Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Who is your next opponent Freddie? DEAR EDITOR, Permit me to expose one of the Guyana’s most dangerous men – Freddie Kissoon. I would liken him to a ‘serial bully’, one who has all the traits of an emotionally immature attention seeker. This man must have gone through school and his youthful days being bullied and is in revenge mode, irrespective of his opponent size, stature or standing in society. I am not going to list all the heavyweights apart from the great Muhammed Ali that he challenged but he has certainly grabbed the attention in taking on former President Bharrat Jagdeo and former Minister Dr Henry Jeffery to name a couple, with little or no success. In fact, Dr Jeffery minced him and spat him out as if he was chewing a gum. So having lost or drawn the fights mentioned above, Freddie ‘the attention seeker’ turns his sight on one of our finest Magistrates – Ann McLennan. In the past year, I have witnessed the bombardment on an individual who is doing her job in peace, and without doubt, to the best of her ability within the laws of Guyana. If nothing else, she has to be applauded as she remained dignified and noble by not giving him the response he expects. I am sure she must have tried ‘poker’ in her leisure as her cards are firmly fixed to her chest, waiting for that
counter-punch moment. When I am bored, which is not often, I would read Freddie’s column just to understand the character, and in doing so, I arrived at the following conclusions. He is cold and aggressive towards anyone who sees him for what he really is or exposes his strategies for seeking attention. He is selectively friendly, sickly sweet to some people, rude and offhand to others and ignores the rest. He is extremely manipulative of people’s perceptions in an amateurish and childish manner. I would be surprised if he has friends, because all Freddie does daily, is to capitalise on issues and uses them as a soapbox for gaining attention. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is as miserable as sin, apart from carefully constructed moments of charm when in the act of deceiving. Who is your next opponent Freddie? Back off Magistrate McLennan and allow her the time and space to do her job. Call Dr Wladimir Klitschko for your next battle. Or better still, challenge and defeat the Venezuelan Army. This would earn you a Cacique Crown. Brendon Mounter
The Venezuela claim must be brought to the attention of the Security Council
DEAR EDITOR, As we continue to examine the claim by Venezuela to a significant portion of our land, we need to be reminded that this matter was settled by international arbitration award in 1899. Every time this issue resurfaces, we can see hands of rank political opportunism, which have been used to the expense of Guyana’s development. The resurfacing of the claim under the leadership of President Madura speaks to an act of desperation by a political leader who ran his last political campaign on the
legacy of his predecessor, Hugo Chavez. President Madura continues to live in the shadow of the late President Chavez. However, since his assumption to office, his leadership has shown failure in every form to develop any indigenous plan to help his countrymen and women out of the economic and political morass he successfully plunged his country into. Having failed his people at the domestic level, President Madura has taken on the task of reshaping himself as a nationalist, and
Religious work is now strictly for making money DEAR EDITOR, I hope this message reaches as many hindu brothers and sisters as possible. I would like to inform that many of the so called hindu priests are not living up to the standards of Hinduism. First of all why are they selling pooja sarjans to worshippers who hire them to perform religious work in the name of god? This practice is seriously affecting the pooja business in Guyana. Legitimate persons in the business of selling pooja are being affected by the devious work of these so called hindu priests. I would like for all hindu brothers and sisters to come together and help stop this nonsense and please go back to our traditions. Many of the so called priests are doing these religious work on a strictly money making basis and not for the purpose of serving god. May peace be on to all. Devotee
for that reason he chose to take on Guyana, a country he perceives does not have the military strength to combat his aggression. President Madura’s action is designed to give him political currency to maintain power at the upcoming elections. We have a task as a peaceful people to recognise the importance of resisting Venezuela’s aggression and dismiss their claim, since there existence can well stymied the economic development of the Guyana, which can well stymied decent jobs and economic opportunities for all Guyanese. To fail to resist the claim and aggression can lead to international financial institutions, like the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, refusing to finance projects within the areas Venezuela considers disputed. It is time that we continue to make a rallying call to the citizens of this beautiful country to defend our territorial integrity at all cost, since this is done at a time when Venezuela is aggressively rallying the
Latin American community in support of their spurious claim. As this issue continues to generate national conversations, Professor Justice Duke Pollard, constitutional scholar, has said through Stabroek News’ Letter column on Saturday, 26th “what appears to be required is an approach to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in whose court the ball has now been firmly located, to invoke Article 99 of the Charter to bring the aggressive acts o f Ve n e z u e l a , w h i c h undeniably threaten international peace and security, to the attention of the Security Council with an invitation for that body to secure from the International Court of Justice an Advisory Opinion on the current controversy between Venezuela and Guyana.” It is this type of recommendation around which we must all get involved and get consumed as a national act of defending every square inch of our country. Sharma Solomon
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday September 30, 2015
NCN invests money on dead project An investment is expected to yield justifiable returns. The larger the investment the larger the return, but the National Communications Network (NCN)—cash strapped as it is—has done precisely the opposite by having on its books an investment of almost $200M. The investment represents spending on a project for which the only beneficiaries are the residents of the now infamous Pradoville II. Information coming to light reveals that the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the parent company of NCN, spent $188M to remove the transmission tower. That tower was relocated from Sparendaam, East Coast of Demerara (ECD) to La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara. The money was however charged to NCN’s account as an investment. The money is part of an almost $300M that was spent by NICIL, in order to prepare the 15-acre tract of land transforming it into an exclusive residential community. The financial transaction initiated by NICIL, headed by Winston Brassington, has since formed part of litigation to repossess the entire 15 acres now home to a high end community, and to several former ministers and senior
…Five-year-old transaction placed on books ahead of 2015 elections
Winston Brassington government functionaries. The investment represented in NCN’s accounts has since been coming under scrutiny given the state of affairs with the company’s financials and its claim to be owed several million dollars; monies which it is yet to recover. This publication understands that NICIL’s Board of Directors approved the decision to develop the land at the behest of the then Cabinet, and in the process would have had to have the transmission tower relocated. In order to mask the transactions, NICIL, increased its share contribution/equity holding in the television station. With the money now being represented in NCN’s books as an increased shareholding, it was then written off as an investment.
That investment has since however attracted the attention of the authorities which are now questioning the transaction since there are no tangible benefits to NCN in order to justify the $188M in its books represented as an investment. This publication understands that the dubious financial transaction was only represented in the NCN books in February, some five years after the decision to remove the tower and the money having already been spent. The recording of the transaction in NCN’s books also came just weeks before the recently concluded General and Regional Elections. The house lots, developed in the Pradoville II community, complete with infrastructure, were sold below market value to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, several ministers and Government officials and friends. There is no evidence that the house lots sale was advertised or what procedures were used in the allocations of the parcels of the ocean front properties. Other beneficiaries included Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, and former Head of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Dookhoo. The DPP has sweeping powers and holds an independent office.
Former Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford; former Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud; Compton Bourne, former Head of the Caribbean Development Bank and UG Chancellor; Ghansham Singh and Kamini Parag-Singh and Florrie Loretta Ramnauth also received house lots. Singh is said to be the son of former Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda Gopaul. They also paid just over $1.5M. Ali-Hack and her husband, Moeen ul Hack, a
top figure in the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), paid $1,488,744 for a piece of land. The Certificates of Title were prepared in 2011. Dookhoo, a Banks DIH executive, was a former Chairman of PSC as well as the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI). He reportedly paid $1,502,500 for his plot with his title prepared in 2010. Also benefitting was Lisaveta Ramotar, daughter of former President Donald Ramotar. She paid $1,515,000. Former Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee; former GWI boss, Shaik Baksh and former Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, also received
lots, paying just over $1.5M each. So too did former Army Chief, Rear Admiral Gary Best and sacked Chief Executive Officer of the embattled Guyana Sugar Corporation, Dr. Rajendra Singh. Also named in the list were Andrew Bishop, a Presidential Advisor in the former administration and former Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission. Safraaz Khan and George Hallaq, said to be the country’s former Middle East envoy, and a company called Future Developers International Guyana Inc., were also among the other names on the list.
Cops face court on corruption charge Two policemen attached to the traffic department of the Sparendaam Police Station are facing corruption charges for allegedly receiving a bribe of $30,000. They were both released on $20,000 bail yesterday after an appearance before Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Police Constables, Marvin Thomas, 24, of Lot 1680 Amelia’s Ward Linden, and Fitzroy Nicholson, 30, of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, pleaded not guilty to the joint charge. The charge stated that on September 9, at the Sparendaam Police Station, East Coast Demerara, they obtained $30,000 from Nazeem Khan, as
Fitzroy Nicholson
Mark Thomas
consideration for inducement to drop charges against him for a traffic violation. Attorney, Patrice Henry made a bail application on behalf of the defendants. Henry asked that his clients be released on self bail. The attorney explained that since the allegation arose his clients have been placed under close arrest. In addition, Henry pointed out that the defendants have been fully
co-operating with the police investigation by reporting periodically to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Eve Leary. Henry added that they have not been interdicted. Police Corporal, Deniro Jones presented the prosecution’s case. Jones did not reveal any facts about what transpired on the day in question. Jones had no objections to the defendants being granted pre-trial liberty and told the court that the police file was complete. Thomas and Nicholson will make their next court appearance on October 7, in the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Courts.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Footballer gunned down in East Ruimveldt
Dexter Griffith’s (Inset) grief-stricken reputed wife clutches his blood-stained clothes Popular ‘Back Circle’ footballer, Dexter Griffith, was gunned down around 20.00 hrs yesterday near his East Ruimveldt home, becoming the most recent victim of a rash of execution-style killings that have hit the community. Griffith, 36, was shot at least nine times, allegedly by two gunmen who were reportedly seen in the area earlier in the day. Kaieteur News understands that Griffith was hanging out with friends near an alleyway when the gunmen shot him at close range, sending his body tumbling into a drain. He died almost immediately. His mother, Lavern Griffith, said that she was in her Lot 465 Back Circle yard, East Ruimveldt, when she heard a volley of gunshots. Her mind flashed to her son whom she knew was in the vicinity from where the gunshots came. Her immediate reaction was to send her daughter inlaw, Alexis, to go see who the victim might be. “I see a set of people running to the alley and I tell she go and see where Dexter deh. She run back hollering and hollering is Dexter get shot.” In disbelief, Mrs. Griffith ran to the alleyway where she saw her son lying in a drain with numerous gunshot wounds. He was already dead, according to persons who were on the scene at the time. But his demise was confirmed when she rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. “Around this area is bare gunshots every day. I need it to stop,” the distraught
mother said. At the scene, one man could be heard shouting: “This is not no big show thing …today for you tomorrow for me; people got to fall. This thing (the killings) is like a clock that just keep ticking.” Mrs. Griffith said that as far as she is aware her son was employed as a mason. She was adamant that he was not in any gang. The dead man’s mother admitted that Griffith was once in a small problem for ‘a joint’ and he was passed through the court but, according to her, he was not a problem child. “He ain’t got no problem with nobody. He is not a thief and he is not anything bad. He is a honest hard working boy who does kick football almost every day. None of me children don’t got no problems with no body,” she said.
Dexter Griffith fathered two children; Akeela and Darrel age five and two years, respectively. His reputed wife described him as a very devoted father. While the motive for the killing is unclear, Griffith’s mother revealed “dem de burn down he house in Greenheart Street, South Ruimveldt,” some time back. The home of Griffith’s in laws is a stone’s throw from where Kellon Hinds, 23, was gunned down last August. Hinds was executed as was Sherwyne Barrow, 24, who was gunned down outside a small shop in “Warlock”, East Ruimveldt, last May.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Germany agrees refugee package as support for Merkel slips Reuters - Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet agreed a package of measures yesterday to help German towns cope with the influx of asylum seekers, as a poll showed her conservatives dipping to a one-year low on concerns about her handling of the crisis. Merkel has drawn criticism, especially among conservatives, for fuelling the influx by effectively giving asylum seekers the green light to come to Germany. Towns and cities in Europe’s biggest economy are struggling to cope with 800,000 refugees and migrants escaping war and poverty expected this year. German police said they had registered 5,380 people entering Germany illegally, up from 4,160 on Sunday. Acknowledging the scale of the problem, the cabinet agreed steps to provide more housing and support for unaccompanied minors, and to speed up processing of asylum applications as well as deporting those who are turned down. To cover next year’s costs, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble agreed to set aside 5 billion euros (3.69 billion
pounds) in windfall income from this year’s budget. The government announced last week it would pay 16 federal states 670 euros each month for every asylum seeker they take in, a total of about 4 billion euros. This year, it is doubling the amount available to 2 billion euros. “Tackling the high numbers of refugees is a top priority for the German government. We want to and must master this huge challenge,” said Schaeuble.. Merkel’s government is struggling to cope with the practicalities of the influx and with the impact on society. The chancellor’s own popularity has taken a hit over her handling of the crisis and an INSA poll published in Bild showed support for the conservatives dipping one percentage point to 38.5 percent. Her Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners were also down one point at 23.5 percent. “The refugee crisis is causing problems above all for the conservative camp and the grand coalition is weaker than ever,” INSA chief Hermann Binkert told Bild daily.
