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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3121

Saturday, February 11, 2017

PRICE

Parking meter burden

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Penalties suspended until next week – Harmon

$80 vat included

Foreign currency regulations P11

Rates are determined by market, not Govt – Ali

…“they want to run the economy as Burnham did” – economist

Page 3

…adjusted fee will not ease burden on citizens – Jagdeo

Mother laces children’s snacks with poison, attempts suicide Page 7

1 charged P8 for burning to death of a 8-month-old Parking meter contract remains closely guarded M&CC secret – Concillor P9

Bartica Massacre

Mark Williams receives P16 additional death sentence

Fire razes 3 buildings in Kitty, arson suspected

Page 13

Commissioners paid despite inactive Procurement Commission Page 7

Linden Town Clerk saga

Municipal P10 laws breached – Investigative Committee

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news

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, February 11 – 05:30h-07:00h and Sunday, February 12 – 05:30h-07:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, February 11 – 16:30h-18:00h and Sunday, February 12 – 05:25h-06:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Light rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, with partly cloudy skies expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly between 4.47 metres and 5.81 metres per second.

Parking meter burden

Penalties suspended until next week – Harmon … adjusted fee will not ease burden on citizens – Jagdeo

T

he controversial Parking Meter Project has been partially suspended until next week when a new fee structure will be announced. This is according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who announced on Friday that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) agreed to suspend the punitive aspect of the project to pave the way for wider consultations with all stakeholders on the Parking Meter Project.

High Tide: 04:48h and 17:03h reaching maximum heights of 2.65 metres and 2.75 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:37h and 23:01h reaching minimum heights of 0.55 metre and 0.47 metre respectively.

SCS Public Relations Officer Kit Nascimento

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“The City Council has taken certain steps; one of the first steps they have taken was to basically suspend the punitive aspects of the paid parking project… they indicated that it is going to be suspended and they will engage with stakeholders to see how best the programme can be adjusted,” he explained.

According to Harmon, this decision was arrived at following the engagement with members of Central Government, Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, and Town Clerk Royston King, on Wednesday evening at State House.

He said the City Council is now charged with the mandate to have consultations with the public and then arrive at a solution satisfying to all parties involved.

“What we want is an outcome that is acceptable to

both sides,” the Minister of State stated.

Minister Harmon explained that it is not in the interest of Central Government to intervene in the business of the City Council, but it became necessary in this situation because of the strategic importance of Georgetown.

Fee adjustment

Kit Nascimento, the Smart City Solutions (SCS) Public Relations Officer, explained to Guyana Times that the current fee structure will be adjusted, following an emergency meeting with President David Granger, which came on the heels of immense public outcry and two mass protests outside City Hall.

“The company and the M&CC have agreed that there would be a new rate structure that will be put forward in respect of the metered parking project,” he stated.

Nascimento said the announcement of the new structure will be made sometime next week and until then, there will be a suspension of the project. “…until such time as the new rate structure is announced, there will be a moratorium in respect of immobilisation enforcement activities,” he explained.

This means the clamping of vehicles and charging of fines will not be enforced until the announcement is made.

The adjustments would also include changes in the fines for the various violations.

Nascimento also disclosed that in addition to changes in the fee structure, there will be changes in the overall project.

Presently, motorists are required to pay $50 plus Value Added Tax (VAT) at 14 per cent for every 15 minutes. However, many consumers have complained that the company is charging VAT at 16 per cent.

Additionally, the prepaid

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

cards were structured in such a way that monies are wasted with every purchase.

A parking meter card for the maximum parking time of two hours costs $580, but the value of the card is only $500. Parking for two hours at the rate of $15 plus VAT for every 15 minutes, it will amount to $464. Therefore, the balance will be $36, which cannot be used to pay for the minimum parking time, nor can it be transferred. The $36 will be wasted and the same pat-

After two hours of being immobilised, the vehicle would be towed and this would attract a fee of $12,000.

But if the individual’s vehicle is damaged in that process, the parking meter company’s staff would not be liable, nor will the individual be compensated.

Scrapping

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo in a statement on Friday insisted that a reduction of the

New fee structure, other changes to the Parking Meter Project to be announced

tern persists with any of the cards purchased.

Additionally, if an individual fails to pay for parking in a metered zone, his/ her vehicle will be clamped and they will have up to two hours to pay a release fine of $8000 plus VAT. If the individual attempts to remove the clamp, a fine of $100,000 will be charged, or the person could spend up to three months in prison.

rates will be merely palliative and does not address the transparency issues, nor does it ease the burden on citizens who are already overwhelmed with excessive increases in almost “200 new taxes, fees and VATable items” in less than two years of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government. turn to page 7

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saturday, February 11, 2017

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 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

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

I

t has been 12 years since Guyana last won a West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional 50-over title and this year will make it the 13th time the country has failed to snatch a tournament victory.

The last time being under the leadership of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, against a strong Barbadian side at the historical Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground, Bourda, in the 2005/06 season.

That team consisted of several West Indies players and other emerging players that elevated to the international arena. Assad Fudadin was the youngest player of that team at age 20, while the average age of that winning team was in the mid-20s.

At that time, Guyana was a force to be reckon with at the Regional level, especially in limited overs cricket. In the 2004/05 season they lost to Trinidad and Tobago in the final.

Ever since their last triumph, the standard of our cricket has deteriorated and not only have we failed to win titles, but there has been a drop in the provision of players to play in the shorter formats of the game for the West Indies team, which is in total contrast to a dozen years ago.

Therefore, we could argue that we had an effective plan then, but recently, our team has taken similar paths looking for different results.

What we did then in comparison to what we are doing now must be examined so we could return to our winning ways.

Prior to the Jaguars departure, there were mixed views among local cricket pundits. Nevertheless, the selectors had the advantage of selecting two foreign players to make our team stronger. That is, an opportunity the winning 2005 team did not have at their disposal.

The Leon Johnson-led side was touted as a strong team and it was expected that they would have returned with the title. Unfortunately, that is not the case and instead they were knocked out at the group stage after they were comprehensively beaten in four matches, two each against Barbados Pride and Jamaica Scorpions, a team that was not considered to be nearly as strong as the Jaguars on paper.

However, cricket does not play on paper, but on the field where 22 men are involved in fierce battle. It usually ends in favour of the team that better executes their game plan. An area that was lacking for the Jaguars.

Before they started their final match on Thursday, six of the top seven bowlers of the tournament were fast bowlers, two of whom are Jaguars bowlers; Ronsford Beaton and Raymond Reifer. The only spinner in that top seven is Ashley Nurse, who is probably there due to his familiarity with the home pitches.

Although the pacers were dominant at this stage and it remained the same up to the Jaguars’ last match, they (Jaguars) opted for three spinners in most of their matches.

Secondly, their batting was a catastrophe. It was a see-saw batting line-up that saw batsmen being changed around to bat in situations they were not prepared for. Their strike rates were also a horrible factor, as they failed to rotate the strike often as the modern game requires.

The Jaguars have continued to dominate First Class cricket over the past two years, but have failed against major teams in the 50-over competition, mainly because of lack of preparation and the choice to select players who are more suited for the longer version.

Subsequent to the 2016 Regional Super50 tournament, there was no local 50-over tournament hosted by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and there were a few limited over tournaments hosted at the club level. As a result, players were picked on their past and four-day performances, with little or no preparation.

Hence, the selectors could not have fairly selected a strong team because they did not get to see those players who would have worked to improve their game, and also new players who could have probably emerged during the competition.

For the last three years we have reached the semi-finals, progressing to the final in 2015. However, the Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados franchises are deemed the strongfour of Regional cricket, therefore advancing to the semi-finals should not be an issue. Nonetheless, two matches against powerhouses is a different scenario than playing against minnows and one strong opponent in the group stage.

The difference between the victorious Guyana team in 2005 and the teams selected since then narrows down to: 1) Suitable horses for courses in the 2005 final were played here, Guyana used four spinners and two pacers. Rayon Griffith, Jaguars Assistant Coach/Manager, was a part of that team. As Chairman of Selectors, he must select players who are suited for one-day cricket and that could only happen if there is a good structure locally to identify these players.

2) Improved Preparation- an under-prepared team cannot win titles. The team must train hard, but also play sufficient cricket of the said format they will compete in.

3) A plan must be implemented- judging on how the Jaguars executed their game plan during their matches, it may seem as though they lacked initiative. Therefore, if they want to win they must be creative.

The next tournament is a year away; hopefully, the authorities approach it differently so the results could be similar to 2005.

The second day of the Children’s Mashramani Competition finals saw energetic performances of calypso and dramatic poetry from students. In photo this young lady performs a calypso on Guyana being blessed (Marceano Narine photo)

Citizens have to be determined to make City Hall listen Dear Editor, The frequent outbursts of lack of financial resources by those at the helm of the City Council are indeed clever attempts aimed at excusing themselves from culpability for the Council’s failure to provide the services it is required to deliver to citizens in return for the rates and taxes they pay.

Furthermore, there is an obvious lack of interest on the part of the Council in going after the huge debt of some citizens in respect of unpaid rates and taxes, estimated at some $22 billion including accumulated interest as at December 31, 2016.

Consider if the Council made every possible effort and was able to recoup even 50 per cent of that debt. To the contrary, even the amnesty offered to debtors does not attract the desired positive results which one would expect such offers to attract.

This speaks volumes with respect to the proactiveness of the City Council’s Debt Recovery Unit. If this is not damaging enough to the image the Council projects as the largest municipality in our country; even that which is collected is poorly managed.

Those at the helm of the

Council appear to be interested primarily in those matters and measures in which members have a personal interest; for example, rates write-off and generous settlements of debts of comrades; contracting out services while scores of workers remain redundant or underutilised; instead of applying the competitive bidding process for procurement of goods and services.

The issue of increasing revenue base and so making more resources available to the Georgetown City Council cannot be considered independent of the present performance of the Council, where issues of accountability are concerned.

Access to more resources must be based, inter alia, on service delivery and overall performance including transparency and accountability for resources already at the disposal of Council.

The latter’s present operations are shrouded in corruption, incompetence and arrogance.

Furthermore, one must be mindful about supporting any measure that introduces increased costs and brings more hardship to citizens; for example, the proposed Parking Meter Project.

Many reports of vendors paying City Constables (the latter are not authorised to collect revenue) and no receipts being issued often go uninvestigated; while the Council has been losing millions perennially through corruption of some revenue collectors. In short, it would appear that significant amounts of dollars of revenue collected by City Hall officials from vendors do not find its way into the Council’s coffers.

A significant amount of market revenue collected is used to meet employment costs of the City Council and this includes scores of inactive and underutilised Council staff. Very little of market revenue is expended on maintaining or improving or expanding market infrastructure; or, what is even more desirable, providing additional market infrastructure and so address the roadside vending and concomitant sanitation and other environment challenges occasioned by illegal vending.

Going after revenue (public funds) is understandable as the City Council could not provide the services the citizens require and expect without finances. Accounting to citi-

zens for the public funds is also an obvious expectation and so also is Council’s engagements with citizens to provide information/updates with respect to the plans, expectations, work in progress as per Council’s work programme. Regrettably this did not happen in the case of the Council’s Parking Meters Project. The City Council has not been listening to the voice of the people.

In fact, the Council has not been availing itself to engage the people. The result has been a show of strength/ the populace force by the citizens. They have determined that they will make City Hall and the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change Government listen to them and address their concerns.

Consultation, inclusiveness and accountability must replace the corruption, incompetence and arrogance that have been so evident in the work of the Council; moreso, among the triumvirate of the Council … its Mayor, head of Finance Committee and the Town Clerk.

Sincerely, Norman Whittaker Former Local Govt Minister

Does AFC think Guyanese people are fools?

Dear Editor, The Alliance For Change (AFC) has been caught with its political slip showing; and it is soiled. For two years they have slept with the enemy and sold its soul for a mess of pottage (borrowing from the Biblical story of Esau and Jacob). After they have just about completely and utterly destroyed any credibility they had with those who sup-

ported and pushed them into recognition and Government, they are now trying to save face.

About four of the AFC’s Executive Members sit in the People’s National Congress (PNC)-coalition Cabinet. This includes the Prime Minister; the Public Security Minister; the Public Infrastructure Minister and; the Business Minister. They all know of the

universal objection to the nonsensical parking meter deal.

They know of the illegality of the project. They know who are to benefit from the deal and why. They know that it is a burden on poor and underpaid Guyanese workers.

They sat and watched as every process and system was put in place to bring the parking meter to a realisation.

They heard all the discus-

sions that were taking place to legalise that financial monstrosity. Yet they said absolutely nothing. They waited until all was good and set to formalise and legalise the parking meter deal and then when they can do nothing, or very little, to remedy the situation, they issued a statement in opposition to the deal they allowed to be enacted. continues on page 5

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Travelling the road Suicide prevention continues to operate at level of rhetoric to economic ruin Dear Editor, It appears that the Granger regime is determined to show that Burnham’s policies were correct and they could work in our country. From the inception of this Government, it picked up from where the People’s National Congress (PNC) left off and has been hastily implementing many measures that are a throwback to the worst days of the PNC regime.

Last week, the Government finally admitted that there is a significant shortage of foreign currency in the market. That, of course, has been known for a while and was repeatedly stated by the commercial banks and business people much earlier.

This was not a surprise.

What was surprising, however, was the announced measures to deal with the situation.

The regime said it would put in place arrangements to regulate and control the foreign currency supply. Later, the Bank of Guyana directed the banks and cambios of the rates they must buy and sell for.

This immediately raised red flags of a time past when this was done and the consequences of such actions, which were very destructive. There was a time when persons travelling aboard had to seek permission from the Bank of Guyana to take foreign currency out of the country. A person was limited to US$15.

