Guyana times

Diaspora offered P attractive investment packages – President 9

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 2889

Saturday, June 18, 2016

PRICE

Specialty Hospital Project in limbo

WHAT'S INSIDE: Core homes ‘corrective’ works

CH&PA Chairman defends solesourced P12 contractor, inflated estimate

Page 7

– Fedders Lloyd blacklisted by World Bank

Pedestrian Bandits rob, killed in ECD beat gas station employees accident Page 2

Page 10

President recommits to strong relations with the UK Page 11

Barama rape case

President David Granger addressing the gathering at the reception which was held to mark Britain’s Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. Also in photo are High Commissioner Greg Quinn and his wife, Wendy Quinn and other dignitaries

Reports sent to Police, SOCU for investigation – Harmon Page 3

– administrative actions being taken

Community P2 infrastructure project needs review – Region 2 residents

Buxton man wanted for Region 7 P9 murder

– at a reception to mark the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II Forensic audits

$80 VAT INCLUDED

3 found guilty for Land Court Page 8 Judge robbery – 2 freed

Judge overrules defences’ P11 no-case submission P13 New VC outlines revival plans for UG

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Community infrastructure project Pedestrian needs review – Region 2 residents killed in ECD

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esidents living in various communities in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) have complained that the Community Infrastructure Improvement Project is not delivering the kind of services it once did when compared to the past and they are calling on Agriculture

Minister Noel Holder to immediately intervene.

Residents complained that employees attached to the project within the local authority areas are not executing their jobs, and as such, have called for a review since management and operations of the project is increasingly criticised.

Residents are of the view that the project is not properly supervised and this is creating a heavy backlog in the amount of drains that are not cleaned, while works executed do not meet minimum levels of satisfaction.

When contact was made with the Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Devanand Ramdatt, he said he is in receipt of numerous reports from residents regarding the poor management of the project.

Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt

The Regional Chairman explained that in the past, more community enhancement works were completed under the said project.

Drains, road shoulders, Government buildings and compound were maintained through a similar project.

According to Ramdatt, that project was much more successful since local authorities and the Regional Democratic Council had closer collaboration. He is of the view if the project is better managed, many of the concerns raised at the community level regarding drainage will be addressed.

The Regional Chairman said he is very concerned about the project particularly since numerous residents are dissatisfied with the service offered. As such, he said he had requested clarity from management regarding details of the project, since there seems to be a weakness in the implementation process.

He indicated that he had also requested to have such information from the Coordinator of the project but nothing has been provided to date.

accident

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pedestrian is the country’s latest road statistic following an accident at Triumph Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, on Thursday evening.

Dead is Seenauth Persaud, 54, of Lot 84 Agriculture Road, Triumph Village, ECD. According to reports, the dead man was crossing the road when he came into the path of a car bearing registration number PKK 2320.

He reportedly sustained severe injuries. Following the accident, the injured man was picked up in an unconscious state and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed while receiving medical attention.

His body is at the GPH Mortuary awaiting postmortem while the driver is in Police custody assisting with investigations.

Sandra Persaud, sister of dead man told Guyana Times that her brother would do odd jobs in the area.

“He use to stay with some people is Suraj Drive but he is someone who never stay one place too long”, the woman stated. She stated that she was at home Friday morning when someone in-

Dead: Seenauth Persaud

formed her that her brother was involved in an accident.

She said she immediately contacted the Beterverwagting Police Station but was told she has to visit the station. There, she was told that her brother was stuck by alleged drunken driver and died at the hospital.

The woman added that the driver, who was in custody at the time of her visit, gave the family conflicting reports about what transpired on the night her brother was killed.

“One time, he tell we that he de going to Georgetown, the other time, he say he did going Mahaica but he admit that he knock down meh brother,” the woman added.

She recalled seeing her brother alive a few days ago when she pleaded with him to return home but he refused. He had moved out of the home some time ago.

She added that he was the only brother she had left after two others died in 2011.

Meanwhile, another relative who resides in close proximity to the accident scene, told Guyana Times that she was sitting on her veranda and saw a crowd on the roadway but thought it a two-vehicle collision.

However it was until Friday morning that she leant of the man’s death.

Persaud was never married and had no children.

(Bhisham Mohamed)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, June 18 – 14:30h-16:00h and Sunday, June 19 – 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, June 18 – 15:15h-16:45h and Sunday, June 19 – 15:50h-17:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

WEATHER TODAY Heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while light to partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly between 0.89 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 02:54h and 15:21h reaching maximum heights of 2.49 metres and 2.44 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:55h and 21:08h reaching minimum heights of 0.70 metres and 0.77 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

LOTTERY NUMBERS 02 14 18 21 26 27 07 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

Friday, June 17, 2016

Daily Millions

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Reports sent to Police, SOCU for investigation – Harmon – administrative actions being taken

BY VAHNU MANICKCHAND

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

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Forensic audits

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

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n light of mounting calls for Government to take action on the findings emerging from the forensic audits into several State agencies, Minister of State Joseph Harmon has disclosed that some of the audit reports have been sent to law enforcement bodies for further probing while actions are being taken administratively on others.

He was at the time responding to questions posed during this week’s post-Cabinet briefing on Friday.

According to the Minister, it is important that the public understands that while the audits have actually discovered some wrongdoings, they were not provided with all of the information, which in some cases, persons refused to give them.

Nevertheless, Harmon explained that having received the findings from the audits, Government had to determine whether some will have to go to the Police for Police investigation while others will be dealt with administratively.

“Those which have to go to the Police, we have actually sent some of those files to the Police and to SOCU (Special Organised Crime Unit) and they have actually started their investigations.

Matters which are to be dealt with administratively, we are taking actions administratively,” he disclosed.

In fact, the Minister of State outlined that only on Thursday President David Granger had a meeting with all of the Permanent

Secretaries in the various Government Ministries during which he made it very clear what their responsibilities are in relation to these audits.

“So you will see some actions being taken as it relates to administrative recommendations and some actions are to be taken with respect to Police work, which has to be done,” he remarked.

Moreover, Harmon went on to say that in order to establish a case in the court, there is a certain standard of proof which has to be established, adding that the standard for an auditor is not the same standard which the police requires for building a court case.

“So what you provide to the Police from the audit will be certain statements and findings from the audit; for the Police to now make this a matter for the court, they will have to go beyond what the audits say and found.

They will have to get additional information to ensure that they have a case, which when it goes to court, they will be able to secure convictions,” Minister Harmon explained.

On this note, the Minister of State urged the public to be patient, noting that the information is coming out and it is now up to the State to take it to the next level, which they are doing currently.

“The information is in the public domain about what the auditors have found but in some cases, you just can’t act on that because in many cases, personalities and persons’ tenure in office is affect-

Minster of State Joseph Harmon

ed by what is written and so we have to be sure that we have enough and solid information so that when we act, we act wisely and we act justly,” he stressed. recently, durOnly ing an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, outgoing Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) of the United States Embassy, Bryan Hunt, posited that Government was wise not to want to see prosecutions that are going to fail.

“They want to make sure that whatever is taken to court by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has the best possible chance

of bringing those responsible for the crime to justice, which means they want to make sure that they have all the necessary evidence, that they have made sure that SOCU has carried out thorough investigations and can definitively answer the question who is responsible for the problems in the forensic audits,” he remarked.

According to the US Diplomat, there is nothing wrong with civil society pushing Government to move forward, noting that the international community also wants to see this but at the same time, everyone should want the State to move forward in a systematic way that is going to achieve maximum results, that is, all the questions answered and evidence gathered.

Moreover, Hunt pointed out that criminal prosecutions take time in Guyana. This, he said, is as a result of resources and requirements in the justice system, which includes many safeguards to ensure that those who are innocent are not wrongly convicted.

“So I am not surprised that we are at a point where we don’t have people who are convicted of financial crimes,” he noted.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

The parking meter controversy

Employees like you are hard to find: Congratulations to Paul Vanvield for his 20 years of committed and dedicated service to Television Guyana (TVG/Ch28). The management and staff of Guyana Times/TVG/Radio Guyana extends our heartfelt recognition to you for a job well done over the years! In photo: Human Resources Manager Lisa Ahmad presents a plaque of appreciation to Mr Vanvield

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rom all indications the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) seems bent on proceeding with the controversial parking meter project despite calls from several stakeholders for the authorities to relook at the situation or possibly scrap the contract altogether.

Over the past few days, several commentators, politicians and ordinary citizens alike have expressed concerns regarding the total lack of transparency surrounding the project. More particularly, questions were raised regarding the legitimacy of the company contracted, the fact that no prior public consultations were held with stakeholders, and the overall secrecy surrounding the undertaking.

It should be pointed out that from the beginning, even the Deputy Mayor had raised questions in relation to the contractor, cost, and the overall transparency of the project and had signalled his non-support for the initiative.

One would think that because of his position and the fact that he is from the ‘inside’, his views would have been taken on board.

However, rather than even acknowledging the Deputy Mayor’s views regarding the legitimacy and transparency of the project, the Mayor quickly sought to shut him up, saying he does not speak on behalf of the Council.

This however did not prevent the various stakeholders from making public their views on the parking meter project, in fact, the Mayor’s treatment of her deputy prompted a wave of criticisms from several other persons on the initiative.

For example, former 1st Vice President of Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI), Christopher Ram, said that it is very troubling indeed that for a project of such magnitude, information is hardly available.

Additionally, commentator and transparency advocate Ramon Gaskin had described the entire controversy as “very, very fishy”, stating that the only information available is what’s in the press.

Also, former Speaker of the National Assembly and commentator, Ralph Ramkarran, had said the undertaking seems to be nothing but a “get-rich-quick scheme”, given the capricious and tenuous strategies and justifications provided for some aspects of the project.

These views were in addition to those expressed by quite a few other politicians, letter writers and ordinary residents who will certainly be impacted by this undertaking. These views cannot and must not be ignored.

Further, citizens have the right to ask legitimate questions, especially in cases when certain policies and programmes affect them directly.

In any democracy, leaders are expected to pay attention to what the people have to say. In essence, effective and successful leaders take seriously the views of the various stakeholders and even ordinary citizens as they play a great role in helping to shape development policies and programmes.

The onus is on the Mayor and City Council to explain why proper consultations were not carried out in the first place with the necessary stakeholders so as to get ‘buy in’ as this was necessary if citizens were to really accept and understand the rationale behind such initiative. As expected the implementation/ installation of the parking meters in the city was met with outrage and dismay as stakeholders were not satisfied that the project will be transparent or will be of any benefit to residents.

More importantly, it is no secret that citizens are already burdened with so many expenses in an already troubled economy, hence any new initiative which would see them spending more will certainly have to be properly explained and justified.

On its part, the Council is justifying its position by saying that there is need to increase revenue collection in order to run the city effectively. However, it is necessary that the Council first identify and address the factors that have influenced the current poor collection of revenue.

For example, it should come up with solutions that will remedy the issue of huge sums owed in rates and taxes.

One would think that considering this is a relatively new Council, it would have a desire to operate in a more democratic and open fashion; more so considering the mountain of criticisms the previous Council received regarding the manner in which the City was being managed.

However, judging from the actions of the City Council recently, first, with the issue regarding the relocation of vendors and now the parking meter controversy, we are forced to ask if the elected officials are really serious about improving the style of governance we have witnessed over the past two decades at that institution.

Water woes in Parfaite Harmonie Dear Editor, I write this letter out of sheer exasperation hoping that the powers-that-be at Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) read it and do something urgently and quickly to alleviate an existing water problem affecting us the residents of Schoonord, Parfaite Harmonie.

Informatively, I live at Schoonord, Parfaite Harmonie, which is situated immediately north of the new access road linking the West Bank Demerara main road with Parfaite Harmonie. The problem is that for the past four weeks and counting, households within my community have not been receiving any potable water, except on a few isolated occasions when it trickled at ground level, at hours after midnight, and lasting for about of an hour, or thereabout.

For most, if not all of us, this situation occurring in the midst of the current dry weather, has resulted in our black tanks and other reservoirs of water running dry from the reductional process of constant usage and nonreplenishment. The short of it is that we are now at our wits’ end trying to de-

termine what to do next to counter our predicament, since no help seems to be forthcoming from GWI. Talk about praying for rain!

Editor, practically all the affected residents that I’ve spoken to claimed that they called GWI’s office at Pouderoyen and reported the matter, but to no avail.

I, myself, called on many occasions. Individually and severally, we were given a plethora of varying reasons for the extant situation. Some of us were told that the problem lies with Guyana Power and Light (GPL), whilst, others, including myself, were informed that it is a pump problem.

The point here is that officials at GWI’s Pouderoyen office are aware of our plight, yet there is a palpable indifference towards resolving the issue.

Of note, is that the problem affects just about 30 to 40 households in the Schoonord area, since I’m aware that residents in other parts of Schoonord and indeed the remainder of Parfaite Harmonie are not in any way afflicted by the daily non-supply of potable water similar to what we

are currently experiencing.

It means therefore that the problem is localized to just the section of Schoonord where I live.

Another point of note is that ever since this crisis started, GWI has not seen it fit to alleviate the situation by sending in water trucks to deliver water to residents. But they found it fit to send estimated water bills for the very period during which they fully well knew we were not receiving any water. How more cynical or ridiculous can one get?

Editor, on Saturday, 10 instant, as I was jogging through the community around 05:30h, I saw a few residents drawing water from the stagnant drains in front of their homes to do their household chores.

Here I am talking about decent, proud, middle-class citizens living in well-appointed houses, who have been reduced to scavenging for the precious commodity in unhealthy places, because of the prevailing circumstance; notwithstanding it’s a practice that can have dire health consequences.

Incidentally, the sight of my fellow residents forag-

ing in the gutters for water transported me back in time to the year 1985, when I vividly recall collecting trench water on one occasion to carry out ablution and other household cleansing duties.

Surely, it begs the question as to whether we have made any measurable progress as a nation in terms of quality of life between then and now.

Finally, as we all know, part of GWI’s slogan reads “Water is Life…” but it seems that only some lives matter in this country. I am not a betting person, but I’m willing to make an exception in this instance to wager that if the problem outlined above was located in Prashad Nagar, Bel Air, Pradoville, or any of the other upscale communities in this country, it would have been fixed pronto after the first phone call.

The optimist that I am however, I’m hoping that the publication of this letter will move GWI to sort out in a timely manner whatever problem there is that is preventing us from getting water in our homes.

Yours truly, Remington Eastman

Response to Vishnu Bisram

Dear Editor, I read in June 15 edition of Guyana Times a letter titled, “Commentaries on Independence struggle racially aligned” by Vishnu Bisram.

Readers have grown accustom to Bisram’s bias and his understanding of our social and political experiences.

However, the latest adventure on the delay of Independence is shocking and simply upside down.

He claims Burnham was anti-Jagan, anti-Indian, anti-socialist and anti-PPP which resulted in the delay of Independence. Completely rubbish, untrue and near comical, written by someone who perhaps has no knowl-

edge of the 50s and 60s in Guyana.

Violence, racism - who introduced violence along the East Coast?

Certainly not Burnham.

If Bisram is interested in our Independent Struggle, I recommend he collects a copy of “The Rocky but Righteous Road to Guyana Independence.” A free copy is

available to him at my gate at Plot D Lodge Housing Scheme for him to read.

This will allow him a better understanding of the Independence Struggle and the main actors and circumstances.

Sincerely, Hamilton Green, OR, JP

guyana-times.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

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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

The ethnic cleansing Fiasco at Canje Secondary School at GuySuCo continues Dear Editor, As I had mentioned before, the government seems hell-bent on closing GuySuCo. It is difficult to understand their motive other than their view that the workers at the Corporation mainly support the PPP and this is an act to punish them.

I say this because the sugar industry is not a stranger to crises. Long before the present political parties in this country were formed, the industry battled several crises and overcame them all.

The worst crisis the Corporation experienced was in 1990, but under the PPP/C government production surged past the 300,000 tonnes mark per year for several years.

The problems that the company faces now are indeed challenging, but they are certainly not insurmountable. With proper investment, planning, good labour relations climate and management, the corporation could successfully overcome these present challenges.

This time, however, the difference is that the government currently in power has adopted a hostile position to the sugar industry. This is not being emotional as a response from GuySuCo tried to say. This is based on actions of the government.