The radical Left party gained half a point to 10.5 percent, the same level as the Greens who were up 1 point. The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) and probusiness Free Democrats (FDP) were unchanged at 6 percent and 4 percent respectively. Germany has reintroduced border controls with EU neighbours to try to stem the flow after allowing in refugees from Syria who have crossed the continent. But still, tensions are growing within communities. German media reported that up to 8,500 people joined a march in Dresden by the antiIslam PEGIDA group on Monday evening and that a handful of participants punched and kicked two journalists. The number of attacks and criminal offences committed against refugee shelters has more than doubled this year to 437. German police arrested 15 asylum seekers on Tuesday suspected of being involved in a fight at their hostel in Suhl, in the eastern state of Thuringia, in August which left 11 people hurt, reported local broadcaster MDR.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
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NEW GPC and others must deliver over $600M owed for drugs or else By Kiana Wilburg As Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, continues to pursue the reform of his sector; he emphasized recently that a main concern remains with those companies that are still to deliver millions of dollars’ worth of drugs to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Dr. Norton said that several companies have been in default for many years. He said that this is not only “negligence and deceit, but a clear sign of blatant disrespect for the procurement laws of the country.” This, he said, would not be tolerated under his watch. Those companies which are still to honour drug contracts they were awarded over the years will be asked to deliver the outstanding pharmaceuticals or “pay up” through the courts. He said that he will be looking at the legal means to do so. He has already alerted the Chambers of Attorney General, Basil Williams on the need to take this matter before the court and to send a strong message to “appalling” defaulters like New GPC. The New GPC is owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, the best friend of Opposition leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Dr. Norton said that an examination of this sorry state of affairs can be traced all the
- “They will be asked to pay up and we will be looking at the legal means of doing so,” says Public Health Minister
Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton way back to 2008 in the reports of the Auditor General (AG). He sought to emphasize that NEW GPC received the bulk of the health contracts under the previous administration but failed like other companies to deliver outstanding drugs and pharmaceuticals. In the AG’s most recent report, it noted that $958M was paid to the New GPC Inc. An examination of the records revealed that the payments related to one major contract and 131 purchase orders. The major contract had an aggregate value of $871M of which the hospital paid $716M during 2013. At the time of reporting, the contractor was still to supply goods valued at $1.1M. In relation to suppliers
other than New GPC Inc., it said that they were still to deliver goods valued at $3.2M. The report also noted that six suppliers received full contract sums totaling $163M in 2012. However, they failed to deliver drugs and medical supplies totaling $114M. These are still outstanding for the year 2012. These companies include Productos Roche, Caribbean Medical Supplies, Trans Continental Ltd and Henry Schien Inc. In a related matter, the New GPC Inc. was still to supply a total of $12M worth of deliveries in respect of the year 2011. The Budget agency of the then Ministry of Health had acknowledged the finding that the deliveries are still outstanding and it was subsequently recommended that the Ministry take immediate steps to have the contractor fulfill the obligations under the contracts for the years 2011 and 2012. Further the AG’s report stated that in 2013, the Ministry expended amounts totaling $2.7 billion for pharmaceutical and medical supplies. The procurement of pharmaceutical and medical supplies by the Ministry of Health was based on awards
Dem boys seh...
Time longer than twine Time longer than twine. All of dem who think that dem had all de time in de world to do as dem like and how dem like suddenly find out that dem running out of time. Dem boys seh de older you get, the faster time goes. Ask de Lunch man and Donald. Ask Uncle Adam too. When dem was in play school, time use to crawl at a snail’s pace. Now, not only do years go by quickly, but entire decades disappear in de twinkle of an eye and it carry nuff of dem teeth! Ask Luncheon. And it carry way hair. Ask that scamp Jagdeo, de fat crook Brassington and de Dumb Donald. Dem boys read a very interesting thing about what “time” it is in your life, depending on your age. If you are—— 15, the time is 10:25 A.M. 20, the time is 11:34 A.M. 25, the time is 12:42 P.M. 30, the time is 1:51 P.M. 35, the time is 3:00 P.M.
40, the time is 4:08 P.M. 45, the time is 5:15 P.M. 50, the time is 6:25 P.M. 55, the time is 7:34 P.M. 60, the time is 8:42 P.M. 65, the time is 9:51 P.M. 70, the time is 11:00 P.M. Dem boys know wheh all dem scamps, crooks and thieves deh. Dem boys seh
dem don’t know where that puts you, but for Uncle Adam it’s about 8:45 P.M. wid hair pun he head all he teeth in he mouth fuh bite all dem scamps a little more. Talk half and wonder what “time” is it for you, and what would you like to do before “midnight”?
by the National Board of Procurement and Tender Administration to the New GPC Inc. and other local and international agencies involved in the supply of drugs and medical supplies. In relation to the 2013 purchases, the transactions with New GPC included ten contracts valued at $2.4 billion of which freight charges totaling $180.496M were included in three contract sums. The contracts were supported by six bank guarantees with an aggregate
value of $2.554 billion. The guarantees were required to be valid for one year, but each had a validity of only three months and a set expiry pattern in months ending October 2013, January 2014, February 2014 and March 2014. There were no guarantees in force at the time of the examination in July 2014, but the contractor was still to deliver goods valued at $323.321M. The Head of Budget Agency acknowledged the finding and indicated that efforts are ongoing to ensure that all
outstanding drugs and medical supplies are delivered. In relation to suppliers other than the New GPC Inc., payments totaling $435.344M were made to 21 local and overseas suppliers. However, only one contract for goods valued at $71.009M was supported by a bank guarantee. At the time of reporting, nine suppliers did not fully satisfy their obligations with the result that goods valued at $192.057M remained outstanding. Dr. Norton said that he refuses to let “this unacceptable trend continue” and vowed to ensure that all defaulting companies are held accountable for their actions.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday September 30, 2015
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Realpolitik and the mysteries of the APNU-AFC Govt. Except for Moses Nagamootoo and Carl Greenidge, no other Minister in the APNU+AFC coalition including President Granger has experience at every level in the running of a government. President Granger had authority over a huge institution -, the army. But the army is only part of Guyana. Winston Jordan was Budget Director but not in charge of the entire Ministry of Finance. It means then that there will be hiccups along the way. A nation has to be patient with a regime that is learning. But there is a big but. If
you are learning and you do things that depart from what the nation is accustomed then explanations are logical. If you choose not to offer reasons then suspicion about intentions creep into citizens’ curious minds. One hopes that the new government is aware of the pitfalls of power. Enter Transparency Institute. This NGO has leveled some justified criticism at the new government. The NGO took a look at the renaming of all the Ministries except Foreign Affairs and wondered why there weren’t at least a publicly aired justification. As a social analyst my role is to know what goes on in the halls of power, but yet I am still confused about these name-changes that cause you to wonder who recommended them and why. I was having lunch with a Member of Parliament, Michael Carrington, at Excellence Restaurant on Charlotte Street on Monday afternoon, and we kept confusing the
Ministry of Social Protection with the Ministry of Communities. Surely if a political analyst and a Member of Parliament cannot get it right then what about our lay folks? At the recent fund-raising brunch of the Burnham Foundation, I kept confusing Ministry of Social Protection and Ministry of Social Cohesion. I hope I get it right soon. What Transparency Institute missed in its curiosity about the namechanging are some mysteries that cry out for a logical adumbration. Why are there three Ministers in the Ministry of Amerindian (oops) Indigenous Affairs? There is the enigma of the huge Ministry of Agriculture having one Minister. Surely, there needs to be an explanation. This is what Transparency Institute is asking. After four months, can’t the nation get an explanation? Maybe just a brief one but one nevertheless.
I cannot see the wisdom of having three Ministers in one of the smallest ministries in the government. Let us accept that since it is a coalition, one Minister was reserved for APNU and the other for AFC. But why three? How do you explain just a single Minister in Agriculture? There is a partial answer in the Cummingsburg Accord that Ministry was assigned to the AFC. One assumes that APNU took a hands-off approach. The AFC should tell the country if the Ministry’s affairs can be handled by one Minister only. An elaboration needs to be forthcoming. The area of Cabinet changes that Transparency did not touch on, is the erasure of the Ministry of Youth and its integration into the Ministry of Education. My eagerness to see the elucidation increases every day. This country has one of the youngest populations among the other nations of the world with colossal
problems that beset its youth sector. I think if the society was canvassed on whether to leave the Ministry of Youth or collapse it with the Ministry of Education, a poll would show that a hundred percent of those surveyed would vote for the retention of the Ministry of Youth. This is one aspect of governance the new regime got not partially, but completely wrong. Transparency Institute looked at the Ramayya imbroglio and interpreted his employment as something that went bad and was patched up. It was much more than that Ramayya threw up his hands in despair and publicly exclaimed that he exited the AFC because his efforts as an AFC leader in Berbice during the 2015 election campaign were unrewarded. Ramayya intoned that he was both insulted and mistreated. He was suddenly made the Regional Executive Officer for Region 6. Any first year politics student would
Frederick Kissoon know that it was a chess move of realpolitik by the APNUAFC administration But if realpolitik was the major factor in the reintegration of Ramayya, then the choice of Minister for the Agriculture Ministry is confusing. There is not even an ounce of realpolitik in that selection. Any first year student of politics would tell you that given the types of constituencies that occupy the agricultural sector of Guyana, then realpolitik would dictate the kind of person you put in charge of that ministry. The APNU+AFC’s pick was the opposite in terms of practical politics. Trial by error can prove costly.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
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GUN AMNESTY ENDS TODAY!!!
Beginning tomorrow, anyone found with illegal guns and ammunition can expect no mercy from the criminal justice system. Today marks the end of a one-month amnesty for persons to turn in all illegal weapons and ammunition. While the process can be deemed a success, it is still widely believed that there are still a large number of illegal weapons on the streets. So far the police have received close to 100 illegal weapons and almost 2000 rounds of ammunition. Last week alone saw the surrendering of more than two dozen such weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle. Most of the weapons were turned in at the police ‘F’ (Interior) Division. But now that the amnesty is over, no longer will persons be able to use excuses for the possession of illegal weapons. The amnesty, which has been criticized by a few prominent individuals, is one of the strategies employed by the new administration to curb crime. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo was of the view that there should be no discretion in imposing sentences under the law for persons found in illegal possession of firearms. Nagamootoo, while lauding the success of the amnesty so far, had urged the country’s Magistracy and
amended to stiffen the penalty for illegal gun possession, but he has not yet done anything to initiate such changes. “The law is pretty tough
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan Judiciary to take judicial notice of the prevalence of crime involving the use of firearms and deal condignly with offenders. “As a judicial officer myself I’m of the view that our courts must review granting bail to repeat offenders (who are) arraigned for illegal possession of firearms, or for the use of firearms in the execution of robberies,” the P r i m e Minister had stated. At present the maximum penalty that can be imposed by a Magistrate for the illegal possession of a firearm is five years. Minister Ramjattan had warned that there will be a crackdown to rein in all unlicenced firearms. He disclosed that there is a big lobby for the law to be
PPP MP crashes into truck, abandons car Accused of crashing into a truck and then abandoning his vehicle on West Berbice public road, Member of Parliament of the Opposition PPP/Civic and long serving General Secretary of the troubled Rice Producers Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj, is expected to appear in the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s court today. He was charged with dangerous driving. Seeraj of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, is accused of driving his vehicle in a dangerous manner on the West Berbice public road last Thursday, when he attempted to overtake a truck at Bath, West Coast Berbice. He was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol and it is assumed that he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into the truck.
Dharamkumar Seeraj He subsequently abandoned his vehicle and went away. The matter was reported and Seeraj was contacted and charged.
Corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Say no to it.
as it is,” the Public Security Minister stated. But despite the relative success of the gun amnesty, there are still a few critics among them is General
Secretary of the opposition People’s Progressive Party, Clement Rohee. He had stated a few weeks ago that the programme will not work in Guyana.
