Gunmen kill two at Port Mourant
GRA recovered $21M from smuggled chicken last year
Chang’s ruling has far-reaching effects – Trotman
Teen mounts roof to protest alleged rape by police
GBTI unveils risk management plan to help SMEs
Guyana seeks tourism collaboration with Cuba
One of the injured being escorted into the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Port Mourant Public Hospital, Berbice
friday, January 31, 2014|
Court more lenient to cocaine traffickers than ganja pushers – GHRA
The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) said it remains concerned over the disproportionate harshness of sentencing for possession of marijuana in contrast with the apparent inability of law enforcement to detect, much less convict the main suppliers of cocaine.
The association made the comment in a statement released in reaction to Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee’s unequivocal declaration that government will keep the ban on ganja, despite calls for some leniency.
The GHRA noted that in November 2013, a woman was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and fined $120,000 on four charges of possession and trafficking of 2.8 grams of cannabis and one gram of cocaine.
The 36-year-old woman was caught in a sting operation during which a police officer approached her home to purchase the drugs in question. The police then searched the premises and recovered the money and the drugs.
The next day the woman was placed before the chief magistrate and pleaded guilty. She was sentenced to three years and fined $30,000 on each of the four charges (possession and trafficking in mar-
GHRA head Mike Mc Cormack
ijuana and possession and trafficking in cocaine), to run concurrently.
The crime, according to the press, was committed on October 30, 2013. According to the human rights body, several factors about this case are disturbing.
“The habit of separating ‘possession’ as a separate case from trafficking’ for the purpose of increasing the sentence is perverse on the part of the police.
"Trafficking assumes possession. That a woman should be sentenced to three years for
possession of 2.8 grams of marijuana at a time when many countries are actively decriminalising marijuana possession, is bizarre,” the GHRA said.
The association noted that the woman received a further three years for possession of one gram of cocaine.
However, it observed that others carrying kilos of cocaine through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) rarely, if ever, get more than four years.
The association said a cursory review over the past three years shows discrepancy in sentencing: a New Amsterdam man was imprisoned for five years and fined $4.9 million for possession of 1.8 kilograms of cannabis; a woman received 18 months plus $30,000 for trafficking 150 grams of cannabis and eight grams of cocaine; another man received three years and $20,000 for possession of three grams of cocaine and two grams of cannabis (he informed the court that his companion was not charged because he paid the police $20,000, while he had no money to do so).
An 18-year-old young woman was remanded to pris-on for possession of 26 grams of marijuana found in a house after police had followed her. As reported, bail was refused “be-
cause of the seriousness of the offence”.
Abuse
The GHRA, in commenting on the case at the time, stated that the practice of finding narcotics in a house and the police charging whoever happens to be on the premises is an abuse, which has resulted in many innocent people being jailed over the years.
"The standard operating procedure is to arrest a range of people in the hope that between them, one will plead guilty,” it said.
The rights body said many similar cases have seen males ending up in Camp Street and female partners in New Amsterdam prison for a statu-
tory three-year sentence over small quantities of marijuana, causing great hardship for children and everyone concerned.
The harshness of the 12year sentence referred to earlier is counter-productive.
“The impression given is that the risk is greater in trafficking marijuana than cocaine because ‘coke’ is more lucrative and the penalty is the same.
"Another counter-productive feature is to discourage people from ever pleading ‘not guilty’. Sting operations by the police have their place in crime-fighting, but in the context of policing in Guyana, they nonetheless raise misgivings,” the statement said.
The association said, in particular, the widespread harassment by police officers
of innocent citizens for bribes and other abuses of authority renders such approaches unsafe.
“Moreover, the circumstances of the charges against the woman who received 12 years, namely, the police going to her home to purchase drugs, leaves a lot unsaid. Did she alone live in the house, were any females involved in the sting, what promises were made that may have misled her to plead guilty? "
Finally, the association observed that the contrast between the prison terms handed down in haphazard fashion to the street runners and other ‘small fish’ contrast sharply with the inability of the police to put drug suppliers before the court.
GRA recovered $21M from smuggled chicken last year
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) said it recovered some $21 million in revenue on smuggled chicken and is now joining forces with the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry to stamp out the scourge.
In a statement, the GRA said that for years, its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division has been employing various methods to combat the scourge of smuggling. However, statistics compiled have shown that while the smuggling of some products is recording a decrease, that of others is on the rise. One smuggled product that has been illegally imported on a consistent base is chicken.
For the year 2013, the agency recovered in excess of $21,000,000 in revenue on chicken smuggled into the country. This, the GRA said, has prompted it to join forces with the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry, with the aim of further stymieing those who are bent on defrauding the state of revenue.
The ministry is tasked with the responsibility of issuing licences for persons desirous of importing chicken and chicken products into Guyana.
“Together the GRA and … [the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry] will be conducting joint operations targeting those businesses and importers who have not utilised the relevant channels and those who are suspected of fraudulent actions. Persons found to be engaging in this practice will be punished to the full extent of the law, since this is the only way others contemplating such actions will be deterred.”
Chicken is the most popular meat in Guyana, and local production has, at times, struggled to keep pace with several shortages occurring over the years
Chang’s ruling has far-reaching effects – Trotman says House has right to appeal
Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman says acting Chief Justice Ian Chang’s ruling on the budget cut case has far-reaching implications for the Commonwealth parliamentary system, arguing that the National Assembly’s capacity to approve as well as amend budgetary estimates is a long established right.
Chang, on Wednesday, delivered a historic ruling on the case that was brought to the court by the government, following the 2012 cuts to the national budget by the opposition.
In a statement, Trotman says that the ruling of the chief justice provides an interpretation of the rules and standing orders of the National Assembly relative to their conformity with the Constitution of Guyana.
He said Article 171 of the Guyana Constitution is the same as those provisions in the constitutions of all Commonwealth nations as the standing orders and rules of the parliaments of Commonwealth nations.
Ruling
“The right of the National Assembly to approve, including the right to amend, budgetary estimates, is a long established right. This ruling by the acting Chief Justice is an interpretation that would have far-reaching ripples and effects throughout the Commonwealth parliamentary systems and procedures,” Trotman said in his statement.
He argued that the doctrine of the separation of powers is the foundation of Guyana’s, and all parliamentary democracies, which recognises that the rule of law must be respected and upheld.
“The principle of comity dictates that the three branch-
es of government – the executive, the legislative and the judicial – are all separate and equal, and are to respect the rights and authority of each other.
To this end, though the decision of the High Court is to be respected, it remains subject to the inherent right of appeal that is reposed in the National Assembly,” the Speaker said.
He noted that he was made a party to the proceedings in his capacity as a representative of the National Assembly, and as such, it is for the National Assembly to determine and direct the way forward in conformity with Article 171.
Take heed
Weighing in on the issues, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh said the ruling was most welcomed by government
and in particular, the Finance Ministry. He said while government intends to examine and study the ruling in detail, it does appear to bring closure to the vexing matter of the budget cuts.
“The opposition’s initial responses to the ruling, and in particular, their apparent refusal to accept the conclusiveness and authoritativeness of
the ruling, display their continued contempt for the courts of Guyana and their lack of concern for that which is in the public interest.
"It is time for the opposition to accept the ruling of the court and permit progress and development to continue in our country,” Dr Singh said.
He said now that this ruling is out, the opposition would be well-advised to take heed and be guided accordingly. “The opposition would also be well-advised to engage in meaningful consultation on Budget 2014 instead of refusing to meet with government and continuing to threaten further unconstitutional cuts,” he said.
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) said having struck out Opposition Leader David Granger as a defendant in the budget cuts case without giving him a hearing, the acting chief justice has now refused to let the law take its course in the Appellate courts, and has rushed to finish the case before the ruling of the Full Court on the opposition leader’s application for leave to appeal its decision to the Court of Appeal.
The opposition leader had appealed Justice Chang’s de-
cision to arbitrarily strike him out of the case and listen only to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Attorney General Anil Nandlall and the Alliance For Change (AFC) lawyer and leader Khemraj Ramjattan.
No jurisdiction
The Full Court held that it had no jurisdiction to hear the matter because the acting chief justice’s decision was a final order, having fully determined the issue between the attorney general and the leader of the opposition as to whether the National Assembly could disapprove of items in the budget.
The opposition leader applied to the Full Court for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal its decision that it had no jurisdiction and one of his lawyers, Basil Williams was informed by the acting chief justice that he had sent the application back to the Full Court to be heard expeditiously.
“APNU is surprised to learn that acting Chief Justice has gone ahead and refused to await the outcome of proceedings in the higher courts and continued the case before him and made a ruling," said the statement.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman
Opposition Leader David Granger
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh
Editor: Nigel Williams
Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134
Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown
Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com
Editorial
An obesity policy
Three years after a World Bank report on the growing rates of obesity in the developing world, which included the Caribbean, a more recent report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) noted that four Caribbean countries are now listed among the world’s top 25 obese nations.
This should be cause for even more concern among the region’s governments, as it illustrates that the region is quickly losing its fight against obesity.
It has been noted that obesity, along with some noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer, which are often linked to diet, threatens the quality of life and life expectancy of many Caribbean nationals.
While in today’s world many are indeed living longer, many are also living with diet-related chronic diseases that negatively impact the way they live. Obesity is no longer simply a personal issue but has become a very complex public problem.
In the U.S., ranked second among the world’s obese nations, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a U.S. non-profit organisation, has predicted that the country’s annual economic productivity loss due to obesity could reach US$580 billion by 2030, if that country’s current obesity trend continues.
Already, statistics show that it costs the U.S., one of the world’s most developed economies, some US$14.3 billion to treat childhood obesity, while Medicare and Medicaid spend close to US$62 billion annually in obesity-related costs.
Financial figures such as these cannot be imagined, obtained or sustained in the Caribbean, including Guyana, where even a minute amount risks a severe strain on developing national budgets and puts even basic health care on the rack.
Obesity not only threatens lives but in addition, annual costs for treating obesity and diseases linked to poor diets threaten economic growth and development, and must be seen as a public health issue like smoking and alcohol. Governments can no longer leave it up to manufacturers and the public to make the right choices for the public or themselves respectively.
International consensus states that a significant factor for the obesity epidemic in developing nations is the increasing importation of foods associated with so-called development and Western diets and lifestyles: fast food outlets, processed, convenience foods and highly caloric snacks and drinks, while natural local foods such as fruits and vegetables are shunned.
There must be a serious and strenuous effort to halt the epidemic not only to save lives but economies as well. Developing nations such as ours cannot afford the costs related to treating obesity; prevention is a significant weapon against obesity.
But prevention requires a concentrated effort by governments as well as an educated public that can understand the significance of government policies meant to reduce its citizens’ chances of becoming obese, while at the same time not seeming to dictate what should be consumed.
In 2011, the same year of the World Bank report, an article in the West Indian Medical Journal entitled, “Obesity prevention: the key to non-communicable disease control”, argued that preventing obesity is more likely to come from “structural and policy-related changes to the environment” rather than “medical interventions targeted at the individual”, and pointed out too that the traditional approach of relying solely on education to change behaviours is clearly not working and cannot work.
The recent FAO report seems to bear that out.
Already, many governments around the world are looking at, if not passing, regulations among the manufacturing sector aimed at limiting or reducing what is put into foods that have been scientifically proven to be harming public health and contributing to the obesity epidemic. They are also contemplating social policies to help their citizens make better diet choices.
We here in the Caribbean are in a position to benefit from such research and policies, and need not reinvent the wheel but rather take example and innovate or adapt such policies to suit our individual territories’ needs.
All diplomats should be fully briefed before they are posted
Dear Editor, It was reported that Wayne May and his wife Alicia, both American diplomats posted in India, had been expelled in response to the expulsion of an Indian diplomat from the U.S. This kind of tit-for-tat expulsion is not uncommon in diplomatic relations between countries.
After the Mays were expelled, they immediately went on the Internet with contemptuous abuse of India. The State Department, the American foreign office, immediately
disassociated itself from the Mays’ comments.
The Mays’ comments were of the nature of century-old stereotypical clichés and showed that they had little idea of the post to which they had been assigned – they hadn’t even updated the clichés!
The Mays’ expulsion was very likely a relief to the American foreign office, since they were having socially and psychologically dysfunctional diplomats removed from Delhi, without the office having to be involved in the process. And
the Indian foreign offices must have felt that the expulsion had distinct moral and diplomatic justification and was not a mechanistic tit-for-tat.
This incident shows that all diplomats, not only of America, but of all countries need to be fully briefed and have full information of the post to which they are going. If such an ideal were to be achieved, diplomatic relations would be generally smoother and would be plagued with less tension. This is particularly necessary when big, powerful
countries are dealing with smaller states.
Guyana, for example, could be challenging to foreign diplomats, since it is a country with unexpected nuances. Diplomats should use their intuition and not rely too much on the feedback from ‘political officers’.
This could avoid precipitate action which could often lead to regrettable faux pas. Exercise of patient circumspection would always bring success.
Yours sincerely, Henry G
Niles
City officials should conduct themselves with decency, decorum and good manners
Dear Editor,
I read in the media that Georgetown Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, while presiding over a meeting where Town Clerk Carol Sooba was present, went out of her way to address the town clerk as “acting town clerk” despite the fact that she is legally the town clerk.
The town clerk immediately took her leave of the meeting at the insult and also at the deputy mayor’s implication that the meeting was being attended by a non-persona, whose active participation could have rendered decisions void.
Chase-Green explained that her studied insult was
made since some of her supporters had challenged in the courts, the local government minister’s confirmation of Sooba as town clerk and that, in effect, they had already won their case even without a trial and judicial decision.
There are four implications from Chase-Green’s action and explanations which evidence ignorance of law and manifest tactless uncouth rudeness: * Bringing an action in court does not mean that you have already won the case. Chase-Green seems to think that having challenged Sooba’s status as town clerk in court, this would immedi-
ately make her acting town clerk even without a trial and judicial decision. This is ignorance.
* If Chase-Green genuinely believes that Sooba is acting town clerk, then there was no point in spending the city’s money to bring a court action to prove that she is so.
* For a public official to pre-empt a court’s decision, long before that court has adjudicated, and doing so in the spotlight of public media, is certainly holding that court in contempt and indeed, our whole judicial system.
