Guyana Times Daily

wednesday, may 7, 2014|

Fire guts LBI house

– pensioner, three others homeless

Afire completely destroyed a two-flat concrete house at La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara on Tuesday afternoon, leaving a pensioner and three other persons homeless.

The fire reportedly occurred around 12:30h.

Owner of the Lot 99 Onion Field, LBI house, 70-yearold Dhanpaul (only name given), was home at the time of the fire; however, he managed to escape unharmed.

The other occupants of the house, included his granddaughter, 28-year-old Rosanne Gobind, and her two children, ages eight and six, but they were not home at the time.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Gobind said she was at work when she received a message that the house was on fire. The woman said that she immediately left work;

but, by the time she got home, the fire was already put out and the fire truck was leaving.

“When I came home, the fire was out but everything was destroyed, nothing ain’t get save,” the distressed woman lamented. Gobind explained that she did not know exactly what transpired, since she did not get to meet her grandfather, as he was taken by one of his daughters.

She disclosed that she moved in with her grandfather close to two years ago, and lamented the losses they incurred, as the house was fully furnished.

“I don’t know really know what happen…I still can’t believe it, we lose everything in the fire,” she cried. The woman was at the location looking at the remains when this publication spoke to her. Her two children

were taken to a relative’s home.

A neighbour told this publication that he was at home when he noticed smoke was coming from the house and raised an alarm. The man said he had seen Dhanpaul consuming alcohol earlier with a relative, but was not sure whether he or both of them were in the house. The man said that they went to the house and called out to the elderly man who then came out, and they quickly informed the fire service which arrived quickly, but their efforts were in vain as the fire quickly gutted the house, destroying everything.

The neighbour claimed that someone had earlier seen wires sparking, but they were not sure whether this was the cause of the fire. The Guyana Fire Service is investigating the fire.

Shot-in-mouth teen pickets Police for justice

By Svetlana MarShall

The 15-year-old boy who was shot in his mouth by a Cadet Officer was discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital on Tuesday.

Shortly after being discharged, the teen, Alex Griffith, along with his mother, Marcel Griffith, and Mark Benschop picketed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Guyana Police Force’s Headquarters Eve Leary, calling for an attempted murder charge to be laid against the Police officer who fired the gun on April 30. They were picketing at a time when Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, Acting Police Commissioner Seelall Persuad, Crime Chief Leslie James and US Ambassador D Brent Hardt were meeting at CID to participate in a simple ceremony for the formal handing over of the Police’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). (see story on page 12)

Last Wednesday night, the teen was shot in his mouth at approximately 20:55h by a Police rank who accused him of witnessing a robbery in the North East La Penitence Squatting Area earlier that day. The accused who was released from Police custody has since indicated that he shot Griffith by accident.

Deliberate act

But Griffith while picketing CID told Guyana Times that the act was “deliberate”. Griffith recalled that on the night in question, he was at his mother’s East La Penitence home with his family when a number of policemen armed with guns dragged him out of the house. Initially, the Police told Griffith they were taking him to the Brickdam Police Station, but instead took him to North East La Penitence where the robbery had unfolded earlier that day. While the robbery victim indicated that Griffith witnessed the crime, she had stated that he had no part to play in it, since he was inside the house watching television.

“But when the girl tell them that, they started beating me up, lashing me with a torchlight in my belly, twisting my foot and standing on me,” the teen alleged.

The beating did not stop there. Griffith was dragged into the vehicle again and in the vicinity of Brickdam, the Police van came to a halt and Griffith was thrashed for a second time. The teen recalled that the officer who

shot him instructed his colleagues to drag him out of the vehicle before he pulled the trigger.

Russian roulette

“He tek out all the bullets out of the gun then but one, then he shoot and nothing ain’t come out, then he shoot again and it hit me,” he recalled. As blood gushed from his head, Griffith was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by the ranks who had taken him into custody. “They just carry me at the hospital and left me deh.”

Still disturbed over the incident, Griffith’s mother said the policeman who pulled the trigger should be charged with attempted murder. “I need justice, I want him (the police officer) to be taken before the court, I need justice,” the woman cried. The police officer who had been on close arrest is now required to report to the Police weekly as a condition of his release.

Marcel complained that the officer who allegedly shot her son is allowed to walk freely on the road when her son will be scarred for the rest of his life. According to her, the Guyana Police Force is not doing enough. “I am not seeing anything being down and the man is on the road. I am not getting any justice and the man is on the road.”

Questioned whether she is willing to settle the matter via compensation, Marcel responded in the negative. “It is not about compensation alone, is about justice,” she posited. (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy.com)

The destroyed LBI house

The shot teen

Bosai shelves US$100M expansion project

…cites struggling global bauxite market

By Svetlana MarShall

Bosai Minerals Group

Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI) on Tuesday said it has shelved its US$100 million expansion project owing to the challenges being faced on the global bauxite market.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

In 2012, the bauxite company in Linden announced its intention to invest approximately US$40 million to mine additional ore in an area called Block 37, in addition to the construction of a third kiln to the tune of US$57 million. This massive expansion project was designed to create more than 500 jobs in the second largest town in the country, which is said to be starving for job opportunities.

During the 2014 Budget Debate in the National Assembly, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud disclosed that the Government of Guyana took a decision to retain Block 37 due to the challenges faced on the international scene, but Bosai was looking at alternatives.

Slowdown in demand

Speaking with Guyana Times on Tuesday, BMGGI’s General Manager Robert Shang said Bosai has respectfully accepted the Government’s decision. “If that’s the Government’s decision, we are okay with that. Maybe in the future, if we have another expansion plan, maybe we will reapply,” he said.

Shang made it clear, however, that Bosai will not be pursuing the US$100 million expansion project, positing that bauxite remains a challenge. “Right now the global market for

calcined bauxite is very, very limited. The global bauxite market is not as good as before. With competition from China, that plan has already been derailed,” Shang told this publication. Bauxite is the main raw material used in the production of aluminium. Though there are many advantages in producing aluminium, the current supply surplus and the energy-intensive nature of processing aluminium from bauxite have resulted in demand reducing significantly. The situation on the global market is further compounded by the fact that approximately 75 per cent of the material ever smelted is still being used. But despite these challenges, output continues to increase especially in China and Australia, the largest single producers of bauxite.

The Natural Resources Ministry had expressed the view that BMGGI would have moved ahead with the construction of the third

kiln, as it seeks alternative mining blocks to develop. Alternative areas such as East Bank Kara Kara and on the West Bank of Linden were identified, but BMGGI’s General Manager said “it’s just a plan… but we haven’t decided as yet, because we have to do all kinds of feasibility studies.”

Declining production

Currently, Bosai’s operations predominantly take place at the Dacoura and East Montgomery Mines, in Linden, Region 10. Despite the challenges, Shang said the company will not be downsizing its operation.

“Guyana bauxite is still good, our quality is good.

That is a very good advantage, the market is still there, but it is limited but we are trying our best to maintain this market….the

demand is always at a certain level, but we cannot go above that,” he explained. Questioned about the rate of production for 2013, Shang declined to answer, stating that such information is not given to the press. However in 2013, Bosai disclosed that it had failed to meet its 2012 production target. At the commencement of 2012, Bosai had announced its intention to rake produce 250,000 tonnes of Refractory “A” Super Calcine (RASC) and 150,000 tonnes of the Size Chemical Grade Bauxite (SCGB) by the end of the year. The company later revised the production targets, to 212,000 tonnes for RASC and 150,000 tonnes for SCGB, but even these new targets were not met.

Actual production stood at 205,000 tonnes of RASC and 118,000 tonnes of SCGB when operations closed for 2012. These figures represented production shortfalls of 18 per cent and 21 per cent respectively in terms of the initial targets and 3.3 per cent and 7.09 per cent respectively on the revised targets.

In 2013, it was expected to produce 230,000 tonnes of RASC, 100,000 tonnes of SCGB, and 50,000 tonnes of Cement Grade Bauxite (CeGB). Metallurgical Grade (MAZ) bauxite was expected to be added to the production list. The company was hoping to produce 500,000 tonnes of the material.

Part of Bosai’s operations

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Police excesses

The customary outrage that comes after any incidentof Police excess was not evident last week when a Cadet Officer shot Alex Griffith in the mouth during the process of escorting him to the Brickdam Police Station on allegations that he was witness to a robbery of the said officer’s relative.

The silence by citizens and the scores of human rights organisations here today is perhaps an indication of how sick our society has become of these types of atrocities from our lawmen. Still to resolve the episode involving Colwyn Harding and the countless others, the Guyana Police Force (Service?) could have done well without what transpired at East La Penitence last Wednesday night

It came at a time when new Commissioner of Police (ag) Seelall Persaud is forging ahead with his much vaunted Impact Programme in Albouystown, aimed at retaking the community from the clutches of criminals. The shooting of young Griffith in a neighbouring community could only undermine that initiative and further massage the distrust between residents and the Force.

From all reports, Griffith, only 15 years old, was arrested at his home by policemen who accused him of being present when someone was robbed. The teenager denied being on the scene and also provided an alibi. His mother also testified that he was not a witness to the robbery, but the Police did not believe their story and as such, arrested Griffith with the intention of taking him to the police station.

What happened minutes later is the officer placing a gun in Griffith’s mouth and shooting him.

This type of behaviour is symptomatic of a Force that is badly in need of reform and, though authorities often boast of measures that are being taken to improve policing, the Force remains in shambles. The lack of respect for citizens, particularly those of a certain social class and the often highhanded display of force are too frequent in the complaints of a citizenry wary of the premier law enforcement agency of the country.

Griffith’s experience also shows how callous some of our lawmen have become. That one could be moved to shoot a young boy in his mouth for reportedly failing to provide information on an alleged robbery is to render human lives cheap. It is in this area for many citizens, our policemen and women need training – respecting the rule of law and upholding human rights.

A Police forum at Eve Leary was recently told that human rights and democratic practices are essential components to modern policing and can no longer be considered as “add-ons” to the policing process. The forum heard that all aspects of policing – investigations, arrest procedures, use of force, recruitment and relations with communities have to be reviewed from the new perspective of democracy and human rights, and that the wide-ranging implication of a shift to democratic policing extends to recruitment and the need to screen out elements which are hostile or unsuited to this new approach to policing.

Any reform of the Police Force should factor in this, making it clear that it is far more prudent, in the long run, if we insist on prudent Police behaviour and rigorous enforcement of standards. Alex Griffith’s case, however, is not unlike the many about which people complain all too often, mostly without consequence.

But increasingly, victims are pursuing civil cases, which was the approach of Twyon Thomas, the young boy who was tortured while in custody at the Leonora Police Station a few years back. The court had awarded $6.5 million in damages to the teenager who had sued the State after his genitals were doused with methylated spirits and set alight by Police during a murder investigation in 2009.

For, what should be pellucid, assuming, somehow, it was not clear before, is that an out-of-control Police Force is not only bad for the society, but potentially expensive business for the state. And that, ultimately, means added burden for taxpayers.

Congratulations to Dharmic Sabha on establishment of Baal Nivas Centre

Dear Editor,

The board of Directors, executive members and affiliates of the Humanitarian Mission of New Jersey Arya Samaj, with its Canadian, USA and Guyana chapters, take great pleasure in expressing our heartfelt congratulations to the President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr Vindhya Persaud, the board of Directors and members in achieving an important milestone in Ankerville, Port Mourant with the opening of the Baal Nivas Centre for Abused Children.

As part of genuine hu-

man responsibilities, the education, care and protection of all children, must always be foremost in our thoughts and this announcement has definitely shown the commitment and dedication on the part of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, in this regard.

As Guyanese around the world, especially in Canada and the USA, our united efforts are with all fellow Guyanese in all areas of community and societal development, with special focus on the eradication of unwanted policies and actions that serve to plunge our communities into a depressed and

unstable state.

From the revealed words of God, as contained in thoughts of the wise ones, all humanity has a common responsibility.

“We offer our prayers and good wishes for prosperity, liberality, coolness, eminence and excellence to pervade and protect our children from every avenues of harm (and all other human beings) during their earthly sojourn.”

Such good intentions must be followed by institutionalising and implementing strategies and departmental systems to pursue the good thoughts and wishes.

This establishment of the Baal Nivas Centre by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha is a bold step in confronting the issues of societal depletion and we are very happy and proud to offer our best wishes to all involved as they continue on the path of Dharma.

Once again our best wishes. May our intentions always remain noble.

With regards,

Pandit Suresh Sugrim

President

Humanitarian Mission of New Jersey Aray Samaj

Do not devalue the struggles of those who fought for equal pay for work of equal value

Dear Editor, I was most surprised to see the report in the Sunday Times of May 4 in which the GTU’s General Secretary is reported to be making a case for differential (higher) pay and benefits for male teachers just because they are numerically less represented in the teaching profession than their female colleagues.

Gender-based compensation has always been wrong, is wrong and can never be justified.

Differentials in pay and other forms of compensation must be based on objective criteria and gender is clearly not one of them. Typically, pay differentials are determined through a formal system of job evaluation and current, relevant, credible, market surveys.

Of course, in places like Guyana where trade unionism ought to be alive and well, periodic negotiations between representatives of employers and employees also help to determine pay rates and differentials.

It is inconceivable that any trade union worth its salt will, in this day and age, countenance pay differentials based on gender. I would personally be most surprised that in a profession as dominated by women as the referenced article projected, the GTU will be allowed to bargain for higher pay for male teachers just because they are not attracted to the profession due to its relatively low compensation package. We must try to raise the bar for all teachers.

What about nursing? It is even more dominated by wom-

en and apparently less attractive to men. Should we also differentiate between male and female nurses?

And what about those jobs that are male dominated? Should we differentiate in favour of women to get more female policemen, firefighters, cane-cutters, etc?

I would be troubled by a system that brings in people as teachers whose main attraction to the profession is money. I hasten to add that money is very important, but its importance does not differentiate between men and women especially as the women are equal if not sole breadwinners in many homes.

Much has been said about the need for male role models, but is the role modeling relevant only in the classrooms?

Are there not other scenari-

os where the role modelling is and can be as powerful?

What about fathers, brothers, sportsmen, neighbours, priests, et al? How come so many of us who went to schools headed by women and ‘manned’ mostly by women are not deficient because there were too few male teachers for us?

Some jobs/professions naturally attract more males or more females and over time or across cultures or for other context-specific factors the differentials may vary. We might very well be fighting an inevitable trend and would lose in the long run if we chose the wrong battle or the inappropriate weapon.

