Guyana Times - Thursday, February 21, 2019

ExxonMobil moving ahead with refocused plans

P13

…after Venezuelan navy interruption Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3841

THE BEACON OF TRUTH thursday, February 21, 2019

PRICE

No-confidence resolution

WHAT'S INSIDE:

PPP to push for international action against P12 GECOM Drivers’ licences for deaf persons likely – Ramjattan

Appeal for stay of execution halted …Judge orders AG to “put his house in order”

…says international best practices being examined P11

Page 3

…PPP condemns “characteristic incompetence” of Basil Williams

Linden logger Berbice businessman crush to death wins $40M lawsuit by falling log against DHB Page 10

Page 7

Fire destroys LBI supermarket

Page 10

Dr Surendra Persaud replaced as Chairman of BBCI Page 7

$80 vat included

Page Integrity 9 Commission to go after 716 defaulters

Corentyne wife killer jailed for 20 years P13

SOCU, SARA staff among P7 public officers to be asked to declare assets Guyana Goldfields gets greenlight to resume underground P15 operations Family demands justice after P14 death of baby burnt at GPHC

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thurSday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, February 21 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, February 22 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, February 21 – 05:40h-07:10h and Friday, February 22 – 06:25h-07:55h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Light cloudy skies with light rain showers can be expected throughout the morning, with sunny intervals in the afternoon. Cloudy skies are expected in the evening, with overalls temperatures ranging between 19 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tide: 05:52h and 18:12h reaching maximum heights of 2.84 metres and 2.89 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:44h reaching a minimum height of 0.36 metre.

WEDNESday, FEBRUARY 20, 2019

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

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DAILY MILLIONS

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No-confidence resolution

Appeal for stay of execution halted

…Judge orders AG to “put his house in order” …PPP condemns “characteristic incompetence” of Basil Williams

G

iven the national importance of the challenges to the no-confidence case, stakeholders have been calling on the Judiciary to ensure the matter is fast-tracked. However, defects in the summons filed in the Appeal Court

by Government to stay last month’s High Court rulings on the no-confidence resolution means Attorney General Basil Williams will have to refile one of the summons in the matter. This was the order handed down by Justice Rishi Persaud in preliminary proceedings on Wednesday ahead of the overall case.

The Attorney General is expected to file the corrected documents at latest today as he holds out the stay and conservatory orders are necessary to preserve Government’s continuance in office for the foreseeable future. Justice Persaud said moments prior that the summons must be filed without defect and be corrected.

The Attorney General was seeking to amend the appeal to include the names of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of State Joseph Harmon that were not included as named respondents.

Williams was arguing that it could still be included by way of amendment but Justice Persaud reminded him that he had no jurisdiction to carry out such an order since only the full bench of Judges could make such amendments. Senior Counsel Neil Boston, attorney for Government supporter, Compton Reid, who challenged the validity of the no-confidence vote passed in the National Assembly on December 21, 2018, contended that he would need some 10 days to properly prepare his case but this was not entertained by the court.

However, the proceedings had the Opposition’s Leader’s Attorney, Anil Nandlall, venting over the delay. He earlier told the court that it is the appellant’s responsibility to properly include all named parties in an appeal as he too observed that the single Judge could not make amendments to the appeal.

Nandlall later pointed out that he will be briefed with his input in this case as he does not intend to file affidavits in the appeals.

“We would like a decision as early as possible, my intervention is going to be very brief, I don’t intend to file any affidavits in the matter, I didn’t file any in the High Court and I would not file any here, I believe that the matter raised pure issues of law which can be addressed quickly, quicker than we have done in the High Court because this issue here is even narrower than that in the High Court,” Nandlall expressed.

Justice Rishi Persaud

Last month, acting Chief Justice Roxane George refused the Attorney General’s request for a stay and conservatory order prior to her rulings, but Government is moving ahead with asking the Appeal Court to stay those rulings while it considers setting aside the judgements made by Justice George.

The first case called on Wednesday was the Attorney General v Christopher Ram, who had successfully sought to have the High Court validate the no-confidence resolution and have Government call elections within three months as the court declared. The other appeal deals with the Attorney General v Speaker

of the National Assembly and Opposition Leader, concerning the 33 to 32 majority that was used to pass the Noconfidence Motion. Williams is arguing that “there was a miscalculation of the majority of all elected members as required under Article 106 (6) of the Constitution for the Government to be defeated on a vote of no-confidence”.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Opposition Leader were both added to the matters at the High Court level. Reid, the private citizen, was challenging the validity of former AFC Member of Parliament Charrandas Persaud’s vote on the Noconfidence Motion given his dual citizenship status.

On December 21, 2018, Persaud voted with the Opposition and unseat the current Administration.

As a consequence, elections are meant to be called within three months as per the Constitution of Guyana.

However, the Administration has been unmoved by this confirmed interpretation by Justice George, saying that the status quo of Government should be preserved until the final determination of the matter should

Attorney General Basil Williams

it reach the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). On Wednesday, Justice Persaud remarked that “we have to get our house in order” if the matter is carried all the way to the CCJ.

Characteristic incompetence

Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in a statement after the case was heard condemned what it described as “characteristic incompetence of the Attorney General in matters of national importance, which coincidentally, is symptomatic of the ineptitude across the entire spectrum of the Government.”

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thursDAY, february 21, 2019

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

When beauty gets lost S

aturday, February 23, will mark the 49th anniversary since Guyana became a Republic. That historic moment almost five decades ago officially severed ties of governance with the British colonial power. It’s a national holiday, Mashramani, which basically connotes celebrations after hard work.

It offers the opportunity to showcase national efforts of hard work for the spectacular costume and float parade through some streets in the city as splendour, creativity, vibrancy and revelry take the spotlight. All involved must be commended for their efforts to bring much joy to the nation and its people.

Over the years, direct participation in the parade has generally been a majority by one group, while Guyanese from all walks of life flock the route to savour the glamour which reflects the fruits of the hard work by designers, organisers and of course the revellers.

Very conspicuous throughout the route are families in a picnic-like atmosphere saturated with the aromas of a variety of Guyanese cuisine.

It is a day that Guyanese generally look forward to the excitement and the demonstration of pride and nationalism. It also brings to an end the official activities for the festival barring a few regions that hold their parades afterwards. What has been a bone of contention over the years is that the grandeur of the floats and costumes along the route gets lost ironically as a result of the infiltration of those who are out to feast their eyes.

Many bands have been forced to implement measures, including roping, to prevent onlookers and passers-by from moving in and out. With narrow streets and the growing multitude over the years, the problem has worsened, making it extremely difficult for other onlookers and the media from capturing the true beauty of what was laboriously designed to please the eyes. It is also dangerous given the presence of low-bed trucks and other vehicles which are important parts of the show.For many families along the route and who do not encroach, viewing the parade becomes very challenging; the same for those following on television. The best vantage point to therefore the view the grand spectacle and to be in awe of the designers, is D’Urban Park where it culminates and facilitates final judging. Surely there must have been discussions on how to maximise unhindered viewing which becomes even more imperative, especially when looking at a parade in the USA; whether it’s Thanksgiving Day or Rose Bowl. There, the onlookers are clearly separated from the participants of the parade making for satisfied viewing whether on spot or on television.

An argument can be made that better resources and facilities are available in the developed countries and that’s only fair. However, the route of Thomas Lands into Vlissengen Road and onto D’Urban Park offers an advantage which hasn’t been fully capitalised upon. For starters, both carriageways are one-way allowing for onlookers to be accommodated on the opposite site. Also, the streets that lead to the carriageways which the parade progresses along can be blocked and manned to prevent encroachment.

If that were to be fully effective as well as putting onlookers on the opposite sides and which can be shared with the commercial ventures, then it will be a significant step forward. Key would be the manpower and effective barricades to so enforce accompanied by an awareness and education programme. Importantly, it can only start with a decision to the effect by those in charge if an unhindered parade and its much anticipated viewing are the desired outcomes.

If the visible demarcations for the allotment of commercial stalls along the said carriageway of the route were to be realised, then the current challenges will be repeated in an ongoing cycle. The reality is that a tremendous amount of resources including finance, creativity and time, are expended over a demanding period, to create the spectacle that has come to epitomise Mashramani. The visuals of that hard work must not be allowed to be lost.

In as much there is a disparity in what is available here and in the developed countries, organisers have to make hard decisions and make maximum use of what is at their disposal. The festival is one that attracts international tourists and media and overseas-based Guyanese. One would believe that they, like locals here, would not want to be impeded by the growing encroachment of the parade which also inevitably stalls the pace.

All it takes is a start in trying something different to help improve visibility and for the beauty of what’s on show to further overwhelm.

2020 will be the jubilee year for the country’s status as a Republic.

With digits that connote good vision, it would be extremely pleasing to many, including sponsors, to see that parade devoid of the encroachment mentioned. Maybe it’s time to begin a Mash challenge!

Students in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Wednesday participated in the Education Department’s children’s road march. The secondary schools started the parade from Three Friends village and were joined by the primary schools at Reliance and the nursery schools from the Cotton Field. They then made their way to the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground. In photo, students of the Mainstay Lake Primary School displayed their costume

Trump’s threat raises Venezuelan fears – and hopes U S President Donald Trump’s threat to the Venezuelan military enraged Government loyalists on Tuesday and raised hope among its critics in a potentially volatile standoff over aid shipments.

Trump raised the tension on Monday when he warned Venezuelan military commanders would have “no safe harbour” if they did not abandon Maduro and start letting US food and medical aid into the country.

His message angered many on the streets of Caracas – even those who admitted they were hurting in the economic crisis.

“It would be good if we could get some of the medicine and food that we are lacking, because we need it for sure,” said Melida Rojas, a 55-year-old housewife on Caracas’s central Bolivar Square.

“But it should be in good faith, from a country that likes us. We don’t need anything from a country that really wants to harm us like the United States has.”

Divine justice?

In Venezuela, even those who hate the Government share at least a hint of its suspicion of the United States. Yet that did not stop some of them from backing Trump in his verbal assault.

“Maybe there are other interests involved,” said Diana Dalke, 24, in the East of the city. “But I think it is excellent that (Trump) is making people see what is happening here. The people who are supposed to be providing the hospitals and medicine are not doing so.”

Walking nearby in the

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaido

sunshine, acupuncturist Oswaldo Salinas was so angry with Maduro that he welcomed the US President’s intervention.

“Donald Trump’s speech yesterday... showed that divine justice exists,” said Salinas, 42.

Salinas said Maduro’s Government was to blame for violent crime and an economic crisis that has caused hyperinflation and shortages of basic goods.

“We are like hostages of an armed regime and we cannot act by ourselves against that tyranny that is doing us so much harm,” he said.

“We agree that help should come from outside.”

Revolutionary zeal

The aid has become a focus of the conflict between Maduro and Opposition Leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself acting President.

Maduro says the aid shipments are a smoke-

screen for an invasion by US “imperialists.”

The dispute has raised tension at Venezuela’s border, where supplies of aid are waiting on the Colombian side.

Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino warned Tuesday the armed forces were “deployed and on alert along the borders... to avoid any violations of territorial integrity.”

Maduro’s supporters echoed this defiance. “If there were an invasion, I would give my life for my country,” said Hernan Rodriguez, 70, on Bolivar Square.

“Because I am Venezuelan. I am a revolutionary.”

Aid dispute

With the military preventing aid coming across the border from Colombia, Guaido has called for Venezuelan volunteers to bring it across themselves in the coming days.

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Kimberly Breier has insisted the US has no intention of entering Venezuelan territory by force to distribute food and medicine.

But Trump has declined to rule out an armed intervention. The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil firm and has granted control of some of its US-based assets to Guaido.

Despite their reservations about Trump, some ordinary Venezuelans said they believed he could offer a way out of the crisis.

“The United States isn’t exactly a saint. He has his own interests with regard to us,” said Dalke’s husband, Moises Parisi, 25.

“He wants to exploit Venezuela. But at the same time there is a feeling of relief because we know that, despite him having his interests, the country will be able to develop.” (MSN)

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Why APNU/AFC’s term in office GECOM Commissioners have committed an has been an abysmal failure

Dear Editor, By any major measure, APNU has been a failure.

Here are a few instances: 1. Drained disposable income of the populace by extracting a 50 per cent increase in taxation over the 2015 to 2018 period. The implementation of over 200 tax measures has seen annual tax revenue at $200 billion in 2018, vs $135 billion in 2014, a whopping 65 billion increase on the backs of the populace. Small wonder the average man is feeling the squeeze.

2. Stifled and scaredaway investment. With almost four years since the coalition came to power, not a single major private or public investment project has materialised. Instead, the APNU is simply reap-

ing the benefits of investment projects and financing arranged by the PPP Government. From Exxon to the Cheddi Jagan airport, to the new gold mines, manganese mines, bauxite mines – all of these were arranged by the PPP. All new investment has stalled due to the bureaucracy and ineptitude of this APNU/AFC Government. Had APNU not scuttled the Amaila Falls project, a total of US$850 million would have been invested in Guyana and 165 Megawatts of power would have been available this year into the grid at 10 cents per kilowatts. Instead, the country faces blackouts. Nationalisation of the Berbice Bridge is yet another example and, of course, the derailing of the special-

ity hospital by awarding the contract to a client of an AFC Government Minister.

3. Abandoned, ignored of reneged on every major promise made in the APNU/ AFC manifesto. Instead of inclusionary policies, measures to improve prosperity, good governance, improving accountability and transparency and zero corruption, the APNU/AFC has ignored each of these. Their performance has been the exact opposite. No wonder the populace is fed-up.

4. Draining of foreign reserves and gold reserves by over US$400 million and incurring an overdraft with the Central Bank (illegal) of over US$250 million. As if increased taxation was not enough.

5. The populace has lost

confidence. Just look at the Local Government Elections (LGE) results. A whopping landslide win for PPP with 61 per cent of the votes vs 34 per cent for APNU and 4 per cent for the AFC. 6. Loss of no-confidence vote in Parliament following Charrandas Singh voting with the Opposition in protest of closing the sugar estates and ignoring the plight of the sugar workers.

The evidence of the abysmal failure of APNU/AFC is clear. The Parliament and the public have lost confidence in the APNU/AFC coalition Government. Elections must be held in accordance with the Constitution.

Elections must be held now.

Sincerely, A Grant

GECOM abdicating responsibility

Dear Editor, The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), aggregately representing thousands of Guyanese workers, was expressly disturbed to learn that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from all appearances, has decided to abandon its functions to uphold and adhere to the Constitution of Guyana, Chapter 1:01 of the Laws of Guyana.

The Federation could not help reaching such conclusions after it learnt that GECOM, without any apparent regard to the fast-approaching constitutional deadline for elec-

tions, has chosen, paradoxically, to proceed as if the situation were normal.

The seeming complete ignorance of the ‘elephant in the room’ by the Governmentappointed Commissioners and the President’s chosen Chairman, gives the impression that the independent, constitutionally-insulated, Commission has now become subjugated by the powers that be.

As FITUG considered the decisions by GECOM we could not help but be reminded about some aspects of an editorial in sections of the media on February 11 where it was stated that “President Granger’s motive in selecting Justice

Patterson as Chairman of GECOM has now been exposed for all and sundry to absorb. The fig leaf covering the President’s rejection of 18 names supplied by the Leader of the Opposition has now been fully exposed. Between them, President Granger and Justice Patterson have managed to recreate the spectre of the three-man Commission headed by Sir Harold Bollers, which presided over the last rigged general elections in 1985”.

Indeed, when one considers the train of events vis-à-vis the current picture it’s hard not to arrive at such justifiable conclusions. The abrogation by

GECOM of its duties is not a matter that can be treated lightly especially given its importance to upholding our cherished democracy. It is now incumbent on the Government, more so President Granger, not to countenance any violation of the Constitution seemingly with the intent to cling to power. The significant constitutional breaches must immediately come to an end and preparations for elections must commence in earnest.

Regards, Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG)

act of subversion

Dear Editor, The legal definition of subversion is a systematic attempt to overthrow or undermine a Government or political system by persons working from within; also: the crime of committing acts in furtherance of such an attempt. It is my contention that by voting to carry on business as usual and not begin immediate preparations for General and Regional Elections, Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) Commissioners Alexander, Trotman, Corbin and Chairman Patterson have committed an act of subversion.

