Guyana Times Daily - June 9, 2015

Evening of Argentine tango leaves audience P16 in awe Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 2518

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

18-year-old murdered for phone, “lil” cash in Kitty

PRICE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

PYO files motion P5 to block appointment of Youth Director

Page 8

Coalition parties disagree on House Speaker Page 18

...MPs likely to vote along party lines

$80 vat included

Ramjattan finally clears Police P7 transfers ...Blanhum now Crime Chief

Anti-TIP raid Even as members of the Joint Services rehearse their drills for Wednesday’s ceremonial opening of Parliament, APNU & AFC have not been able to agree on their choice for Speaker of the National Assembly

Businessman, family robbed of $1.5M, passports

Illegal P13 Colombians, Venezuelans, Dominicans fined

Page 17

Venezuela maritime decree…

Guyana rejects claim, will Page 8 internationalise “illegal act”

PPP/C closer to filing elections petition – Rohee

Page 7

Yarrowkabra woman chopped P18 to death by lover

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BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, June 9 – 10:30h-12:00h and Wednesday, June 10 – 11:30h-13:00h The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, June 9 – 09:30h-11:00h and Wednesday, June 10 – 10:45h-12:15h

FERRY SCHEDULE

Ferries will be departing the Parika and Supenaam stellings : Tuesday, June 9 – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h

WEATHER TODAY Thunderstorms with heavy rain showers can be expected in the morning and early afternoon, while light rain showers can be expected in the later afternoon. Thundery showers are expected to return in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly between 3.12 metres and 4.47 metres per second.

High Tide: 09:47h and 22:27h reaching maximum heights of 2.42 metres and 2.39 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 03.16h and 15:51h reaching minimum heights of 0.84 metre and 0.78 metre respectively.

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Venezuela maritime decree…

Guyana rejects claim, will internationalise “illegal act”

By Vahnu Manikchand

T

he Government of Government has warned Venezuelan authorities that it will take action if the neighbouring country moves to enforce a presidential decree that was recently issued, claiming all the territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean off the Essequibo Coast, where oil was recently discovered.

The new extension of Venezuela’s claim on Guyana’s continental shelf was reportedly issued by President Nicolas Maduro on May 27, 2015. It was made official in the presidential decree, No 1787, and published in the Ordinary Official Gazette No 40,669, dated May 27, 2015.

In its first official comment since the issue was brought to the limelight on Saturday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement on Monday pointed out that the decree was a “flagrant violation” of international law and was inconsistent with the principle that all states should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other states, whether large or small.

“The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana wishes to make it pellucid that Decree No 1787 cannot be applicable to any part of Guyana’s territory and any attempt by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to apply that instrument in an extra-territorial manner will be vigorously resisted by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

In light of this, Guyana will spare no effort in bringing to the attention of the international community this aggressive and illegal act by Venezuela,” the release detailed.

Government went on to criticise the declaration, outlining that international law should take the forefront instead of the ambitions of a larger state that wants to “trample” upon the rights of a smaller country in order to obstruct its sovereign right.

In this case, the Foreign Affairs Ministry highlighted, the neighbouring country was trying to obstruct Guyana’s

A map outlining the new extension of Venezuela’s claim over Guyana’s territorial waters off the Essequibo Coast

sovereign right to develop its natural resources.

“The Cooperative Republic of Guyana rejects this illegality which seeks to undermine our efforts at development through the exploitation of our natural resources offshore. Guyana will continue, undeterred, to access and develop its resources in accordance with its Constitution and laws in keeping with the principles of International Laws,” Government posited.

Oil find

The Maduro decree was issued exactly one week following the discovery of oil in Guyana’s waters by United States oil company Exxonmobil. Following the discovery of hydrocarbons, the oil and gas company on May 20, reported the discovery of oil-bearing rock in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

Exxonmobil said the Liza1 well has encountered more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. The well is the first on the 6.6-million acre Stabroek Block and has been drilled to 17,825 feet.

It was drilled by ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. Furthermore, the Guyana Government underscored that while the decree disregards international law, it

also constitutes a threat to regional peace and security, as well as breaches the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

Additionally, it mentioned that the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela which was defined by the Arbitral Award of 1899, is recognised by all states.

Government went on to say that even Venezuela had also recognised that the border issue with Guyana was settled for over 60 years, since it participated in the demarcation of this established

boundary that was completed in 1905.

“It is, therefore, imperative that Venezuela adheres to the principles of international law in seeking to delineate its maritime boundaries with neighbouring states pending actual delimitations,” the release stated.

This latest action by the neighbouring country has been condemned by a number of local and international commentators.

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Views 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

Social cohesion

O

ne of the new Ministries created by the APNU/ AFC administration is that of “Social Cohesion”. This announcement came as a bit of a surprise to most Guyanese – even its supporters – since there had been no inkling on the campaign trail or before that this social good would be receiving such attention.

When Guyana received her independence from Britain, the government had adopted as the national motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”. It was clear from that and the statements of all the political parties that the goal was for the people of Guyana to become cohesive, if not “one”.

Prior to independence it had been stated without comment that Guyana was a “land of six peoples”. This was for the simple reason that joining the indigenous Amerindians were several streams of people from African, Asia and Europe brought in by the Europeans who governed the country since the early 17th century.

The late explicit British “divide and rule” policy, employed across their Empire, exacerbated the initial cultural/racial divisions by forming social strata created along class and occupational lines.

Rather unfortunately, the struggle for independence exacerbated the divisions as political mobilisation to capture the government and control the state played out between political parties anchored in one or the other of the two major ethnic blocs - African and Indian Guyanese.

While both parties articulated ideologies affirming social cohesion, there was no performative success in achieving that goal since the almost equal size of the two blocs made it a rational choice for the parties to “go it alone” and “not split the vote” at general elections.

In the meantime it was politically incorrect to explicitly and publicly admit that “we were not one”, even though almost everyone, including the politicians knew that this was not the reality.

“Social cohesion”, was supposed to be taken for granted as if the incantation of the national motto had erased all divisions. This refusal to face our sociological truth was largely due to imitating the “mother country”, which papered over its own divisions.

Fortunately, over the last two decades, the problematic of “social cohesion” as a goal of national life that must be achieved through plans, programmes and projects has risen to the fore as the developed countries admitted that their assumptions had proven false.

While APNU/AFC have not actually articulated their plans for their new Ministry in such stark terms, we hope that we can set the discussion rolling by describing briefly how one jurisdiction - Canada - conceives of attaining “social cohesion”.

The Social Cohesion Network of the Policy Research Initiative of the Canadian Government defined “social cohesion” as “the ongoing process of developing a community of shared values, shared challenges and equal opportunity within Canada, based on a sense of trust, hope and reciprocity among all Canadians”.

Can we as Guyanese use this definition as a starting point for our own journey towards social cohesion?

In an effort to identify the dimensions along which social cohesion can be achieved and mapped one Canadian policy group looked at four policy documents by the Canadian Government, the French government, the OECD and the Club of Rome and arrived at five dimensions: 1. Belonging - Isolation, which means shared values, identity and feelings of commitment.

2. Inclusion - Exclusion, which concerns equal opportunities of access.

3. Participation – Non-involvement.

4. Recognition - Rejection which addresses the issue of respecting and tolerating differences in a pluralist society.

5. Legitimacy - Illegitimacy with respect to the institutions acting as mediators in the conflicts of a pluralist society.

It is said with a great deal of truth that we cannot solve a problem until we at least accept that we have a problem.

It would appear that the new administration has swallowed hard and accepted that we do have a problem in terms of “social cohesion”. We await its formulation of its response to the challenge.

A penguin in the Malvinas (Falkland Islands) leaps out of the water, catching some serious air before face-planting into the ground (Twisted Sifter)

Cheated, but not defeated Dear Editor, Cheated but not defeated should be the slogan of the PPP/C whenever they take the seats given to us.

I say the seats given to us by the Commission because that is the position taken by GECOM. “Let us give the PPPC 32 seats and the coalition 33 seats.”

This is their justification of a hard fought close election.

So, I ask the question, what is a close election?

Is it something you can sit by your computer and conveniently “cook the books” hoping that the loser would accept it?

Or is it carefully carrying out a recount to clear up any doubt? If the election was indeed close as they claim, then prove it!

Show the Guyanese peo-

ple and the world how that came about. Why are they terrified about a recount?

You see, the proof of May 11 would have long since been validated if a recount was done. With a recount, satisfaction is guaranteed on both sides, winner and loser, and by this time we would be well on our way.

That is, the losers with the happy acceptance that they have lost and the winners with a clear conscience that they have won a fair fight. Not the “hopscotch dilly dally double talking” nonsense that we see going on at the present moment.

It defies reason that an election would have been concluded without a recount. Unbelievable! And it could only be in a coun-

try called Guyana known for its rigging of elections under the PNC. To add insult to injury, the very same culprits known for this sort of thing are the ones who were declared winners. Open the boxes! Again I say open the boxes! Are we in a lodge?

What is the secret order?

But that is not to be.

They at GECOM are in a strong holdout that a recount is not necessary.

Then who determines that?

The people’s votes determine who wins or loses an election, not GECOM. And it is the people’s votes that we want to verify.

By legal mandate close elections require a recount.

We are now faced with a situation of bold faced “choke and rob”.

By the way, this is a

terminology intricately woven into the fabric of Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. It has a notorious reputation for its choke and rob, and an election is no different.

They have stolen the election and are bragging about it everywhere you can hear them say that they are the so called “best team” for Guyana. They claim that the people are for a “coalition government.” Well, if this is the case, show us some tangible proof of that victory claim!

Seeing that I am not going to get the truth out of them, I will ask my party, the PPP/C, to move speedily to the courts for a redress. Oh yes, we will get to the bottom of this.

Neil Adams

It is with great humiliation that my company was mentioned in Kaieteur News Dear Editor, I have been providing quality service to the people of Guyana in excess of 25 years in various areas of expertise.

I apply or tender for contracts with the government Guyana, and I am assured that being awarded is due to my company’s qualification, ability, knowledge, experience, equipment and other resources necessary to provide prompt and reliable service.

And based on these aspects, I am happy to report that my company was chosen as a service provider to maintain, service, repair

and install air conditioning units, refrigerators, freezers, morgue freezers, washing machines and gas ranges at health facilities across Region Six. We also installed waste water sewage pumps, attached plumbing and electrical fittings in the 14 septic tanks at New Amsterdam Hospital.

So it is with great humiliation that my company was mentioned in an article in the Sunday Kaieteur News on June 7 about the Berbice Regional Health Authority, even as I and my team work six days per week and are on call 24

hours, including Sundays and holidays.

We have even refused new clients due to our obligation to the health sector.

I pray that this low quality of publicity is not due to my support of any political party, as I am a very public spirited person who supports and contributes to community development.

This includes providing garbage bins to the New Amsterdam Town council, donations to NGOs and schools, and of recent paving of over 200 feet of roadway with reinforced concrete within the

Municipality. This was done complete with decorative light posts to the benefit of many at my personal expense.

I would also take this opportunity to inform everyone that as a patriotic Guyanese, I support the government of the day and will continue to exercise diligence in the execution of my professional services and patriotic duty as a citizen of this beautiful country of ours.

Roger A Greenidge Greenidge Refrigeration Services

News

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Burrowes to reconsider PYO files motion to block quitting as Go-Invest CEO appointment of Youth Director … did not submit resignation letter, to meet Minister on Thursday

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

A

fter announcing that he resigned from his post as Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Keith Burrowes said he is now reconsidering his decision.

During an interview with Guyana Times on Monday, Burrowes explained that he was about to resign after reading a newspaper article that insinuated that the Business Ministry may terminate his services.

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin had noted that once the Government discovers that the management of GOInvest is responsible for the agency’s low productivity then one of the means of addressing the situation would be to get new management.

This statement, Burrowes explained, left him worried and thus he began entertaining thoughts of resigning.

However, he claimed that the Business Minister subsequently told him that the article was a misrepresentation of his words and that the Ministry is not particularly looking to dismiss anyone at the moment.

Nonetheless, Burrowes said his resignation will now be on hold until his meet-

ing with the Minister on Thursday, where a final decision will be made with regards to his continuity as CEO of GO-Invest. The GOInvest CEO admitted that there are problems with the entity, but he guaranteed that he has the managerial ability to fix them if given the chance.

“I hope if I remain with GO-Invest, it will become one of the best investment agencies in the Caribbean,” he said. In proving he is the man needed to turn the agency around, Burrowes outlined a number of areas

Keith Burrowes

in which GO-Invest needs to improve on in order to effectively and efficiently execute its mandate.

Firstly, he said GO-Invest desperately needs an ‘intelligence unit’ or a ‘research and development unit’ where the entity compiles comprehensive data about the economic opportunities for each districts in Guyana. Burrowes explained that having such information readily available would be extremely beneficial as investors would now have a clearer and more concise breakdown of what their investment would be worth.

Additionally, Burrowes said, whether or not he remains as CEO, GO-Invest should provide training for

staff to become bilingual as this would help in attracting investors of varying nationalities.

He said also that GOInvest is currently trying to translate its website into various languages so as to attract wider investment markets. Another initiative Burrowes has for the betterment of the agency is the establishment and management of an up-to-date database that measures the net investment in Guyana from various investment agencies.

He pointed out that GOInvest is not the only investment entity in Guyana and therefore the investments attracted or finalised through them does not accurately reflect Guyana’s overall economical development. He said other entities as various Ministries such as the Natural Resources Ministry or the Agriculture Ministry, are also involved in attracting investors to some extent.

Therefore, his proposed database system would allow for Government to better keep track of the investments coming in the country.

Further, he said GOInvest needs to develop stronger ties with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Finance Ministry in order to collaborate better as it relates to promoting and executing investment projects. The GOInvest CEO outlined a number of other initiatives which he said he will present to the Business Minister during the meeting. Burrowes has already resigned from his post as Chairman of the Guyana Chronicle’s Board of Directors and was recently asked by the Government to tender his resignation from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Board.

PYO condemns Venezuela’s aggression

T

he Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) of Guyana has strongly condemned the issuance of a decree by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela which seeks to undermine Guyana’s territorial and maritime sovereignty.

The decree itself is unlawful and in breach of several international laws and charters which are still in force and seek to regulate the affairs of States which operate within the international arena. In a statement, the PYO said it believes that the issuance of the decree and other use of force, as of late, should be viewed as acts of aggression and provocation by Venezuela.

“We therefore reject all claims made by Venezuela

to portions of land and sea, and the resources therein which fall exclusively under the dictate of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Over the last 23 years, the Progressive Youth Organisation resolutely defended Guyana’s sovereignty and integrity at various and at all times.”

The PYO said it stands firm with all Guyanese who oppose this most recent act and will give support to efforts to communicate and enforce actions to protect Guyana’s sovereignty when the need arises. “We will continue to monitor the developments related to the border issue between Guyana and Venezuela with a review of ensuring Guyana’s Sovereignty remains intact and paramount.”

A

youth candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on Monday filed a motion for a writ of quo warranto in the High Court blocking the appointment of former Alliance For Change (AFC) Parliamentarian, Trevor Williams, as the Director of Youth.

The motion filed by Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) Executive and PPP/C Candidate Saleesha Gafoor, who is claiming that Williams’ appointment violates the Constitution since he did not apply for the post. It was filed by former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall. Williams has since been ordered by the Court to show cause as to why the writ of quo warranto should not be granted. He has to do this on or before the hearing of the matter, which was set for June 17, before acting Chief Justice Ian Chang.

The former parliamentarian was also ordered to produce to the Court “a warrant of appointment and authority by which he holds the said office and to show cause why the said Order or Rule Nisi of Quo Warranto should not be made absolute ousting him from that office”.

Additionally, the PYO Executive is asking for “a writ of quo warranto be issued to Trevor Williams holding the office of Director of Youth, a public office in the pensionable establishment of the Public Service of Guyana, and which falls within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, to produce to this Honourable Court a warrant of appointment and authority by which he holds the said office, ousting him from that office”.

In the legal document, Gafoor said, as a national

youth leader, her mandate is to ensure that youth welfare and the interest of young people receive paramount consideration by the State. She highlighted that Williams is supposed to go through all the legal processes and be interviewed by the Public Service Commission before appointment can be made; however, this was not done.

