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Issue No. 1803

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

No place for rogue cops

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Health P7 Ministry arsonists convicted Bagotville man stabbed to death P8 during row

See story on page 3

Coconut Expo coming

– Ramotar, Rohee warn as officers' training centre is commissioned President Donald Ramotar unveils the plaque at the newly-commissioned Police Officers’ Training Centre in the presence of Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, IDB Representative Sophie Makonnen, acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell, Assistant Commissioner George Vyphuis, and another officer (Carl Croker photo)

Police still to find Puruni human traffickers See story on page 2

Regional land use planning workshop opens See story on page 2

Upcoming yacht rally to catalyse industry See story on page 17

P8

PPP/C congress to script P10 mandate until next elections – Rohee Cause of deadly Plaisance fire still P12 to be determined – fire chief Govt to P13 look into night-time bus fare hike

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Regional land use planning workshop opens A

two-day Caribbean workshop opened here on Monday to introduce the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) new approaches to land use planning. The workshop is being held at the Grand Coastal Inn, East Coats Demerara.

Around 80 participants from the Caribbean, including government, civil society, academia and private

sector representatives are attending the conference to discuss and analyse implementation of the voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security.

Participants are expected to explore the potential for implementing the guidelines at the regional and national levels; identify priority actions and ways to improve governance of tenure of land, fisheries and

FAO representative in Guyana Dr Lystra Fletcher-Paul speaking at the opening of the workshop

forests; and promote links with existing initiatives to create regional and nation-

al networks.

The meeting is being facilitated by the FAO, with fi-

nancial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It is being hosted by the ministries of agriculture and natural resources and the environment.

Speaking at the opening of the event, FAO representative in Guyana Dr Lystra Fletcher-Paul said the main objective of the workshop is to provide training and educate participants with respect to the organisation’s

new guidelines and tools, which it has developed in the area of land use planning.

She noted that the FAO has found “the traditional top down” approach appears no longer appropriate which is due to the weakening of many central planning agencies in the region and capacity issues in planning and enforcement; hence a participatory approach to land use planning is needed.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

Police still to find Puruni human traffickers - four girls remain in protective custody

A

pproximately two months after four girls were rescued from a human trafficking ring in Puruni Backdam, Region Seven, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is yet to apprehend the alleged traffickers.

Crime Chief Seelall

Persaud said while a rank of the force has been charged for trafficking one of the girls, the key perpetrators in the matter are still on the run. According to him, the force is still vigorously pursuing the matter.

Meanwhile, the teenagers who were rescued by the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation (GWMO) are still under the care of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA). The agency’s director, Ann Greene told Guyana Times that the girls are recuperating and the agency is working to have them reintegrated into society.

The incident at Tiger Creek, Puruni, came to light on April 21, after a note was sent to GWMO President Simona Broomes, informing her of the situation.

Broomes, along with several colleagues, ventured into the shop from which the traffickers were operating. They found six females with a man.

Investigations revealed that four of the six were aged 14, 15, 17, and 18.

They were reportedly being held against their will by a businesswoman, who hails from Bartica, and her spouse.

The girls, who are from the West Coast, were prom-

ised jobs; however, upon arrival in the interior, they were reportedly forced into prostitution. Reports suggest that the girls were coerced into consuming large quantities of alcohol. The businesswoman alledgedly made hundreds of thousands of dollars. The young women were also forced to cook, clean, and sell for the businesswoman, and lived in a shack with only a piece of cloth to call their bed, Broomes told this publication.

When confronted by Broomes and her team, the businesswoman and her spouse were informed of the offence, but instead of cooperating, the couple physi-

cally and verbally assaulted the GWMO president.

Broomes was allegedly assaulted before the eyes of a mines officer stationed at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Puruni office who was subsequently suspended. No further information is available on his fate.

The discovery of the four victims sparked action at the level of the National Assembly. In May, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) backed by the Alliance For Change (AFC) passed a motion for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into human trafficking in Guyana.

News

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Tuesday, june 18, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

bridge openings

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Tuesday, June 18, from 12:00h to 01:30h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Tuesday, June 18, from 11:05h to 12:35h.

Weather

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Countrywide: Thundery showers are expected during the day, with clear skies in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly at 4.47 metres per second.

High Tide: 11:54h reaching a maximum height of 2.33 metres.

Low Tide: 05:23h and 17:50h reaching minimum heights of 0.85 metre and 0.86 metre respectively.

saturday, June 17, 2013

LOTTERY NUMBERS 08 14 22 21 18 27 01

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monday, june 17, 2013 Daily Millions

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– Ramotar, Rohee warn as officers’ training centre is commissioned

By Vahnu Manikchand

J

No place for rogue cops

10 17

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

he Police Officers’ Training Centre was on Monday commissioned at an elaborate ceremony during which both President Donald Ramotar and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee gave stern warnings to rogue elements of the force.

The building, at Camp Road and Young Street, the site at one time of the office of Minister Rohee, was constructed at a cost of $158.4 million. According to Citizens’ Security Programme coordinator Anil Ramnauth, the building will add capacity to the Guyana Police Force and will be fully utilised to improve the services provided by the organisation.

In his feature address, President Ramotar expressed the government’s gratitude to the InterAmerican Development Bank for its support in developing the country. He noted that training has an important effect, especially in the security forces, which play an integral role in the country’s development.

Upholding the law

Ramotar added that while police carry out traditional roles, they are being handed more responsibilities. “Today’s demands, modern-day demands, are very huge because of the rapid development in the science and technology… it means that while our police and security forces at large will have to continue the traditional role of enforcing the law and upholding the law and capturing criminals etc, there are more added to them because of the changing world”.

The president noted that crime has become more sophisticated, hence police officers should be more disciplined in dealing with activities such as money

The new Police Officers’ Training Centre

laundering as well as drug and human trafficking. He explained that for the force to have effective policing, it needs to build its relationship with the community so that society can have confidence in the police and see them as friends with whom they can work in order to get justice.

Increased effectiveness

Ramotar also talked about the morality of police officers, noting that society is traumatised every time they hear about an officer being involved in criminal activities. He also called on officers to increase their effectiveness and to be more diligent and efficient in their work, so that there will not be such a large number of cases being thrown out in court, hence allowing criminals to be freed as a result of poor investigative work.

“Over the years, we have recapitalised the force with equipment and vehicles and we are now investing heavily in training… so very soon we will have our own trainings.

We hope, therefore, that we will have a higher level, a more educational police force, a more highly-trained force that will be capable of dealing with any security circumstances that threatened citizens of this country,” the president charged.

In his address at the

ceremony, Minister Rohee said while the Home Affairs Ministry is elated to hand over the training centre to the Guyana Police Force, there are still some concerns lingering. He noted that the centre will facilitate a wide range of training programmes and should be utilised to its maximum. The minister pointed out that there is no room for “rogue” police officers, so there will be a higher standard of training. He stated that the facility will also complement training received overseas, while disclosing that several such training programmes have been initiated and will last throughout the year.

“This training centre has been constructed not, because training courses for

officers are being conducted but the conditions under which they are being conducted that were not conducive to the standard consistent with a modern police force,” stated Rohee, adding that “it is expected that with the quality of training to be provided at the centre, citizens of Guyana will feel the difference in the quality of service provided by the Guyana Police Force”.

In brief remarks, acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell gave the assurance that the building will be fully utilised for its intended purpose. He expressed his appreciation for being bestowed with the responsibility of the training centre and challenged the officers to maintain the building’s standard.

“It is quite deserving that we have a building of this stature, as we are now in a better position not only to host local police training, but we can now be considered ready to accept invitations for overseas ranks to be here for training,” Brumell pointed out.

The building includes a cafeteria, library and reading centre, IT centre, recruitment centre, lecture theatres and classrooms, and an auditorium that can seat 230 persons. (vahnum@guyantimesgy.com)

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

Views The vagaries of luck Editor: Nigel Williams Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134 Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Dignity of labour P

resident Donald Ramotar announced that, as a measure to resolve the “crisis” in the sugar industry, his administration would be willing to consider the formation of “cooperatives” by sugar workers to supply sugar cane to the factories. One of the primary reasons for the collapse of the industry was the declining supply of canes to the factories.

Up to now the management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has been blaming the changing weather patterns for the shortfall in cane production. But while undoubtedly there was increased precipitation in the last decade, the president’s proposal of another form of production organisation suggests that critics – including the major sugar union the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) – who had pointed fingers at management, do have a point. After all, cooperatives would also have to deal with the new weather pattern.

The co-op proposal is interesting for several reasons – one of which attempts to address one of the major problems in securing sufficient cane for the factories: retention of field workers. As the Guyanese economy has improved since 1992, labour drifted away as they had done earlier in the other countries in the Caribbean Community (Caricom), especially Barbados and St Kitts, where Guyanese seasonal labourers had taken up the slack since the 1980s. While the comparatively low rate of pay was certainly a factor in the exodus from the cane fields, the social and psychological realities of the sugar industry also played an underappreciated role.

It is not for nothing that when the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was launched in 1919, it emphasised the necessity of employers providing “dignified working conditions” for the workers. “Dignity” is an inalienable right of humans, but unfortunately it was denied to those who laboured. In the early days, only the “nobles” possessed “dignity” and, of course, labour, was infra dig for them.

The sugar industry in the West Indies was founded on slave labour, which, more than any other institution in the history of mankind, stripped away the dignity of the labourers in the field. It left a lasting legacy in the minds of our people that field labour in general, and field labour in the sugar industry in particular, is to be avoided.

The decree that abolished slavery in the French empire on the basis of its incompatibility with human dignity was an important breakthrough, as this seems to be the first mention of dignity in its modern sense in a major legal text. It was noteworthy that the British declaration had no such aspiration and the “education” system that followed emphasised that “dignity” was only found in the professions and the offices.

Never in the fields.

This attitude has persisted in the Caribbean and in Guyana and explains the unwillingness of the children of the cane-cutters to follow their fathers into the cane fields, once alternatives are available. The co-op is a mechanism that attempts to straddle the “alienation of labour” from their products, which Karl Marx criticised as inherent in the capitalist mode of production – not just its early slave-variant.

The workers would share in the production of the co-op and also in its profits.

Fortunately in Guyana, co-ops as a vehicle for cultivating sugar cane is not a theory. In 1956, as part of the visionary reform efforts of the socialistic-minded Jock Campbell, chairman of Bookers, the Belle Vue Co-op Society was launched with 57 sugar workers. They were each given control of 15 acres of land, house lots, loans for a completed house and garden plot, among other things. This initiative was specifically launched to address the “alienation” issue.

Later, to comply with other initiatives by the industry, they were joined by other private sugar cane producers on the West Bank of Demerara, including the Canal Polders.

By and large, the model was successful and we commend the president for his proposal. We also suggest that the factories be privatised. All workers must have their dignity.

Amid burned trees, a house sits undamaged in the aftermath of the Black Forest Fire in Black Forest, Colorado, June 13 (Reuters/Rick Wilking)

Guyana is a major player in the FAO

Dear Editor, Some 80 participants from the Caribbean will be in Georgetown and stakeholders will discuss responsible governance of the tenure of land, fisheries, and forests in the context of national food security. The idea fomenting now is that of exploring a couple of things: the potential for implementing the voluntary guidelines at the regional and national levels; looking to identify priority actions and ways to improve governance; and promoting the links with existing initiatives to create

regional and national networks.

It is now common knowledge that Guyana greatly gained recognition by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on curtailing hunger and the improvement of nutrition.

In fact, Guyana was conferred with an award in Rome Sunday, all because of this awesome achievement.

Guyana is one of 17 countries out of 189 that are being recognised.

At the layman’s level, we can be very impressed with rice. We are doing extremely well and the recent payment hiccups are now over.

In fact, the little patch of bad weather did not wreak any havoc in this sector.

We know that sugar has many issues to be ironed out, and it is likely that this sector will be up and running at full speed shortly. There are talks about restructuring. What we need to focus on though is simply planting and reaping as much as possible.

I was at Parika a few

days ago, and I had a pleasant fright ─ boats were almost capsizing because of plantain alone. The food reserves and possibilities in Guyana are almost unbelievable.

At the Meadow Bank Fishing Wharf, the quantity of the various catches will be most mind-boggling. We should make sure, however, that we fish in a sustainable manner and I am sure this is one topic that will be discussed.

Yours sincerely, Joseph Clarke

Sophia residents should seek to avert heightened crime rate Dear Editor, I live in Sophia and very often I can feel a criminal aura hovering in the place.

The situation is bad there and it demands a special kind of response.

Recently, about 50 concerned residents from the area sat down and met with divisional officers and various ranks of the Guyana Police Force, executives of the National Community Policing Group, and members of the South Turkeyen Community Policing Group at the Pattensen Community Centre.

Fighting crime must be from a holistic point of view.

The people at large must take some responsibility.

But I don’t believe the community policing group idea is the best method. I have lived in two places and both had these groups, and they never contributed to crimefighting in anyway.

In the last place that I lived, the East Coast of Demerara, the vehicle that was designated for the group was kept by a man, who used it to fetch his personal goods and run personal errands.

The village was run over by drug addicts, who kept stealing from people’s yards.

I have heard calls for auxiliary officers who have beats and jurisdiction. They work part-time and in emergencies and they do a good job too, wherever they are

employed.

If every block or so can have some of these officers, they can work with the policing groups and no place will be without a vigil. I firmly believe in the presence of these uniformed officers. Criminals are usually quite friendly with many members of our local policing groups.

When people suffer losses amounting to millions, and have their properties being vandalised, they get mad. This is what can lead to vengeful displays on any suspect. The presence of paid auxiliary officers will be more felt and they will be able to supervise policing groups, as well as make that

all-important connection between the various police stations and the people.

More than 10 years ago, in Fairfax, Northern Virginia, police departments invested in volunteer officers, many of whom had no prior law enforcement experience. They volunteered and were trained and then they were vested with the requisite powers. They got no pay, but they did the job.

Fairfax is now better off by a far way. Maybe we should really push for this kind of thing here and now.

Yours truly, Resident of Sophia Name withheld by request

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Slow prosecution of child Book drive for orphanages cases unacceptable should be supported Dear Editor, Our actions do not support our boast when it comes to the issue of children and their well-being. It is very damning that out of a total of 145 child abuse cases that were handed over to the police by the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), only five persons have been charged.

In reading about this paucity and the lack of cooperation from victims, it smacks of a lack of seriousness. If it can be established, via witnesses and medical evidence, that abuse did take place in any of the cases submitted, then it matters not what a victim may say.

That victim may be unwilling to testify, or may have forgiven the perpetrator of the abuse. What is important is that the crime be treated for what it is, and the guilty party be condignly dealt with. Unless this kind of seriousness prevails, child abuse will continue.

The explanation is that there was difficulty in finding some of the suspects.

Then this is an indictment on our police. This means that the success rate is lower than four per cent. This does not inspire hope at all and it casts a sombre shadow on the well-being of our children.

It is not the state’s responsibility to intervene and protect its children from any kind of abuse. Yes, there may a lack of cooperation from the victims and witnesses, but medical evidence must be used.

As for threats by the perpetrators, if the victims

should speak out, then it suggests to me that we are lacking in providing adequate shelter for abused children.

We really have to speed up.

I also think that in addition to having a safe place for the abused ones, incarceration of the guilty is necessary.

This should be our blueprint – it will surely send a message of seriousness, which is not evident here in Guyana.

Yours faithfully, Wayne Collymore

Lessons from the students who beautified Danielstown Nursery School

Dear Editor, A thought came to my mind when I read that students from Abram Zuil Secondary and Anna Regina Multilateral on the Essequibo Coast recently joined forces to beautify the Danielstown Nursery School.

I have gone to many schools in Guyana, and they are so bland – just the paint, and many times this is faded.

Colours and brightness play a part in emotional health and intellectual development.

Children can do a lot of things and their spontaneity must not be quelled. They cannot paint a school, but they can showcase their artistic development. They can decorate their surroundings with little academic drawings, paintings, and writings.

These kinds of activities give (or they should) a peek into their minds.

On the day at Danielstown

Nursery School, it was all about painted letters, numbers, and characters on the school’s building. This was to facilitate the President Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG) community service project to qualify them for the Bronze Award in the programme.

I shift now to a place like the University of Guyana (UG) and the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).

Both institutions emphasise the arts, and it will be most fabulous for students to engage in some artistic facelift work. I am for looking at some of the walls of both institutions manifesting some kind of aesthetic and artistic works – maybe leitmotifs of joy, suffering, and independence, among others.

I think that many aspects of our history can also be captured in things like water paintings, various frescoes, and mosaics. To me, we

are wasting too much talent.

Even our sea wall can have a better look. Is it too way-off to have actual course assignments targeting the concrete structure that stretch along some of our highways?

Adults can learn from children. In this case, the students who beautified Danielstown Nursery School have set the stage. It is time now for the adults to move with it.

Yours sincerely, Richard English

Dear Editor, Youths For Guyana is not the talk of the town, but the group is all for the intellectual betterment of young people. I am very impressed with this kind of thinking. These days, gadgets are the norm.

Many young people are much more au fait with their various devices, but are short on their language, reading and calculations. This group is headed in the right.

The organisation is working on a project, collecting some 100 books to distribute to orphanages across the country. The organisation’s aim is to gather, overall, around 1000 books, so that more and more people who have setbacks can be enhanced in their minds.

Now these kinds of exercises are not full of fanfare, but they are vital. It is all about helping those who may not be able to afford to purchase books, while at the same time, it is an encour-

agement for literacy promotion.

My preferred gifts, giving or receiving, are books.