That was then stamped at the back of one’s passport.

The control of foreign currency led to the creation of a parallel economy. America Street became the place

where a lot of buying and selling of foreign currency took place. The business was so ‘bright’ there that the street was renamed “Wall Street” by the public.

Of course, we have had many unpleasant incidents there. Police often raided the place to seize foreign currency. Vendors, and even stores were raided; clothing and other items were seized, because even if persons produced receipts for their purchase, they could not say where they got the foreign currency to make their purchases. They, therefore, suffered many heavy losses.

Most of those items seized were sold at Guyana Stores, which was then Governmentowned.

The foreign currency seized went to the coffers of the regime.

Many business persons were charged and hauled before the courts. Many small vendors were jailed for having banned goods, for example, wheat flour, split peas, potatoes, etc. Some were jailed for selling goods above the officially controlled price, sometimes, only by a small amount.

Even some lawyers who tried to send money out of the country to pay for their children’s education were hauled before the courts. In these conditions, bribery and corruption became rampant.

Those persons old enough would also recall the long lines for very basic food and household items. One had to have had ‘contacts’ to get toilet paper among other essen-

Does AFC think...

Does the AFC think the Guyanese people are fools?

Do they really believe that they could execute such poor administrative judgment and not be punished for it politically? The supporters of the AFC sent them into Parliament and then into Government to represent the interest of the working-class people of Guyana: not to look after their own interest and for sure not to foster the interest of the PNC (whose people are the beneficiaries of this deal). The AFC kowtowed to the PNC and watched whatever little support they had, erode into oblivion.

Now that the folks are taking to the streets; now that they ire of the masses have been provoked in their cry for justice, in the wake of a dictatorial onslaught, the AFC has crawled out of their political malaise. The United Republican Party (URP) wishes to remind the Guyanese

people that the AFC tied its hands when it went to bed with the PNC. They sold their birthright when the collated with a party that has some very unique and questionable approaches to governance.

The AFC has only one option in the interest of the national good and that is to assert itself in the coalition and do right by the Guyanese people, by returning to their posture of being interested in the things that the ordinary man is interested in. And if the PNC does not want to acquiesce and flex, then the AFC must enact (or threaten to enact) a pull-out of the Cummingsburg Accord. The URP is stating that the country cannot continue to be abused and prostituted by carrier politicians and political cronies who are bent of filling their pockets. The AFC is caught between a rock and a hard place and their true colours are very visible.

tial items.

Production suffered greatly, too, as replacement parts for machinery and equipment were hard to come by.

In these difficult times, people suffered greatly, not only from the shortages and the high prices, but from the loss of dignity. People were made into criminals if they had bread and roti in their possession.

Extreme malnutrition resulted, as Guyana was visited by illnesses such as ‘beriberi’.

This, of course, came about due to lack of nourishment.

Now, this regime, in its quest to prove Burnham right, is driving us along the same destructive road the PNC took.

Recall President Granger’s recent statement on the programme ‘Public Interest’. Responding to his Government’s poor record on job creation, he urged that people make pepper-sauce and cassava chips and sell!

This is the job creation policy of the regime? The results would not be different.

Indeed, it cannot be different.

The Private Sector has already stated its opposition to this measure of Government controlling the flow of foreign currency. Other democratic forces in the society must also make their voices heard.

The PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity regime has clearly not learnt anything from their past mistakes. We must stop this decline now.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar from page 4

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bandhu Leader, URP

Dear Editor, While The Caribbean Voice awaits suicide figures for 2017, we must point out that even though such figures may well indicate a decline over the previous year because of the work of all stakeholders, they would invariably be rather conservative. This is because as the World Health Organisation has pointed out, 25 per cent or more of suicides are generally unreported and because, in the case of Guyana, reportage is also affected by the still strongly held taboo (family dishonour) and attempts that ensure that many suicides are reported as otherwise.

That being said, The Caribbean Voice notes the Health Ministry’s ‘suicide deterrent measures’ with a certain degree of skepticism. For one, efforts to ensure that existing laws and regulations regarding pesticide sale, use and storage, are being enforced, will have no impact unless these attempts are part of a concerted pesticide suicide prevention strategy, such as the Shri Lankan Hazard Reduction Model, which has been lobbied for

by The Caribbean Voice since 2015, and which is, by far, the most successful pesticide suicide reduction plan ever. We strongly believe that should Guyana approach the World Health Organisation, a similar level of assistance may be offered as was available to Shri Lanka.

While we applaud plans to increase the number of beds added to the inpatient service offered at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s psychiatry ward, may we point out that Georgetown is not Guyana and such a service must be

offered at every public hospital in Guyana at the minimum to have any kind of impact, especially since the much touted plan to rebuild the National Psychiatric Hospital in Berbice, seems to have fallen off the radar screen.

Meanwhile, we commend plans to incorporate important mental health topics into the Health and Family Life Education syllabus in secondary schools, a call that was mooted by The Caribbean Voice almost two years ago. However, we hope this plan will not follow the fate of Counsellors in schools, which was top priority when the Government got into power, only to be subsequently relegated to ‘a few years down the road’. The fact is that The Caribbean Voice and other non-governmental stakeholders have been continually working with schools and students and everywhere the appeal is the same – ‘our students need so much help, please come back as often as possible’. In fact, one school we visited recently asked us to go back weekly as well as to devise and implement training for teachers.

In effect, at the Government level, suicide prevention continues to operate at the level of rhetoric with intermittent, isolated, one off, piecemeal action, here and there, and all the talk about stakeholders collaboration is just that, as most of the stakeholders – entity and individuals – that actually are doing consistent, collaborative work are being ignored or sidelined.

For example, over the past two years, The Caribbean Voice, a totally voluntary non-governmental organisation, has undertak-

en more than 150 successful and free counselling interventions in Guyana, most of them based either on direct appeals or referrals. We will be launching our Train the Trainer Programme to get gatekeepers into every community as quickly as possible since promises to bring back this programme have ended the way of all other promises. Yet, The Caribbean Voice continues to be blanked by the Education Ministry (among other Government entities) in our attempts to obtain permission to visit schools as requests are made, to launch a national essay contest for youth and students and to train teachers in classroom management without corporal punishment.

Meanwhile the Government’s suicide hotline seems to have been relegated to the back burner and to date, no official statistics indicating its extensive and successful use have been released; most public hospitals are still to be serviced by psychologists or clinical counsellors; the National Suicide Plan is still awaiting daylight, the Gatekeepers Programme seems a lost cause. What about a registry of sex offenders? Peer counsellors in schools? A national parenting programme to instil empathetic communication and parenting skills to combat the high level of dysfunction that contributes to suicide and violence on the whole? Trained domestic violence/suicide prevention personnel, or personnel with basic training in mental health or social work, at every Police station? And so on….?

Sincerely, Annan Boodram The Caribbean Voice

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By Mark Goulston, MD

A

s a specialist in listening, I have to say that I see very little of it going on. Wherever I look, I see people reacting to each other: husband to wife, sibling to sibling, parent to child.

With regard to the last category, parent to child, I thought, “Once a reactive child enters adolescence and then adulthood, it is very difficult to turn that around.”

For evidence of that, look no further than your own children, adolescents and young adults. To not put the cart before the horse and catch that horse while it is still a pony, I turned to Dr Regina Pally, psychiatrist and Co-founder and Assistant Director of the Center for Reflective Parenting in Los Angeles for her insights and recommendations on raising children to not be reactive, but instead to be more reflective.

Goulston: What do you mean by “reflective parenting?” And why do you think it is so important now in our current society?

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Foundation

Pally: “Sadly, I agree with your observation that the world has become much more reactive, which of course fuels the lack of cooperation and collaboration that is rampant around us. There is a big need in today’s society to support healthy parentchild relationships in order to counteract this reactivity. And unfortunately too many children suffer the kind of adversity that can impair this early relationship. What I mean by adversity is not only poverty, but also situations such as trauma, abuse, neglect, and mental health problems or drug abuse in parents. And, I might add, that these issues cross all cultural and socioeconomic barriers.

Goulston: What do you mean by a healthy parent-child relationship?

Pally: First, I want to emphasise that there is no one right way to parent. Since different parents raise their children in unique ways, there are all kinds of healthy parent-child relationships, with people coming from different cultures and backgrounds. But the one thing that all HEALTHY parent-child relationships have in common is that the child experiences the parent as a source of SAFETY, CARING, AND COMFORT. This means that the child feels the parent will protect them, take care of their physical needs and care about their feelings and experiences, and in particular, soothe them when they are distressed.

There are many examples of what this looks like. Let’s say five-year-old Johnny hits his younger brother; the parent may set limits, and provide consequences for this behaviour.

All of that is fine, as long as the parent does not frighten the child by expressing too much hostility or rejection in the process. In this process, discipline or limit setting is seen as a means to teach the child how they are expected to behave rather than to shame or frighten them.

Goulston: But doesn’t it weaken the effect of limits and

consequences if you back off and start comforting the child?

Pall: Well, lots of people ask us just that question. So we say that in healthy relationships with their children, parents’ job is to ‘hold the line,’ but also ‘hold the feelings’. It’s a balancing act; we encourage parents to find a balance between containing their children’s behaviour, and caring about their children’s feelings and self-esteem. We don’t think it weakens limits. Kids need limits. But limits should be set in such a way that preserves the relationship and actually supports the child in learning from the circumstance.

Goulston: Well that is great that you want to help people have healthier relationships with their kids, but I don’t understand what you mean by a ‘mindful and reflective approach to parenting’. Can you explain?

Pally: Mindful simply means being present in the here and now. Mindfulness has its roots in eastern practices such as meditation and yoga, which are incredibly powerful for calming the mind and body, but for our purposes, being mindful is a practice of slowing down and just paying to attention to whatever is happening between a parent and child—the actions, and also the thoughts and feelings that arise.

Reflective is a little more complicated to explain. Reflective thinking means recognising that people have minds and that behaviour is activated or motivated by something internal going on inside a person’s mind. In other words, the outward behaviour that you can see is linked to something internal that can’t be seen – because it is a mental phenomenon, such as an emotion, an intention, a belief or a goal.

So being able to make sense of people’s behaviour in terms of mental states is what makes someone reflective. This is as true for the behaviour of others as it is for our own behaviour. In a way reflective thinking is a bit like mind reading…it asks and answers the question, ‘Why is someone behaving the way they are behaving?’ (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

A

continued

dults often have concerns about how to help a child deal with the profound loss of death. Here are some important guidelines to consider: • A child should be told immediately when someone in the family has died in order to prevent her hearing it from someone else, and use a normal voice, not a hushed whisper. Whispering could give children a spooky feeling.

• Someone close to the child should tell her, preferably in familiar surroundings that give her security.

• Give her as honest an explanation as possible within her limits of understanding.

• Avoid euphemisms (like lost or asleep). Young children interpret things literally.

• Recognise that repeated questions, either at the time you inform her or in the weeks and months afterwards, are not as much for factual information about the death as they are for reassurance that the story hasn’t changed.

• Predict for the child that she may feel sad and even have strange or different feelings for a while, and that you might even cry together.

• Tell her what to expect of the activities of the funeral and grief in general. Children should be allowed to attend a wake or funeral if they want to, but not forced to do so, and never forced to do anything like kiss the cheek of a corpse.

• Give affection and security. Assure her that she’s part of the family and you’ll all get through this together.

• Look for ways to help her express emotions both verbally and nonverbally, like through art and play.

• Watch out for her casual connection of her personal wishes or actions to the death of her loved one. (Ex: wishing someone were dead or would disappear) • Remember that no two children will react exactly the same way. Example: The family pet of two of my granddaughters died while the children were at school. When the girls (ages five and three and a half) came home, the family talked and cried, and comforted each other, and then the girls went to their rooms to take their naps. After nap time, the five-year old was still weepy and wanted to carry a photo of him around with her.

In contrast, the three-and-a-half year old wasn’t crying. She got out of bed, walked over to her mother, said “I’m fine with it now, Mommy,” and shrugged. “You and Daddy are still here.”

• A child may not be able to remember a loved one in their absence. Photos do help, and this is so important, also in relation to the death of a relationship, like a divorce. Kids need pictures of Dad and Mom around their homes and their grandparents’ homes.

• Realise that the child may be expressing feelings not only about the actual death itself, but also about the changes in members of the family after the death.

• If the death is the result of a suicide define it in simple and direct language that eliminates judgment, such as “when someone chooses to make their body stop working.” Linda Goldman, author of Bart Speaks Out: Braking the Silence of Suicide, writes that “Our inability to discuss suicide openly with children could create an atmosphere of secrecy, loneliness, and isolation that may be far more damaging than the actual death of someone close to them.”

• Re-tell good memories. This is very important. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

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saturDAY, february 11, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Commissioners paid despite inactive Mother laces children’s snack with poison, attempts suicide Procurement Commission

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Members of the new Public Procurement Commission posed with President David Granger in October shortly after their appointment

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ommissioners of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) have been raking in super salaries over the last few months, even though the body has not been inactive.

President David Granger in October last swore-in members of the much anticipated PPC, which was expected to take the brunt of the work off the shoulders of Government Ministers in the awarding of contracts.

But Cabinet still continues to grant its no-objection to the awarding of contract because the five-member Commission has been unable to perform its duties owing to a shortage of staff.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon, during a post-Cabinet press briefing on Friday, announced that Cabinet gave its no-objection for several contracts.

When prompted, he explained that the PPC is still inactive because it is still in the process of recruiting

competent employees.

“Cabinet will stop granting its no-objection when the PPC is ready to work; they have been advertising for staff for the Commission, (and) those matters are well advanced,” Harmon stated.

