery, Raydan Housing Enterprise, Lakeview Executive Homes, Gentle P. Elias and Brian Chase, Chung’s Global Enterprise, Prembury Consultants T&T Limited and Romell Jagroop Construction. The Chinese owned Hi Tech Construction has also applied for lands in the Little Diamond/Great Diamond area.

Minister Keith Scott

Ex President Bharrat Jagdeo

From page 28

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Eccles furnished apartment included cable internet, AC, etc- Call: 233-2770

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Wednesday September 09, 2015

Wednesday September 09, 2015

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

High-speed vehicle pursuits are among the most dangerous of all ordinary police activities

DEAR EDITOR, Sherwood Lowe has provoked serious thought with his observations about police high-speed pursuit and the firing of weapons, and the dangers they pose to innocent persons in those circumstances. I may be guilty of jumping the gun instead of awaiting a more informed reaction from the police themselves, but then again, I am only offering my personal take on the subject. High-speed vehicle pursuits are among the most

dangerous of all ordinary police activities. In some countries there are far more police vehicle chases each year than police shootings. The germane issue at hand is whether there is a policy which guides decisions regarding those two activities when they are both occurring at the same time. I think it is only fair to point out that what many may regard as a policy is sometimes really an undocumented practice that has come to be accepted as

the normal way of doing business. The fact is that a written policy is one assured way of guaranteeing that almost everyone is adequately prepared to perform their functions in a safe manner. In other words, policies guide the formulation of standard operational procedures which in turn guide practitioners’ performance as they go about their tasks. In law enforcement, written policies are indispensable to the efficient and effective

functioning of the police agency. Furthermore, with an eye on the potential for civil litigation it would be in the best interest of modern democratic police forces to develop legally sound police vehicle pursuit policies alongside their deadly force policies involving firearms. Not to be lost sight of is that public opinion is more likely to be favourable in the event of a mishap when a responsive police force is seen to be making an effort to draft and implement specific

DEAR EDITOR, I was privileged to have represented Essequibo at senior inter-county cricket between 1995-2006 and against the likes of the incomparable Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Clayton Lambert, Sudesh Dhaniram, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Reon King and Colin Stuart etc. During those extremely testing and exhaustive moments, cricket was genuinely served both by the players and administrators. There were even favourable crowds in attendance at each game. Pitches were also delicately prepared and the outfield was always in immaculate condition. The Administrators would conspicuously address the players before the tournament began and serve a firm reminder of their expectations. Conversely the players were full of excitement and energy to battle among themselves, not only for supremacy, but the ultimate desire was to be selected in the national team on the basis of sound performances. During the past four years, inter-county cricket has been impotent and lacked the intensity mainly due to the tardiness in which preparations were made for the once prestigious tournament. Players also feel threatened by Administrators even if defending their fundamental rights. This was evident given the unceremonious if not deliberate isolation of former Berbician and national player Richard Ramdeen, whose stance a few years ago was to adhere to the Berbice Cricket Board instead of a turbulent Guyana Cricket Board. It was a moral position he took since the BCB had appealed for its players not to recognize the GCB because of its perceived status as a Board. Ramdeen incidentally paid the ultimate price and was never selected again

nationally even though at the time he was one of the more promising opening batsmen in the country. The opening position presently still remains unresolved. It is these kinds of scenario that still exist since in some cases players cannot even play in a domestic match unless consent is given by the GCB! I have even recalled during this year that a local player and his teammates from the Pomeroon were unilaterally banned at the insistence of an executive of the GCB for hosting a competition which the executive claimed was not sanctioned by the WICB. Incidentally cricket is virtually non-existent in the Pomeroon, yet any attempt to do so is met with consternation and even hostility from the Authorities. Not surprisingly, the ban was instituted at the time when the local player was challenging the ECB President for the Chairmanship of the Pomeroon Cricket Committee. This is the type of executive lawlessness and authoritative manipulation that has engrossed our domestic cricket. Additionally, in Essequibo, the players are hastily informed before an inter-county tournament and worse yet they compete without any meaningful preparation and purpose. There are no trial matches to select the team. Instead a one–day competition is organized after which a team is selected for a four day competition!

Absolute l y n o s e r i o u s consideration has been made about the state of cricket in Essequibo and quite worryingly the cricket Hostel was never adequately utilized to benefit the advancement of the players, especially the juniors. Inter-County cricket once again needs to be the prime tournament by which the national team is derived. As such a serious and conscientious approach is needed in having proper pitches, adequate preparation and distribution of matches across the country, definitive selection policies and corrective measures to rid the sport from dictatorial representatives thus alleviating fear from the players. It is not business as usual and unless there is a complete transformation within the near future, cricket generally will degenerate to its lowest ebb in Guyana. The signs are already ominous in the three counties with the Essequibo Cricket Board being dysfunctional and without a strategic plan and proven leadership; the Berbice Cricket Board continues to derecognize the GCB on legal

grounds and there is not a constitutionally elected Demerara Cricket Board. While the WICB is aware of this unacceptable as well as the unstable state of affairs following the presence of the President and Vice President of the Board in Guyana recently, it appears that they are unwilling to confront this monster that has been created and perhaps in fear that it may haunt the very fabric of the WICB! I am therefore challenging all stakeholders of cricket in Guyana to remain vigilant and steadfast in redefining and transforming cricket in every community, alas, to ensure that inter-county cricket remains the pillar for the preservation and pride of cricket in Guyana. In fact, when a batsman can score a double century in a one-day inter-county match and create history, he ought to have etched the minds of the national selectors. Instead Essequibian Kevin Boodie has never received the recognition he deserve and there are many more cases of bewilderment regarding the selection policies of the GCB. Is this the pride of inter-county cricket? Elroy Stephney

Restore the pride to inter-county cricket

pursuit directives; adequately train officers in the policy and techniques of pursuit driving; and closely supervise, review, and evaluate implementation of pursuit policies. However, it must be emphasised that the most important reason for effective pursuit policies should be the protection of life and property. Editor, Mr. Lowe is on very good ground when he cautions against high speed pursuits if the suspects could have been apprehended by other means. When offenders are known, nothing prevents arresting them in their homes or in places they frequent. It therefore brings the factor of judgment into the equation. All too often police officers charged with protecting public safety, take serious personal and social risks and therefore any decision must take into consideration the danger to the public by the chase itself against the danger to the public of the offender remaining at large. The expanded use of CCTV should provide the police with the means of identifying a suspect without high-speed pursuit. For anyone other than a violent

felon, the balance weighs against the high-speed chase. Questioning Police Pursuits in Urban Areas Alpert (1987) refers to three policy models, namely: Discretionary, which allows officers to make all major decisions relating to initiation, tactics, and termination; Restrictive, which places certain restrictions on officers’ judgments and decisions; and Discouraging, which severely cautions against or discourages any pursuit, exceptin the most extreme circumstances. Nugent et al writing for the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice cited four major elements which should form a police pursuit policy. These are a specific pursuit directive, Training, alternatives to high-speed pursuit, and a review process. Editor, in the final analysis, the need for a clearly defined vehicle pursuit policy in support of those who enforce the law and protect public safety, can serve to minimise the chances of accidental injury and death, by providing police ranks with a clear understanding of when and how to pursue. Patrick E. Mentore

It is better to negotiate... From page 4 Most Guyanese seem to be in the position described above. These investigations are not criminal investigations per se; and cannot be conducted as such from the onset, less it result in serious civil lawsuits. Notwithstanding, if it is found along the way that criminal charges should be laid, then that course of action would be taken. It should be borne in mind that the asset recovery process has national, regional and transnational implications. Clairmont Featherstone

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Kerry reaffirms U.S. commitment to Israel security in call: State Dept. WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a weekend telephone call and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, the State Department said yesterday. “The secretary and the prime minister reiterated the need to continue pushing back on Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region, and he agreed to continue to have these discussions in the coming weeks,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing. “The secretary reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security and continued military and security relationship,” he said. Yesterday, President Barack Obama secured 41

Say no to corruption, it hurts us all.