* A chairperson at any meeting has to be cultured and polite to all participants. I appeal to the Local Government Ministry to require Mayor Hamilton Green, the deputy mayor and the councillors of Georgetown to conduct themselves with decency, decorum and good manners and to have the deliberations on the city budget continue with the town clerk and her team, with the town clerk contributing in her legal capacity as town clerk. Not to have her in her legal capacity as town clerk could detract from the legality of the proceedings.
Yours truly, PI Peters
Representatives from across the region on day one of the two-day meeting to chart the way forward for the region’s youths, hosted by the Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre at Regency Suites
A court decision can only be set aside by another court of competent jurisdiction
Dear Editor, I view with deep regret, and indeed, with profound concern, the pronouncements emanating from lawyers who appeared in the recently concluded constitutional challenge to the cuts inflicted on the 2012 budget. I refer to the lawyers who appeared for Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman and Leader of the Opposition David Granger, respectively, and who, significantly, are important leaders in both of the two major opposition parties in the National Assembly.
In essence, they have indicated the intention of their respective parties, to cut the 2014 budget despite the clear, definitive and final pronouncement of the acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, which states that the opposition has no power under the Constitution or at law to do so.
In fact, and on the contrary, these very lawyers ought to be the ones advising their clients and other members of their parties, who are not lawyers, what the legal position is when a court of law has pronounced on a matter of law. Of course, I am assuming that they themselves know what the position is.
Although, I believe that they ought to know, one
can never be sure. The position is, unless and until a pronouncement made by a court is set aside by another court of competent jurisdiction, that pronouncement must be obeyed and respected by all, irrespective of how wrong one may feel that pronouncement is.
This is an elementary principle which harbours no exception whatsoever. It is designed to protect and maintain the integrity of the administration of justice, the rule of law, and indeed the entire society.
In this instance, the contumacious and contemptuous disregard for the judicial pronouncements is not coming from the ordinary citizen but from law-makers them-
selves, who are also political leaders.
If these constitutionally and politically highly placed persons advocate and protagonise disrespect and disregard for judicial pronouncements, what message and what signal are they sending to the ordinary man? Why should he obey court orders or the law, when those who make the law and who hold high political office, flaunt and flout them.
The doctrine of separation of powers devolves onto the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary clearly delineated and defined powers and functional responsibilities. The Constitution recites them in its provisions. Each of these organs is expected to operate within their respective provinces, and not to trespass onto the territorial power and responsibility of the other.
Importantly, they must discharge their functions independently but with reciprocal comity. What will happen if the Judiciary is to reciprocate tomorrow and refuse to interpret the laws passed by the Legislature? Chaos and anarchy shall be the natural consequences.
Moreover, the criticisms levelled against the acting chief justice for his rul-
Bulkan, Palmer’s review of GFC’s reports should be ignored
Dear Editor,
ing are not only wrong and baseless but are callous and undignified. Indeed, they are capable of being construed as an attack on the independence and integrity of the Judiciary. Those who are aggrieved are free to pursue an appeal against the ruling. Attacking and scandalising the judge is unlawful as it is distasteful.
In these challenging circumstances, the Speaker has a pivotal role to play. As the authority in charge of the National Assembly, it is his responsibility to ensure that those under his charge comply with the Constitution, as declared and pronounced by its guardian, the Judiciary.
From this responsibility he cannot resile. He, himself, is a creature of the Constitution. The power he enjoys is derived from the Constitution. One can only hope that he protects and does not desecrate or aid and abet the desecration of his creator – the Constitution.
Respectfully,
Mohabir Anil Nandlall Minister of Legal Affairs
Kindly permit me to respond to part five of Janette Bulkan and John Palmer’s critical review of the annual reports of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) which were submitted to Parliament, and published in another section of the press on January 31.
Bulkan and Palmer’s Part V, like parts one to four of their critical review of the GFC’s annual reports submitted to Parliament, is totally devoid in validity which was merely an expression of technical fabrication and assumptions to fulfil their anti-government and spiteful agenda against the GFC.
In this regard, the fivepart series of Bulkan and Palmer’s critical review of the GFC’s reports submitted to Parliament must be ignored and thrown into the garbage bin.
The intention of Bulkan and Palmer after the conclusion of their so-called critical review of the GFC’s reports is to design questions and hand them over to their friends in the
People’s National (PNC)/A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) who will then use them to question the relevant government minister on the GFC’s report in Parliament if they do come up.
This is the anti-government agenda of Bulkan and Palmer, knowing fully well that the parliamentary opposition, which includes the Alliance For Change (AFC), misuses its one-seat majority in the National Assembly to vote against the government.
But the relevant government minister is an expert and will correctly and accurately deal with questions if they do arise. So Bulkan and Palmer are just wasting their time obviously without anything constructive to do in Florida.
It must be known by the world that Bulkan and Palmer are part of a political circle of anti-government ‘experts’ who are mainly concerned with bad-mouthing the government of Guyana.
Yours truly, Peter Persaud
You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com
Mohabir Anil Nandlall
Page Foundation
How to prevent your teen from dropping out of school
hether your teen is being bullied at school or is struggling with classes, dropping out of school should never be an option. Statistically speaking, high school drop outs earn less than those who have their diploma and cost the country billions in lost wages over the course of the drop out’s lifetime. High school drop outs often struggle to find happiness because, in most cases career choices are relegated to low income jobs with no advancement. The best way to keep a teen in school is through support, motivation and letting your teen see firsthand what would happen if he or she decided to give up.
Identify why your teen wants to drop out of school
For a teen to want to drop out of school, the reason(s) have to be pretty serious. If you can first get to the root of the problem, you can start to cultivate a solution that may work to help keep him or her in school. Common issues include:
* Struggling with school work. Is your teen constantly struggling to keep up with the rest of the class and often receives poor or failing grades? Has any type of intervention been performed or has the student fallen through the cracks?
* Being bullied. Bullying is a serious epidemic that can destroy a teen’s life. Bullying is not limited to physical assault on or off school grounds but
can also be through gossip and slander in social media channels.
* Being bored. Bright and gifted teens sometimes advance beyond the level of their classes in some or all areas. Depending on talents and personality they may also learn better in less structured environments. Sometimes the best solution for this is to find a college with an early entrance programme and let the teen complete high school concurrent with freshman year. Switching to college is not dropping out!
* Problems at home. Are serious problems occurring in the home such as abuse, financial distress, grief or illness?
* Acting out or anger. Is the teen constantly in trouble with school officials and/or law enforcement? Children who are often in trouble may be hiding a deeper reason why they are
acting up.
* Teen pregnancy. Unfortunately, many teen moms drop out of school in order to care for their newborn or young child when finding effective ways to help them stay at school and care for the baby can't be found.
Consider your teen’s support structure
Is there a stable adult who supports your teen? Does your teen come from a family that believes in education or have parents or caretakers somehow diminished the value of having a high school diploma? Sometimes there is a cultural issue, where there is a fear that a teen who is educated beyond the abilities of other family members will stop identifying with their cultural roots. This type of
pressure can be very intense.
* Your teen’s support system has a considerable influence on whether he or she finally drops out or not.
* In the United States, your teen is under the age of 18, the parents or guardians must sign the child out of school and agree to allow him or her to drop out.
Consult with a professional
Before you can create a strategic plan, you have to dig deeper into why your teen wants to drop out. Meet with guidance councellors at the school to pinpoint the reason and then investigate what has been done to remedy the situation. For example, if your teen has been struggling with academics, determine if he or she has been tested for a learning disability or ADHD. Explore tutoring options; often a learner who struggles in class responds very well to one-on-one learning. If guidance provides little or no assistance, consult with a child psychologist to have your teen evaluated.
Meet with teachers and/ or administrators to develop a strategic plan
Once you’ve determined the reason and have researched previous efforts (if any) to help, meet with the teen’s team of teachers to obtain feedback and create a plan. Don’t put the blame on the school or the teachers.
Keep it positive. Everyone needs to feel like they are on the same side.
* Making teachers aware that your teen is at risk will provide them with information to offer more support in the classroom.
* Ask each teacher to provide a customised solution as to how he or she will help the student in the classroom.
* Design a collaborative mission, including short and long term goals to engage the student and help him or her progress.
* Invite the student to take part in the strategic plan and provide feedback about what might be helpful to him or her in the classroom.
* Set up a schedule to meet with teachers and the student on a regular basis (weekly, monthly or quarterly depending on the progress).
Be present in your teen’s life Supporting and celebrating victories is important to keeping a child in school. Your at-risk teen needs a cheerleader to promote and raise him or her up when they do well. Also, you need to be able to help pick your teen up and find solutions when failure occurs, to teach resiliency and tenacity. A consistent, loving role model who lets the teen know that he or she isn’t in this alone will help the student find the courage to continue with his or her education. (WikiHow)
Poor school performance: how parents can help
“It doesn’t matter how hard I study, I just can’t seem to get the hang of geometry. I guess I must be dumb or somethin’.”
At least one in five students will have trouble keeping up academically at some point during primary and high school. School slumps require our immediate attention, before the damage to self-esteem is irreparable or a youngster develops an aversion to attending school.
While the root of the problem may be school related and nothing more, a drop in grades can be a warning sign of one of the underlying causes below:
Physical ailments: undiagnosed sleep disorders, anaemia, infectious mononucleosis, thyroid conditions, impaired vision or hearing, among others.
Emotional disorders: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, among others.
Learning disabilities/ developmental disabilities: dyslexia, central auditoryprocessing disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others.
Substance abuse: a drastic decline in grades may be a tipoff that a child is experimenting with alcohol or illicit drugs.
What you can do
Talk to your teenager After all, she’s the ultimate authority on what’s behind her academic difficulties. But this should be a conversation, not a confrontation. Let her know that you’re on her side and want to help her get back on track:
“Honey, this is the fourth test in a row that’s come back with a C or a D. You’re usually a B-plus student. Is there anything going on in school or other areas of your life that you’d like to tell us about? We’re concerned and we want to help.”
Arrange a meeting with the teacher(s). Even the most involved parent doesn’t truly know what goes on in school. Adolescents sometimes reveal sides of themselves at school that they keep under wraps at home – or vice versa. So a teacher’s observations can provide invaluable clues to the cause of a child’s academic troubles.
In the days leading up to a parent-teacher conference, write down questions addressing the areas that most concern you. You may not be pleased to hear everything the teacher has to say once you get to the conference. But try to keep in mind that with rare exceptions, less-than-glowing feedback is not a personal attack on your youngster’s character or your competence as a parent. If your son’s home economics teacher says that he disrupts her class with his wisecracks, accept that what she says contains at least a shred of truth.
Teen mounts roof to protest alleged rape by police
By Jomo Paul
The teenager who accused police ranks of sexually assaulting him on Thursday mounted the roof of the Stabroek News and the Police Consumer Co-op Society roof in Robb Street, expressing frustration at what he described as the slow pace of justice.
Police on Wednesday had said that the ranks in question have all been placed under close arrest. Drawing a curious crowd as he held a broken bottle in his hands, the teenager threatened to jump off the CO-OP building after he gained access from the Stabroek News section of the building. He had reportedly earlier gone to the newspaper to tell his side of the story.
The young man could be heard shouting from the building that he wanted justice. He said, “My uncle see me in a bus and tek me out the bus, he hold on pon me and tell me that he taking me to the police station for them to lock me up.” At this suggestion, he said he ran away and made his way to the popular media house where he was going to air his concerns.
Drama
In the midst of all this, persons in the crowd could be heard angrily chiding the young man and encouraging him to descend from the roof. The drama continued even after media personnel urged the youngster to come down from the roof, telling him they would take him to Help and Shelter. He declined the offer, saying, “I want it go far, I want the matter go far”.
The young man was subsequently apprehended after a public-spirited citizen managed to sneak up and grab hold of him. The man was quickly assisted by Chief Probation and Social
Services Officer Forbes Munroe, and members of the Guyana Fire Service and Guyana Police Force. The teen was then shackled, hand and foot, before being taken from the roof via a ladder.
Speaking with reporters shortly after police had left the scene, Munroe related that the youngster had been a resident of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) for some time. He added that the teen would be taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital and then for psychiatric evaluation.
Asked about the allegations made by the teenager, Munroe declined to comment, stating that while he was aware of the accusations, he would not be able to offer a comment because it is a matter that is currently under investigation.
According to reports, the teenager was arrested about 21:00h on Sunday and taken to the Stabroek Police Outpost where it is alleged that three police ranks, one of whom was in uniform and the others in plain clothes, committed the act.
A relative of the teenager told reporters that her nephew would leave home late
at night and would visit a popular spot on North Road where male sex workers gather and ply their trade. She went on to say that after he did not return home on Sunday evening, she went in search of him and later found out that he was arrested for prostitution.
Released
She said she then visited the outpost, but when she arrived there she was told that he was now at the Brickdam Police Station pending charges. The woman stated that when she arrived at the Brickdam Police Station, she was not allowed to see her nephew. He was subsequently released.
She said the allegations were brought to her attention on Tuesday afternoon. She immediately took her nephew to the police station where she made a report and the boy was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital to be examined by medical professionals.
Just about three weeks ago, the story broke of Colwyn Harding making allegations that ranks stationed at the Timehri Police Station sodomised him with a baton.
Rohee warns against ‘pervs’ entering the force
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said the police force must pay closer attention to its recruitment procedures and screening practices so as to ensure that perverts are not allowed into the organisation.
His comment came via a statement in which he expressed disgust at the damning allegation that three ranks sodomised a teenage boy at the Stabroek Market Police Outpost. The accused ranks have been placed under close arrest.
Rohee said if found guilty, such ranks should be weeded out of the force as they are not worthy of wearing the organisation’s uniform. He said he is awaiting the outcome of the investigation into the allegation.
Alarming
“It is most alarming to note that in the wake of an ongoing allegation of sexual assault, yet to be determined, the Guyana Police Force (GPF), while it struggles to regain public confidence… finds itself further embattled due to this alleged despicable act.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs stands ready at all times to assist the Guyana Police Force in surmounting its challenges, but wish-
es to strongly advise the force to come to grips with its administrative and operational deficiencies, and to embrace fully the current effort at reforms in the best interest of the force, in particular, and the people of Guyana, in general.”