“I still hold my views...It (amnesty) is not going anywhere…. There are more questions than answers,” Rohee had told Kaieteur News.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Excavator operator, handyman granted bail on separate charges
Rafeek (white shirt) and Terry Roberts City Magistrate Dylon Bess yesterday ordered a handyman to pay $13,000 in compensation or spend one month in prison, after he pleaded guilty to a charge of fraudulent conversion. Terry Roberts admitted that on September 22, at John and Bent Streets, Georgetown, he fraudulently converted $10,000, to his own use and benefit. The amount was given to him by Petal Perry to purchase printer ink. When the matter came up in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Roberts pleaded with the Magistrate to give him time to pay back the money. According to the Prosecution’s facts, Roberts has been employed for the past five years as a handyman for the virtual complainant. On the day in question, Perry gave him money to buy ink for a printer. The court heard that Roberts left with the money and never returned with the item. Perry became suspicious and reported the matter to the police. Investigations were carried out and the defendant was arrested and charged. When Magistrate Bess inquired from Perry if she would accept the compensation, she replied in the affirmative. This matter comes up again on October 5 when the court will ascertain if the money was repaid. Meanwhile, in another matter, a 46 year-old excavator operator was released on selfbail, after he was accused of
jumping a fence and calling his wife a bitch. Rafeek (only name given) of 292 Freeman Street, East La Penitence, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on September 25, at Freeman Street, he jumped over a fence, kicked down a door and called Ali Moses, a bitch. He was ordered to return to court on October 13, for trial. Court facts revealed that Rafeek and Moses are known to each other. On the day in question, around 20:00hrs, Moses was at home when the defendant kicked down her door and called her a bitch. The court heard that the woman became scared and called out to neighbours, who came to her rescue. A report was later made by Moses to the police, which led to investigations being carried out and the defendant was apprehended and charged. When given a chance to explain his side of the story, the defendant claimed that the police facts were not true. He explained that on September 25, he went out and upon his return he asked his wife (Moses) to open the gate, but she refused. He said that he has been living with Moses for the past three years and she is now hospitalized after a miscarriage. Initially, the defendant was ordered to post $5,000 bail, but after telling the Magistrate he had no money, he was released on his own recognizance.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
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M&CC Green Volunteer Corps commences cleaning city playgrounds The Georgetown Green Volunteer Corps initiated by the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown, (M&CC) has commenced cleaning of all the community recreational grounds located in the City. The group cleaned Roxanne Burnham Gardens and East Ruimveldt community playgrounds. Group members involved
in the activity comprised private citizens and the business community. The group removed overgrowths of bush from these grounds. It is estimated that $500,000 was expended to clear both playgrounds. The monies expended were taken from the Council’s coffers. According to information released by the
Ex-cop held over slain guard’s death - was wanted for arms cache find at wharf
Mark Cromwell
Michael Woolford
Police have detained expoliceman Mark Cromwell, called ‘Demon’, in connection with the death of 68-year-old security guard Michael Woolford. The guard was shot on September 9,last, while on duty at the Cummings Lodge Secondary School. Kaieteur News understands that Cromwell, whose last known addresses are Lot 40 Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, and Lot 10 Buxton, East Coast Demerara, was taken into custody on Monday. It is alleged that on September 9, one man had chopped the other in the vicinity of the Cummings Lodge Secondary, when a third man emerged from a car and fired several shots. A bullet struck Wolford, who was on duty at the school. According to reports, the shooter, who identified himself as a policeman, placed the wounded guard in a car which took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Woolford succumbed last Friday. Relatives had stated that Woolford, who fathered 13 children, had been diagnosed with cancer of the stomach and was also diabetic. Mark Cromwell, the alleged shooter, was
dismissed from the force some time ago. Police had sent out a wanted bulletin for him last May, following the interception of a large arms cache at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) Wharf. The cache had included two AK 47 Rifles, four .40 pistols, eleven 9mm. pistols, 15 extra magazines for the firearms, 489 various caliber rounds for the firearms and a body protection vest. Jamal Murphy, 21, of Lot 40 Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara, was charged in connection with the arms find.
Council, many parks and other recreational facilities in Georgetown have been neglected for many years due to a lack of funds. The council has outlined that over the years some of the recreational facilities were handed over to community groups for management but many of these groups have become defunct. As a result, the committee noted that the grounds could not be cleaned and maintained. The Council
therefore underlined the need for restoration of all play grounds and parks. “The provision of recreational ground in various communities has a number of social, economic and health benefits for the populace. The parks and community grounds promote social cohesion and encourage youth involvement in sport. Also, a well-kept park in a community increases the value of properties in the neighbourhood.”
Town Clerk, Royston King, had promised that the “Green Volunteer Corps would give citizens the opportunity to be a part of the restoration and transformation process in the city”. The Council has since resuscitated its sport and culture group which was
dormant for many years. Last month, the M&CC commenced a project to reclaim its verges, parapets and other open spaces in Georgetown. Since then, the municipality is working assiduously to clean and clear all recreational parks and grounds under its control.
Say no to corruption, it hurts us all.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Continued violence against women linked to weak enforcement – Public Health Minister Vi o l e n c e against women continues to be a national epidemic, a state of affairs that is largely linked to weak enforcement and the absence of a coherent national plan. This is in spite of the passage of legislations such as the Domestic Vi o l e n c e A c t a n d t h e Sexual Offences Act. This assertion was made by Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, who emphasized the need for a serious action plan to
counter the increasing frequency of violence against women. The Minister’s disclosure was forthcoming as he addressed the 54th Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Directing Council in Washington D.C. yesterday. The Directing Council which commenced on Monday is slated to culminate on October 2, 2015. Dr. Norton informed the attentive Council gathering
- need for “serious” action plan emphasized that “the issue of violence against women is one of deep concern for us in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Our new government, which has only been in office for four months, recognizes violence against women as a human rights violation.” In fact, he went on to point out that crimes such as Trafficking in Persons,
murders, rapes and domestic violence are still rampant in these parts which gives credence to the fact the current enforcement measures are inadequate to protect women. The Minister, however, dubbed as fortunate, the fact that there are a few organizations that have been proactive in their agenda to eliminate discrimination
against women. “For example, as a result of the efforts of the Guyana Women Miners Association, which was led by the Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection of our new government, several women and teenage girls were rescued from sexual enslavement in Guyana’s hinterland, where the population is principally indigenous, and gold mining the main source of employment,” the Public Health Minister shared. Turning his attention to maternal mortality, the Minister pointed out that “…we can all see in the 2014 document on Trends in Maternal Mortality estimates 1990-2013, the rate in Guyana increased significantly during the period and we continue to have an unacceptably high rate, being one of very few countries with exceedingly high maternal mortality rates in the Americas.” He continued, “Although no specific studies have been done in our country, we are aware of findings from Canada and by the CDC in the United States which suggest that partner violence can be an important contributor to maternal mortality.” According to the Minister, the mortality rate among our indigenous population is extremely high. “As a person of indigenous heritage, this is extremely painful to me as an individual. This does not mean that I am not pained by the high rates among fellow Guyanese of other ethnicities, but the disparity among the indigenous peoples would indicate some amount of inequity and fly in the face of our goals to achieve universal access to health services,” asserted the Minister. But Dr. Norton made it
Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton clear to his colleagues in health that the coalesced A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change is poised to work assiduously, and leave no stone unturned to arrest and reverse both the high maternal mortality in Guyana as well as violence against women. “We see the need for a national action plan on violence and the introduction of educational and enforcement initiatives to eliminate this scourge, and recognize PAHO’s proposed Strategy and Plan of Action on Strengthening the Health System to address violence against women as the framework which can be used to develop our own plan,” he noted. But according to him, Government has recognized that “we cannot do it alone, and therefore wish to appeal to PAHO and our brothers and sisters of this Region to assist us in our own efforts to address violence against women as well as in each and every one of our member states.” He therefore assured that Guyana is keen on supporting the proposed resolution on the Strategy and Plan of Action on Strengthening the Health System to Address Violence against women, document CD54/9.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 15
More companies eye Guyana’s oil sector - Locals warned about Dutch disease By Abena Rockcliffe While Guyana is attracting much attention from regional oil companies, and “excitement” is being generated, local manufactures have been warned to be on the lookout for a break out of the Dutch disease. The Dutch disease is the negative impact on an economy of anything that gives rise to a sharp inflow of foreign currency, such as the discovery of large oil reserves. The currency inflows lead to currency appreciation, making the country’s other products less price competitive on the export market. A number of countries have suffered from Dutch disease, as such, this can turn a good into a bad in many cases. At the most recent post Cabinet press briefing, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon told the media of developments in relation to Guyana’s budding oil sector. Harmon noted that it became much more intensified as a result of a major oil find announced by the US oil company, Exxon Mobil. “Ever since then, we had what is called downstream and upstream oil interests that have already come to
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon Guyana to look at how the sector will be developed.” He said that Cabinet was briefed that there were at least 16 companies from Trinidad that came to Guyana to see the prospects and to interact with the local manufacturing and service sectors. According to Harmon, the companies “were looking at issues like how these oil and gas matters were to be dealt with and the fact that you do not wait until you start producing before actually preparing for that stage (of production). He said that there is much preparation work that is going on with these companies; that it is in fact generating a great
deal of excitement in the business sector. The Minister of State added that there was a recent meeting involving the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the companies coming out of Trinidad. He said that the meeting was facilitated at an event organized under the theme “Economic opportunities and threats to expediting oil and gas in a new green carbon environment.” Harmon said that even though the forum saw a call for a speedy development of oil and gas in Guyana, there was a “sobering” presentation by Dr. Roger Hosein, a lecturer and researcher of energy trade at the University of West Indies. The Cabinet spokesman said that the key aspect of Dr. Hosein’s presentation was the point made in explaining that the finding and development of oil and natural gas can have good and bad effects on a country’s economy. Harmon said that Hosein acknowledged the good effects that can come along with the development of this sector, but noted the possible bad effects that oil find can have on production and manufacturing. In this regard, Hosein cautioned
manufacturers to be on the lookout for the negative developments. Hosein’s warnings as relayed by Harmon speak basically to the issue of
Dutch disease. Notwithstanding Hosein’s presentation, Harmon said that the fact that Government had already indicated its intention to
establish a Sovereign wealth fund comforted the manufacturers. The Sovereign wealth fund is a mechanism that Continued on page 27
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Examining the local sugar industry Sase Singh is the newest contributor to Kaieteur News. Beginning today and continuing every week, he would be writing on issues that form the conversation point among many a table or. Today he will look at sugar, the commodity that was once king. The relevance of Uitvlugt estate to sugar by Sase Singh When one reflects back to 1976 and to the whole act of nationalization of the sugar industry, one can imagine how a people felt then – as Nehru so aptly put it “a tryst with destiny.” Sugar was supposed to be the backbone of the economy and even though it literally collapsed by 1988, after some carefully crafted interventions under the Hoyte administration and continued under the Jagan
government, it rebounded by 2002 with a production of 331,067 tonnes. What has happen to sugar since 2002 is a classic case of how not to run a sugar industry. This also reinforces why politicians must leave the industry to professionals. As a prerequisite – we must level with the people! Why the 2010-2014 audited reports for Guysuco was not laid in the Parliament as yet remains a serious concern for me. This is a defect inherited from the Jagdeo/Ramotar administration. It is expected that the current administration will urgently address this defect in good corporate governance as soon as the Parliament is reconvened. What is quite evidential was that Guysuco was