AFC member Trevor Williams

The 26-year-old PYO executive further pointed out that the job description advertised in the newspaper, inviting interested persons to apply for the position of Director of Youth asked for a minimum of: a Master’s Degree in Social Work from a recognised university along with a minimum of five years in Social Work, at least two of which must be involved in youth work; or a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from a recognised university as well as a minimum of seven years in Social Work, at least three of which must be involved in youth work, and knowledge of and experience in using social research methods would be valuable.

She outlined in the legal

documents that the Public Service Commission commenced interviews of suitably qualified applicants to fill the said vacancy; however, Williams was never among those. “…Trevor Williams neither applied, nor was interviewed by the Public Service Commission. Additionally, I verily believe that the said Trevor Williams is not qualified to hold the said office as per the job description issued by the Public Service Commission.”

According to Gafoor, she read about Williams’ appointment in newspapers and based upon enquiries from the Commission she was informed and is of the belief that this appointment was not made by the PSC. “…from enquiries I made from the Public Service Commission, I was duly informed and do verily believe that the said Commission has not delegated the authority to make appointment to the Office of Director of Youth, a public office in the pensionable establishment of the Public Service of Guyana, and falls within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, to any person or authority...”

The PPP/C Executive went on to state that Williams is occupying the office and has commenced discharging functions as the Director of Youth.

She made reference to an article that was published in the Guyana Chronicle on June 8, 2015, titled “Youth Director Explains … Youth representation not limited to National Assembly”, which quotes Williams and has his photo attached. “Trevor Williams’s appointment and functioning in that office is injurious to the welfare of young people and indeed injurious to the national interest,” the court documents detailed.

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Foundation International Day for Yoga, June 21...

Yoga sensation for the nation: Tip 5 Submitted by the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh-Guyana (Hindus for Selfless Service)

T

he most inexpensive from of medication is yoga. It is natural and causes no harm to the human body. Yoga has tremendous health benefits that can be attained by anyone through practicing. As we all know arthritis is a disease causing painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints. Researcher has proven that by doing Yoga it reduce the risk of having this painful illness. Today we are

going to imitate the kings of snake, the cobra. This simple but yet effective asana is called Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) which has magnificent benefits. Let’s follow these simple techniques to improve our healthy lifestyle and continue staying fit.

BHUJANGASANA (COBRA POSTURE)

In the cobra position the individual lie flat on their abdomen with upper body

in an incline position. It involves a series of movements and requires you to take deep breath when doing this asana in order to reduce strain.

This posture has great benefits such as: • Opens up the shoulders and neck.

• Tones the abdomen.

• Strengthens the entire back and shoulders.

• Improves flexibility of the upper and middle

back.

• Expands the chest.

• Improves blood circulation.

• Reduces fatigue and stress.

• Useful for people with respiratory disorders

such as asthma. (Do not practice this yoga pose during the attack though).

TECHNIQUE

1. Lie flat on the floor.

Stretch your legs back, tops of the feet on the floor.

Spread your hands on the floor under your shoulders.

Hug the elbows back into your body.

2. Inhale slowly lifting your head, chest and abdomen while keeping your navel on the floor. Pull your upper body back and off the floor with the support of your hands.

Checkpoint: Are you putting equal pressure on both the palms?

Keep breathing with awareness, as you curve your spine. If possible, straighten your arms by arching your back as much as possible; tilt your head back and look up.

Checkpoint: Are your shoulders away from your ears? Keep your shoulders relaxed, even if it means bending your elbows.

3. Don’t overdo the stretch or overstrain yourself.

Exhale, gently bring your abdomen, chest and head back to the floor. Repeat a few times then turn over lying on your back and relax.

Drink one glass of water after you have completed this exercise. Hope you enjoy doing this today and eagerly awaits tomorrow tip.

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PPP/C closer to filing Ramjattan elections petition – Rohee finally clears T Police transfers ...Blanhum now Crime Chief being instructed “not to arrest” or touch a “known OP (Office of the President) miscreant” or they would face prosecution. Rohee, in his defence, had sought to explain his decisions, but Felix asserted that the Minister’s role is to set policy and not to be involved

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan

A

lmost three weeks after the announcement of a major reshuffling within the Guyana Police Force, the changes were immediately implemented following consultations with Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Hours after Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud had announced the transfers, President David Granger had requested that these be put on hold following the installation of the Public Security Minister, whom he feels should have been consulted. Nevertheless, operational matters within the Force are usually the sole mandate of the Police Commissioner, something which Granger had fought the previous administration on.

After two weeks, Ramjattan had stated that he met with Senior Police Officers but was still to meet with the Commissioner of Police, who was presently overseas. During this time, observers say the holdup of these transfers goes against everything President David Granger had espoused while in Opposition.

Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, while in Opposition, had also lashed out at former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee for “politically interfering with the day-today administration of the Force”. Felix, a former Head of the Guyana Police Force, had made specific reference to two instances, one on November 28, 2011 when he said he overheard a Police radio transmission where ranks were

Wendell Blanhum, newly appointed Crime Chief

Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud

in the day-to-day administration.

However, the Police Commissioner, on Monday, proceeded with the transfers of Senior Officers of the Police Force which had previously been put on hold. These include the appointment of Senior Superintendent of Police, Wendell Blanhum as Crime Chief. He has severed the Criminal Investigation Unit from more than 16 years and was also thrown at A (Georgetown/East Bank Demerara) and C (East Coast Demerara) Divisions where he functioned with integrity and professionalism. Former Crime Chief, Leslie James was placed at the Police Commissioner office.

In addition, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Griffith, who was the Divisional Commander of C Division, has been posted in command of B Division (Berbice). He replaces Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph who is now the Head Presidential Guard.

Assistant Commissioner Marlon Chapman, who was the Divisional Commander of D Division (West Demerara/ East Bank Essequibo), has been posted in command of C Division replacing Assistant Commissioner Christopher Griffith.

Senior Superintendent

Stephen Mansell, who was the second in command of D Division, has been posted in command of the same D Division, replacing Marlon Chapman as Commissioner.

Also Senior Superintendent Whitney Bacchus, who was at the Commissioner’s Office, has been posted as 2 I/C “Operations”, replacing Senior Superintendent Lyndon Alves who is now second in command of the Presidential Guard.

Senior Superintendent Errol Watts who was the Officer in Charge of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) has been posted second in command of B Division.

Former Crime Chief, Leslie James

And finally, Superintendent Hugh Dehnert, who was the second in command of B Division, has been posted as the Officer in Charge of the TSU, replacing Senior Superintendent Errol Watts. No changes were made to A Division which is being headed

by Commander Clifton Hicken.

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has indicated that it is now one step closer to filing its elections petition to challenge the results of the General and Regional Elections 2015.

PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee, speaking at the Party’s weekly press conference, said that the PPP/C has already gathered significant data for the petition.

“Data and evidence has already been collected for inclusion in the petition.

More information, more details and more evidence are being collected for inclusion in the petition as we speak,” Rohee disclosed.

PPP/C Executive Anil Nandlall had stated that the petition is a special type of litigation which has its own peculiar rules and therefore a lot of care has to be taken in preparing the elections petition.

According to the laws of Guyana, the PPP/C has 30 days following the official gazetting of the elections results by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in which they can file the petition.

After a protracted delay, GECOM finally gazetted the official results

of the May 11 General and Regional Elections on June 6. Since the announcement that the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change coalition won the elections, the PPP/C has been refusing the accept those declared results.

Constantly and unrelentingly, the PPP/C is arguing that the results were widely manipulated and that they are the true winners of the elections.

The party has said that, due to the “many discrepancies and irregularities that occurred on Election Day”, there are reasons enough to doubt the results declared by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield.

Further, the PPP/C has been contending that, if GECOM is maintaining that the results are credible, a recount of the entire results would not make a big deal. The PPP/C’s rationale is that, if the Commission is certain the recounting of results will not make a difference, the least it can do is grant the recount to allow those persons who are uneasy to find some solace and regain trust in GECOM. However, the Guyana Elections Commission last week

adopted the official position that it is not in a position to grant requests made by political parties for a recount or final count of ballots cast at the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

A GECOM Commissioner told this newspaper that the issue came up for discussion last Tuesday when the seven-member Commission met to discuss outstanding issues with respect to the May 11 Elections and concerns raised by the main opposing party, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic.

The Commissioner said that a decision was taken that only the judiciary or “courts”, at this point in time, can order a recount of the ballots cast and that the matter was out of the scope of both the CEO, Lowenfield, and the Commission as the governing body.

The Commissioner explained that the time for recounts “had passed” and as such there was no provision for a recount of ballots once the CEO had issued a final declaration and moved to gazette the results. “At this point, the Commission will have await the ruling of the courts”, the Commissioner reiterated.

8 NEWS Barticians join in cleanup drive tuesday, june 9, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

S

cores of Barticians, local businesses, the Mazaruni Prison, the Regional Administration, the Health Department, and the Lions Club organisation braved the inclement weather on Sunday and joined in the countrywide cleanup effort.

When the Government Information Agency (GINA) visited areas that were being cleaned in Bartica, some drains were already desilted and weeded and the waste was heaped in garbage bags waiting to be picked up. Workers were also weeding the grounds of some public buildings and in the vicinity of the beach.

Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford said that between the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), tractors and trailers, and trucks and bobcats were made available to assist in the drive.

He said that the Administration will be engaging the residents and

Eyew tness New sheriff...

An area in Bartica that was cleaned

encouraging more cleanup initiatives “because we can clean every day, but if the attitude of residents does not change, we will have to clean every day”. He expressed optimism that this move will not be a one-off cleaning and that persons will be properly sensitised regarding the sanitation of their environment.

He said that generally the feeling is encouraging and the initiative is catching on. The Chairman said that the Administration will be taking the message across the region, because most of the waste that ends

up in rivers is being deposited from the riverine communities.

Mining, he said, which the region primarily depends on is drifting slowly, and tourism is now a viable alternative to move the region forward; hence, the environment needs to be kept clean.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Bromes, who inspected the work, said that this is a demonstration of how changes filter down, because “all over the country one can see how persons and organisa-

tions have been coming out in their numbers to take part in this clean- up”.

She lauded the efforts of Barticians, noting that it is something that can be built upon in order to ensure continuous maintenance of the environment.

“I’m looking to see the kind of changes. We await Local Government Elections because our villages need to be placed in the hands of leaders who will take care of our villages so we can maintain the work that has started here,” Minister Broomes emphasised.

Security personnel attached to mining company on bail for wounding charge

F

our men were on Monday placed on $150,000 bail each by the Chief Magistrate at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on charges of unlawful wounding, among other charges.

Quacy Critchlow of 164 Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara; Jason Critchlow of 62 Middle Street, Georgetown; Troy Teleu of 430 Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara, and Godfrey Christmas of 44 Supply, East Bank Demerara – all employees of Tsuro Mining Company – pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on May 10 at White

Water Backdam, Konawaruk, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), they wounded the Virtual Complainant (VC) Ray Murry with the intent to maim, disable or disfigure him.

The men also pleaded not guilty to a charge which read that on the same occasion, they discharged a loaded firearm at the VC with the intent to maim, disable or disfigure him. Finally, the men also pleaded not guilty to a charge which read that on the same occasion, they unlawfully damaged mining equipment valued $7,300,000; the property of Marion Figueron.

According to the facts pre-

sented by Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, on the day in question, the four accused while armed with a shot gun went to the mining land owned

by Marion Figueron which is currently under dispute. It is alleged that they fired several shots at the workers and equipment resulting in the VC being wounded and the equipment being damaged.

The Prosecutor informed the court that just last year an injunction was issued banning Tsuro Mining Company from the said land and on the same day, the accused who are security officers affiliated with the company, went to the area and told the workers that

“they don’t care about the injunction” and released the shots.

Attorney Nigel Hughes who represented the four defendants said that on the day in question, the VC was rigging on the company’s land claim when the defendants discharged several ‘warning shots’ in response to the attack made on them by the VC’s workers.

The prosecution made no objection to bail which was granted to each defendant in the sum of $150,000 for all of the charges. The matter was then transferred to the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court for July 20.

“I

....or vigilante in town?

s I name Broomes and I making a sweep!”

If you wanted to make it up, no script writer would’ve been so bold to caricature the new Junior Minister of Social Protection, Simona Broomes.

He would’ve been accused of being over the top...not to mention mean spirited.

No Minister of any government would speak like that, right? Wrong. That was a direct quote of the said Minister as she rode into Bartica in her mission to “clean up the town”.

Broomes’ claim that she “received a tip” when in Bartica and then gathered members of her old Women Miners’ posse and Police to swoop down on two hotels, is belied by the fact that she came along with some reporters from the Georgetown media.

This was a well-planned exercise worthy of one of those SWAT teams we hear about.

But Broomes is from Bartica...she knows these hotels and knows what goes on in them. And her actions raise several issues. Right off the bat we have to ask “why did she have to go all the way to Bartica to conduct a raid on a ‘huttel’, as they quaintly used to be called”?

Even as she stood - hands on hips and arms akimbo - surveying what she’d wrought, she allowed that some of the “girls” had come from a (named) nightclub in Georgetown.”

So how come she didn’t raid the Georgetown Clubs - like J Edgar Hoover going after Al Capone? A little birdie whispered (whistled?) into your Eyewitness’ ear that Broomes is merely settling old scores now that the Marshall gave her a badge.

And that’s why she could give her own version of Clint Eastwood’s “go ahead...make my day” with her “I is Broomes and I making a sweep”.

After her dust up with Ann Greene, it’s not surprising that she herself promised that she’ll be making a lot of these sweeps. She has a lot of scores to settle. But in her rush to show who’s “woman” isn’t there a danger she might be acting more like a vigilante than a Sheriff?

Does she really believe that these foreigners are really “trafficked” and need to be “rescued”?

Did she ever hear about “sex work” and that some folks might actually choose the “oldest profession” rather than be used and abused as 12-hour security guards making below minimum wage?

If she has a problem with sex work...which we’re told is still illegal in Guyana, shouldn’t she at least apply the law impartially starting with the epicentre in Georgetown rather than settling scores in Bartica?

Some folks might call it “bullyism”.

...for border controversy

That Venezuelan border just won’t go away, will it?

Raised by the US with the Venezuelans, back in 1962 as a back up measure to ensure that Cheddi Jagan and the PPP didn’t take Guyana into the Russian Camp. It took on a life of its own even as Jagan was ousted. There’s the principle of “unintended consequences”.

Now there’s no question that with Chavez coming into power, the rhetoric was turned down and this was continued by his successor Maduro. But the problem is that the border controversy can’t be wished away by any Venezuelan government - no matter how friendly.

It’s actually written into their Constitution and the right-wing now in opposition will never allow its excision.

So what to do? Well, just before the last elections, the PPP Government had suggested they were looking at a “judicial settlement” - since the “UN good officer” process had gone nowhere.

And most interestingly, Guyana’s longest serving Foreign Service Minister - from the PNC - Rashleigh Jackson, had agreed.

Shall we bring in the new Sheriff?

...for rising crime

Did the word go out that with the new Sheriff for Public Protection, criminals have a free pass? Just because his first act was against the Police?

news

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tuesday, june 9, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Pardoned convicts to undergo 18 year-old murdered for phone, “lil” cash in Kitty reintegration programme ...reminiscent of unsolved Sheema Mangar murder

T

he 60-odd convicts who will be pardoned by President David Granger as part of Guyana’s 49th independence celebrations are expected to undergo a reintegration programme to make their transition back into society smooth.

According to Director of Prisons, Welton Trotz, while no concrete decision was made on the rehabilitation programme, plans are nevertheless in progress.

He explained that programme will allow those prisoners who are to be released, males and females aged 18-24 convicted of non-violent crimes, to get gainful employment.

“They will undergo a six months to one-year training and acquire various skills … We are working too on cooperating with some private agencies to provide jobs for these persons after they would have been trained,” he explained.

President Granger, in granting the reprieve, has outlined that only those persons who have met the criteria set out by him would be eligible for pardoning.

The criteria include: prisoners who are facing short sentences, those who are incarcerated for petty, non-violent offences and are between the ages of 18 and 24.

“We shall allow them to leave prison to rejoin their families, to get back to school and to take their place in society as citizens, not as denizens of prisons,” he stated.

Granger outlined that his amnesty gesture is aimed at providing the opportunity for young people to access higher education so that they can have the opportunity to acquire satisfactory jobs after school.