Sincerely Nowrang Persaud

As part of celebrations to mark Arrival Day the Nadira and Indranie Shah Dance Troupe hosted Nitrageet 35 under the theme “Expressing Traditions; Exploring Diverse Futuristic Fusions” over the weekend at the National Cultural Centre on May 3-4 (Carl Croker photo)

GT&T should provide a reliable telecommunication platform

Dear Editor,

Once upon a time, a phone was just a phone. Now wireless technology has become an entire platform in the world, but not here in our beautiful Guyana, the land of many waters.

Over the past years, I have noticed that GT&T has a tendency in Essequibo Coast on holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, to give no Internet or telephone service although there is electricity in Region Two.

We the costumers are paying a monthly bill for these services without a rebate for the days and hours lost for our money. Sure, you can talk on your landline and mobile phone and communicate with your friends and family on the Internet if the company provides a better service.

I find that GT&T has been doing this regularly, and there are often no technicians and complaints officers on the job to call and complain to.

While it is true that the telecommunication industry in Guyana is facing a full range of unprecedented challenges, international telecommunication companies believe in the importance of providing safer and more efficient services to its customers. But there is constant disruption of our services with antiquated excuses.

It was

Dear Editor,

Today’s businesses depend on a reliable technology platform to be successful; leadership comes from inside. GT&T is not relentless about new inventions and technology. A unique infrastructure allows capacity to become increasingly important in today’s world.

But look at GT&T’s poor service and you come to a different conclusion that the company is disintegrated and has not entirely recovered. With so much attention being paid to GT&T policy, it may come as a surprise that the majority of our nation’s technology platform pose a real and immediate threat to the future of our stability.

When our telecommunication goes down, our Internet and telephone services go out when the GT&T branch at Anna Regina shuts down. So you feel it everywhere. We are all faced with the same reality that there are natural forces that work against us.

In today’s changing business, political and environmental landscape, we know it is imperative that we work together with all interested parties to make sure this coastal region is fully sustained with reliable telecommunications.

Yours faithfully, Mohamed Khan

GT&T does not deliberately disrupt service to customers

Dear Editor,

We at GT&T regret the service disruption that occurred on May 3 between 10:22h and 15:00h that affected Mr Mohamed Khan and residents of the West Coast Demerara, West Bank Demerara and the Essequibo Coast.

It, however, must be noted that this disruption was not caused by GT&T but rather by road works contractors in the vicinity of Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara who carelessly damaged our buried fibreoptic cable.

The previous major disruption of services to the aforementioned areas on April 17 was due to an act of deliberate sabotage in the Windsor Forest area, which is still engaging the Guyana Police Force. In both instances, our Public Relations Department did release public notices via the electronic media to alert our customers about the service disruption.

GT&T wishes to stress

that we have no inclination nor plans to deliberately disrupt service to Essequibo residents on “holidays” nor weekends, since we are committed to the delivery of uninterrupted service across our network. We have repeatedly issued notices and advisories to all civil works contractors engaged in activity in proximity to our cable facilities. Unfortunately, too often our appeals go unnoticed or are ignored.

GT&T will strive to intensify our public education efforts with regard to the “Call Before You Dig” programme and also revisit our dissemination of public notices with regard to service disruptions to ensure that the message is delivered to the impacted customers in the areas affected when these types of unfortunate events occur.

Sincerely,

Nadia De Abreu Public Relations Officer

GT&T

a time

We are in the midst of a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the murder/assassination of popular historian Dr Walter Rodney and what a time it has been for the victims who had to relive that horrible experience all over again. The events surrounding Dr Rodney’s death were indeed traumatic and troubling to say the least, but irrespective of the brutality of that era, we can still tell an accurate story.

Right now, PNC Attorney Basil Williams is trying his utmost to badger and somewhat confuse the witnesses, but try as he would, that goal will not be achieved, as each witness kept on course to tell a consistent story of intimidation and torture. It is evidence that would go down in history which further exposes the vile reputation of the PNC party.

The shocking disclosures coming out of the CoI are nothing new to those of us who are familiar with this case. That incident is fresh in our minds as if it were only yesterday and the only reason we’ve waited 30 odd years to reveal it is because the cli-

of torture and mayhem

mate is now conducive for our story to be told and we are revealing to the whole world how despicable and reprehensible the PNC was and still is.

They are known for their torture and inhumane treatment of persons who had dissenting views. Those who opposed the PNC, even with mild criticism, were rounded up, tortured or even killed; Rodney’s murder is a case in point.

Talk about man’s inhumanity to man, those were the days, days of extreme Police brutality as some persons just simply disappeared and, to add insult to injury, no one dared question the actions of the Police.

The Police were “owned and controlled” by the PNC regime. So, when I hear present day people, the likes of Freddie Kissoon and Ramjattan, speak of Police brutality and extra judicial killings, I gasp in disbelief and wonder which part of the world these guys lived when the “PNC brigade”, the name I called the Police then, held sway?

So let me sarcastically answer that question by saying

they occupied an alien existence during that time but landed just a few years ago to learn of the idea of Police brutality in Guyana. Interesting! Now the acts of torture and mayhem are too numerous to mention. However, I shall delve into one of them to hammer home the point.

Soon after Rodney’s murder, all members of the WPA had to literally run for their lives or suffer the consequences of torture and intimidation ad infinitum.

One notable event leading up to his assassination was the PNC concocted story of catching Dr Rodney and associates red handed in the alleged torching of the National Development building. One of the so called eyewitnesses at the alleged crime scene was the security guard Arnold Mollyneau.

The PNC chose Mollyneau because it would shore up their story that Rodney did commit the act. So, Mollyneau’s “independent” testimony of seeing Rodney with the flammable liquid thinners on the night of the arson was sold on the news as solid evidence.

Well, things did not go

as they had planned because that man’s physical endurance was stretched to the limit in telling a lie and he finally collapsed and died of high blood pressure. But do you think that Mollyneau’s death would cause the PNC to stop and ponder? Certainly not!

The morbid shocker of a man dying as a result of not being able to cope with a big lie did not stop the PNC. They pressed on with their vile accusations, nonetheless, determined to bring in Rodney guilty of arson. Ultimately they succeeded in raising doubts in the minds of persons that Dr Rodney was indeed the arsonist and a subversive element that should be gotten rid of quickly. Soon after that, we woke up to the chilling report of Rodney’s murder. That arson story was a precursor to his killing. I pause here, but will continue this discussion in another letter, as I further expose the reprehensible acts of a party and people we call the PNC.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

There is need for Guyana to lift itself out of social degeneration

Dear Editor, Guyana – the land of many waters – the land of many contrasts – the land of many two faced professionals who speak of one thing and do exactly the opposite. These kinds of personalities are found within the political sphere and they overwhelm all others. For this reason, there is need for Guyana to lift itself out of the morass of social degeneration and decay.

There is a current gaff that a prominent member of one of the Opposition parties is so rotten, that he is aware that

others know of his deceitful ways, yet he screams from any soapbox about corruption.

He is a lawyer, and feels justified because of what is going on in the courts these days. He appears for a client who is involved in litigation pertaining to money and real property. It appears as though he is on the losing side, so what did he decide to do?

He wrote the commercial bank where the person against whom he is appearing has an account, telling them that he is the lawyer for that person and

sought information concerning that person’s account. The bank apparently believed him – after all, is he not a lawyer and politician – and so they supplied him with some information.

The person against whom he is appearing learnt of this vulgarity and confronted the bank. The bank promptly recalled the document it sent to this ‘virtuous member of the legal fraternity and a politician’ and reminded him that he had presented himself to them as the individual’s lawyer.

The Opposition is aware of this matter and is in consultation with the inner circle as to any course of action that may follow.

Interesting days are ahead – would the matter be swept under the blanket to protect the turf? After all, this guy is not a jagabat, but a non supporter of the Government. Would this letter see the light of day in the free press of this country?

Yours truly, Harry Doobay

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

Page Foundation

Does

your child

challenge authority?Thingsparents cando

BY KIM ABRAHAM AND MARNEY STUDAKERCORDNER

You: “Please put your things away.”

Your child: “I’m busy. I’ll do it later.”

You: “You need to do your homework.”

Your child: “It’s stupid. I’m not doing it!”

You: “You’re not allowed to go to that party. You’re grounded.”

Your child: “NO! I’m not grounded! I’m going!”

Does it ever feel like your child or teenager has an answer for everything – and usually takes the exact opposite position on what you’ve just said? Many children struggle with authority, and have trouble following limits or rules, complying with requests and or generally are disrespectful to others in society. Some wear their defiance on their sleeves and are

angry in their refusal (How dare you tell me what to do?!). Others are more subtle and simply “dig their heels in.”

What’s your child’s style of defiance?

On the other hand, defiance may be hard to pinpoint. Your daughter appears to follow your rules initially, but then goes behind your back and does something completely different. The fight doesn’t come when the directive or rule is given but instead it comes later, after she’s been caught disobeying. Whatever a child’s style of defiance may be, it can leave parents, teachers and other authority figures feeling frustrated, angry and unsure how to respond.

Why do some children fight so hard against authority, as if giving up control is equal to drowning? Possibly

because that’s exactly how it feels to them. We often look to the why in order to figure out how to change the behaviour. Personality can certainly play a role – some people hate rules and authority their whole lives. Other factors can include depression, anxiety, ADHD or other conditions that may contribute to a child struggling with behavioural problems.

In some cases, we may never be able to determine exactly why a child is making certain choices or behaving a certain way. Adults often spend a great deal of time trying to identify potential triggers to a child’s defiance. In fact, there may be multiple triggers: being told “no,” facing a limit or rule, or feeling jealous or uncomfortable can certainly contribute to defiant behaviour. Professionals use the term Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) to describe a child whose defi-

ant behaviour has escalated to the point that it has become a pattern. It can be helpful to identify triggers to educate and support your child so she might change her behaviour. But the fact is, the world and society aren’t going to go out of their way to avoid “triggering” your child during the course of her life. Regardless of the reasons we struggle, society has expectations. As parents, it’s our job to prepare our children for life in the real world. And the real world often doesn’t take kindly to individuals who constantly challenge and defy authority.

So what can we do, as parents trying to raise a child into a productive member of society – a person who thinks for himself, yet isn’t always fighting authority or refusing to comply with rules?

Don’t fall into the trap of excuses and blame

When an issue comes up with your child, stay focused on the topic – your child’s behaviour and the potential consequences. For example, your child might say, “I didn’t do my homework because the teacher didn’t explain what we were supposed to do.” He blames his refusal to do homework on his teacher, and says the teacher doesn’t treat him fairly in class.

Our advice to his parent: Try not to get caught up in the idea that Johnny’s teacher “isn’t fair.” There’s lots of injustice in the world and Johnny will encounter it frequently – as we all do. Stay focused on the behaviour (Johnny’s refusal to do his work) and the potential consequences (failing his class). You can say, “It sounds like you’re blaming your teacher for the

fact that you didn’t do your homework…but it’s your responsibility.”

Don’t fall into emotional traps It’s easy to get caught up in the emotion of your child’s defiance. They’re upset, you’re upset and sometimes teachers or other adults are upset. Again, it takes the focus off the topic at hand. Don’t personalise what your child is saying or doing –just stay as objective as you can and focus on the matter at hand.

Teach your child to think Children who defy authority are often reacting to adults and rules, rather than making conscious, deliberate choices. They don’t take time to think their actions through to what the potential consequences might be for their behaviour. Weighing decisions and consequences, creating a list of pros and cons and then making a well thought-out choice is one of the most valuable skills your child can learn. It’s never too early to start teaching your child how to evaluate situations. So the next time she makes a comment like, “I’m not going to study for the test,” instead of getting caught up in emotion (which is natural for parents), ask her questions instead: “What might happen if you choose not to study?” If she responds with, “Nothing,” try to stay calm and continue with questions rather than launching into a lecture or fight. You might ask, “Could you get a lower score, or even fail the test –or the class?” The point of the questions is not to interrogate, but to teach your child to think rather than react.

Remember that consequences are a part of life Whether they are natural consequences – something that occur naturally as a direct result of your child’s actions – or consequences that you provide, it’s how your child will learn about life. Allow them to occur even when your instincts shout out to save your child from being uncomfortable.

(Empowering Parents)

Security guard charged for murder

Asecurity guard was on Tuesday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry when he appeared before her to answer to the charge of murder at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Kelvin Chisholm, an employee at Dr Shivnandan Clinic,

Thomas Street, is accused of murdering Nigel Lawson on May 2 at Quamina Street after the two became involved in an argument.

Prosecutor Bharat Mangru told the court that around 19:45h on the day in question, Chisholm confronted Lawson about a cellphone and an Apple iPod. An argument subse -

Name-calling leads to stabbing, court hears

Seeraj Sukhraj on Tuesday appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to the charge of unlawful wounding.

Sukhraj pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on May 1, he unlawfully wounded Stanley Persaud. He told the court that on the day in question, he was going to work when he stopped at a shop to buy a beer. The Virtual

Complainant (VC) was in the said shop and upon seeing him, the VC proceeded to call him names. The defendant further stated that Persaud hit him with a bottle and he retaliated by pulling out a knife and stabbing him in the chest.

Prosecutor Bharat Mangru made no objections to bail, and Sukhraj was granted bail in the sum of $50,000. He is to make his next court appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on May 30.

quently ensued between the two men and Lawson was stabbed with a knife. He succumbed to his injuries.

The prosecutor further informed the court that there is one witness thus far to the incident. He also revealed that the investigation into the murder is incomplete and the Police have

not yet received any advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions office on the case.

Chisholm was unrepresented and will make his next court appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on May 16.

Accused robber pleads not guilty

An alleged commercial sex worker accused of robbery stated his innocence when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Junior Miller also known as Alicia Miller pleaded not guilty to the charge of robbery.

It is alleged that on April 27, Miller, along with others, robbed Imtiaz Bacchus

0f one BlackBerry cellular phone valued $70,000 and $10,000 in cash.

The 27-year-old, who resides at First Street, Alberttown, Georgetown was represented by Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat.

Fung-A-Fat told the court that the Virtual Complainant (VC) gave his client a counterfeit $5000 note as payment for services rendered and after the discovery was made, his client held onto the phone until he received proper payment. He requested reasonable bail for Miller.

However, Prosecutor Bharat Mangru said on the day in question, about 22:00h, the VC went to Shell Gas Station on Regent Street and took out his phone to answer a call. Miller approached the VC from behind and when he turned around, Miller grabbed the phone, while another person who was accompanying him relieved the VC of the cash.

