Guyana Times Daily

Children in P institutional care drop to below 25%

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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyana-times.com

Issue No. 2879

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

PRICE

Ramayya ordered out of NA Hospital compound

WHAT'S INSIDE: P7 Family Court finally operational

– commences hearings

Page 3

6 arrested for KN grenade attack Page 3

$80 vat included

Border shooting incident

GDF awaits report from Venezuelan officials – Brigadier Phillips

June Assizes commences with 116 P13 cases

Page 7

National awardees urged to strive harder Page 5 Facebook death threats

P9 Beekham confesses to threatening Opposition Leader

City parking meters

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon along with Maureen Lynette Stephenson, Nancy Ferreira, Ingrid Cecilia Forde, William Victor Cecil Cox and Reginald Brotherson

Wales Estate closure case

GuySuCo requests time to respond to court order Page 11

MMA’s faulty pump causes flooding in Region 5 Page 5

Deputy Mayor not authorised to speak on Council’s behalf P17 – Mayor

Barry Dataram case

272 packets of cocaine tendered as evidence P2 in court

2 news Children in institutional care drop to below 25% T wednesDAY, june 8, 2016 | guyana-times.com

he Child Care and Protection Agency of the Social Protection Ministry in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, is in the process of developing a national policy document for children in institutional care.

Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA), Ann Greene said the document will be completed by the end of 2016.

During an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Greene said the document will focus on areas of supporting, protecting and caring for children who, due to their circumstances are placed in institutional care.

Currently, there are approximately 165 children being housed at the Sophia Care Centre and Halfway Home, the Mahaica Children’s Home and the Drop-in Centre. This is a significant reduction compared

CPA Director Ann Greene

to earlier this year when it was reported that 700 children were in institutional care.

“The Care Centre is a place that really the children should not stay too long. It is an alternative option for a child in need of care. So when we take you in we have to provide the same things that

they might need when they are in a home. They must attend school, there must be some kind of training and extracurricular activities, they must go to church, so it’s a normal type of setting like when they are in a home,” Green explained.

Green further explained that the Drop-in Centre is the first stop for a child. This means that at any time disciplinary officers or any citizen can take a child to this facility and there will always be a bed available for that child. A social worker will be assigned to take the child’s case immediately.

The Sophia Centre is the largest of the facilities, with about 90 children in its care. Green said that at the Sophia Centre, there is also the Half-way Home where the children are allowed until the age of 18. It is more of a transitional house where the children are either employed or are attending high-

er a institute of learning.

“At this home we have an independent living skills programme. They have to get up to prepare their breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have to report on their day to day activities and their whereabouts and so on. So it’s not like the regular children’s Home,” Greene stated.

This year, the Child Care and Protection Agency received an increased budgetary allocation of $471 million as compared to $253 million in 2015.

This money is being used to roll out several initiatives, to ensure that children in institutional care placed in families, be it with the biological parents, adoption or foster care. It also provides for the extension of the Child Care and Protection building at Broad Street, the rehabilitation and extension of the Drop-in-Centre and the rehabilitation of Sophia Halfway Centre.

Barry Dataram case

272 packets of cocaine tendered as evidence in court

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he trial of self-confessed drug lord and businessman Barry Dataram, his reputed wife, and their two friends continued on Tuesday before Magistrate Judy Latchman in Court Three of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Dataram, also known as “Mogotani” or Kevin Dataram, of 13 Vriesland, West Bank Demerara (WBD); his reputed wife, Anjanie Boodnarine, 19, of 79 Patentia Housing Scheme, WBD; Komal Charran, 20, of 265 Belle West, WBD; and Trevor Gouveia of Best Village, West Coast Demerara, were all charged for allegedly having 129.23 kilograms of cocaine in their possession for the purpose of trafficking on April 16, 2015, at 661 Fourth Avenue, Block X Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

Dataram represented himself during the hearing since his Attorney, Glen Hanoman was a no-show.

Magistrate Judy Latchman told the Court that in the interest of time she would continue the trial in his absence.

Before the start of the hearing, Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) officers were seen transport-

ing several boxes and a large freezer among other items to the courtroom.

The items turned out to be exhibits in the case.

The witness statements provided by CANU officer Andrew Yarde at Tuesday’s hearing backed the evidence.

CANU Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford-Thompson also verified the evidence.

She successfully requested that the said items – that is the 129.23kg of cocaine that was found in the possession of the defendants – be tendered as evidence and marked as exhibits.

Two boxes were then opened and emptied of their contents by CANU officer Yarde in the presence of the four accused. The boxes contained in total 272 packets of cocaine which were counted in front of the defendants by Yarde. Magistrate Latchman then ordered each defendant to count the packets to verify the amount.

Also tendered as an exhibit were a garbage bag and a blue baby tub.

Prosecutor SandifordThompson asked for an extended date for the continuation of the trial since additional exhibits were left to be shown. The trial was adjourned until June 27.

Threat to IDB official

Dharamlall file still with DPP – Police

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he Police file seeking advice on whether to proceed with charges against People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament Nigel Dharamlall – after he threatened to shoot an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) official – is still with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers.

Dharamlall recently came into the lime light after a Police complaint was filed that he allegedly whipped out his gun and threatened to shoot the official after the individual was seen communicating with his (Dharamlall’s) ex-wife.

The Police had confirmed the report and launched an investigation into the matter.

The case file was subsequently sent to the DPP Chambers on May 27 for advice on the way forward but has not been returned to date.

In a subsequent report, Dharamlall’s Attorney Glenn Hanoman, explained that his client was advised not to comment on the issue, so as to not interfere with or prejudice the investigation.

The Attorney further noted that given the sensational speculations and inaccurate information in the public domain, it must be made clear that his client is “unequivocally” denying any involvement in any criminal act.

PPP/C MP Nigel Dharamlall

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had told a news conference that the Party will be expecting explanations from its MP. “Clearly he has to give solid explanations, believable explanations to the executive of the Party and to us.

He has to give those because it is a serious matter, the allegations are serious,” Jagdeo posited.

The Opposition Leader went on to say that the matter would be discussed at the Party’s Executive meeting, which was scheduled for last Friday. However, when contacted over the past weekend, PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee said that the matter was not brought up.

news

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wednesDAY, june 8, 2016 | guyana-times.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 8 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, June 9 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 8 – 06:10h-07:40h and Thursday, June 9 – 06:55h-08:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers can be expected in the morning, followed by heavy rain showers in the afternoon. Partly cloudy conditions are expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly between 2.23 metres per second and 3.12 metres per second.

High Tide: 06:31h and 19:02h reaching maximum heights of 2.68 metres and 2.50 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:05h and 12:34h reaching minimum heights of 0.66 metre and 0.56 metre respectively.

Ramayya ordered out of NA Hospital compound

R

egional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Dr Veerasammy Ramayya was ordered out of the compound of the New Amsterdam Hospital, by the institution’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Colin Bynoe.

Ramayya reportedly went to the Hospital last Friday to investigate reports that one of the operating theatres was out of order. He was seen entering the office of the CEO for a closed-door meeting.

However, moments later, staff reported seeing the REO exiting the office with Bynoe behind him shouting that he was the CEO of the Hospital. According to eyewitnesses, Bynoe told the REO that if he needed to visit the Hospital, he should first seek permission from him.

Ramayya confirmed that

Dr Veerasammy Ramayya

he was ordered out of the Hospital compound, but did not divulge more information.

In April, Chairman of the Regional Health Committee, Haseef Yusuf reported that there had been several complaints issued against the CEO who allegedly has been

verbally abusive to visitors and staff of the institution.

Yusuf also alleged that there was also a report that the CEO had physically abused a doctor at the institution. Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton has advised that the doctor report the matter to Police.

The issue was raised at a recent Regional Democratic Council (RDC) meeting and Director of Regional Health Services Jevaughn Stephens defended Bynoe saying that the doctor was not assaulted.

“I investigated a matter which was proved not to be true, the same doctor came and said he is sorry because of his interpretation of the issue. I personally called the Police and told them to expect the doctor to come to make a report. I did that from my office in front of the ‘complainee’ and the other guy.”

The matter had also been reported to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on April 22, during the Ministry of the Presidency Outreach Programme at State House in New Amsterdam.

However, Stephens said he was now forced to deal with several other matters involving the CEO. “There are several complaints of a said nature. I can assure you that these complaints are being taken seriously. Before I came here this morning, I had to deal with a said complaint. I have engaged the Minister of Health and his Ministry to deal with that matter. There is nothing that comes to my desk or my office that I intend to push under the carpet.”

Regional Chairman David Armogan had also asked the Public Health Minister to investigate the matter involving the REO.

6 arrested for KN grenade attack

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aving obtained CCTV footage from Saturday night’s incident when a live grenade was hurdled at a vehicle belonging to Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall at the newspaper’s Saffon Street office, detectives have since arrested a number of persons who are in custody assisting with the investigation.

According to the Police, after reviewing the surveillance footage, it was revealed that the grenade was hurled from a heavily tinted unlicensed grey Spacio motor vehicle. Leads based on the footage resulted in investigators detaining six suspects and impounding a motor car on Tuesday.

“The suspects were arrested in the wee hours of June 7, 2016 at different locations and are in custody assisting with investigations,” the Police said in a statement.

When questioned about the suspects in custody, A Division (Georgetown and East Bank Demerara) Commander Clifton Hicken told this newspaper that the Police did not want to divulge any information about the six persons as yet, noting that at the time (Tuesday night) investigators were still questioning the individuals about the incident.

Nevertheless, Hicken assured that the Force was working assiduously to find the perpetrator of the attack that has caused much

Surveillance footage of the suspected vehicle as it passed by Lall’s vehicle Saturday night

stir within the country.

The live grenade was hurled at Lall’s vehicle as Kaieteur News held its first night of wakes to pay respect to Assistant Editor Dale Andrews who died on Friday.

Persons who were at the wake recalled hearing a strange sound, but only assumed that it was the sound of a glass shattering.

However, when a thorough check was made, the grenade was found lying next to the right tyre of Lall’s black Lexus vehicle.

The Police were summoned and the area was immediately cordoned off while bomb experts deactivated the device. They noted it was a miracle that the live grenade did not explode.

This attack on Lall has been condemned by many, with Government calling it an act of “domestic ter-

The live grenade that was found next to Lall’s SUV shortly after the vehicle in question had passed

rorism”. In a statement on the night of the attack, Government said it was alarmed by the act of domestic terrorism attempted against the newspaper and pledged its resolute support in defence of press freedom in Guyana.

“We do not believe that the dropping of a grenade,

even if a fake device, alongside a newspaper publisher’s vehicle could be considered a joke or a hoax. It was grave and an undisputed act of terror designed to intimidate, harm and create fear,” the coalition Administration stated.

On Monday, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee too expressed great concern over the attack, saying that his PPP has always been opposed to any act of terrorism.

In addition, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) has stated that such an attack has a chilling effect on press freedom. “All stakeholders in the international community, Opposition, Government and civil society must speak out against what seems like a calculated act to intimidate the work of Kaieteur News.

The media in Guyana must be allowed to carry out its crucial work of being society’s watchdog, ensuring transparency and efficacy in State and the Private Sector, without frightening distractions like these,” the GPA said.

Moreover, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) also condemned the act. The PSC in a statement urged the Police to expedite their investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice in the shortest possible time.

A number of other media organisations have also condemned the attack.

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guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016

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

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

Editorial

Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet

T

oday is the day proclaimed by the United Nations as World’s Oceans Day. It is a day set aside, as with most of the international days of observances, to shed light on important issues affecting the world that are often overlooked.

The theme for this year is “Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet”, with emphasis being placed on reducing plastic pollution in our rivers and oceans.

Plastics can contribute to the reduction of our carbon footprint because of their stability and resistance to degradation. They provide improved insulation, lighter packaging, and are found in phones, computers, medical devices, etc. However, the very properties that make plastics so useful, namely their stability and resistance to degradation, are also what cause them to be so problematic after they have served their purpose.

These materials persist in the environment and are not readily degraded or processed by natural biological organisms.

Research from the United Nations has outlined that once discarded, plastics are weathered and eroded into very small fragments known as “micro-plastics”. These together with plastic pellets are already found on most beaches around the world, suspended in seawater, and on the seabed in sediments.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), plastic debris causes the deaths of more than a million seabirds every year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals. At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris including seabirds, turtles, seals, sea lions, whales and fish.

Research has shown that much of the waste and plastics found at sea originates on land. “The effect of coastal littering and dumping is compounded by vectors such as rivers and storm drains discharging litter from inland urban areas,” says the UNEP report on plastic debris in the world’s ocean.

UNESCO posits that plastic materials and other litter can become concentrated in certain areas called “gyres” as a result of marine pollution gathered by oceanic currents. “There are now five gyres in our ocean. The North Pacific Gyre, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, occupies a relatively stationary area that is twice the size of Texas.”

According to the UNEP report, “seven of the EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland recover more than 80% of their used plastics. These countries adopt an integrated waste and resource management strategy to address each waste stream with the best options. However, waste and disposal remain an issue in most of the world.”

This brings us to Guyana, where our culture sadly is to use our roads, lands and rivers as the bins and receptacles for our plastic and other wastes. This is invariably contributing to the pollution of the oceans. While we have legislative sanctions against littering, they do not seem a formidable deterrent since littering continues unabated.

Thankfully, from an institutional level our leaders are pushing for Guyana to become a green economy. Part of the push entails the ban on the importation and use of Styrofoam in Guyana. Once we have exhausted our domestic supply of existing food boxes, plates and cups, etc, made of Styrofoam, it is expected that the ban will be fully implemented and we will have no choice but to use only environmentally safe biodegradable alternatives. So, in the event, our litter culture does not change, at the very least those biodegradable alternatives will decay after a while.

The problem does not end there though: we have to start making a concerted effort to improve our environment and country by ensuring that other non-biodegradable waste products such as water bottles, other plastics, and aluminium products are safely disposed of and do not reach our ocean, becoming marine debris.

There are recycling plants in Guyana that recycle cardboard and paper; it is not clear whether we have plants that recycle plastics and rubber. In the final analysis, however, we incur clean-up and disposal costs, amounting to millions of dollars, a cost borne by the taxpaying public. It would, therefore, make sense for us to go the route of Norway and the EU member countries and “adopt an integrated waste and resource management strategy to address each waste stream with the best options”. Maybe this is an area that the Government can invest in via a Public-Private Partnership.

Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry took the salute during the march past as the June 2016 Criminal Assizes in Demerara opened on Tuesday outside the High Court in Georgetown (See story on page 13)

Forensic audits have exposed APNU/AFC Dear Editor, It is now clear why the APNU/AFC regime has been reluctant to release the reports of its forensic audits. These audits were set up because the two parties that form the Government today have fallen victim of their own lies and the vicious and sustained attacks launched by the media.

The forensic audits have not uncovered any fraud in the entities they have thus far investigated.

Many of the auditors employed by the regime are well-known critics of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and the PPP/C Governments. Those ‘hit men’, when they failed to find fraud, have resorted to slander, insinuation and gross distortion.

The latest example is the report appearing on May 30 on the E-Governance Project.

Instead of emphasising that no evidence of fraud was discovered, the newspaper chose to speak of the Project Manager’s salary.

The main idea was to get at the PPP/C Government, thus the screaming headline “Ramotar’s Son…” What is most disturbing is the unethical, unprincipled and unprofessional manner adopted by these forensic audits.

In most cases, the auditors did not seek to interview the persons who were in charge of the various entities. The heads of these bodies were not asked for explanations and/or clarifications. To

date, most of them were not even given the courtesy of perusing the reports.

Those persons who were questioned promptly responded, but they were just as promptly ignored and not made public for public viewing and assessment.

On June 1, 2016, in another section of the media, former CEO of the Guyana Water Inc, Shaik Baksh, bemoaned their attitude, pointing out that in areas where he was written to and responded, the report did not include his responses.

This is similar to what was done to Mr Winston Brassington, whose responses concerning the NICIL reports were ignored and not published for public viewing.

In the latest report on the E-Governance Project, they failed to point out that the Project was completed on time and within budget. The team that executed that project was a small one comprising six persons. Their work should be commended.

As far as the salary of the head of the project is concerned, it is far below what the present head of the unit is receiving.

Additionally, he inherited a completed project.

