Guyana Times Daily

08 THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 2805

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

PRICE

Millions being lost in questionable Jamaica rice deal

WHAT'S INSIDE:

GPSU P5 peeved at delayed wage talks

Page 3

GRA uncovers massive revenue racket at CJIA

Fire Aunty Volda! – social activists Page 9

Page 5

…as protest erupts outside President’s Office

…police, other agencies probing

$80 vat included

Deadly prison riot COI

P23

Inmate testifies of seeing headless body after fire

Celebration of Phagwah in Guyana is a reflection of our P17 maturity – PPP

GWI P6 rewards World Water Day Essay winners

President ushers in Holi with Hindu society Page 20

The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) joins President David Granger on Tuesday in a night of chowtal singing on the lawns of State House

Tuschen taxi driver killed in EBE crash Page 22

Linden Bus Park shooting

Shot driver succumbs

– family says he was threatened a week ago

Page 21

Jealous uncle gets 26 years for killing nephew P23

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BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, March 23 - 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, March 24 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, March 23 - 16:25h-17:55h and Thursday, March 24 – 05:00h-06:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.

WEATHER TODAY Heavy to light rain showers can be expected throughout the day, with partly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North easterly between 4.91 metres and 6.70 metres per second.

High Tide: 04:30h and 16:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.64 metres and 2.68 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:22h and 22:38h reaching minimum heights of 0.54 metre and 0.55 metre respectively.

Tuesday, March 21, 2016

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Millions being lost in questionable Jamaica rice deal

…“this is a crime against Guyana, a crime against the farmers” – Dr Turhane Doerga

T

he lack of Government consultations with rice millers has led to a reported “corrupt contract” being signed between the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Jamaican Rice Milling Company.

This is according to Dr Turhane Doerga, former Chief Executive Officer and senior official of Alesie Rice Company, who in an interview with Guyana Times on Tuesday described the recent Guyana-Jamaica rice deal as an example of “the most disgusting corruption going on in the agriculture sector.”

The Government through the GRDB inked the deal between the Jamaican Rice Milling Company on March 1, 2016, committing to purchase 40,000 metric tonnes per annum. The deal has a life span of three years and can be reviewed every quarter.

The deal gives the buyer the option to purchase 10,000 metric tonnes per quarter and it was agreed that any unused portion could be taken up by another buyer so designated to work with the GRDB in Jamaica.

Giving his assessment of the deal and the price agreed upon, Doerga, who also serves as Rice Producers Association Action Committee Co-Chairman said the “in between” markup on the contract is corrupt as US$75 will be made per

borne on the price schedules document. Guyana Times understands that the broker is an overseas-based Guyanese and a close associate of an official at the GRDB.

No consultations

Dr Turhane Doerga

metric tonne for the broker.

“When you look at the price bracket, you will see that they are selling to Jamaica for US$400 but anybody who wants to sell there has to sell minimum 1500 metric tonnes at US$475… so the US$75 per metric tonne is what the boys will be splitting among each other,” he explained.

He further pointed out that “75x 80.000x3” equates to US$18 million that will be allocated to “the boys” and not rice farmers who have been facing hardships in the deteriorating rice industry.

“Having a broker in between is the same thing like other deals, the money will be split outside of it… this is a crime against Guyana, a crime against the farmers,” he posited.

Doerga disclosed that the broker (name withheld) who did not actually sign the contract had her signature

“They should have consulted the millers before they signed this agreement but they were so convinced that nobody would find this thing so they went ahead and signed it,” Doerga stated.

Doegra is alleging that the deal was not authorised by the GRDB Board as such, it can be deemed “illegal”.

This publication understands that some Board members reportedly questioned the deal since they were not consulted about the contract’s signing.

Additionally, another Board member said they (the Board) were “not going to take responsibility” for the deal being inked.

Doerga is of the opinion that the Government, through the GRDB is “robbing farmers”.

Parent company

Jamaica Rice Milling’s parent entity, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company has had a number of legal issues over the years.

This publication came across a New York Times article published October 15, 1996 under the head-

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

line: “Archer Daniels agrees to big fine for price fixing” and had paid $100 million in fines which at that time, was the largest ever the Justice Department had obtained.

“The risk that Guyana runs is that if they don’t supply this rice over a threeyear period, we might have a claim in a court in America and we will have to pay it because the company is connected to the United States,” Doegra said with respect to the parent company’s past infringements.

To this end, Doerga is calling for resignations of the GRDB Board General Manager and Agriculture Minister Noel Holder.

“I am calling on the President to call [Minister Holder] and fire him; the man is absolutely incompetent… I am calling for their dismissal and prosecution,” he noted.

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Views General Editor: Michael Younge News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Firing Volda

L

ast week, Senior Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence when questioned about the suitability of an LGE candidate, who was supported by the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change coalition after he was charged with child molestation, made some very unfortunate and damning remarks.

The Minister, who is also a senior People’s National Congress executive, was quoted in another section of the media as saying that the candidate was “not convicted” of any offence while being fully aware of the gravity of the situation and the seriousness of the allegations.

Apart from the fact that Lawrence’s comment were made at a very unfortunate time as the coalition was preparing to contest Local Government Elections (LGE), she also appeared to be defending the candidate.

But what we find most reprehensible is the fact that the Minister appeared to be dismissive of the allegations made against the candidate and even said: “This is a family issue that has been going on and on and on and on for whatever reason, I can’t tell you, because if I had a brother, even if there was an accusation, this is not how I would go about helping him.”

It should be noted too that the alleged molester’s sister has also accused the Minister of directly trying to dissuade her exposing her brother’s alleged wrongdoings against innocent children so that the coalition’s image could remain intact.

The woman alleges further that she told the Minister that her brother needs to be jailed for his involvement, but Lawrence asked her not to pursue such actions as “he has worked hard for the party and he needs to be rewarded”.

Also, the Minister has not found it fit to issue a statement clarifying her position on the issue nor has the Government for that matter, party politics aside.

Instead, the coalition issued what appeared to be a rushed statement withdrawing support for the candidate after the Minister’s unfortunate statement gained widespread publicity and attracted outrage from the ever-watchful eyes of the populace.

So objectionable were the Minister’s remarks that Red Thread saw it fit to lead the call for her resignation before mounting a series of picketing exercises aimed at forcing President David Granger’s hand despite the fact that he gave an undertaking to “ask her for an explanation”.

The truth is, President Granger needs to do much more than ask for an explanation.

He must recognise the importance of the post held by Lawrence and the impact her continuity will have on the confidence, morale and commitment of all those under her who every day pledge their lives to working in the interest of Guyanese children.

Lawrence cannot, on one hand, be seen giving exquisite speeches at local, regional and international forums and then on the other, appear to be defending persons who are charged not once but twice for this sort of crime.

The portfolio that she holds is extremely important and demands more than just lip service.

Surely, a person who sees allegations related to rape, child abuse or sexual assault made by one family member against another as a “family issue” is unfit for the job as Social Protection Minister.

Therefore, the Minister’s statement albeit wearing her political cap is insensitive, insightful into her psyche and shameful to say the least.

Had this been a PPP Minister or politician, the outcome may have been different because the coalition would have expressed outrage and would have left no stone unturned in seeking to have the President dismiss the individual because they were unfit for the job.

If the President is willing to continue to have Lawrence serve in her post, he must expect that others will expect the same sort of treatment whenever they make similar utterances and appear to be defending their political interests ahead of the nation’s children.

Also, the Government should ask Minister Lawrence to issue a public apology for those who were aggrieved by the utterances made by the Minister and the coalition’s inability to properly vet those who it supports for public office.

Politicians and Ministers in particular must be accountable for everything they say and the circumstances in which they make their statements.

It is, therefore, not difficult to understand those who strongly feel that Minister Lawrence should be disciplined or asked to step down from her post as Social Protection Minister.

Integrity in public life requires it and good governance demands it.

Some staff members of the Georgetown Public Hospital took time out of their hectic schedules to design this rangoli ahead of Phagwah celebrations today

I did not act alone on the UG issue

Dear Editor, My attention was drawn to a letter published in another section of the media, captioned “UG and Vincent Alexander have been cruel to us”. I am not sure who composed that caption but to suggest that UG and Alexander, severally, were cruel, on a matter pertaining to students, is to suggest that Alexander took action in his personal capacity and that, through him or some other officer, the University also took action.

I pity the journalist or student-at-Law, who would have concocted such a caption about a matter that clearly has to do with the University and the affected students, and I further suggest that if Alexander had personally been cruel, then he should have been dragged before the court.

As has been correctly stated, this matter goes back to 2003. Also stated

are the various state officials to whom the students appealed but did not get the desired redress. That means one of three things – the officials were impotent, or Alexander was all powerful, or their cases had no merit – at least in the eyes of the officials and/or the system with which they, the officials, would have raised the matter.

What was not stated was that the matter was addressed by four successive Vice Chancellors, who ruled on the matter after examining the facts. Not that I am distancing myself from the rulings. As Deputy Registrar, I was never the final arbiter.

Admittedly, as Registrar in the latter years, my view on the University’s approach to the matter differed from that of the then Vice Chancellor, who by right pursued his own considered course of action, which re-

sulted in the court proceedings that were chronicled in the March 8, 2016, article.

I take umbrage at Mustapha’s insinuation that my judgment should have been clouded by my advocacy for justice for blacks. I will always advocate for justice for anydeserving case.

I thank Mustapha for highlighting what he considers to be my destruction of the career of blacks.

The fact is my disposition to the administration of justice is not clouded by my black consciousness.

Mustapha’s race card will not intimidate me.

As for his contention that “I was responsible for the entire issue,” he exposes his own incongruence. This matter has its origin in students not paying fees for as much of two years of their period of studies, while conspiring to write examinations during the said period and years after seeking to retro-

actively establish anentitlement to have written those examinations. That’s where the matter originated.

How can I be blamed for acts and their consequences when I had nothing to do with the acts, the primary causal factors.

On my part, I refused, as a matter of principle and good governance, to be involved in the determination of this matter on the occasions beyond the students’ first approach, on this matter, to the University’s administration.

This is also my position now that I am at the Ministry.

I wish them the best in their juridical quest, I hope their hands are clean. Let the chips fall where they may.

Regards, Vincent Alexander Former Registrar University of Guyana

We share Red Thread’s outrage over Minister Lawrence’s action

Dear Editor, Recent media reports about a protest organised

by Red Thread calling for the Government to take disciplinary action against Minister of Social Protection (MSP) Volda Lawrence suggested that only Red Thread was present at the protest.

In fact, Help and Shelter, the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association, ChildLink Inc, and Forward Guyana also supported the protest.

We share Red Thread’s outrage over this incident and reiterate that it is unacceptable for Minister

Lawrence to respond to repeated allegations of child abuse by saying that, “This is a family issue that has been going on and on and on and on for whatever reason, I can’t tell you, because if I had a brother, even if there was an accusation, this is not how I would go about helping him.”

In the first place, the Minister should know that no incidence of child abuse is a “family issue”. As her own Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) repeatedly tells the public, the protection of children is everyone’s business.

This being so, it is the MSP who must take the lead to ensure that all allegations are thoroughly investigated and all victims receive supportive services. In addition, the Ministry’s role is to provide services and support for victims and non-offending family members – not to help perpetrators.

The Minister should also be aware of the seriousness of the repeated allegations against Mr Harding since the CCPA has been directly involved with the children who have allegedly been victimised. It remains unclear why, despite the Ministry’s

knowledge of these allegations, the issue has been allowed to “go on and on and on and on” as the Minister stated.

At best, the Minister is unaware of the role her Ministry is required to play with respect to the protection of children; at worst, she has turned a blind eye to allegations against a member of her party. Either way, the Government must deal with this issue swiftly and decisively.

