Guyana Times International 10-May-2019

INTERNATIONAL THE BEACON OF TRUTH

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019

CCJ asked to order general elections in Guyana soon ISSUE NO. 448

See story on page 12

…if it finds no-confidence vote was validly passed

New York City renames street to honour slain Guyanese Correction Officer Page 5

The Indian Arrival Monument was officially unveiled last Sunday at Palmyra, East Berbice-Corentyne and coincides with Arrival Day in Guyana. During the unveiling ceremony, President David Granger said that India’s continued concern for its diaspora is reflected in its decision to support the construction of “this magnificent memorial.” He said the Indian Immigration Monument symbolises the ties of blood and history between Guyana and India.

Guyana takes spotlight at Houston oil conference Page 3

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NEWS 3

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Guyana takes spotlight at Houston oil conference …several companies express interest in investing in oil and gas sector

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ollowing day two of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2019, GO-Invest’s Chief Executive Officer, Owen Verwey says Guyana has seen a significant amount of interest from the industry. He expressed that the positive response will enable businesses to network with partners “that can help increase their abilities and their resourcing to compete for jobs in the oil and gas sector.”

The country’s participation in this major event drives home the fact that Guyana is rapidly emerging as an oil and gas nation, and while the country’s experience in this area is lacking, foreign investors are keen to assist and lend their expertise in our development.

Verwey, is quoted by the Department of Public

Kester Hudson, Managing Director of local business Dapper Technologies at his booth at the OTC 2019 held in Houston, Texas

Information as saying “each one of them has had four to five business-to-business meetings with businesses that they would have met here and that is really good for an economy like ours and businesses

that came here.”

Also participating in the conference, Kester Hudson Managing Director of local business, Dapper Technologies, noted that it provides local businesses with the oppor-

tunity to network and build partnerships.

“Dapper Technologies being exposed to the offshore technology conference 2019, gives us an opportunity to see endless possibilities in the services that we pro-

vide… it allows us to network with all the key stakeholders in this massive industry.”

During brief comments, a partner in the Hughes, Fields & Stoby law firm, Greg Clark further noted the ex-

pressions of interest in Guyana.

“Guyana is leading the world in oil discoveries as of 2018, so there’s a lot of interest. A lot of companies are coming by expressing interest and asking the question, how can we get in?”

OTC 2019 is being held in Houston Texas and is well-represented by private and public agencies. The event is being hosted under the theme “OTC’s Golden Anniversary Opening Session: The Next 50 Years of Offshore Developments”.

It will provide industry executives with the opportunity to explore how companies are preparing for digitalisation, automation, machine learning, and finding out what is their vision for the future of offshore exploration & production (E&P) operations.

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EDITORIAL

Transformational projects

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he Government continues to bask as it slowly completes a few projects which were envisaged and commenced by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration just prior to the May 2015 General Elections. Despite serious accusations of not delivering the initial intended expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the Government takes credit for the new structure now in place as it has done with the Indian Arrival Monument.

Nothing is wrong with this or any Government continuing developmental projects and policies started by its predecessor. Since benefits are intended for the people, it becomes difficult for arguments to be made against continuity.

While that is what the people would expect, what makes the current situation in Guyana a bit different?

First, the context must be taken into consideration. During the PPP/C’s minority Government of 2011-2015, many transformative projects were already on the table with some at different stages of implementation. These included the Amaila Falls Hydro, the said modernisation of the CJIA, expansion of the East Bank and East Coast thoroughfares, the Specialty Hospital and plans to materialise a new Demerara Harbour Bridge, and the West Coast Demerara and Sheriff Street road extensions.

These visionary projects, as the Berbice Bridge, the National Stadium and the Marriott Hotel, were not only designed to further advance the country’s then ongoing unprecedented development, but to better position it to meet new demands faced by every developing nation especially one where oil will play a major part in its future economy.

Having witnessed Guyana’s unprecedented transformation as it moved from a highly-indebted poor country to a developing one within the 23-year tenure of the PPP/C Administration, Guyanese were very expectant of further advancement as they saw their standards rapidly improve. That expectation was rooted in the fact that their lives were positively impacted during the PPP/ C’s tenure with many only familiar with modernity.

All would have wanted a state-of-the-art airport with protection from the elements of the weather. All would have wanted reliable, cheaper and cleaner electricity which the Amaila Hydro would have provided and which would have led to a reduction in manufacturing costs and by extension, cheaper local products. All would have wanted the services of a modern hospital with treatment in specialised areas.

The only set of people who appeared not wanting these positively impacting projects is the current Government when in Opposition. Then, Guyanese were flabbergasted to know that 33 people would have then not wanted their motherland to further progress. The answer as to why can only be found within the confines of selfish and vindictive politics to the detriment of Guyanese, including their own supporters.

The reality is, that set of Guyanese lawmakers squashed those transformation projects of the PPP/C Administration. One may objectively not deny some of their concerns as they claim, but despite being afforded all the information regarding feasibility studies, recouping revenue and benefits to the nation, even interaction with major players as in the case of the Amaila Hydro, they refused to see the value in these undertakings.

An astonished nation was at pains of trying to understand as to how the Amaila Hydro and the Specialty Hospital were scuttled by the said 33, who also severely criticised the CJIA and Marriott projects. Many attempted to unearth some semblance of rationality for those decisions, but were unsuccessful.

Again, the answer lies in politics rather than in objectivity, rationality and concern for Guyanese welfare.

Politically, the power of the combined one-seat majority of A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) while in Opposition was ruthlessly wielded to demonstrate the belief of who control the seat of power.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just about whom, but about the assumed power itself, and the brandishing of it with scant regard if it compromised the future.

But what has changed since? Why would the said set of 33 people, officially in the seat of power, now boast of some of these projects which they had previously blanked? How suddenly these projects make sense to them? Politics seems most plausible as, in their minds, support for such transformative projects while in Opposition would have made the then PPP/C Government look good.

Such thinking can only be seen as a transgression into the realms of unbridled hypocrisy. On the flip side, why not execute sound projects so as to look good while now in Government? This obviously is in the context of them once killing and burying those projects and now unashamedly taking credit.

One positive is that Guyanese can eventually benefit from what was originally intended if these projects are executed as designed. Is there any iota of hope for the Amaila Hydro under the said 33? Given their recent seemingly unexpected flip-flopping, it may be ill-advised to carve an absolute no in stone.

After all, who would have expected the AFC to have expressed “deep concern” for sugar workers after vehemently defending its coalition Government’s decision to close a number of estates and with a relative of one of its high-ranking officials reportedly tasked with finding buyers for the factories? It appears another confirmation of the boundless potential for hypocrisy.

US Ambassador Sarah Ann Lynch, accompanied by her husband, made a number of stops on her recent trip to the Linden area. She visited GDF’s Camp Seweyo and the U.S. Southern Command team who are preparing for the upcoming New Horizons exercise, as well as the site of a new community center in Amelia’s Ward to be constructed by the New Horizons military engineers. She met with the Mayor of Linden, Waneka Arrindell, and discussed continued cooperation between her office and the U.S. Embassy. Before she left Linden, she had lunch at the historic Watooka House, and enjoyed fresh coconut water at the Kara Kara Blue Lake. (US Embassy photo)

The efficiency of State Agencies

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ecently, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government held outreaches in some parts of the country. Those engagements were intended to take Government to the people and it appears they will continue with probably more intensity as elections are in the air.

It was precisely elections that triggered the outreaches; elections that should have been held within the three-month period that followed the passage of the No-confidence Motion on December 21, 2018.

Government found ways through the courts to delay the constitutionally mandated elections. However, an appeal, with a possible ruling to so instruct, is about to be heard.

That strategic delay provides Government with valuable time as it engages seemingly desperate to appease having been broadsided by Guyanese for failing to deliver on its promises. It has however been successful in implementing draconian measures that have strangled the economy and which continue to burden many.

In addition, since taking office, it segregated itself from the populace probably to be insulated in some way from the impact of those measures implemented. Having lost a tremendous amount of goodwill, with confidence in it vastly eroded as a result of its policies, shocked by the no-confidence vote and knowing the constitutional requirements for the holding of elections within those circumstances, the Government could not continue to avoid the citizenry.

So, instead of Ministers visiting villages and being in the fields to genuinely listen to the concerns of residents, a collective approach was taken. Hence the caravans which entailed residents travelling to participate.

One explanation could be that, together in numbers, criticism may be deterred. That may have been realised by the

suspicion that some of its dedicated supporters were bussed to those events. That aside, striking, was the presence of a number of Government agencies, including utility companies for electricity and water.

Residents were made to believe that in turning up, their concerns would be dealt with in an expected swift manner.

On the completion of each engagement, the Government boasted of much success and of the satisfaction of the residents who accessed the services provided. It is always good when the concerns of residents can be addressed and resolved in a timely manner. The ensuing satisfaction can redound positively to the Government.

Therein lies the real intention within the context outlined.

However, some residents have asked why agencies like GPL and GWI cannot offer the same and seemingly efficient service outside of the Government outreaches.

That seems fair as many continue to lament that related concerns at established offices are arduous, time consuming and sometimes unresolved.

This has been recurring over the years with some consumers resorting to the media to bring attention to their plight.

Discoloured water that is high in iron content, unreliable supply, reportedly indiscriminate disconnections and allegation of billing despite not receiving potable water, are ongoing concerns expressed by some customers of GWI. Frequent power outages, low voltage, power surges that can lead to the damage of appliances, tedious compensation process, high estimated bills as well as accusations of indiscriminate disconnections, are concerns of consumers of electricity. It is safe to posit that the Government cannot be totally unaware of these concerns.

While it can command the presence of both at the outreaches, the question of what was done to bring relief having been in government four years

now, surfaces. Many have argued that had mechanisms to improve various aspects of both services implemented and sustained throughout the country, there would have been no real reason for the two agencies to be a fixture at the Government outreaches.

There is no ambiguity that such events are designed with a clear political objective in mind and in the context of the Government’s rush to engage, a different conclusion is virtually impossible to derive. With that in mind, it also becomes extremely difficult to dismiss the accusations of Government deliberately politicising those two and other State agencies in an effort to foster its own agenda of trying to win people over.

What about the vast majority who will not attend the outreaches? How would their concerns over the services of the two utilities in question be addressed? If the expediency can only be found at the outreaches, should it then be considered as a disservice or even discrimination against those who do not attend and who may seek recourse at the utilities’ offices?

Again, that seems fair to ask, specifically for those who do not support the Government and more than likely will not attend the engagements. While many other questions will be asked, the Government seems committed to “take Government to the people”. In principle, there is a need for such engagements, but it must not be triggered to just appear to be working for the people especially when there was a seeming reluctance before December 21, 2018.

What should be done is for the Government to ensure that all the agencies work with the same efficiency as noted in the outreaches for the benefit of all.

Then it will be seen as working for the people. That, however, would not allow for the public relations spectacle that has embodied the said outreaches in an effort to convince of being caring.

NEWS 5

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New York City renames street to honour slain Guyanese Correction Officer

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outh Ozone Park, New York: On Sunday May 5th, hundreds of residents, community leaders, and elected officials joined the family of late Correction Officer Jonathan Narain for the unveiling of 111 street and Liberty Avenue in Richmond

Hill. The street was co-named “Correction Officer Jonathan Narain Way” on Indian Arrival Day. On September 14, 2018, CO Narain was fatally shot in Richmond Hill, New York. He was 27 years old. CO Narain had been with the New York

City Department of Correction for almost three years and worked at Rikers Island. He left behind a heartbroken family, a community touched by this senseless gun violence, and residents who are inspired by his life.

“There was an outpouring of grief and love that we had to respond to with urgency.

The community was shocked by this tragedy, another young man was killed by gun violence. With the family’s support, we mobilized by collecting hundreds of signatures and in record time the New York City Council voted unanimously to approve the street in Jonathan’s memory, where he

grew up” said Richard David, District Leader in New York State Assembly District 31.

The City Council voted to approve the resolution on December 20, 2018 just four months after the tragedy. “It is an honor to support this family who has given their life to public service and pa tribute to a fallen hero. It is also one of the only streets in New York named after a Guyanese-American, and perhaps the only one named after an Indo-Caribbean person.

It’s long over due that this community’s sacrifices are properly recognized. I was happy to sponsor this resolution at the City Council” said Adrienne Adams, New York City Council

Member District 28.

CO Narain was born at the former St. John’s Hospital in Queens and raised in Richmond Hill on 111 Street. He graduated from Richmond Hill High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

He comes from a proud family of public servants. His mother is a retired teacher with the Department of Education, his father works for New York Transit, his eldest brother has worked with the New York City Fire Department for 15 years, and his youngest brother works as an Emergency Medical Technician. turn to page 20

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Flawed mathematical reasoning should be rejected

Dear Editor, This week, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hear oral arguments regarding whether 34 votes (as opposed to 33) constitutes a “majority” and is required for a successful passage of a No-Confidence Motion brought in Guyana’s 65-membered Parliament, pursuant to Article 106 (6) of the Constitution of Guyana.

In March, Guyana’s Court of Appeals (the Court), in a 2 to 1 vote, controversially overturned a decision by the lower court, which previously held that the aforesaid motion filed by Guyana’s Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, was successfully carried by a vote of 33 to 32, thereby warranting the Government’s resignation and new elections.

The Government moved to court arguing

that 34 votes were needed. The Court agreed, but in doing so, it erred significantly because the Government’s argument is only applicable in legislative bodies with even-numbered membership. Secondly, the Court’s calculation defied two universally accepted methods used for calculation: the median formula and the PEMDAS method of operation.

For many decades, 33 has been accepted as a “majority” in Guyana’s 65-membered Parliament, as the Constitution of Guyana is silent as to what it is.

The Government resorted to a definition found in the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu (a tiny island nation in South Pacific Ocean), which says that a “majority” is one-half the number plus one. In mathematical language that is: 1/2 n +1.

Using this formula and a two-step process, the Government argued and the Court agreed that 34 votes were needed from a total of 65 elected members of Parliament to defeat the Government by way of a No-Confidence Motion.

In the first step, we have 65 divided by 2 or (65/2) which is: 32.5 members. This 32.5 is rounded up to 33 in order to avoid having a fraction or a .5 person. In step two, we add 1 to 33. We add 1 because, as we recall, the Vanuatu Constitution tells us to do so: one-half the number plus one.

Thirty-three plus one is 34 (33+1=34). This is how 34 became the new majority of 65.

The Court of Appeal’s erroneous mathematical calculation However, as already noted, the Court erred in its calculation when it

failed to comply with the median formula and the PEMDAS method of operation. The median formula is one half the sum of numbers plus one, or ½ (n +1). PEMDAS is a universally recognised acronym that tells us in what order we are to perform mathematical operations. It is as follows: parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and finally, subtraction.

Here, had the Court complied with the median formula and the PEMDAS method, it would have addressed the items inside the parenthesis first; it would have taken 65 and add 1 to get 66, as its first step.

Then as its second step, it would have divided this 66 by 2, (66/2), to get 33.

Mathematically, 33 constitutes a “majority” in a 65-membered Parliament (as in Guyana).

Without the median

Move to honour convicted terrorist has stained Guyana’s image Dear Editor, APNU/AFC’s motion in Guyana’s Parliament honouring Abdul Kadir — a man convicted of conspiracy for terrorism against America — was severely, rightfully and broadly blasted in and out of Guyana. The Guyanese people’s position to APNU/AFC is, “Speak for yourself”, not for the people of Guyana.

The Opposition PPP has distanced itself from the Parliamentary motion. The Private Sector Commission and other organisations have chastised APNU/AFC for passing the motion praising Kadir for being a “great man”. The letter columns and social media postings have been dominated by the unequivocal rejection of the motion by the Guyanese people. America, Canada, the UK, the EU have all unequivocally rejected the motion and blasted APNU/AFC in unusually stern language.

In a single but reckless move, APNU/AFC stained Guyana’s reputation as a country unwavering in its posture against terrorism of any kind. Guyana’s solid international standing against domestic and international terrorism is now under serious suspicion. APNU/AFC has left Guyana open to scrutiny as a centre for the export of terrorism. This is political malfeasance, and this is yet another example why the Guyanese people overwhelming-

ly have no confidence in APNU/AFC. People are shaking their heads and asking themselves, “Can these people be so stupid?”

In damage control mode, APNU/AFC first tried to deny they ever honoured a man jailed for conspiracy to commit a terrorist act, insisting they were simply acknowledging Kadir served in the National Assembly. They asserted they were merely expressing sympathy to Kadir’s family for their loss.

When that silly stunt did not work, they tried to blame the Clerk of the National Assembly, saying that it was his handiwork. The Speaker of the National Assembly tried to soften the outrage by timidly suggesting he had placed the motion on the Order Paper. Even if the Clerk or the Speaker or anyone else had written the text of the motion, the motion had to be presented by a sitting MP, and that MP would need the support of at least the party that MP belongs to.

The Order Paper of that day confirms the motion was a Government business in the name of Minister Patterson-Yearwood, an APNU+AFC Cabinet Member and a member of the PNC. It was not in the name of the Speaker, and not in the name of the Clerk. This deception was entirely intended to kerfuffle the issue.

No matter how they try to distant themselves, how they spin this debacle, they were totally responsible for the presentation and passage of the motion honouring Abdul Kadir in Parliament.

Patterson-Yearwood, in desperation, screamed out she only praised Kadir as a “great man” because Amna Ally told her to do so.

APNU+AFC, through their own mouths, loudly praised Kadir on behalf of the Guyanese people, and they voted for passage 100 per cent.

Their praise for Kadir in Parliament was either a direct challenge of the authenticity of the Americans’ charges against him, or siding with the crimes with which the Americans had charged him, and for which they convicted him. They said nothing when Kadir was intercepted in Trinidad and taken to America.

They said nothing when the Americans charged Kadir. They said nothing when Kadir was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

They said nothing when he died in an American jail. This APNU/AFC motion in Parliament expressing regret for his death and sympathy to his family for losing a “great man” is either a direct rebuke of the Americans for fake charges against Kadir, or an APNU/AFC full endorsement of Kadir’s conspiracy. If APNU/

AFC cannot see that their motion can only be seen from those perspectives, then they are truly incompetent and insensitive, and are not deserving of being the Government of Guyana.

Kadir is either a “great man” or he is a convicted criminal who died in jail. In their presentation of the motion in Parliament, the presenting Minister made clear they were honouring a “great man” for his work in Guyana’s Parliament and for his service on behalf of the people of Guyana. Did Kadir serve the interest and welfare of the people of Guyana when he conspired to commit a terrorist act in America; a crime for which he was convicted? Did he serve the people of Guyana when he served Iran as a spy, as alleged by the Americans when they presented evidence in court? If APNU/ AFC have reasons to doubt these charges, why have they been silent for so long?

Our Government decided to thumb its nose on America, and in fact poke America in her eyes and then claim they did it on our behalf. In enshrining in the annals of our Parliament praises for Kadir, APNU/AFC, on behalf of all of us, said it is okay to export terrorism. The Guyanese people say, “No!” Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

formula and the PEMDAS order for calculation, the Court’s method of calculation only works for legislative bodies with even-numbered membership. To illustrate, imagine a Parliament has 66 members. What is its majority? Using the Court’s formula of 1/2 n +1, we have half of 66 which is 33 in the first step. In the second step, we add 1 to 33 and that gives us 34.

Thus, using the Court’s reasoning, a Parliament with 65 members and a Parliament with 66 members will have an identical majority of 34!

Dire effects across the Caribbean and beyond Clearly, this flawed method of calculation will introduce unprecedented confusion amongst educational, scientific, and leg-

islative bodies across the entire Caribbean region, if not beyond. The effect is already being felt.

For example, retired Professor Emeritus Errol Miller (The University of the West Indies), a recognised expert in elections matters, admitted that should the CCJ uphold the Court’s decision, it will have serious implications for Trinidad and Tobago’s 41-member Parliament.

To avoid chaos on such an extraordinary scale, it is important that the CCJ reject the flawed mathematical reasoning upheld by the Court of Appeal of Guyana.

Sincerely, Professor Dev Rawana, PhD

Ramjattan should have been forced to resign over such tasteless comments

Dear Editor, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan is quoted by an online news agency about the scourge of prostitution, as “A lot of these big men go there and they say how they want to feel up these girls because they said they never eat a white meat yet and they pay a lot for the services. So it is all a trade of immorality and it is unhealthy for my country”. This statement is racist and sexist in equally offensive measure and should be retracted immediately and an apology to all Guyanese offered forthwith.

Editor, in modern societies, Ramjattan would be called on to resign; the fruitlessness of such calls forbids such impotent action. Guyana is often described as ‘a land of six races’, Europeans or ‘white’ people are listed proudly in all of our heritage documentation, as such, they should be entitled to equal protection by the Ethnic Relations Commission which was established in 2000 and whose constitutional functions offer such protection. Minister Ramjattan has openly referred to one of our ethnicities as ‘white meat’, this should not go unchallenged. Acceptance of any official derogatory descriptor is the thin edge of the wedge.