managed in a manner to perpetuate the very political survival of the PPP rather than produce sugar most efficiently. But a new day dawned on May 11, 2015 and to whom much is given, much is expected. The 16,000 workers in the sugar belt and the 69,000 who directly and indirectly feed from the industry expect a metamorphosis in how the industry is managed. Sugar has to be managed as a private sector business in distress. Much bolder and more progressive policy initiatives are expected for the sugar belt. When the PPP arrived in Government, Guysuco contributed some 18% of GDP. By the time the PPP lost office, Guysuco was contributing below five per
cent of GDP. This is clear evidence of what the PPP did to the sugar industry. What should we do with Uitvlugt estate to better preserve the long-term economic life of the sugar industry? Why Uitvlugt? According to Professor Clive Thomas, the “sugar yield for this estate was 2.85 TSH in 2013”. TSH is tons sugar per hectare of land harvested. This pales in comparison to estates like Albion where the sugar yield was 5.43 TSH in 2013. TSH is one of the principal performance measures of a sugar estate, The higher the number – the higher the yield; the more productive the estate; the higher the chance of profitability. From this example, Albion is almost twice as productive when compared to Uitvlugt. For the record, the sugar industry in the 1970s had productivity of – 5.81 TSH, in the 1980’s – 4.71 TSH, in the 1990s – 5.64 TSH and in the 2000s – 5.91 TSH. Even in the colonial days the sugar yield in the industry was around 8.40 TSH. But the data clearly highlights that Uitvlugt is on a planet all by itself when it comes to efficiently producing sugar. COST OF PRODUCTION – UITVLUGT From Professor Thomas’s sugar series in the press, he alluded to the fact that in 2012, the unit cost per pound of sugar produced at Uitvlugt was US$0.43. This was estimated to have increased to US$0.57 in 2013. That was in an era when Guysuco was being paid an average of some
US$0.31 per lb for its sugar. But to compound matters, the cost of production did not materially improve in 2014. Guysuco earned ONLY US$0.21 per lb for sugar exports. This is no joke – the taxpayers of Guyana were subsidizing sugar produced at Uitvlugt by some US$0.22 per pound, more than what the country earned from sugar sales. Yet the decision makers under the Jagdeo/Ramotar administration failed to offer any tangible turnaround plan. In light of the facts, our option are limited on Uitvlugt? THE MERITS OF PLANTATION TYPE AGRICULTUREAT UITVLUGT For years, the terms of trade with respect to table foods vs sugar have been very advantageous. For over a decade now, it made absolute sense to switch out of sugar at Uitvlugt into plantation scale table food production (cash crops, fruits and vegetables) but yet this was not done. In the Caribbean, the demand for higher value fresh foods (chopped and packaged fruits and vegetables) has increased significantly. What did we do to penetrate those markets? Very little! Today, the Caribbean imports quite conservatively, over US$2 billion in packaged fruits and vegetables and Guyana is still a small player in that market although we have the potential to dominate. Fresh foods are being imported into
the Caribbean from as far away as Asia. The labour market and wealth revolution at Uitvlugt is premised on the abandonment of sugar in favour of a well-managed table foods plantation that utilizes the latest farming technologies. The studies have already been done to establish that the 4Ps (pineapple, hot peppers, pumpkin and plantains). Some of the 4Cs (coconut, citrus, cassava and carrots) can be efficiently produced in Region 3. In additions to the 4Ps, NAREI has established that Region Three can even produce a wider variety of products including cherries, ground provisions, legumes, other type of table ready cash crops such as squash, cucumber, bora, cabbage, ochro, eggplant and so on. The potentials are tremendous. THE MODEL The production process has to be driven by current and future demand (committed buyers). Every individual product must be planted and harvested because of this demand. Plus certification is vital; no product leaves Guyana unless it is fully certified by the food inspector from each importing Caricom country at the point of packaging. It is expected that the larger importing Caricom countries will sponsor their food inspectors who will be domiciled in Guyana. In that way only the best products are shipped to the shelves of Caribbean supermarkets and (Continued on page 25)
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Family worried that man’s disappearance will become cold case The disappearance of 42year-old Michael Persaud is swiftly becoming a cold case. At least this is the belief of his family. Persaud, a fisherman who was employed at Prittipaul Singh Investment (PSI), reportedly disappeared one day after setting out to sea during the latter part of July. In fact, according to his reputed wife, Lynette Malik, Monday marked two months since Persaud vanished without a trace. Still troubled by the state of affairs, the woman yesterday said that even the police seem to have no lead. They are therefore doing nothing to ascertain what became of her husband. Even his former employer – PSI, has remained tightlipped on the issue. According to Malik no one at the company has spoken to her about her husband’s disappearance. “He was out doing their work when he disappeared and they can’t tell me anything to this day,” said a distraught Malik yesterday. An attempt by this publication to seek a comment from an official at PSI via telephone yesterday
Missing: Michael Persaud was met with a secretary informing that “Mr Lakeram said he has no comments on that so he won’t take the call.” Mr Lakeram, this publication was informed, has responsibility for the PSI fishing trawlers. Soon after his disappearance, a male PSI official had informed Persaud’s mother, Nalini Singh, that her son had fallen over board on July 28, 2015. “He said that he sorry to let me know that my son Michael Persaud jump through a window (of the fishing vessel) with (wearing) a life jacket and they can’t find he and I must come down to Pritipaul,” Singh recounted
during an interview with this publication. The woman said that she was told to ask for ‘Lakeram’ when she visited the company. She, in the company of another son and a grandson, turned up at the McDoom office later that day where they met with Lakeram. There, the woman said that she was asked several times if her son had any history of mental illness, to which she responded in the negative. “I tell them for all these years I never know my son sick…I knew he was well,” said the woman as she questioned how her life jacket-wearing son could have possibly disappeared into the sea. “He (Lakeram) say he too feels like something ain’t right,” recalled Singh as she queried, “How come five people (the crew) go out to sea and nobody didn’t try to save him?” According to Malik, ahead of Persaud’s disappearance they resided together at 738 Belle West, Number Two Canal, West Bank Demerara. She disclosed that (Continued on page 30)
Page 25
Examining the local... (From page 25) the kitchens of the hotels. As a bolt on to the basic operations of planting, reaping and agro-processing (at the Parika facility which is already in place) of fresh foods, there should be a juice plant to periodically process juices in periods of low demand for the packaged fresh products. But before any of this can be achieved, the Ministry of Agriculture has to ensure that the Uitvlugt plantation meets all the phyto-sanitary and other regulatory standards required by the importing countries. The proposed ownership structure envisages a large private sector agriculture entity (with a track record at producing non-traditional agricultural crops on a plantation for the export market). This entity should not be engaged only because of their capital, but because of both their capital and their technical understanding of the production and marketing landscape in the Caribbean. This local or international company shall be allowed to invest in this publicly traded company up to a limit of 80% of the ordinary share capital
with the remaining 20% being reserved as a source of wealth for the sugar workers under an Employee Share Option Plan. Part of this 20% minimum shareholding (10%), shall be distributed at negligible cost to the workers as bonus shares based on their years of service (irrespective of rank). The workers shall also be sold some preference shares at a negligible cost, which comes with a five-year guarantee of a fixed dividend irrespective of whether the company makes a profit or not and cannot be sold before five years. The remaining 10% of the ordinary shareholding will be sold to the open market but the Uitvlugt workers will have first right to purchase on a
first come first serve basis. These Uitvlugt workers will also have the first right to a job in this project based on their skill set. CONCLUSION A nation that cannot use its land to generate wealth and jobs for all will become a threat to its own sovereign existence. Becoming competitive on the food export market and creating jobs are crucial to our national security. It is time to re-energize the Sugar Transformation Agenda within the sugar belt so we can export more foods at better prices and stimulate the creation of new value added jobs for our people. The journey to make Guyana the breadbasket of the Caribbean has begun. It is time!
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday September 30, 2015
High competitiveness on show as bids open for construction of schools in Annandale, Grove During yesterday’s opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Ministry of Finance compound, there were several bids for the construction/ extension of Nursery and Primary schools under the Region Four Democratic Council. The first school was the Kuru Kuru Primary School, on the Soesdyke, Linden Highway. The engineer’s estimate for extending this school was $10M and 28 firms bid for this project.
Bids were also opened for the construction of the Eastville Nursery School at Annandale, East Coast Demerara. The Engineer’s estimate was $25M and this time 31 firms competed for this project.
Meanwhile, a mammoth 34 firms submitted bids that were opened for the construction of a Nursery School at Grove, East Bank Demerara. The engineer’s estimate was $25M.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 27
Man negotiated with gunman for life, robbed of windows and toilets Aftab Persaud displays the receipts for the items carried away by the robbers.
After saving his life through negotiation with a gunman while he was held hostage for several hours at gunpoint, a man is now fearful for his life and that of his family. The father of two, Aftab Persaud, 42, of Queenstown, Georgetown and a butcher, is thanking his lucky stars. He is also counting his losses. He got the title to a plot of land in Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, about two years ago, but began working in January to construct his dream three-bedroom family home with his savings. “Me nah go far in school so me only know fuh do butcher wuk. Is money from that me save up and start because rent is expensive,” Persaud reported. However, his savings were not enough to get the job done and works were stalled. Through tedious efforts he eventually managed to
secure a bank loan and to ensure that the house is completed in the shortest possible time, he took three months leave from his job to work as a labourer. All seemed well and on Friday last with the house almost completed he purchased 27 windows valued at $375,000 plus three toilet sets to complete the building. He delivered the items. With just a few things left for his home construction to be completed Persaud opted to sleep away from his family to serve as his own watchman on the work site. “For years I been paying rent and trying to make ends meet for my family. I saved up my money and sacrifice by denying myself and family some of the most basic things that we should have at times. I even take time off from work now to be a labourer so that my home could be finished for my family to move in next month (October).”
But Sunday, last, about 19:30 hours as he lay relaxing in the upper flat of the house he heard some movement and got up. “When I head to the door way and turn on my torchlight I see two men with faces covered and one had a gun pointed at me and they tell me to drop the torchlight or they will kill me.” They used sling material to tie my hands and walked me downstairs. Then they tied my feet and covered my head with a bag and put me in a corner. He could see nothing else and feared that the worst was about to happen to him as he lay in a corner of the house. He recalled hearing at least two men, one of whom summoned a vehicle and then they allegedly fetched out his windows and toilets as well as a generator. “Them didn’t come with no vehicle but me hear dem on the phone talking to somebody and then a vehicle pull up, and after
about two hours I hear a vehicle door slam and then they drive away. He thought his ordeal was over but he was in for an even stranger unfolding as the gun man stayed behind. “He take my phone and ask me if I got any money home with the gun pointed to me. And I beg he to save my life because I have a wife and two children. He didn’t get vex so I decided to negotiate with he.” “He use me phone to talk to my wife and he tell she fuh bring $40,000 and leave it under the Mocha bus shed. I tell he I will get me wife fuh bring it if he don’t kill me and bring back my things.” The gunman reportedly agreed that he would not kill Persaud if his wife brought the money and don’t include the police. But the woman was afraid so the gunman decided to talk to her. “He tell she to let my son bring the money and he wouldn’t shoot me, and he would bring back the things and she say alright. “But after a while like the gunman realize something wasn’t right and he left me tie up saying he will be back and I must not make noise; but he never come back.” At about 23:30 hrs on Sunday night the wife turned
up at the location with the police who took some notes and advised him to return to the police station the next day (Monday). The man reported that he was afraid but with his wife’s encouragement he turned up at the police station yesterday where he said he met a female police rank who advised him to return today to give a statement. “Now I feeling frighten to even go and live there because they could come back at any time but I ain’t got no other choice. During this whole experience what got me, is that not once did a police patrol even pass through the street from about 7: 30pm until my wife come at 11:30pm. “And I have to find more money to buy back my things. These bannaz getting real out
of hand and to think the Providence Police station is just a few blocks away and they still do this, it is frightening. “I could have been a dead man all because I decided to work hard and even borrow a loan to build a house couple blocks from the police station.” Persaud said fear caused him to not return to the police station on Monday but when he returned yesterday he was told to check back today. I’m just confused because I was robbed and could have been dead, and I’m afraid, yet I’m feeling like if I did something wrong by trying to make a police report. They take some small notes on the night of the robbery and then tell me to come the next day to make a report.
More companies eye... From page 15 works to guard against the Dutch disease. It ensures that the inflows from the oil sector do not interfere with the equilibrium of the economy. With regards to the progress in the fund, Harmon said that Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, who also shares some responsibility for natural resources, recently met with some representatives from the Commonwealth secretary. He said that those experts are to look at how Guyana can develop further, the concept of a sovereign wealth fund.
