Guyana Times - Monday, April 22, 2019

Teens crowned Miss Bartica, Miss Linden

P12&13 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3901

THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONday, april 22, 2019

PRICE

Previous attempts to audit UG’s finances faced staunch resistance – auditor

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

New GGMC Board of Directors P9 approved …Stanley Ming returned as Chairman

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$1.5B lost to paddy bug infestation in Region 6

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Fraud findings

SOCU’s credibility diminished – P8 former AG …financial audit cannot affect cases before court – Harmon

Region 2 farmers call for help in suspected palm weevil outbreak P12

The National Park was the stage for picnics and family outings on Sunday. In this photo, a child is teaching another the art of riding a bicycle, while in the background a father flies a kite with his daughter

WCD man dies after losing control of tractor Page 7

Miner arrested for rape of Page 7 11-year-old

Find jobs for P14 youths – Caribbean Voice appeals to Youth Department Child neglect highest reported form of abuse – P15 CCPA

…found with gun, ammo

Easter day blasts at Sri Lanka churches, hotels kill over 207

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Region 9 drought affecting businesses – P14 Minister

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, April 22 – 05:30h-07:00h and Tuesday, April 23 – 05:00h-06:30h.

Previous attempts to audit UG’s finances faced staunch resistance – auditor

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, April 22 – 06:05h-07:35h and Tuesday, April 23 – 06:40h-08:10h.

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

WEATHER TODAY

Sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, followed by sunny skies in the late afternoon.

Clear skies can be expected in the evening, with overall temperatures ranging between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 06:10 and 18:37h reaching maximum heights of 2.78 metres and 2.61 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 12:10h reaching a minimum height of 0.44 metre.

saturday, april 20, 2019

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Anti-corruption advocate, Christopher Ram

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he announcement that an audit will be conducted into the University of Guyana is a welcome one for anti-corruption advocate Christopher Ram, who noted that in the past, staunch efforts were made to prevent scrutiny.

Ram, who was on the university’s audit committee, related in an interview with this publication that the University of Guyana’s administration did much to stave off scrutiny of their finances from both external auditors and the audit committee.

“I headed the internal audit committee of the University of Guyana council. And obstacles were put at just about every point in the process to ensure that nothing was done. And money was spent without any authority and accountability,” Ram told this publication.

According to Ram, this has been the situation for years and he expressed doubt about the last time the University had been subject to an audit. But the accountant made it clear that the time was now.

It was recently revealed that the Education Ministry had requested the Office of the Auditor General to conduct a special audit of the University of Guyana’s finances.

In February, a group of employees attached to the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus had picketed the Vice-Chancellery, calling for audits into the spending of the University as it is allegedly unable to properly account for its expenditures and more so, offer a salary increase to its staffers, although tuition fees have been increasing annually.

In a release to the media, UG Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith had revealed that the Ministry of Education, in a recent letter, advised of a request made to the Auditor General’s Office for a special audit. Notwithstanding the Union’s gripe with his administration, Griffith

UG Unions and in my two recent memoranda to the University community,” he said.

UG’s administration was accused of wanton spending, including hosting several events and standing the expenses of meals and accommodation for guest speakers as well as hiring select individuals and paying them super salaries, and sending large delegations overseas, all on the University’s bill. Professor Griffith has consistently denied those claims.

The University of Guyana

The University of Guyana

claimed to welcome the move for an audit into UG’s finances.

“The administration welcomes the opportunity to clear the air on the allegations and assertions by the Unions and other individuals…We have long indicated such, both directly to the

Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) have in particular levelled these accusations.

The Unions had joined forces to question why monies were allocated in previous budgets to entities which

do not exist and moreover, what became of those funds.

They had also demanded answers from the administration on how much money was spent on non-essential events in the last two and half years, which include but are not limited to the Law and Society series, the Turkeyen-Tain talks, and the Vice-Chancellor’s installation ceremony.

They had argued that while these monies were being spent, the core units of the University, which include faculties and schools, had been informed that no money is available for essential repairs and payment for stationery, among others.

In his 2016 report, Auditor General Deodat Sharma had found that $209 million has been unaccounted for from the University of Guyana’s Science and Technology Support Project, funded by the Government of Guyana (GoG) and the International Development Association (IDA) under Credit Agreement No 4969-GY. However, the University had insisted that the monies were used for infrastructure projects on the campus, including a fibre optic cable to provide students with Wi-Fi. It had also noted that some of the monies were used to renovate the faculty buildings.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Easter Monday and sacrifice

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oday is Easter Monday, a public holiday, and it would certainly not be out of place for all of Guyana – not just Christians – to reflect deeply on the central value of the occasion being commemorated – the death and resurrection of Jesus. It concerns the centrality of sacrifice in raising man above the brutish life and offering him one of peace and progress. Religion, in all its multifaceted approaches to address, ameliorate and eventually liberate the human condition has been one on this value. In addition to the sacrifice of Jesus in the Christian Bible, there is that of Abraham that helped to define not only Judaism and Islam, but Christianity itself. Hinduism, the second largest religion in Guyana, explicitly exhorts its adherents to see their entire life as a “yagna” or sacrifice.

Sacrifice in the religious sphere is related to the value of altruism in man’s social relations: that unselfish regard for the welfare of others that can, in extreme instances, even work against one’s own interest. Altruism might appear to be an unknown quality in our nation, founded as it was on the institutions of slavery and indentureship; the quintessence of exploitation of man’s inhumanity to man. But every action has its reaction and every act of selfishness on the part of the planters and the colonial power was matched by acts of sacrifice and altruism by our ancestors, who struggled to overcome.

Sharing of food, scarce as it was, was the order of the day. The young were raised by all. Even the rack and the treadmill could not wring betrayal from those who were tortured to reveal the identities of those that had resisted.

They taught each other to read and write in secret even though if discovered, the penalty was invariably more torture. We remember the sacrifice of those who rebelled to cast off their chains and those that were gunned down as they protested for better wages and living conditions. It would be remiss of us to forget the sacrifice of the nonconformist clergy to improve the lot of the oppressed in the face of vindictive planter harassment.

We fast-forward to the modern era when, whatever their inevitable human shortcomings and weaknesses, the post WWII generation struggled for our independence and the right to chart and craft our own destiny. It cannot be gainsaid that after those heady days, we have faltered from our goals. And it is not coincidental that our collective spirit of sacrifice and altruism has declined commensurately in those years. No nation cannot survive, much less build and exalt itself when the guiding motto is “every man for himself and the Devil take the hindmost”.

And very sadly, this is where we have delivered ourselves today.

We have the shameful instances with several of those who have been elected to serve our country, have used their positions to enrich themselves from the public purse, even though they received a handsome 50 per cent increase in salary on assuming office, which was supposed to eliminate that particular temptation. We insist on talking about “us versus them” rather than “we, the Guyanese people”. We must with all haste return to the road of building this nation for which so much ancestral sacrifice has been expended.

Five decades after independence, we still have a long way to go before we can call ourselves a “developed” country. But rather than pointing fingers and playing the blame game, we suggest that we reflect on the symbolism of whenever we point a finger at another, three are pointed at ourselves. Our country ultimately is not a piece of land: it is us, the people of Guyana – all of us. And has been said before: if we don’t hang together, we will certainly hang separately.

We have to return to our roots, re-inculcate the spirit of sacrifice and altruism that our ancestors practiced and of which the sacrifice of Jesus should remind us about today.

Happy Easter Monday to all Guyana.

This cowboy displays his skills at the Rupununi Rodeo which was hosted over the Easter weekend in Region Nine (Upper Takutu– Upper Essequibo) (DPI photo)

Putin’s envoy in Caracas rejects US revival of Monroe Doctrine

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s Venezuela’s reliance on Russia grows amid the country’s unfolding crisis, Vladimir Putin’s point man in Caracas is pushing back on the United States revival of a doctrine used for generations to justify military interventions in the region.

In a rare interview, Russian Ambassador Vladimir Zaemskiy rejected an assertion this week

by United States National Security Adviser John Bolton that the 1823 Monroe Doctrine is “alive and well.”

The policy, originally aimed at opposing any European meddling in the hemisphere, was used to justify US military interventions in countries including Cuba, Nicaragua, The Dominican Republic, and Grenada, but had been left for dead by recent US administrations trying to turn the page on a dark past.

“It’s hard to believe that the US administration has invented a time machine that not only allows them to turn back the clock but also the direction of the universe,” the 66-year-old diplomat told The Associated

Press this week.

Hostile comments

In an example of how the Cold War-like rhetoric on all sides of Venezuela’s crisis has quickly escalated, the ambassador compared hostile comments by Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Republican Senator Marco Rubio to those of the al Qaeda leaders behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

“Their obsession in imposing their will, in this case on Venezuela’s internal affairs, reminds me of the declarations of the leaders of al Qaeda, who in carrying out the attack on the Twin Towers also tried to position themselves as the only bearers of the truth,” said Zaemskiy, who was senior counsellor at Russia’s mission to the United Nations on 9/11. “The history of humanity has shown that none of us are.”

Those specific, written remarks were prepared ahead of the interview.

While the Trump Administration led a cho-

Russia’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Vladimir Zaemskiy

rus of some 50 nations that in January recognised Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s rightful leader, Putin has steadfastly stood by Nicolás Maduro, sending plane loads of military personnel and blocking condemnation of his Government at the United Nations Security Council.

In a speech this week commemorating the anniversary of the disastrous CIA-organised invasion of Cuba in 1961 by exiles opposed to Fidel Castro’s revolution, Bolton warned Russia against deploying military

assets to “prop up” Maduro, considering such actions a violation of the Monroe Doctrine.

What the US considers Russia’s destabilising support for Maduro hit a high point in December when two Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons touched down in Caracas.

Then, last month, dozens of uniformed personnel arrived to service Sukhoi fighter jets and an S-300 missile system.

Zaemskiy said such military cooperation is perfectly legal and has been taking place for years – ever since the US in 2006 banned all arms sales to the South American country. But he said the alliance has taken on added importance as the Trump administration repeatedly insists that a “military option” to remove Maduro remains on the table.

He was unwilling to say how far Russia would go to thwart an eventual US attack, saying that as a diplomat he’s an optimist. “I firmly believe that in the end reason will prevail and no tragedy will take place,” he said. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Venezuela using T&T to hide oil exports

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here are reports of ports in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) being used by Venezuela’s State oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA), to avoid US sanctions.

According to a report on the website Lloyd’s List Maritime Intelligence, ships appear to be collecting oil cargo in Venezuela before stopping off in T&T and then setting off again, raising suspicions that cargoes are being hidden. It said PDVSA is suspected of using co-loads and “false

berthings” to disguise cargo origins.

Since March 21, three tankers belonging to PDVSA have loaded oil cargoes in Venezuela then diverted to areas close to T&T for several hours. Vessel-tracking data showed that after spending a short time in T&T waters, the tankers left for their final long-haul destinations.

This was likely an attempt to get new bills of lading stating T&T, not Venezuela as the points of origin for the cargoes of fuel

oil.

The tankers have been identified as the Mindoro, Amore Mio and Serengeti.

The Mindoro is owned by TMS Tankers, while the Serengeti is owned by a Greece-based shipping company, Dynacom. The owner of the Amore Mio could not be determined.

“There is no suggestion that any of the shipments were in breach of US sanctions,” Maritime Intelligence added. This is the second alleged PDVSA tactic to hide the destination and origin

of petroleum and crude exports. In late January, after the imposition of the US sanctions, two tankers that loaded in Venezuela were involved in ship-to-ship transfers off Gibraltar.

Rolling power blackouts that disrupted port loadings on top of US sanctions have shrunk crude exports from Venezuela to 17-year lows.

In March, just under 1 million barrels per day was loaded on 33 tankers, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence – the second-lowest volume since 2006. (Trinidad Guardian)

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$1.5B lost to paddy bug infestation in Region 6 …farmers forced to dump paddy

Dininnauth Totaram

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eventeen Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) rice farmers have been forced to dump their paddy after it was rejected by milers since more than 35 per cent of it was damaged.

In addition to the loss as a result of the paddy bug infestation, many farmers were faced with additional expensed for the current crop after having to pump water into their rice fields. The prolonged dry spell, coupled with difficulties encountered by the regional administration, caused some rice farmer to pump water as many as seven times during the crop as compared with three times on an average per crop.

The region was expected to produce an estimated two million bags of paddy this crop. However, former Rice Producers Association (RPA) Extension Officer, Ramlakhan Singh, says there will be a shortfall of 500,000 bags. This will be reflected in the amount of $1.5 billion on the record books.

Tamishwar Sahadeo, a farmer who cultivates 75 acres of rice at Number 61 Village, Corentyne, says the insects have eaten about 30 per cent of his rice.

In giving a breakdown, Sahadeo told Guyana Times he would usually receive between $375,000 and $400,000 for a truckload of his paddy.

However, this crop he is being offered between $275,000 and $280,000 per truckload.

“I was expecting to reap about 40 bags per acre but I only got 25 bags per acre,” he explained.

The infestation forced farmers to apply pesticides as many as 17 times during the crop, where as they would apply the pesticides on four occasions to control the pests.