Guyana is about to undergo rapid change, we already have people of all ethnicities and genders going there to invest and work in the extractive industries (think

oil), do we want the females of European ethnicities to be greeted or treated as ‘white meat’?

The challenges posed by a sudden influx of moneyed people of other ethnicities are well documented in the Caribbean, it is not going to be an easy period of transition, statements such as this, made by a Minister, makes it even more so, it does our image and character much harm.

Minister Ramjattan is on a campaign to boost his profile in a bid to make himself an attractive prime ministerial candidate in the upcoming general elections and pronouncements on every aspect of Guyanese life have been pouring forth – dogs and horses were needed by the GPF; late night parties are the cause of crime and domestic violence; tint was the major culprit in crime; crime is not as bad as in neighbouring countries; whorehouses are posing a security risk for Guyana; the PPP is preparing to meddle ‘Russia style’ in the elections. Ramjattan is yet to provide a mildly successful solution to the crime problem and as to the last, the PPP has no need for specialised public relations, all that is needed is for Minister Ramjattan and his colleagues in the Granger Administration to keep talking; the Guyanese public can easily see how dense, backward, racist, sexist and fossilised they are by their actions and pronouncements.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

news 7

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

President should have provided reasons for rejecting lists – CCJ hears

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he hearing into the unilateral appointment of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman began at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Wednesday with lawyers arguing that President David Granger must explain his reasons for rejecting the lists of nominees, lest he be deemed to be abusing his powers.

This argument was put forward by Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, who appeared on behalf of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

According to Mendes, the appointment of retired Justice James Patterson was not only a departure from tradition, but also procedure.

Mendes pointed out that previous Chairmen were appointed from lists put forward by the Opposition Leader. He noted that on the face of it, Jagdeo generally submitted eligible candidates to the President and thus, their rejection despite the Constitution requires an explanation.

The Senior Counsel said in the absence of a valid reason from the President for rejecting the lists, one can assume there is none and the decision is therefore arbitrary. He noted that in such a case where procedure was not followed, the appointment must be set aside and the procedure followed.

“What we are saying of course is that even though there were three tries, there was not the level of consultation that Article 161 (2) envisioned, so that there was a realistic chance that the Leader of the Opposition would be able to put forward a list not unacceptable… the Leader of the Opposition did his best to comply with those qualities, only to find the President saying, well you didn’t meet those qualities at all,” Mendes said.

“If the Leader of the Opposition (had) insisted on putting persons on the list who plainly are unacceptable because they are party stalwarts for example, then the President would be quite justified in saying (to Jagdeo), you have not provided a list not unacceptable to me, you are abusing the process by trying to force me to appoint someone who will favour you, therefore I’m going to the proviso,” he added.

At this, President of the CCJ, Justice

GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson

Saunders noted that no one would know this unless the President gave reasons for rejecting qualified candidates for the post, to which Mendes agreed.

Saunders acknowledged that whether the nominees were acceptable to the President is a subjective issue and as such, details on why the previous candidates were rejected would have been helpful.

Justice Jacob Wit noted that there could have been discussion before the names were formally submitted, where the Opposition Leader could have suggested names of possible candidates to the President, as part of prior consultation. Mendes noted while this could have happened, this was not the case in Guyana.

When asked about the criteria for rejecting a candidate for the post of GECOM Chairman, Mendes noted that besides possible links to a political party, a person’s age, mental agility and health would be obvious factors in determining whether a Chairman is unacceptable or not.

Mendes emphasised that Jagdeo did his best to comply with the constitutional provisions, by including persons who both fell into the judicial and the eminent persons’ categories. And the Senior Counsel informed the court that if the President repeatedly rejects nominees who meet his own stated criteria for selection, then he must explain why so that observers can analyse whether he is abusing his power or not.

Mendes also suggested to the court that in case the CCJ rules Patterson’s appointment unconstitutional and subsequently rules that the No-confidence Motion was validly carried, the court may suspend its previous ruling to ensure there is no disruption at GECOM. The Senior Counsel noted that there was precedent for this.

Three of the Caribbean Court Justices. From left: Justices Jacob Wit, CCJ President Adrian Saunders and David Hayton

Not a Kingdom

When the Government side had their chance to present their case to the court, Queen’s Counsel Ralph Thorne – appearing on behalf of Attorney General Basil Williams – had a rough time before the CCJ Justices.

This was as he tried to argue that the court ought not to intervene in the constitutional appointment of Patterson.

However, Justice Saunders rebuked the counsel for seemingly implying that the President can appoint whosoever he wishes. Saunders reminded the flustered lawyer that constitutional provisions have mandated that the President has to select someone “not unacceptable” from the lists supplied by the Opposition Leader.

Justice Wit noted that based on the State’s arguments, it would therefore mean that the President can appoint whosoever he wants; a situation that previously existed before the con-

stitutional amendments of 2000. Wit noted that he had difficulty accepting this.

“What the other side (Mustapha) is in effect doing, the other side is in effect saying that the Leader of the Opposition can and must always get their man. And that cannot…” Thorne argued, trailing off. “(in other words) the other (side) can, because he’s playing a guessing game, he doesn’t know what the President

wants, so he puts forward lists that are all rejected, not knowing who the President (wants). So the President can always get his man or woman.

Is that what was intended by the amendment?”

Justice David Hayton asked the lawyer.

Justice Wit noted that the Guyana Constitution allows the President to use his discretion based on his deliberate judgement, not based on his whims. The justice noted that the CCJ must not

only deal with the letter, but also the spirit of the Constitution.

But Thorne noted that the lower courts in Guyana had found that even though reasons were not given, the Judge found that the appointment was valid. He was reminded by the Justices, however, that Guyana is “a Republic, not a Kingdom” and as such, everyone is subject to the law. turn to page 9

8 news

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

PUC commissioners sworn in T he Public Utilities Commission (PUC), on Wednesday, achieved its full complement as two new commissioners - Dr. Leyland Lucas and Verlyn Klass were sworn in before President David Granger.

The commissioners were sworn in before Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams, Minister of Business, Haimraj Rajkumar and fellow members of the PUC. During brief remarks, President Granger stated that the commission is “the guardian of the public interest” and is vital to protecting the public interest by ensuring the reliable delivery of public services such as water electricity and telecom-

Verlyn Klass as she takes the oath of office

munications.”

The Head of State noted that public utilities must be regulated in the public interest.

Firstly, to ensure that these services “are accessible, adequate and provided on a non-discriminatory basis; second,

that costs, fees and tariffs associated with their provision or sale are reasonable; and third, that these services are regular, reliable, efficient and safe.”

He said that the commission, under Section 24 of the ‘Act’, is vested with

Dr. Leyland M. Lucas takes the oath of office before President David Granger

the power “…to initiate and conduct investigations into the operations and standards of service of any public utility and telecommunications undertaking.”

President Granger said the “Government expects that the

Commission will continue to ensure that citizens’ welfare will be continuously enhanced through the provision and delivery of public utility services.”

The Public Utilities Commission, in accordance with the Public

Utilities Commission Act 2016, is tasked with regulatory, investigative, enforcement and other functions conferred by the Act and other public utility laws.

It is comprised of a chairman and four members.

CDC opens oil spill planning and readiness assessment workshop T

he Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Wednesday opened an oil spill planning and readiness assessment workshop aimed at finalising the Contingency Planning and Implementation of the Oil Pollution Preparedness Response and Cooperation (OPRC) Convention for key public and private players in the local oil and gas sector. The workshop was held at the Roraima Duke Lodge.

This is the second workshop to be held; the first being in March at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) to provide stakeholders with a detailed understanding of the National Oil Spill Response Contingency Plan and the requirements, policy and procedures for implementation of a national oil spill response, the Department of Public Information reported.

Out of that first workshop, a recommendation was made for another session to be held to finalise the assessment of national readiness for oil spills before implementation can take place.

CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, said the workshop has been organised to complete the assessment so that systematic gaps, lead agencies and deadlines can be identified and established. He added that the CDC aims to create a sustainable disaster risk management system; noting that as Guyana advances towards becoming an oil producing territory, the

CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig addressing the stakeholders at the workshop

probability of oil spills increases significantly.

Therefore, simultaneous plans and actions are taking place, the DPI said.

Further, Lieutenant Colonel Craig also commended the stakeholders at the workshop for their commitment and recognition of the need for collaboration. “We are here today, to take steps to formally develop a national mechanism for oil spill preparedness and response. Over the last couple of months, a number of steps were taken in advancing the oil spill response mechanism. Primarily at the legislative level, the Department of Energy is working with the relevant stakeholders, international bodies and countries to devise and develop new legislation for oil spill response. At the CDC, we are currently developing a Disaster Risk Management Bill and we are ensuring that provisions are also made for oil spill response and preparedness,” he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Craig noted too that the Bill is being drafted by

international experts and during this week, it would be available on the CDC’s website and sent to all stakeholders so that they can make recommendations for its enhancement and improvement.

“It is our hope that we can have this bill ready by the end of this year. Apart from the bill, what you would find happening is that the Working Group for Oil Spill Response continues to meet every week to further develop the oil spill response plan.

We have drafted a general aspect of that plan, which covers the competent national authority, the CDC, outlines roles and responsibilities, and so forth. As it relates to the roles and responsibilities, we have identified who are responsible for detection and monitoring; what and who is responsible for reporting, assessments and response. We are hoping to have a good draft of this

by June 30, 2019,” he further said.

According to DPI, the Director General pointed

out that apart from planning, the Commission

is also working to acquire resources to ensure that all key agencies are equipped to deal with any adverse effects of the oil sector. “Right now, there are four containers of oil spill resources that has been procured by the DoE and which will be handed over to the CDC. It is our intention to take these and hand it over to the necessary agencies. We are also trying to procure other materials and very soon, the CDC would be meeting with key agencies to see what are some of the resources that they require because we are not just buying materials; we

are buying what is most needed,” he asserted.

The workshop caters to national stakeholders drawn from agencies such as the Guyana Energy Agency, the Protected Areas Commission, the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission, the Maritime Administration Department, the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Coast Guard, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Aircraft Owners’ Association and the Guyana Red Cross Society.

CARICOM warns of elusive peace in Venezuela

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hairman of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr Timothy Harris, says peace will continue to be elusive in Venezuela until the “contending parties are encouraged to sit down and agree”.

Harris, who is also the prime minister of St Kitts-Nevis, told the Third Ministerial Meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Venezuela that CARICOM reiterates its position of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for the constitutional order and democracy.

“We have also found comfort in a mechanism [the Montevideo Mechanism] that would assist us in working within the broad frame of the five principles that I have outlined, which says we have to engage in dialogue as we are now doing.

From the dialogue, we should have a framework of negotiation; those negotiations should lead to commitments on both sides,” said Harris, who is heading a five-member delegation that includes CARICOM

Opposition Leader, Juan Guaidó

Secretary General Irwin LaRocque and Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations, Colin Granderson.

He told the meeting that “peace will continue to be elusive until the contending parties are encouraged to sit down and agree.

“The reality that we have learned from Latin America and elsewhere is that significant groups cannot be excluded from any peaceful process in a country to resolve a national crisis.

I believe that if we get the principles right and if we establish a mechanism, we will get there.”

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WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Cops face court for demanding Guyanese Cop money from TIP victims succumbs after …one charged for rape beaten by another

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T

Corwyn Mingo

hree Police Officers appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Wednesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after they were charged with demanding money from three Venezuelan women.

It is alleged that 30-year-old Corwyn Mingo of Lot 188 Section C Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD) between June 1 and June 30, 2018 at Makari Top, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) engaged in sexual activity with a

Tevin Estrado

Venezuelan female without her consent.

It is also alleged on the same day, 34-yearold Ceon Jones of Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara (WCD) and 26-year-old Tevin Estrado of Lot 41 Farm, Mahaicony, ECD, demanded 15 pennyweight of raw gold valued at G$157,500 from three Venezuelans.

All three men denied the charges. Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court ranks of the Trafficking in Persons Unit, Criminal Investigations

Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, were investigating reports of alleged Trafficking In Persons committed on three Venezuelan women and during the investigations, three Police ranks stationed at Issano Police Station were identified as persons who demanded money from the women during a stopand-search operation at Makari Top. The court heard that the women handed over 15 pennyweight of raw gold valued G$157,500.

According to the

President should have provided... from page 7

Unrestrained

Meanwhile, Thorne’s partner, Queen’s Counsel Hal Gallop, noted that the President’s discretionary powers are only reviewable if it was used illegally, irrationally and without following procedure. But he noted that in absence of this, the President’s discretion should be unrestrained.

However, the court questioned whether the President did follow the proviso. When Gallop replied in the affirmative, the court questioned how the Opposition Leader failed in his duty to supply a list, which was one

such proviso.

“How do we know on what basis these names were not acceptable,” Saunders questioned, after being told the President is not entitled to give reasons. To this, Gallop reiterated that the Constitution does not say that the President has to give reasons for making his appointment outside the list.

Arguing that if the President gave reasons for every decision he made then his powers would be restricted, Gollop compared this scenario to a Judge having to give reasons for ev-

ery decision he makes.

This is despite the fact that Judges give pages of reasons for their decisions. However, the President has steadfastly refused to provide substantive reasons for rejecting the list or even exactly who is not ‘fit and proper.’

In total, the Opposition Leader submitted three lists of nominees, totalling 18. All three lists were rejected by Granger, who then appointed Patterson in 2017. The CCJ is expected to announce a date for their ruling in the matter shortly.

Ceon Jones

Prosecutor, one of the females reported that she was raped by one of the officers. An investigation was conducted during which the Police Officers were positively identified by the women.

Chief Magistrate McLennan granted bail to Mingo in the sum of G$150,000 and Jones and Estrado were released on G$30,000 bail each.

The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court. The case will continue on May 16, 2019.

n investigation has been launched into the death of a 25-year-old Special Lance Corporal, who died while seeking medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) on Wednesday.

Dead is Carlos Alleyne. According to Police, Alleyne went to the GPHC on May 4 at about 14:52h after he reportedly complained of feeling unwell.

This was following an “incident” earlier in the day at about 09:30h at the Special Constabulary Headquarters, Princes Street, the Police said.

Guyana Times International was told there was an altercation between Alleyne and a

Carlos Alleyne

Police Sergeant at the headquarters.

An autopsy on Wednesday revealed that Alleyne died from brain hemorrhage and blunt trauma to the brain. An investigation has been launched.

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Ex-cop wanted in US Fisherman slapped with murder charge to be extradited

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xtradition proceedings began on Tuesday for a former member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), who is wanted by the United States for cocaine trafficking.

Shawn Neblett, of Community Lane, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was on Tuesday hauled before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where the formal proceedings for extradition begun.

Neblett was recently nabbed by local law enforcement officials as he was attempting to flee to neighbouring Suriname.

During the court proceedings, a representative of the US Government, Stacy Gooding, told the court that proceedings have commenced for the wanted man in the United States. She submitted that Neblett should be remanded to prison until the extradition process is completed.

On Tuesday, Neblett told the court he was travelling legally to Suriname and had no knowledge that he was blacklisted until he was nabbed by immigration authorities. He denied he was trying to flee the country. However, Magistrate McGusty upheld Gooding’s submissions and remanded Neblett to prison. The case will continue on June 6, 2019.

According to reports, Neblett is wanted for his role in the trafficking of 4178 grams of cocaine, which was found at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on January 24, 2017. The drug was found in four

Ex-cop Shawn Neblett

parcels hidden in a suitcase.

The recent successful extradition of US fugitive Troy Thomas has paved the way for similar procedures for criminals hiding in Guyana.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan recently warned that fugitives would no longer be able to hide in Guyana after committing crimes abroad.

He told the media at a recent press conference that more persons were expected to be extradited in the near future to face charges for crimes they committed in other countries.

Last week, US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch told the media that her country would continue to partner with Guyana

on the security front. “… US and Guyanese security collaboration made history as we worked together on the highly successful extradition of alleged murderer Troy Thomas; the first extradition to the US in well over a decade. We will continue to partner on the governance front to adhere to the rule of law and to strengthen institutions, both governmental and non-governmental to become more transparent and accountable,” the Ambassador said.

Thomas fled to Guyana after allegedly killing Keith Frank, 20, a Guyanese, on December 11, 2011, at Richmond Hill, New York. He has also been accused of inflicting injuries upon Dr Katherine Maloney.

Since 2012, authorities in the US had issued a wanted bulletin for the murder suspect. In 2018, the US Attorney General and the US Secretary of State sent an extradition request to the Guyana Government.

As a result of the request, Thomas was apprehended by the GPF last year and was kept in custody at the Lusignan Prison.

However, a legal battle ensued after Thomas claimed that he was in fact Marvin Williams and not Troy Thomas. After a year of legal proceedings, High Court Judge, Justice Navindra Singh ruled on April 4, 2019, that there was sufficient evidence against Thomas to warrant his extradition to the US. After being taken back to the US, Thomas was charged with second-degree murder.

Guyanese miner shot by Venezuelan during money dispute

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31-year-old Guyanese miner is now nursing gunshot wounds after being shot twice by a Venezuelan, to whom he owed money.

Injured is Teon Moffatt of Haslington Village, East Coast

Demerara (ECD).

Reports are the incident occurred at Arau Mountain top, Wenamu River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on Tuesday about 17:00h.

Guyana Times International was told that Moffatt was head-

ing to his camp when the suspect approached him and blocked his path.

According to reports, the Venezuelan man demanded raw gold equivalent to G$15,000, which Moffatt allegedly owed him.

However, Moffat al-

legedly told the suspect that he did not have any gold which led to a confrontation. The suspect whipped out a .38 revolver from under his jersey and shot Moffatt twice to his upper left leg.

According to the Police, the injured man fell to the ground while the suspect made good his escape in the nearby bushes.

Moffatt was eventually taken to the Arau medical centre. Meanwhile, the Police have since launched an investigation.

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fisherman appeared on Wednesday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for the capital offence of murder.

James Fraser, also known as “Damo” of Garnett Street, Georgetown, is accused of killing Ceon Rodney, called George, on April 25, 2019 at Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown.

The father of two was not required to plead to the charge.

The 21-year-old man was represented by Attorney-at-Law George Thomas, who told the court his client did not shoot Rodney and he was not in possession of a gun.

He further stated that his client ran in a northerly direction when he heard the gunshots and rendered assistance to

the injured man, taking him to Georgetown Public Hospital, where he gave Police Officers a statement.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court on April 25 about 09:00h the now deceased man and another man had a misunderstanding.

As Rodney was walking along Norton Street, on the northern side of the road, he was confronted

by Fraser, along with two other men, who exited a tinted white motor vehicle and an argument ensued.

The three men then pulled out their weapons and fired several rounds at Rodney, which hit his left foot. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

The accused was remanded and the case was scheduled to continue on May 21, 2019.

EBD man found guilty of mechanic’s murder

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enkassie Lynch of Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was on Wednesday found guilty of the murder of 23-year-old Terrence Lanferman by a 12-member High Court jury, who unanimously returned the verdict before Justice Navindra Singh.

The 24-year-old accused was charged with the murder of Lanferman which occurred on June 1, 2015 at Nelson Street, Mocha Arcadia, EBD. Lynch pleaded not guilty to the indictment at the commencement of the trial and was represented by Attorney Adrian Thompson. The State was represented by Prosecutors Teriq Mohammed, Tuanna Hardy and Abigail Gibbs.

Reports indicate that the victim and the accused’s cousin, Sedley Liverpool, called “Birdman”, had a previous dispute which resulted in the shooting death.

The court heard that

on June 1, 2015, Lynch and Liverpool met and conspired about the attack on Lanferman, after which both men visited the now deceased man’s home on a motorcycle.

During the trial, it was revealed that Lynch armed himself with a gun given to him by Liverpool, who waited for the accused some distance away from the home. The accused entered the premises of the now dead man, knocked on the door and confronted Lanferman, who had opened the door, shooting him before making good his escape.

Liverpool was later incriminated by the accused, and is currently awaiting trial.

Family members of the deceased burst into tears in court on Wednesday upon hearing the verdict. The accused will be sentenced on May 30 to facilitate a probation report, which was requested by the defence attorney.

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President says steps will be taken to restore image of SOCU …following damning fraud findings

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resident David Granger on Wednesday said there would be no dismantling of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), although an audit has found a slew of financial irregularities and internal fraud at the agency.

An audit was ordered into the operations of SOCU by Police Commissioner Leslie James in February following claims of grave mismanagement, which included the misuse of its operational fund.

On Wednesday, the President gave his reassurance that steps would be taken to restore the image of the Unit. In that regard, he maintained that SOCU would continue its operation while reminding that it was not a “loose cannon”.

“SOCU is an integral part, an organic part of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Head of SOCU is a police officer … It is going to remain.

It’s not going to be dismantled. It has work to do. It is not a free agent. It is not a loose cannon and we’ll ensure

President David Granger

that public confidence in SOCU is restored,” Granger declared.

