Guyana Times Daily - June 3, 2015

Murders, robberies skyrocket

wednesday, june 3, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

APNU/AFC national unity spiel

PPP/C wants contentious issues cleared up first

…before joining hands with Govt

he former rul-

Ting party, People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), has stated that all the contentious issues need to be dealt with before the party can accept the invitation for inclusionary governance extended by the ruling A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.

Speaking at the PPP/C’s weekly press conference on Monday, General Secretary Clement Rohee, said that while the party has noted the public invitation from President David Granger for an “olive branch”, there are several issues that need to be ventilated–issues over 200,000 Guyanese are “angry and hurt” about. These issues include the alleged rigging of the May 11 General and Regional Elections and the subsequently “racial and political” discrimination that followed after the APNU+AFC coalition took office.

“How can an olive branch, that Granger is extending, be accepted when a fast and furious campaign of racial and political discrimination, vilification and persecution against PPP/C leaders, support-

ers and members has been unleashed across the country by APNU activists and Government operatives?… How is its olive branch to be accepted when there is no race or class balance in the newly formed top heavy and extravagant alliance Government, and where there is no guaranteed racial equality and ethnic security through institutional measure or strong penalties against racial discrimination and persecution?” Rohee asked the Government.

He went onto highlight that the party cannot accept an “olive branch” from the ruling party when there is no race or class balance in the “newly formed top heavy and extravagant alliance Government” and where there is no guarantee of racial equality and ethnic security through institutional measure or strong penalties against racial discrimination and persecution.

“To inviting the PPP/C to be part of the alliance Government, I think, is almost more complicated and complex role than it appears on the surface. How can you invite the PPP/C to be part of a Government

or extend an olive branch when all these things are happening? So these are issues that have to be addressed before any invitation in the media or otherwise could be entertained by the PPP/C,” the General Secretary noted. Rohee further outlined that while Granger continues to preach about “National Unity”, he has a Government that is “over bloated” and this is a reflection of a “winner takes all policy”, something that the coalition has strongly condemned.

However, when questioned on whether the fact that an invitation sent to the opposition shows that the Government is looking to end the “winner waters all policy”, Rohee enquired as to when the invitation was extended and what his party is being invited for.

President Granger, upon his swearing-in at the Parliament Buildings on May 16, had extended a hand to the PPP/C for inclusive governance. He repeated his invitation at the Guyana National Stadium on May 26, during his official inauguration ceremony that was held amid the 49th Independence celebrations. The President has since expressed his disappointment that former President and Leader of the PPP/C Donald Ramotar is yet to indicate whether the party will take up the offer.

On the other hand, Ramotar told the Guyana Times that his party is yet to receive a formal invitation from President David Granger to join his unity movement.

The PPP/C leader explained that President Granger never had any discussions with him or any senior member of the

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic about forming an inclusionary Government.

The same position was adopted by Rohee during Monday’s press conference. He stated that the ruling APNU/AFC administration went about extending an open invitation the improper way. The General Secretary pointed out that in the past, whenever there needed to be talks between the PPP/C and the then People’s National Congress (PNC), the leaders would pen an invitation.

He said former PNC President Forbes Burnham used to write, President Desmond Hoyte wrote and so did PNC Leader Robert Corbin.

He further highlighted that without a formal invitation it would seem as though the PPP/C is “desperate” to be a part of the APNU/AFC Government. Furthermore, the PPP/C General Secretary went onto explain that his party has a constituency – 49.3 per cent of the votes cast at the recently concluded elections – that they have to account for and need to consider before making any decisions.

“Were we not to take those sentiments into consideration and to rush headlong into an invitation to be part of a Government, you can very well imagine what that can result in. We may very well, in the near future, be looking behind us and not seeing any followers. So one has to exercise very objective political judgement when responding to open invitations of that nature having regard to the sentiments of the supporters of the PPP/C,” Rohee declared.

PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee

President David Granger

wednesday, june 3, 2015 |

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Wednesday, June 3 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, June 4 – 05:00h-06:30h

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, June 3 – 17:05h-18:35h and Thursday, June 4 – 05:10h-06:40h

FERRY SCHEDULE

Ferries will be departing the Parika and Supenaam stellings : Wednesday, June 3 and Thursday, June 4 – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers can be expected in the morning, with heavy rain showers dominating in the afternoon. Thunder showers can be expected to return in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations.

Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 3.12 metres and 5.36 metres per second.

High Tide: 04:42h and 17:11h reaching maximum heights of 2.74 metres and 2.63 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:44h and 22:57h reaching minimum heights of 0.45 metre and 0.61 metre respectively.

Ramotar explains Rodney CoI spending

...reporter paid to write book, produce documentary

Former President Donald Ramotar on Tuesday explain the $16.8 million that was paid to a journalist for the proceedings of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI), saying that persons should be aware of what had to be done before jumping to conclusions.

In an invited comment he told Guyana Times that the agreement was openly done, not just for that journalist, but for a number of other individuals who were contracted to provide various services to the Commission. According to Ramotar, he saw nothing illegal in what was done, noting that there will always be persons who will question the amount of money spent in any of the Government’s projects.

Guyana was thrown into a frenzy on Monday, when Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams disclosed that the previous administration had so far spent some $325 mil-

lion on the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry set up by Ramotar to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of Dr Walter Rodney on June 13, 1980.

However, what was more shocking was the revelation that some $16.8 million (US$80,300) was paid to an overseas-based journalist, later identified as Shaun Michael Samaroo, to write daily reports of the proceeding for the state-owned Guyana Chronicle.

In his defence, Samaroo, who resides in Canada, said he was never contracted by the Government to write for the newspaper but was instead sought out to write and publish a book on the Rodney Commission’s findings; produce a documentary on the content of the Commissioners’ report; archive online the voluminous amounts of documents and testimonies the Commission gathered; and to publicise internationally the findings of the Commission’s hearings.

He said his contributions to the Guyana Chronicle were pro bono, never once receiving any payment for that work. He stated that he also contributed dozens of columns to the Guyana Chronicle without compensation of any sort.

“The contract between myself and the Office of the President regarding my role at the Rodney Commission had absolutely nothing to do with the state media. Rather, listed here are the terms of that contract. This work is to be accom-

plished at the completion of the Commission’s work, and my role during the Commission’s hearings is to gather all relevant information for the execution of my contractual service.

1. Design and build a global social media platform that generates ongoing professional coverage of the Rodney Commission, in multimedia format – print, video, audio, and electronic; this includes engaging discussions online;

2. Write news reports, stories, features and multimedia scripts around daily happenings at the Commission;

3. Coordinate national and international media organisations in full local and global coverage of the Commission’s findings and testimonies;

4. After the Commission would have completed its work, write and publish a book on the Commission’s work, on

behalf of the Government of Guyana;

5. Write the script for and produce a video documentary on DVD of the Commission’s work on behalf of the Government of Guyana, at the completion of the Commission’s work;

6. Create an online forum where the full findings, testimonies and reports of the Commission can be archived and available for global consumption;

7. Network with global organisations, academic institutions and relevant interests to popularise the findings of the Commission.

Williams described the situation as “squander mania and abuse”, noting that while the efforts of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government to damage the party’s image has failed miserably, he just could not see why so much money had to be pumped into an operation that made no sense.

He said the inquiry, which the Government hopes could be resumed by July of this year, will be just for submissions to be made after which Commissioners could consider and render their decision in the matter. If that is the case, he said, contact will have to be made with all the lawyers that they should be prepared to come to the final sitting of the inquiry to make submission and then the Commissioners will then retire and deliberate.

Canadian based Guyanese Journalist Shaun Michael Samaroo

Former President Donald Ramotar

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Prioritising crime

Stopping the continuing robberies, home invasions and their resulting murders and maiming of Guyanese should be a priority of the new David Granger administration but clearly, it is not. At least, judging from the as yet early days, more seems to have gone wrong than right.

Throughout the immediate cleaning up of the city, talks of criminal investigations, and the dramas involving sending persons on immediate leave, and violence against persons during robberies have continued; and government has yet to make any pronouncement of a plan for certain Guyanese to feel secure in their homes and on the streets, or elsewhere.

What is the importance of the Citizens’ Security Programme (CSP) to the new administration? Is it another programme to be reviewed by another committee before anything of worth is finally produced? Meanwhile, more Guyanese are becoming crime victims in what appears to be an upsurge in criminal activity in the last two weeks or so.

One wonders, has the new Minister of Public Security perused the programme, called for the crime statistics, or for that matter even considered the victims of crimes committed since he took office? There have been many. Rather, it seems he has other pressing issues as his priority.

Almost every day, Guyanese are fatal victims of armed robberies in their homes and on the streets, yet to date the new government has apparently not seen the urgency in focusing on the issue, or may be turning a blind to it. While loud advocates of anti-crime policies in opposition, as government, the coalition has apparently not made reducing crime a significant matter on their “new Guyana” agenda, or even in their first 100 days in office.

There is no doubt that investigating corruption is of utmost importance – as is “cleaning house” – any time a new administration takes political office.

However, the new government has an early opportunity to show Guyanese that they are just as concerned about crimes committed against average, hardworking Guyanese as they are serious about catching the so-called “fat cats” and masterminds who work behind the scenes, but make the most money from criminal activity

One must not be subsumed under the other because of agendas a long time festering. Khemraj Ramjattan has a history of criticising alleged official misconduct, though with little evidence, while at the same time, evidence of every-day robberies and home invasions, murders and hijackings are plenty and in plain view.

The new Minister of Public Security must understand that while it is a wonderful notion to catch the corrupt, the ordinary public needs to know and be assured that the government has a clear plan to ensure they are secure throughout the day and at night in their homes and streets.

Such a public voted them into office, and it is just as important the public no longer be victims of violent crime. One can remember the swift justice gained for a former PNC official after his home invasion, and the immediate flurry of opposition cries for a reduction of crime in the country. It was high on the agenda during the recent elections campaign.

Where has that vociferous clamour gone now they are in government? Where is the swift justice for those murdered or maimed in their own homes and those robbed and/ or murdered in the streets who weren’t executive party members?

New governments usually make pronouncements detailing the priorities they believe are important for the development of the country and for improved quality of life for the people.

Either the lack of any announcement of a plan for curbing the daily robberies and murders across the country suggests the Granger administration has none, or it does not consider reducing crime a priority.

Whichever is the reason, it means that certain Guyanese must remain fearful of certain others who feel it is better to steal from the hard labour of others than to labour hard on their own.

A legendary leader

Dear Editor

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo is a legendary leader. When the annals of the history of this country are written, he will stand out as the most outstanding President.

He has been a President of all the people, not by rhetoric, but by action, ensuring inclusiveness of all Guyanese

(male and female, young and old, of all ethnicities) in every sphere of our lives - business, parliament, work, arts and culture, commissions, etc, to name a few.

He has placed Guyana on a trajectory of development that is unmatched and unsurpassed and enviable within this hemisphere.

Only the blind, ignorant and envious continue to stifle their conscience. Their venom spews so much that it will soon encapsulate them.

Let not the ingratitude and short memory of some deter you from your good work that is recognised and appreciated by the greater majority at home and abroad.

May God continue to bless you richly and protect you from evil forces and keep you resolute in your purpose to build Guyana for all Guyanese, not just some, as appears to be the new trend.

Name withheld by request

Extend to Jagdeo, PPP/C their well deserved appreciation

Dear Editor,

It was good that Guyana’s National Stadium was there, such a grand, marvelous venue for the occasion, to host the inauguration of President David Granger.

I was half expecting that the MC would have extended some words of appreciation to the past President Bharat Jagdeo for boldly and courageously pushing forward against criticism from many directions to have that facility built and available.

Always a stickler for sustainability, Jagdeo sought and obtained significant assistance from the Government and people of India, trimming the design to minimize first cost, and putting off some things which were added at later stagesthe stadium lights, the professional stage and paving the internal parking areas.

He urged the design and layout for multiple uses – football, concerts and fairs, etc. Even the unpaved parking lot has been pressed into use as a building material storage and soil blending area.

We have in Guyana, now, one of the best and most utilized stadiums awaiting Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary!

It was with similar attention to detail that Jagdeo led the construction of the Guyana International Conference Centre (with assistance from

the Government and people of China), thus having it available for proud naming as the Arthur Chung International Conference Center (not an inappropriate name).

And, earlier, in a similar way he had led in Guyana eventually satisfying the commitment made by the then President Burnham in 1973 to provide a headquarters building for Caricom.

Jagdeo, matching from our own funds a grant from the Government and people of Japan, was adamant that we do the best within our means and circumstances and at the same time adequately satisfy the needs of form and function.

Do you recall the controversy then about the Caricom Headquarters building? It may yet become the next facility for proud naming!

Jagdeo needed to be bold and brave; the faint hearted would make little headway, particularly in Guyana and with a new vision. Often, one has to press ahead differently from what many might be calling for.

Henry Ford, a pioneer in the mass production of motor vehicles is said to have remarked that if he had listened to the farmers he would have bred a stronger horse and listening to the city dwellers he would have had bred a faster horse.

Perusing the many com-

mentators on the intractable social, political and economic conditions in Guyana and their interconnections, one thinks of the Gordian knot that no one could unravel.

As we were taught, young Alexander the Great refusing to submit to and to be befuddled and delayed by it’s complexity, took up his sword and cut through the knot.

One must recall too, the context, within which past President Jagdeo had to manage: the extremely difficult social, political and economic background - the slogan and practice of “slow fyah mo fyah” following the PPP/C win at the 1997 elections, which led even before any of the claimed degeneration of the PPP/C, to the proclamation of “freedom fighters” and the gunmen whose capture seemed to pose conceptual difficulties for a number of the then leaders of the nation’s security forces.

The nation was put under great tension. Extending trust beyond the closest circles seemed to be courting suicide.

There was much forcing and cutting through required to advance the Guyana economy and society to where they are today. And there would have been much bruising and hurt along the way.

Of course not all such forceful ventures would be successful. I have been from early a cautious “safe-bet” person and

I do recall about 1973 in my bauxite days, being pointed to a book then popular “Up the Organisation.”

The author, perhaps tongue in cheek, argued that any CEO that is having a success ratio greater than one in three in his proposed initiatives is likely being too cautious and may be missing truly game changing possibilities for his company.

The charges were laid again that the PPP/C had neglected the development of the hinterland.

What is one to think of the regular, daily number 72 and 94 minibus services to Mahdia (from about 1996) and to Lethem (from about 2006), putting movement between these places and the coast within the reach of many more Guyanese and thus facilitating increased social and economic activities and coastland - hinterland linking?

And there are new roads and transportation services within Regions One (BarimaWaini) and Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

There are greatly improved education and health services and the grant of a PV solar home systems to every home across the hinterland ensuring a degree of electrification where a micro electricity grid is not economic.

Two of three rare eight-week-old Amur tiger cubs take some of their first steps in daylight at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaste, England (The Telegraph)

Our unrealised oil wealth

Dear Editor, Are we to understand that APNU will not be able to manage our countries potential wealth? Will APNU need help?

Secondly, have you ever seen a developing country with oil potential being graciously uplifted out of poverty and into prosperity under the guidance and partnership of another country, including the US?

I will encourage you to look at the current situation in Papua New Guinea where a major oil company is using a corrupt puppet government to take over pristine rain forest and displacing the villagers who have been living there before the government existed.

For specific reference kindly see “Vice”, an HBO documentary for details. And you will see how nicely those people’s oil wealth is being protected and they are all drinking milk and honey.

I am deeply concerned about the keen interest other countries are paying into the management of our yet to be realized wealth in oil. Where were they when we were living in 28 years of dictatorship?

And we certainly know where they were recently?

And if they cannot see the unfairness in our recent elections, how can they see fairness in managing our wealth?

These are all fair questions every Guyanese should ask and get answers to, from this government.

At this juncture I would like to clearly make a distinction from that of the people and that of their Governments’ Foreign Policies. Since the average Joe is in the same struggle to survive as we Guyanese.

History has proven time and again that foreign intervention has always been in the sole interest of their country and not necessarily of average poor citizens.

So it irks me to see the audacity and barefacedness of attempts to begin the process of intervention with total disrespect of our intelligence, assuming that we are not seeing what they are attempting to do.

As a young Guyanese who cares more about my country’s future than that of the present, I would urge this APNU government to be very careful with this relationship, since I have always been concerned about this government’s ability to manage our ever growing and complex economy.

At this time, APNU is still demonstrating the traits of “paddle boat” captains attempting to steer a “cruise ship”.

Country first!

Malcolm Watkins

The GECOM CEO

Dear Editor, I was wondering how much the GECOM CEO received for just saying no to

Underage drinking

Dear Editor,

Kindly permit me space in your newspaper to voice my concern regarding a particular issue I hope the new government will address, and which I feel for too long has been ignored: underage drinking.

While countries overseas such as the United States of America and Canada have strict laws governing underage drinking and Guyana has similar laws, it is evident that the laws here are not being maintained.

