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

Issue No. 3167

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

PRICE

Acting Chancellor, Chief Justice urged to uphold Constitution

CJIA employee dies after car slams into culvert

WHAT'S INSIDE: Ban on used tyres

Dealers protest in front of State P7 House …call for review of decision

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25 Medexes unemployed 2 years after completing programme Page 10

Page 13

$80 vat included

Auditor General requested to P17 further probe D’Urban Park, other contracts – PAC Chairman

GDF rank slapped P8 with narco possession charge

Police probing missing drugs, fraud at Suddie Hospital P7

Sugar workers picket Enmore Estate P11

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, accompanied by former Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy on Tuesday visited the Texila American University Campus, Providence, East Bank Demerara, where he interacted with the faculty and students at the recently commissioned state-of-the-art medical school

High Court drama

Judiciary probing ‘threatening’ incident – acting Chancellor

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Amerindians denounce “blatant” marginalisation

by Govt’s land CoI ploy

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Petroleum advisory panel to be formed − oil adviser P13 …as ExxonMobil to make more announcements shortly – Trotman

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wednesDAY, march 29, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Amerindians denounce "blatant" marginalisation by Govt's land CoI ploy

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resident David Granger on Tuesday remained unfazed as yet another group of Amerindian leaders rejected Government’s decision to establish a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into land rights, on the grounds of lack of consultation among others.

The National Toshaos Council (NTC) – a body comprising of all Toshaos of Guyana and a representative group of the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana – views this decision as a “blatant attempt” to dispossess the Indigenous people of their lands.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon had announced that the CoI would seek to resolve all the issues and uncertainties surrounding the individual, joint or communal ownership of lands acquired by free Africans and Amerindian land titling claims.

But the NTC in a statement on Tuesday, argued

that the two issues are unique and need to be addressed separately.

“While we support reparations and repatriation of African Lands and addressing that issue with a great degree of urgency, the Indigenous Lands issue cannot and should not be viewed in the same light, nor can it be addressed under the same framework,” the body emphasised.

The NTC called for the establishment of two separate entities to deal with the two different issues as it voiced its refusal to cooperative with the current lands CoI. “We call on His Excellency for a complete repeal of the mandate of this Commission and to establish the Indigenous Peoples’ Lands Commission,” the NTC said.

The organisation noted that failure to do so would demonstrate that Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples are being marginalised by the

President David Granger addressing the Commissioners of the Land CoI

Government of Guyana.

The Amerindian leaders reminded that it was the Head of State who made the promise, during the NTC Conference of 2015, to establish a “Hinterland and Indigenous Peoples Lands Commission” that will address all Indigenous land issues.

“We are forced to remind His Excellency of that commitment and to immediately seek for him to hold that commitment to the Indigenous Population of Guyana,” the NTC said.

The body added, “We are also keen to remind His Excellency of the APNU’s manifesto within which his party committed to protect Guyana’s Indigenous Population as mandated

by Guyana’s Constitution, clearly informed by Article 149(G), to respect Guyana’s Treaty obligations including ILO169, and to recognise the various International laws that were made for the protection of the indigenous peoples, both in Guyana and Globally.”

The NTC also highlighted that in the Amerindian Act of 2006, as a matter of law, there exists a process that speaks to the issue of Amerindian Lands. Also, under the Amerindian Land Titling Programme, informed at great lengths by the Amerindian Act, Guyana’s Constitution, and International Law, there exists a very robust framework that speaks to Amerindian Lands. This framework was developed by all key stakeholders from the Indigenous Fraternity and the Government of Guyana through agents from Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Guyana Forestry Commission, Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministry, Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, Guyana Women Miners Association, and the United Nations Development Programme.

Meanwhile, the NTC also complained of “severe” lack of consultations on the matter – an assertion which President Granger has denied.

The Head of State told reporters on Tuesday that the statement was “inaccurate”.

“The proposal to establish a body was announced by me in August last year at the National Toshaos Council meeting I think

there had to be some consultation and persons who are on that commission are from a wide section of the community. There was consultation,” he said.

President Granger also alluded to the fact that Attorney David James, a former Legal Adviser to the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) is a commissioner, to support his claims of consultation.

But the APA had also come out criticising government’s land CoI. Other organisations including the Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous Peoples, The Amerindian Action Movement, South Central Peoples Development Association, and the National Amerindian Development Foundation, have all protested the merging of the two issues under one blanket.

“We see no basis for any link between these disparate issues, and consider that the announced course would only result in further delay on desperately needed action on Indigenous land rights,” the bodies had expressed in a joint statement.

The Chairman of the Commissioner is Reverend George Peter Chuck-ASang, and the members are David James, Carol KhanJames, Professor Rudolph James, Lennox Caleb and Paulette Henry.

Sleeping fisherman busted with ganja on bed

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ity Magistrate Judy Latchman remanded to prison a 50-yearold resident of Oronoque Street, Georgetown, when he appeared to answer to two charges of narcotics possession.

It is alleged that Mark Stephens on March 24, 2017, at Da Silva Street, Kitty, Georgetown, had in his possession six grams of cannabis plus an additional 70 grams of the drug for the purpose of trafficking.

The fisherman denied the charges.

When asked why Stephens was charged separately with regard to the offences, the prosecution related to the court that the man had initially admitted to ownership of the six grams

while denying any knowledge of the second parcel of cannabis. The court heard that on the day of Stephens’ arrest, he was sleeping on a bed in a Kitty house when Police Officers searched the premises and unearthed the substance on the said bed.

Stephens’ Attorney contended that the substance was found in a general area, which his client had no control over, as he was a mere occupant of the premises at the time of the raid.

Bail was granted in the sum of $60,000 for the first charge (six grams), but the defendant was remanded for the second charge.

The matter continues on April 10 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

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wednesDAY, march 29, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, March 29 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, March 30 – 05:00h-06: 30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, March 29 – 17:10h-18:40h and Thursday, March 30 – 05:40h-07:10h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Thundery to light rain showers can be expected throughout the day, while clear skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-Easterly between 3.12 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tide: 05:23h and 17:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.93 metres and 2.90 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:19h and 23:37h reaching minimum heights of 0.25 metre and 0.36 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017

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DAILY MILLIONS 06 16 18 21 LUCKY 3 1 4 3 Afternoon Draw

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

Acting Chancellor, Chief Justice urged to uphold Constitution T he helm of the Judiciary has been revamped after Appeal Court Judge, Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, was sworn-in as acting Chancellor while Justice Roxane George, was sworn-in as acting Chief Justice.

The two female judges took their oath of office before President David Granger Tuesday morning at State House.

In brief remarks during the swearing-in ceremony, the Head of Stare noted that the offices of the Chancellor and the Chief Justice are the highest in the Judiciary and as such, he charged the two new appointees to uphold the Constitution in the discharge of their functions.

“The appointment of persons to perform the function as the leader of the Judiciary is necessary to upholding the Constitution and the administration of justice… I urge you to continue to uphold the high traditions and standards of the Offices of the Chancellor and Chief Justice – the functions of which they will be performing in occurrence with the oath they have sworn. I urge members of the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches of Government to continue to respect the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana – our highest law,” the Guyanese Leader charged.

The appointments of Justice CummingsEdwards as acting Chancellor and Justice George as acting Chief Justice were made effective since February 24 and according to President Granger, these appointments were made following “meaningful consultations” with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo in accordance with the

Newly-appointed Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards taking her oath of office on Tuesday

Constitution. At the time Jagdeo had requested seven days to review the nominees but Government moved ahead and made the

become the second female Chancellor.

Meanwhile, the new Chief Justice speaking with reporters said she is

lenge of maintaining the momentum that she has built over the last year,” Justice George-Wiltshire stated.

The acting Chief Justice added that she looks forward to the support of her colleagues and other staff of the Judiciary as she strives to “make the best” of the work to be done under her new portfolio.

Some of the areas that Justice George-Wiltshire said she will be focusing on during her tenure as Chief Justice (ag) are: tackling the backlog of cases; ensure the timely implementation of the new Civil Procedure rules, and

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George affixing her signature to official documents related to her new post in the presence of President David Granger

appointments These appointments came following the retirement of former Chancellor Justice Carl Singh last month and former Chief Justice Ian Chang’s retirement last year.

Justice CummingsEdwards was initially appointed acting Chief Justice after Justice Chang retired, however her post in the Judiciary was bumped up a notch to

honoured to be serving the country in this new capacity and will be trying to make a difference in the administration of justice.

“We know we have our challenges (but) challenges are meant to be overcome. I will be supporting Chancellor CummingsEdwards, she has put in place a number of projects and programmes over the last year and I will do my best to rise to the chal-

to sensitise judicial officers as well as members of the Bar and the public on these new rules.

“So we are moving in a direction of being a bit more open so that the public understands the judicial and administration of justice system. I think that’s a bit lacking in Guyana and so that’s something we will try to do over the next few months,” the acting Chief Justice stated.

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wednesDAY, march 29, 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

Quality health care

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ver the past few months, we have heard of basic medications not being available at hospitals across the country. In a case where a patient is in need of surgery or a woman in need of a Caesarean operation, but the surgeon cannot operate because vital supplies necessary for the safe functioning of the operating room are unavailable. These are only some of the consequences of medical supply shortages and, unfortunately, some of these scenarios have been occurring in our public health system in the last several months. There is a crisis in our health system owing to too many shortages of critical supplies.

The shortages include the absence of critical laboratory test kits, like HIV test kits. Patients' families are now being given prescriptions to obtain supplies in the private pharmacies or at private clinics and private hospitals.

In several instances, the Public Health Ministry has confirmed that the public health system is experiencing a medical supply shortage.

Regional officials and hospital personnel are on record bemoaning the crisis for months now. At two regional hospitals – West Demerara Regional Hospital and Suddie Public Hospital – a Police probe has been launched in missing medication.

This situation is inexcusable and happening during the tenure of a government that castigated the previous Administration for occasional shortages in the past.

But the shortages are now widespread and persistent, although we have had assurances that the problem will be fixed.

During the period 2001 and 2015 when we had annual improvements in supplies and quality of medicines and medical supplies, Guyana utilised a prequalification system for suppliers. In spite of verification and clear evidence that the prequalification system works, in Guyana and around the world, and was recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the then A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition deemed the system as sole sourcing and corrupt and vowed to discontinue the practice.

But now in Government, the APNU/AFC has yet to resolve the issue despite the promise that a better system to procure supplies was at hand. From all that has happened over the recent months, including the scandals in this particular area, it seems that no concrete system has been arrived at.

Whatever the reason, the procurement and distribution of medicines and supplies must be quickly resolved, because drug shortages threaten the capacity for clinicians and Governments to fulfil their moral obligations to patients and society—specifically, to provide benefit and minimise harm and to promote equity. Drug and medical supply shortages directly reduce the quality of patient care, but they also contribute to indirect costs on the system by requiring time and money to be spent hunting down alternatives, rescheduling procedures, or modifying drug usage protocols. Some drug shortages have dire consequences for patients, because there are no substitutes, while others may be less important. The time has come for the public health system to be provided with the supplies it needs to provide quality care.

An art exhibition was held at the National Library on Tuesday to officially conclude the month of activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Abolition of Indian Indentureship. Organised by The Arts Forum, the display featured various pieces of art reminiscent of the origin of Indian culture in Guyana while celebrating and appreciating the evolution and diversification of IndoGuyanese society. The photo features an artistic recollection of the emergence of Guyana by Michael Khan while models display Besty Karim designs, which are rich in their religious, historical and political allusions

Corruption in coalition Dear Editor, In a NACTA opinion survey I conducted earlier this month, voters describe this People’s National Congress/Alliance For Change/Working People’s Alliance (PNC/AFC/WPA) coalition Government as extremely corrupt.

Supporters of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) also feel it is the most racist Government in recent times.

Almost everyone is disappointed with the style of governance of the coalition.

The Government started out with a lot of goodwill and people expected honest good governance, free of racism. Instead, they feel it is the worst they have experienced in recent times. Those who describe

the PPP Administration as corrupt feel the PNC/AFC/ WPA coalition has outdone the previous regime on corruption. They say this coalition is far more corrupt. They point to many of the ongoing scandals and scams involving the regime that is not even two years old. They note that hardly a week, nay a day, goes by without the coalition not involved in some kind of corrupt transaction.

A large majority of those (traditional supporters) who voted for the PNCled coalition also describe their Government as corrupt. And those cross-over voters from the PPP, as well as independent minded voters that supported (voted for) the coalition in May 2015 also feel the

PNC/AFC/WPA coalition is very corrupt. They note that they vote for the coalition because of the AFC presence in it, but the AFC has let them down. Instead of keeping a tab on the PNC, the AFC (and WPA elements) have become engrossed into the same activities.

For the WPA, Walter Rodney is turning in his grave.

Persons have expressed disappointment with the governance of the coalition regime. Indians and Amerindians complain about targeted racism.

Saying they many members of their ethnic groups have been terminated from their jobs and replaced by supporters of the PNC. Indians note how the Government is closing down industries

where they are employed and funding projects benefiting PNC supporters.

Overall, voters can’t wait for the day to vote out the coalition. But they are troubled of having to return to the PPP which, they say, has not shown much sign of reforming and embracing critics and people of unquestionable character. Similar to how the PNC has failed to reform itself after nearly 23 years in Opposition, and has returned to its familiar style of governance during the dictatorship, voters fear that the PPP will also not reform itself from all the allegations levelled against it post Jagan.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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wednesDAY, march 29, 2017

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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

Purpose of Georgetown Linden Town Clerk fiasco City Police Department?

