Kaieteur News
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Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
IT IS WRONG! It seems that something has definitely gone awry with those in authority, especially in their hiring process and the dissemination of information to the public. Since taking office, the government has been hiring senior citizens and retired military personnel in place of youths whose employment rate is at 40 percent. It should be understood that when youths cannot find jobs to put food on the table, they will rob and kill people. Plain and simple, for the authority to be oblivious to the current crime statistics and joblessness among youths, is putting the nation at risk. In regards to communication, the government seems bent on secrecy, despite its promise to be transparent and accountable. Almost every week, senior government officials have been making impulsive and contradictory statements on the same issues. It reveals a lack of cooperation among senior public officials and is confusing to the public to say the least. On the issue of appointments, it is mind-boggling that the government continues to employ some people without doing due diligence in light of the revelations of the spurious characters of some appointees. The story of the Ambassador to Kuwait is a classic case. The statement by the President that ambassadors and other senior diplomats are appointed based on merit and that they should have to be politically neutral and cannot be affiliated to a political party. The appointment of the Ambassador to Kuwait clearly debunks that statement, which in of itself has no merit. It is known that the said ambassador is a senior member and a financier of the AFC and that he was recommended for the position by the leaders of the AFC. It is for this reason that the government appointed him without doing due diligence. If as reported in the media by the Minister of Foreign Affairs that due diligence was done, then it was inadequate. This is true for many other government appointees, including some current ambassadors. Also, it is a common practice among senior public officials to appoint their friends and relatives to senior government positions without doing proper due diligence. Based on information from the United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), the said ambassador and two of his colleagues were charged and convicted on March 4, 2003 for knowingly disseminating false financial information. The SEC alleged that starting in the second quarter of 1999 and continuing through the first quarter of 2000, the ambassador directed that unsupported journal entries be made to the cost of sales and inventory accounts to bring the company’s financial statements in line with the gross margin percentage he had estimated for that period.When contacted, a senior SEC official confirmed that it was fraud. Despite the SEC report, the AFC leaders went to great lengths to defend the illegal actions of the Ambassador because he is one of their financiers. The AFC has established itself as a party with high morals and principles, however, its leaders’ defense of wrongdoings by the Ambassador, shows that is not the case. The AFC is no longer seen as a trustworthy party. Its leaders ought to know Ambassadors are supposed to be honest and trustworthy and should be held in the highest esteem. They are highest ranking diplomats to represent their countries. The fact that the ambassador was not even honest to disclose to the government that he was charged and convicted by the SEC is a fraud. When in opposition, the APNU+AFC coalition party had criticised the opposition for wrongdoing, now in government, they are condoning the same. It is okay for Leon Goring, from Guyana Water Inc. to be fired in less than a week for not disclosing his past criminal record to GWI but not the ambassador who did the same. It is wrong to have a double standard.
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.
We can make Guyana the food basin of the Caribbean Dear Editor; President Granger recently appealed for a revival of the village economies. This might well be the opportunity to return the people to the soil, to disalienate them from their birthright. It is man’s proximity to the land from whence derives all moral values, honesty and the sweetness of one’s own sweat. This might well be the means to return the pride of local artisanship for which many villages were once noted. F i n a n c i n g o f development plan -now, the imperialist banks or countries may not want to lend us the money to embark on this Plan. How do we raise funds? Simply by selling Agriculture Development Bonds to the three-quarter million overseas Guyanese (as well as local investors). I have no doubt that just as they repatriate US$100 million annually to Guyana without expecting any returns, they would gladly invest in these bonds that promise and guarantee good interest. Thousands of Guyanese are yearning to remigrate and invest in agriculture in Guyana. We must return to basics. Food production is about the survival and future of
mankind. Few countries have such an opportunity to start over, and convert what appears to be a failed industry into a powerful instrument of transformation of the economy. We cannot continue with sugar in its current scale of operation. According to Professor Clive Thomas, “Several contributory factors are responsible for the present situation of the cane sugar industry in Guyana, and for that matter worldwide. Here, I would stress two: 1) the emergence of sugar extraction from other plant sources (particularly beet) and 2) the growth of a wide range of substitutes for sugar, both caloric (particularly highfructose corn syrup) and non-caloric (particularly artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Equal). Importantly, these alternate sweeteners have found wide acceptance among consumers everywhere”. A further factor to consider is that there are a significant number of super-scale sugar producers, which have emerged internationally. These super-scale producers are positioned to bypass the cultivable land constraint, which physically limits the volume of cane sugar production in
countries as small as Guyana. In the above sense therefore, searching for economies of scale in sugar production in Guyana at levels of output well below half-a-million metric tonnes annually, would be elusive. It reveals the basic illogic underlying the US$185 million plus Skeldon Sugar Modernization Project (SSMP). Given the global configuration of the leading competitive sugar producers as presented in the Schedule above, even in the best of circumstances the gains from economies of scale at an output of 450,000 tonnes annually would be marginal on a global scale. There is no real hope for Guyana becoming again a competitive global exporter, given the present demand and supply structure of the world sugar market.” To continue with sugar, Guyana must depend as it has been for over fifty years, on the preferential treatment doled out by the European market. Unfortunately, this is coming to an end. For, as since November 2005 the European Union announced a set of measures to reform the EU sugar regime. Basically and clearly it meant the end of EU importation of cane sugar as a primary product from
African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries. The EU generously gave these countries ample forewarning and a four-year grace period to “fix” their houses during which time the EU preferential price for ACP sugar would decline substantially, but with certain compensations to help these countries withstand the economic shock and re-structure their sugar industries. Unfortunately, many of these countries, Guyana in particular, did not take this seriously. Now is perhaps the final opportunity. I truly believe if we seriously embark on this transformation, it will succeed. After all, the world’s demand for food is always increasing, and which other country, devoid of natural disasters possesses such potentials for food production? Either the government starts organizing the people to return to the land whence all true wealth, moral values, physical strength and spiritual fulfillment originate, or we continue to hemorrhage our population through migration, suicide, murder, road carnage, cancer, AIDS and other maladies of modernization. To this extent I have personally devised a plan and submitted a proposal to (Continued on page 5)
The disappearing street lights on this highway Dear Editor, A few years ago the Western section of the east coast corridor was a very picturesque scene at nights as all of the roads lights were in working condition and there seemed to be a maintenance programme in place to replace any defective or damaged units.
Much comfort was derived from the installation of these lights as security, road safety and night visibility were appreciated by the road users who plied this route However over the last eighteen months there seems to have been a total neglect of a maintenance schedule as there now seems to be as
many non-working lights as the ones that are actually operational. A few nights ago while on my way home I saw a young lady in the vicinity of the former Medex building frantically seeking assistance after her motor vehicle received a punctured tire. Out of concern and basic courtesy, I readily rendered assistance and she spared no words to express her
gratitude. I am therefore appealing once again to the relevant authorities to have these issues rectified so that we could keep our roads safe. I have not to date seen any evidence that suggests that our national budget has curtailed any such activity so I am humbly appealing to the relevant authorities to have our lights restored. Alex Edwards
Labour exploitation under Lowenfield at GECOM Dear Editor; Permit me to show from my letter how the authoritarian behavior the CEO of Gecom Mr. Keith Lowenfield displays. In the
field offices that are situated across Guyana, they are staffed from Registration Officers to Registration Clerks. They are acting in these respective positions for a number of years now without being confirmed.
This is illegal because according to the labour laws of Guyana, a person should not be acting in a position for more than a specific period of time. Secondly, during the last Gecom exercise, the field staff worked from 9 am to 6
pm, Monday to Friday and 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays, and were not paid any overtime whatsoever. I am calling on the appropriate authorities to please correct these wrongs that are happening in Gecom. Chris Singh
Thursday September 29, 2016
POLICE STILL SILENT ON THE RULES OF PURSUIT OF SUSPECTS DEAR EDITOR; Based on newspaper reports in September 2015 of a high-speed vehicle chase of three armed suspects in south Georgetown by the police (the Joint Special Operations Group- JSOG), I asked the question “What are the rules of engagement for the police pursuing escaping suspects?” (Letter to the Editor, SN 08-09-2015). The concerns informing the question were amplified in the following edition of SN in a letter by Patrick E. Mentore, titled “The police need to have a clearly defined vehicle pursuit policy”. I did not see a response from the police and the matter faded from public view. Two subsequent incidents, however, raise these concerns again, and with increasing alarm: the first occurred only a few months after the JSOG’s hot pursuit of suspects in south Georgetown. It involved the high-speed chase on December 2015 through the streets of Georgetown by SOCU officer Robert Pyle that ended up in a two-vehicle
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collision on Carifesta Avenue, taking the lives of three persons. The second occurred just last week, when Ms Jean Rodrigues was accidentally shot (thankfully, not fatally) at the Timehri bus park during a foot chase of a suspect by a police rank in which it is being said the police fired his weapon. It takes little imagination to realise that the hot pursuit of suspects by police, whether in a vehicle or by foot, puts the public in immense danger through vehicle collisions or wayward shooting. I had therefore asked in my letter last year such questions as “When is a police vehicle chase in Guyana a reasonable course of action?” and “When is the discharge of a firearm by police accepted as a necessary and proportionate response in such a chase?” I had suggested (and Mr Mentore also, separately) several answers and guidelines to these questions based on police practices elsewhere. Two such practices, I dare
say, would have saved the lives of Sergeant Pyle, his wife, and Mr Eastman (driver of the second vehicle on Carifesta Avenue) had the rules been known and observed. These are (i) when the immediate danger to the public created by the pursuit is greater than the immediate or potential danger to the public should the suspect remain at large, then the pursuit should be discontinued or terminated, and (ii) pursuits should usually be discontinued when the violator’s identity has been established to the point that later apprehension can be accomplished without danger to the public. Our police have ramped up their public relations in the last several weeks. Maybe, they will now respond to these public concerns. Sherwood Lowe Editor’s note; we altered a few words in this letter because the ballistic test to determine if the police did the shooting has been made public as yet on the Stabroek area incident
10 points from the PPP about the Procurement Commission DEAR EDITOR; The SN editorial of 26 September 2016 is a barefaced attempt at historical revisionism, seeking to excuse the obvious and blatant APNU/AFC corruption involved in the award of the fruit juice contract to a foreign company which was not the lowest bidder (and the still fresh scandal involving single sourcing of an unfinished building to serve as a drug bond) by seeking to misrepresent the PPP/C’s record in office in relation to procurement and using this misrepresentation as a smokescreen. The following facts are relevant: 1. It is the PPP/C that introduced public open tendering after assuming office in 1992, following decades of non-accountability and corruption by the PNC including more than a decade of no auditor general’s reports and no public tendering whatsoever.
