Guyana Times, Wednesday July 10, 2019

Wildlife Commission warns of hefty fines, jail time for P14 illegal hunting

…calls on public to respect wildlife, territory Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3980

THE BEACON OF TRUTH WEDNEsday, july 10, 2019

PRICE

Appointment of GECOM Chairman

Opposition Leader set to submit formal list of 6 nominees

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Man found guilty of raping 6-year-old P8

See story on page 3

Bandits P10 caught after WBD robbery

…as President rejects 5 nominees, accepts 4 for consideration during informal process

Rule of law must prevail – PSC …Govt’s refusal to pay DIPCON cause for concern – GCCI See story on page 7

The canal in which Bryston Akrie drowned on Tuesday

Toddler drowns after slipping into canal See story on page 13

Gunmen allegedly confess to being paid to kill businessman, daughter Page 10

…4 in custody as Police probe ‘hit’ claim

Promoter jailed for cocaine P10 trafficking

Another P13 miner stabbed to death during drinking spree Prison P14 escapee confesses to raping elderly woman

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wednesday, JUly 10, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

news

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wednesday, JUly 10, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Appointment of GECOM Chairman

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

Wednesday, July 10 – 11:30h-13:00h and Thursday, July 11 – 12:30h-14:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, July 10 – 10:30h-12:00h and Thursday, July 11 – 11:40h-13:10h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers will prevail throughout the day into the evening, followed by partly cloudy skies. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 11:01h and 23:31h reaching maximum heights of 2.33 metres and 2.36 metres.

Low Tide: 16:58h reaching a minimum height of 0.89 metre.

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Opposition Leader set to

submit formal list of 6 nominees

…as President rejects 5 nominees, accepts 4 for consideration during informal process ously, but the determination

P

resident David Granger has rejected five of the 11 nominees submitted by the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for the post of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) during the informal process of consideration over the past two days.

This was disclosed by Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, who addressed media operatives on Tuesday following round two of the high-level talks at the Castellani House, Georgetown. The representatives of Opposition Leader Jagdeo were People’s Progressive Party (PPP) members Gail Teixeira, Anil Nandlall and Bishop Juan Edghill and President Granger’s representatives were Harmon, Volda Lawrence and Khemraj Ramjattan.

“There was a list of 11 names which was submitted by the Leader of the Opposition … the status is that five of those names were rejected with reasons given, two are still under active consideration and four of them, we’ve decided to go forward with a shortlisting of the four,” Harmon explained.

However, the names of those individuals rejected, as well as the shortlisted and under consideration ones were not revealed. According to Harmon, this was as a result of agreements made by both parties.

With the rejection of the five unnamed nominees, the Opposition team has since indicated that the Leader of the Opposition is committed to submitting another list of names to the President for consideration, if necessary.

“In addition they have indicated, that the Leader of the Opposition might very well bring some additional names … it is our hope that we bring this process to a conclusion before the end of this week,” the Director General pointed out.

When asked how serious the Government was on collaborating with the Opposition, given the fact that several names included in the President’s list of nominees were those of former People’s National Congress (PNC) affiliates, Harmon posited that all the names submitted so far were all being seriously considered.

“It’s a very serious consideration, all of the names are serious, these are people who have offered themselves for public service, these are citizens of quality and they have offered themselves to public service and it is now for the teams that are meeting to hammer out; in the hammering-out process, some will fall off and some will remain,” he stated.

Harmon further noted that when discussions be-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

tween the two sides continued on Thursday, the Opposition Leader was expected to provide his views on which of the eight nominees submitted by the President would make the final list Jagdeo would submit.

Serious consideration

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Jagdeo on Tuesday emphasised during a video address to the nation that the process currently being followed was an informal one. He said that he was prepared to consider the eight names President Granger supplied, to see which ones could potentially make it onto the list of six he has to submit.

“The formal process will be when I submit the six names to him. And this informal process is to see if we can find some commonality around names. So, the discretion remains that of the Leader of the Opposition, in accordance with our Constitution, to determine the final six,” the Opposition Leader said.

“So, I will treat the President’s suggestions seri-

will be mine, whether they will form part of the official list of six persons I submit to him,” Jagdeo added.

He also emphasised that moving ahead, the Constitution must be upheld. According to Jagdeo, he was hopeful that they continue moving forward with that understanding. He also shied away from criticising the President’s list of nominees.

“The eight names submitted by the President, I don’t have anything averse to say about those individuals. I do not want to engage in a public process of destroying people’s characters, President has made the suggestions in line with my letter and I am prepared to consider the names to see whether they will be included in my final six that I submit to him….the determination will be mine whether they will form part of the official list of six persons. ” The Opposition Leader first submitted a list of 11 nominees to President Granger. When the two teams met on Monday to discuss this list, the Government side submitted an informal list of its own, featuring several known PNC affiliates.

Jagdeo’s list comprises Retired Major General Joe Singh, who served as GECOM Chairman years ago; environmentalist Annette Arjoon-Martins, Retired Justice of Appeal BS Roy, businessman Captain Gerry Gouveia, Attorneyat-Law Kashir Khan, former Magistrate Krishnadatt Persaud, conflict resolution specialist Lawrence Latchmansingh; Retired

President David Granger

Major General Norman McLean, businessman Ramesh Dookhoo, Retired Puisne Judge William Ramlall and Onesi La Fleur.

On the other hand, President Granger’s informal list comprises Retired Justices James Patterson, Claudette La Bennett, and Stanley Moore as well as economist Aubrey Armstrong, Attorney Kesaundra Alves and former Solicitor General Kim Kyte. The President also proposed known PNC affiliates Stanley Ming (a former PNC parliamentarian) and Kads Khan.

Meanwhile, during an address to the nation on Tuesday, President Granger said that the Government side was adhering to the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and to the agreement with the Leader of the Opposition.

“The Government side remains committed to continuing the dialogue and concluding the selection process within days to enable the Elections Commission to function. Once done, Guyanese can expect credible elections in the shortest possible time,” he said.

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wednesday, JUly 10, 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

Humour abounds

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n its history thus far, Guyana has not been short of instances when it was either the center of jokes and/or brought embarrassment upon itself here and overseas. Many years ago, when basic food items were banned and with possible jailtime for possession, Guyanese traders defied the odds to bring such items and others to satisfy those who could have afforded while eked a living in the process.

It wasn’t easy or a pretty sight in the eyes of residents at some regional airports. Hardworking Guyanese were mocked and others at home scorned and laughed at simply because of being unable to freely access basic food items and for its dictatorial regime.

That disrespect wasn’t confined to the traders, but meted out to other Guyanese who traveled for other purposes. Guyana unfortunately became the joke of the Caribbean. There were other instances over time; the Jonestown and the 1997 post-election fiascos are just two.

As the country progressed and became the leading and shining light in the Caribbean, one would have expected that such unflattering incidents would stay buried in history. Sadly, history has a way of repeating itself.

The no-confidence motion (NCM) of December 21, 2018, reopened the door; more specifically, the subsequent actions of the current government. Having failed to abide with the constitutional requirements, it sought recourse in the court.

In the first instance, many saw it as a joke that the court was asked to rule or interpret something that seemed unambiguous.

Others felt that is was necessary is keeping legal recourse. In the end, the CCJ ruled and many still feel it was unnecessary as taxpayers’ money and time were expended to be told the obvious as stated in the constitution.

The CCJ’s hearings and ruling were broadcast live and available to all across the region. The presentations of the legal luminaries in such a high-profile case made viewing compelling. Much was said about some of the presentations, especially from the government side. Some of what was offered in defence, within the context of the matter before the CCJ, was deemed as uninspiring. In the process, humour could not have been suppressed.

The presentations in question may not have been an automatic booking by those seeking reprieve from daily stresses since the expectation would have been for legal representation par excellence. Ironically, therein probably lies the reason the exercise was seen as a joke; the government seemingly positioned the country to be given a public lesson on interpretation for something that appeared simple. In doing so, fodder for satire abounds.

But that’s not the end of what seems an ongoing encore.

Two days ago, media reports stated that the government, in its submission for consideration for the consequential orders, asked that the CCJ leave elections up to the Parliament, GECOM, the President and the Leader of the Opposition. Even a cursory glance at that request may be enough to evoke humour.

The most obvious question; how could that be the request now, seven months after the NCM given what is enshrined in the constitution? The constitution clearly states that a successful NCM leads to elections within ninety days; the President and the Cabinet shall resign. There is provision for the government to stay on to facilitate the elections. It means that GECOM has to be at the ready to facilitate elections within that constitutionally mandated timeframe.

The government refused to abide by the constitution and GECOM claims elections cannot be held before late November; almost a year after the passage of the NCM which the Speaker of the National Assembly upheld.

The President is steadfast that GECOM has to inform him when the elections are possible and only then can he announce a date.

At the most recent CCJ hearing, the GECOM’s lawyer stated that a new list can only be ready by December 25, 2019; now more than a year after the NCM. The Opposition Leader has been consistent that the elections be held within the ninety days mandated and allude to constitutional provisions for updating the voters’ list. Both the government and GECOM’s pronouncements have created a protracted timeframe way beyond what the constitution dictates. One can draw inferences.

Given what has played out so far, asking that the CCJ leave elections up to the Parliament, GECOM and the President primarily, would potentially lead to further delays. In reality, the CCJ is being asked to order something that should have been completed as of March 21, 2019; when the constitutionally ninety days expired.

The request seems a reservoir for more humour, however, and ironically, the government may have failed to see the joke, deliberately perhaps.

Two days ago, it submitted the names of eight persons for the GECOM’s Chairman; names that include one whose appointment was ruled unconstitutional by the CCJ and some with reportedly known political ties to the government and its main Party; the PNC. There seems no respite as humour abounds. That aside, there is the other matter of unnecessary embarrassment inflicted on the country and its people; and that’s no joke!

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) displaying artwork showcasing the diversity and beauty of Guyana’s culture (CJIA photo)

Venezuela: Health care collapses, pregnant women, girls bear brunt of crisis

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n Caracas's main maternity hospital, the blood banks and medicine cabinets are empty, the power and water regularly cut out – and women and girls are dying needlessly, according to one of the few remaining doctors, Luisangela Correa.

The surgeon is one of only three left at the Concepcion Palacios hospital in the Venezuelan capital, where the lifts and most toilets are closed and there are no bandages, sterilisers or X-ray services.

"We are like trapped, kept hostage by this situation ... hope is what keeps us here," Correa, 45, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"If we haven't left the hospital, it's because we hope that things will improve."

One in four has left

Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country to escape an economic and political crisis that has left about seven million – one in four – in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.

Its human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said last week after a three-day mission in March to the troubled South American country that Venezuela's health-care sector was in "critical condition".

A lack of basic medicine and equipment was "causing preventable deaths," she said – something Correa is witnessing at first hand.

Infection rates at the ma-

Venezuelan girls beg for change where Venezuelans cross illegally into Colombia near the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, April 14, 2019 (AP)

ternity hospital are high, because cleaners do not have disinfectants to wash away bacteria and there are no sterilisers for doctors to clean their equipment, she said.

"Currently, maternity is a risk for Venezuelan women, as it is for babies ... many give birth at home, in the street," Correa said.

"And there are no blood banks. Any complications from heavy bleeding is a very big risk of death for a patient."

Correa, the UN, and women's rights groups all said unsanitary hospital conditions, along with food and medical shortages, had led to a rise in maternal mortality rates.

UN findings disputed

The Venezuelan Government disputed the findings of the UN report and said in a written response that maternal mor-

tality rates had decreased by nearly 14 per cent between 2016 and 2018.

Venezuela's national health-care system, once considered a model for Latin America, is now plagued by shortages of imported drugs and thousands of doctors and nurses no longer show up for work, their salaries ravaged by inflation.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has said there is little need for humanitarian aid, blaming US sanctions for the oil-rich country's economic problems.

The US imposed tough sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry in January in an effort to oust Maduro in favour of Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó, who is recognised as Venezuela's rightful leader by more than 50 Governments.

“100% shortage”

CEPAZ, a coalition of

women's rights groups, has said Venezuela's maternal mortality rates have increased by 65 per cent from 2013 to 2016, with nearly 800 women dying.

Bachelet's report cited a national survey that showed 1557 people died owing to lack of supplies in hospitals between November 2018 and February 2019.

Correa said she was seeing more pregnant teenage girls seeking care, because they cannot find or afford contraception and do not receive sex education in schools.

According to the UN report, teenage pregnancies have risen by 65 per cent since 2015, and several cities in Venezuela face a "100 per cent shortage" of all types of contraception.

Strict abortion law

Owing to Venezuela's strict abortion law, which only allows the procedure under limited circumstances, some women and girls resort to unsafe abortions.

This has contributed to a rise in preventable maternal mortality, with about 20 per cent of maternal deaths reportedly linked to unsafe abortions, the UN said in its report.

Correa says she is determined to continue to speak out about the dire conditions in public hospitals and help women in need. "The only thing we have are the outcries and hope that this will change," she said. "My people, my country need me at this moment." (Reuters)

Guyana's PNC penchant for dictatorship

Dear Editor, The no-confidence vote toppled the David Granger Administration (APNU/ AFC Government); elections were supposed to be held within 90 days of the No-Confidence Motion with the Cabinet resigning

and acting as a caretaker Government.

The very fact that the Government has not resigned and elections have not been called within the stipulated timeframe is a gross violation of Guyana's Constitution.

All the shenanigans of going to the courts were just acts to extend the life of the APNU/AFC Government, much like awaiting GECOM’s readiness to call elections.

GECOM does not decide when elections are called.

Guyana currently has a dictatorship. Get up and fight for your rights Guyanese, before it is too late!

