Guyana Times - Thursday, February 7, 2019

Venezuela military blocks humanitarian aid shipment

P16 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3828

THE BEACON OF TRUTH thursday, February 7, 2019

PRICE

Court-ordered Article 106 March 19 elections

Govt’s delaying tactics can endanger Guyana’s border controversy case Page 12

SPU demands daily fee from fired sugar workers to access fishing lands

WHAT'S INSIDE: Alleged discriminatory hiring practices P10

ERC’s probe into GECOM stalled since October 2018 Page 3

Bandit shot while trying to disarm Policeman Page 7

CAL launches “One Caribbean Identity” …as Machel Montano makes Stabroek Square fly

$80 vat included

Page 14

Barima farmer killed with P8 bow and arrow CCJ finds titles in Mahaicony land dispute fraudulent P13 Govt to raise ceiling for P13 restricted contracts from $3M to $10M – MP slams move as “recipe for corruption”

Deaths of 3 children at GPHC

Protesters P9 question Govt’s faith in Guyana’s health-care institutions …“show us that you have confidence in your system as well” – protester

Dr Mash-Up! Trinidadian Soca sensation Machel Montano lighting up the Stabroek Market Square during the launch of the CAL’s Caribbean Identity Campaign on Wednesday (Adam Baksh photo)

Car, minibus burst into flames in city

Page 2

ExxonMobil Page strikes 7 more oil offshore Guyana

Teachers P15 trained to deal with domestic violence

2 news

thursday, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Car, minibus burst into flames in city I n two separate incidents, two vehicles went up in flames on Wednesday morning at High Street and Sheriff Street, Georgetown respectively.

Reports are the first fire occurred at High Street and Brickdam where passers-by saw a man stopping his vehicle and thick smoke which emanated from the bonnet transformed into an uncontrollable fire.

The vehicle, bearing registration number PJJ 5656, was badly damaged. When

Firefighters inspecting the car after the flames were put out

Guyana Times arrived on the scene, the driver could not say what may have caused the fire. He could only said that he was at the Stabroek Market and noticed smoke

rapidly escaping from the car.

The Guyana Fire Service was subsequently called, and the situation was brought under control. No one was injured.

Minutes later at Sheriff Street, Georgetown, a similar scenario unfolded when a minibus contracted to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) erupted into flames.

According to information received, the minibus was crossing David Street, heading in the direction of the Rupert Craig Highway when the driver, Tameshwar Mullin, noticed smoke coming from under his seat. After parking and exiting the vehicle, he lifted the seat and saw

The car on fire at High Street, Georgetown

the flames.

Efforts to save the minibus proved futile, but fire-fighters

from the Guyana Fire Service arrived shortly after and doused the fire.

EU hands over City Hall’s restoration study to Mayor

G

eorgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine was on Wednesday presented with a concise document, created by the European Union, in relation to the restoration of City Hall’s deplorable structure and ways in which the space can be utilised to garner independent revenues.

EU Ambassador to Guyana,

Jernej Videtič made the presentation to the Mayor alongside Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentor.

Speaking with media operatives after discussions between the two parties, Videtič explained that some £280,000 was expended to craft the document, bringing new ideas to the restoration project. He noted that some plans include us-

EU Ambassador Jernej Videtič handing over the document to Mayor Ubraj Narine and Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore

ing the historic building as a tourism spot, where it can be booked for special events to earn money.

“We have handed over plans for the restoration of the City Hall. This cost the European Union £280,000 to produce. We were speaking on how to realise this plan and restore the City Hall to be used for tourism and how to use the City Hall for future generations for weddings, concerts, receptions so that [it] can generate its own [revenue] and be sustainable. And other ways to fund this restoration because it’s not cheap.

On the long term, the money that we invest will come back through this business model,” the Ambassador revealed.

Adding to these talks, implications of the impending oil sector was also discussed along with strategies to lure potential investors. Urban planning was mentioned as a key factor in this transition.

“We spoke about Georgetown and its future and where we could assist the city especially in the view of the future oil revenues and investments coming into Georgetown by foreign investors and European investors. We agreed that the city needs to plan better, especially the urban planning so that future investors

would know where they could invest and build and how to make Georgetown a financial hub,” Videtič explained.

Narine, for his part, labelled the meeting as a fruitful one, highlighting that the Council was working to execute these projects.

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has pegged the overhaul of the City Hall building at over $400 million, and noted that stakeholders would strive to attain funding for the rehabilitation works.

Last May saw the hosting of a two-day workshop at Duke Lodge to facilitate a study for a Comprehensive Restoration and Sustainable Conservation Management Plan for the 19th Century structure.

The project is an EU-funded initiative that was formed out of collaboration with the M&CC and the National Trust of Guyana. The assessment plan falls under a contract, which has special focus on the physical and structural state of City Hall and the City Engineer’s Building.

The building has suffered much neglect over the years even though millions of dollars have been allocated to facilitate repairs, including some $20 million in 2012.

news

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, February 7 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, February 8 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, February 7 – 05:40h-07:10h and Friday, February 8 – 06:10h-07:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Light rain showers can be expected throughout most of the day, followed by sunny intervals in the later afternoon. Partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening, with overall temperatures ranging between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 06:02h and 18:17h reaching maximum heights of 2.57 metres and 2.65 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:51h reaching a minimum height of 0.63 metre.

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Court-ordered Article 106 March 19 elections

Govt’s delaying tactics can endanger Guyana’s border controversy case – Nandlall W

ith March 19 fast approaching and no election date set yet, Guyana is hurtling towards more than a constitutional crisis. This is the view of former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who noted the ramifications if the Government becomes illegitimate will be lethal to Guyana’s border controversy case which is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

According to Nandlall, who was at the time hosting a live streamed programme, said one example of this consequence is that when Government becomes illegitimate, they will completely lose the legal power to enter into contracts.

“Then you have governments having to execute extraterritorial contracts, including other countries. The Government of Guyana will be prohibited from engaging in those transactions. In fact, no country will want to trade with Guyana because the Government of Guyana will have lost its legal persona.”

“Countries will not want to trade with Guyana… international trade and bilateral relations will grind to a halt. (Almost) every single capital project of worth is financed through international agencies or loans. That will come to an end. Nobody will pump money.”

According to Nandlall, such a scenario could impact large-scale projects like the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion and the East Coast road expansion. He also noted the risk of Guyana losing its gains in the Financial Action Task Force/Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (FATF/CFATF) watch list.

Nandlall pointed to the implications for Guyana’s relationship with organisations like the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Territorial case

Another consequence, Nandlall warned about, is the implications for Guyana’s territorial case with Venezuela, which is currently before the ICJ. “We have serious issues with Venezuela, a country which has serious issues itself. We have taken Venezuela to the world court. We have spent over US$3 million towards that.

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

We don’t know if the court will throw out our case. If you go to that court, you have to have legitimacy. You cannot be an illegal government and going to the world court.”

“Every single one of us will face the consequences of that state of affairs when it begins to occur… after March 20, we will have a Government operating outside the parameters of the Constitution. The consequences are going to be far reaching,” Nandlall said.

He noted that President David Granger’s own utterances show that Government is yet to accept the constitutional crisis facing the nation. Here he referenced a recent A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) rally.

“The President, based upon his public pronouncements, is not prepared to consider the status of his Government at present in any way altered or the powers of the Government reduced as a result of the No-confidence Motion. The President told his supporters that nothing has changed.”

According to Nandlall, such an attitude at a time when the National Assembly and the High Court have determined that the status quo is cause for serious concern. He also noted that the Guyana Government has been acting contrary to international practise when it comes to no-confidence motions.

“There has been over 1000 no-confidence votes passed in India over the past 60 years. In England, there have been several. In Canada you have had. In Australia you have had. In the Caribbean you have had several.”

President David Granger

“So no-confidence motions are not new and wherever they have been passed, the governments accepted the consequences as stipulated in their Constitution.

But not our country... our Government does things differently.”

According to Guyana’s Constitution, the President has to dissolve Parliament and issue a date for elections.

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thursdAY, february 7, 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

Delaying constitutionally triggered elections

O

n Tuesday night while delivering his second State of the Union address, President of the USA, Donald Trump, stated that “victory is not winning for our Party, victory is winning for our country”. He was obviously referring to political parties and that particular statement is not only profound for what it captures, but a pertinent reminder of what it means to be victorious and to be a leader.

After the campaign, the winner must act and be seen as a leader for all the people, not just for those who voted for him/her. Naturally there will be a very strong urge to pander to the base in an effort to please. In such situations, that pandering could manifest in tangible ways and may vary in extent much to the pleasure of the base and to the dismay of others. It’s a casualty of politics as securing the base for reelection becomes a foremost priority. It has to be managed when governing for all.

Many believe that the hard stance President Trump has seemingly taken on some domestic and international issues directly panders to his base. Whether well-intended or not, pandering to one’s base results in preferential treatment to a particular section of the populace which in turn festers resentment through a feeling of neglect by the other. This is on the heels of the irony where the winner always pledges to govern in the interest of all.

Rhetoric therefore becomes a natural product of the process of electioneering; the extent of which seems limitless. Here in Guyana, there is no shortage of campaign influences and sometimes the manifestation is a far cry from expectation. A quick review would show that the current Government when in Opposition promised slashing of Value Added Tax (VAT) and the Berbice Bridge tolls, better security and reportedly massive hikes in the price for paddy.

In reality, since taking office, the reduction in VAT and the bridge tolls were minuscule and rendered ineffective as a plethora of new taxes were instituted and many new items attracting a sales tax.

Crime is rampant with official figures showing an increase and the rise in paddy prices remain a figment of one’s imagination. These as just a few areas to note and which especially for some fence-sitters, was luring enough to vote for the coalition.

After all, who does not want lower VAT rates and bridge tolls, better security and for the rice farmers, better financial rewards. As reality bites, many, including some who supported A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change, are balking at the flagrant reneging of promises. While there is always some amount of caution to condition expectation regarding campaign promises, many remain shocked over the Government’s inability to deliver thus far.

They are still stunned when the Government put itself first by increasing its comfort and then offered excuses why the same couldn’t have been done for the general citizenry. In addition, the Government’s employment practices suggest a preference for its support base at the expense of other Guyanese. Related accusations of discrimination have been made over the hiring of unqualified party supporters over suitable others.

Some professionals spoke about being purged because of their perceived political affiliation. Others have alleged discrimination along ethnic lines. Much of what has transpired since May 2015 was not expected to happen as premised upon campaign promises.

The Government when in Opposition spared no efforts to boast of it being inclusive to allow everyone an equal opportunity to make a contribution in the interest of nation building. The razor-thin margin of victory in the 2015 elections could not have offered a better platform to any government to genuinely implement mechanisms for inclusivity. The establishment of the Social Cohesion Ministry was a good initiative expected to deliver on that expectation. It has not delivered and has been accused of becoming a political tool with its programmes designed to garner votes for the Government.

In other words, based upon the Government’s performance, it has failed to deliver its promises and it’s no surprise it is losing support.

While there are various factors for that, one is the Government generally acting only in the interest of its support base even though some may have succumbed to despondency. Simply put, its promise of governing in the interest of and to represent the welfare of all Guyanese has been proven to be just rhetoric. US President Trump is right. The victory must not be just for the party but for the country.

For that to happen, the country and its people must be placed first through a demonstration of statesmanship and the banishing of political partisanship. This cannot be divorced from adherence to the rule of law. Public officers who engage in improprieties and public misconduct must not be seen as being protected. Unfortunately, the way some alleged incidents, and others known, have appeared to be handled, give rise to suspicion that such actions are condoned.

When all is taken into consideration, the Government could be hard-pressed to prove it is not partisan. That would mean that the victory was not for the country. If it were, the constitutionally triggered elections would not be delayed any further.

The Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) Children’s Mashramani Competition ended on Wednesday with, at the Blairmont Community Centre Ground. In photo these young dancers pose for a picture after their performance (Education Ministry photo)

The re-emerging dictatorship in Guyana: A South American Style Dictatorship in the Robes of a Pious Disciplinarian

Dear Editor, It is time to confront the cultivated image of Brigadier David A. Granger.

If there is any conflict at all in coming down on whether he either emulates a South American dictator or a purposely pious disciplinarian, his failure to resign the Presidency shows that in reality the latter is largely a façade for the former.

Now more than ever, his protestations that as long as he is at the helm of the government he will always take the highly principled high road, rings hollow and shrinks away in the cold hard light of what his actions shout out for all with eyes to see.

This proclivity was manifest all along – take for example the cybercrimes bill put forward by his government, which sought to muzzle freedom of expression and effectively make any criticism of the government a criminal act of sedition. Or take the imperial undemocratic bent demonstrated in his abandonment of the Carter Formula, which was brokered by former USA President Jimmy Carter, and which had served Guyana well since 1991. Add his unilateral appointment of the GECOM chairman after publicly disparaging eighteen prominent Guyanese nominees for the office by deeming them not “fit and proper’”.

There has been a long list of these behaviours before now, including his berating on Emancipation Day of unemployed Black Guyanese (who he said should be ashamed – a viewpoint based in class and privilege).

Tragically for Guyana, he and the party that he

leads has a long and grievously damaging history of totalitarianism. Those old enough will well remember the years between 1966 and 1992 which began the flight of Guyanese from the country. Many had hoped that that was now in the rear view mirror and that a new era of democracy, if not yet widespread prosperity, was here to stay for the country.

This hope is now in danger of going down as a footnote in history to wishful thinking.

As it is now clearly evident, Granger and a prominent few of his party never abandoned the totalitarian mindset. There is a saying that we don’t fully see people’s true colours until the pressure is on. The pressure is on and we are seeing the true colours re-emerge, although this is fortunately still being restrained by the laws of the land, conscientious Guyanese, the opposition and a vigilant international community. So while Granger refuses to resign in his Generalissimo persona, he still gives lip service to the country’s constitution and claim adherence to it in his pious persona.

But this lip service is contradicted by both his behaviour and the facts. The Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Barton Scotland has ruled that the no-confidence motion against his administration was validly passed and has memorialised the same.

The Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire also handed down a legal ruling that the no-confidence motion was validly passed and that the President and Cabinet should have immediate-

ly resigned. The international community including the United Nations and the European Union have called for Guyana’s constitution to be respected and early elections held. And similar calls have been made by civil society and the Private Sector Commission.

Grangers responses to all the above democratic institutions has been dismissive.

This flagrant trampling on democratic tenets and his claims that there is no such thing as a caretaker government is stunning if not outright alarming.

This is incongruent for a man who claims higher moral authority, and who claims to place high importance on law and order. His initial signal that he would do the honourable thing turned out to be a manoeuvre to provide the time to concoct a series of delaying tactics.

However, whereas he has been previously able to deflect responsibility for malfeasance by his administration by insulating himself in a reporting structure designed to afford plausible deniability; he has now been forced to reveal his hand as the concocted justifications have not only been systematically dismissed, but dismissed by the highest relevant authorities.

He has now placed himself fully in the camp that deployed the dumbfounding claim that 33 does constitute a majority of 65.

Every vendor in the market who makes change, including those who’s stalls were cleared out, can correct Granger on that. This claim is insulting to any young person who attends school in Guyana.

Thankfully sanity prevailed and the Chief Justice dispatched the claim. Now another trial balloon of the same ilk has been floated. This time the insinuation is that a single vote in parliament cannot overturn 270,000 votes in the 2015 election. It appears that the Brigadier has to be reminded that this is a democracy, and this is a principle on which democracies around the world works.

The APNU+AFC coalition formed the government on the basis of one more parliamentary seat and one more vote in the national assembly. Furthermore, the coalition’s supposed win in Region 8 in 2015 by 1,837 votes to 1,836 votes – a margin of one vote, allowed them to form the government.

There should have been an automatic recount but this was blocked, and the challenge brought by the opposition is still hung up in court.

Now the play is now being rerun in Granger’s attempt to defy the constitution and stifle democracy. If this is allowed to stand the underprivileged of all races would be the collateral damage in this authoritarian gambit of class rule to benefit a few elite (recall that one of the administration’s first acts was to increase MP salaries by 50%, while the haggling with school teachers has gone on for years).

If even at this juncture, before oil has begun to flow, the totalitarian hand is shown so clearly - with this being only the tip of the iceberg, think of what could come.

Sincerely, Ron Cheong

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Highly suspicious, irregular procurement activity Tourism development Dear Editor, The Small Business Bureau (SBB), which falls under the Business Ministry, seems to be the new channel to facilitate the creaming off of taxpayers’ monies into the hands and pockets of a select few.

Recent documented information, available to me, indicated that on June 8, 2018, the CEO, Dr Lowell Porter, of the Small Business Bureau indicated that the previously advertised expression of interest (EOI) for training services was aborted.

An email from Dr Porter to 14 companies that submitted proposals reads as follows: “Dear All, Please be advised that the captioned project with deadline June 8, 2018 has been aborted. We therefore ask that you do not submit a proposal at this time.

You will be advised of the SBB email address to send training proposals at a later date, should we send out another EOI. We apologise for any inconvenience this might have

caused and use this opportunity to thank you for your time, efforts and interest in working with the SBB. We wish you continued success in all your business endeavours.”

Editor, on December 11, 2018, Dr Porter wrote to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Berkley Wickham, for approval to contract and pay Management Options Inc, Empretec and Cerulean for the supply of training services in the sum of GY$2,400,000.

By letter dated December 21, 2018, the Chairman of NPTAB gave Dr Porter approval for the contract of training of participants in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

The companies who were awarded the contract are: Management Options Inc, Empretec and Cerulean at a sum of $750,000, $750,000 and $900,000, respectively.

Editor, of note is the fact that initially a total of 14 companies submitted proposals for this contract.

This highly suspicious and

irregular procurement activity is further compounded by a document from the Training and Development Officer to the Permanent Secretary of the Business Ministry, through Dr Porter on November 28, 2018, requesting the sum $7,575,000 for payment to Management Options Inc, the sum of $3,000,000 for payment to Empretec and the sum of $1,800,000 for payment to Cerulean for training services to be conducted in December 2018.

Editor, they are a number of issues that the SBB must address. These are: 1. Provide proof, publicly, that after annulling the EOI based on the email adumbrated above, that the 14 companies were all approached to resubmit proposals for this contract; 2. Provide publicly, the evaluation report for the three contracts; 3. How is it that a request for payment was made even before the contracts were awarded by NPTAB? 4. Since we have also seen

invoices for payment, which shows that training took place on December 29 and 31, 2018, can the Small Business Bureau provide evidence that these training sessions were actually conducted?

Editor, I highly doubt that these training sessions were even conducted on the days mentioned, since we are all aware that business owners are most busy during the end of year season. I doubt any small business owner closed their shops or businesses and attended training.

Notably, the award of the contracts were for training in Region Four; however, the companies submitted invoices for training, which were conducted in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

I have since learnt that one of the key technical personnel of this agency has been relieved of their duties. What is going on here? sincerely, Bishop Juan A Edghill PPP/C Member of Parliament

No more bomb threats

Dear Editor, The new and emerging trend of bomb threats must be dealt with expeditiously and with some level of exigence. As a concerned citizen, student of the University of Guyana and employed within the semi-antonymous business field, I am

calling on the relevant authorities – Guyana Police Force – to look into the root causes of such threats.

I am concerned not just for the lives of innocent people, but particularly the thousands of student who were expose to the recent threats at

the Nation’s University, QC, Bishops’ High, and most recently, the University of Guyana.

These unlawful pranks appear to have some level of sequential pattern, which leads to the question; who is next?

I also wish to suggest that all vulnerable and endangered

Government agencies and Private Sector organisations/ businesses, such as GPL Inc, the GRA, GWI must tighten their security checkpoints for the safety of their employees. sincerely, DS McFarlane

Set election date immediately Dear Editor, David Granger needs to set the date for elections so that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) can work on the fast track to meet the March 21 deadline for new elections. Apart from the People’s National Congress (PNC)/ Alliance For Change (AFC) diehards who would see their good life evaporate before their eyes, everyone else knows that the PNC has been using delaying tactics to postpone their day of judgement. Decent people are ashamed at the PNC’s shenanigans. The failure of Granger and GECOM to act with the required haste is creating a timeline crunch problem of their own making. They cannot not do anything and then turn around and say they don’t

have enough time for preparations. I am glad Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said he would not be flexible with the March 21 deadline as that would be rewarding the PNC’s bullying behaviour. We call on Jagdeo to take whatever action to force the PNC and GECOM to comply with the Constitution of Guyana. We need an urgent assembling of civil society groups and interests, the Bar Association, trade unions, all churches, NGOs and all business associations to make a joint resolution asking the PNC to set the election date. A joint statement from the ABC/EU would also be helpful. For 28 years, the PNC Part 1 “riggeritis” era threw the whole country into a fight for democracy. The PNC is threatening democra-

cy again. In 2015, for the first time in its history, the PNC became a legal Government, and there is a question mark on that as the PPP’s election petition has not been heard. As Freddie Kissoon indicated, in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), the PNC won by one vote and no recount was allowed. Just three and a half years into their new reign, the PNC has backslidden into its old bullying ways threatening the international image of Guyana and refusing to follow the Constitution.

Granger must think the Chief Justice must be making optional suggestions, unless he has no respect for the CJ. Both the Speaker and CJ – his nominees – ruled against him. There are some who give Granger a pass for the iniquities of his coa-

lition. However, the buck stops with the President. Right now, he seems quite out of touch and is like that bra advertised on TV – he is “barely there.”

The tragedy right now is the silence of the good men.

The churches have been quiet as a constitutional crisis looms. I do not know what it will take to get the churches to stir themselves up. I know the Christian churches believe Granger is a good, honest, godly man. However, the failures to fulfil election promises, and the various transgressions have occurred under his watch.

Granger should care about his reputation and do the right thing now! sincerely, Jerry Singh

Is this Administration deliberately obtuse or simply dense?

Dear Editor, The resent exchange between Christopher Ram and Ronald Bulkan served to crystallise ephemeral thoughts that have been nagging at the back of my mind for some years.

Ram posits that Bulkan and his former Cabinet colleagues may know they are being disingenuous with arguments about 34 and 90 days. “I suspect that deep down Mr Bulkan knows all of this” but Ram also takes the arguments at face value and asks “Mr Bulkan and his APNU/AFC colleagues may indeed have a numeracy deficiency but literacy too? If they cannot count, and cannot apply

basic comprehension” in suggesting that Bulkan et al will have to defend their intellectual deficiencies to the electorate at some point. Editor, from the earliest days of the Granger Administration, I have struggled with the very same dilemma. Is this Administration deliberately obtuse or simply dense? I have ruled out the first as none have so far revealed any level of sophistry to date, no clever analogies, nothing to make one stop and consider their arguments seriously, from the reasons proffered for their very first transgression against the people with the obscene salary raise to Trotman’s man-

go analogy which was asinine at best. It is denseness that has caused Brigadier David Granger (re tired) to set us upon a path to open dictatorship. The refusal to accept the ruling of the Chief Justice in all matters raised concerning the Noconfidence Motion of December 21, 2018, has moved us past the parody of democracy that stultified resistance to the subversion of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. Add to this deliberate attempt to polarise the nation along racial lines, despite evidence that our nation has grown past that and lines have long become blurred and it becomes obvious that the

Granger Administration’s embrace of denseness grows stronger daily. Like Ram, I was willing to concede these may be political arguments made for sake of expediency and not an actual reflection of intellect or lack of thereof. No longer however, I cannot concede that any intelligent human would subject themselves to this level of ridicule of small children for the sake of any amount of power and perks. This group should be sitting at the back of the class with party hats on, not in the halls of power.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

in Guyana

Dear Editor, I noted in an article a few days ago, concerning the value of the refurbished convention centre to the tourism sector. In the same publication I also observed that visitors’ arrivals this year was almost 285,000. Coincidentally, an acquaintance of mine and many persons verily accuse President Jagdeo of not doing anything for Guyana.

Today’s tourism’s performance is all due to the vision of, and the foundation laid by, President Jagdeo.

The market segments identified for tourists were – visiting family and friends, nature, sport, conferences, heritage and yachting At the time of building the convention centre, 85 per cent of the market for conference tourism was for conferences of 500 delegates or less. The (Caribbean Community) Caricom Secretariat’s location in Guyana was another factor.

Another consideration was accommodation.

When I was given the tourism portfolio in June 2001, President Jagdeo tasked that a sector-leading hotel brand be delivered to the tourism sector.

With only the Le Meridien (Pegasus), there was need for additional accommodation of international standards. That was the genesis of the Marriott. The Marriot Hotel was never built to shut down anybody, but to complement the existing stock of rooms. The first visit by the Marriott team was in May 1-4, 2006. Exactly three years later, Pegasus was sold to the current own-

ers. Buddy’s coincidentally, started for World Cup 2007.

Today, two internationally recognised brands (Marriott and Ramada) are here. The fruits of vision and action two decades earlier.

The improvements at the Convention Centre are upgrades which, yes, will make us access the conference market better and is complemented with sufficient rooms.

Back to the issue of reaping the fruits today after sowing seeds yesterday. The Guyana National Stadium has added immensely to the sport tourism, with Guyana so far being a host of three cricket world cups and constant inclusion in the CPL games. Vision and action laying that solid foundation.

Recognising that modern infrastructure is also a necessity, the Jagdeo Administration embarked on the biggest local Public Private Partnership by making the Ogle Airport available to local operators and facilitating some CAPEX funding. Complimenting is the Timehri Airport expansion project. This, along with the marketing programmes of Government and the tourism stakeholders were recognised by the World Travel and Tourism which assessed Guyana most favourably on its tourism development indices.

The foundation was strong, the journey is long, and credit must be given to the vision and action of the Jagdeo Administration Yours sincerely, Manzoor Nadir

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Foundation

Questions and Answers

Break time is when you can put on a song that makes you dance and sing! Just make sure you get back to your studies in a few minutes.

Refocus yourself. If you find yourself getting distracted and thinking about other things, pull your attention back into study mode as soon as possible.

Remind yourself that now it’s time to stay on task.

Get it done!

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earning how to get organised, stay focused, and get things done are must-have skills when it comes to managing your schoolwork. Beyond helping you get good grades, these skills help you in just about everything in life. The more you practise, the better you’ll get.

Get organised

Organise your stuff Being organized makes everything else easier. It helps you get to work faster without wasting time looking for stuff.

Keep your assignments and class information organized by subject. Put them in binders, notebooks, or folders. If you find yourself stuffing loose papers in your bag or grabbing different notebooks for the same class, it’s time to stop and reorganise!

Clean out your backpack regularly. Decide where to keep returned assignments and things you want to hold on to. Offload things you no longer need to carry around.

Organise your space You need a good workspace —

someplace quiet enough to focus. It’s best to work at a desk or table where you can spread out your work. Have a place set aside for homework. That way, when you sit down, your mind knows you’re there to work and can help you focus more quickly.

Organise your time Use a planner or organisation app to keep track of your schoolwork: Write down all your assignments and when they’re due.

Break big projects into parts. Note the dates when each part needs to be completed. Mark in your planner when you’ll work on each part.

Mark the dates you’ll have tests, then make a note of when you’ll study for them. Don’t leave things until the last minute – you’ll only end up working twice as hard to do half as well. One sure way to reduce test anxiety is to prepare by studying (really!).

Enter other activities on your calendar – such as team practices, drama rehearsals, plans with friends, etc. This helps you

see ahead of time when things might get too busy to get all your work done.

Use your planner to schedule what time you’ll do your schoolwork on days you have other activities.

Get focused

Avoid distractions.

When you multi-task you’re less focused. That means you’re less likely to do well on that test. Park your devices and only check them after your work is done.

Some people concentrate best when it’s quiet. Others say they study best if they listen to background music.

If you study with music on, make sure it isn’t going to sidetrack you into singing the lyrics and dancing all over your room. If you find yourself reading the same page over and over, it’s a clue that the music is a distraction, not a help.

Take breaks. Taking a short break between assignments can help your mind stay fresh and focused.

Get up from your desk, move, stretch, or walk around to clear your head.

Allow your mind to absorb what you’ve just studied.

