Guyana Times Daily

wednesday, june 4, 2014|

Gold Board bullish about gold price recovery

– says drop in declaration not due to Bartica office closure

By ReuBen StoBy

The Guyana Gold Board (GGB) is optimistic about a recovery in the price of gold on the world market soon and has noted also that the level of operations in the gold mining industry in Guyana has not slowed down.

Gold prices edged lower for a fifth day in a row on Monday, marking their longest losing streak in seven months, as investors stuck with equity markets after US stocks hit another record high. The spot price of gold was down 0.6 per cent at US$1243 an ounce by 16:00h EDT (2100 GMT). The session bottom of US$1240.69 marked a four-month low, with the previous level set on February 3.

According to a press release from the GGB, the Board and all relevant stakeholders of the local gold mining industry have been paying close attention to the current trends of the gold trade on the world economy and the factors that have been causing the fall in prices.

“While prices have fallen tremendously over the last two weeks, it is still expected that lower prices will prevail on the world market. However, it is expected that there will be a great recovery in the price of gold in the third quarter of 2014. The gold market will continue to thrive under these current pressures.”

Caution ahead of the latest European Central Bank (ECB) policy meeting and a rash of key US data due this week also kept gold bulls at bay. In Europe, the ECB is tipped to announce a package of policy options after its meeting on Thursday, following heavy hints that monetary policy will be loosened in a variety of ways to support growth.

Bartica sub-office closure necessary

On Friday, US non-farm payrolls data, the official monthly reading on the labour market in the world’s largest economy, will be released. Both events will be closely watched by gold traders for their impact on currencies and US monetary policy.

Meanwhile, the GCB said the level of operations in the gold mining industry in Guyana has not slowed down, despite the drop in gold prices on the international market, as there is an improved level of mine site tasks.

Coming on the heels of a report published by Guyana Times in which President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) Patrick Harding said the closure of the sub-office of the GGB in Bartica could be one of the reasons for the reported drop in the declaration of gold here,

the GGB said it should not be seen as the main reason. According to the release, the GGB has allowed for a steady increase in the levels of gold declarations over the last 10 years due to its offices in Georgetown, Charity and Bartica, in addition to the assistance of the licensed gold dealers across the country.

“It must be emphasised that the closure of the sub-office in Bartica should not be seen as the main reason for the lower levels of declarations that have been reported for Guyana for the comparative of the 2013 and 2014. The closure of the Region Seven sub-office was necessary to facilitate a transparent investigation by the Guyana Police Force.”

The GGB further said the operations of the licensed dealers are complementary to its undertakings. “The granting of licences to private firms was done to ensure that better levels of declaration can be achieved in the geographic areas where the GGB does not have an office.”

Therefore, through the operations of the Guyana Gold Board offices in Georgetown and Charity, all of our clients can ensure that their transactions are handled in an efficient manner. However, despite the temporary closure of the Bartica sub-office; the management and Board of Directors of the GGB have ensured that all of its clients continue to receive the benefits of the services provided at both the regional and national levels, the press release stated. The GGB is appealing to all licensed dealers to provide the services for which they have been granted, so that the level of gold trading can be improved for the overall benefit of the local economy.

242 cases to be heard as June Assizes opens

Some 242 cases are listed to be heard in the Demerara June Criminal Assizes in Georgetown as the session opened on Tuesday.

The session began with its usual military pomp and ceremony. Justice William Ramlal took the salute during the March Past and also inspected the Guard of Honour.

He, along with Justice Navindra Singh and Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes will once again preside over this criminal session. Justice Ramlal has some 81 cases listed, of which 18 are murder cases. Justice GregoryBarnes has a list of 79 cases with 17 of them being murder trials while there are 82 cases listed before Justice Navindra Singh, of which 17 are for murder.

Meanwhile, the Gaol Delivery was done on Monday, bringing an end to the April Criminal Session. Of the 230 cases listed to be heard during that session among these above listed judges, 10 were completed. The matters resulted in three guilty verdicts, five not guilty verdicts and two hung juries.

Guilty verdicts

Justice Navindra Singh completed five matters, inclusive of four murder trials and one attempt to commit murder and felonious wounding. For the murders, there were two sentences of 78 years and 56 years after the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts, while the other two cases resulted in hung juries, since the panel failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Then the accused in the attempt to commit murder and felonious wounding case was discharged after the virtual complainant indicated that he did not wish to proceed with the trial.

Justice Gregory-Barnes completed three matters, of which two were murders and the other was manslaughter. The two murder trials resulted in one accused being jailed for 10 years after

he was found guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and the other was acquitted when the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty. While in the manslaughter trial, the accused was also freed after the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.

Justice Ramlal then disposed of two murder cases, both of which he upheld no case submissions made by the defence and directed the jury to return formal verdicts of not guilty. The first acquittal was appealed.

During the same period, Justice Diana Insanally presided over the Berbice February Criminal Session, but Justice Brassington Reynolds subsequently took over duties from her. Justice Insanally completed two murder cases. In one of the cases, the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment while the other accused was sentenced to 20 years after he was found guilty by the jury.

Justice Reynolds disposed of only one case thus far and is currently presiding over a murder trial. The accused was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment after he was found guilty by the jury for rape and not guilty for robbery under arms. The Berbice June Session will commence on June 9, with some 37 cases to be heard.

In Essequibo, the May Criminal Session began on May 20, with 15 matters on the list to be heard. This session will run until October. However the Essequibo February Criminal Session began on February 18 and concluded on May 19, during which four matters were disposed of and one was nolle prosequi by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Justice Nareshwar Harnanan began the session and completed one case before Justice Franklin Holder took over the mantle and continued. Justice Harnanan completed a carnal knowledge case of a girl under the age of 15, which saw the accused being discharged after the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.

Justice Holder completed three matters; murder, manslaughter and rape of a child under the age of 16 years. The murder resulted in the jury being directed to return a formal verdict of not guilty, since the State could not offer any further evidence; also, the wife of the deceased and other eye witnesses did not wish to give evidence. The accused in both the rape and manslaughter cases were also acquitted when their respective jury panels returned not guilty verdicts. The matter that was nolle prosequi was for the offence of rape and the victim did not want to testify against the accused.

President of the GGDMA Patrick Harding

Justice William Ramlall inspecting the parade on South Road Tuesday morning

Burnham took advantage of Rabbi Washington

– Hamilton tells Rodney CoI

By Alexis Rodney

Former priest of the House of Israel, Joseph Hamilton, told the Commission of Inquiry into the death of Dr Walter Rodney on Tuesday, that the People’s National Congress Government took advantage of US Fugitive David “Rabbi Washington” Hill to carry out acts of violence against opponents of the administration during the 1980s.

“Rabbi Washington and his followers were all victims,” Hamilton said, noting that the PNC Government had taken advantage of Washington’s status as a US fugitive, to force him to carry out political functions. He said that had the Rabbi refused to participate, he probably would have found himself on the next plane back to the US.

Hamilton also expressed regret over the roles he played within the religious body which has been accused of creating mischief against political opposition parties in the early 70s and 80s. It was during his examination by member of the Commission’s legal Council Latchmie Rahamat that Hamilton told the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry that his actions of the past have caused major damage. He noted too that he continues to live with those regrets.

His participation in the Commission of Inquiry is therefore an attempt to clear his conscience, he said. Hamilton said he has no apologies for anyone, since he has received the blessings of his immediate family to “come out” and face public scrutiny.

Hamilton was asked the question after he related events revealing the House of Israel’s violent attacks on members of opposing political parties, lashing out at them whenever they attended rallies. He had told the commission that members of the cult at the request of the PNC Government would use anything they could put their hands on to beat on individuals.

The cult he said at that time had close to 2000 members across the country. Out of that amount, many were used to par-

ticipate in protest action involving the Guyana Agricultural and General Worker’s Union (GAWU) and the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union(CCWU). Some 800 members were also used as scabs when sugar workers carried out their massive strikes.

Hamilton said that the Leader of the House of Israel, Rabbi Washington, had formed a close link with then Agriculture Minister Hamilton Green, who had assisted the organisation in acquiring leased land in Rockstone on the Island of Essequibo. The land he noted was to be used for agricultural purposes.

He said the “Rabbi” had formed the conclusion that in order for the House of Israel to survive and be successful, he needed to establish relationships with the Government of the day.

He spoke of the Rabbi giving and receiving monetary donations from senior public officials, sometimes in payment for services offered or for gratuitous gifts. These officials included judges, magistrates and senior officials of the Guyana Police Force.

Immune from prosecution

He said that the House of Israel was granted many privileges and even suggested that members were immune from prosecution. Asked to elaborate, Hamilton related an incident in which the police had arrested a member of the group because of his violent actions.

While being apprehended he stated, former President Hugh Desmond Hoyte ordered that the man be immediately released. He related too that the fact that the organisation was allowed access to arms and ammunition, speaks much to this notion. He said he could not recall if any member was ever issued a licence to use a firearm, noting that himself at that time was not the holder of a firearm licence, although he carried guns on more than one occasion.

Hamilton, a former executive member of the PNC and now Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health, con-

fessed that he felt no fear of ever being caught, since he and all other members were confident of the protection of the “government of the day”.

Attractive membership

The former leader of the religious body revealed too that the House of Israel had attracted the interest of many high-profile individuals from the disciplined forces, who joined the body. It was those individuals he related that trained House of Israel members to use fire- arms. Members also received training in “bomb -making techniques”.

Hamilton shared his experience at the scene of father Bernard Darke’s Death in 1979. He said that it was a member of the House of Israel, Bilal Ato, who was accused and convicted of the death. He said that day was significant in his mind, since WPA members Walter Rodney and Rupert Roopnaraine were before the magistrates’ court on an unusual day.

He said the organisation, which also worships on Saturday, were in Church when a message came that they needed to be at the Court to disrupt the protest of WPA members. Persons he said, had come out in their thousands to offer solidarity to the two political stal-

warts of the party. He noted that by the time he and the other members arrived at the scene, Rodney and Roopnaraine had already been granted bail. He said this evoked massive fury, since the intention was to keep the men behind bars.

He said amidst the mammoth crowd, he was able to see a “white man”, whom he later found out to be Father Bernard Darke, crumbling to the ground. Father Darke, who was taking photographs for the Catholic Standard Newspaper, had been stabbed, and his camera was taken away. He said he was in the company of Mike James another staff of the newspaper.

Fearing that the camera might have had incriminating evidence of House of Israel members, Hamilton said he quickly took a taxi and headed over to the organisation’s headquarters.

He said the camera was sold to Rabbi Washington’s mechanic by a young member of the church. The mechanic, he noted, because of his close relationship with the Rabbi, returned with the photograph which showed members involved in violent acts. The photographs revealed also PNC members Robert Corbin and Hamilton Green, using walkie talkies to issue commands.

At headquarters At the headquarters, members were involved in conversation pertaining to the day’s activities. He said members had raised concerns that Darke’s death would have taken the country’s political situation to another level.

He continued that the group had on several occasions discussed Dr. Walter Rodney and the Working People’s Alliance(WPA). He said that Rodney’s death in 1980 did not come as a surprise to the House of Israel, since WPA members were being killed at the time.

Former Priest of the House of Israel, Joseph Hamilton

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

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Editorial

Low convictions and public trust

One would have thought that after the budget speech by Attorney General Anil Nandlall lamenting the many cases that have fallen through the cracks, the Judiciary would have at least responded by delivering better results.

Instead, the Gaol Delivery Report by the Director of Public Prosecutions for the just concluded April Assizes reminded all of us as to the monumental challenge we face in fighting crime. In the April Demerara Assizes, a total of 230 cases were listed to be heard, but only 10 were presented and completed. Of these 10 matters, most of which were murder cases, there were three guilty verdicts, five not guilty, and two hung juries.

The situation across the other districts in Berbice and Essequibo was no different, although the results in Berbice were much more encouraging. Three cases were heard in this district – two murders and one robbery under arms. In all three matters, those accused were convicted. However, in Essequibo, of the four matters – two for rape, one for murder and one for manslaughter – all the accused were set free for various reasons.

These results, coming at a time when our country is still in the throes of criminal and sexual violence could hardly inspire hope in a wary citizenry, still suspicious of the criminal justice system. For years, despite all the talk of spending on the fight against crime, the country has been hobbled by an underfunded, overburdened and sluggish criminal justice system with limited effectiveness in obtaining criminal convictions.

Both the Magistracy and High Court levels continue to be plagued with a culture of trial postponements and delays, absence of witnesses, disappearance of case files, and the list goes on. This lack of efficacy contributes to impunity for many of the worst criminal offenders.

Besides, an abnormally high rate of violent crimes, lack of cooperation by witnesses and jurors, frustration among Police officers and the public, add significant social cost and drain on the economy and these are disincentives for international investment.

While Police are way off mark as it relates to solving crimes, whatever progress they gain every now and then is often obstructed by the inability of prosecutors and the courts to secure prompt convictions, thus deepening the public distrust in the judiciary.

This state of affairs had even moved President Donald Ramotar back in April to criticise the Guyana Police Force for its record of weak prosecutions, citing the disastrous collapse of murder cases involving cricketer Carlyle Barton, who was captured on video, and businessman Rondy Jagdeo.

In his own words, President Ramotar noted that the country was heading for a serious crisis, since more and more crimes are being committed with fewer convictions being made.

"Unsolved crimes and the low rate of convictions can have serious consequences. They will lead to heightened criminal activities in our country.” He also acknowledged that all of the blame should not be placed on the Police Force and as such, he had spoken to the Legal Affairs Minister to engage his judicial authorities so that they, too, can do their part.

Apart from all the blather, what is needed is continued emphasis on the independence of the judiciary – something which this country continues to grapple with, more technical assistance projects mainly dealing with the building of professionalism and capacities within the judiciary, and the strengthening of integrity through increased accountability of judges.

For their part, besides receiving more training in investigation and prosecution, the Police have got to regain the trust of citizens who very often are unwilling to testify in murder cases.

This lack of trust is also even more crucial, given that some of the untrained jurors presiding over court matters these days may very well hold the view that our lawmen are corrupt, and as such, will likely base their judgements on this premise.

The bottom line is that public credibility is essential to secure more convictions because people will not come forward or speak out until they trust the system to protect their interests.

and

A lawsuit should have been prepared long before now

Dear Editor,

In a recent statement, Chairperson of the Council for Legal Education (CLE), Jacqueline Samuels-Brown said that there will be no automatic placement for University of Guyana (UG) Bachelor of Law (LLB) students at the Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad and Tobago.

She further stated that the 25 students can seek alternative accommodation at the Eugene Dupuch Law School in Nassau, The Bahamas. My immediate response was, what did she say? Is Ms Samuels-Brown really serious with that statement and the answer comes back, “Yes, she was” – as serious as a Judge.

Now I pretend not to have heard that impertinence, and to this day, I cannot and will not be party to such. But try as I would, the reality of the statement is still there. She said it and the UWI is sticking to that so-called mandate. We cannot accommodate the UG law students here, so go someplace else.

The point is, here we have a number of students at the penultimate year of their studies being told that there is no place for them. Here we have a situation where the UWI – with blatant disregard, can shut out our law students from a programme that was set up by them to, as it were, certify our law students –can now arbitrarily make a 180-degree turnaround and deny them entry.

This is gross disrespect and in return, the administration of our university ought to have taken up this matter at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) forthwith. This is a legal matter for the highest court in the Caribbean, wherein UWI at Hugh Wooding needs to show just cause why our students were denied entry. I want them to take that flimsy excuse they are making to the CCJ.

But before I go into the matter of a lawsuit, which I must emphatically say that we will win, I shall delve into the history of this nonacceptance debacle. It all started some 30 odd years ago when UG decided to set up its own law faculty.

It was something that everyone in Guyana was eagerly awaiting, being a sovereign university having some of the top legal minds in the Caribbean. Then, the next logical question was why don’t we establish a law faculty of our own? Thus, the UG Law Programme came into existence. This brought to an end the years of UWI dominance of legal education in the Caribbean.

Now, one would have thought that UWI would be happy that another sister territory in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) has taken up the mantle in the education of our sons and daughters in all matters of jurisprudence, but this was not to be, due to the actions

of UWI thereafter.

Initial attempts show that UWI cold shouldered UG’s law programme, with UWI becoming hostile to our endeavours here. The first attack was made on our syllabus – allegations were raised that it was not up to par with the legal systems of the Caribbean.

Then, it was our institution lacking the required texts for the Bachelor’s Degree with a firm recommendation from UWI that we close our programme. When this did not materialise, they turned to the idea of UG having external examiners taken from the Caribbean (UWI, of course) to verify the quality of our tutelage locally.