In the first place, they established a very expensive Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into GuySuCo’s operations.

They found no evidence of

fraud or mismanagement, and their recommendations are what have been known all along. This CoI cost GuySuCo more than $80 million to arrive at that conclusion.

Secondly, the commission which they set up did not recommend closing any estate.

The government disregarded this and is pushing ahead with closure. In my earlier missive, I said that that decision will prove to be a tragic mistake. It will cause huge problems in our society, including loss of jobs, rise in crime and pauperisation of the population, particularly in the areas where the estates are located. It, therefore, makes more sense to invest in the industry than close it down. The nation and its people will reap great benefits.

Instead, the government has started to practice apartheid in GuySuCo since last November. They are dismissing many managers who have held critical positions; indicative of the direction they are heading. This will prove disastrous for the whole country.

Since November 2015, the following persons were either dismissed, asked to resign or pressured into resigning: 1. Deodat Singh – Factory Manager: he was one of the most qualified and better performing factory managers.

George – 2. Linton Production Manager: Another reputable man-

ager.

3. Devkumar Ramkissoon – Senior Lab technician Persaud – 4. Dindial Factory Engineer Manager 5. R Persaud – Shift Manager 6. Adesh Singh – Human Resource Manager 7. Vickram Subramani – Agri Manager 8. Motilall – Field Superintendent – Field 9. Narayan Workshop Manager All the persons mentioned above are of Indo-Guyanese descent. The list may be longer, but these are the persons that came to my attention.

In every case except one, they have been replaced by non-Indian, mainly AfricanGuyanese. The only IndianGuyanese who was promoted to replace one of those managers is a known AFC activist. This is clearly racial and political discrimination that is being practiced.

This is yet another case which has exposed this regime’s talk of social cohesion as sheer fluff. Undoubtedly, the setting up of a Ministry of Social Cohesion was a tactic used by this government to deceive the Guyanese people. Talk about social cohesion and establishing a subject ministry is just a cover for the sordid practice of racial discrimination.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar, Former President

Isn’t this oxymoronic?

Dear Editor, The media has been using expressions like: “Intellectual Authors of Heinous Crime” when reporting on incidents like the discovery of a grenade near the Kaieteur News compound and several actual or perceived criminal activities.

I find such use of the word “intellectual” very jarring when one considers its normal usage or how the Concise Oxford Dictionary defines it: “possessing a high level of understanding or intelligence, cultured….”

What is cultured or given to a high level of under-

standing in these heinous acts, some of which result in serious psychological trauma or physical injuries or premature deaths of innocent, decent, productive compatriots? In any event there is much contradiction between words like ‘intellect’ and ‘heinous criminality’.

Sincerely, Nowrang Persaud

Dear Editor, Please allow me a space in your newspaper to highlight some of my concerns relating to an incident at Canje Secondary School. The incident involved the alleged pushing of a student over the stairway of the school.

The name of the student is Joshua Lionel. The student was hospitalised and now suffers from a broken femur, shoulder and injuries to the hip. Some details of the incident were related in Guyana Times and also made the local news on the Berbice television stations.

My first concern on the incident is the manner in which the entire matter was dealt with. The parents in no uncertain terms said that the student was pushed over the rails by another student. This information was only given to the parents after the doctors questioned the child. The parents claimed that they were lied to by the teachers.

To my amazement, no press release was given to the public by the head teacher of the said school or by any official of the Education Ministry in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

My second concern is the attitude of the head teacher towards the parents of this child. Her behaviour is despicable and really uncalled for. This is a very tender situation and she only made it worse by shouting and paying little attention to the matter.

She really doesn’t know what the poor parents are going through and if she had children of her own, then she would have behaved differently.

I was very unlucky and unfortunate to encounter her on two occasions. The first was in relation to a school tour that my child was on. I of course had a little thing to say to her. The next was when

I visited the school during a lunch period to seek some important information. I had to wait nearly an hour. Her office was closed and there was loud commotion. Perhaps they were praying because I heard mentions of the good saviour’s name Jesus Christ.

The bell was rung to end the break and they prolonged the prayer service for a while.

The door suddenly burst open and out poured the congregation and then I heard the familiar barking language of the head teacher again. She was shouting and accusing a number of people. This happened after a prayer meeting.

Of course she didn’t noticed me as yet. I calmly refrained from asking for the information. I pray that I don’t see her again.

My third concern is the attitude of the teachers. They are not hesitant in defending the head teacher, although several male and a couple of senior female teachers were very straightforward, and in my view, gave a sound view on the errant ways of the head teacher and the Ministry officials. On the other hand, there is a very prominent religious leader who is a member of staff at the school. When I sought to have clarity on the alleged pushing incident, he quickly tried to defend the school. I told him he should fear the god he is serving and be fair. He mentioned that he personally solicited help from members of the community towards aiding the injured child.

I have had the opportunity to encounter this teacher on numerous occasions.

He is normally cool and kind and is a likeable character who would always offer an encouraging word of advice.

His position on this incident though has left me somewhat baffled. Some of the teachers seem to be hesitant in giving information.

My fourth concern is the claim made by the mother that no one from the school or the Ministry has visited her or the child. This is totally embarrassing. I understand that a sum of thirty-two thousand dollars was given to the parents as initial help. I have personally donated money to the school and many others in the community have done likewise. I can’t understand why the head teacher can’t see it fit to get the remaining funds to the parents. Probably she wants the parents to go to the school and collect it. Come on head teacher, you have embarrassed the parents enough.

Are you calling them to the school so that you and your cronies can eat them alive?

Swallow your pride and go and give them the money that the members of society have donated. It’s not yours and you should not keep it.

My final concern dear editor would come in the form of some questions. These questions I hope can be answered by the relevant authorities, whoever they are.

Has anybody tried counselling the injured student and the other student who allegedly did the pushing?

What can the Ministry do to assist the child, since the incident happened on the school’s premises?

Do the regional engineers regularly check the school for health and safety issues?

Why haven’t any officials from the Ministry or any teacher from the school visited the child?

What will happen to the student that allegedly pushed Joshua Lionel over the rails?

Will the head teacher behave in such a way if something like this happens again?

Sincerely, Name and address withheld

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SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

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guyana-times.com

Foundation

Why children should learn about ‘tricky people’ instead of ‘stranger danger’ - “Instead of looking for the boogie man, a child should look for the person asking them to do something that doesn’t sound right,” says Pattie Fitzgerald, founder of Safely Ever After

By Melissa Willets

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The short of it

attie Fitzgerald, founder of Safely Ever After, encourages parents to teach their children about “tricky people” instead of “stranger danger.”

The lowdown

One mom who subscribes to Fitzgerald’s method of teaching children about people who might try to harm them is Jodie Norton, who recently wrote about a scary experience her two sons had while she was in the hospital. The mom of four says that had she not warned her children about “tricky people,” they could have been abducted.

“In a moment of what I deem foggy-thinking ‘pain brain’, I left my two oldest boys – CJ, 10; and T-Dawg, eight; outside the ER door on a bench to await our kind neighbour who said he was coming to pick them up and take them to school [sic],” Norton recounts on her blog, Time Well Spent. “I had wrongly assumed my neighbour was coming from his house (not somewhere farther away), so my two boys sat out front of the ER for 40 minutes. Not the five minutes I had expected. Their story of what had transpired while I had stupidly left them out there alone made me simultaneously sick and grateful.”

While waiting for the neighbour, her sons encountered what Norton calls

“their first real-world experience with the freaky, perverted strangers they’ve been intermittently warned about.”

She shares how while the boys waited on that bench, they were approached by a woman with two men, who asked them to “help them out by going into the bathroom where her boyfriend was hiding from the doctor and see if they could con-

vince him to come out and get treated.”

Having been warned about so-called “tricky people,” CJ told the adults “no thank you” repeatedly.

But the woman didn’t give up and begged the boys, “Please? You could really save his life if you’d just go in that bathroom and tell him it’s safe to come out.”

Luckily, the neighbour

soon arrived to pick up the boys, but Norton wrote, “not before they saw a third adult male come out from the bathroom, jump into the car with these other three hooligans and drive off.”

Norton wrote, “Tricky people are the new strangers. One of (Fitzgerald’s) guidelines for knowing what people are unsafe is... tricky people ask children for help.

If a safe adult needs help,

they’ll ask another adult.”

In fact, CJ had remembered that rule, telling his mom that’s how he knew it was a trick. “Mom, I knew they were tricky people because they were asking us for help.

Adults don’t ask children for help,” he said.

The upshot

Fitzgerald talked to Today about why the con-

cept of “tricky people” is better than what children are traditionally taught about strangers: “Most of the time, children are learning ‘stranger danger,’ which is cute and it rhymes but isn’t really effective. ‘Tricky people’ is certainly more effective because most strangers are not dangerous...

Children think a stranger is going to be somebody who is kind of scary looking or scary sounding, but statistically, if someone wants to harm a child, they are not going to appear scary; they’re going to be charming, have an enticing offer, and seem friendly.”

She adds, “Instead of looking for the boogie man, a child should look for the person asking them to do something that doesn’t sound right or ask if the adult is trying to get them to break one of their family’s safety rules or trick them.”

I love that Fitzgerald suggests asking children if a person gives them a “thumbs up” feeling or a “thumbs down” feeling. My children can definitely understand that.

In fact, I already talked to them about this story because it scared me so much.

But Fitzgerald says parents shouldn’t frighten children, but aim to empower them instead.

“We shouldn’t tell children that there are bad people out there who want to hurt them. Everything should be very positive,” she says. (parenting.com)

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What is yoga?

t might seem like a modern trend, but yoga actually began more than 3000 years ago in India. The word yoga is Sanskrit (one of the ancient languages of the East). It means to “yoke,” or unite, the mind, body, and spirit.

Yoga includes physical exercise, but it’s also about life balance. Training your mind, body, and breath – as well as connecting with your spirituality – are the main goals of the yoga lifestyle.

The physical part of the yoga lifestyle is called hatha yoga.

Hatha yoga focuses on asanas, or poses. A person who practices yoga goes through a series of specific poses while controlling his or her breathing. Some types of yoga also involve meditation and chanting.

There are many different types of hatha yoga, including: Ashtanga yoga: Ashtanga yoga is a vigorous, fast-paced form of yoga that helps to build flexibility, strength, concentration, and stamina.

When doing Ashtanga yoga, a person moves quickly through a set of predetermined poses while remaining focused on deep breathing.

Bikram yoga: Bikram yoga is also known as “hot yoga.” It is practiced in rooms that may be heated to more than 100°F (37.8°C) and focuses on stamina and purification.

Gentle yoga: Gentle yoga focuses on slow stretches, flexibility, and deep breathing.

Kundalini yoga: Kundalini yoga uses different poses, breathing techniques, chanting, and meditation to awaken life energy.

Iyengar yoga: This type of yoga focuses on precise alignment of the poses.

Participants use “props” like blankets, straps, mats, blocks, and chairs.

Restorative yoga: This practice allows the body to fully relax by holding simple postures passively for extended periods of time.

Vinyasa/power yoga: Similar to Ashtanga yoga, these are also very active forms of yoga that improve strength, flexibility, and stamina. This type of yoga is popular in the United States.

Yoga has tons of benefits.

It can improve flexibility, strength, balance, and stamina.

In addition, many people who practice yoga say that it reduces anxiety and stress, improves mental clarity, and even helps them sleep better.

Staying on track

Your schedule’s already packed – so how are you supposed to fit in time for yoga?

Here are a few tips: Break it down. If you can’t do a half hour of yoga in one sitting, try doing it in chunks.

How about 15 minutes after you get up and 15 minutes before bed? Or try three 10-minute workouts to break up a long study session.

Do what works for you.

Some people have more success working out in the morning before the day’s activities sidetrack them; others find that an after-school workout is the perfect way to unwind.

Experiment with working out at different times of the day and find the time that fits your schedule and energy level best.

Find a workout buddy.

Doing your yoga routines with a friend is a great way to stay motivated. You’ll be less likely to miss your workout if you have an appointment with a friend. You and your buddy can compare tips on healthy eating and exercise habits, evaluate each other’s poses for form, and keep each other on track.

Consistency is key. If you want to reap the benefits that yoga provides, you’ll have to do it consistently. A once-a-month yoga workout may relieve some stress, but for benefits like increased flexibility and stamina, you should aim to practice yoga three or four times a week.

Set some goals. The same routine every week may become monotonous, so set some goals to help you stay focused. Perhaps you’d like to incorporate power yoga into your routine so you get a better cardiovascular workout.

Maybe you’ve always gone to yoga class and your goal is to start practicing on your own at home. Whatever you choose as your goal, make sure you reward yourself when you accomplish it! (Kids Health)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Specialty Hospital Project in limbo – Fedders Lloyd blacklisted by World Bank

By Vahnu Manickchand

T

he Specialty Hospital Project is once again placed on hold following the blacklisting of Fedders Lloyd Corporation Limited, the Indian-based company contracted to complete and equip the stateof-the-art medical facility.

At the post-Cabinet briefing on Friday Minister of State Joseph Harmon disclosed that the construction company was barred from doing any World Bankfunded projects for the next four years and as such, the Government of India, which is funding the Specialty Hospital Project, has decided to cease doing business with Fedders Lloyd.

This new position, according to Harmon, was communicated to Government by the Indian High Commission here via a letter dated June 2016. “(The letter said), among

the Indian government expressed preference for a fresh tendering process to be conducted to select a new Indian-base contractor to execute the project.

al months it takes – to be completed and while this process is undertaken, the loan sum continues to be eroded by inflation, interests and fees,” the Minister

Finance Minister Winston Jordan and Fedders Lloyd Country Representative Ajay Jha singing the MoU in November 2015

However, Harmon pointed out that this new development has resulted

of State outlined.

He explained that in light of this development, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Public Health have been requested

by Cabinet to make “certain enquiries” of the Indian Government before a definitive course of action is adopted by Guyana on the Specialty Hospital Project.

Indian Government response

An artist’s impression of the Specialty Hospital Fedders Lloyd is proposed to build

other things, the contractor Fedders Lloyd Corporation Limited was not eligible to continue the project because it was debarred or disbarred by the World Bank for projects until 2020 due to its procurement policy,” the Minister related.

He further stated that

in the project being once again put on hold to facilitate a new tendering process for a new contracting firm prepared to complete the project for the remaining US$13.8 million.

“The tendering process, as we are aware, actually takes quite a while – sever-

Nevertheless, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Venkatachalam Mahalingam subsequently told Guyana Times that his government is committed to working with Guyana to see the project come to fruition. He explained that the Indian government’s decision not to continue with Fedders Lloyd was as a result of the “blacklisting” status from the World Bank.

“World Bank has blacklisted Fedders Lloyd from April 6, this year until 2020… so we are going by

World Bank’s blacklisting which was based on certain procurement policy and therefore we also don’t want to work with Fedders Lloyd,” Mahalingam declared.

On the other hand, when contacted, Public Health Minister Dr George Norton related that this hold-up in the project has delayed the process of Guyana benefiting from improved health services which the Specialty Hospital would be offering.

Nevertheless, he noted that government will go ahead and commence the process for a new contractor in the near future.

Asked whether government will appoint another contractor as it did in the case of Fedders Lloyd, as opposed to going to tender, Dr Norton said: “We will go over the entire process again, I don’t think there was a third person.”

The Specialty Hospital Project was initiated by the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration with the aim of catering for complicated surgeries, ranging from heart operations, organ transplants to cosmetic surgeries.

With a US$18 million Line of Credit from the Indian Government, the contract was awarded to India-based Surendra Engineering, to design and the facility, a project that the then A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition had heavily criticised.

Controversy

However, citing instances of alleged fraud and delays, the Donald Ramotar Administration last year announced that it had terminated the contract of the India-based company and subsequently filed a law-

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

suit against the company for failing to honour its obligations. Guyana is yet to recover close to $1 billion from the company.

After coming to power last year, the APNU/AFC administration scrapped the Specialty Project with the expectation of diverting the remaining US$13.8 million towards upgrading three primary healthcare facilities – the Bartica, Suddie and West Demerara Hospitals.

But in November last year, government announced that it will go ahead with the Specialty Hospital Project and two weeks later, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fedders Lloyd – one of the original bidders in 2012.