He sided with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who recently stated that the Top Cop would be taking action against culpable officials. These actions, he had noted, can include transfers and dismissals.

“I have taken note and I agree with the Minister of Public Security that in event that there has been any impropriety or misconduct, disciplinary action be taken… The

Police Commissioner Leslie James

Police Commissioner and the Minister of Public Security presumably will take the necessary actions to ensure that the Unit continues to enjoy the confidence of the public,” he said.

SOCU, which had been initially set up to probe financial and white-collar crimes, had not been audited since its establishment in 2014.

An audit of SOCU was ordered by Police Commissioner James following claims of grave mismanagement.

According to recent reports, the audit concluded with records uncovering serious irregularities, including the falsification of records, and it has recommended immediate transfers and a fraud investigation of several of the discrepancies, sources say.

Ramjattan told the media last Friday that action would be taken

by Commissioner James with regard to the damning discoveries since the Unit is a branch of the Guyana Police Force.

“The Commissioner

SOCU Head Sydney James

is the head of SOCU as you know. I have seen the report; it is not a very nice report and the Commissioner has told me that he is going to take action. Operational matters a Minister must not indulge in and that is an operational matter,” he noted.

The Public Security Minister explained that in having an agency where persons were not serving the purposes that they were contracted to function in, the first essential step was rebranding SOCU’s

image.

In the past, SOCU had several of its cases tossed out by the courts, including a number of charges against former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) executives and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Directors.

In light of these revelations of widespread fraud and financial irregularities within SOCU, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had called for the Unit to be closed down.

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CCJ asked to order general elections in Guyana soon

…if it finds no-confidence vote was validly passed

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ustice Winston Anderson of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Thursday, frowned upon the slothfulness of the judicial system in Guyana regarding the hearing of matters in relation to the no-confidence motion cases.

As day two of the oral submissions got underway Justice Anderson remarked that the judicial system in Guyana should have deployed all resources to ensure the cases were heard in a timely manner.

Sanjeev Datadin, who is representing former government parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud, agreed that the judiciary should have taken such steps.

Charrandas Persaud had voted in favour the opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018.

The vote, according to some interpretations, would have seen the government being ousted

from power.

But the coalition has since challenged the validity of the motion.

If the CCJ finds that the motion was indeed validly passed, then it means that general elections ought to have been held within three months following its passage and that would have been March 21.

This is why Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, who is representing Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo in the proceedings, requested that the court issue an order for general elections to be held in the shortest possible time, should it be determined that the no-confidence motion was validly passed.

Senior Counsel, Douglas Mendes asked the court to be “stingy” with the time within which general elections ought to be held because the three-month period after the passage of the no-confidence motion was passed on December 21,

2018.

“The court should be stingy about the further time that should be given to as best as possible comply with the constitutional mandate,” Mendes said.

Emphasising that the constitution is clear that elections must be held, the lawyer said any time to be granted must be kept to be the bar-

est minimum. “We can’t turn the clock back but in determining what orders to make, we have to bear in mind that we are on borrowed time and so any further time that my learned friend wishes to borrow will have to be kept to the absolute minimum,” he said.

Mendes said the voters’ list was used at last November’s local gov-

ernment elections and it should be updated to avoid any unreasonable delay.

Justice Anderson questioned if the elections could be called within three months if there are pending court cases to which Datadin responded that “unless there is an order to stop you from proceeding, then you should proceed”.

Guyana’s High Court had ruled that the motion was validly passed.

The ruling was challenged by the government at the local Court of Appeal, which found in a 2:1 decision, that an absolute majority of 34 votes was needed to pass the motion.

The matter is now before the CCJ for a final and binding judgment.

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Trinidad CoP suggests Miner found not guilty gangster’s bullet killed of killing friend 14-year-old during police shootout

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith speaks to members of the media during the police briefing at the Police Administration Building, yesterday

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o­lice Com­mis­sion­ er Gary Grif­fith yes­ter­day pre­sent­ ed a graph­ic which sug­ gest­ed 14-year-old Nao­ mi Nel­son may have been killed by a bul­let to the head from an il­le­gal gun fired by Care­nage res­i­dents and not the po­ lice.

How­ev­er, he re­fused to be pressed in­to con­ firm­ing what the graph­ic seemed to be sug­gest­ing, say­ing he would leave it up to the pub­lic to de­ cide.

Speak­ing at the week­ly me­dia brief­ing at the Po­lice Ad­min­is­ tra­tion Build­ing in Portof-Spain, Grif­fith said it was not his of­fi­cers that drew first blood be­ fore show­ing the me­dia a screen that de­pict­ed an im­ age show­ ing the po­ si­tion of of­fi­cers and al­ leged gang mem­ bers at the shoot­ing scene last Fri­day night at Big Yard, Care­nage.

He ex­plained that the of­fi­cers en­tered the area from the West­ern Main Road and head­ed north in their un­marked ve­hi­ cle when they were al­ leged­ly fired up­on by the al­leged gang mem­bers on the block, who were fac­ing south. Us­ing the im­age to ex­plain fur­ther, he said the teen was be­ hind the po­lice ve­hi­cle when the shoot­ing start­ ed, sug­gest­ing she would have been be­hind the of­ fi­cers and fac­ing the al­ leged gang mem­bers who were shoot­ing at the po­ lice.

“A young la­dy was killed be­cause of this fire­fight…one shot (re­ fer­ring to a news­pa­per ar­ti­cle)…every­one saw it fit to say that the po­ lice was the one fired the shot and killed the young la­dy—they (re­fer­ring to the al­ leged gang mem­ bers) fired to­wards the po­lice ve­hi­cle and what was be­hind the po­lice ve­ hi­cle was the young la­ dy—get the facts first be­

fore per­cep­tion be­comes a re­al­i­ty,” Grif­fith said.

When asked if any il­ le­gal firearms were re­ cov­ered from the scene, he said he was yet to ver­ i­ fy but added that he be­lieved two il­le­gal guns were re­cov­ered, in­ clud­ing the one used in shoot­ ing one of the of­ fi­cers, along with the spent shells.

Ex­plain­ing his the­o­ ry for why the shootout oc­curred, Grif­fith said it had be­come the “norm” for cer­tain gang mem­ bers to feel that a cer­tain area, turf or com­mu­ni­ ty be­longs to them, adding there were sit­u­a­tions where un­marked po­ lice ve­hi­cles en­tered cer­ tain ar­eas and gang­sters would fire shots at them or even ve­hi­cles they did not recog­nise.

“Just a few days ago a woman po­lice of­fi­cer was dri­ving and she went in­ to an area and a no­ to­ ri­ ous gang leader was there and they were not aware of that ve­hi­cle and they start­ed fir­ing shots at her…that is what is hap­pen­ing in this coun­ try,” Grif­fith said.

“So the con­cern that peo­ ple are hav­ ing with po­lice of­fi­cers be­ing on pa­trols in un­marked ve­ hi­cles, well, those per­ sons who are con­cerned should know that I in­ tend to put 50 more of these un­marked ve­hi­ cles and flood these ar­ eas, be­cause no area, no street, no com­mu­ni­ ty and no block be­longs ­ al el­em ­ ent to any crim­in and that is what has hap­pened in Big Yard in Care­nage with these in­ di­vid­u­als…they saw an un­marked ve­hi­cle and they de­cid­ed to fire.”

He al­so ex­pressed con­cern no one cared that one of his of­fic­ ers was shot in the chest while on du­ty.

“No one men­tioned the fact that a po­lice of­ fi­cer was shot and his life saved be­cause he had on

a bul­ let­ proof vest and he would have fired the shot to save his life af­ter the fact that he was shot at…we did not draw first blood.”

An au­ top­ sy done on day at the Foren­ Tues­ sic Sci­ence Cen­tre found that Nel­son was shot in the back of the head with the bul­let ex­it­ing to the front.

Nel­son’s rel­at­ ives strong­ly be­lieve she was hit by a bul­let of a po­lice of­fi­cer’s gun but bal­lis­ tic test­ing, which is now pend­ing, will even­tu­al­ly de­ter­mine whose bul­let the gun was fired from.

Nel­son, who at­tend­ ed the Mu­cu­rapo West Sec­ondary School and ber of the was a mem­ West­ern Di­vi­sion Po­lice Youth Club, was killed along with Keron Eve, 30 and Ka­reem Roberts, 27. Chris­ t­ ian Eve, 31 and Ronal­do Syd­ney, 21, who is said to be the God­ son of Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley, were al­ so wound­ed in the shoot­ ing. Syd­ney has a bul­let lodged in the ab­ domen that is said to be mov­ing clos­er to the spine.

Asked about the al­le­ ga­tions of rogue of­fi­cers’ in­volve­ment in Fri­day’s shoot­ing, Grif­fith said it was easy for peo­ple to de­ monise the po­lice ser­vice and called on peo­ple with in­for­ma­tion to “bring it.”

“Peo­ple on­ly talk about rogue el­em ­ ents in the Po­lice Ser­vice and they are not speak­ing about politi­cians, me­dia and the busi­ness com­ mu­ni­ty. They al­ways fo­ cus on the po­lice ser­ vice…those of­fi­cers go out every day and put their lives on the line… we are do­ing every­thing pos­si­ble to weed out the rogue el­ em ­ ents and it shows a de­gree of trans­ paren­cy and ac­count­abil­ i­ ty. Bring it to our at­ ten­tion if you have and bring the ev­id ­ ence and we will deal with it.”

(Trinidad Guardian)

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Freed: Trevor Williams

oth tears of joy and sadness erupted in the courtroom of Justice Navindra Singh on Wednesday after a 26-year-old miner, Trevor Williams, was set free following a unanimous not guilty verdict returned by a 12-member jury on a manslaughter charge at the Demerara High Court.

The former accused faced the indictment which detailed that between June 4-5, 2013, at Bruck-up Landing, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), he unlawfully killed Randy Raphael. The accused pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Back in April of 2013, Williams was charged with murder when he made his first court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

However, Williams was slapped with a manslaughter charge when he appeared at the High Court on Wednesday.

The accused was represented by Attorney Mark Conway while the State’s case was presented by Prosecutors Teriq Mohammed in association with Tuanna Hardy and Abigail Gibbs.

After a total of five witnesses testified, the State had closed the case, however, Defence Attorney Conway made a no-case submission to the court, contending that the State failed to prove its case or find sufficient evidence for Williams to be convicted of the charge instituted against him.

Facts presented indicated that on the day in question, the accused found a shotgun which he picked up and took back to his mining camp.

Moments later, Raphael, a friend of the accused was trying to open the said firearm but Williams took it from him and also tried to open it during which a round of ammunition went off and hit Raphael in the head resulting in his death.

Williams realising what he has caused left the scene, but after several days he turned himself in to the Police at the Port Kiatuma Police Station.

Justice Singh while informing Williams that he is now a free man, encouraged the young man to “be careful” the next time as he made a mistake the last time which caused the death of his friend.

Woman caught trying to smuggle ganja for imprisoned fiancé

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woman, who attempted to smuggle marijuana in blue soap for her fiancé who is incarcerated at the Lusignan Prison has now found herself behind bars.

The 20-year-old woman visited the Lusignan Prison at about 15:30h on Tuesday to visit her fiancé

who is in the holding bay area.

In a statement, Director of Prison Gladwin Samuels said that alert officers on duty conducted a detailed search on the soaps and found the marijuana concealed.

Police have since weighed the contraband,

which amounted to 19 grams. The woman has since been taken into Police custody.

The Prison Director has since warned that persons should desist from smuggling prohibited items into the prison as there are serious consequences for such actions.

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Court finds Guyana Govt breached farmers’ rights

…awards G$6.5M in damages, costs

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ive rice farmers who sued the State over the cancellation of their leases by the Mahaica Maichony Abary/Agriculture Development Authority (MMA/ADA) have been vindicated by the High Court.

It was the familiar court battle between former Attorney General Anil Nandlall and his successor, Basil Williams, who was named as a respondent on behalf of the State.

In the court ruling handed down by Justice Priya Seenarine-Beharry, farmer Sonita Bristol of West Coast Berbice (WCB) was awarded G$1 million as damages and G$300,000 in costs.

The court ruled that the revocation of her lease was null and void and granted injunctions preventing the MMA/ADA from moving against her land. It also ordered the third named respondent to give up the land.

Bristol, whose land was located south of the MMA main canal in Number 40 Village, West Coast Berbice, claimed in her affidavit that she learnt of her lease being cancelled without notice on March 18, 2016, through a notice in the newspaper. She subsequently learned that her land was occupied by Nigel Gordon, the third named respondent in her claim.

Meanwhile, a similar ruling was made in the case of Chalyn Ann McKalman, who took Attorney General Basil Williams, on behalf of the State, the MMA/ADA and Mark and Joseph Ross to court over her land.

In the cases of Sharon Solomon, Fariel Johnson and Doreen Monah, they were also awarded G$1 million in damages

and G$300,000 in costs.

Monah, in particular, argued in her affidavit that after being dispossessed of her land by the MMA/ ADA, it was awarded to other people.

In Solomon’s affidavit, she detailed that before her lease was revoked, her land was occupied by the Seafield Co-op, which rented her land to a farmer known as “Big bull”. This farmer, the affidavit states, was forcefully removed from said land by the Coop, which instead of giving it to her, rented it to the fourth named respondent, Lincoln Samaroo.

Besides awarding them their damages and costs, the court also issued an injunction restraining MMA/ADA from interfering with the farmers’ land.

It was only in 2015 that another set of farmers – Phillip Johnson, Rupert Blackman and Rawle Miller – had filed legal action against the MMA/ADA, challenging the cancellation of State land leases in the rear of Seafield, West Coast Berbice.

The farmers had claimed that the leases were granted by former President Donald Ramotar and only the Head of State has the right to make such a cancellation.

After months of hearing, former Chief Justice Ian Chang in February of 2016 quashed the cancellation of the leases in favour of the farmers.

However, the farmers said they were subsequently informed

by General Manager of MMA/ADA Aubrey Charles that President Granger has cancelled their leases. Besides their leases being revoked, farmers also had to deal with land rental fee increases.

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Greenidge to continue work regarding territorial integrity – President

F

ormer Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge is slated to continue his

contribution to the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the territorial integrity with

Venezuela.

President David Granger made this disclosure, on May 8, in an

invited comment, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The Head of State has en-

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

gaged both the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings and the former minister regarding the new portfolio of the latter.

“He [Greenidge] will remain in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs… I have also had meetings with the new minister [Dr. Cummings] and I will meet them again to decide or let them know what my decision is,” the President said.

The former minister

will contribute to the continuity of work that the Foreign Affairs Ministry is engaged in, especially regarding the ongoing matters with Venezuela.

President Granger further clarified, “it’s not two ministries, it’s one ministry and Dr. Cummings is the Minister and the functions, and everything else that falls within the ministry will come under the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

New York City renames street... from page 5

“Jonathan was a vigilant servant to the City of New York. His hard work and dedication were unmatched. On September 14, on his way to the job he loved, he was involved in an altercation and was gunned down in cold blood.

We at the NYCD Desi Society honor his memory by co-naming this street, where he lived his incredible life. We want people to know his name and remember him forever” said NYCD Desi Society Vice President CO Raishamraj Persaud.

Also present at the street co-naming were Borough President Melinda Katz, City Council

Member Donovan Richards, Commissioner of the New York City Correction Department Cynthia Brann, and New York State Assembly Member David Weprin.

Community leaders present included Dr. Dhanpaul Narine, Romeo Hitlall, Ashook Ramsaran, Mohamed Amin, Jeany Persaud and Mohamed Hack.

“They say no one is perfect, but my brother was near perfect. This kid did everything right.

My family and I are deeply proud of him and our community for standing by our side during this time of mourning” said Jason Narain, bother of Jonathan Narain.

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Ram calls for full probe following Adams-Yearwood’s reassignment

P

olitical commentator Christopher Ram is of the firm belief that a full probe should have been ordered into the former Housing Minister, Valerie Adams-Yearwood, who was stripped of her responsibility of the housing sector following revelations that her husband received Government contracts.

Ram in an invited comment told Guyana Times International, “I think that the Government is playing musical chairs but that has been the style and mode of operation for this Government”.

He was at the time making reference to the fact that a number of Ministers have been switched around several times in the past owing to various reasons.

In this particular matter, however, the political analyst was keen

to note that a full probe should have been ordered before further steps were taken to reassign her to the Agriculture Ministry.

“I think that this thing should have been fully investigated. [A] Minister should not be dealt with by any standard other than those which would have been applied to anyone else.

All we heard is what she said but she certainly is not the best and most reliable person to exonerate herself,” Ram added.

President David Granger recently admitted that AdamsYearwood was reassigned in the “public’s interest”.

“There were certain allegations and I felt that it will be in the public’s interest for her to go to another Ministry. She has not been convicted of any crime and I feel that her services could be used in supporting the

Political commentator Christopher Ram

Minister of Agriculture with responsibility for rural affairs,” he noted.

The Head of State added, “At this point, I am satisfied that she has not committed any criminal offence, that she is a fit and proper person to continue to serve in the Department of Rural Affairs in the Ministry of Agriculture”.

The former Housing

Minister within the Communities Ministry came under scrutiny last month after it was revealed that her husband, Godfrey Yearwood, was awarded a contract to build homes for a project spearheaded by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), an agency which fell under her then Ministry.

As such, the President, in reshuffling his Cabinet as a result of the recent resignation of four senior Ministers, reassigned Minister Adams-Yearwood to the Agriculture Ministry as Minister with responsibility for Rural Affairs.

Minister AdamsYearwood has been replaced by Junior Minister Annette Ferguson, who was also removed from the Public Infrastructure Ministry and placed at the Communities Ministry as Housing Minister.

However, Minister Adams-Yearwood said she does not view her reassignment as a demotion but a promotion instead. In fact, she made it a point to note that there were no changes to her remunerations.

“What is a demotion?

My salary is not affected, my allowances [or] anything are not affect-

ed. Nothing is affected so why would it be a demotion? I see it as a promotion because I’m going into new and exciting areas,” Adams-Yearwood told reporters.

Meanwhile, even as the Minister denied that her reassignment had nothing to do with the issue involving her husband, local transparency watchdog, Transparency International Guyana Inc (TIGI) had said in a statement recently that it supports calls for the multimillion-dollar contract to be reviewed.

This issue came to the limelight last month when Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed that the Minister’s husband had sub-contracted the project to a contractor from Victoria, East Coast Demerara, who claims that he is yet to be paid for the works done more than a year ago.

Jamaica: 11 high school students injured as taxi plunges into river E leven Edwin High School students have been admitted to hospital after the taxi in which they were travelling plunged over the Grantham Bridge en route to their schoool in Frankfield, Clarendon on Wednesday morning.

Principal Everton Walters said nine of the students were admitted to the Percy Junor Hospital in Spaldings and two transferred to the Kingston Public Hospital.

Simone Smith, a Frankfield resident said it was like a movie as the taxi with the 11 student went over the bridge.

She said the taxi had stopped on the bridge when a speeding car came crashing into

CARICOM warns of...

The ICG is comprised of countries from the European Union and Latin America and last weekend, CARICOM leaders at a special security summit in Trinidad and Tobago vowed to continue their diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela, where opposition forces are seeking to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

At least three people have been killed and several others injured in

clashes between opposition and government supporters in Venezuela, since the Opposition Leader, Juan Guaidó, last week called on the military to support the move to remove Maduro from power.

But the army appears to be remaining loyal to Maduro and during the clashes amid rival demonstrations, they fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.

In January, Guaidó declared himself Venezuela’s interim leader, and he has been rec-

from page 8

ognised by more than 50 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and most of Latin America.

But Maduro, who won re-election last year, is being backed by Russia, China and Cuba.In his address, Harris told the meeting “the people’s will must be allowed to show itself, and it must have support.

“We want to aid in an expedited way because last week’s events indicated that we have to move with more expedition,” Harris added. (CMC)

it pushing the vehicle over the bridge which has no barriers.

She said after the crash, a group of men rushed to assist the injured children but first had to turn over the vehicle.

While all that was happening, she said to her annoyance, some other people busy capturing video footage.

In the mealtime, Walters said the incident has highlighted the need for proper transport for students. ” I have always voiced the opinion that rural parts need proper transportation for our students,” he said, pointing out that without success, he has lobbied the Ministry of Education.

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23 young people given entrepreneurial boost with G$7M grant T

wenty-three young people from across five communities will soon have their businesses up and running after completing an entrepreneurial training programme. The budding entrepreneurs will receive either G$310,000 (US$1,500) from the Small Business Bureau to kick start their businesses, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The young people who hailed from Albouystown, Sophia, La Penitence, Mocha and North and South Ruimveldt communities, participated in a 12-week training programme which falls under the first component of the Citizens Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) piloted by the Ministry of Public Security. The CSSP aims to contribute to a reduction in crime and violence in Guyana, especially in the targeted communities and among young people, by increasing their human and social capacity.

During the training, the participants were tasked with developing a plan detailing their business. They also re-

ceived G$26,000 stipend per month.