Dear Editor, Could someone tell the citizens and visitors to our capital, what is the purpose of the Georgetown City Police Department?

For years now they have bragged that they have the same powers, responsibilities and mandate of the national Police.

Each year they are allocated hundreds of millions of dollars earned from the rates of property owners, to which the procure fancy new vehicles, modern radio communication equipment and other elaborate law enforcement equipment, are provided with local and overseas training, the question however is what they do with all of this? Certainly they are not engaged in crime-fighting.

In and around the municipal markets must be considered the most un-

safe places in Georgetown.

Every day, and more so every night cars are broken into, shoppers are mugged and persons going about their business are violently robbed.

These robbers; many of them just teenagers, operate with impunity and without fear of being challenged by the City Police.

They often operate on bicycles and are well known characters to the vendors who are sometimes themselves robbed, but are however invisible to the Constabulary.

Quite recently, more than 50 Constables were allocated and assigned to the infamous Parking Meter Project so clearly there is no shortage of manpower in that department. Now that the Parking Meter Project has been suspended and the meter maids fired

by SCS, it would be a good idea for these 50 Constables to be reassigned from being henchmen of the parking meter company to being protectors of the citizenry.

How could we talk about promoting tourism in such a crime infested city? How could we talk about wooing investors to Georgetown and Guyana with all of these bandits roaming freely? How could honest hard working citizens be left to the mercy of these marauding bandits?

It is time the administrators at City Hall who use these Constables exclusively as bodyguards and security at their residences stop talking about making Georgetown a green city and instead start talking make it a safe city.

Sincerely, James Mc Onnell

Nonplussed and bewildered

Dear Editor, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at the oil and gas conference said his Administration is “uncompromising about malfeasance and sleaze in public office” but if you investigate the Prime Minister’s track record, you can only conclude he was engaging in sheer blasphemy. When you see Sussex Street Bond Gate can happen under your watch and you are still paying that contractor for a contract that unethically attempts to make evil into good, or the D’Urban Park Project, where some G$700 million blatantly drained from the Treasury.

When the party to which Mr Nagamootoo can stand on that stage and talk about malfeasance and sleaze but the party to which he belong has just whitewashed, even more, evidence of malfeasance and sleaze under that G$605 million medical supplies control, you know that the national will has no choice but to galvanise against such evilness.

Listening to that speech by the Prime Minister at the Guyana Oil and Gas Association’s conference will leave any right minded thinker nonplused and bewildered because of its foundation in confounded deceit and deception.

This speech is entitled to so much moral weight as would be the judgment of a band of drunkards in a

rum-shop and illustrate that the Prime Minister is prepared to forfeiture any stature former associated with former Prime Ministers of Guyana such as Hugh Desmond Hoyte and Sam Hinds, men of some level of honesty and integrity.

Sincerely, Lisa Ally

Dear Editor, Reading the news headline “Communities Minister sacks Linden Town Clerk with immediate effect” left me to conclude that this was clearly a mistake in terms of which Town Clerk’s appointment was being revoked.

This Town Clerk was cleared of any wrong-doing recently as documented in the conclusion of a recent Commission of Inquiry (CoI). So what did she do to warrant this type of treat-

ment? Did she subject her town to the bondage of a controversial and elusive parking meter contract? Did she engage in massive forms of nepotism and cronyism by hiring scores of her friends and family and giving them super salaries with no work to do? Did she surround herself with a retinue of bodyguards and other staffers at a huge cost?

Has she ever tendered bounced cheques to her Treasurer’s Department, il-

legally waived outstanding interest owed by defaulting ratepayers or taken huge loans and salary advances without repaying them?

Did she ever disrespect the Minister of Communities?

Did she ever show contempt for the Deputy Mayor or the vendors? I think not. So why is this Town Clerk being treated like this?

Best regards, Sambu Jacobus

Is King above the law?

Dear Editor, The Minister of State has indicated the Government’s policy is to ensure that officers do not accumulate annual leave and in turn request pay in lieu of such.

He said that this was the practice that they have embraced since they came into office and this sounds quite reasonable.

But why then doesn’t this same law apply to the Town Clerk of Georgetown, Royston King, who has years of annual leave accumulated.

Indeed, there could be no better time than now, for him to be made to take his leave, as there has been a suggestion that an audit in some shape or form may soon be undertaken at the Council.

Additionally, with the Minister of Communities suspending the operation of the by-laws, which governs the parking meter project for three months to allow for the review of the agreement, again it would be a good idea to have the Town

Clerk, a major player in the process, recused because of a potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.

There is an old saying, “What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.” Or is King above the law? One gets the feeling that he is indispensable, and should he take his leave then the entire City Council would collapse. Time off work is important for health and well-being, and it also helps increase productivity.

Creating an environment that encourages taking accrued holiday leave offers the opportunity to improve the mood and productivity of workers.

The Human Resources Manager of the Council should be sanctioned for encouraging this malpractice and unprofessional conduct.

Sincerely, Mateo Phelephe

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Foundation

BY JAY BELSKY PHD

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guyanatimesgy.com

any a child developmental professional will advise parents to try to ignore children’s bad behaviour and reward their good behaviour. As most parents know, this is sometimes easier said than done.

After all, bad behaviour can be so irritating that it is difficult not to respond to, that is, to ignore. It takes real discipline.

Some parents might object to ignoring bad behaviour because they see it, understandably perhaps, as their responsibility to correct the child’s misbehaviour. Ignoring it may seem like tolerating if not rewarding it and thus failing to do one’s duty as a parent.

Despite how reasonable this sounds, it turns out that most experts, including of the Super Nanny variety, are correct. Rewards are more effective than punishment. And some Dutch neuroscientists have just found out why that seems to be the case.

Their work involved eight to nineand 11 to 12-year-olds who were given the opportunity to learn some basic tasks by means of positive, rewarding feedback or negative, “punishing” feedback. Specifically, all children were given a computer task which required them to discover rules and when they correctly inferred a rule, as revealed by choices they made in the task, a check – positive reward – appeared on the screen; but if their choice indicated that they had not correctly figured out the rule of the task, then a cross – punishment – appeared on the screen.

Repeated running of the task showed that performance improved substantially more when the feedback was positive in the case of the younger children, telling them they did well when they did, rather than negative, telling them that they did poorly when they did. Just the opposite proved true in

the case of older children, who functioned just like young adults aged 18-25 who were also tested. That is, negative feedback improved performance more for these individuals than did positive feedback.

Because the cognitive tasks central to this research were administered while the children and young adults were in a brain scanning machine, brain imaging revealed that brain areas responsible for cognitive control and located in the cerebral cortex seemed to play a role in why younger and older children learned so differently. That is, these brain control centres were more strongly activated in the face of negative feedback in the case of older children and adults, but more strongly activated when receiving positive feedback in the case of younger children.

It is almost as if for the younger children positive feedback registered more strongly, whereas for the older children, just the opposite proved true.

Why might this be so? If you think about it for a moment, as the investigators did, it becomes apparent that information which stipulates that you did something wrong is more complicated than information stipulating that you did something well. So younger children may simply have an easier time processing simpler, positive, rewarding information than negative feedback. As the authors noted, “Learning from mistakes is more complex than carrying on in the same way as before.

You have to ask yourself what precise-

The benefits of having pets

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ly went wrong and how it was possible.” That is, it takes more analysis to figure out that what was done is mistaken than that it is correct.

What still remains unknown is exactly what accounts for the change in brain functioning and how it occurs.

Do new connections within or between brain regions emerge during the transition to adolescence? Do hormones associated with puberty play a role? Like all good research, this elegant work raises new questions at the same time it reveals new things.

But the bottom line seems to be that we now have a better idea why rewards work better than punishment with pre-adolescent children. So if it is an explanation you need for why you should reward good behaviour more than punish bad behaviour, at least with pre-adolescent children, now you have one. The task that still remains, of course, is regulating one’s own irritability, frustration and thus behaviour in the face of annoying child behaviour so that we can ignore it. (www.psychologytoday.com)

realise that in many of my articles I speak about my interests, which for the most part have been academic-centric, but rarely venture into the different aspects of my life that I care about. A large part of my identity is that I am a pet owner and animal lover. I believe that having pets has enriched my life. I know that not everyone will share this view, but for those considering getting a pet and are on the fence, hear me out.

Pets can help you grow socially. They can be used to teach children (and sometimes young adults) Ashley Anthony the responsibility of caring for a living thing. This is perhaps the most obvious way that pets help one to grow socially. Once you have a pet, you have instant connection to other pet owners. You can meet people who share your interests at the vet, in the park, or even just on the street.

Pets can also help cheer you up. If you are lonely, or feeling down, a happy puppy wanting to play can sometimes be just what you need.

Pets also come with health benefits. Although it may seem counterintuitive to some budding parents, exposing children to animals at a young age makes it less likely that they will develop allergies in the future, and according to research produced from the University of Wisconsin, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, children who are exposed early on to animals have stronger immune systems on average. Pets can also give great motivation to exercise. If you’ve wanted to take up jogging, but haven’t found the will power, an energetic dog can be your companion.

Of course, pets are a great responsibility. They need to be cared for with love, and they are sometimes expensive to upkeep. However, having a pet can mean making a lifelong friend. It’s up to you to decide if you’re up to the challenge.

On the note of treating animals with love, even if an animal is not your pet, you should still treat it kindly. If there are strays in your area, do not go out of your way to frighten, agitate or chase them.

Yes, they might pose a health risk, but instead of trying to harm them, why not contact the Guyana Society for Prevention of Cruelty against Animals, and see if they can take them off your hands? And if on the flipside, you’re looking to get a pet, a good idea might be to adopt one of the lovely animals they have right there.

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wednesDAY, march 29, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Ban on used tyres

Police probing missing drugs, Dealers protest in front of State House fraud at Suddie Hospital

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…call for review of decision

The Guyana Used Tyres Association assembled in front of State House, Main Street, Georgetown, to express its grievances over the imminent ban on used tyres

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he Guyana Used Tyres Association (GUTA) took to Main Street, Georgetown on Tuesday to express its disagreement with the decision to ban used tyres across the country.

A group of more than 20 stakeholders gathered in front of the State House, Georgetown, requesting that the Government revisit its decision.

This is the first of a newly-initiated protest to join in the many recent demonstrations in the past months.

The protest is in light of the pending ban on the importation and utilisation of used tyres which is scheduled to take effect throughout Guyana, come April 1. The Government had proposed this ban for over a year, but it has only recently materialised. As such, stakeholders were awakened in the call for the retraction of this ban, highlighting the many effects it would have, especially on the common man.

Leading the protest on Tuesday was GUTA Public Relations Consultant Nazim Hussain, who noted that it was a matter of choice and affordability. “The Guyana Used Tyres Association is humbly asking the authorities to revisit the ban, because it is going to affect the livelihood of not only the

5000 employed, but it has a wide domino effect; everyone in Guyana will be affected,” Hussain told reporters.

He went on to say while there were persons who may be able to afford the cost of new tyres, this ban would see an increase in prices of many products on the market given that the ordinary man, who was both vendor and consumer, would be negatively affected.

Hussain also highlighted that having a choice between used and new tyres was necessary for the maintenance of democracy, allowing citizens to select between the two options based on their financial standing. He said that taking this choice away would be dangerous, robbing persons of the basic right to choose.

GUTA Vice President Mustaak Mohamed also relayed his concern to this newspaper, stating that “who can afford a new (tyre), buy a new (tyre) and who can afford a used (tyre), buy a used (tyre)”. He alluded to the fact that public transportation operators were not sufficiently rewarded to afford the cost of new tyres.

However, Mohamed, as a tyre salesman, attested that used tyres from Europe were of better quality than the new ones imported from

China. He, therefore, pointed out that the product many would now be forced to buy was of inferior quality than that which the Government was moving to replace.

During the protest, other concerns were brought to the forefront relating to the other effects of a used tyres ban.

The demonstrators highlighted that while some 5000 persons would lose their jobs, others would now be encouraged to smuggle tyres into the country and even worse, vehicle owners would prolong the use of their wornout tyres to avoid the cost of replacements. This would mean that the very intention of the Government to reduce road accidents caused by used tyres would be negated by the use of worn-out tyres.

Previous moves to prohibit used tyres in Guyana were scrapped by stakeholders following the signing of petitions, forcing the Government to rescind its decision. The GUTA pledged to continue its outcry until adequate action was taken.

This protest against the banning of used tyres came just one day after the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) spoke out against the move. The Party echoed many concerns similar to those of the protesters on Tuesday.

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been called in to investigate the disappearance of several pharmaceutical drugs and alleged fraud at the Suddie Public Hospital in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

According to the Public Health Ministry, these and several other issues were discovered on Monday during a one-day visit by the Ministerial Task Force.

The Hospital authorities could not account for the items that were delivered only last Tuesday by the Materials Management Unit (MMU).

The Police were told that the pharmacist at the Hospital could not account for several ampules of pethidine, codine and morphine.

Additionally, the missing drugs were not reported to the Regional Health Officer.

The team also found instances where the stock of narcotic-based drugs either never arrived or could not be

The Suddie Hospital

accounted for, and the pharmacist had extra drugs that were still not recorded as prescribed under the law.

Other irregularities unearthed during the Task Force’s visit included the fact the Dangerous Drugs Register was not updated, with the last entry made sometime in 2015.

