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

Issue No. 3201

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, May 5, 2017

6 children hospitalised after school bus smash-up Page 3

– several others injured

Govt’s secrecy blamed for collapse of Indian Monument project Page 7

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Uitvlugt underwhelms

P9 Estate misses target by 1300+ tonnes

Man on trial for killing P16 armed bandit

Govt starts revoking gun licences P17 – Ramjattan

JSC recommendations

President has failed, refused to make P15 appointments

– Nandlall

The base of the Indian Arrival Monument, at Palmyra Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, whose site was commissioned by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo crumbled recently. The base of the monument, which was expected to be ready for today May 5, collapsed as workers were getting ready to add a threetonne $35 million bronze structure on it

Security guard shoots self in the throat Page 3

“Indians transformed Guyana’s demographic, economic, political and cultural life” – President Page 5

Eccles auto sales dealer slapped with fraud charge P12

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Govt appoints Ministerial Advisors for judicial sector

Justice Duke Pollard

Justice James Patterson

Justice Claudette Singh

Professor Harold Lutchman

n light of heavy criticism of his performance, Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Basil Williams will now have a slew of legal experts at hand.

This is according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who disclosed at this week’s post- Cabinet press briefing that Cabinet on Tuesday “approved the establishment of a Ministerial Council of Legal Advisors to the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister”.

Harmon disclosed on

Wednesday that the functions of the Council would include: providing legal analysis and advice on the development of the local justice sector, Government’s legislative agenda and litigation matters; providing input into legal policy design and engaging stakeholders with interest in the justice sector where appropriate.

The Minister of State further revealed that the members of the Council of Legal Advisors are former Caribbean Court of Justice

(CCJ) Judge, Justice Duke Pollard; former High Court Judge, Justice James Patterson; former Appeal Court Judge, Justice Claudette Singh; Professor Harold Lutchman; and Professor Harold James.

He went on to say that the Council would be assisted in the execution of its mandate by support staff from the Legal Affairs Ministry.

Even as Government appoints this Council of Legal Advisors to strengthen the judicial sector, there con-

tinues to be tension between the Judiciary and the Executive over the resent outburst by AG Williams before a High Court judge.

Justice Franklin Holder had formally complained to the Chancellor of the Judiciary that he abruptly walked out of the courtroom on March 23, 2017 as a result of statements made by the Attorney General.

He quoted the AG as saying, “I could say what I want to say and however I want to say it, I have always been like that… The

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last Magistrate who (told me what to do) was later found dead.”

The High Court Judge said in his complaint that he felt disrespected by the Attorney General’s behaviour and called for an apology in open court.

However, Williams is holding out that he is not to be blamed for causing the High Court Judge to walk out of the courtroom. He also insisted that his comment was not a threat even though the defence lawyer at the time, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall described it as one.

Moments after being sworn in as acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, had stated that she was reviewing the issue

and would issue a statement afterwards. More than a month later, there is yet to be a pronouncement on the matter by the Judiciary.

On the other hand, President David Granger expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved, noting that he had asked Williams to formally give a detailed explanation of what transpired.

Minister Harmon on Thursday confirmed that the Attorney General has since submitted his explanation to the President.

“I know for a fact that the Attorney General has written his Excellency,” Minister Harmon stated, adding that the Head of State would act as necessary after reviewing the statement.

Vagrant stabbed to death at Bourda Market

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vagrant was on Thursday afternoon fatally stabbed in the vicinity of the Bourda Market by an unknown man who subsequently escaped.

The dead man was only identified as “Rasta”. He was said to be wheelchair bound due to illness.

Based on reports received, the man was sitting in his wheelchair when the suspect walked up and dealt him several stabs with a broken bottle. Not satisfied, the assailant then whipped out a knife and continued stabbing the man.

After committing the act, the suspect ran into Orange Walk, Bourda making good his escape. An eyewitness told Guyana Times that he was going about his business when he heard a groaning sound followed by the people in the area shouting “hold he”.

As he looked around, he saw the differently able man lying on the roadway. He reportedly fell out of his wheelchair after being stabbed

multiple times.

The man who asked to remain anonymous further explained that persons in the area contacted the ambulance service but by the time it arrived, the man was already dead. No one in the vicinity, he noted, attempted to take the injured man to the hospital.

The man added that the Police arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area as they launched an investigation into the stabbing incident. Based on reports received, the broken bottle was found close to the now dead man but it is believed the suspect escaped with the knife in his possession.

Persons in the area said “Rasta” has been around the Bourda Market area for quite some time. “He does beg and so for money and food but he don’t really trouble anyone,” one vendor stated. Up to press time, the correct name of the dead man was still not available.

Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect.

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, May 5 – a night retraction at 01:30h and a day retraction between 13:30h-15:00h and Saturday, May 6 – a night retraction at 02:30h and a day retraction between 14:30h-16:00h.

6 children hospitalised after school bus smash-up – several others injured

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, May 5 – 12:45h-14:15h and Saturday, May 6 – 13:30h-15:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected throughout the day, while light cloud cover can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to Easterly and East South-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 00:23h and 12:48h reaching maximum heights of 2.20 metres and 2.23 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 06:20h and 18:50h reaching minimum heights of 1.05 metres and 0.93 metre respectively.

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ix children ranging in age from three years to 10 years were admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) for injuries they sustained in a three-vehicle smash-up that occurred on Thursday at around 08:50h on the Rising Sun public road, West Coast Berbice.

Based on information received, minibuses BHH 5558 (school bus), BNN 8359 and BTT 2426 were travelling in a westerly direction when the driver of BTT 2426 attempted to overtake BNN 8359 but realised that a motor car was coming towards him. He attempted to return into his lane but collided with BNN 8359 and BHH 5558.

This collision caused BNN 8359 and BTT 2426

to topple; while BHH 5558, transporting pre-school, nursery and primary-aged students to a private school in Golden Fleece, was hit from the side and back.

More than 20 pupils were rushed to the Mahaicony Regional Hospital, but six who were suffering from open head wounds and broken limbs were referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital in a conscious state.

Frantic relatives of the injured children converged on the GPHC, some completely oblivious to the nature of their child’s injuries.

Tomeka Glasgow, mother of 5-year-old Renaiya Glasgow who allegedly suffered a sprained arm and several broken fingers, was visibly distressed at her

Worried family members and onlookers gathered at the Mahaicony Regional Hospital after the children were brought in by publicspirited persons (Romel Roopnarine photo)

daughter’s tears and pain, but told Guyana Times that the doctors were attentive.

And the worried mother of 5-year-old Malachi Duncan told this publication her mother informed her of the accident, and when she rushed to the Mahaicony

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The accident scene on Thursday morning

Hospital, her son had already been transferred to the GPHC, since he had sustained severe injuries to his back, and his head was bleeding profusely.

Members of other families sat in front of the GPHC’s Accident and Emergency Unit crying and praying.

Police informed this publication that the three drivers were all taken into custody and are assisting with investigations.

Guyana Times was also told that, as at Thursday afternoon, police were still awaiting feedback from the GPHC as to the extent of the injuries of the six children who were admitted. (Ramona Luthi)

Security guard shoots self in the throat O ne person is presently in Police custody assisting with investigations concerning a Police guard who shot herself to her throat in the washroom of Caricom Rice Mills at Anna Regina, in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Dead is 29-year-old Special Constable #15117 Shendal George. The incident reportedly occurred sometime between 17:00h and 17:45h on May 4 at Caricom Rice Mills.

Information disclosed that George was attached

to Caricom Rice Mills as an armed guard working on a shift basis. At the time of the incident, she was working on the 15:00h to 23:00h shift, armed with a service .32 revolver with six live rounds.

She was said to be on duty at the main front gate along with another security guard, George Bisnauth, of Anna Regina.

According to Bisnauth, at about 17:00h, Shendal George left the guard hut and went for a walk around the compound.

About 17:45h, her mother came

to the gate and enquired about her when Bisnauth left in search and found her lying motionless on her back in the toilet area with a suspected gun shot to her throat; fully dressed in her uniform.

The service revolver was seen about five inches from her right hand. Upon closer examination, five live rounds were found in the chamber along with a spent shell on the ground.

Bisnauth then immediately raised an alarm after which a report was made to the Police.

The circumstances surrounding the Police guard taking of her own life is still unclear. However, rumours have been circulating that she had reached ‘saturation point’ in life.

The scene was visited by officers from Police in G Division (Essequibo coast-Islands) and thereafter, her body was transported to the Suddie mortuary where it awaits a post-mortem examination. Her firearm, along with the remaining ammunition was lodged at the station.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

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Arrival Day: 179 years later

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oday, Guyana is observing Arrival Day. More specifically, today marks 179 years since persons of East Indian ancestry first came to Guyana as indentured labourers following the end of slavery. They were brought to these shores in a bid to save the sugar industry faced with lost markets and fallen prices.

Today, 179 years later, sugar in this part of the world again seeks survival in not-dissimilar circumstances, but with the workers, descendants of the indentured servants, being callously thrown on the breadline.

Last year, in its rhetoric “sugar is too big to fail”, the Government announced that it would be closing the Wales Sugar Factory and would seek to “reform” the industry by looking at diversification. In doing so, neither a social nor an economic impact study was done to examine the consequences of such a decision. What subsequently resulted was that over 1700 workers were left on the breadline and several communities along the West Bank of Demerara – Patentia, Vriesland, Wales, Goed Intent, Sisters, Belle Vue – in dismay. This was done despite the fact that sugar-cane production in 2015 increased significantly, for which the very regime took credit. There is no doubt that costs of production and the loss of the EU preferential market have resulted in financial challenges for the sugar industry, not only in Guyana but all across the Region. However, restructuring of the industry directly in response to changes to the international trading environment cannot be done without looking at the local consequences, impacts and hardships the peoples of this nation will face.

Restructuring of economic sectors and industries has been influenced by changes in both the international and domestic economic environments.

Over in our sister Caribbean territory, Jamaica, following some difficulties, the Administration had privatised part of the industry. Estates were sold to companies which eventually encountered problems. The Government of Jamaica, in examining the social and economic impact of such a failure on its peoples, made a decision to take back the estates.

Instead of closing the sugar industry, as is being pursued in Guyana, that Government decided to work towards reviving the industry and making it more viable. In so doing, Jamaica is looking to increase sales in the Caribbean market.

In the instance of Wales workers, none of this was done, but following the end of sugar operations at Wales Factory, the sugar workers were high-handedly told that they would be transferred to Uitvlugt Estate, now compelling them to travel 22 miles from their points of origin.

“Reforming”, therefore, should be done to ensure survival and sustainability of sugar operations and not as a costcutting measure to Government. It seems that the latter is the option this Administration is taking following its decision to close more sugar factories. This was announced recently when the Government stated that in considering its options moving forward in regards to the cash-strapped Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), more estates are expected to be closed. This was announced even before the white paper on the sugar industry comes up for parliamentary consideration next Monday.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder had drafted a white paper on GuySuCo’s future which speaks to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry that was held into the sugar industry, as well as proposals made by the Sugar Corporation. That white paper, according to the APNU/AFC Government, also looks at issues confronting the Administration in making a decision on the future of GuySuCo. Instead of the cavalier approach that has been meted out to the sugar industry, without apparent consideration for the impact on the lives of Guyanese sugar workers, Government should instead consider prospects of addressing the continued modernisation of the industry to compete on the world market. Guyana, since 2006, has been preparing for this modernisation, and studies which were done back then had depicted that modernisation would reduce production costs by approximately 39 per cent. The importance of this industry to Guyana’s economy justifies the need to lead continued modernisation.