Mary Flue, who hails from Sophia, will be using her grant to get her restaurant up and running by November. The overjoyed young lady said it was not easy, but she never gave up on her dreams.

“I worked very hard to get where I am right now, and I thank the SBB and the CSSP for this opportunity today.

There are opportunities out there, you have to grab it, it will not come to you, it takes hard work,” she stated.

Tandica Hunte owns a small home-made ice cream shop. She also sews and designs business cards in the Albouystown community. With the training received, Hunte will not only be able to expand her business but better manage it as well. “With the training, I learnt a lot about business management, how to have self-control with customers, and how to prepare your financial books and how to buy the right product for your business.”

Coordinator of the programme, Dr. Clement Henry remind-

ed the young people that the development of Guyana’s youth remains a top priority for the government.

He said that the administration aims to empower young people through innovative training opportunities.

“Entrepreneurship and

education and skills building will aid our young people in developing their skills and putting them in a position to make valuable contributions to the lives of their families, to their communities and this beautiful country Guyana.

I say to you my young

friends, doors of opportunity are opening to you, doors that were not present for my generation and the great challenge facing you today so to enter these doors as they open.”

In brief remarks, Chief Executive Officer of the Small Business

Bureau (SBB), Lowell Porter urged the graduates not to squander the opportunity they have been afforded.

They were also encouraged to network as it will help to grow their businesses in Guyana’s evolving economy, DPI reported.

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Jamaica: Honesty pays off for woman who handed over millions found at ATM

A

ckaisha Green, the 24-year-old mother who was ridiculed by her mother for turning over to the police a bag of cash she found in an ATM two weeks ago, is now the recipient of a flood of kindness from Jamaicans here and abroad.

Yesterday, her hope of pursuing a housekeeping course at HEART Trust/ NTA became a reality as the agency not only had her fill out an assessment paper but named her its first ambassador.

“We are going to take you around to speak to other young people, to spread the message, so when we do our professional and development sessions we are going to be inviting you to ensure that you are that beacon of hope for young people. We are truly heartened and we look forward to working with you,” HEART Trust/NTA Director of Employment and Career Services Rayharna Wright told Green at the agency’s Oxford Road office in St Andrew.

Green, whose story was reported by the Jamaica Observer on Monday, said that she was pleased with the agency’s gesture.

“I feel good because I wanted to go back [to

Ackaisha Green with her soon-to-be twoyear-old son Joshua (Photo: Karl McLarty)

school] long time. I was surprised, because I signed up two times and I did not get through. I tried the one at Duke Street and I did not get through.

I also signed up at a health fair at Kingston Technical High School,” Green said.

While she was grateful for the skills training opportunity, Green expressed doubt about being able to maintain her attendance at the educational institution. That apprehension, though, was eased by the agency which presented her with a gift certificate that will cover the cost of completing levels I and II at its Learning For Earning Activity Programme (LEAP) Centre.

Green was inside the ATM at Central Police

Station on East Queen Street in downtown Kingston with her son Joshua, two Wednesdays ago, when she stumbled upon a stash of cash, suspected to be in the millions of dollars, in a large transparent plastic bag. But she felt it was not hers to keep.

The money could have gone a long way for the mother of two who ekes out a living in inner-city James Street in Central Kingston. But she insisted that handing over the money was the right thing to do.

“Mi coulda take it weh, but mi never take it weh.

On my way coming out with it I saw two police officers, and mi say ‘Sir, I found a bag of money and I don’t know what to do with it’,” Green recounted to the

Observer.

Within minutes of her handing the police the bag — which she said contained $5,000 and $1,000 notes — an armoured truck bearer, who had apparently forgotten the bag of money in the ATM, ran into the station, breathless. The undisclosed sum of money was subsequently handed over to him, police at the station said.

Last week Tuesday morning when the Observer visited Green at her house, she received a heavy tongue-lashing from her mother who described her as “the stupidest of all my children”.

“A mi she beg $200 this morning to give her son to go to school,” the mother complained, with a loud hiss of her teeth.

However, Green insisted that turning over the money to the police was the right thing to do.

Within minutes of the story’s publication on Monday, readers locally and overseas contacted the Observer offering to help Green and reward her for her honesty.

In addition to HEART Trust/NTA, NCB Foundation, Bank of Jamaica, and KingAlarm Limited expressed interest in assisting her. Some

of the readers who pledged to help said they wanted to do so without fanfare.

“As I told you last week, I was not expecting anything,” Green reminded this reporter yesterday. “As I told you before, it was not mine to keep. I am overwhelmed. Persons have been calling; I asked for one help so I wasn’t looking forward for all this help. For somebody to give me something out of nothing that’s a whole lot of appreciation.”

She also responded to criticism she received, especially from social media users.

“It doesn’t matter what the world is going to say about me, giving it back was the right thing to do.

It wasn’t mine,” she insisted.

Julia Smiley-Green, HEART Trust/NTA director of marketing and communication, said Green’s story reassured the nation that there is still hope and people with good values left in society.

“Thank you for choosing to do the right thing.

Thank you for setting a good example for Joshua to follow,” Smiley-Green told the young mother.

“We know that there are a lot of comments that may somehow want you to re-

think what you have done, but we want to encourage you to stay positive. What you did was the right thing to have done; there is no other option and we are really heartened to have you here this morning.”

Yesterday as well, Professor Donna Hope from The University of the West Indies, who was at the HEART Trust/NTA office, said she was moved

by Green’s story.

“We are putting together assistance from Jamaicans who are here and abroad to try and also help you with going through the process of your education as best as we can,” Hope told Green.

“One of the things we will do, with Ackaisha’s permission, is to set up a GoFundMe account so that the Jamaicans who are abroad can be able to contribute easily and then we will manage the account.”

In the meantime, attorney-at-law Walter G Melbourne is cautioning the public against scoffing at Green’s good deed. He said that failure to return any lost items that are found is a serious offence known as larceny by finding that attracts a maximum of five years’ imprisonment. (Jamaica Observer)

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PPP/C's Presidential Canddiate, Irfaan Ali continues his engagements with communities across Guyana. Above Mr Ali poses for a photo op. with some residents of Herstelling, EBD

Trinidad: Minister probes teacher’s alleged threats to students, family E ducation Minister Anthony Garcia has promised to get to the bottom of a report that a teacher has threatened to kill a family, which includes two students who attend the southern school where he is based.

A report of the threat was also made to the Marabella police, the principal, school supervisors in the Victoria Educational District as well as to the Presbyterian Primary School Board.

When Newsday spoke

to Garcia on Tuesday morning, he said it was the first time he was hearing of the incident and promised to investigate.

However, in a subsequent interview, Garcia said he understands that the matter is outside the jurisdiction of the school.

“If it is a personal matter I cannot get involved. What I have been told is that the teacher in question made a report against the parents of the students.”

An official at the school who wished to re-

main anonymous told Newsday the teacher “needs help” since it is not the first time similar allegations have been made against him.

The official said the teacher was transferred to the school about two years ago after a female colleague reported him for “stalking” her.

While at his new school the teacher is said to have gotten close to a family including their two daughters who attend that school.

The official said, “Because of certain be-

Education Minister Anthony Garcia

haviours, the family tried to end the relationship with the teacher, but during the the first week in the new school term, he threatened to “wipe out the entire family.” Reports are that the teacher has also been seen driving up and down the road in front of the family’s home with strange people in his car.

The traumatised family reported the matter to the police as well as to the school principal.

The principal in turn reported the matter to the school supervisors as well as to the police.

It is understood that when the school supervisors met with the parents, principal and

teacher, the teacher accused the family of tarnishing his name.

A suggestion was also made to have the students transferred, but the family has refused this saying it was unfair to their children who have done nothing to warrant this kind of dislocation.

A letter was also sent to the Presbyterian Primary School Board, which is chaired by Rev Brenda Bullock. The board also met the parties separately but is yet to make a recommendation.

The school official said he and his colleagues were not happy with the lack of response

from the police or the recommendation to transfer the students.

“This is a serious situation and with the state of crime in the country we cannot wait until something drastic happens to act. “ He said it appeared the teacher might have some issues and needed help.

Second vice president of the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) Kyrla Robertson said the situation was not brought to the attention of the association.

She said she was not certain if the teacher against whom the allegation was being made was a member of the union. She said if a teacher was facing a disciplinary charge, that teacher was free to approach TTUTA for representation. However, she said TTUTA did not represent teachers charged with criminal offences.

Robertson added, “TTUTA would hope that a thorough investigation would be carried out in the matter and that none of the drama affects the school or the students.”

(Trinidad Newsday)

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Sexual Offences Court launched in Berbice onment. Those crimes for which trials were conducted included seven rape cases, 21 cases with a child under 16 years, 15 cases of sexual activity with a child and family member and 1 case carnal knowledge.

Deputy British High Commissioner, Ray Davidson commended the Supreme Court for establishing such an “advanced courtroom” and stated that the new system replicates “much of

T

he Sexual Offences Act, Section 44, provides for the establishment of a Sexual Offences Court, and in keeping with this law and after months of fruitful discussions and planning, the Supreme Court of Judicature on May 5, 2019, officially launched its second Sexual Offences Court.

This new courtroom will be housed at the Berbice High Court, Esplanade Road, New Amsterdam.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), the project was completed in approximate-

ly three months by VK Construction Service at the cost of G$13M. Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, while addressing the gathering at the launch, highlighted that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has collaborated significantly with the justice department and provided much needed financial support and capacity building in the quest to ensure that justice is served in a fair, efficient and timely manner.

She noted that there

is a total of 37 cases involving sexual offences in the Berbice Assizes. With the new court in the district, Justice CummingsEdwards said those issues will be dealt with in a way which respects the dignity and privacy of the victims.

According to Justice Cummings-Edwards, since the doors to the first Sexual Offences Court in Georgetown was opened in November 2017, it has seen some 53 cases with convictions totalling 33 and 20 acquittals, thus far. Sentences from such convictions ranged from nine years to life impris-

what is being done in the United Kingdom (UK).”

UNICEF resident representative to Guyana and Suriname, Sylvia Fouet, in her remarks, pledged her organisation’s support in overcoming issues concerning sexual violence and encouraged families, specifically children, to use their services when necessary.

Attending the historic event were Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne

George, Magistrate Renita Singh, members of the Berbice Bar Association; Commander of B Division, Assistant Commissioner Paul Langevine, Officer in Charge of the Guyana Fire Service B Division, Mr. Scotland (GFS) and Officer in Charge of the New Amsterdam Prison Service (GPS), Superintendent Deoraj Gyandat, among others, DPI reported.

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Presidential… “

W

…hubris on musical chairs

hat’s in a name?” the Bard famously asked in Romeo and Juliet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” And, one might add, in the context of Guyana, a rotten egg would smell just as foul! Which is by far more appropriate to describe the gymnastics going on in the Office of the President, by Granger and his “plenary” that’s now a “Cabinet” again. In terms of politics rather than young love, didn’t the Bard also point out that something was rotten in the state of Denmark after a guard saw the ghost of the murdered King wandering around in the halls of the Palace?

Well with the spirit of the Constitution being routinely murdered every day by Granger and his PNC administration it’s a cert that its ghost is meandering around the now green buildings of the OP. Just look at the stunt pulled by the President on the constitutional stricture that dual citizens can’t be MP’s much less Ministers.

Imagine Granger appointing Dr Karen Cummings, the former Junior Minister of Health as the new Foreign Affairs Minister to replace the British Citizen incumbent, Carl Greenidge??

Is this the time to have an individual who has absolutely no training, much less experience, in this critical field, when Venezuela is in a meltdown and their border controversy’s coming up for decision at the World Court? Does Granger expect Cummings to use her medical knowledge to deal with the international community after the decision comes down? But we know what’s going on, don’t we? Greeenidge will soon be appointed “Director General of Foreign Affairs”!!

Isn’t this what Granger wrought over at the Minister of State in the Ministry of the Presidency? This ministry under Granger grew like Topsy into a humungous institution with at least a dozen agencies and five Ministers. It was controlled by a gregarious Minister of State – Harmon who was widely seen as the de facto second in command.

So what happened after he resigns because he’s a US citizen? The President appoints him as the DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE MINISTRY OF THE PRESIDENCY. Harmon himself had to inform the nation that his job was a “work in progress” but right off the bat he’ll be chairing post-Cabinet meetings!

So, who does Granger think he’s fooling?

Certainly not the Guyanese public who now understand that as far as the PNC’s concerned, the Constitution’s just a doormat.

How can Granger tell the people that the compromised Valerie Yearwood has been move from Housing to OP when she insists that’s a promotion??? Where’s the respect for the letter and spirit of the Constitution??

Oh Judgement, thou art fled to savage beasts and the men in the PNC have lost their reason!

…silence of terrorism honour

The Clerk of the National Assembly; two MP’s from Linden – one being the defrocked Housing Minister; the PNC’s Chief Whip” the Gen Secty of the TUC and others have sought to “explain” the terrorism honour.

But the buck stops with Granger, doesn’t it?

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FEATURE 33

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G

uyanese, will on Sunday, May 5, 2019 observe East Indian Arrival Day ; an occasion commemorating the 181st anniversary of their arrival, bringing with them their ancient customs, food and culture from India.

Under a system of agreement, an order in the Council of Britain was passed on July 12, 1838 making provision for indentured immigrants to travel to Guyana for a term of five years.

On January 13, 1838 the Whitby left the shores of India with 249 immigrants on board and arrived in Guyana on the 5th May 1838 after a voyage of 112 days. Five immigrants died during the voyage. The Whitby proceeded first to Berbice and landed 164 passengers at Hilbury, East Bank Berbice, nearly 12 miles from New Amsterdam.

East of the capital, the same day it returned to Vreed-en-hoop, West Demerara and landed 80 passengers. Out of the 244 immigrants that came with the Whitby they were 233 men, 5 women and 6 children. The first man to step on shore in Berbice was Anant Ram while in Demerara the first man to disembark was Nutha Khan.

On January 29, 1838, the Hesperus sailed from Calcutta sixteen days later than the Whitby, with 165 persons on board. It arrived at Port Georgetown on the night of May 5th 1838, 13 immigrants died during the voyage including two persons who fell overboard. Out of the 152 immigrants that came on board the Hesperus, were 135 men, 6 women and 11 children.

On January 26, 1845 ‘Lord Hunger’ left Calcutta with 162 passengers on board, the ship arrived in Georgetown on May 4, 1845, and ten persons died on the way. Next ship was the ‘Success’, which arrived on July 21, 1845 with 231 passengers, 14 died on the way. Next was the ‘Nester’, which arrived on December 26, 1845 with 233 persons and brought 500 bags of rice.

On February 2, 1846 ‘Manchester’ then the ‘Thetis’ followed by the ‘Tamerlane’ the ‘Martin Luther’ and ‘Troy” in succession, then the ‘John Wickliffe’, the ‘Bussorary

The immigrant ship Hesperus

Merchant’, the ‘Aurora’, ‘Lady Mekennaway’ and lastly the ‘SS Ganges’, which docked in Georgetown on April 18, 1917.

Bringing that period, 79 years- 238,979 indentured labourers journeyed from India to Guyana to work under colonial administration. They were distributed to various locations on the coastland of Guyana.

The plantation system and conditions were not favourable at all. The immigrants worked from sunrise to sunset and were so poorly paid that they were just able to exist. They slaved and provided luxurious living for their masters. They brought with them a rich culture and heritage together with a language.

The indentured immigrants were disciplined and found satisfaction in honest and productive work. They were kind, hospitable and generous and they lived contented lives. They made tremendous sacrifices so that their descendants would be able to enjoy a better standard of living.

The foremost characteristic of the struggle of the East Indian immigrants against indenture and plantation system was their unity. Their unity had been forged on shipboard. Those who came on the same ship were considered as ship brothers and sisters“Jahaji”.

A further contributing factor to unity was that everyone came with an inter-faith mind of mainly Hindus and Muslims and there was also a belief that the caste system has been lost through the crossing of ‘Kaala’ Pani (Black Water). Through the years the community spirit has manifested itself in various situationsforming groups singing Ramayan, Bhajanas reading of the Holy Quran and observing the various festivals and holi days etc.

The plantation owners and the colonial administration feared the unity of the workers and used several techniques to destroy it. By January 1830, there was evidence that the Indian labourers were being mistreated. Far more significant were the uprisings, which frequently led to tragic deaths of

immigrant worke r s protesting illegal wages, bad conditions and the exploitation of their women.

There were eight main disturbances on sugar plantations leading to shooting by colonial police from Devonshire Castle in 1872 to 1948 at Enmore. At Vreeden-hoop, West

individuals were pressured by various devices - which were enacted into ‘law’ - to provide their labour under controlled and specified conditions.

‘Indentured labour’ was but one of various guises under which individuals across the globe were conscripted to provide labour in the development of the ‘capitalist’ mode of production that developed as Europe began to exploit the worlds it had ‘dis- c o v e r e d ’

1657 and 1818, the British passed laws that changed the rules on land taxes and crops that should be cultivated. Consequently, millions died from famine and pushed off the land to become the excess labour that could be exported to other parts of the empire as needed.

Under the new racism, Indians were also lower intrinsically to whites.

Indentured Indian labour was first used within India in the tea plantations of

tured labour by law. The contracts of the indentureds were structured to keep them bound to their employer so that if they were not in the fields, they had to be either in jail or hospital. Infractions of their contract were subjected to criminal penalties, and these were applied liberally.

In Fiji, the descendants of the Indian indentureds call themselves ‘GIRMITIYA’ - people of the agreement by which they were bound to the new world.

The indenture contracts formed a partnership between the traveller and the ‘master’ to exchange years of service for a promise of future compensation like acres of land, livestock, clothing, room and boarding during the time of service.

The terms of this contract were between servant Patrick Larkin and Master Thomas Blood.

The Indian Indenture contract

A European indentured ‘indented’ contract. The jagged indented top indicates this is the bottom half of the indenture contract

Bank Demerara an English nurse Betsy Ann testified that she had witnessed the flogging of immigrants with the cat-onine tails, and another woman Elizabeth Caesar witnessed the flogging of immigrants under the manager’s house after which, salt pickle was rubbed on to their backs.

Figures show that one out of every five immigrants was brought before the courts; not for offences of a criminal nature but for resistance to a plantation system, which was supported by the judiciary and colonial administration.

There were no trade unions until recent times.

The East Indians have contributed in a significant way to build Guyana’s economic and social structures. It was indeed the unity of principle and action among East Indians that brought overwhelming success to our dear land of Guyana.

(Adapted from an article by Shan Razak; 2013 Guyana Times newspaper)

Origin of indentureship

Most of us know that ‘Arrival Day’ is about the ‘arrival’ of ‘indentured servants’ to labour on the sugar plantations after the abolition of slavery - first the Portuguese (1935), West Indian Africans (1835), Indians (1838), and, finally, the Chinese (1853).

But exactly what is an ‘indentured servant’? It is actually one of a series of arrangements in which

– and more germanely, conquered – after 1492.

There were indentured labourers from Europe starting from the 17th century long before the Indians from India.

Indian indentureship

In India, which the British East India Company conquered between

Assam, and then to the newly acquired French islands of Reunion and Mauritius.

After the abolition of African slavery in the British Empire in 1834, rather than moving to ‘free labour’, as was promised, they introduced ‘unfree’ inden-

East Indian lodgings

Below is an example from Mauritius of the indenture contract that Indians were made to sign before embarking on the ship for the colonies at the beginning of indentureship. The terms were to be copied by all the countries such as Guyana and Trinidad, which received indentured labour later.

34 FEATURE

By Rupa Seenaraine

I

ndian cuisine is known around the world for its varying ranges of aromatic spices, which is clearly differentiated from other types of cooking. Here in Guyana, Indian food is quite common, with notable variations since it was brought to this land during the arrival of East Indians in 1838.

In India, the streets are usually bustling with merchants who market their dried spices such as cumin, masalas, chillies, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom and mustard seeds among others.

Ginger and coriander are also prevalent to achieve certain distinct tastes.

In India, there is an array of sweet and savoury dishes depending on the location. In fact, each state captures a different palate but these have been uniquely merged into one here in Guyana.

When the indentured immigrants arrived, the cooking techniques were brought from their motherland. Up until a few decades ago, these practices were well-preserved just as how the way it was done in the early era.

During a conversation with my grandmother,

Homattie Seenaraine, she revealed that in her young childhood, it was a norm for Indian food to be prepared on a daily basis.

On most occasions, dhal or lentils was a staple with a few curried vegetables. If rice wasn’t prepared to accompany a curry, roti or dhal puri was made.

“This is what we were taught to cook. Dhal was regular food. Every afternoon, people would return from the farm and they would be made this and other vegetables, whatever was available at that time. Sometimes, dhal puri if there was enough time,” she said.

She distinctively remembered ‘seven curry’ being prepared on important events when persons from the village would be invited. It is still known as one of the most popular dishes, having seven components mainly rice, lentils, a chutney and four to five vegetable dishes all served up in a lotus leaf, which surprisingly serves conveniently as a plate.