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, JUly 10, 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

Unilateralism in clear disregard for some GECOM Commissioners Dear Editor, The David Grangerled APNU/AFC coalition is continuing with the dodging manoeuvres, as they try desperately to delay the inevitable and urgent Regional and National Elections. So too, is the inclined Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), which seems to be unable to disassociate itself from the sleightful hands and ‘game playing’ influences left by the now removed Chairman, Ret’d Justice James Patterson.

Recently, public notices revealed that GECOM Secretariat secretly revised several Registration Divisions around the country.

Suddenly appearing in the Guyana Official Gazette are several GECOM Orders under the hands of James Patterson. In particular, Order Number 15 of 2019 dated May 15, 2019;

Order Number 24 of 2019 dated June 13, 2019, and Order Number 25 of 2019 dated June 14, 2019, seek to inform of a move by the Commission to sub-divide several long-standing and well-established electoral Divisions. It is of significance that GECOM operated these areas unchanged for decades, and these matters were never discussed in the meetings of the Commission.

The grave consequences of such unilateralism in clear disregard for at least some Commissioners, emphasises the sinister and lack of a transparent approach in Patterson’s biased behaviour. The man had been operating as a god unto himself, which is apparent due to the fact that GECOM made these orders well after March 21, 2019, and within the period of the CCJ considerations. It certainly

I still preach and will continue to do so

Dear Editor, “But I tell you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44 I pray for Mr Hamilton Green and his family that his remaining years on earth will be peaceful and that he would find the path that will lead to everlasting life.

It is with great pain that I write this letter to respond to gross inaccuracies and misrepresentations by Mr Hamilton Green in a section of the media. Out of respect for his age and my lifelong upbringing of respect for elders, I will not undress him publicly, but will merely state facts.

Fact 1 – I was consecrated as Guyana’s first Pentecostal Bishop on February 8, 1995, at a public ceremony held at the Square of the Revolution, which saw an assembly of more than 20,000 Guyanese, of which Mr Green himself was present. It was not done overseas as Mr Greene claims and I did not return to Guyana and announce my consecration.

Fact 2 – I did not attend the US Ambassador’s home, Mr Brent Hardt, when then Minister of Education, acting as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Priya Manickchand, delivered her speech, which he described as vulgar and outrageous. I believe that Mr Greene is battling with memory loss.

Fact 3 – At an International Inter-religious Federation for World Peace (IIFWP) meeting, held at the Georgetown Club, where Mr Green was a keynote speaker, he used the occasion, in the presence of dozens of religious leaders, to politically attack the then President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, about his unregistered marriage. He sought to engage me and I declined, relating to him

that should I speak, I would not speak selectively. He was obviously annoyed and continues to repeat and misrepresent what transpired. As I mentioned earlier, I believe the elderly gentleman is suffering from memory loss.

Fact 4 – The church building in D’Urban Street, known as Winner’s Cathedral, where I am the presiding prelate, was built during the years of 2001 to 2005, funded and supported by the members and friends of the congregation. Mr Green was an invited guest and in his capacity as then Mayor of Georgetown, he delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. As a resident of Lodge, Mr Green is aware of the hard work and sacrifices of the congregants in ensuring that this structure was erected.

Thank you, Mr Green, for admiring, even though awkwardly now, my leadership.

Just as a reminder, leadership is not only about doing extraordinary things but it mostly encouraging ordinary people to do extraordinary things. That was done in Lodge, Georgetown.

I reject any insinuation that the financing of this building was done “…compliments of a friend, who will be returning to Guyana under escort shortly”.

Fact 5 – For the benefit of Mr Green et al, I still preach and will continue to do so.

In closing, as a Bishop, I am duty-bound to be a priest, where I speak to God on behalf of the people in prayer; a Prophet, where I speak to the people the word of God and a King, where I rule with righteous judgement and in doing so, I deal with principles and not personalities. Jesus washed feet, not faces.

So, this is Juan Edghill and he will continue to let his light shine.

Yours faithfully, Juan A Edghill

smacks a similar disrespect shown by senior members of the Granger Government and the related or influenced unpardonable sins that the GECOM Secretariat continues to commit.

There were simply no consultations with relevant stakeholders in arriving at these decisions. The situation begs the question: what is the legal basis for these orders, particularly, since James Patterson placed them in the Gazette after December 21, 2018, and subsequent dates. It is imperative that all stakeholders in the upcoming General and Regional Elections have a thorough look at all the registration districts, registration areas, registration divisions and registration sub-divisions.

A careful look at the boundary maps now printed in the Official Gazette compared to what was there for many years is certainly a revelation and a recipe for serious manipulation of the next elections. For example: in the registration district for Region Four or the Demerara-Mahaica region, East Bank, Registration Division 412212 there were four sub-divisions. Namely, A, B, C and D. Currently, the

Official Gazette shows additions of two extra sub-divisions with the additional E, and F totalling six sub-divisions in the Mocha /Arcadia area. In Division 412234 there were five sub-divisions 412234 - A, B, C, D, and E, which is now increased to include sub-division F, based on the publication in the Official Gazette.

While these are only two of the numerous changes made around the country, the rippling effects will certainly now create serious questions and deep suspicion of what is taking place at GECOM. The splits are making possibilities of highly questionable gerrymandering. The new developments will lead to the putting together of new lists in all the sub-divisions, in alphabetical order most important is the six-digit number. The lists will have to be reflective of the specific locations and will lead to the difficult task of finding suitable polling places.

Further, it follows that for each polling place, GECOM will have to recruit additional polling day staff, which means extensions into additional training of a substantial amount of new staff. It has been reported that one family member of a big one

at GECOM has made public statements of looking for polling day places and that the costs in addition to the ‘drawbacks’ would be very high.

A careful look at the new sub-divisions is also a matter of serious concern, particularly when one looks at security and the locations. Access to some of these locations is worrying as in some instances, people will need 4x4 vehicles to reach. Others would necessitate the use of regular vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles, and to move by foot, boat or by air. In one specific area, stakeholders are questioning the situation of ingress and egress, gates, fence, doors along with emergency exits. Some areas are currently without electricity, phones and other needs and amenities, such as water and toilet and washrooms.

The usual squandermania situation at GECOM Secretariat suggests at these specific moves are designed to principally create the framework for the drawbacks, which represents the position, regardless of the numerous audit condemnations. It is all about thievery and profit for the boys and matters not about all of the confusion it creates.

While GECOM is involved in all these new arrangements, the NoConfidence Motion certainly must be followed by elections within ninety days and the Secretariat must not make it unnecessarily strenuous on political parties. The requirements must be in keeping with the arrangements that we had in 2011 and 2015, as the gerrymandering situation is some instances is clearly unacceptable.

Our columnists have observed the less than good faith approach advanced by President Granger in his submission of eight names for inclusion in the considerations for a new Chairman of GECOM. His meanderings even include removed octogenarian James Patterson, which speaks to the callous candour with which the President wants to treat the intelligence of the Guyanese people. Although he and his cabal are showing that they don’t care at all, it is all the more confirmation of the level of untrustworthiness in this cabal. The people of Guyana must remove this cancer from our presence.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Finding a suitable candidate for GECOM

Dear Editor, I see we are once again in the dispute on this important appointment, it should not be so.

It is important that we get a candidate that both parties can agree on, however, if that appointee has agreed on directions and formats that are mandatory for the appointment, then there are some very important factors that can guide the process and make the selection easier to both parties.

These are the methodologies which the new Commission will employ: their ability to manage such a large logistic undertaking strategically, and the admin-

istrative experience necessary, plus their willingness to use high tech ICT and communications to deliver initial results swiftly.

For too long, these necessary skill sets have been ignored in favour of political considerations. As Guyanese, we are fed up, we want credible, untainted and fair elections that are transparent and can withstand any scrutiny. With the use of technology, there is no reason this cannot be done within a 24-hour period subject to final verification, Claims and Objections.

There are persons inside and outside those names supplied that have these neces-

sary skill sets. What you don’t want is someone who does not possess these skills to ensure a transparent election, as every fumble is regarded with the deepest suspicion and can lead to distrust, riots and political instability.

Someone with a plan and the experience is what this coun-

try needs. Most in the list for both parties do not have the necessary capacity. Eliminate those, then work with who is left in the list that does.

With regards, Roy Beepat Chairman, Giftland Group

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wednESday, JUly 10, 2019

Page Foundation 6 ways for parents and Make like kids to have a stress-free a bird and summer

nest

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Say NO to commitments, camps and events you feel you SHOULD be doing, but are dragging you down

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hy do we think we can do it all? More importantly, why do we want to? Many families these days have two parents working full time, and our kid’s extracurricular schedules have never been more hectic. It is okay to say no. In fact, it may be the best thing you have ever done.

Those of us who overcommit do this to ourselves, and are often left feeling like an exhausted failure. Take charge of your life, say no, and jump off that crazy train of insane commitments.

Talk with your family and make sure you are all on the same page with this new plan.

Turn it off!

I know we’re all glued to our phones, computers and devices, but set aside time each day for a few hours that are device-free. In our house this means actually bringing phones, iPads, etc, into our office or another room or we will soon find ourselves on them. This

allows you to really engage with your kids and hear what they have to say.

Let’s face it, your kids and mine are pretty spectacular so let’s be present and enjoy them.

Use free stuff!

Libraries, parks, zoos, trails, museums and landmarks are fun! Take advantage of free local activities starting with your local library! Most area libraries have fun reading clubs and also post local events. Many museums, concerts and parks offer free passes or discounted tickets on certain days. Hop in the car for a day trip and create family memories. Show your children what history is all about and share these experiences with them.

Block it out!

Block out time on your calendar every week to just BE… no parties, no sporting events, no classes. These are days you as a family choose a fun activity. Try family game night, have your own “Cupcake Wars” or just live in the moment and hang out without any dis-

tractions.

Kick it old school!

Remember when you were a kid?

Somehow we all enjoyed summer swimming at the local pool, playing kick the can and searching for fire flies at night. Write down your top five favorite activities from when you were a kid and try to do all of them with your children this summer. Here is a list of some our favorites:

Lighten up!

Try these 6 ways for parents and kids to have a stress free summer and make memories to last a lifetime!

Our lives have become SO scheduled and hectic and oftentimes that leads to us becoming stubborn and rigid in our ways. But now that’s it’s summer and you’re trying to live stressfree, maybe it’s time to ease up a bit on bedtime; let the kids run around with messy hair and dirty feet. These are the things that make being a kid amazing and become childhood memories that will last a lifetime. (gethealthyu.com)

his is a great project that encourages kids to really think as animals do, and in the process, make something interesting. Ask your child how they think a bird makes its nest and see what she says. Then tell her you are going to be like birds today and make your own nests!

While exploring your own backyard, or a park, help your kid gather the items she thinks a bird would need to make a nest. These nests may not look pretty, but kids will understand how hard it is to create something out of what nature has to offer. If she asks for glue, don’t give in. This is a nature only project!

Sticks Grass Leaves Pine needles Newspaper Paper Pen or pencil

What you need:

What you do:

Ask your kid what she thinks goes into making a bird’s nest. Write the items down on a piece of paper. Encourage her to think outside the box.

If she suggests gum wrappers, for example, go with it.

Take her outside, either in the backyard or a park, and start scavenging for the items that she mentioned. Encourage her to think about what in nature is pliable, what it is sturdy, and what a bird has access to out in the wild.

Bring the items inside and place them on a newspaper (or, weather permitting, set up outdoors). Have your child try to manipulate the grass and twigs and other items into a bird’s nest shape. Tell her not to worry if doesn’t look like a nest. The idea is to get her thinking about what kinds of things would make a nest hold its shape.

Encourage her to weave items together, like grass. See if she can just use her two fingers, mimicking a bird’s beak, to get items to stick together.

To take this activity a step further, check out some books at your local library about birds native to your area. See what kinds of things they use to build a nest and how they put them together. Talk about why they build them high up in a tree and whether that is a key element to keeping the nest together.

Have your child display her nest outside in a tree. You never know, you might make a family of birds very happy to visit! (education. com)

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wedneSday, JUly 10, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Refusal to honour Court's judgement

Rule of law must prevail – PSC …Govt’s refusal to pay DIPCON cause for concern – GCCI

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he Government’s concerted efforts to avoid paying a construction company a Courtawarded judgement sends a bad signal to the private sector. This is according to the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Nicholas Boyer.

In an interview with this publication on Tuesday, Boyer said that more worrying than President David Granger’s decision to save his Finance Minister from jail over this unpaid judgement, is the fact that matters reached this far in the first place.

“I am worried about the

Jagdeo had also criticised the President’s intervention in a case between Finance Minister Winston Jordan and DIPCON Engineering.

According to Jagdeo, the President’s actions can send a signal that the terms of private contracts with the State can be broken. He also noted that it signals that if the Court issues against the State in commercial disputes, such orders can be ignored.

“We Guyanese, having observed President Granger in action over the past four years, have collectively come to the belief that on matters of policy and when dealing with evi-

PSC Chairman Gerry Gouveia

Revenue Authority (GRA), which sent DIPCON a letter ordering it to pay $527 Million in owed taxes.

According to the former President, this all sends a bad signal to investors and damage an already struggling investment climate.

Rule of law

From left: Finance Minister Winston Jordan and President David Granger

Government honouring its debts. That has impact for the business climate. Cause that tells you whether you should or shouldn’t give credit to the Government,” Boyer related.

He added that the payment or non-payment of a debt by the Government impacts their trustworthiness.

“Especially if you have to go to Court to get a judgement on it. And even when you get the judgement, they don’t pay,” Boyer added.

