Guyana Times - Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Govt working P15 to tackle unemployment among youths Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3902

THE BEACON OF TRUTH Tuesday, april 23, 2019

PRICE

Executive has some influence over Judiciary – US State Dept

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

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Corentyne P10 house burglarised – gun, ammo, jewellery and cash missing

– despite Constitution providing for independent Judiciary 4 years after inheriting project

Govt blames PPP for CJIA project delays

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Most cases of child abuse recorded on ECD – CCPA

P10

Fire razes P10 Kitty shack on Easter Sunday

New proposed structure for prisons to reduce breakouts, fights – Prisons P8 Director

Kowledsar Badrynauth, also known as “Kenny”, of Cullen, Essequibo Coast, displays his seven-foot kite at the Golden Fleece Beach, Essequibo Coast on East Monday. Also in photo are his family members and friends who are also displaying their kites

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Mother of 3 killed by overtaking truck 48-year-old man Miner executed, arrested for raping another allegedly 8-year-old niece abducted Page 9

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Hundreds of fish found dead in Essequibo P15 conservancy died from lack of oxygen – Minister

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tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Tuesday, April 23 – 05:00h-06:30h and Wednesday, April 24 – 05:00h-06:30h.

Executive has some influence over Judiciary – US State Dept

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

– despite Constitution providing for independent Judiciary

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

Tuesday, April 23 – 06:40h-08:10h and Wednesday, April 24 – 07:15h-08:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY

Sunny intervals with light rain showers can be expected throughout the day, followed by partly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures will range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 06:46 and 19:15h reaching maximum heights of 2.66 metres and 2.47 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:22h and 12:48h reaching minimum heights of 0.67 metre and 0.57 metre.

saturday, april 20, 2019

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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report from the United States (US) Department of State has raised concerns about Guyana’s legal system when it comes to settling cases, noting that many perceive the hearing of some civil matters to be unfair and in some cases, influenced.

According to the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs in its investment climate statements for 2018, the Executive appears in practice to have some influence over the judicial branch.

“Though the Constitution of Guyana provides for the independence of the Judiciary, in practice, the Executive has some influence over the judicial branch of the Government. The hearing of civil matters is a slow process and many perceive it to be unfair,” the report states.

The report acknowledges that there are no known examples of Executive interference in the court system that has adversely affected foreign investors. But it warns, however, that the judicial system is generally perceived to be slow and ineffective in enforcing legal contracts.

“Suspected corrupt practices and long delays make the courts an unattractive option for settling investment or contractual disputes, particularly for foreign investors unfamiliar with Guyana. In order to redress this obstacle to investment, the [Government of Guyana] GoG, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), established a Commercial Court in June 2006.”

But the report advises that given Guyana’s growth potential and the burgeoning oil and gas sector, there is need for expansion and strengthened capacity building efforts to be made in the near future.

According to the report, sufficient legislation exists in Guyana to support foreign investment in the country. The problem, the report notes, is the implementation of relevant legislation, which it said continues to be inadequate.

All companies should conduct due diligence and seek appropriate legal counsel for any potential questions prior to doing business in Guyana,” the report states.

The report noted that Guyana’s legal system, like most Commonwealth countries, follows the English Common Law system, with some traces of the RomanDutch legal system, particularly in the areas of land

Guyana’s Supreme Court

tenure.

“In early 2005, legislative amendments were made to allow Guyana’s accession to the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final Court of Appeal. Guyana’s Supreme Court of Judicature hears both criminal and civil matters.”

The State Department noted that judgements of other courts within the Commonwealth are considered judicial precedents if the local laws are silent on the matter.

This is similar to the no-confidence cases filed by the Government after the No-confidence Motion was passed against it last year.

Since Guyana’s Constitution makes no mention of an absolute majority being required to pass the vote, Government referenced Parliaments in other jurisdictions in a bid to reverse

the motion.

Indeed, the Court of Appeal ruled in a 2:1 split decision last month that a majority of 34 votes would have been needed to validly pass the No-confidence Motion brought against the Government last year.

While Justice Rishi Persaud had dismissed the appeal and conferred with the ruling of the High Court, his colleague appellate Judges allowed the State’s appeal.

Both Justices Yonette

Cummings-Edwards and Dawn Gregory opined that while 33 is the majority of the 65-member National Assembly, the successful passage of a no-confidence motion requires an “absolute majority” of 34, and not the “simple” majority of 33 that has been used to pass ordinary business in the House. This case has since been passed on to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), where it will come up for hearing next month.

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tuesday, april 23, 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

Saving lives through immunisation

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orld Immunisation Week will be observed in the last week of this month. The week aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against the various diseases which have been known to cause persons to become ill or die. The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Protected Together: Vaccines Work!’, and the campaign will celebrate vaccine heroes from around the world – from parents and community members to health workers and innovators – who help ensure we are all protected, at all ages, through the power of vaccines.

It is a fact that immunisation saves millions of lives every year and is widely recognised as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are still nearly 20 million unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children in the world today. Of these children, one out of 10 never receive any vaccinations, and most likely have never been seen by the health system.

Immunisation is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. In essence, immunisation is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases such as diphtheria, measles, pertussis, pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus.

The goal of World Immunisation Week 2019 is to urge greater action on immunisation around the world, with a particular focus on spotlighting the role that everyone can play in this effort, from donors to individuals.

During Vaccination Week, there are a number of activities usually planned in more than 180 countries across the world, including vaccination campaigns, training workshops, roundtable discussions, public information campaigns, etc, to raise awareness about the importance of being immunised. Like many other countries, for us in Guyana, this special week provides an opportunity to remind families and communities in general how effective vaccines can be, and to encourage people to take action to ensure that more children, and increasingly people in other age groups, are immunised against deadly and debilitating diseases.

The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) – endorsed by 194 Member States of the World Health Assembly in May 2012 – aims to prevent millions of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases by 2020 through universal access to immunisation.

Despite improvements in individual countries and a strong global rate of new vaccine introduction, all of the GVAP targets for disease elimination – including measles, rubella, and maternal and neonatal tetanus – are behind schedule, according to the WHO. In order for everyone, everywhere to survive and thrive, countries must make more concerted efforts to reach GVAP goals by 2020. Additionally, those countries that have achieved or made progress towards achieving the goals must work to sustain those efforts over time – so that no person goes without life-saving vaccines.

To achieve the kind of progress that is needed, the WHO has urged that governments invest more in immunisation efforts, advocates must make vaccines a priority, and people must get themselves and their families vaccinated.

Countries are also being urged to reach more children missed by the routine delivery systems, especially those living in countries, districts or areas where less than 80 per cent of persons are receiving vaccines or those living in countries affected by conflicts or emergencies.

That said, Guyana’s immunisation programme has been largely successful and has resulted in the eradication of illnesses such as polio, yellow fever, and measles among others diseases. We urge all stakeholders to utilise World Vaccination Week which is dedicated to immunisation to spread the message of the need to be vaccinated, especially in Guyana’s remote areas where health officials still seem to be facing some challenges.

We believe that the vaccination targets are achievable, but every stakeholder, including donors, health professionals, community leaders, school administrators and others must continue to treat the issue of immunisation seriously. There can be no room for complacency or we risk having the gains made thus far being reversed.

A group of overseas-based Guyanese spent Easter Monday in the National Park. The visting Guyanese were happy to be home and more so, to be spending time with relatives and friends (Dexter Ceres Photo)

In Venezuela, women sell hair as another way to get by V alery Diaz covered her eyes and held her breath before looking in a hair salon mirror to see herself without much of the long dark hair that used to frame her face.

The 16-year-old student was paid US$100 for the shorn hair, money she’ll use to help her family and buy a cellphone at a time when Venezuela’s sharp economic decline has led to shortages of food and medicine, and hyperinflation has made salaries nearly worthless.

Increasing numbers of women in poor neighbourhoods are selling their hair for use in wigs and extensions as the demands of daily survival force them to abandon the kind of selfcare long an obsession with a country known globally for its success in beauty pageants. Seven Miss Universe winners have been Venezuelans, as have six Miss Worlds.

Some women are washing their hair with dishwashing liquid because they can’t afford to buy shampoo that costs more than the minimum monthly salary, now equivalent to just a few dollars. Many have to adapt to make personal care products last longer, with no sign of an end to a crisis that has pushed more than three million Venezuelans – one-tenth of the population – to leave the country in re-

Nelly Navarro sits with her kids in a beauty salon where she came to consult how much money she could get for her hair, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 2, 2019

cent years.

Diaz gazed silently at the mirror and attempted a positive spin on the loss of locks that she had worn since she was a young child.

She described herself as feeling “light” and said it had been hard to maintain her flowing hair in the past.

“There are times when you go two or three weeks without washing your hair,” she said, alluding to frequent water shortages in past weeks, caused by nationwide blackouts that shut off water pumps.

Her mother, Yeny Gomez, laughed nervously and tried to buoy her daughter’s spirits.

“You don’t notice it,” Gomez, a 43-year-old teach-

er, said of the drastic haircut.

Despite sacrificing her hair, Diaz said she still tries to buy cosmetics, using money she earns from making and selling bracelets.

But Gomez said she hasn’t bought lipstick or any other cosmetics for more than a year because she’s saving whatever money she earns to get food for her and her two daughters. Beauty care has become secondary for most Venezuelans, she said.

Carmen Merchani, a 49-year-old hairdresser, knows that well. After decades of cutting and styling hair, she said things have never been worse and she’s had to adapt to maintain

her salon on one of the steep hills of Catia, a Caracas district. About a year ago, Merchani said, she started to do barter deals with her clients, getting food in exchange for hair stylings, manicures and pedicures.

Local shops that sell beauty products are also reinventing themselves to stay afloat. International cosmetics brands have disappeared from storefronts, replaced by cheaper goods from China as well as locally made products that use honey and other ingredients.

Diaz said she still dreams of becoming a Miss Venezuela someday, when “my hair grows again”. (VOA)

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

APNU/AFC Ministers are Corrupt Police Officers “celebrities” costing taxpayers $50M per hour to interact Dear Editor, The APNU/AFC coalition Government’s recently held outreach in Region Six was a testimony of its eroding support and its failure to resolve issues that are confronting residents of Region Six. The President (ag) Moses Nagamootoo and his Cabinet’s sudden diversion to a Cabinet meeting at State House, New Amsterdam, was a deliberate tactic. This was a calculated strategy to delay the Ministers in order to avoid embarrassment, knowing that residents would not respond to the outreach and at the same, protest instead of meeting with the Government Ministers.

The APNU/AFC coalition Government’s gimmickry of, “Bringing the Government to the people” is a very expensive venture with no positive results. The millions expended on these outreaches is a desperate political campaign attempting to support a collapsed regime.

The Ministers reluctantly arrived at Tain Campus at approximately 15:00h, forcing their way and almost hitting the protesters on the roadside because of the speed of these Ministers’ vehicles. This incident was seen by police officers at the location and was brought to their attention too. Imagine, only staff and APNU/AFC activists were there to receive the Ministers, they were forced to leave the location in less than an hour

because persons were not there to interact with them.

The President (ag) Moses Nagamootoo, had his staff do a photoshoot to show that he was meeting a resident while the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, and REO of Region Six Kim Williams Stephen were speaking with two ministerial advisers in the Communities Ministry attached to the region, Mr Baker and Mr Butcher. The Guyana Chronicle newspaper captioned that as Minister and REO reaching with residents. That was so blatantly desperate and disgraceful.

On the contrary, when the PPP/C was in Government, they reached out to the masses during outreaches. In 2010, President Jagdeo said during an interview that of all his duties, he enjoys meeting with the people in the nation more and that it is during those outreaches, when he can interact with the people with an ambience of camaraderie and an atmosphere of relaxation and speak with them with cordiality on a one-toone basis is where he gets to learn first-hand whether the systems the Government has put in place are successful and where and how the breakdown occurs, if and when it does.

This method by the PPP/C Government was responsible for 23 years of good governance and development in Guyana. When we reflect on where we were and how we emerged with

a young man thrust unceremoniously into the leadership of a nation in the throes of political upheaval, infrastructural devastation, bankruptcy and severe social dislocations, coupled with problematic neighbours and a distrustful, uncooperative international dynamic, which saw its major industries taking a battering in the global marketplace with the added advantage of an international identity paralleling that of Jonestown, we must complement the PPP/C Government and the stewardship of Bharrat Jagdeo.

The APNU/AFC coalition Government is definitely failing the people in three basic ways, as Guyanese are ruefully discovering, 1. The Government is failing to deliver vital services, these services can be delivered but it is done poorly and expensive while favouring political cronies 2. The Government is crunching Guyanese people under their feet as Government officials accumulate more power, wealth with no transparency or accountability 3. The Guyanese people show that trust in the Government has sunk to historic lows and is still dropping.

These basic failures have shown that the APNU/AFC coalition Government cannot rectify or regain the trust of the people.

Regards, Zamal Hussain

Dear Editor, Several times each day, police officers, who could only be deemed corrupt, have been patrolling the De Hoop branch road (which is an ungazetted road), preying on unlicensed drivers or unlicensed motor, vehicles looking for a bribe.

While I will not condone the breaking of the law, we need to look at the whole picture: 1. Many of the farmers who operate tractors and other heavy equipment in this area are illiterate, thus they are unable to pass the theoretical driving test. However, they are professionals when it comes to actually operating the machines.

2. These machines may only cross the road on their way to the back lands, and do not use the road daily, hence, many are unlicensed.

As a result of the above, corrupt police officers mainly from the Mahaica and Mahaicony Police Stations see these areas as a gold mine for bribery. Many days I thought that the President saw it fit to visit our area when I heard the wailing sirens, but as it got closer I realised that it was just the police chasing a hapless farmer. In fact, it is not uncommon to see the police vehicle going after a farmer operating his machinery on his private property. So desperate are these officers for bribe money.

Only yesterday a young lady, who is unlicensed, was driving a vehicle on her private property to attend a mandir. She was stopped by the police who demand-

ed $20,000 in bribe or they would take her to the Mahaica Police Station. She refused to give them any money, so she was instructed to drive to the police station. She also refused to do so since she was on her private property and not on the public road. She locked her vehicle and walked away. In a desperate attempt to take the vehicle to the police station, the police broke the lock on the vehicle.

For being an unlicensed driver or driving a vehicle with expired documents, the police sometimes demand as much as $50,000. These officers would often patrol this ungazetted branch road even in the nights hoping to catch a farmer driving home who may have taken a drink after a hard day’s work.

After collecting a bribe, these very police officers, in their police uniform, would visit a rum shop and imbibe

until they are drunk, then drive in that drunken state back to the police station.

In fact, about a year ago after one of their drinking sessions one, of the officers crashed a police pick-up into a house along the De Hoop main road.

It may also be important to note that this unfortunate situation has taken a racial undertone since it is one particular ethnic group that is being targeted by police from another ethnic group.

Thus, this is potentially an explosive situation especially since the residents are totally fed up and are at a breaking point.