Back in those days, the use of a mortar and pestle was quite common. The mortar was a hollow bowl, usually

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

made of stone and the pestle would be used to crush spices and other herbs. The traditional fireside was used primarily for all cooking.

Adding to that, amchar or pickles would be made from weeks ago and stored in jars.

Seasonal fruits such as mangoes would be picked and prepared to last for as long as they could by using mustard oil and other natural preservatives.

In a modernised setting, the prevalence of these foods is still

widespread.

However, there is an indentation caused by western influence by persons of the younger generations.

While many of the foods are still prepared, it is mostly done on special occasions, religious holidays like Holi and Diwali or just a few times a week as compared to every meal.

Of course, there are other items such as samosas, which have gained popularity through increased connection to India. In this way, other dishes are being introduced to the Guyanese strata.

“There is a lot of western influence on the Indian cooking because now it is occasional to do things that we used to do every day. People, of course, learn new ways,” she said.

Presently, many of the ingredients used in Indian cooking are sold extensively in supermarkets and local arcades.

Adding to that, some spices are processed and packaged by locals, eliminating the tedious task

of grinding these elements.

Sweetmeats

Barfi, kheer, gulab jamun, ladoo, jalebi and many others are the most common sweet delicacies which originated from India. Having survived many tweaks and changes in the Guyanese culture, the recipes are passed from one generation to the next.

Growing up in a very traditional home, a variety of these were prepared and distributed to neighbours on auspicious occasions. A common favourite was seemingly kheer, made with rice and milk with cinnamon, sugar and cardamom. Raisins and other dried fruits were also added.

This was served with gulab jamoon, a sweet, syrupy sphere which earned its unmistakable taste from just a few drops of rosewater. Jalebi, on the other hand, is another syrup based delicacy but models a crunchy texture.

Food has evolved to include the plethora of different cultures incorporated in the Guyanese fabric.

No contracts for Arrivals Duty-Free Concession – CJIA

I

n light of concerns raised by local operators with respect to the tendering process applicable for dutyfree shops at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the CJIA has said that no new contract was entered into for Arrivals DutyFree Concession.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) has reported that, over the past few years, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation had been publicly advertising and inviting Expressions of Interest for the various concessions available at the airport. This policy decision allows for qualifying individuals and

companies to be awarded concessions in a fair, equitable, and transparent manner.

Recently, the CJIA engaged in a public process for Expressions of Interest for Arrivals Duty-Free Concession; Departures Duty-Free Concession; Advertising Concession; Provision of Insurance Services; Provision of Legal Services; Ground Handling Concessions; Executive Lounge Concession and Office Rental Concession.

Similar to the public tendering process, the qualifying criteria for the various concessions are clearly spelled out in the Expression of Interest document.

Once these Expressions of Interest are received, they are evaluated, and a decision is taken based on criteria set out in the document.

The Arrivals DutyFree Concession was publicly advertised, and a conditional award was made to the most responsive bidders. No new contract was entered into for Arrivals Duty-Free Concession.

CJIAC has said it values the relationship with its existing stakeholders, and will continue to work with them to ensure that all new awards are done in an impartial and transparent manner.

“As a matter of fact, we have had several meetings with stakeholders to provide clarification and guidance on the bidding process”.

Notwithstanding the

above, CJIAC has said, it has an obligation to provide a variety of services for airport users; and “we remain committed to promoting and supporting our local companies and manufacturers”.

“As in any public solicitation process, we are committed to honouring all the conditions set out in the evaluation and award process.

Companies and bidders that require assistance/

clarification on the tendering process are encouraged to reach out to the management of the airport for guidance and assistance”.

It has been reported that several firms had met with Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson last week, and raised their concerns.

Thus far, ANSA McAL and Kings Enterprises were given spots at the recently rehabilitated Duty-Free Area.

Guyana Times International has been told that Banks DIH Limited and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) have applied for spots, but are yet to be given the green light.

FEATURE 35

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

es.

hen one hears the mention of tassa drummers, their mind immediately rushes to primarily men. It is one of the many

when she officially joined her three brothers – Navindra, Chanshekhar and Chanderpaul along with the other members of the group.

According to Chandni, making the step of en-

ple happy takes precedence and she is especially pleased when persons dance to the music which she has created.

“What I like most is that when I’m playing, people dance and some-

stereotypes buried within society, which chooses to hide women from these roles.

This is not the same for Chandni Jaimangal, an 18-year-old who is passionate about tassa drumming and plays for one of the most popular groups – the Dynamic Tassa Troup.

During a recent interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, she related that this journey began about one year ago

tering a male-dominated field was never strange since she grew up watching her brothers play the drums. Eventually, she too became engrossed with learning the skill, which she has managed to perfect.

“I joined my brothers about a year now. So far, it has been amazing. My brothers were the ones to teach me how to play and I just love the vibe and playing for people.”

For her, making peo-

times they have a nice moment. Everybody is happy. As long as you see that they’re happy, I’m happy,” she revealed.

Presently, Chandni accompanies the troupe to all events, sometimes it is weddings and on other occasions, it is to perform for the President at State House. She shared that accepting the invitation to play at State House is one of her most memorable memories.

Another thing she

By Rupa Seenaraine

W

loves about being a member of the troupe is travelling to different locations. So far, she was lucky to visit Essequibo, Wakenaam and Berbice among other plac-

“Playing at State House was really amazing. Other than that, I got to travel to Essequibo, Wakenaam and Berbice and hopefully, more opportunities will come in the future.”

Navindra Jaimangal, who is the founder of the group, hinted that other females have expressed interests in joining the group and it is something he looks forward to in the future.

With the right training, he is positive that other girls can join the team successfully.

“My sister is the first female to ever join our group. Many others asked but they are yet to come for training and we would love to recruit more female tassa players to the troupe,” he expressed.

Coming from the community of Windsor Forest on the West Bank of Demerara, his two brothers helped to officially form the group. From 2014 to now, they have evolved to recruit many persons, some of whom have left and others who have enjoyed the company of the troupe. During that process, the name “Dynamic” surfaced and it describes what the group is about – new ideas and invention.

The other members of the team include Subhash Haimraj, Mohan Singh, Deepak Rupchand, Kevin Somwaru, Jagdeo Persaud, Haresh Hanoman, Ryan Persaud and Adesh Rabichand.

“We played tassa for over 10 years now but Dynamic was created in 2014.

The name Dynamic comes from the style we play, always finding new stuff to incorporate and new ideas.”

He stated that the group is always open to sharing their talent with other interested youths. So far, they conduct continuous training with persons and then introduce them to the field to give them some exposure.

The group currently has 10 members, and they would alternate themselves to fit the schedule. He is hoping that they can take their skills in Trinidad, where tassa drumming is highly recognized and the competition is intense.

“Usually, a group could play with four. On average, we would have about six. That’s the advantage of having so many members. In the time to come, we plan on going to Trinidad.

We know that there is a lot of competition but it’s good just for the experience and participation,” he explained.

At present, the group is practising for the Dubraj Tassa Competition, which is slated for May 5. Last year, they would have acquired second place and this time around, they are hoping to take the first place.

36 FEATURE

T

wo hundred and fifty labourers had sailed from Kolkata (then Calcutta) India on The Whitby to arrive in British Guiana on May 5, 1838.

Four died along the 96-day journey. Highbury, their first point of entry, is a small village at the culmination of an annual trek by those commemorating the arrival of East Indians in Guyana.

According to some accounts, many of those who returned to India after their indentureship period at Highbury had ended, returned with substantial wealth; paving the way for the Indian indentureship era in Guyanese history, and, according to most scholars, saving the colony from ruin and abandonment.

After the labour vacuum left by freed slaves began to have a disastrous effect on colonial industry, particularly the sugar industry, the owners of Plantation Highbury along with a few others including John Gladstone, from Liverpool, England, sent to India for workers to tend their investments.

Henry Davidson, Aeneas Barkly, whose only surviving son Henry Barkly would become the 4th governor of British Guiana (1849-1853), and D.C. Cameron, were the British owners of the plantation. Aeneas Barkly died during the apprenticeship period, and his son Henry took over his father’s affairs.

One hundred and seventeen labourers, including 11 females, arrived at Plantation Highbury on the East bank of the Berbice River to begin their period of indenture on the colony. Their indentures were dated from Dec. 29, 1837.

According to some accounts, by January 1839, a visit by a Justice Macleod to Plantation Highbury found that 15 males and two females had since died, and some 10-15 were on the “sick list”. The surviving labourers were described as “cheerful and contented”. By November 1839, mortality rates at the plantation included 17 males and one female, with 12 on the sick list. Others had run

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

away several times, despite reports of the good treatment of coolies on the plantation.

Official colony records stated that 22 persons from the original first batch had died on Plantation Highbury, either from drowning, excessive drinking, dysentery or gangrene, to name a few, while two had run away. Colony records also note that the Highbury Pln labourers reared the most livestock than anywhere else on the colony; both for their own food and to sell.

In January 1843, Davidson wrote to Lord Stanley that “the first-class ship “Louisa Baille”” was returning to India with a batch of former indentured workers from Highbury estate. This was after a flurry of letters from colony governor Henry Light to Lord Stanley in England, conveying the increasing uneasiness of the workers who were still in the colony awaiting their journey back home after serving out their contracts.

Colony records estimate that 81 Highbury labourers returned to India on the “Louisa Baille”, while nine chose to remain on the colony. There were also eight women, seven boys and two girls on the return trip, of which all but two children were born on the colony. Between the 81 labourers, the group was returning with some $8,536, while four of the nine remaining had no savings at the time.

But Plantation Highbury was not the original name of the estate, nor were its British owners its original landlords. The estate initially belonged to the Berbice Association, a Dutch association formed in 1720 similar to the East India Company (of Hindustan) to expand cultivation within the colony and which was a substantial slave owner on the colony.

The Berbice Association, though with allegiance to Holland, were proprietors who governed the territory and could sell lands, described as lots or grants, to private owners willing to establish plantations. The association also

2017 Arrival Day observances at Highbury ( DPI Photo)

retained lands on which they established what they called “model estates”.

These model estates, known as “Society’s ground” or “Society’s Plantations”, are also referred to as “Colony Estates” on some maps.

When the colony was captured by the British, there were four such estates under the association, and an agreement was made between the two sides that these were to be treated as private rather than government property.

These four estates were called Dageraad, St Jan, Dankbaarheid and Sandvoort, and remained association property until November 1818 when they were sold to Cameron, Davidson and Barkly, partners of the English company Davidson’s, Barkly & Co. The partners in this purchase then divided the properties among themselves.

Cameron, along with a friend, took Sandvoort, then a large coffee estate in Canje.

Sandvoort would later be divided into two; of which one half was con-

Dancing celebration

verted into a sugar estate named “Lochaber” after the Scottish headquarters of the Camerons.

The other three plantations remained with Barkly and Davidson, though Dageraad, a sugar plantation, after a period was handed over to the government as a leper asylum or colony.

St Jan, originally a coffee plantation, and Dankbaarheid , a sugar estate, were united and renamed Highbury, after Barkly’s place, Highbury Grove, in Middlesex (then an English county) near London.

In addition, according to the book “Frustrated Peasants, Marginalized Workers: F r e e

African Villages in Guyana”

by Wazir Mohamed, sometime between 1847 -1848, 100 acres of Crown Land in Highbury were communally purchased by former slaves.

Between 1853 and 1880, writes Walton Look Lai in his book “The Chinese in the West Indies, 1806-1995: A Documentary History”, Highbury Plantation also indentured Chinese workers.

Position of Arrival Day monument One note of unease from some members of the East Indian Community is the fact that the construction of the Indian Arrival Day monument, in the pipeline, should be sited at Highbury, where the first batch of Indian immigrants actually arrived, instead of Palmyra.

Replica of the Whitby

37

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

A

merican author/ philanthropist Tony Robbins once said, “It’s not what’s happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it’s your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you’re going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny.”

No one knows more about changing the course of their destiny than Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed.

Coming from humble beginnings, Mohamed was born on March 27, 1953 to parents Mariam and Mohamed Yusuff of Johanna Cecelia on the Essequibo Coast. His father was a sawmill worker, and the family lived in a two-bedroom apartment in a logie.

Although the roof leaked and there were holes in the wall; although there was no running water, no electricity, and they had to use a latrine, the Mohameds had what mattered most, and that was: love and happiness.

Poverty was the way of life in the earlier days, with their fishermen neighbours assisting the family with fish for a meal, and even with financial assistance.

Now that he is in a place where he can provide assistance, Mohamed ensures that he takes care of the relatives of those who would have provided relief to his family when they were in need.

“You must never forget your past and those who moulded you; especially your parents, siblings and neighbours,” he says.

Being a spoilt child at his Madrasa (Islamic school), his act of being the messenger between smitten teenagers caused him to be named ‘Shell.’

As a young boy, he loved the outdoors: hunting, fishing, swimming and cricket. Being from the countryside, it meant he spent most of his days in the backdam, or engaging in sports, particularly cricket. He was a formidable batsman, and quite the athlete too.

Though his boyhood days were full of fun, frolic and mischief, Mohamed showed a keen interest in Islam.

He punctually attended Madrasa, read the Holy Quran, and followed the teachings of the late Prophet and Messenger

of God - Muhammad (on whom be peace). His parents were devout Muslims too.

Education was, and still is, the foundation of his life. He started his primary education

barefooted, and had to trudge on a rough brick road despite sun and rain, because he knew that if he was to change his life then, he would need to have a solid education. He was a bril-

liant student, particularly in mathematics.

Due to his financial situation, Mohamed was forced to drop out of school, since his parents could not afford the bus fare of 23 cents to send

him to the Anna Regina Secondary School. He never gave up though, and began a path of self-education through various means; but as life would have it, tragedy struck.

His father died, and being the eldest, he was catapulted to the role of breadwinner. He grieved a lot for his father, and to this day his hero remains his father. With a household of nine to provide for, he was forced to find a job, and he did.

It was labour intensive, spading and removing sawdust and packing lumber at a faraway sawmill. It was tough, but he never once complained because he knew he had to do what needed to be done.

Mohamed worked hard, and all he got for his efforts was just $10; but being the person he is, he made good use of that small sum.

He would buy sweets for his siblings; groceries for his mother, so that they can have their meals; and for himself, just a glass of mauby and a cake.

Wanting for a better life and a more lucrative job, Mohamed began scouring the Essequibo Coast, but came up empty-handed.

That was when he decided to take the leap from the country to the city, and he moved to Georgetown and took up residence with a friend at Albouystown.

It was there he felt what it was like to be robbed, and a few days after that, he moved to Bartica and then to Kaow Island, where he took a job as a checker at a sawmill.

Working for someone else was not his calling, since he was yearning to do business and be his own boss. After years, he returned to the city and settled in Alexander Village.

After stumbling on a few friends that were trading overseas, Mohamed joined them.

He first started in the Caribbean, trading items like zippers.

After it became profitable, he ventured to the United States, and started to gain knowledge of the trade market. He later became a licensed Cambio dealer and started to flourish.

He ventured into a series of other businesses, shaping what is ultimately his future.

Today, he runs an empire, but still remains the humble son of a sawmill worker.

Family is ultimately important to him, and he values his marriage, children and grandchildren. He remains the charitable man, and not a day goes by without him giving to some kind of charity.

38 FEATURE

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

A photograph of The Clyde, which brought indentured immigrants from Calcutta to Demerara (Photo by the British Library)

Rural dwelling, West Coast Demerara. Logies of Leonora Estate, once occupied by plantation workers (Photo courtesy of National Trust of Guyana)

Plantation Enmore, East Coast Demerara, British Guiana (Photo from 'British Guiana Picture Postcards' by Terence Dickinson)

Labourers' dwellings on sugar plantation (Photo by J Williams)

Outside view of sugar factory (Photo from 'British Guiana Picture Postcards' by Terence Dickinson)

Immigration Department

Sugar factory at work, Plantation Skeldon (Berbice Gazette)

Interior view of sugar factory

East Indian Market, Plantation Farm, East Bank Demerara (Photo courtesy of National Trust of Guyana)

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Shabika Gajnabi displays her top form as she prepares to assault the incoming ball

By Brandon Corlette

A

t age 18, Guyana’s Under 19 female captain, Shabika Gajnabi remains on the radar for selection in West Indies Women’s team.

In 2018, she gained selection in the West Indies Women’s training squad ahead of the Stand-alone ICC Women’s World T20.

She continued her outstanding performances at both the junior and senior levels for Guyana and she is in the current training squad that will tour Ireland and England in May/June 2019.

Born on July 14, 2000, Shabika Gajnabi hails from the humble village of Chesney but she is a current player for the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC).

Gajnabi was inspired by her father to play the game of cricket and she has never looked back.

The blooming cricketing talent, Gajnabi attended the Port Mourant Secondary School; she lived a dream of becoming an international player, representing West Indies Women’s.

That dream is on the brink of reality as she is seen as one of the supreme talents in the Caribbean. Gajnabi dominated the recently concluded Regional U-19 Female tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.

A clean hitter of the cricket ball, Gajnabi was one of three Guyanese to make the Regional team of the tournament on the back of some stellar performances. The righthanded batter, Gajnabi hit 52 from 48 balls

against hosts, Trinidad and Tobago following her 57 against Jamaica.

Bowling her right arm medium, Gajnabi had 3-13 against Barbados U-19s and 2-15 against Canada.

In the Senior Women’s tournament, the teenager played a significant role in Guyana’s team. She was one of two batters to aggregate 100 runs in the Super50 tournament behind her Berbice team-mate, Shemaine Campbelle; Gajnabi scored 136 runs and picked up one player of the match award against the Leeward Islands.

On her quest to wear the maroon colours and represent West Indies Women’s, Gajnabi admires the current captain of the Caribbean side, Stafanie Taylor.

When asked the reason behind this choice, Gajnabi stated “I just like everything she does in cricket her captaincy, her bowling, and most importantly, her batting.

My dream is to one day bat like her”.

Playing at both levels for Guyana, Gajnabi’s most successful batting performance came in the Female Intercounty tournament in 2019. The belligerent right-hander blasted a high score of 160 against Essequibo in a match played at Everest Cricket Club.

Her best bowling performance was 4-12 in four overs.

Equipped with such talent, the humble being will certainly break into the West Indies Women’s team. With age on her side, she will be the next product this nation has produces that will play cricket at the highest level.

FEATURE 39

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WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Linden Block 42 residents voice concerns over land issues

R

esidents of Block 42, a developing community in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), have voiced numerous concerns regarding land access and ownership with Indigenous Peoples Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock.

Issues such as the occupation of lands and its allocation as well as concerns regarding land titles were raised with the Minister during a recent visit to the Speightland community situated at Mackenzie, Linden.

Residents of Block 42, who attended the meeting, said they were fearful that the untitled lands that they occupy might be taken away by persons as was the case in the past.

Issues regarding land for both housing and commercial purposes are major concerns within the region and according to officials, this is majorly due to National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) having ownership of the land.

During the meeting,

Some of the residents along with Minister Allicock at the meeting

Haniff Emamudin, a resident, stated, “Minister, this land thing, we’re just asking if you could just look into it…where I am living, I’m on a part of NICIL land and I’m not looking that somebody would come now and say, ‘well listen my great grandfather used to occupy this land here fifty years ago and you just came here the other day’. I believe people who develop this land and is living there with their families, making a living and develop this land …at least they should get some rights. Not a

man who was [here] fifty years ago, as they say, ‘a mark land’”, the resident noted.

The resident noted that he has put a lot of labour into the plot of land he is currently occupying and it would be unreasonable if someone turns up to inform him that their relatives are the owners.

“This has happened in the past, that people come up with a whole map of 50 or 60 years back and a man who put his soul out there [on the land] they had a big problem”, he outlined.

Another resident noted that 61 plots of land in the community have already been surveyed but noted that people are coming into the community and selling them.

“People coming in from all sides now and they claiming lands which is not dem own”, the resident alleged.

“I’ve been pushing a long time to get title for me land”, another resident noted.

In response, the Minister noted that checks have to be made with NICIL, which he explained would take some

time. He further encouraged residents to check for records related to land before laying their foundations.

He also alluded that an Inquiry, which was expected to deal with such issues across the country, had been shut down years ago.

“That is why the President, in 2015, recognised the difficulty with lands in Guyana in general and ordered that there be a Commission of Inquiry into all lands.

That process started and it had a period of time it was stopped.

For us, as Indigenous Peoples, we had a number of groups including the National Toshao’s Council saying they didn’t want it and put it to a halt. And that is now back to haunt us because this could have been something in progress.

The idea was to sort out all these land issues and let everybody be treated equally, fairly”, the Minister related.

The outcome, he noted, is that presently there are communities fighting amongst them-

selves as it relates to land and the issue is difficult to sort it out.

Nevertheless, the Minister said the Region 10 Democratic Council and Linden Mayor and Town Council have a lot of work to do as it relates to sorting out the lands and their titles.