A MMU staffer confirmed Tuesday that 10 items on the list of drugs destined for the Suddie Hospital “either never arrived” or significantly less was received

than was sent.

For example, all 100 boxes of the drug Simvastatin disappeared before arriving at the Hospital. Each box contained 100 of the drug.

The official said too that “all 108 bottles of the Paracetamol suspension” also vanished, as well as 20 of the 1000 Ampicillin 500mg tablets sent.

The MMU senior official said all 20,000 pairs of disposable gloves sent to the Hospital were also stolen.

TURN TO PAGE 16

8 news

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

GDF rank slapped with narco possession charge

A

rank of the Guyana Defence Force was arraigned before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with the offence of narcotics possession.

Troyston Cort pleaded not guilty to the charge read by Magistrate Judy Latchman, which stated that on March 23, 2017, at Stabroek Square, Georgetown, Cort had 15 grams of cannabis in his possession.

The court heard that the 25-year-old was busted with the illicit substance

by Police officials on patrol

duty. A body search conducted on the person of the accused led to the discovery of the said narcotics in one of his pockets while other portions were said to be contained in zip lock bags in his backpack.

Defence Attorney Patrice Henry requested that the soldier be released on reasonable bail arguing that the drugs were never found on his client’s person.

Magistrate Latchman granted bail to the sum of $70,000, adjourning the matter to April 10, when Cort is expected to again face the courts.

B Troyston Cort

Sobbing robbery accused remanded to prison

A

visibly disappointed Shawn Charles exited Magistrate Judy Latchman’s courtroom at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, sobbing vigorously after being denied bail on a robbery charge.

It is alleged that while being armed with a “pointed object”, Charles robbed Faith Sam of a quantity of items valued at $11,500 at Sussex Street, Charlestown, Georgetown on March 24, 2017.

That same day, at the same location, Charles then allegedly relieved Shem Negall of an HTC cellphone valued $40,000 and one Samsung smartphone valued $45,000, a total value of $85,000.

The 28-year-old, who is a student of a popular city computer school, pleaded not guilty to the offence. Attorney Paul FungA-Fat in a bail application said his client was a resident of Cummings Street,

Roiling…

Alberttown, Georgetown.

The court heard that Charles engaged in vending to pay for his studies. His defence counsel, in making a bail application, argued that the stolen articles were at no point found in his client’s possession, contending that it was obviously a case of mistaken identity.

However, the prosecution

objected to bail, maintaining that Charles was highly unlikely to return to court in the event he was released on bail. The court was also told that the offence was of a serious nature, involving the use of a weapon.

Magistrate Latchman rejected the defence’s application. The case will continue on April 10.

…the oil funds

ack in the day, when the sugar industry came into a windfall through a spike in world prices, the PNC Government imposed a levy that scooped off all profits – but promised to invest it in the country’s “development”. But in so doing, they prevented the industry from replacing its aging factories – which then were run into the ground. And creating the crisis they’re now in.

Your Eyewitness brings this up not to beat up on the PNC – but to remind their successors in office that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Burnham really thought the hydro project up the Mazaruni was for the benefit of the country. But he didn’t involve anyone outside of his tight little PNC circles and when a series of unfortunate events followed – Guyana “lost corn and lost husk”. Over half-a-billion dollars went down the tube – along with the dreams of sugar workers when they couldn’t receive profit sharing for the next quarter of a century.

And this is where history seems to be repeating itself with the oil revenues that are supposed to be coming down the pike starting in 2020. PM Nagamootoo assured an oil and gas forum earlier this week that Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman assured HIM that Guyana will be launching a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) into which all revenues will be funnelled. After all, Trotman had been soliciting advice from the Americans, the Canadians, the British and gosh knows who else. And they all emphasised the funds have to be sequestered, invested and deployed in strategic investments for the benefit of future generations. So far so good – so can we can hope they won’t blow the money and just leave Guyana with hydro , again?!

Trouble’s signalled when we read the fine print of the plan they’re revealing piecemeal. We discover the Government will be using moneys from the Fund to fill budgetary gaps – through the first of the three “sub-funds” to be established: 1) Stabilisation Fund, 2) Infrastructure and Social Development Fund and 3) Citizens Participation Fund. Through this subterfuge, the Government will spend whatever they want on all sorts of boondoggles like they’ve been doing since they came into office – and then say they need money from the SWF! So much for saving for future generations!!

To make matters worse, this Eyewitness has been insisting the Government’s counting chickens before they’re hatched. Just yesterday the Chronic headlined oil being at US$127/pb in 2020! Maybe the Cabinet could invest their salaries in oil futures!!

But even if oil were to make profit, it’ll all be frittered away. That’s how these fellas think.

…the Border controversy

Just as your Eyewitness predicted, the Venezuelans have signalled they’re not going to go easily into the night on the border controversy they created back in 1962. The new Good Officer of the new Secretary General of the UN had said very clearly if his mediation doesn’t lead to a settlement by year end, he’s sending the controversy to the World Court. Now this is a big victory for us – since this is what we’ve been demanding and Venezuela’s been resisting.

Going by previous rulings on similar border issues brought to the World Court – they’ve shown no inclination to change borders fixed over a hundred years ago. That’ll be opening up a Pandora’s Box in so many countries that we might as well close down the UN! In our case, we have an open and shut case and that’s why Venezuela will avoid the World Court like the plague. Guyana should avoid roiling the waters and just wait the Venezuelans out.

Time and the tide – not to mention the US – is on our side!

…forex markets

Just when businesses thought the forex markets was safe, up comes the new PNC-led Government bringing back controls. By another name.

We all know where we’re headed, don’t we?

Economic ruination.

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

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wednesDAY, march 29, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Appointment of Judges

Chancellor reviewing JSC recommendations – President

P

resident David Granger on Tuesday said that the recommendations made by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for the appointment of Judges have been sent to the new acting Chancellor of the Judiciary for review before any decision is taken.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on several occasions called for the Head of State to act on the recommendations made by the JSC to fill the void within the Judiciary.

Jagdeo had stated that failure to make the appointments has been fuelling the public perception that the delay was deliberate and intended to await a differently-constituted Commission.

“The Leader of the Opposition adverted to a public perception that the delay in acting upon the recommendations of the Judicial Service Commission is deliberate and intended to await a differently-constituted Judicial Service Commission, which may not have confidence in the recommendations of their predecessors,” a statement from Jagdeo’s office earlier this month had disclosed.

However, President Granger on Tuesday explained that he has not taken any actions on the recommendations, because

Acting Chancellor Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards along with President David Granger following her swearing-in on Tuesday

he wanted the new acting Chancellor to review the list beforehand.

“I withheld approval because I sent the recommendations to the present Chancellor, who has agreed to look at them and resubmit the list to me. As soon as I get that list, I will be able to act on it. So I did decline; I saw the list and received some information and on the basis of that information, I sent it to the present Chancellor and I’m awaiting her advice,” the Head of State told reporters. According to the President, he is cognisant of the shortage of Judges within the Judiciary and the consequent backlog of cases; hence, he intends to have the matter dealt with at the earliest time possible.

He added that the recent appointment of a new acting Chancellor and an acting Chief Justice was supportive of the fact that they were moving “quickly” to have in place the full complement of the Judiciary.

“I’m very confident that the new Chancellor (ag) is aware of the shortages and as quickly as the JSC can meet and the names submitted to me, I intend to move ahead. I have no interest in perpetuating a situation in which there are insufficient judges and a backlog is being built up…The swearing in of the Chancellor and Chief Justice is a step in the right direction, so I expect that as soon as the JSC makes its recommendations, I’ll be able to give approval and move ahead,” the

President asserted.

Also recognising the urgency in making the appointments, newly-appointed acting Chancellor Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards told reporters following her swearing-in on Tuesday morning that she was willing to start work on the matter as early as today.

Nevertheless, she noted that the Commission would convene shortly and would address the matter. She went on to explain the need to have a full complement of Judges at the Appeal Court.

“The complement of the Appeal Court is five (Judges) and with the swearing-in today of Justice (Roxane) George, we have two (Judges). Justice (BS) Roy is the third Judge, but he is on pre-retirement leave, so, in effect, there are only two Judges,” the new acting Chancellor stated.

She pointed out that in the Appeal Court, it took three or more Judges on the bench to hear an appeal, while in-chamber applications could be heard by a single judge. Back in February 2016, the JSC unanimously recommended that High Court Judges, Justices Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory, be appointed to the Court of Appeal and Attorneysat-Law Sandil Kissoon and Damone Younge be appointed Puisne Judges.

RDC fears damage to Moco Moco Bridge …as Mayor allows passage of heavy-duty vehicles

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A resident showing where the bar was on the Moco Moco Bridge

he Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) is concerned over the Lethem Mayor’s alleged unilateral decision to remove a mechanism, which prevented heavy-duty vehicles from crossing the Moco Moco Bridge.

The Bridge, which links Lethem to St Ignatius over the Moco Moco Creek, was built to accommodate small vehicles such as cars, buses and small vans.

A bar was placed over the Bridge in order to prevent large trucks and tractors from using the crossing, as there is a road larger vehicles can traverse. Regional Vice Chairman Karl Singh told Guyana Times that Mayor Carlton Beckles passed an order for the bar to be removed in order to facilitate the easier passage of a 30-seater bus, which was bought by the municipality to transport children to the St Ignatius Secondary School. According to the Vice Chairman, the Mayor made this decision without seeking permission

from the RDC, which has oversight over the Bridge.

Singh also pointed out that the Mayor failed to consult with the Toshao of St Ignatius as the Bridge fell within the boundaries of that Amerindian community. The Vice Chairman is concerned about the Mayor’s bypass of the relevant authorities and about the Bridge’s exposure to destruction as a result of the passing of heavier vehicles.

“It would allow large and heavy-duty vehicles to cross the Bridge thus causing it to damage at a speedy rate.

The Bridge was not designed for that weight,” Singh told this newspaper. The Vice Chairman explained that the RDC was not about keeping down any development; however, he said the Council would not condone the undermining of its functions and authority. “We really acknowledge the bus service; it would be of great benefit to the children. But, the issue is the Mayor’s actions on dismantling the bar without our permission,” Singh explained.

(Devina Samaroo)

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017

News

25 Medexes unemployed 2 years after completing programme N early two years after completing the Public Health Ministry’s Medex programme, several graduates are still awaiting employment.

Guyana Times was told on Tuesday that 25 graduates who successfully completed the four-year training programme in 2015, are still awaiting placements at health facilities. This situation has persisted despite the students having completed their three-month internship requirement in early 2016.

One of the aggrieved medical personnel explained the group was first promised placements at health centres across the country, almost one year ago.

closed that their grievances were initially communicated through the then Chief Medex, and Director of Health Sciences and Education Faculty, Public Health Ministry, Wilton Benn.

Guyana Times understands that Benn was expected to undertake measures to revise the medex curriculum, to award students with a University qualification.

“The curriculum was supposed to be revised and we were supposed to be accredited by the University of Guyana with an associate diploma. With revising the curriculum, he (Wilton Benn) was supposed to submit it to the University of Guyana. Four years passed

The University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus

“After [receiving training between] 2011-2015, they (Public Health Ministry) had us on internship.

Afterwards in April 2016, they said we’re gonna start working because we were assigned to the various health centres, who [would be] going to region Eight or Nine,” the student highlighted.

It was further dis-

during the time of the training and he apparently didn’t revise it,” another frustrated student pointed out.

It was noted that the medex graduates were “promised” that as soon as their training finished, they would commence work.

“We’ve been home over a year; we were supposed to start working and that nev-

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

er happened and we called to find out what’s going on, they gave us different story [saying] that some of the documents already gone up to UG [but] when you called up to UG, there’s nothing there,” this publication was told.

This newspaper however understands that current Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence met with several persons within the University but it is unclear if the students’ concerns were discussed or addressed. The students claim that they made attempts to contact the Minister.

“We asked this year to get an audience with the now Minister of Health, [Volda Lawrence] but we never got through to her office but we got an email saying that she is meeting with the University of Guyana but we still haven’t heard anything,” this publication was told.

Efforts by Guyana Times to contract the Minister on

Tuesday proved futile.

This newspaper was however informed that dialogue with health officials were sought even before Minister Lawrence was transferred to the post. The graduates had met with then Minister, Dr George Norton and Minister within the Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings.

“Everything turned out to be nothing,” one of the students told this publication.

The students have recently sought legal advice in efforts to seek redress for their non-placement.

“Since it’s been a year, [we met] with a lawyer because our contract is nulled as a year is finished, meaning the Government doesn’t have a contract with us anymore. We are trying to work around that but it seems to be in vain too,” this publication was further told.

A delegation of students took their concerns to the Ministry of the Presidency but they were reportedly told at the gates to leave their contact information. The students claim that to date, they have not been contacted. “We called and never got through so everything was like a dead end because everybody is saying that they’re gonna get back to us”.

Earlier this month, several students who graduated from the University’s pharmacy programme had claimed that their lives were at a virtual standstill as they had been waiting for several months to commence their internship programme at the Georgetown Public Hospital. This programme is necessary for those students to obtain their licences to practise their craft.

Guyana Times had been told that the said programme should have commenced in early January but it was alleged that the Pharmacy Council was unprepared to facilitate the process.

Sleaze and maleficence S

atiricus was on a roll. He’d just polished off a very nice meal with his wife, Caustic, at the new New Trusting Restaurant for his wife’s birthday. She was so pleased, she didn’t even protest when Satiricus said he was joining the fellas at the Back Street Bar. Thank heavens for Dim Sun and Roast Duck! Then there was the promise his leader had just made.