The importance of the sugar workers as Guyanese citizens justifies our investment to offer them dignity in their lives.

The coming of summer has been marked in Edinburgh as revellers gathered for the spectacular Beltane Fire Festival. The celebrations, based on the old Celtic May Day, began above the city on Calton Hill as the sun went down on Sunday. During festivities, the Green Man is killed as god of winter and reborn as spring to consort with the May Queen. The modern Beltane Fire Festival has run since 1988, making this its 30th year (BBC News)

State media being exposed as a political tool Dear Editor, Forgive the delayed response, as I was concluding my exams. I refer to the article printed in the Guyana Chronicle (a state newspaper) of 30th April, 2017 under the caption “Corruption Probe Deepens” -- which placed a picture of me along with the Registrar of Deeds, followed with a defamatory report that the police have opened another probe into allegations of corruption, and cited an “anonymous source” along with comments from unnamed “top legal sources” which questioned my professional integrity and competence.

This story, carried only by the Guyana Chronicle, comes days after I released publicly information of President Granger’s extravagant spending for the use of private planes (instead of commercial) for international travel to the Bahamas and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

For the sake of clarity, corruption is the use of one’s position of authority for personal gain/benefit other than by means of prescribed terms of service.

I held no position of author-

ity at the relevant time, so unless it can be shown by the Guyana Chronicle that the Registrar of Deeds has gained personally from me or my client vis-a-vis the execution of her duty, then the attempt to establish a nexus between me as an attorney-at-law making an application to the Registrar of Deeds as corruption simply exposes the Guyana Chronicle as a political tool besmirching and defaming the character of members of the Opposition who are openly critical of the Government.

This, ironically, coming from the APNU+AFC, which promised a state media which was free from political slant and/or interference.

For the sake of completeness, the application in question on behalf of my client involved the interpretation of the word “undertaking” for the purposes of calculation of a penalty pursuant to the Companies Act, Cap 89:01. My submission was that the word “undertaking”, for the purposes of the Act, ought to mean “trading”, which the company had not done for

well over twenty (20) years; and the requested audited financial statements by certified chartered accountants were duly provided, evidencing such.

The Registrar of Deeds proffered a different interpretation, which resulted in a penalty determination; so clarity on the matter was sought from the then Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang, SC CCH, who guided that a penalty ought not to be adduced when a company was not trading, but that the determination and calculation was within the discretion of the Registrar of Deeds.

Having duly advised my clients on the options available to them, my clients instructed the course of action adopted. End of Story!

As a consequence of the Guyana Chronicle’s report, I have instructed my attorney-at-law to institute defamation proceedings forthwith.

Guyanese are not stupid. It’s been two years since the APNU+AFC coalition Administration has taken office, and these incessant, politically directed investigations which lead

nowhere, along with claims that the PPP is corrupt, just destroy the Government’s credibility every day and manifestly evince their witch-hunting endeavour.

In addition, the APNU+AFC Administration’s many undelivered promises, incompetent governance, corruption, and lavish spending on themselves, while continuously citing excuses and begging for more time to deliver the nebulous “good life,” means that more and more Guyanese -not just members of the opposition -- will continue to voice their disapproval.

The obviousness of the Guyana Chronicle’s march of folly is that it will not be able to besmirch every person who is critical of the Government.

If the APNU+AFC Administration and its defenders want to avoid criticism, then the APNU+AFC Administration should just be a better government.

Have they ever thought about that idea?

Charles S Ramson, Esq Attorney-at-Law

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“Indians transformed Guyana’s demographic, economic, political and cultural life” – President Granger

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resident David Granger has expressed the view that “Indians” have transformed Guyana’s demographic, economic, political and cultural life. “Indians remain the single largest ethnic group in this country and have achieved eminence and prominence in every aspect of national life,” the President said in a statement to mark Indian Arrival Day. Guyana celebrates ‘Indian Arrival Day’ on 5th May to acknowledge the achievements of the descendants of immigrants of Indian origin and their contribution to nation-building.

This year, 2017, marks also the 100th anniversary of the abolition of Indian indentured immigration, the system which was responsible for bringing almost 240,000 Indians to our shores between 1838 and 1917.

President David Granger

Indians were recruited in response to the perceived and predicted shortages of labour on the sugar plantations following African emancipation. They crossed the ocean – kala pani – from Asia to the

Americas to toil as indentured immigrants on the sugar plantations.

Indians, together with Portuguese indentured immigrants, who had arrived earlier, and Chinese, who arrived later, and with the freed Africans, who remained on the plantations, helped to ensure the survival of the sugar industry in British Guiana.

Indian Arrival Day reminds everyone of the role of persons of Indian origin in shaping the nation. Their resistance to the abuses of plantation conditions and their struggle for a better life are legendary. Their cultural beliefs and values and respectful relations became the bases for social cohesion. Guyana pays tribute to Indian achievement.

"I extend best wishes to all on the occasion of Indian Arrival Day."

Arrival Day affords an opportunity to reflect on triumphs, challenges – Govt

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n the occasion of Arrival Day 2017, the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana said it recognised all the people of Guyana for their resilience, fortitude and unwavering dedication to nationhood and acknowledged the “contributions of all our peoples towards the development of Guyana”.

“The peoples who came to this land, many under unspeakable circumstances,

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sine remains an irreplaceable part of our national diet. The entrepreneurial qualities of our Portuguese people continue to exhibit themselves in vital areas of national commerce and industry. The contributions of the Indian immigrants, the largest group that came, consist of a formidable part of so many aspects of national life, that it is impossible to imagine a Guyana without them.

It is important to note that the sugar industry was so instrumental in bringing the indentured immigrants and African slaves to this land and that has been a major source of employment and contributor to the local economy for over three hundred years in our country, is now facing imminent closure within just two short years of this coalition Government. It is apt also to note, that many of the challenges which the immigrants faced during

the indentureship system and thereafter, which they struggled along with others to overcome and which they made substantial progress in overcoming are suddenly returning to plague them.

The PPP takes this opportunity to renew its commitment to all of our people who came to this land to continue to struggle with them side by side, to overcome these challenges as well as preparing them for new challenges. In particular, we pledge to continue to work, indefatigably, to remove the scourge of racism and racial discrimination from this land; to forge ethnic, religious and class unity among all our people and to build a society governed by the rule of law and where the constitutional rights and freedom of our people are not only respected but are protected and advanced.

Happy Arrival Day to all!

PNCR calls for cohesion in Arrival Day message

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n the occasion of the 179th Anniversary of the arrival of East Indians to Guyana, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) salutes all Guyanese of East Indian descent and those in the Diaspora who are celebrating this milestone in the nation’s historical calendar.

The party, in a message to mark the occasion, said it recognises the valuable contributions that our East Indian brothers and sisters have made to the development of our country and the shaping of the cultural

tapestry of this nation. The PNCR, therefore, salutes all our East Indian brothers and sisters on this special commemorative day.

The PNCR noted that when, in the 1980s, it inaugurated the concept of celebrating the arrival of the respective ethnic groups of this nation, the intention was to deepen an understanding of the culture of these groups, and promote greater understanding and racial harmony as tools for nation-building.

The party, held at all times, that such a course of

action was absolutely necessary for welding the nation into a single whole out of the various groups which emigrated here from the various continents of the world.

As we reflect on this historical milestone, it is the wish of the PNCR, that this occasion would be used to indulge ourselves in activities designed at forging and moulding a destiny of racial and cultural cohesion, so necessary for building an economically strong and vibrant nation.

ancestry is diverse; our destiny is inextricably and irrevocably intertwined. We are, as our motto instructs, one people, one nation with one destiny,” the Government stated.

It noted that Arrival Day affords us an opportunity to reflect on our triumphs and challenges as we reaffirm the Guyanese spirit of tolerance, inclusivity and brotherhood and a unified vision for a progressive, prosperous and cohesive Guyana for all its peoples.

Arrival Day an ideal time to reflect on Guyana’s rich diversity – Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton

PPP extends ‘warmest greetings’ on Arrival Day he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to extend warmest greetings on this auspicious day to all of our people who came to this land under the brutal indentured system of servitude in search of a better life, over one hundred and seventy years ago. Each of the ethnic groups that came brought with them a rich and unique heritage, history, culture, religion, customs and practices, which were later not only merged among themselves but also amalgamated with those of our Amerindian and African brothers and sisters to create an extraordinary Guyanese cultural, social and economic landscape.

Over one hundred and seventy years later, one can easily identify the peculiar contributions of each of our people who came in almost every facet of national life in our country, in one form or another. The Chinese cui-

have each toiled and sacrificed and endured hardship for us to have achieved as we have and for us to be, this year, celebrating as an independent, sovereign and free nation widely respected within the community of nations globally,” the Guyana Government said in a statement.

“We stand on the shoulders of those who have fought and struggled for the freedoms we now enjoy and which we must zealously guard. Our

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton

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ocial Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton has extended greetings to all Guyanese on the occasion of Arrival Day 2017. In a message to mark the occasion, Dr Norton said this day has been set aside to celebrate the arrival of all indentured immigrants to Guyana under a system, which has long been described as one of “struggle, sacrifice and resistance”.

“The East Indians, Chinese, Portuguese and Africans were brought to British Guiana to work as indentured labourers on the sugar plantations as a result of a void, which was created in the labour force due to the abolition of the dreadful system of African slavery,” he said.

British Guiana was the recipient of some 238,907 East Indian immigrants between 1838 and 1917, approximately 32,216 Portuguese between 1835 and 1890, a total of 13,541 Chinese for the entire period of 1853 to 1879 and approximately 13,970 Africans between 1840 and 1860.

These four groups have all contributed to the development of Guyana in every sphere and have left behind legacies of cultural traditions, which have moulded Guyana into a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society.

He also noted that Arrival Day is an ideal time for all Guyanese to reflect on and celebrate their coun-

try’s rich diversity, which makes us truly unique. It allows us to have a greater appreciation of the struggles of our fore parents, who paved the way for us to live the lives we do today in this beautiful nation.

“Many of the persons who came to these wonderful shores were lured by the promise of a better life, but were faced with very harsh conditions. We have come a long way as a nation and this is because of the hard work of our foreparents. It is, therefore, our duty to continue their efforts by working together for the betterment of our country.”

Norton said that “as we celebrate their arrival, it is an opportune time for all Guyana to be reminded that regardless of their ethnicity, colour, class, or creed, they are all equal in value.

We must not let ourselves be divided, but must resolve to develop greater harmony in our relations with each

other.”

He noted that the Government of Guyana has established the Ministry of Social Cohesion for the purpose of building a more unified country. However, we cannot do this alone, and we have engaged and will continue to engage all Guyanese in order to foster and promote social cohesion.

Norton noted that every Guyanese has a role to play in the process and “we must remember that social cohesion will not be achieved overnight”.

“Let us all continue to work together to ensure that we build a Guyana where all Guyanese, regardless of age, gender, religious beliefs, geographic location, cultural beliefs or socio-economic backgrounds have the best life possible,” he stated.

“Happy Arrival Day to all of Guyana!” the minister added.