They are investments as such. Since the beginning of the month, some 381 books have been collected and distributed by the group. Come August, the group will commence its second annual youth programme for children between the ages of four and 17, and in September, plans are in motion to host a literacy project, where it will provide free afterschool lessons for children, whose parents cannot afford to send them to lessons.

The target group will be Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) exams students. These are very good gestures, but I have to put in a word of caution.

I have tried helping a few students sitting vari-

ous examinations, and I first checked with the school, so as to be on track. There is something called overloading and too much information. Sometimes zeal and willingness can descend into folly.

The final thing on my mind is an appeal for people not to burn up their books.

In a sense a book can never become obsolete. If knowledge has advanced, then it is good to make comparison and observe progress.

Recently, the BBC Book Club presented a few features: “Pride and Prejudice”

by Jane Austen; and the other, “Great Expectations”

by Charles Dickens. These books of yesteryear are still very popular and are standards in high schools and universities. So please do not burn nor dump anything.

Yours faithfully, Carmen Garcia

Curbing noise nuisance Dear Editor, I am going to cry foul because I too need some help, and I have been asking for intervention for a long time now. My neighbour has his sound system and whenever he feels like playing it, he does.

Just a few days ago, I had to stop a telephone conversation because he was enjoying his loud music. It is also most annoying when I am trying to teach my children and help them with their school work and assignments. Nothing can be done and it is all because one man wants to have fun with noise.

I have called the police

and they sometimes ask me if I know the neighbour’s number. Well, I do not and am I supposed to? I think that the police should have responded. They always promise to send out the patrol, but I never see this taking place.

On one occasion, they asked me if I will be willing to go to court, and I was shocked and I simply forgot about the whole issue. Well,

even though I may be upset up to now, I am sensing a change in the offing and with reason.

I already plan to submit the names and addresses of noisemakers in my part of the village. There is a bar at the top of my street too, and it is most disturbing. This will be in my request too.

Yours truly, Xavier Thomas

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Foundation

Maintain a healthy relationship with your parents New changes

Of course you love your parents – that’s a given. But at times, maintaining the bond between parent and adult child can be as challenging as that between parent and teenager.

These days, both of you are confronting new challenges – retirement or career changes, health issues, concerns about the future.

It’s to be expected these issues will affect your relationship, but as you change, so, too, must your relationship with your parents change.

Part of that evolution requires forging a new relationship, one between mature adults rather than “parent” and “child”. You already have the basic underpinnings – love and shared memories. Add mutual respect and common interests and you may find a more fulfilling relationship with your mother and your father than any you’ve had since childhood.

Of course, some things never change – mom might still offer her unsolicited opinions on your weight and wardrobe, and Dad might still only start a conversation if it has to do with your car. The key is to love the best parts of them and learn to accept the rest. Here are 14 Stealth Healthy ways to forge an adult relationship with your parents and enhance what might not always have been the strongest of bonds. * Think of them as fellow adults, rather than as

your parents. If your parents still treat you like a child, despite the fact that you have children of your own, you may have to help them let you “grow up.”

“Feeling and acting like an adult around your parents is the cornerstone of having an adult relationship with

them,” says Tina B Tessina, PhD, a licensed psychotherapist in Long Beach, California, and author of It Ends With You: Grow Up and Out of Dysfunction and The 10 Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make Before 40. “If you treat them as fellow adults, they’re more likely to treat you like one.”

A simple way to do this is to ask yourself a question before each interaction with them: “How would I act in this situation if mom or dad

was a friend or an acquaintance?” Then behave accordingly. * Talk to your parents as friends. If your parents still treat you like you’re six or 16, it may feel funny to give up your role as the child. A good start is to model your conversations with mom and

dad on those you have with friends, says Dr Tessina.

“Don’t limit your conversations strictly to family memories, or gossip about family members, or your personal life,” she advises. There’s a whole wide world out there – why not explore it with mom and dad as you would with a friend? Current events, sports, work, local neighbourhood issues, or national politics (if you happen to share the same

Why pets make children healthy

views) are all fair game. * Keep your sense of humour. When you’re dealing with your parents, laughter can be a lifesaver – both to help you handle the stress of dealing with sometimes

crotchety individuals and to help you bond together.

Tell a few jokes you know they’ll enjoy, share some comics from the paper or email with them, watch the Letterman show together.

If you can laugh together, you’re doing okay. * Tell your parents what bothers you. If you love your mom and dad but they drive you batty, your resentment can eat away at your relationship. So don’t see the si-

lently. Communicate, with gentleness and respect. For instance, if your mom keeps calling you at work, tell her that your boss is starting to notice and, while you love talking to her during the day, it’s beginning to affect your job performance.

Arrange a call you can both count on at a mutually convenient time. * Don’t ask your parents’ advice or opinion unless you really want it. Sometimes, asking for a parent’s advice is really a way of asking for Mom or Dad’s approval. If that’s the case, remember that you’re an adult now, perfectly capable of choosing a living room carpet or a car on your own. If your parents are bent on offering you advice whether asked or not, smile, nod, and take it in (who knows – it may actually be helpful!). Focus on the fact that they have your best interest at heart.

Then make your own choice – without guilt.

Discover and rediscover

* Don’t ask your parents to help straighten out your latest personal or financial crisis. While you may depend on their emotional support, relying too much upon their resources, rather than your own, can lead to mutual resentment, says Dr Tessina. So get used to solving your problems, big or small, on your own. You’ll be amazed how good doing it all by yourself can make you feel – and what a positive effect it can have on your relationship with your parents. * Create opportunities for exploring and uncovering memories.

If your parents are older, look through old scrapbooks with them, asking them for stories about the people in the photos. “We help our parents discover the meaning in their lives by encouraging them to talk about their accomplishments, the high points in their lives, and the joys and sorrows they have experienced,” says Tom Swanson, PhD, director of support services education at VistaCare, a hospice care provider in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Readers Digest) TO BE CONTINUED

BY BEEZY MARSH

C

hildren who keep pets are healthier and more emotionally balanced, experts have found.

The majority of youngsters regard their pet as a playmate and friend who can be a source of comfort when they feel sad.

And exposure to cats and dogs in the first year of life makes them less likely to suffer allergies. The power of pets emerged in a series of research studies due to be reported at the Society for Companion Animal Studies conference in Leicester. Health psychologist Dr June McNicholas, of the University of Warwick, studied 338 children aged three to 14 to examine the emotional benefits of pet ownership.

A total of 85 per cent said they regard their pets as friends and 40 per cent said they would look for their pet if they were bored. A further 40 per cent sought out their pet if they were upset.

Susan Dawson, a researcher in human communications at Manchester Metropolitan University, has also carried out numerous studies into the benefits of pets. ‘‘From studies I have carried out backed up by case studies it becomes clear that pet ownership, or simply the chance to spend some time with pets, children can benefit a lot,’’ she said. ‘‘They learn nurturing skills and are rewarded for their efforts.’’ ‘‘They are given unconditional warmth which can be reassuring and they actually seem more motivated to talk and describe their experiences.’’

Some U.S. studies have suggested that children with pets actually fare better at school because they are more motivated. A recent report by experts at the Medical College of Georgia showed that children could ‘significantly’ reduce their risk of allergies by pet ownership.

By the age of six, some children reduce their chances of getting hay fever or an allergic reaction to house dust mites by 75 per cent.

Doctors believe youngsters who are constantly licked by cats and dogs may be protected by early exposure to bugs that live in the pets’ mouths. (www.dailymail.co.uk)

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Health Ministry arsonists convicted - to be sentenced on June 27

C

olin Jones and his co-accused, Clayton Westford, were both found guilty on Monday of deliberately setting the Health Ministry building on fire four years ago. The men will know the extent of their punishment on June 27.

Between July 16 and 17, 2009 at Brickdam, the duo unlawfully and maliciously set fire to the Health Ministry, a conflagration that lit up the night skies in the wee hours and razed the building, along with an annex.

Magistrate Judy

Colin Jones

Latchman, on June 11 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, found that a prima facie case was made out against Jones and Westford after a no-case submission was made by Attorney Michael Somersaul, who is representing Westford.

Jones, who had escaped from custody and was later recaptured, was unrepresented.

On Monday, final arguments were made by the prosecution and the defence.

Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt submitted that the state has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, pointing to

the oral confession of Jones and the written confession of Westford. The prosecution also cited case law that demonstrated persons could be convicted based solely on an oral or written confession, and asked that the court find both defendants guilty.

Magistrate Latchman ruled that both men were guilty of the act, which local law enforcement authorities labelled domestic terrorism.

The fire, believed to have been sparked by channa bombs, devoured decades-old records, vehicles, and several key divisions in a major blow to the health sector, raging for more than three hours amid a downpour.

The Guyana Fire Service, in a valiant effort, managed to save the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and other adjacent buildings.

The Health Ministry building had housed the offices of the two health ministers, permanent secretary, chief medical officer and administrative staff; the registry; and the disease control, adolescent health, and tobacco control units; among others.

Jones, in December 2011, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment and fined for cultivating cannabis, illegal gun possession, and illegal ammunition possession.

He was also arraigned on a number of other charges in-

cluding discharging a loaded firearm, attempted murder, and murder. The other five accused were charged jointly in the matter of setting fire to the Supreme Court while some face the same charges with Jones.

Previously, a case of attempted murder reportedly committed at the Brickdam Police Station during an alleged plot to cause mayhem at the Central Police Station was thrown over to the High Court. The court had found that a prima facie case had been made out against the men, causing them to stand trial at the next appropriate sitting of the Supreme Court.

Regional land use planning...

FROM PAGE 2

“Since it can mesh and harmonise several planning instruments, from the national to local level, company and stakeholders can adapt and respond to change, validate and incorporate local knowledge and perspectives into the planning process.”

All must be involved

It can also generate greater commitment towards implementation among governmental agencies, the private sector communities and civil society. She stated that in the past, land use planning was seen primarily as an is-

sue of land zoning and development and control; however, it is more than that and requires having all stakeholders at one table engaged in discussions.

Subsequent to the workshop, she voiced optimism that representatives will go back to their respective countries and share the knowledge and information they have learnt. She stressed that persons must be cognisant of the fact that poor land management contributes to soil degradation and reduced productivity, biodiversity loss and missed economic oppor-

tunities among many other issues, which threatens direct negative impacts on poverty, inequity, safety and other development processes.

In light of this, Dr Fletcher-Paul highlighted that Sustainable Land Management (SLM) has been identified as a priority issue among land managers in the Caribbean, and as such, feverish efforts have been undertaken to addresses this area. She reiterated that the SLM contributes to food production and security, integrated planning and developments, new economic

Some of the participants at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry land use planning workshop

opportunities, enhanced and diversified rural livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and biodiversity, which is vital to any given country.

The FAO representative added that the workshop is timely and appropriate, add-

ing that after the workshop, participants will be afforded the opportunity to attend the regional awareness workshop on the voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food se-

curity slated for Wednesday at the Princess International Hotel. This workshop will give persons insight into the best practice and internationally agreed standards in terms of governance of tenure of land, forests and fisheries.

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Coconut Expo coming

By Leana Bradshaw

T

he Agriculture Ministry believes that the coconut industry is poised to becoming the next crop of economic significance in Guyana, as it continually seeks to develop it.

In light of this, a coconut exposition has been planned to further promote the commodity locally. The inaugural Coconut Exposition will be hosted by the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (New GMC), which will bring together agencies and departments within the Agriculture Ministry, as well as other stakeholders, to promote products and services in the coconut industry.

The one-day exposition will get underway on Friday at the Guyana Shop from 09:00h.

Coconut products

New GMC General Manager Nizam Hassan, during an interview with Guyana Times on Monday, noted that the exposition will seek to highlight coconut products, as well as developments and opportunities that exist for the sector, both on the local and export markets.

He noted that the expo will see participation from agencies such as the National

Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI); the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST); the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA); the Craft Producers Association; and coconut farmers.

“The very small persons doing things like sugar cakes and those kinds of things that are made with coconut, the more established companies, companies that are bottling coconut water [and] canning coconut cream. Then we have the companies who are making coconut oil [and] persons who are involved in exporting”, Hassan outlined as he spoke about the persons being targeted for the expo.

He added that the expo will allow stakeholders in the industry and consumers to interact on issues relating to supply, demand and challenges affecting both parties.

Increasing demand

Hassan pointed out that coconut, its products and by-products have important qualities of which people are increasingly becoming aware, thus increasing demand.

The New GMC head said the exposition is the first of its kind and is the brainchild of Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy.

The National Oversight

viously noted that there are more than 12 million hectares of land under coconut cultivation throughout the world, with production exceeding 65 million tonnes per year. In this regard, he said marketing prospects for coconut and its products have never been better, both locally and internationally.

Continued growth

New GMC General Manager Nizam Hassan

Committee on the coconut industry comprises the public and private sector officials and representatives from the diplomatic missions in Guyana, who are tasked with the responsibility of overlooking and assessing the industry, and making recommendations to the ministry to enhance the sector.

The exposition is the first of a number of initiatives planned to promote the industry.

“From the review of this being the first and the feedback that is garnered, the other activities will be planned, but essentially it also involves reaching out to farmers and the farming community, dealing with issues that may arise,” the New GMC general manager said.

Dr Ramsammy had pre-

However, he admitted that much still needs to be done to address the industry’s continued growth. Ramsammy recalled that several years ago when the industry took a global downturn, coconut products remained popular on the market.

Coconut production ranks third, after rice and sugar production in Guyana, the minister noted. This year, 80,000 hectares of land will be dedicated to rice production, 36,000 to sugar, and 24,000 to coconut production.

Dr Ramsammy noted that Guyana currently produces between 90 and 100 million coconuts per year, about 70,000 tonnes. He stated that the world export market for coconut products is approximately US$6 billion while Guyana’s coconuts export market is worth potentially US$3 million. (leanab@guyanatimesgy.com)

Canal Number Two farmers still struggling despite NDIA interventions

D

espite interventions by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the more than 50 farmers operating along the conservancy dam in Canal Polder Number Two are still affected by flooding.

Complaining bitterly about the situation, Jai Parbu told Guyana Times that earlier in the month, NDIA dispatched a team of labourers to clear the main canal. Using cutlasses, the NDIA workers reportedly created a small passage at the head of the canal with the aim of draining floodwater from the farmlands. “All they did was bust a tract, one tract at the head of the trench, but that can’t take off the water, it’s too small,” the farmer lamented.

Flooding

The canal, which stretches for approximately two miles, remains clogged with vegetation, a situation which is contributing significantly to flooding in the area.

Parbu said for the past three weeks, he has been stuck at home because his

farm is currently inundated with water. He said the situation continues to deteriorate with increased rainfall in the area. When the situation has been resolved, the farmer said he will need close to $300,000 to invest in seedlings alone.

“You know what’s the sad part? Nobody ain’t even come to see what taking place here, no nobody from the NDC, RDC, not even the Ministry of Agriculture,” he lamented.

Frustrations

Since May, the farmers have been making their frustrations known. A frustrated Narine Dindial told Guyana Times that the flooding is causing him to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in crops. “Me and meh son a do garden here, and every day the rain fall we a get flood, we nah getting no drainage, we nah get no kind of drainage and this is de thing we depend pun.”

After investing approximately $200,000 in his farm, Dindial said he is now plotting his next move, since more than half of the cash crops is

damaged. Another farmer, Narine Sukhan, who operates a cash crop and cattle farm, is forced to find alternative ground for his cattle, since his farm remains underwater. He too has estimated his losses to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Clogged drain

The farmers remain firm on their position that the Agriculture Ministry should deploy an excavator in the area to clear the clogged drain.

NDIA Director Lionel Wordsworth confirmed that labourers were dispatched to the affected area. He said the men were instructed to clear a critical area. While Wordsworth did not make an entrance, he said upon visiting the conservancy dam, there were clear indications that works were executed in the area. “They were manual labourers and they did the best they can, and I think that should be appreciated.’

He said a decision was made not to send an excavator in for two key reasons.

He explained that the conservancy embankment was soft and cannot bear the weight of the machine, and persons were occupying the dam. However, he promised that an excavator would be deployed to the community when the environment becomes conducive.

The director said NDIA was also focusing on floodaffected areas in other parts of the country. He said that new pumps will be installed in Pine Ground, Mahaicony; Windsor Forest, West Bank Demerara; Black Bush and Rose Hall, Corentyne; and Lima to bring relief to farmers.

The pumps, which will be installed within weeks, were assembled in India, an initiative that was made possible through a line of credit from India. The NDIA head confirmed that six of the 14 pumps have already arrived in Guyana and are in the process of being assembled and dispatched to the various locations, for installation. This is part of a US$4 million credit programme.

Kitty resident fined Bagotville man stabbed for abusing police to death during row

A

man was fined for the use of abusive language when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.

Andrew Morgan, 30, pleaded guilty to the charge which states that on June 13 at Garnett Street, Kitty, he used abusive language against the police.

According to Morgan, on the day in question, he was on the road with his wife when she had to relieve herself, the police then came up to them and he explained the situation, but they insisted on shining their torchlight in his wife’s direction. This upset the defendant and he told the ranks off.

Morgan was reprimanded and fined $10,000.

T

hree days after sustaining a stab wound to his abdomen, a miner succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Sunday.

The dead man was identified as Caesar Bradford, 32, of Bagotville, West Bank Demerara. According to police, Bradford was stabbed to his abdomen during an argument with a colleague at St Mary’s, Essequibo River, on

Friday last.

Guyana Times understands that the men had an argument while imbibing at a drinking spot. The argument subsequently escalated to a scuffle when the assailant pulled out a knife and stabbed Bradford to his abdomen. The suspect was arrested and is assisting with the investigations. The murder weapon was also recovered.

