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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Clive Thomas to remain SARA Head …as transition can drag on for 12 months guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3189

Saturday, April 22, 2017

PRICE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Ed Ahmad jailed for 2 years for mortgage fraud

Page 3

Assassination of President plot

Police ordered to clarify witness’s statement Page 9

$80 vat included

Stabroek Wharf

Over 500 vendors, minibus operators to be relocated

AG to probe City Hall's P7 parking meter arrangement

Page 9

GPF hosts emergency preparedness exercises Sugar workers continue protest against closure of estates P9

…GAWU vows continued protest actions

Page 17 The Guyana Police Force on Friday hosted a series of exercises to assess its level of preparation to respond to emergency cases. In composite photo, the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit displays its skills in a staged rescue exercise (Carl Croker photo)

Hubu to get new pump station

…as GWI apologises to residents

Sister charged for brother’s murder P10

End-of-Year report

Manufacturing plunge worse than Govt's projection Page 2

...following unaddressed challenges in sugar, rice sectors

Woman charged for smuggling ganja to lover in P16 prison

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

End-of-Year report

Manufacturing plunge worse than Govt's projection ...following unaddressed challenges in sugar, rice sectors

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he Finance Ministry’s recently released end-of-year Outcome Report has recorded even bleaker statistics on the nation’s manufacturing sector than Minister Winston Jordan’s 2017 budget had projected.

The report, which covers the year 2016, contains revised projections from those presented in budget 2017. It stated that the manufacturing sector contracted by 9.5 per cent and not the 7.1 per cent Jordan had announced in November.

The decline in the manufacturing sector was linked to the shrinking production in agriculture. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on sugar and rice production, a fact that Jordan had acknowledged last month at a press conference.

“Very little manufacturing activity takes place in

Guyana… The last (time) I looked at manufacturing without sugar and rice milling, (it contributed) a mere five per cent to GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which is very low,” Jordan had told journalists at the press conference.

The Finance Ministry has revealed that, overall, the agriculture and fishing and forestry sectors had contracted by 10.4 per cent in 2016. According to the report, this is 0.9 per cent more than the rate projected at the time the 2017 Budget was presented.

“Sugar production contracted even further than projected in November 2016, as the industry underestimated the negative impacts of late planting of the second crop on production.

In addition, the late arrival of spare parts for factories negatively affect-

Finance Minister Winston Jordan during his budget presentation

ed the processing stage of production,” the report revealed.

At his 2016 end-ofyear press conference, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder had explained that sugar production for the year had been plagued by poor labour turnout; lack of spares; equipment shortages, in particular cane punts;

and factory breakdowns in the sector.

He had also revealed that the shortage of skills and experience, in addition to underinvestment in the industry, was taking its toll.

The 2016 second crop had started late as a result of the wet conditions which succeeded the drought.

Holder had said that the

Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) would be unable to harvest all its cane before the end of the year.

But the Government has also embarked on a deliberate plan to downsize production in the industry, with profitability being cited as a reason. Following a visit from an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, Government had been warned of the social impact from making these and other decisions.

Rice production has also performed worse than projected. This has been blamed on lower-than-expected yields and acreage, all related to late planting.

Rice farmers currently face a myriad of challenges, which include insufficient supply of water in their fields, the El Niño weather phenomenon, combating paddy bugs, and fiscal matters such as late payments

and indebtedness.

Farmers also have to contend with fertiliser and pesticide prices.

Farmers have stated that they have not been afforded the prices they were once offered by the previous Government to assist them in offsetting their overhead expenses.

Since the loss of the Venezuelan oil-for-rice agreement with Guyana in 2015, farmers have not been getting the lucrative prices they were once paid per bag of paddy.

Farmers in Region Two recently voiced their dissatisfaction about the prices offered by millers, which range from $1800 to $2400 for grades A and B paddy.

The end-of-year report has however stated that fishing and other crops were the only industries in the agriculture sector to experience positive growth.

Police get stationery donation from P&P Insurance

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud receiving the donation from P&P Insurance Brokers Director Vickash Panday on Friday

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hirty-nine members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who are currently attending the University of Guyana and the Nations University have received a donation of stationery and other paraphernalia from P&P Insurance Brokers, located at North Road and King Street in Georgetown.

The presentation was made on Friday morning by P&P Director Vickash Panday to Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud at the GPF Conference Room at Eve Leary, Georgetown.

The beneficiary ranks and second-in-command of the Force’s Administration, Assistant Commissioner Maxine Graham, were present to witness the handing-over proceedings.

In brief remarks, Panday explained that he has been very impressed by the performance of police personnel over the years, and also because a large number of

GPF members are being allowed to pursue studies at the University of Guyana and at other institutions of higher learning, resulting in a more educated, professional, effective and pro-active Police Force.

Commissioner Seelall Persaud, in accepting the donation -- worth in excess of $100,000 -- thanked Panday for his timely gesture and for his recognition of the many positive strides that the Guyana Police Force has been making for its members and that of the public they serve.

The thirty-nine ranks are pursuing studies leading to Masters degrees in Public Management and Administration, besides degrees and diplomas in Public Management, Social Work, Criminology and Psychology, International Relations, Banking and Finance, Sociology, Human Resource Management, Accounts, Biology, Computer Science and Cambridge Pre-Law.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, April 22 – 01:30h and 14:00h-15:30h and Sunday, April 23 – 02:30h and 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, April 22 –13:25h-14:55h and Sunday, April 23 –14:15h-15:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day. Clear skies are predicted for the evening hours. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly between 4.02 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 13:39h reaching a maximum height of 2.37 metres.

Low Tide: 07:11h and 19:38h reaching minimum heights of 0.92 metre and 0.77 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS C

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FREE TICKET

FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017

DAILY MILLIONS 03 09 13 22 LUCKY 3 2 3 1 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

Clive Thomas to remain SARA Head …as transition can drag on for 12 months

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irector of the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU), Clive Thomas will remain at the helm of that entity even after President David Granger assents to the recently-passed State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) Bill 2017 – which puts the legal framework in place for the organisation’s operation.

The SARA Bill stipulates that its director will be an impartial person, selected by a parliamentary bipartisan committee.

However, Guyana Times understands that the incumbent director can remain with the entity for up to another 12 months until the relevant authorities embark on the selection process for a new head.

This is according to SARU’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Aubrey Heath-Retemeyer, who spoke to this publication on Friday.

Heath-Retemeyer said a transition period followed presidential assent to the SARA Bill 2017, during which critical decisions would be made regarding the structure and operations of the entity.

“During that transition period, the present personnel in the unit will remain. There will be an attempt to ensure recruitment is done, so that other elements of the unit will be put in place, so we can get on with what is required of us,” he explained.

Heath-Retemeyer disclosed that the transition period can last 6-12 months, during which the current top officials can remain in positions of authority at SARU, now renamed SARA.

Unlimited

This would translate to Dr Thomas, a politically aligned person, now being legally empowered with unlimited authority to, among other things, seize the assets of persons who he believes are guilty of stealing State property, without going through the courts.

SARU, since its establishment in 2015, has been operating without legal authority – in other words, illegally.

Government quickly drafted the SARA Bill, hosted consultations, ignored the concerns raised by stakeholders, took the document to the National Assembly and used its one-seat majority to pass it.

SARA Director, Dr Clive Thomas

In fact, a Government parliamentarian moved a motion to suspend the conventional debate on bills before passage, prompting all the Opposition parliamentarians to storm out of the chambers.

President David Granger now has to assent to the SARA

“During that transition period, the present personnel in the unit will remain. There will be an attempt to ensure recruitment is done, so that other elements of the unit will be put in place, so we can get on with what is required of us” – CEO Bill 2017 and have it gazetted so that the Agency can be legally established and fully functional.

One of the major concerns of stakeholders was that of SARA’s Head being bestowed with a seemingly unlimited amount of power, practically second to the President’s.

The Head of SARA will be answerable to no one.

Selection

But Government has assured that there would be no abuse of authority, as SARA’s Head would be selected through a parliamentary bipartisan committee.

However, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, Bishop Juan

Edghill argued that the selection process would only be disguised as a consensus.

The SARA Bill provides for its director and deputy to be appointed through a parliamentary process.

But Edghill contended, “(The government) have a majority in the committee and they have a simple majority in the House. It is the government appointing their appointees but disguising it as if it is a consensus bipartisan approach.”

The Opposition strongly believes that Government will propose the rehiring of SARU’s current staff and has already signalled its intention to reject the nominations.

“We will oppose any person, who, first of all, is a politician or has displayed any form of political bias or affiliation,” former Attorney General Anil Nandlall had charged during an interview with this newspaper.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had also asserted that his Party would seek to have persons with the requisite qualifications function in the positions at SARA and would accept nothing less.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Jagdeo expressed his disappointment over the likely appointment of “political hacks” to the now vacant positions at SARA.

Ignoring concerns

Ignoring an avalanche of concerns, Government passed the SARA Bill 2017 in the National Assembly.

According to the Government, the SARA Bill was born out of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption that was ratified

by Guyana in 2008.

But major stakeholders, including the Private Sector Commission (PSC); the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) have all repeatedly called on the Administration to restructure the Bill.

The SARA Bill contains features which distinguish civil forfeiture bills globally, making it the most draconian of its kind.

Civil forfeiture is a controversial draconian concept in

SARA CEO Aubrey Heath-Retemeyer

the legal system, because it relates to the seizure of property without a conviction.

Legal luminaries have highlighted that the Bill creates a series of new offences, the SARA Director is vested with unparalleled powers to investigate the newly-created offences and persons can be rid of their properties without ever being charged with a crime.

Modify

During his most recent press conference, Jagdeo promised that the PPP may make some modifications to the SARA Bill to remove all ambiguity, if it returned to office in 2020.

Firstly, Jagdeo said the Head of SARA should not be vested with the authority to determine what can be described as State property.

Secondly, he said all provisions that make the Bill unconstitutional would be removed.

The Bill bestows power on the SARA Director to, in the discharge of his functions, demand information from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP); the Commissioner of Police; the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU); the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU); the Integrity Commission; the Bank of Guyana; the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General, among many other influential office bearers and entities.

Thirdly, Jagdeo said a new provision would be inserted to ensure the Head of SARA was accountable to someone else.

“Those are the three elements that are going to be vital if we retain the law,” the Opposition Leader said.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017

Views World Earth Day 2017 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

Reform of WICB

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ver the past few years, calls for the restructuring of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), and possibly to rehabilitate the entire culture of West Indies cricket, have been mounting, with several notable Caribbean personalities pointing to the many fundamental problems being experienced, resulting in declining performances of the team in most formats of the game.

In addition to the decline in West Indies cricket, there is enough evidence to show that fans had started to move away from the game. It was only after the carnival-like Caribbean Premier League (CPL) games were introduced to the region that fans started to show a renewed interest in the sport by turning up in their thousands at venues across the Caribbean to be entertained.

The constant spats between players and the board has also been very disappointing. The relationships with the players association, Caricom Governments and the national boards have left much to be desired.

It is no secret that Regional heads have always been critical of the manner in which the Board functions and have wasted no time in expressing their views. Caricom’s opposition to the WICB coincided with the rise of Dave Cameron, who was unanimously re-elected for a third successive term as board president.

Just recently, Dr Keith Rowley, the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, was quoted in the regional media as saying that cricket in the Caribbean has been “hijacked by a small clique”. He was very blunt in saying that this small clique is “hell bent on destroying Caribbean cricket”.

On his part, Cameron has rejected the Caricom Cricket Review panel’s recommendation to dissolve the WICB. He has noted that the Caricom panel ignored the “sweeping” changes in its governance structure brought in by the WICB since 2002. The WICB had promised that the President and the team will have a new strategic plan, which will facilitate improved performances at the regional and international levels, and explore a more robust governance system. The strategy revolves around the rebranding of Cricket West Indies; the development of a commercial arm - Windies Inc; and the creation of a development foundation to finance cricket development in the region.

However, regional heads have criticised WICB, stating that the Board is seeking to create a diversion from the real question of who owns Caribbean cricket. For CARICOM, cricket is a public product that belongs to the people, and not to the WICB. Hence, unless it is clearly defined as to who owns that asset, the region would get nowhere in terms of addressing the real problems affecting the game.

It should be noted that the Caricom Cricket Review panel, in a report that termed the board’s governance structure as “antiquated,” “obsolete” and “anachronistic”, had recommended that the WICB be dissolved in November 2015.

The panel also recommended that, because of its diffusive character, “the organisational structure for cricket should be sufficiently decentralised to allow the exercise of local initiative, while at the same time providing adequate opportunities for the regionalisation of management where there are evident economies of scale and scope to be realized”.

It had argued that any constitution for West Indies cricket should continue to provide for a management structure, based on a regional entity linked to, and in close interaction with territorial bodies.

We support the long-held view of the various stakeholders; that is, the WICB should give way to a more representative body. One approach could be the creation of a West Indies Cricket Commission, enabling representation of all major interest groups, e.g. territorial boards, players and officials, women, the Caribbean Community, the private sector and civil society.

The administration of West Indies cricket will continue to face severe challenges unless there are certain key reforms undertaken. Caricom and other stakeholders must continue to push for the restructuring of the administration of the game, so that it is sufficiently reflective of the Caribbean public.

Under the theme, “Environmental and Climate Literacy”, Guyana joined the rest of the world in observing World Earth Day. In photo, these young ladies plant trees along the side of Parade Ground, Carmichael and Middle Streets to raise awareness about the protection of the environment

Unequivocally reject nefarious agenda Dear Editor, I completely reject the contentions of Vincent Alexander, who is parroting the Government /ACDA’s position with their own insidious and nefarious agenda; and I state in no uncertain terms that as a representative Member of Parliament of the Amerindian people, the first peoples of Guyana and all affiliate bodies absolutely condemn and object to the establishment by President Granger, on March 11, 2017, of a Commission of Inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Act, Chap 19:03 of the Laws of Guyana, for the following purpose: “… to examine and make recommendations to resolve all issues and uncertainties surrounding the claims of Amerindian land titling; the individual, joint or communal ownership of lands acquired by freed Africans, and on any matters relating to land titling in Guyana.”

Amerindian land rights and the rights of freed African slaves or their descendants are separate issues. We, Amerindians, are extremely fearful that our lands would be usurped through this mechanism.

More so, we have heard the utterances of Eric Phillips, ACDA representative and a Government advisor to the President, whereby he asserted that Africans, not Amerindians, are some of Guyana’s first peoples.

Given these facts and the composition of the CoI, also the fact that the terms of ref-

erence of the Commission of Inquiry were only published on March 11, 2017, one day after six of the seven commissioners were sworn in without prior consultation with the NTC and any other Amerindian rights-based organization, the Amerindians have a justifiable fear that their hard-won land and related rights would be nullified, although enshrined by law and international protocols.

President Granger projects himself as a man of honour and a President who cares about promoting cohesion and equality in this country. However, it seems that some are more equal than others, as has been evident throughout the coalition partners’ term in office so far.

In 2015, he promised the Amerindian community that a “Hinterland and Indigenous People Lands Commission” would be constituted; instead, he has reneged on this, as he has done on almost all of his pre-election promises.