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Kaieteur News
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Wednesday September 30, 2015
VACANCY
SALON
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A family person to work on a farm to look after Cow & Sheep-Call: 619-9143/ 6148857 1 Experienced cook for barContact: 685-6588 One maid –Call: 656-6288 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 One experienced domestic cook. Call between 9am to 4pm –Tel: 621-8478 or 611-5398 Persons to clean-Call: 2253234 Experienced Pastry maker, apply @ Shanta’s, 225- Camp & New Market Street. Driver/Salesman wanted, please contact: 231-6256 for details ACCOMODATION Aracari Resort: rates from US$45; breakfast included, fully air conditioned rooms, 5 mins away from the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Tel: 592-264-2946
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LAND FOR SALE Concrete fenced land in residential high income area at Republic Park, Water, light, etc-Call: 233-0570
DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807
Parfaite Harmonie -$1.5M, 1.3M, 1M, Tuschen 8th street -$1.5M, Tuschen 2nd Street -$5.5M corner lot – Call: 604-6724
Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494
33 Acres prime agriculture land located at Plantation Flensberg W.B.D-price negotiable-Contact Erick Boodhoo: Call: 654-6229; 627-0556
EDUCATION Individual tutoring available for CXC Accounts, for guaranteed excellent graderCall: 654-1723 -$2000 monthly
1500 Acres Transported land 4 Miles from Bartica, 2 Miles River front, sand, loam, forestry, rock quarry, farming, resort-Call: 603-1266; 6259788
TO LET Space for office, stationery, cosmetic store, salon etc @ Star Central Mall, Leonora, W.C.D-Call: 227-1876; 6950246 Three bedrooms executive concrete top flat in South Ruimveldt Gardens –Call: 218-1949 Space for office, internet café, stationery & like business @ Nandlall’s Building, ground floor, 217 South Road, G/Town-Call: 227-1876 or 695-0246 Rooms and apartments –Call: 225-3234
PROPERTY FOR SALE One commercial property at Sheriff Street, one double lot @ Cummings Lodge –Call: 638-8930; 653-8226 House and land for sale, situated at lot 95 La Penitence Street Albouystown. Call: 687-5851; 1604-589-1852 Transported Property @ Grove/Diamond, 3 bedrooms, 1 self-contained, concrete fence, grilled store room & Shed, (45X26) – Call: 660-1353, 216-4338 Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities - $45M –Call: 6629335; 612-3244 Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461. 2 Storied transported concrete property upstairs 2 bedrooms, downstairs 2 bedrooms, fully grilled, block ‘8’ MonRepos, E.C.D -$18M- Call: 625-1514; office 231-7255 1 Flat house on 1 acre land with chicken pen & fruits tree at Unity E.C.D- $11M-Call: 642-7898 2 Storey 45x35 concrete property, lower flat incomplete- Land 65x120 @ Diamond N/S 5th Avenue, E.B.D- Call: 664-5052
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. 1 Complete sound system, 1 Vyper Sound, interested persons- Call: 265-3586 1 Aqua Sol water heater price- $150,000 negotiable, interested person can contact: 264-2946 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Land at Schoonord (Next To Demerara Harbour Bridge), 45' X 100' $ 6 M, 60' X 100' $ 7.5M- Contact 650-0402 / 260-4988 Shepherds, Rottweilers, BV building, cooker spaniel, boxer, pug, schnaunzer dogs-Call/Whatsapp-Call: 664-5401 or 680-6426 Pile Driving Hammers, weight 3 & 4 tons, 10 tons double steel wheeled roller, pneumatic roller -9 wheelsCall: 275-0538 or 683-7225 2,500 GLS, steel tank, 1-428 cat back-hoe, D4H cat bulldozer, 1 Leyland Daf 55 Tipper truck- Call: 275-0538 or 683-7225 20. Lengths-Plastic Sheet Piles, 1-930 CAT front end loaded, all in working condition-Call: 275-0538 or 683-7225 PIT-BULL PUPPIES – CALL: 667-0338 1-1000 gallon fuel tank at (New Amsterdam Location) Wieting & Richter Ltd-Call: 226-6150-7 2-LL 7000 F.G Wilson Alternators (600KVA) Wieting & Richter Ltd-Call: 226-6150-7 One Toyota Verossa $2.6MCall: 614-0694 120z. glass jars with Acid protective covers suitable f o r j a m , a c h a r, e t c Wieting & Richter LtdCall: 226-6150-7 PROPERTY FOR SALE 2-Two Storey Houses, one newly constructed, 3 minutes away from the National Stadium -$16M, $22M –Call: 628-1079; 6427711; 233-5292 Pearl: Well Built 1,995 Sq. Ft concrete structure 45X165 lot, formerly meeting hall 13.5M. Call: 649-1670 #53 Village: East Berbice, concrete house and land for sale, please submit offers, Call: 674-2155 Continued on page 29
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Pitri Paksh is not a High time for the UN Security Council to be reformed
day of mourning
DEAR EDITOR, Pitri Paksh is one of the most auspicious Hindu days revered in the Hindu calendar. On this day all Hindus show our ancestors respect and remembrance for their labours and sacrifices made to build our nations so all can live comfortably in the New World. This is not a day of mourning as Hinduism has no such festivals but of celebration for our ancestors’ achievements and their remembrance. Our forefathers went against great odds living in a hostile environment but
braved those odds so that their children can live in peace and prosperity. While we do jal, aarti, and other offerings in respect to our departed ancestors, we too must make commitments to them so that their sacrifices will not be in vain and this present generation will continue to be politically and culturally strong. We have not only inherited their wealth of achievements but, an obligation to carry on and protect what they brought with them to these new lands. Vassan Ramracha
Freddie misidentifies current President of France DEAR EDITOR, My good friend Freddie Kissoon misidentified the current President of France as (sic – first name missing Nicolas) Sarkozy (KN Sep 25). Sarkozy (under UMP political alliance) served as President between May 2007 and May 2012. He was defeated in his reelection bid by the socialist Francois Hollande. This may seem like a petty point. But Kissoon thrives on pettiness. He pokes fun at writers for minor transgressions and Freudian slips. Most recently, Freddie ridiculed former President Donald Ramotar for not knowing the difference between “intention” and “intuition”. Freddie penned that Sarkozy apologize for his errors during his 100 days in office. There is no public record of such an apology. Sarkozy was not one to easily apologize for any transgression. He never felt he did anything wrong even
when he offended others. Freddie also penned (using incorrect grammar) that he honestly could not give the APNU-AFC government “an excellence grade” in rating its 100 days in office. It should have been “excellent” or “a grade of excellence”. How would Freddie feel if people were to ridicule him for his slips? On a related note, the first 100 days in office is a symbolic period; it is when the honeymoon is over between the media and the government in office. They get rated by pollsters and the media. Sarkozy did not get good rating at that mark. Hollande had better rating, but he also received declining approval for his performance and how the population viewed him. In Guyana, the 100 days mark has not been a momentous one for the new APNU-AFC administration that has been firing staff based on ethnic and political factors. Vishnu Bisram
Are we witnessing a game of bluff and counter-bluff? DEAR EDITOR, I recall hearing many years ago that not everything one reads in the newspapers should be taken ‘as gospel’. According to one journalist, “the only thing that can be relied on in a newspaper is a portion of fish and chips and even that should be taken with a pinch of salt”. Now, we have to cope with the electronic field and one has to question whether their contributors always tell it the way it is. Today, I heard a political journalist state on the radio that Venezuela is in financial straits and it is difficult to get even a roll of toilet paper! I was surprised, given the apparent buildup of military hardware, etc. near Guyana’s territorial space. Are we witnessing a game of bluff and counter-bluff? One hopes Guyanese can hold on to what is rightfully and legally theirs. With the USA President fervently ‘wooing’ the Chinese nation, perhaps their strong presence in Guyana might help. Geralda Dennison
DEAR EDITOR, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken not only for Germany but for several other emerging economies such as India and Brazil when she said that it is high time for the United Nations Security Council to be reformed to reflect the real distribution of power across the world. The current power configuration in the Security Council is highly skewed in favour of five countries, which are permanent members with veto powers.
These countries are Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The world has changed dramatically since the end of the 2nd World War and is certainly not reflective of the changing power dynamics. Germany and Japan are today powerful players on the international stage with huge financial contribution to the United Nations but they are not permanent members. The same can be said for India and Brazil even though their financial contribution
may not be as significant as Germany and France. The veto power enjoyed by the five powers is largely responsible for gridlock at the Security Council on several major international issues such as the failure to arrive at consensus on how to treat with such burning issues as Palestinian statehood, Iranian nuclear threat and the ongoing Syrian crisis, which has now escalated to a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. Hydar Ally
When will the attitudes towards consumers/customers change? DEAR EDITOR, Following the change in Government, many public figures were either fired or forced to resign whilst some took it on their own to resign by themselves. Lots of people agreed with this move and a few are claiming “witch hunt”. Many of the so called victims were either incompetent for the position they held or managed with serious attitude problems that caused lots of problems. One would believe that with all this happening, those in similar positions would change their attitudes, but sadly, that is not so and when action is taken against them, the public would hear about
the so-called victimization/ witch hunt. Editor, over a month now, some residents of Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara have been experiencing an extremely high voltage (260v tested one time) in their house, especially at nights and after numerous damages to electrical appliances, the various technicians are of the opinion that it is being caused by a particular transformer, thus they reported it to the Guyana Power and Light West Coast/Bank branch. Repeated reports cause one resident to end up requesting to reach the Branch Manager and to his amazement, he was spoken to in what he believes was an angry manner and directed to report his problem to Georgetown.
To d a t e , h e h a s n ’t received any direct location to where he must lodge his complaints and he’s a bit annoyed at the attitudes he met with and decided not to pursue the matter any further. Now I wonder what’s the purpose of a branch and a manager if we have to make our report somewhere else? The employees at Cool Tech could verify what is happening to the residents there because only recently they repaired one resident’s washing machine and upon investigation the cause was high voltage. When will the attitudes towards consumers/ customers change or it will take changes in staff to make a difference? Sahadeo Bates
The current crime fighting strategy... From page 4 being researched. Some of its known undesired effects range from sensory motor deficits to mood alterations and memory impairments, which can play into road accidents, lapse in judgments, robberies, rapes and murders to cite a few. We all know that Christopher Stanley of Tiger Bay allegedly killed a fellow resident of his town because of mental instability. Pot can disrupt the homeostatic control of brain circuits by altering its chemistry and its hard wiring (neuronal connections), short-circuiting it, thereby evoking a Christopher Stanley kind of murder. Even in affluent countries, the decriminalization of pot and its link to crime is still hotly debated. Mulling the idea of repealing such an act should be out of the question given that we are a poor country
with very little crime fighting resources. Our actions are undoubtedly destructive and can be likened to pouring gasoline on a fire that is already raging out of control. As members of society, it is our moral obligation to recoil from such a lax stance on crime so as to save lives. We need to genuinely ferret out crime by dropping our rhetoric and dishing out stiffer penalties so as to send a tough message, as is similarly done in the USA. This will be good for society. The current crime fighting strategy in place needs to be replaced. It boils down to the fact that we arrest criminals and then later release them without proper interventions, leaving society in danger. This cannot be good. One of the biggest lies that I have heard surfaced recently is that the PPP/C is pushing the crime wave. No one should
ever believe an iota of this. This is pure dysfunction. Social cohesion cannot be achieved under an atmosphere of dysfunction. As members of society, we need to look into the mirror if we are confused about who is to blame for the high crime. We also need to ask ourselves why crime has gained momentum recently. Editor, we show compassion to mothers of criminals but fail to even register the pains of mothers whose children are murdered daily at the hands of brutal criminals in this society. What else can be more heartbreaking for a mother than losing a child? No mother should have to experience this in a lifetime. It is our moral obligation as members of society to see that mothers do not suffer like this anymore by taking a zero tolerance stance on crime. Stanley Dhalkumarsingh
From page 28
VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Mazda Axela, PTT series, low mileage, e x c e l l e n t condition -owner migrating Tel: 649-0956 Toyota Rush- Unregistered -$3M negotiable; Honda CRV 2003 model PSS 2018$3.1M negotiable, pre-order any vehicle. Call: 655-3400 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 Toyota Noah & Voxy -$1.7M ‘G’ Series, never registered –Call: 617-2891 One Honda CRV Immaculate Condition 17" mags, CD, AC, price -$1,850,000 negotiable –Call: 626-2884 Kaw a s a k i N i n ja 650R, excellent condition, lime green $650,000 asking price Tel: 655-2561 Two Hilux Pick up, one 3RZ, one Vigo-Call: 638-8930; 6538226 Pitbull minibus-Call: 6886316; 603-4494 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 Nissan X-trail PMM 89522002 model, asking $2.5M negotiable-Call: 232-0628, 328-7832; 641-3001
EDUCATION Simpli Royal School of Beauty offering evening classes in cosmetology with easy payment plan-Call: 2252303; 665-4565 CXC Lessons; SBA Guidance; Mathematics, English A & B, Science & Business subjects, Class Size -10 Students-Call: 6909378
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Kaieteur News
Family worried that man’s.... (From page 25) Persaud was the sole breadwinner of the home pointing out that while the man would usually gain irregular work, his employment with the Fishing company would be the first time that he’d venture into that line of work. Malik disclosed, too, that although Persaud had also left her number with the company to date she has not been contacted. “They ain’t even talk about helping me in
any way…I can’t hear anything from them till this day,” she lamented. The woman said that even the police seem to be clueless about the matter. The woman, like the other members of Persaud’s family, is convinced that something sinister occurred while he was out at sea and they have vocalized this belief. In fact, his mother had informed this publication that although police had held members of the crew for a few
hours for questioning they were all released. “I personally packed a bag for him to go out to sea and I ain’t get back half of the things I packed. You mean he pick up he bag, he new ID card and everything and jump overboard?” questioned Malik. She is worried that the matter has now been left to become a cold case. “I need to know what happened, I need to get closure,” was the remark echoed by both Singh and Malik.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Bush truck destroyed in early morning fire The damaged truck.
Prominent businessman, Roy Khan, of Central Rupununi, is now counting his losses after a truck he owned was destroyed in an early morning fire. Kaieteur News understands that around 02:00hrs on Friday, residents in the neighbourhood saw the truck on fire and summoned the fire tender. When the firefighters arrived on the scene
the fire had already engulfed the front part of the vehicle. They were able to extinguish the fire after refilling the fire tender. Luckily, there was no one in the vehicle at the time of the blaze. Damage to the truck which was worth $5M was extensive. Arson has not been established and no one has been arrested so far, but investigations continue.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday September 30, 2015
US, Cuba leaders meet for 2nd time in this year
President Barack Obama shakes hands with Cuban President Raul Castro in front of members of the media before a bilateral meeting, yesterday. (AP) UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Making good on a pledge to change U.S. posture toward Cuba, President Barack Obama held talks yesterday with Cuban President Raul Castro, the second time the leaders of the once-estranged nations have met this year. Obama and Castro smiled and shook hands before beginning their private talk on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. The encounter comes as the Cold War adversaries go about the long and complex process of normalizing relations following decades of animosity. The U.S. recently eased rules for citizens who want to visit or do business in Cuba to help fostering greater economic freedom on the island. The White House said the leaders discussed additional steps each government can take to deepen cooperation. Obama
also reiterated U.S. support for human rights in Cuba, a sticking point in the relationship, the White House said. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez focused on the pace of normalizing relations following the meeting, saying speeding up the process will require Obama using his executive authority to substantially modify the decades-old U.S. economic embargo. Rodriguez said actions Obama has taken so far “have a very limited value, a very limited scope and do not deal with any significant aspects when it comes to the implementation of the blockade against Cuba.” But many Republican lawmakers, and some Democrats, oppose lifting the embargo at this stage. Obama and Castro surprised the world last December by announcing they had agreed to restore diplomatic relations.
Since then, the two countries have reopened embassies in each other’s capitals. But sharp differences remain, particularly over Cuba’s human rights record and detainment of political prisoners and the economic embargo. Cuba also insists on the return of land occupied by the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay; the U.S. says that is not in the plan. In his address Monday at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly’s annual ministerial meeting, Obama discussed the new approach toward Cuba and said he was confident that Congress “will inevitably lift an embargo that should not be in place anymore.” Obama and Castro first spoke in December after the secret process to restore diplomatic relations was revealed. They met in person in April while attending a regional summit in Panama.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Barbados and China develop relations further Daily Nation - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, joined three other foreign ministers from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), in a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi. During a wide-ranging discussion in the context of China’s relationship with CELAC, Senator McClean underlined the importance Barbados attached to its relationship with China which, by several measures, is now the world’s largest economy. She welcomed the development of relations between China and the entire Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, noting that it could serve as a spur to further regional and subregional integration. Foreign Minister Wang stated that the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean were strong partners for China as it pursued its strategy of “going global” and developing relations in new areas. He said that China had set aside some US$38 billion in funds for projects in CELAC countries, including
Maxine McClean some US$3 billion exclusively for the Caribbean. He further proposed an intensification of cooperation activities between China and CELAC, including in the area of business and educational and cultural exchanges. In this context, he announced that China had declared 2016 the year of China-CELAC cultural exchanges. Minister McClean emphasised that the special circumstances of Barbados and other Caribbean states should be recognised, and expressed her appreciation
for the fact that both China and CELAC were sensitive to these realities. China and CELAC have established a cooperation mechanism which includes political dialogue between Heads of State and Government and the development and financing of projects in the Caribbean and Latin American region. Barbados is presently moving ahead with financing from China to redevelop Sam Lord’s Castle into a worldclass resort on its southeast coast.