Sincerely, For ChildLinK and partners

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GRA probes multimillion-dollar corruption ring at CJIA

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he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) said on Tuesday that it was probing a multimilliondollar corruption ring involving several of its customs officers based at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

“The GRA has uncovered a revenue leakage racket at its branch at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, involving several customs officers who are being investigated for their role in a scheme to defraud the authority of millions of State revenues,” the revenue body said in a statement.

It said the scheme, which dates back several years, is linked to a select group of importers who are allowed to clear goods without paying the correct or prescribed amount of duties.

“This discovery is part of management’s efforts to break the back of corruption that has plagued Guyana and to ensure that the prescribed Government revenues are collected,” the GRA stated.

The Authority said it intends to pursue serious disciplinary action against those involved in the racket.

The officers fingered in the scheme are still on the job.

Chairman of the GRA said

GPSU peeved at delayed wage talks

GPSU President Patrick Yarde along with the Union’s Executive Assistant, Indra Thakurdeen and other members

the matter should be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact Commissioner General (ag) of the GRA Ingrid Griffith proved futile, as her mobile phone is said to be out of the service area.

This corruption ring follows on the heels of another corruption scandal which engulfed the revenue collection agency late last year, which led to the acting Law Enforcement Manager of GRA Troy Vannooten being suspended for alleged corruption.

Vannooten was suspended for two months without pay after he was accused of accepting bribes from persons who were involved in a scam dating back to September 2015.

Many believe corruption at the entity runs beyond the average employee.

The GRA has been in the spotlight for corruption in recent months after its for-

mer Commissioner, General Kurshid Sattaur, made some sweeping revelations about the entity, including unsavory practices by top officials in the entity.

Sattaur had said among other things that he was asked repeatedly to act in a manner that was not in the best interest of the GRA, including to settle for meagre sums in cases of defaulting taxpayers, which would have led to the loss of billions of dollars in revenue.

Additionally, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government upon assuming office in May 2015, promised to hire an international firm to conduct an audit of the revenue collection agency.

But, almost a year later, that audit is still to commence. The new Government also allegedly rehired several persons who were fired from the entity for corrupt practices.

T

he Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has expressed its disappointment in the Government over the “holdup” of talks in relation to wage and salary increases.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, GPSU President Patrick Yarde pointed out that while the Union recognised the importance of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Public Service Sector, it saw no need for the impending report to stall other urgent matters such as wage and salary negotiations.

“We say this, since at another level, there is also the vexed issue of the wages, salaries and allowances levels of Public Servants, a matter that has reached proportions of crisis, and one which on purely humanitarian grounds, simply cannot any longer be set aside, even for the briefest period,” he stated.

In fact, Yarde outlined that there was nothing contained in the Terms of References (ToRs), which

guide the inquiry that stated negotiations on wages, salaries and allowances should be put on hold.

“Even as we await the outcome of the deliberations of the Commission of Inquiry, we recall nothing in its Terms of Reference that link it to negotiations on wages, salaries and allowances,” the GPSU Head posited.

He went on to say that the GPSU was clear in its collective mind that the sense of emergency associated with the question of wages, salaries and allowances meant that it must be addressed with the immediacy that it deserved.

“In that context, it is the considered opinion of the GPSU that there can now be no question of any further delay in commencing the discourse between ourselves and the Government of Guyana, within the framework of collective bargaining, on the question of meaningful increases in wages, salaries and allowances for public servants.”

Moreover, the Union raised concerns about a recent statement by Finance Minister Winston Jordan who, it claimed, said he was personally not disposed to granting negotiating space to the Union in the process of what was expected to be fair and open negotiations with the Government of Guyana in the shortest possible time.

“We believe that the signal sent by the Minister of Finance is clear and that it represents an attempt to compromise the imminent negotiations. The GPSU cannot be expected to negotiate freely in an environment that is compromised even before the talks begin,” Yarde remarked.

In this regard, the GPSU President called on the David Granger-led Administration to clearly and immediately pronounce on its readiness to commence negotiations with the Union to arrive at meaningful increases in public servants’ wages, salaries and allowances.

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News

Resident Ambassador to Brazil appointed T he Foreign Affairs Ministry announced on Tuesday that career diplomat George Wilfred Talbot has been appointed as Guyana’s next resident Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

The Ambassador has been serving in the position of Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations since January 2012. Talbot, who joined the Foreign Service in 1993 after working in the Private Sector from 1981 to 1986, is the current nonresident Ambassador to the State of Israel and non-resident High Commissioner to the Republic of Namibia.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry, the latest Foreign Service appointee has “extensive experience” in representing this country at international forums on economic, social, political and other related issues.

Talbot has held several posts on United Nations intergovernmental bod-

Guyana’s next Ambassador to Brazil, George Talbot

ies.

He has served as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Committee of the UN General Assembly, Vice President on the UNICEF Executive Board, Vice Chairman for Commission on Sustainable Development, Vice Chairman on the United Nations Forum on Forests and most recently as cofacilitator of preparations for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development.

The diplomat has

a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages (Spanish/French) from the University of Guyana. He speaks four languages: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. He was once a part-time Spanish lecturer at the University of Guyana.

Talbot is married to Grace Talbot and they have one son, Joel Ephraim.

GWI rewards World Water Day essay winners

The winners of the essay competition along with Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings, officials from GWI and the panel of judges

I

n observance of World Water Day, the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) on Tuesday awarded its essay competition winners during a prize-giving ceremony at the company.

The winning students, aged 9 to 11, were required to write their original and creative pieces to fit the theme of this year’s observation, “Water and jobs”.

The essay contest was aimed at highlighting instances where water can be conserved given the El Niño conditions which have been plaguing most of Guyana.

The participants were also tasked with showing their innovative thinking about how water could be utilised domestically, at work and school in a way that reduces wastage.

Hailing from different parts of Guyana, including Linden, the winners – Joyann Cruickshank, Anjalie Maharaj and Jessica Narine – were awarded with cash prizes of $100,000, $50,000 and $25,000 for their pieces.

Of the 100 essays sent in to GWI, the three finalists were selected based on their ability to effectively underline the core value of water and innovative measures whereby it could be conserved.

Speaking at the event, Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings, gave kudos to the utility company for its consistency in executing the programme annually.

Making reference to the

significance of the contest, Hastings said this served as an effective measure to underline to the public how vital water was and how critical it was to conserve it.

She made mention of the El Niño phenomenon which has struck Guyana, specifically Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo), and how residents of those affected regions were having a hard time getting by in their daily lives owing to insufficient water.

This, she said, should give a clear idea to the participants and the public on what water really should mean to them, not only on World Water Day. Hastings commended the participants, especially the winners, for their resourceful thinking and pieces. She encouraged them to keep up their excellent writing skills, and to advance their learning to become prominent figures in Guyana.

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Eyew tness

Crime... ...and poverty

Seems like crime’s always in the news in Guyana. Of one kind or another. But based on our experience – and that of a whole lot of other jurisdictions – one thing’s true for sure – with the economy tanking and poverty rising, crime’s gonna go through the roof. The question is what’re we doing about it? Well, for one, you’d think the Government would be focusing on reversing the slide in the economy, wouldn’t you?

If you did think that, you just wasted a thought. All the money the Government’s been spending has nothing to do with increasing production in even a single sector – but rather aggravating a restive populace. This Eyewitness is not one to excuse crime because of poverty...but jeez...shouldn’t the Government and its Ministers set an example if some belt-tightening’s called for?

What exactly do you tell folks who’re being thrown on the breadline every day when to have the President pay taxes – which everyone else but the SG and the Chancellor does – the Finance Minister announces whatever money is deducted, must be taken right back and given to the President as a “raise”. Just so he can take home the $1.8 million every month he’s used to drawing.

But partisans of the Government will say the Government HAS been creating jobs. A relaunched People’s Militia will create...what?...1500 part-time jobs? Then we have the boosting of the Police and Army.

Another 590 jobs? Then those 500 contract jobs in the Public Service – above and beyond the thousands the PPP had farmed out. Those are jobs, no?

Problem is...while those jobs may well be for the national weal, they don’t produce a smidgen of goods we could export and bring in foreign exchange for all the foreign things we just can’t do without anymore. (Like “Can Meat and Can vegetables”.) So what you end up with is the Government printing Guyana dollars to pay the bloated staff. And of course, with too much money chasing too many (foreign) goods, inflation takes off.

Which further impoverishes the people at the bottom since their emaciated paychecks can’t even buy what they could yesterday.

So we’re back to the dilemma of the poor: do they follow the straight and narrow or do they take matters into their own hands and grab what they see others enjoying.

This poverty-crime didn’t just arrive on the scene.

And whether we’re sympathetic or not to the argument that “structural factors” make some break the law...we’ll have to deal with the consequences.

Which ain’t gonna be pretty.

...and punishment

And we arrive at the other hot topic that just had its 15 minutes of fame – punishment of those who may’ve committed crimes. We can’t say “criminals” because, as we discovered (hopefully to our chagrin), a whole lot of people in jail aren’t convicted. They’re on “remand”...but are being punished already. So we come to the whole rationale for “punishment” of criminals.

We’d all agree there has to be some discouragement for people to break the law. And we’re not even going to get into the argument as to whether the law is stacked against the poor and powerless. Point of the matter is we can’t go back to the law of the jungle. But we gotta do something – especially for those folks on remand who have to be assumed to be guilty until proven otherwise.

We just heard night courts will be reinstated. We won’t ask, why only now. Just that it shouldn’t be a flash in the pan – but a permanent feature of our judicial system.

Then there’s the matter of the family court.

Seems like a judicial family matter torpedoed it!

...and politics

It’s not only the Executive that’s getting directions from the Saffon Street Muckraker. The Judiciary’s now being instructed on what constitutes crimes, who committed them and what their punishment should be.

Shouldn’t the Legislature also hang up their gloves?

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

9 Fire aunty Volda! – social activists wednesDAY, march 23, 2016

… as protest erupts outside President’s office

A

group of female social activists protested the Ministry of the Presidency on Tuesday, sending a firm message to President David Granger that he needed to give Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence the boot, since she has failed the public and is unfit to hold the portfolio that bears responsibility for child protection and welfare.

With placards in hand, women of Help and Shelter, The Grass Roots Women Across Race, Red Thread and Guyana Trans United, along with other individuals, stood passively outside the gate of the Ministry of the Presidency on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, in a simple protest action against the Minister who they said should have known better than to utter words in defence of an accused child molester.

The issue regarding A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) member Winston Harding, who was also a successful candidate at the recently held Local Government Elections (LGE), surrounds Harding’s alleged sexually molestation of a minor. The allegation pushed the People’s National Congress (PNC)/ APNU to pull its support from Harding, who however went ahead in the LGE and came out successful in the

Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence

elections.

Speaking to Guyana Times, head of Red thread Karen DeSouza said Lawrence is not fit to hold that post.

“We are here because Cabinet is meeting and one of its Ministers, Volda Lawrence, has acted in contravention of the Sexual Offences Act and endangered a minor and she has been actively protecting the person who is accused of sexually molesting a minor.

From her utterances to the media indicating that this child’s molestation was a family issue and that were it her brother she would find a different way to deal with it rather than allow the law to take its course, we are saying that it is in breach of the law and thinking of that kind is a very clear indica-

tion that she is not fit to be the Minister responsible for child care and protection.

This is not acceptable. It cannot be allowed to go unnoticed,” De Souza said.

Harding had faced several charges for child sexual molestation over the years but was never convicted.

This was brought to light after he was already selected as the APNU/AFC candidate for Constituency 13 (East and West Ruimveldt).