The Prosecutor objected to bail based on the seriousness and penalty of the offence, and also said that should bail be granted, Miller may not return to court.

Miller was remanded to prison and will make his next court appearance before Magistrate Judy Latchman on May 19.

Eyew tness

Brown nosing...

...by AFC

No one’s surprised by Ramjattan’s simpering reaction to the US Ambassador’s comments on the media in Guyana. Looking bashfully down at the floor while making semi-circles with his foot, he confided that he found the Ambassador “insightful”. To ensure there was absolutely no limit to his endorsement of what the PPP described as the Ambassador’s “meddling”, Ramjattan squealed, “All the statements were very justified!!”

He who pays the piper calls the tune. And right now, Ramjattan and the AFC are certainly singing from the US Embassy’s song book. Before his ejaculation on the media statements, Ramjattan had also ingratiated himself with the Ambassador by denouncing the PPP Government’s rejection of the LEAD programme. The Government, of course, should’ve rolled over and played dead when they realised they’d been conned!

The IRI-led LEAD had precious little to do with “democracy” and everything to do with “regime change”. The Government must’ve belatedly looked at what happened to Haiti, Venezuela, Egypt - if not Eastern Europe. It must have reminded them of the old joke about why the USA never had a coup d’état: there’s no US Embassy there!!! Anyhow back to the rancid Ramjattan.

Of course, it’s common knowledge he owes the US Embassy big time. While the US can pretty much gauge the thinking of PNC/APNU because the latter “knocks glass” at their Embassy affairs, the PPP remained a closed book. Enter the oleaginous Ramjattan who scampered out of PPP’s Ex-Co meetings and sashayed right over to the Embassy on Duke Street. The fella sang like a bluesackie. And he was rewarded handsomely. Money to fund the AFC and more importantly, the funding for a poll by big-name US pollster Dick Morris. Dick pulled some wool over the eyes of Guyanese even as he pulled some dick numbers from the air. Now we know it’s a “dog eat dog” world out there and fellas like Ramjattan have to chew on any bones thrown their way. But surely when he unctuously declared that “issuing radio licences to certain people alone is repugnant”, he knew he was contradicting what he’s said before.

When the owners of TVG pursued the case for breaking the radio monopoly and then succeeded in being granted a licence, Ramjattan had praised the decision as a “judicial landmark”. Now why wouldn’t he remind the US Ambassador of the role the owner of TVG played in Radio deregulation?

Oh...we forgot, he can only play the tune his paymaster requests.

...by WPA

Was a time when the WPA was guided by the dialectical principles of Marxism. But looks like such a time is long gone: probably interred with the bones of the late, great Walter Rodney. Like we said, we can understand the AFC’s position on the US actions in Guyana, but Roopnaraine also endorsing same??

If Roopnaraine didn’t know about “pipers calling the tune”, surely he hasn’t forgotten Martin Carter’s “the mouth is muzzled by the hand that feeds it”?

If Rodney had surveyed the scene, surely he would’ve pointed out that the US, like any practitioner of the “realism” school of politics, always acts to protect and promote its interests. So the question that Rodney would’ve asked is “What’s the US’ interest in this LEAD project??” Not being clairvoyant, he probably would’ve looked at the historical and comparative record of other US “democratisation” projects, executed by USAID and IRI.

And he would’ve inevitably concluded: to install a government friendlier to the US. Now no hard feelings to the US: a superpower’s gotta do what a superpower’s gotta do.

But people who call themselves “Rodneyites”? Sheesh!!!

...by Granger Granger says Police reform is needed to change its “culture of brutality”. And this is the fella, who removed Debra Backer as the PNC’s point person on security issues and installed Winston Felix. Yup!!! The Bannuh who confessed of “heading off” the civilian directorate on Agricola.

Sade Stoby murder trial

Policeman testifies he was “too busy”

… to inform seniors about swabs from deceased

By Vahnu Manikchand

As the trial continues into the murder of nine-year-old Sade Stoby at the High Court on Tuesday, Corporal Royston Blair told the court that he was “too busy” to inform his seniors about swab samples that were taken from the deceased’s body during the post-mortem examination.

Blair was testifying against Jevon Wharton, 23, and Colwin Charles Cush, 21, of Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara, who are indicted with the murder of Stoby. The state is claiming that the duo murdered the young girl after raping her on November 2, 2007 at Sixth Field, Barnwell North. At the time of the incident, Wharton and Cush were 16 and 14 years old respectively.

During his testimony, Blair told the judge and jury that he performed several tasks during the investigations including witnessing the post-mortem examination. He noted that during the examination which was conducted on November 5, 2007, State Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh took two swab samples from the body of Stoby and handed them over to him. Blair said he then took the samples, which were in two brown envelopes, and lodged them at the Providence Police Station with the Station Sergeant.

During cross-examination by Defence Attorney George Thomas, who is representing Cush, Blair admitted that he did not mention the samples when he was giving evidence at the

magistrate’s court. Asked whether he told his seniors about the swabs, the man replied that he was busy. “You are so busy that you couldn’t go to any senior officer and tell them about these swabs?” the Attorney questioned. The officer explained that he was preoccupied with other aspects of the investigations that he was involved in.

Recorded as evidence Further asked about the label on the two envelopes, the officer said he cannot recall all of what was written on the envelope, but his initials were present. The corporal disclosed that he made a record of the swabs he obtained in the Property Book and also mentioned them in his statement.

Corporal Blair was also cross-examined by Attorney Raymond Ali, who is representing Wharton. The Attorney asked the officer if he had informed Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Elston Baird about the samples to which he replied he cannot recall. Blair

acknowledged that this bit of information was important, especially to the investigation of the rape and murder of a young girl.

Blair also testified that he witnessed Cush giving a caution statement to Baird, and took the two accused to court, took Cush to be medically examined and held a confrontation between Cush and Carlos Hubbard, an initial suspect in the investigations.

Evidence in chief

In his evidence in chief, Dr Singh told the court that during the post-mortem, he took two swab samples from the vagina of the deceased; however, during cross-examination, Blair disclosed that a swab sample was also taken from the anus. The Pathologist said he took the samples and placed them in two brown envelopes before handing them over to Corporal Blair. However, Dr Singh noted that he was not aware whether the samples were tested.

The doctor, in response to Attorney George, said

that there were no particles found under the fingernails of the deceased. He was also asked by the jury whether he examined the young girl’s teeth and he explained that her entire face was examined, including her teeth.

The doctor was also asked about blunt trauma the girl sustained to her forehead, explaining that it could have been caused as a result of her falling face forward on an uneven surface. He added that the haemorrhage bleeding at the back of the young girl’s neck, was caused by someone squeezing the back of her neck and was not consistent with her

falling to the ground. The doctor also mentioned that the girl’s hymen was ruptured and there was blood present.

In addition to Corporal Blair and Dr Singh, Dr Mohan Persaud also testified on Tuesday. He had conducted medical examinations of the two accused. As it relates to Wharton, Dr Persaud explained that during the examination he found lacerations to the head of the young man’s penis and abrasions to the lower head and shaft. He noted that the lacerations could have been self-inflicted or caused by sexual intercourse or even scratches.

The abrasions, on the other hand, could have been caused by poor hygienic practices, yeast infections, allergies to latex condoms or Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

He noted that Cush also had similar injuries to his genitals and six vertical abrasions to his left shoulder which could have been caused by scratching. The trial will continue today before Justice Navindra Singh as the prosecution, led by State Counsel Judith Mursalin-Gildarie, is expected to close its case after presenting its last witness. (vahnum@guyanatimesgy. com)

Bosai shelves US$100M...

Block 37

The Natural Resources Ministry explained that Block 37 was retained for further committed projects, which can also include the establishment of an alumina plant in Guyana.

Block 37, located at the entrance of Linden in the vicinity of Milly’s Hideout, is considered one of the richest deposits in the Middle and Lower Demerara with high grades of RASC.

A total of 94.62 million tonnes of reserve was calculated for the deposit, with a ratio of 69.21 RASC, 15.91 MAZ and a total (alumina) A1203 of 59.2 per cent by Demerara Bauxite Company Limited (DEMBA) in the 1960s.

While all of the major bauxite companies in Guyana have signalled their interest in developing the area; Block 37 is a deposit granted to Bosai based on an

existing mineral agreement.

The Government said it was simply trying to maximise on the country’s natural resources for the benefit of all Guyanese and the enhancement of the country as a whole. Speaking on this issue, BMGGI’s General Manager said Bosai saw the establishment of an alumina plant as a long-term initiative, but that was highly dependent on the global market. “It is also dependent on the infrastructure here, but we cannot make any pronouncement now.”

In November 2008, the Government of Guyana and Bosai signed a US$1 billion agreement for the establishment of an alumina refinery and aluminium shelter. Under the leadership of then President Bharrat Jagdeo, the massive project in the mining town was expected to create employment for approximately 700 per-

sons during its early stages and 1000 permanent jobs. BMGGI was expected to complete the project within three years after the completion of a feasibility study in 2009.

However in January 2011, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds disclosed that the feasibility study conducted by Bosai in 2010 did not favour the establishment of an alumina plant in Linden.

Bosai had expressed several concerns, including the high bauxite fee, but said Government was disappointed by the findings of the feasibility study.

Back in 1961, an alumina plant was established in Speightland, Mackenzie Linden at the cost of $65 million. However in 1982, the alumina refinery plant at Linden ceased operations. (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy. com)

Reparations groups host outreach in Linden

The Linden Reparations Committee is joining with Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean in demanding that reparations be paid to descendants of those who were enslaved by European governments during the slave trade.

On Saturday, the Guyana Reparations Committee (GRC) joined their Linden counterparts and hosted its first outreach conference in the community, as part of the community’s celebration of the Linden Town Week of activities. The event was held at the reparations village, which is currently set up in Linden, and featured speeches from African Cultural and Development Association Chairman Eric Phillips and Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon, among other dignitaries.

According to the GRC, “international law provides that the economic and social system referred to as chattel slavery – the legal denial of persons’ rights to human identity and the control over their bodies – was a crime against humanity subject to reparatory justice... Reparation seeks to heal, atone and bring closure to the human tragedy of mass slavery.”

Currently, all National Reparations Committees report through the Culture Ministry in their respective countries, through Cabinet, to the Head of State. Guyana is on board with compiling its reparations report.

Caricom has since established a 10 Point Action Plan for discussion, in the areas of: a formal apology, repatriation, an indigenous Peoples Development Plan, cultural institutions, an African knowledge programme, addressing the public health

crisis, illiteracy eradication, psychological rehabilitation, technology transfer, and debt cancellation.

Repairing the damage

Jonathan Adams, who is a member of the National Reparations Committee as well as the Linden Reparations Committee, said the body is working assiduously to achieve justice in the fight for reparations. According to him, in an effort to obtain information for the reparatory cause, the local Committees recently

made contact with lecturers from the University of Central Holland as well as the University of Central London.

“The time has come for us to repair that shattered African culture. Technically put, if you have a glass and it falls and break and you like that glass, you’re going to pick it up and repair it. The African people’s culture has been broken, has been shattered, and Caricom is saying it’s time for us to repair that,” he stated.

He added: “... because part of the reparations initiative is to create a claim for the work which our foreparents did, but for which they were not paid. So we are searching for information to find out how many Africans got what they got when the British gave slave masters the 20 million pounds in 1838, but gave our foreparents nothing after they would have worked for all those years,” he said

Educating persons

Speaking with Guyana Times, another member of the Linden Reparations Committee, Lorrice Adams, said that while the reparations village was set up to educate persons who came to view exhibits for the Linden Town Week, the Committee would like to have the village permanently set up at the location since he believes that enough persons would have not come out to see what the village had to offer.

“We expect to run for the next three weeks, seeking to educate people, we want them to come and to see what we have here and to ask questions, not only to learn about reparations but about African heritage. We hope that this will not only be a land that grows grass but who hope to remain here and educate the masses, education is important. We would like to remain, if we are allowed to occupy this place. We would like to name it ‘Reparations Park’.”

He added that the Committee is pleased to have support from Rastafarian groups in Linden, and is

Visa Fair

Satiricus was fond of fairs. Ever since he’d been to one as a lil boy and been whirled around on that “Merry-go round”, he’d been hooked. The feeling of exhilaration as his horse rose higher and higher until he and the horse were almost parallel to the floor showed him the power of pumping adrenalin! Then of course there were all the booths and stage shows where young Satiricus could ogle girls without his mother asking him if he “think he a pee froth”.

So when Satiricus read about the Americans holding a “Visa Fair”, you could imagine his excitement. He couldn’t get past the headline since he was jumping up and down like when he was in short pants. “Merry-go-rounds”??? Well, that was so yesteryear for the Americans! Satiricus had seen American fairs in the movies...what thrills! What excitement! He could just imagine parachute drops and roller coasters!! He was almost drooling with the thought of this American Visa Fair.

But he wondered, “What’s with this ‘visa’ business?” After some thought (not too much, since he was shaking so much with excitement and in anticipation) Satiricus decided that maybe the Americans would hand out visas to visit their country to those folks that won at games such as “throwing a ring over a rum bottle”. Satiricus felt the Americans wouldn’t bring that game where you shot at moving targets. They knew Guyanese might just shoot at each other.

So on the fated day, Satiricus collected his ole buddy, Cappo the canecutter and they hurried over to the fairground. The two of them had decided not to go too early, like the rest of the gang. “Me like fuh wait till de crowd build up, Sato!” Cappo had told him. And Satiricus nodded vigorously in agreement. By that time, the squeals of the folks on the rides would add to the excitement.

But as they were about a street away, Satricus couldn’t hear the roar of the thousands at the fair as he’d anticipated. And for sure he couldn’t spot any tall parachute-jump scaffolding! And just then Satiricus and Cappo spied Suresh and the rest of the gang heading their way. Their expression was very dark! Even at the distance Satiricus could see they were very “pi55ed”.

“Wha happen, Budday??” Cappo demanded as they came within hearing distance. “De fair dun aready??”

“Fair? Fair? What fair?” screamed Hari in a rising crescendo. “Is no blasted fair!! Dem Americans just handing out brochure as to how people can apply fuh visas.”

“No Merry-go-round?” asked Satiricus plaintively.

“Boy, is wha arse-ishness yuh talking?” demanded Bungi. “Dem Americans only want fuh teach the guvment wan lesson.”

“What lesson?” demanded Hari.

