Guyana Times International July 20 2018

‘Book your spot’ Page 50

INTERNATIONAL

…Guyanese fans urged to secure tickets early for 2018 CPL games

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Guyana’s Local Govt Elections set for Nov 12

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com WEEK ENDING JULY 22, 2018

ISSUE NO. 407

See story on page 10

Page 9

President David Granger (second from right) with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo (right) , PPP Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira (third from right) and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall at State House on Thursday. (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

PPP to name presidential candidate by year-end Page 3

…highest level of transparency will be followed – Jagdeo

NYC sues U.S. Department of Justice over immigrationrelated policy

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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

PPP to name presidential candidate by year-end …highest level of transparency will be followed – Jagdeo

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onsequent to a meeting with executive officials of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), to discuss the way forward on plans to select a presidential candidate for the next general elections, General Secretary of the party, Bharrat Jagdeo, declared that a candidate could be selected by yearend.

Anil Nandlall

not see it as a major issue but the way in which it is done is a concern for him.

“There is nothing wrong with people saying, I am interested. What’s wrong with that?

But I urge all of the party members and those who are canvasing not to disparage anyone else.

Because at the end of the day,

timeline on when we settle for the presidential candidate. But it seems as though all of this will happen within the year, before the end of 2018,” Jagdeo told Guyana Times International on Wednesday, when asked for an update on the matter.

Again, asked whether he would throw his support behind anyone whom he finds has the

continued on page 14

Gail Teixeira

Dr Vindhya Persaud

According to Jagdeo, the executives of the PPP are split on the timeframe in which this process should be completed, as some are proposing that it could be done before the Local Government Elections which are slated for November this year, while others are proposing a date after Local Government Elections.

“So, between those two, we will return to the issue on that

ability to lead the party to victory at the 2020 elections, the PPP General Secretary said, “There are a lot of people that I like, and very competent people, and I wish them all well.”

Jagdeo was also asked if members within the executive of the party who are desirous of becoming the presidential nominee, are allowed to canvas support from various sections. He responded stating that he does

Frank Anthony

Irfaan Ali

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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EDITORIAL

Neonatal deaths in Guyana

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ast Thursday, Guyana’s Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence revealed that some 119 neonatal deaths were recorded at the Georgetown Public Hospital for the period June 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, with 32 deaths occurring during the first quarter of 2018 alone.

A neonatal death is the death of a baby within the first 28 days after birth.

The minister, after being quizzed by Opposition Member of Parliament Dr Vindhya Persaud in the National Assembly, also admitted that while there has been no significant increase in the numbers of neonatal deaths, the figure which she provided the House was still “alarming” and “too high”.

A number of other pertinent and serious questions were posed by Dr Persaud to the Public Health Minister during their exchange, and the minister, no doubt, attempted to defend the work being done by the hospital and its administration, as well as the Ministry of Public Health and its partners, to tackle the worrying situation.

Among other things, the parliamentary Opposition’s questions provided food for thought about a number of deeply connected matters related to the fight to reduce neonatal deaths in Guyana while boosting the general quality of care and services provided to pregnant women and their newborns, as well as unborn children.

The exchange also allowed the general public and other experts in the field of medicine, child care and clinical services insight into what is really taking place at the nation’s premier health institution, as the Government has been known traditionally to horde and hide statistics that could damage its track record and shift the public’s thinking about the performances of key sectors.

The fact that the number of deaths decreased from 295 in 2014 to 119 in 2017 is neither here nor there. Guyana should be striving to have zero neonatal deaths; or, if this is impossible, numbers in the single digits, which are extreme cases.

Also, the revelation by the minister that no new recommendations were made by those in authority — particularly the Child Morbidity and Mortality Committee — because no special investigations were conducted, as there were no discrepancies found, or further investigations warranted for the period, is disappointing to say the least.

Surely, no less than ten women have complained to various sections of the media about the quality of care they received at the hospital’s maternity ward, which each has linked to death of her baby.

And, of course, those at the helm of GPHC know full well that there is a perception that some of the senior staff and junior staff there are negligent in the execution of their official duties. Additionally, patients have complained, time and time again, about the indifference and lack of remorse shown by some whenever would-be mothers make allegations, which quite a few times ended up in lawsuits being filed by the parents against the hospital for skullduggery.

In order to combat this perception, and boost the public’s confidence in the hospital’s ability to arrest the situation and provide the highest possible care, these statistics should be released in a quarterly fashion by the Chief Medical Officer in the presence of the media. He must share details about probes, findings, and what measures are being implemented; as well as the number of staff disciplined or retrained.

The minister must also embark upon a campaign to get another Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in order to boost the hospital’s ability to cut the number of deaths by 80 percent over the next 4 years.

She may choose to embark upon a private/public partnership model to ensure that all of the key health care institutions in the country have at least one NICU of their own, in order to cut the demand for the services at the GPHC. On the other hand, the Government can divert some of the resources spent on the unnecessary commissions of inquiry, the payment of special prosecutors and advisors to the Attorney General’s Chambers, ministers’ travel and other non-priority areas, to tackle the issues of maternity and neonatal deaths.

Every life matters, and in this era of technology and advanced communication, Guyana can ill-afford not to boost its resource management techniques and levels of preparedness for any and all forms of emergency.

The Public’s confidence, therefore, is intricately linked to the level of openness, honesty and frankness displayed by those at the helm of the GPHC, who must see and engage the media as a key partner in its work programme.

Most of Kwakwani, in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), continues to be under floodwater, owing to heavy rainfall. In some areas the flood waters, which reached heights of approximately nine feet, have now begun to recede incrementally. Over 300 households are affected and although the residents have adopted adaptive measures, most homes are completely flooded resulting in them being forced to move to higher ground. (PPP/C photo)

CPL 2018: Get in the game!

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ast year, patriotism, national pride and excitement ran high as thousands of Guyanese A proud fan flocked the Guyana National Stadium displays her at Providence to be part of several tickets for exciting Caribbean Premier League the matches home matches; which no doubt had a in Guyana continuing redounding positive impact on the country’s overall economic and tourism development.