According to Sahadeo, he

Tamishwar Sahadeo

had to sell four heads of cattle to garner funds to acquire the pesticides during this crop.

Dininnauth Totaram, who cultivated 119 acres at Number 54 Village, told this publication he was forced to quadruple the applications of the pesticide to his rice in order to control the paddy bug infestation. “That money supposes to last me for three more crops and I have to invest it in this crop because of the paddy bugs,” the farmer said.

He estimates $40,000 invested every time he applies the insecticide to his crop, resulting in an additional $500,000 invested on his 119-acre plot.

“When I went to reap this

time, the bugs still plenty and when I went to sell, I getting between $30,000 and $31,000 a ton which in I suppose to get $40,000 a ton. Every load of paddy you carry to the mill, you losing about $100,000,” he said.

The infestation has been widespread, affecting farms are far away as Crabwood Ceek, Corentyne Coast.

Rice farmers in East and West Canje and on the East Bank of Berbice have not been spared.

Following reports of the infestation in the region in early March, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder announced that the infestation was under control and that the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) had put systems in place to prevent re-infestation of paddy bugs.

General Manager of GRDB, Nizam Hassan, is quoted as saying that the Board had implemented a number of measures to reduce the infestation of paddy bugs on rice.

However, the bugs have spared no rice farmer.

Teekapersaud Nolchand, who has won several awards from the Rice Producers Association (RPA) for the quality of paddy he produces, has had his paddy being considered of a very poor quality this crop. According to

Teekapersaud Nolchand

him, he cultivated three different varieties of rice, totalling 120 acres.

“I have never encountered paddy bugs like this in my life,” the rice farmer of 21 years told Guyana Times. Nolchand said he tried all of the available chemicals during the crop and none seemed to have worked satisfactory.

“What I noticed is the GRDB 15 (name given to one variety of rice) is attracting the paddy bug more than any other paddy. The GRDB 10, I only got six per cent damage; the Brazilian variety, I got four per cent damage rate; and the GRDB 15 and got more than 30 per cent damage.”

He added that for the GRDB 15, more applications of insecticides were needed to control the

bugs.

“For paddy bugs alone, I spray 16 times on a field; so it is not neglect of spraying. I don’t know what really happened.”

Nolchand is recommending that something new be introduced to curb the re-infestation of paddy bugs.

However, Ramlakhan Singh, a former RPA Extension Officer, is calling on Government to intervene and treat the situation as a national disaster.

The Region Six economy has been fragile since the firing of thousands of sugar workers, as Government sought to downsize the sugar industry; closing several sugar estates.

In December 2017, Government closed the Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates in Region Six. Some 1851 workers were sacked from the Skeldon Sugar Estate, while 1181 were terminated from the Rose Hall Estate. Another 1480 were fired from the East Demerara Sugar Estate, and 251 from the Wales Sugar Estate.

Region Six had depended heavily on sugar, and with the closure of two of the three sugar estates in the region, this has caused all other sectors to be affected.

Band of ‘good life’ Ministers once again wasted taxpayers’ dollars Dear Editor, By definition, an outreach means providing a service or services to people in such areas where they may not have access to such service or services. The recent ‘outreach’ sponsored by the coalition Government which brought various Ministries to the University of Guyana, Berbice Campus at Tain is a misnomer and should be deemed more of a political gimmick and campaign strategy aimed at subsiding the fallout created by the December 21 NoConfidence Motion.

Editor, Berbice is not a remote area which is cut off from civilisation whereby the coalition Government is unaware of what is going on a daily basis. Every issue affecting every Ministry is highlighted in the various media including social media. There is a group called Moving Guyana Forward where a multitude of issues are raised and it

is a group which has many Ministers and Government officials on it as well as various stakeholders.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister’s Regional Office at Port Mourant is very active and would normally receive hundreds of complaints on a monthly basis, resulting in monthly reports being generated and sent to the Prime Minister directly. Therefore, this ‘outreach’ being an attempt to listen to problems and bring speedy resolutions to these problems is absurd, to say the least, and it suffocates our intelligence.

Moreover, this coalition saying that they are only effective by listening to peoples’ problems personally and on a one to one basis is simply trying to appease the people to get their votes. It is also an attempt to say that there is a complete breakdown and disconnect between the layers of Government. This is far from the truth since problems af-

fecting the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) are channelled to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) which is then transferred to the Central Government. Issues such as roads, streets, lights, water, drainage and irrigation are ventilated on numerous occasions but when budgeted for, they never see the light of day at the Central Government level. I have seen that a certain Minister on social media said that the Regional Administration of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is in the hands of the PPP and that they are responsible but she failed to acknowledge that the holder of the purse is her Government. The region’s development is stymied by the poor budgetary allocations.

It must be noted that the region’s approved Capital Budget for Agriculture for 2018 is a mere $221 million of which $106 million will be used to purchase a bulldozer while

$114 million will be transferred to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority for drainage and irrigation works. It will need a miracle from the Lord for this to adequately provide for a region which depends on agriculture. That is the reason why agriculture is dying a slow death in the region.

Furthermore, the NDCs will receive a princely sum of $5 million each and are expected to repair all the streets, provide for drainage and irrigation and garbage disposal. This is the empowerment of NDCs which the coalition boasts about.

Editor, the plight and woes of the dismissed sugar workers have been echoing incessantly since 2018 and the cries of anguish fell on deaf ears. Are these Ministers in the coalition blind and deaf to the sufferings of these people? They need jobs, they are living in abject poverty and are unable to send their children to school. They have resorted to literally begging

Justice Patterson re-victimising female victims Dear Editor, GECOM Chairman, Justice (retired) James Patterson in a recent letter to the media on the crisis of domestic violence and femicide, stated, “Our women folk must bear some responsibility. It is not wise to be cute and clueless. Women must understand that you have a duty to upgrade yourselves”.

This excursion into the age-old tactic of blaming the victim was, in the words of one member of The Caribbean Voice, “unnerving” and elicited “disbelief”. The fact is that research clearly shows that abuse has nothing to do with the ‘cuteness’, educational status or social standing of victims.

Domestic violence and abuse stem from a desire to

gain and maintain power and control over an intimate partner (see wheel of power and control below). Abusive people believe they have the right to control and restrict their partners, and they may enjoy the feeling that exerting power gives them. They believe they can get away with the abuse and far too often they do. In effect, abuse is a choice.

Additionally, Justice Patterson’s remarks, that, “Women have been infected by the orgies of violence and both genders seem to have outsourced their brain,” seems like an attempt to tar both the abused and the abuser with the same brush so as to provide an escape for the abuser by implying that the victim is equally to be blamed.

Justice Patterson adds, “I

also understand how women could goad us to fury”.

While he follows this up with “Yet, that is no excuse for us to wage a donnybrook in the home of which the headship rests on us,” this remark does not nullify the import of the previous one, which seeks to blame women for their abuse.

Again, mountains of research make it clear that provocation (of any and all sorts) is not a cause for abuse.

The second part of the latter remark: “home of which the headship rests on us [men]” is rather startling since the concept of men as head of households reinforces the abuser who feels a sense of entitlement and believes that his life should take priority. As well, abusers often believe that their own feelings

and needs should be the priority in their relationships, so they use abusive tactics to dismantle equality and make their partners feel less valuable and less deserving of respect in the relationship.

The Caribbean Voice strongly urges opinion shapers and influencers in our society to always premise their remarks about social issues such as abuse on the facts and the evidence, which are available in mountainous amounts at the click or rolling of a mouse these days. To do as Justice Patterson did in his letter provides justification as well as fuel to abusers while it also re-victimises victims.

Sincerely, The Caribbean Voice

from relatives and friends. The coalition is providing training but where are the jobs? There is a limited market for plantain chips, cook-up rice and dog food! Until now, the privatisation process of the closed estate is still ongoing with no information available as to its status. It would seem that the bidders have all since fled. Many of the dismissed sugar workers were hoping to be re-employed.

In addition, the elusive $30 billion bonds are yet to be used for its intended purpose, which is upgrading the remaining estates and the construction of

two co-generation plants and production of white sugar. On the other hand, heavily indebted small rice farmers are being forced to stop rice cultivation.

Their cries are not being heard by this Government. So why an ‘outreach’?

The coalition’s band of ‘good life’ Ministers once again wasted taxpayers’ dollars on an exercise in futility. Their ‘shelf life’ has long expired!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf RDC Councillor Region Six

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Health benefits of kiteflying 10 ways to keep kids safe in F crowded public places

By Lauren May

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aking the family out to a crowded public place can be overwhelming for parents. It’s tough to keep track of all of your belongings and make sure that everyone sticks together. Here are 10 helpful ways to keep kids safe in crowded public places:

Designate a meet-up location

Once you arrive, take a minute to regroup and designate a meet-up location. It could be near an entrance, at the food court or a specific store or restaurant, or even by the security desk, depending on the place. Make sure that everyone knows to meet there if you become separated at some point.

Hold hands

Something as simple as making sure that the kids hold hands, whether it’s with an adult or their siblings, will keep them safer in busy areas. Make it the family rule that everyone holds hands with someone when you’re out in crowds, like at an amusement park or a busy shopping mall. For small children that don’t want to hold hands, keep them in a stroller or shopping cart.

Teach kids to trust their instinct

If a situation or a person just doesn’t seem safe, your child’s gut instinct should kick in. Teach your kids

to listen to that little voice inside of them that alerts them to the potential danger of a situation or a suspicious individual. If their instincts tell them that a situation is potentially dangerous, they should run away and find an authority figure that they can trust.

Ensure that everyone has their cellphone

Cell phones make it easy to keep the family connected today. Make sure that everyone has their cell phone with them, and that the batteries are charged up. Tell the kids to turn their ringer volume up so that they can hear if you need to call them, and use cell phone monitoring to track their location.

Use your family tracker app

A family locator app is perhaps the best tool that you can use to keep your family safe. With a family tracker app, you can easily see everyone’s location in real time. If you become separated or decide to spit up in a public place, all you need to do is check the location to see where each family member is at any given time. It’s the perfect way to have peace of mind when going out anywhere.

Explain stranger danger to your kids

From the time that your children are old enough to understand, you want to talk to them about the dangers of going off with a stranger. You don’t want them to be afraid of everyone, but

explain that they should not go off anywhere with someone they don’t know.

Give kids an ID tag

If you’re going to a busy place like an amusement park, it’s a good idea to give each of your children an ID tag. It could in the form of a sticker, a wristband, or even just a small card with their name and your cellphone number on it. Another option that is gaining popularity is temporary tattoos that have their name and number on them.

Use a safety harness

Some parents feel better about taking their toddlers to crowded places by using a safety harness. It’s ideal for new walkers, and it helps keep toddlers from running or wandering off.

Make kids ask for permission

It’s important to explain to kids of all ages that they need to ask you for permission before they go off anywhere. In crowded places, they should always let an adult know before they go off to another area.

Talk before you go

One of the best things that you can do before heading out for the day is to talk to your family about where you’re going. Discuss what you’ll be doing there, and review the safety basics. By getting everyone on the same page, you can have more confidence that they outing will go smoothly and safety. (www. familyorbit.com)

lying kites is a typical childhood pastime in many countires, yet when we grow older, we tend to forget how much fun it can be. Being able to navigate a kite as the wind tugs it every which way in the sky can be an enjoyable experience for the whole family. You have to admit, when you look up and see a kite soaring through the air, it puts a smile on your face. Not only is flying a kite a great way to enjoy the outdoors, but it can also offer a few health benefits that you might not realize.

Exercise: Kite flying puts you in an environment that’s conducive to outdoor play. If you like to get your kite in the air with a running start (even though the wind usually does the work for you), the sprints could help get your heart rate up. If you want to raise your heart rate while the kite is still up in the air, try kiteboarding. And once you’ve packed away the kite, you might be tempted take a walk, run, or otherwise enjoy the outdoor setting.

Socialising: While most kites can be flown by one person, kite flying is often done in a group, whether it’s simply a fun family outing or an organized festival or competition. As outdoor activities go, it’s unusually inclusive, open to individuals of every age, size, and physical ability. A beautiful kite is also a natural conversation starter – an excuse to create happy memories with loved ones or make an acquaintance with a fellow kite flyer at the park. For more ideas on how to get active with your kids, read our article here.

Spending time in nature: Flying a kite in an open field or on the beach puts you closer to nature, an environment that offers plenty of mind/body benefits. We wrote about the health benefits of being in nature here.

Being outside and experiencing nature, whether it is a small patch of grass or a tree in an urban setting, or a park, or the countryside, helps to reduce anxiety and depression, and benefits your mental health.

Mindfulness: Being mindful of your current surroundings fosters acute awareness of the here and now.

That awareness, in turn, has a number of proven health benefits, including improved pain management and decreased anxiety and depression. Research has also shown that it’s associated with anatomic changes in areas of the brain involved in memory, learning, and emotion.

Good for the eyes: Kite-flying is also good for eye health. Gazing at the blue sky above can help better regulate eye muscles and nerves, which helps alleviate eye fatigue and can prevent myopia.