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Page Foundation Happy teenagers

Supporting your teenager’s growing independence

and teenage well-being

H

appy teenagers are teenagers with warm relationships.

You can boost teenage wellbeing and happiness by encouraging your child to try new things, have goals, value personal strengths and focus on the good things in life.

Teenage happiness and well-being

Happiness is a state of mind or a mood. Happy teenagers are usually teenagers who are satisfied with their lives and relationships.

Wellbeing comes from physical, mental and emotional health. It’s also about having positive emotions, taking part in different activities, having good relationships and social connections, finding meaning in life and feeling that you’re doing well.

Raising happy teenagers: tips You can boost your child’s happiness with praise and encouragement, clear rules and boundaries, a healthy family lifestyle and warm family relationships.

Praise, encouragement and positive attention

Give your child praise when he behaves in ways you want to encourage, like helping out, doing chores or

getting homework done. For example, ‘I really appreciate it when you put your dirty clothes in the laundry bin’.

Give your child attention – for example, go to watch her playing sport, send her a friendly text message or just give her a special smile.

Encourage your child to try new things – for example, if your child is interested in playing a new sport, you could offer to take him along to the local club’s registration day.

Value your child’s strengths, and praise her for who she is. For example, ‘You’re really good at looking after the younger children in your Scouts group’.

This helps to build self-esteem and protects her from

comparing herself to other people.

Let your child know that you’re proud of him when he tries, especially when things are tough. For example, ‘I was so proud of you for running all the way in your cross country race, even though I could see you were tired’.

Rules and boundaries

Clear and fair rules help teenagers feel safe when lots of things in their lives are changing. If you involve your child in making the rules, she’ll be more likely to stick to them. Negotiating rules with your child is also a way of showing that you respect her growing maturity.

(Continued from Thursday)

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Healthy lifestyle

Encourage good sleep habits: teenagers need about 9¼ hours of sleep each night. Help your child aim for at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

Encourage your child to make healthy food choices to fuel his growth and development.

Help your child keep a healthy balance between study, work and play. This might mean looking at how many nights your child is out doing things, how much down time she has, how much she can contribute to family life through chores, how many family meals you have together and so on. (raisingchildren.net.au)

Treat your child in a way that’s appropriate for her stage ounger teenagers might think they’re ready to make their own decisions, but they often haven’t developed the decision-making skills they’ll need to handle significant responsibility without your help. It can be a good idea to explain to your younger child why younger and older children are given different amounts and types of responsibilities.

Help your child develop decision-making skills When your child needs to make a decision, you can help her develop skills by: * finding out about different options * talking about the pros and cons of different actions * weighing up the pros and cons to make the best decision * brainstorming what to do if things don’t go according to plan * giving your child feedback on how she handles the process.

You can also include your child in family decision-making. This is another chance to boost your child’s self-esteem, and show that you value his input.

When it comes to big decisions that impact on your child – for example, about school, further study, staying out late and so on – try to make those decisions with your child, not for her. Our article on problem-solving can help you work through these decisions together.

Provide safe opportunities for your child to exercise independence Activities that are safe and supported, but that give your child freedom and time away from you, can help your child: * learn new skills and test new abilities * take positive risks * foster a sense of belonging * build resilience.

For example, there might be a youth group or sports club in your area that your child would like to be involved in.

Look after yourself and seek help Many parents report difficulties adjusting to their child’s growing independence. Some parents find their mental health is affected. You can read more about looking after yourself in our article on parenting teenagers.

Managing conflicts Young people are working out their own identities, and finding where they fit in the world. They’re likely to want more control over things like socialising, behaviour and appearance. As part of this process, they might test boundaries and question people they see as authority figures – especially you.

This might look like a recipe for conflict, but it doesn’t have to be. To learn how to handle these kinds of discussions, you might like to read our article on managing conflict with teenagers.

Independence in children with special needs If you have a child with special needs, this child’s growing independence might seem like an extra challenge.

For these teenagers, reaching full independence might take a bit longer than for other children. Achieving independence can be harder if children have spent many years being dependent on others, being cared for and having decisions made for them.

For children with chronic health needs, there’ll come a time when you’ll begin to share responsibilities with your child, such as managing his medications. Knowing when and how to do this can be challenging. If you’re trying to work out whether your child is ready to take on some of these responsibilities, consider whether your child can: * solve problems * make planned decisions, rather than impulsive ones * understand the possible consequences of actions * recognise when advice or guidance is needed – and accept it * care about and plan for the future.

For younger children, it’s important to explain these issues clearly. This is better than saying, ‘You’re too young to look after things by yourself’.

You, your child and the health professionals managing your child’s care will all be involved in deciding when and how your child will begin to independently manage health decisions. Speak to a health professional about any concerns you might have. (raisingchildren.net.au)

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friDAY, may 5, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Govt secrecy blamed for collapse of Indian Monument project

By Andrew Carmichael

T

he Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) Administration is blaming secrecy in the way Government undertook the construction of the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra, East Coast Berbice for its recent embarrassing collapse.

At the Region Six Democratic Council’s (RDC’s) monthly statutory meeting on Thursday, Councillor Zamal Hoosain raised the controversial issue and said: “When projects are being administered in the region, a copy of the bill of quantities should be given to the administration. At the last procurement workshop, the Minister was told of what the Regional Administration requires. A few days ago, it is evident that the collapse of the monument base at Palmyra is a typical example of what can happen when a copy of the bill of quantities and scope of work is not with the region.

If (we had had copies of the

Region Six Councillor Zamal Hoosain

not responsible for the project, and the Ministry of the Presidency should accept responsibility.

The base of the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra crumbled on April 26, in the wake of claims by some workers that they had not been paid since February.

Meanwhile, these sentiments expressed yesterday

contractors for the recent collapse.

Gajadhar told Guyana Times on Tuesday that the design was not in keeping with what was originally agreed on during the initial phase of the project design.

“In our design concept, the base was not supposed to be that high. It was supposed to be about eight to nine feet (high); so that thing was done too high,” the artist argued.

Two Saturdays ago, Gajadhar was contacted by the Education Ministry and asked to meet with the contractors. The meeting was expected to take place at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

The artist said it was explained that the contractors were having some problems regarding how to place the monument on the base, and were looking to get advice from them.

That meeting never materialized, but according to Gajadhar, he and his colleague visited the site. “We

Construction has ceased at the site

bill of quantities and scope of work), we would have (supervised) the project,” Hoosain told the RDC meeting.

The Regional Administration is requesting that the Government provide information on projects that are being undertaken in the region, but Hoosain is claiming that none of the ministries under the APNU/AFC coalition government is adhering to that request.

The construction of a base for the Indian Arrival Monument -- a project which is estimated at $97M -- is one of the most recent projects for which the Regional Administration had allegedly requested information but got nothing; and Hoosain has said the collapse of the monument base should provide enough evidence that Government should send information to the region.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan has said the Administration is not accepting responsibility for what is now being viewed as poor construction. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has since confirmed that the project falls under the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport within the Education Ministry.

A source at the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport said on Wednesday that that Department is

came in the wake of earlier sentiments expressed by prominent national artist Philbert Gajadhar, who along with Winslow Craig designed the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra. Both Gajadhar and Craig are blaming the

went and we looked at it, and I told them that what they were building there cannot accommodate our plans, our designs, and the placement of the figures and so on,” he explained.

Another meeting was

promised, and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gale Rigobert, was expected to attend. However, this meeting has not yet been finalised.

Nevertheless, Gajadhar is of the opinion that, had he and his colleague been consulted by the new Government, the current situation would not have obtained. “We were not involved. We were left out totally,” he lamented.

Region in dark Meanwhile, regional officials who met on Tuesday to discuss projects in the region have said no information has been provided to the body in regard to the monument’s construction.

One day after the structure collapsed, the contracting company, Alternative Contracting Enterprises, revealed that an engineer from India was expected to visit the project site and advise on the way forward.

However, the next day workers were seen digging at the base, but provided no information. When this publication visited the project site on Tuesday, there was no work taking place.

A new contractor and two employees were later seen at the site. They claimed their only duty was to construct a fence, which was separate

from the job of the contractor to construct the base for the monument.

However, Guyana Times understands that the contract was given to Alternative Contracting Enterprises although the company was not the lowest bidder.

The $97 million project

includes the construction of a base for a three-ton monument depicting six persons (four adults and two children). The six-foot statue depicting six bronze figures of three men, two women and a child illustrates Indians in their everyday life.

8

fridAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Comings and goings…

N

…on indentureship ow that every immigrant group has an “Arrival Day” -- save for West Indians and free Africans -- can we wish the descendants of the ones who came from India a “Happy Indian Arrival Day”? Well, to be honest…NO!!

Look at those who still labour on the sugar plantations: they live lives of increasingly quiet desperation, especially the ones who’ve been axed at Wales and the ones who are about to be axed at Rose Hall, Enmore and Skeldon. How different will their lives be from those of their indentured foreparents, who saw their jobs in cotton destroyed by the British in India and were forced to accept wages in Guyana that even the freed slaves refused?? That has to take the most unimaginable desperation!

But it has to be even worse today. Back then, at least there were JOBS; and even though it wasn’t what the immigrants were promised when they signed up in India -- they had to do all sorts of odd labour to supplement their meagre wages on the plantations: fishing in canals, tending kitchen gardens, rearing chickens, etc – today, there are no jobs in sight; and there are no fish in the canals, after the drugs runoff in the water, and there is no space in the 40x80 lots to cultivate vegetables and rear chickens. Today it is sheer starvation!!

What to do?? Well, back in the day, the Massa authorised a Portuguese or Chinese rum-shop or two right opposite the pay office or on the road from the fields to the public road. These provided “solace’ to battered bodies and tortured psyches. After “independence”, the Burnham regime allowed rum shops to spring up like “jumbie umbrellas” in the sugar workers’ housing schemes. And these will once again offer “refuge”.

Of course, this will lead to the same pathologies that are endemic in Indian rural communities -- suicide, alcoholism, domestic violence, etc…etc. And we can expect the suicide pimps, who will rake in funding to “solve” these problems, to also crawl out of the woodwork like the termites they are. So, it’s a good thing we now have INDIAN Arrival Day…since this should hopefully force Indians to do some much-needed retrospection today.

Like ask: what’s this nonsense about who destroyed the sugar industry?? Is there any doubt?? By 1968, sugar workers were receiving profit sharing -- split 60% to workers and 40% to the owners. In the wake of the 1974 price spike, the PNC government scooped off more than US$400M by 1977 with their “sugar levy”. If sugar workers had received their 60%, they would have, for the first time, become millionaires!

If Burnham had taken government’s 40% and modernised the factories, sugar prices afterwards would’ve matched world prices.

Instead, he gave sugar workers “Guyanese hydro” goadie!! …in health And here it is, your Eyewitness thought that Government officials were only behaving like the authoritarian government they are with their control of the Chronic (like Pravda) and their love of parades!! On the latter, Royston King was miffed that the $100M May 26 Independence Bash at Stabroek Square was called off.

Not to worry; the one at Jubilee Park gonna be “bigger and better”. Roy just won’t get to fill his pockets!! It’s equal opportunity time in the pilfering business!!

But do you remember the guided tour the totalitarian states used to conduct for western visitors, to “prove” they were doing better than the West?? Well…it’s now reached Guyana. The “creeping” totalitarianism is speeding up!!