2. It is under the leadership of the PPP/C that the Constitution was amended to establish a Public Procurement Commission (the inescapable fact is that this Constitutional provision could not have been introduced and enacted without PPP/C support and advocacy). 3. It is the PPP/C that took to Parliament the Procurement Act and secured its passage, and that established the National Procurement and Tenders Administration 4. It is the PPP/C that introduced public opening of tenders, including attendance by the media, and public reporting of tender awards, including publication of the NPTAB minutes and awards on the NPTAB website 5. It is the APNU/AFC that has now discontinued the publication of this (Continued on page 6)
From page 4 the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Business. to start a diversified farm. My plan is to obtain, hopefully, through leasing, a fifteen-acre portion of land, which I have already identified at Wales, and to establish a model, self-sustainable farm, producing organic meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and fruits The farm will produce 90 percent of its energy requirement, utilizing solar, wind and bio-gas. All vegetable and animal products will be 90 percent organic. The model farm will be advertised as a tourist attraction and also shown
to all local and foreign farmers who are interested in eco self-sustainable farming. I project this farm will be self-sustaining from year two of operation, and by year four will be earning about $170,000 US per year. Imagine, a thousand such farms. You may call me a dreamer as John Lennon sang; but let’s face it; either we embark on revolutionary changes in Guysuco, or face the stark reality of massive lay-offs, crime, migration, and possible economic regression. I think we can make Guyana the Food Basin of the Caribbean. Gokarran David Sukhdeo
Dr. Ramayya gives an account of his Berbice experience DEAR EDITOR, Corruption has pervaded every stratum of Governments in this country, be it at the Central Government or the Local Government level. However, the focus has always been on the Central Government Firstly, the formulation of the Region 6, 2017 proposed budget is the epitome of financial conspiracies in Region 6 and had no input from myself, the Chairman, the NDCs and other stakeholders. It was verified by the 2 DREOs that it was done solely by the Regional Vice- Chairman Dennis Deoroopand and the Regional Engineer Roopesh Singh. This is exactly how the costs of works are inflated and works which do not need much resource are given priority so that the contractors will benefit. This is where the corruption starts and then flows to the Tender Board and then to the certification of the substandard work. Furthermore, there are many instances where some of the work projects in the 2017 Proposal are in excellent condition having been done only recently. For instance, drainage canals at Gibraltar/ Fyrish, Roads at 52-74 NDC, a bridge at Wellington Park,
etc. This will be easy ‘pickings’ for the contractors. Therefore, the Engineer and the Regional Vice Chairman, Mr Dennis Deoroop, prepare the budget proposal and then they certify the works done. The preparation of the 2017 Budget Proposal is the mother of all conspiracies in Region 6. Furthermore, the Regional Chairman, Dennis Deoroop, deploys NDIA machines to do the work of his cronies neglecting the majority of farmers affected in other areas. In addition, works which are supposed to be paid for by the Water Users’ Association are done by these NDIA’s machines. The question is: Are these works paid for by the Water Users’ Association when it is done free? An audit should be carried out to verify this. From the inception I made a valiant effort to stop corrupt practices. I implemented the biometric clocking system at the Regional Office which was the brain child of the PPP/ C when they were in Government and which was supported by the Chairman and the Public Service Union, yet the RDC Council moved a motion spearheaded by the Regional Vice-Chairman and his cohort to vote against that
system. He was supported by the APNU, AFC and the PPP councilors. Then I tried to stop the abuse of the Region’s resources by capping the gas expenditure expense of the Regional Vice Chairman who was using the Region’s vehicle for the political work of the PPP. He made regular trips to Georgetown and across Region 6 on PPP’s business. He again moved a motion to quash that capping of the gas expenses and received the support of APNU, AFC and PPP Councilors. In addition, why is the Regional Vice Chairman’s telephone bill and electricity bill being paid by the Region? Why is he given a full-time driver? Does Chapter 28:02 provides for this? I raised this in Georgetown and was told to continue to approve payment. Why were the APNU and AFC Councilors supporting the PPP? These councilors saw me as a threat when I pointed to what was taking place at the hospital where major and costly works were treated as ‘emergencies’ and not tendered thereby benefiting the friends of a certain official. I also exposed (Continued on page 6)
Hamilton Green says this woman should not have been jailed DEAR EDITOR; I read with some dismay the article titled “woman jailed for robbery after sex.” Based on the details as reported in the media the penalty is very excessive and cruel imposed on a female with five children. While some folks steal millions, kill and rob, the process takes ‘for ever.’ Ms Beaton was charged so that she was not required to plea. This woman was taken to the house of the man who made the complaint to
the Police; from all accounts all that took place at his home was by mutual agreement. We men must learn that there is a price for our adventures. Justice should take all factors into account and so to jail Ms Beaton for 18 months could not be just. I hope our women lawyers, activists and males with a heart will pursue this human tragedy. My wife and daughters share my concerns Hamilton Green
Beware of bogus currency on the West Bank of Demerara We can make Guyana the food... DEAR EDITOR; I am writing this letter as a warning to all businessmen and women on the West Bank of Demerara. There are two males of Caucasian complexion who are visiting various shops along the West Bank and making purchases of cases of beers, cigarettes, etc., and paying with US currency. Their excuse is that they do not
have Guyanese currency and visiting a cambio in the city is too much of a hassle so they prefer to make purchases with the US currency at the lower rate of 1 US = 200 GYD. The catch here of course is that the US currency is fake. Unsuspecting shopkeepers are unable to tell the difference between the real currency and the fake, and it is only when they try to
exchange the currency at a cambio or bank they are made aware of this. So far it is confirmed that these criminals have targeted at least two separate businesses, and it is my hope that by writing this letter other persons will not fall for this trick. V. Bissoon
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I am bewildered at how lawyers can defend the guilty accused DEAR EDITOR, Historically highly qualified individuals in societies are considered to be of great value and asset, exemplary and thus respectable. Those who have had the opportunity of attending university, graduating with distinction are even more highly regarded and looked up to. And many in turn crave and “work” for such adulation. Lawyers and doctors within our society still command the greater part of respect; yes, we remain steeped in our tradition, how often do we not hear with contended pride and brimming with satisfaction: “my son is a Doctor”, “my daughter is a Lawyer”. Thus these professionals are often times the yardstick by which society is judged, are placed on a pedestal as the standard bearers for things good and proper, moral values, good/bad habits and practices etc.; in a word paragons of virtue. Editor, it is for all the above reasons that these “paragons of virtue” are sought after to make speeches, deliver charges, inspirational boosters and pep talks at so many occasions/functions, and though respect is due some folks take it over the brink as if these personalities are infallible, glossing over the
fact that they are first and foremost human beings like all of us with imperfections, weaknesses and failings – some of noble birth some of lowly birth but matters not earthlings just the same. Yet for all we continue to hold them up as the light to society as though they were made in Heaven. However, there is among these highly priced vocations there is one in which an exception must be made, whereby virtue of this profession, what is required by practice is not too clear-cut, doesn’t always seem right, often times contradictory leaving society betwixt and between in measuring up the very standard of moral/ values to which the others are held and society is led to expect. Editor, I’m speaking about that of the legal profession – Attorneys-atLaw. Allow me to present a scenario in an effort to make my point: One c o m m i t s m u r d e r, c o l d blooded, well calculated and executed but is not prepared to suffer the consequences, so he solicits the services of a fine top-notch attorney, pays the astronomical fee demands and gets off. Now, what doesn’t add up in the light of this discussion is that the accused murderer admits
to his guilt to his attorney who hears from him in minute detail the whole truth as to how the murder was done so that he (attorney) can chart his line of defence well and springs his client off the hook. And being successful he defends and protect a confessed, cold blooded murderer, releases him back into society a dangerous element. The more victories this attorney gets in such like cases the more prominent he becomes and is placed upon a pinnacle and idolized. Editor, we all k n o w, e v e n s o m e t i m e s experience the pernicious effects that these elements more often than not continue to have on society spreading their venom. Thus the above example begs the questions: what is truth, what is justice, what is virtue? An important point to note here dear reader – since we are discussing moral values/ virtues – is that many of our attorneys are of some kind of religious background, be it a practising Christian, Hindu, Muslim, follower of some holy faith; then, too the Bible and Quran play a very integral part in the process of justice where one has to swear while holding whichever one high up in the air while
10 points from the PPP about... From page 5 information on the NPTAB website, introducing a blackout on information regarding government procurement 6. It is the PNC and then APNU/AFC that chaired the Public Accounts Committee from 2001 to 2015, 15 years, and was unable to secure consensus on the names to
the appointed to the Public Procurement Commission, even after they secured a parliamentary majority in 2011 7. It is under PPP/C’s chairmanship that the Public Accounts Committee was able to secure after a mere 12 months the same consensus that eluded the PNC/APNU/ AFC for 15 years, and obtain a special majority of the National Assembly to approve the names of nominees to the Public Procurement Commission 8. It is the APNU/AFC President who is now dillydallying on appointing the nominated members of the Public Procurement Commission, at a time when his government is lurching from one procurement scandal to another (drug bond, fruit juice, city cleanup,
Durban Park construction, GWI jerry cans and consultancy services, etc.); 9. It is the APNU/AFC that has just agreed to pay a legal award to the same Surinamese company under questionable circumstances, and now comes and awards the same company this juice contract under equally questionable circumstances; 10. It is the APNU/AFC government that is reeling from embarrassment following one scandal after another almost on a daily basis, and from their abject failure to deliver on any of the manifesto promises they so dishonestly made to the Guyanese people when asking for their vote in May 2015 and are now refusing to honour. Juan Edghill
promising to tell the truth, the same as was done by those very attorneys when on taking their oath while being admitted to the Bar Editor, the case sighted above is just one among many, pick any number, there are umpteen other scenarios that correspond to the above and bares the point, that in so many instances the people we put on a pedestal as the compass of society possessing the moral rectitude are the very ones (in this particular case) who trample it with brazen impunity at the behest of all sorts of amorphous arrangements via cryptic laws. Tell me how on earth could the two go hand in glove. Then to crown it all, the confessed killer often times being freed invites the esteemed attorney to church with him so as to give praise/thanks to the almighty for escaping any punishment for his deeds. This behaviour/practice for me is the very antithesis of good moral standards, very ironic and a grand contradiction of the banner we hold high as a paragon o f v i r t u e . I t i s c r a z y, eccentric, no wonder society keeps spinning in circles to catch its tail. Tell me again about morality value and virtues. Frank Fyffe
Thursday September 29, 2016
Complaints about the operations at GWI DEAR EDITOR, We have a very chronic and serious trend/problem at GWI, that is well known, yet no one is objective or courageous enough to speak out. There is no doubt that the investments made by several international funding agencies (EU, IDB, BNTF) etc, to this poorly managed entity, for the past three decades have been astronomical. New treatment facilities were built, existing ones were supposedly upgraded and water distribution systems were replaced and in some cases upgraded. The Government of Guyana also made significant financial contributions. Yet GWI is losing between 3040 percent of its revenue to alleged “UNKNOWN” source . The Linden treatment plant has been an investor nightmare. The Rose Hall water treatment plant has never fulfilled its expectation of providing treated water to residents between Whim and Courtland/Gibraltar. An aerial view of the city and the coastland has seen a dramatic rise in the black tank population. Should we consider these developments as returns on the investment made in the water industry? The previous
administration acquired the services of Severn Trend in the mid-90 to enhance the management capability of the organization. This was a real disaster because local c o o p e r a t i o n , understandably, was not forth coming. Severn Trend was up against a powerful machinery and detractors of no mean order. Some analyst felt that the intention was merely to get rid of the then CEO strongman, who apparently was becoming an embarrassment to the ruling regime. The contribution of certain people will always remain in GWI’s history. The common denominator is that they were all political appointees. GWI seems to be the dumping ground for these special class of people. WHY? Does control of the water sector bring votes? The famous Peter Drucker phrase summarizes it all. “If we do not know where we are going any road may take us there.” Arriving at our final destination is important but at what cost to Guyana. Mr Editor, I am afraid of the news coming out of GWI. Guyana deserve much more. What n e x t ? O n e ’s d i g e s t i v e system has to be strong. Concerned employees
Dr. Ramayya gives an account... From page 5 the drugs shortage and the single sourcing of drugs and supplies and the atrocious conditions existing in the hospitals, especially at the New Amsterdam Hospital. The single sourcing was done without my knowledge and the only time I became cognizant of them was when the vouchers were brought for me to sign. In addition, I questioned the huge and costly amounts of dietary supplies which were purchased on a regular basis and which never seemed to reach the patients. Millions were spent on these yet patients were suffering from shortage or poor quality of dietary items. Furthermore, I unearthed instances where items supplied has a variation in price for the same item from the same supplier. A roll of
toilet paper is supplied at $2,500 per bale and the same toilet paper is priced at $4,300 from the same supplier. The Regional Officials felt that I should never have queried these things. But that is not what I fought for all these years on my program ‘Issues of the People’. The consultation to do the electrical wiring of the NA Hospital was another sole sourcing done to benefit the boys. One million dollars was paid for this ‘emergency’ work. Why was this not tendered out? Plumbing works were also done through single sourcing with no tendering done and again I became aware of this when it was time to pay the bill. I had also exposed the cleaning of the septic tanks at the NA Hospital and the outrageous amount of monies
paid. This again is the product of sole-sourcing and cronyism. The next major conspiracy occurred at the Regional Tender Board. An individual from the AFC who received favors from the past Government became a Tender Board member and from day one he affiliated himself with the 2 PPP tender Board members to grant contracts to those whom they favored. I was against this person becoming a member of the Tender Board since I am well acquainted with his history. Thus these three persons had the majority and controlled the Tender Board and decided who should get the contracts. Then the subtreasury came on the scene to make me look bad. The person in charge sent back over $70 million in checks. They were sent back to Central Treasury for spurious reasons, even checks for my expenses. I was being attacked on all flanks and Nagamootoo and Ramjattan offered no support Dr V Ramayya
Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News
UNICEF hands over Situation Analysis document to Guyana
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- to help advance protection of vulnerable women and children Guyana is currently armed with information that will give it a better understanding of the issues that children and women are faced with thereby making it poised to put intervening measures in place. This notion was amplified yesterday when the United Nations Children Fund Representative, Ms Marianne Flach ceremoniously handed over a Situation Analysis (SitAn) of Children and Women document to the Ministry of Social Protection. The analysis is perhaps one of the most significant tasks undertaken and completed by the UNICEF Representative during her tenure which will shortly come to an end. Speaking at a forum convened at the Peter Rose and Anira Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown Herdmanston Lodge, Flach said, “Today is bittersweet for me as this is one of my last official functions before I conclude my tour of duty here in Guyana.” Even as she expressed satisfaction with the completion and handing over of the analysis, Flach commended the Ministry of Social Protection for its excellent partnership throughout the ‘SitAn’ process. “This Situation Analysis gives us a better understanding of the issues that children are facing in all 10 Regions of Guyana right now, so that we can ensure that we plan and budget effectively to make their lives better,” said Flach. She explained that the analysis will be extremely im-
portant in informing the UNICEF Guyana Country Programme during the course of 2017-2021. The Country Programme has three priority areas: Safety and justice, Lifelong learning and Social inclusion and child rights monitoring. Over the next five years, Flach said that UNICEF will continue its partnership with Government to support National Strategic Plans and Programmes, with emphasis on equity, and on reaching the most vulnerable children and their families. Based on data gathered during the most recent round of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014, the SitAn highlights different groups of vulnerable children and women, and has helped place emphasis on critical areas within the local Country Programme, according to Flach. Flach also disclosed yesterday that “Climate Change is also mainstreamed in our new country programme, with emphasis on Climate Change Education, and addressing issues such as the availability of clean water, and mitigating health risks, especially those posed by infectious vector borne diseases such as Dengue and newer threats such as Chikungunya and Zika, which have serious implications for pregnant women and their babies.” Guyana has already started to take advantage of the ‘Sit An’, according to Social Protection Minister, Volda Lawrence.
Minister Lawrence, addressing the forum, said that the need for the information in the ‘Sit An’ document to be shared, disseminated and used by all stakeholders, in collaboration with each sector to stamp out the ills that are rife in society. The Minister revealed, yesterday, that she is advocating for a multi-sectoral approach as the way forward. Minister Lawrence, however, observed yesterday that in the document there are several factors that militate against resolving the social woes that beset children and women. And she disclosed that the prime enemy is poverty which is widespread in rural communities and in the hinterland. Other challenges include “the bottlenecks regarding legislation related to children and the absence of relevant policies and programmes among others to combat the battles that our vulnerable groups face,” asserted the Minister. And according to her, the Ministry of Social Protection has already earmarked the areas of focus for 2017. She pointed out that “It is our intention to intensify our efforts in tackling the issues of domestic violence, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, child labour and juvenile rehabilitation,” adding “this appears as a looming, daunting task, but therein are issues that overlap as well as other sectors that are involved.” She however noted, “What is comforting is that
A section of the gathering at yesterday’s forum. we have the information documented for us; all we need is to look at the indicators, examine the triggers and the findings and together plan and strategise ways of protecting our human resource. We need to re-examine our family structure and values, we have to reinforce our training and knowledge base, our curriculum and look at alternative ways of dealing with our children who are in conflict with the law.”