Stay focused as you do the final steps and details. Encourage yourself — you’re almost at the finish line! Check your completed work. Put your work into the right folder or binder.

Pack up your backpack for tomorrow. Now you’ve got it DONE. In summary, here’s a quick checklist of things that can help you organise, focus, and get it done: DO know your deadlines.

DO make a calendar of stages and final due dates.

DO include social events on this calendar for time management.

DO understand the assignment and expectations.

DO give yourself a quiet place to study with all the materials you need.

DO give yourself brief breaks.

DON’T put work off until the last minute; you’ll be too frantic to focus.

DON’T do your homework late at night or in bed.

DON’T let yourself be bored. Find the aspect of the project or paper that interests you. If you’re dying of boredom, something’s not right. If you need more tips on staying focused, ask a teacher, school counsellor, or a parent for help. It’s their job to assist in your learning. (kidshealth.org)

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got invited to go with some friends to a game at another school. A senior will be driving us, and I think she’s a good driver, but it’s someone my parents don’t know. I want to tell my parents where I’m going, but what if I ask and they say “no”? I’ll end up wishing I never mentioned it and just went ahead and did it anyway.

– Mariela* If you want more privileges, it’s best to build a track record of honesty and trust. Letting a parent know where you’re going is always a good idea.

You may worry that telling your parents puts you at risk of getting “no” for an answer. But there’s a good chance your parents might be OK with you going. If you go but don’t tell, you risk los-

ing something more important – your parents’ trust.

Parents who find out their kids did something behind their backs may be less likely to give permission to do things in the future.

When trust is broken like this, parents wonder if teens are trying to hide something – and what they imagine can be far worse than the reality. Before you talk to your parents about the game, think about which approach will help them feel most comfortable with giving you more freedom. Maybe they’d like to meet the person driving or talk to friends who have driven with her in the past. If your parents have questions or hesitate about letting you go, find out what their worries are and then do your best to answer them. (kidshealth.org)

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Bandit shot while trying to disarm Policeman P olice in A Division (Georgetown) shot and injured a suspected bandit in the wee hours of Monday after he along with another attempted to break into a Mandela Avenue, Greater Georgetown, home.

The incident occurred at

about 03:00h on Wednesday morning. According to Police reports, Michelle Shurland of Lot 117 A Mandela Avenue, was asleep when she was awakened by the loud sound of barking dogs.

Upon investigating, the woman discovered that the

back door of her house was open. She then observed two persons fleeing the yard.

The victim alerted a Police mobile patrol which was in the area and the ranks, commanded by a Corporal, gave chase after the suspects, who were spotted in the area.

During the chase, one of the bandits managed to escape the lawmen while his accomplice was apprehended. However, during attempts to apprehend the suspect, he tried to disarm one of the ranks of his service weapon and as such,

was shot once in the right thigh.

The wounded suspect, who has since been identified as a resident of Charlestown, Georgetown, was admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital in a stable condition. He is being kept under

guard.

Meanwhile, initial investigation revealed that nothing was discovered missing from the victim’s home.

Nevertheless, the investigation is continuing as well as efforts to capture the other suspect.

ExxonMobil strikes more oil offshore Guyana

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nited States oil giant ExxonMobil has made two more oil finds offshore Guyana, bringing the total number of discoveries in the Stabroek Block to 12.

The discoveries, which were made at the Tilapia-1 and Haimara-1 wells in the South-west section of the Stabroek Block, were announced by Director of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe, in a statement on Wednesday.

The US-based company also confirmed the finds on its Facebook page.

This new discovery, he said, reinforces the country’s potential to be able to produce more than 750,000 barrels of oil daily by 2025 with at least five floating, production storage and offloading vessels (FPSO) on the Stabroek Block.

According to Dr Bynoe, “this continues to be positive news for the people of the Co-operative Republic

of Guyana, but the real substance of these finds will come when all Guyanese are able to benefit from these discoveries, whether directly and/or indirectly.”

The US oil giant’s 11th discovery in the Tilapia-1 well is the fourth discovery in the Turbot area that in-

cludes Turbot, Longtail and Pluma discoveries. Tilapia-1 encountered approximately 305 feet (93 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled to a depth of 18,786 feet (5726 metres) in 5850 feet (1783 metres) of water.

The well is located approxi-

mately 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometres) West of the Longtail-1 well.

Dr Bynoe noted that the Noble Tom Madden drillship started drilling the well on January 7, 2019 and will next drill the Yellowtail-1 well, approximately six miles (10 kilometres) West of Tilapia-1 in the Turbot area. Baseline 4-D seismic data acquisition is underway, he added.

Meanwhile, the 12th discovery was at the Haimara-1 well which encountered approximately 207 feet (63 metres) of high-quality gas condensate-bearing sandstone reservoir. The well was drilled to a depth of 18,289 feet (5575 metres) in 4590 feet (1399 metres) of water. The Director of Energy pointed out that being located approximately 19 miles (31 kilometres) East of the Pluma-1 discovery, the Haimara-1 is deemed a potential new area for devel-

opment.

Furthermore, he added that the Stena Carron drillship began drilling the well on January 3, 2019.

These two discoveries come less than two months after ExxonMobil announced its 10th find back in December at the Pluma-1 well, which had increased the estimated recoverable

resource for the Stabroek Block to more than five billion oil-equivalent barrels.

Guyana is now home to the world’s biggest new deepwater oil discovery.

ExxonMobil has been keen to push development of the oil reserves and is expected to commence production sometime later this year or early 2020.

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Barima farmer killed with bow and arrow

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26-year-old farmer of Barima in the North West District of Region One (Barima-Waini) lost his life after he was struck by an arrow.

Orlando Joseph was involved in an

argument with another male resident about 15:30h when the situation escalated. Police on Wednesday said that the suspect armed himself with a bow and arrow, and shot the farmer in the upper region of his body.

Joseph was taken to the Mabaruma Public Hospital where he was treated and admitted, but later succumbed to his injury.

The suspect is still being sought by Police.

At what cost…

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…power? t what point will the supporters of the PNC stand up and be counted to preserve Guyana as a viable state?? With all the guns in the hands of an Army and Police that PNC leader Desmond Hoyte once boasted was “kith and kin”, the PNC knows the PPP’s incapable of repeating the said Desmond Hoyte’s strategy of “slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah” at the beginning of this millennium. And this was AFTER the PNC street elements had bludgeoned the victorious 1997 PPP Government to truncate their term of office by 2 years – and revised the Constitution to include the PNC in governance!!

But will the supporters of the PNC stand up and do the right thing? Not likely! Just listen to the narrative that’s being spewed by some of the younger elements – who one would assume, weren’t polluted by the poisoned past! You’d think all the horrible killings by the “phantom squads” were unleashed full blown from the brow of Mars, the god of war, without any reasons!! There were no kick-down-the-door bandits in the late 80s who were armed with “long guns” from the Forces to wreak terror on “PPP supporters”!

There was no Hoyte who screamed “ethnic cleansing” by the PPP in the Public Services – when it was under HIS watch, the IMF mandated a reduction in their ranks. There was no Linden “Blackie” London and his gang who robbed banks and cambios; kidnapped Indian businessmen and demanded ransoms, and was yet draped with the flag of Guyana by Desmond Hoyte at his funeral. There was no “political sophisticates” who founded a Buxton-based “Peoples Liberation Army” and helped spring the Mash 5 – including London’s lieutenant Douglas – from the Camp Street jail and set them up in Buxton.

There was no involvement of members of the PNC and “Wild Men” who indoctrinated the “Freedom Fighters” of Buxton to kill Policemen and Indians from surrounding villages with impunity – and even chasing out Eusi Kwayana from the village where he had lived and nurtured for over 50 years. No, the rest of the populace should’ve shrugged their shoulders as PPP Government, which had the duty to defend the State by any means necessary – rolled over and capitulated.

Fact of the matter is it should’ve never come to a point where drug lords had to “bring order” to a fast exploding anarchy, caused by the armed forces’ unwillingness to confront the “Freedom Bandits” – which had support from the PNC constituency. Why are PNC supporters only wringing their hands about the phantom squads and not also at the Buxton Bandits who kidnapped the US Regional Security Officer (RSO).

After all, the US did work with phantoms to rescue him, no?? …selling out?

Your Eyewitness knows the AFC’s fighting for their very survival. But jeez! They gotta draw the line SOMEWHERE!!

Take Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan: we all know he failed miserably in running the Disciplined Forces which fall under his remit. The immigration sector was immediately yanked and handed to PNC-Police-mole Winston Felix while Granger handled the Army; the newly resuscitated People’s Militia and SARA. God knows who was in charge of SOCU!!

But does Ramjattan have to hold a “bottom-house” meeting at the home of a Berbician fella from whom highpowered rifles with telescopic sights and ammo were seized?? What’s he’s trying to prove?? That he deserves the PM spot because he’s more “macho” than Nagamootoo?

What’s next?? Hobnobbing with assassins? Then to emphasise the point, he goes on to recommend the rehiring of Sam Sittlington, who was fired by his British bosses!!

Rehiring a fraud expert who was fired for a fraudulent action, by claiming the fraudster was unaware he was committing fraud?

What kind of fraud expert is this??!! …rehabilitating villains??

A prolix letter-writing doctor from England is upset Charrandas was upset at Hamilton Green’s pension being bumped from $165,000/monthly to $1.7 MILLION/monthly.

Seems Green was kind to the doctor in childhood.

Hitler was also very kind to his secretaries. So, he wasn’t evil??

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

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Deaths of 3 children at GPHC

Protesters question Govt’s faith in Guyana’s health-care institutions …“show us that you have confidence in your system as well” – protester

A section of the protesters who gathered at Brickdam on Wednesday

Six-year-old Sharezer Mendonca

Three-year-old Roshani Seegobin

uality health care is not a partisan issue” and “poor lives matter” were the signals being sent on Wednesday by a group of protesters who stood outside the Public Health Ministry on Brickdam, Georgetown, calling for a thorough investigation into the deaths of the three children who died allegedly as a result of negligence on the part of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The voices of those persons echoed for transparency and accountability in the health sector as they questioned the Government’s faith in the health care they are offering to Guyanese,

since they rush to seek medical attention abroad.

One protester, Sherlina Nageer, said “because its mostly poor people using the public health facility, we feel like poor people’s lives don’t matter so the other thing that can be done is if all the politicians (and) all the parliamentarians let us see them using the public health facilities; not flying out to other countries when you need care.”

She added that Guyanese, who cannot afford such expensive medical treatment, are forced to make use of the services being offered locally while their hard earned tax dol-

“Q

lars would finance trips for those in Government.

“Show us that you have confidence in your system as well,” she added.

Meanwhile, Susan Collimore, another protester, said she believes the persons who were responsible for the deaths of those innocent children should be held accountable for their actions. According to her, the Public Health Ministry seems to be sweeping these and more incidents under the carpet, which paints a bad example for young medical practitioners.

“I don’t think enough is being done but before you transfer a person that made a mistake you need to punish them in some way or the other, either revoking their licences or something… you move me from one department and you put me to another department, what example are you showing to

the others so there is no justice… when you do something like that, it giving other doctors and nurses the privilege to say well it’s okay to do wrong and get off with it,” Collimore told Guyana Times.

She called on the Public Health Ministry to conduct a proper investigation to appease the parents who are still mourning the loss of their children.

One mother, Christina Scott, who lost her child at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, said she stands in the gap for all hurting mothers who lost their children at the hands of medical practitioners.

She also noted that she is calling on the relevant authorities to provide answers on the death of her child, who died during birth on October 23, 2018.

Scott said while she went to also make a complaint to

the Guyana Medical Council, she is still to hear from them on the matter and much to her disappointment, three months later, the GMC has not contacted her.

Another activist said he was specifically sick of the drug shortage which continues to plague the country, saying this matter needs to be addressed by the administration.

One protester remarked that all politicians should seek medical treatment locally at Guyana’s public health care facilities. She added that if politicians can take taxpayers money to travel abroad for medical services than that consideration should be extended to all Guyanese.

The protesters called for swift actions to be taken and justice for all the innocent lives that were lost at national institutions.

Major public outrage was

sparked recently after three children lost their lives under questionable circumstances at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

They are six-year-old Sharezer Mendonca, threeyear-old Roshani Seegobin and Curwayne Edwards.

While in Opposition, the now governing coalition parties had heavily criticised members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic for seeking medical treatment overseas, instead of utilising the nation’s facilities.

However, now in Government, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change Ministers have been flying to Ireland and other overseas territories in a bid to access medical treatment. It has also been disclosed that a health insurance policy has been prepared for Government officials.

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

ERC’s probe into GECOM’s hiring practices stalled

ERC Chairman, Dr John Smith

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t a time when the country’s elections body is expected to employ more staff for the imminent General and Regional Elections, concerns about its hiring practices still linger as the Ethnic Relations Commission’s investigation at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is yet to be completed.

According to ERC Chairman, Dr John Smith, while the probe was expected to be wrapped up since last year, this was not done.

“We out-sourced the investigators… [But] they needed some more time and I gave them the time… No [I can’t say how long more they need], but the report has to come back to the Commissioners and then we will inform the public,” Dr Smith told Guyana Times on Wednesday.

Retired Justice Stanley Moore, who had served as Home Affairs Minister under late President LFS Burnham during the People’s National Congress (PNC) regime,

along with former Deputy Commissioner of Police Lloyd Smith and human resources consultant Jairam Petam, was recruited to inquire into claims made by People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) GECOM Commissioners Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn, that there was an ethnic imbalance at the elections body and hiring practices were being manipulated in favour of one group.

The team was supposed to complete the probe in three weeks during October.

However, the time was extended as the probe widened and to date, there has been no indication as to when it would be concluded.

“I can’t say exactly in terms of timing [when the report will be available]…

There is not really [any revised deadline], because they encountered some difficulties and that stalled the whole investigation and getting out the report,” the ERC Chairman stated.

When asked about the difficulties that are delaying the investigation, Dr Smith opted not to go into detail, telling this publication that they would be known when the report was completed.

Last year, the Elections Commission was embroiled in controversy after it was alleged former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud was overlooked for the position because of his ethnicity despite him being the top ranked candidate.