In a statement through social media on Monday, Opposition Leader Bharrat

dence of corruption by those within his Government, he is often unable to move with any sort of alacrity, that he is slow and aloof”.

“Today (Monday) he has shattered this belief by moving with lightning speed to thwart a Court order and (reprieve) Winston Jordan. Granger’s move to avert settlement on this instance should be contrasted against the multimillion-dollar settlements in matters which involved cronies of the APNU/AFC”.

Jagdeo also pointed to the use of the Guyana

Meanwhile, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) also said that it has observed, with great concern, the deliberate and repeated refusal on the part of the Government, to honour the judgement of the Court.

According to the PSC, the rule of law must prevail if business is to be conducted in Guyana with confidence in the Government’s

respect for the Judiciary and a separation of powers between the executive and Courts. It noted that the private sector must, at all times, be confident that the principles of sanctity of contracts reinforced by the independence of the Courts will be honoured by the State.

“The intervention of the President to protect the Minister of Finance from the law, rather than to encourage him to pay the amount owed and thereby follow the rule of law, sends a message that businesses and private investors can be wronged with impunity,” the PSC said.

The Commission also pointed out that in order for both “foreign and domestic investors to do business in our country with any degree of confidence, they must be confident that the rule of law, administered by an independent Judiciary, will, at all times, be upheld and respected by the Government of the day”.

Court judgement

Last month, High Court Judge Justice SewnarineBeharry had ordered Minister Jordan to pay DIPCON the US$2.2 Million award or face jail time. The

GCCI President Nicholas Boyer Trinidad-based construction company had taken the Finance Minister to Court for failing to honour the payment of millions of dollars, which was awarded to DIPCON by Justice Rishi Persaud in 2015.

After DIPCON took the Government to Court back in 2009 to recover monies owed for road works done, Justice Rishi Persaud had ordered Government to pay the company US$665,032.17 as payment for the works done, along with US$1,563,368.50 for costs it incurred for those works, together with interest on both amounts, at a rate of six per cent annum from February 10, 2009, to October 21, 2015, and thereafter at the rate of four per cent per annum until fully paid.

However, since none of

the payments they were owed were made, DIPCON had successfully approached the High Courts for an administrative order to compel the minister to make the payment.

On Friday, Justices Diana Insanally and Simone Morris-Ramlall threw out Jordan’s application, filed

by Attorney General Basil Williams, for a stay of the Court order. In their judgement, the judges expressed their view that his application had no merit.

Executive order

On Monday, the last day for Jordan to pay DIPCON the monies, the President came through with an executive order for a grant of respite shielding the Minister.

The President issued the order in keeping with his powers under article 188 of the Constitution.

According to the order, Jordan was granted his reprieve “until all appeals and remedies available to him and the State were exhausted”.

Article 188 (b) of the Constitution of Guyana says the President may “grant to any person a respite, either indefinite or for a specified period, of the execution of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence”. turn to page 9

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IN THE COURTS Man found guilty of raping 6-year-old

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12-member High Court jury on Tuesday returned a unanimous guilty verdict against Leon Albert for the rape of a six-year-old boy.

After almost two hours of deliberation, the verdict was returned and the indictment read that on June 9, 2012, in the county of Essequibo, Albert engaged in sexual activity with the child.

The now convicted rapist

Convicted: Leon Albert

was on trial at the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall.

Defence Attorney Maxwell McKay made an application for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing. The application was granted and Albert will make his next court appearance on September 5, 2019, for sentencing.

Additionally, a victim im-

pact statement presented by a senior probation officer on behalf of the victim revealed how troubled the incident had caused the victim to become.

“I feel betrayed and sad, thinking of it makes me angry and wish it never happen....I feel it all happened because of me,” the child said in the statement. The State’s case was presented by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy.

Vendor remanded for cannabis in bucket

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clothes vendor was remanded to prison on Tuesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for narcotics possession.

Thirty-year-old Shemroy Hackett of Lot 6 Beirut, East Coast Demerara, stood before Magistrate Ann McLennan and pled not guilty to the charge when it

was read to him.

The charge stated that on July 8, 2019, at the Bartica Police Station, he had 1184 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

According to the Police Prosecutor, Gordon Mansfield, ranks of the Bartica Police Station received information and upon following the lead, the ranks

stopped motorcar PPP 9109 and conducted a search. The court heard that the defendant was among two other passengers in the car.

During the search, ranks found a white plastic bucket and further inspection revealed a hidden compartment at the bottom, which contained a black plastic bag of cannabis. The defen-

dant was then arrested and taken into custody.

Prosecutor Mansfield objected to bail based on the evidence provided and he also stated that the defendant confessed to ranks that “he was trying a hustle”.

The matter was adjourned to August 2, 2019, and will continue at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

Same ole…

A

…recalcitrant PNC fter Granger finally condescended to meet the Opposition Leader to “hammer out” the selection of another GECOM Chair, your Eyewitness wrote the following: That’s a step forward, albeit a baby step.

After all, the term “hammering out” is very evocative, since it accurately reflects what’s going to happen over the next few days; analogous with beating a piece of metal until it becomes flat!!

That’s a whole lotta hammering!! Trust your Eyewitness, the process ain’t gonna be easy!! But it should have been since the OL threw the (caretaker) President a lollipop when he accepted, even before the meeting, that he was open to the latter making SUGGESTIONS on names he found acceptable. This move suggested that the OL saw the process as hammering swords into ploughshares, but your Eyewitness hopes the OL isn’t holding his breath. He might just asphyxiate!!

The PNC knows only one way to play politics – as a continuation of war by other means!! And with caretaker Granger, his Director General and his insider staff all from the Disciplined Forces, that shouldn’t be very hard— all they know is war!! Did you see the caretaker put on his game face at his press conference right after the Jagdeo meeting? Did you hear him still insisting he has always complied with the Constitution?? Yep!! Even after his GECOM pick was nixed by the CCJ!!

The OL revealed that he’ll start the hammering with names from the previous 3 lists who are still available to make up his six. Now since these were all rejected by caretaker Granger before, your Eyewitness doesn’t see him changing his mind now, since this would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had Patterson in mind from the word go and wasn’t prepared to follow the constitutional rules of the game.

Your Eyewitness therefore sees a phase two in which there will be the need for a second list, but he hopes the OL isn’t trusting enough to include any names the caretaker might’ve suggested. These will definitely be Manchurian candidates – sleepers to be “awakened” on the night of the elections!! But if the caretaker President rejects this list, the CCJ has ruled he’ll have to give reasons for doing so. And from his truculence at his presser, he ain’t giving no reasons!!”

Well, your Eyewitness isn’t one to say, “I told you so!”… he just wants to reiterate that when it comes to the PNC, it doesn’t take a genius to predict what they’ll do! So the submission of Granger’s 8 names isn’t surprising…it’s just his move to thumb his nose at the PPP, the spirit of the Constitution AND the CCJ!!

The man didn’t even LOOK at Jagdeo’s list!! … Contempt for Constitution Winston Jordan escaped being outfitted with that orange jumpsuit by the hair on his chinny chin chin!! He started to quiver and shake over what was in store for him at #12 Camp Street!! He screamed the Courts weren’t taking into consideration he was a ‘bureaucrat”!! Really??

Do bureaucrats run around the country screaming “WAR BREAK!!” to the political Opposition and threaten to go in the streets if the CCJ dare order elections in three months in accordance with the Constitution?

But then again, he was always PNC – like Granger admitted about himself when he was in the army – even though he was in the Budget Office during the PPP days.

And PNC people don’t only get “wuk” from PNC leaders – they get saved from jail!! Granger used his Prerogative of Mercy Power by Art 188 to stave off jail time until Jordan exhausts his legal appeals.

But ooops!!...he didn’t consult with the Council of the Prerogative of Mercy, according to Art 189!!

Get that jumpsuit ready!! …Patterson Remember the punch line from all those Freddy Krueger’s Friday 13th movies that scared the bejusus out of you?? He’s Baaaack!! Well your Eyewitness got his goosebumps raised when he read Granger’s list of 8.

Patterson’s baaack!!

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

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wednesday, JUly 10, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Oil and gas wealth

Govt rules out cash transfers from oil revenues

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n the wake of recent debate over whether cash transfers from the oil wealth to the ordinary public is feasible, Finance Minister Winston Jordan has poured cold water over the idea that everyone will benefit from cash transfers.

At an engagement with the media on Monday, Minister Jordan was asked about his views on the subject and said that targeted cash transfers aimed at the elderly and expanding existing cash grant facilities are a possibility.

“We have had direct cash transfers. It’s nothing new.

We’ve had it. But it’s always

been circumscribed. When I was growing up, if you went to the health centres on time you were given milk powder.

It’s not physical cash, but we didn’t pay for it. And it’s attached to something which says you must attend the clinic,” the Finance Minister said.

“Targeted transfers in that manner can be contemplated…similarly, targeted transfers to the elderly, the disabled, the disadvantaged that can be accommodated. We have a kind of cash transfer going on right now.

Our Sustainable Livelihoods and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED)

Programme is (made up of) completely grants”.

Jordan called the SLED Programme a mini Gaibank— a state owned bank that once offered loans and grants that persons who may otherwise not have been able to get from normal banks. While he noted that such matters have to be discussed at Cabinet first, Jordan did say widespread cash transfers are unlikely to find favour.

“If it’s a case where you’re saying everyone in the population should get a transfer of cash, I can tell you that will never fly… people don’t seem to remember

that of the monies coming, a part has to be saved for future generations. A part has to be saved to use as buffer, when the oil prices go down.

And a part has to be used for developmental and other activities”.

“What I don’t want to sell is that people can stay home and see a cheque arriving in the mail. I personally would be against such a move, even if we had the (money) for you to see a cheque arriving,” Jordan added.

Since ExxonMobil discovered oil, estimates have put the amount of money Guyana will earn in the range of billions of US dol-

lars. There have been questions over how this money will be spent to directly improve the lives of ordinary Guyanese.

Proposals have included the Government spending a percentage of the oil revenue on direct cash transfers to the people, whether conditional or not. One proponent of this has been economist Dr Clive Thomas, who has called for some of the oil wealth to go to households in Guyana.

Working People’s Alliance (WPA) executive Dr David Hinds has also said that his party will be pushing for cash transfers. But on

the other hand, the coalition Government (of which the WPA is a part) has been lukewarm to this idea. President David Granger, when asked about this proposal last year, had said there is “no evidential basis” for cash pay-outs.

Previously, the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration had implemented a direct cash transfer system in the form of the ‘Because We Care’ grant, which saw hundreds of thousands of households collecting a $10,000 education cash grant. The initiative was scrapped in 2015 when the new coalition Government entered office.

Michael Kingston earlier in the week stated that Khan would be treated like any other deportee who has been sent back to Guyana.

“Whatever matters, al-

legations have been made against him, those will be investigated. He will [be] treated like every other deportee that is being deported from the States. All deport-

ees coming in normally are escorted to CID headquarters,” the Crime Chief (ag) added.

Khan was sentenced in 2009 after he pleaded guilty

to arms trafficking, drug trafficking, conspiracy and witness tampering. He was nabbed in neighbouring Suriname back in June 2006 after fleeing Guyana.

Roger Khan released from US prison S

haheed “Roger” Khan has been released from prison on Monday and is now in custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as he awaits deportation to Guyana.

According to the ICE website, Khan is in custody at the Krome Detention Facility in Miami, Florida.

According to reports received, the process for deportation to Guyana has started and Khan is expected to arrive in Guyana soon.

Upon deportation, Khan will be escorted to Guyana by members of ICE and upon his arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, he will be handed over to local law enforcement authorities.

When contacted on Tuesday, a senior police rank attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) related that they were not in receipt of any information with re-

Shaheed “Roger” Khan

gard to the arrival of Khan.

He, nevertheless, explained that upon arrival in Guyana, Khan would be taken to the CID headquarters where he would be processed for reintegration into society.

Further, he noted that no clear indication was suggested that Khan would be arrested and grilled on crimes he allegedly committed while in Guyana.

Guyana Times has learnt that a close relative of Khan who resides in the US is in Guyana making arrangements for his arrival.

Acting Crime Chief

Rule of law..

Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s chambers has since filed an appeal of the full Court’s decision to reject their earlier attempts to stay the Court order. According to the appeal, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry “misdirected herself in a number of points when she rejected them”.

Among their contentions are a regurgitation of the previous arguments they made, which is that DIPCON’s Court action fell under public law and, therefore, Jordan should not be liable in his personal capacity.

Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy

Article 188 of the Constitution of Guyana empowers the President to grant to convicted persons a State pardon, either conditionally or otherwise, or grant a respite of the execution of the punishment imposed or substitute a less severe punishment.

However, he has to engage the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy

from page 7

under Article 189 before such action is taken. As a matter of fact, in an article published by the Ministry of the Presidency in 2016, it was pointed out that the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, under Article 189, is therefore mandated to advise the President.

In that article, President Granger is quoted as saying, “The exercise of the Prerogative of Mercy is not unfettered and under the Constitution…The powers I exercise under this part will be determined and guided by the advice of the Council.

I don’t have the opportunity to behave in an arbitrary or capricious manner…”

The Prerogative of Mercy is usually exercised in response to a petition from a convicted person or someone acting on their behalf and by constitutional convention on advice from the relevant Government Minister.

In Jordan’s case, it was not clear if President Granger engaged that council before invoking his executive powers on Monday.

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Better Hope robbery-murder

Gunmen allegedly confess to being paid to kill businessman, daughter …4 in custody as Police probe ‘hit’ claim

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s investigations into the gunning down of money changer, Aaron Latchman and his teenage daughter, Arianna Latchman, continue, members of the Major Crimes Unit have arrested four persons, who have since confessed their involvement in the murders but not before implicating a friend of the now dead man.