Mr Alexei Ramotar’s highest salary was approximately US$3000 per month. However, it has been reported that the present head is receiving some US$15,000 (G$3,000,000).

This amount is some

500 per cent more than what Mr Ramotar was paid.

Given Mr Ramotar’s holding a Master’s Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, his monthly salary of G$600,000 was modest. It pales in comparison with that of the present head of that unit.

Moreover, as mentioned above, the team, under the PPP/C Administration, comprised six persons. Under the present Administration, the size of the unit has grown threefold. Now, middle management personnel salaries are bigger than what the head received under the PPP/C Government.

The regime has gone on a wild spending spree, including creating jobs for the boys and high increases in remuneration for their friends. All this is being done amidst their talk of inheriting an empty treasury – a great contradiction to their tales of corruption.

The dilemma of this regime and their supporters in the media is that the audits that they have brought into being have exposed the lies being peddled by the APNU/ AFC and the media, particularly the Kaieteur News, which led the crusade on corruption. Those reports have proven to be highly exaggerated and false.

But it is clear that this regime has no interest in fighting corruption.

If they were and if

they are interested in finding out if the PPP/C Government was involved in corrupt activities, then they would not have voted against the motion put by the PPP/C in Parliament calling for international auditors to audit all Government books.

If they wanted to fight corruption, why did they reject the PPP/C’s motion in Parliament calling for all Members of Parliament (that should have been extended to senior personnel in Government) to declare their assets, both locally and abroad?

Persons found falsifying their declarations should face mandatory jail sentences. The APNU/ AFC voted against this motion.

The regime is probably afraid that most of their members would find themselves in prison should that become the law. It is, therefore, impossible to escape the conclusion that the APNU/ AFC is not interested in fighting corruption.

The most important thing is for them to try to throw mud at the PPP/C, to continue to make numerous charges of corruption. Cheap policies are more important than real action.

The audits ordered by the regime have clearly exposed its lies as report after report has revealed the same thing – no evidence of corruption.

Sincerely, Name withheld

news

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wednesDAY, june 8, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

MMA’s faulty pump causes National awardees flooding in Region 5 urged to strive

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s flooding worsens in Lovely Lass, Mahaica, Berbice, owing to a faulty pump that had been installed by the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), residents are disputing that the regional administration is making efforts to have the issue addressed.

Even though the issue has been ongoing for the past two to three weeks, the residents are convinced that the administration has turned a deaf ear to their plea to have the issue discussed with MMA/ADA. In addition, downpours over the last few days have caused this situation to escalate to the point where the roads are now deteriorating, according to the residents.

Ernest Mona, one of the affected residents, reported to Guyana Times that in addition to the faulty pump, the general drainage in the area was in dire need of attention.

Both factors, he said, are contributing to the flooding, but there has been no work done to reduce the effects on the residents.

harder

According to Mona, the residents had brought up the situation with the Councillors who reportedly informed that it was not their place to address the flooding.

It was further relayed to them that mechanical work was required to tackle the flooding, but the region was not in possession of the nec-

Flooded parts of the community

essary machinery.

He said that residents who were living on the dams were feeling the full brunt since that part of the community was especially affected.

Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal confirmed that a solution was not in the hands of the re-

F

gion’s administration, since the pump had been placed at a strategic point by MMA/ ADA. “MMA has complete control over the pump, so there is nothing the council can do on its own to bring relief to the affected residents,” he said.

In addition, he pointed

out that the area was generally prone to flooding so the effects were amplified as the pump malfunction continued to cause damage.

Ramphal informed that he had made contact with the MMA/ADA earlier this week which subsequently led to a visit by the entity’s engineering team.

However, they denied there was a fault with the pump and had since not visited the area for any further investigation, according to the Chairman.

Meanwhile, the residents are appealing for a partnership to be established between the administration and MMA/ADA so they can have some relief.

Shot waitress

Doctors yet to decide whether teen can undergo surgery

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s the condition of Onika Luke, the teen waitress who was shot during an attempted robbery, continues to improve, doctors are yet to decide whether or not she should be operated on to remove the bullet which is now lodged in her stomach.

Initially, the teen was slated for surgery to remove the bullet, which was at the time stuck in her throat.

However, prior to the operation, doctors had discovered that the bullet had passed through Luke’s windpipe and oesophagus, ending up in her stomach.

As a result, the surgery had been postponed, as doctors were monitoring the position of the bullet.

Luke’s brother, Rickford Ranjee, told this newspaper that his sister’s condition was improving and she was now able to speak and move around a little.

However, he related that doctors were still unsure whether or not the teen should undergo surgery to remove the bullet.

Ranjee explained that on Friday last, he had received information that the bullet had moved from his sister’s throat and into her stomach; therefore, causing doctors to rethink the surgery.

Subsequent to the discovery, it was indicated to the teen’s family by the chest specialist that a scan

der had demanded that the teen hand over the cash while pointing a gun at her.

While brushing the gun away, the 16-year-old had been shot to her arm, but the bullet had made its way to her throat where it remained for a number of days.

Onika Luke

was required to ascertain the direct position of the bullet in her stomach.

“They told me that they have to do a scan on her to see if it would be harmful to take the bullet out or leave it there. Doctors said that they have to check if she would be able to live with the bullet in her,” he related. The teen remains a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Woodlands Hospital.

Ranjee added that Police were still hunting for clues that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrator.

Luke had been shot after resisting a lone gunman who had entered the Lucky Star Chinese Restaurant, where she was at the time working as a waitress.

According to reports, the gunman ordered a meal and after collecting his or-

It is understood that the man had recently threatened to kidnap Luke and he was a frequent customer.

Luke is a student of St John’s College and had started the job at the restaurant three months ago, working the 17:00h-22:00h shift.

ive hardworking staff members at the Ministry of the Presidency were on Tuesday honoured at an appreciation ceremony.

The event served as a precursor to a national ceremony slated to be held later this year. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who hosted the event for the Ministry of the Presidency’s National Awardees congratulated the awardees on their dedicated service.

“Here at the Ministry of the Presidency, we do appreciate the work you’ve done to get to this level,” Harmon is quoted as saying.

The Minister of State explained that these awards were indeed significant, and he opined that they indicated that the recipients had the capacity to perform at an even higher level.

He further related that the awarded staffers would serve as “good examples and

role models” for other staffers who may be striving to achieve the same recognition. Harmon also related that their dedicated service has elevated the Ministry.

The awardees are Maureen Lynette Stephenson, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet who was honoured for her long service with exceptional dedication in the Public Service, more particularly the Ministry of the Presidency; Nancy Ferreira, Senior Confidential Secretary to the President, awarded for her long service with exceptional dedication in the Ministry of the Presidency; Ingrid Cecilia Forde, Office Manager, Ministry of the Presidency, who was honoured for her long and dedicated service; William Victor Cecil Cox, who serves as Senior Public Servant and Political Assistant to the President, and Reginald Brotherson.

6

wednesday, june 8, 2016

Page

guyana-times.com

Foundation

3minutes How you and your child can be happier in

– focusing on the positive makes our lives better

By Laura Markham, PhD

“E

xpressing gratitude works. The moment we start taking things for granted – whether it be our husbands or our health – those things stop making us happy.” – Sonja Lyubomirsky, Happiness Researcher Researchers have found a concrete way to raise your happiness set point. Every day – as you fall asleep at night is a good time – picture three positive things from your day and soak in how grateful you are for them. People who do this get happier almost immediately, and stay happier for as long as they continue this practice.

Why does this work?

The state of gratitude is very similar to love.

Scientists say it shifts our heart into a more “coherent” (healthier) rhythm.

Meditators might say it opens our hearts.

Focusing on the positive makes our lives better. No matter how bad things are, there is something to be grateful for. And the better you feel, the more effectively you can respond to any challenge.

We programme our subconscious to create more of what we’re appreciating when

we hold a “picture” in our mind that makes us feel good.

You can use variations of this practice all day long to shift your mood, any time.

In fact, you can use it to transform your child’s happiness set-point, and your relationship with your child.

Just find three things you’re grateful for about your child. Really appreciate those things in your own mind, and express them, as specifically as you can.

“You worked so hard on that....you must be so proud of yourself!”

“Wow! You picked up your toys! I love how orderly this room looks now!”

“Thank you for getting your chore done with only one reminder!”

Notice that your c h i l d

doesn’t have to be perfect to deserve your appreciation.

The more you appreciate steps in the right direction, the more motivated your child will be to get there.

And notice this doesn’t take any extra time out of your day. All it takes is for you to notice anything positive, and express it to your child. In fact, if you really want to see a child blossom, try an avalanche of appreciation. Why stop at three things?

Acknowledge your child throughout the day with as much enthusiasm as you can. Instead of evaluation (“You’re my good girl”), be as specific as possible about what she’s doing, or about how you feel.

“I notice you got your pyjamas on all by yourself!”

“Thank you for helping your sister with that.”

“I appreciate how you took care of that.”

“You two kids figured out how to make that fair all by yourselves!”

“I love how you help me find things in the grocery store....It’s so much fun to work with you!”

Just express your appreciation as many times as you can, every day for a week, accompanied frequently by an affectionate hug. Watch your child’s happiness set point – and your relationship with your child – transform. (psychologytoday.com)

B

efore your family has a chance to say, “Mom, I’m boooored!” you can be ready with this list of great ideas.

So, slather on the sunblock, grab your shades and live it up this Summer!

Go Play!

Boogie down in your sitting room Help your little ones make new friends

At the playground or at daycare, sometimes they need a little help meeting new people.

Master the jump rope

Games, songs, twirling techniques – proof, once again, that the simplest toys can provide hours of fun!

Try ball games

When kicking, catching, and throwing grow old, don’t just toss the ball in the closet. Decorate it with markers, try to catch it with towels, or make up new rules for kickball.

Rock out with some musical toys

Let tinkling melodies and crashing drums be your Summer soundtrack!

Have a blast with outdoor-only toys

If you’re gonna say, “You kids go play outside!” at least give them some awesome outdoor toys to play with.

Let them read graphic novels

Reading is reading, whether it’s a novel or the side of a cereal box. Just make sure you approve of the content! Bonus: struggling readers will benefit from the visual clues to the

story.

Play with Mom-approved web sites for kids

Sesame, Nick Jr, and Disney are great for the kids.

Rainy day indoor games

It’s raining and you’re all developing cabin fever.

Stop the mass exodus to the TV with these fun indoor games.

Speed-read.

Turbo charge story time: Choose a word that will be repeated often (“green,” for instance, if you’re reading Green Eggs and Ham) and have your child stand up or sit down each time he hears it.

Animal charades.

Write the names of various animals on slips of paper and drop them into a bowl.

Take turns choosing a slip and acting out the animal (try it with no sounds for a real challenge) until someone guesses correctly.

Freeze frame. Gather a few stuffed animals, crank up some tunes, and boogie until one observer (Mom or Dad) pauses the music. Dancers must freeze, and if anyone budges before you start the music again, he must pick a stuffed “dance partner.”

Keep dancing (and pausing) until all the animals are in play. Then, when someone moves, he must take an animal from an opponent. Dance until one person has all the animals or you’re wiped out!

Catch with a catch.

Have each player toss a beach ball into the air and try to touch his nose or high-five the other players before the balls drop. Make the challenges harder as you go along. (parenting.com)

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Border shooting incident

GDF awaits report from Venezuelan officials – Brigadier Phillips

T

he Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said it was currently awaiting a report from officials of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who were recently dispatched to carry out an investigation into allegations that soldiers from the Spanish-speaking nation had opened fire on a group of Guyanese in the Cuyuni River.

Army Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips on Tuesday informed Guyana Times that the Venezuelans recently dispatched their team to the border to carry out an investigation into the incident, which took place at the border. He said the officials there would have to report to their high command.

Late last month, Phillips confirmed that three mining officers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) came under fire from the National Bolivarian Armed Forces while travelling in a boat in the Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Venezuelan soldiers said they thought the occupants of the boat were smuggling contraband and fuel. While there were no injuries sustained during the shooting incident, the Guyana Government has strongly condemned the attack and demonstrated this by sending a strongly worded let-

Brigadier Mark Phillips

ter (Note Verbale) to the Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Ministry. It conveyed the Government of Guyana’s “grave concern over this incident and called on the Venezuelan Government to desist from such provocative and dangerous actions on Guyana’s borders”.

Police sources in Eteringbang had told Guyana Times that shots were fired; however, none of the mining officers nor the captain of the boat were injured in the shooting incident.

The source said the officers were carrying out inspections and monitoring of gold mining camps in the Cuyuni when the Venezuelan soldiers opened fire on them.

The officers, the source added, were forced to seek

cover by lying flat in the boat as the captain sought to get the attention of the Venezuelan troops with whom he was said to be familiar.

After the frightful incident, the GGMC officers proceeded to file a Police report at the Eteringbang outpost.

Government said last week that it was preparing to engage the United Nations) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon after it received the preliminary report on the shooting incident.

“This matter will be brought to the attention of Secretary General of the United Nations in his capacity as Good Officer under the Geneva Agreement, and members of the UN and its Security Council will also be notified,” a statement from Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday stated.

Also, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said it has dispatched a Note Verbale to the Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Ministry, conveying the Government of Guyana’s “grave concern” over this incident.

The note also called on the Venezuelan Government to “desist from such provocative and dangerous actions on the Guyana border”, adding that such actions could only lead to a destabilisation of relations.

Family Court finally operational – commences hearings

T

he much anticipated Family Court has finally commenced operations and is currently hearing cases.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh, announced on Tuesday in statement that the Family Division of the High Court has been established and began hearing cases since May 6, 2016.

It has been almost five years since the Family Court building was completed and handed over to Government. Works were ongoing for over seven years to have the Family Court established and in operation, but this was been constantly delayed over the past years.

For almost a year, the delays were blamed on the acquisition of furniture and the hosting of Commissions of Inquiries (CoIs) at the building, located in the compound of the Georgetown Supreme Court, overlooking King Street.

Then more recently, revision of the Rules of Law had caused the opening to push back. However, in February, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams had laid over the completed Rules of Law, which will govern the practices and procedures of the Family Court.

The rules were completed a while ago but some “necessary amendments” had to be made.

The Chancellor acknowledged the numerous hurdles that had beset the functioning of the facility, noting that the Supreme Court will treat those as lessons learnt.

The Family Court will hear and determine all proceedings which touch and concern family matters. The procedure of the Family Court will be governed by the Family (Proceedings and Procedure) Rules 2016 (FPPR).

The main applications that could be made to the Court are for divorce, custody and access, division of property, maintenance, guardianship, parentage orders including paternity orders, protection of children, wardship, variation of an existing order and breach of orders. The Court is meant to encourage dispute resolution, including alternative dispute resolution

The Family Court is located in the compound of the High Court

mechanisms, and therefore will facilitate a participatory approach to problem solving so that family disputes can be dealt with justly and expeditiously while ensuring the welfare of family members, especially children.

The Family Court will be presided over by two judges. However, the FPPR will be applied by Judges who are assigned to the Berbice and Essequibo jurisdictions of the High Court where the Court shall receive and hear applications at the New Amsterdam and Suddie High Courts respectively.

The Court has its own registry for receiving applications in family matters and includes a child friendly space in the form of a Children’s Waiting Room for parties who are required to attend the Court. The well trained staff of this new registry are geared to provide a customer friendly process for persons who attend at the registry and the Court.

The Court will work in close liaison with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) in matters affecting the welfare of children. In addition, it is expected that parties to family court matters will utilise the Mediation Centre of the High Court.

Justice Singh expressed appreciation to the Government of Guyana; the United Nations Children’s Fund; the Government and people of Canada, as well as its diplomatic representatives in Georgetown, for the support readily given to the training of Judges and support staff in the anticipated work of the Family Court.

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

IN THE COURTS

Minibus conductor slapped with robbery charge

A

Route 41 minibus conductor was on Tuesday granted bail by city Magistrate Alex Moore when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with robbery.

Romel Hoppey, of Lot 215 Guyhoc Park, Greater Georgetown, is accused of robbing Mario Eversley on May 28, 2016 in the vicinity of Durban Park of one Samsung Galaxy S5 cellular phone valued $110,000.

The charge also stated that Hoppey used personal violence upon Eversley during the robbery. When

Romel Hoppey

the charge was read to the defendant, the 33-year-old pleaded not guilty.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne did not reveal the facts of the case to the Court, but objected to bail, pointing out that the defendant had several offences of a similar nature in other courts.