More schools confirmed with hand, foot and mouth disease The Gleaner - Director for Health Promotion and Protection in the Ministry of Health, Dr Sonia Copeland, says the ministry has discovered more cases of hand, foot and mouth disease at two more schools. Monday, the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) reported cases in nine schools. SERHA said three of the schools are in Kingston and St Andrew and six in St Catherine. Speaking on Cliff Hughes Online yesterday morning, Dr Copeland said the ministry has since discovered cases at five Corporate Area schools. Dr Copeland says this
now puts the number of schools with hand, foot and mouth cases at 11. She notes that the possibility exists for the disease to spread given that children tend to interact with one another at school and at home. Dr Copeland says the health ministry is closely monitoring the situation and is conducting the necessary surveillance activities. Meanwhile, Dr Alfred Dawes, the President of the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA), says doctors have not seen an influx of patients turning up at hospitals. Dr Dawes says there is no
need for the public to panic at this stage. The Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is a viral illness common in infants and children. Fevers and blister-like eruptions on the tongue, inside the cheek and on the skin are symptoms of the disease. Poor appetite and a sore throat are its other symptoms. It can be spread through direct contact with mucus in the throat and nose, saliva, fluid from blisters and the stool of infected persons. There is no vaccine to protect against the viruses that cause the disease.
Trinidad Guardian Venezuelan pirates rob and shot at Trinidadian fishermen in a pirogue Monday near the Gulf of Paria. One man was killed and another wounded while the other three were able to make an escape in the water. Lieutenant Commander Kirk Jean-Baptiste, PRO for the T&T Coast Guard informed T&T Guardian that five men in a pirogue said they
went to the Hibiscus Plateau to retrieve their fishing nets. On their return, somewhere between the Hibiscus Plateau and the Gulf of Paria the men were approached by a group of Venezuelans in a pirogue. The bandits held them up, robbed them of their tool kits and whatever else they had on board, and then opened fire on them. Jean-Baptiste said some men dove into the water
to escape injury but one man was fatally shot. The men were brought to Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas at approximately 6pm. Jean-Baptiste said another man was “seriously shot,” sustaining arm wounds. He was stabilised by the Coast Guard doctor and the medics rushed him to St James infirmary. Investigations are continuing.
Venezuelan pirates kill Trinidadian fisherman
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Wednesday September 30, 2015
Powers struggle to agree on Syria; Russia urged to strike Islamic State
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (2nd L), Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R, front), U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attend a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. REUTERS/MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/RIA NOVOSTI/KREMLIN Reuters France challenged Russia to back its words with deeds over fighting Islamic State militants in Syria as major powers yesterday struggled to resolve differences between Moscow and the West over ending the civil war in the Middle Eastern country. After Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has sent warplanes and tanks to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, called for a new anti-Islamic State coalition, diplomats pursued new ways to build a solid front against the militants. Ideas suggested on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York included using the model of a small group of world powers that succeeded in negotiating the July 14 Iran
nuclear deal, and breathing new life into a virtually moribund broader U.N. peace mechanism. “What’s important in the fight against Islamic State is not the media strike, it’s the real strike,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in response Putin’s statements Monday at the gathering of world leaders. Fabius said the Russians “talk a lot, but as far as I can tell they haven’t committed any planes against Islamic State.” He added: “If it (Russia) is against the terrorists, it’s not abnormal to launch strikes against them.” A U.S.-led coalition has been bombing Islamic State targets in Syria for about a year with a separate coalition with some of the same
countries striking the militants in neighbouring Iraq. The militants control large areas in both countries, exploiting chaos created in Syria by a civil war that began more than four years ago when Assad cracked down on protests against his government. Western officials have questioned whether Russian objectives in Syria are more to strengthen Assad and build up Moscow’s presence as a power in the region than fighting the militants. Putin told the General Assembly that Assad should be part of the coalition fighting Islamic State. Washington and its allies have indicated Assad might stay in power in the short term but a transition was essential and he had no long term role.
Corbyn takes aim at ‘fawning’ government Reuters - The new leftwing leader of the Labour party accused the government yesterday of favouring the rich and squandering the country’s weight in global affairs by offering “fawning support” to foreign governments which crush democratic rights. Just four months since Labour suffered a heavy defeat at Britain’s last national election, Jeremy Corbyn used his first conference speech as party leader to call on the party to unite. In a speech that some said was short on policy ideas, the 66-year-old lawmaker played to his supporters by saying he wanted to usher in a new, kinder politics and to boost investment in the economy so more people could thrive. Corbyn, elected earlier this month on a pledge to shake up the political system, said as leader he had a
mandate for change, “first and foremost it’s a vote for change in the way we do politics...Politics that’s kinder, more inclusive.” He pledged to listen to the thousands of new members who have joined Labour since he ran for leader, many of them younger voters disillusioned with establishment politics, and said he would challenge the government’s austerity policies. “Labour will be challenging austerity, it will be unapologetic about reforming our economy to challenge inequality and to protect workers better,” he told delegates who halted his hour-long speech at least twice with standing ovations. “You don’t have to take what you’re given,” he told the party’s annual conference in the southern English city of Brighton. But his analysis of the
economy - that growth was based on a house price-fuelled asset bubble - was criticised by the head of an employers’ group. “We share Labour’s aim of ensuring the benefits of growth are spread more evenly across the UK, but we don’t recognise Mr Corbyn’s characterisation of the economy,” said John Cridland, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry. “While there’s still more to do on exports, the recovery is more balanced than Mr Corbyn argues.” Several business leaders have taken aim at Labour under Corbyn, saying the appointment of John McDonnell, a man who has listed the overthrow of capitalism among his interests, as his would-be Chancellor underlined a move too far to the left.
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Wayne Forde - the glue that binds the... Anatomy of a back-stabbing: Live Wire... From page 41 other challenges but upon my return I employed my brand of management strategies in a bid to bolster the fortunes of the club,” explained Mr. Forde in answer to a question. He said that the challenges were many and needed a hands on and practical approach to change the fortunes of the club. “One of the most worrying things I discovered was that despite possessing a host of talented players, the club was unable to make the transition and win any significant championship,” he lamented. Immediately upon acceding to office, Mr. Forde placed greater emphasis on youth development while streamlining the roles and responsibilities of his executives. He said that he also bolstered the infrastructure since he realized that no club could function effectively devoid of this component. Most importantly, the FCFC boss sought to develop an open and accountable relationship with his management team including fellow executives, coaching staff and other stakeholders. The relationship enjoyed with the Guyana Beverage Company (GBC) is no secret; as a matter of fact, it is through this union that the club has assumed its name. “Mr. (Robert) Selman’s
input is astounding and admittedly, the pillar of our development,” said Mr. Forde as he singled out the CEO of the GBC. “As a matter of fact, the club’s sobriquet ‘Fruta’ was attained from the orange juice produce of the GBC,” he explained. The club also benefits from the benevolence of the National Milling Company (NAMILCO), which exclusively sponsors a yearly tournament that has grown in stature since its inauguration. Forde’s administrative input complimented by corporate support bore some fruit and by the end of the first 18 months in office he had led the club to its first major accomplishment, the Stag Beer League Championship, after a prolonged absence from the podium. That victory bolstered the staff that seemed to have experienced a reinvigoration. Of all of their projects, Forde is especially proud of the youth concentration and he feels that it is here that the foundation of his entity lies. “My executive focuses heavily on youth development because we believe that herein lies the future of the sport,” explained Mr. Forde. He boasted that FCFC is a true model of what a hard core football organization should be. “Mind you, even though I sit in the Presidential seat, I do not hold myself aloof of my predecessors,” he said. He
feels that each individual come to the table with different management techniques and skills and with a common goal of creating the environment for youth development through football. “Marlon (Cole) and Ivor (Thompson) have served as Presidents before and both individuals have made viable contributions to the establishment of the club,” said Mr. Forde. These are just a few from a myriad of individuals that have etched their names and administrative styles to the advancement of the club and Mr. Forde said that the FCFC will always be indebted to them. But where does Mr. Forde envisage the club to be a few years down the line? “We are mulling huge infrastructural works including an upgrade of lighting facilities to meet FIFA expectations,” he disclosed. Improved seating capacity and refurbishment of the clubhouse to enhance a social environment is also on the cards. Indeed, the job is huge but the shrewd administrative approach by the President of the FCFC, as he toils with his executives, sponsors and other stakeholders may be the catalyst towards reinstatement of the club as a viable force on the local and by extension, the international scene. He is the glue that binds the seams.
Wednesday September 30, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) Although it does look promising, be careful not to overextend yourself or you will lose in the long run.
LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Don't sign up for too many extra activities or you'll have trouble fulfilling your obligations.
TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) You can handle situations that require contact with institutions or large corporations.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
GEMINI (May 22-June 21) You're in the mood to spend money. Try not to be overly generous. Peers may not be on your side. CANCER (June 22-July 22) Think twice before eating spicy foods; you may have problems with your stomach. New projects may lead you into a dead end. LEO (July 23-Aug 22) It will be important that you have your priorities straight. Your partner's a little jumpy. Travel will be in your best interest regardless of whether it is business or pleasure. VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Traffic will be busier than you anticipated, so try to get a head start if you have made plans to travel.
Romance will develop through work related activities. Losses could occur if you haven't been careful when dealing with joint financial ventures. SAGIT (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) You may experience setbacks due to additional responsibilities with loved ones. CAPRI. (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Business or pleasure trips will be knowledgeable as well as highly successful. AQUAR. (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Help those incapable of taking care of their personal affairs. You will be subject to pushy individuals if you get involved in uncertain organizations. PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) You have the ability to motivate others. Groups and organizations that indulge in social events to raise money will be conducive to meeting new and exciting lovers.
From page 40 West Indies cricket go bust than sit across the table from the players whose exploits on the field pay their salaries. And now Simmons wants to bring those boys back just because he thinks it would help West Indies win matches? Seriously?! Pybus is probably picking a spot between T20 captain Darren Sammy’s shoulder blades as we speak. It would complete the cull, as he has already seen off the Test and ODI captains, Denesh Ramdin and Bravo respectively. Let us not play dumb— and I’m looking at you here selector Courtney Walsh. The trio at the WICB’s helm all accepted their respective posts between 2012 and 2013. At the time, West Indies was the defending T20 World Cup champion and ranked seventh in the world in Tests and One Day Internationals and second in T20. And how have Cameron, Muirhead and Pybus done? Well, the West Indies team is now eighth in the Test rankings, ninth in ODIs and fifth in T20. And the region has not lifted a trophy or won a single Test against a higherranked nation during that period. Not until Simmons got here anyway. When West Indies beat England by five wickets at Bridgetown in May, it was the first time the regional team had beaten anyone higher up the Test rankings since a win over Pakistan at Georgetown in April 2011. Perhaps Mr Live Wire should put that another way. The last time the West Indies punched above its weight in a Test match: Andy Carroll was at Liverpool, Osama Bin Laden was alive and Jack Warner was still a FIFA vice-president. And yet Pybus, who claimed in a 2014 report that his mission was to make West Indies the number one cricket team in the world, did not think that their most successful coach in five years, Simmons, and team captain Jason Holder might be better placed to decide which players offer the best chance for success in Sri Lanka. Instead, Simmons was suspended via email and sent to bed like Oliver Twist. “The chairman didn’t even have the balls to see me personally, he got one of his henchmen to do it for him… It was a political decision… But what goes around, comes around and he was sacked as chairman shortly afterward!” That was not Simmons. It was an interview Pybus gave to Border cricket after he was sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“What goes around, comes around…” One can only hope. There is irony everywhere. Eldine Baptiste will replace Simmons as coach for the Sri Lanka series. Baptiste was sacked by Kenya after falling out with his senior players and losing all six matches at the 2011 World Cup, including a five wicket defeat to Canada. He applied for the West Indies coaching job, earlier this year, but could not compete with Simmons’ CV. So, the WICB made Baptiste a selector instead and, after ensuring his employers got their way by helping outvote Simmons and chairman of the selectors, Clive Lloyd, he gets to be coach after all—albeit as a caretaker for now. What company in the world would give one person the job of reshaping its fortunes and then give a lesser candidate the chance to underminehimbywithholdinghismost valuable tools? That was just to see if you were still awake. Of course the WICB would do just that. It makes perfect sense if you don’t think about it. And they probably don’t. Hands up if you think the West Indies players are dying to hear what pearls of wisdom
Baptiste has to offer… Baptiste still needed two other selectors to vote against Lloyd and Simmons and to disregard team captain Jason Holder’s plea to allow Pollard and Bravo to contribute once more to the game they love. And one of those selectors was Walsh. No, it was not enough that Cameron, Muirhead and Pybus are crushing the souls of our young cricket stars. They are also smashing the backbones of our old cricket icons. The entire West Indies team should get to London by Thursday from where they will head for Sri Lanka. Or maybe some players will break free from camp, sneak on to a train, avoid Hungary and get to German soil. Granted, it is impossible to top Syria president Bashar alAssad’s inhumanity to his own people. But who in Germany’s Immigration Department could not melt when he hears what Cameron did to Walsh. And Simmons? His attempts to sell Cameron’s cartel on winning matches by picking players they don’t like, were like peddling vegan pies at KFC. Not surprisingly, they did not bite.