However, he was unable to provide a timeline for when the PPC can begin to carry out its mandate.

“Once they say to us ‘we are ready to function’, then Cabinet will cease doing anything, but since these are public infrastructural projects that need to be executed, we cannot just sit and wait,” the Minister of State posited.

“Once the PPC indicates that they are ready, then Cabinet will pull back,” he emphasised. Harmon also admitted that though the PPC has been inactive, the Commissioners have been receiving their salaries.

“From the time they were appointed, they are entitled to those salaries,”

he stated.

Reports indicate that PPC Chairperson Carol Corbin is receiving $1.3 million monthly, while the other Commissioners are earning some $900,000 per month.

The other Commissioners are Nanda Gopaul, Emily Dodson, Ivor English, and Sukrishnalall Pasha.

According to the Procurement Act, the PPC is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the functions of all procurement systems, to ensure that they are in accordance with law and such policy guidelines, as may be determined by the National Assembly.

It is also required to monitor the performance of procurement bodies, with respect to adherence to regulations and efficiency in procuring goods and services and execution of works, among other functions.

27-year-old mother of Bare Root, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and her three children were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) after she allegedly mixed a poisonous substance in a serving of snacks and fed it to them.

After feeding the children the poisoned snacks, she reportedly ingested a poisonous substance.

Doctors are battling to save the lives of a threeyear-old, a five-year-old and an eight-year-old, along with their mother.

Guyana Times understands that the woman mixed a quantity of carbon powder, a weedicide, and another poisonous substance, into the children’s snacks and fed it to them.

This newspaper was told that a relative visited the woman’s Bare Root, ECD home and realised

that something was amiss when the three children began to vomit.

The relative reportedly questioned the children’s mother who then allegedly revealed what she had done.

As such, an alarm was raised and the children, as well as their mother were rushed to the GPHC and immediately admitted.

Officials at the hospital reported that they were initially told that the children started vomiting for no particular reason.

However, a hospital representative related that she noticed froth coming out of the children’s mouth and informed a Police Officer who was in the hospital. It was then that doctors realised that the children were poisoned and immediately rushed them to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Shortly afterwards,

the mother of the children arrived with another set of relatives and was also vomiting.

Meanwhile, on the woman’s social media page – Facebook – in a status dated February 9, 2017, she posted about being disheartened about her husband’s extramarital affair.

Investigators are working on the theory that this might have been the basis on which the woman committed the act.

Up to press time, the children were listed as serious.

Meanwhile, speaking with this publication, Head of the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ann Greene, said that the agency is aware of the incident and officers from the agency were sent to investigate the incident. She however described the act as an “unfortunate incident”.

Penalties suspended until ...

Jagdeo also noted that the “duplicitous positions and complicit role” of Granger’s Government on this matter.

“They started out by disowning the project, claiming local government autonomy, but Minister Bulkan has signed By-laws into effect.

The Government sought to mislead and deceive Guyanese by claiming Cabinet and the Attorney General had not approved the By-laws. If that is true, then the President should sanction Minister Bulkan.

However, there is grave suspicion about this being a concoction to obfuscate the matter. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Parking Meter Project could not have been implemented without the signing of those By-laws,” he stated.

The Opposition Leader said another “duplicitous action” is when President Granger convened a meeting to persuade the M&CC to reduce the parking meter rates, having claimed earlier he was not interfering in lo-

from page 3

cal government matters.

“From all indications, the Granger Government supported this project from its inception and throughout, while the APNU/AFCdominated Georgetown Mayor and City Council was emboldened by the support,” Jagdeo stated.

In light of the foregoing, the Opposition Leader said he remains supportive of the civil society protest, and that nothing short of scrapping the Parking Meter Project will suffice.

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saturDAY, february 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS 1 charged for burning to death of 8-month-old

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ne of the men accused of setting a Kaneville, East Bank Demerara house on fire which resulted in the

Dead: Romain Seth

death of an eight-monthold baby, on Friday appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with murder.

Nigel Dudson is accused of setting the Lot 462 Third Field, Kaneville, house on fire on January 23, 2017, in the company of others which resulted in the death of Romain Seth.

The prosecution is contending that a fire razed the residence of the deceased toddler and left 10 other persons homeless.

The prosecution also stated that the owner of the house, Michelle Menezes, had related that the accused, a few days prior to the incident, had threatened to set the building on fire and kill them all.

Dudson, an ex-soldier and miner who resides in Kaneville, was subsequently arrested on February 2, 2017.

The case will continue on February 16.

Wanted: Keon Ashby

Meanwhile, the Police have issued a wanted bulletin for two other men for questioning in connection with the fire.

Keon Ashby and Waynie (only name given), who is also called “Shark”, both of Kaneville, were reportedly part of a gang that

Wanted: Waynie, also called “Shark”

set the house on fire by hurling an explosive device through a window.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Ashby and Waynie are asked to contact the nearest Police station or call 911.

Drowning…

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…in Natural Resources

t was the then newly-minted Opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo who first pointed out that Rafael Trotman was waaaaaay out of his depth at the Paris Climate Talks.

Up to then, he’d been more (in)famous for swearing (as an executive of the PNC) to “oppose, expose and depose the PPP” and launching the AFC to accomplish his goal.

Ramjattan was played like a (second) fiddle: his greed blinded him to the Nassau Accord.

Anyway, since Paris, Trotman’s continued his upward trajectory in Government - he snagged the Natural Resources Ministry - but sadly, he’s still threading water and flailing away in the whirlpool of his incompetence.

If it were only him going down, it wouldn’t really have mattered, would it? But sadly his portfolio exposes our greatest asset - natural resources - to ruination, as he fritters away the one opportunity to lift ourselves out of the poverty his PNC plunged us into during their illegal 28 years. Trotman seems determined to have our resources become a curse.

We’d already identified a welter of examples of Trotman’s blunders - but they were more or less sins of omission - like not negotiating a royalty on the oil Exxon will be pumping from their Liza find. The latest one having Cabinet approve his plan to build a US$500 million onshore oil processing facility on Crab Island - however, is a nasty sin of commission. The investment would by faaaar exceed the investment on the Skeldon Sugar Factory, and all Trotman can promise is 600 jobs!!

And if that promise is anything like the one to deliver a Code of Conduct for Ministers since last year, we know that number is waaaaay inflated! But at best, US$800,000 plus per job? Why not simply give the money to 600 APNU supporters? Cause that’s what this boondoggle is all about, isn’t it? The Opposition Leader calls the entire project a “pie in the sky” - but it’s the building of the foundation for holding up the pie in the sky that worries your Eyewitness.

We’re told that the Crab Island facility “will include shipyard, port facilities oil field waste disposal, oilspill response, electrical power infrastructure, support and heliport facilities, platform fabrication support and numerous other services.” While Trotman claims these are all needed for exploiting our oil reserves, he’d ignoring the elephant in the room: ExxonMobil has refused to be part of the boondoggle.

They, of course, have decided to go with an FPSO that will ensure not a drop of oil pumped, even from their new fields, reaches our shore!!

So who’ll invest US$500 million in an oily pig in a poke? “Pie in the sky” is being kind!

…in fees

We heard about the Government’s plans for taxing water and electricity and removing the exemption on a welter of essential items for the “small man”. Then came the tax on education. The fees for parking in Georgetown, of course, was long advanced. But a tax on breeding dogs?

That’s right… dogs! What’s next? A tax on breathing?

After all, air is a “resource”, no?

But these taxes have passed being just “taxing” - as in being “strenuous” - and are now intruding on our right to property - not to mention right to life. Back in the day, in the struggle for democracy and the rule of law, it was this same insistence on taxing everything in sight that created the US of A. Old King George III levied a tax on tea, which was where the American colonists drew the line.

They threw all the tea into the Boston Harbour and declared their independence from England!

When do we draw the line?

…in official exemptions

Even without prompting, City Hall had exempted Government employees and diplomats from parking fees. So what about the (literally) poor slobs who don’t even make enough to buy their daily bread?

“Let them eat cake!” declared our local Marie Antoinette, Mayor Chase-Green!!

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

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saturDAY, february 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Parking meter contract remains closely Guyana to strengthen programme to clean up guarded M&CC secret – Concillor Int’l diamond trade A wall of silence remains in place at City Hall, as the contract signed between the City and Smart City Solutions Incorporated (SCSI), remains a closely guarded secret, but yet a proposal for amendments to the contract was presented to members of the Council.

According to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) representative on the City Council, Bishram Kuppen, ascertaining how much Smart City Solutions would cost the city of Georgetown due to the ‘terror clause’ was difficult.

He noted that the full contract with the terms and conditions was never brought to the Council for review.

Kuppen stated that what in fact occurs is that the contract is kept secluded and Councillors are sometimes given pertinent points from within the contract. This, in effect, negates the Council’s role as a watchdog.

“The information we have relating to the contract comes from the Attorney General’s Office. But in terms of the actual monetary value, this will depend on the claims made by Smart City Solutions about what were their investments so far.”

“That number has not been made public. So if the contract is cancelled, then it would depend on what they state their initial investment was at that point. They will have to say what their investment was so far, because we are not privy to that kind of information.”

According to Kuppen, if the contact was indeed to be cancelled, then the city would have to pay for the balance of the term of the contract. This, he noted, would also be collated with the money that SCSI had invested so far.

Asked whether the Council has been made privy to the contract thus far, Kuppen emphasised that this has not been done. The Councillor stated that while the Mayor and the Town Clerk may have stated that the contract is available for review, what they mean is that Councillors can go to the ‘secret’ office and view the contract.

“We’re an elected Council; we shouldn’t have to go to a secret office to view the con-

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The second anti-parking meter protest which erupted on Thursday outside City Hall

tract. The contract has to be brought to the full Council for review and that has never been done. At no point in time has the contract been brought to the Council for review. They’re simply giving you points. And then eventually they brought an amendment which was not presented with the contract itself.”

“Now does this make sense? You’re bringing an amendment to the Council to look at, but they have not seen the contract that they are about to amend. Now the amendments, we are not sure if they will end up in the amended contract. Because I’m seeing they are giving conflicting reports…”

When initial concerns had been raised about the contract last year, the Legal Affairs and Finance Ministries had undertaken a review of the contract. While both reviews had been damning about the contract, the Attorney

General’s chambers had highlighted the existence of a “terror clause”.

Under the heading, “Characteristics of the Agreement” of the Ministry’s review, the memorandum had noted that the “concession agreement is one of unequal bargaining strength.”

“Most of the terms are overwhelmingly in favour of Smart City Solutions Inc with Article 14 on Termination being in terrorem of the City,” it stated.

The review had gone on to note that under that article, if the City unilaterally terminated the agreement, it would be bound to “pay the concessionaire a lump sum payment equivalent to the total direct and indirect, hard and soft cost cumulative gross investment of the concessionaire in the project.

In addition, it had also stipulated payment of an “amount equal to 25 per cent

of the direct and indirect hard and soft cost cumulative gross investment of the concessionaire in the project; multiplied by the number of years (or fraction) remaining under the term… the reasonable out-ofpocket and documented costs and expenses incurred by the concessionaire as a direct result of such termination.”

After multiple protests against the parking meters, Government announced on Friday that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) would be suspending all punitive actions it had been taking against motorists for the past two weeks. This, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had announced, was to facilitate wider dialogue.

inister of State Joseph Harmon on Friday announced that Government will be engaging a legal consultant to enable review of a programme in Guyana, which was established to clean up the international diamond trade.

The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which was established in 2003, is a joint governments, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments.

In Guyana, the KPCS is being administered by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) with support from the Customs Trade Administration and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The last review in Guyana was conducted in 2014 when a team from KPCS piloted a one-week Peer Review exercise aimed at, among other things, certifying that conflict dia-

monds are not being mixed with Guyana’s and exported.

Minister Harmon at a post-Cabinet press briefing explained that a request was made by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman to engage with the legal consultant in relation to the scheme locally.

Though Guyana’s diamond production is not great enough to be suspicious of financing wars and terrorisms, Harmon said the programme is critical.

“It’s not just about the diamond production in the world; it is the fact that you can have infiltrated into the Guyana’s diamond production, diamonds from that blood diamond source. It (the programme) tries to clean up the blood diamonds infiltrating the local market,” he explained.

He expanded that the scheme is to ensure blood diamonds do not contaminate the local diamond production and create a situation where the credibility of the minerals produced in Guyana is questioned.

10 news

saturDAY, February 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Linden Town Clerk saga

Municipal laws breached – Investigative Committee … but nonetheless recommends Bowen’s transfer

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he findings of the Investigative Committee appointed to hear the issues surrounding the No-Confidence Motion brought on by the municipality of the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC), against Linden Town Clerk Jonellor Bowen, have been released.

Bowen received a copy of the findings on Thursday, almost five months after the completion of the investigations on September 19, 2016, headed

by Chairman Mortimer Mingo and Committee members Basil Benn and Attorney Leslyn Charles. Speaking on the findings on Friday, Bowen noted that particular focus was placed on the No-Confidence Motion brought against her.

Armed with a copy of the Committee’s findings, which was also seen by Guyana Times, Bowen said, “It was found that the motion brought was in contravention with the procedures set out in Section 8 of Chapter 28:01 of the Municipal and District Councils Act of the Laws of Guyana and was also in contravention of the Standing Order rules under Section 9.”

Embattled Town Clerk, Jonellor Bowen

It is, however, unclear as to what the next step would be for the Town Clerk since the Committee’s findings went on to state that, “… notwithstanding the above, the Commission during the course of the investigations noted the toxicity of the relationship that existed between parties and is recommending that in the interest of the forward movement of the municipality and for the benefit of the people of Region 10, that the Town Clerk be transferred to another department of the municipality.”