Fearful
The Alliance For Change (AFC), for its part, said it was the umpteenth complaint against the police and at the same time, serious crime is on the increase. “This is an untenable situation for the citizens and ought not to be allowed to continue. But, at the end of the day, security is the responsibility of the government and where it is found that the security force is turning criminal and not doing the job they have sworn to do, this becomes a reflection of the will of their political bosses. The buck stops with the government,” the AFC said.
According to the party, it has repeatedly called on the government to professionalise the police force and “we have made specific recommendations in this regard, but these, like the Disciplined Forces Report, the Symmons and other reports and recommendations, have been tossed out by the government.”
In addition, the AFC said it supported the motion of no confidence brought against Minister Rohee yet the president stuck with him, “while the citizens of this country suffer and continue to live in fear”. The party said now citizens fear not only the criminals roaming our villages and towns but those hiding behind the uniform of the police force.
It noted that the recent incident on the Corentyne resulted in ranks from the Number 51 Police Station being removed. “It seems there will be no stern disciplinary action, no independent in-
vestigation to determine the level of ranks in criminal activities. Rather, these ranks have been transferred to other villages and towns where they can continue with whatever nefarious activities they were engaged in. Another village or town will now have to suffer. Is there any citizen who would feel comfortable knowing that rogue officers, who may be engaged in criminal activities, are in their community? How does this lend to building confidence in the police force?”
Safe state
The minority opposition party said it was clear that the government had no intention of acting decisively to clean up the force. “They have failed to provide a safe state for the citizens of this country and this is forcing many of our citizens to leave this country, it is scaring away investors and costing businesses and private citizens millions every year to pay for protection the government ought to be providing.”
According to the party, the World Bank, in a recent report, said crime in Guyana was, “undermining growth, threatening human welfare, and impeding social development”. “This is an indictment on the PPP/C government that seems not only incapable, but lacking political will to take the steps necessary to ensure the citizens of this country can live free from fear.
“The AFC is calling for citizens, not only those of Number 51, but in all villages, towns and all communities to speak out against police brutality and stand up for your right to protection from all types of criminality and criminals. We are also calling on the professional policemen and women in the force who value how they are perceived as part of the police force, to speak out and demand a force they can be proud of.”
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee
A section of the crowd with the teenager on the roof
Harding examined by Jamaican doctor
Alleged baton-rape vic-
tim Colwyn Harding has been examined by a Jamaican doctor who said no surgery could be performed on him until he is healed, one of the young man’s supporters, Charlene Wilkinson has confirmed.
Wilkinson, who is a family friend of the Hardings, said they do not want to disclose much information about the young man’s treatment. Harding, 23, of Laing Avenue, Georgetown, departed Guyana early Monday morning as family and close friends gathered at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to see him off.
His attorney, Nigel Hughes on his Facebook page, posted on Saturday that the young man was medically examined under general anaesthetic by a private doctor and it was revealed that he is still bleeding in the upper rectum area.
Harding is being accommodated by a support group of Guyanese in Jamaica and others within the diaspora.
He came out with his allegations earlier this month after he took ill while in prison.
He was subsequently admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital; however, doctors there said he was suffering from strangulated hernia. The allegations against the force brought widespread condemnation from citizens, human rights bodies, and politicians.
The policeman implicated was placed under close arrest, while other ranks from the
Timehri Police Station were removed. An investigation into the sexual assault allegation was conducted by the police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). This report was completed last week and is said to be on the desks of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Bibi Shalimar Ali-Hack and the head of Police Complaints Authority (PCA), retired Justice Cecil Kennard.
Report
Kennard told this newspaper in an interview on Tuesday that he had not perused the report as yet; however, he noted that there will have to be strong evidence before he recommends charges against the officer.
“Unless the evidence is very clear, I’m not going to recommend criminal charges because prosecution has to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt…I have to be satisfied before I recommend criminal charges against the policeman,” said the PCA head, adding that “some
criminal offences may be disclosed but it may not be of the nature that people are contending”.
However, persons are calling for an independent investigation to be conducted, saying that “police cannot investigate police”. President Donald Ramotar at a press conference last week stated that he was in full support of an independent investigation, since his government was against any kind of torture.
Meanwhile, at the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) weekly press conference, the party’s general secretary, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said he was saddened by the fact that politicians and naysayers have used Harding’s allegations as a “political football”.
Nevertheless, he commended all those who played a part in ensuring that the Harding matter was dealt with professionally, particularly the doctors and nurses who treated the man.
Eyew tness
Ah ‘fraid...
...Carl
Back in the 1970s, in the wake of the army and black power uprisings in Trinidad, Eric Williams’ Attorney General Karl Hudson Phillips became his point man to shake up the system, so things didn’t get out of hand. Karl in fact did such a good job – even some of Williams’ intimates weren’t sacrosanct – that the calypsonian Mighty Chalkdust belted out a hit that gave Trinidad a new colourful phrase: “Ah ‘fraid Karl”.
It might be helpful to appreciate Chalkdust’s critique to know he was also Dr Hollis Liverpool. Karl Hudson recently passed away, but looks like we have a similar situation in APNU, where the putative leader of that agglomeration of “mice and elephant” seems to be deathly ‘fraid of his own Carl...Carl Greenidge. Not that Guyana’s Carl is any legal luminary, but he does seem to believe he’s some sort of financial whiz.
Not being a member of that fraternity, your Eyewitness has to assume that financial whizzes are graded by the size of their financial failures. By that yardstick, Carl Greenidge is a giant, since he torpedoed the entire Guyanese economy back in the day. Anyhow, back to the matter of Granger being ‘fraid ah Carl. It all goes back to their fight to become leader of the PNC – the elephant in APNU. Granger narrowly squeaked past Carl who never accepted the results. As an old graduate from the PNC’s rigging of the national elections, Greenidge would’ve had intimate knowledge of how Granger’s sponsor ROH Corbin used to stack the decks. Granger, who’d been in charge of the army, which did the “counting” of votes to implement the said rigging, might’ve called in some old debts from Corbin who’d been in charge of those selfsame riggings.
So we have a situation where the “legitimacy” of Granger’s leadership’s being contested by Greenidge. And that’s why Greenidge doesn’t show up at any of the meetings he’s supposed to – whether with the government’s budget team or the AML/CFT bill or whatever. Now you’d think Granger would’ve had Carl on the carpet by now, wouldn’t you? That’s what the founder leader would’ve done!
The only answer is – Granger’s ‘fraid ah Carl. Now it’s can’t be a physical thing. Even though Granger must be in his 70s, as a old army man surely he can take down the bantam weight Carl?
Has to be that Carl knows where some skeletons are buried. Granger’s too ‘fraid ah Carl.
...Anil
Did you catch that front page photo in the Chronicle with Attorney General Anil Nandalall and AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan? Now look on Ramjattan’s face: that’s what being ‘fraid is all about – Ramjattan ‘fraid ah Anil. The situation is closer to what Chalkdust sang about. Anil is AG and he’d just been vindicated, once again, by the courts on his position about the opposition chops on the budget being illegal.
Ramjattan likes to pretend he’s some kind of legal bigwig...but in the photograph, Anil’s clearly lecturing him on the issues that had just being clarified. You’d see a look of exasperation on Anil’s face and that’s because Ramjattan’s just can’t grasp the issues. They’re beyond his ken. And he’s ‘fraid Anil’s going to rub his face in his discredited arguments.
But when some people are ‘fraid, they adopt an attitude of bravado. Ramjattan, however, was totally out of line to say the court “erred”. The court is an equal branch of the governmental trinity and must be given respect. Ramjattan might disagree ...but he cannot speak so conclusively.
That’s disrespect.
...elections
The opposition should either put up or shut up. They’ve been told – as a final judgment which they can’t win an appeal until after the budget debate – they can’t chop the budget. Do they have the guts to call a “no confidence motion” against the government and precipitate elections? Nah...they ‘fraid of elections.
Colwyn Harding
East Coast Demerara shooting
Police intensify search for fugitive bandits
– killed teen had left home for school
Police in C Division have intensified their search for the remaining two bandits who invaded the property of Eon Evans of Dazzel Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, on Wednesday and managed to escape.
According to reports, the police have reviewed the footage that was captured by surveillance cameras at the business place and were able to positively identify the men who first entered the shop to enquire the price for a bag of sugar. Reports stated the men are from the same area as the dead teenaged bandit, Leon McCurdy.
The 15-year-old of La Penitence, Georgetown was shot dead by the East Coast businessman after his two accomplices left him behind after robbing the E Evans and Son’s Grocery and Bar located at Lot 852 Fourth Street, Dazzel Housing Scheme.
A police source told Guyana Times that ranks went to the area in hopes of finding the two men but were unsuccessful. He added that the police were surprised at the way in which the two men carried out the robbery, thus leaving police to believe that they had been surveying the business place for a while.
Relatives of the dead teenager told this publication that his mother passed away a few months ago, and admitted that he was no innocent child. One woman
claimed that the young man had left for school on the day in question and she was surprised when they received the news of the shooting.
At first, they did not believe it was McCurdy, but as they were making arrangement to travel up to the East Coast to identify his body, they were advised to wait at the Lyken Funeral Home.
The woman stated that his body was brought to the funeral home sometime after 16:00h and they positively identified him. She also claimed that he was implicated in a murder in 2012.
The woman blamed bad company for the young man’s behaviour, noting that he would frequently stay away from school, and said his mother ignored the numerous reports about him. She went on to say that the other two young men are also known characters to the po-
lice, since they were arrested and charged several times for armed robbery. Mc Curdy leaves to mourn his two younger siblings.
Police stated that about 13:30h, the suspects, two armed with handguns and one with a pair of scissors, entered the grocery and liquor store. The men held up Evan’s son and took an undisclosed sum of cash.
“While one of the men remained with the son, the two others went upstairs where they held up Eon Evans and his wife who was tied up and placed in a bedroom,” the release added. The bandit was shot at least six times while he was attempting to exit the house.
He reportedly fell onto the back steps of the house where he succumbed. His accomplices discharged a few rounds into the air as they fled the village on foot.
Security guard found dead with bullet to head
Courtney Booker, a security guard attached to an overseas embassy in Georgetown, was found dead Thursday morning with a bullet to his head, police confirmed.
Booker, of Penny Lane, South Ruimveldt Park, was on duty at the time. Initial reports are that the 49-year-old man had shot himself in the head with his service firearm. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Booker was a very quiet person who did not have any problems with anyone, according to his brother, Patrick Booker. He added that his brother was not the sort of person who would get into trouble.
“He doesn’t party, he don’t go anywhere, he don’t do them things. He is a quiet person; he don’t got no problems with anybody, he stay like that since he small, he is not a troublemaker, all he does do is smoke he lil’ cigarette and that’s about it,” he said.
He added that Booker was a loner, and did not have a wife or child nor many friends. He, however, noted that Booker may have been the victim of a relationship gone wrong. Patrick said that was the only explanation he could offer as to why his brother committed suicide.
Public-spirited
Neighbours who reside in the same premises as the deceased did noted that the man was a very loving and publicspirited individual.
One woman recalled that only two days ago he had given her daughter some money to purchase candy, something that he regularly does.
Another man who also did not want to be identified said Booker would usually come home, play music, and then head back out to work.
“He never had no problems with anybody; you know, he would come in, do his thing and then he would leave when is time for work.
Man stabbed to death at Tiger Creek
Ayoung man was stabbed to death outside a shop at Tiger Creek, North West District on Wednesday. The dead man has been identified as 21-yearold Tyrell Evans, a shop attendant, of Lot 301 Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.
In a statement, police said Evans was found in the shop in Tiger Creek Backdam, with a suspected stab wound to his chest. The man was then rushed by persons in the area to the Port Kaituma Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to the police, two men were seen entering the shop and subsequently running away shortly before the shop attendant was found. The police believe that Evans was killed in a robbery attempt gone wrong, since the shop was ransacked; however, they were unable to determine if anything was taken. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.
The young man’s mother, Helen Newport, told Guyana Times that she had received a call on Wednesday afternoon from her sister, who lives in Port Kaituma, informing her that her son had been stabbed.
“She tell me that she get a call from the back that Tyrell get stab and he can’t talk so I tell me other son to call Matthews Ridge Hospital and when we call, they tell we that he die,” the shaken woman recalled.
Newport said she left Thursday morning for the in-
Dead: Tyrell Evans
terior location where she saw the lifeless body of her eldest son at the hospital. The woman said he had six stab wounds, two on his back, one on his neck, one on his hand, another on his stomach and one on his left chest under his heart. She also disclosed that his body bore other marks of violence.
Collapse
The grieving mother said there was another shop opposite the one where her son used to work and after he was stabbed, he ran out of the shop and raised his hands to get the attention of the people there.
“He raised his hand and then fall down. Then they (shop people) see two boys run out and by the time the girl from the shop reach Tyrell he was unconscious,” she related. The woman further disclosed that the perpetrators took her son’s BlackBerry smartphone, $70,000 cash,
and a quantity of gold from the shop. Newport told this newspaper that sometime last year, her son was attacked by three men; however, the matter was reported and quick action by the police led to the arrest and convictions of those persons.
Newport alleged that it was the family of those persons who hired the two men to kill her son. She said, according to reports, since Friday the two perpetrators had been visiting the shop where her son was killed, befriending him.
“They use to come and gaff with he, cause he friendly like that and does talk with people who go to the shop so they does go there steady, waiting till he alone to kill him,” she stated.
Newport related that they heard the two men who killed her son were at Bamboo Dam and so they informed the police in the hope that they would be captured. She described her son as a friendly, kind and responsible individual.
Evans’ body will be transported to Georgetown today and a post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted on Monday. Only last Friday, the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) had voiced their concern over the alarming spike in the crime rate in the interior, especially in the mining areas. During the course of last year, several murders were recorded in the mining districts.
Solomon laments RDC exclusion from LEN’s setup
RI never expect something like this from him, he was a really cool big man,” related the man.
Efforts to contact Booker’s employer, the GEB Security Service, and the Russian embassy for a comment proved futile. A post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted on Booker’s body so as to verify the cause of his death. The man is survived by his four remaining siblings.
Just last Saturday, a security officer attached to RK’s Security Service was found dead at the Rosehall branch of Lucky Dollar Furniture and Appliance Store.
