1st August 2013

Caricom courts increased funding from international development partners

Joy overflows as Guyana Amazon Warriors win

Effective monitoring system responsible for cocaine bust – GRA Lusignan Massacre trial Defence, prosecution address jury

Development to get boost with return of 300-plus scholarship students

Essequibo man murders children, severely injures spouse

It was joyous pandemonium at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara when the Guyana Amazon Warriors held their nerve to emphatically beat the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel on Wednesday (Limacol CPL photo)

Pre-Emancipation Day activities hosted

Several organisations, including the local U.S. embassy, the Housing and Water Ministry, the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, and the Guyana Shop, hosted preEmancipation activities on Wednesday in observance of emancipation.

Employees of the organisations dressed in customary African clothing and participated in cultural ceremonies.

In a release, the embassy said it commemorated Emancipation Day this year with a small but rich celebration to mark the anniversary of August 1, 1834, when slavery was first abolished in the West Indies. As part of the

heritage celebration, embassy staff enjoyed traditional Creole foods, including metemgee, cook-up rice, white pudding, and mauby. In addition to hearing a brief rendition of African history in Guyana, employees of the embassy had a chance to experience poetry, skits, music, and dancing in honour of Emancipation Day.

As a special part of the Emancipation Day programme, the embassy hosted several members of the Visually Impaired Cultural Association of Guyana (VICAG). The VICAG seeks to foster cultural relationships with other visually impaired people; to bond with others whose aims and objec-

tives are the same throughout Guyana, the broader region, and the world; and to advocate and inspire positive changes in attitude among visually impaired people and others.

Meanwhile, at the Housing and Water Ministry’s celebration, subject minister Irfaan Ali called for all “to forge ahead in a unified way with love, understanding and patience underpinning where we go in the future”.

Minister Ali noted that it was important to reflect on the meaning, sacrifices and conditions that led to final emancipation. He noted also that “Guyana has a very important place in world history when it comes to the final clo-

sure to slave trade and slavery”.

According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Ali also pointed out that it was important for Guyanese to understand their cultural identity, which has blended together “to give us this one unique Guyanese identity, an identity that has common values and principles that all of us must not only talk about but practise – values of equality, patience, and understanding are some of what came out of the struggle for emancipation.”

“The sacrifices were not made for anyone individual or culture, but were made for freedom across the world. It is this deeper meaning of eman-

cipation that must be understood, (for) it is only then that we can grasp the significance of the event,” he explained.

The event saw the he Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) choir performing songs, members of the National Dance Company dazzling the eye and drumming sessions by the Hebrew Family of Guyana group.

Emancipation or Freedom Day is observed on August 1 every year, to commemorate the abolition of slavery in 1834.

In other emancipation commemoration news, the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) has sponsored the theatrical stage production titled “Berbice Uprising & Poems for Cuffy’s Children”, which would be presented on August 3, at the Berbice High School Auditorium.

The writer/director/producer of the Carib Feedback Productions play, Ras Leon Saul received the cheque for $200, 000 from BBCI Chief Executive Officer Omadat Samaroo last week.

A cultural rendition during the U.S. embassy pre-emancipation commemorative ceremony

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 to east south-easterly at 4.02 to 2.68 metres per second.

High Tide: 12:16h reaching a maximum height of 2.09 metres.

Low Tide: 05:43h and 18:08h reaching minimum heights of 1.04 metres and 1.12 metres respectively.

Effective monitoring system responsible for cocaine bust – GRA

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) once again lauded the effectiveness of its surveillance system, which resulted in the identification of two of its Customs officers who were implicated in the discovery of 11.5 kilograms of cocaine in a suitcase at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

About 02:00h on Saturday morning, 10 parcels of cocaine were found in the suitcase. The street value for a kilogram of cocaine in the U.S. is estimated at US$40,000.

The suitcase was singled by Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) ranks in the baggage area, owing to the old label, which indicated that it was placed there and did not go through the routine security checks. The suitcase was destined for Caribbean Airlines Flight BW 526 to New York.

Over the years, GRA said it has been reviewing and implementing various systems geared at monitoring its operations and these

systems have evolved in response to current needs.

Expressing his concern, GRA Commissioner-General Khurshid Sattaur stressed the importance of integrity in the entity, and the role staff must play in maintaining the same.

Integrity

“Our integrity must never come under scrutiny. Rogue officers will be dealt with in a condign manner,” he warned.

He emphasised that maintaining the integrity of the Guyana Revenue Authority will continue to be one of his primary objectives.

A thorough investigation is currently being conducted by the Internal Affairs Division of the GRA, to determine the extent of the corruption and whether other staff is involved.

This incident has raised concerns about the professional conduct of employees assigned to various ports of entry/exit.

Hence, the GRA will con-

tinue to review the established Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) to ensure that more stringent measures are in place to monitor its operations at the various ports of entry/exit.

Sattaur added that the agency will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to detect and prevent incidents of domestic and transnational crimes, and any staff found guilty of such will be punished to the

Taxi driver placed on $750,000 bail

Ataxi driver was granted his pre-trial liberty on a charge of intent to defraud when he appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday.

It is alleged that between May 18 and July 19, at Georgetown, Cecil Davis obtained $2.4 million from Raymond James and Candace Sealy by false pretence. He pleaded not guilty to the charge read against him.

The facts stated that the virtual complainants are business people who operate a dredge in the Mahdia area. When they come to town, they would use a taxi driver whom they know well, but when they came to Georgetown in May, the regular driver was busy and he recommended the defendant.

James and Sealy had a conversation with the defendant in which they said they were looking to buy a house lot. The defendant then told them he knew a woman “Angela” who worked at the Housing Ministry. The VCs then arranged to meet with the woman, who convinced them that she was indeed from the ministry, and she took them to see two houses in Eccles Housing Scheme.

The lawyer, who represented Davis, said from the prosecution’s facts, it sounds like “Angela” is the mastermind behind the matter and that his client should be granted bail, since the prosecution’s statements are incomplete.

Prosecutor Ramsohoye Rambajue objected to bail on the grounds that the investigation is still ongoing, oth-

er allegations about similar offences were made, and it is likely other charges will be laid. The prosecutor also asked for two weeks to complete the investigation.

Magistrate Azore ordered the defendant to lodge his passport and report to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters every Friday. Bail was set in the sum of $750,000 and the matter is set to return to court on August 12.

full extent of the law.

The GRA will also continue to work above board and improve its current monitoring system to ensure that integrity and transparency remain the hallmark of the agency.

Additionally, the assistance of the general public is appreciated in relation to any incidence of corruption on the part of any officer of the authority.

Meanwhile, the five persons who are in the custody of the CANU for the cocaine bust are expected to make their first court appearance as soon as Friday. These are one Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) staff; two Customs and Excise employees; one Timehri Handling Service worker and one staffer of Secure and Aviation security firm, the official CAL security.

GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur

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

Emancipate

your

Today, we celebrate another anniversary of the Emancipation from slavery, which was finally announced to begin as of August 1, 1834. The freed slaves had to work for another four years in the so-called “apprenticeship scheme”, which was actually a transition mechanism for the planters to work out new labour relations with their former slaves. With the entrenched racist attitudes hardened over the centuries, it is, perhaps, not surprising that the planters just could not accept Africans could prove to be reliable workers.

The planters, generously compensated for losing their “property”, refused to pay living wages to the freed men and women. In the smaller islands where there was no chance of earning an independent living off farming, as in Barbados and Antigua, the latter were forced to accept the depressed wages. But in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, with the abundant land available for off-plantation subsistence agriculture, the planters undercut the strong bargaining power of the freedmen by importing indentured labourers.

Starting with Portuguese from Madeira, the system reached its zenith with bodies imported from India – about half a million between 1838 and 1917. Guyana and Trinidad received the bulk of these immigrants and in the process became paradigmatic “plural societies”, where different cultural groups “mingle and mix but do not combine”.

Even though the new immigrants – which also included a small number of Chinese – were pawns in the planters’ drive to extract the most profits, and had to accept wages the ex-slaves rejected as “pitiful”, they engendered negative sentiments on the latter’s part. For any number of reasons, summarised by the phrase “divide and rule”, the engendered mutual antagonisms, were sharpened in modern times especially when it came to deciding who would take over the reins of government at independence.

The pattern of voting that emerged in the party system adopted from the British system of Westminster government was firmly along ethnic lines in both Guyana and Trinidad. Because we became enmeshed in the Cold War between the USA and the USSR during our drive for independence, our politics became somewhat more polarised than Trinidad’s – but not by much.

Very few citizens of these two countries would say that the “tribal politics”, as it was described by one analyst, has not hindered our drive to live out the true meaning of “emancipation”.

Very sadly, our own history has confirmed that choosing a representative merely on the basis of skin colour or hair texture is ultimately self-defeating.

Today, it might be salutary to reflect on the words of Bob Marley, that icon of Caribbean emancipatory exhortations: “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.” Today, there are forces who are assiduously working to emphasise the lines of division created in the aftermath of slavery by the colonial powers.

We must reject them and listen to those who preached that appreciating and loving one’s group’s culture and people does not have to be translated into hatred of others. This message, however, will be denigrated by those who would keep us divided. But we should ask, as Marley did, “How long shall they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look?” On this Emancipation Day, we must take a stand.

Over in Trinidad, there has been a dramatic outcome in a very high profile by-election in which constituents of one group voted for an individual from the other constituency, and rebuffed the candidate from their “traditional” party. While there might have been several other local issues involved, the point we wish to emphasise is that we have to fan the wisp of possibilities that suggest themselves if we were to rid ourselves of reflexive racial voting.

mind Dismantle old buildings Happy

Today, as the entire nation celebrates Emancipation Day, we ask everyone to move beyond the wearing of dashikis and the eating of conkies. We ask for us to emancipate our minds from the scourge of racial voting.

The value of community policing

Dear Editor,

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) wishes to respond to a letter writer who wrote a letter in the Guyana Times dated July 22 headlined, “Liaison officers in C Division are not doing their job.”

The ministry is deeply concerned over the misleading information being peddled against liaison officers. Liaison officers are employees of MOHA who are paid on a monthly salary of $68,854. Is this handsome?

They are being supervised at MOHA by the administrator of the Community Policing Organisation.

Liaison officers are required to:

* Form community policing groups in traditional and non-traditional areas, and resuscitate dormant groups.

* Draw up regular work programmes. These work programmes are assessed at the MOHA after which, a determination is made on whether any financial assistance should be provided. Financial assistance is not automatic.

* Provide a closer link between the communities within the various regions, the community policing groups, MOHA and the Guyana Police Force.

* Coordinate and submit reports to the MOHA on the following:

Group development

• Training programmes

Fund-raising activities by groups and divisions

• Community services

Meetings attended (groups and divisions)

Activities for youth and women groups

• Use and misuse of stores, equipment and vehicles issued to

groups, care and custody.

