Guyana Times, Friday July 19, 2019

Guyana open to establishing new partnerships – Min Cummings

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

Issue No. 3989

THE BEACON OF TRUTH friday, JUly 19, 2019

House-to-House Registration defies CCJ ruling – Jagdeo … questions CEO’s motive for issuing proclamation

PRICE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Pages 3 & 10

… says disappointed in Caricom’s silence following CCJ ruling

Page 13

Audit into CJIA expansion project to commence soon

Exxon’s Liza Destiny to arrive in Guyana in September

See story on page 14

See story on page 7

─ has capacity to store 1.6M barrels of oil

Man wanted for male sex worker’s murder Page 2

Guyanese stabbed to death by cousin in US Page 2

$80 vat included

Police on path to P12 digitally investigate, report crime

P8 Man sentenced to 30 years for killing reputed wife

Attempted murder charge dismissed against Maryann P10 Daby

Missing teen says went to visit P15 father

Teen in P10 Sophia accident succumbs

2 news

friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyanese stabbed to Man wanted for male sex death by cousin in US worker’s murder of a man being injured.

As ranks arrived at the location, they reportedly saw Paul lying outside of the apartment building at about 10:50h. At the time, he was bleeding and as such, he was transported to the Cayuga Medical Centre where he died.

At the news conference

large.

Brother of the dead man, former Journalist Jomo Brusheildon Paul when contacted stated that he did not have any other information other than what was reported in the media. Guyana Times was told that the now dead man migrated to the US in 2016.

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Dead: Kennan Paul

US-based Guyanese was on Wednesday stabbed to death by his cousin during an argument at Gun Hill Apartments in Ithaca, USA. The dead man has been identified as 24-year-old Kennan Paul of New Jersey and formerly of Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Based on information received, the now dead man worked at a construction site in Ithaca where he was attacked and stabbed by his cousin. The Ithaca Police Department, in a press conference, stated that they would have received a report

Wanted: Kanand Ojha

Jailed: Ron Forde

Dead: Noel Luther

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday issued a wanted bulletin for 38-yearold, Kanand Ojha, who is wanted for questioning in relation to the 2015 murder of a male sex worker.

The sex worker, 20-yearold Noel Luther, died after he was shot on Carmichael Street, Georgetown in the vicinity of the Bishop High School on July 22, 2015.

Ojha’s last known address is listed as Lot 2 First Street, Meadow Bank, East Bank Demerara (EBD). This is the second time the Force

has issued a wanted bulletin for the man’s arrest.

After the incident in 2015, Police issued a wanted bulletin for the arrest of Ojha and another man, Ron Forde. Forde was in 2017 sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the crime after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

It was previously reported that Luther, the male sex worker formerly of D’Urban Street, Georgetown, was providing his services when he was confronted by Forde and Ojha. Reports indicate that Ojha had solicited the services of Luther but was, however, unsatisfied with the said service he received.

As such, later that said evening, the businessman returned to Carmichael Street and attempted to solicit the services of another sex worker. He reportedly requested that the client not be transgender and stated that the previous client had robbed him.

The new client given to

the businessman was allegedly transgender, which again angered the businessman who once again returned to Carmichael Street.

Upon his return, the businessman reportedly spotted Luther and accused him of robbing him. In a fit of anger, witnesses reported that Ojha returned to his vehicle but again returned this time with Forde.

It was at that time that Luther and the businessman got involved in an argument when he was shot to his chest. Ojha and Forde, after committing the act, reportedly escaped the crime scene in a red CR-V. Luther was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Ojha is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 226-6978, 2258196, 226-2870, 911 or the nearest Police station.

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The Police at the scene conducting their investigations

localsyr.com, Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick said that the stabbing was not a random attack and ensured residents that they ought not to be afraid. He also confirmed that the suspect remains at

The father of a 14-monthold baby was described as an easy-going person who always had his family at heart. The Police are continuing their manhunt for the suspect.

news

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friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Friday, July 19 – 05:00h-06:30h and Saturday, July 20 – 05:30h-07:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

…questions CEO’s motive for issuing proclamation

Friday, July 19 – 05:40h-07:10h and Saturday, July 20 – 06:15h-07:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals will prevail throughout the day interrupted by cloudy conditions in the midmorning. Clear skies followed by partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-easterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 05:57h and 18:12h reaching maximum heights of 2.58 metres and 2.47 metres.

Low Tide: 11:47h and 23:59h reaching minimum heights of 0.65 metre and 0.74 metre.

WEDNESday, JULY 17, 2019

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

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18

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FREE TICKET

04 Bonus Ball

THURSDAY JULY 18, 2019

DAILY MILLIONS

06 10

18 24 25

LUCKY 3

6

4

5

0

Afternoon Draw

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Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

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PAY DAY

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House-to-House Registration defies CCJ ruling – Jagdeo

19 SUPER PAY DAY

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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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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has warned that any attempts to pursue House-toHouse registration instead of elections would be in defiance of the pronouncements made by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In a recently published gazette, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) announced that House-to-House registration will begin from July 20 and last until October. Though it was signed by the former GECOM Chairman retired Justice James Patterson since June 11, the gazette was only recently made public.

Jagdeo pointed out that the exercise, if pursued, will not uphold the constitutional deadline for elections and creates a ‘worrisome’ atmosphere.

“This is very worrisome to the entire country because it represents an open defiance by the Chief Elections Officer of GECOM to the constitution of Guyana and the decision of the Caribbean Court of Justice,” said Jagdeo.

GECOM’s lawyer Stanley Marcus had told the CCJ on June 24 that GECOM must have Houseto-House registration and that the earliest a voters’ list will be ready is by December 25, 2019 – pushing elections which ought to have been held since before March 21, 2019 – to next year. This was challenged after the Opposition insisted that a claims and objections period could fix the list in a shorter period of time to ensure that all voters are on the official voters’ list.

“The Court took all of that into consideration and ordered that elections be held within the period outlined in the Constitution, which is three months and GECOM must comply with the Constitution. That’s clear as daylight in their order which was issued on July 12”.

The former President pointed out that the elections body is aware of the fact that this process will delay the elections.

Consequently, he shared that Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfied is acting against the Court’s directive.

“They are embarking on process which they know will not end with elections being held within three months. This would take six months maybe if we’re optimistic and much longer we believe…Clearly, Mr Lowenfield is acting in contempt of the Court order issued on 12th July by the Caribbean Court of Justice,” he voiced.

Jagdeo later added,

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

“What is yet to be revealed is the deceit through which they are coming around to this decision or they came around to this decision…

Secret activity seem to be going on within GECOM, all with the purpose of delaying elections”.

The gazette order for House-to-House registration was done on June 11, prior to the CCJ ruling and consequential orders which followed after. He commented that the Court’s decision should take precedence.

“They forgot that subsequent to the gazetting of that order, that there was a Court ruling because this was done before the June 18 decision of the Court and definitely before the July 12 consequential order which states elections in three months”.

Adding to that, scepticism ensued after the fact that the order was not seen or heard of in the public domain prior to a few days ago.

The contention is that either

the list was not placed in the gazette initially or it was concealed.

“The whole of Guyana didn’t know about this order. Either one of two things happened. We have two orders with the same number – order 25 o 2019. One that was gazetted on the 11th June and the other on 14th June, both bearing the same number. They claimed that the June 14 order was an addendum to the one done on June 11. But I’m making two contentions – one, its either there was no gazetting of the order [and] that they are lying to the country; or if they did gazette the June 11, they hid this. This only surfaced recently,” the Opposition Leader disclosed.

He further examined that last Tuesday, the order was non-existent on the webpage. However, it miraculously appeared hours after.

“The June 11 order on House-to-House registration was not on their website.

And miraculously overnight, they uploaded it and it just appeared there…They have now gone back and inserted the June 11 gazette on their website”.

This “rogue behaviour” of GECOM was also one of the topics under discussion with members of the international community.

Jagdeo related, “I have briefed the international community about the rogue behaviour of GECOM because it is not acting in compliance with Constitution and the decision of the Court. We will be following

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

up this matter further”.

Three of commissioners from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) had warned officers at the body to comply with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) directive and work towards holding elections, lest they be hit with sanctions for breaking the law.

In a statement on Saturday, Oppositionnominated Commissioners Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn urged GECOM and its Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield to awake from their slumber and immediately begin preparations for elections.

“Upon the passage of this motion of no-confidence the clear provisions Article 106 immediately became engaged, it is now the only imperative to abide with the provisions of the Constitution and its statutory related thereto,” the Commissioners stated.

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guyanatimesgy.com

friday, JUly 19, 2019

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

Road dangers T

here is always an element of risk whenever someone uses the roadways; be it a motorist, passenger, cyclist, or pedestrian. This is somewhat inherent, since it is believed that accidents will happen. Often, the fault is not with the one being cautious.

The risks may manifest in various forms, such as a lack of street lighting while driving at nights, potholes— which when swerved from could place a vehicle in the direct path of another— absence of, or non-functioning traffic lights— which can create uncertainty among drivers— roaming animals, speeding, drinking and driving, narrow streets, and lack of traffic signage. In addition, disobedience of basic traffic etiquette and other rules exacerbate the risks.

Seemingly common now is the disrespect for designated major roads. Many drivers, including some within the public transportation system, refuse to adhere to what is mandatory.

As a result, a number of accidents occur frequently at some of those points. Similarly, the practice of running red lights and the green signal that allows pedestrians to cross continues unabated, predominantly by minibus drivers. The danger that poses needs no explanation.

While there is a plethora of traffic violations on a daily basis, some appear more prominent. Undertaking and cutting in front of a vehicle and the sticking out of a minibus conductor’s arm to do likewise from the other side seem the new norm of driving. Aside from the obvious danger, especially to young and inexperienced drivers, and being an irritant, it is blatant bullyism and a potent source for road rage.

It appears that those who engage in such practices do not see themselves as being errant or what they do as a traffic violation. Lanes that allow for turning-on-red are abused and used as if it’s the right-of-way. In the city, many roads, other than what are authorised for minibus routes, are used as thoroughfares. Speeding is foremost causing areas that are supposed to be free of minibuses to become dangerous.

In addition, some drivers seemingly take pride in having an alcoholic beverage in their possession while transporting passengers. Adding to the woes of those who abide by traffic rules, they are verbally abused when trying to stave off a potential transgressor. These practices are not unknown to the Police and while they cannot be at all points where violations occur, there is the expectation for more and sustained intervention in the interest of safety to all road users.

This does not take away from the valiant efforts of a few dedicated traffic officers who do their best to curb the situation; one which has reached alarming proportions.

Reportedly, many minibuses are owned by some Police ranks and the drivers are of the view that they have a free pass to break traffic rules. It is believed that traffic ranks turn a blind eye when they see violations first hand by minibuses owned by members of the force.

That obviously empowers those errant drivers and causes others to do likewise. A senior traffic officer some time ago speaking a road safety fair boldly proclaimed that no one is above the law when asked specifically about reports of violation by Police ranks. That is heartening to hear and he must be commended.

In fairness to the Police, they did clamp down on tinted vehicles owned by some ranks. That showed that the Force seems willing to hold its own responsible. While that offers some level of optimism, it begs the question why the unbridled traffic violations by some minibuses continue unchecked.

Some traffic ranks can easily pinpoint a particular minibus based upon design and route when a complaint is lodge. That probably suggests that traffic violation is not unique to that vehicle. Again, it must be asked, how is it allowed to continue? Seemingly gone is the expectation of the example being set by those entrusted to ensure safety on the roadways.

What is desperately needed is a sustained national campaign to reduce traffic violations and let the law take its course on the errant ones, regardless of who they are.

The carelessness exhibited puts all road users at risk. This is where the National Road Safety Council would need to be supported and probably empowered to have a more visible presence and increased influence all year round.

It must be noted that drivers are not the only violators of traffic rules, for some pedestrians are equally guilty.

Aside from the common jaywalking, they cross busy intersections when not authorised and refuse to use the overhead pedestrian walkways, thereby, bringing danger to themselves and others. Like errant drivers, they seem empowered to not observe basic traffic rules. This will only change when there is a constant stream of violators up the stairs of the Courts across the country.

Juan Cerdas, whose hobby is feeding wild crocodiles, kisses a large crocodile in the Tarcoles River, a river with one of the highest crocodile population in the world, in Tarcoles, province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica (Reuters/Juan Carlos Ulate)

Venezuela’s black market comeback hints at looming devaluation

…parallel rate for the bolivar tumbled 18% in the past week

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fter months looming in the background, Venezuela’s black market is back.

The difference between the blackmarket price to buy dollars and the official rate is blowing out after months of relative stability. In just one week, the bolivar has depreciated 18 per cent against the dollar on the streets where the currency is traded informally, now costing 10,130 bolivars, according to MonitorDolarVzla, which compiles the average of a myriad of sources. That compares with 7336 bolivars at the official rate.

After years of an artificially strong official rate, President Nicolás Maduro’s Government has overseen a dramatic devaluation in the past few years to essentially price the bolivar in line with the black market.

To keep the relationship from gaping out again, the Government implemented tight monetary requirements on banks earlier this year to keep bolivars on lock down at the central bank. The efforts were designed to drain liquidity and to keep local currency out of the hands of Venezuelans who typically swap them for dollars to retain purchasing power amid hyperinflation.

While those controls are still in place, the gap is widening. Under the current exchange regime, Venezuela has swung drastically to become expensive in dollars.

While the reason behind the sudden increase in price is unclear, some economists point to pressure built up from an overvalued bolivar and an increase in public spending.

“The currency wasn’t depreciating at the same rate as inflation and now we’re seeing that relationship normalise,” said Henkel Garcia, director of the Caracas-based consultancy Econometrica, who thinks the real value of the bolivar should be around 25,000 to 30,000 per dollar. (Bloomberg)

While the reason behind the sudden increase in price is unclear, some economists point to pressure built up from an overvalued bolivar and an increase in public spending

US to shift Central America aid funds to Venezuela’s Opposition

The US Government has confirmed it will divert money away from humanitarian aid programmes in Central America and channel it towards the Venezuelan Opposition led by Juan Guaidó.

The move follows President Donald Trump’s decision earlier this year to suspend all future humanitarian aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras until they do more to stop migrants heading north to the US border.

Washington said at the time the money would be used to fund “other foreign policy priorities” without giving details.

Now the US Agency for International Development (USAID ) has confirmed that some of the funding “will be used in support of the legitimately elected Venezuelan national assembly and interim President Juan Guaidó”.

Guaidó has been trying to unseat President Maduro since the start of this year. He has the backing of the US and about 50 other countries. The Maduro regime often derides him as “a US puppet” financed

by Washington.

A USAID spokesperson said the diverted funding would be used in Venezuela “to expand good governance efforts, to promote independent media and the freedom of in-

formation, for civil society assistance, and to support human rights organisations”.

The aid story first surfaced in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. The newspaper quoted an unnamed congressional aide saying the US was “essentially taking the money that would help poor Central American children and giving it to pay the salaries of Guaidó and his officials and employees”.

But Guaidó’s aides deny that. They say they are supported by donations and often out of their own pockets.

Speaking in the Ecuadorean city of Guayaquil where he was attending a meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank, Ricardo Hausmann, Guaidó’s representative at the IDB, said funding for the Opposition comes from “the effort of people working pro bono, civil society, donations”.

“There’s nothing secret, nothing hidden,” he said.

When Guaidó first launched his campaign to topple Maduro in January it looked like it might bear fruit within weeks, but six months on the President remains in power and there is political stalemate in Caracas.

That has left the Guaidó team funding a network of representatives around the world.

The longer the deadlock continues, the larger the bill.

Carlos Vecchio, Guaidó’s envoy to Washington, has recovered ownership of the dilapidated Venezuelan Embassy building with US support, but said he lacked the funds to renovate it. Last month, he was working from a temporary space in a think-tank.

Vanessa Neumann, Guaido’s representative to the UK, told the Financial Times she has spent tens of thousands of pounds from her own pocket in order to operate.

