Guyana Times 06-15-2017

Govt signs $922M pact with EU P5

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

Issue No. 3242

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Thursday, June 15, 2017

PRICE

Enmore Martyrs remembrance

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Fight to save sugar industry – Jagdeo urges Guyanese

CH&PA moving against P7 squatters

Region 2 flooding

Over 460 P2 acres of rice affected by floodwaters

Page 3

Overpayment of teachers

"Teachers should not suffer for REO’s incompetence” – GTU P9

A section of the large gathering that assembled at Robert Square, Enmore, East Coast Demerara at a public meeting held on Wednesday to mark Enmore Martyrs Day, which will be celebrated on Friday. Speaking to the gathering were former President Bharrat Jagdeo and high-ranking officials of the People's Progressive Party

Pedestrian killed by drunken P2 driver

Essequibo rice giant Kayman Sankar sells off properties

Page 7

Land CoI Beni Sankar

... Hampton Court airstrip also sold

Armed bandits storm auto shop

Page

…beat, rob customer, employees 10 …escape with businessman’s gun

Irate man shoots another for “interfering” with wife Page 9

P5

Indigenous peoples’ land inquiry put on hold

… leaders question impartiality of APA

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Pedestrian killed Region 2 flooding by drunken driver Over 460 acres of rice affected by floodwaters

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Dead: Sherwin Hermanstien

Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) man was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver at Half Mile Public Road, Linden.

Dead is 38-year-old Sherwin Hermanstien of Lot 534 Canvas City, Wismar.

Reports are that on Tuesday at about 22:45h, Hermanstien was in the process of crossing the road

when motorcar PSS 5865, driven by an Industrial Area, Mackenzie resident, proceeding North along the western side of the road struck Hermanstien.

After being hit, the pedestrian fell onto the road and was in an unconscious state. He was picked up by the driver of the vehicle and rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex where he was pronounced dead on ar-

rival.

Police investigators in a statement revealed the driver of the vehicle was apprehended and was found to be over the legal blood alcohol limit after the administration of a breathalyser test.

Meanwhile, at the home of the deceased on Wednesday, friends and family gathered in shock and disbelief as they expressed their grief over what they described as the “sudden death” of their loved one.

They noted that the Hermanstien was with his brother at the time of the accident.

His aunt, who broke down in tears said she visited the hospital after learning of the accident on Tuesday evening.

Hermanstein’s relatives described him as a very jovial individual who loved children.

“He don’t be in no problem. All he do is drink and play he music. Very, very nice person. He would past one hundred times and talk to you”, a grieving relative noted.

Meanwhile, investigations are continuing. A post-mortem examination is expected to be performed on Friday.

One of the flooded rice fields

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ver 460 acres of rice within the Sparta, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court backdams in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) are currently affected due to excessive water. This was reported by Regional Vice Chairperson, Nandranie Coonjah, at the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC) statutory meeting for the month of June.

Coonjah in a report to the RDC stated that over 160 acres of low lands in the Sparta area and 300 acres in the Windsor Castle and

Hampton Court areas are inundated due to poor drainage, compounded with heavy rainfall. This, she said, is affecting farmers in those areas as 18,400 acres of rice lands were already sown.

Coonjah informed the Councillors of the RDC that farmers need help to drain water from the low lands.

After the presentation of her report, Region Two Chairman and head of the region’s RDC, Devanand Ramdatt, said a team comprising engineers and officials from the National Drainage and Irrigation

Authority (NDIA) visited the areas recently and inspections were conducted.

Ramdatt said he had communicated with Agriculture Minister Noel Holder on the issues affecting the farmers and in response, the Minister said the NDIA would be repairing the Hampton Court sluice. Ramdatt said currently, the areas have three sluices, however, only one is operable, thus contributing to poor drainage.

He however opined if the sluices are maintained then that could bring relief to the affected rice farmers.

NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, June 15 – 08:30h-10:00h and Friday, June 16 – 09:30h-11:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, June 15 – 07:45h-09:15h and Friday, June 16 – 08:40h-10:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery to heavy rain showers with light cloud cover can be expected throughout the day, with light cloud cover prevailing in the evening. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly and East South-easterly between 1.78 metres and 2.68 metres.

High Tide: 08:06h and 20:42h reaching maximum heights of 2.45 metres and 2.35 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 01:39h and 14:11h reaching minimum heights of 0.86 metre and 0.77 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS C

05

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19

21

23

11 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 06 09 11 16

23

LUCKY 3 0 1 3

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

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THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Fight to save sugar industry – Jagdeo urges Guyanese

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lthough Government has announced plans to close the sugar industry, former President and current General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Bharrat Jagdeo has called on all Guyanese and people living in the sugar belt to continue to fight to save the industry.

Jagdeo made this plea while addressing residents of Enmore, on the East Coast Demerara, during a public meeting held on Wednesday to mark Enmore Martyrs Day, which will be celebrated on Friday.

The former Head of State slammed the Government for the unconscionable decision, stating that it has the potential to create great difficulty for many citizens across the country.

“We’ve been growing sugar in Guyana for 300 years and in two years of this Government, not even under (Forbes) Burnham, they have decided to dismantle sugar,” he told the large gathering.

According to him, the decision to shut down the industry was made way before the coalition Government sought to have consultation with the relative stakeholders, including the Opposition.

He read a letter that he received from the Government on November 16, 2016, which outlined that authorisation was given to discuss any possible sale of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in part or in its entirety.

“So, when they started this perfunctory, this show of consultation that they were listening to GAWU and us (opposition) and they wanted to engage us on a way forward, they had already made the decision to sell the entire industry and this exposes the duplicity of this

Government,” he remarked.

The former President told the large gathering that the David Granger-led Administration cannot be trusted as they have never negotiated in good faith, explaining that in spite of the promises made to the electorate during the last election, they are determined to dismantle the sugar industry regardless of its consequences.

He said, “Today we see an expression of their callous behaviour by their refusal to say what they will do with the 10,000 workers and their families when they lose their jobs,” he added.

Jagdeo said the closure of the industry, however, has the potential to affect close to 50,000 people, which in his view is a “political, discriminatory decision on the part of the Government.

Jagdeo reiterated that the sugar industry could be sustained and can become viable if more attention is placed on fixing the current problems that exists. He recalled that between 1976 and 1996, sugar made a huge contribution to the Treasury and paid for the sugar levy.

“At one time, one fifth of total Government revenues came from the sugar industry. We carried Guyana for a long period and even after that, when the sugar levy was ended in 1996 we then got GuySuCo to continue to make a positive contribution to the industry,” he noted.

The PPP/C General Secretary also pointed out that it was only when there was a cut in the European Union (EU) prices for sugar, it led to the industry loosing $8 billion per annum in revenue. It was at that point that Government had to start looking to begin pumping revenue in the industry.

However, the EU had giv-

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo described Government’s move to close the sugar industry as callous, discriminatory and political during his address to the large gathering

en Guyana over €100 million as part of the transitional arrangement, which according to Jagdeo, was more than the cost of Skeldon Sugar factory. “And so today it is not true that sugar cannot be restored in the future.

It’s not true that sugar cannot be profitable. If we work real hard and we look at the multidimensional contributions of sugar to the economy we will through an economic analysis that sugar makes a bigger contribution to Guyana than the subsidy it gets in this difficult period,” he asserted.

Contrary to what is being done with the sugar industry, Jagdeo said the PPP/C Government ensured that when the bauxite industry needed help, they pumped money into that industry to

keep it alive.

Jagdeo said this was mainly because the Government was compassionate and caring and did not want to affect the lives of those who were directly dependent on the industry for their livelihoods.

“We were concerned about Kwakwani, Ituni and Linden and the residents there, and about how they will keep their families going and we made sure that we worked with those communities and the industry to keep bauxite alive in those places.

However, he argued that this Government, because it views everything through a political, racial discriminatory lens, it will shoot the country’s prospects of improving lives just to satisfy a political agenda.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

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

Political optics in reassignment

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ccording to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine has been “transferred” to a department that is being created within the Ministry of the Presidency to “oversee” the public service, which is presently within the remit of Minister of State Joseph Harmon. For a senior Minister, in one of the most critical ministries in Government, to be made a “department head” cannot be seen as anything less than what it is – a demotion. The question is “why”?

The State-owned Chronicle suggested the move was precipitated by the inability of Dr Roopnaraine to fulfil his mandate as Education Minister because of “poor health” and that on several occasions, he had to be represented

by Junior Education Minister Nicolette Henry. This information, however, was not contained in the official announcement, if for no other reason it would have contradicted the official rationale. To wit, that with his responsibilities for the Public Sector, Roopnaraine would be adding to the “quality of service which is provided to the people of Guyana.” If Dr Roopnaraine is ill, why would the Government saddle him with as key institution as the public service?

It is conceded by most analysts that one of the major fetters on Guyana’s development has been the poor quality of service and professionalism delivered by our public service. One of the key variables why Singapore, for instance, was able to reach “first world” status after starting at the same level as us in the 1960’s, was their professional and incorruptible public service. As far back as 1989, when the then People’s National Congress (PNC) government under Desmond Hoyte, signed onto the Economic Recovery Programme of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), one of their “conditionalities” was the downsizing and professionalising of the public service.

Hoyte started the threshold process of downsizing, but when the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) replaced the PNC as the Government in 1992, they halted it because of the PNC strident cries of “ethnic cleansing”. They were caught in a bind since many “square pegs in round holes” in the public service did not have the requisite skills for optimum performance. They had only been hired because of the PNC’s policy of hiring based on the possession of a PNC “party card”. The PPP got around that hurdle in acquiring needed skills by employing “contract workers”.

While the PNC/APNU and AFC had criticised the practice, they have actually increased the number of contracted employees in the public service, even as they announced the formation of the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service for training. The Government has to get serious about public service reform especially since they have the critical credential for that job with public servants being part of their “constituency” and can “bite the bullet” with the least disruption. An ailing Dr Roopnaraine, then, in charge of improving the public service, would not allow the Government to make the root and branch shakeup of the public service. Joseph Harmon would still be effectively in charge of a pliable but moribund public service, while Nicolette Henry will be in charge of education.

But there was another elephant in the room on the “reassignment” of Dr Roopnaraine, who represents the WPA in the APNU coalition: the fact that it was done on the anniversary of the assassination of Dr Walter Rodney, de facto leader of the WPA. The CoI into Rodney’s death had bluntly stated “…we conclude that Prime Minister Burnham knew of the plan and was part of the conspiracy to assassinate Dr Walter Rodney.”

In the past week, Dr David Hinds, and Executive member of the WPA had made representation in the State Chronicle that the Government – which includes the WPA – should not “marginalise” the contributions of Rodney towards building “social cohesion”. He asked, “Where are the Rodneyite ideas in the praxis of the Government?”

Maybe the “reassignment” of Dr Roopnaraine was an answer to Dr Hinds.

Who says animals of different species can’t be friends? This grey crow stopped by to have a few words with his favourite cow in a Gaushala or cow sanctuary in Barsana, India (Reuters)

The “Fantastic Four” must be stopped Dear Editor, With the parking meter ignominy slipping into oblivion, here comes a new debacle to entertain the citizenry of our capital and that is the ‘PortaPotty Fiasco’. Unbelievable!

And even more unbelievable is the fact that the Councillors seem afraid to tell the offenders that this is extortion against the citizenry.

What is most egregious is that the Town Clerk is reported to have said that he doesn’t see what the fuss is about renting portable toilets at $82,000 each and that it is more feasible renting than buying them. If this is not an insult to the intelligence of the citizens of Georgetown, then we don’t know what is.

Would this gentleman have agreed to paying this amount out of his super salary each month? I guess not,

as it is more than the monthly mortgage most persons pay for an entire house that contains more than one bathroom. But who cares, it is just

the citizens who have to pay.

His logic that renting one toilet at $82,000 per month being more feasible than purchasing one for just about the same price is just twisted and bi-

zarre. I have a few questions for him. a. What happened in the past? How were the Constabulary and security staffers making out before the advent of portable toilets?

How did citizens, particularly children that utilise play parks and recreational facilities survive before he came along with this amazingly brilliant idea? With public conveniences and permanent toilet facilities of course. And then he unthinkingly brings

in his favourite tune that he pirated from his intellectual su-

periors some time ago, about the green economy. Well for his information the chemicals

used to maintain those toilets hinders rather than helps the greening of our city. b. Why does the Town Clerk find procuring the allied resources (chemicals) and maintaining the facility (extracting the waste and replacing the dispensers, the soap liquid and the toilet paper rolls) such a challenge?

He has more resources than the toilet companies. He has a procurement department that is responsible for purchasing things both locally and overseas, he has public convenience attendants and sanitation workers on the employ of the Council who idle most of the day and who could be commissioned into maintain-

ing these porta potties, he has a public health department that could be responsible for storing and dispensing these chemicals. He has vehicles that can rotate these facilities. He even has a Health and Safety Officer that can be put in charge of this system.

I wish to let the Town Clerk know that all over the world porta potties are used at construction sites, natural disasters, special events such as race track events, weddings, bicycle races/marathons and movie sets, camp grounds, concerts and festival venues; not as a replacement for public conveniences and outdoor toilets at residences.

The “Fantastic Four” must be stopped now before the entire City Hall is decimated.

Sincerely, Mateo Phelephe

The PPP should have honoured deserving members of the public Dear Editor, Reference is made to former President Donald Ramotar’s commentaries exposing and condemning the racist or discriminatory policies of this A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government in its appointments, awarding of contracts, granting honours, removing Indians and Amerindians from State positions, adopting villages, training of staff, etc. The ex-President must be applauded for his courage in speaking out against racial and political victimisation and ethnic persecution. But in my travels around the country, voters are scathing in their remarks

about the former President.