Based on information received, one of the gunmen was arrested at Front Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, after Police swooped down on a house there. After his arrest, he took the police to Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, and Parika, East Bank Essequibo, where the others were arrested.

The men have been identified by their aliases: “Rasta Man” of East La Penitence; “Marco” of Parika, EBE; “Red Man” of Sophia and “Julian” of East Ruimveldt,

The firearm has been sent for ballistic testing to ascertain whether it was the same firearm that was used to kill the America Street, Georgetown, moneychanger and his daughter.

Confession

Dead: Arianna Latchman

Georgetown.

Additionally, a motorcar used by the bandits that belonged to the dead businessman was found at Front Road, La Penitence. During a search of the vehicle, an illegal firearm and several rounds of ammunition were found.

However, after intense interrogation, the four men have confessed to the heinous crime while implicating an East Coast Demerara businessman.

They claimed that they were paid a handsome amount of money to kill the businessman and make it look like a robbery.

As such, the police have since launched a manhunt for the man, who might have had an issue with the now dead businessman over a money deal that went wrong.

All the men who were arrested are well known to the police since they were all previously charged for

Dead: Aaron Latchman

armed robbery.

It was reported that on June 4, the now dead businessman had dropped off his younger daughter to her lessons and upon his return at home, he was confronted by the two gunmen.

He was held at gunpoint and escorted to the upper flat of his home with his 18-year-old daughter.

Reports are that the teen was attacked and shot to her chest when the bandits

Bandits caught after WBD robbery

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oments after committing a robbery at Recht door Zee, West Bank Demerara, three bandits were nabbed while two remain on the run.

Based on information received, a woman of A Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was in the company of two others walking along Recht door Zee Public Road when they were attacked by five men who were armed with cutlasses and a handgun.

The woman was relieved of her jewellery, cash, and mobile phone. After committing the act, the men fled the scene. However, Police said that three of the men were arrested in La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, with the stolen items in their possession.

The nabbed bandits are residents of

The stolen items found in the bandits’ possession

Charlestown, Georgetown. Police are, however, on the hunt for the remaining two suspects as investigations con-

tinue. The three men in custody are being processed for court.

entered the house through the back door and began demanding cash.

They then escorted Latchman into the yard where they shot him multiple times before escaping with a bag of cash.

However, a source said that the elder Latchman fought with the bandits and managed to disarm one of them before he was shot.

The bandits quickly made good their escape in a white Toyota Carina 212 motorcar, leaving a trail of

money behind.

The man and his daughter were picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they were both pronounced dead on arrival.

The now dead man’s wife was not at home at the time of the incident.

She, nevertheless, turned up at the house and was inconsolable as she received the news of the deaths of her husband and daughter. The men are being prepared for court.

Promoter jailed for cocaine trafficking

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local party promoter, who was on remand for nine months for cocaine trafficking was on Tuesday sentenced to two years, three months’ imprisonment and fined $2.4 million.

Wyette Amsterdam known as “Legacy” of Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, was tried and found guilty of trafficking 1.160 kilograms of cocaine at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus after Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) prosecutors provided sufficient evidence.

The magistrate sentenced the man to three years’ imprisonment, however, since he spent nine months on remand, it was deducted from the sentence.

The thirty-one-yearold man had initially denied the charge which stated that on October 17, 2018, at Stabroek Market Square, in the vicinity of Lodge Bus Park, he had in his posses-

Wyette Amsterdam

sion 1.160 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

According to CANU’s case, ranks acting on information were watching Amsterdam for one month and on the day in question, the ranks intercepted him in the vicinity of Stabroek Market. A search was carried out and the narcotics along with $600,000 was discovered in a haversack that was on his back. He was then arrested and taken into custody.

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Toddler drowns after slipping into canal

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he motionless body of a 23-month-old boy was on Monday pulled from a trench close to his Berbice home moments after he disappeared.

Dead is Bryston Akrie of No. 52 Village Cortentyne, Berbice, whom might have slipped into the canal as he was making his way to join his other three siblings a short distance away. He was found floating face down by his mother, Patricia Devi, at about 15:00h.

When Guyana Times contacted the mother on Tuesday, she was at the time speaking with Police detectives who are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of the child.

She however explained that the child asked for some tea and as such, she left him with his grandmother as she went to the

The canal from which the child was pulled

The distraught mother standing in disbelief

kitchen. However, as she returned, she saw her mother fast asleep and the child was missing.

She explained that the child would normally go out to play with his siblings and thought that he was with them. It was not until one of

he… Meh mother and so start to help search but we nah see he,” she recalled.

She said that she decided to check around the canal where she was confronted by her biggest fear. Upon seeing the child in the water, she reportedly jumped overboard

her other children returned home that she realized that he never joined the others.

She said she frantically woke her mother and raised an alarm.

“Meh search all ova… upstairs, down stairs, in the back yard…and we nah see

and retrieved the child.

At that time, she recollected his body was pale and there were no movements or signs that he was alive.

Her father, who heard her screams as he was heading home from work, ran towards her and as he picked

up his grandson, he realized that the child was dead.

The mother, grieving the lost her last child, said that on his way to meet his siblings, he might have stopped by the canal to play with the water and it then slipped in.

“We carry he in the house, bathe he and change he clothes and by then the police come do them checks… we then carry he to the hospital mortuary,” the distraught woman added.

She further told Guyana Times that she and the father of her four children had separated three months ago and in order for her to take care of her children, she was forced to look for a job. She is presently employed with an aunt to clean fish glue. The other children are ages eight, six and four.

A Post-Mortem is expected to be performed shortly.

Another miner stabbed to death during drinking spree

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miner was stabbed to death in the wee hours of Tuesday while imbibing at the Puruni Landing, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Dead is 22-year-old Errol ‘Glasgow’ Thomas of Port Kaituma, North West District (NWD), Region One (Barima-Waini).

Reports are that between midnight and 02:30h, the victim and a group of men were imbibing at Purini Landing when an argument ensued between him and the suspect.

The argument escalated into a scuffle during which the suspect allegedly armed himself with a broken bottle and stabbed Thomas several time to his throat and neck.

Thomas reportedly collapsed and died almost immediately while the suspect escaped from the scene and went into hiding. Thomas’ body was taken to the Bartica Hospital Mortuary awaiting a Post-mortem.

The Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspect.

Over the past two

months, there has been an increase of murders in interior locations which would have stemmed from imbibing alcohol.

In May, 44-yearold Leavern Daniels of Princeville Mahdia, Region Eight, was stabbed to death during an argument over alcohol.

It was reported that on the day in question, Daniels and his friends were imbibing at a shop when the suspect approached their table and requested a portion of their alcohol but this request was denied.

At this time, the suspect became annoyed and threatened to kill the victim after which he left. Shortly afterwards, Daniels was on his way to his mining camp when he was attacked and stabbed to his abdomen by the suspect.

In June, 27-year-old Mark Jacobus, also called “Dove” of Aranaputa Valley,

North Rupununi, was stabbed and chopped about his body during a drinking spree.

In this case, the now dead man was imbibing alcohol with several others when an argument erupted between the suspect and him.

The argument quickly turned into a scuffle, during

which the suspect armed himself with a knife and stabbed Jacobus to his head.

Not satisfied, the suspect reportedly then chopped Jacobus to his neck, head and other parts of the body.

He was rushed to a health centre at 14 Miles Issano, where he succumbed while receiving medical attention.

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WEDNESday, JUly 10, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Wildlife Commission warns of hefty fines, jail time for illegal hunting …calls on public to respect wildlife, territory

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he Guyana Wildlife Conservation M a n a g e m e n t Commission (GWCMC) is urging members of the public and more specifically miners and those that encroach on the habitat of wildlife species to have respect for their territory.

The Wildlife Commission on Tuesday noted the importance of these wildlife species to the country’s ecosystem and highlighted the important role they play in Guyana being an eco-tourism destination.

The Commission made calls for those persons coming into contact with these species to ensure it is done in keeping with regulations governing our wild animals.

The Commission in collaboration with Assistant Professor of the University of Texas, Dr Anthony Cummings, hosted a sensitisation session for media operatives on Tuesday at the Environmental Protection Agency, discussing the “Human-Wildlife conflict”.

Legal officer and Attorney-at-Law Samuel

Glasgow of the GWCMC during the sensitisation session, cautioned persons of the penalties for illegal hunting and capturing of these wildlife species. He stressed the need for the public to realise that these creatures play an important role in our ecosystem and we continuously encroach on their habitat. “These species have a right to life. They have a right to live in their habitat and the GWCMC and Government found it important to put laws in place for the protection, the proper conservation and management of these wildlife species,” he said. Further, Glasgow pointed out that the Commission has a monitoring committee working to sensitise the public on how to treat the wildlife species.

Glasgow highlighted that there is a hefty fine and jail time attached to the reckless hunting and any type of unlawful interaction with these species, starting from $75000.

He pointed out that although there is no definitive figure available for reports

received by the Commission in this regard, there are daily reports of interaction of either these wild cats wandering out of their habitat in search of food or those of persons encroaching into their territory.

M e a n w h i l e , the Commission’s Communications Officer, Deuel Hughes, encouraged persons to “think like a jaguar” as this is necessary in order to coexist with them.

He urged the public to take into consideration the habitat of these wild cats and other endangered or protected species and be cautious when interacting or entering into their territory. As such, they are being encouraged to secure livestock and cattle to avoid them being hunted by these species. “The mentality of jaguars is to hunt and once food is easily available to them they are going to go after that source of food,” he said.

Only recently, the capturing of a jaguar at Lima Sands in Essequibo, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam),

created much controversy, after the animal was trapped and a fee was being charged to persons who wanted to view the animal.

In light of that incident, the Wildlife Commission reminded that persons who violate Section 69 of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, which speaks to the protection of these animals, are liable to pay a fine and up to three years’ imprisonment time.

The jaguar that was recently captured at Lima Sands, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam)

Prison escapee confesses to raping elderly woman

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Guilty of rape: Delon Blake

39-year-old resident of Kumuni Creek, Demerara River, West Bank Demerara, on Tuesday admitted to the offence of rape at the Demerara High Court.

Delon Blake appeared before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall and admitted that in July of 2017, he engaged in sexual penetration with a 76-year-old woman.

After his client admitted to the crime, Defence

Attorney Robindra Mohabir in an address to the court requested that a probation report be prepared before his client is sentenced. The application was granted and the convict will make his next court appearance on July 11, 2019, for sentencing. The State’s case was presented and led by Prosecutor Sarah Martin.

In October of 2017, Blake had managed to escape from prison but was later recaptured.

Man remanded for narcotics found in haversack

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37-year-old man was on Tuesday remanded to prison on a narcotics trafficking charge.

Paul Roberts, of Lot 99 Second Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, stood before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and denied the charge.

It is alleged that on July 6, 2019 at Third Avenue, Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), he had 468 grams of cannabis in

his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The prosecution is contending that the Police were on patrol when they saw Roberts acting in a suspicious manner and began to follow him. According to the prosecution, the Police followed him to a house and subsequently conducted a search on a green haversack that he had in his possession, discovering two parcels of cannabis taped

with brown scotch tape.

Ranks opened the parcels in his presence, and he claimed that he normally smoked and made tea of the illicit substance.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield objected to bail on the grounds of the prevalence of the offence and the penalty it attracts. The matter was adjourned to August 2, 2019 at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

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WEDNESday, JUly 10, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ramsammy’s Ruminations City Hall establishes APNU/AFC gone loony, insisting God anointed them in 2015

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he David Granger-led APNU/AFC has gone stark loony.

Scoundrels invariably discover God, but APNU/AFC claims they are God-anointed. This past week, Raphael Trotman, the former Minister of Natural Resources— who refuses to acknowledge he was fired along with his colleagues since December 21, 2018, the man who gave away our oil assets to EXXON – told people God appointed them in Government and God would ensure they win again. Desperation, the pathological fear to face the electorate, forced Trotman to define the narrative for the next elections as between God’s anointed and those who are the devil.

In his narrative, the leaders of APNU/AFC and their supporters are God-anointed and the PPP leaders and their supporters are the devil. That means, at least, if not more Dr Leslie Ramsammy than 50% of us, are damned

by God. It is a grievous insult to the majority of Guyanese.

The workers who lost their jobs, the small businesses struggling, those who are denied medicines, those who suffer from the daily blackouts, those farmers who endure unimaginable challenges, those whose lands were taken away, those who suffer from the mind-numbing corruption, those who fear for their lives because of spiralling crime, the closure of the estates, the children denied their $10,000 grants, etc., are because of God’s will, according to Trotman’s narrative.

Actually, none of this has anything to do with God – they are the consequences of APNU/AFC’s ineptitude, corruption and wickedness.

Trotman did not mention where God was just last November, during the Local Government Elections when the PPP won more than 66% of the votes and local Government seats available. Trotman did not mention his own party, the AFC, failed to win even one NDC or municipality. He did not mention the AFC failed to win even a total of ten seats from the almost 3,000 seats available throughout the country that is less than 0.01%. He never mentioned the disaster they lost in their own home villages. He did not explain where God was on December 21, 2018 when APNU/AFC lost the No-Confidence Vote, nor recently when the CCJ ruled against them on every issue. APNU/AFC lost their minds, gone loony, because of the No-Confidence Vote and rejection every day in the villages and during their expensive outreaches. While they demand “war”, people everywhere are “chasing” them away. No, they lost and will lose again, not because God is interfering, but because people are smart.