Inspecting GPHC, members of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services were booted out of the Pharmacy Bond when they veered off the guided tour and insisted on checking on the biggest challenge facing the tertiary health facility - drugs!!

Junior Health Minister Cummings insisted shortages of drugs don’t affect health services!! Prayers instead?? …in diplomacy The British High Commissioner accompanied visiting Minister Baroness Anelay to meet representatives of the Government, but not to meet the Opposition’s representatives. Was it because Anil Nandlall was there, and might’ve asked him to sip some wine at the Oasis??

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

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friDAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Uitvlugt underwhelms Granger engages in ‘constitutional heresy’ to Estate misses target undermine Judiciary by 1300+ tonnes

I

– Nandlall

F

ormer Attorney General Anil Nandlall has accused President David Granger of practising ‘constitutional heresy’ in asserting a stranglehold over the Judiciary -- in order to ensure subservient Judges are appointed, in order to make rulings in favour of the administration.

Nandlall made the charge on Thursday when he addressed members of the media at a press conference held at Freedom House.

Nandlall told reporters that the President has now taken to making recommendations to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) over the appointment of Judges. According to the former AG, the Constitution does not provide for the President to make such unilateral decisions.

Nandlall has charged that the President must act in a mandatory fashion and in accordance with advice proffered by the JSC. Nandlall suggests the only leeway provided to the President under the Constitution is to request a new set of advice. He posits that for the President to have his way with the appointment of Judges, it would mean that when persons sue the State, there would be no independence of the Judiciary, since the appointed Judges would be subservient to the political directorate.

Nandlall unwaveringly demanded that the President must act on the

Attorney General Basil Williams

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlal

list of names provided by the JSC, submitted over a year ago, in March 2016.

The former Attorney General pointed to Article 128 of the Constitution, which, according to him, dictates that the President ‘SHALL,’ in a mandatory fashion, act on the advice given by the JSC. He insists there is no room for interpretation of the provision ‘SHALL ACT.’ Nandlall told reporters that, based on information supplied to him, the JSC has already commenced another round of interviews with a view to providing another round of advice for new appointments to be made to the Judiciary.

According to Nandlall, President Granger is currently in violation of the provisions of the supreme law of the land, and is in fact engaging in ‘constitutional heresy’ in his attempts to direct the work of the JSC. He suggests there are enough protections against the intrusion of the

Executive into the affairs of the JSC, which must not allow itself to be manipulated.

The former Attorney General again lamented the state of affairs at the Court of Appeal, which he has described as now being an untenable situation.

He was speaking to the vacant benches at the Court of Appeal, and the fact that no appeals could be heard in the absence of any appointments.

According to Nandlall, currently no appeals can be heard for matters to be transmitted to the Caribbean Court of Justice, or to deal with matters being challenged in the High Court.

Nandlall’s remarks were quickly dismissed by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at a post-Cabinet press briefing, when he was asked to respond to the former Attorney General’s remarks. Harmon said the President has indeed acted on the advice that had been supplied by the JSC.

n what can be seen as another blow to an already ailing industry, the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s Uitvlugt Estate, located on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), has missed its production target for the first crop by just over 1300 tonnes.

According to information received, the Estate garnered 7031 tonnes in sugar production, down from a projected 8339 tonnes. This reportedly represented a shortfall of 1308 tonnes out of the projected target.

It was on Sunday last that production ended for the current crop.

Guyana Times understands that a number of factors were responsible for the estate’s inability to achieve its target. Two of the disclosed reasons for the shortfall included rat damage to crops and a shortage of canes to suffice the production process. This publication learnt that, in fact, much of the canes from several locations on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) could not go to Uitvlugt for much needed processing.

It has been months since the contract for the road to transport the canes of private farmers from West Bank to West Coast Demerara was publically tendered but to date, the road is yet to be constructed. However, <<<Guyana Times>>> was told that some farmers, including those from Canal Number One and La Retraite, WBD, came together and cleared an alternative access to transport their canes to the estate. It remains unclear

The Wales Sugar Estate ceased operations in December 2016

whether or not the majority of farmers have the ability to access this reported make-shift route.

The final cane supply for production was accepted at Wales in December 2016 and many farmers had complained that much of their acreage was left without being reaped which resulted in millions of dollars in losses. Additionally, much of the cane lands under the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) control were reportedly abandoned. Also in December, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder had claimed that under indented conversion plans, the first crop of rice at the Wales Estate was expected

by March 2017 but this never materialised.

The Minister had also told the National Assembly that the sugar factory would be converted into a business establishment that will see the rearing of poultry and livestock.

The decision to close the Wales Estate was confirmed

by Government in January 2016 after Guyana Times broke the news earlier that month. Government later said the Wales Estate was closed after billions of dollars were accrued in losses over the years. At high-level sugar consultations held at the end of last year among Government, GuySuCo, the Union and the Opposition, the Administration had disclosed that only three estates would be kept functional.

In fact, a “white paper” on the sugar industry’s future is expected to be laid at the next sitting of the National Assembly. A white paper is an authoritative report about a complex issue which is meant to help persons to understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.

Another area of discussion included in the white paper relates to the feasibility of merging some of the sugar estates and factories where appropriate, and selling off some facilities. turn to page 15

10 news

friDAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt responds to Toshaos over land row T

he Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry on Thursday condemned the actions of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), specifically its Chairman and Vice Chairman, Joel Fredericks and Lennox Shuman, saying it rejects out of hand, “these outrageous and grossly misleading utterances by the two most senior members of the NTC.” The Ministry was at the time responding to the NTC’s public condemnation of the recently appointed Commission of Inquiry (CoI) by Head of State David Granger to address issues related to

Amerindian and African ancestral lands.

The Ministry tasked with handling the affairs of the Indigenous peoples of Guyana said it, “condemns in the strongest terms, any irresponsible statement which seeks to divide the Nation along ethnic or other lines.”

The NTC Executive Council met with members of the media on Wednesday and called on the Head of State to immediately rescind the establishment of the CoI. The NTC Vice Chair elaborating on the concerns of the CoI jointly dealing with the matter of Amerindian and

ancestral lands had said, “Government has to take corrective steps to address this grave wrong that they would have done us.”

At the time he argued that the potential impact of the CoI and its outcome could have profound occurrences for the country as a whole, and further could in fact incite racial fears, adding that there have been moves made in the past to have the issue of Amerindian lands be mediated by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC).

The Ministry with responsibility for the affairs of Indigenous peoples in Guyana, reacted sharply

to the NTC on Thursday, saying “the Government of Guyana has made it clear that, national unity is pivotal to nation building,” adding that it is “for this reason that His Excellency the President has sought, through the CoI, to address the issue of lands in a holistic way.”

The Ministry said it is appalling, “therefore, that there are still among us, individuals who will continue to seek out opportunities to foster disunity.”

Minister of State Joseph Harmon on Thursday also told reporters that it is only the President who is authorised under the laws of Guyana to treat the land issues at hand.

According to Harmon – during his post-Cabinet press briefing – “the authority for the issue of any land title is the President or any person so authorised by the President to issue titles.”

He said too the statements by the NTC, “is a matter of concern because we believe that all citizens of this country have a right to have their issues addressed at whatever level it needs to be addressed.”

Harmon insists that President Granger, having listened to the complaints of the citizenry across the country during outreaches, opted for that course of action.

According to Harmon,

the matters being engaged by the Commission with regards issues related to Amerindian lands and freed African slaves will not be lumped together and did in fact concede that there should have been more consultations on the part of the Administration.

The Minister could not at the time say whether the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry did in fact consult formally with the NTC on the appointment of the Commission.

According to the Minister of State, the Ministry has been engaging with Toshaos and community leaders across the country and pointed to a recent outreach led

by Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister and Vice President Sidney Allicock.

According to Harmon that forum was held with Toshoas in the Rupununi and the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Allicock had explained to all in very clear detail, “what was being done, that in this CoI is being provided an opportunity to deal with issues in relation to Amerindian land titles, ancestral lands and any other land issues.”

According to Harmon, only lands that are subjected to conflict and other such types of differences will be addressed and pointed to instances where land applications encroach

into the domain of other areas.

It was at this point in time Minister Harmon clarified, “the only person under the laws of Guyana that can make these adjustments is the President of the country and the President has provided and opportunity for us to address these conflicts under the aegis of a Commission of Inquiry appointed by the President himself with wide powers to address these issues so that they can be brought to bear and dealt with.”

The Minister of State said there is no attempt or intention on the part of the Government to dilute any aspect of the Amerindian Act of 2006 or to replace by any intervention and insisted that Government is committed to working with stakeholders in the industry.

The Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry has since called on the NTC to retract its positions taken.

According to the Ministry, it is calling on NTC Chairman, Joel Fredericks to prove allegations that the Government is: “…violating the Amerindian Act” and the “…United Nations’ Conventions that speak to the treatment of Indigenous peoples” through the establishment of the CoI on lands.

11

S RAIGHT Our Energy Security: Is there a viable future?

T

he Amaila Falls Hydropower Project has been the cornerstone of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy launched in 2009 by then President, Bharrat Jagdeo. The project has been on hold since August 2013.

The initial delays were for good reasons, mainly to address concerns surrounding the financial model. However Norconsult, the Norwegian Experts who did the review of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project (AFHP), have now addressed those concerns. The original 2012 financial model, which was over-priced by some US$58 million, is now set in a financial framework that makes sense.

Why then has the PNC-led Granger government not advanced the recommendations in the Norconsult Report? Do they not know that they are failing the people by not unleashing the available US$120 million in committed grant funds from Norway?

According to the National Energy Policy created by the Guyana National Energy Agency, the nation was, from green sources, supposed to be generating some 20% of its electricity supply by 2017. Progress on this initiative literally died once Granger stepped into office. This benchmark is all a pipe dream without AFHP. Instead, there is a full-scale attempt by this Granger-led government to de-emphasize the AFHP in favour of alternative smaller projects, like the Tumatumari project, the Tiger Fall Project, and four solar farms located respectively at Bartica, Mabaruma, Mahdia, and Lethem. But this entire plan exposes how out-of-touch with reality President Granger is today.

Trapped in a world he invented for himself -- of parades, pomp, and private jet flights -- he is clearly oblivious to the fact that these pet projects of his would require at least 2-3 years of additional time to conduct the pre-feasibility and feasibility studies to be advanced to a point that is even 50% of where the AFHP is situated.

In the case of AFHP, the Brassington team took the project to the point of making it a bankable project that is ready for implementation, save and except for those identified weaknesses in the financial model.

I was reliably advised that the person who is most opposed to the AFHP is Minister Patterson. How can President Granger put such a big decision into the hands of such an immature mind, who continues to use his personal vendetta against anything associated with the past Government? In a time of unending blackouts and brownouts all across the length and breadth of Guyana, how can a Cabinet support such infantile and childish behavior coming from a sitting minister?

Isn’t it unreasonable to hold an entire nation to ransom so that you can inflict on your political adversary “a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”?

In 2016, only about 10% of the national electricity needs were generated from green sources (mainly the Skeldon Cogeneration Plant). However, since January 2017, that plant has been down. Therefore, achieving 10% green energy in 2017 is now impossible. This is a far cry from the desires of the Chairman of GPL, Mr. Badal, who projected in a Stabroek News article that, by July 2018, he foresees 15% of the national need being generated from renewable sources. The only project that can aid in this agenda is now on ice.