“Well...dat if the guvment tek away the LEAD head man visa, dem guh show how plenty Guyanese want visa,” said Bungi. “But dem na guh get none!!!”

currently seeking to have the involvement of the entire community, especially youths and religious organisations.

“We are encouraging youths to get on board. We must have a next generation of African youths. They must be on the forefront of taking it (the reparations movement) where it has to go. It’s something that we would like to catch on. We want people to know about this thing. That is what I am hoping reparations will mean for us. It must be known by all,” he said.

In order to maintain and upkeep the village, Adams said the committee is calling for full support.

The reparations village is set up opposite the cenotaph at Mackenzie. It includes books, artwork, handouts, and information relating to slavery. Exhibits of Guyanese national heroes and monuments are also situated at the site. The flag

of every Caricom country in addition to the Caricom flag, all placed in a semi circle around the cenotaph, complement the setup of the village.

“We will have this ground come alive. We would like people to hear about Africa, Africans and our presence in Guyana and the Caribbean and about reparations, everyday. Reparations for us is not the politics, but is the concept of repairing the damage. We are starting this and we are hoping that some organisation, somebody will see the need to assist,” Adams said.

Another member of the Linden Reparations Committee Oliver Tappin said the aim is to have persons become more aware of what reparations is. He believes that the healing process starts with the descendants of all parties involved in slavery. “We have to start repairing and building ourselves,” he said.

Artwork by Vanborne Brown and Ras Tarique of the Linden Reparations Committee inside the one of the booths at the reparation village set up in Linden

Spurned man attempts to burn down house

Awoman is now scared for her life and her children’s safety after her former reputed husband reportedly lit her belongings on fire on Monday evening.

Bejede Aeridge of Lot 176 South Sophia, Greater Georgetown, and her six children were out in the yard around 20:00h when her ex-reputed husband of 18 years allegedly sneaked into her small house and set her, and their children’s, belongings on fire.

Guyana Times understands that the man, Wayne “Aubrey” McCoy and Aeridge separated a little over a year now. The couple have nine children.

The distressed woman told this newspaper that she was constantly abused by McCoy and so she decided to end the relationship; however, their separation did not deter the man from continuing to abuse her. She explained that he would come to their house from time to time to drop money off for his children, but she would stay away from him since he would go after her if she said anything.

Aeridge further related that after their separation she began working, something which he had

A distressed Bejede Aeridge

forbidden her from doing while they were together, and so whenever he goes to the home and she is not there, he would hurl verbal abuse and say she has “a man”. Aeridge alleged that McCoy threatened to kill her on several occasions, with the last encounter being on Saturday night. She said she was not at home and McCoy took her cellphone, underclothes and some of her other belongings. The woman noted that she reported the matter to the Police, but nothing serious was done to apprehend the man.

On Monday evening, Aeridge said she was in

the yard which also holds the homes of her sister and mother, when she noticed someone in her house and subsequently, flames coming from the bedroom area. She noted that McCoy then ran out of the house and upon seeing him, she ran out of the yard to get help.

The man ran up the road towards C Field, chased by relatives of the woman and neighbours.

Scared

The scared woman explained that she does not know where McCoy lives. She noted that whenever he does his “wrong wuk”, he goes into hiding at var-

ious places so even when she reports the matter to the Police, he cannot be found.

Aeridge said she works hard to maintain her children and it was only Saturday that she bought school materials for them to go school, but their father destroyed all the supplies. She noted that he took all her clothes, the children’s clothes, their school materials, bedsheets and other items that were in a barrel and burnt them on the bed.

She further lamented that while putting out the blaze, fire fighters had soaked the house and so everything got wet. She noted that she is now forced to separate her children by sending them to different places to sleep, since they cannot sleep in the house.

She further stated that McCoy’s actions were not only making her suffer but their children as well, since they were unable to attend school because their belongings were destroyed.

Walcott re-elected Chairman of disability advocacy group

Former school teacher and Journalist, Leon Walcott was re-elected to a second consecutive two-year term as Chairman of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD).

At the group’s second Biennial General Meeting on Tuesday, April 29, Walcott was re-elected unopposed. Other members elected to the Executive Committee are Cecil Morris (Vice-Chairman); Rennata Ifill (Secretary); Lynette DeWeaver (Assistant Secretary); Theresa Pemberton (Treasurer); and Ganesh Singh (Public Relations Officer). The Committee Members are Mark Archibald, Compton Wilson, and Genevieve McDonald.

The Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities is a collaborative forum that was established in January 2008, and is made up of the representatives of 23 different organisations representing persons with disabilities. Its members meet regularly to support each other in the hope of building a stronger disability movement in Guyana.

Leon Walcott

Police crack several murder cases with AFIS

By Alexis Rodney

Crime Chief Leslie James said the Police have already cracked a number of cases with the new Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) gifted to them by the United States Government through its Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), which was launched in 2010.

Speaking briefly at the equipment handing over ceremony, James related that the new system has been tested and has assisted the Force in making major breakthroughs in numerous cases. These include three murder cases, 53 break and enter and larceny cases, three simple larceny cases and four robberies under arms. He said “this piece of equipment will take us a long way in the crime fight and in my report to you, it is clear that we will be having successes”. He too pointed out that there has been an increase in public trust since the Force began using the equipment. He expressed thanks to the US representatives for the initiative and all other efforts to foster a robust relationship between the two countries.

United States Ambassador to Guyana, D Brent Hardt counted it a privilege when he formally handed over the equipment to the Guyana Police Force on Tuesday at Eve Leary. AFIS is the world’s leading international standard for criminal investigation and rapid identification and will assist prosecutors in building solid cases

against suspects by providing unequivocal evidence against them.

In his address to the gathering, which included police officers and stakeholders, Ambassador Hardt related that since the advent of the CBSI, the United States and Guyana have enjoyed mutual benefits on many successful programmes. The CBSI is one pillar of the US security strategy focused on citizen safety throughout the hemisphere.

Massive undertaking Hardt told the gathering that experts have been working with the Guyana Police Force in a “mas-

sive undertaking” to transform the record system into a new centralised high-quality database. According to him, records will not disappear from the new system. The Ambassador said the new system has many advantages, which include increased public trust for both the Guyana Police Force and the justice system. “We want the citizens of Guyana to see the benefits of improved security and social justice in a very personal way; in their neighbourhood, in their schools, along rivers and shorelines, in the market place.” The Ambassador noted that in order to realise such, long-term partner-

ships to build capacity and provide adequate training and resources are necessary.

Hardt pointed to the numerous contributions made to Guyana through the CBSI. These include the three Shark Aluminium boats valued at US$1.7 million. He said the US Government has also been working through CBSI to provide broad training to Guyana’s law enforcement and security forces. Officers were also privileged to travel to Trinidad and Tobago for a range of FBI programmes on crime scene analysis and interview procedure. He said additional assistance will be given to the security force when instructors will be sent to carry out training sessions.

Hardt pointed out that security is every body’s business. “Security does not happen in a vacuum. If we are to be successful in the long term, our efforts to boost security and law enforcement must be embedded in a strong economic and democratic and social framework, that is why the US’s assistance to Guyana has always sought to integrate economic development, security, democracy and governance and social issues.” He said he hopes the Government of Guyana would choose to work together to advance these causes.

In his address, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said the new system is a very important one to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) branch. He said the Guyana Government values highly the contributions made by the US Government. He not-

ed that the US has been making significant contributions to the Government and People of Guyana, particularly to the security sector. “This gift from the US, through the CBSI, to the Guyana Police Force is aimed at building capacity within the organisation,” Rohee said.

He noted that improvement of the Force’s technological capacity within the organisation cannot be avoided. The Minister added that if the Force is to be on par with law enforcement agencies around the world; it must have the capacity, knowledge and tenacity to deal with the challenges presented by criminal enterprise.

“I do not believe that any police force in any part of the world recognising that with increasing technological advances being made and applied to the security sector, that they would not want to take advantage and utilise these technological capacities to enhance their ability to solve and ensure that the people live in safety.”

He noted that the AFIS system will undoubtedly make an impact. He emphasised, however, that while Guyana accepts gifts like these, special emphasis must be placed on building human resource capacity, since without human resources, little could be achieved. “And so the two must go hand in hand. While we build technological capacity with the utilisation of AFIS systems, at the same time we need to build the human resources capacity.”

IAC pledges support for Anna Regina Community Centre Ground renovation

The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) has pledged its support to improve the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground into a world-class facility for shows and cricket.

This disclosure was made by Executive Member Neaz Subhan at the IAC Mela held at the Community Centre Ground on Monday.

Subhan told the thousands of persons who attended the mela that the IAC will donate all of the proceeds made at the gate towards the renovation of the facility. Subhan said

over the years, the IAC has held the Indian Arrival Day Mela there, and from year to year, there have been challenges, particularly with the facility and upgrading of the ground.

He said to start the process, IAC will donate the sum of $250,000 towards the renovation. He noted that other efforts will be made to raise more funds to help in the upgrading. Subhan also noted that the IAC will work along with the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry in making the project possi-

ble. Subhan said the facility is in a deplorable state and although the Anna Regina Town Council has an Interim Management Committee (IMC), nothing is being done. At the mela, persons expressed gratitude towards the IAC for the initiative. Many persons also commended the Committee for putting together a well-planned cultural programme with international artistes. The mela commemorated the 176th year of the Arrival of Indians in Guyana.

No wonder the

AFIS is the world’s leading international standard for criminal investigation and rapid identification

Beepat’s owner plugs education as key to success

As part of our coverage on the arrival of East Indians to Guyana, Guyana Times for this month will spotlight some of the stories highlighting entrepreneurship among Indian Guyanese. In this article, we feature businessman Madho Beepat, owner of M Beepat Group of Companies

By Gomatie GanGadin

Living by the motto

“hard work and commitment can take you wherever you want to go”, Madho Beepat, proprietor of M Beepat Group of Companies, can indeed say he has come a long way because of those very inspiring words.

What started as a small business has now turned into one of the leading business enterprises in Guyana in the field of importation and distribution, setting high standards for quality and service for others to follow.

Born on April 8, 1931 to parents Beepat and Jasodra, who were farmers in the village of Rotterdam on the West Coast of Demerara, Beepat recounted that his family was one which was not wealthy but just below the middle-class line.

“My parents were ordinary farmers, we weren’t rich or anything. Our family was just under the middleclass line. We didn’t have any luxury… I got a shoe until I was around 13 years old, because one of my feet is bigger than one and we couldn’t afford to buy specialised shoes,” he said.

He related that life in the village was quiet and very peaceful and there was re-

spect for authority and elders, something that is lacking in today’s society.

Early years

Beepat attended the Central High School, which in those days was a school recognised for its high standards. Because of the travelling from Rotterdam to the city, the decision was made for him to stay with his uncle, Bhaichandeen, the founder of Bhaichandeen’s General Store.

During the week, he attended school and lived with his uncle, but he made it his duty to return home on the weekends. During those years, the qualifying schoolleaving exams were called the Junior and Senior Cambridge Examinations. Beepat related that he sat the Junior Cambridge Examinations, but failed them, because he had failed one subject, which was English Language.

“In those days when you wrote the Cambridge examinations, you had to pass all of the subjects before you were given a pass. It wasn’t anything like today where you can pass one subject and fail another one and still be considered as having a good education. It was nothing like that in those days,” he disclosed.

Had he passed, he would have been awarded a state job. However, due to the un-

fortunate situation of not passing English Language and as such, the entire programme, he took up a job as a salesman with his uncle.

Business establishment

For five years, he worked as a salesman on commission even though he yearned to become an entrepreneur and lead his own destiny. As luck would have it, he did not have to wait long for that dream to come true. He accumulated enough money to purchase a stall in the La Penitence market where he sold haberdashery items.

Even though it was a start, being ambitious as ever, he knew that that was not what he wanted to do.

After much hard work and dedication, putting in 16 and

18 hours per day to achieve his dreams, satisfaction came in 1953 when he became the first businessman to trade on the famous Regent Street.

The business pioneer related that he had begun to rent a two-storey structure situated at Lot 95, and after the business began to grow, he bought the property.

His success continued in 1958 after President Cheddi Jagan abolished the licensing requirements for the importation of most goods, and Beepat imported directly from socialist countries. He was subsequently able to acquire the land at 100-101 Regent Street, which is the head office and main wholesale/retail of the business today.

Being one of the first per-

sons to start a business in Regent Street, Beepat was instrumental in making Regent Street into the hub of commercial activity it is today.

Through diligence, foresight and focus on quality, Beepat’s success spiralled upwards and the business M Beepat & Sons Limited was incorporated in November 1977 with Dennis Beepat as the Chief Executive Officer. However, the business was returned to private ownership in January 2003 for tax reasons, and the name was changed to BEEPATS as it is presently known today.

Migration

Soon after the incorporation in 1977; however, Beepat was forced to leave the country after his business fell into problems with bans the then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham had put into place. Due to the bans, he was unable to import and as such, he left for St Lucia.

There, he established a garment and windows factory which proved to be highly successful. Subsequently, factories were also established in Grenada and Barbados. On a holiday to Guyana about 10 years ago, Beepat realised that Guyana was rapidly developing and growing.

As such, he returned to the country and established a window factory at Eccles. Today, it is one of the leading window factories, providing quality and innovative designs at an affordable cost.

Today too, BEEPATS, through its extensive knowledge of the Guyana market and its complete distribution network throughout the

country, is a success story and a well-established name among Guyana’s agency distributors. BEEPATS is the recognised agent for Reckitt Benckiser (North America and United Kingdom); Nestlé Caribbean Incorporated; Unilever Best Foods (UK); HJ Heinz Company Limited/ Complan Foods Limited; and CIC/NV Consolidated in Guyana.

Meant to be

Unfortunately his parents did not live to share his achievements. Beepat says: “I was meant to be on this path. Had I passed that Cambridge Exams, I would have had a state job, working under someone. But today because I remained focused on what I wanted and I worked hard, I’m here.”

Beepat is the father of seven – four boys and three girls. Though he recently celebrated his 83rd birthday, he is still a force to be reckoned with, noting that had he stayed in Guyana, no businessman could have caught up with him.

His advice to young people: “Education is important, very important but at the same time, you do not need a university degree to achieve your dreams or to go after what you want. I didn’t go to university; I failed my exams but look where I am today. It is because I remained focussed on what I wanted and I never gave up.”

Even at the age of 83, he shares an avid interest in herbal life, does not take medication, does not visit the doctor and is a philanthropist.

Madho Beepat at his 83rd Birthday celebration earlier in the year.