John Kerry votes in the U.S. Senate for the international nuclear deal with Iran, just enough to block a final vote on a measure of disapproval. Netanyahu has been a fierce critic of the agreement. Kirby said Kerry and Netanyahu discussed a range of issues, including their concerns over media reports of potential Russian military buildup in Syria, Moscow’s longtime ally.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Clinton apologizes for using private email as U.S. secretary of state Reuters U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for the first time apologized yesterday for using a private email server at her New York home for her official communications as secretary of state. “That was a mistake. I’m sorry about that. I take responsibility,” Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic Party’s nomination in the 2016 presidential election, said in an interview with ABC News, while still insisting that she violated no rules. “What I had done was allowed, it was above board,” she said. “But in retrospect, as I look back at it now, even though it was allowed, I should have used two accounts. One for personal, one for work-related emails.” In two earlier interviews in the past week, Clinton had declined to apologize for the controversial email arrangement while working as the nation’s top diplomat, saying it was allowed by the State Department. Clinton has been forced to defend herself against

growing public scrutiny of how she handled sensitive government information since the email arrangement first came to light in March. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now examining the email server to see whether any information, including classified information, was mishandled. In addition to persistent criticism from opponents and media questions, the State Department’s court-ordered monthly releases of the more than 30,000 emails in question has kept the issue in the public eye, roiling Clinton’s efforts to nail down the nomination. Recent polls have found more than half of all voters say she is untrustworthy. Yesterday, U.S. officials said the State Department plans to move about 50 workers into temporary jobs to bolster the office sifting through her emails and grappling with a vast backlog of other requests for information to be declassified. The move illustrates the huge administrative burden caused by Clinton’s decision to use a private email address

Hillary Clinton as secretary of state and a judge’s ruling in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that they be released. Separately, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that he was naming Ambassador Janice Jacobs to serve as the State Department’s “transparency coordinator” to help the agency respond to FOIA and congressional requests more efficiently. One particularly vexing question for Clinton has been

whether she may have handled classified information on the private email system, a practice that the government forbids. Initially, Clinton said she handled no classified information on her unsecured private email server. More recently, she has said she sent and received no information that was “marked” classified, a position she repeated yesterday in her interview with ABC. Citing intelligence officials, the New York Times yesterday reported that a special intelligence review of two emails she received as secretary of state had endorsed a finding by the inspector general for the intelligence agencies that the emails contained highly classified information when she received them. The review by the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency concluded the emails, including one about North Korea’s nuclear program, were “Top Secret,” when sent to Clinton in 2009 and 2011, the paper said.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

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New poll gives leftist Syriza thin lead in Greek snap election Reuters - Greece’s leftist Syriza party has a 0.5 percentage-point lead over the New Democracy conservatives ahead of a snap election on Sept. 20, according to a poll published yesterday. Former prime minister Alexis Tsipras’s Syriza was on course to win 26.5 percent of the vote, while New Democracy would get 26.0 percent, the poll by Pulse for Action24 TV found. Tsipras started out as the front-runner in the race but the two parties have been neckand-neck in recent polls, making the election unexpectedly close.

The far-right Golden Dawn party, whose leader and senior lawmakers are standing trial on charges of being a criminal group, ranked third with 6.5 percent of the vote. The poll showed the Independent Greeks, former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s junior coalition partner, is expected to get 2.0 percent of the vote, below the 3.0 percent threshold needed to enter parliament. According to the poll, New Democracy leader Vangelis Meimarakis is ahead of Tsipras in popularity, with 44 percent of those surveyed expressing positive views versus 41 percent for the former premier.

Ukraine still faces threat of Russian military offensive – Poroshenko Reuters - Ukraine still faces the threat of a full-scale Russian military attack despite several days of relative calm on the frontlines of the east where government forces confront Russian-backed separatists, President Petro Poroshenko said yesterday. Poroshenko comments at a government meeting come amid signs of discord in the governing coalition over his peace efforts and disenchantment over falling living standards and economic hardship. Russia’s aim is to “strangle our state economically and destabilise it,” he said, referring to a Russian ban on Ukrainian food imports and a failure to agree on a new price structure for Russian gas imports which has left Ukraine’s storage levels dangerously low as winter approaches. Moscow is also now insisting Kiev repays a $3 billion bond in full in December, disassociating itself from an agreement by other of Ukraine’s creditors to ease repayment conditions on its huge foreign commercial debt.

Petro Poroshenko But turning to a tenuous ceasefire in the separatist-minded east since February and a falloff in shelling and shooting in the past few days, he said: “I am sure that a full-scale renewal of offensive activity by the Russian Federation represents the main threat.” His words echoed a proposed new military doctrine which defines Russia as Ukraine’s military adversary and abandons Ukraine’s unaligned status in favour of Euro-Atlantic integration, a reference to

NATO membership. Yesterday, the U.N. Human Rights Office significantly revised up its estimate for casualties from the conflict, saying that at least 7,962 people had been killed and 17,811 wounded since April 2014 when separatists in the east rebelled against a new proWestern government in Kiev. Kiev and the West say Russia has sent arms and soldiers to fight for the separatists, though Moscow denies this. Separately, a military spokesman said yesterday that one Ukrainian soldier had been killed and two wounded in military action in the past 24 hours. Poroshenko is sticking by a peace agreement, reached in Minsk, Belarus, in February by himself and the leaders of Russia, Germany and France. But his plans to grant greater self-governing rights to rebel-held regions sparked street violence on Aug. 31 in which three national guardsmen were killed and the pro-Western coalition supporting him in parliament showed signs of fraying.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Venezuelan president closes more of border with Colombia

Nicolas Maduro Caracas (AFP) Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has ordered more of his country’s vast border with Colombia closed amid a diplomatic crisis over deportations and smuggling. “I have decided to close the border crossing at Paraguachon, Zulia state,” Maduro said in a televised address. He said he would send an additional 3,000 troops to the area. In addition, Maduro said he would accept mediation by Brazil and Argentina, with Colombian President Juan

Manuel Santos. Paraguachon is one of the region’s largest trade hubs. The Venezuelan president said the closure would affect the Zulia towns of Mara and Almirante Padilla. The countries have been locked in a row since Maduro on August 19 closed part of the border after unidentified assailants attacked a Venezuelan anti-smuggling patrol, wounding three soldiers and a civilian. Maduro blamed the attack on right-wing paramilitaries from Colombia. He has accused the neighboring country of waging an attack on Venezuela’s economy — a reference to the rampant smuggling of heavily subsidized food and other goods out of Venezuela, where more than five million Colombians live. Maduro had already dispatched 5,000 troops to the area since mid-August. The bilateral diplomatic row grew angrier and both countries recalled their ambassadors, swapping charges that the human rights of deportees had not been respected.