In essence, as the ‘Sit An’ document underscores the need to take into account the social norms, the social and cultural practices as according to Minister Lawrence “therein are factors that influ-
ence violence against children and women.” The Minister expressed appreciation to UNICEF for the compilation of this comprehensive document. “You Continued on page 11
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CANU Head disappointed at discharge of trio in Barry Dataram cocaine case - Says evidence against them was overwhelming Head of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, James Singh, has expressed dissatisfaction in the court decision which allowed three persons charged jointly with convicted drug trafficker Barry Dataram, to walk free. As a consequence, the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit has appealed the decision. Yesterday, Mr Singh said that he was very disappointed at the outcome of the case given the overwhelming evidence against all the persons accused in the matter. The CANU Head also confirmed that the local ranks have been working with international colleagues to track down Dataram who is said to
have since fled Guyana to neighbouring Suriname. Barry Dataram, a self confessed drug lord, was found guilty and jailed for trafficking in cocaine on Tuesday. He was also asked to pay a hefty fine of $164M. His former co-accused among whom were his reputed wife Anjanie Boodnarine, and their friends Trevor Gouveia and Komal Charran, were freed of the charges. The four persons had been jointly charged for having 129.23kg of cocaine in their possession on April 16, 2015 for the purpose of trafficking. However, only Gouveia and Chandan showed up to
hear the ruling by Magistrate Judy Latchman on Tuesday. Neither Dataram nor his wife was present at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court when the sentence was handed down. Dataram, a Guyana-born American, had successfully fought off efforts to extradite him to the United States of America to face drug smuggling charges. Law enforcement authorities had confirmed that the man had travelled out of Guyana on false documents. The authorities are however, unsure whether his reputed wife had travelled with him. Dataram, also known as ‘Mogotani’, or Kevin
Dataram, of 13 Vriesland, West Bank Demerara; his reputed w i f e , A n j a n i e Boodnarine, 19, of 79 Patentia, Housing Scheme, We s t B a n k D e m e r a r a ; Komal Charran, 20, of 265 B e l l e We s t , We s t B a n k Demerara; and Trevor Gouveia of Best Village, West Coast Demerara, had all pleaded not guilty to a drug trafficking charge. According to the allegation, on April 16, last, at 661 Fourth Avenue, Block X Diamond, East Bank Demerara, they allegedly had 129.23 kg of cocaine in
their possession for the purpose of trafficking. The couple was arrested at their Lot 661 Fourth Avenue, Block X Diamond, East Bank Demerara residence. On the day in question, ranks from the Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) swooped down on the house and conducted a search in the presence of the defendants. During the search they unearthed the illicit drug. It was reported that some of the cocaine was stuffed in frozen seafood, while the remainder was found to be bricks of raw coke.
Barry Dataram
City vendors ask… Where will we go?
Temporary vending area Vendors are now contemplating their next move after they were informed by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) that the area they currently occupy, will have to be vacated by December. Some of the vendors at Lombard and Hadfield Streets expressed concerns since the Council is allegedly “dillydallying” in finding an alternative vending area. One of the vendors, who requested anonymity, said that she left the temporary vending area and went back
to selling on the road at the risk of being fined, in order to support her two children. The mother of two said that she feels as though the vendors are being neglected by the City Council. “They have no time with the vendors, nor are they listening to us when we ask them for help. We have children to look after and bills to pay but they seem to be least interested.” ‘The woman said that the way that city council is handling the issue is not only “in-
effective” but it is strenuous on her and her children. She further said that the vendors are aware that they sometimes “encumbered” the roadways before they were moved to their present location. They contended that the government is not creating jobs but is treating the vendors who are trying to make a simple living without any respect. Another vendor who identified herself as Shevon, of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, stated that she and most of the vendors are tired of the City Council and the “royal run around.” “They are just saying and not doing, it’s frustrating so I stopped paying attention to them. “ Deputy Mayor, Sherod Duncan, who was later contacted by Kaieteur News, stated that even though the City Council is not clear on where it can place the vendors, it is working on forming a marketing committee to assist the vendors in finding a permanent place. He also said that not only will the committee help the vendors but it will assist the public in other ways as well.
Thursday September 29, 2016
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Kaieteur News
The end of the era of the pool halls The decision of the owners of Buddy’s Pool Hall to rent out the facility to a university and to open for rental the highly popular Buddy’s Night Club is symptomatic of the problems that are facing businesses in Guyana. The proprietors of the Pool Hall and the Night Club have complained about a progressive slowdown in business, a decline that is not seasonal. They have hinted at the cause of that slowdown in sales – people now patronising the cinemas which have returned to Guyana with a huge customer base. The Giftland Mall is now the centre of attraction on weekends. People are now going back to the cinema as they did in the past. The bars are going to suffer as a consequence. The pool halls are going to be affected. The rum shops are already hurting. These types of businesses are being displaced by the clubs and the cinemas. The problem therefore is not that people do not have money to spend at the pool
halls. The problem is that there is a shift in preference and, more importantly, the numbers who patronise such locations have not been expanding. This is an age-old problem that affects sports and entertainment in Guyana. It is responsible for the disinterest being shown by promoters in organising events in Guyana. These promoters will tell you that the entertainment crowd in Guyana is small and that the disposable income is of such that only a limited number of shows can be held every year. The number of fans who go to sporting events, except cricket, is limited. The spending power is simply not there to expand the numbers even though the economy has been growing impressively for more than ten years. This is a problem which has to be addressed because it suggests that the benefits of a growing economy are not trickling down fast enough and far enough to allow the average worker to have a night out every weekend. It means
that disposable income for the ordinary worker is still constricted. This is not good for businesses. If you go to any of the popular clubs on weekends you see a select audience of Guyana’s middle class. With a limited number of persons who can afford to have a night out every week, it means that there is competition amongst a few night clubs. Gravity, Palm Court, Pegasus and 704 are usually well-supported on Saturday nights. You cannot turn a profit by having good patronage one night a week. The businesses which do well at weekends are therefore not necessarily turning profits. These places will eventually have to confront the same reality as Buddy’s has had to do. They will have to ask themselves whether to continue and for how long. Buddy’s Pool Hall and Buddy’s Night Club have faced that reality. They have decided to move in to other lines of business. The discothèques of the
Dem boys seh...
More scampishness happening to de tender level When Rohee seh that crime back on de rise he know wha he was saying. Up until he open he mouth de place was quiet except fuh de one, one stupidness. He know bout crime and he got friends who know bout crime. From de time he talk is like war break. Gunmen coming from east, west, north and south, and all of dem tackling old people. Rum Jattan who had a plan fuh deal wid criminals look like if he run out of ideas because dem boys now tackling people in broad daylight in de heart of de city and getting away. Jagdeo did spend millions of dollars pun CCTV. De idea was to see when crime tek place. Well, dem boys seh that it look like if dem cameras blind and only dem that de private people set up wukking. A young man get shoot at a nightspot and de cameras mek de police know is who right away. A Cuban lady get shoot and rob right wheh a camera situate in de city and de police ain’t see nutten. Rum Jattan must explain. Just like how dem boys want de people in
de tender board to explain how a man get de water contract and de people ain’t even look at de bids. This is one situation that dem boys got a special interest. Fuh starters, de bid is not de lowest. At de same time it look like a joint venture but people know that all de money coming from one company. Dem boys hear that de man who coming to evaluate de tenders was close to one of de bidders. In fact, de bidder pick him up at de airport and put him up. That is how dem boys know who get de contract fuh de well. Soulja Bai sit down in he corner and talking bout transparency. This situation so transparent that dem boys seeing all de scampishness that tekking place. It ain’t too late fuh people pull back but when you tek people money is dangerous and a tricky thing. Ask de people at GECOM. Talk half and watch to see how de water contract play out.
1970’s and 1980’s eventually folded. The pool halls are now facing competition from the clubs and from the cinema. In most other countries the clubs and the pool halls and the cinema are able to operate with a sufficient large enough customer base to support all three businesses. But not in Guyana! And this shows the lack of disposable income by the ordinary man. There are some people whose entertainment retinue is sitting at home watching television or waiting on someone to invite them to a party or some other social function. The problem with disposable income is a national problem. A 10% salary increase which, aggregated across all grades of workers, will probably average 6% is not going to change this situation. It never did in the past and will not do so in the future. Increasing disposable income requires a specific economic focus which cannot be confined only to the payment of wages. Politicians have to understand how the average man feels when all he can do
weekend in weekend out, all year round, is to entertain himself in front of his television set. Does the Ministry of Finance have a strategy to address the problems of disposable income in our country? The end of the era of the pool hall is not an isolated incident. It has implications for the level of satisfaction within our society. The government is establishing all kinds of units. The latest one
is aimed at fiscal forecasting. Does Guyana have the skills to accurately forecast fiscal trends? Can we pay for such skills? More importantly will such a department put monies in the pockets of those who on weekends can do no better than sit in front of the TV screen.
Two in custody for Berbice farmer’s execution
Police in ‘B’ Division have arrested two suspects in connection with the gruesome execution of an East Canje Berbice livestock farmer on Tuesday. Information reaching Kaieteur News revealed that the men, both hailing from Gangaram, were picked up the same evening of the murder for questioning. The bullet-riddled body of 38year-old Ramnarine Itwaru, called “Bill” was on Tuesday afternoon discovered at the Wing road, Estate dam area. Kaieteur News previously reported that the man who resides at Lot 84 Gangaram village left his home at about 1:00 pm to weed his private land when he was executed. Relatives suspected that the man’s recent ban on persons trespassing on his land may be connected to his gruesome death. A post mortem examination is expected to be conducted today. Investigations are ongoing.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 29, 2016
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
Rain water and ignorance in the sewage system The President of Guyana is not the target of harsh criticism from the media and political observers which he should be; a situation that would not happen in another country in the world. The President heads a party named the People’s National Congress. It has 21 of the 30 seats in the Georgetown City Council. There are five seats for other parties and four councillors come directly from the Alliance for Change –Messrs Jaikarran, Persaud, Goring and Duncan. Twenty-one seats in a 30-
seat municipality is a landslide. The newly elected Georgetown municipality is doing nonsensical, undemocratic and unacceptable things. The party in power in the City Council is headed by David Granger. Mr. Granger is beyond reproach. He is a decent human being. But though egregious political mistakes have not been committed by him in his personal and presidential capacities, he has an obligation to the citizens of Georgetown to rein in the wild cards in his
party that are marauding all over Georgetown and whose bravados are shaped by an unelected Town Clerk. This columnist believes that if municipal elections for the capital are held tomorrow even with the personal involvement of Mr. Granger, his party would lose. It is that bad. I seldom look at television but for some unknown reason, I slumped in the Berbice chair in front the idiot box on Tuesday night and caught one of the local newscasts. There were two items on the City Council. One was a letter written to the Mayor by the Minister of Communities about the Town Clerk’s action in evicting the Robb Street vendors. It was an interesting correspondence for two reasons.
First, the Town Clerk’s action was deemed illegal. Secondly, the Minister chastised the Mayor for her support for such illegalities. Immediately after quoting from the Minister’s letter, the anchor moved on to an interview with the Deputy Mayor, Sherod Duncan. The most intriguing aspect of that interview was Mr. Duncan’s enumeration of the failed projects of Mr. King and his conclusion that based on that negative balance sheet, the Town Clerk should be removed. As a political commentator, I share that view. I honestly feel that in the post 2015 horizon where freedoms should be more guaranteed, that the Guyanese people expect, there is no place for the mentality of a Royston King. Throughout the entire territory of Guyana within the local government system, Mr. King stands out as the most undemocratic and arrogant official. And this is within a local government system whose cities, townships and NDCs have PPP leaders at the top of the hierarchy. Yet they do not behave as bull-headed as Mr. King. In his letter that I have
seen read out on the newscast, the Minister pointed out to the Mayor that Mr. King is an administrator of the Council whose duties are to act on the decisions of the Council. It was a timely reminder to the Town Clerk that he is an officer who does not make policies but carries out the administrative dimensions of policies adumbrated by the City Council. In which city in the entire world, the executive officer of the City Council has refused to submit a contract he entered into with an investor to the elected leadership of that Council? Once ordered to produce the document, he has to. That is not realpolitik; that is not pragmatic politics; that is legal politics. The CEO of any public sector institution has to produce a contract once the board requests it. The Permanent Secretary has to produce a document if the Minister wants it. Mr. King is at it again. He wants all the rain water that pours down onto the roof of your house to run into the sewage system. I am not an engineer but I can tell you what I grew up
Frederick Kissoon with. The guttering on the roof of the house leads to a pipe which takes the rainwater into the gutters, alleyways and trenches eventually into the rivers and the Atlantic. That is what I have grown up with. Mr. King wants the pipe that leads from your roof to go into the gully that is in your yard so it can enter the sewage system just like your toilet, bathroom and kitchen water. During the heavy rainy season, wouldn’t that be an enormous burden on the city’s sewage system? Why not the gutters, alleyways and trenches that runs alongside your house? Isn’t the water going into those waterways when it rains? I end with a question – shouldn’t Mr. King have consulted stakeholders before he issued his edict?
Thursday September 29, 2016
Cuban national shot, robbed in Regent Street store A 61-year-old Cuban woman, Maria Puig, of 25 Laluni Street Queenstown, was shot during a daylight robbery yesterday on Regent Street opposite the Georgetown Mayor and City Council chambers.
ish. After a jostle with the bandit, Puig fell to the ground. The employee said that the man then ran out of the store and joined his accomplice who was waiting in the street on a motorcycle. When Kaieteur News arrived on the
the store to meet his partner who then sped away. According to reports, the woman was robbed of $5000 and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital for emergency treatment. When this publication visited
Stand Variety Store, opened on the left. The incident occurred around 12:25 hrs in the Stand Variety Store located on the ground floor of the popular Matt’s Record Bar building. According to an employee of the establishment, the woman entered the store and was followed by a young man who grabbed at her purse. She said that the man then shot at the woman’s arm. After which, the injured woman raised an alarm speaking in her native tongue, Span-
scene yesterday, police investigators as well as city police had cordoned off the entrance to the store. After completing their initial inquiries, the police entered the store; there was blood splattered on the floor. One nearby hat vendor said that he was unable to see what transpired. However, he remembered hearing the gunshot. He said that after peering to see what happened he noticed a male running from
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Kaieteur News
the hospital, it was informed that the woman had been taken into the theatre. Speaking with Commander of ‘A’ Division Clifton Hicken, Kaieteur News was made to understand that video footage obtained by the police only showed the back of the suspect who shot the woman. However, police are working along with eyewitnesses to ascertain the identity of the man who was seen leaving the store.