The dead man was identified as Chandrabadhan Persaud was reportedly found bound and gagged, with marks of violence about his body.
He was subsequently pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby public hospital. Persaud was reportedly killed after the store that he was guarding was burgled during the course of the night.
egion 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon said he was heartened by the setting up of the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) board, but bemoaned the exclusion of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and government’s apparent piecemeal approach to development in the township.
Solomon made the comments following the inauguration of the board on Wednesday. LEN is the successor of the Linden Economic Advancement Project (LEAP).
The board comprises Chairman Dunstan Barrow, Andrew Forsythe, Nolan Walton, Yolanda Hilliman, Tarachand Balgobin, Basil Jaipaul, and Patrick Dublin. Valerie Patterson serves as coordinator. In his feature address, Dr Singh stated that it is the hope of government that the resuscitation and appointment of the new LEN board will reinvigorate micro enterprise lending and small business in Linden, from which members of the community will benefit.
“I wish to assure you that government will remain committed to facilitating more inward investment in Linden. The long-term prosperity of Linden will not only come from external investors... but will also come
from economic diversification... from investment by Lindeners themselves.”
Encouraging sign
In a statement issued at the event, Solomon said it was encouraging to know that the European Union funded Linden Enterprise Network plans to begin work. He said the success of this project will be measured by the positive impact it has on the lives of those it targets.
He, however, noted that “the short-sightedness of the government to re-establish this board outside of its full effects on the economic development programme, which forms part of the 21st of August agreement illus-
trates the vision that the government is promoting for people of Region 10, which is piecemeal.”
Solomon said the board’s composition is not geared to ensuring the involvement of the people whose lives this project is intended to affect.
“The government may want to say otherwise; however, the consultation process used reflects the government’s intentions, government must know that the people will be watchful and mindful.
“This country has a local government system and it must be allowed to work. The composition of LEN’s board should be representative of the people who would have been appointed by their respective groups – for instance, a representative from the RDC appointed by the councillors.
"What is happening here today (Wednesday) is another violation of the right of the people of Linden to economic self-determination.
"It is wrong to foist a board on the community, who by its very composition does not feel duty-bound to answer to the community for the management of this fund because they were not appointed by the people, through representative organisation,” he stated.
Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon
The house in which Leon Mc Curdy was shot dead
MACORP reducing downtime in Port Kaituma mines
With the setting-up of a MACORP branch in Port Kaituma, North West District, Region One, downtime in the mines owing to lack of equipment and spares has been significantly reduced, the company has reported.
MACORP Parts Manager
Asif Sahid said the community has seen improvement within this industry.
Sahid noted that miners within the Region One area are grateful that the company is there and parts are easily accessible, removing the burden of having to take equipment to the head office of Providence for repairs and return them to Port Kaituma. As a result, sales are climbing.
“Us being there is a great benefit to miners, because we are able to help them save in terms of cost,” he said.
MACORP provides all the
necessary spares parts for any machine that goes down. “We took that responsibility away from the miners.”
When machines are inoperable, miners lose money as they are unable to earn and still have to pay the operators and workers. Rather than having to wait two to three days for a part to come from Providence or Georgetown, miners, thanks to MACORP Port Kaituma branch, can have their machinery back on the job within hours.
Additionally, the parts manager pointed out that MACORP is encouraging customers to engage in safe practices, noting that the company is not here to only make a profit, but to build Guyana through integrated solutions.
The company has also been giving back to the community with the construction of a community fence and shed for the
children and adults.
As part of its efforts to help build Guyana, two years ago, the company decided to invest in improving the capability of technicians and operators within the mining, construction, agricultural and marine sectors.
Product Support Manager Guillermo Escarraga said the company’s two-year training programme has been a commendable success, noting that the operators and technicians are not only skilled but certified as well.
Complaints
“Before we used to have a lot of issues and complaints from our customers that people are going on the job site and not having the knowledge to operate the machines or maintain them. However, since we started the programme, we have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from our customers.”
“We have trained 40 people over the last two years and this year, we are particularly happy to announce that we are bringing in 25 new people into this training, which will benefit Guyana and that’s what makes us really proud.”
The participants are selected from all the administrative regions of Guyana, thus giving an equal opportunity to every person who would like to acquire the skills of operating an excavator or becoming a technician.
Escarraga noted that thus far, they have trained persons from Essequibo, Linden, Berbice and several communities in the hinterland area.
He pointed out that the participants brought with them their desire and love for the field, which has contributed to the success of the programme, which cost $122,000.
Only the most eligible persons who must be age 18 and over are selected for training. The programme’s facilitators are from Colombia.
Participants receive handson training using a simulator which facilitates broad-based knowledge as well as experience, and graduates, an internationally recognised certificate.
“We encourage businesses to invest in their employees.”
This, according to the manager, will start to create a change in the culture and he hopes that more partnerships will be created in both private and public sectors.
Once yuh deh under yuh just can’t tek over
The word “under” is gettin to be a over used word nowadays. When tings not goin well, people does seh tings goin under. When people not feelin well, dem does seh dem under de weather. When people dead, dem does have to go under. Is only de rasta man dem overstand and don’t over use and abuse “under”.
A man end up in de hospital and he seh it was because de police went under he. A teenager get send away from under dem guards at de N-O-See. Then right away dem police had he under dem near to a market.
When people hear bout that dem thought it was by another market, because a lotta tings does go on and go under by that area. Dem market people seh a lotta people does go under in that area too. Dem seh is some big boys who does go under some other big boys, but all of dem does dress like boys to fool people that dem don’t go under.
Soloman look like he was tryin to send de whole of Linden under. Before that, a man in a Tundra was tryin to fly over de bridge when he coulda drive over, and he went under. Now a man in de Mazaruni de other day jump over a boat and he went under.
England been to play cricket Down Under and as soon as dem land, de Aussies had dem all de way under. De same England now want to join wid Down Under and India to keep de other cricket nations under.
Well, since de 1990s, de Waste Indies, of course, always deh way under. But, just like de headitor, de WI-See-Bee don’t mind tekkin lil money, drinkin lil soup and stayin under de big ones. Now Imrun and Camrun run under.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! De budget case done and de whole opposition gotta big hole under. De whole time, dem was tryin to send de guvament under. But de High Court show dem that once yuh deh under, yuh just can’t tek over!
CoS representing Guyana at Caribbean security conference
Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief-of-Staff (CoS), Brigadier Mark Phillips is representing Guyana at the Caribbean Nations Security Conference (CANSEC) which opened on Tuesday in the Hilton, Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic.
According to a release, the conference discusses the progress of ongoing efforts to bolster the region’s security and information-sharing capabilities.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Caribbean security support to CBSI: Sustaining the capacity to counter transnational organised crime”.
The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) was developed by U.S. and Caribbean leaders to substantially reduce illicit trafficking, increase public safety and security, and promote social justice by integrating approaches that address those priority areas.
This year’s CANSEC hosts defence, law enforcement and civilian leaders, representing 21 countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Colombia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, as well as Trinidad and Tobago.
Regional representatives from Canada, France, the
Netherlands and the United Kingdom are also attending.
The U.S. and The Dominican Republic enjoy a longstanding history of military and humanitarian collaboration. The Beyond the Horizons (BTH) programme scheduled for March 15 in the Southwest province of Barahona exemplifies the strong partnership between both nations.
The BTH is a joint Dominican/U.S. military humanitarian and civic assistance programme, where U.S. and Dominican medical and engineering personnel build and renovate infrastructure, as well as provide free medical and dental assistance in vulnerable and impoverished communities. The programme
has been in existance since 2006.
This year’s plan includes the construction of three medical clinics and two schools with the additional participation of personnel from four countries: Chile, Canada, Colombia, and Brazil.
The U.S. delegation attending the conference also includes senior representatives and subject matter experts from the U.S. State Department, the Joint Interagency Task ForceSouth, the Inter-American Defence Board, and the Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies. Other guests included the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the Canadian Joint Operations Command. Since 2010, the U.S. has committed more than US$263 million to support the CBSI. Under CBSI, SOUTHCOM has provided intercept boats, communication packages, spare parts and tools, and related training to Caribbean coast guard, naval and other maritime patrol forces. Currently, the command staffs and funds a technical assistance field team to assist Caribbean nations with maintenance, logistics and procurement systems essential to sustaining long-term readiness of maritime patrol forces and service life of critical maritime patrol resources.
GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips
Simulation of operating a hymac on site
From left: MACORP Parts Manager Asif Sahid with Product Support Manager Guillermo Escarraga
Doctors to resume duties, must correct faults on the job – Ramsaran
The doctors at the centre of the death of a young mother and her baby last year will resume duties at the Georgetown Public Hospital, but under close supervision, Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran has said.
Ramsaran’s announcement comes two days after he had virtually walked away from reporters when quizzed about the findings of the probe into the deaths of the woman and her baby.
He said the two doctors involved were sent on ad-
make those mistakes which they were alleged of and of course, they have to be doing that in a clinical setting,” the minister said.
He explained that the doctors were on a training programme which they have had to leave, so that they can go through the remediation. The health minister made it clear that he is fully convinced that his technical people are honestly transmitting information correctly to him.
Dr Ramsaran reiterated that the recommendations which came out of the expert committee are being implemented. “No one from the expert committee who made recommendations has made a complaint,” he said.
Remedial training Minister Ramsaran confirmed that the doctors’ remedial training has begun. He added that he is vigilant about the actions being carried out and he is convinced that the two doctors are being guided in a practical setting, through the remediation process by senior doctors.
The 28-year-old Rodney
ministrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and now that is complete, the decision was made to retain them, but they will be closely supervised by senior doctors.
“The doctors who have been scrutinised are subjected to the recommendations given by the expert committee… as far as the ministry is concerned, the recommendations are being implemented in letter and spirit so the remediation include them having to be supervised in a certain fashion, so that they do not
died while giving birth at the hospital. Her husband, Nigel George Rodney, had told this newspaper that his wife was admitted to the hospital to deliver the baby.
He related that she was told by her doctor that her time for birth had passed, but the ultrasound showed that everything was okay with the baby.
He also stated that during the night of her admittance, his wife claimed to have had contraction-like pains and prior to that, she had no other known health
Lindeners urge clean-up of Bosai tailings discharge
Rissues.
He noted that the doctor observed that his wife was not doing too well in the ward and took her into the theatre. Rodney died as a result of a ruptured uterus, resulting in hypovolemic shock. Her baby girl was delivered stillborn at 26 weeks.
According to earlier reports, the expert committee had determined that there was negligence and poor management on the part of both doctors and nurses who attended to the woman.
esidents of Linden are urging the Bosai Mineral Group Guyana Inc (BMGGI) to clean up the tailing pond discharge from its plant that has contaminated waterways in the town, already struggling with several issues.
In a release, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry’s Environmental Protection Agency said it is currently monitoring the tailings and pond discharge, which was reportedly increased by heavy rainfall last Thursday.
While the dam remains intact, the management of Bosai has since lengthened the normal discharge course over a larger area to allow for natural filtration
before the water reaches where it is normally allowed to settle before entering Kara Kara Creek, the Natural Resources
and Environment Ministry said in a release.
This measure has resulted in the Kara Kara Creek showing signs of turbidity. As such, the EPA has recommended that Bosai cease discharge from its wash plant until the implementation of remedial measures, which include completing the diversion path, building a dyke, and strengthening the overflow, before restarting discharge.
Meanwhile, the EPA will continue to work closely with the management of Bosai to monitor the situation and to assess the measures in place before restarting discharge and recommending further mitigation measures.
Luan Rodney’s death
Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran
Luan Rodney
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud
Lack of furniture holds up Family Court opening
Some six years after initial plans for the establishment of a Family Court was made, the new judicial body is yet to open its doors for operations and this time, blame is being placed on the lack of furniture.
Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh, had told Guyana Times in a recent interview, that while the structure is complete, the only delay is acquiring furniture for the building, which is located on the east-
ern side of the High Court’s compound.
On Wednesday, Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall confirmed that lack of furnishing is the only hold up to the opening of the court. However, he noted that furniture is currently being sourced, disclosing that up to earlier in the day, he had instructed someone to acquire additional furniture. “Now we have an idea of what we have and we now know what more we needed,” the minister said.
Nandlall explained that they are trying assiduously to make ready the building, as he acknowledged the excessive time it has taken. “It has been a painfully antagonising task,” he said.
Commission of Inquiry
In December, Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon told another media entity that the opening of the court is being stalled because of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the death of Dr Walter Rodney. “So there is no possibility of the Family Court being in operation until that is finished,” he had said, adding that they are hoping to open the court by May this year.
The building was used in September 2012 for the CoI
into the killing of the three Lindeners who were shot to death during the August 2012 protest.
Some time ago, Justice Singh had related to this publication that all systems are in place to ensure that highly-trained personnel guide the functioning of the court, as he noted that a judge has been identified to take charge of the court.
While the chancellor did not identify that judge, he noted that all the judges of the High Court are trained to adjudicate at the Family Court. It is expected that the services of the Family Court would be mostly sought by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, through the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA).
In 2010, then Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand had said the establishment of such a court was prompted by observations that Guyanese families are affected by societal demoralisation.
When functional, the Family Court will address issues related to divorce, division of property, adoption, guardianship, and custody to name a few. The court was constructed following a decision by Cabinet in 2009 to have it established.
U.S. Coast Guard offloads US$37M worth of cocaine seized in Caribbean Sea
Some US$37 million worth of cocaine will not make it to the streets of South Florida, or anywhere else for that matter after the contraband was seized at sea and offloaded Tuesday at the Miami Beach Coast Guard station.
One by one, the 45 bales of cocaine were offloaded by Coast Guard personnel from one of their ships to their base on Miami Beach where the drugs were carted away by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The 1136.36 kilograms (2500 pounds) of cocaine was seized in an historic, multinational operation by the United States and United Kingdom, south of The Dominican Republic. “On January 22nd in the early morning hours, a Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft spotted a ‘go fast’ vessel, 25 feet, going at a high rate of speed, it had four individuals onboard. They detected a number of suspicious looking packages,” said Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Game Somma.