Autopsy: Seetahal shot five times with ‘small gun’

Prominent Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal was shot at close range with a small-calibre handgun and not a highpowered rifle as was previously reported, her autopsy revealed. According to wellplaced police sources close to the investigation, Seetahal was shot five times by her assailants. According to the sources, Seetahal was shot twice in the right side of her head, twice in the right forearm and once in the chest. Her killer/s was so close to her that gunpowder residue was found on her clothing.

Seetahal was shot first in the arm as she attempted to

protect herself from the bullets by raising it to block her face. Contacted last evening, lead investigator in the matter, ACP Wayne Dick, told the TT Guardian he would meet again with his men and had “nothing new” to add. Asked about the disparity in the type of ammunition initially reported to the media by the police, Dick said he never gave any information about the calibre of ammunition, as that would have meant he would have been on the crime scene and contaminated it, which as head of the Homicide Bureau he would never do. It was widely report-

ed throughout the media Monday that 5.56 ammunition was used in the precision attack. That information was provided by officers who responded to the scene Sunday morning. But inside sources said Monday such ammunition could not have been used given the condition of Seetahal’s body. High-powered rifles would have blown away chunks of flesh from the former magistrate’s face, they said. However, Seetahal’s face was not badly damaged, according to descriptions given by those who saw the body after the killing. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Florida approves in-state tuition for undocumented Caribbean students

The Florida Senate has voted to allow undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities, bringing to an end a fight that spanned more than a decade.

“The eyes of America are on us,” said Republican Senator Jack Latvala, cosponsor of the bill, after the 26-13 vote. “I think we’re setting an example. I think we’re doing the right thing.”

However, the bill must

return to the house for final passage, due to slight changes.

But both House Speaker Will Weatherford and Florida Governor Rick Scott said the new language wouldn’t hurt the controversial bill’s chances of becoming law.

“I look forward to signing this bill,” Scott said. “This is a historic day. Just think children that grew up in our state will now get the same tuition as their peers.”

The measure would make Florida the 21st state

in the United States to offer in-state tuition rates to undocumented students, but only young adults who attended a Florida high school for at least three years would qualify.

The Senate estimates about 1300 students would be eligible annually, according to the Herald, noting that undocumented Caribbean and other students currently pay the out-of-state rate, which is three to four times the rate offered to Florida residents. (Caribbean360)

Government-public sector unions to hold more talks

Government and trade union officials will hold a second round of talks on Friday following their weekend discussions that Prime Minister, Dr Kenny Anthony said were intended to identify the options available to his administration to revive an ailing economy.

“This represents a first step in a process to arrive at consensus on the best way forward,” Anthony said. Anthony met with the public sector un-

ions to offer proposals on how recurrent expenditure could be reduced. He told them that if consensus is reached, then the Government would be willing to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with them.

He also indicated that the Government is willing to establish a committee to monitor the implementation of agreed measures. “I reassured the union representatives that it is not the intention of the Government to deal with

the situation by retrenching workers as alleged in some quarters.

“However, the Government would need to act to prevent any further deterioration on the gains made in reducing the fiscal deficit,” he added. But the meeting was boycotted by the largest public sector trade union, the Civil Service Association (CSA), which has already signalled it will not accept a five per cent cut in salary and wages for its members.

Mexico’s Tamaulipas state intelligence chief killed

The chief of intelligence in the north-eastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas has been killed. Colonel Salvador Haro Munoz was shot dead along with his two bodyguards.

The intelligence chief and his guards were ambushed in their car by armed men in the state capital, Ciudad Victoria.

Colonel Haro Munoz had only just taken up his post in Tamaulipas, one of Mexico’s most dangerous states which is criss-crossed by drug-smuggling routes to the United States.

The security forces chased the colonel’s assailants, and the ensuing fire fight lasted for more than an hour, officials said. Tamaulipas is the strong-

hold of the Gulf cartel, which smuggles large amounts of drugs over the border into the US state of Texas and beyond. The cartel also engages in extortion, human trafficking and killings. Members of the security forces are often bribed by the cartel members, and those who refuse to co-operate are intimidated or even killed.

It is not the first time a high ranking member of Mexico’s security forces has been killed. Last year, one of the highest ranking navy officials was shot dead in western Michoacan state.

And in 2012, a retired general was killed in the capital, Mexico City. The security forces have inflicted a number of hardhitting blows against Mexico’s powerful cartels so far this year.

Panama’s president-elect plans price controls on basic foods

Panama’s Presidentelect will impose price controls on a range of basic foods to dampen rising costs, a step that will hit his bitter rival, outgoing President and supermarket tycoon Ricardo Martinelli.

Juan Carlos Varela, the Panamenista Party (PP) leader and winner of Sunday’s election, told Reuters he is clear what his first policy will be when he takes office on July 1.

“Establish emergency price controls on 22 products in the basic basket to low-

er the cost of living by more than US$600 million for the Panamanian people and avoid speculation in products,” he said.

The measure would apply to basic foods such as rice, cheese and meat, Varela said, adding that huge profit margins were being put on basic foodstuffs.

“We feel that this is very unfair for the people,” Varela, a 50-year-old US-trained engineer whose family owns Panama’s largest liquor company, said in an interview.

Martinelli, who Varela

helped to win election in 2009 before the two fell out acrimoniously, owns one of Panama’s largest supermarket chains. When asked if the controls would apply to Martinelli’s stores, Varela said: “Without a doubt.” Panama’s constitution gives the President power to intervene on prices, but Varela could quickly find himself at odds with Congress, where he and his allies won barely 20 per cent of seats, according to a preliminary count from the elections. (Excerpt from Reuters)

New child ambassadors to be appointed in Jamaica

New child ambassadors will be appointed this month by the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), an agency of the Youth and Culture Ministry.

The engagement, which forms part of the OCR’s activities commemorating May as Child Month, will see the ambassadors receiving their instruments of appointment on May 22.

The ambassadorial designations entail one young person being selected from each parish for appointment to serve in that position for one year.

The Jamaica Information Service reported that eight candidates have so far been interviewed for consideration by the OCR. The agency, it added, was conducting other interviews to secure rep -

resentation for all parishes. Launched in 2012, the Child Ambassador’s Programme is one of the OCR’s initiatives aimed at getting more children involved in the fight against child abuse, raising awareness of the child abuse reporting procedure, and helping abused children who may be suffering in silence. (Jamaica Observer)

The map shows the route Police believe Dana Seetahal, SC (inset), took before she was ambushed by gunmen just outside the Woodbrook Youth Facility (WYF) on Hamilton Holder Street

Despite a heavy security presence, Tamaulipas continues to be wracked by cartel violence

OCR Child Ambassadors proudly display their Instruments of Appointment as they pose with Youth & Culture Minister of, Lisa Hanna, and Registrar of the OCR, Greig Smith in 2013

More Nigerian girls abducted by suspected Boko Haram militants

Suspected Boko Haram militants have kidnapped eight more girls in north-eastern Nigeria. The latest kidnapping happened on Sunday night in the village of Warabe, in Borno state. The girls taken were between the ages of 12 and 15. On Monday, Boko Haram’s leader threatened to “sell” more than 230 girls seized from their school, also in Borno, on April 14.

The Islamist insurgency by Boko Haram has left thousands dead since 2009.

The BBC’s Mansur Liman in Abuja says the area around Warabe, the site of the latest abductions, is a stronghold of the Islamist movement.

The gunmen arrived in two trucks and also seized animals and food from the village. Communications are very poor in the area, which explains why the news took several days to emerge, our

correspondent says. Residents from a nearby town told AFP that they feared Boko Haram would target them next. “We in Gwoza are also living in fear because of the kidnap of eight girls in Warabe,” Peter Gambo said. “We have no security here. If the gunmen decide to pick our own girls, nobody can stop them” he said.

Meanwhile, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has welcomed a US offer to send an American team to Nigeria to support the Government’s response to the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls by an Islamist militant group, the US State Department said on Tuesday.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the American embassy in Nigeria is “prepared to form a coordination cell” that would include US military personnel and law enforcement officials with expertise in investigations and hostage negotiations. (Excerpts from BBC and Reuters)

Pakistan seeks more security for diplomats in India

Fearing threats to its establishments and diplomats in the country, Pakistan has sought more security from India. Official sources confirmed that the Pakistan High Commission has received letters in the past few days threatening to harm Pakistan officials. Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner to India took up the matter with the External Affairs

Ministry (MEA) Tuesday.

Pakistan has demanded that the letters be thoroughly probed and the identity of the sender be ascertained. It conveyed to India diplomatically that it was New Delhi’s responsibility to ensure the security of Pakistan High Commission and all its diplomats and other staff.

An Indian Government source here said one threat

letter had been received from Pakistan High Commission and that security authorities had been sensitised about the matter. “We provide maximum possible security to all missions and same is the case with Pakistan,” he said. There was no confirmation about who sent the letters threatening to harm Pakistani diplomats. (Excerpt from Times of India)

Suspect in custody after six stabbed at China railway station

Police in China’s southern city of Guangzhou said Tuesday that a single person was responsible for a knife attack at a train station that left six people injured and that the suspect had been shot and wounded before being taken into custody. “After verbal warnings were ineffective, police fired, hitting one male suspect hold-

ing a knife, and subdued him,” the police statement added.

Earlier reports on state media said that up to six assailants may have been involved, but the Guangzhou police said that their initial probe found there was just a single suspect. The Xinhua state news agency said that the attacker had been hospitalised, and that police were

Thai court almost certain to rule against PM, force her from office

Thailand’s Constitutional Court is almost certain to rule against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on abuse of power charges on Wednesday, forcing her from office and raising the possibility of fresh mass protests by her supporters. That could lead to confrontation with anti-government groups which have been protesting in the capital, Bangkok, for six months in a bid to topple Yingluck. Those demonstrations dis-

rupted a general election in February that she had been expected to win.

The crisis broadly pits Bangkok’s middle class and royalist establishment against the mainly poor, rural supporters of Yingluck and her brother, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006 and now lives in exile to avoid a jail term handed down in 2008 for abuse of power. Yingluck’s supporters accuse the court, which said it would issue its deci-

sion on Wednesday, of bias in frequently ruling against the Government.

In 2008, the court forced two Thaksin-linked prime ministers from office. A similar ruling against Yingluck is expected on Wednesday. Yingluck defended herself in court on Tuesday against a charge relating to her transfer of National Security Council chief Thawil Pliensri in 2011, which opponents say was designed to benefit her Puea Thai Party and a family member. (Excerpt

Egypt bars Mubarak-era leaders from elections

An Egyptian court has banned leaders of former president Hosni Mubarak’s political party from running in any elections.

A Cairo Court ruled on Tuesday that leaders from Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP) could not run in any presidential, parliamentary or local city council elections. The court based its ruling on the decision to disband the

party because of its role during the Mubarak era, saying that allowing its senior members to run would be a “warning bell” of a political comeback.

However Judge Karim Hazem did not specify the number, names or titles of the politicians who would be prevented from running in coming polls, and did not define what constituted a party ‘leader’. “The ruling was not clear and did not

respond to our demand,” prominent Egyptian activist and lawyer Gamal Eid told the Reuters news agency. Former constitutional court judge, Tahany alGebali, told the AFP news agency “the ruling is not final, and it could be subject to an urgent appeal”. A previous court case attempting to ban NDP members from politics for a period was shot down by the constitutional court. (Excerpt form al Jazeera)

New subs, warships, SAMs, troops to be deployed in Crimea

Tnot immediately able to identify him as he had no documents on him.

The attack was the latest in a series of assaults that have created jitters around the country. Police gave no motive for the attack, but China has grown increasingly nervous about Islamic militancy since a car burst into flames on the edge of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in October and 29 people were stabbed to death in March in the south-western city of Kunming.

The Government blamed Islamists from the restive far western region of Xinjiang for both the attacks. Resourcerich and strategically located Xinjiang, on the borders of Central Asia, has for years been beset by violence blamed by the Chinese Government on Islamist militants. (Excerpt from France24)

he Russian Defence Ministry is planning to deploy additional forces in Crimea as part of beefing up the Black Sea fleet under a US$2.5 billion programme. The need for new deployment emerged after the formerly Ukrainian peninsula joined Russia.

“Before year’s end we will form new units of air

defence and marine troops at the sites of our fleet’s deployment,” Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu said Tuesday. “The fleet will receive new submarines and surface ships of new generation this year. This requires our attention.”

The Minister stressed that the Navy beef-up programme for the Black Sea

fleet was extended due to Crimea, the fleet’s base, becoming part of Russia in March. The Ministry plans to spend more than US$2.4 billion for the purpose by 2020. The announcement of deployment plans comes after Russia voiced concerns of the build-up of NATO forces in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea. The alliance deployed aircraft and warships as well as ground troops, saying it was needed to instil confidence in its members like Poland, Romania and the Baltic states.

NATO’s moves come in response to the ongoing political crisis in Ukraine and the allegations that Russia is preparing to invade its eastern neighbour. Moscow sees the military build-up close to its borders as provocative.

(Excerpt from RT News)

Both sides bury dead as Ukraine slides towards war

Both sides have been burying their dead as Ukraine slides further towards war, with supporters of Russia and of a united Ukraine accusing each other of tearing the country apart. Tuesday was generally quieter than past days in most of eastern and southern Ukraine, but violence flared in the eastern port of Mariupol in the evening, according to local media. The Web site 0629.com. ua posted pictures of tires blazing outside the city

council building, which had already been occupied by pro-Russian protesters and thick smoke pouring over the city centre. Some streets were barricaded by buses or walls of tires and people heard shooting near a local military base.

In Kramatorsk, a separatist-held town in the east that saw an advance by Ukrainian troops at the weekend, the coffin of 21-year-old nurse Yulia Izotova was carried through streets stilled by barricades of tires and tree trunks on

Monday. Scattered red carnations traced the route. At the Holy Trinity Church, seven priests led mourners in prayer for a woman killed by large calibre bullets, which the townsfolk believe were fired by Ukrainian troops. “They shoot at us. Why? Because we don’t want to live with fascists?” asked 58-yearold passport photographer Sergei Fominsky, standing with his wife among the mourners. “We’re not slaves. We kneel to no one.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Abubakar Shekau leads the Islamist group, which has killed thousands in northern Nigeria

Russia’s Large Landing Ship “Azov” (centre) is pictured moored at the home base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port of Sevastopol

wednesday, may 7,

City Council votes for King as Town Clerk ... after Sooba locks chambers

Confusion reigned at the Mayor and City Council on Tuesday when Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba locked the Council’s chambers, denying Mayor Hamilton Green and councillors entry. However, the Council persisted in their efforts

tion tabled by Councillor Gregory Fraser and seconded by Councillor Eon Andrews to send Sooba packing and to have the Council’s Public Relations Officer Royston King appointed to act in that capacity. The motion stated that Sooba was unlawfully

has come for the Council to stand up for its rights. They said that she has become a liability and burden on the city and the residents of Georgetown as well as the members of the Council would like to see her go.

to hold an extraordinary meeting and retreated to the compound during which they voted to instal Royston King as the Acting Town Clerk.