It must be stated from the outset, the CPL had managed also to unify a very divided Guyana, as persons from all sections of society — regardless of their race, creed, sexual orientation and political persuasion — rallied behind the so far very competitive Guyana Amazon Warriors.

So high was the amount of unity and cohesiveness, last year during the final three weeks of the tournament, hotels, bars, sports clubs, and community shops that it is widely believed the tournament stood will be significantly boosted, especially those out as one of the clear examples of avenues that that would have access to the televised games could be used to push the Government’s social being broadcast. cohesion agenda by the utilisation of sport as a The A Partnership for National Unity/ mechanism to bridge social and racial gaps that Alliance for Change Government’s endorsement exist in the society. of the event, and the laudable involvement of It was this unity and display of cohesive- key ministers in local CPL events demonstrate ness that have no doubt motivated and inspired their commitment to the development of sport, the good performances delivered by the players the success of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, and organisers of the 2017 tournament thus far. and the upwards movement of the direct and inWhile Guyana would have again lost its bid to direct benefits to the country’s young tourism host the finals of the game in 2017, Providence sector because of market access and promotional remains one of the most talked about, hyped, opportunities for Destination Guyana. and packed venues when compared to the othResearch shows that the Guyana economy ers in the league as far as hosting international leads others in the league as far as the benefits it cricket events and CPL matches are concerned. accrues from the injection of millions of US dolIn fact, the country this year got even closer, as lars each year it hosts the tournament, leaving it will host two play-off matches. out the other noteworthy indirect benefits.

Also, the CPL games this year are coming to As such, more companies should get on-board Guyana at a time when there has been a nota- the league by entering into mutual and lucrable slowdown in domestic trade and business. tive deals with the Guyana Franchise owners, Interestingly, the tournament came to the coun- and providing various forms of endorsement and try at a time when small businesses are also sponsorship for the Amazon Warriors whenever struggling to catch their hands because of var- allowed and applicable according to the existing ious factors which were working against them rules and agreement framework. while depleting their expected levels of revenue Secondly, the Government, led by its and profitability.

Education, Tourism and Business ministries, It therefore provides these small business- must do much more to press the owners of the es with an opportunity to maximise their prof- CPL and the regional organisers to bring the its through sale of small portions of confec- semifinals and finals to Guyana, even if it means tionaries near the stadium and at other Hero investing more resources and incentives for this CPL-associated parties and events. It will, no to happen. doubt, provide those who signed up officially The truth is, Guyana is a cricket-starved nafor a number of initiatives with another means tion, and the CPL provides an opportunity for of garnering revenue, because scores of over- the hunger of cricket lovers and supporters to be seas-based Guyanese will return home to be part satisfied, even if a lot of other regional and interof the fun. national matches are not brought, as we would Larger-scale businesses and companies will like, to the country. also benefit tremendously from the hosting of As the Amazon Warriors continue their bid CPL matches in Guyana, and while many of for dominance in this year’s tournament, every them are expected to maximise the marketing Guyanese is duty bound to stand solidly behind opportunities available via the tournament to the team and its franchise owners, who have boost sales and achieve brand popularity, others brought so much entertainment, cricket fun and will settle for just mounting promotions to give countless opportunities for business to these back to their loyal customers by providing them shores over the last few years via their continopportunities to join the biggest party in sport. ued sponsorship and involvement in the league.

With the CPL, the occupancy rates at local

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

NYC sues U.S. Department of Justice over immigration-related policy

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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio

ew York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Corporation Counsel Zachary W. Carter on Wednesday announced the filing of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for its unlawful efforts to force New York City officials to engage in federal immigration enforcement, the Mayor’s Office said.

Last year, DOJ placed unprecedented conditions on a key public safety grant the City has relied on for years.

DOJ has yet to release the US$4 million grant and has also threatened to retract millions more from previous years. According to the City’s complaint, the conditions are illegal and undermine key City policies that protect all residents, including its immigrants, and keep crime low. The City has asked the Court to deem the conditions illegal and compel immediate payment to the City.

“Our message is clear: the Trump Administration’s actions are illegal and morally bankrupt,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We have proven, time and again, that welcoming immigrants has helped make this the safest big city in the country. Any attempt to jeopardize the trust between our local law enforcement and immigrant New Yorkers will fail.”

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant is named after Edward Byrne, a New York City police officer killed while protecting a Guyanese immigrant who was acting as a cooperating witness. Until recently, New York City has applied for and received its local allocation under the federal grant formula every year since the program’s inception in 2005. The Byrne grant supports 911 emergency responders, diversion programs for nonviolent felony drug offenders, and anti-cybercrime and identity theft efforts, to name only a few public safety initiatives.

City Corporation Counsel Zachary W. Carter said: “For years New York City has qualified for the Byrne grant under a fixed formula, but DOJ has abruptly altered grant requirements in an attempt to force the City to abandon policies of constructive engagement with its immigrant residents that have proven effective in maintaining and enhancing public safety. The conditions DOJ seeks to impose are an unprecedented and unconstitutional intrusion on the City’s policy prerogatives, are in-

consistent with the intent of Congress and diminish the City’s safety. As detailed in our complaint, DOJ’s efforts would cause immigrant communities to disengage from public services and retreat into the shadows, to the detriment of their own safety and that of the public. We are asking the Court to permanently enjoin DOJ from imposing the three conditions and compel immediate payment to the City.”

For the fiscal year 2016 Byrne grant funding, DOJ demanded that New York City, along with eight other jurisdictions, certify that they complied with Section 1373, a statute that bars states and localities from adopting policies that restrict communications regarding immigration and citizenship status between state and local officials and the federal government. This was the first time DOJ ever requested such compliance since the enactment of Section 1373 roughly 20 years ago. In a letter sent to DOJ in June 2017, the City demonstrated that it was legally entitled to the grant.