The Prosecutor also informed the Court that the defendant was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for another offence that was tried at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

The unrepresented Hoppey in his defence told the Court the accusation

against him stemmed from him ‘jamming’ a light on the VC’s bus and not being able to afford to pay for its replacement at the time.

He told the Court that he offered the VC his cellular phone to keep as surety that he would pay for the damaged light.

Magistrate Moore subsequently granted Hoppey $75,000 bail, but then reduced it to $50,000 after Hoppey asked for a lesser amount since he could not afford substantial bail.

The case was adjourned until June 28 for statements.

Wash bay owner jailed for drug trafficking

A

wash bay owner who was charged for having cannabis for the purpose of trafficking February last was sentenced to four years in prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman on Tuesday.

Leroy Robertson, 35, of Lot 17 Broad and Lombard

Streets, Charlestown, was accused of having 38 grams of cannabis in his possession for trafficking on February 19, 2016 at Broad Street, Charlestown.

In handing down her ruling, Magistrate Latchman told the Court that she was satisfied with the evidence,

which proved that Robertson had knowledge and control of the cannabis.

She also placed weight on the fact that he had the drug for trafficking since it weighed over 15 grams.

Magistrate Latchman told the Court her decision was based on the manner

in which the drug was concealed and the need to prevent others from committing the same offence.

It was during this time Robertson asked the Court for leniency since he has a sickly mother and a child.

He was also ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.

Repeat robbery offender remanded

R

epeat offender Dwayne Hardy was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a robbery charge.

The 29-year-old man appeared before city Magistrate Fabayo Azore to answer to two counts of robbery.

Hardy denied both charges which stated on June 5, at Mandela Avenue, being in the company of others and armed with a knife, he robbed Devon Singh of one gold chain valued $180,000, property of Ryan Diaz. On the same day, at the same location, he also allegedly robbed Singh of a gold chain

valued $400,000 and one gold earring worth $100,000.

Hardy, who was not represented by an Attorney, had visible injuries to his left eye which was swollen.

Magistrate Azore enquired about his injuries and he told the Court he was involved in a fight with another inmate.

Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones told the Court that the case file was still incomplete, and made no objections to bail, but requested a substantial amount.

Magistrate Azore refused bail citing the fact that Hardy was charged and incarcerated previously for matters of a similar nature.

The case will continue on

June 27.

Eyew tness Gilding the lily...

W

...on Caricom?

hat is it with this administration and “showpiece” projects? Does it really believe it can deliver the “good life” it promised with smoke and mirrors? And that’s all it’s been doing when you think about it – even though the bottom has dropped out of the economy and we’re all in freefall. Landing’s gonna be a bi*ch when the proverbial poop hits the fan – a lotta folks gonna be really messed up. Pun intended!

We’ve already gone through the Jubilee Bash where it’s not only the naysayers complained the Government “hang dey hat where dey hand cyaan reach”. Their partisans are suggesting the ill-conceived and even “iller” executed projects might’ve done more harm than good. Especially towards the “national cohesion” that’s so needed to get everyone to put their shoulders to the wheel for national development.

Now we hear about the widening and makeover of Carifesta Ave into a boulevard – “Avenue of the Caribbean” – to rival the Champs Èlysées in Paris. This is the famous boulevard where France conducts its annual military parade. It’s also home to some of the most famous eateries in the world, but took a couple of centuries to create. Guyana’s trying to have ours ready in a month! A widened span and a median with lights are only the beginning!

As former British subjects and heir to their scorn for the “frogs”, maybe we don’t think much of the technical prowess of the French, but condensing 200 years of effort into one month?? Then there’s the why? Why spend $180M (back in March they said $138M) on a half-mile road + another like sum towards removing the utility poles and underground cables? And why the Central Government monies for a city road? It’s not as if the present condition of Carifesta Ave embarrassed us during Jubilee 2016 or it can’t handle the traffic for the next fifty years.

Camp Rd is the main feeder into Carifesta Ave...and since it is clogged up beyond belief within two blocks, there certainly isn’t going to be humongous amounts of traffic suddenly apparating! But none of this is relevant, is it? The purpose is just to impress the folks from Caricom who’ll be coming for their annual Heads of Government (HoG) meeting come July 4th.

Haven’t we done enough for Caricom in giving them land and a Headquarters over on East Coast? What does this Ave of the Caribbean – which isn’t connected directly to Caricom HQ – do for Caribbean unity.

Wouldn’t using the $200M to build a shopping mall for those displaced vendors battling the elements do more for OUR “social cohesion”?

...or feeding the fat cats?

Dwayne Hardy

In a judgement seemingly worthy of Solomon, the City Council split the contract for installing parking meters in Georgetown. You readers who keep up with the news (your Eyewitness is paid to do this, thank you) would remember the contract was awarded to one company –without the botheration of tenders or such humbugs – a couple of weeks ago.

Then the rep of another company indignantly pointed out he’d been given a “signed, sealed and delivered” contract back in 2007 and what about the “sanctity of contract” principle that’s supposed to guide us? More to the point, he pointed out there were legal implications of such contracts and this must’ve wonderfully focused the attention of the City Hall mandarins!

But isn’t there supposed to be a new dispensation ushered in with the “first holding of Local Government Elections in 23 years”?

That’ll ensure, among other things, the “contract splitting” doesn’t split most of the funding into the wrong pockets!!

...on getting high?

The Caribbean’s famous for its ganja...which unfortunately is illegal. So up comes this rice miller of Surinamese origin who wants to plant “industrial” ganja – which simply has a lower concentration of the THC that gives us the “high”.

So who’ll smoke the weed to monitor the real stuff from the harmless?

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

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

HWLS placement debacle

Facebook death threats

Nandlall fires F back at AG

F

Former AG Anil Nandlall

ormer Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has yet again lashed out at current Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams over what he said are his controversial comments about the former AG’s role.

Williams, at a recent press conference said it was the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government which caused the current state of affairs in the country. Williams blamed the previous Administration for failing the Guyanese law students, and for not giving special interest in the programme and its commitment with the Trinidad and Tobago-based Hugh Wooding Law School.

In a social network post on Tuesday, Nandlall rebuffed the statement made by the Attorney General, and in fact laid out that he (Nandlall), who had responsibility for the programme at the time, had been very much consistent in every endeavour to ensure students be successful getting into the HWLS. “In 2014, I along with the then Head of the Department of Law, University of Guyana, successfully negotiated, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, the terms of a new agreement with officials of the University of the West Indies [UWI] and the Council of Legal Education [CLE] of the West Indies, for the continued automatic admissions of graduates of the UG Law Programme into the Hugh Wooding Law School,” Nandlall stated.

Nandall said this became necessary since the previous agreement entered into by his predecessor had come to an end through “effluxion of time”. He stated that the entire initiative was a PPP/C Government one which began in 1996.

“Two previous such agreements had expired. The responsibility became mine to negotiate and conclude the third. When the negotiations started, several members of CLE/UWI team argued against non-renewal of the agreement. We defeated this argument. They next argued for a reduction of the quota of 25. We again defeated this argument. In the end, not only did we succeed in retaining the quota of 25 for Guyanese nationals graduates but were able to secure an additional

10 places for non-Guyanese nationals graduates of the said Law programme,” he explained.

This agreement, he said, was to be signed before September 2015 to regulate the admission of students for the year 2015-2016 to the Law School. He said he left office in May of 2015, and upon his departure, he did brief Williams.

“I explained to him that the hard work is finished and that all he needs to do is to ensure that the agreement which was being drafted by UG And UWI be signed and taken to the CLE for their signature because it is a tripartite agreement.”

However, a year later, Nandlall said he is now reading in the press that Williams has disclosed that the agreement has not yet been signed.

“What is worse, rather than remain silent or admit to his utter incompetence, he blames, the previous Government and the Council of Legal Education for this predicament. To further conceal his ineptitude, he throws a red herring into the equation about building a local school. Even if that’s a feasible option, it will take years to materialise. What will happen to students in the meantime? That’s the issue; why after one year, the negotiated agreement has not been signed? I ask again, for how long will the nation endure such incompetence?”

Nandlall asked.

Williams had told journalists that Government remained concerned about the situation in which students have found themselves and was working to have it settled.

Williams said the decision by the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration to discontinue contributions to the HWLS is responsible for the dilemma facing Guyanese law students.

“I could tell you that they all (HWLS) feel that because we don’t pay and contribute, it is unfair for us to have our students taking up places at the school,” Williams said.

According to him, the problem was further “aggravated” because all the campuses of the University of the West Indies are doing the full law degree just as the University of Guyana, and have hundreds of students who also want to enter into the programme.

“It is a question of the discontinuance of paying any contribution whatsoever, and we inherited that situation and are trying to address it.

But all we seem to have done is to encourage a lot of problems”.

The previous PPP/C Administration fought ‘tooth and nail’ in recent years to ensure that the top 25 University of Guyana law students are accepted in the Hugh Wooding Law School.

As a matter of fact, in 2013, then Caribbean Community

Beekham confesses to threatening Opposition Leader

Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams

(Caricom) Chairman, Dr Ralph Gonsalves had the cause to write the University of the West Indies Council for Legal Education on the impasse over Guyanese law students being accepted at the Trinidad-based Hugh Wooding Law School.

ollowing his arrest on Monday for meting out death threats against Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo along with other People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) parliamentarians on his Facebook page, Berbice resident Tameshwar Beekham has since confessed to the act.

Beekham has been on a rant recently, via his Facebook page, speaking about “assassinating” the Opposition Leader, who is also a former President, as well as several other party members.

Guyana Times was told that the man was arrested and detained at the Springlands Police Station on Monday following Police searches in the area. He was then transported to Georgetown and handed over to Police at the Criminal Investigations Department, where he was questioned in connection to his Facebook threats.

According to Police sources, the man has confessed to investigators and the matter will now have to be sent for advice.

Tameshwar Beekham

“He admitted to the threats on Facebook and so the next step is for us to take file to get legal advice on whether we should proceed with instituting charges,” a Police source related to this newspaper on Tuesday.

Beekham took to his Facebook page, where he ranted over the idealisation of the APNU/AFC Government’s accomplishments and visions of former President, LFS Burnham, and openly stated his intentions to target Freedom House and kill Jagdeo and several PPP/C

members.

According to the man’s his Facebook page, he had encounters with the Police in relation to the same issue, but was not desisting from his ranting.

B Division (Berbice) Commander and Assistant Commissioner, Ian Amsterdam had previously indicated that ranks in Berbice were searching for Beekham. However Beekham was still continuing, posting on Sunday, repeating his death threats.

Just recently, Police had detained a 52-year-old woman, who allegedly posted racially-inciting social media comments about African Guyanese, and what appeared to be threats to President Granger.

The woman has since been charged for attempting to excite hostility on the grounds of race contrary to Section 2 (1) (C) of the Racial Hostility Act, Chapter 23:01 of the Criminal Offences Act. Her Facebook post stated that “Granger want a bullet in head…I am out of a job now because of them.”

10

guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016

News

GPHC's resources should not be misused – Public Health Ministry PS

T

he Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Public Health Ministry, Trevor Thomas said resources allocated for advancement of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) should not be abused or misused.

These sentiments were expressed on Tuesday while he was delivering remarks on behalf of the Junior Public Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings at a donation ceremony at GPHC’s Resource Centre.

The PS explained that much had happened in

Public Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Trevor Thomas

terms of finances at the medical facility, and, as such, the administrators had to constantly work to ensure that the capital inputs were made to match the demands that were placed on the institution.

Thomas cautioned against the misuse of monies, noting that patients would only be provided with the best care if the institution was properly run.

“We now have to ensure that as an institution, whatever resources are provided, those resources are used to provide optimum benefits, but, at the

same time, they are not abused or misused,” said Thomas.

He explained that the GPHC must have ‘clean power’ to ensure high-quality results.

“So we have a responsibility to ensure that we have clean power; for instance, we need to ensure that we have timely and accurate results and that should show.”

In conclusion, the PS said that the GPHC needed to function to the highest of its capacity and noted that the institution had the ability to do so.

Mid-year sector review held for Natural Resources Ministry

T

he Natural Resources Ministry last Saturday held its midyear review, where it evaluated the work of the agencies which fall under its purview.

Subject Minister Raphael Trotman encouraged the teams to move beyond what was required and strive for a standard of excellence as they continued to carry out the work of their agencies. This, he said, will reflect the sector as a whole.

The review also allowed for a comprehensive examination of the successes

Natural Resources Ministers Raphael Trotman and Simona Broomes

of the agencies, as well as areas where adjustments needed to be made so that they could stay on track and

achieve their goals for 2016.

Among the successes noted was the steady progress being made to reach annual

gold declaration targets for 2016, as well as the significant strides of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) towards completion of its 2016 activities, including the rehabilitation of the National Park and the Botanical Gardens.

“Recognising the interconnectedness of the work carried out by all agencies, discussions were also had about ways in which the Ministry of Natural Resources can provide support to enhance synergies and strengthen interagency collaboration to move key processes forward that will help achieve the goals of the sector,” a statement from the Ministry said.

It said at the end of the meeting several actions were proposed and tasks assigned to move forward.

According to the release, “the Ministry of Natural Resources remains committed to improving outcomes in the natural resources and environment sectors and will continue to share its plans and progress with the public”.

Present at the meeting were Trotman, Minister within the Natural Resources Ministry Simona Broomes, Permanent Secretary Joslyn McKenzie, Chairpersons of Boards and Commissions, Heads of Agencies, Technical Officers and other team members who collectively reviewed progress on 2016 work plans, highlighted lingering challenges and formulated solutions.

Agencies that fall under the Ministry are the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); Guyana Gold Board (GGB); Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); National Parks Commission and Protected Areas Commission (NPC/PAC) and the Wildlife Management Division (WMD).

“My Prerogative”

S

atiricus was all awash in nostalgia. He’s just listened to “The Talker of the Assembly House” saying he didn’t have to listen to nobody. He’d just disallowed what he considered an improper question from a fella who’d been caught on tape asking all sorts of improper questions. But the previous Talker said the present Talker should’ve allowed the question. The Talker replied, “It’s my prerogative!”

Satiricus, who was quite a hip hop lover back in the day, immediately remembered bad boy “Bobby Brown” and his hit single “My Prerogative”. Satiricus remembered how Bobby had fused hip-hop with dance pop and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. From the moment the new Talker had been nominated by the Pee an See, Satiricus just knew he was swinger!

The lyrics of Bobby’s masterpiece filtered through Satiricus’ mind...with some minor alterations to suit the present Talker’s gig.

It’s politics...

It’s politics...

Politics... get busy Everybody’s talkin all this stuff about me (Now now) Why don’t they just let me live (Oh oh oh) I don’t need permission Make my own decisions (Oh!) That’s my prerogative They say I’m crazy I really don’t care That’s my prerogative They say I’m nasty But I don’t give a damn Gettin motions is how I live Some ask me questions Why am I so real But they don’t understand me I really don’t know the deal About a brother Trying hard to make it right Not long ago Befo’ I win this fight SING! (Chorus) Everybody’s talkin all this stuff about me...

It’s the way that I wanna live (It’s my prerogative) I can do just what I feel (It’s my prerogative) No one can tell me what to do (It’s my prerogative) Cause what I’m doin I’m doin for Pee an See now Don’t get me wrong I’m really not zooped Ego trips is not my thing All these strange relationships Really gets me down I see nothin wrong With spreadin myself around SING! Chorus ...Everybody’s talkin all this stuff about me (yeah) I can do what I wanna do (It’s my prerogative) Truly live my life (It’s my prerogative) I’m doin it just for Pee an See (It’s my prerogative) Tell me, tell me Why can’t I live my life (Live my life) Without all of the things that people say (OhhhOhhh) Yo tell it, kick it like this Oh no nooo I can do what I wanna do Me and Pee an See Together, together, together, together, together Everybody’s talkin all this stuff about me (everybody’s talkin) Satiricus really admired the Talker. But he sadly noted Bobby Brown’s career ended in disgrace after he’d been arrested too many times for drug addiction and offences too many to count. He hoped the Talker’s career would end on a better note.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016

guyana-times.com

11

News

Damaged pump causes water GuySuCo requests time to shortage in Region 3 Wales Estate closure case

respond to court order

By Shemuel Fanfair

A

fter finally showing up at the High Court to defend itself over nonconsultations with unions on the employment status of sugar workers attached to the Wales Estate, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has asked for time to respond to the litigation.