Our laws state that the legal age limit for alcohol consumption in Guyana is 18 years and children under the age of 16 are not allowed to be in the bar of any licensed premises or even purchase alcohol unless they are above 16 years. Additionally, a child should never be asked to go to any licensed premises to buy alcohol.

Upon entering a bar or club overseas regardless of how old a person appears to be, he/she must submit an Identification Card (ID) to the bouncer to see his/her correct age, if a person is underage or does not have their ID

NY Guyanese in Trinidad Indian Arrival celebration

Dear Editor,

Several New York-based Guyanese participated in Trinidad’s Indian Arrival celebration last Friday at the Starlight Pavilion in Richmond Hill, Queens.

The event was planned and or-

ganized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with the TT Indo Cultural Committee in New York (TTICCNY) to celebrate the 170th anniversary of Indian Arrival in TT.

Starlight is owned

Finding new ‘brooms to fly on’ in the new administration

Dear Editor,

Please refer to a recent public statement to the media by Keith Burrowes: “I am not politically aligned; Governments over the years thought that I was competent for the job and I have succeeded always.”

Mr Burrowes was appointed Advisor to President Ramotar in 2012, his service was pro bono voluntary and he remained in that post.

He was Chairman of Guyana Chronicle, Director at GuySuCo and headed the Tender Committee. These appointments will never be given to someone who is not politically aligned to the PPP/C.

Now if you consider these appointments and the performance of the Guyana Chronicle, Go Invest and

card they are not allowed entry into the establishment.

On the other hand, in Guyana once a person pays the entrance fee into a bar or club he/she is admitted entry without them being asked to submit an ID card and sold alcohol regardless how old he/ she is.

One such place guilty of this is (name given) where on a regular Friday or Saturday night dozens of youths who appear to be no more than 18 years can be seen with drinks in their hands gyrating.

Liquor shops in Guyana are no less guilty of selling alcohol to minors as well. It appears as if proprietors are more concerned about making a profit than anything else.

While parents should be held accountable, I do think we as a nation should also be held accountable for ignoring this issue. I strongly believe that the legal age limit for alcohol consumption should be increased from 18 to 21 years and it should be strictly enforced.

I do hope this is something the new administration will review and clamp down on.

S Daniels

Extend

GuySuCo, your readers must decide if Burrowes is not politically aligned and competent.

My reason for this public outburst is that it seems as though witch hunting is being synonymous with masking justice to the oppressed and wronged, defending incompetence and condoning corruption to find new ‘brooms to fly on’ in the new administration.

Keith Burrowes is a very public person with the unlimited access to the Guyana Chronicle. This administration must decide he could have done all this without political alliance.

Samuel Barakat

(This letter was edited for libel)

to Jagdeo...

The opening up of those roads and the branch to Karasabhai and through to Monkey Mountain and Kato in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) are stories to be told at another time, stories of how partnering was developed between the Government and relevant stakeholders. Today, too, many hinterland locations can be contacted by cell phones.

What could be the basis of these charges of neglect?

My final questioning arises from the part of the programme “Spotlight” which I saw a few night ago.

These was much pontification about the maturity of political groups and countries evident in the way they behaved on learning of the results of their national elections.

Favourable mention was made of political groups in another developing country but not a word on our Guyana situation: how the PNC behaved in the run up to, during and after the 1992 elections which brought the PPP/C to office.

from page 4

There was much the same for our 97 elections with, as mentioned before, the addition of “slow fyah mo fyah” slogan.

The commentator’s silence was thunderous in not raising obvious comparisons with our PPP and PPP/C response, to the change in administration on the declaration of the 2015 elections (which we earnestly dispute even if no one else cares) and to the manipulated results of the elections from 1964 to 1985 when we covered our faces with our hands and cried our hearts out.

What are we of the PPP and PPP/C to think when our contributions and sacrifices to keeping people, nation and country whole seem to be viewed askance?

he PPP/C, at the wicket or in the field, in or out of office will continue to be the best team, the A team, for the people and country of Guyana.

Samuel Hinds Former Prime Minister, Former President of Guyana

celebrate Indian Arrival Day in New York in years to come while at the same time recognising the importance of knowing one’s origin.

The Consul General, Dr Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam, reflected on the importance of ancestral heritage and cultural practices which form part of their very being. She noted that events such as Indian Arrival celebrations “help us to move forward and adjust in new environments and help chart a meaningful path for subsequent generations”.

by Guyanese. Trinis and Guyanese usually support and patronize each other’s program in America.

The celebration included an Indian cultural variety show, classical dancing, poetry reading, and speeches.

The guest speaker at the event was Dr Ashford Maharaj, Finance Professor & Consultant at Berkeley College, who gave an historical perspective of the holiday and spoke about the significance of the event as it relates to the Diaspora in New York.

He pondered how the Indo Trinidadian and Tobagonian Diaspora in New York would

She thanked the invited guests that included several prominent Guyanese, including community advocate Vishnu Mahadeo, for turning out in their large numbers in support of the event. Several Guyanese, including Son Son and Preeta Singh, also performed at the function.

The organizers were able to garner the support of numerous diaspora businesses that made generous contributions in hot food and drinks.

The Committee honoured three outstanding senior citizens for their contribution to their respective communities. These persons are Deokaran Boodhoo, Shaffina Khan and Kenrick Bann.

Vishnu Bisram

A Dynamic Airlines experience

Dear Editor, The exploitation of Guyanese travellers with Dynamic Airways continues –unabated! What a shame that I’ve had a nightmare experience with this airline from the very inception, and I blame myself because they lured me with cheap fares.

They had a series of delays in January, with flights being postponed one after the other. I needed to travel. I enquired if I booked one way with Caribbean Airlines, if I could put my one-way ticket with Dynamic on hold.

I was advised by their agent at Travel Span in January that due to my need to travel, my one-way would be granted through a voucher. So I went ahead and left Guyana with Caribbean and returned with Dynamic – that was a nightmare – the return, that is.

I wrote about it in these columns whereby the plane spent nearly three hours waiting on the tarmac – a hot cramped plane. Disgraceful. We weren’t lucky enough to get pizza from the captain as was the case in such a situation in a US Airline flight last week.

But America values their passengers; we in Guyana do not!

So I finally got ‘something’ from Dynamic a few days ago – an email with a “discount voucher” for US$100! Imagine – only $US100!!! My one way fare that was put on hold by the agent cost more than US$300! I was robbed and I had no say in it since the remittance was more or less imposed on me whether I wanted it or not.

That’s only the beginning. I can only use the discount US$100 code to pur-

chase a ticket on their website. The agents at Travel Span in Georgetown, who originally started to sell Dynamic Airways tickets, no longer sell for that company. They directed me to Roraima Airways. The official there told me to take the voucher in and they would see what they can do. I have to leave my home in Berbice to visit that office – take an entire day off of work.

Do you think I would care to go through all that for US$100 and then when the ticket is bought – if it can be purchased – the flights would be delayed, etc?

There seems to be no authority or agency for Dynamic Airways any longer, or no rational or concerned person one can speak with. The agency has no proper presence in Guyana.

Fares for the summer are averaging over $US700 with Dynamic, and around US$900 with Caribbean Airlines and Fly Jamaica. It’s best if travelers use the latter two, for reliability and to avoid such occurrences which I went through.

Caribbean Airlines is by far the most reliable and ontime airlines at the moment. I experienced Dynamic to be late, lame and the service is terrible, yet many flock because of the cheapness. It’s sad the media doesn’t expose these things. It’s sadder the government did little or nothing too.

I hope this government can regulate such injustices on Guyanese travelers who pay some of the highest airfares in the world. It’s disgraceful and exploitation to the highest.

Leon Suseran

A section of the audience at the Trinidad Indian Arrival celebration

Yoga sensation for the nation: Tip 2

Submitted by: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh - Guyana (Hindus for Selfless Service)

We would assumed that everyone enjoyed doing tadasana (mountain pose) and is eagerly awaiting another posture. Today, it’s a pleasure bringing you another incredible asana called Trikonasana (triangle pose). By going through this simple technique and benefits you are closer to acquiring that well-shaped body you desire.

Trikonasana (triangle posture)

In this position the individual stands with the feet parallel and hands loosely at the side as in Tadasana. It is usually done in two parts, facing the left, and then the right which involves inhaling, exhaling, bending and touching the ankle.

By preforming this asana one can attain remarkable benefits such as:

• Eliminate pain in lower back

• Reduce stiffness in neck,

shoulder and knee

Improves appetite, digestion and circulation

• Strengthens the legs, knee, ankle, arms and chest

TECHNIQUE

(i) Stand with the feet together arms by your side (Tadasana).

(ii) Separate your feet comfortably wide apart (about 3 ½ to 4ft) left foot in a 90 degree angle and right foot slightly facing your

(iii)Inhale raises both arm straight out from the shoulder parallel to the floor

with the palms facing down. (iv) Exhale slowly while turning the upper half of your body to the left, bend at

the waist and bring the left hand down to the left ankle. The palm of the left hand is placed along the outside of the left ankle. The right arm should be extended upwards. Both legs and arm are kept straight without bending the knee or elbows.

(v) Turn the head upwards to the left and gaze up at the fingertips of the left hands. Inhale and return to the standing position with the arms outstretched.

(vi) Hold this position for the duration of the exhaled breath.

Exhale and repeat step to (vi) on the opposite side for 3 times.

Drink on glass of water after you have completed this exercise.

Hope you enjoy doing this today and eagerly awaits tomorrow tip.

What is the best age to get your child a cellphone?

BY JEANA LEE TAHNK

Online bullying by age eight? That’s a frightening statistic. Englander also found that as children progressed through school, more instances of bullying occurred. According to her study, bullying (physical and online) incidents affected half of children in middle school which goes along with her figure of 90 per cent of this age group using their cell phones to text and use the Internet.

(Continued from tuesday)

So the question still remains – what age is the right age? Unfortunately, there’s no cut-and-dry answer. Family circumstances, a child’s maturity level and the real need for a cellphone all contribute to when the right time is. Scott Steinberg, author of <<<The Modern Parent's Guide hightech parenting series>>>, says that many families introduce cellphones during the tween and teen years and suggests giving a child access to a cellphone when “they will be outside of easily accessible contact and the need to maintain communication is imperative.” He also offers the following recommendations:

* Consider buying a cellphone that dials only your contact number if and when children need to come home alone. Prepaid cellphones can also let you limit call times and features, and monitor overall usage.

* Opt out of texting plans and choose a basic feature phone that forgoes bells and whistles such as downloadable apps and GPS tracking to limit children’s online interactions.

* Always read the manual, research and go handson with phones and smartphones before providing them to children. It's imperative to know the ins and outs of the cellphone you’re considering for your child before you give it to him or her.

* Consider restricting cellphone usage to only taking place in your presence until children are mature enough to handle calls, texting and online interactions on their own. When will your child be allowed to have a cellphone? (www.parenting.com)

right.

Coast Guards charged to help reduce border crimes TV thief caught, thrashed by BV residents

President David Granger has emphasised the need for the country’s territorial integrity to be protected and for maritime and border crimes to be reduced, if the country is to continue on the path of growth and development.

Granger, who was at the time speaking to members of the Guyana Defence Force’s Coast Guard during a tour of the Ruimveldt Coast Guard Headquarters on Monday, told the guards what is the standard currently being obtained and what is required to bring about optimum results and efficiency.

Addressing the importance of the Coast Guard, the President said, when it was established 25 years ago, it was due to the fact that maritime threats had existed and still exists even today. Reminding the ranks of their role, the President observed that they all have important law enforcement functions in terms of combating maritime crimes including smuggling, piracy and all forms of trafficking.

“These crimes distort the economy. Most of the crimes of contraband and trafficking contribute to keeping Guyana poor, and that is why you’re given a law en-

He, however, noted that they must not shy away from their responsibility to protect Guyana’s assets, particularly human and military resources. Equally, the President said it is imperative to ensure that foreign trade is protected while ensuring that citizens feel safe as they traverse Guyana’s waterways.

The Head of State added that while it is impor-

forcement function,” the President told the ranks.

Describing the ranks as Guyana’s best and first line of defence against maritime crimes, President Granger pointed out that no other agency can effectively carry out the mandate that rest on the shoulder of the Coast Guards.

tant to protect the country’s territorial integrity, the presence of the Coast Guard must be felt in every area. Acknowledging that there are some challenges in the daily operations of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard, President David Granger

has given his commitment towards institutional strengthening of that unit. “But, as they say eternal vigilance is the price we have to pay for freedom...one of the most vulnerable frontiers of Guyana is this fore frontier, this coastland, and we can only depend on you to protect this entire frontier.”

Speaking on the issue of training, President Granger said it is his view that specialised training must be given on issues relating to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas since Guyana has a very large sea frontier.

Each rank, he said, should have a clear understanding of both land and sea frontier issues. He noted that while the Coast Guard has a role to play, his administration intends to resolve some outstanding border dispute issues amicably. “The fact is that unless we resolve these maritime claims, we will not be able to exploit a source of one of our most important resources that is offshore petroleum,” Granger stated.

Meanwhile, the President has assured that under his administration the Coast Guard will be given the much needed attention it requires. Discussions will soon begin in an effort to bring the Coast Guard up to strength in terms of manpower as the possibility of a reserve arm of the unit

will be explored. Training both locally and overseas would be given much priority, while the upgrading of equipment will also be looked at.

However, in the interim, the President called on the ranks to be responsible by taking care of the equipment that are in hand as they have over the years cost the Government huge amounts. “You here in the Coast Guard are not just looking after the rivers, looking after the coastland. You are protecting the future of our country; you are protecting our children’s inheritance; you are protecting the patrimony of this great nation.”

In addition, some of the recommendations, which were made by the Disciplined Forces Commission several years ago, will now be implemented in an effort to address some of the challenges facing the Coast Guard. President Granger further assured that his administration would continue as long as it is financially possible to provide the resources needed to protect the territorial integrity of Guyana.

While congratulating the ranks for the professionalism shown over the years, the President reiterated the call for every effort to be directed towards the suppression of criminality and to ensure that piracy and smuggling are brought to an end.

An alleged thief was on Tuesday captured by residents and given a sound thrashing before being sent away after he was caught redhanded with stolen property.

Quick reactions by immediate neighbours and helpful passersby led to the capture of the lone bandit who had just stolen a television set and a bicycle from a house in La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara (ECD) at around 13:00h. When the Guyana Times arrived on the scene, a large crowd assembled in the vicinity of Beterverwagting, ECD to witness the capture of the man.

Several persons wasted no time in assisting with detaining the alleged bandit by serving him several blows with various objects. Feeling triumphant and victorious with their capture, the residents flung the scene with cutlasses and pieces of wood with the intention of teaching the perpetrator a lesson.

According to reports, the alleged bandit, who identified himself as “Sayaad”, entered the house at Lot 112 Kersaint Park, LBI, stole the television set and the bicycle, and attempted

to make his grand escape. No one was home at the time of the incident.

As he was casually walking away with the stole items, the owner of the house, who was identified as Narine Kissoon, was walking home when he spotted the thief. Kissoon then reportedly pounced on the man, who immediately dropped the stolen items and made a run for it.

Alerted by the noise, neighbouring residents hurriedly began chasing after the man. The determined residents tracked him down as he was about to jump a fence into a resident’s home in Beterverwagting, where he was caught and subsequently beaten.

At that scene, more residents turned up, curious bystanders assembled and some vehicles even pulled over to witness the incident before them. Some residents were arguing among themselves whether or not to take the perpetrator to the Police Station.

After delivering several blows to the man, the residents then decided to set him free. Meanwhile, during the assault, Sayaad kept apologising for stealing the items as he pleaded with his attackers to let him go.

Residents mercilessly beating the perpetrator

Officers and ranks of the Coast Guard along with President David Granger during a tour of a workshop at the Coast Guard Headquarters

President David Granger being briefed on some of the daily operations of the Coast Guard while onboard of one of the Unit’s patrol vessel

No trace of Mocha mechanic’s killer

Police in ‘A’ Division are yet to make an arrest in the murder of 23-year-old Terrence Lanferman, who was shot dead in his home in Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara on Monday evening. While the Police are currently pursuing all angles, nothing substantial has been found to lead the investigators to the lone perpetrator. Lanferman, a mechanic, was shot dead, execution style, while in his home at 127 Nelson Street, Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

According to reports reaching the Guyana Times,

the young man was playing music at a high volume in the lower flat of his house when the lone gunman, later described as being dressed in a black coat, entered the yard and proceeded to his front door. Further reports indicate that the gunman then rapped on the door. It was after Lanferman opened the door that he was shot, approximately four times to the chest.

A neighbour said that immediately after the shooting, the gunman was seen fleeing the scene. They related that upon seeing the man and realising that Lanferman had been shot, a resident gave a chase on

a bicycle, but the gunman, who had apparently parked his CG motorcycle bearing no plate at one of the corners away from the home, jumped on the cycle and made good on his escape.