“You hear what Nagga Man just said, fellas?” he burst out to his friends who were just downing their first beer. “No more sleaze and maleficence!!”

“Me know wha’ sleaze,” confessed Bungi. “But wha’ a “mali-fish-sense”? Da like six sense??”

“No Bungi…Maleficence mean to do bad thing,” said Satiricus patiently. “Nagga Man emphasised he’s in charge of governance and there will be no more sleazy behaviour and people doing bad things in his government.”

“So Nagga Man is charge of governance, eh?” ask Hari said as his eyebrows arched. “So how come he was on the pharma warehouse investigating committee and Barry still collecting rent?”

“Well, he is in charge of governance, but Trotty was the Chair of the Committee, you know,” said Satiricus defensively.

“But if ‘e na want sleaze?” asked Bungi, “wha’ mek he na bring out de Code fuh control dem Minista suh dem na guh do mali-fish-sense?”

“Well, he pushing the law behind the scene,” said Satiricus. “And as soon as it’s finished, no more sleaze and maleficence!”

“But if he doesn’t have the rule in place,” pointed out Hari. “Ministers will keep on saying they didn’t know their maleficence was maleficence!”

“Yes!’ exclaimed Bungi. “After Nagga Man and Trotty seh dat Barry can keep de warehouse and still collect rent fuh store candum, look wha’ Volga do!”

“What Volga do?” asked Hari with a grin as he looked at Bungi. “Didn’t you hear that Trotty said he understand what she did because she is he friend?”

“Da soun’ like sleaze AND mali-fish-sense to me, Sato!!” said Bungi with a wider grin. “$605 million wort’ of sleaze and mali-fish-sense!’

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wednesDAY, march 29, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sugar workers picket Enmore estate

Workers protested the Enmore Estate on Tuesday

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ane planters and other workers attached to the East Demerara Estate staged another protest outside the entity’s Enmore operations on Tuesday. This action follow the estate’s management reported demands that the employees undertake cane-cutting tasks which they have rejected, since they are cane planters and not cutters. The frustrated workers from the Enmore Estate took their concerns to the Head Office of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and expressed great anger over the prevailing situation.

GAWU disclosed that on Friday last, it met with members of the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) Industrial Relations Department and the Estate Management, where it was concluded that the planters would be offered “alternative work”. These included; like engagement in the factory, rat baiting, infield weeding, and canal cleaning. However, GAWU

alleges that the Estate’s management on Monday, advised workers that only cane cutting tasks would be provided to them.

Six of the aggrieved planters met with Labour Minister Keith Scott and Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle, where six of the planters and the Union’s General Secretary Seepaul Narine.

According to GAWU, the Minister suggested that “an audience be sought with Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder as he is responsible for agriculture”.

GAWU sees the workers’ treatment as similar to that at Wales.

“The compulsion for the Enmore/LBI planters to cut canes is strikingly similar to what GuySuCo is doing with the workers of Wales in compelling them to take up work at Uitvlugt Estate.

More and more, it seems, we are seeing a return of forced labour in the sugar industry. That atrocious system perfected under colonialism,” GAWU stated strongly.

Earlier this month,

GAWU suggested the estate may be on GuySuCo’s chopping block. The entity’s management had instructed that workers must proceed with cane cutting operations.

However, this followed the disclosure that the Estate will no longer offer work for cane planting.

As such, some of the workers had called for severance pay as their traditional tasks were no longer required. Guyana Times was told that as per norm, in each plot, 20 per cent new canes are planted and the remainder is left for old canes to grow back. However, as the cane planting had ended, GAWU felt that this signalled that GuySuCo was gearing up to close down operations at the entity.

The Union had explained that it learnt that GuySuCo was proceeding with plans to end cane planting at the East Demerara and the Rose Hall Estates, as the Sugar Corporation’s CEO has requested an urgent meeting to discuss the development.

12 news

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

High Court drama

Judiciary probing “threatening” incident – acting Chancellor

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ewly-appointed acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards has disclosed that the incident involving Attorney General Basil Williams and High Court Judge, Justice Franklin Holder was being looked into.

The acting Chancellor made this disclosure to media operatives on Tuesday following the swearing-in ceremony for herself and acting Chief Justice Roxane George before President David Granger at State House.

“As the acting Chief Justice then and as the acting Chancellor now, I am in receipt of information in relation to that matter and the matter is currently being addressed,” Justice CummingsEdwards told Guyana Times when questioned about the issue.

According to the acting Chancellor, the Judiciary will be issuing an official report on the matter as soon as the process is completed.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed acting Chief Justice, when approached for a comment on the matter, told reporters that the issue was being dealt with and declined to further comment,

At a press conference on Friday, Williams denied threatening the Judge and in turn, threatened to sue Guyana Times and Kaieteur News for publishing the assertion.

According to Williams, he “…saw the Judge was about to leave and so I said, ‘ex abundante cautela – out of excessive caution – could I enquire whether the answer ‘no’ was recorded?’ The Judge, to my surprise said

following that further exchanges mentioned about an encounter with a magistrate during which he said “incidentally, that magistrate is dead now”; “I moved on and the Judge and I continued addressing issues”.

Nandlall, who was the opposing counsel at the time, insisted that the AG’s actions caused the Judge to storm out of the courtroom without adjourning the matter.

Nandlall had said in a

Attorney General Basil Williams

Opposition parliamentarian Anil Nandlall

noting that the matter was sub judice.

Opposition parliamentarian Anil Nandlall on Thursday last claimed that Justice Holder walked off the bench that morning, following an exchange with Attorney General Williams, during which the AG allegedly threatened him. This incident occurred during the trial of Carvil Duncan, who had moved to the court to block the work of a presidential tribunal that was set up to determine whether he should be removed from his post as Chairman of the Public Service Commission in light of his criminal charges, one of which was since dismissed at the Magistrate’s Court.

complaint written to the acting Chancellor following the incident, Justice Holder related his version of what transpired in his courtroom.

As reported in sections of the media, the High Court Judge outlined in the letter that the AG made comments towards him to the effect of: “I could say what I want to say and, however, I want to say it, I have always been like that.”

Nandlall has since called for the release of the letter to the public, noting that the article did not accurately reflect the complaint lodged by Justice Holder.

“My information is that the Judge’s version of what transpired in the court be-

‘Mr Williams, you’re not in charge of my court’ and I said ‘Sir, not me, but that could safely be said of Mr Nandlall who has been trying to control your court for the entire morning’.”

The AG went on to say

previous statement that after three hours of futile and ineffective cross-examination, Williams became agitated and accused the Judge of not accurately recording an answer from the witness.

However, in a formal

tween himself and Basil Williams is almost identical to what I reported publicly and that is set out in the letter. The Judge also demands an apology from Williams.

All these are in the letter; hence, the apparent refusal to make the letter public…

I am calling for the letter to be made public,” the former Attorney General outlined.

Only Saturday last, Nandlall, at a press conference, pointed out that the Attorney General’s recent attacks on the Judiciary painted a picture that he (Williams) was of the view that the Judiciary must deliver rulings in favour of the Government. “(Williams) believes that the Judiciary should not rule against the Government.

That demonstrates a mentality that the Judiciary must be compliant with the Government,” Nandlall had stated.

Meanwhile, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has since called for President David Granger to launch a probe into this recent attack on the Judiciary by AG Williams, adding that failure “to act decisively in this matter would certainly send an ominous signal”.

13 Petroleum advisory panel to be formed – oil adviser news

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

…as ExxonMobil to make more announcements shortly – Trotman

W

hile a petroleum advisory panel is not presently in place, Government intends to form the panel within the Natural Resources Ministry, comprising technical experts in the oil industry.

This is according to Presidential Adviser on Petroleum, Dr Jan Mangal, who briefed Cabinet on the future of the oil and gas sector in Guyana.

In an invited comment after the presentation to the Cabinet, Dr Mangal said, as the adviser to the President on petroleum, he would be tasked with being the ‘middle ground’ between the Government and stakeholders to ensure that the necessary plans and policies were put in place.

Dr Mangal, whose appointment is funded through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), noted that while his initial position was intended to last for a six-month period, there was an intention to seek funding for the appointment to be extended and expanded to include other experts from the technical, legal and commercial areas of the oil and gas sector.

“I envision a small team in the Ministry – about five or less, and this is a team of experts from the industry and they will be there to assist the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Finance and to also work

are all working,” he said.

Presidential Adviser on Petroleum, Dr Jan Mangal briefing Cabinet

with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

“So, under that five, there will be a commercial oil and gas expert, an oil and gas lawyer, an analyst and possibly a technical person, but these will be persons who have been in the industry for a very long time, who know the industry very well and who are prepared to come and advise the Government of Guyana,” the Presidential Adviser said.

Additionally, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, in an invited comment, said that Dr Mangal’s presentation could not be timelier since oil major ExxonMobil has been aggressively carrying out seismic and exploratory work in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), with an announcement expected in another week or two. This, he said, will help the Cabinet to act more definitively on matters in relation to this sector.

“The presentation was about the technical aspects,

where we would spend our monies and the kind of vision we would like to have for Guyana. So, it was a good presentation, very timely and now I believe that Cabinet will examine it some more and look at the considerations – some of which are political, some technical, some financial and we will ultimately come up with the blueprint if I can put it that way for the development of the oil and gas sector,” he said.

According to Trotman, Government is working around the clock to put all systems in place to prepare Guyana for the ‘first oil’. “We are preparing every day at the Ministry and Dr Mangal is joining the Government to prepare for the ‘first oil’ and so there is something happening every day. We are looking at contracts, identifying persons to do things, assessing requests for permits. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), they

Oil and Gas Conference Meanwhile, the Guyana Oil and Gas Association (GOGA) has been hosting presentations featuring international experts on the oil and gas industry.

During a GOGAsponsored conference and exposition at the Marriott

Hotel on Tuesday, presenters expounded on the need for response vessels capable of dealing with the effects of an oil spill before it reached the coastland.

Presenters also explained the intricacies of support-based services to the offshore drill operation.

In addition, it was explained that if authorities were to allow a company to provide ma-

rine services to the location, it should be a company of established repute.

According to the experts, the companies should also provide value to the community they work in, as well as the locals. One way to do this, the experts noted, is by making training opportunities available.

CJIA employee dies after car slams into culvert

A

27-year-old employee of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) was killed on Tuesday after he reportedly slammed into a culvert along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

Dead is Nizamudeen Muhammed, also known as “Dwain”, of Lot 616 Section A, Block Y, Golden Grove, (EBD).

Reports are that about 00:10h, Muhammed was proceeding north along the west-

ern side of the road when his motor car, with registration number PRR 4768, collided with the metal rail of a culvert in the vicinity of Land of Canaan Public Road. This caused the vehicle to topple several times, before coming to a halt. Muhammed was thrown out of the vehicle as a result of the impact. He was picked up in an unconscious state by public-spirited persons and rushed to the

Diamond hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

This newspaper was told that Muhammed was returning home from work when the accident occurred. Reports are that Muhammed was the only child of his parents who reside overseas.

His body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour to await a post-mortem examination.

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017

Regional

Opposition MP sues St Lucian PM for defamation

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n the latest in what seems to be a current spate of defamation actions launched by politicians against colleagues on the other side of the aisle in the Eastern Caribbean, Dr Ernest Hilaire, the opposition St Lucia Labour Party member of parliament for Castries South, has filed a claim against Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.

According to the first page of a Claim Form published on social media, Hilaire is seeking damages, including aggravated damages, for defamatory allegations made by Chastanet against Hilaire, who was the former high commis-

Dr Ernest Hilaire (left) and Prime Minister Allen Chastanet

sioner for Saint Lucia to the United Kingdom and the former chairman of the country’s Citizenship by

Investment Unit Board.

The allegedly defamatory statements made

by Chastanet apparent-

ly claimed that Hilaire is dishonest and is not trustworthy, and that, further, he was involved in financial impropriety as high commissioner to the United Kingdom and was thus not a fit and proper person to be the chairman of the citizenship board.

Chastanet allegedly imputed criminal and improper motives on Hilaire’s part in relation to the controversial appointment of Wahid Juffali as an ambassador for the purpose of facilitating a fraud in Juffali’s divorce proceedings against his wife by providing him with diplomatic immunity.

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Colombia Govt overrules Cajamarca mining ban referendum

T

he Colombian Government says it will overrule the result of a referendum held in the town of Cajamarca, where 98 per cent of residents voted against a major gold mining project.

Locals fear it will damage the environment and pollute their water sources.

Mining Minister Germán Arce said the referendum was not legally bind-

ing. La Colosa, in Central Colombia, has the potential to become South America’s largest gold mine.

Arce added that the South African mining giant AngloGold Ashanti had already been issued a licence to begin mining for gold in the area. “Exploration licences retain their validity,” he said.

The company has been granted 19 exploration li-

cences in Cajamarca between 2006 and 2009, RCN radio reports. In a statement after the vote, AngloGold said it regretted the outcome because the country and the region were “at risk of not receiving the benefits of well-done and responsible mining”.

The Opposition to President Juan Manuel Santos also criticised the

Government’s stance on the issue. Only 76 residents of Cajamarca, in the central province of Tolima, voted in favour of the mining project in Sunday’s referendum, while more than 6100 of the town’s 19,000 inhabitants voted against.