I am again reliably advised that the Lloyd Singh Wind Farm is facing major hurdles in the approval process. Why? The facts behind this issue would illustrate how corrupted the senior leadership of the AFC has today become. I am reliably advised that they are even prepared to bleed a loyal supporter who funded most of the AFC headquarters, and hence the proverbial Mexican standoff.

But the mother of all incompetence in this PNC government is exposed when one inquires about the progress made on implementation of four solar farms at Mabaruma, Bartica, Lethem and Mahdia, for which almost G$1 billion were set aside in the 2017 Budget. The impact of this initiative, while glorious on the optics, gets an “F” Grade on substance, because it fails to satisfy less than 2% of the national need and 0% of the main population centres on the coast.

Upon checking with my sources at the Ministry of Finance, I was reliably informed that none of these projects is ready for the procurement process; therefore, we can bet our last dollar that the people of the respective hinterland communities would not be getting one minute of electricity from these solar farms for Christmas 2017. This is yet another broken Granger promise!

As the Norwegian experts said in their report, “From a financial and economic point of view, developing AFHP seems to be the optimal solution needs of Guyana”. But who in the PNC-led Granger cabinet is awake today?

Please share your thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

friDAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

12 news La Penitence brothers remanded for armed robbery B friDAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

rothers Darren and Franklin Wilson were yesterday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, jointly charged with the gunpoint robbery of police rank Matthew Williams on March 12, 2017 at Georgetown.

They are alleged to have relieved Williams of a gold chain worth $600,000 and a gold band worth $200,000, a total value of $800,000; and of discharging a loaded firearm at him with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or cause him grievous bodily harm.

Hauled before the magistrate in a dishevelled state, the brothers, respectively 19 and 20 years old, pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them by the magistrate.

Their legal counsel,

The Wilson brothers – Franklin (left) and Darren (right)

Attorney-at-law Paul FungA-Fat, told the court that Darren is a fisherman by trade, while Franklin is employed as a mason, and has reportedly fathered one child from a common-law union.

A visibly distressed Franklin interrupted his attorney to plead his innocence with the magistrate: “I never ever hold a gun in my life!” he cried, despite the court officer’s attempts to silence him.

Police prosecutor Arvin Moore related that the gold chain was recovered at the crime scene when the VC gave chase to the fleeing robbers. According to Moore, in an exchange of gunfire between the parties, a total of nine shots were fired, and the spent shells were recovered at the scene. Fortunately, no one was injured in that firefight. He said that Williams, a licensed firearm holder, was responsible for three of the spent shells, while the remaining six were of unknown origin.

He thus objected to bail being granted the defendants based on the seriousness of the offence and in light of overwhelming evidence connecting them to the felony. He said that Williams had also positively identified the brothers as

the perpetrators of the robbery.

When refused bail, Franklin was heard saying,

“I have nothing to run from, Your Honour!”

The matter will be called again on May 11, 2017.

Eccles auto sales dealer slapped with fraud charge

A

n Eccles businessman was on Thursday morning hauled before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for allegedly defrauding a business partner; being charged for seven counts of fraud.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan was 28-year-old Iqwaz Arakhan, proprietor of an auto spares enterprise at his Eccles, East Bank Demerara residence.

The first charge stated that Arakhan on November 2, 2016, obtained credit by fraud allegedly uttering to Virtual Complainant (VC), Faruk Yusuf a $2,000,000 Bank of Nova Scotia cheque, dated May 31, 2016, knowing that he did not have the funds to satisfy the said amount.

Arakhan was slapped with five similar consecutive charges allegedly occurring on the same day at the said location, each being dated to the last day of each month from June to October 2016. All cheques were written to the effect of $2,000,000, one being to the sum of $2,500,000, a total of $14,500,000.

The businessman stood with a solemn facial expression as the string of charges were read to him, denying them all and opting to enter a not guilty plea.

Defence Attorney Sonia Parag told the court that her client is a married father of one with a fixed place of abode at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, with no previous antecedents

Fraud accused Iqwaz Arakhan

or convictions. She added that Arakhan was arrested at his home on May 2, and has been in Police custody ever since, fully cooperating with investigations.

Parag contended that the allegation stemmed from a sales agreement, attesting that her client has a sound defence owing to the existence of letters and phone calls in relation to the payment of the said monies.

She thereby requested bail in the circumstances, adding that the accused is willing to comply with any conditions that may be attached to same.

Arakhan was granted bail to the sum of $700,000 and ordered to surrender all travel documents to the relevant authorities pending the outcome of the Preliminary Inquiry.

He returns before the Chief Magistrate on May 25.

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friDAY, May 5, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

BoG foresees stability in foreign exchange rate – between Guyana and US currency

A

s the contention persists over a shortage in foreign currency, particular the US dollar, Governor General of the Bank of Guyana (BoG), Dr Gobind Ganga, maintains there will be stability in the foreign exchange market going forward this year.

He expressed this optimism in the Bank’s 2016 Annual Report, which was submitted to the Finance Minister on March 31.

According to Dr Ganga, “The exchange rate of the Guyana dollar to the US dollar is expected to remain relatively stable due to a net supply of foreign exchange to the market as a result of an improved balance of payment position.”

He pointed out that BoG is projecting purchases of US$406.4 million from the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). He added that sales to accommodate imports and debt servicing are projected at US$603.9 million.

“Foreign exchange flows to the market are expected to adequately cover imports and support a stable exchange rate,” he noted.

Reflecting on the developments of the Foreign Exchange Market during 2016, the Governor General outlined in the report that the total volume of foreign exchange transactions increased by 11.8 per cent to US$6926.2 million, there was a net purchase of US$77.6 million. He added that the market was impacted by increases in transactions in most segments of the market, cambios, hard currency, foreign currency accounts, and Caricom currency.

In addition, money transfer transactions were valued at US$186.9 million or 27.7 per cent below 2015 levels, while higher net purchases caused the Guyana dollar to remain stable against the United States dollar at G$206.50, he pointed out.

Dr Ganga went on to outline that total foreign currency transactions increased by 11.8 per cent to US$6926.2

BoG Govenor General, Dr Gobind Ganga

million from US$6194.2 million in 2015; while purchases and sales in the market were US$3501.9 million and US$3424.3 million respectively. He added that net purchases were US$77.6 million compared with net purchases of US$93.0 million in 2015.

He continued that the licensed bank and non-bank cambios, which accounted for 44.4 per cent of the total volumes, recorded a 9.2 per cent increase in turnover to US$3108.6 million.

The BoG Head noted that the combined transactions of the six bank cambios were US$3002.4 million, an increase of US$253.9 million or 9.2 per cent over the 2015 level. He said that the interbank transactions totalled US$25.1 million, a decrease of US$50.8 million or 66.9 per cent from the preceding year; while the 13 nonbank cambios’ transactions

amounted to US$106.2 million, an increase of US$8.6 million or 8.8 per cent. Nonbank cambios’ market share remained negligible at 3.5 per cent.

The Governor General further stated that hard currency transactions conducted at the Bank of Guyana totalled US$922.8 million, an increase of US$107.1 million or 13.1 per cent over the previous year. Purchases and sales were US$460.3 million and US$462.5 million respectively, reflecting an increase in receipts of US$87.5 million or 23.5 per cent, he said.

The Bank, Dr Ganga added, also recorded an increase in net hard currency outflows of US$19.6 million or 4.4 per cent. He mentioned that fuel imports constituted 56.6 per cent of total payments.

The BoG boss said the Bank sold US$28.2 million to commercial banks, an increase of US$22 million over the 2015 level. He noted too that the Banks’ share of all transactions declined marginally to 13.3 per cent from 13.2 per cent in 2015.

“The balances on approved foreign currency accounts increased by 19.1 per cent to US$2683.4 million.

The major category of activities included non-resident transactions, mining and dredging, insurance/finance, fishery, rice and shipping…

The Bank approved applications for the 11 new foreign currency accounts in 2016,” the report noted.

Moreover, as it relates to the exchange rates, Dr Ganga

posited that the weighted mid-rate, based on the rates of the three largest banks’ turnover, remained stable at G$206.50 at the end of 2016; while the un-weighted midrate using the same method depreciated by 0.12 per cent to G$205.75 compared with G$205.50 in 2015.

“The commercial banks and non-bank cambios average buying and selling rates were higher during the review period. The commercial banks cambios average buying and selling rates were G$207.21 and G$209.74 from G$206.67 and G$209.49 respectively in 2015. The nonbank cambios’ average buying and selling rates were G$206.40 and G$208.04 from G$205.42 and G$208.68 respectively,” he stated.

He went on to explain that the disparity between the buying rates of the bank and non-bank cambios contracted from G$1.25 to G$0.81 in 2016, with the difference in the selling rates being higher at G$1.70 from G$0.81 in 2015. The Governor General noted too that the average market spread was G$2.08 compared with G$3.04 in 2015. The bank and nonbank spreads were lower at G$2.53 and G$1.64 from G$2.83 and G3.26 respectively in the previous year.

“In the cambio market, the majority of foreign

currency transactions involved the United States dollar accounting for 96.1 per cent of the total trades.

The Canadian dollar, Pound Sterling and Euro each held 1.6 per cent, 1.5 per cent, and 0.8 per cent respectively of the market shares,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Caricom currencies traded on the market increased to US$24.4 million or 20.8 per cent in 2016, with the main currencies transacted on the market being Barbados dollar, Trinidad and Tobago dollar and the Eastern Caribbean dollar.

With regards to money transfer activities, the BoG Head disclosed that five new agencies were licensed for a total number of certified agents to 223. The aggregated value of transfers by money transfer entities amounted to US$186.9 million in 2016, representing 27.6 per cent over the previous year.

Inbound and outbound transactions were US$134.5 million and US$52.4 million respectively; with the highest volume of transfers occurred in the months of April, July and December, 2016.

(Vahnu Manikchand)

14 news

friDAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GPHC visit

Committee Chair decries executive interference in work – as GPHC Chair admits to demanding MPs return to tour schedule

A

fter visits to several hospitals, the Chairperson of the parliamentary Committee on Social Services has raised concerns that a shortage of drugs is being coupled with efforts by hospital executives to deter the Committee from carrying out its constitutional mandate.

It was only on Wednesday that an impromptu visit by the Sectoral Committee on Social Services to the Georgetown Public Hospital’s bond was cut short by GPHC executives.

During a press conference on Thursday, the Chairperson of that Committee, Dr Vindhya Persaud, decried the manner in which her Committee’s work to keep an eye on the Hospital’s operations was sty-

mied.

“When we wrote to the Hospital, the same letter was sent to all the hospitals that allowed us unfettered access to these institutions. We were not prevented at any other institution from gaining access to any part of that institution,” the Opposition Member of Parliament said.

“We wrote to visit the entire facility. There was no agreement to visit one or two departments. The Chair (of GPHC’s Board, Kesaundra Alves) wanted us to visit a certain section of the Hospital.

I’m ok, but that should not prevent us from visiting any other part of the Hospital.”

Dr Persaud made it clear that the only areas that can be

Chairperson of the Services Committee, Dr Vindhya Persaud

Social

restricted from a parliamentary oversight committee on an official visit are areas un-

der quarantine or areas where there is a medical emergency.