However, at the home, persons were heard commenting that while his death has come as a surprise, he was no stranger to the Police. While some residents related that he was “an okay person”, when asked about his character, many related that he was troublesome and was always at the Police Station for some matter or another.

Viola Lanferman, the distressed mother, said

that though her son was no stranger to the Police, this was due to the fact that he has always been wrongfully accused and arrested for things he had no knowledge of.

When asked if she knew whether he had any problem with anyone, the woman said that he has had several misunderstandings with several persons in the area, but was more recently involved in one, where money was involved, and the matter had reached the Police. She could not say however, whether any of those could have led to his early demise.

Investigations are continuing.

Man on bail for alleged GPHC theft

Aman was on Monday placed on $75,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he appeared before her charged with stealing a quantity of electrical cable

from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Victor Solomon, a 53-year-old of 41 Sideline Dam, Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that between

Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 30, he broke in to the laundry department of the GPHC and stole a quantity of electrical cables to the value of $312,725, property of the Health Ministry.

The prosecution made

no objection to bail which was granted in the sum of $75,000. The matter was then transferred to Magistrate Annette Singh in Court 11, where she scheduled it to return to court on June 16.

Teenager placed on bail for damage of property

Ateenager was on Tuesday placed on $20,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he appeared before her charged with destroying a phone belonging to his girlfriend’s sister.

Eric Forde, 19, of 25 Shopping Plaza, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on February 13 at 186 Thomas

Street, Kitty, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged one Samsung Galaxy smartphone valued at $152,000, property of the Virtual Complainant (VC), Tracy Miller.

According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, the VC and defendant are known to each other as the VC’s sister and the defendant are involved in a romantic relationship. Mangru informed the court that on the day in

question, the VC’s sister had her phone while the defendant was present. The young man reportedly became annoyed about a text message that the young woman received on the cellular phone, and an argument then ensued. During the argument, the young man allegedly relieved her of the phone, and broke it to the extent that it cannot be salvaged.

The prosecution made no objection to bail, which the Magistrate granted in

the sum of $20,000. The Magistrate then transferred the matter to Court 11, where Magistrate Annette Singh presides. Magistrate Singh scheduled the matter to return to court on June 16.

Police Officer released on self-bail

APolice Officer was Tuesday released on his own recognisance by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he appeared before her charged with receiving a stolen car.

Collis Burnette, 24, of Canje, Berbice, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that at Sheriff Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, he received one Toyota Primo valued at $2,500,000, property of Deo Persaud, knowing the vehicle was stolen or obtained by unlawful means.

His legal representative, Attorney-at-Law Adrian Thompson argued that his client has an unblemished record as a member of the Guyana Police Force and was a bonafide purchaser of the car, which will be proven later in the trial.

The Chief Magistrate scheduled the matter to return to court on June 30 for statements.

Eyew tness

To a hammer...

...education is a nail

We just got is a new Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnarine. Never mind that he also has “Culture and Sports” in his corral. Queens man....like his boss Brigadier David Granger, was about five years or so before.

Roopnarine recently allowed as to how he had a few ideas about revamping the educational system. But he would mosey around, get the lay of the land and then make his suggestions. Well, it seems his boss wants him to get on with it and suggested as a start to bring back the Cadet Corps, in which he had such a good time at Queens, and from which he’d joined the army.

Now since your Eyewitness has been reminded about how many youths we have nowadays and that they mightn’t be au fait with anything more than 23 years ago, he figured he’d better fill in some blanks.

The Cadet Corps, as no other than David Granger informed us a couple of years ago, was launched in the British Grammar schools to fill the gap in the ranks of officers who were being killed off in the various and sundry wars Britain became involved with in the 19th century.

From High School, you could go join in right away with a Charge of the light Brigade or any other brigade that was ready to charge and keep the natives at bay.

Queens College, modelled after the British Grammar Schools of course had to have its Cadet Corps to die for “King and Country”.

And so it was dozens of Guyanese Queens graduates did in fact die in WWI and WWII in the fight against those beastly Germans - and to keep the world safe for democracy. Never mind Guyana didn’t have democracy up to then.

Anyhow a decade after our President had moved on from the Queens Cadet Corps to the GDF, the PNC government decided to scrap it.

It consumed too much resources when the country was trying to “feed and house” the nation. A year after the PNC snucked back into government under that disreputable “free and fair” elections of 1992, they decided to bring back the Cadet Corps in several Georgetown secondary schools.

Much like the President’s present plan. Didn’t work. Had to be scrapped pronto: consumed too much scarce resources needed for national development.

Now we know Roopnarine hadn’t joined the Cadet Corps when he was at Queens. So we hope he’ll give a fair hearing as to whether the country needs cadets more than graduates in the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

Or is it an order form the Commander in Chief?

...justice is a nail

Another directive raising some eyebrows is the one about pardoning “non-violent” offenders who’ve been incarcerated by the judicial system. Now your Eyewitness isn’t a lawyer or anything, but isn’t that like the Executive creeping into territory marked off for the Judiciary?

Over the past few years, your humble Eyewitness has heard so much about this “separation of powers” business, he hopes he isn’t overreacting.

But if the sentencing by the Judiciary is too draconian, doesn’t the Executive have the option of changing the laws and the sentencing guidelines through its control of the Legislature?

This seems the more sensible way to go. With the present “pardoning” discretion the President plans on using, no matter how he exercises it, he’s going to be criticised. If for nothing but Executive “overreach”, not to mention “bias”.

The same set of folks can’t initiate the laws, pass the laws, and then be allowed to override the Judicature who’re supposed to implement the laws, can they?

...emigration is a nail

So over the years, more than 4000 US permanent visas a year are issued. At this point it has nothing to do with conditions here...and everything to do with the “greener grass” of the US.

Public hospitals ‘bleeding’ from bad management − Norton

By AnAstAciA clementson

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton said the public healthcare system is bleeding from bad management and this must be corrected if Guyanese are to trust the various hospitals and the services they provide.

Over the years, there have been a range of malpractices at the health institutions across the country – the most prevalent being maternal deaths. Dr Norton said this and other issues are direct fallouts from bad management which he promised to strengthen while at the helm of the health sector.

Norton, since taking up the post has been visiting hospitals across the country to become acquainted with their operations and said he has found that the main problem that plagues the health sector is bad administration. The Minister however, commended various departments within the health sector for the work and progress they have made. However, he acknowledged that personnel in management levels are not quite efficient in the smooth running of their various health facilities. Several instances of such inefficiencies Norton shared as a result of his visit to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. He said the hospital does not have proper access to water, while the Versailles Health Centre does not have a fridge that can assist with both medical and non-medical needs.

Minister Norton expressed that it was not just the fact that these little deficiencies have been a problem but the fact that the various Regional Health Authorities were able to tell him that they have the resources to attend to these problems but did not know of the problems at the various hospitals. The Minister

explained that administrators of these health facilities need to always be aware of what is needed to make the work easier and more productive for the health care professionals. He said that too many times, persons appear to lack the will to act, thus allowing the status quo to remain the same.

Dr Norton also said that he is still doing needed research to be grounded in the practices at the various hospitals. Asked how he intends to correct some of the deficiencies at the health institutions, Norton pointed to training and retraining of staff. He said training will also be extended to professionals in the administrative levels of the various hospitals or health centres across the country.

He said proper leadership and communication need to be inculcated to ensure efficient management of these facilities. Norton also spoke on accountability and the need for emphasis to be placed at these centres. Such accountability is needed to ensure proper checks and balance takes place, the Minister posited. He said this will also ensure

that each department fulfils its mandate. Minister Norton has plans to continue his visits to other hospitals to gather information before moving ahead to resolve the numerable issues that plague the sector.

Only recently Dr Norton had pledged that the new A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change Government will address issues that are causing the high level of failure at the Georgetown Nursing School.

While expressing great concern regarding the high failure rate, Minister Norton noted that “we will do everything that is possible to better the pass rate that we have, and also to increase the quality of the nursing profession that we’re now having here”. He said that the failure is as a result of multiple factors, noting that more effort needed to be made to ensure technology was available to the students. “… we are also concerned about the number of lecturers we have, and the quality. Teaching is a dynamic process, where you have to do your refresher courses, you have to change concepts regularly and so

Clinton Collymoore fired and humiliated

...due process and benefits denied

Despite the fact that President David Granger has promised that his administration will not embark on a period of witch hunting as it settles into the Government, long standing Political Advisor and former Local Government Minister Clinton Collymore was fired.

He said he felt embarrassed and is worried about his benefits as outlined in his contract. Guyana Times understands that Collymore, who has been employed since 1996 at various levels within the Local Government Ministry which is now renamed Ministry of Communities, was sent packing by the Deputy Permanent Secretary (PS) following the instruction of Senior Minister Ronald Bulkan.

on,” the Minister explained. With the changing world of medicine, the Minister said, according to the Government Information Agency (GINA), one cannot expect that the same tutors will be doing the same courses for the past decade, and would achieve the kind of end product that will help to better the health situation in Guyana. During his visit to the West Demerara Hospital he had said too that the facility “should be of a quality not too different from the Georgetown Hospital...”

Collymore, speaking with this newspaper on Tuesday evening, said he felt victimised and disrespected after receiving a letter that drew his attention to some administrative matters and contained information about his dismissal. The former Local Government Minister said that he was summoned to a meeting with the new Minister. “I did not actually turn up to work because after the elections, the new administration was making changes. I did not go to work but I went to the Ministry on Wednesday because I was called there by Mr Bulkan. And I went there and I reported to the acting PS, Abena Moore, and she said that the Minister will see me

in a while; at that time the Minister was having a delegation,” Collymore reported. He said after the delegation left, Moore came and said that the Minister was in the lavatory and afterwards stated that he had received a call from Office of the President. “She said I have to go because I am not a priority and she said the Minister will call me later. I never got a call and then yesterday (Monday) I got a rude letter. It said I did not report to duty since May 15 and that I did not send a sick report. I didn’t indicate why I was absent and they said this is contrary to the contract I signed,” Collymore related. He said he was informed that all of his benefits were forfeited. “I was given no hearing and I maintain that since the Minister was not there, I had no Minister to advise,” Collymore related. He is entitled to 42 days vacation leave and other things in the contract which would allow him to stay away.

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton with the staff at the West Demerara Regional Hospital

Clinton Collymore

Region 9 REO sent on leave

...Amerindian group slams move as victimisation

By Alexis Rodney

Members of the Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (AAMG) have described the move by the Government, through the Ministry of Communities, to send the Executive Officer of Region Nine (Upper TakatuUpper Essequibo), Claire Singh, on leave as “political victimisation”.

The organisation is also calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to accede to the request of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to have a total recount of the ballots cast in the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Peter Persaud of the AAMG on Tuesday told the Guyana Times that residents were disappointed that the David Granger-led administration had decided to remove the Regional Executive Officer (REO) from office at this time.

The PPP/C was successful at claiming Region Nine in the regional votes at the last elections, and while it is normal for the party that won the region to select the Regional Chairman for that region, constitutionally, the winning party selects the REO. Singh, who has been in that position for over three years, was working under an annual contract. This current contract would have come to an end

in January of 2016.

Speaking to the Guyana Times from her home on Tuesday, Singh said that she received a phone call from the Ministry of Communities on Monday, where the caller enquired about the amount of leave she has outstanding to which she divulged the information.

She said later on in the day, by way of fax and email and signed by Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Abena Moore, she was informed that she should proceed on her 42 days outstanding leave and that it would run from June 2 to July 13, 2015.

She relayed too that she was instructed to hand over all assets and items to Carl Parker, an A Partnership for National Unity activist working the region.

She stated that Parker

is not a regional official and had in fact been allegedly sent off of his work owing to irregularities and was also dismissed from public office.

Meanwhile Persaud told this publication that the way things are looking, the deputy REO Mohammed Arjune might be next on the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For National list to be sent home.

Speaking on the elections and the concerns over the alleged rigging of the General and Regional Elections was another resident from Quarrie Village, Region Nine, Clarendo Lucus.

He said that he was speaking for the people of Region Nine and “having had enough time between the last elections and now, we were able to make contact with every area possible and everyone seem to be very concerned about the rigged elections and the results and the information filtering that it has been highly rigged”.

“We have our concerns, we understand that PPP/C has now filed a case and is not accepting the results as issued by GECOM,” he further stated.

He said residents are giving their full support to the PPP/C that there should be a recount “and it is not fair for a party to take a position when there is a highly unacceptable result by GECOM. GECOM needs to respond to the people of this country.”

Political Saviour

Satiricus is still all agog about the dustup between the "big" three ladies in the Social Protection Ministry.

"See what you get when you change a name?" his wife asked him. "When the Ministry was called "Social Services" everything was "Yes Ma'am" and "Yes Sir". Now only one day after they change the name's to "Social Protection", the place turn like a fish market!"

Satiricus was still getting used to his wife expressing (loudly) an opinion on everything under the sun...and then some. Married to the woman for 23 years, he'd had to use waterboarding torture to even get her to comment on the weather.

Now with the new government in place, suddenly she had an opinion on Einstein's theory of relativity! She must've been an Opposition sleeper all these year, Satiricus figured.

"What do you mean?" asked Satiricus, in a puzzled tone.

"Well, 'services' suggest you have to bow and scrape to people...can't even look them in the eye. ‘Protection'?? Man... you now like soldier and Police! You got to talk tough and you got to act tough!" Mrs Satiricus grinned.

"The Broom Lady really fit the bill, then," conceded Satiricus. "Imagine she go in the bush and bring out those girls who were kidnapped by those evil gold miners!! And imagine some

of those girls had the nerve to even fight the Broom Lady!"

"But Sato, I wonder why Volga Laurent get the Senior Protection Minister wuk," confessed Mrs Satiricus. "She don't look too tough to me." Satiricus perked up. This new wife who now knew everything was asking his opinion? She didn't know what was going on? Satiricus' chest puffed out a bit.

"But dear, you don't know is Volga put the WAPNU/KFC into government?" Satiricus tried to contain his smirk.

"Who? I thought it was Naga Man, who bring his flock from the east and saved the day."

"Nah!" said Satiricus knowingly. "Naga Man didn't bring squat."

"So what Volga do?"

"You don't remember when Volga play sick in Parliament and didn't vote to cut out the Speciality Hospital and the Amerindian Fund?" asked Satiricus.

"But I think the party was upset with she then," replied Mrs Satiricus with a frown.

"Tactics, my dear, tactics!" smirked Satiricus. "How else they would get the Amerindian vote, and the contract for the Specialty Hospital? Politics is never what it seems!"

Mrs Satiricus looked at Satiricus with admiring eyes!

10 cases of 230 disposed of in April Demerara Assizes – June

session commenced with 231 cases yesterday

The April 2015 Criminal Assizes in Demerara came to an end on Monday with the gaol delivery being done by Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire at the Supreme Court in Georgetown.

This session began on April 1, with Justice GeorgeWiltshire, Justice Navindra Singh and Justice Brassington Reynolds presiding. During this assizes, a total of 230 cases were listed to be heard and a mere 10 were disposed of during the two months period.

Of these 10 matters, eight were heard in the High Court while two were nolle prosequi (not prosecuted) by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers. The eight trials resulted in two guilty verdicts, two not guilty verdicts, two guilty pleas and one hung jury. The other matter is still ongoing.

Justice Singh heard and completed two cases for the offence of murder. In the first matter, the accused was acquitted after the trial judge upheld a no case submission while, in the other case, the jury panel returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty for the accused. Additionally, three matters for the offence of murder were presented before Justice George-Wiltshire. In one of these matters the accused pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment. The other matter resulted in the jury returning a unanimous verdict of guilty as such the accused was sentenced to 20 years imprison-

ment. Whilst the third trial, in which three accused persons are jointly indicted, is in progress.

On the other hand, Justice Reynolds disposed of two matters for the offence of murder. The jury in the first matter failed to reach a verdict, hence the trial judge ordered a retrial for the accused. In the other trial, the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter and was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.

Meanwhile in Essequibo, Justice James Bovell-Drakes presided over the January 2015 Criminal Assizes and continued into the April session. He completed one murder trial which resulted in the accused being sentenced to 13 years imprisonment after the jury returned a guilty verdict for the lesser count of manslaughter.

In addition, two matters were nolle prosequi by the DPP. These were for the offence of carnal knowledge of a girl under 15 years and murder. In the first matter, the Virtual Complainant (VC) indicated by writing that she no longer wanted to proceed with the matter. The murder accused in the other case could not instruct his defence counsel for the purpose of his trial, and several witnesses were unable to testify.

While at the same time, the Berbice February 2015 Criminal Assizes were in progress with Justice Reynolds who first sat and then Justice Franklin Holder took over the

session, which commenced on February 3. A total 61 cases have been listed to be heard during this, which will continue until June 15. Of this, 17 cases received the attention of the Court during the past four months (February to May). Nine of the 17 matters were disposed of by Justice Reynolds. Three matters were presented before Justice Holder while five matters were nolle prosequi by the DPP. Of the cases heard by Justice Holder, one of murder and the other for rape of a child family member saw the two respective accused acquitted after the trial judge upheld a no case submission and directed the jury to return formal verdicts of not guilty in each matter. However in the other matter, which was for the offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, the accused pleaded guilty and will be returning to court on June 11, for sentencing by Justice Holder.