If they really believe they are chosen by God, why the morbid fear of constitutionally-mandated elections? They have ratcheted up their propaganda with the message voting against APNU/AFC is voting against God. In Goebbels-like propaganda through the DPI, Guyana Chronicle, NCN TV and Radio, they paint a picture of transformation of the economy and the infrastructure, transformation for workers and youth, transformation of the health and education sector, electricity and water and security. If they believe they have positively transformed Guyana and God has anointed them, why the lunatic tactics to avoid the elections?

They truly fear the people, God’s children, all of us. They know well that God’s children, in the end, will judge the performance of the Government, and will see the lunacy that pervades the country under a cabal only working for themselves. People are not fooled. The propaganda telling people thousands of jobs have been created cannot hide that 30,000 jobs have been lost, not only among people who voted for the PPP, but also among people who voted for APNU/AFC, believing the promises APNU/AFC will eliminate unemployment in Guyana. The propaganda will not hide the betrayal of workers who were promised fantastic salary increases, but were told after the cabinet took its own 50 to 100% increases they must wait until the country can afford to give them increases. The propaganda cannot hide the fear people live with daily as heinous crimes escalate to heights never imagined. The propaganda cannot hide the deplorable electricity condition in the country, with blackouts plaguing businesses and daily lives of citizens. The propaganda will not hide the horrendous deterioration in the health sector, where medicines are unavailable, where pregnant women fear for their lives, where children die of preventable causes every day. The propaganda cannot hide the increasing national debt from $US1.1B in 2015 to now $1.7B, while squandering the gold reserve from $25B in the Bank of Guyana at the end of 2014 to now almost zero and the National Reserve from almost $US700M to under $400M now. The propaganda cannot hide the rampant corruption.

God-fearing people know the Constitution is a guarantee of people’s rights. When the Government deliberately railroad the Constitution they are taking away people’s God-given rights.

The people’s rights include a free and fair election and the Constitution provides for them to change their Government.

That right was exercised through their representatives on December 21st, 2018 in Parliament. The Judicial system has affirmed the people’s rights were properly exercised that day.

Now they want to nominate and appoint the GECOM Chair by themselves and they insist the Court has no jurisdiction over them. With utter lunacy, APNU/AFC stubbornly resists the inevitable – facing an election – fearful not even God will save them.

restoration fund committee …as building continues to deteriorate

T

he Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on Monday moved a motion to see the establishment of a restoration fund committee to help fast track the rehabilitation process of the historic building.

According to the City’s Mayor, Ubraj Narine, every spark is the beginning to a fire, the same spark, he said, was lit during the Council’s statutory meeting, which saw nine committee members being elected.

He was keen to note during his remarks that this committee will be extended to include other stakeholders such as the Private Sector, the Chambers of Commerce, the National Trust, the Department of Tourism, civil society, and others.

“I believe this (building) is the eye of the City and we all, as Councillors, should work in this cohesive way to restore this historic building

of our nation,” Narine said.

Councillor Oscar Clarke suggested that the Mayor be Chairman over the committee of nine members, which comprises six councillors, two from each political party and three officers.

Meanwhile the Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore, reminded that the structure was decaying in front of councillors as he urged them to support the motion.

Further he said, “It’s one of those buildings that we use, but it’s now being abused and we got to do something about it. So we got to all take this very important decision to deal with this particular issue”.

The executives elected to serve were Mayor Ubraj Narine as Chairman, Deputy Town Clerk Sharon HarryMunroe as Secretary, and Councillors Deon Younge, Oscar Clarke, Eketa Edwards, and Michael Leonard. Deputy Mayor

Alfred Mentore, Acting Treasurer John Douglas and Deputy City Engineer (ag) Kenson Boston were also chosen to sit on the committee.

In February, the European Union (EU) handed over a document to the Mayor in relation to the restoration of City Hall’s deplorable structure and ways in which the space can be utilised to garner independent revenues.

EU Ambassador to Guyana Jernej Videti? made the presentation to the Mayor alongside Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentor.

Speaking with media operatives after discussions between the two parties, Videti? explained that some £280,000 was expended to craft the document, bringing new ideas to the restoration project. He noted that some plans include using the historic building as a tourism spot, where it can be booked

A section of the deplorable building

for special events to earn money.

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

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

Just recently, the Mayor himself had disclosed plans of relocating some staffers due to the leaking roofs.

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WEDNESday, JUly 10, 2019

Regional

Brazil: Amazon state's new law Argentine ex-President Fernando De La Rúa dies at 81 enables land thieves, critics say

F

ormer Argentine President Fernando De La Rúa, who quit office amid violent discontent, has died in Buenos Aires aged 81.

De La Rúa ran the country for just over a year, leaving in December 2001 at the height of the country's economic crisis with riots taking hold.

The country had four different presidents in the following two weeks.

The Telam state news agency said he died of cardiac problems and other complications.

The Government has declared three days of national mourning and President Mauricio Macri tweeted his condolences to De La Rúa's family.

A former lawyer and head of the Buenos Aires

Government, he was voted in to office on a campaign based around the slogan "I know I'm boring".

He modelled himself as a stark contrast to his predecessor, the flamboyant Carlos Menem, whom Argentines suspected of corruption and favouritism.

He did not belong to the polarising Peronist party, which dominated the trade unions, but was a member of the moderate Radical Party, only once before in power in recent history.

He was also not linked to the armed forces, who led a brutal dictatorship in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

He had distanced himself from that period by stepping down as a senator when the junta took over.

Argentina was experiencing a dire recession when

E

Fernando De La Rúa after being acquitted of bribery charges in 2013

De La Rúa took over.

He took office with a 75 per cent approval rating and promised economic revival.

But he was soon accused of being too passive and giving free rein to Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo, who is widely credited with making a bad situation even worse. (Excerpt from BBC News)

In blow to Mexican President, Finance Minister quits over economic “extremism”

M

exico’s moderate Finance Minister Carlos Urzua resigned on Tuesday with a letter that shocked markets by citing “extremism” in economic policy, before President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador quickly named a well-regarded Deputy Minister to replace him.

In the unusually strongly-worded resignation note made public on his Twitter account, Urzua said the Government was forming economic policy without sufficient foundation.

“I’m convinced that economic policy should always be evidence-based, careful of potential impacts and

free of extremism, either from the right or the left,” Urzua wrote.

“These convictions did not resonate during my tenure in this administration,” Urzua said.

He also said there were what he called conflicts of interest in the appointment of some Ministry officials imposed on him by influential members of the government. He did not give more details.

The Mexican peso fell over two per cent on the news and the benchmark stock index slid almost 1.5 per cent. Both recovered a little after Lopez Obrador quickly promoted Deputy Finance Minister Arturo

Herrera to the top job.

Well known to investors and seen as a competent economic manager, Herrera now has the task of reviving economic growth while meeting a one per cent primary budget surplus, kickstarting flagging investment and fending off downgrades from ratings agencies worried about indebted State oil company Pemex. “(Herrera) is a wellknown figure with good dialogue with market participants and is not perceived as a ... dogmatic individual,” said Alberto Ramos, head of Latin American research at Goldman Sachs.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

24 behind dictators' murder pact sentenced

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court in Italy has sentenced 24 South American ex-officials to life in prison for illegally detaining, torturing and killing hundreds of Opposition activists in the 1970s and 1980s.

Among the victims – who were killed as part of Operation Condor, a pact between South American military rulers – more than 20 were Italians.

Twenty-three of the 24 defendants were sentenced in absentia.

It is doubtful whether their countries of origin will extradite them.

Nevertheless, relatives of the victims welcomed the sentences handed out by the Court of Appeal in Rome as an acknowledgment of the crimes committed under military rule in Latin America.

The relatives had campaigned two decades ago to first bring a case for the 23 victims of Operation Condor who were Italian nationals, taking advantage of a law which allows the murders of

nvironmental groups have warned that new legislation passed by Para state government in Brazil's Amazon stands to benefit land thieves and could accelerate deforestation and rural conflicts.

Signed by Para Governor Helder Barbalho, the law was published in the state's official gazette on Tuesday.

Across Brazil's vast Amazon states, it's common for settlers to illegally occupy public lands in the hope of receiving future land titles. But Brenda Brito, a researcher at the Imazon institute, a Brazil-based research or-

ganisation, said the new law removes minimum requirements needed to stake property claims.

"Before, to make a public land claim you had to prove you lived there and farmed there. The new legislation does away with this," said Brito.

Without these minimum requirements, Brito said, third parties can plant employees on the land for them to occupy it for speculative purposes, which is common in Para.

"Those that invade public land, not with the objective to farm, but to sell it afterwards for profit, stand to benefit," she said.

Para is nearly twice the

size of France. It's an agricultural frontier state where cattle farmers and increasing numbers of soy producers co-exist, often uneasily, with Indigenous groups and forest conservation units.

Large-scale colonisation of the state began from the 1970s onward when Brazil's then-military Government encouraged landless families from across the country to migrate to the region. The process was chaotic: many families never received land titles while others abandoned their lands due to harsh conditions and debts. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Venezuela's Maduro “optimistic” as crisis talks resume

V

e n e z u e l a n President Nicolás Maduro said he was "optimistic" as talks between the Government and the Opposition to resolve the country's political crisis resumed on Monday.

The two sides have been engaged in a bitter power struggle since January and preliminary talks held in May in Oslo petered out without an agreement.

Maduro said a sixpoint agenda was being discussed at the meeting, which is being hosted by Barbados.

He did not give further details.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry is again acting as a mediator, as it did at the previous meeting in Oslo, but has so far only commented to confirm the meeting was taking place.

Maduro revealed that Monday's meeting lasted five hours. He also said he thought "a path to peace"

President Nicolas Maduro and Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó have been at loggerheads since January over who was the legitimate leader

could be found.

Juan Guaidó, the head of the Opposition-controlled National Assembly, laid out the Opposition's aim on Twitter on Sunday. The statement [in Spanish] said the goal was to "negotiate a way out from the dictatorship".

Guaidó and President Maduro have been at loggerheads since January, when the former invoked the Constitution and declared himself interim president, arguing that the elections which had re-

turned Mr Maduro to power for a second term in 2018 had not been free and fair.

Since then, more than 50 countries, including the United States and most nations in Latin America, have recognised Guaidó as Venezuela's legitimate leader.

But Venezuela's military – a powerful force in the country – and influential allies such as China and Russia have stuck by Maduro. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Tobago's non-traditional schools commended Archives discovered in Paraguay document the crimes carried out under Operation Condor

Italians abroad to be investigated and tried in Italy.

The two dozen men on trial were senior officials from Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay and included former military rulers. Among them were: General Luis García Meza, who ruled Bolivia from 1980 to 1981. He died on April 29, 2018 and General Francisco Morales Bermúdez, who ruled Peru from 1975 to 1980 Operation Condor was a campaign of State-sponsored terror organised by South American military rulers in the 1970s and 1980s. The US-

backed regimes conspired to hunt down, kidnap and kill political opponents across South America and beyond.

It was first devised in 1975 at a meeting of intelligence chiefs from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Operation Condor later came to include Brazil, and – in a more peripheral role – Ecuador and Peru.

Victims were kidnapped, tortured, forcibly disappeared and murdered with those targeted often snatched off the streets or taken from their homes. (Excerpt from BBC News)

T

obago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary and Secretary of Education, Innovation and Energy Kelvin Charles has congratulated Tobago’s “non-traditional” schools for their outstanding performance in this year’s Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam.

On Tuesday, Charles addressed Tobago’s ten extraordinary youngsters who topped the 2019 exam, during a recognition reception at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort.

The ten – Sebastian Rampersad, Daniella Taylor, Ashelle Melville, Brianna McPherson, Jaden Roberts, Kaelan Bynoe, Xhane Gray, Jade Llanos, Brandon-Mark Browne and Adanna Rodriguez – were honoured by the division by being showered with accolades and treated to breakfast.

The ten students come from schools such as Buccoo Government, Bethesda Government, Signal Hill Government, Belle Garden Anglican, Pentecostal Light and Life Foundation, St. Nicholas Private, as well as

the Tobago International Academy.

Charles said: “Perhaps I should also take this opportunity to congratulate what you may call the non-traditional schools being elevated. Without calling any names, there were some schools that we always used to hear their names, you didn’t hear it this year, and what that suggest is that others, the non-traditional schools, have been working hard, and perhaps those traditional schools became a little bit complacent... (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

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wednesday, JUly 10, 2019

17

Around the World

Nigeria: Parliament on India 'dosa king' to lockdown after shots fired begin life sentence

N

igeria's National Assembly was on lockdown on Tuesday after shots were fired outside during clashes between Police and a group of Shia Muslim protesters.

Police used tear gas on the protesters and smoke could be seen rising from the area.

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), a group that represents Nigeria's minority Shia Muslims, tried to enter the complex, sparking the confrontation

with Police.

IMN members protest regularly outside the National Assembly in the capital, Abuja, calling for the release of their leader, Ibrahim el-Zakzaky, who has been in detention since 2015.

According to Bafar, a 24-year-old student who was at the protest, trouble began when the group insisted on gaining access to the National Assembly premises to present their grievances to federal legislators.

"The security ... took our report to go and give the legislators but perhaps they refused to inform the legislators, or the legislators refused to respond. So, we decided to enter and submit it ourselves," Bafar, who gave only his first name for security reasons, told Al Jazeera.

"But they refused us and started spraying tear gas and shooting live bullets sporadically. I saw more than three people collapsing," he said.

Police said they had arrested 40 protesters during Tuesday's incident. The assembly remained on lockdown as of late afternoon.