Gustave Tarre, Guaidó’s Ambassador to the Organisation of American States, acknowledges that no one expected the stand-off in Venezuela to drag on so long.

“We have to say this with all honesty — we thought Maduro would leave within a relatively short period of time,” he told reporters at a recent OAS meeting in Colombia.

“Until now our work has basically been voluntary and it hasn’t been easy. We are and will continue to be the worstpaid Ambassadors in the world.”

Despite the difficulties, he made light of the lack of cash.

“When we’re at a meeting in Washington and we all leave together, the other representatives look for their drivers and their cars while we wait for an Uber or a taxi,” Tarre said.

“I’ve sometimes thought about using a scooter.” (The Financial Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

friday, JUly 19, 2019

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

Flouting the Constitution Dear Editor, Indisputably, the APNU/AFC is not interested in abiding by the CCJ’s rulings, and hence the Constitution of our land. There is abundant evidence to support this, despite Granger’s empty rhetoric about abiding by the supreme law of the land and the CCJ’s rulings.

His dilly-dallying with the GECOM Chairman’s appointment bears testimony to his deceitfulness.

Granger had said in a statement published on June 18, 2019 that, “We will accept and abide by the Court’s decision…I assure you that the Government will abide by the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana”. Is he serious about these utterings?

The CCJ’s rulings made it clear that General and Regional Elections must be held within 3 months of

the passing of the no-confidence motion, and this ruling was passed down of June 18, 2019.

In other words, the Coalition gained nearly 6 months’ extra time, since the motion was successfully passed on December 21, 2019. Albeit, the masses in Guyana are adamant that the Elections should now be called within 3 months from June 18, 2019, in abiding with the CCJ’s ruling and the Constitution.

Granger cannot say that he will abide by these, and then throw the ball in GECOM’s court whilst doing his trickery with the GECOM Chairman’s appointment.

GECOM is a creature of the Constitution, and must abide by it. The Article says that General Elections must be called within 3 months, and GECOM and Granger must facilitate that. If Granger is now say-

ing that the List is bloated by 200,000 names, and that persons who have reached the age of 18 would be disenfranchised, then it is GECOM’s duty to act impartially and rebut these spurious claims.

Further, GECOM is aware that the claims and objections period would take care of certain defects, and that those attaining 18 are automatically placed on the list. Moreover, the cycles of continuous registration, which came to an end in July 2018, just 4 months before the NoConfidence Motion (NCM), had captured all persons who would be 14 years and over by October 2018, so it is nonsensical for Granger to say that those persons now reaching 18 years would be disenfranchised!

These will be eligible to vote in 2021!

It is important to note that the continu-

ous cycle of registration would have taken care of Commonwealth citizens up to July 2018 as well, and those becoming eligible after that date can register via a claims and objections period.

It must be emphasised that continuous registration fulfills two (2) primary objectives: (i) to ensure that ALL eligible persons are afforded UNLIMITED opportunities to become registered on the National Register of Registrants; and(ii) ensuring that GECOM is in a PERPETUAL state of preparedness, which would enable it to respond to calls for elections in a timely manner, thus guaranteeing eligible persons their constitutional right to be registered and to vote. I am sure Granger must be aware of this.

It is reasonably logical to assume that since the

NCM was in December, and Elections should have been held in March, had it not been for the delaying tactics of the Coalition, GECOM, being aware that the LIST would expire in April, should have done another cycle of continuous registration in view of the impending elections, in ensuring that it is in a state of preparedness; unless GECOM had no doubt that the LIST can be amended to capture all eligible voters and afford all these eligible voters an opportunity to vote.

It can now be concluded without any contradiction that GECOM has no doubt that the List is valid, and can be used should an early election be called. This constitutional body cannot, and should not, be allowed to flout the rulings of the CCJ and Article 106. The Constitution of Guyana now makes the call for elec-

tions, and GECOM must respond in a timely manner, since it had to be in a perpetual state of preparedness. Now is not the time for house-to-house registration, our Constitution must be obeyed NOW! The GECOM Chairman’s appointment is another dilemma which the Coalition will capitalise on to delay elections, but again it must be in accordance with our constitutional stipulation of 3 months, and again Granger must act in good faith.

This to-and-fro action by the Caretaker Government and GECOM must come to an end NOW, and it is time for the ABC countries to intervene to ensure that our Constitution is not flouted by the APNU/AFC, and that the upcoming elections are free and fair.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Parents, think before you take pre-teens to R-rated movies Dear Editor, A few weeks ago, my husband and I had a movie date-night after more than 2 years! We left our son with his grandparents, who loved nothing better, and headed to the Caribbean Cinemas at the Giftland Mall to see a movie we both wanted to see -the then new John Wick: Parabellum. We chose this theatre since proceedings start at an earlier time of 6 pm, as opposed to Movie Towne which starts at 8 pm.

Upon entering the movie theatre, we were surrounded by children, who also made their way into the theatre pointed out to us by the attendant. We were seated amidst rows of children who were excitedly talking. At that stage, my husband had to confirm with two adults seated next

to us if they were there also to see John Wick, or if we were in the wrong theatre, because of the strikingly young audience; but, alas, it was the right theatre.

I understand that, ultimately, the choice is up to parents as to what they deem okay for their child; but seriously, I cannot fathom taking little children or pre-teens to R-Rated movies. I’m not suggesting parents should read every review on movies or anything. But sheesh, the ratings system has done an invaluable service! So, for example, if maybe you see a comic book movie is rated R instead of the customary PG-13, you should look into why that is so. And maybe if you poke around a little bit and find that it’s filled with imagery that could make little children horrified, cry or scared, just

maybe, parents shouldn’t take them there….

In any event, that evening, as the lights dimmed and the pre-reviews of other equally rated movies started, all with explicit content, I assumed that the parents would have then perhaps realised what type of movie it was and exit with their children, but this was not so. To my horror, everyone remained seated, and the graphic, violent adult movie started. There were many, many times when I myself had to bury my head into my husband’s shoulder until scenes passed because of the brutal violence. The theatre was void of any children’s voices once it started. I am still now, a few weeks later, wondering what nightmares/ trauma that movie caused to the young minds of our country.

I’m not a prude when it comes to rated movies.

I recall when I myself was a teenager and in high school, when my parents were with me and my siblings as they introduced us to what was then rated “adult” movies: Back to the Future and ET at the Universal Studios in Orlando. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life. But seriously, how young is too young?

Taking a child maybe under 13 to see John Wick is borderline parental malpractice! This is a movie which is a brutally violent, bloody thriller focusing on an assassin. There’s a very high body count: characters are shot, maimed, stabbed, beaten, threatened, killed with firearms at close range, blown to bits in an explosion, strangled with bare hands…. There’s lots

of profanity, a fair amount of drinking, pot-smoking and more. And especially because so much of the violence is depicted in this cool, glamourous way….

And to say nothing of what it’s teaching our children about the lengths to avenge a puppy!

I am terribly disappointed in Caribbean cinemas for, in the first place, selling a children’s ticket to such a movie. Even if it were an oversight, the attendants outside the theatre could have also screened and realised it was not appropriate, and advise parents. Something needs to be done concerning the censorship, since it is my view -- and shared by many of my friends and colleagues with whom I expressed this concern -- that taking children to see a film like this is borderline

child abuse.

Children under thirteen should be denied entry to these R-rated movies, even if in the company of an adult. The rating is in place for a reason: violence or sex scenes that are inappropriate for that age group. They do not understand that it is a movie, and may act out inappropriately. These movies are for older age brackets that can better understand the content. These films can even be disturbing at times to certain adults. I hope that Caribbean cinemas can pay attention to this, and address future movies, especially since the school holidays have just started and our Guyanese children will be wanting activities and movies to see.

Sincerely, Mommy V

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W

Foundation

hat do you, the trees, and a hamster have in common? Give up? You all need water.

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

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

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

Water helps keep your temperature normal.

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

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

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

Your body doesn’t get water only from drinking water. Any fluid you drink will contain water, but water and milk are the best choices. Lots of foods contain water too. Fruit contains quite a bit of water, which you could probably tell if you’ve ever bitten into a peach or plum and felt the juices dripping down your chin. Vegetables also contain a lot of water — think of slicing into a fat tomato or crunching into a crisp stalk of celery.

How much is enough?

Because water is so important, you might wonder if you’re drinking enough. There is no magic amount of water that kids need to drink every day. The amount kids need depends on their age, body size, health, and activity level, plus the weather (temperature and humidity levels).

Usually, kids drink something with meals and should definitely drink when they’re thirsty. But if you’re sick, or it’s warm out or you’re exercising, you’ll need more. Be sure to drink some extra water when you’re out in warm weather, especially while playing sports or exercising.

When you drink is also important. If you’re going to sports practice, a game, or just working out or playing hard, drink water before, during, and after playing. Don’t forget your water bottle. You can’t play your best when you’re thinking about how thirsty you are!

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

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

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

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

O

ur girls are quite taken with super heroes, in particular Wonder Woman and her magic bracelets. One rainy day we decided to make Super Hero Bracelets.

I thought that this would be an easy craft to make out of toilet rolls – however , I underestimated the complications of what happens to the consistency of a toilet roll when a small child applies copious amounts of wet paint. Here is what we learnt.

We cut out toilet rolls once down the back and then in half. We then joined it together again with blue painters tape on the inside and stuffed the tube with old newspaper.

This may seem like a strange way of doing things – to cut and then stick back together, etc – but we went through a couple of versions of this before the toilet roll

pieces survived – when you paint the toilet roll it tends to collapse go floppy. This was the best

process we came up with.

After you have cut, taped and stuffed your toilet roll you are ready

to:

- paint (allow to dry) - apply a light layer of glue and then roll in

(kidshealth.org)

glitter (allow to dry) - seal on the glitter by applying a layer of gluey glaze (1 part glue to 2

parts water) (allow to dry) - add some super hero gems/sparkles

Once all your paint, glitter and glue are dry, remove the newspaper and painters tape from inside and round of the corners.

Your little one will now be ready to go and fight

some super villains.

What would your super hero power be? (Rachael Rabbit) (rachaelrabbit.blogspot.com)

7 Exxon’s Liza Destiny to arrive in Guyana in September news

friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

– has capacity to store 1.6M barrels of oil

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s ExxonMobil prepares for first oil in 2020, the first oil production vessel has set sail for Guyanese waters and is expected to arrive sometime in September.

The Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Liza Destiny, was commissioned by First Lady Sandra Granger before departing the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore.

rels.

During normal operations, there will be at least 80 persons living and working onboard the vessel.

Additionally, 24 Operations and Maintenance Technicians, who are currently being trained in Canada, will return in 2020 to support work on the Liza Destiny.

This FPSO is a significant component of the Liza

Guyanese working for the project here and the team is continuing to do an incredible job. Their work includes everything from completions of the initial wells for production to laying pipelines and infrastructure on the sea floor to eventually connect up to the Liza Destiny for production. We’re proud of the work being done each and every day and want to thank everyone involved

The Liza Destiny vessel departing for Guyana from the port in Singapore

Liza Destiny sets sail for Guyana

The Liza Destiny has a production capacity up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day and an overall storage volume of 1.6 million bar-

Phase 1 development, which involves four undersea drill centres with 17 production wells.

“We have more than 1000

for their focus on safety and keeping the protection of the environment top of mind in all that they do,” Rod Henson, Exxon’s Country

Manager, had stated.

The Liza Destiny was converted from an oil tanker previously called Tina.

Engineering and design began in December 2016 and work initiated in June 2017.

During that time, over 3000 persons have worked on the vessel.

Meanwhile, the Noble Bob Douglas drillship is completing development drilling operations for Liza Phase 1. ExxonMobil will add another exploration drillship, the Noble Don Taylor, in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Phase 2 of the Liza development is expected to start-up in mid-2022 and

will develop approximately 600 million barrels of oil through the Liza Unity, Exxon’s second FPSO vessel in the series.

For the Phase 2 Development, six drill centres are planned, along with approximately 30 wells – 15 production— nine water injection, and six gas injection wells.

Following its 10th discovery of oil in the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil had estimated the recoverable resource in the block to be five billion oil-equivalent barrels. With oil at US$50 a barrel, that equates to well over US$200 billion.

The US oil giant has

since revised this figure upwards after three more discoveries, the last one being at the Yellowtail-1 well in April. More drilling is also scheduled for this year.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres).

ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 per cent interest.

8 News

friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Man sentenced to 30 years for killing reputed wife

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orty-six-year-old Seon Singh, also called Paul, of 9th Field Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara was on Thursday sentenced to 30 years imprisonment

by Justice James BovellDrakes after he admitted that he killed his reputed wife during a domestic dispute.

Singh admitted that on November 25, 2012, he stabbed Indranie Sugrim to death. He was first charged for murder but opted to enter a guilty plead to lesser count of manslaughter.

On Thursday, via a probation report, Singh expressed remorse claiming that he has clear memories of his wife. He told the Court that he would dream about

Indranie Sugrim and Seon Singh in happier times

his wife and wished he could talk to her.

Before handing down the ruling, Justice Bovell-Drakes reminded the Court that the

suspect stabbed Sugrim ten times.

The Judge added

that the fact that he stabbed his wife 10 times makes him cringe. During the trial, the now dead woman’s mother testified that her son-in-law was abusive and jealous.

39-year-old Indranie Sugrim, also known as Indra, a mother of three, was murdered in her single bedroom house, by her reputed husband.

It was reported that the couple had an argument but none of the family members intervened. A few minutes later, the woman was found stabbed and lying in a motionless state by one of her daughters.

Motorcycle thief Bus conductor committed granted bail A to stand trial

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minibus conductor was on Thursday committed to stand trial at the High Court for allegedly raping a woman.

Twenty-four-year old Dorian Fredericks of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown was committed by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, since a case was made out against him by the Prosecutor who provided sufficient evidence.

The matter was held in-camera.

Facts relating to the matter indicate that between October 1, 2016 and October

Dorian Fredericks

31, 2016, the accused slapped the complainant in her face, pushed her onto the bed, and raped her. The matter was reported and the accused later charged.

35-year-old man, who is accused of stealing a motorcycle, was granted bail when he made his first appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday.

Gavin Haynes of Lot 202 Charlotte Street, Georgetown stood before Magistrate Faith McGusty and plead not guilty to a simple larceny charge when it was read to him.

Police stated that on May 13, 2019 at Charlotte Street, Georgetown, he stole a 150 Eclipse motorcycle valued at $176,500 belonging to Delicia Griffin.

Police Prosecutor Annalisa Brummel did not object to bail but asked that conditions be applied.

Gavin Haynes

The Magistrate granted bail and adjourned the matter for July 31. She also ordered the unemployed man to report to the Brickdam Police Station every Monday until the determination of the matter.

The road…

I

…to dictatorship n the midst of WWI, Friedrich Hayek wrote his prophetic “The Road to Serfdom”. He showed that governmental control of economic decision-making through central planning was just the tip of an iceberg that leads ineluctably to tyranny. The concomitant abandonment of individualism and classical liberalism via dependence on the Government inevitably leads to a loss of freedom, the creation of an oppressive society, the tyranny of a dictator, and the serfdom of the individual.

Hayek had to take a whole book to make that argument about the descent to “serfdom”, since it wasn’t immediately evident that governmental control over economic decisions would filter down to affect the freedom of the individual.

But looking at the actions the PNC-led APNU/AFC since the NCM was passed on Dec 21, 2018, it should be clear to all right-thinking Guyanese that we’re already on “The Road to Dictatorship” – unless we head them off at the pass.

Evidently, the PNC and allies were ready to follow the clear instruction of the Constitution on the night of the vote, but thrown the “33 not greater than 32” straw, they started their rear-guard actions to remain in office by all means necessary – including illegalities. Their recourse to the Courts, however, ran out on June 18 when the CCJ delivered its rulings and mandated that the Constitution be followed. To wit, that a GECOM Chair be appointed through a “consultative” process between the caretaker President and the Opposition Leader and elections held within 3 months – Sept 18.