• Complaints

Formation of groups

Resuscitation of groups

• Irregularities

Patrols done by members of the community policing groups

• m. Gathering and passing of information of unlawful activities within the various communities

No money is allocated to community policing groups

– they are voluntary groupings. The government of Guyana through MOHA provides money for the purchase of vehicles, equipment and uniforms, among other things.

Community policing groups are encouraged to hold fund-raising activities so as to contribute to the maintenance of vehicles, purchasing of fuel and other day-to-day operations.

Community policing is a voluntary organisation and it has been always that way. We wish to remind that the auditor general’s reports cover revenues allotted to the community policing.

The government of Guyana is fully committed to the contribution community policing is making to fighting crime in the various communities.

On one hand the writer stated that liaison officers are not doing anything. Yet on the other hand, the writer admitted that the liaison officers are visiting communities.

The writer should find himself in a community policing group and participate by making a positive contribution to the growth.

Respectfully submitted, Home Affairs Ministry

Dear Editor, Recent high winds have sent us here in Guyana some important lessons but we are not getting them. Some buildings in Essequibo and an aircraft at Ogle got

knocked over, and to me, we all see these as non-serious issues. We need to act against what can happen when say a building collapses from high winds, or maybe through whatever means.

On Camp and Charlotte Streets, a building is waiting to fall. This could be very hazardous. In Annandale, there is another that may collapse. It is time the authorities move towards the

dismantling of old buildings that have an ‘imminent fall’ sign all over them. Let us not wait for them to collapse.

Yours sincerely, Samuel Goland

A pre-emancipation event was hosted outside the New Guyana Shop, Robb and Alexander streets in celebration of the auspicious event today. In this Carl Croker photo, the sounds of Africa are being played

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

Region Six RDC must take the initiative

Dear Editor, Region Six has its share of problems, one of which is that of some very bad roads. He said limited finance and budgetary allocations only allow them to do limited work. This is missing a key point.

If there are limited finance and budgetary allocations then it means that no chance must be taken at anytime when it comes to road building. When the roads were first laid, there was adequacy of every-

thing. Now, in a short period, the roads are in ruins.

This kind of result must now be assessed – poor work or actual abuse of the road? We have to determine how come this situation is upon us.

The chairman sadly said residents are calling his office to curse him out. This should be expected –people get angry and lash out. However, all that the chairman has to do is to be able to explain what is really the situation.

I propose to Region Six leaders that they guard against the opposition and its undermining work. Its members are trained to capitalise and we all know that people can be swayed very easily.

Also, it is time that we all press towards doing our best when we are given responsibilities. Bad roads in Guyana allow for many to attack the government.

Yours sincerely,

Robert Rhone

Businessman should have allowed police to do their work

Dear Editor,

I pity the businessman who woke one morning to find that his motor vehicle’s rear windscreen was shattered and that burglars had made off with some $2 million in cosmetics and other goods.

He actually opined that it is strange that his vehicle was burglarised without the police hearing any strange sound. Yet he admits that he himself did not hear any sound nor did his dogs bark to indicate that something was happening.

So the contradiction is how could the police have then heard. Thieves do not go about alerting the public when they are doing their dirty work. They are most stealthy in the way they operate. This particular act of burglary is suspected to have occurred during the heavy rains and in the wee hours of the morning.

Eventually, the police were alerted and an investigation was launched, but it was quickly halted, since

the businessman thought that the process would be too tedious. Well I expected it to be so, but that was no reason to give up.

Dusting for fingerprints is not a hurry-up job.

The police should have been allowed to do their job. It is normal procedure to

impound a vehicle until all the evidence is gathered.

So as much as this man was hurt and possibly quite angry, he was not quite in order to abort the investigation.

Yours faithfully, Tameshwar Jodha

The GuySuCo Training Centre

Dear Editor, Way back in the very early 1980s, my high school buddy, even after doing very well, took to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Port Mourant Training Centre, then went to the University of Guyana (UG). Today he is a top level engineer.

Fifty-seven people recently graduated from this very

institution. These 57 graduates, sponsored by various sugar estates across the country, are now much more employable. They also have a foundation, just in case they want to advance to higher learning.

I have a word for GuySuCo, and it is that many students are not quite au fait with the corporation’s

apprenticeship programme. It will help to have yearly campaigns in our schools, so that our students can have more options to think of, when choosing what subjects to sit at the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council (CSEC).

Yours truly, Abby Thomas

Accountability needed in the police force

Dear Editor,

Thirteen bullet fragments given to a detective cannot be accounted for – they have disappeared from the Vigilance Police Station. What will become of something like this? I will leave this for the authorities to ponder upon.

Just a few weeks back, another similar story confronted us. According to a firearm licence holder, seven years after his firearm went missing from the Den Amstel Police Station, he is yet to receive any word from the police.

These are the repercussions: police come over as being irresponsible; people get suspicious of the police; and the police have no sense of seriousness. It is time then for some serious purging to take place within the local force.

When a piece of evidence, for an important case goes missing, something must be done to those who were charged with the responsibility to safeguard it. They must be disciplined.

I think of this missing gun and I am wonder-

ing where it is and who is using it to do what. Again, some kind of accountability is needed here. It is a universally accepted fact, that when evidence is gathered, it must be carefully secured and stored, so that it can be readily retrieved. We cannot afford this kind of sloppiness. I think that some serious punitive measures should be served out to those responsible for evidence that cannot be retrieved.

Yours respectfully, Sandra Bailey

Page Foundation

Making your home

How can I protect little fingers?

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) don’t consider it nec essary to recommend socket covers. This is because mod ern sockets in the UK have built-in automatic shutters to stop children sticking their fingers or other objects into them. If you’re not sure how old your sock ets are, you could ask an electrician check them.

You may choose to use socket covers any way to help prevent your child plugging in appliances that could be dangerous, for example hair straightening irons. However, it’s safer to keep appliances out of the reach of your child than to rely on socket covers.

Be aware of things that pinch fingers, like hinges, ironing boards and deckchairs, and consider buying hinge protectors.

Keep pens, scissors, letter openers, staplers, paper clips, and other sharp instruments in locked drawers.

How can I prevent little hands finding hazards?

* Consider the potential hazard of anything you drop in the bin. If you’re using it to discard batteries, paper clips, plastic bags, or other potentially dangerous items, place it out of your

safe

baby’s reach.

* Hide lamp and appliance cords behind

(CONTINUED FROM WEDNESDAY)

for your baby

annually. Death from fire is more than twice as likely for homeowners that have not fitted a working smoke alarm.

heavy furniture or conceal them with a special flex-holder device. Tall lamps might topple over if your baby pulls on them, so anchor them safely behind furniture.

* Keep first-aid supplies in a locked cupboard, and make sure babysitters know where to find them and how to respond in an emergency. Make sure you have stored any poisonous substances safely where your children cannot reach them.

What can I do to prevent scalds?

Never pass a hot drink to a breastfeeding mum, as

even a tiny drop could scald both baby and mum. Keep mugs of hot drinks away from the edge of surfaces.

Young children burn themselves more often than older children and adults. Most scalds are caused by hot drinks being spilt. A hot drink can still scald a child 15 minutes after being made.

What can I do to protect against fire?

Fit smoke alarms. Install smoke detectors in every bedroom and one near the kitchen. Check them weekly to be sure they’re working, and change the batteries

Domestic fires pose one of the greatest risks to children. Children playing with matches and lighters frequently start house fires. In the UK, 46 per cent of all fatal accidents to children are in house fires.

If you have a fireplace, keep a fire extinguisher nearby, and have it serviced or checked according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Try to make sure there are no items on the mantelpiece that will tempt your child to climb up and reach for.

It is a legal requirement to have a fireguard if you have children in the house. Choose a large guard that can be fixed to the wall to help protect your child from burns.

Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of your child. Put out and throw away cigarettes properly. Have an escape route planned, and practise it, in case of fire.

(Baby Centre)

How to prepare your child with special needs for the transition

By AnnA StewArt

“There’s a sale on school supplies,”

I told my then 11-year-old son. “Let’s go. You can pick out all your own binders and folders.”

“Mom, you are ruining summer,” he wailed. “I don’t want to think about school. I don’t want to go to school. I hate school!”

This was not news to me.

He struggled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and school demanded he be – and do –all the things that were so hard for him. They needed him to be organised, ontask, get work done, and be nice about it.

Summer was both a relief and a challenge. He loved not being in school, but that meant he was with me most of the time. In some ways, I was ready for him to be back in school, have a routine and –let me be honest here – not be with me all day. But I knew we wouldn’t get there without some planning, discussion and clear expectations.

When your child has a “bad reputation” at school

The bigger issue for

many parents and children is how to make this year better when last year was defined by lots of misbehaviour, lots of hating school and lots of sleepless nights (for both of you).

My son had a bad reputation in school. He appeared defiant, refused to do work in class, never did homework, and was constantly moving and chattering. The teachers knew he was bright, which made it even worse for him, as they thought he should be able to control himself. But he wouldn’t – and sometimes simply couldn’t.

He was the “bad child” in class, which stacked up more negatives against him. The teachers watched for his behaviours and quickly got on his case, even if everyone else was engaged in the same activity. As a result, he had to spend a lot of his limited energy for school on reducing the teachers’ stress about having him in their class.

It took a multi-tiered approach to start the new school year off well. Over the years, I learned to focus on what I could control. There are some things, such as how a teacher relates to your child, that are really out of your control as a parent.

But you can help your child reduce his or her anxiety and stress, cultivate potential allies at school, teach them some ways to modulate their behaviour, and discuss solutions to deal with issues that might arise.

How to set your child up for success this school year

Setting your child up for success includes identifying what sets him, like unexpected transitions, sensory triggers, work he perceives as being too hard (or sometimes too easy), desk mates that kick chairs, and needing to move around but not being allowed to do so. It’s also important to note what keeps your child on track. This might include knowing the environment and people he interacts with daily, and making sure the school understands your child’s diagnosis and/or learning needs.

Here’s how you can get the information that you need to make this coming school year successful: Collect data: School teams gather data, and you should as well. You can take notes on your child and then share the data with the teachers. Write down your child’s triggers and what strategies work for her.

(Excerpt from empoweringparents.com)

Home Affairs Ministry rejects APNU’s take on firefighting needs

The Home Affairs Ministry in a strongly worded statement on Wednesday said it “categorically rejects the A Partnership for National Unity’s bunkum about Guyana’s fire-fighting capacity”.

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) record speaks for itself, the statement noted, as since the late 1970s, fire hydrants became unreliable because of vandalism or low water pressures to support firefighting.

“As a matter of fact, the chief fire officer in 1979 wrote in his 1979 Annual Report: ‘There is urgent need for improvement in the water supply in New Amsterdam and this has been drawn to the attention of the authorities concerned, since the highest standard for fire protection for the area cannot be a reality in view of the present risks and projected development until the present unsatisfactory condition is remedied’.”

According to the ministry, this is clear evidence that the fire hydrant situation had begun deteriorating since in the late 1970s under the People’s National

Congress (PNC) administration.

“With the advent of the PPP/C to office, the new government has taken several fire protection initiatives since 1992 to present. In this regard, three new stations were opened in Berbice.

