Kaieteur News
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Saturday September 22, 2018
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
STOP BEGGING AND PRAISING EXXON Three years ago, this government campaigned on change, transparency, accountability and putting the interest of the people first, but since taking office, it has done exactly the opposite. Many in the Cabinet appear to be putting their interests ahead of those of the people and some have exhibited gross incompetence. Almost everything the government does is shrouded in secrecy. The twisted views of some Cabinet members are that the people exist to serve them and not the other way around. With a Cabinet of 28 Ministers, including five lawyers, one would have thought that they would have signed an oil contract that would benefit Guyana, but they did not. The government has signed a lopsided oil contract that allowed ExxonMobil to plunder our natural resources and compensate us with crumbs. The ravaging of our oil resources by ExxonMobil will have a devastating effect on future generations. It is like stealing from future generations. The government had every reason to hide the contract from the public for over a year before it was released. It is an offensive, insulting and shameful contract. The government has not heeded the advice from Kaieteur News, oil experts and several international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Petroleum Industry on renegotiating the contract. Instead, almost every Minister has defended the contract and praised ExxonMobil for signing it. Some are so naïve that they have even told this publication and others who have criticized the contract that ExxonMobil is doing the nation a favour. Their behaviour is an ominous sign of gross incompetence by the government in terms of governance and in dealing with conglomerates like ExxonMobil. Guyanese are at the mercy of ExxonMobil due to a weak government, which has been outsmarted by the U.S. oil giant. The people of Guyana need fearless leaders like Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) to renegotiate such a horrible oil contract. At the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Energy with Guyana a few days ago, the T&T Prime Minister, in the presence of President Granger and Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, has unequivocally stated that while his government respects the sanctity of contracts, it does not subscribe to the idea that they are written in stone. Mr. Rowley explicitly stated that contracts that are improper and do not benefit both parties can and should be renegotiated. Dr. Rowley words of wisdom and his astuteness could be seen as an affront to President Granger and his government for refusing to renegotiate the oil contract with ExxonMobil, which at first granted Guyana a one percent royalty and then two percent after a barrage of attacks. Not only was the government of Guyana criticized for accepting the paltry signing bonus of US$18 million and a two percent royalty, but also its refusal to hire qualified and experienced personnel to help in the negotiation. The nation is faced with an introverted, clumsy, and inexperienced government, which ought to know that in this modern era, the average royalty is between seven and ten percent. The government has not done enough economically, socially, politically or businesslike to make the people feel proud of its performance. Instead of pressuring ExxonMobil to renegotiate the one-sided contract, a senior Minister in the government is begging the company for pittance to help clean-up the city. Such action is not only disrespectful to the citizens, but is also shows that the Minister and by extension the government have lost their marbles. This is a stark reminder of the former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Mr. Bruce Golding accusing the PPP government of going around with a begging basket at every international forum. Instead of asking ExxonMobil for alms or handouts, the government should get tough with the oil giant and forced it to renegotiate a contract that would be more beneficial to Guyana.
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
Good for Bauxite Workers; Good for Sugar Workers Dear Editor, Please grant me the opportunity to flag for the attention and consideration of all my fellow Guyanese, the article in the Guyana Chronicle of Wednesday, September 10, 2018, entitled, “Task Force Works Out Severance Pact for RUSAL Workers”. In these times of rapid evolution in technologies and capabilities, taste and fashions, and in the relationships across a world trending to be more and more interdependent and more and more one, and at the same time activating and encountering social and political forces aiming at resisting and reversing such trends. We must all be concerned that there might be great and rapid changes in the work we do and by which we earn our living. These do seem to be turbulent times and for more of us than ever before, the job we now have may leave us and for some time we may be seeking another. Wo r k e r s i n o u r traditional bauxite and sugar sectors have been facing such turbulence, more or less intensely from time to time, at least since the 1970s, starting with the nationalization of those
sectors at that time. It has been a rough ride since then for most of our citizens working in bauxite and sugar, and every one of us would be aware of what is ongoing presently. We c a n n o t b u t b e sympathetic with the workers of RUSAL’s bauxite operations in the Berbice River, whose jobs seem to be about to be ended through events in the world at large. And, therefore, I am supportive of and urge support to those workers: in particular what has been revealed in the article of the Recommendations of the Task Force headed by the Honourable Minister Simona Broomes and including the General Secretary of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union, Lincoln Lewis (also formerly President and General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Council, and my bauxite colleague of five decades). The Chronicle article states that, the Task Force recommends that these RUSAL Bauxite Workers facing termination be paid “a similar package that was applied in the case of LINMINE in 1993 and onwards, BERMINE in 2002
and onwards and OMAI Gold Mines in 2004, which means that the minimum (severance) pay for each year of service shall be equivalent to six weeks for each year of service to the maximum of two years’ pay in benefits”. Allow me to say that this is roughly twice what is required in the “Termination of Employment” Law, which w e t h e P P P / C Administration enacted in about 1997 as the consensus between Unions, Employers and the Government. PPP/C person that I am, allow me the indulgence to flag that the recommendation quoted above acknowledge how favourably the PPP/C Administration treated with bauxite workers from 1993 onwards, through 2004 onwards from 1993 when there was no law, and twice as well in 2004 and onward as the consensus law required. I call on all my fellow Guyanese to at least question the impression which was so often given and which they may have entertained, that we PPP/C have been heartless when it came to Bauxite, bauxite workers and bauxite communities. Further, join the demand f o r s i m i l a r, e q u i t a b l e treatment for all sugar workers, who are no more or
no less Guyanese than bauxite workers and whose communities are just as m u c h G u y a n e s e Communities. Prompt payment of severance is not haemorraging of our nation but our law and the humane and fair thing to do. The PPP/C in much more difficult times, empathizing with bauxite workers losing their jobs paid promptly twice what the law required. So, today we support the call for RUSAL workers to be treated similarly and with no question, no hesitation, we call for similar equitable treatment for sugar workers and sugar communities. We a p p r e c i a t e t h e acknowledgement of Mr. Lincoln Lewis of the generous severance payment of the PPP/C administration to bauxite workers. We expect the support of Mr. Lincoln Lewis in our struggle for similar treatment for sugar workers what is good for bauxite workers must be good for sugar workers also. Yours sincerely, Samuel A.A. Hinds Former Minister Responsible For Mines and Minerals including Bauxite Former Prime Minister and Former President.
Picket local entities if you must Dear Editor, Reference is made to the letter, “Citizens affected by internationally funded road projects should utilise grievance mechanisms” in 20/09/2018 Stabroek News, by an unknown letter writer. W h i l e t h e w r i t e r, seemingly in defence and on behalf of the IDB, was at pains to have ordinary citizens make contact directly with the responsible agencies to air their grievances. But, I urge citizens to continue writing to the press and airing their grievances on television and any medium possible, and to even engage in peaceful protest actions at government departments, IDB office and Chinese Embassy. Guyanese are totally fed up with substandard work on donor and non-donor projects, and the Chinese, and going the route of discrete reporting methods is an archaic approach. All that letter writer
needs to do is to pick up the information, as he/she has clear knowledge of the system, and simply copy and paste it into the reporting box! The East Coast road and the Sheriff Street projects are not the first major road projects which have suffered from poor construction, supervision and deficient environmental management. Guyana has a long legacy of these scandals. The 1994 Essequibo Coastal road scandal, the early 2000s East Bank Highway and to a lesser extent the recently completed West Demerara road projects are three which have suffered wanton abuse by contractors, supervisors, regulatory agencies and government officials. And we are not even discussing construction of schools and other public buildings! Contractors do not underbid for environmental and safety measures in bid documents, what they do is to siphon off monies from these line items to increase
profit margins and where necessary, fund kickbacks to senior officials. So with limited enforcement by government agencies contractors have in the past blatantly disregarded the wider public by enforcing cruel construction methods and crude traffic management techniques during the construction stage. With a coup d’état among agencies responsible for monitoring and supervising, we have had projects generate significant social distress and environmental damage for decades. Back to the East Coast road project, with construction spread out in such large sections, and the contractor spread so thin, they are unable to manage the massive traffic back up. So, for example persons travelling form Buxton and beyond, into Georgetown, suffer the brunt of this poorly executed the road project. Worse yet if that traveller is now heading through the
Sheriff-Mandela road to the East Bank! Had the responsible agencies ensure smaller sections were fully completed before moving on, we would not have had these issues of traffic, but then again where will the money be creamed from! Some of the other fallout issues from this East Coast road contract include diversions to the embankment road, which put severe stress and significant damage to several village roads connecting these two parallel major roads, and with no improvement to those roads envisaged. There is also no sense of timing, and little work at nights. Drivers suffer such huge time delays whilst queuing, that their petrol bills have had significant increases, and most get to work late and stressed. This has reduced worker productivity and more so at a time when companies need every saving to keep their business profitable. We have (Continued on page 6)
Saturday September 22, 2018
Crisis in Guyana’s constitutional law and presidential privileges and immunity Dear Editor, The Burnham 1980 Constitution is an illegal document, written by the late Dr. Mohamed Shahabuddeen under the direct supervision and instruction of the late dictator Mr. Forbes Burnham, and invoked its powers of origins by an unlawful act. Under this illegal constitution, one of the previous presidents of Guyana, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, pleads presidential immunity from being questioned in regards to the Pradoville land distribution. This highly despicable presidential immunity clause is not only unlawful but prevents any president, current or past, from being questioned and legally liable for his or her actions during or after their term in office. Such an outrageous provision in the Guyana written Constitution represents a significant departure from within the realm of the Rule of Law in civilized nations where everyone is within the law including the Queen of the United Kingdom and all the powerful presidents and heads of states in the Free World. Conceptually, it mitigates and flies in the face of all the
legal developments, constitutional, civil and criminal since the advent of the Magna Carta in 1215 AD. If Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo has done nothing wrong in the Pradoville Land Distribution, then why invoke this illegal provision within this illegal constitution? I fully support this act of inquiry by the Government of Guyana, specifically the People’s National Congress in holding the officials of the People’s Progressive Party accountable for their actions while in Government. This is in keeping with a strict requirement of the Rule of Law even though the People’s National Congress is guilty of serious transgressions of the law, which includes the commission of treasonable crimes such as assassinations, rigging of national elections, squandering, stealing and non - accountability of public funds, etc. The People’s Progressive Party by invoking this outrageous provision and in concert with the fact regarding their refusal to hold the People’s National Congress accountable for much more serious crimes is a confirmation that the People’s Progres-
Some suggestions for a modified judiciary Dear Editor, Several eminent jurists have commented negatively on the failure to appoint holders to the substantive positions of Chancellor and Chief Justice. All Guyanese should be equally concerned about this impasse. It is fitting to note that the
Chief Justice is the head of the judiciary in our sister Caribbean countries. There are no positions of Chancellor. Those of us old enough will be aware that the circumstances surrounding the creation of the position of Chancellor were more of a political (Continued on page 6)
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Kaieteur News
sive Party is not fit to hold public office. As this refusal to hold the People’s National Congress accountable for their numerous crimes constitutes a violation within the strict meaning and application of the Rule of Law. Rule of Law Defined The ‘rule of law’ … refers to a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private … are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. The rule of law vouches safe to the citizens and residents of the country a stable, predictable and ordered society in which to conduct their affairs. It provides a shield for individuals from arbitrary state action. The despicable presidential immunity clause: /Article 182 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana states, “…the holder of the office of President shall not be personally answerable to any court for the performance of the functions of his office or for any act done in the performance of those functions and no proceedings, whether criminal or civil, shall be instituted against him in his personal capacity in respect thereof either during his term of office or thereafter.”/ Kris Kooblall. Toronto, Canada.