Justice Roxanne George on Tuesday granted the Sugar Corporation the requested time to respond to the legal action brought by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) on the severance and redeployment of Wales Estate workers.

This follows an interim injunction which barred GuySuCo, its servants and/or agents from proceeding to sever the employment of the sugar workers from the Estate, unless consultations with the workers were held.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, GuySuCo claimed that it was not served notice of the legal action and as such, was not ready to answer to the litigation. Justice George obliged and the sugar entity was given until Friday to prepare and submit a response to the legal action.

Speaking with the media after the hearing, officials from GAWU and NAACIE – Seepaul Narine and Kenneth Joseph – both observed that GuySuCo had an obligation to honour the requisite laws regarding the employment of workers.

Narine, GAWU’s General Secretary, stated that in keeping with the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, Chapter 99:08, GuySuCo has to meet with the unions for consultations before any worker could be

GAWU General Secretary Seepaul Narine and NAACIE General Secretary Kenneth Joseph speaking to the media

made redundant. “[GuySuCo] ought to comply with the law and that is what the court order has directed them to do,” Narine noted.

Joseph, NAACIE’s General Secretary, expressed that there were laws which workers had to follow, so the Sugar Corporation should follow suit.

“GuySuCo needs to understand that they are not lordit-all…GuySuCo is breaching the laws; this is what has been going on between the union and the company for a very long time and I think with the new CEO, we will have to struggle a bit harder,” Joseph pointed out.

Meanwhile, the unions’ Attorney, Anil Nandlall said he found it quite strange that the Sugar Corporation at this stage would claim that it had not received notice of the court action. Nandlall deemed this action as “delaying tactics”.

The case will continue in the High Court on June 28.

When the matter was heard on May 24, GuySuCo’s lawyers were absent which forced the case to be rescheduled to June 7. In the meantime, 99 of 105 sugar workers who were promised severance

on May 4 remain without employment from the Estate.

This continues even though the workers were given letters on March 22 stating that they would be paid termination benefits.

GuySuCo maintains that the injunction barred the payments to workers. GAWU has, however, pointed out that the agreement between the workers and GuySuCo was reached before the May 6 injunction was granted.

The court action was brought after GuySuCo began discussions with individual employees of the Wales Estate to negotiate severance packages without informing or involving the unions. At one point, workers were given a three-day ultimatum to make their decision on accepting severance or being redeployed, but GuySuCo shelved these plans after the media was informed.

GAWU and NAACIE are also seeking damages in excess of $1 million for breach of statutory duty owing under the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act. Sugar operations at Wales will close by yearend.

A

damaged pump in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) has been identified as the root cause of the water woes facing residents in sections of the region.

Guyana Times was contacted with numerous reports from residents seeking an intervention into their current plight of not being able to access water from their water supply system.

According to residents, the problem has been a recurring one, which has been affecting them for over a month now.

Numerous calls were made by this publication to the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to determine where the issue was stemming from, whether the company was aware of the concerns being raised, and if so, was it being addressed.

This publication was unable to speak with anyone who could address the concerns raised.

However, after an inves-

tigation was conducted by Guyana Times, it was unearthed that the main pump located at the Meten-MeerZorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD) Pump Station, was broken.

When this publication visited

t h e location on Tuesday, it was noticed that the pump was indeed broken, causing water to pour out, flooding the inside of the station.

When this newspaper spoke to one of the workers there, it was highlighted that the broken pump is taking in sand and as such, the lines are being clogged causing the water not to flow to

the main pipes.

The worker further relayed that currently, GWI is seeking to have the pump fixed to ease the burden on the affected residents but noted that the pump needs to be replaced.

“This pump that you see here, has been here for a number of years, so even though we are trying to fix it right now, it will only work for a short time”.

The worker could not specify when the problem would be rectified.

The Regional Chairman when contacted by this newspaper said that he was not aware of the GWI’s pump being broken but expressed hope that the problem would be dealt with promptly.

He noted that he was contacted by “thousands” of residents and was very unhappy with the issue of the residents having to struggle to acquire water for daily use.

Up to press time, GWI could not be contacted for further comments.

12 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Regions 5, 6 residents Security firm returns to again benefit from housing outreach – CHPA stolen money Dr Balwant Singh Hospital robbery

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he Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) will again be conducting outreaches in Regions Five (MahaicaBerbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) allowing residents the opportunity to acquire house lots at affordable costs.

The Minister with responsibility for the housing sector, Valerie Sharpe-Patterson, disclosed that these activities are aimed at taking affordable housing solutions to all while ensuring equal opportunity

for all.

According to the Guyana Information Agency (GINA), on Thursday, June 9, 2016, the Minister and her team will be in Region Six to firstly facilitate serving members of the Guyana Police Force at the Albion Sports Complex, between 09:00h and 12:00h.

Minister within the Communities Ministry Valerie Sharpe-Patterson

After a short break, the team will resume at 13:00h to attend to other citizens with all housing related matters.

Then on Friday, the team will be at the Region Five Regional Office (Fort Wellington) for another outreach. Serving ranks of the Guyana Police Force and residents of Burma will be attend-

ed to between the hours of 9:00 and 11:00. The outreach will recommence at 12:00h through to 16:00h, with the allotted time dedicated to other citizens with all other housing related matters.

The Ministry is asking for persons to walk with all necessary documents to ensure the smooth flow of the outreach. These latest outreaches are aimed at intensifying the Ministry’s drive to ensure that affordable housing solutions are within the reach of all Guyanese.

Already for the year similar exercises have been conducted in Regions Three Islands-West (Essequibo Demerara), Four (DemeraraMahaica), Five (MahaicaBerbice), Six (Ease BerbiceCorentyne), Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice), much to the benefit of residents of these areas.

It was reported, the Central Housing and Planning Authority has allocated 1400 house lots since taking office just over oneyear ago. A total of 251 lots were allocated during the period June to December 2015, while a total of 1200 lots were allocated during the period, January to May 2016. These allocations span all categories; very low income, low income, moderate and high.

RK’s Security Chairman Roshan Khan handing over the cheque to a representative of Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital in the presence of two security officials

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K’s Security Chairman Roshan Khan handed over a cheque to the Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital (BSH) on Tuesday to reimburse millions in cash that was stolen from the company by bandits in October of 2015, under the watch of his security firm.

The money was in transit to the bank when it was stolen. It was reported in October that a RK guard, along with his armed colleagues, had uplifted the cash from the Hospital and was en route to the bank when three bandits pounced.

Reports stated that three armed bandits rode up on motorcycles alongside the RK’s Security vehicle and opened fire on the guards while demanding the cash.

The guards were relieved of an undisclosed sum of cash but not their weapons.

During the altercation, one of the security guards, Garvin Thomas was shot multiple times and was subsequently in critical condition at the Balwant Singh’s Hospital. He has since fully recovered from the wounds inflicted.

RK’s Chairman Khan told Guyana Times, in an interview, that he was grateful to the insurance company which covered his firm, that kept their agreement and provided the cheque, despite the lengthy time it took to complete its investigation. In the same breath, Khan also expressed appreciation to Balwant Singh’s Hospital for its patience,

understanding and professionalism while awaiting its money.

Derek Sukhram, on behalf of the Hospital, thanked Khan. “I appreciate the professionalism of RK’s Security by fulfilling their commitment; we are very happy to partner with the security team to help save the young man’s life.”

Khan noted that the young security guard, Garvin Thomas, who was shot four times, was doing well today. Three of the four bullets were removed; however, one still remains in the young man’s body. That bullet is said to be no threat to Thomas’s life. The attack by the bandits has caused Thomas to change his profession.

NEWS

13

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

June Assizes commences with 116 cases

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he June 2016 Criminal Assizes in Demerara opened on Tuesday, with a total of 116 cases to be heard over the next four months.

The session commenced with its usual pomp and ceremony outside the High Court in Georgetown. The traditional march past was done early in the morning on South Road, with ranks from the Tactical Service Unit and the Guyana Police

Force’s band marching from the Brickdam Police Station to the High Court.

Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry took the salute during the march past and also inspected the guard of honour. She along with Justice Navindra Singh and Justice Jo Ann Barlow will preside over this criminal session.

However, Justice Barlow will only be hearing cases until the end of June, after

which she will be replaced

by Justice James Bovell Drakes.

The opening of the June Assizes comes less than a week after the Apil session ended, with some 58 matters disposed of from a list of 163.

However, only 31 of those cases received attention in Court while the remaining 27 matters were nolle-prosequi by the Director of Public Prosecutions Chambers.

Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry inspecting the guard of honour during the opening ceremony of the June criminal session

US charity to help develop radiology services in Guyana

– donates medical equipment to GPHC

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nited States-based charity RAD-AID International will be working along with the Public Health Ministry to develop radiology services in Guyana, and the first major step will be the introduction of a Radiology Residency Programme in September of this year.

This was announced by the Ministry following a meeting between members of RAD-AID International and Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton, on Monday to discuss their plans.

RAD-AID is a group com-

Corporation (GPHC) Resource Centre, the charity donated a number of essential medical equipments to GPHC’s emergency department.

Among the items donated were a Cardiac Heart Probe, one sonoscape Ultrasound machine and one Linear Abdominal Probe.

Director of RAD-AID Latin America, Dr Gillian Battino said that the charity’s goal in Guyana is to improve radiology services by bringing Guyana up to speed with what is available, in order to improve health outcomes.

Dr Battino handing over the equipment

prising of radiologists, technologists, Nurses, and other support staff who work in radiology and are dedicated to improving radiology services in developing countries.

On Tuesday, at the Georgetown Public Hospital

According to her, the most important step in developing these services is the establishment of a threeyear Radiology Residency programme in Guyana.

“There are other examples of programmes that are built between a US institu-

tion and the Georgetown Public Hospital and we’re mimicking that so there are internal medicines, emergency medicine, obstetrics and now we will add radiology to that so that Guyanese doctors are trained to work in Guyana as radiologists,” she explained.

Dr Battino highlighted that Guyana needs approximately 80 radiologists to serve the population and three persons will be trained each year during the threeyear residency.

“We plan to utilise the educational system in place at the residency programme in the States [the US] and

to have the residents spend three to six months in the States to get a foundation and then do the rest of the training in Guyana with US physicians coming to Guyana to train,” she stated.

She said that the idea is to build a sustainable programme which will continue for as long as possible.

Their work in Guyana, she noted, is not limited to physician training, since they also plan to improve nurses training, with attention to radiology and technology.

According to her, improving the technology available to perform radiology proce-

dures by adding electronic storage for x-rays which will include reporting systems is a major part of their efforts in Guyana.

Dr Battino said that they hope to put a system in place where an X-ray can be obtained in Bartica and read in Georgetown, using the Internet.

RAD-AID donated an ultrasound machine to the emergency department at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The charity also received four CT scanners from Phillips Corporation and will be handing over two of them to Guyana, with the remaining two going to

Haiti.

The two CT scanners, which are valued at US$200,000 each, will be placed at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and the Bartica Regional Hospital in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton thanked the team for their efforts, pointing out that he is looking forward to their support in the future. He was especially happy about the residency programme, since he is a strong advocate for continuing medical education.

14

guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016

Regional

New St Lucia PM after Opposition win Venezuela security forces block

S

t Lucia’s conservative United Workers Party beat the incumbent Labour Party with promises of tax cuts and the resolution of a scandal over killings by the Police that have hurt the image of the Caribbean nation, General Election results showed on Monday.

Former Prime Minister Kenny Anthony conceded defeat and congratulated new Prime Minister Allen Chastanet on his victory in the June 6 vote after the Opposition party won 11 seats to Labour’s six. Chastanet was sched-

New Prime Chastanet

Minister

Allen

uled to be officially sworn in as Prime Minister of Saint Lucia on Tuesday.

Chastanet is a businessman who previously served as Tourism Minister on the volcanic island nation,

known for its steep, emerald-coloured hills and luxury resorts.

He promised to scrap an unpopular sales tax and tackle unemployment as well as repairing St Lucia’s international relations after the United States withdrew aid over 12 killings by the Police.

“We want to put together a tribunal as soon as possible to get the situation clarified so that we can move ahead,” Chastanet said.

He said the matter was a stain on St Lucia’s name and needed to be dealt with as quickly as possible. (Reuters)

Brazil prosecutor seeks arrest of top politicians

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razil’s political crisis heated up, as authorities reportedly sought the arrests of senior figures in the push to impeach suspended president Dilma Rousseff, accusing them of obstructing a corruption probe.

If reports in the main Brazilian newspapers on Tuesday are confirmed, new doubts would be cast over the impeachment of Rousseff, pushing Latin America’s biggest economy into ever greater uncertainty with less than two months to go before Rio de Janeiro hosts the Summer Olympics.

Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot has asked the Supreme Court to authorise the arrests of

Senate President Renan Calheiros, former Brazilian President Jose Sarney, Senator Romero Juca and powerful lawmaker Eduardo Cunha, O Globo newspaper reported.

The report, which did not name its sources, was matched by two other newspapers shortly thereafter.

However, officials at the prosecutor’s office and Supreme Court refused to confirm the reports to AFP news agency.

The four are accused of participating in a huge embezzlement and bribery network centred around the state oil company Petrobras.

According to the reports, Janot now accuses them of

trying to obstruct the probe into the scheme, known as Operation Car Wash.

The alleged evidence against them came from secret recordings of conversations made by a former oil executive, Sergio Machado, who is cooperating with Car Wash prosecutors as part of a plea bargain.

Calheiros denied any wrongdoing, calling the request for his arrest “irrational, disproportionate and abusive.”

“I did not practice any specific act that can be interpreted as a supposed attempt to obstruct justice,” he said in a statement.

Supreme Court decisions on such sensitive cases often take a long time.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Disasters cost Jamaica Government US$32M

new anti-Maduro protest

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enezuelan security forces used tear gas to block hundreds of Opposition protesters on Tuesday in the latest rally to demand a recall referendum to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Opposition Leader Henrique Capriles, who is championing the push for a vote, was at the front of a crowd blocked by Police and National Guard troops when they tried to begin a march to the national election board. Officers fired several rounds of tear gas and sprayed an unidentified liquid on Capriles and others. Demonstrators chanted “I am hungry” and held up photos of jailed political activists.

“We are not giving up.

Our enemy is Maduro. The problem is Maduro, not the National Guard,” Capriles said at the scene.

Venezuela’s Opposition coalition won control of the National Assembly legislature in elections last

Riot Policemen and Opposition supporters clash during a rally to demand a referendum to remove President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, June 7, 2016

December, thanks to public ire over a punishing economic crisis, and has vowed to bring down Maduro this year.

But ruling Socialist Party officials say there is now not time this year to organise the referendum, under the complicated norms and steps involved in getting to a vote. They say the Opposition should have be-

gun their drive in January instead of April, and included thousands of fraudulent signatures of dead people in an initial collection.

The Opposition says a compliant election board, staffed mainly by Maduro loyalists, is deliberately dragging its feet on verifying a first batch of nearly two million signatures collected to begin the process.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Peru election: Pedro Pablo Kuczynski’s lead narrows

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ounting continues following Sunday’s presidential election in Peru with the two candidates neck and neck.

With 95.5 per cent of votes counted, 77-year-old former World Bank executive Pedro Pablo Kuczynski had a lead of 0.28 percentage points over Keiko Fujimori.

Election officials said the votes of Peruvians living abroad still had to be processed and that it could take a few more days to declare a winner.

Before the election, polls had suggested Fujimori would win.

The latest tally of votes is available at the Peruvian

electoral commission (ONPE) website.

Analysts said corruption scandals in Fujimori’s Popular Force Party may have dented her support since April, when she comfortably won the first round of voting.

She is the daughter of Peru’s former President, Alberto Fujimori, who is in jail for crimes against humanity.

In the run-up to the second round, Kuczynski portrayed Fujimori as a “risk to democracy”, reminding voters of her father’s crimes and authoritarian style of Government.

But many Peruvians,

who credit her father with defeating the Shining Path rebel movement, were drawn to her promise of being tough on crime.

Kuczynski, who is an exWall Street financier, said he would use his international financial experience to promote economic growth.

He has the support of prominent figures such as Nobel-Prize-winning novelist Mario Vargas Llosa and left-wing candidate Veronika Mendoza, who came third in the first round of voting.