Now, you must realise that all of this was being done by UWI on another sovereign university’s programme in a sister Caricom nation – something that should not have been entertained in the first place.

It goes contrary to the spirit and letter of the community of nations we call Caricom.

This high-handedness was done with the firm view to discourage the innovative spirit of a fledgling institution – hence, put an end to all our efforts at legal education from a Guyana perspective.

When all of the above contemptuous moves failed, UWI then requested that our law students go through the rigorous stint at the UWI Hugh Wooding Law School. This new move

was a further verification code to validate the soundness of legal education at UG, taking it at the student level. If my notes on this matter are correct, Guyanese Ashton Chase – an ‘Uncle Tom’ if you’ve ever seen one – played an integral role in the crafting of this legal education stint at Hugh Wooding. Yet, for all of this, the Guyanese students still excelled. What we see right now is the continuing contempt for a sovereign university with a bid to snuff the very lifeblood out of us. It is a planned attempt to shut down our university, something that is not going to happen if only Guyana acts quickly. Guyana must assert itself in the halls of academia within the Caribbean and the time is now. I call on the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister to hastily prepare a lawsuit with a view to UWI paying a hefty fine by way of compensation for the pain and suffering the 2014 batch of law students had to endure as a result of Hugh Wooding’s gross negligence. This is the only way to bring closure to this nonsense. In a subsequent communication I shall continue this very legal discourse, where I will further highlight other contemptuous acts levelled against our university.

Sincerely, Neil Adams

Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings SA and a member of Star Alliance global airline network, on Tuesday begins nonstop service four times a week between Montréal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Copa’s Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama, Republic of Panama, with connecting service throughout Latin America

the Caribbean. In this photo, officials perform the official ribbon-cutting ceremony

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

GGB is continuously serving the gold

Dear Editor,

By effectively servicing the gold mining sector, the Guyana Gold Board (GGB), the licensed gold dealer, has allowed for a steady increase in the levels of gold declarations over the last 10 years. The full services of the trading of gold for the local mining industry have been continuously enhanced by the GGB.

In addition, with the assistance of the licensed gold dealers, miners are able to sell their gold to these legal entities across the country, which are located in the various mining districts, for the ease of doing business. The operations of the licensed dealers are complementary to the undertakings of the GGB. The granting of licences to private firms was done to ensure that better levels of declarations can be achieved in the geographic areas where the GGB does not have an office.

Moreover, the level of operations in the gold mining industry in Guyana has not slowed down, as there is an improved level of mine site tasks. The

mining sector

GGB and all relevant stakeholders of the local gold mining industry have been paying close attention to the current trends of the gold trade on the world economy and the factors that have been causing the fall in prices.

While prices have fallen tremendously over the last two weeks, it is still expected that lower prices will prevail on the world market. However, it is expected that there will be a great recovery in the price of gold in the third quarter of 2014. The gold market will continue to thrive under these current pressures.

Therefore, through the operations of the Guyana Gold Board offices in Georgetown and Charity, all of our clients can ensure that their transactions are handled in an efficient manner. However, despite the temporary closure of the Bartica sub-office the management and Board of Directors of the GGB have ensured that all of its clients continue to receive the benefits of the services pro-

vided at both the regional and national level.

It must be emphasised that the closure of the sub-office in Bartica should not be seen as the main reason for the lower levels of declarations that have been reported for Guyana for the comparative of the 2013 and 2014. The closure of the Region Seven sub-office was necessary to facilitate a transparent investigation by the Guyana Police Force.

The gold mining community is being encouraged to utilise the services of all licensed dealers to ensure that they can receive payments for their sales as effectively as possible. The GGB is, therefore, appealing to all licensed dealers to provide the services for which they have been granted – licences to the gold mining community so that the level of gold trade can be improved for the overall benefit of the local economy.

Respectfully submitted, GGB

Blue CAPS is an apolitical, non-partisan, Non-Governmental Organisation

Dear Editor,

In light of attempts by some to distort the purpose and mission of Blue CAPS, we wish to reiterate that we are an apolitical, non-partisan, NonGovernmental Organisation that is committed to educating and empowering young leaders who can develop and articulate public policy positions to the benefit of Guyana’s development.

We are in the process of formally registering and when that process is completed, membership forms will be made available for any person between the ages of 16 and 40 to join, volunteer, and participate in the group’s activities. This will be an open process with clear bylaws and rules in place for accountability and transparency.

Our core values which guide our actions are to stay objective and impartial, embrace equality, value diverse opinions, develop new leaders, respect each other, cultivate a culture of trust and honesty, and to do so in a non-discriminatory or nonprejudicial manner.

We believe firmly that national policymaking is instrumental in shaping the kind of society we live in today and hope to see flourish tomorrow. While youths make up a significant portion of the population in Guyana, for many reasons, they are not actively involved in the development and drafting of policies that affect their lives. It is crucial that our young people and young professionals (under 40) become active participants in the policy development process.

For a society to realise its full potential, youths must become an integral part of the national dialogue and have a voice on all topical issues facing the country.

They must be involved in making meaningful contributions to this process, have their ideas, thoughts, and actions reflected in the strategic plans and policy framework, which will help to advance Guyana for the benefit of all its people.

The focus of Blue CAPS is to provide a platform for young Guyanese citizens to leverage the opportunities available for developing their own roles in helping to shape and articulate public policy and finding solutions for problems affecting their communities and country.

The inherent philosophy of Blue CAPS is based on the tenets of change, advocacy, policy and service. As part of our approach, we aim to educate future leaders by encouraging young people to complete our signature “Building Communities through Leadership Training and Service” (BCLTS) programme and volunteer and give back through the YES! (Youths Experiencing Service) component of the BCLTS, to help bring about positive change through active community participation and problem solving, policy formation and advocating effectively through various forums on behalf of these policy proposals.

We will engage frequently and closely with different stakeholders in achieving our mission and goals. Those who complete the BCLTS programme will be-

come fellows of the Blue CAPS network and will continue to spread the mission of change, advocacy, policy and service.

Yours sincerely,

Marissa Lowden Chief Executive Officer

We are more than qualified at UGBC

Dear Editor,

The staff at the University of Guyana’s Berbice Campus are happy that the former Director, Dr Daizal Samad continues to show interest in the development of the campus since he demitted office in October 2013.

However, we are disappointed that both our former Director, and our union representative, Dr Patsy Francis, the President of University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), would peddle such gross inaccuracies about the campus in the media.

Yes, we agree with Dr Samad that the campus needs more qualified staff. This position was made clear in August 2013 when our former Director reported in the media that the campus had grown. Any growing campus would require increasing numbers of qualified staff.

Since his departure in 2013, we are now offering the Degree in Social Work, the Bachelor of Education (English), and we have the facilities to offer the online Distance Education BSc Mathematics, BSc Physics, BSc Computer/IT, BSc Environment and BSoc Sc Criminology to Berbice students who enrol in these programmes.

However, contrary to the opinions expressed by both Dr Samad and Dr Francis as reported in Guyana Times on June 2, the delivery and the quality of education at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus are not on the decline because of the absence of qualified staff.

In fact, the delivery of education at the Berbice Campus was

never under threat. It was our former Director who reported to the media in August 2013 that the campus had moved from an “86 per cent ‘lecturers with first degree campus’ into one where the same percentage have Master’s Degrees and up”.

Also, he reported that “14 per cent are published in agriculture, chemistry and other areas in international scholarly journals”. Here are the facts relevant to 2014.

Twenty-eight full-time staff members are employed at the Berbice Campus. Twenty-three possess Master’s Degrees and above with specialisation in the disciplines which they teach. Five lecturers have first degrees. Three of the five are currently pursuing post graduate education at the University of Guyana and UWI. A point to note is that the lecturers with first degrees teach mainly the foundation courses.

In addition, contrary to the contention of our union representative that “lecturers at

the Berbice Campus continue to teach outside of their areas of competence”, the Berbice Campus has a system of replacing commuting lecturers with similarly qualified lecturers. For example, quite recently some courses which were conducted by commuting lecturers from Turkeyen in the Division of Agriculture are now being conducted by a suitably qualified lecturer who was recently recruited. Like Dr Samad, the lecturers at Berbice Campus are concerned about the development of the campus, and we will continue to commit to teaching excellence so that our students can continue to excel within and outside of the campus.

As the Berbice Campus maintains its growth, it will continue to have space for more qualified lecturers.

Sincerely, David Cort Administrative Officer University of Guyana Berbice Campus

People are ready for Local Government Elections

Dear Editor, The explanations as to why we can’t have Local Government Elections keep getting more bizarre. Now we hear about a new concept of “mood” democracy. It would be helpful if the head of the governing party enlighten us on the methodology that he and his Government use to measure this ‘mood’ and who are their sample audience. Around where I am from, I simply ask people if they are ready for Local Government Elections and the resounding response I receive is “YES!”

Sincerely, Clinton Urling Blue CAPS

Page Foundation

BY CHRISTINA FRANK

How to make rules that stick When your child says,

We recently renovated our house, giving our girls new ways to test authority. Just minutes after we moved back in, Lucy, age four, was sliding down the early-1900s banister, while Olivia, nine, headed to our pristine family room carrying a bag of Goldfish crackers and dropping crumbs along the way. As I looked on in horror, I realised that we needed some new rules.

But what kinds of restrictions could we all live with? Should banister-sliding be an absolute no, or was it futile to forbid something so tempting? How about a ban on eating in the family room? Was it crazy to think that TV watching could never be combined with snacking? And would my husband, Josh, and I have to obey the same rules as the children?

Since the road to civilisation isn’t always an easy one to pave, here are some rules, if you will, for making house rules.

You have to be you

I’d love to live on a page of a Martha Steward home catalog. But with two children, I shudder to think what it would take to make that happen. Josh and I do know parents who maintain spotless homes, but since we lack the genes required to pull that off, we’re not even going to try.

Be honest with yourself about what’s most important to you.

“Sometimes people adopt rules simply because their parents made them when they were children or because it seems like the right thing to do, but rules that feel unnatural will be hard to enforce down the line,” says Marvin Berkowitz, PhD, author of Parenting for Good . “Focus on a few critical ones, making safety a priority.”

Karen Bush of Great Falls,

Virginia, has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bed-jumping, for good reason. “Grandma was relaxed about this one time and one of my children sprang off a hotel bed and hurt herself,” she says. Jodi McGraw of Morris, Alabama, worries less about the furniture but limits where her two children can eat (dining room only). Bush is a stickler for privacy; McGraw isn’t. “We leave bathroom doors open, forbid locked bedroom doors, and walk around half dressed,” McGraw says. The bottom line: Different strokes for different folks. Do what makes sense for you.

Keep it real

Should there be one set of rules for all the children in your house? Not necessarily. “Take into account where each of your children is developmentally,” says Karen Gouze, PhD, a child psychologist at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago and a mom of three.

McGraw, for instance, lets sixyear-old Camryn get the mail from the curb while she’s watching. But Caise, three, is forbidden to try it for

now. “He might run into the street,” she says. And while Camryn can use the computer, it’s off-limits to her little brother until he’s older. Often the same rules apply to all the children in the family, but they’re adjusted according to age. Bedtime is a classic example – everyone has a set time, but the older children can stay up later than the younger ones. In Bush’s house, the children are forbidden to barge in on anyone who’s using the bathroom “unless there’s blood involved.” Her children understand and adhere to that rule. Now even her five-year-old can wait until Mom is out of the bathroom. And the children expect privacy for themselves, too.

Make the consequences fit the crime Children under eight years old have a rigid sense of fairness and are likely to accept consequences if they seem fair and directly related to the infraction, says Gouze. “If a child doesn’t share his toys when a friend comes over, a reasonable consequence would be to hold off on play dates for a few days,” she says. “Similarly, misbehaving at dinner could lead to that child’s leaving the table.”

Sometimes, the best consequences of breaking the rules are the natural ones – simply step back and watch them unfold. In Bush’s house, you aren’t supposed to go into siblings’ rooms when they aren’t there, or use their stuff without asking. If someone disregards the rule, “then she gets the brunt of her sibling’s tirade. I’m not going to cover for them,” Bush says.

You might try posting house rules so they’re visible to all in black and white. “Anytime you can take the parents’ voice out of the mix, you do better and avoid power struggles,” Gouze says. “Children are less likely to push against rules that are on paper.”

(Parenting.com)

“I don’t fit in”

(Conclusion)

BY JAMES LEHMAN

Seven tips to help your child

Let them know it’s ok to ask for help

Another skill parents can teach children is how to ask for help. Here’s a scenario: your child comes home upset because some children were laughing at him again. So you say, “Well, maybe you could ask your teacher to move you.” And if the next day your child says, “I did ask her, and she wouldn’t.” Say, “All right then, you did exactly the right thing. Now, let me talk to the teacher, I’ll see if I can be helpful.” Remember, one of the best things you can ever ask your child is, “What would be helpful for you right now?” And then respect their need for space. Above all, let them know that it’s always okay to ask for help.

If your child is being bullied, work with the school aggressively

A word about bullying: if your child is being bullied, you need to

be very proactive with teachers and the school. Have the school explain what they will do to protect your child from being a target of bullying. Physical and emotional safety is the school’s responsibility while that child is in their care. If your child is being excluded, let the teacher know you want them pulled into activities. When parents came to my office with this problem, I’d say, “If your child is being bullied, call the teacher first. If they don’t cooperate with you, then call the deputy. If they’re not responsive, call the principal. Because once the principal hears it, he’s more likely to take action to solve the problem in an appropriate way. The principal might feel vulnerable that he didn’t know about it, and that will prompt him to further action.”

“Don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides” There’s a saying I really like: “Don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.” One of the big, big mistakes we make in assessing ourselves is that we constantly compare our insides to other people’s outsides. Inside we may be feeling frantic, or worried, or any number of things. And on the outside, other people look like they’ve got it all together. The end result is that when you compare your insides to other people’s outsides, you come up short – and that’s especially true if you’re a child. Children and teens compare how they feel to the way other people look all the time. So if your child is feeling anxious and afraid and all the other children look like they’re having a good time, your child is going to feel out of place and different. And meanwhile, all those other children feel anxious and uptight, too, and when they look at your child, they think he looks like he’s okay. So the key is to teach your child not to compare himself to others, but to really to do what he’s comfortable with inside. (Empowering

Govt fears Busta will sue over Environmental Tax

By Vahnu Manikchand

Coming fresh off the recent ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in which Guyana was ordered to pay a Surinamese beverage company some $1.2 billion, Government is now fearful that another lawsuit will hit them; this time from Trinidadian company, Busta. Guyana lost the legal battle against Rudisa Beverages & Juices and its local distributor, Caribbean International Distributors Inc (CIDI), who took them to court over a controversial “environmental tax” that was imposed on each nonreturnable bottle imported into the country, claiming that the tax is against the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett explained

Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

that Guyana does not import a lot of beverages in such containers and that is what is saving the country; however, she noted since Rudisa has won this case, there is a good chance of Busta following suit.

“My worry is that we will have another case because Suriname is the smaller exporter, they are nowhere near what comes in from Trinidad and that’s the problem,” she said. Rodrigues-Birkett stressed that the issue is not about removing the tax but making it non-discriminatory. “Everybody must pay or nobody must pay,” stated the Minister as she pointed out that this policy is also adopted in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and not only in Caricom.

According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, one of the questions that had bugged their minds is how Government is being made to pay, when the tax monies never went to the customers. She disclosed that during the testimony of the Surinamese company’s Chief Executive Officer, Rudi Sardjoe, he revealed that they had adopted

certain measures in preparation of the company’s invoices to prevent passing on the taxes to customers.

“Now if you fudged the invoices, then you owe me or I ain’t owe you anything… you basically demonstrated that you didn’t pass it on to the customers, you did something with the invoices… if you say you fudge the invoice to pay less then you breaking our laws,” the Minister pointed out. She added that the local authorities are looking into this revelation.

Blot on record

Minister RodriguesBirkett went on to say that the Opposition has made a lot of noise surrounding this and refused to support the amended legislation when it was taken to Parliament, but did not say what changes they would like to see made. “They haven’t come with anything to

say ‘this is how we would like to see it’, they just said we are not supporting it,” RodriguesBirkett stated. The Minister further explained that the changes cannot be made administratively; it will have to be taken back to Parliament for passage.

The Foreign Affairs Minister mentioned that this situation does not portray Guyana in a good image. “… we have been doing so well with our commitments, we are number one in meeting our commitments, and this is like a blot on our record...we can’t have all these things with our regional and international obligations making us look like some not-good international player, it is making us look really bad,” she posited.