GuySuCo to meet with sugar unions today The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) will be meeting today with various unions that represent sugar workers, to examine ‘fully’ the current and future status of the Corporation. This meeting would stem from several preliminary meetings between GuySuCo and the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) on September 19; and the National Association of Agriculture, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) on Monday last. The Corporation said that in response to the Unions’ respective claims for the year 2016, GuySuCo’s senior management team has invited the
Unions executives, along with representatives of the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) to meet, so that together they can fully examine the current and future status of the Corporation. Also, GuySuCo’s management team will make comprehensive disclosures regarding sugar production and productivity, market and revenue trends, related costs, including emp l o y m e n t c o s t s , and of course their collective impact on current and future financial results. GuySuco said that it is intended that the parties will jointly examine the considerable challenges which the in-
dustry has faced over the last decade and the threats to sugar as its principal product of the future; discuss possible options for regaining financial viability; and more critically take the opportunity as joint shareholders to explore the type of partnership that can be forged to address the challenges highlighted, reconcile the varying interests, and commit to saving not only jobs and careers, but critically also, to ensuring the future viability of dependent communities. The Corporation said that its management team therefore looks forward to the start of a positive and productive series of interactions.
From page 7 have provided the Government of Guyana and other attendant agencies involved in the welfare of children and women’s issues with the relevant statistical data to embrace the prevailing social issues. I want to assure you that this document will be circulated and used for eliminating the
violation of our children’s and women’s rights,” said Minister Lawrence. She noted that Guyana’s Sustainable Development Goals call for the empowerment of children and women and Government will invest its efforts and resources to engage in capacity building for the prevention of violence and support for vulnerable
children and women. Yesterday’s forum was graced by First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger, who lauded the work of UNCEF in helping to support Guyana’s effort to protect its vulnerable women and children. A number of school children decked in their uniforms also attended the auspicious forum.
UNICEF hands over Situation...
Little evidence GECOM advertised... From page 3 evidence of advertising. According to insiders, GECOM would reportedly collect submitted quotes from three businesses or individuals for a particular service or supply, and forward this to NPTAB, recommending one of the businesses it “evaluated” to be best one. Throughout it all, there was little indication to say how GECOM went about hiring boats and vehicles and persons to provide meals for polling day staffers. The spending has raised eyebrows and has seen state auditors expanding it probe as there are several questionable spending. More than two weeks before the May 11 elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) spent almost $15M on nippers and pliers. The contract was awarded to Standard Distributors. From calculations, GECOM spent about $6,000
for pliers that retail for $600. Then there was the case of the $100M purchase of high frequency communications radio sets from Mobile Authority, a company owned by Michael Brasse. The sets, from all indications, were never used and there are questions about the urgent reasons advanced by GECOM for those radios in the first place. Brasse also received $23M in contracts for supplying Duracell batteries. It appeared GECOM paid almost $1200 for a $300 battery. Once a budget agency that depended on Government for monies, GECOM has been granted some degree of autonomy, thanks to recent legislations being passed to ensure its independence. State auditors are also looking to verify reports that GECOM had enough of those HF radios on hand, but yet went ahead and ordered more…those “more” were never used.
PPP Commissioners on GECOM said last week that they were stonewalled when they asked for information. Very few contracts came before the commissioners to be approved, they said. It is the belief that those radios, bought since 2006, were dumped on GECOM in a deal involving officials there. Following the breaking of the story of the radio purchases, the Australian manufacturer, Barrett Communications, through its European office, distanced itself from last year $100M transaction by GECOM. Barrett said it did tender but from its information, the order was cancelled by GECOM. Several purchases of toners– for printers and copiers– by GECOM last year, supplied by Brasse are also said to also be under the radar of state auditors. Over $92M was paid. GECOM reportedly has been left with a large stock of toners.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 29, 2016
Senior police officer freed on corruption charge Former Assistant Superintendent of Police, Terrence Browne, who along with three of his colleagues were charged last year with corrupt transaction, has been freed of the charge. This followed a no case submission by his lawyer, Attorney at Law Chandra Sohan. Browne, Corporal Shawn McPhoy, of 174 Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt; Constable Ray Drepaul Saul, of Eversham, Corentyne; and Constable Trevon McKenzie, of Princeton, Corentyne, were all charged and indicted from duty. However, Brown a father of 10, of Lot 273 Sisters Village, West Demerara, who was in charge of subdivision No Two (Corentyne) was charged separately. The matter was being tried before Magistrate Charlyne Artiga in the Whim Magistrate’s court. Brown was granted bail in the sum of $250,000 and was ordered to lodge his passport. The allegation against Browne was that between September 10 and September 11, last year, at Salton Village, Corentyne, Berbice, he obtained a sum of cash from the other police officers as an inducement to forego charges against Rennison Park. The other three McPhoy, Drepaul-Saul and McKenzie,
were charged with corruptly obtaining $6M from Rennison Park as consideration to drop charges against him for trafficking in narcotics. They were subsequently granted bail in the sum of $300,000 by the High Court. The ranks had reportedly stopped a vehicle in which Park was said to be transporting some drugs to the eastern border. McPhoy allegedly obtained the money from Park. The prosecution had contended that Browne had obtained $500,000 from the ranks after they had received the bribe from Park. However at the conclusion of the Prosecution case, Attorney at Law, Chandra Sohan stated that there is no case for his client to answer. He submitted that the Prosecution’s main witness, policewoman Welch was pressured to implicate his client. He said that Welch was a part of the police detail that was at work that night and he wondered why she was not charged. He said that Welch had even admitted to receiving money from the deal but had given it back and was not charged. Sohan said that her testimony was seriously flawed and manifestly unreliable. The lawyer pointed out
that during Welch’s testimony she mentioned that McPhoy had put some money in a black bag to give to the “Boss man”. He queried who the boss man was. Was he the Commander, Commissioner or somebody else? Also in her testimony she said that she was standing outside when she saw Mc Phoy knock on Browne’s door, however during the evidence it was learnt that Welch was sitting in a car during the entire ordeal. She also gave conflicting evidence as to how the money was split. On one instance she said the money was divided in a room, then she mentioned that the money was divided at a lonely spot. Sohan also contended that during the initial probe his client Browne had objected to Senior Superintendent Errol Watts (the acting Commander) being a part of the investigation since he and Watts were having serious differences. However Watts insisted on being a part of the investigation process. He also mentioned that Watts and Welch are closely related and that it was Watts that was encouraging Welch to lie against Browne. Sohan also contended that Browne had cause to discipline Welch on more than
one occasion. The lawyer said that there was absolutely no evidence against his client and there was collusion to implicate Browne. Brown, he said, should never have been charged. According to Sohan he is now in the process of contacting the relevant authorities concerning his client’s wel-
…his lawyer contemplates lawsuit fare. He said that he is seeking his client’s full reinstatement in the police force and compensation for the wrong and embarrassment that he suffered. Sohan stated that since his client was wrongfully accused and interdicted two
promotions have come and gone and his client made to suffer. He is in the process of filing a law suit against Welch for lying against his client. The matter against the other three policemen is continuing.
Triple-murder teen accused among trio in Beribce prison Prison break
The 17-year-old, who was charged and subsequently remanded for the gruesome triple-murder at Black Bush in Berbice some months ago, was part of a trio who attempted to escape the confines of the New Amsterdam Prison on Tuesday night. Although the details are somewhat sketchy, a police source told this publication that the teen, Jairam Chetram; a prisoner identified as “Spurwing” and “Boodhoo (only name supplied), tried to escaped the jailhouse by going through the roof. Their plans were foiled after their movements were recognised by the ranks stationed at the tower. The three are all murder accused. An alarm was subsequently raised and the men were captured and secured. Efforts to contact the relevant authorities to shed some more light on the matter were futile. According to reports, Jairam Chetram and his father Carlton Chetram, along with
Jairam Chetram three others allegedly murdered Pawan Chandradeo, Naresh Rooplall and Jaikarran Chandradeo at Cookrite Savannah, Black Bush Polder. The New Amsterdam Prison is no stranger when it comes to jailbreaks or attempted jailbreaks. Reports in the past would confirm that back in 2008 several inmates were in a cell when one requested to use the toilet and as soon as the cell was opened, the prison official
was pounced upon and relieved of his keys. He was then tied up with a bed sheet. However, the breakout was foiled after the prisoners were spotted by an officer who was at the time in the yard. In 2010, a notorious gang dubbed the ‘Skeldon Crew’ which was accused of wreaking havoc in the New Amsterdam Prison were forced to abort their plan to escape the jailhouse. Prison officers were tipped off when a search was conducted and several sharp implements and steel bars were discovered. Back in 2011, four inmates were discovered missing from the prison when their cells were unlocked to allow them to empty their utensils of body waste. The year 2015 saw two remand prisoners escaping from the prison. The duo had managed to get down from the top flat of a building in the compound of the Prison with bedsheets before jumping over a perimeter fence outfitted with razor wire.
Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News
One RZ mini bus for sale BKK 7473 in working condition, (papers intact) $1M negotiable. Call: 658-5897/673-2692
WINGS CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE SUMMER. CALL: 690-6494
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL. COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL: 4WD PICKUP, CHEAPEST RATE & SPECIAL RATE FOR LONG TERM. CALL: 698-7807
Ramnarine Mining Enterprise: welders, operators & labourers –Call: 679-0550/ 624-0501 Truck driver to travel in and out of the interior, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020
Gas/stove range GEAmerican made, stand up freezer, hot dog machine, supermarket mirror. Call: 680-3863 Items for sale: water tanks, used clothing, living room suites, wares & doors. Please call for any inquiry on: 2311284
Receptionist, desk staff, security guards (males). Call: 225-0198 or visit 233 South Road, Lacytown.
Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, phone games, applications & repairs – Call: 672-2566; 2653231
1 Admin Clerk; must have driver’s license- Call: 2181459 One Trainee A.C, Refrigerator, Technician – Call: 231-0655 General Marketing Enterprise Realty: Real Estate Assistant (salary), Real Estate Agent (commission). Text: 648-2345/ email:gmerealestateagency@ outlook.com Seeking spindle turner full time or part time, kindly contact: 216-0057/684-4510 for more information Accounts officer/Assistant, must have CXC Accounts – Call: 680-3863/ 624-0033 or email CV: laltag@yahoo.com Driver for water truck - $5,000 daily, plus commission. Call: 680-3863. 1 Cook- Call: 6240033. 1 Maid- Call: 624-0033
1-2 Story 4 bedrooms house on the East Bank Demerara $20M negotiable; serious enquiries only- Call: 643-6200 Pools table for sale/rent & land for sale in Bath Settlement. Call: 616-0398 Fluffy puppies vaccinated & de-wormed -$15,000. Call: 666-5199 1 Medium scale mining block for sale in Cuyuni Mining District, approximately 900 Acres -$3M negotiable. Call: 658-5897/673-2692 Riverside property @ Roeden-Rust, East Bank Essequibo. Call: 266-2217/ 617-6203 Pit-bull pups for sale; 9 weeks old- Call: 693-3010
Driver, must be over 35 years, Patient, Punctual & love to drive # 648-1821
Salesman/canter Driver for established brand of snack food, chocolates, Biscuits, Beverage etc, experienced in sales required. Call: 617-1809
LAND FOR SALE Land @ Tuschen School Street -$3M, La Parfaite Harmonie: $3M, $1.6M, $1.4M, $1.2M, Diamond $2.5M & V/Hoop- Call: 6046724 Land at Friendship, E.B.D $2.5M per lot. Call: 692-8513/ 617-0465 House lot for sale in Uitvlugt W.C.D -$3M. Call: 676-4051
LAND FOR SALE
Santa Mission 30th October 2016. Call Joy: 649-9059/6278562 or 621-1088
Cargo Trawler. Call: 682-8724; 616-5954
1 Perkins V8 Turbo Charge 170KVa Generator in working condition, Call 223-7380
House for rent/ sale @ Lot 107 Durbana Square Lamaha Gardens with 5 bedrooms large parking. Call: 661-8908
TOURS
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
Captains: Valid Certificate of competence as Master of a Power Driven Vessel – Call: 226-1100/ 226-5380
Plant care team looking for a hard working team player # 646-2108 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
Site, safety & electrical engineer- experienced need, age 25-45, very good salary & conditions. Call: 261-2280; 261-2280; 697-4344
FOR SALE
260 acres of titled Prime land good for farming located @ Susannah Village, Corentyne Berbice. Call: 617-6869/ 6535479
La Parfaite Harmonie -$800,000, $3.2M, Diamond -$3.2M, Loo Creek (front) - $7M, Saxacalli, Farm, Kuribrong, La Grange 37X600. Call: 231-7805/ 6187483 Continued on page 23
Thursday September 29, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Another man remanded for murder of Gafoors Manager Another man was yesterday remanded to prison for the murder of Terry Lakhan, whose bound and nude body was discovered in a wardrobe at his Herstelling, East Coast Demerara home, on July 21. Patrick Ross, 22, of Lot 107 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara is accused of murdering Lakhan, a former manager at Gafoors, during the course of a robbery. Ross and David Outar of Lot 369 Foulis, East Coast Demerara were jointly charged and not required to plead to the capital offence. Ross had been on the run. Outar was arrested and charged a few days after the murder. Police Prosecutor, Neville Jeffers, told the court that the case file is still incomplete. He said that the deceased’s post mortem report is still outstanding. Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan remanded the two accused to prison until October 25, when the matter will be called for report. According to reports, Lakhan’s body was
From page 22
WANTED Female worker wanted sound secondary education, computer literateTel: 622-5518 1 Experienced Chief Security Officer to manage a security concern. Attractive salary & benefits.Apply by Sending message/ WhatsApp: 6444284
MURDERED: Terry Lakhan discovered hanging from a cord in a wardrobe by his neighbour at around 23:00hrs, on the day in question. Lakhan’s legs and hands were also tied. It was reported that the accused told detectives they visited Lakhan’s home and were imbibing. Outar alleged that the father of one began making ‘advances’ towards him and
One masseur or masseuse to function four times a week. Text message to 6969386
MURDER ACCUSED: Patrick Ross
MURDER ACCUSED: David Outar
he became upset and left the home. It was reported that the accused told investigators that he returned to Lakhan’s home with a friend and they strangled the 53-year-old man
and tied a cord around his neck to make it look like suicide. An Xbox, clothing and other valuable were removed from the dead man’s home.