The Essequibo May 2015 Criminal Assizes commenced on May 19, before Justice James Bovell-Drakes. One matter, for the offence of rape of a child under 15 years, is currently in progress. This assizes, with 20 cases on the list, will continue until October, 2015.

The Demerara June 2015 Criminal Assizes commenced yesterday with a total of 231 cases listed to be heard, while the Berbice June Criminal Assizes will start on June 16, with 51 matters to be heard.

Sacked Region Nine REO Claire Singh

Murders, robberies skyrocket

... 6 killings since Friday, more than 8 armed robberies

BY VAHNU MANIKCHAND

ome two weeks af-

Ster the Guyana Police Force reported a seven per cent increase in serious crimes including murders and armed robberies, the crime situation in the country seems to be spiralling upwards.

This can be reflected from occurrences over the past weekend (May 29-June 1) which saw the Police reporting on at least 10 criminal matters. During this period, some eight persons lost their lives; however, two of these died in separate vehicular accidents.

There were five cases of armed robberies, some of which were fatal, that was reported by the Police over the five days. A matter of carjacking was also reported. A part from the Police reports, there were several other crimes.

The crime spree began in the wee hours of Friday morning when Police ranks arrested one man while shooting to death another after they were caught breaking into a city store.

The now dead man had reportedly attacked the Police with a chopper, forcing the ranks to open fire. Around 10:30h on the same day, auto dealer Nigel Ramah parked his car in the Guyana Revenue

Authority’s (GRA) parking lot for about five minutes to do business at the agency. On his return, he found his car lock tampered with and a bag containing $1.6 million was missing.

Then on Saturday around 19:50h, a businessman and a female friend from Kitty, Georgetown, were held at gunpoint by two men. The businessman was relieved of his licensed revolvers, ammunitions and a quantity of cash.

The two men along with another accomplice all made good their escape. Some two hours later, around 21:00h, four men hijacked a taxi, which they hired from the Stabroek Market car park to go to Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

While at Eccles, the men

Dismembered body…

held the driver, Sheldon Anderson, at gunpoint before throwing him out of the vehicle. Anderson, however, gave chase and followed the men into Eccles. Quick response by the Police led to the arrest of the three men.

Shot to head

An hour before this, Raychand Mangal, a 46-year-old miner of Buddy’s Housing Scheme, Providence, East Bank Demerara, was found at his home with a suspected bullet wound to the head. While an apparent suicide note was found and the firearm recovered, investigators suspect that the scene was staged.

On the following day at about 00:30h, 26-yearold taxi-driver Dennis Narine of Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara, was aroused by the noise of a glass window breaking at his home and upon enquiring, shots were discharged at him through the window. He was hit in the chest and was subsequently taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Then at 03:00h, Darson Ramatar, 23, of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD), along with four other men reportedly attempted to break into a home in the village during which he was stabbed to his throat by

an occupant of the house. The suspected bandit was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile on Monday, Hardat Kissoon was shot and killed in one of the most brazen daylight robberies of recent times. Around 14:35h, the man was travelling in a minibus along the

Turkeyen Public Road with a bag containing a quantity of money when another occupant of the public transportation tried to grab the bag from him.

A struggle ensued during which Kissoon, a rice farmer of Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara, was shot to his chest and later pronounced dead. The perpetrator managed to escape

Police still to charge others,

cite lack of evidence

The Police have charged one man for the brutal murder of Buxtonian Samantha Benjamin, while five others are said to have played a major part in the crime. However, the issue of successful prosecution of the others seems to be running into a snag.

When the mutilated body of the overseas-based Guyanese was found on the Annandale seawall on March 25, investigators had arrested and charged Kevin Ramsaywack for the murder of the 40-year-old woman. Ramsaywack had given a confession statement to the Police implicating at least five others in the crime. However, some two months later, Commander of C Division (East Coast Demerara) Christopher Griffith, when questioned on the status of the case, given the fact that no other persons has been charged, despite intentions to do so, related that there was not enough evidence for the Force and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)

Murder accused, Kevin Ramsaywack

to rely on to charge the other men.

“He keep giving us information but that is information against himself because the other people, although the information is against them, they deny. So the information was not enough to charge the other persons and I agree with the DPP in the advice that they give but we still actively pursuing to see if we get other informa-

tion that can link them because a crime like that, from the initial stages, I said one person cannot do that,” Griffith disclosed.

The Police have stated that they have a strong case against Ramsaywack. What the investigators believe though, is that the man could not have single handedly carry out the act. This too, was confirmed in Ramsaywack’s signed confession statement.

Investigators have apparently met with another obstacle in their bid to successfully prosecute the men allegedly involved.

“In this country, I tell you, we do not have DNA testing, we don’t have a lot of things so that we can successfully prosecute more than one person in cases like these because from the initial stage when I visited the scene, I saw the body, I didn’t see the blood that could have told me that the murder took place on the seawalls and because of our investigations and so on, we happened to arrest

and charge the suspect who was the first person,” the C Division Commander said.

Benjamin was killed in a Middle Walk, Buxton, East Coast Demerara home, dismembered and her body parts dumped at the Annandale seawall. Investigators to date are not absolutely clear on the motive of the crime.

However, Police are still compiling what investigators call “undeniable” evidence against the remanded Kevin Ramsaywack.

“He is the chief suspect in the matter. Is either he committed the murder himself and got persons to assist him in dismembering the body or together they committed the crime but he was arrested because he gave us a clear statement of the activities that were carried out,” Commander Griffith said.

Ramsaywack appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on Monday and was further remanded to prison for reports and fixtures.

with the bag.

Later that day around 18:10h, Michael Mc Leod, 59, of Meadowbrook Gardens, Georgetown, was walking along the Festival City road when he was held at gunpoint by a man who demanded his jewellery.

Mc Leod resisted and was shot to his left knee and buttocks by the perpetrator who took away his gold chain and escaped. The injured man has been admitted to hospital for medical treatment.

Then about 19:45h, a 23-year-old mechanic from Nelson Street, Mocha Arcadia, EBD, was at his home when a man entered and shot him to his body and escaped. Terrence Lanferman was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced

dead on arrival. In its election manifesto, the ruling A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition had underscored that public security is the bedrock of a safe, humane society and the crime situation is the most pressing and depressing problem facing the Guyanese pub-

lic. Among the plans the Administration has to curb the alarming crime situation is to establish a specialised law enforcement agency to train officers in crime investigations, intelligence gathering and forensics as well as have more officers on the streets by hiring civilians to do the administrative works among several others.

Brother stole $14M worth of mining

equipment

– court told

Aman was on

Monday placed on $125,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he appeared before her charged with stealing in excess of $14 million in mining equipment from his brother.

Satyanand Paranhane, a driver of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that between November 2014 and June 1, 2015 at Arima Backdam, Essequibo, he stole one hydraulic hose valued $500,000, one fine driver valued $4 million, a computer box valued t $5 million, among other items, valued in total $14,000,800, all property of the Virtual Complainant (VC), Anand Persaud.

According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, during the month of November 2014, the VC secured the mining

equipment and left the country for an overseas visit. When Persaud returned last month, he found his equipment missing. Inquiries from the individual who was left in charge revealed that the defendant had removed the equipment. A report was subsequently made to the Police and the defendant was arrested and charged. Mangru then revealed that when the defendant was arrested, he admitted to the Police that he and two of his friends removed the articles. Mangru informed the court that the items were never recovered. The Prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness and prevalence of the offence and also made reference to the penalty that the offence attracts. The Magistrate, however, granted the defendant bail in the sum of $125,000. The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for June 11.

Raychand Mangal

Dead: Hardat Kissoon

Suspected bandit killed: Darson Ramatar

Dennis Narine

wednesday, june 3, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

AML/CFT Amendment Bill for the 11th Parliament, says AG

The David Grangerled A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/ AFC) Administration will be moving ahead with the presentation of the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Bill in the 11th Parliament, in the same form and fashion as it was in the special select committee set up in the 10th Parliament.

Newly appointed Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Basil Williams said the new Government will be proceeding on the basis of that bill that it had placed in the select committee in the last Parliament.

He was at the time speaking to journalists moments after his meeting with a three-member team thats paid a courtesy call on

“That Bill had several amendments dealing with the governance structure of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and an independent authority over the FIU, and the mode and manner of appointing the independent authority and the director of the FIU and the staff. We introduced criteria of qualification for the director of the FIU and other staff members. We were simply amending the parent act which provided for the director of the FIU to be appointed by the Minister of Finance and be dismissed by the President”, the AG explained.

He continued, “We thought that that was a nongovernmental thing, because there was no independence there and that is what we have put in place because… It should only involve the appointment com-

new could be dealt with under debate in the house,” the Attorney General noted. He noted that with his party’s majority, it could be taken to the Parliament, be debated and passed.

“It will be a waste of time to go back to the select committee to deal with the same issues which were there for over two years”, Williams said Meanwhile, head of CCARP Eamon Kearney, told Guyana Times that his team is offering some assistance to Guyana’s Government in amending the anti money laundering legislation, because Guyana has been marked as being deficient in this area by the CAFTF and it is one of the areas of legislation Government has undertaken to bring before Parliament in its next sitting.

him at his Carmichael street office on Monday. The team comprises British High Commissioner Greg Quinn; Manager for the Caribbean Criminal Asset Recovery Programme (CCARP) Eamon Kearney; and Alex Ferguson, Legal Advisor for the CCARP.

The focal point of the visit was to relay the urgency of the passage of the AML/CFT Bill – which was stalled in the tenth Parliament under the then Donald Ramotarled People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government – and offer advice on the way forward regarding the required legislation in this regard.

The Bill, as put forward by the then Government, had harboured little or no support from the then combined APNU and AFC parliamentary Opposition, using their one seat majority to block its passage. The political impasse surrounding the passage of the Bill saw Guyana being blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), and averting official blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force(FATF).

The blockage was based on a number of issues, but particularly the inability of government and opposition to agree on the amendments. Government’s version of the AML/CFT Bill did not sit right with the Opposition.

mittee”.

He noted that the team had no problems with the amendments put forward, but wish to make some suggestions that would add to the efficacy and effectiveness of the Bill. Added to that, he said he met with the Director of the FIU and the legal advisors who gave him an update on the status of the AML/CFT Bill where he was apprised of the need to have the Bill passed in time for the FATF meeting in October, sometime after the CFTAF meeting in August.

According to Williams, Guyana would need to be in compliance by that time or face being blacklisted. He said Guyana needs to move quickly because the American Regions Review Group (AARG) has made some proposals which the team took on board and which Guyana will have to incorporate into its version of the Bill.

Those recommendations he assured are entirely new and are designed to give a futuristic approach to the matter, noting that compliance with the passage of this Bill will be the “crux” of the matter in satisfying FATF.

“We must recognise that the matter is not a new matter. It has been before the special select committee for over two years and if you’re talking about time being of the essence, anything that is

6 schools remain closed today

The Ministry of Education wishes to advise that most schools which were closed on June 1 and 2, 2015 due to flooding caused by persistent rainfall will be opened on Wednesday, June 3. However, parents

and guardians of the following schools are asked to note that these schools will remain closed on Wednesday, June 3, 2015, to allow for flood waters to recede and for the cleaning and sanitisation of those facilities. They

are: South Road Nursery in Georgetown; and Prince Williams Street Nursery, Vryheid’s Lust North Nursery, Chateau Margot Primary, Vryheid Lust Primary, and Montrose Primary on the East Coast of Demerara.

AG to chair Mercy Board

Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams was sworn in on Monday as Chairperson of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy and not as Attorney General (AG), as was erroneously reported by the Government Information Agency (GINA). On Monday GINA reported that Williams was sworn in as AG, but later retracted this on Tuesday.

The Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, also known as

the Committee for the Prerogative of Mercy, is a constitutional body enacted through Article 189 of the Guyana Constitution.

As the name implies, this very important organisation performs the function of receiving petitions for consideration of mercy, from prisoners who have been sentenced to death.

Its membership usually comprises of the Attorney General as Chairperson, along with four to five other persons representative of various social and professional persuasions.

Its manner of function is as follows: It receives a written report of the particular case from the trial judge, and any other information compiled from the case record or elsewhere as may be taken into consideration. After obtaining the advice of the council, a designated Minister expresses his own deliberate opinion to the President on whether he should exercise any of his prerogatives relative to the person, in accordance with Article 190(1).

Bandit shoots man in buttocks, knee

Aman is now nursing gunshot injuries to his buttocks and left knee after he was attacked by a bandit in Festival City, South Georgetown on Monday evening.

“So we are offering guidance as to how that legislation could be made to fulfill the requirements of FATF and to also make it workable to help Guyana to deal with money laundering and recovering the proceeds of crime”.

He said the programme which is funded by the UK Government, through the Department of International Development; helps build the capacity and capability of practitioners in recovering assets from criminals. The practices assisted include investigators, prosecutors, Magistrates and Judges, providing guidance in their roles in recovering the proceeds of crime.

He said the programme works across the English speaking Caribbean and provides such guidance to all jurisdictions across the Region to ensure that they have proper legislation engaging consultants to draft model legislation which has all the requirements dealing with money laundering and national recovery but also making sure that it fits the requirement of the FATF for the recommendations.

“So we are utilising some of our experience in the Region to pass it on to the AG to assist him in getting their legislation fit for purpose and to get it to fulfill the requirement of FTAF”, Kearney told Guyana Times.

Police said that about 18:10h, Michael Mc Leod, 59, of Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown, was walking along the roadway at Festival City, Georgetown, when he was held at gunpoint by a man who demanded his jewellery. Mc Leod resisted and was shot to his left knee and buttocks by the perpetrator who took away his gold chain and escaped. He has been admitted to hospital for medical treatment as the investigations continue.

Ramjattan orders dismissal of torture cops

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has instructed Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud to fire one of two policemen who were fingered in the torture of a boy back in 2009.

Ramjattan is quoted in another section of the media saying that he instructed that Corporal Mohanram Dulai be

fired and his co-accused Inspector Narine Lall be reviewed by the Police Service Commission.

“I have instructed that both of them be fired and I understand that the Commissioner of Police

ed by Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud on the ground that they had not been found guilty of any offence. They were accused of dousing Methylated Spirit on the genitals of Twyon Thomas in November

cannot fire one of them. It has to come from the Police Service Commission,” he said. “This new administration will not tolerate the burning of people’s privates by any policeman,” said Ramjattan according to the media outlet.

Both policemen were earlier this year promot-

2008 during a probe into the murder of former Region Three Chairman, Ramenaught Bisram. They were charged but not convicted as the teenager did not testify in court. The High Court had later awarded million of dollars to the youngster following a law suit.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams in conversation with the United Kingdom delegation which paid a courtesy call on him at his office on Monday

Mohanram Dulai and Inspector Narine Lall

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

PPP/C will not recognise Granger’s Presidency

…until allegations of rigging resolved

By Michael younge

Former President Donald Ramotar, on Tuesday, maintained that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will not recognise the David Granger Government until it is satisfied that its concerns related to the allegations of systematic and internal rigging of the May 11 General and Regional Elections are addressed forthrightly by both the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the judiciary.

Ramotar was at the time speaking during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Times at the PPP/ C’s Freedom House headquarters in Robb Street, Georgetown. Ramotar said that Granger’s Presidency and Government will be treated as a “de facto regime” by his party be-

cause they are occupying office against the will of a majority of the electorate which participated in what should have been a democratic process to elect a new Government.

He maintained even at this point and ahead of plans to execute an opening session of the 11th Parliament of Guyana that the elections were rigged and his party has evidence to this effect. “It is a de facto Government…it is there not as a result of the will of the people…because of this they will not be able to continue sustained economic growth and social progress,” he contended.

He made it clear that Granger’s Presidency, like that of his predecessors in the People’s National Congress (PNC), would be characterised by widespread corruption, squander mania and excesses. The former President says that Granger’s Government has already started to show its true colours and there are other danger signs which citizens should pay heed to. He rationalised that it would be difficult for the PPP/C to accept the elections results and the “imposition of a de facto Government” because there has been a “calculated and clearly thoughtout effort by the Guyana Elections Commission to deny the party its legal right to a recount of ballots cast at important stages in

the process,” Ramotar alleged.

He said that GECOM, which is headed by Dr Steve Surujbally, also appears unwilling to cooperate with the former ruling party’s request for several critical pieces of information with respect to the tabulation and declaration

of votes casted on May 11.