Eyew tness Filthy lucre… ...for the spotless?

Former Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran’s name got “called” in a rather unsavoury matter the other day. Seems that former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Sir Sridath Ramphal; Kads Khan of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), Ramphal’s son-in-law, former ambassador of Antigua; and Ramkarran were all partners in a logging company Tigerwood back in 2007.

Now you may raise your eyebrows, as your humble Eyewitness did, that these fellows – not exactly the lumberjack types ─ would be chopping down trees in the forests of Guyana. But this was no ordinary logging company. This one would be performing a miracle in the bush – saving our forests by cutting down trees from the Iwokrama Centre for Forest Conservation.

Sort of like fighting fire with fire, we guess. But that wasn’t all that these normally office-bound types roused themselves to do. They were going to “add value” to the logs that would come from the felled trees. After all, the biggest criticism of the “exploitation of our forests ─ and the reason why it needed to be conserved by outfits like Iwokrama – was that we were cutting trees and not “adding value”.

Turns out the “value added” was to square the sides of the logs! That’s right and if you go on Tigerwood’s website you’ll see them still advertising squared greenheart from Guyana. We won’t ask how much value was added, because we know these office types might not know xylem from phloem but they know their profits. Question is: How the heck did they land a contract to harvest timber from Iwokrama?

Was the project advertised and tendered? Did they have to show they had more experience than Fip Motilall to build a road? Anyhow, now to the story at hand.

Seems that Kads Khan, then PNC/R, and Ramkarran, then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) – in an example of the benefits Guyana could accrue if we practised “powersharing” as advocated by Ramkarran – sold their shares to one of the other partners.

Kads was awarded $104 million...yes, millions...as the balance on his five per cent share he’d sold. He’d already received $30 million at the time of the sale. The question, of course, is how much of the “filthy lucre” did ex-Speaker Ramkarran receive...since he didn’t even have to utter a squeak. And for what? The trees at Iwokrama only had to be felled and “squared” by locals.

The only asset, it seems, was to receive the timber concession. We wonder why the opposition and its media supporters aren’t up in arms. Different strokes for different folks?

...for unions

Lincoln Lewis complains in his latest missive to the press that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) isn’t given pride of place at the annual Enmore Martyrs’ commemoration any longer. This is rank ingratitude, pouts Lewis, since the TUC and the Inter American Regional Workers’ Organisation (ORIT) actually petitioned Forbes Burnham to have the monument built in 1976.

ORIT, of course, is the successor to the labour organisation through which the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) removed the PPP in 1964. Lewis is miffed that nowadays, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) is playing a central role in the event. Seems it doesn’t matter that GAWU is the sugar union. But more pertinently, Lewis disingenuously ignores why GAWU wasn’t more involved before when the TUC was the big enchilada (as much as they could be) under Burnham.

The dirty little secret Lewis would have us forget is that even though GAWU was the largest union in Guyana and in the TUC, it could never get a crack at the head of the umbrella organisation. The TUC in 1976 and afterwards was marching under false colours. The wrong has been righted today.

...stopped?

The regulations for local government reform have been approved. Does this mean elections in Georgetown? Will we soon be able to cry: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty we are free from the avarice and greed of Hamilton Green?”

news

9

tuesday, june 18, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

FAO seeks bigger budget to help member countries F

ood and Agriculture Organisation Director General José Graziano da Silva on Sunday called on FAO’s Conference to approve a Programme of Work and Budget that sharpens the focus of the organisation’s actions to improve the assistance it provides member countries in reaching their food security and agriculture goals.

“Since I took up office, brick by brick we have laid the foundation we need to improve the assistance we offer our members,” Graziano da Silva told the Conference. “This is the missing piece that will transform into concrete action the results of the Reviewed Strategic Framework that we have built together,” he added.

To implement the programme, the organisation is asking for a one per cent real budget increase for the next two years, plus less than four per cent needed to cover inflation and mandatory increases of costs. “It

is in times like these, when the challenges are greater, that we need most to show our collective commitment to the organisation and its goals,” Graziano da Silva told the Conference. After successive budget reductions, FAO’s budget has lost 27 per cent of its real value in the past 20 years, he noted.

Graziano da Silva also stressed the need to find a consensus on a budget that would allow the organisation to implement the proposed programme of work for 2014-2015, his first as director general of FAO.

Transforming FAO

Addressing the FAO Conference, Graziano da Silva highlighted the work done in his first 18 months in office, during which he focused the United Nations agency work around five new strategic objectives and a sixth technical objective – approving strategies for engagement with the private sector and civil society, as well as

FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva

strengthening partnerships with scientific and research institutions, and concluding the FAO reform.

Recalling the McDougall lecture with which Professor Amartya Sen opened the Conference on Saturday, the director general pointed out one important change in the work of the organisation. “If

we keep looking at hunger simply in terms of food production, we will not solve this problem, as Professor Amartya Sen reminded us…

The world already produces enough food. The main cause of hunger nowadays is the lack of access,” said Graziano da Silva.

“Nowadays, to guarantee

food security, it is essential to incorporate the access dimension into our responses, alongside our continued support to sustainably increasing food production,” he explained.

The director general also highlighted the increased efficiency of the organisation, which has led to savings of nearly US$45 million since his election. This, in turn, has made it possible to strengthen FAO’s technical presence in the field and implement six regional initiatives responding to the needs identified by members at the FAO Regional Conferences held in 2012.

“All this will help translate our work into better results where it really matters: at the country level, transforming FAO into a true knowledge organisation with its feet on the ground,” he stressed.

Commitment to eradicating hunger

The director general pointed out that the Conference will also be asked to approve a change in the first global

goal of the organisation, aiming for the eradication, rather than the reduction of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition.

“It is just a word, but it makes a great difference,” he said. “The eradication of hunger and malnutrition will pay a large dividend in terms of peace and prosperity, from which all countries stand to benefit. And it is a crucial part of the sustainable future we want.”

The Conference opened on Saturday with the annual McDougall Lecture delivered by Nobel Laureate Sen, who focused on the need for a broader approach to fighting hunger, and the delivery of FAO awards, including to the Self Employed Women’s Association of India and the European Commission for their contribution to food security. On Sunday, countries, including Guyana, that have already met the Millennium Development and World Food Summit hunger targets had their achievements recognised.

Police look to Brazil for help solving Anna Catherina triple murder

Dead businesswoman, Jennifer Persaud

C

rime Chief Seelall Persaud on Monday stated that the Guyana Police Force is soliciting the assistance of the Brazilian government to have DNA testing done on the pieces of evidence

Dead, Jadon Persaud

Dead, Afridi Bacchus

that were collected following the murder of businesswoman Jennifer Persaud and her two sons at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara in November last year.

The assistant police commissioner explained

that the decision to seek further assistance was necessary, as they were having difficulties getting the samples to a Caribbean facility.

At this point in time, the investigation is stagnant and Persaud could not say when the samples would

leave Guyana, but he is hopeful it will occur at the earliest opportunity.

On the day of the gruesome discovery, the murdered woman’s reputed husband, Rudolph Earnest was taken into custody, while the man’s uncle was apprehended the following day.

Both men have maintained their innocence, but relatives strongly believe that they are the perpetrators of the horrendous crime.

It was reported that the bloodstained items, including a jersey, that were found at the home of Earnest’s uncle are the pieces that require DNA testing.

Amanda Ahamad, the eldest daughter of the deceased woman, had stated that the police were dragging their feet, as she believed that the evidence collected points to the two suspects, noting that they should have been charged.

Persaud, 41, also called “Jenny”, and her two sons, Afridi Bacchus, six, and 17-month-old Jadon Persaud, of Lot 67 Sea View, Anna Catherina, were found with their throats slit in a bedroom of their two-storey house.

Bacchus was the woman’s son from a previous relationship, while the young-

er child was fathered by the main suspect.

The now dead woman reportedly shared an abusive relationship with Earnest, a U.S. deportee. It was also reported that Persaud would frequently complain about the constant physical abuse she suffered. Just over a week prior to her death, it became unbearable and she put Earnest out of her house. A post-mortem examination performed on the body of Persaud, and her sons confirmed that they died as a result of multiple stab wounds and haemorrhaging.

10

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

News

PPP/C congress to script mandate until next elections – Rohee P eople’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) executive member Clement Rohee said plans are progressing for the staging of the party’s 30th congress which will see the party making final decisions about its future and the remaining period ahead of the next general elections.

The PPP/C's 30th congress is expected to highlight the administration’s plans for the next three years following deliberations among party members on critical issues which are affecting the party internally and it’s governance of the country.

Rohee disclosed that while plans are on stream for the party’s congress, efforts continue at electing a new Central Committee which will be tasked with managing the affairs of the country’s oldest political party.

“We are suppose to have congress every three years and it has been five years since we last held the meeting, much has accumulated and among the key issues to be addressed is the party’s mandate for the next three

PPP/C executive member Clement Rohee

years among other things,” Rohee said.

The party’s 30th congress is set for Port Mourant, Corentyne.

The committee has decided the venue for the congress will be the JC Chandisingh Secondary School from August 2 to 4.

The school was the site for the 28th congress which was held in 2002.

There congress will feature delegates from all across the country, including representatives from the party’s overseas chapters, the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) and the Women’s Progressive

Organisation (WPO).

In addition to the participation of local and overseas party groups, the occasion will be graced by fraternal organisations such as the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the Guyana Agriculture Producers Association (GAPA), and the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA).

President Donald Ramotar, the key personality and the party’s general secretary, will preside over the congress where the Central Committee will be elected by the delegates.

This is the first congress that Ramotar will be attending since being elected head of state.

The minister pointed out that this is the PPP/C’s first congress without the physical presence of the founding leaders Dr Cheddi and Janet Jagan. The Central Committee at its first meeting following the congress will elect the general secretary and other members of the party’s executive committee. The first congress was held in 1950.

GPL about to shut down E ver since de GPL budget get cut in Parliament, de guvament seh how light bill gon go up sky high. Even de GPL board and management seh light bill gon raise and people gon get more blackout.

But people been getting blackout all de time anyway. And no body from GPL could seh why that is so.

Then, not too long ago, de GPL people announce that de power company goin pun a campaign to crack down pun all who usin illegal connection and pun all who thiefin current fuh dem house and business. Dem send de GPL technicians to de East Coast and dem ketch one and two people who beatin de system.

But most of de people sayin that de campaign lookin more like a shutdown than a crackdown. Dem seh GPL givin more blackout than light and dem thought

de company shuttin down. De people who thiefin current and who got illegal connection seh dem gettin blackout whole day. So even though dem thiefin current, dem not gettin any. So dem not afraid of gettin disconnected.

De only people who friken disconnection is de mayor fuh life Green Ham and de **ity constables. If de mayor get disconnected he gon can’t see fuh write all dem letters to de newspapers. Plus he gon can’t see fuh hold all dem press conference and meetin to plan how he gon bribe all de street vendors to vote fuh he in de next local guvament elections.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend… mattie tell mattie! Now GPL blamin de blackouts pun frequency conversion. Well, that means dem been doin frequency conversion a long time now! But de only ting frequent bout GPL is de blackouts!

NY Guyanese participate in fundraiser for worthy cause

H

undreds of U.S.based Guyanese turned out for a fun day of musical entertainment and cricket on Saturday to support a fundraising exercise organised by the Tain, Clifton and John’s Humanitarian Society.

The fun day which took place at the Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York saw an exciting match of 20/20 cricket between the New York Guyanese team and the Guyanese team from New England (greater Boston area) that featured former Guyanese national cricketers. The Angels Caribbean Band supplied the entertainment with several prominent guest artistes, including Geeta Bisram, Soca Raja and Terry Gajraj.

Dave Thakoorden, one of the key players in the promotion of the event said it was designed to raise funds to support the work of the humanitarian mission in Guyana.

“The goal is to assist people who cannot afford things such as funerals, medical expenses, educating their children as well as to aid families in need and to provide assistance to children at the Tain Primary School to better their education.”

Thakoorden tagged the event a resounding success.

He explained that several businesses and individuals contributed financially by sponsoring the games as

Pictures depicting the cricketers who played against each other on Saturday

well as the music system.

All proceeds from the event, which amounted to several thousand dollars, will be handed over to the Tain Humanitarian Society. The money will be used to assist the destitute and the less fortunate.

During its short existence, the humanitarian society has sponsored several outreach events, including a back to school programme for the children of Tain Primary School. Also, the society held a seminar on do-

mestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and child abuse.

The society also provided wheelchairs and walkers to a few disabled persons, donated children’s books, school supplies, and clothing to some poor families.

The organisation has helped several people with cash towards defraying medical, funeral and educational expenses. Dave, himself, has donated tens of thousands of dollars towards the society and the greater Tain communities.

11 News

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, June 18, 2013

Autism society founder CIOG applauds NEW GPC/ Limacol on acquisition of urges early detection Guyana CPL T20 franchise F T ounder of the Guyana Greenheart Autistic Society Karen Hughes-Williams believes that there needs to be a more concerted effort to ensure that signs of autism are detected and autistic children are diagnosed as early as possible.

During a recent interview with Guyana Times, Hughes-Williams stated that such an approach is necessary to avoid autistic children from being misunderstood, or placed in the mainstream school system.

Hughes-Williams noted that the society can also play its part by working to bring more awareness so that autistic children can be identified much earlier.

The foundation has implemented a training programme conducted with specially identified schools and with support from Voluntary Services Overseas (now CUSO International).

The Greenheart Autistic Society is also hoping to introduce and facilitate national training for teachers that would be extended regionally; and decentralise services to the community so as to address autism.

As part of the society’s five-year strategic plan, Hughes-Williams intends to collaborate with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to have discussions and bring awareness about autism.

She said her goal is to have an institution that can address the holistic needs of the children, including educational, social, physical and psychological.

Hughes-Williams is largely interested in having the institution operate as a public entity since a majority of the population in Guyana does not have the necessary means to access care for their children.

“We try to network with generous organisations and kind friends who can provide the requisite support to ensure the children are not left behind,” HughesWilliams said.

Greenheart Society has also collaborated with Global Action Plan, which has made learning resource material and has engaged the interest of volunteers who are allowed to work with the children.

Recently, HughesWilliams has engaged the United Nations Children’s

Fund (UNICEF) to provide training support for teachers, one of whom has since been enrolled in the early childhood education programme.

A Trinidad-based Indian sensory therapist, Rai Naranyan has conducted sessions with the teachers of the Greenheart Autistic Society and a National Centre for Education Resources Development (NCERD) expert will be conducting a review to keep the curriculum current.

Hughes-Williams, who is a professional administrator, felt the urge to retrain and is currently undertaking studies in psychology in order to better address the needs of the children on a professional level.

She said she intends to do all in her power to ensure Guyana is equipped with the requisite skill, knowledge and resources to holistically address the needs of children with autism.

However, HughesWilliams stated that part of the challenge remains that just a fraction of the Guyanese population are familiar with the condition.

he Central Executive Council of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) has extended unreserved congratulations to Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII) Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop on the recent acquisition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 Franchise for Guyana.

The Guyana franchise was acquired by NEW GPC/ Limacol, a member of the QAII group of companies.

“We hope this achievement will motivate you to aim higher in all your future goals,” said the CIOG in a letter to Dr Ramroop. “We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and success in both worlds.”

The letter, signed by CIOG President Fazeel Ferouz, also quoted the Holy Prophet Muhammad, saying the “believer is that person who performs his tasks to the best of his ability”.

CPL Chief Executive Officer Damien O’Donohoe signed the franchise agreement with Dr Ramroop on

CPL Chief Executive Officer Damien O’Donohoe

June 10, with just about seven weeks to go before the inaugural tournament kicks off.

Headquartered in Guyana, NEW GPC has been operating for 90 years and is the Caribbean’s oldest and largest pharmaceutical manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals, over-thecounter cosmetics preparations and veterinary products of the highest quality.

Guyana’s franchise

players are West Indies player Sunil Narine and Pakistan player Mohammed Hafeez. They are joined by Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin, James Franklin, Chris Barnwell, Martin Guptill, Krishmar Santokie, William Perkins, Steven Jacobs, Ronsford Beaton, Trevon Griffith, Narsingh Deonarine, and Veerasammy Permaul.

Guyana is probably best known for its pristine Amazon rainforest, and so it is no surprise that Team Guyana will go by the moniker Guyana Amazon Warriors. The team logo was created using the shapes within the national flag to create arrows and represents the dynamism of the team and its warrior spirit.

The tournament will start on July 30 in Barbados and concludes on August 24 in Trinidad. The four matches in Guyana will be played on July 31 and August 2 and 4 at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

12 NEWS

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cause of deadly Plaisance fire still to be determined – fire chief A s investigations continue into the fire that killed Suzanne Sylvia McNeil of Victoria Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) early Sunday morning, the Guyana Fire Service is yet to determine what might have started the blaze.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Monday, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle explained that fire officials have visited the scene a number of times with the hope of establishing the cause of the fire which led to the unfortunate demise of the woman.

“We know for a fact that the fire may have started in the woman’s bedroom and rapidly spread throughout the building and the nearby house which caused massive destruction.”

Heavy blaze

He added that the Guyana Fire Service was alerted long after the fire would have started on Sunday morning, and when they arrived on the scene, the firefighters concentrated on the nearby structures which were threatened by

burning candle, there would be no evidence to confirm that, since we are talking about wax and fire… however, we were told that earlier in the day, the woman had sent someone to purchase kerosene oil but for what purpose, we don’t know.”

Sensitive reports

Dead: Suzanne Sylvia Mc Neil

the heavy blaze.