Good for the neck: As we look upward, our necks open, an important counterbalance to looking down or at eye level. Those who sit at a desk all day are at high risk of cervical disease, and while flying a kite, one can maintain the cervical spine and spinal muscle tension. This promotes the flexibility of ligaments and vertebral joints and prevents degenerative changes, and increases bone metabolism, which can help prevent cervical disease.

Boosts creativity: Kite flying develops creative thinking, both in the making of the kite as well as flying and adapting it to changes in the wind.

Reduces stress: Kite flying will regenerate energy and has a way of reducing stress and tension of everyday life. Watching a kite drift across the sky, it’s easy to become relaxed, temporarily letting go of today’s headaches and tomorrow’s deadlines.

Promotes self-expression: Kites are a form of personal expression and beauty whether purchased or handmade. Making or building kites engages the creative process on the right side of the brain. Visualisation, planning, concentration, coordination, problem solving and other skills can be developed and fine-tuned.

Beauty: A colourful kite soaring gracefully overhead is a lovely sight. Making your own kite can be an act of artistry and creativity. But even the selection of a storebought kite is a mode of personal expression and a celebration of what’s beautiful to you. Think of it as having happiness on a string. (healthfitnessrevolution.com)

news

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monday, april 22, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

WCD man dies after losing control of tractor owned by a 44-year-old sawmill operator, who has a contract with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Deputy Commander

of D Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo), Dion Moore, told Guyana Times that it is too early to declare what caused

the accident.

He stated that the Force is yet to determine if there was a mechanical problem with the tractor Sudesh was

operating, but noted that the vehicle is presently being inspected by the Police as investigations continue.

Miner arrested for rape of 11-year-old …found with gun, ammo

The tractor which turned turtle, pinning the Meten-Meer-Zorg man in a trench

A

38-year-old man is now dead after he was pinned by a tractor in a trench at De Kinderen Village, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Dead is Sudesh (only name) of Meten-Meer-Zorg Reserve, WCD. Guyana Times understands that the accident occurred at about 07:00h on Sunday morning while the man was returning home from the backdam.

Reports indicate the now dead man went into the backdam to plow a field approximately 20 miles from the public road, and was proceeding North on the eastern side of the De Kinderen dam when he lost control of the tractor. This cause the

tractor to turn turtle in the eastern trench, pinning him in the trench.

This publication was told that a passersby noticed the upturned tractor and tried to render assistance to the trapped man. However, by the time they succeeded in lifting him out of the trench, he was dead.

Sudesh was nonetheless rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced him dead on arrival. His body was taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, the Police said the matter was reported at about 07:30h.

According to the Police, the motor tractor (29920) is

A

27-year-old miner is now in Police custody after he was arrested for the rape of an underage female and was found with an illegal gun, matching ammunition and drugs.

The suspect, who hails from the Potaro River, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), was arrested by police ranks from F Division (Interior locations) on Saturday night.

According to a police source, the 11-year-old girl’s parents reported the rape and ranks were dispatched to locate the perpetrator.

Guyana Times was told that the miner is wellknown to the young girl’s family and that the rape occurred at the child’s home while she was there alone.

Reports are that the officers made the arrest at about 20:30h at Garraway Stream, Potaro River, Region Eight.

Upon his arrest, the min-

er was found with an unlicensed pistol with six live rounds of matching ammunition. He is presently in Police custody and is said to be assisting with the investigation.

Several weeks ago, a miner, Ronaldo Persaud was remanded to prison by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow when a hung jury returned after hours of deliberation.

Persaud, 20, of Rockstone, Essequibo River, was on trial for raping a 12-year-old girl between October 25 and 26, 2016, at 20 Miles Anarika, Essequibo River.

The defendant was represented by Attorney Ravindra Mohabir, while the State’s case was pre-

The gun and ammunition that was found in the miner’s possession

sented by Prosecutors Seeta Bishundial, Lisa Cave, and Sarah Martin.

The jury, after almost four hours of deliberation, was unable to reach a verdict.

Persaud will be retried at the next sitting of the Demerara Assizes.

Persaud was not released on bail since he is currently serving a sentence for two break and enter and larceny charges along with an unlawful possession of firearm charge.

In December last, yet another miner was charged with the rape of a nine-yearold girl.

Shawn Cornelius, 36, of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), is accused of engaging in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 16.

8 News

monday, april 22, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fraud findings

SOCU’s credibility diminished – former AG

…financial audit cannot affect cases before court – Harmon

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

T

he financial irregularities found during the audit of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) are testimony to the fact that, with such a record, SOCU can no longer remain part of the law enforcement arm of the State.

This is according to former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who has said the credibility of the work that SOCU has done and is currently pursuing has been diminished.

In an interview with Guyana Times on Sunday, Nandlall said the integrity cases that were filed by SOCU in recent times leave much to “wonder about the processes”, in light of alleged findings of fraud in the audit report that has just been concluded.

“A prosecutor is a minister of justice, and his duty is not to seek a conviction, but simply to place before the Court the relevant and admissible evidence. We have had situations where

SOCU Prosecutors have refused to hand over to the defence a forensic audit report from which the charge stems which they are prosecuting.

“Prosecutors have a duty to provide such information to the defence, and an accused person has a constitutional right to receive such information as a facility for his defense; and in the Guyana Rice Development Board cases, this facility was denied to the accused persons and their lawyers,” Nandlall said.

According to the former Attorney General, he is one of the persons who assisted in the establishment of SOCU under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration, and he has been one of the victims of that unit’s “malicious prosecution”; but he feels that “the shocking disclosures of corruption, fraud, abuse of power and the rogue conduct on the part of officers of SOCU” warrant that the Unit be disbanded, because it has lost its credibility.

Meanwhile, State Minister Joseph Harmon told this newspaper that he does not believe the financial audit would affect the cases filed by SOCU which are currently before the court.

“I have not seen the report, so I will not be able to comment on it; but I just think that it is a far stretch of imagination to basically try to say that the cases are affected in some way because of that.

“I mean, the cases are brought before the court based on what the Police and the Police Legal Advisor

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

(have recommended), and assuming that there is a case to answer. And so, once they have determined that, I don’t understand how some subsequent finding of a financial transaction within the Unit can in fact make the case before the court itself less credible. I find difficulty in making that connection,” Harmon told this publication.

M e a n w h i l e , Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, told Guyana Times last week that whatever information has to be disclosed about that report would be done via his Public Relations Officer.

According to recent reports, the audit of the financial records of SOCU has uncovered serious irregularities, including the falsification of records, and it has been recommended that there be immediate transfers and a fraud investigation of

several of the discrepancies, sources say.

An audit of SOCU, which is a branch of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), was ordered by Police Commissioner Leslie James in February following claims of grave mismanagement, which included the misuse of its operational funds.

The Unit had been engaged in major high-profile probes of former PPP/C Government officials and transgressions at state agencies. The findings of the audit would be seen as a major embarrassment for the current Government.

SOCU has had several of its cases tossed out of the window by the courts, including a number of charges against former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) executives and Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) directors.

It was reported that during the audit of SOCU, auditors were hampered by the absence of receipts for money being used for unspecified purposes.

There is also said to be evidence of unsigned entries in the financial records, while in one case an official has alleged that their signature was forged.

In light of these revelations of widespread fraud and financial irregularities within SOCU, the People’s Progressive Party is calling for the unit to be closed down.

Mason accused of stealing cellphone

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mason was taken before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a charge of simple larceny.

Akeem Burnett of Lot 12 Supply, East Bank Demerara stood before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to the charge, which stated that on April 14, 2019 at Seawall Road, Georgetown, he stole a Samsung Galaxy cell phone worth $85,000, property of Travis Rampaul.

The 22-year-old man initially pleaded guilty to the charge, which also stated that at 23:30h on the day in question, he went with the VC on the Georgetown seawall to hang out, and went to the VC’s car to get a pack of cigarette but never returned.

The court heard that the VC then went to check on Burnett when he discovered his phone was missing from his car. The matter was then reported at the Alberttown Police Station, where an investigation was carried out and the defendant was arrested.

In court on Thursday, Burnett told Magistrate McLennan that he had the VC’s phone, but was robbed

by four men when the VC sent him for a pack of cigarette from his car.

He said he did not know how to tell the VC, because he had met him only the same day at a Chinese restaurant, where they were drinking.

Burnett told the court that the VC had invited him to the seawall along with two female friends.

Burnett told the court that after he was robbed, he contacted the Soesdyke Police Station, and they told him they would send a patrol to accompany him to the crime scene. He also told the court that the patrol finally arrived, and the VC was in the Police vehicle, and he was arrested.

Magistrate Ann McLennan entered a not guilty plea on Burnett’s behalf after listening to his story.

The Police Prosecutor did not object to the defendant being placed on bail, but requested that conditions should be applied. Burnett was released on $10,000 bail, and has to report to the Grove Police Station every Friday until the trial has been completed.

The case will continue on April 23.

Go fly a kite…

W

…nation dividers hile to us Guyanese kite flying is the quintessential Easter Monday activity, in less enlightened jurisdictions – like the USA! – flying a kite is just a quaint practice from “the old country”. In fact, over there, the expression “Go fly a kite!” is equivalent to “Go take a hike!” – meaning, “Get away from me, you annoying twerp!”

To indulge in either of those activities, you gotta move veeeeery far away!

And this is what your Eyewitness would like to say to those who’ve forgotten the message of the fella whose death and resurrection is the raison d’etre for today’s holiday, and are busy dividing our nation with their toxic politics: go fly a kite…and while you’re at it, take a hike!!

For instance, your Eyewitness couldn’t believe the message of Moses Nagamootoo, the Prime Minister of this country, in his Sunday Chronic Column – Easter Sunday, mind you! – for which he’s paid more than $2 million monthly: “The treacherous role of Judas and his betrayal for 30 pieces of dirty silver would not be lost in this politically charged country, which is still under the shadow of that fateful, December 21, 2018 no-confidence vote in our National Assembly. That vote has been tainted and stained by what all honest Guyanese believe to be the kiss of a Judas!”

Imagine that!! Charrandas Persaud had explained the reason for him crossing party lines to vote for the NCM – betrayal by his AFC leaders, Nagamootoo and Ramjattan – but now HE’s the Judas to Nagamootoo!!

How much more can you divide this nation??

Nagamootoo and Ramjattan explicitly promised Berbicians that sugar would be supported, yet went along with firing 4000 plus Berbicians, and he expected that Charrandas who actually lives among sugar workers - to just go along??

If Nagamootoo was half the man Jagan taught him to be, he would’ve hung a mala on Charrandas’s neck for his bravery. But how could Nagamootoo do that when he wants to keep on drawing his fat salary and enjoying those outriders clearing his way through the “Guyanese rabble”??

Charrandas remains a standing indictment of Nagamootoo’s betrayal of Jagan’s principles of service to the people!! It’s no wonder Jagdeo didn’t call Nagamootoo a “Jackass”, as he’d whined to the Police, but a “Judas”!!

And of course Nagamootoo isn’t the only divider of the nation. Who could forget PNC Chair Volda Lawrence’s declaration that only PNC people and her friends need apply for Government jobs?! But that was evident from the beginning, wasn’t it? What with 16 of 17 Permanent Secretaries coming from the PNC’s constituency, and all that!!

Isn’t it time for the PNC to be given marching orders?? …and childhood memories For those who may think your Eyewitness only thinks of politics, that’s not COMPLETELY true!! For instance, today he’s flooded with memories of his father making those “pointer” kites for his kids, including yours truly. And then the entire family trooping over to the sea wall to get those Icaruses into the skies!! His mother would be laden down with her basket of potato balls, pine tarts and various other home-made goodies – not to mention the “swank” to cool down throats parched from whooping and yelling as kites were manoeuvred to bring down each other!

The tail of the kite was the secret: the shorter ones would ensure that your kite swung and veered like a whirling dervish, which, combined with skilful tugs and jerk of its “twine”, was guaranteed to make your kite into a modern day Spitfire bringing down enemy aircraft like the Red Baron!!

Now, to your Eyewitness’s disgust, all the youngsters are running around with those Chinese “plastic kites”. This kind of behaviour is another reason for the decline of our national fibre!! …UG’s VC At long last, folks are waking up to the fact that a charlatan was foisted onto UG as its VC, as your Eyewitness has been bemoaning from the day he was hired.

Cut the old boy’s YSM ties!!

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

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monday, april 22, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

New GGMC Board of Directors approved …Stanley Ming returned as Chairman

GGMC Chairman Stanley Ming

W

ith Guyana preparing to enter new and uncharted waters in the extractive sector, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has had a new Board of Directors installed to steer the ship.

At the head of this Board is incumbent Chairman Stanley Ming. Also on the Board are Derrick Lawrence; Tom Dalgety; Euliene Watson; Vanda Radzic; Camilla Edwards; and the Commissioner of GGMC, Newell Dennison. A represen-

tative from each of the following organisations will be selected and added to the Board at a later date: the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), the Guyana Women Miners Association (GWMA), the National Mining Syndicate, the Guyana Gold Board, the Guyana Forestry Commission and a worker’s representative from the GGMC. The Board is also expected to include in its membership representatives from the National Toshaos Council (NTC), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), as ex officio members. The Board members will serve from March 1, 2019 to February 28, 2020.