“I do not know why they are taking so long. In normal circumstances, these things are done long ago… way earlier in the process. This is also adding to the concerns of many of our supporters who are wondering why they are taking so long…are they trying to adjust, cook up something up…to prove these elections were free and fair,” Ramotar said while explaining that the Commission has so far failed to gazette the results

and release them publicly. GECOM has said that the PPP/C’s failure to submit its list of Parliament Members has caused the hold up in the gazetting of the results. Ramotar argued too that if GECOM and the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) administration had any respect for the thousands of people who voted for the PPP/C, they would have long agreed to a recount or final count of the elections results, which would have removed lots of tension from the society and vindicate their position that the elections were free and fair.

Confidence

Appearing confident that the PPP/C won the May 11 elections, Ramotar reflected on the statements and admissions made by GECOM’s Chairman Dr Surujbally and the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowinfield which suggest that there were some problems in the elections process. Ramotar said it is the posture of GECOM and its continued unwillingness to cooperate has strengthened the PPP/C’s suspicions that the elections were rigged.

Stating that he led a delegation to have the issues resolved but, despite meeting agreements, the Commission did a complete summersault the next day and went ahead

with the announcement of elections results. “I took a sample to the elections commission and said these are the 22 boxes, if you can open any of them…then seven of them…then one… I said if we find that my positions are wrong then I will accept the results of these elections…when our delegation left and departed they reneged on everything,” he stated.

He surmised that the Commission’s Chairman and Chief Elections Officer may have come “under pressure” from various actors inside and outside of the Commission that led them to abandon various positions with respect to the results. “The PNC has extensive experience in rigging,” he contended, stating that sometimes more votes appeared in ballot boxes than what was on the electoral lists.

He also said closer analysis of the rejected ballots would also prove that most, if not all, were for the PPP/C; they were not spoilt but allowed to be discarded. “The new addition to the rigging was that it was done internally and that is why we are calling for reforms and that is why we are calling for Surujbally to go; he presided over rigged elections.”

PPP/C has a plan

The former President said that since the announcement of the elections results, the PPP/C has been meeting its constituents and have been updating them on what really took place during the recent elections. He stated that he has been receiving messages of encouragement and concerns about the future of the country. “A lot of our supporters feel as cheated as I do. These elections really didn’t reflect the will of the people of our country. When I go out and meet with them, I feel the pain and I feel the same uncertainty like many of them about the future of our country…,” Ramotar said. Admitting that he has moved back home and is very busy over the past few days meeting party members and supporters, he remains committed to filing the elections petition, strengthening the party to deal with this new struggle and working in the interest of all Guyanese.

Banks DIH ups capital spending in 1st half of 2015 – Reis

Banks DIH Limited Chairman and Managing Director Clifford Reis has reported that the Group’s thirdparty revenue for the first six months of the financial year has increased by 7.8 per cent , with the Group recording $14.07 billion compared with $13.05 billion, an increase of $1.02 billion recorded for the corresponding period in 2014.

Reis said the unaudited profit before taxation for the Group for the six months ended March 31, 2015 was $2.55 billion, as against $2.31 billion achieved in 2014, an increase of $234 million or 10.1 per cent. The unaudited profit before taxation for Banks DIH Limited was $1.86 billion compared to $1.59 billion, an increase of $274.0 million or 17.0 per cent, while the unaudited net profit after taxation was $1.15 billion compared to $1.05 billion achieved in 2014,

an increase of $100.0 million or 9.5 per cent.

Reis reported that Citizens Bank Guyana Inc achieved an unaudited profit after taxation of $459.3 million compared to $500.6 million in 2014. “The results of the Company for the six months were influenced by increase in revenues due

to better physical sales turnover and a reduction in other operating expenses,” he reported.

According to Reis, Banks DIH continues to realise the benefit of better efficiencies resulting from modernising its production capabilities, especially in the brewery, soft drink, water, rum and

wine and ice-cream production facilities.

“These were complemented with the support services upgrade of the power generation, CO2 production, steam generation and water supplies systems,” the Chairman reported.

He said during the first half of the financial year,

major capital expenditure was directed towards the acquisition and installation of a new Trisco biscuit oven and other equipment across the Company.

The new Crème Select IceCream Outlet on Main Street was completed and opened for business in December last year.

“I would also like to advise you of the completion of the construction of the New Amsterdam Branch of Citizens Bank. The Bank was opened for business in November 2014, as part of our ongoing objective of offering state-of-the art facilities in pursuit of higher level of service to our customers,” he added.

Reis said in the second half of the year, capital works will be continued with the installation of an In-line blow moulding machine for the water production facilities, a new filler for the beer plant, the acquisition of additional trucks and forklifts and further upgrade of

Demico House facilities. In addition, the Company will continue to monitor its production processes to derive better efficiencies, manage its financial resources and control expenses in order to sustain profitability.

Reis declared: “We will continue our programme of “Refreshing Partnerships” by furthering the engagement with all of our stakeholders including customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders in pursuit of higher stakeholder satisfaction.”

The Directors have approved an interim dividend of $0.17 per share unit to all shareholders whose names appear on the register as at May 14, 2015. This will result in a dividend payment of $170.0 million. The shareholders’ equity was increased to $23.781 billion, which equates to $23.78 per share.

Banks DIH officials in discussion with customers and dealers during a tour

Former President Donald Ramotar

GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally

President David Granger

Regional

White House threatens to veto Cuba travel curbs

The White House signalled its intent on Tuesday to veto legislation that would stymie United States President Barack Obama’s push to open travel to Cuba, the latest political clash over his landmark foreign policy goal.

The Transportation Bill includes measures designed to scupper President Obama’s broader effort to thaw Cuba ties that were set in deep freeze during the Cold War. “His senior advisors would recommend that he veto the Bill,” the White House said in a statement.

Congress is considering a Bill that would restrict flights and cruise ships from going to Cuba,

travel the Obama Administration has encouraged. In the White House’s view, it would also “place unnecessary restrictions on options for educational, religious, or other permitted travel” to the communist island.

Republicans keen to connect with Cuban American voters have opposed Obama’s plan to improve ties, citing persistent political persecution in Cuba. The field of prospective Republican Presidential Candidates includes Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, both of whom have their political base in Florida and have close ties to the Cuban-American community. (Jamaican Observer)

Trinidad public servant wins TT$1M in unlawful imprisonment lawsuit

AHigh Court on Monday awarded a public servant nearly TT$1 million in compensation after she was forcibly placed in a mental institution three years ago. Justice Judith Jones ordered the Northwest Regional Health Authority (NRHA) to pay Cheryl Miller TT$835,000 after she filed the unlawful imprisonment lawsuit.

Miller was taken from her workplace in 2012 to the St Ann’s Hospital, where she spent two weeks, before a habeas corpus action freed her. The judge ruled that Miller be compensated TT$310,000 in special damages, TT$450,000 in general damages, and TT$75,000 in exemplary damages.

Four other defendants in the lawsuit – the Attorney General, the Permanent Secretary and

Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Gender Affairs Ministry, and former Minister of Gender Affairs, Youth and Child Development

Mexican teachers protest education reform after Govt weakens stance

Thousands of Mexican teachers protested on the streets of Mexico City against a crucial part of President Enrique Pena Nieto’s education reform, sensing that the Government’s support for it was crumbling.

On Friday, the Education Ministry said it would suspend the planned teacher evaluations opposed by militant teaching unions in Mexico, which fear it will curb their power. The decision followed months of agitation from union members, and sparked condemnation from opposition lawmakers and supporters of the law, who said it would gut the reform.

Buoyed by the retreat, 10,000 teachers and opponents of what Pena Nieto has argued is his most important piece of legislation massed on the Paseo de la Reforma, one of the capital’s main boulevards, in an effort to kill off

evaluations altogether.

“The evaluations are punitive,” said Juan Carlos Lopez, 42, a primary school teacher. “It’s a justification to fire teachers on a massive scale.”

Supporters of the reform said it was urgently needed to improve flagging educational standards and root out cor-

ruption in teaching unions. Its critics argue that many poorer teachers lack the financial support to meet required standards.

Opposition to education reform has been strongest among teachers in the southwest of Mexico. Some protesters have threatened to

OECS countries examining impacts of acidic ocean on economies

Organisations of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member countries are examining the impacts of the more acidic ocean on their economies, as research shows the effects could be devastating.

Facilitator Rachel Allen said a recent workshop on the issue was “the start” of a process of taking stock of the issue of ocean acidification, and its potential to reduce availability of food, wipe away livelihoods and diminish growth in key sectors such as fisheries and tourism.

At the start of the workshop which was attended by about 40 participants from across the OECS and beyond, Allen demonstrated through an experiment using sea shells and muriatic acid the process and results of ocean acidification, where PH levels and colour were significantly changed.

“It is an environmental issue

that has the potential to cripple the tourism and fisheries industries,” Allen said, adding that “given the scale and importance of these industries to our small islands, it is difficult to speak about complete adaptation”.

Dr Asha Singh, head of the Oceans Governance Unit at the OECS Commission also spoke of the potential impacts on OECS nations, noting that ocean acidification has the potential to “derail OECS efforts to harness the potential of the blue economy, as the phenomenon can limit or totally destroy the health attributes associated with our coral reefs”.

Over the next few weeks, the OECS will work on developing a plan of action that will form the basis to assist member states in addressing the impacts of acidification on the ocean’s resources and on the sustainability of its dependent sectors. (Excerpt from Caribbean 360)

interfere with nationwide elections due to be held next Sunday. The need for improvement is clear, and only two weeks ago, Pena Nieto hailed the education reform as the one that would “without doubt” have the biggest impact on Mexico’s future.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Verna St Rose-Greaves – were not found to be liable in the case.

Miller, an employee of the Ministry of Gender Affairs, Youth and Child Development, had been detained on March 20, 2012, under Section 15 of the Mental Health Act, which states that on the orders of a mental health officer, a person who looks mentally ill, may be taken to a mental-health institution if they are found wandering at “a highway or public place”.

Miller was released from the mental institution on April 5, after Justice Vasheist Kokaram ordered that she be released and psychologically evaluated by an independent practitioner.

The report done by psychiatrist Dr Gerard Hutchinson found that she did not pose a danger to herself or to members of the public.

(Jamaican Observer)

Questions being raised about St Lucia’s decision to open embassy in Taiwan

The decision by the St Lucia Government to open an embassy in Taiwan has come under scrutiny from the opposition Lucian People’s Movement (LPM), which described the move as “baffling” and called for public disclosure on the costs associated with the opening.

Government announced on Monday that an embassy would be opened in the International Trade Building in Taipei on Thursday.

Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony left the island for Taiwan over the weekend with other government officials, ahead of the opening ceremony.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the LPM said the decision to establish the full-fledged embassy “is not only baffling from a foreign policy

perspective but also raises a number of serious questions concerning the illusionary bubble within which the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) Government has operated over the last three and a half years”. It added that “given the unsettled nature of Taiwan’s political status, coupled with our own financial constraints here at home”, it would have been more sensible for the Government to appoint a cultural and economic representative in Taiwan. Instead, the party said, the administration had gone the contentious and financially burdensome route of establishing an embassy. During his trip, Anthony will meet with Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou and other senior officials of the Taiwanese Government.

(Excerpt from Caribbean 360)

Jamaica’s National Security Minister says Police strike putting public at risk

Rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have started industrial action to press for an improved wage offer from the Government, but National Security Minister Peter Bunting is calling on them to go back to work, saying their action puts the public at risk.

Government has offered a five per cent increase over 24 months, following a five-year public sector wage freeze that ended in March. The Jamaica Police Federation is demanding at least a 20 per cent increase for entry-level officers. To protest the administration’s refusal to go higher, Police began sick-out action at several stations from midnight yesterday.

In making his appeal for the action to ceases, Bunting said in a statement from his Ministry,

“This behaviour is not appropriate for an essential service; it exposes the public to unnecessary risk; and may damage the professional image of the JCF that has seen significant improvements in recent years.”

Based on Jamaica’s crime statistics, industrial action from our Police Force is beyond frightening. The Ministry said contingency measures have been put in place, including the increased use of Jamaica Defence Force personnel to support the Police.

“The Ministry of National Security stands ready to assist the negotiations between the Police Federation and the Ministry of Finance and Planning once this action is discontinued and the parties return to the bargaining table,” the release added. (Caribbean 360)

Cheryl Miller

Members of a teacher’s union take part in a march in Mexico City, Mexico

National Security Minister Peter Bunting

Hundreds missing in Chinese tourist ship disaster

Hundreds of people remain missing after a tourist ship carrying more than 450 people sank on the Yangtze River in central China. Five bodies have been retrieved and at least 15 people rescued, including the Captain and the ship’s Chief Engineer - who have both been detained - according to state media reports.

Hours after the incident, which occurred late Monday night, it is reported that more passengers were still alive and inside the Eastern Star. Images shown on state broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers lying on the upturned ship attempting to communicate with potential survivors inside.

The Yangtze River navi-

gation administration said the ship capsized during a “cyclone” at Jianli in Hubei province. Chinese meteorological officials have been tasked to study the weather conditions at the time of the accident.

State media also reported that more than 2,100 soldiers and policemen are taking part in search and rescue operations, which are complicated by strong winds and heavy rain. More than 150 ships are also involved.

Most of the passengers were said to be tourists aged between 50 and 80 years old, who were about to go to sleep as the vessel sank. It is reported that there were 405 Chinese passengers, five travel agency workers and 47 crew members on board the ship that was en route from Nanjing to Chongqing.

President Xi Jinping asked that no efforts be spared in search and rescue operations, and Premier Li Keqiang travelled to the area.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

UN condemns expulsion of Toby Lanzer

The United Nations has condemned the expulsion of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer. Lanzer, a United Kingdom citizen, was given no explanation as to why he had been asked to leave the country, the UN said. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the Government to reverse the decision immediately.

Months of fighting have left an estimated 40 per cent of South Sudan’s population in need of food aid and more than two million have been displaced.

A spokesman for Ban said that Lanzer had been “instrumental in addressing the increasing humanitarian needs” of the people.

“The Secretary General calls on the Government of South Sudan to reverse its decision immediately. He further urges the Government to cooperate fully with all United Nations entities present in South Sudan,” a statement said. The UN said Lanzer was not in South Sudan on Monday, however he

planned to return to wrap up final business. Lanzer was coming to the end of his term and the UN had already announced he was to be replaced by Eugene Owusu of Ghana.

Violence broke out in South Sudan in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his sacked deputy, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup. Machar denied the allegation but then formed a rebel army.

Earlier this month, Lanzer warned that more than 300,000 people were without access to vital aid because of fighting in Unity state. “Ongoing hostilities in Unity state have now obliged all non-governmental organisations and UN agencies to evacuate staff from Leer and other locations,” he said.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Tobacco firms to pay billions in damages

ACanadian court has ordered three tobacco companies - Imperial Tobacco Canada, Rothmans Benson & Hedges and JTIMacDonald - to pay CA$15.5 billion (US$12 billion), the largest award for damages in the country’s history. The plaintiffs were Quebec smokers who said the firms failed to warn them of health risks associated with smoking. The three companies have vowed to appeal against the decision. The class-action lawsuits were filed in 1998, but only recently went to trial

in the courts. The firms argued that Canadians have had a “high awareness” of smoking health risks since the 1950s. “That awareness has been reinforced by the health warnings printed on every legal cigarette package for more than 40 years,” JTI-Macdonald said in a statement.

However the plaintiffs argued that the companies did not properly warn their customers and failed in their general duty “not to cause injury to another person”, according to the Quebec Superior Court decision.

Around the World

MH370 disappearance: Negligence suit settled out of court

Two Malaysian children who lost their father on flight MH370 have settled their negligence case out of court. It is thought to be the first such case since the plane went missing between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing in March 2014.

The children’s mother said she had accepted compensation from Malaysia Airlines and the Government so the boys could move on with their lives. The amount has not been disclosed. The search for the plane, which was carrying 239 people, continues.

The family of Jee Jing Hang, who was on the plane, brought a lawsuit against Malaysia Airlines on behalf of his two young sons last October for breach of contract, as it had failed to deliver passengers to Beijing.

The family also brought claims against the Malaysian Government, the Department of Civil Aviation, the Immigration Department and the Air Force for negligence. “The court was informed that all the parties in the suit had come to an amicable settlement,” Gary Edward Chong,

a lawyer for the family, told a news agency on Tuesday. The families of other victims have been following the case closely and experts believe this settlement will trigger other similar legal actions.

No wreckage from the flight has ever been found and an Australian-led team is still scouring the southern Indian Ocean seabed in hope of finding the aircraft. The airline was declared “technically bankrupt” by its Chief Executive Officer on Monday as he announced plans to cut about 6,000 jobs. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Sierra Leone to be Ebola free in “matter of weeks”

Sierra Leone will be free of the Ebola virus in a “matter of weeks”, but stopping the deadly disease in Guinea will take more time, the United Nations’ Ebola Chief said. Speaking in New York on Monday, Dr David Nabarro said that the overall outbreak of the virus in West Africa would end “in the foreseeable future”.