Gentle said the house belonging to Mc Neil was already burnt to the ground while another was fully engulfed, thus there was little the firefighters could have salvaged. Gentle added that on the ground, there were a number of reports that actually occurred and speculations about what started the fire.

The fire chief said that there were reports about a lit candle, a kerosene lamp and a kerosene stove but upon checking, the fire analyst ruled out that the stove was left on.

“If it was a case of a

He revealed that the matter is being investigated by the police and the fire service since there are a number of other sensitive reports that they have received with one being a family dispute over the plot of land that the house was built on.

“We are also investigating to determine whether there were any illegal electricity connections to the building, but from all indications, it does not seem so.”

When asked if there are suspicions of foul play, Gentle stated “we are not ruling out anything… we will have to wait on the post-mortem examination report which is being handled by the Guyana Police Force.”

He said too that the Guyana Fire Service is look-

ing at the possibility that Mc Neil was asleep and was knocked-out by the carbon monoxide which circulated in the atmosphere when the fire started.

Gentle stated that with all the reports, and the loss of a life, the investigation is even more complex, but they are optimistic that they will have a closure on the incident sooner rather than later.

The charred remains of Mc Neil, 37, of Victoria Street, Plaisance, ECD were discovered by fire officials in her bedroom lying on a mattress about 05:00h after her house went up in flames.

The fire destroyed two houses, leaving at least four homeless, while it scorched another.

It was reported that smoke was seen coming from Mc Neil’s bedroom and within minutes, flames engulfed the entire building.

The fire quickly spread to a nearby house and despite desperate measures to contain the blaze to one location by public-spirited citizens who formed a bucket brigade, their efforts proved futile.

HJ’s Colour Party rocks Palm Court

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alm Court on Main Street, Georgetown was bursting at the seams on Saturday night as patrons spilled on to the streets in a display of flamboyant garb, to attend the Hits and Jam’s “Colour Party”.

Traffic and general movement were restricted to snail’s pace as patrons swarmed the surroundings.

Ashley Cameron, Christel Mittelholzer and Alicia Bess, the three finalists of the Miss Guyana Jamzone 2013 competition, made their debut official public appearance. The beauties met and greeted patrons, shared flyers and other promotional material on

The packed Palm Court on Saturday

themselves.

As expected, the HJ event lived up to its usual expectations of enticing

the crowd with good music with the latest and popular reggae, soul, pop, R&B and even chutney just to name

a few.

The party was billed as a kick off to the eagerly awaited annual Jam Zone Summer Break events and the public is gearing up for the much anticipated fusion of heated entertainment in August, which features an international pageant. The best of the three girls will represent Guyana in the international leg of the pageant come August 21 and the public can participate in choosing the perfect girl through voting which can be done via texting. To vote for the girl of your choice text Ashley to #1, Christel to #2, and Alicia to #3 to the numbers 626-8487 or 602-0406.

Dr Vindhya Persaud elected head of Dharmic Sabha

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ember of Parliament Dr Vindhya Vasini Persaud was on Saturday elected president of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha at a special general meeting at the Sabha’s headquarters, Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra, Prashad Nagar.

The elections were held on account of the death of the Sabha’s former President, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, who succumbed to illness earlier this year. Dr Persaud was unanimously nominated by all of the Sabha’s praants (regional bodies) and was elected unopposed. Those attending included the Central Executive Committee members of the Sabha, executive members of the Upper Corentyne, Central Corentyne, East Berbice, West Berbice, East

Dr Vindhya Vasini Persaud addressing the gathering moments after being elected Guyana Hindu Dharma Sabha president

Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara, West Coast Demerara and Essequibo praants of the Sabha as well as delegates from the Sabha’s affiliated mandirs countrywide.

The returning officer of

the elections was Ramesh Lal of the firm TSD Lal & Company, the Sabha’s auditors. The proceedings were chaired by the Sabha’s executive member Rajnarine Singh. Dr Persaud thanked all of those present for their

support and said she was touched and humbled by their faith in her. She promised to work assiduously for the Sabha and Hinduism and reminded those present to live by the Sabha’s motto “Action thy duty reward not they concern”.

Praant and mandir leaders congratulated the new president and pledged their continued support for the Sabha. The meeting also agreed to rename the Sabha’s kendra the Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra in memory of the Sabha’s founder, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, whose idea it was to have a kendra in Guyana. The Sabha’s Treasurer Savitri Sukhai presented its audited financial statement as of December 2012, as well as the current financial standing.

Death row inmate courts politicians to secure early release

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Brian Vandeyar

urder convict, Brian Vandeyar is soliciting the help of key politicians to assist him in securing an early release from prison.

Vandeyar, of Vryheid Lust, East Coast Demerara, was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of his co-worker, Haimnauth Ramnarine on August 23, 2003.

Ramnarine, 42, called “Miner” of Riverstown, Essequibo Coast and Vandeyar had been working and living in cabins in a highly forested area at Governor’s Lyte, Mahaicony Creek.

Vandeyar is the latest death-row inmate to have a death sentence against him commuted to life imprisonment. His relatives have already begun petitioning local political leaders to advocate for his release when the matter comes up for hearing before the parole board.

In October of last year, the Court of Appeal turned down a motion of appeal to have Vandeyar’s sentence and conviction, dismissed, reviewed or overturned citing the fact that he did not qualify for reprieve having served only 10 years on death row.

However, Vandeyar successfully petitioned acting Chief Justice Ian Chang at the High Court for a commutation of his sentence.

Vandeyar’s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment on June 6. He has since been removed from the condemned section of the prison and is being held in the general prison population.

Media attention

Vandeyar’s case had attracted widespread media attention after he alleged that the man who he was accused of killing had sneaked into the employer’s house to sodomise him. According to police records, Vandeyar said he was drinking vodka but began feeling tired.

Vandeyar explained that he took a shower, went to bed clad only in his underwear and left the door slightly ajar so he could take advantage of some fresh air. The prisoner recounted that sometime during the night; he felt a weight on his back.

Vandeyar, who was lying face down, claimed that he became startled and failed in his attempts to overpower the person straddling him. He re-

lated that he reached for a knife he kept under his pillow and stabbed his attacker in the leg and buttocks with the hope of freeing himself.

The man said when his attacker fell to the floor; he noticed that “he was still kicking up”.

According to Vandeyar, he was horrified on recognising the attacker as Ramnarine and hurriedly jumped into a canoe; paddling as fast as he could across the creek to secure help for the injured man.

Still armed with the murder weapon, Vandeyar said he sprinted to the Mora Point Police Outpost in the dead of night and related his story.

Foolproof

Police ranks accompanied Vandeyar back to the crime scene and found paraphernalia associated with a sexual encounter which confirmed Vandeyar’s story as foolproof.

In his caution statement to police, Vandeyar maintained that he was simply protecting his manhood when he stabbed Ramnarine.

However, in 2006, 28-year-old Vandeyar was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. His fate was decided by Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards and a 12-man jury comprising six males and the same number of females.

In his defence, Vandeyar’s lawyer Marcella HindsThompson said her client had recognised his actions resulted in the loss of life, but she insisted that the special circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime did not warrant the imposition of the death penalty. It was dark, Thompson said, with the closest house 100 rods across a creek when Vandeyar awoke to the horrific reality of a naked body on his back.

She described Ramnarine’s act as a “forceful atrocity”, adding that her client had a duty to protect himself.

Thompson noted that the accused was entitled to prevent a crime against his person, and as such, the killing was not unlawful.

The attorney said the accused tried fighting off Ramnarine, but was overpowered and employed what he felt were “necessary measures”.

Vandeyar’s employer, Krishnadat Manickchand, who also testified at the trial, described Vandeyar as a very quiet and peaceful individual.

In fact, Manickchand said Vandeyar was his “most trustworthy employee”.

Manickchand had testified to seeing a pair of underwear and a bottle of cooking oil next to Ramnarine’s body. However, the then State Prosecutor Nadeen Singh said the state had proven that Vandeyar stabbed Ramnarine with the intention to kill, while having no legal justification.

13 Govt to look into night– time bus fare hike T NEWS

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Trial opens for man who killed dad over $200

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29-year-old man will be facing trial for hacking his father to death with a cutlass after he refused to give him $200 to buy drugs.

Andrew Gomes, 29, pleaded not guilty to the indictment when it was read to him on Monday before Justice Brassington Reynolds. It is alleged that the accused murdered his 57-year-old father, Stanislaus Gomes, on November 27, 2008, at their Waikabra, Soesdyke Linden/ Highway, home.

A 12-member mixed jury was empanelled and the trial is expected to commence today. The prosecution’s case will be presented by State Counsel Renita Singh while Gomes will be represented by Attorney George Thomas.

The prosecution is expected to call some four witnesses to testify against the accused.

According to reports, the accused was a drug addict and was the only child of his father. The two were living through a number

of trails, a 10-minute drive from the highway. There, the 57-year-old cultivated vegetables which he sold to earn a living.

On the day in question, sometime around 09:00h, he asked his father for $200 to buy drugs but the man refused to give him any money. The then 24-year-old man became annoyed and picked up a cutlass which he used to chop his father five times about his body, including splitting the top of his head. The man died outside of his yard.

After committing the gruesome crime, Gomes went to neighbours and told them what he had done. He had the bloody cutlass and his shirt was spattered with blood at the time. The man reportedly told neigbhours that his father refused to give him money to buy drugs because he was afraid of him (son) “tripping” out on him (father).

Gomes was arrested about an hour later and the weapon was recovered. He was subsequently charged for his father’s murder.

ransport Minister Robeson Benn said an investigation will be launched into the unregulated hike in minibus fares across the various routes at nights, but he offered no immediate solution to the hundreds who are made to pay double the regular fares to get home in the evenings.

Speaking with Guyana Times briefly on Monday, the minister noted that his ministry will duly investigate the complaints to ensure fairness to commuters.

Legislation

However, he could not comment on whether there will be legislation or measures to address the situation.

“Unlike the air services and the boat services… we cannot regulate the fares of the minibuses… however, we will look into the situation and investigate the issue of the routes,” said Minister Benn.

Meanwhile, commuters continue to complain about the situation which they say has been ongoing for some time now, despite them making several reports to the relevant authorities. However,

this newspaper was told by minibus operators that they believe that fare increases in the evening after the regular working hours are justified, citing cost of living and the infrequent flow of travellers as contributory factors.

Whereas, some of the passengers said the issue is a matter of affordability, as there are those who agree with the hike, while the majority believes the increases are unreasonable.

Guyana Times caught up with some route 32 (Georgetown-Parika) commuters who expressed dissatisfaction about the change in fare structure during the evening hours, contending that the bus drivers have to consider poor commuters, those who can hardly afford the price as it is at present, before thinking about raising the fare. One commuter said some operators flatly say that they are taking four per row and passengers have to “put up or stay out”.

“Many drivers and conductors neglect the passengers. I want to know how these things are happening.

I call for a revamping of the

minibus mode of transportation,” said the regular bus commuter. Conversely, the majority of the commuters are against the hike, calling it unconscionable.

They are calling on the relevant authorities to look into the situation. Commuters told this newspaper that the need to get home after a long day’s work somewhat contributes to some persons paying the increased fare, which encourages the minibus operators to continue with their actions. It was elaborated by the passengers that commuters have rights and where minibuses are concerned, these rights are being eroded and it is time to reverse this slide.

Gas prices

However, minibus operators claimed that the fare increase was necessary, owing to gasoline prices, the increased cost of living and the fact that they are struggling to make a living. A route 42 conductress also cited the cost for spare parts and alleged police harassment as other reasons for them raising the fares at nights. “They

(police) does want pull we in for little stupid things. Police want play strict and pull you over, and you does gat fuh cater for a small piece for them too,” the conductress said.

She also noted that the heavy traffic on the East Bank means more gasoline is utilised and more money is expended. Another minibus operator made reference to route 42 commuters who are usually stranded on the park on a regular basis during peak hours. One driver noted that when they raise the fare, they are not forced to operate the Diamond New Scheme route in order to make a profit as they just work the normal “short to Grove” route.

This means that more buses are available for those commuters and they would not be stranded on the road.

Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) Director Seema Rambaran has noted that customers have a choice as to who to travel with.

However, as far the consumers are concerned, the agency is keen on paying serious attention to their complaints.

Hampton Court student wins Essequibo Lions Club Essay Competition

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he Essequibo Lions Club recently held an inter-primary school essay competition in Region Two, during which a Hampton Court Primary School student emerged the winner.

The competition held under the theme “Reading – why is it important to me”, aimed at encouraging literacy among students in the region. The competition targeted Grade Six students and participants were required to write an essay of 350 words on why reading is important to them.

The schools that participated were asked to submit three of their best essays, which were then graded by the club.

Copping the first place was Ashanna Nohar of Hampton Court Primary, who was awarded a cheque of $15,000. The second spot was taken by Avisha Singh of Sparta Primary and he received a cheque

From left to right: The winners of the competition, Ashanna Nohar, Avisha Singh, Christopher Baychu and Avena Phillips with Essequibo Lions Club members

for $10,000.

Third place winner Christopher Baychu also from Hampton Court Primary got a cheque for $5000 while Avena Phillips from Jacklow Primary who was placed forth pocketed $3000.

In addition to the cheques, the winners were also given trophies and certificates for their excellent work. Essequibo Lions Club President Mohamed Ally encouraged the students to continue reading because they can learn a lot by doing so.

Meanwhile, the Project Coordinator Devendra Persaud recited a line from Phillips’s essay, which said, “The world is a puzzle and through reading I am learning about its pieces”. He also encouraged the students to continue to read. Persaud added that the children should set their goals of what they want to do and work towards achieving them.

Rohee hints at asking Parliament for extra funds for police training

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senior officer from the United Kingdom is just one of several overseas-based professionals that will be coming to Guyana to assist in a training session for senior officers through the Home Affairs Ministry.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee told a People’s Progressive Party/ civic (PPP/C) news conference on Monday that the UK official will be arriving shortly to mentor officers with the aim of strength-

ening the work of the force in Guyana. “We are expecting a senior training officer from the UK to visit Guyana to assist us in scoping exercise with respect to the training of the ranks of the Guyana Police Force…,” Rohee revealed.

Guyana, he said, will certainly be taking up all the available offers from its international and regional counterparts as efforts continue to boost the force.

“While in Moscow I met with top officials and other

law enforcement officials to discuss sending professionals here in Guyana to work with us, we will certainly take these opportunities as they come,” he added.

Rohee said the Home Affairs Ministry did not receive the full sum of money it had asked for to undertake the training, but work is progressing nevertheless.

He said the ministry will be approaching Parliament, whenever the need arises, for more funds to continue the training programmes.

“We didn’t get all the money we had asked for, but we got a significant amount and will be using that in the meantime, but we are most likely to come for a supplementary to continue this training,” Rohee said.

Forensic laboratory

With respect to the long overdue forensic laboratory, Rohee said contractors have asked for a one-week extension to complete work, and disclosed that the materials have arrived to continue

construction.

Rohee said the ministry has already identified the human resources to work in the lab and these persons are highly qualified for the various positions. The minister said he was surprised to know that all the needed human resources were right here in Guyana, and expressed satisfaction at this while commending the country’s skilled professionals.

“This attests to the fact that our country is blessed with the skills and abilities

needed to work in the lab,” he said.

Rohee, during his last visit to the site, had told reporters that he was impressed with the work done as it relates to the outlook of the building and what had been initially proposed. The force’s dependability on foreign forensic laboratories for DNA testing was raised during a recent discussion with President Donald Ramotar and the possibility of Guyana utilising local expertise is being considered.

14

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Jamaica: Church group plans U.S. expert says Dr Rowley big anti-gay march next Sunday presented fake emails

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he Leadership of Prayer 2000 – a partnership prayer ministry – has called on all churches across the island to participate in a peaceful prayer march next Sunday, ahead of the hearing of an application challenging the constitutionality of the buggery law by the Supreme Court on June 25.

The claim was filed by United States-based advocacy group AIDS-Free World on behalf of Jamaican Javed Jaghai. The group is asking the court to determine if the anti-sodomy law breaches rights guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms which was passed into law in 2011.

The initiative, dubbed, “Jamaica Mercy Cry”, will see churches from the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew, Portland, St Thomas, St Catherine,

Prayer 2000 has called on all churches across the island to participate in a “peaceful prayer march” next Sunday

Clarendon, Manchester, and in Eastern St Mary gathering outside the Houses of Parliament on Duke Street in downtown Kingston at 14:00h.

Meanwhile, churches from the parishes of St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny, St Ann, and in western St Mary will gath-

er on the grounds of the Trumpet Call Ministries Church in Montego Bay at 18:00h the same day.

President of Prayer 2000, Reverend Dr Naila Ricketts, in an invitation circulated to churches last week, said the pending action marked a very serious crossroads in the nation’s history. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

U.S. information technology expert says the emails purporting to show that members of the Trinidad and Tobago government, including Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, were engaged in efforts to undermine the judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the media, are false.

But Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, who presented the emails to the parliament during a debate on a motion of no-confidence against the government last month, has dismissed the findings of the expert, hired by Senior Counsel Israel Khan, the attorney for Prime Minister Persad- Bissessar.

“I could come with an expert now to say that the emails are proof. That is why the investigation must be independent,”

Caribbean diplomats to lobby London as APD fight continues

Funds from a Jamaican Building Society will assist the Caribbean diplomats in their battle for an ease in the tax which is said to seriously affect regional tourism

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aribbean diplomats in the United Kingdom are gearing up to lobby the British

government for an ease in the Airline Passenger Duty (APD), a tax which Caribbean countries say se-

riously affect their tourism industries.