The Constitution mandates an election within 90 days of the passage of the No-Confidence Motion; (GECOM) is the entity that is responsible for the administration and conduct of elections in Guyana. A vote to disregard the mandated elections is a clear act of subversion; an illegal arrogation of power and a usurpation of powers vested in the Executive Presidency. The Granger Administration must act to preserve the inviolability of the Constitution. Charges of subversion (high treason) must be laid against the Chairman and offending commissioners.

It matters not that the incumbent President may find the vote favourable to

his position, the principle in play is of utmost importance. President Granger has been careful so far to employ tactics of plausible deniability in all of the actions of his Administration since the passage of the NCM, his renaming of the Cabinet as a Ministry Plenary is in keeping with his modus operandi; awaiting the outcome of the court case; awaiting the outcome of the appeals of the Chief Justice’s ruling; but this action by the GECOM quartet falls outside of circumvention and squarely into that of subversion.

Editor, there is no evidence to say that President Granger directed any commissioner to commit any act that subverts the Constitution, however, should his Administration fail to prosecute or at the very minimum, open an investigation into this act of high treason, then the inference will be made that he is complicit. For the sake of his Office, I sincerely hope this is not the case.

Should the Granger Administration not see it fit to institute charges, I will ask civil society organisations to lead by asking that personal sanctions be levied on the quartet by the international community.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

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Foundation

Questions and answers

W

hat do you, the trees, and a hamster have in common?

Give up? You all need water.

All living things must have water to survive, whether they get it from a water fountain, a rain cloud, or a little bottle attached to the side of a hamster cage.

Without water, your body would stop working properly. Water makes up more than half of your body weight, and a person can’t survive for more than a few days without it. Why? Your body has lots of important jobs and it needs water to do many of them. For instance, your blood, which contains a lot of water, carries oxygen to all the cells of your body. Without oxygen, those tiny cells would die and your body would stop working.

Water is also in lymph (say: limf), a fluid that is part of your immune system, which helps you fight off illness. Water helps keep your temperature normal.

You need water to digest your food and get rid of waste. Water is needed for digestive juices, urine, and faeces.

And you can bet that water is the main ingredient in perspiration, also called sweat.

Besides being an important part of the fluids in your body, water is needed by each cell to work.

Your body doesn’t get water only from drinking water. Any fluid you drink will contain water, but water and milk are the best choices.

Lots of foods contain water

too. Fruit contains quite a bit of water, which you could probably tell if you’ve ever bitten into a peach or plum and felt the juices dripping down your chin.

Vegetables also contain a lot of water — think of slicing into a fat tomato or crunching into a crisp stalk of celery.

How much is enough?

Because water is so important, you might wonder if you’re drinking enough.

There is no magic amount of water that kids need to drink every day. The amount kids need depends on their age, body size, health, and activity level, plus the weather (temperature and humidity levels).

Usually, kids drink something with meals and should definitely drink when they’re thirsty.

But if you’re sick, or it’s warm out or you’re

exercising, you’ll need more. Be sure to drink some extra water when you’re out in warm weather, especially while playing sports or exercising.

When you drink is also important. If you’re going to sports practice, a game, or just working out or playing hard, drink water before, during, and after playing. Don’t forget your water bottle.

You can’t play your best when you’re thinking about how thirsty you are!

When your body doesn’t have enough water, that’s called being dehydrated. Dehydration also can keep you from being as fast and as sharp as you’d like to be. A bad case of dehydration can make you sick. So keep that water bottle handy when the weather warms up! Not only does water fight dehydration, but it’s refreshing and has no calories.

Your body regulates the amount of water in your system. The body holds on to water when you don’t have enough or gets rid of it if you have too much. If your urine is very light yellow, you are well hydrated.

When your urine is very dark yellow, it’s probably time to drink up.

You can help your body by drinking when you’re thirsty and drinking extra water when you exercise and when it’s warm out. Your body will be able to do all of its wonderful, waterful jobs and you’ll feel great! (kidshealth.org)

H

ave you ever stayed in a pool or bathtub so long that your fingers got wrinkly? This is normal – and can even affect your toes.

But why does it happen?

Even though you can’t see it, your skin is covered with its own special oil called sebum (say: SEE-bum). Sebum is found on the outermost layer of skin. Sebum moistens, or lubricates (say: LOO-bruhkates), and protects your skin. It also makes your skin a bit waterproof. That’s why water runs off your skin when you wash your hands, instead of soaking it in like a sponge would.

But staying in water for a long time washes away the sebum. Then, the water can

penetrate the outer layer of your skin. This causes your skin to become waterlogged.

So how does this lead to wrinkles? For a long time, people thought the water caused skin to swell up and get puffy. Now researchers believe wrinkly fingers could be an autonomic nervous system reaction.

Why? Because it’s easier to pick up wet objects with wrinkly fingers. Wrinkles on your fingers may give you more grip, kind of like treads on a car tire.

What should you do if this happens to you? Nothing. It goes away quickly on its own.

You’ll have more sebum on your skin in no time. (kidshealth.org)

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thurSday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Surendra Persaud replaced Berbice businessman wins $40M lawsuit against DHB as Chairman of BBCI …over outstanding payments for materials supplied A

Dr Surendra Persaud

D

r Surendra Persaud, who had pushed for toll increases at the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) in order to avert the company from becoming bankrupt, has been replaced as the Chairman of the company by the new Chairman of the NIS. The new BBCI Chairman is Auditor, John Seeram. Back in December, Seeram appointed the new Chairman of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) after the life of the Dr Persaud’s Board ended.

Dr Persaud, who was a strong advocate for the Alliance for Change during the 2015 elections, took on Government when he announced new tolls for the Berbice Bridge. The then Chairman had disclosed that BBCI was facing bankruptcy and as such, proposed to increase its tolls, as much 300 per cent in

some cases, to keep the Berbice Bridge afloat. He said Government’s refusal to entertain consultations on the toll hike which would have prevented the continuing heavy financial losses of BBCI forced the company to announce the increases.

A move which was strongly opposed by Government, which called the toll hikes burdensome and draconian, and eventually, on November 5, 2018, took over operations of the facility to stop the BBCI’s increase from taking effect on November 12.

While Government still assumes responsibility for the operation of the bridge to date, the bridge company in November had moved to the High Court, asking it to grant several orders to reverse the takeover and bar the Minister from carrying out functions of maintaining and operating the bridge.

That matter is still being heard in the High Court and is coming up for hearing on February 26.

Many stakeholders weighed in on the situation including the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) which had called the Government out for precipitating the toll increases.

The party noted that a formula for minor increases was supposed to be in place – increases that would have lessened the impact on commuters. Instead, the coali-

Appeal for stay...

According to the Party, the three-month constitutional life of the Government, since the passing of the NoConfidence Motion, is rapidly coming to an end.

“We are aware that the Records of Appeal, in all these matters, have been settled on Friday, the 15th day of February 2019, and therefore, these appeals are now ripe for hearing,” the

New BBCI Chairman John Seeram

tion abandoned this formula and even tinkered with it, thus resulting in the current state of affairs at the BBCI. While Government has been adamant in not allowing these increases, outspoken political activist and former Presidential Advisor Ramon Gaskin had suggested a total buyout of the bridge company by Government so as to resolve the issue.

Guyana Times understands that the BBCI, in which the NIS has majority voting rights on the Board of Directors, was forced to push for the increase in tolls in order to protect its investment. To this end, Gaskin suggested that an alternative can be for Government and the NIS to solely own the bridge, thus buying the shares from all the other shareholders.

Crabwood Creek, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) businessman was awarded in excess of $40 million by the High Court on Wednesday in a lawsuit he brought against the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) over monies owed for the supply of materials.

The judgment was granted after a full trial before Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry.

The applicant, Ramesh Sahadeo, received an award of $40,425,000 and interest on the said sum at six per cent per annum ($6,645 per year) from May 2017 to February 20, 2019, and thereafter at a rate of 4 per cent per annum ($4,430 per year), until full payment along with costs in the sum of $250,000.

The application was filed back in May 2017, after the Harbour Bridge Company (the respondent) refused to fulfil outstanding payments to Sahadeo, who imports a

plication to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to fix an early date for the hearing and determination of its appeal pending in that Court, which was filed against the decision of the Guyana Court of Appeal, in relation to the appointment of Rtd Justice James Patterson, as the Chairman of the Guyana Election Commission.

number of items, including wire rope, to retail.

According to the court document, seen by Guyana Times, the businessman, upon request of the DHB, sold and delivered to the Harbour Bridge during May 2014, 61,000 feet of 5/8” wire rope and 12,500 feet of 3/4” wire rope at the agreed price of $550 per foot each, amounting to a total value of $40,425,000.

SOCU, SARA staff among public officers to be asked to declare assets

From page 3

Party said.

The Party also called on the Chancellor of the Judiciary to fix these appeals for hearing, immediately, rather than have precious judicial time and resources be expended on identifying and rectifying blunders in Applications for Stay of Execution.

According to the party it has also made an ap-

General Manager of the DHB Rawlston Adams

A copy of the invoice for the transaction was presented in court as an exhibit during the trial.

Sahadeo said in the application that, “Despite my repeated demands for payment of the sum of $40,425,000, the respondent has failed, refused or neglected to do so”.

After the trial judge handed down Wednesday’s ruling, lawyer for the Harbour Bridge Company, Attorney Patrice Henry, applied for a stay of execution of the judgment for six months.

This application, however, was refused since Justice Sewnarine-Beharry stated that the Respondent, Demerara Harbour Bridge, has not demonstrated to the court that it has a good prospect of success.

During the proceedings, Sahadeo was represented by Attorney Mohabir Anil Nandlall in association with Manoj Narayan, Sasha S Mahadeo-Narayan and Rajendra R Jaigobin.

Head of SOCU Sydney James

A

t a time when stringent efforts are being made to weed out corruption within the public sector, the Integrity Commission is looking to expand the range of public officers who are required to declare their assets.

During a press briefing

on Wednesday, Chairman of the Commission, Kumar Duraisami said that certain officers are not included on the list of declarants since most of these posts were nonexistent when the Integrity Commission Act was established.

Nevertheless, Duraisami noted that recommendations have been made to have Schedule 1 of the Act, which contains the list of public officers required to make declarations, expanded.

Among those public officials are those within agencies that investigate money laundering and other financial crimes such as the controversial Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA).

“The Financial Crime Unit (FIU), we’re hoping to have those officers in that

Head of SARA Clive Thomas

unit to be included in the schedule among others.

We’re hoping to get SARA and SOCU; these organisations and these officers, who are public officers, should be accountable to the Integrity Commission,” the Chairman asserted.

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thursday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

“Mango Man” robbery-murder

Jury finds massacre convict “Smallie”, “Catty” not guilty

Deceased: Kumar “Mango Man” Singh

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fter more than a month of trial amid multiple adjournments, notorious gang member Mark Royden “Smallie” Williams and Sherwin Nero called “Catty” were both found not guilty of the 2007 murder of Kumar Singh called “Mango Man” who was shot dead after gunmen robbed his Cove and John, East Coast Demerara home.

The jury’s decision was returned after several hours of deliberation at the High Court on Wednesday.

The matter was presided over by Justice James Bovell-Drakes and Attorney Nigel Hughes defended the accused. Though they were absolved of this crime, the two are still returning to jail since “Smallie” was committed to death by hanging for the February 2008 Bartica massacre while Nero was remanded pending other matters before the court.

They were implicated in the murder of “Mango Man” whilst executing a robbery on August 30, 2007, when the man’s relatives were visiting

from neighbouring Suriname.

During the trial, the jury had been told that an ex-police rank transported the duo from Kumar Singh’s home via horse cart which the defence argued was implausible. Singh was killed after gunmen stormed his premises and allegedly made off with cash and jewellery.

When “Smallie” had taken the stand, he implicated Inspector Suraj Singh and other ranks of torturing him.

His account to the jury was that upon his 2008 arrest, he was handcuffed, beaten and shocked into signing the police caution statement which he claimed was not freely given. Prosecutors Tameika Clarke and Tiffini Lyken led the State’s case.

This long-delayed trial concerning “Mango Man’s” death was one of much contention and constitutional challenges that disallowed the case from moving forward on multiple occasions when called up at various Assizes. One such halt came in November 2017 when the duo made a second appearance before Justice Brassington Reynolds but the State was at that time prevented from laying the murder indictment against the duo. This was owing to a then pending matter that was before acting Chief Justice Roxane George, which was brought on by Defence Counsel Nigel Hughes on behalf of Nero. It had been contended that waiting nine years for a trial violates Article 144 of Guyana’s Constitution. Section 1 of the Article states: “If any per-

The plant…

Mark Royden “Smallie” Williams and Sherwin Nero, called “Catty” being escorted from court

son is charged with a criminal offence, then, unless the charge is withdrawn, the case shall be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court established by law”.

However, the “Mango Man” murder case did come up for High Court trial in June 2014 before another judge but was prevented from continuing owing to an objection by one of the accused. It was in July 2008 that the two suspects were initially charged for the capital offence but Williams’ brushes with the law extended beyond his February 2017 death sentence.

In July 2017, he along with others staged a daring escape from the Camp Street Prison which housed death row inmates. During this ordeal which gripped the nation, Prison Officer Odinga Wickham was killed, and the Camp Street Prison was reduced to ashes.

Williams was recaptured on

October 9, 2017, on his way to Suriname. He was a passenger in a minibus which was intercepted at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice, by investigators.

During the Bartica Massacre trial that predated his escape, Williams was identified as the one who handed a gun to gang leader Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins to shoot five persons at the Bartica Ferry Stelling, at close range. These five were among 12 persons who had been slaughtered whilst watching a game of 20/20 cricket. Among the dead were three policemen after the Bartica Police Station was shot at and invaded.

Narco trafficker jailed for 1 year

Jailed: Nigel Hodge

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n East La Penitence, Georgetown man who pleaded guilty to the offence of trafficking narcotics was on Tuesday sentenced to one year’s imprisonment when he appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.

Nigel Hodge admitted that on February 16, 2019, at 58 Miles, Mabura, he had in his possession 38 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The 53-year-old man, in plea of mitigation and in tears, explained to the court that he uses the illegal drug for medical purposes as well as an appetite stimulator.

However, Magistrate Wanda Fortune, after listening to Hodge’s mitigating factors, handed down the one-year prison term. He was also fined $57,000.

I

…comes through n the real world, folks in charge are always trying to control the outcome of gatekeeper social institutions like courts, Government Boards etc, by staffing them with recruits who’ll toe the desired line. Even though these institutions are supposed to be “neutral”, the practice has been very well practiced in the US, where every President tries to “pack” the courts – including the Supreme Court – with individuals who’re closer to them ideologically.

Right now, Trump has picked conservative Judges who appear willing to challenge even supposedly settled liberal doctrines like women’s right to abortion! But the thing is, even the most aggressive Presidents make sure they’re riding some ideological wave – supported by wide swaths of the society – to legitimise their choices. And in fact, some Justices have surprised their sponsors when they rule in ways contrary to the expected line, when the public mood shifted.

But unlike those Presidents, here in Guyana, President Granger makes no bones about his selections for heading key institutions – he openly look for persons who’ll do whatever is asked of them. Blind loyalty, not even ideology, is his criterion! For instance, rather than appointing the present, quite competent acting Chancellor permanently to the post, he’s selected a fella who has a big black mark against his name. He is, after all, a former Army squaddie, who went into law!! But his most egregious choice among the hundreds he’s made has to be ex-Justice James Patterson, to be head of GECOM. And the man “pen slipped” about being a “Chief Justice”!!

Now, if there is ever a CRITICAL gatekeeper institution in Guyana – it’s got to be GECOM, which oversees the entire elections process to select the President and Government of the country. The stakes don’t get higher than this – especially with oil in the offing!! Granger defied even the constitutionally defined guidelines that demanded consensus with the Opposition Leader to get his own man.

And now we see why he went to all that trouble.