Both sides blamed the other for the shooting. Police said officers had "used minimum force to disperse the unruly protesters."

In a statement, police said two officers were shot and wounded in the legs, and six other officers were injured by individuals using clubs and stones. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

UK lawmakers approve bid to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland

B

ritain’s Parliament voted on Tuesday in favour of a plan that would compel the Government to legalise same-sex marriage and extend abortion rights in Northern Ireland, if the province is unable to re-establish its own devolved Government.

The changes passed with a large majority in Parliament in London on Tuesday and turned a routine, technical piece of legislation into a vehicle that could enact major social reforms in Northern Ireland.

The province is the only part of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is not allowed, and laws there forbid abortion except where

Demonstrators participate in the ‘March For Marriage’, demanding equal marriage legislation in Northern Ireland, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, July 1, 2017

a mother’s life is at risk.

To the south, once staunchly conservative Ireland legalised same-sex marriage in 2015 and liberalised its abortion laws in a separate referendum last year.

The legislation has several stages to pass before it creates a legal duty on the British Government to amend Northern Ireland’s laws. That duty only comes into effect if the Northern Irish assembly, which col-

Eid, who worked in the high-end block of flats, had been called in to repair a damaged basin. He told French investigators he needed the pictures taken with his phone to carry out the work.

The princess, who denies the allegations and was not present in court, suspected Eid of planning to sell the photo of her apartment on the Avenue Foch, long a favourite destination for foreign mil-

lionaires in western Paris.

Eid, who was also not present in court, has said he was tied up and ordered to kiss the feet of the princess - who is believed to be in her 40s and is lionised in Saudi State-run media for charity work.

The repairman said he was then beaten up and had his tools confiscated during an ordeal that lasted several hours.

In an account given to

lapsed in 2017, has not been re-established by October 21.

Previous attempts to legislate for same-sex marriage have been blocked by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), a key ally of British Prime Minister Theresa May, despite opinion polls in recent years showing most in the region are in favour.

Last year, Britain’s Supreme Court found Northern Ireland’s strict abortion law was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights but said it did not have the powers to make a formal declaration that the law should be changed. (Excerpt

for murder

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

T

he owner of the global restaurant chain Saravana Bhavan has lost a last-ditch appeal to avoid a life sentence for murder.

P Rajagopal, 71, ordered the murder of an employee because he wanted to marry the man's wife.

He has been battling to avoid jail since he was sentenced in 2009. On Tuesday, he made a final plea on medical grounds but it was rejected.

Saravana Bhavan has 80 outlets across the world and employs thousands.

Rajagopal has been nicknamed the "dosa king" after the South Indian dish which is served at his restaurants.

There are branches in major cities such as 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.

"He was obsessed with

her," D Suresh Kumar, a local journalist, told AFP news agency.

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

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.

A local court first convicted Rajagopal in 2004 and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. But this was increased to life in prison by the High Court in Chennai in 2009.

In March, the murder conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court.

When his final appeal on medical grounds was rejected on Tuesday, he turned himself in at the court in Chennai. (Excerpt from BBC News)

from Reuters)

Kong extradition Saudi princess on trial in France for beating by bodyguard Hong bill “is dead”, says

A

sister of Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince went on trial on Tuesday in a French court over the alleged beating by her bodyguard of a labourer doing repairs on her luxury Paris apartment.

She stands accused in absentia of ordering her bodyguard, who is also charged, to beat up Ashraf Eid after he was seen taking a photo inside her home in September 2016.

Le Point news magazine in France, Eid reported the princess shouted: "kill him, the dog, he doesn't deserve to live".

The princess - believed to have returned to Saudi Arabia - is subject to an arrest warrant issued in France in March 2018. She was charged with complicity in armed violence, complicity in holding someone against their will, and theft. (Excerpt from

Al Jazeera)

Trump blasts 'foolish' UK PM May and her 'wacky' envoy over leaked memos

U

S President Donald Trump lashed out at “foolish” British Prime Minister Theresa May and her “wacky” Washington ambassador on Tuesday, stepping up a tirade against a close ally whose envoy had branded his Administration inept.

May has given her full support to Washington envoy Kim Darroch after he described Trump’s Administration as “dysfunctional” and “diplomatically clumsy and inept” in memos that were leaked to a British newspaper on Sunday.

While Ministers and May’s spokesman have stated the leaked cables

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump attend a joint news conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in London, Britain June 4, 2019

were only a partial reflection of Darroch’s assessments and did not reflect the Government’s views, they have infuriated Trump who fired off a second series of scathing tweets.

“The wacky Ambassador

that the UK foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy,” Trump wrote, describing Darroch as a “pompous fool”.

“He should speak to his country, and Prime Minister

May, about their failed Brexit negotiation, and not be upset with my criticism of how badly it was handled. I told @theresa_may how to do that deal, but she went her own foolish way - was unable to get it done. A disaster!”

May is due to leave office this month and has previously clashed with Trump over issues from Muslim relations to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

However, the timing of the discord comes as Britain is hoping to strike a major trade deal with its closest ally after it leaves the European Union, an exit scheduled for October 31.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Carrie Lam

H

ong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said the controversial bill that would have allowed extradition to the Chinese mainland "is dead".

At a press conference on Tuesday, Lam said the Government's work on the bill had been a "total failure".

But she stopped short of saying it had been fully withdrawn, and protesters have vowed to continue mass rallies.

The bill sparked weeks of unrest in the city and the Government had already suspended it indefinitely.

"But there are still lingering doubts about the Government's sincerity or worries whether the Government will restart the process in the Legislative Council," Lam told reporters.

"So I reiterate here, there is no such plan. The bill is dead."

Protest leaders have reacted angrily to Lam's latest attempt to placate them.

Bonnie Leung of the Civil Human Rights Front, which has organised demonstrations, said further protests would be held until the Hong Kong Government meets

Carrie Lam said there is "no such plan" for the controversial extradition bill

five key demands. These include the full withdrawal of the bill and the dropping of charges against those detained during recent protests.

One of the leading figures of the protest movement, student activist Joshua Wong, reiterated the demand for the bill to be "formally withdrawn" and accused Lam of using wordplay to "lie to the people of Hong Kong".

Critics of the legislation argue it would undermine the territory's judicial independence and could be used to target those who speak out against the Chinese Government.

Demonstrations continued even after the Government had suspended the proposed bill in midJune, with several protests turning violent. (Excerpt from BBC News)

18

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wednesday, JUly 10, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Look at every situation open-mindedly. How you come to a decision and carry out your plans should also include how others will be influenced by your actions.

Test your thoughts and TAURUS ideas on others. Sharing (April 20with a close friend or relMay 20) ative will help you decide what’s doable and what isn’t. Constructive criticism should be valued, not shunned.

dilbert

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Past experiences will help you recognise what’s right for you and what isn’t.

Make changes based on facts and on what you need, not on what someone tells you.

CANCER

Help others and you will find joy in giving. The connections you make will encourage you to socialise more. Love and romance are on the rise, and new beginnings look promising.

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Don’t let your ego get in the way. Emotional matters will surface if you are too quick to judge and act in haste. Concentrate on personal growth, not on changing others.

Spend time updating VIRGO your qualifications, appear(Aug. 23ance and important relationSept. 22) ships. Attend functions and network with your peers. If you show interest in others, you’ll gain respect.

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Take in information before you get into a discussion with someone who thinks differently than you. Get your facts straight and have your thoughts in place. Preparation will make a difference.

Let your actions be your voice. It’s what you do and how you treat someone that will make a difference. Don’t force change on others when you can coax them with incentives, kindness and love.

Don’t be tempted by a false SAGITTARIUS impression that someone’s (Nov. 23- peddling. If you consider the Dec. 21) logistics of what’s being said or suggested, you’ll realise the risks involved. Use your intelligence to combat fabrication.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Focus on your target.

Dismiss emotions that could stand in your way. Show confidence and make the changes you deem necessary. Celebrate your victory with a loved one.

Stick to the basics and don’t make a hasty decision. Give yourself enough time to adjust to what’s going on and to react without letting your emotions get in the way.

Sign up, get started and do whatever it takes to bring about the changes necessary to fulfil your dream. Much can be accomplished if you dig in and make things happen.

WEDNesday, JUly 10, 2019

19

Federer & Nadal aim for Wimbledon rematch on quarter-finals day

R

oger Federer and Rafael Nadal will try to tee up their first Wimbledon meeting since the epic 2008 final when they headline the men’s quarter-finals.

Eight-time champion Federer plays Japan’s eighth seed Kei Nishikori second on Centre Court on Wednesday.

Top seed Novak Djokovic opens on the main show court against Belgium’s 21st seed David Goffin at 13:00 BST. Nadal faces American Sam Querrey on Court One after fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut takes on Guido Pella.

In the mixed doubles, Andy Murray and Serena Williams will be third on Court Two for their last-16 match against top seeds Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar.

Federer, who turns 38 next month, is the oldest player in a last-eight lineup featuring five players aged over 30, while Nishikori and Goffin are the youngest men left in the draw at the age of 28.

The Swiss great is the oldest men’s quarter-finalist at the All England Club since American Jimmy Connors in 1991.

Wimbledon title and her first Grand Slam title since January 2017.

“It was really satisfying,” the 37-year-old told the BBC. “I wouldn’t have won that match a couple of weeks ago. I’m glad I was able to come through.

She was honestly playing amazing, she beat so many great players. “I was really pumped, it was for a place in the semis at Wimbledon and that doesn’t happen every day. It’s a long, arduous road.”

Serena beats Riske to reach semi-finals Serena Williams battled past American compatriot Alison Riske despite a sluggish performance to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion beat Riske 6-4 4-6 6-3 to set up a last four meeting with Czech Barbora Strycova, who defeated Britain’s Johanna Konta.

Williams is chasing her eighth

Tour de France:

Halep through…

Seventh seed Simona Halep is through to the semi-finals at Wimbledon

Serena Williams and Andy Murray will play the No 1 seeds, Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar, after victroy in the second round of the Wimbledon mixed doubles

E

out Alexander Kristoff and Caleb Ewan.

The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider, 30, who won omnium gold at the 2016 Olympics, is riding in his second Tour.

Defending champion Geraint Thomas stays seventh overall, 45 seconds

Svitolina was initially on the defensive, losing her first two service games as she slipped 5-2 adrift in the opening set.

However, she converted her fifth break point in a marathon 11th game to move 6-5 ahead before serving out.

Muchova, ranked 60 places below her opponent, made early inroads in the second set, but could not maintain her level and Svitolina, watched by partner and men’s world number 15 Gael Monfils, sealed her win with powerful serve out wide.

Williams & Murray wow again…

Andy Murray and Serena Williams wowed Wimbledon again as their box office partnership continued with another straight-set win in the mixed doubles.

Britain’s Murray, 32, and American Williams, 37, moved into the last 16 with a 7-5 6-3 win over 14th seeds Fabrice Martin and Raquel Atawo.

Williams produced ruthless returning to win crucial break points in each set.

They now play top seeds Bruno Soares - the former men’s partner of Murray’s brother Jamie and Nicole Melichar.

“We’re in the groove of things so it’s feeling good,” Williams said. “I’m having a blast, it has been really fun and it’s a great atmosphere playing out there with Andy.”

Murray added: “She returned brilliantly especially at the end of the first set, and the start of the second, hitting clean winners and making my job easy, but then I was missing mine on break points.

“We both played well and if she keeps returning like that we’ll have a good chance.

“All matches are great for me, doubles especially, for the reactions and reflexes which has helped me and once I’ve finished here, hopefully on Sunday, I will get back and start practising some more singles.” (BBC Sport)

Viviani wins stage 4 as Alaphilippe retains yellow jersey

Elia Viviani won stage four by half a wheel from Alexander Kristoff (AP)

lia Viviani claimed his first Tour de France stage win as teammate Julian Alaphilippe retained the yellow jersey after stage four.

A relatively flat 213.5km route from Reims set up a bunch sprint in Nancy, with Italy’s Viviani edging

for the first time since 2014 after a 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 victory over China’s Zhang Shuai.

Halep, 27, the highest seed left in the womens’ singles, had to fight back from 4-1 down to take a thrilling first set.

The Romanian former world number one then raced away with the second to triumph in 86 minutes.

Halep will play eighth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, a 7-5 6-4 winner over Karolina Muchova, in the last four.

L i k e Halep,

adrift.

Viviani’s victory marks a fine 24 hours for the Belgian team, who were already celebrating after Alaphilippe’s superb win in Epernay on stage three.

And the race leader played his part in this success, selflessly leading the 30-year-

old to the front of the race with Argentine team-mate Max Richeze, before giving way as the Italian powered to the line.

“I was missing this win.

That means a lot,” said Viviani whose palmares includes five stage victories at the Giro d’Italia and three at the Vuelta a Espana - the other Grand Tours.

“I can’t believe it,” he added. “It was the big goal of the year. We missed our first chance to win a stage and take the yellow jersey but after yesterday with Julian it was the moment the team switched on.

“I just needed to do my job in the last few hundred metres. It is what I do better if they launch me like that. I was focused on my lead out, it was perfect team work.”

Britain’s Thomas finished safely in the peloton with his co-leader at Ineos, Colombia’s Egan Bernal and compatriot Adam Yates.