“Too many of them start at the Onderneeming Primary School then graduate to the Camp Street Secondary School and matriculate at the Mazaruni University. Their time and talent are wasted in the penal system instead of in gainful employment,” he declared.

This position was adopted by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who reiterat-

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

ed that the pardoning of these convicted persons reflects the policy of the administration which prefers young people not to be in jail but in school. “We don’t want our young people to be in jail because it’s in jail that they become hardened criminals,” he pointed out.

Furthermore addressing the concerns of several section of society, particularly business owners, who are fearful that there may be an upsurge of criminal activities, Ramjattan said: “Those businessmen that feel well if we release them they are going to be the bigger criminals, that’s not necessarily the case.

What will be the case is that in there, if they start their associations with the bigger boys, you are going to have bigger criminals in the three to eight months period,” the Minister posited.

Rehabilitation

The Security Minister added that if these persons are taken out of the criminal system then they stand a chance to be rehabilitated and become better citizens.

Hence, he underscored the importance of releasing those who have served short sentences at the fastest time possible.

According to Ramjattan, he has approved the 69 persons to be released, noting that he was advised these persons have displayed good behaviour while in prison.

While the Minister said the names were ap-

proved, the Prison authorities are yet to receive a copy of the list along with a formal declaration from the Government declaring the release of the pardoned convicts.

On the other hand, the Public Security Minister disclosed that he has had discussions with the British High Commissioner to set up programmes that will focus on rehabilitation of young people who were locked up for short periods.

Additionally, he revealed that he spoke with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative with regard to juvenile justice.

Ramjattan said that the two bilateral partners have indicated their willingness to help with the abolishment of status offences such as wandering as well as rising the age of criminal responsibility.

The Minister further pointed out that there should be other means in which young person’s can undergo corrective rehabilitation rather than being sent to jail.

“Providing what is called the diversionary options so that like when that man who said his son stole his mangoes brought the charges, if there was a diversionary option of the man in the court talking to his son and the magistrate being involved when the boy pleaded guilty or when he was found guilty, there was an immediate three years’ jail term … poor fella have to serve for stealing his dad’s mangoes,” the Public Security Minister said.

The Minister went on to say that had there been a diversionary option, there could have been some other solution to the problem such as a warning.

In addition, Ramjattan disclosed that the administration is also working on a large penal reform system that would see the release of not only young people but older prisoners who have been imprisoned for a while.

He noted that plans are in place to equip these persons with skills so that when they are released from prison, they can have the opportunity to be reintegrated into society.

Attempted murder accused remanded

A

resident of East La Penitence, Georgetown, was on Monday remanded to prison

by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on a charge of attempted murder.

Ian Archibald, a miner of 91 East La Penitence Housing Scheme, plead-

ed not guilty to the charge which read that on Thursday, June 4, at Durban Street, Georgetown, with the intent to commit murder, he unlawfully ad maliciously wounded the Virtual Complainant (VC) Dwayne Wallace.

Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru informed the court that Archibald dealt the VC

a chop to his left rib resulting in a punctured lung. He also revealed that the VC is still hospitalised.

The prosecution objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness and prevalence of the offence.

Magistrate SewnarineBeharry refused bail and remanded the defendant until June 22.

BY BHISHAM MOHAMED

A

teenager was stabbed to death during a robbery in the wee hours of Monday morning, a short distance from his Kitty, Georgetown home. A brother of the dead teen who was with him at the time of the incident managed to escape.

Keith Jonah Daniels, 18, of Lot 42 Public Road Kitty, Georgetown and formerly of Yarakita Village, North West District (NWD), Region One (Barima-Waini) was reportedly stabbed three times to the chest and below the breast and died almost immediately.

According to information received, the teenager and his elder brother were on their way home from the Kitty Seawall when they were confronted by the three men.

Neil Daniels ran to save his life as the three men stabbed his younger brother to death after which they relived him of a mobile phone and cash.

The distressed brother related the horrific ordeal to Guyana Times as he sat on a sofa at his aunt’s home on Monday morning. The young man stated that he left home at about 22:00h to join a few friends at the Kitty Seawalls but soon afterwards, he saw his young brother. He noted that they

Keith Jonah Daniels

socialised for a while but the Police “closed down the he session”, forcing the seawall goers to go home. As persons left, he and his now dead brother walked over to the Kitty Public Road in the direction of their home which is a few rods away.

As they crossed the road, he told Guyana Times that he noticed the three men (one short and the other two taller) standing in front of the alleyway. Neither of them suspected anything, hence they continued on their journey home. As they passed the three men, one of them called out “Yo”, so his brother turned around thinking it was he the men were calling out to.

As he turned around, one of the men grabbed him by his chest while another went into his pocket and pulled out an object. “When I see this, I run and is run I run home and tell my aunt that three man attack we”, the older brother related.

By the time they returned back to the head of the alleyway, they saw the teen lying on his back with blood oozing from wounds in his chest. The three men were seen running up the road, he stated. The distressed brother stated that had he not run for his life, both him and his brother would have been killed.

Nevertheless, the distraught brother added that they picked up the teen and took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The young man stated that the bandits took away his brother’s “cheap” phone and “lil” petty cash he had in his pocket.

Guyana Times was further told that the two brothers came from Yarakita, NWD to stay with an aunt. The two siblings would normally work in the interior and only returned to the city about two weeks ago but were due to return shortly. The aunt with whom they stayed was still in a state of shock.

Turn to page 13

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, june 9, 2015

News

Venezuela’s new claim “spurious” – PPP/C T

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has roundly condemned Venezuela’s new claim to the entire territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean off the Essequibo Coast.

In a statement, the PPP/C said amid all of the issues facing Guyanese on the change in Government after 23 years of the PPP/C rule, come the news, belatedly so, of the decree by the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela that essentially converts Guyana into a “land-locked country”.

The Party said the details of the decree issued in late May 2015 are not fully clear, but the outcome is to convert most of the Atlantic Ocean frontier to Venezuela based on its spurious land claim. “The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in Government resolutely defended Guyana’s territorial integrity. In Opposition, the PPP maintains its rejection of the Venezuelan spurious claim and condemns in the strongest possible terms the May 27, 2015 decree of the Venezuela Government.”

Condemnation Adding his voice to the issue, former Foreign

the two countries,” he outlined. Nevertheless, the Guyanese diplomat said he hoped that good sense prevailed and Venezuela recognised that its actions were illegal.

Clement Rohee, General Secretary of the PPP, under whose regime that the US company began its drilling

PPP/C General Secretary and former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee

Affairs Minister Rashleigh Jackson denounced the action by the Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro calling it “illegal”, “unprecedented” and even “bullying”. In an invited comment, Jackson told Guyana Times that he was both disturbed and disappointed by the Venezuelan Government for its “act of aggression” against international law. He further noted that this action was against the policies that the neighbouring countries have been abiding by.

“It is bullying! You cannot unilaterally take our people’s land … we don’t claim Venezuela’s property. It is quite ridiculous and disrespectful to the land agreement between

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Rashleigh Jackson

activities, also condemned the action, pointing out that the former ruling party is holding firm to its views that the operations of ExxonMobil are well within Guyana’s territorial waters.

“Our position is a historic position, that we stand

firmly as a political party, in respect of defence of our territorial integrity and national security, of our sovereignty. We hold to the view that where this exploration is taking place falls within the territorial sea belonging to Guyana,” Rohee declared.

Despite President Maduro’s objection, the previous PPP/C Government went ahead and granted oil exploration concessions to the US oil and gas giant to explore some 23,000 square kilometres of the Stabroek Block. The new decree covers the location where the drilling exercise is being conducted.

Earlier this year when ExxonMobil was about to drill an exploratory well in the area, neighbouring Venezuela objected, stating that the drilling area is part of its territorial sea.

The Maduro Government had written the executive of ExxonMobil demanding that it cease the drilling activities.

However, backed by Guyana and its home country as well as other international organisations, the US-based company went ahead with the drilling.

Guyana has since requested that Venezuela not interfere in its development activities, broadening the territorial rift between the neighbouring countries.

Technician remanded for alleged robbery under arms

A

technician was on Monday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he appeared before her, charged with two counts of robbery under arms of a Fly Jamaica staff.

Kurt Kendall of 474 Section B Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on May 29, at Thomas Lands, Georgetown, while in the company of two others and armed with a gun, he robbed the Virtual Complainant (VC) Elizabeth Seepaul of $1,240,000 and $2,500,000; the property of Wing’s Aviation.

Kendall also denied the charge which stated that on May 29 at Thomas Lands, Georgetown, while in the company of two others and armed with a gun, he robbed the Virtual Complainant Christopher Ally of US$8645 which when converted amounts to $1,652,800; property of Fly Jamaica.

According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, on the day in question, the two VC’s who are employed

by Fly Jamaica boarded a company bus and travelled to Georgetown to conduct business. It was stated that while in the vicinity of

Queen’s College, a car drove across the road and blocked the road causing the bus to swerve to a halt. The defendant and two others then allegedly went up to the bus and robbed the VC’s of the cash. A report was made and an investigation was launched during which Kendall was positively identified by the two VC’s. The prosecution objected to bail based on the seriousness and prevalence of the offence and the penalty that it attracts, stating that if granted bail, the defendant is not likely to return to court.

Attorney Paul Fung-AFat who represented the defendant claimed that on the day of the incident, his client was nowhere close to the scene of the crime and has an alibi as on the day he had rented a car PPP 8049 at Ming’s Taxi. FungA-Fat stated that his client had been previously convicted for robbery under arms for which he served three years in prison and he is now reformed. He claimed that it is with knowledge of this conviction that the Police charged his client and requested bail on these grounds.

The Magistrate refused bail and remanded the defendant to prison until June 22 when he will return to court.

Not $25M, but $1.6M spent on NA Hospital curtains – Armogan

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he Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Administration has refuted claims that it has spent $25 million to purchase window curtains for the New Amsterdam (NA) Hospital. Regional Chairman David Armogan, speaking to reporters on Monday, said that the figure which was reported in the media is erroneous.

The Guyana Times, last Friday, was one of the local newspapers which reported that the Public Health Ministry is soon to launch an investigation into reports that the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) had spent $25 million to purchase window curtains for the New Amsterdam and Port Mourant Hospitals, Region Six. This was after the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Leslie Cadogan, had made the announcement that $25 million was spent to purchase window curtains and newly appointed Public Health Minister Dr George Norton said that it will be investigated.

Armogan, at a press conference held at his office at Vrymens Erven, New Amsterdam on Monday, said

Region Six Chairman, David Armogan

that in 2014 the administration spent $306,240 on the purchasing of 22 sets of window curtains for the regional health system. However he noted that in 2013 a much larger sum was spent. “In 2013 we did purchase $1.3 million, not only on blinds, but also leatherette to redo mattresses, plastic to cover beds and other items for the health system,” Armogan explained.

That information, the Chairman noted, was supplied to him by the accountant managing the regional health services. The regional health system in Region Six caters for one regional hospital, three district hospitals, 24 health centres, the National Ophthalmology

Centre and the National Psychiatric Hospital. It also caters for doctors’ quarters at Skeldon, Black Bush Polder, Port Mourant and those in New Amsterdam.

The Blood Bank and the Regional Physiotherapy Building in New Amsterdam also fall under the ambit of the regional health system in the East BerbiceCorentyne Region.

In refuting the claims by the Permanent Secretary, Armogan said that if it is allowed to go without being corrected then the wrong impression will be conveyed to the public. He noted that the statement by Permanent Secretary Cadogan went viral moments after it hit the media.

tuesday, june 9, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

11

News

remanded on Deceased was target in North Miner narcotics trafficking charge Sophia shooting – survivor A

Dead: Collin Kendall

M

“Bow

Foot”

any questions are still lingering in the minds of North Sophia residents following the execution style killing of Collin Kendall, 27, who was gunned down on Sunday evening. His shooter remains at large.

The shooting incident has also left Keith Nedd, 51, of Lot 15 North Sophia, Georgetown, with a bullet lodged in his back.

Speaking with Guyana Times moments after he was discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital, Nedd said that minutes prior to the shooting incident,

he had joined the now dead man, his sister and two other friends at the shop to “sip” a few beers, explaining that persons from the village would visit the shop to lime.

He explained that as they sat in front of the shop, a car appeared and soon after a man exited with a gun in his hands and opened fire indiscriminately hitting Kendall and him. “I coulda dead, I had to jump into a lil trench to save meh life,” Nedd said.

He stated that from all indications, Kendall was the target since his body was riddled with at least 15 bullets. The shooter then entered the car which sped off the scene.

Both men were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where Kendall was pronounced dead on arrival.

Nedd said he could not say what the motive was for the young man’s death. “You know these young people these days… they got they own thing going on...all I know is that he was the target,” he stated.

He added that he did not recognise the shooter nor did he get a chance to look at the number plates, since he was busy trying to stay alive.

The father of seven further explained that he has

An injured Keith Nedd at home after being discharged from hospital

to return to the hospital on June 23 to remove the bullet from his back. As of now, he stated that the doctors stabilised the pain and he was thankful for life.

Motive unclear

At the home of the dead man, his mother sat on the platform fixing an electrical fan as she spoke with a relative who was visiting. She told Guyana Times that she was at home when she received the news that her son was shot and might be dead.

As she rushed to the scene, she saw her son lying on the ground motionless.

“Meh other son assist me and we put he in a car and take him to hospital, but by the time we reach, they say he dead,” the woman stated.

She said she last saw him about 19:00h when he had dinner. “He never tell me where he would go … he just left the home and returns whenever,” she added.

The young man, Guyana Times was told, did not work but helped his mother who sells bottled water on Sheriff Street.

The sickly woman stated she made her children but did not make their minds and hoped that the person who shot her son would be brought to justice.

Watts also commented on the recent crime situation in Guyana, noting that too many young people are being killed innocently. “....I don’t even know why they killed my son,” she said in a solemn voice. Kendall leaves to mourn his mother and eight siblings.

The Police have questioned several persons in connection with the shooting incident, but are yet to make an arrest as they continue their investigations.

miner was on Moday remanded to prison

by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he appeared before her charged with possession of narcotics.

Sherwin Stafford, a 24-year-old father of one, who resides at 101 Presidents’ College Road, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on June 4 at Arau Backdam, Wenamu River, he was found to be in possession of 300 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

According to Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, on the day in question, Police patrols acting on information received went to the defendant’s home where they told him of the information and requested to conduct a search of his house. The search was conducted in the defendant’s presence during which a black plastic bag was found under the defendant’s bed. The prosecutor revealed that the bag contained several small, transparent Ziploc bags which were filled with the leaves, stems and seeds of the cannabis sativa plant.

The defence Attorney claimed that the defendant owns the house in question where the narcotics were al-

legedly found but he rents it to a Spanish couple who operate a shop. It was said that on the day in question, the defendant had come to the area to buy supplies and collect a dredge saw. He was sitting on the landing when the Police conducted the search. The defence further stated that the Police requested his permission to search the premises and he obliged and the officers conducted the search while he stayed seated on the landing. They came back out and claimed that they found the narcotics. The defence also related that the Police had the knowledge that the defendant was previously charged for similar offences so they acted in a prejudicial manner in slapping him with the charges. Furthermore, the defence stated that while there are no special reasons, the narcotics were not found in the defendant’s possession nor is there any connection between him and the cannabis and made an application for reasonable bail to be granted on these grounds.

The Prosecutor objected to bail stating that there were no special reasons put forward by the defence. The Magistrate refused bail and remanded the defendant to prison. The matter was then transferred to the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court.

12 news PPP/C condemns “countrywide witch-hunting” tuesday, june 9, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

…urges sacked employees to fight for justice

T

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is accusing the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government of embarking on a witch-hunting spree aimed at discriminating against professional employees with whom the administration has personal issues with.

“The PPP/C wishes to draw attention to the vicious ongoing witch-hunt that the de facto Granger administration has launched in the public service and beyond… the witch-hunting exercise is proceeding at a fast and furious rate,” PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee said at the Party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House in Robb Street, Georgetown.

Rohee argued that since the APNU/AFC coalition gained executive power, there was no hesitation in their decision to sack Permanent Secretaries, Presidential Guards, Contract Workers, Media Workers, Chairman and Members of State Boards, Diplomats and Regional Executive Officers. Not only have they terminated the services of these individuals, but Rohee pointed out that the new Government was callous enough to withhold their legally due benefits.

