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Queens Atlantic refutes KN’s GWI well falsehoods Businessman

guyana-times.com

Issue No. 2960

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Page 3

Essequibo stabbing

Sister confesses to killing brother …claims self defence

Page 10

charged for Tucville fatal shooting

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

No place P7 for corrupt, rogue cops in Police Force – Ramnarine

Mother seeks answers after son dies P12

…Police investigating death as suicide

Page 17

Granger relives Burnham ideology for PNC delegates …as party prepares to vote for new leadership

Page 17

APNU/AFC Councillor P11 dissatisfied with Anna Regina road works

Bourda Market vendors decry unsanitary P11 conditions A section of the gathering at the opening of the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR) 19th Biennial Delegates Congress on Friday at Congress Place Sophia,Greater Georgetown

Pharmagate

Page 9

Norton defends multimilliondollar ‘drug bond’ agreement …offers apology but skirts direct questions

“Park” politics P7 outside Indigenous communities – NTC Vice Chairman

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

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saturDAY, august 27, 2016 | guyana-times.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, August 27 – 13:30h-15:00h and Sunday, August 28 – 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, August 27 – 12:45h-14:15h and Sunday, August 28 – 13:45h-15:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Light to heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while clear skies can be expected in the evening with temperatures ranging between 24 degrees and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East South-easterly between 2.23 metre and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 12:26h reaching a maximum height of 2.20 metres.

Low Tide: 05:47h and 18:19h reaching minimum heights of 0.92 metre and 1.04 metres respectively.

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Queens Atlantic refutes KN’s GWI well falsehoods T

he Guyana Water Inc (GWI) headed by Dr Richard Van WestCharles has retaliated against Guyana Times and the Queen’s Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII) and launched an investigation into the water supplies for the Sanata Complex on the very day that Guyana Times published an exposé on the fuel licence that had been acquired by Dr Van West-Charles.

Chairman of QAII Dr Ranjisinghi “Bobby” Ramroop on Friday drew attention to the GWI investigation, even as it refutes even more inaccurate information spewed by Kaieteur News as it attempted to malign the operations of QAII, suggesting some form of illegality with respect to a well in its compound.

QAII has since released a public statement where it publicly notes “that GWI staff only showed up and sought to interrogate QAII employees on the day that a QAII related company, Guyana Times, broke the story identifying that the GWI CEO was granted a licence to import and export fuel.”

QAII said it can only assume this action was in retaliation to the article carried by its newspaper, Guyana Times in its August 17, 2016, edition.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the misleading Kaieteur News article, QAII says that the well in question is in fact wholly owned by QAII and GWI nor its predecessor companies has never owned the well.

In fact, QAII said, “Like many industrial operations, large complexes have their own well and operate these independently of GWI… QAII has always sought to be a good citizen and has maintained that there is an arrangement where the water from the well can be accessed for GWI usage.”

QAII was at the time responding to the continued spate of malicious accusations being levelled by Kaieteur News.

QAII said it refutes in its entirety the claims made by Kaieteur News that it owes the State-owned GWI millions of dollars in water bills.

According to QAII, “it is not and never was a customer of GWI.” A report in Friday’s edition of the Kaieteur News, under the caption ‘No evidence that Ramroop Ruimveldt Complex is a GWI customer’, went on to claim that the State-owned GWI has started investigations on the Ruimveldt property owned and controlled by Dr Ramroop.

QAII has since responded to the er-

GWI CEO, Dr Richard Van West-Charles

roneous publication in Kaieteur News to say that it owns the well that GWI is purportedly investigating and has disclosed too that “Security, rates and taxes, etc for the entire Sanata operations are borne solely by QAII.” According to the QAII statement, “Over the years, the well and the environs have always been recognised as being under private ownership, and are currently owned by QAII… QAII said it will continue to pursue a good relationship with GWI for shared access to the water resources of the well.”

QAII sought to point out too that its water use is not commercial and is in fact insignificant. “In fact, most of the

water is being used by GWI… and for the record, QAII said it has never been a customer of GWI at this location, given that QAII is accessing water from its own well.”

Dr Ramroop’s QAII said it remains committed to being a good corporate citizen and will seek to continue to support GWI on its use of the well.

Additionally, in refuting the continued spate of falsehoods emanating from the Kaieteur News, QAII responded too to the allegation that Government spent some US$5 million to rehabilitate the Sanata Textiles Complex before it was sold to QAII at a cost of US$3.4 million was repeated.

QAII Executive Chairman, Dr Ramroop, has maintained that the information being published by the Kaieteur News is “inaccurate and false”. “I want to state categorically

that after the lease, the Government of Guyana did not spend a single cent on the clean-up or any other expense that went into rehabilitating or reconstruction of any of the buildings,” Dr Ramroop declared.

He explained that Kaieteur News has been peddling the lie that millions were spent since 2008 when Guyana Times newspaper was launched.

“The fact is all repairs, rehabilitation and other works were done by the QAII Group to the tune of millions of dollars, after acquisition of the lease as the Complex at the time of privatisation was in a state of disrepair.”

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saturday, august 27, 2016

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

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

Editorial

The Linden tolls

I

n what is regarded as yet another highly unpopular move since it took office approximately 15 months ago, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government has sanctioned new tolls for users of the roads in Linden at specified locations.

It was reported in the media earlier this week that the government, through its Communities Minister, has approved payment of 18 different categories of tolls to be paid to the Linden Town Council (LTC) for the use of its roads. The tolls, ranging between $2000 and $7000, were approved by Minister Ronald Bulkan, bringing into effect the Linden Town Council (Toll) By-Laws 2016, making the collection of tolls from vehicles traversing the roads into a statute.

The move stems from an earlier resolution of the LTC to impose the tolls to be charged at specified locations. The by-laws, as set out, caters for cars, minibuses, canters traversing the road with goods for sale, in addition to those laden with fuel and lumber.

It should also be mentioned that the by-laws not only impose the need for the payment of the tolls, but create offences should this new regime be breached.

According to the by-laws, in addition to the penalties imposed for refusing to pay, “the toll collector, in the event that a toll demanded is not honoured, may impound the vehicle and release the vehicle after the sum has been paid in full.”

From the onset, we wish to state clearly that there is nothing wrong with the authorities charging tolls for use of its roads in Linden; the real issue lies with the manner in which the fees are imposed on individuals.

In fact one is forced to question the rationale behind such a decision, considering the difficult economic times both businesses and individuals are facing.

Already citizens are crying out that they are facing very tough times and are finding it very difficult to meet their needs based on their current incomes.

Businesses are also complaining that sales have decreased tremendously and they are not making the kind of profits they are accustomed to.

Certainly the imposition of such tolls would result in more economic hardships for citizens of the mining town and its surrounding environs. Businesses will be forced to increase their prices for goods since new tolls would result in increased transportation costs to take commodities in and out of the town, public transportation costs would go up and more than likely there would be a decrease in traffic into the town as persons would want to avoid paying the sums required to use the roads.

The Administration is now famous for proceeding with certain policy decisions without meaningfully engaging the citizens who are most likely to be affected by such decisions.

Recently, the government buckled under public pressure to put on hold its decision to relocate the Walter Roth Museum. After widespread condemnation from many corners including the political opposition, it is now saying that it would consult with the various stakeholders before a definitive decision is made on the matter.

This is the sort of approach that should have been taken in the first place. More particularly, this is the type of governance which was promised on the campaign trail for the 2015 elections.

Any government that is serious about practicing democratic and inclusive governance will, as a matter of norm, seek to engage citizens first, especially when such decisions directly affect their livelihoods. For example, citizens should have been consulted on the sums proposed.

We reported a few days back that the information regarding the new tolls has since been officially gazetted. However, it is still not too late to engage the various stakeholders likely to be affected by the imposition of the tolls.

That said, we believe that this is yet another of the many counterproductive policies of the Government which would result in additional suffering for many; and it would be a welcome move if a decision is made to relook at the entire situation.

This market vendor keeps her produce fresh in downtown Georgetown (Marceano Narine photo)

Jagdeo will be the second Guyanese to address Eric Williams Memorial Lecture

Dear Editor, Former President Bharrat Jagdeo, now Opposition Leader, will be the guest speaker next month at Eric Williams Memorial Lecture. Jagdeo will be the second Guyanese to address the prestigious forum. The first was Professor Ivelaw Griffith who is now the Head of the University of Guyana.

The topic, of the September 30 lecture at Florida University in Miami, is The Caribbean and American Power: The Donald Trumph Ascendency. Jagdeo will

join distinguished academics and worldknown personalities who spoke at the Forum including former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who delivered the inauguration speech in 1998, the former President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, one of America's premier black historians John Hope Franklin, Civil Rights Activist Angela Davis, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, PJ Patterson.

Last year’s speaker was St Vincent and the Grenadines Head of Government Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

Dr Eric Williams was the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, and one of the leading advocates against colonialism. He was the author of several books including "Columbus to Castro". Jagdeo has held several high level government positions, ranging from Minister of Finance to President of Guyana from 1999 to 2011.

He also holds a number of global leadership position in the area of sustainable development, green growth and climate change.

In 2008 he was named Times Magazine's "Hero of

the Environment" and in 2010, the United Nations declared him to be one of its "Champions of the Earth Awardees".

In the financial area, Jagdeo has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IMF and World Bank Group (20052006) The Eric Williams Memorial Lecture was the brain child of Erica Williams Connel, daughter of the late Trinidadian leader.

Yours truly, Oscar Ramjeet

The APNU/AFC regime is antidemocratic Dear Editor, In an earlier article, we had posited that the nature of the present APNU/ AFC regime is one of bureaucratic capitalist elite.

It was noted that such a regime uses the state apparatus to enrich itself. This is a throwback to the PNC days in power from 1964 to 1992.

During this period, the PNC practised similar methods. Super salaries and allowances, coupled with huge corruption scandals like Global Agri, Greenland Crop and others were the order of the day.

Eventually, their greed became so great that under the guise of building socialism, the regime “nationalised” 80 per cent of the country’s economy.

They did that to further enrich themselves and to control the livelihood of the vast majority of people in the country. This allowed them to lord it over the people. One had to join the PNC to get a job and when the economy deteriorated, they had to join the PNC for basic items, including toilet

paper.

They even practiced forced labour at Hope Estate. They forced public servants and employees of public corporations to give free labour on weekends.

The PNC regime used those same workers and the army to break strikes, which they branded as political.

Such a regime, by nature, suppresses criticism.

They do not like transparency and accountability.

Those methods of management go against their intentions. They want to run the state as if it was their private property, not caring about the welfare of the people.

In a word, by its nature, such a regime is considered to be anti-democratic.

Of course, defenders of this regime would argue that that was a long time ago and much has changed.

Some would even say that it is impossible for them to return to such practices. It is true that a lot has changed.

What has not changed is the nature of the regime.

That is the constant.

It means that they would continue their practice in these new conditions.

They work systematically to undermine the democratic gains we have made since 1992 and eventually will take us back to a dictatorship - a la PNC. It is apposite to recall that the PNC took from 1964 to 1973 to complete their strangle on power and to really earn the title as a dictatorship. This shows that the establishment of a dictatorship by the bureaucratic clan is a process.

An examination of this PNC-led APNU/AFC regime would show that the contours of such a regime are already distinguishable. This trend is bound to continue.

Already, we see that the Parliament is being undermined. Many complaints are being made by the Opposition on how the Speaker is conducting the business of the Assembly.

He is not using his authority to facilitate delibera-

tion and debates. Instead his conduct puts him as a partisan operator mainly concerned with defending and protecting government MPs. Already questions begging to be answered are piling up in the National Assembly.

Since the regime took power we have noticed the trend - settling of cases, including tax cases. These settlements have cost the economy billions of dollars.

The BK International case is one such disturbing matter. This matter did not even reach the court, but settlement of more than a billion dollars was done.

In all of these cases, one is hard pressed not to believe that some persons may be getting kickbacks.

This is after they have given themselves huge increases in salaries and allowances. This is after they have given their friends super salaries in many public entities. They have also overloaded the system with advisors. continued on page 5

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

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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

Valuable PR Dear Editor, The continuing and increasing incidence of Human Resource Management (HRM) practitioners including at the bottom of their Vacancy Advertisements statements like “only short listed applicants will be acknowledged” or words to that effect risk undermining the very purpose of advertising vacancies.

The prime objective of public announcements of vacancies is to attract the widest possible pool of potentially suitable candidates from among whom to make a competitive choice.

Carefully worded Ads (‘market-oriented’ as opposed to some which merely copy extracts from the Job Description/Specification) will reduce the chances of

too many ‘unsuitable’ applicants and by the same token increase the chances of a wide, competitive field from which effective selection can be made.

The Ad is an invitation to a select group of people as described therein; if this invitation projects an ‘exclusivity’, the criteria for which only those who do the shortlisting are privy, then the chances increase that many potentially competent people might not apply because they prefer to avoid the ‘insult’ of being rejected without even knowing if their application was received. And the organisation risks unwittingly rejecting a good candidate.

The formal acknowledgement of applications is at least courteous and valu-

able Public Relations (PR).

It used to be done routinely in my early days as an HRM practitioner when the labour and material costs of doing so was relatively higher than in these days of cheap, easy electronic communication.

There is no doubt in my mind that organisations lose much more than they gain by refusing to acknowledge applications and then adding insult to injury by advertising their discourtesy in not doing so.

Nevertheless, I am prepared to be proven wrong if HRM colleagues who indulge in this malpractice can publicise their rationale for not acknowledging applications.

Yours truly, Nowrang Persaud

Reasons for differences in dates on Hindu calendar Dear Editor, I think the Hindu public needs to be informed of the reasons for the differences in dates on the Hindu calendar. Specifically, why all the dates on Dharmic Sabha’s calendar are exactly one day after the dates on the calendars of all other Hindu organisations?

At a meeting held at Dharmic Sabha Kendra on Monday 22 August, 2016, and attended by Pandits of Viraat Sabha, Pandits’ Sabha of Region 3, Pandits’ Council and Gandhi Youth, the matter was discussed.

In its explanation on the system and methods used in arriving at its Dates, Dharmic Sabha revealed that it has been using the time given in the Panchang (Hindu Astrological Chart) as the ‘Starting’ Time. The Pandits of all other organisations present vehemently disagreed; they assert-

ed that the Time is the ‘Ending’ Time, and not the Starting Time.