The installation of King came about through one of three motions which were successfully tabled and passed by the Oppositiondominated Council headed by Green, a former Prime Minister under the People’s National Congress Administration. Sitting under the hot afternoon sun in the compound of the City Hall, the 13 councillors present voted unanimously in favour of the mo-

and unjustly appointed by a Minister who had no power or authority to do such. The motion also deemed Sooba as being incapable of executing the responsibilities required of the Chief Executive Officer of the Council, alleging that on numerous occasions she refused to summon meetings of staff to discuss any Council-related matters and she has shown racial bias in the execution of her duties as Town Clerk.

The councillors said too in the motion that Sooba had been imposed on the City Council by the Minister and the time

Garrett under the gun

The second motion which was tabled and passed sought to have the sale of the Easter vending spots deemed illegal and all the monies collected from individuals for use of space on the sea wall returned as soon as possible. The motion further sought to have the Council ascertain the names and positions of the officers who were involved in the activity and for them to be disciplined accordingly. It was unanimously supported with all of the 13 councillors voting in favour.

Opposition seems prepared for blacklisting – Nandlall

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall believes the combined Opposition – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) – seems prepared to face the effects of the pending blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for Guyana’s delay in passing the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill.

Speaking at an Indian Arrival Day event at Highbury, the Attorney General told the crowd gathered for the event: “We face an Opposition in the National Assembly who are prepared to cause us to be blacklisted, thereby financially and economically estranging us from 190 countries who may sever trade relations with us and affecting our ability to access fi-

“We

said the legal representative of the Government as he explained that momentous task that lies ahead for the Government in developing a better Guyana.

President Donald Ramotar, at a recent press conference, said that the actions of the Opposition could

can only achieve that by working tirelessly to create a world where all of our people are unshackled from the chains of poverty and exploitation of every kind and where hunger is absent. Our task is, therefore, a perpetual one from which we must never shirk.” – Attorney General Anil Nandlall

nancing from developmental partners.”

He pointed out that the Government has been unrelenting in its efforts to have the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2013 passed in the National Assembly and enacted into law. However, the

Long-delayed

Nandlall pointed out that as a Government, it is its responsibility to facilitate development to ensure that the ideals and aspirations of Guyana’s people are realised and in particular, those that are still relevant to the development of Guyana.

Opposition has been equally set to stymie any progress in that regard, but “the Government remains ready, able and willing to lead that struggle”, Nandlall said.

“We can only achieve that by working tirelessly to create a world where all of our people are unshackled from the chains of poverty and exploitation of every kind and where hunger is absent. Our task is, therefore, a perpetual one from which we must never shirk,”

Presently, the AML/ CFT Bill is with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel Cecil Dhujon where it will be finalised before being tabled in the National Assembly, possibly at the next sitting.

The Bill in its current state includes the amendments made at the level of the Special Select Committee where it has spent several months being deliberated on and modified by way of amendments by parliamentarians.

only mean that it was sheltering criminals and stated that the calling of general elections to overcome the current parliamentary impasse was a distinct possibility.

The President said the Opposition’s uncompromising stance on the critical Bill is a clear indication that it is offering protection to criminals and other unsavoury characters.

“Who is the Opposition defending when they are going against this Bill?” the President asked, contending: “Objectively, they are defending the drug lords everywhere.”

Ramotar posited that the Opposition continuously takes the position that it is in the fight against corruption and drugs, yet it is refusing to pass a Bill that would essentially aid in that fight.

“This is an anti-corruption, anti-money laundering bill and here they are trying to fight down this anti-corruption bill,” he said, adding that “the Opposition is now opening our country to a lot of dangers by not wanting to pass this legislation”.

“Our Opposition seem incapable in taking any sort of patriotic position in defending the people of Guyana,” President Ramotar stressed. While maintaining that the Government is still open to dialogue and compromise on the passage of the legislation, the President explained that the Administration will not support any amendments that would have dire repercussions on the Guyanese people at any time in the future.

Impasse

President Donald Ramotar

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall

Mayor Hamilton Green and Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Green presiding over the outdoor meeting on Tuesday

Councillors shelter under umbrellas during their outdoor meeting

Hardt mum on Bradbury permit revocation

US Ambassador D Brent Hardt has remained tightlipped about the revocation of the work permit of the USAID IRI Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project Head Glen Bradbury last week by the Guyana Government.

When pressed by Journalists on Tuesday at the handing over of an automated fingerprint system to the Police, Hardt responded that he had “no comments” on any of the issues raised. The Ambassador said: “I prefer not to comment, but we will have some comments in the coming days, but for the moment we are here to talk about security cooperation.” He refused to comment on when Bradbury would leave Guyana, if the US Government has any plans of replacing him, and whether his presence in the country is in violation of the revocation and the country’s laws.

Last week, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon announced that the Guyana Government had made a decision to revoke the work permit of the Canada-born Bradbury, who was contracted by the US Government to head the controversial LEAD project here. According to Luncheon, Bradbury had breached Guyana’s immigration laws.

Meanwhile, People’s Progressive Party General Secretary Clement Rohee has lashed out at the Opposition’s take on foreign policy and international diplomacy. He said Government’s recent decision to revoke Bradbury’s permit has exposed the Opposition’s limited knowledge about foreign policy. “His criticisms of the Government’s position pose direct dangers as it promotes disrespect to Guyana’s right

to defend its national interest and to take independent positions as a nation,” Rohee said, speaking about Opposition Leader David Granger.

Stranger to foreign policy

Rohee told reporters at the party’s weekly press briefing on Tuesday that the Opposition Leader’s recent pronouncement has rendered him a stranger to foreign policy, and has made him incapable of offering any meaningful contributions on the matter. He said the Opposition has little understanding of the way foreign policies operate. According to him, the deficiency of such knowledge was demonstrated in the party’s inability to evaluate the matter from a broader and nationalistic perspective. “Other countries around the world have stood up for their right to independence and sovereignty, and in this regard Guyana should be no

City Council votes...

The third motion, which was moved by Councillor Gregory Fraser, sought to have the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Junior Garrett immediately relieved of his duties and removed from his position for: the making of “unilateral” and “capricious” decisions and the signing off of payments without the Council’s permission; the presentation of an inappropriate letter riddled with grammatical errors; his inability to encourage Republic Bank to release money to be returned to the Japanese Government; the presentation of a forged financial document as the budget of the Council this year and the spending of the Council’s monies without consultation or authority, to strategically inhibit the ability of the Council to address the needs of the city. The motion was seconded by Councillor Eon Andrews and was supported by every member of the council who was present at

the meeting.

Aggressive fight

Mayor Green related that the decisions of the councillors through the passage of the motions will be forwarded to the relevant authorities with the hope that they would be sanctioned. He noted that through every decision taken by the Minister, the Council remained quiet, but that will no longer be the case as the decisions made are a reflection of the Council’s thoughts and it will fight aggressively to see that they become a reality.

The Council’s motion against Sooba stemmed from the recent ruling of Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang deeming the appointment of the Town Clerk illegal, since the Local Government Minister does not have the power to appoint her. The court, however, ruled that the Minister can appoint Sooba to act in the

From page 16

exception,” Rohee said. Granger, meeting with reporters last week, had revealed that Government would have to pay a price for terminating the work permit of Bradbury.

The pronouncement by the Presidential Secretariat seemed to have caused some alarm within the main Opposition, Granger announced that he was unaware that negotiations between the two countries on the initiative had broken down. He said, however, that the Opposition had regretted the actions taken by the Government, contending that the project, which is designed to promote democracy, is beneficial.

Rohee, at the party’s press briefing, had however maintained that the move was in the best interest of all Guyanese. He said Bradbury had been engaging himself in the internal political affairs of the country. According to him, that is “counterproductive”. Rohee said that he had also been engaging local institutions without the approval of the appropriate head and has been misrepresenting long-established protocols. Rohee contended that the party has been talking about the issue ad nauseam from the inception, but has not been receiving any support. Rohee pointed out too that the letter sent to the LEAD project head requires that he leaves the country with immediate effect. He noted that if he remains in the country, he must be made aware that he is again violating the immigration laws of Guyana. When questioned if he, as Home Affairs Minister, is prepared to arrest and deport the project head, Rohee said: “Let us see how matters will unfold. The ball is in the court of Mr Bradbury.”

position. The decision had come about after King had moved to the High Court last December, challenging the appointment of Sooba, contending that she was deemed the least qualified of several candidates who had applied for the post.

King was one of the four applicants for the post. He was represented by Attorney Nigel Hughes. In his application, he had asked that the then Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud show cause why his decision to appoint Sooba should not be quashed. Justice Chang had granted a con-

ditional order, directing the Minister to show cause why the decision should not be set aside.

In his affidavit, King contended that the decision to appoint Sooba was an abuse of power; contrary to the legitimate expectation that the post would be filled by the “best suited and qualified” person, based on the criteria established in advertisements by the Minister. He said Sooba’s appointment was unreasonable since the Minister failed to apply the criteria he had established for the identification of the best candidate.

Wanted bulletin issued for man in Haslington love affair

The Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bulletin for the suspect who allegedly hacked his lover’s husband to death on Friday last.

The Police are searching for 37-year-old Errol Khan, also known as Venood Maraj, for questioning in relation to the murder of Chetram Bharrat at Haslington, East Coast Demerara. Khan is of East Indian heritage and is brown in complexion. His last known address was Lot 72 Blossom Scheme, ECD.

Bharrat, 41, a fisherman of Lot 418 Haslington, New Housing Scheme, was chopped several times to his head, upper body, and one of his hands was almost severed. His wife, Lomattie Ramdat, 36, was also injured, receiving chops to the head, face, and hand. Parts of her nostrils and lips were severed as well as a portion of her elbow. She is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to reports, Khan reportedly stormed into the couple’s home armed with a cutlass and carried out the brutal attack. Information reaching Guyana Times revealed that Ramdat was having an affair with Khan while her husband of 22 years was away

in Suriname. Ramdat and Khan were reportedly living together, but the woman subsequently ended the relationship and a spurned Khan constantly threatened to kill her and her teenage children.

As a result, the woman and the children went to live with her sister; however, when Bharrat returned to Guyana two weeks ago, the woman returned to their home, but the children refused to go back. On the night in question, neighbours heard screaming coming from the house and then it stopped.

Ramdat’s sister was informed and upon checking the house around 04:00h on the morning of May 2, the couple was found covered in blood. Bharrat was already dead while Ramdat was barely breathing. She was immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was admitted a patient.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Khan is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-2227, 2292701 to 2703, 229-2557, 911 or the nearest Police station. All information will be treated with strict confidence.

Wanted: Errol Khan

US Ambassador D Brent Hardt

SUDOKU

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By Bernice Bede Osol

(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

You will be restless and looking for an adventure today. Plan a day trip or learn something new that can enhance your professional future. Don’t be afraid to share your feelings and intentions.

20-March 20)

Get ready for a challenge and a chance to put your energy to good use. Proceed with creative plans that you’ve been considering. You’ll get the backing you need from someone important.

21-April 19)

Get back on course where your health and fitness goals are concerned. Start with a nutritional diet. If you feel good, you will excel.

(April 20-May 20)

Someone will be overly sensitive. Don’t waste time on a no-win situation. Move on to more valuable projects, working with people who will contribute as much as you.

(May 21June 20)

You will be in a celebratory mood today. Get out and party, or find other ways to share your happiness. Your power of attraction will help you get closer to someone special.

Finish any incomplete paperwork and tie up loose ends regarding investments, health issues or legal matters. The less you leave to chance, the better you will feel about the future.

(July 23Aug. 22)

It’s a good day to take part in networking functions and mingle with your peers. You will make new allies and find a platform to express your plans for the future.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You may be inundated with conflicting information. If someone is pressuring you, back away and take time to think things over. A mistake will turn out to be costly.

23Oct. 23)

Love and romance will put a smile on your face. Plan a little surprise for someone you enjoy spending time with. Your kind gesture will pay off in many ways.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

A family member may not be interested in your plans. Give him or her space, and carry on with your agenda. A physical challenge will be stimulating and rewarding.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

A seminar, lecture or special interest group will provide the information and stimulation you desire. Attend a conference or travel to an unfamiliar destination.

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

arCHie

dilbert

West Indies Fullbore Shooting C’ships, Jamaica

Guyanese Lennox Braithwaite, the reigning West Indies Fullbore individual ‘X’ Class shooting champion has taken the lead, while United States-based compatriot John Fraser is in charge of ‘O’ Class on day one of the individual competition at the West Indies Fullbore shooting championships at Twickenham Park ranges in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

Braithwaite dropped six points to finish the day with an overall 129 points with six V-bulls as the weather dictated the day’s events, first with winds changing from left to right before a windstorm later in the afternoon made the situation difficult for all the shooters.

The reigning two-time champion was consistent, shooting 34.3 at 300 yards, 48.1 at 600 and 47.2 at 900 yards to lead Canadian Alpar Katona who shot an overall 128 points with six V-bulls including a possible at 300 yards.

The experienced Norris

GSCL/NSC Independence Cup softball…

Guyanese shooters Braithwaite, Fraser take early lead

Gomez of Trinidad and Tobago is third overall and second among Caribbean shooters with 127 points; and 11 V-bulls including a possible at 600 yards.

Another Canadian Serge Bissonnette is currently in fourth place with 127 points with eight V-bulls.

Jose Nunez of Jamaica and Guyanese Ransford Goodluck are currently in fifth and sixth places respectively, with scores of 126.10 and 125.8 .

Goodluck shot 31.2 at 300 yards, 47.4 at 600 and 47.2 at 900 yards.

National vice- captain Dylan Fields is 11th overall with 123 points and five V-bulls.

Fraser, who holds the 12th position overall is the leader in ‘O’ Class with 122 points and four V-bulls.