The Commission went ahead and hired the second-ranked candidate Roxanne Meyers, after

GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson broke the deadlock and voted in favour of her.

Since then, there have been allegations that candidates applying for posts at GECOM were being rejected and accepted based on their ethnicity and political alignment.

After these claims were made, the ERC had scheduled a meeting with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, where the matters were raised. The ERC also met with President David Granger at that time.

At a press conference prior to the probe, the GECOM Chairman had said that qualifications ultimately trumped race when filling vacancies. When asked whether deliberate efforts to achieve racial diversity were being made, Patterson had contended that deliberate efforts were being made to get the best people and that he had “no apologies” for that.

The ERC is a constitutional body. It works with persons and agencies to promote harmonious ethnic relations. The Commission also deals with complaints, promotes training in racial harmony, and fosters a sense of security, among all ethnic groups.

Meanwhile, the PPP/C Commissioners had also registered complaints of Chairman Patterson using his post to muzzle them on the issue of hiring practices. During a statutory meeting, Commissioner Benn had highlighted issues regarding the ethnic composition of the workforce at the

GECOM Secretariat, having pointed out that the perception was that the vast majority of the staff of the Commission were persons of one ethnicity.

The PPP/C Commissioners had said that the Chairman prevented Benn from further defending his position and when challenged, adjourned the meeting for over half an hour.

Their allegations followed by an earlier statement by executive member of the PPP, Dr Roger Luncheon who made allegations against GECOM on the same issue.

Smyth Street execution

Accused spotted at crime scene with firearm – Police witness

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uring day one of Morris Prince’s trial at the High Court on Wednesday, the jury heard that the defendant was not only seen with a gun at the crime scene but was later found with an article of clothing that was similar to one the shooter was clad in.

Prince stands accused of the March 19, 2016 execution of businessman O’Riley Small, who met his demise as he was opening the gate at his Lot 2 Smyth Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown premises.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, several witnesses took the stand, including Corporal Derwin Eastman,

Defendant Morris Prince

who related that he had seen the defendant, Prince, in a “crouched over” position at the crime scene with a gun and he said he asked him

if the weapon was licensed.

He detailed that later on, he went back to the scene to see if Morris was still there, but he had “left the scene”.

Corporal Eastman said that they later went to the Rio Night Club where Morris was contacted and was later taken into custody.

Charlene Forde, sister of the deceased man, also took the witness stand where she told the court that Small had worked as a security personnel at the Rio Night Club.

She recounted that on the night before the shooting, her brother had come home and later left on a scooter for Rio. Turn to page 14

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

UG suspends classes again after another bomb threat

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t was an experience of musical chairs of the unsettling kind with classes being cancelled once again at Guyana’s premier tertiary institution, the University of Guyana (UG), which received a second consecutive bomb threat on Wednesday.

This time, the threat came in the late afternoon period, and students and staff were not taking chances as they quickly departed the premises when security personnel swooped to investigate the threat.

Guyana Times saw notices which were sent out after 17:00h advising students of the administration’s order that the Turkeyen Campus be evacuated owing to the bomb threat. Earlier in the day, some classes were held as indicated by Vice Chancellor Ivelaw Griffith on Tuesday.

However, this publication was credibly informed that some

classes were already put on hold on Wednesday even before the administration ordered the discontinuation later on.

In an invited comment to the press regarding the new threat, Vice Chancellor Griffith noted that Police called the University’s security personnel indicating that they received a call about an alleged bomb. At the time members of the press were present, the security team was again conducting a building-by-building assessment of the campus.

“I’ve sent all the students and staff home until we establish full security of our buildings,” he stressed.

This bomb threat was in line with threats seen on social media platforms earlier on Wednesday which indicated that other persons would be planting explosives at various institutions. The posts

The letter which was sent to students of the University of Guyana on Wednesday

were prevalent on Facebook in the name of an unknown individual going by the name of “Ki Ra” on Wednesday, who said: “This is not the end.”

The threats have left many concerned persons calling for law enforcement officials to accelerate their actions to capture the person

“Mango Man” murder case

“Smallie”, Nero to know fate today

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early one month into the trial before Justice James Bovell-Drakes, a 12-member jury is expected to determine the fates of Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie”, and Sherwin Nero, called “Catty”, in relation to their alleged involvement in the August 30, 2007 murder of Kumar Singh, called “Mango Man”.

The defence and prosecution presented closing arguments earlier this week and the matter was adjourned to today for summation and jury deliberation. The panel of 12 will determine whether or not the duo is innocent or guilty. “Smallie” has led his defence by implicating Inspector Suraj Singh and other ranks in torturing him into signing his cau-

es of their attackers, the jury had been told that an ex-Police rank transported the duo from Kumar Singh’s Cove and John, East Coast Demerara home via horse cart which the defence views as implausible.

Prosecutor Tamika Clarke is appearing for the State while the two men on trial are being represented

by Attorney Nigel Hughes.

Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie”, and Sherwin Nero, called “Catty” are on trial for murder

tion statement. He had told the jury that upon his 2008 arrest, he was handcuffed, beaten and shocked into signing the police document.

Singh was killed after gunmen stormed his premises and allegedly made off with cash and jewellery

while his relatives were visiting from Suriname.

During the testimony of Singh’s wife and daughter last week, it was explained that bandits fired several shots when the family home was invaded. While the two women did not see the fac-

(s) responsible. This publication attempted several times to contact senior officers within the Guyana Police Force for an update into the investigation, which proved futile. The University of Guyana was the last entity targeted, forcing students to flee onto the fields in fear of their lives after being told that a bomb was planted somewhere on campus. More than that, there were reports of persons under the guise of officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who demanded entry to several premises to conduct searches of the property. One of the incidents reportedly occurred on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

Parents of School of the Nations students announced Tuesday that $1 million would be rewarded if information about the suspect is divulged.

In addition, the President of the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) Anna Lisa Fraser-Phang argued that the Education Ministry has been doing nothing to help the situation. They are especially worried since the School’s Director, Dr Brian O’Toole was shot on January 27, at his home.

Last Friday, Queen’s College and the Bishops’ High School were on lockdown after social media accounts believed to have been created by one person issued threats to students.

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

SPU demands daily fee from fired sugar workers to access fishing lands

By Andrew Carmichael

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edundant workers of the Skeldon Sugar Estate are being charged a fee of $500 to pass through a cultivation dam to catch fish.

The fee is being imposed by the Special Purpose Unit which was set up to oversee the privatisation of the sugar estates.

The workers who were made redundant when the estate closed are now facing major difficulties as they look for new employment.

Those who have decided to turn to fishing are now being charged a fee to travel through the cultivation dam to ply their trade.

They catch fish and reap wild karela from the savannahs, which is located behind the cultivation area, but is only accessible through the Skeldon Sugar Estate’s dams.

According to the former workers, the SPU is holding out that the jobless men and women will not be given access if they do not have

A former suger worker throws a cast net in the hope of making a good catch

the pass which cost $500.

The SPU is also issuing one month passes at a cost of $15,000.

Already hit by hardship with the closure of the estate, many have turned to fishing to make a living while others catch fish in the savannahs to provide a meal for their families.

Manam Singh, a former cane harvester who worked with the estate for 22 years and is a father of four, told Guyana Times

on Wednesday that sometimes he buys the SPU pass and catches nothing. On Wednesday, he left home at 03:00h and at 10:00h returned home empty-handed. “$500 you have to pay plus you have to buy gas and carry thing to eat and the back dam; is more than $1500 you spending and catching nothing. I can’t afford to pay $500 per trip. It very hard, I got children going to school; three of them going to high school,” he told

this publication.

Initially, the ex-workers were not required to pay a fee to pass through the cultivation area but then a fee of $100 was charged which subsequently raised to $500 for a one-time entry.

Sibnauth Ramnarine, who worked as a cane harvester from 1982 to when factory was closed, cried out that the fee is too high.

“Right now you getting nothing and to find $500 it is very hard now. You have to get gas money and you not catching $500 fish. It is very hard.” He added that while it was unreasonable to have to pay $100 monthly just to pass, use the cultivation daily get to the savannahs; they were able to live and accept that fee.

Edwin Persaud, a pensioner, who has a sick wife, fishes for domestic purposes.

According to him, sometimes he tries to catch enough to be able to sell a portion, but those days are seldom.

“I have no other alternative. I have house rent to pay, water bill and light bill

This woman picks wild karela in the savannahs behind Skeldon Sugar Estate

to pay. I have a sick wife and every month I have to find money for medication. This is harassment. I use to pay $100 to go in the backdam, now they want $500. If you buy $3000 for the month and you don’t get to go three or four days that that money confiscated.”

Dhanraj Chatterpaul, who worked as a Pallman with the Skeldon Estate, says being asked to pay $500 per trip has created financial pressure on himself and his family.

“Some days we leave home with $1500 and rain

fall and we have to turn back. You already $500 for the pass and $1000 for the gas; that is $1500 you lost.

I don’t know what they trying to do with us, it working out to about $15,000 every month. That is like we paying a loan. Jobs are not available now. I don’t know that they want us to go and do,” the angry man said.

Chatterpaul said they were told that the SPU is charging the fee, so it can have funds to pay rangers, who are employed to ensure that cows do not enter the cane fields. Turn to page 15

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt to raise ceiling for restricted contracts from $3M to $10M – MP slams move as “recipe for corruption”

PPP MP Juan Edghill

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n a move cised by a Parliament for corruption,

being critiMember of as a recipe Government

has gazetted changes to Guyana’s procurement laws that will see larger contracts being awarded without the benefit of advertising.

The gazetted Procurement (Amendment) Bill of 2019 signed by Finance Minister Winston Jordan will change the previous threshold for restricted contracts for goods and services from $3 million to $10 million.

In the case of construction contracts, the threshold catered for in Section 26 of the Procurement Act has been moved from $10 million to $20 million. Quotation methods of procurement have been raised to $3 million.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

According to Member of Parliament Juan Edghill, this is likely to create an op-

Mahaicony land dispute

CCJ upholds High Court ruling on fraudulent titles

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he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Wednesday upheld a High Court decision that two titles for land at Mahaicony, Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), were fraudulently obtained since another party was in possession of the property.

The appeal was filed by Chandra Ramotar Singh against Bhagwantlall Mossai and Alvin Alves in relation to land at Lot 14 Mortice, Mahaicony River.

According to Court documents, while Singh did not have official title, he was in occupation of the land since 1989 when he agreed to buy the property from some of the heirs of the previous owner. However, unknown to him, Alves and Mossai had conspired to defraud him of the property. As such, the Region’s appellate court ruled that the titles held by the two respondents should be cancelled.

It was noted that Alves is the grandson of the Abrams heirs, who sold the land to Singh back in 1989, but in 1994 he filed proceedings for prescriptive title in the land court by petition, fraudulently claiming that he was in actual possession of the land. The land court, being unaware that Singh was the person in possession, granted Alves a declaration of title in 1997. Alves then sold the land to Mossai, through his brother Ramrattan, two years later. Subsequently, Mossai obtained a transport for the land.

After becoming aware of this, Singh filed court proceedings in May 2003, against Mossai and Alves claiming (i) damages for fraud committed by Alves in the 1994 petition; (ii) damages for trespass committed by both Mossai and Alves; and (iii) an injunction preventing Mossai and Alves

from entering or attempting to enter upon the land or selling, mortgaging or otherwise alienating the land.

However, he did not seek a cancellation of the fraudulent titles.

Nevertheless, the trial judge, Justice James BovellDrakes, having found fraud on the part of Alves, Mossai and Ramrattan, went ahead and cancelled the fraudulent titles while granting an award for damages for trespass as well as the requested injunction.

Mossai and Alves then appealed Justice BovellDrakes’ order setting aside the transport and the Court of Appeal, by a majority, declined to cancel the fraudulent titles, because, among other things, Singh had not asked for them to be cancelled in his claim and because the claim was out of time. But Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who was the acting Chief Justice at the time, disagreed with the majority.

Following that ruling, Singh then applied to the Appeal Court for leave to appeal the majority’s decision to the CCJ. However, having failed to file his application for leave to appeal within the time specified by Rule 10.3 of the CCJ (Appellate Jurisdiction) Rules, Singh

applied for and obtained permission from the Court of Appeal to extend the time for making the application.

Both leave to extend time and leave to appeal were granted by the Court of Appeal.

As such, the CCJ was asked to determine (a) whether Singh had standing to bring a claim for trespass and fraud; and (b) whether the trial judge erred when he set aside the fraudulent transports either, because (i) Singh failed to bring his claim within 12 months after he discovered the fraud as required by section 22(1) of the Deeds Registry Act or (ii) Singh failed to request specifically that the transports be set aside.

The CCJ, in its judgment, found that Singh had capacity to commence court proceedings for trespass and fraud, that he was not out of time for filing his 2003 action and finally, that Justice Bovell-Drakes was correct in cancelling the fraudulent titles.

But the regional appellate court also handed down an important point of procedural law, that is, that the Court of Appeal of Guyana had no power to extend the time for the filing of an application in that Court for permission to appeal to the CCJ.

portunity for the coalition Government to hand out contracts to unqualified persons and companies on a larger scale than ever before.

“This action enables award of contract without Public Advertisement, by way of Restricted Tendering and subverts the use of qualifications for this procurement process to be confined to specialised services or procurement of highly-complex items,” Edghill said in a Letter to the Editor.

“It can only be concluded that this decision is to facilitate corruption, cronyism and nepotism, by way of handpicking friends and cronies and awarding them contracts. This is a blatant political scheme to buy votes and especially pilfer the public purse and to enrich offi-

cials of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change over the few remaining days in office ahead of (elections),” he added.

Edghill also zeroed in on a letter dated February 4, 2019, written by Deputy Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Mark Bender and addressed to Permanent Secretaries, agency heads and regional administrations.

In the letter, he alerts them to the changes and announces that they take immediate effect. But Edghill said considering the passage of the No-confidence Motion on December 21, 2018, Government’s actions are illegal in this regard.

“Article 106(6) of our

Constitution states that on passage of a no-confidence motion by the majority of all elected members of the National Assembly, the President and his Cabinet shall resign, coupled with the CJ’s ruling of January 31, 2019 that following the passage of the motion, the President and Cabinet stands resigned.”