On Wednesday last, the coalition withdrew its support of Harding’s candidature, saying that the party is “firmly against all forms of abuse especially the abuse of women, children and the elderly.”

However, Harding went ahead and contested the local government polls during which he managed to win his constituency. This then raised concerns about whether the man would be recalled at the level of the party, since he initially entered the race as an APNU/ AFC candidate.

The APNU/AFC coalition has indicated that it will have to discuss the future of Harding in the Georgetown Council; however, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has stated that there are no legal provisions for the party to ask the candidate to resign.

At a recent press con-

Head of Red Thread Karen DeSouza

ference, President David Granger said Harding’s removal from the Georgetown Council will have to be discussed at the level of party. “The matter will be discussed within the PNCR (PNCReform) and our partners in the APNU… An announcement has already been made, and we stand by the announcement until it has been discussed within the PNC Councils and within the APNU,” he remarked.

But a few hours later on Saturday, at a press briefing hosted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Commissioner Vincent Alexander pointed out that there are no provisions in Guyana’s local government legislation for the recall of an elected Councillor.

Meanwhile, Lawrence is

also facing heat on the matter after she was reported in local media as saying that the matter was family related and should not have been handled the way it was.

“This is a family issue that has been going on and on and on and on for whatever reason, I can’t tell you because if I had a brother, even if there was an accusation, this is not how I would go about helping him,” she had stated.

The Minister’s comment sparked much outraged among rights activists, with several Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) members picketing her Lamaha

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| guyanatimesGY.com

Street office on Friday, calling for her resignation.

In response to this call, President Granger told media operatives Saturday that he did not receive a formal request to that effect but will, nevertheless, seek an explanation from Minister Lawrence about the matter.

“I was told the call was made to the President but the President didn’t receive no such call, but what I could say is that I will seek an explanation from Ms Lawrence about the circumstances under which Mr Harding was selected,” the Head of State remarked.

Royal Castle delivery man shooting

No arrest made, investigations continuing – Commander

I

nvestigators probing the armed robbery of a 36-year-old delivery man attached to the Royal Castle Chicken fast food chain, who was shot, are yet to make an arrest.

Commander of A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) Clifton Hicken told Guyana Times on Tuesday that no arrest has been yet made.

However, he noted that investigations are ongoing.

Around 21:20h on Monday, Satyhatram Karran, who is attached

to the Sheriff Street Royal Castle Georgetown branch, was making a delivery in Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown, when he was confronted by a man, who was armed with a firearm.

During the incident, Karran, of Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was shot to his left hand, and the perpetrator took away his CG motorcycle and escaped. Karran was admitted to hospital for treatment, but was discharged on Tuesday.

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wednesDAY, march 23, 2016| guyanatimesGY.com

Golden Jubilee celebrations

Jonathan Beepat launches “Golden Children” album

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ith the most anticipated Independence anniversary only two months away, Jonathan Beepat Wildfire Productions has joined a long list of persons and companies creating products for the celebration.

During a classy event at the Vintage Wine Bar on Monday, Beepat launched the folksong album, the “Golden Children” featuring several local artistes.

The album comprises six songs from Guyanese artistes, aimed at highlighting Guyana’s diverse music and personalities. The tracks take inspiration from Guyanese folk songs but are composed and arranged to

suit today’s musical tastes.

From Hip-Hop and Soul to Reggae, the album covers several genres and can be described as a jam-packed melodious package of what Guyana signifies, its culture, history and diversity.

Featuring both wellknown artistes and those who have been growing in the shadows, the album is set to be officially played throughout the lead-up to the anniversary and even after the celebrations. It serves to not only highlight the anniversary which is its primary aim, but to expose Guyanese singers to a local and international audience.

Since this anniversary is expected to attract hun-

Producer of the “Golden Children” album, Jonathan Beepat

dreds of persons from the Diaspora, it will create an avenue for these singers.

“We have two objectives of this project. Firstly, we want to create a sustainable module for artistes after the Independence [anniversary] using this platform and secondly, to create a soundtrack for Guyana,” Beepat stressed.

Beepat said the album was designed to coincide with the anniversary’s theme, “Celebration.

Reflection. Inspiration” and the artistes worked diligently to stay in line with it.

He said that the songs fit particular aspects of the theme, as some are celebrative, others reflective and others inspiring.

During the remarks by the featured artistes, they all shared similar comments on why they had decided to grasp the opportunity once presented to them.

They were all enthusiastic about being the entertainment front-runners in Guyana and being given the chance to express their undying love and respect for their land.

Well-known singer Jackie Hanover, who goes by the stage name of Jackie Jaxx, said her song was a reflection of how much she adored the brown waters of Guyana.

She explained that her song would take the form of a metaphor about a “Brown Boy”. It is no surprise that the song is titled “Brown Boy.” Similarly, the other songs highlight different aspects of Guyana.

The album is set to be released on April 22, in time for the pre-anniversary celebrations.

Prisoners and phones

S

atiricus was over the top at the news that prisoners in the Big Jail were updating their Facebook pages daily. Finally prisoners were demanding treatment like human beings and not like animals who didn’t have Facebook. Imagine, 32 years after the Convention against Cruel and Inhuman Treatment was signed at the UN, and prisoners were still not allowed to change their profiles on Facebook as often as they wanted. Didn’t prisoners bleed like other human beings?

Imagine they weren’t even allowed phones in jail! Man can live without food – well up to 40 days, your Eyewitness was told – but no phones?? In these modern times, this was worse that solitary confinement in a hole in the ground with a sealed manhole cover above! The cruelty of solitary confinement was “sensory deprivation”.

“So what the heck do they call “deprivation” if not being able to text people on the outside?” demanded Satiricus.

Were there any other senses worth the name other than “texting” after the discovery of mobile phones? This was now the sixth and most important human sense!

Well, old people say “smarter the Police, wiser the population”. And it was clear the prison population were wise enough to figure out ways to get phones into jail so they could text and post on Facebook. “But hold it!!” thought Satiricus. “Maybe the guards are taking a hint from Pressie’s “position on phones” (abbreviated PPP)?”

Pressie, being the humanitarian he was, had pardoned three scores of young men and women who’d stolen phones and were placed in the slammer. Pressie hadn’t explained in detail his rationale but his cryptic “Go forth and sin no more” had spoken volumes to Satiricus – and maybe the prison guards - in this age of Facebook.

It was clear that Pressie knew how folks had evolved to a point where texting and Facebook was just as important to existence as air and water. And so if some young people stole some phones it was just because they couldn’t control their oh-so-developed-human urge to change their Facebook profile or see what Kim Kardashian was up to. Look what not knowing what Kim was up to had done to Kanye West!

So if it was Ok to “tek” a phone or two...surely you couldn’t blame the guards for allowing them to be slipped to the inmates.

It was the humane thing to do! Man does not live by Banga Mary alone...but by every connection Facebook permits him.

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wednesDAY, march 23, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Trio remanded for murder of Soesdyke farmer

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he three men accused of killing Soesdyke farmer Anthony Breedy were on Tuesday arraigned for murder when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Paul Gorriea, 28; Keron Timothy Corbin, 18 and Donnel Trapp, 21, all of Timehri, East Bank Demerara, were not required to plead to the joint murder charge.

According to court documents, between March 12 and 14 at Soesdyke in the furtherance of a robbery, the accused murdered 60-yearold Breedy of First Foot, Soesdyke.

The prosecution’s report on the matter is still outstanding and, according to Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers, additional statements are needed with respect to the matter.

The three men were unrepresented and will make their next court appearance

Keeping it real

Eusi Kwayana does Jonestown: A review of his latest book

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The three suspects: Paul Gorriea, Keron Timothy Corbin, and Donnel Trapp

on April 18.

The battered body of Breedy, who had worked in Montserrat as an Agriculture Officer and only returned to Guyana last year, was found in his home two Mondays ago with his head bashed in and hands and feet bound.

His SUV was also missing. Police, acting on intelligence, went to Nabaclis,

East Coast Demerara, where they arrested Gorriea, who was in possession of the dead man’s ATM card as well as the missing SUV. A female companion of the now dead man was also arrested.

After his arrest, Gorriea reportedly confessed to the murder and reportedly implicated Trapp and Corbin.

They were subsequently ar-

rested in Ithaca, West Bank Berbice, in a house when Police and members of the SWAT team swooped down on them.

After their arrest, they allegedly took investigators to a location where they had hidden a gun and matching ammunition. They also reportedly admitted that they had conspired to commit the heinous crime.

n November 18, 1978, over 900 members of the Peoples Temple, located not far from the Port Kaituma Airstrip, died after drinking cyanide-laced Flavor-Aid. Their suicidal act was attributed to a directive from Reverend Jim Jones, the religious leader of the commune. Jones himself died from gunshot wounds.

Despite the publication of seven books by Jonestown Dr Baytoram Ramharack survivors about the incident, many questions remain, including the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the commune and the death of American Congressman Leo Ryan, who went to Guyana to investigate reports of atrocities associated with the Temple. This tragedy has long been dismissed as an American tragedy. Perhaps this was so because Guyana’s Prime Minister Burnham declared the Jonestown Massacre “an American problem”.

A recent publication, A New Look at Jonestown, by elder statesman Eusi Kwayana offers a fresh look at the mass suicide.

Not surprisingly, Kwayana, a political activist, offers a Guyanese perspective of the tragedy. Interest is generated from reading the first chapter of the 258-page book, as Kwayana interviews three survivors of Jones’ Temple, one of whom wrote the foreword to the book, Laura Johnston Kohn. Kohn says she was “awestruck” with Kwayana’s description of the Jonestown event. The rest of the book incorporates excerpts from the writings of several Guyanese, including George Danns, Walter Rodney and Jan Carew, culminating in an analysis by Kwayana.

What makes Kwayana’s narrative worth reading is his deliberate examination of a “tragedy in Guyana” as a “Guyanese tragedy”, while still reminding us that the tragedy involved primarily victims from the US. One scholarly excerpt comes from the work Guyanese sociologists George Danns and Lear Matthews, who consider Jones’ commune as a “community-inspired self-reliance” effort coinciding with Burnham’s cooperative socialism. The authors point to the fact that Jonestown was part and parcel of Burnham’s development plans, made possible by an offer of “resources and encouragement for hinterland development” and his policy of encouraging “foreigners to settle in the interior”.

Kwayana dug deep to identify the role played by Guyanese in this tragedy. A defining theme of the book is that the tragedy had strong resemblance to other international and national events in world history. While Danns and Matthews identify the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project as an outgrowth of Burnhamism, readers are left to wonder if Jones’ commune was simply a cult or an experiment that offers broader historical lessons. The book makes the point that the commune was a reflection of a master/slave plantation society reflective of the type found in the American south. It considers the role of religion as central to indoctrination and social control of the labour population.

Kwayana made reference to a speech by Walter Rodney who essentially makes the argument that the Jim Jones affair remained a secretive one, with no official inquiry into the mass suicide by Burnham. It was yet another dark stain on the image of the Kabaka. In a reproduced 1978 Dayclean article, Kwayana forcefully argues that the Peoples Temple was actually a “state within a state” (a term that may have been used by top ranks in the Burnham regime), given the extent to which the Burnham regime was involved, and the level of secrecy associated with its creation. Kwayana reminded us of some simple facts that we may have taken for granted: Jim Jones “was in full control of truth and “he embodied the media…”. This was eerily the simplicity with which the Burnham regime governed Guyana, particularly during the late 1970s, ironically, a time when Kwayana’s opposition to Burnham was strongest. He reminds us of the contempt Burnham had for the Guyanese people – at the time when Guyanese faced import bans on many essential items, the settlers at Jonestown were exempt from the country’s customs and immigration regulations. Not surprisingly, the District Commissioner in-charge of the region had little or no oversight over the Jonestown settlement.