On the other hand, the recommendations section of the findings would have stated that, “Consequently, the Committee is recommending… despite the procedural irregularity of the No-Confidence Motion, that the Town Clerk be reassigned to another post within the Ministry of Communities, where she can use her many skills and better apply her qualifications.”

Bowen established, however, that while she has issues with some of the wordings as it relates to the findings, it has vindicated her. The findings would have also established that proper procedures were not followed in tabling the motion, in that it was not given to the Town Clerk in writing, nor within the statutory period of 96 hours as stipulated by the law.

“It was what I was saying all the time, that the No-Confidence Motion was un-procedural, however it was pursued… The report has found that… the NoConfidence Motion was illegal, ultra vires and un-procedural… Hence, me being sent on administrative leave

was wrong. The report clearly would have indicated and the Committee would have found that there were procedural irregularities, it was ultra vires,” Bowen reiterated.

She went on to state her belief that a lot of things were trumped up and spurious within the course of the investigations, but noted that she remained respectful, cooperative and patient with the process.

She added that though the report did not clearly state that there was the usurping of the Town Clerk’s duties, one of the recommendations would have been that the new Councillors receive special training on work place ethics and other in-house training, so as to better understand their roles and functions and so as not usurp anyone else’s functions.

Emotional, psychological agony Bowen stated that while she is extremely relieved to have the findings, its delay would have caused her a lot of “emotional and psychological agony”. She noted that this is

Mayor Carwyn Holland

so because at the commencement of the investigations on September 1, 2016, the Terms of Reference (ToR) established had indicated that the Chairman of the Committee will submit his written recommendations and response regarding the matter within seven days to the Communities Minister. The Minister, she explained, according to the ToR, was expected to, in no less than three days of the Committee’s

report, decide whether or not to accept it and notify the Town Clerk and Mayor as to the findings of the Committee in writing in no less than seven days after receipt of the report. In this regard, she noted that the ToR was breached and spoke of the agony of waiting months for a response.

“So, that should have put us to the end of September, maybe, or early October. We are now in February. I am happy that I do have this (findings), though there was much agony emotionally and psychologically from all that has happened,” she stated.

Bowen said she is uncertain as to what the next step would be and needs to know this from the level of the Ministry.

“At this point, I am eager and ready to resume my duties to the township of Linden…

If the No-Confidence Motion was found to be un-procedural, then I believe in all fairness, I should be back at work on Monday… As far as I am aware, I was not terminated.”

Man remanded for Laing Avenue murder

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24-year-old man was remanded to prison on Friday by Magistrate Fabayo Azore for the Laing Avenue shooting, which claimed the life of Orin Malique David.

Jerome Jeffers is accused of killing David on August 1, 2016, at Laing Avenue, Georgetown.

The prosecution is contending that the accused and the deceased were involved in a heated argument over borrowed money. According to the prosecution’s case, Jeffers left the deceased’s home in a fit of rage and returned in the company of others with a firearm. It is alleged that the accused fired several shots at David, who was at

Dead: Orin David

the time standing outside his home. The injured David was subsequently rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead

Murder accused: Jerome Jeffers

on arrival.

The matter will continue on February 16.

saturDAY, february 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

11

News

Foreign currency regulations

Rates are determined by market, not Govt – Ali …“they want to run the economy as Burnham did” – economist

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pposition Member of Parliament (MP) Irfaan Ali has joined in condemning a recent move by the Central Bank to regulate exchange rates on foreign currencies by cambio dealers and commercial banks, saying that Government has acted illegally by doing so.

“It is illegal, the rates are supposed to be market-determined,” Ali stated.

He further pointed out that in the laws governing the operations of these institutions, that is, the Dealers in Foreign Currency (Licencing) Act 1989, there is also a provision which states that cambios cannot be forced to trade.

Ali pointed out that these provisions were inserted to remove Government control, something which this Administration failed to take into account when instructing the Bank of Guyana to implement these new measures.

“But they are interfering, and reversing over two decades of financial reforms.

The Government is overstepping its boundary and threatening the stability of the most important market in Guyana,” he posited, while adding that such interference would not be taken lightly by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that a reaction should be ex-

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Irfaan Ali

pected.

According to the circular seen by Guyana Times, non-bank cambios must reduce the spread between the buying and selling rates on foreign currency transactions to no more than G$3.

This means that if a cambio dealer purchases currency at G$210, then the dealer cannot sell it for more than G$213.

The Bank of Guyana, in the circular signed by Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga, outlined that this new measure is in accordance with Section 7 of the Dealers in Foreign Currency (Licencing) Act and is expected to “improve the efficiency, depth and liquidity of the foreign exchange market.”

However, Section 7 (1) provides: “Every licence

shall be subject to the provisions of this Act, and as such conditions may, from time to time, be prescribed or specified in the licence.”

Meanwhile, Section 7 (2) states: “The conditions as to the furnishing as security by the licensee, the amount and forfeiture thereof and the owner of the bank to vary the amount of the security from time to time.”

It was explained by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall that those “new conditions” referred to in the laws cannot be unilaterally imposed upon the licensee, expo facto, the grant of the licence.

Nandlall had also cited Section 9 (3) of the same Act which states: “The price at which a licensee may buy or sell any foreign currency shall be determined by the licensee and shall be displayed at a prominent place on the licenced premises.”

Meanwhile, the tightening of the regulations governing the trade of foreign currency is anticipated to have deleterious effects, lead to even more tightening of the money in circulation and will also trigger hoarding.

This most recent warning was sounded by economist, Dr Peter Ramsaroop.

Dr Ramsaroop has since posited that it is in the area of economics and the effective

Economist, Dr Peter Ramsaroop

management of the nation’s finances where “the ‘out of touch’ President (David) Granger and his team keeps getting it totally wrong…

They want to control the economy as Burnham did in the 1970s/80s, resulting in the massive collapse of our exchange rate and economy.”

According to Dr Ramsaroop, the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change

(APNU/AFC) Government seems “on track to repeating these failures again.”

He is adamant that “this is an area that does not need regulation at this time,” and suggests that the move is in fact just another indicator of the poor management of our economy, which is causing a rippling effect on businesses.”

“We should not simply follow a contractionary monetary policy… Why would anyone want to leave their money in Guyana, knowing the possibility and being fearful of Government’s seizure of assets, basically, by regulating our exchange rate convertibility? It will certainly add a new layer of uncertainty and bureaucracy to the trading process.”

The economist observed in his arguments that the Administration continues to tax “us to death, with over 200 plus new taxes and new ways, such as parking meters, to get at our hard-

earned dollars and even allowing their pals in the Georgetown City Council to start adding additional fees when you are buried in taxes.”

“Even the sleeping AFC has finally come out against the parking meters, only because both the [People’s Progressive Party] PPP and citizens have expressed their outrage at the draconic measures presented by the [People’s National Congress] PNC-run City Council.”

According to Dr Ramsaroop, it is incumbent on the citizenry to “make this APNU Administration ‘less’ than a one-term Government… We cannot afford the failures to continue.”

Recently, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had similarly cautioned that Government’s intention to tighten “foreign currency trade” will have destructive consequences on trade and commerce in Guyana.

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saturDAY, february 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

MACORP launches state-of-the-art Learning Centre Meanwhile, Product Support Manager Guillermo Escarraga noted that the establishment of the MACORP Learning Centre represents the company’s commitment to contribute to the development of the human talent in Guyana.

“We at MACORP are sure that through education, we can have the biggest impact in the lives of those we touch. Whether it’s our employees, customers or the community we serve, education has the capacity to transform peo-

Corporation’s Training Coordinator, Miguel Oviedo, who gave an overview of the facilities and the amenities it offers.

Over the years, MACORP has been lauded for its training services offered to customers as well as other stakeholders such as technical institutes.

To this end, the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) joined in the celebration of this historic occasion within the Corporation. Senior Lecturer of LTI, D’Nell Boyce, explained that technical and vocational ed-

try. If we do not do that, we will be a far way from what is the real world environment with respect to technical and vocational education and training,” he stated.

Meanwhile, a representative from the Education Ministry commended MACORP for continually leading the way for TVET training in the country.

“Your partnership with the LTI, where you have not only shared your company’s branded knowledge, skills and learning materials, you have singularly

MACORP CEO Jorge Medina and Minister David Patterson joined Human Resource Manager Anita Ramprasad and Training Coordinator Miguel Oviedo for the commissioning of the Learning Centre

I

n an effort to collectively build the country, the Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP) has launched a state-of-theart Learning Centre, delivering high-class technical training from certified Caterpillar experts.

The facility is located at the Corporation’s Lot 26 Providence, East Bank Demerara headquarters.

It offers training in the areas of preventative maintenance, technical service and operators training.

The MACORP Learning Centre was launched on Friday with emphasis on the company’s motto “Let’s Build Guyana Together”.

Delivering remarks at the opening ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of MACORP, Jorge Medina, pointed out that his Corporation is ready to support the creation of opportunities for young Guyanese. He added that the establishment of the training centre facilities this by equipping them with the necessary skills through training.

“To face the upcoming opportunities in Guyana, we need to emphasise the values of our young generation and create options for learning.”

This, he noted, can be done by offering facilities

for in-house training. “(We need) to create the learning conditions to make Guyanese be part of the country’s future, offering the opportunity to build the conditions and lifestyle that they need for their future. These require high levels of commitment.”

The CEO continued that the newly commissioned training centre will be a stepping stone to build the future of Guyana. With the support of the Caterpillar University, the facility’s main focus will be a high quality curriculum in areas such as vocational, administrative management, professional and leadership.

A section of the gathering at the launching of MACORP Learning Centre on Friday

ple.”

He urged persons to take advantage of the opportunity being offered, noting that a wealth of knowledge is at their disposal.

The Learning Centre was the brainchild of the

ucation can no longer be delivered by technical institutions alone.

“It is imperative that as TVET institutions, we partner with companies and industries like (MACORP) and other such entities within our coun-

showed what it means to have the Private Sector as a partner.”

The MACORP Learning Centre was commissioned by officials of the Corporation along with Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson.

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saturDAY, February 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fire razes 3 buildings in Kitty, arson suspected

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businesswoman is among several others counting their losses following an early morning fire in Kitty, Georgetown that reduced three buildings to ashes.

The fire reported started at about 01:15h at Lot 11 Sandy Babb and Railway Streets, Kitty,

rapidly. Some are of the opinion that the absence of an effective firefighting operation lead to the fire completely destroying three building.

Since there were no fire hydrants in the area, fire fighters eventually tapped into a water source at Vlissengen Road but by

Son of the owner of the Beer Garden, Dineshwar Rampersaud

The houses on fire on Thursday evening

Georgetown, and rapidly spread to a Beer Garden located at Lot 12 and another building owned by a doctor at Lot 10.

Guyana Times understands that the building in which the fire started is owned by an overseas-based Guyanese but was occupied by several relatives.

One day before the fire, the occupants of the house reportedly had a heated argument during which one of the young men threated to set the place on fire.

However, on Thursday evening, another argument broke out and it was at this time that the young man allegedly set a mattress alight in one of the bedrooms.

Due to the high winds, the fire reportedly spread

this time, all three buildings were already engulfed.

Fire Chief Marlon Gentle told media operatives that after the Guyana Fire Service received the call, tenders from several stations in Georgetown were dispatched to the scene.

He explained that by the time the tenders arrived, the wooden structures were already in flames but the firefighters kicked into firefighting mode. Two of the officers were injured during the operation, he noted.

However, at the scene on Friday morning, members of the Guyana Power and Light were working assiduously to restore power to the area. Several lamp poles were destroyed as a result of the blaze which has affected the entire

Kitty area. Several persons were at the scene discussing the fire and how it started.

It is believed that the person who set the mattress on fire is a well-known drug addict. His mother, from all indications, operated a “run shop” at her house.

N e v e r t h e l e s s , Dineshwar Rampersaud, whose mother owns the liquor shop that was destroyed by the fire, explained that he returned home at about 23:00h on Thursday evening and went to bed.

He said he was awakened after he felt a heat emanating through the windows of his bedroom. As he got up, his realised that his room was illuminated and as he looked through his window, he saw the ‘middle house’ on fire.

“I came out of my room, got my mom out of her room, bring her downstairs, take her out of the house, get the car out of the garage, and did not get to go back into the house,”

Sexual assault case

“Innocent until proven guilty” – Harmon … says Region 9 REO to be suspended, not fired

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mbattled Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) Carl Parker has been suspended, not fired, pending the outcome of a court matter where he was charged with sexual assault.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon announced on Friday during a post Cabinet press briefing that the REO will not be dismissed as he is “innocent until proven guilty”.

But in light of the damning criminal charges, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan instructed that the REO be suspended until the court matter is resolved.

“Our law says that a person is innocent until proven guilty so an allegation had been made, a charge has been laid against the REO

Carl Parker

and as a preliminary step to allow for investigation of an offence to take place, the Minister of Communities indicated that the REO will not be performing his duties,” Harmon explained.

However, he assured that the assistant REOs and other senior officials

will have to step up and perform the duties which were being executed by Parker until the court matter ends.

“We should await the outcome of the court matter,” Minister Harmon said.

It is alleged that Parker, 53, of Cenotaph Boulevard, Lethem, Region Nine, sexually assaulted a young lady on June 13, 2016, at Yupukari, Central Rupununi, during a village outreach he had hosted.

The REO pleaded not guilty to the charge.

He appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman who read the charge in-camera before granting him bail in the sum of $200,000.

Following the arraignment hearing, Parker left the courtroom all smiles as media operatives flocked to get his picture.

He is expected to return to court on February 16.

he noted. He noted that the flames were so severe; it prevented him from reentering the home to save any household items.