In view of the above, I am hereby calling on the Commissioner of Police and the Commander of C Division to address this situation immediately.

Yours sincerely, Janaknauth Panchu

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By Vanessa Beaty

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aster is an exciting holiday every year, and Easter crafts provide you with a great way to welcome in the spring season and celebrate new life. I hope you enjoy these easy, affordable, and creative projects with your children. Make Easter more fun than ever with these wonderful spring-themed projects, perfect for kids of all ages.

Adorable repurposed Styrofoam cup Easter Bunny

With just a Styrofoam cup, some pink craft foam and a piece or two of cardstock or heavy construction paper, you can make this adorable little Easter Bunny that your kids are going to love.

What are we going to need? * Styrofoam cup (or plastic cup) * White cardboard or cardstock * Pink foam sheet * Tools * Scissors * Black marker * Hot glue and glue gun * Pen or pencil How do you do it?

1. The first step is to fold the white piece of paper in half.

2. Once you have done this, use a pen or pencil to draw the outline of a bunny ear. While you are sizing it, remember that the Styrofoam cup you are using will be the bunny rabbit itself. Make the ear as large or small as you want with that in mind.

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Foundation Fun and creative Easter crafts for kids and toddlers

3. Using a pair of scissors, cut around the outline of the ear. Because you have folded the paper in half, you will end up with two identical bunny ears.

4. You have now created the outer ears for the bunny, but you still need the pink inner ears. For this, you will use the pink foam sheet.

5. As with the outer ears, you can cut two identical inner ears out simply by folding the foam sheet in half before you cut. Try and make the shape as closely resemble that of the outer ear as possible.

6. You can now use hot glue (or whatever other type of glue you have decided to use) to attach the inner ears to the outer ears in order to complete them.

7. You’ll use the same pink foam sheet to cut out the shape of the bunny’s nose. Glue this onto your Styrofoam cup. Note that the cup should be upside-down. This makes the bunny more stable on the surface where you choose to display it. It also ensures that the top of the bunny’s head is not wide open (that simply would not do; bunny’s heads should always be properly closed).

8. Once you have the nose in place, glue on the bunny’s ears.

It’ll look best if you glue them onto the back of the cup.

9. You now simply need to draw on the rest of the bunny’s features using a black marker.

Draw the eyes above the nose, and the whiskers extending from the nose. Your bunny is then complete and ready to display!

Toilet roll bunnies

Seriously, it is amazing what you can do with some paper, fabric, and other basic sewing and craft supplies! Looking at these adorable bunnies, I almost wouldn’t guess that they are simply repurposed toilet paper rolls, but underneath that cute polka-dot fabric, that’s exactly what they are. This is a project which is really easy to customise; you can choose any fabric you want for the bodies, noses and ears. It just does not get any cuter than this.

What are we going to need?

• Toilet paper roll;

• White paper; • Craft foam • Fabric; • Scissors; • Plastic bottle; • Needle and thread; • Waxed cord; • Moving eyes; • White glue and cloth glue; • Acrylic stuffing How do you do it?

1. Line the roll with white paper. Then cover with the fabric of your choice. Secure with glue.

2. Draw and cut out the ear shape. Each ear should be cut into double fabric. Glue only the edge with the cloth glue. Before closing the ear, place a strip of plastic from the bottle in the middle so that the ear can stand. Glue the ears on the top of the roll.

3. Glue moving eyes with white glue.

4. For the nose, make a yoke and fill with acrylic stuffing. Before gluing the nose, separate a few strands of waxed cord and place under the nose. Glue everything with cloth glue.

5. Draw and cut out the feet on the craft foam and stick underneath the roll.

Paper mache Easter eggs

For Easter I made paper mache polka dotted eggs. I created them using small water balloons and tissue paper then I filled them with candy and toys and sealed them

shut. The egg can hold a surprising amount of candy and the tissue paper seems delicate making for a delightfully heavy and yet fragile object, much like real egg. Also like a real egg you have to break the shell to get at what’s inside.

What are we going to need? * water balloons (they make the egg-iest shape) * white tissue paper (one sheet will make about three eggs) * colourful tissue paper (one sheet will make many eggs, so you don’t need much) * a 3/4 inch hole punch * a paint brush you don’t care much about * liquid laundry starch * a sturdy shot glass to hold your egg while you’re working with it * a way to hang the balloons to dry * enough time to let these dry overnight, and a few hours to let them dry after filling and sealing them (you’ve been warned) * A cutting mat, wheel cutter and straight edge will come in very handy but aren’t completely necessary.

How do you do it?

1. First cut white tissue paper into the following sizes for each egg you’ll be making: one at 10? x 5.5?, one at 10? x 4.5?, two at 3.5?. These four sheets will be the base of the egg.

2. To create the polka dots I made squares of paper with holes in them which we’ll apply over the white base like scales. I cut a 1.5 inch strip of coloured tissue, fold it in half, fold it in half again, then fold it in thirds. This made a square which could be punched all the way through with the paper punch. Then I cut each square off the strip. Two strips of tissue will be enough for one egg, three strips will cover two eggs.

3. Also cut a 1? strip of your coloured tissue paper and cut it into various sizes of triangles, these will fill in any bare spots of colour later, I have more detail on this below.

Note: It will be helpful to have all your tissue paper cut and ready in advance. It’s frustrating to need to wash and dry your hands each time you need to cut more tissue.

4. Inflate your water balloons just a bit until they have an egglike shape.

5. First we’ll apply the white tissue. Brush wet starch onto your balloon. Take the 5.5? tall sheet and wrap it around the widest part of the balloon, lining up the top so that it will reach the knot in the balloon. Dip your brush in the starch and brush the tissue from the middle up to the top, letting

down the brush.

10. If you have some spots that the squares don’t reach simply cover it with one or two of the smaller triangles you cut.

11. The bottom of the balloon can be a bit tricky, get one last polka dot on there if you can.

Note: Don’t toss your cut bits of coloured tissue paper just yet. We’ll be using it to seal the eggs after they are dry and have

the tissue crinkle and gather. Any spots that seem to stick up can be smoothed down with the brush and more starch. Now do the same brushing from the middle of the balloon down to the bottom.

The bottom of this first layer will overlap itself, creating some strength there.

6. Apply the 4.5? tall sheet next and do the same, the 3.5? tall sheets go last. I went with shorter and shorter sizes so that we didn’t end up with too much overlap at the top and bottom ends.

7. Note: I tried a few different ways of creating the white base layer. First I tried using lots of strips of overlapping white tissue and working my way around the balloon but I found the tissue was too delicate for this application. I also tried cutting white tissue into a bunch of squares and applying it one layer at a time but found it was difficult to tell which part of the balloon I had already covered and it left a few areas of tissue that was too thin. Ultimately applying the white tissue paper in whole sheets wrapped around the balloon easier and more straightforward.

8. You can apply the colour squares while the balloon is still wet, or you can let it hang to dry while you put the white layer on more eggs. You don’t need to allow them to dry the whole way before applying the colour, but it won’t hurt anything if you do.

Letting them dry until tacky, about 20 minutes, can make it easier to work with. I hung mine from the pot rack over my sink using clothespins and some string.

9. To apply the colour start at the top with the knot and overlap the squares covering as much white as you can as you go along.

Since the surface of the balloon is still we you can place a dry polka dot square where you’d like it, then smooth it down using the wet brush. You can also use the tip of your wet brush to pick up and place the tissue paper so you don’t have to constantly pick up and put

been filled. I found that darker tissue paper make for a more consistent colour on the final eggs.

Lighter pastels showed the areas of overlap more. Not a big deal, but good to keep in mind when choosing which colours to use.

12. Hang up your balloons overnight, wait until they are completely dry before moving on.

13. To remove the balloon hold the knot and use a pin to make a small hole. Now wait until the balloon slowly deflates, it makes a most impressive noise while this is happening. (I didn’t have any trouble with the laundry starch sticking to the balloons, and even made an 11? tissue paper balloon without trouble.) If you forget to hold onto the knot of the balloon and it falls inside it’s not big deal, you can pull it out later before you fill it with candy.

14. Gather your candy (this is my favourite part). I found that candy over 1? wide was a little too difficult to get inside, those yellow/orange/pink malt balls didn’t make it.

15. To fill cut two places down from the hole in the top, making sure to avoid cutting over a polka dot as we’ll be covering the opening with more coloured tissue to seal it later. The paper mache is flexible and this slit will give us enough room to get those small foil wrapped chocolate eggs inside.

16. When you’re filled the egg make a loop of string, I attached “Pull Me” messages to mine, and stuff half of it in the egg. Now get your starch and coloured tissue paper back out. Using a bit more tissue put two or three more layers over the opening and let it dry.

Why the loop? Simply because it can be difficult open the finished egg without cutting a hole in it, it turns into an awkward crushing/ ripping thing. Pulling on the loop rips enough of the egg to get it started. (www.diyncrafts.com)

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tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

4 years after inheriting project

Govt blames PPP for CJIA project delays

A model of the final proposal A model of the works on the terminal initially proposed

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ven though it inherited and took control of the project almost four years ago, the coalition Government has thrown the blame for the delays to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project at the feet of the former Administration.

According to Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson in a statement via his social media account on Monday, the coalition Government is not at fault as it has done its best to make do.

Patterson related that in 2015, the Government had the options of scrapping the project altogether, continuing with the original scope of works but exceeding its budget or downsizing the project to keep within the project cost.

“Cabinet, after deliberations opted for option C – with the guidelines that the contract sum remains at the same level, that the runway be completed to inter-

national specifications, the terminal buildings must be able to adequately accommodate the projected passenger increases and that no unnecessary residents of Timehri North be removed,” Patterson said.

Claiming that the absence of preliminary reports hampered the project, Patterson went on to accuse the former Administration of allowing extra sand filling and determining the cost of the sand.

“Thus, the volume of sand filling required moved from 4.4 million cubic metres to 10.1 million cubic metres – this is due to the fact that the South West section is at a lower elevation than the North East.

The cost per cubic metre was also determined by my predecessor.”

“The decision to also extend the runway in the South West direction was taken by the then [People’s Progressive Party] PPP Government since 2013.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

This decision resulted in additional excavation and sand filling,” Patterson claimed.

Even though Patterson said the airport specifications were downgraded to limit cost overruns, Government went to the National Assembly last year to request $346.5 million in supplementary funds towards the purchase and installation of two additional air bridges.

In 2019, taxpayers are expected to hand out even more funds as the project remains in an incomplete state. Minister within the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Annette Ferguson had told the media in January that additional works are still to be carried out on the multi-billion Guyana dollar facility.

In mid-December 2018, Minister Ferguson had revealed that $65 million was approved to be spent on the Airport’s upgrade of its technology which was geared to be able to track the weather, among other aspects.

She had also explained that the new technology will assist pilots in tracking the weather patterns to make better landing decisions as the airport was making the transition from manual to digital. This $65 million was in addition to the $346 million which had been sought earlier in 2018.

According to documents seen by Guyana Times, as of January this year, outstand-

ing works to be completed include the South West runway extension pavement works and sections of the Departure Terminal; namely Immigration, Security Screening, and Duty-Free concessions areas.

Meanwhile, as of January CHEC has been paid US$132 million. When payments to the consultant and local contractors are also factored in, that sum rises to US$142 million.

Government’s contract with CHEC expired in December of last year.

The project

In 2012, under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, Guyana secured a US$138 million loan from the China Exim (Export-Import) Bank to fund the expansion and modernisation project, for which the Guyana Government was slated to inject some US$12 million.

Upon completion, the Airport is expected to have four air passenger boarding

bridges for arrivals and departures; a 450-seat departure area, escalators and elevators in addition to an extended runway catering for larger categories of aircraft.

However, the extension of works into 2019 comes in disparity to an earlier commitment by Government where it committed that the works associated with the expansion would have been completed by the last quarter of 2018. Initially, the project was scheduled to be completed within 32 months of its commencement in 2013. Later on, officials were optimistic of the project being completed by 2017.

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change, when in opposition, had cut the funds the then PPP Government had allocated for the CJIA expansion.

Attempts to contact former Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn to comment on the issue proved futile.

8 News

tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

New proposed structure for prisons to reduce breakouts, fights – Prisons Director

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n light of the recent jail breakouts, fights among inmates and other disturbances occurring in various prisons throughout the country, a new structure has been proposed to alleviate the burdens of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS).

Director of Prisons, Gladwyn Samuels in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times on Sunday stated that this new proposal will address staff requirement that is much needed.

He explained that all of the prisons in Guyana are quite old and some were never built to house prisoners but he is optimistic that with the new proposal, things will get better.

“All of that is being looked at. There is a new structure that is proposed… we will be seeking to meet that staffing requirement but as it is right now our staff requirement is 6 to 1.

Our staffing requirement is not filled.”

According to Samuels, the GPS has been appealing to the public for more per-

Director of Prisons Gladwyn Samuels

sons to join the prison system. He pointed out that the numbers are not where they should be but was happy to announce that another batch of 32 prison officers is expected to be inducted into the system soon.

With regard to attempts by prisoners to escape from the lockups, Samuels stated that due to the prisons being old and in dire need of repairs and upgrading, such

acts have been easier to execute since these attempts are coupled with the fact that there is limited staffing.

But such cases are expected to be minimal once the necessary works are completed at each prison, he said. “New Amsterdam prison is old and that is why it is slated in the budget to be rebuilt this year. Also, that is why Mazaruni is being rebuilt.”

However, Phase One of the massive expansion of the Mazaruni Prison is set to be completed by October of this year. This was disclosed

by Iain Peebles, Project Manager of the Trinidadian firm Kee-Chanona that has joint responsibility for the project alongside the Guyanese company, Nabi Construction Incorporated.

Earlier this month, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan conducted a site visit to assess works completed so far and was utterly impressed at the development.

The $4 billion expansion

will hold 400 prisoners to help with the overcrowding at the other prisons across the country. Peebles said with the construction of the first floor completed, Phase One is about 40 per cent done.

Phase Two of the project commenced about a month ago with foundation works being carried out.

Peebles added that everything is going as planned and that there is no need for any variation to the project.

A road will also be constructed to link the two buildings when completed.

Overcrowded prisons in and outside of Guyana is a cause for widespread worry and concern. In fact, it is one of the main contributing factors in the development of mental health illnesses in prisoners. Congested holding facilities often lead to insanitary conditions and are breeding grounds for violent acts. In addition to this, prison workers are placed at a greater risk for potential violence by prisoners in conditions such as these.

Man who stole cigarettes, rum placed on $5000 bail

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40-year-old man was on Thursday placed on bail in the sum of $5000 after appearing before Georgetown Magistrate Faith McGusty on a simple larceny charge.

Corwin McPherson

pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that on April 10, 2019 at North East La Penitence, Georgetown, he stole one cartoon of cigarettes and a bottle of rum from Matthew Bristol.

The unrepresented man

told that court that he was willing to pay the VC for the items, and apologised for his action.