Police Inspector on sexual assault, rape charge A police inspector was on Wednesday arraigned on two charges of sexual activity with a minor. The man Mark Anthon, 47, a father of five who gave his address as Lot 50 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on two charges.
He is accused of between January 1, 2003 and April 30, 2010 at Liverpool, he indecently assaulted the child.. Whilst the child would be asleep he would insert his finger in her vagina. The child was warned not to tell anyone. H o w e v e r t h e m a n ’s a c t i o n w a s o bserved by another daughter. It was
subsequently reported to her mother, but the man denied. He is also charged with rape that is between September 1 and September 30, 2012 at 40 Stanleytown he engaged in sexual activity with a child. The accused would ask the virtual complainant to pay for items he bought for her. When told by the child that she could not pay
because she did not have money, he would demand sexual favours and rape her. The matter was reported and he was subsequently charged. The man who is stationed at the Eteringbang Police station in the Cuyuni Mazuruni Region was placed on $75,000 bail on each count and ordered to lodge his passport.
Detonated grenade tendered in court From page 17 Henry what was written on the third page of the statement which was recorded on two sheets of paper. However, despite the denial by the accused, the statement was tendered for identification purposes by the
Magistrate. According to reports, on the day in question, a security staffer heard an unusual sound coming from near Lall’s vehicle PRR 8398, which was parked on the western side of Saffon Street. On checking the front of the vehicle, the staffer
spotted a grenade lying near one of the front tyres. Video footage from the company’s CCTV cameras showed a grey-coloured vehicle, slowing as it approached Lall’s vehicle. The driver accelerated after the explosive device was thrown.
Shemar Wilson also known as ‘Abdue’ is still wanted by the police for questioning in relation to the grenade attack. He is 20 years of age and his last known addresses have been given as 43 North Sophia and 51 West La Penitence, Georgetown.
Failure to check excessive executive power... From page 14 by grave misconduct, illhealth or loss of confidence in him by the House.” Hughes, a practicing Attorney, said that the current structure of the Constitution gives the President absolute power to govern. The AFC has advocated for this to be addressed with urgency, for power, he opined, must be distributed evenly. “My position does not depend on who is the President; my position depends on the powers, not who is occu-
pying the position of the President. You don’t wait till you have a good candidate to decide whether or not you are going to change the powers of the President. You try to protect yourself in the event that you have a bad candidate. So the fact that you may have a good candidate now is not a basis that you should change your position at all.” Hughes did not want to state whether this was noted during the discussions of the Committee on
Constitutional Reform. He said that he was the convener on the Steering Committee on Constitutional Reform and the report on its finding and recommendations was submitted since April 30, last, to
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. The Prime Minister is yet to inform the nation on the status on this report and how Government intends to move forward in this regard.
Security to work in the Interior & G/Town, ex-military an asset, age 35-50. Call: 6251413/226-9768/698-7083 Experienced Diesel Mechanic to work in Interior with Perkins, Deutz engine & Doosan excavator knowledge. Call: 625-1413/ 226-9768/698-7083 1 Male cook in the Interior. Call: 678-0565
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Hair station for rental, convenient location, discounted price for new customers. Call: 638-1106 House for rent in Golden Grove, EBD - $65,000. Call:692-8513/ 617-0465 Business bottom flat for rent in New Road, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 227-4377/ 2270613/ 624-6013 Apartments for rent @ Nandy Park 2 bedrooms, recently renovated, free WiFi. Call: 227-5194 Property 1st & 2nd floor 102X36 ideal for office or school, lot 41 Seaforth Street Campbellville, Georgetown. Call: 614-2206/ 610-7902
Cleaners to work at Bourda Market, shift system, apply in person- Call: 218-1455
Spacious two bedrooms upper flat at Herstelling E.B.D. Call: 265-0204/ 6010223/645-9921
ONE EXPERIENCED DRIVER TO WORK IN RUIMVELDT, POLICE CLEARANCE & REFERENCES NEEDED. CALL: 231-8344/231-8529
Space for rent at Ashmin’s BuildingIdeal for commercial and office useCall: 683-7954
Garden pool maintenance worker wanted, send application to 66 Brummel Place or email: stute@minrel.gob.cl One domestic to work 3 days per week, must be living in G/ Town, age 30-45yrs. Call: 6413687 One male to work on chicken farm in the Interior, must have knowledge of chicken rearing. Call: 680-2702 Handymen/gardener; must be 25-35yrs old, honest & reliable. Call: 601-2622 1 Experienced general domestic, must know to prepare all Indian Dishes, must be trustworthy & have pleasant personality – Call: 615-3379
Upper flat for rent 3 bedrooms in Atlantic Gardens- Call: 227-4377/2270613/624-6013 Top flat for rent in Diamond Scheme- Call: 678-3388 Prime business premises (bottom flat) for rental at 13 Vlissengen Road, Newtown Kitty, G/Town. Call: 618-3002 SELF CONTAINED: FREE WI-FI, ELECTRICITY, CABLE @ RESIDENTIAL LOCATION, OPPOSITE THE HARBOR BRIDGE$35,000-CALL: 643-8080; 622-1364 One bedroom apartment preferably working couple or single person. Call: 698-1833
1 Male or female to look after layer birds in the Interior. Call:678-0565 LAND FOR SALE 30 Acres at Yarrowkabra Linden, Soesdyke Highway. Creek available. Call: 6959718/ 661-5033 (serious inquiries)
LAND FOR SALE La Parfaite Harmonie- land for sale at reduced prices for a few days only, 80ftX45ft $1.1M & $1.3M. Call:6585897/673-2692
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Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News
Congress rejects Obama veto, Saudi Sept. 11 bill becomes law Reuters - Congress yesterday overwhelmingly rejected President Barack Obama’s veto of legislation allowing relatives of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, the first veto override of his presidency, just four months before it ends. The House of Representatives voted 34877 against the veto, hours after the Senate rejected it 97-1, meaning the “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act” will become law. The vote was a blow to Obama as well as to Saudi Arabia, one of the United States’ longest-standing allies in the Arab world, and some lawmakers who supported the override already plan to revisit the issue. Obama said he thought the Congress had made a mistake, reiterating his belief that the legislation set a dangerous precedent and indicating that he thought political considerations were behind the vote. “If you’re perceived as voting against 9/11 families right before an election, not surprisingly, that’s a hard vote for people to take. But it would have been the right thing to do,” he said on CNN.
Barack Obama
Obama’s 11 previous vetoes were all sustained. But this time almost all his strongest Democratic supporters in Congress joined Republicans to oppose him in one of their last actions before leaving Washington to campaign for the Nov. 8 election. “Overriding a presidential veto is something we don’t take lightly, but it was important in this case that the families of the victims of 9/11 be allowed to pursue justice, even if that pursuit causes some diplomatic discomforts,” Senator Charles Schumer, a top Senate Democrat, said in a
statement. Schumer represents New York, site of the World Trade Center and home to many of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 attacks, survivors and families of victims. T h e l a w, k n o w n a s J A S TA , p a s s e d t h e House and Senate without objections earlier this year. S u p p o r t w a s f u elled by impatience in Congress with Saudi Arabia over its human rights record, promotion of a severe form of Islam tied to militancy and failure to do more to ease the international refugee crisis.
Shimon Peres, Israel’s elder statesman on defense and peacemaking, dies at 93 Reuters - Shimon Peres, one of Israel’s last surviving founding fathers who developed its powerful armed forces and nuclear capabilities before seeking peace with the Palestinians and sharing a Nobel prize, died yesterday at 93 after suffering a stroke. A convinced campaigner for Middle East peace who remained energetic until the final days of his seven decades in public life, the centre-left elder statesman was mourned by world leaders and praised for his tireless engagement. “A light has gone out,” said U.S. President Barack Obama who, the White House later confirmed, will attend Peres’s funeral tomorrow. “There are few people who we share this world with who change the course of human history, not just through their role in human events, but because they expand our moral imagination and force us to expect more of ourselves,” Obama said in a statement. “My friend Shimon was one of those people.” Despite decades of rivalry with Peres, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a right-winger who defeated the then-Labour Party leader in a 1996 election, praised him as a stalwart of the center-left and a visionary.
“There were many things we agreed upon, and the number grew as the years passed. But we had disagreements, a natural part of democratic life,” Netanyahu said after holding a minute’s silence at a specially convened cabinet meeting. “Shimon won international recognition that spanned the globe. World leaders wanted to be in his proximity and respected him. Along with us, many of them will accompany him on his last j o u r n e y t o e t e r n al rest in the soil of Jerusalem.” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he had sent a condolence letter to Peres’s family expressing his “sadness and regret” and praising his “intensive efforts to reach out for a lasting peace ... until the last days”. It was not clear whether Abbas would attend the funeral, which will be held at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl cemetery in a section dedicated to “Great Leaders of the Nation”. In the Gaza Strip, Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for the enclave’s Islamist Hamas rulers, said Palestinians were “happy about the departure of this criminal, who was involved in many crimes and in the bloodshed of the Palestinian people”.
Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News
“Waste man” freed of attempting to murder “Deportee” A Man who was on trial for the 2012 attempt murder of another on the Corentyne has been freed. Vedanand Chander, called “Wasteman”, 37, of No 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice,
was on trial in the Berbice High Court on a charge of attempted murder. The man was on trial before Justice JoAnn Barlow and a mixed Jury, He was accused of attempting to kill Chabbidat
Tejram, 35, of No 71 Village, Corentyne on October 16, 2012. The incident occurred following a ‘name calling incident’. State Prosecutor Stacy Goodings presented the
state’s case while Attorneys at law Mursalene Bacchus and Perry Gossai appeared for the defendant. The state’s case was that Tejram was tiling a bench at the front of his yard at No71 Village when the accused, rode past him on a bicycle and called him a “Deportee”, to which he responded. Chander told him that he was coming back. He returned with a chisel, which he used to injure Tejram under his arm pit. Both the prosecution and defence addressed the jury who then returned just after one hour with the not guilty verdict. The defence in their address pointed to the inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. Tejram had testified to being injured under his arm pit. However the police had testified to seeing injuries on his side. They had contended that the injuries could have been selfinflicted. They also zeroed in on the fact that the statement by the Prosecution star witness was given one year after the offence. Prosecutor Stacy Goodings in her address had
Vedanand Chander stated that the prosecution case was clear. Tejram was under attack. He had nothing to defend himself. He raised his arm to block the accused’s attack and as a result was injured under his arm pit. She urged the jury to believe the prosecution story. The prosecution had called a number of witnesses, including Latchmanarine
Ramsundar, a Neighbourhood Police who testified that on the day in question, he was patrolling within the No 71 area when he saw a crowd gathered. He made inquiries and observed that Tejram was holding a cloth under his armpit. The accused was nearby with a chisel in his hand. He collected the chisel and handed them over to the police. Both men were taken to the Springlands Police Station The accused had given an unsworn statement from the dock in which he denied the accusation. He denied calling anybody a false name and stated that it was the defendant who had pelted him. After the reported pelting they became embroiled in an argument which led to a scramble. They both fell to the ground and he received injuries to his elbow. Justice Barlow told the accused that “sometimes you find trouble and sometimes trouble finds you. When you meet other young men you can advise then how to stay away from trouble.”
Health Ministry now able to relax Yellow Fever response – Minister While Yellow Fever continues to be viewed as a major threat on the international scene, particularly in Africa, Guyana has, to some extent, been able to relax its response. This development was intimated by Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, who revealed that the number of persons seeking the Yellow Fever vaccine has drastically reduced. This is in spite of the fact that the Ministry has been able to replenish its supply of Yellow Fever vaccine which had dwindled earlier this year following a highly dem a n d e d vaccination campaign for persons travelling outside of Guyana. The demand was triggered by an outbreak of Yellow Fever in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, both on the continent of Africa. Several countries, as a result, had insisted that persons travelling to and from susceptible areas have an international yellow fever vaccination certificate. Guyana has not reported any case of the disease and continues to be vigilant at its ports of entry. But according to Dr. Norton “it (Yellow Fever) is still being closely monitored internationally.” However according to Dr. Norton, while a number of countries are still seeking to have Guyanese travelling overseas present their yellow fever vaccination certificate, the Ministry of Public Health has been able to work with some countries to relax this request. Among the countries that Guyana has been working closely with in this regard are, Suriname and
Jamaica, according to Dr. Norton. Currently the Ministry is only offering yellow fever vaccines to persons travelling to Africa who are unable to produce proof that they were vaccinated in the past. This is in light of the fact that the Ministry has been assuring people that if they are vaccinated they are in fact immunised for a lifetime. According to Chief Medical Officer (CEO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, “Those who know they have been vaccinated but don’t have their card as proof, can go back to the health centre where it was done...The records are kept there and they can obtain a copy which would then allow them to get the international certificate of vaccination,” Dr. Persaud explained. It is the belief of the CMO that “more than 95 per cent of the population has already received the Yellow Fever vaccine, so there is no gap really in terms of adult immunisation.” He noted that the main focus of the Ministry of Public Health is its infant immunisation programme. “We are still continuing the children’s programme, that is paramount to make sure that all the babies by 12 months or so receive their Yellow Fever vaccine because they need to be protected too in the event they are exposed,” Dr. Persaud asserted. A c c o r d i n g t o t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organisation (WHO), the outbreak of yellow fever in Africa has led to the deaths of hundreds and sickened thousands more. Ye l l o w F e v e r i s a n a c u t e v i r a l haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected Aedes type mosquitoes. The yellow in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some patients. Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. According to WHO, a small portion of patients who contract the disease develops severe symptoms and approximately half of those die within seven to 10 days.