What will it take to make a Lawyer into a patriot? Dear Editor, The recent invocation of the immunity clause by former president Bharrat Jagdeo in regards to being questioned by SOCU in relation to Pradoville 2 lands, seems to have awaken a group of local bears from a long hibernation. While I am in support of a KN article, “Constitutional reform needed to curb presidential excesses--Lawyers”, I take umbrage to the specific class of citizens (Lawyers) from whom the above caption emanate. Surely, I would have liked to have some names. You have to give credit to Freddie Kissoon for often saying that Guyana will never change. Lawyers are the legal minds and in local parlance, they are “top of the food chain”, in matters of the law and constitution. Prior to the recent KN article, I cannot recall seeing a single article in any of the papers, advocating for the repealing of the presidential immunity clause or any other changes to the constitution, by a lawyer. I had the impression that these carnivores of fortune were well satisfied with our constitution. To hear or read that a few of them came out in one voice in favour of constitutional reform is akin to the joke of the century. In fact, one on the Opposition benches, whom is con-
sidered by a few as a presidential hopeful, had been very vocal against constitutional reform a year ago when the UN and the British were trying to give CR a kick start here. The said one who had said that, “the need for compliance trumps the need for reform,” is the one who had the honour in invoking the immunity clause in defence of his client B. Jagdeo. It boggles the normal mind to imagine what it would take to make a Lawyer into a patriot! The day the PPP announces this lawyer’s candidacy could be justifiably termed the day, the evil landed on Guyana. I would like to hear his justification for retaining the immunity clause in the constitution- considering his pontification that “the need for compliance trumps the need for reform.” While the Coalition has been deceptive on all its major promises, constitutional reform included, there has been no impetus from the Opposition (PPP), the party that claims representation of more than 49% of the voting population, to push for reform. In fact, the Party leaders had categorically stated that they don’t want any re-
form of the constitution, without any consultation with their so called constituencies. The Coalition has displayed daring examples of corruption and nepotism; they are doing a poor job at handling what had existed as the economy. They deserve a zero for their charade in the coming oil and gas sector. In this scenario, the PPP fancies its chances to achieve “nirvana” once again in 2020, without changing a single iota of the constitution in which its members had enriched themselves in the past-Guyanese has entrapped themselves between a rock and a hard place- the PPP and the coalition. I am inclined to think that nothing more on CR will be forthcoming from these laymen; they were caught in heat of the moment to give a response on the “immunity issue”, then back to their normative silence. The British High Commissioner said,” Constitutional Reform” will only happen if the people want it. “Who is there to “bell the cat”? With the diehard supporters of the APNU and the PPP only believing what their leaders say. CR will remain in limbo. Rudolph Singh
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That MoU with Trinidad is a great political move Dear Editor, I believe that one of the greatest political moves in the Caribbean, since the Treaty of Chaguaramas which was signed by some great Caribbean leaders on July 4, 1973, was done rec e n t l y, w h e n P r e s i d e n t Granger of Guyana and Prime Minister Rowley of Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o signed an MoU between the two nations. This act will see cooperation between the two nations that will benefit the entire Caribbean. When the Treaty of Chaguaramas was established, the vision of the four wise men was to have a Caribbean Community and Common Market, later known as CARICOM establish. This agreement was signed on July 4, 1973 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago, and the signatories were Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Since then, there have been ups and downs in regard to efforts to implement all aspects of the agreement. Many complaints were raised by Guyana about the treatment netted out to her citizens by some of our sister nations. Some Guyanese are still left with a bitter taste in their mouths, for some sister nations because of this, and they argue that this should not have been done
to them, since in her better days Guyana welcomed all with open arms. When President Granger signed that MoU he showed that he was above tit for tat politics. This goodly gentleman has yet again displayed w h a t b e i n g a n a t i o n ’s leader, and statesman is all about. His first display was when he campaigned on a banner that call for the inclusion of all Guyanese, and not the ‘Winner take all’ that was promoted and abused by his opponents. Some argue that Trinidad is here because of the oil riches, be that the case or not, I ask, why were Guyanese going to Trinidad, and Barbados? Was it not for a better life? Mr. Rowley coming to Guyana shows that he also is above the likes of some who now call this agreement a sell out. He came to seek for the betterment for the people of Trinidad and Tobago, and not for himself and others of his race. The signing of the Mou is another step to the fulfillment of the Caricom dream. It is not a selfish act, like that done to acquire Pradoville 2, and other state assets. President David Granger is truly a messenger of unity, and not just unity of the races, but unity of the Caricom na-
tions . L.F.S. Burnham, Jagan,and Dr Eric Williams would have been proud of him . To those workers who are afraid to lose their jobs , please be informed that oil is not gold, it requires technical skills that are not ready available in Guyana, but I am sure will be acquired while working alongside those coming to work here with the experience. Finally, I must remind Guyana of that recent statistic that showed that a large percentage of our workforce does not possess above that primary certificate, and that there is a large number of dropouts from school and it has been going on for some time. Perhaps, we may wish to ask those that were responsible for education during the past twenty years, why they did not do something to stop such failures. The wise in every geographical region are coming together to strengthen the regions, why should we still be divided, by petty issues, such as who sat on the bench or race. As Guyanese, we must recognize that we know b e t t e r, a n d w h e n o u r Founder leader signed that Treaty he was looking out for us, and so is President David Granger. We therefore must trust him. Apostle Adrian Wade
Some suggestions for a modified... From page 5 expediency rather than based on the needs of the judiciary. In view of the fact that His Excellency the President and The Honourable Leader of the Opposition cannot agree on the substantive appointments to these two positions, there may be more common ground to eliminate the position of Chancellor and revert to the Chief Justice as Head of the Judiciary. This should enable the substantive appointment of the Chief Justice by the Judicial Service Commission as was
Saturday September 22, 2018
Kaieteur News
past practice. Editor, please allow me to make another point about our adjudication system. Over the years, several areas of constitutional amendments/reforms have been proposed and or discussed. One area that should definitely come under scrutiny in justice reform is our present four layers of adjudication namely the Magistracy, The High Court, The Court of Appeals, and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). I beg the question, do these four layers truly result
in justice or do they contribute more to the inordinate delays in the resolution of cases? My suggestion is to reduce the layers of adjudication to three. The CCJ and the Court of Appeals (names can change) will be retained. The Magistracy and the High Court must be reformed. I can cite Israel as a country that has three levels of adjudication namely The Magistracy, The District Court and The Supreme Court. To my mind, this will still guarantee fairness in the justice system and will serve to reduce the length of time it takes to resolve cases, some of which are in the system for a very long time. The legal maxim, justice delayed is justice denied, should be our motto. The standard for resolution of a case should be no more than two years. Yours faithfully, Abraham David
There is a lot wrong in Government circles Dear Editor, Some people ask why I am writing all of these analytical pieces; why don’t I retire? I don’t know why I should retire. People who are far more incompetent than I can ever be and are my age, aren’t retiring. And my motto has always been that evil triumphs when Good men do nothing. Elections are coming in less than two years and most people still want me to keep writing. Some even want me to restart a commentary, so I am writing to keep my writing and investigative skills honed for 2020; in case I want to take part in the elections in one way or another. After 2020 I will see. My only explanation is that I am a compulsive researcher intent on analyzing and exposing the Guyana situation in its starkness. And I want to remind everyone that 25 years ago, I was invited by Mr. Hugh Desmond Hoyte to join him in his battle against the PPP. He also invited Adam Harris and Kit Nascimento to join him. The Guyana President Hoyte wanted a Guyana which was undivided by race. For him it was not an empty campaign promise [his supporters even called him Desmond Persaud]. He wanted the business sector to be the engine of growth, because when you have a strong business sector and growing private investment, it creates jobs and wealth for the nation. Some days, I can’t believe that I spent 23 years fighting for what I see going on in this country. A recent Kaieteur News editorial on the sliding dollars says it all. Nothing works; everything has virtually ground to a halt. If you want to sell any property, it takes upward of one year to pass transport. The Supreme Court registry is a dead duck! People sell property to facilitate business or to protect them from bankruptcy, well not in Guyana. You are going to be out of luck if it happens that you have to sell property to prevent bankruptcy. No democracy can flourish without a legal system, which is functioning to dispense justice, and ours
doesn’t. The mere length of time it takes to resolve disputes is in itself a disincentive to doing business or seeking legal relief on any matter here. According to Lord Paddy Ashdown, the British MP who was tasked with restoring democracy to Bosnia after the civil war, he said that without a functioning legal system, you can’t have proper elections, good business or a democracy; so before anything is done to restore democracy, you must fix the legal system. We can’t enter major contracts with extractors like EXXON and other big business operations which will appear when we begin to draw down from the oil. We must have a good judicial system because if we don’t; we won’t be able to enforce anything. We were not able to win any case against GTT much less EXXON. And I just want to send this warning to your readers. Just as they see the government functioning (or not functioning) in national infrastructure, GuySuCo, GPL, road repairs, a police force which doesn’t serve or protect, all transport systems, traffic jams on the East Bank and the East Coast, a dysfunctional local government system especially the city of Georgetown, these same government people, if we don’t raise our voices in protest now, will run and ruin the oil sector. So what is happening here? Are we appointing a Chief Justice? A Chancellor? The rules for consultation for these major positions, including the chair of GECOM, in our laws, were put there to force dialogue and compromise between the two major ethnic groups; business men call it horse-trading. It’s why Hoyte accepted to have a dialogue with Jagdeo instead of marching on the streets, but he warned Jagdeo that, “superficial compromise will not be acceptable or advisable”. It’s the only way to peace and development of the one nation we all so glibly say we want! Hoyte’s successors today, in his own party, have completely forgotten what Hoyte wanted, what he and the PNC supporters went through when we were not in power. Now that we are in power, we are doing nothing to protect our supporters against
retaliation when the other side gets into power for another 23 years. We are behaving as if we can never go into opposition again! Unless we are talking about a dictatorship, we must end up in opposition again sometime, and we have to protect our children. We saw that Hoyte’s way brought us to the most prosperous national position since independence, with a 9% GDP growth in 1992 with his Economic Recovery Programme. Why have we forgotten it? We have a government, which is contracting the economy with poor economic policies just as Forbes Burnham’s government did from 1964 to 1985! It means that we learned nothing, and the evidences of corruption in public office is still very apparent. In KN of 19th September, we have Ayube, a minibus driver, according to Kaieteur News, reporting on the daily ridiculous situation on the East Coast Demerara Highway. “Imagine, you have one East Coast Demerara highway and the Railway Embankment bypass. Imagine both are being repaired at the same time. Imagine thousands of vehicles traversing each day; imagine the Sheriff Street project starting. This is madness. This man Ayube is a better manager than the people who are running the Ministry! The head of which is now accused of corruption in a US$148-million bridge contract scandal. And speaking about madness, in my opinion, we are shutting down estates without exploring an existing alternative, which is very likely to offset the losses from sugar, and we have a Special Projects Unit, which is anything but special! Since it is manned mostly by the same failed managers from GuySuCo and since the new people know nothing about sugar, they are now talking about co-generation as a way to salvage the industry on the verge of the oil flow.They are carrying sawdust and paddy husk to help the estates to cogenerate power, because they do not have enough cane or a long enough cropping season to generate power from the cane bagasse for cogeneration for more than six months a year! Tony Vieira.
Picket local entities if you must... grown to accept the poor performance of the public sector, so this clearly does not impact the public sector! So what were are seeing today is a frustrated public with pent up anger over the last few decades of a previously corrupt administration, and are now caught in an apparent downward spiral in which the current government had campaigned to fix. However, Guyana is heading towards the famous saying where “the more things change the more they remain the same”. Complicating matters is that we have brought the worst foreign contractors in the
form of Chinese, notorious for their substandard work worldwide. They offer nothing in improving the local standards of engineering or implementing any level of environmental standards. The Chinese are only good at building open and new projects where nothing previously existed, but I will always be wary of their quality of work. One hope it is not the governments’, both past and current consummate relationship with the Chinese that has led to no action thus far! Yours sincerely, M. Lall
Saturday September 22, 2018
Since 2015 elections, anticorruption no longer centre piece of Govt.’s agenda –Dr. Hinds “During the 2015 elections, the APNU+AFC Party campaigned on the promise of fighting corruption. But since assuming office, anticorruption is no longer the centre piece of Government’s agenda.” Those were the words of Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. David Hinds as he reflected on the Coalition’s approach to corruption in the last three years. The University Professor said that while the government has put a break on runway corruption, there are instances, which have arisen about malpractice in office. In this regard, he pointed to the fact that the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) is keen on questioning the circumstances involving the award of the contract for the feasibility study on the New River bridge Crossing. Dr. H i n d s s a i d , t o o , that he is disappointed w i t h t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’s sloth on anti-corruption legislation. “It is my view that Parliament does not meet often enough. These are issues which need to be high on the agenda.” Also in agreement with Dr. Hinds’ perspective is Chartered Accountant and Oil and Gas Academic, Chris Ram. The A t t o r n e y - a t - l a w, i n h i s most recent writings chided the government for its approach on oil and gas and the loopholes that may continue to exist for abuse and wide-scale corruption. Ram said, “the Gov-
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Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram
WPA Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds
ernment has not amended one iota of the outdated petroleum laws of Guyana; failed to appoint a Chief Inspector who is the key technical petroleum officer specified in the laws of Guyana; failed to enforce the local content requirements of the petroleum laws; failed to consider any alternatives to the Production Sharing Agreement; failed to audit close to one billion United States Dollars in what is called pre-contract costs; failed to articulate a Petroleum Policy including a depletion policy, natural gas, domestic supply and the pricing of petroleum products; hid the signing bonus and continues to deprive the citizens of the country of access to key documents.” D r. H i n d s s a i d t h a t one cannot argue with the points made by Ram. “What you are seeing is that the government does not have a vision for the oil and gas sector…With the kind of money that will be com-
ing into the oil and gas sector, companies of all sorts will be jockeying to come into that wealth…and we are a nation that is susceptible to bribery and when you have that kind of scenario and the right anticorruption measures are not in place then you are playing with a fireball of corruption.” The newspaper columnist said that the government needs to craft a vision for spending and protecting the oil funds to come. He also criticized the government for restricting the issue of managing oil to Cabinet meetings on Tuesday. Dr. Hinds insisted that this is not the way in which such a critical issue is to be handled. He suggested that there be a semi-autonomous think tank to iron out issues regarding guarding against corruption, ensuring equitable distribution, saving and investing of the oil wealth and crafting policies to support the implementation of local content.
GTU, Education reps. invited to name arbitration panel Tuesday The Ministry of Education is hoping to have its differences with the Guyana Teachers Union [GTU] resolved amicably and speedily. This is according to information released yesterday by the Social Protection Ministry, which was called upon by the Education Ministry to intervene in the process to nominate a chairperson for the arbitration panel to negotiate a multi-year salary package for teachers. To fast-track the process, the Social Protection Ministry in a statement said that it is has invited both the GTU and the Education Ministry to a meeting on Tuesday September 25, 2018 at its Brickdam, Georgetown Labour Department. It is expected that at this meeting the two sides will identify their nominees to sit on the arbitration panel, which will determine the salaries and other benefits for public school teachers. Based on an agreement signed by the two sides, the three-member panel should have seen either side selecting one member each and both agreeing on the chairperson. The Social Protection Ministry was asked to intervene after the two parties involved had failed to agree on a single nominee to head the arbitration panel at an earlier meeting. At that meeting, the Union and the Education Ministry met to finalise Terms of Reference [TOR] for the arbitration process and decide on a nominee to chair the panel.
While the two sides agreed on the TOR, the move to identify a chairperson was entirely unsuccessful. As three possible candidates, the GTU submitted Rashleigh Jackson, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Jeffrey Thomas, a former Minister of Education, Labour and Regional Development and Dr. Aubrey Armstrong who in 1999 chaired the Arbitration Tribunal between the Guyana Public Service Union and the Government of Guyana. However, the names submitted by the Union were all rejected by the Ministry of Education team, which included Chief Education Officer, Mr. Marcel Hutson, and Permanent Secretary, Ms. Adele Clarke. According to Lyte, the Education team did not even bother to qualify its rejection with any reason. The nominees submitted by the Education team were Mr. Derrick Cummings, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Mr. Glendon Harris, the Human Resource Manager of the Guyana Revenue Authority. Both nominees were rejected by the Union because they are both serving members of the State. The statement from the Social Protection Ministry yesterday followed on the heels of disclosure from the Union that government was
attempting to undermine the process to select the members of the panel. GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte, had told this publication that, “We are of the firm view that government is unwilling to address the concerns of teachers as it relates to salary and other financial benefits for teachers.” He shared his belief that government has been deliberately seeking to undermine the process. He qualified his suspicion by disclosing that based on the date of the correspondence from the Education Ministry requesting the Social Protection Ministry’s intervention in the process was in fact sent on the same date [September 14] that the concerned parties first met to name the panel. “How is it they could have made that request to the Social Protection Ministry on that day and that meeting ended after working hours? Added to that, the meeting ended with us deciding to meet on another date to continue our discussion,” said Lyte. The move to head to arbitration came after multiple failed attempts at conciliation. It however paved the way for the end of strike action, which had seen public school teachers across the country protesting government’s failure to give them a 40 percent increase for 2016.
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Kaieteur News
“It is a sell-out…”
Jagdeo accuses Govt. of sidelining locals in favour of those from T&T Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has accused Government of soliciting Trinidadian minds to help shape Guyana’s future as an oil-producing country, while ignoring local talent. At a press conference held on Thursday last at his Church Street Office, Jagdeo told the media, “I am concerned that the agreement sets up a technical working group. Imagine, we do not have a technical working group in our Parliament to look at the future of our oil and gas industry but we can sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a joint technical working group with another country. It just shows how we value or how we do not value our own people’s opinions.” Jagdeo then lamented that a specific Term of Reference
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo for the joint group is to look at local content legislation and what kind of projects we
must pursue. “Are we farming out intellectual work to Trinidad and Tobago again? Are we doing this when our own people have views on this matter and we have some of the best minds in the world right here in Guyana or in the Diaspora that we can use? Jagdeo was keen to note that he does not have a problem “with us working with Trinidad and Tobago.” However, he said that it seems “as though we signed a lopsided agreement without looking at all of Guyana’s interests.” “We are prepared to establish bodies with Trinidad and Tobago that we are unprepared to establish in our own country to allow participation of our people and we are farming our intellectual work to another country when our own people are capable of dealing with it. This seems to be this whole exercise. So yes, it is a sellout; it is a sellout.” Jagdeo said too, “But I made it clear that I do not want this to be seen as a war between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago is an important country in our Region. We need to work with Trinidad and Tobago. But this is all about how government represents our interest. I must say I am very, very disappointed.”