Nevertheless, she assured that they will be taking the said Bill back to the National Assembly and see where it will go from there. Rodrigues-

Birkett continued that while the Bill was postponed on several occasions, the court had even given them time to pass it and Rudisa had even said that if the Bill is passed then the matter would have been dropped. “The gentleman who took us to court said if we passed it, he would drop the case… my colleague Foreign Minister in Suriname said he would have told them to withdraw it, but now we’re with a $1.2 billion bill and we have to pay it,” she stated. In addition, the Minister noted that during all of this they had met with officials from two of Guyana’s biggest beverage companies, Banks DIH and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), and they had indicated that they will not pay any taxes on non-returnable bottles. “Nobody here wants to pay,” the concerned Minister said. (vahnum@guyanatimesgy.com)

Elderly man dies after Turkeyen fire

A76-year-old man is now dead after a fire of unknown origin raged through his home at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, leaving relatives with questions as to whether foul play was involved.

Dead is Sew Sewsankar, of Lot 33 Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital, around 23:30h on Monday.

The man’s son, Sonny Sewsankar, in an interview with Guyana Times, related that he was still trying to come to grips with the incident, since it transpired minutes after he left the home.

“I just left the house to go and drop two persons up the road and when I come back, I see the front of the house engulfed in flames, so I run to this side gate here and run straight up the steps, because I heard my father hollering. I tried to get into the building, but heat was too intense, so I could not open the door and go in to get him out… I holler and tell him to go into the bathroom and open the pipe

and sit in the bathtub and I run out and call the Fire Service and the neighbours,” the younger Sewsankar said.

He noted that although the Fire Service responded quickly, they came without any water and it was some time before they could get water to douse the fire.

No water

“When they came, they had no water. Then when they finally get water, they start

putting out the front and the left side first, so I tell them my father in the house towards the back on the right hand side and if they could please out there first, so that we can rescue him. As I got back into the yard, I heard him stop screaming so I got worried, but, eventually, we got to him and he was alive; he just had some burns on his hands so to hear that he is now dead is quite shocking,” the grieving man told this publication.

The younger Sewsankar further disclosed that he is very suspicious of the fire, noting that contrary to what was reported by some sections of the media, there was no candle left burning in the house but a diya was burning, but it could not have caused the fire.

“We had blackout much earlier and we used candles, but the lights came on back so we doused the candles. I left lights in the house and there was no candle lighting in the house when I left. The only thing which was left lighting in the house was a diya, but it’s not one which could have

caused the fire because firstly, the cotton is held firm by a metallic holder, the diya was in a Pyrex bowl of water and there was no blind or cloth there, so that is absolutely impossible,” the man said.

Arson?

The deceased’s son, relatives and friends on the scene were heard discussing the probability of arson since a zinc sheet in a fence was discovered missing and the family was robbed on several occasions in the recent past.

Guyana Times has learnt too that several documents which were missing after the fire mysteriously turned up

Tuesday morning. On this note, the deceased's son stated that while he cannot point fingers and conclude on the matter, he is of the strong belief that the fire was maliciously set.

“We have our suspicions and ideas of what may have happened, but we have no evidence and so we cannot disclose anything, but I don’t think this was a natural or accidental act,” he said.

Asked to estimate his financial losses, the younger Sewsankar related that it was impossible for him to do so at this moment, since the house’s garage had contained several barrels of auto mer-

chandise among other costly materials.

Meanwhile, investigators from the Guyana Fire Service who were on the scene, in an invited comment, stated that the investigation is currently in progress and no disclosures can be made at this point in time.

Sewsankar was described as a hardworking, resilient man who had survived the Twin Towers terrorist attack in the United States of America. He was a US citizen who had only arrived in the country on May 21. A post-mortem examination is expected to be performed on the body today.

The dead man’s son, Sonny Sewsankar going through the ruins of his home

The fire raging through the house on Monday evening

Baton-rape accused cops charged for assault

Four days after the Crime Chief asked for the public’s patience as the Police strove to perfect its Colwyn Harding case and some seven months after the incident of alleged baton-rape occurred, two Police officers were charged with assaulting the 23-year-old.

Constables Devin Singh and Rosyln Tilbury Douglas appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Tuesday jointly charged with assaulting Harding while he was in custody at the Timehri Police Station between November 1 and 13, 2013.

Rosyln Tilbury-Douglas,

Devin Singh

who is being represented by Attorney Leslie Sobers was granted bail in the sum of $100,000, and Devin Singh, who is being represented by Attorney Glenn Hanoman, was granted $200,000 bail.

They will both return to the court today for continuation of the matter.

Harding was arrested in November of last year for theft and was held at the Timehri Police Station, where he alleged that the police constables tortured and raped him with a condom-covered baton, and causing intestinal damage for which he had to undergo corrective surgery in Jamaica.

Crime Chief Leslie James on Friday said that while the public would want to see closure on the matter, the Police did not want to take an incomplete file before the court. The case file was returned by the Director of

Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack to the Police for amendment, on at least two occasions. He assured Guyana Times that a decision was imminent.

The Crime Chief noted that the DPP has made her recommendations and so has Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Cecil Kennard.

Initially, Justice Kennard had recommended criminal charges against two of the Police Officers accused of raping Harding with a baton and beating him unconscious, and disciplinary action against the others for the use of excessive force.

Pomeroon labourer gets 18 months for burglary

A25-year-old labourer from the Lower Pomeroon River who was arraigned on charges of break and enter and simple larceny was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for the former on Tuesday at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court. Kelvin Mannie pleaded guilty to the break and enter charge when he appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess. According to Police, sometime around

May 20, Mannie broke and entered the dwelling place of Leslie Benjamin and stole an amplifier valued $360,000.

Police also alleged that on May 15, Mannie stole a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone

valued $85,000, property of Ratwattie Narine.

The defendant, who was not represented by legal counsel, pleaded not guilty to the simple larceny charge and was granted $40,000 bail.

Drunken man found in female dorm at Mahdia

Adrunken man was early Tuesday morning found in the female dormitory at a Mahdia school, the Education Ministry said in a release.

“It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Education that a former male student of the Mahdia Secondary School was found in the female dormitory early this morning, June 3rd, 2014. No student was harmed,” the release stated.

According to the Ministry, the man was reportedly in an inebriated state. The matter was immediately brought to the attention of the acting Regional Education Officer, Rabindra Singh who alerted the local Police who arrested the man. The man is currently in the custody of the Police.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry said it is also investigating the matter to determine how this happened and with a view to, acting in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, prevent its recurrence.

The Ministry said too that it has received a report that an Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor, known as Mr Gafoor, allegedly verbally abused and assaulted Singh in the presence of students and staff at the school. Singh, at the time was carrying out his duties as a public officer, the Ministry said. The matter was also reported to the Mahdia Police Station. “The Ministry wishes to condemn in the strongest possible terms the interference and/ or intimidation of public officers who are executing their duties.”

Eyew tness

The madman...

...from TV land

Tony Vieira has another letter in the press. Another looooong letter in the press. Won’t somebody please give the man a job so that we can be spared his interminable rantings? Seems there isn’t a subject under the sun on which he can’t pronounce conclusively. This time, he’s picked the subject of law – more precisely, Constitutional Law. And he concludes that neither the Attorney General of the land, Anil Nandlall, nor his Shadow from across the aisles, Basil Williams, “are competent” to pronounce on the matter he raises.

Even though, inter alia, he assures us: “I am not a madman”, the very fact that he raises the matter of insanity indicates that some brave soul among the three or four remaining friends he has must’ve given him a hint. The friend had to be brave because Vieira isn’t known for taking advice kindly. But let’s look at Vieira’s proposal a bit to discern whether what he says isn’t actually more evidence of his insanity.

The former field manager in his father’s cane fields claims that even though our Constitution clearly says how the President is to be chosen – his party must just have the largest number of votes – this method makes it “illegitimate”. Get that? No? Well according to Vieira, the Constitution cannot mean what it says! Why? Because the method isn’t fair – since less than 50 per cent of the votes delivering the Presidency isn’t fair.

Now the fella who crafted that particular clause – by the name of Forbes Burnham – got into power because he used that very same “fairness” argument to the British. The British – from the beginning of their democratic system – had used the constituency system to elect their Prime Ministers and governments. In the Constituency system, many times the government is elected by a minority of votes overall. For instance, the Labour Government before the present Conservative one.

Nobody complains about “illegitimacy” like Vieira does. But Burnham did back in 1962 about the PPP Government – when Guyana had the constituency system. The British duly changed the system to require more than 50 per cent to do the trick. And guess what! Once Burnham was in power he changed it back to less that 50 per cent!!

Point of the matter is that with people like Burnham and Vieira, they just want power. And they’ll fight for whatever system they think will get them in. And have the country jumping up and down like a yo-yo.

So Vieira isn’t a madman. He just thinks everyone else is mad not to see through his little scheme. He just needs a squeeze, so baaaad!

...from Queens

Last week, your Eyewitness speculated what might’ve gone down with Granger’s meeting with some Indians in New York. Well, seems that he was right on the ball. Granger got the same speech from Mike Persaud that’d caused Corbin to throw the wanker out on his ear from Congress place, some years ago. Mike Persaud, like Tony Vieira, can solve all of Guyana’s problems – just in his spare time. And as a taxi driver Persaud has a lot of spare time.

Persaud obviously thinks politicians are fools. Here’s what he proposes in his own “short summary: (1) Need for a sizeable pool of swing voters comprising all races”. Mike doesn’t say how this’ll happen when it hasn’t happened after 50 years. “(2) Need for perceived ethnic parties – PPP and PNC – to transform themselves into genuine multi-ethnic parties.” And how to do this?

Well duh!!! Let the PPP and PNC elect a black and Indian respectively as their leaders. Voila!!! Utopia’s here, delivering (three) alternating governments!!! Like they say, there’s more madmen outside than inside the asylum.

...of Nietzsche

“Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market place, and cried incessantly: “I seek God! I seek God!”... He provoked much laughter. Has he got lost?...”

Basil Williams dubs Hamilton a “whistleblower”

– amid revelations of PNC/House of Israel link

By Alexis Rodney

The cross-examination of former executive member of the People’s National Congress, Joseph Hamilton, by his former party colleague Attorney Basil Williams, took an interesting twist when, after Hamilton’s evidence-in-chief, Williams called him a “snitch, a “whistleblower” and accused him of “betraying loyalties”.

Movement (YSM) and that he Corbin had handed over pistols to the House of Israel. He mentioned too that both Corbin and Green were reportedly seen with walkie talkies directing activities during a massive gathering on July 1979, when WPA leaders Walter Rodney and Rupert Roopnaraine were facing charges before the magistrates’ court. Williams at the beginning of the cross examina-

The former PNC executive member had earlier given evidence, incriminating top party leaders Robert Corbin and Hamilton Green. Hamilton had told the Commission on Monday that during the activities of the House of Israel cult back in the 1970s and 80s ,Corbin had carried out executive functions within the Cadet Corps of the Youth Socialist

tion questioned Hamilton, “Now where you are standing, and in light of the evidence you have given, will you agree with me you are standing in the capacity of what is popularly called a snitch?... Will you agree with what is termed a whistleblower? Hamilton said he would agree with that term since “I myself don’t know what a snitch is”. Williams

continued “whether you’re a whistle blower or a snitch, it means that you are betraying loyalties”

Hamilton said he thought it was his lawful duty to speak to the Guyanese public about his participation in the House of Israel.

But Williams, the People’s National Congress Reform Chairman, told Hamilton that the evidence was a “blatant lie” and that he Hamilton was rather retaliating for a falling out he had with both Green and Corbin. “I’m putting it to you”, Williams told Hamilton, that it is because of the bitterness you have for your political boss that you have come here today to give false evidence against him.

“.. Evidence of things I know”

Hamilton responded: “My evidence that I’ve given you is evidence of things that I know transpired in a period when I served the organisation. It has nothing to do with my political boss, it has nothing to do with the PPP/C, it has to do with Hamilton coming here at this opportune time to speak to this commission about a period that an organisation he belonged to terrorised persons who were opposing the Government”.

Williams put it to Hamilton that the falling out had led him to resign from the PNC in 2007, which at that time was under the leadership of Robert Corbin. “I am further put-

ting it to you that you also had a falling out with the former leader Mr. Robert Corbin that is why you are also making false testimony against him”

In rebuttal, Hamilton said he left the party of his own free will “There was no falling out. You are attempting to suggest that there was a falling out. I am saying that I removed myself from the PNC in 2007 July”.

The former executive said he now serves in the Guyana National Assembly as a Member of Parliament on the slate of the PPP/civic government. He recalled his role in the 2006 general election, while serving as Chief Scrutineer for the PNCR. Williams informed the commission that Hamilton was required to make checks at the polling stations around

the country, but he had instead sat in the office at Congress Place with his feet “on the table”.

Hamilton fired back, telling Williams that his claim was totally absurd. “What Williams is talking about was “impracticable and impossible”. He said it was impossible for any political person in Guyana to visit every polling station, since there are over 200 polling stations “some in the mountains, valleys, hills and rivers…. No politician ever in Guyana is able to visit every polling station in Guyana.”

Moreover, Hamilton said his role was not to visit the polling station, but to pay attention to the information technology and to collate and tabulate and to give advice where necessary. Williams suggested to Hamilton that

it was because of his falling out with the party leader and his name being excluded from the list of MPs for 2007 that he walked out of the party. Hamilton lashed back “Well Mr. Corbin may have had a falling out with me, but I had no falling out with Mr. Corbin”.

He said Williams’s theory was untrue and informed him that he had in fact at the time had a conversation with Mr. Corbin, with him (Corbin) making plans for him to take up a position at the elections commission as commissioner, since there was a vacancy.

“The conversation was that Hamilton will replace Parris who had resigned, so there was no expectation of me going to Parliament”, Hamilton said in his defence.

Joseph Hamilton responds to the allegation that his testimony was retaliation against the PNC’s leadership

PNC’s Basil Williams referred to his former colleague Joseph Hamilton as a “snitch” and a “whistleblower”

Regional forum on care for the elderly opens in Mexico

The autonomy, care and protection of older persons are some of the topics to be analysed from a rights-based perspective at an international forum organised by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Government of Mexico City, which will be held in the Mexican capital from June 3-6.

The 2nd International Forum on the Rights of Older Persons will be opened by the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena; the Head of the Federal District Government, Miguel Ángel Mancera; and the Social Development Secretary of the Federal District Government, Rosa Icela Rodriguez.

The Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE) – Population Division of ECLAC, Dirk Jaspers, will also take part in the opening. Other participants include the Director

of the ECLAC Social Development Division, Martin Hopenhayn, and the Director of the ECLAC Gender Affairs Division, Sonia Montaño.

This second forum is a continuation of the first meeting, also organised by ECLAC and the Government of Mexico City, in March 2012, and is part of the process of implementation and follow-up to the San José Charter on

the Rights of Older Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was adopted at the Third Regional Intergovernmental Conference on Ageing in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2012.

The meeting will bring together experts from several of the region’s countries and aims to contribute to the debate on the best ways to provide decent living conditions for this growing social group: in 2010, people aged over 60 made up 9.8 per cent of all inhabitants of Latin America and the Caribbean, with this proportion expected to rise to 11.2 per ent by 2015 (according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs – DESA).

The forum will analyse international progress in protecting the human rights of older persons, as well as the legal and institutional guarantees designed for this purpose. In Latin America, 14 countries have specific rules

on the subject, although several of these lack particular protection mechanisms and sanctions to penalise lack of compliance.

Participants will also discuss legal capacity and guardianship laws, and the extent to which these protect the decision-making autonomy of older persons. The forum will analyse the challenges of providing care to people who need others to carry out the basic activities of daily life, at a time when the role of women is changing and new forms of family are emerging (as well as growing pressure on social-protection systems).

In addition, the meeting will analyse specific actions implemented (mainly in Europe) to protect older adults against the risk of exclusion and to reduce the obstacles to their participation in society, as well as specific measures that should be introduced to enable them to enjoy their rights and freedoms fully.

Region 10 RDC demands control of Wismar Hospital

The Regional Democratic Council of Region 10 is calling on Government to return control of the Upper Demerara Hospital (UDH), located at Wismar, Linden to the council.

Region 10 Health Committee Chairman Maurice Butters recently made the call while expressing concerns over the current state of its medical services to Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon. He explained that while the hospital has over the years provided similar services as the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), which included X-ray, laboratory, dispensary, as well as various wards including male, paediatric, female, maternity, emergency and outpatients, most of these services have suddenly

become non-existent.

“Presently, the outlook of the Upper Demerara Hospital has changed. Most of the services have been taken away from the Upper Demerara Hospital. What is being provided now is maternity among other services, but no female, male, or paediatric wards,” Butters said.