But he has faced scrutiny over his close relationship to Peru’s business elite.(Excerpt from

BBC News)

Caricom expresses concern over illegal wildlife trade

Disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms and depressions, and floods over the last 15 years have cost the Government and people of Jamaica more than J$4 billion

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isasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms and depressions, and floods over the last 15 years have cost the Government and people of Jamaica more than J$4 billion.

This was disclosed by Deputy Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Richard Thompson who said weather systems have had a significant negative impact on the country’s economy, physical and social infra-

structure and the environment.

He added that while these disasters could not be prevented, the country can plan to mitigate and effectively respond to them.

“So, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management continues to devise methodologies aimed at developing effective hazard mitigation strategies and programmes as well as prioritising disaster risk reduction initiatives,” Thompson noted.

“These methodolo-

gies also serve to inform the Development Order, Land Use Zoning and the Development Planning process, which are tried and proven methods of infusing mitigation measures into development.

It also provides a means for risk management to be addressed through these measures that serve to reduce the impact of disasters and ultimately build resilience.”

June 1 signalled the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which lasts until November 30

(Caribbean360)

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aricom Assistant Secretary General, Dr Douglas Slater has expressed concern about illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, illegal harvesting of endangered sea turtles, illegal logging and smuggling of local plants and animals.

In a message to mark World Environment Day which was celebrated on Sunday under the theme “Go Wild for Life”, he noted that environmental and natural resources management was an integral part of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which governs Caricom and the Caricom Secretariat has prioritised the promotion

of environmental resilience in the Community Strategic Plan.

“While this Region has not suffered the high levels of extinction, particularly of animals in other regions of the world, the Community remains deeply concerned with the issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing , illegal harvesting of endangered sea turtles, illegal logging and smuggling of local plant and animal – especially bird – species,” Dr Slater said.

“We recognise that while there are traditional practices in the Region of harvesting wild species for food, the pet trade, orna-

mental plants, and medicinal purposes, this forms part of legal trade in wildlife.

We are concerned, however , that the illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth US$17-20 billion according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP, 2016), making it one of the largest illegal trades by dollar value, together with drugs, guns and humans.”

He said that concern was demonstrated by the fact that many Caricom member states are party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

wednesday, june 8, 2016

guyana-times.com

15

Around the World

Deadly blast targets Canada’s First Nations Istanbul Police face systemic water crisis

A

bomb attack targeting a Police vehicle in a central Istanbul district has killed at least 12 people, including seven members of the Police Force, the city’s governor has said.

Speaking at the scene of the blast in Beyazit district, Istanbul Governer Vasip Sahin said a bomb placed inside a car detonated as a Police vehicle passed by.

Reports said the explosion took place near the Vezneciler metro station, which is within walking distance of some of the city’s main tourist sites, including the Suleymaniye Mosque.

Emre Rende, a freelance journalist reporting from Istanbul, said the “bus was targeted by a remotely detonated car bomb before a second blast believed to have been caused by a gas canister”.

“The attack happened close to the Grand Bazaar so it might have been done to keep tourists away,” he add-

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Eleven people have been killed and 36 wounded, three of them seriously [Reuters]

ed.

According to the State-run TRT news channel, the bus was passing in the Beyazit district of Istanbul.

Pictures showed the bomb had turned the Police vehicle into mangled wreckage and that nearby shops had their front windows smashed out by the force of the blast.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday the country’s fight against armed groups

would continue “to the end”.

Speaking to reporters after visiting some of the injured in a hospital near the site of the blast, Erdogan said the attack was “unforgivable”.

The bombing came during the first days of Ramadan, the Islamic Holy Month, a time marked by dawn-to-dusk fasting and intense prayer.

Istanbul had already been hit by two bombings this year, including in tourist areas.

and before it many areas, we will liberate every inch of Syria from their hands. Our only option is victory, otherwise Syria will not continue.”

In the speech, Assad also hardened his position on United Nations-sponsored peace talks, stressing that Syria would be ruled by a “unity government” not a “transitional governing body” as called for by the Opposition.

“We will not agree to any topic outside the statement of principles we presented to the UN. We just won’t accept it,” Assad defiantly told Parliament.

Assad’s comments were a far cry from remarks he made last July when he conceded that his army was facing a series of setbacks on the battlefield and was being forced to relinquish certain areas.

However, the scales of war have tipped in Assad’s favour since Russia began an aerial campaign last September, helping the Government troops to capture wide areas from rebel groups.

The Syrian army is currently advanc ing on Raqqa, ISIL’s de facto capital, and in March, Syrian forces evicted ISIL from Palmyra. (Excerpt from Al

anada is violating its international human rights obligations by failing to provide adequate, sanitary water supplies to First Nations communities, several of which are facing a “broader systemic crisis”, Human Rights Watch said.

Water in First Nations communities “is contaminated, hard to access, or at risk due to faulty treatment systems”, the human rights group said in a 92-page report released on Tuesday.

“Make it Safe: Canada’s Obligation to End the First Nations Water Crisis” reported that drinking water advisories were in effect in 134 water systems in 85 First Nations reserves across the country – a majority in the province of Ontario – as of January 2016.

Drinking water advisories are put in place by First Nations communities under advice from Health Canada

Finding alternative sources of water has placed an added burden on First Nations communities [EPA]

when household water is unfit to drink. Thirty-six per cent of the advisories in Ontario last year had been in place for more than a decade.

“Tainted water and broken systems on Ontario’s First Nations reserves are jeopardising health, burdening parents and caregivers, and exacerbating problems on reserves,” said Amanda Klasing, a senior HRW researcher and author of the report, in a statement.

“First Nations people have the same human rights to adequate water and sanitation as all Canadians, but in practice cannot access them.”

To date, First Nations communities are not subjected to drinking water regulations, which has “led to disparate outcomes in access to safe drinking water and sanitation” when compared with non-Indigenous communities in Canada, the report stated.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Defiant Assad vows to liberate Gaokao season: China embarks on dreaded national exams every inch of Syria

S

yrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to “liberate” every inch of the country lost to rebel groups the same way his forces recaptured the historic town of Palmyra from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

In a televised speech on Tuesday before the country’s new Parliament, Assad told politicians that the situation on the ground was much better than it was months ago and was improving by the day.

“As we liberated [Palmyra]

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Jazeera)

UN removes Arab coalition from child rights blacklist

T

he United Nations said on Tuesday that it had removed the Arab-led coalition fighting in Yemen from a child rights blacklist, pending a joint review by the world body and the coalition.

The UN report on children and armed conflict – released last Thursday – said the coalition was responsible for 60 per cent of child deaths and injuries in Yemen last year, killing 510 and wounding 667, and half the attacks on schools and hospitals.

Following a complaint by Saudi Arabia; however, UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon agreed to a joint review by the world body and the coalition of the cases cited in the annual report of states and armed groups that violate children’s rights in war.

“Pending the conclusions of the joint review, the Secretary General removes the listing of the coalition in the report’s annex,” Ban’s spokesman Stephane

China falls silent between June 7 and 9 as students face the most important exam they will sit

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ore than nine million high school graduates are sitting China’s national exams, the Gaokao.

Their result will determine which university they can attend, and therefore much of the rest of their future, so they are under huge pressure.

For the first time this year, any candidate caught cheating could face jail.

The notoriously hard exam tests high school leav-

ers on their Chinese, mathematics and English and another science or humanities subject of their choice.

The tests have been the focal point of the education system since the 1950s, with a break during the Cultural Revolution.

Failing the Gaokao almost guarantees a lifetime of lowranking employment, and family disappointment.

The Gaokao predates modern times, having its roots in imperial China.

Gaokao revision is all-consuming, often at the expensive of the necessities of life.

Professional Gaokao nannies are highly educated students or recent graduates that move in with students to study with them in the run up to the exam, says a report on the Sixth Tone website.

For example Zhao Yang, a Shanghai university freshman, is paid a daily wage of 300 yuan (US$45; £32) to chat with his client and stay up with him during all-nighters, said a report by Tencent Finance.

“Because they are highly educated and mainly offer companionship, they are weak in terms of cooking and cleaning,” said a customer service agent.

To save on time spent travelling to the test centre – which can then be better spent revising – some parents opt to pay for a hotel for their child. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Burundi frees some students accused of defacing President’s photo

B Some 6000 people, about half of them civilians, have been killed in Yemen since last March, according to the UN [Getty Images]

Dujarric said in a statement.

But Saudi Arabia’s UN ambassador, Abdallah alMouallimi, said the removal of the coalition from the blacklist was “irreversible and unconditional”.

“We were wrongly placed on the list,” he told reporters.

“We know that this removal is final.”

Mouallimi, who described the removal as a vindication, earlier on Monday said the

figures in the UN report were “wildly exaggerated” and that “the most up-to-date equipment in precision targeting” is used.

Mouallimi met the UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson at UN headquarters to discuss the listing.

Saudi Arabia had not been consulted prior to the publication of this year’s report, Mouallimi added. (Excerpt from Reuters)

urundi said on Tuesday it had released six juveniles who were part of a group of 11 students jailed last week for allegedly defacing a photograph of President Pierre Nkurunziza in a school text book.

Authorities in the central African country have been cracking down on critics and the Opposition against a backdrop of tension and violence sparked

by Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term last year.

Last Friday, Police shot and wounded a student and a taxi driver during a protest by schoolchildren

against the arrest of their colleagues a day earlier.

Agnes Bangiricenge, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said in a statement six of the students had been dealt with under proceedings for juvenile offenders. “After a hearing...the juvenile judge provisionally released them,” she said.

Prosecution of the other five students, aged between 18 and 21, would proceed “normally”.

In another incident last month, more than 300 students of a school in the capital’s Ruziba neighbourhood were sent home after being accused of defacing

Nkurunziza’s image.

Violence broke out in Burundi last year after Nkurunziza announced he would seek re-election for a third term.

Opponents accused him of violating the Constitution, which they said limited him to two five-year terms. The Government cited a court ruling which they said cleared him to stand again, and Nkurunziza subsequently won re-election last July.

More than 450 people have been killed in violence between Government security forces and various rebel factions opposed to his continued rule. (Excerpt from Reuters)

16 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Govt preparing to enforce Why the secrecy for recommendations prisoner pardons and why is the Speaker A part of the secrecy?

UG forensic audit

Cabinet subcommittee will soon be constituted to examine and enforce the recommendations made by auditors who conducted the University of Guyana’s forensic audit.

This newspaper understands that the recommendations listed in the report will be considerably favoured in an effort to recover outstanding debts owed to the Student Loan Agency.

A source at the Finance Ministry indicated to Guyana Times that even though the subcommittee would be seeking to enforce these recommendations, payment defaulters still have an opportunity to approach the Agency in an effort to iron out payment arrangements.

According to the source, Government is seeking amicable solutions to the repayment issue, but if needs be defaulters will be pressured to repay their loans.

The source added that no one should expect the subcommittee to consider “writeoffs” as the approach this committee would be taking is that of “if you borrowed money from the Agency, you should pay back”.

The final report of the fo-

The UG Student Loan Agency

rensic audit of the University of Guyana, which was released on May 31, 2016, revealed that some 17,500 students were delinquent in their repayment of their loans.

According to the report, there are clear indications that the Finance Ministry, and, by extension, the Loan Agency, has not pursued the defaulters with a view to recover monies owed, adding that the Agency’s head confirmed that his department was not equipped to pursue defaulters.

Among the 17,500 defaulters are former Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Robert Corbin; People’s Progressive Party Central Committee Member Majeed Hussain;

Magistrate Judy Latchman; former A Partnership for National Unity Member of Parliament (MP) James Bond; Legal Adviser in the Ministry of the Presidency Geeta Chandan-Edmond and daughter of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Adela Nagamootoo.

The recommendations included sweeping changes at the Agency to address the issue of defaulting loans.

Also included was the recommendation to prevent students who owe the agency from travelling overseas unless systems are in place to guarantee the recovery of the outstanding balance, should the student fail to return to the country.

“Consideration should be

given to endorse the passport of students so that they cannot leave the country without making provision to repay their loans if they fail to return. Or students should not be allowed to travel abroad unless the guarantors undertake to repay the loan in full and immediately, if the students do not return,” the auditors suggested.

It was also recommended that the format and security for the issuance of loans be reviewed to strengthen the existing systems and to put in place mechanisms for the prompt repayment of loans, the auditors noted, adding that the student loan form should include the name of an alternative guarantor in the event of the death of the guarantor. That person should give a written commitment annually.

“The criteria for the issuing of student loans should also be reviewed to ensure that only Guyanese are eligible instead of those holding national ID cards,” it stated.

The auditors also recommended that students should be made to start repayment on or before the one-year grace period once they were employed.

Linden Hospital Complex ready for oncology dept

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he Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) is set to soon have its own oncology department, which will provide free medical services to cancer patients in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

This is according to the institution’s Medical Superintendent, Dr Steve Marks, who told Guyana

Times that the services of the new facility greatly assist patients who have to travel to the Georgetown Public Hospital to access its oncology department.

“We don’t want patients going to Georgetown for services that we can offer; we are doing some work in the direction to have this changed, but for now we

still have to refer patients from time to time to GPHC [Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation],” Dr Marks said.

The Medical Superintendent said while the Hospital offers some cancer-related services and treatment, it did not have an Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist or a full oncology

department. Patients who are suspected to have cancer of the ear, nose and throat are referred to the GPHC’s oncology department.

“We have drugs that can treat patients to some extent here; however, we are still working on having everything here to ease the burden of patients going to the city.”

“We already have some nurses that are trained and we are now looking to open the department, but it all boils down to budget and how the politicians view the importance of it, but I cannot give a definite time frame,” Dr Marks noted.

The hospital offers several services including Visual Inspection with Acetic acid (VIA) tests, VIA reporting and screening therapy. A VIA clinic has been established at the health facility for women that are suspected to have cervical cancer.

Marks said the hospital also caters for women with breast cancer. However, in cases where it does not have the resources to fully cater to the patient, they are referred to the GPHC. “It is the hope of LHC to have an oncology department open before the year ends,” Dr Mark added.

In late 2014, 30 nurses from Georgetown, New Amsterdam, West Demerara and Linden were trained in the field of oncology by the Organisation for Social and Health Advancement for Guyana (OSHAG) in collaboration with the Health Ministry and GPHC.

T

he Speaker of Parliament has again jumped to the defence of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) when he rejected questions relating to the pardoning of prisoners. The Opposition has a constitutional right to ask these questions on behalf of their supporters and on behalf of the people of Guyana. When governments act in secrecy, they have Dr Leslie Ramsammy something to hide and it is the role of Parliament to remove the veil of secrecy when governments stonewall people’s right to know.

When a Speaker of Parliament restrict and remove the right of parliamentarians to ask legitimate questions, the Speaker becomes a part of the conspiracy to deny people their right to know. It is wrong when pardoning of prisoners are done in absolute secret. It becomes a scandal when the Parliament of that country becomes complicit in reinforcing the secrecy of the President’s prisoner pardon frenzy.

It is widely known that some of the beneficiaries of this initiative have recommitted crimes in their communities within days or weeks of being pardoned. Some of the persons pardoned were convicted of violent crimes and they are back in police custody for other violent crimes committed since they were pardoned.

These are the reasons why ordinary Guyanese have concerns and that prompted the Opposition People’s Progressive Party to seek information about the Prisoner Pardoning Initiative.

Failing to get information from the Minister of Public Security or from the Office of the President, the PPP made petition to have answers in Parliament. The Constitution and the Standing Order of Parliament make provisions for such move.

The President’s power of clemency, to either commute a sentence or shorten it through a pardon, comes from the Constitution. But pardoning convicted criminals has to be used to remedy some of the fault lines inherent within the justice system, such as mandatory prison sentences for lesser crimes. It is done so as to relieve the over-crowding of prisons and to provide a second chance for persons who lost their way. But the first stop in addressing these issues is the parole system that is built into the criminal justice system. Prisoner pardoning by presidential fiat is supplementary to the parole system in addressing these fault lines.

Some of the strongest democracies have seen prisoner pardoning by Presidential fiat become common place. President Obama in America has taken a lot of flak for pardoning prisoners.

The truth is that he has used it less than Presidents such as Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Lyndon Johnson and John F Kennedy. But in America and other strong democracies, there are strict legal frameworks that guide the pardoning process.