“Unless there is an epidemic, a quarantine or mass casualty and trauma, of course those are things we understand and we would not intrude. As a committee we want to see the day to day activities of the institution.”

“When I expressed interest when we were passing the drug bond, having visited the pharmacy (it was) because we wanted to see what was happening in the bond because the picture that came out was not clear when we went to the pharmacy. We were told no, we cannot go up there, by the Chair of the Board,” she said.

Dr Persaud said she was told that the bond was not prepared, to which she had queried why would the bond have to be prepared if it has been functioning every day. With that in mind, Persaud said she went into the bond and met with staffers, but was subsequently ordered to leave by hospital officials.

“The door was open; we went in and met with the staff.

They were very vociferous about why we shouldn’t enter the bond, making me think that there was something to hide. What would any reasonably intelligent person think?

I don’t understand the resistance.”

The parliamentarian reminded that patients have,

for some time, been complaining about the long waiting periods and lack of medication.

In view of the important oversight function the committee on social services performs, Dr Persaud and the Opposition called for its authority to be respected.

GPHC This publication made contact with Chairperson of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Board, Kesaundra Alves on Thursday to get her response to reports that she told the Committee to leave the bond.

Subsequently, a press release was released by the Chairperson expressing outrage “at the deception demonstrated by some members of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services during this week’s visit to the institution.”

According to the release, the Clerk of the Sectoral Committee wrote to the GPHC seeking permission to “observe the conditions/facilities under which patients are cared for and interact with members of the public and staff at this facility.”

“At the pre-visit briefing, Alves informed the Committee and the media that the places selected to be visited were the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, the Surgical Outpatients

Department (SOPD), the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and the Paediatric Department,” the release said.

The release claimed that once the tour began, Dr Persaud had indicated that she would like to add three other places to be visited, which were agreed to by officials. These places, the release said, were the main pharmacy, the main laboratory and the Maternity Unit.

“When the touring party left ‘Baby Heart’ and proceeded to the laboratory, Dr Persaud broke away from the rest of the group and bolted up the stairs of the pharmacy bond with the media at her heels,” Alves recalled in the statement.

Alves admitted in the statement that she had demanded that Dr Persaud and the media return to the agreed tour schedule, since she suspected “some mischief was afoot.”

“These requests were ignored and Dr Persaud and the media went into the Bond unimpeded. Other Committee members remained behind and lamented her high handed approach. It was distasteful and unethical. Clearly there was some hidden agenda,” Alves said.

Meanwhile, at the conclusion of the visit, Dr Persaud had expressed dissatisfaction and said she will ensure that another tour is organised.

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friDAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

JSC recommendations

President has failed, refused to make appointments – Nandlall T

he Parliamentary Opposition is calling on the President to follow the Constitution of Guyana when acting on the recommendations made by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) for judges to be appointed to the Appeals Court and High Court.

During a press conference on Thursday, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall charged that the President’s actions in the matter have so far not been in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Guyana Constitution.

“To date, the President has failed and/or refused to make those appointments as advised by the Judicial Services Commission, despite repeated calls from the main Opposition party and the Leader of the Opposition himself,” Nandlall charged.

He referred to an article in which the President was quoted admitting that he had deliberately withheld his approval and had asked the new JSC to review the advice tendered last year. He read Article 128 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana to support his contention that the President is acting in breach of the supreme law of the land.

According to Article 128 (1) of the Constitution, “The Judges, other than the Chancellor and the Chief Justice, shall be appointed by the President, acting

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

in accordance with the advice of the Judicial Service Commission.”

The former Attorney General reiterated that this provision of the Constitution does not give the President any leeway to act otherwise.

“This is not a statement that is capable of a misinterpretation by a rational mind.

This is as clear as you can get. SHALL, any first year law student will tell you, imposes a mandatory obligation,” Nandlall explained.

He also cited Article 111 (2) of the Constitution, which does give the President some leeway to act if he disagrees with a recommendation.

Article 111 (1) states: “In the exercise of his functions under this Constitution or any other law, the President shall

act in accordance with his own deliberate judgement, except in cases where, by this Constitution or by any other law, he is required to act in accordance with the advice or on the recommendation of any person or authority.”

Subsection two states: “Where, by this Constitution, the President is directed to exercise any function on the advice or recommendation of any person or authority, he may, in accordance with his own deliberate judgement, once refer any such advice or recommendation back for reconsideration by the person or authority concerned.”

It goes on to state: “if that person or authority, having reconsidered the original advice or recommendation, substitutes therefor a different advice or recommendation, as the case may be, the President shall act in accordance therewith; but save as aforesaid, he shall act in accordance with the original advice or recommendation.”

Nandlall said this thus allows the President to send back the recommendations, and depending on whether the commission reconsiders the advice or not, he has to act accordingly.

He noted that there is thus no provision in the Constitution of Guyana which allows the President to delay acting, especially for over a year.

Considering the proliferation of legal experts at

inees for the Appeals Court were Justices Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory, while the nominees for Puisne Judges were Attorneys-at-Law Sandil Kissoon and Damone Younge.

These appointments are yet to be effected, though there are reports that the process has been started by the commission to compile a new list of candidates.

Estate misses...

President David Granger

the President’s disposal, Nandlall also queried the quality of legal advice he may be receiving in the matter.

Back in February 2016, the JSC had unanimously recommended that High Court judges Justices Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory be appointed to the Court of Appeal, and Attorneysat-Law Sandil Kissoon and Damone Younge be appointed puisne judges.

Last year, the Commission had recommended the appointment of two judges to the Appeals Court and two lawyers to act as puisne judges. The nom-

The draft white paper on the sugar industry’s future was submitted by Agriculture Minister Noel Holder to Cabinet for its consideration on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

Cabinet discussed the proposals in the draft white paper and subsequently granted its approval for the document to be laid in the National Assembly.

The white paper follows a process of overhauling of the industry which includes a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into GuySuCo, the subse-

from page 9

quent setting up of a special task force to look at options on the way forward for the sugar company.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his presentation of the 2017 Budget had said that the sugar industry would require Government’s support to the tune of $18.6 billion and $21.4 billion for the years 2017 and 2018, respectively.

He had also explained that based on the CoI, it was concluded that any money injected into sugar, in its current state, is money wasted.

16 news

friDAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Man on trial for killing armed bandit A

12-member jury was empanelled to hear the High Court trial of Lawrence Wayne, who shot and killed a suspected bandit in August 2014. Around 20 witnesses are expected to testify in a trial that is being heard before presiding Judge, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow.

Wayne who was a licensed firearm holder pursued Dexter Lindo and an-

other bandit when a female stallholder had raised an alarm after the men entered the Wayne Beverage Paradise premises on Merriman Mall.

Wayne followed the bandits when they fled in their getaway car. Sometime after, a confrontation ensued at Light and Fifth Streets, Alberttown in the vicinity of a shop, when Lindo pointed his gun but Wayne shot him to

his abdomen instead.

Though Lindo escaped, he was later admitted to the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital in Georgetown where he succumbed to his injuries. Police recovered an unlicensed .32 Beretta Pistol with four matching rounds which was reportedly in the possession of the bandit.

At Thursday’s hearing at the Demerara High Court, Police Officers Detective Desmond Johnny and Sergeant Hamlet Da Silva took the stand where they testified to the investigations that they carried out, assessing the crime scene, and afterwards. Under cross-examination, Da Silva admitted that he did not have to go searching for the accused as he presented himself for questioning when he returned to the country. The jury also heard that the accused, upon his de-

Lawrence Wayne

tention, was informed that he was charged for the incident as charges had already been instituted by the State.

Detective Johnny recalled that he visited the scene of the shooting around 13:30h on the day in question. Upon his arrival, he spotted a white vest which had stains suspected

to be blood. There were other articles on the ground which included an apparent spent shell and a pair of brown leather slippers. The Police investigator took photographs of what he discovered at the scene and was able to identify the pictures at Thursday’s court session.

The Police Detective added that he also took photos of a white motor car which was parked on the western side of Light Street, the area where the shooting occurred.

He opened the car, and inspected it, but did not find “illegal items” inside. He did recover both United States and Guyanese currency. Other witnesses will continue their testimonies next week.

In May 2015, the licensed firearm holder was nabbed at the then Ogle International Airport moments after returning from Barbados. He was remanded and formally arraigned for the bandit’s killing. Wanye is represented

by Attorneys Stanley Moore and Maxwell McKay while the State’s case is presented by Prosecutors Shawnette Austin, Tamica Clarke and Mandell Moore.

Tuschen mason remanded for 2008 murder

A

fter almost a decade on the run, a 35-yearold mason of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, was on Thursday morning arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on the capital offence of murder.

The charge stated that Sylvester Vanderhyden on November 5, 2008 at Agricola, Greater Georgetown, unlawfully murdered Melissa

Angela Payne. According to reports, the 27-year-old woman was fatally shot after she attempted to put up a fight with gunmen who carried out a brazen attack on her and a male companion on the fateful day, around 08:30h as the couple were making their way to Georgetown. Based on reports reaching this publication, the pair had encountered mechanical problems and had exited the canter truck in which they were travelling when they were accosted by several armed men, who relieved them of a bag containing some $110,000 cash along with a quantity of jewellery.

Payne was reluctant to hand over her handbag, and so was shot by one of the perpetrators, who thereafter made good their escape in fear. Payne’s companion, who was named as David Fraser, then reported flagging down a motorist who transported the bleeding woman to the hospital where she succumbed.

News of the woman’s

Deceased: Melissa Payne

death sent shockwaves throughout Den Amstel on the West Coast of Demerara, the home community of Payne. Fraser was hospitalised after he suffered a heart attack when the gruesome reality finally hit him.

A few days after the incident, several men were arrested and Jermine Savory of Agricola was charged with the murder of Payne after he allegedly cracked under pressure and admitted to his

involvement in the crime.

Savory, however, denied ever firing the lethal shot at the woman.

The accused, also known as “Ja Ja”, was jointly charged with several other high-profile inmates, including two suspects in the Bartica and Lusignan Massacres, in early 2009 for attempting a daring jailbreak on the dawn of December 28, 2008 at the Camp Street penitentiary.

The criminals’ plan was thwarted by the quick response of prison authorities, along with the Joint Services, ultimately leading to the inmates’ apprehension.

The circumstances surrounding the recent arrest of Vanderhyden remain sketchy, and he was not required to plead to the indictable charge when it was read to him by the Chief Magistrate.

The unrepresented man was remanded to prison until May 10 when the matter is expected to continue at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

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friDAY, may 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt starts revoking Deeds, Commercial Registry gun licences – Ramjattan Bill up for debate on Monday

M

onths after disclosing his intension to conduct new evaluations of firearm licence holders when they turn up to renew their licences annually, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said this process has already commenced.

The Minister told Guyana Times on Wednesday that the reviews were largely done by the Police Commissioner, to whom firearm holders go for renewals. He noted that the Commissioner would assess the licence holders and ran background checks to ensure that they were in good standing with the law before renewing the licence.

Otherwise, the Minister said, the Commissioner revokes the licence.

“When they come in for the renewals, if they’ve gotten very old and so on – some of them got strokes and can’t even hold the gun properly – the gun is being taken away, licences are being revoked.

“Some have been convicted, some have been charged like this guy (Saddiqi) Rasul and I was advised that others who have been charged similarly, the guns should be taken away,” the Minister stated, indicating at the time that he could not put a number of the revocations done so far.