He shot 30.2 at 300 yards, 47.2 at 600 and 45.0 at 900 yards to lead Oscar Waldron of Trinidad and Tobago with 119 points and seven V-bulls, while Guyana’s

Leo Romalho is third with 118.7. There were three possible scores at 300 yards with Bissonnette shooting 35.4 and Katna 35.3, while Trinidadian Michael Perez also shot 35.3. Braithwaite dropped just one point at the 300 yards range with 34.3 out of a highest possible score (HPS) of 35.7. National captain Mahendra Persaud shot 33.1, Terrance Stuart 33. 0 and Goodluck 31.2.

At 600 yards, Braithwaite shot 48.1; Stuart also 48.1; Fields 47.5; Goodluck 47.4; John Fraser 47.2; and Leo Romalho 46.3, while Paul Slowe and Sherwin Felicien had scores of 45.2 and 45.1 respectively.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Norris Gomez shot the only possible at 600 yards with a score of 50.5. Wednesday will be another intriguing day and could be made more interesting with rain forecast for the morning period over Jamaica. (Story and photos courtesy of Troy Peters in Jamaica)

Double success for Regal as female title shared

Regal XI copped both the Open and Masters titles, while Trophy Stall Angels and Mike’s Wellwoman shared the female title when action in the inauagural Independence Softball Cup, organised by the Georgetown Softball Cricket League, concluded on Monday evening.

Dubbed the pre-tournament favourites, Regal XI defeated Memorex of Berbice by seven wickets in the Open final, after their Masters team had prevailed over Frontline Rangers by four wickets to lift the Masters title at the Everest ground, Camp Road.

Batting first in the Open final, Memorex made 1548 from the allotted 20 overs with David Lukenauth hitting 37 (3x4s, 2x6s), Waheid Edwards 32 and Enaam Singh 18 as Chien Gittens picked up 3-24.

In rapidly fading light, Gittens then hit an unbeaten 62 (5x4s, 3x6s) to lead Regal to victory at 155-3 in 17.2 overs, in the process copping the Man-of-theMatch award. Richard Latiff and Kwesi Joseph made 23 and 18 respectively, while Roy Jafferally claimed 2-30.

The victory was Regal’s second in as many competitions, following their success in the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association’s tournament a few weeks ago.

In the Masters final, Frontline Rangers made 153-5 from 20 overs with Mohamed Rafiek hitting 63 (3x4s, 3x6s), Manoj Malone 24 (2x6s, 1x4), Kishon Mohabir 21 and Satrohan

Seeraj taking 3-24. Uniss Yousuf then hit 39 (5x4s) to lead Regal to victory at 154-6 from 18 overs. Eric

Lance Adams chipped in with 18, as Rafiek returned to bag 3-36. In the female category, Trophy Stall Angels and Mike’s Wellwoman agreed to share the spoils evenly,

after their game was cancelled due to insufficient playing time, following their semifinal victories over Regal Champs and Karibee Strikers.

At the presentation ceremony that followed, Speedboat’s Greg Singh was named Man of the Series in the Open category, following his 205 against Karibee Boys on the penultimate day of the tournament. He received a three-piece living room suite, while Regal took home $500,000, a trophy and 15 medallions and Memorex $200,000, a trophy and 15 medallions. In the Masters category, Regal Masters carted off $400,000, a trophy and 15 medallions, Frontline Rangers took home $100,000, a trophy and 15 replicas, while Rafiek was named Man of the Match in the finals and Floodlight’s Greg DeFrance the Man of the Series. The three-day competition, which attracted 20 teams across the three categories, was organised by the Georgetown Softball Cricket League with support from the National Sports Commission.

Thomas supported with 29 (2x6s, 1x4), Mahendra Arjune made 28 (4x4s) and

Second best! Frontline Masters copped the runner-up spot in the Masters category

John Fraser

Paul helps Clippers silence Thunder in opener

Chris Paul missed just two shots in a stunning 32-point display as the Los Angeles Clippers blasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-105 on Monday to seize a Game One victory in their Western Conference semi-final series.

Paul made his first eight three-pointers, a career-best total, and finished 12-for-14 from the field with 10 assists as Los Angeles enjoyed a surprisingly dominant road win to open the best-of-seven series.

“It was just one of those nights. This will definitely go down in the history books for me,” Paul told reporters.

With the victory, the Clippers continued to distance themselves from the cloud of controversy that hovered above a first round series overshadowed by owner Donald Sterling’s racist comments that led to a life ban from the NBA.

The Clippers were expected to ease past Golden State but despite the unwanted distraction created by Sterling’s remarks, Los Angeles held on to edge the sixth-seeded Warriors in a hard-fought series that went the distance.

The Thunder also waded through a seven-game struggle of their own against Memphis but appeared ill-prepared for a free-scoring Los Angeles team, despite 29 points

from Russell Westbrook and 25 from Kevin Durant.

Paul showed his hand early, pouring in five threepointers in the first quarter alone to lead the road team to a 39-25 advantage at the break.

The Clippers continued to build on their momentum as the Thunder appeared powerless to slow them down with Los Angeles leading by as much as 29 points late in the fourth quarter.

All Star Blake Griffin finished with 23 points

and Jamal Crawford added 17 off the bench in the winning effort.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha, regarded as a defensive specialist, rejoined the starting lineup after being benched for the past two games but his presence had almost no effect on the Clippers’ offense.

“We have to be more physical with them, and make them feel us a little bit more,” Durant said.

Oscar Pistorius’ neighbours ‘heard man crying loudly’

Three of Oscar Pistorius’ nearest neighbours said they heard a man crying loudly on the night the athlete shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

They also said they did not hear a woman screaming, contradicting earlier testimonies from other neighbours.

The witnesses were called by Mr Pistorius’ defence team to testify at his murder trial, as it seeks to prove he shot his girlfriend by mistake.

He denies intentionally killing Ms Steenkamp on 14 February last year.

The South African Paralympic sprinter says he shot her through a toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking her for an intruder.

We heard from three neighbours who described Oscar Pistorius’ friendly nature. They said when they moved in he made a point of welcoming the two families to Silverwoods Estate.

First were the Nhlengethwas, who are the athlete’s direct neighbours and live less than 20m (65 ft) from his house - the closest neighbours to testify.

They said they did not hear a woman screaming in the early hours of 14 February 2013 when Reeva Steenkamp was shot - contradicting what a previous witness has said. Mr Nhlengethwa testified that he heard the “loud cries” of a man, and his wife said she heard a man shouting “Help, help, help”. Neither heard gunshots.

Another neighbour, Rika

Wizards draw first blood against Pacers in playoffs

The youthful Washington Wizards showed no signs of wilting in the heat of the playoffs as they beat the top-seeded Indiana Pacers 102-96 in their Eastern Conference second round series opener on Monday.

Second-year guard Bradley Beal scored a team-high 25 points, Trevor Ariza made all six of his three-pointer attempts for 22 and the Wizards drew first blood on the road in the best-ofseven series.

Washington turned heads when they beat the Chicago Bulls in just five games in the first round of the postseason and are playing in the second round for the first time since 2005.

“We feel like we’re capable of winning when we play our style of basketball,” Ariza told reporters.

“We hadn’t won (in Indiana) in a while, why wouldn’t this be the best time to come in and get a win?”

The Pacers, needed the full seven games to survive and advance against eighth seed Atlanta in the opening round also held form after they, again suffered from inconsistency.

Paul George, who led the charge

Bradley Beal

with 30 points in Indiana’s Game Seven triumph Saturday, was off his game against the Wizards, scoring 18 points on 4-for-17 shooting.

George Hill also tallied 18 points for the Pacers but they could not catch up after Washington’s hot start, the Wizards scoring the game’s first eight points and leading 28-15 after the first quarter.

Washington, who stay in Indiana for Game Two on Wednesday, particularly pounded the Pacers inside where they won the rebound count 53-36.

Center Marcin Gortat finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Drew Gooden contributed 12 and 13 rebounds off the bench for the Wizards.

Conversely, Indiana big man Roy Hibbert, who has been in disappointing form in the post-season, did not record a point or rebound in 18 minutes.

“We can’t put ourselves in these corners. We should learn from the first series,” George said.

“It’s going to be a tough series for us, but we can’t allow ourselves to be put in these holes.”

Motshuane, told the court how afraid she was when he heard a man scream. “That was a cry of pain,” she said. Asked to mimic the sound she heard, Ms Motshuane let out two visceral wails filling the courtroom.

The prosecution now has its work cut out as it needs to explain how these three witnesses - being so close to the house - did not hear Ms Steenkamp screaming. Neither did they hear her being shot. The state’s version is that the model would have had time to scream after the first bullet and that Mr Pistorius then changed aim and continued firing.

Loud crying

The athlete’s nextdoor neighbour, Michael Nhlengethwa, told the court on Tuesday that on the night of the shooting he went to the house after hearing a man “crying very loudly”.

“I saw Oscar kneeling next to the lady, he was just crying,” the witness said.

His wife, Eontle, also testifying, said she heard the loud sound of a “male person’s voice” crying “help, help, help”.

Another neighbour, Rika Motshuane, insisted that she heard a man crying, describing it as a “cry of pain”.

The three witnesses said they did not hear a female screaming, contradicting prosecution witnesses who had testified to hearing a woman scream.

The defence’s case is that Ms Steenkamp never screamed, but that it was Mr Pistorius who screamed “like a woman”.

Ms Eontle also revealed, under cross-examination from state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, that she heard the sound of one bang, compared with the two or three bangs heard by other neighbours who had testified.

Mr Nel suggested that the noise she had heard came from the second set of bangs, after Ms Steenkamp had already been shot.

Mr Pistorius kept his head in his hands as he listened to his neighbours’ testimonies.

Mr Roux said on Tuesday

that he expected to wrap up his defence case in a week, to which the judge responded “I hope so”.

The court has now adjourned until Thursday - the day after South Africa’s elections.

On Monday two other neighbours - who were first at the scene - described Mr Pistorius’ frantic efforts to revive Ms Steenkamp.

Johan Stander, the first person Mr Pistorius called after the shooting, said the athlete “was broken”, sobbing and praying for her life.

In an emotional testimony, his daughter, Carice Viljoen, told the court she feared the athlete would shoot himself with the gun used to kill Ms Steenkamp.

Before the Easter break, the athlete faced several days of cross-examination from Mr Nel, who accused him of using emotional outbursts “as an escape”.

As well as a ballistics expert, the defence is expected to call a psychologist to speak about Mr Pistorius’ disability and his acute sense of vulnerability.

The prosecution has sought to show a pattern of reckless behaviour by the athlete and has argued that a reasonable man would have checked before firing four bullets through a locked door. If found guilty, the 27-year-old - a national sporting hero and double amputee dubbed the “blade runner” because of the prosthetic limbs he wears to race - could face life imprisonment.

Ms Steenkamp, 29, was a model, celebrity TV star and law graduate.

If Mr Pistorius is acquitted of murder, the court must consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive about 15 years in prison.

He also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.

There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.

The couple had been dating for just a few months when she was shot dead in 2013 (AFP)

Chris Paul

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Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers, IPL 2014

Rohit, Pollard set up win in heated contest

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Acalculated charge from Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard amid indisciplined bowling from Royal Challengers Bangalore set up Mumbai Indians’ victory. Rohit and Pollard came together at 84 for 4 in the tenth over and accelerated late to add 97 in the next ten. Combined with 25 extras, including 12 wides, it was well beyond Royal Challengers’ reach, though they had reached 94 for 1 in the tenth over. Harbhajan Singh then claimed Chris Gayle for 38, and Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers went within an over of each other as the visitors’ challenge melted away.

With one side of the ground smaller than the other, and a furiously quick outfield, both sides wanted to chase, and Royal Challengers did. Mumbai Indians’ top order of Ben Dunk, CM Gautam and Ambati Rayudu could not really get going on a pitch with pace and bounce, but the numerous extras served up by the Royal Challengers quick bowlers ensured the run-rate stayed reasonably high. The visitors hit back with quick wickets as the halfway mark of the innings approached, when Pollard joined Rohit.

With only Aditya Tare and the bowlers to come, the pair was forced to play cautiously for some time. The first five overs of the partnership produced only 29, despite some poor fielding. With about six overs left, Rohit and Pollard gradually opened up. Amid throwing his bat at Mitchell Starc in an ugly flare-up, Pollard contributed 43 off 31.

Rohit cut loose in the penultimate over bowled by Varun Aaron. A couple of top-edges flew fine for six, there was a straight hit for

four and a sliced six over deep cover as 24 came off the over. Rohit lofted Starc for four over extra cover off the last ball of the innings to surge to 59 off 35 as Mumbai Indians ended on 187 for 5. Gayle and Parthiv Patel responded with an opening stand of 53 in five overs. Parthiv did the early running before Gayle took Pawan Suyal for four successive boundaries in the third over. Rohit turned to Harbhajan, and after a quiet opening over, the offspinner had Parthiv bowled on the slog-sweep off the first ball of his second.

Gayle wasn’t done yet. He swung Harbhajan for consecutive boundaries in the same over. Rohit persisted with Harbhajan, who sent down a tight third over.

Harbhajan was given a fourth on the trot, the first four balls of which went for

Mumbai T20 innings (20 overs maximum)

BR Dunk c Yuvraj Singh b HV Patel 15

CM Gautam† c †PA Patel b Aaron 30

AT Rayudu b Dinda 9

RG Sharma* not out 59

CJ Anderson c Kohli b Chahal 6

KA Pollard run out (†PA Patel/ Starc) 43

AP Tare not out 0

Extras: (b 4, lb 8, w 12, nb 1) 25

Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 187

Did not bat: Harbhajan Singh, JJ Bumrah, SL Malinga, P Suyal

Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Dunk, 3.1 ov), 2-71 (Rayudu, 7.5 ov), 3-77 (Gautam, 8.5 ov), 4-84 (Anderson, 9.4 ov), 5-181 (Pollard, 19.4 ov)

Bowling: MA Starc 4-0-29-0, AB Dinda 3-0-38-1, HV Patel 4-0-281, VR Aaron 4-0-41-1, YS Chahal 4-0-30-1, Yuvraj Singh 1-0-9-0

12. Gayle attempted a slogsweep off the fifth, missed and was bowled for 38 off 24. In walked AB de Villiers and calmly reverse-paddled Harbhajan first ball for four. When Mumbai Indians reprieved both batsmen in the space of four deliveries, it seemed the chances could cost them. Royal Challengers needed 72 off the last eight with Kohli and de Villiers looking good. However, de Villiers was bowled in the 14th over, missing after having backed too far across to Jasprit Bumrah. Kohli swatted Suyal stright to long-off in the next over. The asking-rate climbed rapidly now. Pollard ran out Yuvraj Singh, and though Rilee Rossouw tried, Royal Challengers had ceded too much ground with all those extras.