At the time of the blaze, he and his mother were the only two occupants of the house.

When asked about his neighbours, Rampersaud related that several reports are at the Kitty Police Station about their behavior, suggesting that the fire was purposely set.

While he could not estimate his family’s losses, he noted that millions were destroyed including credited goods and stocks.

He posited that only last December, they renovated sections of their house with

The aftermath of the fire

rented the upper flat of the house where the fire started, explained that after realising that fire was raging beneath her, she quickly grabbed her two children and ran to safety without turning back.

She confirmed that the

Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth in beverages were damaged during the fire

modern amenities and his mother who was the owner of the business had plans to open another.

While the building is insured, he posited the insurance cannot compensate for the amount of losses his mother has suffered.

Althea Solomon, who

fire was started by a “well known drug addict” after he set his mattress on fire.

“Instead of throwing out the mattress, he rushed out of the house and ran away,” Soloman added.

In addition, Dr Rambaran, owner of the Lot 10 Sandy Babb and

Railway Streets, Kitty property said the building was rented to two tenants.

The doctor disclosed that she received a telephone call at about 01:30h informing her that the house was on fire.

She along with her husband and father rushed to the scene only to be greeted with heavy smoke and flames. While none of the tenants were able to save anything, one of them lost his dog in the fire. The occupants of a house at the back lost their car which was parked in front of Dr Rambaran’s yard.

“It was impossible to get from the back house to the road to remove the car,” she added.

Meanwhile, residents have lashed out at the Guyana Fire Service, claiming that they if the fire fighters had come equipped, at least one building could have been saved.

Officials from the Fire Service and the Guyana Police Force have launched an investigation into the fire. Up to press time, it is unsure if the suspected arsonist was arrested.

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saturDAY, february 11, 2017

Regional

Brazil threatens striking Police with Judge orders arrest of Peru prosecution as death toll tops 120 ex-President Alejandro Toledo

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uthorities in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo threatened striking Police Officers with criminal charges on Friday as the federal government sent in more troops in a bid to end a week of violent anarchy that has left more than 120 people dead.

Espirito Santo is one of several Brazilian states grappling with a budget crisis that is crippling essential public services for millions of citizens. The Police strike over the past week, over pay, has left a security vacuum and led to rampant assaults, heists and looting, often in broad daylight.

Limited protests by Police in nearby Rio de Janeiro alarmed many residents of the teeming city of 12 million people, many of whom live in fear of violence between rival drug gangs spilling out of hillside slums.

A spokesman for the local Police union in Espirito Santo said the death toll

Peruvian judge has ordered the arrest of the country’s former President Alejandro Toledo over allegations that he took US$20 million (£16 million) in bribes.

Toledo, who governed from 2001 to 2006, is accused of receiving the graft money from Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht in return for awarding public works contracts.

He is not in Peru – he

Uniforms placed by family members of Police Officers in protest for better salaries, are pictured in front of the entrance of the military Police battalion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil February 10, 2017

from a week of unrest had risen to 122. Many of the dead are believed to come from rival criminal gangs, according to police.

State officials have not officially confirmed the number of dead. If accurate, the toll would be more than six times the homicide rate in the state last year.

President Michel Temer’s Government said

late on Thursday that hundreds more soldiers and federal Police would be sent in to help stem the chaos, focused mostly in the metropolitan region of Vitoria, the state capital.

After an initial deployment of 1200 troops in recent days, as many as 3000 would be there by the weekend, the Defence Ministry said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

lives in the US and is currently in Paris. In recent media interviews, he has denied any wrongdoing. Judge Richard Concepcion ruled that Toledo should be remanded in custody at the earliest opportunity, rejecting a request for bail from the former President’s lawyers.

Odebrecht is at the centre of a multi-national corruption scandal. It admitted, as part of a plea deal with the

US Justice Department, to paying nearly US$800 million (£640 million) in bribes to governments across Latin America.

They admitted paying US$29 million in Peru to secure contracts between 2005 and 2014. That time spans the presidencies of Toledo and his two successors in office, Alan Garcia and Ollanta Humala. His successors have also denied any wrongdoing. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Crackdown on domestic, sexual and child abuse in Jamaica

T&T Police investigate death of baby who was given sleep medication despite warnings

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wo young Trinidadian parents are anxiously awaiting Police investigations into whether they will be held responsible for causing the tragic death of their child.

The parents, whose names have not been released, fed the 11-month-old baby girl sleep medication in her tea, despite being advised by a pharmacist that the drug was not fit for children.

The infant slipped into a coma and subsequent scans revealed she was brain dead.

The Trinidad Newsday reports that on January 31, the father of child purchased a sleeping drug identified as

melatonin – a man-made form of a hormone produced in the brain that helps to regulate sleep – to include in the baby’s formula to help her sleep, as she was having trouble doing so.

After being fed the medication, the child fell asleep around 20:00h. But half an hour later, when the mother went to check on her, the baby girl was found upside down in a clothes basket in an unresponsive state.

The mother made frantic efforts to revive her daughter but after no success, the baby was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre where an initial test revealed that the infant had

possibly suffered catastrophic injury, hypoxic injury and retinal haemorrhaging.

The baby was later transferred to the Children’s Hospital in Mount Hope and placed on a respirator. Two brain tests on the baby revealed she was clinically brain dead and a decision was taken to pull the respirator plug on Monday.

Since then, Police have been questioning the parents to find out whether they should be held responsible for the child’s death. Meanwhile, the pharmacist who sold the drug to the child’s father has offered to cooperate with Police investigating the matter. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Prime Minister Andrew Holness addresses a press conference where he announced measures to counter domestic violence, sexual abuse and the sexual grooming of minors. Looking on are (from left): Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Rocky Meade; acting Police Commissioner Novelette Grant; Attorney General Marlene Malahoo Forte; and National Security Minister Robert Montague

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amaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced a zero tolerance approach to domestic violence, sexual abuse and the sexual grooming of minors, saying existing laws will be enforced and at least one other piece of legislation will be revised.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, he said the Police Force has been charged with intensifying its response to these crimes through the use of measures such as preventa-

Caricom and Cuba agree to accept each other’s goods duty-free

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he Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom) and Cuba have reached agreement for the expansion of preferential access to each other’s markets.

The agreement was reached at the 10th Meeting of the Joint Commission Established Under the Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement Between Caricom and Cuba, held in Guyana at the end of last month, according to a statement from the Caricom Secretariat.

“A significant number of items from the Community, including beer, fish and other agricultural products, and manufactured

The Cuban delegation at the meeting where the agreement was reached

goods, have been approved for entry into the Cuban market free of duty once both sides formalise the agreement,” it said.

“Caricom member states have also agreed to grant duty-free access to Cuban goods, including pharmaceuticals.

More Developed Countries (MDC) in the Community will also determine the level of preference they will grant to Cuba on a number of other items.”

Caricom said the agreement also includes a number of items on which each MDC will determine the level of preference it will grant to Cuba. Exploratory discussions on trade in services were also held.

The two sides agreed to continue to exchange information on trade in services, and to make efforts to advance cooperation in this area, particularly in tourism, Caricom said.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

tive detention.

“The Government will be using existing laws, which include preventative detention in live and imminent situations of domestic violence, sexual abuse and grooming of minors to remove aggressors from the scene, thereby de-escalating the situation,” Holness told reporters.

He added that aggressors in these circumstances will be required to partake in counselling or educational sessions as a condition of their release, following an

assessment by the police.

Attorney General Marlene Malahoo Forte, explained that preventative detention, which is lawful under the Jamaican Constitution, requires that the Police have reasonable grounds for detention and that there is fair procedure.

That individual can be detained for up to 24 hours.

And if there is cause to extend the detention beyond that time, a Justice of the Peace can provide an order for the period to be extended.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Trump’s Mexico border wall could cost US$21B, departmental files show – report

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resident Donald Trump’s proposed USMexico border wall would be a series of fences and walls that would cost as much as US$21.6 billion, and take more than three years to build, according to a US Department of Homeland Security internal report seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The estimated pricetag is much higher than a US$12 billion figure cited by Trump in his campaign and estimates as high as US$15 billion from Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.

The report is expected to be presented to John Kelly, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in coming days, al-

though the Administration will not necessarily take the actions it recommends.

The plan lays out in three phases what it would take to seal the border of just over 1250 miles (2000km) by the end of 2020. With 654 miles (1046 km) of the border already fortified, the new construction would extend almost the length of the entire border.

Many cost estimates and timelines have been floated since Trump campaigned on the promise of building a wall. The report seen by Reuters is the work of a group commissioned

by Kelly as a final step before moving forward with requesting US taxpayer funds from Congress and getting started on construction. (Excerpt

from The Guardian)

saturDAY, february 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the World

EU pledges €225M rescue package for Montpellier arrests: Police avert the Gambia as new democracy dawns France ‘imminent’ attack

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he EU has pledged its support to the new leaders of the Gambia with hundreds of millions of euros, shoring up a country that is “virtually bankrupt” after two decades of Yahya Jammeh’s rule.

Aid to the Gambia dried up under Jammeh, whose record of human rights violations, along with his habit of pulling out of international institutions and throwing out diplomats, alienated donors.

Now, after promises from the new Government to defend human rights, protect media freedom and rejoin the international criminal court and the Commonwealth, the EU has become the first to commit major funding to

The Gambia’s new President Adama Barrow, waves to supporters on January 26, 2017

what has become known as “the new Gambia”.

After a rollercoaster transition period during which Jammeh accepted electoral defeat before performing a

U-turn – he refused to leave State House, and finally conceded only under pressure from a phalanx of African Presidents – there will be no respite for the country’s new

President.

Having beaten the eccentric autocrat despite the odds, largely on a promise of a better life for Gambians, Adama Barrow now faces the challenge of living up to his people’s hopes.

The EU has pledged €75 million (£64 million) in immediate funding and €150 million in the longer term to help “make sure that the new Gambian state can deliver as it should … that it can stand up to the high expectations of the population”, said Neven Mimica, the commissioner for international cooperation and development, who met Barrow on Thursday.

“There is no time to lose.”

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

Trump backs One China policy in ‘cordial’ call with Xi

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S President Donald Trump has agreed to honour the socalled “One China” policy in a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the White House said.

The One China policy is the diplomatic acknowledgement that there is only one Chinese Government.

Trump had placed the long-standing policy in

doubt when he spoke with Taiwan’s President in December.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland.

The move was a major break from traditional protocol and provoked an official complaint from China.

The telephone conversation was the first between the two since Trump took of-

fice on January 20, though the new US President has called several other national leaders.

The White House said a wide range of issues were discussed during the call, which it characterised as “extremely cordial”. The two leaders had invited each other to visit, it said.

A statement from Beijing said China appreciated

Trump’s acknowledgement of the One China policy, calling the two nations “cooperative partners” who could “push bilateral relations to a historic new high”.

Taiwan, meanwhile, said it would continue “close contact” with the US, pointing out that maintaining good ties with Washington and Beijing was key to regional stability. (Excerpt from BBC News)

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n “imminent” terror attack on French soil has been averted with the arrest of four suspects in Montpellier, Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux said.

Three men and a girl of 16 were found with bomb-making materials by anti-terrorist police in a raid on a flat in the southern city.

Home-made explosives similar to those used in the Paris attacks of November 2015 were discovered.

Reports suggest the girl had made jihadist declarations online. Since the beginning of 2015, at least 230 people have been killed in jihadist attacks in France.

Last week, a soldier received minor injuries when a machete-wielding man tried to enter the Louvre museum in Paris.

The man, a 29-year-old Egyptian named Abdullah Hamamy, was shot and critically injured. Photos from the scene in Montpellier show debris outside the door of the flat that police stormed on Friday morning.

Early reports suggested that one of the Montpellier detainees was a would-be suicide attacker. A local news site, M6 Info, said the four were planning to attack a tourist site in Paris but a police source told AFP news agency that investigators had not been able to establish the exact target.

The suspects were arrested after buying acetone, a police source told AFP. Acetone is an ingredient used in the making of triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a high explosive. (Excerpt from BBC News)

India cuts some funding ties with Gates Foundation on immunisation

Families of victims of Philippines drug crackdown win legal challenge

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Philippines court granted protection on Friday to families of five people killed or wounded by Police and the right to access Police case reports, in the first successful legal challenge to President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly crackdown on drugs.

Duterte’s campaign has caused an international outcry, with human rights groups alleging widespread

summary executions by Police operating with impunity. More than 7700 people have died since the firebrand leader took office seven months ago, more than 2500 in what Police say are shootouts with drug suspects.

“This is the fastest resolution of a case Centerlaw has ever handled,” said Joel Butuyan, president of the lawyers’ group han-

dling the case at the Court of Appeals, which listened to two hours or oral arguments before deciding.

The group is representing families of the four men killed by Police, and one man who survived. Its petition said police had fabricated death certificates and incident reports to conceal operations taking place outside their jurisdiction. The court said allegations in the

petition were supported by “substantial evidence”.

Friday’s ruling barred four Policemen in the case from going near the families and ordered they be re-assignment to other police stations. The lawyer group had said its petition was only possible because Police had failed to kill one of the men, vegetable seller Efren Morillo. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

Hundreds of thousands rally in Iran against Trump, chant ‘Death to America’

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undreds of thousands of Iranians rallied on Friday to swear allegiance to the clerical establishment following US President Donald Trump’s warning that he had put the Islamic Republic “on notice”, state TV reported.

On the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, which toppled the US-backed shah, marchers including hundreds of military personnel and Policemen headed towards Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Square.