“There are now six fire tenders and one bowser in the Berbice Area as against one fire station and one fire tender in 1992. The previous government sought to construct a fire station at Corriverton in 1978, but the station was never completed

beyond laying the foundation.”

Similarly, fire stations were constructed at Wismar and Anna Regina in 1975 and 1979 respectively, but these were never opened.”

The ministry noted that since 1992, the Guyana Fire Service has produced three strategic plans and is presently working on a new plan to further modernise the service.

The state security body added that “when positive steps to implement new initiatives to bring about a better level of service to the nation is done, these initiatives are stymied by other factors as we witnessed when recently a bill was introduced to change the Guyana Fire Service to the Guyana Fire & Rescue Service”.

The Home Affairs Ministry and the Guyana Fire Service are always concerned about the safety of members of the public from fires and other emergencies, and the ministry always ensures that the agencies under its purview receive the necessary support to implement their programmes, the statement concluded.

Guyana remains land of the free despite attempts to undermine democracy – PPP

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends warm wishes to Guyanese from all walks of life, as the nation again pays tribute to the struggles and sacrifices, which culminated with the birth of freedom and emancipation 175 years ago.

The party is proud to stand side by side with persons of African ancestry, who played no small role then in fighting against the injustices and inequalities which ate away at the moral, social, political, and economic fabric of our societies in Guyana and nations around us.

We believe that the story of emancipation and the struggle for freedom has lessons for all Guyanese regardless of their race, political, or economic standing.

These lessons have, in turn, enriched our nation resulting in the emergence of a strong multicultural society with high levels of tolerance for the diverse cultures which exist.

Emancipation is a celebration for all Guyanese, but even more so for our African brothers and sisters as their foreparents fought for freedom 250 years ago

in the Berbice Revolt led by Kofi; 190 years ago in the Demerara Revolt inspired by Kwamina; 179 years ago in the Essequibo Revolt led by Damon; and in so many other places at many other periods in our history.

The PPP believes that Guyana today remains the land of the free, despite attempts aimed at undermining the progress that has been made in our country.

Guyana still stands out as one of the most patriotic countries in the world where nothing replaces the pride of being Guyanese and of working together to build a brighter future for each other.

The party is proud to have worked for decades to eradicate the high levels of poverty, underdevelopment, bankruptcy, and social inequalities which had for 28 years enslaved our people and retarded our forward movement.

The PPP wishes to warn Guyanese that as they celebrate their hard-earned freedom and emancipation this year, they must stand firm against any attempts made in the National Assembly by the political opposition to hijack the de-

velopment of our country.

The opposition must not be allowed to “enslave” the future of our people while pursuing selfish aims and desires.

The opposition must not be allowed to “weaken” our democracy.

The opposition must not be allowed to “suppress” the economic and social progress of our country because of its one-seat majority.

The PPP nonetheless remains confident that the problems which currently confront us in the Parliament will be resolved amicably as the will of the people must always prevail.

We remain open and hopeful that our future engagement will bear fruit and that we will see the freedoms of our people being advanced and secured.

In the struggle to build a strong and prosperous society in our times, we must continue to be inspired by the victories of our ancestors who, fighting an enemy who had superior weapons, succeeded in liberating themselves and destroying the hated system of slavery.

Happy Emancipation to all Guyanese!

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee

thursday, august 1, 2013| guyanatimesgy.com

Lusignan Massacre trial

Defence, prosecution address jury

As the trial into the gruesome Lusignan Massacre nears its final stages, defence attorneys, Roger Yearwood and Nigel Hughes along with Senior State Counsel Judith Mursalin, delivered their closing arguments to the jury.

Yearwood is representing murder accused, Mark William while Hughes is representing James Hyles, both of whom are jointly indicted with the murder of 11 persons, including five children, in the wee hours of January 26, 2008, when several gunmen invaded Track A, Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

State Counsel Mursalin is prosecuting the trial which began just over two weeks ago before Justice Navindra Singh. The prosecution presented 15 witnesses before closing its case last Friday. On Monday, both accused were called upon to lead their defence and both elected to do so by giving unsworn statements from the dock.

Williams’ attorney, Yearwood, called Corporal Rodwell Sarabo to the stand after which he closed his case. This was followed by Attorney Nigel Hughes, representing Hyles, calling his witness, Vanessa Daniels, the aunt of his client on Tuesday.

Daniels testified that Hyles was at home with her on the night of January 25, 2008, watching Stanford 20/20 cricket. However, under cross-examination by the prosecutor, when asked which teams were playing, she said West Indies. It was then put to her that the tournament was a regional one involving the Caribbean countries.

The prosecutor put to the witness that on the night of January 25, 2008, there was no 20/20 game showing on the television to which the witness adamantly said “yes, there was”.

Mix-up

Mursalin then put to the witness that around that time, the preliminary stage of the tournament was going on and there was a match set between Cuba and Antigua; however, it was cancelled. Daniels said she does not know about that.

The prosecutor then put to the witness that the first televised match for the Stanford 20/20 tournament was on February 1, 2008. The woman said she does not know.

The state counsel then suggested to Daniels that she mixed up the Lusignan Massacre with the one at Bartica, pointing out that the latter occurred on February 17, when the news of the massacre ran at the bottom of the screen. The woman said she does not agree.

The prosecutor then went on to ask the

woman if she knows Simeon Ramcharran called “Papa Willie”, “Uncle” or “Magic” and she answered in the negative. When asked if the police kept going to their house because they were looking for “Papa Willie” who was a regular visitor, the woman said “no”.

Mursalin then asked the woman if she went to the police or the court and told them that they got the wrong man because he was at home with her. She replied saying that she did not do that and under examination by Attorney Hughes, she said because she was afraid of the police.

The prosecutor finally suggested to the woman that on the night of January 25 to 26, 2008, Hyles was not at home with her and that now, five years after, she is just a witness of convenience. Daniels responded that her nephew was home with her that night and that she was not a witness of convenience. After the woman’s testimony, Hughes closed his case.

Then Attorney Yearwood commenced his closing arguments to the jury on Tuesday afternoon. He began on a sombre note, recalling a quote about an attorney fighting for his innocent client’s freedom. The defence attorney during his address to the jury, attacked the loopholes in the prosecution’s case and the inconsistent testimonies of several police witnesses.

Defence’s plea

He highlighted the flaws in the prosecution’s case while urging the jury to return a verdict of not guilty since the police had failed to conduct proper investigations. The attorney further stated that the prosecution has failed to present any credible evidence against his client, who has been made into a scapegoat for the police’s inefficiencies and incompetence.

Yearwood pointed out that the police had no evidence against his client, and as such, they had to beat and torture him in order to get a confession out of him rather than them trying to do their work. He said that they failed to conduct fingerprint dusting on the spent shells and cartridges which were retrieved from the scene.

The attorney told the jury that this matter has garnered significant national interest and that the police were justifiably under pressure; however, he noted that it was unjustifiable that they “pickup young innocent men” just to lease that pressure.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning, Attorney Hughes delivered his closing remarks to the jury, stating that the evidence presented by the prosecution is highly prejudicial. He said while this incident is an awful fact of Guyana’s histo-

ry, it will be even more awful if an innocent person is sent to jail.

The attorney mostly attacked the prosecution’s star witness, former accused Dwayne Williams, who testified against the two accused, placing them at the scene of the massacre. Hughes said that despite Dwayne confessing to 32 murders, he is not facing any charges against him, instead he is “free as a bird”. He further pointed out that Dwayne was the only person who confessed to the killings and he is not even facing any jail time while adding that the young man has not even showed remorse, instead he purchased his freedom and the price he paid was to implicate his client.

Hughes told the jury that the biggest perversion of justice was happening in court and urged them to take into consideration all the inconsistencies of the prosecution’s case before coming to a conclusion. He also highlighted that the police was under pressure at the time and so they picked up a young man, from Buxton and decided to charge him.

Stay focused

However, in her closing address, Senior State Counsel Mursalin told the jury that the defence counsels are attacking all the prosecution’s evidence to make them lose focus while adding that they have made the trial into a circus. She said that the prosecution could not have brought everything they have to the court because they are bound by the law which allows for only the deposition evidence to be heard in the trial.

She said that Rondell “Fineman” Rowlins got angry because his girlfriend was missing and decided to kill those people in Lusignan, noting that the two accused were “part and parcel of it all”. The prosecutor, in defence of her star witness, explained to the jury that the law allows for the charges to be dropped against one accused if he agrees to testify against another accused.

Mursalin pointed out that at no time during their unsworn statement, did any of two accused say that what Dwayne told the court was false and that they were not a part of the massacre. The prosecutor told the jury that the police did not get the wrong man and it is up to them to put their heads together and decide whether the two accused are guilty or innocent. She said that the prosecution has proven its case and implored them that justice should prevail for those 11 persons who were killed.

The trial was then adjourned to Friday when presiding judge, Justice Singh, will sum up the evidence to the jury after which they will retire to deliberate on a verdict.

Eyew tness

Regional goings on...

...in trade

Today, being Emancipation Day, is as good a time as any to look at one of the mechanisms we’ve been throwing a lot of resources at to help emancipate us to take care of the most basic needs denied us during slavery. We’re talking about the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and what it has done for us in improving our basic living conditions.

At the most mundane level, we hope everyone would agree that a movement that took off from a free trade area (CARIFTA) should have at least increased our intra-regional trade. We’d then be producing and selling more goods to each other than buying everything from the “mother” country – even saltfish and salt beef – and having our money circulating among ourselves.

In the last couple of days, there’s been a series of articles in the local press “bigging up” statistics showing that our intra- regional trade increased by “30 times the amount in 1973”. But what the heck does this mean? 30 times zero would still be zero. Fact of the matter is that in 1973 intra-regional trade was nine per cent of our total trade and today it’s 17 per cent. But when you consider 70 per cent of that is due to Trinidad and Tobago’s petroleum exports, the increase seems hardly worth the effort.

After all, the increase in extra-regional trade far surpassed that number – our trade with the U.S. alone jumped to 44 per cent. And we haven’t been spending any money for that increase...or paying thousands of bureaucrats living like the “big managers” during slavery. Our model of integration back in 1973 was the European Union (EU) where, in 2010, 65 per cent of their exports went to fellow EU countries.

Fact of the matter is that the impact of Caricom integration has had minimal impact on our trading patterns. More to the point, when the numbers are disaggregated, very little of the increased intra-regional trade is linked to the formal integration efforts by the myriad bodies of Caricom or its humungous secretariat.

Just as interesting, the products benefiting the most from the highest external protection showed the lowest rate of growth. This, of course, brings up the question as to whether we should maintain protection at those levels. The stake-in-the-heart-finding is that the integration movement hasn’t resulted in significant innovation in our product mix – we are still trading in the same old, same old.

Once again, we’re reminded that “there are lies, damned lies, and statistics”.

...in cricket

Did you catch the opening ceremony at the first game of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in Barbados? Well, all I can say is that Alison Hinds hasn’t lost her mojo... or her “wine”. She more than made up for a rather staid opening parade that had us worrying whether the Bajans were going to pull one of their “Little England” imitations.