These appointments come at a time when total gold declarations for last year amounted to 613,073 ounces, which was 6.22 per cent lower than 2017 – 653,754 ounces were declared in 2017.

Lowered expectations

Government had initially set a target of 720,000 ounces

for 2017 but at the end of 2017 was only able declare 653,674 ounces, prompting Finance Minister Winston Jordan to dub the performance disappointing.

An ambitious 800,000 ounces’ target was set for 2018. The foreign exchange value of exports processed on behalf of dealers and itself at the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) came to US$443,961,666.

It is understood that gold dealers Mohamed’s Enterprise, and El Dorado Trading finished first and second respectively in total declarations and exports of gold.

Other dealers that contributed are: Pure Diamond, Dinar, Excel, Adamantium Metals, GBTI Property Holdings Inc, and Gold Bar Development.

The appointments also come at a time when Canadian owned Guyana Goldfields is looking to branch off into underground mining. Last month, Goldfields was issued a permit by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to construct the underground mine.

It is currently awaiting

The appointments come at a time when a major gold company will be branching off into underground mining

further approvals from the GGMC. In fact, Guyana Times observed equipment assembled at the site, waiting for the go ahead, during a recent visit.

So far, Guyana Goldfields has invested US$300 million into its local operations. The underground mine is expected to cost US$25 million in the initial exploration stages.

A further US$100 million is likely to be invested over the next 10 years of production.

Revenue

But the company is optimistic of more than recovering that investment.

Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Goldfields, Scott Caldwell, had been optimistic of the underground mines surpassing their previous operations. According to Caldwell, the underground well is likely to be a game changer when it comes to revenue.

When asked about the application, Commissioner Dennison explained that the GGMC is in possession of Goldfields’ application and will soon know whether anything else is needed. He had made it clear that GGMC has no intention of delaying the process, but was only ex-

ercising its due diligence for such a venture.

“From what I am aware, they have submitted [the documents]. I am of the view that we are in good way to be conducting the examination to determine whether we need anything more.”

“To the extent that we ascertain that what is therein is sufficient representation of what they plan to do, and it is in keeping with our regulations and what we consider typical practices for these types of activities, we would then issue the permit,” Dennison said.

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monday, april 22, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

11 Businesswoman nabbed with ganja A news

monday, april 22, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

35-year-old businesswoman is now in Police custody after law enforcement officers visited her shop on Saturday and noticed her trying to dispose of a quantity of cannabis that she had in her possession.

Reports are that Police acting on information went to the shop at Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara, to conduct a search.

According to the Police, upon their arrival, the businesswoman reportedly “quickly disposed” of a parcel through one of her shop’s windows. However, this act did not go unnoticed by the ranks.

The cannabis which Police ranks found at the woman’s Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara shop

The parcel was immediately retrieved and it was found to contain a quantity of cannabis.

It has since been confirmed that the prohibited substance weighed 120 grams.

Just a few days ago, two males and two females hailing from the ancient county of Berbice were arrested after police ranks swooped down at their homes and unearthed a quantity of cannabis.

Reports are that ranks from B Division (Berbice) along with officers from the Police Narcotics Branch carried out a cordon and search operation which lasted for

over four hours.

The two males along with a female were apprehended at a house in Number Two, Canje Village, while the other female was arrested at a home in Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.

Guyana Times understands that over nine kilograms of cannabis was found in the yard in Canje and two pounds of cannabis was discovered in the home at Angoy’s Avenue.

Earlier this month, Head of the Police Narcotics Branch, Kurleigh Simon had told this publication that the police had upped the ante during the first quarter of 2019.

On April 3, 2019, Police in the B Division intercepted a Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, resident who was wanted in connection to the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

On March 29, last, a young man had been taken into Police custody after he was caught with a quantity of cannabis in his possession while travelling in public transportation.

The 24-year-old suspect of New Amsterdam, Berbice, was a passenger in a minibus on the East Coast of Demerara when the vehicle was stopped by the Police.

12 news Region 2 farmers call for help in Akeila Handy crowned Miss Li suspected palm weevil outbreak A F

monday, april 22, 2019 | guyan

armers in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) are seeking the intervention of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) for the trapping and bating of the palm weevil, which are killing coconut trees in the region.

Agriculturalist Brijesh Singh, who carried out the inspection and discovered the palm weevil, said that it is associated with a nematode, which causes the red ring virus of coconuts. Singh said that the farmers cultivate coconuts on a largescale basis and supply businesses with thousands of coconuts per week and this plague is killing coconut trees.

Singh explained that after the trees started to die, the farmers solicited his help and he carried out a general inspection on a large farm at Waipotosi Island, Essequibo

The suspected palm weevil discovered in Region Two

River, where he discovered a few dead coconut trees and dissected one of them and this is where he discovered the palm weevil.

“This is a large farm, more than 40 acres, 2500 coconut trees…I dissected one of the trees and I found two adult palm weevils, one male and one female, in the heart of the palm,” he said.

More than ten farmers from Hubu backdam, Region

Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), are also experiencing the same issue with the plague killing their coconut trees.

The farmers are worried of the negative effect this can have on their business since it is large-scale farming that they do and have customers that they have to supply on a weekly basis with more than 1000 coconuts. “If their trees are dy-

ing out they would be unable to do this and they are fearful of loss of income,” he said. They are pleading with NAREI to intervene and assist them in getting rid of this plague.

The palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is one of two species of snout beetle known as the red palm weevil, Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil.

keila Handy is now the reigning Miss Linden Teen Ambassador.

Handy was crowned in the wee hours of Sunday morning, after winning the title against five other competitors in the ‘Miss Linden Town Week Teen Ambassador’ pageant.

The event was hosted at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground in Linden.

The winning teen, who represented the New Silvercity Secondary School and the Amelia’s Ward New Housing Scheme area, sizzled in her performances throughout Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Shajadah Monplaisir, who represented the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) and Amelia’s Ward, was adjudged second runner-up; while Mekeda Richardson, who represented the Wisburg Secondary and Block 22 community, was adjudged first runner-up. All of the awardees will be given educational prizes, including scholarships, computers, tablets, books and other educational materials.

The competitors were judged based on results from the intro-

Miss Linden Teen Ambassador, Akeila Handy (

duction/opening, talent, career presentation, evening gown, and question and answer segments. While the competitors delivered intriguing performances, the talent segment particularly captivated the audience. From the drama and poetry deliveries to dance and song, Handy in particular sizzled during her musical rendition of Alicia Keys’ “This girl is on fire”, winning the hearts of

many. display her ch also de ning go elegan The segmen evenin delegat tion ba choice.

Oth

news

22, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

Miss Linden Teen Ambassador

dor, Akeila Handy (seated), along with the other delegates of the pageant

career gown, er segompeting peregment the auma and ce and lar sizrendis girl is arts of

many. For her career segment display, a Social Worker was her choice. The competitors also delivered well in the evening gown segment, displaying elegant fashions.

The question and answer segment that put a wrap on the evening’s competition saw the delegates being asked a question based on the career of their choice.

Other contestants includ-

ed Niasha Motayne of Central Amelia’s Ward; Tonya Belle of Kairuni, Linden-Soesdyke Highway; and Bonita Viverio of the Speightland community.

The Teen Ambassador pageant is one of the first official activities of the Linden Town Week (LTW), which will see twelve days of activities showcasing themes in education, sports, agriculture, health, culture and entertainment.

13

18-year-old crowned Miss Bartica Regatta

C

opping the Miss Bartica Regatta crown from eight other beauties came as a shock to 18-year-old Amel Griffith.

In a report from the Department of Public Information (DPI), Griffith was stunned when the first runner-up was announced and she realised that she was the winner. Even while still in shock, the new queen stood regal and calm, while her supporters in the audience wasted little time in chanting her name.

The eight other delegates were Shania Khan, Joyann Wong, Tonya Harris, Tenicia De Weaver, Adeola Sutherland, Sabrina Persaud, Soma Lindore and Jurusha Ferrel.

Apart from Griffith, the other top two delegates were Tonya Harris and Jurusha Ferrel, who were adjudged the first and second runners-up respectively.

The delegates took to the stage just before 22:00h on Saturday, introducing themselves in song and poetry.

This was then followed by

The new Miss Bartica Regatta, 18-year-old Amel Griffith (DPI photo)

the talent and swimsuit segments. Griffith performed a dance for her talent piece in

representing her platform, which was human trafficking.

In an earlier interview with the Department of Information (DPI), Griffith had said she believes that every life is important, and no one should be held against their will. “I want to help eradicate the scourge of human trafficking,” she had stated.

Following the evening gown segment, it was time for the top three delegates to answer the deciding question. They were asked separately if they won the 2019 pageant and became an ambassador of Bartica, what they would aspire to do to improve the lives of women in Bartica.

Griffith’s response was that women are important in society, and she plans to hold programmes and workshops in Bartica to educate and empower women about their worth. This sent the audience in a frenzy and convinced the judges she was rightly the winner of the title.

She was crowned in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

14 News

monday, april 22, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Region 9 drought affecting businesses – Minister …GWI to provide relief

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s residents of South and North Rupununi villages in Region Nine, (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) continue to face the harsh effects of the dry weather season, Business Minister Dominic Gaskin said it is affecting the business community in the region.

Minister Gaskin told Guyana Times in an invited comment that the prolonged dry weather facing Region Nine is having an impact on farmers and it’s also affecting the commercial areas. “If you drive through Lethem, you’ll see people driving through Lethem’s commercial zone with trucks wetting the road because it’s extremely dusty and messy,” he said.

Minister Gaskin said the problem is largely an agricultural problem; not only in Lethem but the entire Rupununi region. He expressed hope that the the rains come so that the farmers can reap or cultivate

their crops for the season.

Residents from that region had reached out to this publication and complained that they are suffering as a result of the dry season and are pleading with the Administration to offer any relief it can to help cushion the impact it is having on their livelihood.

In an invited comment, Region Nine Chairman Bryan Allicock confirmed to Guyana Times on Tuesday last that residents are in dire need of relief. He said the villages faced with drought include those such as Katoka in central Rupununi and Katoonarib, and other villages in both North and South Rupununi.

He explained that the villages that are experiencing severe drought are those that have hand dug wells, since they have now dried up, and residents have tried digging deeper but to no avail. He called for more drilled wells to be built in an effort to cushion the effects of the dry

weather in the future.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) in a statement late last week said it has recognised the effects of the dry weather season and have made significant efforts to alleviate the effects by drilling several wells in

the region.

According to the release, these efforts include wells in the areas of Aishalton, Annai, Karasabai, Aranaputa, Nappi, Hiawa, St Ignatius and Sand Creek – the latter of which is an initiative of GWI, the Regional

Democratic Council and the Pan-American Health Organisation.

GWI said it has also requested a supplemental budget to drill new wells in other communities in 2019.

The utility company highlighted that with re-

gard to the communities of Katoka and Katoonarib where residents are severely affected, an engineering assessment will be made on April 23 and 24 respectively and this will provide for both immediate relief and long-term solutions.

Find jobs for youths – Caribbean Voice appeals to Youth Department

I

n light of the recent revelation that just about 40 per cent of the country’s youths are unemployed and many are now becoming depressed and even suicidal, The Caribbean Voice is lobbying for the Department of Youth to help young people find jobs.

Representative of the agency, Bibi Ahamad told this newspaper that youths have been approaching the organisation in search of a job, however, they are unable to help as they operate voluntarily.

Ahamad said after working with youths she has real-

ised that most young people have graduated from secondary school with good grades but are unable to secure jobs.

“It’s difficult for them to get a job. I know young people who left the University of Guyana and have a degree but can’t get a job and people out of school who have eight and nine subjects and it’s still difficult for them to get a job,” she said.

She further noted that the youth unemployment rate may very well be over 40 per cent in Guyana as she has been personally working with youths, 90 per cent of whom are unemployed.

The Caribbean Voice representative, Bibi Ahamad

On this note, The Caribbean Voice spokesperson said that the Government needs to work on job creation for its young people. “They need to create job employment for the youths…they need to put some plan of action in place to assist the youths because you come out of high school and you have eight or nine subjects and you can’t even [get] a job, you become depressed,” she explained.

Ahamad reminded that the Government, before it took office, promised to create job opportunities but the fruits of those promises are yet to be manifested. The activist told Guyana Times that she knows for a fact that youths are becoming depressed and even suicidal because of the lack of jobs, as she has been counselling young people to ensure that they stay on the right path.

In a letter to this publication, The Caribbean Voice said, “We appeal to the Department of Youth to set up and widely publicise a mechanism that can easily and quickly offer job placements for young people across Guyana”.

The organisation believes that the mechanism to help youths can include

a component that facilitates placements of vacancies and matches young people seeking jobs with vacancies for which they are suited.

Furthermore, The Caribbean Voice noted that it lauds the “job readiness training” initiative that the Youth Department has announced intention to launch soon. However, the agency said that it looks forward to the training being available in all 10 Administrative Regions as young people all across the country desperate for jobs may very well not know what to do when they join the workforce.