“As somebody was saying, there’s confusion in the lands here. You don’t know where your boundaries [are] and all of that. These need to be sorted out and it’s not easy. So I understand what the people are saying. It is for us to settle it, how do we go about this”, the Minister said.

He also recalled situations where lands have been sold multiple times.

Minister Allicock believes that one day, the situation will be sorted out and is optimistic that residents and Government have to work in resolving these issues.

For the developing community of Block 42, he said it is slowly evolving with improvements in water, lighting and roads.

Nurses in Guyana Energy Dept working to address local benefit from technical training deficiencies – Dr Bynoe to salary increases

A

prevailing concern is that lack of capacity will see locals losing out on technical jobs arising from the oil and gas sector. But armed with a needs assessment report, the Energy Department is looking to fix that.

According to Head of the Department, Dr Mark Bynoe, they are working in collaboration with the Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (CTVET) and its Director, Floyd Scott.

“We’ve been working very closely with the Council and those entities that have been coming trying to set up parallel structures; we’ve been encouraging them to set up partnerships with the TVET institutions,” he explained.

Dr Bynoe related that they are considering initiating two pilot programmes within the TVET institutions. He also referenced the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and the University of Guyana, which are also building capacity for the sector.

“The University of Guyana has recently launched their own petroleum programme. We are also working with the Board of Industrial Training. And one must recall the Public Service Ministry still provides opportunities for Guyana to build its capacity as we move towards the oil and gas sector,” Dr Bynoe stated.

In 2016, the Government had signed an agreement that would see the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) contributing US$14 million towards TVET institutions. Another agreement to de-

CTVET Director Floyd Scott

velop TVET worth US$83,000 was signed between Guyana and the Organisation of American States (OAS) last year.

This year, the University of Guyana also launched its Masters and Associate of Science in Petroleum Engineering programmes.

TVET

In March of this year, CTVET Director Scott had revealed at a forum in Albouystown that Guyana was missing hundreds of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) skills from its technical and vocational curriculums.

“There is currently in the region of Occupational Health and Safety standards, 250 skills. In Guyana, within our TVET institutions, we only have 17 occupational skills being taught. So,

if there is a need for a skill outside of that 17, the foreigners will come,” he had said.

Scott also revealed that during a recent meeting of the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), he learnt that they were now issuing skilled certificates to categories of workers.

“The agriculture workers, security workers and domestic household… What was interesting is what the skilled certificates mean, it’s a work permit to travel throughout the Caricom Region.

Guyanese cannot get it…because that certification is not afforded in Guyana,” Scott noted.

“With oil and gas, you will see tourism. You will see a lot of hotels. You will see the need for people to be day-care workers. And the foreigners aren’t going to come and ask you to work for them, because you look good.

They want to know you are capable of doing the job.”

Local content and what it will do for Guyana has been a burning question since the announcement of the oil discovery in the Stabroek Block.

After Exxon first tempered expectations by saying that few job opportunities will be created by oil, it has since said that it would help with local content delivery.

One measure it has taken is to set up a Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD). A major complaint has been that Guyanese are losing out to foreigners when it comes to local content, especially as the Local Content Policy is still to take effect.

F

ollowing much deliberation and representation being made in the interest of nurses, they can now expect a pay raise before the end of 2019. This was hinted at by Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Public Health Ministry, Colette Adams, who noted that this is “good news” for the nurses.

“The Ministry of Public Health takes nursing and the nursing profession seriously. We looked at all of the demands, and we try to fix what we can, and I want to bring good news to you nurses, and that is you will have your increase in salary,” Colette Adams is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.

Adams was at the time speaking to nurses in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) at the first event in observances of Nurses Week 2019.

Adams assured that the Ministry has long sought to have this particular issue resolved. She added that while nurses stand to benefit, the increase will be applied to all healthcare workers in the public health system.

“This increase is because we lobbied, we talked, we took your cases where it was ought to be heard and we were successful and I want to say this is not only for the nurses, but for all health-

care workers, because we are looking to spread the increases across the board the doctors, the nurses, even to the assistant nurses and patient care assistants.”

The PS noted that this is just the beginning of a push to safeguard the future of the nursing profession in Guyana. More specifically, the Ministry is looking to have more specialised nurses in the system.

Further, Adams noted that as the health sector develops, there is an increasing demand for complex nursing care especially at secondary health care institutions and the only tertiary main referral establishment in Guyana, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

“When we put a nurse in the theatre, that nurse would have had that training to perform all the theatre work. We are not looking at nurses generally anymore, the world is changing and we have to look to have a more diverse and developed nursing profession… nurses will be paid across the board according to their professional training.”

It was stressed that even as the Ministry seeks to do more for the nursing profession, a higher level of service is expected. “If we are going to pay you better, serve us better.”

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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42 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Arrival Day celebrates contribution of all races – Granger …as Indian Arrival Day Monument commissioned

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rrival Day was commemorated on Sunday with the unveiling of the long awaited $160 million Palmyra Monument in a ceremony wherein President David Granger saluted not only the arrival of East Indian migrants, but the arrival of all races to Guyana.

At that commissioning ceremony, attended by Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, HE Venkatachalam Mahalingam, Granger hailed the diversity of Berbice, and the contributions of all races to the development of Guyana.

“Arrival Day celebrates the contributions of all of our peoples – Amerindians, Africans, Asians and Europeans.

Our nation was established on the foundation of their sacrifices and achievements,” he declared.

“Arrival Day recognises the nation’s diversity. It signifies the creation of a conglomeration of cultures. The nation is multicultural, and always will be; and each culture enriches national integration despite differences in origin,” he continued.

According to the President, Arrival Day is a national holiday that happens to coincide with the observance of Indian Arrival Day. He noted that the East BerbiceCorentyne Region is a melting pot of different ethnicities; like “Africans, Amerindians and East Indian communities”,

Dancers from Berbice Delight perform a traditional Indian dance at the commissioning of the $160 million Palmyra Monument

as well as persons of “Chinese and European descent.”

“Almost 240,000 indentured immigrants arrived in British Guiana in the ensuing eight decades until the system was abolished in 1917.

More than seven out of every ten of these immigrants opted to stay and make this country their home,” he said.

“The abolition of Indian indentured immigration intensified migrants’ efforts to integrate more fully into our multi-ethnic society.

Indians already shared a common space with other ethnic groups, with whom they had sought

and enjoyed respectful relations,” the President explained.

He noted that the contributions of the Indians to Guyana’s economy are unquestionable; and pointed out that Indians, who began arriving even before the abolition of African enslavement in 1838, eventually became the main source of labour in the sugar and rice industries.

“They have helped to sustain these pillars of our economy for more than 180 years. Indian resourcefulness contributed also to the diversification of the rural economy through the development of cattle rear-

ing, cash crop and coconut cultivation, paddy growing, rice milling and fishing,” he explained.

He noted that village economies and settlements, and skills the Indians brought from India — as bakers, boatmen, charcoal burners, chemists, fishermen, goldsmiths, hucksters, milk and sweetmeat vendors, shopkeepers and tailors — helped to reshape the Guyanese rural economic and social landscape.

Indians, he added, became a considerable commercial and landowning class after they quit the plantations.

“Some, through thrift

and industry, became part of a thriving business elite,” he declared.

Granger also hailed the contributions of specific East Indians, including academics Clem Seecharan and Dr Rupert Roopnaraine; attorneys Edward Alfred Luckhoo and Stanley Hardyal; business persons Sattaur Gafoor and Lyla Kissoon; diplomats Sir Shridath Ramphal and Sir Lionel Luckhoo; and doctors Balwant Singh and Deborah Persaud. “…trade unionists Ayube Edun and Joseph Latchmansingh; public servants Eshwar Persaud and Lloyd Searwar; religious leaders Reepu

Daman Persaud, Faizal Ferouz and Benedict Singh; cultural champions Rajkumarie Singh and Lakshmi Kallicharran; and sportsmen Rohan Kanhai and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, all of whom are excellent examples of Guyanese of Indian descent who attained eminence in professional and public life,” he stated.

“We must preserve this precious multicultural heritage by working together to secure a common future, where all are recognised and respected and where everyone could enjoy this country’s bounty. Arrival Day and Indian Arrival Day both commit us to continue to work together for the good life for all.

Happy Arrival Day, and may God bless you all,” he said as he concluded his remarks.

The $160 million Palmyra Monument is composed of six 12-foottall bronze statues depicting a child, two women and three men as they perform their daily tasks.

The monument itself has a rocky history. In April 2018, months before the sculptures were installed, the base which was constructed to support the six statues collapsed, costing much fallout between the contractors and designers after the design by the previous administration was modified by the Government.

The monument has been funded by the Government of India.

IDB approves grant for Caribbean countries receiving migrants The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a multi-million-dollar special grant facility to support operations that help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean integrate migrants into local communities and contribute to their development.

It said the initiative is in response to “unprecedented and sudden intraregional migration flows” impacting countries in the region.

The IDB said it will use the grant facility in combination with economic and social development loan operations to help receiving countries provide better access to health, education, housing, security, and other services in communities struggling to integrate new arrivals.

Under the initiative which was approved by

the Board of Governors yesterday, the IDB said it will provide US$100 million from its facility, with additional resources expected to be provided by the donor community. Those grant funds will be combined with regular IDB loan operations of US$800 million.

A n t o n i Estevadeordal, the Special Advisor at the IDB who coordinates the initiative, said it will help local and national governments implement comprehensive development programmes that facilitate the social integration of migrants into communities, so that they can actively contribute to their overall well-being.

“In a nutshell, the Bank wants to help turn this challenge into an inclusive development opportunity for our region,” he said.

“Latin America has welcomed migrants throughout its history, and indeed many communities have shown great generosity and solidarity in receiving families who often arrive in desperate conditions.

“Over time, migrants can help make communities more dynamic and prosperous.

However, if not adequately managed the short term, these inflows can strain public services and fiscal budgets, impact labour markets, and generate political tensions,” Estevadeordal added.

Since 2015, 3.5 million migrants from Venezuela have crossed to other countries in the region, and the UN projects that by the end of 2019 there will be 5.4 million Venezuelans living in another country in Latin America and

Since 2015, 3.5 million migrants from Venezuela have crossed to other countries in the region, and the UN projects that by the end of 2019 there will be 5.4 million Venezuelans living in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. (Photo credit: UNHCR/Fabio Cuttica)

the Caribbean. Initially, neighbouring countries received the bulk of the migration, but limited opportunities have forced Venezuelan migrants into other countries. Additionally, migration flows from Haiti, Nicaragua and the Northern Triangle

countries of Central America are also accelerating, posing a challenge to public service delivery and underscoring the need for an regional response to the migration crisis.

The IDB’s grant facility was created in 2007 for dealing with

special circumstances arising in specific countries or projects. It has supported investments in Haiti so far and now has been expanded to include support for countries dealing with sudden and massive migration inflows.

(Caribbean360.com)

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WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Accelerate petroleum review law – EITI urges …explains current legal framework hinders investments

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he Extractive I n d u s t r y Transparency Initiative (EITI) has recommended that with first oil approaching rapidly, the Government needs to step up its review of existing legislation dealing with the oil and gas sector.

This is contained in the organisation’s first report on Guyana, which was recently released.

There, it noted the need for a review of legislation such as the Petroleum and Exploration Regulations (1986), to equip Government to better regulate the sector.

“The Government of Guyana is currently undertaking several reforms in the preparation for the emerging oil and gas sector such as the Petroleum Exploration and Production Bill, which will replace the current Act and Petroleum Environmental Production Pollution Control Regulations as well as the Petroleum Health and Safety Regulations, which are currently being reviewed.

“The oil and gas sector in Guyana are currently in the production phase, which is expected to start in the beginning of the year 2020,” the report continues. “However, to date, the reform of the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act is still in progress.”

According to the report, this state of affairs does not bode well for allowing a favourable investment environment for petroleum companies to carry out exploration and production activities.

“In order to promote a favourable legal environment for investment and in a bid to boost the confidence of private operators in the country, we recommend that the GYEITI MSG (Multi Stakeholder Group) follows up with the Department of Energy at the Ministry of the Presidency in a bid to accelerate the reform of the petroleum legislation and how to address any technical barriers delaying the process,” the report advises.

The review

M e a n w h i l e , Department of Energy Head, Dr Mark Bynoe revealed at a recent press conference that they have completed a gap analysis of existing laws – an exercise that would have highlighted shortcomings in Guyana’s oil and gas-related laws,

Dr-Bynoe - Department of Energy Head, Dr Mark Bynoe

compared to industry standards.

“One of the things we have in our possession at this point in time is that draft gap analysis and diagnostic review,” Dr Bynoe said. “That has to go through us speaking to other partners as well, because it doesn’t only impact the Department, it impacts a number of other departments and stakeholders.

“It is because of that review you would now see us advertising for legal advisory services, because that review will point the way in terms of what needs to be repealed, what needs to be replaced and what needs to be amended and made more contextually relevant to the realities we face today.”

He gave as an example primary legislation like the 1986 Exploration and Production Act. According to Dr Bynoe, the Act is silent on issues like downstream activities in the oil and gas sector.

“It also requires enhancement in decommissioning and local content.

So these are all areas we’ll be looking at. Once these things are put in place, we then move towards issues of [the] petroleum commission bill, that we have put in abeyance until the primary legislation is put in place,” he explained.

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

Exxon has since found oil in two other wells. In addition, an independent assessment, or competent persons report, had found that 2.9 billion barrels of oil exist in the Orinduik Block.

All of this will represent a monetary windfall for Guyana, which will be saved and invested through a Natural Resources Fund.

Previously, a green paper on the fund was laid in the National Assembly. Government released the draft Natural Resources Fund Bill of 2018, which had, among other things, proposed the creation of a 22-member Public Accountability and Oversight Committee that would oversee the management of the Fund and provide checks and balances.

President David Granger assented to this bill on January 23.

But a prevailing concern is that Guyana is still unprepared for the sector. During a Nations School of Business and Management-facilitated seminar on oil and gas in March, Attorney-atLaw Sanjeev Datadin had noted that Guyana

A prevailing concern is that Guyana is still unprepared for the oil and gas sector

was behind in its preparations to regulate the oil and gas sector compared to other countries.

“Look at it this way,” Datadin had explained.

“If we take England, England has had at least 3000 pages of legislation. That was the ba-

sics. Then they had subsidiary legislation. That was probably another 10,000. At present, we have 60 pages.”

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). Esso Exploration and Production Guyana

Limited is the operator, and holds a 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds a 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds the other 25 per cent interest.

44 FEATURE

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More US extraditions of fugitives hiding in Guyana imminent – Ramjattan

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he successful extradition of United States fugitive Troy Thomas has paved the way for similar procedures for criminals hiding in Guyana.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said that fugitives would no longer be able to hide in Guyana after committing crimes abroad.

He told the media at a recent press conference that more persons were expected to be extradited in the near future to face charges for crimes they committed in other countries.

“So, we are moving forward. We are also internationally collaborating with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) far more, getting people to be extradited out of the country; all

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

those are major developments with America when previously we could not.

And we are going to extradite lots more people quite frankly, so it is

going to be progress being made,” he said.

Minister Ramjattan added that the collaborative efforts to ensure that extraditions were done so that justice could be served, regardless of which country a fugitive may be hiding in, would ensure that people pay for the crimes they commit.

Just last week, US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch told the media that her country would continue to partner with Guyana on the security front. “… US and Guyanese security collaboration made history as we worked together on the highly successful extradition of alleged murderer Troy Thomas; the first extradition to the US in well over a decade.

We will continue to

partner on the governance front to adhere to the rule of law and to strengthen institutions, both governmental and non-governmental to become more transparent and accountable,” the Ambassador said.

Thomas fled to Guyana after allegedly killing Keith Frank, 20, a Guyanese, on December 11, 2011, at Richmond Hill, New York. He has also been accused of inflicting injuries upon Dr Katherine Maloney.

Since 2012, authorities in the US had issued a wanted bulletin for the murder suspect.

In 2018, the US Attorney General and the US Secretary of State sent an extradition request to the Guyana Government.

Turn to page 46

Silencing…

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…Cheddi Jagan

avid Granger is a historian and therefore he knows more than most about historiography that goes beyond the cliché about history being written by the victors. He’d know about the groundbreaking work by the Haitian anthropologist Michel-Rolph Trouillet, whose book Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History opened up the wider public’s eye to the phenomenon of “silencing” and its use in creating narratives by silencing other stories.

“Silencing” as used by Trouillet is not merely inadvertently leaving out facts or because one doesn’t consider them “important” – it’s a conscious, deliberate act intended to deny the “silenced” any agency in history. From that standpoint, silencing is an act of violence – an epistemic one, as pointed out by Gaytri Spivak, since the public is being denied knowledge of the complete truth. Granger deployed “silencing”, when, in the capacity of President of the Guyanese Republic, he delivered the feature address at the dedication of the Indian Arrival Monument (IAM) at Palymra in Berbice.

It was a very comprehensive overview of Indian contributions to Guyana, as Granger took pains to mention Indian Guyanese who were outstanding in various fields of endeavour, he even noted the work of Dr Deborah Persaud in medicine. Persaud left Guyana when she was 16 and achieved fame in 2014 when she was part of a team at Johns Hopkins who confirmed the first “cure” of an Aids patient. Not many Guyanese know of her.

But Granger omitted the field of politics and in doing so omitted the name of Dr Cheddi Jagan, the Indian Guyanese who made the greatest contribution to that field. And it’s not by chance that Jagan was silenced, but because in the narrative Granger wants to construct, to praise Cheddi Jagan would in his estimation diminish his great hero, Forbes Burnham. It’s as plain and simple as that!! It was a mean-spirited act that ripped away the mask of urbanity Granger adopts for the public’s consumption.

How could he not mention the man who was the first to introduce multiracial politics in Guyana with the formation of the Political Affairs Committee in 1947, which fired the imagination of the young intellectuals – urban and rural as with Martin Carter, Eusi Kwayana and Balram Singh Rai? How could he not mention the man who pioneered the People’s Progressive Party and asked Ashton Chase to step aside for the newly-minted lawyer Forbes Burnham, who’d been recommended by the British Communist Party??

But that’s the nub of the problem, isn’t it??

Burnham suffers by comparison with Jagan as so must be silenced!

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

…protests over CJIA’s scandal

Your Eyewitness is waiting with bated breath for the “value for money” audit the Auditor General will be conducting on the new CJIA terminal we were supposed to get for shelling out US$150 million!! Your Eyewitness recently left and returned via this boondoggle and believe him, it’s a crying shame what’s been done to us taxpayers – who will be paying through our noses for the next decades. And he’s not even talking about the ADDITIONAL G$7000 fee imposed just to rub salt into our wounds!!

If one wants to know what went on – or went down – at Timehri, just look next door at the (loaned) billions of dollars spent on a Chinese company that was supposed to make Venezuela self-sufficient in rice. After bribing local Venezuelan Government officials to the tune of US$100 million, and “investing” in a still uncompleted rice mill, not a grain of rice has been produced after a decade!!

From what we know of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative in other parts of the world, that’s their standard operating practice.

Let the audit begin!!

…criminal connections

Your Eyewitness isn’t surprised at what the powersthat-be in our law enforcement agencies have been allowed to get away with on the shooting of the Director of the School of Nations.

Power flexed??

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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46 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

BK blamed for damages to Little Diamond main access bridge/road

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esidents of Little Diamond East Bank Demerara have accused BK International of damaging the only access to their community; a bridge and the main roadway.

BK International is presently constructing a sluice behind the community and as such, this has caused major destruction to the bridge and road as a result of workers transporting heavy-duty equipment.

Works Chairman of the Little Diamond/Herstelling Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Wilfred Bassant in an interview with Guyana Times International said that the bridge to the new developing community was built some five years ago and was in perfect condition up until two months ago when BK began works in the area.

“The destruction of this bridge and the road started two months ago.

They brought in piles on a hauler truck and a few of the boards broke which they replaced with

The deteriorated bridge which serves as the only access to the Little Diamond community

some old pieces of timber and continued fetching their equipment and materials via these heavyduty trucks. And more and more the boards keep breaking,” he explained.

Bassant said that over the last few weeks, the bridge continued to sink deeper and is in a deteriorating state. The NDC has written to the Public Infrastructure Ministry, the region-

al authorities and the Communities Minister and to date they are still to receive a response.

He said the condition of the road “is like a mud dam” and residents are suffering greatly while noting that the contractor is unconscionable.

“I was at home when I heard a cracking sound and when I came out, I noticed three more boards were broken as the workers were trans-

porting sand across the bridge in one of those big sand trucks,” the NDC Chairman added.

Residents are now fearful of using this bridge due to its condition and it is the only entrance and exit to the community.

Residents are also fearful that in the case of an emergency, they will be left to suffer the consequences since a fire truck or ambulance cannot traverse that bridge in a hurry.

“Nothing can come in here. We even afraid to walk over that bridge.