Blind sighted by Charrandas’ vote on the NCM, Granger couldn’t risk having elections in three months – even though the Constitution’s clear as day on the matter. So what did he do? His first feint was to go to the courts, to “interpret” what doesn’t need interpretation. But that bought him time. Time for GECOM to drag its feet on preparing for March elections, so that the voters’ list becomes obsolete!!

And then – the coup de grace! – his plant Patterson uses his casting vote with his three Commissioners to “advise” the President that elections can’t be held on March 19!!

Let’s see what the ABCE embassies – who’re supporting democracy in Venezuela – will say about this farce after meeting GECOM today!! …takes over When the Government shut down the four sugar estates of Wales, Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon, it claimed it was because of the annual subsidies it had to shell out to keep them going. Your Eyewitness predicted that unless they immediately sold off the estates on an “as is” basis, they’ll end up spending more money than the subsidies. Not to mention the 7000 persons on the breadline and dozens of communities across Guyana doomed to destitution and despair.

And that’s exactly what has happened. Firstly, they borrowed $30 billion to do god-knows-what with the estates – but has since sat on it while paying $1.5 billion annually in interests!! Now this week, they finally woke up and realised the uncultivated estates have reverted to bush and the canals have become clogged with grass. They’ve put out calls for bids to lean the canals – which will cost billions annually – before the coastal villages are flooded!!

We’re still waiting for the fees to clear the forested fields!! What a bunch of incompetents!! …and majority Using the Government’s formula for calculating “voting majorities”, half of the seven-person GECOM Commission = 3.5; rounding up makes this 4 and adding “1 more”, the majority needed is 5.

So, what’s all this nonsense about a 4-3 majority?

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

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thurSday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Integrity Commission to go after 716 defaulters

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hairman of the Integrity Commission Kumar Duraisami said there are still some 716 public officials who have not submitted their declarations to the Commission.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Duraisami pointed out that a total of 1306 declaration forms were sent out to public officials and so far, only 590 submissions have been made.

According to the Chairman, they have since published five lists of the various categories of public officials who are yet to make their declarations. He added that there are two more lists – Finance Ministry and Judiciary – to be published.

Duraisami explained that the publication of these names seems to be effective since more defaulters have been filing their declarations after their names were made public, a process that is catered for in the Integrity

Chairman of the Integrity Commission Kumar Duraisami along with Commissioner Rosemary Benjamin-Noble to the left and Commission Secretary Amanda Jaisingh at Wednesday’s press conference

Commission Act. “These publications were very effective because the public found it astonishing that, since its existence, the Commission had the courage to publish the names of defaulters,” the Chairman stated.

He went on to outline that from the first published list of 87 public officials, 41

still have not made any submissions; from 80 in the second list, there are still 19 outstanding; from 86 from the third list, 73 are yet to make declarations; from 159 names in the fourth list, 132 are still to submit and from 66 in the fifth list, 50 officials are yet to make their declarations.

The Chairman noted that while there is a need for

awareness on the Integrity Commission, most public officials have a general idea of the Commission’s functions and their obligations. But there are some, he contended, who are willfully withholding declaring their assets to the Commission.

“Sometimes people think it’s a big jokery. We’re not concerned about the private person, people who hold public offices must be accountable to the people who pay them their monies… We are asking those public officers, it is in their interest to make this declarations. If they don’t make these declarations to the Commission, the Commission will not be in the position to secure their integrity,” Duraisami implored.

However, he noted that there are some defaulting officers, particularly in the Judiciary, who are questioning whether the function of the Commission is infringing on their constitutional rights

by publishing their names.

“I am in no position or this Commission is in no position to use a discretion as to whether or not we should publish the names. If they think that they ought not to make their declarations to the Commission then they can go the court and say ‘my position is secured by the Constitution and I’m not obliged or obligated to submit to the Commission’… This Commission has no discretion. We will have to publish their names if they don’t submit,” the Chairman insisted.

Duraisami further posited, however, that before the Commission can go after those who did not make their declaration, they first have to publish their names. While five lists have already been published, the Commission still needs investigators to look into the defaulters.

“Once we have the investigative officers, we will be fully armed to go after those declarants, some of whom got their

declarations done but they don’t put in all they ought to put in. We have to ensure that they comply fully with the law and if they don’t then the next stage is what the law recommends. Prosecution,” he stated.

With such staff, the Chairman said, steps are being taken to recruit five investigators, noting that there may be need for additional ones in the future. However, he noted that with a meagre budget of $45 million approved, there is a lot that needs to be done including training of the Commission’s staff.

“This is not sufficient to run this organisation at full capacity. We need approximately $86 million so that we can cater to all eventualities… We have to hire investigative officers so we may have to apply for a supplemental budget in order to accommodate these and other expenditures,” he asserted.

House-to-house registration was never voted on – PPP Commissioner maintains

PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioner Bibi Shadick

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espite the announcement being peddled that house-to-house registration could begin soon as a result of a recent vote taken to have the work of the Guyana Elections

Commission (GECOM) returned to normalcy, People’s Progressive Party (PPP)appointed Commissioner Bibi Shadick has denied this claim.

Shadick told Guyana Times on Wednesday that there was an attempt by Government-nominated Commissioner Charles Corbin to have the Commission vote that the GECOM Secretariat go back to its normal work.

“I made sure that I said I don’t understand why the Secretariat stopped doing its normal work and I don’t know why there was a motion that needs to tell them to do their work because that’s what they are being paid for,” Shadick explained. While there were surrounding arguments, she noted that there was never a vote taken on the Secretariat going back to its normal work.

“There was never that vote. There were two; one to

in order to make any preparation for election, GECOM would need money,” she vigorously maintained.

According to Shadick, those two votes were passed with the help of the Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson who sided with the Government Commissioners.

But to reinforce her point, the Opposition Commissioner said house-to-house registration was never discussed.

Shadick, an attorney by

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward

inform the President (David Granger) that GECOM could not hold elections within the 90-day period beginning December 21, 2018; and the second is that the Commission inform the President that

profession, said her argument two weeks ago had to do with why GECOM was not presenting a timeline as was usually done prior to a claims and objections period, in order to refresh the list after April 30.

She noted that after that date, there will be no valid list.

“So, as we sit here, GECOM has no plans to refresh the list for May 1. While GECOM’s 2019 work plan to which the budget was applied, says if you’re to have

house-to-house registration in 2019 which I’m saying yes but again that cannot be done after elections,” she added.

To validate her arguments, Shadick went on to say that while a motion requesting monies for an election was voted on and passed, GECOM cannot embark on a house-tohouse registration now. It has to train staff, which according to the CEO will take more than three months.

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thurSday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Linden logger crushed to death by falling log Fire destroys LBI supermarket A

logger of Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, was killed on Wednesday after he was crushed by a falling log at his place of work which is situated at Old England Mines, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Dead is Andre Park, 54, of Powis Crescent, Amelia’s Ward.

Reports are, Park was at his workplace, Ping Logging Company, when a large log reportedly fell from a log loader machine which was being operat-

ed by a fellow employee at the time. The incident took place at about 10:45h. Park was later rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The other employee involved in the incident, a 33-year-

old resident of Coomacka Mines, Region 10 was taken into Police custody and is assisting with investigations. Park’s body is at the Upper Demerara Hospital Mortuary at Wismar, Linden.

Officers of the Guyana Fire Service trying to extinguish the burning building

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n early morning fire on Wednesday has left three Chinese nationals homeless after the blaze of unknown origin ripped through the two-storey building which housed the supermarket at La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara.

The Chinese-owned building, which housed the A and R Supermarket went up in flames at about 05:00h.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said that while an investigation has been launched to determine the origin of the fire, officers are also probing reports of two occupants being confined to the building.

“We are investigating reports that the male occupant of the supermarket would’ve locked the other two occupants in the building…and the persons were in some level of difficulty to get out because nobody could’ve found keys or anything until he arrived to open up,” the Fire Chief said.

The Fire Chief has since disclosed that even though the two persons eventually escaped a fiery death, the Guyana Fire Service is still to locate the man who locked

the duo in the building.

“We’ve so far been unable to get to him for some questioning, we’re still trying to locate him….we cannot locate them so far but we are still searching,” he stated.

According to Gentle, the Fire Service received the distress call at about 05:10h on Wednesday morning, after which three fire brigades were dispatched to the scene.

Upon arrival at the scene, units reported intense fire conditions as the building was completely engulfed in flames which was already spreading to two other adjoined buildings.

Reports are the firemen were able to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from causing further damage to the nearby businesses.

“The fire service received the call 10 minutes after five this morning, and we dispatched three units from the three Georgetown stations, that is Campbellville, Alberttown and they were further backed up by the Central Fire Station…..the tactics we use were very strong and it was successful in cutting the fire off, preventing further damages,” he affirmed.

House-to-house...

In addition to that, GECOM will also have to acquire equipment which is part of the $3.36 billion requested appropriation that will help to cater for digital registration. “So there is so much that needs to be done and the plan was never to start houseto-house now, the plan was to start until June,” Shadick stated, explaining that the push for such is impossible at this time.

She told Guyana Times, “Our team is not objecting to house-to-house registration.

We are objecting to a houseto-house registration before an election which is constitutionally due. As we sit here today an election is constitutionally due before March 20. We have no other date that we are responsible for and extending that date too is not within the remit of GECOM.” On the other hand, Public Relations Officer of GECOM, Yolanda Ward told this publication that three motions were passed when the Commission met on Tuesday. One of those motions say GECOM should revert to its original work plan for 2019 pending the outcome

from page 9

of the others.

“As you know, prior to December 21, our work plan says we will have registration and house-to-house. If the vote is that we revert to our 2019 work plan, house-tohouse was part of that work plan,” Ward explained, which she said takes effect following the approval of the other two.

GECOM had given July as a timeline for the hosting of elections, but at the same time, it stated that the present voters’ list would expire on April 30.

Although the Opposition has been calling for elections within the constitutional time frame, the Government claimed that it was up to GECOM’s readiness to host same.

Since the passage of the no-confidence resolution, GECOM has been dragging its feet with respect to elections preparation. It has also been calling for house-tohouse registration which could take months. However, it is President David Granger who has to dissolve Parliament and set a date for elections.

(Samuel Sukhnandan)

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thurSday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Drivers’ licences for deaf likely – Ramjattan …says international best practices being examined

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ays after the Guyana Society for the Deaf took to the streets to protest for drivers’ licences to be issued to them as promised, the Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, has said that he is considering the issuance of the licences but under specific conditions.

Ramjattan made the disclosure during an interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday.

According to the Minister, because of the special needs of persons with hearing impediments, he is hoping to put measures in place so that other drivers would be lenient towards them.

“We have to do it with conditionality. There are certain conditions that because they are disabled people they’ll have to have so that they can

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

be identified… so when other drivers see them they can identify them as people with disabilities,” the Minister said.

He said that he is presently challenged with getting those conditions right as

it may be dangerous for the commuters and pointed to the importance of those persons being recognised by other drivers, especially emergency vehicles such as ambulances, as they might not be able to properly respond to such vehicles by pulling over to the corner of the road to allow them to pass.

Ramjattan said he is working on having international best practices introduced in Guyana to avoid conflicts on the roadway.

According to him, the Ministry is expected to meet with the Deaf Association soon to update them on his decision along with the conditions, which he hopes they accept.

In this regard, Ramjattan explained that he is considering various options for deaf

Second Sexual Offences Court to be opened in April

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lmost two years after the launch of the first and only Sexual Offences Court in Guyana, plans are being finalised for the second of its kind to be opened in April.

This was on Tuesday related to the media by UNICEF Representative to Guyana and Suriname, Sylvie Fouet at an event being hosted by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). The court will be opened in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

In November 2017 when the first Sexual Offences Court opened, plans were announced to construct similar structures in Berbice and Essequibo in an effort to reduce the increased incidence of such cases.

In declaring the court open, acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards drew reference to statistics which have shown that sexual offences have been on the rise,

both regionally and locally.

She pointed out, “When we look at statistics, more than 50 per cent of the cases for the Demerara Assizes over the last two sessions showed us that sexual offences comprised half of the list. So if half of the list comprised sexual offences, it meant that the other indictable offences like robbery and rape took second place… that is something we have to address”.

The acting Chancellor reminded that sexual offences affect victims emotionally, psychologically, and physically and those effects could be both long or short term and it could also affect the development of the victims.

These victims, she said, require specialist treatment on the part of everyone concerned, be it the police, investigators, medical practitioners, NGOs, prosecution or the court.

During the last quar-

ter of 2018, Police statistics showed that rape cases have increased.

Top Cop Leslie James told the media that rape cases had increased by seven per cent, with 202 cases reported in 2018 compared to 189 cases in 2017.

The Sexual Offences Court was birthed out of the Sexual Offences Act 2010, which was spearheaded by former Human Services and Education Minister Priya Manickchand.

The former Minister had led what was then called the “Stamp it Out” campaign in 2010 which saw widespread consultations around the country with regards to sexual offences and other major human rights issues facing Guyana.

A Sexual Offences Court is different from other courtrooms as it includes features which will make victims more comfortable while testifying against their attackers.

SOCU, SARA staff among...

In addition, Duraisami also outlined that a number of top-ranking officers within the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are also among those to be added to the Schedule.

These include Deputy Commissioners, Divisional Commanders, Assistant Commissioners, and the Divisional Crime and Traffic Heads.

“The Schedule before only states that the Commissioner of Police submit [declaration] but I think that’s because the police departments are so large and they have so many sections, we should include these people,” the Chairman posited, while adding “…These are people in position who can be susceptible somehow to people approaching them and we’ve heard all kinds of allegations [against] them… So I think they ought to be [in the Schedule] because the Commissioner of Police is not the only person who ought to be accountable to the public.”

Furthermore, the

Integrity Commission also wants to include the Registrar as well as Deputy and Assistant Registrars of Lands; the Deputy and Assistant Registrars of Deeds; and the Deputy and Assistant Commercial Registrars on the expanded Schedule.

Asked about plans to make public officials from the Department of Energy, which falls under the Ministry of the Presidency, declarants as well, Duraisami pointed out that the oil and gas sector is now coming on stream. But he noted that this will be done when there is a fully operational sector.

“As that sector develops, we will have to look at it; look at those public officials, who in our opinion, ought to declare… We haven’t produced a drop of oil yet. It’s ‘til next year we’re supposed to produce oil and once that department gets functioning fully, we will be aware of all the public officials who are involved in it,” he stated.

However, according to

From page 7

Duraisami, while there is a need for the Schedule to be expanded, the Integrity Commission can only make recommendations to the subject Ministry, which is Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

“The Prime Minister is responsible for Commission so all Schedule changes and changes to the Act will go to him… As soon as this thing in Government smooth out, somehow, we will make recommendations to the Prime Minister and he will discuss with his colleagues...,” the Chairman stated.

But even as the Integrity Commission is looking to expand the list of declarants, there are still hundreds of defaulters on the current list who are yet to make their declarations.

According to Duraisami, in accordance with the Act, the Commission has already published five lists of defaulters, with two more to be published before they can move to prosecution.

drivers to be recognised on the roads.

“A sticker on the back windscreen, that can help, and a number of other suggestions can be made that the number plate of the car they are driving can have something that can indicate to other people because if somebody is blowing behind them they must appreciate that those persons have a difficulty in front,” the Minister said.

On Monday, a group of persons from the Guyana Society for the Deaf protested the Public Security Ministry calling for drivers’ licences to be issued for them.

It was explained that they met with the Government some time ago to discuss the issue when they were assured it would have been discussed.

They said that the deaf should be given equal privileges as those who can hear and should not be discriminated against as they held their placards across from the Ministry.

Some of them contend-

Persons protesting outside the Public Security Ministry

ed that they have been driving for a very long time and was never involved in an accident while others argued that the deaf are treated equally in other countries and are allowed to drive but they are being discriminated against in their own country.

In relation to responding to emergency vehicles, those persons noted that they are capable of driving by using their mirrors to see what is

happening around them.

The protesters said that because of how they are being treated, they are forced to use taxis even though many of them already have their own vehicles.

In the Region, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, Suriname, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, among other countries allow deaf drivers to obtain licences.