Several other Colombian cities and towns are planning to hold similar votes to try to block mining projects in their area. (Excerpt from

Cuba’s special development zone attracts first Portuguese investment

A

Port of Mariel in Cuba

5.6 million Euro construction and engineering project will be the first Portuguese investment action at the special development zone in the western Cuban harbour of Mariel.

The project, with 100 per cent Portuguese capital by the company called Engimov Caribe SA, includes five construction material plants and other facilities to be raised in four stages.

Trinidadian PM travels to US for talks with oil companies

BBC News)

Venezuelan President asks UN for help with medical supplies

I

n an unusual acknowledgement of his country’s desperate situation, President Nicolás Maduro has asked the United Nations to help address severe shortages of medicine and medical supplies in Venezuela.

“I have asked the United Nations to regularize the whole medicine issue. The United Nations has the most advanced plans to recover the pharmaceutical industry’s productive capacity,” the socialist leader said in a televised address.

With Venezuela mired in the fourth straight year of deep recession, acute shortages of food and many essential goods, including drugs and medical sup-

President Nicolás Maduro has asked the UN to help address severe shortages of medicine and medical supplies

plies, have become critical.

Health care workers have staged public demonstrations protesting the shortages and horror sto-

Caribbean360)

T&T Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley

T

rinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley leaves Trinidad today on a two-day visit to the United States for talks with officials of several oil companies, including BP Amoco, Shell and ExxonMobil, according to a Government statement.

Rowley, who will be accompanied by Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Stuart Young, will centre on “strategies for navigating the challenges facing the energy

sector and opportunities for growth and partnerships here at home and in the region”.

During the visit, the delegation will also meet with officials from EOG Resources.

Earlier this month, Rowley said his administration is hoping a new gas agreement signed with Venezuela would come on stream as early as July to avert further closure of energy plants at Point Lisas in Central Trinidad.

He said that the agreement, which also involves the multi-national oil company, Royal Dutch Shell “will bring that gas to market in the shortest possible time”.

Shell is expected to build a 17 kilometre (10.6 miles) pipeline from Venezuela’s shallow-water Dragon gas field to its Hibiscus platform off the north coast of Trinidad.

He said the talks with ExxonMobil was necessary given the US-oil giant’s involvement in the emerging Guyana oil and energy sector and Trinidad and Tobago is positioning itself to be a player in the industry of that Caribbean Community country. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

India willing to help develop Jamaican film industry

I

Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica Shri Sevala Naik

ries have emerged from hospitals of patients losing limbs for lack of antibiotics or dying for lack of cancer drugs and other lifesaving

medicines.

According to the Venezuelan Medical Federation, hospitals have just three percent of the medicine and supplies they need.

The Venezuelan people tell of desperately hunting for medication at depleted pharmacies or paying small fortunes to buy it on the black market or abroad, according to an AFP report.

Meanwhile, Maduro said he had made the request for assistance in a meeting with Jessica Faieta, Latin America director for the United Nations Development Programme.

(Excerpt from

The Engimov group was set up in 2007 in the field of civil construction and public works and operates in nine countries, including France, Spain, Angola, Mozambique and now Cuba.

The Mariel special development zone now comprises 24 users, with a joint investment value of US$996.1 million with a significant foreign investment component, generating over 4000 direct jobs. (Caribbean News Now)

ndian High Commissioner to Jamaica Shri Sevala Naik on Monday expressed an interest in helping to develop the Jamaican film industry by offering scholarships and internships to interested Jamaicans.

Though nothing has been officially implemented, the diplomat welcomed the suggestion that through India’s booming film in-

dustry, known as Bollywood, his country could offer assistance to Jamaica.

He also encouraged interested parties to submit proposals to the Indian High Commission.

In January 2016, Bollywood – the Hindi-language part of the Indian film industry based in the city of Mumbai – was valued at US$2.32 billion and was expect-

ed to grow by 11 per cent in 2017 to US$2.89 billion, according to the Digitisation and Mobility: Next Frontier of Growth for M&E report from accountancy firm Deloitte and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.

In recent times, Bollywood has gained popularity in Jamaica with the introduction of televi-

sion shows and movies.

The high commissioner pointed out that when he took office last August, a delegation of Indian filmmakers visited the island to scope its potential. He said he organised meetings between the Indian filmmakers and Jampro (Jamaica Promotions Corporation) and the Indians visited many locations. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Trump signs order undoing Obama’s climate change policies

P

resident Donald Trump has signed an executive order rolling back Obama-era rules aimed at curbing climate change.

The President said this would put an end to the "war on coal" and "job-killing regulations".

The Energy Independence Executive Order suspends more than half a dozen measures enacted by his predecessor, and boosts fossil fuels.

Business groups have praised the Trump Administration's move but environmental campaigners have condemned it.

Flanked by coal miners

President Donald Trump says that the US will no longer wage war on coal

as he signed the order, the President said: "My administration is putting an end to the war on coal.

"With today's executive action I am taking historic steps to lift the restrictions on American energy, to re-

verse Government intrusion and to cancel job-killing regulations."

During the campaign, he vowed to pull the US out of the Paris climate deal agreed in December 2015.

President Trump takes a very different approach to the environment from Obama. The former President argued that climate change was "real and cannot be ignored".

Among the initiatives now rescinded is the Clean Power Plan, which required states to slash carbon emissions, to meet US commitments under the Paris accord.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Scottish Parliament backs new independence referendum

Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon told Scottish legislators she would negotiate with the British Government [Russell Cheyne/ AFP]

S

cotland's Parliament has voted in favour of a call by First

Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a second referendum on Scottish independence with-

in two years, but the British Government has refused to discuss it.

The motion passed 69 votes to 59 on Tuesday and paves the way for the opening of formal talks between Scotland and the British Government on the new referendum, coming just three years after Scottish voters rejected independence.

Al Jazeera's Neave Barker, reporting from London, said it was "a significant step forward for supporters of Scottish independence in bringing about something that was essentially scuppered back in

2014".

"For Brexit supporters it means a massive headache," he said.

On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to trigger Article 50 of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, the first formal step towards Brexit that Scotland opposes.

Sturgeon, who leads the Scottish National Party (SNP), has complained that her efforts to seek a compromise on Britain's exit from the EU were met with intransigence from May's Conservative Government.

I

A

Simone Gbagbo is already serving a 20-year prison term

Ivory Coast has refused to extradite her to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where Laurent Gbagbo is on trial for crimes against humanity.

The ICC has issued a warrant for Simone Gbagbo on similar charges.

More than 3000 people died in the violence after the 2010 presidential poll.

Laurent and Simone Gbagbo were arrested in 2011 after troops stormed a bunker where the pair had taken refuge in the main city, Abidjan. (BBC News)

ndia's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has promised an "impartial" inquiry into attacks on Nigerian students living in Noida, near Delhi. The attacks were prompted by the death of a local teenager due to a drug overdose. His parents blame Nigerian students for giving him the drugs. Five Nigerian students were attacked on Monday by crowds, while another was beaten by a mob inside a shopping mall.

Police say five people have been arrested over the attacks.

Swaraj said she had spo-

China calls for explanation after Paris Police fatally shoot national

F

rench Police said on Tuesday they opened an inquiry after a Chinese man was shot dead

by Police at his Paris home, triggering rioting in the French capital by members of the Chinese community and a sharp reaction from Beijing.

The shooting on Sunday, which led China's Foreign Ministry to call in a French diplomat, brought about a 100 members of the FrenchChinese community on to the streets in Paris's main Chinatown district on Monday night.

Some protesters threw projectiles outside the district's Police headquarters and a number of vehicles were torched in a confrontation with riot Police.

Media reports said a 56-year-old man of Chinese origin was shot dead at his home on Sunday night in

front of his family after Police were called to investigate an altercation with a neighbour.

Police said the man attacked Police with scissors, adding that an inquiry had been opened. The man's family, according to media reports, denied this and some media said he was holding scissors because he had been cutting fish.

Police said they questioned 35 people after Monday's street protests and three members of the Police were treated for slight injuries, they said.

In Beijing, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned a French diplomat to explain events.

It also sought a thorough investigation by French authorities and steps to be ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in France. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

Disaster in Australia after Cyclone Debbie

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Ivory Coast’s former Attacks on Nigerian students shock India First Lady Simone Gbagbo acquitted

court in Ivory Coast has acquitted the country's former First Lady, Simone Gbagbo, of crimes against humanity.

The charges related to the violence that followed the 2010 presidential poll when her husband, Laurent, refused to accept defeat to Alassane Ouattara.

The majority of the Judges dismissed the prosecution's argument that Simone Gbagbo, 67, headed a crisis cell and tried to buy weapons.

She is already serving a 20-year prison term for undermining State security.

15

ken to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and he had assured her of a "fair and impartial investigation into this unfortunate incident".

The attack on the student inside a popular shopping mall in Noida was recorded on mobile phone cameras by other shoppers and widely circulated on social media. The victim told Indian reporters he had been beaten with rods, bricks and knives. He said that no one had helped or even called the Police. The reactions have been mostly those of shame and outrage.(Excerpt from BBC News)

Thousands of people have been evacuated, many to temporary cyclone shelters

A

ustralian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has activated a disaster response plan after a powerful cyclone pummelled the north-east coast.

Cyclone Debbie caused major damage, torrential rain and power cuts to tens of thousands of homes.

Defence force helicopters and naval vessels carrying aid are to be despatched to Queensland.

Turnbull said one death had been confirmed but added that emergency crews had yet to assess the damage.

Cyclone Debbie made landfall between Bowen and Airlie Beach as a category four storm, whipping gusts of up to 263km/h (163mph).

It is moving inland as a tropical low storm but could cause more damage.

"Conditions have deteriorated rapidly," Turnbull told Parliament. "Take care and stay safe. Be prepared to shelter in place until Wednesday."

He said the Government would be urging insurance companies to be "compassionate" and supportive of people who had claims to make following the cyclone.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Mosul battle: US “may be responsible” for civilian deaths

A

US Army General has said coalition forces "probably" played a role in the March 17 air strike on west Mosul which may have killed more than 100 people.

Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend said the US had carried out air strikes in that part of Iraq on that day.

He said there was "at least a fair chance" the US

was responsible, in "an unintentional accident of war".

But he said it was also possible that so-called Islamic State (IS) had rigged the building with explosives.

A house in Mosul's western Jadida district was reportedly hit by an air strike targeting IS snipers and equipment.

Witnesses said IS had previously forced at least 140 civilians into the house

to be used as human shields, and had booby-trapped the building.

The US Army Chief of Staff, visiting Baghdad, echoed General Townsend's remarks, saying an investigation would create "some degree of certainty".

"It is very possible that Daesh blew up that building to blame it on the coalition in order to cause a delay in the offensive into Mosul and

cause a delay in the use of coalition airstrikes," General Mark Milley said, using an alternative name for IS. But he also admitted: "It is possible the coalition air strike did it." The Iraqi military has denied the loss of life was caused by a coalition air strike, saying it found "no sign" of a strike and instead found "a huge detonated booby-trapped vehicle" nearby. (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 News

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Auditor General requested to further probe D’Urban Park, other contracts – PAC Chairman

T

he Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has requested further probing be done by the Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma, into specific projects.

Among those projects is the D’Urban Park Project, for which the AG in his 2015 report listed some $36.5 million in Lotto funds being used for rehabilitative works.

This is according to PAC Chairman Irfaan Ali, during a recent interview with Guyana Times. Ali stated that these requests were in relation to follow-ups from the findings that had been included in the AG’s 2015 Report.

“The Auditor General would look at every aspect of Government accounting and expenditure, and his office would provide important information for various expenditures. So, most of the issues that are raised fall (within the purview of) the Auditor General 2015 Report,” he said. “But we know that at the PAC, we have discussed a number of entities and areas where the Auditor General would have been asked to do further work or complete specific audits. D’Urban Park, for example; the Mayor and

PAC Chairman Irfaan Ali

City Council; various aspects of the region administration; the Ministry of Public Infrastructure are some of the areas the Auditor General would be looking at.”

“It’s basically follow-ups to their responses from the last report. And in certain grey areas where the PAC would need additional information or where additional work could be done.”

D’Urban Park

In his 2015 report, the Auditor General had said that following checks on the accounts, it was found that while Government trans-

ferred $1 billion of the Lotto money to the Consolidated Fund in 2015, it held onto just over half a billion dollars to remain under the control of the Ministry of the Presidency and it spent $305 million on various activities.

According to a breakdown of the expenditure provided by the Auditor General, $36.5 million went towards the rehabilitation of D’Urban Park; $63.7 million went towards Mashramani celebrations; while another $51.5 million was utilised for ‘music’.

Other activities funded by the Ministry of the Presidency using the Lotto proceeds related to Emancipation and Amerindian Heritage celebrations among others.

The Auditor General did observe in his 2015 audit that “cash book and payment vouchers for 2015 to verify the details of the amounts spent were not presented for audit and the Deputy Accountant General explained that these were with the Forensic Auditor and had not been returned up to the time of the audit”.

Monies from the Lotto Fund being held by the President’s office was for

years a sore point for the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change when in the Opposition, since they were always adamant that all of the earnings constituted revenues of the State and should all be deposited into the treasury to be spent with parliamentary approval.

It was pointed out by Auditor General Sharma that while the Finance Ministry has budgeted for lottery receipts, expenditures continued to be met without parliamentary approval.

Sharma has since expressed his opinion that in this regard, spending utilising the proceeds of the national lottery should be accounted for by having a Supplementary Estimate passed in the National Assembly and recorded in the Public Accounts.