“Therefore, they are merely in office in a caretaker capacity and as such, these actions are unconstitutional. It is therefore logical that the letter by Mr Mark Bender authorising (officials) to implement these new thresholds is illegal and will lead to criminal proceedings being instituted against public officials who may be tempted to act on such a directive which is illegal.”

14 NEWS

thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

CAL launches ‘One Caribbean Identity’ …as Machel Montano makes Stabroek Square fly

since many did not know of it until reports surfaced on social media on Tuesday. Prior to Machel’s performance, Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Airlines Garvin Madera underscored the importance of such a campaign, explaining that it embraces and celebrates the authenticity of the Caribbean region and all the elements that make it unique.

“The Caribbean Identity is the culture and the spirit of our many diverse nations – united by a shared sea and our similar and powerful heritage. Through ‘The Caribbean Identity', we

A section of the crowd that packed Stabroek Square

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

hey were charged, ready to go, bursting with energy even before “Dr Mash-up” made his way on the stage at the Stabroek Market Square in the capital city. It was a launch campaign like none other in the recent history of Guyana. The music was right, the vibes was perfect, and the performances truly captured the essence of the entire campaign and left everyone feeling like “Hulk”.

The skies were overcast, it drizzled before it poured briefly but that did not stop the soca junkies as they made their way into the parking area at Stabroek Square for the launce of the

Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) Caribbean Identity campaign. One would question why would hundreds possibly thousands flock that small area for the launch of just a campaign promoting the Caribbean experience, but the attraction was not the campaign but rather it was the face of that campaign that attracted those in their numbers.

That face was none other than the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of Soca music, “Dr Mash-up” himself, “Dr Monk” or “Dr of Soca” or as many know him – Machel Montano. He brought the vibes, he brought unity and most of all he created an experience that will most defi-

Accused spotted at...

She said that March 19, 2016 happened to be her birthday, and noted that her brother came home at night and would usually call out for her to open the door. The witness further explained that on that fateful evening, after he called out, she was about to open the door and as she got up, she heard rapid gunshots and her brother say: “‘Ey, boy! ‘Ey!’” Forde told the jury that from her recollection, her brother’s assailant was about 6 feet, 2 inches tall and wore all black with a hoodie bearing a marijuana leaf. She testified to hearing her mother screaming and she ran to the back of the yard and saw her mother turn O’Riley, who was in

a pool of what appeared to be blood. She said she went to Brickdam Police Station that same day, where she gave a statement to Sergeant Sarraabo.

The jury later heard that a hoodie with a marijuana leaf was found when Police searched Prince’s “white Allion car”. Police Corporal Radcliff testified to going to the crime scene at 03:00h and then retrieving several pieces of ammunition that he handed over to ballistics expert Eon Jackson for testing. He said also that the spent shells were some 30 feet away from the body.

Under cross-examination

by Prince’s attorney, Mark Waldron, the witness admitted that he did not cause the

The Park Side Steel Orchestra nitely make those in attendance remember CAL’s Caribbean Identity campaign.

There was very little hype around the launch

from page 10

spent shells to be tested for fingerprints, saying it would have been difficult to do so, since they were wet with what appeared to be blood.

Radcliff disagreed with Waldron that a police station would be contaminated with gunshot residue.

According to reports, the deceased was executed when he had reportedly entered his yard after he returned home from a night out. It was reported that he was approached by a man who discharged several rounds in his direction thus causing a multiplicity of injuries about the body. Tuanna Hardy, Abigail Gibbs and Teriq Mohammed are prosecuting the case.

will showcase the best of our Caribbean region and reflect it across our airline identity, from our branding, to our community activities, to our presence at festivals and major cultural and heritage events,” he noted.

Madera said Caribbean Airlines and Guyana enjoy a great relationship, explaining that throughout the Caribbean region, the airline operates over 600 flights on a weekly basis, with many of them to and from Guyana. He lauded the local staffers for their dedication towards advancing the service of the airline as well as their service to its customers.

“It speaks proudly and loudly to the vibrancy of our cultures, the energy of our music, the splendor of our landscapes and of course, the humour and heart of our people. For 2019 our core message as a business will be centred around the Caribbean Identity. This is

Caribbean Airlines CEO, Garvin Madera a concept to which we can all relate,” he said.

The Airline’s CEO related that the campaign is an affirmation of the uniqueness of the Caribbean region and its people, adding that just as the motto of Guyana is ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’ that the wider region as forged the Caribbean Identity.

During the launch it was revealed that CAL will be the official airline for Mashramani, as well as the Guyana Independence Carnival. In addition, they have also partnered with the Park Side Steel Orchestra

as the crowd which amassed to over one thousand people waited with bated breath to see Machel. However, before they could have seen the GOAT they were treated to entertainment from Guyanese Timeka Marshall as she served as the opening act for the much-anticipated main item.

Like every concert experience, the MC hyped up the main act and DJ Casual coupled with Selector Shizzle were nothing less than perfect as they set the stage for Machel to entertain.

Machel brought out the classics and even his newest

which will be re-branded as the Caribbean Airlines Park Side Steel Orchestra.

Present at the launch was the Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton, who lauded the Airline for its commitment to the Guyanese market as well as its contribution to the local cultural activities.

After the formal presentations were completed, it was a complete party. Hips were moving, people gyrating

tracks for Trinidad Carnival 2019. He had the entire Stabroek Square in a frenzy as he had them flying to the Caribbean Airlines jingle and left them wining and flinging it up.

Without a doubt it was certainly a concert performance he delivered which immediately set the stage for Mashramani celebrations. There is no other like Machel Montano and the title “GOAT” suits perfectly.

news

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thursdAY, february 7, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Teachers trained to deal Natural Resources Ministry with domestic violence signs MoU with WWF, NTC

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman (seated second from right) among executives from the NTC and WWF

I

Some of the participants at the anti-domestic violence workshop

T

eachers from Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) were on Wednesday facilitated in a domestic violence seminar, aimed at equipping them with the skills to handle such cases throughout their profession.

The first ever workshop of its kind was organised by the Education Ministry and saw attendance from teachers and representatives from the Education Department and the Social Protection Ministry.

Regional Education Officer (REDO), Annesta Douglas explained that a child’s ability to function optimally in school is sometimes affected by domestic issues, which can be addressed by teachers.

“Our vision is to give the school age students of this region the best possible education available and we understand there are several factors that can impede them receiving this quality education. One of those is that they can be affected by issues in the home and in the community,” the REDO pointed out.

She added that it was necessary to assist the students by providing support at the education level, where they have a medium to discuss issues affecting

Regional Education Officer Annesta Douglas

them. For the education sector plan for the years 2019 to 2023, there are a few aims which they hope to achieve.

“We find it important for us to be proactive and to start with both our teachers and we will also be dealing with our learners. Presently, the Ministry of Education is in the process of preparing its education sector plan for 2019-2023, and in doing so, we will be focusing on efficiencies, governance and contributing to lifelong learning.”

Representative from the Domestic Violence Unit of the Social Protection Ministry, Deidre Ifill also briefed teachers on how to

SPU demands daily fee...

From page 12

“We want to know how out money have to pay cow watchman. They should look after that.”

Chatterpaul also related that the security employed with the Skeldon Estate would take away their catch, quakes and cast nets and take them to the Police station.

Mahadeo Singh compares their $500 fee to go into the backdam with the $7500 road service vehicles pay to use the road for an entire year and says it in not only unfair but unjust since it is the unemployed who are being asked to pay a fee.

Apart from those who go to the savannah to fish, women are also forced to

pay the same fee to pick wild karela; some for commercial purposes and others to make a meal for their families.

“Is food and you don’t have to buy it, so we go and pick but if you don’t get a pass, the guards taking it away from you,” one woman said.

Guyana Times was also shown several receipts from the former workers indicating that they have paid the fees as demanded by SPU. A circular from Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) dated September 13, 2017, indicated that fees of $100 per day were going to be imposed with immediate effect as from that date.

deal with such cases as she expressed, “Domestic violence is a social issue that affects everybody. It has no face. It affects everybody.”

While mentioning that domestic violence cannot be eradicated, she posited that efforts can result in its prevention.

Meanwhile, Regional Information Officer Ganesh Mahipaul stated that when acts of violence occur in the home, it travels with students to schools where they are distracted and cannot perform effectively.

“I believe we are at a point where there must be some level of focus on what is happening in our homes and that often times transcends to what happens in our school environment,” Mahipaul said.

Teachers were trained to ascertain whether children are faced with domestic violence or are living in an environment where violence is prevalent.

n a bid to formalise relations it shares with the National Toshaos Council (NTC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Natural Resources Ministry on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formally establish relations.

The MoU will also pave the way for the Ministry to establish and maintain an effective communication channel with the Indigenous communities, through – but not limited to – the NTC and therefore promote tits programme as it relates to Guyana’s Indigenous stakeholders and other interested parties, and to work together on any other issues as may be mutually agreed upon between the parties.

The collaboration between those two parties will ensure the mandate as set out in Part IV, Section 41 of the Amerindian Act 2006 as it relates to the areas of good governance and the preparing of strategies and plans for the protection, conservation and sustainable management of Indigenous community

lands.

Meanwhile, the MoU between the Natural Resources Ministry and the WWF serves as a renewal of a previous one.

“It will now continue the working relationship between the Cooperative Government of the Republic of Guyana and World Wildlife Fund Inc, and extend it to incorporate specific relations between WWF; Ministry of the Presidency – Department of Environment (DoE); Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR); the Environmental Protection Agency; Guyana Forestry Commission; Guyana Geology and Mines Commission; Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission; Protected Areas Commission, Office of Climate Change, Department of Fisheries, Non-Governmental Organisations and Community-Based Organisations for the implementation of the WWF Guianas programme of activities in Guyana,” the Ministry explained in a statement.

Attending the event were the Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman; NTC Chairman Toshao Nicholas Fredericks; Director of Environment, Ndibi Schwiers; WWF Guianas Representative Laurens Gomes and a few other officers.

Trotman, who gave the feature address, alluded to the Ministry’s commitment to its motto to “Explore, Develop, Sustain” and said that it was recognised that these values could not be realised without strong partnerships. He said that it was upon this foundation that the MoUs with the WWF and the NTC will rest, since these agencies are recognised as partners who care about the sustainable management and development of the sector.

The Minister also noted the productive engagements that the Ministry has had with both the WWF and the NTC in the past. The WWF has been a consistent partner and has provided financial, administrative, institutional and technical assistance and support to key natural resource agencies.

Oil dips on rising US supply, but OPEC cuts lend support “We expect the oil price to rise in the first-half of 2019 on tightening supply conditions and decline in the second-half on weakening economic activity and an increase in US crude exports to international markets,” said

O

il prices fell on Thursday after US crude inventories rose and as production levels in the country held at record levels, but OPEC-led supply cuts and a crisis in Venezuela supported markets.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at US$53.83 per barrel at 0154 GMT, down 18 cents, or 0.3 percent, from their last settlement.

International Brent crude oil futures were down by 30 cents, or 0.5 per cent, at $62.39 per barrel.

US crude oil inventories climbed by 1.3 million barrels in the week that end-

ed February 1, to 447.21 million barrels, data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, average weekly US crude oil production remained at the record 11.9 million barrels per day (bpd) it reached in late 2018.

Countering the rising US crude output and inventories are voluntary supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) aimed at tightening the market and propping up prices.

Meanwhile, US sanctions against Venezuela’s oil industry are expected to knock out at least 500,000 bpd of crude exports.

French bank BNP Paribas.

It estimated average 2019 prices for Brent at US$68 per barrel and for WTI at US$61 per barrel, both down by US$8 from its previous outlook. (Reuters)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, february 7, 2019

Regional

Venezuela military blocks humanitarian aid shipment

Thousands of people are fleeing the worsening economic crisis in Venezuela. Opposition Leader Juan Guiadó claims up to 300,000 people face death if the aid is not delivered

U

S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has demanded Venezuela reopen a bridge on the Colombian border for an aid shipment organised by the Opposition. Venezuelan soldiers have blocked the crossing ahead of a delivery arranged by Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó, who has declared himself interim President. President Nicolás Maduro, who has the support of the army, has rejected letting it into the country.

In a tweet, Pompeo demanded Maduro let the aid through.

“The Maduro regime must LET THE AID REACH THE STARVING PEOPLE,” the post reads. Venezuela is in

the grip of a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Guaidó is head of Venezuela’s National Assembly and says the Constitution allows him to assume power temporarily when the president is deemed illegitimate.

He has secured the backing of over 40 countries, including the US and most Latin American and European nations. Maduro still has the support of China and Russia.

The Venezuelan military had used a tanker truck and a cargo container to block access to the Tienditas Bridge which links Cucuta, Colombia to Urena, Venezuela, Opposition politician Franklyn Duarte

told AFP news agency.

“Troops from the armed forces are blocking the pass”, he said. Other Opposition leaders appealed to the military to allow aid trucks to cross the border. “You know there’s a red line, you know well there’s a limit, you know that medicines, food and medical supplies are that limit,” said lawmaker Miguel Pizarro.

Pictures shared on social media appeared to show residents confronting soldiers in Urena. Maduro said humanitarian aid would be the start of a US-led invasion, insisting that “no-one will enter, not one invading soldier”.

Guaidó does not control any territory in Venezuela

so, instead, he is planning to set up collection centres in neighbouring countries where Venezuelans have fled to.

He said he wanted to set up an international coalition to gather aid at three points, and press Venezuela’s Army to let it into the country.

In a tweet on Sunday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said plans were being advanced. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said in an interview the use of military force remained “an option”. In his State of the Union speech, he reiterated his support for Guaidó, saying: “We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

T&T Special Branch uncovers plot to kill CoP, family

T

wo notorious criminal gangs want Trinidad’s Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith and his family dead, and the nefarious elements are willing to pay top dollar to hired contract killers to silence the CoP and his close family members for good.

The sinister plot was unearthed by Special Branch Police Officers who compiled an 11-page top-secret report assessing the threat against Griffith and his family in November last year.