Kaieteur News

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Latin American nations offer to take in Syria refugees Brasília (AFP) - Brazil will welcome Syrian refugees with “open arms,” President Dilma Rousseff said, as various Latin American nations sought to help with the human tidal wave fleeing the war-torn country. In a video message marking Brazil’s Independence Day, Rousseff said she wanted to “reiterate the government’s willingness to welcome those who, driven from their homeland, want to come live, work and contribute to the prosperity and peace of Brazil.” “Especially in these difficult times, these times of

crisis, we have to welcome refugees with open arms,” she added. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered his foreign ministry to take steps to receive 20,000 Syrians in the country. Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet, meanwhile, said her country also would be willing to accept refugees, without specifying a number or nationality. “Throughout our history, we have always had our doors open to those, sometimes coming from far away places, bringing their history and cultural to the

construction of our nation,” Bachelet said. Leaders of Chile’s Arab community, which numbers around 300,000 people, approached the government recently with a plan to offer shelter and support to about 100 refugee families from Syria. Brazil has taken in more than 2,000 Syrian refugees since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, more than any other country in Latin America. Currently, Syrians are the largest refugee group in Brazil. In 2014 alone, 1,405 were given refuge.

Dilma Rousseff

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T&T’s new PM to be sworn in tomorrow

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister-elect Dr. Keith Rowley shows his inked finger after voting in yesterday’s general election. PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - Dr Keith Rowley will be sworn in as the eighth prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago today following his People’s National Movement (PNM) victory in the general election Monday. Rowley, 66, will take the oath of office before President Anthony Carmona at a ceremony to be held at Queen’s Hall at 1.30 pm. Rowley, who met with

President Carmona yesterday, said that the Attorney General will be an elected Member of Parliament. The PNM won 23 of the 41 seats contested on Monday, defeating the coalition People’s Partnership government of Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar. The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce in a congratulatory message said it was looking “forward to forging

successful links and collaborating with this newlyinstalled administration, by ensuring, in the main, that the interests of the business community are served in a manner that benefits our valued members and the country as a whole. “We urge Dr Rowley and his new administration to be proactive in placing critical issues on the national policy agenda, early in its tenure. In fact, all officials, elected or appointed to represent our people in the next Parliament, must do their respectful part in re-focusing all efforts on key matters of national interest and working for the common good of our country.” The private sector group said that global indicators suggest that challenging times lie ahead for local economy, while crime and corruption are but a few of the other concerns requiring speedy and informed attention.

T&T Elections: Commonwealth group pleased with election process PORT OF SPAIN Trinidad (CMC) - A Commonwealth team that observed Monday’s general election said it re-affirmed the country’s record of “peaceful and credible elections” and that this demonstrated the commitment of the people of Trinidad and Tobago to democracy. M o n d a y ’s general election was won by the main Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) defeating the incumbent coalition People’s Partnership of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar by a 23-18 margin. “Based on our observation and consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, our preliminary conclusion is that the poll was inclusive, peaceful and well conducted,” said Sir Paul Tovua, who headed the

Commonwealth Observer mission. He told a news conference that the minor shortfalls observed to date by members of the group are not significant enough to question the credibility of the outcome. He said the Commonwealth Observer team wanted to commend the people of Trinidad and Tobago “for the peaceful and orderly manner in which they exercised their franchise” adding “the electoral environment on polling day was conducive to the free exercise of the people’s franchise and basic freedoms were respected”. But he noted that some of the presiding officers and polling staff “were not very familiar with the process” of intermixing of special elector ballots and ordinary ballots. “However, we note that

where misapplication of procedures was made, they were promptly rectified. Although this resulted in a lengthy and arduous process, we were satisfied that polling officials were carefully following the prescribed rules for accuracy and transparency.” Sir Paul also told reporters that it was necessary for Caribbean countries to deal quickly with the issue of social media and its use in election campaigns. “These days and age when media is well advanced, I think it is …up to the countries that they should be looking at ways to address certain issues so that it does not become a negative in terms of campaign and electioneering,” he said. The elections were also observed by a team from the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Guatemala’s ex-president Perez to face trial on fraud charges Otto Perez Molina in court yesterday.

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A Guatemalan judge yesterday ordered fallen former President Otto Perez Molina to stand trial over a graft scandal that stoked a political crisis, charging him with criminal association, taking bribes and customs fraud. Perez, a 64-year-old retired general who was elected in late 2011 on a vow to fight crime and corruption, resigned as president last week, just as the country headed into the first round of a presidential election. He was held in jail pending a hearing into accusations he made millions of dollars from a customs racket.

There are “sufficient indications that suggest he took part” in the scam, Judge Miguel Angel Galvez told a hearing. Dressed in a dark suit, Perez sat frowning during the hearing, and jotted in a notebook. Prosecutors allege he was involved in a customs scam dubbed “La Linea” (“The Line”), referring to a phone hotline used by importers to avoid paying customs duties in exchange for bribes. Perez’ conservative government spent much of this year facing corruption allegations, and he fired several of his cabinet members in a purge in May. Comic actor Jimmy

Morales rode a wave of outrage over the scandal to win the most votes in Guatemala’s presidential election yesterday, and is seen as having a strong chance of winning a runoff next month. It remains unclear whether he will face former first lady Sandra Torres or conservative businessman Manuel Baldizon, who remain neck and neck as the vote count from yesterday’s vote continues. Congress has sworn in Perez’ vice president, Alejandro Maldonado, to fill out his term until power is handed over to the eventual winner in January. Former Vice President Roxana Baldetti resigned after she was linked to “La Linea.” She denied any wrongdoing but was arrested on the same charges Perez now faces. More than 20 other officials, including the president of the central bank, have been arrested over the scam, though how much money was involved is still unclear. Prosecutors and a powerful United Nationsbacked anti-corruption body known as the CICIG moved against Perez following months of investigations and findings taken from some 89,000 telephone taps, almost 6,000 emails and 17 raids.

It will be absolute madness if PNP loses upcoming election – Mark Golding The Gleaner - Senior People’s National Party (PNP) member, Mark Golding, says it would be absolute madness if the governing People’s National Party is voted out in the upcoming general election. According to Golding, the PNP governing party has restored an economy that crashed under the last Jamaica Labour Party administration. Golding says the PNP already has the backing of the business community. Meanwhile, Golding has blasted Opposition spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, who he partly

Mark Golding blames for the economic woes inherited when the PNP took

over in 2012. He says Shaw, who was the finance minister in the last JLP administration, is now proposing policies that could result in an increase in Jamaica’s debt. He was speaking on Sunday at a meeting in West St Andrew, a constituency represented by his fellow Comrade, Anthony Hylton. It is widely expected that the PNP president Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller will call general elections this year. The elections are constitutionally due by December next year.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