They carried “Death to America” banners and effi-

Iranians take part in a ceremony marking the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, in Tehran, Iran February 10, 2017

gies of Trump, while a military Police band played traditional Iranian revolutionary songs. State TV showed footage of people stepping on Trump’s picture in a central Tehran street. Marchers carried the

Iranian flag and banners saying: “Thanks Mr Trump for showing the real face of America.”

“America and Trump cannot do a damn thing.

We are ready to sacrifice our lives for our leader,”

a young Iranian man told state TV in a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Last week, Trump put Iran “on notice” in reaction to a January 29 Iranian missile test and imposed fresh sanctions on individuals and entities. Iran said it will not halt its missile programme.

Iranian leading religious and political figures, including Pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani had called on Iranians to join the rally on Friday to “show their unbreakable ties with the Supreme Leader and the Islamic Republic”. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda interact with slum dwellers during their visit to a slum area in Danapur near the eastern Indian city of Patna March 23, 2011

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group backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that works on India’s immunisation programmes will now be partially funded by the Health Ministry, a Government official said, a move in part prompted by fears foreign donors could influence policy making.

The decision is seen as part of India’s broader clampdown on non-governmental organisations to assert control over decision-making in key policy areas. Last year, India ordered the dismissal of dozens of foreign-funded health experts working on public welfare schemes.

The Gates Foundation has for years funded the Immunisation Technical Support Unit (ITSU), which provides strategy and monitoring advice for New Delhi’s massive immunisation programme that covers about 27 million infants each year.

A key unit of ITSU that assisted the country’s apex body on immunisation will now be funded by the Government as it felt there was a need to completely manage it on its own, senior Health Ministry official Soumya Swaminathan told Reuters.

“There was a perception that an external agency is funding it, so there could be influence,” Swaminathan said on Wednesday.

Swaminathan, however, stressed there were no instances of influence found and the decision was only in part prompted by a wider perception about foreign funding of the programme.

Other operations at ITSU – such as tracking vaccination coverage and logistics management – would continue to receive funding from the Gates Foundation, she said. She had earlier said the entire ITSU funding would move to the Health Ministry. (Excerpt from Reuters)

16 news

saturDAY, february 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Bartica Massacre

Mark Williams receives additional death sentence

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ang member Mark Royden Williams, called “Durant” or “Smallie”, who was implicated in the February 17, 2008 massacre at Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), received an additional death sentence on Friday.

Earlier this month, “Smallie” and Dennis “Anaconda” Williams were both sentenced to death by

hanging after the jury found them guilty of murder and manslaughter. The jury also acquitted Roger “Goat Man” Simon, who was released on $900,000 bail, pending other massacre-related charges.

The additional sentence Mark Williams received comes as a result of the court clearing up a discrepancy on the amount of murder counts for which he was

found guilty.

It now reads that Williams is guilty on eight counts of murder and four counts of manslaughter. The court had previously noted seven murder counts, but a review of recordings on the night of sentencing confirmed that the jury found the gang member guilty on eight counts.

Presiding Judge, Justice Roxanne George, SC, noted that the accused will be executed by way of hanging.

When asked if he had anything to say, Williams remained silent, nodding his head from left to right. His Defence Attorney, Roger Yearwood, declined to say anything when asked by the Judge.

On the four manslaughter counts, Justice George imposed four life imprisonment sentences.

She decried the level of callousness involved when the attack was executed, noting the shots fired at the

Mark Royden Williams, called “Durant” or “Smallie” being escorted by Police after being sentenced earlier this month

Police Station and the disturbance the residents of the community suffered as they carried out their normal lives. When the life imprisonment sentences were handed down, the judge noted that Williams went through a full trial.

Justice George further expressed that she was cognisant of the sentenc-

es that fellow gang members Michael Caesar and Clebert Reece received. The two men pled guilty to manslaughter late last year and were sentenced to 420 and 1080 years imprisonment respectively.

Meanwhile, Prison Director Gladwin Samuels was recently quoted as saying the Prison Service is

ready to execute anyone, as long as the President gives the order. However, a moratorium on the death penalty is in place and the last death row inmate was executed in 1997.

On February 17, 2008, 12 persons, including three Policemen, were killed as gunmen carried out a brazen attack, while members of the community were watching a game of 20/20 cricket on television. On that fateful night, Police Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir and Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne were fatally shot, while Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Irving Ferreira, Deonarine Singh, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Khan, Abdool Yasseen, Errol Thomas and Baldeo Singh were the civilians killed.

The prosecution’s case was led by Diana Kaulesar and assisted by Stacy Goodings. Over 30 witnesses testified in the case that lasted over three months.

Nigerian remanded on fraud charges

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Nigerian national based in Brazil, appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman on Friday to answer to fraud related charges. The man was remanded to prison.

Babs Rasaki denied the charge which alleged that on January 9 and 13, at Georgetown and with intent to defraud, he obtained from the Lucky Dollar store one washing machine, a television set and other articles valued at $582,495, by virtue of an American Express credit card, in the name of Ann Clara Angelino, knowing same to be forged.

The second charge read that the accused, on January 10 at Wellington Street, Georgetown, and with intent to defraud, obtained from Gizmos and Gadgets two iPhones, valued $550,000, by virtue of an American Express credit card in the name of Ann Clara Angelino, knowing same to be forged.

Rasaki, who was unrepresented, told the court that on the days in question, he

Babs Rasaki

had accompanied Angelino, who is of Brazilian descent and does not speak English, to the business enterprises and made the purchases on her behalf.

Bail was refused on the grounds that he does not have family in Guyana or a local address in the jurisdiction. Police are also currently conducting an investigation with regards to the other documents found in his possession.

The man will face Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on February 16.

Alleged narco trafficker remanded

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Bent Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown man was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday, to answer to a trafficking in narcotics charge.

Kelron Mackenzie denied the charge, which stated that on February 7, 2017,

at Bent Street, Georgetown, he had in his possession 260 grams of cannabis for the purposes of trafficking.

Mackenzie, who was unrepresented, was remanded to prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman until February 16, when the matter will continue before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

news

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saturDAY, February 11, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Cultural Centre lit up with energetic performances … as Children’s Mashramani finals continue

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he Children M a s h r a m a n i Competition continued at the National Cultural Centre, with students from across Guyana showcasing their vocal talents on Friday. The second day of the national finals saw energetic performances of calypso and dramatic poetry from students ranging between the ages of five and 17 years old.

After earning their way

into the finals, the top performers from each of the 10 administrative regions and Georgetown took to the stage for their final presentations in this year’s competition.

The day-long event featured performances from the primary level in the morning while secondary level students competed in the afternoon. The categories consisted of age groups five to seven, eight to ten,

eleven to thirteen and fourteen to seventeen for both calypso and dramatic poetry. While each category was highly competitive with sensational pieces, only the top three performers from each were awarded.

The performances certainly invoked the spirit of Mashramani as the students pranced about the stage in their bright Guyanese colours, singing praises to our land.

A student performimg a dramatic poetry piece at the National Culture Centre

Warning youngersters about teenage pregancy; this teen performs a calypso piece

Agricola fire

Family still in dismay

What made the event even more exciting was the students using this opportunity to not only showcase their talents but to also shed light on several social issues that are affecting the country. Crime, abuse, teenage pregnancy and suicide were some of the themes highlighted in the expressive presentations. The audience was captivated at the sight of young Guyanese advocating for change and the growth of our nation.

Despite the competition

being staged in Georgetown, the hinterland regions were well represented on Friday, with students from far-flung areas being among some the more memorable performers. Regions One (BarimaWaini), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Five (Mahaice-Berbice) and 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) were among those awarded for their performances.

The Children’s Mashramani Competition is an annual series of ac-

tivities in commemoration of Guyana’s Republic Day celebrations. It is one in line of several Mashramani festivities and is the initiative of the Education Ministry through its Allied Arts Department. The children’s Mash is highly anticipated by schools across the country each year. This year’s competition began in January and is set to conclude with the festive children’s costume parade today.

Hundreds support Child Abuse Awareness Walk in Linden

…estimates $2M in losses

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Students walk against child abuse

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Firefighters working to extinguish the flames

he fire, which razed an Agricola, Greater Georgetown house on Thursday, has left millions of dollars in losses, and the family is yet to come to grips with what occurred and to determine their next move.

On Thursday, at about 16:00h, a fire of unknown origin raged through the Lot 151 Katu Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown, two-storey wooden building and took less than 20 minutes to turn the house into debris.

Guyana Times was told that at the time of the fire, one of the owners, Makesha Rose, was at a neighbour’s home with her three children when an

alarm was raised indicating that smoke was seen emanating from a room in her house.

According to the woman, to her knowledge, nothing was left plugged in at the home.

“When I left the house, nothing was left lit and I had nothing plugged in or so, so I cannot say how the fire started at all,” Rose explained.

She added that when she rushed over to her home, the fire had already spread and was engulfing the entire building. “It burn fast fast, I aint know what happen, but it started in one of the rooms at the front there and spread,” the woman related.

As such, a call was made to her reputed husband, Sherwin Alstrum, who told this newspaper what he knew. “She call me and tell me what was happening and when I come, I saw the entire building up in flames already and there was nothing that could be done. I ain’t know is what happen or how it happen.”

The family is still baffled as to how the fire started and arson has not been ruled out. The Fire Service was unable to save the building.

An estimated $2 million was lost as a result of the blaze.

Investigations are currently ongoing.

undreds of school children, officials and community members came out in full support of a child abuse awareness walk in Linden on Friday, organised by Lester and Friends, in collaboration with Youths for Change (YFC). The walk, themed “Breaking the Silence”, commenced at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground at Wismar and culminated at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground, at Mackenzie.

Schools were closed across the region to facilitate the walk, which was a follow-up exercise from last year’s Schools Suicide Awareness Walk. Armed with banners, many participants wore purple to show solidarity, as they walked through the streets of the community, echoing sentiments condemning acts of

forms of child abuse.

At the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground, a programme was staged which included a health talk by Nurse Colwyn Allen, as well as speeches by ChildLink officers from Georgetown, Deputy Regional Executive Officer Maylene Stephen and representatives of the Education Ministry.

Organiser of the event, Lester Glen told Guyana Times he was pleased with the turnout and immense support shown by the community, Government agencies, post- secondary institutes, the Private Sector and non-governmental organisations. He further stressed the importance of awareness on issues such as child abuse.

“The turnout was great.

Thousands came out again to support the walk against child abuse. Through care-

ful consideration, deliberation and research it has been proven that an above normal rate of children are abused in various forms.

However it is our hope that through awareness and education, victims and communities will feel a sense of support in breaking the silence and there will be interventions by law, and further, physiological through social protection policies,” Glen said.

He also extended special thanks to participating schools across Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice), the Regional Democratic Council and numerous businesses that supported the initiative.

“I would have recognised the flaws for this year, so next year will be bigger and better,” Glen promised.

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guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, February 11, 2017

ARCHIE

Greater involvement with institutions or people who can offer (March 21- information, knowledge and supApril 19) port will lead to partnership opportunities. Collaboration is encouraged. Improving your skills or physical strength is favored.

ARIES

Live and learn. Sign up for TAURUS a lecture or retreat that will (April 20- open your mind to a host of May 20) new ideas or ways to move forward. Take pride in what you do.

dilbert

Someone is likely to misGEMINI lead you, try to cover up his or (May 21June 20) her feelings or obscure what’s really happening. Dig deep and get the facts before making a commitment.

Delve into learning about different cultures or get in(June 21- volved in a group that ofJuly 22) fers greater self-awareness.

Taking time out to enjoy life or to be with someone you love is favored.

CANCER

Peanuts

Don’t let money matters LEO confuse you. When in doubt, (July 23put your credit cards in a safe Aug. 22) place and choose not to spend.

A physical challenge will be invigorating.

Disillusionment will set in VIRGO (Aug. 23- if you aren’t willing to recogSept. 22) nize that trouble is brewing at home or with someone you are close to. Be prepared to deter problems.

Calvin and Hobbes

Opportunity will knock, LIBRA so don’t be lazy or uninter(Sept. 23ested.

Step up and get in the Oct. 23) game. Whether dealing with personal or business matters, you stand to gain if you get involved.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Oversee any task you are SCORPIO responsible for at home or (Oct. 24work. Giving someone else auNov. 22) thority to make decisions for you will result in an emotional encounter.

Don’t get involved in SAGITTARIUS joint ventures or let anyone (Nov. 23- sway you in a direction that Dec. 21) is sketchy or risky. Trust in your judgment, not in someone else’s rhetoric.

YESTERDAY’S WORD

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Don’t get pushy, or someCAPRICORN one will push back. Stick your (Dec. 22money in a safe place and say Jan. 19) no to joint ventures. Time is on your side, and keeping the peace is encouraged.

Physical activity will make AQUARIUS you feel good, and the compli(Jan. 20ments you receive will boost Feb. 19) your ego. Your confidence will soar, and your output will be unmatched.

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

PISCES Do what you can, but don’t (Feb. 20- allow anyone to coerce you March 20) into taking part in something that is futile. Weigh the pros and cons, and cut your losses before they become too great.

saturDAY, february 11, 2017

19

SA move to No. 1 after 5-0 white wash of SL − Amla, de Kock hit tons

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o u t h Africa rode a roaring 187-run first-wicket stand and two effortless centuries from their openers to a monumental 384 for 6 and, eventually, the No. 1 ODI ranking. Their reward for winning an 11th ODI on the trot was the unseating of Australia - whom they had also thrashed 5-0 at home last year - and moving one point clear at the top of the table.

South Africa's dominance of Sri Lanka in this series has been complete.

They outbatted, outbowled and outfielded the visitors again, and this win - an 88run thumping - was a fitting finish. The only consolations for Sri Lanka

were Asela Gunaratne's hard-earned-but-inconsequential maiden century, as well as having batted 50 overs for the first time in the series.