They say he also discriminated against Indians, and that he failed to honour deserving members of the public.

Voters note, for example, that while under this regime, as Ramotar exposed, only 14 Indians out of 77 awardees (a mere 18 per cent) and virtually no Amerindians are on the list of this year’s independence honourees). Ramotar hardly honoured any Indian during his three-year term.

The People’s National Congress (PNC), on the other hand, took care of its supporters and loyalists, recognising them even when they don’t deserve an honour or even when they murdered people (primarily opponents). Last

year (2016) and even in 2015, right after it came into office, the PNC-AFC coalition distributed around 125 honours, with only 11 per cent being given to Indians. Voters note that the PNC approved pensions for its former MPs and loyalists, whereas the PPP did not do same for its deserving former MPs. The PPP Government bent backwards to reward and distribute various handouts to supporters of the PNC (believing it will get votes) alienating itself from its own supporters in the process.

Why the PPP refused to honour and engage in actions to benefit its deserving supporters is inexplicable.

Voters also point out that

Ramotar and his predecessor hardly granted silk (Senior Counsel) to deserving Indian lawyers whereas the PNC boldly distributed Silks to its supporters, most of whom are undeserving. Voters assail the PPP leadership for failing to do “the right thing” (discriminating against its own) when in government.

It is inexplicable why the PPP alienated itself among its traditional supporters causing them to defect to the AFC and leading to its loss of power. It is a lesson to be learned.

But voters query whether the PPP has learnt anything from its behaviour or actions.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

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News

Govt signs Indigenous peoples’ land $922M pact with EU inquiry put on hold Land CoI

… leaders question impartiality of APA

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resident David Granger has proposed a five-point intervention to ensure that the work of the Lands Commission of Inquiry meets the needs and addresses the concerns of all stakeholders. During a meeting with Executive members of the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) at State House on Wednesday, the Head of State stated that there was nothing sinister in the setting up of the Commission.

The intention however, was to correct existing anomalies regarding individual and communal lands.

“There is no mischief or no malice on my part or on the part of the Government or the Commission to deprive people of their lands,” he said.

In addition to the plan, a special body will be established comprising of representatives of Indigenous peoples organisations including the National Toshaos Council (NTC) to ensure that the President’s interventions are properly executed so that the Commission’s work can move forward smoothly. So far, Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Trevor Benn is the designated point of contact for the Government.

Following the setting up of the Commission in early March, several Indigenous groups and individuals have expressed dissatisfaction. President Granger said the matter has now become highly politicised and, as such, he will be meeting with the various Indigenous Peoples’ organisations.

The five points that the President outlined are a comprehensive review of all literature that has to do with Amerindian land titling, particularly as it relates to ongoing programmes; consensus building on the Terms of Reference; strengthened adherence to the principle of Free Prior and Informed

President David Granger flanked by Lands Commissioner Trevor Benn and Minister Joseph Harmon during their discussions with members of the Amerindian Peoples Association at State House

Consent (FPIC) so that communities are fully involved in the process; the reconciling of the positions of the Government, the Commission and that of Indigenous People’s organisations; a review of the Amerindian Act of 2006 and halting the work of the Commission on matters specifically related to Amerindian lands until all the outstanding concerns are addressed.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who was also present at the meeting, informed that aspects of the Commission’s work related to lands other than those belonging to Indigenous peoples will proceed as scheduled. “The inquiry will continue where that is concerned but in so far as it has to do with Indigenous peoples’ land, the Commission’s work would be put on hold, pending the outcome of what is going to happen with the body that will be set up,” he said.

With regard to the Amerindian Act, Minister Harmon explained that law revision is a very lengthy process and as such it would not be possible to conclude this matter within the life span of the Commission.

In light of this, he said that only the “injurious elements” of the Act will be addressed for the purpose of fulfilling the mandate of the Commission. A more holistic review of the law will follow later.

Executive Director of

the APA, Jean La Rose said “this is a good step in the sense that we are able to discuss these issues, we are able to air our concerns and focus on how we can move forward… Hopefully, at the end of these discussions we will arrive at a common position.”

In March following the announcement of the CoI, the Government came in for much criticism after several sections of the Indigenous community said that free, prior and informed Consent of Amerindians and their elected leaders were not sought before the establishment of the body. The Opposition also came out in support of the Indigenous community pointing out that the lack of consultation on the issue directly stampeded on the rights of Guyana’s first peoples.

Questions

Wednesday’s meeting with the APA, however did

not set well with sections of the Amerindian community. This was conveyed as some Amerindian leaders questioned the fact that the President chose to meet with the APA, rather than representatives from the National Toshaos Council, an elected body.

What is of most concerned however is the fact that Executive Director of the APA, Jean La Rose, was on the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) national top up list for the 2015 elections.

As such leaders are questioning why the APA, which in the past sought international funding and representation for Amerindians, now seems to be “cozy” with the Government. Among the concerns of the Indigenous leaders are whether the APA is not as strident as it was before and whether they are seeking to undermine the elected NTC.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan and EU Ambassador Jernej Videtič after signing the multimillion-dollar pact

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he Government on Wednesday signed a €4 million Technical Cooperation Facility and Support Services Agreement with the European Union (EU) for the implementation of Guyana’s development strategies and policies.

The pact was signed by Finance Minister Winston Jordan and Head of the EU Delegation in Guyana, Ambassador Jernej Videtič at the Finance Ministry’s office on Main Street.

The Agreement, which will see the National Authorising Officer (NAO) receiving $922.8 million, assures EU support for the implementation of Guyana’s development strategies and policies.

It will also support the operations of, and improve the institutional capacity within, the NAO Task Force in the Finance Ministry for

the efficient planning, implementation and monitoring of development projects and programmes financed by the EU. The Technical Cooperation Facility will be used to provide short and long-term technical assistance, policy advice and studies as needed in the programming, preparation or implementation of actions, as well as for audits and evaluation and to support the country’s public financial management (PFM) reform agenda.

Guyana shares a long standing relationship with the EU; the EU is the main provider of grant funding to the country.

Since the cooperation between the two countries began in 1976, the EU has committed over €500 million to development in Guyana.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

Page Foundation On raising an honest child

Fathers

CONTINUED FROM WEDNESDAY

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his brings us to the problem at hand: By the age of five, children are pretty competent liars, and they report to know that lying is wrong, but they do it anyway. On top of that, there is evidence that four- and five-yearPerhaps the best thing olds feel pretty good parents can do is to be about lying if in the there is a positruthful themselves, end, tive outcome. Given because ultimately that in reality, lying children will use their often does have its honesty as a guide from rewards—like getwhich to model their own ting a better grade after cheating, or getting to eat a delicious cookie after stealing it from the jar—what can parents do to encourage children to tell the truth? Research suggests that a few things might work.

First, hold on to those old fables like “George Washington and the Cherry Tree” that promote honesty; research suggests that reading these stories to children actually makes them more likely to be truthful. But be wary: The stories that really work are the ones that promote the positive consequences of telling the truth.

Stories like the “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” or “Pinocchio,” that only tout the negative consequences of lying are not as effective at promoting honesty.

Second, children are also more likely to tell the truth when they expect positive outcomes for truth telling from their parents. In a study where children heard a story about a character who stole a cookie and later lied about it, children who were most likely to endorse a confession also expected more positive parental responses from truth telling. In other words, children who said that the character in the story should tell the truth most often had parents who praise (and do not punish) their children when they tell the truth about breaking a rule.

Third, having good role models for honesty matters. Children are most likely to pick up behaviours that they see at home, so it shouldn’t be surprising that children are more likely to lie if they see an adult lying first.

Further, children are less likely to lie if parents give them reasons not to, and children are more likely to confess their transgressions if they previously promised to tell the truth.

Altogether, while this research suggests that you can start expecting tall tales in your household once your child reaches the age four or five, there are some simple ways to promote honesty in even the littlest of liars. First, parents should praise truthful behaviour, even after a child has broken the rules; in other words, children are more likely to tell the truth after doing something wrong if they think they will be praised for their honestly instead of punished for their transgression. Second, talk to children about the value of telling the truth or tell them stories that highlight the positive benefits of truth telling instead of the negative consequences of lying. Finally, perhaps the best thing you can do is to be truthful yourself, because ultimately children will use your honesty as a guide from which to model their own. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

By Elder D Todd Christofferson

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focus today on the good that men can do in the highest of masculine roles—husband and father.

I speak today of fathers. Fathers are fundamental in the divine plan of happiness, and I want to raise a voice of encouragement for those who are striving to fill well that calling. To praise and encourage fatherhood and fathers is not to shame or discount anyone. I simply focus today on the good that men can do in the highest of masculine roles— husband and father.

David Blankenhorn, the author of Fatherless America, has observed: “Today, American society is fundamentally divided and ambivalent about the fatherhood idea. Some people do not even remember it. Others are offended by it.

Others, including more than a few family scholars, neglect it or disdain it. Many others are not especially opposed to it, nor are they especially committed to it. Many people wish we could act on it, but believe that our society simply no longer can or will.”

As a Church, we believe in fathers. We believe in “the ideal of the man who puts his family first.” We believe that “by divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.” We believe that in their complementary family duties, “fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.” We believe that far from being superfluous, fathers are unique and irreplaceable.

Parents have complementary duties. Fathers are irreplaceable. Some see the good of fatherhood in social terms, as something that obligates men to their offspring, impelling them to be good citizens and to think about the needs of others, supplementing “maternal investment in children with paternal investment in children. … In short, the key for men is to be fathers. The key for children is to have fathers. The key for society is to create fathers.”5 While these considerations are certainly true and important, we know that fatherhood is much more than a social construct or the product of evolution.

The perfect, divine expression of fatherhood is our Heavenly Father. His character and attributes include abundant goodness and perfect love. His work and glory are the development, happiness, and eternal life of His children. Fathers in this fallen world can claim nothing comparable to the Majesty on High, but at their best, they are striving to emulate Him, and they indeed labor in His work.

They are honored with a remarkable and sobering trust.

For men, fatherhood exposes us to our own weaknesses and our need to improve. Fatherhood requires sacrifice, but it is a source of incomparable satisfaction, even joy. Again, the ultimate model is our Heavenly Father.

Perhaps the most essential of a father’s work is to turn the hearts of his children to their Heavenly Father. If by his example as well as his words a father can demonstrate what fidelity to God looks like in day-to-day living, that father will have given his children the key to peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. A father who reads scripture to and with his children acquaints them with the voice of the Lord. (lds.org)

news

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thursDAY, june 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Essequibo rice giant Kayman Falkland Islands willing Sankar sells off properties to collaborate on oil sector

... Hampton Court airstrip also sold

K

ayman Sankar, a popular rice company, has sold a number of properties including Essequibo Coast and Blairmont, Berbice rice land less than three years after the Kayman Sankar passed away.

Sankar was acclaimed as Guyana’s most successful rice farmer/miller, who rose from poverty to become a millionaire and a household name on the Essequibo Coast and Guyana as a whole.

The late rice miller’s son, Beni Sankar, confirmed to Guyana Times on Wednesday that several properties were sold, pointing out quickly that the decision to sell had nothing to do with issues facing the industry. Among the properties sold the Hampton Court Airstrip, aquaculture farms, rice fields, estate houses and cattle.

“It has nothing to do with the decline it was for different circumstances,” he explained.

While Beni Sankar did not want to comment further on the sale of these properties, he said as it currently obtained, the rice industry was in a good state, but there were a few issues that could be addressed.

“Maybe the farmers are not getting the preferential treatment they used to get.

So, maybe that is a big issue.

What has mostly happened there is that their profits have gone down,” he emphasised. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kayman Sankar and Company

Beni Sankar

Limited told this publication that in most instances, when rice farmers take their capital to the bank, they were more likely to receive three to four per cent interest.

“And most farmers clear 20-25 per cent. And now if they don’t make that a crop or so, that’s a big scream.

And what you have to bear in mind also, is that there are too many small farmers,” he opined.

According to him, farmers, who operate with 25-30 acres of land, cannot earn a living wage in Guyana, adding that with no other form of employment, this could lead to a lot of societal problems. “It’s not an easy situation, but I think the industry is in a relatively good state,” he added.

Questioned whether there was need for more markets, Sankar said even if more markets were opened up, it all boiled down to the price offered for rice and

paddy.

“You can sell how much rice you want, but it’s the price. As a matter of fact that applies to any product.

If you give it away at a low price, people will take it,” he further stated. Guyana recently reached an agreement with Mexico which will allow for the export of an estimated 150,000 tonnes of rice and paddy to Mexico duty-free before year-end.

Despite this, there has been a general decline of rice prices on the international market over the past few years.

This trend has had more consequences for some rice-producing countries than others. The implications for the Caribbean and Guyana have already been realised, and have already threatened the comparatively high prices that were enjoyed in years gone by. Nevertheless, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder had revealed that rice production was expected to increase by 1.3 per cent in 2017, although there was a decline during 2016 by 12.7 per cent to 600,000 metric tonnes due to El Niño weather conditions. Holder said that a number of farmers had exited the industry owing to the loss of the highpriced Venezuelan market, but explained that 3311 hectares were lost out of the 76,717 hectares sown.

It was reported that production for 2015 was 1,058,129 tonnes, which was equivalent to 687,784 tonnes.

That was 80,840 tonnes or 8.27 per cent higher than the production for 2014.

CH&PA moving against squatters

T

he Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is in the process of regularising several squatting settlements and are looking for alternative areas to relocate those in areas that cannot be regularised, according to Community Development Director, Gladwin Charles.