Government explained that after examining the merits of the proposal, it began searching for a willing partner to complete the Specialty Hospital using the remaining US$14 million. Hence, without any tendering it approached Fedders Lloyd to complete

the project.

This caused much uproar and controversy after it was revealed that the Indian company was never the second best bidder in the tendering process back in 2012, as claimed by the APNU/AFC Government.

The PPP/C opposition had stated that the company was disqualified because of certain inconsistencies in its submission to the local Tender Board, a report which government contended was a lie.

Former Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall had pointed out that the bid was never evaluated and therefore cannot be considered as the second ranked bidder.

In this regard, he slammed the government for bypassing the transparent process to handpick a contracting company, which is known to have close ties with senior government official Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, to undertake the construction of the Specialty Hospital.

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

IN THE COURTS

3 found guilty for Land Court Judge robbery – 2 freed of all charges

By Kizzy Coleman

T

hree of the five men charged with robbing and feloniously wounding Land Court Judge Nicola Pierre and her husband Mohamed Chand were on Friday found guilty of the offence while the other two were freed when they appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Zamina AllySeepaul.

Damien Millington, 22, of 118 Caesar Street, Agricola, Nicholas Narine, 18, also of Caesar Street, Agricola, and Warren McKenzie, 22, of 18 Brutus Street, Agricola, Georgetown, were all convicted while Anthony David, 28, of Lot 63 Hadfield Street, Stabroek, Georgetown, and Premnauth Samaroo were acquitted.

The five men were facing charges which stated that on July 9, 2015 at Montrose, East Coast Demerara, while being armed with a gun, they beat and robbed Pierre and her husband of a quantity of gold and diamond jewellery, a nugget of gold, a quantity of gem stones, among other items, including several Nintendo games to a value of $1 million.

In addition they were charged for robbing her husband of five wrist watches, a Samsung Galaxy S5 cell phone, US$8000 in cash, a wedding ring, four Oakley sunglasses and one brown leather wallet all valued $2.6 million.

The Police also said that on the same day, the men discharged rounds at Ron Peters, the officer on duty at the time, with intent to

The three accused found guilty

cause him grievous bodily harm.

Magistrate Seepaul while making her ruling stated that the evidence provided by the Prosecution was not sufficient to convict David and Samaroo.

The Magistrate said that David was charged with the offence based on an oral statement given to the Police. She noted the dangers of relying on an oral statement as it is not admissible in court. As such she stated that the evidence against him was not sufficient and the court was not satisfied with the evidence.

Samaroo was acquitted of all charges based on the fact that the evidence given did not establish that he was guilty.

However, the evidence provided against Millington, Narine and McKenzie were admissible as such they were found guilty as charged.

Millington was positively identified by the victims as

one of the perpetrators during an ID parade.

He also admitted to the offence during a caution statement, as such he was found guilty of robbery under arm and felonious wounding but was found not guilty of discharging a loaded firearm with intent to cause bodily harm.

Narine was also positively identified by the victims and Magistrate AllySeepaul said that the court was satisfied with the evidence that was established against him.

In addition, McKenzie was found guilty as he admitted knowledge of the robbery to Police officers.

The court heard that on the night in question, he had the most verbal interaction with the victims and was positively identified by them.

Magistrate Ally-Seepaul said that the evidence provided against him was sufficient to establish the offence

of robbery under arm and felonious wounding, however he was found not guilty of discharging of a loaded firearm with intent to cause bodily harm.

The three men will appear in court on June 23, 2016 for sentencing.

On the night in question, heavily-armed men stormed the house of the judge after overpowering a Special Constable on duty at the time.

Both Pierre and her husband were beaten into an unconscious state after which they were robbed.

As a result of the beating, Pierre sustained a broken jaw and other injuries while her husband received

Judge Nicola Pierre

sever injuries to his eye.

Both victims had to undergo reconstructive surgery overseas as a result of injuries sustained.

McKenzie was shot when Police officers raided an East Bank Demerara house.

During the raid, a weapon matching the one used in the robbery of the judge was found.

Eyew tness

Requiem... ...for sugar? Or the unions?

"L

ook back in anger" – a play in post-WWII Britain – described the "angry young men" who changed Britain forever. Your Eyewitness wonders if thousands of "p*ssed rural men" might soon create headlines like "look back in fear" after they storm governmental offices with their cutlasses? But sadly, it ain't gonna happen here. Why? Well because the trade unions that are paid to protect sugar workers' rights, have lost their mojo. Not to mention, their cojones.

As your Eyewitness predicted, the political types were out in force for the Enmore Martyrs' Day. Just as predictably, the Opposition and the Government went on different days. Which just confirms for sure absolutely nothing's gonna be done to roll back the crisis that's engulfed the sugar industry. And the unions that showed up did what they've been doing for decades – talk! And offering further evidence that they've been spayed.

With each side pointing fingers at the other: "It's them that did you in!" The unions once again regurgitated the history of the five workers who were shot and killed 68 years ago. Did they learn anything from the events they described? Not if we go by their actions. If the present powers-that-be are hewing to the same line from 1948 – ignoring the workers' plight – couldn't the unions have followed the example of the workers of yore? Show up – but behave bad and protest!!

Wouldn't the plight of the modern sugar workers been better represented by some militant action on this day that's supposed to symbolise workers refusal to be simply objects of history and take their rightful role as subjects?

Now in the normal course of events, institutions, like people will live and die. And it might just be that it's time for sugar to die. But shouldn't the Government – which is elected to take care of these things – have a plan for the 18,000 or so workers that are being forced to die a long, slow and painful death? Today it's Wales and its 1700 workers. If there is nothing to suggest the Government is doing anything different, don't the unions realise what's staring them in the face?

The refusal of the unions to change their modus operandi on this symbolic day, shows they aren't prepared to think outside the box. And the Government knows this. All the PM – as the Government rep – did, was to challenge his old PPP comrades to "come to the table".

Just as with the offer of "unity talks" to the PPP, the PM and the unions know with the messenger being the message, this ain't gonna happen.

It's a shad, shad, shituation.

...for local government

Local government faces a similar situation as does sugar...and for the same reasons. To wit: the compulsion of politicians to lie to their "constituencies". Just consider the point of attack by APNU/AFC on the PPP in Georgetown that was focused on their Town Clerk Carol Sooba. If they were to be believed, the woman was the spawn of the devil sent by the PPP's Minister of Government to torment and thwart the angels at City Hall.

Why was the City dirty? Why...Sooba of course!

Vendors overrunning City? ...Sooba...Sooba ...Sooba.

It all came down to her being a puppet of Central Government via the Minister of Local Government.

Subverting the glorious promise of local government! So now that we have an APNU/AFC Town Clerk, controlled by a new Minister of Local Government Ronald Bulkan, universally castigated, what say they now? Shouldn't the said Minister stick to his principles and resign?

Naaah? What's sauce for the goose is NOT sauce for the gander!

...for CAL or us?

So CJIA's issued an ultimatum to CAL to allow our in-transit passengers at Piarco to keep their duty-free purchases. Or we'll throw them out!!

Really? And what'd we do when all the Charter Flights go belly up?

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

NEWS

9

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Buxton man wanted Diaspora offered attractive investment for Region 7 murder packages – President P P resident David Granger said his Administration would be willing to make available a suitable package for Guyanese within the Diaspora, should they indicate an interest in helping to propel the wheels of the country’s economy.

He said such pathways will do well for all Guyanese both here and abroad. The Head of State was at the time in conversation with journalists on Thursday, during the taping of his weekly “Public interest “programme.

He was giving an overview of his recent visit to New York, where Guyanese there hosted a mini celebration to commemorate Guyana’s 50th independence anniversary.

His visit to New York was however, a follow up to a conference held by Business Minster Dominic Gaskins along with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramajttan and Telecommunication Minister Cathy Hughes, who all shared with the Diaspora business opportunities that are readily available to them and also learning from them what interests they might have, in getting things moving along.

According to President Granger, while there have been no formal responses as yet, Government is prepared to offer what is usually requested in this regard.

“Usually people look for tax holidays, waivers on equipment and the ability to repatriate their profits”, the Head of State said.

“We have offered waivers before to new companies. We want to offer them a level playing field. So at this point in time, I cannot confirm a package. The Minister of Business has been in contact with po-

President David Granger

tential investors, but let’s sees what they are asking for before we make up our minds. Nothing that has been offered to any new company would be denied to Guyanese investors,” the President promised.

Granger added that while the potential investors may also want access to land and other resources, they must also be committed to bringing items from the Diaspora, including transportation and capital.

The Head of State said he had engaged with New York alone during his trip to the US. The United States and North America he said, probably has more than half of Guyana’s population.

“Guyana is a country divided in a whole… It is my view that the Diaspora is probably larger in size, I am quite sure that the amount of Guyanese in the US is large,” he said.

With that fact in place, President Granger said the Diaspora will definitely have more capital to invest, as most of them earn more than the average Guyanese.

He said they also have expertise, since most of them work in industries and services in the US and elsewhere in North America.

“I appealed to them for capital and expertise. I don’t think many of them will come back, what I asked them to consider is the possibility of investment. I told them that other countries and nationalities have been investing in Guyana.

So yes, that is my pitch”.

He said he is satisfied that there is a high degree of interest amount Guyanese Americans or Canadians to at least send capital to help Guyana.

“I see many of them operating tourist industries to bring people to Guyana to see this abundant flora and fauna. It is a magnificent prize that we possess,” he said.

Crime and potential investors

Asked about the perceived high crime rate and the effect that could have on potential investors, the President said he does not see the issue as having any impression on those who would want to invest here.

“Maybe it’s high for some persons, but it is lower, 16 per cent lower than what it was last year, so there is

some spectacular crime, but serious crimes are actually being reduced,” the Head of State said, continuing that several measures have already been taken by his Administration within the last 12 months to reduce the crime rate.

“In terms of the deployment of Police, Operation Dragnet, Guyanese are safer now, than they were two years ago. I don’t think that is a serious criticism. We are working on it, I agree more can be done, but we are bringing the crime rate down”.

He said he is interested in transparency and in the lawful conduct of transactions, between the Government and the Private Sector and other investors.

He said he recently told the Private Sector that they needed to be careful about criticising Government excessively since because corruption come from private businessmen. “We have to bring down criminality among person who is rouged businessmen; we have to stamp it out,” he said

olice investigators in F Division (Interior locations) are on the hunt for a Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD) man who is wanted for questioning into a murder which occurred at Black Water Landing, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) last month.

The wanted man has been identified as 26-yearold Andrey Gouveia of Oronoque, Port Kaituma, North West District, Region One and also of Side Line Dam, Buxton, ECD. According to Police Public Relations Officer Jairam Ramlakhan, Gouveia is wanted for questioning in relation to the murder of Eric Godfrey Angel, which occurred on May 9, at Black Water Landing, Cuyuni River.

Wanted murder suspect: Andrey Gouveia

The Police is asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Gouveia to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-2227, 4552222, 455-2238, 911 or the nearest Police station. All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

10

guyana-times.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

News

Region 5 RDC meeting Armed bandits rob, beat gas station employees disrupted again F

or the sixth consecutive month, the Region Five Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has been unable to sit because of uncouth disruptions to its monthly statutory meetings by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Regional Councillors. On Thursday, the APNU/AFC Councillors led by Carol Fraser again prevented the chairman from presiding over the meeting.

Joseph maintains that Regional Vickchand Ramphal was disrespectful to President David Granger and as a result will not be allowed to preside over the meeting.

Despite calls by the chairman for Joseph to stand if she had something to say, the councillor disregarded the utterances and continued to palaver.

Beneath her loud nuisance the chairman said she was being disrespectful to the entire council and the Region. The other APNU/AFC councillors then joined Joseph in banging the table.

Following that episode, Ramphal called for unity and cooperation. He said it was a time when they all needed to work together for the Region but his words were drowned out by the sounds of banging and singing.

The meeting was yet again adjourned.

Since the beginning of the year, the Regional

Administration has been unable to hold its monthly statutory meetings because of disruptions by the APNU/AFC side.

They are contending that Ramphal disrespected President Granger by not attending an official function in the Region in January of this year.

Joseph says they are demanding an apology from the chairman before they allow him to chair any meeting of which they are a part of.

She had said earlier: “We are out here because the council has been suspended, because we feel that the Chairman of this Region [who] took the oath of office to serve all the people of this Region, disrespected His Excellence President David Granger when he visited January 15, to commission two buses for the Region and as such we cannot respect him as the Chairman of this Region until he apologises publically to his Excellency.”

Ramphal told reporters that he did not attend the function because he was not invited to it. In noting that the welcoming of the President was done by an APNU councillor, Ramphal said it should have been done by him. Further to that, he emphasised that he did not receive a formal invitation to the commissioning which was held in the compound of the RDC that houses his office: “I was given a programme the

day before and no invitation.”

However Abel Seetaram, an APNU/AFC councillor had told the media that the chairman was invited.

He said Joseph met with Ramphal and discussed the agenda and the reason for the President’s visit.

“The chairman is claiming that all he was given is an agenda of the event. I don’t know where you are given a menu and they would not invite you for a meal.

Why will they give you that menu; you ought to know about the event or the gettogether,” said Seetaram.

Seetaram said the current administration has never planned an event in that Region without informing the Regional Administration.

According to Ramphal, at the RDC level, they have acknowledged the donation of the two school buses and appreciate it as it aims at assisting school children from several communities. He says the nonattendance of the Regional Chairman is in no way meant to be disrespectful to the people of Region Five or the President. “I want to believe that proper communication was not done on the ground by the people who are responsible for doing so,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, despite heavy and persistent flooding in the Region, the council has not been able to sit as a body and discuss a way forward. (Andrew Carmichael)

F

ive armed men on Thursday night held up two employees attached to the RP Service Station at Mon Repos Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, and relieved them of a quantity of cash but not before assaulting them.

The incident took place at about 23:30h.

Reports are the bandits drove into the service station in a white car without registration plates and ordered the pump attendant, Dhareswar Budhai, 59, to fill the car’s tank.

The men then exited the car and held the pump attendant and Sheik Hassan, 55, at gunpoint and relieved them of $14,200 in cash, two mobile phones, and several cylinders filled with cooking gas.

The victims were then beaten about their bodies.

They were locked in a washroom at the back of the service station while the men made good their escape.

Speaking with Guyana Times, owner of the service station Rabindranauth Prasad explained that it was the first time his entity has been robbed.

He noted that based on what was told to him, the

RP Service Station at Mon Repos Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara

men entered the service station and ordered the pump attendant to fill the tank with gasoline. One of the men then exited and asked to use the washroom, located at the back. On his way, he reportedly accosted the security guard and ordered him into the washroom.

As the armed man went back to the front, four other occupants of the car exited and cut the chains to the cage in which the gas cylinders are kept. Prasad noted that the men took out 19 cylinders and packed them into the vehicle.

“Based on the surveillance footage, the car then drove away, leaving two of the bandits behind… it appeared as though they were

returning but soon after the two who were left behind saw a few soldiers walking on the road, they ran away,” Prasad stated.

The businessman went on to say that immediately after the incident, a minibus turned into the service station but after the driver did not see the pump attendant, he called out to the man who answered from the washroom. They were let out and contacted the Police.

The man noted that the entire incident was caught on camera and the Police are reviewing the footage.

The establishment has been in operations for the past two years. (Bhisham Mohamed)

Roadside brawl lands women in court

T

hree women were on Friday all charged with assault and wounding when they made their appearance at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Christel Lambert.

Aesha Jacobs, 23, of Lot 198 Anna Catherina West Coast Demerara (WCD) and Tricia Rodney, 36, of 42 Gas Station Street, Anna Catherina, WCD, pleaded not guilty to the offence, which alleged that on June 4, they unlawfully and ma-

liciously wounded and assaulted Shelize Gaskin with intent to cause bodily harm.

The court heard that on the same day and at the same location, both women unlawfully and maliciously assaulted Nikita Gilks with intent to cause bodily harm.

Meanwhile, Shelize Gaskin 23 of 377 Section C Sophia, Greater Greater, pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on June 4, she unlawfully and maliciously assaulted and wounded Aesha Jacobs

and Tricia Rodney with intent to cause bodily harm.

The prosecution’s case contended that on the day in question, the women were involved in an argument that spiralled out of control, as such a fight ensued.