In light of these situations, Rohee said that the PPP/C will not stand idly by and allow the new adminis-

tration to continue its erratic dismissal of “professional and hardworking” public servants. He urged those who were wronged to come forth and, by all means, fight for justice to at least ensure they receive their benefits.

Rohee said the PPP/C will also be taking its role seriously in representing these “victimised” individuals by writing letters and holding press conferences to raise awareness of the ill-treatment being administered by the Granger-led administration.

The General Secretary added that the PPP/C has been receiving floods of reports indicating that a significant portion of employees within the public service are consumed with “intimidation, fear, distress and uneasiness” owed to the purported discriminatory sacking of employees. In addition, Rohee accused the APNU/AFC Government of constantly attempting to intrude and issue instructions to constitutionally, autonomous and statutory bodies over which it has no authority.

Rohee lashed out at Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan for constantly attempting to undermine the authority of the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, and the Police Services Commission.

Firstly, he slammed Ramjattan for his attempts to undermine Seelall’s authority by consulting with

“Junior Officers” on the shifting around of senior ranks in the Force. Ramjattan had said, “I have gotten their opinion (Junior Officers) and soon I will make a decision whether I will go along, 100 per cent, with the Top Cop, or I will tweak it around to make some inputs myself and to ask him to have those implemented as well.”

Rohee went on to attack Ramjattan on his decision to direct the Police Services Commission (PSC) to dismiss the cops who were accused of torturing 15-yearold Twyon Thomas while he was in custody at the Leonora Police Station six years ago.

The General Secretary also expressed his incomprehension over the recent decision by Junior Minister Simona Broomes to direct the Public Sector Commission to desist from conducting interviews aimed at filling vacancies within the Ministry of Social Protection. “In a letter address to the PSC, she directed that the Commission cease functioning and making decisions with respect to appointment of public servants, until so directed

by Mr Granger…the PSC is an autonomous statutory body and cannot be dictated to by a Minister of Government…,” he contended.

With regards to Broomes’s “obnoxious” allegations that the PSC is engaging in clandes-

tine practices to fill vacancies within the public service, Rohee said that the she has failed to provide any evidence to validate these claims. Meanwhile, more particularly, Rohee registered the Party’s concern over the sacking of Dr Rajendra Singh as Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), along with the entire Board of Directors of the Corporation. “The PPP/C considers this as another case of political victimisation…The indecent haste in which the firing of Dr Singh and members of the GuySuCo Board took place is particularly worrying and speaks of an ominous intention on the part of the Granger-led administration,” Rohee asserted.

Moreover, when prompted by media operatives, the General Secretary maintained that the PPP/C never practiced any such unlawful actions when in Government. Rohee explained that the PPP/C never unjustifiably fired anyone, nor have they ever withheld their legally dued benefits.

The APNU/AFC coalition had previously promised it will not go on any witchhunting activities when it occupies office. In light of some of these allegations, several APNU/AFC officials have retorted by pointing out that the situation is being grossly exaggerated and blown out of portion.

Guyana receives MDG award for reducing hunger

G

uyana was bestowed an award for achieving the distinction of meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) relating to hunger.

Agriculture Minister Mr Noel Holder was in attendance at Rome, Italy, for three specialised meetings, as well as for issues regarding Guyana’s membership of various agriculturally related organisations.

The Minister also received the prestigious award for Guyana’s success in meeting the MDG in relation to hunger.

The first meeting that the Minister attended was the general meeting of the 39th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations’ Biennial Conference. This meeting’s agenda included the appointment of the Director General of the Organisation, Dr Jose Graziano da Silva. The present Director General was returned unopposed almost unanimously. The count showed that of the 179 countries eligible to vote, 177 voted in his favour.

Guyana’s presence at these forums is very significant. The country, because of its topographical and geographical setting in a coastal zone below sea level and thus prone to flooding, is a member of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). A prudent

Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder

watch is therefore always necessary as rising sea levels, increasing air and sea surface temperatures, and changing rainfall patterns, as well as the impact of natural disasters and the degradation of coastal and marine ecosystems, are always matters that impinge on the “sustainable develop-

ment” of these types of countries.

The second meeting was vital as it provided an opportunity for SIDS to share experiences and highlight priorities to achieve sustainable development for food security and nutrition. Guyana’s success thus far in this area is universally accepted. Guyana has made outstanding progress in MDG1 (to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger), by halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

Guyana is also among 38 countries which have met internationally established targets in the fight against hunger, ahead of the deadline set for 2015. In addition, the country has also met more stringent World Food Summit goal, having reduced by a half the absolute number of undernourished people between 1990-92 and 2010-2012.

The final meeting was a Special Event ceremony on June 7, 2015 entitled “Completing the Millennium Development Goals Round: recognising achievements in the fight against hunger”. The occasion saw Guyana, as one of four countries in Caricom (the Caribbean Community), receiving special honours for having achieved the distinction of meeting either the “World Food Summit targets and/or the Millennium Development Goals “ in relation to hunger. (GINA)

Conviasa Airlines fiasco, a “mix up” − Gouveia

Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson

I

n light of the recent fiasco involving Venezuelanowned Conviasa Airlines, local representative Gerry Gouveia on Monday disclosed that the issue with the airline paying a bond of $20 million to the Government of Guyana was a “mix up”.

He explained that the airline is a scheduled carrier that operates the same way as Suriname Airways and Caribbean Airlines, while noting that neither of the two airlines paid a bond upon assumption of their operations here in Guyana. As such, he stated that the Venezuelanowned carrier should have also been exempted from paying the bond.

Gouveia, however, admitted that after examining the situation, it was found out that the application made by Conviasa Airlines to fly the Venezuela/Guyana route was done incorrectly. This, he added, will be looked at and a decision is forthcoming on how the two parties will address the issue.

He stated that since the Government had suspected the flight, it is now up to them to decide on the way forward while noting that the suspension will affect the tourism industry and more so, the economic bridges between Guyana and Venezuela.

The captain, who has been pushing hard to develop tourism at every level, is hopeful that the matter can be resolved shortly even if it means that some form of negotiation is required. However, he confirmed that the 42 stranded Venezuelan passengers left Guyana on Sunday even-

ing, after the intervention of Foreign Affairs Minister Gordon Greenidge.

In an invited comment on Sunday, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson explained that apart from the bond that is owed by the Venezuelanowned airline, it had also owed the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority a sum of money for landing and administrative fees. The money, he confirmed, was paid in full to the two organisations late Saturday evening.

The Minister, however, made it clear that the decision of the Government of Guyana was not linked to the recent decree issued by the Venezuelan President, claiming Guyana’s oil-rich territorial waters. He stated that the suspension of the airline’s operations and the decree made by the Venezuelan Government happened almost simultaneously, but iterated that

Captain Gerry Gouveia

there was no connection.

Patterson further explained that the deadline to lodge the bond was May 31 and since it was not done, a decision was taken to suspend the airline’s operations. The bond, he disclosed, is more or less a protection cost in case of an emergency or an issue that might arise; it also takes care of the fees to renew licences.

Meanwhile passengers who were left stranded were left at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport without food, water and no place to rest. Duty officials confirmed that the passengers left on Sunday evening.

news

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tuesday, june 9, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Govt to establish Task Force Illegal Colombians, Venezuelans, to address issues at NOC Anti-TIP raid

Dominicans fined

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leven of the 29 nonnationals nabbed in an anti-Trafficking in Persons (TIP) raid on a Bartica hotel by Junior Minister of Social Cohesion Simona Broomes on Sunday were arraigned in court on charges of illegal entry into Guyana and overstaying their time. No one was charged for TIP at this time.

The women who hail from Colombia, Venezuela and Dominica were fined a total of $180,000 on Monday

by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry after pleading guilty to their specific charges. Franchelys Delas Nieves Torres, Yesdayn Paola Vaseia Ariza, Maria Eugenie Riviera, Valderrana Hernandez, Mary Del Carmen and Melanie Grace Cox Rodrigues, according to court documents, were charged with entering the country through Charity on the Essequibo River without the permission of an immigration officer.

While Carolina Tavarez Acosta, Ana Christina

Nugia, Genchi Valentina Perez, and Lisa Naganie Perez are among the five who stayed beyond the month-long period they were given. The women, claimed by the Minister and her former colleagues in the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation, to be victims of Trafficking in Persons (TIP), told the court that they came to Guyana for various reasons – some to visit their boyfriends or get married and others to commit prostitution. By admitting that none of them were coerced into coming into Guyana, they could not possibly have been “trafficked”.

The women informed the Magistrate that they would pay the fines. They were among 27 women discovered in what is being called a spontaneous raid at approximately 01:45h on Sunday at a popular hotel and bar, led by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes. It was carried out by a team of officers from the Anti-Trafficking

in Persons (TIP) Unit and the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO). It is not certain what role the GWMO members played in the haul since Minister Broomes was accompanied by police ranks. It was during this raid that Minister Broomes announced ““Is I name Broomes and I am making a sweep,” The 27 women, along with two alleged perpetrators, were escorted by Police Officers to Georgetown where a proper investigation is expected to be conducted, the Government Information Agency (GINA) had reported.

Minister Broomes has said that the Social Protection Ministry will be aggressively tackling human trafficking throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. The raid was the largest of such operations in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) which is known as the gateway to the interior. Unfortunately it did not rescue any victim of TIP.

18 year-old murdered...

As tears trickled from her eyes, she told this publication that she was not aware that her nephew had left home. It was until his elder brother ran to the house to inform the family about the stabbing, she became aware. The aunt, cried “Is right in front he house he get he dead… I don’t know how to face it”. The family has since made contact with the teenager’s mother and other siblings in Yarakita.

The Police in a release stated that they are investi-

gating the stabbing incident which occurred at about 01:50h on Monday morning which led to death of Keith Daniels. Police investigations revealed that the now dead teen was walking along the Kitty Public Road when he was confronted by three men, one of whom stabbed him to the chest and escaped. Investigations are continuing into the incident.

No arrests have been made thus far. The dead teenager is survived by his parents and eight siblings. The kill-

Minister Nicolette Henry displaying a copy of the report from the COI into the NOC

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unior Education Minister Nicolette Henry, who has the responsibility for the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, disclosed that a Task Force will soon be established to address the issues currently existing at the New Opportunity Corp (NOC), Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast.

Henry made the announcement at a press conference

The Minister explained that a Task Force will be put into place to address, not only issues currently existing at the institution, but also to identify areas for improvement and bring those improvements to the core.

However, she refrained from getting in specifics about the responsibilities of the Task Force at this time.

For some time now, there

is even a perception that the NOC is a breeding ground for gangs, rather than an institution to help young children turn their lives around.

A Commission of Inquiry (COI) was convened into the operations at the NOC in 2013, however the results of that COI were never released in the public domain. Henry said she is now in possession of those results but she is not ready to publicly pronounce on the contents.

The Minister did, however, say that the Ministry will be having some follow-ups, almost “immediately”, to look at what was not addressed under the report. “Like other institutions that have had their fair share of problems, there are opportunities for improvement and we intend to address those very speedily,” the Minister said. She identified broad areas for redress, such as those of education, skills training and discipline.

Meanwhile, Henry said it is her hope that all the agen-

from page 9

ing of the teen is reminiscent of the killing five years ago of Sheema Mangar for her phone. Like Keith Jonah Daniel, Sheema Mangar was also a young person who resisted the callous youths who wanted to take away his possession. Sheema Mangar killers have never been brought to justice and citizens hope that this would not be the case with the latest atrocity. The stealing of a “cheap phone” is not a petty crime when it ends in murder.

The New Opportunity Corps

on Monday at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport building. “There is some work to be done there, but it needs to be done in a strategic manner,” she said.

has been much controversy surrounding the operations of the NOC. There have been allegations of abuse and mistreatment occurring at the juvenile holding centre. There

cies involved in the operation of the NOC will soon come together to have constructive discussions on how to improve this critical institution.

US Embassy’s Security Cooperation Office partners with GDF

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he United States (US) Embassy Security Cooperation Office, together with representatives from the Florida National Guard, conducted a noncommissioned officer and officer leadership subject matter expert exchange with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

The exchange took place at the GDF Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri on June 2-5, 2015. The event covered a myriad of topics including troop leading procedures, leaders as counsellors with effective communication, military decision making processes, and non-commissioned officer and officer cohesion in combat for GDF soldiers assigned to all GDF forces.

This event was led by Captain (CPT) Ludger of the Florida National Guard who is assigned as the training officer with 3/20th Special Forces Group. CPT Gregory Nandlall of the Guyana

The US Embassy Security Cooperation Office and GDF Exchange

Defence Forces also facilitated the event. CPT Nandlall was instrumental in the success of this event as he and his team shared a wealth of knowledge with the US Army team.

The event was highly successful for the Florida Army National Guard and Guyana

Defence Force. The subject matter expert exchange was scenario driven allowing soldiers to exchange best practices in the art of leadership.

This event has also set the stage for future leadership subject matter exchanges to take place in 2016.

Next year’s event will fo-

cus on enhancing common understanding of senior noncommissioned officers and warrant officers serving in leadership roles, responsibilities, administrative action, tactics, and principles.

The exchange is part of a longstanding relationship between the Guyana Defence

Force and the Florida National Guard through the State Partnership Program (SPP). Members of the Florida National Guard have had several opportunities this year to share in SPP events such as Sexual Harassment Assault Response & Prevention, Military

Police Civil Disturbance, Intelligence Seminar, Health Administration, and Maritime Counter Narcotics Seminar this year alone.

The Florida National Guard Bilateral Affairs Officer CPT Fischer plans to conduct four more events this year.

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, june 9, 2015

Regional

Red Cross Chilean “magic cheese scam” US “squandered millions” woman goes on trial in France in Haiti aid efforts A A woman has gone on trial in France for allegedly operating a scam in which thousands of Chileans paid millions of euros to produce a supposedly “magic cheese” for the cosmetics industry.

Gilberte van Erpe, 74, is accused of selling a nearworthless powder as a costly domestic cheese-making kit. Buyers were lured with the promise of huge returns when their “cheese” was sold on for use in beauty products. The €14.5 million scam is one of the largest in Chilean history.

Van Erpe, nicknamed “Madame Gil” by the French press, was arrested in 2008.

She is being tried at a court in Paris, as she could not be extradited to Chile. Three of her alleged accomplices are also on trial.

Gilberte van Erpe

According to French media reports, the scam attracted some 5500 people in Chile, each investing amounts between €400 and €168,000. They were

charged more than €350 for kits that would help produce the “cheese” if added to milk.

The buyers were told that the fermented product they made in their homes could

be sold to the French cosmetics industry at a much higher price.

The victims were initially paid the dividends they had been promised, and the early success prompted them to invest larger amounts. Many encouraged their friends and family to sign up, cash in their savings, sell their homes and property, or give up jobs to concentrate on “cheese-making” full-time. However, the dividend payments soon stopped. The initial returns are alleged to have been funded by new members joining up – a type of pyramid scheme.

The scam’s victims are alleged to have included many villagers who had attended Van Erpe’s public lectures. (Excerpt from BBC News)

fter raising about US$500 million in donations meant to help rebuild Haiti following the 2011 catastrophic earthquake, the United States (US) Red Cross managed to only build a meagre six homes in the country, according to a joint investigation by the news outlets Pro Republica and NPR. The prominent US aid organisation said it had provided homes to more than 130,000 people, “but the actual number of permanent homes the group has built in all of Haiti is six”, the report said.

The statement unveiled how mismanagement, inflated salaries of employees, and a lack of transparency fuelled the squandering of millions of dollars by the US Red Cross society. It also suggested that the funds raised for Haiti

could have been misallocated by the aid group to wipe off at least US$100 million worth of debt.

“The Red Cross has celebrated their work, saying it has helped more than 4.5 million Haitians to get back on their feet,” the report said.

But Haiti’s Prime Minister at the time of the earthquake, doubts the figure, pointing out the country’s entire population is only about 10 million.

“No, no,” he said of the claim, “it’s not possible”.

“What the Red Cross told us is that they are coming here to change Campeche,” said Jean Flaubert, the head of a community group that the US Red Cross society set up as a local sounding board. “Now I don’t understand the change that they are talking about. I think the Red Cross is working for themselves.” (Al Jazeera)

JetBlue Airways employee Jamaica’s PM orders people drowns in Tobago after to move from riverbanks jumping off boat

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Dead: Derek Alleyne

48-year-old Jet Blue Airways employee drowned over the weekend in Tobago after jumping off a boat in deep water at Bon Accord Lagoon, just off the Gibson Jetty. Derek Alleyne died around 14:30h on Saturday.