And this is where we’ve turned a complete circle to the beginning of the creation of the Burnhamite dictatorship. In preparation for the scheduled 1968 elections, declassified US files show that Burnham decided to rig the elections and to this end, appointed Desmond Hoyte from his law firm to the Elections Commission, where Justice (Sir) Donald Jackman, who he controlled, was the Chair. They then went on to change the compilation of the voters list by starting a “National Register of Registrants” (NRR) from a Houseto-House exercise, from which the voters’ list would be extracted.

Your Eyewitness hopes he doesn’t have to go into the sordid details of horses and donkeys that got on that list and were able to return Burnham to office – setting the country on the road to the dictatorship that was to last till 1992. And we return to the present where Granger is doing his darnest to ensure he has his pliable Chairman of GECOM – and then on to stage 2 where he’s insisting on H-t-H registration to create his own list to ensure his party is returned to power.

Granger’s working to ensure history repeats itself! Fool us twice, shame on us!! …to saving dead meat Khemraj Ramjattan was on this new internet discussion show, also featuring Edghill from the PPP/C and Ramkarran from ANUG, discussing elections matters. It was riveting, if for no other reason than to see how far someone – Ramjattan in this case – would sink for a mess of pottage. It was horrifying to your Eyewitness to see this man defend all the things he’d fought against in years past.

It reminded your Eyewitness of “The Picture of Dorian Grey” where the fella sold his soul to the Devil, and all his sins were only recorded on his Portrait, while he carried on with his life of wild abandon. In this case the sins were only too visible on Ramjattan’s face on the screen!! But the silver lining was Ramjattan revealing the exact path to the new dictatorship: Granger will appoint his own GECOM Chair, after he rejects Jagdeo’s list; the elections will be whenever GECOM says it will be.

And their coalition will remain the “de facto” government past Sept 18!! …to flouting the CCJ’s orders Now we’re told Patterson signed an order on June 11for H2H registration to begin tomorrow, just days before the CCJ’s decision that he was appointed illegally!

What did Billy Cock tell Ramgoat??

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

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friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jagdeo disappointed in Caricom’s silence following CCJ ruling

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

I

nternational organisations and other stakeholders have joined the mounting calls for democracy to prevail in Guyana and election preparations to take precedence, but the Caribbean Community (Caricom) has remained strikingly mum on the issue.

This was according to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who expressed disappointment that the body was yet to comment on events which unfolded, given the fact that it was a regional organ.

Jagdeo has met with Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, emphasising the need to affirm their

position. However, the body is yet to take a stance even though Guyana is a founding member of the Community.

“I met with the Secretary General of Caricom. I spoke with him about the need that this is a regional institution and, therefore, Caricom needs to take an even stronger role. I’m surprised [that] I have not seen even a statement coming from Caricom as yet, because this is a regional institution that we worked to establish and if the Region cannot respect a decision of a superior court that it created as an organ of regional integration, then the Region would be found lacking,” said Jagdeo.

During the consequential orders last week, the Government was reduced to that of a caretaker administration and urged to call elections in keeping with the constitutional deadline.

With more than one month passing since the June 18 ruling was handed down, a date for elections has not been announced.

It is customary for the regional organisation to intervene to some extent in constitutional and democratic crises in Caribbean nations.

As such, the former Head of State contended that Guyana was being governed by an illegal government which has not complied with the court’s ruling which has been ignored completely.

“We cannot be busy sending missions when they have an interruption of constitutional rule or Venezuela when they have a breakdown of democratic order and here in Guyana, which is the headquarter State of Caricom, ignore that you have a Government now in office that is illegally there because elections ought to have been held since March 21. And where the court has now ruled that they must comply with the Constitution and they’re a caretaker gov-

ernment, ignore the fact that this Government is not complying with the order of the court and just sit by and not say anything about it. I am, frankly speaking, very, very disappointed in Caricom.”

Only a few days ago, former Government Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy also called out Caricom in a published column for being completely silent ever since the passage of the No-Confidence Motion on December 21, 2018.

Dr Ramsammy stated that the Caribbean body would intervene whenever democracy was threatened and its silence in this case brought disrepute to the organisation and would also impact its position on future matters.

According to him, disrespect of the chief laws by the coalition Administration points to a threat to democracy, which must be addressed at all costs.

So far, the diplomatic community has renewed its position on respecting the Constitution and the CCJ’s ruling. Representatives of the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union observed the July 12 pronouncements and later acknowledged that this ad-

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque

herence must be done expeditiously.

For this, the Opposition Leader has pledged to continue engagements with the international community, but so far, these stakeholders have wholly agreed that Government must abide completely with the rulings that were pronounced.

The diplomatic community was also urged to regulate its relationship and activities with the Administration to reflect that of a caretaker government.

“I have spent some time this week briefing the diplomats and so we will continue to brief the international community. The feedback

that the entire international community is [providing is] that the Government must comply with the Constitution and the court order; and that they respect the orders of the Court … I made it clear that we expect them to adjust their relationship with the Government in accordance with the decision of the Court, which is that this is a caretaker government and that elections have to be held within three months,” he asserted.

Other independent unions and Private Sector representatives have voiced similar sentiments, and some also shared important concerns.

10 NEWS

friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Teen in Sophia Attempted murder charge dismissed against Maryann Daby accident succumbs

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usinesswoman Maryann Daby was on Thursday freed

by Magistrate Leron Daly on an attempted murder charge following the conclusion of a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The businesswoman, who was accused of attempting to kill a Police officer by pointing a gun to his head and pulling the trigger, had the matter against her dismissed.

The Magistrate, in her dismissal, stated that the Prosecutor’s case was not credible because of the conflicting evidence given by Superintendent Gary McAllister, Police Constable John Holder and the victim, Christopher Kissoon.

The Magistrate told the Court that Constable Holder, while being under oath, gave conflicting statements that were not a true reflection of what transpired on the day in question.

She further stated that Holder testified that he did not see Daby discharging the firearm, nor was he able to identify the person. Further, Holder told the Court that Superintendent McAllister ordered him to change his statement to make it sync with that of his colleague.

The Magistrate indicted that Kissoon, the victim,

Maryann Daby

failed to positively identify Daby and that, in his statement, he had said he heard what appeared to be gunshots but there were no spent shells recovered on the scene and no video evidence to support his claims.

Magistrate Daly told the Court that McAllister, who presented evidence into the matter, provided an evidence bag containing a .32 pistol with six magazines but during his second Court appearance, the gun and the ammunition were not the same, hence, she rejected his evidence.

Police Prosecutor Richard Harris, stood right after the hearing before the Magistrate and asked that the unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition

charges be transferred to another Court because the presiding Court’s mind has already been prejudiced.

The businesswoman will make her next Court appearance on July 30, 2019 in relation to the possession of firearm and ammunition. Throughout the trial, Daby was represented

by Attorney-at-Law Mark Waldron.

Twenty-five-year old Daby of Lot 127 D’Aguiar Park, Houston, Georgetown was charged for discharging a loaded firearm on May 13, 2018 with the intent to commit murder.

She was also charged for having .32 pistol and six live rounds of ammunition in her possession when she was not the holder of a fire-

arm license. She denied the latter two charges after they were read to her.

According to reports, on the day in question, Daby and her friends were at the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club when Constable Kissoon, who was off-duty, heard what appeared to be gunshots going off.

After investigating the source of the gunfire, he allegedly saw Daby firing rounds into the air and as such, he confronted her.

It was during the confrontation Daby allegedly became annoyed and pointed a firearm to his head and pulled the trigger; however, there were no more rounds in the gun.

A

Sophia teen, who was hospitalised after his motorcycle collided with a minibus in “B” Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown on Saturday last, succumbed on Wednesday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Dead is 19-year-old Travis Brown. He reportedly sustained head injuries and other bodily injuries.

Guyana Times previously reported that Brown was allegedly speeding on the day of the accident and was proceeding along the Sophia main access road when the accident occurred.

While heading in a northern direction, the teen reportedly collided with the front of minibus BXX 6056. As a result of the impact, Brown lost con-

trol of his cycle and slammed into a nearby utility pole.

He was picked up by public-spirited persons in an unconscious state and quickly rushed to the hospital, where he was admitted as a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). After spending a few days, he never regained consciousness and would have succumbed while receiving medical attention.

A passenger of the minibus was also injured but was treated at GPHC and later sent away.

The driver of the minibus is expected to be charged shortly since a breathalyser test conducted showed traces of alcohol in his system. A Post-Mortem is expected to be conducted on the teen’s remains shortly.

MARAD launches investigation into discovery of boat

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n investigation has been launched by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) following the discovery of a submerged vessel at Hampton Court Seawall, Essequibo Coast back in 2018.

The boat was reportedly found by a group of fishermen whose net had come into contact with a large object. The vessel, Comte Nazildo, was subsequently brought to shore.

The fisherman, Prem Lall, of Sparta Essequibo Coast, who is the owner of a fishing boat “God Speed”, claimed that he was returning from sea when the discovery was made.

The men dived under water to cut the net when they found the boat. The follow-

ing day, the men returned to the location using a GPS system and towed the boat they discovered back to shore.

The matter was reported; however, to date, no one came forward to claim the boat. As such, the Police re-

ported the matter to MARAD and an investigation was launched. This came to light after a report was published in another section of the media where it was highlighted that the crew of the sunken vessel may be missing.

S RAIGHT A Test match with Mr Granger? (Part deux) By: Sase Singh; M.Sc. - Finance, ACCA.

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n the last column, I was able to show how the singular responsibility for the delays in the appointment of the GECOM Chairman rests with Mr Granger. It is his job, as the caretaker President, to shine the leading light on the process in a transparent manner. That column can be found here: https:// guyanatimesgy.com/granger-fools-the-nation-yet-again/ But what we have been observing from Mr Granger is that he is on a mission to deceive this nation. Under the tutelage of the CCJ, Guyana was able to bring to life the intent of our Constitution in a LOGOS framework. We saw with reason, logic, or common sense, how the Constitution drives consensualism rather than unilateralism. Therefore, we must appreciate Mr Bharat Jagdeo for his endurance during this process, although it is populated with one-upmanship and pettiness on the part of Mr Granger. Observing Mr Granger is like watching Peter Such— the right-arm spin bowler, who in 1999 broke the record for staying at the crease longest but still earning a “DUCK” for himself. But we must patient and persevere.

The fact remains there is no shortage of credible Guyanese to serve at GECOM. The real shortage exists in the PNC. That party lacks the political will to do the right thing. They want their partisan man at GECOM to derive a partisan outcome to deny the people their human rights.

Mr Granger, in a speech to the nation immediately after the reading of the consequential orders of the CCJ, said: “I have committed since the 21st of December, 2018 to the holding of free and fair elections”. Does this statement from Mr Granger reconcile with reality? What we have seen since that statement is little progress, all because of Mr Granger’s subterfuge and ruse. Mr Granger personally injected a grave amount of mistrust into the negotiations to the point that Mr Jagdeo had no choice but to label him as someone close to a prevaricator.

After several days of talks, the parties now agree to four of six names causing some in the diplomatic community to conclude that these talks ended are progressing on a positive note. But this is far from accurate since this entire process is all about that final name. Mr Granger is all about giving Mr Jagdeo five names and then is when you will see who the real Mr Granger is. His game plan is to control the elections process from conception to resurrection. These are all tactics to deny the Leader of the Opposition his role and also to rub the Constitution into the mud. We must never allow Mr Granger to do this.

Was it not Mr Granger who spoke to the nation immediately after the passage of the No-Confidence Motion and promised them that he shall follow the letter and spirit of the Constitution?

In layman’s language, this translated to him calling elections before March 21, 2019. But he immediately switched to his alterego “David 2” and then quashed that promise and went “gung ho” into a process to interpret what every common entrance student knows— that 33 is greater than 32.

This nation accepted his argument that it needs is final clarity as to what is the intent of the Constitution. However, when that clarification was offered on June 18, 2019, Mr Granger then changed his tune. David 1 says that “credible elections are essential to representative democracy”. But then David 2 retorts that “Mr Jagdeo is not operating in good faith”.

To evaluate the tricks, on one hand, Mr Granger dares to declare that it is “his hope that the two sides would have been able to meet and hammer out the list of six nominees” in compliance with Article 161 of the Constitution and the CCJ guidelines. But on the other hand, he put forward eight names of persons who are politically partisan. Mr Granger then has the effrontery to then spin the truth and endeavour to blame Mr Jagdeo for the state of affairs at GECOM. The only player with the power to move this entire process forward remains Mr Granger; that is where the buck stops.

Thus, this determined effort to sidestep this matter and push the responsibility for doing the right thing to everyone’s desk is DANGEROUSLY EVIL. So what do we do at this interesting juncture of our history? The people in their numbers must support peaceful street demonstrations against these corrupt and incompetent people who are operating like kleptocrats. This Granger gang is deliberately shifting the governance paradigm from one that was supposed to be inclusive and consensual to one that is unilateral.

That must be opposed and exposed.

As Team Granger marches to the music of unilateralism, this local effort has to be supported by the friends of freedom in the diaspora who must lobby the international community (in particular the USA) for direct economic sanctions to be applied after September 18, 2019 to a regime that is prepared to move from a caretaker status to an illegitimate status.

Please feel free to offer feedback at sasesin1@yahoo.com

Please share your thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

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friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Teaching standards important for accountability – Dr Douglas Slater

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tandards for the teaching profession were important as they held both Governments and practitioners accountable, Caricom Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development, Dr Douglas Slater said on Wednesday.

Dr Slater was at the time addressing the opening of the two-day Regional Consultations on Developing Standards for the Teaching Profession in Latin America and the Caribbean Region.

The event is being held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Georgetown, Guyana.

Educators, educator trainees, Government Ministers, representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and various other stakeholders attended the opening.

Describing the forum as timely, Dr Slater said the consultation also acknowledged the challenges being

British Virgin Islands Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Natalio Wheatley, Assistant Secretary General in charge of Human and Social Development at the Caricom Secretariat, Dr Douglas Slater and Antigua and Barbuda Education, Science and Technology Minister Michael S Browne

faced in education and sustainable development.

According to him, the standards held Governments accountable and responsible for their educational investments and also held practi-

tioners accountable for the time students invested in the classroom and the time parents were required to invest in schools to support the success of learners.

“The standards should be

constructed as the lens that educational stakeholders, parents and students use to make sense of and monitor the outcomes of education as a social investment,” he stated. Turn to page 14

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friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Police on path to digitally investigate, report crime

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multimillion-dollar Police Records M a n a g e m e n t Information System (PRMIS) was on Thursday launched, aimed at equipping the Guyana Police Force (GPF) with the needed technology to investigate and report crime digitally.

Under the CariSECURE project, the technological hardware and software deemed necessary in advancing the work of GPF was handed over as Guyana curbs the various forms of criminal activities that plague the nation.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Guyana Luca Renda related that the primary objective is to reduce crime by improving the quality, comparability, reliability and use of data and promoting the use of information management system.

“The focus on this region is dictated by a stark reali-

ty. Despite progress in recent years, including here in Guyana, Latin America and the Caribbean remain unfortunately, by statistics, the most violent region in the world”.

According to the UN official, effectively addressing crime requires an integrated approach that enlists the collaboration of many Government agencies with the Police leading the way.

“It is critical that the Police force is equipped with all the tools required to be effective in the fight against crime, including modern technology. The Police must have improved information management system capacity through the use of modern information systems, along with new intelligence and emergency response system. These tools together can provide a new depth of data to improve operational policing, decision making and criminal justice research”.

He explained that the

International stakeholders, Guyana’s Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and Police Commissioner Leslie James during the launch of PRMIS on Thursday

piloting of this modernized system at the Fort Wellington and Alberttown Police Stations will drastically improve the work and crime fighting skills of the local police.