Saturday September 22, 2018
Region’s rum producers aggressively targeting alcohol abuse
The West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA) this week announced the launch of an initiative to promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages across the Caribbean. In a public statement, issued by the grouping, alcohol abuse was strongly condemned, and a pledge was made to lend support to efforts that address these issues and are committed to doing so as an industry and in collaboration with other producers of alcoholic beverages. According to Komal Samaroo, Chairman of WIRSPA and of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL): “There is an urgent need for us to build a culture of responsibility in our communities. We are committed to providing leadership to build a strong coalition of producers, state agencies, and civil society advocates to work to
achieve this transformation in the shortest possible time.” Samaroo added that, “While we as individual producers are active at the national level in supporting efforts to reduce harmful drinking, as a group, we intend to intensify these efforts starting in 2018. In this regard, we have established a task force to look at a range of issues including labelling, advertising and promotion, and online marketing, incorporating international best practices. We will also encourage and support actions to reduce driving under the influence of alcohol and drinking by underage and vulnerable persons.” The WIRSPA statement acknowledged the impact of inappropriate consumption, on both individuals and society, of a range of alcoholic beverages. “We believe, and current regulatory advice maintains,
that responsible drinking remains a valued and enjoyable part of life in a modern society. Notwithstanding, we cannot ignore the negative impact on our societies caused by the excessive consumption of alcohol.” In addition, the statement committed WIRSPA to a collaborative approach across the industry to achieve the objective. “We will seek to broaden the involvement of all producers, distributors and retailers of alcohol beverages so as to achieve the fullest impact from these commitments and we will engage stakeholders on these issues to ensure that our engagements are meaningful and credible.” Making reference to DDL and the local market specifically, Komal Samaroo disclosed that, “Demerara Distillers will be embarking on an initiative to resuscitate (Continued on page 23)
Saturday September 22, 2018
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Kaieteur News
The plight of independents People get the government they deserve. The complaints about the quality of local government should therefore not be placed at the feet of the political parties, the APNU +AFC and the PPPC, which dominated the 2016 local government polls. Voters should blame themselves for the poor showing of those whom they elected because it is the voters who elected those representatives. It is not as if the voters had no choice.
They did. They were not always required to choose between the PPPC and the APNU+AFC. A number of independent groups and individuals groups contested constituencies in both the municipalities and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. Yet, the electorate chose to ignore most of these candidates and turned the local government elections once more into a two-horse race. Here was an opportunity for
the people to try to move away from Guyana’s blighted two-party domination of elections to create political space for independent groups and individuals. The electorate chose otherwise. The APNU+AFC won all but three of the municipalities up for grabs but only 14 of the NDCs. On the other hand, the PPPC swept 45 of the 65 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. The PPPC won the popular vote by an unassailable 25,000 votes.
Dem boys seh ...
Don’t lef you wife and try to play smart When some men lef dem wife to go to a foreign land, dem does expect de woman to think bout dem all de time. Dem does even expect de woman to mek bread out of stone while dem sporting. Porkknockers does go in de bush and send home money. Some of dem come out and find a nice house but some of dem come out and ain’t see nutten. Dat situation play out de odda day when a certain man who was a Minister in Jagdeo government lef he wife to go overseas to wuk. After de first month, he send a text to de wife in Guyana. Dear Darling Gita, I can’t send you my salary dis month because of de anti-money laundering thing wha Guyana going through and de global market crisis. Dis crisis has affected my Firm’s performance, so I am sending 100 kisses. You are my sweetheart, please adjust.*_KISS KISS KISS MUAH KISS KISS X 100_* Your loving husband, *Tuna Singh*_ His wife, Gita, replied... Darling, Thanks for the 100 kisses._ Below is the list of expenses I paid with
the Kisses...:_ _1. The Milk man agreed on 2 kisses for one month’s milk. _2. The electricity man, Kooldip Singh, agreed not to disconnect only after 7 kisses. _3. Your landlord Kerpal Singh comes every day to take 2 or 3 kisses instead of the monthly rent. _4. Supermarket owner Jaswant Singh did not accept kisses only, so I gave him other items. I hope you understand._ _5. Miscellaneous expenses 40 kisses._ Please don’t worry about me, I still have a balance of 35 kisses and I hope I can survive the month using dis balance. Shall I plan the same for the next month? Your Sweet Heart, *Gita* Almost immediately the husband, Mr. Singh, replied: On my way to the bank to effect the money transfer. Dem boys want fuh know wha she gon do wid de 35 kisses dat she got lef. Talk half and don’t keep money from any woman.
The government is denying allegations that it was trying to gerrymander constituency boundaries and creating new NDCs as a means of reversing its heavy loss at the local government elections. Those elections were held one year after the APNU+AFC scraped home by the skin of its teeth in national and regional elections. The electorate got caught up in frenzy of the traditional two horse race and dealt a serious blow to local democracy when it dissed the independents individuals and groups. It is instructive that it was only in two Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, one in BV/Triumph and the other is Kwakwani that independent groups secured more votes than either of the contesting political parties. In West Berbice two individuals, contesting two constituencies won against the political party candidates. In the Georgetown municipality, there was only one constituency, the Albouystown/Charlestown constituency in which an independent won the seat. In Georgetown, team Benschop was swept aside managing just one PR seat. In Bartica, a very promising independent group was humiliated after an
AFC leader cautioned the town about the dangers of vote- splitting. In Linden, where the PPP posed no threat to the APNU+AFC, the latter swept every single seat. The voters there were not keen on giving the independents a voice in the council. Therefore, the independent individuals and groups were swept aside. This represented a major disappointment of the elections because it meant that even at the lowest level where there is no threat to the domination at the centre, ethnic politics dominated. There is nothing to suggest that things are going to be different this year. There is nothing to indicate that the independent groups and individuals are going to do any better than in 2016. In fact, from all indications, the results in 2015 seemed to have demoralized independents groups and individuals. In fact, so far it is known that two persons who were on the Team Benschop slate are now candidates for the APNU. So even some independents are casting off their independence. This is what happens when ethnic voting dominates. The Guyanese people
love to pretend that they are weary of ethnic politics. The 2016 local government polls presented them with a chance to show their revulsion of ethnic politics and to try to promote third forces and candidates. It backfired, because the supporters of the two political titans felt threatened enough to go back to their usual ways of voting. Guyana needs some fresh faces in local politics. The local government election provides that opportunity for allowing civic-minded citizens, with no political party affiliations to be involved in managing communities. The people did not give them that chance in 2016. Political party domination of local government elections has not done anything for local communities. It has perverted local democracy. Will the electorate give the independents groups and individuals a chance in 2018? Not a chance!
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Saturday September 22, 2018
Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
Bharrat Jagdeo embarrassed Robeson Benn In local lingo, when someone proves that your point is unworthy of discussion because it is stupid, they say that “de man dis yuh.” Well, it looks like Bharrat Jagdeo “dis” Robeson Benn. Jagdeo frowned on Benn’s explanation of why Pradoville 2 was built. When SOCU, last week, interviewed some former PPP Ministers on the creation of Pradoville 2, Benn explained that the project was done for security reasons. He stated that against the backdrop of the crime wave,
which took the life of Sash Sawh, the government engineered Pradoville 2 to provide security for the Cabinet. In making his pronouncement, he thought he was smart. The state is contending that Pradoville 2 was an extravaganza that involved question possession of state resources. I accept that point. I believe that there is a precedent for prosecution in an example from Belize that found its way to the Caribbean Court of Justice. Benn introduced a legal
novelty that on the surface seems to have bolstered the security pretext. If the President and his Cabinet are facing assassination attempts then the state will build fortresses for them and the expenses will be justified. But the reasoning of Benn had a dangerous flaw that played into the hands of SOCU. Jagdeo quickly detected its self-destructive inherency and “dis” Benn. SOCU interrogators were bound to ask why some ministers accepted the protection of the Pradoville 2 sanctuary yet moved out after selling their homes for a super profit earning. Even a trainee detective could see that was incriminating evidence that the prosecutors will have an enjoyable moment with. The SOCU officers had another strong point in their favour, which the prosecutors would have relished. If Pradoville 2 was not an act of personal aggrandizement through the use of state resources but was a security policy of the state, why some financially comfortable expatriates were given state lands way below market rates? Just one example should suffice – Dr. Compton Bourne.
Bourne seemed to have shared a close relation with President Jagdeo who bestowed on him Guyana’s highest national award – Order of Excellence. This caricature stills angers me. You can literally cite more than a dozen names of excellent Guyanese, who have made fantastic contributions to Guyana over and above those of Bourne, who deserve that accolade. When Bourne received the award, he had long migrated from Guyana. At the time Bourne was assigned a house lot at Pradoville 2, he was president of the Caribbean Development Bank whose salary must have been on par with top CEOs around the world. The prosecutors would have definitely enquired why, if security was the dominant preoccupation of the government, were a few lots not parceled out to high ranking officers of the police and army whose presence in Pradovile could only had a mollifying effect on ministers who feared for their lives. Jagdeo and the other Pradoville 2 beneficiaries must have been cussing down Benn, terribly, when he mouthed off his security ra-
tionale. They knew the explanation handed the prosecutors a winning case. So Jagdeo lambasted Benn telling the media he, Jagdeo doesn’t know where Benn got his story from; security was never the reason for the birth of Pradoville 2. Jagdeo however, isn’t as smart as he thinks; well you can’t blame him for thinking that he is. He speaks endlessly on the legitimacy of the Pradoville 2 project but doesn’t answer related questions. The Bourne connection, the Bourne Identity and the Bourne Legacy must be answered. Why would the president offer a piece of prime real estate that is state property to the President of the Caribbean Bank of Development at a fantastic cut rate price? Why overlook literally countless good men and excellent women who live in Guyana and served Guyana faithfully? What about the son of Minister Nanda Gopaul who on his return, took up a house at Pradoville 2. Were there deserving doctors who stayed and work in Guyana? The answer is yes. Aren’t these persons more entitled
Frederick Kissoon to the concession than Gopaul’s son and Bourne? The answer is yes. The Pradoville 2 scandal is oceanic evidence that Bharrat Jagdeo was a depraved leader who played with the resources of this country as if it were his private playground. His nephew-in-law, Robert Persaud, built a house at Pradoville 2. The same Persaud got a radio station licence and sold it for $90 million to a Trinidadian conglomerate. This man gave away Guyana to friends, family and relatives. He should be prosecuted. But wait! The man wanted to lead Guyana again until the Caribbean Court of Justice said, “You shall not.”
Saturday September 22, 2018
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Kaieteur News
France wants Guyana to mainstream French in schools Ambassador to France has signaled that the French Government is seeking to have its native language more widely taught in schools across Guyana. This was discussed, among a range of cooperative prospects between France and Guyana, in a courtesy call made by Ambassador of the French Republic Antoine Joly to Minister of Education Nicolette Henry. Ambassador Joly told Minister Henry that the French Government is looking into ways in which they could assist Guyana with the teaching of French, locally. Mr. Joly’s delegation intends to work on the practice of ‘twinning’ French schools with Guyanese schools. This is of interest because it will allow France to pour resources into training Guyanese teachers in their pedagogy of the French language so Guyanese students would have a better understanding of it. Minis-
Hon. Minister Henry & French Delegation ter Henry has committed to identifying a technical officer within her Ministry, with responsibility to streamline these efforts locally.
So far, France is offsetting the expenses of two Guyanese teachers who are to go off on an Advanced French language course in French Guiana.
Jagdeo will not shield behind presidential immunity if Granger sets example You go first and I will follow. That is essentially the message Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo is sending to President David Granger. At his last press conference, Jagdeo spoke extensively about the reason he recently presented himself to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) to be interviewed about matters he presided over as President of Guyana. Jagdeo told reporters that he asked the Head of SOCU, Sydney James whether the sitting President and members of Cabinet will be called in over questionable matters they presided over. Jagdeo told the media, “So now that I have gone in to SOCU, although I am a Constitutional post holder and as Chairman of the Cabinet, President of Guyana, I expect reciprocity in terms of how government officials will be treated and I was assured by SOCU that despite (Minister of Public Infrastructure David) Patterson’s statement, he will be questioned by SOCU.” “We expect all the Cabinet members including the President because he now has to go there and he can easily claim the immunity thing or choose to answer the questions about why his Cabinet approved a contract that it had no authority over.” The “contract” Jagdeo referred to was the one for the feasibility study for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge. Jagdeo reminded that Minister Patterson took an “unsolicited bid” to Cabinet. He noted that Cabinet then approved the contract despite the fact that the
President, David Granger laws of Guyana do not give the Cabinet the authority to do so, “they can only offer a no objection. So they acted illegally and then they agreed to use funds from an entity where the Board members of that entity do not even know the funds were being used.” Jagdeo said that in all the
matters that SOCU is pursuing against the PPP, including the Prodoville matter, “they are still to prove that Cabinet acted illegally. But in this case, we know that Cabinet acted illegally contrary to the laws of Guyana.” Jagdeo said that if the President is called in by SOCU, and he goes and then chooses not to invoke the Constitutional Provision of Presidential Immunity but instead answers the questions put to him an example will be set. Jagdeo said, “If the President chooses, in SOCU, to give answers as to why he presided over Cabinet and approved a contract that was contrary to the law, I will go back to SOCU and I will not use that (Constitutional) provision (as he did at his last interview). And you have that from me, so I am hoping that he will do that now that you have heard me say that.”
Earlier this year, President of France, Emmanuel Macron launched an international drive to promote French as a “world language,” saying that the
French should be proud of their language. The Guardian had reported that Macron’s efforts received international backlash from critics who described his
campaign as imperialist, since France still currently owns a series of colonies and since French is the sixth most spoken language in the world.
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Saturday September 22, 2018
Kaieteur News
Wildlife exporter remanded for Trafficking Venezuelan men -reportedly threatened to have them deported A businessman who is accused of trafficking two Venezuelan men to work on his farm, was yesterday remanded to prison after he was arraigned in the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. The court heard that 61year-old Feezal Shaw, a businessman of 69 Soesdyke Linden Highway, held two Venezuelans against their will and forced them to work on his farm by threatening to report that they are illegal in the country. With this threat, the de-
fendant allegedly refused to pay the victims the salary they agreed to when they were first employed. The first charge stated that between February 14 and June 14, last, at Soesdyke, Linden Highway, Shaw engaged in trafficking in persons, in that he recruited, transported and harboured Hector Jose Rodriguez, in that he forced him to work without payment by making constant threats to have him deported. It was further alleged that between February 14 and June 14, last, at Soesdyke, Lin-
den Highway, Shaw engaged in trafficking in persons, in that he recruited, transported and harboured Eduardo Zarate Vivas, in that he forced him to work without payment by making constant threats to have him deported. Shaw was not required to plead to the indictable charges after they were read to him by the Magistrate. Attorney-at-law Haymant Ramdhani in a failed attempt to secure bail for his client told the court that his client is a wildlife exporter. The lawyer added that his
client was convicted in 2005, and served three years for trafficking narcotics. He went on to tell the court that if bail is granted to his client, he would return to court and adhere to any conditions by the court. However, Police Prosecutor, Simone Payne opposed to bail being granted to the defendant on the grounds of the serious nature of the offence and the penalty the charge attracts. According to the Prosecutor, on February 14, last, the Venezuelans entered Guyana illegally and on the following day, they were taken to a house at Soesdyke. The court heard that the victims were told that they would be paid $10,000 for each cage they built for exotic animals, which the defendant normally exports.