He added that the Authority is currently focusing on regularising Angoys Avenue, New Amsterdam, which is the largest squatting settlement in Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

“One of the areas we are working on this year is Angoys Avenue; it is the largest squatting area in Region Six, where we have approximately 1010 lots.”

He stated that the CH&PA in April started the allocation of lots in the area, verification and preparation for the processing of titles.

“We hope before the end of the year persons would start receiving their titles.

So far we have had 510 allocation offers to persons who we have verified and we have given them offers and persons would have started making payments at the regional office in Region Six,” he informed.

Community Development Director, Gladwin Charles

He added that another area the CH&PA is seeking to regularise and relocate is at Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown.

“We are working with (Guyana) Lands and Surveys (Commission) to regularise that area. To date, we have completed the block and occupation survey and we are doing a design of the area,” he added. Charles said in the design for Middle Road, the Authority would be able to determine the lot sizes. He stated that they would also be seeking alternatives to relocating some squatters who

are in areas that cannot be regularised.

In delivering a mid-year assessment, Charles said 198 of 400 lots have been verified while being able to process 185 of 350 titles, putting them on par with their targets.

“I would like to advise persons especially in Sophia where we are doing some works, there are persons complaining that more persons going onto the dams or the reserves so we are asking person to resist from doing this. We would encourage them to come into the Ministry even if they don't have an application so we can work with them,” he urged.

However, Chief Executive Officer of the CH&PA, Lelon Saul, said the body has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy as it relates to squatting. “Persons who are squatting will be removed but we must identify appropriate locations for them and we are currently working on that. There is a lot of issues that must be taken into consideration,” he said.

Many persons squat because of the amount of time it takes to process house lot applications – a process they are quite critical of.

… as UK reaffirms sovereignty claims

BY SHEMUEL FANFAIR

S

imilar to Guyana, the Falkland Islands is expected to start oil production in 2020 but the small South American island chain continues to face claims by neighbouring Argentina.

However, as the territory makes strides on entering the industry, it stated that it is willing to compare technical knowledge with Guyana.

Ahead of the oil production in its South American territory, the United Kingdom reaffirmed its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

At the British High Commissioner’s residence on Wednesday, media operatives were updated on the ongoing border controversy where member of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, Ian Hansen, highlighted the challenges the territory is facing with Argentina ahead of capitalising on its offshore oil reserves.

“From our point of view, [Argentina] is aggressive. It’s aggressive to make an economic blockade, to stop flights coming in; it’s aggressive to stymy the tourist industry by stopping cruise ships coming in and its aggressive to go on social media and say that the people of the Falkland Islands are implanted,” Hansen noted. He added that he is a sixth generation islander, noting that there up to ninth generation inhabitants. Hansen later said Falkland is willing to collaborate with Guyana, as both territories are moving to produce oil in the near future.

Some countries Falkland collaborated with on oil production include Shetland Islands and Norway. He stressed the importance of perspective oil producing nations not making the same mistakes as some of the other countries made in the past.

British High Commissioner Greg Quinn and Falkland Islands Member of the Legislative Assembly, Ian Hansen

“Some countries have made good progress and other countries have made massive mistakes so we are hoping to learn from them… we are both at this level where we are possibly exporting oil in 2020 and I think it would be very advantageous for both of us to compare notes to see where we are and if somebody has missed something,” the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly stressed.

Preparatory measures

Aside from visiting oil producing countries, the territory has also undertaken other preparatory measures, including ensuring there is a Sovereign Wealth Fund akin to the Norway model. Hansen also stated that the territory has been updating its laws over the last five years to have it tailored to facilitate the sector, in addition to assessing the possible impact the industry could have on its oceanic environment.

Meanwhile, UK Ambassador to Guyana, Greg Quinn, spoke on the similarities between Falkland and Guyana, saying that the two countries can share their experience of entering the oil sector at the same time.

“It’s a small find of about three hundred million barrels as opposed to the billions of barrels that have been men-

tioned [in Guyana] but because both countries find themselves in a similar situation at a similar time, we thought it would be good for Ian [Hansen] to pass on the Falkland Islands’ experience of dealing with oil for the first time,” he noted.

Under the Margret Thatcher reign, Britain went to war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982.

Argentina’s claim is based on historical records dating back to 1929.

However, in 2013, 99.8 per cent of Falkland Islanders voted to remain as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The future oil-producing territory has a population of 3400.

Guyana’s Government faced criticism over the issue of transparency with respect to the emerging oil and gas sector by Control Risks Senior Analyst Raul Gallegos.

Gallegos who had addressed an audience in California at the XXVI La Jolla Energy Conference explained to a gathering of investors, thought leaders and Government officials that the problem with Guyana was the issue of transparency.

Guyana is all set to become a top oil-producing country following massive finds by a major international oil companies.

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IN THE COURTS

Old Year’s Day killing

Murder trial commences

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he trial of Albouystown, Georgetown resident Steve Allicock, who allegedly killed Wendell Tappin, commenced before Justice Navrindra Singh at the High Court on Wednesday.

Tappin died on Old Year’s Day 2009 after he was chopped and stabbed about the body following an alleged altercation with the accused.

Police Detective Sergeant Osmond Semple was the first to take the witness stand on Wednesday and testified to carrying out investigations on Tappin’s murder. Semple told the 12-member jury that he, along with a party of Policemen, went to James Street, Albouystown where spots of what appeared to be blood were discovered near a parked truck. The Detective Sergeant stated that persons in the area did not give him any useful information. Nevertheless, photographs of the crime scene were taken. Semple also tes-

Accused: Steve Allicock

Deceased: Wendell Tappin

tified that he witnessed the post-mortem examination (PME) of Tappin with his family members and uplifted the PME report which was tendered as evidence at Wednesday’s hearing. The witness further testified to putting the murder allegation to several male members of the Allicock family, including Steve Allicock, who is currently on trial.

Fellow Policeman Adrian

Jeffery also testified on Wednesday. He explained that he was on patrol when he received information on the murder. He too testified to proceeding to James Street to investigate.

Policeman Jeffery told the court that he saw bystanders and made enquiries of them about the incident, later noting that he contacted several male members of the Allicock

family, who were arrested and taken to the Ruimveldt Police Station.

The accused has denied the State’s case that he killed Tappin on December 31, 2009 at Hill Street, Albouystown. Allicock’s uncle, Randolph Allicock, and father, Leonard Allicock, had all been charged with the murder of Tappin.

Reports are on the day of the killing, Tappin, of Lot 88 James Street, Albouystown, reportedly had an altercation with the three before he was stabbed and chopped.

Tappin was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

State Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy is leading the State’s case with assistance from Tamica Clarke and Seeta Bishundial.

Meanwhile, Defence Attorney Maxwell McKay is representing the accused.

One of the three accused has since been acquitted. Six witnesses are slated to testify throughout the trial.

Teen charged for stealing cellphones

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wo men were separately taken before Magistrate Fabayo Azore charged for stealing cellphones.

Both denied the charges read to them at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Barton Scotland, 30, of Lot 45, Alexander Village,

Georgetown, denied that he on June 11, 2017, in Georgetown, stole one cellphone valued $70,000 from Keisha Profitte.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne told the court that on the day in question, the Virtual Complainant (VC) left her phone on her bed and later returned to find it

missing. A report was made and the phone was found in the defendant’s possession which led to his arrest.

She told the court that Scotland admitted to carrying out the act. However, his Attorney said that his client is denying that he stole the phone.

Bail was granted at

$15,000. The case will continue on June 28.

Meanwhile, Terrence Lindo, 18, of Lot 3 Hadfield Street, Georgetown denied stealing one LG smartphone from Nicosie Clarke on June 7, 2017, at Hadfield Street.

The contract worker told the court that he did not remove the cellphone. He was granted bail in the sum of $25,000 and will return to court on today.

Fisherman denies stealing $2M in items

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fisherman, who denies stealing over $2 million worth of items, was on Wednesday brought before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Patrick Smith, 37, pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that between June 11 and 13, he stole $400,000 worth of gold jewellery, one metal safe valued $100,000, one HP laptop valued $90,000, one Sony laptop valued $70,000, 24 Clarkes shoes valued $288,000, one TV set valued $500,000, one Sony TV set valued $400,000, one Telego cellphone valued $100,000 and $500,000 in cash; the property of Merindra Bhagmadin. The facts of the matter were not revealed in court, however Police Prosecutor Simone Payne had no bail objections. The defendant was granted $75,000 bail and the case will continue on June 28.

The law…

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…is NOT an ass oday, the Chancellor (ag) of the Judiciary will offer the Judiciary’s interpretation of Art 161 (2) as to who’s qualified to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition as GECOM’s Chair. The President and his Attorney General, of course, have spent the last six months offering all sorts of “interpretations” of the Article in an effort to have Art (162 (3) kick in – which is, if the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t submit a list “acceptable” to the President, the latter can unilaterally appoint ANYONE he chooses!

Your Eyewitness knows, dear reader, your eyes will roll out of their sockets if he were to inflict Prezzie’s arguments once again on you. So he’ll desist. But he must address the most recent of a slew of missives on the subject by one Maxwell E Edwards, who evidently was once a Magistrate. The fella’s application to become a Judge was rejected by the Judicial Service Commission – but he blames Jagdeo!

Anyhow, he seems to be carrying a spear for Basil Williams (a torch?) who, it’s assumed, has been advising Prezzie on his responses. It seems the five legal luminaries the Government hired to assist Williams aren’t enough and Edwards has stepped into the breach. Whether its pro-bono or not isn’t known. Anyhow, after perusing Edwards’ letter, your Eyewitness understands why he could never make “Judgeship”!

Firstly, there’s his abbreviation of the Leader of the Opposition” as “the LOO”. Now…really? This is the best witticism an aspiring Judge can come back with at Jagdeo? What next? Fart jokes? C’mon Edwards, suck it in and muster up some dignity. Next, Edwards posits that Jagdeo’s lists are “imperfect” even if ONE of the names is “unacceptable’ to Prezzie. And how does he arrive at this conclusion? By baldly tossing out Justice Massiah’s restatement of the “strict or literal constructionist approach” to statutory interpretation!!

No reasoning or logic – just his conclusion along with gratuitously tossing in an inappropriate Maxim of Equity which he phrases: “Even Equity does not consider as perfect, that which is imperfect.” But if he didn’t cog his way through law school, he’d know the rule’s actually restricted to gifts: “Equity will not complete an imperfect gift”. If he were more conversant with Equity, Edwards should advise his principal Williams (and Prezzie) that on any ambiguities: “Equity prevents a party from relying upon an absence of a statutory formality if to do so would be unconscionable and unfair.”

Which is what’s about to be done with the selection of the GECOM Chair!

But, he forgot, “Equity will not allow a statute to be used as a cloak for fraud”.

As in rigging elections! …and Indigenous peoples What’s been dumped on the Indigenous peoples in Kaieteur National Park is a trope for their four centuries of marginalisation in Guyana. Once again, your Eyewitness has to insist: all Guyanese – other than Indigenous peoples – are squatting on the latter’s lands. What’s the point of us demanding reparations against the British and Dutch for exploiting us back in the day, when we want to gloss over that those same British and Dutch arbitrarily seized those folks’ lands – which we now occupy. Hypocrisy!! All 83,002 square miles – (the last two miles include Ankoko which we allowed Venezuela to occupy.)

So why Government has sent in what has to be an “army of occupation”? All the Indigenous peoples are doing is crossing the Park on their way to hunt and fish. Has the Government forgotten about their usufructuary rights? Look it up!!

This is just too much. And it’s only a hint of what the land titling CoI will inflict. …and the City Hall Gang of Four If you buy someone’s service, the law says you gotta pay the bill. But the Town Clerk says the City Council can’t pay for garbage collection.

So why wasn’t 80 per cent demanded from Smart City Parking?

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

9 Irate man shoots another for “interfering” with wife P NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

olice in Georgetown rushed to Norton Street, Wortmanville, on Wednesday afternoon following the discharge of a gun in the area.

According to information reaching Guyana Times, the incident occurred about 15:00h. The shooter has been identified as “Yankee” and “Cuzz” of Norton Street and West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

Eyewitnesses related to this newspaper that the

suspect had opened fire on another Norton Street resident, Troy Brandt, accusing him of “interfering” with the mother of his child.

The woman, who also lives on Norton Street, had gone to the shop with a younger relative. At the time, Brandt was sitting on a corner of Norton and Hardina Streets along with two others.

As the woman was returning home, Brandt reportedly asked if she want-

ed an umbrella to which she did not respond. However, when they got home, the younger relative allegedly informed the suspect about what transpired.

The angry man was subsequently seen riding a bicycle to the spot where Brandt and his friends were sitting. The suspect dismounted the cycle and reportedly told Brandt “don’t breathe!”

He then whipped out a firearm and cranked it.

Upon seeing this, Brandt ran towards his home, which is four houses away, as the suspect discharged a round in his direction.

Luckily, he escaped unhurt.

The suspect then jumped onto his bike and rode away. About five minutes later, three vanloads of Policemen arrived on the scene, but were unable to apprehend the suspect.

Investigations are ongoing.

Police ranks recovered a spent shell when they arrived on the scene shortly after the suspect opened fire

Overpayment of teachers

Teachers should not suffer for REO’s incompetence – GTU

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he Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) has lashed out at the Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) administration, particularly the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of

Region Five REO Ovid Morrison

Region Five, Ovid Morrison, for the recent announcement made to withhold teachers’ salaries for the month of June, due to what they claimed is overpayments.

General Secretary of the GTU, Coretta McDonald, told Guyana Times on Wednesday that the Union will not accept this move and will fight to ensure that this decision is reversed, as it not only places teachers in a bad light but it could affect their travel during the summer vacation.