They were all arrested and charged after the matter was reported to the Police by eyewitnesses.

They were all released in $30,000 bail each. The case will continue on June 23, 2016.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

guyana-times.com

11

News

President recommits to strong relations with the UK – at a reception to mark the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II

P

resident David Granger extended best wishes to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on her 90thbirthday, even as he recommitted to deepening the fertile relations shared by Guyana and the United Kingdom, at a reception held at the residence of the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn.

The President, accompanied by First Lady Sandra Granger; High Commissioner Quinn and his wife, Wendy Quinn; along with Government functionaries and other dignitaries attended the event to mark the Queen’s milestone anniversary.

President Granger recounted that the majority of citizens of Guyana living today know of only one British sovereign; one who has spent almost her entire adult life in service to her country and the Commonwealth. This, he said, undeniably, is a remarkable achievement.

The Head of State noted that Queen Elizabeth II has reigned with grace for more than 60 years and Guyana is gratified by the quality of cordial relations with Britain.

“We thank Britain for its sustained support for Guyana’s development efforts and more recently, for its receptiveness to our request tore-engage with security sector reform,” President Granger said.

The President also said that the Government and

the people of Guyana are reassured by the reaffirmation of the United Kingdom’s support for Guyana’s position on the attempts by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to overturn the previously settled borders.

Security, he said, has been pivotal to ensuring Guyana’s independence over the last 50 years, even though the emergence of transnational threats such as narcotics-trafficking, trafficking in persons and terrorism requires the country to rely on cooperation with partners in the international community.

“Guyana still seeks that promised peace. We still yearn for the complete resolution of this obnoxious claim to our territory. We were heartened, therefore, by the unambiguous asseverations of the parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who iterated that the GuyanaVenezuela boundary was fixed in the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal in Paris and that “… the UK supports the territorial integrity of your country unequivocally,” President Granger told the gathering.

Meanwhile, High Commissioner Quinn said that 2016 has indeed been a remarkable year for the two countries as they have achieved quite a number of accomplishments in just fewer than six months.

“This year has been a year of many firsts for the

Barama rape case

Judge overrules defence’s no-case submission

J

ustice Jo-Ann Barlow overruled a no-case submission put forward by defence attorneys for the three men accused of raping and sodomising a 17-year-old girl at the Barama Complex in 2007.

Paul Abrams of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara; Claude Craig of Barama Quarters, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara; and Holston Melville called Pumpkin are all on trial for the alleged rape which occurred at the Barama Complex.

Craig is represented by Attorneys Nigel Hughes and Kezia Williams while Abrams and Melville are represented by Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos.

Following the nocase submission by attorneys for the accused, State Prosecutor Siand Dhurjon responded by pointing out that the state has presented sufficient evidence to prove

its case.

In making a ruling, the judge overruled the no-case submission and as such the three accused are expected to lead their defence Monday.

It is alleged that the virtual complainant (VC) was working the night shift at the Barama Complex, Land of Canaan, EBD when her supervisor, Paul Abrams, asked for her assistance with work. It is alleged the accused led the young girl into a room and had sex without her consent and subsequently locked her in a room.

The Prosecution is contending that Abrams then returned with Melville and Craig, who also raped and sodomised the teen.

Workers eventually found her lying naked and crying on a bed in the room and the Police were summoned.

President David Granger makes a point to British High Commissioner to Guyana Greg Quinn at the reception which was held to mark Britain’s Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday

Guyana-United Kingdom relations. In April, we saw the

first visit by the naval ship since 2001; in May we saw

the visit by the Minister from the Commonwealth Office

since 2002. I trust there will be many more firsts in both the coming months and the years. I think what that shows, is that the relationship between our two countries is in good shape and it is not just about the visits.

There is much substance.

We continue our work on security reform and combating organised crime through assistance provided by, for example, the UK’s crime agency. This year saw the launch of the Caribbean, UK Infrastructure Fund worth some $16 billion… These are all grants, not loans which must be repaid,” Quinn said.

The event was also attended by Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque along with Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps and the Private Sector.

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Core homes ‘corrective’ works

CH&PA Chairman defends sole-sourced contractor, inflated estimate

C

hairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Hamilton Green has defended the decision to sole-source contractor Ivor Allen for the execution of corrective works on several homes under the Government’s Core Homes Project.

In documents seen by Guyana Times, the Board said that by way of round robin, it selected Ivor Allen to execute the works on the homes it listed as “moderate income”.

The Board in an internal memorandum, dated June 10, 2016, stated that it had considered and approved Ivor Allen to be awarded the contract to execute the corrective works to 11 houses (lot numbers provided) at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Based on the information seen by this publication, the Board of Directors of the CH&PA handpicked

Allen, a close associate of the coalition Government, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC).

According to Green, the Board handpicked Allen since he was one of the four contractors that built the core homes and the only one whose constructions were done without complaints from the occupants.

“It turned out that only one of the four contactors houses we received no com-

plaints from, that contractor was Ivor Allen…we felt it prudent that since he had worked in that area to award him the contract to do corrective works.”

Green further highlighted that the reason the contract for remedial works did not go to tender is because the 11 houses outlined were the “worst cases” and the corrective works were deemed “extremely urgent.” He noted that at a meeting, the residence complained that “it

is inappropriate for them to have a house that they can’t use, can’t occupy.”

“We could not wait to proceed with tenders because the people were anxious, paying mortgages and paying their rent. People complained to us in tears about the conditions, some doors moved away, some can’t close, it’s really a horror story,” said the CH&PA Chairman.

As it relates to the discrepancies in cost outlined for the remedial works, Green said that the Board had no confidence in the figures given by the engineering core since this is the same group that produced figures from time to time, which resulted in the very poor quality work.

“I am prepared to anchor our reputation on the one contractor who did works for which we received no complaints… the Board is not prepared, to either deal with that estimate or give it to the same engineering core and have two weeks after, to receive complaints that we have been receiving from the

occupants,” he noted.

The Chairman surmised that the estimates given on the “Summary of Bills” seen

by Guyana Times was produced by the engineering core and was inadequate to execute quality corrective works on the 11 “worst case” homes that were listed. He said Allen’s prices were higher because the works done by the contractor were of a high standard, and as such, the memorandum issued by the CH&PA reflected the costs needed to execute the corrective works properly.

The “Summary of Bills” seen by this newspaper puts the cost for the works at $7,467,227. However, the internal memorandum issued by the Secretary to the CH&PA Board put the cost for the same 11 homes (verified by matching lot numbers) at a whopping $16,727,623, a difference of over $9.2 million which worked out to an increase of 124 per cent.

Green in April had declared that the Authority will be spending over $100 million on corrective works

to core homes built by contractors under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration.

“Bad roofs, leaking roofs, walls that are twisted, paint peeling, septic tanks porous, floors that were doing a special dance, among other things,” was how Green described some of the defects found.

His claims were quickly rebuffed by former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali, under whose stewardship the programme was initiated.

Ali had said that Green’s statement was “shocking”

Chairman of the Board of Directors of CH&PA Hamilton Green as he questioned the quoted $100 million Green planned to spend on fixing the ‘defective’ homes.

Ali said that CH&PA had previously stated that corrective works on the turnkey homes would have cost about $20 million.

“How is this now estimated at $100 million plus,” Ali had asked.

Capoey man succumbs to stab wounds – teenager charged

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lmost one week after being injured during an altercation with a teenager at Lake Capoey Mission, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), a father of nine succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Suddie Public Hospital.

Dead is 52-year old Tedd De Younge of Capoey Village, Region Two. The now dead man was on life support for almost two days after he sustained injuries during an altercation with his 15-year-old nephew.

It was reported that De Younge and the teenager were involved in an argument on June 12, during which the young man collected a glass bottled and dealt him several blow to the head before escaping.

The injured man was found in a pool of blood along a dam in the Amerindian reservation.

The young man was later apprehended and handed over to the Police while the injured man was rushed to the Suddie Hospital where he was admitted a patient. While there, doctors recommended that the patient be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, but due to

The deceased: Tedd De Younge

his condition, it was impossible for him to be transferred.

Earlan De Younge, a son of the dead man told Guyana Times that his father met a horrific death and is calling on the Police to thoroughly investigate the incident. The distressed son related that his father was a quiet man and never troubled anyone in the community.

However, the teenager who committed the act was remanded to the juvenile holding centre at Sophia, Greater Georgetown following his court appearance be-

fore Magistrate Sunil Scarce on June 16. He was charged with attempted murder.

Now that the man is dead, the charge is expected to be reread to the suspect in the new week. He will now be charged with the capital offence of murder.

While at the court on Thursday, the teenager’s mother told the court that her son lives with his stepfather and rears poultry as a business. She also informed the court that he is a school dropout and is the second of three children.

Meanwhile, Police Prosecutor Haimraj Ramsewack told the court that on the day in question at about 23:00h, the teenager was at Capoey Mission consuming alcohol with some friends when he was later joined by the victim, who is his uncle.

After a few drinks, they left and were heading home when it is alleged that the teenager dealt several lashes to the victim’s head with a rum bottle. Residents claimed that they heard screams coming from the area and upon enquiring, they saw the man lying on the dam.

The teenager will make his next court appearance on July 28.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Moraikobai to receive food aid New Vice Chancellor outlines revival plans for UG – radios to be installed as part of weather watch

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esidents of Moraikobai in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice ) who were affected by recent flooding, will today be receiving food hampers from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). Recent heavy rains over the past week raised water levels in the Mahaicony River, resulting in severe flooding in parts of the village, affecting farmlands and crops.

These food hampers will be delivered to 160 flood affected families and distribution will continue on Sunday.

Administrative Manager of the CDC, Major Marvin Chichester will be undertaking the initiative.

Deputy Director General of the CDC, Major Kester Craig also explained that the CDC will be using the trip as an opportunity to install radios in the village, adding that the village council will be responsible for managing the

The food hampers which will be distributed to residents of the flood affected community

of flood conditions.

Last week, a medical team was deployed to Moraikobai to assist in the prevention of waterborne diseases; however, the team did not detect any outbreaks.

This deployment was in response to reports that persons in that village had com-

A flooded yard in Region Five

communication sets.

It was pointed out that the installation of the radios in the village is part of the CDC’s efforts to establish early warning systems in the community. These radios, it was pointed out, will be used for warnings and forecasting as part of future monitoring

plained of itching about the body.

Guyana Times was informed that the regional administration is monitoring the situation. On Sunday, it was reported that a regional team visited several communities along the Mahaicony River, most of which were

flooded. This newspaper was told that because of the flooding in Moraikobai, villages such as Mora Point, Pine Ground and Gordon Table were also flooded.

Many farmers in these villages said that they have lost some of their cash crops.

Over the last few weeks, this publication has been highlighting the challenges which communities in Region Five have been facing as a result of flooding. A breached dam along the Perth Canal in Branch Road, Mahaicony, led to significant acreages of rice lands being inundated last month.

Last August, the community had benefited from community-based disaster response training which was conducted by the Guyana Red Cross Society (GRSC) in partnership with the CDC, the Regional Democratic Councils, the Ministry of the Presidency, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown after it was noted that the community is vulnerable to flooding which put the residents at risk.

W

ith a fairly new Vice chancellor at the helm of the University of Guyana, the country’s premier tertiary institution is set to see significant changes in operation and service.

New UG Vice Chancellor, Dr Ivelaw Griffith during his inaugural press conference vowed to transform the aesthetic of the University, moving it from the place it is now to a place that would benefit every student and staff member.

He met with journalists on Friday, a mere three days after assuming office. During his first week in office, the Professor has already engaged a wide range of staff and students, attended the academic and faculty board meetings, met with senior administration and held interactions with the two workers unions.

According to the Professor, the University of Guyana will be moving head on tackling the issues that have been holding the institution down for far too long.

“We have got to do better as a University, as a nation, in paying our staff decent salaries. True, earlier this year there was an increase and while that increase was necessary, it’s not sufficient”.

He said he has already met with President David Granger and will be meeting shortly with Finance Minister Winston Jordan and Attorney General Basil Williams, to set the stage to enable the University to get the resources from Government to do more, including paying decent wages and salaries to academic and non academic staff.

New University Vice Chancellor, Dr Ivelaw Griffith

Better wages and salaries for all staff have always been a major issue and was among the major reasons for the latest bouts of protest actions by the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association and the University of Guyana Workers’ Union.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor said the University will be moving to set the stage to do innovative things that could elevate the premier tertiary body.

“One of the things that will be setting the stage is asking the question, what new things must this university do?” One of those things, he said, is the need to establish a business school at the University. At the dawn of the new semester, the University will be engaging the expertise of a feasibility study team, for them to assess the possibility of establishing such a school.

Griffith has placed as high premium on engaging a wide network of professionals all over the world to galvanise

support for enhancing the programmes and operations of the University. In this regard, the first conference of education resource ambassadors will be convened in Georgetown, between June 23 and 25.

“This conference will bring together about 100 professionals, both local and from the Diaspora, particularly from North America and the Caribbean, who have expressed an interest and commitment to contributing financially, technically to taking UG forward”.

With the theme “Dreaming resources, doing resources”, the conference aims specifically at achieving several objectives, including mobilising resources from key domestic and Diaspora stakeholders to enhance infrastructure, finance capital andhuman development challenges; identifying immediate, short and long-term contributions aimed at achieving o mobilising resources to address some of the extant challenges, facilitate a new culture for the collective ownership if the welfare of the university by the widest possible cross section of stakeholders who are willing to contribute to the restoration of the institution’s academic credibility and financial ethnicity.

During the three-day conference, participants will make visits to the University’s campuses (Turkeyen and Tain) to ascertain the immediate needs of the respective campuses, as well as to brainstorm in plenary and working groups on an agenda for immediate, short and long-term action.

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guyana-times.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

Regional

Soil degradation threatens Trinidad Government seeking to raise nutrition in Latin America millions on the international market

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urbing soil degradation is essential for ecological sustainability and food security in Latin America and the Caribbean.

More than 68 per cent of the soil in South America is currently affected by erosion: 100 million hectares of land have been degraded as a result of deforestation and 70 million have been overgrazed.

For example, desertification plagues 55 per cent of Brazil’s Northeast region – whose nearly 1.6 million sq km represent 18 per cent of the national territory – affecting a large part of the staple food crops, such as maize and beans.

In Argentina, Mexico and Paraguay, over half of the territory suffers problems linked to degradation and desertification. And in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, between 27 and 43 per

T

Las Canoas Lake in the town of Tipitapa, near Managua, dries up every time the El Niño weather phenomenon affects Nicaragua, leaving local residents without fish and without water for their crops

cent of the territory faces desertification.

An especially serious case is Bolivia, where six million people, or 77 per cent of the population, live in degraded areas. The situation is not much different in Central America.

According to the 2014 Soil Atlas of Latin America and the Caribbean produced by the EUROCLIMA program, erosion affects 75 per cent of the land in El Salvador,

while in Guatemala 12 percent is threatened by desertification.

The United Nation Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) stresses that as much as 95 per cent of the food consumed worldwide comes from the soil, and 33 per cent of global soils are degraded. In Africa, 80 per cent of land is moderately to severely eroded, and another 10 percent suffers from slight erosion. (Excerpt from

Caribbean360)

Brazil Tourism Minister resigns over graft scandal

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razilian Tourism Minister Henrique Alves has resigned, after being linked to a corruption scandal. He is the third Minister to leave interim President Michel Temer's Government.

All are implicated in a major corruption scandal at the state oil company Petrobras.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court released testimony by an ex-executive implicating 20 politicians including Temer. He denies the allegations.

In a television broadcast, Mr Temer dismissed the testimony as frivolous lies.

The allegations come from Sergio Machado, the former Chief Executive of Petrobras subsidiary Transpetro. Machado is himself under investigation and has made a plea bargain with prosecutors.

He said that both Temer and Alves asked him for money for electoral campaigning and knew it would come from an illegal kickbacks scheme that diverted billions of dollars from the

national oil company.

Alves also denied the accusations against him and said on social media that contributions to his campaigns had been made through official channels and declared to election authorities.

Henrique Alves, a member of Temer's PMDB party, joins Former Transparency Minister Fabiano Silveira and former Planning Minister Romero Juca, who both resigned over leaked phone recordings linked to the Petrobras scandal. (BBC

News)

rinidad and Tobago is seeking to borrow one billion US dollars on the international market, Finance Minister Colm Imbert has said.