The U.S. Coast Guard launched its helicopter from the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Wave Knight to intercept the suspected drug smugglers. This drug interdiction marks the first time an armed U.S. Coast Guard helicopter em-
barked on a foreign flagged military vessel in support of counterdrug operations.
Smugglers detained
“The Coast Guard helicopter went out to pursue the ‘go fast’ vessel, it fired warning shots to get them to stop. The Coast Guard helicopter arrived and fired warning shots in an attempt to get the speeding vessel to stop,” said Somma. “When the ‘go fast’ vessel continued, they began jettisoning their packages overboard. The Coast Guard helicopter then fired disabling fire into the engines to stop the vessel.”
Officials detained the four suspected smugglers and recovered the drug
bales from the water. The Coast Guard said the shipment was most likely headed to Miami. “This historic operation is a result of a dedication to improved interoperability and highlights the great success and commitment of our interagency partnerships to stop the illegal flow of narcotics into the United States,” said Rear Admiral Jake Korn, commander of the Coast Guard Seventh District. The Coast Guard reports they have brought in more than US$350 million in cocaine, since their fiscal year began last October. The four suspected smugglers will be transferred to law enforcement authorities in the U.S. (CMC)
UG to appoint new bursar soon
The University of Guyana (UG) is in the process of appointing a new bursar, with a special meeting of all members of the UG Council scheduled for next Wednesday to look at a possible candidate for the post.
This is according to UG Council Member, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine. He told Guyana Times that the UG administration shortlisted candidates for the post and members of the council will
now discuss the possible appointment of a new person to take up that position.
The UG senior lecturer told this newspaper that an interview panel has also been set up for this purpose. The meeting will also discuss the action plan created by Vice Chancellor, Dr Jacob Opadeyi and his staff and the areas on which work will be done. Dr Opadeyi is expected to present to the council his plans to reorganise the Turkeyen campus, thereby improving the institution’s operations.
Meanwhile, the post of chief accountant has been filled. The administration has already placed some-
UG Council member, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine
one in that post, which had been vacant for some time after the UG Council had terminated the contracts of Bursar John Seeram and Chief Accountant Hazel Bentick.
Both Seeram and Bentick had their contracts terminated in the wake of the completion of a special audit into the university’s finances. Both of them had earlier been sent on administrative leave for the duration of the audit. The findings of the audit, which was conducted by the University of West Indies, were presented to and scrutinised by UG’s Council. There have been many issues relating to the financial status of the university. Dr Opadeyi has stressed that there needs to be an urgent restructuring of the operation of the university and the books must be kept in order. The university is in debt to the tune of approximately $532 million.
The Family Court building inside of the High Court compound
The 1136.36 kilograms (2500 pounds) of cocaine was seized in an historic, multi-national operation by the United States and United Kingdom south of the Dominican Republic
Guyana calls for common database for Caribbean, Latin America
Guyanese President Donald Ramotar, in his address on Wednesday at the second summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), called for the establishment of a common database, instead of having countries attempting to do it on their own.
He told the Havana, Cuba forum that a central pool of data for analytical purposes “can help us to cheapen the cost of doing business… make it easier for us to deal with, apply and know each other’s technologies and strengths so that we can have proper transfer in this regard.”
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA), the head of state also spoke of the importance of infrastructure in bridging the integration gap. He said the region was moving more and more in the direction of more air flights, and new ports and roads and other important infrastructure, and these infrastructural links will strengthen the economic links.
With regard to inequality, which was one of the issues deliberated on at the summit, President Ramotar said it was critical for more economic links to be established. He said South and Central America have enormous possibilities in food production, yet the Caribbean has a total food import bill of US$4 billion annually.
He explained that this US$4 billion could be saved just by simply seizing the existing food producing opportunities in the region.
“We have to look at how we help each other in a neutral way to build up the weaker states so that we can make integration meaningful and our people can appreciate it,” President Ramotar said.
The Guyanese head of state also called on his counterparts to ensure that the voices of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean
are heard as a bloc on important global issues so as to have a stronger impact.
Financial regulation Reference was made to the international financial and economic crisis that has wreaked havoc on the economies of many countries in the region. President Ramotar reminded that in the height of the 2008 crisis, there was talk about the need for better control and regulation of large financial institutions, the lack of which contributed significantly to the crisis in the first place.
“Now that the crisis seems to have eased, no one is talking about the need for that regulation anymore, and we are once again back to business as usual… we need to have a common position on some of these things… I think our CELAC should make its voice heard on this issue, because even though we are not responsible for the crisis, many of our countries are still feeling those effects,” the president said.
He also shared the view
that the Latin America and the Caribbean must stand firm in solidarity and denounce what has been happening in Palestine. “We must also make our voices heard on the kind of colonialism and oppression that exist in Palestine today, because any way in which colonialism can be weakened will help us in our own struggle. What is taking place in Palestine today is a blotch on humanity’s conscience,” he stated.
Mayor says city restoration plan at a standstill
Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green said the restoration plan for the country’s capital is at a standstill and unless something is done to fast track the project, to help address the many issues plaguing the development of the city, things could remain the same.
Green said while the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had moved a motion in Parliament to look at the restoration of Georgetown, several months have passed with no word on what can be done to improve the status quo.
The city mayor noted that while it was the responsibility of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to manage the affairs of the city, there are many issues the council is confronted with, which do not allow for concrete decisions to be made in that regard.
He believes that the restoration plan for the city is not taken seriously and if there is no proper proposal to move the issue forward, then things could get worse or remain the same for years to come.
“I stand ready. I have given all the information that is required. I have the experience and I’ve been in office for several years.
"So, there is no short of information, it’s a lack of will and this is so unfortunate. The city is in a terrible state,”
he noted.
Green claimed that it was no secret that the duly-elected mayor and councillors are not allowed to manage the affairs of the city.
He complained that protocols and traditions are being ignored, which is upsetting the smooth functioning of the entire M&CC.
He believes, however, that the M&CC could play a major role in the restoration plan. According to him, the Le Repentir cemetery and all five municipal markets are in urgent need of rehabilitation and or restructuring.
Green said. There still remain issues with the Haags Bosch dumpsite, which is still not operational 24 hours.
This, the mayor believes, is a major setback to garbage collection and disposal, and contributes to garbage being strewn around major shopping areas, markets, and oth-
er spots.
Four distinct sub-committees have been established to work on the restoration of the city.
These are: the technical, mobilisation, public awareness, and solid waste management committees. Several meetings have been scheduled and held to have the project carefully planned out.
Workers of City Hall, officials of the Local Government Ministry and other stakeholders have met and shared their concerns.
The restoration project was initiated by APNU’s Volda Lawrence, when she tabled a motion to that effect in Parliament.
Lawrence was able to secure a unanimous vote for a bill to that effect. The bill seeks to restore Georgetown to its former glory as the garden city of the Caribbean.
Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown
President Donald Ramotar and Foreign Affairs Minister
Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett at the second Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit in Havana
GBTI unveils risk management plan to help SMEs
By Alexis Rodney
The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry
(GBTI) became the beneficiary of a twoyear financial risk management project from the International Financial Corporation (IFC), to aid in the development and sustainability of more client-focused approaches for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The project is partly funded by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, and aims to strengthen the long-term growth of the financial institution.
to implement this important project.”
Dr Giles disclosed that 65 per cent of Guyana’s SMEs are either unserved or underserved by the country’s financial system. This, she said, limits their abilities to grow and make job opportunities available, thereby crippling the country’s financial growth.
“SMEs account for over 90 per cent of all businesses in Guyana. They consistently cite the access to credit as one of the greatest operational barriers to conducting businesses.
Role of banks
SMEs are companies that employ 10 to 50 persons. Tracey pointed out that the IFC, recognising the bank’s deficiency, had agreed to render its assistance.
GBTI Chief Executive Officer John Tracey explained that the bank in 2011 was successful in partnering with the IFC in launching a Trade Financial Facility; an entity which made allowances for customers to have shipment finances on reasonable terms. He related that the organisation, over the years, has been lagging behind international policies and mechanisms relating to the efficient service given to SMEs.
“They found that there
were some processes and work policies that did not accord with international best practices and so they contacted another arm of the IFC and they offered to work with us to bring our processes up to international best practices, particularly focusing on our risk management systems,” he told reporters at a press conference on Thursday at the bank’s High Street, Kingston office.
Conservative lending IFC Operations Manager
Sergio Selaya said the Caribbean has had certain lending policies that he hoped could be eradicated through such projects. He pointed out that financial institutions generally lend money based on their depth of knowledge of the borrower.
“Many financial institutions maintain conservative lending policies and rely on individual and personal knowledge of potential and existing clients. Lending decisions are often made based
on collateral value, rather than risk assessment. As a result, financial institutions lend primarily to high-net worth individuals and business, with significant collateral,” he said, noting that this should change.
Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles said one should not turn a blind eye to SMEs, since they are among the major contributors to the eco-
nomic growth of Caribbean countries. She pointed out that improving the risk management practices of banks in the Caribbean is the key element of any comprehensive strategy to promote private sector development and economic growth.
It is against this backdrop that the Canadian government has approved the fund.
“This is why we are proud to provide funding to the IFC
"They are significant contributors to the global economy, often employing more than 50 per cent of the work force. Yet, this sector is still largely underserved by the financial community,” she told the media. Dr Giles further stated that banks have an important role to play in providing credit to SMEs, since they are dominant in the financial sector.
The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group. It is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. It works with private enterprises in more than 100 countries and uses its capital and expertise to help eliminate extreme poverty.
Investments climbed to an all-time high of nearly US$25 billion last year, creating jobs through the private sector and tackling some of the world’s pressing developmental challenges.
Guyana, since becoming a member in 1961, has received more than US$31.4 million in funding through the private sector.
Guyana seeks tourism collaboration with Cuba
– local delegation to visit Havana soon
Closer collaboration between Guyana and Cuba in the tourism sector was the subject of discussion when acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali met with Cuba’s Director of International Relations, Rosa Adela Mejias Jimenez in Havana on January 28. The knowledge gained from Cuba’s successes in tourism will result in immense benefits to Guyana, Minister Ali said, according to the Government Information Agency (GINA).
Presentation
Jimenez, through a power-point presentation, demonstrated to Minister Ali the strides Cuba has made in tourism. The presentation also contained a comprehensive analysis of that country’s related efforts.
During the meeting, Minister Ali noted that Guyana’s tourism sector, which is in its infancy stage, can be boosted through collaboration with the Spanishspeaking country. He proposed an exchange programme between the two countries as part of their tourism drive to facilitate the teaching of Spanish and
English for frontline tourism staff and students.
In addition, Minister Ali proposed a programme of multi-destination tourism through joint marketing initiatives; development of a framework through which in-
stitutional strengthening and industry knowledge transfer can be shared, and exploring the possibility of using Cuba’s well-connected and far-reaching singular operator as an agency.
In this regard, Minister
Ali mentioned that he will further these discussions through a high-level delegation, inclusive of the private sector, to Cuba soon.
Jimenez commended Minister Ali for the initiatives he mooted, and said he
looked forward to the collaboration, which would further strengthen the already strong relationship between Guyana and Cuba.
Accompanying Minister Ali were Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, Mitra Devi Ally and GINA director Neaz Subhan.
Developments
Recognising these positive developments and continuous growth in the tourism sector, government has moved to implement projects such as the Marriott hotel and the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to meet the growing demands.
In 2012, Guyana recorded a 17 per cent increase in arrivals, and in 2013, was one of three Caribbean destinations to record double digit growth.
The National Geographic Traveler has listed Guyana as one of the 21 must-see destinations in the world in 2014.
GBTI Chief Executive Officer John Tracey (second right) poses with IFC Operations Manager Sergio Selaya, Canadian High Commissioner, Dr Nicole Giles and other officials from the Canadian High Commission
Canadian High Commissioner, Dr Nicole Giles addressing the media IFC Operations Manager Sergio Selaya
Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali with Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba Mitra Devi Ally; Cuba’s Director of International Relations, Rosa Adela Mejias Jimenez; GINA Director Neaz Subhan and other officials
Around the world
U.S. says Syria must comply on chemical weapons
The United States has called on Syria to take immediate action to comply with a United Nations resolution to remove its chemical weapons materials, noting just four per cent of Syria’s declared chemical stock has been eliminated.
Efforts to remove these materials from Syria have “seriously languished and stalled,” U.S. Ambassador Robert Mikulak said in a statement to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Thursday.
“Syria must immediately take the necessary actions to comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, Executive Council decisions, and UN Security Council Resolution 2118,” said Mikulak, the U.S. permanent representative to the
The Syrian government has attributed the delays to “security concerns,” saying it needs additional equipment to
OPCW.
Timelines adopted last year required that 100 per cent of “priority one” chemicals be eliminated by December 31, 2013, while the deadline for removing “priority two” chemicals is February 5. That deadline will also not be met.
The Syrian government
Amanda Knox convicted again of Briton’s murder
American student
Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty on Thursday for the second time of the 2007 murder of Briton Meredith Kercher, in a retrial that reversed an earlier appeal judgment.
The verdict, after 12 hours of deliberations, confirmed Knox and Sollecito’s original 2009 conviction. Knox’s sentence was increased to 28 years and six months and Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years. Knox did not attend the retrial, however, having gone home to the United States after the previous appeal.
“I am frightened and saddened by this unjust verdict.
Having been found innocent before, I expected better from the Italian justice system,” Knox said in a statement.
Sollecito’s lawyer Giulia Bongiorno confirmed that her client would appeal to Italy’s highest court, and Knox’s lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said he was “stunned”. The court will publish the reasons for its verdict in 90 days.
For Kercher’s family, who had pushed to have the appeal verdict overturned, the reaction was equally raw. “We didn’t know what to expect. We are still in shock,” said Stephanie Kercher, Meredith’s sister, after the ruling was read.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Panama to release crew of seized North Korean ship
Panama has ordered the release of 32 crew members of a North Korean ship seized six months ago in the Panama Canal, carrying Cuban weapons.
The captain and two other crew members will remain in detention as they are facing weapons trafficking charges.
Cuba said the Soviet-era jet planes and weapons were being taken to North Korea to be repaired.
But the United Nations says this was a breach of international sanctions against North Korea. The Panamanian authorities said taking the cargo through the canal endangered the country’s internal security.