“This thing about holding teacher’s salary is out of the question and GTU is not going to accept that.

One of the things I pointed out, if you want to implement a system, you can’t implement now for now,” McDonald said making reference to the sudden decision taken by the REO. The GTU official said this move is in direct contravention of International Labour Organisation (ILO) laws, pointing out that teachers would have worked for the month and deserve their salaries.

“You should have notified the teachers from the beginning so that they would have been able to put systems in place. But you can’t now come and tell a teacher last week, that at the end of the month I am

not going to be paid, because they are travelling overseas.

Teachers have bills too.”

McDonald blamed the accounting officers at the regional administration for the ongoing issue, stating that the buck stops with them, since they are the ones responsible for verifying payments.

“What we know for sure is that the head teachers, they would send in to the Department of Education after school would have been reopened, a list of teachers who resumed duty and who did not. Teachers should not be made to suffer at your incompetence,” she stated.

At the end of each month, teachers collect a pay sheet and would have to affix their signatures to that slip, which is then returned to the regional office. Morrison claimed that teachers are being overpaid

GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald

in the region and some $80 million have been made in these overpayments.

“One needs to be very careful, are you saying this overpayment is for teachers who left and went overseas, or is that some teachers were caught up in the mix of the fact that they

would have dismissed or they walked off the job but they were still receiving salaries?” the GTU official questioned.

She said there are other instances where teachers were dismissed but salaries are still being paid to those teachers and then there are other instances, where there are ghost teachers and salaries are being prepared for them.

“As far as we are concerned, we are just hearing about this $80 million overpayment but there is no documentation that would have been presented to us to say these are the facts. So, we are saying to the REO get the facts, present it us, so we can see what you are talking about and more than that go check the teachers who would have been overpaid,” she added.

In light of this issue, the GTU’s General Secretary

Education Ministry PS Vibert Welch

suggested that the regional administration revert to the old system when teachers on contract would be asked to submit a guarantor if he or she wanted to leave the country or lodge a transport of a title.

McDonald told Guyana Times, however, that the

REO is only concerned about withholding teachers’ June salary and not July and August, which in her mind is extremely strange.

“I am not seeing the logic of what is being said,” she stated.

Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Vibert Welch, said there is no policy to withhold teacher’s salaries before or after the period outlined by the REO. However, the regional administration is maintaining that a regulation is in place to do so.

Welch told a recent Public Accounts Committee meeting at the National Assembly that teachers who are proceeding on leave during the July-August school break will not see changes in their salaries.

It is still not clear how the REO came up with the figure of $80 million in overpayments for teachers.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

News

Armed bandits storm auto shop …beat, rob customer, employees …escape with businessman’s gun

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olice are on the hunt for six men, who beat and robbed employees and a customer at the Rich Thriving Auto Repair and Servicing Company, Industrial Site Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

The brazen daylight robbery occurred at about 14:45h on Wednesday.

When Guyana Times arrived on the scene moments after the incident, a worker attached to the company related that the armed men were all clad in black hoodies, long sleeve jerseys and tope headwear. He related that the bandits exited two motorcars – a Toyota Allion

… soldiers accused of ‘punting’

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he Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has announced that it is committed to supporting the efforts of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in their efforts to purge the Kaieteur National Park (KNP) of illegal mining.

The Army’s sentiments were expressed in a statement to the press on Wednesday after they were accused of militarising the KNP and intimidating the residents of Chenapau Village in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

The statement revealed that through a Joint Services exercise – “Operation Midas” – some 26 engines (dredges) among other pieces of mining equipment and environmental pollutants such as mercury, waste oil and silicone were unearthed. This was allegedly used by the miners. The Army’s statement on Wednesday said that among recommendations proposed to the Protected Areas Commission by the GDF were the

The businessman who was ambushed and robbed of his belongings

One of the employees that were attacked

and Premio – which bore “straight plate” as if the vehicles came from an auto sale dealer. Another employee related that the bandits immediately rushed into the auto repair shop, where at least nine employees were on duty with one customer, who had arrived at the business premises minutes before the gunmen pounced. The bandits hit some of the staff and the lone customer over the head with their guns and demanded that they turn over all their valuables. The victim of the attack, a businessman, explained that he would normally fix his car at the auto body and repair

Army pledges allegiance to KNP illegal mining battle

shop.

“I come here at the workshop to fix my car and I saw two cars with six to eight persons come out. They take money, phone and my licensed guns. I saw four or five guns, they lash me,” the battered Chinese businessman told this publication.

When he spoke to Guyana Times, he was holding his head with a cloth as blood was at the time still streaming from his head.

The injured employee, who had a stream of blood flowing from his head, was too distraught to speak with this newspaper.

Another employee who

witnessed the ordeal pointed out that the men were arguing.

“They had jersey to cover their nose but they’re eyes and head were showing. I doing me work and see the two cars pull up and I see this thing long in he bag. They [were] just arguing with one another and one said, we got to get something before we leff here,” the young man added.

Police responded promptly and took statements from those who witnessed the robbery.

Last Tuesday at Stabroek Market Square, a taxi driver plying his trade had his silver-grey Toyota Premio hijacked by bandits at Atlantic Ville, Greater Georgetown.

Police subsequently issued an advisory which warned taxi operators in the city to be on guard against bandits who had the aim of carjacking Toyota Premio and Allion models which were the same two identified in Wednesday afternoon’s brazen robbery at Industrial Site, Ruimveldt.

Police investigations are continuing. (Shemuel Fanfair)

A plainclothes GDF rank armed with an AK-47 pulling over the boat transporting cameraman Rudy Morris and former Toshao Anthony Melville

One of the engines found in the Mure Mure Area

erection of billboards to sensitise the public and visitors on the delineation of the Park and prohibited conduct. Also recommended were improved monitoring of all aircraft landing at the location and the scrutiny of any accompanying cargo; the prosecution of all registered dredge owners whose equipment were seized by the GGMC, the rehabilitation of all waterways that were deliberately diverted by the illegal miners and the temporary suspension of mining licences for those registered engine owners.

“The GDF is constitutionally obligated to support the maintenance of law and order and therefore, remains resolute in its stance of supporting our nation’s efforts in eradicating illegal mining at the Kaieteur National Park and the preservation of its environment. To this end, frequent surveillance will continue over this and other such protected areas,” the statement added.

While the Army is conducting its exercise, the residents of Chenapau village remain frightful since officers on the ground

are using intimidation tactics to drive fear into them, Guyana Times was told during a recent visit to the area.

Allegations of Army officers, in the KNP, conducting mining activities are also in the air. One miner, who asked to remain anonymous, told this publication that while on the trail, he noticed three Army officers “punting.”

“They didn’t had on their uniform but they had their guns and one had a batel, one had a mat and spade… they were working on one of the dredge they close down,” he said.

Several other villagers, who all accuse the soldiers of using intimidation tactics to prevent them from going about their daily lives, confirmed that story. A video posted by Capitol News showed an Army rank dressed in plain clothes armed with an AK47 pulling over a boat transporting the news agency’s cameraman Rudy Morris and former Toshao, Anthony Melville. The authority of the officers were questioned after they arrested the cameraman and seized his equipment.

However, the GDF is refusing to acknowledge the conduct of its ranks and is yet to comment on the reason for the cameraman’s detainment or the way its officers were attired. However, the issue of economic discrimination against Chenapau residents is yet to be addressed by Government.

Bartica resident slapped with narco trafficking charge

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Bartica, Region Seven man was on Wednesday remanded to prison after he was slapped with a narcotics trafficking charge.

Junior Stevens appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts. The

31-year-old man denied the charge which stated that on June 11 at Fifth Street, Bartica, he had in his possession 554 grams of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Police Prosecutor, Shawn Gonsalves told the court that on the day in questioned, the Police who had the de-

fendant under surveillance saw him placing a bag into a nearby shop. When the bag was searched by Police, the illegal substance was found.

However, defense attorney contended that Stevens was on the beach on the day of his arrest when he was approached by Police officers and questioned about a bag.

He reportedly denied knowledge of the bag.

The attorney told the court that his client was taken into Police custody after which he was asked to open the bag which contained the illegal substance but refused to do so. As such, he was arrested and charged.

The case will continue on June 27.

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Around the World

ICC demands Gunman dead after attacking congressmen at Virginia baseball field ‘immediate arrest’ of

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

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gunman who sprayed bullets at Republican lawmakers during baseball practice in a Washington, DC, suburb has died, US President Donald Trump said.

House of Representatives Majority Whip Steve Scalise was one of five injured in the early morning ambush at a park in Alexandria, Virginia.

The attacker, identified as Illinois native James T Hodgkinson, was killed after a firefight with Police.

President Trump described the attack as a “very, very brutal assault”.

The lawmakers were practising for the annual congressional ballgame that organisers vowed would go ahead as planned on Thursday at Nationals Park, home of

Steve Scalise; two Police Officers, Krystal Griner and David Bailey; lobbyist Matt Mika; and Zack Barth, a congressional aide for Texas lawmaker Roger Williams, were injured. The attacker (right), identified as Illinois native James T Hodgkinson, was killed after a firefight with Police

Major League Baseball team the Washington Nationals.

Alexandria Police said the FBI was taking over the investigation into the shooting, which began shortly after 07:00 (11:00 GMT) on Wednesday morning at Eugene Simpson Stadium

Park.

As well as Scalise; two Police Officers, Krystal Griner and David Bailey; lobbyist Matt Mika; and Zack Barth a congressional aide for Texas lawmaker Roger Williams, were injured. Barth, a former staffer for two Republican

congressmen, was shot in the chest, according to witness Arizona Senator Jeff Flake.

South Carolina congressman Jeff Duncan said the suspect had asked him whether Republicans or Democrats were practising, before shots rang out. (Excerpt from BBC News)

9 people killed in suicide attack on Mogadishu hotel

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t least nine people were killed in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday when a suicide bomber rammed a car into a hotel, police and witnesses said, in an attack claimed by militant Islamist group al Shabaab.

Gunfire followed the attack on the Posh Hotel, the only venue with a discotheque

in the capital, a Reuters witness said. Witnesses said the whole district was cordoned off by police, and that sporadic gunfire could still be heard.

Hussein told Reuters the suicide attacker rammed the explosive-laden car laden into the hotel’s entrance. Another police officer said gunmen had stormed a restaurant adjacent to the hotel in central

Mogadishu.

Al Shabaab, which has carried out a campaign of suicide bombings in its bid to topple the Somali government and impose its strict interpretation of Islam, claimed responsibility.

Since losing large swathes of territory to African Union peacekeepers supporting the government, the group

has frequently launched raids and deadly attacks in Mogadishu and other regions controlled by the federal government.

The Horn of Africa country has been racked by armed conflict since 1991, when clan-based warlords overthrew dictator Siad Barre and then turned on each other. (Excerpt from Reuters)

An arrest warrant was issued by the ICC in 2011 for crimes against humanity

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aif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, must be returned into custody and surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by Libyan authorities immediately, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Wednesday.

The statement comes a few days after Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was reportedly released from prison in the North African country’s western city of Zintan.

An arrest warrant was issued by the ICC in 2011 for crimes against humanity - including murder and persecution - allegedly committed in Libya in the same year as the conflict that saw Muammar Gaddafi ousted from power.

Saif al-Islam was released on Friday last under a general pardon issued by the elected Parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk, local media reported. He then left Zintan for an undisclosed location.

In 2015, a Libyan court in the capital, Tripoli, sentenced Saif al-Islam to death on charges related to killings during the country’s 2011 uprising. He had been in custody in Zintan since his capture in late 2011, which came after his father was killed.

Bensouda also called on Libyan authorities to surrender Muammar Gaddafi’s former security chief Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Khaled in April. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Fire engulfs London tower block, at least 12 Italian Parliament dead, dozens injured approves long-delayed

In this composite photo, flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London, Britain, June 14, 2017

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blaze engulfed a 24-story housing block in central London on Wednesday, trapping residents as they slept and killing at least 12 people in an inferno that the fire brigade said was unprecedented in its scale and speed.

More than 200 firefighters, backed up by 40 fire engines, fought for hours to try to control the blaze, London’s deadliest in a generation. The Grenfell Tower apartment block was home to about 600 people.

London Mayor Sadiq

Khan said the fire raised questions about the safety of such high-rise blocks, and the BBC reported that the scale of the disaster could delay Prime Minister Theresa May’s announcement of a parliamentary deal to stay in power.

Some residents screamed

for help from behind upper-floor windows, others tried to throw children to safety, as flames raced through the block of about 120 apartments in the North Kensington district just before 1 a.m.

Firefighters said they had rescued 65 people – some in pyjamas – from the 43-yearold block, a low-rent housing estate overlooking upscale parts of the Kensington area.

The fire sent up plumes of smoke that could be seen from miles away. The ambulance service said 68 people were being treated in hospital, with 18 in critical condition. More than 16 hours after the fire started, crews were still trying to douse flames as they sought to reach the top floors.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Ireland’s 1ST gay Prime Minister Leo Varadkar formally elected

T

he son of an Indian immigrant has made Irish history by becoming the country’s youngest and first openly gay Prime Minister.

Leo Varadkar, 38, was formally elected taoiseach at a confirmation ceremony in the Dáil in Dublin after he won the Fine Gael party leadership earlier this month. Enda Kenny, who

stepped down after six years, said his successor represented a “modest, diverse and inclusive Ireland”.

The former GP, son of an Indian father and Irish mother, faces a number of challenges as he takes over the only EU country that has a land border with the UK as it prepares for Brexit.