The Youth Department, through its Director Melissa Carmichael, announced last week that it is seeking to implement the training to prepare young people for the world of work. Carmichael pointed out that this project would require officials meeting with young people, not only within fifth and sixth forms, but those who have already left school.

According to her, youths require career guidance to prepare them for employment.

Presidential Candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Irfaan Ali has already blasted the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government for failing to deliver most of its manifesto promises to the Guyanese people in the more than four years the Administration has been in office, one of which included job creation.

Among the host of promises the PPP has mentioned that will be in its manifesto, is the creation of 50,000 new jobs and according to the party’s presidential candidate, even this figure is too conservative.

news

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monday, april 22, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

TIP task force to introduce SOPs Georgetown Mayor to meet with for prosecution of offenders businesses on solid waste strategy

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he Ministerial Task Force for Trafficking in Persons has announced actions to launch Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the prosecution of persons associated with this offence, to ensure that the best practices are upheld.

Guyana Times understands that this involves interviewing both victims and suspects and investigating the crime with the intention of preserving evidence and building stronger cases.

In what was described as “modern slavery”, the TIP Act denotes the offence as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force”.

Through the task force, agencies under the Public Security Ministry have been monitoring the frequency of such cases and implementing strategies to curb this issue. It was noted that the subvention to Non-Governmental Organisations was increased and additional facilities for males were created.

“The Ministry of Social Protection has increased its subventions to Non-Governmental Organisations that manage victim care facilities, to ensure the protection and safety of victims and to guaran-

T

tee that they are given the necessary counselling and other resources to move forward with their lives. It has also increased overall, the number of care facilities, adding transitional facilities, and creating a space for male victims.”

One of these organisations is the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO), which has been helpful in identifying trafficking in the mining communities.

In the US State Department’s annual TIP Report for 2017, Guyana was elevated as a tier one status, which it retained in 2018. This indicates that the country meets the minimum standard for eliminating human trafficking along with increased funding to assist victims.

However, Women’s Rights Activist, Karen De Souza had recently positioned that the country lacks

the institutional capacity to assist victims of human trafficking.

The outspoken activist stated that financial and human resources are the most important aspects in building capability to effectively support persons who are liberated from trafficking rings. For her, those resources are still lacking to ensure that these laws are upheld.

“There are a number of areas that needs to be looked at more closely in relation to implementation of the law that exist and the resources also have to be provided for the full implementation of the law, as in how do you support a person that has been trafficked to retake their lives and put things together for a person to become a free, functioning and emotionally secure human being? I’m saying we don’t have all those resources at the moment.”

Child neglect highest reported form of abuse – CCPA

CCPA Director Ann Greene

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he Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) received 4917 reports of child abuse in 2018, with neglect accounting for the majority of those cases.

Many parents, due to a busy schedule or other reasons, fail to give their child the attention he or she deserves, which takes a toll on that child without some parents even noticing.

According to the Child Care Department, some 2431 cases of child neglect were recorded last year. In trying to reach out to the public on this matter, the CCPA recently posted on its social media page that the

most effective strategy there is when it comes to parents preventing child abuse is communication.

“Parents need to talk to their children every day to learn as much as they can about their child’s daily activities [such as] their feelings, concerns or problems.

Adults must listen to their children with open minds [and] they must not be judgemental or keep interrupting the child’s flow as he or she speaks,” the agency stated.

It further noted that at an appropriate time, parents can feel free to ask questions or simply ask the child about anything which

may have raised a red flag during the conversation.

The CCPA said that children will not speak openly with adults if they feel that they will either get into trouble or upset their parent in some way. It also noted that if a child feels that the adult is not really concerned about him or her and only pretends to be listening, eventually the child will desist from sharing their feelings.

The Ministry of the Presidency had said, “According to the statistics, 60 per cent of child neglect occurs when a child is between the ages of 4-13 years old, while 83 per cent of child sexual abuse occurs when a child is between the ages of 8-18 years old”.

But Director of the CCPA, Ann Greene is of the view that this number is far less than the actual statistics since abuse is a “hidden crime”.

“Child abuse is a hidden crime and, particularly, sexual abuse is behind closed doors and some of the victims, they literally do not have a voice to report abuse, meaning many children are being abused and they can’t report. So even if we do get a report, that’s the tip of the iceberg,” Greene was quoted as saying.

he Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, intends to meet with errant business owners who continue to dump their garbage in a careless manner in an effort to pave the road for a cleaner city.

This is according to the Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine who in an interview told Guyana Times on Saturday that City Hall intends to begin this campaign as early as next week.

“The Mayor has indicated that he prefer to meet with the businesses block by block to find out what solid waste strategy they have and that might commence sometime during the week,” he said.

The Solid Waste Director in the past had posted pictures on his social media pages with businesses dumping their garbage just outside of their premises, which are most times cleaned by the Department.

He explained that the new initiative will help businesses to be more compliant with health and safety standards. Moreover, Guyana Times was told that the Private Sector was engaged on this issue and has come to an agreement with the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

Narine said, “We had a fruitful meeting with the Private Sector and we actually had a walkabout and from that, a lot of them would have indicated that they prefer or want to use the services of the municipality in that where we enter into an agreement with them to give them a receptacle and collect the garbage from them”.

The Solid Waste Director noted that many of those businesses presently do not own receptacles and have

A photo posted by the Solid Waste Director showing the garbage piles outside a city business on Alexander and Robb Streets, Georgetown

no means of proper waste disposal. He said he is happy with the progress and believes they are moving in the right direction to become more structured.

Furthermore, he pointed out that at least five or six businesses have come forward to indicate that they want to partner with the Council in terms of an agreement.

Georgetown has long been plagued by the issue of pollution and proper waste disposal as M&CC itself has been facing some challenges in this regard.

Only last November, financial strain at City Hall once again forced principle collectors, Puran Brothers and Cevons Waste Management, to withdraw their disposal services.

Puran Brothers and Cevons Waste Management had said that they were owed some $150 million by

City Hall. This debt was said to have been outstanding since the second quarter of 2018.

Puran Brothers Disposal Service was owed $73 million, while Cevons Waste Disposal was owed $75 million.

It was only in March of this year that those contractors were fully paid, after the Government was forced to intervene again.

Business Development Supervisor of Cevons Waste Management told Guyana Times that this sum of money was disbursed by the Communities Ministry to his company and Puran Brothers Disposal Services.

The M&CC would have hired five smaller contractors after Puran and Cevons took strike actions for their monies. These contractors are still operating in the city and its environs.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monday, april 22, 2019

Regional

US arrests ‘member of border Former UWI Vice Chancellor has died militia’ in New Mexico T he Region is mourning one of its foremost academics and states-

U

S authorities have arrested an alleged member of a militia that has been stopping migrants trying to cross the US-Mexico border. Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69, was detained in New Mexico as a felon in possession of a weapon.

It comes just days after a video emerged of militia members detaining dozens of migrants in the desert. The group, United Constitutional Patriots, has been condemned by civil rights groups and local officials.

“Today’s arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes.”

While his statement said Mr Hopkins had been arrested as a felon, it did not specify what the underlying conviction had been. The al-

Members of the United Constitutional Patriots have been seen patrolling with weapons

leged militia member is expected to appear in court on Monday.

United Constitutional Patriots, a small volunteer group, argues it is helping US Border Patrol to deal with a surge in migrants crossing America’s southern border. It is one of several militias operating in the region.

As details of this week’s

latest video emerged, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said on Twitter that “menacing or threatening migrant families and asylum seekers is absolutely unacceptable and must cease”.

US Customs and Border Protection have previously said they are opposed to civilians patrolling the border in search of illegal crossers.

(BBC News)

Cuba and the European Union sign memorandum of intent

Stefano Manservisi, Director General of Cooperation and Development of the European Commission, and Ileana Núñez Mordoche, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of the island, signed this document

A

memorandum of intent for the approval of a financing agreement and cooperation projects between Cuba and the European Union (EU), worth 61.5 million euros, was signed on Tuesday in Havana.

Stefano Manservisi, Director General of Cooperation and Development of the European Commission, and Ileana Núñez Mordoche, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of the island, signed this document.

The memorandum aims to strengthen cooperation in the areas of food security, adaptation to climate change, renewable energy, culture and exchange of experiences, based on the development of joint projects.

In statements to the press, Manservisi said that this financing agreement is the result of what was discussed earlier, and therefore will mean support for the modernisation of the econo-

my, and in particular underlined the success of the exchange program of experts and the two windows to facilitate investment and exports from Cuba.

As part of the agreement, the Transcultura project will be financed, which aims to reform the Convent of Santa Clara, in the capital, to teach Caribbean students about identity and cultural

heritage, said the EU representative.

In Cuba, as in many other countries, there are problems regarding climate change and food security, so one of the objectives of the memorandum is to provide European resources and experiences in order to build resilience, Manservisi said.

men.

Former Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Sir Alister McIntyre, 87, passed away in Jamaica on Saturday.

In an immediate response, Vice Chancellor of the UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, said Sir Alister’s death was “shocking.”

“Larger than life in his long sojourn, it is difficult to embrace the finality of this existential fragility. The people of the Caribbean, and their University of the West Indies – which he served as Vice Chancellor – will not be impoverished by his transition because the phenomenal richness of his contributions to their growth and

Former UWI Vice Chancellor, Sir Alister McIntyre

transformation will continue to yield development dividends deep into the future,” Beckles said.

McIntyre served as UWI Vice Chancellor during the period 1988-1998. He was born in Grenada and later

graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with first class honours.

Sir Alister was a lecturer in economics at the Mona Campus in Jamaica, which has a building bearing his name. In 1974, he was appointed secretary-general of the Caribbean Community (Caricom.)

He was the recipient of the Order of Caricom, the Order of Merit from Jamaica, Guyana’s Cacique Crown of Honour and the Chancellor’s 50th Anniversary Award.

Sir Alister was also remembered on Caricom’s Facebook page, “The Caribbean Community mourns the passing of Sir Alister McIntyre, a true West Indian giant. You have walked well Sir Alister.”

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Peru ex-President leaves cadaver as sign of ‘contempt’ for his enemies: suicide note

P

eruvian ex-President Alan Garcia wrote in an alleged suicide note read by family members at a wake on Friday that he had killed himself in order to avoid humiliation at the hands of his political enemies.

Garcia shot himself in the head earlier this week as Police arrived at his door to arrest him in connection with alleged bribes from Brazilian builder Odebrecht, in the most dramatic turn yet in Latin America’s largest graft scandal. Before his suicide, Garcia had repeatedly brushed off allegations of corruption as a political hit.

One of Garcia’s daughters read the apparent suicide note at a wake held by his APRA political party, which twice helped usher Garcia to the presidency.

“I will not be humiliated,” read Luciana Garcia, citing a note left by her father before his suicide. “I have seen others paraded around in handcuffs, living a miserable existence, but Alan Garcia has no need to suffer these injustices… For this reason, I leave to my children the dignity of my decisions; to my friends, my pride, and to my enemies,

Friends and family carry the coffin with the remains of Peru’s former President Alan Garcia, who killed himself this week, during the last of three days of national mourning declared by President Martin Vizcarra, in Lima, Peru April 19, 2019

my cadaver as a sign of my contempt for them.”

Peruvian prosecutors investigating the Brazilian builder said they had gathered sufficient evidence to hold Garcia in pre-trial detention while they prepared charges against him. Garcia maintained his innocence until the end, calling the probe politically motivated.

“In this time of rumours and hatred, believed by the majority...I have seen how these procedures are used to humiliate and not to seek the truth,” Garcia wrote in the letter.

President Martin Vizcarra, whose Administration has overseen the probe, had offered Garcia’s family a State funeral with honours, typical of that received by former Presidents.

The Garcia family declined Vizcarra’s offer, preferring instead a private event with the ex-President’s friends and allies. Garcia’s suicide is likely to drive a wedge between Vizcarra’s Government and the right-leaning Opposition in Peru’s Congress, many of whom were allied with the ex-President. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Bank embroiled in fraud case Landslide in South-western loses licence to operate in Belize Colombia kills at least 14 T

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t least 14 people have been killed and five injured in a landslide in the South-western Colombian province of Cauca, the country’s disaster relief agency said on Sunday.

The landslide, which was caused by heavy rains, took place in the early hours of the morning in a rural area of Rosas municipality, the agency said in a statement.

Five people have been hospitalized and rescue op-

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

erations are ongoing, the statement said. At least eight houses have been damaged and a portion of the Pan-American Highway is blocked because of the landslide, it added.

Landslides are common in mountainous Colombia, especially during rainy season and in areas where precarious informal housing and narrow roadways are constructed on deforested Andean hillsides. (Reuters)

he Belize Government has revoked the licence of an international bank which is embroiled in a fraud case in the United States involving property in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) nation.

The decision to revoke the banking licence of Atlantic International Bank Limited (AIBL) was taken on the recommendation of the Central Bank of Belize, five months after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) named the bank as a defendant in a case involving alleged fraud related

to certain transactions for the sale of land in a property development known as Sanctuary Belize. That legal situation unfolded on November 8, 2018 and the FTC sought and obtained a temporary restraining order against certain of the bank’s liquid assets in the United States.