Police Prosecutor Ceon Blackman told the court that on the day in question, the defendant went to the VC’s stand, and upon realising that no one was there, collected the items and fled

the scene. The matter was reported at the station, and after an investigation, the defendant was arrested and charged.

The prosecutor did not object to the defendant being placed on bail. Blackman will make his next court appearance on May 8.

Bus driver freed of 2017 rape charge

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hirt y-five-yea r-old Vishnu Persaud last week exited the courtroom of Justice Brassington Reynolds a free man after a 12-member High Court jury unanimously found him not guilty of a rape that was committed in 2017.

The man faced the in-

dictment which detailed that on September 21, 2017, he was involved in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.

Persaud’s trial had commenced before Justice Reynolds at the High Court earlier this month.

Reports indicate that the former accused entered the home of the victim unknowingly and committed the act while the child’s parents were not at home.

He reportedly threatened to kill the child if she tried to raise an alarm.

He was apprehended a few days later and was positively identified by the victim. He was, nevertheless, released on bail.

Persaud, who is a minibus driver, was advised by Justice Reynolds to make good use of his life since he was given a second chance at it.

The former accused was represented by Attorney-atLaw Bernard DaSilva while the State’s case was presented by Prosecutors Lisa Cave and Seeta Bishundial.

Development…

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…or underdevelopment under PNC? f the PNC are known for one thing, it’s got to be for “talking fat” when it comes to “development”! If someone had dropped in (say, from Mars!) and had listened to them back in 2015, they would’ve thought we would’ve surpassed Singapore by now!! And it’s not just the puffery that’s normal in Manifestos: Industrial estates; new cities; interior mega-farms etc… etc.

They really believed the BS they’d spouted about the PPP’s handling of the economy over the preceding 23 years; and assumed that, once the PPP were gone, development would bloom like sunflowers in the sun with just their spouting rhetoric!

And, mind you, this was AFTER Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP has performed the Herculean task of wiping out the US$2.1 billion debt the PNC had saddled the nation with by 1992; moved us from being a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) to being a Middle Income Developing Country; reduced poverty by 7 per cent in the PPP’s first decade in office, and kept the economy buzzing with the highest growth rate in the region.

Asked from where they’d get the money to fund all the “development” they were yelling about from the rooftops, they said that’d be the easy part. With them stopping the PPP from “siphoning off” into its pockets the billions and billions from the Treasury, they wouldn’t be able to spend fast enough!!

Well, four years have come and gone, and it’s a good thing their supporters didn’t hold their breaths!! They’ve spent all right – but just on themselves!! Industrial estates?

Maybe they were confused about the SUGAR estates they closed, and thought dismantling of the factories was an “industrial” activity? But even the funds for the scrap metal have all been pilfered, and the activity now has to be audited!! New cities?? Well they DID baptise four old settlements as “towns”…but is that development, without a single new job being created?

There’s also lots of huffing and puffing about hinterland agriculture…but is huffing and puffing “development”??

How do you destroy agriculture in the hand (56,000 acres of drained and irrigated sugar lands on the coast) to just TALK about agriculture in the arid interior savannahs?

But the PNC are simply repeating their history. In 1970, they declared their “cooperative” strategy would create a utopia in Guyana. They’d “feed, house and clothe” the nation in five years: food from farmlands doled out to their supporters along with farming implements; they’d create 60,000 new homes and produce enough cotton at Kimbia to clothe the nation from fabrics woven at the Chinesedonated mill in Ruimveldt.

But it was just fat talk!! By the end of their reign, Guyana was left hungry, homeless and naked!!

Which will be repeated if the PNC’s allowed back after 2020.

Oil? Think Venezuela! …of hate Your Eyewitness is not surprised by what occurred over the Easter weekend in Sri Lanka – 207 Christians and foreigners killed in bomb blasts by Muslim militants.

Shocked, but not surprised. Sri Lanka is a Buddhist-majority island which was wracked for decades in a guerilla way by Tamil Sri Lankans against Sinhalese (Muslim and Hindu) Sri Lankans that took the lives of 100,000+ civilians and 50,000+ militants.

After two millennia, Buddhists were considered as the ultimate pacifists after the Emperor Ashoka reflected on the futility of war in dealing with disputes, and decided to spread the message of the Buddha’s “middle path”. But in Sri Lanka it was the Buddist monks who were most extreme about keeping Sri Lanka “pure”. And it’s from Buddhistmajority Myanmar (formerly Burma) that hundreds of Muslim Rohingyas were brutally expelled into Bangladesh.

The irony is that the Rohingyas had themselves turned against fellow Buddhists and Hindu villagers.

The message for us Guyanese is that exclusivist religions are always potentially dangerous to peace! …and investments The neo-liberal mantra dictates that foreign investment is good. But is that necessarily so? Surely, investments that develop resources beyond our capabilities are okay.

But what about those that displace businesses Guyanese have already created, like Chinese supermarkets? Who approved those?

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

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tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Miner executed, another 48-year-old man taken into custody after raping allegedly abducted 8-year-old niece O ne miner was reportedly executed while another was allegedly abducted on Sunday following an incident at Kuribrong Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The deceased miner was identified as Nicholas Bob also called “Peron” of Bartica, who is a truck driver. The abductee was identified as Elon Thomas of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

When contacted, Police Commander Kevin Adonis confirmed that a miner was killed on Sunday evening in a village about nine hours from Bartica.

He explained that a team of detectives were deployed to the area to investigate but at that time, he could not give any facts as to what occurred since has not been in contact with the detectives.

Meanwhile, Jackie Bob, mother of the dead miner, explained that her son was being threatened and as such, she made a report at the Bartica Police Station.

She explained that her son left on Thursday evening for the backdam since he had to transport goods and other items for the man with whom worked.

She stated that he works for a man who goes by the name of “Short Man” who

A

Dead: Nicholas Bob

does not pay her son on many occasions. While she could not say what caused her son’s death, she is calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter.

“They shouldn’t have killed him, they does do him all kinds of things…they does rob him. When he does do their work they don’t pay him. He does tell me, I say come out the bush, must come and look yourself, don’t worry with that. I say ‘you ain’t working with a boss man?’ He say well if people owe the boss they owe he too,” the woman cried.

While being consoled by Junior Natural Resources Minister, Simona Broomes, the aggrieved woman stat-

ed that a few months ago her son was sick and at that time, she urged him not to return to the interior but he did not pay her heed.

She cried, “Now that he get all he strength, they kill he… God in heavens knows why they killed him… he don’t trouble anyone… but I does tell he that bad things does happen in the interior”.

The now dead man was the woman’s eldest son.

Guyana Times understands that the incident might have stemmed from an old grievance involving stripping a truck of its parts which were later taken and installed on another vehicle.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

48-year-old Berbician has reportedly admitted to the police that he raped his eight-year-old niece at their home shortly after the girl’s mother left her child in his care.

Reports are that around 19:30h on Sunday night, the child’s mother requested that the perpetrator take care of her daughter so that she could run an errand.

Shortly after the woman left the house, the unemployed uncle is said to have taken his niece into his bedroom, which is located in the lower flat of their two-storied house.

He then allegedly removed the young girl’s clothing and committed the heinous act.

Guyana Times understands that moments af-

ter committing the act and re-dressing the eight-yearold, the girl’s mother returned home, and the child related to her what had occurred.

Less than 30 minutes after hearing the ordeal, the mother reported the matter to the police. According to a source, the suspect was immediately arrested and told of the allegation made against him.

He reportedly admitted to the police ranks to raping the young girl.

This publication was further told that the eight-yearold was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where a medical examination was performed on the child.

The result was that her hymen[BM1] was not intact.

Meanwhile, the child’s uncle is presently in Police custo-

dy as investigations continue into the matter.

Just Saturday night, a 27-year-old miner was arrested for the rape of an 11-yearold female, and while the miner has no ties to the child through blood relation or marriage, he is well-known to the young girl’s family.

The incident is alleged to have taken place at the child’s home in the absence of her relatives.

Reports are that the officers made the arrest around 20:30h at Garraway Stream, Potaro River, when they discovered that the miner was also in possession of an unlicensed pistol with six live rounds.

He is presently in Police custody and is said to be assisting with the investigations.

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tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fire razes Kitty shack on Easter Sunday

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n abandoned house in Kitty, Georgetown, which was previously occupied by at least six homeless persons was completely destroyed on Sunday afternoon at about 15:30h.

It is believed that one of the male occupants of the house left a fire unattended.

When Guyana Times visited the scene on Monday, a neighbour explained that an elderly man was in the house at the time the fire started and she immediately raised an alarm.

According to her, the fire started when one of the dwellers, who was cooking,

– gun, ammo, jewellery and cash missing

Most cases of child abuse T recorded on ECD – CCPA

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abuse cases with about 219 children being sexually abused.

Just a few weeks ago, the Child Care Department said on its social media page that it had responded to just about 60 reports in one week from various parts of the country.

In one of those cases, a mother had physically abused her two small children and put them out of the house. Concerned residents later brought the children to the CCPA and an immediate investigation was launched to locate the mother and other family members.

The mother, once found, was interviewed by officers at the CCPA who said she was nonchalant towards the whole situation. It was, therefore, determined by senior staff, that leaving the children with their mother was clearly putting them at risk so the children were placed with a family mem-

The woman’s home was slightly scorched.

On Monday afternoon, the fire was still burning and another resident was dousing the area with water to ensure it does not start all over again. The neighbour said this was as a result of the huge garbage piles that were brought in by one of the insane occupants.

“She just used to walk all over the road and pick up garbage and throw all there.”

She said nothing was saved from the inferno. The building had existed for well over two decades.

Corentyne house burglarised

The charred remnants of the building

fficers at the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) arm of the Social Protection Ministry are currently trying to assess exactly why the East Coast of Demerara has the most worrying cases of child abuse.

According to the Child Care Department, “East Coast Demerara has the highest reports of child abuse in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and getting the cases speedily to the court and assistance for victims have proven to be challenging”.

In light of this, the agency said it has been working in the area to better sensitise parents on their roles and how to identify abuse.

Sources at CCPA were unable to share data with respect to the number of reports coming out of the area on Monday but described those figures as worrying.

It was explained that most of those cases can be linked to the fact that children are sometimes forced to do work by their own parents and are beaten if they refuse. In other cases, some mischievous children choose to stay away from school and are mistreated by their parents when they learn the truth.

In March of this year, the CCPA had already seen some 400 reports of child

left the home and went on the road to make a purchase.

She explained that when he returned and saw the building on fire, he ran away.

She recalled, “I was in my bedroom when the fire start and I was smelling something but I said mussy just paper then I heard my mother call and said fire next door so I ran out and the whole thing was blazing”.

The woman added that she immediately contacted the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) who promptly responded and was able to contain the fire.

ber while a thorough assessment of their circumstances could be carried out.

In the meantime, ChildLink, an activist group, said in a recently released report that a total of 4179 children were abused in 2017 with child sexual abuse accounting for 841 or 20 per cent of those cases.

Moreover, in a three-year period, from 2014 to 2017, there has been an increase of 5 per cent of reported child sexual abuse cases.

In December, the CCPA revealed that two children are abused every hour in Guyana.

According to the agency, by the end of October 2018, it had already responded to 4352 child abuse reports, which happens to be the highest number of reported cases ever for the period.

In fact, a 25.4 per cent increase was recorded when compared with figures for the same period in 2017.

he police have launched an investigation into a robbery at a Number 6 Village, Corentyne, Berbice home which saw the burglars escaping with a shotgun, 25 rounds of ammunition, a quantity of jewellery and an undisclosed sum of money.

Based on information received, the family left their home on Sunday morning for a day of horse racing and upon returning, they found that their home was broken into. The head of the household reportedly told investigators that upon checking the premises, he realised that one shotgun and 25 cartridges were unaccounted for.

In addition, a quantity of gold and diamond jewellery and a sum of cash were missing. Investigators are working with the theory that the house was broken

into during the day since the family left home in the daylight hours and returned when the sun had already set.

The main access door to the house can be seen from the roadway and by persons traversing the area. Guyana Times understands that the house is secured with grillwork and no forced entry was seen. When contacted, B Division Commander Paul Langevine said that he was not briefed on the facts of the robbery.

Nevertheless, a source told Guyana Times that several persons were questioned as police continue their investigations. Only on Thursday last, two persons were slapped with seven counts of robbery under arms committed on a Berbice businesswoman.

Sylvester Joseph called

“Sleepy” and Ashley Bonita Brijpaul appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh for the offence committed on April 13, 2019.

Police, acting on information, led to the arrest of the suspects. Joseph reportedly admitted that he committed the act along with three others.

As such, he took the police to his house where he handed over a 400 classic firearm which was hidden under zinc sheets. Prior to that, police ranks went to the Main Street, Cumberland, home of Brijpaul where he was arrested.

The two men were not required to plea to the charges committed on Premchand Seelochan, Tarmattie Seelochan, Neil Seelochan, Aditiee Rambudhan, Andre Beerbhajan, Rohan Deonarine and Fiaz Latiff.

Young entrepreneurs to be honoured

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nder the theme “Building Bridges, Passing Batons”, Brand YOUth will on Thursday honour 40 young entrepreneurs at its inaugural Forty Under-40 Entrepreneurial Awards at the National Cultural Centre.

The two-hour event gets started at 18:00h.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes; Minister of Public Affairs, Dawn HastingsWilliams; Opposition Member of Parliament Gail Teixeira, and Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee will be among

those in attendance.

Brand YOUth, in a release, explained that it was a movement rooted in excellence, unity, community, and self-empowerment which grew out of Conversations with Selwyn (CWS). CWS is a New Yorkbased webTV broadcast that was created by author, broadcaster, motivator and mentor Selwyn Collins in 2012.

In 2015, he created a special platform and invited young people to appear on the programme every Sunday afternoon to share their stories.

In 2016, a five-part series, Guyanese Youth in Business, and in late 2017, a seven-part series, Guyanese Youth in

Review, had been produced.

It is from those series that Brand YOUth evolved out of a vision to see an end to poverty in Guyana, while eliminating hunger, realising gender equality, and seeing Guyana rise to its full potential to become the bread-basket and ‘Silicon Valley’ of the Region.

Most of those being honoured have appeared on the CWS platform.

There will also be a signing ceremony to honour the memory of the late Guyanese entrepreneur Allison Butters Grant on Saturday, April 27, 2019, at the University of Guyana, from 10:00h to 11:30h.

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tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Goldfields power struggle

Former Executive Chairman was fired over conflicts of interest – oversaw development of faulty Aurora gold mines estimates

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n investment disclosure report filed by Guyana Goldfields with Canadian regulators has revealed exactly why the company parted ways with its former Executive Chairman in July of last year.

The document, a Management Information Circular (MIC), was filed in the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR), a database run by the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA).

In the Circular, the company documents its grievances against former Chairman Patrick Sheridan, who is at the forefront of a proxy battle for the management of the gold company. According to the company, its list of grievances includes a report compiled under Sheridan’s watch in 2012 which it says mislead persons about the gold reserves at Aurora.