The National Toshaos Council, which is the sole legitimate representative body of all the Amerindian peoples and communities, as well as the recognized non-governmental organizations representing Amerindians in Guyana have all been sidelined by President Granger in the establishment of this CoI, which is neither representative of the Amerindian peoples nor have members sympathetic to our cause.

So how can any reasonable, rational person expect impartiality from its consider-

ations and findings?

Through Dr Bharrat Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy and the REDD Initiative, Guyana has obligations for which we have received funding through the Norway protocol, the disbursement of which will be jeopardized if the conditions are breached or compromised in any way through decisions made by this irrational and impetuous decision to establish a CoI, the TOR of which seemingly contravene Amerindian Act 6 of 2006.

No other formulation except that already entrenched in the Norway pact would be accepted. Integral to the conditions outlined in the deal is the implicit understanding that the Amerindian rights are sacred and protected.

Land titling for Amerindians is not dependent on taxpayers’ dollars, because it is fully funded through the LCDS. However, all arguments regarding this subject are moot, because the CoI is regarded by Amerindians as extraneous to our lives, living, existence, and any other dynamic pertaining to Guyana’s authentic first peoples; and we refuse to acknowledge, much less accept, such a body.

The brevity of this letter in addressing the tortuous history of Amerindian land rights in no way depreciates the strength of my contentions, that: 1) President Granger revoke in entirety this CoI and accept the fact that Amerindian land rights are

already established and need no CoI to examine any further considerations, especially by his entirely partial and prejudiced government, which is heavily influenced by some representatives of ACDA, with its peculiar claims that seek to trample on the rights of other Guyanese.

2) Amerindians reject the promise he made in 2015 to the Amerindian community, to constitute a “Hinterland and Indigenous People Lands Commission.” Point to note is that this is another promise to Amerindians, albeit irrelevant, that he has reneged on.

3) At no time – now or in the future – should he attempt to infuse land issues of other communities into the land rights of the Amerindian People of Guyana; 4) The coalition government begin to respect the Amerindian peoples and their rights to peaceful existence in their traditional habitat in their entitled lands; and 5) Guarantee that the rights established to protect Guyana’s legitimate first peoples through the Amerindian Act 6 of 2006 and international charters be upheld and respected.

I urge all Amerindians to be united in this cause, and whichever side of the political divide you stand on, vehemently and unequivocally reject this nefarious agenda that will ultimately depose Guyana’s first peoples from their traditional lands.

Sincerely, Alister Charlie

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, april 22, 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

Local Government and you Dear Editor, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is the premier constitutional institution assigned the core functional oversight responsibility of heralding fair and balanced approaches to the achievement of democratic ideals. The autonomy afforded the organisation under the circumstances is certainly necessary, and ought to be utilised prudently to prevent attempts by stakeholders to influence power.

Notwithstanding, the availability of such scope should never be misused, abused, or exercised to express anyone’s individual or otherwise prejudiced fantasies. The intent, therefore, has to be utilised in a manner that protects and ensures accurate expression of our nation’s will, and, as far as is practicable, be continuously responsive to acceptable transparency measures.

Contrary to this intention, however, we have increasingly witnessed very disturbing obscene and attitudinal dispositions and behavioural trends emerging from many appointed principals of GECOM. Perhaps they may have taken queue from the embattled and now resigned, Dr Steve Surujbally, under whose tenure the organisation had become increasingly tainted.

The ongoing audit investigations suggest that many improprieties had been conducted by persons in the current leadership, who come over as partisan; who seem not to care, even amid the most damning critiques of independent observers and key stakeholders. The situation necessitates a balanced cleansing and strengthening going forward, and the time is most opportune.

We contend that, in the interest of all citizens and towards establishing the

central pillar for good governance, the operations of GECOM must, therefore, NOT continue to be veiled in such unresponsive and suspicious undercurrents!! But that answers and reasonableness emanating from the organisation MUST reflect credence and virtue.

There are many scenarios which justify the aforementioned examination, or rather demand the outlined interventions. Our columnists have, over and over, provided many facts-based pronouncements to evidence the threat that GECOM has become. A few of those used herein will highlight the confusion and conundrum that are being realised.

GECOM recently announced April 24 to May 21, 2017 as the commencement and conclusion dates of the claims and objection exercises, after the 9th cycle of continuous registration would have concluded on March 18, 2017.

Are we capable and ready for ecotourism?

Dear Editor, The current ecological concerns in Mazaruni, Region Seven, the gold industry’s spill of the recent past, the high level of bauxite industry pollution in Linden, and the opening of the oil industry all beg the question: “Are we capable and ready for ecotourism?”

Lack of consistency in the Government’s (current and past) ability to deal with the prevention of pollution and lasting disruption to the ecosystem of Guyana makes it difficult to give full confidence in the nation’s future oil industry’s ability to prevent a serious natural disaster, much so in the case of the usage of an island to process the oil.

The ministry in Guyana that deals with such environmental protection issues should not be incapable of preventing these serious disasters from happening in industries such as gold and bauxite, which have been the bedrock of our growth for over 20 years.

However, the evidence shows otherwise. The populace of the country must demand a high level of accountability for such failures to monitor, protect, and prevent environmental disasters. The attitude of “just

show me the money” and turning a blind eye on the bad and unhealthy practices of those we do business with will not help us attain our goals of a green economy that is sustainable, but would instead hinder -- and in some cases, send the nation backwards in -its development. A holistic approach to economic development and the sustaining of the environment must be at the core of our decision-making and economic development. It is not profitable for any nation to neglect the environment as it retrieves natural resources, as most of the profit could be easily compromised in a major clean up.

If ecotourism is a core objective, as promoted and as illustrated in the land we have dedicated as a national reserve, why are we not aligning our efforts to support this vision? This is a question that should be addressed in the activities being pursued and supported by the national budget each year. Private and public investments are trying to support and be consistent with the national purpose as outlined by the incumbent and past administrations.

Investment, both local and foreign, will be impacted by

the level of confidence that investors have in our ability to stick with, and achieve, our outlined goals and vision for the country.

Today, to regain such confidence, clear and effective actions with measurable outcomes are needed in the resolution of the environmental problems that have been created.

Regards, Jamil Changlee

The period indicated above for the second phase of the exercise is approximately five weeks after claims and objections are scheduled to commence.

The situation so far bares a plethora of obvious suspicious questions which are unanswered. Among these are: 1. Why the delay?

2. Was the Elections Commission not prepared?

In the first place, the relevance of the continuous registration being done at this time, in the absence of an upcoming election, was questionable, and the matter was raised without any adequate response from GECOM. Currently, the political parties and the nation are yet to receive a report on the transactions that were completed, including registrations done, transfers done, and changes done at each GECOM offices in the country.

We wait, but when would the report be available?

GECOM appears to be doing everything within its authority to block information from reaching the public, thus implying that the body is not obligated by law to provide certain information, according to a release from Chief Elections Officer Lowenfield to the People’s Progressive Party.

While the laws may be silent on the issue, they do not restrict the release of timely and genuinely required information.

Additionally, it is implicit that certain measures can be applied mutually to inform all stakeholders, since the current blockading approach serves as a counter

to making things easier for compliance, and mirrors a dark image regarding what is happening behind the scenes.

In the least, the Secretariat, while not being mandatorily obligated to release some details, has partnered with and accommodated scrutineers from political parties and stakeholder groups. It is very reasonable that associated summary data be timely released to these political parties and groups.

Additionally, the many doubts surrounding the partisan performances of the Elections Commission of recent demand that the organisation should come clean and give the public a general sense of renewed confidence that it’s moving to improve its performance and image by operating above board.

What better way can there be than to disseminate publicly the information on the transactions report?

Notably, GECOM has published in the printed media the authority for the registration exercise. This Order (#2 of 2017), dated February 28, 2017, was signed by the former Chairman. One cannot help but wonder why Dr Surujbally would sign an order wherein the schedule is set out (between April 15 and June 3), if there was not premeditation.

Additionally, there are reports of exorbitant spending by the elections body for the registration period.

Many vehicles were rented and hired beforehand, yet many special taxis still had to be utilised. It was also reported that water and air transportation costs were

deliberately inflated and exceeded the planned budget, and meals and meals allowances were costly.

Continuous registration is a necessity, but one must ask of GECOM if the services provided for the foregone exercise could be considered proper value for money. If that question is put to the public, the answer would certainly be NO. Also noticeable during the registration exercise was the treatment of the public by some of the socalled trained GECOM staff.

Some officers were guilty of being rude and disrespectful to persons wanting to do transactions; young registrants were bullied, and some were even asked to leave buildings for being inappropriately dressed, whereas others were allowed in despite wearing similar attire. The young registrants that are perceived to be PPP, especially girls, faced the brunt of some GECOM officers’ actions. It was quite disgusting that in numerous cases, persons left GECOM centres, never to return, because of the officers’ attitude.

Some of the PPP scrutineers faced the same treatment, and many accepted what was meted out to them as they wanted to remain in the centres to prevent the officers from committing any intended skulduggery.

That was how well the registration exercise was conducted. GECOM, under the current structure, needs to be balanced now.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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saturdAY, APRIL 22, 2017

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Foundation

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you don’t, or give up seeing your friends, or drop out of activities you love. And you also should feel free to keep developing new talents or interests, making new friends, and moving forward.

Good communication.

Can you talk to each other and share feelings that are

t’s totally normal to look at the world through rose-coloured glasses in the early stages of a relationship. But for some people, those rose-coloured glasses turn into blinders that keep them from seeing that a relationship isn’t as healthy as it should be.

What do you think is the #1 ingredient for healthy relationships?

Ability to talk about anything Honesty and trust Respect for the other’s values Ability to be yourself with no pretense Fun and compatibility Equality (no one is more important or in charge)

important to you? Don’t keep feelings bottled up because you’re afraid it’s not what your BF or GF wants to hear.

And if you need some time to think something through before you’re ready to talk about it, the right person will give you some space to do that. (Excerpt from kidshealth)

What makes a healthy relationship?

Hopefully, you and your significant other are treating each other well. Not sure if that’s the case? Take a step back from the dizzying sensation of being swept off your feet and think about whether your relationship has these qualities: Mutual respect. Does he or she get how great you are and why? Make sure your BF or GF is into you for who you are. Does your partner listen when you say you’re not comfortable doing something and then back off right away? Respect in a relationship means that each person values the other and understands — and would never challenge — the other person’s boundaries.

Trust. You’re talking

with a guy from French class and your boyfriend walks by.

Does he completely lose his cool or keep walking because he knows you’d never cheat on him? It’s OK to get a little jealous sometimes — jealousy is a natural emotion. But how a person reacts when feeling jealous is what matters. There’s no way you can have a healthy relationship if you don’t trust each other.

Honesty. This one goes hand-in-hand with trust because it’s tough to trust someone when one of you isn’t being honest. Have you ever caught your girlfriend in a major lie? Like she told you that she had to work on Friday night but it turned out she was at the movies with her friends? The next

time she says she has to work, you’ll have a lot more trouble believing her and the trust will be on shaky ground.

Support. It’s not just in bad times that your partner should support you.

Some people are great when your whole world is falling apart, but not that interested in hearing about the good things in your life. In a healthy relationship, your significant other is there with a shoulder to cry on when you find out your parents are getting divorced and to celebrate with you when you get the lead in a play.

Fairness/equality. You need to have give-and-take in your relationship. Do you take turns choosing which

new movie to see? As a couple, do you hang out with your partner’s friends as often as you hang out with yours? You’ll know if it isn’t a pretty fair balance. Things get bad really fast when a relationship turns into a power struggle, with one person fighting to get his or her way all the time.

Separate identities. In a healthy relationship, everyone needs to make compromises. But that doesn’t mean you should feel like you’re losing out on being yourself. When you started going out, you both had your own lives (families, friends, interests, hobbies, etc) and that shouldn’t change.

Neither of you should have to pretend to like something

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relationship is unhealthy when it involves m e a n , disrespectful, controlling, or abusive behaviour.

Some people live in homes with parents who fight a lot or abuse each other — emotionally, verbally, or physically.

For some people who have grown up around this kind of behaviour it can almost seem normal or OK. It's not!

Many of us learn from watching and imitating the people close to us. So someone who has lived around violent or disrespectful behaviour may not have learned how to treat others with kindness and respect or how to expect the same treatment.

Qualities like kindness and respect are absolute requirements for a healthy relationship.

Someone who doesn't yet have this part down may need to work on it with a trained therapist before he or she is ready for a relationship.

Meanwhile, even though you might feel bad or feel for someone who's been mistreated, you need to take care of yourself — it's not healthy to stay in a relationship that involves abusive behaviour of any kind.

Warning signs

When a boyfriend or girlfriend uses verbal insults, mean language, nasty putdowns, gets physical by hitting or slapping, or forces someone into sexual activity, it's a sign of verbal, emotional, or physical abuse.

Ask yourself, does my

boyfriend or girlfriend: get angry when I don't drop thing for

everyhim or her? criticise the way I look or dress, and say I'll never be able to find anyone else who would date me? keep me from seeing friends or from talking to other guys or girls? want me to quit an activity, even though I love it? ever raise a hand when angry, like he or she is about to hit me? try to force me to go further sexually than I want to?

These aren't the only questions you can ask yourself. If you can think of any way in which your boyfriend or girlfriend is trying to control you, make you feel bad about yourself, isolate you from the rest of your world, or — this is a big one — harm you physically or sexually, then it's time to get out, fast. Let a trusted friend or family member know what's going on and make sure you're safe.

It can be tempting to make excuses or misinterpret violence, possessiveness, or anger as an expression of love. But even if you know that the person hurting you loves you, it is not healthy. No one deserves to be hit, shoved, or forced into anything they don't want to do. (Excerpt from kidshealth)

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saturDAY, APRIL 22, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

AG to probe City Hall’s parking meter arrangement

The controversial parking meter project will now be subject to a probe from the Auditor General

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he Auditor General’s Office intends to carry out a special audit into the parking meter contractual arrangements which were made between Smart City Solutions Incorporated (SCSI) and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC). The move is in keeping with the current audit it is carrying out at City Hall.

This was revealed by Auditor General Deodat Sharma in an interview with this publication on Thursday. While he could not provide details about the scope of the audit at this point in time, he confirmed that the audit office will be looking into the matter.

An audit into City Hall was requested by M&CC executives in a letter dated February 28. The Auditor General’s Office had taken up that request, and an audit commenced in March, 2017. However, during that exercise, City Hall officials

have not been as helpful as had been hoped. Thus the final phase of the audit, which had commenced last month, has been stalled because of this lack of cooperation.

According to Sharma, his office has since requested the parking meter contract in furtherance of this audit.

The parking meter contract has been subjected to reviews from both the Finance Ministry and the Attorney General’s Chambers, after concerns had been raised about the project. Those reviews had not been favourable to the contract, prompting amendments to be made to the contract.

Among the concerns raised about the contract were the division of profits; the exorbitant amount being charged for parking; the development, as well as the terms of the agreement and the company undertaking the project.

An estimated 400 park-

ing meters were expected to be installed along selected streets in the central business district of the capital city of Georgetown.