According to the Mayor’s Office, for the following fiscal year’s grant, DOJ said recipients would have to certify compliance with Section 1373 and the following two new conditions in order to receive funding: the City must provide at least 48 hours’ advance notice to the Department of Homeland Security regarding the release date and time of an inmate for whom DHS requests such advance notice, and DHS must be permitted to access any detention facility maintained by the City in order to meet with persons of interest. While the City timely submitted its application, it did not certify its compliance with these three illegal conditions. In the last year, federal courts in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and California have struck down these or similar conditions, yet DOJ continues to insist NYC comply with them in order to receive its funding.

DOJ later announced it was distributing US$200 million in JAG Program funds to jurisdictions that shared its commitment to “keeping criminal aliens off our streets and our law abiding citizens safe.” However, DOJ has not communicated a final determination to New York City about its compliance with Section 1373 or its Byrne grant application, the Mayor’s Office said.

NTC’s new executive urges better representation of issues affecting Guyana’s first peoples

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ay three of the annual National Toshaos Council’s Conference saw toshaos from across Guyana electing a new executive to serve for the next three years. They have elected Toshao Nicholas Fredericks to serve as chair for the duration of the new council.

Fredericks -- Toshao of Shulinab Village in Region Nine -- served as treasurer on the last NTC, which was headed by Joel Fredericks. Paul Pierre of Kwebanna Village, Waini River, Moruca Sub-region of Region One (Barima/Waini), was elected the ViceChairperson, and will replace the outspoken Lennox Schuman.

Additionally, Russian Dorrick will serve as secretary, while Marbel Thomas would serve as treasurer.

The newly elected head contested unopposed, and received unanimous support from the toshaos. The new executive comprises 20 persons from all the Amerindian villages.

During his inaugural address, Fredericks called upon his team to work together to address the needs and make representation on behalf of Guyana’s first peoples. He also issued a word of caution to the Government in relation to confrontations with the NTC. The Government, in the past, has accused the NTC of being “Oppositionists” when they would have protested to be treated fairly.

Lease

Meanwhile, just days after immediate past Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Joel Frederick, had criticised Government for reportedly frustrating the process of issuing a title to the NTC for the plot of land that was given to the Council to use to house the secretariat, the matter has been fi-

Newly elected NTC Head Nicholas Fredericks

nally addressed.

Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) Secretariat Manager Durwin Humphrey informed the media on Wednesday that, on the part of the NTC executive, there may have been a lack of knowledge of what the process entailed, but the issue was discussed and put to rest.

“We have expedited the process for the NTC, and there has been a lease available for the longest while. And this is why we encourage dialogue and communication rather than grandstanding… It is a 50-year lease, which is stancontinued on page 9

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The Guyana Govt should step in and buy over Berbice River Bridge Dear Editor, As a kid growing up in Skeldon/Corriverton, I was among the many people of that area who dreamt of the day when there would be a bridge across the Berbice River because crossing by ferry was a big hassle and took many hours.

Today, I am pleased that this dream has become a reality. Building this bridge was a great feat.

There is no question that it has brought huge relief for Berbicians and other travelers. Time is money. By cutting commuting time to and from Region Six significantly, the bridge is worth its weight in gold.

Let us give Jack his jacket. The Bharrat Jagdeo Government and the private sector deserve credit for taking up the challenge to build the bridge. It was a novel initiative based on a unique private and public-sector partnership at a time when Guyana did not have the money to pay for such a project.

I understand that the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) is now saying that it is almost bankrupt and wants to increase the tolls in order to do maintenance work on the bridge, cover operation costs and pay dividends to shareholders.

But, from what I recall from the early talks about the bridge between private sector investors and the Jagdeo Government, the Berbice Bridge tolls were never intended to be similar to the tolls for the Demerara Harbour Bridge; they were to be comparable to the ferry rates for various vehicle types.

I understand that the BBCI needs funds to recover its investments, pay dividends and to fulfill its responsibilities. I empathise with this; but the toll increases will be hard for the average Guyanese to pay and could very well damage the psyche of the people and cause great hardship for everyone.

There is a stalemate because this Government has taken a firm position not to approve any increases to the bridge tariffs and has also declared the intention to fulfill a campaign promise to reduce the tolls. This is a tough situation, but there is a solution.

I have a suggestion: Government should buy the Berbice River Bridge!

A lot of wealth is expected in Guyana from the oil industry and from other natural resources. This puts Government in an ideal position to get one or more loans and use other financial tactics to buy the

bridge.

I am sure that the European Union or a government from a great nation like India or China would be interested in giving a loan or grant so that our Government can buy the bridge from the private sector, in the interest of assisting Guyana’s national development.

If Government buys the bridge, its operations and maintenance can then be subsidised with taxpayers’ money, just like what is being done with the Demerara Harbour Bridge, whereby Government’s input allows travellers to pay an affordable fee to cross the river.

The tolls for the Berbice River Bridge can be higher than those for the Demerara Harbour Bridge and it can be subsidised by taxpayers’ money. Think about it. If Government buys it and it belongs to the Guyanese people, why can’t the people’s money be used to subsidise it to protect their interests?

The Berbice River Bridge is vitally important to our country and people. I remember back in the day crossing by ferry involved all kinds of skullduggery and corruption.

People who had influential friends to manipulate the system got priority in crossing. Others were inconvenienced and embarrassed. Today, travelling over the Berbice River has been reduced from three to four hours to just one to two minutes. Consider that for a moment.

As one of those who suffered in those times, I view the Berbice River Bridge as a great blessing. I, along with many others who use the bridge regularly, know how much it has benefitted the county of Berbice and would like to see it kept in place and functioning well.

Even though I compliment the private investors and the Jagdeo administration for making the bridge a reality, I respect the fact that this is a different Government with a new vision. But I believe this Government has the interest of our people at heart, so I urge them to consider my suggestion carefully.

All power, success, achievements, progress, come from the heart and from the thoughts. I am calling on the Government to use positive thoughts, think wisely and think big to help the people of our country reach our rightful destiny of peace and prosperity.