Now domiciled in California, the area from which most of Jones’s innocent victims originated, Kwayana found time to meet with survivors of the Peoples Temple. His book offers some new insights into a national tragedy that claimed Guyana as an international pariah state. Not embedded in pretensions, or utopian theoretical approach, A New Look at Jonestown is well worth reading, not because it was written by a politically/socially conscious Guyanese activist, but because of what it has to offer in our greater understanding of what essentially was a Guyanese tragedy. (Send comments to BRamharack60@gmail.com)

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H

oli or Phagwah is the most colourful festival celebrated by Hindus. It is celebrated as a harvest festival, as well as the welcome-festival for the spring season in India.

The festival of Holi can be regarded as a celebration of the colours of unity and brotherhood – an opportunity to forget all differences and indulge in unadulterated fun. It has traditionally been celebrated in high spirit without any distinction of cast, creed, colour, race, status or sex. It is one occasion when sprinkling coloured powder (gulal) or coloured water on each other breaks all barriers of discrimination so that everyone looks the same and universal brotherhood is reaffirmed.

Phagwah is derived from the name of the Hindu month Phalgun, because it is on the full moon in the month of Phalgun that Holi is celebrated.

The month of Phalgun ushers in Spring in India, when seeds sprout, flowers bloom and the country rises from winter’s slumber.

Holi comes from the word ‘hola’, meaning to offer oblation or prayer to the Almighty as thanksgiving for good harvest. Holi is celebrated every year to remind people that those who love God shall be saved and they who torture the devotee of God shall be reduced to ash-

es, a la the mythical character Holika.

The legend of Holika

Another legend has it that once upon a time, an old woman’s grandchild was

to be sacrificed to a female demon named Holika.

A Sadhu advised that abuse and foul language would subdue Holika. The old woman collected many children and made them abuse Holika in foul language. The demon fell dead on the ground. The children then made a bonfire of her remains.

The story of Prahlad

Connected to this legend of the demon Holika is Bhakta Prahlad’s devotion to Lord Narayana, and his subsequent escape from death at the hands of Holika.

Prahlad’s father,

Hiranyakashipu, punished him in a variety of ways to change his devotional mind and make him worldly-minded. He failed in his attempts.

At last he ordered his sister, Holika, who had a boon to re-

main unburnt even in fire, to take Prahlad on her lap and enter into the blazing flames.

Holika did so. She vanished, but Prahlad remained untouched and laughing. He was not affected by the fire on account of the grace of Lord Vishnu.

This same scene is enacted every year to remind people that those who love God shall be saved, and they that torture the devotee of God shall be reduced to ashes. When Holika was burnt, people abused her and sang the glories of the Lord and of His great devotee Prahlad.

In imitation of that, people even today use abusive language, but unfortunately for-

get to sing the praises of the Lord and His devotee!

Why Krishna is worshipped on Holi

The religious element in the Holi festival consists of worship of Sri Krishna. In

some places, it is also called the “DolYatra”. The word dol literally means “a swing”. An image of Sri Krishna as a babe is placed in a little swing-cradle and decorated with flowers and painted with coloured powders. The pure, innocent

frolics of little Krishna with the merry milkmaids – the Gopis of Brindavan – are commemorated. Devotees chant the name of Sri Krishna and sing Holi-songs relating to the frolics of little Krishna with the Gopis.

Unites all

The social element during Holi is the uniting or “embracing” of the great and the small, of the rich and the poor. It is also the uniting of equals. The festival teaches us to “let the dead bury the dead”. We should forget the outgoing year’s ill-feelings and begin the New Year with feelings of love, sympathy, cooperation and equality with all. We should try to feel this oneness or unity with the self also.

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wednesDay, March 23, 20

Holi emphasises oneness – Dr Vindhya Persaud, President, Guyana H oli or Phagwah is a unique and colourful Hindu festival.

It possesses an unparalleled social dimension which is conducive to reunion, exchanges and togetherness in an atmosphere of absolute cordiality.

The social aspect of Holi does not in any way obscure its rich spiritual values and message of resistance to evil, which were demonstrated in the life of the devoted Prince Prahalad. Prahalad’s victory over his arrogant and ruthless father King Hiranyakashyapu is an event which still inspires all those who strongly believe that tyranny, evil, injustice or ADHARMA in all its names and forms will ultimately be destroyed.

Prahalad’s determination not to accept any mortal as Supreme and to resist any imposition which curtails man’s

Dr Vindhya Persaud

inherent freedom to think and to enjoy free will and unhindered freedom of expression in a just and fair system is recalled on the eve of Holi, Holika Dahan.

The pyre built on Phalgun Purnima is reminiscent of Prahalad remaining untouched by the fire through the dint of faith and devotion.

Holi is described in Sanskrit literature as Vasant Utsav or Spring Festival. It commemorates the advent of Spring and the regeneration of nature from her slumber. It is a time when nature smiles in all her grandeur and the trees and plants blossom forth into vivid colours combining the rich hues of the flowers with the pleasant odour of the fruits.

The word HOLI comes from the Sanskrit word HOLA meaning grains.

The word Phagwah is derived from PHALGUN, the name of the last month on the Hindu calendar. Thus Holi or Phagwah heralds the Hindu New Year.

Phagwah is the loveliest of our festivals and is celebrated in an atmosphere of absolute equality. Every barrier is removed and celebrants are virtually lost in the pomp and gaiety which HOLI brings. Our celebration must match this beautiful season and all unhealthy practices which mar and pollute this unique and colourful festival must cease. Drenching each other with water, dumping each other in trenches and dabbing noxious substances must be stamped out.

Phagwah must only be played with persons who are desirous of doing so.

Celebrate and do so happily, but do remember the significance of the Festival

which sends a for human righ and won by Pra No event sh held not supp Sanatan Dhar season it has content. Like a Holi must be c holic beverages satwik or veget that all our fes tine purity.

Let us recap which permeat syringe it thro hate, greed, de manifestly exi be consumed in dled and reduc of this meanin

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Messages from across the country

Celebration of Phagwah in Guyana a Hindu Dharmic Sabha is a reflection of our maturity – PPP T

a clear signal of respect hts so bravely fought for ahalad. hould be held and if so orted which is alien to rma. Though a happy its profound spiritual all our Hindu festivals, celebrated without alcos and delicacies must be tarian. We must ensure stivals retain their pris-

pture the ancient feeling tes at HOLI time, and ough our veins so that eceit and injustice which ist in today’s world can n the pyre, which is kinced to ashes on the eve ngful festival, which is a

harbinger of love, unity, equality, justice and peace.

May the significance of HOLI influence and enrich your thoughts and inspire all to contribute to a fair and just system in which there exists not only equality but plenty and abundance for all.

The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha invites you to Holi Utsav on March 23 at the Everest Ground. Admission is free. Enjoys Phagwah songs, chowtaal, dances, powder giveaways by Digicel, colour throws, Holi games, sweetmeats and more. All are invited to join us at the Shri Krishna Mandir (Campbellville) on the eve of Phagwah at 7:00 pm for Holika Dahan or the burning of Holika.

Holi ka Shubh Kaamnayea – Happy Holi

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends warm greetings to our Hindu brothers and sisters on the occasion of Phagwah.

Phagwah, also known as the Festival of Colours, provides that unique opportunity for people from all walks of life to reach out to each other through worship and exchange of water and powder.

This is indeed an auspicious moment in the Hindu calendar as it serves to highlight the universal lessons of the triumph of good over evil and justice over injustice.

Phagwah is today a national festival which is embraced and celebrated not only by the Hindu community but by people from all across the ethnic and cultural spectrum of Guyana. This is testimony of our maturity as a people and our capacity to appreciate and tolerate religious and cultural diversity.

The PPP takes this opportunity to call on all Hindus to guard against those with hidden agendas who seek to divide the Hindu community out of selfish and partisan interests. Such attempts which be-

longed to a bygone era must be rejected since it has the potential to undermine the very fundamentals of Hinduism.

The PPP joins with the rest of the Guyanese people, especially the Hindu community, in celebration of this joyous festival of Phagwah.

A Happy Phagwah to all!

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wednesDay, March 23, 2016 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Messages from across the country

Future success will come from “We are proud to belong to a country of our principled struggles – GAWU many faiths” – PNC T

T

he People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) expresses Holi greetings to the Hindu community in Guyana in particular, and Guyanese in general, on the auspicious occasion of the celebration of the Festival of Phagwah in Guyana.

The significance of Phagwah is two-fold.

The religious significance of Holi lies in the conquest of good over evil, manifested by the destruction by Prahlada of his demonic father, King Hiranyakashipu.

Its secular significance lies in the advent of the season of Spring, and its real and allegorical implications of fertility, rebirth, renewal and regeneration.

Guyana is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country. Our diversity is an asset not a liability. We are proud to

belong to a country of many faiths. We are proud of the mosaic of ethnicities within our country. As we celebrate this beautiful festival, we pray for greater trust and cooperation between our communities. We pray for happy families and households. We pray for better interpersonal relationships. We pray, in other words, for social cohesion at all levels of society. As the celebrated Indian national Kulapati Vani wrote many years ago, “festivals are gatherings for refreshing spirit and enjoying life”. We urge all Guyanese to use this occasion of Phagwah to refresh their spirit and enjoy life, and to participate fully in this colourful festival and enjoy the rich elements of our religious and cultural diversity. Happy Holi to all Guyanese!

he Festival of Holi – popularly known as Phagwah – is once again upon us. In Guyana, this Festival is now a fixture on the country’s calendar of holidays.

While this Festival is of Hindu origin and celebrated by the Hindus primarily, today’s Holi festivities attract, increasingly, non-Hindus in Guyana and elsewhere in the world.

We are drawn to Holi’s colourful expressions and the exuberance and joy that electrify the celebrations everywhere. But, Holi’s significance lies also in the embrace of life’s many positive values which provide sustenance to the human existence.

Over the years, Holi has come to be seen as an en-

during reminder of the triumph of good over evil.

This inspiring message where ‘good’ is promoted and embraced is as relevant as ever today. Around us, these days, are many evil-doers of various stripes and many injustices which seem to be growing rather than diminishing.

As life’s burdens grow heavier for the masses, and new threats hang over their heads, the message of Holi gives us hope, strengthens our faith that wrongs can be overcome, and imbue us with the courage to go on in the face of adversities and triumph.

This year’s Phagwah activities find the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) facing various challeng-

es in the sugar industry.

However, we are optimistic as the message of Phagwah reminds us, that success in the future will come from our principled struggles.

At this time, GAWU takes pleasure in wishing all Hindus, indeed all Guyanese, a Happy Holi 2016.

The fact that this Holi festival appeals to a crosssector of our diverse religious and cultural makeup is significant.

Any event that can promote togetherness and tolerance should be encouraged. In the circumstances of today, our unity to overcome injustices and so on to a joyful and bright future is essential.

Happy Holi 2016 to all Guyana from GAWU.

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Messages from across the country

Guyana Pandits’ Council – Spiritual All forms of disunity should be banished – AFC Head of Radha Krishna Mandir Pandit Rudranauth Sharma – General Secretary

P

hagwah or Holi is the Festival of Spring. The Festival of Phagwah commemorates the regeneration of nature from her slumber. This unique Festival found its way on these shores with the arrival of Hindus from India as indentured labourers.

Hindus after traversing thousands of miles from India brought to Guyana their many festivals among which Phagwah has a special place. The significance of Phagwah is manifold. It is a time of gaiety, splendour and pomp when nature is converted into a beautiful garden full of colours.