Concerns have abounded over the criteria used for the selection of the streets with parking meters, with some seeing it as a discriminatory move, as some patrons will be mandated to pay for parking while others will not.

The parliamentary Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had strongly criticised the project, especially in light of the fact that there were no consultations on the matter beforehand.

Despite a plethora of flaws highlighted in the contract, the reviews did not explicitly speak of illegality, and the green light for the commencement of the project was given once certain recommendations were implemented. This included a reduced fee for parking, which was eventually changed in the contract.

Opposition position

Commenting on the matter, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Anil Nandlall had emphasised that the Opposition has completely rejected the instalment of parking meters around Georgetown on basis of the current state of the economy.

“The PPP has spoken on this matter. We are of the view that we do not need, and do not want, parking meters in Guyana. turn to page 11

Stabroek Wharf

Over 500 vendors, minibus operators to be relocated

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A section of the Stabroek Wharf

lans are moving apace to determine the best strategy to have hundreds of vendors and minibus operators in the Stabroek Wharf area relocated to facilitate construction on the wharf.

A meeting was held on Wednesday between Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) members and representatives from the Finance and Public Infrastructure Ministry.

This is according to Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green.

Commenting on the meeting, Mayor Chase Green stated that its purpose was to bring Councillors up to date with plans for the Stabroek Wharf, on which construction was expected to begin in early 2018.

“We were written by the Ministry of Infrastructure, saying to us that they will be starting to do construction of the Stabroek Market wharf in the first quarter of 2018.

And they’re asking us to relocate all of those vendors,” she said.

She noted that there were 318 stalls on the wharf, while on the southern side of the Market 200 persons plied their trade.

She stated that immediately outside the Stabroek Market, there were more vendors as well.

“So, we have to start identifying areas that can house those people when construction on that wharf begins; because they are going to be using that entire area to store the material for heavy trucks to be going in there. So, you couldn’t have vending anywhere.”

“We also have to look at the relocation of all those minibuses. And so they’re asking us to start now. And that’s what (Wednesday’s) meeting was about. Because our Councillors expressed concern about what is going to happen.”

“While the consultations would have started, we would have heard that most likely the vendors would not go back there, but who made that decision?” Chase Green queried. “We didn’t make

that decision. So, we have to consult more as to the way forward.”

When contacted on Friday, a representative of the Public Infrastructure Ministry noted that while the Ministry would be doing infrastructural works, responsibility for the vendors rested with the Mayor and City Council.

The Wharf has been in a state of deterioration for some time, with vendors expressing fear for their safety on several occasions.

Sections of the Wharf caved in during September 2014 and March 2015. In June, Town Clerk Royston King had declared that the Mayor and City Council had solicited assistance from the Public Infrastructure Ministry.

The modernised, new Wharf plans were designed

by Civil Engineer Kabila Hollingsworth.

The design includes a two-storey building with a terrace and stelling. Some $400 million is expected to be spent on the Wharf.

8 news

saturdAY, APRIL 22, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Stimulus…

R …for whom?

ight after your Eyewitness complained about the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition planning to blow whatever petroleum revenues might trickle down to us on “boondoggles”, there comes the announcement from Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, that $5B’s gonna be ‘injected” into the housing sector immediately. So, since we’re so broke that thousands of sugar workers have to be fired, where’s the money coming from?

Not to worry!! Let’s just borrow today to cover the “budget deficit”!! After all, aren’t we going to have oil money in a short while to pay off our cumulative budget deficits, which we were told would be “stabilised” from the oil revenues??

This was the same kind of thinking that got Ghana into trouble with their Jubilee Oil, which ran into delivery problems while the debts started choking them to death. They’re still trying to get out from under that “spending before the money comes in” syndrome.

The excuse given by Harmon is that the economy needs a “stimulus”!! Really?? So when did Rip van Jordan wake up?? Is Harmon sure he’s not being suckered by the business community - who’d been accused by Jordan of doing a “Chicken Little” act?? The economy’s collapsing!! The economy’s collapsing!!

Harmon announced that the Ministry of Housing will be “injecting” $5B into housing in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10. In case you’re wondering why Minister of HOUSING, Valerie Patterson, didn’t make the announcement, she’s busy with the OTHER $5 billion that’s being spent on Housing via the CH&PA for the Police and GDF, and so on and so forth. But hey!

There’s a school of thought that advises “better late than never”, and there are those who counter, “Too late shall be the cry”! Which will it be?? Well, just like injections in medicine, timing is everything.

If the patient’s dead, all the injections in the world ain’t gonna get him up and about. SO, where’s the Guyanese economy on the overall scale of economic well-being? As your Eyewitness has been going on and on (God knows!!), with every single industry in the country but gold collapsing like temperamental soufflés - the yellow metal’s actually a life support system. Pull it and the country’s dead.

So what will the housing injection do? In the near term, of course, it’ll help - to the extent more money will be circulating. In the medium term? With most of the housing stock directed at the Government’s supporters, the divisions in the country will be exacerbated. Will it be enough to revive the patient?

Not likely.

But accepting you have a problem is the first step in solving it.

Maybe Jordan will now ask Jagdeo for help?

…for AFC change?

It hasn’t been a good week for your Eyewitness… too many fires to “out”. So, he really had a good belly laugh when he read that Moses Nagamootoo, the man who would be Prime Minister, said the Cummingsburg Accord needs to be “renegotiated”. You think?? And when would the PM be demanding the renegotiation?

Pray tell. Well, rather disappointingly but not surprisingly, Nagamootoo said that depends on the Leader of the AFC - who just happens to be Raphael Trotman.

Now why would Trotman want to do that? You’d remember, dear reader, that Trotman has already negotiated a Nassau Accord with the now President Granger. And based on the evidence, his bread is WELL buttered!! Nagamootoo epitomises the evisceration of the AFC’s agreement, announced on Valentine Day 2015. He was supposed to herald in the new political culture in the land when, for the first time, Executive power was going to have two power centres.

All he - and his 11% - got was Larwah!!

…for courage

Your Eyewitness was just informed that the aforesaid PM and ousted AFC leader Ramjattan just sent an SOS to their few remaining faithful to picket their office next week.

Why? Well they need an excuse why they should reject VAT on private education!!

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

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SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Sugar workers continue protest Police ordered to clarify against closure of estates Assassination of President plot

witness’s statement

…GAWU vows continued protest actions GAWU President Komal Chand, Assistant General Secretary Aslim Singh, and cane farmer Adrian Anamayah.

According to GAWU, the speakers strongly condemned Government’s plan to downsize the sugar industry, especially in view of the harsh consequences that could arise from such a decision. They pointed to the recent advice from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) calling on

…Public Security Minister refutes claims of Police involvement ploy to create mischief.

However, he stated that if the allegation is indeed true, the party involved could be charged for treason; but if the allegation is merely a ploy to create mischief, the author of the allegation could be charged for providing false information to the police.

Denial

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

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ne day after Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, revealed that the police are investigating a possible plot to assassinate President David Granger, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud has confirmed that, apart from the person who had made the complaint, the police have been able to find a witness to corroborate this allegation.

He explained that the matter has been investigated and the case file has been sent to the appropriate legal minds for advice on the way forward.

He also noted that the file had been sent back to the police with the recommendation that a confrontation be set up with this witness with the aim of clarifying some issue pertaining to his statement.

The commissioner explained that police are expected to do so over the weekend, and the file would again be dispatched to the appropriate legal minds for advice.

He further explained that it is up to the legal advisor to determine whether there is substance to the allegation or if the allegation is just a

It had been reported that senior officials of the Guyana Police Force were part of the plot to assassinate the President, but in an invited comment on Friday, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan refuted the claims, noting that no such information had been brought to the attention of the GPF during its investigation of the allegation.

Ramjattan, however, declared that the security of the duly elected President is of paramount importance, and the duty of the Guyana Police Force is to protect the President at any given time.

Further, he charged media houses to be responsible in reporting highly sensitive stories, as in this instance.

The Police Commissioner also concurred with the view that the media are a powerful element and have to show some form of maturity and journalistic ethics in reportage. He made reference to a situation in an African nation wherein a reporter had made a statement that had caused a civil war.

In regard to rumours that the persons who had allegedly planned to shoot the President are closely associated with the Guyana Police Force and the Judiciary, the

President David Granger

top cop had this to say: “We live in a small society. A lot of people know a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean that anyone will act unprofessionally.”

Plot

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, confirmed on Thursday that presidential security has been beefed up following allegations that a group of high-profile individuals were planning to shoot President David Granger should he step out of his secure zone in one of his public outreaches.

Harmon has, however, expressed confidence in the ability of the security service to keep the Guyanese Head of State and all the ministers safe.

The probe into this allegation was launched following the recent revelation of a young man who appeared on a local televised interview claiming that he had been offered some $7 million and a high profile weapon to assassinate the President. This allegation was reported to the police some three weeks ago, and several persons have since been questioned in connection with it.

sification within sugar.

Focusing on Skeldon, the speakers reminded the attendees that the Estate’s performance was steadily improving in recent times and the decision to divest was perplexing and strange. Also, the attendees learnt that Skeldon Energy Inc (SEI) – the operator of the Estate’s steam and diesel plants – had earned at minimum some $9.45 billion in 2016 from energy sales to the Guyana Power

GAWU President Komal Chand addressing sugar workers and residents at Line Path, Corentyne

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ontinuing their protest against Government’s plans to close and amalgamate sugar estates across the country, workers of the Skeldon Sugar Estate on Thursday again publicly denounced the plan.

During a public meeting organised by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union at Balla Square, Line Path D, Corentyne, Berbice, the gathering focused on the plans by the Government and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to close Rose Hall and Enmore Estates and to divest the Skeldon Estate.

The meeting was chaired

by GAWU Skeldon Branch Secretary Herlene Lewis, with speakers including

Some of the persons gathered for the meeting

Government to carefully consider the social fallout in its decisions on sugar.

Speakers also reminded those present that sugar had faced challenges in the past, but was, however, able to overcome those obstacles and move towards greater successes. Such feats, the speakers pointed out, were attainable in these times as well, especially in view of the opportunities for diver-

Light (GPL).

The vast income potential further demonstrates Skeldon’s value, it was noted.

The speakers advised that GuySuCo’s explanations about the state of the factory should be taken with a pinch of salt taking into account the ready, and unsolicited, interest by foreign entities in taking over the Estate. TURN TO PAGE 13

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news

saturDAY, april 22, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sister charged for Berbice man remanded brother’s murder following narco bust

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ebbie Hansraj of Grove, East Bank Demerara was remanded to prison after being arraigned on Friday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for allegedly stabbing her brother, Vishaul Hansraj, to death between April 17 and 18 at Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara.

Reports are that the 25-year-old woman and her younger brother had been embroiled in a dispute after she had reportedly injured their mother, and the deceased seaman is reported to have armed himself with a knife with which he attempted to injure his sister. She allegedly disarmed him of the weapon and used it to stab him twice.

The siblings were reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

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Dead: Vishal Hansraj

Debbie Hansraj

A bleeding Vishal Hansraj was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre by their mother, Sumintra Brijmohan, and subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), where he succumbed to his injuries the

following day.

The prosecution informed the court on Friday that a total of 14 witnesses will be called to testify during the preliminary inquiry.

The matter is expected to continue on May 18.

Body in shallow grave

Miner slapped with murder charge

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he Police in ‘F’ Division have instituted a murder charge against one of two men who were taken into their custody following the discovery of the decomposed body of a miner in a shallow grave at Karrau Backdam, Mazaruni, Region Seven.

The man, a miner, is expected to be arraigned in court in the new week.

The owner of the mining camp, a 51-year-old from 4th Avenue Bartica, is still being questioned by detectives.

Investigators had sent the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who recommended that criminal charges be brought against the miner. It has been reported that the decomposed body of Keon Mentore, also called “Fine Thyme,” of Pomeroon, Region One, was found in a shallow grave on Monday last. It was reported that on April 7 last, the now dead man and two others had gone to the mining pit to “wash down” gold, after which they had gone for a

drink. However, in the midst of consuming alcohol, the owner of the mining camp accused Mentore of stealing raw gold, and this had led to an altercation. Persons intervened and the two men went their separate ways; but thy ended up at the same mining camp, where they had another altercation, and it was then that the now dead man was chopped to death. The dead man’s body was subsequently transported to another part of the mining concession, where it was buried.

West Canje, Berbice mason was on Friday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for possession of more than three kilograms of marijuana, which was unearthed by Police in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

Raymond Vankenay, 35, of Vryheid’s Lust, West Canje, denied the charge, which stated that he had in his possession 3.432 kilograms of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking on April 19, 2017.

The court heard that the case file was still incomplete owing to several outstand-

ing statements inclusive of an analysis report.

The matter was transferred to the New

Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. The case will continue on May 8.

Minibus driver jailed for 56 months on causing death charge

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ity Magistrate Judy Latchman on Friday jailed route 42 minibus driver Travis David, 28, of Caesar Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, for 56 months after finding him guilty of causing the death of female passenger Lynette Joseph by dangerous driving.

It is alleged that on January 6, 2016, at Little Diamond Public Road, East Bank Demerara, David drove minibus BSS 9471 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of the security guard who had been attached to National Hardware Limited.

The prosecution’s case was that, at about 17:45 hours on the day in ques-

tion, the minibus was proceeding north along the western carriageway of the Little Diamond Public Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle as he was about to make a turn. The vehicle reportedly skidded for about 26 feet before slamming into a lamp post, causing the now deceased Joseph, who was seated in the third seat behind the driver, to sustain serious injuries, and seven other persons to be injured in the accident. Joseph was pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

In handing down her ruling on the matter, Magistrate Latchman said the prosecution’s evidence had estab-

lished that David was driving at an “extraordinary” rate of speed, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.

She added that the driving skills of the accused had fallen way below those of a competent driver, and he had neglected to exercise care, caution, consideration and courtesy while using the roadway.

Having considered all the evidence, Magistrate Latchman said, her conclusion was that the injuries Joseph had received were consistent with a motor vehicle accident, in accordance with the testimony of Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh.

As such, she found David guilty as charged.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hubu to get new pump station …as GWI apologises to residents

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

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he Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) will soon construct a new pump station for residents of Hubu Backdam, East Bank Essequibo, following an article published by Guyana Times highlighting the hardships endured by residents of that major farming community as they struggle to get potable water.

GWI is also apologising to the residents of Hubu for the poor quality of water they have been receiving over the years.

the residents at the Blake Primary School and apologised for the low-quality service they were receiving.

Guyana Times has been informed that a decision was made to develop a new water well to serve the community.

Dr Van West-Charles said GWI would be moving to drill a new well to serve the residents of Hubu. He explained that GWI is looking to adopt the approach of well fields, which allows redundancy in cases where one well fails.

“We will immediately seek to drill the new well, and it takes approximately 10-12

tributing factors to the discolouration and foul odour of the water the residents have been forced to utilise for basic purposes like cooking, washing, bathing and cleaning.

The statement explained that similar situations exist for some 50 percent of GWI well stations across the country, where untreated water is supplied.