The company related that the 2012 resource model overestimated the actual ounces of gold at the mining site. Goldfields commissioned an independent technical report, carried out by Roscoe Postle Associates, which concluded that the gold reserves were as much as 38 per cent lower compared with the previous figure.

“As CEO and interim [Chief Operations Officers] COO, Sheridan was ultimately responsible for overseeing the preparation and development of the Sheridan Resource model,” the MIC states. “It has been conclusively determined that the model significantly overestimated the contained ounces at the Aurora Gold Mines.

This is the most significant operating challenge the company faced in the past year.”

“Mr Sheridan also resisted efforts to re-direct the company’s exploration towards near mine brownfield targets which could supple-

ment the Aurora Mine’s reserves and resisted undertaking the work necessary to update the Sheridan resource model,” the company also stated in its report.

According to the company, Goldfields also suffered poor governance and a dysfunctional dual reporting management structure. The company also spoke of conflicts of interests which occurred under Sheridan’s watch.

Here, Goldfields pointed to the company’s 2011 sale of its Peters Mine Gold project and Aremu Gold property for US$2.4 million. These projects were sold to GPM minerals, another Canadian company, which eventually sold them to a company named Bartica Investments Limited.

While Goldfields alleged Sheridan was also shareholder of GPM at the time of the transaction, this publication was able to confirm that Sheridan was at some

Mother of 3 killed by overtaking truck sustained multiple bodily injuries.

The injured family was picked up and taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WRDH), where Barry succumbed to her injuries while receiving medical attention. Her husband suffered a fractured arm while one of the children received bruises. They were treated and sent away.

On Monday, Barry’s husband told Guyana Times that he was still trying to

charged in their direction after overtaking a taxi.

The lorry collided with the family, hitting his wife first. The injured man said he felt the impact and later realised that the child he was carrying was flung out of his hands. After that moment, he was unconscious.

Bristol stated that they laid on the ground until public-spirited persons rushed to assist. In tears, he stated that his wife did not survive the hit since she was severe-

Injured: Jusley Brisport

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mother of three lost her life on Sunday after she and her family were struck by a truck which was allegedly overtaking another vehicle on the Canal Number One Polder Access Road, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The dead woman has been identified as Angelle Barry of Lot 5 L’Oratoire, Canal Number One Polder, WBD. Based on information received, Barry was walking along the roadway at about 16:30h with her husband, 36-year-old Jusley Brisport, and three children - Nefetari Brisport, Orias Brisport, 3, and five-year-old Akeria Barry.

They were reportedly in the corner of the roadway when a truck overtook another vehicle and in the process, the right front of the vehicle connected with them.

As a result of the impact, they fell onto the road and

A section of the roadway where the incident occurred

come to grips with the death of his wife and mother of his children. He recalled them walking along the roadway to attend a family gathering not far from their home when the tragic incident unfolded.

One of the children, he recalled, was walking in front, followed by him, who was carrying his daughter.

His wife followed closely behind with the third child.

However, before they could have arrived at their destination, the truck

ly wounded.

The driver of the truck was taken into Police custody and a breathalyser test was administered which proved that he was over the legal limit of alcohol consumption.

He remains in Police custody as investigations continue. Barry’s body is at the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem.

She leaves to mourn her husband, three children and other family members and friends.

Former Goldfields Executive Chairman, Patrick Sheridan during a meeting with President David Granger back in 2015

point in time contracted as a consultant with GPM… a contract he held as of 2018.

Goldfields alleged that as recent as 2018, the Peters and Aremu properties were purchased by another gold company, G2 Goldfields Incorporated. This publication was able to verify that Sheridan sits as the Executive Chairman and CEO of G2 Goldfields.

“Of course, Mr Sheridan’s interest in a competing exploration company in Guyana also represents a serious commercial conflict with the company,” Goldfields stated, noting that based on these records Sheridan backed candidates should not be put in posi-

tions of power in the company.

Power struggle

Sheridan and former Goldfields Country Manager, Violet Smith, were recently sent packing in a major shake-up in the company. Sheridan and a number of shareholders, have been pushing for the current Board of Directors to be replaced owing to declining share values.

In a statement on January 11 of this year, the concerned shareholders had formally written the Toronto Stock Exchange, asking the body to monitor any proposal made by Guyana Goldfields for signs of entrenchment,

shareholder dilution or attempts to structure around regulatory shareholder approval requirements.

According to the missive, Guyana Goldfields has lost over CAD$1 billion in value since 2016 because of the Board’s operational failures, irresponsible actions and risky decisions.

To add insult to injury, it added, while shareholders have lost over 80 per cent of their investment since 2016, the Board has continued to reward itself handsomely and has offered no plan to turn things around.

These matters are expected to come to a head at a special company meeting scheduled for May 22.

12 news

tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guya

Guyanese turn out in numb H

undreds of Guyanese from all walks of life flocked the various parks and open spaces on Monday to observe and participate in this year’s Easter holiday festivities, as it signifies the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The favourable weather experienced across the country motivated kite lovers and spectators to take to the different kite flying hotspots.

Decked in their stylish and colourful outfits and enjoying the jubilant atmosphere with their family and friends, they braved the sun to display their creativity and artistic skills with their multi-coloured kites.

When this publication visited the seawall along the East Coast of Demerara, the pictur-

Displaying the Golden Arrowhead at the Ogle seawall

esque view of the kites, especially the popular bird and starshaped ones, could be seen in the sky from a distance as they “danced” and “sung” whenever the ocean breeze hit them.

At this venue, parents were seen helping their children get their kites into the sky among the many others, which, when taken at a glance, painted a picture of beautiful birds.

Persons who were there to take in the scenery and be part of the festivities could be seen enjoying the ocean winds under a cool shade, chatting with their family and friends.

Shenelle, a vendor at the seawall, who has been in the business for years, related that the sales during the Easter holiday is quite normal in the midday but eventually picks up as

more people flock the area in the afternoon period, enthusiastically adding that she loves everything about Easter since it’s a time for family.

Meanwhile, Marlin, a spectator, stated that she and her family are enjoying the Easter especially since the sun is out, “So far I’m enjoying the Easter, the sun is out and all is glory and we are having fun…Easter is a time to enjoy yourself with your family and so forth,” she said.

The atmosphere in the popular family venue, the National Park, was filled with family cheers and laughter of the scores of children who were excited about sending their kites up into the sky in perfect weather.

Selwyn Henry, an overseas-

based encircl bers in related he is v the Eas enjoyin “I’m in Guy from home b kite fly Jesus C Avr seas-ba ly poin ing her and is to cele holiday Park, the enj the sa lots to

Two women attempting to raise a kite at the National Park

This te

Kids having fun with their parents at the National Park

A famil

This family make their way to the Ogle Community Centre Ground

These kids making their way to the Anna Regina seawall

Patrons at the Golden Fleece Beach

news

l 23, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

numbers on Easter Monday

area in nthusihe loves er since

a specand her Easter is out, Easter, is glory …Easter elf with h,” she

he popNational h famiof the o were g their perfect

verseas-

based Guyanese, whilst being encircled by his family members in their corner of the park, related to this publication that he is visiting his homeland for the Easter holiday and is so far enjoying his stay.

“I’m enjoying my stay here in Guyana. Of course, I am from Guyana…I love being home because it’s wonderful as kite flying signifies the rising of Jesus Christ” he explained.

Avril Roberts, another overseas-based Guyanese, cheerfully pointed out that she is enjoying herself on Easter Monday and is hoping to be in Guyana to celebrate another Easter holiday. Over at the Joe Vieira Park, West Bank Demerara, the enjoyment factor was much the same. There was music, lots to eat and drink and more

so, lots of children with happy faces trying to get their kites in the air.

Reports coming out of Essequibo also suggested that the persons who came out to have a grand time with their family and friends did so.

Scores of people were seen on the beaches and open spaces either picnicking or looking at their children having a wonderful time.

In the mining town of Linden, residents came out in their numbers as they flocked various sites across the community which are known for kite flying.

Areas such as the Bayroc Ground, various ball fields and dykes were transformed into fun zones throughout the day.

Though the heat of the day

presented some challenges earlier on, this did not deter kite flying lovers and others from venturing out to the various locations.

Children could be seen raising their kites into the air, ably assisted by the grownups in some cases, while others opted to enjoy the cool afternoon vibes later on in the day.

The weather remained perfect for most of the day, providing just the right atmosphere for kite flying and other fun activities. Fun zones were created in some areas where children hopped on merry-gorounds, bouncy castles and played games. Families were also observed barbecuing and having picnics.

A young man displays a six-foot kite in Linden

This teenager displays a uniquely designed kite at the Georgetown seawall

These three children were seen trying to raise their kites at Joe Vieira Park

A family relaxing at the Georgetown seawall

den Fleece Beach on Easter Monday

These three lads are all ready for the fun and excitement

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14 News Linden Town Week 2019 officially opens tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Some of the contestants at the official opening on Sunday

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his year’s Linden Town Week (LTW) was declared officially open on Sunday last with the customary opening ceremony hosted at the Linden-Georgetown minibus park in Region 10.

The event, which commenced

with the Miss Linden Teen Ambassador Pageant on Saturday, is being hosted under the theme, “Rekindling our culture”.

It will feature 12 days of fun and excitement in the areas of education, sports, agriculture, health,

culture and entertainment and will culminate on May 1.

Speaking at Sunday’s opening ceremony, Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell said that the activity also seeks to showcase the talents and abilities of Lindeners in various fields. Alluding to the various activities which will be hosted, the Mayor urged the full support of all.

“Town Week’s vision... is to bring out the talents we have within our own township. Those of you who can sing, who can dance, who can write poetry...It’s for you to showcase that talent to the rest of the world...as we declare Town Week opened, I want you to remember as you go through, to look out for your people. There’s so much persons who would be doing things. There’s women in business that are going to be advertising what they’re doing in Linden”, Arrindell noted.

The event also featured a number of cultural performances.

Over thirty activities will be

Children performing a dance during the official launch

showcased in this year’s LTW activities, which have been planned by the Linden Mayor and Town

Council (LM&TC). According to the LM&TC, the aim is to put the best of Linden on display.

Guyana mourns passing of former Caricom Secretary General

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he Government and people of Guyana mourn the death of former Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary-General, Sir Meredith Alister McIntyre.

Sir Alister was a part of the three-member team of eminent Caribbean scholars that was appointed by Caricom Heads of Government in 1990 to examine the state of regional integration, and the ensuing report “A Time for Action” in 1991 arguably began a process of regional introspection that resulted in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in 2001. This established the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

He was born in St Georges, Grenada, and became known as one of the pre-eminent academ-

ics and intellectuals of the Caribbean, specialising in development and regional integration.

In 1974, he was appointed Secretary-General of Caricom and thus began a distinguished career in regional and international politics.

As an academic, Sir Alister gave yeoman service to the University of the West Indies where he lectured before becoming, in 1967, the Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research. He also served as an assistant professor at both Princeton and Columbia University. In 1988, he was appointed ViceChancellor of the University of the West Indies, a post that he held until his retirement in 1998.

In 1989, he was appointed as the first Good Officer

Former Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary General, Sir Meredith Alister McIntyre

of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy. He served with distinction until 1999 in efforts to resolve the controversy.

Sir Alister had taken the opportunity of his post in Georgetown as the Caricom Secretary-General to acquaint himself with Guyana politics. He acquainted himself well in this assignment as Good Officer.

In 1975, he assisted the Government of Guyana in its quest to transform the economy. Along with William Demas, he served as an adviser to the Restructuring Committee, which had been mandated to plan that transformation and, in 1977, produced a report edited by the late Haslyn Parris.

The State Planning Act was subsequently passed in Parliament.

In 1980, McIntyre, with a team including renowned Canadian Professor Gerry Heleiner, produced a re-

port on Guyana’s Economic Recovery Programme. The report set out to explain why such a radical economic programme was required, its key elements and alternative options.

Sir Shridat Ramphal was the architect of that national initiative. Sir Alister, as Chief Technical Adviser, also teamed up with Sir Shridat to lay the foundation for what was undoubtedly the region’s best known and most formidable negotiating apparatuses, and a model for other developing countries and regions, the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM).

Then, the 1989 Commonwealth Advisory Group (the McIntyre Report) on Guyana’s economic and social situation had concluded that Guyana’s economy was “now ranked below Haiti as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere”, and had emphasised that this state of affairs was “clearly unsustainable”.

Before his appointment as UN Good Officer, Sir Alister also served the United Nations system as Director of the Commodities Division of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as well as Deputy Secretary-General of that body. Further, he later served as Assistant Secretary-General in the

Office of the Director General for International Economic Cooperation at United Nations Headquarters.

Among his numerous honours, which include several Honorary Degrees, Sir Alister was awarded the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC); the Order of Merit (OM) of the Government of Jamaica, the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) of the Government of Guyana, and Knighthood

by Her Majesty the Queen of England.

In December 2016, Sir Alister published “The Caribbean and The Wider World: Commentaries on My Life and Career”. The book chronicles his extraordinary life and wide-ranging career in diplomacy, politics and academia. It also outlined perspectives on the development of integration and regionalism in the Caribbean.

To the region that nurtured him, in turn, he gave his life in selfless service and dedication, an invaluable contribution to the goal of the integration of its peoples and countries, in which he truly believed.

The Government and people of Guyana join the Caricom fraternity in expressing heartfelt condolences to the family and relatives of Sir Alister, and share the region’s grief at the passing of one of our most illustrious sons.

news

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tuesday, april 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt working to tackle unemployment among youths

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he Government recognises there is an increase in violence and criminal activities among youths, and this they believe is mainly attributed to unemployment among our young people.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, said previous research has shown that various behavioural patterns have to do with gainful employment, and whether the youths are constructively employed or are employable.

“This”, he said, “plays a major role in delinquent activities, which remain a major issue even after many years of efforts. We still have the problem, and now violence is higher,” he said.

Dr. Norton said one of the key projects the admin-

istration has undertaken to improve the situation of unemployment is re-establishment of the Guyana Youth Corps, which was launched a few weeks ago at KuruKuru, Linden/Soesdyke Highway.

He explained that this is a major project, since it is geared at focusing on NEET (Needs Education Employment and Training).

“We deal with the youths that are not in the system of formal education -- where they would have gone to primary school, secondary school, or (obtained) tertiary level education, after which they would have been employable -- in order to find jobs that are gainful and legal, to make them have a comfortable life,” Dr. Norton stated.

He added that, many times, vacancies are adver-

Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton

tised asking for years of experience and certain qualifications, and some youths do not meet these requirements, and cannot gain employment.

“We’re still dealing with those persons. We are aim-

Hundreds of fish found dead in Essequibo conservancy died from lack of oxygen – Minister

ing for those who would have dropped out of school, and we have a very high rate of dropouts. We have situations where persons haven’t finished the secondary school, and are unemployable since they are not sufficiently trained; hence they can’t get a job,” he said.