Tourism and International Transport Minister Richard Sealy said the Caribbean diplomats have secured £40,000 (one British pound =US$1.57 cents) to assist them in this effort.

Sealy, who recently visited the United Kingdom to meet with stakeholders in the tourism industry, said the funds were sourced from a UK-based Jamaican Building Society to assist the high commissioners in their fight.

He also said the APD Steering Group, of which Barbados’ high commissioner was a member, was fully

on board with the initiative.

“High Commissioner (Hugh) Arthur is fully engaged along with the high commissioners from the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, among others, who are definitely keen and reenergised to engage the British government. There will also be a £40,000 public campaign as part of the effort,” he added.

The APD, instituted in 1994, is a British environmental tax aimed at offsetting aviation’s carbon footprint. In its initial stage, it was set at £5 (US$7.85) per person. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

TT justice minister denies advising prisoners to plead guilty

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ustice Minister Christlyn Moore is denying ever advising prisoners to plead guilty. Moore spoke with reporters in the parliament on Friday. She said during recent visits to certain prisons, some inmates had expressed the desire to plead guilty in their respective matters. Based on those developments, Moore

said, “talks were held with the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) and the chief justice on how persons who claim to be guilty could be facilitated, bearing in mind the backlog (in the court system).” She said: “Coming out of those talks, particularly with the chief justice, the judiciary has set aside two weeks to hear guilty pleas from persons who wish to so

plead.”

According to Moore, Chief Justice Ivor Archie has set aside the first two weeks in September for those hearings. The minister told reporters “that information was communicated to prisoners via the Legal Aid Office and the Criminal Bar Association and the DPP.” She insisted her ministry “has no in-

terest to safeguard by suggesting that people plead guilty”. Moore said the false information published in the media was “offensive”. She recalled that as a former criminal attorney, she defended people who were accused. According to Moore, the claim that she told prisoners to plead guilty “was completely out of character”.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Gurdian)

Belize takes steps to improve Internet service

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fter ranking dead last in a recent survey of Internet pricing and speeds in English-speaking Caribbean countries, Belize is taking steps to improve.

The country’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) hosted Belize’s first Internet exchange point open forum, bringing together interna-

tional and local stakeholders to discuss options for improving the quality and lowering the cost of Internet services for Belizeans. PUC Commissioner Kimano Barrow stated, “The PUC wants to create an environment where Internet-based companies and entrepreneurs can thrive in Belize. We were

able to get two internationally recognised experts in this area to share their knowledge with our local stakeholders.”

Over 65 persons representing ISPs, business, government agencies, civil society groups and academia, attended the half-day event in Belize City. Interactions centred on the economic and social bene-

fits of improved local Internet service and how best these benefits can be realised in a Belize context.

Bill Woodcock and Bevil Wooding from the U.S.-based Internet research and training firm Packet Clearing House (PCH) facilitated the special forum. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, who presented the emails to the parliament during a debate on a motion of no-confidence against the government last month, has dismissed the findings of the expert

Rowley told reporters after the 11 page report by Jon Berryhill was made public on Sunday.

“I am not paying any attention to output by interested parties. When you retain someone, they are paid by you,” he said, adding “I am more concerned with the corroborative aspect in

the emails”.

In his report on the authenticity of the emails, Berryhill, who runs Berryhill Computer Forensics in California, wrote “the analysis of this document provided overwhelming proof of its fraudulent nature. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

New Labour Party formed in St Kitts-Nevis

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t Kitts and Nevis has a new Labour Party ─ the People’s Labour Party (PLP).

“We are formally, officially and properly registered.

We are… a legal entity and we have done all that is required in relation to that,” PLP leader Dr Timothy Harris told WINN FM. Harris, a former senior government minister, and former Deputy Prime Minister Sam Condor, the PLP’s deputy leader, officially launched the new party at a press conference on Monday.

Speaking to WINN FM, Harris was reluctant to provide many details about the party ahead of Monday’s launch.

“What I would say though is that we are still a committed partner to the

concept of unity, and nothing that we do now or will do in the future will detract from the ultimate need and imperative for all of us as Kittitians and Nevisians to come together to save our country.”

The People’s Labour Party will host its first political meeting in Greenlands Park, Basseterre─ Condor’s constituency─ on Wednesday night. On Sunday, they will move to Harris’s constituency, holding a meeting in Tabernacle.

Harris, a seasoned member of parliament was fired by the prime minister as a member of Cabinet earlier this year, while Condor, who was then the deputy prime minister, was removed from his post as leader of government business. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Ecuador will continue to grant Julian Assange asylum

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cuador’s foreign minister has said its embassy in London will continue to provide political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Ricardo Patino was speaking after talks with his UK counterpart, William Hague.

Assange has been staying inside the embassy for the past year to avoid extradition to Sweden. The Australian anti-secrecy campaigner is wanted there for questioning over allegations by two women of sexual offences ─ which he denies.

Assange, who arrived at the Ecuadorean embassy in the Knightsbridge area of London a year ago on June

19, 2012 will be arrested if he leaves the building.

Patino said Assange was prepared to stay inside the embassy for five years.

The foreign office said the two ministers talked for 45 minutes and while there had been no breakthrough, they had “agreed to keep channels of communication open”.

“Ministers agreed that officials should establish a working group to find a diplomatic solution to the issue of Julian Assange, but no substantive progress was made,” it said.

“The foreign secretary was clear once again that any resolution would need to be within the laws of the United Kingdom.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

15 Around the World

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

report: Britain spied on New Iran leader vows New G-20 delegates in 2009 nuclear transparency B

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Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani ran is ready to show more transparency on its nuclear programme, said Presidentelect Hassan Rouhani.

In his first news conference since Friday’s election, Rouhani described as “unfair” sanctions imposed on his country. He also said Tehran would not suspend uranium enrichment activities.

The West suspects Iran of

trying to build nuclear weapons.

Iran said its programme is entirely peaceful.

The UK said it hoped Rouhani would act on his pledge to resolve the issue. “The government hopes that following Rouhani’s election, the Iranian government will take up the opportunity of a new relationship with the international com-

munity by making every effort to reach a negotiated settlement on the nuclear issue,” said UK Foreign Minister William Hague.

At his news conference, which covered a wide range of issues, Rouhani also said his government would work towards “constructive interaction with the world”, thanking Iranians for “choosing moderation”.

He said efforts to end continuing fighting in Syria and restore stability must rest with “the Syrian people”; the economy would be his main priority; and relations between Iran and the U.S. were “an old wound that needs to be healed”.

The conference ended abruptly when a man in the audience shouted that reformist leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who is currently under house arrest, should be president. (Excerpt from BBC News)

ritain’s electronic intelligence agency monitored delegates’ phones and tried to capture their passwords during an economic summit held there in 2009, the Guardian newspaper reported Sunday.

The targets included British allies such as Turkey and South Africa, the newspaper reported. The Guardian cited documents provided by Edward Snowden, the American computer analyst now spilling secrets of the U.S. intelligence community.

The latest report was published on the eve of another economic summit hosted by the British government – the Group of Eight economic summit in Northern Ireland.

According to the newspaper, the documents show that the British signals intelligence agency GCHQ used “groundbreaking intelligence capabilities” to intercept calls made by members of the larger G-20

Spying on G-20 delegates? conference delegations at meetings in London.

Analysts received roundthe-clock summaries of calls that were being made, and GCHQ set up Internet cafes for delegates in hopes of intercepting e-mails and capturing keystrokes, the Guardian reported. One briefing slide explained that it would give

intelligence agencies the ability to read delegates’ e-mails “before/as they do”, providing “sustained intelligence options against them even after conference has finished”.

GCHQ is Britain’s equivalent of the National Security Agency, the highly secretive U.S. communications intelligence service. (Excerpt from CNN)

Obama, Putin meet Indonesian parliament paves way for Syria talks as for fuel hike amid protests G8 summit opens

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.S. President Barack Obama will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks ahead of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland on Monday as the Syria policies of the two nations appeared to be on a collision course.

Putin has repeatedly vowed to continue providing military support to beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad despite pleas from the West, and has been dismissive of recent U.S. claims that the regime had crossed a “red line” by using chemical weapons.

The U.S. has since vowed to increase military aid to the rebels, a move that could see Syria become the centre of a proxy war between the old

Cold War foes.

Washington wants Putin to withdraw Russian support for Assad, who Obama has repeatedly demanded leave power. Obama is also expected to emphasise that he wants to go ahead with a Geneva peace summit co-organised with Moscow and planned for June, an initiative that appears to be losing steam.

Speaking Sunday in London after pre-summit talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Putin said Moscow had always acted in line with the rules in providing weapons to Syria and demanded that other G8 countries that are now considering arming the rebels do likewise.

(Excerpt from France24)

Indonesian demonstrators burn tyres outside the parliament in Jakarta during protests against plans to raise the price of fuel on June 17 ndonesian lawmakers on Monday ap- prices since 2008 amid nationwide protests proved a revised budget in a move that against the measure. paves the way for the first hike in fuel As masked protesters hurling Molotov

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cocktails clashed with police outside the national parliament in Jakarta, lawmakers inside voted 338 to 181 in favour of the state budget following more than 10 hours of debates.

The budget contains extra financial assistance for the poor to shield them from the impact of a rise in the price of fuel, which is expected to increase around 33 per cent.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono previously said such measures were necessary before he would hike fuel prices.

Indonesia has long been under pressure to reduce fuel subsidies, with economists warning that the payouts gobble up a huge chunk of the state budget and are doing major damage to Southeast Asia’s top economy.

However, millions are against lowering the payouts, which would push up the cost of living, and huge protests have in the past forced the government to abandon plans to hike the fuel price. (Excerpt from France24)

Anger in China over attack Turkish government says it may use army to end protests on students in France

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violent attack on a group of Chinese students in a small town in south-west France has prompted anger and condemnation in China.

During the assault Friday night in the town of Hostens, south of Bordeaux, one of the students suffered a serious injury after a glass bottle was thrown in her face, French authorities said.

In France to study the making of wine, the six students

Anti-government protests continued in Istanbul and Ankara on Sunday night

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he Turkish government has said it could use the army to end nearly three weeks of unrest by protesters in Istanbul and other cities.

The government would use “all its powers” and the armed forces if necessary, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said on state-run television.

It is the first time the Islamist-rooted ruling party has raised the prospect of deploying the armed forces.

The issue is sensitive as the army is seen as a bastion of sec-

ularism.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told hundreds of thousands of supporters at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday that the protesters were manipulated by “terrorists”.

Trade unions have called a strike to protest against the police crackdown on demonstrators which has seen some 500 people arrested.

Medical officials estimate that 5000 people have been injured and at least four killed in the unrest.

The protests began on May 28 against a plan to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi Park, on the city’s central Taksim Square, but it snowballed into nationwide anti-government protests after the perceived high-handed response of the authorities under their three-term prime minister. Arinc told state-run TV that “the innocent demonstrations that began 20 days ago” had “completely ended”. Any further demonstrations would be “immediately suppressed”, he added. (Excerpt from BBC News)

were at home when they were attacked by three local residents who were “visibly in an inebriated state,” French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said in a statement Saturday.

He condemned the attack “with great severity,” describing it as “xenophobic”. Two of the suspected attackers have been questioned and taken into custody, he said.

The Chinese embassy in

Paris on Sunday “strongly condemned” the attack, calling on French authorities to “bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of Chinese students in the country”, the state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Users of the popular Chinese social media platform Weibo also expressed anger over the attack and concern about other Chinese students living overseas. (Excerpt from CNN)

Russia says it will not allow Syrian no-fly zones

R

ussia, a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, will not permit no-fly zones to be imposed over Syria, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Monday.

“I think we fundamentally will not allow this scenario,” Lukashevich told a news briefing, adding that calls for a nofly zone showed disrespect for international law.

Lukashevich spoke be-

fore planned talks between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of a G8 summit in Northern Ireland which were expected to focus on the conflict in Syria that has killed at least 93,000 people.

Russia and the U.S. are trying to bring representatives of Syrian President Bashar alAssad and his foes to the negotiating table, but Moscow has criticised U.S. plans to arm rebel forces and to consider im-

posing a no-fly zone.

“All these manoeuvres about no-fly zones and humanitarian corridors are a direct consequence of a lack of respect for international law,” Lukashevich said.

He said Russia did not want a scenario in Syria that resembled the events in Libya after the imposition of a no-fly zone which enabled NATO aircraft to help rebels overthrow Muammar Gaddafi. (Excerpt from Reuters)

16

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

guyanatimesgy.com

Africa

Caribbean

TT govt’s plan to transform nation’s economy

O

pportunities in the energy sector must be optimised to foster a sustainable and stable economy in the future, Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie has said. In his address at a seminar on a Achieving Sustainability in Regions with Extractive Industries in south Trinidad, Tewarie said this must be done even as efforts continue to diversify TT’s economic base. “These are the twin considerations driving the Medium Term

Policy Framework – how to get the most out of oil and gas assets, developed and created, current, future and evolving and how to create new opportunities outside of this sector because in spite of the value of energy assets, they are inevitably finite,” he said.

The minister said the most recent Ryder Scott audit of TT’s natural gas reserves showed there had been a two per cent decline in proven reserves in 2011 to 13,257 billion cubic feet (bcf).

Probable reserves also declined and possible reserves increased marginally. He added: “However, another important figure is our unrisked exploratory resources, and this went up by 5000 bcf, to just over 30,000 bcf. Unrisked exploratory reserves represent the potential for future discoveries, and it is upon this that the future development of the natural gas industry, and in the downstream energy sector, will depend. (Trinidad Guardian)

The mobile banking game-changer in Ethiopia

O

n January 1, 2013, the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) issued a long-awaited directive that allows transaction-based mobile banking for the country’s unbanked citizens.

Four major players – Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, M-BIRR, BelCash and Zemen Bank’s z-Birr – are expected to begin operations later this year, making Ethiopia the last but one African country to adopt this technology; Zimbabwe continues to resist the tide of m-banking.

Bankers and analysts alike welcome the move. “It will be transformational for Ethiopia’s economy in general and the financial services sector in particular,” said Zemedeneh Negatu, managing partner at Ernst & Young Ethiopia.

He thinks that up to 50 million people could benefit.

However, he recognises that the impact is dependent upon increased mobile penetration, as Ethiopia currently has 22 million subscribers, a figure that is expected to rise to 64 million by

2015.

The regulatory framework could limit m-banking’s progress.

Paper receipts will be required for every transaction, necessitating the use of a printer and a consistent electricity supply, both of which may not be easily available in remote rural areas.

The transfer limit is 6000 birr (US$324) – other countries have a ceiling of US$1000. In addition, foreign-owned companies are disqualified from acting as agents. (Africa News)

Asia

North America China’s Tianhe-2 retakes Apple discloses U.S. data fastest supercomputer crown requests following Prism leaks China-based supercom- 2011. benchmark, Tianhe-2 – mean-

A

pple is the latest tech firm to publish details of data requests from the U.S. authorities. The firm said it received requests for information linked to between 9000 and 10,000 accounts or devices between December and the end of May. It said the demands included “national security matters” among other information. Microsoft and Facebook published similar numbers last week.

But Google and Twitter

have said that such disclosures are not helpful. “We have always believed that it’s important to differentiate between different types of government requests,” said a statement by Google published on Saturday.

“Lumping the two categories together would be a step back for users.”

A tweet from Twitter’s legal director, Benjamin Lee, added: “We agree... it’s important to be able to publish numbers of national security requests - including

Fisa [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] disclosures separately.”

Tech firms have been under pressure to disclose information about data passed to the National Security Agency since The Guardian and Washington Post revealed the existence of Prism – a programme giving the NSA access to user data held on the servers of tech firms including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, and Apple. (BBC News)

Europe

EU, U.S. leaders launch free-trade talks

T

he United States and European Union launched negotiations on one of the world’s most ambitious free-trade agreements on Monday, promising thousands of jobs and speedier growth on both sides of the Atlantic. Such a plan was first considered three decades ago but knocked down by France in the 1990s. Europe has now managed to get Paris onside, opening the way to a deal that could boost the EU and U.S. economies by more than

US$100 billion a year each.

“This is a once in a generation prize and we are determined to seize it,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron, flanked by U.S. President Barack Obama and the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council at the Group of Eight summit near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland.

The first round of negotiations will take place in Washington on July 8, the White House said in a state-

ment. The United States and Europe account for almost half of the world’s total output and a third of its trade. A freetrade deal therefore holds the prospect of massive economic gains and accompanying jobs.

While both U.S. and EU negotiators are aware that a final deal will be tough to clinch, they are also conscious of the rising power and influence of China and the need to deepen Western economic integration in order to compete with Asia. (Reuters)

Market statistics Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana

Fixed as at January 7, 2013 Calculated at 94% purity

Buying

Selling

U.S.

GBP

$310.58

$344.58

Cambio

CAN

$161.50

$181.42

Gross

$312,663

USD

$198.42

$205.58

Net

$290,776

Selling

$322,632

$1645.25 $202.17

Indicators as on June 17, 2013 Live Spot Gold

Indicators

USD Per Once

Bid/Ask

$1384.70

$1385.70

Low/High

$1379.80

$1388.70

Change

-6.80

-0.49

June 17 USD GBP EUR June 14 USD GBP EUR

London Gold Fix AM 1386.00 881.79 1038.59 AM 1379.75 882.76 1035.54

puter has leapfrogged rivals to be named the world’s most powerful system. Tianhe-2, developed by the government-run National University of Defence Technology, topped the latest list of the fastest 500 supercomputers, by a team of international researchers.