Short-term To provide a more immediate solution to the woes of Hubu residents, GWI has agreed to reconnect Hubu to the Vergenoegen Water Treatment Plant in an ar-

Some of the residents at the meeting on Friday

A GWI delegation led by Chief Executive Officer Dr Richard Van West Charles visited the area on Friday to meet with the residents to discuss their concerns. Dr Van West-Charles addressed

weeks to complete drilling,” Dr Van West-Charles said.

GWI, in a statement, disclosed that the supply being delivered to Hubu contains an average iron content of 8mg/l, which is one of the con-

rangement that would provide residents with an improved quality of service.

Hubu residents would receive water in this arrangement from 10:00h to 12:00h (10:00am to noon) and from

AG to probe City Hall parking...

It will impose an additional financial and economic burden on the people of this country,” he had posited.According to the parliamentary agenda, Opposition MP Irfaan Ali will be moving the motion to debate the parking meter project on the grounds that there were no public consultations, stakeholders have pleaded with the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to revise the initiative, and the contract may have violated tender procedures.

The motion would have also addressed two additional considerations, namely that some councillors had objected to the project’s implementation, and the question of whether the legal hurdles and protocols have been addressed, such as the M&CC having authority over public roads such as Regent Street, Water Street and Avenue of the Republic.

The PPP/C, in its motion, had also intended to call on the Auditor General of Guyana to conduct a forensic audit into the Georgetown

FROM PAGE 7

Municipal Council, including the parking meter contract.The parking meter project has since been the subject of High Court cases, mass protests in front of City Hall, and the intervention of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure in declaring major public roads off-limits from parking meters.

By the intervention of central government, the parking meter contract was eventually put on hold for a three-month period, which is expected to come to an end in June.

GWI Head, Dr Richard Van West-Charles

21:00h to 00:00h (9:00pm to midnight). In addition, the option of delivering water to residents by tankers is also available to residents outside do the scheduled time agreed upon.

GWI explained that the community was taken off the Vergenoegen system and connected to the troublesome Hubu well because that former system was operating above its designed capacity.

Residents had told this publication that the water supply was comparatively better when they were receiving water from the Vergenoegen Station, but GWI said Hubu residents received a low level, and in some cases no service at all, when they were connected to

the Vergenoegen Station.

“In light of this fact and repeated complaints from the said residents, GWI moved to activate the Hubu well at a cost of three million dollars.

Activation of this well resulted in an elevated water pressure to above second floor level, and 24-hour supply. Upon completion of the project, residents expressed satisfaction with the well being restored,” GWI stated.

GWI said it has taken note of the water woes plaguing the community, and has pledged to improve the quality of water from the Hubu well.

Hubu residents told this newspaper during a recent visit that it was highly unacceptable that they were pay-

ing for foul and discoloured water, which they cannot use for cooking, washing, bathing, drinking or cleaning purposes. Komal Narine, considered a village leader, had challenged the ministers and those in authority at GWI to use the quality of water Hubu residents were receiving, and had dared them to endure the struggles. Some residents have said they are burdened with additional expenses -$12,000 to $20,000 per month in some cases -- to treat the unfiltered tap water or purchase supplementary water in order to survive.

Residents had called on GWI and the relevant authorities to expedite the improvements to the water system, so they can once again enjoy a normal quality of life; one in which potable water does not seem like a luxurious amenity only to be afforded by the rich. Dr Van West-Charles has also revealed that GWI customer service staff will engage Hubu residents on April 29 at Blake Primary School, to address queries relating to bill payments and metering.

And further, he reiterated GWI’s message of water conservation and cautioned them to guard against engaging in illegal activities, such as bribery and unauthorized connections.

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ed Ahmad jailed for 2 years for mortgage fraud

Brooklyn Federal Judge Dora Irizarry

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New York court on Friday sentenced Queens-based Guyanese businessman Edul Ahmad to two years in jail for conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud, reported the New York Daily News.

The sentence was handed down by Brooklyn Federal Judge Dora Irizarry. The Leonora, West Coast Demeraraborn Ahmad had pleaded guilty in 2012, in a New York court, to mortgage

fraud conspiracy and was looking at a sentence of 10 years, with US$15 million in fines and restitution.

However, he became a key witness against his colleague, former New York State Senator John Sampson. In January, Sampson, who has roots in Guyana, was jailed for five years by Judge Irizarry for obstruction of justice and making false statements.

That sentencing paved the way for Ahmad to be sentenced on real estate fraud charges filed against him in 2011 by New York prosecutors for the US$3 million mortgage fraud scheme.

The US-based Guyanese businessman was supposed to have been sentenced since 2015, but appealed to the New York court several times, successfully, to delay the ruling until after Sampson would have been sentenced.

Ahmad was a key witness in the 2015 trial against Sampson, which ended with obstruction of justice convictions but acquittals on other counts.

And before Ahmad took the stand for at least half of the prosecution’s case, he wore wires and

Encouraging violent confrontations

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Convicted fraudster Edul Ahmad

turned over evidence that helped the Feds build the case against Sampson.

Sampson is appealing his conviction.

However, Ahmad was hopeful that by offering his services to the FBI, he would not have to go to prison, but would receive lighter punishment for cooperating.

Despite Ahmad being an asset in the Feds’ case against ex-State Senator Sampson, the Daily News reported that the US District Judge could not ignore the harm caused by his US$3 million scheme.

She laid into Ahmad for a property sale that, she said, broke the terms of his cooperation agreement.

“To me, it does not show full remorse. It does show someone who feels he’s ready to do what he needs to do, laws be damned, rules be damned,” the Brooklyn Judge was reported to have said.

While it was not the probation sentence Ahmad, 50, was looking for, it also was not the six-seven-year prison term he could have received.

Prosecutors said Ahmad’s work earned him a shot at a sentence below federal recommendations. In fact, during Friday’s sentence hearing, Assistant US Attorney Alexander Solomon told Irizarry that Ahmad’s cooperation was “impressive”, once he started talking, the New York newspaper reported that.

Ahmad was “one of the best at making record-

ings”, he said — Sampson often talked quietly, so Ahmad repeated what he said so it would be loud and clear for Uncle Sam. Solomon noted, however, that Ahmad did make some serious flubs — like telling prosecutors the night before his testimony about the improper sale of a property discussed in the cooperation agreement.

Irizzary in handing down the sentence questioned just how useful Ahmad was on the stand, pointing to articles in newspapers such as the Daily News, where a juror called him “dirty”.

Ahmad’s lawyer, Samuel Kartagener, said he was “taken aback” by Irizzary’s views. He urged the Judge to take the good with the bad.

Ahmad told Irizzary he meant no harm with the deal — which was an effort to stop a foreclosure on a property.

But Irizarry was not buying that Ahmad – a sophisticated, onetime Lamborghini-driving businessman – did not know what he was doing. “You knew you had to disclose to the Government if there was any transaction on a property.”

It was a lapse in judgment, justified Ahmad, adding “I never meant to break the cooperation agreement.”

After sentencing, Ahmad declined to speak to reporters. Kartagener said he and his client were “disappointed with the result”. (Adapted from New York Daily News)

ne of the most disappointing outcomes of the past two years of the APNU/AFC Governance has been their failure to fulfil their promise in their Manifesto on “Ethnic Impact Statements”. For decades, I had been pointing out that, unlike what the PPP and PNC insisted during their heyday, Guyanese perceived and evaluated the actions of their governments through “ethnic” rather than “class” lens.

This ineluctably followed from their own truth that, no matter what their public rhetoric, they had voted along ethnic lines.

Very early during the Ravi Dev PPP regime, I wrote, “In Guyana, while the PPP Government attempts to discuss the impact of their policies on constituencies, their analyses are still couched in Marxist terminology. They insist on demonstrating that their policies help the “working class”. This doesn’t cut any ice with the ground constituencies, however, which generally categorize themselves ethnically and evaluate every policy from that perspective. The PPP has had to defend every single initiative – be it appointments and dismissals to and from the Public Service, downsizing of the bauxite sector, house-lot allocation, contract awards, against claims by the African Guyanese community, for instance, of discrimination against them and favouring Indians in the sugar industry, rice industry, gunpermits etc. In each instance, the PPP’s explanation have been too little, too late for the African Guyanese.”

I had hoped the APNU/AFC coalition would have learnt something from that experience: their governmental actions would be scrutinised for their ethnic impact by Indians and other groups that did not vote for them. I was encouraged, therefore, when the major African-dominated APNU openly conceded it needed Indian votes, which the AFC could bring to the coalition, and when they declared in their manifesto, under the heading “Equal Opportunity”: “APNU/AFC recognizes that each citizen, regardless of race, class, creed, social status or gender, has the right to access opportunities and make an important contribution to nationbuilding. Failure to ensure ethnic balance in political, economic and social opportunities is counter-productive and a waste of our rich talents. Moreover, as a nation we must realize that all ethnic groups must be developed, and jettison the zero-sum mentality of the past.

“Everyone can be made better off, given our bountiful natural resources. APNU+AFC will reform and empower the Ethnic Relations Commission to provide Ethnic Impact Statements of Cabinet Decisions and Government departments, where necessary, and such findings will be acted upon in the best interest of all Guyanese.”

But today, not even the Ethnic Relations Commission has been constituted.

During my days in the Opposition benches, I had repeatedly discussed the need for an “Ethnic Impact statement” with the PNC, WPA and GAP. But I assumed the APNU/AFC’s touting of the policy was a recognition that the charges of “marginalisation” from the African community had been a primary fuel in the ethnic conflagrations since 1998. And they would not want a repetition from “the other side” if they didn’t make it clear that the pie would now be divided fairly.

I had written, “While we concede that the cause (and solution) of our ethnic problem goes beyond governmental actions, the fact of the matter is that we have to begin there.

It is a simple matter of justice. No matter which party forms the Government, we accept that Governmental actions have to be conducted on behalf of all the people: the State is our joint venture.

“If such “Ethnic Impact Statements” could be crafted and issued before the announcement and implementation of policies and programmes, they would precipitate discussion and debate, which could be utilized to modify the policies or programmes before they become political mobilisational tools.

To wait for the inevitable ethnic post mortems is to ensure there will be trouble. Big trouble. The old cliché still holds: justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done.”

With the precipitate actions in the sugar industry, the slew of ethnic appointments, the neglect of rice, etc., it is clear the promise of considering the “ethnic impact” of governmental actions has been jettisoned, like so much else. This inevitably increases the likelihood of violence, as occurred post-1997 from the PNC’s constituency.

NEWS

13

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Youths urged to be guardians of environment

Presidents David Granger, in the presence of Junior Education Minister Nicolette Henry and a volunteer, plants a tree to commemorate World Earth Day

Y

ouths are charged to become resilient guardians of the earth through action and advocacy, in order to ensure a successful journey towards the green economy.

Guyana will join hundreds of countries across the

globe in observing World Earth Day today, under the theme “Environmental and Climate Literacy.”

Local authorities kick-started the celebrations on Friday with a simple tree planting exercise on the lawns of Parade Ground, at Carmichael

and Middle Streets, Georgetown.

Director of the recently launched Department of Environment, Ndibi Schwiers, challenged all Guyanese, particularly the youths, to become active participants in environmental protection and ad-

vocates of environmental issues.

“Whether that something is planting a tree, using energy-saving bulbs, reusing shopping bags, ensuring our vehicles are in optimum working condition, and so on, we are undeniably living in challenging environmental times…

The current state of the environment we inhabit is quite different from what our grandparents and great-grandparents related to when they were our age,” she adumbrated.

She note that current environmental issues that confront the nation, from climate change to waste disposal, “challenge us to think about solutions to solve these issues… These issues are not just going to go away on their own; it is therefore our collective responsibility to ensure that we address these issues seriously, prudently, and with urgent attention,” she warned.

DOE’s Stakeholder Management Coordinator,

Onika Stellingburg, charged the gathering of approximately one hundred youths to make a commitment to guard the environment, and encourage their families and friends to follow suit.

Persons were asked to take an Earth Day pledge to promote the sustainable use of Guyana’s natural resources, protect the country’s flora and fauna, and prevent damage and degradation of the environment.

Persons have been encouraged to report wildlife crimes, mangrove deforestation and littering; ensure mining activities conform to the mining regulations; replant a tree; practise proper waste disposal; write and cover stories related to environmental management in Guyana; and plan and execute activities that promote environmental advocacy and stewardship.

UNDP Country Representative Shabnam Malik also underscored the importance of youths in

participating in the protection of the environment.

“The job of implementing the green state will ultimately fall on your shoulders,” she told the gathering of young people as she urged them to make every day Earth Day. President David Granger, in the feature address, reiterated his Government’s commitment to leading the way for shaping Guyana into a green country.

He also called on everyone to play their part in ensuring the country progresses down the green pathway.

“It is our duty to protect the earth’s resources, so they can provide sustenance, shelter and security for future generations,” he stated.

President Granger also presented small tokens to representatives of international organisations that have partnered with Guyana and contributed to the country’s efforts to combat climate change and protect the environment.

3-day Suriname Art Expo concludes A

rt enthusiasts in Guyana were given an opportunity to view the work of artists from Suriname at the Suriname Art Expo, which held at the Umana Yana in Georgetown.

The three-day event was officially declared open on Wednesday, and featured 15 artists who are members of the Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname.

The exhibition was part one of an exchange programme between Suriname and Guyana, and includes a return visit of Guyanese artists to Suriname.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the expo, Assistant Secretary General, Trade and Economic Integration, at the Caricom Secretariat, Joseph Cox, said the exchange programme fitted into the framework of the Community’s strategic plan.

“Culture is seen as a pillar for building economic

Some of the pieces on display at the Umana Yana, Georgetown during the Suriname Art Expo

and social resilience as well as strengthening Caricom identity and spirit of the Community. Culture is a unifying force in regionalism, and (is) important to the success of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

Culture promotes social cohesion and inclusiveness, and contributes to wealth creation and the reduction of poverty,” he said.

Cox pointed out that the exhibition came at a time

when the Community was preparing for the thirteenth Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA XIII), which will be held in Barbados between 17 – 27 August 2017 under the theme ‘Asserting our Culture, Celebrating Ourselves’. Barbados is hosting the Festival for the second time, following its first hosting of CARIFESTA IV 36 years ago, in 1981.

ASG Cox congratulated the artists for showcasing their

Sugar workers continue...

GAWU said it intended to continue with similar meetings near the various estates to bring to the public’s and workers’ attention the plans and development in the sugar industry which would surely affect their lives and their future and many communities.

The protest by the Skeldon workers came, as Government again maintained that the sugar industry was going nowhere, as Guyana “will still be in sugar”.

“The sugar industry

is not being closed down by the Government … [but] based on the financial and economic realities, we have to make some adjustments,” Harmon had told a news conference on Thursday.

He said Government was taking to the next sitting of National Assembly, a draft white paper on the future of the sugar industry to be debated.

While the content of the paper was not discussed extensively, Harmon said it entailed pronouncements

FROM PAGE 9

by President David Granger of his Administration’s plan to close and integrate several sugar estates.

On Tuesday, GAWU said it would cripple planned efforts to close the East Demerara Estate (Enmore Estate), in the name of restructuring.