Sincerely, Roshan Khan Snr

President Granger should update his ‘Code of Conduct’

Dear Editor, I ask your indulgence to allow me a public forum to call for a Commission of Inquiry into APNU+AFC Minister Simona Broomes’s activities as a trafficking in persons (TIP) activist. I make this call because Ms. Broomes’s recent false accusations against hard working Guyanese citizens show a callous disregard for truth, honesty and ethics. For the minister to calmly state, “I do not know what you are talking about” when asked by reporters if she had an apology for levelling false allegations after her lies had been exposed by video evidence is the demeanour of someone well

versed in deception.

Minister Broomes’s lack of remorse is stunning and worrying in equal measure.

Editor, allow me to elaborate.

Minister Broomes came to prominence in civil society as a social activist seeking to bring to justice persons involved in human trafficking. From inception, her vigilante style of justice was surrounded by whispers of self-interest.

Broomes said: “I wish to make it public that apart from this intimidation, and I strongly believe that this is the case, I have also been receiving emails from unknown persons who have threat-

ened to harm me and defame my character.” 2013/09/05 Kaieteur Newspapers.

Given that we now know Minister Broomes is willing to make patently false allegations, I am asking for a Commission of Inquiry into her activities, and for the Director of Public Prosecutions to reopen any case in which her testimony or actions led to the conviction of any Guyanese citizen.

I would also urge President Granger to update his ‘Code of Conduct’.

Faithfully, Robin Singh

How could Guyana best utilise its massive earnings from oil

Dear Editor, Having reviewed Tuesday’s presentation, Rystad’s analyst showed that, with an oil price of US$70 per barrel, annual revenues from offshore activity could reach US$20 billion shortly after 2030.

Based on my interpretation of the breakdown of revenues, it looks like a vast majority of those numbers come from free cash flow and Government profit oil.

These are very impressive figures, especially in the context of the current size of our economy, and this new fortune can be the catalyst for exponential growth and transformation at unprece-

dented levels.

But the big question remains: How does Guyana utilise these earnings? How would these profits be best allocated to ensure maximised benefit on a sustained basis? Do we build new schools, hospitals, airports, roads and bridges?

Do we seek to enhance existing service and production sectors?

Do we focus on developing new non-traditional sectors?

While opinions on this may vary, a common point of reference has always been the Dubai Model.

Why? Dubai has successfully utilised the profits from its oil to fund a service-based economy to a level that has earned global respect.

Admittedly, conditions between Guyana and that Arab country may not be identical; but irrespective of geographic, hemispheric, economic, or populationrelated differences, diversification remains the best tool to remain relevant in a constantly changing global economy.

While emphasis needs to be placed on improving infrastructure and social services, the focus should be on identification of new sectors which can be fuelled (no pun intended) by revenues earned from oil and gas.

Regards, Andrew Mc Bean

Vulgarity reaching epic proportions Dear Editor, Simona Broomes is in the news again, and I should say for all the wrong reasons. She is at it again, exposing her baser material this time to personnel of a private security firm. It seems that the lawlessness and vulgar behaviour of this woman knows no bounds, as she goes on this mindless rampage.

Not so long ago, this very same individual showed to the world how base she can be when she assembled the “boom out” video in the hallowed chambers of Parliament. In that Youtube scene, Simona came over as a gleeful circus clown who was vainly trying to make us laugh as she poked fun at Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

However, little did she know that she was giving to Guyana and the entire world a poor, distasteful, idiotic display of her stupidity. This was the minister, stupid at her “best” performance.

She never apologised for that senseless and degrading act then, quite to the chagrin of the Guyanese people, only further compounding it with this latest vulgarity. I do not think this woman can get any lower.

Now, I was in a discussion with one of their supporters recently. I asked him what were his views on Simona’s latest tirade in public, and his response was: she is too

vulgar, and needs to be relieved of her position.

Well, I told him that is not going to happen, judging from the PNC’s track record. I sarcastically replied that she might very well be elevated, rather than being sanctioned.

Going the way of a reprimand is furthest from the thoughts of President Granger. It seems that the more you are obnoxious, particularly in a contemptuous manner, the higher you are esteemed; the more you are vulgar, the more you are respected in that party.

The PNC is not going to punish Broomes. It is not going to happen in any shape or form. So Guyanese will just have to suck this one up and brace themselves for more of its kind.

But even if one should consider Simona’s situation as bad, I urge

you to analyse Basil Williams’s case in threatening a judge. That can be considered the worst case scenario. Not only was it a horrible thing to do, but it also marks the acme of stupidity. And to think of it, nothing was done about him.

You are talking about the attorney-general of a country making such base remarks, but not being sanctioned, and being wholly intact in his position as a minister.

Fantastic! This can happen only right here in Guyana.

You may recall The Bheri Ramsarran matter, when he made that rustic remark to Sherlina Nageer, yes, The PNC Opposition at the time was most vocal, and promptly called for his immediate sacking. The PPP/C Government of Donald Ramotar did just that, claiming that Dr Ramsaran did not act in a gentleman-like manner, nor did he show statesmanship. Although he was extremely provoked (Nageer busting in when he was in the midst of a conversation with another person), the president of the day still deemed his behaviour as bordering on reproach, and for that reason he was relieved of his position. Contrast that situation with this yard fowl and you get the real picture of vulgarity reaching epic proportions with no redress forthcoming.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

news 7

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana’s Top Cop berates ranks for ‘reckless behaviour’ on roadways

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Police Commissioner (ag) David Ramnarine

anks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who have found themselves involved in vehicular accidents, whether in their personal vehicles or in the Force’s vehicles, were at the receiving end of a verbal bashing by acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine.

Addressing senior and junior ranks as well as stakeholders at the Force’s 179th Anniversary Awards Ceremony on Wednesday morning, Ramnarine reminded members of the Force that road regulations are applicable to all road users, while admonishing those ranks who

have been involved in vehicular accidents.