12 news

thursday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Firing of striking workers

PPP to push for international Bauxite Union awaiting Labour Dept’s action against GECOM response before taking action – Lewis T

President of the GBGWU Lincoln Lewis

P

resident of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GBGWU), Lincoln Lewis on Wednesday said that the Union is awaiting word from the Labour Department before taking action in relation to the recent events between RUSAL and its employees.

This revelation comes after some 60 striking workers were fired by the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) – owed by Russian Aluminium Company (RUSAL) – for protesting against an arbitrary one per cent salary increase.

The workers said that they were told that the one per cent was sanctioned by the Government itself.

After the meeting on Tuesday between representatives of the company and the Labour Department, Lewis told Guyana Times on Wednesday, “We are waiting for the Department of Labour to call us. The next step will come when the Department respond. If they declare a deadlock, we will choose the next course of actions”.

At the meeting, representatives of the company stated that they do not recognise the Union which has been advocating for these workers. But Lewis maintained that the company has no authority to ascertain this, stating that it a responsibility of the Trade Union Recognition

and Certification Board (TURCB).

Meanwhile, he also stated that the workers of the BCGI are wholly represented since the move to fire them was “illegal”.

“Our position remains the same. RUSAL has no authority when it comes to recognition of trade unions in this country. That’s an activity of the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board and so long as the Board has pronounced, our position remains the same. In relation to the workers being fired, we are pursuing it. We consider that it is illegal what the company has done and we shall pursue it to the end,” said Lewis.

While RUSAL is contending that it does not recognise the Workers’ Union, there has been opposition from the Labour Department, who also rebuffed these claims.

The GBGWU has complained about the company’s refusal to negotiate with them. This is despite winning a recognition poll in 2017 involving bauxite workers by an overwhelming majority as the preferred representative of workers in the sector.

Meanwhile, amid reports of the current situation between these entities, the Guyana Trades Union Congress in an issued statement noted that a salary increase without any form of negotiation reflected on the complete exclusion of the Union in addressing its workers’ rights and moreover, pointed to the “highhandedness” of the bauxite company.

Insisting that the primary concern rests in restoring employment for these workers, GTUC also stated, “We are no less concerned over the historic persistence of the Government of Guyana with its ‘policy’ of leaden-footed indifference to the sustained arrogance and abusiveness

President of GTUC Coretta Mc Donald

of the Russian management of the BCGI. RUSAL, we need to remind ourselves, has a significant stake in the country’s bauxite industry.

That stake, however, does not extend to the sovereignty of Guyana”.

Meanwhile, the Working People’s Alliance also responded to the dismissal of the workers, stating that they stand in solidarity with the employees, demanding that they are reinstated.

On Tuesday, residents of Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) who are in disagreement with the dismissal of the striking employees attached to the company, blocked the access road in the community which leads to the company located at Aroaima.

Police Commander of E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) Linden Lord told this publication on Tuesday that a 15-man police team was dispatched to the community later on Tuesday to bring calm to the situation.

Over 100 residents were said to have blocked off an area known as Station One, which is the main entry and exit to the RUSAL company.

Lord noted that apart from the road, residents also blocked the river path leading to the company. This publication was told that the debris was removed from the roadway by Wednesday.

he Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has said it intends to push for international action against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) following the vote to inform President David Granger that elections cannot be held in 90 days as constitutionally mandated.

The PPP said the time is opportune for international action – as was needed in 1990 to ensure constitutional compliance. The Party is referring to the intervention of former United States (US) President Jimmy Carter which saw the return of free and fair elections in 1992.

As was the case then, Guyana is faced with a situation where GECOM is dominated by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the Party said in a statement. According to the PPP, this puts the democratic gains that have been made over the past two decades in Guyana at great risk.

“We call on all Guyanese, as well as the international community, to condemn the PNCR’s call for “war” and GECOM’s complicity in the violation of our Constitution,” the Party statement read.

The Opposition party feels the country is heading into a constitutional crisis based on the actions taken by GECOM and the Government. It said President David Granger will be held solely responsible for this and the attendant negative consequences for the Guyanese people.

Only Tuesday, GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson used his deciding vote and sided with Government Commissioners to pass a motion that new elections could not be held in 90 days as constitutionally mandated. The second issue that was voted on and passed had to do with funding for elections, and the

third was for GECOM to return to normalcy.

But while this is happening, the international community has been paying close attention to these developments. As such, the US Embassy had written GECOM on behalf of itself and other Western countries including Britain, Canada and the European Union (EU) for a meeting.

That meeting, according to one of the Commissioners, is scheduled to take place on Thursday at GECOM. This will mark the second time that these Western countries will be meeting with GECOM, the last meeting was held around January month-end.

Representatives from The Cater Center have also met with GECOM, and officials from both Government and the Opposition on the same issues.

Subservient

The PPP has said GECOM is subservient to the Constitution of Guyana, not the other way around.

The Party is also of the view that the situation at GECOM, with this sort of action, will undoubtedly guarantee that Guyana is pushed towards a constitutional crisis.

It said GECOM’s refusal to begin preparations for General and Regional Elections, after the December 21, 2018 vote on the No-confidence Motion, finds it complicit in frustrating the timeline for the constitutionally due elections.

Additionally, the PPP pointed out that there has been no effort to make a de-

cision on what obtains in the short-term. There has also been no decision at the level of the Commission on when GECOM will be ready for elections.

As it relates to funding, the PPP is of the view that this is the latest hurdle thrown up by the Government-influenced parties at GECOM. The first hurdle introduced was the call for new house-to-house registration – which it said has been exposed as unnecessary at this time.

“The People’s Progressive Party maintains that the laws of Guyana are clear on funding for constitutional agencies like GECOM. Act 4 of 2015 – the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act 2015, Section 80B (8) – makes it clear that: “The appropriation of a constitutional agency approved by the National Assembly shall be disbursed as a lump sum by the end of the month, following the month in which the appropriation was approved.”

Section 80B (7) of the same act states that: “The annual budget of a constitutional agency approved by the National Assembly shall not be altered without prior approval of the National Assembly.” This section clearly prohibits the Finance Minister from altering the appropriation to GECOM, as he is empowered to do with the appropriations of non-constitutional agencies, but does not prevent GECOM from utilising the “lump sum” as it sees fit to carry out its functions.

Essequibo man found guilty of raping 10-year-old

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Errol DeSouza being escorted by Police

rrol DeSouza, who was charged almost five years ago on two counts of raping a young girl, was on Wednesday unanimously found guilty of the offence for which he was indicted. The jury returned the verdicts after two hours of deliberation at the Sexual Offences Court.

According to the facts on the matter, the first act occurred between January 1 and 31, 2013, when the child

was 10 while the second act was listed as May 3, 2014, when the victim was 11.

DeSouza’s lawyer Ravindra Mohabir requested a probation report which led to Justice Jo Ann Barlow adjourning the matter to March 7, 2019, for sentencing. Attorneys Lisa Cave, Seeta Bishundial and Lisa Martin prosecuted the case.

The matter was said to have occurred at a location in the Essequibo county.

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thursday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

ExxonMobil moving ahead with refocused plans …after Venezuelan navy interruption

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nited States (US) oil giant ExxonMobil has refocused its efforts ever since Venezuela’s navy “intercepted” a ship exploring for oil on behalf of the company and said it plans to stick with those plans until the issues are resolved by the countries involved.

Speaking at the sidelines of an oil and gas forum on Wednesday hosted by American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham), Upstream Geoscience Manager of Esso Exploration Guyana Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, Dough McGhee said that it is a Government problem right now and they are hoping that it will be resolved.

“We just refocused our efforts down in the southeast. There is a lot of data we are still acquiring down there, so we continue to ex-

Upstream Geoscience Manager of Esso Exploration Guyana Limited, Dough McGhee addressing a forum organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) held at Duke Lodge on Wednesday to discuss ExxonMobil’s exploration work

plore in the Stabroek block,” he explained.

Venezuela’s navy stopped two exploration vessels that the company had hired late last year. The navy halted seismic data collection.

Government said Venezuelans tried to land a

helicopter on the deck of the Ramform Tethys, a seismic ship hired by ExxonMobil that had a total of 70 crew members on board and the captain.

It said the ship was intercepted in the Exclusive Economic Zone and conti-

Corentyne wife killer jailed for 20 years

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Corentyne, Berbice labourer, who stabbed his reputed wife to death back in 2016, asked the court for a just penalty in the Berbice Assizes on Wednesday.

Michael Benjamin, 45, of Ulverston, Corentyne stood seemingly satisfied in the docks when the sentence was handed down to him by Justice Brassington Reynolds.

He was charged for killing his reputed wife, Yunsen Brush, on October 17, 2016, and when the matter was called up for hearing, he pled guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Reports were that on October 17, 2016, Benjamin went to a shop in his community where he met his reputed wife and after a conversation, an argument ensued. He then whipped out a knife and stabbed her.

At the time of the murder, Benjamin had alleged that his reputed wife had taken a large sum of money from him and gave it to her mother to build a house.

The convict and his 39-year-old wife had been living together for more than 20 years.

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EPA permit

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on a possible timeline for the company’s permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), McGhee said he is hopeful that they will get it soon.

He said, “We are hoping to get that soon. We have provided them with a lot of information. We have a good dialogue going on with them right now…we would like to see it in the first quarter”.

Earlier this month, ExxonMobil announced positive results from the Tilapia-1 and Haimara-1 wells offshore Guyana, bringing the total number of discoveries on the Stabroek Block to 12.

The previous 10 discoveries on the Stabroek Block established the potential for at least five floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels producing more than 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025.

The Liza Phase 1 development is progressing on schedule and is expected to begin producing up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day in early 2020, utilising the Liza Destiny FPSO. Liza Phase 2, which will use a second FPSO designed to produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day, is expected to start up by mid-

Jailed: Michael Benjamin

Dead: Yunsen Brush

The former cane harvester and his wife had four children together and at the time of the woman’s death, the youngest child was four years old.

When the matter was called up in the Berbice High Court, Benjamin declined to have a probation report on himself and asked the court to do what it thinks is just.

In handing down the sentence, Justice Reynolds used the United Nations life expectancy for Guyanese males, which is 63 years nine months and said he is expected to live for another 19 years.

Using several factors,

that is, three years representing the time he had already spent in prison and two years for not wasting the courts’ time, the sentence was reduced to 14 years. However, the Judge added a further five years for the aggravating way in which the crime was committed.

A post-mortem report on the dead woman’s body had indicated that there were six incise wounds.

The trial Judge, before handing down the sentence, told Benjamin that he had deprived his young son of the nurture of his mother.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Linden, broke and entered the home of Tia Niewenkirk on August 21, 2018.

In handing down the sentence on Tuesday, Magistrate Fortune said that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to prove the charge.

Johnson made his first court appearance in 2018 before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’

Courts and had denied the charge. According to the prosecution’s case, on August 21, 2018, while at Half Mile, Johnson broke into the Niewenkirk’s home and stole a cellular phone valued $45,000. Johnson was previously charged for escaping from lawful custody and was jailed by Chief Magistrate McLennan for one year.

2022. A third development, Payara, is expected to start up as early as 2023.

When US oil giant ExxonMobil announced the first of multiple oil finds in local waters in 2015, Venezuela renewed its claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.

Venezuela has been against oil exploration in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, where multiple oil deposits were found by ExxonMobil, and has since renewed claims to the Essequibo region.

On January 30, 2018, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres concluded the Good Offices Process – which the parties had engaged in for almost 30 years, but did not achieve a resolution to the controversy – and chose the ICJ as the next means of settlement, for which Guyana had long been advocating.

Guyana has moved to the ICJ and is now awaiting the matter to take its rightful course.

Teen jailed for killing taxi driver

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Lindener jailed for breaking and entering ester Johnson, a resident of Linden, was on Tuesday jailed for breaking and entering and larceny after he was found guilty of the offence by Magistrate Wanda Fortune.

The 22-year-old appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court where he was jailed for two years. During the trial, the prosecution had contended that Johnson, of Lot 189 Half Mile, Wismar,

nental shelf of Guyana at approximately 140 kilometres from the nearest point to the middle line with Venezuela.

Following that incident, ExxonMobil had moved to redirect its efforts in other parts of the Stabroek Block in which they are licenced to conduct exploration.

Guyana had called on Venezuela to withdraw its decree against Guyana’s rights to explore its territory; a call that is also fully supported by the Opposition.

Government had urged the Spanish-speaking country to cease these types of military actions and join Guyana in submitting its territorial case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

teenager, who is responsible for stabbing a taxi driver to death in Berbice during 2016, was on Wednesday given a threeyear jail sentence.

Justice Brassington Reynolds ordered that he be held in a juvenile facility until his 20th birthday, which will be January 5, 2022.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter and probation was ordered before he was sentenced on Wednesday.

On June 5, 2016 the teenager stabbed taxi driver, Deonarine Laljit, called “Baba”, of Number 72 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne.

The prosecution contended that at about midday, the teenager entered Laljit’s car in the vicinity of the Number 69 Village, Corentyne and was r heading to Baul Street, Corriverton. Reports are that the teen waited until he was alone in the car with the driver, after which he stabbed the Laljit in his neck.

Residents of Line Path, had stated, that they saw Laljit’s car stopped at Baul Street, Line Path ‘E’, Corriverton at about 12:30h.

However, they subsequently saw a teen rushing out of the car after which they saw the driver exiting said car with blood gushing from his throat.

According to probation report presented by Probation and Welfare officer Vooneshewarie Gopaul, the taxi driver was in the habit of telling the teenager taunting things about his elder sister. On one occasion the driver reportedly told the teen he was “pretty”

Dead: Deonarine Laljit

and if he was a girl he would have had a relationship with him.

According to the probation report, on the day in question, he was a passenger in the car and as they were at Linepath Laljit and the teen were reportedly involved in a heated argument. After some minutes, the irate teenager reportedly whipped out a knife and stabbed Laljit to his left side neck and face.

At the time he was 15.

Justice Reynolds said it was a “crazy task for the

court in such circumstances in enforcing the law in a way that can see our society comfortable with our daily lives and balancing it with submission s which were earlier made by Attorney at law Chandra Sohan on behalf of the teenager.”

Sohan had submitted that the teenager was remorseful and was provoked.

He also mentioned his tender age at the time of the crime and noted that the teenager had engaged himself in developmental programs while being incrassated.

In imposing the sentence, the judge said that there were certain conditions to be attached. The judge said that upon his release the teen who would by then turn 20, must visit the probation officer within 72-hours. He was also ordered to continue visits to the probation officer as recommended by the probation officer and that officer must approve his place of work. If he is to move to another location it first must be approved by the probation officer.

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thurSday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Water reconnected to Family demands justice after death Region 6 schools – GWI of baby burnt at GPHC

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ull quote: “Since the assumption of the new Government, no payment was made to the GWI. The disconnection to schools is very disrespectful to the education sector of this region” – Head of Regional Education Committee The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Wednesday said it reconnected the water supply at all schools in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) the same day it disconnected the water.

This was related to Guyana Times by the water company’s Public Relations Officer, Leana Bradshaw.

She said that the move to disconnect the water was made by the company in an effort to have the regional officials pay its outstanding balance of $136 million.

Bradshaw said that although the regional officials claimed that some $61 million was owed to the company, it was, in fact, $136 million.

“GWI disconnected the services of schools in Region Six, in an attempt to prompt the region to settle its overdue payment”. In fact, “Following this move, the region has committed to making a payment and the water service of all of the schools have since been reconnected,” the PRO added.

According to her, the move made by GWI has resulted in the regional officials preparing a cheque to bring a calm to the outrageous move.

Bradshaw added that the

region has not yet indicated the value of the cheque.

Guyana Times understands that among the schools which were disconnected was the region’s premier secondary institution, the New Amsterdam Multilateral School.

This publication understands that no water bills were paid for all

Government buildings in the region for the years 2017 and 2018. These buildings include schools, hospitals, health centres and all other Government buildings which fall under the remit of the regional administration.

The regional office in New Amsterdam by itself reportedly owes GWI in excess of $3 million for water supplied over the past few years.

But while GWI said that it reconnected the water supply to the schools, this newspaper was told that several schools in the region reportedly remain disconnected.

The region has 57 nursery schools, 54 primary schools and 19 secondary schools.