Remanded: Feezal Shaw The Prosecutor added that the victims were however forced to work on a farm,
where they had to feed and take care of animals. According to information, after working for three days on the farm, the Venezuelans complained about the work and they were paid $5,000 each. It was disclosed to the court that on June 6, last, the victims were each given $100,000 and was promised the remaining of the money, but it was never given to them. T h e d e f e n d a nt then took away the victims passports and kept it in his custody. The matter was then reported, an investigation was then carried out; hence, Shaw was charged for the offence. The Magistrate after listening to the facts remanded the defendant to prison until October 15 for a report.
Three more witnesses in PI of teen who ‘jumped’ from car A security guard and two relatives of the dead teen, Sasia Adams, who reportedly jumped from a moving vehicle, yesterday testified in the matter when the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) continued before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. Rick Sewcharran, 21, is currently out on $500,000 bail in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Sasia Adams. Sewcharran. He is accused of unlawfully killing the 19-year-old. D u r i n g y e s t e r d a y ’s hearing, security guard, Gary Jardine, Stephanie Cornelius Persaud, the victim’s aunt, and the dead teen’s sister, Sasha Adams, detailed the role they played in the investigation. They were then crossexamined by Attorney-at-
Dead: Sasia Adams law Sanjeev Datadin. The matter was adjourned to September 26 for continuation. Prosecutor Neville Jeffers is expected to call 10 remaining witnesses in the PI. Adams, formerly of East
Charged: Rick Sewcharran Street, Georgetown, had been employed at the Princess Ramada Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara. According to a statement from the police, on the night of June 10, 2018, Adams and her boyfriend were travelling west along Lamaha Street, Georgetown in a white Toyota 212 motorcar when she opened the door and leapt from the car, landing on the southern side of the road. The police said that the boyfriend picked up the woman and transported her to the hospital where she died. Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh gave her cause of death as blunt trauma to the head. Based on reports, the police sought several extensions to further detain the boyfriend after there were conflicting reports surrounding the death of the teenager. It was reported that Adams, who was admitted to the hospital in a conscious state, told doctors that she had fallen down at home.
Kaieteur News
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Saturday September 22, 2018
Private Sector sounds alarm over safety, transportation - recommends army issues at Lusignan, Berbice prisons vehicles be reassigned
A
delegation from the Private S e c t o r Commission (PSC) met recently with Vice President and Minister of Public S e c u r i t y, K h e m r a j Ramjattan, during which a range of issues affecting the nation's prison system was discussed and solutions sought to some of the challenges facing the Guyana Prison Service (GPS). Among the issues addressed, PSC said, were the lack of adequate transportation; the general conditions under which prisoners are being held
especially at the Lusignan Prison since the fire at the Georgetown Prison and the threat posed to prison warders because of these conditions. PSC was also concerned about the lack of smoke detectors, which would serve to provide early warning of any fires at the various prisons. The PSC delegation, led by its Chairman Desmond Sears, during that August 23 meeting, said it “commended the Public Security Ministry for recent improvements, which have been made within the prison system with regard to the
The Private Sector Commission meeting with Vice-President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, on Wednesday August 23, 2018 on issues affecting the prisons in Guyana.
File Photo: An overhead view of the Lusignan Prisons
supply of water and the upgraded road leading to the Lusignan Prison”. “But the PSC registered its grave concern at the under-funding by Central Government of the police, prison and fire services. On the issue of the lack of transportation, the Chairman of the Governance Subcommittee of the PSC, Capt. Gerald Gouveia indicated that since the fire at the Georgetown Prisons, “there is no kitchen there and food has to be transported daily from Lusignan.” Gouveia said that he is advised that quite often the food arrives hours late and in some cases is spoilt when it gets to Georgetown. He also drew attention to the lack of transportation at the New Amsterdam Prisons, which affected the
timely movement of prisoners to the court and for medical attention. “In this connection, the PSC recommended that some of the buses currently at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Camp Ayanganna headquarters should be reassigned to the Guyana Prison Service to alleviate the critical logistics problems which it faces.” Minister Ramjattan pointed to a number of constraints, which his Ministry faces as well as identified a menu of initiatives upon which it has embarked in an effort to resolve some of the issues. Following the meeting, the PSC said it dispatched a letter to the Minister documenting its concerns a l o n g w i t h i t s recommendations.
Saturday September 22, 2018
Nomination Day relatively smooth as major political parties lead submissions Political parties, groups and individuals contesting the November 12th Local Government Elections (LGE) turned out yesterday on Nominations Day at centres established by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) across the country. With some dressed in their party colours, an atmosphere of exuberance permeated the air, as supporters and representatives of the various parties engaged in light banter. Nominations commenced at 10 am and ended at 2pm, and were executed mostly in a peaceful and orderly manner. At the Critchlow Labour College, the three major political parties – the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) – arrived with a procession to present their list of candidates to contest seats in the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC). City Mayor Patricia Green, who has been accused of overseeing a poorly performing APNU-led City Hall, did not offer a comment when approached by Kaieteur News. However, APNU Councillor and Deputy Mayor, Akeem Peter apologised to citizens for not meeting expectations and promised to do better. Nine new Local Authority Areas, one new town (Mahdia), 80 councillors, an additional eight Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) are participating in this year’s LGE. LINDEN AFC Representative Audwin Rutherford said that he was confident with his
team as victory is not just winning the majority, but being there to represent the people and be the voice of the people. “We know that there would be significant - Our team- we have a mixture of youth and experience and we have maybe one of the better administrators of all the other teams put together,” Rutherford noted. United Republican Party (URP) Representative Ian Halls, said that the party will bring a lot of change to the Council and run it like a business to benefit the workers in terms of better salaries and improved services for residents. “Trust the URP, give them a chance and we will ensure that the taxes that people paythey will get value for their money,” Halls stated. APNU Campaign Manager for Region 10, Valerie Adams Yearwood was in a very optimistic mood. “The strategy was always to be first and we planned well and we made it here first and so that is a good start. And it also says that if we win this race here today, we will win every other race, and so I feel good as the Campaign Manager,” she pointed out. Adams -Yearwood noted that the APNU Party was the only party that would have held primaries and that was because the party was working towards achieving transparency. BERBICE From as early as Thursday, key political parties and their support base “camped out” at several LAA in Region Six with the major political parties taking the lead while representatives of other parties indicated that they were strategically contesting
areas for nomination day yesterday. At the Rose Hall Town Primary School, Mayor of the township Vijay Ramoo said that there were no problems experienced and “everything went smooth”. The URP party also submitted a list to contest the m u n i c i p a l i t y. According to a representative from the URP party, they plan to contest all three municipalities in Region Six along with the 52 - 74, the Crabwood Creek, Canefield/Enterprise and Fort Ordinance areas. The AFC will be contesting two municipalities in Region Six along with ten NDCs while APNU will be contesting all three municipalities in Region Six excluding the Kintyre/Borlam area. From Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, Fassad Baksh who is on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) list, relayed that once elected as a councillor for that area, persons could expect developmental works on streets and drains along with “clearing of animals from the streets”. The area of Corriverton saw members of the PPP/C turning up from as early as Thursday; however, there were some minor glitches. The Alliance for Change and the URP also submitted their lists at Corriverton. At the GECOM office in New Amsterdam, APNU members decked out in their brilliant green T-shirts took the number one spot for submission of their list, since they held their spot since Thursday. PPP/C, donned in their bright red shirts and party
Maduro says he’ll ask UN for US$500m to bring back Venezuelan migrants CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — President Nicolas Maduro says he’s going to ask the United Nations for US$500 million to help repatriate hundreds of thousands of impoverished Venezuelans who have fled their country’s economic meltdown. Maduro has yet to decide whether or not he will attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week, saying on Tuesday he first needed to evaluate the security procedures in place. He has not attended the General Assembly since 2015. In addressing a message to the UN’s new special representative for Venezuelan migrants, Maduro took what appeared to be a deliberately provocative tone — and it was unclear whether he intended to follow through with the request for
money. “I invite you, come to Venezuela, I’m going to ask you to give me US$500 million to bring me... all the migrants outside Venezuela who want to return, and they all want to return!” he said in the message to UN representative Eduardo Stein, a former Guatemalan vice president. Maduro said he would use the money to fly Venezuelans back home. The UN says 2.3 million Venezuelans are living outside the country, with 1.6 million having fled since 2015. Venezuela’s economic woes began in 2014 with the crash in the price of oil, a commodity on which the country is almost entirely dependent. “We’ll need a fleet of planes to bring them, I’m not going to bring them back on foot,” said
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Kaieteur News
President Nicolas Maduro Maduro, alluding to the fact many migrants fleeing the country have done so on foot or hitch-hiking.
flags in hand were the second party in New Amsterdam to hand in their list while URP handed in third and the Alliance For Change handed over in the afternoon. Winifred Haywood, Mayor of New Amsterdam said that the process was smooth with no hiccups while head of the list for PPP/C Zabarally Armogan called ‘Brown’ said that the list was checked and was confirmed as okay. Some clarifications were needed about the occupation of one of the candidates on their list but the process was ‘smooth’ overall. Armogan said, that the PPP/C plans to contest all the areas throughout Region Six. At the Canefield / Enterprise Neighbourhood Democratic Council, only two parties submitted their lists by noon. LGE is held using a Mixed Electoral System of Proportional Representation and First-Past-the-Post. Fifty percent or half of the number of councillors of each Local Authority Area will be elected through the Proportional Representation component and the other fifty per cent through the FirstPast-the-Post or Constituency component.
11 lawyers represent Ryan Crawford Ryan Crawford, the lawyer who was caught on video going off on a expletive lased rant against a police traffic rank who had stopped him and requested to see his documents, was slapped with five charges yesterday when he appeared before magistrate Peter Hugh at the Vi g i l a n c e Magistrate’s Court. Crawford who is being represented by a battery of lawyers, eleven to be exact, pleaded “not guilty” to the charge of riotous behaviour, use of obscene language in a public, uncertified motor vehicle, prohibition of tinted glass and failure to produce driver’s licence. Attorney-at-law Sanjeev Datadin spoke for the team, which included Teni Housty and Pauline Chase. Mr. Datadin identified the other attorneys-at-law in the team as Joel Edmond, Anessa Chow, Ganesh Hera, Ramesh Rajkumar, Chandra Sohan, Horatio Edmonson, Lloyd Thomas and Ian Smith. Crawford was released on his own recognizance after the prosecution offered no objection on bail. Crawford was then told to return to the M a h a i c o n y M a g i s t r a t e ’s Court on October 10, ne xt.
The events that led to Crawford being charged
yesterday, began on September 13, last, when, he, Crawford was stopped by a traffic rank on the Yorkshire Hall Public Road, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, and asked to produced his documents. The traffic rank was recording the occurrence on his cell phone at the time. Crawford was seen and heard in the video which went on to become viral on social media, cussing out the policeman, using expletives over 32 times in the four-minute video. The issue went on to spark a debate that has left sections of society divided on whether Crawford was wrong or right. The Bar Association of Guyana issued a statement in relation to the Crawford saga, which stated, “The Bar Council holds its members to the highest standards of ethics and conduct and implores them to conduct themselves, at all times, in a manner befitting that of our most noble and esteemed profession.” Some persons when asked how they felt about what was being said in the statement in light of the fact that the policeman was grossly disrespected, said it showed the gross disrespect for the working class by the more fortunate in Guyana.
Trini charged with stealing plane after airport breach Trinidad Guardian - The son of former University of the West Indies principal Professor Clement Sankat was arrested and charged with attempting to steal a plane at a Florida airport Thursday morning. Nishal Sankat was charged with criminal theft of an aircraft, criminal trespassing and visa violation hours after US authorities claimed he allegedly hopped a fence at the Melbourne International Airport in Florida and boarded a commercial airplane in a maintenance hangar. The incident prompted the airport to be shut down for five hours and caused two flights to be delayed. It also quickly made international headlines as media houses initially felt it may have been a pos-sible terrorist threat, as he was only identified as a Trinidadian student who had had flight training and had en-tered into the US from Cana-da. Sankat’s identity was released to the media by Federal Bu-reau of Investigation (FBI) yesterday afternoon after he was charged. In a brief phone interview with the T&T Guardian, Professor Sankat confirmed it was
his son but said he could make no comment on the matter as he had little idea of what occurred. However, he did confirm that his son had been “very depressed” earlier this week. Nishal Sankat, a former Hillview College student, was studying Aviation Management at the Florida Institute of Technology. The Florida school confirmed in a statement that he was a parttime student at the in-stitution and had completed flight training there. Florida news outlets reported that Sankat was challenged by two workers who were on board the plane as he attempted to enter the cock-pit. They asked him to show his badge authorising his presence on the aircraft. Instead, he ignored them and attempted to sit in the pilot’s chair. They workers tack-led him and after subduing him one of the workers alerted police to the intrusion. Following his arrest, Lori
Booker, a spokesperson for the airport, informed the media of the situation. “At 2 am this morning a vehicle approached our terminal and parked curbside with the engine running. A male subject was seen running from the car, jumping the fence running across the apron and boarded an airbus 321 which was not in service at the time,” Booker said. Booker told reporters a robot device was used to ensure nothing dangerous was in the parked vehicle left behind. The car was towed away after it was declared safe. She had earlier confirmed the suspect was student pilot was born in T&T and had entered the United States from Canada and held a valid Florida driver’s licence. The Melbourne Police Department and the FBI responded to the incident while the US Anti Terrorism Task Force was con-sulted to ensure it was an isolated incident.
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Saturday September 22, 2018
Kaieteur News
LEGAL NOTICE contd
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , 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. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Have your fence, yard, mat to pressure wash and yard to weed? Call 666-2326 Installations, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc call Nick 627-3206, 630-1600
FOR SALE Generac Pressure Wash for sale 3100 PSI. Tel#654-5267/ 652-2244/220-4203 Skutt Automatic Kiln Model 1227 & 8 movable stage pieces for sale. 650-1713 Cat 320 DL Excavator - Good condition MWM Turbo 6 cylinder engine with 8-6 Berkley pump. Yamaha 25 hp outboard. Call 613-5062 10" Diamond Lavrador. Steel wash plant (stone separator) for gold mining, Shulz Air Compressor. Call 613-5062 1 Mitsubishi canter 4D30, good condition, 2.5 ton, shortbase hydraulic backgate. Price 1.1M. Contact 661-3525, 610-6886 Two connected 7 1/2 Tons air conditioners. Aluminium ducting extractors for restaurant. Contact No #6621991/641-4952
HEALTH Herbal remedies: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis etc. Call Sparman #676-5924
Sheep for sale. Contact# 6956139/ 674-5052 One transported property, one farm land, One Hilux pickup, Music equipment. #265-3586 Strong, Fast, Aluminium boats for sale with & without engines. 651-8883 whatsapp. 50 acres of coconut estate located at Barima River. Contact#680-2702
SALON September Cosmetology Courses $40,000 Nail Technology $25,000 Advance Make-up $15,000, All products provided. Abby #614-6749
VEHICLE FOR SALE White Toyota Axio 2010 Unregistered Vehicle with low mileage and reverse camera $2.6 Neg #220-9514/645-6469
TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
Allion, Primo, Fielder Wagon, Spacio, Bluebird, 212 Carina, RZ,Pit-bull, Allex, 192 & Canter – Call: 650-7501
LEARN TO DRIVE
Nissan X-Trail. PNN 2515 $2.3 Negotiable. Call: 683-1019
N. Outar Driving School. Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 6445166/691-2561
Toyota Mark 2 PXX registration (All extras) very nice car, must be seen #6160427/689-3612
ACCOMMODATION Secret Villa & Harmony Inn, Ideal for local & overseas guest. Tel#225-6337, 2181400/ 694-7817/668-0306
Nissan Pathfinder Jeep, Nissan Laurel Honda Ipsum 7 seater. Superb condition/ Bargain Prices. Call: 609-7766 today
FOR RENT
WANTED
VACANCY
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
1 Air compressor 5HP 3 Phase 230/220 volts. Call: 628-1486/ 698-1134.
Waiter/Waitress- Cook, preferably carnegie trained. Call: 225-7933, or visit 173 Sheriff Street.