The religious aspect of Phagwah gives to mankind the reassurance that evil doers, perpetrators of unholy acts, architects of injustices, and those associated with such actions are inevitably doomed to failure and extinction. In the story of Phagwah, there is evidence

Pandit Rudranauth Sharma

that the dark forces of evil are eventually conquered by the forces of truth. The symbol of the burning of Holika serves to reinforce that no matter what, once our intentions and actions are malicious, the results will always remain destructive.

Sowing evil will result in degeneracy and decay — wrong-doers will be pun-

ished in order to change.

This Festival also commemorates the destruction of King Heranyakshyapu, the father of Prahalad who spared no pain at torturing his subjects and his son, his conceit was unparalleled and was the cause of his death.

Let us like Prahalad, be disciples of the virtues of righteousness, courage, faith, determination, forthrightness and leadership.

Prahalad stood for what was right, and in spite of the many tortures inflicted upon him by his father, and the criminal attempts on his life, Prahalad rose triumphantly to be a living model of fearlessness and truth. Let us demonstrate love and cooperation. Let the true spirit of Phagwah prevail, let the

beautiful coloured water be squirted on each other and let us not smear each other with mud and other prohibited things.

Let us allow this festival to be a binding force among us Guyanese and stamp out differences and spread the message of peace and goodwill which Holi brings.

On behalf of the Guyana Pandits’ Council, Hindu Parishad, Laxmi Sabha, Youth Organisation and the Management Committee of Radha Krishna Mandir, I extend Holi Greetings to the entire nation.

May this Festival of Phagwah serve to enrich our own individual lives, strengthen our society and promote the happiness and well-being of our nation.

Happy Holi.

T

he Alliance For Change (AFC) extends Phagwah (Holi) greetings to all the citizens of Guyana, especiall your Hindu brothers and sisters.

Holi is a festival that celebrates the coming of a new spring season, the ushering in of new life, of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil. It reflects the hope of our people for a better life.

Over the years, Phagwah has become a national event where all Guyanese, regardless of race and religion, celebrate the beginning of a period (spring). The commemora-

tion of the festival with water, bright colours and the burning of the holika is an event that all Guyanese have grown to look forward to. It is a reflection of the Guyanese identity, it is part of our multicultural society.

This year, as we share joy and celebrate with our friends, f a m i l y and even strangers; let us remember the religious significance of Holi and recommit ourselves to working for good and not evil. Let us banish race hate and all forms and concepts of disunity from our midst.

Happy Holi to all Guyanese!

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President ushers in Holi with Hindu society P

resident David Granger on Tuesday night joined with the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) in observing its preHoli celebrations.

Sitting on the lawns of the State House, the Hindu society, along with President Granger, performed a session of chowtal, one of the community’s significant customs. Annually, there are 40 days of chowtal singing before the Holi celebration.

The President commended the HSS for its maintenance of the Hindu culture in Guyana even as the country rapidly developed.

During his remarks to those in attendance, Granger said that he was

elated to join arms with his Hindu brothers and sisters in observing one of their major festivals. Over 170 years ago, the Festival of Holi was brought from India by indentured labourers and it has been celebrated in Guyana since then.

He said even though the Guyanese population had different creeds, events such as Phagwah were vital as they aided in fostering the resurrection and growth of Guyana’s diverse culture.

The President noted that although Guyana has come a far way from when it was not permitted to observe such activities, now with the liberty to do so, persons still refuse to be part of the explosion of cultures.

With the event being

The President and the chowtal singers at the State House

one that helps to rebuild the cultural structure that

Guyanese themselves have destroyed, Granger assured the HSS of his support for the group and any other activity of this nature.

The President is positive that with similar activities by all religious groups, the unity that was once blooming will be recreated.

He, therefore, encouraged the group to maintain the work it does in the area of spreading Guyana’s culture, and imparting the

understanding and love in the population for each other’s culture. He shared his hope that the cultural revival would move through the length and breadth of Guyana.

Speaking in terms of his future plans for the country’s cultural progression, the President vowed to have special venues established so that activities of this nature could be executed in comfort, serving the entire

population.

As Guyana today celebrates Holi, which is symbolic of regeneration, rebirth and spring, the hope of the Hindu society as well as the President is to have Guyana evolve into a diversified unit, which appreciates the existence of its rich culture.

The HSS is a voluntary Hindu group whose mission is to preserve and promote the ideals and values of Hinduism.

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Linden Bus Park shooting

Trio fined $7500 each for drunk driving

Shot driver T succumbs – family says he was threatened a week ago

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Dead: Alvin Lorrimer

he Linden minibus driver who was shot during a robbery at the bus park on Monday evening has succumbed to his injuries.

Dead is Alvin Lorrimer of Kara Kara, Mackenzie, Linden.

Reports are that about 21:00h on Monday, the 53-year-old man was standing on the roadway at the Linden bus park, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, when two men drove up on a motorcycle, and one of them discharged rounds at him before they rode away.

Lorrimer was hit to his chest and left foot, and was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed while receiving medical attention shortly after midnight.

Speaking with this newspaper at the family’s home in Linden on Tuesday, the

man’s visibly shaken widow said that he had been threatened by two young men on the said park about a week ago.

Fearful for his life, she said, her husband contacted the Police in Georgetown.

Barely managing to speak, the distraught woman called for an increase in security and Police patrols in the area so as to protect others from meeting a similar fate.

The daughter of the deceased, also visibly shaken, said that the family received a call on Monday evening and was informed that Lorrimer, a minibus driver for over 16 years, had been shot and robbed of two cellular phones and an undisclosed sum of cash. She said the family travelled to Georgetown as a result.

In tears, she related that she last spoke to her father on Saturday morning. The younger Lorrimer described her father, who was also a Pastor, as a very kind but strict person.

“He was a religious person. Always talking about the Bible. He was a Pastor who used to preach at a church on the (LindenSoesdyke) Highway…he was very loving to his family. Always provided,” she said.

Lorrimer is survived by his wife and four children.

Investigations are ongoing.

64-year-old slapped with indecent exposure charge

A

64-year-old man was on Tuesday fined for indecent exposure when he appeared before Magistrate Dylan Best at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Keith Kendall, of Lot 91-92 Albouystown, Georgetown, pleaded guilty

to the charge which stated that on March 17, 2016, at Brickdam and Cornhill Street, Georgetown, in a public place, he exposed his person in an indecent manner to Michelle Hughes.

Magistrate Best fined him $10,000.

Miner jailed for robbery under arms

A

gold miner of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown was on Tuesday sentenced to prison when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Nico Layne, 21, of Lot 59 West Ruimveldt, was on trial for robbery under arms. It was alleged that on June 12, 2015 at West Ruimveldt, while being armed with a pair of scissors, robbed Ivor Hartman of one Nokia cellular phone valued $11,000 along with $19,400 cash.

Chief Magistrate McLennan at the conclusion of the trial on Tuesday said that the Court was satisfied

that the defendant skilfully planned the robbery and carried out the act and, as such, found him guilty as charged.

He was sentenced to one year and three months in prison. Layne was previously before the courts on another robbery charge for which he was also jailed.

He had initially pleaded not guilty to that charge when he had appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman, which stated that on May 6, 2016 at West Ruimveldt, being armed with gun, he robbed Shafeek Mohamed of one Digicel smartphone valued $39,300 and $26,000 cash.

He was found guilty and was jailed.

hree drivers were fined $7500 each after they pleaded guilty to Driving Under the Influence (DUI) charges in court.

These men were ‘named and shamed’ as the Guyana Police Force continued with its traffic enforcement activities in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

Deonarine Samai, of Lot 5 Fyrish, Corentyne, Berbice, was stopped on February 1, 2016, while driving motor vehicle PGG 16 on the Albion Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice and tested with a breathalyser. He was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol. Samai was charged and appeared at the Albion Magistrate’s Court on February 5, when he pleaded

Deonarine Samai

Bhisham Mohabir

Veerapen Permaul

guilty and was fined.

Bhisham Mohabir, of West Canefield, East Canje, Berbice, was also sentenced to pay a fine of $7500, after he was stopped on February 18, while driving motor vehicle HB 8007 on the Number One Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice and tested with a breathalyser. He was found to be above the le-

gal limit in terms of alcohol consumption and as such, he was charged and appeared the following day at the Albion Magistrate’s Court where he pleaded guilty and was fined.

Then on January 15, Veerapen Permaul, of Lot 1 Kilcoy Squatting Area, Corentyne, Berbice, was stopped while driving mo-

tor vehicle PSS 7768 on the Albion Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice and tested with a breathalyser. He was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol. Permaul was charged and placed before the Albion Magistrate’s Court on January 19, when he pleaded guilty and was fined.

Alberttown man jailed for 3 years

A

man on Tuesday appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and was jailed on a possession of narcotics charge.

Collie Smith, of Alberttown, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on December 12, 2015 at Alberttown Police Station, he was found with 19.5 grams of cannabis for the purpose of

trafficking.

The prosecution stated that on the day in question at the Guinness Greatest of the Streets football competition held at the National Park Tarmac, Smith was found by

Police to be in possession of seeds, leaves and stems which were later identified as cannabis. He was taken to the Alberttown Police Station where he was arrested and charged with the offence.

22 NEWS

wednesday, march 23, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Tuschen taxi driver killed in EBE crash Ramsammy’s Ruminations

A

popular taxi driver on the East Bank of Essequibo (EBE) was killed late Monday night after his car collided with another.

The accident occurred sometime around 23:30h on the Le Destin Public Road, EBE.

Derron Elexey’s car moments after the accident on Monday night

Dead: Derron Elexey

Dead is 30-year-old Derron Elexey, commonly known as “Spice” of Phase Two Tuschen Housing Scheme, EBE. According to Police reports, Elexey was driving a motor car heading in the easterly direction and while attempting to overtake another motor

car, he collided with the vehicle.

Further reports reaching Guyana Times stated that after clipping the other vehicle, Elexey lost control of his car, resulting in it toppling several times before coming to a halt. The injured man was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital in an unconscious state. He was pronounced dead on arrival (DOA) by doctors on duty at the medical facility.

This newspaper understands that Elexey sustained severe head and internal injuries. There were no visible

wounds on his body.

When this publication visited the De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara, home of the man’s parents, his father Bertram Elexey recalled that sometime around 11:50h, his son’s wife called and informed them about the accident.

“She said he reach in an accident and is very serious and is at Leonora Cottage Hospital,” the elderly man stated, while adding that when they got there, they were confronted with their worst fear.

“When we went there (hospital), he was already

dead… I see he was lying on a canvass and the doctor told us that he passed away,” the father noted.

The man further told Guyana Times that they are still uncertain as how the accident occurred, noting that they have been receiving conflicting reports.

“We don’t know how the accident happen because nobody aint talk about how it happen… we know that another vehicle is mostly likely involved – I saw it at the station and saw a vehicle there and that it was involve in the accident last (Monday) night… but I don’t know what really happen, who is wrong, who is right, or whatsoever,” the distraught father related.

According to the elder Elexey, as far as he is aware, no one was injured from the other vehicle involved in the accident.

Elexey, 30, the eldest of two children, was described as a jovial and friendly person who was well known. The taxi driver leaves to mourn his three children, wife, parents, and sister, among other family and friends.

Local Government Elections indict GECOM, APNU/AFC and ABC diplomats

T

he Local Government Elections (LGE) are over, but four days later, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is yet to release the official results. Because the votes must be counted at the place of polling immediately after the close of voting, we know the results. I knew the results generally that same night. Why GECOM is still to release the results creates suspicion that they are trying to manipulate these results.