Head of the Regional Education Committee Zamal Hussain, during an interview with this newspaper on Wednesday, said that the move by the GWI was unexpected.

He said that he learnt of the exercise on Tuesday and Head Teachers were left stunned at the exercise.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman David Armogan said the payments were made on Wednesday and a payment plan was worked out.

H o w e v e r , Hussain, who also heads the Regional Health Committee, said that the situation should never have developed.

“Since the assumption of the new Government, no payment was made to the GWI. The disconnection to schools is very disrespectful to the education sector of this region.”

Meanwhile, after the intervention of senior officials from the water company’s head office, schools in New Amsterdam were reconnected on Tuesday but up to Wednesday afternoon, some schools on the Upper Corentyne were reportedly not reconnected.

It is not known whether the administration is being charged a reconnection fee.

Hussain said he was pleased by the way in which the Regional Chairman and the Regional Executive Officer handled the issue.

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Before and after Quavon Forde was burnt

he life of a newborn baby boy was recently cut short due to alleged negligence of practitioners at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after he succumbed shortly after burns received from a headlamp in one of the incubators.

Little Quavon Forde was born in December 2018 in what was termed a premature birth since he arrived one month earlier than expected.

His grandmother, Sharon Harding, in an interview with this publication on Wednesday, explained that the baby was incubated until he was fully developed and his parents were allowed to visit every day. On a subsequent visit some days later, his mother, Odessa Forde, went to check on her baby and made the shocking discovery that he was severely burnt about his body.

According to the grand-

Professor Rudolph James dies

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aw Professor Rudolph “Rudy” James died on Monday in the United States where he had travelled to seek medical treatment after falling ill last year.

He was 85.

Professor James taught Law in both Guyana and Africa. He lived in Papua New Guinea for a number of years before remigrating here and eventually heading the University of Guyana’s (UG’s) Department of Law from 1999 to 2004.

Most recently, he served on an advisory committee for the establishment of a local law school. He was also one of the Commissioners on the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) established to examine and make recommendations to resolve issues and uncertainties surrounding the individual, joint or communal ownership of lands.

Professor James also co-authored a book with fellow Professor Harold Lutchman titled, “Law and the Political Environment in Guyana”.

This book includes one of the most incisive critiques of the Constitution unilaterally introduced by Forbes Burnham in 1980, which James and Lutchman pointed out made him a virtual dictator and

Professor Rudolph James

placed him above censure.

They pointed out, for instance, one article empowering the National Assembly to recall the President but a later one which allowed him to dissolve that Assembly.

In a tribute to Professor James, Plai-sance Sparendaam Goedver-wagting Development Association on their Facebook page back in 2014 had zoomed in on the earlier life of the Plaisance Village, East Coast Demerara native.

It notes that Professor James was educated in Guyana and the UK and after completing his National Service in the British Royal Air Force (RAF), he went on to study for a career in the

legal profession.

He was awarded a scholarship by the RAF and studied and completed the LL.B degree and Bar finals, both with honours, and was called to the Bar as a member of Middle Temple Inn in 1961.

Upon completion of his Master’s Degree in Law (LLM) at University College, London University, he took up an appointment as an assistant lecturer in Law at the University of Ife, Nigeria, and came under the influence of renowned equity English academics who pioneered Nigerian Legal education: Professor Roy Marshall of Sheffield University, his Dean, Professor Hanbury of Oxford University (Dean of the faculty, University of Nigeria, Nnsuka) and Professor LCB Gower (author of Company Law), who was Dean at the University of Lagos.

Professor James specialised in the subjects of Equity and Property Law and taught both courses to law students and developed a course on Customary Land Law of Nigeria, a subject on which he researched and wrote his thesis for the PhD degree which was awarded to him in 1967.

It was whilst teaching

at the University of Ife that Professor James met and married his wife, Dr Adeola James (nee Omibiyi), in 1965, who was then an assistant lecturer in the Department of English. They went on over the years to raise eight children and recently celebrated their forty?eighth anniversary in wedlock.

Professor James authored many books on property law in Africa and the Pacific where he occupied posts of Professor of Law and Dean of the Law Schools. He was a legal adviser of various committees set up to perform the laws of property and his last assignments before returning home to Guyana were to document the processes, legal and illegal, of land grabbing of the traditional lands of the Motu Koitabu people of Papua New Guinea and establishing a new model of land-holding for the protection of such lands.

President David Granger joined the list of persons, including Professor Lutchman, who were saddened by Professor James’ death. The Head of State in a statement on Wednesday extended sympathy to Professor James’ wife and children as well as relatives and friends.

mother, the child’s mother immediately called on nurses on duty, who shrugged off the matter, insisting that they were unaware of the circumstances.

Relatives later learnt that a headlamp would have caused the injuries after doctors briefed them on what transpired.

“I told her to ask the nurses around and she kept asking but all the nurses would tell us is that they wasn’t there or they don’t know about that,” the aggrieved grandmother relayed.

Asserting that “specialists” would be present to treat the burns, the child was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit where he was later discharged on January 21, 2019, while his wounds were yet to be healed.

“She saw a doctor and the doctor told her that it was a headlamp that fall and burn the baby and she must not worry because they brought in specialists to take care of the baby burns,” the grandmother relayed.

“I’m assuming that they noticed themselves that the child couldn’t make it and they subsequently discharged this baby and handed it over to her.”

A few days later, she noticed that the baby was in agony and was constantly crying. He was readmitted to the hospital where doctors failed in their attempts to save him on February 8.

“He was groaning and the burns on the foot wasn’t

healed. They discharged this baby wrapped in gauze so we took him back where he was admitted to the ICU. However, later, they said they couldn’t save him,” Harding explained.

The grandmother said she contacted the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, George Lewis, but he refuted claims that the baby died as a result of the burns sustained about his body, but rather from the fact the he was born premature.

Harding said their troubles did not end there, saying that they faced numerous encounters when the post-mortem examination was due.

On Wednesday, efforts by this publication to get a comment from GPHC’s officials proved futile.

The death of the baby comes amid mounting calls for public health officials to be sanctioned for negligence.

A series of protests have been held outside of the Public Health Ministry after three children, all cancer patients, died under questionable circumstances at the Georgetown Hospital last month.

An investigation has since been launched into that incident.

Devastated family members are calling for transparency in the investigation and for the family to be informed of the outcome.

Adding to that, Harding said such matters require urgent attention to ensure that there is never a recurrence.

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thursday, february 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Goldfields gets greenlight to resume underground operations

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ome three months after being ordered to stop operations, the Guyana Goldfields Inc. has announced that it has been given the go ahead to resume it underground works at the Aurora Gold Mine in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Just one week after announcing back in November 2018 that it has started underground work, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had issued a cease order to the Canadabased mining company since the necessary permit had not yet been approved.

Nevertheless, the Guyana Goldfields said in a statement on Wednesday that it received environmental authorisation from the EPA to resume construction and development work on an underground exploration decline at the Aurora Gold Mine.

The underground decline is intended for exploration and definition drilling

in support of planned underground production. The recommencement of work on the underground decline will begin immediately, the company said in its missive.

The mine, which has been in commercial operation as an open pit since 2016, is anticipated to transition into an eventual combined open pit and underground operation and would become the first modern underground mine developed in Guyana.

“We appreciate the thorough oversight that the EPA is providing,” said Perry Holloway, the company’s Senior Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Affairs.

He added, “The Company is committed to meeting the highest standards in its planning and execution of this important project and we look forward to continued co-operation with the EPA and the Government as we unlock the value of

Aurora for Guyana and the Company’s shareholders.”

According to the Guyana Goldfields, Wednesday’s authorisation to resume operations follows the provision by the Company to the EPA of additional information concerning the application of internationally accepted codes concerning the environment, health and safety practices being proposed.

The EPA also conducted a routine compliance inspection of the Aurora mine and camp facilities in December 2018. Additionally, the environmental agency requested the Company to modify some aspects of its current waste management plan, camp waste water treatment circuit and upgrade the waste oil containment facility.

Guyana Goldfields said it has addressed all the matters raised by the EPA during its inspection which will be further assessed during the next site inspection. At the time of

Aurora Gold Mine in Region Seven

the December inspection, the Company was compliant on all other environmental conditions of the operating permit.

Going forward, the contractor will complete and reinforce the collar and extend the decline 200 metres to fulfil the scope of the early

works phase. The Company expects this work will take approximately three months to complete once the contractor is fully mobilized. A budget of US$2.0 million has been approved for the early works phase.

The company is finalising the review of bids received

for the underground development contract with the target of final award in the second quarter of 2019.

The plan is to advance the exploration decline approximately 2,500 metres and provide a platform for further underground exploration and definition drilling. The decline is intended to provide access to all principal underground mining areas, including some higher-grade zones in Mad Kiss and East Walcott which will allow us to further delineate exploration targets and potentially add mineral resources and help convert mineral resources to mineral reserves.

In addition, the permit allows for test mining of up to 350,000 tonnes that could potentially provide supplemental mill feed during the development period and further unlock value at the Aurora Gold Mine.

GNBS sub-office can now verify Guyanese man accused of rice mill scales murdering daughter dies

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he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) on Tuesday last handed over ten tonnes (10,000 kg) of large-capacity test masses to its sub-office in Anna Regina, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) in order to facilitate the verification of weighbridge scales used by rice millers and other businesses in the region.

At the simple ceremony, the test masses were handed over to the sub-office’s inspectors in the presence of representatives from the Rice Producers Association (RPA), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and staff members of the Caricom Rice Mill.

It was disclosed at the ceremony that the test masses were acquired at the cost of some $13 million.

GNBS Inspector in Region Two, Dhanpat Ramlakhan said that the monitoring of rice mills, es-

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GNBS Public Relations Officer Lloyd David shakes hands with Region Two GNBS Inspector Dhanpat Ramlakhan in the presence of other representatives during the handing over of the test masses

pecially during the harvesting periods, ensures clarity of the weighing process. He added that this process will now be improved with the newly-acquired test masses and the difficulties of transporting masses from Georgetown to the Coast will now be a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, Quality

Assurance Manager of the Caricom Rice Mills, Shonellie Roberts commended the GNBS for the acquisition of the test masses and stated that the masses will facilitate impromptu and unscheduled checks of weighbridge scales used at her company and other mills on the Essequibo Coast.

he father of an 11-year-old girl who was the subject of an Amber Alert last week has died.

Roopesh Rajkumar had been in hospital since suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound the night his daughter, Riya, was found dead in his Brampton home after she went missing on Valentine’s Day. An Amber Alert was issued after Riya’s mother had gone to police after Rajkumar allegedly failed to return the girl on time after taking her out for her birthday. She told police that she had received concerning comments from Roopesh about harming himself and his daughter.

Rajkumar was arrested by Provincial Police in a high-risk takedown some 130 kilometres away in Oro-Medonte shortly after Riya’s body was found. Peel Regional Police say his injury wasn’t discovered until he was transferred into their custody. It wasn’t un-

til he was brought to hospital that the gunshot wound was discovered.

The province’s Special Investigations Unit was contacted but declined to invoke their mandate.

The news of Rajkumar’s death comes on the same day his daughter was laid to rest.

About 100 mourners gathered Wednesday to listen to speeches, poems and songs as the community remembered the young girl.

“My daughter Riya was taken from me too early,” Priya Ramdin, who did not attend the vigil, said in a statement read by Peel police Deputy Chief Chris McCord.

“She never liked to be negative and always saw the good in every situation.

If I’m ever upset, she would say ‘Mama, don’t be sad, look at the positives.”’

Ramdin described her daughter as her best friend and a social butterfly who loved to spend time with her family and friends.

Roopesh Rajkumar, 41 and his 11-year-old daughter Riya Rajkumar

“She was a little princess who loved dressing up, having her hair curled and done up,” Ramdin said.

“She touched a lot of lives with her laughter and contagious big smile. It breaks my heart to know I will no longer be seeing that smile, hearing her voice and never having her in my arms again.” (City News)

Bangladesh fire kills dozens in T&T children gets diabetes historic district before parents

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fast-moving fire has swept through a historic district of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, killing at least 60.

The blaze broke out Wednesday evening in a multi-storey residential building with the ground floor reportedly used to store flammable chemicals.

According to local media, the fire quickly spread to nearby buildings.

Authorities have told the BBC on Thursday morning that the death toll stood at 60 but that the fire had been brought under control.

The fire might have originated from a gas cylinder before quickly spreading

through the building where chemicals were stored, the country’s fire service chief Ali Ahmed told AFP. The blaze raced through four adjoining buildings, he said.

“There was a traffic jam when the fire broke out. It spread so quickly that people could not escape.”

According to the Dhaka Tribune the building housed a plastics warehouse full of flammable material.

The centuries-old Chawkbazar area of Dhaka characteristically has very narrow streets and residential buildings only inches apart.

Victims also included

people outside the buildings, some guests at a restaurant and members of a bridal party, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ibrahim Khan told AFP. Many of the victims were trapped in the buildings, according to reports, unable to escape the flames.

Bangladesh has a persistent problem with building safety regulations not being followed.

In 2013, more than 1,100 people died and thousands more were injured when a building housing garment factories called Rana Plaza in Dhaka collapsed. (BBC)

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resident of the Diabetes Association of TT Andrew Dhanoo says younger people were developing diabetes, some before their parents.

He was speaking on Wednesday as a Joint Select Committee (JSC) on childhood obesity met with officials of the Diabetes Association as well as officials from the Sport and Agriculture ministries and the National Parent Teacher Association.

He said excess body fat is one of the primary determinants of diabetes development, and obesity reduction tactics have been at the centre of the association’s initia-

tives.

He warned, “The Diabetes Association has noticed a shift towards younger and younger persons being diagnosed with diabetes.”

As a result, he said, the previous recommendation of screening at 45 “is no longer acceptable and we are now seeing persons under the age of 30 being diagnosed with diabetes type 2. We have seen that far more children in schools show indicators of pre-diabetes.”

Dhanoo said besides being overweight, about 50 per cent of the population in schools were overweight, and other indicators of diabetes risk were more apparent

such as children being seen with acanthosis nigricans, a dark discolouration of the neck.

“The Diabetes Association believes that significant changes in the landscape in schools as it relates to healthy environment should be adopted sooner rather than later. We are now seeing children developing diabetes and other lifestyle non-communicable diseases (NCDs) before their parents in some cases.

It’s a notion that’s accepted by many health professionals that for the first time in human history we are now seeing children who may die before their parents from NCDs.” (T&T Newsday)

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thursday, february 21, 2019

Regional

As Maduro holds on, Venezuela CARICOM again at odds with OAS Opposition eyes negotiated transition Secretary General

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enezuela’s Opposition is trying to convince ruling Socialist Party officials to join a transition government, shifting focus as it seeks to unseat President Nicolás Maduro, who has clung to power in the face of growing international pressure and US sanctions.

Last month, Venezuelan Opposition Leader and Congress Chief Juan Guaido invoked the Constitution to assume the interim presidency after declaring Maduro’s re-election in May 2018 illegitimate. He swiftly received recognition from the United States and Latin American powers.

In an effort to secure the backing of Venezuela’s military, Guaido proposed an amnesty for officers who turn on Maduro’s Government. But defections have been minimal and top brass has declared allegiance to Maduro, dimming hopes of a quick end to an economic disaster that has prompted millions of des-

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Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro attends a rally in support of his Government and to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the end of the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez next to his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas, Venezuela January 23, 2019

perate Venezuelans to flee abroad, fuelling a regional humanitarian crisis.

Amid fears the changes have stalled, opposition leaders have begun to talk in the past week about bringing ruling Socialist Party stalwarts into a potential transition Government.

“This transition requires a large national agreement

between the country’s political forces,” Edgar Zambrano, vice president of the opposition-run National Assembly, said in an interview.

Zambrano said any transition must include “Chavismo,” the left-wing movement founded by Venezuela’s late leader Hugo Chávez, who hand-picked Maduro as his successor. (Excerpt from Reuters)

War of words over gang contracts rages - T&T PM fires back at Roodal

T

rinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley says Opposition MP, Dr Roodal Moonilal is the only known minister who was photographed while promoting gang business.