“The next set of financing that Government is going to do is we are going to the international market,” he told reporters that he will be visiting several cities in the United States including Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago next month to raise the funds.

Imbert said the value of going overseas, “is that you get US dollars which are added to our foreign reserves when they come in and you will be paying back over a period of years “One billion US dollars will go immediately to enhancing our country’s for-

Trinidad Finance Minister Colm Imbert

eign reserves and then we may pay back US$80 million…US$100 million over a period of 10 to 12 years.”

Imbert told reporters that a team from the Ministry of Finance and the Central

Bank of Trinidad and Tobago will make presentations to US banks.

“I don’t expect it will be a difficult ‘sell’, I’m confident in the ability of myself and the Government to ‘sell’ Trinidad and Tobago, “he said. Imbert said the Keith Rowley government has been successful in raising three billion TT dollars (One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents) with financial institutions yielding TT$1.88 billion, an indication that they “still have an appetite for Government debt”. The Finance Minister reiterated that the Government, which came to office last September, has no plans to seek funding from the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF). (Excerpt from Antigua

Observer)

Jamaica to amend Constitution to hire retired judges

I

n a move aimed at reducing the backlog of cases in the law courts, the Jamaica Government says it is proposing changes to the Constitution that would allow judges to sit on the bench past the retirement age of 70.

Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck said if the proposed constitutional amendment is made, at least 20 judges will be able to “continue offering their yeoman’s service and expertise to the judiciary and assist significantly to reducing the

backlog over the medium term”.

“I will be calling on Cabinet and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to provide the necessary funding to support this initiative,” he told Parliament on Wednesday.

Chuck acknowledged that there are delays in administration of justice and that opens the door for malpractice, corruption, and misconduct.

“While this is not an assessment of the quality of the judiciary in Jamaica,

it is important to maintain a high standard of judicial efficiency so that there is no reason for delays in our courts. By early 2017, I would like to be able to say that no case older than five years exists in either the civil or criminal jurisdiction of the Supreme Court,” the minister.

He added that once that is accomplished, the focus would be on trying all cases over four years and that by 2020 all cases in the Supreme Court will be tried within three years. (Excerpt from

Caribbean360)

Haiti warned against leaving 'institutional vacuum'

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he United Nations and its partners in Haiti on Wednesday expressed concern that as the provisional President's agreed 120-day mandate has come to end, “no measures have been taken to ensure institutional continuity” in the island nation, where several key deadlines regarding the political transition process have been missed.

In a joint press statement the special representative of the Secretary General in Haiti, Sandra Honoré, and the other members of the international community in Haiti represented in the "Core Group" (the ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, the United States and the European Union, and the special representative of the Organisation of American States) took note of the opening of the second ordinary session of Parliament in accordance with the Constitution.

“The Core Group expresses concern that no measures have been taken

Haitians voted in the second round of the senatorial and parliamentary elections and the first round for their new president, in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on October 25, 2015

to ensure institutional continuity beyond 13 June as provided for in the February 5 Agreement,” said the press statement.

On February 14, the Haitian National Assembly elected Jocelerme Privert as the island nation’s interim President, one week after former President Michel Martelly demitted office without a successor. Privert served as interim President for 120 days, and an election had been scheduled for April 24, following an agreement

– known as the February 5 Agreement – between Haitian stakeholders to preserve institutional continuity and further the electoral process.

Subsequently, on 25 April, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson issued a statement underlining the UN chief’s deep concern that that the agreed upon date for holding elections in Haiti was not met and that no alternate electoral calendar was announced. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

guyana-times.com

Around the World

Former Auschwitz guard Reinhold Hanning convicted

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94-year-old former guard at the Auschwitz death camp has been sentenced to five years in jail. Reinhold Hanning was found guilty of being an accessory to the murder of at least 170,000 people.

He was an SS guard at Auschwitz from 1942 to 1944. He has said he knew what was going on at the camp but did not act to stop it.

The Nazis killed about 1.1 million people – mostly Jews – at Auschwitz in occupied southern Poland. The verdict came after a trial lasting nearly four months in the western German city of Detmold.

Observers said Hanning, in a wheelchair, remained silent and emotionless for much of the trial, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the courtroom.

It could be one of the last

Reinhold Hanning is appealing his sentence, as Jenny Hill reports

trials of Nazi officials involved in the Holocaust.

At the trial, about a dozen elderly Auschwitz survivors testified against Hanning, giving harrowing accounts of their experiences. Prosecutors said he met Jewish prisoners as they arrived at the camp and may have escorted some to the gas chambers.

Hanning's lawyers had argued that he had never personally killed or beaten

anyone. He told the court in April: "I want to say that it disturbs me deeply that I was part of such a criminal organisation. I am ashamed that I saw injustice and never did anything about it and I apologise for my actions. I am very, very sorry."

German prosecutors were required, until recently, to provide evidence that defendants were directly involved in the killings. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

Boko Haram massacre women in North-East Nigerian village

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oko Haram militants have shot 18 women dead at a funeral in North-eastern Nigeria, rampaging through a village, setting houses on fire and shooting at random, according to witnesses and local government officials.

The attack took place on Thursday evening in the village of Kuda in Adamawa state. Some women were still missing, resident Moses Kwagh said.

A Police source confirmed the attack, but said it was not yet clear how many

people had been killed. The military did not respond to a request for comment.

Emmanuel Tsamdu, a state legislator, said: “I am yet to get the details on how it happened and the real number of people killed. I have sent hunters to go to the area and get me the details, because people are afraid to go to the village.”

Kuda is near the Sambisa forest, a vast colonial-era game reserve where Boko Haram militants hide in secluded camps to avoid the Nigerian military. They had

previously attacked the village in February.

Under the command of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, and aided by the country’s neighbours, the army has recaptured most of the territory Boko Haram had seized, but the group still regularly stages guerrilla attacks.

Kwagh said: “When we said that Boko Haram is still in this place, some people sit in Abuja and claim that there is no more Boko Haram. But see what has happened.” (The Guardian)

South Africa virginity bursaries unlawful, rules Gender Commission

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n official body in South Africa has ruled that university bursaries offered to proven female virgins were unlawful and should be scrapped.

The Uthukela municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province introduced the bursaries to reduce Aids and child pregnancies. But the Commission for Gender Equality ruled that a bursary "contingent on a female student's virginity is fundamentally discriminatory".

The scheme caused an uproar when it was unveiled earlier this year. In a ruling made after rights groups referred the scheme to it, the Commission said: "It goes against the ethos of the constitutional provisions in relation to dignity, equality and discrimination."

"Virginity is not intrinsic to the task of studying," it added. The municipality,

15

Students selected for the scheme have already received virginity tests as part of an annual Zulu ceremony

which is in a socially conservative part of South Africa, has not yet commented.

The Commission has given it 60 days to respond to its recommendation that the scheme should be closed, the AFP news agency reports. An estimated 6.3 million people in South Africa are HIV-positive, with more than one in 10 people living with the virus.

Teenage pregnancy are also on the rise in South Africa. In 2013, a govern-

ment-backed survey found that teen pregnancies had risen to nearly 100,000, up from 68,000 just two years earlier. When the scheme was unveiled, Uthukela mayor Dudu Mazibuko said the virginity tests would not be carried out by the municipality or universities.

Instead, schoolgirls who had already undergone the tests as part of an annual ceremony hosted by the Zulu king would qualify for the bursaries, she said. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

China rules against Apple over iPhone patent claim B eijing's Intellectual Property Office has ruled against Apple in a patent dispute brought by a Chinese handset maker. The iPhone 6 and 6S models are similar to Shenzhen Baili's little-known 100C phone, the authority ruled.

In theory, this could lead to iPhone sales being halted in Beijing but sales continue as Apple has appealed to a higher court. The tech giant said the handset is still

available throughout China. "iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as well as iPhone 6s, iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone SE models are all available for sale today in China. We appealed an administrative order from a regional patent tribunal in Beijing last month and as a result the order has been stayed pending review by the Beijing IP Court," the firm said.

Analyst Ben Wood, from CCS Insight, told the BBC

he was confident that Apple would resolve the situation.

"Large companies will always be reluctant to settle if they feel they don't have a case to answer, but the Chinese market is so strategic to Apple that if they have to settle, they will," he told the BBC. "This is a constant challenge for all large tech firms.

"Typically these sorts of legal spats are a game of brinkmanship." (Excerpt from BBC

News)

Gujarat riots: India court jails 11 for life over Gulbarg massacre

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court in India has sentenced 11 people to life in prison for their roles in a notorious massacre during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat.

Of the 24 people convicted for the so-called Gulbarg Society killings, 12 were jailed for seven years while one man was sentenced to 10 years. During the attack, 69 people were hacked and burned to death by a mob.

More than 1000 people,

mostly Muslims, died in the riots, sparked by a fire on a train that killed 60 Hindu pilgrims. Critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the state chief minister at the time, say he did little to stop the riots.

The special court in Ahmedabad called the incident the "darkest day in the history of civil society".

However, Zakia Jafri, the wife of Ehsan Jafri, a prominent Muslim politician and a former Congress party

MP, who was among those killed, has expressed disappointment at the sentencing.

"I was there when Ehsaan Jafri was killed, it's not justice at all," she told reporters. Survivors of the Gulbarg massacre say he fired his gun in self-defence as the mob attacked the complex.

Jafri says her husband called Modi for help but it never came. (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Nursing school undergoes Traffic task force reintroduced sensitisation workshop T F

ollowing the hosting of two previous Peace Corps/PEPFAR stigma and discrimination (S&D) sensitisation workshops with nursing students, the Peace Corps HIV Taskforce aimed to bring sustainability of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired from these trainings by working with the nursing school leadership.

Peace Corps and President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is looking to work with the nursing programme to integrate the learning and objectives from these trainings into the nursing curriculum, helping to ensure nurses in Guyana enter the work force equipped to provide the highest standard of care to all persons.

To this end, from June 8 to June 10, principals, department heads, tutors, and senior students from the Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, and St Joseph Mercy Nursing Schools attended a threeday interactive workshop, where they participated in activities that brought to light how both conscious and unconscious discrimination can affect patients’ access to care and health

outcomes.

Evidence shows that negative health service experiences directly result in negative health outcomes. Unfortunately, it is the already marginalised populations that are primarily subject to S&D in service settings. The workshop focused on strategies for health system and curriculum strengthening, by providing health care professionals a better understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, whom are among the gender and sexual minority (GSM) patients they serve.

The training also enlightened participants to issues that people living with HIV (PLHIV) face in health service settings, providing deeper understanding of the full impact in treating PLHIV & GSM patients with care.

Perhaps the most impactful part of the workshop was the panel discussion, in which participants were able to gain insight from panelists who identify as members of the key populations. This discussion not only provided greater context to the topics covered, but also served to humanise the issue, providing

faces to LGBT Guyanese and persons living with HIV. At the conclusion of the training, participants expressed a sincere desire to eliminate stigma and discrimination of GSM and PLHIV persons in the nursing system. Action plans were developed which including everything from student lead stigma and discrimination sessions to incorporation of greater GSM & PLHIV education in the general curriculum.

Peace Corps and PEPFAR applaud this commitment, and will provide support in the completion of this initiative. Peace Corps Director of Programme and Training, Melanie Ingles, indicated Peace Corps commitment to collaboration with nursing school leadership to integrate the training into general curriculum, while PEPFAR Country Coordinator, Stephanie Joseph de Goes, encouraged the participants to lead the way forward in eliminating stigma and discrimination to provide the highest standard of care in Guyana, where all patients especially sexual minorities are respected and treated with dignity and care for the most positive health outcomes.

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) has recorded a 61 per cent increase in vehicular accidents for the year. This is according to Traffic Chief Dion Moore in a recent interview with the Government Information Agency.

According to Moore, the traffic task force has been reintroduced to curb accidents, pointing out that the use of cell phones while driving and inattentiveness are among the reasons for accidents.

“Our main focus will be to catch, capture driver who chose to drive above the prescribed limit, speeding in areas where there are traffic lights, breach of traffic lights control signals, driving using a cell phone as well,” Moore explained.

The reintroduction of the traffic task force is expected to address these concerns along with other traffic violations, adding that the task force, which will consist of Police ranks including inspectors, will be conducting enforcement in all divisions.

Using cell phones while driving is “a soaring issue”, Moore added. However, effectively charging persons for this violation is difficult for policemen. Officers first have to recognise the offence but many drivers contest using their cell phones with the

Traffic Chief Dion Moore

Police.

“A lot of persons when they see the police, upon recognising the police, they’ll drop the phone in the vehicle and remain in the same position that they were at and they will try to contest with the police that they were on the call,” said Moore.

However, the Police have been assisted by surveillance cameras that are installed across the city, Moore said.

“We do find a lot of cases coming out of the CCTV cameras and we will continue in that regards,” he pointed out. The cameras have also assisted Police with bringing charges to drivers who breach traffic lights.

The task force is also expected to assist in curbing these violations, along with the cameras whilst operating between Fridays to Mondays.

“We find most of the accidents occurring during that period and a lot of these drivers are found above the prescribed limit of alcohol,” Moore told GINA. Meanwhile, Moore pointed out that there has also been a 50 per cent increase in fatal accidents. There has also been an increase in minor accidents by 21 per cent. There was a reported 60 accidents for this year compared to 40 during the same period last year.

While Moore identified driving under the influence as the major cause for a lot of the accidents, it was speeding that was responsible for most fatal accidents as well as inattentiveness on the roads was identified as a cause of fatal accidents. A total of 12,161 persons have been charged so far for speeding, Moore added.

The Traffic Chief said everyday enforcement, coupled with education awareness across the country, will be used to decrease traffic accidents. “We’ll work along with the stakeholders, the National Road Safety Council and other organisations to see how best we can reduce accidents,” Moore assured.

The traffic department will be soliciting youth organisations and vocational training programmes over the August holiday to conduct educational programmes on road safety.

Essequibo man granted $500k bail for unlawful and malicious wounding

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man from Essequibo was on Friday granted bail in the sum of $500,000, when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Walston Bhoodoo, 52, is accused of unlawfully and maliciously wounding Jai Singh on June, 14, 2016, at 14 Miles, Kassana Backdam, Essequibo River. He was not allowed to plead to the indictable charge read to him by the magistrate.

Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones made strong objections to bail, stating that the defen-

dant gave conflicting addresses to the Police.

It was revealed by Jones that the men who are known to each other had an argument which resulted in the use of violence.

On the day in question Singh was in his camp when approached by Bhoodoo, who started to argue with him over money, and a fight broke out between the two. Bhoodoo, armed with a sharp object, dealt Singh two ‘jooks’ to his abdomen.

The court also heard that

after the confrontation ended, Singh began receiving threatening text messages from unknown persons, who he suspected to be relatives of the defendant.

Chief Magistrate McLennan granted Bhoodoo bail under the condition that he must stay without 50 feet of Singh. The accused was also placed on a bond on good behaviour.

Bhoodoo is expected to make his next court appearance on June 29 at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

17

NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

UN donates Prado to Police participate in Human Education Ministry Rights and Leadership Workshop

UNFPA Assistant Resident Representative Patrice LaFleur hands over the vehicle to Minister within the Education Ministry Nicolette Henry, in the presence of Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry Alfred King and Director of Youth Trevor Williams

T

he United Nations through the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), on Friday donated a Toyota Prado to the Ministry of Education’s, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry who received the donation stated that the Education Ministry has a long relationship with the UNFPA which has played a vital part in the development of Youth Friendly Spaces around the country. It was also stated that the relationship is strengthened by the donation.

It was related that the vehicle would be used by the Department of Youth to boost development of the Youth Friendly Spaces. The ju-

nior minister noted that the Education Ministry is placing focus on those youth spaces to ensure that young people have a safe space to meet and have access to key services. As such, she praised the UNFPA for the donation.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry Alfred King explained that the vehicle will be used to aid in the advancement of youth development.

He reiterated Henry’s statement, telling those at the handing-over ceremony that the Youth Friendly Spaces project created an environment where young people can not only learn about themselves and their sexuality, but also develop themselves in a positive way. He also expressed gratitude for the vehi-

cle gesture. explained that relations between the organisation and the Ministry of Education began in 2003, and over the years has seen several successful partnership initiatives undertaken.