Furnished apartments $6000 daily, Air conditioned room $3000 daily, we also do laundry $700 per load #2230994/678-5827 Newly built house, fully furnished ECDem Nice location 10-15 mins from G/ town #616-0427/689-3612 1 Supermarket for rent. Located at 76 first avenue Bartica. Contact# 664-4663 1 & 2 Bedroom apartments, 3 bedroom house. Can be used for storage also ECD. Contact Mr. Khan #675-2550/ 656-9319 2 Bedroom bottom flat Grove/ Diamond 1st bridge. 6944276/680-6399 Apartment for rent. Parfaite Harmonie W.B.D. Tel 6033912 Two bedroom unfurnished apartment at Grove New Scheme E.B.D. $40,000. 6493009 Business place to rent (bottom flat) 14 Lombard St G/town. Tel# 227-1385, 6530506 1 bedroom for working couple/single person $35,000 & $32,000 monthly light & water included. Lodge. Call: 623-0076 LAND FOR SALE 5 acres of Vacant Transported land @ Brahn, West Coast Berbice. $10M Negotiable. Call: 601-5739/ 718-444-1944/917-628-9492 Prime land to build that dream home. Not far from Princess, New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: 669-8397 Parfaite Harmonie can transfer 3M 1.3M, Farm 4.5M, Covenient 5M, Tuschen 1.4M, Uitvlugt 2.7M. Call 666-2326 Prime East Bank Land for bond & storage facility $8M. Pay 75% now, rest later. Tel# 651-1969
1 Diesel Mechanic/Welder to work in Interior. Contact #6255136 Monday-Friday between 8am-5pm Buying non working/ store damaged appliances, refridgerator, treadmill, cooler, deepfryer, ovens, doughmixer. Whatsapp 661-5099 Personnel to excavate approx 4’x4’x6' area and build underground water reservoir. Tel 227-1830 Land to buy. Parfaite Harmonie, Tuschen, Farm, Eccles, Covenient, Uitvlugt, Diamond, Providence. Best price pay. Call 604-6724 1 Skilled Bobcat operator. 4 years experience. 609-0766/ 265-3024 Wanted Female workers. Just write CXC 2018. Call 622-5518 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 Driver for pitbull route 42 bus. Call 685-0569, 604-7018. Call any time. Unfurnished building located Lower East Coast/Lower East Bank Demerara. Send details &pictures- newerarealtygy @gmail.com 1 male to work on chicken farm in interior, must have knowledge & experience in poultry rearing. Contact #680-2702 1 Live-in-couple. Husband, Driving etc Wife- Domestic. Georgetown Area. Tel# 2271830 PROPERTY FOR SALE Super newly renovated property 2 storey house with 2 washrooms, one with bathtub at Lowland ECD Price $10M Neg. Cell: 6470655 6 bedroom house on transported double lot- all amenities, private yard/ parking. Georgetown, Call: 609-7766 today Property for sale, two flat fully furnished at Block CC Mon Repos. Tel# 220-0852/ 670-0558 VACANCY Maid for East Bank to cook & clean. 614-4358
EDUCATION Personal tutor for your children. Grade 2,4,6 Form 15 CXC Maths/Physic/ Chemistry/Biology. #6905008
Receptionist, Ages 25-45 years old, Tel #225-0198 or visit 233 South Rd, Lacytown. Gardener, Waiter/Waitress. Apply to the manager, Herdmanston Lodge 65 Peter Rose & Anira St, Queenstown
Maths tutor to teach an 8 year old. Contact 223-5273/74 Driver/Expeditor. Contact 223-5273/74 Minibus driver living in G/ town to work with company #664-0802 Experienced wasbay staff. Minibus driver to work Route 42 bus from 4pm. #646-8748 Job Vacancy- One heavy machinery mechanic, Pit workers for dredge in the interior. Contact# 645-6191 Experienced Handyman/ Porter ablebody all-rounder, apply with written application/ recommendation @ Keyfood McDoom Village (Age 20-30) Expert water repairer. Apply to Royal Jewel House 137 Regent Street- opposite Kirpalani Vegetarian Gardens: Driver/ Salesman. 227-7714/2233448info@vgiworld.com Wanted counter attendants, apply to Dian’s Deli, Barr St Kitty. Tel# 621-7862 Male sales clerks. Apply with hand written applications to Royal Jewel House, 137 Regent, opposite Kirpalani. 2 Grillmen (Driver’s license a plus) to grill burgers. 1 live in help from Berbice/Essequibo. Contact X’s Grill & Cuisine. 675-2550/656-9313 Road technicians to work at Atlantic Wireless Network to install internet antennas. Call #227-2001 or email CV to jobs@awngy.com LEGALNOTICE 2018-HC-DEM-CIV-FC1100 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD-1100 between PARKES (CHANDANIE) nee SANKAR Petitioner -vPARKES (DALE SHERWIN) Respondent TO: DALE SHERWIN PARKES Lot 181 Avenue B, Diamond, East Bank Demerara, Guyana. TAKE NOTICE that on the 13th day of August, 2018 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by CHANDANIE PARKES nee SANKAR the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.
AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 4th day of September, 2018 the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News Newspaper, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorneyat-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to defend (Forms are available at the Registry), an Answer and/ or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of The High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 42 (forty-two) days from the second and final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the Divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Thursday the 8th day of November, 2018 at 11:45 am before the Honorable Madam Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall in Court Room 6 of the High Court at Georgetown. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, an Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is Located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 5th day of September, 2018
Continued on the next page
Saturday September 22, 2018
PAGE 23
Kaieteur News
Child-rapist commits suicide Rusal workers kept in dark to escape life sentence as company reportedly winds down operation by October 1
Minister Jaipaul Sharma meeting with RUSAL workers earlier this year. Earlier this year, the United States Treasury Department announced sanctions against RUSAL, one of the biggest bauxite companies in the world, effectively banning the company from conducting business in US dollars. The sanctions were to take effect in June but the Treasury Department announced it is pushing back the deadline to October 23 to give US companies time to wind down business with RUSAL. Those sanctions have affected not only US companies but companies that do business with RUSAL and at the same time want to continue dealing with the US. In Guyana, RUSAL’s operations in Aroaima and Kurubuka were affected with the pullout of the Oldendorff Carriers, which has the longstanding contract to ship the bauxite from Guyana. Oldendorff took a decision to start scaling back its operations, with 200 workers affected. Yesterday, RUSAL workers said that they were not officially informed of any closures come October 1. However, the state-con-
trolled, Guyana Chronicle earlier this week reported that RUSAL is “planning to scale down its operations here from October 1, as the Natural Resources Ministry prepares to submit a status report to Cabinet.” The report disclosed that U.S. customers are mandated to wind down business with RUSAL by October 23, 2018, because of sanctions imposed in April 2018 in response to Moscow’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The newspaper said that on Tuesday, RUSAL’s local subsidiary, Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI) reportedly informed its managers at its Aroaima, Region 10 worksite that the company will be scaling down its operations from October 1, 2018. “For the month of October 2018, there will be no mining of bauxite, nor will there be any shipping of bauxite,” the newspaper quoted a source close to the local management of the Russianowned company. Workers of RUSAL, more than 400 of them, are deeply worried as the company had
Region’s rum producers aggressively targeting... From page 8 the local alcoholic beverages association. We will need to put aside our competitive marketing interests”, he said, “and work together in pursuit of the greater good for Guyana.” DDL said it plans to engage government and non-state stakeholders to determine how the industry can best contribute in practical ways, to the implementation of policies and actions to mitigate the impact of harmful consumption. The West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA) is one of the oldest private sector trade associations in the Caribbean. It represents rum producers in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Haiti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.
been not engaging with the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU). Yesterday, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, when asked said that he is not aware of any closures. “There is a Ministerial Task Force and I am not part of that. I have not been briefed,” Scott said. However, even senior supervisors of RUSAL seemed to be out of the loop. “I can tell you, we are nervous. We don’t see the operations easing up. But we are hearing lots of rumours,” one staffer from RUSAL, in Region 10 told Kaieteur News yesterday. According to the staffer, they have been hearing very little from the Task Force and government. RUSAL’s officials insisted that the company was not going anywhere, following news of the sanctions earlier this year.
Sentenced to serve a life sentence for raping a five-year-old, 52-yearold Deosaran Narine chose death instead. Narine, called ‘ChaCha’, and ‘Kumar’, was reportedly found dead in his Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara home yesterday. He had apparently ingested a poisonous substance. Narine’s suicide came three days after Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry jailed him for life in his absence, for engaging in sexual activity with a five-year-old girl back in 2014. A jury had found him guilty of the offence. The accused, who is an amputee, had reportedly left the court before his sentencing last Tuesday and a warrant was issued for his arrest. His Attorney was unable to account for his whereabouts. Kaieteur News understands that Narine contacted a female relative Thursday night and informed her of his intention to take his own life, rather than face a lifetime in prison. “He tell she that he get sentence to life and he not able (with jail) and will kill heself,” a source said. The relative reportedly notified the police
a n d N a r i n e ’s b o d y w a s found in his home at around 12:30 hrs yesterday. It is alleged that during May 2014, Narine engaged in sexual activity with a child/family member. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge at the commencement of his trial at the High Court in Georgetown. Narine is said to have sucked the back of the girl’s neck and then inserted his index finger into her vagina. He had then told the child not to tell anyone. However, she confided in her guardians. In arriving at a sentence for Narine, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry took into consideration all the aggravating and mitigating factors. The Judge also considered the psychological impact the incident had on the child, since according to the Judge, she told a counsellor that she still feels sad and hurt. According to the High Court Judge, the sentence will send a strong message that such acts will not be tolerated. Narine would have been eligible for parole after serving 25 years.
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/ 6 5 6 - 0 0 8 7 , ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494 TO LET Two(2) bedroom apartment @ Providence East Bank Demerara. Student of Texila are welcome. Tel 618-6207, 673-1617 2 & 3 bedroom apartment in Eccles & rooms in Albertown. Tel# 225-3234/225-9223 Three Bedroom house To Let, top flat. Phone #220-4670
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Kaieteur News
Guyana poised to become Caribbean’s foremost investment destination
Saturday September 22, 2018
GuySuCo superintendent dies after being struck by reversing truck
-President Granger says at opening of GUYTIE
The truck that was involved in the accident.
President, Prime Minister and Minister of Business after the ribbon-cutting ceremony President David Granger is predicting that Guyana will become the destination of choice for persons seeking investment opportunities in the Caribbean. The President made the disclosure on Thursday while addressing the opening of the inaugural three-day Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition (GUYTIE) at the Guyana Marriott Hotel under the theme: ‘Made locally, trading globally’. Granger told the gathering that petroleum revenues would catalyze economic growth, increase employment and demand, propel innovation, intensify technology transfer and improve workforce productivity. “Guyana will soon become the Caribbean’s foremost investment destination. The private sector should aim at building capacity and establishing strategic partnerships to be able to exploit the opportunities, which will flow from the petroleum sector,” the President stated. Referring to Guyana’s oil discoveries, Granger stated that the maritime space will unleash unprecedented business opportunities. “GuyTIE could enhance Guyana’s investment image as an investor-friendly state.
It can improve competitiveness of large, small and medium sized enterprises and strategically position Guyana and the Caribbean in the global marketplace,” the President stated. Attracting some 56 exhibitors, the exhibition is aimed at providing a platform to connect local businesses with international markets. Among these exhibitors were well-known companies including Banks DIH ltd, the Embassy of the United States, Comfort Sleep, Sterling Products ltd, Edward B. Beharry and Caribbean Airlines. In addition to the organizations known countrywide, there were also Amazon Authentics, Mohamed’s Farm, Tropical Shipping, Dagron Tours, Dyna’s Embroidery, Tazmein Coates and Kotra (Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency). At the opening, there were also coinciding speeches by the Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin and the Private Sector Commission Chairman, Desmond Sears, both of whom told the gathering that this exhibition was an event for the private sector to capitalize on. Minister Gaskin addressed the gathering by saying that GuyTIE “is not and was never intended to be an
Cutting of ribbon at GuyTIE
entertainment event but strictly a business to business event” and will “work in line with the National Quality Inspection Project.” Gaskin also stressed on the fact that “GuyTIE is about the private sector” with the opinion that “now more than ever a strong private sector is needed by Guyana” as he related to the oil industry. Before concluding his speech, Gaskin told the gathering that GuyTIE 2018 is a plot event, which they expect to reoccur, and that “it is now up to our local businesses to explore.” The Private Sector Commission is supportive of the initiative. The chairperson of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Desmond Sears also attended the event and expressed his beliefs in “fair and equal treatment of investors in Guyana” as he told the gathering that he “is very excited for Guyana” and that “these are the exhibitions we need to promote Guyana.” The PSC Chairman also made reference to the oil industry by saying that it is only a matter of time before we receive revenue from oil and gas and that “Guyana would definitely be the place you’d want to invest.’’ The exhibition began Thursday and will conclude today.
A motorcyclist is now dead after he was struck down by a truck which was reversing out of a yard. Dead is Rajendranauth Haroldsingh, called Jerry 52, of Lot 28 Reliance Abandon, East Canje Berbice. Singh a father of two and a Harvesting Superintendent from the Special Purposes Unit (SPU) of the Rose Hall Estate was reportedly on his way home around 12:30 hrs on motorcycle CF 1615. While in the vicinity of Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice, he was struck by motor Canter GWW 1831, owned and driven by Mohandass Meenkum called Marvin, 36, of Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice. Singh had just finished supervising workers in the backdam and was heading home when he was struck by the Canter, which suddenly began reversing out of the
Rajendranauth Haroldsingh yard. He was hurled to the opposite side of the road. Singh was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he succumbed. His wife, Zandra Singh, who also works at the Rose Hall Estate stated that she spoke to her husband a few hours prior to the tragedy. She got the message at work, but
was told that it was a “minor accident.” She contacted her daughter who arrived at the hospital first. Mrs. Singh said when she reached the hospital, she was not allowed to see her husband, and subsequently learnt that he died. Singh leaves to mourn his wife, his two children a son and daughter ages 29 and 26, his ailing father one brother and two sisters. Meenkum was taken into custody and is assisting with the investigation. In the meanwhile, Commander of the Police ‘B’ Division Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken, Officer in Charge of Traffic, Assistant Superintendent Timothy Williams, a number of other officers and Pastor Phillips of the Cops and Faith Organisation in Berbice visited the victim’s family.