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Kaieteur News
Rugby World Cup 2015: Tonga 35-21 Namibia BBC Sport - Tonga scored five tries to beat Namibia in a thrilling match at Sandy Park. Telusa Veainu and Jack Ram crossed for Tonga, but Namibia’s Johan Tromp pulled a try back, before Latiume Fosita’s try helped Tonga into a 22-7 lead. Ram got his second score soon after the break to secure Tonga’s bonus point, although Namibia captain Jacques Burger was then forced over to keep it close. But Veainu’s second try secured Tonga’s first win of this World Cup, despite a late consolation score from Burger. Following a shock 17-10 loss to Georgia in their opening game, the win lifts Tonga to second place in Pool C, although their meeting with Argentina on Sunday is a must-win if they are to have any hope of progressing to the quarter-finals. A first ever World Cup win still eludes Namibia, but they scored three tries in a match at the tournament for the first time.
Tonga too strong in first half In front of a capacity crowd at Exeter’s Sandy Park, both sides opted for a forward-orientated game, which produced a thrilling clash. Namibia’s Danie van Wyk got the crowd going with a dangerous run before Tonga hit back a minute later with the first try. Veainu broke from midfield and surged through the Namibian defence before going over despite some desperate last-ditch defending. Flanker Ram showed a great turn of pace six minutes later as he skipped through the Namibian line to score after breaking down the blindside. But the African underdogs ensured they would not go down without a fight as Tromp got his first try of the World Cup following an excellent run through Tonga’s defence by secondrow Tjiuee Uanivi. A try from Fosita and a penalty from Lilo increased the lead before Veainu had a try chalked off by the TMO after he dived over in the corner, having just put a foot into touch. Burger inspires
Namibian fightback Tonga might have had the game wrapped up at half-time, but inspirational Namibia skipper Burger ensured they would not go down without a fight. After Ram had extended Tonga’s lead soon after the break with his second try, the Saracens flanker was forced over the line by his Namibian pack to score the first of two tries. Namibia changed their attacking impetus, trying to play the game more through the forwards, and to an extent it worked, but Tonga looked dangerous whenever they had ball in hand. Veainu illustrated that danger as he got Tonga’s final try with 26 minutes left, going over in the left corner. But the inspirational Burger went over for his second try after another strong maul from the Africans. Kurt Morath added a late penalty for Tonga, becoming his country’s alltime record points scorer in the process. As Tonga face a decisive clash with Argentina, Namibia will look to next Wednesday’s clash with Georgia as their best chance to break their 17game winless run at World Cups, stretching back to 1999.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Former FIFA powerbroker Warner banned for life ZURICH (Reuters) Trinidadian Jack Warner, once one of the most powerful men in world soccer, has been banned from all footballrelated activities for life, the ethics committee of the global governing body FIFA said on Tuesday. Warner, 72, was one of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives indicted in the United States on May 27 on bribery, money laundering and wire fraud charges involving more than $150 million in payments. In the latest twist in the corruption scandal, Swiss authorities said last week they were investigating FIFA President Sepp Blatter on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. The FIFA ethics committee said Warner was investigated following an inquiry into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The tournaments were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively in December 2010 by the FIFA executive committee, of which Warner was a member. Warner was found to have committed “many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly during his time as an official
Jack responds to sentence in different high-ranking and influential positions at FIFA and CONCACAF,” the committee said. “In his positions as a football official, he was a key player in schemes involving the offer, acceptance and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, as well as other money-making schemes,” it said. Warner was found guilty of violating ethics code articles on general rules of conduct, loyalty, duty of disclosure, conflicts of interest, the offering and acceptance of gifts and of failing to collaborate with the ethics committee. Warner is the former president of CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, a post he held from 1990 to 2011. He sat on FIFA’s allpowerful executive committee for 28 years. He is currently in his native Trinidad and Tobago, where he is fighting extradition to the United States. In 2006, FIFA’s executive committee expressed disapproval at Warner ’s
conduct after following the alleged resale of World Cup tickets and said he should be more “prudent” in the future. Warner resigned from his posts when he was placed under investigation by the ethics committee in 2011 over a cash-for-votes scandal in the run-up to that year’s FIFA presidential election. The same scandal also led to a life ban for Qatari Mohamed Bin Hammam, who had planned to stand against Blatter. The case against Warner was subsequently dropped by the ethics committee as he was no longer involved in football. Meanwhile, according to the Trinidad Express, corruption-accused Jack Warner yesterday in a response, issued a statement, saying: I left the FIFA in April 2011 and if in September 2015 (some 4 years and 5 months after) the FIFA wants to ban me for life without even a hearing then so be it. I do not believe however that this will serve as the distraction to the FIFA’s present problems as the FIFA wishes it to be. Given what is happening in Zurich with Sepp Blatter I guess that there is no such thing as a coincidence.
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
UPPER CORENTYNE 4R T20
Latchman and Ramdat star in latest results
The cricket fever is high in the Upper Corentyne as the 4R T20 competition continued last Sunday with 16 matches at 8 venues. Some results are as follows: At No. 73: No. 72 All Star batted first and scored 107 for 9 in their 20 overs with Devendranauth Jairam 29 being the top scorer. Bowling for No. 73 Young Warriors Chanderkumar Ramjass took 3 for 23 off 4 overs and Lakeram Latchman 2 for 21 off 4 overs. In reply No. 73 Young Warriors reached 110 for 4 in 17.2 overs with Lakeram Latchman 62* and extras 21 being the principal scorers. Bowling for No. 72 All Star K. Joseph took 3 for 13 off 3 overs. In the second game at No. 73 ground; No. 73 Young Warriors were bowled out for 75 in 19.2 overs batting first against Corriverton. Lakeram Latchman 19 was the top scorer. Bowling for Corriverton Deoprakash Ramdat bagged 5 for 15 off 4 overs and Eric Phillips 2 for 6 off 3.2 overs. In reply Corriverton reached 76 off 9.3 overs with Clavern Beresford 41 and Amzan Appalsammy 24* being the main scorers. Bowling for No. 73 Young Warriors Lakeram Latchman took 2 for 11 off 3 overs. Over at No. 72 ground: No. 69 Vikings defeated No. 72 Cut and Load by 8 wickets. No. 72 Cut and Load batted first and scored 101 all out in 17.3 overs, H. Persaud top scored with 27 and R. Persaud 18. Bowling for No. 69 Vikings Latchman Roopchan took 3 for 10 off 4 overs, Wadikar Ramrattan took 2 for 8 off 2 overs and Totaram Persaud 2 for 14 off 3.3 overs. In reply No. 69 Vikings raced to 106 for 2 off 10 overs with former Guyana under 19 batsman Viendra Gooniah top scored with 46, Latchman Roopchand
Lakeram Latchman
Deoprakash Ramdat
29 and V. Lallbeharry 20 lead the chase for the Vikings. Davanand Chatterpaul was the pick of the No. 72 Cut and Load bowlers taking 1 for 16 off 2 overs. Over at Scottsburg: Scottsburg United defeated No. 72 All Star by 6 wickets. Batting first No. 72 All Star were bowled out for 83 off 15 overs. A. Hemchand top scored with 41 runs. Bowling for Scottsburg United Aaron Jeffrey took 3 for 21 off 3 overs, Raymon Lowenfield took 2 for 20 off 4 overs and Oden Kyte 2 for 10 off 3 overs. In reply Scottsburg raced to 84 for 4 off 16 overs. Aaron Jeffrey returned with the bat and top score with 33 not out and was supported by Shaun Jackman 16 not out. Bowling for No. 72 All Star D. Deochan took 2 for 18 off 4 overs. Some other results are as follows: No. 52 Survival defeated No. 58 Riot Squad by 114 runs. No. 69 Vikings defeated No. 70 ‘A’ by 8 wickets. Springlands defeated No. 72 Cut and Load by 6 wickets. Corriverton defeated Scottsburg by 7 wickets. Yakusari Caribs defeated No. 59 by 14 runs.
Yakusari Caribs defeated No. 58 Riot Squad by 23 runs. No. 52 Survival defeated No. 59 by 49 runs. This competition is sponsored by Mr. Ricky Deonarain of 4R Bearing of Georgetown and is being organized by the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA). The competition started with 20 teams from Yakusari to Crabwood Creek playing in four zones with the top two teams in each zone advancing to the knock out rounds. The preliminary stage is being played on a home and away basis with the winner taking home $100,000 and trophy. The final will be played under lights at the Crabwood Creek Sports Complex.
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Sunil Narine back as WI revamp ODI squad ESPNcricinfo - Offspinner Sunil Narine has been included in the West Indies squads for the ODIs and T20Is in Sri Lanka in October, after having opted out of their 2015 World Cup campaign because of issues with his action. There were eight changes from the squad that travelled to Australia and New Zealand: Chris Gayle was out after having a back surgery, but Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Sulieman Benn, Sheldon Cottrell, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, and Dwayne Smith were also left out. The new players included in the ODI squad were: Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Fletcher, Jason Mohammed, and Ravi Rampaul. Narine and Darren Bravo, who were withdrawn from the World Cup squad, made comebacks. Bravo had injured his hamstring during the tournament. Allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard continued to be kept out of the ODI set-up, a decision that was revealed beforehand by Phil Simmons, who was later suspended as West Indies coach for saying there had been outside interference in the selection of the squad. Both players, however, were included in the T20I squad. The selectors dropped a lot of the players who fared poorly in the World Cup,
where West Indies struggled during the group stages and were beaten heavily by New Zealand in the quarterfinal. Allrounder Smith made only 93 runs in six matches during the World Cup and was hardly used as a bowler, while batsman Lendl Simmons scored 173 in five innings, of which 102 came in the defeat against Ireland. Allrounder Sammy also had an ordinary tournament - 177 runs in five innings and only one wicket in 28 overs. Fast bowler Roach and left-arm spinner Benn played three matches each in the World Cup. Roach took only one wicket and went for 6.81 runs an over, while Benn claimed two and conceded 6.34 an over. Miller, another left-arm spinner, played only the one game in the tournament, while fast bowler Cottrell had sat on the bench throughout the campaign. Rampaul, a fast bowler, made a comeback after not even being included in the list of 30 probables for the World Cup; his last game for West Indies was during the aborted tour of India in October 2014. Legspinner Bishoo has not played an ODI or T20I for West Indies since October 2011, while wicketkeeperbatsman Fletcher has not played an ODI since May 2010. Allrounder Mohammed, who bowls part-time offspin, has played only one ODI, in December 2011. Blackwood has not yet
made his ODI debut, while Brathwaite had been left out of the World Cup squad after playing the preceding series in South Africa in January. Narine has not played international cricket since he was reported for a suspect action during the 2014 Champions League T20 and barred from bowling for Kolkata Knight Riders in the final of that tournament. He underwent remedial work and was included in West Indies’ World Cup squad, but pulled out of the competition to give himself more time to work on his action. Narine once again ran into trouble with his action during the 2015 IPL after the World Cup, and was given a final warning, though sanctions during the CLT20 and the IPL are not applicable to international cricket. ODI squad: Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor T20I squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor
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Kaieteur News
BCB/Tenelec inc 2015 First Division fifty over cricket competition
Shimron Hetmyer slams magnificent century to lead Young Warriors National senior and West Indies under-19 opener Shimron Hetmyer scored a magnificent century to lead his team, Young Warriors to a convincing 6 wicket victory with 17.4 overs to spare in their crucial final preliminary round match versus Tucber Park in the Bobby Deonarine and Tom Gruntzel sponsored Tenelec Inc round robin fifty overs first division cricket competition. In a must win match for the victors, played at the picturesque Cumberland Cricket Ground, Tucber Park won the toss and took first strike. Their openers, former national youth batsmen Anthony D’Andrade and Joemal LaFleur, took off like bullet from a gun racing to 63 in 8 overs when they lost LaFleur for 40 with 4x4 and 1x6. Berbice senior all rounder Devon Clements joined D’Andrade and continued in the same vain adding a further 55 before the former went lbw to Seon Hetmyer for 30. After that, the run rate slowed as Young Warriors spinners took control.
Hakeem Hinds went run out for 3, followed by Eugene LaFleur (13) caught off former West Indies under-19 and senior national player Gajanand Singh who is back in the country. Wickets continued to fall as the runrate slowed further with Tucber Park losing top scorer D’Andrade for 65, Keon DeJesus 11, Niall Smith for 0 and Romario Shepherd 20, ending on 194 all out in 47.5 of their allotted 50 overs. Former national youth all rounder Linden Austin took 3 for 43, current national under-19 all rounder Kassim Khan, who was surprisingly left out of the West Indies Youth team, 2 for 23 and Seon Hetmyer 2 for 46 with one wicket a piece for Singh and Kevin Ramdeen. Young Warriors began their chase carefully with Shimron Hetmyer and former Berbice inter county centurion Maxie DeJonge. They run rate picked up gradually with the host reaching their hundred in the 22 overs without losing a wicket.