Earlier this month, the ship’s owners agreed to pay
US$670,000 (£400,000) to have the vessel released.
Documents have been found showing that “the ship’s captain, the first officer and the political officer had been given instructions about what to do if the illegal shipment was detected,” prosecutor Nahaniel Murgas said.
The 32 crew members also gave statements denying knowledge of the illegal cargo. As a result they are being released without charge, but the captain and the other crew members face 12-year sentences for arms smuggling.
The container ship – the Chong Chon Gang – was stopped near Manzanillo, on the Atlantic side of the canal, on July 15 under suspicion that it was carrying drugs. (Excerpt from BBC News)
has attributed the delays to “security concerns,” saying it needs additional equipment to ensure their safe transportation – a claim Mikulak rejected.
“Syria’s requests for equipment and open-ended delaying of the removal operation could ultimate-
ly jeopardise the carefully timed and coordinated multi-state removal and destruction effort,” he said.
During a visit to Poland on Thursday, U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel also criticised Syrian efforts, saying he has asked his Russian counterpart to put pressure on Damascus to comply with the deal.
Meanwhile, peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition continued on Thursday, with UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi reporting little progress.
In an afternoon update to the media in Geneva, Switzerland, Brahimi said he hoped the two sides would “draw some lessons” from the first round of talks, scheduled to end today, in hopes of becoming better organised for the next round. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Mexico arrests drug lord
Mexican security forces say they have arrested one of the leaders of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel.
Ruben Oseguera Gonzalez, known as El Menchito, is believed to be the second-in-command in the criminal organisation led by his father. He was arrested in a major operation that involved dozens of soldiers.
The New Generation cartel is involved in largescale drug trafficking along Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
It is said to work together with the Sinaloa cartel, led by the most wanted man in Mexico, Joaquin ‘Shorty’ Guzman. Oseguera Gonzalez was arrested in Zapopan, a city in the Greater Guadalajara area of Jalisco state.
Roads were blocked and dozens of soldiers and policemen were deployed in the high profile operation, which was backed up a helicopter.
The police say gang members reacted by setting buses alight in Zapopan and shooting at passing vehicles.
The New Generation gang is allegedly led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho.
Last year, he managed to escape unscathed from a similar operation in Jalisco state, according to the Milenio newspaper.
The New Generation gang is engaged in a turf war with the Knights Templar cartel, which in recent years took control of criminal activities in neighbouring Michoacan state. (Excerpt from BBC News)
ensure their safe transportation
friday, January 31, 2014| guyanatimesgy.com
Gunmen kill two at Port Mourant
– several others wounded during backdam shooting
By Shiran ramnauth and nafeeza yahya
Fear gripped the troubled Corentyne Coast on Thursday afternoon when gunmen opened fire on a group of labourers at the Port Mourant Backdam, killing two men and leaving several others wounded.
Dead are: Krishnand Jagdeo of Free Yard, Port Mourant and Seafield Layne, 48, of Number One Village, Corentyne.
The motive for the shooting was not clear up to press time and the Guyana Police Force did not release any pre-
liminary report. Thursday’s shooting comes on the heels of a push back from residents of the Upper Corentyne against the police’s alleged
lacklustre approach to fighting crime in the area which has spiked in recent weeks.
Reports are that the labourers were in a boat returning from a rice field situated several miles away from the residential area about 15:00h when they were attacked by the rifle-toting men.
According to a source close to the scene, some of the labourers were using a small powered boat when shots were fired.
“I de coming from dis side, walking when I hear gunshots. I ain’t know where these men came from… they just start shooting and I duck and jump behind a bush… when I look back I
ain’t see nobody…. The thing happen so quick I na really know what happen.”
Guyana Times understands that the attackers escaped into the nearby bushes.
A source who asked not
be in the boat at the time. A motionless Jagdeo was later found and taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Layne was subsequently found and also taken to the hospital where he
to be named explained that shortly after the incident, he telephoned a Port Mourant businessman and informed him of the shooting.
He said about 20 minutes later a bus and a Land Rover arrived with help.
The three injured men were then taken to the Port Mourant Hospital while a party went in search of others who were suspected to
too was pronounced dead on arrival.
The three men – Clement Griffith, 48, of Ankerville Port Mourant; David Harpaul, 36, of Rose Hall Town and Zamil Ibrahim, 26, of Port Mourant – who were initially taken to the Port Mourant Hospital were transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital for medical attention.
Shock
When this newspaper visited the wife of Layne, Beverely Crawford she said she had just heard of the incident and was told her husband was shot and was heading to the Port Mourant Hospital to receive medical attention.
However, when she arrived at the hospital and the vehicles from the backdam arrived, she saw that her husband was dead. She and other relatives were inconsolable.
The screaming intensified as they got a glimpse of the body, which bore a gaping wound to the temple.
Layne was a cane harvester who worked parttime with the Jagdeos who own a construction company
but also cultivate rice in the backlands.
He leaves to mourn his wife and five children, while Jagdeo lived alone and had no relatives in the country.
According to a source who works in the backdam with the men, Jagdeo was the first to be shot. The source said he was shot to the neck and died on the spot.
He added that he received a call that Harpaul was shot and he should go and render assistance, but he did not make much of it until he arrived on the scene.
There he saw the bodies of Layne and Jagdeo floating in the trench, while Ibrahim was on the dam pleading for help.
He then took the injured, along with police officers, out to a waiting vehicle to be rushed to the hospital.
When he enquired about Harpaul, he was told that the labourer managed to escape with the boat after he was shot and was found a few miles away in an unconscious state. He too was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital.
The source was later informed that Harpaul was shot to the abdomen. Harpaul is a father of two and was employed as a driver/mechanic.
Speaking with Guyana Times, Harpaul’s wife said
that she was at home when someone came to her house screaming and informed her that her husband was shot.
“When me go hospital, me see me husband deh lie down deh inside de emergency and he look like he dead.”
The distraught woman said she was unable to speak with him. “Look me get he jacket hey full with blood. Me na know if me husband gon live…” she cried.
Ibrahim, a father of one, was employed for the past two months with the Spready’s brothers as a mechanic.
According to a source at the hospital, he has lost a lot of blood and was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
His condition is listed as critical. When this newspaper spoke with the mother of Ibrahim, she was weeping inconsolably and was praying for her son’s life.
At New Amsterdam Hospital, Griffith’s wife said she was asked to go to the hospital and did so.
“When me meet ah hospital, me see me husband lie down with blood pun he skin and he deh screaming…”
At the Port Mourant Hospital, scores of villagers gathered to get a glimpse of the injured and to find out whether their relatives were involved.
Finance minister engages FITUG on Budget 2014
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh met Thursday with members of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), as part of government’s ongoing efforts to engage all stakeholders in the course of preparations for Budget 2014.
The minister thanked FITUG for the several constructive suggestions and recommendations they have made over the years which have informed government policy on a number of important issues, a press release from the Finance Ministry said.
The minister also ac-
knowledged the forthright positions taken by FITUG on issues of national importance, including the condemnation of the budget cuts imposed by the opposition in previous years, which have since been ruled to be unconstitutional by the acting chief justice.
The discussions on Thursday were frank and fruitful and dealt with a number of issues of interest to the membership of FITUG and of relevance to overall economic and social development in Guyana.
Government will continue to engage other stakeholders over the coming days and weeks as part of its ongoing efforts to receive the views of all parties on issues which will impact Guyana’s economic prosperity.
“Government remains fortified in the commitment that has guided its preceding terms of office to implement policies, programmes and projects required to realise a modern and prosperous Guyana. Government also remains resolute in working with all stakeholders that share a common vision for economic growth and development as part of the Budget 2014 preparations,” the release concluded.
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh greets a member of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana delegation on Thursday (GINA)
Critically injured: David Harpaul
Dead: Seafield Layne
An injured Zamil Ibrahim being prepared to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital
Relatives and friends of the victims of the shooting at the hospital
Two of the injured being wheeled into the Accident and Emergency Unit at the Port Mourant Hospital
SUDOKU
You will have a hard time handling an emotional partner today. Try to face the truth of the matter. Don’t let other people crush your spirit or cause you grief.
By Bernice Bede Osol
(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
Dealing with an emotional partner will be a challenge for you today. Try to take an impartial view of the situation. Do not allow other people to deflate you or cause you problems.
Conversations with your business partner or lover may yield undesirable results. Now is not the time to make a force play. You will be frustrated by the obstacles you face.
A work situation is likely to make you emotional. Females may cause professional difficulties for you. An opportunity to make a career change will be beneficial, if taken.
(Aug. 23Sept. 22)
(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)
Experiences in or around hospitals may leave you feeling a bit dejected. Try not to take anything too personally at this time. Your instincts are good, so follow your gut feelings.
(March 21-April 19)
Today is a good day to initiate professional changes. Interviews or a good discussion with your boss could lead to advancement if handled correctly.
(April 20-May 20)
A spontaneous outing will turn into a social event. You will gain a lot of insight from talking to peers or relatives today. Be attentive because a secret adversary may attempt to undermine you.
(May 21June 20)
Making a financial deal with someone will require caution, as deception is likely. You may also have personal difficulties with someone close to you. Additional responsibilities are likely unavoidable.
Avoid impulsive or eccentric individuals who offer you a business proposition. Take advantage of any possibility of traveling. Romance is in the stars.
(Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Deception is present in your home environment. It would be best to deal with it head-on. Be clear and direct, and you will find a solution to your problem. A residential move is likely at this time.
(Oct. 24Nov. 22)
Evasiveness in communications is likely to occur. In-laws may be meddlesome or may try to throw you off course. Avoid making any life-changing decisions today.
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
Get out and socialise with friends. Do something physical in nature, and you may meet some interesting new people.
Peanuts
Calvin and Hobbes
arCHie
dilbert
Entertainment
The National Cultural Centre is the place to be this evening if you are a lover of calypso, as 10 young men and women will be competing for the Junior Calypso title. The event is slated to commence at 18:00h.
Those who are registered to participate are reigning junior calypsonian, Niossi Alsopp while Candacy Sampson, Heiba Gordon, Shontelle Gittens, Michael Small, Vanessa Critichlow, Shakita Daniels, Daniel Plowell, Ryan Jagnarine and Alicia Benjamin are expected to perform to their best to cop the title.
The winner in this competition will also be given a chance to compete in the semi-finals of the senior leg of the competition, which is set for February 8 at the Bartica Community Centre ground.
Some of the rules of the competition stated that it was opened to all interested persons between the ages of 15 and 20 years. The song should have no less than four, and no more than five, verses and choruses.
Lyrics of the calypso should not be slanderous, libelous, vulgar or culturally/ethnically insensitive in keeping with the Constitution and laws of Guyana and more importantly, the calypso should not have been presented in any form prior to the competition.
The winner will walk away with $200,000 and a trophy, while the person in second position will receive $150,000 and a trophy. The third place winner will be rewarded $100,000 and a trophy while $50,000 and a trophy will be given to the most promising junior calypsonian.
The artistes for the Israel Houghton concert slated for this Saturday evening are making their way into Guyana for one of the biggest and most anticipated gospel concerts ever. The event is slated for the Guyana National Stadium.
Those who are already hyped and ready to perform are Jamaican minister Hoszia Hinds and Guyanese Adrian Lall. Minister Junior Tucker was expected to arrive in Guyana on Thursday evening while Grammy Award-winning American Christian singer, songwriter, producer and worship leader Israel Houghton is expected to arrive in Guyana this evening.
According to feedback, the Christian community is expected to turn out in their numbers to witness live performances from several artistes. Ticket sales have gone up in the past few days and patrons can expect a night of worship and deliverance. They can also look forward for a fantastic concert as they promote peace, love and unity. Israel Houghton will share the stage with Tucker, Hoszia Hinds, the 2nd Coming Band, Eion Greaves, Trenacia Esseboom, Samuel Medas, Sean Sobers, Solid Youth, Ryan Hoppie, Miriam Williams, Alan Adams, Circle of Love and many others. Tickets for the event cost: general
adult – $2500; children – $2000; gold – $5000; gold children – $3500 and royal – $10,000. Tickets are available at Electronics City; Inspire Inc’s office; Princess Hotel; Ashmin’s Trading; Giftland OfficeMax; Gizmos and Gadgets; Nigel’s Supermarket; Andrew’s Supermarket; Kavita’s Salon, High Street; M&M Snackette, Harbour Bridge; Imran and Sons, Berbice; and Little Rock Suites, Berbice.
Some of the sponsors on board are Fly Jamaica, Insite Magazine, Real FM, Star Party Rentals, Princess Hotel, and Gizmos and Gadgets.
Five Guyanese are among the 43 semifinalists in the 2014 Lotto Plus Chutney Soca Monarch, which commences this weekend in Trinidad and Tobago but unfortunately, the newly crowned Guyanese Monarch, Pooran Seeraj will not be a part of the competition for a number of reasons beyond his control.
Those who are slated to represent Guyana at the international level are Terry Gajraj, Dave Lall, Jerry Singh, Marissa Deodat and Junjeezy.
In a telephone interview, Guyana’s Chutney King, Pooran Seeraj expressed his disappointment at not being able to represent Guyana at the international competition. He said that while he is not sure who is to be blamed for his non-representation, he is certain that it is too late to travel to the island to
participate.
He noted if he was to participate, it would have meant that he had to be in Trinidad to participate in the rehearsals and getting his stage setting in order. Nevertheless, he wishes the competing artistes the best of luck, especially the Guyanese.
This year's competition is expected to be one of the most keenly contested semi-finals, and will be the first time the competition has seen the participation of so many non-Indo Trinidadians.
The Lotto Plus Chutney Soca Monarch carded for Saturday, February 1, at Rienzi Complex, Couva will feature 14 non-Indo competitors out of the 43 contestants. It also features seven collaborations between chutney and soca artistes. There are competitors from five different
countries competing on Saturday: United States of America, Canada, Guyana, Switzerland and of course Trinidad and Tobago. The youngest contestant is 21 years of age and the eldest, 70.
This has to be the most diverse of all competitions in Trinidad and Tobago and is a true representation of the diverse and multi-cultural society that we live in. It represents ‘real unity’ through music and competition.
Saturday’s semi-final is carded to kick off at 20:00h. It will be carried ‘live’ in the twin-island republic and it will be streamed to the world via ‘bpartofit.com’.