Bangalore T20 innings (target: 188 runs from 20 overs)

CH Gayle b Harbhajan Singh 38

PA Patel† b Harbhajan Singh 26

V Kohli* c Anderson b Suyal 35

AB de Villiers b Bumrah 9 Yuvraj Singh run out (Pollard) 6 RR Rossouw c Sharma b Malinga 24

MA Starc c Pollard b Malinga 5 HV Patel b Bumrah 6 VR Aaron not out 7

AB Dinda not out 2

Extras: (lb 6, w 4) 10

Total: (8 wickets; 20 overs) 168 Did not bat: YS Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-53 (PA Patel, 5.1 ov), 2-94 (Gayle, 9.5 ov), 3-117 (de Villiers, 12.4 ov), 4-119 (Kohli, 13.3 ov), 5-132 (Yuvraj Singh, 15.3 ov), 6-139 (Starc, 16.4 ov), 7-151 (HV Patel, 17.3 ov), 8-159 (Rossouw, 18.2 ov) Bowling: P Suyal 3-0-35-1, JJ Bumrah 4-0-22-2, Harbhajan Singh 4-0-33-2, SL Malinga 4-0-29-2, KA Pollard 4-037-0, RG Sharma 1-0-6-0

FlOWERS

Da

Kieron Pollard muscles the ball through the covers (BCCI)

GCB Inter-County U-19 Tournament…..

Demerara gain upper hand against Berbice

– President’s X1 lead Essequibo by 210 runs

By Rajiv Bisnauth

Demerara wrested control from Berbice in the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-County threeday tournament on Tuesday.

At stumps at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Berbice batting a second time were 103-3, a second innings lead of 49 runs.

Viendra Gooniah, who was dropped twice, is unbeaten on 37 and David Latchaya, unbeaten on 26, will resume on the final day today.

They resisted a Demerara attack which sensed dominance and has so far added 48 runs for the fourth wicket.

Shimron Hetmyer (4), Balchand Baldeo 26) and Sharaz Ramcharran (7), were the wickets to fall for Berbice.

Resuming at 70-2, the Berbice spinners combined to wreck Demerara, allowing the hosts to carve out a slim 54- run first-innings lead.

The hosts’ batsmen, apart from Kemol Savory, seemed all at sea negotiating the spinners on a wicket still good for batting and were bowled out, 55 minutes into the second session.

The spinners flighted the ball cleverly and posed problems for most of the batsmen. Demerara were cruising nicely on 94 for two with overnight batsmen Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Rudolph Singh at the crease before the tables were completely turned as the hosts slipped to 153-8 at lunch.

Singh’s (14) dismissal triggered the collapse as the middle order caved in meekly. Chanderpaul (32), Sherfane Rutherford

(16), Malcolm Hubbard (4), Steven Sankar (0) and Keon Morris (1), were all dismissed before the interval.

Upon resumption, Kemol Savory made a gallant effort to push the total by sharing in two important partnerships. He first added 23 for the ninth wicket with Daniel Basdeo (9), and then put on 34 runs for the last wicket with Kevin Paul (4).

Savory was unbeaten on 56 from 109 balls, inclusive of seven boundaries, when the innings came to a close.

Sharaz Ramcharran (337), Parmanand Ramdhan (3-33) and David Latchaya (1-16) showed off the depth of Berbice’s spin stocks, sharing seven wickets among them. Fast bowler Grisean Grant (2-36) was the other successful bowler for Berbice.

President’s X1 lead Essequibo by 210 runs

Blake doping ban reduced to four-and-a-half years

Jamaica’s Dominique Blake competes in the women’s 4x400 metres relay final at the Central American and Caribbean games in Mayaguez July 30, 2010.

Jamaican 400 meter runner Dominique Blake’s sixyear ban for a second doping offence has been cut to fourand-a-half years on appeal,

the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said in a statement on Monday.

CAS said it had reached its decision “in view of some mitigating factors” although it added that “the athlete has failed to establish that she bears no significant fault or negligence.”

Blake tested positive for the banned stimulant meth-

ylhexanamine at the 2012 Olympic trials, her second doping offence after she tested positive for ephedrine in 2006 for which she was banned for nine months. Blake finished sixth at the trials and was picked as a relay runner for the London Olympics but did not compete at the Games. (Reuters)

Bolt makes Twitter appeal for return of stolen shoes

Ace sprinter Usain Bolt has made an appeal on Twitter for the return of a pair of his signed running shoes that were recently stolen in London.

The spikes signed by Bolt and framed for display with a photo of the athlete after he set the 100-metre world record in 2009 was stolen in South London sometime in April.

Bolt’s first tweet came at approximately midday and was accompanied by a picture of a story about the stolen shoes.

“Breaking News.. All you had to do was just ask me for one... No need to go stealing the ppl things. Come on now.” He tweeted.

About two hours later Bolt posted another photo showing him signing new

pairs of running shoes accompanied by the tweet: “Only natural I sign sum spikes after one of my overly excited fan stole that one.. FedEx straight to London later.”

The orange Puma shoes were reportedly auctioned off during a sporting memorabilia sale at Sotheby’s in November 2012 and are valued at about £20,000. (Jamaica Observer)

Over at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, Essequibo made a courageous fight back, reducing the President’s X1 at 112-6 in their second innings.

With a first innings lead of 98 runs, the President’s X1 closed with an overall lead of 210 runs.

Vivian Albert and Shivnarine Srikissoon will resume today on four and six respectively.

Opener Sunil Singh, who was dropped at least six times has top- scored so far with 53 (7x4s, 1x6), while Travis Persaud (15), was the only other batsman to reach double figures.

Akil Wallace (2-45), Keno Harry (2-11), Kemo Paul (127) and Akini Adams (1-17) are the successful bowlers for Essequibo to date.

Resuming on nine without loss, Essequibo were allout for 234, despite a fighting knock of 85 by opener Avenash Persaud.

The Essequibian faced 94 balls and clobbered 13 fours and four sixes to lead the run chase.

Travis Drakes provided some resistance with a gritty 28 down the order, while Ryan Adams (21), Paul Williams (18), Ricardo Peters (18), Paul Simboo (17) and Keno Harry (10) were the other batsmen to reach double figures.

Ryan Shun (3-18) was the President’s X1 best bowler on show. Ershad Ali (2-29), Travis Persaud (236), Vivian Albert (2-39) and Daniel Lewis (1-53) gave him good support.

Play will resume today at GCC at 09:30h, while the game at DCC will get under way at 10:00h.

‘Don’t worry!’ – Bolt tells fans delayed start to season is by design What’s the time? – Bolt says he ran 400m PB in training but won’t tell

Despite not making his seasonal debut with a quarter of the year elapsed, Usain Bolt has reassured fans that things are going to plan and that they have absolutely nothing to worry about.

“There is never anything to worry about,” he told the Jamaica Observer at the press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel last Thursday to announce the Caribbean broadcast rights for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“For me, I take my time throughout my seasons and you know the season is never perfect — niggles here, niggles there, but the coach will decide when I start and hopefully I’ll start very soon,” he noted.

Bolt, 27, the first man to win six Olympic gold medals in sprinting and is deemed a living legend with mind boggling world record times of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds for the 100m and 200m, respectively, said the next two years will be crucial in his already glittering career.

“I am just taking my time and going through the season because in the Commonwealth year, I try to take it as easy as possible. I want to run less races because the next couple of years will be very important,” said Bolt.

He has constantly set goals for himself throughout his brilliant athletics career and went into the 2012 London Olympics aiming to acquire legendary status by becoming the first runner

to win back to back 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles. And that he did.

A repeat of those performances at the Rio Olympics in Brazil will more than likely put him among the immortals of track and field and hence, he is trying to preserve that body for the extra push when he will be 29 years old, going on 30.

Meanwhile, the inaugural World Relays in The Bahamas are just three weeks away to be held on May 24 and 25, and Jamaica are expected to make their mark in the 4X100m, 4X200m, 4X400m, 4X800m and 4X1,500m.

However, Bolt unsure about his participation in the event that will serve as a qualifying competition for the 2015 IAAF World

Championships.

“Hopefully, I am in shape (for it), but it’s the coach who will decide if it’s necessary... and if it makes sense,” said Bolt.

“But the coach makes the call where I run and when I run,” he added.

Recently Bolt, who has over 14 million followers on his Facebook page, announced that he ran a personal best over the 400m in training, but he refused to reveal the time. He has an official personal best over the distance of 45.28 seconds done in 2007.

“I won’t say (what the time was), but we will see. For me, it’s always just fun because everybody wants me to run the 400m,” said Bolt. (Jamaica Observer)

Akil Wallace bowled with good control

Viendra Gooniah was solid in defence during his gritty, unbeaten innings

Young Yadram outstanding on T&T tour

National Under-15 captain Bhaskar Yadram was in top form recently, hitting four half-centuries during a seven-match tour by the Enterprise Busta Sports Club (EBSC) to Trinidad and Tobago.

The EBSC won just two and lost five of their games, but the diminutive B. Yadram was outstanding throughout, scoring 348 runs from five innings at an average of 69.6 with a highest score of 83.

In the opening game against Gaff Road, the EBSC made 175 with B. Yadram hitting 79 and Parmanand Dindyal scoring 44. Gaff Road easily overhauled the target.

In game two against Cosmos ‘B’, Dindyal topscored with 66 and Latchman Yadram made 60 in EBSC’s 225, before Kharan Ramdoon and Videsh Lall grabbed 3-16 and 3-24 respectively to limit Cosmos ‘B’ to 190.

Playing against Evergreen, the home team made 180, but EBSC fell agonisingly short, making 177 with first-class opener Rajendra Chandrika making 46 and L. Yadram 36.

Game four also ended in defeat for EBSC, who made 223 with B. Yadram scoring 83, before Cosmos knocked of the target. In the other two games against Cosmos, the EBSC lost both, despite B. Yadram’s 75

and 79 and Lall’s 4-16.

The EBSC’s second victory of the tour came in the final game against Cavaliers. B. Yadram made 32 in his team’s total of 160, before a combined team effort limited Cavaliers to 120.

Not surprisingly, B. Yadram was named MVP of the series, copping a whop-

ping four Man-of-the-Match awards.

The EBSC’s tour to the twin-island republic was made possible through sponsorship from Guyana Beverages Inc. (Busta), Munesh Hardware Store; Puran’s Lumber Yard; Vishal Construction Service; Fullworks; Bissoondyal Singh; M. Alli and Mr. Brian.

Choo Wee Nam to defend Powerade title Saturday

Veteran rider Paul Choo Wee Nam will look to keep his hands on the trophy on Saturday when he defends the feature 35-lap School Boys and Invitational race sponsored by Banks DIH Limited through its Powerade energy drink for the third year in succession.

Choo Wee Nam outgunned fellow veteran rider Stephen Fernandes in the main race in 2013 at the inner circuit of the National Park, finishing in a time of one hour, 18 minutes, 12 seconds (01h: 18m: 12s) to take the trophy and two prime prizes.

This time around though, the defending champion

will face a tough task, as all the riders will be using the event to test their preparedness for the 32nd annual Independence Three-Stage meet, billed for May 17-18.

Saturday’s race is the last before the staging of the gruelling 171.5 miles/275.1km event sponsored by the National Sports Commission.

Among the cyclists looking to test Choo Wee Nam are Raynauth Jeffrey, Alanzo Greaves, Paul DeNobrega, Hamzah Eastman, Marlon Williams, Junior Niles and Albert Philander.

The other category winners last year were Eastman (Juveniles), Niles (Veteran U-50), Lancelot Rose (Veterans O-50),

GBL President off to historic Africa Congress

President of the Guyana Baseball League (GBL), Robin Singh, will leave Guyana today to attend the historic and firstever World Baseball Softball Congress in Africa, which was announced last month.

Officials of the world governing body for baseball and softball, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), have announced a new key agreement with the Japan-based Mizuno Corporation, establishing Mizuno as WBSC’s first Global Sponsor and the Exclusive Official Game Ball Supplier of all 2014 Baseball and Softball World Championship platformsfrom youth to professional level- overseen by the WBSC.

“The WBSC is proud to partner with a sports industry leader like Mizuno, which will help keep the WBSC at the forefront of youth sport and further strengthen our youth engagement platforms,” stated WBSC copresidents Riccardo Fraccari and Don Porter.

The WBSC leadership

also hailed the agreement as highlighting the value baseball and softball could deliver to the Olympic movement, if included on the Olympic programme.

“The WBSC remains committed to Olympic Games inclusion, and this strategicpartnership- the sponsorship of our youth, women and men’s competition platformsis critical to strongly demonstrating baseball and softball’s youth and commercial

appeal, and gender-balance,” the co-presidents added.

“We are confident that under the Olympic umbrella, baseball and softball’s global assets could further enhance and sustain the uniqueness, year-round message and economic positioning of the Olympic Games, while making the Games increasingly relevant to women and viceversa.”

About the WBSC

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) was established in April 2013 and granted recognition as the sole competent authority in baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee at the 125th IOC Session in September 2013. The WBSC will be led by an Interim Executive Board until the Inaugural WBSC Congress in May 2014. The WBSC has National Federation members in 141 territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania.

Maurice Fagundes (Veterans O-60), Stephano Husbands (Mountain Bikes), Alfie Soonaram (12-14 Boys and Girls), Jeremiah Harrison (BMX Boys 6-9), Sherwin Sampson (BMX Boys 9-12), Jamal John (BMX Boys 1214) and Hazina Barrett (Females).

As he did last year, Banks DIH Limited’s Outdoor Events Manager, Mortimer Stewart, will witness the races and later assist in the presentation of prizes to the top three finishers in the respective categories.

The day’s activities are being organised by long-serving national cycling coach, Hassan Mohamed. (Avenash Ramzan)

Flashback! Last year’s feature race winner Paul Choo Wee Nam (left) receives his trophy and prime prizes from Banks DIH Limited’s Outdoor Events Manager, Mortimer Stewart, in the presence of national coach and organiser, Hassan Mohamed (Avenash Ramzan file photo)

GBL President Robin Singh

Bhaskar Yadram poses with the trophies he copped on the tour of T&T

Several Demerara players appeal successfully, as Keon Morris was taken at the wicket of off spinner David Latchaya (Photos: Rajiv Bisnauth)