Minister Norton pointed out that as a result of this situation, the Ministry is concentrating on offering a lot of vocational training, and a lot of resources and energy are therein being invested.

“We are trying to make vocational training at the reach of youths in Guyana,” the minister stated. This will aid in giving youths options, since it has been recognised that there are youths in various communities who are not so capable in literacy and numeracy. Vocational training will offer them an opportunity to reach a certain level, and if they so desire, they can continue in the academic stream.

“So, from the Youth Corps, they can end up going for training (at) GTI, GITC and other vocational institutes in the region, and pos-

sibly UG,” the Minister noted.

He added that from the training the youths will receive from these institutions, they will become employable and work for the level of money that would make their lives comfortable.

“And, more importantly, you can get into entrepreneurship and become your own boss. This is what we hope to do. We want to push our young people into this. You can go and receive training; you become employable, or you can start your own business. So this is where we are gearing all our courses,” he said.

Minister Norton also pointed out that many of the other ministries have programmes which cater for youth training and empowerment.

This is geared at having a comprehensive training programme that is pointing in one direction: vocational training, where youths can reach a common level of being certified and be qualified after examination, thus gaining employment status.

“Other than having an

ad hoc approach, we are trying to get it organised under one institution or under one ministry. And that is the approach that we have adopted in this national (institution) -- the Guyana Youth Corps that we have established,” Norton said.

Training at the GYC will focus on a variety of areas in a structured manner. The youths will be involved in apprenticeship programmes wherein they can learn as they work, or work as they learn; and their chances of being employed are much higher than if they are not trained.

“It is hoped that getting the youths occupied (at) this level (would) reduce their chances of getting into delinquent activities…hence a reduction in crime and violence,” he said.

These youth programmes, the minister noted, have been bearing fruit; and there are success stories. However, he is optimistic that much more value for resources will be achieved when the programmes are better streamlined under the one institution.

Vendors complain of dysfunctional static compactor at Stabroek Market

V Dead fish floating in the conservancy that runs between the Richmond Housing Scheme and La Belle Alliance Housing Scheme, Essequibo

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he hundreds of dead fish that were on Saturday discovered floating in the conservancy canal that runs between the Richmond Housing Scheme and the La Belle Alliance Housing Scheme in Region Two(Pomeroon/Supenaam) are said to have died from lack of oxygen.

This explanation was proffered by Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, who told Guyana Times on Monday that more enquiries are being done to verify the conditions that led to this magnitude of fish dying.

“But as it is, the water where they lived is relatively low, resulting in limited oxygen for their survival. That, coupled with the fact that the vegetation in the area -- the shrubs and weeds in the water where the fish were -- needs oxygen too to survive. So, due to the vegetation not being removed, (less) oxygen was available for the fishes,” Minister Holder explained.

He explained that although the issue is a Regional one, the Agriculture Ministry is still playing a role in helping to

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

avoid a recurrence of such a situation.

Guyana Times was told that, through the Agriculture Ministry’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), more water is expected to become available in that conservancy and in nearby canals.

“I have the NDIA currently focusing on pumping additional water into the canals of Region Two, which are being affected by the dry weather and lack of rainfall presently. The one hymac that we have in that partic-

ular area is presently under repair, but we are working to remove the vegetation,” the minister told Guyana Times.

Minister Holder further stated that once the overgrown shrubs and weeds are cleared, at least one source of threat to the fish’s supply of oxygen would be eliminated.

Over the weekend, residents in the areas contiguous to this canal have complained that the stench emanating from the dead fish was both unhealthy and unbearable.

When the dead fish were discovered, an investigation was immediately launched, and preliminary findings are that the fish could not obtain enough oxygen to susrvive.

According to several residents, the water is stagnant, and they are unable to use the water (as had previously obtained) for household chores and other activities.

In fact, the area where the fish are floating is polluted with boxes and tins, as well as other items that appear to have been dumped by persons in the water.

endors at the Stabroek Market, one of the busiest in the country, are complaining of the dysfunctional compactor that is unable to properly collect their waste.

The vendors recently reached out to Guyana Times to complain that they are forced to work in a filthy and smelly environment, with flies and other pests frequently bothering them and their efforts to make sales.

This publication understands that the compactor has been down for a few weeks, hence the buildup of garbage at the market.

During a recent visit to the area, a vegetable vendor whose only name was given as Deborah said she is forced to work in the smelly environs to make ends meet, since she is a single mother.

She said the garbage piles and stench run customers away, ultimately affecting her profits. Already, the single mother complained, she has had to thrown away spoilt vegetables on several occasions.

Situated not far from where the static compactor had been located are food stalls which have been feeling the brunt of the effects as well. A food vendor who asked to remain anonymous said she is tired of working under such conditions, although they are made to pay heavy fees for using the market’s stalls.

She said City Council needs to a better job, and make provision for such events.

When contacted, Solid Waste Director at the Mayor

The drains of the Stabroek Market environs are lined with garbage, while the bins overflow with same

and City Council (M&CC), Walter Narine, explained thus, “We have a static compactor that (does) collect the garbage there, but the compactor is down”.

According to him, it has been just over one week since the compactor has been down.

Every day, he said, workers are sent to the market area to clean the environment, but this task is very difficult as the market generates a lot of waste.

He added that City Hall has been collecting the garbage via bins, and asked that the vendors be patient as the M&CC works to rectify the situation.

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

Only last November, financial strain at City Hall once again forced principal collectors, Puran Brothers and Cevon’s Waste Management, to withdraw

their disposal services.

Puran Brothers and Cevon’s Waste Management had said they were owed some $150 million by City Hall. This debt was said to have been outstanding since the second quarter of 2018.

Puran Brothers Disposal Service was owed $73 million, while Cevon’s Waste Management was owed $75 million. It was only in March of this year that the debt to those contractors was fully paid off, after Government was again forced to intervene.

The Business Development Supervisor of Cevon’s Waste Management told Guyana Times that the respective sums of money due were disbursed by the Communities Ministry to his company and Puran Brothers Disposal Services.

The M&CC had hired five smaller contractors after Puran and Cevon’s had taken strike action for their monies. Those contractors are still operating in the city and its environs.

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, april 23, 2019

Regional

Colombia landslide: At Haiti Govt denies being in least 17 killed and 5 injured collusion with armed gangs

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As well as looking for survivors, authorities are clearing debris which is blocking a major local highway

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t least 17 people have been killed by a landslide on Sunday in south-western Colombia, officials say.

Five others were injured and several houses destroyed in the town of Rosas in the Cauca region.

The landslide happened after days of torrential rains hit the region and authorities are continuing to search

the rubble.

Landslides are common in the Latin American country, especially during the annual rainy season.

“Unfortunately this happens when you least expect it and, because of the rainy season that we have seen, this is what happens,” said the town’s Mayor, Jesus Diaz.

As well as looking for survivors, authorities are clear-

ing debris which is blocking a major local highway.

Colombian President Iván Duque visited the town on Sunday. He told reporters that medical assistance and alternative housing was being arranged for those caught up in the landslide.

“These are difficult times, but we are united as a country to help them,” said Duque in a tweet. (BBC News)

Mexico murder rate rises in 1st 3 months of 2019

“The data I have shown something else, you’re not controlling, to the contrary, many Mexicans continue to die,” Ramos challenged the President.

“They have not risen,” President López Obrador said before adding: “I’m not saying we’ve solved the problem.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

he Haitian Government on Sunday denied allegations made by the National Network for the Defence of Human Rights (RNDDH) that it was in collusion with armed gangs across the country.

In a statement, the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities (MICT) has described the allegation as “dangerous and totally unfounded”, saying it was “likely to feed tension and psychosis of fear in the country, as well as to stigmatise State institutions”.

In addition, the Ministry of the Interior said that “outlaw practices are not part of its commitments and are clearly incompatible with its attributions and the line government in general”.

The MICT is also urging the population to be cautious in the face of “information that is all too often wrong, with consequences”.

It said it was taking the opportunity to renew its determination “to maintain the safety of the State, to fight against insecurity and to help bring peace and serenity to the communes, communal sections, neighbourhoods and dwellings of the country”.

Earlier, Prime Minister Jean Michel Lapin, who is also President of the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN), has expressed his “willingness to fight insecurity everywhere” in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

In a statement follow-

ing an armed attack on the Police Station of Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite over the last weekend, Lapin said that that similar Police deployment will be carried out in all areas occupied by armed gangs throughout the country.

He said clear instructions have been issued to this effect to the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) Michel-Ange Gédéon and the authorities concerned to capture all the armed gangs that sow mourning and fear among the people and restore calm and peace to the country. “The State, at the highest level, reaffirms the will of the police to solve this problem of insecurity,’ Lapin added. (CMC)

2 killed, 2 critical after T&T drive-by

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wo people are dead and two wounded after a drive-by shooting in Port-of-Spain on Saturday evening.

According to reports, Javon Assing, Atia Haynes, Israel Cox and Akeem Grant were standing on the corner of Queen and Nelson Streets around 18:46h on Saturday when the attack happened.

Police said a silver AD wagon was heading along the street when the front seat passenger began shooting at the group.

All four were hit and later rushed to Port-of-Spain General Hospital where Assing, 34, and Haynes, 28, a single mother of one, succumbed to their injuries.

Cox, 23, and Grant, 36, were said to be in critical condition at the Port of

Atia Haynes

Spain General Hospital up to Sunday night.

Assing, Cox and Grant were all from Duncan Street while Haynes lived at East Dry River, Port-of-Spain.

Relatives and friends posted condolences on Haynes’ Facebook page, lamenting that her child was now motherless.

One poster described Haynes as a darling with a big mouth while others called for the “trigger-happy fools” to stop the murders.

Haynes’ mother, Franka Ollivierie, was scheduled to celebrate her birthday in a week’s time, but those plans have now been dashed.

“My birthday coming Sunday, this is my birthday gift. This is what I get for my birthday gift. But Jah keep me strong,” said Ollivierrie, who questioned why violence continued to perpetuate in the area. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

C’bean Govts seek help 25 Venezuelans held for from European Bank for illegal entry into Trinidad regional transportation

Shootouts such as the one in which 13 people were killed in Minatitlán contribute to the high murder rate

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he first three months of 2019 have seen a 9.6 per cent increase in murders in Mexico, official figures suggest.

The report says 8493 people were murdered from January 1 to March 31, a 9.6 per cent rise from the same period in 2018.

The figures contradict statements by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who had said the murder rate had not risen since he took office.

López Obrador was sworn in on December 1. He had campaigned on a promise to drive down violence.

The figures from the National System for Public Security are particularly worrying as 2018 had the

highest murder rate since Mexico began keeping records of homicides.

The state with the highest murder rate so far in 2019 was Guanajuato, in central Mexico, where two powerful drug cartels – Jalisco New Generation and Santa Rosa de Lima – are fighting for control.

The numbers provided by the National System for Public Security were published just over a week after President López Obrador clashed with Journalist Jorge Ramos at a press briefing over whether there had been improvement in security in Mexico.

“Our data shows that we’ve brought the situation under control,” the President said.

I

mmigration officials are questioning 25 Venezuelan nationals who entered Trinidad illegally on a stealth pirogue.

They were taken into Police custody after being dropped off at points along the southern coastline.

Reports are that the first batch of Venezuelans arrived at Galfa Point, Cedros, around 02:00h on Sunday, while another batch arrived in a pirogue at Chatham.

None of those held had legal travel documents.

They were handed over to the Immigration Division.

Contacted for comment, councillor for Cedros, Shankar Teelucksingh said he was not surprised by the arrests as more Venezuelans are entering T&T illegally as the date for registration for amnesty draws closer. He said those who get their passports stamped at Cedros are given three

weeks to stay in Trinidad.

“After three weeks they have to go back, but those who come here illegally have a better chance to stay longer. They make connections here and I expect they will be hiding out until they can get registered,” he said.

Teelucksingh said groups of Venezuelans are dropped off regularly.

“We need a special unit to deal with the Venezuelans in the absence of international agencies,” he said.

“Residents are feeling a sense of loss of freedom.

Strange people and strange vehicles are entering their quiet communities and they are very worried. We are calling on the Minister of National Security to lock down the borders. We want the T&T Coast Guard and the Chief of Defence to intervene and protect our citizens.” Teelucksingh added.

(Trinidad Guardian)

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a r i b b e a n Governments are looking toward securing financial assistance from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the regional transportation sector amid concerns that shareholder Governments may be forced to close down the cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, whose country is one of the four major shareholders of the Antiguabased airline, has confirmed that she has started discussions with the EIB on support for the Region’s “transportation sector”.

While she did not name the struggling airline, she told reporters that during her recent visit to Canada and the United States, she met with the EIB Senior Vice President, Alexander Stubb, adding that the European bank has expressed a willingness to assist with region-

al projects.

“The EIB doesn’t only lend to the Government, it also lends to private companies like the Barbados Light and Power in the past and it has also engaged here with not just national projects but also regional projects.

“And as the lead Prime Minister for the Single Market and Single Economy, I also had to engage in discussions with them on opportunities within the transport sector in particular, with respect to the EIB and its role in the Region,” Mottley said.

Her announcement comes in the wake of a statement by St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, earlier this month that the regional carrier may be forced to close its operations after Caribbean Governments appear reluctant to provide the necessary cash injection need to keep the airline flying. (Excerpt from CMC)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, april 23, 2019

Around the World

Sri Lanka attacks: ‘International network’ linked to bombings

A bomb exploded on Monday as Police in Colombo tried to defuse it

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wave of bombings that killed 290 people in Sri Lanka on Sunday was carried out with the support of an international network, officials said.

The Government has blamed a little-known local jihadist group, National Thowheed Jamath, although no-one has yet admitted car-

rying out the bombings.

Another 500 people were injured in the suicide attacks on churches and hotels.

The emergency declaration, which came into effect from midnight (18:30 GMT) on Monday, will give police and military extensive powers to detain and interrogate suspects without court or-

ders.

On Monday, another blast rocked a street near a church in the capital, Colombo. Police were attempting to defuse explosives in a vehicle used by the attackers when it blew up. It is not yet known if anyone was hurt.

Sri Lankan authorities were warned about a

bomb threat from National Thowheed Jamath a full two weeks before the attacks, Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said at a press conference.

He said that the warnings were not passed on to the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, or his Cabinet. Wickremesinghe acknowledged that security services had been “aware of information” but had not acted on the information.

Senaratne said that authorities believed the bombers had international support. “We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country,” he said, adding: “There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded.”

A later statement said President Maithripala Sirisena would ask for foreign help to track down the international links to the attackers.

A national day of mourning has been scheduled for today. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Polish Judas ritual Opponents of Egypt’s ‘anti-Semitic’ – constitutional reforms Jewish congress call for ‘no’ vote

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The straw-filled effigy was later hanged and burned

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he World Jewish Congress (WJC) has voiced outrage over a Polish town’s ritual beating of a Judas effigy which looks like a caricature Orthodox Jew. The Good Friday ritual in Pruchnik, south-eastern Poland, was filmed and posted by a Polish news website.