In a release on Tuesday, Rowley fired back at Moonilal, who accused the Government of awarding lucrative contracts to gang leaders, noting this in turn was undermining the police’s war against criminal gangs.

On Sunday, Moonilal, the MP for Oropouche East, called on Rowley to terminate contracts with the gang leaders and take action against any Minister who gave such contracts. He said Rowley continued to harbour senior Government Ministers with known links to people before the courts and other alleged gang leaders.

Responding to Moonilal, Rowley said the Government has been and continues to fight criminal conduct at every level and will continue to support law enforcement in all their lawful efforts to rid

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley speaks with members of the media after the distribution of housing units at Gomez Trace Housing Development in Moruga on Monday

the country of this scourge in all its forms.

In 2013, Moonilal, then housing and urban development minister, was photographed when shaking the hands of Kenneth “Spanish” Rodriguez during a visit to the site of the Duncan Street Police Post, then still under construction. On Monday, Rodriguez, dubbed a com-

munity leader, along with Ancel “Chemist” Villafana, appeared before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court charged with marijuana possession.

They were picked up during the Police’s anti-gang operation last week. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

he 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping said it remains “deeply concerned” by the actions and statements of the Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, which it argued “are outside the bounds of his remit as the head of an international organisation”.

CARICOM Chairman and the Prime Minister of St Kitts-Nevis, Dr Timothy Harris said that Almargo's latest “manifestation of his inappropriate behaviour” followed his statement made re-

garding free and fair elections in Dominica.

In a message posted on his Twitter account on February 7, Almagro said he had met with the island's former ambassador to the OAS, Crispin Gregoire, who “expressed his concern that the upcoming elections in Dominica are not free and fair.

“He also requested OAS official assistance to help ensure a level playing field in the country,” Almagro added.

The Dominica Government has since written to Almargo demanding an apology.

In the statement, the

CARICOM Chairman said Almargo's “Tweet of 7 February, 2019, associating himself with a suggestion that Dominica will not conduct free and fair upcoming elections is the latest manifestation of his inappropriate behaviour.

In the two-page letter to Almagro Dominica's Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister, Francine Baron, demanded that the OAS Secretary General immediately remove the message on his Twitter account as well as apologise. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Brazil's Bolsonaro says pension reform plan would save US$270B in 10 yrs

B

razilian President Jair Bolsonaro delivered his pension reform plan to Congress on Wednesday, aiming to save over 1 trillion reais (US$270 billion) over a decade by changing tax rates, delaying retirement and creating individual savings accounts.

The proposed social security reform is the cornerstone of Bolsonaro's plan to close what rating agencies say is an unsustainable public deficit and bolster a sluggish economic recovery.

His savings target is far more ambitious than the roughly 600 billion reais of savings in a decade proposed by Bolsonaro's predecessor, Michel Temer, who eventually gave up on the unpopular initiative.

"Changes in demograph-

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro gives a statement at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil

ics mean we have to change the rules. The current system is unsustainable," Pension Secretary Leonardo Rolim told journalists in

Brasilia.

A proposed constitutional amendment that Bolsonaro presented to congressional leaders would save 1.072 trillion reais in a decade, according to an Economy Ministry presentation.

Proposed changes to military pensions, which the government pledged to deliver within 30 days, would bring savings of 1.165 trillion reais in 10 years.

Savings would come from wealthier taxpayers contributing more, higher minimum retirement ages and a new system of individual savings accounts, giving workers "an alternative to the current system," according to the ministry's presentation. (Excerpt from MSN)

Jamaican drug smuggler jailed for 18 years in Bermuda

A

38-year-old Jamaican from the central parish of Manchester, who fled from customs officers at Bermuda's international airport before they found heroin worth three-quarters of a million US dollars in his luggage, was jailed for 18 years by a Supreme Court judge on Wednesday.

Omar Davy claimed that he was forced to bring two

packages to the island from Canada after threats were made against himself and his family. But on Monday the 11-person jury unanimously found Davy guilty of drug importation, possession of heroin with intent to supply and the obstruction of a customs officer, taking just half an hour to reach its verdict.

Delivering the sentence on Wednesday, Puisne

Judge Carlisle Greaves noted the jury delivered the verdict in “record time”. He added that a strong message must be sent to dissuade others who seek to profit from bringing drugs into the island.

Prosecutors alleged that Davy smuggled 220.88 grams of heroin — worth up to US$765,700 to the island on July 10 last year. (Excerpt from

EU blacklists Panama, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, USVI Man handed 216 year prison sentence

A

fghanistan, American Samoa, The Bahamas, Botswana, North Korea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guam, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, US Virgin Islands and Yemen have all been blacklisted in a report published by the European Union (EU) Commission last week.

Individual EU Governments and parliamentarians still have to sign off on the new list, but if ac-

cepted, it would prove painful for EU banks that handle payments connected to the blacklisted countries and territories. Those lenders would have to conduct “enhanced due diligence” on any cash that moves to and from the EU and the blacklisted jurisdictions.

The EU report states that the list has been established on the basis of an analysis of 54 priority jurisdictions the EU had constant investigations on over the course of the last few years, which was prepared by the Commission in consultation

with the member states and made public on November 13, 2018.

The report also states that the Commission is mandated to carry out autonomous assessments and identify the high-risk third countries under their Fourth and Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directives of 2015 and 2018 respectively. Of this list of 54 jurisdictions that were under surveillance, the final list of 23 was created in conjunction with consultations with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). (Excerpt from Caribbean

News Now)

Jamaica Observer)

after leading protests against Nicaraguan President

A

man who helped to lead protests against the Nicaraguan President has been sentenced to more than 200 years in prison.

Medardo Mairena is the leader of a movement that is opposed to a stalled Chinese-backed project to build a waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans which would rival the Panama Canal.

He had helped to organise mass protests against President Daniel Ortega last year in which more than 320 people died, after Government supporters and Police opened fire on crowds.

Street rallies have since tapered off, and the Government has clamped down on Opposition media and organisations seen as supporting the protests.

Last December Mairena

was convicted of terrorism, murder and organised crime, charges he denied.

Judge Edgard Altamirano ruled that Mairena was the mastermind of the murders of five Policemen who died during a protest in a municipality in the south of the country and the kidnapping of two other officers. He has now been jailed for 216 years.

(Excerpt from MSN)

guyanatimesgy.com

tHursday, february 21, 2019

Around the World

Chinese “Ivory Queen” smuggler sentenced to 15 years jail in Tanzania

A

prominent Chinese businesswoman dubbed the “Ivory Queen” was sent-enced to 15 years in prison by a Tanzanian court on Tuesday for smuggling the tusks of more than 350 elephants, weighing nearly 2 tonnes, to Asia.

Yang Feng Glan had been charged in October 2015 along with two Tanzanian men with smuggling 860 pieces of ivory between 2000 and 2004 worth 13 billion shillings (US$5.6 million).

All three denied the charges.

Police sources said Yang, 69, had lived in Tanzania since the 1970s and was secretary-general of the Tanzania China-Africa Business Council.

Kisutu Court Magistrate

17

Chinese businesswoman, Yang Feng Glan, dubbed the “Ivory Queen, sits inside the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Huruma Shaidi sentenced Yang, Salivius Matembo and Manase Philemon, each to 15 years, after they were convicted of leading an or-

ganised criminal gang.

Shaidi ordered them to either pay twice the market value of the elephant tusks or face another two years in

prison.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China had firm laws on protecting endangered wildlife and went after those who broke the law.

Conservationists welcomed Yang’s conviction, saying it was proof of the Government’s seriousness in the fight against wildlife poaching but criticised the sentence. “(It) is not punishment enough for the atrocities she committed, by being responsible for the poaching of thousands of elephants in Tanzania,” Amani Ngusaru, WWF country director, told Reuters. “She ran a network that killed thousands of elephants.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Islamic State group: Civilians evacuated from last Syria enclave ivilians have been evac- der or for the battle to con-

C

uated from the last village in Syria still held by the Islamic State (IS) group.

A convoy on Wednesday carried hundreds of men, women and children from Baghuz, near the Iraqi border.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance have said they are waiting for their removal before launching an offensive against militants “entrenched inside”.

The SDF said it cannot confirm if any militants were among the passengers.

There have been conflicting reports on how close the SDF is to ridding the enclave of IS fighters.

The US-led coalition fighting IS has said the “most hardened” fighters remain within Baghuz.

“Our forces said from the start that they have two options: unconditional surren-

tinue until its end,” Bali, told the Reuters news agency.

According to Reuters, As many as 2000 people may have left the enclave on Wednesday - one day after a convoy of about 50 lorries arrived on its outskirts to get them out.

The vehicles were brought in after the UN expressed concern about the fate of some 200 families reportedly trapped in the area.

Five years ago, IS controlled 88,000 square km (34,000 square miles) of territory stretching from western Syria to eastern Iraq. It proclaimed the creation of a “caliphate”, imposing its brutal rule on almost eight million people and generating billions of dollars from oil, extortion, robbery and kidnapping. Now, an estimated 300 militants are holed up inside about 0.5 square km of land. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

India, Saudi Arabia sign investment agreements Moroccan Police crack down as MBS meets Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke with protocol when he hugged the embattled Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been trying to rebuild his reputation in the wake of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

S

audi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced infrastructure and trade agreements after meeting Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS, arrived on a two-day visit to India on Tuesday hoping to boost trade

and energy ties following a high-profile trip to neighbouring Pakistan.

India and Saudi Arabia signed five agreements on infrastructure, investment, tourism, housing, broadcasting and for the setting up of a “strategic partnership council”.

The Indian Prime Minister broke with protocol when he went to the airport and hugged the em-battled Saudi prince, who has been trying to rebuild his reputation in the wake of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

India has always had “historical and friendly” ties with Saudi Arabia, Modi said at a joint press meet on Wednesday following, what he called, the “compre-

hensive” talks with Prince Mohammed.

On Wednesday, MBS announced an agreement to look at initial investment in its National In-vestment and Infrastructure Fund, a quasi-sovereign wealth fund, to help accelerate the building of ports and highways in India.

MBS’s Asia tour coincided with hostilities between New Delhi and Islamabad flaring up last week, after a suicide bombing in the Indiaadministered Kashmir killed at least 42 paramilitary personnel.

The Indian Prime Minister referred to the attack during the joint press conference with Prince Mohammed and claimed there is an agreement with Riyadh “to put pressure on all countries supporting terrorism” although the Saudi leader did not refer directly to the attack. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

on protesting teachers

M

oroccan security forces fired water cannon at public school teachers demonstrating in Rabat and waded into crowds with swinging batons to block their route to the royal palace, injuring dozens of people.

Several demonstrations were held on Wednesday - marking exactly eight years after the birth of a Moroccan Arab Spring protest movement that awakened a spirit of activism in this North African kingdom.

Police officers charged protesters, beating several to the ground. Ambulances evacuated the wounded to hospitals.

The incidents came as thousands of public school teachers took to the streets of the Moroccan capital to protest against fixed-term contracts that have been in force since 2016.

The protesters, many who were wearing white teachers’ robes, also demonstrated against the limited opportunities for low-ranking teachers, who earn an average of MAD$454 a month. They are also angry over temporary Government contracts that do not cover healthcare or pensions.

A spokesman for the Education Ministry told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity that a meeting was expected to be held Monday with the teachers’ union to discuss their demands.

“We chose to hold our march on this day, which commemorates the February 20 movement, because it symbolises the fight for dignity,” said Omar el-Gasmi, a member of a group of teachers on fixedterm contracts. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Moscow ready to cut time for nuclear strike on US if necessary – Putin Independent Group: 3 MPs quit

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oscow will match any US move to deploy new nuclear missiles closer to Russia by stationing its own missiles closer to the United States or by deploying faster missiles or both, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

In Washington, the US State Department dismissed Putin’s comments as “propaganda designed to divert attention from what Washington alleges are Moscow’s violations of the Intermediaterange Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

Putin said Russia was not seeking confrontation and would not take the first step to deploy missiles in response to Washington’s decision this month to quit a landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty.

But in his toughest remarks yet on a potential new arms race, he said Russia’s reaction to any deployment would be resolute and that US policymakers, some of whom

Tory party to join independent group

T

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Federal Assembly, including the State Duma parliamentarians, members of the Federation Council, regional governors and other highranking officials, in Moscow, Russia

he accused of being obsessed with US exceptionalism, should calculate the risks before taking any steps.

The US State Department said Washington was not developing “exotic new nuclear weapons delivery systems” and repeated its claim that Russia violates the INF treaty while the United States does not.

In his speech on Wednesday, Putin said that

a submarine capable of carrying a new underwater drone with nuclear strike capability, which is called Poseidon, would be launched this spring, and also spoke of the successful development of a new hypersonic missile called Tsirkon.

Russian state television on Wednesday broadcast footage of Poseidon being tested for the first time, the RIA news agency reported. (Excerpt from Reuters)

hree Tory MPs have resigned from the party to join an independent group, set up by former Labour MPs. Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen wrote a joint letter to Theresa May to confirm their departure.

The three held a press conference, criticising the Government for letting the “hard-line anti-EU awkward squad” take over the party.

The PM said she was “saddened”, but her party would “always offer... decent, moderate and patriotic politics”.

The pro-Remain trio will join the new Independent Group - made up of eight Labour MPs who resigned from their party over its handling of Brexit and anti-Semitism - saying it represented “the centre-ground of British politics”.

Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston join the Independent Group

At a press conference on Wednesday, Soubry criticised Theresa May for being “in the grip” of the Democratic Unionist Party and the proLeave European Research Group, and allowing Brexit to “define and shape” the Conservative Party.

Wollaston said she felt “great sadness” at quitting the party, but said May “simply hasn’t delivered on the pledge she made on the steps

of Downing Street to tackle the burning injustices in our society”.

And Allen highlighted her concerns around poverty, as well as Brexit, saying: “I can no longer represent a Government and a party who can’t open its eyes to the suffering endured by the most vulnerable in society - suffering which we have deepened whilst having the power to fix”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, february 21, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

dilbert

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

The more you put in, the more you will get out.

Someone you’ve helped in the past will offer assistance that enables you to follow through with your plans.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Keep your life simple, follow the rules and make sure everything you say and do is by the book. Your reputation depends on your integrity.

CANCER

You’ll have some unusual ideas, but first check out the expense involved in acting upon them. A partner may be able to help you cut costs.

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

WORD GAME

Talk to someone who understands your professional situation and can offer sound advice. You may crave change, but making a move without having your ducks in a row will be stressful.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

Take time to check on someone you don’t see often or who has been going through a difficult time. It will make you feel good and do wonders for the person you contact.

Participating in a networking function or social event will do you good and bring you in contact with someone who motivates you to pursue your dreams.

A change to the way you handle your money will greatly help you. Problems at home will cause stress if you or someone you live with hasn’t been honest regarding expenditures.

Short trips will be informative and will open your eyes to a host of new ideas. Take the path that speaks to you and don’t worry about being different. Follow your heart.

Keep busy doing things SAGITTARIUS that will improve your phys(Nov. 23- ical strength and endurance.

Dec. 21) Take your health seriously and avoid people who tend to be undisciplined and encouraging of indulgent behaviour.

Put your energy into fixing

CAPRICORN up your surroundings and tak(Dec. 22- ing care of personal matters.

Jan. 19) You’ll accomplish a lot if you address concerns. Leave the past behind you and move forward.

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Accept the inevitable and examine the possibilities. If you look at the positive in every situation you face, you will discover a way to make personal gains.

Get involved in groups that share your beliefs and are working toward similar goals. What you contribute will put you in a leadership position. Romance is highlighted.

thursday, february 21, 2019

19

Stricker named US captain Federer confirms for 2020 against Europe clay court S

teve Stricker will captain the United States as they try to reclaim the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in 2020.

The 51-year-old was on the winning side as a player in 2008, but also played in the 2010 and 2012 losses to Europe.

He was selected as a Vice Captain last year by Jim Furyk, as the US lost 17½-10½ at Le Golf National in France – their seventh defeat since 1999.

Irishman Padraig Harrington, a three-time major winner, has already been chosen as Europe's captain.

An emotional Stricker, who was close to tears as his appointment announced at a press conference, said: "Truly a dream come true, an honour to represent the PGA, the competition itself, truly humbled by this opportunity because I'm very passionate about this competition."