In August last year, Ramjattan had told reporters that he intended to conduct a yearly review of all licensed firearm holders to ensure that they were still compatible with the criteria for issuance.

He had explained that people’s personalities often changed as they get older and they might not be as

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

sound as they would have been at the time when they were evaluated before being issued with the firearm licence.

“I intend to go back and do the checks every year, because some of these people get old and they get depressed, who were very valid applicants years ago. So, we have to do an ongoing process and if the ongoing process is going to realise a revocation, I think it is good, because after getting (the licences) you are not the same persons from age 25 to age 75,” he had stated.

The Minister’s position was in light of the fatal shooting of a miner, 25-year old Colin Perreira, who had drove up his heavily tinted vehicle onto the bridge of a Tucville, Georgetown, residence with the intention of turning the vehicle.

However, the owner of the property, Robert Benn, who was in his yard at the time, reportedly thought the occupants of the car had come to commit a robbery, so he discharged several rounds from his licensed weapon. Perreira was shot three times to the chest and

abdomen, while his girlfriend, who was also in the vehicle, was shot twice but survived.

Ramjattan had stated that the Tucville shooting was a very sad situation, thus solidifying his intent to re-evaluate licence holders.

“It’s an extremely sad story; I would not believe that someone, from what I’m being told, just sees a car turn into his driveway and then he come down like a cowboy and start shooting… what is that? We got a lot of people that are not mentally sound in this place and they carry arms,” the Minister remarked.

However, another area the Public Security Minister had explained needed review was the issuance of gun licences to private security firms.

“At the time when they (firms) might have applied for the licence, they might have had a good set of guys who may do the work for the firm, but during the course of the years, those guys fall off. Some go America, some die, some migrate and then we get some people who we did not make checks on and because the company got the licences, we don’t know of some of these characters,” Ramjattan outlined.

Last month, Minister Ramjattan had revealed that more than 500 gun licences were issued by the Firearm Licences Board during the course of last year.

The Minister told reporters that while he could not state the number of applications that were revoked by the Board, in terms of issuance of licences, “last year should be about 500-600 from the Firearm Licences Board.”

M

inister of State, Joseph Harmon, has said that the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority Amendment Bill 2017 is scheduled for debate at the next sitting of the National Assembly, on May 8.

Deeds and The Commercial Registry is an independent body which was established in 2013 to promote the efficient and orderly operation of the

Deeds and the Commercial Registries.

The Bill in question will pave the way for the establishment of the Deeds and Registries’ Commercial Authority Board. Minister Harmon has said this governing body would ensure the proper and efficient performance of the functions of the Authority.

The Board usually consists of a Chairman, the Registrar of Deeds

and the Commercial Registry, and a nominee each from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communities, the Guyana Bar Association, the Guyana Association of Legal Professionals, and the private sector.

Minister Harmon made this announcement on Thursday at his weekly post Cabinet-Press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency.

guyanatimesgy.com

friday, may 5, 2017

“Tassarama”

“Lagaan”

A

s part of its programming for the 179th anniversary of Indian arrival in Guyana, Television Guyana, TVG Channel 28, will be airing the Bollywood classic “Lagaan”, also called ‘Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India’ on Friday, May 5 at 20:00h.

The 16-year-old international blockbuster is a 2001 epic sports-drama, staring talented Bollywood Actor/Producer, Amir Khan and is written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Also in a lead role is Gracy Singh while British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne play the supporting roles.

“Lagaan” which was shot in an ancient village near Bhuj, India, is set in the Victorian period of India’s colonial British Raj. The story revolves around a small village whose inhabitants, burdened by high taxes, find themselves in an extraordinary situation as an arrogant officer

T

to be 2017 for Diamond Tarmac today aired on TVG A tonight

challenges them to a game of cricket as a wager to avoid the taxes.

The narrative spins around this situation as the villagers face the arduous task of learning the alien game and playing for a result that will change their village’s destiny.

It received critical acclaim and awards at international film festivals, as well as many Indian film awards and became the third Indian film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film after Mother India (1957) and Salaam Bombay! (1988).

It was one of the biggest box office hits of 2001.

In 2010, the film was ranked Number 55 in Empire magazines “The 100 Best Films of World Cinema”. In 2011, it was listed in Time magazine’s special “The All-TIME 25 Best Sports Movies”. Its heart-warming and mesmerising music is a bonus.

t least eight tassa groups are expected to square off today at the Diamond New Scheme Tarmac, East Bank Demerara, for the first ever “Tassarama” organised in time for the commemoration of the 179th anniversary of the arrival of East Indians to Guyana.

The groups are from the East Bank, East Coast, West Bank and West Coast of Demerara with at least one group from West Berbice.

They all will be competing for $500,000 in cash and trophies. The inaugural event is organised by RB Dubraj Production.

This event promises to be very entertaining with a packed cultural show that will see live performances by the Caribbean Hotshot Band led

by Dharmendra Gobin and Rajesh Dubraj.

In addition, there will be several dance pieces by members of various dance troupes but the main attraction will be the tassa drumming competition. However, persons can also enjoy Indian delicacies in abundance and partake in the mehendi designing camp as well as feast their eyes and dig into their wallets and purses at the extravageant exhibition and costume sale.

The kids will not be left out as there will be lots of games to keep them occupied. Finally, there will be a well-stocked bar. Admission to the event is absolutely free.

Caribbean Hotshot Band

for Indian Monument Garden tonight

he 17th edition of Pushpanjali will be held this evening at the Indian Monument Garden, Camp and Church Streets, Georgetown, as Guyana celebrates the 179th anniversary of East Indian arrival to Guyana.

The evening is promoted by the Indian Commemoration Trust and is expected to be an evening of commemoration, entertainment and the presentation of awards. Apart from the packed cultural presentation, Dr Petamber Persaud will be launching another book while several of his other books will be on exhibition and sale.

There will also be a display of Indian artefacts and literature depicting the arrival of the first group of East Indians to Guyana 179 years ago. To satisfy your taste buds, there will be Indian delicacies on sale.

The cultural segment will consist of dances by Nadira and Indranie Shah Dance Troupe, Kiran Mattai and the Indian Cultural Centre. The audience will be treated to several high quality renditions of songs to be performed by Pandit Seeraj, Vidya Ram, Kampta Persaud, Arijit Singh, Anandmay Biayda and Collin Freeman.

The welcoming is expected to be done by Chairman of the Indian Commemoration Trust, Dr Yesu Persaud while a message will be delivered by Acting High Commissioner, Mr Bhutai and the featured address will be done by Nirvana Persaud-Chandranauth, CEO National Trust of Guyana. Admission is free.

friDAY, may 5, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

19

for May 13 @ NCC

T

he 26th edition of the Mother and Daughter Pageant is billed for the National Cultural Centre for May 13. The competition will have three categories – junior, middle and senior. This year, the theme for the pageant is the ‘Rhythm of Love’.

This pageant is one of the longest running pageants and is promoted by Supa Stylistics Productions under the direction of Dr Sulan Fung-Browne and her mother, Ingrid Fung.

Tickets for the pageant cost $3000, $2500 and $2000 and are available at the National Cultural Centre box office.

Dacia Fraser and Samacia

Nicole Prince and Raniah

Mia Ritchie and Breann

Latonie Clarke and Tanji

Arlene Beresford and Roshonah

Kenciola Craig and Ashanti

Zeola Evelyn and Julissa

Simmone Persaud and Suraiya

Netresha Thomas and Shauna

Giselle Dover and Giada

Latoya Todd and Shiniea

Stephanie GouveiaBovell and Shaquoya

Shelda Scott and Makayla

Heather Gonsalves and Renee

Sondra Low and Sondrea

Ulynie DeNobrega and Skylar

Joan Richmond and Jaquesha

Cheryl Matthews-Jones and Kimberly

Melissa Newton and Natalya

Felicia Fiedtkou Munoz and Hannah

Nalini Rampersaud and Jessica

20 GFC celebrate Copa Airlines sponsorship with double header friDAY, may 5, 2017

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

–Brazilian nationals looking for another victory

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eorgetown Football Club has created history to become the first local football club to have an international airline sponsorship. This was disclosed by the club’s General Manager Faizal Khan during an interview with Guyana Times Sport.

Khan highlighted that the local ‘bourda blues’ as known in the local football futurity has secured the infrastructural deal which will see members of the

technical staff, players and executives travelling internationally on football related assignments, courses and meetings which will be covered by Copa Airlines.

Khan noted that the club is now in a better position to seek international players’ tryouts to clubs and to have their technical staff attend qualifying and upgrades to their executional position in football in the club.

Lamenting that presently the club is in a posi-

tion to see some eight young players upon concluding their Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) exams go to clubs in the Caribbean and further afield for tryouts. “The technical staff can now seek to attend courses in development and upgrade in their football career within the club and not worry how this will happen” khan noted.

Not disclosing the full details of the sponsorship he explained that with the

present status of operation of the bourda based club, there will be more of a developmental programme at GFC which is dubbed the Mecca of football in Guyana.

The celebration which he passions to be the beginning of a new era in football for the local club will see this Saturday commencing at 17:00h a youth encounter which will showcase boys and girls of the club’s youth programme before kicking off the featured match which will bring together the Brazilian nationals in

Nigerian David Chimda (left) and GFC’s General Manager Faizal Khan during their exclusive interview on RGI’s Sport Vybz with John Ramsingh

Guyana against the GFC XI in a return fixture.

Khan said that the Bourda Blues will see the likes of locally based Nigerian and Trinidadian players who will be looking to revenge the southern neighbours and football giants after losing the first encounter 2-1 last December.

David Chimda, a Nigerian medical student

studying medicine at the Texila American University in Guyana and plays for the local club is egger to take the field on Saturday evening to represent the local side.

Chimda said that his teammates are awaiting the time for the whistle and will be out to achieve at least a 3-0 win in revenge.

Jamaican Olympic stars to race at AP invitational

J

amaica’s 2008 Olympic Silver medallist in both the 100m and 4x100m Kerron Stewart is expected to reach grace these shores to do battle with Guyana’s 100m record holder, United States-based, Brenessa Thompson at the Aliann Pompey (AP) Invitational, scheduled for the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora in July.

“She ran on the Penn Relays winning team in the USA vs. the World section of the programme. Stewart brings best times of 10.75 and 21.99 in the 100m and 200m respectively,” a press

release stated.

Thompson won the 100m at the AP Invitational last year while Thompson has the fastest (wind-aided) 100m and 200m times of 11.15 and 22.59 respectively this season. Her legal times are 11.29 and 23.08 in that order.

“Brenessa seems poised to defend her title. Last year’s participant, Jade Bailey of Jamaica and Reyare Thomas of Trinidad and Tobago add to the world class field,” the release highlighted.

Meanwhile, Leford Green, the 2012 Olympic fi-

nalist in the 400m hurdles, with a best time of 48.47 leads the field in the men’s race at the AP Invitational.

“The Jamaican was part of the quartet that demoralised the USA 4x400m team at the recently concluded Penn Relays,” the circular noted.

Additionally, it was revealed that Green will compete against a pair of Guyanese, Kelton Cumberbatch and Alistair Mclean as well as against last year’s winner from Haiti, Jojo Petite-Homme, and his compatriots Romel Lewis and Andre Clarke.