But like they say, nature will out!! And Alison had the crowd really pumped up by the time the real fireworks began – between bat and ball. Or, this being the West Indies, between batsman and bowler – specifically big hitter Kieron Pollard and fiery fast bowler Tino Best. While Best roiled Pollard with a bouncer or two every over –seeking to exploit Pollard’s weakness against the rising ball – the big man had the last laugh when he clobbered Best off the last ball for six.

The inside joke, of course, was that Best being Bajan but playing for the St Lucia Zouks had the Bajan crowd in a quandary whether to cheer for him – or Pollard, Trini, but playing for the Barbados Tridents.

A new era in WI sports was ushered in when they cheered Pollard. The Limacol CPL team pipped country!!

...in

Trinidad

Now that Jack Warner’s proved his point to Prime Minister Kamla Persaud-Bissessar, the question on everyone’s lips is whether he’ll return in the governing coalition People’s Partnership (PP). Warner showed he has a lot of “people” with him.

New CARIFORUM head to work on strengthening body

Percival Marie, a national of the Commonwealth of Dominica will from today assume the office as the new director general of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states (CARIFORUM) Directorate in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat.

He replaces Ivan Ogando Lora. Marie, who has been appointed for a period of three years, stated that his priority will be to effect an integrated, comprehensive approach to the work of the two units that comprise the directorate. This approach, he said, forms part of a targeted strategy.

According to a Caricom Secretariat report, on the one hand, that strategy is intended to make the respective units even more responsive to the needs of regional states. This comes at a time when the region is purposively adapting to changing realities in respect of (ACP)/European Union (EU) and CARIFORUM/EU relations, including the landmark Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

On the other, Marie said, the strategy is geared at sustaining dynamic, productive partnerships forged between the CARIFORUM Directorate and partner institutions, in light of certain shared responsibilities regarding the advancement of facets of the respective work programmes of the directorate’s two units.

The recently-concluded special meeting of the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM, convened in Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic on June 14, approved Marie’s se-

lection by the Bureau of the Council of Ministers.

Marie has had a long association with CARIFORUM, having worked for the then CARIFORUM Secretariat and its successor, the CARIFORUM Directorate. He has served as executive director of the CARIFORUM Directorate. Most recently, he held the post of executive director, Resource Mobilisation and Technical Assistance in the Caricom Secretariat. The director general of CARIFORUM is also the CARIFORUM EPA coordinator. The latter function is provided for in Article 234 of the EPA.

The director general of CARIFORUM reports to the secretary general of CARIFORUM, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, who is also the secretary general of Caricom.

The directorate is in the midst of a transition. In addition to the new director general, the new director, EPA Implementation and director for Development Cooperation are also coming onboard.

The EPA Implementation director will be Carlos Wharton, a Barbadian national and senior trade policy professional. He also takes up the post on August 1. The post of Development Cooperation director will be filled on August 12 by Eugene Petty, a national of St Kitts and Nevis and a former Resource Mobilisation and Technical Assistance programme manager at the secretariat.

The CARIFORUM Directorate comprises two pillars. Organisationally, the

directorate’s traditional programming and development cooperation function, with its own dedicated staff, falls to the Development Cooperation Unit. For its part, the EPA Implementation Unit facilitates the implementation of the inter-regional trade and development accord. Notably, the unit extends technical support to national counterparts with responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the provisions of the EPA.

Going forward, the strategic and programmatic direction of the CARIFORUM Directorate will be informed by several priority areas that have come up for consideration by the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM, the principal policy-making organ of the regional configuration.

The areas that have been the subject of deliberations by regional policymakers include: (i) the governance of CARIFORUM, (ii) implementation of the Joint Caribbean-EU Strategy, and in this regard consideration of a programme of support in the context of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Indicative Programme. Presently, there are no financing provisions for the Joint Strategy; and (iii) further support for regional and national efforts to advance on the implementation of the EPA, leveraging institutional partnerships.

The 15 signatory CARIFORUM states to the EPA are the independent Caricom member states and The Dominican Republic.

Caricom courts increased funding from international development partners

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) on Tuesday put forward a case to raise the level of funding from its international development partners (IDPs) and to increase the number of community priorities in the bilateral and regional programmes of the IDPs.

Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque wants to ensure that the community’s positions are reflected in ongoing discussions on donor coordination and aid effectiveness, Small Island Developing and Low-Lying Coastal States (SIDS), and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The secretary general articulated the community’s position Tuesday afternoon at the third High- Level Forum on Donor Coordination at the Princess International Hotel, Providence, Guyana, where representatives of Caricom member states, community institutions and IDPs gathered for over a day-and-ahalf of talks.

“Caricom, as an integration grouping, approaches such issues on a collective basis. In fact, it forms part of our coordinated foreign policy. We will advance our case for improved access to resources in the ongoing discussions on the Post2015 Development Agenda. We will link our foreign policy positions to access to resources. We have no choice in these matters if our peo-

ple are to survive and if our countries are to be placed on a path to sustainable and resilient economic growth,” the secretary general said in remarks at the forum.

The engagement with the international development partners is one step towards meeting the mandate of Caricom heads of government issued to the Caricom Secretariat at their just-concluded 34th regular meeting to design a Resource Mobilisation Strategy to ensure adequate financing of regional and national priorities to catalyse growth in member states.

The IDPs will be familiarised with the community’s development plans, strategies and priorities and the forum will jointly examine priority areas where they could assist

“We will map out approaches intended to ensure that your assistance will facilitate development in our areas of priority and we will address how we can optimise the use of scarce resources. As a community, we are looking for results and impact and we would welcome your cooperation and support in that regard,” Ambassador LaRocque told the representatives of the IDPs.

The forum is being held against the background of the impact the ongoing economic and financial crises is having on the community. The current situation, which has spawned stagnant or de-

clining growth rates, high per capita debt, falling fiscal revenues and increasing unemployment, has limited the capacity of Caricom member states to self-finance their development, hence, the importance of grant financing and access to concessional financial resources.

The secretary general pointed out that differentiation and graduation have added to the challenges the community faced since such a policy could deny member states access to grant and concessional funding.

“To graduate Caricom member states from access to grant aid, concessionary financial resources or technical assistance, on the basis of per capita income cannot be right. Per capita income is, at best, an arithmetic ratio. It does not measure the level of poverty; it does not address the distribution of income; it does not say whether the economy is resilient and on a path to sustainable growth, and it certainly does not measure the capacity of a country to self-finance its growth,” the secretary general argued.

The last high-level forum was held in July 2011. The secretary general has proposed that the engagement be held on an annual basis so that the forum could serve also to exchange views on important global and development issues such as aid effectiveness and management for development results.

Women and Gender Equality Commission presents report to Speaker

The Women and Gender Equality Commission presented its third annual report to Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman on Wednesday.

During the simple handing over ceremony, Trotman applauded the commission for successfully fulfilling its mandate, noting that he is more than overwhelmed with the quality of work executed.

Though, the Standing Orders in the National Assembly does not cater for the reading of reports from the commission, the Speaker said he will be making a special request for the Women and Gender

Equality Commission to inform the House of its findings and recommendations.

Based on recommendations from the clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs, Trotman said he will be pushing for funds to be provided to the Women and Gender Equality Commission under the ambit of the National Assembly. The funds when provided will facilitate trips to hinterland communities, seminars and aid in the fulfilment of the commission’s mandate.

“For example, to help a woman with her children, so you wouldn’t have to go begging for money, there should

be a fund that allows you to react and act and take initiatives rather than having to wait and see what comes out of the budget for you.”

The notion of providing funding for the Women and Gender Equality Commission was accepted by Chairperson Indra Chandarpal.

Chandarpal said in keeping with the 2013 work programme, the commission has executed nine outreaches in all the administrative regions, with the exception of Region Eight. A team will visit the region in August. The findings and recommendations have been compiled in the report, the chairper-

son posited.

“Now the report focuses on all the events that we would have had, it focuses on unwaged labour. That is something that has never been talked about before and we were able to host a workshop to discuss this issue.”

In the report submitted, recommendations were put forward to tackle a number of issues, including trafficking in person, sexual harassment in the workplace, revision of building codes to make provision for persons with disability and domestic violence.

Earlier in the year, the commission in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) unveiled its fiveyear strategic action plan. Within the next five years, the Women and Gender Equality Commission would be promoting human rights and respect for gender equality, in addition to organisational and institutional strengthening of the commission, women leadership and governance, women economic empowerment and gender based-violence.

Every body turn hydro expert

Guyana is de land of a lotta H 20 and it look like a lotta people turnin hydro expert now. Every where yuh turn is some body talkin bout hydro. When is not de guvament is de opposition. Even two old Ram decide fuh hold press conference de other day and talk bout hydro. Is a lotta hydro does pass between de two of dem, so dem ain’t even care if de guvament hydro come off or not.

Freddie de Man Kisser used to also talk plenty bout hydro too. But even he get fed up now and he don’t seh nuttin no more. It could be either because he not gettin enough hydro or that he ain’t able wid all de hydro he been getting. After all, he can’t go back to UG fuh de hydro that he used to get pun de campus.

On de other side of de coin, it lookin like Hughly Cat can’t even even remember all de hydro that she used to get and talk bout not too long ago. De only conclusion any one coulda come to is that she know good how fuh separate de public relations wuk from de pubic relations wuk.

It look sum ting from Fip had slip when he been buildin de road and Hughly Cat ain’t remember nuttin at all to this day. De hydro must be had she unconscious. Is a good ting de A-GEE had a look at de videos and he show a lotta people fuh every body to know who does get secret hydro!

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Hopefully wid all de talks guvament holdin bout hydro, all de secret hydro dealin gon come to light…startin wid Hughly Cat.

Women and Gender Equality Commission Chairperson Indra Chandarpal

Messages

PYO talks up hydro project in emancipation message

Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) said August 1 marks the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, an occasion that is joyously celebrated by all. It commemorates a point in time when the struggles of “our forefathers with the aid of abolitionists finally bore fruit and the criminal enterprise of slavery was overthrown”.

The PYO in a statement said it joins all Guyanese in its celebration of this milestone anniversary and encourages all to treat their fellow citizens with the respect and dignity that this occasion signifies.

Unfortunately, it does not seem that the opposition parties in the National Assembly grasp the importance of this occasion. In their recent vote against raising the debt ceiling and the Hydro-Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2013, the opposition once again showed that they are willing to sacrifice the needs of the people of Guyana for partisan political gains. Cheaper electricity would not only benefit sup-

First lady hails struggle for emancipation

Fporters of the PPP/C, but all Guyanese.

However, the opposition again made it clear that the needs of all Guyanese are subservient to their desires. Stymieing the economic growth of the country is to the detriment of all Guyanese.

“The PYO, therefore, proposes that the opposition parties take heed of the needs of the Guyanese people and to embrace the significance of these 175th Emancipation Day commemorations. We demand that they work with President Ramotar and the PPP/C to make the lives of all Guyanese better. Our forefathers fought and died for the ideals of unity, freedom and self-determination, as their descendants; let us not forsake their efforts for narrow ambitions!”