She stated that UNFPA is pleased with the fruits of the relationship with the ministry, adding that the vehicle will be used in the Department of Youth’s outreach programme to the Youth Friendly Spaces where focus will be placed on adolescents and youth development, especially adolescent pregnancy reduction. She also pointed out that the UNFPA has a mandate from the UN and the Caricom Secretariat to address adolescent pregnancy reduction.

Man gets 4 months for stealing motorcycle

E

mmanuel Lorry, 27, of East La Penitence Squatting Area, Georgetown, will spend the next four months in prison after he was found guilty of theft by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Lorry, who works as a Pork-knocker, was accused of stealing one Kiama motorbike valued $160,000, property of Isaac Booker, between April 30 and May 1, 2016. He maintained his innocence throughout his

testimony, stating that he had never seen the Virtual Complainant (VC) before, prior to the allegation made against him.

However, Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones rebutted his argument by telling the court Lorry is known to the VC since records show they were high school classmates.

Lorry denied the prosecutor’s suggestion and ended his testimony refusing to call any witnesses to aid in

his defence.

After a brief recess, Magistrate McLennan found Lorry guilty. Real and circumstantial evidence were taken into consideration by Magistrate McLennan before handing down sentence, in addition to the time the accused spent on remand.

Emanuel Lorry is said to have pending matters against him, of a similar nature, in court 12 of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Pregnant woman gets $250,000 bail on narco charge

A

pregnant woman and a male friend was slapped with cannabis possession for the purpose of trafficking charge and appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday.

Sharda Mohammed, 47, of Lot 31 B Field, Sophia, Georgetown, and Nigel Luke, of Lot 1985 Festival City, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, both denied the charge after it was read by Magistrate Judy Latchman.

It is alleged that on June 15, at Nutmeg Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, they had 2.7kg of cannabis in their possession for trafficking.

In a bail application, attorney Melvin Duke told Court that on the day of the incident Mohammed took lunch for Luke with whom she is ‘friendly’ with at his work place as she normally does on a daily basis. He said Luke works as a security guard/caretaker at a car rental business and café.

According to the lawyer Police arrived at the location and conducted a search when the seeds, leaves and stems suspected to be cannabis were found in the kitchen area of the café.

He noted that Police dusted for fingerprints but none matching his clients were found on the items. He re-

quested reasonable bail on these grounds.

The lawyer’s submissions were objected to by Police Prosecutor Kerry Boswick who told the Court that on the day in question Police went to the home of Luke, and they were greeted by both defendants. He noted that after conducting a search of the premises Police found the illicit drug and showed it to Luke who admitted to being the owner.

The pregnant woman, who is also a mother of eight children, was granted $250,000 bail while Luke was remanded to prison.

The case will continue on July 13.

UNICEF Deputy Resident Representative Paolo Marchi

I

n a collaborated venture between the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the Rights of the Child (ROC) Commission, a Human Rights and Leadership Workshop for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was hosted at Herdmanston Lodge, Georgetown, where the spotlight was placed on the rights of children and the roles and responsibilities of the police in protecting them from abuse and neglect.

According to UNICEF Deputy Resident Representative Paolo Marchi, the purpose was to engage the GPF in preventing, identifying and protecting abused and neglected juveniles since research shows that 70 per cent of children are victims of such and the police are entrusted to serve as a form of protec-

tion towards them.

He relayed that his belief is that the Force’s involvement will enhance thei capacity of providing protection as they internalise the essential ROC mechanisms to provide a wider comprehension of the realistic and lawful children rights.

While acclaiming the organisations for initiating the learning session, Force Training Officer Paul Williams highlighted, on behalf of the GPF, that there was no such thing as “too much” training in light of the daily occurrences of change. He added that because of the appropriate training programmes, ranks of all abilities were efficiently trained.

The Training Officer asserted that facilities are in place to ensure Juvenile delinquents are segregated from adult prison-

ers through a standing order under the Juvenile Offenders Act. He voiced that if a minor needs to be interviewed, members of the Force and faith networks are present. He also noted that the GPF regularly provides assistance to the homeless and impoverished children.

Williams highlighted that the GPF will implement the practices they’ve learnt when engaging with children as law enforcers and vowed that other officers who were unable to participate in the learning sessions would be trained by trainers.

He noted that in relation to child custody, court orders would be enforced and there is an intention to create sustainable relationships with agencies and the ministry in this regard.

Pointing out that the rights of children are often breached in the vicinity of their homes and even the courts, ROC Consultant, Queenla Cameron stressed on the need for the human rights standards to be applied by the police when carrying out their duties.

She also voiced that it is necessary for the ROC Convention to be applied without delay in an effort to ensure the best interest of the children.

Cameron added that children should not be used to provide evidence in court and should not be subjected to agony by the police. She also encouraged the GPF to adapt to the policies of ROC.

18

guyana-times.com

SATURday, june 18, 2016

ARCHIE

A financial opportunity is apparent.

Discuss your plans (March 21April 19) with someone who wants to participate. A change of location or an educational pursuit will help you achieve your goal.

ARIES

Don’t fret. Take part in a TAURUS physical challenge that will (April 20- boost your morale instead May 20) of doing something that will bring you down. Celebrate your victory with a loved one.

dilbert

Persuasive tactics will GEMINI only work if you are com(May 21June 20) pletely honest. A dedicated, disciplined approach will help you get what you want.

Intellectual pursuits and partnerships are favored.

Walk away from unstable CANCER situations. You will do better (June 21- if you follow a path that leads July 22) to new opportunities. Don’t fear being different or taking on something unfamiliar or new.

Peanuts

Instigate changes that LEO will bring you closer to the life (July 23you want and the people who Aug. 22) make you feel good. Your suggestions will be well received and will put you in a leadership position.

Calvin and Hobbes

Observe what everyone VIRGO else does and decide how best (Aug. 23to spend your time. Don’t Sept. 22) be fooled into thinking that what works for someone else will work well for you.

Stop waiting and start doLIBRA (Sept. 23- ing. Attending an event or Oct. 23) conference that will boost your knowledge and give you some interesting ideas will pay off.

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD – MARZIPAN

SUDOKU

(MARZIPAN: MAHR-zuh-pan: A confection made of almond paste, sugar and egg whites.)

Average mark 10 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in MARZIPAN? The list will be published tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY’S WORD – CRUMBLING

climb cling club cluing clung crib crumb cubing cuing culm cumin curb curing curl ring ruin

ruing ruling rumbling rung unrig uric birl bling bluing blur brig brim bring bruin brung bung

burin burl burn limb limn ling lung luring incur numb girl glib glum grim grin grub

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Refuse to let personal isSCORPIO (Oct. 24- sues ruin your day. Not evNov. 22) erything you assume will be right. If you focus on selfimprovement and being the unique person you are, happiness will follow.

A last-minute change of SAGITTARIUS plans will work in your fa(Nov. 23- vor. Resist the urge to travel Dec. 21) or put yourself in a precarious position to please someone else. Be smart, not sorry.

Check out something or CAPRICORN someone that interests you.

(Dec. 22Taking the time to flesh out Jan. 19) new projects or possibilities will lead to an adventure you won’t want to miss. Romance is highlighted.

You will attract attention AQUARIUS and be in a great position to (Jan. 20Feb. 19) coax others to help you. Start projects that will bring in extra cash. Your innovative imagination won’t let you down.

What you want will take PISCES (Feb. 20- stamina and courage to purMarch 20) sue. To move forward, you will have to move past interference and emotional manipulation. Don’t give up; you can do it!

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

19

Curry ejected as Cavaliers force Game 7 of NBA Finals T

he Cleveland Cavaliers took another step in their historic comeback attempt with a 115-101 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday to force a onceunthinkable decisive seventh game to the NBA Finals.

The LeBron James-led Cavaliers, one victory away from becoming the first team to win an NBA championship after falling behind 3-1 in the Finals, will now head to Oakland for Sunday’s winner-take-all showdown riding a wave of momentum.

“It’s two of the greatest words in the world, and that’s ‘Game Seven,’ so I’ll play it anywhere,” James told reporters when asked about hitting the road for Sunday’s game.

Cleveland used an explosive first half in which they led by as many as 22 points to set the tone and never allowed the usually sharp-shoot-

ing Warriors to settle into a rhythm or get any closer than seven points the rest of the way.

The Cavaliers built a 24-point lead in the third that looked like it might spell the end for the Warriors but the reigning champions finally closed out the quarter on a 10-0 run to pull within nine points.

But the Cavaliers, who got a game-high 41 points from James, managed to hang on for the win and keep alive their hopes at a maiden NBA championship.

Stephen Curry scored a team-high 30 points for the stunned Warriors but the twotime reigning league Most Valuable Player fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter and then, in a rare display of frustration, threw his mouthguard into the stands to earn the first ejection of his ca-

reer.

But Curry insists he and his teammates have not lost sight of their goal.

“We know what kind of team we are, what we’re capable of, what we’ve accomplished so far, and how together we are,” said Curry.

“We haven’t splintered at all.

I think we’re more mentally tough than letting two games not go our way kind of put any doubt in our heads.”

After falling behind 2-0 in the series, the Cavs were left for dead by many impartial observers who expected the topseeded defending champion Warriors to run away with the series, some even calling for a four-game sweep.

But after splitting the next two games, the resurgent Cavs used a sparkling Game Five performance to shift momentum in their favor and, perhaps, place a seed of doubt in

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lebron James about to score 2 of his game high 41 points

the minds of the Warriors.

The Cavaliers are now just the third team to force a Game Seven after falling behind 3-1, joining the 1951 New York Knicks and the 1966 Los Angeles Lakers.

With the win, the Cavaliers

Aliann Pompey Invitational

By Rene Stoby

A

T

From left: Adam Harris, Winston George, Jeremy Bascom, Aliann Pompey, Louanna Abrams, Brenessa Thompson and Kadecia Baird

show that…this is my way of saying we need to get going,” said Pompey.

The first of 15 event starts at 15:00 hrs and admission is $1,000. Sponsors of the event include Digicel 4G, Fly Jamaica, Quality Plus Fast Foods and Bakery, Ramada Princess Hotel, GuySuCo and Banks DIH under their Rainforest water and Powerade sports drink

brands.

The Demerara Harbour Bridge is scheduled to close to road traffic (open to ocean going vessels) at 14:30 hrs for a period of approximately 90 minutes so those desirous of attending the international track and field meet are urged to cross before 14:30 Hrs. Crossing from Stabroek to Vreed-en-Hoop with the speed boat is another option.

Igloo Hockey Festival opens today at GCC

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CC Hockey Team, in its effort to promote youth development in Field Hockey in Guyana, is hosting the ‘Igloo Hockey Festival’ this weekend, June 18th and 19th at the Georgetown Cricket Club, Bourda. The tournament will include competition for all ages including Under 8 and Under 10 (Mixed Categories), Under 14, Under 17 and Under 21

Tutorial avenges 2014 loss with 2-nil win over Port Mourant

By Andrew Carmichael

confidently of running fast times and using the meet to qualify for the upcoming Rio Olympic Games.

Organizer of the meet four times Olympian Aliann Pompey told the media that the event is her way of getting things going. “I’m from here (Guyana) and I always feel that we are just as good as everyone else but we don’t get as much opportunities to

(Boys & Girls) and an Open Men and Women Category.

The tournament will be the first of its kind being played on an artificial hockey surface. Since there is no full-scale artificial hockey pitch in Guyana, the tournament features the exciting 5 a side format being played on the miniature sized field.

This tournament is the club’s first for the year and

We want to give the state of Ohio a championship. We want to give the Cleveland organization a championship,” said Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue. “So that’s what we’re all about, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Digicel Schools Football Championships

International athletes set and ready to go ll the International athletes that were expected to grace these shores for the inaugural Aliann Pompey Invitational are here.

The athletes including Guyanese Olympic Games qualifiers Brenessa Thompsona (100m and 200m) and Winston George (400m) were yesterday presented to the media at the board room of the Princess Ramada Hotel on the eve of the biggest track and field meet to shot off at the National Track & Field Facility at Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

The athletes, especially the ones with Guyanese roots spoke of their excitement at having the opportunity to participate at this event and run on Guyana’s soil in front of a Guyanese crowd.

Most of the athletes spoke

also kept alive their quest for a maiden NBA title that would be Cleveland’s first professional sports championship since the 1964 Cleveland Browns of the National Football League.

“We want to give the city of Cleveland a championship.

provides one of the few opportunities for all ages to play competitively in the sport. The GCC Hockey Team hopes to make this an annual event with participation from both school and club teams in the future.

Apart from the senior competition with teams from hosts GCC, Hikers, Old Fort and Saints, the under-14 division featuring teams from five clubs in

both the boys and girls divisions promises to be one of great interest. The under-21 boys competition will feature most of the players who recently participated in the Junior Pan American cup in Toronto and who should be in top form.

Matches begin at 10:00 Hrs on both days and run until 20:00 Hrs in the evening.

utorial Academy avenged their 2014 semi-final defeat by Guysuco Training School when the two schools met on Friday at the Skeldon Community Centre in a first round match in zone six of the Digicel Annual national Schools football knockout tournament.

Playing on the same ground on which they lost two years ago Tutorial employed a strong defense in Qualon Albert, Joshua Wilson and Philbert Taylor Jr. to prevent GuySuCo forwards; Mark McMend and Tyreque McKen from scoring. McKen and Mc Kend had dominated the first half of the game but were unable to register their names on the scoring card.

When Referee Colin Bowery blew he half time whistle, both teams had failed to score.

In the second half Tutorial employed a more offence approach the game and brought midfield Dorren Connelly to join Captain Lomar Reid and Omar Crawford on the strike line.

The trio formed a unit which put pressure on GuySuCo’s defense comprising of rise of Akeem Tucker, Baron Marks, Royston Fraser and Kevin Joseph and in the

81st minute with both teams desperate, Reid from the top of the 18-yard box sent a long shot between the uprights forcing goalkeeper Kevin Tudd to move to his left but could not hold on to the ball.

Reid inked his name on the score cards again in the 90th minute after missing a corner shot from Marks.

Goalkeeper Tudd failed to clear the field as the ball landed on the booth of a lurking Reid who made no mistake to seal the issue.

GuySuCo could only blame themselves for not scoring off the numerous chance which were created.

Tutorial will now play the winner of the Tagore/ Winifred Gaskin match up on Wednesday however on Tuesday JC Chandisingh and Central Corentyne (Bushlot Secondary) will meet at the Skeldon ground.

Meanwhile, in scores from the East Bank Demerara zone Soesdyke Secondary dismantled Diamond Secondary by a 7-1 at Leonora.

Tyrone Khan eighth, 13th, 35th, 51st and 75th minute.

Tyrell Khan 40th Shannon Samnaught 80th.

On target in the loss was Raphael Niles in the 11th minute.

20

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

WICB Professional Cricket League Player Acquisition Draft

Narine’s ton highlights latest round of Wolf’s Challenge Cup Softball Tournament

Jaguars draft Vikash Mohan, Reifer retained T T

he third Player Draft of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) was staged on Thursday morning in the Media Lounge on the 1st Floor of the Coppin/ Cozier/Short Media Centre at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The six franchises participated in the Draft through either their Chairman of Selectors or Head Coach.

The first 10 players were retained by their respective franchise then the five additional players were drafted from the Player Pool with a minimum of 2 from outside the Home Territory. The franchises could have drafted international player (i.e. non-eligible West Indian player) at its own cost but no team went that route.

Last season the Guyana Jaguars retained Ramon Reifer for the second season and opted for Javon SearlesScantlebury and Ryan Hinds as the new picks. Hinds opted out of his contract for personal reasons while Javon SearlesCanterbury asked for his contract to be terminated. Reifer was once again retained as he is seen as a consistent performer for the Jaguars.

The Jamaica Scorpions retained Guyanese left-handed opening batsman Trevon Griffith while Narsingh Deonarine, another Guyanese was drafted by the Windward Islands Volcanoes.