The Central Bank says AIBL has experienced challenges meeting its liquidity requirements, due, it appears, to the reputational damage caused by being named in the FTC proceedings. It experienced an unusual and in-

creasing level of withdrawal requests, which led to customers facing extended delays in accessing their funds, which in turn led to a worsening of the bank’s liquidity position.

To safeguard the interest of depositors, customers, and other stakeholders, the Central Bank said it immediately escalated its oversight regime and undertook a special on-site examination to assess AIBL’s financial position.

The assessment revealed that the bank’s liquidity position continued to worsen. (Excerpt from

Caribbean360)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONday, april 22, 2019

Around the World

Easter day blasts at Sri Lanka churches, hotels kill 207

Several people were killed as worshippers attended Easter service (Al Jazeera photo)

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t least 207 people have been killed and 450 hurt in explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, police say.

Eight blasts were reported, including at three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo’s Kochchikade district during Easter services.

The Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand luxury hotels, all in the capital, were also targeted.

A curfew has been put in place “until further notice” and social media networks have been temporarily blocked.

It remains unclear who carried out the attacks, but reports say 13 people have so far been arrested.

Late on Sunday, the country’s air force said an improvised explosive device had been found, and disposed of, close to Colombo’s main airport.

“A PVC pipe which was six feet in length containing explosives in it was discovered,” spokesman Gihan Seneviratne told local media.

It comes as the country’s prime minister admitted there may have been prior intelligence about the attacks.

Officials says 36 foreign nationals are thought to be

among the dead, including 25 yet to be identified.

The first reports of explosions came at about 08:45 (03:15 GMT) local time with six blasts reported close together at churches and luxury hotels.

St Sebastian’s church in Negombo was severely damaged in one explosion, with dozens killed at the site.

Images from inside showed blood on the pews and the building’s ceiling shattered.

There were also heavy casualties at the site of the first blast in St Anthony’s, a hugely popular shrine in Kochchikade, a district of Colombo.

Robert Tyler, who has lived in Sri Lanka for six years, told the BBC that at least two of the hotels appeared to have had their restaurants targeted at a busy time for breakfast.

Two further explosions were reported as police tried to find those involved.

One blast hit near the zoo in Dehiwala, southern Colombo, and an eighth was reported near the Colombo district of Dematagoda during a police raid, killing three officers.

The government has said most of the attacks are thought to have been carried out by suicide bombers.

The vast majority of

those killed are thought to be Sri Lankan nationals, including dozens who were attending Easter church services.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says five British people - including two with joint US citizenship - are among the dead. The US State Department has said “several” Americans have been killed.

Three Danish citizens, two Turkish nationals and one person from the Netherlands were also killed, their governments have confirmed.

Sri Lankan officials say three Indian nationals and one Portuguese citizen are also among the dead.

They say 25 more fatalities at a Colombo mortuary are also thought to be international citizens awaiting identification.

Airlines have said people are still able to travel to the airport under the curfew if they produce their boarding pass and identification at checkpoints.

Travellers are being advised to arrive at the airport four hours before their scheduled flight time.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the media on Sunday evening.

During the briefing, he referred to allegations that

Attack on Mali army base kills 11 soldiers

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unmen attacked a Malian army base in a dawn raid on Sunday, killing 11 soldiers and burning the camp in west-central Mali, the army and a local lawmaker said.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Central Mali has in the past few years been overrun by jihadists with links to al Qaeda.

The unidentified armed assailants attacked the base in Guire district at 05:00 local time (0500 GMT) after approaching in a convoy of 11 vehicles, local lawmaker

17

Niame Keita said.

“They burnt the camp and took equipment,” he said.

In a statement, the Defence Ministry confirmed the attack and said 11 soldiers were killed and more were wounded. Keita had earlier said 12 were reported killed.

In March, an al Qaeda affiliate said it was behind a similar overnight attack on an army base in the central region of Mopti in which 16 soldiers were killed.

Escalating violence led to the resignation last

week of the entire Malian Government. The authorities have come under fire for failing to beat back militants and disarm militias, after a massacre of 157 villagers by an ethnic vigilante group shocked the nation in March.

Both Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso have been hit by the spike in hostilities fuelled by Islamist militants seeking to extend their influence over the Sahel, an arid region between Africa’s northern Sahara Desert and its southern savannahs. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

officials had been in possession of intelligence suggesting an impending attack.

“We must look into why adequate precautions were not taken. Neither I nor the Ministers were kept informed,” he said.

“For now the priority is to apprehend the attackers,” he added.

Pope Francis, in his traditional Urbi et Orbi speech at the Vatican, condemned the attacks as “such cruel violence” targeting Christians celebrating Easter.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said he is “outraged” by the attacks, and hopes the perpetrators will be “swiftly brought to justice”.

Cardinal Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Ranjith, told the BBC: “It’s a very difficult and a very sad situation for all of us because we never expected such a thing to happen and especially on Easter Sunday.”

UK PM Theresa May tweeted condolences, saying the “acts of violence against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka are truly appalling”.

US President Donald Trump tweeted “heartfelt condolences” for the “horrible terrorist attacks”.

Sunday’s attacks are the deadliest seen in Sri Lanka since the end of the country’s civil war in 2009. (BBC)

Comedian Zelenskiy wins Ukrainian presidential race by landslide: exit poll

Volodymyr Zelensky starred in a satirical drama in which his character accidentally becomes President

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kraine entered uncharted political waters on Sunday after an exit poll showed a comedian with no political experience and few detailed policies had easily won enough votes to become the next President of a country at war.

The apparent landslide victory of Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 41, is a bitter blow for incumbent Petro Poroshenko who tried to rally Ukrainians around the flag by casting himself as a bulwark against Russian aggression and a champion of Ukrainian identity.

The national exit poll showed Zelenskiy had won 73 per cent of the vote with Poroshenko winning just 25 per cent.

If the poll is right, Zelenskiy, who plays a fictitious President in a popular

TV series, will now take over the leadership of a country on the frontline of the West’s standoff with Russia following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and support for a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskiy, whose victory fits a pattern of anti-establishment figures unseating incumbents in Europe and further afield, has promised to end the war in the eastern Donbass region and to root out corruption amid widespread dismay over rising prices and falling living standards.

But he has been coy about exactly how he plans to achieve all that. Investors want reassurances that he will accelerate reforms needed to attract foreign investment and keep the country in an International Monetary Fund programme.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Turkish Opposition Leader attacked at soldier’s funeral

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Kemal Kilicdaroglu was pushed and shoved by crowds at the funeral in Ankara

epublican People’s Party (CHP) chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu was set upon by an angry crowd while attending a memorial on Sunday.

Escorted by security forces, he took shelter in a nearby house until the crowd dispersed.

Kilicdaroglu had attended the funeral to pay respects to a Turkish soldier who was killed in clashes with Kurdish PKK militants near the border with Iraq.

But what started as a protest against Kilicdaroglu’s presence descended into vi-

olence against him, according to Anadolu State news agency.

Speaking to AFP news agency, his party later said Kilicdaroglu “is fine” while his office said legal action would be taken “against the culprits of the incident”.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP party and nationalist politicians have criticised Kilicdaroglu for his connections with pro-Kurdish party, HDP. They have accused him of cooperating with the HDP, which the Government has linked to Kurdish militants.

HDP denies any links to militants.

Tensions have risen in Turkey since the CHP won Ankara and Istanbul in mayoral elections, delivering a blow to Erdogan’s AKP party.

Alleging irregularities with the vote, Erdogan has challenged the slim opposition victory for the CHP’s mayoral candidate for Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu.

A recount by election authorities determined that Imamoglu had won the election by around 13,000 votes, granting him his mandate.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

Put your energy to good use. Lend a helping hand or nurture an important relationship. As long as you are positive and willing to compromise, you will meet with no resistance.

CANCER

A change or adjustment may need to be made for you to avoid being taken for granted. A confrontation may not bring the results you want, but using reason and making positive suggestions will.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU TODAY’S WORD GEORGETTE (GEORGETTE: jor-JET: A sheer, strong, sik or silk-like fabric.)

Average mark 14 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 19 or more words in GEORGETTE? The list will be published tomorrow.

ultima umlaut usual last list litmus luau lust lutist tail

talus taut tilt tumult tutu imam mail maim malt mast

maul milt mist mitt mumu must mutism mutt mutual alit

alms alum atilt autism sail salt silt slam slat slim

slit slum smalt smut stat stilt suit summit

If you want to find out what’s happening or how something is done, go directly to the source and ask questions. The information you get will help you make a positive lifestyle change.

Take a course or attend a function that will bring you in contact with industry peers. Networking events will lead to opportunities.

Get physical, make personal improvements and take better care of your emotional, physical and mental health. Share feelings and build a stronger relationship with a loved one.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Don’t feel pressured to make a change just because someone else does. You are better off doing your own thing. A joint venture will not turn out as planned.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

If you want something, go after it. It’s OK to be aggressive, as long as you don’t upset someone in the process. Get permission and forge ahead.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

YESTERDAY’S WORD - ULTIMATUMS

Aim high and don’t stop until you reach your destination. A financial opportunity looks promising, as long as you don’t go overboard and invest too much.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Step up and make things happen. Effect changes that will put you in a better position to present what you have to offer. Pay closer attention to health, personal finances and legal matters.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Be private about your activities until you have everything in place and are fully prepared to present what you have to offer.

Stop dreaming and start doing. Clear out clutter and make space for something you want to pursue. Your enthusiasm will encourage others to help you reach your goal.

Put your energy into things you can actually accomplish. Be honest and realistic when it comes to what you are capable of doing and how to go about it. Personal improvement is encouraged.

monday, april 22, 2019

19

VIVO IPL Edition 12…

Royal Challengers Bangalore win last-ball thriller; Dhoni’s 84* in vain

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oyal Challengers Bangalore kept their campaign hanging on with a last-gasp, onerun win over Chennai Super Kings at M Chinnaswamy stadium, surviving an MS Dhoni special as the Super Kings captain marshalled the chase expertly but couldn’t quite get his team over the line.

Parthiv Patel’s second fifty of the competition glued Royal Challengers’ innings together, but their 161 for 7 didn’t look like enough to challenge the table-topping Super Kings outfit. However, Dale Steyn spearheaded a spirited defence with two wickets in his first over, and at the end of the Powerplay, Super Kings were floundering at 32 for 4.

Yet, thanks to Dhoni’s unbeaten 84 off 48, the match went down to the wire, and were it not for Parthiv’s ice-cold direct-hit when the batsmen were attempting to steal a bye off the last ball, the game would have gone into a Super Over.

Super Kings needed 70 from the last five, and 26 off the last over. Off those last six balls, Dhoni crunched three sixes - one clean out of the ground - and a four, but couldn’t lay bat on the final delivery when two runs were needed to win. Called through for a bye, Shardul Thakur dived to make his ground, but Parthiv, who had his right glove removed, threw down the stumps with the batsman inches short to secure a vital win for Royal Challengers by the narrowest of margins.

Kohli falls early

Fresh from a hundred against Kolkata Knight Riders three days ago, Virat Kohli flicked the second ball he faced tonight handsomely through square leg for four, but he couldn’t replicate his effort from Friday night and was out in the

third over, edging a wafty drive.

AB de Villiers ensured the early loss of their captain didn’t slow Royal Challengers down too much, but when he holed out off Ravindra Jadeja in the seventh over with the score at 58, much of the early momentum was lost.

Parthiv anchors

After the dismissals of their two leading batsmen, Royal Challengers needed another member of the top order to step into the breach, and Parthiv held the in-

Royal Challengers’ innings. Moeen showed he is clearly still in decent nick, and despite not having much time to impose himself, his 26 off 16 helped to give the bowlers something of a total to defend.

Steyn’s double strike

Steyn has tempered the steel in Royal Challengers’ bowling ranks since his return to the IPL, and he was at the forefront of a Powerplay dominated by fast bowling. With his fifth ball, Steyn had a driving Shane Watson caught at slip, with

Royal Challengers Bangalore celebrate

nings together with his second fifty of IPL 2019. Before Kohli and de Villiers overtook him, Parthiv was Royal Challengers’ leading run-scorer in the early rounds this season, but his 53 was only his second fifty-plus score of the season.

Attacking almost exclusively on the leg side, Parthiv reached a 36ball fifty in the 16th over with a pick-up off a Dwayne Bravo slower ball but was out immediately afterwards.

Moeen’s late burst

Parthiv’s departure finally brought Moeen Ali to the crease, who has been inexplicably held back by Kohli. Despite having made 50 off 32 and 66 off 28 in his last two innings, both times batting at No. 4, Moeen only arrived at the crease tonight at No. 6 when there were only 4.2 overs left in

his sixth he castled Suresh Raina with a pinpoint yorker, and suddenly Royal Challengers had reason to believe despite their subpar total. Steyn couldn’t strike a third time with the hat-trick ball but Umesh Yadav, likewise bowling with vim and purpose, followed Steyn’s lead to have a virtually shotless Faf du Plessis caught off a spliced pull for a 15-ball 5 before Kedar Jadhav spooned a simple catch to de Villiers at mid-off.