“The general trend lines are that increasingly, new cases are known contacts of people who’ve already got the disease, and also when cases are detected they’re brought under treatment

quickly,” Nabarro stated. “And that means that we believe that it’s only a matter of weeks before the outbreak is ended in Sierra Leone,” he said, “and that’s because of strong participation of communities, a very coordinated national response, and strong leadership from Ernest (Bai) Koroma, the President.”

Touching the body of an Ebola victim can transmit the disease, but traditional burials in Guinea are hands on and determine whether the spirit of the dead person will move into others in the

community in a happy way or will be disturbed and take it out on people, Nabarro said.

Since the outbreak was officially acknowledged over a year ago approximately 11,000 people have died across West Africa with Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia bearing the brunt of the epidemic.

Nigeria and Senegal were declared Ebola free last year, and Mali followed in January 2015. Liberia was declared free of the disease last month. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

India cuts interest rates for 3rd time this year

They represent nearly one million smokers who were unable to quit or who suffer from throat or lung cancer, or emphysema.

Explaining his ruling, Judge Brian Riordan said, “The companies earned billions of dollars at the expense of the lungs, the throats and the general well-being of their customers...If the companies are allowed to walk away unscathed now, what would be the message to other industries that today or tomorrow find themselves in a similar moral conflict?” (BBC News)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cut interest rates for the third time this year to help boost growth in Asia’s third largest economy. The central bank cut its key repo rate to 7.25 per cent from 7.50 per cent, as widely expected, after taking similar moves in January and March this year.

The cut comes despite India becoming the world’s fastest-growing major economy, recently beating China. The Indian economy grew by 7.5 per cent in the January to March period compared with a year ago, outstrip-

ping the 7 per cent figure for China, the world’s second largest economy. China has also cut interest rates three times in the past six months.

Despite the strong growth, analysts have pointed to other economic indicators which suggest soft patches in India’s economy. Other data released on Tuesday, indicated that consumers were less optimistic about the economy.

“With low domestic capacity utilisation, still mixed indicators of recovery, and subdued investment and credit growth, there is a case for a cut in the policy rate to-

day,” the central bank said in a statement.

Added to that, consumer price inflation hit a fourmonth low of 4.87 per cent in April - within the central bank’s target range of 2-6 per cent - which gave it enough room to ease rates, economists said. However, the central bank warned that it would track inflation data and keep a close eye on risks to food prices if seasonal monsoon rains were weaker than expected, global oil prices recovered or the local currency weakened from volatile global markets. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Divers managed to save this man from the Eastern Star

The outbreak has claimed the lives of approximately 11,000 people in West Africa

Toby Lanzer

APNU/AFC names list of MPs

...Bond, Williams, Jones out; Charandass in

By Gomatie GanGadin

he APNU+AFC coa-

Tlition has left off its list of Parliamentary representatives youth and sports activists: James Bond, Christopher Jones and Trevor Williams- three young men who had carried the parties’ messages throughout the bruising elections campaign.

Though not selected for any ministerial posts, it was widely expected that the youngsters would have made the cut for Parliament, but this was not to be based on the list of candidates submitted by the coalition to the Guyana

Elections Commission. It is unclear whether the three men would be selected as Parliamentary Secretaries or take up any of the presidential advisor positions to be created. There were no real surprises on the list except two brand new MPs from Region 10 (Upper Demerara, Berbice)-Audwin Rutherford and Jermaine Figuiera. Richard Allen of Region One (Barima/Waini) who was forced to retire in the 10th Parliament due to ill health has returned as well as Jenifer Wade of Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice) and John Adams of Region Three (Essequibo Island/West Demerara. Attorney, Charandass Persaud of Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne) has been given the nod ahead of Veerasammy Ramayyah and Michael Carrington is in for Region Seven. Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and all 25 of the ministers and junior ministers will take up seats in the House which is expected to be convened on June 10.

President David Granger has already come under scrutiny for selecting a Cabinet of older persons. One report suggested that the average age of the members of the cabinet appears to be 55-years-old, although 60% of the voting population is between the ages of 18 and 35. Granger had however defended this saying that youths are adequately represented in his cabinet. “You can’t fake experience. We need the experience. There are only two persons in the entire cabinet

who have had cabinet experience and we need to ensure that persons who have experience in other fields are in positions to lead those ministries”, the President had explained. Granger had further explained that the reason he appointed Ministers within in the Ministries is so that they can understudy the senior ministers and be in a position to take over in a few years time. “What you see now will not be what will exist in a few years from now. We have a lot of young Ministers and a lot of female Ministers too who will be graduating.” He said the cabinet will provide “an apprenticeship” for younger and other Ministers.

The full list reads:

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes; Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs; Basil Williams; Finance Minister, Winston Jordan; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Tourism, Cathy Hughes; Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings; Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence; Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally; Minister of Communities; Ronald Bulkan; Minister of Education; Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine; Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry; Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People, Valerie Garrido Lowe; Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott; Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma; Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder; Minister of Business and Investment, Dominic Gaskin; Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson; Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sydney Allicock ; Minister if Citizenship, Winston Felix; Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hasting. The Regional MPs

are: Charandass Persaud; Michael Carrington; Richard Allen; Audwin Rutherford; Jermaine Figuiera; John Adams and Jennifer Wade.

Speaking to the Guyana Times on Tuesday, Representative of the List, Professor Harold Lutchman, who made the presentation to GECOM, related that as far as he was aware, there were no problems in the parties on the selection of the names or during the discussions. He however related that he could not say much on the matter, since as Representative of the List, he is only tasked with the responsibility of handing the list over to GECOM. “I am

just the post office. The parties bring it to me and I take it to GECOM,” Dr Lutchman related. In the meantime, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is still to submit its list to the Guyana Elections Commission for the information to be gazetted and made public. The party has indicated that it is still in the process of facilitation discussions to decide on whether it will be taking up the seats in the National Assembly and if it does the members who will be representing the party.

Argentine tango dancers, musicians to entertain Guyanese

As Guyana seeks to strengthen its relationship with the fellow South American country, Argentina, Guyanese will be afforded the opportunity to experience a taste the country’s culture through the art forms of dance and music.

The Embassy of Argentina, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture, will be hosting a concert featuring a famous Tango group, consisting of three professional guitar players and two dancers.

Entitled “Sutil Tango”, the concert will be held at the National Cultural Centre on Sunday, June 7. The show brings the passion, romance and magic of tango through music, dance and song. Tango is said to be one of the most popular dances in Argentina.

During a press conference on Tuesday at the Education Ministry’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport Office located on Main Street, Georgetown, Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry, and Argentine Ambassador Luis Alberto Martino introduced the performers to the media while revealing their schedule during their stay in Guyana.

Minister Henry, who was conducting her first press conference since her appoint-

ment, noted that this is a fruitful engagement for the two countries as it gives the public an opportunity to understand and appreciate another country’s culture. This is also a good means of integration and the strengthening of ties between Guyana and Argentina, she said.

While acknowledging the good relations between the two countries, Ambassador Martino indicated that the intent of these cultural engagements is to provide ample vision of the cultural expressions. He added that the embassy is also planning a week of Argentine films, which will showcase another aspect of the country’s art form.

Over the past few years, Guyana and Argentine have had a fruitful relationship which has seen cultural groups visiting Guyana to share their knowledge and skills. Only in October last year, popular Argentine folklore singer Nestor Basurto visited the country on a 10day tour, during which he taught music to students and performed at several concerns across the country.

The dancers, Alicia Orlando and Claudio Barneix, have been performing together since 1981 and are members of the Argentine National Tango Academy and the Astor Piazzolla International

Together, they have performed in many prestigious international art festivals and theatres in Europe, Asia, Central America and the United States of America. They were also apart of films such as “Evita” directed by Alan Parker; “A Tango Story”; and the Argentina-Spain coproduction “No Dejareque no me Quieras”. Both dancers had major roles in the films. The guitar trio was formed in 2000, and include Rodolfo Gorosito, Armando De la Vega and guest musician Sebastian Zambrana. The trio recreates the most profound and essential form of tango through its compositions in different periods. They have also performed in many music halls in Argentina, and have travelled to London, Paris, Zurich and the Middle East.

Over the next week, the group will be travelling to Linden, New Amsterdam, and the University of Guyana Campuses for outreach programmes. There will also be music and dance workshops on Thursday, June 4, at the National Dance School and National School of Music; and a grand performance will be held at the National Cultural Centre on June 7 at 20:00h. That event is open to the public.

Forklift driver gets 5-year sentence

Forklift driver Balgobin Persaud was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. The defendant was found guilty of the charge which read that on August 6, 2014, at Dennis Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, he drove a forklift in a dangerous manner causing the death of Latchman Sukhdeo. According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones, on the day in question, at around 08:00h, Persaud drove out from Crown Mining and turned West onto Dennis Street when he collided with Sukhdeo, who was a riding a motorcycle. Sukhdeo, who was an employee of the University of Guyana’s

Library Department, received severe injuries and later succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The Magistrate told the defendant that based on the evidence, it is clear that he drove the vehicle in a dangerous manner resulting in the death of the deceased. A prima facie case has been made against him.

Persaud, who resides at 155 Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, offered his defence as an unsworn statement on May 27. The defendant, who was at the time out on $1 million bail, claimed that he was driving from the Crown Mining Supply’s building and, while approaching Dennis Street, stopped on the parapet.

The man said he looked both ways when he noticed a motorcycle riding towards him. He said when the motorcycle got close to where the forklift was situated, the driver swerved away from a pothole causing him to swerve into the lane in which he was driving the forklift.

Balgobin Persaud was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving

He said after the incident, public spirited persons took the cyclist to the hospital. The defendant said that a short while later, he went to the Kitty Police Station where he made a report. After considering all of the facts and the evidence presented during the trial, the Magistrate found the defendant guilty and imposed the five year penalty on him.

Foundation. Alicia is the main choreographer at the foundation.

Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry and Argentine Ambassador Luis Alberto Martino, along with performers at the press conference on Tuesday at the Education Ministry’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport Office on Main Street

Christopher Jones

Trevor Williams James Bond

Dead: Latchman Sukhdeo

3 of 4 malfunctioning city pumps now working

After being neglected for more than a year, three of the four malfunctioning city pumps were repaired on Tuesday, and assisted in draining floodwaters which accumulated in the capital city after torrential rain over the weekend.

The pumps located at Sussex Street, JP Santos and South Ruimveldt were fixed, while the Lamaha Street device was dismantled and was in the work-

shop undergoing repairs. It is expected to be reinstalled today. In addition, all the sluices are in operation with the exception of the one at Lamaha Street which is also being repaired. A privately-owned sluice at Meadow Bank South is also inoperable at the moment.

Mayor Hamilton Green confirmed that the pumps were now functional, and expressed hope that with the relevant maintenance, massive flooding in the city would no longer be an issue.

The situation on Sunday when the water covered most of the city and swathes of the East Coast of Demerara was compounded by the four drainage pumps, two-thirds of the city’s six being inoperable. The pumps at Kingston and Lamaha Canals were the only two pumps working at the time.

Green had claimed that the lack of financing was the reason for the pumps being neglected.

At a press conference on Monday, it was revealed that the pumps required urgent and costly repairs, but the City Council lacked the necessary finance to address the issue.

On Tuesday, Green indicated that the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government provided the necessary finance to ensure the pumps were once again up and running.

Meanwhile, questioned as to what the money re-

The Mayor said the money was not enough and only stretched to pay workers and take care of minor issues, or perhaps was not managed effectively, to provide workers with the necessary tools needed to conduct their work.

“What’s the sense of pay-

ceived from the previous People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government was used for, Green was limited in his response.

ing workers if they don’t have the tools to work?” Green asserted. He went on to complain of all the projects and are-

as that were neglected due to lack of funds, including maintenance of the markets and cemeteries.

Green also disclosed that the Council had not enough funding to upkeep the Promenade Gardens, noting that Republic Bank, through its corporate social responsibility project, assists in this regard.

Slide in governance

These claims by the Mayor of inadequate funding have been dismissed by several PPP/C officials over the years.

Former Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker, during his tenure as Junior Minister within the Ministry, had said that the Georgetown Mayor and City Council lacked the political will to “arrest the slide in transparency and good governance at the organisation”.

He had dismissed the suggestions that the Council was ill-equipped or financially unable to respond to the changing dynamics of the city.

Speaking more pointedly, Whittaker had pointed out that the City Council

has no serious debt recovery programme in place to capture billions of dollars owed in taxes by businesses and residents. He had argued that the Council’s lack of leadership resulted too in no plan or strategy being implemented to deal with zoning, reclassification of buildings in the city, and other pertinent issues.

Whittaker had asserted that it was unreasonable for the Georgetown Council to bombard Central Government for more resources when it was not taking steps to secure and utilise what it already has at its disposal.

Flood leaves some ECD villagesmessy

− residents wary of Chikungunya, Lepto

After waking in utter shock on Sunday morning, flood affected residents from the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) are now left counting their losses as they slowly grapple with the aftermath of the massive flooding that recently struck the coastland.

Though flooding is a usual occurrence for most residents along the coastland, the extent of the flood waters this time around took many by surprise. On Sunday morning, residents woke up in a state of despair as they realised their surroundings were completely inundated, following the continuous heavy downpour.

Even more dreadful is the aftermath of the flood and the sorrowful recovery these residents have to endure before life gets back to normal. The flood was so impactful that even two days after the incident, residents were still facing the brunt of the situation. Guyana Times

visited several communities along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and spoke to a few of the residents who greatly suffered from the floodwaters.

Jocelyn, of 19 Felicity Railway Embankment, ECD, was still affected by the floodwaters when this publication visited on Tuesday. Her yard was swampy, and the stench that followed the deluge was still evident. Jocelyn explained that when she awoke on Sunday morning, she hurriedly tried to save her livestock, her two pet dogs, several pieces of furniture and carpets. “The plants damage and some lil fine things damaged, you can’t get to save everything. I throw some stuff here today to take away the smell and we just gotta deal until the water go down,” she said.

Another resident, Faraz Nazir, incurred some $100,000 in losses when the

flood waters damaged the materials he normally uses to make furniture. He noted too that, as a result of the flood, his work is delayed because the water still lingers in his working area.

In Lusignan, an area that was immensely affected by the flood, residents there mostly incurred losses in livestock.

Jabubance Mohabir, of 13 Track A Lusignan, ECD, said he woke up in a panic on Sunday morning. “The first thing I do is to come and check the stock because I didn’t expect this water to be this high. About 10 chicks dead out. I had to try to pack up the rest in their pen,” he related. Mohabir added that due to the floods, his son was unable to attend school. “Nothing ain’t really damage. It’s just the livestock and the place get messy. We didn’t expect it like this, but everything alright now,” he said.

Another Lusignan resident, who identified herself as “Vado” (only name given) lost a significant amount of livestock due to the floodwaters. “Well girl, about 15 duck dead. Sunday morning, I wake up and I throw out seven, the next day I had to throw away some more… about 15 chicken dead too. This thing cost me nuff. I trying to sell these out fast before the flood come again and kill them out,” she stated. The woman, who lives with her grandson, said it really deflated her when over 30 of her livestock perished as a result of the flood.

In Better Hope, many residents were seen throwing out damaged furniture and other items. Meanwhile, for other residents, though they did not incur any losses or damage to property, they expressed the view that the flooding was of much inconvenience. “Look at the mess

ally go downstairs because as you can see, the water still deh about, so we waiting for it to dry up before we go start clean,” a mother of three related.

Priyamattie Lalta, a grandmother of three young children, explained that the flood prevented them from attending school and her from attending work. Lalta, a domestic worker, explained that the burden of the three children is solely upon her and any missed working day can greatly impact their circumstances.

Flooding was experienced in almost all of the villages along the East Coast, as far up as Mahaica. However, the communities in the lower East Coast were mostly affected.

we got to clean up now. The

place smelling horrible. It terrible man. We had to stay up here. Until now, we have to stay up here. We

Mayor Hamilton Green

Former Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker

Pump at JP Santos

Three days after the heavy downpour, some of the houses on the East Coast of Demerara remain inundated

A Lusignan resident counting his losses

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER

If you are single or attached, now is the perfect time for romance. Do your best to improve a personal relationship, and devote extra attention to stabilizing your love life.

Your perspective will be enhanced by traveling to unfamiliar places. Embracing different cultures will make it easier to appeal to a wider variety of people who can offer you opportunities.

Finish what you start before taking on a new project. Doing too much for others will stifle your progress. Set realistic goals and adhere to them. Say no to unreasonable demands.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Call in favors and form partnerships. A creative idea that may seem too daunting to do on your own will come to fruition with additional support and input.

Highlight your best qualities in order to make an outstanding impression. Increased knowledge coupled with a confident attitude will attract both personal and professional allies.

An organized approach will help you complete your busy schedule. Don’t flit back and forth between various projects. Concentrate on one venture at a time in order to succeed.

Protect your health and assets. Insurance, medical and other documents should be given a thorough going over to make sure that you are prepared for any situation that develops.