Only a few years ago, staff attached to the UDH had worked feverishly to remove stigma which was attached to the medical institution, since it was referred to by residents as being an “infectious” hospital, where it was believed that only patients infected with viruses such as HIV were treated there. Butters outlined however, that while the hospital was actually on the verge of becoming an infectious hospital, this did not follow through, due to the intervention of Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr Pansy Armstrong. Concerned that the stigma may soon return, the Health Committee Chairman is pressing for a return to normalcy.

“That is why the stigma existed at the UDH for some time, whereby if per-

sons were required to utilise its services, they refused, because it was termed to be an infectious hospital," he said. The stigma had caused regular patients to avoid visiting the UDH which had eventually reported a decline in patients.

Speaking on the issue, the RHO of Region 10 noted that she was recently informed that the LHC does not have sufficient space to monitor infectious patients, therefore part of that service is presently being carried out at the UDH.

“We have insisted that at least the LHC take the female infectious cases and the male remain at the Upper Demerara Hospital. That is happening presently,” she said.

Dr Armstrong added that the chest clinic at the UDH is considered too small.

She further stated that under the 2014 budget, an extension is expected to be carried out to the UDH to the tune of $8 million.

Guyana John

Satiricus was down. Here it was that he’d evidently goofed again. He’d seen this letter about lawyers getting silk from one EB John and had been reliably informed it was actually Elton B John. You know...the gay British pop star who’s been knighted by a real Queen. His source explained that Elton was descended from an old British family who’d owned some plantations in British Guiana. And that he maintained a keen interest in Guyana and a house in Monserrat.

And that he was interested in who was getting silk in Guyana, because dear Elton liked silk. Sounded very plausible to Satiricus. But then came this letter complaining that Satiricus had gotten his Johns mixed up.

Not only that, but as an aside, this John had complained that prior to his column on Johns who know about silk, Satiricus was “hitherto unknown” to him. That hurt Satiricus to the quick. While he was a very humble fella, to be “hitherto unknown” was deflating. Especially by a John.

But as Satiricus read the letter once again, he became angry. This fella – Satiricus decided to call Guyana-John (not Sir Elton John) – had the temerity to declare to the public that he was “authentic and a real man”!

“And in this day and age!!!” snorted Satiricus. “Just because Sir Elton is ‘gay’ doesn’t mean he’s not ‘authentic and a real man’?” This was just the kind of small mindedness and bigotry that so many people in Guyana were struggling in Guyana to eliminate –thought Satiricus and here was this wanker shamelessly flaunting his prejudices in the press.

And not that Guyana-John didn’t know he was being bigoted against gays. He took time to claim he didn’t conduct “ad hominen attacks”. Now everybody knows that in Guyana bigots don’t call gays”homos”... They taunt them as “anti-men”. So what’s the point this Guyana-John is making about being virtuous as being against “ad hominem attacks”?

Guyana-John then went on to claim he “has always preferred to rise above the level of the critic, more so in a case where gender is cloaked in anonymity.” Now Sir Elton has never “cloaked his gender in anonymity”. He proudly declared he was gay and had a very public marriage last month to his long time partner David Furnish, when England finally changed their ban on same-sex marriage. They even sealed the wedding with a kiss.

“Maybe Guyana-John has doubts about his sexuality?”wondered Satiricus.”Me think he does protest too much.”

Region 10 Health Committee Chairman Maurice Butters

Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena

wednesday, june 4, 2014 |

GMSA calls on politicians to stop dithering on AML/CFT legislation

Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) President Clinton Williams described the further blacklisting of Guyana by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) as a very “vexing issue”. He made yet another appeal for politicians to get their act together and address this issue once and for all.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, Williams said like the private sector entities and many other bodies, the GMSA too has long placed on record its call for the speedy passage and enactment of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill.

He said: “We referred to it in the context as dithering on the part of the politicians in getting a very important legislation passed in the Parliament.” With regards to the further blacklisting, the GMSA Head said the fact that there is now going to be more substantial due-diligence on anything emanating from Guyana does not augur well for the manufacturing sector or the country at large.

MNRE,

He noted too that advocacy for national interests to remain paramount at all costs should be continuous, particularly since it will take Guyana a significant amount of time to erase the damage that have already been caused.

“We should not do anything else, but advocate for good sense to prevail for the legislation to be passed and implemented into law, and for the laws to be upheld. Our members are going to be tremendously affected,” Williams said. He spoke of Guyana’s presence at the upcoming competitiveness forum, which is scheduled to be held in Trinidad and

Tobago, and said the recent blacklisting will see Guyana being looked at quite differently.

The competitiveness forum brings together businesses from across the entire hemisphere, which is home to some 900 million people with US$1.5 trillion in international trade. Asked what this latest development will mean for the Association, Williams said, “The short-term effect obviously is our inability to really garner what is required to really advance the private sector and more so, the manufacturing sector in terms of investment and international trade.”

As a result of non-passage of the AML/CFT Bill, the CFATF at its plenary in May in Miami, Florida issued a statement calling on its members to consider implementing further countermeasures to protect their financial systems from the ongoing money laundering and terrorist financing risks emanating from Guyana. This time, however, the regional body also referred the country to its parent body, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) where it will be discussed and assessed in mid-June.

collaborate for

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (MNRE), which is responsible for the sustainable management of the nation’s natural resources and the environment, Tuesday began a training course titled: “Legislative and Regulatory Capacity –Building for the Guyana Police Force”. This training is being collaborated with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) at their Training Centre, Camp Street, from June 3-6.

In his opening remarks, Major General (ret’d) Joseph Singh noted the areas for improvement along with recommendations to instil professionalism, ethical behaviour and cooperation among the sector agencies and the security forces.

He further highlighted the need for continuous monitoring and gathering of intelligence to build the capacities of the officers.

The rapid expansion in the mineral and forestry sectors have made active monitoring and enforcement a challenge for agencies under the purview of the Ministry. Hence, this training exercise with the GPF will focus on the laws and regulations within the natural resources and environmental sector, in an effort to improve compliance and to enhance the capacities of Police officers.

Armed forces with deepened understanding of the laws and regulations can assist mining, environmental and forestry officers more effectively, especially when issues arise and the

knowledge is needed.

The training is being facilitated by experienced training officers from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). Some of the topics to be covered include the laws governing the GGMC, EPA and GFC, Litter (Enforcement) Regulations (2013) and Wildlife Conservation and Management Regulations (2013).

This training exercise is in accordance with the directions given by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, at the agencies sector review held earlier this year. The Minister highlighted that this will be the year of active monitoring and enforcement, since monitoring has become a challenge due to a rapid expansion in the mineral and forestry sectors.

Minister Persaud recognises the wider powers of enforcement and authority by the GPF, hence the directive to pursue the said capacity-building exercise, it is expected to target the officers in the hinterland region and further expand to countrywide efforts.

UNDP, ONF sign pact on REDD+, Guiana Shield

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator, Khadija Musa and the French Forest Office (ONF) Guyane Regional Director, Nicolas Karr on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide a framework of cooperation and to facilitate collaboration on climate migration between the entities. The MoU will focus on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation-plus (REDD+) in the Guiana Shield.

The signing took place in Cayenne, French Guiana. In a statement, the UNDP said it is enhancing its development activities in the Guiana Shield, through implementation of the Guiana Shield Facility (GSF), a multi-country funding facility dedicated to conservation and sustainable development of the Guiana Shield eco-region. The GSF is supporting multiple REDD+ and REDD+ related activities in the Guiana Shield including strengthening monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system for REDD+ in Guyana, implementation of R-PP in Suriname and development of FORESEEN (forest and remote sensing exchange network), in efforts to accelerate REDD+ readiness of the countries and to conserve forest ecosystems.

The ONF prepares its partners to manage forests and natural areas, and to participate actively in the resolution of major issues of sustainable development. It is currently implementing a “REDD+ for the Guiana Shield” project focusing on regional cooperation for reducing emissions by preventing deforestation.

As such, in order to streamline future collaboration among the Guiana Shield countries that are participating in both GSF and ONF initiatives, the MoU will provide the framework for exchange of technical and strategic information on REDD+, as well as enhance capacity at the national and community levels to sustainably manage forest ecosystems for achieving

The MoU is also intended to contribute to data sharing and regional technical cooperation and capacity building that the two initiatives are developing, in order to increase ownership and participation, and to sustain the gains made during implementation of the GSF and the ONF REDD+ for the Guiana Shield project.

The agreement clearly states that the “ONF and GSF, are keen to avoid duplication of activities, and to share experiences and data, within the limit of their own respective agreements with other partners.” The Third Steering Committee Meeting of the ONF project “REDD+ in the Guiana Shield” is being held in Cayenne from June 1 to 3.

Region Two rice farmers still awaiting payment

– Golden Fleece Rice Investment to pay $100M of outstanding debt

Rice farmers in Region Two were on Monday given the assurance by millers that all efforts were being made to honour outstanding payments to them.

One prominent rice miller, Nazmul Hakh, owner of Golden Fleece Rice Investment, said Region Two farmers will start receiving payments as of Wednesday (today) morning.

Hakh, speaking at a special meeting organised by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and Rice Producers Association (RPA) to solve farmers paddy payments, said he has millions of dollars outstanding to farmers, but disclosed that $100 million has been allocated to pay farmers on Wednesday.

The rice miller said he was trying his best to pay farmers and that when the $100 million is paid out, he would still owe millions.

Hakh also said he is lobbying for contracts to export rice.

The meeting, which was held in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council, saw General Manager of the GRDB, Jagnarine Singh, telling

farmers that the meeting was specially convened to address the delay of payments for paddy. Singh said the GRDB is trying its best to safeguard as well as negotiate to find possible markets.

Attending the meeting also was General Secretary of the Rice Producers Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj, who said two millers on the Essequibo Coast owed farmers millions of dollars. Identifying the farmers as Wazeer Hussain and Nazmul Hakh, Seeraj said it is of concern to the RPA and GRDB.

Hussain related that he would pay farmers as soon as he secures money from the GRDB. He said there is a situation whereby millers can take money from the bank; however, farmers will receive less money for paddy. “We collect money from the GRDB and then we pay farmers”.

It was noted that approximately $900 million of paddy was purchased from farmers and $250 million was paid. Hussain said he has paddy leaving June 15 for Venezuela.

Hussain noted too that

one of his challenges is still having paddy stocked in his bond.

Meanwhile, scores of farmers who gathered in the RDC boardroom made it clear that they needed their money. Many farmers said they borrowed money from the bank to buy fertilisers and needed to honour their debts.

The farmers also requested prompt payments from millers and called on the major rice stakeholders to step up and take necessary action against millers.

Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud, said he is supportive of the farmers and wants them to receive their payments. He also called for an early solution to the problem.

Farmers’ representative and AFC Councillor, Naithram, said there should be a special loan fund that could be accessed by farmers.

Rice farmers in Region Two have been owed for paddy by millers since the last crop. Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy had disclosed that rice farmers in Region two have been owed the most, approximately $270 million.

REDD+.

GMSA President Clinton Williams

UNDP Resident Representative Khadija Musa and ONF Guyana Regional Director Nicolas Karr signing the MoU

CDB Advisor urges Guyana to resolve AML/CFT impasse

Financial Adviser at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr Toussant Boyce said Guyana must continue to search for solutions to break the impasse over its Anti-Money Laundering legislation, and suggested the Malawian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) setup as a good model that can be used in the present crisis.

Guyana is facing sanctions from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after being referred to that body by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) for its failure to pass requisite financial crimes legislation.

Boyce was speaking at a Distinguished Lecture Series being hosted by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the theme, “Effective Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Regimes.”

The event took place at the Pegasus Hotel. In his address to the mixed audience comprising representatives from the banking and commercial sectors, Dr Boyce alluded to Malawi, in southeast Africa, which has taken the requisite steps to safeguard its citizens. He said the country’s Money Laundering, Proceeds of Serious Crimes and Terrorist Financing Act (ML Act) of 2006 was assented by the then President Bingu wa Mutharika after it was passed in the Parliament with the support of a majority Opposition.

In August 2007, the country’s FIU was established with finances coming from the Government. The FIU is an autonomous national agency, operating in collaboration with governmental departments and agencies to which it can provide financial intelligence. Dr Boyce was keen on pointing out that the FIU reports to the Parliament through the Finance Minster, noting too that the director is appointed by the President, but this appointment is subjected to the approval of the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament.

International cooperation

Malawi became the eighth country to be admitted to the Egmont Group of FIUs, joining the best in the world. Egmont Group provides a platform for FIUs around the world to improve cooperation in the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism.

Malawi was used as an example to show that an effective Anti-Money Laundering System can be tailored and unique when compared to other territories. According to Dr Boyce, FATF has made provisions for tailored or unique Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) System under its new methodology.

“In the context of Guyana, we have within the depths of this current crisis an opportunity to craft an AML/CFT regime that is entirely suitable to our needs, but that is exactly compliant but moreover effective,” he explained.

Dr Boyce added that “if we look far enough, we can find sufficient examples as a country,” but stressed that it must be compliant with FATF standards.

Common ground

Although referencing Malawi’s FIU, Dr Boyce made it clear that his views do not represent those of the organisations he present. It was also made clear that his presentation was not intended to fulfil any political agenda or show biasness to any political party. He, however, believes that Guyana can overcome its current situation by finding common ground.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) at the level of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee is attempting to make legislative changes to the principal act, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act of 2009.

In one of the three proposed amendments, APNU is seeking to establish an AML/CFT Authority by the National Assembly. Additionally the coalition is seeking to remove the powers of the Minister to appoint the Director and the power of the President to dismiss the Director, thereby placing these powers in the Authority.

However, in a letter dated May 14, 2014, CFATF Executive Director Calvin Wilson said the proposed amendments to establish the AML/CFT Authority “appears to undermine the autonomy” of the FIU.

In justifying CFATF’s position, Wilson explained that Recommendation 26 made by the FATF stipulates that the FIU have sufficient operational independence and autonomy to ensure that it is free from undue influence or

CFT Authority the power to appoint and terminate the Director and Deputy Director without parameters will raise serious questions about the ability of these officials to perform their functions without undue influence.”

interference.

“The proposed amendment which gives the AML/

Wilson said the establishment of the Authority is not a “specific” requirement of FATF, noting that consideration should be given to determine whether the proposed structure and membership would result in the effective appointment of the Director and simultaneously allow for the termination of the appointment “on the basis of just cause and not allow for undue influence”.

The CFATF Executive Director also said serious consideration will have to be given to the composition of the Authority and whether or not members will be appointed within an appropriate timeframe. “Termination of employment will have to be based on just cause which can be stipulated in law,” he said, positing that the Director or Deputy Director could be terminated if he or she has become of unsound mind or incapable of carrying out the required mandate.

It was also opined that the designated person could also be terminated if he or she becomes bankrupt or compounds with or suspends

payment of his creditors, is convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment, convicted of any offence involving dishonesty, guilty of misconduct, contravenes any provision of any prescribed Code of Ethics or fails to execute his duties.

However, Wilson made it clear that CFATF cannot indicate a preference for any of the proposals for termination, stating that the local authorities should review similar situations in other CFATF jurisdictions. Similar systems have been put in place at the Bank of Guyana in accordance with Section 14 of the Bank of Guyana Act 1998.

Former GCCI President, Clinton Urling; Dr Toussant Boyce; and GCCI President Lance Hinds

Venezuela protests spawn ‘tear gas art’ competition

Tear gas canisters fired by the thousands on the streets of Caracas are being transformed into sculptures in a competition seeking to give an artistic twist to this year’s anti-government unrest in Venezuela.

The Oppositiongoverned Chacao district, a hotbed of violent clashes between masked protesters and security forces in the capital, is inviting locals to submit creations by the end of this month based on spent canisters found on the streets.

“This initiative seeks to convert instruments of repression into a tool of peaceful protest,” reads the council’s invitation, which has a photo of a pink flower poking out of a canister.

The Bahamas to take US spying claims to OAS

Aforeign service team will travel to Paraguay this week to address the Organisation of American States (OAS) and meet with a representative from the office of the US Assistant Secretary of State on the controversial allegations that the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States is recording and storing audio from every cellphone conversation in The Bahamas, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said.

Mitchell said his Ministry is “kicking it up to an even higher level to get answers”. He said it is imperative to get to the bottom of who, if anyone, authorised the alleged spying.

“This is a symbol of the response of the Chacao municipality’s residents to the disproportionate and inhumane acts of repression that have happened in our streets at the hands of the state security forces,” the invitation said.

Each district in Caracas is governed by a Mayor with considerable autonomy in the day-to-day running of affairs.