Stricker (right) is succeeding Jim Furyk (left) as the US captain

C

The former world number two added: "Some people don't think I'm very fiery about playing the game of golf but deep down I'm very competitive, we want to win this more than ever and I'm here to help in any way."

Stricker lives in Wisconsin, the same state as the venue for 2020, and was second at the US PGA Championship in 1998 – his best finish at a major.

He captained the US team to victory in the 2017 Presidents Cup. "My biggest thing is I want to make sure all the players that make the team know what to expect from me and what I expect from them," added Stricker.

"While we were disappointed with the result in Paris, I am confident the setback will fuel our preparations for what will take place at Whistling Straits."

comeback at Madrid Open

R

oger Federer confirmed his participation for this year’s Madrid Open on Wednesday, marking his return to the European clay court season after two years away.

The 20-time grand slam title winner has not played since his defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open on January 16, 2018.

Federer, whose sole French Open title came in 2009, has preferred to skip the European clay events over the past two seasons to manage his schedule. The

37-year-old Swiss is the second most successful player at the Caja Mágica behind Rafa Nadal, winning three titles in 2006, 2009 and 2012.

“Federer is one of the best players of all time, it’s no secret,” the tournament director, Feliciano López, said in a statement.

“We are happy because his return to Madrid is a gift to the tournament, but above all the fans will be able to see a unique player in the Caja Mágica. Having the Swiss player back on

clay with [Novak] Djokovic and Nadal is going to be unmissable.”

Meanwhile, Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep advanced to the quarter-finals of the Dubai Championships despite windy conditions on Thursday. Kvitova, who won the title in 2013, needed three sets to see off the challenge of the American Jennifer Brady while former world number one Halep breezed through against Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in straight sets.

Chris Gayle hits Windies sweet on Kemar Roach after 'stress reaction' his way rules him out of England ODIs to new T international record

hris Gayle surpassed S h a h i d Afridi to record most number of sixes by any batsman in international cricket. The veteran Windies batsman achieved this feat while playing against England in the first OneDay International (ODI) at the Kensington Oval on Wednesday.

Gayle, who recently announced that he will retire from ODIs after ICC World Cup 2019, now h a s

Chris Gayle smashes one down the ground

488 sixes to his name. He achieved this feat in his 444th match while Afridi had smashed 476 sixes from 524 matches.

Gayle has now smashed 276 sixes in ODIs, 103 sixes in T20Is and 98 maximums in the longest format of the game.

Brendon Mccullum is third in the list, with 398 hits over the fence, followed

by Sanath Jayasuriya (352) and

Rohit Sharma (349).

Earlier this month, the 39-year-old veteran batsman had been recalled by the Windies for the first two ODIs against England in preparation for this year’s World Cup. Chris Gayle last played for the Windies during a home series against Bangladesh last July.

The big-hitting lefthander had pulled out of limited-overs series against India in October last year citing personal reasons. Gayle holds the West Indian record for most ODI hundreds with 23, and is their second-leading run-scorer in the 50over format with 9727 runs – trailing only Brian Lara (10,405).

His 215 against Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup also represents the highest limited-overs score by a West Indies batsman.

he West Indies remain hopeful Kemar Roach will be available for their World Cup campaign despite him being forced out of the ODI series against England.

Roach, who carried a heavy workload in the Test series victory over England, reported back pain in the last few days.

He was subsequently sent for a scan that showed a ‘stress reaction’ in the back.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) are adamant it is not a stress fracture.

Roach was Man-of-theSeries in the Test victory over England. He bowled more overs (96.5) than any of his colleagues; however, with Keemo Paul suffering an injury in St Lucia, he may have been asked to deliver more overs than was ideal in that final game.

With 80 ODIs behind him, Roach is one of the more experienced seamers i n West Indies' likely World Cup squad

and his loss would be significant. West Indies currently have no plans to call-up a replacement into the ODI squad, though it remains likely that Andre Russell will be added to it before the series ends.

If Roach is to play any part in the World Cup campaign, it is likely he will have to play some part in West Indies' tour of Ireland in early May which sees them play in a tri-series also involving Bangladesh.

He is currently scheduled to travel on the tour in the hope he can prove his match fitness during it. West Indies also have three unofficial warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup. There could be an unusual look to that West Indies squad. CWI are happy for any of their players involved in the IPL to take a full part in the tournament, so the Ireland tour may provide opportunities for fringe players, including those who have impressed on a A tour to Kenya that is likely to precede it.

Kemar Roach reacts to his fivewicket haul

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursday, february 21, 2019

Sheriffa Ali’s highly Zeeburg to face Cornelia Ida in WDCA T20 final decorated career ...Balgobin vs Looknauth ...aims to learn the shorter format of the game

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ocused on the future and driven by determination, Sheriffa Ali sets herself apart from everyone in the chess arena in Guyana. Ali is one of Guyana’s youngest Women’s Candidate Master (WCM) and has a FIDE rating of 1332. Currently, Ali’s goals are to train to participate in the faster formats of chess as the highly decorated chess player hasn’t participated in any tournaments for 2019.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport when asked about her accomplishments, Ali said, “I was seven years old when I started to play chess, my grandfather

Sheriffa Ali

and uncle introduced me to the game and gave me a brief introduction about it.

Shortly after I started training sessions at Oasis Cafe with Irshad Mohammed and participating in tournaments. I believe I was eight or nine when I won my first chess tournament… I played in the 2016 chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. I won four games, drew three and lost three. I gained my title, Woman Candidate Master, WCM, from that tournament”.

Ali further went on to state that she participated in the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) in 2011-2014, whereby she gained the status of the first Junior Guyanese player to ever win a tournament out of the country. In 2017, Ali and her brother, Saeed Ali, represented Guyana in a chess tournament held in Barbados and in 2018 she went to the Chess Olympiad held in Batumi, Georgia, where she secured 4.5 points. Ali also stated to this publication that while she is most know f o r the

longer formats of the game, she has been itching to try her hand at the blitz format. Ali also stated that while she may have to use a chess clock with a shorter time to get accustomed to the time constraints or even use chess engines to better her skills, she is willing to put her best foot forward as she hopes to participate in her first tournament when the University of Guyana closes for the summer.

Some of Ali’s other achievements are Oasis Cafe Chess Tournament, Oasis Chess Tournament (2009), sponsored by Dr Michele Ming; Oasis 2 Chess Tournament; Trophy Stall/ Oasis Chess Tournament; Royal Chess Academy Championship 2011; Trophy Stall/Oasis Cafe Chess Tournament; Trophy Stall Open Chess Tournament (January 2011); National Chess Champion; Rapid Open Chess Tournament (June, 2009); Sasha Cells; Mashramani 2010 Open Chess Tournament; Mid-Year Open Chess Tournament (June, 2010); Royal Chess Academy Championship 2011 Open Section; National Schools Chess Championship 2012; National Schools Chess Championship 2009; Red Cherry Ladder Chess Tournament (2012); National Chess Championship 2009; Sasha Cells Junior Championship 2012 and 2013; National Schools Chess Championship (2012); and many other achievements.

In closing, Ali said, “I’d like to thank Irshad Mohammed, he was my first coach. Taffin Khan, he was very helpful in preparing me for both of the chess Olympiad and my brother Saeed Ali who also played a vital role in teaching me”.

T

he highly anticipated West Demerara C r i c k e t Association (WDCA) T20 final is all set for action as Zeeburg Sports Club will face off against the Cornelia Ida Cricket Club, as both sides reg-

Richie Looknauth bagged 2-30 and top scored with 37 for CICC

istered wins over the weekend in their semi-final matches at Joe Vieira Park.

Semi-final one saw Zeeburg Sports Club defeat WDCA 50 over champions Independence Cricket Club in what was deemed as a grudge match, as Zeeburg avenged their unfair treatment in the WDCA 50 over semi-final in which they were knocked out without any notification last month.

Winning the toss, Zeeburg elect-

ed to bat first as they boosted an impressive batting line-up with the likes of Balgobin, Jeffers and Hubbard. Zeeburg raced to a quick fire 159 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to the batting efforts of Ushardeva Balgobin who top-scored with 36, Malcolm Hubbard (34), Mark Jeffers (25) and Ronaldo Renee (23). Bowling for Independence CC was inform off spinner Reeaz Esau who walked away with figures of 4-29.

Needing 160 off 120 balls for victory at a net run rate of eight runs per over, Independence succumbed to pressure as they struggled to hold together their innings and eventually being bowled out for 125 in 19.2 overs with V Dhaniarm 31 and S Bissasear 29 proving futile in the run chase. Bowling Zeeburg to victory were Malcom Hubbard 3 for 11, Jamal Gomes 3 for 22 and Ansar Khan 2 for 26.

In semi-final two, Cornelia Ida Cricket Club took on Christ Ambassadors at Joe Vieira Park, winning the toss CICC elected to bat first and were able to post 111 all out in 17.2 overs as Colois Sam 25 (3 sixes), Melroy Alert 19 (1 four & 2 sixes) and Kenton Boyce 18 (2 sixes) were the top scorers. Bowling for CICC Richard Baker 4-13-3, Muhammad Wazidali 3.2-11-3, Richie Looknauth 4-30-2 and Akshaya Persaud 4-1-4-1.

In reply, CICC eventually chased down the total but not without a fight from Christ Ambassadors, top scoring for CICC were Richie Looknauth 37 (5 fours & 2 sixes), Akshaya Persaud 17 (3 fours), Naveed Alli 15 (3 fours) and Harrinarine Bissondyal 13 not out (1 four and 1 six) as they ended their innings on 113-8 in 16 overs.

CICC will now face off against Zeeburg SC as both inform teams will have something to prove.

Ushardeva Balgobin top scored with 36 for Zeeburg

YWCC to host 2 tournaments over the weekend F

or the first time in their bid to revitalise the club after an absence of two years, the Young Warriors Cricket Club of Cumberland Village, East Canje, Berbice, will host two tournaments in the form of its fundraiser – Mash Cup 2019 – and a one-day five overs per side competition which will be held on February 23 and 24 respectively.

The Mash Cup 2019 will be played on Mashramani Day (a national holiday) and will involve second division teams from the area as no first division cricketer will be allowed. Cash incentives and trophies will be up for grabs

– Mash Cup 2019 and 5 Overs Tournament along with lots of gate prizes.

While the action will continue on February 24 at 09:00h sharp as the home team, Rose Hall Canje, Kendall Union, Number 19, Gangaram, Reliance, Adelphi, Good Banana Land, Edinburgh and Tucber will all battle for supremacy in the epic showdown.

The runners-up will receive $30,000 and a trophy while the man of the match in the final will receive $5000 and a trophy.

The individuals finishing with the most runs and the most wickets in the tournament will receive Tech Gadgets as an incentive.

Young Warriors Cricket Club

In addition, players will also have the chance to win special prizes if they are able to hit any of the Stag Beer flags tactically placed around the ground.

The club is encouraging parents and young kids to join the club in an effort to return it to its former glory and produce more cricketers, such as recent West Indies batting star, Shimron Hetmyer.

Anyone who wishes to support the event can make contact with Suresh Sripal on telephone numbers 644-7772 or 618-5770, Suresh Dhanai on telephone number 6853101 or any other member of the club.

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Bent Street slips into semi-final …Sophia, Tiger Bay, Gold is Money, Sparta Boss follow suit

E

ight teams on Tuesday evening booked their spot in the quarterfinal of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Magnum Mash Cup, following a night of exhilarating futsal action at the National Gymnasium.

The excitement heightened last evening, as droves of expectant fans showed up to witness what turned out to be eight electrifying games. There were no hiccups experienced on Tuesday, thanks to the full attendance of referee officials.

Each encounter had its fair share of thrills, beginning with defending champions Bent Street, whose encounter with Stabroek Ballers went down to the wire.

An own goal from Stabroek Ballers put Bent Street in the lead in the first half and the challengers were only able to equalise in the 23rd minute, thanks to Sean Taylor. Regulation time eventually expired with the scores locked and the need for a winner pushed the game into penalties. On this front, the defending champions proved to be the better team, with three goals to two.

Sophia brought determination to their

match against Broad Street and left with the best possible result, a win. Dwayne McLennon got the scoring started early with two goals in the 1st and 3rd to put Sophia in the lead. While he completed his hat trick in the 17th, goals from Sherwin Charles and Shem Arthur sealed Sophia’s five. Broad Street’s lone reply

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came from Joel McGarrell in the 23rd.

Tiger Bay also tasted victory after they drilled six scintillating goals into front runners Showstoppers. Dexroy Adams from Showstoppers and Trayon Bobb netted early goals in the 1st and 3rd but it could not measure up to a hat trick from Tiger Bay’s Deon Alfred, two from

Alpha Fletchman and one from Keoma Gravesande.

Gold is Money and Sparta Boss both enjoyed 3-1 wins over their opponents Melanie and North East La Penitence respectively, while Future Stars and ANSA McAL All Stars only needed one goal to secure their entry into the quarter-final.

In the Gold is Money encounter, Randolph Wagner opened the scoring in the 4th, but Melanie’s Rondell Assanah found the back of the goal two minutes later to level the scores. Colin Nelson and Hubert Pedro with one o goal each, managed to crush Melanie’s hopes of advancing.

Sparta Boss’ Ryan Hackett netted a double while his teammate Jermain Junior contributed one for their three.

Keifer Brady scored the lone goal on behalf of North East La Penitence in the 16th.

The action will continue this evening at the National Gymnasium, where ANSA McAL will battle Back Circle; Gold is Money takes on Tiger Bay; Bent Street faces off with Sophia; and Sparta Boss tackles Future Stars.

Port Mourant Secondary “Fyah Friday” set for February 22

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21

E

xciting cricket will continue in Berbice when the Port Mourant Secondary School-organised cricket tournament “Fyah Friday” bowls off.

The tournament is expected to feature national players in Jonathan Foo, Eon Hooper, Rajiv Ivan among others. The fifth edition of the tournament will bowl off at the Albion Sports Complex on February 22, 2019 from 09:00h local time.

This feature is a school-based tournament that will showcase past

Flashback! New Amsterdam Secondary School

players and present from six secondary schools across the Ancient County. Four secondary schools from the Corentyne and two secondary schools from New Amsterdam will feature in the muchanticipated cricket festival.

Lower Corentyne Secondary, JC Chandisingh Secondary, Port Mourant Secondary and Corentyne Comprehensive are the schools from Corentyne. The elite New Amsterdam (Multilateral) Secondary and Berbice High School are the New

Amsterdam based schools. In the 2017 edition, the Tamesh Mohabir, and Andrew Williams-led New Amsterdam Secondary School took the “Fyah Friday” title.

In the past editions, the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Veerasammy Permaul, Clinton Pestano and Gajanand Singh were among the top players that featured in the exciting event. This time around, West Indies U-19 sensation, Kevlon Anderson, will be among the promising young talents on show.

Garfield Benjamin, Junior Sinclair and Alex Algoo are some of the youngsters who will be on show.

The three T20 match tournaments will be played in coloured clothing, white balls with the semis and final to be played under floodlights at the historic Albion Sports Complex ground.

In addition to the cricket, Albion Sports Complex will be transformed into an electric atmosphere with trampolines for the kids, finger-licking barbeque and music.

This tournament has shown progress over the years; it is used for raising funds for Port Mourant Secondary, aiding in

Jonathan Foo and Suresh Dhanai at the coin toss (Brandon Corlette photos)

the completion of educational projects.

Tickets for children are $200 and adults will pay $300. (Brandon Corlette)

Dragon Stout’s “Dominoes in the Country” serves off Sunday

I

t is being dubbed “Dominoes in the Country” by sponsors Dragon Stout and I-Cool Water and when double-six time is called this Sunday, 27 of the best exponents of the sport will battle for prize money in excess of $300,000, at Good Times Bar, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara.

On Wednesday, during a simple launch on the West Demerara, Brand Co-ordinator of Dragon Stout, Jamal Baird in response to the question of the brand’s motivation to get on board, said the primary stimulus was the support for sports at the grassroots level and when approached by the promoters, there was no hesitation since it aligned with the vision of the company which is to help promote activities at the grassroots level.