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James Taylor century helps England beat Australia in third ODI BBC Sport - James Taylor’s maiden one-day international century helped England keep the series alive as they beat Australia by 93 runs at Old Trafford. Jason Roy made 63 before Taylor anchored the England innings with 101, adding 119 with captain Eoin Morgan (62) as they posted 300-8. After Aaron Finch fell for 53, Australia were bowled out for 207 in 44 overs as offspinner Moeen Ali took 3-32 and leg-spinner Adil Rashid 2-41. Australia lead the series 2-1. Taylor, who scored 42 before he hit his first boundary and struck only five in his innings, reached three figures in the penultimate over and fell with four balls remaining. It would have been the highest successful ODI run chase at Old Trafford if Australia had made it - but the hosts looked in control as soon as leg-spinner Rashid took the crucial wickets of

Finch and captain Steve Smith. THE JAMES TAYLOR ROLLERCOASTER Taylor’s stop-start ODI career took another turn with a deserved maiden hundred but it will be interesting to see where he fits into the England side in the long term. Having played in understrength England sides sent to Ireland for one-off games and captaining one such team this year after being shunted up and down the order during England’s calamitous World Cup campaign, Taylor has had to wait patiently for his chance. After he carried the drinks against New Zealand earlier in the summer, the decision to rest Joe Root for this series opened the door for Taylor again - and he has wedged his foot into that door with scores of 49, 43 and 101 at first wicket down. Despite that long wait for a boundary, the Nottinghamshire right-

hander paced his innings well, running hard between the wickets for 40 overs without appearing to tire, and, though he needed to rebuild twice after losing Roy and Morgan, Taylor was never panicked into playing a false shot. But when Root returns, England face a battle to squeeze 12 players into 11 unless they drop an allrounder - so Taylor’s uneven ride may not have finished just yet. ENGLAND SPIN TO WIN Old Trafford has traditionally rewarded spin bowlers - everyone from Jim Laker to Monty Panesar - and the pitch did not disappoint. After Australia started well, Rashid breezed through his 10 overs in one burst, before off-spinner Moeen then picked up Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey in midinnings as Australia’s challenge spluttered. The tourists had chosen an extra spinner with slow left-armer Ashton Agar (1-45)

Wednesday September 09, 2015 Aries 3/21 - 4/19: Sparks are flying and you are energized by the electric buzz in the atmosphere. Irrepressible Uranus zaps your key planet Mars today, provoking you to act on your feelings without restraint. Taurus 4/20 - 5/20: There’s a lot going on today but you don’t want to be pulled off course. It’s all too easy to be swept up in distractions with so much planetary energy reverberating around you now, leading you to misplace your wallet or skip an appointment. Gemini 5/21 - 6/21: Everyone seems to be having a good time today and you long to be a part of the action. You’re ready for the show as long as you can share the stage with people you respect. Cancer 6/22 - 7/22: You may seem overly moody to others today, especially if you’re oblivious to their perceptions. Although the reflective Moon is swimming through your sign, you don’t have time to contemplate your emotions when there’s a lot at stake at work. Leo 7/23 - 8/22: Your actions tell the most convincing story today. In spite of all your inspirational talk, you’re happy to fly solo now. Virgo 8/23 - 9/22: There’s a lot of energy wafting through your world these days and it needs a positive direction to prevent it from bottling up.

Libra 9/23 - 10/22: You’re not in the mood to put up with any nonsense today. Your emotional fuse is short and your reaction to someone’s shortcomings could be swift. Scorpio 10/23 - 11/21: You might be running circles around everyone at work today. Your nerves are on edge and your energy is indefatigable. However, something may be quietly gnawing away at your confidence from a dark corner in the recesses of your mind. Sagittarius 11/22 - 12/21: Your current creativity is a sight to behold because it appears as if you are freely living your dreams. You Archers have sprouted wings and are riding high on the planetary thermals as inventive Uranus trines energetic Mars in your 9th House of Distant Horizons. Capricorn 12/22 - 1/19: Your penchant for serious thinking won’t stop you from joining in the fun and games today. Even if you are tempted to act in an authoritative manner, you can’t play the role of a heavyweight for long when your spirit feels so light and free. Aquarius 1/20 - 2/18: You’re eager to show off your wild and quirky side today and people can’t decide if you’re brilliant or crazy. Pisces 2/19 - 3/20: Your current understanding of your place in the world is in the midst of major upheaval as spontaneous Mars trines unpredictable Uranus in your 2nd House of Values.

handed his ODI debut. While he and Maxwell did their best to keep the brakes on England, they were ultimately out-bowled by England’s spin pair. CHAMPAGNE CATCHES FOR FINN AND ROY England have taken some superb catches this summer, notably Ben Stokes’s slip catch in the Trent Bridge Test, but two breathtaking grabs under the Old Trafford lights stood out as nine out of 10 Australia wickets fell to catches. Steven Finn’s astonishing diving catch to remove Smith one-handed at short midwicket was out of the top drawer, and arguably turned the match. “I’ve known Steven since he was 15 years old and he’s never taken a catch like that. I hope he takes more,” Middlesex team-mate Morgan told BBC Test Match Special.

Albion CC dissatisfied... From page 42 England but the big question is “was two test matches enough for his to be sidelined” when he was the top bowler in the Regional First Class Tournament. A quick comparison of Permaul’s bowling performance as against Warrican in the 2014/2015 Regional First Class tournament shows that Permaul was ahead by a huge 18 wickets. Also, of importance is that Permaul and Bishoo (61) wickets in the 2014/2015 Regional First Class Tournament have a successful record of bowling well together as was clearly demonstrated over the years for Guyana inclusive of the 2014/ 2015 Regional First Class season. Further, the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club would also like to take this opportunity to urge the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), to at least commence attending the Guyana Cricket Board’s meetings so that cricketers and cricket generally in Ancient County can have much needed representation. The Club is of the firm view that serious attention needs to be paid where the interest of Berbice cricketers are concerned and once the BCB attends the GCB’s meetings, Berbice cricketers and cricket as a whole will benefit from proper representation not only at the GCB’s level but extension the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Roy also plucked one out of the night sky after Agar lifted high towards long-on he had run in a couple of yards too far but kept his eye on the ball and, at full stretch as he fell backwards, grasped the chance at the second attempt. “You won’t see a better catch than that. Stupid stuff,” ex-England spinner Graeme Swann said on TMS. FINCH RETURNS AS INJURIES TAKE TOLL Aaron Finch won the World Cup in March, needed hamstring surgery after the Indian Premier League and was expected by Yorkshire to miss the rest of the summer with a foot injury. He was one of three Aussies plucked from county cricket to bolster an injury-hit squad which has seen no fewer than seven players leave the tour since it began in June, and found himself straight back at the top of the order here to replace the injured David Warner, The right-hander hit eight fours the majority powerful straight drives - in a characteristically aggressive 53 before he lifted Yorkshire team-mate Rashid to Woakes at long-on. Finch, Rashid and the

James Taylor anchored the England innings. (Getty Images) other Tykes players will be on more familiar territory when the series continues at Headingley on Friday. Scores: England 300 for 8 (Taylor 101, Roy 63, Morgan 62) beat Australia 207 (Finch 53, Moeen 3-32) by 93 runs.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Anderson stuns Murray, West Indies set for Federer in quarters 44-day tour of Sri Lanka ESPNcricinfo - West Indies embark on a 44-day tour of Sri Lanka, which includes two Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is in October and November, an SLC press release said. The first Test begins in Galle on October 14, where West Indies have played only two matches in 2001 and 2010. They will only have three days to acclimatise to the venue. The SLC interim committee had earlier said that the board was trying to reduce the costs it will incur by hosting games in Galle, as well as at other venues for the tour. That could be the reason West Indies will spend much of their time ahead of the first Test in Colombo seven days of training at the Sinhalese Sports Club, followed by a three-day game at the venue. Following the Galle Test, West Indies return to Colombo for the second Test at P Sara Oval, where they have never played red-

ball cricket before. Three days’ practice at the venue will lead them into the match starting on October 22. West Indies have never won a Test series in Sri Lanka. They drew with the hosts in 1993 and 2010, and lost in 2001 and 2005. The ODIs start in November and will be day-night affairs. The first two ODIs will be held at the R Premadasa stadium on November 1 and November 4. Pallekele will host the final ODI on November 7 and the teams will stay back for the first T20 two days later. The final T20 will take the teams back to Premadasa on November 12. These T20s are the only confirmed matches that West Indies play before the World T20 in India in March 2016. Sri Lanka have two more on their docket when they visit New Zealand in December 2015-January 2016.