Teen gunned down after bar brawl

ASan Fernando teenager’s bullet-riddled body had to be fished out of a river near Trinidad Cement’s Claxton Bay plant early on Monday. Police are working with the theory that 17-year-old Michael “Chucky” Miguel, of Building One, Embacadere, was gunned down after he was mistaken for his elder brother Marlon. The elder Miguel is serving a prison sentence for assaulting a man during an ongoing war between the Pleasantville and Broadway gangs. Relatives believe Michael was killed because of the rivalry. Police said scores of patrons had gathered at a bar near Claxton Bay junction around 16:00h after a party at TCL’s Recreational Ground. They said Miguel

and his friends – Wayne Richards and Anthony Cummings, also from Embacadere – were liming in the bar when a group of men walked in and began questioning him about his brother.

A brawl broke out, with bottles being thrown. Eventually, one of the men pulled out a gun and fired several shots, hitting bystander Shaquille Duncan in the leg. Miguel and his friends ran off along the Southern Main Road, but the gunman chased them and continued shooting. Richards was later found near the river with a gunshot wound to the back, while Miguel was found in the water with multiple wounds to the head and upper body. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Rights groups and opponents of President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist Government say National Guard troops used excessive force to quell three months of near-daily protests that began in February.

Officials, though, say

the demonstrations were cover for a US-backed coup plot. They insist that security forces showed great restraint in the face of hooded protesters hurling rocks and gasoline bombs, and sometimes including gunmen. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Mexico doubles prison sentences for kidnapping

Mexico has published new sentencing guidelines that will double prison sentences for kidnapping. The minimum prison term has risen from 20 to 40 years.

It will apply for all abductions, including those that last only a few hours or days, so-called “express kidnappings”. The maximum prison sentence will rise from 50 to 140 years for those who kill their victims.

Kidnappings committed by a public security official, such as a member of the Police or military, will be punished with up to 100 years in prison.

Kidnappers will also have to pay heavy fines. In reality, few people ever receive sentences longer than 60 years for federal crimes,

but kidnapping is considered in a separate category.

The number of kidnappings reported to the Police has risen dramatically in Mexico in recent years. In 2007, 438 kidnappings were reported, but the number had risen to almost 1700 last year. And the Government estimates the number of kidnappings reported to the Police could be fewer than two per cent of the total.

If that is the case, the real number of abductions could be about 105,000 per year.

Analysts say accurate figures are hard to come by, as many abductions only last for hours or a few days until the victims empty their bank accounts at gunpoint or pay a ransom.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

20 per cent hike in UWI Open Campus fees

The Jamaica Gleaner is reporting that fees for the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus have gone up by 20 per cent. The increase in fees for programmes at the Open Campus will be effective from the start of the 2014-2015 academic year. Observer Media contacted head of the Open Campus in Antigua Ian Benn who said he has not been informed of any increase as yet. Meanwhile the Jamaica Gleaner reports the UWI Mona Campus is to increase undergraduate tuition fees

by three point, seven per cent across most faculties for the upcoming 2014-2015 academic year. It’s less than the five point, five per cent increase announced last year.

The fees are determined using Jamaica’s inflation rate which over the last financial year was nine points, seven per cent. The three point, seven per cent increase will apply

to the faculties of humanities, Science and technology, social sciences and the advanced nursing course.

Students returning to the medical science faculty will pay a two point, nine per cent increase while law students will have to find two point, five per cent more to pay their fees.

The Mona Campus has admitted to facing cash flow problems in part due to the failure of some students to pay their fees on time. Meantime, no increases were made for the fees at the UWI’s campuses in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

(Antigua Observer)

During a press conference, Mitchell pointed out that it has been more than a week since US officials indicated they would give a public response on the matter.

No such response has yet come, according to Mitchell.

COP

Only the National Security Ministry, the Office of the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police can authorise listening of private citizens’ phone conversations, according to the Listening Devices Act. Mitchell said that everyone in the current and former administration, who would have had authority to sign off on access to the cellphones with the “glaring exception” of the former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, has publically denied knowledge of the matter. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

suspends Trinidad Sport Minister, calls for his resignation from Cabinet

The Congress of the People (COP) party has suspended TT’s Sport Minister Anil Roberts as the fall out continues over a video that showed someone resembling the Minister partying with marijuana and women in a hotel room.

COP Leader Prakash Ramadhar said that COP executive, which met on Monday night, had also taken a decision to ask the embattled Sport Minister to resign as a Cabinet member until the issue surrounding the video is determined.

Roberts had last week indicated that the matter surrounding the video was now in the hands of his lawyers and had decided against cooperating further with the COP, the second biggest partner within the four-party coalition Government, when it met with him to dis-

cuss the matter.

Speaking to the media after Monday night's meeting, Ramadhar said the executive decided to suspend Roberts and ban him from all party activities. He said the party was also ready to battle Roberts in the courts should he take any legal action against the party.

Ramadhar said these decisions were taken after “deep and serious” consideration.

“The party has decided that in the circumstances where Mr Roberts was invited and he did in fact attend a meeting and did not cooperate as well to clarify many of the issues that were raised in that meeting… until he does so the COP will not allow him to participate or represent the party in any form or fashion,” said Ramadhar.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

A tear gas canister shot by Police lies on the floor of an apartment after it broke a window and exploded inside, in the Los Palos Grandes neighbourhood of Caracas, May 8

TT Sport Minister Anil Roberts

Sisi declared Egypt's next President

Former Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi won 96.91 per cent in Egypt’s presidential vote last week, the Election Commission said on Tuesday, confirming interim results that had given him a landslide victory

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has won Egypt’s presidential elections by a huge majority, the country’s election commission has said. The former Military Chief, who last July overthrew Egypt’s first democratically elected President, Mohammed Morsi, won 96.91 of legal votes cast in last week’s election.

Accepting the result, Sisi urged Egyptians to work to restore stability and achieve “freedom” and “social justice”. “I look forward to your continued efforts and determination in the coming building phase. You did what you had to do and now it is time to work,” he said on television shortly after the official election result was announced.

Turnout was recorded at 47 per cent, lower than Sisi had called for, and despite the voting period being extended from two to three days. Sisi’s only rival in the

Obama offers military help to eastern Europe allies worried by Russia

US President Barack Obama promised on Tuesday to beef up military support for eastern European members of the NATO alliance who fear they could be next in the firing line after the Kremlin’s intervention in Ukraine.

Under attack from critics at home who say his leadership on the world stage has not been muscular enough, Obama unveiled plans to

spend up to US$1 billion in supporting and training the armed forces of NATO states on Russia’s borders.

The White House also said it would review permanent troop deployments in Europe in the light of the Ukraine crisis – though that fell short of a firm commitment to put troops on the ground that Poland and some of its neighbors had sought.

Stationing troops permanently in eastern Europe would be tricky: many NATO members in Western Europe would baulk at the cost, and a big increase in US forces could prompt reciprocal steps by Moscow and spiral into an arms race.

Moments after landing at Warsaw’s Okecie airport at the start of a four-day visit to Europe, Obama set the tone by striding into an air-

craft hangar to inspect US fighter jets in Poland for a joint programme with the Polish air force.

“We need to make sure that the collective defence... is robust, it is ready, it is properly equipped,” Obama later told a joint news conference with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in Warsaw at the start of a four-day visit to Europe.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Violence against women affecting India’s image, tourism report says

Aelection, Hamdeen Sabahi, won 3.09 per cent of the vote.

The results, and the swearing in on Sunday, confirm the rise of the retired field marshal who has suppressed Morsi’s supporters, promised to restore stability and the economy after three years of turmoil.

Sisi has said it would take 25 years to bring about real democracy, and has spoken out against too many freedoms that cause turmoil, amid an already shrinking space for political activity.

He is expected to be sworn in on Sunday before Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, in front of a large gathering of supporters from across the region.

Shortly after the announcement of the final results of the election, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia hailed the day as “historic” and called for the supporters to help the country. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Nigeria U-turn on kidnapped schoolgirl rallies

Nigerian Police say peaceful rallies to demand the release of more than 200 schoolgirls seized by Islamist militants will be allowed, after earlier banning them.

But campaigners were warned to exercise caution during protests. Abuja Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu said the rallies were “now posing a serious security threat”.

Nigeria has seen almost daily rallies calling for the Government to take firmer action to rescue the girls. Boko Haram militants snatched the girls from the remote Chibok village near the Cameroon border on April 14. The Government earlier banned public protests across Nigeria after scuffles broke out last week between demonstrators organised un-

der the #BringBackOurGirls and a new Governmentsponsored group called #ReleaseOurGirls. Mbu said that public protests had “degenerated” and were now a security threat.

“Protests on the Chibok girls is hereby banned with immediate effect,” he said in a statement on Monday. But a day later, another Police statement denied issuing any protest banning order, insisting that they had only released an “advisory notice”.

It said that there was a risk of the protest rallies being attacked by “criminal elements having links with insurgents”. Those wanting to attend such gatherings should “seek proper advice and guidance from the Police” in order to “avoid any unpleasant circumstances”, the statement said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

n independent travel report has said recent cases of violence against women have tarnished the country’s image and recommended strong steps to tackle the problem. The World Travel and Tourism Council India Initiative comes even as the country is agog with the gruesome gang rape and murder of two cousins in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh.

and by the Tourism Ministry

The WTTCII report – that was submitted to the Tourism Ministry on Tuesday – said, “India tourism is facing immense negative publicity from the international media on reoccurring incidents of incidents of rape/molestation cases against women foreign tourists.”

The report has suggested a two pronged strategy to counter safety and security threats and negative publicity to be implemented by both Government of India and by tourism Ministry.

“The strategy should be developed by the Tourism Ministry in conjunction with the Ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs and I&B. This includes ensuring speedy trials, sensitisation of stakeholders, especially State Government and law and order apparatus and evolving a strategy to tackle the negative publicity,” it said. (Excerpt from Times of India)

Tiananmen anniversary: China tightens crackdown

China has tightened security and widened a clampdown on dissent, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre on Wednesday. Lawyers, journalists and activists have been detained.

Internet search terms related to the 1989 massacre and the protests have been blocked, and access on

Explosions and fire at Dutch Shell plant

A

large fire has broken out at a Shell chemical plant in the Netherlands following a series of explosions, reports say. Television footage showed flames and smoke pouring from the plant in Moerdijk, south of Rotterdam.

It is not known if there are any casualties and the cause of the blasts was not clear.

Local media said the explosions could be heard several miles away from the site.

The factory is reported to make oil-based chemicals for use in products that range from car components to insulation materials. (BBC News)

Google has reportedly been restricted.

The protests were the biggest rally against Communist rule since the People’s Republic was founded in 1949. Hundreds of thousands called for democratic reforms in a peaceful demonstration largely focused on a gathering in Tiananmen Square.

After weeks of protests, the authorities responded on June 4, 1989, with a massacre of hundreds in the streets of Beijing. Analysts say repression for the 25th anniversary of the protests is much more intense than in previous years.

The authorities began to round up and warn dissidents and activists weeks ago. In recent days, the official repression has stepped up, with the apparent detention of a Chinese-born Australian artist on Monday. Guo Jian was reported to have been taken away the day after the Financial Times newspaper published an extensive interview with him. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Saudi review finds over 100 more MERS infections

Saudi Arabia, which is grappling to contain the spread of a frequently deadly respiratory virus, announced Tuesday that a review of the illness led authorities to sharply revise upward the number of confirmed infections and deaths from the disease.

The surprise disclosure followed the unexpected firing of the kingdom’s Deputy Health Minister, heightening concerns about the country’s ability to halt the spread of the Middle Eastern respiratory virus. He was the second senior Saudi health official to loose his job in less than two months.

A report by the official Saudi Press Agency said authorities have registered a total of 688 confirmed infections and 282 deaths as a result of MERS since the virus

Muslim pilgrims wear surgical masks to prevent infection from respiratory virus known as the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

was first identified in 2012. Of those infected, 53 were reported to still be receiving treatment.

The Saudi Health Ministry’s most recent tally of cases listed 575 cases and 190 deaths, meaning that over 100 cases had previously gone unreported. MERS belongs to a family of viruses known as coronaviruses that include both the common cold and SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which killed some 800 people in a global outbreak in 2003. (Excerpt from Yahoo! News)

The World Travel and Tourism Council India Initiative report has suggested a two pronged strategy to counter safety and security threats and negative publicity to be implemented by both the Government of India

wednesday, june 4, 2014 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ramotar's, Granger’s legal emissaries to meet on rejected Local Govt Bills

By Svetlana MarShall

The legal minds sitting on both sides of the National Assembly will be meeting to effect changes to the Local Government Bills that were rejected by President Donald Ramotar.

Opposition Leader David Granger made this disclosure on Tuesday, one day after he and the President met. This agreement stemmed from discussions on the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has tied the passage of the AML/CFT Bill to the assenting of the four Local Government Bills. Speaking at his Hadfield Street Office, Granger told media operatives that the coalition’s position was renewed during the meeting with President Ramotar Monday evening.

It was during that meeting that the Opposition Leader proposed that the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall and the Shadow Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams consider the Local

Government Bills that was considered unconstitutional by the Government. With the bills returning to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Granger said it is important for the two parties to “iron out their differences before the bills return to the House. “We just need those two persons to agree on the text of the bills and have them brought back to the President for his assent,” Granger told reporters.

However, he was unable to indicate when Nandlall and Williams will commence consideration of the Local Government Bills, but remains optimistic that these meetings will commence

soon. If the Government and APNU fail to agree on the bills, it was proposed that the matter be taken to the court-something which the Opposition Leader said he is not willing to endorse. “Our business is to pass the bills as members of the National Assembly and the President’s business is to assent to the bills,” he posited.

The assenting of the Local Government Bills can move the country close to the passage of the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill. But in addition to the bills receiving the President’s assent,

the Opposition is demanding that their three proposed amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act of 2009 be passed simultaneously with the AML/CFT Bill of 2013. These proposed amendments are currently being dealt with at the level of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee being chaired by Government’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira.

Defending

In defending the coalition’s position, Granger said that after 14 years and no prosecution it is clear that the enforcement mecha-

11 new cases of Chikungunya confirmed here

By GaBreila PatraM

Eleven new cases of Chikungunya have been confirmed in the Berbice area, taking the total number of verified cases of the mosquito-borne disease to 13. A source close to the Health Ministry revealed to this publication that the team present at Berbice, where the outbreak was first detected, found more persons with symptoms of the virus and tested them. The virus was then found in their blood. The Aedes aegypti mosquito which transmits the disease is quite common along the coast of Guyana.

As moves are being made to intensify the campaign to control the potential impact of the Chikungunya virus in the Berbice area, more than 130 blood samples were taken in recent days from persons found to be suffering from fever. This is according to officials currently engaged in the campaign.

Speaking with this publication on Tuesday, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud stated that the two cases that were an-

nounced last week were confirmed by the Trinidadbased Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Laboratory. The samples for those cases were among a set of 30 that were taken a few weeks earlier. The other samples taken will also be sent for testing at the CARPHA Laboratory.

Eliminating virus

Dr Persaud noted that while transmission of the virus is facilitated by mosquitoes, when it becomes widespread, the possibility exists that animals can serve as reservoirs of the disease.

“That is one way that the virus can stay around; you might get rid of the human part, but primate mammals can actually harbour the virus, and, of course, mosquito bite humans but other warmblooded mammals also; so when you have that animal loop it gets a little bit more difficult to control and eliminate,” said Dr Persaud.

He also stated that the Health Ministry’s Veterinary Public Health Department is currently involved in the strategic efforts to combat the virus.

According to Dr Persaud, the Ministry will sustain a regular cycle of fogging in the populated areas of Regions Four, Six and other Regions too, with emphasis being placed on the Canje Area.

He, however, cautioned that controlling the situation is not only about “vector control”. “This mosquito (Aedes aegypti) is really a domestic mosquito and doesn’t breed in dirty drains, but in clean collection of water, like water barrels and vases in the homes.”

The Director of Vector Control Services, Dr Reyaud Rahman, told Guyana Times that he is presently spearheading vector control activities, mainly intense fogging of the areas where persons were found with fever symptoms.

Dr Rahman disclosed that they are going houseto-house spraying pesticide and even spraying schools as well. He stated that while Chikungunya itself does not have a high fatality rate, it can have some long-term effects such as joint pain. It usually causes moderate to severe illness. It was explained that even with medical care, a person might still experience

pain depending on how the body reacts beyond the incubation period. This period can span from two to six days with symptoms usually appearing four to seven days after infection.

Guyana has been on high alert ever since reports surfaced of the virus’s detection in parts of the Caribbean last year. On December 12 last year, CARPHA was informed of 10 confirmed cases on the French side of the Caribbean island of St Martin. Since then, more than 1800 confirmed cases were reported from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, The Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Martinique, and St Martin among other countries. Three deaths from the viral disease were reported in Martinique and St Martin.