Lake Victoria Tanzania ferry disaster: Divers hunt for survivors (BBC) At least 136 people have died after a ferry carrying hundreds of people capsized on Lake Victoria, Tanzania, officials say. Many are missing and it is feared that more than 200 people in total may have drowned. Rescue efforts resumed on Friday after being halted overnight. The MV Nyerere ferry overturned near Ukara island on its way from Bugorora. It is thought the overloaded vessel tipped over when crowds on board moved to one side as it docked. Rescue operations on Africa’s biggest lake have involved police and army divers, as well as small private boats and local fishermen.
The BBC’s Aboubakar Famau in Tanzania says fear has gripped residents of the Mwanza region as they wait to hear the fate of relatives who travelled on the MV Nyerere on Thursday. “I received a call telling me that I have lost my aunt, father and my younger brother,” says Editha Josephat Magesa, a local resident. “We are really saddened and urge the government to provide a new ferry because the old one was small and the population is big.” Our reporter says the ferry’s engines were recently replaced after local MP Joseph Mkundi complained about the previous ones. Local media say the ferry’s
official capacity was 100 people, but officials say the vessel was carrying more than 400 passengers when it capsized. It operates on a busy route, crossing eight times a day between the islands of Ukara and Ukwerewe, which are close to Tanzania’s second-largest city of Mwanza. The ferry was said to have been particularly busy because it was market day in Bugorora, on Ukerewe island. The vessel was also carrying cargo, including bags of cement and maize, when it capsized around 50 metres from the shore. It is thought that many of the passengers would not have been able to swim.
Saturday September 22, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Saturday September 22, 2018
Chinese nanny Mo Huanjing executed for arson killings (BBC) Chinese nanny has been executed after deliberately starting a fire that killed a mother and her three children in the eastern city of Hangzhou. Mo Huanjing, 35, was sentenced to death for
arson in February. She had allegedly racked up significant gambling debts, and had hoped “saving” the family from the blaze would persuade them to lend her more money. Instead, the fire in
their 18th-floor apartment killed Zhu Xiaozhen and her children, aged six, nine and 11. Lin Shengbin, her husband and the c h i l d r e n ’s f a t h e r, w a s away on business at the time of the crime in June
2017. Mo, who used a lighter to start the blaze in the living room, escaped. News of the execution provoked a huge reaction on Weibo, China’s e q u i v a l e n t o f Tw i t t e r, where Mr Lin told his 2.6 million followers: “The devil Mo Huanjing is finally executed.” “Hearing the news, my tears would not stop flowing,” he wrote. “I called my parents. My mother listened and cried and said that everyone has waited too long for this day.” Mr Lin said that while he feels justice has been served, “the road ahead
will be even harder”, and shared a picture of his w i f e a n d c h i l d r e n ’s graves. Over 108,000 Weibo users commented on his post, many saying they had cried too or wishing h i m p e a c e and good health. The case has made national headlines in China since it first emerged, partly due to claims that firefighters had been slow to respond. The fire brigade denied that, blaming low water pressure and the b u i l d i n g ’s p o o r f i r e safety features. The tragic nature of the crime has made the
“Hangzhou Nanny Arson Case” a popular reference for pro-death penalty advocates in China. When neighbouring Mongolia abolished capital punishment in July 2017, it was repeatedly cited by those who felt China should keep the death penalty. China is believed to execute more people annually than any other country, but is highly secretive about the number. Human rights group Amnesty International puts the figure in the thousands - more than the rest of the world’s nations put together.
Lake Victoria Tanzania ferry disaster: Divers hunt for survivors (BBC) At least 136 people have died after a ferry carrying hundreds of people capsized on Lake Victoria, Tanzania, officials say. Many are missing and it is feared that more than 200 people in total may have drowned. Rescue efforts resumed on Friday after being halted overnight. The MV Nyerere ferry overturned near Ukara island on its way from Bugorora. It is thought the overloaded vessel tipped over when crowds on board moved to one side as it docked. Rescue operations on Africa’s biggest lake have involved police and army divers, as well as small private boats and local fishermen.
The BBC’s Aboubakar Famau in Tanzania says fear has gripped residents of the Mwanza region as they wait to hear the fate of relatives who travelled on the MV Nyerere on Thursday. “I received a call telling me that I have lost my aunt, father and my younger b r o t h e r, ” s a y s E d i t h a Josephat Magesa, a local resident. “ We a r e r e a l l y s a d dened and urge the government to provide a new ferry because the old one was small and the population is big.” Our reporter says the ferry’s engines were recently replaced after local MP Joseph Mkundi complained about the previous ones. Local media say the
ferry’s official capacity was 100 people, but officials say the vessel was carrying more than 400 passengers when it capsized. It operates on a busy route, crossing eight times a day between the islands of Ukara and Ukwerewe, which are close to Tanzania’s second-largest city of Mwanza. The ferry was said to have been particularly busy because it was market day in Bugorora, on Ukerewe island. The vessel was also carrying cargo, including bags of cement and maize, when it capsized around 50 metres from the shore. It is thought that many of the passengers would not have been able to swim.
Saturday September 22, 2018
Silver to NBA teams: Hire, Series promote, protect women called... NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a memo to all 30 teams on Friday urging them to hire, promote and protect women in the workplace. The memo comes one day after the findings of an investigation into sexual harassment and workplace misconduct with the Dallas Mavericks. Silver asked teams to review the investigative findings and adhere to portions of the demands in place for the Dallas organization. ”Respect and integrity are core NBA values,” Silver wrote in the memo, published by ESPN. “And we must all work to ensure that they are reflected in the culture and workplaces of our organizations.” Silver and the NBA launched a hotline available league wide to promote respect in the workplace following the Sports Illustrated story that helped launch an investigation of the Mavericks. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban
From page 26 game before the Bonaire game,” he explained. ”I don’t expect this to severely affect the continued programme to look at local players, as the coaching staff will still have the opportunity to observe players in the Premier League and an early camp before the Bonaire assignment.”
Adam Silver - NBA Commissioner claimed not to know of the workplace issues. He donated $10 million to raise awareness about domestic violence. (Field Level Media)
Saturday September 22, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Too many people could be vying for your attention today, Aries. All of them want advice or help. This could be flattering, and you'll probably want to help them, but it can also be unsettling TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Too many people could be vying for your attention today, Aries. All of them want advice or help. This could be flattering, and you'll probably want to help them, but it can also be unsettling GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Squabbles may come up between you and a sibling or neighbor, Gemini. Your ability to compromise is definitely called for here CANCER (June 21–July 22) Money matters might cause you a few headaches, Cancer. You could be torn between the desire to put money aside for the future and the impulse to buy something that you badly wanted LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Too much rigorous exercise over the past few days might have you feeling a little sore and tired, Leo. Your nerves may be on edge, and you could be more likely than usual to snap at those around you. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Spiritual breakthroughs may have you feeling a little disconcerted, Virgo. Clearing away deadwood, such as past traumas, might tell you a few things about yourself you'd rather not face.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A conference of some kind could touch upon some pretty volatile issues, Libra. People could disagree to the point that the meeting turns into a shouting match. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Is your significant other caught up in family problems and unable to spend time with you? Don't let your insecurity get the best of you. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Matters involving communication seem to be fouled up . Messages may not get delivered, emails may not go through, and people might misinterpret your words. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your values could oppose those of a business or romantic partner today, Capricorn. One of you may be overly pragmatic and the other too idealistic. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) If you've been having trouble reaching a romantic partner, Aquarius, it might be a good idea to stop trying. Your friend is having a rough day and might not make the best company. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may feel a bit restless and unsettled without really knowing why, Pisces. Stresses on the job could churn up repressed resentment from the past that you need to release. Try to discern exactly what these stresses remind you of. If you're unable to do this
Supercar, superbike... From page 29 ~210mph, Engine size: 1,600 cc, Price: unknown. F-16 fighter jet - Top speed: 1,500 mph, Thrust: 27,000lbs, Cost: £11million. Challenger 605 Top speed: 541mph (870km/ h), Thrust: 17,458lbs, Cost: £20.5million. Kawasaki Ninja H2R - Top speed: 250mph (400km/h), Horsepower: 310 bhp (230 kW), Engine size: 998 cc, Prize: £42,000. Tesla P100DL - Top speed: 155mph (250 km/h), Horsepower: 778 bph (585 kW), Range: 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.1 seconds, Price: £85,000-110,000, Aston Martin New Vantage Top speed: 195mph (315km/ h), Horsepower: 503bhp (375 kW), Engine size: 4,000 cc, Price: £120,900.
NOC secure final... From page 31 Reliance Hustlers will be missing two of their key players, Narendra Madholall and Rovendra Parasram who are plying their trade in the USA and Canada, respectively. Nevertheless, with the likes of Ramesh Narine, Dinesh Joseph, Travis Simon and Anthony Ifill in their line up, they cannot be taken lightly. Cash incentives and trophies will be given to the winner and runner-up, man-ofthe-match, best batsman and best bowler in the final which will commence at 11:00hrs tomorrow, a keen contest is anticipated.
Softball action on tomorrow at DCC The Permaul’s Trading, Khan’s Trading and Back to Eden Softball tournament is set to continue tomorrow at the Demerara Cricket Club with several matches. Regal Masters will face Success Masters from 10:00hrs and Tropical Masters will play Regal Masters from 13:00hrs on pitch one. On pitch two, Albion Masters will take on Narine Masters (10:00hrs) and Regal Allstars will tackle Beach Knight from 13:00hrs. Meanwhile, a decent bowling performance from pacer Mark Harold handed SVC Allstars a nine-wicket win over Spikeland Challengers on Sunday last. Playing at Malteenoes Sports Club, Harold picked up 3-8 off four overs to help bowl
Mark Harold out Spikeland Challengers for 41, batting first. SVC had little hiccups in their chase, responding with 43-1 in 4.5 overs.
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Saturday September 22, 2018
Kaieteur News
Shoaib Malik the hero as NBA Board approves rules changes Pakistan survive serious scare
Expansion of Instant Replay Rules
Hasan Ali celebrates with Shoaib Malik after Pakistan’s win © AFP. It was three balls from the end that the match finally appeared to have swung decisively. In an ideal world, Afghanistan wouldn’t have wanted their weakest bowler on the day - Aftab Alam bowling the final over. But here he was, and under extreme pressure, it was experience that told. Shoaib Malik is experience personified, and he capitalised as the bowler lost his composure and sent down two poor deliveries with 10 needed off five balls. A six and a four, game over, and a three-wicket Pakistan win. Eight hours and a bit of Afghanistan playing out of their skins, and yet no points to show for it. The best game of this tournament - one of the best ODIs all year - it refused to get off the knife’s edge. A magnificent unbeaten 97 from Hashmatullah Shahidi and an entertaining half-century from Asghar Afghan powered Afghanistan to their highest total of the tournament - 257 - overcoming a
wobbly start where they lost both openers early. Pakistan began in the worst possible way, losing Fakhar Zaman in the first over, but a monumental 154-run partnership between Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq appeared to have put them on course. It wasn’t nearly as simple as that, with Afghanistan continuously pegging Pakistan back. They fell just short in the end, and the tears flowed. Pakistan weren’t nearly at their best in any department. The fielding was shocking, the bowling too inaccurate, the no-balls untimely, and rash shots emanating from scrambled minds galore. It was, invariably, Malik who navigated his way through the madness of a team that seemed to have forgotten all of its progress of the past couple of years, bringing his half-century up off the winning shot while other batsmen chose the most critical junctures to give away their wickets needlessly. Two partnerships kept
Afghanistan together in the middle of the innings with Shahidi first teaming up with Rehmat Shah and later with his captain Afghan to steer a rocky ship from 31 for 2 to 180 for three. As Pakistan lost their discipline, Shahid kept his, taking advantage of a life he was given after Hasan bowled him off a no-ball to plunder 13 runs in the final over. He ultimately ended three runs short of a hundred he richly deserved. Three balls from the finish, it was obvious Afghanistan would fall short of a win no one in the world would have begrudged them. There will be better days for this remarkable Afghan team. And they will feel all the sweeter for heartbreaks like this one. Just don’t tell them that today; it won’t be any consolation right now. Pakistan 258 for 7 (Imam 80, Babar 66, Malik 51*, Rashid 3-46) beat Afghanistan 257 for 6 (Shahidi 97*, Afghan 67, Nawaz 3-57) by three wickets.
Series called off as Cubans fail to secure flights Kingston, Jamaica, CMC – A scheduled two-match international friendly series between the Reggae Boyz and Cuba has been abandoned due to the failure of the Cubans to secure a flight into the country on the required dates. This was confirmed by general secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Dalton Wint on Thursday, who revealed that the series was called off on Wednesday night. The Cubans were scheduled to arrive in the country on Sunday, September 30, and were due to play their first game against a local-based Jamaica contin-
gent on Tuesday, October 2, at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall, St James, with another match to have taken place at Drax Hall in St Ann three days later. ”We had to call off the games because the Cubans could not secure airline seats for September 30… they were able to get seats on the 28th and suggested we play the first game on the Sunday. ”We could not do that because Sunday, September 30, is a Red Stripe Premier League game day and we did not want to disrupt the schedule of the league so early in the season, so we
could not have accommodated the Cubans,” Wint told the Jamaica Observer. With the Jamaicans set to take on Bonaire in their CONCACAF Nations League qualifying match on October 14, the series would have been the perfect warm up. And while Wint said he didn’t expect the cancellation to significantly affect the squad, he rued the missed opportunity. ”It throws us out a bit because we had turned down other interested parties to facilitate Cuba, but we will try our best to get at least one (Continued on page 25)
Three rules changes were approved by the NBA Board of Governors yesterday when they announced adjustments, unanimously recommended by the league’s competition committee, were unanimously approved. Beginning with the 2018 NBA pre season, the shot clock will reset to 14 seconds in offensive rebounding situations, as opposed to 24; the clear path foul rule will be simplified; and the definition of a “hostile act” will be expanded for purposes of triggering instant replay review.