The Brooklyn, New York resident had arrived in

Tobago last Friday with a group of friends to attend a wedding on Monday, but he never made it.

There are conflicting reports about how he ended up in the water.

It is reported by a local publication that Alleyne was on the vessel Island Vibes, which was carry-

ing between 60 and 70 people awaiting transfer to the Tobago Princess that had run aground in the lagoon at low tide. Some Island Vibes passengers jumped off to assist the Tobago Princess and Alleyne was among them. He jumped off the back of the vessel into deep water and never resurfaced.

However, the Trinidad Guardian reported that Alleyne was in a group waiting on shore for the Tobago Princess which was got stuck a short distance away, when the vessel’s owner asked them to assist in pushing the boat to dislodge it.

According to that report, the boat began to topple during the attempt and Alleyne was among those who jumped off.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the drowning.

(Caribbean360)

Mexico’s ruling party to retain power

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n Mexico’s elections for Congress, President Enrique Pena Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and its allies look set to retain control.

On current projections, the PRI will win around 30 per cent of the vote and see its number of seats drop slightly. An independent candidate has won a state governorship for the first time since legal change allowed that.

The run-up to the poll was marked by violence with drug cartels blamed for the deaths of several candidates.

The Head of the National

Electoral Institute, Lorenzo Cordova, said that the President’s party and its allies look set to win between 246 and 263 seats in the 500-member lower chamber. The Opposition conservative National Action Party has won around 22 per cent of the vote, he said.

The Government suffered some setbacks. It lost the governorship of the northern state of Nuevo Leon to an independent, Jaime Rodriguez Calderon.

The outspoken rancher, also known as “El Bronco” or the gruff one, is the first independent to win a state governorship. His victory

is seen as a wake-up call for the country’s traditional parties, says the BBC’s Katy Watson in Mexico City.

As voting got under way on Sunday, a dissident teachers’ union burned ballots and ransacked offices of political parties in the south of the country to express its anger at the President’s proposed education reforms.

Election materials were also burned by protesters in the town of Tixtla, where 43 trainee teachers are believed to have been killed last year after police handed them over to drug gangs.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

W

ith the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season underway, Prime Minister (PM) Portia SimpsonMiller has instructed the Local Government and Community Development Ministry to begin the process of removing people who live near or on riverbanks.

She said the practice was dangerous and required immediate action by the authorities. “We need to take action, or indentify somewhere that is safer and relocate them.

If they refuse to come off, then the Government should issue an enforcement order for them to remove, but we cannot allow what is happening to continue,” she said. “We’re going to lose lives soon... so we need to act in the interest of the people.”

The Prime Minister not-

Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller

ed that, with the start of the hurricane season on June 1, it was important for the country to be prepared for any disaster.

Experts predict that activity in this year’s hurricane season will be below normal. The season is predicted to bring in six to 11 named storms.

Despite the predictions of below normal activity, disaster officials and agencies across the Region have warned residents of the Caribbean against complacency since dangerous tropical storms have occurred during hurricane seasons forecast to be “less active”.

(Caribbean360)

Laying the foundation for Caribbean health security

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ollowing the deadly impact of Chikungunya in the Region and Ebola in other parts of the world, Caribbean health officials are focusing on mechanisms to strengthen the Region’s ability to respond to new and emerging threats.

With the knowledge that communicable disease outbreaks and epidemics pose a major threat to health, tourism, social and economic development in every country in the Region, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), recently hosted the first Caribbean Regional Health Security (CRHS) Meeting in Port of

Spain, Trinidad.

Executive Director, Dr James Hospedales said, “Following the Chikungunya epidemic in 2014, and the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in parts of West Africa, it is critical that the Caribbean region reviews and addresses gaps in its public health systems and capacity.”

He said that would help to improve the ability of the Region to protect itself against imported infectious disease threats.

Dr Hospedales also stressed the need for regional collaboration between the Public and Private Sectors.

Pan American Health

Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Representative to Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Bernadette Theodore-Gandi also said collaboration was essential to respond to health security threats.

“This should not only be a concern of Governments, but also civil society, the business community, international and regional organisations,” she said, while Programme Manager at the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat, Dr Rudolph Cummings said it was imperative that the Region’s leaders find innovative ways to work together. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

tuesday, june 9, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Dhaka and Delhi’s special relationship praised

Narendra Modi (left) greeted on his arrival in Dhaka by Sheikh Hasina

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ocal papers have praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “special attention” on India’s ties with neighbouring Bangladesh.

Modi received a “warm welcome” in Dhaka over the weekend as the two countries signed several deals.

The deals include a historic agreement to simplify their border by exchanging more than 150 enclaves of land. Modi ratified the deal with his counterpart Bangladesh’s Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Papers see the deal as a “great achievement”, saying it will pave the way for “bet-

ter understanding between the two nations”. The Hindu newspaper praises Modi’s efforts in making all political players in India understand the “geopolitical importance” of Bangladesh.

“The consensus-building across India did not go unnoticed in Bangladesh, where Mr Modi is now being referred to as ‘a genuine friend’. Thus, it is not coincidental that most of the mainstream media have had only favourable reportage and comments on the deals,” it says in an editorial.

Most papers have described Modi’s decision to take the Chief Minister of West Bengal State, Mamata Banerjee, on his trip as a

“political masterstroke”.

The Hindu adds that Modi’s team made Banerjee “understand the geostrategic significance of Bangladesh and how she may indeed expedite her own fall by working against its interest”.

But The Indian Express gives equal credit to Modi’s counterpart in Dhaka. “Of course, the fact that India has had a determined partner in the Sheikh Hasina regime has made it possible. The Bangladesh PM’s unreserved cooperation on terrorism and a readiness to think out of the box have been key to constructing a genuine partnership between Delhi and Dhaka,” it says in an editorial. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Maggi noodles withdrawn in East Africa

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ast Africa’s biggest supermarket chain has withdrawn Nestle’s Maggi noodle brand from its shops in five countries, amid concerns over food safety. Nakumatt, the Kenyan based supermarket, says the noodles have been withdrawn from shops in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Sudan, after demands from a Kenyan consumer group.

The group was reacting to a partial ban in India,

where regulators described the product as “unsafe and hazardous”. However Nestle maintains that Maggi noodles are completely safe.

The Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek), which launched the complaint, is now pushing for other supermarkets to remove the noodles from their shelves. Kenyan supermarket chain Tuskys has ordered a similar withdrawal from all its outlets in Kenya. Cofek has also asked Kenya’s port author-

ity to prevent further imports of the product.

Indian food regulators said that tests revealed high lead levels in the product, describing it as “unsafe and hazardous”, leading to a ban on the product in several states. Nestle says that since Indian regulators raised their concerns, it has tested a batch of 1000 Maggi noodles in the country and found “lead levels… well within the limits specified by food regulations”. (BBC

News)

US strategy on Iraq “not yet complete” – Obama

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he United States (US) does not yet have a “complete strategy” for helping Iraq regain territory from of its country from Islamic State (IS), President Barack Obama has said.

He said the Pentagon was reviewing ways to help Iraq train and equip its forces, but a full commitment to the process was needed by the Iraqis themselves. He had earlier met Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Germany.

“We don’t have, yet, a

15

complete strategy, because it requires commitments on the part of Iraqis as well about how recruitment takes place, how that training takes place,” President Obama told a news conference. “We want to get more Iraqi security forces trained, fresh, well-equipped and focused and Abadi wants the same thing so we’re reviewing a range of plans for how we might do that.”

Obama said all countries in the international coalition were ready to do more to help train Iraqi security forces. Earlier, United

Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain was sending an extra 125 military trainers to Iraq.

Last month, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the loss of Ramadi was, in part, due to the Iraqis’ lack of a “will to fight”. Iraq has become increasingly reliant on Iranian-backed Shia militias to take on IS in recent months. The move has raised fears of worsening sectarian tensions as the militias try to drive the jihadist fighters out of predominantly Sunni areas like Anbar. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Australian Greenpeace activist barred from entering India

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n Australian member of Greenpeace has been prevented from entering India without explanation, according to the environmentalist lobby group’s Indian arm.

Aaron Gray-Block was not allowed to enter the country on Saturday despite having all relevant visas and documents needed to enter, the group said, adding the Australian was not officially deported despite being put on a flight back to Kuala Lumpur.

“There is absolutely no reason why one of its staff members should be treated in such an arbitrary way, and we expect the Ministry of Home Affairs

to offer a full explanation,” said Divya Raghunandan, the Programme Director for Greenpeace India.

If confirmed, the incident will be the latest episode in a dispute between the Indian Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Greenpeace.

Activist Priya Pillai was prevented from boarding a flight to London in January and had a travel ban placed on her until it was overturned by a court in March.

In April, the India’s Home Affairs Ministry banned the group’s domestic branch from accepting donations from abroad after accusing the group of not declaring transactions,

and in May, bank accounts belonging to the group were shutdown over the same issue.

At the time, a spokesman of India’s ruling party said that Greenpeace was not following the provisions of the law and did not disclose how they obtained their funds.

Greenpeace says it is being targeted by the Indian Government over its activism. “Denying entry to a Greenpeace employee with a valid visa is yet further proof of the extent to which the Indian Government is prepared to go in violating Greenpeace’s right to freedom...,” a statement by the group said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Time is running out for Greece – Merkel

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erman Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that time is running out for a deal to keep Greece in the Eurozone. Speaking after the G7 summit in Germany, she said Europe would show solidarity but only if Greece “makes proposals and implements reforms”. Other topics on the agenda at the G7 summit were climate change, countering extremism and the war in Ukraine.

Merkel, who hosted the summit, said the Greek crisis had been a central part of discussions. She reiterated her desire for Greece to remain part of the Eurozone, but said, “There isn’t much time left. Everyone is working intensively. Every day counts now.”

The European Commission is asking for further reforms to Greece’s economy, including tax increases and cuts in civil servants’ salaries and pensions, before the next €7.2 billion tranche of bailout money can be released. But Greece has robustly rejected these proposals without

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

some form of debt restructuring agreement in return.

At the weekend, Varoufakis was quoted as saying the Commission’s latest demands were “borderline insulting”. But speaking on a visit to the German capital Berlin on Monday, he told reporters, “It is time to stop pointing fingers at

one another and it is time that we do our job... to come to an agreement.”

Merkel is expected to meet with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on the sidelines of a European Union-Latin America summit in Brussels on Wednesday. (Excerpt from BBC News)

New “healthier” Milo causes uproar in New Zealand

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change to the recipe of the classic drink Milo has caused outrage in New Zealand with many saying it now tastes “yuck” and “horrible”.

Milo, a cocoa powder, is sold in about 40 countries and consists mainly of malted barley, milk powder, cocoa and sugar.

For more than 80 years it has been hugely popular in New Zealand, where it is usually had with hot milk.

Parent company Nestle said it had made some changes to the New Zealand formula to make Milo healthier for chil-

dren, and more environmentally sustainable. It said this had caused “a slight shift in flavour”. But some Kiwis feel it is not so slight.

Taryn Ibell started a Facebook petition to “Change Milo back to the old recipe”, which has built up more than 5500 supporters in a week.

She told the BBC that she used Milo to wean her daughter, who was born premature, off being tubefed. But now, she won’t drink it. “It’s just yuck. It’s gone from a nice chocolaty tasting drink into a very

chemically tasting malt drink,” said Ibell.

Many people said they would not be purchasing the new recipe product and would look for a replacement.

Nestle said it had altered the vitamin mix in the formula in New Zealand adding vitamin D, B3, B6, B12 and taking out vitamin A, B1 and magnesium. It has also switched to sustainably sourced palm oil and cocoa, and removed the added vanilla flavour “to make Milo as natural as possible”. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

16 news

tuesday, june 9, 2015| guyanatimesGY.com

Evening of Argentine tango leaves audience in awe

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A section of the audience at the National Cultural Centre

we-inspiring orchestrated music and breathtaking tango dances transformed the National Cultural Centre into an evening of romance as the Embassy of Argentina in cooperation with the Education Ministry hosted a spectacular concert displaying Argentina’s rich culture on Sunday, June 7.

Creating that elegant and romantic ambiance, famous Argentinean musicians Rodolfo Gorosito, Jose Cataldi and Armando De la Vega opened the concert with a rendition of classical music. Then on came two Argentinean dancers, Alicia Orlando and Claudio Barneix, who captivated the audience with the pas-

of different orchestras over the last century. Not only is there a large volume of music, but there is a breadth

piece performed, depicting the blissful essence of courtship as she and her partner tangoed all night long.

Uruguay and many others.

The musicians have also had their fair share fame, having performed in several music halls in Buenos Aires, such as the world-famous Teatro Colon Opera House, Teatro Presidente Alvear, Torcuato Tasso Cultural Center and at the 9th and 11th editions of the World Guitars Festival held at the General San Martin Cultural Center in Buenos Aires. Internationally, the trio performed in European cities and the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the concert was held in commemoration of Guyana’s 49th Independence Anniversary and was deemed a friendly gesture by Argentina’s Ambassador to Guyana, Luis Alberto Martino, who

The musicians Rodolfo Gorosito, Jose Cataldi and Armando De la Vega performing during the concert

of stylistic differences between these orchestras as well. It consists of a variety of styles that developed in

The duo began their journey in 1981. They have performed in many prestigious international arts festivals and theatres in European

had vowed to strengthen the two countries’ relationship in hopes to further strengthen the countries’ bilater-

The feeling of first love was in the air during this wonderful performance Alicia Orlando and Claudio Barneix performances

sion they illustrated as they tangoed in harmony to the sweet sound of the music.

Argentine tango music is much more varied than that of ballroom. A large amount of tango music has been composed by a variety

during one of the

different regions and eras, in response to the crowding of the venue and even the fashions in clothing.

Dancer Alicia Orlando definitely stunned the crowd with the array of beautiful dresses she wore for every

countries like France, Portugal, Finland, Greece and Spain; also in various countries in Asia such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. In the Americas they presented their show in different cities of the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Panama,

al ties and develop areas of mutual cooperation.

Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, delivering his brief remarks before the concert began, expressed his hopes of seeing the cultural ties between the two countries advance over the years.

Robbery suspect’s lawyer claims charges are revenge for cheating

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man was on Monday remanded to prison

by Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on two charges of robbery under arms.

Dennis Ramzan, a 34-year-old taxi driver of 185 East La Penitence, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on June 2 at Camp

Street in the Georgetown Magisterial District while being armed with a dangerous weapon – a knife – he robbed the Virtual Complainant (VC) Tenisha Soso of a cellular phone valued at $95,000 and $50,000 cash. The defendant also pleaded not guilty to the second charge which read that on April 21 at Regent Street, Georgetown, while being armed with a dangerous

weapon – a gun – he robbed the Virtual Complainant (VC) Kim Roberts of $20,000 cash.

The defendant’s legal representative, James Bond, claimed that the charges are malicious, claiming that both of the young VCs had been subjected to infidelity by the defendant and they filed the false charges as revenge.

Police Prosecutor Deniro

Jones objected to bail on the grounds of the gravity of the charges and the penalty that they attract. He added that both of the VCs stated that they were in no way familiar with the defendant. After considering the application for bail, the Magistrate refused bail and remanded the defendant to prison until June 23 when the matter will return to court.

Caribbean leaders to discuss steppedup action to tackle chronic diseases

H

ealth leaders from throughout the Caribbean are meeting this week with representatives of United Nations agencies, collaborating agencies from Canada and the United States, development banks, academia and civil society to discuss actions that can be taken to reduce the impact in the Caribbean of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes, and their associated risk factors.

The “Forum of Key Stakeholders on NCDs: Advancing the NCD agenda in the Caribbean” has been organised by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO) in collaboration with the Health Ministry of Barbados, and is being held on 8-9 June in St Michael, Barbados.

Compared with other sub regions of the Americas, the Caribbean has the highest rates of premature death (among people ages 30 to 69) from the four major NCDs: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. In addition, NCDs are a major cause of suffering and disability, which, combined with direct and indirect economic costs, places a heavy economic and social burden on families, communities, health systems and economies.