The Doctors mentioned above are encouraging people with symptoms such as high fevers above 39 degrees with associated joint pain, and back pain, muscle pain, any form of rash to seek medical attention because early intervention can prevent complications from occurring.

Man charged for firing pellet gun at sex workers

The man accused of firing a pellet gun upon three commercial sex workers back in April as they plied their trade in the vicinity of the St George’s Cathedral, Georgetown, was on Tuesday remanded to prison.

Sylvester Bristol, of 41 Almond Street, Eccles, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond charged with assault.

The charge stated that

on Monday, April 7, around 21:00h, the virtual complain

ants, Micron Bennons and Sean Persad, aka “Isabella”, were plying their trade at King and Charlotte Streets and King Street and North Road respectively when the accused, in the company of friends fired shots at them from his minivan, GMM 5810, causing injuries.

The defendant is to return to court on June 10, for statements.

nism is weak. It was pointed out too that the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) in 2011 put Guyana on a list with other countries that had significant deficiencies in the enforcement of the AML Law.

“Those deficiencies had to be rectified by November 2013, so the bill only came before the National Assembly in April 2013 to be amended. But we detected quite quickly that the big problem with the act was that it was not being enforced.”

According to him, it is therefore necessary to withdraw the powers given to the Finance Minister for the appointment of the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and give to an authority governed by the National Assembly. Though the Government has tagged this move as unconditional, APNU has vowed to effect these “necessary changes.”

Though the Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan was not present at the meeting, Granger said the interest of the alliance was represented. The AFC has long made it clear that it will

not support the passage of the AML Bill if the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is not operationalised.

According to Granger, he has invited President Ramotar to have bilateral talks with the AFC. “I don’t want to put myself in the shoe of the Alliance For Change but….we did raise the matter, but I am not going to be negotiating on behalf of the AFC, they will do that for themselves.” He is however optimistic that tripartite talks will commence soon.

According to Granger, the parties are hoping to have this matter resolved before the Financial Action Task Force meets later this month. “We are anxious as Guyanese citizens to avoid any sanctions against the country…APNU are very concerned about the likely consequences of blacklisting and as Guyanese we do not feel that it is within the national interest for this country to be blacklisted.”

The CFATF has referred Guyana to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which is scheduled to have its plenary meeting from June 25-27 in Paris.

Eight new Air Traffic Control Officers assume duties

After two years of training, eight Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) are certified and have assumed their responsibilities at Ogle International Airport and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport control towers.

Zulficar Mohamed, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) stated that from reports received, he is impressed with the zeal and professionalism demonstrated by the newest batch of control officers. “Air traffic control is a fast-paced job that requires an individual to be on the alert to control and maintain safety of air traffic operating within our airspace. As such, the trainee ATCOs had to be proficient in the classroom, as well as during their simulation training, hence the

reason for the two-year programme,” Mohamed was quoted in a GCAA release as saying.

At the moment, the GCAA has shortlisted in excess of 40 individuals to undergo aptitude testing followed by interviews to begin the next training programme within the next few months. Furthermore, four seasoned ATCOs have completed the theoretical training and are now undergoing on-the-job training as part of the aviation watchdog’s move to promote them and increase the staff level of the Area Control Centre. According to Mohamed, GCAA’s aim is to increase the capability of the ATCOs. “These are the men and women who keep the aircraft and its passengers safe in our airspace and we must continue to develop their skills.”

One of the injured sex workers awaiting medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital (file photo)

President Donald Ramotar Leader of the Opposition David Granger

Alliance For Change Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

From left to right – Francesca Wilson and Jennita Bhagwandin at the control position in the Timehri Control Tower

Cops pay father of boy who was burnt on hands

…lawyer

By Gomatie GanGadin

Esays money is to offset transportation costs

ven as Junior Thorrington stood in the Burn Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital and cried, “I’m in a lot of pain”, his father, whose name was not disclosed, has been accused of accepting a settlement of $100,000 to drop the matter.

At a press briefing in the corridors of the Georgetown Public Hospital, Attorney Dexter Todd, who is currently representing the teen, admitted that indeed the father had accepted the payment. However, he said while this may be so, the matter was being sensationalised and blown out of proportion.

Todd stated that the payment was accepted on the grounds that it was to be used to offset “transportation expenses” accrued by the family as a result of the incident. “Based on the instructions I received, I was made to understand that the $100,000 was given to assist in transportation costs. It was not given on the pretext of not allowing the course of justice to prevail and for the Police not to conduct their investigations. It is just to assist in the transportation costs,” Todd articulated.

Asked whether this acceptance will hinder or pose a threat to the meting out of justice for the teen, the lawyer replied in the negative, reiterating that the money was not accepted as a settlement, but rather to offset ex-

penses.

Fair investigation

Questioned on the status of an investigation and the actions which have been taken against the ranks, Todd indicated that an investigation had commenced as of Tuesday by the Office of Professional Responsibility and that they will be giving the Police Officers a fair chance to defend themselves so that justice is served.

“We believe that they will be given an opportunity to do a fair investigation, so as to ensure that justice is served and we expect it to take no more than a month,” he said.

The father of the injured teen when approached refused to give a comment, attempting to hide his face as

his picture was being taken before proceeding back to the Burn Care Unit in an attempt to escape from the media.

Meanwhile, the teen, whose hands were bandaged and who remains hospitalised at the institution, related that he has been in tremendous pain since the incident, which took place on May 25.

Asked to relate what transpired on the day he was burnt, Thorrington, of Eastville, Annandale, recounted that he had taken two pups to a friend in Plaisance, since his grandmother, with whom he was staying, did not want the animals in her yard. He recalled that it was while in Plaisance that the Police

Miner accused of choking girlfriend on self-bail

The 40-year-old miner who allegedly choked his 18-year-old girlfriend and threatened to kill her was released on his own recognisance and placed on a bond to keep the peace on Tuesday by Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond.

Julian Robertson, of 17 James Street, Albouystown, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on charges of assault and threatening language.

It is alleged that on Monday,

May 26, at his residence about 21:00h, the defendant and his girlfriend Shanice Joseph got into an argument, during which he made threats to kill her and began choking her.

The Virtual Complainant became fearful and made a report to the Police. The matter was investigated and Robertson was charged.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is scheduled to return to court on June 12.

came and arrested him, but he was not made aware of the grounds on which he was arrested.

It was after being arrested that he was taken to the Sparendaam Police Station where he related that his hands were placed in methylated spirits and then set on fire by the officers who had arrested him. The 19-yearold related that the incident took place on the same day he was arrested, but it was not until after the custodial 72 hours had elapsed that he was released and then taken to seek medical attention. However, it was not the Police who took him to the hospital, but a neighbour who had seen the injuries.

Thorrington told media operatives while he does not

Industry man charged for assault

Thirty-seven-year-old construction worker Troy Bovell appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday before Magistrate Geeta ChandanEdmond on a charge of assault of person.

The charge states that on Friday, May 29, at Norton Street, the defendant and the Virtual Complainant, Michael Skeete had a misunderstanding after which Bovell assaulted the VC.

The father of one, of Lot 41 Industry Crown Dam, East Coast Demerara, was granted bail in the sum of $15,000. He is to return to court on June 12.

Man pleads guilty to killing wife

Aman on Tuesday admitted to the court that he fatally stabbed his wife some eight years ago and he is expected to be sentenced later this month after a Probation Report is compiled.

Albouystown resident Haydock Baxter was indicted with the offence of manslaughter after he fatally stabbed his wife, Carol, outside the Georgetown Prison on October 23, 2006. This case was the first trial to be called up before Justice Dawn Gregory in the June Criminal Assizes

on Tuesday. Before a jury panel could be selected, Baxter’s Attorney, Parag Hukumchand, informed the court that his client wanted to take a certain course of action. The indictment was then read to him and he pleaded guilty to the offence. Justice Gregory then ordered that a Probation Report be prepared before she imposes sentencing. June 17 is the date set for sentencing, which will be done after the report is presented to the court. State Counsels Natasha Backer and

Mercedes Thompson represented the state in the case.

According to reports, Carol and Haydock were married for a number of years and were having problems. On October 20, 2006, she went to the Georgetown Prison to visit her son when she was confronted by her husband. Haydock reportedly asked the woman for a divorce and she agreed, but she told him that she will go see her son first, then she will go with him to sign the papers. However, the man became angry and pulled out a knife from his waist.

Upon seeing the weapon, Carol began running away from her husband, who followed her. When he caught up with her, he dealt her several stabs about her upper body. The woman sustained stab wounds to her shoulders and neck. Persons around the area went to her rescue and pulled the man away. An injured Carol was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital. However, she succumbed to her injuries three days later. Haydock was then arrested and charged on October 25, 2006.

know the names of the officers who were responsible for the act meted out to him, he could not positively identify them if they are brought before him.

Thorrington’s case comes as the Police Force is facing severe criticism for other acts of brutality, with Alex Griffith being shot in his mouth by a

Cadet Officer earlier in the

Sharing is caring and this is the theme under which GraceKennedy Remittance Services (Guyana) Ltd plans on reaching out to several youths in Agricola and McDoom, on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) who are part of a feeding and mentorship programme organised by the Calvary Assembly of God Church in McDoom, EBD.

The company recently donated more than $50,000 worth of food items, some of which were compliments of Grace Foods, to assist the church in providing hot meals for the children, a release stated. According to GKRS, this is the second year that the company has joined forces with the Church in executing this programme which caters for over 40 school age children in the communities.

Marketing Manager, Natheeah Mendonca said

she is extremely happy to once again to give back to the communities in this form and expressed hope that the work of both entities is appreciated.

“Children are our future and we have to ensure that they are well nourished to produce the kind of results we are looking for in school. Once we are successful in doing that, we are confident that they will in turn make a positive impact on their communities.”

Meanwhile, Elder of the Calvary AOG Church Errol London said that words cannot express how pleased the Church is to be a beneficiary of the items. He said the food stuff will go a long way.

This is the first of three feeding programmes planned by GraceKennedy for the year. The company is looking to target children in Linden and Charlestown communities next.

A50-year-old mother of three was granted $200,000 bail on a charge of possession of narcotics when she appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess on Tuesday at Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court.

Renet Li, of La Belle Alliance on the Essequibo Coast, was on Sunday, June 2, found with four grams of cocaine during a Police patrol, according to court documents. Police said she was riding on the Public Road

when she was caught with the whitish substance in her left pants pocket. She was cautioned and then taken to the Anna Regina Police Station.

Representing Li was Attorney Lachmie Dindyal who pleaded for reasonable bail for Li, saying the defendant was a first-time offender. Prosecuting the matter was Ramsawack Hemwant. Li is expected to return to the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court on June 18.

month. Thorrington’s case also echoes that of Twyon Thomas who during an investigation into the killing of retired Region Three Vice Chairman Ramnauth Bisram in 2009, was also burnt with Methylated Spirits, but on his genitals.

The father of Junior Thorrington as he attempted to evade the media on Tuesday

The tortured teen showing his bandaged hands while speaking to media operatives in the Burn Care Unit on Tuesday

SUDOKU

22Jan. 19)

Follow your instincts when it comes to financial decisions. There is money to be made if you are patient. Plan a romantic evening, and it will improve your personal life.

20Feb. 19)

You are facing an emotional downturn. Get together with close friends or engage in physical activity. It’s hard to mope when you are active and hanging out with positive people.

20-March 20)

Usher in a new project. Your energy level is high, and your ideas for improvement look good. Brainstorm with colleagues to drum up interest in your plans.

Leave some time for romance. A travel opportunity will prove to be professionally helpful. People you meet today will provide inspiration for a new project. Mix business with pleasure.

Make sure your calendar isn’t overloaded. If you have too many tasks to complete, you won’t have time to enjoy friends or family. Pace yourself accordingly.

21June 20)

The answer to a personal problem will reveal itself. A situation that you thought unresolvable will come to an amiable conclusion if you are willing to negotiate.

By Bernice Bede Osol

21July 22)

An unexpected surprise will develop, helping a difficult situation turn positive. Cast your worries aside and plan to relax with someone you enjoy spending time with.

(July 23Aug. 22)

If you wish to raise your standard of living, make some adjustments. Your current employer may be nice, but could also be taking advantage of your talents. Inquire about salaries for equivalent jobs.

23Sept. 22)

Your good-natured joking will be misinterpreted. Make sure you are laughing with your friends, not at them. A feud is likely to develop if you aren’t tactful.

23Oct. 23)

A short trip will clear your head and motivate you to take on something new. Discovering new skills and enjoyable activities will help you make new friends.

24Nov. 22)

Don’t retreat into your shell. It’s more important than ever to keep moving forward in a positive manner. You will ruin what you have already accomplished if you aren’t a team player.

23Dec. 21)

Ask yourself if you are moving forward or just coasting. It may be necessary to increase your efforts if you want to reach your destination. Past experience will help you discover future opportunities.

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

arCHie

dilbert

Butcher labels third Test removal ‘a backward step’

– says cricket transcends cultural differences and brings people together

By Rajiv Bisnauth

West Indies cricket icon Basil

Butcher has labelled the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) decision to move the third Test between the West Indies and New Zealand from Guyana as a ‘backward step’, adding that the game is the only element that transcends cultural differences and brings people together.

The Test match was slated for the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, from June 2630, but the WICB’s decision came in the wake of the passing of the Cricket Administration Bill, which is seen as handing over the local cricket administration from an independent body to the Guyana government, and which, in the board’s view, goes against the ICC’s tenets of minimising government interference in the running of cricket

“Cricket is the only thing we have in Guyana that brings people together and now the WICB has taken this away from us. Nobody wants to know that a Test match or [as] a matter of fact a cricket game is moved. I think the WICB need to understand that cricket transcends cultural differences and brings people together,” Butcher, the 1970 Wisden Cricketer-ofthe-Year stated.

This is the second time in three years the WICB

has pulled a Test from the Guyana National Stadium because of what they claimed political interference. In 2012, the third Test against Australia was moved to Dominica’s Windsor Park.

Also, regional first class games scheduled for Guyana that year were also relocated to Dominica.

Meanwhile, weighing in on the passage of the Cricket Administration Bill, Butcher, whose career aggregate reads: 44 tests, 3104 runs, average 43.11, highest score 209 against England in 1966, feels such a bill should have been in law a long time back.

He, however, condemned the WICB’s position saying “Cricket in the Caribbean can be considered quite different from a lot of other parts of the world, in that all islands are sovereign nations.

They all have their own flags, their own anthems, their own governments, currency…so if a nation sees it fit to enhance transparency at the local level, the WICB needs to respect that.”

The Bill had received the vote of the Government and the main Opposition party, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU).

The legislation paves the way for the GCB to be established as a corporate body, and provides for audited financial reports to be submitted to parliament, as well as to the National Sports Commission.

The Bill also creates a position of ombudsman –appointed by the Minister of Sport – who will be responsible for the verifying and registering of clubs with the view of enhancing the transparency of elections.

However, the WICB late Saturday expressed “serious reservations” about the Bill, contending that it “thrusts the administration of cricket in Guyana from an independent body to the Government of Guyana”.

“This the WICB views as undesirable and inconsistent with International Cricket Council tenets,” the board said in a statement.

The WICB also said it had raised concerns with President Donald Ramotar on the issue but had failed to receive any assurances the Bill would not be

signed into law.

“The Board gave its commitment that once President Ramotar provided such an undertaking all arrangements in Guyana will be kept in place,” the Board statement continued.

“Regrettably the WICB has not received such an undertaking from President Ramotar. As a consequence the WICB is left with no option but to relocate the Third Test between West Indies and New Zealand from Guyana.” The board said it regretted having to move the Test from Guyana and would continue to review the situation in the country.

Government has since said that it does not discount that the WICB may be looking for a scapegoat in this matter since their agents in Guyana were re-

strained by a Court Order from acting or holding themselves out as officers of the GCB and as agents of the WICB.

“The net result being that WICB has no agents in Guyana to act on their behalf in relation to hosting of the Third Test between West Indies and New Zealand.

“One cannot help but wonder, whose interests the WICB really represents. Is it that of cricket or some unknown vested agenda?”

Government said in a release that the Bill seeks to bring transparency, accountability, and good governance to the administration of cricket in Guyana and to address the plethora of allegations of rigged and fraudulent elections, financial irregularities and lack of accountability in respect of cricket administration, inter alia, because of the absence of legal personification in its structure.

“This Bill does not, in any way whatsoever, allow or permit, directly or indirectly Government’s involvement in the administration of cricket in Guyana, save and except a singular instance, where the Minister is ascribed a function when the Act comes into operation. After that initiating act, the Minister’s role disappears,” the release said.