The new face in the Guyana Jaguars squad is 21-year old Vikash Mohan who plays for Comets in Charlieville. The solid right hander is seen as a good investment a she has shown great promise especially in building innings. The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus student played six matches in the 2016 Nagico Super 50 for the Combined Campuses

Hetmyer, Keon Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer (Barbados), Vishaul Singh, Veerasammy Permaul; Anthony Bramble, Steven Jacobs, Vikash Mohan (Trinidad & Tobago), Romario Shepherd, Paul Wintz

Vikash Mohan

and Colleges in St. Kitts and Nevis with a top score of 79 against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. Mohan is also a handy off-spinner who has 5 List A wickets with his best bowling 2/25 coming against Guyana Jaguars. Notably absent from the Guyana Jaguars squad is fast bowler Ronsford Beaton. The Essequibian was also dropped for the Jaguars last home match against Jamaica Scorpions at Providence.

Guyana Cricket Board’s Chairman of Selectors Rayon Griffith represented the Guyana Jaguars at the player draft.

Teams for the WICB PCL 2016/17 season; BARBADOS PRIDE: Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Ashley Nurse, Kemar Roach, Kevin Stoute, Jomel Warrican; Kyle Corbin, Justin Greaves, Kissoondath Magram (Trinidad & Tobago), Preston McSween (Windward Islands), Omar Phillips GUYANA JAGUARS: Christopher Barnwell, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Assad Fudadin, Shimron

JAMAICA SCORPIONS: Nikita Miller, Damion Jacobs, Devon Thomas (Leeward Islands), Chadwick Walton, Andre McCarthy, John Campbell, Rovman Powell, Paul Palmer Jr, Brandon King, Marquino Mindley; Trevon Griffith (Guyana), Derval Green, Dave Bernard Jr, Jason Dawes, Nicholson Gordon LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES: Quinton Boatswain, Nkrumah Bonner (Jamaica), Kacey Carty, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Jeremiah Louis, Kieran Powell, Hayden Walsh Jr; Elwin Berridge, Nicholas Pooran (Trinidad & Tobago), Jermaine Otto, Jacques Taylor, Gavin Tonge TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE: Yannic Cariah, Kyle Hope (Barbados), JonRuss Jagessar, Stephen Katwaroo, Imran Khan, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Yannick Ottley, Marlon Richards, Jeremy Solozano; Bryan Charles, Sheldon Cottrell (Jamaica), Rayad Emrit, Kharry Pierre, Roshon Primus WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES: Sunil Ambris, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Mervin Matthew, Kyle Mayers (Barbados), Kenroy Peters, Liam Sebastien, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Tyrone Theophile; Narsingh Deonarine (Guyana), Tarryck Gabriel, Delorn Johnson, Sherman Lewis, Jerlani Robinson

Guinness Greatest in the Streets East Coast leg off to brisk start

T

he East Coast Demerara leg of the annual Guinness Greatest in the Street Football tournament kicked-off on Thursday night with ten action packed matches at the Haslington market Tarmac.

In the first match of the night, between Paradise and Little Mafia, national player Quincy Adams (6th and 11th minutes) helped himself to two goals to ease Paradise to comfortable 2-0 win.

Game two was a clash between Portmore United and Plasiance “A”, with the latter 2-1 thanks due a Kester Greene double while Seon Singh was the lone scorer for the opposition.

In the other matches, Nabacalis won 2-0 over Young Jiggers; Royan Morrison in the 13th and Kevin Glasgow (20th) were the men to score.

Melanie “B” inflicted a 3-0 hammering on Annandale Warriors, with Odel Gulliver, Ryan Seales and Rashawn Charles etching their names

Action between Melanie B (Green bib) and Annadale Warriors

on the score sheet in the 6th, 13th and 20th minutes respectively.

Bare Root “A” suffered a 2-1 loss to 1 Company All-Stars after Christopher Adams gave them the lead in the 6th but the All Stars team hit back with goals from Quason McLean (12th) and Lancelot Griffith (20th).

The summaries scored of the other matches are below.

BV-B-4 vs Non-Pariel Warriors-0. (Erin Fraser-14th and 16th, Edun Fraser-12th) Plaisance-B-1 v Golden Grove

South-0 (Denzil King-3rd) Melanie-A-4 vs Haslington Hypers-0 (Dexroy Sullivan11th and 16th, Williams Europe-5th, Rondel Bowman14th) Golden Grove North - 0 vs Team Diamond -1 (Orin Fraser-4th) Victoria Church Yard - 1 vs North Haslington-1; Victoria won 1-0 on penalty kicks.

(Victoria Scorer: Akeem Holder-8th; North Haslington Scorer: Randy Waldron-2nd) The Finals are slated for Sunday at the same venue.

he Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) organised Wolf’s Challenge Cup continued last weekend with six matches at two venues with some evenly contested matches and some one-sided affairs as well.

At the Malteenoes Ground in Georgetown Ramesh Narine stroked a brilliant century to give Floodlights a commanding 135 runs victory over Wellman. Floodlights batted first and raced to 2314 from their 20 overs with the Essequibian Narine blasting 107. He was well supported

by Ricky Deonarain with 34 and Wayne Jones 24 not out.

The Wellman batsmen found things tough and were easily blown away for 96 All Out in 16 overs. The evergreen Ramchand Ragbeer with 3 wickets for 12 runs led with the ball while Anil Beharry 2-8 and Imtiaz Mohamed 2-10 were among the wickets.

In another game, H.S Masters defeated Tropical Springs by 3 wkts. Tropicail Springs batted first and were bowled out for 109 All Out with Sankar making 22.

M. Ifill 4-13, Ricky Persaud 2-16 were the chief wreckers with the ball. In reply, H.S Masters crawled to 110-8 in 17.3 overs with Roopnarine stroking 25.

Ramdeen 3-9, Doodnauth 2-14, R. Khan 2-34 tried hard with the ball but came up short.

Also on winners row was Regal Masters who beat Superior Woods by 45 runs.

The talented Regal Masters unit batted first and got to 143-9 from their 20 overs.

Fazleem Mohamed top scored with 48 while Mahendra “Anil” Hardyal contributed 36. Roy Persaud bowled impressively picking up 5-18 while Mark Fung had 4-25.

Superior Woods were then bowled out for 98 in 17.5 overs with Peter Persaud

making 29. Mohamed came back with the ball to pick up 2-4 while Raymond Harper had 2-27.

Fisherman Masters beat Enterprise Legends by 5 wickets. Enterprise made 116-9 from 20 overs. M. Mangal made 50 while S. Seeraj 2-16, W. Joseph 2-21 and J. Persaud 2-22 snatched two wickets each. Fisherman Masters then blasted their way to 118-6 from just 7.1 overs with J. Persaud 31, B. Heralall 26 not out and S. Dyal 24. Mukesh captured 4-17 and R. Roopdeo 2-26.

Over at the Tuschen Ground the home team Wolf Warriors 129/8 (20) defeated Savage Masters (112 all out) by 17 runs then lost to Parika defenders in their decond match of the day. For the Warriors Masters S. Navin made 38 and L. Mc Koy 28 while Ragunandan had 3-12 when Savage batted.

In matches slated for Sunday;

At the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in Queenstown the matches are as follows; Pitch 1 10:00 Hrs - Floodlights vs H.S Masters Pitch 2: 10:00 Hrs - Wellman vs Albion Masters Pitch 1: 13:00 Hrs - Tropical Springs vs Savage Masters Pitch 2: 14:30 Hrs -Trophy Stall Angels vs Enterprise Divas.

At the Maltenoes Ground; Pitch 1: 10:00 Hrs - Wolf Warriors vs LOL Woodworking Pitch 2: 10:00 Hrs - Speedboat vs Untouchables Pitch 1: 13:00 Hrs -Fisherman Masters vs Parika Defenders Pitch 2: 13:00 Hrs -Enterprise Legends vs Superior Woods

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt National U-17...

NAMILCO paving the way for young footballers

– Alwin Franklin, a name to remember

A

t the age of 15, Alpha United’s under-17 player Alwin Franklin has high hopes of blossoming into one of Guyana’s top footballers in the near future. Franklin posits that the ongoing Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Thunderbolt National Under-17 League which is sponsored by the National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO), will be his pedestal to greatness.

Quizzed on how this tournament can help him get into the National under-17 team, he responded saying “Everything, this tournament can do everything to get me into the team; along with the help of Coach [Samson] Gilbert who shows me a lot, I know I can make the team”.

Franklin, who revealed his favourite footballer, is that of Portugal and Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo, was not always a mid-field player since in his initial days in the sport he was a goalkeeper but with the work of his coach, he was able to develop his skills further.

“First when I came to Alpha United, I was a keeper but training with Coach Gilbert he showed me a lot to turn me into a defensive mid-fielder; it is just six months of training but I have seen a lot of improvements.

Alwin Franklin

Playing since the age of the nine, the Alpha United player fully believes his team can be a force to reckon, as he confidently stated “I fully believe in my team and I will carry my team to the end”.

The Milling Company has been in existence since 1969 and produces several heath oriented products such as Maid Marian Harvest High Fibre Whole Wheat Flour, Maid Marian Wheat-Up Breakfast Porridge, and Maid Marian Multigrain Flour among many other products.

Weekend Matches Today at the Tucville ground, the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) will have four matches being contested. Pele will play Eastveldt at 09:30 hrs, followed by Alpha United and Order& Discipline from 11:00 hrs. The final two matches today will pit Santos

FC against Fruta Conquerors from 12:30 hrs then the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) play Camptown at 14:00 hrs.

In Berbice, Canfield Diamond Strikers will tackle Cougers FC from 16:00 hrs at the Canje Ground then from 14:00 hrs Maichony Thunder Hawks will host Paradise Invaders.

On Sunday, Rosignal will look to make use of home advantage when they play Hopetown from 14:00 hrs. New Amsterdam will take on Lichfield Nuggets Youth and Sport at Esplanade park at 16:00 hrs. Corriverton Links FC will be in action at the same time when they play at Scottsburg Ground against Monedderlust FC. The West Demerara Association will have two matches; today Eagles FC look will be pitted against Wales at 12:00 hrs at the Den Amstel Ground, then on Sunday, Den Amstel host Beavers FC from the same time.

On the East Coast, a double header will occur today at the Beterverwagting ground when Paradise tackles Golden Stars from 13:00hrs followed by Plaisance go against Mahaica from 15:00 hrs.

On Sunday at the same venue, Buxton Stars face the Victoria Kings followed by hosts BV playing Ann’s Grove from 15:00 hrs.

21

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Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 3393536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 275-0322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 9431515 for the perfect trendy touch.

GIRLS TO WORK IN A BAR (WAITRESSES).

TEL: 612-2522

HEALTH

VEHICLES FOR SALE

Healthworld Clinic – Providing professional psychological therapy for all mental and behavioral health problems. Call (592)-690-1824 Mondays-Saturdays 9am-3pm.

Email; healthworldhc@gmail.com

518C Caterpillar Skidder. Tyres like NEW, Winch working. CF Hauler with 45 Ft. Triple Axel Trailer. Bedfrod TL 500 Dumptruck. JCB 4 wheel drive forklift.

Call Tel: 626-0352

DRIVING SCHOOL Shalom Enterprise Driving School 2 Croal Street, Stabroek. You can obtain an International Drivers Permit Covering 131 Countries. Tel: 2273869, 644-7052, 659-3381

EDUCATION REGISTER - learn to play drums, guitar, keyboard and train your voice NOW OR in the Summer. Call 225-1151/ 657-8404.

Special Computer Package for 2016 CXC Students. 9 Courses in Computers $20,000 OFF. Computerized Accounting 4 Courses. Quickbooks, Peachtree, POS, Excel 2016. MicroGraphics Technology, Vreed-En-Hoop/Parika. Tel: 264-3057 Study in CANADA/USA $1,000US Processing Fee. Limited Offer.

MicroGraphics Technology, Vreed-EnHoop/Parika. Tel: 264-3057.

FOR SALE Tundra Steering Rack $75,000. 20” Tundra Rims with tyres $160,000. Hilux Pickup with 5L Diesel engine: needs work $800,000. Contact: 220-1630, 638-1829

LAND FOR SALE 1.5 Acre Land in W.B.D. Call #:6580115 Land at La Grange Public Road, Size 4 Acre, could be used for commercial or housing scheme. Tel#: 625-1514 Formerly Globe Cinema, Corner lot, Church and Waterloo Street Size 125 ft x 133 ft Tel: 610-2234 One land 100/50 at Good Hope Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara for sale. Priced six million dollars. For more information, kindly call 623-0156 or 695-3150 (serious inquires only)

Red Nose Pitbull Puppies for sale. Contact Kevin on 617-8089.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Powerline Battery Water/wholesale. 1 litre and 0.5 litre sizes. Tel: 680-3863

TRANSPORTED PROPERTY. Comprises of 14 house lots at lot 31 and 32 Mountsina. House on the premise 20x27. Contact Andrea on: 335-3661 / 625-2013

Clean Garden Earth. Also excavating, grading and leveling done. Call 627-9977 Road to Belwasa and A Dip at the Sangam, Indentureship Novels at Austin’s Book Store and Lachmansingh Drug Store. Tel: 226-5053.

For sale by lot: Lot (1): 2 bath tubs, bathroom fittings and fixtures & toilet set; shower fittings - $150,000 and Lot (2): 1 Dell desktop computer & HP scanner $25,000. Call 225-2676 or 601-5285.

One 6 inch dredge, one 4-cylinder MWM, one 3-cylinder MWM engine in working condition with all other complete equipment in good working condition. 679-3655 2-STOREY CONCRETE HOUSE 35x45 ENCLOSED DOWNSTAIRS, SIZE OF LAND 65x120, SECTION A DIAMOND HOUSING SCHEME, EAST BANK DEMERARA, CONTACT 6645052/617-0583

FLOWERS Available: Fresh long-stemmed roses, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315

IMMIGRATION Immigration & Visa Services We handle all Canadian, USA and UK immigration and visa matters. Self sponsorships, holiday/visitor’s visas, work permits, students visas, family, class, immigration forms, embassy enquiries, appeals for refused cases, US green card lottery, business class waivers, pardons, etc. Get your visa approved. High success rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates. Certified Immigration Consultants, 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts) Tel: 2251540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca IMMIGRATION SERVICES PROFESSIONALLY PREPARED BY IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT. PASSPORT AND VISA APPLICATIONS (PERMANENT/VISITOR) FOR USA, CANADA, UK, CHINA, INDIA, ETC. SABITA’S IMMIGRATION SERVICES. TEL: 225-6496/662-6045

House Lot, Diamond New Scheme between 2nd & 3rd Avenue. Contact: 638-1529 Eccles: $27M Neg. Enterprise Sec C: $20M Neg. MonRepos: $30M Neg. South Ruimveldt Park:$20M Neg. Broad Street: $80M Neg. Charlotte Street between Camp and Alexander: $55M Neg. Providence(land): $6.5M Neg. Parfaite Harmony(land): $4.5M Neg. Contact: 691-1521 GOOD HOPE AND OGLE. CONTACT: 6735546, 222-3066, 682-7257, 679-0987

SERVICES House plans & estimates, weeding of grass and spraying done within 48hrs. Call: 216-0671; 622-0267; 692-8464 Repairs and Spares, Air Conditioning, Car AC, Washers, Stoves. Call Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206

SPIRITUALITY Surinamese spiritualist. Resolving all problems. Money, love, blockage etc. Call 223-6834/600-7719.

Suriname’s Astrology, Palmist and Hindustani Spiritual Healer, solve all purpose problems, 100% confidential guaranteed. Phone: 602-8997 HEPHZIBAH MINISTRIES 24 hrs Prayer Line 322-5081, 322-5738, 322-5788, 337-4510, 337-4259, 337-3070, 337-5103. For healing, deliverance, financial difficulties, marriage issues call now. Jesus Cares.

Ifa Temple – Are you having serious problems and urgently need spiritual help? Call 621-0552 now.