Trotman salutes emancipation heroes

Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman has saluted the African heroes who made it possible for Guyanese to enjoy the freedoms and liberties they now have.

In a statement, the Speaker said, “We could never fully grasp the horror of slavery and the resulting damage that ensues unto today. We, the inheritors of the blood, sweat, tears and indignities heaped on the heads of our fore parents, have a sacred duty neither to forget nor diminish their efforts and sacrifices.

“I wish all Guyanese a Happy Emancipation Day, and to our African brothers and sisters in particular, I remind you that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Never forget, never be unguarded!

“One such sacrifice was the life of Damon – A life that was taken on a specially erected scaffold in the forecourt of the Public Buildings at noon on the October 3, 1834. Damon, and those who stood with him, believed that they were entitled to their freedom. No force of arms was resorted to, and no open disobedi-

ence and resistance was unleashed. Their crime was that they had gathered in a church’s compound, believing it to be a place of refuge and salvation, to seek answers.”

Trotman said as Speaker of the National Assembly, he feels an overwhelming sense of responsibility to correct the injustice and barbarity meted out to Damon on that fateful day by moving the National Assembly to unanimously reverse the wrong committed against him.

“To this end, the parliamentary parties, civil society and the public will soon be engaged in a campaign to restore the honour and dignity of Damon, and to remove the stain left on the Public Buildings when he was unjustly hanged on October 3, 1834,” he concluded.

PNCR says emancipation most significant in Guyana’s history

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) joins the Guyanese people in celebrating the 175th anniversary of the emancipation of enslaved Africans. The party regards this event as the most significant in the foundation of the nation and the formation of the Guyanese society. It was the first step in the country’s long march towards social equality, economic independence and political freedom.

Africans in the united Guiana colonies of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo regained their freedom on August 1, 1838, after 200 years of enslavement. Emancipation on that day commemorates not only the bloody sacrifices of the

Africans who struggled, suffered and were slaughtered for the sake of the freedom Guyanese enjoy today, but also the birth of the nation itself. The entire Guyanese nation should participate in this public celebration.

“Emancipation is Guyana’s most important national celebration. It marks the start of the most significant demographic change through the coming of the Portuguese, East Indians, West Africans and Chinese and the transformation of the coastal landscape through the creation of free villages and the diversification of the economy into the production of food crops, gold-mining and logging. It led, also, to the liberation of

society through the popular movements for educational development, labour organisation and political mobilisation.”

Emancipation celebrations in 2013 – an auspicious year – also commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Revolt of 1763 led by Kofi and the 190th anniversary of the Demerara Revolt of 1823 inspired by Kwamina. Guyanese of all races are the beneficiaries and heirs of the sacrifices of this nation’s first freedom fighters. Emancipation, after all, was not a finite event that occurred 175 years ago. It was the commencement of a continuing process which must aim at providing a good life to all Guyanese.

irst Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar has extended greetings to all Guyanese and to all freedom lovers the world over who are today celebrating Emancipation Day 2013.

In a message, the first lady said that the significance of this historic anniversary will resonate for all time because emancipation marked a defining milestone in the struggle against human bondage and in the fight for freedom and dignity.

“Slavery remains the darkest chapter in human civilisation. It was a travesty that must never again see

the light of day. The seeds of the ideology of racial supremacy which gave rise to this heinous and to other abominable systems must be utterly and comprehensively discredited and rejected so that it may never again gain currency in the modern world.”

She said Guyanese must also not forget their own history in which the economic impulse for profits formed the basis of the introduction of slavery and other forms of servitude into this part of the world.

“Our history is decorated with the sacrifices and struggles of those who resist-

ed these systems of oppression. On this Emancipation Day, we can all take pride and draw inspiration from the heroic and epic struggles waged by our ancestors against all forms of human servitude,” Ramotar said. She added: “On this Emancipation Day, I join with all of those who have lent their voices to the plea for reparation for the most dreadful crime committed against humanity − slavery. I trust that the collective voices of all freedom-loving people will one day ensure a fair and just response from those guilty of the slave trade and of slavery.”

AFC pays homage to African ancestors

On the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, the Alliance For Change (AFC) pays homage to the country’s African ancestors who were forced to journey to this foreign land; many dying along the way, and in their struggle for freedom.

The party in a message said the history of Guyana and indeed of the Caribbean could not be written without recall of the greatest evil ever unleashed on mankind; that of slavery.

“Likewise, who we are as a people cannot be defined if we fail to acknowledge the fortitude of our African ancestors, which saw them through the harsh reality of slavery and the struggle for freedom.

“All Guyanese, regardless of race or colour can learn from the examples of our African ancestors. Under the most severe of conditions, they pooled their meagre earnings to purchase plots of land. Today, we can do well to imitate this lesson of uni-

ty and of resolve and the many other lessons they taught us through their courage and endurance.

“175 years after slavery was abolished and the subsequent period of apprenticeship, we the descendants must determine whether we have proven worthy of the sacrifices they made. As we celebrate our freedom, let us remember that it was bought with tears, sweat and blood. Long live a free Guyana!” the message concluded.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman

President Donald Ramotar

Joy overflows as Guyana Amazon

Taking his team to a competitive total, Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan helps to provide the final crucial runs (Limacol CLP photo) The Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel celebrate a Guyana Amazon Warriors wicket, but the Guyanese team had the last laugh (Limacol CLP photo)

Guyanese pack the stadium

Guyana Amazon Warriors win

stadium to show their team love (Treiston Joseph photo)

Digicel girls strike a pose during the match

thursday, august 1, 2013| guyanatimesgy.com

Suspended UGSS president says he is wrongfully accused

Suspended University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS)

President Ganesh Mahipaul in a scathing response to his suspension said that he is yet to receive any notification outlining the reasons he was declared guilty of injurious conduct to the society.

Mahipaul, in a letter to the media, explained that he is also yet to be afforded the opportunity of giving an explanation in person within 21 days.

He said it was “most unfortunate” that the UGSS Executive Council did not commission an independent hearing so as to allow him the opportunity to relate what actually transpired during December, with reference to the finances belonging to the society.

The student body president said he was extremely disappointed that the council came to a conclusion without a hearing.

“I received a missive… from the secretary, stating that I was guilty of misconduct while performing the duties of president… and also of the misappropriation of funds by converting and spending the society’s funds on my personal expenses,” he said.

Mahipaul said he found it extremely strange that he was castigated for misappropriation when mon-

ies were released to him by other signatories of the account, with the knowledge of senior members.

He pointed out that other members from the same administration had borrowed money from the UGSS, which can only be withdrawn with a minimum of two signatures.

According to Mahipaul, he is convinced that there is mischief afoot to defame his character since he was becoming too popular within the university community.

Mahipaul said he has presented his version of the facts in the hope that a fair conclusion can be drawn.

“I will take all the negative stones that are being thrown at me and lay a firm foundation to build a successful building. I anxiously await the critics.”

A vote of no-confi-

dence was passed against Mahipaul in June, suspending him from performing duties and issuing an ultimatum by which to respond.

Mahipaul was informed of the decision of the UGSS Executive Council through a dispatch signed by UGSS Secretary Adel Lily.

He told Guyana Times that although he had received the letter via email, he was still awaiting the original copy which had been sent through the Guyana Post Office (GPO).

Mahipaul’s admission

The UGSS Executive Council met on June 22 and found that Mahipaul was in gross misconduct as a member of the student society, and had misappropriated the society’s funds while serving as president.

The council explained that the decision was based on Mahipaul’s admission that his conversion of the society’s funds to his personal expenses without the necessary approval from the quorum of the Executive Council constituted a breach of the constitution.

Mahipaul has since been debarred from performing further duties as UGSS president due to his suspension from the remaining part of the second semester of the 2012/2013 academic year.

The UGSS thanked Mahipaul for the service given to the organisation and wished him all the best in his future endeavours.

The council comprises the vice chancellor, registrar, assistant registrar and internal auditor while Marisha Bowen is acting as UGSS president.

During April, Mahipaul was accused of embezzling $800,000 of the student body’s funds and admitted only to borrowing the money to offset personal expenses.

Mahipaul explained that contrary to reports of misappropriation of the society’s fund; the $800,000 was borrowed under the correct procedure as stipulated under the constitution governing the society.

The constitution, he said, speaks to the possibility of borrowing funds, but does not detail the procedures that should and should not be followed when doing so.

Mahipaul believes the incident, although degrading to him, gives the body an opportunity to ensure proper financial regulations are put in place and enforced.

Early in June, the UGSS president made good on a promise to repay the loan he took from the student body after depositing the money into a Republic Bank account.

CIOG extends emancipation greetings to all Guyanese

The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) has extended Emancipation Day greetings to all Guyanese. The occasion also referred to as Freedom Day, marks the anniversary of that very first Emancipation Day, August 1, 1834 that ended that heinous system of slavery in the British West Indian colonies.

The abolition of slavery represents a victory for the African people who stoutly resisted the horrors of that system. But it was also a victory for all those who were to be later brought to these shores.

The CIOG pays tribute to the country’s African ancestors who after the abolition of slavery, were instrumental in the development of the village movement against great odds.

“The village movement, crystallised by our African ancestors, remains an important vehicle for the empowerment and upliftment of all Guyanese and can be considered a great achievement of the freed Africans. God bless and a happy Emancipation Day 2013!” the CIOG release concluded.

These future immigrants, while having to work under arduous conditions, could not lawfully be subject to enslavement.

Unity crucial to moving Guyana forward – WPA

Working People Alliance (WPA) salutes the African Guyanese community on the 175th anniversary of the abolition of chattel slavery. As African Guyanese reflect on what 175 years of emancipation have meant for their community, WPA reiterates its commitment to ethnic equality and unity as crucial cornerstones of national wholeness.

For the WPA, emancipation must mean a constant reclaiming of dignity, identity and humanity.

“We take note of initiative in the African Guyanese community to begin a conversation on the condition of the community. We believe that such a conversation is a positive development that deserves the support of all political forces.”

The party in a statement said this year’s emancipation observances come at a time when the economic manage-

ment of the country is under the microscope.

“As our government seeks to press forward with ill-conceived projects, poverty continues to escalate. WPA continues to believe that the destruction of poverty is an important aspect of the unfinished business of emancipation. In this regard, WPA wishes to associate itself with those forces in Guyana and the Caribbean who have dared to raise anew the issue of reparations. WPA also uses this emancipation anniversary to remember the Linden martyrs on this one-year anniversary of their demise. The spirit of the Linden struggle of 2012 reflects the best of the emancipation spirit.

Finally, the WPA puts on record its support for a return of the village councils which in our view would be a crucial blow in favour of African Guyanese political empowerment.”

Suspended UGSS President Ganesh Mahipaul

thursday, august 1, 2013|

Death of teen inconclusive –autopsy report

An autopsy performed on the body of 14-yearold Kezie Campbell of Lot 681, Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), who mysteriously collapsed and died at his aunt’s house was given as inconclusive.