“Jews are deeply disturbed by this ghastly revival of medieval anti-Semitism that led to unimaginable violence and suffering,” the WJC said.

More than three million Polish Jews were murdered during World War Two. In total, Nazi Germany murdered about six million Jews in death camps in occupied Poland and killing fields in the former Soviet Union.

In the Pruchnik ritual - part of Roman Catholic Easter celebrations - chil-

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dren crowded round the effigy beating it with sticks, as adults dragged it through the streets. The mock Judas had a big red nose, black hat and Orthodox-style ringlets.

In the past, the Catholic Church in Poland had banned such practices.

Last year a diplomatic row erupted between Israel and Poland after the conservative Polish Government made it an offence to allege that the Polish nation was complicit in Nazi crimes. US officials also criticised the new law.

Later the Polish Government watered down the controversial law, by scrapping the prison sentences prescribed for such offences.

Research shows that thousands of Poles collaborated with the Nazis. But many other Poles risked their lives to help Jews. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

pponents of constitutional amendments that could see Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stay in power until 2030 urged people to vote “no” on Monday, the third and final day of a referendum on the proposal.

The amendments would also bolster the role of the military and expand the President’s power over judicial appointments. The constitutional changes were approved by Parliament last week.

While the amendments are expected to be passed in the referendum, observers said the turnout will be a test of Sisi’s popularity, which has been dented by austerity measures since 2016. He was re-elected last year with 97 per cent of votes cast.

Sisi’s supporters said he has stabilised Egypt and needs more time to reform and develop the economy.

Critics fear changing the Constitution will shrink any remaining space for political competition and debate, paving the way for a long period of one-man rule.

Ahmed al-Tantawi, one of a small number of opposition members of Parliament, said the referendum was being held against a backdrop of intimidation and “vote buying”.

The electoral commission said on Monday afternoon it had not received any formal complaints so far about any irregularities.

Some 61 million of Egypt’s nearly 100 million population are eligible to vote. The result is expected within five days. (Excerpt from Reuters)

US will not reissue waivers for Iran oil imports

The end to the waivers is expected to hit Asian buyers, including China and India, the hardest [File: Raheb Homavandi/Reuters]

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he Trump Administration on Monday told five countries - Japan, South Korea, Turkey, China and India that they will no longer be exempt from US sanctions if they continue to import oil from Iran after their waivers end on May 2.

The United States, which has engaged in a maximum pressure campaign against Tehran since Trump came to office, had been giving the countries time to wean themselves off Iranian oil, but has decided that waivers will no longer be issued.

The Administration granted eight oil sanctions waivers when it re-imposed sanctions on Iran after Trump pulled the US out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. They were granted in part to give those countries more time to find alternate energy sources but also to prevent a shock to glob-

al oil markets from the sudden removal of Iranian crude.

The White House said on Monday that the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates “have agreed to take timely action to assure that global demand is met as all Iranian oil is removed from the market”.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in a statement that the kingdom was closely monitoring the oil market and “will coordinate with fellow oil producers to ensure adequate supplies are available to consumers while ensuring the global oil market does not go out of balance”.

Oil prices rose following the Trump Administration’s announcement on Monday.

According to some analysts, ending the waivers was expected to hit Asian buyers, including China and India, the hardest. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Philippines earthquake: 5 deaths reported on Luzon

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t least five people have been killed in the Philippines after a powerful earthquake struck the main island of Luzon, officials say.

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit at about 17:11h local time (09:11 GMT) on Monday, the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reports.

An airport was seriously damaged and at least two buildings were destroyed.

Authorities believe some people remain trapped inside one four-storey building in the town of Porac.

“It’s difficult because there is no power, so we’re still trying to get hold of a generator

to be able to rescue the people inside,” Lilia Pineda, governor of Pampanga province, told ABS-CBN television.

Twenty people have so far been rescued and taken to hospital, she added.

The earthquake was felt in the capital Manila, where skyscrapers were seen swaying.

Clark International Airport, located about an hour’s drive north of the capital, suffered major damage, with at least seven people injured.

The Philippines is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” - a zone of major seismic activity which has one of the world’s most active fault lines. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

China wants ‘tranquillity’, navy chief says ahead of new warships reveal

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hina’s navy wants maritime “tranquillity and good order”, its chief said on Monday, ahead of a parade to mark its 70th anniversary at which the military is expected to display new warships including nuclear submarines and destroyers.

President Xi Jinping is overseeing a sweeping plan to refurbish the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by developing everything from stealth jets to aircraft carriers as China ramps up its presence in the South China Sea and around selfruled Taiwan, which has rattled nerves

in the region.

The navy has been a key beneficiary of the modernisation plan, with China looking to project power far from its shores and protect its trading routes and citizens overseas.

Last month, Beijing unveiled a target of 7.5 per cent rise in defence spending for this year, a slower rate than last year but still outpacing its economic growth target.

Today’s parade in the waters of the eastern city of Qingdao will feature 32 vessels and 39 aircraft, some of which will

not have been unveiled before, as well as warships from 13 foreign countries including India, Australia and Vietnam.

Speaking at a reception in Qingdao, navy chief Shen Jinlong said China was looking to promote trust and cooperation this week in its interactions with foreign navies and delegations.

Military officers accompanying reporters in Qingdao have been at pains to point out China has no hostile intent with the naval parade and it is not a show of force but a sign of a genuine desire for global maritime cooperation. (Excerpt from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, APRIL 23, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

Promises aren’t made to be broken, so only offer what you know you can deliver.

Make helping others a priority, along with doing things for yourself. Romance is in the stars.

CANCER

Look for an opportunity to implement a positive change in your life. Getting along with your peers or boss may not always be easy, but today it will be necessary.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Don’t reveal secrets or give anyone information that will put you in a vulnerable position. Do what you do best and take care of your responsibilities.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Making travel plans, engaging in educational pursuits or asking for expert advice will bring you wisdom and clarity regarding a situation or individual you are dealing with or concerned about.

It’s OK to stand on the sideline and observe.

Embracing a change for which you are unready will not make your life easier.

Let situations develop further before you take action.

Get in the game and play to win. Refuse to let an emotional issue cost you time and energy that would be better spent doing something constructive.

Look over personal papers and make adjustments to them. An emotional problem will escalate if you aren’t quick to fix any misunderstanding or rumor before it’s too late. Selfimprovement should be a priority.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

It doesn’t pay to fret over something you have little influence over, when you should be using your time to make positive changes in your life, relationships and thought processes.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Be honest when dealing with others. State facts and make your point clear. Don’t leave any room for misunderstandings.

Domestic matters should be taken care of personally.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Be careful when it comes to money matters, donations and dealing with institutions or officials. Make sure you have your personal documents in order. A change at home looks promising.

Be flexible until you reach your goal. How you deal with others and go about your business will make a difference. An opportunity is heading your way.

Don’t lose sleep over the actions of others. A lack of credibility and honesty prevails, so be careful not to pass along information you receive unless you can verify its authenticity.

tuesday, april 23, 2019

19

Pant’s brilliance puts Rahane century in the shade

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jinkya Rahane brought out his full repertoire of shots and then some uncharacteristic ones, charging to a second T20 century, but even his 105* off 63 couldn’t carry Rajasthan Royals to a total that was safe from Delhi Capitals’ powerful top order.

Shikhar Dhawan smashed 54 at two runs a ball, and Rishabh Pant shrugged off a run of low scores where he seemed to get himself out more than the bowlers. Pant came in at 77 for 2, with the required rate having crept over 10, and stayed till the end to steer the chase, smacking 78* off 36 balls that was full of onehanded slog-sweeps and stunningly timed sixes - including the winning hit in the final over.

The win meant Capitals moved to the top of the IPL 2019 points table, the first time the franchise from Delhi has attained that position in the second half of an IPL season since 2012. They are level on 14 points with Chennai Super Kings, but ahead on net run-rate.

Victory also put to bed the chasing jitters that had plagued Capitals. They have now won their last two matches while chasing. For Royals, defeat meant their chances of making it to the playoffs dwindled significantly, and they will most likely have to win each of their remaining four games to even be in contention for a spot.

Rahane’s turbo charge after the drop He had been involved in a mix-up with Sanju Samson that resulted in a run-out for Samson without facing a ball. He had looked like getting bogged down at the start. And he would have been on his way for 16 off 18 if Ishant Sharma had held on to the easiest of chances in the fifth over. Ishant clanged it, and from that point on, Rahane’s innings was turbo-charged. The next 45 balls he faced would bring 89 runs, and that included the end phase when he was tiring, with only 11 runs coming off his last 10 deliveries. In the middle period of his innings, between the drop and the sluggish end, Rahane was scoring at an Andre Russell-ian run-rate of 13.37.

This was the avatar of Rahane that people had clamoured to see: aggression, innovation in shot-making and even the muchmaligned ‘intent’. His classical shot-making has always been a beautiful sight, but he married that with scoops, paddles and whips too. Most crucially perhaps, his mindset appeared to be one of attacking the bowlers.

Capitals pull it back at the death After 13 overs, Royals were motoring at 135 for 1, with both Rahane and Steven Smith carting the bowlers around. The home side would have backed themselves to finish above 210 from there, but the last seven overs brought only 56 runs, with five wickets falling.

It began with Smith skying Axar Patel to the longoff boundary where Chris Morris held the ball over his head just inside the boundary line. Royals had Ben Stokes and Ashton Turner to follow, and would have expected a powerful finish. Instead, they fizzled out. Stokes’ poor season with the bat continued, but even his returns looked massive when set against the unfortunate Turner, who got a third successive golden duck. Turner has now scored ducks in his last five consecutive T20 matches, four of which have been off the first ball.

Rahane had done all the running for his team and in an ideal world, he should have played second fiddle at the end with the big-hitters powering through. Instead, it was left to him to continue the power-hitting, and a tiring Rahane couldn’t find the boundary as regularly as he had, and the ball wasn’t going off the middle as often either. Capitals had kept the trio of Kagiso Rabada, Morris and Ishant for the end, and all three kept the batsmen relatively quiet, meaning Royals ended with a slightly below par total on a flat track.

SCOREBOARD

Rajasthan Royals Innings (20 overs maximum) AM Rahane not out 105 SV Samson † run out (Rabada) 0 SPD Smith (c) c Morris b Patel 50 BA Stokes c Iyer b Morris 8 AJ Turner c Rutherford b Sharma 0 STR Binny b Rabada 19 R Parag b Rabada 4 Extras (lb 1, w 4) 5 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 9.55) Did not bat: JC Archer, S Gopal, JD Unadkat, DS Kulkarni Fall of wickets: 1-5 (SV Samson, 1.1 ov), 2-135 (SPD Smith, 13.1 ov), 3-157 (BA Stokes, 15.5 ov), 4-163 (AJ Turner, 16.4 ov), 5-187 (STR Binny, 19.3 ov), 6-191 (R Parag, 19.6 ov) BOWLING I Sharma (4-0-29-1) K Rabada (4-0-37-2) AR Patel (4-0-39-1) A Mishra (3-0-28-0) CH Morris (4-0-41-1)

Dhawan starts, Pant finishes Dhawan has reinvented himself as a T20 opener midway through this IPL season, and the new version of Dhawan ensured Capitals rocketed off at the start. That meant there was no run-rate pressure from the outset, and Dhawan’s onslaught had given Capitals the dual cushion of allowing Prithvi Shaw the luxury to settle in, and not let the natural downturn when a wicket fell let the required rate climb too high. Dhawan didn’t try to see off any bowler, or play himself in against anyone.

He simply attacked each one, and won his battles against each one too. The spectre of dew later on forced Smith to bowl Shreyas Gopal in the Powerplay, but Dhawan carted him for 15 runs in his opening over to nullify his threat.

Turner in record fifth successive T20 duck

A

ustralian Ashton Turner became the first man in Twenty20 history to make five consecutive ducks as he fell first ball in the Indian Premier League.

It was the third successive IPL golden duck for the 26-year-old, who batted at number five for Rajasthan Royals.

Team-mate Ajinkya Rahane, the India batsman, struck their side’s highest IPL score with an unbeaten 105.

Last month Turner hit 84 against India in a one-day international and he has played three ODIs and five T20s.

His unbeaten one-day innings in Chandigarh broke the run of T20 ducks, which began with a first-ball dismissal in the Big Bash League in February and was followed by a five-ball nought for Australia against India.

The Royals, captained by Australian Steve Smith and featuring England all-rounder Ben Stokes and newcomer Jofra Archer, lost the match against Delhi Capitals by six wickets with four deliveries left.

Smith compiled his second successive fifty, though Stokes made only eight and has scored a modest 112 runs in eight innings in this year’s event, with a best of 46.

Archer clipped the stumps with a full toss but the bails stayed in place and he finished with 0-31 from his four overs.

The 24-year-old Sussex all-rounder took 11 wickets in his 10 matches but he and Stokes now head home to prepare for England’s oneday series against Pakistan, beginning on 8 May, which is preceded by a one-off match with Ireland on 3 May.

3

SE Rutherford (1-0-16-0) Delhi Capitals Innings (target: 192 runs from 20 overs) PP Shaw c Parag b Gopal 42 S Dhawan st †Samson b Gopal 54 SS Iyer (c) c Stokes b Parag 4 RR Pant † not out 78 SE Rutherford c Parag b Kulkarni 11 CA Ingram not out 3 Extras (nb 1) 1 TOTAL (19.2 Overs, RR: 9.98) 193/4 Did not bat: AR Patel, CH Morris, A Mishra, K Rabada, I Sharma Fall of wickets: 1-72 (S Dhawan, 7.3 ov), 2-77 (SS Iyer, 8.5 ov), 3-161 (PP Shaw, 16.4 ov), 4-175 (SE Rutherford, 17.6 ov) BOWLING STR Binny (1-0-3-0) DS Kulkarni (4-0-51-1) JD Unadkat (3.2-0-36-0) S Gopal (4-0-47-2) JC Archer (4-0-31-0) R Parag (3-0-25-1)

Pant walked in when Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer fell within eight balls. It was a delicate situation, which could have gone pear-shaped for Capitals if Pant had fallen. But with Shaw playing within himself to hold one end up, Pant opened up successfully.

He didn’t attempt extravagant shots at the start of his innings, which was perhaps the crucial difference from how his last few knocks had gone. But he didn’t go into a shell either, which meant that by the time he was well set, he was already scoring at a rapid rate. Once set, he unleashed his full range. There are few bowling attacks in the world that can go unscathed against Pant in these situations, and Royals weren’t one of them. (ESPN cricinfo)

Chennai loses out on hosting IPL 2019 final

H

Ashton Turner

Barbados-born Archer, 24, qualified to play for England in March after a change in residency rules.

He was not selected in a preliminary 15man World Cup squad but could still be chosen if he impresses in the pre-tournament matches as changes can be made up to 23 May. India left-hander Rishabh Pant won Monday’s match in Jaipur with a six as the Capitals moved to the top of the table on net run-rate, although they have played a game more than second-placed Chennai Super Kings.