The country may experience an impact on prosperity and

trade across the open border as it works towards restoring a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

Abortion will be another big issue for Varadkar, specifically demands for a referendum on the future of the eighth amendment of Ireland’s constitution.

Pro-choice reformers say the country cannot liberalise its strict anti-abortion law

until the eighth amendment, which gives equal citizenship to the foetus in the womb, is abolished, but a second referendum would be needed.

In his first speech as taoiseach, Varadkar told the Dáil: “The UK has been through some terrible tragedies over the past few weeks so we offer them our sympathy and solidarity.” (Excerpt from The

Guardian)

justice reform

A rainbow is seen over Italy's Court of Cassation palace in Rome March 27, 2015

I

taly’s Parliament finally approved a contested reform of the justice system on Wednesday, ending more than two years of debate on an overhaul aimed at making it more difficult for criminals to avoid conviction. The bill toughens sanctions for thieves and curbs the publication of wiretaps in investigations.

The most contentious aspect involves lengthening the statute of limitations, which imposes deadlines on courts to complete legal proceedings.

An estimated 1.5 million cases have had to be dropped in Italy over the past 10 years, including thousands of trials involving alleged corruption, because of the limited time given to magistrates to prosecute suspects. Both defence lawyers and prosecutors have

criticised various aspects of the bill, which was presented to Parliament in 2014, and the Government finally overcame deep-seated political resistance thanks to a confidence motion in the lower house. The vote was won by 320 to 149, with one abstention, giving a boost to Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who has vowed to plow ahead with the Government’s reform programme following the resignation of his predecessor Matteo Renzi in December.

Uniquely among advanced countries, Italy’s statute of limitations starts from the moment an alleged crime is committed rather than from the point it is discovered, and the time limit is not extended when a defendant is indicted or sentenced. (Excerpt from Reuters)

16

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Rasheed Guzman of Clendale, leveraging skill and determination “Lose yourself in the music”

R

asheed Guzman, the owner of social media management agency Clendale, has entrepreneurship on the brain, and it has been that way for a very long time.

“I really admire and am inspired by Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Tai Lopez, Gary Vaynerchuck, Ray William Johnson, Eminem, David Falconer from Credit Info Guyana and Rosh Khan. Most came up from nothing to something….a bunch of former waiters, immigrants, “nobodies”, but through determination they rose up to be some of the most influential and great people in the modern world. While David Falconer and Rosh Khan are just very swell and successful people. They both have that intelligent and interesting personality where you can speak to them for hours and not get bored.”

He is determined to prove that he has the vision, the ability, and the mental fortitude to own multiple businesses aimed at improving the quality of life of Guyanese – validating those who first believed in him when he put

entrepreneurship before academics in high school – and become an international philanthropist at the same time.

That’s quite a tall list, but given the potential of Clendale, the determined entrepreneur is fired up to achieve his dreams.

“I have always been an “outside of the box” kind of person, and I observed from a young age that academic grades and good conduct grades given by someone else’s definition of stan-

dards that are stressed on in high school don’t actually matter in the grand scheme of things in

today’s world. Of course, if one wants to pursue a profession that requires this, then that’s

Business News

Global stocks pressured by report on Trump probe, Fed hike, soft US data

U

S stock futures dipped and Asian shares were on the defensive on Thursday after a media report that US President Donald Trump is being investigated by a special counsel for possible obstruction of justice.

Investors’ appetite for riskier assets was also dampened by soft US data and after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates as expected and gave its first clear outline on its plan to reduce its US$4.2-trillion bond portfolio.

Weak inflation readings, in particular, cast doubt on the Fed’s view that the

economy is continuing to strengthen.

S&P mini futures dipped 0.2 per cent in early Asian trade after the Washington Post reported that Trump is being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller for possible obstruction of justice. Mueller is investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Trump’s legal team denounced the report.

The news came just after the No 3 Republican in the House of Representatives, Steve Scalise, was shot by a gunman angry with Trump

and other Republicans.

Scalise was listed in critical condition.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.1 per cent while Japan’s Nikkei fell 0.4 per cent.

Asian markets were also waiting to see if China’s central bank would follow the Fed with another round of money market rate increases, as it did in March. But traders were divided over the possibility, with some analysts noting the yuan is in better than a few months ago while liquidity in China has already been tightening.

(Reuters)

Market statistics Cambio Rates

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana Cur

Buying

Calculated at 94% purity, JUNE 14, 2017

Selling

USD

$1275.50

GBP

$263.30

$265.63

Gross

$249,086

CAN

$155.71

$157.51

$205.98

$208.44

Net

$231,650

USD

$ 230.72

$233.68

EURO

Indicators as on JUNE 14, 2017 Indicators

US$ per barrel

Crude Oil

$47.31

Price

USD

Rough Rice

$243.76/ton

London Sugar

$405.90/ton

Live Spot Gold

Change %

-3.66 Change %

+0.27 -1.05 USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

1264.30

1265.30

Low/High

1256.60

1281.40

Change

+4.20

+0.33%

Business Concept – Dependent Variable A factor or phenomenon that is changed by the effect of an associated factor or phenomenon called the independent variable.

For example, consumption is a dependent variable because it is caused and influenced by another variable: income. In a mathematical equation or model, the dependent variable is the variable whose value is to be determined by that equation or model. In an experiment, it is the variable whose behaviour under controlled conditions (that are allowed to change in an organised manner) is studied. (Business Dictionary)

the route they must follow,” Guzman said in a radical statement sure to raise some eyebrows.

“I have had this ambition and free thinker mentality since I was around 11 years old, to do and be something greater than my current self, to make a difference. Since college and further education are not within my reach at this time, I need to do something now. I have both “self-centred” (like most businesses and individuals) and philanthropic reasons for pursuing my ambitions sooner rather than later.”

Guzman, who was born in New York to a Guyanese mother and Hispanic father but spent much of his life in Guyana, earlier related that he spent his days as a child learning the importance of hard work, since he started with very little. “My mother worked hard every day to ensure that I was provided with all my needs even though all my wants could not be fulfilled.” At age 16, the ambitious, confident youngster, the grandson of late radio and TV host Ayube Hamid Khan, decided to start a transportation business. “I was fortunate enough to have family that has influential friends, so I decided to speak to some of them to become investors in my transportation business, which was my first prospective venture.

But due to the climate and practicality, investors either did not have the funds or were not willing to invest in such a risky project. This is why I decided to switch to developing my social media marketing business, Clendale.”

Clendale, located at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, essentially manages the online presence of businesses and markets them. It also offers graphic designing, website development, models and event planning.

With a team of eight, Guzman is working hard to boost businesses for the good of all. He noted that many businesses were not customer service-oriented, organised, or innovative enough to compete on a global scale, adding that “some business individuals would spend millions on a bar bill and not even spend half of that on their businesses to expand or prog-

ress for the good of all”. Many also failed to promote and love their own products and services because people believe American brands are better than local products.

He opined, “There needs to be more pride and patriotism in order to progress as a nation.

Guyana has so much potential and there needs to be much more motivation and willingness to venture out of one’s comfort zone. The global business world is changing and Clendale is set to bring Guyana on par on the world’s stage.”

Listing some of the lessons he has learnt, Guzman said some “people are lazy even when they seem busy, the Guyanese business envi-

ronment is a mess, determined people are better than skilled people, and your business can nev-

er grow effectively with quality if you do not have people you can trust”.

The firearms, astronomy, gaming and sky diving enthusiast, who defines success as happiness and “doing something and being damn good at that something”, says better and structured economic conditions and easier access to funding were needed to assist entrepreneurs.

His advice to those hoping to follow in his footsteps were ““Lose yourself in the music” – have ambition, keep at it, and work smart not hard”. His ultimate goal for Clendale is for the company to serve clients from multiple countries and for each client to thrive.

Contact: 655-1671; facebook @ Clendale; Instagram@ Clendalemedia.

Keeping employees happy

M

anaging a business successfully requires that you possess the complete package, so to speak. You need to have strong interpersonal skills as well as strong technical skills, which is a combination of traits that few people possess. This is why business owners hire people to do the bulk of the work, since hiring the right people brings skills and strengths to the business that will allow it to grow and expand. The customer and sales side of things are looked at very closely, but some managers and business owners forget the third facet: worker satisfaction.

While it doesn’t immediately show up in customer reviews and overall sales, a dissatisfied workforce drags everything down.

Some of the following strategies are proven methods of keeping your workers happy and productive.

Give them clear and defined objectives

Nobody likes feeling like they are just wandering around aimlessly. If your employees don’t know what is expected of them, then they will not know how to perform

in a manner that boosts your bottom line.

Support them in the workplace

This manifests itself in a few different ways. One problem that some workers have is that they feel as though their workplace does not offer a safe and comfortable working environment. Whether they are being harassed, put on the receiving end of office politics, or punished for having personal issues in their lives, these work environments are not healthy and conducive to a happy workforce. For example, if a worker recently lost a loved one and their productivity suffers as a result, how you respond to that will go a very long way towards their overall level of happiness. Being callous or indifferent to their struggles only serves to make them feel unappreciated and unvalued.

With that said, supporting your workers doesn’t just mean making their work environment accepting. Your employees have lives outside of work, and when they feel as though work is intruding into their lives they are not going to feel engaged and ready to give their all. If you respect their personal life and accom-

modate them when things go awry, they will feel more appreciated. In turn, they will return the favour when you need to ask more of them.

Give them a stake in the business

If your employees see their job as nothing more than a pay cheque, then they will never be motivated to do more than the bare minimum. Companies that give their workers some sense of ownership over their business’ performance report much higher level of job satisfaction and engagement.

Starbucks has done this to great effect; all of its employees are referred to as “partners”, and all of their partners are given stock in the company for each year they are employed with them. As a result, the turnover rate at the company is considerably below the industry norm for customer service jobs.

If your business is small and doesn’t operate like that, you can also give them a clear goal with an incentive added to reach it. If you give your workers something to fight for, they will work that much harder to achieve that goal.

(ActionCOACH)

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

17

News

More needs to be done Guyana bids farewell to 12th to address gender batch of Chinese medical team inequality – DeSouza … welcomes another group

W

oman rights activist, Karen DeSouza is calling for more to be done to tackle women and gender inequality and to examine the policies and practices with regards to this issue.

DeSouza feels that enough is not being done to address women and gender equality in Guyana, although there has been plentiful talk about working towards addressing this social problem.

While the Social Protection Ministry has said it plans to produce a policy to address this, the award-winning human rights activist told Guyana Times in a recent interview that this might not be useful.

“Producing another document, while it might be useful, does not take us from where we are at the moment. So, there are a number of areas of concern in terms of women actually being regarded as equal and equal partners in society,” she stated.

Nevertheless, DeSouza said Guyana has very good laws that recognise the equality of women; however, implementation and practice of these laws are not occurring.

The women rights activist pointed to many examples where women are still being treated unequal to men. One such example is the terms of division of property at the end of a relationship.

Speaking of other types of inequalities, the head of

Women rights activist Karen DeSouza

Red Thread told this publication that she has come across many cases where married women have to get her husband’s signature to conduct business.

“We still have a situation where in certain circumstances where a woman who is married, while it is true she could keep her own name, there are some cases where there is that insistence where the husband’s name must be used instead,” she recognised.

While these issues may appear to seem small, DeSouza said that they do tend to reduce the premise of equality of women.

“I think it is still true that in certain places of employment, women still do not earn the same as men, even when they work the same hours and have the requisite

qualification.”

Another important point that should be taken into account by Government and other policymakers is the need to ensure that women are not treated unfairly if they become pregnant.

She said, “If we are serious about gender equality, we need to find a way that a woman who is employed does not lose her seniority in her employment because of her biology.”

“So we expect a woman to get pregnant, we expect a woman to get children but she is going to get penalised for that biology,” she further added.

DeSouza pointed to cases where this has happened before, including the incident which involved two female Constabulary officers being fired because they were pregnant.

She said while recourse was taken in that and other cases, it should never meet a point where women have to feel less important because she chooses to become pregnant.

“I think that practice is most likely in breach of the Constitution which offers equal rights. The non-discrimination of labour law, as well under the grounds of sex, gender or race,” she added. DeSouza said the reality is that these are discriminatory practices which appears not be discriminatory because it has been done forever, stressing that everyone need to find ways to address them.

P

A section of the gathering at the farewell dinner on Wednesday evening

aying homage to the departing 12th batch of the Chinese medical team was Health Minister Volda Lawrence, while welcoming the incoming team at a farewell dinner hosted by the Public Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy at the New Thriving Restaurant at Providence, East Bank Demerara, on Wednesday.

Minister Lawrence in delivering a featured address expressed much gratitude to the Chinese Embassy and the Foreign Affairs Ministry for facilitating the relations between the two countries; the result of which has seen much development in the medical and health sector, in promoting a healthy nation.

She applauded China’s selfless assistance, having delivered much needed service to the local citizenry, which have had great significance to Guyana’s economic and social development.

Moreover, commending the

team having offering a wide range of medical expertise in areas of general surgery, radiology and gynecology among others, with punctuality, expertise and competence, even embarking on a medical outreach spanning remote locations in the Rupununi District, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

The gathering heard that one doctor successfully removed a malignant cancer from the leg of a patient in an Indigenous community during the brief mission.

The Health Minister indicated that the departing batch boasts the successful execution of 1500 eye surgeries and 7000 others to some 20,000 patients to date, garnering thunderous applause from the gathering.

Minister Lawrence further recognised the role of medical teams in promoting ties between China and Guyana, and expressed gratitude to the relevant departments of the Government (of

Guyana) for their ever-prolonging care and support of the Chinese medical teams.