Pardoning is done within well-constructed and approved policy guidelines that are empowered by comprehensive legislation and social rehabilitation programmes. For example, in the USA, prisoners convicted of violent crimes do not benefit from Presidential pardoning. Such prisoners can seek shortening of their sentences through the parole system.

In part, presidential pardoning has been driven by increasing applications from prisoners in over-crowded environments in countries like the US and a major reason for the over-crowdedness is the more draconian laws that have led to increase mandatory sentences for crimes like illicit drug possession. A salient point here is that prisoners must make an application and that only certain prisoners can appeal for pardoning – non-violent prisoners.

In America, for instance, prisoners seeking pardons will have to have served at least a certain proportion of their sentences, have no significant criminal history, and no connection to gangs, cartels or organised crime. Applicants also must be inmates who probably would have received a substantially lower sentence if convicted of the same offence under more recent justice reformed systems. And to be eligible, they must have demonstrated good conduct in prison.

The process needs clear standards, with reasoned explanations of why an application is granted. Someone has to be in charge of making recommendations to the President and that person has to be independent, have real authority, and the confidence of the President. The pardon process must be accessible and responsive to people of all walks of life and take into account the likelihood that many deserving pardon applicants will not have skilled counsel or well-connected supporters to advocate on their behalf. The system for clemency has to be fair and transparent for everyone.

The Speaker of the Parliament by refusing the questions from the Opposition on the prisoners pardoning has launched another attack on the people’s rights and on our democracy. It is another signal that we have entered a period of authoritarianism and that the Speaker is a part of the conspiracy to suffocate democracy.

(Send comments to doc_ram@hotmail.com)

17

news

wednesDAY, june 8, 2016 | guyana-times.com

City parking meters

Deputy Mayor not authorised to speak on Council’s behalf – Mayor

By Ramona Luthi

G

eorgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green has revealed that the comments of Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan on the issue of parking meters in the city are reflective of his own views and not those of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

The Mayor made the disclosure on Tuesday when this newspaper sought clarity from her on a contradiction between Duncan’s comments and that of the contractor with respect to ownership of the meters and revenues that would be collected.

According to Chase Green, the only persons with authority to speak on the Council’s behalf were the Town Clerk, Royston King or the Public Relations Officer, Debra Lewis.

“The Deputy Mayor speaks of his own personal reservation. He doesn’t speak on behalf of the Council. The only persons that can speak on behalf of the Council are the Town Clerk and Public Relations

Mayor Patricia Chase Green

Officer,” the Mayor said.

This statement comes after Duncan on Saturday said that the installation of parking meters, which was said to begin in September, would be a contracted agreement inherited from the previous Administration. The Deputy Mayor highlighted that though there was an intended partnership between the city and the contractor, Smart City Solutions, the latter would be the sole owner of the meters.

Prior to this revela-

tion by the Deputy Mayor, Guyana Times spoke with Chairman of National Parking Meters and the Director of Smart City Solutions, Kamau Cush who announced that the city of Georgetown would benefit from the parking meters with an annual income of $100 to $200 million. However, Duncan contradicted this statement by relaying that the city would instead be receiving a standard 20 per cent gross income accumulated by the parking systems.

In response to this, Cush confirmed that Duncan’s statement held some truth with regard to the percentage of income for City Hall, but contended that the city would be 50 per cent owners of the parking system project.

The Deputy Mayor said although he was of the opinion that the installation of the parking meter system would benefit the city, thorough consultations must be done before this huge step was taken by the M&CC. “The architecture of such policy must be the

Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan

construct of several stakeholders, chief of which consultation, on every facet of such a plan and project with members of the public and their elected representatives, is paramount. And that consultation should be meaningful. I have no illusion that our municipality needs investment like this. Yet, even as investments are important, we have the responsibility as good stewards of our city to make sure we have the best investments for all the residents of Georgetown,” Duncan had said.

We made history: Clinton claims nomination

H

Hillary Clinton

illary Clinton declared herself the Democratic Party nominee for US President on Tuesday, embracing her role in history as the first woman to lead a major party in a race for the White House.

The former First Lady, Senator and US Secretary of State celebrated her victory in the nominating race over rival Bernie Sanders at a raucous event with supporters in Brooklyn, New York, where Clinton placed her achievement in the context of the long history of the women’s rights movement.

“Thanks to you, we have reached a milestone,” Clinton said in a speech. “We all owe so much to who came before.”

Clinton, 68, spoke shortly after beating Sanders in New Jersey’s nominating contest, expanding her lead in the delegates needed to clinch the nomination and setting up a five-month general election campaign against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election.

New Jersey was one

of six states holding contests on Tuesday, including California, the big prize where Clinton was still at risk of an embarrassing loss to Sanders as she heads into the campaign against Trump.

Polls in California closed at 23:00h, but news networks said the race was too close to call.

In her speech, Clinton appealed to Sanders supporters to join her and said the Democratic Party had been bolstered by his campaign for eradicating income inequality, which has commanded huge crowds and galvanised younger voters.

By contrast, Clinton harshly attacked Trump for using divisive rhetoric that belittled women, Muslims and immigrants, and took specific aim at his recent condemnation of an Indiana-born judge of Mexican heritage.

“The stakes in this election are high and the choice is clear. Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president and commander-inchief,” she said.

“When Donald Trump

says a distinguished judge born in Indiana can’t do his job because of his Mexican heritage, or he mocks a reporter with disabilities, or calls women pigs, it goes against everything we stand for,” she said.

Clinton also won in New Mexico while Sanders, 74, was projected to win in North Dakota. There were no immediate projections in Montana or South Dakota in the final series of big presidential nominating battles that began on February 1 in Iowa. The District of Columbia, the last to vote, holds a Democratic primary next Tuesday.

In a fundraising email to supporters, Clinton declared her campaign had broken “one of the highest, hardest glass ceilings.”

On Twitter, she said: “To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want – even president.

Tonight is for you.”

Clinton’s race against Trump, 69, will unfold as she faces an ongoing investigation of her use of a personal email server while secretary of state. Opinion polls show the controversy has hurt Clinton’s ratings on honesty and trustworthiness.

Clinton now must try to unify the party and win over Sanders supporters after a bruising primary battle. But Sanders, a democratic socialist US Senator from Vermont, has vowed to stay in the race until July’s party convention that formally picks the nominee, defying growing pressure from party leaders to exit the race. (Excerpt from Reuters)

GPSU celebrates 93rd anniversary

… in current environment, greater achievements are ahead – Yarde

A

s the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) celebrates its 93rd anniversary, its President, Patrick Yarde anticipates greater achievements ahead.

In a statement to mark the anniversary, Yarde said these achievements would be accomplished as a result of the current environment which is in pursuit of good governance and justice for the working class.

“In such an atmosphere with unity of purpose within the ranks of the membership and leadership, being firm and resolute, there will be greater achievements ahead,” Yarde said.

He also paid homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for workers’ rights.

“These hard won gains and full recovery must be foremost on our agenda as we pursue our vision to enhance representation for our members’ part, including the modernisation and efficient and effective performance of public servants to the pursuit of quality public service in the nation’s interest,” he stated.

Yarde said undoubtedly the GPSU’s greatest achievements were during the period that Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham led the Government of Guyana both as Prime Minister and

President.

He outlined a number of achievements for the Union which has traditionally been aligned to Burnham’s PEOPLE’S NATIONAL Congress (PNC), including the five-day work week, avoidance and settlement of disputes agreement, making collective agreements legally binding, one-month salary tax-free vacation allowance and the amendment to the Constitution to facilitate the Public Service Appellate Tribunal.

He said that these goals were achieved without compromising the GPSU’s independence. “Today, we struggle to enforce these rights which were ruthlessly violated by subsequent Governments; our Agency Shop Agreement was violated in 1987, restored in 1988 and once again violated again in 2000 and remains the same to date; our Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes Agreement was continuously abused,” he recalled.

But, Yarde said that the GPSU was looking forward to the commitment given by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government about collective bargaining being implemented among other promises.

18

guyana-times.com

wednesday, june 8, 2016

ARCHIE

Don’t let anyone push you around or take advantage (March 21April 19) of your ability to get things done. Focus on what you can do for yourself.

ARIES

Make plans to enjoy the TAURUS company of friends, family or (April 20- a loved one. If you open your May 20) doors and mix business with pleasure, an unexpected offer will come your way.

dilbert

Protect what you’ve GEMINI worked so hard to acquire.

(May 21June 20) Don’t let anyone take advantage of you or put pressure on you to do things that aren’t in your best interest.

Personal improvements, CANCER romance and domestic chang(June 21- es will be satisfying. Put toJuly 22) gether a doable workout routine and a healthy diet. Set aside a space geared toward helping you reach your goal.

Peanuts

Shake things up a bit. If LEO you get a chance to present (July 23what you have to offer, you Aug. 22) will have an opportunity to change your position or add to your responsibilities.

Calvin and Hobbes

Make the effort to talk VIRGO to someone going through a (Aug. 23tough time.

Your input will Sept. 22) make a difference. You will gain respect and perhaps an unusual reward.

Don’t let someone’s negaLIBRA (Sept. 23- tivity stop you from followOct. 23) ing through with your plans.

If you give in once, you will be expected to do so over and over again. You can’t always keep the peace.

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD – RUGOSE

SUDOKU

Stick to what you know SAGITTARIUS you can achieve. If you set (Nov. 23- your goals too high, someDec. 21) one will criticise you for your lack of consistency. Keep your plans simple.

(RUGOSE: ROO-gohs: Having many wrinkles or creases.)

Average mark 15 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 22 or more words in RUGOSE? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD – BUDDLEIA bade bail bald bale baud bead beau bide bile blade bled blue build dale daub

dead deal deli dial died diel duad dual dude duel laddie lade laid laud lead

lied lieu idea ideal idle abed abide able addle adieu aide aided ailed audible

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

You can outmanoeuvre SCORPIO anyone you encounter. Do (Oct. 24things differently in order Nov. 22) to draw attention, suggestions and a chance to use your skills in ways that are more satisfying and rewarding.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Investigate your options CAPRICORN and check out all the angles (Dec. 22before you make a decision Jan. 19) that could affect your financial position. Romance is encouraged, and joint ventures look promising.

You’ll get the recognition AQUARIUS you want if you put your skills (Jan. 20Feb. 19) and knowledge on the line and offer some unique ideas.

A past experiment will come in handy now.

A physical change will PISCES (Feb. 20- lead to compliments and plenMarch 20) ty of attention from someone you fancy. Partnerships are highlighted, along with romance and serious plans for the future.

wednesDAY, june 8, 2016

19

Love returns to Cleveland, MMA fighter Kimbo uncertain for Game Three Slice dies at 42 K

C

leveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was cleared to fly home with the team on Monday, but his availability for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland remains in question.

A Cavaliers spokesman confirmed that Love was on the flight.

Love sustained a concussion in Game 2 on Monday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., when forward Harrison Barnes’ elbow inadvertently flattened him as they fought for a rebound.

Although Love remained in the game after the incident in the second quarter and later made a 3-pointer, he took himself out of the game in the second half

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0)

when he became disoriented.

Tests disclosed the concussion and Love was placed under the NBA’s concussion protocol, meaning he must pass specific tests before he is allowed to play again.

Losing Love, a threetime NBA All-Star, would

be a huge blow to the Cavaliers, who trail the defending champion Warriors, 2-0, as the series moves to Cleveland for two games.

The Warriors beat the Cavaliers in last year’s NBA Finals, 4-2, when Love did not play because of a shoulder injury.(The Sports Xchange)

Magnussen and Australian relay team confirmed for Rio Olympics

James Magnussen will compete in Rio 2016

A

weight off James Magnussen’s surgically repaired shoulder has finally been lifted – he is officially off to the Rio Olympics. Denied an individual berth at April’s trials, dual world champion Magnussen has finally been added to the Dolphins’ Rio squad after world body Fina confirmed Australia’s 4x100m freestyle relay team’s Olympic entry.

Fellow relay swimmers, London Olympian James Roberts and one of Australia’s oldest rookies Matt Abood, were the other new faces included. The Dolphins squad now boasts 35 members.

The relay will be Magnussen’s sole Rio event.

He failed to earn an individual nod after struggling to recapture his form at the Rio trials following shoulder surgery that forced him to miss

the 2015 world titles.

Magnussen could only manage third in the 50m sprint and fourth in his pet event, the 100m freestyle, at the Adelaide trials. It ensured he would be denied a chance to avenge his shock London 100m finish, denied gold by just 0.01 of a second

by American Nathan Adrian.

But Magnussen was still confident of featuring on the Rio podium after his shoulder continued to improve at a recent Colorado training camp.

“I’m really looking forward to contributing to this relay team,” Magnussen said.

“My shoulder is continuing to feel stronger by the week and I am currently spending time overseas training and racing in preparation for Rio. I love swimming in relays and think this team has a lot of talent and potential.”

The relay team squad is completed by world No1 Cameron McEvoy and young gun Kyle Chalmers.

The Australian men’s relay team had to wait until the end of the qualification period on May 31 to learn if they were competing at Rio. They missed automatic Rio qualification by finishing outside the top 12 at the 2015 world titles.

The Australian relay team swam a qualification time of three minutes, 12.26 seconds at the Olympic trials, ranking them third in the world ahead of Rio. Abood – 30 this month – will become the sixth oldest Australian swimmer to make his Olympic debut. “I’m not exactly sure how I will feel come the time to walk into the village wearing the green and gold,” said Abood, who has made four world titles teams since 2009. “But I am sure when that time comes I’ll take a quiet moment for myself to soak it up.”

It will mark a stirring comeback for Roberts, who has overcome the “Stilnox Six” controversy and two shoulder reconstructions since the Australian 4x100m relay team bombed at London, finishing fourth.

“I had around nine months out of the water and was back swimming in August [last year],” said Roberts who has also managed a chronic lower back injury. (UK Guardian)

imbo Slice, a man who went from backyard fighting sensation to MMA ratings king, died Monday at the age of 42, sources confirmed with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. The cause of death was unclear.

Slice’s gym American Top Team tweeted Monday night that Slice had died.

Bellator President Scott Coker followed soon after with a statement.

“We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family,” Coker said. “One of the most popular MMA fighters ever Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport.

“Outside of the cage he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man.

His loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts, and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Ferguson family and all of Kimbo’s friends, fans, and teammates.”

MMA fighter Kimbo Slice

TMZ reported Monday that Slice was rushed to the hospital in Coral Gables, Florida, his city of residence, and was in dire condition.

Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, gained acclaim for his street fights, which were filmed and posted on YouTube in the early 2000s. The Miami native was one of the world’s first online viral video stars. He parlayed that into becoming one of the biggest ratings draws in the history of mixed martial arts -- a true rags to riches story.

Ferguson most recently competed under the Bellator MMA banner. He was supposed to face James Thompson at Bellator 158 on July 16 in London, England. In his last fight, Ferguson fought longtime rival and former compatriot Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris in February. Ferguson won the fight by knockout in the third round, but it was later found out that he tested positive for steroids in a fightnight screen. The victory was overturned into a no contest and Ferguson was suspended three months by the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration.

Ferguson, who had a 5-2 record with that no contest in MMA, started out in the sport as a spectacle for EliteXC, the YouTube streetfighting bad ass turned pro athlete. He won his first three fights for the promotion via finish, including victories over Tank Abbott and Thompson. EliteXC built its whole promotion around Ferguson, who was a ratings behemoth. (MMA Fighting)

Turkish boxer, Russian cyclist fail Olympic doping retests

A

Yekaterina Gnidenko

Turkish boxer and a Russian cyclist have been provisionally suspended after doping samples from the 2012 London Olympics came back positive in retesting.

Boxer Adem Kilicci and track cyclist Yekaterina Gnidenko both tested positive for steroids, the governing bodies of their sports said Thursday.

Kilicci, who lost in the quarterfinals of the middleweight division in London, and the Turkish boxing federation have been notified of the findings and his suspension.

The Turkish Olympic Committee said it was “extremely disappointed” by

Kilicci’s positive test.

“We will now follow the official procedure and will announce appropriate action in due course,” the committee said in a statement. “In the meantime, we are redoubling our efforts to encourage more rigorous testing in parallel with greater education of all athletes and their entourages throughout Turkish sport.”

Gnidenko competed in the women’s sprint and keirin at the 2012 Games winning a silver medal, though she now faces being stripped of her keirin silver medal from the world championships later that year.