He pointed out that from July 2016 to June 2017, eighteen members of the Force were involved in various category of accidents while driving GPF vehicles.

This compares to an increase of 23 ranks involved in accidents during the period July 2017 to June 2018.

“A total of 41 ranks, including seven subordinate officers and 34 constables [were fingered in these accidents]. Add this to another 18 ranks over the two years’ period being involved in various accidents while driving private vehicles. The

Man found guilty of raping 9-year-old girl ...to serve 2 consecutive life sentences

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n what she said was meant to send society a strong message, Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry on Wednesday sentenced 46-year-old Navindra Badal, called ““Uncle Ravi,” to serve two consecutive life sentences for raping a nineyear-old girl on two separate occasions during 2016.

It was determined in the Sexual Offences Court that the acts were committed between July 1st and 31st, 2016, and August 14th and 15th, 2016 at an East Coast Demerara village.

When the jury returned the guilty verdicts after two hours of deliberation, Badal had nothing to say after the verdicts were handed down; but the victim, through Child Link Counsellor Celeste Mullin, told the

court she feels sad about what had happened to her, and that after she was abused, she started to steal from her mother just to keep friends. Now 11 years old, the victim also said she wanted the offender to go to jail for what he had done to her.

In computing the sentence, Justice Beharry took into consideration the physical and psychological impacts the victim has faced. Considering the age of the child, she indicated that the girl has been scarred for life.

Justice Beharry’s order is that Badal must serve 45 years on each sentence before getting the chance of parole.

Badal was represented by Attorney Maxwell McKay, while State Counsels Ornithia Schmidt and Lisa Cave prosecuted the case.

occurrences cannot be ones that we are satisfied with. We have taken an oath, we are here in uniforms, we have higher learning and training; and therefore we must conduct ourselves a lot better than we do,” the acting top cop asserted.

According to Ramnarine, those ranks who fail to better conduct themselves on the roadways will face the same fate as those who have been made to pay over G$2.3 million for damaging the Force’s vehicle thus far this year.

“They are being made to repay for the costs of those damages. Some 10 ranks have already completed payment, and the others have some more time to pay. That is the position we have to enforce,” Ramnarine posited.

The acting Top Cop is accordingly urging ranks to be more responsible on the roadways while executing their duties.

“We have permitted [speeding] in only emergency situations and in situations where, for example, you’re fired upon and there is great danger to public safety if you don’t take a certain course of action. But in normal circumstances -- for instance following a motor cycle without a number plate; the motorcyclist got away, you didn’t get the motorcycle, but you end up slamming into a civilian vehicle, damaging beyond repair a Police vehicle; and for what? For a minor offence? Please use your judgement, or you

will have to pay as others have started to pay.

This is the position,” he outlined.

Further, Ramnarine went on to say that the Force will no longer tolerate such reprehensible and disrespectful behaviour from ranks who continue to breach road rules and traffic regulations.

“We cannot move forward in the same way…

Of course the leadership of the Force has not feigned or neglected to take condign action, but the reality of this prior unacceptable situation is that, at this juncture of our 179th anniversary, let us assure that there is significant positive improvement and set the example by good private and public conduct regarding the use of the road and adherence to the regulations that are attached,” the acting Top Cop encouraged.

Complaints down

Even as Ramnarine reprimanded ranks for their conduct on the roadways, he revealed that general complaints against members of the Police Force have significantly declined over the last two years.

In fact, he said, there was a 39.5 per cent decrease in complaints against ranks over the past year when compared to the previous corresponding period.

“There were 394 complaints between July

2016 and June 2017; and between July 2017 and June 2018, we have 283 complaints.

Additionally, for the first half of this year, against that of last year, we record a 50 per cent decrease in complaints with 140 complaints this year for the first six months, against 280 for the first six months last year,” the acting Police Commissioner disclosed.

The nature of the complaints that have been reduced against members of the Force include neglect of duty, Police harassment, assaults, wrongful arrests, corrupt practices, sexual harassment, and fraudulent conversion.

According to the Ramnarine, the decline in complaints has been found to be as a result of a number of factors.

“A preliminary analysis suggests that improved and increased supervision, swift and condign action by senior leadership of the Force, severe punishment, support through speedy and timely legal advice, and some degree of reluc-

tance on the part of complainants are the main reasons for this significant decline in complaints,” he stated.

However, while these complaints have declined, the offence of ‘Acts in a manner likely to bring discredit on the reputation of the Force’ has shown an increase of 30 per cent, with a total of 56 complaints against 39 over the two-year comparable period.

Nevertheless, the acting Police Commissioner posited that various efforts are afoot to build much needed professionalism as well as capacity and capability within the country’s premier law enforcement agency.

These include consistent training under various local and overseas-sponsored initiatives, such as the Canada-funded Justice Education Society (JES) programme, as well as ongoing efforts under the Security Sector Reform Project (SSRP), being executed by the British Government.

(Vahnu Manikchand)

A crashed Police vehicle

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NTC’s new executive urges better... from page 5

Vice Chair Paul Pierre

dard, and it is renewable once there is beneficial occupation,” he explained.

Humphrey, claimed the lease was available, but the NTC had requested a transport, and according to the laws of Guyana, there are certain processes that are required to convert a lease to a transport.

He said, “While we have completed the process of the lease, which is within the ambit of the Commission, the process of the transport, lies outside of the Commission.

So it’s out of our control in the end, but we are facilitating the process to ensure that happens.”

The GLSC official also noted that there is nothing preventing the NTC from moving ahead with occupying the land.

Meanwhile, Frederick said that following his

criticism on the issue on Monday, the GLSC reached out to the NTC executive and had a discussion on the matter.

The GLSC has agreed to have the lease document made available to the Council on Friday, so that it could be presented to the conference.

Frederick has maintained that the NTC will not remain silent on matters affecting the indigenous people of Guyana.