Email: anew-life@live.com

TAXI SERVICES GR Taxi, 24 hours. Phone: 2257878, 219-5000 or 227-2100

TO LET RENT REGENT STREET. AVISHKAR STORE SPACE LOT 127. AVINASH STORE SPACE A & B WATER STREET. 223-7500, 219-5354

Leonora New Housing Scheme, W.C.D. Garage, Kitchen & Shower. Tel: 675-5998/268-2277. NO CHILDREN. Working Persons Only

Cashier for Supermarket. Tel: 624-0033 One (1) Cook. Tel: 624-0033 One (1) Maid. Tel: 624-0033 Driver for Water Truck. Tel: 680-3863 Security In-store; Day Duty. Tel: 680-3863

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Johnson confident of table tennis team’s chances

By Delvon Mc Ewan

L

inden Johnson coach of the national table tennis team which is set to participate in the inaugural Pan American Junior Championship in Canada says he is optimistic of his players’ chances at the event.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport on Thursday at the National Gymnasium, Johnson said his players are talented, committed and discipline ambassadors who will enjoy success.

The players have been going through some intense training everyday at the National Gymnasium from 21:00 Hrs to 23:30 Hrs. in order to stay intact for their upcoming encounters. “Our preparations has been divided into three categories, general, tactical and pretournaments. We are now at the second stage (tactical aspect) where I analyze their approach and strengthen tactics to stay in command on game days. The general preparation mainly focused

Linden Johnson

on fitness while the final step will be matches among themselves and experience campaigners,” the coach informed.

This tournament is very important to the coach and players because the opportunities it provides. “It is an inaugural tournament, one which gives the players exposure against some of the best players in South America, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and the top four finishers in the tournament qualifies for the World Junior Championship billed for South Africa later in the year,” said Johnson who has

been a national coach since 2003.

According to Johnson the team was selected from the national junior championship top four finishers as well as the experience and discipline of the players.

The team is scheduled to depart on Friday 24th June while their opening game is set for the following day.

However, five out of the six persons listed to travel are still awaiting their Canadian visa approval, an issue Johnson said he would to get out of the way so the players and authorities can focus on competing.

There are also some financial challenges the team is experiencing, however, he said the executives are working their utmost to deal with that while his sole focus is to work with the team.

Here is a list of the six member team expected to leave Guyana on Friday; Players-Shemar Britton, Miguel Wong, Elishaba Johnson and Kyle Edghill.

Coach Linden Johnson and GTTA treasurer Deidra Edghill.

Green Machine looking to run hot against Calypso Warriors

WANTED SALESGIRLS WITH EXPERIENCE PLEASE BRING WRITTEN APPLICATION AND CV TO TRISTAR ELECTRICAL BRASSONIC Bldg. (MAIN ENTRANCE 42 WATER ST. G/Town. 231-7101 Vacancy exists for one part-time Pharmacist to work on the West Coast of Demerara in Meten-meer-zorg.

Telephone: 275-0733

LEGAL NOTICE 2016 – HC – CIV-W-62. IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT. CIVIL JURISDICTION. BETWEEN: WAVENEY ABRAMS Plaintiff -AndDEXTER ABRAMS, Defendant. TO: Dexter Abrams, 675 “B” Field Sophia, East Coast Demerara. NOTICE OF PUBLICATION: TAKE NOTICE that a writ of summons has been filed in the Supreme Court Registry (Demerara) against you on the 22nd day of February, 2016 by Waveney Abrams, for the following Orders:- a) Declaration that the plaintiff is entitled to sever the joint ownership of the property situated at Zone: E.C.D, Block: XXIV, Parcel: 400 Part of Buxton. b) An order that the Plaintiff and the Defendant have separate accounts with the Guyana Electricity and Guyana Water Incorporated. c) An order that with the requisite permission a fence separating the property in half into the Plaintiff’s half and the Defendant’s half. d) An order that the Defendant with the requisite permission have a separate entrance to the West of the property and the Plaintiff on the East of the property. e) An order that the Plaintiff and the Defendant are entitled to their own transports. f) An order that if the Defendant is desirous of selling his half that the Plaintiff be given first preference. g) Such further or other relief that this Honorable Court deems just. h) Costs. UPON APPLICATION in person or by letter to Mr. Jailall T. Kissoon, Ms. Rishi R. Kissoon, Mr. Sandil S. Kissoon and Ms. Rishi R. Kissoon and Mr. Satyesh S. Kissoon, Attorneys –atlaw of Lot 99 Hadfield Street, Werk-enRust, Georgetown, Demerara, Guyana, a sealed and certified copy of the said application will be delivered and sent to you. IF WITHIN twenty- eight (28) days after the date of the second and final publication of this notice no application has been made or appearance entered the Court may proceed to hear the said Application and pronounce judgment in your absence. For Registrar, Dated at Georgetown, Demerara, This 18th day of May, 2016.

The Green Machine faces their toughest test thus far and will need a team effort to overcome the Trinidadians

By Akeem Greene

G

uyana’s National Rugby Team, the “Green Machine” will be aiming for a perfect performance when they tackle their Trinidadian counterparts in the twin Island Republic in the final of the South Zone of the Rugby America North (RAN), as part of the 2019 World Cup qualifiers.

Both teams so far have played unbeaten, inflicting convincing wins over their opponents; playing at home, Guyana defeated Barbados 48-17 and Jamaica 23-5.

The Calypso Warriors hammered the same opponents, churning out a 34-14 win over Jamaica and a 39-5 steam roll of Barbados.

If history counts for anything Trinidad will begin as favourites, beating Guyana twice in their last three meetings. However, last year it was a tough battle with the game ending 22-20 with the Warriors taking victory by a narrow 2-point margin.

In recognition of the rigorous test expected, left

winger speaking prior to the team’s departure said, “We know the game that we are about to play this weekend is not an easy game but still we aren’t taking it for granted because we know that Trinidad are just like us. It’s a 50/50 game and we can’t go in ‘jokey’; we have to do what we have to do.”

President of the Guyana Ruby Football Union (GRFU) Peter Green had voiced that they will be leaving no stones unturned in what he deems “a must win game.”

The team departed these shores on Friday and will return on Sunday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and Green is hoping to bring the message of a crushing win.

On the points standings, Guyana are ranked 10th in the Americas and 53rd in the world while Trinidad sit eighth and 45th respectively; so a win should definitely see Guyana jumping places in the rankings.

Considering most matches between these sides hardly ever goes be-

yond the 25-point mark, it is expected to be another gruelling test when scrumoff occurs at 16:00 hrs at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain.

Guyana’s Squad: Jason Tyrell (Hornets), Mcarthur Rondel (UG Wolves), Rickford Cummings (Hornets, Kevon David (Yamaha Caribs), Jose Felicien (Hornets), Dwayne Schroeder (GDF), Jamal Angus (UG Wolves), Delroy Gordon (Hornets), Ryan Gonsalves (Hornets), Avery Corbin (GDF), Lancelot Adonis (UG Wolves), Partrick King (GDF), Claudius Butts (Harvards/Yamaha Caribs), Godfrey Brooms (UG Wolves),Osie McKenzie (UG Wolves), Cyon Kitt (GDF), Triton Brathwaite (GDF), Grantly Williams (Police Flacons), Toby David (Hornets), Richard Staglon (cpt) -Trinidad (Caribs/Yamaha Caribs), Ronald Mayers (Trinidad Northerns/Hornets), Pibo Hamilton (Trinidad Northerns/Hornets), Kevin McKenzie (Latin Heat Australia /Hornets ).

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

DDL renews sponsorship of GBTI Independence Golden Jubilee Open Guyana Amazon Warriors Leacock is Men’s 35 Over Champion D

emerara Distillers Limited (DDL) has once again thrown their support behind the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) making ElDorado the official spirit of the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the third consecutive year.

This year is also, is the second year that the beverage giant has widened their support to include Gatorade to be the official sports drink of the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

DDL is already a Major Partner of the HERO CPL T20, with El Dorado Rum being the official spirit of the HERO CPL T20.

At the formal signing ceremony CPL Guyana Team Operations Manager, Omar Khan, said that “the Guyana Amazon Warriors are delighted to partner with DDL and their world famous El Dorado Rum as an official Team Sponsor.”

The team Manager went on to say “This partnership means a lot to the Amazon Warriors as we aim to bring glory to the entire popula-

tion of Guyana by capturing the CPL 2016 Trophy.

Our team includes international players such as Martin Guptill, Chris Lynn and Adam Zampa and together with our local players Christopher Barnwell, Devindra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Steven Jacobs and winning West Indies Under 19 Captain Shimron Hetmyer. I am certain that they will embrace this association with an International Brand such as El Dorado and more so as a product of the home of the Guyana Amazon Warriors.”

Mr. Komal Samaroo, Executive Chairman of Demerara Distillers Limited, noted that “The cricket culture captures the essence of who we are as a Caribbean people as it showcases some of our greatest talents. Through our El Dorado brand, we are pleased to be associated with the HERO CPL Tournament and this format of the game.

Through this sponsorship and the marketing activities planned to coincide with the matches, we are giving our

loyal El Dorado consumers an opportunity to enjoy our brand as much as they enjoy the game.”

The HERO CPL T20 Tournament opens in Trinidad on June 29 with defending champions the Trinidad Knight Riders going up against the St. Lucia Zouks at the Queen’s park Oval from 20:0 Hrs. The games come to Guyana from July 7 to July 12 and tickets are already on sale at the CPL, Guyana Office at Camp and Quamina Streets in Georgetown and at lot 19 Princess Elizabeth Road Queenstown, New Amsterdam Berbice.

This year El Dorado is giving fans an opportunity to win instant prizes with the purchase of any El Dorado 750ml product in stores and at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The grand prize this year is a VIP Crew Weekend experience at the final which is slated for August 7.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors play their first game this year against the St. Kitts Patriots at Warner Park on June 30.

Favourites advance to NSFB semi-finals

St Rose's forward Patrice Agrippa goes up for a fade away jumper off the glass in the NSBF Quarterfinals at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall

M

arian Academy, St. Rose’s High School, President’s College (PC) and Government Technical Institute (GTI) have reached the semi-final of the National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) in the Under-19 category.

At the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Marian Academy defeated Plaisance Secondary 50-38 with Jonathan Mangra scored 15 points with six rebounds and Jordan Alphonso 10 points and seven rebounds.

Akili Haynes also scored nine points in the game for Marian Academy.

For Plaisance, Andrew Johnson had another solo effort with 19 points.

St Rose's High thrashed Tutorial High 73-33 with Shamar Huntley putting up 15 points and four rebounds and Leon Ross 10 points and six rebounds. For Tutorial,

Dequan Manning had 18 points and five rebounds.

Presidents’ College squeezed past St Stanislaus College 41-38 with Kadeem Peterkin scoring 11 points and Jahleel Duke 10 points.

For Saints, Travis Belgrave scored a double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds.

GTI beat Bishops’ High 51-40 with Nathan Saul adding 16 points and Kelvin Griffith 12 points and eight rebounds, and Roger John eight points and 11 rebounds. For Bishops’ High, Timothy Thompson had nine points and eight rebounds.

Meanwhile, in the U-14 Category, St. Stanislaus College defeated The Bishops’ High School (BHS) 15-11 as Jarell Troyer scored seven points and Nathan Hackett grabbed 12 rebounds. For BHS, Timothy Richmond scored six points.

Marian thrashed

Tutorial High 55-19 with Jether Harris scoring 17 points, Corey Graham 14 points and 10 rebounds and Tyrese James six points and six rebounds. For Tutorial, Jaden Moses had 10 points and four rebounds.

President’s College then whipped Plaisance Secondary 50-5 with Lamon Friday scoring 15 points and Akinyelle Derrell eight points. Ishmael Chapman had five points and four rebounds for Plaisance.

St Rose’s High defeated Queens College by walkover.

The Tournament is sponsored by Digicel 4G, Edward B. Beharry (Champion) and Company Ltd and Banks DIH LTD (Powerade sports drink). The NSBF Regional Semis and Finals will be contested in all divisions on June 25-26 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

O

n Thursday evening Leyland Leacock hammered Godfrey Lowden to become the Men’s 35 and Over Champion as action continued in the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) Independence Golden Jubilee tournament at GBTI Recreational Facility Bel-Air park in the city.

In a very one sided affair, dropped just one game in defeating Lowden in straight sets, 6-0 6-1 to lift the title.

Afruica Gentle defeated Shely Daly-Ramdyhan to set a date with Nicola Ramdyhan in the finals of the Ladies’ Finals. The match kicked off with Gentle breaking Daly’s service game to lead at 1-0.

Gentle held a grip on her service game to produce a break in the first set at 2-0.

With heavy grunts and finesse, Gentle trailed Daly to 4-0 by breaking service and holding her service game. Serving at 0-4, Daly held serve to win first game of the match. Shockwaves were sent to Gentle as Daly secured yet another game by breaking Gentle’s service game. Consistency and experience aided Daly to hold service to produce a one game difference of 3-4.

Struggling to maintain her dominance, Gentle widened the gap at 5-3.

Serving at 3-5, Daly’s unrelenting fervor resulted in a hold on serve and consequent break of Gentle’s service to bring score to 5-5. With the change of events making it too close to call it anyone’s set, Daly resorted to tactical play to hold serve and to break her opponent’s serve to capture the set at 7-5.

Rumbling through the second set, both players had their eyes on the finish line to the finals. With the first game of the set lasting some twenty minutes, Gentle broke Daly’s serve to lead at 1-0. The break in set came as Gentle held serve at 2-0. Unaffected by this play, Daly sought to even the games by holding her serve to bring score to

Afruica Gentle (left) and Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan

1-2. Gentle and Daly traded service holds as Gentle rose to 3-1, with Daly serving at 1-3 to bring games to 2-3. The gears of the match shifted as Gentle’s power and resilience rewarded her winning a three game haul to clinch the set at 6-3.

Afrruica Gentle advanced to the finals by dominating the third set at 6-0, resulting in an overall score of 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.

In the night’s other encounter, Men’s Open Doubles Quarterfinals A. Downes/H. Panday defeated D. Lopes/N. Glasgow 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 On Wednesday evening Kalyca Fraser defeated Shivani Persaud to seize the coveted Girls Open Singles title. Fraser, known for her great technique, served to hold her first game, much to the expectation of the spectators.

Persaud’s consistency was evident as she served and held to bring the games to 1-1. The players continued to hold their service games until their last tie in the first set at 4-4. Serving at 4-4, this technique allowed

her to win her service game to lead Persaud at 5-4. The set, characterized by grueling rallies, was won by Fraser after she broke Persaud’s service game.

The players traded service holds in the second set up to 2-2, causing tennis fans to expect the match to go to a third set. Persaud struggled to maintain the trend, if not lead her opponent. Though both players were exhausted, as fate would have it, Fraser mustered the zeal to claim the second set hers by winning a whopping four consecutive games. At 6-4, 6-2, Kalyca Fraser was crowned Girls Open Singles champion.

In other results, Mixed Open Doubles Semifinals: G. Lowden/S. Daly def D. Fraser/K. Fraser 6-0, 6-0, , A. Downes/A. Gentle def J. Beaton/C. Pooran 6-0, 6-1, Novice Medley Singles Semifinals: Devon Gonsalves def Brian Primo 6-0.

Matches for June 15 were rescheduled to be held on the weekend due to inclement weather.

Father’s Day tape-ball tournament set for NCC T

he National Cultural Centre (NCC) tarmac will come alive on Sunday when it hosts the Father’s Day Work Place tape ball knock out competition organized by James “Uprising” Lewis.

It’s a six-over a-side competition with the winning team set to lift the coveted Minister of State, Joseph Harmon Trophy.

There will also be med-

als up for grabs that are donated by Junior Minister of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma.

The teams contending in the Father’s day fiesta are staff members representing various organisations including Ministry of Education, Environment Protection Agency, Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Guyana Energy Agency, Civil Aviation Authority, Princess Hotel and Casino,

Police Training College, Guyana Oil Company Limited (Guyoil), Demerara Bank Limited, Hand-inHand Insurance Company, IPED, Parliament Office, Demerara Harbour Bridge, Forestry Commission, Supreme Court Marshals and the Guyana School of Agriculture.

The first ball in the 16team tournament is at 09:30 hrs.

23

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2016

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

DDL renews sponsorship of Guyana Amazon Warriors

Pg 22

Trevor Bassoo, Guyana Amazon Warriors Marketing and Sponsorship Manager (left) holds the signed contract with Komal Samaroo, Demerara Distillers Limited Executive Chairman

Aliann Pompey Invitational

International athletes set and ready to go

Pg 19 The international athletes at the Ramada Princess Hotel

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyana-times.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 SALES AND MARKETING - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.