Guardian Media obtained the confidential document from top intelligence sources and contacted Griffith early last week to not only validate the authenticity of the document but also to question him about the perceived threats.

Griffith was hesitant at first to meet to discuss the secret report because of obvious security concerns.

However, last Thursday he agreed to address some of the troubling concerns raised in the report. While Special Branch is tasked with ensuring the highest level of security for the Prime Minister and President, their investi-

T&T Police Commissioner Gary Griffith

gations seem to suggest that the threat level has never been so high for any CoP and his family in the past.

The top-secret report was completed on November 26 last year by an acting inspector (name withheld) and submitted to the Head of Special Branch. This threat assessment, sources say, was triggered by a series of telephone threats made to Griffith via the Police Command Centre.

While a large majority of these calls were deemed a nuisance, what law enforcement authorities unearthed was profoundly more disturbing and life-threatening, Griffith confirmed. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

J$500,000 reward offered for info lead- Russia, Lima Group back Caricom ing to capture of Jamaican MP’s killer position on Venezuela

A

J $ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 (US$3667) award has been offered to anyone who can help Police capture the person(s) who stabbed to death Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) legislator Dr Lynvale Broomfield last weekend.

PNP General Secretary Julian Robinson announced the reward, offered through Crime Stop, at a press conference on Tuesday. The body of the East Portland Member of Parliament was found in his Passley Gardens, Portland home last Saturday with multiple stab wounds. No suspects are in custody and Police are yet to ascertain a motive behind the killing.

Murdered: Dr Lynvale Broomfield

“We call upon anyone with information which could assist the Police in their investigations to provide whatever information is known so that those responsible can be apprehended and brought to jus-

tice,” Robinson said at the press conference.

The PNP also plans to honour the deceased politician and medical practitioner. Additionally, one condolence book has been opened at the party’s headquarters, another at Dr Bloomfield’s constituency office in Port Antonio, and a third at the Portland Parish Library.

Robinson said the party has not yet turned its attention to the by-elections that will have to be called to find a replacement representative for East Portland. Dr Bloomfield was first elected to represent the constituency in 2011 and re-elected for a second term in 2016.

(Caribbean360)

DNA results for suspected stolen baby to be ready by weekend

T

he parents of a newborn who was snatched from the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston are to know by weekend if a baby found in the company of a woman on Tuesday belongs to them.

Father of the missing baby Sinclair Hutton, in providing an update on the matter, told Observer Online that he has not seen

the child but he strongly believes that the nearly onemonth-old baby is his.

DNA samples were taken from the couple today to compare with that of the child.

Sinclair and his spouse were contacted by the Kingston Western Police Division to do the test following the arrest of a woman who attempted to regis-

ter a baby at the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) in Twickenham Park, St Catherine, on Tuesday.

The woman and the baby were taken into custody about three o’clock when she was unable to provide the relevant information to complete the registration process. (Jamaica Observer)

T

he Caricom delegation which left on Tuesday for the Uruguay conference on Venezuela is entering the talks as other international players – including the Lima Group and Russia – have also mounted calls for peaceful resolution of the Venezuelan crisis and dialogue towards this.

Trinidad Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley and Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses left to join Caricom’s delegation in Montevideo, Uruguay, where the international meeting on the situation in Venezuela will be held today, a state-

ment from the Office of the Prime Minister said.

A Caricom Secretariat statement said the international conference set to convene today will focus on the ongoing political upheaval in Venezuela. This, following weeks of turmoil in Venezuela regarding the stand-off between embattled President Nicolás Maduro and National Assembly head Juan Guaido, who has declared himself interim President.

Representatives from the main countries and international organisations that hold a neutral position toward Venezuela have been invited to

the Uruguay meeting.

Conference hosts Uruguay and Mexico said the purpose of the conference is to establish a basis for a new dialogue mechanism that includes all the forces in Venezuela to help restore peace.

As the US has continued signalling that military options are not off the table, the Lima Group of Latin American countries and Canada – while supporting Guaido – on Tuesday emphasised support for peaceful transition through political and diplomatic means minus military use of force. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

3 killed, several wounded in Haiti pre-Carnival celebrations

A

t least three people, including a Police Officer were killed and several others injured in separate incidents during pre-Carnival activities, the National Police of Haiti (PNH) reported on Tuesday.

PNH deputy spokesman, Inspector Gary Desrosiers, said that during the pre-Carnival activities in Port-au-Prince, on Sunday two people were shot dead including the Policeman.

He said another per-

son was found dead in in Pétion-Ville. The PNH said that 30 people, including 20 from the capital, were also injured, including 11 who were seriously wounded.

Desrosiers said Police Officer Pierre Mackendy, 39, who was assigned to the Police station in Port-auPrince, died after he was shot during a gun battle with an unidentified person.

He said despite being rushed to hospital, the Police died and that the un-

identified gunman was later fatally shot by another Policeman. The PNH deputy spokesman said that several people had been detained for questioning as a result of the shootings which he described as “a very unfortunate incident”.

Desrosiers said that an estimated 400 Police Officers had been deployed to ensure the safety of people during the pre-Carnival activities on Sunday. (Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, february 7, 2019

17

Around the World

Germany’s Cabinet approves revision More than 20 trapped in South Africa mine to Nazi-era abortion law A G

ermany’s cabinet has approved a revision to the country’s controversial, Nazi-era abortion law, a move that – pending parliamentary approval – would allow doctors and medical associations to provide women with more information about where and how to seek abortions.

Under the current law – paragraph 219a of Germany’s criminal code – doctors are prohibited from advertising abortion services or providing information about abortions on their websites. German law allows abortions during the first trimester, but uses various measures, such as the advertising ban, which came into force in 1933, to in effect discourage women from obtaining them.

Should the Bundestag pass the revisions that were approved on Wednesday, doctors

would be able to inform patients that they performed abortions, while the German Medical Association would also be allowed to compile a list of doctors and hospitals that offered the procedure. In addition, doctors would be able to link to further information and online resources about abortion procedures.

The current debate about the provision Women stage a protest against paragraph 219a of Germany’s abortion law was revived last year in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin when the gynaecologist Angela Merkel’s Christian have called the law outdated Dr Kristina Hänel was fined €6,000 (£5200) for listing Democratic Union wanted and for it to be scrapped enabortion services on her web- the law to stay on the books, tirely.

In addition to the changes site and providing information arguing it helped discourage women who might be underegarding information about about the procedure. Hänel, who has since become a vocal cided from going through abortions, the compromise opponent of the law, vowed to with terminating a preg- would raise the age for which fight her charges to the coun- nancy. But the centre-left insurance companies must Social Democrats, as well as provide free contraceptives try’s highest court if need be.

Conservatives within the Greens and Left parties, from 20 to 22. (The Guardian)

t least 22 people are trapped underground at a coal mine in South Africa following a gas explosion, local media report.

Emergency staff were at the Gloria mine in Mpumalanga province, but it was too risky for them to try and rescue the trapped group because of a lack of electricty, the local Middelburg Observer news site reported.

The 22 were believed to be part of a group of 42 who had been trying to steal electrical cables. from the underground mine outside Middelburg town, 165km (100 miles) east of the main city of Johannesburg, when the blast occurred, South Africa’s Business Day newspaper reported on its website.

Twenty of the group managed to return above ground, but the rest remained

trapped, it added. The government’s Department of Mineral Resources said it had dispatched a team of inspectors to the mine.

“The mine is currently not operational,” it said in a statement quoted by the IOL news site. Those trapped were believed to be Lesotho nationals, the news site added.

Many people from Lesotho work in mines in South Africa.

The Gloria mine is part of the Optimum Coal assets, which the controversial Gupta family bought in 2016.

Business Day reports that they were put into business rescue about a year ago, which is a process that allows for the restructuring of companies in financial distress.

The paper adds that many workers had not been paid since October and have not turned up for work since December. (BBC News)

At least 2 killed after building collapses Climate change: World heading for warmest decade, says Met Office in Turkey’s Istanbul an official

A

t least two people were killed and six wounded after an eight-storey residential building collapsed in Istanbul on Wednesday, the governor’s office said.

It was not immediately clear why the building, in the Kartal district on the Asian side of the city, had collapsed.

Istanbul Governor Emergency teams pulled at least three people out alive as crowds surrounded the site Ali Yerlikaya told reoperating without a licence. ters to the site, state-owned porters at the site that 43 people were regis- The chairman for Turkey’s Anadolu agency reported.

Emergency teams pulled tered in 14 apartments at Disaster and Emergency Authority at least three people out the address, but that the Management top three floors of the build- (AFAD) said search and alive as crowds surrounded ing had been built illegally. rescue operations were un- the site. Roads leading to Yerlikaya also said there derway. President Tayyip the building were blocked was a textile workshop on Erdogan sent the interi- by vehicles and crowds.

(Reuters) the ground floor that was or and environment minis-

T

he world is in the middle of what is likely to be the warmest 10 years since records began in 1850, say scientists. The Met Office is forecasting that temperatures for each of the next five years are likely to be one degree Celsius or more above pre-industrial levels.

In the next five years there’s also a chance we’ll see a year in which the average global temperature rise could be greater than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

That’s seen as a critical threshold for climate change. If the data matches the forecast, then the decade from 2014-2023 will be the warmest in more than 150 years of record keeping.

The Met Office says that 2015 was the first year in which the global annual av-

erage surface temperature reached one degree Celsius above the pre-industrial level, which is generally taken to mean the temperatures between 1850 and 1900.

Each year since then, the global average has hovered close to or above the one degree Celsius mark. Now, the Met Office says that trend is likely to continue or increase over the next five years.

Last October, UN scien-

tists published a special report on the long-term impacts of a temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius. They concluded that it would take a massive carbon cutting effort to keep the world from tipping over the limit by 2030. The Met Office analysis now says there’s a 10 per cent chance of this happening within the next five years. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Taliban and Afghan groups find UN warns against politicising common ground in landmark talks humanitarian aid in Venezuela

T

T

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai speaks at the Moscow conference

he Taliban and top Afghan powerbrokers have ended two days of landmark talks in Moscow with a broad but vague statement of shared principles, whose content was perhaps less important than the fact of the meeting itself.

As the departure of US troops draws nearer, the insurgents have refused to meet the Afghan Government, which they denounce as a puppet regime.

But in Moscow they talked, ate and prayed with the powerful men

who have fought against them on the battlefield, served in past governments and aspire to rule in Kabul again.

The delegation from Kabul included a former President, Hamid Karzai, an aspiring one, Hanif Atmar, and only two women. It was the closest the Taliban had come to acknowledging that swathes of the population opposed to their rule will also need representatives at the table for any peace talks.

Karzai said a nine-point agreement that was adopted late on

Wednesday at Moscow’s President hotel included calls for “peace, stability and an Afghanistan free of foreign forces”.

The Taliban’s lead negotiator Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, in a statement to the press, described the meeting as “very successful – we managed to agree on a lot of points”.

The Afghan Government did not attend the talks and Wednesday’s vague agreement glossed over most thorny details, including any possible timetable for a western withdrawal from the country. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

he United Nations warned on Wednesday against using aid as a pawn in Venezuela after the United States sent food and medicine to the country’s border and accused President Nicolás Maduro of blocking its delivery with trucks and shipping containers.

US officials said trucks carrying aid had arrived in Colombia for delivery to Venezuela at the request of Juan Guaido, who last month declared himself interim President.

“The Venezuelan people desperately need humanitarian aid.

The US and other countries are trying to help, but Venezuela’s military under Maduro’s orders is blocking aid with trucks and shipping tankers,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted on Twitter on Wednesday, along with a photo of a blocked road.

Maduro’s Government has denied that there is a humanitarian crisis, blaming economic problems on sanctions. Venezuela is struggling with hunger, preventable diseases and hyperinflation forecast at 10 million per cent in 2019.

Maduro said on Monday that Venezuelans were “not beggars” and he would not let the country be humiliated. The United States could attempt to seek the approval of the United Nations Security Council to deliver aid without Maduro’s cooperation, but Russia would likely block such a move.

“Humanitarian action needs to be independent of political, military or other objectives,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

Some three million Venezuelans have fled the crisis, the United Nations has said.(Excerpt from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, february 7, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

dilbert

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Focus on what you can accomplish instead of dwelling on the impossible.

Taking a unique path will be entertaining and exciting, but don’t let it turn into a costly lesson.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Relationships will be confusing. Keep an open mind, but don’t let anyone railroad you into something that isn’t in your best interest. A proposal is only worthwhile if it’s profit-focused.

CANCER

Push to do things that are creative and entertaining and bring out the best in you. A personal change will lift your spirits when someone special compliments you. Romance is highlighted.

A networking function or a friend will make you aware of an opportunity that can help you use your skills and experience in new and exciting ways. Follow through and see what happens.

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

WORD GAME

Making personal improvements and gathering information and facts will lead to positive changes in your personal life. Take on responsibilities that will encourage advancement and a better future.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

A change will do you good. Visit a place you haven’t been before or reconnect with an old friend at a reunion. The experience you have will change the way you move forward.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Get out with friends.

Surround yourself with people who appreciate who you are and what you have to offer. Take care of your responsibilities, but distance yourself from demanding individuals.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Follow your dreams. Be open to new ideas and ways of doing things. A change of location or a trip to somewhere new and unfamiliar will spark your imagination.

SUDOKU

Don’t let anyone get away SAGITTARIUS with stretching the truth. Be (Nov. 23ready to offer the facts and Dec. 21) do your best to bring about positive change. Do the right thing.

YESTERDAY’S WORD

solution for YESTERDAY’s puzzle

Make relationships a priCAPRICORN ority. Do your best to include (Dec. 22- the people you care about Jan. 19) most in your plans. Someone from your past will bring back old memories. Don’t give in to temptation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Rethink your strategy and make sure that you have done everything according to the rules. Moderation should be implemented into everything you do to avoid waste or loss.

Set the record straight and honor promises. What you do to help others will set the stage for what’s to come.