If Quinton de Kock was the early aggressor, taking the innings by the collar inside the Powerplay, Hashim Amla bided his time, and only later fashioned violence from timing and grace. Amla embraced all-out attack only after reaching triple figures, but even at his most belligerent, did not lose the characteristic zen. The head stayed steady and the wrists whipped through the ball at the point of contact. His 154 from 134 deliveries was his second-highest ODI score, and again helped showcase the awesome might of this South Africa top order.

Even on days when AB de Villiers does not fire, they can still make insurmountable scores.

It was thanks to more poor catching, more wayward bowling, and the general lack of menace in their attack that Sri Lanka found themselves stuck chasing the biggest score of the series. Though they had made something of the pursuit of 368 in Cape Town on Tuesday, they did not manage to stay in the game be-

SCOREBOARD South Africa innings (50 overs maximum) Q de Kock† c Weerakkody b Lakmal 109 HM Amla c Mendis b Madushanka 154 F du Plessis c Lakmal b Madushanka 41 AB de Villiers* c Kumara b Vandersay 14 JP Duminy c †Dickwella b Lakmal 10 F Behardien c Gunaratne b Lakmal 32 CH Morris not out 3 WD Parnell not out1 Extras (b-4, lb-5, w-10, nb-1)20 Total (6 wickets; 50 overs)384 Did not bat AL Phehlukwayo, Imran Tahir, K Rabada Fall of wickets 1-187 (de Kock, 26.3 ov), 2-250 (du Plessis, 36.6 ov), 3-271 (de Villiers, 39.1 ov), 4-309 (Duminy, 43.3 ov), 5-371 (Amla, 48.2 ov), 6-379 (Behardien, 49.2 ov) Bowling RAS Lakmal 10-0-713 (w-4), CBRLS Kumara 7-060-0 (1nb), LD Madushanka 8-0-70-2, DM de Silva 4-0-240, SS Pathirana 6-1-43-0, JDF Vandersay 10-0-61-1 (w-1), DAS Gunaratne 5-0-46-0 (w-1)

Sri Lanka innings (target: 385 runs from 50 overs) N Dickwella† c de Villiers b Parnell 39 WU Tharanga* c Rabada b Morris 7 BKG Mendis c de Villiers b Morris 1 DS Weerakkody c Rabada b Parnell 10 DM de Silva b Imran Tahir 11 DAS Gunaratne not out1 14 SS Pathirana c de Villiers b Morris 56 LD Madushanka run out (Behardien) 7 JDF Vandersay b Morris 7 RAS Lakmal not out20 Extras (b-4, lb-9, w-11)24 Total (8 wickets; 50 overs)296 Did not bat CBRLS Kumara Fall of wickets 1-25 (Tharanga, 3.2 ov), 2-43 (Mendis, 5.3 ov), 3-55 (Dickwella, 6.5 ov), 4-70 (Weerakkody, 8.6 ov), 5-82 (de Silva, 13.1 ov), 6-175 (Pathirana, 32.1 ov), 7-183 (Madushanka, 34.2 ov), 8-199 (Vandersay, 38.5 ov) Bowling K Rabada 10-0-55-0 (w5), CH Morris 10-1-31-4 (w-1), WD Parnell 7-0-51-2 (w-1), Imran Tahir 10-0-57-1 (w-2), JP Duminy 5-0-28-0, AL Phehlukwayo 7-144-0 (w-2), F Behardien 1-0-17-0

yond the early stages of their innings this time.

Niroshan Dickwella flashed attractively for a 19ball 39, but the rest of the top order fell around him.

They were 82 for 5 in the 14th over, their fate virtually sealed, but Gunaratne and Sachith Pathirana sought to make the best of a bad situation by putting on a 93-run sixth-wicket stand.

After Pathirana departed, the tail made it their mission to get Gunaratne to his hundred. He wound up with 114 off 117 balls, and Sri Lanka made their way to a somewhat respectable 296 for 8.

Sri Lanka had in fact asked South Africa to bat at the toss, and though Suranga Lakmal bothered Amla's outside edge in the early overs, de Kock quickly set about lighting the thrusters under the innings. He collared a pair of boundaries in each of the eighth, ninth and tenth overs. By the time the fielding restrictions ended, South Africa had sped to 71 for no loss, and de Kock to 47 from 35 balls.

When slip fielder Upul Tharanga failed to lay a hand on a catchable outside edge from Amla in the 15th over, South Africa were allowed to continue progressing at their hectic pace.

Tharanga did change his bowlers up regularly, in attempts to prevent batsmen from establishing a rhythm, but save for that edge from the offspin of Dhananjaya de Silva, chances failed to come. Both batsmen were severe on errors of line from the spinners, who collectively bowled quickly through the air. With little turn on offer, de Kock and Amla were plundering runs into the outfield off most deliveries, and rarely failing to seize boundary opportunities.

At the halfway stage of the innings, no bowler had managed to concede less than a run a ball and South Africa, at 180 for 0, were almost certainly heading for a mammoth score. It was in the 25th over that de Kock struck his 15th four of the innings - a powerful sweep to beat backward square leg - and went to triple figures for the 12th time in his ODI career. Few of his other hundreds would have come so easily. He holed out to deep cover soon after, though, fin-

ishing with 109 off 87 deliveries.

Perhaps in an innings like this, it is the likes of de Villiers, JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien who are expected to take control of the death overs, but in fact it was Amla himself who led the final charge.

Having timed the ball beautifully for the first 40 overs, he seamlessly incorporated power into his game after completing his 24th hundred in the 41st.

Sri Lanka's top order came out attempting to get ahead of their taxing required rate early, but wound up making too many fatal mistakes. Tharanga sent an outside edge to third man in the fourth over; Kusal Mendis picked out mid-off with a lofted drive in the sixth; Dickwella, after slapping and scooping merrily, was caught at mid-off as well. Sandun Weerakkody and de Silva did not last long either - the latter's modest tour of South Africa ended by a Tahir googly, which bowled him through the gate.

Gunaratne was slow to begin with but sped up after the departure of Pathirana, who had been the aggressor in their association.

Having seen off the quicks, Gunaratne

picked out the spinners to attack, sweeping and reverse-sweeping especially well, while the likes of Jeffrey Vandersay and

Lakmal gave him company.

He reached triple-figures in the 48th over - his second fifty having come off 25 balls.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Chris Morris finished with a career-best 4 for 31

Kohli, Saha make Bangladesh toil

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irat Kohli and Wriddhiman Saha an unbeaten 106 b e c a m e as India made their highest Test score the first against Bangladesh.

Kohli, who captains India in all three Test batsman to register dou- formats, hit 24 boundaries on his way to ble centuries a double century, taking his Test average i n four successive to 50.10. series as India dominated Bangladesh in Hyderabad.

Kohli struck a classy 204 as India made their third consecutive score of over 600 before declaring on 687-6.

The India captain made 235 against England in December, as well as 211 against New Zealand in October and 200 against West Indies in July.

India, the world's top Test team, have not lost a home Test series since 2012.

Murali Vijay scored 108 Wriddhiman Saha plays beautifully for his second Test century

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturDAY, february 11, 2017

RHTY&SC, NSC collaborate Eagles hammer for day of sport Pacesetters,

GABA League of Champions…

Colts school UG Trojans E

Director of Sports Christopher Jones hands over sponsorship to RHTY&SC’s Hilbert Foster in presence of Sohan Harry (extreme right) and Mark Papannah

T

he National Sports Commission (NSC) has collaborated with one of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S to host a community day of sports for the ancient county of Berbice.

The event will be held at the Area ‘H’ Ground in Rose Hall Town on Sunday, March 5. It forms part of the RHTY&SC, M.S programme to celebrate Guyana’s 47th Republican anniversary and to promote the Club’s Say No/Say Yes message to youths in Berbice.

NSC would be hosting 10 such events in each of the regions across Guyana with the RHTY&SC, M.S event being the first. Secretary/ CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the community day of sports would include cricket athletics, volleyball, basketball and football. The 5/5 Cricket tournament would include eight teams including Rose Hall Town Bakewell ‘A’, Rose Hall Town Bakewell ‘B’, Rose Hall Canje, Young & Restless, No 19 Kennard

Memorial, Courtland, Tamarind Root (Hampshire) and Fyrish. The volleyball tournament would include four female teams, six male teams and it would be organised by national coach Levi Nedd.

The basketball tournament would see four teams vying for Championship honours while six teams would battle each other for the top prize in the football tournament.

Promising athletes would also be given the opportunity to participate in several events like 100M, 200M, 400M, 4 x 100M Relay and 800M for both male and females.

The long serving secretary/CEO disclosed that the RHTY&SC, M.S has established a working committee headed by him and including Mark Papannah and Sohan Harry to organise the event. The club would also use the opportunity to promote its highly successful Say No to Drugs, Alcohol, Suicide, Crime and Yes to Life, Education and Sports campaign. The National Sports Commission would be contributing $400,000.00 while

the RHTY&SC, M.S would be investing some of its own funds to make sure that the event is successful.

Assistant Director of Sports Smith stated that the NSC would be hosting the event on an annual basis in every region of Guyana in an effort to promote sports at the Grass root level. Smith disclosed that staff members of the NSC would be actively involved in assisting the RHTY&SC to ensure the event is a success.

He expressed confidence that the day of sports would not only be well organised but would achieve all of its objectives.

Meanwhile, the Management of the Mahaica Mahicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA – ADA) on Monday last became the latest entity to come on board to support the RHTY&SC, M.S ambition to complete 500 programmes/activities in 2017. The Authority donated a carton of 24 trophies that would be used as prizes in numerous educational and sporting tournaments in the next three months.

LABA season bounces off tonight - Bulls meet Flames, Falcons tackle Jets

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he Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s (LABA) 2017 season bounces off tonight with the number one seed Half Mile Bulls up against Block 22 Flames at 18.30h and t h e night cap features third seed Amelia’s Ward Jets against Bankers Trust Falcons at the McKenzie Sports Club court.

These opening matches are the jump starters to what could be a competitive championship among the eight affiliated clubs currently in Linden.

Noteworthy, is the fact that the association has incorporated Kwakwani in this tournament and they will be in action tomorrow night as they begin their quest for honours when they meet with second seed Victory valley royals at 18.30h.

The other game on tomorrow is between the fourth ranked retrieve Raiders and Christianburg Pistons who were out of competition for a number of years and have seen a name change to what previously was the Wismar pistons.

Next Friday the championship resumes at the same venue with two more matches a starting at 18.30h with Bulls against Pistons and the other is between Royals and Jets at 20.30h.

agles rebounded from a horrendous run on Tuesday to hammer Pacesetter whose bad pitch cont i n ues in the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association’s (GABA) 2017 League of Champions while the University of Guyana (UG) Trojans were thought a lesson at the hands of a red hot Bounty Colts at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue on Thursday.

In the opening game of the night, the relatively small crowd, Colts were a force to be reckoned with as Jamal Gilkes scored a whopping 23 points that contributed to the 64-46 victory. UG struggled in the opening quarter of the match as they scrapped two points while Colts had romped to 19. Colts then had a 20 point second period compared to 16 from UG to have the score 39-18 by the half way mark.

The second half belonged to UG as they won both quarters, however it was only marginally, outscoring Colts 14-15 and 11-13 in the third and final quarters respectively. Sherland Gilles had a good outing netting 13 points while Jonathon Browne contributed with 11 points but was not enough to avoid defeat.

On the other side of the night, Pacesetters’ horrid run continued as they fell victim to a highflying Eagles team. Eagles stated a slow game that seemed to be an early night for them and signal another defeat as they score just five points with Pacesetters looking to break the jinx, producing a 17 point first period.

The tables then turned in the second period as it was Pacesetters being outscored 6-20 to have the match too close to call by half time sitting in favour of Eagles 23-25.

Eagles continued to build on the energies of the second quarter to win the third quarter 16-21 and blow out Pacesetters in the last quarter 7-26 to end the match 4672 by the final buzzer.

Patrice Agrippa (16 points), Derroll Williams (14 points) and Captain Travis Belgrave (13 points) were the ultimate destroyers for Eagles.

The action resumes at the same venue on Sunday.

Grenada’s Taplin runs world lead in Torun

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renada’s Bralon Taplin and Jamaica’s Gayon Evans were among the medal winners from the Caribbean at the IAAF World Indoor Tour's Copernicus Cup Meeting i n Torun, Poland, on Friday.

Taplin, who underlined his credentials as one of the world’s leading quarter-milers at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, won the 400 metres in a world leadi n g

Chijindu Ujah was second in 6.56 with Sean Antwi-Safo, third in 6.57s

45.59s. Polish standout Pavel Maslack snared silver in 45.80 while Dominica’s Luguelin Santos was third in 46.03.

Coming into the meet, Jamaica’s Gayon Evans was on a tear. She won in Germany last Saturday in a personal best, 7.14, and then on Wednesday, won in Paris in 7.17.

On Friday, it took a world-leading time of 7.13s from the USA’s Barbara Pierre, the 2016 World Indoor Champion, and Ezinne Okparaebo, to get the better of Evans.

However, the photo-finish image gave Pierre the win by two-thousands of a second.

Evans was not far behind in third in 7.15s, just off her personal best.

She told sportsmax.tv that she wasn’t happy with her start but she isn’t complaining.

“Back to the drawing board,” she said. “I was the second fastest in the event so I’m thankful.”

Meanwhile, former Jamaican sprinter Andrew Fisher had to settle for fourth in the 60-metre sprint. Fisher, who now represents Bahrain, was timed in 6.60s, well behind winner Ronnie Baker of the United States, who won in a world-leading 6.46s.