It should be mentioned that this is supposed to be public knowledge, known especially by all students of Astrology. Also, the Astrological Charts, in their guidelines, mention that all times are given as the ‘Ending’ Time.

The use of these times as the starting position of each Lunar Day (Tithi) has resulted in all Dharmic Sabha’s dates being one day later than the dates on the Charts, and as well the calendars of the other organisations.

Thus, when the Full Moon ended at 5:26 am on 18 August, Dharmic Sabha treated it as having started then, thereby celebrating Raksha Bandhan one day after. Again, Ashtami (8th lunar day), according to the Panchangas, started

on the 24 August and ended at 10:40 am on the 25th.

Dharmic Sabha is using 10:40 am on 25th as the starting time of Ashtami, thus celebrating Janam Ashtami on the 25th.

Similarly, for Diwali.

Amaavasya (Diwali) ends at 1:37 pm on the 30th of October. Dharmic Sabha is treating 1:37 pm on the 30th as the starting time of Diwali. So their date for Diwali is the 30th instead of the 29th.

This is a fatal error which has resulted in all their dates occurring one day later. It should be mentioned that Dharmic Sabha’s dates do not agree with those in the Panchangas.

Yours truly, Pt R Balbadar Sanskrit and Vaidic Theology Dip

Design, construction of Hope Canal The APNU/AFC...

Bridge saw no input from Allsop, Carter Dear Editor, I have always felt that a newspaper is not the most appropriate medium for criticising the design of an engineering structure for it is usually difficult to cover adequately the salient features of engineering design without a clear explanation of the qualities relevant to the proper functioning of an engineering structure.

This is certainly the case with your article on the Hope Canal Bridge as covered in your column of Sunday, August 7, 2016.

Nevertheless, I take excep-

tion to the statement in the article that ‘the review of the designs for the project include Philip Allsopp and Bert Carter’.

I wish to emphasise that neither of the two engineers mentioned had any direct connect with the bridge project. We were invited to consider the direct drainage and hydraulic conditions of the project but our terms of reference made no mention of the bridge project which was undertaken by consultants whose names were listed on a plaque attached to the bridge.

Failure of the approach

span, as depicted in the photographs indicated that failure was due to ‘geotechnical properties’ of the soft clay beneath the approach span which evidently was not adequately catered for in the design of the approach slab.

This has become a regular feature of soft clay in bridge approaches and needs to be adequately addressed, but neither Philip Allsop nor Bert Carter was involved at any stage of the design or construction.

Yours truly, Philip Allsopp

The drug bond fiasco is the latest case to show that they are setting up companies to do business with the Government. Minister Norton, in the case of the bond fiasco, is just the fall guy. This stench goes high up in the administration.

Many established contractors are already complaining that they are not getting jobs, they have become sub-contractors to persons who were given projects but have no equipment.

Already, we have seen the disregard for the tender process and the use of sole sourcing. This is the begin-

ning of the undermining of transparency and accountability.

The most worrying factor of this Granger regime is the process of militarisation of the State. Some glimpses of these actions are of great concern.

The taking over of the Walter Roth Museum to house the growing bureaucracy is a case in point.

Reports have it that army personnel just turned up and told the staff that they will have to move, to start

FROM PAGE 4

packing.

This is an ominous sign of things to come. While we may have some dismissals, as we have seen at GWI, this situation will not get better, it will further deteriorate.

This is because of the nature of the regime.

The democratic forces in our society must come out and oppose this trend, tomorrow may be too late.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar, Former President

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Foundation

reasons why people who feel entitled end up miserable

BY SETH J GILLIHAN, PHD

A

recent article reviewed many studies on entitlement, which the authors summarised as “pervasive and enduring feelings of deservingness for more goods, services, or special treatment than others... with or without any dutifully earned right to those benefits.”

No doubt we all know people who fit this description – the student who expects a good grade without putting in the effort; the friend who always expects you to be available but is never there for you; the family member who expects to be waited on by everyone else.

The article proposes three main problems with an exaggerated sense of entitlement:

teacher, boss, family member, romantic partner, or other. As the authors note, not even God gets a free pass when expectations of entitlement are violated. Among

so special after all. To protect their ego, the person is likely to blame others for the disappointment, which reinforces their sense of entitlement. For example, as the

though they briefly discuss ways that therapy might address entitlement. They suggest that a therapist could explore how a person interprets expectations that aren’t met.

While it’s easy to see others’ excessive entitlement, it can be harder to see more nuanced versions in ourselves. Most of us carry some expectation that life will be fair, that our car won’t break down, that we’ll have a steady income and low-cost health care, and that we’ll be healthy and live until we’re 90. While we can hope for these things, none of these wishes is guaranteed.

I once treated a woman who had a terrible medical crisis in the middle of her treatment. She came through it with a deep ap-

Disappointment leads

suffering

When an overly entitled person’s unrealistic expectations aren’t met, the resulting disappointment often leads to anger and resentment. These emotional reactions tend to damage relationships, whether with a

(Continued from Friday)

4. We guide behaviour but resist the urge to punish

Spankings, time outs, consequences, and shaming don’t give children the help they need with their emotions. In fact, the message children get is that the emotions that drove them to “misbehave” are bad. So children try to repress those emotions, and their emotional backpack gets fuller.

That’s one of the reasons that punishment actually leads to more misbehaviour – those feelings keep bubbling up out of the emotional backpack looking for healing, and your child lashes out because the emotions feel so scary. Instead of punishing, help your child stay on track with positive guidance, help processing emotion, and scaffolding (which just means that we help them to learn the skills until they can do it themselves.)

(“You can be as mad as you want, but I won’t let you hit.”) Your angry child is not a bad person, but a hurting, very young human. When children aren’t controlling their emotions, it’s because they can’t, at that moment. If you can stay compassionate, your child will feel safe enough to surface, feel and express the tears and fears that are driving his anger and acting out. If you can help him cry, those feelings will evaporate – and the anger and acting out will vanish, too.

disappointment

to

6 steps to help children learn to control their emotions

5. We help our child feel safe enough to feel his emotions, even while we limit his actions

Entitlement inevitably leads to When a person expects everything to turn out his way (regardless of the effort he invests), he’s bound to be disappointed. For example, students with high entitlement are more likely to be disappointed with their grades. Further, being overly entitled leads to broken relationships, in part because entitlement is linked to excessively high standards for others.

guyana-times.com

those with a strong sense of entitlement, personal suffering is likely to lead to “hostility and frustration” toward God.

Self-protective efforts

maintain entitlement Disappointment can threaten the ego of a highly entitled person by suggesting that he or she isn’t

study authors note, a highly entitled person who is fired for poor job performance may blame her boss, saying he was threatened by her superior abilities. Thus what could be a corrective experience actually strengthens one’s sense of specialness.

The authors of the study aren’t overly optimistic that this trait can be changed, al-

preciation for all subsequent experiences. She described being thankful even to experience a painful medical procedure, because she knew she had almost reached the end of all experiences in this life. When we believe that life owes us nothing, we have infinite opportunities to experience gratitude – even in the midst of pain and disappointment. (psychologytoday.com)

6. We act like the grown-up

When children worry that we aren’t really able to meet their needs, they start working hard to take charge themselves. That’s why they get needy, bossy, and demanding.

That’s difficult for us to live with. But what’s even worse for their development, they stop coming to us with their tears and fears. They don’t trust us with their vulnerability. They have to keep their defences up. And that means they can’t relax and tackle things that scare them (otherwise known as age-appropriate developmental tasks), like learning to work out conflicts with peers and taking the risk of trying new things.

Is it important to teach children words for their emotions? Sure. But don’t insist that your child talk about feelings, which takes her out of heart and into her head and makes it harder to work through the feelings. Instead, focus on simply accepting your child’s emotions and offering love, even if you need to limit your child’s actions. That will teach her that: * Emotions aren’t bad, they’re just part of the richness of being human. * We don’t usually have a choice about what we feel, but we always have a choice about how we choose to act. * When you’re comfortable with your feelings, you feel them deeply, and then they dissipate. That gives you more control over your behaviour.

Children who are parented this way learn to “control” their emotions because they have a healthy emotional life, not because they’ve been told not to feel, or punished or shamed for their feelings.

Sound hard? It is! But if you’re still working on “controlling” your own “tantrums,” you’ll be glad to hear that your children will almost certainly be better at managing their emotions than you are. Why? You’re doing the hard work now to help them learn how. And the work is on yourself! (www.ahaparenting.com)

news

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saturday, august 27, 2016 | guyana-times.com

“Park” politics outside No place for corrupt, rogue cops indigenous communities in Police Force – Ramnarine – NTC Vice Chairman I

V

A section of the gathering at the National Toshaos Council meeting on Monday

ice Chairman of the National Toshao Council (NTC) Lenox Shuman on Friday called on politicians to “park” their politics outside of indigenous peoples’ communities.

Responding to Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock’s statement that Amerindian communities are being torn apart by “agents of division,” Shuman posited that this occurs when a community allows politics to seep in.

Allicock on Monday had urged indigenous people to not be divided by agents of divisions. He stated that villages continue to struggle with division and so he encouraged them to work together. He instructed them to “ignore” the agents of divisions” and avoid them.

“We need to work together as team ….urgent matters must be reported immediately at the village council and the ministry and the regional offices,” he said.

Shuman stated that “politics have no right in communities” because of its neg-

ative impact on the people; and that the communities would be divided and would have different agenda, resulting in stagnation. “…people would have different agenda and this does not lead to meaningful development of indigenous communities,” he said, adding: “I think when elections are done, park all of that politics aside and let us work for what is best for the community and the same should be for nation building.”

He pointed out that if politicians believe that they are working for the betterment of the people, then, “leave the politics outside of the small communities.”

“There is no way that I will take a partisan position regardless of how I vote,” he said, suggesting that the leaders need to look after the needs of their people and stop with the politics.

However, some Toshaos adamantly denied that their communities are divided by politics. One stated that the present administration has done nothing to develop his

village and so he was waiting to see what will become of “all the talks” in the NTC annual Conference this year.

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo had stated that policy directives are no longer in the hands of the substantive Ministry or Minister since Vice President and Minster of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sidney Allicock is ‘without authority.’

“He is a good man,” Jagdeo praised but underscoring that the problem is that he is without authority since the decision-makers are seated at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Jagdeo further lamented this situation by pointing to the fact that there are numerous ‘racist-oriented’ persons who now form the core of the decision-making process.

The Government, on the other hand, has stated that they are in full support for the development of the Amerindian peoples and their communities. (Jeanna Pearson)

n light of a recent report from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which highlights that the Guyana Police Force is the least trusted institution in the country, acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine has stated that efforts are being undertaken to strengthen relations with the public.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Ramnarine was pellucid that he will not tolerate unprofessional behaviour by ranks that could tarnish the reputation of the Police Force, especially since significant effort has been put in place to rebuild public trust.

While there has been much work done under the Force’s ‘Social Crime Prevention’ programme to further strengthen the Police-community relations, the acting Police Commissioner sought to emphasise on efforts taken within the Force to build public trust.

He explained that the Force’s lower-order comprises mainly of young persons who lack some of the basic skills that are needed to promote a professional and trust-worthy institution.

“A large percentage of the Force at a lower level consists of young members of the Force lacking much needed experience, patience, tolerance and we are working on them. There has to be constant supervision; you got to be driving in their heads all the time that they have taken an oath to serve… and that their conduct and the discharge of those responsibilities is always under focus,” he stated.

According to the acting Commissioner, in the past, the Force would cover up and even tolerate delinquent behaviour from ranks because it needed the staff, but this has changed and the

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine

junior ranks have been cautioned that this will no longer be obtained.

“Gone are the days when you tolerate a deviant rank, whether criminally or departmentally, because you can’t help it; you don’t have persons joining the Force and so you are hesitant to let that person go and try to cover up or have a soft-touch with the deviant behaviour, but now we have a line out there,” he declared.

Moreover, the acting Police Commissioner highlighted that not only is the Force receiving more recruitment applications, but are receiving applications from persons who are highly qualified, such as post graduates who want to be enlisted in the Police Force.

In fact, he disclosed that only a couple of days ago, someone with a Degree in Economics had expressed interest in joining the Force, while there continues to be applications from diploma and degree holders. This, he noted, is quite distinct, given the fact that about 10 years

ago, people were joining the Force with basically primary and secondary education.

Ramnarine further pointed out that with a long line of potential recruits on the waiting list, “we are not going to hesitate to make the decision that when you join, you take the training and then you graduate and believe you become a god onto yourself – you have a uniform, you have a gun, you have accomplices with you and you are going to terrorise and do foolishness to besmirch the image of the Force – not understanding that the image of the country is at stake by your actions, not only the Police Force and yourself, so we will have to let you go, we are not going to keep you.”

On this note, Ramnarine went on to outline that actions are constantly being taken against those corrupt and rogue officers.

In fact, he noted that only recently he was forced to take “condign and swift” actions against two ranks from the Immigration Branch who were involved in an “ugly” incident at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

“We can’t have that, we can’t tolerate that and we can’t be indecisive on taking actions,” he posited.

The acting Police Commissioner further disclosed that over the years, there have been doubts about whether the Police Force would be able to “investigate, charge and prosecute our own”. He responded to this revealing that 12 ranks were dismissed from the Force for various offences last year, while some 15 ranks were gotten rid of so far this year. TURN TO PAGE 12

8 news

saturDAY, august 27, 2016 | guyana-times.com

IN THE COURTS Amelia's Ward serial Lindener jailed for B&E offender remanded

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n Amelia's Ward, Linden, man who appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday was remanded to prison on six offences.

Adam McDonald, 28, of Lot 848 South Amelia's Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, was slapped with charges of break and enter and larceny, disorderly behaviour and damage to property.

It is alleged that on August 21, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged two sash windows at the Wismar Police Station, property of the Guyana Police Force, valued $40,000. He was also charged with behaving disorderly at the said Police Station on August 24.

It is further alleged that on July 25, the defendant broke and entered the home of Janet Henry at Lot 1041 Cinderella City, Amelia's

Ward, with intent to commit a felony.

Further it is also alleged that on August 5, he broke and entered the home of Fabian Anthony at Central Amelia's Ward and stole a flatscreen smart television valued $639,226, and a desktop computer and CPU valued $478,871, property of Anthony.

Additionally, it is alleged that the defendant broke and entered the home of Sonita McLean at Cinderella City, Amelia's Ward on August 8 and stole $15,000 in cash, property of McLean. The defendant was also charged with breaking and entering the home of June Cumberbatch of 1218 Central Amelia's Ward on Tuesday, June 5, where he allegedly stole $8000 cash.