West Indies will play red-ball cricket for the first time at P Sara Oval on the forthcoming tour to Sri Lanka. (Sharda Ugra)

Cahill scores twice as Australia beat Tajikistan 3-0 Reuters - Australia’s stand-in captain Tim Cahill scored two late goals to seal a 3-0 win for the Socceroos in their World Cup qualifier against Tajikistan in Dushanbe on Tuesday. The reigning Asian champions maintained their perfect start to the qualifying campaign to remain at the top of the Group B standings with their third win in as many matches. But they had to work much harder than expected against a stubborn Tajikistan team, ranked 158th in the

world, that kept the visitors scoreless in the first half. Australia’s head coach Ange Postecoglou made three changes from the side that smashed Bangladesh 50 last week, including bringing in Cahill, who took over as skipper for the injured Mile Jedinak, but the Socceroos struggled to settle into a rhythm. Aaron Mooy hit the crossbar five minutes into the second half and it was not until the 57th minute that the Australians finally scored,

with Mark Milligan combining with Mooy to break the deadlock. Cahill, already Australia’s all-time leading scorer, made the result safe with his 40th international goal in the 73rd minute before completing a brace with a header into the top corner in stoppage time. Australia lead the Group B standings with nine points from three matches, followed by Jordan (seven), Kyrgyzstan (four), then Tajikistan and Bangladesh with one apiece.

Kevin Anderson of South Africa (right) shakes hands with Andy Murray of Great Britain after their match on day eight of the 2015 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Jerry Lai-USA TODAY SPORTS) NEW YORK (Reuters) Persistence finally paid off for Kevin Anderson as the towering South African prevailed in a slugfest with Andy Murray to reach the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open on Monday while another tennis giant John Isner was slain by Roger Federer. Two David v Goliath matchups, however, ended all too predictably as 97th ranked British qualifier Johanna Konta saw her Flushing Meadows joy ride ended 7-5 6-3 by fifth seeded Czech Petra Kvitova and 68th ranked American Donald Young ran out of comeback magic in a 6-4 1-6 6-3 6-4 loss to fifth seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland. Tomas Berdych’s time in Flushing Meadows also came to an end with the sixth seeded Czech falling 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-1 to 12th seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Seven times before the six-foot, eight-inch (2.03m) Anderson had progressed to the fourth round of a grand slam but never beyond until his 7-6(5) 6-3 6-7(2) 7-6(0) victory over third seeded Scot Murray.

Murray had battled his way back from two sets down in the second round against France’s Adrian Mannarino, but could not work another miracle against the 14thranked, 29-year-old, who swept the final tiebreak 7-0. “That’s obviously something that is disappointing to lose,” said Murray after watching his run of reaching 18 consecutive grand slam quarter-finals come to an end. “That’s many years’ work that’s gone into building that sort of consistency. “Also to lose a match like that, that was over four hours, tough obviously after a couple of tough matches earlier in the tournament, as well. It’s a hard one to lose, for sure.” Second seed Federer also came face-to-face with o n e o f t h e AT P To u r ’s biggest hitters and coolly defused six-foot, 10-inch (2.08m) Isner’s booming serve to claim a 7-6(0) 76(6) 7-5 victory. Federer held his own from the service line to thwart Isner, never losing his serve, and used his returning skills to derail a pair of long streaks enjoyed by the American. The 34-year-old Federer closed out the two hour, 39 minute fourth-round match by breaking Isner’s serve, ending the American’s string of 108 consecutive service holds at the U.S. Open. His perfect scoreline in the opening set tiebreak snapped an even longer Isner streak. In 429 tiebreakers played by Isner, he had never dropped one 7-0. “Seven-love obviously is a pretty good score against John,” said Federer. Second seed Simona

Halep overcame a thigh injury, baking heat and finally big-hitting German Sabine Lisicki to also reach the U.S. Open quarters for the first time. It was Labor Day in the United States but it was certainly no holiday for Halep who had to work for her spot in the last eight, needing two hours and 38 minutes under a broiling sun to dispatch Lisicki 6-7(6) 7-5 6-2 and reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals for the first time. Waiting for the Romanian in the last eight is two-time U.S. Open finalist Victoria Azarenka, who advanced with a comfortable 6-3 6-4 win over American Varvara Lepchenko. After a couple of days of relief, the heat returned to Flushing Meadows turning the fourth round clash between Halep and Lisicki into a test of survival. After dropping the opening set Halep called out the trainer to have treatment on her left thigh and at the end of the second the players left the court when the heat rule came into effect, but through it all the exhausted Romanian was able to gut out a victory. Her left leg heavily strapped, a wounded Halep sensed her opportunity when Lisicki began to cramp in the third set and stretch between every point. Halep, who converted 10 of 11 break chances, claimed the most crucial one to go ahead 4-2 and then held serve to break her 24th seeded opponent again and clinch a spot in the last eight. Italy’s Flavia Pennetta returned to the quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive year easing past 2011 U.S. Open winner Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4 6-4.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

NORTH E’BO CAPTURE CLIVE GOBIN MEMORIAL U15 TITLE Despite going down to a Region two female open team in their final fixture, North Essequibo were declared champions of the 2nd Annual Clive Gobin Memorial round robin U15 20-over tournament which was contested on the Essequibo Coast. North ended with 12 points after registering three victories from four games, while South Essequibo and the female team finished jointly in second position with eight points apiece. NOC finished fourth on four points. In the final round games played recently at Zorg, South defeated New Opportunity Corps (NOC) by eight wickets while the female side overcame North by 75 runs. NOC batted first and scored 46 all out in 14 overs. Adrian Arthur captured 3-5 and Marlon Mc Farlane 3-10. South replied with 48-2, Amit Persaud scored 17. Region two females batted first and posted 146

Adrian Arthur

Marlon Mac Farlene

all out in 19.5 overs. Morvina Harris scored 43, Natasha Boson 31 and Anrita Mohabir 23; extras contributed 28. D. Ramdin snared 3-32. North were sent packing for 71 in 11.4 overs in reply. Alonzo Anthony scored 29 as Boson grabbed 5-17 from 2.4 overs. Meanwhile, North went down to Clive Super XI by

eight runs in another 5over fixture organised to culminate the tournament. Batting first, Clive Super XI managed 98-8 in 20 overs. Silvan Williams scored 27, Davina Goberdhan 20 and Anrita Mohabir 18; John Marks grabbed 4-23. Victory looked almost certain for North who were cruising at 88-6 in 16 overs in reply, but Clive Super XI

rebounded emphatically to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as North were bowled out without further addition to their total in 18.4 overs. Alonzo Anthony top scored with 33 while Kimion James made 19. Adrian Arthur bagged 4-15 and Marlon Mc Farlane 3-18. The Clive Super XI was made up of the outstanding performers from the other teams that participated. Speaking at the p r e s e n t a t i o n c e r e m o n y, Coach Forbes Daniels said much emphasis is needed at the grassroots level and called on the business sector for their support. Coordinator Raoul Ruplal thanked the sponsors Derick Gobin Agri spares, Thakur Persaud Hardware and Nandkishore Singh lumber yard. The Clive Gobin Memorial tournament is being held annually with the aim of developing U15 and female cricketers on the Essequibo Coast. Gobin was a former businessman.