“Police officers deployed to crime scenes would have the means to electronically enter information into a computer, store that information on a server, retrieve real time data, analyse

trends, and prepare tactical operation and strategic reports in a more efficient and timely manner. The piloting of the application in two Police stations, Alberttown and Fort Wellington, will provide evidence and lessons that will be reviewed to scale up this approach nationally at a later stage”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Government Mark

Cullinane emphasised that criminals become savvier globally every day with their crimes becoming more sophisticated owing to information technology. He stated that this is the reason for an advanced data records management system.

“Such data will equip Police officials with the ability to conduct crime hotspot mapping, victim and offender profiling, and intelligence gathering. These are just some of the crucial competencies that will empower Police officers to effective fight crime. The PRMIS will assist in advancing the GPF into 21st century policing.

PRMIS will shift the Police away from paper-based crime recording, resulting in greater efficiency through customised, digitised reporting processes”.

He added that in addition to the new system, Police officials would also be trained in crime analysis.

Also, in the coming months, CariSECURE will establish

an integrated system that connects key criminal justice agencies which policy makers will use to effectively allocate resources and develop programmes that result in positive outcomes for Guyana.

Additionally, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan stated that it is the hope for every Police station to be equipped with such technology following the six-month piloting phase.

“This system will make it easier to identify persons of interest and allow the user to easily pull up information on lists of persons who are known to be child molestors, sex offenders, deportees, murderer, and witnesses and also to know where there are…drug traffickers, gang members and even suspects that the Police would have taken a note of.

All of these are going to be captured and even disaggregation can happen”.

New SOCU Head to be officially announced before weekend –Top Cop

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ore than 24 hours have elapsed since Police Commissioner Leslie James promised to officially announce the replacement for the Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Sydney James, but according to the Top Cop, this will be done before the end of the week.

“I can assure you that before the weekend a disclosure will be made,” Commissioner James said.

The SOCU Head was recently sent on administrative leave amidst allegations of mismanagement of funds at the unit. The decision came months after a special audit had unearthed several instances of mismanage-

Police Commissioner Leslie James

ment of funds and falsification of documents at the entity. The audit had also found some unaccounted-for expenditure, which could not be verified by a paper trail.

The audit was ordered by the Police Commissioner

in February. Although the Top Cop has not commented on the findings of that audit, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had described the revelations as “damning”.

The probe into the operations of the white-collar crime-fighting Unit was triggered after the former British Adviser, Dr Sam Sittlington, had made a number of allegations against the Unit.

Following those allegations, James was questioned over allegations of improper spending. This is in light of the ongoing investigation and audit which was conducted after termination of the British Adviser’s services.

The Public Security Minister had confirmed that an investigation was ongoing into the matter and he had noted that there were allegations of monies not being spent properly and had said it is now within the jurisdiction of the investigators to understand the spending procedures at SOCU. After being fired amidst a conflict-of-interest scandal, Sittlington had revealed that SOCU had not been operating in the manner in which it should and he had said there are instances of improper spending.

The parliamentary Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has maintained that SOCU, which was set up to fight

Embattled SOCU Head Sydney James

money-laundering and other white-collar crimes, has become a political Unit under the APNU/AFC regime.

The PPP had said that Sittlington was going beyond his advisory role and was taking on executive

functions. It was pointed out that Sittlington was going on operations such as raids and arrests.

Questions were previously raised about the Police investigating James and whether there could be any bias involved; however, the Public Security Minister had assured that the investigation was perfectly normal, and that in addition to the Police’s own internal audits ongoing at SOCU, the Auditor General could come in and take control of the proceedings.

He had said the Police auditors were seeking to better understand the systems which had been in place for spending at the agency.

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friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Investigations into allegations against Crime Chief ongoing …disclosure to be made when probe is completed – Top Cop

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he investigations into the damning allegations of corruption against Deputy Police Commissioner and Crime Chief Lyndon Alves, who is presently on administrative leave, may not lead to a simple “open and shut case”.

Commissioner of Police Leslie James told the media on Thursday that the probe into Alves’ alleged corrupt actions as a senior Police official is “still under investigation”.

“On completion, we will make a disclosure…as you know each matter, each case turns on its own peculiar facts, so I cannot speculate (length of probe)”.

Earlier this month, the Top Cop had promised that ranks found guilty of misconduct will not be condoned within the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The Commissioner’s statement came when the GPF was celebrating its

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

180th anniversary and a week after Crime Chief Lyndon Alves was sent on administrative leave to facilitate a probe into corruption allegations levelled against him.

James has acknowledged that there is the pervasive issue of corruption among his ranks.

Among the allegations

against Alves is his alleged use of his influence during his tenure as Commander of B Division to protect rogue cops.

Another allegation levelled against the Crime Chief is his reported influence used to prevent his daughter, who was involved in an accident, from being charged. In that incident, the young woman allegedly struck four-yearold Mohan Ramkaran close to his Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) home.

However, after she was arrested, she was later placed on $20,000 station bail and over two years later, she is yet to be charged.

Meanwhile, the Top Cop in a statement said, “…the membership of the Guyana Police Force number in excess of seven thousand 7000, most of whom have been professional, law-abiding, conscientious and humble.

And for those who chose to

Crime Chief Lyndon Alves

run contrary, disciplinary actions have been taken against them”.

Quite recently, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had told this publication that the probe into Alves’ alleged misconduct as a serving senior member of the GPF has been completed and that his file was sent for further advice from the Director of

Public Prosecution (DPP) on the way forward.

“Well, we are awaiting certain legal advice. Most of the statements have been completed already. So we are waiting on the legal advice,” the Minister said.

Less than three weeks ago, Alves was sent on administrative leave to facilitate an investigation into allegations of corruption levelled against him.

Shortly after, Minister Ramjattan had told the media that President David Granger appointed Alves, so the President would determine his fate after investigations are completed.

Given that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is conducting the investigation, meaning the Police is investigating itself, which in itself has raised a number of questions, Ramjattan had also said that it is important for such cases to be investigated by

Police Commissioner Leslie James

the OPR to build confidence.

He added that hundreds of cases have been investigated by the OPR before which have all been respected as they were even subject to further analysis.

Prior to his suspension of duties at the GPF, ranks in Berbice blew the whistle on alleged corruption by the Crime Chief and claimed that he was shielding a few junior rogue ranks who have been linked to criminals.

Audit into CJIA expansion project to commence soon

Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project model

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he much-anticipated financial audit of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project is expected to commence shortly once the Public Infrastructure Ministry supplies certain information to the Auditor General’s Office.

This is according to Auditor General Deodat Sharma, who told the <<<GuyanaTimes>>> during a telephone interview that his office is awaiting word from the subject Ministry as to when the relevant documents will be made available.

“We have written for information to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. That letter went off lately (about two weeks ago) informing that we are carrying out the audit. We are requesting that (information) from them,” he stated.

Sharma further explained that the reason that the Audit Office of Guyana had not requested the critical information from the Ministry was because it needed to have certain groundwork completed in this regard.

“We had to get up information you know. We were doing some reports in terms of what we would need so I had to let the engineers get up some information like what we are going to be needing later to carry out this special investigation. So, the letter has now gone off to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry and yes, the audit is still in the pipeline”.

This special audit comes in light of a series of calls mounting for a thorough probe into the CJIA expansion project by a wide section of society.

For some time, the Public Infrastructure Ministry has faced questions over the CJIA expansion project’s costs and delayed construction. The project was initially supposed to have been completed within 32 months.

The project got underway in 2012 under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration when Guyana secured a US$138 million loan from the China Exim (Export-

Import) Bank to fund the expansion and modernisation project— for which the Guyana Government was to contribute some US$12 million.

The A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC), when in Opposition, had cut the funding the then PPP/C Government had allocated for the expansion project.

When the coalition Government came into power in 2015, the project was put on hold, but after discussions between Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), it was later announced that the project would be continued but a number of downgrades were done to the design.

The extension of works into 2019 comes in disparity to an earlier commitment

by Government, whereby it pledged that the works as-

Auditor General of Guyana, Deodat Sharma

sociated with the expansion would have been completed by the last quarter of 2018.

Just a few months ago, Attorney-at-Law and anti-corruption advocate Christopher Ram stressed that such an audit is, in fact, to be expected and speaks to the broader issue of a Government that is accountable.

“It’s obviously something that is necessary. There need not be a call for it. It should be done as a mat-

ter of course. It’s part of the broader issue of transparency and accountability. Only an independent audit will be able to attest to the accuracy and authenticity of any expenditure,” Ram had said.

According to the attorney, there are several elements to consider when conducting an audit. Ram urged that any audit into the CJIA expansion project should include elements of both value for money and financial audit.

14 News

friday, JUly 19, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana open to establishing new partnerships – Minister Cummings

F

oreign Affairs Minister Karen Cummings on Wednesday emphasised that in light of the economic transformation underway in Guyana, opportunities were opening for new and expanded partnerships with countries in the Latin American region.

Dr Cummings was at the time addressing the 54th meeting of the Common Market Council and Summit of Heads of State of MERCOSUR [Southern Common Market] and Associated States held in Santa Fé,

Colombia.

She pledged her country’s commitment to broaden and deepen relations with MERCOSUR and other countries in the region.

“Guyana is currently engaged in reviewing relevant instruments with a view to possible accession to strengthen capacities and norms in respective areas,” Dr Cummings stated, further emphasising that the State was “committed to regional integration and to fostering cooperation between the continent and the Caribbean Community [Caricom]”.

Heads of State and delegations at the summit

Furthermore, Minister Cummings underscored the importance of preserv-

ing South America as a “zone of peace” and called

for a peaceful solution to the crisis in neighbouring Venezuela. Expressing deep concern for the plight of the Venezuelan people, she stressed her country’s willingness to help shoulder the responsibility for the humanitarian response.

The summit marked the conclusion of Argentina’s pro-tempore presidency of MERCOSUR, a major highlight of which was the Framework Agreement concluded between the regional body and the European Union on 28 June this year after some

20 years of negotiations.

Brazil has now assumed the position for the second semester of 2019.

The Foreign Minister led Guyana’s delegation to the summit, which included Ambassador to Brazil, concurrent to Argentina, His Excellency George Talbot, and Senior Foreign Service Officer Vernon Robinson.

MERCOSUR was established in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción signed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Guyana became an associate member in July 2013.

Liza Destiny’s helideck Teaching standards important... gets green light from GCAA – Helideck Inspection Training ongoing

GCAA’s Chief Air Navigations and Aerodromes Inspector Adrian Bassier and other officials during the inspection

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he Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has given the green to Liza Destiny’s helideck following an inspection of the facility before it left Singapore for Guyana.

The inspection was done by GCAA’s Chief Air Navigations and Aerodromes Inspector Adrian Bassier in collaboration with the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (Ghana CAA).

The inspection in Singapore was done to ensure compliance with Guyana’s Civil Aviation regulations and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) while the vessel was in the shipyard so that any irregularity can be addressed before leaving the port.

The collaboration between Guyana and Ghana for this certification process emanated from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed

between GCAA and Ghana CAA in December 2018, in Nairobi, Kenya, at the ICAO Air Services Negotiation (ICAN) event.

It is a significant indication of words in actions as it testifies to the fruition of bilateral commitments made by the President of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, to H.E. President David Granger, during a State visit to Guyana in June 2019.

The MoU between the two civil aviation authorities provides for technical cooperation and sharing of expertise and knowledge in the areas of civil aviation between the two Civil Aviation Authorities.

The GCAA, in a release, stated that it is presently building the capacity of its inspectors to address the needs of the emerging Oil and Gas Sector in Guyana by undertaking initiatives which would provide on-the-job training opportunities for its

inspectors.

Over the years, the GCAA has invested significant financial resources to build the capacity of its inspectors, which enables them to conduct their functions with more efficiency and effectiveness.

The inspector from Ghana was delegated by the Director General of the GCAA, Lt Col Egbert Field, to perform the inspection functions on behalf of the Authority. This is a normal practice when a State’s civil aviation authority does not have the requisite capacity to conduct an inspection or certification exercise.

The Ghanaian inspector performed this function on behalf of the GCAA so that the requisite licence and certification for the helideck would be issued by the GCAA, the agency that will be responsible for oversight of helidecks on Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in Guyana’s territory.

Prior to this collaboration, Guyana’s relations with Ghana was strengthened in 2018 when the two nations signed Air Services Agreements at the International Civil Aviation Organisation Air Transport Meeting held in Guyana.

The Liza Destiny is expected to arrive in Guyana sometime in September.

The drill ship was commissioned by the First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger, in Singapore in June 2019.

from page 11

work that would be developed during the consultation was expected to be inspirational rather than instructive.

Deputy Vice Chancellor for Planning and International Engagement of the University of Guyana, Dr Barbara Reynolds made the keynote address. She gave a PowerPoint presentation in Members of the audience of the opening of the Regional Consultations on which she highDeveloping Standards for the Teaching Profession in Latin America and the lighted that psyCaribbean Region on Wednesday chology was an important comAntigua and Barbuda He said the British Virgin ponent of teaching. She Education, Science and Islands had considered is- urged participants to think Technology Minister suing licences to teachers about equipping teachers Michael S Browne, who also and this would be one way with standards that would spoke at the opening, fo- of evaluating teachers and help them to groom stucused on three areas which would not be used as a pu- dents to be what they wanthe said were crucial to de- nitive measure but as a ed to become, how to learn, veloping standards for the means of offering help to and how to live with each teaching profession. The ar- them. other. eas were context, content, Chief Education Officer This is the second in a seand continuous assess- Marcel Hutson spoke on be- ries of Consultations which ment. In relation to context, half of Guyana’s Education are being held in each of he said the purpose of what Minister. He was also of the the five UNESCO regions. was being taught and to opinion that establishing The first regional consultawhom was vital, while con- standards for the teaching tion workshop covered the tinuous assessment would profession was timely and Africa region and took place inform educators about why stated that they were need- in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ed for the transformation of on March 18-19, 2019. they had been teaching.

British Virgin Islands the education sector.

Following each regional Director of the UNESCO consultation workshop, a Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Office in Kingston, group of international exFisheries and Agriculture, Katherine Grigsby, in her perts meets to review and Natalio Wheatley said it remarks, said Caricom discuss the input generatwas important to set a high had an important role in ed from the stakeholder disthreshold for those wish- streamlining teaching stan- cussions. ing to enter the profession. dards. She said the frame-

news

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friday, JUly 19, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Over 100 titles for Matthews Ridge – GL&SC

Residents accuse APNU MP of giving preference to party supporters

R

esidents of Matthew’s Ridge have accused executive member of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Richard Allen of influencing Guyana Lands and Survey officials in fast tracking land titles for party supporters.

A team from the Guyana Lands & Survey Commission (GL&SC) headed by Commissioner Trevor Benn visited Matthews Ridge, North West District in May last to regularise lands owned by residents. Allen was reportedly a part of the team.

When contacted, the Commission stated that Allen was part of the team since he is responsible for that constituency and he also hails from that region.

“He also assisted the team with traversing through those communities”, the Commission through the PR stated.

Nevertheless, the residents believed that Allen was there with a political agenda.

Residents accused

Allen of being biased towards APNU supporters and instructed GL&SC officers to put a hold on applications of persons who they presumed were nonsupporters of the coalition Government.

As such, preference was given to party supporters.

A resident, who was present at the meeting and whose application was put on hold, related that after Allen had a discussion with his party affiliate from the community, they suddenly found discrepancies with her application.

Allen, however, reportedly instructed the officers to process the documentation of known APNU associates.

“He openly told them who to process applications for. I was right there when one of his confederates told him my husband is a PPP and suddenly, he said they have to make further checks regarding my application and up to now I can’t get through but all their people got through with theirs and they will receive their titles soon. They are openly

The meeting with Guyana Lands and Survey Commission and residents held at Matthews Ridge in May

discriminating people and there is no one that we can complain to,” she said.

Another resident, who also spoke anonymously, noted that Allen was overheard telling the officers to deal with party supporters first. “He isn’t a part of GL&SC but it appeared as he was calling the shots. He told officers to hold any processing of titles from persons who they presume are associated

another political party, I was listening. Once you’re not a supporter they found all sorts of reasons to pause your application. Allen told the officer to deal with party supporters first,” the resident claimed.