All the other main general classification hopefuls, like Movistar’s Nairo Quintana and Bahrain Merida’s

Vincenzo Nibali, who won the Tour in 2014, also came home in the main bunch. (BBC Sport)

Stage four results 1. Elia Viviani (Ita/Deceuninck-Quick Step) 5hrs 9mins 20secs 2. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/UAE) Same time 3. Caleb Ewan (Aus/Lotto-Soudal) 4. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe) 5. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 6. Mike Teunissen (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 7. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita/Dimenson Data) 8. Jasper Stuyen (Bel/Trek-Segafredo) 9. Michael Matthews (Aus/Sunweb) 10. Christophe Laporte (Fra/Cofidis) General classification after stage four 1. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/DeceuninckQuick Step) 14hrs 41mins 39secs 2. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +20secs 3. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +25secs 4. George Bennett (NZ/Jumbo-Visma) Same time 5. Michael Matthews (Aus/Sunweb) +40secs 6. Egan Bernal (Col/Ineos) Same time 7. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos) +45secs 8. Enric Mas (Spa/Deceuninck-Quick Step) +46secs 9. Greg van Avermaet (Bel/CCC) +51secs 10. Michael Woods (Can/EF Education First) Same time

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WEDNesday, JUly 10, 2019

2 Kenyan athletes suspended for doping – AIU

Joyce Chepkirui of Kenya takes first place ahead of compatriot Florence Kiplagat in the Women’s 10,000m final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

T

he Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Tuesday it had provisionally suspended two Kenyan athletes, one of them a Commonwealth Games former champion, for doping, the latest in a string of doping cases in the East African nation.

The AIU said in a statement on its website it had suspended Joyce Chepkirui, the 2014 Commonwealth Games and Africa 10,000 meters champion, for discrepancy in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).

The AIU, which handles integrity and doping issues for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said it had also suspended Jacob Kibet Kendagor, who in 2017 came second in the Hamburg and Istanbul Marathons and was fifth in Istanbul last year.

Kendagor was reprimanded for “evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection”.

Kenya was among the countries placed on World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA’s) compliance watch list in 2016.

In July 2018, Kenyan athletes were among those required to have at least three out-of-competition doping tests in the 10 months before a world championships or Olympics under tougher new anti-doping rules by the IAAF. Athletics Kenya passed a resolution in April that any athlete who was sanctioned for abusing banned substances would not be allowed to represent the country even after serving IAAF suspensions.

About 60 have been sanctioned for anti-doping rule violations in the past five years.

Among them are former Boston and Chicago Marathon winner Rita Jeptoo, 2016 Olympics marathon winner Jemima Sumgong and 2008 Beijing Olympics and three-times 1,500m world champion Asbel Kiprop, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

In May, Kenyan-born Bahrain Olympic women’s marathon silver medallist Eunice Kirwa was also provisionally suspended after failing a doping test.

In June, marathon runner Felix Kirwa was suspended for nine months after testing positive for strychnine.

“All dopers must be smoked out until the sport is clean. There is no other solution … there is no alternative to running clean,” Barnabas Korir, Athletics Kenya (AK) Executive Committee member, told Reuters. (Reuters)

Norris passes probation as McLaren stay unchanged for 2020

M

cLaren killed off any summer speculation on Tuesday by announcing that they will keep the same Formula One driver lineup of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz next year.

Norris, 19, had been expected to be confirmed after the best debut by a Briton since Lewis Hamilton in 2007 while Spaniard Sainz was already on a multiyear deal after joining from Renault at the end of last year.

No salary details were given, although the team indicated Norris, the youngest ever British Formula One driver, would be earning the same wages as before.

“They are the future for this team,” McLaren principal Andreas Seidl told reporters at the team’s Woking factory, adding that Norris had successfully made it through his ‘probation time’.

“We want to develop together...and at the same time hopefully we can make the same progress on the team side as well, giving them the right machine.”

Former champions McLaren have not won a race since 2012, or a title since 2008, but are on the way back from a period in the doldrums and hoping to shine in front of their home fans at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

They sit fourth in the constructors’ championship after nine of 21 races, 20 points ahead of engine pro-

vider Renault’s works team.

“If I look down the grid, I can’t think of a better driver combination that we’d like to have at McLaren,” said Chief Executive Zak Brown.

“They’re really driving well for the team and given where we are on the road to recovery, they’ve put the team’s interests first which is not always easy for a racecar driver.”

Brown said McLaren wanted to nip in the bud any speculation about drivers at a time of the year when other teams were seeking alternatives.

Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso already made an approach for Norris last year.

The energy drinks manufacturer’s main Red Bull team are currently concerned with the underperformance of French driver Pierre Gasly compared to 21-year-old Dutch team mate Max Verstappen.

Verstappen won in Austria at the end of last month while Gasly was seventh and lapped.

“With the driver market going on right now, we wanted to be the first team to say here’s what we’re doing and next year was never in doubt,” said Brown.

“I think a lot of teams are sniffing around...and given how Carlos and Lando are doing it was in our best interests to make sure as the silly season ramps up that they should go knocking on some other doors.” (Reuters) McLaren’s Lando Norris during practice

West Indies narrowly defeated Afghanistan in the 2019 CWC

Afghanistan to play Test match against Windies in India

A

fghanistan will play a full series against West Indies, including a lone Test match, in their adopted home country India in November, the country’s cricket board said.

The “home” series will include three T20Is, three ODIs apart from the only Test, beginning from November 27, against the Caribbeans. The venue of the Test as well as the shorter-format games are yet to be decided.

“As per the Future Tours Program (FTP),

Afghanistan national team is scheduled to host West Indies for a tour from 5th November till 1st December in India. The series will include three T20Is, three ODIs and a one-off Test match,” the Afghanistan Crickek Board said in a statement.

“Ahead of the series against West Indies, the national team is also scheduled to play a one-off test against Bangladesh in September followed by a triangular T20I series that will feature Bangladesh and Zimbabwe,” it added.

Afghanistan and the West Indies have played only 10 internationals between them, eight of those held in the Caribbean.

West Indies lead Afghanistan 5-4 in the head-to-head, their most recent victory coming in the ongoing World Cup. The one-off Test will mark Afghanistan’s third appearance in the longest format.

They were beaten on debut by India last year but defeated Ireland by 7 wickets in March at Dehradun. (The Hindu)

Senator Manchin introduces bill to enforce equal pay for US national teams

S

enator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced a bill Tuesday preventing the federal government from providing funding for the 2026 FIFA World Cup until the United States Soccer Federation agrees to equal pay for its men’s and women’s national teams.

“No federal funds may be appropriated or otherwise made available to provide support for the 2026 World Cup, including support for a host city, a participating State or local agency, the United States Soccer Federation, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), or the Federation de Football Association (FIFA), until the date on which the United States Soccer Federation agrees to provide equitable pay,” the bill reads.

In March, 28 members of the U.S. women’s national team filed lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation accusing U.S. Soccer of gender discrimination.

On Sunday, the USWNT won the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Carli Lloyd of the US and team mates celebrate winning the Women’s World Cup with the trophy

with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands.

The USWNT never trailed during the tournament and beat the second, third and fourth place teams on its way the title.

After the final, the crowd at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon chanted “equal pay” during the post-match celebration.

Manchin received a letter from West Virginia’s women’s soccer coach Nikki Izzo-

Brown about the equal pay discussion, prompting Manchin to propose the bill.

“The clear unequitable pay between the U.S. men’s and women’s soccer teams is unacceptable and I’m glad the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team latest victory is causing public outcry,” Manchin said in a statement. “They are the best in the world and deserve to be paid accordingly.” (Reuters)

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wednesday, JUly 10, 2019

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and the company, as it continued to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

ANSA McAL, he stated, was pleased to be associated with the RHTY&SC as it was well known for its good works.

He expressed confidence that the objectives of the Booklet would be achieved, adding that they looked forward to similar projects in the future. ANSA McAL, over the last two decades, has sponsored or co-sponsored numerous programmes for the Club, including the Annual Awards Ceremony, Annual Youth Review Magazine, Annual Cricket Academy, Christmas Village, charity programmes, Say No/Say Yes Campaign, the ANSA McAL Award of Excellence, Tribute to Outstanding Teachers and Mother of the Year Award.

Christian’s all-round brilliance leads Pioneer to victory

D

Derwin Christian contributed with both bat and ball

the pavilion as he was run out.

Wickets continued to fall at key intervals as the Panthers were

able to restrict their opponents, maintaining a proper line and length.

The in-form Christian came to the crease and immediately took to the bowlers as he opened his shoulders, blasting 43 off 22 balls inclusive of two boundaries and three maximums. The only other batsman to contribute anything significant was Uman Moore, who chipped in with 36, which saw the Pioneers posting 211 in 29.1 overs. The only other two batsmen who made promising starts were Gomes, 32 and Mario Persaud, 29. Bowling for the Panthers were Ahmed Saad bagging 4-20, Imran Haider 2-33, Burhan Saeed 2-35 and

Azhar Muhammad 1-26.

Needing a simple target of 212 in 35 overs at 6.1 runs per over, Panthers CC commenced their innings cautiously. The first breakthrough came when Christian bowled Fahad Riaz for 15 with his medium pace.

No other partnership formed after the first wicket fell, as the batsmen struggled for runs. Despite a resistant 27 from Monsin Muhammad, who later became Christian’s second victim, not much could be done as the Panthers folded for 164 in 30.4 overs. Bowling for the Pioneers, Christian had figures of 2-19, Michael Noble 2-27, Kyle Kowlessar 2-27, and Renwick Batson 2-31.

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Booklet as another major effort by the RHTY&SC to offer sports and education as a positive alternative to a life on the streets. He praised ANSA McAL for its support, describing it as a foundation of the successes of the Club over the years and hailed Brand Managers Errol Nelson, Gabriella Lopez, and Faris Mohamed for their cooperation. Foster disclosed that the Non-Alcoholic Section of ANSA McAL assisted the Club in successfully hosting its 29th Award Ceremony, and the two organisations would be working together in the future on other projects, including the 2019 Christmas Village. The Non-Alcoholic Section also renewed its sponsorship of the RHTY&SC’s Television Programme.

Brand Manager Nelson hailed the outstanding relationship between the Club

Archery Guyana participates in Plus 1% training seminar

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RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster receives sponsorship from Gabriella Lopez of ANSA McAL as Errol Nelson and Faris Mohamed look on

Clement “Busta” Lawrence Premier League 2019… emerara Cricket Club (DCC) wicketkeeperbatsman Derwin Christian continued his fine form over the weekend, following up his 57 with a quick-fire 43 of 22 balls for Pioneer Cricket Club in the 2019 Clement “Busta” Lawrence Premier League.

Christian has thus far scored 100 runs at an average of 50 and bagged four wickets in his two matches for his club.

In the Pioneer matchup against Panthers Cricket Club, Pioneer won the toss and elected to bat at the West Side Park. Syed Javid and Mark Gomes opened the batting in the 35-over affair; however, Javid soon found himself back in

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ongstanding sponsor of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), ANSA McAL (Guy) Ltd has once again joined hands with Guyana’s leading Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) to make a positive difference.

The company is pumping $300,000 into the publication of 1000 copies of a Youth Information Booklet for youths in the Ancient County, especially those involved in Sports.

Club Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hilbert Foster stated that the Booklet was a major part of the RHTY&SC’s highlysuccessful “Say No/Say Yes Campaign”.

The Club, via the programme, advises youths to say no to crime, suicide, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco and yes to education, life, sports, religion, and culture.

RHTY&SC is working along with the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) on the ANSA McAL-sponsored Booklet Project to make sure that thousands of youths playing the game of cricket are fully informed of the social ills they face and have the information to make correct decisions. The 40-page Booklet will be published at the F & H Printery in Georgetown and would provide information on 25 topics of importance to youths, including the Importance of Education, Importance of Discipline, HIV/ AIDS, Suicide, Choosing Friends, Personal Hygiene, Public Manners, Role of a Sports Ambassador, Importance of Religion, Public Speaking, Peer Pressure, Drug Abuse, and Sports Etiquette.

The Booklet will also have important information for young cricketers so that they would understand their roles as role models and students of the game.

Foster, who is also the President of the BCB, hailed the publication of the

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

rchery Guyana continued its development programme when it took part in a Guyana Olympic Associationsponsored training seminar focusing on the Plus 1% software database.

This software enables sporting entities to enter their athletes into a central database for participation in all World Games.

Head Coach Nicholas Hing together with archery coach Umasankar Madray successfully participated in the two-day training workshop held on June 29-30, 2019 conducted by Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) Inc Senior Office Administrator Gail CraigArcher at Olympic House, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, and at the Georgetown Club.

The Board of Directors of Archery Guyana acknowledges this useful collaboration with the GOA as the entity continues to pave the way for Guyanese to participate in the sport of Archery locally, regionally, and internationally.

Gail Craig-Archer is flanked by Archery Coaches Umasankar Madray (left) and Nicholas Hing

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wednesday, JUly 10, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” hailed as World Cup of local football Elimination fixtures

A snippet of the preliminary action in the Georgetown Guinness sub-meet

U

tility man and Sparta Boss talisman Sheldon Shepherd has declared that the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Championship is the ‘World Cup’ of local football, especially for the community teams.

This was revealed via an official press release from tournament coordinator Three Peat Promotions.

Shepherd, who plies his trade for the North East La Penitence-based outfit, said, “This is the biggest tournament; this is like the World Cup, and everyone wants to win this tournament. Once you have not won this tournament, we don’t count you as a team. This is the tournament that every-

one is waiting for; this is our World Cup because everyone focuses on the Guinness. If you have not won a Guinness, you can’t brag to anyone. Win a Guinness, then we can talk about any other tournament.”

In the 10 years of the event’s existence, Sparta Boss hold the distinction of being the most successful team. They possess two Georgetown titles and three National Championships.

Asked about his confidence in securing another title, Shepherd said, “We are going to take it one step at a time; this thing is about steps before we meet the final. Sparta is best in Georgetown, and we are going to use Georgetown to show this.”