The defendant however denied all the charges.

The case will continue on September 28.

A

Lindener will be spending the next four years in prison after he admitted to two breaking and entering and larceny charges.

The sentence was handed down to Alersli Higgins, 33, on Wednesday by Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.

Higgins of Lot 75 Canvas City, Wismar, Linden, admitted that on March 13 and 14, he broke and entered the storeroom of Sherryann Alsopp at Lot 85 One Mile, Wismar, and stole 24 chain saw blades valued $67,000, a quantity of clothing valued $600,000, a slaughter valued $426,000 and other articles amounting to a total of $803,000.

According to the prosecution’s case, the defendant was arrested after a report of theft was made to the Police and he admitted to committing the offence.

The court also heard that

on March 1, 2016, Higgins broke and entered the home of Winston Kingston at Phase 1B Wisroc, Wismar and stole a gold chain valued $50,000, a gold band valued $60,000, a pair of gold earrings valued $25,000, and US$500.

Before the Magistrate handed down his sentenced, the defendant begged for leniency, noting that he was young, and chose not to waste the court’s time.

In handing down the sentence, Magistrate Nurse said that he took into consideration the fact that the defendant did not waste the court's time. He told the defendant, however that he wanted to send the right message that what he did was "not cool", adding that he hopes the time spent behind bars would be used to reflect on his life and make the right changes.

The sentences will run concurrently.

Eyew tness Confederacy of ineptitude...

T

...on Cabinet decision-making

he APNU/AFC government appears confused about the difference between "in" and "out" when it comes to extricating their collective foot from their mouth in the Pharmagate" scandal. With every new "explanation" or excuse offered, they only stick their foot further into their gastro-intestinal tract. If they keep this up, pretty soon that foot will be sticking out of their nether orifice!

The latest bit of asininity on the issue came from Vice President and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, when he inadvertently revealed how Cabinet decisions are made. God help Guyana!! He said the decision to rent the "warehouse" was made after being told the Albouystown facility was going to be $12M/ monthly versus $19M monthly for NEW GPC's. This illustrates, at best, the most potent reason why this "Cabinet no-objection" nonsense must stop. Can you imagine people in charge of this country not enquiring about square footage costs?

This Eyewitness can't. It was already revealed by Minister Trotman that the sourcing of a new warehouse for pharmaceuticals was to "stick it to Bobby Ramroop", after their first move to scrap the "pre-qualification criteria" for sourcing pharmaceuticals. This was never a decision about delivering better health care to Guyanese - it was always a punitive political ploy. But somebody got greedy and decided to make a killing on the side.

If storage per se was the concern, the government had their own Diamond Facility. The excuse about "congested" traffic is so ridiculous it doesn't even deserve an answer.

Ramjattan also said Cabinet was "under the impression" that the new facility "was ready". "Impression"? That's what the Cabinet uses to make decisions? Maybe they'll use a Crystal Ball next? What about looking at the terms of the contract?

Well Guyanese have finally been made privy to THAT document - sort of. And the stench increases! Why not the SIGNED copy? Well, for one it's for "office space" not "warehouse"!! Hence the frenetic activity after exposure in Parliament! Secondly we'd have a clue as to who're the parties initiating and consummating the deal, no? Why'd they want to hide this? If the Minister innocent, wouldn't the information exculpate him by showing he was ignorant of the details be lied about?

Because even the portion of the contract released shows what a sweetheart deal Larry Singh got. Not only was he given a "deposit" that (purely by coincidence!!!

ROTFLMAF!!) allowed him to buy the property free and clear, but the government was going to pay for all the expenses of running the warehouse!! It was a license to print money!!

It's clear the "sweetheart deal" wasn't one-sided. So who's the sweetheart from within the government? And when will he get the boot?

...on education CoI

Something's fishy with the state of our educational system. And it's the new powers-that-be who said this right after assuming office. So as with the Inquiries into dozens of govt agencies, a Commission of Inquiry was duly constituted to diagnose and prescribe treatment for the ailment in the sector. Concerned citizens whose kids were dropping through the education cracks like finely powdered goat dung, were wondering when the long awaited report would be submitted.

Only to now discover the CoI never even met, cause the representative of the Teachers Union had to be jettisoned because of "cost"!! Yep! You read right! After spending hundreds of millions on "audits" that led nowhere and new CoIs still springing up like "jumbie umbrellas", we can't afford a Teacher Rep on a CoI that'll eventually need teachers' buy in to be implemented??

Something's also fishy with those in charge of the educational system!

...on the economy

So we're being exhorted to pull ourselves out of our economic doldrums through 'entrepreneurship". Well, it doesn't matter what you produce - goods or services - if you can't find markets.

So whatever happened to that Mexican RICE Market opened up by Prime Minister Nagamootoo???

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

news

9

SATURday, august 27, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Pharmagate

Norton defends multimillion-dollar ‘drug bond’ agreement …offers apology but skirts direct questions

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ublic Health Minister Dr George Norton on Friday, apologised for telling the National Assembly that New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (NEW GPC) had been paid in excess of $19 million for the rental of its drug bond, and that drugs had already been stored at the controversial Sussex Street property, since this was inaccurate.

Dr Norton met with the media at Parliament Buildings shortly after he supposedly handed over a written apology to Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland.

Reading a prepared statement, Minister Norton said the answers he had given on August 8, 2016 in the National Assembly were in part a result of personal knowledge, in addition to the advice he received at the time.

He added further that ever since August 8, 2016, “I have come to the firm position that the answer given to the questions related to NEW GPC and the storage of drugs at the bond at 29 Sussex Street, were not accurate and these were based on information provided to me. In the circumstances, I wish to express my sincere and profound regret to his Excellency, Brigadier David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Honourable Dr Barton Scotland, Speaker of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Mr Moses Nagamootoo and my Parliamentary colleagues of the APNU/AFC, members of the Parliamentary Opposition and all others who were present or were able to observe the process of the consideration of the estimates.”

According to Dr Norton, “as Minister of Public Health I know that high standard of duty and care is expected of me and the staff of the Ministry of Public Health, so I take full responsibility for this unfortunate episode and give my full commitment that it will not re-occur.”

Resignation

Responding to mounting calls for his resignation, the minister told the media: “I have admitted that I made a mistake of which I take full responsibility for, assuring you that this will not re-occur and I am still committed.”

The Public Health Minister’s subsequent pronouncements however, has left more questions than answers in addition to what the final cost of renting the bond will be, in addition to the $12.5 million rental fee; whether the new facility is in fact a savings to government, and further, whether the rented space is compliant with international standards for the storage of drugs and medical supplies.

Appearing at the press engagement with Dr Norton was Director of Public Information Imran Khan− who at times attempted to provide answers for the Minister.

PS signed

Dr Norton was relentlessly grilled by the media and said that it was the Permanent Secretary of the

meet PAHO/WHO standards for the storage of drugs and medical supplies but Dr Norton could not substantiate this claim with any form of verification.

Too much space

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton

Ministry, Trevor Thomas, along with Larry Singh−the majority owner of Linden Holdings Inc, the controversial company in question− who were the signatories to the agreement, thus he was unable to say at the time who witnessed the signing of the agreement.

As was the case with whether an apology was in fact delivered to the Speaker, Dr Norton gave varying answers with regards why an unsigned agreement had been released to the public on Friday−void of the signatories or witnesses.

He suggested that what had been handed to the Speaker was in fact a copy of a copy of the contract and that the signatories were inadvertently left out.

This he said would be rectified but up to press time, the complete agreement had not been released inclusive of the signatories for the Sussex Street property.

Commenting on the fact that the inked agreement speaks to the rental of the premises for the purpose of a professional office and not a drug storage bond, Dr Norton said he could not at the moment provide an answer on the ‘technicality.’

DPI khan at this point attempted to intervene and reminded that the Cabinet Sub-Committee had found that the Building did in fact

Speaking about the cost savings in light of the discrepancies that have since been pointed out over the different proposals in terms of rental fee, Dr Norton said that Government found itself in a position where it needed space to store its drugs and medical supplies.

He could not say however, what is the specific size of the Sussex Street bond, only that the storage space being offered by NEW GPC was too much and that government did not need that much storage area.

Dr Norton said government was looking at how much money it could save in the shortest possible period, since there had been an emergency (unexplained) where government required storage space.

He conceded that the problem of storage space only obtained when government decided to end its pre-qualification arrangement with NEW GPC−which in turn asked for rent to be paid for a service it had been providing free of cost for over a decade.

Larry Singh

Asked directly how Larry Singh of Linden Holdings Inc came to know of the need of government to secure a bond in an emergency situation, it was DPI Khan who attempted to explain but the media were adamant that Minister Norton needs to provide the answers.

Khan attempted to suggest that the minister could not be expected to answer the question as to how the Ministry and Linden Holdings Inc initiated their arrangement.

Minister Norton eventually told the media: “I would not be able to say that.”

He was also unable to say whether Larry Singh was in fact a member of the People’s

National Congress Reform, saying “I can’t confirm that.”

Dr Norton was also unable to provide an answer as to how Larry Singh, ‘coincidentally’ paid $25 million to purchase the property−the same amount fronted by government in it security deposit for the facility−during the same time government began searching for an alternative storage bond.

Questioned as to whether government was prepared to re-tender the contract given the brouhaha that has erupted, Dr Norton defended the merits of the actual contract, insiting that it was the better deal. He said: “There is a collective responsibility on the part of the Cabinet and um… every decision will be have to make at the level of cabinet.”

Asked frontally if

Cabinet−of which he is a member−is prepared to re-tender the contract, Dr Norton replied that it is not a decision that has been taken.

DPI Khan at this point again interjected to remind of the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s recommendation that the contract be reviewed.

Fall Guy

Dr Norton was also asked to respond frontally to the claim that he was in fact being placed as the ‘fall guy’ for someone within Cabinet with a personal interest in the contract.According to Dr Norton he was unaware of such a thing.

Pressed again on how the ministry became aware of the Sussex Street property, Dr Norton said he could not recall when this happened

but assured, “yes I did visit the bond and I was convinced that it was suitable.”

Pressed again on whether he had suggested to Cabinet that the entire contract be revisited given the public’s reaction, Dr Norton said he did not, because he did not see it to be necessary According to Dr Norton, notwithstanding the public flack, his public apology and the numerous questions surrounding the entire affair, he did not believe that the contract needed to be re-tendered. Dr Norton conceded that he was not comfortable with the way the entire affair played out, hence his apology but glowingly stated: “I am comfortable with the bond…

I think it has what it takes to store the medication in a proper way”

10

guyana-times.com

saturDAY, august 27, 2016

News

Essequibo stabbing

Sister confesses to killing brother

Suspect in Corentyne teenager’s murder remanded

…claims self defence

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he sister of Maxton Lawrie confessed late Thursday evening to Police that she stabbed her brother in self-defence.

Police have since concluded their investigations and have sent the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

Investigations revealed that the sister perpetrated the act after she was verbally aggravated by her brother, who was armed with a knife at the time.

According to reports, Lawrie, 30, went home about midnight on August 24, 2016 under the influence of alcohol and began to argue with his father, Maxwell Lawrie. The argument esca-

Dead: Maxton Lawrie

lated and it is alleged that Lawrie dealt a cuff to his father's right eye.

After assaulting his father rushed to his sister's room, armed with a knife, and knocked on her

door. Stephanie Lawrie, 24, opened the door and was confronted by her brother who was hurling expletives and remarks about her personal life - still wielding the knife.

Lawrie allegedly tried to hurt his sister with the knife when she, in self-defence, stabbed him to his right side lower abdomen.

Bleeding profusely, Maxton was rushed by family to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Lawrie was in a common-law relationship, and his wife is said to be four months pregnant.

The deceased was described as a habitual drinker who constantly verbally abusing his parents.

Terani Goolcharran

Akeem Grimmond

he suspect in the murder of Akeem Grimmond, 13, whose body was discovered last Monday, appeared in court on Thursday and was remanded.

The accused, Terani Goolcharran, 26, was escorted to the Springlands Magistrate Court, clad in a torn pair of trousers and accompanied by his wife. He

was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which stated that between August 20-22, 2016 he murdered Grimmond.

Magistrate Rabindranath Singh explained to Goolcharran that he could not plead to the charge since it was an indictable offence but the accused nonetheless shouted out, “not guilty”.

The coconut vendor of Number 60 Village was remanded to prison. He had previously been convicted of simple larceny.

The matter has been transferred to the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court and comes up for hearing again on September 14.

The partly decomposed body of young Grimmond of No 61 Village, Corentyne was discovered in a drain Monday last, behind a cemetery at Number 62 Village, about 300 meters from his home. He went missing last

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Terani Goolcharran’s wife creating a scene in the courtyard on Thursday

Saturday.

Goolcharran was arrested Monday after his wife reported to investigators that he confessed to her that he killed the teenager and was going to purchase coffee and biscuits to give to his parents for the wake.

When he was taken into custody he denied the allegations.

As the accused was being escorted out of the courtroom, his wife followed and began swearing publicly at the Police, the magistrate, and the system.

She was subsequently taken into Police custody but later released on station bail.

She is expected to appear in court on Monday to answer to the charge of disorderly behaviour in a courtyard.

Irate weeder on $20,000 bail

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man of Lot 171 One Mile, Wismar, Linden, was granted $20,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer a threatening behaviour charge.

Marvin Luthon, 41, is accused of using threatening behaviour towards Lotoya Tocabo. It is alleged that on August 24, 2016, at Phase One B of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Wismar, Linden, he made use of threatening behaviour towards Tocabo, resulting in a breach of the peace.

The weeder, who was hesitant to make a plea, explained to the court that on the day in question, he was weeding a yard, noting that he was expecting food from his girlfriend – an Amerindian girl who recently began residing in the community. But after she did not arrive after some time, he began hearing arguments at her home, where she and the virtual complainant (VC) reside. It was then that he decided to enquire of the situation.

He noted that he walked across to her home with his cutlass in his hand, which he

Marvin Luthon

was using to weed the yard, and began calling for her, but instead he overheard conversations in the house. The defendant claimed that after he got no response, he decided to go back to his job.

The prosecution’s case contended that the defendant went screaming for the VC instead and was knocking his cutlass on her fence which got her scared and so she called for the Police.