While the Union has been engaged in some level of protests over the past week, particularly in Enmore, Chand stated that the numbers were likely to grow in coming weeks and months.

art within the Region, and thanked them for their commitment in supporting regional integration.

Guyana’s Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain, who declared the expo open, said the exhibit offered an opportunity to see how artists view the world as well as their country, the people

and culture that enrich it.

According to her, art knows no barrier and brings people together.

“It draws outsiders into the world of the artist, and gives them the tools to help them to understand how the artist thinks and feels as he/she describes things.

No matter whether the art takes the form of a photograph, a painting, a sculpture or drawing, it still allows the artists to express themselves and communicate with others,” she said.

Lisa Blankendal, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Suriname, in her remarks, expressed similar sentiments. Noting that art and culture were essential to any society, she said they serve as a source of creativity and dynamism.

According to her, artists create works to show what they

thought, experienced, felt and saw.

President of the FVAS, George Stuikelblok, said it was an honour for them to be visiting. He said the event provided the artists an opportunity to network, exchange culture, and learn from each other. He said the exhibit was the start of a more intensive collaboration for the development of art and culture in both countries. He also used the opportunity to thank everyone involved.

The Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname and the Suriname Art Expo 2017 are supported by the Department of Culture of the Education Ministry, Science and Culture, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Republic of Suriname, Education Ministry, and the Caricom Secretariat.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017

Regional

Digicel introduces lowest mobile roaming rates in Cuba through partnership with ETECSA

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otal communications and entertainment provider Digicel on Friday announced its new Cuba Roaming SIM card offered in conjunction with Cuban telecoms provider ETECSA, offering lower mobile roaming rates for travellers in Cuba.

The SIM card offers flexibility, easy access to data at 3G speeds and phone calls at great rates, and is a quick and convenient way to save money. The Digicel Cuba Roaming SIM card covers all 15 provinces, including

all the main tourist spots on the island and is available at www.DigicelCubaRoaming.

in Cuba is a high priority for travellers,” says Colm Delves, Digicel Group Chief

com or through Amazon.

“Staying connected while

Executive Officer (CEO).

“Working with our Cuban

partner, ETECSA, our goal is to provide great service at affordable prices and help to make Cuba an even more attractive location for visitors.”

Myra Arevich Marin, Executive President of ETECSA, welcomed the partnership with Digicel, saying: “We are very happy to be working with Digicel given its fantastic footprint and reputation across the Region.

We have forged a fruitful relationship and look forward to connecting visitors to Cuba to the people and things they care about most.”

Venezuela: 10 people killed in Caracas looting incident

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en people have been killed in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, during a looting incident at a bakery.

Footage recorded by residents showed heavy shooting and Police in armoured vehicles trying to regain control of the situation in El Valle district.

In a separate incident, a man was shot outside the capital at the end of an Opposition march.

The violence comes at the end of two days of protests against the President Nicolás Maduro’s socialist Government.

Three other people were killed during protests on Wednesday and Thursday.

The authorities blamed Opposition activists for most of the deaths in the El Valle looting incident, which happened late on Thursday night.

Two people were shot dead trying to loot the bakery, while eight others

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Trinidadian fighter for the Islamic State group (IS) was designated a terrorist by the United States months after being killed by American forces in Syria, Middle East Eye (MEE) has learned.

Shane Crawford was added to a list of ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorists’ (SDGT), by the US State Department at the end of March. A day after, Trinidad and Tobago also designated him a terrorist.

Yet his mother, Joan Crawford, told MEE that her son was hit by a US drone strike in October last year and eventually “succumbed to his injuries”.

And back in February, Trinidad and Tobago’s

Attorney General also appeared to confirm in an interview with the New York Times that Crawford had been killed in Syria.

The confusion over Crawford’s death and designation as a terrorist has led a leading American human rights lawyer to question the Trump Administration’s competence. A Muslim leader in Trinidad and Tobago says his Government is trying to make an example out of Crawford.

The US Government and the Trinidad and Tobago Government refused to answer repeated requests from MEE about Crawford’s death. (Excerpt from

Caribbean News Now)

Former Brazilian Minister offers details of bribery scheme

Most of the victims were killed when they stepped on a high voltage cable outside the bakery

stepped on a high voltage cable, which the Government says was sabotaged by opposition groups.

The Opposition has called for silent marches across Venezuela today to honour the people killed in protests over the past three weeks.

The latest wave of protests

was triggered by a Supreme Court decision on March 29 to take over powers from the Opposition-controlled National Assembly.

When it reversed its decision three days later, it was already too late to contain the Opposition and street demonstrations.

Opposition Leaders are calling for new presidential elections and the release of politicians arrested since Maduro took office four years ago.

Venezuela is facing a serious economic crisis, despite having the world’s largest proven oil reserves. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

US offers to fund Mexico heroin fight as 2016 output jumps – official he United States has offered to help fund Mexico’s efforts to eradicate opium poppies, the US Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) said on Friday, as Mexican heroin output increased again last year.

“We would be prepared to support (opium eradication efforts) should we reach a basic agreement in terms of how they would do more and better eradication in the future,” William Brownfield of INL, part of the State Department, said in an interview.

“That is on the table, but I don’t want you to conclude that it’s a done deal, because

Trinidadian IS fighter killed A

sue has become a key topic of discussion between the Mexican Government and the Administration of US President Donald Trump.

The US offer to help fund Mexico’s war on poppy cultivation stands in stark contrast to Trump’s threats to rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement and force Mexico to pay for a wall along the US border, and reveals the more subtle disPoppy plants used to make heroin are seen at a clandestine cussions taking place beplantation during a military operation in Culiacan in the state of tween the two Governments.

Mexico’s president’s office, Sinaloa, December 8, 2011 (File photo) the Interior Ministry and we still have to work through of an opiates epidemic that the Foreign Ministry did not the details,” he said, without has killed tens of thousands immediately respond to respecifying how much money of people, and with much of quests for comment. (Excerpt from the US could provide. its heroin coming from the Reuters) The US is in the midst mountains of Mexico, the is-

Antonio Palocci (left), former Finance Minister and Presidential Chief of Staff in recent Workers Party (PT) Governments, is escorted by federal Police Officers as he leaves the Institute of Forensic Science in Curitiba, Brazil, September 26, 2016

F

ormer Brazilian Finance Minister Antonio Palocci told a court hearing on Thursday that he could provide details of a political kickback scheme, which could threaten former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s chances of running in the 2018 election.

In the video of the hearing released on Thursday, Palocci made the offer directly to Judge Sergio Moro, who has overseen a sweeping three-year-old corruption investigation, known as Operation Car Wash, that has upturned Brazilian politics.

“I could immediately present all the facts, with names, addresses and operations carried out, things that will certainly be of interest to Car Wash,” Palocci said in the video of the hearing.

Operation Car Wash,

named for a gas station in what began as a money laundering probe in the capital Brasilia, has uncovered a bribery scheme at the highest levels of Brazilian politics in return for contracts at State-run enterprises.

Palocci, one of the closest advisers to Lula and former President Dilma Rousseff from 2003 to 2011, was jailed in September on charges he ran a bribery scheme funnelling money to the Workers Party, which then ruled Brazil.

Newspaper Folha de S Paulo reported on Tuesday, without citing sources, that Palocci met with investigators in recent weeks to discuss the terms of a possible plea bargain deal to give evidence against Lula and other party leaders. Palocci’s lawyer could not be reached to comment on the story.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the World

Paris Champs Elysees Interpol issues red notice for attack gunman named Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui

C

T

he gunman killed after shooting dead a policeman on the Champs Elysees has been named by the Paris prosecutor as Karim Cheurfi, a convicted criminal.

He used a Kalashnikov assault rifle to kill the Police Officer with two bullets to the head, François Molins told journalists in the French capital.

A note defending socalled Islamic State was found near his body.

Candidates in Sunday’s presidential election have been accused of exploiting the attack politically.

Cheurfi had four criminal convictions, the Prosecutor said.

Friday was the last day of campaigning before Sunday’s presidential election.

The killer had spoken about wanting to kill Police Officers, but had had no apparent link to Islamist radicalism, Molins said.

Cheurfi was arrested

hina’s Foreign Ministry says Interpol has issued a red notice for a controversial property billion-

A

Bullet holes could be seen on a window on the Champs Elysees on Friday

and his home searched in February after an inquiry was opened over reports that he had been talking of killing Police and getting weapons, Molins said.

Hunting knives, masks and a GoPro camera were found, but this was not considered sufficient proof of his murderous intent.

“At that stage, no link

with the radical Islamist movement was apparent,” the Paris Prosecutor said.

“Nothing justified further investigations by my office.”

Born on New Year’s Eve in 1977 in the Livry-Gargan suburb of north-eastern Paris, Cheurfi was jailed four times for attempted murder, violence and theft.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

video is a fabrication.

So far there has been no comment from the Egyptian military, which has previously released footage – apparently from the same incident late last year - -saying it had eliminated a “dangerous terrorist cell” after a heavy exchange of gunfire.

Human rights group Amnesty International said it had analysed the footage.

It showed “cold blooded killings”, which it said should be urgently investigated by the Egyptian authorities.

The footage, which emerged on Thursday, was

apparently filmed with a mobile phone and has been broadcast on Mekameleen TV, a station that supports the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

It appears to show two detainees being shot at pointblank range by Egyptian soldiers.

One man is already on the ground when he is shot four times. Later, a rifle has appeared by his side.A younger man, who appears to be unarmed, is blindfolded and briefly interrogated before apparently being shot dead. (Excerpt from BBC News)

2 more arrested in Michigan in 1st FGM prosecution in US

A

Michigan doctor and his wife have been arrested in connection with the first ever prosecution for female genital mutilation (FGM) in the US. Dr Fakhruddin Attar, 53, and Farida Attar, 50, are charged with conspiracy to perform the banned surgery at their medical clinic in a Detroit suburb.

They allegedly conspired with emergency room doctor, Jumana Nagarwala, who was arrested last week.

Two girls who underwent the procedure identified Mrs Attar and Ms Nagarwala.

The couple were arrested on Friday morning, and are expected to appear in court later today on charges

views to foreign media outlets threatening to release damaging details about high level corruption in China. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

South Africa bus crash kills at least 19 children

Egyptian soldiers accused of killing unarmed Sinai men in leaked video video has emerged that allegedly shows Egyptian soldiers shooting dead unarmed detainees in the northern Sinai region, where the military is carrying out an anti-terror offensive.

The footage, which is unverified, appears to show military officers rearranging the scene to make it seem as if a gun battle had taken place.

Soldiers are shown apparently placing weapons beside the dead bodies.

A pro-government news site has said that the 2016

aire.

Guo Wengui is believed to be hiding in the United States.

He has given inter-

Fakhruddin Attar faces multiple charges along with his wife and another doctor

of conspiracy to commit female genital mutilation and

aiding and abetting female genital mutilation.

A seven-year-old girl from the neighbouring state of Minnesota told a child forensic interviewer that she had been brought to the couple’s Burhani Medical Clinic in Livonia for a “special girls’ trip”.

The girl, who has been removed from home by child protective services, said she and another girl were told by their mothers they had to go to the doctor to “get the germs out”.

On April 11, a medical examiner in Minnesota inspected both girls and confirmed they had undergone genital surgery, which caused them much pain.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

A

The minibus was carrying children from primary and secondary schools

t least 19 children have been killed in a minibus crash near the South African capital, Pretoria, emergency services and officials say.

The children died after the vehicle burst into flames following a collision with a truck just north of the capital.

There were understood to be both primary and sec-

ondary school-aged children on board.

Panyaza Lesufi, the official responsible for education in Gauteng province, said it was a “dark day”.

The minibus collided with a truck on the single carriageway R25, between Verena in Mpumalanga and Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng, having left from

Mahlenga High.

The emergency services rescued seven children before the bus burst into flames.

“It is believed the driver of minibus underestimated the speed of the truck and collided with him whilst turning,” the Gauteng Education Department said in a statement. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

Waiting for green cards, Indian visaholders see hope in Trump review

W

hen Gokul Gunasekaran was offered a full scholarship for a graduate programme in electrical engineering at Stanford University, he saw it as the chance of a lifetime.

He had grown up in Chennai, India, and had a solid job offer with a large oil company after getting his undergraduate degree. He came to America instead, got the Stanford degree and now works as engineer at a data science in Silicon Valley.

But for the past five years, he has been waiting for a green card that would give him full legal rights as a permanent resident.

In the meantime, he is in a holding pattern on an H1-B visa, which permits him to live and work in the United States but does not allow him easily to switch jobs or start his own company.

“It was a no-brainer when I came to this country, but now I’m kind of regretting taking that scholarship,” said Gunasekaran, 29, who is also Vice President with a non-profit group called Immigration Voice that represents immigrants waiting for green cards.

Guru Hariharan, the CEO of e-commerce start-up Boomerang Commerce, was previously an executive at Amazon.com Inc and eBay Inc and spent 10 years waiting for his green card and he started his own company as soon as he got it

Immigration Voice estimates there are some 1.5 million H1-B visa holders in the country waiting for green cards, many of whom are from India and have been waiting for more than a decade.

Many of these immigrants welcomed President Donald Trump’s executive order this week to the federal departments overseeing the programme to review

it, a move that may lead to H1-B visas being awarded to the highest-paying, highest-skilled jobs rather than through a random lottery.

Their hope is that merit-based H1-Bs might then lead to merit-based green cards.

“I think less random is great,” said Guru Hariharan, the CEO and founder of Boomerang Commerce.(Excerpt

from Reuters)

16 NEWS Woman charged for Manufacturers urged to ganja to implement GNBS standards smuggling lover in prison G A SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

uyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) Executive Director Candelle WalcottBostwick has called on manufacturers to ensure that they adhere to the available standards in order to be able to negotiate better prices.

She was at the time addressing stakeholders at the National Codex Committee Forum.

“Our local manufacturers need to recognise that if we do not implement the necessary standards which provide confidence, our products would not be able to access regional and global markets… and when we implement standards, we can go negotiate market prices and not take what is presented to us,” she told stakeholders.

Walcott-Bostwick stressed that although the GNBS had standards and guidelines to govern the manufacturing sector, man-

ufacturers were choosing not to implement those standards and, as such, the entity would be engaging all Government Ministries, particularly the Public Health and Agriculture Ministries, to sensitise them on the standards available that should be implemented for the various sectors.

She noted that the GNBS housed Guyana’s Codex contact point which serves as the critical link between the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and the National Codex Committee (NCC). She noted that through Codex, Guyana has been provided with the opportunity to attend several CAC forums and develop its Codex standards, which addressed food safety issues across borders and reduced technical trade barriers. She added that Codex standards provide guidelines for food hygiene, and the limits for food additives, and pesticide

GNBS Executive Director Candelle Walcott-Bostwick

and veterinary drug residues among other contaminants.

Walcott-Bostwick charged stakeholders to let standards be the foundation of their business and pledged the GNBS’ support to strengthen the work of the Codex Secretariat to ensure access to information

by all stakeholders.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is the central part of the Joint Food and Agriculture Organisation/ World Health Organisation (FAO/WHO) Food Standards Programme and was established by FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and protect fair practices in food.