Members of the participating teams and organisers share a moment at the conclusion of the tournament. Riya Jaiwarilall of Derick Gobin Agri Spares is standing far right.

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The anomaly of personalised sport... From page 45 breed of leaders in sports to create and implement policies that will ensure associations are functional with competent personnel to holistically develop the respective sports disciplines at every level, beginning with the schools. Currently, many associations are filled with ghost officials with the work often left squarely on the shoulders of a committed few, when there is an entire Executive, which unfortunately only exists in principle and not in practice. These issues are important to the success of the National Sports Commission. If sport is to go in the direction that will ensure Guyana’s rightful place globally, policy must address dysfunctional associations and their cronyistic, ill-advised, poor decision-making as we saw with the AAG in sending Foster to the World Championships in Beijing. Close examination of some associations will reveal a pattern of “exposure”, as they call it, of particular athletes from particular clubs and sections of society. Selection processes are skewed, misguided and marred because favouritism takes precedence over performance. Logic, having not been invited to play any role in the process in the first place, simply remains obscure. So individuals are allowed to run amok; to put athletes of personal interest to them on the world’s biggest stages under the Golden Arrowhead. Sports in Guyana and its culture are not insoluble. Legislation can fix some of the issues while others simply necessitate a changing of the guard; a change of some faces, who, unfortunately, only have stamped out passports and trips around the world to show for their prolonged stay at the helm or within some associations, but no tangible, traceable

success. For instance, how a man, who headed a defunct sport association, is Assistant Secretary General of the Olympic Association, and even received an award from that association as an outstanding Executive, is mysterious. That’s a microcosm of a deeper problem within sport associations in Guyana. There is a solution, however, as mentioned earlier, an insistence for associations to put their houses in order with the requisite competent personnel, who are not phantoms, but functional. In addition, associations must have established committees on Finance/ Funding/Sponsorship, Discipline, Public Relations, Selection etc. so that structured programmes enhances a systemic approach and national vision, if one exists, for the development of sports. Associations must have a Development Officer, whose work is to interface with the Ministry of Education, within which sports is now ironically housed, and schools so that each association has a yearround robust schools’ sports programme. This is where the work of the Physical Education Department at the Ministry of Education ought to have been more dynamic in developing these relationships. The hand-inglove approach, with all stakeholders supporting a correlated programme is the first step. It is time to correct the anomaly of personalised sport associations, which embarrasses this nation internationally. It is time to allow scope for genuine sport teams and individuals with potential to succeed to represent Guyana, which will not succeed abroad if it is failing at home. A successful domestic sports programme will bring international success.

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Kaieteur News

Rooney breaks England record BBC Sport - Wayne Rooney made history by breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time England goalscoring record in the Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland at Wembley. England captain Rooney equalled Charlton’s tally of 49 with a penalty in the 2-0 victory against San Marino on Saturday that ensured a place in France next summer. And he was on the spot again late on in Tuesday’s match against the Swiss for goal number 50 to erase a record that has stood for 45 years. It looked like Rooney might be made to wait until England’s meeting with Estonia at Wembley next month as Switzerland frustrated Roy Hodgson’s side until their resistance was eventually broken. England substitute Harry Kane pierced the deadlock with a crisp finish after 67 minutes and Rooney rewrote the record books with a thunderous penalty six minutes from time, earning a standing ovation from the Wembley gallery. It ensured his side completed eight wins out of eight, securing top spot in Group E. A roar of anticipation swept around Wembley as

soon as Italian referee Gianluca Rocchi pointed to the spot after Raheem Sterling had been fouled. Rooney picked up the ball with the weight of expectation and history on his shoulders, but responded with an emphatic right-footed penalty that gave Swiss keeper Yann Sommer no chance, even though he got a hand to it. As he celebrated the crowd of 75,751 inside We m b l e y - j o i n e d b y manager Hodgson and his backroom team - rose to acclaim the 29-year-old as he was engulfed by teammates. Even the travelling Swiss fans generously recognised the significance of the moment. History had been made. KANE’S GROWING STATURE With Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge and Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck dealing with long-term injury problems, Hodgson will be eager to see others stake their claim to partner Rooney at Euro 2016 in France next summer. And 21-year-old Spurs striker Harry Kane is making a compelling case with his second successive goalscoring appearance as a substitute. Kane looks a natural at international level, scoring

with a wonderfully composed chip in San Marino then drilling home a low finish against Switzerland to end the stalemate. He has a well-rounded, mature game and approach and has time to develop further before France. Kane’s efforts with England may well have beneficial spin-offs for Tottenham, who have waiting for him to find a spark this season. His spell on international duty may well have provided it. Who staked their England claim? It is hard for anyone to stake a serious claim in a game that was drab and dull for large periods. England performed like a side that had already qualified for Euro 2016 and Switzerland did not contain the quality to make them pay for their below-par performance. It was a bitter night for Manchester City’s Fabian Delph, who went down clutching his hamstring inside 15 seconds and now faces another spell on the sidelines. The big winners were Manchester United pair Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling, who were both outstanding. Shaw excelled in defence and attack while Smalling confirmed the growing stature he has shown for United this season. Everton’s Ross Barkley flitted in and out of the game while Swansea City midfield man Jonjo Shelvey faded after a bright first 20 minutes.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