Clearly, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has won the LGE, no matter how the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), political commentators and the ABC diplomats try to disavow this truth. The people spoke and confirmed their support and affirmation for the PPP. The PPP won more than 64 per cent of the votes cast and the seats that were available in the elections. Winning 748 compare to APNU/AFC's 406 seats is a big victory. This is a clear victory for the PPP, but also a repudiation of APNU/AFC. How can one explain that APNU/AFC won in 2015, but garner under 40 per cent of the votes in the 2016 LGE, less than 10 months later?

The two possibilities are first that the 2015 Dr Leslie Ramsammy elections were, indeed, manipulated to favor APNU/AFC as claimed by the PPP and by vast numbers of the Guyanese people and second, the people have given APNU/ AFC an F for governance in the last 10 months. The people have delivered a total repudiation, affirming that the 2015 elections results were machinated and rejecting APNU/AFC. But conducting LGE for the first time since 1994 is an achievement. This is a good new beginning for local government in Guyana and I am hoping that the scheduled LGE will not be held hostage to political machinations that prevented the regular holding of LGE before. If further changes are necessary, these must not provide reasons to defer LGE again.

The 2016 LGE further exposes GECOM. The Commission is incapable of managing the results transparently and generate confidence among the electorate. In the 2015 elections, a majority of the Guyanese people believed that GECOM conspired with the diplomats of the ABC countries and with APNU/AFC to manipulate the electoral system to ensure that a close election will result in a victory for APNU/AFC. For example, GECOM refused to do legitimate recounts, even in a region where the difference in the official result was just a single vote and, worse, in instances where fake statements of polls emerged at GECOM itself.

The behaviour of GECOM in this LGE, unfortunately, reopens those wounds and fuel those same suspicions. For the majority of us, GECOM conducted the LGE in a manner that facilitated APNU/AFC with an advantage. Now the delayed official results stir suspicion that GECOM is manipulating the results. Even if GECOM does not manipulate the results, the suspicion that the LGE were not totally free and fair is already ingrained in people's minds.

APNU/AFC, for their part, used the State resources to their maximum advantage. For example, they distributed buses and bicycles across the country to win favours. There was ample evidence of intimidation across the country before and on E-Day. People were even forced to become sponsors on local lists. For election day itself, they refused to give a holiday to allow people to vote. This was a deliberate decision because they knew that many people from rural communities were working in distant places that would deter them from voting and, therefore, affect the PPP mostly. For most of the day, GuySuCo workers were denied the right to vote and they had to fight for that right.

The ABC diplomats continue to play a negative role in our elections. They are busy justifying the low turnout, by saying that the turnout was higher than those seen in their countries. But these same diplomats interpreted the almost 70 per cent turnout in the 2015 general elections as people rejecting the PPP. The truth is the just over 45 per cent turnout in the LGE was a rejection of APNU/AFC and a reflection that many people did not believe that the LGE were going to be free and fair.

But overall, even with complicit machinations between APNU/AFC, the diplomats of the ABC countries and GECOM, the result clearly is a PPP victory. After only 10 months in office, the people have lost confidence in APNU/AFC to manage the affairs of Guyana. They have pronounced in a clear way that they are unhappy with the direction the country is going and have delivered a stern repudiation of APNU/AFC. Now they will face a Government which will provide no support to them in a shameful game of revenge.

News

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wednesday, march 23, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Deadly prison riot CoI

Inmate testifies of seeing headless body after fire A

s the Commission of Inquiry continues to probe the March 3, 2016 riot at the Camp Street Prison, Georgetown which left 17 prisoners dead and several others injured, one inmate in his testimony on Tuesday said that one of those killed when fire engulfed the Capital A block of the penitentiary was found

headless.

The inmate, Steve Bacchus, made the shocking revelation under crossexamination by Attorneyat-Law Selwyn Pieters, who is representing the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Prison Service.

Bacchus, who is serving a jail sentence for armed robbery, told Commissioners

Jealous uncle gets 26 years for killing nephew A man, who admitted to killing his nephew in 2012, was on Tuesday sentenced to 26 years in jail

by Justice Franklyn Holder.

Roy Lewis, 37, of Glasgow Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice, admitted that he was jealous of his nephew, who had stated an intimate relationship with a young lady. The uncle and the 18-year-old deceased had a relationship since the boy was 14. In 2012, Lewis stabbed him to death.

Reports are that on December 27, 2012, at Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice, Devon Lewis, also

Dead: Devon Lewis

called “Devon DaSilva” went to Berbice to spend the weekend when his uncle, Roy Lewis, broke into the deceased’s girlfriend’s house and stabbed him to death.

It was reported that the man inflicted multiple stab wounds on Devon while he was asleep next to his girlfriend at her parents’ home at 112 Sisters Village.

After killing the youth, Lewis ingested a poisonous substance in an attempt to take his own life but was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was treated and recovered.

On Tuesday, Lewis appeared before Justice Franklyn Holder and pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. He was represented by State appointed Attorney, Sasha Roberts.

Meanwhile, in court documents dated May 3, 2012,

Jailed: Roy Lewis

Devon Lewis recounted that he was not on speaking terms with his uncle since he was age 14. The ‘falling out’ stemmed from his uncle telling him that he would kill him if he (Devon) told anyone that he (the uncle) had had anal sex with him.

The teenager had reported that during the falling out in May 2012, the relative had placed a metal-handled knife to his neck, telling him “Remember what I tell you. I will kill you…” A scuffle had ensued, resulting in the younger Lewis receiving injuries to his left hand and abdomen in the presence of several witnesses.

A probation report on the elder Lewis presented to the court by probation Officer Egla October revealed that Lewis had been intimately involved with his nephew.

In imposing the sentence, Justice Holder said that the act of murdering the young man carried a 25year jail term and for the aggression shown, he added a further 11 years.

However, seven years were deducted from the sentence for the guilty plea offered, since the court acknowledged that the defendant did not waste the court’s time. The Judge also took nine months off the sentence for the remorse which Lewis showed. In addition to that, the three years and three months which Lewis spent in prison awaiting trial were also deducted from his sentencing, leaving 26 years.

that he helped remove the severely burnt bodies of his fellow inmates and handed them over to prison authorities.

He was asked by Pieters whether one of the bodies he found after the blaze was headless and responded in the affirmative.

However, he was not able to say whether the inmate had his head severed during, after or before the blaze.

Pieters suggested that the man may have died even before the blaze, but Bacchus hesitantly denied this.

The inmate who was found headless was not identified by the lawyer or Bacchus; the latter stated that the “skull” was found on a bed.

He said he did not see any marks of violence on any other inmate.

Bacchus earlier told Commissioners that Police and prison wardens made attempts to open doors to

Steve Bacchus testifying before the Commission (Photo courtesy Newssource)

Capital A, but for some reason, those attempts were initially unsuccessful.

“I remember seeing an officer run up the stairs and push a key in the door and he pull back he hand…

I don’t know if it’s due to the heat … I also recall seeing Mr Cozier trying with a hacksaw, but that didn’t really do anything so he went downstairs back. He said the blade was dull or some-

thing,” Bacchus told the CoI. The prisoner, who was housed in a different section of the penitentiary, said he was forced to break out of his cell to render assistance to his fellow inmates who were trapped in the burning building and pleading for help.

“After the officers them come downstairs I saw dark smoke coming out the building and I heard prisoners

saying y’all open the door, open the door, help we help we,” said Bacchus.

The riot started after the Joint Services conducted a routine monthly check of the cells which unearthed a large quantity of marijuana and cellular phones among other illegal items.

Inmates subsequently began setting fires over the course of three days.

24 NEWS

wednesDAY, march 23, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

American medical school to establish branch in Linden

BY UTAMU BELLE

T

he American International School of Medicine (AISM) has shown great interest in having a branch of its operations established in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to become operational several months from now. This would benefit qualified people from across Linden and Region 10, Dr Colin Wilkinson, who is attached to the programme told the media during a visit to the mining town on Tuesday.

The AISM was formed in 1999 as the first international University established in Georgetown, with branches in London, Aberta, Toronto, Atlanta, India and the United Kingdom, in addition to various training centres around the world.

Dr Wilkinson explained that he has been coming to

Dr Wilkinson (third from left), Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian (second from left), parliamentarian Jermaine Figueira (fourth from left) flanked by other doctors under the programme

Guyana since 1999 and met with Member of Parliament (MP) Jermaine Figuiera in Atlanta, Georgia last year. According to Dr Wilkinson, during the meeting, Figuiera expressed a strong interest in

investing in the education of young people in the region. Owing to this, he said the team decided to explore the possibilities of making it a reality. A pre-medical programme is expected to set the pace of the three-

part study programme, followed by Basic and Clinical Science. “…all three of them (programmes) leading from high school to a full fledged practice doctor, practice in medicine,” Dr Wilkinson

explained.

He added, “We run a medical school programme that focuses the physician on being able to practice medicine, teach medicine and do clinical research…

We have our doctor’s licence in Guyana, Trinidad, throughout the Caribbean, throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa…”

Provided that all goes well, Dr Wilkinson said the programme will commence in September following the setting up of a branch in Linden, since it has been accredited. However, he noted that the logistics behind its establishment are still being worked out. Region 10 Regional Chairman Renis Morian has also pledged support to the initiative, noting how happy he was that Dr Wilkinson applauded the region’s administrators.

He said the School will be looking for the best qualified people to pursue studies, since it is intended that they are trained to give back to the community. The programme runs for five years and facilitates intakes up to three times per year – January, May and September.

“We want the brightest minds so everybody who qualifies, we’ll take them, train them, especially the people who are interested in actually working and teaching here and working to develop the community… We’re still working on the administrative aspects of it then we’ll get the admissions going and so on”, he further noted.

While it is a paid programme, Dr Wilkinson said the team will be looking at scholarships and is in the process of organising modified tuition.

Wismar resident opens mini art gallery A resident of Buck Hill, Wismar, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has moved to establish a mini art gallery in the community, giving art lovers an opportunity to bask in the ambience of his work. Wilfred Regon Martin recently opened the doors of the gallery situated at his home, which is filled

with approximately 40 pieces of his work.

During a conversation with Guyana Times, Martin explained his love for art blossomed since he was a schoolboy. Now at age 69, he has an entire collection, with the hopes of competing at the upcoming Visual Arts competition in Georgetown in November. He wishes to win

at least two prizes, he boldly stated, with intentions of bringing them back to his beloved community.

“Should I win, I intend to extend my property so that I can further establish the museum. I have so many art work. I want to fully establish so that people can come in and check them out,” he stated.

One of Martin’s paintings

Included in his 40 pieces are those which he refers to as “silly” paintings.

“There are those that are intended to make people laugh, on the lighter side of life,” he said.

Apart from that, Martin said he has been working on paintings of the Executive Presidents of Guyana. Other pieces include those of boats, aero planes and fishes, among other things. He explained

that at his age, “sometimes life gets a bit lonely”, and so he paints to his heart’s content. He explained that he now has more free time to paint, as opposed to back in the day when he had a wife and children dependent on him.

“I’ve done some work, I was a sign artist and so on, but when you have wife and children in Guyana, you can’t depend on painting alone,” he

mused.

Having lived in the United States for some time, however, he explained that he was able to further develop the skill. His art work, he explained, also includes murals and a few oil and enamel paintings.

Martin said his paintings are a legacy, which he will leave for his children and as such, he has managed to maintain focus on his art.

wednesDAY, march 23, 2016

25

Duminy ruled out of West Indies clash are likely to also look to the other spinner in their squad Aaron Phangiso against West Indies.