Thursday September 29, 2016
FATCA ERROR…
Kaieteur News
Politicians wrangle over wrong date
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, left, attempts to clarify issues related to FATCA with members of the media following a press conference hosted by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, Tuesday. Marcus Gonzales Trinidad Guardian - As Government and the Opposition continue to publicly battle over who is to blame for this country’s failure to pass Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) legislation, there is new information from the United States’ Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that the critical date for the international agreement to become effective is December 31 and not September 30. This is because the IRS, through the US Treasury Department, will only begin updating the list of countries with Model 1 and Model 2 Inter-Governmental Agreements (IGAs) on
January 1, 2017, and countries not yet compliant will have until December 31 to provide an explanation as to why their IGAs haven’t been brought into force and submit a plan for doing so to the Treasury Department. The announcement of this plan was detailed by the IRS in a statement numbered 2016-2017 and p o s t e d o n i t s We b s i t e since last month. On September 16, Finance Minister Colm Imbert signed off on the IGA with US officials, giving life to the Model 1 IGA, which had been approved since 2013. The legislation, which
gives the local Board of Inland Revenue the authority to share information with the IRS regarding US citizens, was shelved after last week’s fiasco in Parliament, when Government and Opposition MPs blamed each other for what was described as a potential financial crisis. Government has been insisting that the legislation giving life to FATCA must be passed by September 30. This has been supported by the financial sector, including the country’s major banks, which warned of dire consequences if the legislation is not passed by this deadline.
UK provides millions to IMF for Caribbean development WASHINGTON - CMC – The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) has become the first development partner to participate in the new five-year phase (2017-22) of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Regional Technical Assistance Centre in the Caribbean (CARTAC). DFID has made a contribution of US$7.8 million and according to the Deputy Head and Growth Team Leader of DFID Caribbean Office, Mark George, London is pleased to continue its longstanding cooperation with the IMF for the delivery of capacity development services in partner countries. “CARTAC strongly complements our work in the
Caribbean focused on economic prosperity, governance, and disaster risk reduction, and remains a muchneeded resource in the region to help countries strengthen their economic resilience as they continue with their efforts to achieve their development goals.” The Director of the IMF’s Institute of Capacity Development, Sharmini Coorey, said the United Kingdom is a key contributor to the IMF’s capacity development work, and she’s pleased that it will continue its support to CARTAC. “Our shared vision for economic development has helped build economic institutions and boost growth in the region, and we look forward to further
Sharmini Coorey deepening this partnership,” said Coorey. The United Kingdom has so far contributed approximately US$130 million to IMF capacity development since 2002.
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Thursday September 29, 2016
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Social Protection Ministry bids farewell to UNICEF Rep UNICEF’s Ms Marianne Flach (standing) gives remarks at her farewell ceremony
“UNICEF has been our long standing partner, and it’s always better when we have true advocates in its leader...I can say without doubt that she has been a pillar of support to the Ministry of Social Protection in addressing issues relating to the rights and welfare of children and generally social issues.” These were the sentiments expressed by the Ministry of Social Protection’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Lorene Baird, to Ms. Marianne Flach, the outgoing United Nations Children’s Fund Representative to Guyana and Suriname. The occasion was a farewell luncheon hosted by the Ministry. Ms. Flach came to Guyana in 2013 and according to the Permanent Secretary, her vigour did not wane. “The Government and People of Guyana are thankful for your service,” she said. Extending best wishes to Ms. Flach who is retiring from UNICEF and the United Nations, First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger described her as “a good ally” to the
empowerment programmes for women and children. Guyana has certainly benefited from the UN envoy’s tour of duty here, as she has brought tremendous experience in addressing social challenges, according to Social Protection Minister, Volda Lawrence. “Words cannot express how thankful we are to UNICEF and to you personally for the motivation and inspiration you have given, as well as the technical assistance for the development of our people...personally you are a wonderful human being with a big heart,” she said. According to Flach, her accomplishments, which include the first situational analysis on women and children in Guyana, are largely due to the support of the team she has at the UNICEF office. She noted that much of the work she started will continue as the team remains, adding that the partnership with the Ministry of Social Protection is vital, because Ministries such as these are critical to reducing poverty.
Congress rejects Obama veto, Saudi Sept. 11 bill becomes law Reuters - Congress yesterday overwhelmingly rejected President Barack Obama’s veto of legislation allowing relatives of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, the first veto override of his presidency, just four months before it ends. The House of Representatives voted 348-77 against the veto, hours after the Senate rejected it 97-1, meaning the “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act” will become law. The vote was a blow to Obama as well as to Saudi Arabia, one of the United States’ longest-standing allies in the Arab world, and some lawmakers who supported the override already plan to revisit the issue. Obama said he thought the Congress had made a mistake, reiterating his belief that the legislation set a dangerous precedent and indicating that he thought political considerations were behind the vote. “If you’re perceived as voting against 9/11 families right before an election, not
Barack Obama
surprisingly, that’s a hard vote for people to take. But it would have been the right thing to do,” he said on CNN. Obama’s 11 previous vetoes were all sustained. But this time almost all his strongest Democratic supporters in Congress joined Republicans to oppose him in one of their last actions before leaving Washington to campaign for the Nov. 8
election. “Overriding a presidential veto is something we don’t take lightly, but it was important in this case that the families of the victims of 9/11 be allowed to pursue justice, even if that pursuit causes some diplomatic discomforts,” Senator Charles Schumer, a top Senate Democrat, said in a statement.
Thursday September 29, 2016
F1 calendar leaves doubts over Germany, Canada and Brazil LONDON (Reuters) The German, Canadian and Brazilian grands prix were listed as subject to confirmation on a recordequalling 21 race provisional calendar for 2017 published by Formula One’s governing body on Wednesday. The Italian Grand Prix at Monza, whose place had been doubtful up until this month’s race when a deal was agreed if not signed, was listed in its usual September slot after Belgium. Germany remains uncertain due to H o c k e n h e i m ’s stated reluctance to host a grand prix other than on alternate years and no deal with the
Nuerburgring. The country’s race was dropped in 2015. Formula One’s 85-yearold commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone has also been pushing for improvements to Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, whose contract is up for renewal next year, and the Interlagos track in Sao Paulo. Brazil is also suffering its deepest economic recession in decades. Ecclestone had warned in June that the 2017 calendar could be reduced to 18 races, although Monza was seen as one of those on the hit list at the time. With no races added, after the debut of
Azerbaijan’s Baku City Circuit this year, the main changes were date shifts and the reshuffling of some pairings. There will be seven back-to-back pairings, and four in a row during the European part of the season. Canada and Azerbaijan in June are on consecutive weekends, with the latter again clashing with the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race, as are Austria and Britain in July, Hungary and Germany at the end of that month and then Belgium and Italy. Malaysia will precede Singapore, a reversal of this year, and stands alone on Sept. 17 with the neighbouring night race on Oct 1. Singapore and Japan
Thursday September 29, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) Your anger may be impossible to contain if you get into debates with family members. TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) You may have more people on your domestic scene than anticipated. You can enjoy the company of others and come in contact with an ideal mate, if you get out and mingle.
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Kaieteur News
LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) It may not be the best day to confront employers or to present your ideas. SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Digestive disorders will be a result of family squabbles. Express your interest if you want the relationship to progress. You can make new friends by taking part in social events involving colleagues.
GEMINI (May 22-June 21) You are best to look into investments that will grow in value over an extended period of time. .
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) You will do best to entertain those you wish to close deals with. You are best not to discuss your personal life with others.
CANCER (June 22-July 22) Don't confront the situation if you don't feel you can keep your cool. You may need to make a few alterations to your living arrangements.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Take the whole family and make it an enjoyable outing. Travel will be favorable and bring you the greatest rewards. You are best to keep hard feelings to yourself.
LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Try to stay calm and understand both sides of the situation. Travel will be fun and entertaining. Do not hesitate to help eld
AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Your fun loving approach will be admired and appreciated by others. Be prepared for an active but rewarding day.
VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Your charm will be captivating. Be careful disclosing information. Don't forget that your budget is limited right now.
PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Look into any educational activities involving the whole family. Restrictions may be difficult for you to live with.
are back-to-back in October while Mexico’s race, which is paired with Texas this year, was moved closer to Brazil with those two on Nov 5 and 12 respectively. China’s grand prix in Shanghai, the third round this year, reverts to being the second on April 9 and is back-to-back with Bahrain on April 16. Australia hosts the opener in Melbourne on March 26, a week later than the 2016 season’s March 20 race. The finale will again be at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina on Nov 26.
Preparations for the Best... From page 31 a n d t r o p h y. O t h e r t o p animals entered to participate in the day’s action so far are Right to R u l e , R e d a n d L o v e l y, Light Up Canada, Awesome Cash, Red Rocket, Isn’t She Charming, Bigman Bass and Cat Messiah among others. Outstanding jockeys, trainers and stable will be presented with incentives compliments of Trophy Stall and the organisers. Contact can be made with Kris Jagdeo on telephone numbers 6246123 or 322-0369, Rajendra (Jim-Jo) Jagdeo on 6187278 or Chandu Ramkissoon on 232-0633 or 624-9063 for additional information. Race time is 12:30hrs. (Samuel Whyte)
No Olympic medal in 20... From page 34 only managed a bronze medal that Michael Parris won in 1980 in boxing. “So why do we do so poorly? What we need to do is take the model that we are using and take a fresh look at sports,” the President said in his presentation of the Populist Model for development of sport in Guyana. “We need to look at the way we have been producing our athletes over those years to see if we need further change to produce better athletes,” Granger observed. I hope Yassin was attentive because that was not a compliment! To be continued.
Bookmakers still betting on Hamilton for F1 title (Reuters) British bookmakers are backing Lewis Hamilton to come g o o d i n t h i s s e a s o n ’s Formula One title chase, despite Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg having the upper hand with six races remaining. Rosberg has won eight races to Hamilton’s six, including the last three, and heads into Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix with an eight-point advantage. No driver has won eight times in a season and failed to take the world championship but Rosberg remained behind triple champion Hamilton in the
betting odds. BoyleSports had Hamilton at 8/13 for the title with Rosberg on 5/4. The nearest rival was Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo at 500/1. Ladbrokes and paddypower.com offered Hamilton at 4/6 and Rosberg at 6/5. “It is incredibly tight at the top of the drivers’ championship and while Rosberg has the advantage on paper, we think Lewis Hamilton is still favourite but only just,” William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly said after Rosberg won in Singapore.
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Kaieteur News
Guardiola’s perfect record falls in thrilling Celtic draw
Sterling finished well minutes after being credited with an own goal. (SNS) (Reuters) Pep Guardiola witnessed the end to his perfect record with Manchester City as his Premier League leaders had to come from behind three times to earn a 3-3 draw at Celtic in a dazzling Champions League Group C encounter on Wednesday. Guardiola’s men were taken aback by the fevered atmosphere at Celtic Park as they were denied an 11th straight win which would have equalled Tottenham Hotspur’s 1960-61 landmark as the best start to a season by any English club. The inspired Scottish champions, unrecognisable from the side humbled 7-0 at Barcelona in their opening game, sniffed a sensation after Moussa Dembele scored at the start of each half and when Raheem Sterling netted
a first-half own goal. Yet City simply refused to be subdued, responding with strikes from Fernandinho, the excellent Sterling and Nolito and coming close to a late winner before settling for the point that moves them into second place in the group on four points behind Barcelona, who won 2-1 at Borussia Moenchengladbach. “The support was amazing and that combination of the players’ effort and the atmosphere made it a difficult night for Manchester City,” said Celtic’s manager Brendan Rodgers. Yet Guardiola was left frustrated by the end of City’s 100 percent record, though proud of his side’s resilience. “We should have won it,” he said, reflecting on their squandered late chances. Following their
humiliation at the Nou Camp, Celtic vowed it would be very different at their famed Glasgow fortress and took only two-and-a-half minutes to become the first team to take a lead against City this season. A well-aimed free kick from Scott Sinclair found James Forrest at the back post and his volley across goal was met by an Erik Sviatchenko header that brushed off the chest of Dembele, who actually looked offside. City did well to regain a modicum of composure amid Celtic’s whirlwind start, Fernandinho controlling a mis-hit Aleksandar Kolarov shot before firing in an 11thminute equaliser. Celtic could not be subdued, though, with teenage defender Kieran Tierney powering down the left flank in the 20th minute and unleashing a shot that deflected off a despairing Sterling’s boot past Claudio Bravo. The exceptional Sterling soon made up for his misfortune by producing an
exquisite piece of trickery in the box before poking home his fifth goal of the season. Dembele was even quicker to strike after the break, hooking the ball expertly into the net after just 70 seconds following sloppy defensive work from Kolarov yet a typically intricate move from City saw Nolito slot home a 55th-minute equaliser. City belatedly began to take control and, with his goal under siege, it needed a magnificent save from Craig Gordon off a deflected Ilkay Gundogan shot to protect the point Brendan Rodgers’s men so richly deserved. WEDNESDAY Results: Arsenal 2 – Basel 0 Celtic 3 - Man City 3 Atl Madrid – 1 Bayern Mun 0 Ludo Razgd 1 - Paris St G 3 Besiktas 1 - Dynamo Kiev 1 Napoli 4 – Benfica 2 B M’gladbach 1 – Barcelona 2 FC Rostov 2 - PSV Eindhoven 2
Thursday September 29, 2016
NBS 40-over Continues this weekend The Georgetown Cricket Association/New Building Society 40-over tournament is set to continue this weekend. On Saturday, DCC will host GDF (Umpires: Aslyn Lambert and Moses Ramnarine), Police will entertain Everest (Joseph Jeffery and Delvin Austin), MYO will stay at home to GYO (Leyland Liverpool and Daniel Richmond), MSC will travel to GCC (Cyril Garnath and Andre Horry) and
TSC will play UG at MSC (Linden Matthews and Abena Parker). On Sunday, DCC will host Diplomats (Shannon Crawford and Yougeshwar Goberdhan), Third Class will play Police at Eve Leary (Clyde Layne and Lambert), GNIC SC will host TSC (Matthews and Austin) and MSC will journey to MYO (Ramnarine and Heuvel Cunha). All matches start at 11:00hrs.