GT Beer/Petra Organisation Futsal Competition

Two cracking affairs that fans must see By Rawle Welch With the prospects of playing for a lucrative first prize of $500,000, all four teams set to appear in tonight’s semi-finals of the GT Beer / Petra Organisation Futsal Competition need no further inducement to treat the fans to a dazzling display in what has become a very exciting format in the sport. In the first semi-final, Bent Street and Festival City square off in what will definitely be a very explosive encounter that will set the tone for the grudge match between Sparta Boss and West Front Road ‘Gold is Money’. However, before the two feature games, there will be two exhibition matches involving the Media versus the national cricket team and this encounter has all the hallmarks of a bragging rights affair, while the battle of the taxi services that brings together KC Cabs versus Green Ice could be viewed with similar inference. Among those expected to appear for the national cricket team are Trevon Griffith and Christopher Barnwell Jr, while Esan Griffith, Duncan Saul, Rawle Welch, Edison Jefford, Orlando Charles and Adrian Narine will lead the pursuit for victory for the Media. The Bent Street versus Festival City clash could be seem as a virtual final because these two teams have been the most consistent and efficient throughout the

competition and while one will have to settle for the playoff for third place there is no doubt that the fans will be the real winners in this battle. O’Kenie Fraser, who has clearly demonstrated how powerful and accurate his right-foot is will no doubt be the main threat for Bent Street, but with the likes of Colin Nelson, Daniel Wilson, Stellon David, Sheldon Profitt and Amos Ramsay in their lineup, the hope of Festival City having an easy time becomes virtually impossible. David especially is highly skilled and has the ability to leave defenders confused with his dribbling capability. Nelson, too, possesses this talent and along with the raw power of Fraser it would be something special to see how Festival City cope with such a force. On the other hand, Eon Alleyne, Solomon Austin and Dwayne Lawrence have been a thorn in the flesh of every opponent since the tournament commenced and this trend is expected to continue. Alleyne and Lawrence are a lethal combination with the ability to merge pace, power and dribbling ability to their repertoire, while Austin, though not initially recognized for his underrated skill can unleash from long range with devastating power and accuracy. It should be a cracking contest and one worth every

cent paid. We then come to the highly anticipated showdown between Sparta Boss and West Front Road and anyone that knows the rivalry that exists between these two teams will know how intense this encounter will be. The previous encounters between the two have always been close and fiercely contested and with a place in the final up for grabs no quarters will be asked and none will be given. The unavoidable absence of Sparta’s two key marksmen have made life difficult for them, but their key characteristic has seen them through in perilous times and that is their fighting instincts. This is a team that never goes down without a fight and West Front Road unlike many others is well aware of this quality very well. Team leader Denis Edwards has lead from the front with some timely goals, while what more could be asked of the experienced Travis Grant whose extra time goal is the reason why they are where they are. The tireless Sheldon Shepherd has not been at his goal scoring best, but that is understandable since he is the marshal of their defence. Who could forget Deon Alfred this player is special to watch and once he gets going there is no stopping him. Perhaps, the most important player for West Front Road is Hubert Pedro, this roving master operates on both ends of the floor with consummate ease and he is the main threat in their lineup. Randolph Wagner is one of the deadliest strikers in this format, his goals are countless, but Pedro’s calmness is what keeps the team settled. Michael Oie is another player of immense quality and Sparta Boss will need to pay close attention to him, while Michael Pedro could prove to the unsung hero. The two matches are cracking affairs and a must see for futsal fans. Recreation does for you what it says literally. It creates you again. It refreshes the mind, renews the spirit, and motivates the body. Constant working towards some objective can do the opposite, unless we control it by rest and relaxation.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 41

New York Enforcers, Our Own victorious as OMSCC Toronto Cup climaxes Ravi Lutchman hit a six and a four in his 18. Mohan Singh, who engineered the early damage, captured three for 33 from his four overs while Parasnauth was equally impressive with two for six also from four. New York Enforcers, who remained the only unbeaten team in the tournament, reached the final after New York Sports Club All Stars forfeited their semi-final encounter, while Dant won from GM Sports with former Guyana captain Damodar Daesrath slamming a belligerent unbeaten 85.

Emma Sunich, daughter of Trophy Stall proprietor Ramesh Sunich, hands over the winning Open trophy to New York Enforcers skipper Anil Beharry. TORONTO, Canada – The inaugural Toronto Cup, organized by the Ontario Masters Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) climaxed at the picturesque University of Toronto ground here on Sunday with New York Enforcers and Our Own Sports Club emerging as winners in the Open and Masters categories respectively. On a day picture perfect for cricket and with hundreds of spectators in attendance, New York Enforcers made light work of Dant, defeating the Toronto-based team by seven wickets in what was slated to be a hotly contested affair, while Our Own won from the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) in a closely fought battle. Asked to take first strike, after New York Enforcers had won the toss, Dant were bundled out for a paltry 86 in 17.4 overs, much to the disappointment of their partisan supporters. The New Yorkers reached the required target in 14.1 overs with

Vickey Subkaran hitting an unbeaten 35 while Nyal Singh was left on 15 not out. Anil Mahadeo was Dant’s best bowler with two for 20. Dant suffered an immediate setback when their innings started, losing the experienced Hemnarine Chattergoon to the very first ball with skipper Anil Beharry uprooting his leg stump. They never fully recovered from the shock, losing wickets rapidly while the fielding of the opposition was quite superb. Captain Loknauth Ramsuchit hit a top score of 21 which included a six and two fours while Shawn Deonandand (16) and Omar Mohamed (16) were the other players to reach double figures as Beharry finished with the incredible figures of three for five from his four overs. Vickey Sugrim supported with two for 19. Earlier, the spectators were treated to a more gripping final in the Masters category as Our Own had to pull out all the stops to win an intriguing battle with the GFSCA.

Set 129 for victory after inserting the opposition, Our Own were in a spot of bother at 45 for three at the half way stage of their innings, losing the key scalps of Jaimini Singh, Sunil Dhaniram and Mohan Harihar. However, sensible batting by Troy Gobin (43 not out) and former Canadian player Desmond Chumney (36) ensured their team’s success. Gobin, a former Guyana Under-19 batsman struck five fours in his fine knock, while skipper Mahendranauth Parasnauth was unbeaten on 15 when victory was achieved with five deliveries to spare at 132 for five. Uniss Yusuf had given the visitors a blazing start with three towering sixes in his 20 but the loss of early wickets saw the scoring rate taking a dip. Captain Rickey Deonarine bolstered the middle order with a top score of 42 with three might sixes and a four but the lower order failed to maintain the momentum as the GFSCA finished on 128 for eight at the end of their allotted 20 overs.

Teddy Hussain, owner of Our Own Sports Club, collects the winning Masters trophy from Emma Sunich.

Beharry was named manof-the-match for his brilliant bowling effort in the Open final, while Gobin’s unbeaten 43 earned him the man-of-thematch in the Masters category. The Most Valuable Players award went to Vickey Sookram of New York Enforcers and Richard Driffield of Caribbean Sensation Masters respectively. They received gold bracelets, compliments of Jay’s Jewellers. Apart from capturing the winning trophy, New York Enforcers were also the

recipient of $US3,000, while Our Own Sports Club collected $US2,500 and the winning trophies. All four teams in the final were also given medals. The Trophies and medals were sponsored by Trophy Stall (Guyana) and on hand to present the winning trophies was the proprietor’s daughter Emma Sunich. OMSCC president Jai Singh thanked the teams for their participation and his organizing committee for the splendid effort for the inaugural tournament. (Frederick Halley)