Luthon initially pleaded guilty to the charge, but based on his explanation to the court a not guilty plea was entered by Magistrate Latchman.

The unrepresented defendant will return to court on September 6.

saturDAY, august 27, 2016

guyana-times.com

11

News

Bourda Market vendors decry APNU/AFC Councillor dissatisfied with Anna Regina road works unsanitary conditions

One of the bins that blocks the market’s entrance on a daily basis

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n light of the Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) many announcements that they are working towards a “clean and green Georgetown,” Bourda Market vendors are bemoaning the unsanitary conditions at the facility.

According to the vendors on Friday, the Market has become infested with roaches and rodents as a result of the overflowing garbage receptacles, which are sometimes left for prolonged periods before they are emptied.

“The bins would park up here all week. For weeks nobody would empty it. It got garbage inside and everything rotten and smelling and it still there. The rats and cockroach does tek over,” one vendor explained to Guyana Times.

Complaints also arose of persons utilising the drains inside of the market

The unsanitary conditions of the drains in the market

as lavatories.

Other vendors highlighted that when they complain to the Market Office, or the City Constabulary Officers, they would either be shunned or verbally abused.

The vendors indicated that on numerous occasions they would attempt to approach Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase-Green, on the issue but are usually told that she is unavailable.

“Nuff time we try fuh go see the Mayor but the people there always saying she not around,” a vendor said.

While this publication was interviewing the vendors, many customers also joined in with their complaints that the main passageways of the market are blocked by large garbage bins that are almost always filled and pungent.

“Look, I does gat to come in this market every other day fuh buy my stuff for my shop, and every day I come, this big garbage bin here. Smelling stink stink, I don’t know if is pee water or what they throw it in. Every day. It bothering everybody. Muchless them vendors that got to stay next to it,” one woman, ‘Indrawattie’, said.

The vendors expressed hope that the relevant authorities would look into the matter since the unsanitary conditions pose as a major health hazard to those who are forced to endure it every day as they ply their trade to earn a daily income. (Ramona Luthi)

R

egion Two Coalition Councillor Naithram (only name), has spoken about the substandard road works currently being carried out in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and is calling on Regional Executive Officer Rupert Hopkinson, engineers and residents to monitor projects that are executed within their areas.

Speaking at the recent Regional Democratic Council (RDC) statutory meeting, Naithram said that several residents have made reports of “bad works” executed on a particular street in Anna Regina.

The AFC/RDC councillor said that he immediately visited and conducted inspections and discovered that instead of using clay and loam, the contractor had used ‘slush’ from a nearby trench.

On that note he questioned the supervision of the project. Naithram said that the ‘slush’ would eventually deteriorate and collapse the road shoulders.

Naithram therefore asked that the REO and engineering team conduct proper monitoring of the works.

AFC Councillor Naithram

During the discussion, Head of the RDC and Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt said that he too noticed evidence of poor quality works at the Wakapao Secondary School.

Ramdatt said he received information that the roof was leaking and that the contractor, who was reportedly blacklisted for contracts, was still given projects. In light of this, the Regional Chairman requested that the Regional Tender Board carefully review the way contractors are being awarded projects.

In addressing the issue

of the “bad works” executed on a specific street, Ramdatt acknowledged that several residents have noted their concerns over the poor quality works and the substandard materials used.

The Regional Chairman called for the Bill of Quantities of projects to be distributed to RDC Councillors, the Anna Regina Town Council, residents and NDC officials.

This he said would enable a better monitoring of projects in the various areas.

Responding to this issue Regional Executive Officer Rupert Hopkinson explained that while it would be expensive for the Administration to photocopy the Bill of Quantities for each project it would be done if the RDC made such a request.

Directing his attention to reports about substandard road works in Anna Regina, Hopkinson assured that a review will be done of the project specifications and requirements and that the contractor would be held liable for faulty works.

He echoed the call for residents to “police” projects and to report defective works.

(Indrawattie Natram)

Break and enter accused remanded

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n Wednesday, a resident of Half Mile, Wismar, Linden, was remanded to prison by Magistrate Clive Nurse, on two breaking and entering and larceny related charges.

Seon Nestor, 24, pleaded not guilty to the offences of entering a home, with in-

tent to commit a felony; and break and enter and larceny.

It is alleged that on March 15, 2016, he broke and entered the home of Editte Semple at Wismar, Linden, with intent to steal.

The Prosecution also contended that the unem-

ployed defendant also broke and entered the dwelling of Naomi Hall at 275 Phase 2, Wisroc Housing Scheme, between July 7 and 8, and stole her television set valued $50,000.

He was remanded and will return to court on September 27.

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Tobacco legislation for Mother seeks answers House at next sitting after son dies

M

inister within the Public Health Ministry Dr Karen Cummings has said that the long-awaited tobacco legislation will be tabled in the House at the next sitting.

Although this has been the cry of the Ministry for the past several months, Dr Cummings stated that because the Bill is in its final draft, they are fine-tuning it. However, she promised that it will be presented to Parliament when the House comes out of recess.

“We want to ensure that it is meaningful and it promotes disease control, healthy living and miners not being sold cigarettes,” she said, noting that one of the key aims of the Bill is to reduce second-hand smoking.

Pan-American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Country Representative Dr William Adu-Krow has stated that there is an urgent need for tobacco restrictions

Junior Health Minister Karen Cummings

to be enforced in Guyana, underscoring that profits brought in through the tobacco industry does not compensate for the many lives being lost from smoking and second-hand smoke every year.

Every year, tobacco kills six million people—5.4 million active smokers and 600,000 non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.

It is the only legal consumer product that kills up to half of its users when used exact-

ly as intended by the manufacturer, costing the global economy an estimated US$200 billion each year.

In 2005, Guyana assented to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and promised to impose regulations for tobacco consumption and its trade.

The Bill, intended to protect present and future generations from the “devastating harms” of tobacco use, exposure to tobacco smoke, and specifically to prevent tobacco use among youths, has been eagerly anticipated by the health sector and dreaded by the tobacco industry.

One key stakeholder, Demerara Tobacco Ltd has said that the Bill—in its present state—is heavily flawed. Managing director of the company Maurlaine Argyle-Kirton had stated that the Bill is not balanced and will cripple the tobacco industry once it is passed in Parliament.

Baramita man unconscious after being struck with rolling pin

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Kurutuka, Baramita, Region One (Barima-Waini) man had to be medevacked to the city late Friday evening after he was hit to the head with a rolling pin that left him in an unconscious state.

Reports are that William Thomas, 40, was rushed to a nearby medical facility following an argument with a female who allegedly struck him with the rolling pin.

Medical personnel in the area were unable to treat him and after 36 hours of being in an unconscious state medevacked him to the city via Roraima Airways.

… Police investigating death as suicide

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he mother of a 19-year-old mechanic is hoping to find some answers for the death of her son, who allegedly killed himself while being questioned by two Policemen.

Sherlene Pershad, in an interview with Guyana Times, said she had spoken to her son at about midday on Monday and he told her he wanted her to pick up some documents. She stated that her son, Tyrell Pershad, was picked up from his workplace by two Police Officers and taken to their home at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, to uplift some documents, and a marriage certificate he had signed with an 18-yearold girl.

“The girl’s mother didn’t like him and she would tell me to keep my son away from her daughter. So the Police come and order him to go and find the documents that he married to the girl and some other ones. I don’t know which documents but he carried them to our house,” she lamented.

The woman said the Police told her that when they reached her home,

Tyrell Pershad

Pershad went into the house and never came out and when they called for him, they received no answer. “They said they waited 10 minutes and when they called for him, he took a while to answer and after that the Police said he heard a noise that sound like he jump off from a wardrobe and hang himself,” the mother cried.

She said the Police claimed they left after the young man did not return with the documents.

Pershad recalled that when she reached home that evening, she stumbled into

her son’s lifeless body which was hanging near the light switch. “When I see him I holler and unbolt the door and run outside,” she said.

“The mat on the ground was in a lump on the floor, things were scattered and a table cloth was pulled down,” she said, adding that she noticed her son’s sandals, which he was wearing on that day, were in the back yard.

“I think that something went wrong in the house,” she said, arguing that her son would never commit suicide.

However, Commander of ‘D’ Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) Stephen Mansell told this newspaper that the Policemen have given statements in the matter and the Police is investigating Pershad’s death as a “suicide.”

A post-mortem report revealed that Pershad died of suffocation. However, his mother believes something is still amiss. “The report said he died at 1:30pm but I talk to him at 1:18 pm and he was at the Police Station then,” she said, adding that “something is not right”.

No place for corrupt...

However, the acting Police Commissioner posited that while the Force is playing its role, the public also needs to step up and not entertain any corruption from law enforcement ranks. He said that it makes no sense people complaining about such issues when they are not willing to play a role in finding the solutions.

“There is a bigger problem when you complain but you are reluctant to followup; and when we talk about bribery and corruption, we need to understand that we want justice but we cloud the justice when we are part of the corruption. We are stopped by the traffic ranks, by the anti-crime patrol ranks and we are in a hurry so we offer and encourage

CONTINUE FROM PAGE 7

them,” he remarked.

Ramnarine added that persons are not patient enough to stand up and ensure that a quality of justice takes place in terms of Police actions that are carried out; instead, they are willing to pay and compromise. This culture, he stated, has to change. (Vahnu Manickchand)

NEWS

13

saturday, august 27, 2016 | guyana-times.com

NTC, Conservational First Lady meets International-Guyana CSEC top performer sign MoU F

Head of the National Toshao Council, Joel Fredericks and Executive Director and Vice President of the Conservational International-Guyana, Dr David Singh, signing the MoU in the presence of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock

T

he National Toshaos Council (NTC) and Conservational International-Guyana (CI-Guyana) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, in the presence of Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, Executives of the Toshaos Council, and representatives of CI. Alluding to aspects of the MoU, Toshao Lennox Shuman of St Cuthbert’s Mission, explained that CIGuyana’s role in the partnership was to assist in shaping policy and institutional change at all levels, for a healthy sustainable Guyanese economy that incorporates a national long-

term sustainable development model, which fully incorporates the value and benefits of the well being of the Indigenous People.

The contract signed by both parties is valid for an initial two years, after which the option to have the agreement renewed would be available.

Speaking at the signing, Minister Allicock expressed appreciation for the agreement and encouraged the entities to move forward in their venture for betterment.

The audience was reminded that the NTC is a “body corporate established under the Amerindian Act of 2006 with an elected executive committee of Toshaos and with a vi-

sion to establish dynamic leadership comprising all Toshaos, diligently pursuing and protecting the spiritual, cultural, economic and traditional rights and wellbeing of the Amerindian People of Guyana.”

In accordance with the MoU, CI-Guyana “is a notfor-profit non-governmental organisation (NGO) registered and working in Guyana for over 22 years and as a subsidiary of Conservation International Foundation, CI-Guyana builds upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration to empower societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, for the well-being of humanity.”

irst Lady Sandra Granger met with Guyana’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) top performer, Fatima Karim and her mother Khadijah Karim at the Office of the First Lady at State House.

The First Lady said that she was happy to meet with Karim and was also excited to hear not only of her achievements at this year’s CSEC examinations, but of the young woman’s aspirations in petroleum engineering, in light of Guyana’s future in the oil and gas sector: “I was very excited to learn that that was her interest, because she is not only entering a field that is new to Guyana but as a female, she is entering a field in which women have not really taken part, so I congratulate her on it.”

The First Lady added that she knows that while there will be challenges as Karim pursues this career, she is certain that she will bring her own skills and perspective to the fore. First lady Granger also encouraged Karim as she focuses on her academics, to also focus on enjoying life: “She should] have fun with it and remember that life is more than just work. I wish her all the success and I

First Lady Sandra Granger converses with CSEC top performer Fatima Karim and her mother Khadijah Karim on Friday

hope she does great things.”

Karim said that she was very excited to meet and speak with the First Lady, who she said is one of her role models. The St Rose’s High School student received much public attention after topping the country with 19 Grade Ones and One Grade Two at the CSEC examinations. She said she felt proud that she was able to achieve such results, explaining that it called for her to balance her academic pursuits with her co-curricular activities: “It’s about knowing yourself; knowing how much you need to study. I knew I had to study at least once a week for each subject, so I can still talk with my friends and do

other things.”

Offering words of encouragement to other students, Karim said that as they aspire to their academic heights, the key is to believe that they can do it.

She cited the words of another one of her role models, Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist and youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who said, “Let us make our future now and make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.”

She said that these words helped to motivate her, and in turn, she wishes to motivate students that if they believe that they can achieve a certain goal then they should strive to do so at all costs−now.

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guyana-times.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

Regional

Bolivian miners lift roadblock after Trinidadians taking Zika virus ‘too Deputy Minister beaten to death lightly’ – T&T Health Minister

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In composite photo, an independent miner returns a tear gas capsule during clashes with riot Police during a protest against Bolivia’s President Evo Morales’ Government policies, in Panduro south of La Paz, Bolivia, August 25. At right is an undated picture of Deputy Interior Minister Rodolfo Illanes

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rotesting Bolivian miners on Friday abandoned a roadblock where a day earlier they kidnapped a Government Deputy Minister, who was later found beaten to death.

President Evo Morales called for three days of national mourning and declared Friday a day of “deep pain” for the country.

Deputy Interior Minister Rodolfo Illanes, 56, was beaten to death on Thursday after being taken hostage by miners who had blocked a major highway near Panduro, around 160 km

(100 miles) from capital city La Paz. Officials said he died of blows to the head.

The brutal killing of a senior minister has shocked the country and the violent protests highlight the conundrum Morales has of keeping his increasingly divergent core support happy at a time when income is tight.

The Deputy Minister had travelLed to Panduro to negotiate with the miners on Thursday. His body was found early on Friday morning by the side of the highway that connects La Paz with the city of Oruro,

wrapped in a blanket, said Edwin Blanco, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation.

“The cause of death was basically bleeding in the brain. Ribs were also broken,” Blanco told reporters.

Illanes’ assistant was also badly beaten and is in intensive care in a hospital in La Paz. At least two miners were killed and 17 police injured earlier this week, authorities said, after they clashed when the protesters blocked the highway. On Friday the road was clear as they abandoned the blockade.(Excerpt from

Reuters)

Brazil impeachment trial suspended amid senators’ row

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he Senate impeachment trial of suspended Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff descended into a shouting match between her political supporters and opponents during its second day on Friday, forcing a two-hour halt in the proceedings.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Ricardo Lewandowski, who is presiding over the final phase of a lengthy impeachment process that has paralysed Brazilian politics since December, suspended the session after Senate

President Renan Calheiros was unable to stop the arguments. The trial resumed after lunch.