The Codex Alimentarius, often referred to as the food code, has become the global reference point for consumers, food producers and processors, national food control agencies and the international food trade.

The code has an enormous impact on the thinking of food producers and processors as well as on the awareness of the consumers.

Its influence extends to every continent, and its contribution to the protection of public health and fair practices in the food trade is immeasurable, according to the FAO.

Laing Avenue, Georgetown housewife, who was reportedly caught red-handed trying to smuggle marijuana under her skirt to her reputed husband at the Camp Street Prison, was on Friday taken before city Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

The charge stated that on April 19, Purvina Kissoon had in her possession 278 grams of cannabis at Lot 12 Camp Street for the purpose of trafficking.

The unrepresented 35-year-old woman denied the charge, but Police Prosecutor Simone Payne nonetheless objected to bail, based on the nature of the felony and the penalty it attracted.

According to the pros-

ecution’s case, the woman entered the Camp Street Prison to visit her reputed husband, and was seen by a prison officer placing her hand under her skirt and removing an object, which she threw into a corner of the room.

The alerted officer then asked her to leave the room and retrieved the bag, which was revealed to contain three parcels of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis. Kissoon was later arrested and taken to the Alberttown Police Station where the substance was weighed and sealed in her presence.

The woman was remanded to prison and will make her next court appearance on May 12, 2017.

KPMG Tax Skills training programme launched for at-risk youths Director admitted to Guyana’s Bar

Ministers Khemraj Ramjattan, Dominic Gaskin and Nicolette Henry, along with IDB officials and participants at the launch of the skills training programme for at-risk youths

S

ome 80 youths in Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) would benefit from a Guyana Government skills training programme targeting at-risk persons.

YouthBiz 592 Entrepreneurship Skills Training Programme was launched on Thursday at the Vryman’s Erven Training Centre in New Amsterdam, Berbice. It is a pilot programme sponsored by a grant of some US$430,000

from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through a technical cooperation agreement in support of the Citizen Security Strategy (CSS).

The programme will see 40 at-risk youths from Region Four and another 40 from Region 6 undergoing relevant skills training.

The programme arose out of an initiative by the Ministry of Public Security, which had seen the need for collaborating with the Ministry of Education and

the Ministry of Business.

Its core goals include atrisk youths being positioned to become economically self-sufficient and to play positive roles within their communities, and assessing how such a pilot intervention can prepare young people for productive livelihoods and discourage involvement in risky behaviours, crime and violence. It also focuses on enhancing the capacity of the Small Business Bureau and other Government stakeholders in developing

projects of a similar ilk.

The IDB has contracted the services of an international group, called Youth Build USA Inc, and the local group Small Business Bureau to execute the training of the young people and to do the assessment of the project.

The pilot programme, which will last some three months, will see direct benefits from entrepreneurship skills training and coaching on how to start up a business. Life skills and leadership training are also incorporated in addition to psycho- social support.

A startup grant of US$1500 would also be made accessible and available to participants.

Speaking at the launching ceremony were Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, and Junior Education Minister Nicolette Henry.

Officials from the IDB, Youth Build USA Inc and the Small Business Bureau were present at the launching ceremony.

From left: Attorney-at-Law Jamela Ali, KPMG Tax Manager Saskia Carmichael, KPMG Tax Director Attorney Gillian Wolffe O’Neil, and Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George

T

rinidadian Taxation Lawyer Gillian Wolffe O’Neil has been admitted to the Guyana Bar by acting Chief Judge Roxane George following the presentation of her application

by Attorney-at-Law Jamela Ali.

3 cash in on GTT Top UP and Win Promotion

G

Representatives of GTT and Fly Jamaica joined the winners of the GTT Top Up and Win Promotion

TT, in partnership with Fly Jamaica Airlines, on Thursday showered three lucky customers with eye-catching prizes following the draw of its Top Up and Win Promotion. One couple cashed in on an all-inclusive trip to Jamaica, while two others received consolation prizes of GTT handsets.

The two-week promotion, which came to an end on April 18, encouraged customers to recharge their mobile accounts, with each top-up of a $1000 giving them a chance to enter this grand lottery.

Subscribers eagerly grabbed at this promotion for the op-

portunity to be rewarded with a trip to the homeland of exotic beaches and reggae music.

Cashing in on the top prize was George Mahase of Dowding Street, Kitty, who won himself and his wife, a four-day, three-night all-inclusive trip to Jamaica, compliments of Fly Jamaica.

Also benefiting from this Promotion were Paul Fernandes of Lamaha Street, Kitty and Bibi Khan of East Bank Berbice. Fernandes and Khan both won themselves a trendy Samsung S7 Edge handset.

The drawing took place

on Wednesday with the presentation of the prizes being done on Thursday at the GTT Blackberry Store on Brickdam, Georgetown.

Staff of GTT and organisers of this Promotion surprised the lucky winners by showing up at their homes to inform them of their winning.

This was with the exception of Khan who will be presented with her prize on a special visit to Berbice slated for Friday.

Given the success of the Promotion, another phase is already under way, which will conclude on Mother’s Day.

O’Neil completed her legal education at the Hugh Wooding Law School and was admitted to the Trinidad Bar in 1989. Currently the Tax Director of KPMG Trinidad and Tobago, she brings to Guyana a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the area of taxation, particularly corporation tax, employment tax, Value Added Tax, property tax, and stamp duty.

She has experience training professionals, including attorneys-at-law, auditors, tax practitioners, human resource professionals and accountants, in tax technical and compliance issues. In collaboration with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), O’Neil recently hosted a seminar on VAT. In presenting her petition, Ali underscored the importance of O’Neil’s expertise, since it can be beneficial to the Guyanese populace, and wished O’Neil well in her practice.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

High Court blocks GPF hosts emergency preparedness exercises GPSU elections …orders audit

M

embers of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) have moved to the High Court and have received from Justice Nareshwar Harnanan an interim injunction to stop the current executive from holding elections until they account for various sums of money utilised by the union over the past 10 years.

The interim injunction granted on Thursday seeks to restrain the respondents or their servants or agents “from holding or attempting to hold an election for office bearers for the Executive Council of the Guyana Public Service Union until the 3rd day of May, 2017, or sooner on the production by the respondents of the Auditor General’s report to the applicant and members of the Guyana Public Service Union and the audited treasurer’s report for the Guyana Public Service Union for the past 12 years to date.” The application was made by Attorney-atLaw Nigel Hughes on behalf of Gregory Gaspar, Chairman of the GPSU branch 72.

The 19 executive members who have been prohibited by the High Court from holding the elections are: GPSU President, Patrick Yarde; 1st Vice President Mortimer Livan; 2nd Vice President Dawn Gardener; 3rd Vice President Carmelita Laully; Deputy General Secretary Kempton Alexander; Principal Assistant Secretary Samantha Fedee; Assistant

GPSU President Patrick Yarde

Education Officer Vera Naughton; Organising Secretary Sonny Singh; Assistant Organising Secretary Andrea Goles; Economic, Research and Project Officer Charles Baker; Assistant Economic, Research and Project Officer Trevor Daly, and Assistant Treasurer Thomas Nestor.

A rift has, over the past weeks, developed between the current Executive of the GPSU and certain branches of the Union, and this has continued over various issues, including Yarde’s longstanding appointment to the post of president and his inability to “effectively” represent union members, as well as issues relating to transparency and accountable.

Yarde has been serving at the helm of the union for over 30 years, consistently being re-elected to the post.

However, some members are of the view that he is illegally

in the position and is “holding a leash” to the post. To this end, a protest was held by several members calling for his resignation.

Concerned members pointed out at a press conference last month that there are some objections to the procedure used to increase the dues and annual levy, since the Union’s accounts have not been audited since 2003.

Member of the Bureau of Statistics branch of the GPSU, Michelle Layne, has said that when her branch made requests for the audited accounts of the union, Yarde reportedly responded by saying that they should go the Auditor General for the reports.

Meanwhile, the front runners of the protest against Yarde, Jermaine Hermanstyne and Karen Vansluytman, had stated that the GPSU President had adopted certain “intimidation tactics” against members protesting against him.

The concerned members further outlined that whenever the union had grievances with the Government, it would call on public servants to protest and strike; but now that the very public servants are taking a stance against the union, they are being disregarded and called unprofessional. She noted that Yarde had even written the agencies with which the members participating in the protest against him work, and complained about their “unprofessional and partial” conduct.

Thrill promotion kicks off C

a r i b b e a n International Distributors Incorporated (CIDI), manufacturers of the Thrill brand of soft drinks, has embarked on yet another promotion to give back to its customers.

It has launched a promotion, “Win with Thrill”, wherein customers would be given opportunity to win great prizes until June 30.

During the three months of this promotion, there will be monthly draws.

Thrill soft drinks now have a new look, and this promotion is aimed at highlighting the “new look”, whereas the soft drinks still have that same great taste.

To get a chance to draw each month and win, customers would be required to collect and submit three new Thrill labels along with their names, addresses and telephone numbers. They would be required to place those things in an envelope and drop same off at a redemption box at any of the participating supermarkets or at the CIDI head office at McDoom, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

CIDI General Manager, Prediep Baidjoe, along with Marketing and Public Relations Officer of CIDI, Vanessa Adamson-Carr and other staffers

In an exciting twist, school children would also be able to participate in the promo, and as such, redemptions boxes would also be placed in schools countrywide.

The prizes that are up for grabs in the promotion include washing machines; small, medium and large bicycles; jerseys, glass sets, free products and day trips to Aruwai H2O. General Manager of CIDI, Prediep Baidjoe, has said that this promotion is

just one of many that are currently in the pipeline. He encourages all to participate, as “it is an easy competition, so just use the instructions to enter and you guys can win big”.

Marketing and Public Relations Officer of CIDI, Vanessa Adamson-Carr, has noted that the trips to be awarded to winners in the competition are at where the company is encouraging persons to support the local tourism industry.

Officers of the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team during the simulation exercise

T

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Friday hosted a series of exercises to assess its level of preparation to respond to emergency cases, specifically those relating to acts of terrorism.

The exercises were in the form of a series of simulations executed across three Police Divisions throughout the country.

The day’s event, titled Operation Assurance II, included a series of fictional terrorist attacks all to assess the capacity and preparedness of the various departments of the Guyana Police Force in dealing with such emergency situations. The directive to conduct these exercises came from the National Security Committee, to which a comprehensive report will be submitted.

the Anti-kidnapping Unit, which consisted of investigators and negotiators who managed to rescue the hostage, but the culprits remained on the loose.

Continuing the imaginary scenario, the Criminal Investigation Department of the GPF took over the matter; which is when the Commander ordered the setting-up of several road blocks along the way. It was at one of the road blocks that the perpetrators were confronted, resulting in a chase, to Timehri. There, the ‘radicals’ sought refuge in a house, holding hostage the lone occupant of the residence. A prompt to the Police saw the intervention of the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team where they successfully rescued the hostage and detained the criminals following

expressed delight in the execution of such an event and pointed out that “it is all part and parcel of the training to ensure that our SWAT team and the other collaborative efforts of other units tuned in and they get the practice of it as it were, so that if this thing happens in real term, they will be better appreciative of what the challenges are”.

Moreover, the Minister emphasised that the day’s activity was merely an exercise to prepare the Police Force for emergency situations and should not be mistaken as an actual terrorist incident.

Also present at the event was Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, who noted that “It (the simulation) really tests our standard operational procedures and that helps us to strengthen

Scenarios

The scenarios testing practical skills commenced in the morning with ‘radical elements invading’ a gathering of stakeholders addressing preventative measures to threats of terrorism and devising strategies to stifle their repercussions by advocating against recruitment. The ‘radicals’ were informed of this meeting and ‘planted a bomb’ at the location on the East Coast of Demerara (C Division), posing a threat to the lives of the many dignitaries present at the deliberation. The Police were notified, after which they deployed their tactical teams to conduct a controlled evacuation followed by a search for, and neutralisation of, the explosive device.

Despite the success of the GPF in that instance, the ‘radicals’ managed to ‘kidnap an organiser of the anti-terrorist forum, taking the hostage to a hideout on the West Coast of Demerara (D Division)’.

While the ‘radicals’ awaited further instructions from their overseas leaders, Police were tipped off to their location, whereas the Divisional Commander intervened using intel to verify the reports. Shortly after, authorities were notified and tactical teams were put in place to deal with this new development. The team included

SWAT officers during one of their chain of activities

the release of several live rounds. The crime scene investigators then took control of the residence, after which the suspects were handed over to the detectives and other authorities employed.

Upon completion of the chain of activities, initial reports proved that the departments within the GPF were equipped and ready to take on extreme criminal acts if such cases were to arise. However, a more in-depth evaluation and recommendation would be produced in the form of a report to be presented to the National Security Committee.

Training/preparation

Observing the activities were Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and a number of GPF officials. The Minister

from time to time.”

Furthermore, Seelall pointed out that such largescale exercises were important, and one of such magnitude as Friday’s is only possible with much work.

“Operation Assurance II” is the second such initiative to be undertaken by the Police Force, with other similar training exercises being conducted from time to time. Although the scenarios were improvised and not actual criminal attacks, the simulation posed a challenge to the officers attached to the various agencies, giving them a realistic experience of dealing with cases of utmost emergency. As such, officers benefited from the day’s event and are now much more prepared to undertake and conquer extreme criminal acts, especially those of radical nature.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017

ARCHIE

Share your thoughts and knowledge. The input you (March 21- get in return will give you April 19) the shove you need to initiate change. An auspicious partnership will perk your interest. Make the first move.

ARIES

Make plans to go out and TAURUS meet people or help those (April 20- less fortunate. What you conMay 20) tribute will be appreciated and lead to new friendships.

Celebrate your success with someone you love.

DILBERT

Don’t mix business with GEMINI pleasure.

Protect your reputa(May 21tion and position by remainJune 20) ing goal-oriented and fiercely productive. Avoid people who are a bad influence.

Love conquers all. Express your feelings and share your (June 21- intentions. Spend time nurJuly 22) turing and improving your relationships with the ones you love. Self-awareness will encourage mindfulness.

CANCER

PEANUTS

Check your personal financLEO es for any mistakes or unex(July 23pected expenses. Don’t lend or Aug. 22) borrow money or possessions or get involved in a joint venture.

Risk will result in loss.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Make plans to get togethVIRGO er with an old friend, at(Aug. 23Sept. 22) tend a reunion or rejoin a group you used to belong to.

Reconnecting will help you clear up any emotional confusion.

Don’t take unnecessary LIBRA risks.

Physical challenges will (Sept. 23turn out to be more difficult Oct. 23) than you anticipated. Put your energy into building strength, not enduring injury. Use your brain instead of your brawn.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Stick to the truth when SCORPIO discussing personal feelings (Oct. 24or concerns. It’s important Nov. 22) not to exaggerate or to give others the wrong impression.

Romance is in the stars.

Emotional issues will SAGITTARIUS cause anxiety, frustration and (Nov. 23- confusion if you allow someDec. 21) one to manipulate you. Take a step back and control the situation instead of letting it control you.