Text voting, online voting and ‘live’ judges will decide who goes to the Grand Finale at Skinner Park, San Fernando. Voting will be open to all networks in TT, Guyana, U.S.A. and
n just over a week, 18 artistes will be heading to the Ancient County of Berbice to compete in the semifinals of the Carib Soca Monarch competition slated for February 8, at the New Amsterdam Stelling.
The event will see 18 vibrant and energetic performers competing to secure a place in the finals, which is billed for February 15 at the National Park Tarmac.
The semi-finalists are Lady T with “Hit the Road”; Shelly G performing “Give it to Me”; G Money is expected to stir things up with “Wining Season”; Ernesta will do her piece, “Ridiculous Wining”; Ahzula’s son is entitled, “De Bouncing Stop”; Avalanche will perform “Spartan”; Mysterious will do his part with “Spin Dem” and Natoya London will perform her tune called “Mass”.
Continuing the list for the semi-finals are Vanilla with “Yada Yada”; AJ performing “What You Can Do With Yuh Bumpa”; Magga Man with “Log On Pun A Bumpa”; Kemmy will do her piece “Designated Winer”; Lil Red with “Who We Are”; Roger B will perform “Love”; Bones Man is all set with “Blow”; Ace will be singing “Still In The Game”; Passion is expected to perform “Cost of Living” and topping off the semifinalists is Ivelaw with his tune “Iron Supplier”. Berbicians, this is your time to see the artistes perform live in your home town. It will definitely be a grand affair with lots of surprises. Showtime is 21:00h and admission is easy.
Canada.
Among the 43 in the semi-finals are Reshma Ramlal, Ki Persad, Nishard Mehru, Rick Ramoutar, Ravi B, Omadath Maharaj, Prophet Benjamin, Neeshad Sultan, Sally Sagram, Anand Yankeran, Adesh Samaroo, Veekash Sahadeo, De Hunter, Rikki Jai, Olatunji and Saleem Beharry.
Catch the Super Bowl action on big screens this Sunday at Palm Court. Be in the right party atmosphere as you combine a New York state of mind with a dose of Jersey.
Nothing other than Super Bowl XLVIII, featuring the AFC champion Broncos and the NFC champion Seahawks on February 2 at MetLife Stadium. This will be Denver’s seventh Super Bowl appearance (2-4) while Seattle is in its second title game (0-1).
Palm Court will be the only place in Georgetown where you will be able to truly experience Super Bowl 2014. In true Palm Court style, customers will be able to view the game in the style of their choice.
There will be several televisions available in the Kokomo room with sofas set up for customers to view the game in comfort, or they can view the game downstairs in the bar where they will have access to 10 different television sets. There will be a wide range of food including fresh oysters as well as hot dogs and wings. Be sure to make it down to Palm Court this Sunday.
YELLOW PAGES
friday, January 31, 2014
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Ever since the release of the “Whine Pon meh Button” song, which has been creating some stir on the airwaves and at dancehall parties, many thought that the singer was from one of the Caribbean islands but in actuality, he is from a small village on the East Coast of Demerara called Plaisance.
The 33-year-old father of three, MI Bernard also called “James Bond” is ecstatic about the great reviews of the song which has put him on the music chart in Guyana. Born to Colin Clarks and Coreen Bernard, this budding artiste is ready for fame.
His song, “Whine Pon meh Button” is known to the young and old and is being played on every music cart in the city, in minibuses and even in the barber shops, among other places. MI, Bernard referred to himself as “Mission Impossible” claiming that he is on a mission to be one of the best dancehall artistes in the Guyana.
Although dropping out of school at an early age, this young man gained his knowledge while socialising in the “ghetto” which is not a bad place after all. Living with his mother and six siblings at their Lot 17 Prince William Street, Plaisance home, he was brought up during tough times but this did not take away his passion for music.
art form after he recognised his potential.
Gullen promised to create the beats to go with his song but Bernard did not take him seriously and went along his merry way. After sometime, he met another influential person, Marlon Duke (Rain Drops), now his sound engineer who offered to mix some of the sounds to accompany his voice.
Button”. These are “Man Lie” and “Gal let’s sex”. These songs, he explained are done with the intention of getting the ladies closer to him.
With respect to the “button” song, he explained that he was at a party in the village where he met a young lady and they started to dance. During the dance, he realised that his pants had become slack and when he looked down, he realised that his button had fallen off. This he noted gave him the idea to write such a song which has its connotative meanings.
The rhythm is basically dancehall and it was composed by his sound engineer who built it from scratch and is most definitely loved by the public.
His greatest mentors in music include Richie Spice, Mavado and Christopher Martin whom he hopes to meet one day. While he is concentrating on becoming “big” in the local music industry, he has no plans to go abroad but to stay in his country and develop his musical career.
The buzzing artiste is expected to perform at his first major show at the Guyana Football Club ground on February 23 with Aidonia and his Guyanese Colleague, Lil Million.
At the age of 12, he started to sing on street corners in his village and would do so on busy days at the market square and was successful in drawing an audience. During those years, he met Roger Gullen who encouraged him to take up the
They eventually established a bedroom studio and started to experiment. His first tune “Skin to Skin” made it to the radio and was heard by other deejays, promoters and entertainers including Roger Gullen. In light of his success with the tune, Gullen erected the Amazonian Records Studio at Plaisance/Industry New Annex where all the recordings are done. This has definitely contributed to his success thus far.
He is presently ready to release two other songs which he is certain will create the same buzz as “Whine Pon meh
Alwin Nurse, also known as “Negus”, is a Canadabased reggae/dancehall recording artiste, who is on the verge of exploding on the international scene. As a teenager in Guyana, he performed with the Mingles Sound Machine and shared the stage with his dad “Small Man”; a former Mingles lead singer. He has also performed with artistes such as Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Byron Lee’s Oscar B and Leon.
Today, with a growing fan base in Guyana, Jamaica, Africa and across Europe; Negus sings out of Canada and works with Notnice Records; a recording company that produced songs for Vybz Kartel’s Gaza Empire as well as Black Spider Records. These are two leading Jamaican reggae/dancehall rhythm producers.
German producers “No Gimmicks Records” only last month released a Negus track titled “Love Yourself”, and this track has already been receiving lots of airplay in Europe.
Negus’ music list for 2013 includes singles such as Konshens featuring Negus –“Dah Whine Deh”, Jan-2013 (Produced by Black Spider Records); Negus – “Love
Yourself”, Dec-2013 (Produced by No Gimmicks Records); Negus – “When This Drop”, Nov-2013 (Produced by Notnice Records); Negus – “Move Yuh Body”, July-2013 (Produced by Black spider Records); Negus – “Let’s have a Party”, Sunlight Party Riddim Featuring Beenie Man, I-Octane, Aidonia, Jah Vinci, RDX and more, Dec-2013 (Produced by Black spider Records;) and Negus and image…money on my mind... produced by Notnice records.
He is also slated to perform at the Buxton Mash Jump Up and will be travelling to Essequibo and Berbice shortly to entertain his audience there. On this note, he is also expected to release his first soca song called “Soca Animal” in time for Mash 2014.
As part of his plans for 2014, he has launched his own studio and recording label, Street Platinum Records and at the moment is working on several tracks on the rhythms of producers out of Germany, England and Africa.
As Negus builds his music career, he’s not just about himself, as he welcomes working with any local talent coming in Guyana. He makes it clear that he would be “… honoured to have them voice on any of his rhythms”.
James Bond
friday, january 31, 2014
SL inflict crushing innings and 248-run defeat
Sri Lanka recorded their second biggest ever Test win by an innings, wrapping up the first Test an hour after lunch on the fourth day with Bangladesh still 248 runs short of making the visitors bat again. An innings deficit of 498 was demoralising enough for Bangladesh to capitulate without a fight, and there was no stoic resistance from them to take the game to the fifth day, let alone save the game. Sri Lanka’s seamers began the slide before the middle order succumbed to the offspin of Dilruwan Perera, who took a five-wicket haul in only his second Test. Sri Lanka had batted themselves into position from which they would certainly not have to pad up again. The same pitch that produced 730 runs in a single innings was made to look like a seamer’s paradise when Sri Lanka took the ball, causing the Bangladesh batsmen to hop and weave even on a fourth-day surface. In the end, Sri Lanka narrowly missed recording their biggest innings win, that of 254 runs against Zimbabwe 10 years ago.
The wickets in the morning were attributed more to good bowling from the visi-
Silva at short leg. Bangladesh were firmly pegged on the back foot but the situation didn’t deter Shakib Al Hasan and Mominul from going for their strokes. The seamers persisted with the short stuff and both left-handers were compulsive with the pull, though not all shots were in control. Mominul wasn’t afraid to slash over the slips and point and Shakib too didn’t
tors, and the aggressive approach from the hosts always gave the bowlers a sniff. The only cheer for Bangladesh was a brisk fifty by Mominul Haque, but it did little to wrest the initiative from Sri Lanka. The overcast conditions were ripe for seam bowling and Sri Lanka prised out two wickets with the short ball. Shaminda Eranga’s snorter off the second ball of the morning was too good for Shamsur Rehman who failed to pick the ball from the gloom and gloved it to the wicketkeeper. Marshall Ayub was impressive with his defense before he too was found wanting with his technique against the bouncer. Suranga Lakmal bowled round the wicket with a leg gully and short leg waiting and Ayub failed to fend it off, lobbing the ball to Kaushal
restrain himself.
The introduction of spin, via Perera, sunk the hosts further. Shortly after Shakib brought up the fifty stand with a cover-driven boundary, he played back to Perera and was trapped lbw to one that went through with the arm. Mominul brought up his half-century, off just 52 balls before he too fell lbw to Perera, playing back. There was a semblance of doubt with the verdict, however, as replays indicated that the ball may have been sliding down the leg side. Mushfiqur’s wicket was probably the biggest blow, for he has shown on many occasions that he can occupy the crease, a quality many of his teammates have failed to show consistently. In the last over before lunch, he was beaten by flight going for the drive and bowled through
Khan can topple Floyd – Roach
Trainer Freddie Roach insists Amir Khan can become the first man to defeat Floyd Mayweather.
Khan appears to have landed the biggest fight of his career, with reports suggesting he will face Mayweather on May 3 in Las Vegas.
The British fighter faces a daunting challenger as Mayweather, the sport’s No 1 boxer, has held titles in a variety of weight divisions during his unbeaten 45-fight career.
the gate.
Nasir Hossain was the only specialist batsman remaining but he too succumbed to a poor stroke, skying the ball to mid-off, giving Perera his fourth wicket. The two Hossains - Rubel and AlAmin - gave the crowd something to cheer with a blazing last-wicket stand of 53 in just 6.2 overs, but it wasn’t enough to hide the embarrassment of their fourth-biggest innings defeat, that too at home.
Bangladesh have an extra day to ponder over the loss and rethink their combination for the Chittagong Test which begins on February 4. They picked three seamers on a pitch in Mirpur that had more bounce than a typical Bangladesh surface, but as Sri Lanka proved, in order to exploit it to the fullest you needed bowlers with extra yards of pace like Eranga and Lakmal. With the series at stake, Bangladesh could revert to a more spinheavy attack and prove that their progress in 2013 was no fluke. (Cricinfo)
SCOREBOARD
Bangladesh 2nd innings
Tamim Iqbal c Perera b Herath 11
Shamsur Rahman c †Chandimal b Eranga 9
Marshall Ayub c Silva b Lakmal 18
Mominul Haque lbw b Perera 50
Shakib Al Hasan lbw b Perera 25
Mushfiqur Rahim*† b Perera 14
Nasir Hossain c Herath b Perera 29
Sohag Gazi lbw b Lakmal 23
Robiul Islam lbw b Lakmal 1
Rubel Hossain c †Silva b Perera 17
Al-Amin Hossain not out 32
Extras: (b 9, lb 10, nb 2) 21
Total: (all out; 51.5 overs) 250
Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Tamim Iqbal), 2-35 (Shamsur Rahman), 3-50 (Marshall Ayub), 4-102 (Shakib Al Hasan), 5-133 (Mominul Haque), 6-150 (Mushfiqur Rahim), 7-183 (Sohag Gazi), 8-197 (Robiul Islam), 9-197 (Nasir Hossain ) 10-250 (Rubel Hossain)
Bowling: RAS Lakmal 14-439-3, RMS Eranga 6-1-261, HMRKB Herath 9-3-47-1, MDK Perera 19.5-0-109-5, AD Mathews 3-0-10-0
Roach steered Khan to a number of world title wins before he linked up with new trainer Virgil Hunter and has faith in the Bolton man’s ring skills.
The respected American believes Khan’s searing hand speed will cause the 36-year-old Mayweather problems, but admits he must curb the reckless attacking approach which led to his most recent defeat
against Danny Garcia. Roach told the Ringside Toe 2 Toe Podcast: “That’s not an easy fight. I’ve always said Amir has the right style to beat Floyd if he fights correctly and doesn’t stay in the pocket too long.
“I always thought he could beat him with his speed. I think he’s faster than Mayweather and that’s what it takes to beat him.
“Floyd might have his hands full on the night.”
Failed attempts Roach still trains Manny Pacquiao, who remains keen to face Mayweather, despite numerous failed attempts to match the two superstars of boxing. Rows over blood tests and the purse split have scuppered previous attempts to stage the mega fight and Pacquiao has heard nothing from the Mayweather camp, despite agreeing to his demands. When asked if Manny still harboured hopes of battling Mayweather, Roach said: “Of course he does. It’s the biggest fight in the world for him,” said Roach.
“We all want that fight and Manny especially. Manny’s offered a 60-40 split, a blood test, no problems whatever Mayweather wants. We’ve agreed to anything and he just keeps ignoring us.” (Sky
Dilruwan Perera took a five-wicket haul in only his second Test
Sport)
Floyd Mayweather
Amir Khan
Suranga Lakmal
Mackenzie High takes Sunburst U-17 b-ball tourney
Daniel Anthony turned in a dominant performance to lead Mackenzie High School to the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) Sunburst under-17 basketball tournament last Friday at Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court.