M&CC

On February 28, 2017, Town Clerk Royston King wrote to the Auditor General’s Office requesting an audit of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC). That request was taken up and according to Sharma, the audit would be two-fold, with a focus on stock and financials.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Police probing missing drugs...

FROM PAGE 7

Charity Hospital, another health institution in the Pomeroon/Supenaam,

has also been hit with drug shortages. According to reports, a shortage of essential

drugs has left patients with nothing but prescriptions to purchase the medication

privately.

And according to reports, children have predominantly been affected by this shortage. When Regional Health Officer Afarah Khan and a team of Regional councilors recently visited the Charity Health Centre, the doctor in charge reported that there were shortages of drugs primarily for infants.

The doctor reported that Panadol syrup and other baby medications were not in supply at the centre, and patients normally return to the centre in worse condition than they had been in previous visits, thus the situation needs to be remedied soonest.

In addition, Chairman of the Region’s Health and Sanitation Committee, Arnold Adams, had reported that a major drugs shortage exists at the Suddie Public Hospital, thus that institution is unable to supply the Charity Health Centre with drugs.

Adams had said that numerous unsuccessful requests were made to have the situation rectified, and he had called on the Public Health Ministry to intervene and have drugs supplied to the Suddie Public Hospital in a timely manner, as residents cannot afford to purchase over-thecounter medications.

When Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, had sought to explain her role in an attempt to sole source $605M in drugs from Ansa McAl; she had said that police had to be called in to deal with staff selling drugs to private pharmacies.

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Sabotaging the procurement system – betraying people's trust

R

egarding the $606 million illegal medicine procurement at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), can the Public Health Minister assure us that the medicines have been supplied 100 per cent? Can the Minister also explain why there are still severe shortages of medicines at the GPHC? The Auditor General must immediately investigate this transaction. The Procurement Dr Leslie Ramsammy Commission, homeless and sidelined as they are, ought to smell the stench from this cesspit. The Public Accounts Committee should insist on the Auditor General providing them with a timely report. A possible criminal act is begging for attention.

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) promised an open, transparent and accountable procurement system during the 2015 election campaign. Now, almost two years into their term, APNU/AFC, indeed, has transformed the procurement system, but has shamelessly transformed it into a corrupt enterprise. They have deliberately short-circuited the procurement system to benefit themselves and a few of their friends and political donors. Some of the extravagance and disregard for accountability reveal a shocking cesspit of corruption.

Recently, IPA, a company owned by an AFC donor, was awarded a contract to supply narcotic medicines for which that company had no import licence. Whether it was an open tender or a solesourced contract, IPA should have been deemed ineligible. This is not rocket science; as Sherlock Holmes would say, it is elementary.

Unfortunately, for APNU/AFC, such contracts are par for the course, political paybacks, in which power-drunk politicians instruct public officials to ignore laws. Incidentally, the company fraudulently claimed they were acting on behalf of another company which has a licence to import narcotic medicines. Clearly the company committed fraud and the APNU/AFC is complicit in the fraud. No one has been disciplined and people suffered, because in the end, the drugs were never supplied.

Sadly, this is just one example of a wild orgy of contracts where merits count for nothing and political affiliation is the only measure for granting favors with taxpayers money. Citizens whose trust has been betrayed immediately see that it is not simple political favours, but corruption with public officials, the “big ones”, filling their pockets. In less than two years APNU/AFC is wallowing in a cesspit of corrupt deals, too numerable for anyone to keep a track of.

Take this example that is well-known among many people. A certain political donor who lives in America was given a contract to supply fertilisers to the Guyana Sugar Corporation and to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) in late 2015-early 2016. He was being paid up-front with resources from the GRDB. This person had never been involved in the fertiliser trade. He was granted a sole-sourced contract not on his experience as a reliable supplier at a fair price, but on only one measure – he was a supporter and donor during the 2015 elections.

Take another example, a certain supporter of the AFC was given a huge contract, worth hundreds of millions, at the same time as the fertiliser contract to supply medicines. He did not have the funding and had no experience supplying medicines. He had never sold even an aspirin. Armed with a contract to supply medicines, he attempted to get funding from several persons and sought advice from people how to go about getting access to medicines. Eventually, he failed and this is one of the reasons why the public health sector continues to suffer from chronic medicine shortage. While the Public Health Ministry and the Ministers of APNU/AFC will try to obfuscate the issue by naming certain suppliers who did not supply medicines, they will not mention this contract. But this was the beginning of the mess.

The recent $606 million sole-sourced contract was justified on the basis that it was an emergency supply and that the beneficiary company, ANSA McCAL, had donated four refrigerators. Medicines worth $606 million cannot ever be an emergency purchase and a miserly donation of four refrigerators cannot provide justification for procuring medicines at grossly inflated prices. Grossly inflated prices cannot be justified on the basis of air-freights. If, indeed, a shortage was allowed to metastasise into such a huge shortage someone ought to be held responsible. The Minister knowingly disregarded the law and instructed a purchase in which emergency supplies were procured with an even larger non-emergency supplies.

These and myriad others of corrupt deals are direct betrayals of people’s trust. The open wounds are exacerbated by the insensitivity of APNU/AFC’s leadership when they defend and justify clearly corrupt deals. The Harmon announcement that there is no need to inquire into the Minister’s action is an insult to the Guyanese people. AFC’s announcement that they see no concern relating to the procurement and the Minister’s action betrays the trust people placed in them. A corrupt enterprise is abusing taxpayers rights and money, feel empowered and above accountability.

news

17

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

12 benefit from Former GuySuCo corneal transplants Chairman dies …touched everyone’s life – family A total of 12 corneal transplant surgeries were conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital over a one-week period.

The surgeries were supported by the Subraj Foundation Transplantation Team as they paid tribute to the late founder.

Following a number of visits to Guyana, the USbased team were able to contribute to one of the first mass corneal transplants in Guyana. Twelve Guyanese benefited from this philanthropic venture as the medical team were able to source and donate the corneas to be used in the transplants.

The group was unable to arrange a corneal transplant surgeon during this visit and as such, nine of the 12 transplants were done

by Dr Shailendra Sugrim, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology.

Dr Sugrim worked along with his local team of nurses in the ophthalmology theatre as the first Guyanese ophthalmic surgeon to have

recalls

F

Dr Shailendra Sugrim receiving the corneas from Tony Subraj, son of the founder of the Subraj Transplant Foundation

completed a corneal transplant in Guyana.

Corneal transplant surgeries cannot be performed without donor corneas.

There are proposals to establish an eye bank in Guyana to facilitate the sourcing and perseveration of these specimens locally.

Dr Stephen Waller, a surgeon who has worked in many countries, is the coordinating surgeon, and has been working dedicatedly over the past few months in

the USA to procure corneas to bring to Guyana. He is a strong advocate for the establishment of the eye bank for which the Georgetown Public Hospital has confirmed that one of the local eye surgeons, Dr Celeste Hinds will be proceeding on a three-month Cornea Fellowship training. On her return, the Department of Ophthalmology plans to proceed with the laying of the groundwork for establishing the eye bank in Guyana.

Auditor General requested...

FROM PAGE 16

There have been persistent calls for City Hall to be fully audited. Back in 2015, the M&CC had received two grants under the Communities Ministry’s Capital Programme for the “Georgetown Restoration Programme”, in addition to the “Emergency Solid Waste Management of Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill”.

Each multimillion-dollar grant was based on Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the Communities Ministry’s Permanent Secretary and the capital city’s Town Clerk.

According to the Auditor General’s Report, there were several “discrepancies” in the way the allotted

monies to the City Council were spent during the year.

According to reports, after examining 212 payment vouchers, a number of discrepancies were found, including hundreds of instances where there was no evidence of the payment vouchers being certified by the accountant or another authorised officer.

ormer Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chairman and Mashramani co-founder, Michael Anthony John Brassington who died on Sunday was remembered fondly by his family members.

“Mike”, as he was called, was said to have celebrated life and touched everyone’s lives. He was described as “selfless, generous and always present which can be attested by anyone who knew him”.

“He set a standard for which his children can only aspire to achieve, both personally and professionally, and he will be missed every day for the rest of their lives,” his family observed.

Brassington was born October 22, 1936 in Georgetown, the last of 10 children born to Edward and Walterine Brassington.

His career had its genesis in banking, with him last being the Assistant Guyana Manager of Barclays Bank. He moved on to found Guyana Refrigerators Limited (GRL) and Ideal, where he served as Managing Director from 1980 to 2017.

He also served as head of the Barge Inquiry and also on numerous Boards such as Bitco.

Other notable achievements included a post as presidential adviser to then President Hugh Desmond Hoyte. In 1969, “Mike” was one of the founding members to introduce Mashramani to the Guyanese people in Linden. Today, Mashramani is an annual celebration that we Guyanese

Former GuySuCo Chairman and Mashramani co-founder, Michael Brassington

people look forward to every year.

He was an avid golfer and spent most of his Saturdays at the Lusignan Golf Club as a player and President for over 20 years. He also loved to ride the numerous motorcycles he owned over the years.

Brassington passed away on Sunday and leaves behind his wife of 48 years, Gloria, and his four children, Lucianna, Michael Jr, Marilu and Paul, and his son-in-law, Xavier and his two grandchildren, Eva and Luc.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017

ARCHIE

Engage in something new and exciting. Trust in your (March 21- ability to get things done.

April 19) Don’t fear competition or fold under pressure. Stand tall and do your own thing.

ARIES

If you get out and particiTAURUS pate, you will become aware (April 20- of current situations influencMay 20) ing your community. Getting involved will give you a voice and help you make a difference.

dilbert

You can only hide for so GEMINI long.

Deal with issues before (May 21matters spin out of control.

June 20) Don’t let pride stand between you and doing what’s right.

Become the solution, not the problem.

Rely on the people who have never let you down.

(June 21- Trust will be required if you July 22) want to avoid situations that could potentially make you look bad. Listen carefully and respond cautiously.

CANCER

Peanuts

Use your intelligence to LEO bring about positive change.

(July 23Your ability to find solutions Aug. 22) and get things done will give you an edge over your professional rivals.

Calvin and Hobbes

WORD GAME

Look for opportunities VIRGO to learn something new and (Aug. 23make new acquaintances.

Sept. 22) Educational pursuits or indepth conversations at networking functions will give you the substance required to make upcoming decisions.

If you want to keep the LIBRA peace, be willing to put in (Sept. 23more effort on the domesOct. 23) tic front. Put greater emphasis on nurturing relationships and maintaining equality.

SUDOKU

Don’t dismiss your intuSCORPIO ition. If something doesn’t feel (Oct. 24right to you, take action and Nov. 22) get to the bottom of the situation quickly. Your concerns will be valid. Act now.

Step it up a notch and SAGITTARIUS show everyone what you have (Nov. 23- to offer. Your magnetism and Dec. 21) presentation will be difficult to resist. Opportunity knocks, and positive changes are within reach.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Overdoing it in any CAPRICORN way will cause problems.

(Dec. 22Overspending, excessive beJan. 19) havior or taking on too much will lead to added stress, long hours and a need for damage control. Be smart, not sorry.

Monetary gains will come AQUARIUS from an unexpected source.

(Jan. 20Invest in yourself, your skills Feb. 19) and your standard of living.

Love and romance will enhance your life.

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

Rely on your uniqueness PISCES to reach your goals. Being (Feb. 20observant will help you put March 20) your life in perspective. Make choices based on facts, experience and your particular skill set.

wednesDAY, march 29, 2017

India take series after 8-wicket drubbing A

jinkya Rahane sent a 146kph bouncer from Pat Cummins flying into the crowd at midwicket and, next ball, slapped another short one over the cover fence while backing

Virat Kohli receives the ICC Test mace from Sunil Gavaskar

away. These were the blows that finally snuffed out the last of Australia's fight, and sealed once and for all India's victory in this most bewitching of BorderGavaskar series.

Australia entered the fourth morning with only the scantest of hopes, defending a mere 87 runs and needing 10 wickets. This did not mean that contest was over, as Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins fired the ball down with pace and venom after a night's refreshment.

The loss of M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara - the latter run out by a brilliant throw from Glenn Maxwell - kept Australia hoping. But KL Rahul and Rahane responded with bold blows to settle the matter.

The win in Dharamsala ended India's marathon home Test season with four series victories out of four,

Silva, Deulofeu seal win for Spain — as video technology enjoys another successful trial

V

Ajinkya Rahane was in an aggressive mood

and also means that the team pres- Certainly Ultra Edge indicated as ently holds series honours over ev- much, but only Wade raised the most ery other nation in the five-day game. half-hearted of appeals. More straightRahane's stand-in captaincy, in the ab- forward was another edge in Cummins' sence of the injured Virat Kohli, had next over, near enough to an action rebeen vital to this achievement, so too play of Vijay's first-innings dismissthe runs of Rahul, the pace of Umesh al, which offered a glimmer of light for Yadav and the all-round contribution Australia.

Genuine excitement followed when of Ravindra Jadeja. There will be great satisfaction derived also from the fact Pujara and Rahul hesitated fatally in that Dharamsala offered conditions taking a quick single to the right arm of Maxwell, who threw down middle more familiar to the tourists.