YELLOW PAGES

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22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

fridAY, may 5, 2017

Mackenzie HS take top honours at schools relay championships

By Michelangelo Jacobus

A

thletes from 17 schools across 14 districts in Guyana competed for top honors at the Banks DIH sponsored National Schools Relay Championship on Wednesday at the Leonora Track and Field Stadium, West Coast Demerara.

Some seven tertiary institutions including the University of Guyana, Linden Technical Institute, Georgetown Technical Institute and Upper Corentyne Training Center were also represented in the one day event.

A dominant performance by Mackenzie High School athletes ensured that they walked away as champions at the conclusion of the second staging of the National Schools Relay Championship.

The event which was originally slated to kick off at 10:00h was delayed due to rain, however the young athletes braved the weather and treated the small crowd to a day of highly competitive running.

At the end of the day, Mackenzie High School was adjudged the winner with a combined total of 108 points, while Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary came in second with 83 points.

Closing out the top three was the West Demerara Secondary School sharply behind with 78 points.

The highlights of the day were the keenly anticipated 4x100 and 4x200 relays in the U-14 and U-18 categories.

In the girls U-14 4x100 relays, West Demerara Secondary (55.90s) claimed first place with their star anchor, Binka Joseph win-

McKenzie High’s Marlon Williams easily outpaces his rivals in the Boys U-14 4x100 Relay

ning by at least 10 meters, Christianburg/Wismar Secondary was second (59.03s) with Mackenzie High School (1m0.68s) in a close third. Meanwhile, in the boys 4x100, Mackenzie High (54.50s) took first, Bartica Secondary (56.40s) second and C/burg Wismar (56.80s) third.

For the U-18 girls 4x100, Mackenzie High outran the field with a combined time

of 50 seconds while New Campbellville Secondary (53.10s) came in second with West Demerara Secondary (53.90s) in third.

Christianburg/Wismar Secondary (45.80s) claimed first place in the Boys U-18 category with Mackenzie High (46.20s) second and St John’s College (46.80s) third.

Earlier in the day, the girls from New Campbellville

(2m9.10s) edged Mackenzie High (2m11.20) to take the gold while Christianburg Wismar (2m11.70s) claimed bronze in the Girls U-14 4x200.

Over in the male category, West Demerara Secondary (1m56.60s) copped gold, Mackenzie High (1m58.80s) silver and Rosignol Secondary School (2m.0.40s) took bronze.

In the U-18 4x200, Tutorial Academy boys (1m37s) beat C/Burg Wismar (1m37.70s) by 7/10ths of a second to claim gold while West Demerara (1m42.30s) claimed bronze.

Mackenzie High (1m55.10s) U-18 girls thrashed their rivals New Campbellville (2m0.90s) by 5 seconds to take gold while West Demerara (2m1.30s) came in third.

At the tertiary level, the

University of Guyana team was dominant as they won both the male and female categories.

Administrator of the Allied Arts Unit in the Ministry of Education, Desiree Wyles-Ogle, who is also an organizer of the meet, said that despite the weather and some minor setbacks the participation and enthusiasm of the participants was “awesome”, Wyles-Ogle also pointed out that there was a lot of “promising talent” shown during the meet. She continued that the Track meet was started in 2016 as part of Guyana’s golden jubilee of independence celebrations and expressed hope that the event will be an annual feature.

May-June rains major issue for cricket associations

D

ue to the extended rainy season at the start of the year several tournaments were delayed and were expected to be completed by mid-year to allow the start of fresh tournaments.

However, with torrential rainfall in Demerara last weekend, cricket matches in Georgetown and West Demerara were postponed.

GCA U-17 and first division matches have been put off until further no-

The badly affected boundary at Bourda

tices while the WDCA Independence Cup between Sawpit and Zeeburg has now been rescheduled to Friday at Joe Veira Park but how the weather is shaping that too seem in doubt.

Another major concern is the hosting of the GCB U-19 inter-county tournament which is expected to start later this month, a period where lots of rain is also expected.

How the Board will get through the tournament is quite interesting, especially around the sitting of CSEC which is being taken by several of the players.

“We expect some challenges in terms of getting the under-19 inter-county to run-off, despite the rain there could be some dry weather which we can capitalize on and the players can be fairly accessed by the selectors to select the national team” Collin Stuart, Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Territorial Development Officer (TDO) told this publication on Wednesday.

He also highlighted that they will be setting matches as much as practical to not clash with exams but cautioned that if there are clashes they will be making special provisions.

The best venue providing there is a lot of rain at the start of the inter-county tournament would be the national stadium however, that is not an option for the GCB. “Ideally the GCB will like to have other facilities like the stadium but currently that is not possible and to have all the matches at the national stadium, it will run the tournament longer,” the TDO explained which rules out the thoughts.

23

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, may 5, 2017

Brighto Paints presents West Indies vs Pakistan Q Mobile Cup Test Series

West Indies stun Pakistan to level series – Pakistan skittled out for 81

T

wenty years ago, a West Indies side, led by Brian Lara, set India 120 for victory at the Kensington Oval.

They had never lost a Test in Bridgetown to a subcontinental side, but that re-

helped script a remarkable turnaround.

On the final day, Shannon Gabriel took five wickets in a hostile spell as Pakistan were skittled for that cursed score of 81. This Barbadian fortress might have creaked,

Jason Holder celebrates West Indies' win with team-mates

cord looked in serious threat against the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. West Indies took just 35.5 overs to skittle the visitors out for 81 to extend a glorious run at their stronghold.

Fast forward to 2017 and a completely different West Indies side, both in personnel and prestige, took on another subcontinental powerhouse, Pakistan, at the same venue. West Indies were dominated for most parts of four days, but Shai Hope's 90 that set a 188-run target

but it certainly did not tumble as the hosts put in an inspired bowling performance to level the series.

Pakistan found their legs turning to jelly in a chase of 188 on a pitch that had shown signs of deterioration from very early in the Test.

They played for the fear of demons on the pitch, and paid the price. Azhar Ali and Ahmed Shehzad's conservative approach - they scored six in the first six overs of the chase - set the tone.

Azhar was the first to fall, attempting to pull a short delivery from Gabriel over midwicket, unwise-

SCOREBOARD West Indies 1st innings 312 Pakistan 1st innings 393 West Indies 2nd innings (264/9 overnight) KC Brathwaite c Younis Khan b Yasir Shah 43 KOA Powell c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Abbas 6 SO Hetmyer b Mohammad Ami r 22 SD Hope c Azhar Ali b Yasir Sha h 90 RL Chase c & b Yasir Shah 23 VA Singh b Mohammad Abbas 32 SO Dowrich† c Asad Shafiq b Yasir Shah 2 JO Holder* c Younis Khan b Yasir Shah 1 D Bishoo c Azhar Ali b Yasir Sha h 20 AS Joseph c Mohammad Amir b Yasir Shah 7 ST Gabriel not out 0 12 Extras (b-16, lb-2, w-3, nb-1)22 Total (all out; 102.5 overs) 268 Fall of wickets 1-8 (Powell, 1.4 ov), 2-41 (Hetmyer, 16.1 ov), 3-97 (Brathwaite, 33.4 ov), 4-155 (Chase, 59.6 ov), 5-235 (Hope, 88.6 ov), 6-235 (Singh, 89.1 ov), 7-236 (Holder, 90.1 ov), 8-252 (Dowrich, 98.1 ov), 9-261 (Joseph, 100.3 ov), 10-268 (Bishoo, 102.5 ov) Bowling: Mohammad Amir 21-8-44-1 (w-1), Mohammad

Abbas 25-6-57-2 (w-2), Yasir Shah 39.5-12-94-7, Shadab Khan 17-0-55-0 (nb-1) Pakistan 2nd innings (target: 188 runs) Azhar Ali c Hetmyer b Gabriel 10 Ahmed Shehzad lbw b Joseph14 Babar Azam c †Dowrich b Joseph 0 Younis Khan lbw b Holder 5 Misbah-ul-Haq* c Hope b Gabriel 0 Asad Shafiq c Powell b Gabriel 0 Sarfraz Ahmed† c Chase b Holder 23 Shadab Khan c †Dowrich b Holder1 Mohammad Amir c Singh b Gabrie 20 Yasir Shah b Gabriel 0 Mohammad Abbas not out 0 Extras (b-4, lb-1, nb-3)8 Total (all out; 34.4 overs)1 Fall of wickets 1-10 (Azhar Ali, 6.5 ov), 2-11 (Babar Azam, 7.3 ov), 3-27 (Younis Khan, 12.5 ov), 4-30 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 15.2 ov), 5-30 (Asad Shafiq, 15.4 ov), 6-35 (Ahmed Shehzad, 21.2 ov), 7-36 (Shadab Khan, 22.4 ov), 8-78 (Mohammad Amir, 31.4 ov), 9-81 (Yasir Shah, 33.4 ov), 10-81 (Sarfraz Ahmed, 34.4 ov) Bowling: ST Gabriel 11-4-115 (nb-1), AS Joseph 12-1-42-2, JO Holder 11.4-4-23-3 (nb-2)

ly trusting the bounce. He mistimed the shot horribly, sending it straight down midwicket's throat. Babar nicked down leg two deliveries later to record his first pair in Tests. That one of Pakistan's brightest prospects was undone by an innocuous delivery could arguably be seen as the wicket that opened the floodgates.

More misery awaited Pakistan as Younis was consumed shortly after. Jason Holder banged one in slightly short of a good length, well outside off stump. As Younis shaped up, it darted back in, kept low and made a beeline for his pads. The hapless Younis could only watch as it struck him dead in front of middle.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq both came and went within minutes of each other, their wickets brought about by Gabriels' brilliance. Misbah got a thick

inside edge that lobbed to gully, but West Indies may have not had the wicket if they didn't review, for the original appeal was for lbw. Two balls later, Asad Shafiq's poke was taken on the third attempt by Kieran Powell, who earlier reprieved Ahmed Shehzad, at first slip.

The procession continued after lunch as Shehzad and debutant Shadab Khan fell within three overs of the resumption. Shehzad was unfortunate, falling to a delivery from Joseph that was almost a replica of the ball that accounted for Younis, but Shadab - whose introduction to Test cricket has been less spectacular than his limited overs debuts was removed by a delivery that held its classical off stump line. Shadab could only nick to the wicketkeeper.

Sarfraz and Mohammad Amir then counter-attacked to take Pakistan past their lowest ever score of 49. But

even an optimist couldn't have been so blind to notice that the pair were riding their luck, and when Amir sliced a drive into the hands of point, it was a wicket that had been coming all along.

There was still time for Shannon Gabriel to clinch a richly deserved five wicket haul with the perfect fast bowler's delivery. It pitched on off stump and clipped the top of off, and batsmen better than Yasir Shah would have done well to keep that out. The knockout blow came next over as Sarfraz l o f t ed the o p p o sition skipper Holder to wide longon, with Roston Chase stationed there for precisely that

shot.

The man who had got West Indies' fightback started with a first innings century made no mistake, but Pakistan, dazed and shellshocked after a remarkable morning's cricket from the hosts, had plenty of theirs to rue.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Shannon Gabriel

FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Brighto Paints presents West Indies vs Pakistan Q Mobile Cup Test Series

Shannon Gabriel

West Indies stun Pakistan to level series – Pakistan skittled out for 81

Pg 23 Shannon Gabriel's hostile spell in the first session set up West Indies' series-levelling win

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