The Royals are one place off the foot of the table, eight points behind the leaders, with the top four teams qualifying for the play-off phase, which starts on 7 May. (BBC Sport)

yderabad has been confirmed as the venue for the IPL final on May 12 after Chennai Super Kings failed to provide a solution to the long-standing issue of the three disputed - and closed - stands at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

As reported last week, Super Kings - the defending champions and, therefore, the rightful hosts of the final - had been given time by the IPL authorities to identify a way around the problem. ESPNcricinfo understands that the Super Kings management has since conveyed its inability to do so by May 12, and the final has now gone to Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the home venue of last season’s runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

According to the latest update, Chennai will host Qualifier 1, while the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be held in Visakhapatnam.

Super Kings have hosted four home games, including the season opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore, this year with the stands closed. However, IPL officials were concerned about the bad optics the vacant stands present, especially on TV, for the marquee matches.

The Chennai corporation had closed

Kane Williamson and MS Dhoni greet each other

the three stands - I, J and K, adding up to roughly 12,000 seats - in 2012 as there were discrepancies when the stadium was refurbished before the World Cup in 2011. Only once since then have they been opened to the public, after Tamil Nadu Cricket Association got special permission to do so for an India v Pakistan ODI in December 2012. (cricinfo)

20 Barnes and Burnley put spanner in Chelsea’s quest for top-4 spot C GUYANATIMESgy.COM

tuesday, APRIL 23, 2019

helsea are the latest side to stutter in their pursuit of a top four finish. The draw that as good as secured Burnley’s place in the Premier League for another season shifted Maurizio Sarri’s team back into the Champions League qualification places, but theirs could still be a temporary stint amongst that quartet. This was a missed opportunity on a night where, mentally and physically, a brutal season appeared to have taken its toll.

The Londoners rather ran aground on abrasive and well drilled opponents as this contest dragged on, the rat-a-tat of shared first half goals having given away to a grim slog in pursuit of a winner. Burnley competed ruggedly and admirably, repelled everything thrown at them, and infuriated their hosts as they ran the clock down towards their latest critical point. The local frustration was palpable with Chelsea, their options increasingly clipped by injuries, aware that all those immediately around them have midweek fixtures in which they could steal back momentum.

Sarri had warned there would be twists and turns to endure before the season’s end, and he will have taken no pleasure in being proved correct.

For all the discontented murmurings over style and approach, Chelsea have actually been rather more thrilling to watch of late since Maurizio Sarri, burdened by a cluttered fixture schedule, had placed more faith in youth and incorporated the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben LoftusCheek into his league lineup. That pair have been a breath of fresh air, particularly in home fixtures where they have regularly dazzled. Their energy has also served to liberate Hazard, whose desire to end this season on a high has been all too apparent with every outing. Hudson-Odoi would not see out the first half here, landing awkwardly and appearing to damage an ankle, though he had still contributed to a riotous opening period.

The hosts had showcased their fluent, attacking intent.

There had been Loftus-Cheek’s barnstorming run from deep, Jeff Hendrick bouncing off him helplessly en route, and Hazard’s tormenting of Matt Lowton as he sized up a

Kepa Arrizabalaga looks crestfallen as Burnley celebrate their first-half equaliser

cross. Twice the full-back thought he had his man covered, and twice he was hoodwinked and left embarrassed. He had barely picked himself up off the floor by the time N’Golo Kanté, free nearer the penalty spot, slammed in a fourth goal of the campaign from the Belgian’s pull-back.

Fast forward 113 seconds and Jorginho’s burst, Cesar Azpilicueta’s cute back-heel and Gonzalo Higuain’s slick spin away from Ben Mee would slice Burnley open yet again.

The angle was unkind for the Argentinian, but Higuain took out some of the frustration that has been building for weeks to thrash in his team’s second across Tom Heaton and in off the underside of the crossbar. Throw in Higuain’s guided volley, hooked off the line by a retreating Ben Mee, and Loftus-Cheek’s whipped effort just high and wide, and the hosts’ attacking threat was obvious.

Yet, without the injured Antonio Rüdiger marshalling

the rearguard, their vulnerability had been just as glaring.

Those Chelsea goals had been sandwiched between the visitors’ own rewards, both conjured from neatly constructed set-plays and rightly celebrated with relish. There had been Hendrick’s stunning volley, thumped in from the edge of the area after Azpilicueta had headed a corner half clear. Just as the hosts appeared to have wrested back the initiative, Ashley Westwood floated over a free-kick to Mee, his run beyond the far post unnoticed, with the centre-half’s header flicked on by Chris Wood and converted on the volley by Ashley Barnes. The striker had also been left alone to net an 11th goal of the season, to leave Sarri agitated on the sidelines.

The Italian exchanged words with the Burnley bench on more than one occasion, not least after Heaton had been booked for time-wasting half an hour in.

They clashed again after the interval when Charlie Taylor’s checking of the substitute, Pedro, went unsanctioned with Sarri blocked from entering the away technical area by the fourth official. The loss of Kanté, presumably to injury, will not have improved the Italian’s mood with his side’s defending every bit as fragile as during the seven-goal tête-á-tête with Slavia Prague last midweek. Jorginho’s obliging pass to Barnes almost culminated in Wood easing clear, and rather summed up the simmering sense of chaos.

The visiting front-line bullied their markers at times, every high ball launched down the centre provoking pangs of anxiety, while Chelsea’s own attacking forays became clogged up amid Burnley shirts. The initial rhythm had drained away, the hosts rather running out of ideas as Sarri fidgeted nervously on the sidelines. They have still recovered a deficit to defeat only Cardiff City, twice, this term.

For all that Burnley merited their point, the home side, above Arsenal only by a point, departed knowing this draw could ultimately prove damaging.

Sarri was sent to the stands after the game was halted in for an altercation in stoppage time. (The Guardian)

Sterling to pay for Damary Folau’s future to be decided at hearing on May 4 Dawkins’ funeral

Raheem Sterling paid tribute to Damary Dawkins after scoring for England last month

R

aheem Sterling will pay for the funeral of Crystal Palace youth player Damary Dawkins, who died in March aged 13.

Manchester City winger Sterling supported a campaign to find a suitable stem cell donor for Damary, who had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

“Damary was a special young man who touched a lot of lives, including my own,” Sterling said.

The England international, 24, plans to attend the funeral on Friday.

He described Damary as “an example to us all” who was “positive until the end”.

The teenager’s family had set up a GoFundMe page to raise £15,000 to give Damary the “best send off and celebration of life”.

In March, Sterling lifted his shirt to reveal a picture of the two of them together after scoring his second goal in England’s 5-0 win over the Czech Republic.

Damary’s father, Tony, said Sterling’s shirt tribute was “very, very touching”.

“I knew they used to speak because [Sterling] came down to the hospital,” he said. “They played pool together and apparently they swapped numbers.”

“I remember when Crystal Palace played Manchester City and they lost - Damary put on his tracksuit with the Crystal Palace badge and took a picture to send to Raheem.

They had banter with each other.”

According to an appeal page, Damary did receive a stem cell match a few days before Christmas but he relapsed in February. (BBC Sport)

Israel Folau has won 73 caps for Australia

I

srael Folau’s future will be decided at a hearing on 4 May after the full-back was sacked by Rugby Australia following a social media post in which he said “hell awaits” gay people.

The 30-year-old requested a code of conduct hearing after his dismissal.

It will be heard behind closed doors in Sydney by a three-member panel.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has said Folau, who won 73 caps and was expected to play at this year’s World Cup, was unlikely to be selected again.

Folau, who signed a four-year deal with Sydney-based Super Rugby side the Waratahs in March and had a contract with

Rugby Australia until 2022, escaped punishment for similar comments last year.

Rugby Australia said he “had committed a high-level breach of the Professional Players’ Code of Conduct warranting termination of his employment contract”.

The governing body has also set aside Sunday, 5 May if the hearing goes into a second day.

In addition to his rugby union career, Folau has also played professional rugby league and Australian rules football.

Last week, Australian rugby league’s governing body ruled out Folau returning to the National Rugby League. (BBC Sport)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, APRIL 23, 2019

21

SCC International 4-Team Cricket Tournament…

Canal No 2 open Suriname tour with consecutive wins

T

he Canal #2 team have had many successes in 2019. One such is advancing to the semifinals of the Amerith Rai Memorial T20 competition, being played on the West Coast of Demerara. They have continued in fine touch, as they are currently touring Suriname and competing in the Spartan Cricket Club’s International FourTeam Cricket Competition at the Dr Snell Park in Paramaribo.

They have thus far registered two consecutive wins as they continue to dominate the competition. They won their first T20 match against the Amar Shakti Cricket Club on Friday, and their second against the Nickerie

All Stars Cricket Club on Saturday. This match was reduced to 10 overs due to a heavy downpour.

In match number one, against Amar Shakti Cricket Club, Mark Jeffers and Malcolm Hubbard of Zeeburg Sports Club (guest players) led Canal #2 to an emphatic victory over their opponents. Bowling first, Jeffers wrecked the top order with his pace, keeping a simple line and length that caused chaos for the opposition.

Jeffers bagged 3-9 from his allotted four overs, while Hubbard and Anand Persaud chipped in with figures of 2-3 and 2-13 respectively to restrict the opposition to 61-8 in their

20 overs. Needing only 62 for victory from 120 balls, Persaud led the way with an unbeaten 37, while Jeffers supported with a quick-fire 25* to end the match at 62-0 in 5.3 overs.

Match number two, against the Nickerie All Stars CC, was reduced to 10 overs per side as rain threatened to wash out the fixture. Bowling first once again, the All Stars were restricted to 53-5 off their allotted 10 overs. Persaud led the wicket-taking initiative with 2, while Hubbard and Narendra Persaud grabbed one each. With a small total of 56 needed, Jeffers led with an unbeaten 37 to finish the game in 4.1 overs and give Canal #2 their second win of the competition.

Mark Jeffers has taken his team over the line with both bat and ball

ATP ranking: Djokovic extends lead at the top

T

he third Masters 1000 event of the season in Monte Carlo is behind us and it has brought some significant changes on the ranking list. Novak Djokovic is spending the 248th week on the ATP throne and he has extended the gap over world no. 2 Rafael Nadal to 3075 points despite an early exit in Monte Carlo to Daniil Medvedev.

The Spaniard has failed to defend 1000 points in the Principality, bowing out in the semis after a brilliant performance from Fabio Fognini to lose more than 600 points and make the chase

with Novak even more difficult ahead of the following events on clay where he also has a lot of points to defend.

After another disappointing run in Monte Carlo, Alexander Zverev has stayed third but less than 200 points ahead of Roger Federer, entering Barcelona with a wild card to regain the form and score some wins after a terrible start of the season.

Roger will use the following two weeks for practice on clay, returning to action in Madrid where he will make his first steps on the slowest surface since Rome 2016. Dominic Thiem has played another mediocre event on the favorite surface, losing in the third round to

Dusan Lajovic and standing almost 1000 points behind the Swiss, hoping to reduce the deficit in Barcelona this week.

Competing in just ten matches so far in 2019, Kevin Anderson is still in contention of the high positions, moving in front of Kei Nishikori who failed to defend the points for the final he played in Monte Carlo a year ago.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, Juan Martin del Potro and John Isner are still ranked in the top-10 and the biggest mover in the top-20 is Monte Carlo champion Fabio Fognini who is on a career-high 12th spot, just five points behind Marin Cilic.

There are no new players in the top-20 and the first notable gainer is Dusan Lajovic who

competed in the first Masters 1000 final on Sunday, earning enough points to enter the top25 for the first time. Guido Pella has cracked the top-30 after playing in the quarter-final, pushing Nadal to the limits in the opener and leaving Monte Carlo already with 16 ATP wins in 2019.

Grigor Dimitrov has left the top-40 for the first time since February 2013, winning just eight matches this year and entering Barcelona with a wild card to test his current skills against the best clay-courters in the world.

Twelve players are on a career-high position this week, including the youngsters like Jaume Munar, Taylor Fritz, Miomir Kecmanovic and Lloyd Harris. (ATP Rankings)

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Hart claims first victory with Froome finishing sixth

B

ritain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart claimed the first senior win of his career at the opening stage of the Tour of the Alps, while his Team Sky team-mate Chris Froome came sixth.

Geoghegan Hart, 24, edged out Alexander Aranburu of Spain and Switzerland’s Roland Thalmann at the end of the 144km ride around Kufstein in Austria.

“I’m really happy to take my first professional win,” he said.

This was the first of five stages in the event, which finishes on 26 April.

Froome, who finished fourth in this race last year, is trying to hit top form in time for the start of his bid for a fifth Tour de France title on July 6 in Brussels.

The 33-year-old had raced only twice previously this season, finishing 91st and 94th at the Tour of Colombia and Tour of Catalonia respectively and withdrew from February’s UAE Tour.

This will be the final stage race for Team Sky with their current sponsor.

Ineos, a chemicals firm owned by Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe, takes over on 1 May. (BBC Sport)

─ Afghanistan aim for “inspirational cricket” after naming squad

Tour of the Alps - stage one result

1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Team Sky) 3hrs 30mins 48secs 2. Alexander Aranburu (Spa/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) same time 3. Roland Thalmann (Swi/Team Vorarlberg Santic) 4. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Astana) 5. Nikita Stalnov (Kaz/Astana) 6. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 7. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus/Gazprom-Rusvelo) 8. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe) 9. Giovanni Carboni (Ita/Bardiani CSF) 10. Dayer Quintana (Col/Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia-KTM)

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team left to name squad

Tao Geoghegan Hart joined Team Sky in 2017

Asghar Afghan is included in Afghanistan’s squad after losing the captaincy earlier this month

A

sghar Afghan is included in Afghanistan’s squad after losing the captaincy earlier this month Afghanistan’s mission is to “play inspirational cricket” at the World Cup, says chief selector Dawlat Ahmadzai after naming their squad.

Veteran pacer Hamid Hassan is part of a 15-man squad, with Asghar Afghan also included despite having the captaincy taken away earlier this month.

Afghanistan open their campaign against Australia in Bristol on 1 June.

“We hope to play great cricket without any fear and with a fighting spirit in the tournament,” said Ahmadzai.

“The mission is to play inspirational cricket in the tournament. I know there are strong teams but we will do our level best to achieve our goals.”

Afghanistan squad: Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Shahzad, Noor

Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan and Mujeeb ur Rahman.

Reserves: Ikram Alikhil, Karim Janat, Sayed Shirzad.

Windies to announce squad on Wednesday

On Wednesday, April 24, West Indies will become the tenth and final team to announce their squad for the Cricket World Cup when they submit the West Indies preliminary 15-member squad to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Cricket West Indies director of cricket Jimmy Adams, interim chairman of the CWI selection panel Robert Haynes and interim West Indies head coach Floyd Reifer are scheduled to be on hand to absorb media personnel questions, following the submission. (BBC Sport)

22

tuesday, april 23, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers

GFF defends choice to host U-20 tournament instead of U-23

L

ast week, it was disclosed that the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is preparing to host a nationwide IntraAssociation Under- 20 Knockout tournament. The timing of this announcement coincided with the one indicating that Guyana was drawn in Group ‘A’ of the impending CONCACAF men’s Olympic qualifiers, which happen to be an Under 23 tournament.