For that reason, among others, stump to send Pujara on his way with Steven Smith's team were left to pon- 60 still needed. In those moments the der a string of missed opportunities Australians wondered briefly what after their vast opening win in Pune. might be possible, and the Indian viewThere have been times in all three ing area tensed up like with so many Tests since that the Australians have teams chasing a pesky small target in looked very much in control of proceed- the past. ings, but they have been unable to stay But Rahane and Rahul barely put on the mountaintop under pressure a foot out of place in the overs that from an Indian side roused into action followed, accumulating steadily until Cummins elected to go around the by the shock of that first-up hiding.

As the ball continued to bounce and wicket for the tourists' final effort. swerve when India resumed their pur- Rahane's riposte, the first impressively suit of a modest target today, Australia's orthodox, the second more redolent of fielders must have wondered what the forthcoming IPL, said much about might have been with another 100 or so India's admirable resilience in the runs to defend. Josh Hazlewood went face of a most unexpected challenge.

(ESPNCricinfo) up for a pair of vociferous lbw appeals against Vijay in the opening over, but on both occasions the opener Extras (b-4, lb-5) 9 Australia 1st innings 300 got the merest of Total (2 wickets; 23.5 overs)106 India 1st innings 332 bat to ball before it Did not bat KK Nair, R Ashwin, Australia 2nd innings137 struck the pad.

WP Saha†, RA Jadeja, B Kumar, India 2nd innings (target: At the other Kuldeep Yadav, UT Yadav 106 runs; overnight 19/0) end Cummins sent Fall of wickets 1-46 (Vijay, 13.1 51 KL Rahul not out a bouncer down ov), 2-46 (Pujara, 13.6 ov) M Vijay c †Wade b the leg side that Bowling PJ Cummins 8-2Cummins 8 may have touched 42-1, JR Hazlewood 6-2CA Pujara run out (Maxwell) 0 Vijay's gloves be14-0, SNJ O’Keefe 4.5-1AM Rahane* not out 38 22-0, NM Lyon5-0-19-0 fore being taken on the juggle by Matthew Wade.

Messi banned for insulting assistant referee Lionel Messi was angered late in the game after being penalised for a foul

19

SCOREBOARD

L

ionel Messi was banned for four international matches just five and a half hours before Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia kicked off.

The Barcelona forward was punished for directing “insulting words” at an assistant referee during Thursday’s 1-0 win over Chile.

Messi, who scored the only goal in the qualifier, was angered when he was penalised for a foul, waving and shouting at the assistant in response.

The 29-year-old was fined £8,100.

He will miss his country’s next four competitive fixtures.

Argentina are third in South American qualifying, with the top four teams advancing to next summer’s finals in Russia. There are five matches still to play. (BBC Sport)

ideo technology was twice used to good effect as Spain defeated France 2-0 in a friendly match in Saint-Denis.

David Silva and Gerard Deulofeu scored second-half goals to secure a 2-0 victory for Spain in a keenly contested friendly match with France on Tuesday.

The duo made the difference following their introduction from the bench after Antoine Griezmann had seen a goal correctly ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which was deployed in successful fashion in Saint-Denis.

Both teams named strong starting XIs for the encounter, with France handing a first start to rising Monaco star Kylian Mbappe and a debut for Corentin Tolisso, while the visitors made only four changes to the side that started the 4-1 World Cup qualifying win over Israel last Friday.

Mbappe and Spain captain Andres Iniesta came closest to opening the scoring before Griezmann saw a header ruled out early in the second half after the referee consulted with the VAR, which was first used in an international match in France’s 3-1 friendly win over Italy last September.

A clumsy challenge from Laurent Koscielny on Deulofeu allowed Silva to score his 30th international goal from the spot, before Deulofeu doubled the lead with his maiden Spain strike at the end

Spain’s dominance

of a superb passing move, with the VAR again used to good effect after the linesman initially raised the offside flag.

The defeat is France’s first at home – excluding Euro 2016 – since a 4-3 loss to Belgium in June 2015, while Spain have now won six of their eight matches under head coach Julen Lopetegui.

Mbappe needed just five minutes of his first start to test David de Gea in the Spain goal, his flicked effort from Layvin Kurzawa’s cross kept out of the net by the foot of the Manchester United man.

Gerard Pique hooked a promising Koscielny header away, but Didier Deschamps’ men were being forced increasingly deeper as Spain began to assume control of possession.

Lopetegui’s side were looking the more likely to break the deadlock. Iniesta brought a good low save out of Hugo Lloris at his near post after a fine pass from Pedro, before Isco shot into the arms of the France skipper from 20 yards out.

Griezmann thought he had snatched the lead for the home side just after half-time, heading beyond De Gea after Kurzawa nodded down Christophe Jallet’s delivery, but the goal was disallowed for offside after the referee consulted with the video assistant.

Felix Zwayer referred the decision – even as France players celebrated with Griezmann – before awarding Spain a free-kick and the footage confirmed that both the Atletico Madrid forward and Kurzawa had strayed beyond the last defender when Jallet crossed the ball. Mbappe sliced a half-chance wide after working space inside the area, but Spain were gifted the breakthrough in the 68th minute by a clumsy piece of play from the hosts.

Tiemoue Bakayoko’s pass was cut out by substitute Deulofeu and when Koscielny clumsily bundled the AC Milan loanee to the ground, Silva stepped up to sweep the penalty kick confidently into the bottom-right corner.

France pushed for a leveller, but a stylish counter-attack from Spain put the result beyond them. Sublime skill from Sergio Busquets allowed Silva and Jordi Alba to combine down the left and the Barcelona full-back’s low cross was tapped into the net by Deulofeu, who had escaped Samuel Umtiti.

The linesman ruled that Deulofeu had scored from an offside position, but the VAR once more ensured the correct call was made, as the video showed the winger had just managed to remain level before converting from eight yards out.(Sportsmax)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

WednesDAY, march 29, 2017

UG/Inter faculty Track & Field Championship

Education & Humanities dethrone Social Sciences T

he Leonora Track and Field Facility, West Coast Demerara was in uproar on Friday last as the Faculty of Education and Humanities proved that their challenge for the Champion Trophy at the Inter faculty Track & Field Championship of the University of Guyana (UG) was not just talk but was able to walk the walk.

At the end of the day, the newly crowned champions had amassed a total of 238 points, comfortably ahead of second placed, Social

third with 161 points while Technology accumulated 143 points to secure fourth position.

The Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry on 100 points, Faculty of Earth & Environmental Sciences had 79 points, Faculty of Natural Sciences with 50 points and the Faculty of Health on 46 points.

Completed the point standings.

The charge for the winners was led by the females who won their segment of the competition with the

The Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry were adjudged the most uniformed faculty during the march past

Science with 218 points.

The Berbice contingent from UG Berbice Campus was also in the mix, placing

men being third in their category. The Faculty of Technology won the male segment but with no partic-

ipation coming from the distaff side their overall position was fourth.

Rayon Abrams of the Faculty of Technology was crowned the sprint king with wins in the 100m, 200m & 400m while on the distaff side Kezia Bess of the faculty of Education & Humanities was crowned sprint queen with wins in the 100m, 200m & 400m.

However their performances were not enough to garner the champion athlete positions with the champion male athlete being Osafa DosSantos and Fiona Mentis both of the Faculty of Education & Humanities.

DosSantos gained 33 points with wins in the Discus, Shotput, was second in the Javelin and fourth in the High Jump with Mentis being victorious in the Long Jump, High Jump and placing second in the 100m and 200m.

The salute of the March Past, which was accompanied by the Corp of Band from the Guyana Defence Force, was taken by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr. Michael Scott, the Registrar, Nigel Gravesande and representing the defending champions was Sydney Armstrong.

We are the champions! Faculty of Education and Humanities members are overjoyed after winning the annual championships last Friday at Leonora

The Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry was adjudged the most uniformed faculty on parade with the Faculty of Social Sciences having the largest contingent. The Best Banner on parade was awarded to both the Faculty of Earth & Environmental

Sol Campbell

for regional tourney T

Cooper, Shenelle Lord, Stacy Ann King, Reniece Boyce, Kirbyina Alexander, Lee Ann Kirby, Karishma Ramharack, Rachael Vincent, Caneisha Isaac,

sit back against Mexico,

warns Campbell N

ewly appointed Trinidad and Tobago assistant coach Sol Campbell insists the Caribbean team will be looking to play its game against regional powerhouse Mexico when the teams meet in another crucial World Cup qualifier in Port of Spain on Tuesday.

Fresh off a much-needed win on Friday against Central American team Panama, a first of the campaign, T&T will look to keep momentum going with a result against the region’s top team. According to Campbell, however, that will not entail sitting back, despite the Mexican team’s famed reputation as a powerful attacking unit. The Mexicans easily disposed of early leaders Costa Rica 2-0 to take over leadership of the group in a match that was also played on Friday.

“If you’ve got the ball, the other team is running,” the former England defender told ESPNFC. “We’re definitely going to try to stamp our authority on that kind of side, but also understanding that [Mexico’s] players are very good players and you’ve got to be conscious of that.”

Interestingly, the twin-island republic boast a decent home record against Mexico, having lost just one of the last five World Cup qualifiers against El Tri in T&T; the team has managed to win two and drawn two games during that time. The teams have played to high scoring draws in their last two encounters.(Sportsmax)

The T&T Red Force Divas are defending champions in both the 50-over and T20 formats

petitive.

The full squad reads; Merissa Aguilleira (Captain), Anisa Mohammed (Vice captain), Felicia Walters, Britney

athletes to compete in the best of conditions The event was managed by the Athletics Association of Guyana and marked the first time the event was hosted at Guyana’s only National Track and Field Facility.

T&T won’t

Strong Divas squad selected he Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Divas will be heading to the West Indies Cricket Board Women’s tournament with a very strong and experienced team. This year’s tournament is being played in St. Vincent and the Grenadines from April 16 to May 1 with the 50-over and Twenty20 formats being contested.

Merissa Aguilleira, 31, will be captaining Trinidad and Tobago once again with Anisa Mohammed as her vice-captain. Britney Cooper, a veteran of 37 OneDay Internationals and 49 Twenty20 Internationals for the West Indies provides an attacking flair to the batting lineup which also includes Shenelle Lord, Stacy Ann King and Kirbyina Alexander.

The Red Force Divas are the double champions having won the Super50 and T20 tournaments last year in Guyana. The Super50 was badly hampered by rain while the T20s that were played at the national stadium at Providence were com-

Sciences and the Faculty of Social Sciences.

In declaring the sports open, Dr. Scott noted the historic significance of the event being hosted at the Leonora Track & Field Stadium and the opportunity it afforded the student

Shanice Pascall and Kamara Ragoobar. The Manager is Marjorie Thomas, Gerald Garcia is the coach while Wayne Samuel is the Trainer.

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21

Faye Joseph International Domino Tournament 2017

Registration

closes on Friday

— winning team will pocket $1M

R

egistration for the third edition of Faye Joseph and Stag Beer Annual International Domino Tournament will close on Friday March 31.

The tournament will be run from April 14 to 17 in two categories. The individual tournament is referred to as the Pull-A-Rama and will be played on April 14 with a registration fee of US$10 or G$2,000 per person.

In the team category, cash and other incentives in excess of $2 million will be up for grabs with more than 100 local and international teams expected to participate in the event.

The winners will walk away with a cash prize of

dominoes and I would like to encourage them all to come on board.”

The event has received major sponsorship from Digicel and the telecommunication giant was represented by Luanna Abrahams at the launch. “Of course, Digicel is pleased to be on board with this event. As a corporate sponsor, we pride ourselves in diversifying sponsorship initiatives, and of course, particularly in the area of sport, we try to lend support in every discipline, so we are happy to be on board with GDA in sponsoring some of the prizes.

We wish you guys success in planning and executing and we look forward to a

Head Table at the launch of Faye Joseph Annual International Domino Tournament. Front from left: GDA Vice President Rodwell Phillips, Digicel Representative Luanna Abrahams, GDA President Faye Joseph, Master of Ceremony Orin Boston, GDA Secretary Barbara Marshall and GDA Committee Member Jane Chase. Back row: GDA Senior Organising Secretary Mark Wiltshire and Assistant Organising Secretary Kevin Boston

$1,000,000, while the second to fourth-place finishers will receive $500,000, $300,000 and $200,000 respectively.

Teams are expected to pay a registration fee of US$200 or G$40,000 and will receive two cases of Stag Beer upon registration.

The Tournament, which is entering its third year, was officially launched Wednesday March 1 at Faye Joseph’s residence at Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt.

At the launch, Joseph, who is the President of the Georgetown Domino Association (GDA), urged all teams to get involved in the event to make it a significant occasion. “It is the tournament for this event and we would like to invite Ministry teams, Private Sector teams and even the people who play at the shops, because it is all

good tournament.”

The Tournament will be played under an Accumulated Points System using a “Zone Sequence”. On the opening day, April 14, the event will commence with an individual competition, PullA-Rama starting 19:00h at Faye Joseph’s residence at Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt.

Meanwhile, from 9:00h on April 15, the team event will get underway. Apart from the major prizes, there will be medals, trophies and other cash prizes for best female, first love, etc.

All team games will be held at the National Gymnasium.

For more information contact GDA President Faye Joseph on 685-1009 or the Association’s Vice President, Rodwell Phillips on 648-9000, or email rlpmoose@yahoo.com.

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednESdAY, march 29, 2017

Brighto Paints presents Q Mobile ODI Series, Providence

GHB/Smalta U-14 Indoor Hockey…

Garnett Street whip Ticket sale begins today GCC Thunder Bolt

T

hree heart stopping One Day Internationals (ODI) are heading to Guyana in just under two weeks and tickets are set to go on sale from today at the Guyana Cricket Board’s office located at the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, Regent Road, Bourda.