They said the news was a “surprise” since the system had not been expected to be ready until 2015. China last held the top rank between November 2010 and June

According to the list, the U.S. has the world’s second and third fastest supercomputers, Titan and Sequoia, while Japan’s K computer drops to fourth spot.

The latest version of the twice-yearly list – which is overseen by Hans Meuer, professor of computer science at the University of Mannheim – was published to coincide with the International Supercomputing Conference in Leipzig, Germany.

According to the Linpack

ing Milky Way-2 – operates at 33.86 petaflop/sec, the equivalent of 33,860 trillion calculations per second.

The benchmark measures real-world performance - but in theory the machine can boost that to a “peak performance” of 54.9 petaflop/sec.

The project was sponsored by the Chinese government’s 863 High Technology Programme – an effort to make the country’s hi-tech industries more competitive and less dependent on overseas rivals. (BBC News)

Middle East UAE said to revive plan to merge stock exchanges

T

he UAE has revived a proposal to merge its two main stock exchanges in a state-backed deal that could boost trade in the local market and attract more foreign investment to the Gulf state, sources familiar with the plan said. Talks on a potential merger between the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) have occurred on and off since at least 2010.

There are no common listings on the exchanges; a merger could deepen the equity market of the Arab world’s second biggest economy, encouraging more companies to list their shares and international institutions to buy them. But progress toward the proposed tie-up halted because of differences over how to value the exchanges, and because the two emirates were preoccupied by other issues such as the aftermath of Dubai’s 2009-2010

corporate debt crisis. In recent weeks, however, officials in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have focused on the idea again, with the two emirates showing willingness to consolidate some of their business interests to compete in the global economy, the sources said. “The entire valuation, structuring of the deal is done. It’s been an ongoing process and the decision is now pending at the highest authorities in the two emirates,” one source said. (Arabianbusiness)

Investors' guide

Cambio Rates

Cur

A

Crude Oil Price Silver Platinum

US$ per barrel

Change %

$105.92

+0.93

USD per Ounce

Change %

$21.84

-0.24 -12.00

$1433.00

PM 1384.75 879.77 1037.97 PM 1391.25 887.62 1044.01

Projecting start-up costs for a business

T

he first step to becoming a successful entrepreneur is to project the start up costs of your prospective business. Costs vary greatly, depending on your product or service, but here are some basic guidelines to help you lay the foundations of your business.

Fixed and variable costs are considered the two major kinds of costs incurred by a startup business. Fixed costs are defined as unchangeable costs that are the same regardless of output – such as rent and equipment. Variable costs are defined as costs that fluctuate depending on the success of the company – such as wages, utility bills and taxes.

Real estate and contractors

First and foremost, you’ll need an office to base your operations. If you’re offering a service or retail goods, then this will most likely cost more, as your business will need to be more centrally located to attract passerby. On the other hand, if your business is simply producing goods that are sold over the Internet or other retail partners, then you can afford to move your business far out into the suburbs for a larger, cheaper complex. You’ll also have to decide if you want to rent or buy. Renting may be the more

prudent move initially, unless you have massive funds saved up for your venture.

After you choose your office location, you’ll likely need to enlist the aid of contractors and interior designers to make your office a functional work environment by remodelling and adding equipment.

Make sure you cross check contractors’ references as well as their credentials with the Better Business Bureau.

Many small businesses have been cheated by unscrupulous contractors, so make sure the contractors give you a fair estimate in writing and allow you to oversee all aspects of the construction. (Business Dictionary) (TO BE CONTINUED)

Business concept – Mutual fund

Last:15179.85

Changes: +109.67

% Change: +0.73

Open: 15078.71

High: 15261.71

Low: 15078.71

% YTD: +15.84

52Wk Hi: 15398.48

52 Wk Lo: 12035.09

An investment vehicle managed by finance professionals that raises capital by selling shares (called units) in a chosen and balanced set of securities to the public.

A mutual fund’s capital is invested in a group (portfolio) of corporate securities, commodities, options, etc, that match the fund’s objectives detailed in its prospectus.

NEWS

17

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Upcoming yacht rally to catalyse industry – at least 20 vessels expected

A

t least 20 yachts are expected to grace Guyana’s waters come September in the first leg of the 10-day Nereid’s Rally.

Acting Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali met with the organiser of the event, Davide Matelicani along with Kit Nascimento; representatives from the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Tourism Ministry and the Guyana Tourism Authority.

In his presentation, Matelicani announced that Guyana is the destination for the first leg of the rally and participants will stop at Bartica, after which a formal welcome awaits them at the Hurakabra River Resort, which is a partner in this event.

Participants will have eight days to explore the delights of Guyana, taking part in some of the many tour offerings before the rally moves on to its final leg in French Guiana.

Matelicani noted too that the southern route is becoming more popular as a result of the change in weather patterns and more and more yachters are looking to es-

Yachts moored in the Essequibo River

cape the hurricane weather.

Ideal geographic location

“Guyana is ideal because of its geographic location and then there is the ease of coming to Guyana (customs clearance), this is a big selling point,” he stated.

Among the issues discussed on Sunday were the need for an enhanced Coast Guard presence, expeditious immigration and customs processing, strengthened police presence, and the necessity of adequate infrastructure to host similar flotillas in the future.

In this regard, Minister Ali pledged that the ministry will seek to ensure that all systems are in place to make the inaugural event a success by involving all of the stakeholders.

He said too that the ministry’s aim is to use this event to catapult the yacht industry in Guyana and to harness the influx of yachts to develop the necessary infrastructure to further support the industry.

Minister Ali explained, “This is not a one-off event and the government of Guyana will ensure that we do what is necessary for this

pioneering industry, and we welcome any involvement and support.”

Meanwhile, all stakeholders present assured the minister that their agencies will work along with the organisers and the participants, to ensure that yachters have easy clearance, safe anchorage, and a secure environment.

When the rally departs Guyana, another warm welcome awaits participants when they arrive at Saint Laurent du Maroni in French Guiana.

Matelicani emphasised that such events provide opportunities for investment, job creation, and act as catalyst for the successful hosting of future events; he revealed too that registration for the 2014 rally is already underway as this is intended to be an annual activity.

The first set of yachters in the rally is expected to arrive on September, while the convoy is expected to depart for French Guiana on September 16.

This upcoming event is being featured in major publications including the Caribbean Compass, the Boca, on Noonsite and online via blogs, information is also available on the website- ww.marinaslm.com/rally.

Police could probe fraud in IDB security programme

H

ome Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said it was likely that the Guyana Police Force would be called upon to conduct investigations into the alleged fraud within the Citizens’ Security Programme (CSP).

Rohee’s comment comes shortly after the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) completed its probe into the allegations of fraud in the US$19 million programme, involving its former coordinator, Khemraj Rai. In an interview with media operatives, the minister noted that when the allegations were brought to light, via a letter, a copy of the document was sent to the police force; however, they are awaiting the report from the IDB before commencing the investigation.

Rohee stated that the IDB’s team was in Guyana for three weeks investigating the allegations and during this process, they were given access to all the materials they needed.

“We gave them access to all the records, all the files, and they examined what

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee

they wanted. I also gave instructions that all the persons that needed to be interviewed for them to make themselves available and they (investigators) were satisfied with the access they got, with the records, with the files, and the individuals,” the minister said.

The minister pointed out that he was transparent from the time the issue was brought to light and had sent the letter to the IDB, Finance Ministry

and to the permanent secretary. He added by that time, Rai had already resigned, citing “ill health” as the reason.

The home affairs minister went on to say that the alleged fraud might have been disclosed as a result of a deal which went sour. He opined: “It is quite obvious that a deal went sour that the man didn’t get what he was supposed to get and as a result of the deal going sour, he spilled the beans

and that’s how it came out.”

Rohee expressed disappointment that a security project has been implicated in corruption, more so persons who were given responsibility.

“People who are given certain responsibility to fulfil must do so professionally, it was on that basis that they are given jobs, because they were professionally qualified… I feel very bad, it’s not a good sign, it is as if you are talking about corruption in the police force.”

The minister pointed out that he cannot say whether Rai was interviewed by the IDB investigators; however, he will be working with the institution to ensure that there is not a recurrence of this incident, which he called “most unfortunate”.

He added that one can have the best system in place but if there are corrupt individuals involved, then such incidents are inevitable. The minister noted that no one can prejudge anyone, while stating that at the time of his employment, Rai had “clean” record.

Former Anna Regina mayor passes on

F

ormer Anna Regina Mayor Etwaria Kumar has passed away. According to reports, she died at her residence at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast around 03:00h last Friday after suffering from chest pain.

She was 70 years old.

Kumar served as mayor of Anna Regina from 1990 to 1993. She also served as headmistress of the Anna Regina Multilateral School and was known as a very hardworking and dedicated person in the field of education.

At the time of her death, she was employed at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Anna Regina office. Kumar served on several developmental committees in the region.

Former Anna Regina Mayor Etwaria Kumar

At the start of the Interim Management Committee/ Business Community Stakeholders’ Town Day planning meeting in the town hall on Monday, members observed a minute of silence in respect of Kumar’s passing. Councillors also reflected on her life and works.

Overseas-based couple have big plans for Buxton Emancipation celebrations

B

usinessman Morris Wilson and his wife, Jocelyn, have begun planning their contributions to this year’s (annual) observation and celebration of Emancipation in Buxton during the first week of August this year.

The Wilsons’ Emancipation week/day contributions will be highlighted by a first anniversary dedication of a monument that was erected last year to mark the extra- judicial deaths of approximately 400 Guyanese during the early 2000s; the co-sponsorship of a symposium to mark the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion; and a village-wide ceremony that will feature various cultural presentations

to highlight Emancipation Day. The symposium to mark the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion is being co-sponsored by the Wilsons and a New Yorkbased New Amsterdam group called COFONA. The one-day symposium will examine how examples and experiences from the Berbice Slave Rebellion and subsequent revolts in Guyana could be used to motivate and stimulate business and economic ventures among Afro-Guyanese.

The Wilsons are currently in the process of mobilising and recruiting performers and artistes to participate in the cultural presentations in celebration of Emancipation.

Protests spread in Brazil

T

ens of thousands of people marched through Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo, on Monday as protests spread over rising public transport prices and the cost of staging the 2014 World Cup. Marches took place in at least 10 cities including the capital, Brasilia, where demonstrators climbed onto the roof of the national congress building.

Protesters also clashed with police near Rio de Janeiro’s state assembly.

The unrest began last week, after the announcement of increased bus fares.

But the complaints of demonstrators soon extended beyond transport costs when clashes in Sao Paulo led to claims of excessive use of force by police. Dozens of

people were hurt, including several journalists.

Since then, protesters have voiced frustration at public transport, security, health and the extent of public investment in two international football tournaments. The protests have increased since the start of the Confederations Cup on Saturday, seen as a dress rehearsal for the 2014 World Cup. In Sao Paulo, some 65,000 people brought the country’s largest city to a standstill, as police stood by and watched.

Security chiefs had met protest organisers earlier in an attempt to avert trouble and announced that regular police would not carry rubber bullet guns at the demonstration. (Excerpt from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ARCHIE

By Bernice Bede Osol

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) You’re in a very good achievement cycle, so don’t waste your valuable time on insignificant objectives.

Go after only the biggest game.

DILBERT

CANCER (June 21July 22) The welfare of others is likely to be your prime concern. However, even though this is a noble effort, you’ll derive some fringe benefits from your selflessness.

AQUARIUS

LEO

(Jan. 20Feb. 19)

(July 23Aug. 22)

That wheel of fortune seems to be spinning in your direction. What it can do for you first needs to be recognised and then taken advantage of, so be alert.

CALVIN AND HOBBES PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Some fortunate developments might occur that won’t be orchestrated by you, yet will produce advantages as if you had personally designed them.

You’re presently in a cycle where you could realise more than a few hopes and desires.

However, nothing will be simply handed to you, you’ll have to work hard for your rewards.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) Who you know and what you know will prove of immeasurable help in a complicated undertaking.

You’ll need to utilise both to achieve maximum results.

PEANUTS

SUDOKU

ARIES

LIBRA

(March 21-April 19)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

If you have something that needs to be worked out, avoid discussing it with the multitude, which would only prove confusing. Select a confidant who keeps his or her head on straight.

You have a knack for improving upon the ideas of others. You should have ample raw material to draw from at present, and you’ll be able make some impressive achievements.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Instead of asking someone to take care of an issue that could affect your security, do it yourself. You’ll handle things better on your own.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22) Joint ventures look to be especially promising.

You’ll be in a position to successfully help further something initiated by another, and you’ll come out ahead in the process.

Monday's solution GEMINI (May 21June 20) Anyone who teams up with you to handle a bold, imaginative endeavour will be considered lucky.

You’ll provide the needed know-how for success.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21) Friends will find you to be refreshingly honest. Because you’ll compliment only those who deserve praise, what you say will have impact.

NEWS 19

YELLOW PAGES

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

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EDUCATION It’s here again!!” Music summer camp 2013” register now!! keyboard, guitar, drums recorder & voice training starts July 8-19 from 10-12pm. Phone: 225-1151, 6118416, 652-8176, 644-1736 or 6174200, WHERE CAN YOU GET A BOOK FOR $40? THE MASSIVE BOOKSALE, NOW ON AT BOOKLAND, ABOVE MATTS RECORD BAR (226-2874).

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FOR SALE One 4108 Perkins Engine. Call: 6805346 Clean garden earth & builders waste. Also bobcat rental, excavating, clearing and leveling. Phone: 616-0617 or 663-3285.

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Phone: 225-3923, mobile: 6213249. We cut any type of key, service and repair all types of locks.

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China in carbon trading experiment

C

hina, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, is to launch its first carbon trading scheme as a pilot project in Shenzhen.

The test scheme, which will be rolled out to seven areas by 2014, could be spread across the country after 2015.

Beijing is aiming for a 40 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 from 2005 levels, without specifying how it will achieve that goal. The government has previously faced pressure to reduce pollution in cities.

Expensive habit?

Carbon emissions trading schemes are meant to encourage companies to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by setting a limit, called a cap, on the level of carbon dioxide that can be emitted in a region.

Companies are given credits, each equal to one tonne of carbon, which they can then buy and sell according to individual needs.

The bigger polluters have to bear the added cost of buying more carbon credits, while the less polluting companies can make money by selling their credits.

The Shenzhen Carbon Exchange is set to launch on Tuesday. It will cover 635 industrial and construction companies. A previous statement from the exchange said it expected to add transport firms as well as all major companies that consume oil, gas, coal and power.

Shenzhen is the smallest of the test regions in terms

China will pilot its scheme in seven places; Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing and the provinces of Hubei and Guangdong

of overall carbon emissions.

China will pilot its scheme in six other places; Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing and the provinces of Hubei and Guangdong.

Price swings

Carbon trading schemes have encountered problems elsewhere in the world.

Recently the biggest carbontrading scheme in the world, run by the European Union, nearly collapsed.

Launched in 2008, the system began successfully with the price for carbon emission credits rising to US$40 (£25.50) a tonne, encouraging some companies to switch to using cleaner fuels.

However, as Europe en-

tered its prolonged economic crisis, industrial activity fell dramatically, reducing the need for companies to buy emissions credits. This caused a gradual fall in the price of carbon credits and in recent weeks the price has fallen below US$4 a tonne.

“In Europe there was definitely a lot of speculation around the credits – it was one of the most volatile commodities,” said Winnie Tang, a director at Kind Resources an investment and deal advisory firm.

“A lot of traders were speculating that the price will keep going up and up, but then all of a sudden the financial crisis hit and the prices dropped.” (BBC News)

Peruvian protesters push to stop US$5B Newmont mine

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housands of opponents of a US$5 billion gold project of Newmont Mining circled a lake high in the Andes on Monday, vowing to stop the company from eventually draining it to make way for Peru’s most expensive mine.

Lake Perol is one of several lakes that would eventually be displaced to mine ore from the Conga project.

Water from the lakes would be transferred to four reservoirs that the U.S. company and its Peruvian partner, Buenaventura, are building or planning to build.

The companies say the reservoirs would end seasonal shortages and guarantee year-round water supplies to towns and farmers in the area, but many residents fear they would lose control of the water or that the mine would cause pollution.

“Hopefully, the company and the government will see the crowd here today and stop the project,” said Cesar Correa, 28, of the town of Huangashanga in the northern region of Cajamarca.

He was one of many protesters who arrived at Lake Perol on foot or on horse-

back, some wearing ponchos, as well as traditional broad-brimmed straw hats or baseball caps. Others carried blankets and bags of potatoes and rice – planning to camp out at the site for weeks to halt the project.

The company said about 1000 protesters were present, though protesters said their flock swelled to 5000 or 6000. A Reuters witness estimated 4000 people at the protest.

“Why would we want a reservoir controlled by the company when we already have lakes that naturally provide us water?” asked Angel Mendoza, a member of a peasant patrol group from the town of Pampa Verde.

The controversy over Conga – which many in the business sector see as essential for the country’s bustling economy – has posed a major challenge to President Ollanta Humala during his nearly two years in office.

He has twice shuffled his cabinet in the face of violent protests against the project.

The protest on Monday was largely peaceful and there were no clashes with police, though a handful of

protesters threw rocks and set fire to a wall near one reservoir.

Newmont and Buenaventura said in a statement: “As stated previously, we will only build the proposed Perol reservoir if we are able to secure all the necessary permits and complete an intensive public involvement process with neighbouring communities.”