The release stated that Government rejects all or any contention or insin-

Chanderpaul ready for...

“Denesh is the new captain and I think he’s pretty good, he can handle himself…I’ve seen him handle himself in the past because you know he has a good head on his shoulders,” the middle-order stalwart pointed out.

He added, “He would need some help and support from inside, the coaching staff and everyone else. He would also need a lot of support from the players also on the field.”

Himself a former West Indies captain,

Chanderpaul said he is prepared to offer any form of support to the leader of the day as he has done in the past.

“When you’re there you try to help as much as you can, but I think he has pretty much what it takes. It’s just about keeping his calm and making the right decisions at the right time… try and analyse and think as quickly as possible to get your right bowlers on the attack and the right batsmen in the correct positions to get the job done. But like

uation that the Cricket Administration Bill presents an opportunity for Governmental intrusion into the administration of cricket in Guyana.

“It is recognised that these charges are emanating from a particular grouping and their sponsors who perceive this Bill as an end to their dominance over administration of cricket, and who many feel, are the architects of the chaos which the Bill is designed to arrest,” the release said.

Barbados will host the third Test,” the WICB said in a statement.

The dates for the Test - June 26 to 30 - have not changed. New Zealand begin their tour with Tests in Jamaica and Trinidad before moving on to Bridgetown for the final Test.

From page 24

I said, I think he’s good enough and capable enough of getting the job done,” Chanderpaul remarked.

Ramdin has previous experience leading the West Indies, presiding over three T20s and an ODI. His experience with Trinidad and Tobago is more extensive with 37 matches at the helm across formats.

He has 21 wins under his belt and took the twin-island republic to the semi-final of the Regional Four-Day Competition this season.

Windies squad The squad for the first Test is Denesh Ramdin (captain), Sulieman Benn, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shiv Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford and Jerome Taylor.

Dwayne Bravo is unavailable for selection due to injury and will return to Trinidad and Tobago to continue his rehabilitation.

President Donald Ramotar

Basil Butcher

WICB President Dave Cameron

Denesh Ramdin

Sri Lank seals ODI win

Anyone who thought that Sachithra Senanayake being reported to the ICC for a suspect bowling action might be a cue for Sri Lanka to excuse him from duty, and the added attention it would bring, did not reckon with the player himself. Figures of 1 for 36, including the wicket of England’s top-scorer, Alastair Cook, were just one thread of Sri Lanka’s seriesclinching six-wicket win but, by running out Jos Buttler while the batsman was backing up, Senanayake ensured that the narrative would be wound around him.

Mahela Jayawardene and Lahiru Thirimanne scored half-centuries as Sri Lanka kept cool in an atmosphere that was simultaneously heated and damp. England’s bowlers, in particular James Tredwell and James Anderson, managed to ratchet up the asking rate but some businesslike thumping from Angelo Mathews, who had to contend with a commentary from the fielding side over his role in Buttler’s dismissal, sealed victory and another fortifying series triumph ahead of the Tests.

Mathews had earlier expressed his disappointment over Senanayake’s situation - he is required to undergo biometric testing within the next 20 days - but Sri Lanka’s capacity for turning adversity in their favour is well known. A comparable incident came during the triangular Carlton & United series in 1999, when Arjuna Ranatunga led his players off at Adelaide Oval after Ross Emerson no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing. England were again on the losing side, Sri Lanka chasing down a target of 303 with one wicket and two balls to spare.

As then, an offspinner with a controversial action was central to the drama. Having twice stopped in his delivery stride during the 42nd over to warn the batsmen - both Buttler and Chris Jordan - for backing up too far, Senanayake followed through on the threat in the 44th, turning slowly to break the wicket with Buttler a yard or so down the pitch.

The umpires consulted Mathews, Sri Lanka’s captain, and he nodded his assent in upholding the appeal. That meant the first instance of ‘Mankading’ in international cricket since Peter Kirsten’s innings was ended by Kapil Dev in such a manner during an ODI between South Africa and India in 1992.

There was predictable hostility from the crowd, even without suspicions over the legality of his bowling, but Senanayake was within his rights to make the appeal; the ICC changed its playing conditions in 2011 to allow bowlers to run out a batsman backing up at

any point prior to releasing the ball, rather than before entering his delivery stride, as the MCC Laws state.

Buttler’s dismissal, alongside creating a potential flashpoint, deprived England of their firestarterin-chief for the closing overs of the innings. Although each of the top eight made it into double figures, no one could go beyond Cook’s stodgy 56, as they were bowled out for 219 with 11 deliveries remaining. Despite losing 3 for 7 in 21 balls and having to contend with the threat of rain throughout, Sri Lanka were not greatly taxed in overhauling their target.

The openers, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Perera, raised 50 together in the seventh over but Tredwell’s introduction briefly threatened to turn the match. His second ball was crashed by Dilshan to cover, where Joe Root took a fabulous diving catch, before a pearler two overs later straightened on Kumar Sangakkara to clip the outside edge and be taken at slip. Kusal’s dismissal, lbw to Anderson, left Sri Lanka 62 for 3 but England were left to regret a missed opportunity off Jayawardene when the batsman had 8a thick edge flying between Buttler and Jordan at slipas a fourth-wicket stand of 98 carried the game away from them.

Cook reversed one of the trends of the series on winning the toss at Edgbaston, becoming the first captain to choose to bat. The innings began in watery sunlight, though gloom enveloped the ground as the afternoon wore on and the floodlights were required earlier than expected. The start of Sri Lanka’s innings was then delayed by drizzle.

A 76-run opening stand provided England with

extended to 167 from 133, may turn out to be the most significant knock of the day, should England finally decide their World Cup strategy needs revision.

With the series locked at 2-2 and both sides in search of a decisive advantage, Mathews turned to Senanayake in the sixth over, perhaps as a public show of support for the unorthodox spinner. His first ball was toe-ended for four through gully by Cook but his composure and control did not desert him, even with the additional scrutiny, a five-over spell costing just 18 despite coming during the period of fielding restrictions.

Mathews was able to get through a few cheap overs from Dilshan and Ashan Priyanjan, the latter picking up Root, and the captain later brought himself on to good effect, having Eoin Morgan caught in the deep as wickets fell regularly.

the foundation they set so much store by but no other partnership was worth 30 , as the batsmen battled to score on a surface that was tackier than a velour leopard-print tracksuit. Cook hauled along the tumbrel of England’s innings in familiar, dogged fashion, scoring his first ODI half-century in almost a year but, having reached 50 from 69 balls, he throttled back even further, partly in response to wickets falling, before being caught behind trying to sweep Senanayake for 56 from 84.

As England subsided, doddering to a premature end from an initially promising position of 98 for 1, a player they have so far overlooked in one-day cricket was making a more positive statement elsewhere. Alex Hales’ 96-ball Championship hundred for Nottinghamshire, which he

England took the batting Powerplay at the earliest opportunity, suggesting a show of intent, but Mathews, fronting up in turn, bowled his spinners throughout and he was rewarded when Ian Bell chipped a return catch to Ajantha Mendis. Bell’s innings was something of a curate’s egg and he should have been taken on 18, when Mahela Jayawardene seemed to misjudge a straightforward catch above his head at midwicket, off a Nuwan Kulasekara legcutter.

Lasith Malinga was the next to strike, with England making seemingly comfortable progress at around five runs an over. They had hit the buffers long before Senanayake stepped into the full glare of the spotlight but that did not stop words being exchanged between the captains at the end. The Test series could be interesting. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

England innings (50 overs maximum)

AN Cook* c †Sangakkara b Senanayake 56

IR Bell c & b Mendis 37

GS Ballance c & b Malinga 10

JE Root c †Sangakkara b Priyanjan 10

EJG Morgan c Jayawardene b Mathews 17

RS Bopara b Mendis 17

JC Buttler† run out (Senanayake) 21

CJ Jordan run out (Perera/Mendis) 30

JC Tredwell b Malinga 0

JM Anderson b Malinga 5

HF Gurney not out 0

Extras: (lb 3, w 12, nb 1) 16

Total: (all out; 48.1 overs) 219

Fall of wickets: 1-76 (Bell, 14.6 ov), 2-98 (Ballance, 20.1 ov), 3-116 (Root, 23.2 ov), 4-136 (Cook, 29.2 ov), 5-142 (Morgan, 30.5 ov), 6-170 (Bopara, 37.2 ov), 7-199 (Buttler, 43.2 ov), 8-201 (Tredwell, 44.6 ov), 9-218 (Jordan, 47.3 ov), 10219 (Anderson, 48.1 ov)

Bowling: KMDN Kulasekara

5-0-22-0, SL Malinga 9.1-0-50-

Djokovic into final four of French Open

Novak Djokovic tamed the huge serving of Milos Raonic to remain on course for a first French Open title.

The world number two won 7-5 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to reach the semi-finals, where he will play Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis.

It is a sixth Roland Garros and 22nd major semifinal for Djokovic.

A victory in Sunday’s final would make the 27-yearold the eighth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam.

“I try to focus the intention only on the next match, so I don’t think about eventual finals,” said Djokovic. “I think about only Gulbis. He’s been playing really well. He’s confident.

“But again, I like my chances because I have had a couple of great weeks on the clay court,s from Rome to now the last 10 days here in Roland Garros.

“Two days off will definitely serve me well to recover, to work on some things on the practice courts, and then come back strong and prepare for the next challenge.”

Raonic, 23, had looked like a potential stumbling block, having taken Djokovic to three tough sets in Rome recently.

The first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in the Open era, the eighth seed’s massive serve and improved all-round

game made him a serious threat.

Both men knew opportunities were likely to be fleeting, and it was Djokovic who proved the more clinical.

A set point for the Serb went begging in game 10 but a brilliant backhand pass gave him another two games later, and a scrambling Raonic poked his volley wide.

The second set passed without a single break point for either man, and again it was Djokovic who raised his game in the tie-break, pushing his man out wide and drawing an error for 6-4.

Djokovic duly converted the second, on his own serve, and raised his fist to coach Boris Becker and the rest of his team in the stands.

Raonic fought back from 0-40 to deuce in the following game, but when two forehand errors gave Djokovic the break anyway, the contest was as good as his.

The six-time Grand Slam champion needed the security of a double break when he failed to serve out the match, but he sealed an impressive win at the second time of asking after two hours and 22 minutes.

“I think where he stood out today compared to Rome was he was playing a lot closer to the baseline,” said Raonic.

“He was not letting me dictate as much as I was able to in Rome.”

Taylor, Roach recalled to West Indies test side

Fast bowlers Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach, who have battled injuries recently, have been recalled to the West Indies squad for the first Test against New Zealand, which starts in Kingston on June 8. The squad also includes offspinner Shane Shillingford, who was cleared for a return to international cricket earlier this year, following remedial work on his bowling action.

tour in November last year after which he underwent a surgery. Since April, Roach has been working with BCA coach Vasbert Drakes, West Indies coach Ottis Gibson and his Maple teammate Corey Collymore - all three are former West Indies fast bowlers - in order to get his shoulder back in shape for bowling. A few months ago, he escaped serious injury following a car accident in his native Barbados.

3, SMSM Senanayake 10-0-361, BAW Mendis 9-0-50-2, TM Dilshan 5-0-17-0, SMA Priyanjan 4-0-18-1, AD Mathews 6-0-23-1

Sri Lanka innings (target: 220 runs from 50 overs) TM Dilshan c Root b Tredwell 28 MDKJ Perera lbw b Anderson 19 KC Sangakkara† c Jordan b Tredwell 2 DPMD Jayawardene c Anderson b Jordan 53 HDRL Thirimanne not out 60 AD Mathews* not out 42

Extras: (lb 6, w 12) 18

Total: (4 wickets; 48.2 overs) 222

Did not bat: SMA Priyanjan, KMDN Kulasekara, SMSM Senanayake, BAW Mendis, SL Malinga Fall of wickets 1-55 (Dilshan, 7.2 ov), 2-59 (Sangakkara, 9.6 ov), 3-62 (Perera, 10.5 ov), 4-160 (Jayawardene, 38.4 ov) Bowling: JM Anderson 10-133-1, HF Gurney 10-1-46-0, CJ Jordan 8-0-55-1, JC Tredwell 10-2-30-2, JE Root 6-0-250, RS Bopara 4.2-0-27-0

The selectors also named left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn in the 13-member squad, while Dwayne Bravo was ruled out due to an injury sustained during IPL 2014.

Plagued by injuries since his debut in 2003, Taylor recently returned to competitive cricket for Jamaica in a one-dayer against the touring Ireland side in February. He then finished as the second-highest wicket-taker for Jamaica in the Regional Four Day Competition, bagging 25 wickets in eight games at an average of 25.28. Taylor’s last Test appearance was in November 2009, against Australia in Brisbane.

Roach, on the other hand, has not played a Test since the home series against Zimbabwe in March 2013. A shoulder injury forced him out of the India

Shillingford was suspended for an illegal bowling action in December, during West Indies’ tour to New Zealand. He made a successful return to competitive cricket with a match haul of 11 wickets for Windward Islands in a Regional Four Day Competition game in March and was subsequently cleared for an international return. The offspinner, however, cannot bowl his doosra, as it remains illegal. In a side packed largely with pacers, Benn, who last played a Test in December 2010, is expected to reinforce the side’s spin department. West Indies will miss the services of Sunil Narine, who was disqualified from selection for the Tests against New Zealand after missing the deadline to report to the West Indies camp in order to play the IPL final. (Cricinfo)

Sachithra Senanayake’s bowls for Sri Lanka

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Nicholson takes 8-27 for Achievers

The 2014 Memorex Under-17 Inter-club cricket competition for teams in Berbice continued recently with some outstanding bowling performances.

After Achievers were bowled out in their first innings for 143 by Bush Lot New Generation, their offspinner Joseph Nicholson opened the bowling and took 8-27 from 20 overs to restrict Bush Lot for 124 in their first innings.

Off-spinner Randy Richmond returned bowling figure of 4-8 and 5-30 (match haul of 9-38) for Golden Elprabell against Monedderlust, but it was the latter team’s mediumpacer Lynford Reynolds’ bowling performance of 4-16 and 5-22 (match figures of 9-38) that assisted his team to snatch victory.

Below are the sum-

marised scores from the games played.

At Paradise: Monedderlust beat Golden Elprabell by one wicket. Golden Elprabell 71 (Lynford Reynolds 4-16, Mark Johnson 3-29, Samuel Saul 2-20) Monedderlust 83 (Ronnel McKenzie 20, Adrian Benson 20, Randy Richmond 4-8, John McKenzie 3-8, Winston Fordyce 2-10) Golden Elprabell 76 (Nigel Grenville 26, Lynford Reynolds 5-22, Mark Johnson 2-5, Darren Thomas 2-16) Monedderlust 67-9 (Richmond 5-22, Aubrey Joseph 3-13).

At D’Edward: the host beat Blairmont Community Center B by an innings and 21 runs. Blairmont B 51 (Randy Braithwaite 5-14, Chaitram France 2-8, Sookraj Sookram 2-15). In their second turn at the crease they feared worse

and were bowled out for 40 with Sugrim taking 4-13 and Andrew Rahaman 3-2. D’Edward scored 112 in their only innings with Andrew Rahaman scoring 33. Tamesh Jailall took 4-13 and Totaram Jairam 2-11.

At Cumberland: Young Warriors A took first innings from Tucber Park B in their drawn match. Batting first, Tucber Park B made a paltry 40 with Shahab Azim taking 3-12, Brandon Pydanna 2-2, Roberto Britton 2-4 and Jaleel Jaffar 2-6. Young Warriors replied with 64-3 declared with Brandon Stewart taking 2-26. Tucber, in their second innings, made 71 when time ran out. Dominique Durant made 21, Jaleel Jaffar 3-19, Junior Williams 2-5, Brandon Pydanna 2-11 and Shahab Azim 2-18.

RHTY&SC invites nominations for sport award

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club’s (RHTY&SC) awards committee has opened nominations for its second annual Gregory Gaskin Memorial/Sentinel Security Berbice Sport Award.

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The main aim of the award is to recognise and honour outstanding Berbician who performed with excellence in sport over the last year. Four awards would be shared out this year- Berbice Male Sports person of the year, Berbice Female sportsperson of the year, Berbice sports personality of the year and Berbice sports association of the year.

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All nominations should be accompanied by a complete record of the nominee’s performance over the last

year. The RHTY&SC wishes to state that no sportsperson who was disciplined during the period under review (January 2013 to May 2014) would be considered especially those involved in the usage of illegal drugs.