The post-mortem examination was conducted by Dr Vivekanand Brijmohan at the New Amsterdam Hospital on Tuesday. Blood samples were collected for further testing. Nevertheless, the teenager will be laid to rest next Wednesday.

The teen was pronounced dead on arrival at the Fort Wellington Hospital about 01:00h on Monday morning.

According to information received on Sunday, about 21:00h, the teenager was in the company of his cousin at a wake house at Number 28 Line Top, West Coast

Dead teenager: Kezie Campbell

Berbice, where they stayed until after midnight. Soon after the boys left for home during a heavy down pour.

Campbell went to his aunt’s home at Lot 301,

Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice, where he washed his face with water from a barrel in the yard, soon after which he informed her that he was feeling dizzy.

This prompted the woman to take him into the house, but within minutes, he collapsed and became unconscious.

His relatives took him to the Fort Wellington Hospital, where he was seen and examined by a doctor who pronounced him dead on arrival. The body was checked for marks of violence, but none was found.

The teen, who would have been celebrating his 15th birthday in October, never complained of feeling unwell other than having slight headaches at times. He leaves to mourn his parents and one sibling.

Man assaults father over meal, court hears

Aman was brought before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday, after he was charged with one count of unlawful assault and one count of abusive language.

The defendant, Brian Singh, pleaded guilty to

both charges which stated on July 18 at Lot 38 Sheriff Street, Campbellville, he unlawfully assaulted and made use of abusive language to his father, Chatterpaul Singh.

According to Prosecutor Vishnu Hunte, the defendant is a drug addict and on the day in question, he went home and started to

abuse his father after his mother told him the meal was not ready. He picked up a glass bottle and dealt his father several blows about his body.

Bail was refused and the defendant was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. The matter is set to return to court on August 19.

An imam was on Monday taken into police custody after he allegedly sexually assaulted two sisters on separate occasions at a masjid.

It is alleged that the girls, ages 11 and 12 were assaulted while no one was around.

According to information received, on July 22 about 17:00h, one of the sisters went to the masjid for food when the Muslim leader who was serving food at the time allegedly held on to her private parts and squeezed them. She reportedly did not tell anyone.

However, on July 29, about 18:30h, at the same place of worship, the victim and her elder sister were collecting food when the 54-year-old religious leader allegedly committed the act, this time on the elder sister.

As a result of the incident, the two girls dropped the food, ran home and told their mother what transpired.

The matter was reported to the police and based on the seriousness of the accusation, the man was arrested.

Statements were taken from the two girls and the police are continuing

their investigations.

In February last year, an Islamic cleric was placed before the courts after it was alleged that he sexually assaulted several brothers at a Madrassa (Muslim school) in Sophia, Georgetown. The boys were reportedly between the ages of four to 10 years old.

After the allegation, the boys were medically examined and the results proved that they were bruised, which indicated that the act was committed.

The mufti was arrested and charged.

Sisters allegedly assaulted by imam Silvertown man killed in hit-and-run accident

Apensioner has become the latest road fatality on Tuesday evening after he was struck by a speeding car at Half Mile, Wismar, about 22:50h. The car reported fled the scene.

The dead man was identified as Terry Inverary, 65, of Third Valley, Silvertown, Wismar, Linden.

However, police acting on information, arrested a man at Half Mile, Wismar,

whose motor vehicle was found with damages that appear consistent with a road accident and may have been responsible for the death of the pensioner. He is in custody, assisting with investigations.

Review your tasks and/ or assignments first thing, especially those that are distasteful to you. If your heart isn’t in your work, you could make things worse.

By Bernice Bede Osol

(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Hard feelings will result if you expect too much from a joint endeavour. Of course, the same might be true if your partner expects too much from you as well. All efforts must be equal.

Under most conditions, you’re not prone to holding grudges, yet today some old complaints might rear their heads. Try to forgive and forget, and you’ll be a lot happier.

Financial conditions could be rather testy, so it behoves you to manage your resources as wisely as you can. Avoid all excessive spending and don’t borrow or lend out any money.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)

Before you start finding fault with your mate, keep in mind not to blow things out of proportion. Once you open Pandora’s box, you might not be able to close it again.

(March 21-April 19)

Because you have acute critical faculties, it is sometimes easy for you to spot flaws in others. However, should you see a disturbance in someone today, you’d be wise to keep it to yourself.

(April 20-May 20)

Your extravagant urges could demand your attention, making it possible for you to do something financially foolish. Before spending money outlandishly, remember how hard you worked for it.

(May 21June 20)

The consequences of your behaviour could deleteriously affect your colleagues. Make doubly certain that your motives are constructive and noble.

If you fail to establish some realistic objectives for yourself, you could burn out striving for an unattainable goal. Be practical, and you’ll do fine.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Don’t do anything that could cause you problems today. You’re in a cycle where you need to pay strict attention to your inner judgment. If you stray, you’ll regret it.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

A domineering companion might attempt to involve you in something that you want no part of. You’ll need to muster the necessary resolve to stay out of trouble.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

To underestimate your competition would be a grievous error. You’ll have to bring your “A” game and go at it with everything you’ve got.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2013

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Development to get boost with return of 300-plus scholarship students

Ninety-nine students, the first of three batches who completed their scholarships to Cuba, returned home on Tuesday to joyous relatives. Over the next few days, more than 300 young Guyanese are to return to serve their country.

A total of 102 graduates arrive on Wednesday, and today, the last 100 are due to arrive, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Public Service Minister, Dr Jennifer Westford welcomed the graduates at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). She told the media after the graduates arrived that, “we are going to be having 300 plus new professionals coming into Guyana, and obviously this means we have new skills to aid development”. She further stated that with the return of those trained in medicine – more than 100 graduates, “we can now offer here a better quality care”.

The minister noted that the returning agronomists will help to cement Guyana’s position as the “bread basket of the Caribbean”.

The returning young engineers, she said optimis-

tically, will assist the infrastructure development which has been steadily progressing in Guyana and singled out the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) as one such project that will garner the interest of the returning engineers.

“I can see within the future, this set of graduates who just arrived and those who will be arriving tomorrow (July 31) and the day after tomorrow will be building blocks on which our development will be hinged.”

Former Presidents of Guyana and Cuba, Bharrat Jagdeo and Fidel Castro respectively, seven years ago, inked the Government of Guyana/Cuba Scholarship Programme under which 500 students would be trained in Cuba in the disciplines of medicine, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, culture, sport, agriculture, and architecture among others. At that time, Guyana was experiencing a shortage of doctors.

According to the minister, this special agreement with Cuba came to an end two years ago. She explained that, however, the ministry

will continue to send small batches of students under its scholarship programme for training in the Spanishspeaking island.

Dr Westford also said the returning batches will benefit from post-graduate training. “We just do not want to stop at this level, we want to have the highest level of professionals in the system, so that our people will be able to benefit and our country will have a high level of professionals and we would not have to depend on persons coming from overseas,” she explained. “We will have our own home-grown professionals.”

She indicated also that government has no future plan to secure with Cuba special concession for training like the one brokered between Former Presidents Jagdeo and Castro, as the ministry’s scholarship programme to Cuba will be enough to maintain the medical personnel-to-persons ratio that is required in the country.

According to Minister Westford, based on the number of health facilities in the country, Guyana is at present saturated with medical personnel.

Essequibo man murders children, severely injures spouse

AZeelugt North, East Bank Essequibo man hacked two young children to death and severely chopped his reputed wife on Wednesday around 18:00h.

The police are hunting for the accused, a 26-year-

old cane cutter named Richard Lord. He chopped to death his five-year-old stepdaughter, Kimberley Houston, and the couple’s two-year old-son, Tarif Lord, with a cutlass during an argument over his spouse’s alleged infidelity, after severing her left hand. Police said in a statement that the two children were pronounced dead on arrival at the Leonora Cottage Hospital, while their mother, Bibi Nazruna Houston, 21, has been admitted in a serious condition.

Over $1M stolen from overseasbased Corentyne family

Five armed masked men invaded the home of an overseas-based Bush Lot family, carting off at least $1 million in cash and jewellery on Tuesday evening about 22:20h. The men were all armed with small guns and dressed in dark-coloured clothing.

The police have since launched a probe into the robbery committed on Kawlilla Persaud, 47, of Lot 27 Bush Lot Village, Corentyne. She was relieved of US$800 and two gold ban-

gles valued $200,000.

The men then shifted their attention to Lilawattie Persaud, 22, and took away US$500 and two pairs of gold bangles valued $200,000. Somawattie Persaud, 60, was robbed of one gold bangle valued $200,000; one diamond ring valued $260,000; and one gold ring valued $100,000.

Based on reports, the three women were sitting under their house when the men jumped the eastern fence, pointed the guns in

their direction, and ordered them not to scream or move.

The three women were taken into the kitchen area and relieved of the articles mentioned which they were wearing at the time. The men then made good their escape.

The police were summoned immediately and took statements from the women who were unable to describe the men, since they were wearing masks. Police are continuing their investigations.

Bedecked with the Golden Arrowhead, this scholarship graduate is greeted by Public Service Minister, Dr Jennifer Westford upon his arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, as his colleagues look on (GINA photo)

Dominant Sri Lanka make it 4-1 over South Africa

South Africa suffered a fifth successive substandard batting performance in Sri Lanka to concede the final match in the series − a dead rubber − to opposition who have shown their superiority on Wednesday.

Throughout the 12-day contest, Sri Lanka batted with more authority and bowled with more intent and just to emphasise that, they did both even better today despite resting three senior players.

Tillakaratne Dilshan followed up his century in the previous match with 99 and shared in a second-wicket stand of 163 with Lahiru Thirimanne who found confidence with a half-century, while Kumar Sangakkara racked up milestones. He overtook Misbah-ul-Haq as the leading run-scorer in ODIs this year and become the top-scorer for Sri Lanka in a bilateral series with 372 runs. With all those accolades, his best mate, Mahela Jayawardene was hardly missed. Neither was Sri Lanka’s marquee fast bowler, Lasith Malinga, or leading spinner Rangana Herath. Their replacements, Suranga Lakmal and Sachithra Senanayake, did the damage with five wickets between them to ensure even the flicker of a challenge South Africa posed was suffocated before it find any oxygen.

Although South Africa have scored more runs in each innings as this series wore on, they were always unlikely to chase down a score of 300plus. They have a lethargic bowling performance and indifferent showing in the field to thank for being asked to do that.

Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe started well with probing lines out-

side offstump and had early success. They kept Sri Lanka’s scoring rate under four an over and Morkel had Kusal Perera out when the opener bottom-edged to Quinton de Kock.