The shot clock goes to 14 seconds following offensive rebounds, a measure aimed at increasing shot attempts particularly late in close games. Under previous rules. The shot clock reset to 24 seconds anytime the ball hit the rim in previous seasons. The change to the clearpath foul erases some of the judgment calls for referees by requiring only that the offensive player is ahead of all defensive players and in control of the ball or ready to receive an already released pass. The previous rule in-
cluded more nuance about the defender’s specific positioning and opportunity to make a play. The new language removes the requirement for the play to start in the backcourt, since transition plays can begin in the frontcourt. The third rule adopted relates to any “hostile act” that triggers the use of instant replay to include not just playerto-player interactions but also any hostile interaction between a player and a coach, referee or fan. (Field Level Media)
Oliver Fisher shoots European Tour record 59 at Portugal Masters English golfer Oliver Fisher has carded the first round of 59 in European Tour history at the Portugal Masters. The 30-year-old made 10 birdies and an eagle for a 12under second round in Vilamoura and just missed out on going even lower on the final hole. ”It feels great, I started great and I kept it going,” said the world number 287 after his bogey-free effort. He shares the lead with compatriot Eddie Pepperell and Australia’s Lucas Herbert on 12 under. Eighteen players have carded rounds of 60 on the European Tour, while Jim Furyk hit 58 on the PGA Tour in 2016. Fisher, from Chingford in Essex, saw his long birdie putt at the 18th to tie with American Furyk’s mark - graze the hole. ”I’m just pleased I twoputted from 40 feet on the final green,” he said. Fisher started with three birdies and then eagled the par-five fifth before adding further birdies on the sixth and eighth to reach the turn in 28. He birdied the next three holes, and picked up further shots on the 15th and 17th for the lowest round in the 46 years of the European Tour. Fisher started the day eight
Oliver Fisher struck the first ever round of 59 in European Tour history yesterday. (GettyImages) shots off the lead on level par, needing a strong round just to make the cut. Herbert started the day as outright leader and shot a four-under 67 to pull level with Fisher before Pepperell hit a five-under 66 to make it a three-way tie heading into the weekend. England’s Matt Wallace is a shot further back on 11 under and Ireland’s Shane Lowry is on nine under. Spain’s Sergio Garcia finished with three straight bogeys to drop back to six under, while Ryder Cup teammate Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark is a shot behind.
Fisher’s record in numbers - 32 - His best finish at a major championship was a tie for 32nd at the Open in 2013. He has not appeared in a major since 2014. 60 - The previous lowest round on the European Tour has been achieved 18 times, most recently by Brandon Stone to win this year’s Scottish Open. Former Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke is the only man to twice shoot 60 on the tour. 161 - Fisher’s best world ranking, in August 2008. +690,000 - Total number of rounds in the tour’s history before a 59 was hit.
Saturday September 22, 2018
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Kaieteur News
2018 Indigenous Heritage Games
Orealla/Siparuta and Kamarang win following official opening The 2018 Indigenous Heritage Games (IHG) was officially kicked off by Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock yesterday morning at the at the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) Ground, Carifesta Avenue and Camp Street before the preliminary matches of the male and female football competition got underway. During the opening ceremony of the three day event, Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, highlighted that due to the same games last year, a number of indigenous athletes are now representing Guyana in football. Meanwhile, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton shared that he would
like to see the IHG growing from strength to strength with the aim of Guyana being able to field a team sometime in the future at the World Indigenous Games. The IHG has quickly become a yearly tradition and this year’s sporting activities (football, archery, swimming, volleyball and cricket) and family fun day will be held under the theme “Proud of our Indigenous Identity – Celebrating in Unity”. All of the events will be held at the Everest ground except the swimming events, which will be hosted at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, today from 10:00hrs with archery and cricket scheduled to get un-
derway simultaneously today at Everest. Orealla-Siparuta edged Paruima 3-2 in a thriller of an opening match in the male football competition yesterday morning. Scoring for the winners were Stifano Peneux with a double in the 50th and 52nd minute while Ziggy Lewis broke the 2-2 deadlock two minutes before full-time to give OreallaSiparuta a dream start in the competition. Dorwin Percy and Ty s o n McNaughton scored one goal each for the losing Paruima side. In the opening women’s football clash, Kamarang Tunnel Tigers ruthlessly mauled the developing St. Cuthbert’s Mission side 16-0. It was the St. Cuthbert’s ladies first com-
petitive game and they had a fiery baptism as Elnixa martin led the Tigers with seven goals. Also scoring for Kamarang were Therma Ali and Cheryl Edwards with three goals each while Neza Williams notched two goals and Simone Willie with a solitary strike. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is expecting to have over 600 sportsmen and women hailing from Indigenous villages across Guyana’s 10 regions competing in the Games for several cash prizes and trophies. More than $1.5M in cash and trophies will be up for grabs with winner of the men and women’s football competitions pocketing $300,000 and a trophy each; runners-up $200,000
Stifano Peneux Orealla-Siparuta
Ziggy Lewis - Orealla-Siparuta
and a trophy each. The winners of both male and female cricket competitions will enjoy $150,000 and a trophy each with second place finishers carting of $100,000 and a trophy each. In addition to the headline
sports, the weekend’s activities would offer a number of novelty sports, namely: piwari drinking, hot tuma pot eating, fire wood bursting competition and lime and spoon race, among other games.
GBBC’s Young Guns Boxing Card
General Secretary gets Bajan King predicts 2nd round KO tonight life ban from FIFA It promises to be a night of exhilarating fistic fury as all roads lead to Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) for the Guyana Boxing Board of Control’s (BBBC) Young Guns ‘The Proving Ground’ five-bout Professional Boxing Card, tonight. The main bout features 30-year-old Barbadian Keithland King and 29-yearold Guyanese Super Middleweight Champion Derick Richmond in what should an action packed six-round battle. The Middleweight division is 160lbs and King, with two knockouts in his two professional fights, weighed in at 159lbs yesterday when the weigh-in was held at Abdool & Abdool, the office of GBBC’s President, Peter Abdool, Avenue of the Republic. However, Richmond, with a professional record of 11 fights, 5 wins with 4 KOs, 4 losses and 1 draw was 14lbs (174lbs) overweight when he stepped on the scale. The Berbician Richmond, making a return to the ring for the first time since 2016, blamed his overweight status on the faulty scale used by his Coach Orlon ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers to weigh him yesterday and indicated that he weighed, 162 lbs. Richmond was given two hours to shed the excess weight but it was unlikely that he would lose more than six pounds. According to Abdool, if Richmond does not make the weight then the fight will be changed to a catch-weight
Zurich, Switzerland, CMC – Former General Secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association Costas Takkas has received a life ban from FIFA. Takkas was among three football officials who received the sentence from the sport’s governing body, with the others being former chairman of the North American Soccer League Aaron Davidson and Colombian ex-FIFA match agent and sports consultant Miguel Trujillo. Takkas was an advisor to former disgraced CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb who was banned from football by FIFA’s ethics committee in 2015. The trio, who were found guilty of
Featherweight’s Delon Charles (right) face-off with Terrence Adams. division with the approval of King for it to be sanctioned. ”I am very confident of victory here since I have sparred with the best in the World in the USA including former WBA Light Middleweight Champion American Austin Trout and I am taking my crown back to Barbados” King said. ”I am not predicting anything but if I chance for a knockout comes along I will take it,” said Richmond. Abdool said boxers need to be disciplined with time as some of the fighters turned up after the
scheduled 15:00hrs starting time for the weigh-in while he said the young boxers must start doing things that are done in Championship bouts to prepare them for that level from now. ”Guyana is known for producing good fighters and its imperative that this Card is held since it was seven months since boxing was last staged at CASH. We (GBBC) want to organise pro cards once every month” Abdool said. James Moore face Romeo Norville in a Light Heavyweight contest, Joel
Williamson will make his Professional debut against Green in the 140 pounds Junior Welterweight class, Delon Charles with face-off with Terrence Adams in Featherweight match-up while Rewinna David, who turned after the weigh-in was finished, will fight Ansilla Norville in the lone female bout of the night. Banks DIH, Fly Jamaica and Courts are the major sponsors. The card starts at 20:00hrs and tickets cost $1,000 for stands and $2,000 for Ring side and gates open at 19:00hrs.
bribery and corruption, will also have to pay fines of one million Swiss Francs (US $1.03 million) each. In Brooklyn federal court, Davidson pleaded guilty to racketeering and wire fraud, Takkas admitted money laundering and Trujillo pleaded guilty to money laundering and wire fraud. The 61-year-old Takkas received a 15-month prison sentence last year and faced being deported from the United States. It is unclear if FIFA has power to enforce the fines, though ethics judges have typically imposed large financial penalties in cases arising from the sprawling U.S. federal probe.
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Kaieteur News
Saturday September 22, 2018
Karun Nair to lead Board Returning Ravindra Jadeja President’s XI against West Indies dismantles Bangladesh ESPNcricinfo - When Ravindra Jadeja made a swashbuckling half-century against England in the fifth Test at The Oval, he dusted off his bat - it had been a while since he played international cricket - and swirled it around like his Rajputana sword. In his first ODI since July 2017, Jadeja, flown into the UAE in as a like-for-like replacement for Axar Patel, shook off the rust with the ball and shook up the heart of the Bangladesh batting line-up. He claimed 10-0-29-4, including the key wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, to pin Bangladesh down to 173 and fashion India’s thumping win in their Super Four clash in Dubai. Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 83 off 104 balls - his second successive fifty - ensured India aced the chase and handed Bangladesh their second defeat in two days. Jadeja had been introduced into the attack in the 10th over, after Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah had taken out openers Liton Das and Nazmul Hossain Shanto. Shakib welcomed him back to ODI cricket with back-
Rohit Sharma © AFP to-back boundaries: a violent slap through the covers followed by a full-blooded sweep behind square on the leg side. MS Dhoni then asked the captain Rohit to post Shikhar Dhawan at backward square leg. Jadeja pushed the next one through wider outside off, asking Shakib to sweep again. The batsman did, and was promptly caught. Questions about Jadeja’s bite in while-ball cricket had been hanging in the air, especially following the emergence of wristspinners
Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. There were even questions about his role at Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2018. He bowled only 41 overs in 16 games - and didn’t bowl at all in two matches. Also, he hadn’t been part of India’s ODI plans in Sri Lanka, South Africa and England and at home against Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. India 174-3 (Rohit 83*, Dhawan 40) beat Bangladesh 173 (Mehidy 42, Jadeja 4-29, Bhuvneshwar 3-33) by eight wickets.
ESPNcricinfo - Batsman Karun Nair, who was benched throughout India’s Test tour of England, will lead a 13member Board President’s XI squad to take on the visiting West Indies for a two-day practice match in Vadodara. The match will begin on September 29 and will precede the two-Test series in October. Hanuma Vihari, who was selected ahead of Nair for the fifth Test against England and made a fifty and a duck on debut, also found a place, as did Mumbai batsman Prithvi Shaw, who was also called up for the final two Tests in England without getting a game. Mayank Agarwal, who has been on the periphery of an India call-up for a while, also made it to the side on the back of an extended prolific run that included a first-class double-century last month against South Africa A and a one-day hundred in the quadrangular series that followed. In his last first-class innings, he scored 80 on a tough second-innings pitch against Australia A. Shreyas Iyer and Ankit Bawne, who struck three fifties in six first-class innings against the visiting South Africa A and Australia A teams, form a strong batting line-up. The selectors, how-
Karun Nair PTI
ever, opted for a less experienced bowling attack, especially the pace line-up which will be led by Kerala’s Basil Thampi, who has played 18 first-class matches. Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar and Tamil Nadu pacer K Vignesh were rewarded for impressive performances in the Duleep Trophy. Saurabh finished the tournament as the highest wickettaker, with 19 scalps from three matches. Vignesh, with eight scalps in two matches, was also among the top-five wicket-takers. Madhya
Pradesh’s Avesh Khan, Bengal’s Ishan Porel, experienced allrounder Jalaj Saxena and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan complete the 13-member squad. West Indies will be in India for a full tour featuring two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is in October-November. Board President’s XI squad: Karun Nair (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, Shreyas Iyer, Ankit Bawne, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jalaj Saxena, Saurabh Kumar, Basil Thampi, Avesh Khan, K Vignesh, Ishan Porel.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell
believed it went well for the country and Government has insisted that those monies must be accounted for, and so far we have not gotten an account of what we have given and supported,” Dr Mitchell, who is also the Minister of Finance said. The Prime Minister said Minister of Sports Kate Lewis was expected to meet with organisers of the event as soon as possible, in an attempt to rectify the situation. ”So we are concerned because the image of the country is involved and we clearly would want them to come to terms with this. The Minister of Sports will be engaging the parties involved and not just the person who has resigned. Other members will be engaged to see how best we can solve this problem and go forward. ”What I can say is that Government’s resources will not be put into something where the monies are not being accounted for,” Dr Mitchell maintained.
Over 40 entries for RCMTC Horse Race Meet Tomorrow at Alness PM calls for Grenada Invitational Inc. to account for monies spent
The Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club (RCMTC) is expected to be a hive of activity tomorrow when the club hosts a one-day Horse Race Meet at the club’s track Alness, Corentyne, Berbice. Six races are listed for the day and reports from the organisers have indicated that over 40 horses have so far entered and an exciting day of racing is anticipated. Among the horses entered already are Seven Dust, Lucky Star, Not this Time, Mary Ann, Orion,
Party Time, Kentucky Woman, Slim Shady and Gypsie Princess. The feature event is for horses classified H and Lower over 1200m for a winning purse of $300,000 and trophy. The other events listed are for J and Lower horses over a distance of 1200m with a first prize of $160,000 and trophy. The event for 2 Year Old Maiden animals carries a winning prize of $100,000 and trophy over 1000m. The horses classified L1 and Lower will be competing for a winner’s take of
$100,000 and trophy over 1200m. There is an event for L2 and Lower animals also over 1200m with the winner taking home $70,000 and trophy. The other event is another 1200m affair for the L3 and Lower animals for a first prize of 50,000 and trophy. There will be trophies and other incentives for outstanding individual performers.Among sponsors are Ansa Mc Al, Attorney at Law Rajendra Poonai and Leisure Inn Hotel. Race time is 12:00hrs.
GCUSA AGM slated for November 29 The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Georgetown Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (GCUSA) will be held on November 29 at the Mayor and City Council Union Hall Building, Woolford Avenue at 17:00hrs. Members are asked to note that resolutions and amendments must be presented at least one month prior to the meeting. Agenda includes elections of office bearers.
St George’s, Grenada, CMC – Amidst a controversy over unpaid monies to service providers and athletes, Prime Minister of Grenada Dr Keith Mitchell has called for Grenada Invitational Inc. to account for the monies which it spent on the athletics meet. Grenada Invitational Inc., which spearheaded the organising of the Grenada Invitational, is reported to have failed to meet its financial obligations to some service providers and athletes who participated in the 2018 event last April. It has led to the resignation of the former chairman of the company Michael Bascombe, who blamed the situation on a breakdown in communications between the directors and himself. However, Dr Mitchell said Bascombe’s resignation was simply not enough, saying that when Government invested its resources into any initiative it needed to know that money was properly used.
”Clearly they have to sort out their individual problems, but it’s not about an individual resigning, that’s not our key concern,” he insisted. Our concern is mainly that if Government supports something, an image of the country is involved and of course if we have invested resources, it has to be accounted for.” ”Government supported the activity based on what we thought was good and we
Kaieteur News
Saturday September 22, 2018
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Young Guns Boxing team donate T&T turns to governing body in bid to man in need of Heart Surgery to have disqualification overturned
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Delon Charles presents the cheque to Crawford as Anson Green (right) and Clive Atwell share the moment.