“It is not time for leaders to sit quietly and brush these issues under the carpet, and let the public feel that all is well. We have to represent the people who put us there to serve,” he opined.

He noted that a project proposal was submitted to the Foreign Affairs Ministry through the Indigenous Peoples Affairs’ Ministry, which assisted the NTC in putting together the proposal for submission to the Chinese Government.

The NTC will follow up with the Ministry to ascertain that the proposal has been accepted.

The NTC, in July 2017, received a plot of land to build their Secretariat. The request for a Secretariat for the NTC had been made by Indigenous leaders to President David Granger.

President, Opposition Leader meet

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pposition Leader Dr B h a r r a t Jagdeo on Thursday led a team to meet with a government delegation headed

by President David Granger at State House.

The meeting was the first set of “meaningful consultations” to discuss the nominees for the appointment of the Public and Police Services Commissions.

According to a brief statement from the Ministry of the Presidency, in an invited comment after the meeting, Minister Harmon said that the President as required by the Constitution, has consulted with Jagdeo and he expects that the Commissions will soon be sworn in.

The statement did not detail the outcome of the meeting between the President and the Opposition Leader.

“As you are aware, these two Commissions, the life had come to an end many months ago but

the process had required the National assembly to nominate some of these persons for both Commissions and once those were done; the President would consult with the Leader of the Opposition. So this is what took place this morning. The requirement was for meaningful consultation and not necessarily agreement and so that consultation took place and now I believe we can proceed with having the two Commissions established and the President at a short time from now will have those two Commissions sworn in so that their work can continue,” he said.

During a media briefing after the meeting, Jagdeo said

he related concerns that were raised with him by stakeholders about the nominees for the Public Service Commission but told the Head of State that the final decision is up to him.

Additionally, the Opposition Leader said he raised his own concerns about the proposed Chairman for the Police Service Commission, Paul Slowe, whom he pointed out has a history of political affiliation with the APNU since he had campaigned for the party in 2015.

Jagdeo also highlighted that Slowe has “interpersonal problems” with members of the Police Force and might be out to “settle old scores”. However, the President has assured that he will

speak to Slowe about separating his personal issues when performing official duties of the Commission.

Nevertheless, Jagdeo said while he did his part by raising concerns, the decisions are now in the hands of the president since he has fulfilled the constitutional requirement to have meaningful consultations with the Opposition Leader.

The Leader of the Opposition was accompanied by former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall and Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira while Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams accompanied the President.

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Trini woman jailed in UK for Guyana’s Local Govt defrauding charity of US$1 Million Elections set A for Nov 12

Ronald Bulkan

G

uyana’s Minister of Local Government, Ronald Bulkan announced on Thursday that Local Government Elections will be held on November 12, 2018.

The announcement was made during an address to Toshaos from across the country who are presently in Georgetown for the National Toshaos Conference. Bulkan said the order would be gazetted by the end of Thursday.

Already G$2.1 bil-

lion was approved in the 2018 National Budget for the holding of the local polls to elect neighbourhood, village and town councils.

The Minister’s announcement came one day after General Secretary of the opposition People’s Progressive Party, Bharrat Jagdeo announced that his party would more than likely name its presidential candidate for the 2020 General and Regional Elections before the end of the year.

Trinidadianborn woman has been jailed in the United Kingdom for defrauding a charity she worked for of just over US$1 million.

Nadia Deone Chase Ali, 35, was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of fraud by abuse of position, theft and removing money from England and Wales.

Ali was employed as a financial officer with Carnival Village Trust (CVT). She then went on to work freelance for the organisation, holding a position of trust in which she was expected to safeguard the financial interests of the charity.

Over the course of two years, Chase Ali made 530 separate payments totalling £784,262.56 (US$ 1.02 million) from

Nadia Deone Chase Ali was sentenced to six years in prison. (Photo Credit: Metropolitan Police)

CVT and TW11’s bank accounts into four of her own accounts. She disguised those transactions as payments to legitimate suppliers, service providers and government organisations, prosecutors said.

To conceal the theft, she stole a significant number of financial doc-

uments, including outstanding invoices, payments demand letters and financial statements, from the charity and company. These were found at her home address when she was arrested on March 16, 2017.

Investigators said Ali provided no explana-

tion in an interview for the fraud or documents found at her home.

She was charged seven months after arrest, and on day two of her trial which began on June 11 in the Isleworth Crown Court, she changed her plea for two counts – fraud by abuse of position and removal of criminal property out of England and Wales. She continued to plead not guilty to theft of the financial documents from the Tabernacle.

After hearing all the evidence, including from the defendant who took the stand, the jury found her guilty on June 15 of theft, fraud by abuse of position and removal of criminal property from England and Wales.

However, she was only sentenced a month later.

T&T teen killed in ‘shootout with cops’ (Trinidad Guardian)

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19-year-old man who was shot was taken to the

Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

He was identified as Akiel Thomas, of Phase Five, Beetham. Police

people at Hell Yard.

One of the men, police said, pulled out a firearm and opened fire on the police.

The police returned fire shooting Thomas

side.

“He was sleeping on the chair and the police come up and shoot him just so. There was no shootout. He had no

Senior police officers in the Port-of-Spain Division have launched an investigation into a shooting incident involving police officers at Hell Yard, Beetham Gardens yesterday which left a teenager (inset) dead.

claimed he was shot during an exchange of gunfire around 6.30 am.

This incident triggered scores of residents to protest in anger and some attempted to block the roads—the Eastern Main Road, the Priority Bus Route and the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Beetham.

Their actions were short-lived after vanloads of heavily-armed police officers arrived on the scene.

According to a police report, officers of the Port-of-Spain Division were conducting exercises in the community when they were confronted by a group of

in the chest. The other men, police said, ran off. Police said they recovered a firearm on the scene.

Police said Thomas was known to them and was believed to be involved in a gang.

Guardian Media was told that he acted as a “lookout” out to monitor who was attempting to enter the area.

A relative denied the police claims saying that Thomas was no gang member.