“We respect everyone’s right to safely and responsibly express their opinion, whether they oppose mining or support economic development,” the statement said. In May, a minor clash between protesters and police marked an ended nine months of relative calm when Humala’s government said it would stop trying to overcome local opposition to the mine.

The new round of protests came after a top official for the Conga project, Chief Executive Roque Benavides of Buenaventura, told Reuters water from Perol would be transferred to a new reservoir later this year. He later said the project might be in jeopardy if water from the lakes could not be transferred. (Yahoo! News)

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TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

Australia out after Sri Lanka defeat S

ri Lanka progressed into the Champions Trophy semi-finals with victory over Australia, who failed in their ‘mission improbable’ at The Oval on Monday.

The holders had to win and reach the 254-run target set by their opponents inside only 29.1 overs in order to qualify, but it proved to be too great an ask.

After a good start, the run-rate dropped as they missed the first target before losing the match by 20 runs.

Sri Lanka join England in the semis.

South Africa await Group A winners England in the last-four clash at The Oval on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka, who could have finished top of Group A had they bowled Australia out for 164 or less, will face India in Cardiff on Thursday.

“We are playing hard and passionate cricket. That has been the mantra of our success in the past and I hope it continues in the future also,” said man of the match Mahela Jayawardene.

“We look forward to another tough match in the semi-final.”

Having lost their opening match to England and suffered a washout against

New Zealand, Australia faced a big task even before a ball was bowled.

They won the toss and elected to field with the mindset of bowling out their opponents cheaply and achieving their target in quick time.

But Sri Lanka, who knew a victory without considering permutations would see them qualify, frustrated Australia with patient batting.

Sri Lanka’s run-rate never rose above 5.00 after the fourth over, knowing they needed to play safe in order to set a competitive target for the Baggy Greens.

Only Dinesh Chandimal showed some urgency in the last few overs, smashing Clint McKay for six in the 44th over – the first and only six of the innings.

Jayawardene hung around from the 23rd over to the very end for his unbeaten 84.

It was a good if unremarkable innings, however the 36-year-old surpassed 11,000 runs in one-day cricket – only the eighth batsman to do so.

Lahiru Thirimanne was the only other batsman to make a half-century in the match, falling for 57 when Shane Watson caught his pull-shot at mid-wicket

he was run-out in mid-jog unaware that Kulasekara’s throw was about to hit his stumps.

Adam Voges (49) caused some frustration, but after he fell Sri Lanka must have thought victory was theirs.

But it appeared there might be one more twist, as the final-wicket pairing of McKay and Xavier Doherty stubbornly batted on knowing Australia could still win the match, although tournament progression was out of the question.

However, needing 20 runs to secure an unlikely victory, McKay looped Tillakaratne Dilshan’s delivery back at him to the delight of bowler and the passionate Sri Lanka fans.

“It would have been nice to get over the line in the end,” said Australia skipper Bailey.

“Our goal was to do it in 29 overs, but we never got going. But it was good to see the last two fight it out.” (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD

Mahela Jayawardene was in dazzling form, caressing his way to an unbeaten 84 (International Cricket Council)

off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson. The Queensland paceman was the pick of the Australia bowlers, taking 3-48.

Australia lost an early wicket when opener Watson (five) was bowled by Nuwan Kulasekara, but that did not detract them from the

task in hand as the run-rate leapt to more than 8.00, near what was required of them.

However, their plans were decimated as four wickets fell in quick succession to leave them on 80-5. The dismissal of stand-in captain George Bailey summed up the calamitous period when

Sri Lanka innings M Perera lbw b Johnson 4 T Dilshan c Watson b Doherty 34 K Sangakkara† c Maxwell b McKay 3 H Thirimanne c Watson b Johnson 57 M Jayawardene not out 84 A Mathews* b Faulkner 12 L Chandimal c Hughes b Johnson 31 K Kulasekara run out (Maxwell/† Wade) 6 H Herath run out (Marsh/Faulkner) 2 L Malinga not out 2 Extras: (b5, lb7, w4, nb2) 18 Total: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 253 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-20, 3-92, 4-128, 5-159, 6-224, 7-234, 8-244 Bowling: M Johnson 10-0-48-3, C McKay 10-1-51-1, J Faulkner 9-0-60-1, S Watson 4-0-14-0, X Doherty 10-1-30-1, M Marsh 2-0-12-0, G Maxwell 5-0-26-0

Australia innings S Watson b Kulasekara 5 P Hughes c †Sangakkara b Kulasekara 13 G Maxwell b Malinga 32 G Bailey* run out (Kulasekara) 4 A Voges c Eranga b Herath 49 M Marsh b Mathews 4 M Wade† c Dilshan b Kulasekara 31 J Faulkner c †Sangakkara b Herath 17 M Johnson c Kulasekara b Eranga 4 C McKay c & b Dilshan 30 X Doherty not out 15 Extras: (lb11, w17, nb1) 29 Total: (all out, 42.3 overs) 233 Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-45, 3-59, 4-69, 5-80, 6-127, 7-163, 8-168, 9-192, 10-233 Bowling: R Eranga 8-1-401, K Kulasekara 9-0-42-3, L Malinga 9-0-60-1, H Herath 10-0-48-2, A Mathews 3-021-1, T Dilshan 3.3-0-11-1

Nigeria swamp Tahiti in India name CT13 squad for tri-series Confed Cup opener

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ELO HORIZONTE, Brazil – Nnamdi Oduamadi claimed a hattrick as Nigeria shook off the jet lag to thrash minnows Tahiti 6-1 in their opening Confederations Cup game in Belo Horizonte on Monday.

The African champions only arrived in Brazil 36 hours before the game after a row over bonus payments, but they could even afford some wasteful finishing as they leapfrogged world champions Spain to the top of Group B. It was a predictably chastening experience for Tahiti, ranked 138th in the world, but they were nonetheless able to celebrate when Jonathan Tehau headed in their first ever goal at a high-profile international event.

Tehau’s goal, early in the second half, trimmed Nigeria’s lead to 3-1 after a deflected Uwa Echiejile shot and a pair of goals from Oduamadi had put Nigeria in command.

However, the south Pacific islanders’ hopes of a famous comeback were dashed as Tehau put through his own goal before Oduamadi and Echiejile added further goals to give Stephen Keshi’s men a spring in their step ahead of Thursday’s crucial showdown with Uruguay.

A sparse crowd of just 20,187 made their way to the newly renovated Estadio Mineirao but they were vocal in their support of Tahiti, who registered the game’s first shot on target through Vincent Simon.

Fortune deserted the underdogs moments later, however.

Nnamdi Oduamadi

After the ball bounced off referee Joel Aguilar, Echiejile launched a speculative shot that deflected off Tehau and captain Nicolas Vallar and ricocheted past Tahiti goalkeeper Xavier Samin.

Oduamadi added two more, neatly side-stepping a pair of challenges and sweeping home in the 10th minute, before tapping in his second when Samin spilled a low cross from Ahmed Musa.

Nigeria made heavy work of putting the game to bed though, with Musa miskicking in front of an open goal before Anthony Ujah and Sunday Mba both allowed Samin to save when clean through on goal.

Tahiti had already seen their one professional player, Marama Vahirua, drive a shot narrowly over, and they threatened to make things interesting as Steevy Chong Hue headed wide from a Ricky Aitamai cross.

Musa miscued again from 12 yards early in the second half, before the goal that Tahiti had been threatening arrived in the 54th minute.

The honour fell to Tehau, who headed in a deep corner kick from Vahirua at the back post and then led his ecstatic team-mates in a canoe-paddling celebration.

The goal also sparked jubilation on the bench, coach Eddy Etatea leaping from the dugout with his fists in the air, but Tehau’s day took a turn for the worse in the 68th minute when he inadvertently toed the ball into his own goal to restore Nigeria’s three-goal advantage.

Oduamadi tucked in a cross from substitute Brown Ideye to complete his hat-trick in the 76th minute, with Echiejile adding a sixth shortly after as Tahiti’s reserves of resistance finally ran dry. (Fox Sports)

Suresh Raina

Virat Kohli

ndia have named an unchanged squad from the one playing in the Champions Trophy for the ODI tri-series in the West Indies, which begins on June 28.

The continuity is reflective of the team’s success in the ongoing tournament, where they have reached the semi-finals after winning all their group matches.

The squad includes five seam bowlers in Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Vinay Kumar, and three spinners: R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra.

MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and M Vijay constitute the batting.

India will travel to the West Indies following the Champions Trophy, for the series that also includes the hosts and Sri Lanka.

The make-up of the squad indicates that the Indian selectors, in relation to the one-day team, have turned their focus firmly on World Cup 2015. India had fielded a new-look team for the Champions Trophy, dropping seniors like Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. These players as well as others – including Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh – who had been central to India’s success over the previous decade but have had form and injury issues of late, remain sidelined.

India Squad: MS Dhoni (capt/ wk), Shikhar Dhawan, M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Irfan Pathan, Amit Mishra, Vinay Kumar. (First published on Cricinfo)

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TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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Spurs move one win from title S

AN ANTONIO ─ Manu Ginobili ran onto the floor as fans stood and screamed.

The sights and sounds of so many San Antonio spring nights were back Sunday ─ and the real party might be just a few days away.

Ginobili broke out of a slump in a big way with 24 points and 10 assists in his first start of the season, and the Spurs beat the Miami Heat 114-104 to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals.

Tony Parker scored 26 points, Tim Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Ginobili had his highest-scoring game of the season as the Spurs became the first team to shoot 60 percent in a finals game in four years.

“He’s such a huge part of what we do and how far we’ve come. You can see it tonight in how we played and the results of the game,’’ Duncan said. "We’re always confident in him. ... we know he has it in him.

We hope he can bring it forward for one more win.’’

Danny Green smashed

the NBA Finals record for 3-pointers, hitting six more and scoring 24 points.

Kawhi Leonard finished with 16, but the stage was set when Ginobili trotted out with Duncan, Parker and the rest of starters in what could have been the last finals home game for a trio that’s meant so much to San Antonio.

One more victory and the Spurs’ Big Three, not Miami’s, will be the one that rules the NBA. And a big reason was Ginobili, as he’s been for so long ─ just not during what had been a miserable series for the former Sixth Man of the Year.

“I was angry, disappointed,’’ Ginobili said. ‘’We are playing in the NBA Finals, we were 2-2, and I felt I still wasn’t really helping the team that much,’’ Ginobili said. "And that was the frustrating part.’’

On Sunday, it was all forgotten. “He’s obviously very popular. He’s been here a long time. He’s helped us have a lot of success over the years,’’ Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

Danny Green shoots over Chris Bosh

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each scored 25 points for the Heat, who host Game 6 on Tuesday

night. They need a victory to force the first Game 7 in the finals since the Lakers

beat the Celtics in 2010.

Miami’s Big Three formed a few weeks after that game, with predictions of multiple titles to follow.

Now they’re a loss away from going just 1 for 3 in finals to start their partnership, while the Spurs could run their perfect record to 5 for 5. ‘’This is the position we’re in and the most important game is Game 6,’’ James said. ‘’We can’t worry about a Game 7, we have to worry about Game 6.’’

Duncan won his first title in 1999, and Parker and Ginobili were with him for three championships since.

They have been the perfect partnership, keeping the Spurs in the hunt virtually every year while teams like the Lakers, Mavericks and Suns have all risen and fallen in the Western Conference during that time.

They remained unbeaten in Game 5, including two previous victories when the series was tied at 2-2. Of the 27 times the finals have been tied at 2-2, the Game 5 winner has won 20 of them.

Miami was the most re-

cent loser, falling to Dallas in Game 5 in 2011 before being eliminated at home the next game. ‘’We’re going to see if we’re a better ballclub and if we’re better prepared for this moment,’’ Wade said.

San Antonio shot 42 of 70, right at 60 per cent.

The last team to make 60 percent of its shots in the finals was Orlando, which hit 62.5 in Game 3 against the Lakers in 2009, according to STATS. “They just absolutely outplayed us,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "At times they were just picking one guy out at a time and going at us mano-a-mano. That’s got to change.’’

Ray Allen scored 21 points on the night for the Heat as he watched Green shatter his finals 3-point record. Green has 25 3s in the series. Allen made 22 3-pointers in six games in 2008 finals for Boston.

Chris Bosh scored 16 for Miami, Wade had 10 assists, and James had eight assists and six rebounds, but it was their defence that let the Heat down in this one. (Fox Sports)

Bravo refuses to VCB’s drug woes threaten Jamaica’s blame Pollard, umpires sprint powerhouse reputation

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ARDIFF, Wales – West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo says neither Kieron Pollard nor the umpires are to be blamed for the way his team was eliminated from the Champions Trophy in Cardiff on Friday.

Their Group B clash against South Africa finished in a tie under the Duckworth-Lewis method after Pollard was dismissed from the last ball before rain stopped play with 29 deliveries remaining.

Umpires Steve Davis and Rod Tucker took the players from the field as the rain intensified and both teams received a point from the tie allowing the South Africans to advance on a better net run-rate.

“Obviously we are disappointed and I must say I am disappointed with how the game ended, but I am not disappointed with what the umpires did,” said Bravo.

“They had a job to do and they do it to the best of their abilities, and as players we have no control over the decisions they make”.

If Pollard had kept his wicket intact, after scoring a 23-ball 28, West Indies would have been the winners and advanced along with India from Group B. But he was dismissed by Ryan McLaren just before the rain intervened, dashing West Indies hopes of earning a semifinal berth.

“Why should we blame him? His innings along with

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I N G S T O N , Jamaica ─ President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) Mike Fennell says the country’s reputation as the powerhouse of world sprinting would suffer a serious blow if Veronica Campbell-Brown is found guilty of using a banned drug.

The seven-time Olympic medallist, who also has nine medals at the World Championships, has tested positive for the prohibited substance Lasix, which also goes by the name Dwayne Bravo

Marlon Samuels allowed us to get where we were at that point of time,” Bravo told reporters.

“Kieron did his part.

Unfortunately he got out.

The game was still in our hands. Sammy was to bat, Myself was to bat. Narine was to bat. It was a great run chase”.

Bravo felt his side could have been given an extra ball to win their Champions Trophy match against South Africa.

“I think it would have been fair for both teams, the fans and tournament if that extra ball had been bowled or something like that,” said the West Indies captain.

“But you have to give credit to both teams, South Africa batted very well and I was pleased with how my guys went in the run chase”.

(WICB)

Furosemide.

Fennell is also concern that suspicion could be cast over the exploits of other outstanding Jamaican athletes the likes of Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce.

“It is very damaging to the sport because internationally the sport has had a lot of bad news and, certainly in the past few months, the bad news has been with other sports, particularly cycling,” Fennell said.

“In the case of VCB, she is a person that is consid-

ered to be a model, therefore it’s not just any other athlete; she is a star, highly decorated and, therefore, the impact is greater than anything else”.

She has been suspended in accordance with IAAF rules after being notified by the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association.

Brown, 31, Jamaica’s most successful female athlete with a total of 18 World and Olympic medals, is expected to miss the 14th IAAF World Championship in Moscow in August.

“I would appeal to everybody, including the media, let us marshal all the track figures before we start drawing our conclusions,” said Fennell.

“It is a very explosive situation and can be very damaging to the athlete, to Jamaica, her family and to the sport of athletics”.

The list of drugs banned from the Olympics is determined by the World AntiDoping Agency, established in 1999, to deal with the increasing problem of doping in sports. (CMC)

Who disciplines the administrators?

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hanks to some commanding performances, India have firmly entrenched themselves as favourites to win the Champions Trophy.

While the seam bowling has been a pleasant surprise, it’s India’s powerful batting line-up that has made them the envy of every other nation. That India could regenerate so quickly and successfully a batting line-up that was in danger of being decimated by the regular loss of top-class players, is a tribute to their production line.

Where India are currently embarrassed with run-scoring riches, other strong teams, particularly Australia, and possibly South Africa down the track, are in danger of being reduced to the classification of batting poor. India’s remarkable regeneration act has also succeeded in

invalidating Australian excuses for their current batting woes. Those arguments range from the sudden departure of senior players to being the result of playing too much T20 cricket.

The latter reason is exposed as dubious because India is the home of the IPL, the richest and most concentrated T20 competition in the cricket world. But therein lies a potential conflict if India do experience the elation of winning the Champions Trophy. Will the tide of euphoria in the country sweep aside the IPL corruption scandal or will it mean the rampant fixing problems are attacked with renewed vigour?

Before coming to a conclusion, it’s instructive to examine the incongruities currently in play regarding discipline in cricket. There has been a spate of strong

punishment meted out to players who have transgressed either on or off the field. These include New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder and Australia’s David Warner being suspended for drinkrelated incidents, and West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin for poor sportsmanship on the field.

I have no problem with strong punishment being administered to players who exhibit questionable judgement; on the contrary, it’s crucial if these problems are to be reduced. However, I do take issue with the inequities in the approach to disciplining offending players and administrators. If the administrators ─ who generally hand out the punishment ─ were subjected to the same standards as players when it comes to poor judgement and misbehaviour, then maybe some of the

off-field incompetence could be eradicated. In addition to multiple misjudgements, many administrators seem to totally disregard conflict of interest as a concept. And through the IPL scandal, it’s also obvious that corruption is an issue among officials.

While the IPL was a visionary concept, its original implementation was flawed.

The blueprint for the league could easily have been lifted from a bestselling novel with a central theme of corruption. It was a script combining immense sums of money, the glitz of Bollywood, after-match parties involving players, and on-field performances that were diminished by upgrading the importance of off-field activities. This subjected T20 cricket to the danger of becoming entertainment in the realm of professional wrestling rather than sport. (Cricinfo)

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TUESday, june 18, 2013

guyanatimesGY.com

Deo wins Wartsila golf tournament

MCY&S/NSC cricket coaching programme continues today

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xperienced golfer Vijay Deo returned to winning ways to secure victory in last weekend’s Wartsila Guyana Operations Medal Play Golf Tournament at the Lusignan Golf Course, East Coast Demerara.