Gnidenko was a late substitute in the 2012 Olympic sprint after Russian teammate Viktoria Baranova failed a doping test and was expelled from the games.

The IOC has retested stored samples from London and the 2008 Beijing Games, targeting athletes who could compete in this year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics. AIBA said Kilicci had qualified for Rio, while Gnidenko is not listed on the Russian national team squad list for this season.

The IOC reported last

Boxer Adem Kilicci

week that it had recorded 23 positives from London and 32 from Beijing.

AIBA said it is working with the World Anti-Doping Agency “to ensure that boxing is doping free.”

The International Cycling Union said in a statement that Gnidenko’s case “is the only positive the IOC passed on to us from the Beijing and London batches.”

The Russian Olympic Committee said eight of its athletes were among the 23 positives from London identified by the IOC from London.

Another 14 Russians were among the 32 caught in Beijing retests, including 10 medalists named by state TV.

(SF Chronicle)

20

guyana-times.com

wednesDAY, june 8, 2016

Lendl Simmons, gun for hire

No future in the West Indies as long as selection depends on playing domestic cricket

T

he past is history.”

So proclaims Lendl Simmons’ status on WhatsApp. It is the mantra of a man who wants to look forward in life, not moan.

Yet Simmons cannot help but feel aggrieved. He, like Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell, was not considered eligible for selection in West Indies’ ongoing ODI tri-series against Australia and South Africa. All those players did not play in this year’s West Indies domestic 50-over tournament, instead playing in the Big Bash.

“It’s just foolish,” Simmons says. “We are available to play but we are not being picked.

It’s just a stupid rule that they have. Unless that rule changes, no one will play for the West Indies, because I don’t think anyone is going to give up franchise cricket to play regional cricket when the fees are not suitable enough. A lot of other teams’ players don’t play in their domestic [competitions] but still play for their country. This is not the same for us, but such is life.”

While wishing West Indies well, Simmons warns that “we could embarrass ourselves because Australia and South Africa are not coming here with their A teams. They are coming here with their full teams.”

Simmons was gripped by anger two months ago as well.

When he came out to bat in the semi-final of the World T20, with West Indies 19 for 2 after three overs, in pursuit of 193, Simmons was riled by Virat Kohli.

“When he fielded, he said something to me, and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to show you you’re not the only good batsman,’” Simmons says. He also reckons Kohli kept throwing the ball to his end to try and get under his skin. “That’s the way he is. He’s very arrogant, he’s very aggressive when he fields, and when he bats as well. He’s just a very aggressive person.

“Those things motivate our players and it certainly motivated me. That really urged me to bat the way I did

Lendl Simmons, who had problems with his back, was a late pick in the World T20, which West Indies went on to win

- to show him that he’s not the only one who can do it. That played a big role.”

So too did simple fortune.

Simmons was twice caught off a no-ball, and reprieved a third time when a catch off a

legitimate delivery was overturned when Ravindra Jadeja was shown to be touching the boundary rope when he took it. “Every cricketer has his day and you just need to cash in when it is your day,” Simmons says. “I took full opportunity of that to bat until the end. It was mind-blowing doing that with all those people supporting India and being very loud. It was the highlight of my career.”

Kohli might have reflected on the impact of his words as Simmons thumped five sixes into the Wankhede, en route to a 51-ball 82 not out.

“When India chase, one of their top batsmen bats deep - that was my role, batting in the middle overs, especially because I play spin well. I know they didn’t have any good death bowlers, so with Russell, Bravo and Sammy to come once we passed the middle overs, those guys could always come out and finish.”

It was left to Russell to score the winning runs, dispatching a full toss - from Kohli, of all people - into the Mumbai night sky. And when Carlos Braithwaite’s four towering sixes clinched the final, Simmons had gone from watching the World T20 at home, having originally not been selected because he was not fully fit, to being a world champion in the space of a week.

It proved an expensive triumph. Simmons played at “85%” in the World T20, aggravating the problems with his lower back that had originally led him to miss the tournament. His back ultimately

Di Maria scores as Argentina beat Chile

A

rgentina shrugged off the absence of Lionel Messi to beat Chile 2-1 in the Copa America on Monday, with an emotional Angel Di Maria scoring the opening goal and dedicating it to his grandmother, who passed away before the game.

With Messi watching from the sidelines due to a back injury, Di Maria put the 14-times champions ahead early in the second half before Ever Banega doubled their lead shortly after.

Jose Pedro Fuenzalida pulled a goal back for Chile in injury time.

In the other Group D game, played earlier on Monday, Panama beat Bolivia 2-1.

Argentina posed a constant threat with fast sweeps forward and Di Maria capitalized on one such attack after 50 minutes, running on to a pass from Banega to slot home from eight yards.

“We’ve been doing things properly for years now and maybe this year it will come right,” said Di Maria, who broke down in tears after dedicating his goal to his grandmother.

Argentina doubled their lead eight minutes later in similar fashion, this time Di Maria

Argentina midfielder Angel Di Maria (7) dribbles the ball against Chile midfielder Marcelo Diaz (21)

feeding Banega in the same position on the left and his deflected drive beat Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo at his near post.

“If you make mistakes in these games you pay a high price and that is what happened today,” Bravo said in a televised interview after the game in Santa Clara.

Second-half substitute Erik Lamela twice came close to adding to Argentina’s lead but it was Chile who got the third goal of the game thanks to a mistake from Sergio Romero.

The Argentine goalkeeper, who had an otherwise excellent game, misjudged a free kick in the box and Fuenzalida nodded the ball into an empty net.

The result gives Argentina, who are seeking their first major title since lifting the Copa America in 1993, a measure of revenge for their defeat to Chile in last year’s Copa America final.

Also in Group D, veteran striker Blas Perez scored twice as Panama beat Bolivia.

Perez scored his first after 10 minutes when he slid in to push home a cross from 10 yards out before Juan Carlos Arce tied the score eight minutes into the second half.

Perez grabbed the winner three minutes from time.

Panama next play Argentina on Friday while Chile face Bolivia. (Reuters.com)

forced him to fly home after one IPL game. “But I think it was worth it - putting the West Indies back on the map by winning the World Cup again. It was a big achievement for the Caribbean.

It meant a whole lot. We knew that everyone in the Caribbean was watching the final. We desperately needed that, because we know there’s a lot of politics in cricket right now - a lot going against the players right now.”

Simmons suggests that his cousin, West Indies’ coach Phil, shares his frustration, “but there’s not much he can do”.

Having won two of the last three World T20 crowns - Simmons was not selected in 2012 - West Indies are shaping up as international cricket’s first dominant T20 side. Bravo has even suggested they could be as successful in the format as the Test side was in the 1980s.

“It’s calypso cricket,” Simmons says of the West Indies’ success. “It’s because of the way we play our cricket - we are aggressive, very sprightly, and that’s how we are. We’re not good at Test cricket right now, but T20 is right up our alley.”

Even a golden duck in the final could not dilute the memory of his innings, a distillation of the T20 qualities that have earned him attention from franchises the world over.

India has seen the best of him: Simmons has 1038 runs at 47.18 for Mumbai Indians.

But he is also enthused about the Caribbean Premier

“We are aggressive, very sprightly. We’re not good at Test cricket right now, but T20 is right up our alley” – Simmons

League. It “pays well” and, for the first time ever, means leading players from foreign shores play domestic cricket in the West Indies, testing and improving Caribbean players without deals in other T20 leagues.

Simmons is unashamed about the path he has chosen. Injuries have rendered him unable to play Tests - he never even scored a half-century during an eight-match career that ended five years ago - and he has not played an ODI, or even a List A match, since the World Cup. That will not change until either he or the West Indies Cricket Board change their minds about playing in the Nagico Super50. Neither seems likely.

“Yes, I enjoy playing for Trinidad and I want to play for the West Indies, but people also have families that they need to feed and a life that they need to build,” Simmons says. He will continue to be a flag bearer for the age of the

itinerant T20 player - a sign of the things and, he reckons, a shape of the future of West Indies’ best players too.

“Franchise cricket is a very good thing. People can travel around the world and play cricket. You get paid well for your services, and people want our services,” he says.

“Franchise cricket is the avenue for players to earn a living. Not everyone gets retained for the West Indies, and anyway our retainer is not sufficient to say you can live off this for three to four years.”

It was ever thus. West Indies have always relied on foreign leagues - traditionally county and club cricket in England - to fund their players. Garry Sobers once almost missed an international to play an English club match, because it was more lucrative. The T20 globetrotting of Simmons and Co is new. But it is also entirely in keeping with West Indies’ past. (ESPN

Cricinfo)

COPA America Centenario USA 2016

Perez’s double sink Bolivia B las Perez made sure Panama’s first-ever Copa America match was a success, scoring twice in their 2-1 win against Bolivia in the Group D opener for both sides on a rain-soaked Monday night in Orlando.

Panama looked to secure the three points after leading 1-0 into the second half, but Bolivia tied the game in the 54th minute.

Juan Carlos Arce drove in a clearance attempt deflected to him by Panama defender Harold Cummings, off a long free kick from Martin Smedberg-Dalence.

Arce has three goals in his last four games for La Verde Just when it seemed a draw was certain, Perez took a cross from Abdiel Arroyo and slotted home the game-winner in the 87th minute.

Panama had more chances to score than Bolivia, though La Verde was more active on offense in the early part of the second half. Panama’s Luis Tejada missed a

Blas Perez celebrates after scoring

chance to give his team the lead when his shot from close range went over the goal in the 85th minute.

Panama took a 1-0 lead into halftime after Perez put in a sliding kick off a pass from midfielder Alberto Quintero in the 11th minute. It was the culmination of a fast start for Los Canalero’s attack.

With the victory, Panama becomes just the fourth team in Copa America history to win its debut at the tournament and first since Paraguay in 1921.

Group D action continues Friday when Panama faces Argentina in Chicago and Bolivia meets Chile in Foxborough, Mass.

YELLOW PAGES wednesDAY, june 8, 2016 | www.guyana-times.com

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21 Ming cops podium finish in F1600 sports

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Ming leads the pack in the F1600 at Virginia International Raceway

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uyanese race car driver, Calvin Ming continued his impressive performances in the F1600 series where he managed to get yet another podium finish, this time in third place at the 2016 F1600 Formula F Championship Series descended at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) over the weekend.

In race one, Ming started in the 2nd position as he had qualified brilliantly in a time of 1:59.408 which was only about a half second behind the pole sitter. The race had numerous battles throughout the field with # 82, Calvin Ming of Team Pelfrey narrowly missing the podium and finished 4th overall behind # 07, Steve Bamford in the Rice Race Prep car out of Canada. # 81, Phillippe

Denes, Ming’s teammate was nipped at the finish line by a narrow margin by race winner # 3, Neil Verhagen of K-Hill Motorsports in the 13 car field that saw a few caution flags.

Race 2, # 82, Calvin Ming once again started in the 2nd position after a wonderful qualifying session and battled hard amongst the 14 field (setting a best lap time of 1:59.622) before being edged at the finish line by 0.053 seconds in a 3-way photo finish but, nonetheless a podium finish with his Team Pelfrey teammate # 81, Phillippe Denes Calvin Ming started 3rd on the grid with another decent qualification and was part of the exciting battle towards the checkered flag.

Fortunately, Ming was able to avoid the incident that

included a number of lead cars on the final lap. He went on to finish 4.103 seconds behind in 5th overall.

The podium was filled by # 07, Steve Bamford in 3rd overall (Masters Winner), # 90, Trenton Estep in 2nd place with his teammate in the Exclusive Autosport Spectrum entry, # 92, Ben Auriemma capitalizing on the last lap incident to claim his first victory.

Ming completed the podium for Team Pelfrey, saying: “It was a battle royale and a pretty good race.”

With a decent weekend(4th, 3rd, 5th), # 82, Calvin Ming picked up needed points towards the championships and will no doubt be ready to contest the next round to be held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 13, 2016.

Simmons anxious to hit ground running after injury

R

ecuperating West Indies opener Lendl Simmons is champing at the bit ahead of the upcoming Caribbean Premier League campaign, and says he expects to be fit and ready to lead the batting for his new franchise St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

The 31-year-old righthander limped out of the just concluded Indian Premier League with a back injury which has sidelined him since but said his rehabilitation had progressed as planned, and he was now close to full recovery.

“Physically I feel as though my back is getting stronger each day and I can’t wait to get back playing because it can be frustrating watching on from the sidelines,” the Trinidadian said.

“But I have stepped up my rehab recently and I’m looking forward to getting 100 percent fit.”

Simmons has represented Guyana Amazon Warriors from the tournament’s inception, and his aggressive batting has been key to their success.

In the first year, he gathered 266 runs at an average of 33 to help Amazon Warriors reach the final where they lost to Jamaica Tallawahs.

He topped the charts the following year with an astonishing 446 runs at an average of 49, to help the Georgetownbased franchise into the final again where they went down to Barbados Tridents.

And last year, he scored

Lendl Simmons

317 runs at an average of 39 with three half-centuries to again carry Amazon Warriors’ batting.

His switch to Patriots will see him join forces with the likes of South African star Faf du Plessis and Australian Brad Hodge, and Simmons said he was looking forward to the partnership.

“We have a good, wellbalanced team this year and there’s a lot of experienced and promising players on paper,” Simmons said.

“But it’s about how we perform and I think we can lean on the experience of the likes of Faf and Brad Hodge, who have played a lot of T20 cricket, to bring the squad together and create a strong environment.”

Du Plessis will lead Patriots this year and

Simmons was quick to hail his leadership qualities.

“Faf is an outstanding player, a world-class talent who will relish the captaincy this year. What I like about Faf is that he reads the game well and bats intelligently according to each situation,” he pointed out.

“There’s a lot of responsibility attached to being captain, because we have a passionate St. Kitts & Nevis public who will want to see the team progress. But he’ll be used to that having led the Proteas at international level.”

The CPL runs from June 29 to August 7 and will feature Amazon Warriors, Patriots, Tallawahs, Tridents, St Lucia Zouks and title-holders Trinbago Knight Riders. (CMC)

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

wednesDAY, june 8, 2016

GVF on track to introduce primary school’s volleyball

T

he Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) has partnered with the Samaritan Sports Support System in an effort to introduce volleyball to primary schools through teachers.

The program which commenced on Monday June 6 is scheduled to last for one week and it is aimed at targeting 30 primary schools throughout Georgetown.

The course which will be facilitated by Federation coaches runs daily at the National Developmental Center on Wolford Avenue and the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue, will see teachers learn the basic theoretical and practical aspects of the game to a level that they are able to begin programs in their respective schools.

The president of the Guyana Volleyball Federation, Mr. John Flores, expressed that his Federation was extremely pleased to be given the opportunity to take the game to the primary schools because he understands that

Guyana Volleyball Federation President, Captain John Flores

for proper long term development to occur, children need to start being exposed to the sport from a tender age.

Flores explained that the Samaritan Sport Support System which is lead by Mr. Robert Sam, is a local Christian body that have been partnering with various sporting federations in an effort to help alleviate depression and the exposure to negative activities through sports in schools, commu-

nities and religious groups.

The connection was made through the National Sports Commission, whom the Samaritan group made initial contact with before they were directed to the GVF. The Guyana Volleyball Federation is currently engaging in international competitions for players as young as 14 and Flores expressed that the introduction of the game at this level will definitely be a boost to a school program already started by the Demerara and Berbice Volleyball Associations.

The program is expected to continue with the inclusion of more schools in the near future as the newly formed partnership intends to take volleyball throughout the length and breadth of Guyana in an effort to help youths to utilize their energies in a more positive avenue. The primary aim of the Samarian Sports Support System is to help develop the game of volleyball as is the primary mandate of the Guyana Volleyball Federation.

Linden sports enthusiasts urged to foster sports development

S

ports promoters and enthusiasts of Linden were given a word of encouragement to further push towards the development of sports by legendary cricket commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira, during a consultation in the town on Monday evening. The session was organized by Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland, who has played a major role in sports, by serving as a sports promoter, journalist and commentator. Holland noted that the move forms part of the Linden Mayor and Town Council’s (LM&TC) mandate to aggressively move towards the successful molding of sports tourism in the community. While Perreira, during his address stressed that the interest in sports is currently competing with that of advancements in social media, he urged promoters and athletes to get involved and improve the standard of sports in Linden, noting that it will assist in keeping unemployed youths off the streets. He further urged them to build strong relationships amongst themselves and the private sector in an effort to secure and maintain sponsorship.