She concluded that she is optimistic that the team will take back with them to their homeland invaluable experiences, having had an insight in the way of life and cultures of our diverse nation, while urging them to continue their works in assisting the vulnerable across the globe as she reiterated that the nation was much impacted and touched by their services.Much is expected from the incoming team who are to continue the high quality of work dispensed by their predecessors. Patrons were intrigued by the traditional “Dragon Dance” of the Chinese and a well-choreographed piece by the National School of Dance.

This reception was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun, Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings, and doctors in the medical sector.

Businesspersons sponsoring detained Haitian nationals’ work permits T he Haitian nationals detained in Guyana for suspected human trafficking are expected to be released very soon, since a group of businesspersons is initiating the process to have the adults granted their work permits so they can remain in Guyana.

Fifteen Haitian nationals (eight children and seven adults) who were detained by the immigration authorities last month can now breathe a sigh of relief since a group of businesspersons will begin the formal application process to have them granted the permits.

The businesspersons will also be providing accommodation and employment for the Haitians.

A group, led by activist Mark Jacobs met with Citizenship Minister Winston Felix, on Wednesday at his Waterloo Street office in Georgetown

and informed him that they would be taking full responsibility for the detainees.

“We’ve been given an opportunity to apply for these persons to stay in Guyana.

There are persons here willing to accommodate these persons with employment and place to stay. I am not sure how long the process would take, but we are back here tomorrow with the applications to begin that process,” Jacobs informed.

The persons were detained on the grounds of arriving in Guyana as part of a human trafficking ring since their hotel appointments were cancelled and they were reportedly on their way to other locations. The detained persons are being housed at a Night Shelter in East La Penitence.

However, Jacobs said that the authorities have been unable to ascertain whether the persons were

Human rights activist Mark Jacobs

brought here as part of the trafficking ring or came here for other purposes. He added that the group, comprising business folk, members of the Guyana Bar

Association and civil society, are working assiduously to ensure that those detained are given back their possessions so that they can stay in the country.

“The Police position has been that these persons were trafficked and that has changed, because they have not been able to verify that these persons are being trafficked,” he said.

Humanitarian approach Since the news of the detainment of the Haitian nationals got out, several persons on Facebook and other social media platforms expressed their disgust at the Government’s handling of the situation. There is the call for a more compassionate approach in dealing with the issue, since children are involved coupled with the fact that the detainees could not communicate with officers.

Jacobs said that the

only reason they were being allowed to remain in Guyana was because the Government was refusing to pay for their return airfares and the persons did not have enough money. “Concerned persons would have stepped forward to sponsor these persons and have them stay in Guyana and they have expressed their willingness to stay in Guyana,” he said.

Two of the three recommendations include halting the deportation of the persons in custody and that they be released. However, the group was informed that the Guyana Police Force is handling the matter, it is being treated as a criminal investigation, and as such, they would have to consult the Crime Chief, Wendell Blanum on the way forward.

“The Minister didn’t make any offers per se, we requested it. From the beginning, there were per-

sons who stepped forward as a humanitarian gesture and said that we need to get these out,” Jacobs said when asked whether Minister Felix offered to grant the detainees work permits as an option to remain in Guyana.

Of the eight children detained, the parents of one child could not be found and as such, he was basically considered an orphan, because it was unclear how and who he came to Guyana with.

Those detained are: Limat Naiomi Cherubin, Jeannot Simeon; Guirant Dafeline; Denise Clement, Alterique Marizier, Nicholas Duclevil, Vilege Jacquet, 11-year-old Blondina Julien, 10-year-old Sandine Jerome, 16-year-old Gueraldine Clement, 12-year-old Carline Clement, 9-year-old Grego Clement, 11-year-old Sanite Jacquet and 12-yearold Diuenne Jacquet.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, june 15, 2017

ARCHIE

Travel plans will bring you closer to nature and the (March 21- things you like best. A chance April 19) to spend time alone with a loved one will lead to new developments.

ARIES

Act on what you see and TAURUS hear, not on what you conjure (April 20- up in your imagination. Aim May 20) to make improvements that will enhance your body and enlighten your mind. Change can be good.

dilbert

Get involved in civic life GEMINI (May 21- and what’s happening in your June 20) community. Being a fair and nonjudgmental participant will add to your popularity and ability to get ahead.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Engage in something that gets you moving. Taking a fitness class or getting out and walking more will help you build a strong and healthy physique.

Don’t trust anyone with your personal affairs. Stay in control and do your own fact-finding. An unusual offer may interest you, but it isn’t likely to turn out as described.

Pump up your resume.

VIRGO (Aug. 23- Your skills and experience Sept. 22) can help you find a better position. Personal changes, educational pursuits and a new approach to an old plan are featured.

Don’t let emotions get in LIBRA the way. If you put your ego (Sept. 23Oct. 23) aside and become part of a group, good things will unfold. Expand your mind and learn from those with experience.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Try something new. A SCORPIO physical activity will moti(Oct. 24vate you to take better care Nov. 22) of your mind, body and soul.

You’ll be enlightened by an experience and the people you encounter.

Don’t trust what others SAGITTARIUS tell you, no matter how con(Nov. 23- vincing and persuasive a pitch Dec. 21) you are given. Keep your emotions out of any decision you must make.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

You’ll be offered interCAPRICORN esting financial alternatives (Dec. 22- when dealing with changJan. 19) es that will affect your living quarters or arrangements. An unusual option looks promising. Romance is highlighted.

Put more effort into AQUARIUS personal improvements.

(Jan. 20Incorporating a proper diet Feb. 19) and exercise into your daily routine will make you feel good. Added discipline will help you reach your goal.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Work toward improving PISCES your relationship with those (Feb. 20March 20) you live with or work alongside. It’s in your best interest to get along if you want to get ahead and achieve your goals.

thursDAY, june 15, 2017

19

Floyd Mayweather-Conor Rio 2016 price tag rises to US $13.2B McGregor fight finalised T for Aug 26

Floyd Mayweather (L) and Conor McGregor will meet in the ring on August 26 (Getty)

U

nbeaten boxer Floyd Mayweather will fight UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor in a much-discussed boxing match on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas, a wellplaced source told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday.

Mayweather and McGregor both confirmed the fight on social media on Wednesday.

According to UFC president Dana White, the fight will be at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be contested at 154 pounds. It will be a standard, 12-round boxing match with 10-ounce gloves. The Nevada Athletic Commission on Wednesday approved the request from Mayweather Promotions to put on a boxing card on Aug. 26 at the MGM Grand. The venue could change, however, to T-Mobile.

The bout will be distributed via Showtime pay-perview. It will be an entirely boxing card. Mayweather Promotions will be the lead promoter.

It is a stunning development given that Mayweather, the greatest boxer of his era, had said he was retired after compiling a 49-0 pro record from 1996 through 2015. But with a fight which could pay each man in excess of $100 million, he reconsidered.

Mayweather is considered the greatest boxer of his generation and among the best of all-time. The fight with McGregor, in addition to paying him in excess of nine figures, will give him the opportunity to improve to 50-0.

McGregor is one of the elite mixed martial arts

fighters in the world, but has never boxed before, either amateur or pro. He won the UFC’s featherweight title in a 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo on Dec. 12, 2015. He then split a pair of non-title welterweight fights with Nate Diaz before knocking out Eddie Alvarez on Nov. 12, 2016, in New York to win the lightweight belt and become the first fighter to hold two UFC championships simultaneously.

Jeff Sherman, the oddsmaker at the Westgate sports book in Las Vegas, made Mayweather a minus-1000 favorite. McGregor is plus-650.

The bout came together organically, as McGregor first spoke about his desire to fight Mayweather and then they began going backand-forth on social media.

On March 15, White appeared on Conan O’Brien’s television show and said that because of the large amount of money involved, it was possible the deal was done.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports the next day, he expanded on his thoughts.

Is this thing possible?

Yeah, I think it’s possible.

Do I think it can happen? I do, because there’s so much involved. But it’s a long, long way away from happening. We’re no closer today than we were when we were talking two months ago.

White had been in talks with Mayweather adviser Al Haymon since the beginning of the year. While the bout always seemed like a long shot because of McGregor’s lack of boxing experience, once the two principal negotiators got together, that

made it far more real.

White announced on May 18 that he’d reached a deal with McGregor. At that point, the issue was coming to terms on a financial split with Mayweather. (Yahoosports)

he cost of last year’s Rio Olympics has risen to 43.3 billion reais (10.35 billion pounds), around 14.5 billion reais more than originally planned, according to figures published by the federal agency for Olympic legacy (AGLO) on Wednesday.

The original budget when Brazil won the right to host the Games in 2009 was around 28.8 billion reais.

The total announced on Wednesday could still rise further, but it was in keeping with expectations that had been revised during the countdown to South America’s first ever Olympics.

The cost is below the 8.92 billion pounds ($14.3 billion) spent on London 2012, but still more than twice the $5.2 billion average cost of hosting the Summer Games, according to a 2015 study by the University of Oxford and Said Business School.

Some 7.23 billion reais was spent on venues, AGLO said.

The Globo sports website reported that the cost of infrastructure projects rose to

Weights prepared for the weightlifting competition. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov/ File Photo

26.7 billion reais and another 9.2 billion reais was spent on operating costs.

Rio de Janeiro, which hosted the Olympics in August and the Paralympics in September, has been criticised for a lack of legacy planning, with some of the venues abandoned soon after the closing ceremony.

Other infrastructure projects, including a new metro line that does not extend all the way to the main Olympic Park, have had their effectiveness questioned.

Officials said that legacy planning was a major

challenge but that they intended to hold an average of three events a month at the Olympic venues starting this June, a number they hope will increase to 10 events a month by December.

“It’s not easy to manage the legacy,” AGLO president Paulo Marcio Dias Mello told reporters. “London, for example, took two years to deliver the legacy and even today there is public investment in that legacy.”

“Even if it doesn’t meet everyone’s expectations, it will be a relief that what we have here will not be white elephants.” (Reuters)

FIFA introduces 3-step anti-discrimination

plans for Confederations Cup

R

eferees will be given the chance to suspend Confederations Cup games as part of FIFA’s new anti-discrimination protocols.

FIFA has introduced a three-step plan designed to stop discrimination during matches at the Confederations Cup in Russia.

Referees are to be given special authority to halt or even abandon games in the event of discriminatory behaviour.

There will also be specially trained ‘match observers’ who will be on hand to monitor fans from both teams and send any relevant evidence to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee for possible further action.

“For the first time in an official tournament, FIFA will use a three-step procedure in case of discriminatory incidents and also deploy anti-discrimination observers at all matches of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017,” world football’s governing body said in a statement.

“With this three-step procedure, referees will have the authority to first

stop the match and request a public announcement to insist that the discriminatory behaviour cease, to then suspend the match until the behaviour stops following another warning announce-

ment, and finally, if the behaviour still persists, to decide to abandon the match.

“The match observers are coordinated and trained by the Fare network, an organisation with a long track record of monitoring and fighting discrimination in football. Based on Fare’s ‘Global guide to discriminatory practices in foot-

ball’, the match observers will monitor the behaviour of fans from both teams, as well as any spectators who are not affiliated to a particular team playing in the match.

“Should any discriminatory incidents occur during a match, the evidence collected by the match observers will be forwarded to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for review and potential action.

Furthermore, the match observers will support operational staff in resolving incidents of discrimination before and during the

matching dit o u c h rity perFIFA Gianni

es by berectly in with secusonnel.” president Infantino

described the measures as “ground-breaking changes in the global fight against discrimination that will mark the 2017 edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup”.

Vitaly Mutko, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairman, added: “We are pleased that Russia has been entrusted with the mission to become the first host country of the Confederations Cup and the World Cup to implement such initiatives with the aim of making world football better.

“This is a very honourable role and a big responsibility, and we are confident that the forthcoming Tournament of Champions will be held in an atmosphere of celebration and hospitality towards all guests and teams of the Confederations Cup.” (Sportsmax)

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursDAY, june 15, 2017

India not out to prove a point Pele,

GFC versus Bangladesh, says Virat Kohli reintegration V begins Champions Trophy

irat Kohli chose to play down recent records as defending champions India have judiciously taken the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against Bangladesh at Edgbaston today with all the seriousness it deserves.

“We will treat it as our last game,” said Kohli, adding that India have the momentum after their big win against South Africa. “We just need to execute another perfect game,” the skipper said in reference to India’s eight-wicket win at The Oval on Sunday.

Thursday’s fixture will be the first ever between India and Bangladesh in Champions Trophy and even though recent records show India have won twice and lost as many against Bangladesh, Kohli said “we are not going out to prove a point”.

The build-up to the India versus Bangladesh match has been quite spicy.

Taunting Indian cricketers in social media and also by a section of the Bangladesh press have added to the fire but Kohli reacted in a manner a top captain should, with respect and grace.

‘Dangerous side’ Appreciating Bangladesh’s steady rise in limited-overs cricket, Kohli said: “Bangladesh are a dangerous side. They have skilful players who are passionate and have made huge strides in international cricket.”

Bangladesh have qualified for the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time and their win against New Zealand in the group stage have put them in a good space. And Kohli is aware.

“We have never taken any side for granted and we have the same mindset for the Bangladesh game. The Champions Trophy has seen upsets and the knockouts are a different zone,” Kohli said.

The India skipper said India have been in such situations before in international cricket, hinting that his players are better placed at handling the pressure of a knockout contest.

Kohli said he was “not bothered at all” that

T

India Captain Virat Kohli believes Bangladesh are a dangerous side, but is confident in the ability of his own players (AFP)

India’s middle-order has hardly been tested.

“Give them an opportunity and they are ready to find off games. Guys like Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya and even Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) are waiting for their opportunity to impress.