YESTERDAY’S

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Believe in your ability CAPRICORN to follow your dream or to (Dec. 22pursue something you enJan. 19) joy doing. Let your creative imagination take over when dealing with personal gains and romance.

Don’t let anyone upset AQUARIUS you or ruin your day. Keep (Jan. 20busy, stay active and take on Feb. 19) a physical challenge that will test your strength and endurance. Choose peace and love, not discord.

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

Offering help is fine, but PISCES (Feb. 20- don’t let anyone take advanMarch 20) tage of you. Dealing with institutions will result in emotional frustration. Don’t let anger cause a stalemate.

saturDAY, aPRIL 22, 2017

You have succeeded – Yassin

19

Hemraj elated to be back in national colours – aiming to score maiden First-Class ton

– hero’s welcome for CARIFTA team

By Romario Samaroo

A

hero’s welcome is what team Guyana came home to on Friday after competing in the CARIFTA Games 2017 in Curacao.

The team were greeted by a high profile contingent including Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President, Aubrey Hutson, Mayfield Trim, Kenisha Headley and Nadine Trotz (Local Coordinating Committee) and a representative of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) upon arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and were taken to the capital city of Georgetown in a motorcade with police escort.

Along the way, loud music emanated from the huge sound system to create the carnival-like atmosphere for the local heroes.

The champions who wrote their names in the history books was easily the best local team to take part in the Games since its 1972 inception also paid a courtesy call to head of state, President David Granger before heading over to Olympic House, High Street where the hosted a press conference.

Notable presenters at the press conference included Hutson and President of the Guyana Olympic Association, K.A. Juman-Yassin.

Juman-Yassin told the young contingent of athletes that they had done the country well but this is not the end, this is the platform for greater things.

“Do not let this get to your head, you have been successful, the time when it should get to your head is when you get to a higher level, when you reach to the Olympics and when you get that medal

Happy gold medallists Compton Caesar, Shantoba Bright, Claudrice McKoy and Anfernee Headecker pose with their treasured pieces and Aubrey Hutson, KA Juman-Yassin at Olympic House on Friday

around your neck,” Yassin said.

The GOA boss went on to say this is the stepping stone for you to be able to climb that ladder, “this is your object and dream,” while recommitting the GOA’s support to the AAG. Meanwhile, Hutson commended the efforts off all the athletes as well as the management staff who toured to the Dutch speaking island. He also acknowledged the fact that this came on the backs of hard work and dedication, something that the AAG is looking to further facilitate on their way to winning Guyana’s gold medal at the Olympics one day.

In Curacao where the games were hosted, Linden’s Compton Caesar, who clocked 10.46 seconds, to stun Barbados’ Jaquone Hoyte (10.47) and Jamaica’s Jelani Walker (10.61 sec-

onds) handed Guyana its first gold, marking the first time a Guyanese won the 100m sprint.

Natricia Hooper also copped gold, winning the Girls’ U-18 triple jump with a leap of 13.08 metres while Claudrice McKoy took a bronze medal in the Girls’ Under-18 1500m (4:50.88), but, the diminutive athlete returned to win the U-18 3000m with a time of ten minutes 39.03 seconds (10:39.03).

Anfernee Headecker had a spirited run against a strong field in the Boys’ U-20 1500m but finished second with a time of three minutes 58.22 seconds (3:58.22). Chantoba Bright, competing in the long jump, leaped a distance of 5.91 metres to win the event but won bronze in the Girls’ U-18 triple jump, covering a distance of 12.35m.

National Under-15 encampment commences today

A

ll members of the Guyana Under 15 Squad are required to be present at the Chetram Singh Centre Of Excellence (GCB) Hostel in La Bonne Intention from 16:00h on Saturday.

There they would be encamped and undergo training for the GCB/ Igloo Ice-Cream U-17 Inter-County Tournament.

Subsequently the squad will be trimmed to 14 for the Regional tournament in Barbados from July 24 to August 3.

Guyana placed first in the 2014 and 2015, and second in the 2016 WICB Regional Under 15 Tournament. The early encampment could contribute to the new look team continuous success at this level.

Here is a look at the full squadShoaib Shaw, Ricardo Ramdeholl,

Daniel Dharamdat, Marvan Prashad, Sheldon Charles, Andre Seepersaud, Saif Omai, Mark Ramanand, Akash Heerlall, Gaurav Ramesh, Shamar Yearwood, Romel Retemiah, Devendra Kamraj, Trevor Charles, Anthony Williams, Movindra Dindyal, Chanderpaul Ramjat, Abdul Ramsammy, Ranaldo Mohamed and Daniel Mootoo.

All players are asked Marvan Prashad was outstanding in the GCB Inter-County to walk with their birth Under-15 tournament as Berbice skipper. Here he is certificate. receiving a trophy for man of the match in the final from match referee Grantley Culbard

A touch of class! Chandrapaul Hemraj flicks one off his legs during his 54 against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at Providence

By Akeem Greene

A

s a youth cricketer, Chandrapaul Hemraj had all the shots in the book, dominating bowlers of his level and those above with classy stroke-play but his elevation to the senior ranks was both a short and fruitless.

However, he returned to First-class cricket last weekend with a solid knock of 54 against Windward Islands Volcanoes at Providence. His innings lasted 102 balls and the five fours and two sixes he stroked were reminiscent of the past.

“It is great feeling to be back in the team, it is a great environment I am in now and I just want to keep doing well for the team and myself,” the 23 year-old said.

Prior this match last weekend, Hemraj would have last played his six four-day matches in April 2014 after making a debut at the age of 19 in March 2012 against Trinidad and Tobago at the Queen’s Park Oval.

After some time away from the sport, the cricketer who hails from the village of Cane Grove on the East Coast Demerara, returned with a bang smashing the highest individual score (250) in the local 3-day league and was the fourth highest run-scorer, with 562 runs.

“I am thankful for my score, it was the first outing after three years and I backed myself to do well; I just stop pressuring myself, back my ability and score runs.”

The Everest Cricket Club (ECC) player who is a part of the Guyana Jaguars Squad 13-man which will face Leeward Islands Hurricanes today at Providence has immediately set the bar, aiming to score a maiden ton at this level.

“I just want to continue scoring runs for the team; I want to score a century and if I can do it at the next game I will be really thankful”, he revealed.

The former West Indies under-19 batsman who is among Cricket Guy Inc (CGI) academy’s players will want improve his 16.81 average at this level in an effort to be a permanent fixture in the national side.

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturDAY, april 22, 2017

World-ranked MMA fighters headline "Locked & Loaded"

Martin Joseph

By Romario Samaroo

A

s Guyana prepares for its first ever Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights at the highly anticipated ‘Locked & Load’ card this Sunday at the Giftland Mall, Liliendaal, two of the world’s best fighters will headline the historic event.

With two professional cards, making their first showing in Guyana, Keron Bourne

will go toe to toe with Lawrence Hearwood in the Bantamweight (125-135 pound) class while Martin Joseph will match gloves with Emerson Hurley in the Light heavy weight (195-205 pound) category.

Bourne and Joseph, both from Trinidad and Tobago have impressed on the world scene and will be tough to beat having developed a phenomenal record over the years.

However, Hearwood, who hails from Guyana, has also had a good outing in the ring with a 10-2 record.

Bourne has accumulated a number of championships over the years including national boxing champion in 2013 as well as National Sambo Champion from 2012-2016.

His career has also been the talk of the town from an early age having copped Bourne at the Central American Caribbean Games in Judo back in 2004 when he was 19. In 2012 he was also the winner of double bronze at the Sambo Pan Am Championships. In 2013 he was elevated to the silver medal in the Sambo championships and was ranked 7th in the Sambo world Championship.

In 2014 he once again climbed the ladder and won gold at the Sambo commonwealth championships as well as gold and silver at the Pan Am equivalent.

His career continued to flourish in 2015 where he won silver at the President cup in London and 5th in the World championships in Africa. Last year, Bourne was belted with the Ruff N Tufff International Sambo title while also earning accolades such as bronze and silver at the Pan Am championship.

Meanwhile, Joseph has also stepped his

game up over the years beginning with his first recognition in the domestic circuit back in 2010 where he won the national kickboxing championship. In 2012 he was the national Sambo and grappling champion while continuing to hold the Sambo champion each year until 2016.

In 2011 Joseph was a silver medallist at the World champion- s h i p in Iran before being a bronze medallist at Sambo Pan Am championship in Columbia.

In 2013 he was ranked 14th at the Sambo world championship in Russia and won bronze at the Sambo world championship in Panama. In 2014 he won gold at the same event, this time hosted in Trinidad and Tobago before going to London and earning a bronze medal in the president cup. He was ranked 16th at the Sambo world championship in Japan in the same year.

In 2015 he won bronze at the Sambo President cup and the Pan Am games. He was further moved to 8th in the ranking at the Sambo world championship in Africa.

His MMA career has seen him undefeated with five wins. In 2014 he won the Ruff N Tuff invitational and Curacao championship while winning the Aruba International and Barbados Caribbean Championship in 2015.

He also won the Ruff N Tuff invitational international championship in 2016.

Additionally, there will be five amateur fights with Lashawn Sladden (T&T) taking on Guyana’s Kwanza Thompson in the light heavy weight category before Erland Maloney (T&T) battled Isaiah Cave of Guyana in a lightweight showdown.

In the other lightweight match, Ahmad

Keron Bourne

Khan, also of T&T, will square up against Kareem Simon of Guyana, while Colwyn Benn and Ryan Beaton, both from Guyana punch it out in the Heavyweight class. Last on the cards for the amateur fights is the flyweight clash between Gershom Griffith of T&T and Ray Gill of Guyana. Tickets for the monumental night cost $1,000 general admission and $2000 ringside organised by Ruff N Tuff MMA and Fight Central 592, Guyana.

Demerara Inter-Association

Stage set for Novices Georgetown seeking Championships – GABBFF VP

T

h e stage is set for the first event to be hosted by the new executive body of the Guyana Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation (GABBFF) -- the Novices Championships, which are set for tonight at the Theatre Guild in Kingston, Georgetown.

This was disclosed by vice president of GABBFF, Seon Satrohan, in an interview with this publication.

Satrohan explained that this event is the stepping stone for all other events under the GABBFF, and the theme is “Simply the best… better than all the rest”.

“The event is coming along nicely,” he said. “We have seen a good support from the populace.” He disclosed that “over 30 athletes have so far signed up, and that number is expected to grow with athletes from Linden, Berbice and Georgetown ready to flex.”

This comes in light of the GABBFF making organised visits to these areas, gathering much information and receiving positive support for their plans ahead of the novices’ championships.

The country’s up-and-coming muscle men and women -- displaying rippling abdominals, well defined quadriceps, sculpted arms, and sporting stilettos and bikinis -- will

Admission to the venue will be on display as they battle for supremacy when the action starts at cost $1,500. Tickets are available at Fitness Express, Space Gym, 19:00h.

The categories that will be con- Buddy’s Gym and Fitness 53. To tested include the usual categories date, the tournament has received -- Junior: under 21years; Flyweight: sponsorship from the likes of Handunder 132lbs; Bantamweight: un- in-Hand Insurance, Windjammer der 143lbs; Lightweight: 144lbs Hotel and Bar, Fitness Express, and to 154lbs; Welterweight: 155lbs to the Giftland Mall.

166lbs; Light Middleweight: 166lbs to 176lbs; and Heavyweight: 177lbs and over.

The Men’s Physique segment will be contested along with the customary bodybuilding categories: Ms. Bikini and Ms. Body Fitness.

According to General Secretary of the GABBFF, Lisa Ahmad, there has been overwhelming interest in the Men’s Physique category. She is encouraging the females to come out and participate, noting that there is a lot of talent just Vice President Seon Satrohan (left) and President of the GABBFF, Coel Marks waiting to be displayed.

another win

Raymond Perez

Renaldo Ali Mohamed

he Georgetown players selected to participate in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) InterAssociation Under-19 Tournament are required to be at the Ogle Community Development Centre Ground from 08: 15 hours today, for the second match of the tournament against East Coast Demerara.

The city side was off to a good start on Wednesday when the defeated four time defending champions West Demerara by 126 runs.

National U-19 opening batsman Raymond Perez made 110 while skipper Renaldo Ali-Mohamed was

superb with bat and ball scoring 52 before returning to take six wickets.

Georgetown will play their third and final match on Sunday 23 April 2017.

The Georgetown squad for this weekend is as follows: Raymon Perez, Mark Bapiste, Collin Barton, Ronaldo Ali Mohamed (capt), Timothy McAlmont, Darshan Persaud, Kurt Lovell, Christopher Campbell, Joshua Persaud, Sachin Singh, Ashmead Nedd, Dequian Bamfield, Outar Torrington, Alplius Bookie, Dawin Dick, Ghamsham Premshan, and Joel Spooner.

T

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturdAY, april 22, 2017

... hard work is paying off for Vishaul – “Pepe”

By Romario Samaroo

B

orn in Alexander Village, Georgetown to parents, Nalini and Hardat “Pepe” Singh (HS), Vishal Singh or as he is popularly known in the cricket fraternity as “Cheesy” has made a break through into the West Indies senior team for the Test series against Pakistan and his father, who has been with him from the start of his career walk us through the journey to the top.

dad I love to play the game and so he choose that as a career.

GT: Do you think this was destined to happen?

HS: yes GT: What was your earliest memory of his talent?

HS: He was first spotted by Joe Solomon at the GCC ground, Bourda where we were playing a practice match and he would usually go with me to all the matches. So I was bowling to him and Solomon saw how he was batting, he was

“Pepe keeps” a whole suitcase of published articles about accomplishments

Guyana Times Sport (GT) sat down with the overjoyed parents of “Cheesy” for the journey through the eyes of a father.

GT: How do you feel now that Vishaul has been selected to the West Indies Test squad?

HS: Like all parents you are proud when your children do good and I am proud today and he has come a long way and it is good to see he reach where he is through a lot of hard work and dedication and most important is the love of the game.

He really love the game when I told him to stick to his studies he say

his son’s

only about six years old and after the match Solomon said “this little boy has good batting ability.”

He called him up and gave him a [pair of batting] pads, a ball and a batting gloves and he said I’m sorry I don’t have any bats right now and I think that kind of motivated him to play the game. He came home and he told his mother how he was very excited about those things when he got them.

GT: What are some of the records Cheesy hold?

HS: When he was 11 he was playing in the third class compe-

GABA ready for Trevor Rose

P

tition and he got a hundred and I was told that was a record breaking what Ramnaresh Sarwan would have held at the age of 14 making him the youngest player in the history of Guyana to score a century in the competition.

He got the record in England too where he broke Justin Langer’s record where he amassed 1000+ runs playing for Sandwich Town Cricket Club in the Kent League and that club was the love of his life, he really had liked that club. He played four years for them.

GT: What do you think contributed to his success?

HS: It was hard work for him, very hard work. He used to leave home at four am to go to the national park to train. It was hard work getting where he is today, training and going through the different stages.

GT: Were there any hurdles along the way?