“He was a girl’s man and lime out late almost every day. He probably limed late last night (Tuesday) and slept away on the chair out-

gun,” the relative, who refused to give his name, said.

The T&T Police Service’s public relations officer, ASP Michael Jackman said police officers have in place several plans to deal with the Beetham residents should they “act up.”

“The police would respond accordingly should anything take place. The head of the Port-of-Spain Division is well on top of the matter and the situation there is clearly being monitored,” he said.

The flow of traffic, up to press time, was normal along the PBR, main road and highway.

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Opposition Leader rubbishes President’s ‘excuse’ for not hosting press conferences

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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has rubbished claims made by President David Granger that he has been dealing with domestic issues, which is the main reason why he has not been able to have frequent interactions with the local press.

Jagdeo was severely critical of the President’s comment, stating that his excuse was baseless and did not hold any truth. As such, the former Head of State fact-checked the comments the President made in relation to this issue.

“Granger shamelessly claims that he has been dealing with issues in the petroleum sector. We have so many unanswered questions,” he said. The Opposition Leader referred to the Local Content Policy, the Petroleum Commission and the Sovereign Wealth Fund as some of the issues that still needed to be looked at in that sector.

Jagdeo maintains the view that a strong local content policy will allow Guyana to safeguard opportunities for locals and not allow locals to be crowded out in the sector. On the Petroleum Commission, he argued, it ought to be a purely technical commission, but it is currently configured to give excessive powers to one person.

Jagdeo made it clear that none of the critical questions surrounding the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund, promised over a year ago, have been answered by the coalition Government.

He noted that a statement of principles, such as the Santiago Principles, on which the establishment of the Fund would be based would have sufficed.

He also reiterated the need for there to be an apolitical approach to setting up the Fund, a clear definition of the purpose of the Fund, and clearly defined rules on spending from the Fund,

among others.

On the President’s statement on crime being addressed, Jagdeo said the country was being ravaged on a daily basis by criminals and the Government has been giving the wrong signals to the security forc-

tor.

“My heart is in the right place, but right now, I’ve had a really difficult period of public engagement and overseas travel,” the President told the media on the sidelines of an event.

He added: “This time last week, I was in Montego Bay, the week before I was in Da

Nang,

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

es.

“This country is being ravaged on a daily basis by criminals …. this hopelessly misguided, inept, government is giving wrong signals to our security forces … they are not acting … the report from the Presidential Security Advisor (Russell Combe) has not even seen the light of day yet…,” he added.

On July 9, in defending why he has not held a press conference in months and why there were fewer formal engagements with the media, Granger said that his schedule was a major fac-

Vietnam. It could be a very challenging period and as soon as I get the opportunity, I will engage with the press, but I’ve been travelling quite a lot … I’m asking the media to be tolerant.”

Granger had also said that he was preoccupied with dealing with several local issues.

“It could be a challenging period and as soon as I get the opportunity, I would engage with the press, but I’ve been travelling quite a lot and then to deal with domestic issues – the sugar industry, we have to deal with the petroleum

industry, I have to deal with crime and security,” he had explained.

In the past, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) and other groups, including the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), have urged Granger to meet with the press.

These groups have also criticised Government for its silence on a number of matters of national importance, calling on the President to toughen up and face the entire local media corps.

The GPA had acknowledged that the President was not averse to speaking with the media on the side-lines of public events or during his “Public Interest” televised programme; however, the Association said that it believed that accountability to the Guyanese people would be best served through press conferences.

Public officials under the coalition Government have gone mute for a while now.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who has responsibility for public information, is also unavailable to the media and does not host press conferences to update the media or the public on what is going on with his office or the Government.

Political analysts and commentators have noted that there was a new culture seemingly developing whereby Ministers of Government were abusing and assaulting the media directly when displeased with a specific line of questioning, coverage of an event or editorial position of a newspaper on a particular matter.

After two years in office, President Granger held a press conference in December 2017, only the second since the coalition came into Government in May 2015.

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Mazaruni man knifed to death New container scanner will allow Guyana to meet while protecting younger brother int’l standards – GRA A The scanner at the new facility

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he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has commissioned a new container scanner facility at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) wharf. This scanner will enable the country to meet international standards and detect illegal trading activities.

Completed via public-private partnership between the GRA and the GNIC, and with a scanner presented by the People’s Republic of China, the facility was commissioned on Monday in presence of GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia, who noted that efforts to establish the much-awaited scanning facility have finally been realised, and this development would, in turn, advance trade with international agents and boost the revenue-collection system in Guyana.

“It is a known fact that the scanning facility will not only provide reduced trade transactions, cost and time in both imports and exports, but (would cater) also for the collection of increased revenues,” Statia said.

It was related that because such a security facility had been absent in the past, the country was on the verge of losing markets in the trades which it plied with international importers and exporters.

“Additionally, many countries to which Guyana (trades) requires scanning at source, and Guyana was in danger of losing these markets for lack thereof — of our failure (to meet) certain national trade guidelines for trade facilitation,” he said.

A number of wharf owners have, since 2016, been engaged by the GRA in relation to containers not being

scanned, and also to find an effective solution. Owners of new wharves have been instructed to ensure that they equip their facilities with scanners, and owners of the old established facilities have been admonished to take the necessary steps to procure scanning equipment.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan has reiterated that the scanning facilities will protect Guyana’s revenues from potential scams. Scanners are also considered essential equipment to reduce the amount of illegal drugs entering the country by illegal means, among other issues.

“Indeed, this scanner is important and very welcome at this time. It forms a crucial coin in our anti-money laundering efforts to fight against illegal drugs and other activities,” Minister Jordan has said.

“There are drugs that are coming into the country for which I believe we haven’t paid careful attention, and these are potentially legal drugs which come from either illegal sources or don’t meet the minimum standards required for use,” Jordan explained.

He also commented on the good relationship the country has, over the years, shared with the People’s Republic of China.

“The relationship has stood the test of time, and it is equipment like these that give us hope that our relationship will continue to endure and flourish,” Minister Jordan said.