The GL&SC held a land titling exercise in May where they processed applications for titles for residents there who were never allotted titles prior.

Its Public Relations

officer Royden James when contacted Thursday said the commission will be distributing more than 100 land titles to those residents by next week.

He said this decision came after resident from the area were never regularised prior to now and they found difficulty in securing loans as they had no documentation to show ownership of their land.

He refuted claims by the residents regarding the distributing of titles to APNU party supporters and said some of the applications that were put on hold were in need of further checks and investigations as those residents claimed that they inherited their land from descendants.

“We needed to ensure that these claims were investigated thoroughly and verified before we issued titles. There is no issue. These residents will get their titles too,” James assured.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo recently challenged

Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) Trevor Benn to bring in the Police over revelations of documents that show massive giveaways of prime lands across the country.

Jagdeo had made several disclosures at his weekly press conference by producing several maps to show allocations of prime lands to persons with connections to the Government.

The following day, however, Benn indicated that he will be calling in the Police to probe how those documents got into the hands of the Opposition Leader. Jagdeo, picking up on the threat, had told the media that he welcomed the investigation but warned that the tables will turn.

Jagdeo had pointed out that four top officials within the Ministry of the Presidency, which falls under the preview of the Head of State, are beneficiaries of large-scale tracts of prime properties and as such, the President must answer to this.

Guyana, China collaborate on traditional medicine

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence along with staff of the Public Health Ministry and members of the Chinese delegation from Jiangsu Province

G

uyana is exploring multiple areas of collaboration with China, particularly in traditional medicine.

A Chinese delegation from the Jiangsu Province paid a courtesy call on Public Health Minister

Volda Lawrence to discuss the strengthening of the partnership between the two countries.

“Both countries, our peoples have emerged from the use of traditional medicine as the only medicine at one point in time

that they had available to them, to now where we see Jiangsu Province has been able to master the game in traditional medicine and to offer it as an alternative to its people,” the Public Health Minister said as she welcomed the opportunities for Guyana to learn from Chinese doctors that are skilled in the field.

While noting that there were hurdles to overcome concerning the drafting of legislation and enacting policies to both facilitate and regulate traditional medicine use in Guyana, Minister Lawrence said it was a course of direction the Government would take.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister Lawrence also expressed that a partnership on traditional medicine would allow Guyanese a choice

as they sought health-care services.

As Minister Lawrence welcomed the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Jiangsu Province and Guyana in the healthcare sector, the emphasis was placed on the remarkable accomplishment of successive Chinese Medical Brigades in Guyana.

“We have had some sterling moments with the [Chinese] doctors who come to Guyana and who have offered services to

thousands of Guyanese, and our people are healthier because of the investment of your doctors in Guyana,” Minister Lawrence proudly stated.

The Chinese team included doctors and Government officials.

Speaking on behalf of the Chinese Government was Inspector of Foreign Affairs of Jiangsu Province, Xiqiang Huang.

The foreign affairs official suggested members of the 15th Chinese Medical Brigade have volunteer

consultations with patients in Guyana to strengthen the level of service to Guyana. To this end, Inspector Huang extended an invitation to Minister Lawrence to visit Jiangsu Province to get a first-hand look at the public health sector in that region.

Last Wednesday, Guyana bid farewell to the 14th Chinese Medical Brigade. At that ceremony, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo highlighted the team’s outstanding contributions.

Missing teen says went to visit father

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eports surrounding the missing Waiakabra, LindenSoesdyke Highway teenager Jessica Fidel who has since been found and reunited with her grandparents have been the source of much controversy.

Information reaching Guyana Times reveal that Bibi Nizam, the stepmother of the teen, told Police that the child called her father, Dennis Fidel and told him that she was on her way to spend the holiday with him.

She said that she and the father met the teenager at Parika and took her to their Vilvoorden, Essequibo Coast home.

The family of the teen is, however, disputing this information, since according to them, both her father and stepmother are unknown to her. The family stated that the child’s father left her mother when she was just two years old and has never been a part of her life.

It is their belief that the father’s family and other known individuals who live in the same neighbourhood as the child influenced and assisted her in running away from her grandparents’ home and going to her

father.

According to the child’s grandparents, she could not have made the trip to her father without financial backing and information since she has never visited Essequibo.

They do not believe that the father will add any positive values to her life based on his lifestyle and behaviours, which resulted in him leaving for the interior and never returning. As such, the grandparents called on the Police to investigate who aided the teen in making the trip.

The teen, who disappeared without a trace on July 7, 2019, was found at Aurora Village, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Reports are that Police located the teen on Monday after acting on a tip-off.

The teen was found in the company of two women, who operate a bar at Aurora Village.

The teen, who was reunited with her family, was questioned at Timehri Police Station and released into her family’s care. She will also be interviewed by the Welfare Department

Jessica Fidel

of the Child Care and Protection Agency.

“We are happy that she was found safe. How she got to Essequibo remains a mystery. She isn’t saying much, but we believe that she was aided by someone and the Police are investigating the matter,” a relative said.

The Police will be questioning a few persons after welfare officers conclude their report.

The family expressed appreciation to the ranks of the Timehri Police Station and the Policing Group, who exercised patience and assisted them in locating the teen.

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guyanatimesgy.com

friday, JUly 19, 2019

Regional

No impeachment for T&T CJ! Mexico President calls “El Chapo” sentence inhumane, vows better society

Chief Justice Ivor Archie

T

rinidad and Tobago’s Chief Justice Ivor Archie will not face impeachment proceedings over misconduct allegations levelled against him.

Responding to questions during the post-Cabinet press briefing at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's, Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley said that he would not exercise his ex-

clusive discretion under S137 of the Constitution to institute the proceedings against Archie.

Rowley confirmed that he sought and received legal advice on the recommendation made by the Law Association, following an investigation by a special committee appointed by it, and was advised to take no further action.

The controversy surrounding Archie arose in late 2017 after a series of newspaper reports accused Archie of attempting to persuade the Judges to change their Stateprovided security in favour of a private company in which his friend and convicted fraudster Dillian Johnson worked.

Archie was also accused of attempting to fast-track Housing Development Corporation (HDC) applications for Johnson,

who has been convicted of fraud.

Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Johnson fled to the United Kingdom after he was wounded at a shooting at his home.

Johnson was denied asylum by UK authorities, but was allowed to stay in that court as he was granted humanitarian protection for five years.

Archie was also linked to convicted fraudster Kern Romero, who was accused of using his alleged friendship with Archie to defraud persons. Romero died in hospital, earlier this year.

In November 2017, the Council of the Law Association called on Archie to respond to the allegation that he discussed the Judges' meeting with Johnson. (Excerpt from

Trinidad Guardian)

M

exican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday called the jail conditions of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman inhumane, while vowing to bring down violence stemming from drug violence by create a society less obsessed with material wealth.

Guzman will spend the rest of his days behind bars in the United States after a Judge sentenced him on Wednesday to life in prison plus 30 years. A jury found him guilty in February after an 11-week trial.

Lopez Obrador said at

his regular morning conference that sentences like the one for El Chapo – “a sentence for life in a hostile jail, hard, inhumane” – made a life no longer worth living.

As well as his concern for the infamous kingpin’s well-being, Lopez Obrador criticised the violence he wrought over his long career, and said society needed moral reforms.

“I also have many victims in mind,” he added.

“It’s something very painful.”

Lopez Obrador has created a new militarised Police force to bring down

D

stitutes the largest for one calendar month since August 2016, and also follows sharp year-on-year rises in May and June.

The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest and scientists consider its protection critical to the fight against climate change.

Environmentalists blame rising deforestation in Brazil on new President Jair Bolsonaro, whose policies and rhetoric favour development of the Amazon.

The President's office and the Ministry of the Environment did not immediately respond to requests for comment from

the Reuters news agency.

Last month, the South American bloc Mercosur, which includes Brazil, reached a free trade deal with the EU that includes environmental commitments.

That deal already faces a battle to be ratified by EU member states, whose farmers fear competition from Brazil's powerhouse farm sector – which they argue is subject to less stringent environmental requirements than those found in Europe.

Ireland's Parliament and Italy's Farm Minister have called for the deal to be blocked. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Caricom Commission on the Economy re-established

Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of Barbados on Investment and Financial Services, Professor Avinash Persaud

C

aricom has re-established a Caricom Commission on the Economy, with Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of Barbados on Investment and Financial Services, Professor Avinash Persaud, returning as its chairman.

Barbados’ Ambassador to Caricom, David Comissiong said that Professor Persaud presented an interim report at the recent 40th Regular Conference of Caricom Heads of Government in St Lucia, that gave broad outlines on how the

Commission identified the problems facing the Region, and what solutions they believed were appropriate for economic development.

“Professor Persaud was very clear that we now have to pursue a people-centred developmental model, where the emphasis will have to be on education, skills and innovation.

He was very clear that we have to take concrete measures to solve the problems of intra-regional transport, [and] freight, as well as people. And the fundamental thinking of the Commission is that we have to create greater access,” he said.

“The buzzword he used, or the central word was…’access for our people’…” (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

from Reuters)

Argentina brands Hezbollah terrorist organisation, freezes assets

Accelerating deforestation in Brazil endangers EU trade deal eforestation in the Amazon rainforest area of Brazil accelerated in the first half of July, outstripping the rate of deforestation during the entirety of the same month last year – and raising red flags for a regional trade deal with the European Union.

Over 1000 square kilometre of the jungle were cleared in the first 15 days of the month – already a 68 per cent increase from all of July 2018 – according to preliminary satellite data from Brazil's Staterun National Institute for Space Research.

The deforestation over the last few weeks con-

violence that has spiralled as cartels splinter and smaller groups fight for territory.

Last year, violence cost a record 33,000 lives.

Those numbers continued surging in the first six months of Lopez Obrador’s term in office, which began in December.

When asked whether he expected violence to rise further over coming weeks following the sentencing of El Chapo, Lopez Obrador said: “No, on the contrary.

We think that bit by bit the number of criminal incidents will decline.” (Excerpt

A banner reading "Memory and justice" and with the names of the victims of the 1994 bombing attack on the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) community centre is seen during the 25th anniversary of the attack, in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 18, 2019

A

rgentinian authorities designated Hezbollah, which it blames for two attacks on its soil, a terrorist organization on Thursday and ordered the freezing of the Lebanese Islamist group’s assets in the country.

The announcement coincided with a visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as Argentina marks the 25th anniversary of the deadly bombing of a Jewish

community centre in Buenos Aires in which 85 people died. Argentina blames Iran and Hezbollah for the attack. Both deny any responsibility.

Argentina also blames Hezbollah for an attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 that killed 29 people.

The Argentine Government’s Financial Information Unit, ordered the freezing of assets of

members of Hezbollah and the organisation a day after the country created a new list for people and entities linked to terrorism. The designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist group was the first by any Latin American country.

“At present, Hezbollah continues to represent a current threat to security and the integrity of the economic and financial order of the Argentine Republic,” the Unit said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on the move.

Last year, Argentina froze the assets of 14 members of the Barakat Clan, an extended family that officials say has close ties to Hezbollah.

US and Argentine officials say Hezbollah operates in what is known as the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, where an illicit economy funds its operations elsewhere. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Unemployment down in Jamaica

T

he Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is reporting further reduction in the unemployment rate to a new record low of 7.8 per cent.

STATIN’s April 2019 Labour Force Survey said the figure is two percentage points lower than the 9.8 per cent recorded for the corresponding period last year, and 0.2 per cent lower than the out-turn for January.

Director General Carol Coy said the number of unemployed persons as at April fell by 25,900 or 19.7 per cent to 105,900, relative to 2018.

She was speaking at STATIN’s quarterly briefing on Wednesday.

Coy said the male unemployment rate declined by 1.8 percentage points to 5.5 per cent, while the corresponding figure for females fell by 2.1 percentage points to 10.6 per cent.

“The number of unemployed males decreased by 13,000 to 39,900 in April 2019. Over the same period, the number of unemployed females was 65,600; this was a decline of 12,900,” the Director General outlined.

Additionally, she said the unemployment rate for youth, aged 14 to 24, fell by 6.4 percentage points from 25.9 per cent in April 2018, to 19.5 per cent this year “The unemployment rate for male youth declined by

6.4 percentage points to 14.5 per cent, while the rate for female youth declined by 6.6 percentage points to 25.8 per cent,” Coy said.

She pointed out that the overall employed labour force increased by 29,900 persons or 2.5 per cent to 1,244,500, over the 1,214,600 for April 2018.

Coy further indicated that the number of employed males rose by 18,200 persons to 691,500, while the number of females in jobs increased by 11,700 to 553,000.

The total labour force increased to 1,349,900 persons, which is 4000 more than 2018. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

guyanatimesgy.com

friday, JUly 19, 2019

17

Around the World

US shot down Iranian drone in Arson attack at Japan Strait of Hormuz, says Trump anime studio kills 33 A

P

resident Donald Trump has said the US Navy shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz.

He said the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship “took defensive action” on Thursday after the drone came within about 914 metres (1000 yards) of the vessel.

Iran said it had no information about losing a drone. In June, Iran downed a US military drone in the area.

Earlier, Tehran said it had seized a “foreign tanker” and its 12 crew on Sunday for smuggling fuel in the Gulf.

Iran has been blamed by the US for attacks on tankers since May in the world’s key shipping area. Tehran denies all the accusations.

The recent incidents have triggered fears of a military conflict in the region.

The USS Boxer “took defensive action” against the Iranian drone, President Donald Trump said

Speaking at the White House, Trump said: “I want to apprise everyone of an incident in the Strait of Hormuz today involving USS Boxer , a Navy amphibious assault ship.

“The Boxer took defensive action against an Iranian drone which had closed into a very, very near distance, approximately 1000 yards, ignoring multiple calls to stand down and was threatening the safety

of the ship and the ship’s crew. The drone was immediately destroyed.

“This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters. The United States reserves the right to defend our personnel, facilities, and interests.”

Washington earlier said Iran must immediately release the tanker it said it had seized. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Saudi Arabia defends letter backing China’s Xinjiang policy

S

audi Arabia on Thursday defended signing a letter along with 36 other countries in support of China’s policies in its western region of Xinjiang, where the United Nations says at least one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained.

China has been widely condemned for setting up detention complexes in remote Xinjiang. It describes them as “education training centres” helping to

stamp out extremism and give people new skills.

Last week nearly two dozen nations at the UN Human Rights Council wrote a letter calling on China to halt it mass detention. In response, Saudi Arabia, Russia and 35 other States wrote a letter commending what they called China’s remarkable achievements in the field of human rights.

When asked about Saudi’s support for the letter, Saudi UN Ambassador

Abdallah Al-Mouallimi told reporters in New York that the “letter talks about China’s developmental work, that’s all it talks about, it does not address anything else.”

“Nobody can be more concerned about the status of Muslims anywhere in the world than Saudi Arabia,” he said. “What we have said in that letter is that we support the developmental policies of China that have lifted people out of poverty.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

t least 33 people died and dozens were injured after a man set fire to an animation studio in the Japanese city of Kyoto, officials say.

Police said the 41-yearold suspect broke into the Kyoto Animation studio on Thursday morning and sprayed petrol before igniting it.

The suspect has been detained and was taken to hospital with injuries.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the incident was “too appalling for words” and offered condolences.

It is one of Japan’s worst mass casualty incidents since World War Two. Kyoto Animation, known as KyoAni, produces films and graphic novels, and is well regarded by fans for the quality of its productions.

The fire broke out at the three-storey building at about 10:30 local time (01:35 GMT) on Thursday. Rescue operations are still ongoing.

Police also found knives at the scene, say local media.

It took firefighters five hours to bring the blaze under control, reports said

Public broadcaster NHK said the man had been heard saying “drop dead” as he set fire to the building.

The suspect’s relationship with the company is unclear.

Eyewitnesses described a loud explosion followed by an inferno that rapidly engulfed the building.