Deo, an eight handicapper, shot net 67 to triumph from a field of 27 golfers who battled tough course conditions due to the recent inclement weather. His gross of 75 was the best of the day, which ensured that he took home two trophies for his efforts.

Kishan Bacchus’ (13 handicap) consistent run of form continued when he captured the runner-up spot with net 68 coming out ahead of Fazil Haniff (11handicap), who shot net 70.

Recent tournament winner Colin Ming (13 handicap) was fourth with net

Daniel Richmond

Winner Vijay Deo (extreme left) is flanked by other top performers and Wartsila representative, Wesslin Mattie (third from right). Others (from left) are Colin Ming, Chatterpaul Deo, Fazil Haniff and Kishan Bacchus

70, beaten by Haniff on the countback. Nearest-tothe-Pin was club Captain, Chatterpaul Deo. Wartsila Operations Manager, Wesslin Mattie, who also competed in the tournament, thanked Lusignan Golf Club for affording his

company the opportunity to sponsor the tournament.

Vice president David Mohamed welcomed Wartsila as one of the newest sponsors and expressed confidence that the Finnish corporation, which provides power generation services

locally, will be a sponsor for many years to come.

Club Captain Chatterpaul Deo also thanked members for braving the inclement weather to compete in the tournament and thanked Wartsila for supporting golf in Guyana.

Aussie joins St Lucia CPL team – Chanderpaul “extremely sorry” he’s unable to play

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aribbean Premier League (CPL) organisers have announced that Shivnarine Chanderpaul will be unable to play in the inaugural tournament for the St Lucia Franchise due to contractual obligations he has with English county team Derbyshire, opening the door for Aussie batsman Luke Pomersbach to join the St Lucia Zouks.

Chanderpaul signed a contract with CPL, offering himself up for selection but later realised that his commitment to Derbyshire provided for release only if it pertained to West Indies duty. He subsequently had to withdraw from the tournament, a CPL release said.

“I am extremely sorry that I will not be able to participate in the CPL because of contractual obligations,” said Chanderpaul. “I would definitely like to make myself available for the next

Luke Pomersbach

edition, and will have my contracts carry a clause that will permit me to play in future editions of T20 tournaments.”

“It is unfortunate that Chanderpaul is unable to be a part of the St Lucia Zouks,” commented St Lucia’s Head Coach Andy Roberts. “His experience would have added some stability to the team, and of course, he is

loved and respected by fans around the world.”

Roberts also wished Chanderpaul all the best during this season with Derbyshire and said he hopes to see him in the draft again next year. “We are also pleased with Pomersbach as a replacement option. He is a competent middle order batsman, and we believe that he will serve our team well,” he said.

Pomersbach was in the group of Elite Pool A players alongside Chanderpaul, and the only batsman remaining in that pool.

“I am excited about this new opportunity and really looking forward to playing in the Caribbean for St.Lucia,” Pomersbach said on hearing of his addition to the St Lucia squad. “It will be great to be a part of this first CPL and I am looking forward to some tough competitive cricket with some of the greatest T20 cricketers

in the world.”

Pomersbach’s selection is in line with the rules of the draft and does not put the St Lucia team at any disadvantage.

The St Lucia Zouks is led by franchise players Darren Sammy and Herschelle Gibbs. The other team members are Albie Morkel, Tino Best, Tamim Iqbal, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Andre Fletcher, Garey Mathurin, Liam Sebastian, Dalton Polius, Kavem Hodge, Kenroy Peters, and Nelon Pascal.

The CPL will begin on July 30 in Barbados and will conclude on August 24 in Trinidad. All matches will take place at 20:00h and all doubleheaders will begin at 15:00h and 20:00h , with the exception of Jamaica whose matches will take place at 10:00h and 14:00h. The full CPL schedule is available at www.cplt20.com/fixtures.

Fawad and Warner set for Ashes call-up

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akistan-born spinner Fawad Ahmed and suspended David Warner could play in the Ashes first Test, according to Australian selector John Inverarity. Fawad sought refuge in Australia three years ago claiming he was persecuted by the Taliban in his native Pakistan. Cricket Australia hope the 31-yearold’s passport application will be fast-tracked.

Warner was suspended until the first Test and fined after punching England’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar. An amendment to the Citizenship Act last week should enable Fawad to be granted a passport before

the first test at Trent Bridge on July 10 and Inverarity has hinted the spinner is on course to receive a call-up.

“It is likely his passport will be through in time for him to be considered for the squad,” Inverarity told Test Match Special.

“Then he will be considered for selection. He is a very interesting story.

“He is a young man who felt he was being persecuted in Pakistan and sought refuge in Australia. He came and joined an ethnic community there, played some cricket at a southern district level, was noticed as a good leg spinner, then he went down to state practice and it

has gone from there.

Although he is yet to be awarded an Australian passport, Fawad has played for Australia A in their tour match against Ireland in Belfast.

Some have objected to the idea that a man born in another country could turn out in the baggy green during the showpiece series of the Australian calendar, but Inverarity has no such worries.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Inverarity added. “It’s important for our Australian community that there is that sort of integration.”

However, Inverarity con-

ceded it will be difficult for Fawad to displace Nathan Lyon, the only other spinner in the Australia squad, for the first of a five-Test Ashes series.

“If we select him for the Test team and he plays, with his unusual circumstances, the pressure on him will be extraordinary,” said Inverarity.

“As a unit we need to protect him as much as we can from those distractions.”

Inverarity also gave hope to David Warner that he could be recalled for the First Test. The Australian selector dismissed concerns that a lack of cricket before July 10 would rule him out of the side. (BBC Sport)

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he initiative is part of the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry and the National Sport Commission (NSC) mandate in promoting sport at the school and community levels.

The session will be con-

ducted by MCY&S coach Daniel Richmond.

According to Richmond, the session is aimed at educating school children and club members under the age of 15 years the basics of cricket and to aid their development in the game.

Jamaican coach criticises WADA’s methods

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I N G S T O N , Jamaica ─ Noted Jamaican track and field coach David Riley says the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) should make it easier for athletes to identify products with banned substances.

Riley’s suggestion follows reports that Olympic and World champion Veronica Campbell-Brown tested positive for the prohibited substance Lasix.

He says professional athletes face a disadvantage to protect themselves against unintentional doping.

“I believe that the responsibility is being placed solely on the athlete to know what is in everything that they are consuming and the athlete doesn’t have the skill set nor the knowledge base to accomplish that,” Riley told The Gleaner.

“Whatever process there is must be scaled down to the little prep school or primary school athletes, as well as go all the way up to the professional athlete”.

WADA publishes an annual list of banned substances under the categories: non-approved substances; anabolic agents; other anabolic agents; peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances; Beta-2 Agonists; hormone and metabolic modulators; diuretics and other masking agents.

“The list as it is right now is not even a list of items, it’s a list that speaks about categories of substances and those categories are not understood by anybody unless you are involved in pharmacology or medicine,” complained Riley.

“You don’t know what a diuretic is and whether or

Veronica Campbell-Brown

not something that is listed on an ingredient package falls in that category for instance”.

The Jamaican sprint star tested positive for the diuretic furosemide at the May 4 Jamaica Invitational at the National Stadium.

The substance is banned

by WADA as it acts as a masking agent for performance enhancement drugs.

“I think they ought to shift the responsibility to the manufacturer of the products to get it certified or approved for consumption by athletes,” Riley said.

“Having products being declared safe for athletes is I think, an important step because an athlete walking into a store and seeing the label would then be assured that they can consume that and this would help the person who is trying to adhere to the rules.”

Campbell has been suspended and will miss the 14th IAAF World Championship in Moscow in August.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Tagenarine returns from England with improved technique

By Avenash Ramzan

N

ational First-Class batsman Tagenarine Chanderpaul said he was able to tweak his technique while on a two-month stint in England.

This he stated was his biggest achievement on his maiden try out in English conditions.

The 17-year-old son of West Indies batting stalwart, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, recently returned from the United Kingdom where he had his first taste of those conditions.

According to the young Chanderpaul, the experience was extremely vital to his cricket development.

“It was a great experience; I was able to make some adjustments to my technique, especially against the ‘moving ball.’

What I learnt the most is that you have to play very late, try not to come on to the front foot too early, because the ball is always seaming due to the conditions,” he pointed out.

‘Brandon’, as he is commonly called, said the pitches in England are a complete contrast to those in the Caribbean, something he said he knew from the inception by just looking at cricket on television,

but was very fortunate to experience it firsthand.

“It was difficult at first to deal with the ball seaming around and doing weird stuff, but I adjusted well because I did some extra work in the nets and it paid off,” the teenager reflected.

In what can be only be described as a successful outing, the left-hander racked up 761 runs from 16 limited-over games for Stainsby Hall Cricket Club in the first division league.

He was the leading runscorer for the club by quite a distance with Simon Torr being the next highest with 505 runs from 15 games.

Remarkable consistency

Chanderpaul provided remarkable consistency at the top of the order for the club, notching up four centuries and three fifties. He ended the stint with an excellent average of 76.1 and a solid strike rate of 72.22.

His highest score was an unbeaten 110.

According to Chanderpaul, he is now focussed on making the Guyana Under-19 team for the upcoming regional competition.

Young Tagenarine earlier this year made his

First-Class debut against the Leeward Islands in Antigua in the West Indies Cricket Board’s Regional Four-Day competition.

He earned the national call-up after a string of consistent performances in the Guyana Cricket Board’s Inter-County oneday and four-day tournaments.

In the one-day version, the left-handed opener made the only century and a fifty, and also topped the batting charts with 170 runs in three innings at an average of 170. In the four-day Inter-County, he had scores of 52, three, 18, nine and one not out.

During the regional four-day competition in March, Shivnarine and Tagenarine created history by becoming only the second father/son pair to appear in a First-Class match in the Caribbean.

In September 1948, Lebrun Constantine made his final appearance in an important match for Trinidad and Tobago against Barbados in British Guiana at the age of 48 playing alongside his son Learie Constantine, who had just turned 21.

After four First-Class games, young Chanderpaul has amassed 176 runs with a highest score of 42.

Smith to lead West Indies A in T20s

23

National U-17 squad commences encampment – Coach Nedd says focus will be on all-round development

Garvin Nedd

Travis Persaud

Shimron Hetmeyer

By Rajiv Bisnauth

will be focusing on the allround development of the players.

“While the preparation time could have been longer, this is better than nothing and I want to address the physical, technical and mental aspects of their cricket as they prepare for the tournament in Trinidad,” Nedd said.

The 40 year-old, who played 14 first class matches, said that mental preparation at this level is important. Further, while he thinks that coaching under-17 players can be challenging since they may not be as technically and mentally sound, he feels that they should be more receptive at this age.

Nedd, who has worked with most of the players at the under-15 level, said he was impressed with the talent he saw during the Inter-County tournament and is confident of a successful regional tournament.

“What we have is a group of talented young cricketers and once the

team can ‘gel’ and build team spirit, play to the best of our ability and properly execute our game plan, we can be very successful in Trinidad” Nedd said.

Jamaica are the defending champions after winning the inaugural tournament last year and will be looking to defend their title against the five other regional teams: Barbados, Guyana, Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Islands.

Guyana: Travis Persaud (Captain), Shimron Hetmeyer (ViceCaptain), Grisean Grant, Travis Drakes, Ronaldo Renee, Brandon Persaud, Parmesh Parsotam, Kemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Daniel Lewis, Keanu Harry, Navendra Persaud, Permanand Ramdhan and Ryan Adams. Nazeer Mohamed will perform the duties of team manager.

The six reserve players are: Kasim Khan, Shamar Grayham, Leon Andrews, Nathan Persaud, Clitus Johnson and Balchand Baldeo.

G

uyana’s 14-member squad that was selected to represent the country at the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regional tournament in Trinidad and Tobago from June 29 to July 8, commenced their encampment period at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence, La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara on Monday.

The squad, along with the six reserve players, was selected after the completion of the Guyana Cricket Board’s Inter-County competition on Sunday.

The five-day encampment will ensure the players participate in fitness and cricket practice activities under the watchful eyes of coach Gavin Nedd before they wing out for the twin island Republic on June 26.

Travis Persaud will lead the team while Shimron Hetmeyer was appointed Persaud’s deputy.

In an invited comment, Nedd said that despite the limited time available, he

DSCL wins CCS three-way domino tournament

Christopher Barnwell

K

INGSTOWN, St Vincent – Four members of the West Indies World T20 champion team have been named in the West Indies A Team to face Sri Lanka A Team in two T20 matches this week at Arnos Vale Sports Complex.

Openers are Dwayne Smith and Lendl Simmons; allrounder Andre Russell and leg-spinner Samuel Badree were part of the squad which beat Sri Lanka to win the prestigious ICC World T20 Trophy at the R Premadasa Stadium last October. The quartet will form the main part of the Windies A Team when the matches are played today and Wednesday. First ball

Dwayne Smith

in both matches is 14:00h (13:00h Jamaica Time).

The 13-man squad includes four other players who have represented the West Indies in T20 Internationals.

These are: fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, off-spinner Ashley Nurse, top-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner and batting allrounder Christopher Barnwell.

The other members of the squad are: seam bowler Kevin Cooper, who has performed with distinction for Trinidad and Tobago; wicket-keeper Chadwick Walton, who played two Test matches back in 2009; rookie allrounder Kyle Mayers; left-

arm fast bowler Sheldon Cotterell, and middle-order batsman Keddy Lesporis – both graduates of the Sagicor High Performance Centre.

FULL SQUAD: Dwayne Smith (Captain), Samuel Badree, Christopher Barnwell, Nkrumah Bonner, Kevon Cooper, Sheldon Cotterell, Shannon Gabriel, Keddy Lesporis, Kyle Mayers, Ashley Nurse, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Chadwick Walton (wicket-keeper)

MATCH SCHEDULE

Tuesday, June 18: 1st T20 at Arnos Vale – 14:00h Wednesday, June 19: 2nd T20 at Arnos Vale – 14:00h (WICB Media)

Members of the Demerara Shipping Company Limited team in a jubilant mood after capturing the title

D

emerara Shipping Company Limited (DSCL) squeezed past Neal and Massy (NM) and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the CCS Guyana-sponsored threeway domino match played on Friday last at the Neal and Massey Staff facility at Ruimveldt.

DSCL amassed 72 games with NM occupying the sec-

ond position one game behind on 71, while GRA ended in the cellar position on 69 games.

Nadeem Khan marked the maximum 18 games, while Ricky Jamuna scored 14 for the victorious DSCL team.

Akbar Khan and Quincy James recorded 14 games apiece and Desmond Singh 13 for Neal and Massy, while

GRA’s Floyd Fordyce with 16 games topscored for GRA with valuable support coming from Yonette Heyliger and Rainette Vaughn with 13 games each.

Khan was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP). CCS Guyana manager, Bhagwat Persaud, was on hand to present the trophy to the outstanding teams and players.

s

TUESday, june 18, 2013

TOP SCORES

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

Sri Lanka 253-8 (Jayawardene 84*, Thirimanne 57, Johnson 3-48) beat Australia 233 (Voges 49, Kulasekara 3-42) by 20 runs

WICB president meets with PMs in Kingstown S

t John’s, Antigua – President of the West Indies Cricket Board Mr Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron last week continued on his initiative to meet with heads of government of the Caribbean to discuss matters regarding the development and improvement of cricket in the region.

On June 13 last Cameron met and had discussions with Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves in Kingstown. One day later Cameron met with Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr Keith Mitchell in St George’s.

“These meetings are crucial in setting the framework with the political leaders of the region towards ensuring that they are fully briefed on all matters relat-

INSIDE TODAY'S SPORTS

Jamaican coach P22 criticises WADA’s methods

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves with WICB President Whycliffe Cameron (WICB photo)

ing to the regional sport.

It is critical that we at the West Indies Cricket Board keep the leaders of each of our countries informed with regard to our plans and programmes and that they are aware of the challenges and difficulties which we face. It is also valuable to have their perspective on what they think are the issues regarding the sport,” noted Cameron.

“We shared thoughts, ideas and suggestions and at the next meeting of the Board, I will share with my team. We value the inputs as we are strategically looking to reposition cricket,” the WICB president said.

“I wish to thank prime ministers Drs Gonsalves and Mitchell for taking the time to meet with my team to have frank and open discussions

and especially thank them for certain commitments which they have each made to support the growth and development of West Indies cricket,” Cameron continued.

The WICB president Cameron was accompanied by WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead and Company Secretary Verlyn Faustin.

Since being elected, Cameron has either paid courtesy calls or met with the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson-Miller, President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Denzil Douglas and Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit. Cameron also met with Stephen Lashley, minister of sport of Barbados. (WICB Media)

Tagenarine returns Spurs move one from England win from title with improved technique See story on page

22

Tagenarine Chanderpaul: “It was difficult at first to deal with the ball seaming around and doing weird stuff…”

S

AN ANTONIO – Manu Ginobili ran onto the floor as fans stood and screamed.

The sights and sounds of so many San Antonio

San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) lays the ball up past Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the fourth quarter of game five

spring nights were back Sunday - and the real party might be just a few days away.

Ginobili broke out of a slump in a big way with 24

points and 10 assists in his first start of the season, and the Spurs beat the Miami Heat 114-104 to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals. see full story on page 21

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