Play fair and aim to keep things equal

THURsdAY, february 7, 2019

19

Farias proud of Eagles’ journey T

– looks forward to 2020

he Rupununi Eagles’ bid to be crowned Copa Das Cachoerias (Waterfall Cup) champions came to an end as they were knocked out in the semi-finals, losing to defending champions Nacional 2-3 in the U-17 Youth Cup in Manaus, Brazil.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Rupununi Football Association (RFA) President Rayan Farias, when asked how the RFA felt about the performance of the team, said, “The Association believes that the team performed excellent and showed great passion and character throughout the tournament. It was an excellent link for better things to come, not only for Rupununi but for Guyana at large. It motivated all in the Rupununi; hence, we will definitely be taking up the challenge annually. We acknowledge the hard work and effort of Mr Ken Grant and Franklyn Parks for nurturing this team in just under two weeks. It is never an easy task, but these gentlemen did their utmost best and the Association is extremely grateful.”

Farias also stated that in terms of their semi-final knockout, there was generally no

issue with the team as they went onto the field and put on a positive performance, while acknowledging that there was room for improvement.

He also stated that there is need to be more consistent on the pitch and improve the defence of the team holistically.

Farias noted that the team made three major defensive errors in the semi-final that allowed their opponents to capitalize, and the Head Coach did warn on numerous occasions that the Eagles could not afford such crucial mistakes. Thus, he said, it was important that the team continued to be nurtured.

Farias also noted that the experience was definitely a positive one and the Association was encouraged to attempt the venture again as they look forward to participating come 2020. The launching of the RFA Champions League is scheduled for February 20, therefore, the Association would like to appeal and welcome the business community and any stakeholder on board.

In closing, Farias said, “We would like to sell our football for the world to see and we

YWCC set to launch 5/5 one-day tournament on February 24

F

or the first time, 10 Second-Division teams will vie for the coveted prize of $60,000 and a trophy as the Young Warriors Cricket Club (YWCC), home to West Indies batting star Shimron Hetmyer, will host a one-day five overs per side competition at the Cumberland Ground, East Canje, Berbice on February 24, 2019.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Satanand Mahabir, one of the coordinators of the event, stated that the main aim of the event was to rebuild the quality of the YWCC, while bringing entertainment to the communities and showcasing the high level of talent that the club produces. The YWCC are also set to launch their Mash Cup 2019 on February 23 after a two-year absence.

The action will kick start the jampacked day at 09:00h sharp

as the home team, Rose Hall Canje, Kendall Union, No 19, Gangaram, Reliance, Adelphi, Good Banana Land, Edinburgh and Tucber 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 finish-

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

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.

Some of the entities on board for this event are ANSA McAL Trading under their Stag Beer brand, Sue Brothers Restaurant, Sham Beer Garden, Dave Impressive Signs, Terrence Gold Shop, Jim Bacchus Travel Service, BA Satar and Sons, and Homeline Furnishing.

can only do that by building networks and partnerships with our business community.

The RFA sees their role as crucial for the development of our football. The Association is now turning our attention to the U-15 male team, Tabatinga FC who will be representing RFA in the Pele Alumni Frank Watson tournament and to have our annual RFA Champions League 2019 managed smoothly. We are hoping that this year will be bigger and better. We have seen an increase in the number of clubs registering and this is a positive sign. We thank our immediate sponsors – Cindy's Bus Service, Churek Transport and Tours, Guyana Football Federation and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs for sponsoring the Rupununi Eagles on their campaign in Brazil and we look forward for their continuous support.”

RFA President Rayan Farias

Gafoors continues 66-year tradition G

afoors since 1953 has been designing and printing year-end calendars that pay tribute to outstanding performers in their fields of endeavour.

Their 2019 calendar consists of 12 fulllength pages featuring 12 outstanding Guyanese cricketers from as far back as Robert Christiani to the evergreen Shiv Chanderpaul.

Also featured are the Demerara Cricket Club’s favourite sons – Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, Roy Fredericks, and Roger Harper.

S a l e s Manager at Gafoors’ new mega-mall at McDoom, East Bank Demerara, Premdatt Narine, will

be at the Demerara Cricket Club Ground today at 13:30h to present a number of these calendars to the club’s President, Roger Harper.

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

THURsdAY, february 7, 2019

CONCACAF Nations League qualifiers…

26-man team shortlisted by GFF

Real earn draw against Barca in El Clasico

– Pollard on board as Assistant Coach

T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is moving full steam ahead with preparations for its final CONCACAF Nations League match against Belize on March 23, 2019 as the Federation has released a 26-man Guyana-based Golden Jaguars squad that has been shortlisted, at the Leonora Track and Field Facility.

The squad includes three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and nine forwards who have been shortlisted from an initial 35-man squad that has been in training for the last two weeks.

Former national defender Charles Pollard, who has been appointed Assistant

Coach and has been working with the team, said the shortlisted squad was solid while noting “players being able to perform at a high level under instruction” was among the criteria used for selection.

The team will be engaged in an eightweek weekly training programme before the final squad is announced to engage Belize. Pollard said that the time should be good to enable the team to be in shape for final selection.

“In the next eight weeks, it will give everyone a level playing field and an equal chance to make the final 23. Fitness, developing their football IQ, awareness

and tactical soundness will be the focus,” the former national player stated.

For his part, Pollard was happy to be back in the national setup and contributing to football development in Guyana: “I’m excited to go work with the team; it’s a very good group of guys. I will share all the knowledge that I’ve got.

They are very excited to be part of the programme, so I’m looking forward to a good eight-week preparation and, at the end of the preparation, the best guys will be selected.”

Meanwhile, Head Coach Michael Johnson is expected to arrive in Guyana this Friday for an initial nine-day visit to participate in the national team’s training, and plan for the match against Belize. While here, he is also scheduled to view the GFF Elite League Play-offs scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, the GFF-Pele Alumni Frank Watson U-15 InterAssociation Tournament finals, and the Golden Jaguars’ training match against the Regional Member Associations’ teams.

Victory in this CONCACAF Nations League match is crucial to ensure Guyana qualify for their first-ever Gold Cup, and will be advantageous for not only the players but the country as a whole. GFF President Wayne Forde has, therefore, requested full national support, including corporate and fan engagement, to ensure the successful hosting of the match.

The CONCACAF Gold Cup brings together the top national teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and is broadcast live across the Region. As such, the tournament would provide a significant platform for Guyanese football talent to showcase their skills on the international stage.

To date, Guyana are eighth on the points table following the penalisation of Barbados for fielding ineligible players against Guyana resulting in the match being awarded to Guyana by a 3-0 margin.

R

Lucas Vazquez scores the opener for Real Madrid

eal Madrid went to Barcelona and got a 1-1 draw Wednesday in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal. It was an early goal from Lucas Vazquez that gave Los Blancos the all-important away goal, as Malcolm equalized for Barca in the second half. Lionel Messi started this one on the bench but entered in the second half, causing a bit of trouble but Los Blancos' defense managed to hold on in a backand-forth battle.

Real will take this any day, especially with how inconsistent Los Blancos have been. They would have liked to get the win considering they didn't have to worry about Messi for the first hour, but it sets the team up well nicely for the second leg at the end of the month.

Both teams had 11 shots, while three of Barca's went on frame to Real's two. But Real Madrid did enough, especially defensively.

The defenders, led by Raphael Varane, managed to time their tackles well and force Barca to take shots from outside the box.

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas

came up with a huge save on Luis Suarez in the first half, and Real returns home with confidence.

This match was there for the taking for Real, and part of that was because of how poor Barca was at right back.

Recent performances saw Nelson Semedo get the start, and though he's been good as of late, he was caught too far up the field in this one, allowing Vinicius Junior what felt like miles of room down the left. Luckily for Barca, Vinicius' shooting and passing was off more than it was on. But that space given down the left, it won't be there in the second leg once Ernesto Valverde views the footage of the match.

This one is far from decided. You've still got to have Barca as the favorite assuming Messi starts the second leg, but this is a fine position for Real to be in if you consider that the team's first trip to the Camp Nou this season ended in a 5-1 loss. We'll see how big the away goal plays in the tie, but now the club just has to take care of business at home to be through to the cup final. They'll meet again on Feb. 27.

GCB senior female Inter-county T20…

Berbice, Select U-19 to clash in 1st of 2 matches at Everest today – Demerara, Essequibo battle in afternoon showdown be looking to replicate their performances. Their opponents will be the upbeat GCB Select Under-19 team, which thumped Essequibo in their 50-over match.

GCB Select Under-19 ended with five points in the 50over tournament along with Demerara but the latter had the better net run rate of 3.57. Shabika Gajnabi will be leading the team

that features star performers in Cherry An Fraser, Mandy Mangru and Africa Gentle.

Meanwhile, Demerara will be aiming to brush aside the Essequibo team that lost both of their matches in the 50-over tournament.

The Demerara team have the fire-power in Akaze Thompson and Temica Wilson, who both scored

Sheneta Grimmond

T

he best females in the country will continue to showcase their talent when the T20 segment of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) female senior inter-county tournament continues.

In the 50-over edition, Berbice won their sixth title, emerging victorious in both of their matches to

end with nine points. The overwhelming favourites, Berbice will play their first T20 match at Everest starting from 09:30h against the GCB Select Under-19.

In the other fixture scheduled to play after the Berbice and Select Under-19 clash at the same Everest venue, Demerara will clash with the Essequibo team.

The Berbice team will be led by Tremayne Smartt and her deputy will be Erva Giddings. Both Smartt and Giddings had five-wicket hauls and captured playerof-the-match awards in the 50-over tournament.

The Berbicians will be aiming for a smooth transition into the shorter format of the game and they will

Action from the Select Under-19 and Berbice 50-over clash (Brandon Corlette photos)

centuries. In Essequibo’s dull performances in the 50-over contest, there have been glimpses of promise, in Captain Lisa Charles, who is no joke with the bat in hand. The fairly young team will play the experienced Demerara team in the second of the double-header fixture at the Everest Cricket Club. (Brandon Corlette)

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21

FIFA President Gianni Infantino set for 2nd term

G

ianni Infantino is set for a second term as president of FIFA after soccer’s global governing body confirmed that no other candidate had put themselves forward for June’s election.

With no other presidential confirming their candidacy on Wednesday, the 48-year-old will now stand unopposed in the 5th June election being held in Paris ahead of this year’s Women’s World Cup. Infantino has served as FIFA president since February 2016, when he succeeded the disgraced Sepp Blatter.

Last week, former Swiss international footballer Ramon Vega said he was considering launching a campaign to run against Infantino for FIFA presidency but, as with his former bid in 2015, he did not gain the backing of the minimum five associations from the body’s 211 members.

Since being appointed as FIFA president, Infantino has introduced plans to expand the World Cup from 32 teams to 48 for its 2026 edition, which will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada. It remains a possibility that the expansion could be brought forward for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with a decision expected in March.

Infantino had also announced plans to revamp FIFA’s Club World Cup competition, with a re-

ported US$25 billion pledge made towards the tournament by a combination of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund and the United Arab Emirates. That plan was shelved in November 2018 but is set to be revisited at the upcoming FIFA Council meeting next month.

During his reign, much of the reform Infantino promised after succeeding Blatter has failed to materialise. There are also doubts whether an expanded FIFA Council to replace the tainted executive committee is really a big step forward. He is also alleged to have watered down FIFA’s ethics code and reduced the ability of the body’s semi-independent FIFA President Gianni Infantino shares a light moment with US President post-2016 corruption scandal re- Donald Trump form processes to operate. and Navi Pillay.

Miguel Maduro, the former chairman of the Last year Infantino offended supporters of governance committee, another in FIFA’s new women’s soccer by attending a match in Tehran supposedly independent structure, was fired at from which women were barred, and angered the 2017 Bahrain congress. That move also led to African officials with moves that they felt were protest resignations of three members of the govdesigned to hamstring a Moroccan bid to host the ernance committee: Joseph Weiler, Ron Popper 2026 World Cup. (Sportspromedia)

Antigua pitch faces ICC Nantes demand transfer fee from Cardiff City for sanction in wake of Emiliano Sala Windies series win

W

est Indies are braced for the possibility of another ICC sanction ahead of the final Test of the series against England.

Just days after Jason Holder, West Indies’ captain, was suspended from playing in the final Test due to his side’s slow over-rate in Antigua, there are concerns that the ICC match referee, Jeff Crowe, will decide that the pitch used in the game was not up to Stuart Broad removed standard. delivery The match ended in three days with variable bounce evident throughout, although officials at CWI remain hopeful that the fact West Indies batted for 131 overs and scored more than 300 runs in their first innings showed the pitch was not so bad.

Nevertheless, several batsmen were struck on the hands or body and a couple more received unplayable deliveries. Roston Chase, for example, was bowled by a short ball that kept impossibly low, while Joe Root was dismissed by one that lifted sharply to take him on the glove.

By the time the game ended, England’s keeper, Ben Foakes, had gone for a scan on an injured hand - it showed no fracture while Darren Bravo, who made a match-defining half-century, lifted his shirt to show spectators the bruises he had sustained during the innings.

England coach, Trevor Bayliss, had said the surface “wasn’t the greatest wicket we’ve ever seen in world cricket”.

“It looked to me as if you had to be careful of the ball leaping off a length,” he said.

Bravo also admitted “it wasn’t the best”.

Pitches deemed to be ‘unfit’ are given five demerit points, ‘poor’ pitches are given three points and ‘below average’ strips are

Emiliano Sala completed his move to Cardiff from Nantes three days before he went missing

Roston Chase’s off stump with a knuckle-ball

given one demerit point. Any ground which receives five demerit points over a five-year period will be banned from hosting internationals for 12 months. They can be banned for two years if they receive 10.

That could prove especially problematic as Antigua is pencilled in - the venues are not confirmed - to host a Test against India in August. The other Test venue for that series is likely to be Trinidad.

In 2009, another Test against England at the Sir Vivian Richards Ground was abandoned after 10 deliveries due to an unfit outfield.

While an ‘unfit’ verdict on the recent wicket seems most unlikely, a ‘below average’ one is not.

Coming on the heels of the Holder decision, any further sanction, if confirmed by the ICC, will do little to dissuade some of the view that nations outside the ‘Big Three’ of India, Australia and England are more harshly treated.

On Tuesday, Dave Cameron, CWI’s president, described the Holder sanction as a “crippling decision” that threatened to overshadow West Indies’ series victory, and called on the ICC to modify the rule.