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Kaieteur News

Giftland Showdown-Next Generation Boxing

Threats and harsh words characterize signing ceremony as boxers lash out By Michael Benjamin They are regarded as the young brigade on whose shoulders the future of the sport lies but the team of professional boxers preparing for the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) card, scheduled for Saturday September 25, seems to have been tutored in the psychological techniques needed to drive fear into their respective opponents. The pugilists seemed to have learned the lesson well and most of them employed those strategies when the fighters convened at the recently commissioned Giftland Office Max, Lilliendaal, ECD to conform to the signing rituals on a card dubbed ‘Giftland ShowdownNext Generation Boxing. Several officials of the GBBC supervised the ceremony including President, Peter Abdool, Marketing Manager, Michael Fung, Howard Cox, referee, Eon Jardine and Technical Director of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Terrence Poole whose presence is to facilitate several amateur bouts on the programme. It was shortly after the introductory remarks were delivered and the boxers were introduced that the most unlikely of them, former national amateur bantamweight champion, Imran Khan, erupted. He is making his debut in a 4 rounds lightweight encounter against David Thomas. The latter pugilist has already chalked up 4 fights in the professional arena and is the more experienced but this reality seemed to have little effect on Khan who brazenly strode over and unleashed a scathing verbal attack on his man. “This is no time for play,” he pronounced while thrusting his face close to his opponent’s. The lanky Khan then waved his folded fists

tantalizingly close to his opponent’s chin while warning him to come prepared for ‘a good licking’ on fight night. Thomas was a mite taken aback by the aggression but quickly reasserted himself to return his opponent’s barbs. “I’m ready for whatever you have to offer and promise to teach you a thing or two in boxing,” he pronounced. Terrence Adams and Keeve Allicock will match gloves in a 4 rounds featherweight scrap and they too had much to say to each other. Allicock was the aggressor and launched a verbal attack on his man but Adams refused to be browbeaten. He returned the aggression while saying that he could hardly wait for the first bell to display his wares. The two almost came to blows as they stood in close proximity of each other and belted out barbs and insults. There was also talk of visits to the hospital and one of the boxers wanted to know if the organizers had made the requisite arrangements to have adequate medical personnel at the venue. They were informed that all systems are in place for any eventuality. Quincy Gomes commenced his professional career on a good note but suffered back to back losses to Frenchman, Arnold Martinez, when they clashed in Cayenne French Guiana earlier this year and then to Jamaican Contender Champion, Sakima Mullings, just last month. He is on the redemption trail against Anson Green who has a 5-3-2 record and whose main claim to fame is a scintillating knockout victory over super/ middleweight champion, Derek Richmond. Green then lost out to Gladwyn Dorway but rebounded to defeat David Thomas. Greene packs

a mean punch and Gomes would be best advised to come prepared for a tough encounter. At yesterday’s ceremony he spoke confidently of a victory saying that the two losses are things of the past. Dorway merely shrugged his shoulders and promised his opponent that he (Dorway) is ready to throw down the gauntlet. Dexter Gonsalves will fight Iwan Azore for the latter fighter’s welterweight belt and Gonsalves is rounding off training at the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) Boxing Gym while Azore is training in the Twin Island Republic and was not at the function yesterday. Gonsalves is a gentleman and decided to hold his tongue in Azore’s absence. He merely stated that he has his eyes on the prize and intends to win the fight. Meanwhile, Mr. Abdool admitted that it has been some time since the last card and voiced optimism that fans will come out in their numbers to witness what is shaping up to be a slugfest. He pointed out that this is not one of the Guyana Fight Night cards but a collaborative effort with Giftland office max to promote the sport. The GBBC President lauded the efforts of the many sponsors that have contributed to the efforts of boxing administrators and urged the continuance of such chivalry. One of those sponsors, Managing Director of Giftland Office Max, Roy Beepat, was at the function and reminded that his organization has been in the forefront in the development of the sport. He committed to the future support even as he promised to partner with GBBC administrators. The card will also feature several amateur bouts and Mr. Poole said that GBA administrators are putting the modalities in place to ensure that the best pugilists are on show. He hinted that Republican boxer, Nankumar Singh, will comprise one of the bouts against an opponent to be named later. His executives are also examining their resources to select the best to be on the card and should release those names shortly. The price structure has been set to meet the pockets of the small man and ringside seats have been allocated to those from the corporate community while fans will pay one thousand dollars for general admission. Children pay half price.

Wednesday September 09, 2015

Albion CC dissatisfied with non-selection of Permaul on WI team for Sri Lanka tour …calls on BCB to attend GCB meetings

Vemen Walter (right) talks with Devendra Bishoo The Albion Community Centre Cricket Club (ACCCC) wishes to express its extreme disappointment at the nonselection of Veerasammy Permaul on the West Indies team for the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka. In a release the club Secretary Vemen Walter informed, ‘Without any doubt, young Permaul should have been selected to accompany his fellow Guyanese and Albion Club mate Devendra Bishoo once there is need for two specialist spinners and with there being no Sunil Narine, Permaul’s

omission is very much mindboggling; more so, with the selection of fellow leftarm-spinner Jomel Warrican ahead of him.’ Selections must be based purely on merit and performance and Permaul has undoubtedly fulfilled such criteria as his performance has been remarkable in all formats of the game for Guyana over the years and more so in recent times, capturing 87 scalps in 25 regional matches (first class, List A and T20) this season. This included a record breaking 67 wickets for 943 runs at a mere average of

14.7 in the last Regional First Class season where he was also the leading wicket taker. Additionally, he had also been among the runs, rattling up a total of 226 in the lower order at an average of 22.86 inclusive of an unbeaten 86 against Jamaica to showcase his ability with the bat, coupled with him also being among the best fieldsmen in the West Indies. This is not the first time that Permaul who has so far played six Test matches and capturing 18 wickets had to face the brunt of the Clive Lloyd led West Indies’ Selection Panel as there were two other instances earlier in this year where Suleiman Benn and Nikita Miller were chosen ahead of him. Yes, the selectors may want to argue that Permaul had played in two test matches one each in the two home series against England and Australia respectively earlier this year, where he took only six wickets, including a best of 3 for 43 against Continued on page 37

BCB/Berbice River Bridge 2015 First Division 50-over knockout cricket competition

Police arrest Young Warriors, Albion demoralize Blairmont The second round of the BCB Berbice River Bridge 50Over First Division Knockout Cricket Competition continued last weekend. Police whipped Young Warriors in their own backyard by 37 runs in a low scoring encounter in brilliant sunshine and a on perfect batting strip. Police won the toss and took first strike and struggled to 134 all out. Brentnol Woolford top scored with 29 consisting of 2x4 and 1x6. He was supported by Albert Sinclair with 24 (2x4) and Quesi Mickle 23 (1x6). Bowling for Young Warriors, national youth player Kevin Ramdeen took 3 for 24 off 7.2 overs, national youth all rounder Kassim Khan took 2 for 23 off 9 overs and 16 year old Trevor Stanislaus 2 for 29 off 3 overs. In reply, Young Warriors crumbled to 97 all out after

Balchan Baldeo being well placed at 48 without loss. Former national youth batsman Seon Hetmyer top scored with 26 (1x4 and 2x6). Kassim Khan made 25 (1x4 and 1x6) and national senior opener Shimron Hetmyer 21 (2x4). Bowling for Police, Rocky Hutson took 3 for 23. At Albion, the home team

destroyed Blairmont by 8 wickets. The visitors won the toss and took first strike. They were bundled out for an embarrassing 60. National under-19 all rounder Balchan Baldeo spun webs around the batsmen with 6 wickets. He was supported by former West Indies under 19 left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie with 3 wickets. In reply, Albion lost just two wickets with sixteen year old Adrian Sukhwa 21 and Baldeo 20 leading the scoring. The defending champions will now meet with Police at Cumberland or Edinburgh in the only semifinal, while Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets will be host to Port Mourant with the winner drawing bye to the final. Both matches are slated for this Sunday September 13. The final will be played on Sunday September 20, 2015 at a venue to be named.