Anthony dropped a double-double of 16 points and 16 rebounds while dishing five assists and grabbing six steals to lead Mackenzie High to a narrow and thrilling 37-36 win over Christianburg Wismar Secondary School. While the game remained close between the two teams, Christianburg Wismar coughed up the rock at crucial times none more important than the final two turnovers in the waning minutes of the game that undid a brilliant fourth quarter comeback effort which allowed Mackenzie High to steal the one point win, keeping their undefeated record intact.
Yannick Tappin was the leading assist man with a seven while dropping seven points to help guide Mackenzie High with his court vision.
Gregory Europe netted a team high 16 points for the losing side while pulling down seven rebounds in the final game of the tournament that saw Anthony receiving the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Meanwhile Linden Foundation Secondary outplayed their rivals New
Silvercity Secondary 63-30 to finish third in the tournament.
At the presentation ceremony held immediately after the game the winning Mackenzie High School received their winning trophy from marketing representatives of the Continental group of Companies Sunburst brand while Lashanna Anderson of the Department of Education in Region Ten handed over the third place trophy to Linden Foundation.
BCB pays tribute to six retired cricketers
Six outstanding retired cricketers from the ancient county of Berbice were honoured by the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under their annual NEW GPC INC tribute to Retired Cricketers Programme. Those honoured were George Paddy, Desmond Fraser, Jaikarran Balchand, Jude Ram Kissoon, Hemant Jagdeo and Mahadeo Hatchmanen. The ceremony was held at the St Francis Community Developers head office and formed part of the BCB Diamond Jubilee Celebration.
BCB Special Events Committee Chairman Hilbert Foster stated that the board strongly believes in honouring all heroes in Berbice cricket. This is the primary reason every year the BCB hosts programmes to honour administrators, umpires, cricketers, coaches and even retired cricketers.
He praised the retired cricketers for the role they played in laying the foundation for the current generation to benefit. He also expressed gratitude to the management of NEW GPC for their continued sponsorship of the programme and the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club for providing additional gifts for the awardees.
BCB First Vice President Anil Beharry and President Keith Foster, both encouraged the awardees to share their vast experience with the current generation of players. Beharry stated that the ancient county views each of the awardees as role models who should be emulated.
The BCB president noted that his administration intends to make sure that every hero is recognised and honoured as it was very important to let people know that their contributions are
appreciated.
Jude Ram Kissoon was the captain of the Sisters Cricket Club and an all rounder; Hemant Jagdeo represented the Upper Corentyne area, and in 1984, represented Berbice at the Inter county level; Mahadeo Hatchmanen played for the Chesney Cricket Club in the 1980s as an all rounder; while Desmond Fraser was a fast bowling all rounder representing the Vikings Cricket Club and the RHTYSC in the 1990s.
George Paddy was a senior member of the then
guyana begin quest...
Guyana’s last title at this level was back in 2005 when they defeated Barbados in near darkness in the KFC Cup final at the GCC ground, Bourda, on the strength of a Sewnarine Chattergoon’s career-best hundred.
On the other hand, Ireland’s participation in the NAGICO Super50 is not just to make up numbers. With their ongoing quest to join the top tier of international cricket, they will be looking to upstage some of the best teams in the Caribbean under the guidance of former West Indies player Phil Simmons.
The Super50 will provide the Irish with quality opposition ahead of the ICC World T20 to be held in Bangladesh later this year. They have competed in the Caribbean before in the Twenty20 format with limited success but they could
Leeward Islands. Matches will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Shaw Park in Tobago as the teams vie for the coveted Clive Lloyd Trophy, named after the revered batsman and former West Indies skipper.
The top two teams will advance from each zone into the semi-finals. These will be held on February 12 and 13 with the finals slated for February 15.
ESPN Caribbean will also air ESPN Cricket Report during this knockout phase, hosted by Barry Wilkinson and analyst, West Indian legend Colin Croft. They will cover pre-match (13:30 hours ECT) and midinnings (17:30 hours ECT) analysis, as well as ESPN Cricket Final, a half-hour post-match recap (22:00 hours ECT) following each eliminator.
prove much more dangerous in the 50-over game, having upset England at the 2011 World Cup thanks to a Kevin O’Brien century.
Guyana Cricket Team and ended his cricketing career in 1995 as captain of the RHTY&SC second division team. Eighty-four-year-old Jaikarran Balchan received a warm reception from the well attending gathering. He played for West Berbice area in the 1950s and rubbed shoulders with West Indies greats such as Basil Butcher, Joe Soloman and Rohan Kanhai during his playing days.
The BCB has to date honoured close to 40 heroes under the tribute to Retired Cricketers Programme.
Meanwhile, ESPN Caribbean will present live, exclusive coverage of the tournament from January 30 until February 16. The matches held in Trinidad will air live from 13:50 hours (Eastern Caribbean Time) on the ESPN Caribbean and ESPN 2 Caribbean television networks and on ESPN Play (www.espnplay.com) –ESPN’s multiscreen live and on-demand broadband service.
The competition is the West Indies Cricket Board’s premier limited overs event. Defending champions, Windward Islands, head Zone A along with Jamaica, Guyana and foreign guests, Ireland.
Zone B consists of last year’s beaten finalist, Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC), as well as the hosts, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and
This tournament serves as a prelude to the Windies’ limited-overs home series against England prior to their title defense of the International Cricket Council’s World Twenty20 trophy, which will be broadcast exclusively by ESPN Caribbean in March 2014. Guyana squad reads: Robin Bacchus, Trevon Griffith, Leon Johnson, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (vice-captain), Narsingh Deonarine, Christopher Barnwell (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble (w/k), Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton and Paul Wintz. Ireland squad reads: William Porterfield (captain), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Andrew McBrine, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson and Craig Young.
Daniel Anthony (left) receives the winning trophy from representatives of the Continental Group of Companies Sunburst brand
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Christopher Barnwell
The awardees pose with officials from the Berbice Cricket Board
Brigadier Mark Phillips is new head of GNRA
Recently appointed Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force Brigadier Mark Philips was elected President of the Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) at the Annual General Meeting of the Association held last Monday at Police Officers Mess, Eve Leary.
Brigadier Phillips who accepted the nomination in keeping with the GNRA constitution but was absent from the meeting replaces retired Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Gary Best who served as president for several years. Returning to office as vice presidents were ACP retired Paul Slowe and Senior Counsel Richard Fields.
The ex-officio vice presidents are Wilbert Lee Lt Col of the Guyana Defence Force and ACP George Vyphius of the Guyana Police Force.
Ryan Sampson retained his position as secretary but the new treasurer is Ray Beharry who replaced Lt. Col Terrence Stuart who is now one of two auditors, the other being Leo Romalho.
Hemant Narine was also retained as assistant secretary/treasurer, while Mahendra Persaud and Dylan Fields were returned as captain and vice captain respectively of the Fullbore section while Dale Hing and Gordon Richards were returned as Smallbore captain and vice captain respectively.
The committee members are Vidushi Persaud, Dr Johan DaSilva and Lennox Braithwaite.
Meanwhile, Fullbore Captain reported that 2013 was another successful year for the Association with Guyana retaining the regional Long Range Title but lost the short range title to Jamaica at the West Indies Fullbore Shooting championships in Barbados.
GTTA set to host Mash tourney – releases
short list of players for various tournaments
The National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) will be hosting their annual Mashramani tournament from February 14 at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.
The mini cadet tournament will run from the February 14 through to February 16 while the cadets and juniors will be on February 21. The senior segment of the tournament will he held on February 22. Medals and trophies will be up for grabs as all participants affiliated to the GTTA are asked to submit their entries by February 12.
The categories to be contested at the Mashramani tournament are:
Boys nine years & under, Girls nine years & under, Boys 11 years & under, Girls 11 years & under, Boys 13 years & under, Girls 13 years & under, Boys 15 years & under, Girls 15 years & under, Boys 18 years& under, Girls 18 years & under, Boys Doubles, Girls Doubles, Junior
Guyana also hosted the Great Britain team ahead of the regional tournament at the Timehri ranges. Three Guyanese shooters Lennox Braithwaite, Mahendra Persaud and Sigmund Douglas were also named to the West Indies at the Imperial Shoot at Bisley, England.
Smallbore Captain Dale Hing reported on the local competitions and trips to Trinidad and Suriname which saw credible performances by the members. He however lamented the great shortage of ammunition which affected the shooting programme immensely and said he hopes that local dealers will be able to meet the demands of the GNRA Smallbore section.
Sampson also reported that the association has stalled its pursuit of an Indoor Range and Club House after the proposed site where a piece of land was allocated at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo proved unfavourable.
The association lauded the support of its patron, His Excellency President Donald Ramotar for his continued assistance as well as the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry; the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Customs and Trade Administration.
Members of the business community coming in for high praise were Crown Mining Inc, Industrial Safety Supplies, Queensway, Modern Optical Services, Demerara Mutual Life Assurance, Banks DIH, Citizens Bank, Scotia Bank, Noble House Seafoods, North American Resources, JAParts, Sterling Products, Citizens Bank, Bank of Guyana and Mohamed’s General Store, among others.
Mixed Doubles, 21 years & under open, Women singles and Men Singles.
Meanwhile the GTTA has release a large player pool that will meet at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on February fifth for upcoming international tournaments namely: 19th Caribbean Cadets and Juniors Table Tennis Championship in Cuba(April), 9th Caribbean Pre Cadets and Mini Cadets Table Tennis Championship in Aruba(July), Commonwealth Games in
Scotland (July/August), 56th Senior Caribbean Table Tennis Championship in Barbados (August), Youth Olympic Games in China (August, player (s) must qualified), Inter Guiana Games and Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico ( November, team’s must qualified).
The players are: Kaysan Ninvalle, Niron Bissu, Isaiah Layne,(Mini Cadets) Jeremey Singh, Khalil Ninvalle, Vicente Henery, Amit Mookram, Tyriq Saunders, Terrence Rausch, Brandon Jaikarran, Navendra Persaud, Yeudistir Persaud (Pre Cadets), Joshua Butts, Nicholas Lawrence, Shelldon Atherly, Alex Hopkinson, Elishaba Johnson, Kyle Edghill, Rajiv Muneshwer, Miguel Wong, Stephan Sankar, Nicholas Lawrence, Shelldon Atherly, Alex Hopkinson ,Scott Garraway, Aaron Persaud ,Anil Jonas, Nicholas Harrison, Khalid Gobin, Jerome Mitchell, Jordan Conway, Sandor Kanhai ,Kareem McKenzie, Stefan
Corlette Kevon Corbin, Sunil Logan, Shemar Britton, Joseph Johnson, Bryton Murray, Joshua Lalbachan ,Jamaal Duff, Reon Miller, Denzel Duff, Symeon Matthews, Stephan Sankar (Cadets/Juniors), Brandon Baldie, Brad Belle, David Duncan, Carl Handy, Brandon Belle (21 years and under), Joel Alleyne, Gibran Sarfaraz, Paul Meusa, Paul David ,Rono Joseph, Jonathan Sankar, Zach Gonsalves, Nigel Bryan ,Matthew Khan and Orin Hickerson (Men’s) Nevaeh Clarkston, Abigail Martin (Mini Cadets), Priyanna Ramdhani, Simran Bissu, Brittney Bunbury, , Aneka Phillips, Selenas Jackman (Pre Cadets), Davonna Bess Priscilla Greaves, Kristie Lopes, Joylyn Conway, Chelsea Edghill, Jewel Todd, Anna Joao, Angeli Persaud Cadets/Juniors), Trenace Lowe ,Natalie Cummings, Jody-Ann Blake, Petal Bennett-Denny, Akeicia Nedd, Jody-Ann Blake and Desiree Lancaster (Women’s).
Chelsea Edghill
Brigadier Mark Philips
Guyana begin quest for 10th regional one-day title today
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Guyana’s senior cricketers will begin their hunt for a 10th regional one-day title when they play International Cricket Council’s (ICC) affiliate team Ireland in game two of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) NAGICO Super50 tourna-
ment today.
The day/night encounter will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval from 13:50h. Under the leadership of all rounder Christopher Barnwell, Guyana come into today’s opening game as a well balanced unit.
The Guyanese have a capable batting line-up led by vice-captain Shivnarine
Chanderpaul, who is a proven match-winner, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Leon Johnson, Assad Fudadin, Narsingh Deonarine, Barnwell and fellow all rounder Royston Crandon, who have all represented the West Indies at the senior level and are expected to play crucial roles should Guyana land the title.
Openers Trevon Griffith and debutant Robin Bacchus along with wicket keeper Anthony Bramble are also expected to play crucial roles with the bat. The Guyana bowling will be spearheaded by leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, and pacers Ronsford Beaton and Paul Wintz.
Brigadier Mark Phillips is new head of GNRA
Busy weekend for local riders
Local riders are in for a busy weekend with the staging of two Mashramani cycling programmes.
The first will be held on Saturday in the inner circuit of the National Park circuit and the other, a classic 40-miler the following day from the Demerara Harbour Bridge to Bushy Park and back.
Saturday’s programme will commence with the BMX three laps for boys 9 to 12 and 12 to 14 years old respectively.
The school boys and
novices will compete over 35 laps and the juveniles for 10 laps.
Meanwhile, other events for the day include the BMX boys open (3 laps), the upright cyclists (5 laps), veterans under and over 50 years (5 laps), veterans over 50 (5 laps) and boys and girls 12 to 14 years (3 laps). Action is set to pedal off at 09:00h.
Following Saturday’s race, the riders will switch focus to the roadways on Sunday.
The feature a 40-mile cycle road race will begin from the Demerara Harbour Bridge at 9:00h, proceed to Bushy Park and return to the Harbour Bridge for the finish.
The first six cyclists as well as the first two juniors, veterans, females and the first upright rider to finish the race will be awarded prizes at the end of the day’s events.
Warren McKay is the defending champion after he won last year's event one hour, 40 minutes, 36 seconds (1h: 40m: 36s). The races are open only to registered cyclists and licensed riders who are required to wear club jerseys. The programmes have received official sponsorship from the National Sport Commission
Alonzo Greaves will look to defend the feature 35-lap school boys and invitational race, winning last year’s event in a time of one hour, 28 minutes, 15 seconds (1h: 28m: 15s).
Warren McKay
Alonzo Greaves
Assad Fudadin
Shivnarine Chanderpaul