Accordingly, questions were raised about the Football Federation’s decision to host an Under 20 tournament, rather than upping the age limit to accommodate those local players who may have Olympic dreams.

Technical Director of the GFF, Ian Greenwood, at the launching of the Under 20 tournament, initially touched on the subject in noting that there are already senior team players who are being considered for the July 17-21 qualifiers.

“In terms of player development, we’ll be looking to recruit players for the upcoming Under 23 qualifiers for the Olympics. We know that we have a lot of key players involved in the senior team already, such as Duke-McKenna, such as Kevin Layne and Sese Norville, who should be integral members of the Olympic squad, but we are using this tournament to scout other players at the Under 20 level,” Greenwood said.

GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood

GFF President Wayne Forde

However, when further pressed on the subject, Greenwood and GFF President Wayne Forde sought to clarify their decision from the technical and business ends.

Touching on their partnership with KFC for the National Under 20 tournament, Forde vaguely explained the need for companies to consider their marketing demographics when entering a partnership.

“A lotta times, when you meet with your partner, there has to be an accommodation of the interests on both sides of the discussion. So while we may have specific technical goals when we try to put together proposal packages, we also have to listen to the partnership,” the GFF boss said.

Greenwood, on the other hand, centred

his defense on the players’ basis. “The idea of the U20 tournament is to look at the players from 17-20 that may now be getting into an elite league fourth team at the moment, so that’s why we’re using this tournament to look at the age group,” Greenwood explained.

He further shed light on the relevance of identifying younger, active players rather than older footballers who are not as active.

“In terms of the age group itself, if we have players over the age of 20 that are not playing in the elite league on a regular basis, then it’s going to be very, very hard for them to be considered for the Under 23 National Team.”

Greenwood also disclosed that the

Federation already have their eye on a few players from the Senior Men’s National team who will fall into the age restriction.

“We have a core group of players that we know are in the senior men’s national team at the moment, between the ages of 20 to 23.

They would be the key players that we’ll be looking at already,” Greenwood explained.

With most of those players being overseas- based, the focus is now on identify top local talents. Like any other tournament at the CONCACAF level, a mixture of international and locally-based players is welcome.

While the National Under 20 tournament will run from April 27- May 20, and there will be a playoff from May 31 to June 9, the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers are scheduled for July 17-21.

Guyana has been drawn in Group ‘A’ of the competition, along with St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and Caribbean football powerhouse Jamaica.

If Guyana succeeds at the Group stage, the team would be required to play and win one more game before heading into the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic qualifying championships against three teams from the Central American version of the qualifying competition, and the North American representatives: Mexico, Canada and the USA.

ABSAA-KFDA set to host Eagles United, Winners Connection youth football festival battle for top honours tonight Linden Mayor’s Cup 2019…

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Shaquille Frank

Colwyn Drakes

he stage is set for tonight’s grand finale of the Linden Town Week Mayor’s Cup Football championship, wherein the top ranked Eagles United are set to face Haynes & Lewis Winners Connection.

In the third-place match which precedes, Capital FC are pitted against Net Rockers. Both matches will be contested at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

The night’s proceedings will kick-off from 18:00hrs, when a Linden Select Under 20 team face the National Under 17 squad in what will be an interesting encounter, as the Linden side will seek to show their talents in this warm up game.

Eagles United are confident that they can bag yet another title, and their top players would include their captain, Colwyn ‘Buck’ Drakes, and Donovan Francis, who both are in rich form; while their supporting cast will be ready to ensure they put away the challenge of the Haynes and Lewis Winners Connection, which will depend on the expertise of Shaquille Frank leading their strike line.

To reach the final, it went down to penalties to decide that Winners Connection would end the hopes of Net Rockers 4-3, following a 1-1 draw. This was after Shaquille Frank had sent Winners Connection into the lead with a 32nd minute strike. Shane Luckie equalled the scores in the 36th min-

ute, and this tussle went back and forth without any decision.

It was finally decided from the penalty spot, and by then Frank had switched positions and had gone into the citadel, where he heroically stopped a shot that would send his team through by a 4-3 margin.

The second game was a lively affair, with Capital FC showing great promise. The heart of the Eagles United side was evident, and Eagles took the lead through Donovan Francis in the 16th minute. When Duquan Hercules' free kick tied this up for Capital FC in the 32nd minute, the game was tense, as both sides sought to gain the advantage.

A double by Colwyn 'Buck' Drake would separate the sides for good, when he banged home in the 86th to give Eagles a 2-1 advantage, and one minute later, another shot by Drakes sealed the 3-1 victory.

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he Alex Bunbury Sports and Academy (ABSAA) and Kingston Football Development Academy (KFDA), formerly Kingston Grass Roots Soccer Academy, will today be launching their Easter Indoor Boys and Girls Community Football Festival at the National Gymnasium.

The festival will culminate on April 26 with competition commencing from 9:00 hrs and concluding at 16:00 hrs daily.

The main objective of the ABSAA-KFDA is to introduce young boys and girls to the game of football, and have them taught the game at an early age.

Thus they would be able to play and compete, while having fun with no pressure.

The ABSAA-KFDA believes that young players need freedom of expression to develop as creative players, and that they should be encouraged to try their skills without fear of failure. The recreational and competitive Indoor Futsal League is a league for both boys and girls of all ages.

The leagues are action-packed in 5 vs 5 or 6 vs 6 formats, and players transition quickly from offence to defence, making for exciting games. Due to the smaller size of the field, players interact on every possession, making for a great learning environment. Every child at any age and any skill level will enjoy participating in the Indoor Soccer League.

The competition will cater for boys and girls in the Under-6, U9, U12 and U15 categories. Some of the teams to feature in the competition are Kingston, Tiger Bay ‘A & B’, Lodge ‘A & B’, Tucville, Mocha, West,

Plaisance, East, and Grove. Trophies and medals will be at stake for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in the under U12 and U15 divisions.

Any person or entity desirous of becoming a sponsor can contact the following telephone numbers: Simone Bazil-Lyte: 6881927, Junior Forrester: 696- 0658.

Some of the entities on board are Pet Shop, Namilco, NSC and Trophy Stall, GFF and ABSAA.

tuesday, april 23, 2019

CARIFTA 2019: Aleka Persaud excels in swimming

guyanatimesgy.com

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Chantoba Bright shows off her recently acquired metal work

─ Chantoba shines bright

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aking a larger contingent to represent Guyana at the 2019 CARIFTA Games being held in the Cayman Islands is paying off, as these young athletes have thus far bagged 7 medals, with one more day of competition still to come. Guyana’s collection of seven medals is comprised of three golds, two silvers and two bronzes.

On the first day of competition, Shaquka Tyrell opened Guyana’s CARIFTA campaign with a bronze medal in the Girls U17 1500M. Claudrice McKoy, however, outran her fellow competitors in the Girls U20 1500M race to secure Guyana’s first gold medal of the weekend. Clocking a time of 4:39s, she finished ahead of Jamaica’s Kelly-Ann Beckford (4:40s) and Aneisha Lawrence (4:41s).

Chantoba Bright leaped to her third consecutive long jump gold, after copping the top spot in 2017 and 2018. The US-based Guyanese jumped 6.05 metres to win the event ahead of Lotavia Brown of Jamaica (5.83 metres) and Martinique’s Fiona Aholu-Futse (5.78 metres).

Bright subsequently earned silver in the U20 women’s triple-jump event, in which her leap of 12.63 metres was second best to Jamaica’s Lotavia Browne’s, who soared to 13.09 metres.

Anisha Gibbons made history in nabbing the first U17 Javelin gold. The teenager threw the javelin to a distance of 40.34 metres to outclass Barbados’ Vavica Addison’s 39.70 metres and Cayman Islands’ Rachel Pascal’s 35.50 metres.

Joanna Archer narrowly missed out on the Girls U20 800M gold after she fell short by one second in her 2.10s run. Jasmine Knowles of the Bahamas won the event with a time of 2:09s.

Adriel Austin bagged Guyana’s second bronze in the Girls U17 800M event with a time of 2:12s.

Jamaicans Kishay Rowe and Jodyann Mitchell were her superiors, each clocking a time of 2:11s.

Guyana has sent 21 athletes to this year’s CARIFTA Games, three up from last year’s 18.

Swimming Aleka Persaud took her dominance in the pool to Barbados over the weekend, where she has so far captured one gold and three bronze medals.

The twelve-year-old got off to the right start on Saturday, copping gold in the Girls 11-12 100M butterfly with a time of 1:08.52s, two seconds faster than her runner-up. She then put in a third-place performance in the 50M butterfly, which was championed by Trinidad and Tobago’s Joy Blackett in

WDCA/Beacons 50-Over Cricket…

Zeeburg dismantle All Youths

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n a weekend packed with action, Zeeburg Sports Club defeated the All Youths ‘B’ Sports Club by eight wickets at the Zeeburg Cricket Ground in the West Demerara Cricket Association’s (WDCA’s) Beacons 50-Over competition.

All Youths emerged victors at the spin of the toss, and opted to bat first on a hard and flat wicket, with sunny conditions also favouring the team batting first.

In the past, Zeeburg have batted first on their home ground and have gone on to win convincingly; but being strategic, All Youths chose to bat first, because they knew if they were able to set a mammoth total, they stood a chance at defeating Zeeburg.

Regrettably, All Youths were in trouble from the get-go, as they lost key wickets up front and were not able to utilise ‘the power play’ whilst medium pacer Jamal Gomes was extracting swing and bounce from the track.

Gomes, with support from off-spinner Yutesh Dhanpaul and left-arm spinner Ricardo Adams, restricted the All Youths’ performance, and brought them to the verge of being bowled out within 20 overs. They, however, managed to last until the 23rd over, but could accumulate only 97 runs, with Ahamid Hannif (17) and Mark Prahalall (20) being the only two batsmen to reach double figures.

Bowling for Zeeburg, Jamal Gomes had 3-29, Yutesh Dhanpaul claimed 3-21, and left-arm spinner Ricardo Adams bagged 2-36.

Jamal Gomes and Yutesh Dhanpaul had standout performances which helped Zeeburg across the line

Needing a meagre 98 for victory, Zeeburg went about the chase in their typically aggressive manner, smashing the ball to every part of the ground to end their innings on 98-2 in 8.2 overs.

Top scoring for Zeeburg were Dhanpaul (48) and Ronaldo Renee, who was unbeaten on 31.

No All Youths bowler was able to contribute any significant figure.

Linden Town Week Schools Basketball Tournament…

Finalists to be decided today

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hristianburg-Wismar Secondary will today play Linden Technical Institute (LTI) in one semifinal, and Mackenzie High School will face the New Silvercity Secondary in the other semifinal, to see who makes it into the finale of the Linden Town Week Schools Basketball championships.

The first semi will commence at 14:30hrs at the Mackenzie High School basketball court in Retrieve, Linden.

In the final set of scheduled group play matches on Saturday, Christianburg-Wismar Secondary gained a walkover victory against Wisburg Secondary, which propelled them to the lead of Group ‘A’ with four points from two wins. New Silvercity Secondary finished second on three points from one win and one loss, and Wisburg Secondary had to settle for third position with just one point, their two losses gaining them no point.

Christianburg-Wismar Secondary began with a solid 38-26 win over New Silvercity Secondary to open their tournament, and gained their second win via Wisburg Secondary not showing up for their game.

New Silvercity Secondary, however, won their match against Wisburg 31-14 to ensure their semifinal spot, as Wisburg Secondary ended without a win to finish on one point and third in their group play.

Over in Group ‘B’, it was a close call as Linden Foundation Secondary edged past

Joanna Archer finished just paces behind Knowles

30.71s and Jamaica’s Giani Francis in 30.86s. Persaud’s time was 30.94s for third place.

The Guyanese found herself on the podium once again after the 200M freestyle, wherein she clocked 2:21.17s for her second bronze medal.

Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee Triple Crown Final Leg….

Don’t Over Look, Vera’s Finally top horses in feature event

Valentina gets away from Is He Perfect (Brandon Corlette photo)

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n the final leg of the Triple Crown horse- racing event staged by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee on Easter Sunday at the Port Mourant Turf Club on the Corentyne, the animals Don’t Over Look and Vera’s Finally, owned by the Jumbo Jet Stables, dominated the top positions in the feature event.

This feature event, run over one mile, had a winner’s purse of one million dollars; and Don’t Over Look, controlled by jockey Ron Ali, came in first position while Vera’s Finally came in second position.

Settling Star (third) and TNT (fourth) were among the other finishers.

Earlier in the day, a packed Port Mourant Turf Club

witnessed Ready to Romance starting the day with a win, while Miss Olympic rode in second position in that I- Class race. In the second event of the day, Gold Again and Touch The Cash dominated the L-Class Open race.

In race three, Keep on Swinging It came in first, and Red Rocket out of Trinidad and Tobago came in second.

They were the top horses in that H Class event. The event for 3-year-old horses saw the favourite, Valentina, living up to expectations by winning the event for the third time. Is He Perfect placed second; Mark placed third, and Mahaica Star placed fourth, as the other top finishers.

In the fifth race of the day,

the J-Class race, Miss Olympic, ridden by jockey Appadoo, came in first; with Red Region (second), Gold (third) and Mary Ann (fourth) being the other top finishers.

Signing off the day was the Non-Earners 1300-metre event, which was won by First Prine of the Hyper Active Racing Stables, with Upfront finishing second, and Silver Charm in third position.

Sponsors for this Triple Crown mega-event were: Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, Banks DIH Ltd, Randi Persaud Racing Stables (USA), Kris Jagdeo Racing Stables, Trophy Stall, Beesham Singh and Abdul Latiff. (Brandon Corlette)

Mackenzie High School in their first game, but LTI defeated Linden Foundation Secondary 33-28, and Mackenzie High bounced back to sail past LTI 46-39.

It meant that each school had a win and a loss for three points, but would be separated on goal difference. In arriving at the best teams, it was determined that Mackenzie High School had gained 1.078 points, considering those goals scored for and against the team; LTI finished second with a 0.973 point’s difference, and Linden Foundation Secondary was determined to have scored 0.942 point, to be eliminated.

The final is set for Wednesday at the same venue, with the third place game starting from 14:00hrs, before the final is played.

tuesday, APRIL 23, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee Triple Crown Final Leg….

Page 23

Don’t Over Look, Vera’s Finally top horses in feature event SCC International 4-Team Cricket Tournament…

Page 21

CARIFTA 2019: Aleka Persaud Canal No 2 open Suriname excels in tour with consecutive wins swimming Page 23

─ Chantoba shines bright

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