That’s the best part of this team,” said Kohli.

No change likely Kohli indicated that India may not change a winning combination. Ravichandran Ashwin, who came in place of Umesh Yadav in the last match against the Proteas, is likely to retain his place.

“Ashwin was brilliant. We had a complete game and there is no need to change,” said Kohli.

Kohli, himself in good space, said he was taking the Bangladesh game like another ODI match.

“There are no special plans and I will like to keep things simple.

“As far as I am concerned, I will approach this match like any other IPL, Ranji Trophy or India game...my mindset doesn’t change at all.”

The fact that Kohli admits that there are “no guarantees” in cricket put the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy semifinal in the right perspective.(HindustanTimes)

Haas cuts Federer comeback short in Stuttgart R oger Federer slumped to a shock 2-6 7-6(8) 6-4 loss to German veteran Tommy Haas at the Stuttgart Open yesterday in a disappointing comeback after the 18-times grand-slam champion missed the entire claycourt season.

Federer, who opted to take time off in order to prepare for an assault on an eighth Wimbledon crown, made a sensational start to the year by winning the Australian Open and subsequent titles at Indian Wells and Miami.

Despite a superb first set on grass, the 35-year-old squandered a matchpoint and lost his grip on the game in the oldest tour match, in terms of combined ages, since 1982 and suffered only his second loss of the season.

“I thought it was a typical grasscourt match today. Rallies weren’t very long and it was decided on a serve there or a return here,” Federer told reporters. “If you don’t take your chances like I didn’t, leading a set and a break, you really only have yourself to blame at the end. You have to acknowledge the fact that he was a bit better.

It’s quite frustrating, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

“I definitely was not as sharp as I was hoping to be in maybe

the big moments, or the moment when I had the lead and where I feel I should have been cruising from that moment on.” Federer squandered a matchpoint in the second set as 39-year-old Haas, ranked 302nd and in his farewell season, proved more consistent, eventually setting up a quarter-

“When you come into the second set, save a match point and then come back, that always makes you very happy about a win. I am shocked myself.”

Federer grabbed an early break as his attacking topspin backhand, which had served him so well earlier this year, was

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has commenced efforts to reintegrate the Pele Football Club and the Georgetown Football Club into the activities of the their Association, the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), following their relegation from the Elite League.

A release from the federation noted that the new development will result in the named clubs becoming registered members of the GFA and participating in the activities of the same.

The release added that the next major activities of the Association are the GFFPele Alumni Frank Watson National U15 Tournament and the GFF-NAMILCO

Thunderbolt Flour Power National U17 Tournament, the latter scheduled to begin this weekend.

“These competitions will afford the youth players from the respective clubs the much needed opportunity to be engaged in active football.

Further, the senior team will be allowed to participate in the Association’s tournaments and compete to regain their position in the elite league.

The GFF had taken the decision to relegate both clubs in accordance with Article; 13,1a and 13,1c of the Constitution of the Guyana Football Federation following their withdrawal from the senior league,” the release stated.

Rain washes out 3rd West Indies-Afghanistan ODI

T

Rashid Khan, Javed Ahmadi and Nasir Jamal walk around the wet outfield © AFP

he third one-day international between West Indies and Afghanistan was washed out by persistent rain in Saint Lucia on Wednesday, denying the tourists a potential series victory and the hosts key rankings points.

Afghanistan won the opening the match of the se-

ries by 63 runs on the back of a stunning haul of seven for 18 from 18-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan, the fourth best bowling figures of all time in the 50-over format.

West Indies, desperate for wins to move up from ninth to eighth spot in the world rankings to avoid having to qualify for the 2019

World Cup, hit back to take a four-wicket victory in the second match.

After a two-hour delay on Wednesday, Afghanistan won the toss for the decisive third match and elected to bat but the rain returned before a single delivery could be bowled. The series was drawn 1-1. (Reuters)

Father's Day knockout tapeball tournament Sunday

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Tommy Haas returns a ball

final clash against countryman Mischa Zverev. With another victory Haas, the lowest-ranked player to beat Federer since world number 407 Bjoern Phau in 1999, will become the oldest player to reach a tour semi-final since 40-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1993 in San Francisco.

“I am speechless, of course,” Haas said. “There are a lot of emotions when you are playing a close friend.

again on display.

Haas, a former world number two, was broken again as the Swiss served out the set after 22 minutes.

But Federer lost his focus, allowing Haas to find a way back. The world number five saved four set points and wasted a match point as the German forced a third set, where he broke his opponent early on and held on to his advantage. (Reuters)

he Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry Sports Promotion will be hosting one of its biggest ever tape ball competition on Sunday at the National Culture Centre Tarmac starting from 9:00h.

According to a release, the event is part of the organisers’ “Fathers’ Day” treat and will have the Minister of Social Protection trophy , medals and as $75,000 for the winning team.

The runners up will receive $40,000 and a trophy, while there will be special prizes for the bowler with the most wickets in the final and the batsman with the most runs in the final.

The competition is open to all teams; however, national players cannot partici-

pate in this knockout event. Entrance fee per team is ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

Registration closes tomorrow and interested teams could reach James Lewis on 6281656 or 666-5857 for more details.

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Ruthless Pakistan overwhelm shell-shocked England P

akistan delivered an inspired all-round performance to rout a ragged England team by eight wickets in a one-sided Champions Trophy semi-final on Wednesday.

Pakistan bowled and fielded tightly to restrict the hosts to a paltry total of 211 all out and the lowest-ranked team in the tournament knocked off the runs in style with a massive 12.5 overs to spare.

It was a major disappointment for England, who won all three group matches in their bid to claim a first global 50-over title and had beaten Pakistan in 12 of their last 14 one-day internationals.

They collapsed, however, on a sluggish pitch from

well,” England captain Eoin Morgan said.

“Full credit to them, they outplayed us on this wicket.

211 wasn’t a good score.

250/270 would have been.”

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and England openers Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow, replacing the out-of-form Jason Roy, made a solid enough start.

Hitting boundaries proved difficult, however, and a clearly frustrated Hales, on 13, spooned Rumman Raees to cover with a loose drive.

Bairstow, dropped twice, accumulated 43 runs through good shot placement and quick running between the wickets before he

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21

Pakistan’s Azhar Ali celebrates taking a catch to dismiss England’s Liam Plunkett (Reuters / Andrew Couldridge Livepic)

128 for two in sunny conditions which normally favour batsmen and the bowlers failed to repair the damage as Fakhar Zaman and Azhar Ali shared a stand of 118 to lead Pakistan to their target.

“One thing we didn’t do was adapt to conditions, which I thought Pakistan did extremely

pulled seamer Hasan Ali to Mohammad Hafeez at deep square leg.

Joe Root and Morgan continued to score at about five runs an over but Root, on 46, nicked leg-spinner Shadab Khan to wicketkeeper Sarfraz and Morgan (33) aimed an expansive drive at the lively Hasan and gave Sarfraz another

England’s Eoin Morgan, Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Alex Hales look dejected after losing the match (Reuters / Andrew Couldridge Livepic)

catch to leave England in trouble at 141 for four.

Jos Buttler (4), Moeen Ali (11) and Adil Rashid (7) fell quickly and Ben Stokes, one of the most destructive batsmen in the world, failed to hit a boundary in a scratchy 34 as the Pakistan bowlers dominated.

Fakhar hit Mark Wood for the first six of the match in the opening over of Pakistan’s innings and he and Azhar played some delightful strokes in a fluent partnership.

Fakhar reached his 50 off 49 balls before being stumped by Buttler off Rashid for 57 but Azhar and Babar Azam calmly continued to milk runs all around the ground as England’s bowlers ran out of ideas.

Azhar, on 76, dragged a delivery from Jake Ball on to his stumps before Babar (38 not out) and Hafeez (31 not out) guided Pakistan home.

“Credit goes to the bowlers and the batters who finished it very well,” Sarfraz said. “We adapted to the conditions, we knew if we restricted them we could easily chase it down.

“Every game is a knockout game and I told my boys

to play their game and not worry about the result.”

India play Bangladesh

in the second semi-final in Birmingham on Thursday.

(Reuters)

SCOREBOARD England innings (50 overs maximum) JM Bairstow c Mohammad Hafeez b Hasan Ali 43 AD Hales c Babar Azam b Rumman Raees 13 JE Root c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Shadab Khan 46 EJG Morgan* c †Sarfraz Ahmed 33 b Hasan Ali BA Stokes c Mohammad Hafeez b Hasan Ali 34 JC Buttler† c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Junaid Khan 4 MM Ali c Fakhar Zaman b Junaid Khan 11 AU Rashid run out 7 (sub [Ahmed Shehzad]) LE Plunkett c Azhar Ali b Rumman Raees 9 run MA Wood out (†Sarfraz Ahmed) 3 JT Ball not out 2 Extras (lb 1, w 3, nb 2) 6 Total (all out; 49.5 overs) 211 Fall of wickets 1-34 (Hales, 5.5 ov), 2-80 (Bairstow, 16.3 ov), 3-128 (Root, 27.3 ov), 4-141 (Morgan, 31.4 ov), 5-148 (Buttler, 34.1 ov), 6-162 (Ali, 38.3 ov), 7-181 (Rashid, 43.3 ov), 8-201 (Stokes, 47.4 ov), 9-206 (Plunkett, 48.5 ov),

10-211 (Wood, 49.5 ov) Bowling Junaid Khan 8.5 -0-42 -2 (1nb), Rumman Raees 9-0- 44 -2 (2w), Imad Wasim 5-0-16 - 0, Shadab Khan 9-0 -40 1, Hasan Ali 10 -0 -35 -3 -(1nb, 1w), Mohammad Hafeez 8 -0 -33 -0

Pakistan innings (target: 212 runs from 50 overs) Azhar Ali b Ball 76 Fakhar Zaman st †Buttler b Rashid 57 Babar Azam not out 38 Mohammad Hafeez not out 31 13 Extras (lb 1, w 11, nb 1) Total (2 wickets; 37.1 overs) 215 Did not bat Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed*†, Imad Wasim, Rumman Raees, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan Fall of wickets 1-118 (Fakhar Zaman, 21.1 ov), 2-173 (Azhar Ali, 32.2 ov) Bowling :MA Wood 8 -1 -37-0, JT Ball 8-0-37- 1 , BA Stokes 3.1 -0 -38 -0 (1nb, 2w) LE Plunkett 6 -0 -33 -0, AU Rashid 10 -054-1 (1w), MM Ali 2- 0-15 -0

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz go down 3-1 to Peru

J

amaica’s national senior team, the Reggae Boyz, preparing for the Caribbean Cup and the Gold Cup coming up this summer, lost 3-1 to Peru in an international friendly in Arequipa Tuesday night.

The Theodore Whitmore coached Reggae Boyz were no match for the high-pressing Peruvians who opened the scoring in the 21st minute when Christian Cueva played a through ball to Paolo Guerrero who shot at goal. Goalkeeper Andre Blake parried the ball that fell to Edison Flores, who tapped in from close range.

Jamaica took a long time to settle and was guilty of many errant passes in physical first half in which Corey Burke was cautioned

after a robust tackle.

However, the home team would double their lead in the 44th minute after Renato Tapia, who was left unmarked on a corner kick and headed the ball past Andre Blake.

Peru continued to press in the second half forcing Jamaica to concede several corner kicks. It didn’t take long for the pressing to pay off as Paolo Guerrero, who after coming off because of a bloody nose, returned to the field of play and was almost immediately put through to slot home past Blake to make it 3-0 in the 59th minute.

Jamaica’s consolation came from the penalty spot in the 86th minute.

Owein Gordon drove

A dejected team Jamaica leaves the field of play

into the box and was hit in the face by an errant arm from Nilson Loyola.

The referee showed Loyola a yellow card and awarded Jamaica a penalty.

Jermaine Johnson then calmly put the ball past Jose Carvalho.

Jamaica will turn its at-

tention to the Caribbean Cup in Martinique where they play French Guiana in the first semi-final on June 22 at 6:00pm while Curacao will take on Martinique at 8:30pm.

The title will be decided on June 25 at 7:30pm.

The team will then seek

to better Jamaica’s showing at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup beginning July 9 with its first match against Curacao. Jamaica then plays Mexico on July 13 and El Salvador on July 16 in its last Group match.

(SportMax)

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursdAY, june 15, 2017

Transcend inaugural

Carmichael continues to impress in England G

uyanese all-rounder Kellon Carmichael continues to enjoy his stint with English side Goring Cricket Club, registering a century and taking four scalps in last weekend match against hosts Stenying Cricket Club in the Sussex Premier League.

The former national junior player bagged 4-25 as he orchestrated the demolition against his counterparts, who folded for a paltry first innings score of 75 all out. He then returned with the bat to record a top score of 105 in his team’s total of 250-8 declared.

The 28-year-old has not disappointed since becoming a free agent earlier this year when he was snapped up by the English Club.

Earlier in the league Carmaichael was at the centre of Goring’s success against Hastings and

festival set for Sunday O

n Sunday Transcend Entertainment will be giving away over $500,000 in cash and prizes as top teams vie for honours in the entity’s inaugural tape ball festival at the National Park.

To date the tourn a m e n t has received boost from several businesses, namely Leading Edge, Realtor Dennis Squires, Movement Auto Rental, Precision Auto Works and Xavier’s Investment among

Leonard’s Cricket Club in the Sussex Premier League. The right handed batsman hit a cameo of 30 from 23 in his team’s innings of 290-5 in 45 overs . He later before returned to destroy the opposition with figures of 5-30 from six overs of medium fast bowling as they folded for 81.