Supporters and opponents of Rousseff shouted insults at each other in a tumultuous session that showed the buildup to a final vote expected on Wednesday morning will be fraught with tension.

“This impeachment trial has become a loony bin,” Calheiros said, appealing for calm. But Calheiros himself set off another argument by taking on Gleisi Hoffmann, a senator from

Rousseff’s Workers Party, for stating the Senate lacked moral authority to try the leftist president.

He said Hoffmann did not have a leg to stand because he had helped the senator avoid corruption charges a month ago.

The trial is expected to culminate in the removal of Rousseff from office, ending 13 years of left-wing Workers Party rule, and the confirmation of her vice president, Michel Temer, as President for the remainder of her term through 2018.

rinidad’s Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has arranged to meet with public health inspectors to underscore the need to enforce regulations related to the fight against the mosquito borne Zika virus.

During a post Cabinet news conference on Thursday, the health minister expressed concern that Trinidadians and the global population have been taking the Zika outbreak “too lightly”.

“We need to step up the

T&T Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh

campaign,” he said, adding that in order to do this, fines for unkempt lots which could harbour breeding sites for mosquitoes have been increased from TT$350 to TT$3,500.

He said if the population does not partner with the government “we will not win this fight with Zika”.

So far the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the twin island republic is 335 – and according to the health minister this could be just “the tip of the iceberg”.

(Jamaica Observer)

Barbados seeking to strengthen commercial links with Panama

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ine Barbadian manufacturing and services companies will be leaving Barbados for Panama on Sunday to participate in a series of prearranged business to business meetings set as part of a five-day political/commercial mission.

Led by Barbados’ Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business, Donville Inniss, the mission is intended to enhance policy dialogue and the exchange of business information, while strengthening the network

of business support organisations, promoting trade, and exploring investment opportunities which could yield economic gains for both territories.

The mission is being spearheaded by the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), with support from the Barbados Ministry of Foreign affairs and Foreign Trade. The Mission team will include permanent secretary Philmore Best and from the BIDC business development officer Humphrey Broome and manager, export and busi-

ness development Paula Bourne.

During the visit, the Barbadian delegates, representing firms from the food and beverage, printing and packaging, transport and construction services sectors, will engage in business to business meetings, consult with business support organisations and agencies and explore opportunities for the development of trade relations, joint ventures and other investments. There are also scheduled tours to business and industrial facilities.

(Nation News)

Citizenship grants not a part of resort deal, says Bahamas Government

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Jamaica’s Tourism Ministry launches J$20M tourism revolving loan facility

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amaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has launched a special J$20 million revolving loan facility, financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), to boost the compliance of small tourism properties, attractions and businesses in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.

In a release on Friday, the Ministry said the initiative forms part of the National Community Tourism Policy and Strategy aimed at developing community tourism island-wide to diversify the is-

land’s tourism product.

The Community Tourism Loan Facility was launched at BREDS Treasure Beach Sports Park recently and serves as counterpart funding for the Compete Caribbean Initiative, which has committed some US$627,000 to date, to develop this form of tourism in the area.

The loan scheme is being administered by Jamaica National Small Business Loans (JNSBL). Applicants will be able to access loans of up to $2 million at a high-

ly subsidised interest rate of three per cent per annum for five years through JNSBL. In officially launching the facility Bartlett said that the scheme will enable community tourism enterprises in Treasure Beach to become compliant and more appealing. This, he said, is crucial to positioning Treasure Beach as a unique destination offering a “rustic luxury experience which the rich and famous seek when they want to escape from the formal luxurious settings...”

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

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The Baha Mar property on Cable Beach

ith speculation mounting over specifics of the agreement the Christie Administration reached with the Export-Import Bank of China on Monday, The Bahamas Government on Thursday denied that it has offered any citizenship grants in relation to the deal to get the bankrupt Baha Mar megaresort completed and opened.

The Government also denied that it has given away or sold any islands as a part of the agreement. It said,

“Nothing has been given by way of concessions that have not been offered before to previous investors. As the Prime Minister said in his statement, remobilisation of the project will begin immediately. This has already started.”

Repeating a statement made by Prime Minister Perry Christie at the Cabinet Office on Monday night, the statement released by the government on Thursday confirmed that construction on the stalled Cable Beach project will re-

sume next month.

The statement added that arrangements for the transfer and the payout of creditors, including employee claims, are currently being finalised. The government said Baha Mar, the largest project ever of its kind in the region, is a complex, commercial transaction that requires significant attention to detail. The Government said it will not be distracted from its efforts and will continue to work for and on behalf of the Bahamian people. (Excerpt from

Caribbean News Now)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

guyana-times.com

15

Around the World

Syria: Evacuation of Daraya France’s top court overturns begins in deal to end siege burkini ban in Riviera town

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esidents and rebels began leaving the besieged Damascus suburb of Daraya on Friday, part of an evacuation deal to end one of the longest standoffs in Syria’s five-year-long war.

Aid convoys arranged by the medical charity Red Crescent entered the suburb early on Friday, as hundreds of rebel fighters prepared to lay down their arms and cede control of the area to Government forces.

Rebel fighters and Government forces agreed to a deal on Thursday to evacuate the town, which progovernment forces have surrounded since 2012. Since then, only one aid shipment has reached the area, according to the United Nations.

A Reuters news agency witness saw six buses leaving the town, and footage on state television showed buses carefully driving past

Around 8000 civilians and 800 rebels will be evacuated from Daraya

a large group of soldiers through streets lined with rubble.

Sources told Al Jazeera that about 8000 civilians and 800 rebels would be evacuated from the Damascus suburb, which before the war was home to a quarter of a million people.

Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish

side of the Syria-Turkey border, said the rebels were “forced to sign the deal”.

The United Nations, which has repeatedly called for the lifting of the siege, said it was “not involved and not consulted in this deal,” in a statement put out by the UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura’s office.(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

rance’s top administrative court on Friday overturned a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits in a southern French town amid shock and anger worldwide after some Muslim women were ordered to remove body-concealing garments on French Riviera beaches.

The State Council (Conseil d’État) gave the ruling following a request from the Human Rights League and a Muslim advocacy group to overturn the burki-

ni ban in the Mediterranean town of Villeneuve-Loubet on the grounds it contravenes civil liberties.

The court ruled that local authorities could only restrict individual liberties if there was a “proven risk” to public order. It said the decree to ban burkinis in Villeneuve-Loubet “seriously, and clearly illegally, breached the fundamental freedoms to come and go, the freedom of beliefs and individual freedom”.

The decision overturned

a ruling by an administrative court in Nice on Monday, which had argued that the ban was “necessary, appropriate and proportionate” to prevent public disorder amid a heightened terror alert.

Villeneuve-Loubet, near Nice, was one of the first of around 30 French towns to prohibit the burkini, a fullbody swimsuit worn by some Muslim women which covers the hair but leaves the face visible and goes all the way to the ankles. (Excerpt from France24)

Italy quake toll soars as hopes fade for more survivors

China’s ghost weddings and why they can be deadly

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olice in North-West China have charged a man with murdering two women with mental disabilities, alleging that he wanted to sell their corpses to be used in so-called “ghost weddings”.

It has put a spotlight on the ancient shadowy ritual, still practised in certain parts of China, which aims to provide spouses for people who die unmarried.

According to police in Shaanxi province, the murder case dates back to April, when three men were detained after the body of a woman was found in their

vehicle by traffic Police.

Their investigation led them to uncover a grisly sequence of events in which the man, named only as “Ma”, allegedly promised the women he would find them grooms but instead killed them so he could sell their corpses.

Believers in the custom, practised for some 3000 years, say it ensures the unmarried dead are not alone in the afterlife. Originally, the weddings were strictly for the dead – a ritual conducted by the living to wed two single deceased people – but in recent times some

have involved one living person being married to a corpse.

In ghost marriages between two dead people, the “bride’s” family demands a bride price and there is even a dowry, which includes jewellery, servants and a mansion – but all in the form of paper tributes. The wedding ceremony will typically involve the funeral plaque of the bride and the groom and a banquet. The most important part is digging up the bones of the bride and putting them inside the groom’s grave. (Excerpt from BBC News)

India: Scorpene submarine data leak ‘no security threat’

The Scorpene-class INS Kalvari recently began maiden sea trials off the coast of Mumbai

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ndia has said that a massive data leak from French shipbuilder DCNS of submarines designed for India’s navy did not “pose any security compromise”.

The leak of more than 22,000 pages exposes secrets about the combat capabilities of Scorpene-class vessels. The confidential

documents were made public by the Australian media.

India signed a US$3.5 billion (£2.6 billion, €3.1 billion) deal for six Scorpene vessels in 2005. They are being built in cooperation with a state-owned Mumbai shipbuilder.

France was asked to investigate the data leak to an Australian website and

share its findings with the Indian side. It is not clear who first obtained the confidential documents. On Thursday evening, The Australian newspaper uploaded on its website a new set of documents detailing the submarine’s “underwater warfare system”, the Press Trust of India reported.

Defence expert Uday Bhaskar told The Hindu newspaper the document seems “like an instruction manual and does not show any significant addition to what has already been released”.

Earlier this year, DCNS also won Australia’s largest-ever defence contract to build a fleet of advanced submarines. Details about the Shortfin Barracuda submarine class that will be built for Australia were not contained in the leak. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Italy sits on two fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active countries in Europe

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taly has called off rescue operations in some of the areas stricken by a powerful earthquake that killed at least 278 people as hopes of finding more survivors have faded.

Three days after the quake struck the mountainous heart of the country, sniffer dogs and emergency crews on Friday continued to scour the town of Amatrice, which was levelled in the disaster, but there was no sign of life beneath the debris.

“Only a miracle can bring our friends back alive

from the rubble, but we are still digging because many are missing,” Sergio Pirozzi, the town’s mayor, said, adding that about 15 people, including some children, had not been accounted for.

Hardly a single building was left unscathed in Amatrice, which was last year voted one of the most beautiful old towns in Italy and is famous for its local cuisine. Most of the buildings in the Amatrice area were built hundreds of years ago, long before any anti-seismic building norms were introduced, helping to

explain the widespread destruction.

Rescuers pulled out from nearby villages such as Pescara del Tronto after all the inhabitants had been accounted for. Italy plans to hold a state funeral for about 40 of the victims on Saturday, which will be held in the nearby city of Ascoli Piceno.

A day of national mourning was announced, with flags due to fly at half mast around the country for the dead, who include a number of foreigners. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

No ‘Arab Spring’ in Zimbabwe, Mugabe warns protesters

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resident Robert Mugabe warned protesters on Friday there would be no “Arab Spring” in Zimbabwe after anti-government demonstrations descended it to some of the worst violence seen in the southern African nation for two decades.

Zimbabwean Police fired tear gas and water cannon at Opposition Leaders and hundreds of demonstrators at a protest against Mugabe and the ruling ZANU-PF, before unrest swept across large parts of the capital Harare.

“They are thinking that what happened in the Arab Spring is going to happen in this country but we tell them that it is not going to happen here,” Mugabe told state television, referring to a series of uprisings that toppled leaders across the Arab world.

Mugabe accused Western countries, including the United States, of sponsoring the protests. “They are fighting because of Americans,” said Mugabe.

Earlier, Opposition head Morgan Tsvangirai and former Vice President Joice

Mujuru fled a rally in their cars while protesters ran for cover as Police broke up the core of the demonstration.

However, anti-Mugabe leaders warned that this would be the first of a series of protests.

Mugabe’s opponents have become emboldened by rising public anger and protests over an economic meltdown, cash shortages and high unemployment. Mugabe, 92, has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

16 News

saturDay, august 27, 2016 | guyana-times.com

‘Skullduggery’ tainted Education key to oil, gas sector Monica Reece’s murder development − T&T professor probe – acting Top Cop G

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t is very clear that an unprofessional course of action took place at the time when investigation was unfolding,” were words of acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine when quizzed about the Monica Reece cold case.

The Monica Reece case was one of three that was reopened - the other two are the shooting to death of Trevor Rose and the brutal murder of Sheema Mangar.

However, Ramnarine noted that it was a review of the investigation that revealed some skullduggery had taken place in the year and period when the matter was under investigations.

While he could not provide additional information, he added that the investigation is still under review.

The body of the 23-yearold woman, a security guard, was dumped from a speeding pickup in the vicinity of the Geddes Grant building (now Courts) on Main Street, Georgetown, on April 9, 1993. It was a Good Friday night that the murder took place.

At the time of the murder, now Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix was Crime Chief. He subsequently retired as Commissioner of Police. At that time, there was a prime suspect but he mysteriously vanished.

His house was reportedly staked out by the media but from then to now, there is no trace of him.

The death of the Loss Prevention Security Guard rocked the nation due to the fact of the manner in which she was killed and dumped.

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine

After the dumping the body, an eyewitness, a prominent race car driver gave chase but somehow the vehicle disappeared.

In addition, a resident of Tiger Bay had told investigators that she saw the body of the young lady being disposed of from a dark-coloured 4×4 vehicle. She later gave the Police three digits “932” but one of the digits was missing.

Four days after the murder, acting on information provided by the woman, investigators detained a man with prominent family ties and more so, dark colored vehicle belonging to the suspect’s father. The registration for the vehicle bore the digits, 9123 which was close to the digits provided to the Police.

The young man had denied and claimed that his girlfriend was his alibi since he was with her at the time the body was dumped. The investigating ranks however took several strands of hair that was found in the young man’s vehicle and handed them over to the pathologist.

Monica Reece

As the investigations continued, another vehicle that matched the description of the one involved in the murder was detained this one was owned by a son of a prominent government minister. Yet another vehicle was later detained and impounded. That vehicle was also owned by a businessman.

The three suspects had all denied knowing Reece and claimed that they only knew of the murder when they saw a crowd on Main Street on the night of April 9, 1993.

Investigators had detained 27 pick-ups and questioned 200 persons but mysteriously met a dead end.

The Police had even offered $100,000 as a reward for anyone with information that may lead to a breakthrough in the murder case but again, that proved futile.

To date, after 24 years, the murderer is still unknown but relatives of the dead woman are optimistic that by reopening the case, the murderer will be unveiled. (Bhisham Mohamed)

uyanese packed the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown, to capacity on Thursday at a public lecture on, ‘The importance of education in the development of the oil and gas sector - experiences and perspectives of Trinidad and Tobago’. The lecture was delivered by Professor Andrew Jupiter.

Hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources in celebration of Mining Week, Professor Jupiter’s hourlong presentation examined how linking the emerging oil and gas sector with education is critical to maintain the international standards required in the sector.

“A possible first step to the development of the required human resource for the sector could be the establishment of energy based apprenticeship programmes,” Professor Jupiter said.

These programmes could provide a continuous supply of craftspeople and technicians, the professor added. As the sector begins to develop, a large cadre of highly trained personnel with transferable skills will emerge.

“When you start you have to look beyond. You have to look at local capital and public training; it has nothing to do with engineers, that’s where you want to go,” Professor Jupiter pointed.

The role of the state is very important in facilitating this development through education, the Professor said: “Education

A section of the gathering at the lecture by Professor Andrew Jupiter

will play a significant role in filling the human capital gap in Guyana’s energy sector. Developing human capital is one way to convert below the ground non-renewable petroleum resources into above the ground renewable human resources.”

Education is critical to Guyana’s sustainable energy sector and overall economy. As the sector grows, spending on education can increase: “You are at the top bracket in terms of resource development as a country at this time. This is an exciting time in Guyana; go back to school and learn something.”

Professor Jupiter urged that contract arrangements be negotiated to the benefit of the people.

Professor Jupiter served as Trinidad and Tobago’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries from 1998 to 2004. He served as President of National Energy Corporation of

National Disability Commission to start house-to-house survey

2 arrested for Pearl vigilante killing P olice investigators have arrested two persons for the vigilante killing of a man and the beating of another last Saturday at Pearl, East Bank Demerara.

“We have two persons in custody, both of them are licensed firearm holders and we have some further investigations to do,” Commissioner of Police (Ag) David Ramnarine disclosed during a press conference on Friday.

Seon Clarke called ‘Cash Money’, 21, of Campbellville, Georgetown, was allegedly shot and killed on Saturday night by residents in Pearl and neighbouring Sarah Johanna, after he and two others, one of whom was beaten, stormed a businessplace earlier that day and held the shop owner at gunpoint. A Police report indicated that Clarke was shot, while the other man was allegedly beaten by residents

Members of the National Toshaos’ Council at the National Toshaos’ Conference

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and handed over to the Police.

According to information, the deceased and another went into a grocery store at Sarah Johanna, when the proprietor ,who thought they were acting in a suspicious manner, alerted a Policeman who was passing. The men fled the area during which they discharged two rounds.

Later that night, members of the community spotted the men on the Pearl Public Road and cornered

them; during the confrontation Clarke was shot and his accomplice beaten.

The suspect, still nursing injuries from the thrashing, led Police to an area in Pearl on Sunday, where a hidden .38 Beretta pistol, six matching rounds of ammunition and two mobile phones were recovered.

While details surrounding the incident remain unclear, the Police are continuing with investigations.

Trinidad and Tobago 20092012.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences, Post Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering from the University of the West Indies (UWI). He also holds a Master’s of Engineering Degree in Mineral Engineering Management from the Pennsylvania State University.

Currently, Professor Jupiter is attached to the department of Chemical Engineering, UWI, serving as the Energy Consultant with Trinidad and Tobago Methanol Company and Chairman of the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago.

Guyana is strengthening bilateral arrangements with the Caribbean nation in the areas of education, infrastructural development, oil and gas, eco-tourism and agriculture, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman informed.

he National Disability Commission (NDC) will commence a house-tohouse survey to gather information on persons with disabilities in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), with the project slated to begin in September.

This was disclosed by Beverly Pile, Executive Secretary of the NDC at the National Toshaos’ Conference (NTC) Meeting at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, on Friday.

Due to the remoteness of Indigenous communities, Pile said it is difficult for persons with disabilities to be prop-

erly catered for. The survey, according to Pile, will be conducted in every region, but “it will take some time in which we will do it.”

The NDC Secretary added “we are situated in Georgetown, and if we don’t come out of our offices and come to places like these, to meet the Toshaos and the persons who are very close to those persons with disabilities in the indigenous areas, we wouldn’t get them,” the Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted her as saying. Pile noted that the NDC grabbed the opportunity to participate in the NTC to get closer with the leaders of the various communities, to

collect valuable information on what is happening within.

Once the information is gathered, the needs of the people can be catered for efficiently, Pile asserted.

Additionally, she said that the survey will help the NDC craft policies which would attend to the needs of persons with disabilities. These include “the right to employment, the right to education, to right to health, the right to recreation and sport, the right to housing and water, and the right to (be involved in) political issues,” Pile explained.

Members of the NTC asked about the systems in place to assist persons with disabilities who have to travel to collect their public assistance. The Secretary explained that the NDC works in collaboration with the Social Protection Ministry to assist such persons. Further, the Toshaos raised concerns of parents who work and leave their disabled children with overseers. The Toshaos noted that it is costly and asked that something be done to ease the parents’ burden.

Pile told the Toshaos that while nothing is currently in place, she will be taking up the issue with the Social Protection Ministry.

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news

SATURday, AUGUST 27, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Granger relives Burnham ideology for PNC delegates …as party prepares to vote for new leadership

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he People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Friday commenced its 19th Biennial Delegates Congress with a reminder that the PNCR’s ideology is inspired, largely, by the ideas of Forbes Burnham, its Founder-Leader.

The message was delivered by Party Leader David Granger as he addressed the delegates at the party’s highest forum, ahead of tomorrow’s vote for a cadre of leaders for the Central Committee.

Granger used the occasion to remind delegates of Burnham’s principles of equality and nationalism.

According to Granger “the

Burnham Research Institute (BRI) preserves the works and conducts research into the Founder-Leader’s ideas and life.”

Congress

Granger told those in attendance that they have been selected to represent thousands of members in groups, districts and regions throughout the country and from the Diaspora in the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe.

“They will discuss, deliberate and determine issues and make decisions to guide our Party for the next two years, in accordance with our Constitution.”

“Our Independence anniversary is an occasion not only to remind ourselves about the past…It is an opportunity to renew our commitment to our country and to rekindle the enterprising ‘spirit’ of 26th May.” He recalled too “how our Party, the PNC, struggled relentlessly for Independence.”

According to Granger it is the PNC, together with the United Force (UF) which led British Guiana−the colony− into nationhood.”

Speaking about the coalition with which the PNCR entered in order to secure Government at the May 2015 General and Regional President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger (third and fourth from right), Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo (second from right), and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan (right) among a section of the gathering at the opening of the PNC congress

A section of the diplomatic community at the opening of the congress

PNCR, over the past four years, therefore, established three new institutions to ensure that our founder’s ideas continue to inform current leaders and inspire future generations.”

He spoke to the establishment of the Burnham Education Scholarship Trust (BEST); the Burnham Book Trust (BBT) and the

According to Granger: “We respect the institutions established by our founders…They have sustained us in and out of office, in hard and easy times, over the decades.”

He sought to impress on the delegates that this year’s congress is a special one since it coincides with the 50th anniversary of Independence and a change in government:

Elections, Granger said: “The PNCR, today, is in another coalition…It is our task, collectively for the next fifty years, to complete our historic mission to provide ‘a good life’ for all.”

He used the opportunity to also update the delegates on its union with the Alliance For Change which was formed through the Cummingsburg

Accord and said, “it (the PNC) is proud to be part of the APNU/AFC coalition administration.”

In his message to the party’s highest forum, Granger said the “PNCR renews its commitment to all Guyanese?but most especially our women, youth, children and senior citizens?that we will work towards ensuring that we all have ‘a good life.”

He used the occasion to call on its coalition parties and civil society to work together to repair that damage, restore trust and rebuild the bases of a “moral community” which enables trust. He also used the occasion to speak to the PNCR’s commitment to support the Government’s goal to achieve a ‘green economy’. “Guyana, as a small, lowlying coastal state will ignore the consequences of climate change to its peril. Rising sea levels batter our sea walls…

Extremes of weather, such as the recent bout of El Niño, associated with climate change,

have already started to present formidable challenges to our country,” according to Granger The PNCR leader in his feature address to the party delegates also used the occasion to speak of the number of challenges facing the nation, inclusive of the recent territorial threats by neighbouring Venezuela, and reminded that “Guyana has always acted in accordance with the terms of the Geneva Agreement.” He said the country continues to urge a peaceful and expeditious solution to the controversy arising from Venezuela’s contention that the 1899 Arbitral Award, under which Venezuela was granted over 13,000 km² of territory, was a nullity.

According to the PNCR head who is also Executive President: “It was in search of a peaceful solution that I led Guyana’s team to meet the UN Secretary General, first during the Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in

Bridgetown, Barbados in July and, second, during the UN General Assembly meeting in New York in September, 2015.” Providing an update of the party as part of the coalition in Government Granger drew reference to the many challenges faced thus far and said, “thankfully, we are ‘better together’ than apart.”

According to the PNCR Leader: “Our parties, with the support of the majority of the population, have the duty to fulfil our mandate to maintain Guyana as the most beautiful, and greenest country in the Caribbean. Our mission is to enable all Guyanese to enjoy ‘a good life’, which they deserve as citizens of an independent state.” Meanwhile the PNCR chairman in his address to the delegates regaled on the party’s recent victory at the General and Regional Elections, saying: “I am pleased to announce that we made the right turn…Now we must govern this nation of ours, for all Guyanese.”

Businessman charged for Tucville fatal shooting … to make court appearance on Monday

P

olice have instituted charges against Robert Benn of Lot 10 Perry Street, Tucville, Georgetown, who indiscriminately discharged his firearm, killing Colin Perriera and wounding Gailann Chacon in the process. The shooting incident took place on Tuesday evening as the woman drove the car onto the man’s bridge with the intention of turning. The businessman was in his yard at the time and allegedly thought that the occupants of the car had gone to commit a robbery and opened fire.

Perriera was shot three times to the chest and abdomen while the woman was shot twice. She remains a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital in a stable but serious condition.

However, after soliciting

the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Police were given the green light to charge Benn for murder committed on the miner and the attempted murder of Chacon. At a press briefing on Friday, acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine described the incident as “murderous murder” as he iterated the manner in which the incident took place was unbelievable.

“It disturbed me greatly… when I was reporting it, I said it was a murderous murder. I can’t understand how he made these levels of appreciation, so shallow…

It is very disappointing indeed that a licensed firearm holder could discharge his firearm in those circumstances”, the acting top cop related.

At that time, he told

Dead: Colin Malcolm Perriera

the media conference that the Police would have resorted to its legal options since the detention period of the suspect had expired. Nevertheless, now that charges are being instituted, there is no need to approach the high court to make an application for an extension. Twenty-fouryear-old Colin Perriera of Lot 213 Barr Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was gunned down at about 21:00h in Perry Street, Tucville.

It was reported that the shooter believed the heavily tinted motorcar was bandits and opened fire.

After the shooting incident, Perriera managed to exit the car and ran to safety but the businessman kept discharging rounds at him.

Perriera eventually collapsed in front of a house a short distance away. A

teenager, who was standing where the man collapsed, explained that after the man dropped to the roadway, he called out for help and told them that someone else was also shot.

“He said that he was shot so we called 911 but like after 20 minutes, a Police vehicle pull up and they take he to the hospital… he was still alive when the vehicle left but they pronounce he dead at the hospital”.

According to the teen, while waiting for the Police, several persons went to the car where they saw the young lady lying in a pool of blood. She too was picked up and rushed to the hospital. The now dead man leaves to mourn his 2-year-old daughter, mother and siblings. (Bhisham Mohamed)

18

guyana-times.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

ARCHIE

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Live life your way.

PEANUTS

Take a moment to review LEO what’s happened and what (July 23you still want to accomplish.

Aug. 22) Change doesn’t happen overnight, and planning will be an important part of reaching your destination.

Let your emotions, intuVIRGO ition and imagination guide (Aug. 23Sept. 22) you. A chance to be a part of something you believe in and enjoy will lead to bigger and better offers.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

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It’s up to you to move for(Sept. 23ward without looking back inOct. 23) stead of getting left behind.

Focus on creativity and imagination to help you find your niche.

Explore new avenues.

SCORPIO What you learn along the way (Oct. 24- will help you build a brightNov. 22) er future. A healthy sense of give-and-take will lead to an interesting partnership.

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SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Follow your heart and CAPRICORN make agreements that feel (Dec. 22- right. Your intuition will help Jan. 19) you choose what’s best for you. A unique romantic gesture will improve your personal life.

Find out what others want AQUARIUS in order to discover a way to (Jan. 20get what you want. Use your Feb. 19) intelligence and physical ability to overcome any problems that arise.

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

PISCES Enjoy the moment.

(Feb. 20- Express your desires and March 20) pour your heart and emotion into what matters most to you. Children, commitment and plans for the future are all favored.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

19

Dominant England seek Lochte signs new another show of strength endorsement deal U

T

Jason Roy and Liam Plunkett head for the Lord’s nets

he rain that swept in for the closing stages of Wednesday’s first ODI provided an anticlimactic finale for a packed ensemble at the Ageas Bowl, but not even the weather could disguise another formidable show of all-round strength from an England one-day team that is starting to look like something really rather special.

Unbeaten in ODIs this summer, ever since Liam Plunkett’s six at Trent Bridge swiped a tie in their opening game against Sri Lanka in June, England have showcased the sort of depth and balance that would be the envy of a Russian synchronised swimming team.

At no stage in Pakistan’s somewhat old-school grind to 260 for 6 did they ever look like setting a total that would trouble an extraordinarily confident England line-up, and if Jason Roy’s dizzy spell was an alarming moment in an otherwise serene chase, then his brief disorientation was nothing compared to the spin that his power-packed innings had already inflicted on his opponents.

England, therefore, are surely ripe for a fall. Nothing guarantees an English comeuppance more readily than the suggestion that they have finally cracked one format or another (the prosecution calls for its first witness: the fourth Test at The Oval). And if any team is capable of penetrating England’s wall of allrounders in their batting ranks, it is Pakistan with players such as Wahab Riaz or the surely-to-be-recalled Yasir Shah, whose individual bursts of brilliance can transcend mere circumstance.