What South Africa should have used as an opening, Sri Lanka grabbed onto as an opportunity. They moved Thirimanne up the order and he responded by building steadily alongside Dilshan. They pair gave themselves time against South Africa’s ineffectual spin duo so that when Morkel was brought back, he posed little threat. Dilshan reached his half-century with a backfoot drive off him, while Thrimanne’s came with a single off Phangiso. By the halfway mark, they were consistently scoring more than four runs an over and had laid enough foundation to up the aggression. And they did. The very next over, Thirimanne charged Phangiso and drove Morkel with confidence. He

could have been stumped for 62 but Quinton de Kock missed the chance. It only cost six runs before JP Duminy took a tumbling catch to see Thirimanne out but illustrated a wider South African problem.

Their fielding was not up to scratch, they didn’t back up enough, their throws were wayward and de Villiers’ communication in changing his fields was almost non-existent. All this while Sangakkara arrived and smoked Duminy back over his head and hit Morkel of all of his lengths. The three fours that came in the over where off a good length ball, a full one and a short one.

Sangakkara missed out on a century the last time he batted with Dilshan but this time it was Dilshan’s turn to suffer that fate. He marched into the 90s with an authoritative pull and lingered on 99 for three balls before he was bowled by a McLaren slower ball. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka innings

T Dilshan b McLaren 99

M Perera c †de Kock b Morkel 9

H Thirimanne c Duminy b Phangiso 68

K Sangakkara† not out 75

A Mathews* c Miller b Tsotsobe 23

N Perera not out 17

Extras: (lb8, w8) 16

Total: (4 wkts, 50 overs) 307

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-176, 3-212, 4-257

Bowling: M Morkel 10-0-781, L Tsotsobe 10-2-52-1, R McLaren 10-0-47-1, F Behardien 4-0-28-0, JP Duminy 7-0-460, A Phangiso 9-0-48-1

South Africa innings

Q de Kock† b Senanayake 27

H Amla lbw b Senanayake 18

JP Duminy lbw b Dilshan 15

St Lucia Zouks on fire after purchase by ISH

Gros Islet, ST LUCIA –

International Sports Holdings Limited (ISH) has confirmed the purchase of the St Lucia Zouks franchise just a day before the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) T20 Tournament got underway.

The Singapore-based company is expanding into cricket and other sports franchise opportunities globally. Members of the management team were responsible for the recent acquisition of Glasgow Rangers and have extensive experience with global sports management, franchise operations and investment management.

Fayyaz Alimohamed, CEO of St Lucia Zouks franchise

augural tournament.”

excited to have ISH own and build the St Lucia Zouks franchise. ISH brings deep experience in the sports business, and we are excited to see them bring their expertise in globalising the fan base of the St Lucia Zouks.”

St Lucia’s Event Operations Officer, Krystal Jean Baptiste, is excited about bringing this new venture to cricket fans throughout the Windward Islands.

F du Plessis c †Sangakkara b N Perera 6

AB de Villiers* c Mathews b Mendis 51

F Behardien c Mathews b Lakmal 1

D Miller c †Sangakkara b Lakmal 0

R McLaren c Mathews b Mendis 29

M Morkel b Mendis 0

A Phangiso not out 18

L Tsotsobe b Lakmal 3

Extras: (w 11) 11

Total: (all out, 43.5 overs) 179

Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-60, 3-61, 4-69, 5-85, 6-85, 7-137, 8-137, 9-171, 10-179

Bowling: R Lakmal 5.5-024-3, A Mathews 4-0-32-0, S Senanayake 10-2-29-2, T Dilshan 10-0-41-1, N Perera 5-1-17-1, A Mendis 9-2-36-3

“The formation of the LCPL T20 League heralds the arrival of an exciting cricketing format to the Caribbean through a dynamic commercial initiative,” said Fayyaz Alimohamed, CEO of the St Lucia Zouks franchise. “We hope that this is the start of an expansion of cricket throughout the Americas and we are very pleased to be part of this in-

“We are absolutely thrilled that ISH has joined the Limacol Caribbean Premier League franchise family,” said Damien O’Donohoe, CEO of the CPL. “ISH and CPL share a vision of nurturing and growing the sport of cricket and bringing a joyous, celebratory form of cricket that is unique to the West Indies to a global audience.”

Ajmal Khan, chairman of Verus International and founder of the LCPL, commenting on the franchise acquisition said, “We are

“Fans in St Lucia and around the Windward Islands love their cricket,” said Krystal. “This vibrant, enthralling format, filled with regional and international stars, is likely to create tremendous fan enthusiasm and sold out matches in St Lucia.”

The inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament began on Tuesday in Barbados and concludes on August 24. The SLU Zouks home matches take place on August 6, 8 and 10 against the Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents and Jamaica Tallawahs, respectively.

Amazon Warriors ambush...

With 11.55 runs needed per over at that stage, Darren Bravo and Nicolas Pooran provided some resistance with Pooran hurting Hafeez’s figures by smashing two sixes in his final over which cost him 16 runs.

The Red Steel still had a lot of work to do in order to clinch victory but their prospects dipped when Darren Bravo (22) guided

Krishmar Santokie to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. When Pooran was at the crease the run rate was never likely to be an issue. He smashed two sixes off an atrocious final over from Permaul which cost 20 runs.

Skipper Dwayne Bravo was nowhere near as convincing and the innings then capitulated from 96-4 to 136-9. The Red Steel

lost Bravo (8), Pooran (52, 1x4, 6x6), Kevin Cooper (0), Kevin O’Brien (8), and Sulieman Benn (0) before the overs expired.

The Amazon Warriors will play Jamaica Tallawahs in their next game on Friday at the same venue, while the Red Steel oppose Barbados Tridents at the Kensington Oval in their next game.

Foska Oats fuels Jamaica Tallawahs in Limacol CPL

Foska Oats has been providing nourishment to Jamaicans both on and off the sports field for almost 50 years so it comes as no surprise that the company would put its name and reputation behind the mighty Jamaica Tallawahs team in the upcoming Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 Tournament.

Foska Oats has signed on as a founding sponsor of the Jamaica franchise team, and will be fuelling the players with its special brand of oats manufactured right in Jamaica by Caribbean Foods

Limited.

“Foska Oats is proud to be a Founding Sponsor of the Jamaica Tallawahs. Our company has a rich heritage of supporting the development of sports in Jamaica so it is only fitting that we align ourselves with an initiative like the LCPL which aims to further enhance the game of cricket in both Jamaica and the region,” said Tamii Brown, Senior Brand Manager of Chas E Ramson Limited, distributor of Foska Oats.

“In addition, Foska’s alignment with sports is nat-

ural as it is a great source of essential vitamins and minerals, and the carbohydrate content available in Foska Oats fuels our athletes’ high energy needs. We are pleased to be able to bring this type of support to the Tallawahs in their efforts to dominate the LCPL.”

“It’s wonderful to see a proud local brand such as Foska step up to support the Tallawahs in their inaugural season,” said Jamie Stewart Commercial Director and Consultant to Limacol CPL. “Foska Oats are synonymous with healthy eating and an active lifestyle, and are an excellent partner for one of the Limacol CPL’s pre-eminent franchises.”

Jamaica Tallawahs team member Danza Hyatt agreed.

“I’m proud to be a part of the Jamaica Tallawahs and I’m glad companies like Foska Oats have confidence in our team,” said Danza Hyatt. “As a Jamaican it’s good to see home grown companies supporting cricket. We plan to make Foska Oats proud.”

The Tallawahs’ first match will take place against the Guyana Amazon Warriors in Guyana. Matches in Jamaica will take place at Sabina Park on 15, 17 and 18 August.

England wary of past mistakes, says Cook

England captain

Alastair Cook said his team will learn from past mistakes as they look to complete an Ashes series win over Australia at Old Trafford.

In the last two series, England went 1-0 up but lost at Headingley and Perth before recovering to win the series.

This time, England take a 2-0 lead into the third Test but Cook is refusing to look beyond today in Manchester.

“It is a great opportunity we have but you can’t start thinking about anything other than the first hour,” said Cook.

Victories in the first two Tests have put England in a commanding position to seal their third Ashes series vic-

tory in a row.

Donald Bradman’s 193637 Australians are the only team to have come back from 2-0 down to win a Test series between the two countries.

But despite history favouring his men, Cook is eager to guard against complacency after experiencing major slip-ups on the road to Ashes victories in 2009 and 2010-11.

On home soil four years ago, England went into the fourth Test at Headingley with a 1-0 lead, but were bowled out for 102 on the first day and slumped to a defeat by an innings and 80 runs.

In the 2010-11 series down under, England were thrashed by 267 runs in the third Test in Perth as

Australia levelled.

“At Headingley we did start thinking too far ahead,” said Cook. “I admit I do remember saying ‘if we win here we win the Ashes’. There was that mentality and we forgot about the hard work.

“In Perth, I think you have to give credit to the way Australia played in that game. I don’t think it was anything to do with it being 1-0 in the series. It wasn’t a do-or-die game as such and they outskilled us.”

England have won six of their last seven Tests at Old Trafford, narrowly missing out on a victory over Australia in the 2005 Ashes when final pair Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath batted out four overs for a draw.

(BBC Sport)

Seven Seas cycling set for Saturday

Local riders will flock the inner circuit of the National Park for the 10th staging of the Seven Seas 11-race cycling programme, set to pedal off at 09:00 hours.

The cyclists will compete in various categories, including the 12-14 Boys and Girls (three laps), BMX Boys 6-9 (two laps), BMX Boys 9-12 (three laps), BMX Boys 12-14 (three laps), BMX Boys Open (three laps), Veterans Under-50 (five laps), Veterans Over-50 (five laps), Veterans Over60 (five laps), Juveniles (10 laps) and Mountain Bikes (five laps).

The senior riders will battle in the main event, which is the gruelling 35-lap School Boys and Invitational.

Raynauth Jeffrey is the defending champion of the senior race, having won the

2012 race in a time of one hour, 17 minutes, 29.96 seconds (01h: 17m: 29.96s).

Jeffrey also won the Juveniles race in 2012, but a new champion will be crowned in that category this year as he has moved up to the senior ranks.

Junior Niles and Nigel Kingston are the reigning champions of the Veterans

GBTI Tennis Open…

Under-50 and Mountain Bike races respectively.

Representatives of Seven Seas, including pharmaceutical specialist Karren Cornell, are expected to assist in the presentation of prizes at the conclusion of the day’s activities, which are being organised by national coach Hassan Mohamed.

Downes, Leacock on course for final showdown

The top two players of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Tennis Open have cruised through to the semifinals following contrasting wins on Tuesday night at the bank’s recreational facility at Bel Air Park.

Top seed Anthony Downes flexed his muscles as he hammered the nation’s top ranked junior player Johnathan Christie 6-1 6-0 to make his second straight semi-finals at the GBTI Open.

Christie was no match for the more forceful and powerful Downes, who quickly wrapped up the match in under an hour.

The top Men’s seed made tennis look easy as he easily

broke his younger opponent early in the opening set to send an ominous warning to his other opponents.

The second set was much of the same but a bit more brutal for the top ranked junior player to handle, as he was dealt an opening blow when he was broken first up in the set.

A dejected Christie lost all of his energy, concentration and the will to carry on in the match as he was quickly breezed off the court with a further two more breaks of serves as his shoulders dropped to hand down a 6-0 second set win and a place in the finals.