In the Greater London League, the dapper Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) player smashed 81 and took 4-35 in a sterling win for Sabina over Aztecs Cricket Club.

Against Seven Kings Cricket Club, Carmichael claimed three wickets and blasted 58 in a losing effort.

Carmaichael said his aim is focusing on finishing atop of the batting and bowling standings, so his team will fare well at the end of the season.

others.

Twelve teams have already registered to participate in the tournament which promises fierce rivalry among top tape ball players.

The ent r a n c e fee per is $10,000 and each team will receive a case of drinks upon arrival on game day.

The first ball bowls off at 9:00 am.

Interested persons are asked to contact Kefa Naughton on telephone number 664-5035.

Kellon Carmichael

Agard for SA Youth

Pan American Powerlifting Championship…

IPA supporting “Big” John Edwards’ endeavours Championship

T

op Guyanese powerlifter ‘Big’ John Edwards has received support from International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA) as he prepares to represent the country at the Pan American Powerlifting Championship from July 3-10 in Orlando, Florida.

Edwards will suit up against leading powerlifters from around the globe, and IPA said it is enthused to be in the athlete’s corner, noting that over the years it has sponsored many sporting activities such as Powerlifting, Bodybuilding, Karate and Rugby.

“Besides being a major pharmaceutical distributor, the company strong believes that sport has a significant economic, political and cultural influence on our society, as it has the unique power to attract, mobilise and inspire,” the company said in a statement.

Edwards, under the Universal Nutrition brand distributed by IPA, is the current heavyweight champion (equipped and unequipped) and will be attempting to break the current unequipped bench press world record of 467.5lbs, along with

IPA’s Chief Executive Officer Reginald Persaud (left); “Big” John Edwards (centre) and Manager of Non-Pharmaceuticals, Shamieza Yadram display the product under which the athlete’s sponsorship has been given

the Pan American and Commonwealth records of 529lbs and 451lbs respectively.

“International Pharmaceutical Agency, along with fans of Mr. Edwards, is confident that he will make the country proud and wishes him success throughout the competition,” the company statement concluded.

Edwards expressed appreciation for the support, noting that he is determined to be on the podium brandishing the Golden Arrowhead.

Xtreme Clean/GT Beer ‘Gold Rush’ Futsal Tournament

Sophia stun Bent St to reach semi-finals

‒ Tucville boot Back Circle

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uesday evening at the National Gymnasium, was a night of glorious upsets in the quarter-finals of the Xtreme Cleaners/GT Beer Gold Rush Futsal Tournament as Sophia produced a stunning

with Sophia steamrolling their opposition 4-1 on the back of doubles from Desmond Cottam and Omallo Williams. Cottam opened the scoring in the 5th with a scorching strike from the right followed by another

Albouystown (orange bibs) and Broad Street did not produce the flurry of goals expected, but it was an intense battle between the sides

performance against Bent Street to reach tonight’s semifinals.

The enthralling night begun

nimble piece of footwork in the 17th.

Orandel then gave the opposition a glimmer of hope

with a goal in the 25th minute but Omallo added two goals soon after in the 28th and 30th.

In the highest scoring game, Tucville upstaged Back Circle with a 6-3 thrashing. Jermaine ‘Panky’ Junior led the way with a brace. Junior scored in the 25th and 28th and there was a barrage of goals from Delon Williams (3rd), Jahaal Greaves (4th) , Tefon Daly (17th) and Ryan Hackett (27th).

For Albouystown their win 2-1 was orchestrated by Roy Cassou (8th) and Marlon Nedd (12th) while Samuel Hunte had put Broad Street ahead in the 5th minute.

In the final match of the night Sparta Boss came-frombehind to defeated a spirited Future Stars 3-2 via goals by Devon Millington, Sheldon Shepherd and Eusi Phillips.

Millington and Shepherd netted in the 14th and 17th respectively while Phillips scored the winner just before

Sophia’s Desmond Cottam (black bib) gave the early inspiration for the resounding victory over Bent Street

the full time whistle in the 29th minute.

For the opposition Jeremy Garrett (6th) Keron Solomon (26th) were the men that had Sparta on their heels. Tonight’ semi-finals which will be played at the aforementioned venue will pit Sophia against Tucville followed by Sparta Boss clashing Albouystown.

The tourney’s final is slated for Saturday with the winners set to pocket $500,000 and the championship trophy.

The runner-ups will receive $200,000 and the respective accolade while third and fourthplace finishers will respectively pocket $100,000 and $50,000 and the corresponding trophy.

On the individual side, $50,000 will be awarded to the Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Other sponsors of the event include Fas Grafix, Jefford’s Distribution and Sales, Giftland Distribution Store and FARMSUP Mining Investments Inc.

R

Ramona Agard

amona Agard is set to create history for Guyana when she officiates in the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) South American Youth Championship later this year. Agard, an AIBA certified One Star referee/judge was selected recently by AMBC to be in Chile in September to participate in the tournament.

Her participation will mark the first time a Guyanese referee/ judge will officiate in the South American Youth Championship.

Agard will join several other Caribbean officials in the Spanish speaking nation. Last December the experienced female referee and chairperson of the Guyana Boxing Association Referee/ Judge Commission picked up her One Star badge after being successful at the exams in Barbados.

She has since officiated in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Championships in April in St. Lucia and an international tournament in Grenada. Agard’s last major tournament was the ALBA Games in Venezuela in 2011.

guyanatimesgy.com

THURsDAY, june 15, 2017

23

GMR&SC National Race of Champions…

GCB/Hand-In-Hand Insurance U-19 3-day inter-county

U-17s dominate day King,`Sir’ Mark to 2 against Essequibo renew rivalry ‒ Demerara's chances of retaining title in limbo

T

he National Under-17 Select Squad dominated day two of their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/ Hand-In-Hand Insurance Under-19 Inter-County Three-day Tournament on the back of a strong ninth wicket partnership between Reyaz Khan and Nigel Deodat.

This was followed by quality bowling which allowed for another feeble batting display by the Cinderalla County who were struggling at the close of play.

Khan was left stranded on 33, but added 55 with Deodat who scored 22 after the U17s lost two quick wickets earlier on the second morning at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary. They were eventually dismissed for 227 while Essequibo were 100-9 from 70 overs in their first innings.

Resuming the day on 167-6, the u-17s lost Kevlon Anderson for 101 without him adding to his overnight score while skipper Ashmead Nedd made just one run before he was dismissed for three.

Bowling for Essequibo, Mahendra Persaud 3-34 and Joel Fortune 3-42 were the key wreckers while Lesley Allen snared 2-27.

By the end of the first session Essequibo had reached nine without loss, but was mesmerized by spin in the last two sessions, especially from captain Nedd who claimed 4-29 in his marathon spell of 33 overs while Anderson (35) in an eventful effort was responsible for three scalps. Pradesh Balkishun and Deodat have also claimed a wicket apiece.

Only Stephan Campbell (34) batted responsibly in a marathon innings which lasted more than 150 deliveries while Mahendra Persaud, who was dropped on naught smacked two boundaries in 21 as all the other batsmen had fallen for less than 20.

Over at Everest Cricket Club Ground, Demerara’s quest to retain the title has been put in limbo against Berbice after Karan Arjpaul made life uneasy for the hosts’ batsmen with a quality performance of 9-22.

Demerara ended on 95-9 from 48 overs, leading by 119 runs with one day of play

Andrew King trails Danny Persaud at the Club House turn when they competed at the National Race of Champions on April 2

By Akeem Greene

V Karan Arjpaul had remarkable figures of 9-22 in Demerara’s second innings

remaining.

Replying to 190 made by the hosts, the visitors fell 24 runs short, compliments of quality bowling from national left arm orthodox spinner Keshram Seyhodan who took 6-67. He was aided by his skipper Bhaskar Yadram who ended with figures of 3-16.

Berbice skipper and leading batsman Kevin Sinclair was resilient in his top score of 97 while fast bowler Sylus Tyndall hit a cameo of 27 with three sixes and a four.

Demerara in their second innings set out to enhance their advantage when Gavin Boodwah and Ramnarine Chaturia took the score from 23-1 to 49-2.

Thereafter Karan Arjpaul applied pressure on Demerara who lost three quick wickets for just 26 runs, before Ronaldo Ali Mohamed and Richie Loooknauth attempted to repair the damage slowly taking the score to 90 before Arjpaul induced a false stroke from national youth player Ali Mohamed, to have him caught and bowled for a fighting 16.

Play gets underway today at 10:00h at both venues.

Hopkinson excels in Grenada National Handgun Championship

V

eteran marksman Harold ‘Top Gun’ Hopkinson, returned from Grenada where he represented the Guyana NRA Smallbore Section and IPSC Guyana with distinction, having participated in the Grenada Gun and Rifle Association’s Second Annual six Stage, Level 2 IPSC competition, held at the associations range.

Hopkinson started the precision shooting category placing 7th from 15 seasoned shooters despite having a zero stage due to not having full functionality of his right hand.

In the IPSC sanctioned Level 2 competition, Hopkinson was success-

ful as he won the B Class, topping the senior category. Shooting his newly acquired CZ Shadow 2 for the second time, Hopkinson said he was astonished after placing third overall, over seasoned shooters despite enduring a disastrous first day.

The veteran marksman said he had to dig deep and focus on the second and final day. When the results were read at the presentation held at Dragon Bowling Alley, Hopkinson found out that he was only bettered by Barbados’ Regional Director and shooting sensation Keven Grant who won the event and Trinidadian Walt Reid.

eteran racers Andrew King and `Sir’ Mark Vieira are set to renew old rivalry when the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) host its second National Race of Champions meet for 2017 on July 2 at the South Dakota Circuit.

Both Group Four drivers have a prolonged absence from the sport, with King only returning last April in a Mazda RX7 to compete at the first edition of the National Race of Champions.

Vieira on the other hand, widely known for his exploits on the track, is expected to be seated in a three-rotary Mazda RX8. With the addition of seasoned campaigner Kevin Jeffrey and son Kristian, Rupie Shewjattan, Vishok Persaud and Danny Persaud action in the Group Four category is likely to be fiery.

GMR&SC President Ramez Mohamed TOLD Guyana Times yesterday said that King could spell trouble for the competition. “King’s car is the one to look out for given that it is turbo-charged and faster than before,” Mohamed disclosed.

The meeting, which will be used as a warm up for the second round of the

at the meet explained that when drivers participate at these local meets it gives them a chance to become privy to any flaws their machines might have ahead of the favoured November CMRC final round.

In April, Group 4 driver Kristian Jeffrey and his Mitsubishi Evolution annihilated the field with his aggressive racing style

Kevin Persaud was in ominous form which helped him ride off with the chequered flag

Harold "Top Gun" Hopkinson

Hopkinson who normally competes in the Super Senior category, designated for persons over 60 years of age, overwhelmed everyone by winning Stage 6, named “Telephone Call”.

Competitors were required to shoot 6 IPSC Targets and 3 plates; these were adorned with Two No Shoot penalty targets.

The other stages were, 1- Forest Monkey, 2 - 2 part IPSC Classifier, 3 the Peep Hole, 4 - 60 point 12 round IPSC Classifier and 5 - “Breakfast Time”.

The championship was attended by competitors from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago.

Hopkinson, the lone

shooter from Guyana was sponsored by Secure Innovations and Concepts Inc., Guyana’s premier aviation, land and Sea security service.

Meanwhile, Hopkinson and Mohamed Qualander will be representing the Guyana NRA at the IPSC World Shoot to be held in August in France.

Hopkinson is publicly expressing gratitude to the Commissioner of Police Mr. Seelall Persaud, DSM and Commissioner General Guyana Revenue Authority Mr. Godfrey Statia, for expediting the necessary permits for the smooth export and import of his firearms used in these competitions.

Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) slated for July 30 at Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway in Trinidad and Tobago, has seen a large registration of competitors to date.

In Group One, twelve persons have registered; 10 persons for Street tuner (1500cc) along with eight persons in the Starlet Cup who will add to the four in Group Three.

There are also eight bikes confirmed which included the likes of Mathew Vieira, John Bennett and Kevin Persaud.

The GMR&SC President is calling on the fans to come out in their numbers to give support.

Mohamed acknowledge that numerous persons would attend the November meet, cheering for their Guyanese drivers but is adamant that the same enthusiasm is need at the local meets to encourage more drivers to compete.

Mohamed who will be competing in Group Two

which allowed him to comfortably win all of his three races while Motor biker Kevin Persaud had an identical feat in the Super stock category.

The two-wheel action did not have the large participating contingent as norm but in the absence of the Vieira’s, Persaud dusted all of his competitors such as John Bennett and Ravi Singh to clock a fastest lap time of 36.759s.

Similarly, Daniel Deokie in his Honda Civic had an impressive day winning his three races in the Sports Tuner category while Shan Seejattan and Chet Singh shared the honours in the Group two races.

The July 2 meet is sponsored by Ansa McAl, Prem’s Electrical, B.M. Soat, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Ready Mix, Special Auto, Japarts, Ticket Master, Palm Court, KGM, MAC batteries, S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction, L Mahabir and Sons Cambio and Choke Gas Station.

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

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

GCB/Hand-In-Hand Insurance U-19 3-day inter-county

U-17s dominate day 2 against Essequibo Pg 23

Demerara’s skipper Ashmead Nedd was successful in his marathon spell of 33 overs as he claimed four wickets in Essequibo’s innings of 100-9 (Delvon McEwan photo)

Ruthless Pakistan overwhelm shell-shocked England

Pg 21

Pakistan sealed their place in the ICC Champions Trophy final with a crushing eight-wicket win over England at Cardiff on Wednesday (Hindustimes)

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