But even on the bowling front, the evidence from the opening ODI is that England have the edge. Mark Wood’s stunning speed on his return to action provided a point of difference that Wahab, for one, couldn’t emulate this time out, while Joe Root’s cheeky allsorts offspin - and the early wicket of Mohammad Hafeez epitomised the confidence coursing through England’s one-day ranks. And there’s variety in their depth as well. In Adil Rashid, they possess one of the most reliable legspinners in modern one-day cricket - his

new-found control, allied to an always deceptive googly, makes him extraordinarily hard to dominate.

However, domination is what Pakistan may require to get back on level terms in this series. Their batting in the first match was undermined by a very untimely rain delay after 42 overs that swiped the momentum from a promising stand between Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik, and arguably cost them 20-30 runs in the final reckoning. But even a total in the region of 300 might not have been sufficient to deter England’s advances.

That said, there’s no knowing how unsettled England’s players will be following last night’s security briefing ahead of their forthcoming tour of Bangladesh.

The tour is set to go ahead, but one or two players will surely be harbouring a few doubts about travelling in spite of the ECB’s efforts to allay their fears. They’ll need to push all such thoughts to the backs of their minds if they want to continue their upward surge. (Cricinfo)

.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte landed a new endorsement deal on Thursday days after losing all his major sponsors even as the fallout from the Rio Olympics continued as Brazilian police recommended he be charged with falsely reporting a crime.

Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops, which makes cough drops, said it had signed Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, for a television commercial and print ads.

Lochte, 32, lost all four of his major sponsors on Monday, including Speedo USA and Ralph Lauren following his apology for an “exaggerated” story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro after a party.

“We all make mistakes, but they’re rarely given front page scrutiny,” Pine Bros Chief Executive Rider McDowell said in a statement on Thursday. “I’m confident that Pine Bros fans will support our decision to give Ryan a second chance.”

Lochte’s account of being held up with three team mates by men dressed as police officers embarrassed the host city, angered local officials and dominated news coverage of South America’s first Olympics, amid heightened concerns over security in the crime-ridden metropolis.

Police and Lochte’s teammates subsequently said that he had committed an act of vandalism at a gas station and became embroiled in a dispute with em-

Ryan Lochte

ployees, who had demanded compensation. One of the security staff drew his weapon when the row became heated, police said.

Rio police said in a statement they had recommended that prosecutors bring charges against Lochte for falsely reporting a crime - a minor misdemeanor normally punishable by a fine.

Teammate Jimmy Feigen agreed last week to pay 35,000 real ($10,833) to a charity in Rio in compensation for having the same charges dropped and the return of his passport, which had been seized by police, authorities said.

Lochte had left Brazil the day after the incident at the gas station took place.

Police said in their state-

Katusha rider Rein Taaramae was knocked off his bike by a vehicle at the Vuelta a Espana, bringing his participation to an end

A

crash with a team director’s car has ended Katusha rider Rein Taaramae’s Vuelta a Espana campaign, despite escaping with minor injuries.

Estonian Taaramae was hit from behind by a vehicle and removed from his bike during stage seven on Friday, which was subsequently run over and broken into multiple pieces.

The 29-year-old, a stagewinner at the 2011 Vuelta and the 2016 Giro d’Italia, felt fortunate not to have broken any bones.

“I can’t be sure exactly what happened. I was suffering today. I was dropped in the group and was riding alone,” said Taaramae in an official Katusha statement.

“In one moment I found myself on the side of the road and I understood that

a car hit me from the back.

I think I’m lucky that nothing is broken.

“My bike was broken in probably six pieces. When I saw that, I realized I was really lucky. Later that director spoke to me and said it was his fault but was unsure what had happened too. He was very sorry.”

Sports director Jose Azevedo added: “Rein was dropped on the hill and

A crash with a team director’s car has ended Katusha rider Rein Taaramae’s Vuelta a Espana campaign, despite escaping with minor injuries

the cars were passing him

– he was in the middle of

ment that the investigator in charge of the case had recommended to judges that Lochte be deposed in the United States and that a transcript be sent to the ethical commission of the International Olympic Committee (DOC).

Lochte won one gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

He was the breakout star of the 2012 London Olympics, landing a short-lived reality TV series called “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?” and appearing, as himself, on top shows such as “30 Rock” and “90210”.

In a tweet on Thursday, Lochte said: “Thanks to all the folks at Pine Bros for your confidence in me. I look forward to making you proud. (Retuers) the cars. I think he didn’t see the Cofidis [Solutions Credits] car.

“Sometimes this happens where you look to one side and can’t see anything, but I think the car came and he could not avoid it so he was hit from behind.

“He flew off the bike to the right side of the road and this was a lucky thing because he was safe, but the car hit his bike and destroyed it completely. It was in a lot of pieces.

“Of course it was not on purpose, it was just something that happens in a race. He only has small injuries, but it was impossible for him to continue.

“I think he was initially in shock and these last days he’s been having some stomach problems. He was suffering to finish today and then this crash, so it needed to be over for him.”(Sportsmax)

20

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

Jaguars Franchise League

Georgetown in hunt for first innings against East Bank —Foo records League’s first century

P

o w e r h o u s e Georgetown trail by 128 runs with seven wickets in hand to accomplish the first innings against East Bank at the end of the first day of the inaugural Jaguar Franchise League yesterday at the Everest Cricket Club ground.

There at the close of play were captain Christopher Barnwell on 28 and former West Indies youth player, Kwame Crosse on two. The pair of Barnwell and Crosse has so far added 30 runs as their team closed on 65-3 in response to East Bank’s 192 all out.

Gajanan Suknanan

Veerasammy Permaul

Danny Narayan prepares to face a ball on his way to 50

Georgetown started batting at 16:00h and had a total of 21 overs to survive. Their openers Andrew Lyght Jr and Robin Bacchus were cruising along quite responsibly until East Bank’s skipper, Steven Jacobs, decided to take the ball. That move worked immediately as he struck Lyght (12) on the pads for a leg before wicket (LBW) decision with the score on 29.

Bacchus followed four runs later as he played a loose shot to be caught by the diving fielder at short mid-on, off the bowling of

Colin Benn. Jacobs was responsible for the final wicket as he peeled the edge of Ovid Richardson when the batsman was on two.

Crosse then joined forces with Barnwell and the pair handled the pressure maturely as they marshalled their team to the close.

Earlier, East Bank won the toss and decided to bat. They made it to 39 before losing their first wicket, that of first class player, Trevon Griffith, for nine.

Subsequent to his demise it was shaky for East Bank as five wickets fell for 74 runs.

During that period only

Amir Khan

Ryan Shun 42 and Steven Jacobs 19 showed resistance against the Georgetown attack, which was spearhead-

Jonathan Foo

Bhaskar Yadram

Christopher Barnwell

ed by off spinner Gajanan Suknanan, and left arm spinner Devon Lord.

However, former national junior all-rounder, Danny Narayan and Ershad Ali partnered for 74 runs in a stubborn seventh wicket partnership. It only ended when Narayan hit what was probably the worst ball of his innings -a full toss delivered

by Lord- in the air and was caught for 50 off 84 balls.

Withstanding Narayan’s casualty, Ali was determined to the end as he remained unbeaten on 26. Lord and Suknanan were the best bowlers for Georgetown with figures of 3-46 and 3-35 respectively, while Barnwell claimed two victims in a good deed of support. Andre Stoll bowled excellently in his 13 overs, but went wicketless as he only conceded 16 runs.

In the other three matches, East Coast and Albion/ New Amsterdam have won first innings points, while the match between West Berbice and Upper Corentyne is still in the balance.

At Tuschen, Jonathan Foo scored the tournament’s first century to guide Albion/ New Amsterdam to 173-2

at the end of the first day, in reply to Essequibo’s paltry 101 all out. Anthony Adams (33) and Parmesh Parsram (24) were the only batsmen to reach 20 for Essequibo. Gajanand Singh (26 not out) was at the close with Foo. Left arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (523) and pacer Raun Johnson 4-30, were the chief wreckers of Essequibo’s innings, while Nial Smith claimed the other wicket.

Albion/New Amsterdam will start the second day today with a lead of 62 and eight wickets in hand.

At the Enterprise Community Development Centre ground, Amir Khan captured five wickets,

while Bhaskar Yadram and Gavin Boodwah made fifties to take East Coast to first innings. Batting first, West Demerara was rattled for 111 in 36 overs, with Raymond Reifer and Akshaya Persaud making 34 and 24 respectively. Khan made constant inroads into West Demerara’s innings to snare five wickets.

In reply, East Coast were 136-5 when play ended, as Reifer grabbed three wickets while Yadram and Gavin Boodwah recorded fifties.

At Young Warriors Ground, Cumberland Canje; West Berbice made 222 all out against Upper Corentyne.

Quacey McPherson (50), Andrew Dutchin (41) and West Indies Under-19 captain Shimron Hetmyer (36) were the principal scorers.

Former Guyana under-19 skipper Shawn Perreira led his team’s bowling with 3-42, while Keon Sinclair and Clinton Pestano got two wickets each.

Upper Corentyne ended the day on 55-1 in reply, with national player Assad Fudadin on 26 not out.

All matches will resume at 09:30h today at the said venues.

Danny Narayan

Bayern Munich 6 Werder Bremen 0: Lewandowski hits hat-trick as champions cruise

B

undesliga champions Bayern Munich cruised to a 6-0 home win over Werder Bremen on Friday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring a hattrick.

Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick as Bayern Munich cruised to a 6-0 home win over Werder Bremen in their opening Bundesliga match of the season.

It took the defending champions only eight minutes to open the scoring, with Xabi Alonso thumping in a volley from just outside the penalty area after a cross was half-cleared.

Bremen's weak resistance was broken again four minutes later when Franck Ribery slipped Lewandowski through on goal and the striker finished superbly from a tight angle.

The dominance continued after the interval when Lewandowski stretched to tap in a Thomas Muller cross, before Philipp Lahm drove in the fourth via the post after more precise passing.

Ribery added a fifth by finishing well from Muller's pass and Lewandowski completed his treble with a late penalty as Bayern won their first league match of the campaign for the fifth year in a row.

Mats Hummels made his second league appearance for Bayern - the first was in May 2007 before his decorated spell with rivals Borussia Dortmund - while Carlo Ancelotti became the first manager to take charge of teams in Europe's top five leagues.

Bayern dominated pos-

session from the first whistle, with Muller having an early shot deflected narrowly wide for a corner, and the opening goal soon arrived.

Lahm's cross was headed straight to Alonso, who teed himself up on the edge of the penalty area and hammered a stunning volley into the top corner.

Muller then forced a fine save from Felix Wiedwald but it was 2-0 to Bayern shortly afterwards.

Lewandowski beat the offside trap to race on to Ribery's throughball into the left channel and, from a narrow angle, the Poland international produced a brilliant curled finish.

Wiedwald denied Lewandowski and Muller shot at the goalkeeper as Bremen failed to put Bayern under pressure, before

Muller hit the post from 25 yards and Lewandowski missed the rebound.

Bayern came close again after 38 minutes as they once more cut Bremen apart easily, with Ribery and Muller involved in a sumptuous one-touch move, but Wiedwald got enough on Lewandowski's shot to deflect it on to the crossbar.

Lewandowski had a further first-half opportunity in the 42nd minute after Bremen gave away possession, but Wiedwald made the stop as he continued to keep the score down.

The third goal arrived in the first minute after the interval, as Lewandowski was presented with a simple close-range finish from Muller's superb right-wing centre.

After 65 minutes Bayern

Robert Lewandowski

scored the fourth goal their dominance deserved to ensure a 14th straight win over Bremen, with Lahm and Muller playing a onetwo before the full-back shot across Wiedwald and in off the upright.

Muller was given far too much space to pick out Ribery for a powerful finish and Lewandowski rolled in

a penalty for his second hattrick in two games - he claimed the matchball in the cup thrashing of minnows Carl Zeiss Jena seven days ago - after substitute Rafinha was fouled.

On this evidence Bayern will take some stopping as they aim for a fifth consecutive league title. (Sportsmax)

YELLOW PAGES SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016 | WWW.GUYANA-TIMES.COM

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D

espite the format’s popularity, it is fair to say bilateral Twenty20 internationals are not the newest fad in town.

The sheer amount of effort and perseverance required to win a Test match gives importance to even dead rubbers. Bilateral ODIs are still a series, and 100 overs is a long enough duration for narratives to develop.

Twenty20, more than any other format, needs a larger context: two points that might push you up a league table or a win that might save you from elimination from a World T20. Bilateral T20 series are played either at the end or start of a long tour almost as an afterthought; they are usually so unimportant that teams hardly bother with getting visas for their T20 specialists.

However, these two, to be played over a weekend in Lauderhill in Florida, between world champions West Indies and the team they beat in the World T20 semi-final, India, are different. They carry an important context. While this is not the first time international cricket is being played in America, India v West Indies - two regions with large expat population there - is way bigger than New Zealand playing Sri Lanka or West Indies.

Cricket economy mostly

runs around India. So when India go to America with all their delegates, when they sell the TV rights, when they sell the trophy rights, it becomes a big experiment for the future of cricket. This could even be a test run for a second IPL, a mini version, in America going forward; CPL has already had a stint in America that can’t be termed unsuccessful.

While these two matches are huge for the cricket economy and its globalisation - in terms of staging and not participation - the cricket carries more subtext than your usual bilateral Twenty20 internationals. Who can forget Darren Sammy’s impassioned speech after he led West Indies to their second World T20 title? Well, the WICB wants you to forget the man himself. He has been dropped despite his stellar performance in the CPL. Leading them now is Carlos “remember the name” Brathwaite.

West Indies’ T20 success is down to their individual professionalism rather than the administration.

Dropping an inspirational leader such as Sammy is not the first time the establishment has been less than conducive to their best performance; can they continue to excel regardless?

India’s leader, on the other hand, is a man much relieved because he is not play-

T

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Sunil Narine, Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite take a break from training at Lauderhill, Florida

ing Tests anymore, but that means whatever limitedovers cricket he leads India in becomes extra important for him. He has not tasted first-hand the joys of beating Sri Lanka, South Africa and West Indies in Tests recently. Over the last year the two highlights for him have been the Asia Cup win and perhaps the Twenty20 series win in Australia. When a player doesn’t get chances in all formats, his shortcomings in the only formats he plays can get magnified. The home series defeat to South Africa, and his failure at finishing off a chase against Zimbabwe means people will keep raising questions if he is going to be around for the 2019 World Cup. According to The Weather Channel, the 10 inches of rain so far this month in Miami makes it the eighth-wettest August on record. A magnificent lightning show danced across the Fort Lauderdale sky almost non-stop from 7 pm until well after midnight on Thursday. A tropical low currently just north of Haiti and nearing the Bahamas is threatening to develop into the Atlantic tropical season’s eighth named storm as Tropical Storm Hermine.