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oxers and Promoters of the ‘Young Guns, Proving Grounds’ Boxing card slated for tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall pooled resources and took time out from their training on Thursday to give financial support to Dwayne Crawford who is in need of a heart surgery valued at 3.8 Million Dollars. Atwell, former World Champion and now Promoter and Boxing Coach sprang into action after receiving a call about Crawford from Mrs. Gwen Williams, a Humanitarian who is always seeking to help those in need. Atwell stated that, “We are our brothers and sisters’ keepers and it is always good to give especially when individuals are in desperate need.” The 37-year-old Crawford resides in Plaisance on the East Coast of Demerara and was diagnosed with a weakened and enlarged heart. An initial echocardiogram showed that his heart muscle was severely dilated and
severely weakened and as a result of this Crawford is at risk of developing Tachyarrhythmia (uncontrolled, dangerous fast beating of the heart) which can cause his heart to suddenly stop beating. Even though Crawford has been compliant with medication use, clinic visits and has adjusted his lifestyle he still continues to have seizures and there has been no improvement to his heart. However, to prevent Crawford from having a sudden cardiac death he was recommended for a Automatic Implantable CardioverterDefibrillator (ACID) procedure. For the past six months Mr. Crawford has been trying to raise funds towards this life saving surgery. He was very appreciative of the support by the boxers and thanked them for their kind gesture. Those interested in helping Crawford can contact him on 682 7382 or donation can be deposited into his account at Demerara Bank, Account #203-0435.
The ultimate race!
Supercar, superbike, F1 car, private jet and fighter jet go head to head... so who wins?
Three supercars, a superbike, a Formula 1 car, a private jet and a fighter jet went head to head at a tech festival in Istanbul. (GettyImages) Mailonline - Three supercars, a superbike, a Formula 1 car, a private jet and a fighter jet went head to head at a tech festival in Istanbul on Thursday. Five drivers raced alongside each other on a 400metre runway as the fighter jet and private jet took off next to them at Istanbul’s new international airport. The monumental race took place as part of the aviation, space and technology festival which is being held at the airport ahead of its official opening in October. The vehicles included a Kawasaki H2R motorcycle, Tesla P100DL, Aston Martin New Vantage and Lotus Evora GT 430 - and there was a VERY close finish. Although the Red Bull Formula 1 car gave him a run for his money, ultimately Supersport World Champion Kenan
Sofuoglu, from Turkey, rode his Kawasaki H2R motorcycle to victory in the epic race. The Red Bull car, driven by British Formula 1 driver Jake Dennis, came second. It was followed by Solo Turk’s F-16 jet in third place. The Tesla P100DL, driven by Emma Kimilainen, came fourth. Yagiz Avci drove the Aston Martin New Vantage, and Toprak Razgatlioglu raced in a Lotus Evora GT 430. Winner Mr Sofuoglu, who became a politician in Turkey after retiring in May, also took on a special jet Challenger 605. But how do the vehicles compare? Lotus Evora GT 430 - Top speed: 196 mph (315 km/h), Horsepower: 430 bhp (320 kW), Engine size: 3,500 cc, Price: £112,500. Red Bull Formula 1 car RB14 - Top speed: (Continued on page 25)
ort of Spain, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) has turned to the sport’s governing body, World Rugby, in an attempt to have their disqualification from this year’s Rugby Americas North (RAN) Championships overturned. After defeating Bermuda 27-24 and USA South 34-33 in their first two games, T&T was unable to secure funding in time for their match against the Cayman Islands on June 23. The TTRFU eventually received funding for the trip and attempted to have RAN reschedule the match to facilitate the team, but the regional governing body decided to cancel the fixture and throw T&T out the competition. Back in June, RAN’s media officer Laura Gill via email had said that, “On the basis that if Cayman could re-schedule the match, an extension of time had been given to the TTRFU to confirm they had funding in place and a proposed new date; both which they were unable to do in a timely manner. At this point, Cayman confirmed that they were unable to re-schedule the match and the
match was officially cancelled by RAN.” ”Due to the cancellation by TT Rugby Football Union of the June 23 RAN 15 a-side international match between the Cayman Islands and TT and the inability for the match to be re-scheduled, under Section 5.5 of the tournament manual, which all teams signed up and agreed to, the TTRFU are deemed to have wilfully cancelled the match and as a consequence have been expelled from the 2018 competition,” the email further added. However, lawyer Christophe Brathwaite confirmed to the Trinidad Newsday that the TTRFU took the matter further by appealing to World Rugby. “We went before an appeal committee which was actually created by RAN themselves and the decisions from their appeal committee was not conducive to the TTRFU. So we’re taking it to a further appeal process which is in the constitution of world rugby,” Brathwaite said “And we’re taking it directly to an appeal process while we’re requesting an appeal for a judicial committee to be formed from World Rugby.” He said the TTRFU is now awaiting World Rugby to respond to the request.
Joshua vows to be fast as he weighs in heavier than Povetkin ahead of Wembley showdown
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nthony Joshua has insisted he will have to ‘put on his dancing shoes’ after weighing in almost two stone heavier than Alexander Povetkin ahead of their world-title showdown at Wembley Stadium tonight. The scales tipped in favour of the champion with Joshua enjoying a significant weight advantage over his Russian challenger at 17st 8lbs (246lbs), while Povetkin came in at an airy 15st 12lbs (222lbs). A pretty substantial advantage, then AJ? ’Well,’ said the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO title holder, ‘He will come at me quick fire. ’He’s going to be quick and fast so I better put on my dancing shoes and be sharp with my feet. ‘I feel good though, I’m going to do some training after this just to keep myself ticking over and get rid of any cobwebs. We are nearly there now.’ They could hardly have found a more suitably named venue for a weigh-in, given boxing’s transition into high commerce. Joshua and Povetkin took to the scales in a cavernous exhibition space in north London now known as the Business Design Centre. Fittingly both will be banking plenty after their bruising night out. Joshua is reported to be on a minimum purse of £15million, Povetkin at least £6m with more expected to come from
Anthony Joshua weighed in two stone heavier than Alexander Povetkin yesterday afternoon.
a surge in Sky Sports pay per view sales. There was also a rush of late wagering, with Betway reporting a surprising 90 per cent of the money flooding on Povetkin — at 15-1. Hundreds of office workers in the bustling area of the Angel spent their Friday lunch-hour crowding in to watch Joshua and his challenger make their last public appearances before battle. This place used to be called the Royal Agricultural Halls, where they held cattle shows. Once again, they were weighing some priceless beef. Povetkin, who weighed in lighter than anticipated seven pounds than his last fight to be exact - has been widely tipped to provide Joshua with his sternest test since he beat Wladimir Klitschko under the same arches he will operate under
today. The 39-year-old Russian has played the part, too, appearing calm, collected and confident all week in the build-up to Saturday’s showdown. He believes he is in the best shape of his career that has spanned 34 victories and only one loss and that the pressure rests on the shoulders of the champion. Joshua recognises Povetkin represents a real danger and added: ‘Youtube tells you that, Google tells you that and so does history. ‘Povetkin is a tough challenge and he is the man that I have to beat. But it’s nothing new to me so I’m not too bothered. I’m feeling calm and relaxed. ’I always look at it this way, if they are strong to the head then hit them to the body and if they are strong to the body then hit them to the head and eventually they will fold. That’s all I have to do.’
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Saturday September 22, 2018
Paragon Indoor hockey C/ship in T&T
St. Joseph’s boys and GCC Bingo Spartans girls shine
Warren Williams - U16 Most Goals Scorer As a result of the successful junior hockey programme and competitions staged over the past two years by the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), the ‘Land of Many Waters’ was well represented at Paragon Hockey Club’s 4th Youth Indoor Tournament in the Twin-Island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, last weekend. The St. Joseph’s boys and GCC Bingo Spartans girls, despite both being on their first overseas tour, surprised all by taking the gold for Guyana in Under-16 division. The St. Josephs boys stormed through the pool rounds beating all opponents except for Diego Secondary to whom they lost a close 2-1 battle. With Diego losing to the Futuristiks, St. Joseph’s gained a spot in the semi-finals as the top finisher in the pool round. St. Joseph then defeated the North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School (NRMSS) also of Guyana in their semi-final to set up a repeat match with Diego, which edged past Futuristiks in the other semi-final. The St. Josephs boys’ team were up for the challenge in the entertaining final as they managed to reverse their fortunes against Diego with a 4-2 victory to lift the trophy. Tournament leading scorer, Warren Williams, was on fire for St. Joseph’s, chalking up a pair of goals in the final with Nandalall Persaud and Louis Adams scoring one each. St. Joseph’s secured several individual awards at the final presentation with Warren Williams receiving the Most Goals Award, Paul DeAndrade receiving the Best Goalkeeper Award for Under-21s and both Paul DeAndrade and Nandalall Persaud
being named to the All Star selection. The NRMSS, which comprised of students of that school, appeared to be the youngest team in the competition but managed to finish in a creditable fourth position. The GCC Bingo Spartans were even more dominant in the girls under-16 competition, winning all but one of their pool matches which they drew against a combined school team aptly named COMBINED With COMBINED defeating the Magnolias in their semi-final, they would have a third crack at the Spartans in the girls’ U-16 final. The COMBINED goalkeeper put on a fantastic performance in the final and made the Spartans sweat to earn their opener minutes into the second half through a penalty corner shot from tournament top scorer Sarah Klautky. While COMBINED had their chances, the Spartans earned several penalty corners in the second half which were well defended by COMBINED to keep the score at 1-0. The final buzzer would leave the Spartans celebrating their undefeated run to the title. Spartans carted off four individual awards at the presentation after the final with Madison Fernandes securing the Most Valuable Player, Sarah Klautky receiving the Most Goals award, Jessica Mittelholzer the Best Goalkeeper having conceded no goals, and Makeda Harding being named to the All-star team for defenders. The St Joseph’s girls and boys finished at the bottom of the table in their respective Under-21 competitions but, with those teams comprising of many players still under the age of 16, have a bright future.
GCC Bingo Spartans U-16 Champs
Madison Fernandes, Girls U-16 MVP on the attack
Indigenous Heritage Sports
Orealla/Siparuta represented by a 62-member team
Orealla Toshao Carl Peneux and Siparuta Councilor Kingsley Hutson accepts the uniforms from Godwyn Allicock.
St Joseph’s boys U16 and U19 teams.
The villages of Orealla/Siparuta in Region #6 would be represented by a strong 62-member contingent at this year’s Indigenous Heritage Sports which commenced yesterday under the theme: “Proud of our Indigenous Identity – Celebrating in Unity”. Male and female teams would be contesting football, cricket, volleyball and swimming at the games which will conclude
tomorrow with the finals at the Everest Cricket Ground, Camp Street and Carifesta Avenue.Prior to the departure of the confident teams, the Regional Democratic Council, Region #6 made a presentation of uniforms to Orealla Toshao Carl Peneux and Siparuta Councilor Kingsley Hutson. Making the presentation on behalf of the Region was Sports Officer, Godwyn Allicock.
Saturday September 22, 2018
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BCB President Hilbert Foster receives cheque from Bakewell General Manager, Rajin Ganga.
RHTY&SC/BCB/Bakewell Nasir Memorial One-Day Cricket Tournament Unveiled The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) and the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) have teamed up with bread giants Bakewell to host a One Day Cricket Tournament for Second Division Teams in Berbice being held in honour of the Late Naeem Nasir, former owner of Bakewell. Nasir, who was called to higher service on October 9, 2012 following a lifetime of achievements was most of all a passionate supporter of sports and a true believer in Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, the RHTY&SC, MS. The club has benefitted from cricket sponsorship from Bakewell since 2000 and since his death, has kept his memory alive through the sport. The Tournament would be on October 7 next at the Area ‘H’ Ground and would involve eight Second Division teams including Rose Hall Town Bakewell. The One-Day knockout t o u r n a m e n t would be played on a 5-Overs per side basis and the main objective is to assist in the promotion
of the game at the grassroots level. Foster noted that due to a massive BCB schedule which includes a record 22 tournaments, the Board is being forced to reduce the duration and size of several tournaments. Among the other teams scheduled to play are Tamarind Root, Fyrish, Courtland, Jai Hind, Belvedere United, Albion and Whim. T h e Wi n n i n g t e a m would take home $100 000 and a trophy, 1st Runnerup $50,000 and trophy, 2nd Runner-up $30,000 and trophy and the 3rd Runnerup, $20,000 and trophy. The club and by extension the BCB would forever be grateful to Bakewell and Nasir for their support between 2000 to the time of his passing in 2012. Nasir ’s sponsorship would have assisted in the development of players the likes of Esuan and Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Delbert Hicks, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Clinton Pestano, Eon Hooper, Kevlon Anderson, Shabika Gajnabi, Dominique Rikhi, Renwick Batson, Khemraj Mahadeo,
S h a i l e n d r a S h a m e e r, Murphy La Rose and Abdel Fudadin who all played for Berbice and Guyana at different levels. The Company has also sponsored a T20 tournament for the BCB in a joint deal with the National Milling Company (NAMILCO) of Guyana in 2014. Foster who is also the S e c r e t a r y / C E O of the RHTY&SC also hailed the contribution of Bakewell’s General Manager, Mr. Rajin Ganga. Ganga, in brief remarks noted that he was greatly impressed by the outstanding work of the BCB and the RHTY&SC and as such felt privileged to work along with both organisations. The late Nasir, Ganga noted was a passionate believer in using sports as a medium to challenge the energies of vibrant young minds. His two favourite sports were cricket and lawn tennis and massive investments were made in both. Bakewell, he stated has full confidence in the organising skills of the Board.
NOC secure final date with Reliance Hustlers following win over Imam Bacchus SC
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h e S o u t h Essequibo C r i c k e t Committee Invitational T20 tournament will culminate tomorrow at the Imam Bacchus ground in Affiance, Essequibo Coast with New Opportunity Corp (NOC) facing Reliance Hustlers. NOC earned their place in the final after defeating host Imam Bacchus Sports Club by four wickets in the second semi final played recently. Winning the toss and batting, Imam Bacchus were
Neiland Cadogan restricted for 124-9 in 20 overs. Neiland Cadogan struck four fours and three sixes in a top score of 56 while Ganesh Mangal contributed 16. Anthony Adams claimed 2-9
and Joel Fortune 2-18. NOC made 125-6 in reply. Tevin Imlach hit 28 (1x4 1x6) while David Williams struck 26 (1x4 2x6) and Orlando Jailall 21 (3x4 1x6). Bowling for Imam Bacchus, Ganesh Mangal took 2-15 and Yougeshwar Lall 2-22. NOC is a strong contender for the title and will be spearheaded by Anthony Adams, Tevin Imlack, Akenie Adams, Kevon Boodie, Joshua Jones and David Williams. (Continued on page 27)
rt o p S Kamarang (white) completely outplayed St. Cuthbert’s in their 16-0 win at Everest yesterday.
2018 Indigenous Heritage Games
Orealla/Siparuta and Kamarang win following official opening
Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock (center) kicks off the Heritage Games in the presence of (from left) GFF head Wayne Forde, Dr. Norton, Min. Garrido-Lowe and IPA PS, Alfred King, yesterday at ECC ground.
GBBC’s Young Guns Boxing Card
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Bajan King predicts 2nd round KO tonight The fans packed into the bleachers at ECC ground early yesterday to witness the opening football games.
Bajan Keithland King (left) squares-off with Derick Richmond at yesterday’s weigh-in. (Sean Devers photo) Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.