Discussions this week will focus on how to reduce the impact of NCDs by addressing their main risk factors, by strengthening health systems and improving care for NCDs, and by engaging sectors beyond health to support and participate in efforts to tackle NCDs. In 2007, Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders committed to the Port of Spain Declaration, a series of 27 commitments to guide action against NCDs. In 2012, Caribbean countries joined other PAHO/WHO Member States in endorsing the goal of reducing NCD deaths by 25 per cent by 2025. Since then, Caribbean Governments have been implementing measures addressing NCDs, and premature mortality from NCDs has begun to decline, though not fast enough to be on target to reach the 2025 goal.

“We need to intensify the public policy and health service response if we want to reduce the burden of NCDs and their risk factors on individuals, families and societies and prevent an even greater burden in the future,” said Anselm Hennis, Director of PAHO/WHO’s Department of Chronic Diseases and Mental Health. “Current trends clearly show that the Caribbean countries will not achieve the 25 per cent rela-

tive reduction in premature mortality due to NCDs by 2025 if we continue the business-as-usual model.”

Reducing risk factors

A large proportion of NCDs can be prevented by tackling the four related principle risk factors: tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. Prevention is the key cornerstone of an effective response. Cost-effective measures, such as stronger regulations, including taxation, are needed to protect the population from these risks. Robust public policies are needed in other sectors such as finance, trade and agriculture.

“Healthier lifestyle choices are not simply a matter of individual choice,” said Hennis. “We really must impact the social, economic, cultural and living conditions through whole-of-government and whole-of-society actions to make the healthy choice the easier choice.”

Among specific areas to be discussed at this week’s meeting are the role of legislation and regulations in modifying unhealthy environments and reducing exposure to tobacco, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity; multi-sectoral action, with whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches that place health as an economic asset, required for economic development, and to create supportive environments for health and well-being; a comprehensive health system response to NCDs that includes prevention and affordable access to health care, in the context of universal access and universal health coverage; stronger surveillance and improved monitoring systems to measure countries’ progress in tackling NCDs and risk factors; innovative ways to efficiently and sustainably finance health systems and especially their response to NCDs and related risk factors, given the rising costs of care and strategies for ensuring that NCDs remain a high priority on the Caribbean political agenda.

According to the PAHO, Caribbean countries have shown considerable leadership on NCDs at the political level. In addition to Caricom’s 2007 Port of Spain Declaration, Caribbean leaders provided the main impetus for the 2011 United Nations High Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of NCDs. The Caribbean leaders fully endorsed the PAHO Regional Plan of Action on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, 2013-2019, which defines the multi-sector policies, health service and surveillance actions needed to achieve the reductions in NCD mortality.

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news

tuesday, june 9, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Confusion surrounds Businessman, family robbed appointment of Youth Director of $1.5M, passports

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inister within in the Education Ministry Nicolette Henry, with the responsibility for the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, on Monday said that Alliance For Change member Trevor Williams has not been appointed as Director Youth, but is among others being considered for the post.

“Director of Youth, that position has not been filled as yet… They are currently going through interviews and I understand that Mr Trevor Williams is being considered at this time,” she explained at a press conference held at the department, (formerly Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport) on Main Street.

Minister Henry confirmed that former A Partnership for National Unity Member of Parliament Christopher Jones has been appointed as Sport Director.

As a Parliamentarian in the 10th Parliament, Jones had held the portfolio of education and culture. His responsibilities included culture, youth, sport, vocational training, public information, broadcasting, and science and technology. Williams, who holds a degree in international relations, is a youth leader with international experience and missionary work. Meanwhile, the Minister noted that there are presently several vacancies, including six senior positions within the department, expected to be filled by public servants. The vacant positions include the Executive Director for the President Youth Award, Principal Personnel Officer and Logistic Coordinator.

The Minister pointed out that the Ministry will be utilising the same mechanism that was previously employed to fill these positions.

She noted that these positions were vacant prior to her appointment as Minister, and also that she has retained all the staff who worked with the previous Minister. The exception is the former Sport Director, Neil Kumar, “who took leave and whom I have never seen,” Minister Henry explained.

Questioned about whether or not she had received a letter of resignation from Mr Kumar, the Minister replied in the negative, but further said that she had called him and engaged in a cordial conversation. “He has pretty much indicated to me that he recognised that his tenure had come to an end; I thanked him for serving his country in that capacity and said that I look forward to opportunities for having his service as they relate to the development of moving Guyana forward,” she said.

Former Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony told this newspaper on Saturday that while the appointment is supposed to be made by the Guyana Public Service Commission, the decisions were seem-

Minister within the Education Ministry, Nicollete Henry

ingly arbitrary as earlier in the year when the former administration was seeking to make an appointment to fill the position of Youth Director, several protocols were observed. He stated that candidates were identified and they were interviewed so as to ascertain the most suitable individual for the position. He also raised questions as to whether or not the individuals are qualified to fill that position, stating that it is mandatory that individuals taking up those said position must possess university qualifications.

explained that while there were many things which had to be done, he would want to ensure that the taxpayers’ dollars are not misused or wasted in any manner.

“We have to look at the National Youth Policy and I want to ensure that it becomes a reality, but I understand that there is a draft policy already. So we are going to look at that first and conduct an assessment to see which areas we can strengthen and which needs to be reviewed, but we are not going to get rid of everything altogether. We don’t want to waste whatever money has already been invested,” Williams related.

Guyana is one of a few countries in the Caribbean that is without a National Youth Policy, and by extension a National Youth Council. The Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry had previously conducted a number of consultations to draft the document. In 2011, the then Minister announced the commencement of countrywide

National Youth Policy

Meanwhile, speaking as though he has already been confirmed in the position, Williams has signalled his intentions of introducing a National Youth Policy coupled with immediate steps to alleviate suicide and unemployment among the youth corps. A National Youth Policy aims to re-define the role youths play in the world through Information and Communication Technology, science and research, and sport.

Against an eventful backdrop of multiple consultations and repeated calls for the presentation of the policy and numerous promises by former Minister Dr Anthony, Guyana has failed to produce even a draft of the policy.

Speaking to the Guyana Times on Sunday, Williams, who has been a passionate youth activist for the longest while, related that as he is preparing to take up the position as Youth Director and, while he has a list of things which must be done at the earliest, at the top of the agenda was the reality of the National Youth Policy which has been long in coming.

“My immediate plan is definitely the National Youth Policy. It is imperative; it is important that we see the reality of that. How will we measure where we are and where we are supposed to be?” Williams expressed.

He explained that since there is already a draft policy in place which was done under former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Frank Anthony, he would first have to examine the document, determine how it can be improved and if it can be turned into the final and official document. Williams

Trevor Williams

consultations on the document to meet the changing socioeconomic circumstances facing Guyanese youth.

These consultations and distribution of 2500 questionnaires concluded about three years after, with the then Minister promising that the policy was almost completed.

In December of last year, Dr Anthony had further stated that the preparation for the policy was expected to be finalised within three months. He added that a steering committee had been working with representatives from various youth organisations across the country in an attempt to give feedback on the content of the policy.

Prior to this, a consultant whose services were funded by the Commonwealth Youth Programme had been recruited by the Ministry.

The Ministry later disclosed, however, that the document did not meet the Ministry’s expectations which forced a decision to have another consultant recruited. Apart from assistance from the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Ministry had also acquired the assistance of Cuso International and had benefited from the services of a number of volunteers who had worked along with the Ministry in ensuring the successful completion of the youth policy.

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family was on Sunday morning held up by three masked men and robbed at gunpoint of $1.5 million at their Waterloo Street home in Georgetown. The incident occurred sometime between 01:00h and 04:00h.

Young businessman Abdul Saif Kadir was returning home through the passageway with two friends when they were attacked by three masked gunmen. The perpetrators then began to search the young men for valuables and found Kadir’s house keys in his pocket.

They forced the businessman into the house at gunpoint, and began to search for valuables.

Upon hearing the noise,

Abdul Saif Kadir who was held up and robbed at gunpoint

the young man’s mother, Bibi Nafeesah Kadir, and another relative woke up.

The bandits then held the man’s mother at gunpoint and demanded cash and valuables. They then went into her bedroom where they re-

trieved a bag containing $1.5 million in cash; three Guyanese passports with two active United States visas in the passports, one belonging to the young man and the other to his deceased father, Zulfiekir Kadir. After securing the items, the three perpetrators made good on their escape.

A report was subsequently made at the Brickdam Police Station and an investigation is undergoing.

Anyone who comes into contact with the passport or visas is kindly asked to contact the family on 638-550, 663-2900, 638-8062, or call the nearest Police Station. A reward is offered for the return of the documents.

BRHA doors locked, staff relocated

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he locks to the office of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA)in New Amsterdam have been ordered to be changed and the staff reassigned to the office of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

This is according to the Regional Chairman David Armogan who met with media operatives at his office on Monday afternoon. Armogan said on Monday morning the Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Imran Ally, received a directive from Public Health Minister Dr George Norton ordering that the doors of the BRHA be shut with immediate effect and the staff be deployed to the regional office at Vrymens Erven, New Amsterdam. “We had to comply with the instructions and, now, the entire top flat of the BRHA building is closed until further instructions,” Ally stated.

He noted that the Public Health department, which is housed on the lower flat of the building, is still functioning.

A total of 16 staff members were relocated to the Vrymens

Erven office. “We have to now look to see where they will be placed. Of course they were there working with the health sector. So in terms of placing them, they are already placed dealing with different aspects of the health system. It is just for them to continue to do what they were accustomed to do, but in another building.”

Armogan said that the Regional Administration was informed, through the press, that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BRHA, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo, was sent on leave. “We don’t have anything official statement from the Minister and I have spoken to Dr Mahadeo, who himself doesn’t seem to have anything official message that he has been sent on leave.” According to Armogan they are not in receipt of any documentation from either the Public Health Ministry or the Ministry of Communities informing them that Dr Mahadeo has been sent of leave.

The locking of the doors to the BRHA comes in the wake of a statement made on Wednesday, by the Public Health Minister, that the BRHA was an illegal enti-

ty. Armogan commenting on that statement at the press conference, said it was correct but noted that the Act allowing the establishment of Regional Health Authorities was assented to by the then President Bharrat Jagdeo on July 19, 2005. “It states that this Act shall come into operation on such date that the Minister appoints.”

According to Armogan, the then Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, did give acknowledgement to the Act. However he could not say whether he gave the acknowledgement make the operation of the BRHA legal in writing or verbally. He explained that Dr Ramsammy appointed a board to run the operations of the BRHA. “This was done under the supervision of the Health Sector Unit, and with the help of consultants and experts from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB). Their idea was to set up a structure as a pilot project, with a view to setting up other Regional Health Authorities in other parts of Guyana,” Armogan told reporters at his office.

US Embassy to host US College Information Fair

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he US Embassy in Guyana will host a College Information Fair at Queen’s College, Camp Street, Georgetown, starting at 16:00h on June 16.

Alumni from 15 US universities will be available to answer questions and share their experiences about study-

ing in the United States.

There will also be an opportunity to learn about financial aid resources and preparing for student visa interviews.

The event will be held in the main auditorium at Queen’s College and is open to all students and their parents.

Registration is free of charge.

The US Embassy in Guyana is committed to continue working with potential students to guide them with the admissions, visa, and financial information they need in order to successfully prepare and apply for study in the United States through its Education USA Advising Centre .

Essequibo schoolgirl hospitalised after taking overdose of pills

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secondary school student has been hospitalised at the Suddie Public Hospital in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) after she ingested a quantity of Piriton allergy tablets.

The teen who was dis-

covered by her parents was rushed to Suddie Public Hospital. Her condition is listed as stable.

According to information received, the teen who hails from Supenaam had “personal issues” and wanted to

end her life. Her parents refused to speak with the media what questioned about their daughter’s apparent suicide attempt.

Suicide rates in Region Two have been high since the start of 2015.

18 news

tuesday, june 9, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Yarrowkabra Coalition parties disagree on House Speaker woman chopped to ...MPs likely to vote along party lines death by lover

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Yarrowkabra woman was chopped to death by her partner during an argument on Monday at their SoesdykeLinden Highway, East Bank Demerara home.

Police said in a statement that during Monday, Carol Miranda Shako, 42, had an argument with a man with whom she shared

BY GOMATIE GANGADIN

a relationship during which she was struck to her head and chopped to her neck with an axe.

She was pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

The suspect has been arrested and is in custody assisting with the investigations.

Man allegedly found with sub-machine gun refused bail

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resident of Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara, who allegedly was in possession of a sub-machine gun was remanded to jail on Monday when he made his first appearance in Court One of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The accused, Edward Hubert McKaulin, of 67 South Vryheid’s Lust, was remanded by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry after he pleaded not guilty to the offence.

The charge detailed that he was found with a Luger Tec sub-machine gun on June 5 at East La Penitence, Georgetown. He was also charged for unlawfully and maliciously discharging the sub-machine gun with intent to maim, disfigure or injure Virtual Complainant (VC), Umblica (only name given).

McKaulin was represented by his attorney who informed the court that his client worked at a security firm

and thus carrying a firearm was part of his job. The attorney told the court that he believes several Police Officers may have an issue with his client, as he was arrested without any knowledge of the gun and it was only seen when he was taken to the police station. He stated that his client’s car and person were searched extensively, and nothing was found.

The attorney also stated that Police Officers had taken McKaulin’s clothes and tested for gun powder residue, along with his hands.

This also came up negative.

The attorney then stated that there was nothing linking him to the charge except the VC’s statements.

Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru objected to bail, stating that the submission made by McKaulin’s attorney was not a good reason for bail. He was remanded by the Magistrate and was expected back in court on June 23.

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ith the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) unable to reach an agreement as to who will be the next Speaker of the National Assembly, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon has hinted that the three nominees will be put to a vote and members will be free to elect someone of their choice come Wednesday.

This new development comes as a major shock as the fledgling coalition continues to experience grave difficulties in abiding by the Cummingsburg Accord which brought them together. The Accord had stipulated that the parties would choose a Speaker from civil society.

The AFC has so far nominated attorneys Stephen Fraser, who was one of its candidates for the 2006 election and Roysdale Forde for the post, while APNU has nominated Dr Barton Scotland. Should there be a vote along party lines; Dr Scotland will likely emerge as the Speaker given APNU’s numerical strength in the National Assembly.

Questioned on the matter by Guyana Times on Monday at Parliament Buildings, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon related that as it stood, three names were being considered by the two parties for the position. Harmon noted that while the possibility exists that Scotland will become the next Speaker, it was too premature to make

a full pronouncement, since the other two nominees are still being considered, and as such, the House will have to take a vote.

In the meantime, however, General Secretary of the AFC, David Patterson told Guyana Times that as far as he was aware discussions on the matter were still ongoing. He noted that while the three men were indeed being considered, the coalition is hoping that all three names will not be proposed in the

General Secretary of the AFC David Patterson

House on Wednesday to be voted upon, but rather just one. “We do not want three names on Wednesday so we are still having discussions to narrow it down to one name,” Patterson said.

He however cautioned that even when that one person would have been decided upon, that nominee will still have to be voted in by the Members of Parliament on Wednesday. On the other hand, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo related that the

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

names of the men were simply names mentioned but were by no means, the nominees.

He explained that in order to be considered for the position, the Members of Parliament will have to nominate the person and then a vote will be taken. This he stated cannot be done until Wednesday.

“We will know on Wednesday. According to the Cummingsburg Accord, the Speaker must come from civil society so that is the first criteria. There are names which have been proposed but no one has been nominated as yet until Wednesday…,” Nagamootoo said.

It is not yet clear whether the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) would be taking up its 32 seats in the National Assembly or if it will be nominating anyone for the position. However, because of the Government’s one seat majority, it is expected that the individual nomi-

nated by the Administration will be elected Speaker.

According to the coalition’s February 14 Cummingsburg Accord, the Speaker would come from civil society but there must be a consensus between the two parties.

Scotland is an Attorney with a private practice in the areas of national resources and investment law, negotiations and international law. He holds a Master of Laws degree and a PhD in International Law. He is a member of the Bars of Guyana, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis and England and Wales. Scotland held various diplomatic posts and once headed the Department of International Economic Cooperation under the late President Desmond Hoyte.

He served as an advisor to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in 2012 and was part of the team that accompanied then Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett in April of that year when she made an oral presentation in support of Guyana’s submission for an extended continental shelf to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York.

Scotland is also an acknowledged expert on the Law of the Sea. Scotland also served as a Commissioner on the Caricom Competition Commission which was launched in 2008 and later became its Chairman.