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sports

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2nd Goodwill Mash Cup set for February 19

Universal DVD Titans are the defending champions

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he West Berbice Cricket Association in partnership with Goodwill Promotions will be hosting the 2nd Annual Goodwill Mash T20 Cricket Festival on Sunday February 19, 2017 at the D'Edward Sports Club Ground, West Coast Berbice.

This year competition is expected to be much more exciting as defending champions East Berbice Universal Titans will be battling to regain the championship against West Berbice Super Kings, Chowramootoo West Bank Berbice Blazers and Demerara Cricket Board XI. Prizes in cash and trophies will be awarded to the Winner, Runner Up, 3rd-place, Man of the series, Best Bowler and Batsman in an innings, Man of the Final and first round matches. There will be several side attractions for the children with fun guaranteed for the entire family.

According the organisers they are seeking to regain the partnership of the businesses that supported the event last year that was played at Albion Sports Complex and will welcome others businesses to jump on board with the mega event.

While cricket is being played on the outdoors there will be a domino competition in the pavilion. There will be a wellstocked beverage and food bar. Admission into the venue will be easy and there will be lots of gate prizes to be won.

Coe-Bolt in the same bracket as Ali

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ormer Olympian now turn politician Sebastian Coe said athletics is "the mother of all sports" and should still be viewed that way without Usain Bolt.

Sebastian Coe considers Usain Bolt to be in the same sporting category as Muhammad Ali and said athletics will need "proper horsepower" to drive the sport when the legendary sprinter retires.

Bolt is set to end his phenomenal career after the World Championships this year and will go down as one of the greatest sportsmen of all time regardless of how he performs in London.

IAAF president Coe knows the Jamaican sprint king will leave a huge void in the sport and likens the impact he has made to that of the late, great boxer Ali. Coe stressed the importance of ensuring there is no shortage of interest in athletics without Bolt.

"You'd be surprised if as IAAF president I was looking forward to this guy not racing. It's a high-class problem when you have an athlete like Usain Bolt in your sport." Coe said.

"Sparing his blushes, in my lifetime in sport I've not seen another athlete grab the sporting landscape since Muhammad Ali. I put them in the same category.

"The big challenge is to make sure when we don't have Usain out there to get people to recognise our sport is full of extraordinary talent both in track and in field. "So there is more interest than ever in making sure that we put the proper horsepower behind helping the sport and not just our sport but understanding that actually, if you look at what we do, we are the mother of all sports."

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturDAY, february 11, 2017

Petra/Milo U-18 Schools Football…

seeking 3rd Chase Academy successive title

− Tournament gets cracking today with 4 matches

By Akeem Greene

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wo-time defending champions Chase Academic Foundation will be seeking to create more history in the 5th annual Petra Organised Milo Schools

Principal Henry Chase under-18 Football Tournament by winning their third successive title when the tournament gets underway today at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta

2/11/2017

were hampered by the rain and the exodus of successful coach and National player Vurlon Mills.

“We started preparation like two weeks ago, the rain played a big role in hampering our preparation; we have lost our coached Vurlon Mills, who is in Trinidad playing professional football, however we have been fortunate to have a replacement in Gordon Henry who has a similar attitude and passion to Mills,” Chase stated.

He added, “We are hoping to defend our title and take it three years in a row, we have some new players, it is under-18, so some key players are not on the team.”

Quizzed if the change from the under-20 age limit to under-18 will impact their performance, the administrator responded confidently since the core of the team which won the 2016 Digicel Schools Football Championship is still intact.

He said “The cream of the Digicel team is still there, we still have Jeremey [Garrett], Job Caesar, Ryan Hackett and Kelsey Benjamin, the good thing about our school is when we have players leaving, we seem to attract similar quality players.”

Round Robin Round 1 Day 1

Flash Back! Henry Chase, owner of Chase Academy, collects the championship trophy from Milo Brand Manager Renita Seethal following his team’s comprehensive win over Lodge Secondary in the final of the 4th Milo Secondary School U20 football championships at the Ministry of Education Ground

thing and there is a passion and in any organisation which wants to develop and be competitive, leadership is the key along with vision;” we are about to introduce a gym at the school, so it about vision, passion the Principal disclosed.

Ministry of Education Ground

Match #

11:00 hrs

Bishop High School

v/s

St Winefred Secondary

1

12:30 hrs

St Roses Secondary

v/s

Houston Secondary

2

14:00 hrs

North Ruimveldt Secondary

v/s

St Joseph Secondary School

3

15:30 hrs

Chase Academy

v/s

Freeburg Secondary

4

2/12/2017

Round Robin Round 1 Day 2

Ministry of Education Ground

Match #

11:00 hrs

Lodge Secondary School

v/s

St Mary’s Secondary School

5

12:30 hrs

Kingston Secondary

v/s

East Riumveldt Secondary

6

14:00 hrs

Tucville secondary

v/s

St John’s College

7

15:30 hrs

Morgan Learning Center

v/s

Charlestown Secondary

8

Avenue.

Principal of the institution, Henry Chase in an interview with Guyana Times Sport explained that the school started preparation about two weeks ago but

The institution which has created a dynasty in school football over the last four years has achieved that feat due to their passion for sports.

“I think, it is a God blessed

Chase is adamant that though the school has rocked to the headlines for their sublime performances in sport, they are students who have managed to reap success both on and off the field.

He explained, “My son [Orande Chase] played for the school’s cricket team and won a championship, he also got a Grade 1 in English; Jeremey has nine CSEC Subjects; we have seen good academic results also but have been marketing ourselves well.”

The educator is urging parents to the change from the perception that their children cannot be successful at both sports and academics, as it is possible once they are disciplined and focus.

Meanwhile, the competition will commence today with four matches, from 11:00h with The Bishops’ High School (BHS) opening against St. Winefred Secondary followed by St. Roses High and Houston Secondary from 12:30h.

Afterwards, North Ruimveldt Secondary opposes St. Joseph High from 14:00h then the defending champions will take the field against Freeburg Secondary.

The placement of teams into group sees Group A comprising of: BHS, St Roses High, St. Winefred Secondary and Huston Secondary; Group

B: North Ruimveldt Secondary, Chase Academy, St. Joseph High and Freeburg Secondary; Group C: Lodge Secondary, St. Marry’s High, East Ruimveldt Secondary and Group D: Tucville Secondary, Morgan’s Learning Centre, St. John’s Secondary and Charlestown Secondary.

Group E contains Richard Ishmael Secondary, Christ Church Secondary, Brickdam Secondary and Cummings Lodge Secondary; Group F: South Ruimveldt Secondary, Sir Leon’s Lesson, Queenstown Secondary and Carmel Secondary; Group G: North Georgetown, Central High, School of the Nations and Dolphin Secondary and Group H: Mae’s Secondary, St. George’s Secondary, Tutorial High and Queen’s College.

Much is at stakes for the top teams with trophies and cash payouts of $500,000 for the winner, $300,000 for first runner up and $200,000 and $100,000 for third and fourth placed teams respectively which will go towards various school projects.

Futsal clash of champions kicks off today

− Nalico/Nafico, Kevin’s Reflection throw support behind mega event and Celena’s Hustlers battle with the champions of Georgetown, at stake as the tournament is a winner take all style, who walks

Organiser Shareef Major (2nd from right) accepts the sponsorship from Nalico Manager Vickash Persaud while Aubry Major Jr. and Kenrick Noel look on

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he highly anticipated ‘Clash of the Champions’ has finally reached with the two most feared teams in futsal going head to head at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue tonight.

Ahead of the action, North American Life, Fire and Motor Insurance Company (Nafico/Nalico) has jumped on the opportunity to make this high profile tournament a reality by fulfilling their corporate responsibility of promoting the development of sports through sponsorship, particularly clash of champions.

Additionally, while the cash payout may be very lucrative, the Most Valuable Player will receive a very satisfying reward for their hard work though out the competition, compliments of Kevin’s Reflection.

The main event is set to see the champions of Linden, Dave

Sparta Boss in a home and away fixture.

The Georgetown-based side Sparta Boss made a successful defence of their Guinness “Greatest of the Street” football title when they won it for the second time in as many years defeating Tucville 1-0 while Hustlers fought with sweat and bones to dethrone Magic Stars in the Mohamed’s Enterprise Linden Futsal Tournament to book their matches with the Georgetown champs.

Both teams have gathered an enormous fan base as they continue to produce some breath taking skills and entertainment for the large crowds night after night. It will be particularly interesting to see who will take it as it provides a home and away scenario for both teams.

The style of play for both teams is different and this will be providing a competition like never seen before but much will be

away with the $200,000 prize and bragging rights.

Apart from the action of the two top teams, there will be maximum competition in the first round with Bent Street going up against Tucville in the first match followed by Gold is Money facing Tiger Bay and Broad Street battling Leopold Street before the first clash between the two powerhouses.

Meanwhile, the tournament will be heading over to the mining town, Linden for the second night on February 18, for the final showdown at the McKenzie Sports Club Hard Court Tarmac.

It will also feature Magic Stars facing Good Fellas and Town Cars (Georgetown taxi drivers) taking on Linden bus (Linden bus drivers).

The games will be played on a six a side basis inclusive on 5 players and a goal keeper, using the large goal and run under the rules of the Guyana Futsal Association.

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, febRuary 11, 2017

Rameez Mohamed is new GMR&SC President

By Akeem Greene

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Rameez Mohamed

hree votes made the difference on Thursday evening, when the Guyana Motor-Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of office bearers at their headquarters on Albert Street and Thomas Lands.

The outcome of the nail-biting voting processing meant that businessman Rameez Mohamed was elected as the new President of the club after receiving 30 votes of the 75 ballots casted. The 29 year-old defeated incumbent President Raj Boodhoo, who had 27 votes and Shairaz Roshandin with 18 votes.

Moahmed, who is a circuit racer and served as vice-president of the motor club for the past two years, will have Hansraj Singh as his deputy while Azim Jaffar is the new Secretary.

N o e l

CWI/ Regional Super50 2017

Red Force stifle West Indies U-19 W

est Indies U-19 suffered a mammoth defeat at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago Red Force as action continue in the Regional Super50.

Played at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, Red Force hammered the under-19s by 182 runs.

Batting first Red Force scored 290-4 from their allotted 50 overs, with Kyle Hope, Jason Mohammed and skipper Denesh Ramdim all registering fifties. Mohammed scored his third half century of the tournament as he t o p scored with 84 from 73 balls while Hope hit 70 and Ramdin 60 not out.

Joshua Bishop was the best bowler for the youth team with figures of 2-41 from 10 overs while Javier Spencer and Kirstan Kallicharan captured a wicket apiece.

In reply the U-19s folded for 108-9 innings closed with Matthew Patrick unable to bat due to injury. Only skipper Emmanuel Stewart (20) reached 20 as four of the other batsmen failed to capitalize on starts. Khary Pierre was the pick of Red Force’s bowlers, ending with 3-6 from seven overs.

Sheldon Cottrell and Jon-Rus Jagessar claimed two wickets each.

Jason Mohammed in full flow during his top score of 84 for Red Force against West Indies U-19

Shewjattan will serve as Treasurer; John Bennett as the Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer; and Sunil Persaud is the new Club Captain.

The Committee Members include Kamal Seebarran, Wayne Vieira, Paul Jiwanram, Azaad Hassan and Diana Dornellas.

Following the election, Mohamed thanked all who have supported him, promising to stick to his plans geared at the improvement of the club.

The new President had campaigned on the platform on ensuring that Guyana capitalizes on the numerous opportunities for Motor racing and hopefully see more participation.

Development of drag race track, rally racing, forging greater ties with sponsors are just some of the ideas he proposed.

The long standing member, contended that the implementation of many of these objectives requires strong and accommodative leadership and most importantly co-operation.

First on the calendar of activities for the new executive will be a slated Drag race on

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March 5 at South Dakota followed by a local circuit race on April 2.

That race will be preparation needed for the Guyanese contingent who will participating in the 2017 Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) as the first leg will be on May 21 at the Jamwest Raceway, Jamaica.

The next order of business will be another local circuit meet on July 2 and is followed by the second leg of CMRC at the Wallerfield International Raceway in Trinidad and Tobago on July 30.

It will now set the tone for a scheduled regional Drag race on August 6 then a few days later on the 20th, a Festival of Speed will be held. The speed festival includes the Dakota 100 (Endurance race), Dirt Biking, Go Karting, and Motorbike racing.

Barbados will then host the third leg of CMRC on September 3 then another Drag Race meet is set October 1 after which the final leg of CMRC will be held on November 12 in Guyana to cap a full year of thrills and skills.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Petra/ Limacol Round-robin Knock-out Football...

Santos keep hopes alive with crushing win Pouderoyen’s goalkeeper and two defenders watch helplessly as Okini Fraser (not in picture) finds the back of the net, much to the delight of Robby Mc Cloccon (extreme right) on Friday night at GFC. Despite the 3-0 win, Santos are not yet assured of a place in the next round and will know their fate when Ann’s Grove take on Den Amstel tonight at the Victoria Community Centre Ground. See full report in Sunday's edition. (Marceano Narine photo)

Rameez Mohamed is new GMR&SC President Pg 23

The New Exec! (L-R) Committee member Paul Jiwanram, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer John Bennett, GMRSC office Executive Desriee Lee, Secretary Azim Jafffar, Treasurer Noel Shewjattan, Committee members Kamal Seebaran and Diana D’Ornellas, President Rameez Mohammed, Vice President Hansraj Singh, Committee member Azaad Hassan, Technical Advisor Brian TenPow, Club Captain Sunil Persaud and office Executive Cheryl Gonzales; absent from photo is Wayne Vieira

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