Phangiso has not played an international match since October last year and has recently had to remodel his action after it reported in domestic cricket during February. The only cricket Phangiso has played with his new action was in the two warm-up matches in India, in which he bowled a total of four

JP Duminy had found some form at the start of the World T20 (AFP photo)

J

P Duminy has been ruled out of South Africa's World T20 match against West Indies on Friday after sustaining a hamstring strain in their game against Afghanistan.

The exact length for his recovery is unknown but South Africa are hopeful of having him ready for their final group game against Sri Lanka on Monday.

He sustained the injury when he chased the third ball of Afghanistan's innings and left the field before the opening over was completed.

"He was chasing the ball full steam and realised he was too close to the boundary and tried to stop himself. These things happen," Mohammad Moosajee, South Africa's team manager, said although he did not sound overly optimistic about Duminy's prospects of recovery.

"Brandon Jackson, our physio, will have his work cut out for him. With these things you can't real-

ly put down a time frame.

It could be anything from seven to 14 days. We know in the past there were guys that recovered earlier than expected and guys that just didn't. It's very much a wait and see and see how he responds. It's very important that he goes through the return to play protocols and passes a fitness test to be considered for selection."

When asked if there are thoughts of replacing Duminy in the squad, Moosajee dismissed those.

"It's still very premature," he said.

Duminy's absence will leave South Africa with a selection conundrum ahead of the West Indies meeting. Nagpur's surface will demand more than one slower-bowling option - New Zealand played three spinners there to beat India - and Duminy could have provided that.

So far, South Africa have only fielded one specialist spinner in Imran Tahir but

overs.

Phangiso's inclusion will also shorten South Africa's batting line-up which could force another change. One of the allrounders, Chris Morris or David Wiese, may have to make way for either Rilee Rossouw or Farhaan Behardien, both of whom can also bowl a bit.

Still, South Africa appear depleted without Duminy, who is their highest run-scorer in interna-

tional T20 cricket and has enjoyed a return to form after a summer in which he was dropped from the Test and the ODI team.

Duminy scored an unbeaten 54 in South Africa's first match against England his first fifty in 22 international innings - and topped up with 29 not out against Afghanistan.

Duminy has a number of injury issues in recent times. In October, he was ruled out of two ODIs

and a Test against India with a finger problem. He also missed two matches at last year's World Cup with a side strain and was in danger of missing the tournament after a knee injury sidelined him for six weeks towards the end of 2014. That was all after he had recovered from a torn Achilles' tendon on the tour of Australia at the end of 2012, which took seven months to recover from. (Cricinfo)

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wednesday, march 23, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

guyanatimesGY.com

wednesday, march 23, 2016

27

ICC T20 World Cup…

New Zealand defend again to enter semi-finals birth, conceded only one boundary in his four overs and took the crucial wicket of Afridi as well.

The back-end squeeze was fruitful for both teams.

At one point New Zealand looked set for over 200.

Mohammad Sami was the key man for Pakistan, his 19th over went only for four runs and he finished his spell with two wickets and an economy rate of 5.75.

But Ross Taylor withstood that spell and led a scrappy lower-order effort to muster 53 runs in the last five overs and that Pakistan could not find a

I

New Zealand get together to celebrate a wicket (AFP photo)

t seems Pakistan are not short of Achilles heels lately. New Zealand aimed an arrow at a rather famous one - their batting while chasing big totals - and came away the victors to become the first team to qualify for the 2016 World T20 semi-finals.

Pakistan, who knew their hopes of staying alive in the World T20 depended heavily on a favourable outcome tonight, looked a chase of 181 in the eye and blinked. Sharjeel Khan's enterprising cameo had set them up. He himself had struck ten boundaries before the Powerplay was done and Pakistan's fifty was raised in 24 balls - their fastest in T20Is. However, once New Zealand doused Sharjeel's

fire, Pakistan's went out as well. The batsmen down the order could not back up the early flurry and will face critique for being poor chasers. There were no boundaries - not one - in the last five overs, which led to the 18th failed chase of a 150plus target for Pakistan. It left their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals extremely bleak.

New Zealand had done their homework again - underneath a cover of grass lay a belter of a pitch and Martin Guptill began taking advantage of it as soon as he strode out to bat. The seventh ball he faced, from the seven-foot tall Mohammad Irfan, was lofted toweringly high into the air and became the first of six of the night.

That shot, and his entire in-

nings - 80 off 48 balls - was simple in design and an exhibition of a batsman well aware of his strengths.

Guptill is a tall man. His reach is longer than most players and he is not short of power either. So the moment he decides to hit straight, he has the upper hand. He secured 32 of his runs in the arc between long-off and long-on, including two of his 10 fours and all three of his sixes.

Sharjeel came out and played an innings equal of Guptill's, at least in impact.

His strength appears to be in the midwicket region and New Zealand's bowlers fed him a delicious diet of length and short balls. They attempted to pull the pace off, bowled over and around the wicket and changed

their fields but very few thought of changing the line and probing him in the corridor around the off stump.

Mitchell McClengaghan was smacked for three fours and a six in the fourth over and was taken off. The new bowler Adam Milne dismissed Sharjeel with wider, fuller delivery that was met with a slog and ended up as a top-edge to point.

That wicket gave New Zealand some breathing room. It allowed their spinners to get into the game without fear of being hit out. Mitchell Santner, who bowled the first over and was smashed for 15 runs, finished his full quota with two wickets and gave away only 14 further runs. His partner Ish Sodhi, who was back at the states of his

contribution like that became their undoing. Umar Akmal played a woeful innings at No. 4, his 24 off 26 balls, with no fours or sixes. Ahmed Shehzad was similarly subdued he scratched around for 30 off 32 balls. Afridi attempted to make up for it, but he was caught on the long-off boundary by Corey Anderson, who timed his leap to perfection. New Zealand's strangle at one end had defused a big threat at the other, and they kept squeezing until Pakistan had nothing left.

(Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD New Zealand innings MJ Guptill b Mohammad Sami 80 KS Williamson* c Shahid Afridi b Mohammad Irfan 17 C Munro c Khalid Latif b Shahid Afridi 7 CJ Anderson c Shoaib Malik b Shahid Afridi 21 LRPL Taylor not out 36 L Ronchi† c Shoaib Malik b Mohammad Sami 11 GD Elliott not out 1 Extras: (lb 4, w 3) 7 Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 180 Did not bat: MJ Santner, AF Milne, MJ McClenaghan, IS Sodhi Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-75, 3-127, 4-132, 5-164 Bowling: Mohammad Amir 4-0-41-0, Mohammad Irfan 4-046-1, Mohammad Sami 4-023-2, Imad Wasim 4-0-26-0, Shahid Afridi 4-0-40-2.

Pakistan innings Sharjeel Khan c Guptill b Mil ne 47 Ahmed Shehzad c Guptill b Santner 30 Khalid Latif c Elliott b Santner 3 Umar Akmal c Guptill b Milne 24 Shahid Afridi* c Anderson b Sodhi 19 Shoaib Malik not out 15 Sarfraz Ahmed† not out 11 Extras: (lb 5, w 4) 9 Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 158 Did not bat: Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Irfan Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-79, 3-96, 4-123, 5-140 Bowling: MJ Santner 4-0-29-2, CJ Anderson 2-0-14-0, AF Milne 4-0-26-2, MJ McClenaghan 4-0-43-0, GD Elliott 2-016-0, IS Sodhi 4-0-25-1.

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guyanatimesGY.com

wednesDAY, march 23, 2016

ICC T20 World Cup‌

Gayle fit for South Africa, hails Fletcher's knock B e aggressive in the Powerplay and then bat deep. That is Chris Gayle's advice to Andre Fletcher, the Man of the match in West Indies' second win of the World T20 against Sri Lanka on Sunday, and the rest of his team if West Indies are to progress deep into the World T20.

Gayle, who did not bat against Sri Lanka because of a minor twinge in his left hamstring while fielding, is understood to be fit and available for selection against South Africa in Nagpur on Friday.

"In the second game against Sri Lanka I started, but didn't get a chance to bat. But Fletcher came in, played his part and grabbed his opportunity with both hands," Gayle told WICB media in Nagpur. "He played a fantastic knock and carried right through till the end. And that's the sort of thing batters require - once you are set in these kinds of conditions, it is very important to bat as deep as possible and it just makes it easier for the team to chase or set a target, so it is very important to see Fletcher come on board and be Man of the Match."

Gayle said the key for Fletcher was not to be "overconfident" when he goes in to bat next. Fletcher is likely to open with Gayle against South Africa, considering

Johnson Charles made a duck against England and 10 against Sri Lanka. "Just continue to play smartly, pick and choose his bowlers to target at a particular time. Also whatever it is that works for him, like continue being aggressive in the first six. It's very, very important to try and capitalise on that new ball as a batter.

So just keep that aggression going and once you get past that first six, try and take it as deep as possible, look to pick up the odd boundary in the middle overs as well.

Just build on whatever start you get.

"I've opened the batting with him on many occasions so I know what sort of a player he is, he is very dangerous and he's capable of getting big scores as well.

So hopefully he can build on this and carry on, not leave it for anybody and get more Man-of-the-Match awards."

Though Fletcher played an aggressive innings, the crowd in Bangalore was desperate for Gayle to bat. He had sat out for about half of the Sri Lankan innings as a precautionary measure, and despite the crowd's urging and his own insistence, he had to wait for a certain amount of time to pass before he could bat. By then the match was over. Gayle finally emerged after the win and thanked the crowd, a gesture that was well received by the fans.

Gayle had already lit up the tournament and made West Indies a force when he hammered a 48-ball century against England in Mumbai last week. The innings had a characteristic that is usually missed when talking about Gayle: patience. In the Powerplay, Gayle had faced barely six deliveries as Marlon Samuels took charge.

Gayle said he was not thinking of the century until he was a handful of runs away. The focus until then was just on riding with the momentum built

by Samuels. "I wasn't really thinking about the hundred because if you look at the way we started, after facing the first over, in the second Marlon came in and he actually batted the entire Powerplay. I was saying to myself, regardless of what happens, I need to be here, and the good thing about it is that Marlon was getting the ball away and keeping the run rate intact so it was very important to be there then. We knew they had two spinners, especially a leg spinner, so being a left-hander it was good to be there in the middle overs, it was crucial."

Talking about the century, Gayle said the turning point was him hitting England offspinner Moeen Ali for three consecutive sixes, when West Indies needed 59 runs from the

final seven overs. Andre Russell had just come in after Denesh Ramdin and Dwayne Bravo had fallen. "I got some momentum when I took down Moeen Ali - when I got three consecutive sixes. And then the momentum was actually built from there and when the rest of the bowlers come to bowl in the back end, we're always going to be on the go at that particular time. That's when the opportunity presented itself. I had done the hard work already, so I said, 'I've done the hard work, let's get the hundred'. At that point, we were way ahead, and I wasn't going to risk it, and batting there with Andre Russell we just wanted to finish off things.

When I got to 96 or something like that, that was the time I said I'll get the hundred."

Gayle said the century brought back memories of his ton in the first edition of the WT20, where he scored a century, too. Having won their first two games, West Indies are now favourites to make the semi-finals from Group 1. "We have a lot of back-up. I shouldn't be using this word back-up, we have a lot of guys who are match winners themselves who actually can do the same thing and destroy different bowling attacks around the world." (Cricinfo)

Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells semis

N

Novak Djokovic

ovak Djokovic overcame Rafael Nadal to set up a meeting with Milos Raonic in Sunday's final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Serbia's world number one defeated Nadal 7-6 (75) 6-2 for a 10th win in their last 11 meetings.

Djokovic needed to save a set point in the opener but gradually turned on the power against the Spaniard.

Earlier, Raonic had to work hard to beat Belgium's David Goffin 6-3 3-6 6-3 to reach his 17th career ATP final.