With the first T20I at the Kensington Oval done and dusted, the other three will be played in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago before the teams shift their attention to the three ODIs in Guyana.

All the matches that will be played at the National Stadium Providence will be day games beginning at 09:30h on Friday April 7, Sunday April 9 and Tuesday April 11.

These tickets will go at a cost of $4,000 for Red and

Green Stand, $3,000 for Orange Stand and $2,000 for the Grass mound. Vehicle passes are also available at the cost of $1000 for each day. The ticket office at the GCB office will be opened daily from 09:00 to 17:00h and is the only authorized ticket centre at the moment. The ticket office at the National Stadium will be used closer to match days as was indicated by Paul “DJ Stress” Bonar.

According to Bonar, who is at the forefront of ticket sales, “when the T20s are behind us on Sunday, the teams will arrive in Guyana on Monday afternoon with practice sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.”

The last time the Pakistanis were in the land of many waters was back in 2013 for two ODIs. In the

first match, Pakistan won by 126 runs with Shahid Afridi collecting 7-12 with the ball and making 76 with the bat.

In the second encounter, West Indies bounced back to win by 37 runs.

Providence last hosted international cricket with West Indies, South Africa and Australia played three One Day Internationals in a Tri-nation series in June 2016.

While West Indies have not yet revealed their squad while Pakistan squad reads: Sarfraz Ahmed (c/ wk), Ahmed Shehzad, Asif Zakir, Babar Azam, Fahim Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz.

RHTY&SC congratulate Pestano on 1st Class debut

T

he Patron, Management and Members of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S would like to offer profound congratulations to Clinton Pestano on his selection to the Guyana franchise team for the First Class match against Barbados Pride in the ongoing Digicel Regional Four-Day Tournament.

Pestano, who is the Vice-Captain of the Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets First Division Clinton Pestano team, became the eight member of the RHTY&SC, M.S to represent Guyana at the senior level following in the footsteps of players like Assad Fudadin, Esuan Crandon, Royston Crandon, Andre Percival, Rajiv Ivan, Eon Hooper and Delbert Hicks.

Over the years Pestano has represented Guyana at the Under 15 and Under 19 levels and has developed into a fine all-rounder who can change the course of any game with both bat and ball. A dedicated RHTY&SC, M.S member, he has matured into a disciplined and committed cricketer. Pestano is a positive role model to every junior cricketer at the Club and on a constant basis assist them with words of advice on how to improve themselves on and off the cricket field. His Guyana section is just rewards

for his hard work and all of us at the RHTY&SC are confident that this is the start of a long journey representing Guyana and hopefully the West Indies in the near future. As we have always done, the Club would like to remind him of our formula for success – hard work, honesty, dedication, and faith in the God we believe in and belief in the work we do.

The RHTY&SC would also like to also publicly acknowledge the contribution of the official sponsors of our cricket section – (Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Bakewell, Pepsi (DDL), Metro Office Supplies, Gizmos and Gadgets) for their huge input into the careers of players like Eon Hooper and Clinton Pestano. We would forever be grateful for their sponsorship as their assistance has resulted in Fudadin, Hooper, Pestano, Erva Giddings and Shemaine Campbelle either representing Guyana or the West Indies in 2017.

Pestano is currently in contention to receive the prestigious RHTY&SC, M.S Cricketer of the Year Award at our 27th annual awards ceremony on the 23rd of April. Congrats Clinton Pestano you have made all of us proud at the Club and please be assured of our continued love and prayers.

A

Action in the Under-14 Smalta indoor tournament

s the Guyana Hockey Board’s Smalta Under 14 Indoor Hockey League winds down, Garnett Street were on fire last Friday, whipping GCC Thunder Bolts 12-0.

The Garnett Street boys were red hot at the St. Stanislaus College auditorium with half of their goals coming from the stick of Baraka Garnett. In the second minute of play, Samuel Garnett had already found the back of the net with Baraka scoring three minutes later. Samuel then returned to score his second while Tahrea Garnett and Jamal December contributed one goal each, all within the span of two minutes, closing the first half of the 20 minute battle with Garnett Street leading 5-0.

The second half saw

Baraka scoring two more times before Michael D’Andrade slotted in his first goal. Tahrea scored again in the 17th minute before Baraka scored in the 18th and 19th to signal the GCC Thunderbolts’ demise.

In the Girls division, GCC Challengers played Saints Hockey Club (SHC) Sensations to a tight 4-4 draw with Sensations throwing away a game they could have easily won.

Genesia Samuels opened up the door for Sensations with Abosaide Cadogan equalizing within seconds, however, Kiera Williams ensured a lead was on the cards for Sensations by scoring a minute later and then scoring once more to close the first half 3-1.

But in the second half, Sensations allowed

Challengers to score three valuable goals, two of which came from Cadogan and one from Tamar Bhagwandin.

In the other matches, SHC Silencers stole a 2-0 victory over Hikers in the other girls match while the top two teams, SHC Scalpels maintained their top ranking with a 2-1 win over second placed St. Joseph High.

SHC Scorchers burned GCC War Dogs 7-1 with Oshazay Savory registering a hat trick. Hikers Hatchet was victorious over GCC Thunderbolts, who suffered their second defeat, this time 6-2. SHC Samurai made light work of War dogs who folded for 3-0.

The action resumes Friday where the tournament gets into the business end at St. Joseph High.

GCB/DMLAS/MOE/NSSCL

Berbice, GeorgetownMahaicony collide at Bourda

T

he Georgetown Cricket Club ground, will host a high profile semifinals, when some of the best players from the GeorgetownMahaicony District, clash with this years’ top performers from Berbice in the Guyana Cricket Board/Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society/ Ministry Of Education/National Secondary Cricket School League combined Phase match, today.

The Berbice side includes nine players with national youth experience, these includes middle order batsmen Kevlon Anderson and Garfield Benjamin, wicket keeper Junior Sinclair, All-rounders Seon Glasgow (off spin) Leon Swammy and Geevon Shultz (Right arm fast bowlers) and left arm orthodox spinners, Kelvin Umroa, Nikeen Noble and Nigel Deodat.

The squad also includes off spinner Melvin Singh, this year’s Berbice Under-15 Inter County captain Marvan Prashad, sensational opening batsman Alex Algu, Antonio

Kevlon Anderson receiving the Man-of-Match trophy for his performance in the GCB/DMLAS/MOE/NSSCL Inter-School Finals

February, Dinanauth Persaud, Christopher Harry and Nicholas Heywood.

The GeorgetownMahaicony Combined team will come from the likes of West Indies Under-15 players Ashmead Nedd, Sachin Singh, and Qumar Torrington, national youth players Alphius Bookie, wicket Keeper/ batsman Yudister Persaud, and All Rounder Dwayne Dick

(off spinner), also making up the squad are Adrian Hinds, fast bowler Dequan Bamfield, Juspice Jones (right arm leg spinners), Joel Spooner, Osapho Greene, Nkosi Beaton, Devon Allen and Ghamshan Premsham.

Today’s winners will take on Essequibo Combined at the GCC ground on Friday March 31, from 09:30h.

23

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Guyana to host U-20 SA c/ships the opportunity for us to bid for more international championships including the PanAm Games or even the Commonwealth Games, highlighting that this is just a stepping stone for us and we have to ensure that we are up to standard when it comes to putting on a good show.

This championship will be held on June 3 and 4. Members of the South American competition committee will be visiting Guyana shortly, even as early as within the next two weeks to inspect and assist in the preparation for the championships.

By Romario Samaroo

G

uyana’s National Track and Field Faculty at Leonora, West Coast Demerara will be set ablaze as the country is expected to host the South American Under-20 Championships in June.

This comes on the heels of Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President, Aubrey Hutson’s trip to Brazil for the Consudatle Congress which is hosted in Sao Paulo.

By virtue of this announcement, Hutson noted that the country is expected to have an influx of intense competition, something that we have seen over the years but only to be increased at a rapid rate as the world class facility will be on show.

When Guyana Times Sport contacted the man at the helm of the AAG, he was in high spirits as he unfolded a list of the positives that can be found from this hosting.

“We have to throw our hat in the ring and show the

Leonora will see an invasion of international athletes on June 3-4

world that we are here and we are ready. I see a lot of positives coming from this like exposure; our athletes will be exposed to international competition, something some of them may not have been seen by them before, we saw when we brought two Peruvians and the high level of competition they brought and challenged Cleveland Forde.

Also it will test our athletes, the Shantoba Bright and company especially on home soil. I think this will also be a good way for our fans to see international athletes without travelling and see where our athletes are and actually judge for their own,” the AAG boss said.

Hutson went on to say that this will also create

Star Party Rentals joins Petra Futsal Championship

Sizzling Horse Racing

& Duck Curry competition

fixed for KMTC

Petra Organisation representative Mark Allen (second from right) collecting the sponsorship cheque from Star Party Rentals Pheona Jones in the presence of Petra Organisation CoDirector Troy Mendonca (right) and Star Party Rentals representative Colwin Vyphius

A The thrills of horse racing action will once again take to the Kennard Memorial Turf Club on Sunday

T

his Sunday, the Kennard Memorial Turf Club is set to host another high profile horse racing meet when they present the Raj Ramchartar Construction Enterprise Horse Race and Duck Curry competition at Bush Lot Farm on the Corentyne.

Eight heart racing meets are carded for the day of action with the programme beginning with the L-Non Horner who will gallop over five furlongs for a top payout of $80,000. Second place will take home $40,000 while third and fourth will receive $20,000 and $10,000. Entries are set at $9,000.

The K-Non Winners from March 1, 2016 will then match speed in the five-furlong sprint for $120,000.

Second-fourth will take home $60,000, $30,000 and $20,000 respectively with the entry fee being $12,000.

After those two races, the highlight event will see a payout of $240,000 to the horse who crosses the six furlongs the fastest in the H1 and Lower class.

However, the second placed horse will not leave empty handed but with $120,000 as third and fourth receives $60,000 and $30,000 respectively. $24,000 will be required to enter this race.

In the I and Lower event, horses will go a six furlongs distance for $160,000 and entry setting at $18,000.

Also on the programme, J1 and Lower and L- Non Winner from March 1, 2016 will go across five furlongs for $140,000 and $100,000 respectively before the fea-

tured race for $450,000 in the E1 and Lower class.

These horses will cover a distance of seven furlongs with entry set at $45,000.

Additionally, there will be a three years old Guyana bred race with details still to be finalized.

Those desirous of entering can do so by contacting Raj (654-1189), George (6892203), Ivan (331-0316) or Dennis (640-6396).

Meanwhile, lots of attention will be in the tantalizing duck curry competition that will run simultaneously with the horse races and both events will be followed by a massive after party with Crown Vibes Sound Company providing the musical entertainment. To enter the Duck Curry competition kindly contact Stanley on 686-4349.

dding to Banks DIH under their GT Beer brand, Star Party Rentals became the latest corporate entity to support the Petra Organization Futsal Championship.

The disclosure was made on Tuesday at the company’s Craig Street, Campbellville location, where they donated the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Highest Goal Scorer and Best Goalkeeper prizes.

The MVP of the championship will pocket $50,000 and a trophy, while the Highest Goal Scorer and Best Goalkeeper will walkway with $25,000 each and the respective accolades.

Petra Organization Co-Director Troy Mendonca said “On behalf of the Petra Organization, the football nation and the competing communities, we want to thank Lennox Cush and Star Party Rentals for their timely donation to the Petra Organization Futsal Championship.”

According to Mendonca, “We want to applaud their continued support for the sporting fraternity and their social responsibility.

We know for sure this contribution will go a long way in the tournament.”

He further added that the competing teams should be applauded for their organization and the discipline displayed throughout the championship. The tournament which is being staged at the National Gymnasium, will resume tomorrow with the final six group fixtures.

Upon the end of the round-robin stage, the top two finishers and the best two third ranked teams from the respective groups

will progress to the quarterfinal phase.

Winner of the tournament will collect $400,000 and the championship trophy while the runner-up will pocket $200,000 and the corresponding accolade.

The third and fourth place finishers will collect $100,000 and $50,000 respectively and the respective accolade. The event is slated to conclude on April 15th.

Current Point Standings Group-A Team

GP W

GD

Pts.

Back Circle

2

1

0

L

D 1

GF GA 5

4

+1

4

Tigerbay

2

1

0

1

5

4

+1

4

Sparta Boss

2

1

1

0

3

3

0

3

Agricola

2

0

2

0

2

4

-2

0

Group-B Team

GP W

L

D

GF GA

GD

Pts.

West F/Road

2

2

0

0

4

0

+4

6

Tucville

2

1

1

0

5

4

+1

3

North East

2

1

1

0

2

2

0

3

West B/Road

2

0

2

0

2

7

-5

0

Group-C Team Sophia

GP W 2

L

D

GF GA

2

0

0

7 2

GD Pts. +5

6

Bent Street

2

1

0

1

11 3

+8

4

Broad Street

2

0

1

1

4

5

-1

1

Albouystown

2

0

2

0

1

13

-12

0

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana to host U-20 SA c/ships Pg 23

AAG President Aubrey Hutson (left) along with President of the Consudatle, Roberto Gesta De Melo and Vice President Wilfredys Leon

Brighto Paints presents Q Mobile ODI Series, Providence

Ticket sale begins today

Pg 22

Providence Stadium is set to host three One-Day Internationals

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