Young Warriors lost their first wicket at 122 with DeJonge going for 31. In the meantime, the young Hetmyer, who is preparing for the upcoming regional four day regional tournament, started to dominate the bowling. Former Berbice youth batsman Waheid Edwards joined the prolific Hetmyer and took the score 170 when Edwards went for 16. Y oung Warriors then suffered a sl i g h t h i c c u p when they lost Gajanand Singh for 0 and Hetmyer for 118 w i t h 9 fours and 6 sixes, in quick succession. However, former national youth batsm e n K e v i n Ramdeen and Seon Hetmyer saw them home scoring 12 and 6 NO r e s p e c t i v e l y. Former national youth p a c e r Niall Smith took 3 for 55. Young Warriors will play their playoff game at the Cumberland ground next Sunday. Tucber Park ended as the runner up of the group and has also qualified for the next round.
From page 39 become our landmarks in history. Worrell insisted that his team played as a unit and not for individual glory, something the West Indies had been guilty of since their first test match. Discipline, commitment and professionalism were key elements of Walcott’s’ leadership. He was above all respected by the players and won nine of his 15 test as captain to earn a sixty percent victory rate, the best among all West Indies skippers. Worrell died in 1967 after suffering from Leukemia. He
paved the way for leaders like Lloyd to build on as the West Indies became the most professional, exciting, complete and invincible side for almost two decades. Worrell scored nine centuries from 51 tests and captured 69 wickets. He was also the first West Indies captain to win every match in a five-test series when India lost 5-nill in 1962. “My aim was always to see West Indies molded from a rabble of brilliant island individualists into a real teamand I’ve done it” These were Worrell’s words after his final tour of England in 1963. He had
changed the image of West Indies cricket forever. Sobers, the best allrounder the world has ever seen, was given the captaincy for the 1965 Australia series but just managed nine wins in 39 matches as skipper before making way for Rohan Kanhai to become the first Windies skipper of East Indian decent in 1973. The 1960 5-test home series against England was won 1-nil by the visitors although Sobers scored three hundreds in the series including 226 in the first in Barbados when Worrell made an unbeaten 197.
West Indies cricket comes...
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Yvonne Murray carts off the spoils in Scrabble invitational matchup It has been quite a while that organizers of the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) have staged a tournament due to internal issues still being addressed. In the meantime, several members have been keeping the sport alive by organizing small competitions among themselves. Carlton and Yvonne Murray were among those that are dedicated to the sport and are battling assiduously to keep it alive. The former player has had a tournament dedicated in this honour under the GASP umbrella while the latter is currently engaged in discussions with teachers of several secondary schools to have the game comprise a part of the school sports curriculum. Already, she has held discussions at the Caramel School, Charlestown, where several teachers were briefed of strategies and later will be trained towards the effective promotion of the sport, culminating in an InterSchools Scrabble Tournament. The Murrays are also expecting several games, dictionaries and other paraphernalia from England which they plan to distribute to the schools to allow the children to hone their skills in the finer arts of the game. Amidst it all, the Murrays are also retaining some activity and have been organizing a tournament, staged at their Nandy Park residence, on alternative Sundays for a trophy that will eventually be owned by the player winning three successive tournaments. To date, several of the players have won the trophy but so far none have earned the right to keep it. Last Sunday, Ulric Harris was the defending champion and was highly tipped to cart off the spoils after winning the last two tournaments. His hopes
Yvonne Murray were, however, shattered after defeating all of his other opponents, when he suffered a shock defeat to Yvonne Murray (182), who eventually defeated four other players to win the trophy for the first time since the inauguration of the tournament. Ms Murray was at her raging best from the onset when she dismissed Maurice Munru by a large spread of 125. Harris’ defeat followed before Ruby Cummings showed some resistance to lose by a close spread of 15 in the pre-lunch game. Carlton Murray was next and he suffered a 152 spread loss before the female Murray disposed of Michael
Benjamin by a humiliating spread of 215 to lay hands on the trophy for the first time. After she had received the trophy, a beaming Murray said that she has been practicing diligently with several online games. She attributed her victory to these sessions and opined that with practice the other players will also be able to improve on their game strategies. She said that she is moving rapidly ahead with the inter-school initiative and is now putting the modalities in place for the transition. She is very optimistic that all systems will be in place in the very near future. (Michael Benjamin)
Brazilian soccer ref pulls gun on players during red card dispute SB Nation - A Brazilian soccer referee is facing disciplinary action for pulling a gun on the field during a red card dispute. Gabriel Murta was officiating an amateur game between Brumadinho and Amantes da Bola when tempers flared on the field following a red card. The referee was reportedly kicked and punched by a player from Amantes da Bola, which led to him brandishing the weapon. Murta is a police officer by profession according to The Guardian, which explains why he owns a handgun, but not why he had it on the field. A representative from the referee’s association in Brazil stated that Muta felt threatened, but an inquiry is underway. Amateur soccer in Brazil is no stranger to violence. In 2013 a referee was killed and beheaded by fans as retaliation after an altercation with a player led to the referee stabbing the player to death. (The Guardian)
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 39
What cricket means to West Indians (Part 4)
West Indies cricket comes of age, England beaten in their own backyard By Sean Devers On the historic 1950 English tour which the Windies won 3-1, Jeffery Stollmeyer and John Goddard insisted that Ramadhin and Valentine, with virtually no first-class experience, be selected. The spin twins mesmerized the English batsmen while Alan Rae and Stollmeyer, rated only behind Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes (who shared 16 century partnerships between them) as outstanding West Indian opening pairs, give their team solid starts for the three W’s (Weeks, Worrell and Walcott) to build on as the West Indies enjoyed their finest hour, winning their first match in England…at Lords. Rae, who later became a president of the WICBC, and who had scored two tons in the previous series in India, scored 109, while Sir Frank Worrell hit 138 as West Indies made 503. Valentine and Goddard had four wickets each as England, despite an undefeated double century from Hutton, fell for 344. Ramadhin (3-38) and Valentine (6-39) opened the bowling to rout the home team for 103 in their second innings as West Indies won by an innings and 56 runs. West Indies played New Zealand for the first time in the 1952 two test series in New Zealand and won 1-nill under Goddard after they had lost 4-1 to Australia in 1951/52. 25 YEARS OF WEST INDIES CRICKET West Indies, under Stollmeyer, celebrated their first 25 years in test cricket with a 1-0 win over India in the five-test series at home before drawing 2-all in the 5test series against England in 1954 in the Caribbean. The 1953 series was the first time India had played in the Caribbean and Polly Umrigar (130) scored the first century by an Indian in the West Indies in the first test in Trinidad. Weeks (207) and Bruce Pairaudeau (115) posted centuries in the West Indies reply as the game ended in a draw. West Indies won the second test in Barbados with Ramadhin and Valentine picking up six wickets each in the game. Bajan Dennis Atkinson took over the captaincy and lost the 1955 home series to Australia 3-nil although Sir
Clyde Walcott scored five centuries in the series, including tons in both innings of the second and fifth tests. West Indies beat New Zealand 3-1 in their 4-test series in New Zealand in 1956 with Weeks blasting three centuries in the series. England, with the home advantage, beat West Indies 3-1 in the 5-test series in 1957 when Kanhai made his debut as a Wicketkeeper. In 1958 Pakistan (who had separated from India to form their own Islamic nation) played the West Indies for the first time and Garry Alexander led the West Indies to a 3-1 victory in the five-test series. The third test in Jamaica saw three records being set. Garfield Sobers, later knighted ‘Sir’ scored a record 365 (his 1st test century) and got support from Conrad Hunt (260) as the West Indies declared at 790-3. The Bajan pair added 447 for the second wicket after Rohan Kanhai was dismissed for 25 at 87-1. While Sobers’ record was broken 36 years later by Brian Lara, the 790-3 still remains West Indies’ highest total and the second wicket partnership is still a West Indies record. In 1958/59 West Indies won the 5-test series in India 3-nil with Kanhai hitting 256 in the third test at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta before being run out for 99 in the next
match. His third-test score is still the highest by a West Indian in India. Three West Indians scored centuries in the same innings of the third and fifth tests with Joe Solomon registering his only test hundred in the final test with 100 not out. Later in 1959, West Indies toured Pakistan and lost the 3-test series 2-1 with Kanhai making 217 in the last test which the West Indies won by an innings and 156 runs. CALYPSO CRICKET CHANGES UNDER WORRELL The 1960/61 series to Australia marked a new era in West Indies cricket as the players became true professionals. Style, flair, aggression and showmanship have always been, and most likely will always be a part of West Indies cricket. However, Sir Frank Worrell, arguably the best of all West Indian skippers, made his players understand that they were role models and that success was important. Until 1960, the West Indies captain was always a ‘white’ as social and racial discrimination was still alive in the West Indies although Slavery had been abolished for over a century. Status and skin color played an important role in the sociological and economical aspects of life in
Sir Frank Worrell meets the Queen the British West Indies and although outstanding nonwhite players were accepted because of their talent. Outside of cricket they were still considered inferior citizens. While Headley led the West Indies in a solitary test in 1948, Walcott became the first black captain for a full series and soon became the players’ skipper during his three-year reign as leader. Lloyd, who later became the most successful leader of
any test side, had this to say about Worrell. “Worrell cultivated a new attitude to the problems of West Indian cricket. There was insularity, the call for arithmetical representation from each territory, there was prejudice and there was a lack of confidence that the general and particular methods of selection guaranteed that the best talent emerged. “The social distinction between amateurs and professionals still held sway.
But the onerous problem was how to provide dept and continuity to a system based on week-end cricket. I suppose these problems have not all been satisfactorily solved, but Frank Worrell took us a long way on the road of solution” Lloyd explained. Cricket is not just a game to West Indians. It represents our hopes and aspirations, our joys and sorrows, our yesterdays and tomorrows. Deeds on the cricket field Continued on page 38
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Good ‘try’ for Guyana’s rugby
The new GRFU executive. By Edison Jefford Guyana’s rugby scored an inspiring ‘try’ last weekend when it empowered a youthful Executive at its Annual General Meeting and Elections, in a bold move aimed at addressing the many areas of a sport that has been on an unnecessary and inexplicable decline. While Peter Green remained President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), the move to secure the services of the next generation of leaders should be applauded, though it is my belief that Green (or anyone) should not lead two associations. Green is also President of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF). In Guyana, where administering one sport demands due diligence to succeed, individuals ought not to be so conceited to believe that they can accomplish maximum results from manning two national
associations. A case can be made against Rugby under the leadership of Green. Rugby enjoyed unprecedented success for about seven years when they dominated the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Sevens competition. Those results have changed over the last few years. Despite consistent exposure during that time, Green’s tenure was marred with nonparticipation in major tournaments and a slump in returning winning results. In addition, the Women’s version of the game all but disappeared. These issues, coupled with the absence of a grassroots and schools’ programme except the recent Scotia Bank-funded programme, do not reflect positively on the leadership of Green. Rugby does not enjoy the success of Green’s other discipline, Powerlifting, which will always questions the priority of the leader. However, Green must be
commended for his bold move to change the face of the association and include youth, among them, two females, one of whom is a former national senior player, Sabola Gray. That move demonstrated that Green acknowledged some of the failures of the association,
and stepped in hopefully the right direction to address the turn of fortune for the sport. Incumbent President of the University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS), Joshua Griffith, who is a former schools’ champion, was elected to serve as a Vice-President along with
Elwin Chase. Petal Grant is the other female on the Executive as Secretary, replacing Terrence Grant, who had held that position for quite some time. Esan Griffith (Public Relations Officer), Ryan Dey Shane Grant-Stewart, Daniel Anderson and Delroy Gordon are all young people, now
administrating the sport. While, given the pitiable state of the female version of the sport, more women could have gotten involved at the administrative level, this youthful Executive should be an example of a necessary revolution that is required to transform local sport.
2015 Scotia bank Kiddy Cricket Competition Commences today The 2015 Scotia bank Kiddy Cricket Competition will commence today with teams in the Berbice river area competing for top honours. In the morning session, Huru Huru and Aroiama primaries will play each other, while the afternoon session will feature Calcuni primary and St. Lust primary. On Thursday, Kimbia primary will come up against Ebini primary, and Sand Hill primary will compete with De
vedt primary. The winning teams will progress to the qualifying stages in order to determine a winner for the Scotia bank Kiddy Cricket Berbice River District trophy on October 2, 2015. Over 214 primary schools across the country will have an opportunity to participate in the 2015 Scotia bank Kiddy Cricket Competition, with Zones such as North Georgetown, East Bank
Essequibo and West Berbice set to commence their matches from the October 6, 2015. The Scotia bank Kiddy Cricket programme emphasizes a fun learning approach to cricket, while simultaneously emphasizing group involvement and other team work ethics. However, this year ’s competition incorporates aspects of the game that are more aligned to conventional
rules, in an effort capture and identify talented players and to promote a progressive pathway for emerging players. In addition, at the end of the tournament three (3) talented players will be identified for an opportunity to be the recipient of a Scotia bank award valued at US$500. Of the three (3) identified players, the student-player with the highest academic average for 2015 will receive the award.