He added that this is an initial collaboration with the promoter, but assured that the occasion also marks the start of an alliance that could see future support for the sport.

Proprietor of Good Times Sports Bar, David Hunte, in his remarks thanked the two brands for displaying confidence in the

From left: Leroy Chilcott; Senior Organising Secretary of the GDA, Mark Wiltshire; Dragon Stout Brand Coordinator Jamal Baird; David Hunte of Good Times Sports Bar; and Anand Bharat of V and V Variety Store seen at Wednesday’s briefing

sport and more importantly for choosing to collaborate with the Bar to make the tournament possible.

He promised that the event, which

is being coordinated by the experienced Mark “Jumbie” Wiltshire, Senior Organising Secretary of the Georgetown Domino Association, will be executed with the

discipline and success that any corporate partner would appreciate.

Wiltshire, whose mandate it is to coordinate the tournament, said they have a cutoff point of 27 teams, and to date, over 18 have confirmed participation with teams expected from all across the country.

Also making remarks was Anand Bharat of V and V Variety Store that will be offering the Most Valuable Player of the final cash incentive and trophy.

He spoke of how popular the sport is on the West Side and promised that the tournament will be entertaining and exciting with the winning team difficult to choose.

Up for grabs is $175,000 and trophy for the winning team, while second and third place finishers will take home $75,000 and $30,000 along with trophies respectively.

Double six time is 13:00h and the final is set for Wednesday, February 27, at the same venue. Entrance fee is $10,000 per team. Drinks and food will be on sale throughout the day.

22

thursday, february 21, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

2018-2019 CWI Regional 4-Day Tournament…

Jaguars named unchanged squad for 8th round clash today

Team Jamaica Scorpions

Team Guyana Jaguars

By Brandon Corlette

J

aguars are inches away; on the verge of winning their fifth consecutive Regional 4-Day championship. The defending champions, Jaguars, will play the Jamaica Scorpions in the return fixture in the eighth round today, from 10:00h local time, at the Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica.

Jaguars had defeated the same Scorpions team by seven wickets at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, in the seventh round clash. The familiar method of not changing a winning combination has been portrayed by the Guyana Jaguars when the same 13-man squad from

the last match winged out to play Jamaica.

Jaguars and Scorpions will meet on the lively Sabina Park pitch in Kingston, Jamaica. Guyana Jaguars Head Coach Rayon Griffith and his team are confident of completing the double against the Jamaica Scorpions, this season.

With the Sabina Park pitch different from Providence, an extra fast bowler may attain selection.

The likes of Clinton Pestano and Keon Joseph who were excluded from the seventh round clash at Providence, may prove to be x-factor bowlers given the condition of the pitch.

Scorpions showed signs of playing competitive crick-

et; this season they took first innings points form Jaguars at Providence but lost the match outright. The Robert Haynes-coached team will be eying home advantage to halt Jaguars’ winning momentum.

Guyana Jaguars stands as the favourites for this match having defeated the Scorpions thrice in as many matches from the 2017-2018 season to present. Guyana Jaguars defeated Scorpions by 263 runs last season at Providence and in the return fixture in 2017/18, Jaguars won by two wickets at Sabina Park.

Reflecting on the last time these teams met in Jamaica, the visiting Jaguars snuck away with victory. In that

match, Scorpions had scores of 106 and 212 all out, while Jaguars had 183 and 136/8 in a thrilling match. For the Jaguars, the likes of Keemo Paul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Raymon Reifer and Shivnarine Chanderpaul were effective. For the Scorpions, Assad Fuddadin scored a half-century in that match.

Heading into the eighth round clash, Tagenarine Chanderpaul is the leading run-scorer for the Jaguars with 436 runs at an average of 39.63. Anthony Bramble has 405 runs at an average of 57.85 and he is the other Jaguars batsman to cross 400 runs this season. Leon Johnson has 328 runs at an average of 32.80 this season,

after scoring twin fifties in the last match.

Vishaul Singh (268), Romario Shepherd (266), Chandrapaul Hemraj (251) and Christopher Barnwell (248) have been amongst the runs this season. In the bowling department, Veerasammy Permaul is the Jaguars leading bowler with 33 wickets while Romario Shepherd has 24 wickets.

Keemo Paul has 20 wickets but he will not play due to injury; Clinton Pestano has 17 wickets, Raymon Reifer and Gudakesh Motie has 14 wickets each, heading into today’s match.

The Jamaican team will look to their leading run scorer, Chadwick Walton to score the bulk of the

runs at the top of the order.

Assad Fudadin, Jermaine Blackwood, Paul Palmer and Brandon King will also form the Scorpions batting.

Experienced campaigners, Jerome Taylor, Derval Green and Dennis Bulli are some of the Scorpions bowling.

Guyana Jaguars full squad reads: Leon Johnson captain, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Vishaul Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Christopher Barnwell, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Romario Shepherd, Clinton Pestano, Keon Joseph, Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul.

Trophy Stall’s Mash Up Golf Coach Francisco Roldan returns tourney tees off on Saturday to boxing duties in Guyana

T

he greens at the Lusignan Golf Course will be ready from 08:00h, packed with local golfers as they seek to participate in the Trophy Stall Mash Up Golf Invitational Tournament. The tournament is hosted annually in support of the Lusignan Golf Club’s (LGC) effort to reach an incredible milestone of 50 tournaments in a single year. This Saturday’s competition will feature top Guyanese golfers in three categories who will compete for first and second places, Best Gross and Best Net overall and special prizes for Longest Drive and Nearest to the Pin. Some of the nation’s top golfers will vie for the title, including last week’s Net Champion Robert Hanoman, who shot the best round of his 50+ year golfing career with a net 63 – the lowest score in competition golf so far this year.

With the early start, the players, friends, families and invitees will be able to enjoy the rest of the day with fun activities, games, food and music as they join to celebrate the birthday of fellow member Jordi Pinol of MACORP. The company has partnered with the Lusignan Golf Club in many ways and has always delivered top quality products and world-class

service. Managing Directors packed calendar of events in Ramesh and Devi Sunich are 2019 and this will be the 7th avid fans of the game of golf tournament hosted this year, and follow the sport as it has with more than four activigrown in prominence over the ties per month scheduled for the rest of the year. Major past year.

“Golf has risen to a sponsors such as MACORP, new level of prominence in Kissoon’s Furniture, ANSA Guyana and as part of our McAL, Banks DIH, Assuria business, we will continue to General, Guyana Shorebase, support the game. We expect Muneshwar’s Travel, Maurice & Associates, that a full team will support Solomon our tournament as always,” Silica Sands, Panko Steel Construction and many othRamesh Sunich noted.

In a handover ceremo- ers have already committed ny at the company’s head- to sponsoring major tournaquarters on South Road, Devi ments.

Sunich stated that the company wanted to show its commitment to the LGC and assist with the promotion of the game to the younger generation of golfers.

Trophy Stall now has four convenient locations to provide the highest quality sporting prizes and are conveniently located at Bourda Market, South Road and City Mall in Georgetown and their new location in Berbice. Trophy Stall is the provider of the highest quality trophies and printing services and has been a strong supporter of all types Trophy of sporting events Stall’s in Guyana for Managing many years.

Director M e a n w h i l e , Devi Sunich the LGC has a

Guyana Boxing Association President Steve Ninvalle, Guyana Olympic Association President KA Juman Yassin and Cuban boxing coach Francisco Roldan

C

uban boxing coach Francisco Roldan has made his return to Guyana after the Guyana Boxing Association and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) came to an agreement that local boxers needed an extra push ahead of several international engagements this year.

Back in 2015, Francisco Roldan said his goodbyes to Guyana, after the Cuban boxing coach’s three-year stint ended due to lack of resources.

Four years later, the coach has returned to the ‘Land of Many Waters’ to aid in the preparation of local boxers for the Pan Am qualifiers in April and the Pan Am games in July.

Guyana Boxing Association President Steve Ninvalle explained how they arrived at the decision.

“We know we have a long road ahead which includes

the Pan Am qualifier, Pan Am games, the Olympic qualifier, world championships and so forth. I sat with Mr Juman Yassin maybe about one and half to two months ago and Mr Yassin thought it was important to have the Cuban coach involved in the training of our young boxers,” Meanwhile, KA Juman Yassin President Guyana Olympic Association, disclosed that the GOA will be the one footing the bill of having Roldan’s services.

“The Guyana Olympic Association will be footing the full bill for his stay in Guyana, accommodation and I prefer to call it stipend rather than salary. It is my expectation and hope that our boxers will qualify for the Pan American Games in July,” Juman Yassin stated.

The GOA President also took the time to give reason

why Roldan was the perfect selection. “We felt that having been here in Guyana and knowing the boxers, he would be in a better position to really take our boxers to the next level.”

On the other hand, Francisco Roldan expressed his elation at being in Guyana once again and pledged his efforts to improving the skill of the Guyanese boxers.

“I want to thank you, the President of the GOA, and President of GBA too, because they trust in me and bring back me again to Guyana. So I promise here that I will work very hard to try to give my best with the boxers,” Roldan said.

Roldan will hit the ground running, participating in a technical meeting with the GBA President and Technical Director Terrence Poole and his coaching sessions will begin today.

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, february 21, 2019

23

England 2019 ODI series v Windies…

England survives Gayle storm, chases 361 with comfort – Roy, Root, Gayle hit centuries in run-fest

E

ngland, led by Jason Roy and Joe Root’s centuries, showed why they are World Cup favourites, gatecrashing Chris Gayle’s retirement party and posting their highest successful ODI chase to win the series opener against West Indies in Barbados.

Self-proclaimed “Universe Boss” Gayle bossed the England bowlers around once he hit his stride, smashing 12 sixes as he led West Indies to their highest score against England. But, on an enviable batting pitch and against a line-up as strong as England’s, 361 still looked to be an achievable target for the world’s number one side.

And so it proved, with Roy’s eye-catching 123 off 85 balls setting the tourists up – they had 205 runs on the board by the time he became their second wicket to fall – while Root (102 off 97) and some poor West Indies fielding did the rest to hand England a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Roy and Root were dropped twice each and

after receiving his second chance, smashing Moeen Ali down the ground for six, his 477th in international cricket to pass Shahid Afridi at the top of the list.

Hope – who had already overtaken Gayle after coming in at number three – hit a gigantic straight six off Moeen which landed on the roof of the media centre, some five storeys high. Hope was the first to 50, reaching the mark off 48 balls, the fastest of his eight ODI half-centuries.

On the very next ball, Gayle – who had picked up his strike rate significantly – moved to 49 with a towering 111-metre six off Moeen. He brought up his

Gayle hit 12 sixes in his explosive innings

had faced 100 deliveries for his century. His penchant for clearing the boundary, when it finally came out of hiding, carried him to 135 off 129 balls but also caught on with his team-mates, who added 11 of their own for a world record 23 sixes in West Indies’ total of 360 for 8.

After the 10-over Powerplay, however, Roy and Jonny Bairstow had steered England to 88

tinued to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Root brought up 5000 ODI runs – becoming the fourth Englishman to do so – when he pulled a 149kph Oshane Thomas delivery for four.

Roy brought up his ton with a crunching six straight back down the ground off Ashley Nurse.

He hit another six in the same over and was dropped in the next by

half-century with a four off Ben Stokes and proceeded to unleash nine more sixes, including two in consecutive balls off both Mark Wood and Plunkett.

Hope’s impressive 64 off 65 ended when he top edged a ball from Stokes – who finished as the pick of the England bowlers – to Adil Rashid at third man.

Hope had put on a 131-run partnership with Gayle off as many balls. Gayle was finally dismissed when he dragged a Stokes delivery on to his stumps but he looked supremely satisfied as he walked off the field to thunderous applause. The showman had returned.

(ESPN CRICINFO)

Jason Roy was in full flow during his 7th ODI ton

Joe Root crossed 5000 ODI runs during his elegant innings

made the opposition pay, much as Gayle did after Roy grassed a sitter early in his innings.

Gayle took a long time to settle in the official start of his ODI swansong, having declared that he would retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup, starting in May. After 14 overs, Gayle had just 12 runs off 36 balls; by end of the 35th he

for 0, well ahead of West Indies’ 49 for 1 at the same stage. Bairstow’s dismissal, top-edging Holder to wicketkeeper Shai Hope after he had scored 34 off 33 balls, barely registered as a blip.

Root, who like Roy had scored a century in Sunday’s warm-up match against West Indies University Vice Chancellor’s XI, slotted in and the batsmen con-

debutant Nicholas Pooran off Devendra Bishoo before surviving a stumping chance in an eventful passage of play. He was eventually out edging Bishoo to a diving Darren Bravo at short third man.

Eoin Morgan contributed 65 runs off 51 deliveries before spooning Thomas to Holder at mid-off and, with Root and Ben Stokes at the crease, England needed 36

runs off 36 balls.

Root brought up his ton with a four off Holder but he was out two balls later, caught at deep square leg off a full toss with scores level. Needing one run off nine balls, Jos Buttler hit a four and England registered the third-highest successful chase in ODI history.

Back in West Indies’ side for the first time since their home ODI series against Bangladesh last July, Gayle brought up his 24th ODI hundred with a single off Chris Woakes and soaked up the moment, dropping to his knees, arms outstretched before holding his bat aloft by the toe with his helmet perched on top of the handle.

Gayle initially took a back seat to debutant John Campbell, who compiled a handy cameo of 30 off 28, and he should have been dismissed on 9 when a miscue off Liam Plunkett sailed to point, where Roy dropped a dolly of a catch.

Gayle finally looked like hitting his stride shortly

3

SCOREBOARD

Windies 360-8 CH Gayle b Stokes 135 JD Campbell c Ali b Woakes 30 SD Hope † c Rashid b Stokes 64 SO Hetmyer c Roy b Woakes 20 N Pooran c Roy b Rashid 0 c Woakes b Rashid 40 JO Holder (c) st †Buttler b Rashid 16 CR Brathwaite c †Buttler b Stokes 3 AR Nurse not out 25 D Bishoo not out 9 Extras 18 (b 1, lb 1, nb 1, w 15) TOTAL 360/8 (50 Overs, RR: 7.2) Did not bat: O Thomas Fall of wickets: 1-38 (JD Campbell, 8.3 ov), 2-169 (SD Hope, 29.4 ov), 3-229 (SO Hetmyer, 34.3 ov), 4-230 (N Pooran, 35.4 ov), 5-294 (DM Bravo, 43.2 ov), 6-317 (CH Gayle, 46.3 ov), 7-322 (JO Holder, 47.1 ov), 8-343 (CR Brathwaite, 48.2 ov) BOWLING CR Woakes- 10, 0, 59, 2 MA Wood- 7, 0, 49, 0 MM Ali-10, 0, 85, 0

LE Plunkett- 6, 0, 54, 0 BA Stokes- 8, 0, 37, 3 AU Rashid- 9, 0, 74, 3 England 364-4 JJ Roy c Bravo b Bishoo 123 JM Bairstow c †Hope b Holder 34 JE Root c Pooran b Holder 102 EJG Morgan (c) c Holder b Thomas 65 BA Stokes not out 20 JC Buttler † not out 4 Extras 16 (lb 3, w 13) TOTAL 364/4 (48.4 Overs, RR: 7.47)

Fall of wickets: 1-91 (JM Bairstow, 10.5 ov), 2-205 (JJ Roy, 26.6 ov), 3-321 (EJG Morgan, 42.4 ov), 4-360 (JE Root, 48.3 ov) BOWLING D Bishoo- 10, 0, 78, 1 O Thomas - 9, 0, 72, 1 JO Holder- 9.4, 0, 63, 2 CR Brathwaite- 9, 0, 66, 0 AR Nurse- 10, 0, 69, 0 JD Campbell- 1, 0, 13, 0

thursday, february 21, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

England 2019 ODI series v Windies…

England survives Gayle storm, chases 361 with comfort – Roy, Root, Gayle hit centuries in run-fest NSC Magnum Mash Cup

Bent Street slips into semi-final Page 21

Coach Francisco Roldan returns to boxing duties in Guyana Page 22

Cuban boxing coach Francisco Roldan

…Sophia, Tiger Bay, Gold is Money, Sparta Boss follow suit GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.