Nominees can be sent to the RHTY&SC office based at the Area ‘H’ Ground, Rose Hall Town or by email to: foster_hilbert@yahoo. com. Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster can be contacted at 337-4562 for more information. West Indies Test cricketer Veerasammy Permaul and lawn tennis female champion Carol Humphrey last year received the male and female sport awards. Football organiser Neil Humphrey received the sport personality award, while the Berbice Cricket Board took home the sports association of the year award. The deadline for submission of nomination is Friday June 20, 2014.

Two overseas-based Guyanese basketball players will make their way to Guyana on June 8 for tryouts with the national squad in an effort to bolster Guyana’s team for the upcoming Caribbean Basketball Championships (CBC) set for the British Virgin Islands in July.

Tyler and Damien Persaud are expected to arrive early Monday morning and will be stopping at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall for a meet and greet before taking part in tryouts from June 10.

Tyler Persaud is a 6’7” 205 lbs power forward that plays for Glenville State College in West Virginia while Damien is a 6’3” 170 lbs point guard.

Other overseas players are expected to be in the country before the month of June concludes to train with the team in an effort to make the 12-man squad to represent Guyana.

CuttINg

Hilbert Foster

Tyler Persaud

Kevin O’Brien excited for Limacol CPL 2014

–

hard-hitting Irishman returns to the Red Steel with high hopes

Kevin O’Brien is back for the Limacol Caribbean Premier League 2014 (LCPL) and he is coming with high expectations. After helping the Red Steel to reach the semi-finals in the inaugural season in 2013, he is aiming to go all the way this year.

The 2014 edition of the LCPL will be back in just under six weeks when the Caribbean will once again light up for this thrilling party atmosphere across 30 exciting matches.

“I am very excited to be back in the Caribbean and happy that the Red Steel resigned me,” the Dublin-born cricketer said. “As well as looking forward to linking up with the Red Steel team again, I’m also looking forward to meeting the new players.”

The LCPL will add two new locations to this season’s event with the Spice

Isle, Grenada, hosting the opening games and St. Kitts and Nevis the closing round. Kevin (who also runs his own cricket academy based in Dublin) says: “CPL is going from strength to strength and the addition of new venues will definitely add to the brand image, so I am really excited to be a part of it, and I’m especially looking forward to the opening set of games in Grenada.”

Other changes this year include each team playing two more league games which the 2013 Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year thinks is great news; “It gives us (Red Steel) an opportunity to gel more and develop our team chemistry. I am familiar with some of the new players in the squad, like Jamshed, who I faced when we (Ireland) played Pakistan and also Kennar Lewis of Jamaica who I came across in the

Nagico Super50 a few months ago.”

On this year’s competi-

Santokie – these are just a few of the players who can make a huge impact this season, they’re all quality cricketers.”

Having always had a desire to play cricket professionally, playing in the 2004 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh was a “great learning curve”, helping him to develop the fundamentals of the game. During that tournament, he helped the Ireland under-19 team by scoring 241 runs, seeing Ireland through to the Plate Semi-Finals before they were defeated by Australia. “That tournament was great exposure for me and it gave me good momentum to improve in the game.”

tion, O’Brien (who scored the fastest century in Cricket World Cup history) says: “The Tallawahs and Amazon Warriors remain the favourites, but each team in this season’s CPL has at least two to three match- winners, so it is going to be interesting. Gayle, Russell, Narine,

Growing up learning about cricket, the 30-yearold hard–hitting allrounder looked to Shaun Pollock of South Africa and Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff of England. He explains: “Shaun Pollock and “Freddie” Flintoff were players I always admired, they played with composure and skill and I have always wanted to emulate those qualities.”

Kevin has played in two Cricket World Cups and three World T20 Championships for Ireland, so undoubtedly he carries a wealth of experience, knowledge and technical ability. “The 2007 Cricket World Cup for me holds special memories of course. It was fantastic, especially when we were in Jamaica and we qualified for the Super 8s.”

Kevin O’Brien also bowled a maiden wicket over in the penultimate over of the game against Zimbabwe, showing nerves of steel. Laughing about the moment, he said; “Trent Johnston had a word with me and I just remained focused and executed my best effort”.

Kevin O’Brien will come to the Caribbean in early July to meet with the team and begin preparation for CPL 2014. “I am with Surrey now in England, but on July 5th, I will head out to the Caribbean and join up with Red Steel. I can’t wait.” So it’s all eyes on the Irishman this year as the tournament gets under way in mid-July.

Vryman’s Secondary sends Canje packing in ‘Patto’ Memorial Knockout opener

Vryman’s Erven Secondary School (VESS) recorded a come from behind 2-1 win over Canje Secondary School (CSS) on Monday in the opening game of the third annual ‘Pato’ Memorial Knockout Football Competition for schools in the New Amsterdam area. The competition, which is being played at the All Saints Ground, Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam is being held for students at the under-17 level.

After a goalless first half,

Keva Daye sent CSS into the lead in the 35th minute as the Canje schoolboys pressed for the right to move on in the competition.

However, John Iken levelled the score in the 47th minute with a shot from inside the 30-yard box. VSS were then on the attack and had three successive corners awarded to them. The third one put them in the lead when Kevon Williams converted a short pass in the 50th minute.

VESS will now meet defending champions Berbice Education Institute on

Monday at the same venue. The competition continues today with New Amsterdam Multilateral coming up against Tutorial Academy.

The winner of that game will meet Berbice High School in a semi-final match on Wednesday.

The final is set for Friday.

The late Patrick ‘Patto’ April is a former Berbice footballer and supporter of the game.

The competition was organised by Neil ‘Grizzle’ Humphrey.

From left: Keva Daye, John Iken and Kevon Williams

Kevin O’Brien

SportEditor Letter to the

Gov't should seek CCC intervention to probe WICB's cartel-like behaviour

Dear Editor,

It may have come as a big surprise to fans of West Indies cricket in Guyana, to read of the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) decision to relocate the third Test slated for 26 to 30 June 2014 at the National Stadium in Guyana. This match would likely be Chris Gayle’s final test match and Shiv Chanderpaul’s unprecedented 156th test match. What an occasion, and location, a country which Gayle has found his second home in the Caribbean and where Chanderpaul, one of Caribbean’s greatest sons, emerged. But now all of this grandeur has dissipated owing to an organisation which shows all the signs of a cartel in operation, the WICB, moving the match on the grounds of its apparent disagreement with Guyana’s Cricket Administration Bill.

It must be noted that 90 per cent of Guyanese, served by their parliamentarians in the form of APNU and the PPP, voted in favour of this long- awaited bill. The will of the Guyanese people have spoken and must be respected. To extrapolate, even in the current Ukrainian crisis, the annexation of Crimea by Russia has placed western nations in a quandary, since the will of the people has spoken.

The attitude shown to a sitting Caribbean Head of State by the Whycliffe Cameron WICB administration in the past few days is so contemptuous and disrespectful that it also insults all Guyanese and all Caribbean people by extension.

Two of six board members of the WICB have adopted legislation similar to that of Guyana’s Cricket Administration Bill, but these countries have not suffered any penalties over the years when their Bills were enacted. Thus, this punitive approach by the management of the WICB towards Guyana raises tremendous suspicions, because it becomes very apparent that the WICB fears new directors emanating from Guyana who may or may not support the WICB’s current approach.

This situation therefore begs the question: what is the WICB seeking to protect from new entrants to this elite group? Is it the contentious deal struck among the Australian, Indian and English cricket boards which saw WICB duly supporting? Were personal garnishes given to executives of the WICB? This latter point is emphasised in view of the recent scandal involving FIFA officials, which claimed the careers of high-profile Caribbean officials. Or is there an underground illegal operation taking place within the WICB? Is the arrangement with regard to shares of member boards a dicey one? Is there an illicit award of international matches to particular countries based on a favoured voting approach? Despite the West Indies team performing so badly, all that happens is the changing of

players, not the changing of the old guard, coaches or selectors. This saga has raised too many eyebrows, especially when corroborated by other related past problems.

It is not unknown to members of the political and cricketing fraternities that the current members of the recent High Court- disbanded Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) are of dubious characters; for instance, one senior executive member, who is also a director of the WICB, had been part of a terrorist plot to overthrow the then Guyana government in the late 1980s, early 1990s!

A well-publicised, matchfixing allegation in November 2011 in CARIB/PEPSI T/20 Tournament used to select the then National T/20 side playing in the regional tournament, under the aegis of the GCB administration, went without an investigation, in spite of overwhelming evidence to warrant an investigation and likely overturn the decision. In this instance, the East Coast Jaguars team, despite qualifying for the next round of the tournament, was displaced by the GCB in favour of the friends of the executives of the GCB, the East Bank team.

One individual involved in this scandal has since left the GCB and now works with the Americans to manage their baseball venture here in Guyana. You see Editor, this is the problem, without an investigation, such individuals go unnoticed and unpunished to the wider public and are ‘transferred’ to other sports, where similar acts can be committed which risks the lives of young people and damage their potential future careers.

This match-fixing allegation mentioned above jeopardised the chances of talented members of that team from being selected to the Guyana T20 Team! Simultaneously, the very WICB executive committee when contacted to launch an investigation bluntly refused to do so.

The big question was why, what was there to hide? Is it the case of a cartel closing its ranks? You see editor, private cartels, which the WICB resembles, entail an agreement on terms and conditions that provide members mutual advantage, but that are not known or likely to be detected by outside parties. Private cartels in most jurisdictions are viewed as violating antitrust laws. They are subject to legal liability under antitrust laws now found here in the Caribbean, where the CARICOM Competition Commission (CCC) is the watchdog.

Private cartels are set up to benefit only those individuals who constitute it, weak or dissenting members are often dealt with condignly, often eliminated or forcibly coerced! However, in most parts of the world private cartels are forbidden. Identifying and breaking up cartels are an important part of competi-

Scotiabank/Pepsi School Football Academy continues with intense action

tion policy the world over. Anticompetitive business conduct can take the form of agreements between enterprises or abuse of dominance.

Under Article 169 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the Region has in place a competition policy to ensure that the benefits expected from the establishment of the CSME are not frustrated by anti-competitive business conduct. These benefits are expected to be shared by all stakeholders including the private sector, government and the consumers.

They should not go to a select group of persons or businesses. This policy is being enforced by the CCC, whose mandate is to, among others (a) apply the rules of competition, in respect of anti-competitive cross-border business conduct; and (b) promote and protect competition in the Community and co-ordinate the implementation of the Community Competition Policy within the CSME and (c) provide support to member states in promoting and protecting consumer welfare.

Given the examples listed above, and the other allegations, too many to go into details here, but seen in the media recently and over the past year or so, I urge the Government of Guyana to seek an intervention by the CCC to launch an investigation into the unfair business practice of the cartel-like operation of WICB, which is now a corporate body subject to the laws of CARICOM. Further, that all directors and its management committee are probed for graft and wealth acquisition including examining overseas accounts by way of a forensic audit. In this way, there is the possibility of the CCC ordering the termination or nullification of agreements such as the incorporation of the WICB, its conduct, activities or decisions.

It can also issue Cease and Desist orders in respect of anti-competitive business conduct, order payment of compensation to persons affected by anti-competitive business conduct, among a range of other possibilities.

I suggest this approach, as it seems all other interventions pursued in the past, such as the designation of a CARICOM Head of State to mediate on issues of conflicts involving the WICB, other inter-governmental discussions, and medium and highlevel discussions with the WICB, have failed. If the CCC approach somehow churns out a different outcome, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is the final court of appeal for persons or companies against whom the CCC has issued a determination of a breach of Community competition law. The CCJ has the authority under the Revised Treaty to review the administrative and quasi-judicial functions of the CCC.

Regards, Jewan Persaud

Action in the Scotia Bank/ Pepsi School Football tournament continued over the past weekend with a host of matches at the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue.

On Saturday, Charlestown destroyed Queen’s College 8-0 as last year’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), Omari James, was red hot with six goals in the 22nd, 24th, 38th, 50th, 58th & 62nd minutes, while Brian Price scored in the first and seventh minutes.

Queen’s College played out of sync especially on the defencive end, that showed early in the game with the lack of communication that opened up an easy first strike from Price that started the goals galore for Charlestown.

Charlestown is now on six points from four games, while Queen’s College are on

six points from three games with one game left to play.

In game two, North Georgetown Secondary male defeated New Campbellville Secondary 3-1 with Nehemiah Gomes scoring in the 22nd minute.

Daniel Nedd quickly followed up after a defensive lapse by New Campbellville, to score in the 26th minute.

Emmanuel Pross replied for New Campbellville in the 38th minute, only for Reuben Miller to seal the deal for North Georgetown in the 60th minute.

On Sunday East Ruimveldt Secondary females needled the defending champions Tutorial High by 1-nil to qualify for the final of the tournament.

Christine Thomas sunk the hearts of the defending champions two minutes before full time with a dazzling strike in the 58th minute that would win the game.

The win was enough to allow the East Ruimveldt females to qualify for the Georgetown female final that will be against New Campbellville Secondary on June 7 at the Min of Education ground from 10:00h. The winner will be going on to represent Georgetown in the national final.

The final group matches will also be played on June 7 with Christ Church taking on Queen’s College, while North Georgetown will take on Tutorial High School.

Meanwhile, the first set of semi-finals will be hosted on June 15 at the Esplanade ground, New Amsterdam ,while the second set will take place on June 21 in Linden at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground. The final is set for June 28 at the Ministry of Education ground.

Rajesh Umroa’s 86 sees Lower Corentyne through to final

Afine batting performance from Berbice Under-17 wicket-keeper/ batsman, Rajesh Umrao, gave Lower Corentyne the edge they needed to get the better of West Berbice by 36 runs in their semi-final game in this year’s Republic Bank Under-17 InterZone Competition.

Lower Corentyne will therefore clash with the other winning semifinalist, New Amsterdam/Canje, in the final which has been scheduled for Saturday at the Cumberland Ground in Canje.

Batting first, Umrao started cautiously but later exploded into an array of shots, hitting 86, inclusive of six boundaries to guide Lower Corentyne to an imposing total of 187-9 off 35 overs.

The game was reduced by 15 overs after overnight rain delayed the start of play. Openers Umrao and Adrian Sukhwa added 75 runs for the first wicket which eventually was the best partnership for the entire innings.

Rakesh Ragnauth (30), Sukhwa (17) and Daniel Samaroo (10) were the other batsmen with double digits.

Bowling for West Berbice,

Berbice left-arm spinner, Kris Ramnarine was the best bowler with 2-30.

In reply, West Berbice were bowled out for 151, with Randy Wade top- scoring with 59. He received support from Titus Webster (18) and Randy Singh (15).

Bowling for Lower Corentyne, leg-spinner Brandon Prasad and off-spinner took 2-16 and 2-19 respectively.

Rajesh Umrao

Butcher labels third Test removal ‘a backward step’

– says cricket transcends cultural differences and brings people together

By Rajiv Bisnauth

West Indies cricket icon Basil Butcher has labelled the West Indies

Cricket Board’s (WICB) decision to move the third Test between the West Indies and New Zealand from Guyana as a ‘backward step’, adding that the game is the only

element that transcends cultural differences and brings people together.

Kevin O’Brien excited for Limacol CPL

– hard-hitting Irishman returns to the Red Steel with high hopes

Chanderpaul ready for NZ Tests

By Avenash Ramzan

Ace West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul said he is fully focused and ready to face the touring New Zealand team during the upcoming three-Test match series in the Caribbean.

The veteran left-hander, the West Indies second highest Test run-scorer behind Brian Lara, is keen on churning out the runs against the Black Caps after enjoying a relatively successful season with English county side Derbyshire.

The experienced middle-order batsman notched up four half-centuries in seven innings of the FirstClass season in April and early May. He later linked up with the

West Indies training squad for the series and was on Tuesday named as part of the 13-man squad for the first Test, starting on Sunday at Sabina Park, Jamaica.

“It was pretty tough over there in England, but I did some extra work in the gym and on the bowling machine and so on, so I think I’m ready for the series ahead,” Chanderpaul told this publication during an exclusive interview.

He added, “I know the New Zealand players will be coming hard at us, but we need to read the home conditions well and get some wins during the series. I think we have a good captain in Denesh [Ramdin] and hopefully we[will] have some positive results during the series.”

Chanderpaul, who made his

Test debut in 1994 against England at the GCC ground, Bourda, has played 18 Tests against New Zealand, scoring 1037 runs at an average of 45.08. His highest score of 126 not out is among two centuries and seven 50s he has against the Black Caps. With a record 153 Test matches to his name, the most by a West Indian, Chanderpaul will start the series 734 runs away from becoming the leading West Indies runscorer. Lara currently holds the record with 11953 runs.

Support for Ramdin

Meanwhile, Chanderpaul has given the recent appointment of Denesh Ramdin as West Indies captain a nod of approval.

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Basil Butcher

Shivnarine Chanderpaul