Crawford wins Div. 2; ... From page 31 47.13 sec just ahead of countryman and teammate Stephano Husbands (2h 31’ 47"30). Jamal John was 13th (2h 31’ 52.21); a total of 26 riders contested this category. In Division 2 Juniors U19 -5laps; Andrew Hicks (Rigtech Sonics CC) topped the field and fellow Guyanese Romello Crawford (PSL, RBC Cycling Club) who had to settle for the runner-up spot in 1 hr 25min 35.898 sec. Riders from Colombia, Germany, Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Sweden, Venezuela, France, Antigua, Cuba Martinique, Canada, Argentina, Jamaica, USA, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Barbados, Denmark are competing. The Second leg was carded for yesterday in
Courland, Turtle Beach. The Division One riders battled over four laps/100km on the Turtle Beach/Les Coteaux, Arnos Vale Circuit, while the Division Two cyclists rode two laps/50km. Leg 3 is the Plymouth Village Criterium starting on Shelbourne Street in Plymouth tomorrow with the 50 laps/65km race for Division One riders and the 20 laps/26km for Division Two. The Division Three and Novice riders will compete over five laps/7km. The fourth and final leg is the Market Square Criterium in Wilson Road Scarborough on Saturday, October 1 where the riders all battle over 60 laps /60 km (Division One)/ 20 laps/20 km (Division Two) and Five laps/5km) Division Three & Novices. Overall winners will be crowned.
Who will reign supreme at Sunday’s Drag... From page 35 Peter, Chet Singh, Sanjay Persaud, female dragster Sharima Khan and Shawn Persaud, have all confirmed participation and their presence is sure guarantee that the showdown over the quarter-mile strip should be a must see. The Toyota Supra of
Rondel Daby is one of the machines that the fans love to flock and usually seem intrigued by its raw speed, but Singh, Ramchand and Peter Daby Mitsubishi Evolutions are also stacked with unbelievable horse power. However, many are hoping that the Toyota Verossa of Ramchand do something
special and pull off a huge upset in the category it normally campaigns in. Among the categories to be contested are the F Class - 14 Seconds Bracket, E Class - 13 Seconds Bracket, D Class - 12 Seconds Bracket, C Class - 11 Seconds Bracket, B Class - 10 Seconds Bracket, A Class - 9 Seconds Bracket
and the 8 Seconds Bracket. The Porta Tree Timing device with specialized starting lights will be operational throughout the day. Starting time is 09:00 hrs and admission is adults $1000, children $500, while those under the age of 12 years and vehicles are free.
Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News
Regal SCC/Regal Sports support boxer Atwell Regal Stationery and Computer Centre and Regal Sports of 69 and 41 Seaforth Street Campbellville respectively have thrown their support behind boxer Clive Atwell following two successful surgeries. The entities presented US$500 to the boxer at a simple ceremony held yesterday at their 69 Seaforth Street, Campbellville location. After he was unable to continue his fight against Dexter Gonsalves at Giftland Mall in October last year, Atwell learnt that he had bleeding on his brain and needed a reconstruction surgery which was done at Balwant Singh hospital to the tune of G$4M. The cost was covered by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control, Atwell himself and the World Boxing Council. Atwell indicated that he needed another surgery and this could not be done locally so he embarked on raising funds for same which was to be done in Trinidad and Tobago, but on his fund raising trip to New York in July he met Matt Furigo the CEO of Ring 10 boxing foundation who made the surgery possible at Kingsbrook Jewish hospital in New York ten months after its scheduled date. Atwell related that during his stay in New
York he visited the Roy Wilkinson Park where Regal was competing in the New York Softball Cricket League Masters and Open Independence Cup finals and met the CEO of Regal Stationery and Computer Centre and Regal Sports Mahendra Hardyal who promised to support the boxer when they returned to Guyana. Atwell said he is thankful for the assistance and congratulated Regal for winning both Masters and Open titles, adding that he was impressed with their discipline and team work. Atwell is grateful to the almighty and expressed gratitude to sports journalist Sean Devers, Gwen Williams, Matt Furigo, GBBC, WBC, Dr. Monica Sanchez CEO of Ms. Caricom International of New York, Fly Jamaica, Director of Sport Christopher Jones and the media. Regal defeated Floodlights and New York All Star in the Masters and Open finals respectively, and Hardyal who won the manof-the-match award in the Masters final said he is happy to assist the boxer for it is their way of giving back to the society. Regal Sports is a member of the Regal Stationery and computer centre and sells a variety of sporting equipment.
Preparations for the Best of the Best President cup horserace meet heats up With just a few days to go before race day the Port Mourant “Big Yard” Turf Club has once again become a hive of activity as preparations have reached its pinnacle for Inaugural ‘Best of the Best’ President Cup horserace meet, which is slated for this Sunday. The event which is organised by the Port Mourant Turf Club in collaboration with the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and the KP Jagdeo Construction Company has been herald as a rematch of the recently held Real President Cup Horserace meet. Already an overwhelming amount of support has been pouring in with over 75 horses entered for the eight race meet. The G1 and lower event has now been upgraded to an F3 and lower race, while the I3 and lower race will now be a race for I2 and lower and J class horses. With the feature A and lower 1500M event attracting a large field of the best runners in the country, the
event is expected to be keenly contested. With no animal dominating at the moment the field is wide open with animals such as Princess She Not and Lady Budapest, being in the winners’ row of recent with double wins. Princess She Not won both the Guyana Cup and Real President Cup in convincing fashion, while the ever improving Lady Budapest took care of business by winning the two co-feature events at the KMTC Post Emancipation meet a week ago. Both animals will be looking to assert themselves. Animals such as CP Got Even and Just Call Me Bass has dominated for lengthy periods with the likes of Plum Plum, Golden Blue Ecko, Jack in My Style and Keep On Swinging among the others confirmed to race for the bulky $1.5M along with the Best of the Best President Cup from a total package of $3M. There is an event for D3 maiden and E and lower horses over 1200M for a first
prize of $800,000 and trophy. The 3 year old event is for Guyana Bred horses over 1200M for a winning take of $400,000 and trophy. Animals classified F and lower will compete over 1700M for a take home of $400,000 and trophy. The winner of the H3 maiden and I and lower 1300M gallop will race away with the $260,000 first prize and trophy. The two years old Guyana and West Indies Bred horses will have an opportunity to clash for the $260,000 first prize and trophy over 1100M. The animals running in the 12 and J class and lower 1500M event will have a chance to pocket the $200,000 and trophy. The final event will be for animals classified L and lower over 1100M for $140,000 (Continued on page 29)
PAGE 31
2016 Tobago International Cycling Classic
Crawford wins Div. 2; Hicks is top U19; Jeffrey 2nd U25: Williams is 9th in Div. 1 Guyanese riders competing at this year’s edition of the Tobago International Cycle Classic at Shirvan Road in the Twin Island Republic, turned in exciting performances when action pedaled off on Tuesday last. Competing in Division 2 Elite Male, 21 yearold Berbician Jeban Crawford, representing PSL/ RBC Cycling Club of Trinidad and Tobago sprinted to victory in the 5-laps 60km race competing at this event for the first time. Crawford won in 1h 25’ 34.822. In the Division one contest which was dominated by the Dutch, Guyanese Professional cyclist Geron Williams (2 hrs 27 min 17.79 sec) placed 9th overall in the 10-lap 120km contest which attracted 44 starters, 32 completing the distance. The Dutch duo of Aron Van De Zwet (2 hrs 25 min 50.68 sec) and Nick Stopler stole the honours. Van Der Zwet completed the ten lap/ 120km circuit well ahead of his PSL team-mate Stopler (2:26.07.57) and Team Foundation’s Ishmael Sanchez (2:26.09.50) of Dominican Republic and another PSL rider Patrik Moren (2:26.50.25) of Sweden. The top trio went ahead with three laps remaining with Stopler just in front of Van Der Zwet and Sanchez in the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation and UCI sanctioned event. In the Division 1 Under25 -5 laps contest, Raynauth Jeffrey (Team Coco’s) finished 2nd in 2 hrs 27 min 16.66 sec; this category was won by Columbian Sebastian Caicedo 2 hrs 27 min 16.39 sec. Hamza Eastman (Team Coco’s) was 7th in 2 hrs 31 min (Continued on page 30)
Geron Williams
Raynauth Jeffrey
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Thursday September 29, 2016
Kaieteur News
Great Christmas gift as Windies... SS Jaguars, G Square Cavaliers triumph From page 33 cheaply in their second innings giving South Africa a victory target of 389 runs. Despite fifties from Kallis and AB DeVilliers, the home team lost by 127 runs with a day to spare as another consistent and united display gave the Caribbean side a historic win and their fans a great Christmas gift. It was their first Test victory in 31 months. The Caribbean unit began 2008 in horrendous fashion, losing the 2nd Test by seven wickets to South Africa although Samuels made a half century and Chanderpaul scored an unbeaten 65 and followed it up with 70 not out in the second innings. In the 3rd and final Test, Windies suffered a crushing innings & 100 runs defeat to the host despite a second innings ton from Samuels. Sri Lanka journeyed to the West Indies in March 2008 and the home team lost the opening Test, in Guyana by 112 runs when Providence made its debut as a Test venue. Centuries from Malinda Warnapura and Mahela Jayawardene powered the Asians to an imposing 476-8 declared in their first innings to set up the win despite classy fifties in both innings from Sarwan. Dwayne Bravo opened the innings in place of Chris Gayle who batted at number four in the second innings after repeated failures against left arm pacer Chuminda Vass and both batsmen registered second innings 50s in a losing cause.
West Indies leveled the 2Test series in Trinidad with a 6-wicket win as Sarwan led the fight with a half century in the first innings and 102 in the 2nd when Chanderpaul notched up an unbeaten 86. When Australia visited the West Indies in May 2008 they began with a 95-run win with Ricky Ponting scoring a first innings ton. Chanderpaul responded with 118 in the first innings but nobody else reached double figures in the second innings as the host crashed to defeat in Jamaica. The 2nd Test in Antigua was drawn with Chanderpaul scoring an undefeated century in the first innings and Sarwan hitting a second innings 128. The final Test in Barbados saw the Aussies taking the series 2-nil when they inflicted an 87-run victory over the hosts, despite another unbeaten 79 from Man-ofthe-series Chanderpaul, (not dismissed until the last day of the series for 50). He had batted for over 1,000 minutes without being dismissed. West Indies travelled to New Zealand for their final Test series in 2008 and pacer Jerome Taylor hit a blistering 107-ball 106 to earn the Caribbean team a draw in the first Test. Chanderpaul with an unbeaten 126 in the first innings and Gayle’s pugnacious 197 in the 2nd ensured a second Test draw in the last match for the year. The 2-Test series was drawn. West Indies began 2009 with the first Test in Jamaica
against England in February and home team give the fans in the Region a tremendous New Year’s gift with an emphatic innings and 23 runs victory. Taylor captured eight wickets in the match including a five-wicket haul in the second innings, while Benn had two four-wicket hauls. Sarwan and Gayle scored high class hundreds in the West Indies’ only innings. The second Test in Antigua was condemned to a draw because of a substandard outfield at the Sir Vivian Richards ground and the third Test was shifted to the ARG, also in Antigua. Sarwan made 94 in the first innings in the drawn match. The fourth Test in Barbados produced a runs feast with England amassing 600-6 declared, while West Indies responded with 749-9 declared. Sarwan fashioned an elegant 291 and Ramdin supported with 166. Not surprisingly the game ended in a draw. The fifth Test was drawn in Trinidad with Gayle, Nash and Chanderpaul getting tons in the same innings as West Indies won 1-nil. Due to an increased tour fee for the WICB, a reciprocal tour to England was agreed in May at a time when few teams would tour England. In testing conditions England mauled the visitors by 10 wickets. West Indies feared even worst in the next match being trashed by an innings and 83 runs despite a first innings hundred from Sarwan.
Chandrika Ragnauth Sans Souci Jaguars and G Square Cavaliers recorded victories when the Badri Prasad Memorial T20 competition continued on Sunday in Wakenaam. At the Wakenaam Community Centre ground in Good Success, SS Jaguars defeated Noitgedacht SC by six wickets. Batting first, Noitgedacht SC were bowled out for 100 in 18.1 overs. Zameer Zaman claimed 2-15 and Nokta Moses 2-25. Jaguars responded with 1014 in 12 overs. Rashaad Rasheed scored 29 while Zaman made 23. At Belle Plaine, host G Square Cavaliers beat Jaguars by 30 runs. Cavaliers took first strike and posted 187-6. Satnarine Sahadeo
struck an even half century while Chandrika Ragnauth made 46. Derwin Daniels snared 2-38 and Sanjay Jairam 2-39. Jaguars responded with 157 all out in 19.2 overs. Jairam scored 33 and Gladwyn Henry 18; Ragnauth picked up 4-32 and Kamal Khan 2-38. Cavaliers got the better of Sans Souci by 75 runs at the said venue. Cavaliers took first turn at the crease and rattled up a mammoth 237-6. Kamal Khan stroked 67, Satnarine Sahadeo 58 and Heera Sukram 32. Seon Venture picked up 2-42 and Devon Rambarran 2-54. Sans Souci managed 162 all out in response with Venture scoring 75 and Rambarran 34. Satrohan Shiwnandan bagged 6-26 and Khan 2-26.
Kamal Khan
Seon Venture
Regal Sports T20 continues on Sunday Regal Sports T20 softball tournament is set to continue on Sunday at Carifesta Sports Complex ground.
On pitch one, Tropical Spring will take on Ariel at 10:00hrs and Fisherman X I w i l l p l a y Wo l f ’s Warriors at 13:00hrs. On pitch two, Wo l f ’s Warriors will face Regal Masters at 09:00hrs, Regal will battle Success
at 11:00hrs, Wellman will challenge Wo l f ’s Warriors at 13:00hrs and Success will match skills with Wellman at 15:00hrs. A t Malteenoes SC, We l l m a n w i l l p l a y H S Masters at 10:00hrs.