“I saw some people with burns, covered with something. They were rushed to the ambulance,” one neighbour said.

The official, Kazuhiro

Hayashi, said most of the casualties had been on the stairs to the top floor, where they apparently collapsed trying to escape.

Firefighters said they had found 33 bodies, two on the first floor, 11 on the second floor and 20 on the stairs from the third floor to the top floor, he said.

Some 36 people are in hospital, some in a critical condition, reports say. About 70 people were in the building when the fire started.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

3 British Ministers set to resign if Johnson becomes PM – The Times

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hree British Cabinet Ministers are set to resign the day Boris Johnson, if as expected, becomes Britain’s next Prime Minister, The Times newspaper reported on Thursday.

British Justice Minister David Gauke is set to resign soon after Theresa May completes her Last Prime Minister’s questions next Wednesday, the newspaper reported on its website.

Philip Hammond, the country’s Finance Minister, and Rory Stewart, the International Development Minister, are also considering leaving before Johnson becomes Prime Minister, the report said. (Reuters)

Sudan protesters take over square where Bashir challenged uprising

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udanese demonstrators on Thursday rolled out a banner honouring fallen protesters over a square where ousted President Omar al-Bashir held a large rally in his final months in power, a symbolic move that left some in tears.

Thousands of demonstrators, mostly teenagers and people in their ear-

ly 20s, joined a rally in the square, which continued to grow into the late afternoon.

Protesters said they were renaming it from the Green Square to Freedom Square.

At the top of a two-tier concrete stand where only Bashir and his allies were once allowed to appear, young men covered a giant sign reading “The Green

Square” with a banner carrying the words: “Justice first ... loyalty to the revolution’s martyrs”.

The protest came as the military council and an alliance of protest and Opposition groups work to finalise a power-sharing deal for a three-year transition toward elections. (Excerpt

“Dosa King” Saravana Bhavan dies after medical plea rejected Yemenis die as UAE and Saudi withhold aid funds – UN T

he Indian owner of the global restaurant chain Saravana Bhavan, who was convicted of murder, has died at the age of 71, his lawyer says.

P Rajagopal died in a hospital in the south Indian city of Chennai nine days after the Supreme Court rejected his plea seeking bail on medical grounds.

He planned the murder of an employee, because he wanted to marry the man’s wife.

The popular chain has 80 outlets across the world and employs thousands.

Rajagopal had been battling to avoid jail since he was sentenced in 2009. But his final plea was rejected by the court on July 9.

He is reported to have suffered a heart attack in recent days.

He has been nicknamed the “Dosa King” after the South Indian dish which is

from Reuters)

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P Rajagopal, founder of the Saravana Bhavan chain, pictured on a menu at one of the restaurants

served at his restaurants.

There are branches in major global cities, including New York, London and Sydney.

The restaurant tycoon was reportedly determined to marry the wife of one of his employees, based on the advice of an astrologer.

In 2001, when the woman’s husband went missing,

she filed a Police complaint against Rajagopal. Her husband’s body was later found in a forest and Police confirmed that he had been strangled.

Rajagopal was embroiled in scandal in 2003 for attempting to bribe the woman and intimidating her family, which included assaulting her brother.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

emenis are dying from cholera, hunger and other ills because Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are not making good on funding pledges they made earlier this year, a top United Nations official warned on Thursday.

The UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, told the UN Security Council while most of the 40 countries that made pledges in February had stumped up aid cash, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh were holding out.

“Those who made the largest pledges – Yemen’s neighbours in the coalition – have so far paid only a modest proportion of what they

Cash shortfalls have left UN-backed aid teams unable to carry out vital aid work in Yemen [Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]

promised,” said Lowcock, referring to the coalition of the UAE, Saudi and others fighting in Yemen.

Governments promised a combined US$2.6 billion in February, including US$500 million each from mega-donors Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

Without that cash from the Gulf powers, the “response

plan is currently just 34 per cent funded”, said Lowcock.

Cash shortfalls have left UN-backed aid teams unable to carry out vital work in Yemen, where fighting has forced millions from their homes and left 24.1 million – more than twothirds of the population – in need of aid, said Lowcock.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

guyanatimesgy.com

and social services officer from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), was adjudged first runner-up and also won the prize for best gown, best talent and Miss Social Media.

Her gown was designed by Adena Thorne.

Theresa Moses, a costumer sales representative from New Amsterdam, took home the second runner-up title. Moses was also adjudged Miss Congeniality, Best Smile and Miss Entrepreneur.

The queen surrounded by other prize-winners The newly-crowned queen and in the pageant her court will undertake several projects over the next year and will wenty-two-year-old Journalist and radio announcer Denica Henry of Bloomfield be awareness ambassadors in their various Village, Corentyne was crowned communities.

The Miss Exquisitely Conscious Pageant Miss Exquisitely Conscious 2019 just after midnight on Sunday, July 14, 2019 at the New was conceptualised by Ronda Jonas, graduate senior mistress of the New Amsterdam Multilateral School auditorium.

Henry, a mental health advocate and Amsterdam Secondary School, second-year social work student at the who is the coordinator, manager University of Guyana, Tain Campus, is currently and director of the venture.

She is assisted by Shanelly Kendall employed at Little Rock Television Station (LRTV) Rock.FM Radio Station as the host of – an educator attached to the Berbice High School, pageant trainer and model – who, the popular Morning Spice programme.

She is also the President of the Central over the duration of eight weeks, trained the Corentyne Chamber of Commerce Youth delegates in the areas of walking, appropriate Arm; Youth Ambassador of the Rose Hall body language and posture, public speaking, Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC); and confidence-building, etc. The pageant caters to a public speaker who first participated in the women between 18 and 25 years old, married Miss Berbice “I’m a Big Deal” Pageant 2017, and unmarried, with and without children.

This year, the pageant’s theme was “Selfwhere she copped the Miss Congeniality and care: Green Environment plus Sustenance”, Best Body awards.

The packed audience watched as Henry which bridges care of oneself to the delivered consistently throughout the night sustainability of the environment and in the end, in addition to the crown, she through glamour. The delegates in was able to cop Best Creative Piece and the this year’s pageant each had one Miss Intelligence awards. Her creative piece wellness focus – environmental, depicted the giant anteater feeding in its spiritual, financial, occupational, natural habitat and was designed by Randy etc, and also chose an interesting local animal.

Madray.

The four other delegates were Nerissa Semple, a probation Cleyonne Harry, Carrey Hamid,

friDAY, July 19, 2019

Neomie Nelson, and Hannah Butchana. They each competed in the talent, creative wear, and intelligence segments.

The event was made possible via the support of Linda’s Restaurant from Linden, Fabulous Homes, Sentinel Security, C and K Pharmacy, Caribbean Nations Group, Streetwise Restaurant, Jermain Sri Paul, Natasha Pritwri, Natasha’s Photography, Catherine Archer, and Jean Rogers.

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fter its premiere on July 6, 2019 at the Mackenzie Sport Club Ground, “Mommy Baby, Daddy May Be”— a theatrical presentation – has found its way to the National Cultural Centre this weekend. It is a play that is transcendent and sparks the normal questions of sexism, ironically aimed at the males.

On Saturday, July 20, 16 comedians will cavort on the National Cultural Centre’s stage, living the over-the-top comedy beyond the fullest.

The production is written and directed by Michael James.

His hilarious satire is beautifully handled by Lois Moseley, the pregnant unfortunate lead character.

She is caught between Randy Johnson and Randy Gonsalves, two multi-talented young men worth paying double to see. Into the melee is thrown a cantankerous grandmother overcome by her self-righteousness. She turns everything on its head.

Granny Ivelaw plays his iconic character to the hilt. As if that was not enough, we have an undersized, egotistic pimp with a false accent, and a preacher who cannot attract anybody to his church and becomes progressively more desperate in his “laffable” quest.

The play comprises some of the most hilarious scenes, and it is one that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Tickets for the show cost $2000, $1500 and $1000 and are available at Nigel’s Supermarket and the National Cultural Centre box office. This is one play that you do not want to miss.

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Miss Exquisitely Conscious 2019 Denica Henry and Miss World Guyana Joylyn Conway

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n Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27, Berbicians are once again in for a treat as one of the biggest shows is heading their way.

The show titled “Dance Hall meet Chutney Fusion” is set for the Berbice Fun Park, Number Six Village and the Albion Community Centre Ground respectively.

The event is being promoted by Atiya’s Entertainment alongside Apache Waria, and includes some of the best in the local and regional music industry.

The cast for the show includes Guyana’s own international dancer Dheeraj Gayaram; Trinidad’s Chutney sensation, De Hunter; Kavita Ramkissoon; Soca Elvis; Awarak; Little Kris; former Guyanese Chutney Monarch Bunty Singh; K-Wida; Last King and Apache Waria.

There will also be other attractions such as dance routines from Brian, Berbice Delight Dance Troupe and others. The Heat Band from Suriname as well as the Bombastic Band will also be at the event.

Apart from the live performances, there will be a tassa competition where the winners will walk away with cash prizes.

The emcee for this grand affair will be radio personality Surida Nagreadi.

Music will be provided by Crown Vibes. Tickets cost $1500 in advance and $2000 at the gate. Kids’ tickets cost $800 and these will only be available at the gate on the two nights.

Tickets will be available at Berbice Fun Park; Andrew Electronica, Albion; Office Express, Portuguese Quarters; Little Rock Suites, New Amsterdam; Deckers, Skeldon and Ramnarine Shop, Number 52 Village. The event is made possible through a number of businesses including Banks DIH, Sterling Products, Sunita Travel Agency, Office Express, Deckers, and Little Rock Suites.

he Rotary Club of Demerara will be hosting its inaugural fundraising Scavenger Hunt & Bar-Be-Que on Sunday, July 28, 2019 at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) from 12:00h to 18:00h.

Each team will consist of no more than five persons. The hunt officially kicks off at 13:15h and ends at 16:15h.

Thereafter, judges will check in arriving teams, tally scores and announce all winners at 17:00h.

In addition, there will be a fundraising barbeque.

The team that comes in with the most points will win an aerial tour of Georgetown while the team that comes in second will win Go-Kart Track Time at GMR&SC and the third-place winner will get a dinner at Windjammer. There will also be consolation prizes.

The registration fee per team is $10,000.

All proceeds will go towards the work of the organisation to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio locally, regionally, and internationally.

Check-in, payment of registration fees and rules review will commence from 12:00h to 13:00h. Any team that comes after the check-in period will not be permitted to participate.

To register online, participants are asked to click on the link https://bit. ly/30vEExZ to go to the e-registration form.

Submission of e-registration forms must be done

by Saturday, July 27, 2019 by 16:00h.

Once registered, payment of fee can be made before the event to GMR&SC’s Office Manager or during the check-in period on the day of the event (this only applies to online registration).

On the other hand, participants can uplift a copy of the registration form from GMR&SC and return the completed form along with registration fee to GMR&SC’s Office Manager.

The event is made possible through Air Services Limited (ASL); the GMR&SC, Windjammer International Cuisine & Comfort Inn and others.

friday, JUly 19, 2019

Tour de France 2019: B

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Simon Yates claims maiden stage win

ritain’s Simon Yates claimed his maiden Tour de France stage win with a shrewd victory on stage 12.

Yates outsprinted Pello Bilbao and Gregor Muhlberger in a technical finish in Bagneres-de-Bigorre after the trio had broken clear with 32km remaining.

He has now won stages at all three Grand Tours, having previously won at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe retained the yellow jersey as he finished in the peloton, with Geraint Thomas second.

Defending champion Thomas is 72 seconds behind Alaphilippe but will have the opportunity to reduce that deficit in Friday’s 27km time trial in Pau. “I am very proud,” said Yates. “Hopefully there is more to come.”

Vuelta champion Yates is riding the Tour to help his twin brother Adam’s general classification ambitions.

However, after losing more than an hour in the overall standings during the first 10 stages the Mitchelton-Scott rider took his chance to claim individual glory.

“I’ve been saving energy until we got here in the mountains and this was the first chance to try something,” Yates added.

“Normally I would be back helping Adam but I had my own chance and grabbed it with both hands.”

Education First’s Simon Clarke led solo on the final climb of the day, La Hourquette d’Ancizan, before he was reeled in by Yates’ team-mate Matteo Trentin within 5km of the summit.

Yates bridged across with a select group from the remainder of a 40-man breakaway and dropped everyone except Muhlberger before Bilbao joined them near the top and the trio worked together to establish a decisive gap on the descent.

As they arrived in Bagneres-de-Bigorre, Yates initially held back before surging to the front for a near 90-degree left-hand turn with 150 metres to go and kicked again to hold off Bilbao - who Adam Yates picked for victory in his stage guide - with Muhlberger third.

“I wasn’t very confident of beating either of them as I didn’t know how fast they are,” said Simon Yates.

“But my director said I had to be in front coming round the last corner so I made sure I did that and thankfully held on to win.”

The peloton rolled in nine and minutes 35 seconds down on Yates, with none of the general classification contenders attempting any attacks before Friday’s time trial and two tough mountain stages at the weekend.

“We were expecting something to happen on the final climb but nothing materialised,” Thomas told ITV4.

“Everyone is mindful of the next three days, which are going to be big for the GC. I’ll go all out in the time trial and see where it puts me.”

World time trial champion Rohan Dennis, who had been one of the favourites for Friday’s stage, abandoned the Tour in mysterious circumstances with 80km to go on stage 12.

The Australian Bahrain-Merida rider would not speak to journalists at his team bus when asked why he had withdrawn.

“Our priority is the welfare of all our riders so we will launch an immediate investigation but we will not be commenting further until we have established what has happened to Rohan Dennis,” said Bahrain-Merida in a statement. (BBC Sport)

Stage 12 result

1. Simon Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) 4hrs 57mins 53secs 2. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Astana Pro Team) Same time 3. Gregor Muhlberger (Aut/BORA-hansgrohe)

4. Tiesj Benoot (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) +1min 28secs 5. Fabio Felline (Ita/Trek-Segafredo) Same time 6. Matteo Trentin (Ita/Mitchelton-Scott) 7. Oliver Naesen (Bel/AG2R La Mondiale) 8. Rui Costa (Por/UAE Team Emirates) 9. Simon Clarke (Aus/EF Education First) 10. Jasper Stuyven (Bel/Trek-Segafredo)

General classification after stage 12

1. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 52hrs 26mins 9secs 2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team INEOS) +1min 12secs 3. Egan Bernal (Col/Team INEOS) +1min 16secs 4. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Team Jumbo-Visma) +1min 27secs 5. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger/BORA-hansgrohe) +1min 45secs 6. Enric Mas (Spa/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +1min 46secs 7. Adam Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) +1min 47secs 8. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +2mins 4secs 9. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 9secs 10. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +2min 33secs

Simon Yates (centre) has stage wins in the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a Espana and now the Tour de France (Getty Images)

Guinness futsal invades National Cultural Centre Tarmac tonight

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ll roads tonight lead to the National Cultural Centre tarmac, where the group stage round in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Georgetown Championships commences.

In the opening matches, Rising Stars will do battle with North East La Penitence at 19:00hrs, while Charlotte Street will take on Albouystown ‘B’ at 19:30hrs and LA Ballers will oppose Broad Street from 20:00hrs.

In the fourth fixture, Leopold Street will match skills with Albouystown ‘A’ from 20:30hrs, while Tiger Bay will engage Future Stars at 21:00hrs, and Gold is Money will faceoff against John Street from 21:30hrs.

The final two matches of the night will pit Back Circle against Sophia from 22:00hrs, and Sparta Boss against Alexander Village from 22:30h According to an official release from the tournament coordinator Three Peat Promotions, “This year’s group stage round promises to be the most exciting and competitive in recent memory, as several high profile teams are pitted against each other. Most of the matches can be considered dream matchups, and as such, the fans will be treated to an outstanding level and quality of play heading into the knockout rounds.”

The release further said, “The respective fans and communities have descended on the venue in their numbers, and we are thankful for their unwavering support, which has aided the event in being considered a phenomenon.