We have children going to school and that bridge is in a terrible state and we have no other means of getting in or out of here. Taxis don’t even want to bring people in here, this is how bad it is,” Nandanie Singh, a resident said.

Further, Bassant pointed out that in some other areas where works are being done, the contractors take responsibility for maintenance of damaged roads and access ways. “We are saying if BK is using the bridge to fetch his heavy-

The Little Diamond roadway which was damaged by BK contracting firm

duty equipment and materials then he should maintain it. When the contractor was doing works in Herstelling, they built their own access road without creating disruption to residents of Herstelling and that posed no problems for those residents so why can’t they do the same thing in here,”

Bassant argued.

He expressed hope that one of the Ministries respond soon to the NDC’s letter and offer some guidance and assistance on the way forward. Attempts to get a comment from the owner of BK International, Brian Tiwari, proved futile.

Guyana – Chile signs MoU US Ambassador’s vehicle on mining sector involved in accident

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman and Chile’s Mining Minister Baldo Prokurica after the signing of the MoU

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atural Resources Minister Raphael T r o t m a n on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chile’s Minister of Mining, Baldo Prokurica and the National Service of Geology and Mining of the Government of the Republic of Chile (SERNAGEOMIN).

The Memorandum provides a framework for the exchange of scientific and technical knowledge and the augmentation of scientific and technical capabilities of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and SERNAGEOMIN with respect to Earth Sciences and Mining.

“The signing of this MoU brings to fruition ar-

eas discussed when His Excellency, President David Granger visited Chile two years ago. We look to Chile as a good example for productive and safe mining practices and how the proceeds of mining can be utilised for the benefit of the citizens. This relationship between Guyana and Chile will benefit our people immensely and we can look to no better example than Chile of how to do it properly”, Trotman stated.

Chile’s Mining Minister Prokurica said his country was pleased to be able to share its knowledge and expertise with Guyana.

He noted that Chile was known throughout the world as an important mining country. “We are very interested in signing

this agreement and further collaboration especially in geological services …

20 per cent of mining services provided in Peru are Chileans,” he added.

Forms of cooperation under the Memorandum may consist of exchanges of technical information; visits; participation in training courses, conferences, and symposia; exchange of professional geoscientists in areas of mutual interest; and any other cooperative research consistent with programmes of the parties.

Specific areas of cooperation include, but are not limited to geochemical and geological mapping and data analysis, economic geology and metallogenesis.

GGMC Geological Services Division Manager Gordon Nestor noted that the MoU cleared the way for greater capacity building in the Commission.

“It will help boost capacity for geological and land management platforms and the development of professionals in geosciences, geophysics and structural management and data management,” he noted. beCollaboration tween SERNAGEOMIN and GGMC has started with two outward visits of GGMC staff to Chile and one inward from SERNAGEOMIN to the GGMC. There are three Chileans working at the GGMC.

T

he vehicle of US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, was involved in an accident at Lamaha Street, Georgetown on Sunday morning, but the ambassador was not in the vehicle at the time. Guyana Times International was told that the

ambassador’s driver and a security officer were the only occupants of the vehicle at time of the accident.

There are no reports of serious injuries being sustained by anyone involved in that accident.

More US extraditions of...

As a result of the request, Thomas was apprehended by the Guyana Police Force last year and was kept in custody at the Lusignan Prison. However, a legal battle ensued after Thomas claimed that he was in fact Marvin Williams and not Troy Thomas. After a year of legal proceedings, High Court Judge, Justice Navindra Singh ruled on April 4, 2019, that there was sufficient evidence against Thomas to warrant his extradition to the US. After being taken back to the US, Thomas

was charged with second-degree murder.

Currently, USbased Guyanese Marcus Bisram is trying to fight his extradition from the North American country to Guyana for the murder of a Corentyne, Berbice carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt, who was killed at Number 70 Village.

So far, five men – Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob – have been charged and have been recently committed to stand trial at the High Court for the killing, for

from page 44

which Bisram is alleged to be the mastermind.

Bisram had challenged his extradition in a New York court, which recently ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Bisram to be repatriated to Guyana.

In November 2018, Guyanese hotelier Shervington “Big Head” Lovell was arrested in Jamaica for narcotics trafficking and extradited to the US, where he faced additional drug trafficking charges as well as charges for money laundering. (Kristen Macklingam)

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Ramjattan praises public-Police relations for successful drug operations, convictions

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he numerous successful operations, seizures, and arrests with convictions during the first quarter of this year are testimonies to the fact that public trust with law enforcement agencies is being repaired and rebuilt0, according to Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Ramjattan said that the public has regained some confidence with law enforcement officers and as such, the successes in narcotics cases.

“There are the four factors I think – it is the paying off of a long-standing set of training, it is paying off now, a longstanding set of bettering the relationship and confidence of members of the public and the leadership of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) also helps.

The efforts that have been gone into the training, the efforts that have gone into getting better community relations so that we are going to get more information from the citizens of the country and a genuine desire on the police to solve these crimes. A greater resolve of wanting the security sector to improve and I also believe too the new leadership has played a role in that regard”, the Minister stated.

More money for agencies Minister Ramjattan stated that plans are underway to secure more monies for the various units of the GPF, along with other law enforcement agencies, since they are constantly requesting access to more finances to continue to execute their duties effectively and efficiently.

“All of them, that does not only [cater] for the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) but also for the Guyana Prison Service, it goes for the GPF, all of which have been making demands from the Ministry and myself for increased allocations, increased monies, funding for more vehicles. Some want All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) for the interior, they want more comfortable police stations, furnishing, and the list goes. We have come from a very low level of comfort when it comes to police infrastructure and the CANU’s infrastructure.”

According to the Public Security Minister, more monies for these agencies would be ideal, so that they each can con-

tinue to build on the trajectory they have set with regard to reaping more successes in their respective fields.

However, the issue of more finances being distributed or allotted to these agencies is dependent on the resources that Government has available.

“We are now opening up new buildings, one in Skeldon (Region Six), one in Lethem (Region Nine), a number of places also, so…it is going to evolve. It is not going to happen just the next day and that also depends on our resources. We are going to get far more resources with a better revenue stream as you know and that is what is going to help us,” the Minister added.

More arrests don’t mean more drugs being used Meanwhile, Deputy Police Commissioner and Crime Chief Lyndon Alves told this publication that the collaboration between the public and the GPF has played an integral role in ranks making arrests and justice being served, not only in the Narcotics Department.

“More information is being shared with the police from members of the public and we are building trust which is critical. You know we had an issue with trust sometime back where persons give you the information and they are left out in the cold. So it is just that we are building back that bridge, and in the case of narcotics cases, persons are more comfortable now coming forward and giving information [knowing] fully well that the source will not be revealed, they are assured of confidentiality”, Alves highlighted.

The Crime Chief also noted that as the law enforcement agencies continue to clamp down the drug trade and the seizure of illicit substances, it must be clear that this does not necessarily mean that there are more drugs in Guyana.

“It does not necessarily mean there is more frequent use of drugs in Guyana. It is more information being able to come out in the open. More people are now coming forward so there are more reports but this does not necessarily mean there is an increase in drugs usage or trade in the country,” the Crime Chief added. (Kristen Macklingam)

Indian Arrival: Silencing and Erasure

By Ravi Dev

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uyana’s Indian Arrival Day should remind us of leaders in the Caribbean in general, and those in Guyana in particular, who are refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the descendants of the indentured Indians as a Caribbean people, entitled to the patrimony of their respective countries as citizens of those countries.

Early on politically, there was their refusal to acknowledge as rational and valid the concerns of the Indians of Guyana about being swamped in a Federation of the West Indies, which those same leaders had worked to define as part of a “Pan-African” nation.

One of them was Sir Arthur Lewis, who worked assiduously to create, and then save the Federation, after Jamaica and Trinidad had pulled out. Without irony, he condemned “democracy” in plural societies as a “zero-sum game” and asked in reference to elections in Guyana, where Africans were a minority: “Are we, on counting heads, to conclude that…The Indians of British Guyana may liquidate the Negroes?”

The Guyanese Indians, however, with even less alarmist concerns, were dubbed “racialists”, not only by the Caribbean Leaders of African descent, but by Cheddi Jagan, their leader. It was perhaps poetic justice that, in splitting hairs on the Federation due to local politics, he was also dubbed “racialist”!!

Indian Arrival Day should compel the examination of the genesis of this denial of legitimacy to West Indians of Indian descent, especially in Guyana. African Caribbean scholars and leaders have taken great pains to insist that Indian immigrants after 1945 entered into an already formed “Anglo-African Creole society”, with a “white bias” in terms of its value system. But they refused to give credence to those values and

their evaluative reach vis-a-vis Indians up to the Independence era, even as they fought to recuperate African culture.

The British hegemonic discourse, on one hand, informed the Indians that they were “industrious” and “thrifty”, as opposed to the Freed Africans, who were “lazy, shiftless and improvident”.

But at the same time, the British efforts to proseletyse and “civilise” the Indians gave the Africans the message that they, having imbibed that “civilising” influence for hundreds of years, were socially above the Indians. The latter were uncivilised, backward “coolies”, who were performing menial tasks for wages the slaves had refused.

The history of Guyana is replete with the latter evaluation.

In 1963, addressing his party Congress in the midst of a critical general strike against the PPP Government, Burnham offered his analysis on what he called the “race question”. Indians, he said, were belatedly adopting the values of Guyanese society, but because of their late entry, ”… retained much more than fragmentary traces of their native culture…It must also be recognised that in spite of the new values now becoming part of the Indian rep-

ertoire, there is a lag between the forward group and the rest.”

It is this view that the “backward” Indian’s “necessary assimilation” into Creole society demands the jettisoning of his “backward” culture that has led to continued and studied efforts to silence and erase that culture, even though Caribbean governments pay lip service to “multiculturalism”.

At Guyana’s Independence, the national symbols of flag (Garveyite and Ethiopian colours) and National Hero (Cuffy) were ostentatiously of African origin, while the National Motto declared the cultural goal explicitly: One People; One Nation; One Destiny.

By 1970, “Ujaama Socialism” was adopted from Tanzania, after Burnham’s tour of Africa, as Guyana’s philosophy of development, when the country became a republic. Republic Day became commemorated by Mashramani, which was simply an imitation of the Trinidadian carnival under a completely made up “Amerindian” name.

Pan African activists in Trinidad had taken much time and effort to prove the African origin of carnival, even as the PNM adopted it as T&T’s “national” festival. In 1970, there was also the Caribbean Writers and Artists Convention – with less than a handful of Caribbean Indians invited. Many of the attendees had been at the Oct 1968 “Montreal Congress of Black Writers of 1968”, which had led to Rodney’s Jamaica Black Power riots. A flavour of the times can be gleaned from the play staged at the Theatre Guild at the time: My Name is Slave. A “Caribbean Festival of the Arts” (CARIFESTA) was proposed and launched in 1972. Representation of Indian culture in the WI has always been, at best, a token gesture. And the silencing and erasure of a people continues unabated, economically, culturally, socially and politically.

Over 700 to benefit from new well – GWI

O

ver seven hundred residents of Nappi Village, Region 9 (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo), will be beneficiaries of a new well that was drilled to provide the community with easier access to potable water.

The drilling of the well was undertaken through a collaborative effort between the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Under the JapanCaribbean Climate Change Partnership (J-CCCP), the two parties are working towards increasing resilience of indigenous communities to vulnerabilities in the drought period, through improved water quality, access and storage.

As a result, Brazilian company, Fox Trading was contracted to drill

Officials and villagers of Nappi, Region Nine, at the new well that was dug

the well, which was completed on Saturday, May 4, at a depth of 144 metres.

The initial water production from the well was witnessed by GWI officials along with the Toshao of Nappi Village, Region Nine, Guy Frederick, at approximately 23:00h on Saturday.

GWI is now tasked with installing distribution and transmission

mains, pumps and service connections, while the UNDP is expected to erect a trestle with storage tanks, all of which will ensure residents are adequately served.

According to residents, the new well will ease their burden of having to walk approximately 600 metres downhill to fetch water for daily use.

One middle-aged resident, Egbert Frederick said he could not have

believed his eyes when he saw the well being drilled.

Austin Domingo, 85 years of age, said he has reached the age where he can no longer walk long distances and fetch water since his knees are now weak. He thanked the Government of Guyana and other stakeholders involved in the project for supplying potable water to his community.

48 Bollywood

B

ollywood star Akshay Kumar has thanked Union minister Kiren Rijiju for coming out in his support following a controversy over his citizenship.

The actor, who recently made headlines for his “candid and completely nonpolitical” chat with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was the subject of intense speculation about his citizenship after he did not vote in Mumbai on April 29 in the fourth round of the sevenphase Lok Sabha polls.

On May 3, in a statement on his official Twitter handle, the 51-year-old actor said he had never hidden or denied that he holds

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

a Canadian passport.

The same day, Rijiju offered his support to the Bollywood superstar, saying his “patriotism” towards the country is beyond any doubt.

The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs also lauded Akshay’s efforts in raising funds for the

‘Bharat Ke Veer’ campaign, a home ministry fund which aids families of paramilitary personnel who died fighting extremists.

“Dear @ akshaykumar ji, no one can question your patriotism. Your m o t i -

D

eepika Padukone stunned her fans at the prestigious Met Gala 2019 in New York on Monday. In a behind the scenes video, Deepika shared that Ranveer Singh would actually have been perfect for the Met gala given the theme. She said, “He has this crazy sense of dressing. I think he would be actually a perfect fit for tonight’s theme. I think he would do 100 per cent justice to the theme but I am representing him.”

Deepika Padukone’s husband actor Ranveer Singh showered love on her via Instagram as he made it a point to comment on her posts. In one of the comments, he wrote, “Come on Barbie, let’s go party.”

In an interview to Vogue from its pink carpet, Deepika praised her designer Zac Posen

A

and agreed that she looked like a Barbie doll. Deepika explained that her outfit was in fact inspired by underwater life. She said, “I know I eventually look like Barbie doll, which is what I’m feeling like.”

Not just Deepika, Met Gala also saw

rjun Kapoor has dismissed marriage rumours, saying he will let the world know whenever he ties the knot.

There have been persistent rumours that the actor was set to get married to Malaika Arora.

“I am not getting married.

If I am getting married I will speak about it openly. There is no reason for me to hide it.

It is not something I can hide from people. If I am not hiding anything now, why will I hide my marriage?

“I am working now, I am not in the zone to get married.

I don’t care about what the world

the presence of another Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra as she made heads turn with her husband Nick Jonas.

The two Bollywood divas also shared photos from the night on their social media handles. Priyanka posted photos from the after party that saw

has to say. I think jumping the gun is silly,” Arjun told PTI. The 33-yearold actor says he is aware of the constant public scrutiny on his personal life but that does not bother him much.

“Even if I say something,

vation to our Armed Forces personnel and the way you generated funds for our martyrs through #BharatKeVeer programme will remain an example for every patriotic Indian,” Rijiju, posted on the micro-blogging site.

In his response on Tuesday, Akshay thanked the minister, saying he will continue to support the Indian armed forces.

“Thank you so much @ KirenRijiju Sir, and I apologise for the delayed response. I am grateful for your kind words. Please be assured, my commitment to

her hanging out with Deepika.

The theme for this year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala was ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’ and celebrities made it a point to dress their quirkiest best for the occasion.

On the work front, Deepika is presently shooting for Meghna Gulzar directorial Chhapaak where she plays an acid attack survivor. Her look from the film was recently released and many even spotted her shooting with Vikrant Massey on the streets of Delhi. The film also marks Deepika’s foray into production.

She was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat back in 2018.

Chhapaak releases on January 10, 2020.

(Indian Express)

it is not necessary that p e o p l e will stop writing.

Speculation is a part of the profession. I have signed up for this and it comes with the territory.

My personal life is not personal, it is public.

“Media has been gracious and respectful,

#BharatKeVeer and to the Indian armed forces would remain steady, no matter what,” the actor wrote.

Akshay, who started his journey in Bollywood in 1991 with Saugandh, has established himself as one of the Hindi film industry’s most bankable stars.

In the past few years, the actor has featured in a series of films such as Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Padman focusing on social issues. He also won a National Award for his performance in Rustom, in which he played a patriotic Navy officer.

Akshay’s last release was Kesari based on the Battle of Saragarhi. (Indian Express)

R

anveer Singh might be busy preparing for his upcoming film 83, but the actor knows how to keep his fans happy. The social media savvy star loves to share his dapper photos on his social media handles leaving his followers excited.

But it is not just his fans who yearn to see more of him, even Ranveer’s industry friends continue to comment and tease him about his intense looks and clicks.

Ayushmann Khurrana wrote on one of Ranveer’s photos, “Launde mein baat hai,” while Ranveer’s close friend Shanoo Sharma wrote, “Call the fire station!” A few others like Ranveer’s upcoming film 83 co-star Ammy Virk and actor Aditi Rao Hydari also loved his photos.

including paparazzi. There is a certain dignity and sanity being maintained and I would like to keep it that way.”

Arjun says he has learnt to deal with the attention around his personal life.

“I am a public figure and I understand media has some mandates (to ask about my personal life). Some ask respectfully, while others ask to irritate you. You have to be prepared as an actor. There will be good and bad days,” he adds.

He further says he fully respects the opinion people have about his personal life.

“What people say on social media, the trolls and all is their opinion and I respect

On the work front, Ranveer delivered blockbusters like Padmaavat and Simmba last year and opened 2019 with another hit film – Gully Boy. He is currently working on his upcoming film, Kabir Khan’s 83 which is based on India’s iconic cricket World Cup win in 1983.

Ranveer is also a part of Karan Johar’s next period drama titled Takht, costarring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vicky Kaushal and Anil Kapoor. (Indian Express)

that. I don’t need to agree or care about it. Now, I am in a place that it doesn’t bother me. Maybe five years ago, I would have been bothered.

Today, I accept what is happening.”

Arjun and Malaika, 45, initially kept their relationship under wraps, but are more open now. Malaika was married to actor-director-producer Arbaaz Khan but got divorced in 2017.

Arjun is currently promoting India’s Most Wanted.

He will next be seen in Yash Raj Films’ Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, directed by Dibakar Banerjee, and Ashutosh Gowariker’s period drama, Panipat. (Indian Express)

HOLLYWOOD 49

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

A

ctor Anne Hathaway says she was initially not sure about the idea that her character in upcoming comedy The Hustle has a British accent. The Chris Addisondirected film features Hathaway and actor Rebel Wilson as two women who seek revenge against men who have tricked them in the past.

It is a remake of 1988 comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which was itself inspired by the 1964 film Bedtime Story.

Hathaway, 36, who appeared on Good Morning America, said

C

hadwick Boseman became popular after playing the King of Wakanda in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and as the fans are expecting him to jump back into his vibranium suit as Black Panther once again, Boseman has picked up his next project. As per Deadline, Boseman is all set to play Yasuke, the first African samurai in Japan.

The film is an adaptation of the story of Yasuke, who served in the 16th century under the

E

Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga. It is said that Yasuke was the first African man to step on the Japanese soil.

Chadwick Boseman told Deadline, “The legend of Yasuke is one of history’s best-kept secrets, the only person of non-Asian origin to become a Samurai.

That’s not just an act i o n movie, that’s a cultural event, an exchange, and I am excited to be part of it.”

D o u g Miro, of Narcos

than Hawke has revealed he had almost turned down his hit 1994 film Reality Bites as he was not aware who Ben Stiller was at the time.

Hawke featured as one of the protagonists alongside Winona Ryder, Steve Zahn and Janeane Garofalo in the film, which was Stiller’s directorial debut.

According to The Wrap, the cast of the cult classic film reunited on the sidelines of Tribeca Film Festival to

her character is of British origin, something which was done against her “will”.

“I didn’t want to do it. I just thought, ‘God, if I mess this up it could be such a face plant’,” the Oscar winner said, adding the director “insisted” that she speak with the accent.

Hathaway, however, is “relieved” that the British press has liked her accent and appreciated her performance in the film.

“I had an amazing dialect coach and I’m really happy because for the first time — (in my) 20-year-old career — I’ve gotten compliments from the British press on my British accent. I’m so relieved,”

fame, is penning the script. The project is being produced by Erik Feig, Mike De Luca, Stephen L’Heureux, Logan Coles and Boseman.

Talking about the cultural exchange, Boseman’s Black Panther proved to set a benchmark all over the world. It also became the first MCU film to earn a nomination in the Best Film category.

Chadwick Boseman is presently looking forward to the release of the cop thriller 21 Bridges where he plays a cop.

Directed by Brian Kirk, 21 Bridges has been co-produced by Russo Brothers who recently directed the superhero ensemble Avengers: Endgame. (Indian Express)

celebrate its 25th anniversary.

During a panel discussion, Hawke said it was Ryder who introduced him to Stiller and asked him to watch his show “The Ben Stiller Show”.

“I am not saying the show wasn’t brilliant. I had never heard of it. No one I had met had ever heard of it, and Winona wanted me to be in this movie,” Hawke said.