Speaking more specifically to football, Perreira said currently there is a need to improve the surface of football fields across the country if the standard of the sport is to be improved. Emphasizing the need to promote strong club structures, Perreira added that, strong clubs make strong associations which leads to an improved sporting structure.

“While you wait for infrastructure in the town, you have got to ensure that your own structures in sports are stronger. You can’t

Joseph “Reds” Perreira

have teams and not clubs… a strong club will make a strong sub- association… weak clubs or no clubs will make you weak…You have got to improve your record taking…don’t assume you can’t get better, call on your federation that you are affiliated with…Use the resources available to you in Linden,” he stressed.

The Lindeners were further urged to have pride in their community.

Holland, in his remarks, reminisced on the days when Linden was ahead of its game in the promotion of sports as he stressed that presently, the community can benefit significantly from an indoor/ outdoor sports facility. He noted that his municipality is focusing on the promotion and marketing of sports, adding that Linden has produced great sportsmen and women.

Holland said the focus is on successful marketing efforts, to re-energize the community in order to reap the benefits of sports, as he related his own experiences in the

arena.

“We need to get together as a sports fraternity and really push aggressively for sports development in Linden…we cannot continue with the old set up and expect to promote sports”, he noted. The Mayor stated his belief in moving sports forward as he indicated that numerous undeveloped lands in the community can be seen as a future blessing. It was on this note that he related to the gathering his engagement with Government for an upkeep of present grounds. In moving forward, he said the community needs sports ambassadors as he encouraged promoters to “think outside the box”.

Chairman of the LM&TC Social Development Committee Keeran Williams said the focus is on institutional strengthening, training and development of sports facilities. He stressed the challenges faced by Lindeners, adding that the aim is to provide an enabling environment.

MoH/Petra Organisation Soft Shoe Football...

Leopold Street edge Festival City 2-1 – North Ruimveldt held by Alexander Village

The exciting Soft Shoe Football Tournament is known for quality and stylish football (file photo)

By Akeem Greene

T

he Ministry of Health/ Petra Organization Soft Shoe football tournament which is being played under the theme, “Against Gender Base Violence”, continued on Monday at the Santos Training area, Brickdam, with five exciting matches.

In a night where a total of twenty goals were scored from the matches, the Leopold Street match up against Festival City may have just tipped the rest of the proceedings in terms of determination and skill.

Akeem Rajkumar broke the deadlock in the 5th minute in a physical battle for the ball just in front of the box. The next goal by Rondel Williams in the 11th minute was an absolute scorcher, with a blinding kick from the left post which by all accounts seemed to seal the match for his team.

In the dying minutes of the match, the Festival City side found a rejuvenated enthusiasm as they strung together several offensive plays to put the pressure back on the opposition which resulted in Jamal Browne scoring in the 18th but the Leopold Street found a way to keep out the ball out of the net to

secure the victory.

In another match, Campbellville made light work of West Back Road by easily winning 2-0 thanks a double by Ozeal Small who scored in both halves, 14th and 20th.

In the night’s third match, West Front Road demolished the Ministry of Health in a commanding five nil victory, at the hands of a double by Randolph Wagner in the 15th and 18th. Wagner was aided

by Nathaniel Nagaloo in the 13th, Michael Pedro in the 2nd and Jermaine Junior in the 17th.

North Ruimveldt were held by Alexander Village in a battling 4-4 draw, in which Alexander Village surrendered the lead with an own goal in the 7th. Anthony Sancho scored in the 8th minute to double North Ruimveldt’s lead.

The Alexanger Village side hit back in the 9th minute with a Shem Porter goal but in keeping head-to-head tussle of the two teams, Gerald Gittens notched a goal in the 11th minute to double his side’s lead once more.

Sheldon Fletcher put his name on the score sheet in the 13th to make sure the Alexander Village side were not out of the match by time the end of the first half.

Jamal Hamilton in the 15th and Sancho once more in the 22nd made it seemed that the North Ruimveldt side would coast to a victory but Ryan October pulled a shocker out the bag in the 23rd to ensure this team gets a share of the points.

Upon the conclusion of the group stage, the top two finishers from each group along with the four best third place finishers will advance to the knockout round.

Albouystown and North East La Penitence also played to a draw with goals coming off the feet of Calvin Moore in the 8th and Devon Dooker in the 23rd for their respective team.

In the final match, Channel-9 won via walkover over Back Circle; the next round of matches are schooled for Thursday at the Parade ground.

The winning team will collect $300,000 and the Championship trophy while the second placed side will receive $200,000 and the runners-up accolade.

On the other hand, the third placed side will receive $100,000 and the respective trophy while the fourth place finishers will pocket $50,000 and the corresponding title.

CBC reveals the championship logo

T

he Caribbean B a s k e t b a l l Confederation (CBC) and the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) reveal the Official Logo for the 2016 CBC U16 Championships for Men and Women (Guyana 2016).

Georgetown, Guyana, will play host to ten teams from the Caribbean subsub-zone of International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to identify the U16 Champion men and women teams of the CBC and also qualify the top three men and women teams who will represent the CBC at the 2017 Centrobasket U17 Championships.

This year’s event will be held this July 4th - 16th at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) and will fea-

The Official logo of the CBC U-16 Championship

ture ten men and seven women national basketball teams from the Caribbean.

CASH will host 42 basketball games over eleven days, culminating with the Championship finals to crown both a men and

women U16 champion.

The logo was designed

by P2H2 Solutions that captures the national animal of Guyana the Jaguar as part of Guyana’s Golden Jubilee celebration.

23 CPL tickets go on sale from tomorrow in Guyana T guyana-times.com

wednesdAY, june 8, 2016

he eagerly awaited sale of tickets for the 2016 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will commence tomorrow (Thursday June 9) at the new CPL Office at 238 Camp and Quamina Streets, Georgetown.

Patrons wishing to purchase tickets will be allowed 10 tickets per person for each game and where possible they may be allowed to purchase tickets with the seats of their choice in their preferred stand depending on availability. However corporate entities wishing to purchase more than 10 tickets can contact the ticketing office for further details.

The cost per ticket is

Omar Khan, Manager or the Guyana Amazon Warriors Team

the same as last year with $4000 or $20US for the Red and Green Stands, $3000 or $15US for Orange Stand and $2000 or $10US for the Grass

Mound.

This year organizers have put in place many security features to prevent counterfeiting and unlike some other venues, tickets for the Guyana National Stadium are numbered to match the seat number which will eliminate the possibility of overcrowding.

Patrons are asked to make early purchases so as to avoid the rush as we get close to the match days.

Trinbago Knight Riders are the defending Champions while Jamaica Tallawahs are the inaugural Champions in 2014 and the Barbados Tridents winning the second edition of the annual tournament dubbed “the biggest party in sport.”

The Guyana Amazon Warriors have been very dominant in the three exciting tournaments so far having played in two finals (2014 and 2015) and bowing out in the semi-final last year.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors will play 10 games in the preliminary phase of the League, with four matches in Guyana, two in Florida, and one each in Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica and St Lucia.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors will begin their four exciting and high quality home matches on Thursday July 7 against the 2014 Champions the Jamaica Tallawahs at 19:00 Hrs, then on Saturday July 9 they will play the St.

Kitts and Nevis Patriots from noon. The Martin Guptil led side will then turn their attention to the Trinbago Knight Riders on Sunday July 10 from 19:00 Hrs and will wrap up the leg of local matches on Tuesday July 12 against the St. Lucia Zouks at 19:00hrs.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors squad features some familiar faces in captain Martin Guptil of New Zealand, Guyanese Christopher Barnwell, Paul Wintz, Veerasammy Permaul, Assad Fudadin and Steven Jacobs while some fresh faces include Australian duo of Adam Zampa and Chris Lynn, Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir, Barbadian Dwayne Smith, Trinidadians Rayad Emrit,

Jason Mohammed and Steven Katwaroo, Antiguan Orlando Peters, Guyanese Anthony Bramble and Shimron Hetmyer the West Indies winning under-19 captain. Ali Khan is the ICC Americas Player assigned to the team to aid in his development.

Roger Harper is the Head Coach of the team while Esuan Crandon is the Assistant Coach and Omar Khan the Manager.

For more information on ticketing please contact CPL Guyana Office on telephone numbers: 231-5344, 231-2035, 2255840 or email at cplguyana@ gmail

Ballr Cup Tri-Nation Series…

South Africa romp to 47-run win over Australia

By Akeem Greene

A

collective bowling performance by the South Africans prompted a batting melt down by Australia which saw the World Champions slumping to an embarrassing 47-run defeat in the third match of the Ballr Cup Tri-Nation Series at Providence.

Set 190 to win on a difficult batting pitch, the Aussies were bowled out for 142 in 34.2 overs due to some top individual performances with the ball by Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir and Tabriz Shamsi. It is the first time in five years, since the 2011 World Cup match against Bangladesh, that South Africa played three specialist spinners in the same One Day International match.

Opener Aaron Finch with resilient knock of 72 was not enough to prevent the South Africa from securing a valuable bonus point. No other batsman managed to pass 30

but the worrying expressions erupted on the faces of the Australians when Parnell came around the wicket to Steve Smith to trap him leg before at 21 for 3.

The aggression of Aaron Finch was on show as he crashed Parnell trough the covers for four then lifted him over mid-on for six.

His onslaught was not finished there since he deposited the left-arm spin of Aaron Phangiso into the highly populated green stand with a lovely inside-out shot over cover.

The introduction of the debutant left-arm chinaman bowler, Shamsi into the attack in the 12th over paid immediate dividends as he struck with the fifth ball when Glen Maxwell missed a flat legbreak and was out LBW by Umpire Joel Wilson who was having a difficult day at the office.

At the other end, Finch seemed to be batting on a different track as he hit an identical shot off Phanigso

Farhaan Behardein (left) collects the man-of-match award from Anand Sanasie

as batting was once again a difficult task on the low and slow track.

The in-form David Warner stay in the middle was extremely short as the left-arm seam of Wayne Parnell got one to jag-back which stuck below the knee roll to see him head back to the hut. The wickets did not stop there, as the pacey Rabada demolished the stumps of Warner’s opening partner, Usman Khwaja

once more.

The wrist spinners continued to enjoy the conditions as Imran Tahir got one to grip and turn, which Mitchell Marsh obliged by nicking to the gloves of Quinton de Kock and the men from “down under” lost half of their team with just 72 on the board in the 17th over and still needing 118 runs under the night sky.

Finch motored along to reach his eleventh One Day

International (ODI) fifty off 58 balls but that moment rapidly become dull, with the dismissals of Matthew Wade and Nathan CoulterNile in quick succession.

It took a diving effort by Captain AD de Villiers in cover to dislodge the threatening Finch who played a counter-attacking innings hitting six fours and three sixes.

The rain arrived in the 31st over with the Australians in the distance of the Duckworth/Lewis parscore of 183 but after play resumed with the Aussies 113-9, Josh Hazelwood and Nathan Lyon threatened to take the Aussies past the 150 mark but Lyon’s luck came to end via a leg before dismissal to Phangiso.

Earlier, watched by a fairly sized crowd, the South Africans took first strike after their skipper AB de Villiers called correctly at the toss. The Proteas who lots to the West Indies in the series opener were desperate to keep their campaign alive and were looking for a good start to notch up their first win of the series. However, with just 29 on the board, the free-flowing Quinton de Kock was trapped leg before for 18 in the 7th over.

Rilee Roussouw, who made 61 in the first match, looked to continue from where he left off with a crunching cut shot backward of point but that proved to be the only excitement he brought while batting since his innings was cut short on seven when he prodded to off-spinner Nathan Lyon was trapped him leg before wicket.

The right-handed pair of Hashim Amla and de Villiers undertook the repair job, taking their team to 81 for 2 when spectacular fielding by Steve Smith manufactured the run out of the experienced Amla for 35 (2x4s).

The captain made a scratchy 22 from 38 balls when he attempted to guide Nathan Coulter-Nile down to third-man and was bowled; a series in which he surprisingly has not hit a boundary

Tabraiz Shamsi struck early on his debut

in 87 deliveries.

The situation got worse when Jean- Paul Duminy (13) who has been having string of low scores, saw his off-stump go for a jolly walk with a peach of a delivery from the right-arm seam of Coulter-Nile.

Hazlewood returned from the Media Center End and uprooted the stumps of Wayne Parnell (02) to leave the South Africans tottering at 112 for 6 in the 29th and another below-par score seeming more likely.

All-rounder Farhaan Behardein and Phangiso, gave a lower order rally with a gritty stand of 37 for the seventh wicket before Phangiso went for a wild heave and held out to longoff.

Behardein who was later names Man of the Match continued his fighting innings when he brought up his fifth ODI half-century with a six over mid-wicket. The righthander found more resistance in Rabada who rallied their team to a respectable total on a slow wicket when the overs expired.

Behardein was bowled through his legs for 62 (4x4s; 1x6) to be the last man but this valiant innings had given his team somewhat a challenging total, especially with top quality spinners in their team.

The series now moves to Warner Park, St. Kitts

where the aforementioned team will be back in action in another day/night match on Saturday June 11. West Indies will then play the Australians on Monday June 13, followed by a matchup between the hosts and the

Proteas on Wednesday June 13. The final leg of the series will take place at the Kensington Oval, Barbados where the grand final will also be held on June 26. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy. com)

SCOREBOARD South Africa Innings (Maximum 50 overs) H Amla run out (Smith/Finch) 35 Q de Kock+ lbw Hazlewood 18 R Roussouw lbw Lyon 7 AB de Villiers* b Coulter-Nile 22 JP Duminy b b Coulter-Nile 13 F Behardien b Maxwell 62 W Parnell b Hazlewood 2 A Phangiso c Hazlewood b Zampa 9 K Rabada not out 15 I Tahir c Coulter-Nile b Maxwell 0 T Shamzi not out 0 Extras: (lb-1, w-5) 6 Total: (9 wickets; 50 overs) 189 Fall of wickets: 1-29 (de Kock, 6.3 ov), 2-41 (Rossouw, 9.5 ov), 3-81 (Amla, 18.1 ov), 4-97 (de Villiers, 22.1 ov), 5-104 (Duminy, 24.6 ov), 6-112 (Parnell, 28.2 ov), 7-149 (Phangiso, 41.3 ov), 8-188 (Behardien, 49.4 ov), 9-188 (Imran Tahir, 49.5 ov) Bowling: Hazlewood 10-320-2, Counter-Nile 10-2-38-2, Lyon 10-40-01, Zampa 10-046-1, Marsh 4-0-18-0, Finch

3-0-11-0, Maxwell 3-0-15-2 Australia Innings (Target: 190 runs from 50 overs) D Warner lbw 1 A Finch c de Villiers b Phangiso 72 U Khawaja b Rabada 2 S Smith* lbw b Parnell 8 G Maxwell lbw b Shamsi 3 M Marsh c †de Kock b Imran Tahir 8 MS Wade† c †de Kock b Rabada 2 N Coulter-Nile b Rabada 0 A Zampa lbw Tahir 0 N Lyon lbw Phangiso 30 J Hazlewood not out 11 Extras: (lb-5) Total: (all out; 34.2) 142 Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Warner, 1.4 ov), 2-10 (Khawaja, 4.3 ov), 3-21 (Smith, 7.5 ov), 4-47 (Maxwell, 11.5 ov), 5-72 (Marsh, 16.3 ov), 6-83 (Wade, 19.4 ov), 7-85 (Coulter-Nile, 21.6 ov), 8-90 (Zampa, 22.5 ov) 9-113 (Finch, 30.3 ov), 10-142 (Lyon, 34.2 ov) Bowling: Rabada 7-1-133, Parnell 6-1-23-2, Tahir 8-0-39-2, Phangiso 5.2-026-2, Shamsi 8-1-36-1

wednesdAY, june 8, 2016

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

CPL tickets go on sale from tomorrow in Guyana

Pg 23

The new CPL OPCO (Guyana) Inc Office and Ticket Centre at Camp and Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Ballr Cup Tri-Nation Series…

South Africa romp to 47run win over Australia Pg 23

Kagiso Rabada proved to be a handful with extra pace on a slow pitch

Farhaan Behardien on the attack during his fighting knock of 62

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