Rape accused not serving member of GDF

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he Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has clarified news reports in which a man accused of rape was identified as a soldier, declaring that he was not a serving member of the Force.

In a statement, the GDF said, “With regard to the page 60 report carried in the Sunday, June 7 edition of the Kaieteur News, in which it is reported that a “soldier” was held on alleged rape charges, the

Guyana Defence Force wishes to state categorically that the man in question is not a serving member of the Force.”

The man in question had been embodied as a reservist to work at the Civil Defence Commission and was subsequently disembodied on June 2, 2015, the GDF explained. Further, the Force in the release states that contrary to the report, the man was not harboured on any of the GDF’s bases.

Additionally, the Force wishes to state that the officer who allegedly assaulted his child mother has since been detained and remains under arrest at Base Ayanganna to facilitate investigations and any ensuing disciplinary actions.

The GDF continues to provide counselling in this and other cases to abusers and victims of abuse and maintains a firm stance against interpersonal violence, the release concluded.

27-year-old mother remanded on drug charge

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27-year-old mother cried on Monday in Court Five of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after she was told that she cannot get bail to go home to her seven-yearold son.

The accused is Natoya Fraser of 31 Charlestown, Georgetown. She was read the charge of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking by Magistrate Fabayo Azore, to which she

pleaded not guilty. It is alleged that she was in possession of 28 grams of cannabis sativa (marijuana).

Her attorney informed the court of her son, her age and the fact that she had a fixed place of abode in Charlestown. He also informed that his client has never been before the court previously for an offence and the drug was not found on Fraser.

Police Prosecutor Simone

Payne objected to the defence’s application for bail as the charge against Fraser is quite prevalent and serious in nature. However, the Prosecutor stated that statements are still needed to go ahead with a trial.

Magistrate Azore ordered the defendant to return to court on June 30 for fixtures and report to be made on the state of the case for trial.

tuesday, june 9, 2015

NBA finals…

Cavs win OT thriller to go level T

he Cleveland Cavaliers levelled the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors with a win on Sunday.

LeBron James had a triple-double as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 95-93 after overtime to level the NBA Finals at 1-1.

James had 44 points in game one and starred again at Oracle Arena with 39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.

This time it meant a victory for the Cavs, who claimed home-court advantage with the win as the NBA Finals’ first two games went to OT for the first time in history.

While James was a standout, NBA MVP Curry struggled.

The usually lethal Curry went five-of-23 from the field and finished with 19 points in the Warriors’ loss.

Klay Thompson did

LeBron James

the bulk of the scoring for Golden State, with his 34-point haul including four three-pointers.

The Warriors had fought back to force overtime, yet this time it was the Cavs who prevailed.

Matthew Dellavedova,

who replaced the injured Kyrie Irving, made two crucial free-throws in OT as he finished with nine points.

Timofey Mozgov had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while J.R. Smith had 13 points off the

bench.

It was in the fourth quarter that the Cavs surged ahead with a 14-4 run early on giving them a buffer.

The Warriors fought back and Curry’s lay-up with eight seconds remaining levelled the game at 8787.

James missed a layup and Tristan Thompson failed to put in the tip to finish regulation.

Iman Shumpert hit a three for the first points of OT before James’ two freethrows extended the Cavs’ lead to five.

Draymond Green (10 points and 10 rebounds) made his first two field goals of the game before Curry’s two free-throws had the Warriors ahead.

But Dellavedova hit two clutch free-throws before James managed one, with the series heading to Cleveland for game three on Tuesday. (Digicel Sportsmax)

Pistorius out on probation in August O scar Pistorius is set to be released on probation on 21 August, South African prison authorities say, after serving 10 months in jail for shooting dead his girlfriend.

The Paralympic star was jailed for five years in 2014 for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp.

Ms Steenkamp’s parents have said that the time he has served is “not enough for taking a life”.

A state appeal against his acquittal on murder charges is due in November.

Under South African law, Pistorius is eligible for release under “correctional supervision” having served a sixth of his sentence.

South African Commissioner of Correctional Services Zach Modise told the BBC that the case management commit-

Oscar Pistorius

tee at the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, where Pistorius is being held, made the recommendation last week.

The decision is likely to mean a spell under house arrest for Pistorius.

Murder charge sought The double amputee shot and killed Ms Steenkamp through a locked bathroom

door at his Pretoria home, believing she was an intruder, he told his trial.

In March a Johannesburg court blocked his legal team’s attempts to stop the prosecutors’ appeal.

State prosecutors say Pistorius should have been found guilty of murder if convicted he could face a much more lengthy jail

term.

Tania Koen, a lawyer for Ms Steenkamp’s parents Barry and June, said that while the two had forgiven Pistorius, “ten months is not enough”.

“It also doesn’t send out the proper message and serve as the proper deterrent as the way it should.”

The decision will reignite a national debate in South Africa about the rule of law, says the BBC’s Milton Nkosi.

Pistorius was born without the fibulas in both of his legs, and had surgery to amputate both below the knee while still a baby.

He went on to become one of South Africa’s bestknown sports stars, and was the first amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 London Olympics. (BBC Sport)

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Fifa crisis: Russia and Qatar may have bought votes

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ussia and Qatar may have had to pay bribes to secure their World Cups, Sepp Blatter’s former special advisor has suggested.

Guido Tognoni worked “extremely closely” with the Fifa president during Blatter’s second term.

“In Fifa, for many years, you could only reach your goal by taking dollars in your hands,” Tognoni told BBC Sport.

Fifa said investigations into such claims were ongoing and, as yet, there was no evidence of wrongdoing.

The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments is the subject of a Swiss criminal investigation.

Asked if countries had any choice other than to bribe Fifa during the bidding process, Tognoni replied: “This speculation is permitted, yes.”

Russia and Qatar deny wrongdoing, while Blatter has not been named in a separate US criminal investigation into widespread corruption at Fifa.

Domenico Scala, head of Fifa’s audit and compliance committee, said if evidence emerges from either the US or Swiss investigations which shows the result was affected by bought votes, the “awards could be cancelled”.

However, Tognoni, who was Blatter’s right-hand man for a period in the mid-90s and again between 2001-2003, said he did not think the World Cups would be taken away from Russia or Qatar.

“Even if there is evidence that Fifa people were bribed, where is the problem? With Fifa, or the people who had no choice but to get the World Cup with bribing?”

In response, Fifa said

in a statement on Monday: “Fifa initiated the investigation by the Swiss authorities precisely to answer questions such as this.

“However, while investigations are ongoing, it should be noted that to date, no evidence has come to light to suggest there are any legal grounds for rescinding the current Fifa World Cup selections.”

Seven senior Fifa officials were arrested last month in high-profile dawn raids at a Zurich hotel, where they had been staying before the presidential election.

They are among 14 people charged by US prosecutors, who allege that bribes and kickbacks of more than $150m (£100m) were accepted over a 24-year period.

Blatter, Fifa president since 1998, was re-elected at the Zurich meeting but announced four days later that he would resign amid the corruption allegations engulfing the organisation.

American lawyer Michael Garcia was previously hired by Fifa to investigate the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes, but he complained that the published summary of his 430-page report was an “erroneous” representation of his work.

The report cleared World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar of wrongdoing.

Garcia quit weeks later over Fifa’s handling of his inquiry and his comments reopened the debate about the validity of the bidding process.

Scala has since had Garcia’s report reviewed by legal experts, from both in and outside of sport, but neither were able to find grounds to alter the award of either tournament at this stage. (BBC Sport)

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guyanatimesGY.com

tuesday, june 9, 2015

Powell, Gay to CPL: Fudadin looks Gatlin, face off at Lausanne forward to debut Diamond League meet

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Assad Fudadin

ut of favour Windies Test batsman Assad Fudadin is anxiously awaiting his Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) debut after being snapped up by the Guyana Amazon Warriors during the 2015 draft.

“It’s a great opportuni-

ty for me to represent the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the first time,” the 29-year-old Fudadin said.

The batsman, who was selected in the 15th round for US$5000, will be one of those looking to add firepower to a squad that has found

itself in second position for the last two editions of the tournament.

Fudadin will be joined by Australia’s Brad Hodge, West Indies veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera and local superstars Devendra Bishoo and Paul Wintz as the newcomers in the Amazon Warriors outfit.

“It will be a good experience for me, since I will get the opportunity to mix with a few international players, who are specialised in oneday cricket, so it will be a good opportunity for me to experience and I want to thank the management unit for putting their faith in me,” he said.

Other members of the squad include Trinidad’s Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin and Guyana’s Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul and Ronsford Beaton. (Digicel Sportsmax)

T

Tyson Gay

Justin Gatlin

Asafa Powell

he three fastest men in the world this year are set to race each other in the 100 metres t the Athletissima Diamond League meeting.

Organisers of the Lausanne meeting say Justin Gatlin, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay are entered

for the race on July 9.

Usain Bolt, the worldrecord holder and two-time Olympic champion over 100 meters, has opted to run the 200 as usual at Athletissima.

Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, ran a worldleading 9.74 seconds at the opening Diamond League

meet last month in Doha, Qatar. Powell has clocked 9.84 this year and Gay’s season-best is 9.88.

Last year in Lausanne, Gatlin won in 9.80 ahead of Gay, who was returning from a one-year ban for doping. (Digicel Sportsmax)

Blake makes successful return to competition

Effective planning will be crucial for F Tridents, says Haynes

Desmond Haynes

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egendary West Indies opener Desmond Haynes believes effective planning could prove the difference for Barbados Tridents, in the defence of their Caribbean Premier League title later this month.

The 59-year-old, who serves as the Tridents ambassador, said with all six teams appearing evenly matched for the June 20 to July 26 campaign, it would be important for his side to approach the tournament well-prepared.

“With the Tridents, we also have a think-tank – as we call it – where we have a group of senior players who will discuss the opposition, we will discuss the way that we think the plans should work and we would then take it to the team to see if

they would buy into those plans,” Haynes said.

“Sometimes the team adds to the plans or sometimes they say ‘let’s go back to what we were doing all along’. The way we go about it is that we try to let everyone in the team know our plans so everyone is aware of how we set out to go about the game.”

Haynes, who played 116 Tests and 238 One-Day Internationals during an illustrious career, said his vast experience would come into play.

“I can assess players. I can see some of the strength and weaknesses of the opposition. I can also discuss some of the strength and weaknesses of our own players because it’s important for you to know what the opposition is thinking, what

lines they are going to bowl and what plans they want to use against you,” he explained.

“It’s like going into a war, it’s very important to plan and know exactly what to expect from the opposition so that when they come you will be well prepared.”

Tridents won the 2014 CPL title when they beat Guyana Amazon Warriors in a rain-affected final at Warner Park in St Kitts last year.

Ironically, they will launch the defence of their title against Amazon Warriors on June 20 under lights at Kensington Oval.

Haynes, who gives support to Tridents head coach Robin Singh, said it was important to use the technology available in preparing team plans.

“With the technology that is available to us now, as coaches it is very important for us to use it so that we could then put our plans in place and be very competitive with the rest of the sides.”

The CPL will see Tridents clashing with Amazon Warriors, Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Lucia Zouks and new franchise St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in 33 matches, for a place in the semi-finals, scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago on July 23 and 25.

The final is set for July 26. (CMC)

ormer World champion Yohan Blake took a huge towards his participation in this summer’s World Championships in Beijing, when he won his made his first competitive appearance in nearly a year, at last weekend’s Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association All-Comers development series here.

The injury-plagued 25year competed in the 200 metres, winning his heat in a cautious time of 21.57 seconds at the National Stadium.

And while the time was just good enough for 13th overall, Blake said the outing had been a vital one as he looked to make a comeback on the international circuit.

“First I have to give God thanks that I am back on the

track,” the 2011 World 100 metres champion said.

“It felt different [because] I was really nervous [and] didn’t know what I could do really. But I feel really good to the get the rust off.”

Blake had a superb year in 2012 when he finished with silver behind Usain Bolt in both men’s sprints at the London Olympics.

However, he was forced out of the World Championships in Moscow the following year due to a hamstring injury and an attempted comeback last July in Glasgow finished in disappointment when he pulled up dramatically and crashed to the track.

With the Jamaica National Championship set to begin June 25, Blake has his sights trained on a positive outing, with qual-

ification for the World Championships in mind.

“I don’t take long to get going, so I am going to come next week and run one more and head into the trials,” the Jamaican said. “I just have to keep it simple and do some speed work and I will be good.”

He remains unsure, however, about his participation in both sprints at the National Championships, and stressed his focus was on returning to competitive shape.

“I am not sure as yet I am still leaving it for the coach to decide what he thinks is best for me,” Blake noted. “I just want to get back my competitiveness and see what happens, but I would like to be in the top three.”

The World Championships are set for August 22-30. (CMC)

Nadal drops to lowest rank since 2005

F

ourteen-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal has dropped to 10th in the latest world rankings – his lowest position in more than a decade.

The Spaniard, 29, has fallen after losing to world number one Novak Djokovic in the French Open quarterfinals last week.

It is Nadal’s lowest ranking since he was 11th as a teenager in April 2005.

Swiss Stan Wawrinka, who beat Djokovic to the Roland Garros men’s singles title on Sunday, climbs to fourth.

Despite his defeat,

Rafael Nadal

28-year-old Djokovic stays ahead of Switzerland’s Roger

Federer and Britain’s Andy Murray, who was beaten by the Serb in the last four.

Serena Williams, who claimed her 20th Grand Slam singles’ title, increased her margin at the top of the women’s rankings.

The 33-year-old American’s nearest rival is Czech Petra Kvitova, who has risen from fourth.

Russian Maria Sharapova, 28, drops two places to fourth following her fourth-round loss to eventual finalist Lucie Safarova, 28, with the Czech player moving to a careerbest seventh. (BBC Sport)

sports

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Patto Memorial Knockout football

tuesday, june 9, 2015

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Tutorial Academy crowned champions

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The winning Tutorial Academy team

T

utorial Academy Secondary (TASS) won the annual Patto Memorial Knockout Football Tournament for schools in and around New Amsterdam, held at the All Saints Scotts School Ground at Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

TASS held the defending champions, Berbice Educational Institute (BEI) to a nil-all draw at the end of regulation time and then won 3-1 in the penalty shootout to decide the winner.

Goalkeeper Steffon Hosannah was able to save three of the four shots which came to him and eventually won the best goalkeeper award for the tournament and received a pair of goalkeeping gloves.

TASS took away the Patto Memorial 2015 trophy and 15 medals. The Most Valuable Player (MVP)

award when to TASS striker Joshua Butts. The award was given to Butts who went against the school’s administration and put together the team to compete after the school had initially indicated to the organisers that it would not be participating in this year’s competition since it could not field a team.

Meanwhile, another TASS player, Oren Glen received the most goals award after scoring two goals in the three-day tournament.

Earlier in the competition, Canje Secondary School (CSS) received a walkover from New Amsterdam Technical Institute, while Vrymens Erven Secondary (VESS) with goals form Bruits Griffith and Akeem Haynes beat Berbice High School (BHS) 2-1. BHS’ lone goal came off the boot of Derrick Taylor.

TASS enjoyed a 2-1

win over New Amsterdam Multilateral (NAMS) on their way to the final.

Scoring for TASS were Oren Glen and Joshua Butts, while NAMS got its consolation goal from a defence error.

Meanwhile, BEI beat VESS 2-0 in the playoffs. Scoring for BEI were Dwayne Alleyne and Kean Williams. In their playoff, TASS beat VESS 2-1.

Scoring for TASS were Glen and Joshua Wilson, while Griffith scored for VESS. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, football coach and one of the organisers, Kenneth Bowery, who also refereed the final, said it was the most competitive of all the games.

He said the footballers can go a far way in the sport if they pay attention to Rule Number Five in football.

That rule says that the

referee is in charge and is the sole person responsible for administrating the laws of the game.

Meanwhile, Neil Humphrey, who has been responsible for getting the prizes, noted that with schools preparing for the upcoming annual Digicel countrywide interschool knockout football tournament, the standard of football exhibited was nowhere close to the standard which will be expected when the Digicel tournament starts if they are to get to the later stages.

The late Patrick “Patto” April was a former Berbice footballer and supporter of the game.

The competition was organised by Neil “Grizzle” Humphrey among others.

Meanwhile, the Humphrey Memorial U-15 is slated to commence on June 22.