Love is on the rise. You may be thrown off course by an enticing offer, but wait until you get a clear view of things before you make your move.

You are eager to get ahead, but a pending deal will be riddled with unanswered questions. Consider past and future trends so that you can make an informed decision. It’s important to stay motivated. Once you have dedicated your time and effort to a specific path, keep the momentum flowing. You will lose ground if you don’t stay focused.

Your involvement with a charitable or benevolent organization will bring you satisfaction and a sense of purpose. In addition, you will improve your image in the community and among your colleagues.

Emotions will surface if you pry. Don’t delve too deeply into the private lives of your peers. Your desire to learn personal details will be misinterpreted as meddling or interfering.

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

dilbert arCHie

Concussion puts Rogers out of opening Test

Aconcussion has put opener Chris Rogers out of the first Test against West Indies, after he was struck by a short ball from a net bowler during training.

The 37-year-old took a blow on the helmet from an unnamed local bowler on Sunday and while he continued the net session, he then complained of headaches and dizziness overnight.

He subsequently underwent a SCAT-3 concussion test on Monday which he failed, and was subsequently informed by team doctor Peter Brukner in a meeting with captain Michael Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann, that he would be sitting out the Test.

“This is a black and white rule now. If someone is concussed they don’t play. We used to believe concussion was a relatively in-

significant condition and I think now all the evidence shows that we’ve got to take it much more seriously,” Brukner said.

“Cricket Australia is similar to the football codes in that we are adopting that more serious approach.”

He added: “It’s a not insignificant thing to rule

someone out of a Test match. We don’t do this lightly. But my first priority and Cricket Australia’s first priority is to the individual player and his health.

“He was very disappointed and tried to talk me around as they do but I’ve spoken to the players and explained the decision to them. That’s our policy and it won’t be any different no matter who the player is.”

Head injuries have taken centre stage in cricket ever since batsman Philip Hughes died after being struck by a short pitched delivery during a first class game in Australia last November.

Rogers’s absence will now likely see Shaun Marsh being called into the squad. He hit 118 in the three-day tour match against a West Indies President’s XI last week. (CMC)

Novak Djokovic did not want it, Rafael Nadal was dreading it but fans will be transfixed when the world’s two best claycourters face off in a seismic French Open quarter-final on today. It will become the ultimate nightmare for one of the two gladiators -- both chasing records at this year’s tournament and both desperate to avoid an early flight home.

“Of course I don’t like playing a quarter-final against Novak, that’s for

sure, and I hope that Novak won’t like playing me in a quarter-final,” said Nadal, who is bidding to become the first man to win the same grand slam title 10 times.

Ever since the draw pitted the two on a last-eight collision course, Nadal stayed silent on the topic.

On Monday, Nadal, who beat Djokovic in two of the last three Roland Garros finals, finally declared: “It’s the toughest quarter-final in my career here in Roland Garros, without a doubt. But is not the final. It’s a quarter-final.”

A match befitting the final of any grand slam stage has come two rounds early due to Nadal’s slide down the rankings.

While injuries and appendicitis kept Nadal off court during the second half of 2014, 2015 has not been a stellar year by his own high standards -- he arrived in Paris without winning a European claycourt event for the first time in over a decade.

Nadal’s woes meant he entered Roland Garros

FIFA denies Valcke involvement in $10M payment

Following newspaper reports FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was involved in an illegal $10m payment, the governing body has responded.

FIFA insists secretary general Jerome Valcke was not involved in the administration of a $10 million payment outlined in last week’s United States Department of Justice indictment.

US authorities allege the sum was paid as a bribe to secure the 2010 World Cup for South Africa, with the New York Times reporting Valcke was responsible for transferring the funds to CONCACAF - then led by the indicted Jack Warner.

A FIFA statement read: “In 2007, as part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the South African Government approved a USD 10m project to support the African diaspora in Caribbean countries as part of the World Cup legacy.

Nadal and Djokovic reluctant cast in blockbuster

ranked seventh, and set him on the path to a horror 29th birthday date with Djokovic -- their earliest meeting in a tournament (not involving round robins) for eight years.

“I’m not used to playing him that early,” admitted the Serb, who is chasing his own place in the record books by becoming only the eighth man to complete the career grand slam.

“But that’s the reality and that’s a challenge that both of us have to accept.”

Beating Nadal at Roland Garros is an achievement that only one man can boast of -- Sweden’s Robin Soderling who demolished the Spaniard in the 2009 fourth round.

That blip aside, Nadal’s record in Paris stands at an eye-popping 70-1 and a 44th meeting with Djokovic promises to be a monumental contest -- one that the Spaniard is ready for.

“I will pull out all the stops to win the match. I will fight to the bitter end.”

Djokovic also engaged in some fighting talk.

“He is the player that I have played against the most in my life. So I know what I need to do to have a chance to win.”

Nadal leads their series 23-20. (Reuters)

“At the request of the South African Government, and in agreement with the South African Football Association (SAFA), FIFA was asked to process the project’s funding by withholding USD 10m from the Local Organising Committee’s (LOC) operational budget and using that to finance the Diaspora Legacy Programme.

“SAFA instructed FIFA that the Diaspora Legacy Programme should be administered and implemented directly by the President of CONCACAF who at that time was deputy chairman of the Finance Committee and who should act as the fiduciary of the Diaspora Legacy Programme Fund of USD 10m.

“The payments totalling USD 10m were authorised by the then chairman of the Finance Committee and executed in accordance with the Organisation Regulations of FIFA.

“FIFA did not incur any costs as a result of South Africa’s request because the funds belonged to the LOC. Both the LOC and SAFA adhered to the necessary formalities for the budgetary amendment.

“Neither the secretary general Jerome Valcke nor any other member of FIFA’s senior management were involved in the initiation, approval and implementation of the above project.”

The South African Government has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to the payment.

The allegations came as part of a wider operation that saw 14 people, including nine past and present FIFA officials, indicted for racketeering, conspiracy and corruption. Valcke has not been accused of any offence and was not one of the FIFA officials named in the indictment.

(Digicel SportsMAx)

Head of German FA opposes World Cup 2018 boycott

The German Football Association would not support a boycott of the 2018 World Cup in opposition to the way Fifa is running the game.

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has said England would support any such action led by Uefa following Fifa head Sepp Blatter’s re-election.

But German FA chief Wolfgang Niersbach, speaking ahead of a meeting of Uefa officials this week, said: “We don’t want to go down the route of a boycott.

“That won’t accomplish anything.”

Niersbach added: “We don’t want to get into a situation like with boxing where there are several parallel associations. That doesn’t work.”

Blatter, 79, was last week re-elected for a fifth term as the president of football’s world governing body despite seven Fifa officials being arrested by the US Justice Department over allegations of corruption. Blatter himself has not been implicated.

Niersbach’s comments come on the day that Blatter’s top deputy Jerome Valcke denied allegations that he is the person responsible for a $10m (£6m) transfer of funds cited in the US indictment.

Swiss prosecutors have launched a separate investigation into the bidding process for the tournaments in 2018 and 2022, which will be held in Russia and Qatar respectively. (BBC Sport)

Chris Rogers

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ready to face off

Wolfgang Niersbach

Simmons says Windies focused despite Shiv controversy

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons says he does not believe the controversy surrounding the axing of veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul has impacted negatively on the side’s focus ahead of the opening Test against Australia starting Wednesday.

Regional selectors have come under fire over the last week for their decision to axe Chanderpaul from the squad, with former batting star Brian Lara going as far as to call for his re-inclusion in the squad.

However, Simmons said the Windies had gone about the business of preparing for the series in a professional manner.

“I don’t think the team has been distracted. I think we came yesterday and we looked like we wanted to practice and we started practicing properly,” the

Trinidadian told reporters here Monday.

“Today will show the same thing and tomorrow. It’s about the team and we just have to make sure that we are ready as a team for the Test match on Wednesday.”

Chanderpaul averages nearly 50 in 20 Tests against Australia, and boasts an overall Test average of 51 from 164 Tests. He has also scored 11 867 runs along with 30 centuries. In his absence, selec-

tors have drafted in two uncapped players with wicketkeeper/batsman

Shane Dowrich and opener Rajindra Chandrika named in the 14 squad for the first Test.

Simmons said he was thrilled by the morale in the squad and pointed out they were trying to build on the momentum gained from the 1-1 draw in the recent three-Test series against England.

“We’re always confident. Once we prepare properly

FIFA scandal deepens as Blatter aide linked to payments

U.S. prosecutors believe FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s top lieutenant made $10 million in bank transactions that are central to the bribery investigation of the world soccer body, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general, is described in an indictment filed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, as an unidentified “high-ranking FIFA official” who in 2008 transferred the sum to another FIFA official, Jack Warner.

Valcke is not named as a defendant and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. He was not immediately available for comment.

A spokeswoman for FIFA said the $10 million in bank transactions were authorized by the thenFIFA Finance Committee chairman. The Finance Committee chairman was Julio Grondona, who died last year.

Valcke and Blatter are the top two officials within FIFA.

Valcke’s connection to the case was first reported by The New York Times. The Times said Valcke had written in an email to the newspaper that he neither had authorized the payment nor had the power to do so.

As new questions arose in the FIFA scandal, more officials were arrested, suspended or banned on Monday, and countries

were weighing a World Cup boycott amid controversy over the re-election of Blatter as FIFA president on Friday.

As news broke of Valcke’s alleged connection to the case, FIFA announced that Valcke would not attend the opening of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 due to begin on Saturday as previously scheduled.

“It is important that he attends to matters at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich,” FIFA said in a statement.

SUSPENSION AND

In Paraguay, a judge on Monday ordered house arrest for the former president of South America’s soccer federation, Nicolas Leoz, accused of involvement in the scandal.

England called for a boycott but a senior UEFA official cast doubt on an outright move, while Sweden’s soccer authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a boycott, Swedish FA chairman Karl-Erik Nilsson told Reuters.

Following Blatter’s reelection as FIFA president, the English Football Association’s chairman

Jerome Valcke

BANS

In Zurich, Enrique Sanz, the general secretary of CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football), was suspended and Congolese Football Association (FECAFOOT) officials Jean Guy Blaise Mayolas and Badji Mombo Wantete were provisionally banned by FIFA’s ethics committee.

Greg Dyke said his organization would support any boycott led by UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations.

English Football Association board member Heather Rabbatts said she was withdrawing from FIFA’s task force against racism and discrimination with immediate effect.

“Like many in the game, I find it unacceptable that so little has been done to reform FIFA,” Rabbatts said in a statement. (Reuters)

which we have been doing regularly – in the England series we did that and we’re doing that now – so once you prepare properly you have to be confident about what the team can do,” Simmons stressed.

“We played well in the three Test matches [against England]. We need to im-

prove because it’s Australia – no disrespect to England – and we’re trying to do that as much as possible.”

Simmons said the camp in Barbados last week for 12 members of the 14-man squad, had been a huge benefit for the side.

“The energy has been brilliant. We had a fiveday camp in Barbados and the energy has been there, the camaraderie, the whole enjoyment of being there and training hard has been there.”

The first Test will be played at Windsor Park here with the second bowling off at Sabina Park in Jamaica on June 11. (CMC)

Ivanovic and Safarova reach French Open semi-finals

Seventh-seed Ana Ivanovic reached the French Open semi-finals after brushing aside Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-2 at a blustery Roland Garros.

Serbia’s Ivanovic, the 2008 champion, overcame difficult conditions to produce a polished performance.

Ivanovic will face Lucie Safarova for a place in the final after the Czech beat Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (7-

3) 6-3.

Safarova carried on from where she left off after defeating defending champion Maria Sharapova on Monday.

Muguruza survived a 10-minute seventh game in the opening set, saving four break points before Safarova swept through the tiebreak.

A crucial break in the sixth game of the second set was enough to put the 28-year-old on the way to

the semi-finals.

“It’s hard to explain my feelings....wow! I am excited and ready to face Ana,” said Safarova.

Ivanovic, 27, last made the semi-finals of a major on her way to her only Grand Slam title in Paris seven years ago.

“The wind was really strong and the ball was bouncing all over the place so I just needed to stay calm and use my feet more,” said Ivanovic. (BBC Sport)

Cameron outlines reason for ditching council to oversee WICB

President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron says one of the reasons for rejecting the idea of a Council to oversee West Indies Cricket is because it would not have been an elected body

The recommendation to implement a Council was made by former Jamaica Prime Minister PJ Patterson, who, in 2007, chaired a Committee, which included Dr. Ian McDonald and Sir Alister McIntyre.

The committee presented their findings to the Julian Hunte-led organisation after carrying out a review of the governance of West Indies cricket, commissioned by the then WICB president Ken Gordon.

“The board rejected that idea, the board felt that at every step of the way we are all elected members,” said

Cameron as he addressed a town hall meeting here on Monday night.

“Why should we all be elected, work in cricket and then there is some eminent counsel chosen by whom to elect and lead this body”

The report, also known as the Governance Report, examined all the major facets of West Indies cricket

and advanced solutions to issues of leadership, marketing, Board structure and the relationship between the Board and players.

The Patterson report also recommended the formation of a reconstituted body called West Indies Cricket to oversee cricket in the Caribbean.

Cameron said the WICB has implemented “about 80 to 90 per cent” of the Patterson report.

“The big thing we haven’t implemented is a council… that would sit on top of the West Indies Cricket Board”, he said.

“You may say well, who are you accountable to. I am accountable to you all and that’s why we are here this evening…we are accountable to the territorial boards who have elected us and to the governments of the region…” (CMC)

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NPG Basketball tournament… Warriors grab 67-65 win over Black Sharks

The Fyrish Black Sharks suffered their first loss in the NPG Packaging Plant Basketball Tournament for teams in Berbice when they went down 65-67 to New Amsterdam Warriors at the Fyrish Basketball Court on Sunday.

It was the first win for the Warriors after losing to Smythfield Rockers earlier in the tournament.

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The Black Sharks were up to the challenge for the first half of the game and took a 31-30 lead by half time.

The home team could find no answer for the accurate shooting of Randy Caesar who scored 17 points in the third quarter including 3-three pointers to give the Warriors a 54-44 lead at the end of the third period.

Caesar scored a game high of 35 points aided by five three-pointers. He received good support from Kevin Thom (15) and Edmar Semple (10).

Meanwhile the win means that the Warriors are on three points and only need a win to catch Fyrish Black Sharks who lead all tams.

Their final game will be against Ithica Hardliners which is still to record a win in any basket ball competition sanctioned by the Berbice Amateur Basketball Association (BABA).

Also vying for a joint position at the top of the points table is Smythfield Rockers when they take on Ithica Hardliners on Sunday at the Ithica Court. A win for the Rockers will see them finishing the zone jointly

The game between the Warriors and the Hardliners had to be postponed twice; first, because the Vryman’s Ervin Basketball Court in New Amsterdam was waterlogged and on the second occasion because of an unscheduled opening of the Berbice River Bridge which prevented the Warriors from crossing the river on time to participate in the game which was slated for the Ithica Court. A new date is yet to be set for the game.

The tournament is being organised by Vibert Garret and is being played on a round-robin basis in two groups.

Rose

Hall Town Jammers and Canje Knights have qualified from Zone ‘A’ for the semi final round.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Warner was a hero for sport in Trinidad

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, Raymond Tim Kee, has come out in defence of the stewardship of embattled FIFA vice president Jack Warner.

Warner, whose tenure as CONCACAF president lasted for some 21 years, is facing extradition to the United States on a dozen charges of corruption, racketeering and money laundering.

Tim Kee has, however, hailed the former TTFA consultant’s dedication to foot-

ball in the twin-island republic.

“Remember when Mr Warner was president of CONCACAF and CFU, he was very much inward thinking in terms of what Trinidad is getting into,”

Tim Kee told Trinidad and Tobago publication, Newsday.

“Warner worked so hard to the point where our funny kind of thinking people felt that he was pulling strings for Trinidad’s benefit. All the rumours about Warner set-

ting up matches for Trinidad to win and other ideas of the sort all of a sudden began to circulate,” he added.

According to the TTFA president, the former CONCACAF vice president was simply making sure the twin-island republic were in a position to benefit from what was available.

“However, what Mr Warner was really doing was looking after Trinidad and trying to put Trinidad and Tobago in a position to have an equal chance because he would have known, of course, (about) where he sat, how many things were available and how many were not. Everything came and happened and he was then replaced by another Caribbean man, Jeffrey Webb,” Tim Kee added.

According to Tim Kee, the attention then began to shift away from the nation, as Webb choose to focus on the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. (Digicel SportsMax)

Somerset fan swims to retrieve Gayle 6-ball

Gayle signed the

Some people bid huge sums of money for memorabilia at auction, some wait hours to get it signed, others swim for it. And Martin Bullock did just that when Somerset’s Chris Gayle smashed a six into Taunton’s River Tone on Sunday.