“I was like ‘Who is Ben Stiller?’ You just worked with Scorsese and you are going to work with this clown?” he added.

Hawke said he feels “indebted” to Ryder for changing his mind about the film and setting him up for a successful future in cinema.

“I’m indebted. Winona believed in me. Winona got me this job and this job changed the trajectory of my career entirely,” the actor said. (Indian Express)

she said.

“When the director asked me to play this character British, one of the reasons why I didn’t want to do it was I just thought this could be exhausting for everybody.

Everybody knows I’m not British and it’s like, ‘Oh, Anne Hathaway doing a British accent’. I didn’t want to put myself or you through that,” she added.

The actor also talked about her inspirations when she preparing for her character’s accent.

The Hustle is set to release in the US on Friday. (Indian Express)

J

ennifer Aniston says dating has never been on top of her priority list but she is open to finding love.

The 50-year-old actor said she has “zero time” for romance right now.

“I have zero time, to be honest …

Dating has not been one of my first priorities. I feel like whatever (romance) looks like, it will present itself, and it’s not about seeking it out,” Aniston told Harper’s Bazaar.

She said whenever love comes knocking, she would welcome it.

“I’m not like, ‘No, I’m done with that.

That’s never going to happen again.’ My time on this planet has been about… It hasn’t looked a certain way. It’s my way; it’s what I’ve been given this round.

“But I would say I don’t find any of my past has given me a reason to harden up and create a shell or a wall of ‘No more, that’s it, I’m closed’,” Aniston said.

Asked if she believed in the concept of soul mates, the actor said she has her own interpretation of the term.

“I think we have many soul mates. I don’t think there’s one and one only. I think we have soul clusters. I’ve had some of my friends for 35 years. I think we’ve all made some sort of unconscious agreement,” Aniston said.

“It’s like when certain groups of people meet, they form a little soul cluster – a sort of common group of souls who have been put together,” she added.

Aniston was involved in two high-profile marriages, first to Brad Pitt and then Justin Theroux. (Indian Express)

C

hris Hemsworth and Tiffany Haddish are teaming up for a buddy cop action comedy, Down Under Cover.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the duo will set out together to solve a crime.

Hemsworth plays a cop who has to go undercover to solve a bunch of Casino heists where

the perpetrators of the crime are suspected to be a troupe of Australian erotic dancers.

He is paired with a partner who no one else will work with, to be played by Haddish. She portrays a lone wolf cop who clashes with the Hemsworth’s course of investigation in the movie.

The movie has been

scripted by Peter Hoare.

The film will be introduced at Cannes by CAA and FilmNation, which will be handling its international sales. It will be produced by the Thematic Entertainment.

While Hemsworth is all set to star in Hulk Hogan biopic, Haddish currently stars in Netflix comedy, Tuca and Bertie.

50 SPORT

WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

England clear first World Cup hurdle - releasing tournament song in time

"If you let me be the only one, you'll never be the lonely one."

Y

ou'll have to wait until May 17 to discover whether these hastily scraped lyrics to the Cricket World Cup's as-yet unreleased official song are a) accurate, and b) a fair reflection of the sport's mindset, as it seeks to win over a brand-new generation of devotees.

But one thing is for sure. In managing to launch their official anthem, in a timely and orderly fashion at an upmarket rooftop bar in Southwark on Tuesday afternoon, the CWC organisers have already managed to soar past the subterranean standards set by their forebears at the 1999 event 20 long years ago.

Ah yes, 1999. Let the cultural cringe kick in as we take a journey back in time…

When global event organisers like to tell you "it's the little things that matter", what they are actually referencing are the little things that don't matter, but go so stratospherically and calamitously wrong that they enter folklore as examples of how to make an absolute pig's ear of your event. Those are the things that really and truly matter.

Things such as holding a fireworks display in broad daylight and turning the Lord's outfield from a World Cup opening ceremony into a Civil War Re-Enactment Society gathering. Or delaying the launch of your official World Cup song to the very day after the tournament hosts have been evicted from the party at which they were meant to be dee-jaying.

"I remember the 1999 song vaguely," said Andrew Flintoff, the former England allrounder who was guest of honour at Tuesday's launch.

"That World Cup didn't start that well with that first game against Sri Lanka when the ground was just full of smoke.

As a player, it was one to forget - we inspired noone."

And pity poor Dave Stewart - once better known as the half of Eurythmics that wasn't Annie Lennox, now a World Cup quiz question.

It wasn't that his song, "All Over The World" was a terrible tune in itself, or even a terrible choice as an anthem - if the evocation of "cheering crowds" and "every nation" is the box-ticking limit of your ambition.

Andrew Flintoff, Greg James and LORYN at the launch of the official World Cup song International Cricket Council

But, like the Sinclair C5 and spandex skirts, Stewart's over-fashionable spectacles and dubious coiffures had at one stage been an improbably significant part of 1980s pop-culture. By 1999, however, his moment had long since passed. In fact, he was about as relevant to the youth of the day as his name-sake, Alec, would prove to be to that World Cup's Super Sixes and knockouts.

Youth of the day such as Greg James - the radio DJ and compere of Tuesday's launch - who would have been an impressionable 13-year-old at the time of the 1999 World Cup, and precisely the sort of kid at whom such a song ought to have been targeted.

Instead, James was so scarred by what the organisers served up that, when he first heard this year's offering, "Stand By" by LORYN featuring Rudimental, he admitted that his overwhelming emotion had been "relief".

"Usually, World Cup songs... they are not that good, are they?" Flintoff added by way of moral support. "Let's be honest... but that's a proper song."

It was gloriously faint praise for LORYN - a Canadian newcomer whose existing knowledge of cricket was such that she had been forced to google Flintoff prior to their joint appearance (and ignore most of the first ream of search terms) - but both observations had been intended as the most fundamental of compliments.

Because, no matter how cloth-eared you may

be as a music fan, it was clear from the first airing of "Stand By", that the tune (or "tchoooon", as the CWC organisers hope it will come to be known…) was an admirably self-confident offering, with big bass, phat beats (with a capital PH) and a funky brass section that would be perfectly capable of holding its own had a global tournament not sidled along to offer a leg-up.

As LORYN herself puts it: "There's a million other people here tonight … You should call me before I go, because I've got options, don't think I don't."

Again, I can't yet vouch for the accuracy of the transcription, but that's what I jotted down from a solitary hearing, so that's the line I'm sticking to - her sentiments are certainly not as inaccurate as assuming that Pavarotti is singing about his love of elephants in Verdi's "Rigoletto", or that "Money's Too Tight" is about Mick Hucknell's unnatural fondness for rabbits.

After all, Rudimental have already shifted more than 2 million albums since 2011 (this in an era when no one apparently pays for music), and have a track record of finding and cultivating up-coming talent. Whatever the fate of this particular project and death by a thousand montages would be my best guess - they have a contemporary street cred that will crack on regardless (even if most of the kids in my 'hood have long since moved on to the Drill singer, Unknown T, with his

baritone underground stylings and a curious love of spinach. One to watch for the 2039 event,

maybe ...)

Either way, poor Stewart never had quite the same shelf-life.

Instead, after his turkey had been slow-cooked to a highest chart position of 154, his only option was to give the lyrics a subtle repackaging and flog the whole thing to Disney as part of the Phileas Fogg soundtrack.

And even that outcome was perhaps a stroke of luck - presumably my family-friendly paymasters missed the frankly baffling horrorshow of a video that accompanied the official release of "All Over The World", a grotesque parody of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, complete with a mass break-out from a mental asylum, a Benny Hill-style pursuit by nurses, and a series of arrests in the midst of a very bad game of cricket.

Because when the little things go wrong, all you end up inspiring is laughter. (ESPNCricinfo)

Guyanese trio wing out for Windies Women’s camp Three of Guyana’s premier female players – Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi and Sheneta Grimmond –departed local shores on Monday for the training camp in Antigua.

This training camp is in preparation for the limited overs tours to Ireland and England.

Campbelle is the lone Guyanese in the 14-member squad while Gajnabi and Grimmond are the reserve players for the training camp only. The training camp in Antigua will conclude on May 20, and the 14-member squad will depart Antigua for Ireland on May 21.

The Caribbean ladies will play the Irish women in three T20 Internationals on May 26, 28 and 29. After the T20 tour to Ireland, West Indies Women will play the defending OneDay International (ODI) World Cup winners, England in three ODIs as part of the ICC Women’s Championships.

The first of the three matches will commence from June 6, followed by the second match on June 9.

The tour in England will sign off when West Indies Women play England in three T20 Internationals on June

Shemaine Campbelle

18, 21 and 25. Stafanie Taylor, who is currently in India playing the Women’s T20 challenge, will lead the Windies Women on both tours. Her deputy will be Barbados’ winning Super50 and T20 Blaze Captain, Hayley Matthews, who is also on duty in India.

Shakera Selman, who is also in India playing in the Women’s T20 challenge, will join the camp after the tournament in India.

West Indies full 14-member squad

reads: Stafanie Taylor (Captain); Hayley Matthews (Vice Captain); Deandra Dottin; Afy Fletcher; Karishma Ramharack; Chedean Nation; Chinelle Henry; Kycia Knight; Kyshona Knight; Shakera Selman; Shamilia Connell; Shemaine Campbell; Natasha McLean and Stacy Ann King.

Additional Players: FOR CAMP ONLY reads: Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Reniece Boyce, Britney Cooper, Shanika Bruce and Shawnisha Hector.

SPORT 51

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Pant lights up an epic game, Capitals progress Delhi Capitals 165 for 8 (Shaw 56, Pant 49, Rashid 2-15) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 162 for 5 (Guptill 36, Paul 3-32) by two wickets

S

u n r i s e r s Hyderabad played almost the perfect experience game after losing the toss, but made one big mistake in the 18th over to give Delhi Capitals their first win in the 12-year history of IPL playoffs.

Capitals played some sublime cricket at times, but nearly bottled it in the end after Rishabh Pant took 22 off the 18th over to turn it into what should have been a cakewalk.

On a slow pitch that was described as "tacky" by both captains, Sunrisers were disadvantaged by having to bat first, but their experience showed in how they found their way to what they thought was a winning total of 162.

It looked like that for a major part of the first 17 overs of their defence, but Basil Thampi bowling ahead of in-form Khaleel Ahmed proved to be the gamebreaker.

Guptill goes big in Powerplay

Sunrisers knew this pitch would be difficult to score on in the middle overs so Martin Guptill had the license to play big shots while the ball was new. He tucked into Trent Boult, whom he was facing for the first time in a competitive T20 match, after having dismissed Ishant Sharma from his presence. Ishant bowled a pretty good sixth over - the most difficult over statistically - but was let down by some nervous fielding.

Sunrisers made their way to 54 for 1 in the Powerplay, but Guptill kept on with his aggressive intent. He strikes at over 8.5 an over against legspin in all T20 and at above 9 an over in the IPL, but when he went after Amit Mishra in the seventh over, the lack of bounce and pace meant he only managed to hit the shot off the toe end, offering a simple catch to deep square midwicket.

Sunrisers 56 for 1 in the seventh over.

The spin choke

Axar Patel and Mishra against a predominantly right-hand batting unit on a turning track was always going to be a difficult proposition. Had Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson tried anything too fan-

cy, there was a very good chance Sunrisers might have lost the game in this spell. They chose to respect the bowlers and wait for the quicker ones to come back. Mishra, second-best among all bowlers when it comes to balls per boundary this season, bowled his four overs without conceding a single four or six. The middle overs produced just two boundaries, but Sunrisers did well to lose just one wicket in this period. Sunrisers 104 for 3 in 15 overs.

The final kick

Now Sunrisers finally got pace on ball. Capitals had in their ranks Ishant and Boult, whose economy rates at the death are among the five worst of the bowlers who've bowled more than 40 overs in this phase in the IPL. Ishant went for 11, Boult for 14, and almost everybody in the lower middle order played a role in taking Sunrisers to 162. It was a good score on a low pitch, especially if there was no dew and if Sunrisers could limit the damage in the Powerplay.

Shaw steals Powerplay Prithvi Shaw has been dismissed 10 times inside the Powerplay this season, the highest for any batsman, but there is a good reason for it: he has stuck to his role selflessly. Shikhar Dhawan is the one to bat through, Shaw the one to create the impact in the Powerplay.

And he created some impact in this Powerplay by taking 39 off 24 balls.

This involved dismantling Bhuvneshwar Kumar and hitting three fours off a Khaleel over.

Sunrisers were forced to bowl Rashid inside the Powerplay; his excellent sixth over went for just six, but Capitals had scored 55 in the first six.

Sunrisers claw back

The towels were out - although they weren't unduly in use - and the pitch seemed to have quickened up, but Sunrisers managed to stay in the hunt. Deepak Hooda got an over to produce the bonus wicket of Dhawan. Sunrisers now didn't go looking for wickets. They tried to take the game deep, waiting for Capitals' inexperience to show up.

It turned up in the 11th

Rishabh Pant flays one through the offside (BCCI)

over when both Shreyas Iyer and Shaw - 56 out of the 87 scored till then fell in the same Khaleel over.

The Rashid gambit

Williamson was in no mood to sit back now. He had new batsmen at the wicket, and he went all out with Rashid. Even though his third over didn't bring a wicket, Williamson took the bold call to finish his quota off with five overs to spare.

Rashid repaid the faith, bowling a double-wicket maiden, taking out Colin Munro and Axar Patel. With 52 required off the last five and a lot of monsters of botchedup chases in their closet, Capitals were somewhat the underdogs now.

Thampi ahead of Khaleel

Two more good overs followed. Now it was 34 off three overs.

Khaleel had two left, Bhuvneshwar one.

It would have made sense to bowl them, but Williamson took the gamble of going with Thampi. Not only was the choice of the bowler wrong, he also executed poorly.

He bowled length from round the wicket.

Before this innings, Pant had hit 13 sixes off pace this IPL, all over the leg side. It would have made sense to bowl over the wicket and angle it away from his arc; this played right into Pant's hand. It was now down to 12 off 12 after the carnage in this over.

Never straightforward with Capitals

Now Capitals began to mess up. First Pant

got out trying to finish it with a six, leaving his side five to win off seven. Then some nervous swings and one obstruct-the-field later, it was all twos.

Two balls, two runs required, two wickets in hand. Keemo Paul, though, managed to hit the fifth ball wide enough of deep midwicket to take Capitals through to the second Qualifier against Chennai Super Kings.

The animated celebration of Ricky Ponting, who has won just about everything there is to win in cricket, showed how much it meant to them.

(ESPNCricinfo)

Nationwide softball cricket tournament bowls off on May 18

T

he inaugural 592 Beer, i-Cool Water 10/10 Softball Cup was launched at ANSA McAL Corporate Head Office, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and is expected to begin on May 18.

The tournament, which is open to all teams across Guyana, is being sponsored under the 592 Beer and i-Cool Water brands and is organised by the Demerara Softball Cricket Association.

According to Samuel Kingston of the Cricket Association, there is a registration fee of G$12,000 per team, which allows teams to participate in the tournament and to also receive one case of 592 Beer, one case of i-Cool Water and a pack of tournament balls ahead of their opening match.

Kingston further stated that a special yellow supreme ball is the official ball of the tournament.

The balls are only available at Trophy Stall in Bourda Market or at the match venues on match days.

According to the organiser, the use of any other ball by any team will result in immediate disqualification of that team.

Teams to show early interest include Farm

The sponsors and organisers are all smiles at the launch of the inaugural tournament. From left: ANSA McAL Marketing Assistant Gabriell Lopes, 592 Beer Brand Coordinator Seweon McGarrell, Samuel Kingston and ANSA McAL Business Unit Head, NonAlcoholic Division, Errol Nelson

XI, Speed Boat All Stars, Omesh XI, De Hoop AllStars, Success All Stars, Super Stars, Lusignan All Stars, Regal AllStars, Park Rangers, HS All Stars, Ariel All Stars, Boots All Stars, Grill Masters XI, Canje All Stars, Corriverton All Stars, Edinburgh All Stars and Young and the Restless.

Matches will be played in Berbice and Georgetown.

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Shafali, Harleen, Sushree – inspiring hope for India women

H

alfway into the tournament, the Women's T20 Challenge has thrown up several promising young Indian performers. ESPNcricinfo takes a look at three of them: Shafali Verma, and five-feet-something of depth One of the results from a Twitter search for Shafali Verma was: "How can a 15-year-old hit such powerful shots?"

A little over five-feet tall, the Rohtak-born Haryana player is one among four uncapped players - and the youngest across teams - in the Women's T20 Challenge.

Until the start of Velocity's chase on Wednesday, Shafali's name on the squad list - or even the team sheet - would have been overlooked in the glow of some of her more illustrious team-mates. One of those, the destructive England opener Danielle Wyatt, had to vacate her designated batting slot for Shafali.

When captain Mithali Raj sent the teenager in

to open, not many would have expected Shafali to hit six boundaries - five fours and a six - and ooze the kind of fearlessness that Smriti Mandhana had urged domestic cricketers to showcase after India's recent 0-3 T20I series loss against England in Guwahati.

Fewer still would have imagined an unheralded female cricketer to nail pulls, cuts, and drives, both on the back foot and front foot, with such ease.

One of the reasons the BCCI has refrained from getting a full-fledged women's IPL off the ground are the apprehensions around India's domestic pool. Shafali had shown her pedigree during the 2018-19 senior women's inter-state T20 tournament, making 186 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 187.87. That included a tournament-high 128 off 56 balls against Nagaland. She showed on Wednesday she could handle a higher quality of bowling too. So how deep is India's domes-

Harleen Deol plays a lofted shot BCCI

tic pool then? Five-feet something, Shafali might say.

Harry Jr.'s #KaurStrength Three months ago, Harleen (Kaur) Deol made her international debut as a replacement for the injured Harmanpreet Kaur (Bhullar). Known as Harry - their shared moniker - in the Indian dressing room - both hail from the same state (Punjab), although unlike Harry Sr., Deol plays for Himachal

Pradesh, whose senior and Under-23 sides have benefitted from her consistent showings.

That she made it into India's limited-overs squads was, to a major part, down to her 29-ball 21 for Board President's XI against a fullstrength England side in February. Her four international outings have yielded only 25 runs so far, but that hides the truth. She could very well be the solution to some of India's batting woes beyond Smriti Mandhana.

A standout for Trailblazers, Deol's back-to-back 30-plus knocks in the Women's T20 Challenge are testament to her ability to score at a brisk rate, as well as dropping anchor when needed, like during her 119-run stand with Mandhana on Monday night, where she played second fiddle.

And then there's her nonchalant stroke play.

In the match against Velocity, she danced down the track to legspinner Amelia Kerr and bisected long-off and long-on with such ease it seemed effortless. It had nothing of the trademark Harry Sr. belligerence, yet would make a worthy feature in any highlights package.

The Sushree Redemption act A missed run-out opportunity got Sushree Dibyadarshini an earful from bowler Shikha Pandey in the 11th over.

Had Dibyadarshini's throw hit the stumps at the non-striker's end, West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor would

have been out. The best thing the 21-year-old offspinner could do to recover was to not worsen matters when Raj introduced her in the next over.

Generous loop, a teasing outside-the-offstump line, varying lengths Dibyadarshini's control ticked nearly all checkboxes in her four-run opening over. Rewarded with a second over straight up, she had Taylor return a dolly off the first ball. Redemption over, Dibyadarshini rounded out the over as a wicket maiden. Raj decided against bowling her out, so the offspinner's job on the day seemed to be over.

But then, on the penultimate ball of the innings, Dibyadarshini swooped in from sweeper cover in an attempt to catch Shakera Selman.

The ball bounced before her, and Trailblazers added three runs to their tally. If points were rewarded for intent, Dibyadarshini would have added a few to her name with that effort.

(ESPNCricinfo)

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Home at last! Pollard named as Trinbago marquee player K

ieron Pollard will finally have the opportunity to don the red and black outfit of the Trinbago Knight Riders after he was announced as the team’s marquee player for the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The 2019 edition, which will bowl off on September 4 and run until October 12, will see Pollard suiting up for his home team for the first time in CPL’s seven-year history. Previously, the explosive all-rounder captained the Barbados Tridents for the first five years of CPL, from 2013 to 2017 before his brief stint as the St Lucia Stars Captain in 2018.

Making the announcement on Wednesday was Venky Mysore, Director of TKR, who disclosed that the franchise is happy to have their son of the soil and is looking to add more Trinidadian players to the team.

“We are delighted to welcome Pollard back home, and it’s great to continue our efforts to bring as many Trini boys home as possible. I can’t wait for the reaction of the fans when Pollard takes the field at our opening game on September 4.”

Pollard will be hoping to boost an already power-packed TKR line-up as they seek to add to the three champi-

onships they have won in the last four tournaments in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Pollard has played in 474 T20 matches, so he brings a vast amount of experience to the Knight Riders squad, from CPL and from tournaments around the world.

The rest of the Trinbago Knight Riders 2019 squad will be decided at the Hero CPL Players Draft, which takes place on May 22, 2019.

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