Without their support alongside the backing of the players, the tournament would not be what it is today.”

The group stage, which will last for three nights, will end on July 26th. The top two finishers from each pool will advance to the quarterfinal and subsequent semi-final round on July 27th. The grand finale is pegged for August 3rd.

Winner of the event will collect $500,000 and the championship trophy, plus earn an automatic berth in the National Championships in August.

The second, third and fourth place finishers would cop $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding trophy.

The eight teams that fail to advance from the group round will contest the Guinness Plate Championship.

To date Beacons [Bartica Champion], Melanie ‘B’ [East Coast Demerara winner], Brothers United [West Bank Demerara/East Bank Demerara winner], Trafalgar [Berbice champion] and High Rollers [Linden champion] have secured automatic berths to the National Championships.

Complete fixtures for the group matches are featured below: Group Fixtures for opening nights: Friday 19th, National Cultural Centre North East vs Rising Stars -19:00hrs Charlotte St vs Albouystown ‘B’ -19:30hrs LA Ballers vs Broad Street -20:00hrs

A high level of competition is expected on the opening night

Leopold Street vs Albouystown ‘A’ - 20:30hrs Tiger Bay vs Future Stars -21:00hrs Gold is Money vs John Street - 21:30hrs Back Circle vs Sophia -22:00h Sparta Boss vs Alexander Village - 22:30hrs Saturday 20th, Berlin Tarmac LA Ballers vs John Street -19:00hrs

Tiger Bay vs Albouystown ‘A’ - 19:30hrs Alexander Village vs Albouystown ‘B’ 20:00hrs Back Circle vs Rising Stars -20:30hrs Leopold Street vs Future Stars - 21:00hrs North East vs Sophia -21:30hrs Sparta Boss vs Charlotte St -22:00hrs Gold is Money vs Broad Street - 22:30hrs

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

friday, JUly 19, 2019

Global brand MOTUL sponsors Seebarran and Vieira G

T Motorsports, through its line of MOTUL products, has thrown its support behind motor racers Raymond Seebarran and Matthew Vieira ahead of this weekend’s second round of the National Race of Champions, organised by the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club.

Marketing Consultant of GT Motorsports, Jennifer Cipriani, confirmed the alliance with the two young sportsmen on Thursday afternoon. They are said to be among the front-runners in their respective categories on Sunday at South Dakota Circuit.

Seebarran, the current points leader in the Street Tuner category, will also compete in the Sports Tuner division, while Vieira will be blazing the track in the Superbikes.

Cipriani has labelled MOTUL a trusted manufacturer of motor oil, lubricants and fluids. “An excellent brand,” she described it as she welcomed the duo onboard.

“It is our first major sponsorship in Guyana under the MOTUL brand. We’re pretty excited about this. We have lots in store for MOTUL and the brand coming up later in the year, but this is just the beginning of what we expect to be a great partnership,” Cipriani stated.

Seebarran expressed gratitude to MOTUL for the sponsorship, noting that he is preparing to defend his position at the top of the pile.

“It (sponsorship) is always important, because motor-racing all round the world is a very expensive sport, so when you get that support and that backing, you get to focus a lot more on your racing, your strategies and your output,” Seebarran explained.

Noting that there may a bit of pressure to perform, given his status as points leader, Seebarran said he is positive he would represent the brand well, come Sunday.

“They (the fans) always look forward to good driving from the white EP91 Starlet, so they can expect some good

pects of racing under a major global motorsports brand.

“It’s an honour to represent them in Guyana, and I look forward to making them proud,” Vieira said.

The former Caribbean champion noted that he is not daunted by the challenges put forward by his competitors, most of whom are looking to pip him to the line.

“My message to everybody else is that I’m coming hard too, and I hope you guys are ready for a big brawl on Sunday,” he stressed. “I got to defend my title as Superbike champion; I’m no pushover.”

Apart from the two racers, MOTUL would exclusively sponsor the Time Attack, which forms part of Sunday’s race programme.

Action will speed off at 09:00h, and admission to the venue is $1,000 for adults. Children under 12 would be admitted free.

About MOTUL and Motorsport

Marketing Consultant of GT Motorsports, Jennifer Cipriani making a presentation to Matthew Vieira

results,” Seebarran declared.

Vieira, powering the #48 bike, is excited about the pros-

Motorsport has been Motul’s prime creative and innovative laboratory since its first steps in racing disciplines in the 1950s. The company has therefore been a dedicated technical partner to the finest teams in history.

Motul has also developed strong technical agreements and cooperation with some of the world’s most quality-minded and reliable original equipment manufacturers: Honda HRC, Suzuki, Aprilia, MV Agusta, Nissan Nismo, Toyota and Subaru, as well as the most premium high performance engineering companies, such as Brabus and APR. A significant player in the motorsport world, Motul has built strong relationships with iconic organisations: International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA), and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO).

The Open 2019: Rory McIlroy’s Zimbabwe suspended by ICC over “Government interference” hopes in tatters after opening round

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imbabwe have been suspended from the ICC with immediate effect. ICC funding to Zimbabwe Cricket has been frozen, and representative teams from Zimbabwe will not be allowed to participate in any ICC events while under suspension, making Zimbabwe’s participation in the T20 World Cup Qualifier in October highly unlikely.

After several rounds of meetings in London this week, the ICC Board unanimously decided that Zimbabwe Cricket was in breach of Article 2.4 (c) and (d) of the ICC Constitution, and that the actions of the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) in suspending the board in June constituted government interference in Zimbabwe Cricket’s affairs.

“We do not take the decision to suspend a Member lightly, but we must keep our sport free from political interference,” ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar said. “What has happened in Zimbabwe is a serious breach of the ICC Constitution and we cannot allow it to continue unchecked.”

ESPNcricinfo understands that a major part of the ICC’s reasoning in blocking funds to ZC was that it was concerned the money might be diverted to the Zimbabwe government instead of being utilised for the development of cricket and the players.

Zimbabwe is in the midst of an economic crisis, with inflation figures increasing exponentially and price increases at a 10year high as government coffers empty.

According to an official who attended the meetings this week, since the ICC disburses funds in US dollars to member boards, it feared that the Zimbabwean government would seize the funds and hence the extreme step of barring ZC its funding had to be taken.

Zimbabwe’s sanctioning marks the very first time a Full Member has been suspended by the ICC - although Sri Lanka were warned in 2015 by the then ICC chief executive David Richardson that they were at risk of immediate sanction for government interference in their administration.

Various Associate Members are currently under suspension, including Nepal.

The ICC has directed that the ZC board originally elected in mid-June be reinstat-

ed to office within three months, and progress in this respect will be considered again at the next board meeting in October. “The ICC wants cricket to continue in Zimbabwe in accordance with the ICC Constitution,” Manohar added.

At least one member of that board will not be taking up a position, however, as Ed Rainsford, the former Zimbabwe fast bowler, released a statement on Thursday through his lawyers indicating that he would decline to accept his nomination.

Representatives from both the SRC and Zimbabwe Cricket were heard by the ICC Board this week. Dave Ellman-Brown, the chairman of the SRC-appointed interim committee and a former Zimbabwe Cricket Union chief executive, was in attendance in London, and Tavengwa Mukuhlani took part in the board meeting, seemingly in his official capacity.

Mukuhlani, who has played various administrative roles in Zimbabwean cricket at provincial and national level since 2004, had been re-elected as board chairman in those June elections. But that the elections took place at all marked the start of ZC’s conflict with the SRC - officially, at least.

Since then, Zimbabwean cricket has been in lockdown - and meltdown. Mukuhlani, acting managing director Givemore Makoni, and the entire board were suspended by the SRC and ZC’s offices were literally locked, with a police detail dispatched to guard the property, “to ensure that no assets or other documents, especially of a financial nature, left the premises,” according to SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa.

The ICC immediately froze Zimbabwe’s funding upon the suspension of the board in June, and as a result Zimbabwe’s women were unable to take part in a scheduled tour of Ireland. The men’s team, already in the middle of their tour of Netherlands and Ireland, completed their trip and have since returned to Zimbabwe.

A member of the touring squad confirmed that players had not been paid match fees or salaries for the tour, and that “everything” has been frozen. ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC will leave the question of player welfare to ZC while they are under suspension. (ESPN cricinfo)

Rory McIlroy chips from the rough at the first (Reuters)

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ory McIlroy made a quadruple bogey on the first hole and triple bogey at the last as his bid for a home Open victory at Royal Portrush was left in tatters.

The 2014 winner, playing in his home country of Northern Ireland, sent his first tee shot out of bounds and ended his round ingloriously.

McIlroy finished with a round of eightover-par 79 - 13 strokes behind American leader JB Holmes who shot 66.

Irishman Shane Lowry, the early leader, is second on four under.

World number one Brooks Koepka, seeking his fifth major since 2017, is among a pack of 13 two shots behind Holmes on three under.

Two-time runner-up Sergio Garcia and the English trio of Lee Westwood, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrell Hatton are in that group, as is New Zealander Ryan Fox, who recorded 29 coming in - the lowest total for a back nine in Open history.

England’s world number four Justin Rose is two under while American Jordan Spieth, who won this event in 2015, is on one under.

Two of golf’s roya l -

ty, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, face a fight to make the cut. Five-time major winner Mickelson, who won in 2013, is five over and Masters champion Tiger Woods is further adrift on seven over.

The three-time winner produced six bogeys and a double bogey in his round of 78, although retained his sense of humour on the 15th when he made an ironic gesture to the crowd after sinking his only birdie.

Woods, who has had a number of operations on his back, revealed he was “sore” during the round and would be receiving treatment before Friday’s play.

“I had a hard time moving and was just trying to piece together a swing that will get me around a golf course,” said the 43-yearold 15-time major winner.

“Then all of a sudden I made probably one of the best pars you’ve ever seen on one today. That was a pretty good start. But it was kind of downhill from there.

“I’m going to have days like this and I’ve got to fight through it. And I fought through it. Unfortunately, I did not post a very good score.”

Holmes, whose best Open finish was third in 2016, told Sky Sports: “Today I hit it really good off the tee. I hit it solid, didn’t get too aggressive and didn’t make dumb bogeys.

“It was a great day.” (BBC Sport)

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friday, JUly 19, 2019

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spirituality & ASTROLOGY

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power U-17 League – EBFA Leg…

Grove Hi Tech, Mocha Champs and Agricola Red Triangle are latest winners I n the latest round of matches in the East Bank Football Association leg of the GFF/ NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power U-17 League, Grove Hi Tech, Mocha Champs and Agricola Red Triangle were victorious.

Playing at the GFF Training Facility at Providence, East Bank Demerara, Grove romped to a comfortable 7-1 win over Diamond United Football Club on account of a double each from Devon Padmore (4th,33 rd), Rasheed Evans (7th,34th) and Samuel Garnett(11th,16th).

Grove’s other goal was scored by Solomon Ward in the 68th minute, while Diamond United’s consolation goal came off

the boot of Carlos Wilkie in the 45th minute.

Mocha Champs got past Friendship All Stars 4-1.

Goals came from Genesis Lewis in the 33rd minute, Yohance Porter in the 39th minute, Tyreece Prowell (45th) and Anthony Mc Rae in the 58th minute to secured Mocha’s win.

Friendship pulled one back through Stephon Harry in the 56th minute.

Agricola defeated Soesdyke Falcons 7-0.

Led by a brace each from Demanie Corte (18, 27), Floyd Boyce (33, 57) and Brion Lambert(40th,62nd).

Ryan Roberts converted the other goal in the 60th minute.

No matches would be played this weekend.

Demanie Corte (not in photo) scored Agricola’s opening goal against Soesdyke Falcons at the GFF Training Facility on Sunday afternoon last

Jai Signs and Auto Designs joins list Windies bowling legend Roberts not a of sponsors for Jefford Classic X fan of Holder captaincy

J

ai Signs and Auto Designs has joined a list of reputable sponsors to trump up support for the upcoming Jefford Track and Field Classic X, scheduled for Sunday August 11 at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden.

The support from Jai Signs will sponsor the Male Javelin event. Each event carries a total purse of $80,000, with the winner carrying home $40,000, second place

$25,000 and third place $15,000, along with memorabilia medals. A total of $2 million will be handed out directly to the athletes in Linden.

Founder of the Classic, Edison Jefford, has indicated that he would be sticking to that prize structure, since he has already secured the athletes’ prize monies. He said the athletes would collect their prizes immediately after each event.

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CEO of Jai Signs and Auto Designs, Jai Rampersaud (second left) handing over the sponsorship to Edison Jefford in the presence of other staff at the company's Independence Boulevard location

est Indies fast bowling legend Andy Roberts has blasted the captaincy of Jason Holder following a disappointing showing at the recently concluded ICC World Cup in England.

The regional team was tipped by a few pundits and fans to be capable of causing issues for the more fancied teams at the tournament but failed to live up to expectations.

The same could be said for the 27-year-old Holder who headed into the tournament in a rich vein of form but failed to deliver a telling performance. In his opinion, Roberts believes one of the biggest issues the team faced during the tournament was a lack of organisation and leadership.

“I don’t think too much of Jason Holder’s captaincy. He speaks well, but in terms of tactics on the field, I think he is found wanting and I don’t think he has the backroom staff. They weren’t experienced enough to help him so you have to look at a number of reasons why we did not go further in the tournament,” Roberts said in a radio interview.

“They had no plans because you had to have plan A, B, and then plan C; but their only plan was to bowl short and it showed throughout the entire tournament that they felt they could win based on the amount of – I can’t say fast bowlers – the amount of people they had with long run-ups and no head,” he added. (Sportsmax)

Divine Entertainment Summer Super Cup…

Milerock in must-win situation against Shattas

I

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

t’s a make-or-break night, this third night of the Divine Entertainment's Summer Super Cup football championship, which continues with another double-header card tonight (Friday) at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

Tonight's encounters will pit Milerock against Silver Shattas in a Group ‘D’ match-up from 19:00hrs, and that will be followed by a Group ‘B’ game involving Amelia's Ward Panthers colliding with Blueberry Hill United, from 21:00 hrs.

Milerock are ‘up against it’, coming off a 2-1 defeat to Botafago on Wednesday night when they faced the third team in their group, and must win against the Shattas if they hope to come out of that bracket.

Botafago were able to gain maximum points through first half goals by: Tyrese Davidson, who opened the scoring for Botafago in the 8th minute; and Jamal Haynes, who made it 2-0 as Botafago took advantage at lemon time 2-0.

Milerock were able to reduce that deficit when Colwyn Davidson netted in the 74th minute of play, but Botafago ran out winners by a 2-1 scoreline.

But, avoiding defeat, the Shattas could put themselves in a position to advance with one game to play, a toss-up against Botafago.

On Wednesday night also, Haynes and Lewis’ Winners Connection and Capital FC failed to gain full points, their game ending 1-1.

Cedric Hunte first put his Winners Connection team ahead in the 21st minute, but capitalising on a defensive error, Capital FC’s Emmanuel Atkins slotted home the equaliser in the 86th minute of play.

Amelia's Ward Panthers who, held Net Rockers to a 1-1 drawn when they clashed in a Group ‘B’ match, are hoping to get full points when they face Blueberry Hill United in game two.

Panthers would do well to win and hope that they can advance without a defeat, but Blueberry Hill are going to push for a win and try to dislodge Net Rockers in the other game of that group, in order to advance as the top team from their section.

Come Sunday, the continuation of the championship will see Topp XX against Coomacka in game one, and Haynes and Lewis Winners Connection oppose Hi Stars in the other match.

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friday, JUly 19, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championships…

Guyana looking to topple in-form St Lucia G

uyana’s Lady Jags female football team will be looking to overthrow table-toppers St Lucia in their highly anticipated Group ‘A’ matchup today at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, WCD. The action starts at 20:30 hrs.

Both Guyana and St Lucia have remained unbeaten in their group stage matches. St Lucia, having scored a total of 9 goals in their three matches, are standing on 9 points; while the Lady Jags, having played only two matches and scored a total of 4 goals, are standing on 6 points.