(ESPNcricinfo)

C

Emiliano Sala

ardiff City have been left shocked and dismayed after Nantes demanded the first instalment of the transfer fee for Emiliano Sala, who was on board a plane that went missing a little over a fortnight ago.

It is understood that Cardiff received a letter from Nantes on Tuesday, in which the French club threatened to take legal action if the first scheduled payment is not received within the next 10 days.

Although Nantes were entitled to the first slice of Sala’s £15m fee by now, there is a sense of disbe-

lief at Cardiff given the circumstances and the timing.

The plane that Sala was travelling on was only discovered on Sunday and the Air Accident Investigation Branch has not said whether the body spotted in the wreckage, which was found on the seabed, is that of the Argentinian striker or David Ibbotson, the pilot.

Nantes emailed Cardiff last Thursday in relation to the payment terms and the Welsh club’s failure to transfer the first of three instalments. They then followed up that message five days later with a more direct demand that referenced possible legal action.

From Cardiff’s point of view, the priority is to establish all the facts around the tragedy. There is no suggestion that the Welsh club will not meet their contractual obligations, but at the moment there is a desire and determination to gather all the relevant information first – and that could mean waiting until an official investigation is completed. (The

Guardian)

22

thursdAY, february 7, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Archery Guyana discusses future endeavours with Director of Sport Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, right, receives the updated requisite documents from Archery Guyana President Mohamed Khan in the presence of Director/ Secretary General Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon

Magnum Cup 2019…

6 teams record wins on Day 2 of tournament

T

A

rchery Guyana continues to maintain a strong relationship with the National Sports Commission (NSC) in order to facilitate the growth and development of the sport.

In its most recent interaction, Archery Guyana President Mohamed Khan and Secretary Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon paid a courtesy call to Director of Sport, Christopher Jones at the NSC to discuss plans, initiatives and the direction that Archery Guyana will be heading in.

During this visit, the pair from Archery Guyana updated the Director of Sport on the progress of the body as they discussed their development plans, including the proposed Junior Archery Programme, Schools Programme and Para-Archery Programme.

Archery Guyana took the opportunity to advise the Director of Sport of its plans to host an

International Olympic Archery Judges Seminar in collaboration with World Archery Americas. It was agreed that this would benefit many Guyanese and has the potential to lift Guyana’s profile in the international sporting community. At the end of this Seminar, Archery Guyana intends to host an International Archery Competition.

Among some of the conclusions that were drawn in the audience with the Director of Sport, a consensus was arrived at to pursue greater outreach programmes in collaboration.

It was also agreed that Archery Guyana would endeavour to take outdoor archery to other facilities outside the capital city with the possibility of collaborating to develop archery in all regions of Guyana.

Additionally, the Director of Sport confirmed arrangements were in place

for Archery Guyana to have access to the National Gymnasium for indoor archery and to the Leonora Track and Field Facility for outdoor archery.

The Director and Archery Guyana agreed to collaborate to build a stronger working relationship in promoting and developing the novel sport for the benefit of all Guyanese.

The Directors of Archery Guyana committed to continuing to maintain the highest standards of governance and transparency in all their activities.

In this regard, Khan took the opportunity to lay over a copy of Archery Guyana’s recent Audited Financial Statement duly audited by an external auditor pursuant to NSC requirements and other supporting documents, thereby being the first sporting body in Guyana to comply with the 2019 requirements.

he second edition of the Magnum Cup followed up Saturday’s action at the National Gymnasium with nine competitive matches that saw only six teams claiming wins.

Good Life scored the first win of the night when they defeated BV-B 2-0 in the opening match. A goal each from Nicholas MacArthur and Jermaine Tinch was exactly what the doctor prescribed as Good Life secured their first points of the tournament following their defeat to North East La Penitence in Saturday’s encounter.

In the match that followed, Kingston produced a shocker as they defeated the mighty Avocado Ballers 1-0 thanks to the efforts of R Hing, who found the back of the net in the fourth minute.

From there on, Kingston defended well to keep the Ballers at bay for the rest of the night.

Rhythm Ballers were the next team to taste victory as they registered a 1-0 win over Tiger Bay. In their quest for victory, Rhythm

Part of the ongoing action in the Magnum Cup 2019

Ballers had their work cut out for them as Tiger Bay were no walkover; however, everything changed when Wendell Joseph scored in the 14th minute of the game to hand the Ballers victory.

Gold is Money then needled Stabroek Ballers in the fourth game of the night as the early scoring encounter saw Gold is Money walk away with a 2-1 victory. The game opened with Gold is Money asserting their dominance as Colin Nelson and Randolph Wagner scored in the fourth and sixth minute respectively. Stabroek Ballers’ Daniel Gibson was able to score the lone reply in the seventh minute as Gold is Money tightened their defence to stop the Ballers from ending the game in a draw.

It was no surprise when Sophia outplayed Silver Bullets 3-1 as Dwayne McLennon, Simeon Moore and Shemroy Arthur scored goals in quick succession in the 4th, 16th and 18th minute respectively to put the victory beyond doubt despite a consolation goal from Colwyn Drakes in the 14th

minute.

The next match saw BV-B lose their second match of the night as they handed the victory to Back Circle 1-0. The goal was scored thanks to the efforts of Selwyn Williams, who found the back of the net in the 10th minute.

When California Square met Capital Strikers, Sparta took on Gaza Squad and Bent Street went against Melanie – all three matches ended with a nil-all scoreline. The action continues on Saturday, February 9 at the same venue as ANSA McAL take on Agricola, Sophia meet Rhythm Ballers, Stabroek Ballers try to match moves with Capital Strikers, Melanie tackle Kingston and Showstoppers line up against Island AllStars. In the second half of the night, North Ruimveldt try their luck against Mocha, Alexander Village challenge Hustlers, Silver Bullets go head to head with Tiger Bay, and Back Circle battle North East La Penitence while Gold is Money face California Square in the final fixture.

World number one withdraws from Qatar Open with back injury

Naomi Osaka

N

aomi Osaka beat Petra Kvitova in the Australian Open final in January to become world number one World number one Naomi Osaka has pulled out of next week's Qatar Open with a back injury.

It was scheduled to be

the Japanese's first tournament since triumphing in the Australian Open in January to win back-toback Grand Slam titles.

"I am sorry to have to withdraw from Doha this year as I was looking forward to playing and seeing my fans there," the

21-year-old said in a statement.

"I wish everyone a great week and hope to see everyone next year."

Osaka has previously suffered with a back injury, missing October's Hong Kong Open with the problem. (BBC Sport)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURsDAY, february 7, 2019

23

England need to find a way in unfamiliar choppy waters of St Lucia N

ot for the first time England find themselves in a bit of a pickle in St Lucia. They have never played a Test here but they have been involved in two significant World Cup matches on the island with contrasting outcomes.

In 2007 England were comfortably beaten by New Zealand by six wickets in their first 50-over game. Well, that happens and it is a match long since forgotten unlike the immediate aftermath of that defeat, which involved Freddie Flintoff, a pedalo and the subsequent headline “Prats of the Caribbean”.

Flintoff had just led England’s Ashes expedition, losing the Test series 5-0, yet was a key member of the side that won the oneday series. He had been drinking excessively on that tour to the extent that Duncan Fletcher, head coach at the time, had to abandon one practice for fear of injuring his still-inebriated captain with another skier.

In the West Indies, Flintoff was vice-captain to Michael Vaughan.

In their first match of the tournament Flintoff had been dismissed first ball – though he had subsequently taken a brilliant catch and bowled a very economical spell.

Afterwards his determination to stay in his room at Rodney Bay, where England are staying now, wilted.

By 1.30am he was well lubricated and he subsequently revealed – to Piers Morgan on TV – that he then decided to get on a pedalo in search of the boat Ian Botham was staying on in order to share a nightcap with him. This ambitious plan did not work out quite as hoped and the following day a hungover Flintoff was hauled into

a meeting by a furious Fletcher and then into a press conference for a public shaming.

So England will prefer the current sort of crisis in which they find themselves in St Lucia, which stems only from bad play rather than bad behaviour. There is no need to recall the cricket director Ashley Giles, chief executive Tom Harrison or chief selector Ed Smith to the Caribbean to sort it all out since the problems are merely cricketing.

Trevor Bayliss and Joe Root can deal with them. This should be of some comfort to the England setup, though there is an alternative view: this squad is as conscientious as they come; they train with a dedication that occasionally verges upon obsession. They are not malingerers. And yet they are still playing so poorly.

Back in 2007 the World Cup expedition was doomed, as Andrew Strauss recalled: “The negative publicity that surrounded that week with camera phone pictures being sold to the newspapers sounded the death knell for what was already a futile bid to win the World Cup. We performed pitifully in every respect throughout the tournament.”

In 2010 the situation was rosier by some distance. England played the World T20 semi-final at what was then the Beausejour cricket ground – it has been renamed the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in honour of St Lucia’s only Test cricketer, one of just three West Indies players born on the island – and they strolled to victory against Sri Lanka by six wickets.

They went on to win the tournament in Barbados three days later after defeating Australia just as

comfortably.

Can this England squad take any solace from that? Before the tournament there was a problem at the top of the order, a familiar headache, and it was resolved rather brilliantly by tossing the wildcards, Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter together. And somehow this worked with Kevin Pietersen, the man of the tournament, batting superbly at No 3.

If only it was so easy to resolve England’s current difficulties. In the short-form game it is possible to carpe the diem, to ride on the crest of a wave for three weeks and end up as world champions, which is what England managed so well in 2010. The demands of Test cricket are more rigorous; there is so much more time for structural weaknesses to be revealed; there is no hiding place. It is possible

– just – that Rory Burns and Joe Denly will morph into a substantial opening pair but they will need more than a surge of momentum to do that.

They will be assisted by the fact that the West Indies attack will be weaker in St Lucia because of the suspension of their captain, Jason Holder, a decision that makes the game look ridiculous. There are those who proclaim “them’s the rules”. Would they say the same to a motorist speeding towards a hospital with a sick child in the back seat? It’s all about context, or it should be, rather than a rigid application of the regulations. The match in Antigua finished on the third afternoon with more than two days to spare. If any spectators were short-changed it was because of the ineptitude of the England batsmen rather than the slowness

of the West Indian over rate.

We all prefer brisk over rates.

But the simple truth is that in the vast majority of cases the days when overs are left unbowled have produced riveting cricket because of the comings and goings of batsmen; on drab 260 for two days the over rate is usually more than acceptable.

There are enough officials at a Test to distinguish between a deliberate slowing of over rates in an attempt to save a game and a fall in the rate as one side press for victory with pace bowlers. The latter might lead to a substantial fine, if necessary, the former to a suspension. It is not difficult for an old cricketer to make that judgment. Holder’s absence diminishes England’s first ever Test in St Lucia, a gross injustice at Gros Islet. (The Guardian)

2018-2019 CWI Regional 4-Day Tournament…

Jaguars seeking rebound victory after 2 losses – Joseph returns to squad for Scorpions clash

By Brandon Corlette

I

n search of ending their two-match losing streak, the Guyana Jaguars team will meet the Jamaica Scorpions in their seventh-round clash, at the National Stadium, Providence, Guyana.

Rayon Griffith

Jaguars, who are currently the table leaders with 92 points, will play the fifth- placed Jamaica Scorpions.

Speaking on the eve of the seventhround clash, Guyana Jaguars Head Coach Rayon Griffith stated that the Jaguars team are in a positive mind-set despite

their losses.

Griffith, who was appointed Head Coach after Esuan Crandon departed to take up Windies Assistant Coach duties, lamented the chances dropped by the Jaguars in both of their losses.

“We drop some critical catches and we paid the price, the players that were dropped got big scores” were some of the sentiments Griffith shared. The Head Coach also called for the batsmen to correct their errors, bat in partnerships and score healthy first innings totals to set up the game.

Jaguars will be without their second leading fast bowler. Keemo Paul has departed for Windies Test duties. Griffith added that Paul would be missed, but the bench was capable enough to provide for the team. The likes of returning fast bowler Keon Joseph may be called to deliver the goods. The 13-man Jaguars squad are capable of finding their feet on winning. The Head Coach is backing the players to regain control this season. The right-arm fast bowler Joseph, who has 40 First-Class matches, will be looking for two more wickets to complete his 100- wicket milestone.

With the Jaguars Captain, Leon Johnson not scoring so far, Griffith is confident that he will come to the party with significant scores in the upcoming matches. The Jaguars respect the Scorpions team which includes former Jaguars middle-order batsman Assad Fuddadin. Jamaica will be led by Peter Palmer, but the international players

in Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton, Jermaine Blackwood and Jerome Taylor will be heavily relied on to impact the game.

Fuddadin will be aiming to prove his worth as a player, having returning home to play for another nation. This season, the left-handed batsman, who hails from the cricket-loving town of Rose Hall Town, has played four matches, scoring 249 runs at an average of 35 with a high score of 81.

Guyana Amazon Warriors player Walton is the leading run scorer for Jamaica this season; he has 406 runs with a highest score of 125, averaging 40. Walton will be aiming to capitalise on the familiar conditions at Providence where he plays T20 cricket for the Amazon Warriors.

The dangerous Blackwood, who scored a half-century in Jamaica’s last-round onewicket win against Hurricanes, will be a batsman that has the ability to counter-attack. The likes of Rovman Powell and Brandon King, who has two half-centuries thus far, will also be in search of some runs. In Jamaica’s last-round match against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, the player of the match was Jerome Taylor, who is fresh from a nine-wicket match haul, including 5-28.

Guyana Jaguars have never

been in the position of suffering two defeats in as many matches and the match starting today will be a cracking encounter. First ball will be bowled from 09:30h Eastern Caribbean time.

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

Raymon Reifer

THURsdAY, february 7, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

England need to find a way in unfamiliar choppy waters of St Lucia Page 23

2018-2019 CWI Regional 4-Day Tournament…

CONCACAF Nations League qualifiers…

Jaguars seeking rebound 26-man team victory after 2 losses shortlisted

by GFF

Page 23

– Joseph returns to squad for Scorpions clash

Page 20

Charles Pollard during his time in the national team

– Pollard on board as Assistant Coach

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