The Canadian, who is now the world number 14, sent down 10 aces against Goffin, who had beaten French Open champion Stan Wawrinka on his way to the last four.

He roared through the first set in 34 minutes but struggled with his serve in the second before recovering his composure with an early break in the decider to help seal victory.

"I feel even when I am not playing my best I am able to find the answers,"

said Raonic, who is coming back after six weeks off with a torn thigh muscle.

"I am definitely able to play at a higher level this year and when a crisis occurs during a match I can find the solutions better."

Djokovic continues to shine Djokovic and Nadal traded blows in a tense opening set, with the Serb battling hard at 4-5 to level the match.

He overcame that scare to force a tie-break and went 4-1 up before Nadal levelled at 5-5, but Djokovic edged ahead for his first set point and took it when Nadal netted.

But the second set belonged to Djokovic as Nadal struggled before holding his serve in his opening service game, which went on for over 11 minutes.

Although Nadal worked hard to stay in the match, Djokovic was able to do enough to keep his nose in front, breaking to go 4-2 ahead and quickly wrap up victory to stay on course for his fifth Indian Wells title.

(BBC Sport)

29

sports

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services

By Treiston Joseph

T

he Guyana National Football squad better known as the Golden Jaguars delivered a crushing 7-nil defeat to Anguilla when the 2016 ScotiaBank Men’s Caribbean Cup Championship commenced at the National Stadium, Providence on Tuesday evening.

In front of approximately 1000 fans, the Golden Jas sent the home crowd away happily as the match was practically over within the first 35 minutes of the game.

With Vurlon Mills sending a cross into the box and Dwight Peters on the receiving end, the latter eas-

ily sank the game’s first shot on target in the 11th minute of the match to the jubilation of the small crowd in attendance.

Captain of the Golden Jags would easily add to Guyan’s tally in the 14th minute of the match while notched a double in the 30th minute as the Guyana Jags put themselves firmly in the ascendancy.

Neil Danns would score in the 34th minute while Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson would score on the 45th minute as Guyana took a 5-nil half time lead.

The second half was more of the same for the home side, displaying brilliant passing as well as

constant attacks from both the left and right wings.

Nevertheless, Mills after his assist early in the game was rewarded with a goal in the 48th minute while Marcel Barrington notched a goal in the 65th minute to end the goal scoring fiesta.

The Jags created more finishes especially around the 18 yard box but were unable to really find the finishing touches to add to an already massive lead.

Guyana will next face Puerto Rico in an away fixture on March 29 where they will need only a draw to secure a berth to the next round of the championship.

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West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Director of Cricket, Richard Pybus and members of the GCB after their discussions

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Golden Jags dominate Anguilla in 7-0 drubbing

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est Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Director of Cricket, Richard Pybus, who was in Guyana for the final round of the WICB PCL 4-Day, met with Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Officials on Monday where he was briefed on the Boards initiatives and undertakings along with the other programmes for 2016.

The GCB officials were Drubahadur (President), Anand Sanasie (Secretary), Colin Stuart (TDO), Esuan Crandon (Head Coach of Guyana Jaguars) and Rayon Griffith (Assistant Coach/Manager of Guyana Jaguars).

According to a press release, Pybus was very impressed with the GCB and its performance at all the age group and senior levels over the past two years and commended the Board officials for their accomplishments considering the limited resources available.

The initiative that pleased the WICB Director of Cricket the most was the

National Secondary School Cricket League which GCB rolled out in late 2015 and finished in early 2016.

Pybus stated that it is absolutely important to encourage cricket in the schools’ programme, noting that only Barbados have been successful over the years in this aspect. He expressed his happiness about Guyana starting a School League, emphasizing that it is in the schools where talents should be recognized, pulled out and nurture by the Clubs and Boards.

Discussions were also held about the GCB Academy which serves as a second tier team and a feeder o the first team. Pybus posited that it is a brilliant move by the GCB, adding that it played an important role in the Guyana Jaguars dominance in the 4-Day Championship. The gathering also discussed other strategies for developing and expanding the Academy.

Among the many areas touched in the Meeting,

Pybus took the opportunity to learn about what is offered in Guyana’s tertiary institutions to cricketers and their involvement in cricket. In addition to GCB plans to help some players; Pybus suggested means in getting other players into tertiary institutions since it is vital for them to be academically equipped.

The local Executives and staff briefed and updated the Cricket Director on current cricket development initiatives and plans for the future.

The WICB Director of Cricket acknowledged the GCB Executives efforts to find ways in getting their programs rolled out. He further added that having a plan is one thing and executing it is another. He believes Guyana has been ahead of their regional counterparts because they are innovative and get their programmes completed. He wished the Board continued success and urged the officials to build on their hard work.

30

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

wednesDAY, march 23, 2016

Police Sports Club still a hub for talent

By Treiston Joseph

N

ew Clubs are birthed, old ones fall by the way side…whatever the change is the Police Sports Club still remains the ultimate test for any rising club while being a hub for young natural talent.

The Police Sports Club has continued to stand its ground as probably Guyana’s most dominant and consistent track and field club, hands down.

The club has seen many rivals over the last two decades… some such as Atoms and Silverfox exist no more, others like the Royal Youth Movement and Bedford dormant to the point of nonexistence; there latest rivals being that of the Running Brave Athletics Club and the Guyana Defence Force.

Yet, the Police Sports Club still stands under the watchful eyes of longtime coach Lyndon Wilson and Mark Scott as they continue to produce athletes of a high

calibre.

Despite the club just having one athlete on this year’s junior Carifta team in Jevina Sampson, the club still holds talented up and coming athletes.

Sprinters Linton Mentis and Tevin Garraway comes to mind as well as quartermiler Kareem Purch whose continued improvement over the 400 metres is catching a few eyes.

Athletes such as Onica Eastman, Joanna Archer and even Arinze Chance are just a few to watch out for in years to come once they continually improve.

Nevertheless, the club which is probably one of the oldest if not the oldest in Guyana’s track and field history still holds its place as one of the best to compete for and against.

Wilson who joined the club in 1987, a whopping 29 years when we fast forward from then to the present, highlight the main reason for the club’s continued

sustenance.

“We are governed by the Police Force and they continue to ensure that we have what we need for competitions and training, every new Commissioner has supported us because they believe and the Force believes sports plays a big role in development especially with youngsters.

“Not only that it helps in providing camaraderie with other when we participate in events,” Wilson pointed out.

With Wilson known for his ability to refines athlete and make them better and Scott’s ability to develop raw natural talent, the dynamic between the two experienced coaches always allow for the club to produce good athletes.

Moreover, when you really look at the landscape of track and field, the one club that always remains in consistent is the Police Sports Club and it is an attribute to their hub of talent and their coaches.

From left, Linton Mentis, Kereem Purch, Tevin Garraway and Arinze Chance sport their Police colours

Up and Coming athletes of the Police Sports Club celebrate a recent win at the North Georgetown 50th Athletics meet

guyanatimesGY.com

wednesDAY, march 23 2016

31

Junior volleyball team wings out for Trinidad

T

he Guyana junior male volleyball team winged out of Guyana on Monday to participate in the Flow Volleyball Easter Classic Invitational Players League 5 Tournament organised by the Trinidad & Tobago Volleyball Federation to be played at the Mayaro Indoor Facility from March 25-27.

Although Guyana is affiliated to the CSV (South American Volleyball Confederation) and is not part of the CAZOVA (Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association), Guyana’s junior team were invited by the TTVF (Trinidad & Tobago Volleyball Federation)

based on their remarkable performance in winning a Goodwill Tournament in Trinidad last year.

The local lads will clash with teams from St Kitts, Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad over the Easter Weekend.

According to Chief de Mission and Coach/ Manager, Levi Nedd, the team’s participation will serve as part of their preparation for the Inter– Guiana Games (IGG) and the CSV Inter –Continental Tournament billed for later this year.

The team include seven players with international experience in the form of

The BVA/Guyana Junior Squad at CJIA before departure.

Levi Nedd is at the right, Nadine Benjamin at left

Yoganand Dhoray (Captain), Devendra Latchman (Vice Captain) Ravi Rampertab, Klondyke Rodney, Samuel Fraser, Lezon Khan and

Rolwyn Heywood.

The other members of the squad are; Vickram Nandram, Kellon Leitch, Reaad Razak, Marcelyous

Hector, Joel Cort, Jermaine Munroe and Joel Hughes.

The Assistant Coach is Devendra Budhu while female players Malika Jervis and Nadine Benjamin are other officials accompanying the team.

Rodney who is a middle blocker and the team’s tallest player noted that the team is well prepared for the tournament, confidence is high and that they will do their best to bring home honours for Guyana.

Coach Nedd who is also the President of the Bervbice Volleyball Association and the Vice President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation, expressed grat-

itude to several organisations and individuals for making the team’s participation possible in the Twin Island Republic, among them being- the Ministry of Education, Culture and Youth, the National Sport Commission, the Guyana Volleyball Federation, Guysuco, the Management and Apprentices of the Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC), Poonai Bhigroog of Poonai’s Pharmacy, members of the Business Community and the wider community of Volleyball friends and supporters.

The team is expected to return to Guyana on March 28.

Woods’ ex-caddie thinks old boss can still win to me that Woods trained as an athlete rather than as a golfer. Athletes' bodies usually break down in their late thirties, certainly in terms of enabling competition at

Tiger Woods ended his 12-year partnership with caddie Steve Williams after their relationship became strained

A

s Steve Williams prepares to help Adam Scott's quest for a second Masters title, the Kiwi caddie says his old boss Tiger Woods can still return to winning ways.

But in a BBC interview, Williams cast doubt on whether the 40-year-old can win another major and suggested Woods' current fitness problems might have been self-inflicted.

No-one knows Woods' game better than Williams, who shared in 13 of the American's 14 major titles among 84 tournament victories together.

Their partnership broke down in 2011 and since then Woods has not added to his major tally. The former world number one last played competitively in August last year.

Woods has slumped to 467 in the world rankings while he recovers from his latest back surgery and there seems no prospect of an imminent return.

Yet Williams is convinced that the golfer can achieve more professional victories.

"I don't doubt he will come back to the winner's

circle," Williams told 5 live Golf.

"He is a great competitor, he has an incredible work ethic - when he can work hard - and one thing he does know how to do is win.

"He has that ability to win even when he's not playing his best. But whether he comes back and wins major championships? That's going to be a very difficult task."

The four-times Masters champion looks certain to miss next month's Augusta gathering for only the second time since his debut as an amateur in 1995.

Williams was Woods' right-hand man throughout the period between 1999 and 2008 when the American dominated the game, and Williams thinks his old employer may now be regretting the way he punished his body during that spell.

"I guess when he looks back, he might question some of the activities that he did, some of the gym work that he might have done that, you know, had all these injuries escalate," he said.

Watching from a much greater distance, it seemed

the highest level.

Is this what has happened? Does Williams see any worth to this argument?

"It is very hard to pinpoint how he has got to

where he is now, but I'd have to say there is a lot merit in what you've just said," he said.

Williams was caddying for US veteran Ray Floyd in

the mid-1990s when he first came across the willowy youngster who made it a career ambition to overhaul Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles. (BBC Sport)

wednesDAY, march 23, 2016

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

Golden Jags dominate Anguilla in 7-0 drubbing

Pg 25 The Golden Jaguars celebrate the win after the conclusion of the match

ICC T20 World Cup…

New Zealand defend again to enter semi-finals

Martin G uptill powers a drive though the off side (AFP photo)

ICC T20 World Cup…

Gayle fit for South Africa, hails Fletcher’s knock Pg 28

Chris Gayle

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