Super Kings emerged bloodied and bruised from the Powerplay, the required rate already closing in on ten an over.

Middle order repair job

The last time Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni batted together for Super Kings in Bengaluru, they shared in a 101-run stand that helped their side chase down 205

3

SCOREBOARD

Royal Challengers Bangalore Innings (20 overs maximum) PA Patel † c Watson b Bravo 53 V Kohli (c) c †Dhoni b Chahar 9 AB de Villiers c du Plessis b Jadeja 25 AD Nath c du Plessis b Jadeja 24 MP Stoinis c sub (DR Shorey) b Tahir 14 MM Ali c Thakur b Bravo 26 P Negi c Rayudu b Chahar 5 UT Yadav not out 1 DW Steyn not out 0 Extras (lb 2, w 2) 4 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 8.05) 161-7 Did not bat: NA Saini, YS Chahal Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 3) 6 Fall of wickets: 1-11 (V Kohli, 2.3 ov), 2-58 (AB de Villiers, 6.5 ov), 3-99 (AD Nath, 12.4 ov), 4-124 (PA Patel, 15.4 ov), 5-126 (MP Stoinis, 16.3 ov), 6-150 (P Negi, 18.6 ov), 7-160 (MM Ali, 19.5 ov) BOWLING DL Chahar (4-0-25-2) SN Thakur (4-0-40-0) RA Jadeja (4-0-29-2) with two balls to spare. This time around, their partnership was cut down at 55 - enough to dig Super Kings out of immediate peril after their early stumbles, but not enough to put them ahead of the game. Though the pair generally managed a boundary an over, they couldn’t quite keep touch with the inflating required rate. Having survived a very close stumping call, Rayudu eventually lost his battle with a buzzing Yuzvendra Chahal, bowled off his pad for a run-a-ball 29 in the 14th over.

From then on, Super Kings’ hopes were entirely pinned on Dhoni.

Parthiv’s pinpoint throw

Super Kings went into the last five needing 70, and vitally Dhoni

DJ Bravo (4-0-34-2) I Tahir (4-0-31-1) Chennai Super Kings Innings (target: 162 runs from 20 overs) SR Watson c Stoinis b Steyn 5 F du Plessis c de Villiers b Yadav 5 SK Raina b Steyn 0 AT Rayudu b Chahal 29 KM Jadhav c de Villiers b Yadav 9 MS Dhoni (c) † not out 84 RA Jadeja run out (Saini) 11 DJ Bravo c †Patel b Saini 5 SN Thakur run out (†Patel) 0 Extras (lb 9, nb 1, w 2) 12 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 8.0) 1608 Fall of wickets: 1-6 (SR Watson, 0.5 ov), 2-6 (SK Raina, 0.6 ov), 3-17 (F du Plessis, 3.6 ov), 4-28 (KM Jadhav, 5.5 ov), 5-83 (AT Rayudu, 13.1 ov), 6-108 (RA Jadeja, 16.4 ov), 7-136 (DJ Bravo, 18.6 ov), 8-160 (SN Thakur, 19.6 ov) BOWLING DW Steyn (4-0-29-2) NA Saini (4-0-24-1) UT Yadav (4-0-47-2) P Negi (1-0-7-0) MP Stoinis (3-0-20-0) YS Chahal (4-0-24-1) was still at the crease. Kohli, meanwhile, had an over each from Chahal, Yadav, Steyn, Navdeep Saini and Marcus Stoinis to play with. Chahal was seen off, but Dhoni went to a 35-ball fifty with a hearty biff down the ground for six off Steyn. Dhoni uppercut a Saini no-ball over third man for another maximum, but the lanky quick bounced back to dismiss Bravo caught-behind in the penultimate over to leave Yadav with 25 runs to defend in the last over. Dhoni’s hitting took his team to the brink, but when he couldn’t lay bat on the final delivery - a slower ball, just outside off - the result of the match hinged on Parthiv’s ability to hit the stumps under pressure. He did so, and Royal Challenger lived to fight another day. (cricinfo)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

MONDay, APRIL 22, 2019

VIVO IPL Edition 12…

Warner and Bairstow punish sloppy Knight Riders 3

Jonny Bairstow (left) and David Warner

D

avid Warner and Jonny Bairstow crushed Kolkata Knight Riders, who slumped to their fifth consecutive defeat. The Sunrisers Hyderabad batting pair put on 131 in just 12.2 overs, which reduced the 160-run chase to a cakewalk in the end.

Bairstow finished unbeaten on 80 off 43 balls with four sixes and seven fours while Warner, who was the only batsman to be dismissed in the second innings, made 67 off 38 balls with three fours and five sixes.

L

When they bowled, it was Rashid Khan who held back the Knight Riders middle order after Khaleel Ahmed had given them a strong start with a three-wicket haul

Khaleel thwarts a fast KKR start

Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine struck five fours and three sixes in the first 2.3 overs, and just as they reached a crescendo, Khaleel’s slower ball stung Narine’s leg-stump. The leftarm quick had been struck for a six and two fours off two previous deliveries, so

his celebration was understandably one of rage.

Khaleel made it a double breakthrough when he removed Shubman Gill, who guided the ball to point where Vijay Shankar took a simple catch. The Knight Riders were already losing much of their early impetus when Bhuvneshwar had Nitish Rana caught behind and Dinesh Karthik self-destructed with a run out in the ninth over.

Lynn held back, or holds back?

The usually big hitting Chris Lynn ended up making his slowest IPL fifty - 51

SCOREBOARD

Another WarnerBairstow special

In four out of nine innings so Kolkata Knight Riders Innings BOWLING far, Warner and (20 overs maximum) B Kumar (4-0-35-2) Bairstow have put together a CA Lynn c Williamson b Ahmed 51 S Nadeem (4-0-30-0) 100-plus stand, SP Narine b Ahmed 25 KK Ahmed (4-0-33-3) now just behind S Gill c Shankar b Ahmed 3 S Sharma (4-0-37-1) Dhawan and Warner for most N Rana c †Bairstow b Kumar 11 R Khan (4-0-23-1) century partKD Karthik (c) † run out nerships for the (Shankar/†Bairstow) 6 Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings first wicket in IPL. RK Singh c Khan b Sharma 30 (target: 160 runs from 20 theWarner beAD Russell c Rashid Khan b overs) gan the onwith Kumar 15 DA Warner b Prithvi Raj 67 slaught a straight six PP Chawla c †Bairstow b Khan 4 JM Bairstow † not out 80 off newcomer Prithvi Raj. Y Prithvi Raj not out 0 KS Williamson (c) not out 8 But only a few KC Cariappa not out 9 Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 4) 6 balls later, KC Extras (lb 1, w 4) 5 TOTAL (15 Overs, RR: 10.73) Cariappa put down a sitter at TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 7.95) 161-1 deep point off 159-8 Fall of wickets: 1-131 (DA Bairstow’s slash.

Sixteen came off Did not bat: HF Gurney Warner, 12.2 ov) that over, before Fall of wickets: 1-42 (SP BOWLING Cariappa’ nightNarine, 2.4 ov), 2-50 (Shubman HF Gurney (2-0-16-0) mare outing continued, leaking Gill, 4.2 ov), 3-65 (N Rana, 7.1 Y Prithvi Raj (3-0-29-1) 20 runs off his ov), 4-73 (KD Karthik, 8.2 ov), PP Chawla (3-0-38-0) first over, which included two six5-124 (RK Singh, 15.3 ov), SP Narine (4-0-34-0) es.

6-133 (CA Lynn, 16.6 ov), 7-146 KC Cariappa (2-0-34-0) They brought (AD Russell, 18.5 ov), 8-150 (PP AD Russell (1-0-8-0) up the 100-run stand in the Chawla, 19.3 ov) ninth over, before Warner pasted Narine off 47 balls - having been at with Rinku Singh, got out for his fifth six.

Bairstow, the crease for an hour and with three overs left in the a half. He would have gone innings and even Andre who was the more conservaafter almost every ball but Russell couldn’t salvage a tive of the two openers, got the Knight Riders also need- decent enough score this two more lives, on 55 and 58, before Raj bowled Warner ed him to bat through after time. they lost four wickets in less Knight Riders finished in the 13th over. Bairstow, than six overs, for only 31 with 159 for 8 in 20 overs, then, cut loose in the 15th runs. due in large part to Russell over when his third and Lynn, who added 51 coming in late and Lynn fourth sixes completed the chase. (cricinfo) runs for the fifth wicket holding himself back.

Premier League: Liverpool defeat Cardiff to reclaim top spot

iverpool returned to the top of the Premier League but were made to work hard for victory at relegation-threatened Cardiff City.

Jurgen Klopp’s side had to be patient as they dominated a dogged Cardiff side, who had chances of their own to cause an upset.

Liverpool made the breakthrough in spectacular fashion, as Georginio Wijnaldum met Trent Alexander-Arnold’s low corner with a thunderous firsttime effort which threatened to break the net.

The wild celebrations spoke of the visitors’ relief, and they had to negotiate some nervy moments, most notably a staggering miss

by Cardiff captain Sean Morrison, who miscued a header with the goal at his mercy.

Things then got worse for Morrison, who conceded a penalty after grappling with Mohamed Salah, and substitute James Milner confidently converted the spotkick to seal victory for the

visitors.

Cardiff remain in the relegation zone, three points adrift of safety.

Liverpool, meanwhile, restore their two-point lead at the top of the table over Manchester City, who play their game in hand away at Manchester United on Wednesday.

Everton put 4 past woeful Man Utd

Everton produced a thrilling display to outclass a woeful Manchester United at Goodison Park and expose all the problems facing Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United face a fight to secure a Premier League topfour place and Champions League football next season after 90 minutes which were little other than torture against a rampant Everton.

United goalkeeper David de Gea had saved superbly from Richarlison before the Brazilian hooked in an acrobatic 13th-minute volley to set the tone for a mag-

Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates after scoring Liverpool’s opener in the 57th minute of their crucial win at Cardiff City

nificent display from Marco Silva’s side.

De Gea was beaten by Gylfi Sigurdsson’s low 25yard drive, going down late, as Everton took total control.

Everton did not let up after the break, Lucas Digne scoring from long range af-

ter De Gea punched out a corner, before substitute, Theo Walcott ran clear on to Sigurdsson’s pass to slide home the fourth.

United have lost six of their past eight games in all competitions, while a fifth successive away defeat - for the first time since 1981 -

leaves them facing the prospect of Europa League football next season.

Palace secure safety with win over Arsenal

Arsenal’s hopes of a topfour finish were dented after Christian Benteke’s first goal in a year helped

Crystal Palace to an excellent win which confirmed their Premier League place.

Benteke was left unmarked to head Luka Milivojevic’s delivery past Bernd Leno, only for Mesut Ozil to equalise with a clever finish shortly after halftime.

However, two goals in eight minutes ended Arsenal’s 10-match winning league run at Emirates Stadium.

Wilfried Zaha capitalised on a mistake by Shkodran Mustafi to restore Palace’s lead and James McArthur’s header made it 3-1 before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reduced the deficit with his 19th league goal of the season.

With Manchester United on the receiving end of a hammering at Everton earlier in the day, and Tottenham losing at Manchester City the previous day, this was an ideal opportunity for the Gunners to take a big step towards securing a Champions League place.

(BBC Sport)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, APRIL 22, 2019

21

BCB/Perry Gossai Memorial 100 ball final…

Sookra’s half-century leads D’Edward SC to championship win

T

he Bush Lot cricket ground in West Berbice witnessed a heated contest between the undefeated teams in the BCB/Perry Gossai Memorial 100 ball tournament as the finale of that tournament was played.

Those teams were D’Edward Sports Club and Cotton Tree Die Hard; and D’ Edward SC defeated Cotton Tree Die Hard by 31 runs in that historic tournament.

Batting first on a wicket that was over-soaked and made sticky by the grounds men, D’ Edward mustered 155-5 in their allotted 100ball innings. Player of the match, Lakeray Sookra, smashed a brilliant 61 to lead the D’ Edward charge.

In reply, Cotton Tree Die Hard were bundled out for 124, with Marlon Deputron scoring 32. Abdool Subhan was the chief wicket-taker for D’ Edward with 3-23.

Earlier, D’ Edward lost Altaf Khan for four runs as the score was at 13-1,

The winning D’Edward team

but Lakeray Sookra and Devindra Lalsa added 53 runs in a partnership that

revived the innings.

Lalsa was out caught for 28 from 14 balls, becoming

Pooran Persaud’s first wicket when the score was at 66-2 inside eight overs.

The right-handed Sookra looked solid as he faced 41 balls in his innings of 61,

which was decorated with six boundaries and three sixes.

The stands were filled with more than 200 supporters as they witnessed Subhan adding the finishing touches to the D’ Edward innings with an unbeaten 29 from 12 balls.

D’ Edward posted a good total of 155-5 in 100 balls, and Cotton Tree Die Hard’s Persaud had 2-23 in three overs.

In hot pursuit of the target, Cotton Tree lost three quick wickets. At 21-3 in five overs, Nick Ramsaroop (10), Daniel Harrynarine (07) an Pooran Persaud (00) were already sent to the dug-out.