Kaieteur News
Thursday September 29, 2016
PAGE 33
West Indies in UAE 2016-17
‘Terribly embarrassing’ if WI don’t get automatic WC qualification - Dujon ESPNcricinfo - Jeff Dujon, the former West Indies wicketkeeper, has said it would be a “terrible embarrassment” if West Indies were unable to qualify automatically for the 2019 World Cup. West Indies are currently jostling with Pakistan for the final automatic qualification spot in the one-day rankings ahead of the series in UAE, which starts on Friday. If Pakistan can repeat their 3-0 scoreline from the T20 series in the ODIs, they will jump ahead of West Indies into eighth place. The cut-off for qualification is September 30, 2017, with the ODI nations who sit outside the top eight then joining the qualifying tournament which is currently scheduled to take place in Bangladesh. West Indies missed out on a place in next year’s Champions Trophy after being pipped for the final berth by Pakistan and Bangladesh. “It would be a terrible embarrassment for We s t I n d i e s t o n o t automatically qualify,” Dujon, who played in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups, told ESPNcricinfo. “It would be damaging for any team who has tasted what it’s like
‘It would be damaging for any team who has tasted what it’s like to be in the top echelon of world cricket’ - Jeff Dujon (right) © DigicelCricket.com/Brooks LaTouche Photography to be in the top echelon of world cricket. “As someone who played in a very successful era, it’s very embarrassing but it has to be an indication of exactly where we are at and something needs to be done. It hurts. “We can’t be fooled by the fact that we’ve just won two tournaments - the World
T20 and the U-19 World Cup - the fact we are still struggling to qualify shows we shouldn’t get carried away with that.” On the eve of travelling to the UAE, Phil Simmons was sacked as coach - less than six months after West Indies won the World T20 - with the WICB citing “differences in culture and strategic
approach.” Dujon does not believe a satisfactory explanation has been given for Simmons’ departure, despite the strained relationship he had with the board following comments about one-day selection last year. “The sacking of Phil Simmons was a surprise. I’m not sure we have the real
reasons, what we were given were a bit sketchy,” he said during a visit to London for a Lord’s Taverners event honouring wicketkeepers. “It’s disappointing for me that we haven’t been able to find a settled situation in the coaching area which would give the team some direction. It’s a setback. Jason Holder as captain also still has a lot to
prove so things are in a pretty unstable situation now.” Simmons’ last engagement was the Test series against India where, although West Indies lost 2-0, there were moments of encouragement, particularly with Roston C h a s e ’s m a t c h - s a v i n g maiden Test century in Jamaica and the promising returns of young quicks Miguel Cummins andAlzarri Joseph. “The talent is still there, it’s a matter of who is going to work with them to help them develop,” Dujon said. “We are still in a situation where we are trying to solve the problem from the top down rather than the bottom. “A promising move recently is that it seems we are going to have more A-team tours which is vital for development. They are meaningful when you go and play in countries who are better than you, it gives you a better gauge of where you are at. That has to be focus, as expensive as it may be, and hopefully we’ll have a better quality of player coming through to the top level in the next four or five years. Right now, some of the players who have come to the top level are not the complete article.”
Great Christmas gift as Windies register historic win in S/Africa (Part 16) By Sean Devers With just two Tests wins in five years and not a single ‘away’ victory against any opponent ranked higher than them in almost eight years, the West Indies were not expected to put up a challenge to Number two ranked South Africa when the three-Test series began on Boxing Day 2007 in South Africa. While the return of Lloyd as Manager was expected to inspire the team, Australian John Dyson was making his debut as West Indies Coach, Gayle (standing in for injured Sarwan) was captaining the team for the first time in a Test and the West Indies had just been beaten inside three days by South Africa ‘A’ in their only two innings match preceding
the first Test. On their two previous tours to South Africa, West Indies were mauled 5-0 in 1998/99 and only a debut ton from Dwayne Smith saved them from seven consecutive defeats when they drew the third test on the 2003 four-Test tour which they lost 3-nil. Prospects of a revival looked bleak. A belligerent 66 from Gayle, a responsible 94 from Samuels and another diligent performance from the dependable Chanderpaul, West Indies reached 408. Chanderpaul continued from where he left off in the English series with his 17th Test hundred and joined former West Indies great Sir Everton Weeks and Andy Flower of Zimbabwe as the
Shivnarine Chanderpaul only batmen to register seven successive Test scores of over 50.West Indies dismissed the host for 195 as Bravo (4-24), Taylor (3-46)
and Powell (3-58) rocked the South Africans. Opting not to enforce the follow-on, West Indies fell (Continued on page 32)
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Kaieteur News
PAGE 34
Thursday September 29, 2016
No Olympic medal in 20 years is scandalous By Edison Jefford The pressure mounted on Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) President, K. A. Juman Yassin to gracefully, or as some would have it, appropriately demit office in December was pre-empted last year following his apparent vacation in Samoa. For those who are interested in reading that assessment, Google ‘The anomaly of personalised sport associations’. Some key revelations about yet another failed sojourn (to the C o m m o n w e a l t h Yo u t h Games) are exposed with candid comportment. It is ironic that exactly after one year since that article appeared in September 2015, Yassin is
under the microscope again. This time, it is performancebased, highlighting Guyana’s obvious lack of success at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Yassin has reportedly spent in excess of 20 years at the helm of the GOA, which represents six Olympic Games, spanning the period 1996-2016. Yassin’s legacy is depressing if assessed on the basis of Guyana’s international achievement in Olympic sports. Realistically, Yassin would not have been allowed to continue in that position in other countries after consistently failing to produce a plan, which guarantees results. However, this is Guyana where
anything seemingly goes and an ‘old boy’s network’, as Frederick Kissoon calls it, is allowed to reign at the helm of such a strategically important sport institution. One of the ‘old boys’ of the GOA had inevitably suspended a talented local cyclist and withheld his license until I exposed the issue and normalcy returned. Officials lose their jobs for that kind of conduct in other parts of the world, but not here. Today, that individual is still on the GOA Executive. But who keeps them there? It is the very group that constitutes the membership of the Olympic association that continually hand Yassin and cohorts the nod of approval come election time.
If those associations can see nothing wrong with the crass ineptness that has characterised GOA for the past 20-plus years, then who are we to judge Yassin? This is the mystery that sports in this country find itself in, when the very people, who are supposed to be the gatekeepers, carry out the raids. Let me quote from my September 9, 2015 article: “Sports in Guyana and its culture are not insoluble. Legislation can fix some of the issues while others simply necessitate a changing of the guard; a change of some faces, who, unfortunately, only have stamped out passports and trips around the world to show for their prolonged stay at the helm or within
K. A. Juman Yassin
President, David Granger
some associations, but no tangible, traceable success”. Domestically, Yassin has challenged the former Minister of Culture, Youth a n d S p o r t , D r. F r a n k Anthony on several occasions to do more for sports. One of his most known clashes was the 2012 exchanges over the cricket imbroglio where Yassin openly leveled blame at Anthony in his address at the GOA Awards Ceremony. Ya s s i n h a s b e e n outspoken, yet ironically inconsistent on issues, but in terms of putting all the requisite systems in place to get Guyana medals at the Olympic Games, his tenure will be remembered as a failed era that patently lacked vision in moving sports in general in Guyana forward. Following the Olympic Games this year, there were the big headlines from a s t a t e m e n t Ya s s i n h a d reportedly made in the media: ‘No investment, no medals’, which inadvertently pointed the blame at Government for not doing enough for sports and athletes. But that was an old stratagem, even a deliberate contemplation of sorts, which sought to blame everyone except Yassin and the ‘old boy’s network’. My colleague Rawle Welch has prompted renewed investigation into the modus operandi of the Olympic association. If Yassin is to list his legacy, it may end up as a footnote. Four major areas are conspicuous: first, he acquired a piece of land to build a Headquarters for the GOA several years ago; todate only the fence has been built with no consistent
information on a completion date for the facility, and at what cost it will be constructed. Second, over the past years, GOA gave sport associations necessary financial assistance; thirdly, several local and international athletes benefitted from International Olympic Committee (IOC) Elite Athlete Grants, which is shrouded in secrecy as to who are the beneficiaries and why they were chosen. T h e O l y m p i c Association will also tell you that it has sent several persons on Olympic Solidarity Courses in Hungary. This is the fourth major item that Yassin can identify as part of his legacy. There is little else, if any, that the former Chief Magistrate can add. Annually, GOA hosts an Award Ceremony where it identifies a long list of achievements over the course of the respective year. That lengthy list, however theoretical and achieved through mandatory IOC means, is yet to be converted into what I called “tangible, traceable success” in sports. As such, that list of engagements cannot be referenced as part of Yassin’s 20- plus year legacy, since it did not produce meaningful results. President David Granger also recognised Guyana’s failure at the Olympic Games in his feature address at the GOA Ceremony this year. G r a n g e r, a t r a i n e d historian, informed the sports community present at the Georgetown Club that in 68 years of Guyana’s participation at the Olympic Games, the country (Continued on page 29)
Kaieteur News
Thursday September 29, 2016
PAGE 35
GOA conducts Anti-Doping NAMILCO Football returns to East Bank this weekend Seminar for media - session deemed informative
Grove/Diamond NDC assists with ground preparations The Grove, Diamond NDC ensuring that the Grove Playfield is in tip top shape for this weekend’s restart of the NAMILCO League.
RADO Drug Control Officer Charles Corbin makes an explanation during a video demonstration at yesterday’s Anti-Doping session for the media. Sitting is RADO member Dr. Karen Pilgrim. Despite the low turnout of media operatives, the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA)organised Anti-Doping Seminar proved to be very informative for those that attended the session yeseterday, at Olympic House in Kingston. Representatives from four media outfits were able to benefit from the expertise of Drug Control Officer (DCO) Charles Corbin and local Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) member Dr. Karen Pilgrim both of whom made useful presentations on the work of RADO, the procedures of drug testing and the related penalties for its use among athletes. Corbin, who was the main presenter, esplained to the media the working of the Wo r l d A n t i - D o p i n g Association (WADA) and RADO, adding that the essential involvement of the
media was to help improve the general understanding of anti-doping in an effort to realise success. Speaking in his capacity as a RADO Rep, Corbin said that Body’s intention is to promote a drug free sport within the Caribbean and called on the media to assist them through education and advocacy to all concerned, especially the athletes. The DCO gave a full description of what is doping, informing that contrary to what many persons may think, it involves more than just the use of a prohibited drug by an athlete, but also includes failure to file your (athlete) whereabouts, administering or attempting to administer a prohibited substance to an a t h l e t e , c o m p l i c i t y, possession, tampering, refusing to be tested among others. He also stated that athletes can be tested
whether in competition or out of competition once a request is made for them to be tested, hence the importance of having your whereabouts known to the relevant authorities, failing which can constitute to a violation. In reference to Guyana, Corbin said that most teams leaving this country to participate in competitions are usually summoned to a meeting to apprise them of such protocols. Corbin explained the different stages of testing starting with the athlete’s selection, notification, repoting to the doping station, sample collection equipment, volume of urine, splitting the sample and at the end completing your doping form. Presently, the GOA is conducting a similar seminar for associations and athletes which according to Dr. Pilgrim started in September and is an ongoing process.
Competitive football action is set to make a grand return to the East Bank of Demerara this weekend when the ongoing G F F / N A M I L C O Thunderbolt Flour Power National Intra Association Under-17 League resumes following almost three months of inactivity due to rain which rendered the field unplayable. But thanks to the efforts of the Grove/Diamond NDC which worked closely with the East Bank Football Association and the Grove Hi Tech Football Club, the Grove Playfield is now set to host matches again.
Saturday from 10:00hrs Diamond United will play their first match of the league when they suit up against Soesdyke Falcons which blasted Herstelling Raiders 11-0 in their first match which was played on June 4th, last. The feature clash on Saturday will see Grove Hi Tech, 4-1 winners over Agricola Red Triangle also on June 4th last taking on Herstelling Raiders from m i d d a y. O n S u n d a y , Agricola Red Triangle would be aiming to notch their first win of the competition when they e n g a g e Ya r r o w k a b r a
Jaguars, the newest club on the East Bank but have already showed they are up to the task of competing with a come from behind 3-3 draw with fellow Linden Soesdyke Highway side, Kuru Kururu Warriors on June 5th last. The main attraction from 12:00hrs will see Mocha Champs matching skills with Kuru Kururu Wa r r i o r s i n w h a t i s anticipated to be a keen contest. Players have been eager to get back into competitive action and fans and supporters can look forward to a weekend of entertaining football.
Who will reign supreme at Sunday’s Drag Meet? Who will reign supreme is the big question being asked as the countdown for the final stanza of the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) Drag season nears. This Sunday’s Meet which will be staged at the South Dakota Circuit will bring the curtains down on a year that saw drag racing maintain its high profile on the GMR&SC calendar of events and word is that motor racing fans are eagerly anticipating a rivetting climax. President of the GMR&SC Raj Boodhoo
speaking with Kaieteur Sport recently said that while it would have been ideal to have the usual rivalry between Guyana and Suriname continue, the absence of the Surinamese dragsters should not reduce the excitement that drag racing always offers and has issued an appeal to fans to get to the South Dakota Circuit to enjoy a fitting end to the year’s activities. He said experienced dragsters such as Anand Ramchand, who normally drives a batch of cars, the Daby brothers Rondell and (Continued on page 30)
Female dragster Sharima Khan (inside) will be among those set to appear at Sunday’s Meet at the South Dakota Circuit.
t r o Sp Regal SCC/Regal Sports support boxer Atwell P.31
2016 Tobago International Cycling Classic
Crawford wins Div. 2; Hicks is top U19; Jeffrey 2nd U25: P.31 Williams is 9th in Div. 1 Jeban Crawford
Atwell- Clive Atwell (left) accepts the cheque from Telesha Ousman of Regal Stationery and Computer Centre in the presence of his wife Altavi Atwell.
Guardiola’s perfect record falls in thrilling Celtic draw P.30
Moussa Dembele scored two of Celtic’s goals. (SNS)
Andrew Hicks
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