St Lucia have thus far played three matches, with their most recent being against Antigua and Barbuda, whom they overcame 3-1.

Having recorded two victories -- over Bermuda and

Antigua and Barbuda -Guyana’s Lady Jags sit in second spot on six points.

The St Lucia side have been heavily dependent on their captain, Krysan St Lewis, who has scored 5 of their 9 goals in the three matches. She scored 3 against Antigua and Barbuda, and 2 against Bermuda, but was unable to score against Suriname.

St Lewis’s team mates Tanika Bernard and Britanya St Prix have scored three and one goal respectively. St Lucia are heavily dependent on St Lewis, Bernard and St Prix to take them over the line, as these players have a total of 8 goals between them.

If Guyana are to contain and prevent these top St Lucians from scoring, the pressure will automatically mount on the remaining players, who have each failed

Drayton’s Chess Club and Scholastic Centre in final phase

to announce their presence in the qualification stage.

The Guyanese side is without a captain, as coach Ivan Joseph believes that every player on the team possesses individual leadership skills. Thus the pressure will not be on an individual player, as thus far seen in

Guyana’s two games.

In Guyana’s first game, goals were scored by Brianna Desa and Kianna Khedool; while, in the second game, goals were scored by Jenea Knight, who led them to victory with two goals.

If Guyana were to defeat St Lucia, they would auto-

of the Albion Cricket Club and develop programmes to attract young players to their membership.

On behalf of the Berbice Cricket Board and the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, Ms, where he serves as Secretary/ CEO, Foster donated trophies, medals, cricket balls, educational materials and scorebooks to the Albion Club, and presented special prizes to three players of the academy.

Young Berbice player Damian Cecil, whom Foster described as a future West Indies player, received a pair of batting pads.

Most Disciplined Player, N. Shiwpersaud, received two special prizes; while Most Promising Player, Tameshwar Mohamed, received an educational package and a bicycle.

The Club, Foster disclosed, will shortly receive more assistance in form of white shirts, water pitchers and youth information booklets.

The Albion Cricket Club has produced five Test cricketers in Sew Shivnarine, Narsingh Deonarine, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Devandra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul.

By Timothy Jaikarran

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Qualifiers will conclude on Sunday, July 21. The top three finishers of each group will advance to the knockout stage of the competition, joining the four teams that advanced from the qualifying stage.

Admission to all matches is free of charge.

Foster urges graduates of Albion CC to uphold Club’s rich tradition and make education a priority

FM Anthony Drayton imparting his knowledge to the future players of Guyana

hen this publication last met with FIDE Master Anthony Drayton, he was in the early stages of planning a summer programme under the name Drayton’s Chess Club and Scholastic Centre.

With the passage of time, the idea has become reality, and Drayton has indicated that the club would officially be opening for business in the near future.

Declaring that the club would soon be offering chess classes every Saturday and Sunday within the time span of 10:00 hrs and 14:00 hrs, Drayton also noted that the club would be available to members who are desirous of going there to play chess, or to practise with friends and have a fun time.

The FIDE Master also confided that after opening of the club, classes are confirmed to start two weeks later. He said Drayton’s Chess Club and Scholastic Centre would aim to bring focus and critical thinking strategies to young and old minds, while teaching discipline and organisational skills through chess training.

Being the only Guyanese player with a ranking above 2000, Anthony Drayton’s 2007 FIDE ranking is impressive among the many chess players in Guyana. By his FIDE ratings, Drayton is Guyana’s top player, and he has the highest ELO rating of 2030.

He attained the title of Candidate Master at the Chess Olympiad of 2014 Open, and FIDE Master at the 43rd World Chess Olympiad in 2018. The FIDE master, national instructor, national champion and national coach will also be hosting free classes at Drayton’s Chess Club for at least once a week.

When asked how the club can make a difference in the chess arena in Guyana, Drayton responded, “My club will aim to train hundreds or thousands of children in Guyana to play chess, so that we can create more innovative thinkers and competitive chess players to one day before the best Caribbean country in chess again. These classes will be mostly for persons or kids who want to learn how to play chess, from moving the pieces to mastering the opening. Chess tactics, strategies, and all the other stuff will come if they want to learn more about it.”

Interested individuals desiring further information are invited to check out the clubs Facebook page- Drayton’s Chess Club and Scholastic Centre, their email- anthonydrayton99@yahoo.com, or call 613-2083.

matically go to the top of Group ‘A’, while still having a final match to be played against Suriname on Sunday at 16:00h. ‘Group A’ consists of Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname and St. Lucia.

The CONCACAF Women’s Under-20

BCB President Hilbert Foster handing over a special prize to a graduate of the Albion Academy

P

resident of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), Hilbert Foster, last week urged 43 graduates of the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club’s annual cricket academy to work hard to uphold the high tradition of the prestigious club.

The Albion CC, founded over sixty years ago, has a sterling reputation of producing top class players for Berbice, Guyana, and the West Indies; thus the BCB President encouraged the players to follow in the footsteps of the Club’s legends.

As he has done widely since being elected President in February 2018, the hardworking Foster spoke at length on the importance of having an education, and pleaded with the academy’s participants to say in school and obtain a good education.

He said that, in today’s modern world, all sportsmen and sportswomen are expected to deal with the media, sponsors, agents and the general public. Natural talent could take a player only that far, while a good education would open doors of opportunity, as has been done for players like Darren Ganga, Ian Bishop, Brian Lara, Michael Holding and Jeffrey Dujon.

Foster also urged the players to develop a culture of hard work, discipline and dedication, respect for the elderly, and a love of making a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate than themselves.

Pledging the full support of his administration for the development of cricket at the junior level, Foster announced that, in 2019, the Berbice Cricket Board would host tournaments at the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21 and Under-23 levels; while he said numerous developmental programmes are being organized, including the Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh Coaching Programme and Annual Cricket Academy.

Having worked tirelessly to unite Berbice Cricket over the last eighteen months, Foster has hailed outstanding leadership of the Albion Cricket Club, and made special mention of persons like Vemen Walter, Orvin Mangru, O. Outar.

He urged sister clubs in Berbice to follow in the footsteps

33rd annual Sir Garfield Sobers Cricket Tournament…

Business School slump to 6th loss

T

he 33rd annual Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools Cricket tournament, currently being played in St Michael, Barbados, has seen the Business School record their 6th loss in their ‘Zone B’ campaign.

Playing against the Antigua Combined Schools on Wednesday, July 17, Guyana’s Business School again fell victim to unfamiliar conditions and were bowled out for less than 100, eventually losing the match by 7 wickets.

They have thus far registered a solitary win in the competition.

Sent in to bat and needing to capitalise on the full quota of their 40 overs, the Business School were in trouble from ball one, as they struggled to read the pitch and soon found their openers back in the pavilion, forcing their middle order to carry the bulk of the work in the game.

These were no match for the Antiguan side, who maintained a consistent line and length to bamboozle the Business School, dismissing the sorry side for 92 in 26.4 overs.

Top scoring for the Business School were Ushardeva Balgobin, with 19, and Andsugga Rodriguez, with 13.

The Antiguan wrecker was Tehrique Mason, who bagged 6-26.

Needing a simple target of 93 for victory off 240 balls, the Combined Schools comfortably played themselves in and added another victory to their tally. Their innings ended on 93-3 in 17 overs, as they made light work of the Guyanese bowling.

Top scoring for Antigua were Jahiem Africa, with an unbeaten 38; Michael Marcellin, with 20, and Asher Cornelius, with 11.

Andsugga Rodriguez picked up 2 wickets for 14 runs for the Guyanese side.

Lusignan Open 2019:

T

he Lusignan Golf Club is the place to be this weekend, as players and spectators prepare for the Lusignan Open 2019 tournament, first major two-day event of the year, and one in which all the top players in the country will compete for bragging rights.

This year, the Department of Tourism in the Ministry of Business, under leadership of its Director General Donald Sinclair, is the main sponsor of the Lusignan Open.

Sinclair has expressed his extreme happiness at being part of the tournament. He said, “With the sport of golf rising to national importance in the country, interest has grown in the game, and we now have excellent golfers who are able to perform credibly on the world stage.”

This event is in its second consecutive year of staging, after many years of absence from the LGC’s calendar of activities. Companies such as Macorp, ANSA McAL and Banks DIH, who have been staunch supporters of the event, are each again expected to play an important part in the staging of this tournament.

“This year promises to be a magnificent showdown, as many international golfers will challenge the

23

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friday, JUly 19, 2019

Top golfers expected to turn out to stake a claim

local players for the title of ‘best golfer in Guyana’,” LGC President Aleem Hussain has said. “This tournament will showcase the tremendous talent we have, and prepare our players for the Suriname Open in a few weeks.”

Under direct supervision of the LGC President, the grounds staff are racing to ensure the grounds are in top condition for the tournament. The weather seems to be cooperating, with brilliant sunshine rapidly drying out the damp areas of the course.

An interesting battle is anticipated when defending champion Avinash Persaud takes on Munaf Arjune, Chandra Lakeraj, Richard Haniff, Mike Mangal, Patrick Prasad, Kassim ‘Suga’ K h a n , Kevin and Sando

Dindanauth, and Aleem Hussain in a fight to retain his title.

There will be fierce competition in the other men’s flights, as the expectedly

numerous players jostle for positions in the winners’ circle. Play in the tournament is expected to be scintillating because of the anticipated presence of top players such as Troy Cadogan, Guillermo Escarraga, Miguel Oviedo, Angel Amaris, Mario Acuna, Jordi Pinol, Jeremy Fernandes, George Bulkan, Ivan Gavira, Mauro Gamargo-Ramiro, Aasrodeen Shaw, Carlos Carbo, Clifford Reis, Ian Gouveia, Imtiaz Subhan, Lekhnarine Shivraj, Mahindra “Rommel” Bhagwandin, Ayube Subhan, Mahindranauth Tewari, Maxim Mangra, Parmanand “Max” Persaud, Pur Persaud, Pope Emanuel London, Rabindranauth Persaud, Robert Hanoman, Maurice Solomon, William Walker, Brian Hackett, Jax Harry, Brian Glasford, Roy Cummings, Pandit Haresh Tiwari, Robin Tiwari, Paton George, Eon Blue, Kalyan Tiwari, Mike Guyadin, Lloyd Fung-A-Fat, Colin Ming, Carlos Adams, Rohan Albert, Hardeo ‘Curry’ Ganpat, Pastor Ragnauth, David Harry, Mark Lashley, and Gavin Todd; along with approximately 12 other local and international golfers who are expected to participate. It is also expected

that former LCG presidents Hilbert Shields, Jerome Khan and Oncar Ramroop will be competing in the Lusignan Open 2019.

Then, in what promises to be the largest and most competitive women’s field in a long time, 9-time Guyana Open Women’s Champion Christine Sukhram will make her first 2019 appearance in an effort to show that she is still the top woman golfer in the country; while former Guyana Open Women’s Champions Shanella Webster and Joaan Deo, along with Anasha Ally, Errin Mitchell, Kari Emhling and Eureka Giddings, will do their best to wrest top honours from the field.

Christine Sukhram, who has dominated the women’s field for many years, will be tested this year; but it is expected that her talent and ability would withstand the competition which will be coming from the former champions.

With lots of trophies provided by the sponsor of the event, beautiful weather and a well prepared ground, spectators are urged to come see the best golfers in Guyana showcase their individual talent, and learn just how intense the competition is in this amazing sport.

Competition starts early both on Saturday and Sunday, and spectators can join the players on the

course or for the presentation and celebration in the afternoons.

For more information on the game, tournament, activities etc., interested persons are invited to

9-time Guyana Open Women’s Champion Christine Sukhram will be in action

contact the Club at 220-5660, or visit their Facebook page lusignan golf club.

Captain Nedd confident in CWI’s Level 1 Coaching up and running at Providence Guyana U-19 core players

U

nder the supervision of Head Coach Julian Moore and Team Manager Andy Ramnarine, the Guyana Under-19 Team continue their intense training in camp at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence cricket facility at La B o n n e Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara.

This publication visited the team and spoke with Guyana U-19 captain Ashmead Nedd, who declared: “Well, it’s a very good unit. (With) approximately nine players coming back from last year, it’s already a core built.”

Nedd explained that currently 18 players are encamped for the Guyana U-19 Team, although only 14 are likely to travel to St Vincent and the Grenadines in the upcoming week.

As the only player in the Guyana U-19 Team to have participated in an ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup, Nedd told this reporter that he would be aiming to have a good tournament.

The 2019 CWI Regional U-19 tournament will be Nedd’s final year at youth cricket, and the confident skipper is eager to sign off on a high note. Reflecting on the 2019 Hand-in-Hand Inter-County tournament, Nedd declared it was not his best tournament.

“My performance was not (at) the best of my ability, but there are things that I have (gone) back and worked on, so I know what I have to do heading into the Regional U-19 tournament”, the experienced youth player added.

The Guyana U-19 team consists of four West Indies U-19 selectees: Ashmead Nedd, Kelvin Umroa, Kevlon Anderson and Sachin Singh, who had represented Guyana in the 2018 tournament in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Alex Algoo, Adrian Hinds, Yeudister Persaud, Qumar Torrington and Junior Sinclair had also represented Guyana in the tournament last year. They will be called upon to deliver the goods and share their knowledge and experience to the newcomers in the Guyana U-19 squad.

The 2019 edition of the CWI Regional tournament will be played in the OneDay 50-Over format only, and performances will be assessed for inclusion in the West Indies team that would feature in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2020.

(Brandon Corlette)

C

ricket West Indies’ (CWI’s) four-day Level One Coaching programme commenced on Thursday, July 18, at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, EBD with more than 30 participants present.

Among them are Guyana Jaguars captain Leon Johnson, former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, Travis Dowlin, and current Jaguars players Vishal Singh and Veerasammy Permaul.

Addressing the media on this opening day, Territorial Developmental Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart explained that the main aim of the programme is to expose participants to coaching methods at the CWI level. At the end of the programme, participants would have acquired knowledge of the CWI’s common approach to coaching in the Caribbean, and would be certified Level One coaches.

Stuart explained that most of these participants have already completed the CWI’s Coaching Foundation course held last month, and some had completed the foundation course back in 2015.

“After the Level One course, these participants will be able to carry out coaching duties at their re-

Territorial Developmental Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart

spective clubs and, further, study the Level Two Coaching course”, Stuart explained.

He further explained that the Level Two Coaching programme is more geared to qualify persons for national coaching duties.

“This Level One Coaching programme is more suitable for First Division coaching and age-group levels”, Stuart declared.

The CWI has had this coaching programme ongoing in various Caribbean countries since 2009.

Conducted by Kern Saunders of St Martin, this coaching programme is designed to produce individuals with the essential information to perform the role of a coach at the club level.

The full list of partic-

Travis Dowlin

ipants of this Level One Coaching programme are: Jitlal Jowharilall, Ravishwar Latif, Dhanpaul, Anthony D’ Andrade, Anil Persaud, Vishal Singh, Jermaine Neblett, Marvin Fitzalbert, Fitroy Culley, Kenroy Joseph, Debra Daniels, Darnell Douglas, Andrew Williams, Ameer Rahaman, Travis Dowlin, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Leon Johnson, Veerasammy Permaul, Steven Jacobs, Antony Adams, Akshaya Persaud, Keyron Fraser, Ryan Hercules, Clive Grimmond, Kwasi Maltay, Nadir Baksh, Gregory Crandon, Rayburn Gonsalves, Kumar Bishundial, Yeuraj Khemraj, Aditya Basdeo, Darien Best, David Baird, Kavita Yadram, and Subrina Munroe. (Brandon Corlette)

friday, JUly 19, 2019

Sports is no longer our game, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our business

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Global brand MOTUL sponsors Seebarran, Vieira Page 20

Captain Nedd confident of Guyana U-19 core players Page 23

Guinness futsal invades National Cultural Centre Tarmac tonight Page 19

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