He further stated that expectations for the team were always high as a result of their enviable record, adding, “We know about going to the final and semi-final, since we won our first Guinness. We are always in the top, because this is normal for us.”

Questioned about the status of the team’s preparations, he said, “We have not been training as much, but everybody doing their own personal work and organising themselves. This is how we does do it and it shows we are the best, because the other teams does be training and we still win. We know what we have to do and how to play.”

The competition is scheduled to be launched today at the Thirst Park ahead of its first playing date on July 12 at the National Cultural Centre tarmac. The other playing nights are July 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 and August 3.

Matches will be staged at the National Cultural Centre tarmac, Burnham Court and the National Racquet Centre. The first two nights will be elimination matches. They will be followed by the group stage, which will be held the next three nights. The top two finishers from each group will progress to the quarter-finals and subsequently the semi-final round on the penultimate day.

The final will subsequently follow. Meanwhile, the Guinness Plate Championship will feature the eight teams

Friday’s fixtures (July 12, National Cultural Centre tarmac): Trap Squad v LA Ballers Upsetters v Albouystown A North Ruimveldt v John Street California Square v Alexander Village North East La Penitence v Stabroek Ballers Norton Street v Back Circle Sparta Boss v Judgment Yard Gold is Money v Globe Yard

Saturday’s fixtures (July 13, Burnham Court tarmac): Rising Stars v Good-over-Evil Ol-Skool Ballers v Sophia Albouystown B v Berlin Kingston v Broad Street Bent Street v Charlotte Street Future Stars v Sophia United Leopold Street v Pike Street Queen St Tiger Bay v Smyth Street

that fail to progress from the group stage.

The overall winners will automatically seal their place in the National Championship in August.

To date, Beacons (Bartica champions); Melanie B (East Coast Demerara winners); Brothers United (West Demerara/East Bank Demerara winners); Trafalgar (Berbice champions) and High Rollers (Linden champions) are the teams to have secured automatic berths to the National Championship.

RHTY&SC Patron’s Fund donates $250,000 in items to schools, clubs and memorial games

Commonwealth League: O Shivpersaud, Dhanpaul hand WCWCC 8th win

Y

utesh Dhanpaul and Balbiner Shivpersaud, having been drafted into the Commonwealth Cricket League in New York, have helped their team to its eighth win in the League – a defeat of the in-form Falcons Cricket Club in another 30over affair played at the New York Baisley.

Reliable as always, Dhanpaul and Shivpersaud took their team over the line with scores of 66 and 65, respectively.

Falcons CC won the toss and elected to bowl, making one of the worst mistakes in the match-up as the Warriors have proven that they are capable of setting big totals and defending them, bowling their opponents out for paltry scores.

Once again, things got off to a flyer as Shivpersaud laid the foundation for his side’s win with a sixth consecutive half-century (65). His countryman Dhanpaul supported with a workmanlike 66. After the fall of the first wicket, the two were able to put together a second-wicket partnership of 118; despite a few mishaps in the field, the only other batsman to bring up a respectable score was Cornelius Jaisingh, who made a quick-fire 29.

In the end, the Warriors were able to post a respect-

Balbinder Shivpersaud and Yutesh Dhanpaul

able total of 224-7 in their allotted 30 overs. Bowling for the Falcons were Mahendra Balgobin with figures of 3-45.

In response to the total set before them, the Falcons took off, with Al Small leading from the front, blasting the bowlers to every part of the ground. But a few regular strikes put the pressure on the Falcons as they

lost Small for a valiant 104.

They then proceeded to lose Richard Balkaran for a wellplayed 53, to put the team in trouble.

In the end, they were only able to post 204-7 in their allotted overs. Bowling for the Warriors were Vickash Dhaniram 2-43 with Dhanpaul and Anil Sookdeo chipping in with one wicket a piece.

ver $250, 000 worth of trophies, medals, framed certificates, educational materials and special gifts were donated over the past week by the 10 cricket teams of the dynamic Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC), under its Patron’s Fund Programme.

The teams during the month of July will be donating over $2 million worth of items including bicycles, school bags, cricket balls, cricket bats, and educational materials in honour of their patron, President David Granger’s 74th birthday celebration on July 15.

The programmes also include the distribution of food hampers and making a positive difference in the lives of senior citizens.

The teams handed over a large quantity of trophies and medals to over 20 schools at their request, for use at graduation ceremonies, following the announcement of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results.

Fifteen of those schools also received special prizes such as RHTY&SC school bags and educational materials.

Among those benefiting were the Rose Hall Town, Cropper, Port Mourant, Belvedere and Tain Primary Schools, and the Bohemia Nursery School and the Belvedere Children Play School.

The RHTY&SC also donated a large quantity of trophies, medals, 200 exercise books, and a financial prize to the parents of the late national schools cyclist, Beyoncé Ross, who died last year. The

RHTY&SC’s Simon Naidu hands over trophies and medals to Sydney Cort of the Port Mourant Primary School

Ross family will be hosting a Day of Sports to add to the cycle race, in the late cyclist’s memory.

The 10 cricket teams of the RHTY&SC on July 2, 2019 also hosted a special edition of their monthly Old Age Pensioners Programme as part of the Patron’s Fund.

Over 200 pensioners were treated to breakfast and refreshments by the teams as they waited to uplift their monthly pensions at the Rose Hall Town Post Office.

The teams also arranged for the presence of a medical team from the Port Mourant Hospital to be present during the programme to offer free medical care to the pensioners.

The teams since 2016 have been hosting the breakfast event as part of their personal development programme.

RHTY&SC Secretary/

CEO Hilbert Foster, who also serves as the current President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), hailed the hard work of the cricket teams under the dynamic leadership of Simon Naidu, Keith Hicks, Ravindranauth Kissoonlall and Tyrone Pottaya.

The veteran Secretary/ CEO stated that the main objective of the Patron’s Fund was to make a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate than the players while observing the birthday anniversary of the Club’s Patron.

The RHTY&SC is the only Cricket Club in Guyana to mandate its players to do self-development programmes. The teams will be distributing close to $1 million worth of bicycles and school bags under the Patron’s Fund on July 19.

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, JUly 10, 2019

23

Williamson, Taylor fight but rain pushes 1st semi-final to reserve day

K

ane Williamson Bhuvneshwar Kumar fought hard, Ross made a superb start with just Taylor grinded out one run being the tough period but India walked away the happier conceded in side as New Zealand postthe first three ed 211 for 5 in 46.1 overs beovers.

New fore rain stopped play in the Zealand’s first semifinal at Old best bet at that Trafford on Tuesday stage (July 9). The match will resume on was Wednesday but the forecast is for scattered showt o ers for the reserve day. see off Williamson the new-ball spell. Martin made 67 off Guptill, hor95 on a tacky rendously out surface while of form in this Taylor overcame a slow start tournament, to end unbeaten on though, edged a 67 just when New Bumrah deZealand were looklivery to secing to push on. ond slip in the Once the coin fell in New fourth over to Zealand’s fagive India the vour, both capshot in the arm. tains had no In the hesitation in first sevadmitting they would have en overs, batted first.

New Zealand Advantage scored 10.

Kane They postNew Zealand Williamson ed the lowthen? Not reraises his bat est powerplay ally.

India’s to celebrate opening pacscore in the scoring his ers - Jasprit tournament half-century ending the Bumrah and

first 10 with just 27 on the board. Henry Nicholls and Williamson, though, picked up the rate from the eighth over to score 42 in the next seven. The New Zealand pair, however, were slowed down

by Hardik Pandya first and then by Ravindra Jadeja. On a dry surface, the spinner was hard to get away and the frustration consumed Nicholls as he was bowled by a Jadeja incoming delivery in the 19th over with just 69 on the board.

Some serious questions will be asked if New Zealand fail to get past India here about their intent in the middle overs.

From the 14th over to 27.3, there were no boundaries as Yuzvendra Chahal settled into h i s spell.

Pandya went briefly off the field because of a groin issue but Jadeja and Chahal managed to sustain the pressure.

Williamson went past his half-century in the 30th over

CWI not to blame for players’ dismal World Cup showing, insists Hope

off 79 balls. He fell six overs later, trying to cut a Chahal length delivery that bounced just a tad extra and looped to the short third m a n

fielder off the outer edge.

James Neesham scored just 12 and New Zealand had to wait till the 44th over for Taylor to show some int e n t .

Taylor started with a six against Chahal - the first of the day - and then ended up collecting 18 off the over. Taylor had crossed his half-century but New Zealand needed more from him. He survived

3

a lbw review but Colin de Grandhomme’s 10-ball 16 turned out to be another false dawn.

In the end, it was New Zealand gasping for quick runs - on a tough track against the No. 1 bowler in the format. The result? An anti-climatic four-hour rain break. India got sloppy in the end and were guilty of being lethargic. The intensity went missing and runs were leaked but Kohli and his bowlers will be disappointed they weren’t able to finish off their quota which could have kept New Zealand to a lot less. (cricbuzz)

SCOREBOARD

Ross Taylor springs into action and smashes a six to the boundary

New Zealand Innings (50 overs maximum) MJ Guptill c Kohli b Bumrah . 1 HM Nicholls b Jadeja . . . . . 28 KS Williamson (c) c Jadeja b Chahal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 LRPL Taylor not out . . . . . . 67 JDS Neesham c Karthik b Pandya . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 C de Grandhomme c †Dhoni b Kumar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 TWM Latham † not out . . . . 3 Extras (lb 4, w 13) . . . . . . . 17

TOTAL (46.1 Overs, RR: 4.57) 211-5 Yet to bat: MJ Santner, LH Ferguson, MJ Henry, TA Boult Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Martin Guptill, 3.3 ov), 2-69 (Henry Nicholls, 18.2 ov), 3-134 (Kane Williamson, 35.2 ov), 4-162 (James Neesham, 40.6 ov), 5-200 (Colin de Grandhomme, 44.4 ov) BOWLING : B Kumar (8.1-1-30-1), JJ Bumrah (8-1-25-1), HH Pandya (10-0-55-1), RA Jadeja (10-034-1), YS Chahal (10-0-63-1)

GBA hosts badminton camps for beginners

W

sist that the players take full reindies top order batsman Shai sponsibility for the poor results.

Hope has rejected claims a “Regardless of what hapcoaching change just ahead of the start of the ICC World Cup was a pened behind the scenes, we major contributing factor to the team’s have to go out there and play dismal display. cricket,” Hope said.

“It doesn’t matter what Despite being considered as one happened the week before, of the teams capable of causing the day before, two years beproblems at the tournament, the Windies went on to register just two fore. It’s about crossing that wins, which left them second to last line and playing the hardest you can for the region.” in the overall standings.

The Windies started A part of the optimism heading brightly with a big win over into the tournament was fueled by the Pakistan but slumped to team’s performance against England defeats at the hands of during its tour of the Caribbean.

Richard Pybus was the interim Australia, England, coach in charge of the team’s Bangladesh, New exceptional performance Zealand, India for the series of matchand Sri Lanka before winning es against the English but was replaced a game against with Floyd Reifer Afghanistan. only weeks ahead of Hope admitted it was difficult the World Cup by a newly appointto pinpoint what ed Cricket West went wrong.

Indies (CWI) ad“If I knew the anministration. swer to that, I reckon The move we’d be in the semis. has led to critIt’s just one of those icism in some things. As I said, we didn’t play the betquarters, with many accuster cricket on the day, ing the adminand in a tournament istration of unlike this, you have to basically play your settling the team. H o p e Shai Hope best game each game.” was, however, quick to in(Sportsmax)

Narayan Ramdhani facilitates a session of stretches before play

O

ver the next few days, students from several schools in Georgetown will have the opportunity to learn the basics of badminton under the tutelage of one of Guyana’s best players, Narayan Ramdhani.

Two “Introduction to Badminton” camps are being hosted under the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA), and will run for the next four days, after beginning on Monday.

The first camp from 10:00h to 12:00h (each day) is being hosted at the National Gymnasium. This camp, which currently has 17 participants, caters to students from Queen’s College, The Bishops’ High School, North Georgetown, Success Elementary, St Joseph High School, Mae’s Primary, St Rose’s High, and Christ Church Secondary, as well as any other student who wishes to join.

The second camp from 14:00h (2pm) to 16:00h (4pm) is specifically for the students at Marian Academy and is currently filled to capacity. A separate camp was hosted at Marian Academy owing to the existence of a badminton club and courts at the school’s auditorium. When Guyana Times Sport

caught up with Ramdhani at the Marian Academy camp, the international player explained the purpose of the six-day event.

“The goal is to just teach the children the game, giving them more exposure to the game to get more people playing. We’re also trying to get them to encourage more people to come out,” Ramdhani explained.

As a part of the package for the camp, each participant was given a top-quality Yonex racquet, which will allow them to continue practicing long after the camp is concluded.

While Ramdhani is keen to ensure that each player leaves the camp with great knowledge of the game, he emphasised the importance of making the learning process fun.

“This is just to teach them the basics, how to hold the racquet, how to serve, and make it fun. Because if they don’t enjoy it, they’re not going to come back. So we’re just doing about 45 minutes of technical stuff and the rest is just to have fun with the game,” he shared.

Ramdhani is receiving the assistance of his sister Priyanna and national player Akili Haynes in order to facilitate the camp.

wednesday, JUly 10, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Page 23

Williamson, Taylor fight but rain pushes 1st semi-final to reserve day

GBA hosts badminton camps for beginners Page 23

Page 21

Priyanna Ramdhani shows students how to hit a shuttle

ANSA McAL joins hands with RHTY&SC/BCB for Youth Information Booklet

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