HS: He had a lot of injuries along the line of his career one of the injuries made him stop bowl even though he was a very good leg spinner and when he broke his collar bone and was out of cricket for a little while and he had to stop bowling and I think that was a sad part of his career because he was a brilliant leg spinner I had trained him myself and he was really doing well but faith had it he broke his collar bone and that was it for his bowling and I told him well concentrate on batting Then along that line when he was doing good he had that injury to his knee which kept him out of cricket for a long time and he was sadden when he went to the ground and see his friends play with a crutch but we are thankful that knee was saved from surgery be-

5k

reparations by the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Federation (GABA) is on course for the 3rd staging of the Trevor Rose Memorial 5K run, which is slated for Sunday.

While this is the third staging of this event, this is its first staging under the newly elected executive body of GABA; and according to President of the Federation, Adrian Hooper, the body is trying its best to make this a successful event and honour the legacy of the late Trevor Rose.

“The new executive body is basically trying to honour his (Rose’s) legacy. We know he has been a part of the fraternity for a number of years, and the past executive had hosted the event for the past two years, (so) we are trying to continue the legacy,” Hooper said.

Hooper added that the GABA administration is doing its best to bring out the entire community for the event, which is expected to start at 05:30h in front of Palm Court. He also detailed the route the event would take.

“The run will start in front of Palm Court. It heads east on Middle Street and (makes) a left on Camp Street, then heads up to Carifesta Avenue and takes a right on Carifesta, and heads to Vlissengen Road. And you make a left on to the seawalls, then (head) straight down to Pegasus, then (head back) to Palm Court for the finish.” The GABA president explained.

As always, GABA would provide trophies and prizes for those who successfully complete the race, as well as special offers for basketball teams that would participate as a group in the run.

Registration fee is set at $1000; and, so far, the event has attracted a lot of support.

Rose, a former president of GABA, was shot dead in January 2014 while in a car in the vicinity of Eccles, President of GABA, East Bank Demerara.

Adrian Hooper

Vishal Singh’s parents Nalini and Hardat Singh

cause that knee was swollen like a football.

GT: How did he get the name Cheesy?

HS: He always had a lot of friends and I remember he was playing at the Ghandi Youth Organisation with some of his friends I think one of them was Arun Dhaloo who I think gave him that name because of his style. He had a lot of friends since he was a small boy from Stella Marris Primary coming up to St. Rose’s High he had many friends all bigger than him.

GT: What quality do you admire most in him?

HS: He is a smart boy; he went to University of Guyana having done two years and would always be checking things on the internet like how to do strength training and anything he wants to do like improve his diet especially since he is not that big framed kind of guy.

The Selection Panel of the West Indies Cricket Board announced on Monday a 13-member squad for the first Test of the Brighto Paints presents the Q Mobile Cup Series against Pakistan, starting on

Friday at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

The squad sees the selection of Guyanese batsmen Vishaul Singh and Shimron Hetmyer. Both Singh and Hetmyer have been in tremendous form in the regional tournaments and in the tour match against the Pakistanis Singh made a delightful 135 not out while Hetmyer made 97. Courtney Browne, chairman of the selection panel, said “Vishal has been one of the more consistent batsmen in the Regional 4-Day Tournament over the last few seasons and had a very good A-Team series against Sri Lanka last year.

His hundred over the weekend for the WICB President’s XI against the Pakistanis helped to fortify in our minds that he has a place in our squad. He gives us the option of a solid middle-order batsman around whom our more free-scoring players can bat.”

Singh along with Hetmyer made their debuts for the West Indies on Friday making them the 311th and 310th players to represent the West Indies in test cricket.

Massy Berbice Fitness Walk set for Sunday

O

n Sunday starting at 6:30h Massy Berbice branch will be holding its first fitness walk which will be opened to the public.

The event forms part of the entity’s activities planned across their Group of Companies to commemorate World Occupational Safety and Health Month which is being observed in April.

The walk will be held under the theme, ‘Willpower knows no obstacles’.

According to Berbice Branch manager Mark Bicki, it is a call for all to become actively involved in their own health. This he says should be done by exercising regularly.

“This event follows our big 10km fitness run that is done annually in Georgetown during the month of September when professional athletes compete in preparation for the South American Fitness Run.” “Massy Berbice intends to make this an

annual Berbice event and is inviting corporate Berbice to join in participating in this event and helping to raise the awareness levels among the working class especially where fitness comes in to make our lives better.”

The walk will commence at 6:30h on Sunday from outside Speedy Trading, Number 2 Village, East Canje Berbice and end at Massy Industries, Lot 3 Strand, New Amsterdam.

There will be prizes up for grab for the top three finishers as well as the organization with the most representatives.

A short awareness session on the importance of a healthy lifestyle is scheduled immediately after in the parking lot of Massy Industries.

Meanwhile, persons wishing to participate can assemble at Massy Industries at 06:00h for transportation to the starting point.

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, april 22, 2017

23

Brighto Paints presents West Indies vs Pakistan Q Mobile Test Series

Chase, Dowrich lead WI fightback W

est Indies' middle and lower order came to their rescue in a big way as they recovered from a precarious 71 for 5 to end the opening day at 244 for 7. Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich added 118 for the sixth wicket after Mohammad Amir had made three breakthroughs either side of lunch as Pakistan threatened to take a firm hold on the match.

Play was called off nine overs early, as the clouds that hovered above for much of the day finally impacted the light enough to convince the umpires to lead the players off after just one over with the new ball, but the final session had not been short of action. Chase and Dowrich, whose partnership started in the first over after lunch, took their stand to three figures but just as it looked like Pakistan were running out of ideas the breakthrough came via a miraculous diving catch on the boundary to dismiss Chase, with Wahab Riaz taking a stunning grab running towards the long-on boundary.

The next ball, Dowrich was bowled by Yasir Shah as the visitors wrestled the advantage again, but some gutsy late hitting by Jason Holder and Devendra Bishoo ensured West Indies finished the day with some momentum, and a total to defend.

Pakistan were on top for much of the first day, but West Indies produced a heartening response after looking as though they could unrav-

– Singh, Hetmyer make debut el when Amir and debutant Mohammad Abbas were operating with the new ball.

Abbas claimed a wicket with his second delivery in Test cricket as Kraigg Brathwaite edged to second slip where Younis Khan snared another catch, reminding Pakistan it

of the morning. Showing exquisite control, Amir produced one to dart back into the left-handed Shimron Hetmyer, one of two West Indians on debut. Hetmyer, who had for much of his short stay at the crease been chiefly concerned with Amir's

Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich put on 101 to rescue the hosts at Sabina Park

wasn't just his runs they were going to miss when he hangs up his bat at the end of this Test series.

However, Abbas' senior bowling partner was the man

outswinger, was clearly unprepared for the change-up; Pakistan had almost begun celebrating by the time the his bat came down. Four overs later, Amir castled Shai Hope

with his stock delivery, swinging into the right-hander and sending his off stump cartwheeling.

When Wahab came on, the runs flowed a little more freely, the batsmen taking advantage of his slightly erratic length and relative lack of movement. Even so, he claimed the scalp of Vishaul Singh, also in his first outing, owing to a sharp catch at square leg from Azhar Ali, the batsman falling over to a ball drifting on to leg stump.

When Kieran Powell fell two deliveries after lunch, chasing a wide swinging delivery from Amir he would have been better off leaving alone, Pakistan would have harboured realistic hopes of dismissing West Indies for under 150, but Chase and Dowrich took control of the innings with a sense of grit and determination that supposedly better batsmen had been devoid of. They were excellent in trying circumstances, taking advantage whenever Yasir - who was inconsistent - missed his length, and punished Wahab when his line wavered. They did not panic when the runs dried up, but didn't go back into their shells so much they couldn't pounce on the poor deliveries.

Chase and Dowrich snapped back into a more aggressive mindset soon after tea, the latter rubber-stamping that fact by slashing Abbas for a pair of stylish square cuts and bringing up the 100-run stand moments later. It was then that the ab-

sence of a fifth bowling option began to hurt the visitors as they turned to Amir again, who they would ideally have wanted to rest until the new ball.

However, when this Test match has long been forgotten, all people will probably remember is how the sixth-wicket stand was broken. In a moment of play that almost defied belief, Chase struck a lofted drive off Yasir, looking for all the world like it would fetch him a boundary, despite Wahab, hardly a world-beating fielder, scampering back from midoff. Wahab threw himself at the ball - even the technique looked all wrong - and somehow emerged with it in hand.

The umpires asked for TV confirmation - perhaps they were just as astonished as everyone else.

The next ball, Dowrich

was beaten for spin as he tried to drive Yasir along the ground, the ball thudding into his stumps: 189 for 5 had become 189 for 7 and, just like that, Pakistan again sensed a swift end to the innings.

However, no one appeared to have told Holder and Bishoo, who set upon Yasir in a display of counter-attacking hitting, not afraid to loft him in the air, earning multiple boundaries in return. They raced to a fifty-partnership at almost a run-a-ball, and continued to frustrate Pakistan was the new ball was taken.

Fortune came to their aid thereafter, as the new ball was only one Amir over old when the umpires decided this was no time of day to be facing fast bowling. Holder and Bishoo didn't need to be told twice, sprinting off to the dressing room after living to fight another day. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD West Indies 1st innings KC Brathwaite c Younis Khan b Mohammad Abbas 0 KOA Powell c Younis Khan b Mohammad Amir 33 SO Hetmyer b Mohammad Ami r 11 SD Hope b Mohammad Amir 2 VA Singh c Azhar Ali b Wahab Ri az 9 RL Chase c Wahab Riaz b Yasir Shah 63 SO Dowrich† b Yasir Shah 56 JO Holder* not out 30 D Bishoo not out 23 Extras (lb-17)17

Total (7 wickets; 81 overs)244 To bat AS Joseph, ST Gabriel Fall of wickets 1-1 (Brathwaite, 1.2 ov), 2-24 (Hetmyer, 8.2 ov), 3-32 (Hope, 12.6 ov), 4-53 (Singh, 19.4 ov), 5-71 (Powell, 26.2 ov), 6-189 (Chase, 69.3 ov), 7-189 (Dowrich, 69.4 ov) Bowling Mohammad Amir 19-9-28-3, Mohammad Abbas 17-4-42-1, Wahab Riaz 21-466-1, Yasir Shah 24-5-91-2 Pakistan; Azhar Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed†, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Abbas

CWI/ PCL Digicel Regional 4-Day Tournament 2016-17

Cornwall’s 6-68 flattens Jaguars –Yadram, Adams get FC opportunity D

efending Digicel Regional Four Day Champions, Guyana Jaguars were brought down to earth after they were rocked back by a devastating spell of off spin bowling coupled with bad shot selection on Friday at Providence.

After amassing an unassailable 131.4 points from nine matches to retain the Headley/ Weeks Trophy the hosts were bowled out cheaply by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on day one of their final match in the tournament.

Opting to bat, the Jaguars began with last round centurion and debutant Bhaskar Yadram and were off to a cautious start on a typical Providence in sunny weather. After 10 overs of medium pace from Gavin Tonge and Jeremiah Louis, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes skipper, Rakheem Cornwall brought himself in the attack from the Players Pavilion End and bowled unchanged all day.

In a sudden change of

events, the typically patient Fudadin tried to launch Cornwall’s first ball over and extra cover and held out to Keacy Carty who took a splendid running catch to begin the slide.

Chandrapaul Hemraj then joined his Everest Cricket Club team mate but after bringing up the Jaguars’ 50 in the 16th over he was snapped up by Jacques Taylor to give Louis his first wicket. After hitting five fours from 51 balls, the 17 year old Yadram was smartly taken at leg slip as the home team lose two wickets at 51.

Lunch was taken with the Jaguars on 88-3 with out of form captain, Leon Johnson on an attractive 28 and Raymon Reifer on 6. After the interval, the procession continued from the dressing room to the middle for the Jaguars batsmen and at tea they were 164/7 with Keemo Paul on 30 and Veerasammy Permaul on 8.

The entire top and middle orders were back in the hut as Cornwall grabbed anoth-

er five-wicket haul as 76 runs were scored in the middle session for the wickets of Johnson, Reifer, Bramble and Jacobs all cheaply and to poor shots.

The visitors opening pair then put their heads down to graft for the remaining 25 overs to finish on 62 without loss to end a good day at the office for the bottom of the table Hurricanes.

er, Chesney Hughes on 29.

The Hurricanes are trailing by 125 and are batting themselves into a strong position after their bowlers did the hard work and thoughts of an upset must be on the minds of the visitors.

The Jaguars left out Rajendra Chandrika, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Samaroo while Reifer, Clinton Pestano and the debutants found themselves in the final XI in the final match of a long season.

SCOREBOARD

The Hurricanes skipper bowled impressively for his 11th five wicket haul in First Class cricket

Paul made a fighting 30 with three fours and two sixes but after he was dismissed the innings soon ended at about 15:33h with the other debutant, Anthony Adams ending on four with Cornwall finishing with six.

Montcin Hodge who made a century when the Hurricanes handed the Jaguars their only defeat of the season in the record chase of 369 in St. Kitts last November in round two was not out on 32 and with him was English county play-

Guyana Jaguars 1st Innings AB Fudadin c K Carty b R Cornwall 6 B Yadram c M Hodge b R Cornwall 25 C Hemraj c J Taylor b J Louis 9 LR Johnson* c J Hamilton b G To nge 33 RA Reifer st J Hamilton b R Cornwall 13 A Bramble+ c R Cornwall b J Louis 15 KM Paul c G Tonge b R Cornwall 30 SA Jacobs c J Taylor b R 4 Cornwall V Permaul c A Saunders b G Ton ge 12 C Pestano c SP Peters b R Cornwall 15 4 A Adams not out Extras (b9, lb-10, nb-2) 21

Total (All out, 62.4 overs) 187 FOW: 1-35, 2-52, 3-51, 4-101, 5-101, 6-136, 7-142, 8-165, 9-175, 10-187 Bowling Tonge 13-437-2 (nb-1), Louis13-5-27-2, Cornwall 26.4-11-68-6 (nb-1), 5-1-17-0, Berridge Taylor 3-1-14-0, Peters 2-1-5-0 Leeward Islands Hurricanes 1st Innings M Hodge not out 32 C Hughes not out 29 Extras (nb-1) 1 Total (For no wicket, 25 overs) 62 Did not bat: Carty, Saunders, Hamilton+, Cornwall*, Peters, Taylor, Berridge, Louis, Tonge Bowling Reifer 6-4-11-0, Pestano 4-1-17-0, Jacobs 5-1-80, Paul 4-2-16-0 (nb-1), Adams 3-1-8-0, Permaul 3-2-2-0

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Brighto Paints presents West Indies vs Pakistan Q Mobile Test Series

Chase, Dowrich lead WI fightback – Singh, Hetmyer make debut

Vishaul Singh and Shimron Hetmyer receive their maroon caps ahead of their debut at Sabina Park, Jamaica (Photo courtesy WICB Media)

You have succeeded – Yassin

– hero’s welcome for CARIFTA team

Pg 19

The successful team along with President of the GOA, KA Juman-Yassin (extreme right) and President of the AAG, Aubrey Hutson (extreme left) at Olympic House on Friday

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