Preliminary forecasts are showing that if it forms into a full-fledged Hurricane, it may be on track to hit south Florida on Sunday. (Cricinfo)

Captain Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal’s first squad since winning Euro 2016 as he continues his recovery from a knee injury

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he Real Madrid forward, 31, has not played since being substituted in the Euro 2016 final against France in July.

Portugal face Gibraltar in a friendly on 1 September before their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign stats against Switzerland in Basel five days later.

Eder, who scored the winner in the Euro 2016 final, is in the 24-man squad.

Manager Fernando Santos has also included Southampton defenders Cedric Soares, 24, and 32-year-old Jose Fonte.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon), Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Eduardo

Cristiano Ronaldo has not played since the Euro 2016 final on 10 July

(Dinamo Zagreb).

Defenders: Joao Cancelo

(Valencia), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Pepe (Real Madrid), Bruno Alves (Cagliari), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Luis Neto (Zenit St Petersburg), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Eliseu (Benfica).

Midfielders: William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon), Danilo (Porto), Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Adrien Silva (Sporting), Andre Gomes (Barcelona), Joao Mario (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich).

Forwards: Rafa Silva (Braga), Bernardo Silva (Monaco), Nani (Valencia), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Eder (Lille), Andre Silva (Porto). (BBC)

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

Mentore urges aspiring Holmes sends warning to to be well-rounded Austin ahead of today’s fight cricketers …as DCC Summer camp concludes

By Romario Samaroo

“S

R

ichard “Frog” Holmes, the man who will come up against Guyanese boxer, Mark Austin in the middleweight category today at the Guyana Boxing Board of Control’s “Bad Intentions” boxing card at the Giftland Office Max Mall, Liliendaal, has issued a warning to his opponent.

“Youth, if you never heard of the Frog, or even if you heard of him, the Frog is here now and I will leap at you.

Watch out,” Holmes said.

The Jamaican youngster, speaking on his preparations, highlighted the fact that he was given short notice of the fight, but having constantly been in the gym, it was not difficult for him to adjust and prepare for the fight, noting that so far all is going well.

Holmes indicated that he has all intentions of walking away victorious, but is most of all here to have fun.

The Wray and Nephew contender described himself as a confident warrior and it does not matter who he steps in the ring with, he is never afraid.

The dangerous boxer said that his plan is to keep things simple, capitalise on his opponent’s mistakes and do what it takes to win at any means necessary.

Holmes’ Manager, Carl Grant, pointed out what an honour it was for them to come down to Guyana and have the opportunity to box and will be looking to “do what Jamaicans do best, win and go back home.”

The 28-year-old Jamaican boxer has had an impressive run in the domestic circuit in his hometown of Jamaica.

It was only earlier in 2016 Holmes was a finalist in the Wray and Nephew

Richard Holmes will face Mark Austin at Bad Intentions

Contender Series, defeating Tsetsi Davis, in the semi-final which, infact, was the second time Holmes had defeated Davis who has an impressive 16-6 record.

Holmes also faced the main event fighter in tonight’s boxing card, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley, in the finals of the Wray and Nephew contender series.

Holmes, who is rated as one of the best middleweight boxers in Jamaica, will go into the match with a body weight of 156 pounds, 10 more than he had in the Corley fight.

For his return to the boxing ring after a month’s rest and his reconditioning at Sakima’s Gym in Oracabessa, St Mary, Holmes is expected to give a good account of himself as he appears in the sixround bout of a confirmed lively title fight card.

Meanwhile, Austin does have a ring record of nine wins, eight losses and one draw in 18 fights to his credit.

In the other fights of the night, the main event card will see a 27-year-old Guyanese youngster go toeto-toe with the 42-year-old US veteran, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley in 12 rounds for the Fecarbox title.

One of the most antici-

pated bouts will be what has been dubbed, a ‘grudge match’, between Imran ‘Magic’ Khan and Quincy ‘Glittering’ Gomes.

These two fighters met at Caribbean Knockdown where Gomes had emerged victorious after six rounds and is looking to end the match with a first-round knockout.

A next match-up between NexGen Global Promotion boxers will see Anthony Narine making his debut against Keeve Allicock, who has a knockout on his mind.

Narine said he is set to make a good first impression and ready for anything Alicock throws at him, while Alicock, who comes from a family of boxers, has his eyes set on the bigger picture and sees this as a must-win fight on his way to the top.

Berbician Kesley George is expected to have the crowd on their toes when he matches gloves in a four-round super middleweight clash with Barbadian Charwin Estwick, who is currently on a winning streak.

‘Bad Intentions’ is slated for August 27 at the Giftland Office Max Mall, Lilliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

Admission costs $3000 (ringside) and $1000 (general admission).

“Digicel is synonymous with sports and we have been a part of this since the inception and we will continue to develop it since it has youth development

Colin Boyce noted that the Classic is happy to have both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago participating.

Boyce added that the weather was not in favour

trive to be well all-rounded students of the game,” were the words President of the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Alfred Mentore, instilled upon the graduates of the club’s annual threeweek summer camp which concluded on Friday at the Queenstown based institution.

Speaking to over eighty students and in the presence of Ministry of Education, Department of Culture Youth and Sport Permanent Secretary Alfred King, Mentore emphasised the need for youngsters to balance both their academics

Jordon Nelson receives his trophy for best Student from Permanent Secretary Alfred King

Best under-15 player Daniel Mootoo receives some gears from Club President Alfred Mentore compliments of National cricketer Christopher Barnwell and his new store Sporting Edge

and cricketing skills to avoid being a one dimensional individual. More so, the club President explained to the graduates that their participation in the game is not only limited to the field, as they are now opportunities for persons to engage in the areas of

coaching, commentary and statisticians, among many more.

Mentore further gave the exasmple of the camp’s best student, Jordon Nelson, who came to the camp not knowing much about the game but instead of gravitating towards the on-field action, he

quickly became abreast with the correct scoring and the rules of the sport.

Meanwhile, King in his address reminisced of his days with the bat and ball and firmly stated that the DCC summer camp should be a model for other sporting institutions and developing sportsmen and women.

Head coach Gavin Nedd challenged the young cricketers to build on the knowledge gained and the need to conduct self-training if they wish to reach the summit.

In closing, the club’s President thanked all the sponsors for their support and future partnerships for such programmes.

The camp, which catered for persons as young as fouryears-old, focused on areas such as teaching its pupils public speaking, health and nutrition, the necessity of fitness, the rules of the games, as well as the technical onfield play.

Several of the top performers received trophies, while each attendee received a certificate of participation.

7th Annual Boyce and Jeffords Classic runs off today G uyana’s leading Track and Field Championships, Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic, will race out of the blocks at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden, from 13:00h today with several of the Caribbean’s and Guyana’s top athletes on show.

The McKenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden will host the seventh edition of the Boyce and Jeffords Classic Athletics meet over the weekend.

At the final press conference before the event, which is called the “miniOlympics”, held at Regency Suites, Brickdam, joint co-ordinator of the event, Edison Jefford, thanked the sponsors who have shown their commitment towards local athletics, especially their two major sponsors, Ansa McAl and Digicel.

Marketing Manager of Digicel, Vidya Sanichara stated that it is always in the interest of the company to get behind sports in Guyana.

200m, discus, long jump, 3000m and 5000m, while on Sunday will have 28 meets, inclusive of a 150m for the under-14’s who are the future stars.

Sponsors and athletes snap a picture ahead of the 7th annual Boyce and Jefford Classic

tied directly to it.” The Marketing Manger added, “only recently, we signed Usain Bolt as an ambassador and hopefully from this event, one day we can get someone of that calibre, if not regionally, surely locally as we look forward to see great things come out of this championship” Chairman of the Classic,

of the event last time, but is now confident of a trouble free event. He added that the McKenzie Ground staff should be complimented for their efforts put in to make it ready for the big day.

A total of 30 events are scheduled for the weekend, with the first day being today, featuring 12 finals running off, inclusive of the

There will also be eight international events that carry a total purse of US$500 each with US$250 for the winner, US$150 for second place and US$100 for third, amounting to US$4000, which will be handed out on race day.

In addition, the Champion Male and Female athletes will pocket $50,000

each, while the Media and Masters races also have a similar $50,000 prize.

Trophies will be given to the top four clubs, while medals will be given to all athletes placing 1st through 3rd; the total prize money for the clubs amounts to $2M, with the winner running away with $1 million.

The Jamaican, as well as Trinidad and Tobago teams, having already arrived ahead of the meet and were all in high spirits based on their experience and preparation.

Jeffery King, Manager of the Jamaican team, stated that his team is thankful for the opportunity, noting that the Jamaicans are here to win and they will bring it.

On the other side of the table, the manager of the twin-island republic team, Kelvin Nancoo, proclaimed that his athletes are in the form of their lives.

“We have a pretty strong team on Trinidad and Tobago’s third visit to the Boyce and Jeffords.”

Nancoo added, “I expect that we will win the men’s

800m through Ashton Gill who has trained well. In the 800m women’s, we have a little girl, Johanna Rogers.

Also Richardo Prescott, a young and upcoming 400m, 800m and 1500m athlete, as well as Shakeila Walcott who should place in the top two in the 100m event.”

Boyce noted that this event was not only for the athletes, but patrons could also be winners.

“We have some fabulous gate prizes, inclusive of one gold chain, a 42” television and a $50,000 cash prize,” Boyce said.

The five Participating teams include the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, Super Upcoming Runners, Mercury Fastlaners and Linden Combined.

Boyce indicated that the Police team will be boosted by Alita Moore and Guyanese Olympian Winston George. Both of them are campaigning in the United States.

Cassey George will also be back to boost the Linden team.

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

23

Guyana Chess Federation pays courtesy call on President Granger P

resident of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, David Granger, on Friday received a courtesy call from some of the participants of the eleven-member team who are representing the Guyana Chess Federation at the Ministry of the Presidency.

During the visit, the team inducted the President as an honorary member of the Federation.

The team will be departing Guyana on Monday for Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in the 2016 Chess Olympiad organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE). The team will be headed by President of the GCF, Mr Irshad Mohamed.

During the meeting, President Granger pledged his support and commitment. He also expressed an interest in meeting with the team again upon their return home to discuss what measures can be taken to help the Federation to advance the sport in Guyana.

“You have my support.

We can sit down and discuss

Visiting members of the team along with President David Granger

some of the initiatives that can be implemented when you get back. It is a very good sport and we will like to see it in the schools, the villages.

It is a sport like any other,” President Granger said.

The President wished the team the best, adding that, “Guyana used to have a footprint in this sport years ago.

I hope that you can have that footprint globally.”

Priyanna Ramdhani wins gold twice, Narayan Ramdhani win bronze

T

The Guyanese Siblings won three medals in Aruba

he Guyana Badminton Team, playing in the Caribbean Regional Championships in the CAREBACO Events at the Centro Deportivo Sports Hall in Aruba. This two day play off was on August 24 & 25, 2016.

The First Event was the CAREBACO junior Under-19 international individual championships open to all countries.

The Second Event was the CAREBACO junior under-19 team championships The Third Event is the CAREBACO regional junior under-11, 13, 15, 17 & 19 individual championships open to only Caribbean countries and members. The 8-countries taking part is: Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico & Aruba.

CAREBACO regional day 2 results August 25: Players had a full day of Badminton playing from 9am to12am, after which the presentation was made for both the Team and Individual Tournaments.

Under-15 girls singles finals: Priyanna Ramdhani

Abigael Hing of Suriname: 21-5, 21-4 Under-15 girls singles semi-finals: Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Lyeene Schareir of Aruba: 21-3, 21-4 Under-15 girls doubles semi-finals: Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) & Daniela Acosta (DOM) Johanna Lebron Ortiz & Karianet Morales Mercado of Puerto Rico: 218, 21-7 BOYS SINGLES UNDER-19 SEMIFIANLS: Narayan Ramdhani Cesar lost to Brito of Dominican Republic: 21-3, 22-20 BOYS SINGLES UNDER-19 QUARTERFINALS Narayan Ramdhani defeated Joshua Smith of Trinidad & Tobago: 21-6, 21-13 Jonathan Mangra lost to Matthew Lee of Jamaica: 21-12, 21-11 Girls doubles under-19 quarter-finals: Ambika Ramraj (GUY) & Francesca Matias (DOM) lost to Imani Mangroe & Mary Ann Zhong of Suriname: 21-12, 21-9.

Mr Mohamed expressed his gratitude to the President for his support and pledged that the team will do its best to succeed.

The 42nd Chess Olympiad will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, next month and Guyana is expected to be well represented. The Guyana Chess Federation has named a strong 11-member team to represent the country at the

event.

The team comprises of Wendell Meusa, 27, who is one of the most experienced members of the team.

Jessica Clementson, 20, one of Guyana’s most decorated female players having been introduced to the game in 2009. Julia Clementson, 17, was introduced to chess in 2009 along with her sister, Jessica. Sheriffa Ali, 17, is

an accomplished female junior player. She played in her first tournament in 2007.

Yolander Persaud, 25, learnt to play during her early years of about age six. Maria Varona Thomas, 47, is one of Guyana’s most proficient female players, with a rating of 1790. Ronuel Greenidge, 33, a skilful player who has garnered a rating of 1725 over the years. Haifeng Su, 21,

is a very competitive player with the rating of 1775.

Roberto Neto, 19, is an ambitious player who has earned a rating of 1557. Taffin David Khan, 23, is one of Guyana’s most decorated players with a rating of 1861. Anthony Drayton, 22, is currently Guyana’s number one player, with a Candidate Master’s title earned in the 41st Chess Olympiad in 2014.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016

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

Mentore urges aspiring cricketers to be well-rounded

…as DCC Summer camp concludes

Pg 22

All Smiles! The cheerful camp attendees along with Club President Alfred Mentore, Alfred King and Coach Gavin Nedd (second row seated)

Guyana’s Priyanna Ramdhani stands tall over her competitors, copping gold

Pg 23

Guyana Chess Federation pays courtesy call on President Granger Pg 23

Priyanna Ramdhani wins gold twice, Narayan Ramdhani win bronze Mr Irshad Mohamed inducted the President as an honorary member of the Federation

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