A 43-run stand between the Gaffoor boys led the mini-resurgence, but it was insufficient for a victory.

Batting at number seven, Marlon Deputron smashed a top-score of 32 that included four boundaries and one six.

Fast bowler Subhan had 3-23 in 4.2 overs for the eventual victors. (Brandon Corlette)

Fognini lands maiden Masters title in Monte Carlo

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F

lamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini followed up his shock victory over Rafael Nadal with a 6-3 6-4 final win over Serbian Dusan Lajovic to claim his maiden Masters title in Monte Carlo on Sunday.

The 31-year-old triumphed despite suffering from an apparent muscle problem to became the lowest seeded player, at 13, to claim the title since Gustavo Kuerten in 1999.

Five weeks before the French Open kicks off at Roland Garros, Fognini produced some brilliant tennis on Monte Carlo’s red clay to snatch his ninth ATP singles title.

“I was preparing for the match as best I can because he has my ex-coach (Jose

Italy’s Fabio Fognini celebrates with the trophy after winning the final against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic

Perlas) and I knew it was going to be really tough, a lot of running,” said Fognini. “It’s an incredible achievement. I’m really, re-

ally happy.”

Lajovic, who had not lost a set this week before Sunday, did not have the weapons to counter

Fognini’s tactical nous.

“It was my first time in a final, so a great experience for me,” the Serbian said.

“Today was not easy to play, with a lot of wind. But Fabio is a guy who knows how to play in these conditions. He has great hands.

“He’s moving really well. So I was feeling on the court that I had to work much harder than him to win the points. I think this was the key.”

Fognini made several unforced errors early on, allowing Lajovic to break in the third game. But the Serbian failed to capitalize as he dropped serve in the next game.

Fognini won three games in a row and held off Lajovic to seal the opening set with a stunning back-

hand winner down the line.

It was the first set Lajovic conceded in the tournament and the Serbian appeared quite shocked, dropping serve in the first game of the second set.

After a brief fightback Lajovic, who was also looking to win his first Masters title, was overwhelmed again and Fognini again broke to move 3-2 up.

In the following game, the Italian had his right leg strapped by the trainer and Lajovic tried to make the rallies longer.

But Fognini cleverly ended some of them with dropshots as he held serve for 4-2.

He ended the contest on his second match point. (BBC

Sport)

MSC forging the way forward

T

he current M a n a g e m e n t Committee of the Mackenzie Sports Club has outlined plans for the staging of its annual general meeting (AGM) and elections for the club, as it seeks to regain its place as a properly constituted body in Linden.

Initially owned by the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA), the club was opened as a members club in 1956, and has become an institution for sports and recreational activities in the mining town for decades. Its facilities are due for rehabilitation soon.

The Management Committee has recently put in place a menu of measures which would also see plans to increase the club’s

– rehabilitation in blueprints

membership and improvement of its image, which had been sullied for various reasons in the past.

On Wednesday, April 24, there will be, from 17:00 hrs, a briefing of all the club’s members on plans to have its AGM set for June this year.

After Wednesday’s planned ordinary members’ meeting, for members who are financial and for those in arrears, it will be made known whether they have brought themselves upto-date with their dues by May 3rd.

Then there is planned a special general members’ meeting on June 16th, to finalise plans with the financial members to attend. At that meeting, plans will be outlined in regard to the holding of

the club’s annual general meeting and elections on June 30th.

Meanwhile, based on the Rules of the MSC, it was pointed out that, on Tuesday last, at a management committee meeting chaired by club president Avery Trim, it was unanimously decided that an amnesty period be placed for errant members.

“Those members who have not paid their monthly dues dating back to 2016 and beyond will have to pay their dues from 2016 to present”, if they wish to participate in the upcoming AGM. Members are therefore asked to check on the club’s notice board for information, or with the club’s steward at the club’s location: 464 Greenheart

Street, Mackenzie, Linden, for further information on

their current status, or call 444-3233.

22

monday, april 22, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Hussein to represent Guyana at Pan Am Paralympic Table Tennis Championships

T

he Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has secured a qualification spot for Gibrain Hussein, and he will be representing Guyana at the 2019 Pan American Paralympic Table Tennis Championships, scheduled for August in Lima, Peru.

Hussein’s qualification spot was confirmed when the GTTA received correspondence from Pablo Perez, Head of Para Table Tennis and Executive Vice President of the

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) with responsibility for Para Table Tennis, who positively responded to the GTTA’s requested petition for a wild card application.

Hussein, with ID 3728, has been playing tournaments in the United States and other competitions in 2018 with a goal of trying to improve his world ranking so he can gain qualification at international events.

His highest world ranking at level 10 was 38.

Gibrain Hussein

The national paralympic awardee and prominent certified ITTF level two coach, who has been working on several youth development

programmes in Berbice, was very elated by the news. He had made many attempts to gain qualification to numerous other para-events,

but was hampered by the delay in establishment of the Guyana National Paralympic Committee.

With regularisation of Guyana’s National Paralympic Committee, headed by Wilton Spencer, the way has now been paved for Guyana’s Paralympic athletes to participate in international Paralympic activities, and it has now become mandatory that they feature at these games.

The discipline of table tennis has seen recent dramatic growth in participation numbers, with 2000 athletes representing more

than 100 different countries currently active globally.

The ITTF took over the governance of Para Table Tennis in what was a pioneer move in 2007. According to the Association, a lot of work has been done to improve many areas of the game, such as educating coaches and officials, and developing the players themselves.

They believe there is a bright future for Hussein and for future Paralympic table tennis athletes who aspire to commence the journey of representing Guyana and inspiring other Para Athletes in Guyana.

CWI/TTWCA Female Regional U-19 T20…

T&T ends Windwards unbeaten streak to claim championship

T

– Guyana’s title dream shattered in 1st semi-final

he dominant Trinidad and Tobago Team completed a comfortable seven-wicket win against Windward Islands in the finale of the CWI/TTWCA Female Regional U-19 T20 tournament on Sunday last.

The T&T girls, who enjoyed home conditions, won the toss and elected to field first. Windward Islands reach 117-8 in 20 overs; and in reply, the home team cruised to victory, with Shania Abdool scoring a brisk half-century as T&T ended on 118-3 inside 15 overs.

Trinidad and Tobago v Guyana Guyana’s Under-19 females had suffered a nine-

Trinidad and Tobago U-19 girls are champions of the Cricket West Indies/T&T Women’s Cricket Association’s Under-19 T20 tournament

run loss to Trinidad and Tobago in this T20 tournament. That match, played at Gilbert Park in Couva, was the first semifinal between first-placed T&T and fourthplaced Guyana. The hosts scored 126-5 in 20 overs, while Guyana replied with 117-6 when the quota of 20 overs expired.

The Trinidad and Tobago captain, Reanna Farrow, top-scored with 26, and the left-handed Shania Abdool scored 25. The top bowler for Guyana was Cherry Ann Fraser, who grabbed 2-26 in four overs.

In pursuit of T&T’s 127 for victory, Guyana fought hard but were restricted to 117-6

in 20 overs. Mandy Mangru continued her impressive play in the tournament when she scored a classy 43, while Casey Charles scored 24 and Fraser chipped in with a useful 18. Bowling for T&T, Anna Marie Pereira had 2-25 in her quota of four overs.

Guyana had, earlier on Saturday last, gotten past Jamaica by 10 wickets to reach the semis. Guyana girls won the toss against Jamaica and elected to field first. The Jamaicans were restricted to 92-8 in 20 overs, with Mandy Mangru once again being the star performer with 3-18 in four overs, while Cherry Ann Fraser had 2-18.

In reply, Guyana made light work of the target, as ‘player of the match’, Shabika Gajnabi, hit 57 from 33 balls, decorated with 9 boundaries and one six. Mangru remained unbeaten on 14 from 13 balls in the winning effort.

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, april 22, 2019

23

CWI Regional U-15 50-Over championships…

Mavindra Dindyal

T&T win title but suffer defeat to Guyana in final round

G

uyana’s Under-15 Team ended their campaign on a winning note when they defeated Trinidad and Tobago by seven wickets in the final round of the Regional U-15 tournament that was played in Antigua.

The victory was insufficient for Guyana to cop the title, as the T&T boys had taken one more fast bowling wicket than

the Guyana boys, with each fast bowling point worth .1 point.

Batting first, Trinidad and Tobago reached 180-2 in 43 overs when rain interrupted the first innings. Top-scoring for T&T, Justin Jagessar stroked an unbeaten 73, while skipper Andrew Rambaran scored 33 not out.

The Guyanese, required to chase a revised target of 204,

Inaugural Global Auto Spares Golf Tournament…

Reis’ form fetches in another title triumph

V

eteran golfer Clifford Reis, who has regularly been in the winners’ row over the past 3 months, continued his winning ways by leading the competition to emerge winner in his Flight and overall Champion of the inaugural Global Auto Spares Golf Tournament, on Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Course.

Noticeably, rookie Eureka Giddings registered her entry into the winners’ row by placing a definite second after Champ Reis.

The grounds were in fine condition, and Hardeo ‘Curry’ Ganpat, new Lusignan Golf Club member and CEO of Global Auto Spares, was on hand with his wife to congratulate the winners and express delight at supporting the Club.

Curry’s long intention to become a member of the Lusignan Golf Club was pushed into reality through his friend David Harry.

Meanwhile, CEO of Banks DIH, Clifford Reis, took full advantage of prevailing conditions on the day to maintain his great performance. Having tied for 4th place with Guillermo Escarraga on a net 68 in the Saj Rice tournament of February 9, after a tie for 1st by three golfers with net 67 - Pur Persaud,

Bank DIH CEO Clifford Reis (centre) receiving the championship trophy from Global Auto Spares’ CEO, Hardeo Ganpat, in the presence of Mrs Ganpat

Anand Persaud and Satrohan Tiwari -- Reis seemed determined to do better each time around. He emerged 1st (72/25) in the Trophy Stall tournament in February; 1st (68/25) in the Robert & Ravi tournament in March, and 2nd (69/25) in the A&R Jiwanram Printery tournament of one week ago.

The tournament was played in 2 flights. Winners in the 0 – 14 flight were: Aleem Hussain (70/10) – 1st; and Roy Cummings (74/12) – 2nd. In the 15 – 28 flight, winners were: Reis (64/26) – 1st; Giddings (71/28) – 2nd, and Shanella Webster (74/15) – 3rd.

In the special awards area, Minister Ronald Bulkan came out of a long absence to provide

an excellent drive and win the Nearest to the Pin (some 6ft) prize.

Parmanand “Max” Persaud also came to the fore in his unique area of the Longest Drive, where he recorded 310 yards.

Hussain took away two prizes, obtaining the Best Gross for the day along with his flight win.

Meanwhile, in the spirit of generosity and rejoicing of the Easter Season, LGC, in partnership with the Shafura Hussain (Charitable) Foundation of Albouystown and New Trend Auto’s Rudy Ramalingum, has distributed kites to children in the Albouystown community.

saw their most gifted batsmen, Rampertab Ramnauth and Mavindra Dindyal, ensuring that Guyana achieved the target in 30.2 overs.

The left-handed Ramnauth smoked 92 not out as he continued his form, while West Indies U-16 batsman Mavindra Dindyal hit 52.

Guyana have again finished the Regional U-15 tour-

nament as runners-up, having lost to Barbados in the final in 2018. Trinidad and Tobago had last retained the title in 2016, as Barbados had won the 2017 and 2018 editions. Guyana had won this title in 2014, and had defende d same successfully in 2015.

GVF IGG training stint almost complete

T

he Guyana V o l l e y b a l l Federation (GVF) have held yet another successful weekend camp at the National Gymnasium as they prepare for the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) tournament scheduled for French Guiana from May 1 – 5.

The last such camp was held in 2017, the year in which the Guyana boys had won the tournament while their female counterparts had had to settle for 2nd place.

This publication spoke with Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) President Levi Nedd, who said he was pleased with the team’s training sessions so far, and called on the public to support the teams and the sport.

The IGG Volleyball squads, flanked by their coaches

Nedd is coach of the male team, while Rodney Fredericks is coach of the female team. Assistant coach for both teams is Yannic Fingall. Vanille Chester has been named chaperon for the teams.

Both teams will have their final training session on Friday at the National

Gymnasium.

Nedd is also inviting volleyball players to come out to the #63 beach on the Corentyne to participate in the GVF fund-raiser and beach volleyball competition on Easter Monday.

Competition commences at 9am, and trophies donated by Ansa McAl are up for grabs.

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Inaugural Global Auto Spares Golf Tournament…

Page 23

Reis’ form fetches in another title triumph The top performers pose with the sponsor. From left: Roy Cummings, Parmanand “Max” Persaud, Clifford Reis, Mrs Ganpat, Hardeo Ganpat, Club President Aleem Hussain, Minister Ronald Bulkan, and Club Captain Chatterpaul Deo

CWI Regional U-15 50Over championships…

Gibrain Hussein (left) in action at a Para Table Tennis Championship

Page 23

Rampertab Ramnauth

Hussein to represent Guyana at Pan T&T win title but Am Paralympic sufer defeat to Table Tennis Championships Guyana in final round Page 22

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