It was the West Indian’s 15th six of his unbeaten 151 in the T20 defeat against Kent and Bullock, of Cornwall, reckoned it was

worth getting wet for.

“Take a bow sir - that was quite sensational today! I swam for my souvenir at the end,” he tweeted.

Chris Gayle responded to footage of Martin swimming for the ball

“Never seen cricket like that before! Simply breathtaking from Chris Gayle,” added Martin, who was filmed swimming for the ball. And Gayle was similarly impressed when he saw the footage. “Hats off to you Champ,” he tweeted in reply.

Gayle’s contribution - along with 92 against Essex in his first Somerset T20 match - has left fans in awe of the Jamaican’s hitting power.

The 35-year-old is the first man to score more than 150 twice in the T20 format and holds the most T20 centuries in all on 15. (BBC)

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National Schools Physical Display Championships slated for June 4-5

The Ministry of Education will be staging a gymnastic presentation entitled “National Schools Physical Display Championships” to commemorate the 49th Independence Anniversary Celebrations of Guyana on Thursday and Friday, June 4-5 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall commencing at 10:00h.

The Physical Display Championship includes competitions in five categories; Jump Rope and Combination for Primary schools; SkipBe Fit, Pyramids and Combinations for Secondary schools. It is expected that

approximately five hundred children from Primary and Secondary schools from across Guyana will be involved.

The Objectives of this exercise are to: expand the scope of Physical Education in schools; promote good sportsmanship amongst students and teachers; display the talents of children of Primary and Secondary schools from all Regions; and celebrate the 49th Independence Anniversary of Guyana through the Expressive Arts.

Schools have shown a growing interest in the skipping aspect of the pro-

gramme. This year coordinating team from the Unit of Allied Arts, Ministry of Education has included a new competition branded “Skip-Be Fit” for secondary schools. This new competition is sponsored in part by Banks DIH under the CocaCola brand. The Ministry will award trophies and prizes will to the first, second, and third place winners in the various categories.

The National Schools Physical Display Championships began as a part of the Children’s Mashramani events in 1992. The competitions involved a display of acrobatic move-

ments put together for its aesthetic expression.

According to a press release, over the years, schools displayed a growing interest in this aspect of the program, making it difficult to manage during the busy Mashramani events. Thus, in 2005, it was separated from the Children’s Mashramani programme and made an individual National Event to be held during Independence.

The opening ceremony of the National Schools Physical Display Championships will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2015 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall at 10:00h.

BCB launches Caricom Championship fundraiser

In an effort to raise much-needed funds to continue its work, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has launched a fundraising event, dubbed ‘Caricom Championship’, to be held on July 5 at the Albion Sports Complex.

Proceeds from this event will be used mainly to organise a very important threeday cricket competition, the BCB said in a release.

The BCB said it finds it very difficult to attract a single sponsor for this form of cricket for two reasons: it cost close to two million dollars and sponsors prefer the shorter version of the game.

“The board however, recognises the importance of three-day cricket for the further development of our cricketers,” the BCB noted. It also pointed out that because of lack of sponsorship, the tournament was missing in Berbice for many years.

The recently elected board promised that threeday cricket will return to Berbice and is making sure that that promise is fulfilled. The release stated that Berbice continues to produce cricketers for Guyana and the West Indies despite receiving no funding from the parent body for over five

years and will continue to do so despite the challenges.

The Caricom Championship will see the top eight T20 first division teams in Berbice taking part in a 10-over knockout competition with the final of 20 overs to be played under lights for a top prize of $80,000 and trophy.

The runner-up will receive $40,000 and trophy with the losing semi-finalists $15,000 each. Man-of-theMatch in every game will be

rewarded. Action will bowl off at 10:00h.

The board initially planned a feature game under lights between Berbice Senior team and a Senior team from Demerara. However, the Guyana Cricket Board refused permission and as a result, only local teams from Berbice will participate. The BCB expressed disappointment with the GCB decision. The board however, will continue to work to further develop the

Assuria Insurance onboard with Berbice cricket

The Cricket Development Committee of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) will be hosting another major cricket tournament for teams in Berbice on June 21.

The club will stage the Assuria Insurance Company one day five-over tournament at the historic Albion Sports Complex for 12 top second division teams in the Ancient County.

This is the second such tournament of this nature that Guyana’s leading youth and sports club will be hosting after successfully pulling off the Ansa McAl Trading’s five-over tournament, which was won by Courtland Cricket Club.

The RHTY&SC, according to Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, has an unmatched record in Guyana of hosting successful cricket tournaments and playing a major role in the development of the game.

The tournament will

be sponsored by Assuria Insurance Company, which has its head office in Suriname. Foster disclosed that the insurance company would be opening a branch in Rose Hall Town and one of the aims of the tournament is to promote the company and its business.

The tournament will be contested by Young Warriors, Courtland, RHT Bakewell ‘A’, RHT Bakewell ‘B’, Albion, Block Four, Port Mourant, Yakusari, Tamarind Root, D’Edward, Blairmont and Whim. The first round of six matches would be played four overs per teams, while the second round, semi-finals and final would be played five overs each.

The draw for the tournament will be done on June 18 at the Area ‘H’ ground in the presence of all 12 captains, while teams have to submit a 15-man squad to the club office by June 15. Only two first division players will be allowed per team, while players debarred by the three counties boards will not be allowed to play. Teams can submit their teams to email: foster_hilbert@yahoo.com.

The winning team will take home $70,000 and the Assuria trophy. The losing finalist will pocket $30,000 and a trophy and the losing semi-finalists $20,000 and a trophy. The RHTY&SC would like to express gratitude to Yogindra Arjune and the management of Assuria Insurance for their sponsorship of the Silver Jubilee tournament.

RHty&sc winners urged to claim prizes

The holder of ticket number 000105 is the winner of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) Silver Jubilee Anniversary raffle.

game in the ancient county.

The board is appealing to all cricket lovers in Guyana and in the diaspora to come onboard to make this competition a reality. The board is also calling on former Berbice players for assistance. Contact can be made on telephone numbers 3332375, 655-4140 or 623-6875.

Many gate prizes will be up for grab for the fans with a well stocked bar and musical entertainment beyond the boundary.

The winner, when he/ she submits the ticket stub to the RHTY&SC Area “H” ground office, would receive an airline ticket to the United States of America, compliments of Fly Jamaica. The other winning numbers are second prize- 4561, third prize- 0394, fourth prize4530 and fifth prize- 4160.

The drawing of the winning tickets was done in the presence of several members of the public and numerous members of the Guyana Police Force.

The raffle was done

in conjunction with the Guyana Police Force and hundreds of less fortunate students across Berbice would receive schoolbags under the Guyana Police Force and RHTY&SC Community Outreach Programme.

The RHTY&SC would like to express gratitude to the Commander of B Division Brian Joseph and his staff, the Ministry of Education’s Region Six Department and the management and staff of Fly Jamaica for their cooperation in making the raffle highly successful.

Persons with the winning tickets are asked to contact the club on telephone number 337-4562 to uplift their prizes.

Chief Education Officer Olato Sam addressing students at the 2014 Physical Display Championships

Berbice Cricket Board representatives Angela Haniff and Dhieranidranauth Somwaru pose with some of the trophies that will up for grabs

Hilbert Foster

Club members proud of Chandrika’s progress – envisage long and productive international career

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

History was created last weekend when the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Selection Panel announced the inclusion of Guyana’s opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika in the 14-man squad for the first Test against Australia, starting today in Dominica.

It meant that for the first time in history a cricketer from the closely knitted East Coast Demerara community of Enterprise has had the distinction of being called to represent the senior West Indies team.

Quite naturally, the news brought much jubilation to villagers, especially those who rub shoulders with the elegant right-hander at the Enterprise Busta Sports Club (EBSC) on a daily basis.

Moment after the news of his selection became public, the EBSC said the entire community of Enterprise was overjoyed by the selection, adding that all the hardwork of the executives and the great support for cricket in the village had paid off in a massive way.

Members of the club are now urging Chandrika, popularly known as ‘Ginger’ in the community and in cricketing circles, to refocus his efforts on doing the job at hand and up his game to make a smooth transition from FirstClass to Test cricket.

On Tuesday, Guyana Times Sport spoke with several of the young cricketer’s colleagues at the club, who all expressed elation at his rise up the cricketing ladder.

First-Class off-spinner, Zaheer Mohamed, a close friend of Chandrika, believes the batsman has the necessary skills to succeed at the international level.

“First of all, I want to congratulate him on this achievement. Also, I want to say that he is a very committed cricketer, and he is always thriving for excellence. I’ve been playing cricket and training with him for years now and I can tell you that he is very serious about his cricket,”

Mohamed related.

He added, “I want to assure him that all of Enterprise and all of Guyana is behind him at the moment, and we want to wish him a long and successful career, one which all of us can be proud of.”

Mohamed further stated that during their brief FirstClass stints together in the Guyana team, he observed Chandrika to be one of the most compact opening batsmen in the Caribbean.

“He has a very good technique for an opening batsman, and he would usually work overtime to always improve on his skills,” Mohamed pointed out.

Coach of the EBSC, Latchman Yadram, said the

25-year-old batsman is a discipline and hardworking cricketer, and his call-up is a deserving one.

“He’s a very discipline cricketer. He would always be working on his game, whether we have practice or not he would be out there batting for long periods. He’s very dedicated to the game,” he said.

Yadram also stated that he was not at all surprised at his inclusion in the West Indies team. In fact, he expected the selectors to pick him two years ago. “He was in the Sagicor High Performance Centre about two years ago and I thought he was very close to selection then, but it didn’t happen. He has been selected now and we at the club, as well as the entire East Coast, are proud of him.”

Yadram observed that Chandrika has a sound technique, and if there is one weakness would be his low conversion rate whenever he got past fifty. “I would always tell him about converting those fifties, but I guess one he gets pass that milestone the first time it would become easier.”

Captain of the EBSC, Parmanand Dindyal, said the batsman must now focus on giving his best and lay the foundation for a successful career at the international level.

“He has dedicated himself to the game, he is always focused. All I would urge him now is to perform to the best of his ability. I know he would be successful because he’s a player who is always pushing himself to do well,” Dindyal divulged.

Captain of the EBSC Over-40 unit, Seemangal Yadram, said he envisages a long a productive career for Chandrika, much in the mould of fellow countryman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

“He has developed a lot since he started as a little boy

years ago. Apart from being a hardworking cricketer, he is also a hardworking individual because I know he would go with his friends and do mason work and even some electrical work, so he is multi-talented,” S. Yadram revealed.

Chandrika enjoyed his most productive season

WICB CEO: Dispute between WICB and BCCI could be resolved before month end

Awith the Guyana Jaguars team in the just concluded Professional Cricket League Four-day tournament, finishing as the team’s second highest runscorer with 525 runs at an average of 35 with five half-centuries. Only Chanderpaul had more runs for Guyana Jaguars.

Chandrika further boosted his chances of a West Indies call-up with a solid 74 for the West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI against Australia in a three-day warm-up match, which concluded on Friday last.

dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over an abandoned series could be resolved before the end of June, WICB CEO Michael Muirhead has indicated.

Muirhead is reporting that discussions between the WICB and BCCI have been progressing well and a final agreement could be reached later this month during a meeting in Barbados.

The BCCI is claiming US$42 million in compensation after West Indies cricketers, led by Dwayne Bravo, abandoned the Test and ODI series in India last year.

“Discussions have been going very well,”Muirhead was quoted by the Express in a brief telephone interview.

“When we meet in Barbados this month we are hoping to have a resolution finalised and documented. Beyond that I can’t say anything”.

The BCCI subsequently slapped the US$42 million claim on the WICB and also suspended bilateral relations with the WICB until the dispute is resolved.

The meeting, between WICB and BCCI, will take place on the sidelines of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Annual Conference which will take place in Bridgetown from June 22-26.

“It will be separate,” Muirhead explained.

“This is a BCCI and WICB issue and we will deal with it with BCCI while they are here”. (CMC)

Last year, tensions between the BCCI and the WICB erupted when Windies pulled out of the five-match series after the fourth ODI in Dharamsala on October 17 due a pay dispute.

Michael Muirhead

Rajendra Chandrika was called up for the first time to the West Indies senior team for the opening Test against Australia, starting today

Seemangal Yadram

Parmanand Dindyal

Zaheer Mohamed

Latchman Yadram

Shiv: “I have not retired” – says video on social media was done in 2013

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

Out-of-favour

West Indies Test batsman Shivnarine

Chanderpaul said he hasn’t retired from the game, and an interview which went viral online on Tuesday, which shows him thanking fans for their support, was actually done on December 28, 2013.

The interview, according to Chanderpaul, was done at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados upon the West Indies team arrival from the New Zealand series in which he racked up his 29th Test hundred.

“I need to make it clear that I haven’t retired, and that interview which is circulating online was done way back in 2013. I find this very mischievous, and while I don’t know who posted it, I want to say that who did it has done something wrong,” Chanderpaul clarified.

The veteran batsman said the video was clearly edited, as the part that has been posted was the initial question in the interview when he thanked his loyal fans for sticking by him through the years.

In the 38 seconds video, Chanderpaul is quoted as say-

ing, “Yea, I am pretty much happy the way the fans supported me throughout my career. There were always there to cheer me on. Everywhere I go in the world they were there to cheer me on and support me and they know the type of player I am, and they know I go out there and give my best, and I would fight as hard as I can for the team. That’s all I have been doing- fighting for the team and trying my best. If I can bat as long as I can only the team can benefit from it. I appreciate everything they have done for me over the years, and I just want to say a special thank you to them.”

With all that has transpired over the last few weeks, the utterances in the video give the impression that Chanderpaul has accepted that his career was over, and was using social media to express gratitude to those who would have supported him.

The region’s second highest Test runscorer said that is far from the truth, and he is appalled by the actions of person (s) who would stoop

to such level.

The past weeks have been turbulent for the middle-order stalwart, whose Test career was brought to a halt following his omission for the two-Test series against Australia, starting today in Dominica.

Chanderpaul, a veteran of a West Indian record 164 Test matches, was dropped by the Clive Lloydled Selection Panel, which noted the batsman’s dip in form over the past two series as the reason for his omission.

The left-hander had a rare lean patch, stitching together just 183 runs in his last 11 innings at an average of 16, but many share the view that the former captain deserved a better send-off or should have been afforded the luxury of retiring on his own terms.

During an illustrious career spanning 21 years, Chanderpaul has emerged as the West Indies second highest Test runscorer with 11, 867 runs at an average of 51.37 with 30 hundreds and 66 fifties.

Blatter resigns as FIFA boss

FIFA president Sepp Blatter sensationally announced his resignation on Tuesday. Here is his exit speech in full.

I have been reflecting deeply about my presidency and about the forty years in which my life has been inextricably bound to FIFA and the great sport of football.

I cherish FIFA more than anything and I want to do only what is best for FIFA and for football. I felt compelled to stand for re-election, as I believed that this was the best thing for the organisation.

That election is over but FIFA’s challenges are not. FIFA needs a profound overhaul. While I have a mandate from the membership of FIFA, I do not feel that I have a mandate from the entire world of football - the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football as much as we all do at FIFA.

Therefore, I have de -

cided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA president until that election.

The next ordinary FIFA Congress will take place on 13 May 2016 in Mexico City. This would create unnecessary delay and I will urge the Executive Committee to organise an Extraordinary Congress for the election of my successor at the earliest opportunity.

This will need to be done in line with FIFA’s statutes and we must allow enough time for the best candidates to present themselves and to campaign. Since I shall not be a candidate, and am therefore now free from the constraints that elections inevitably impose, I shall be able to focus on driving far-reaching, fundamental reforms that transcend our previous efforts.

For years, we have worked hard to put in place administrative reforms, but it is plain to

Sepp Blatter

me that while these must continue, they are not enough. The Executive Committee includes representatives of confederations over whom we have no control, but for whose actions FIFA is held responsible. We need deeprooted structural change. The size of the Executive

Committee must be reduced and its members should be elected through the FIFA Congress. The integrity checks for all Executive Committee members must be organised centrally through FIFA and not through the confederations. We need term limits

not only for the president but for all members of the Executive Committee. I have fought for these changes before and, as everyone knows, my efforts have been blocked. This time, I will succeed. I cannot do this alone.

I have asked Domenico Scala to oversee the intro -

duction and implementation of these and other measures. Mr Scala is the Independent Chairman of our Audit and Compliance Committee elected by the FIFA Congress. He is also the Chairman of the ad hoc Electoral Committee and, as such, he will oversee the election of my successor. Mr Scala enjoys the confidence of a wide range of constituents within and outside of FIFA and has all the knowledge and experience necessary to help tackle these major reforms. It is my deep care for FIFA and its interests, which I hold very dear, that has led me to take this decision.

I would like to thank those who have always supported me in a constructive and loyal manner as president of FIFA and who have done so much for the game that we all love. What matters to me more than anything is that when all of this is over, football is the winner. (Digicel SportsMax)

Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s off-field battles have taken another twist