(Andrew Carmichael)

NSBF Georgetown Regional Conference

Marian Academy top GTI 32-23 – Thompson goes for 28 points, 22 rebounds in Under-16 win

By Treiston Joseph

T

he National School Basketball Festival (NSBF) Georgetown Regionals, sponsored by Digicel, Beharry Group of Companies and Banks DIH, continued at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday with some heated action.

In Under-19 action, Marian Academy pulled off a 32-23 win against the Government Technical Institute (GTI), outplaying the tertiary institution on both ends of the floor.

Judah Stephney was a defensive stalwart with four steals plus 11 points to help Marian Academy in the win.

Sebastian Luke was the only GTI player in double figures with 12 points.

The second Under-19 game saw President’s College (PC) holding off St Roses High School 40-37 in a thrilling encounter.

Jaleel Duke was the game’s highest scorer with 16 points for PC, while Eli Innis supported with 12 points and seven rebounds. Anfernee Jervis led his St Roses teammates with 13 points in the loss.

In Under-16 action, Plaisance Secondary School routed St Roses High School 54-9 in a defensive clinic by the East Coast side.

Delroy Critchlow had a game-lead-

Josiah Daniels goes up for a lay-up during Marian Academy’s win

ing 14 points and eight rebounds, while Nigel Bowen supported with 12 points and nine rebounds in the win. Ray Victor scored four points in the humiliating loss.

Bishops’ High School comfortably defeated Tutorial High School 52-18 as Timothy Thompson had probably the best performance of the tournament so far with 28 points and 22 rebounds.

Terrence Joe supported with 14 points.

Meanwhile, in the Under-14 category, Marian Academy easily defeated Campbellville Secondary School 316. Josiah Daniels and Corey Graham scored eight points apiece in the lopsided win.

The tournament will continue on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

22

guyanatimesGY.com

tuesday, june 9, 2015

Minister Henry promises Govt will attempt “broad consultation” to recover missing on way forward equipment D

Dr Nicolette Henry

By Avenash Ramzan

M

inister with responsibility for sport in the Education Ministry, Dr Nicolette Henry, said broad consultation will be done on the way forward for the sector.

According to the Minister, the process has already started.

She was at the time addressing members of the media at the Main Street, Georgetown headquarters for the first time since assuming office.

The Minister promised to meet with media operatives once monthly, and during her first discourse with journalists on Monday morning, she also outlined her plans to further develop the sport industry.

Henry pointed out that the Ministry will look to strengthen the systems that work, while rectifying those that may have been dysfunc-

tional over the years.

“What I want to see as a person, as a Guyanese, I want to ensure that we produce sportsmen that are competitive at an international level. I also want to see us recognise our sportsmen in a much more bigger way, and I want sports to be that face where youths who have the aptitude recognise that sports can be a development tool. So those are my big plans for sports.

Of course, you have to go through a whole process as to how you’re going to implement those, and how you’re actually going to work it into a plan. But that’s the big vision coming out of this office,” Dr Henry explained.

She said the Ministry will engage in broad consultation with all stakeholders to ensure the growth and development of the sector. She is also advocating for public/private partnerships to integrate sports in schools,

much like the investment made by Digicel in its annual secondary schools football tournament.

“Broad consultation as you know would involve civil society, and I’m not only speaking about Government. I believe in public/private partnerships.

I intend to maximise on those partnerships and definitely, while I won’t want to single out any particular agency, when I speak of stakeholders I speak very broadly and Digicel is, therefore, included as a partner,” she emphasised.

Dr Henry further stated that she has already started meeting with the registered national associations to get a feel of what currently obtains and what can be done by the Ministry going forward.

“Currently, I am going through an orientation phase as I said before, and I plan within the first two months to meet with all the registered sporting organisations and bodies here in the country so that we can work together as a team to move the whole agenda of sport forward. I see sports as a development issue and I would really like to see even out-of-school youths really involved in the process as we move this forward as a nation,” Dr Henry highlighted.

Under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, the Sport Ministry was under the leadership of Dr Frank Anthony.

r Nicolette Henry, Minister with responsibility for sport in the Education Ministry, on Monday revealed that the new administration will take the necessary steps to recover sport equipment that allegedly went missing from the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall under the previous administration.

After the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition was voted into office following the May 11 polls, reports surfaced that millions of dollars in equipment were missing from the country’s premier indoor facility on Homestretch Avenue.

The blame inevitably fell on former Director of Sport under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, Neil Kumar, who headed the National Sports Commission (NSC), under which the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall fell.

Addressing the matter on Monday at her Main Street office, Dr Henry said that as far as she was aware an audit was done, and the necessary follow-up steps would now be taken by the relevant authorities.

“I have seen what that report looks like and that report will be followed up by the relevant persons who are so responsible for following up. As you would

Christopher Jones

imagine that would not be a role or responsibility of the Minister to follow up on what assets are not currently being accounted for. With that being said, we rather suspect that the correct mechanism will be implemented so that we can track to see where those are currently,” she divulged.

Dr Henry added, “I couldn’t say at this point in time if it was a case of theft, as you have alluded to. I have not had that type of information at this point in time. Until such time I would want to ensure that we take the necessary steps to ensure that first of all we can identify where those equipment currently are, and for whatever reason they are not in the sys-

tem, we are going to attempt to recover them and ensure that they are in the system again.”

Quizzed on the financial documents that were also reportedly missing from the NSC office, Dr Henry commented, “I’m not aware of any financial documents that were missing, and now that you would have brought that to my attention that’s something that I would definitely be interested in.”

Meanwhile, the Minister said while she has not received a resignation letter from Kumar, she was aware that the former Director of Sport has proceeded on leave ever since the change of Government.

“I’ve not been in receipt of a letter from Mr Neil Kumar, but I have to tell you I called Mr Neil Kumar and we had a conversation and it was a very good conversation and I think he’s pretty much indicated to me that he recognised his tenure had come to an end, and I first of all thanked him for serving the people of this country in that capacity, and I look forward for opportunities to continue to have his service as it relates to the development [of sport] and moving Guyana forward,” Dr Henry revealed.

The APNU+AFC Government has since appointed Christopher Jones as the new Director of Sport.

Golden Jaguars depart for St Vincent and Grenadines T

he Golden Jaguars, Guyana’s senior national men’s football team, departed Guyana on Sunday, for their Round Two World Cup qualifier against rivals St Vincent and the Grenadines set for June 10 in Kingstown.

Kick-off time is 15:30h at the Arnos Vale Stadium and the Jaguars will return on Thursday to prepare for their June 14 return game at the Guyana National Stadium.

The last time the two sides met was at the 2012 Caribbean Championship where the Jaguars lost 2-1 with Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson scoring the lone goal.

However, this time around, once again under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz, Guyana will look to emulate or even better their previous showing at the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers.

In a change to previous qualification tournaments, CONCACAF decided that the first three rounds will be played as knockout rounds, with both the fourth and fi-

The team prior to departure at the Ogle International Airport (Samuel Maughn Photo)

nal rounds (referred to as “The Hexagonal”) played as group stages.

Of the team that played in the 2014 qualifier that reached the penultimate round, Christopher Nurse, Ricky Shakes, goalkeeper Derrick Carter, Vurlon Mills, Collin Nelson, Trayon Bobb, Walter Moore, Jamaal Smith and Dwaine Jacobs are the only returning players with Shabazz crafting a younger side.

Earning their first International Cap are

Leicester’s Marcel Barrington and Boreham Wood FC defender Sam Cox while Neil Danns (Bolton Wanderers) and former Fulham FC and Millwall Defender Matthew Briggs will have their taste of playing for Guyana at the World Cup Qualifiers after debuting on March 29 against Grenada.

Shabazz will turn to Akel Clarke who had a clean sheet in the two International friendlies played at home and long-serving custodian

Derrick Carter between the uprights.

Ricky Shakes, who have not featured for the Jaguars since their 2014 World Cup Qualification, has made a return to the line-up.

Shakes made his debut for Guyana in a 2-0 away win against Barbados on October 7, 2011, before scoring his first goal four days later in a 1–1 draw with Bermuda.

Shakes’ third international appearance came in the 2–1 victory over

Trinidad and Tobago on the infamous 11.11.11 at the Guyana National Stadium which sealed Guyana’s qualification to the third round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Shabazz, prior to the team’s departure at the Ogle International Airport, said that the squad will be heading into the game tomorrow with only a positive result on their minds.

The Trinidadian Shabazz recollected the difficulty in coming up with the final

squad for the first game, noting that all the players have dedicated their time and worked tirelessly for the right to don the colours of the Golden Jaguars.

The Squad: Goalkeepers: Akel Clarke and Derrick Carter; Defenders: Matthew Briggs, Collin Nelson, Jamaal Smith, Adrian Butters, Samuel Cox and Dwain Jacobs; Midfield: Vurlon Mills, Ricky Shakes, Brandon Beresford and Christopher Nurse (Captain), Kanata Manning, Trayon Bobb, Walter Moore, Eon Alleyne and Neil Danns; Forwards: Emery Welshman, Sheldon Holder, Marcel Barrington and Daniel Wilson.

Head Coach: Jamaal Shabazz Assistant Coach: Wayne Dover Goalkeeping Coach: Andrew Hazel Equipment Manager: Trevor Burnett Managers: Mark Xavier and Faizal Khan Trainer: Anson Ambrose Physiotherapist: Duane Saunders and Beverley Nelson

guyanatimesGY.com

tuesday, june 9, 2015

23

Red Steel coach Sparta Boss are targets home final nationwide champs

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” tournament

S

Simon Helmot

imon Helmot says the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel do not feel any extra pressure, despite the 2015 Caribbean Premier League final being held at the Queen’s Park Oval on 26 July.

It will be the first time the island has hosted the tournament’s grand finale with the Red Steel still searching for their first ever CPL crown, having reached the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

“There is no extra on pressure on us. There is great expectation from the fans and inside the camp of us to do well. If anything it is an added incentive that the finals are at the Queen’s Park Oval,” said Helmot.

Barbados Tridents set the benchmark last year but we are out to knock them off and win the title As well as using the incentive of a home final, Helmot is hopeful that the franchise will learn from their performance in the 2014 competition - in which the Red Steel won six of their nine group games before losing to the Jamaica Tallawahs in the first playoff eliminator.

“Last year after seven rounds were in a good position,” said the Australian coach. “But we finished poorly and the competition slipped away from us.

“This year we have to peak at the right time. We need to start well but contin-

ue the momentum throughout the competition, as last year showed we cannot afford to flirt with our form.”

Helmot will call on the experience of captain Dwayne Bravo and Jacques Kallis, who will appear in the tournament for the first time after being picked in the second round of February’s Player Draft.

With the addition of Kallis along with hardhitting opening batsmen Cameron Delport, the Red Steel are sure to enter the tournament as one of the favourites but Helmot believes the competition is as wide open as it’s ever been.

“It’s a very even competition and every match will be close. The advantage that Jacques and Dwayne bring is they not what it means to be successful.

“Dwayne is one of the most prolific all-rounders in World T20 cricket and is the spiritual leader of the franchise, both on and off the field. Jacques is a fairly calm character and his experience is sure to rub off on the younger players.

“I think when you add those to the rest of the squad we are in a good place. We have a lot of multi-skilled players which means we can be versatile in different conditions and allow us to match up against all types of opponent.” (CPL.com)

ANSA McAL supports Special Olympics World Summer Games

ANSA McAL PRO Darshanie Yussuf hands over the sponsorship cheque to Guyana Olympic Association National Director Wilton Spencer

A

Guyana delegation will be heading to the Special Olympics World Summer Games which are scheduled for July 25 in Los Angeles, USA. As such, ANSA McAL has decided to support by way of sponsorship the outgoing team to assist them in realising their goals.

ANSA McAL Public Relations Officer Darshanie

Yussuf stated that ANSA McAL was grateful for the opportunity to assist the delegation to participate in the Summer Games as the company expects great achievements from the four athletes.

Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) National Director Wilton Spencer said, “I take this opportunity to thank ANSA McAL for its overwhelming support

towards sending our delegation to compete 177 countries at the 2015 Special Olympics.”

Guyana have competed in the Minneapolis/St Paul 1991, Connecticut 1995, North Carolina 1999, Dublin Ireland 2003 and Greece 2011 Special Olympics and, to date, have won a total of 9 gold, 13 silver and 7 bronze medals.

Some of the action during the final

By Treiston Joseph

I

n an intense final during the wee hours of Monday, Sparta Boss were crowned nationwide Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Tournament champions with a 2-1 win over North Ruimveldt at Demerara Park.

After falling short twice in the previous finals, Sparta Boss finally lifted the coveted title with a comprehensive showing.

Their ball movement was a joy to watch while their physicality would please any hardcore smallgoal football fan.

The game started with a

fast pace that played right into Sparta Boss’s style of play, as Sheldon Shepherd opened the scoring with a goal in the sixth minute to put Sparta Boss ahead.

The first half would play out with both teams scrapping hard to get the best chance of winning.

However, in the second half, Devon Millington’s strike in the 17th minute gave Sparta Boss a 2-nil advantage and ultimately the win, as North Ruimveldt were unable to handle the quality passing and skill of the Sparta Boss team.

Joshua Browne scored a consolation goal for North Ruimveldt in the 20th min-

ute to save face for the runners-up.

Millington, who is also the captain of the team, highlighted that his squad was happy with the win, but would be focused on the regional tournament ahead.

Meanwhile, West Front Road topped Showstoppers 6-1 for third, with Michael Pedro leading the way with a double in the 16th and 23rd minute.

Brand Manager of Guinness Lee Baptiste, after the final, was optimistic of Sparta Boss’s chances in the regional tournament when it begins later in June.

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

Tuesday, june 9, 2015

Limacol renews Caribbean Premier League deal – NEW GPC brand to partner with umpires, referees

N

the tournament has helped the League rapidly become one of the most popular T20 competitions in the world. In that time, the Limacol brand has become the most recognisable brand name synonymous with CPL. NEW GPC Chairman, Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, said; “We are delighted that Limacol will be continuing our successful relationship with CPL – this year’s tournament looks bigger than ever and we look forward to continuing to provide ‘Genuine Caribbean Cool’

EW GPC INC, under its popular Limacol brand, on Monday confirmed that it will continue as a Principal Partner of the Caribbean Premier League. As partof the agreement, Limacol will become Umpires and Referees Partner, which will see Limacol represented on the Umpires’ uniforms and during the Third Umpire review.

Limacol was title sponsor of the first two seasons of the Caribbean Premier League, and its support of

CPL Commercial Director, Jamie Stewart

to cricket fans across the region and around the World.”

Caribbean Premier League Commercial Director, Jamie Stewart, said; “Limacol has been the central supporter of CPL since before the first ball was bowled, and cricket fans across the region have the brand to thank for helping to make the CPL dream a reality. We are very pleased to extend the strong relationship with Limacol into 2015 and we thank the company for its continuing support of the Biggest Party in Sport.”

Global superstars including Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis and Shahid Afridi will join the Caribbean’s finest cricketers, like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, as well as exciting up-and-coming local talent.

Last year’s tournament attracted a global audience in excess of 65 million and this year is set to be even higher as fans across the world continue to be drawn to the high quality action on the pitch and the unique party atmosphere off it. (CPL Release)

Guyana Amazon Warriors rope Sparta Boss are in Umar Akmal nationwide champs

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” tournament Page 23

G

Umar Akmal

uyana Amazon Warriors have signed Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal for the 2015 edition of the

Caribbean Premier League.

Akmal is expected to join the CPL franchise on July 3 after finishing his stint with Leicestershire in the ongo-

ing NatWest T20 Blast.

If he is picked for the Pakistan limited-overs side, however, Akmal will have to proceed to Sri Lanka on national duty for the five ODIs and two T20Is, with the first ODI on July 11 and the second T20 on August 1. The CPL runs from June 20 to July 26.

It will be Akmal’s second appearance in the CPL after he played for Barbados Tridents in 2013. He had a disappointing return of 49 runs from six games before he suffered a seizure on a flight to Jamaica and was called back to Pakistan by the PCB for medical examination.

Akmal has been in good form recently. He debuted for Leicestershire three days ago with an unbeaten 76 off 49 against Nottinghamshire.

He was also the second-highest run-getter in the Super8 T20 Cup in Pakistan last month with 216 runs from four games at a strike-rate of 151. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Sparta Boss celebrate their championship win in the presence of Banks DIH officials as well as Director of Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca

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