Meanwhile, second seed Leyland Leacock did not

break a sweat as he was passed through to the semifinals with a walk over victory over veteran player Mario Niamatali who failed to show up for the quarter-final encounter.

The third quarter-final between third seed Gavin Lewis and Joseph DeJonge was stopped with the latter unseeded player leading 5-4 and on serve. The delay was due to technical problems encountered at the playing venue.

In action from Monday evening, the duo of Daniel Lopes and Gavin Lewis defeated Nicholas Fenty and Leyland Leacock 6-7 6-1 6-2 to progress to the final of the Men’s Doubles competition.

Junior Niles

Raynauth Jeffrey

Daniel Lopes and Gavin Lewis

Anthony Downes

Stephen Reid, Jamaica Tallawahs Sponsorship Coordinator with Phillip Ramson, Director of Caribbean Foods – Manufacturers of Foska Oats

Greenidge hopes LCPL puts West Indies cricket where it belongs

By Rajiv Bisnauth

West Indies legend and Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, Gordon Greenidge said the new Limacol Caribbean Premier League tournament can eventually provide an opportunity for West Indies cricket to reach the standard where it belongs.

The 62-year-old Greenidge believes the Twenty20 league, will be good for cricket in the Caribbean in general and will help create a whole new generation of cricketers and allow for potential future talents.

“This is very excited for all of us in the Caribbean; we have looked at the Indian Primer League (IPL) where young players coming through, showcased their talents and it should be no different here in the Caribbean. Young players have to be chosen within the squad in the Caribbean and this will not only develop but also enhance cricket in the Caribbean. I hope at the end of this tournament we can look back and say it was enjoyable, entertaining and we are looking forward to next year’s event,” said the former West Indies opening batsman.

Greenidge continued, “I just hope everyone who participated in this tournament not just play as an entertainment tournament, but look at it as a way to elevate West Indies cricket which is in the lows for too long and we need that lift and I hope this T20 tournament can give the international understanding of

West Indies cricket as people knew it years ago.”

The LCPL bowled off Tuesday evening in Barbados and will feature six franchises: Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Lucia Zouks and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.

Each franchise has 15 players on their roster.

During matches, each franchise must have at least four players under the age of 23 on the field at all times and can have a maximum of four international players representing them at any one time as well.

The six international powerhouses confirmed for the LCPL are former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his long-time teammate Adam Gilchrist, New Zealand’s Ross Taylor, Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and Sri Lanka spin maestro Muttiah Muralitharan.

The franchise players are Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels.

Ninety players have been contracted to play in the LCPL.

Noble House’s Goals Galore Indoor Hockey...

Old Fort, Hikers and GCC are category winners

The curtain came down on the annual Noble House Goals Galore indoor hockey championships on Sunday evening with the three top local clubs – Old Fort, GCC and Hikers sharing the spoils in what was a high-scoring and exciting competition.

Old Fort managed to capture the Men’s junior division by dethroning the GCC Pitbulls in the final, while GCC Spartans dismissed last year’s champions, Tigers, in the semi-finals en route to a final victory over the Hikers Divas. The most anticipated match-up of the evening, in the Men’s senior division final, saw the Hikers Under19s edge the veteran Ol Skool team to emerge as repeat champions.

Men’s senior division topscorer, Jamarj Assanah, once again put on an impressive exhibition of skilful hockey to lead the Under-19s to the trophy in an exhilarating final. No sooner than the first whistle sounded to commence the final than Assanah began making himself a menace for his rivals, Ol Skool, as the veterans struggled to keep pace with the talented midfielder. At the end of only 10 minutes of play, Assanah had already registered three goals to his name and levelled the handicap at 3-3. The diminutive Hilton Chester continued the onslaught on Ol Skool who appeared a step off the pace of the game when he deflected his shot in the 16th minute past Ol Skool goalkeeper Rawl Davson. The one way traffic continued with two more goals from Assanah before Ol Skool would finally catch their gear with an excellent passing buildup finishing with a Sheldon Corlette goal to make the score 9-7.

Hiker’s Andrew Stewart kept the pressure on with the first goal of the second half, just two minutes in. Jamarj Assanah then cleared the field and slotted home his sixth of the match and Leon Bacchus managed an 11th goal for the Hikers. With the score at 11-7, Philip Fernandes managed to score two penalty corners in the dying minutes but the trophy was already in the firm grip of the Hikers who pulled off an 11-9 victory.

In the Ladies final, young GCC Spartans managed to avenge their pool round loss by upstaging their experienced opponents, the Hikers Divas 4-3. With both teams beginning with +2 in goals, the GCC Spartans overwhelmed the Divas at the opening whistle with the pressure paying off through a fine Samantha Fernandes’ finish in the first minute of play. The Spartans continued their fine execution of passes and went further

Wireless communication, broadband and Internet television company, E-Networks continued their support of the Boyce/Jefford Track and Field

Classic on Tuesday at the organisation’s headquarters on Camp Street.

E-Networks presented Co-chairman of the Management Committee for the Boyce/

Jefford Classic, Edison Jefford with the sponsorship cheque, noting that their main reason for their continued support was because the meet is aimed at developing a prestigious platform for athletes in Guyana.

Jefford, thanking E-Networks for their sponsorship, highlighted that such support enables the management committee to forward its movement for the development of track and field in Guyana.

The fourth edition of the meet will be held at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary on August 17 while the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden, will host the final day of the competition on August 18 from 14:00h.

Local athletes will have the chance to match strides with their Caribbean counterparts in four international races that are expected to feature athletes from Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and Suriname.

Meanwhile, Antarctic Maintenance and Repairs have also contributed to the fourth edition of the meet, joining a host of sponsors for the athletics meets in Guyana that pays out big bucks to clubs and athletes.

ahead when striker Brianna Gordon slammed home a rebound off the goalkeeper in the 11th minute taking the score to 4-2 in favour of the Spartans.

The Hikers seemed more purposeful in the second half and launched some effective raids at the Spartans goal generated by the solid play of Maria Munroe at right back. While Spartans goalkeeper Alysa Xavier made several defensive stops, a swift counter-attack caught the Spartans out of position and national striker, Cora Towler, was on hand to slam home the cross from the right side in the 27th minute. The final 10 minutes saw lots of wasted attempts and no more goals leaving the Spartans as the new Noble House champions with a 4-3 win.

In the junior Men’s division, Old Fort never needed their +1 handicap to defeat defending champions the GCC Bulldogs as they cruised to an easy 3-0 victory. Mark Fraser was the hero of the night as he scored the only two goals of the night on either side of the interval to give his team the 3-0 victory. A presentation followed the night’s matches where the Hikers Jamarj Assanah receive the Most Goals trophy for the Men’s senior division, GCC Tigers’ Sonia Jardine was awarded the same for the Women’s category, while GCC’s Kareem McKenzie scored the most goals in the junior Men’s division.

Gordon Greenidge

Edison Jefford (right) receives the sponsorship cheque from a representative of E-Networks

The GCC Spartans pose with their winnings

The Old Fort players celebrate victory

Amazon Warriors ambush T&T Red Steel

– win by 19 runs

By Rajiv Bisnauth

This was the reason Guyanese fans thronged the local ticketing offices. The stands and grass mounds burst at the seams and to add to the carnival atmosphere, the Guyana Amazon Warriors produced a disciplined bowling display to ambush the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel by 19 runs in game two of the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League Wednesday evening at the Guyana National

The entertaining en -

SCOREBOARD

Guyana Amazon Warriors innings

L Simmons c Jacobs b DJ Bravo 42

M Guptill lbw b Badree 32

M Hafeez c Taylor b O’Brien 14

J Franklin not out 26

C Barnwell c Benn b DJ Bravo 0 N Deonarine run out (Guillen/ Cooper) 1

R Sarwan not out 21

Extras: (b-4, lb-12, w-3) 19

Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 155

Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-98, 3-103, 4-103, 5-106 Bowling: Cummins 2-0-9-0, Badree 4-0-30-1, Benn 4-018-0, Cooper 4-0-27-0 (w1), O’Brien 2-0-14-1 (w-1), DJ Bravo 4-0-41-2 (w-1)

Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel innings

D Jacobs b Permaul 10

J Guillen b Hafeez 22

DM Bravo c Ramdin b Santokie 23

R Taylor lbw b Permaul 2 N Pooran c Hafeez b Permaul 54 DJ Bravo c Barnwell b Narine 8 K O’Brien b Santokie 8 K Cooper run out (Santokie) 0 S Badree not out 3 S Benn b Narine 0 A Cummings not out 0

Extras: (b-2, lb-2, w-2) 6

Total: (9 wickets; 20 overs) 136

Fall of Wickets: 1-28, 2-46, 3-50, 4-93, 5-105, 6-124, 7-131, 8-131, 9-136 Bowlers: Santokie 4-0-202 (w-1), Hafeez 4-0-26-1, Franklin 3-0-16-0, Barnwell

1-0-9-0, Permaul 4-0-323, Narine 4-1-29-2 (w-1)

counter had a fitting climax, taking into consideration the makeup of both franchises.

Chasing 156 for victory, the Red Steel finished on 136-9. Veersammy Permaul was the pick of the hosts’ bowlers with figures of 3-32, while Man-of-the-Match Krishmar Santokie Sunil Narine and Mohammad Hafeez claimed 2-20, 2-29 and 1-26 respectively.

Guyana Amazon Warriors, leaving out William Perkins, Steven Jacobs, Keon Joseph and Trevon Griffith, were

asked to take first strike on the surface that offered pace and bounce. The Warriors rode on an excellent start provided by Trinidadian Lendl Simmons and New Zealander Martin Guptill. The pair managed 74 runs off the first 9.1 overs, after which Guptill was dismissed. He struck three fours and a six in his 21-ball 32.

Simmons, on the other hand, placed and timed the ball elegantly, particularly through the covers, before the Red Steel bowlers dug into the Warriors

batting line-up to deliver four crucial blows.

International star Mohammad Hafeez (14), Simmons (42), Christopher Barnwell (0), and Narsingh Deonarine (1) were all dismissed in the space of 15 balls as the Warriors slipped to 106 for 5 in 16.2 overs.

Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan and James Franklin then provided some late flurry, adding 49 runs in 3.4 overs to hand the local franchise a challenging total.

Sarwan made 21 off 12 balls while Franklin

ended on 26, inclusive of three sixes. Red Steel, omitting Yannick Cariah, Fidel Edwards, Adrian Barath and Delorn Johnson, never really appeared to be threatening at any point in the chase and were reduced to 50 for 2 half-way through the innings. Justin Guillen was bowled by Hafeez for 22 while left arm spinner Permaul accounted for Davy Jacobs for 10. Permaul then trapped Ross Taylor plumb in front for two.

Lanka 307-4 (Dilshan 99, Sangakkara 75*, Thirimanne 68) beat South Africa 179 by 128 runs

Lendl Simmons drives during his knock of 42 for the Guyana Amazon Warriors

Martin Guptill