Along with this present scanner, the facility will, by the end of this year, also house a mobile scanner which is also donated by the People’s Republic of China.

Overseas-based Guyanese drowns during family outing

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verseas-based Guyanese Ravindra Bufhraj, also called “Rick,” of Lot X 7 Amla Avenue, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown, reportedly drowned on Sunday, July 15, while jet-skiing in the Demerara River in

the vicinity of Coverden, East Bank Demerara.

The 46-year-old had reportedly arrived in Guyana with his wife and daughter on July 7, and a family out-

ing was subsequently planned to Santa Mission, Kamuni River.

This family, along with relatives, travelled to Jettoo’s Sawmill wharf at Block ‘Y’Coverden, EBD on Sunday, where they joined a speed boat which took them to an Amerindian reservation. They reportedly returned at about 17:00h.

Wanting some more fun, Bufhraj and a friend mounted a jet-ski and went for a ride in the Demerara River.

Bufhraj reportedly lost control of the jet-ski a short while after, resulting in both men falling into the Demerara River. Upon realising what had taken place, several persons rushed to their rescue with a boat. Unfortunately, only the friend was rescued, there was no sign of the overseas-based Bufhraj.

Panting for breath, the rescued man was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, while a search was launched to find the missing Bufhraj. After several hours of looking, the search party came up empty-handed.

His body has since been recovered.

farmer who was stabbed by a teenager during a scuffle over an old grievance succumbed to his injuries while waiting to be air-dashed to Georgetown from Kamarang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Dead is 23-year-old Hernan Leman, of Ammokopai Village, Upper Mazaruni River. He was stabbed once to his abdomen on Sunday afternoon, but took his last breath about 09:15h on Monday morning. The 18-year-old suspect also received injuries and is listed in critical condition.

Based on reports received, the now dead man and the suspect reside in the same village and are known to each other. However, on Sunday, the two men had a misunderstanding over an old grievance whereby the suspect had assaulted the younger brother of the now dead man.

The argument escalated into a scuffle during which the 18-year-old armed himself with a knife and dealt Leman one stab to his abdomen. Upon seeing

this, the younger brother of the victim, retaliated by picking up the said knife and dealing the suspect one blow to his back.

Both Fredericks and Leman were transported to the Kamarang Hospital, where they were examined and admitted in critical condition.

Owing to the severity of their injuries, it was recommended that the men be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital to receive further medical attention.

However, Leman succumbed to his injuries as he waited to be transported to the city. The suspect was subsequently transferred and was admitted a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital under police guard.

The victim’s brother, who inflicted the stab wound on the suspect, was arrested and was currently assisting with investigations. Leman’s body is presently at the Kamarang Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

Tiger Bay stabbing: Killer jailed for 23 years

of both the deceased and the offender were present in court.

Sentencing Justice Kissoon started the sentence at a base of 25 years, and deducted time spent on remand and for the early guilty plea. This resulted in a term of 13 years 7 months.

However, the judge noted that the court added 10 years for aggravating factors which observed the brutality of Stanley’s actions.

As such, he sentenced him to 23 years, seven months.

Just hours before killing Brown, Stanley had attacked another resident with a knife, and

T

Christopher Stanley

wenty-two-yearold Christopher Stanley was on Monday sentenced by High Court Justice Sandil Kissoon to serve 23 years, seven months in prison without the possibility of parole for the August 29, 2015 killing of 44-year-old Owen Brown at Tiger Bay, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown.

Represented by Attorney-at-Law Maxwell McKay, Stanley, of Rosemary Lane, Tiger Bay, Georgetown, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared before Justice Kissoon.

He admitted to stabbing Brown to death, but claimed he was warding off a sexual assault from Brown.

Stanley had stabbed Brown 21 times, and Prosecutor Mandell Moore contended that this showed that Stanley

had had intention to kill.

Stanley had fled the scene back then after committing the act. Brown, also called “Rasta man”, was reportedly killed on his bed and in his sleep.

However, Stanley told Justice Kissoon on Monday that he had lost control when he saw that Brown was going to sexually assault him.

D u r i n g Monday’s court hearing, Stanley, at times inaudible, appeared to have had difficulty understanding what Justice Kissoon was saying. However, he professed to understand that pleading guilty means he would receive a term of imprisonment.

He later apologised to the family members of the victim. Relatives

Deceased: Owen Brown

was later seen sharpening a knife. It has been alleged that Stanley had suffered with mental issues some months prior to killing Brown. The post mortem examination showed that Brown died from hemorrhage and shock due to multiple incised wounds.

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

CJ grants Interim Stay in misconduct charge against Singh, Brassington

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he Chief Justice on Tuesday granted an interim stay for the matter involving charges of misconduct in public office laid against former Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh and former Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, stemming from the sale of the former Sanata Textiles Complex to Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII).

On June 9, 2018, Singh, 45, of Lot 129 Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, and Brassington, 50, of Florida, USA, were called before Magistrate Leron Daly, who was hearing the case on the Chief Magistrate’s behalf. The matter was adjourned to July 26. As a result, the charge, which alleges that the property was sold at a grossly undervalued price to QAII, was neither sworn to nor read.

Following the charges being laid in the Magistrate’s Court, Singh and Brassington filed an affidavit in the High Court, in a manner similar to the affidavits filed when three similar charges were brought in May. Attorney Sase Gunraj, who appeared before the Chief Justice for the defendants, told Guyana Times International that despite stringent objections from representatives of the Attorney General

Chambers, his arguments prevailed and the Judge granted a stay pending the hearing and determination of the substantive action.

Gunraj said that he argued that a court had already granted a stay of the other matters and this one was filed in his opinion, very capriciously in the face of the other matters being stayed. Secondly, the charges that have been filed are almost identical to the ones that were previously filed. Thirdly, there is the issue of the [matters] canvased here are the same ones canvased and considered by Justice Franklin Holder in the previous case,” he added.

The Attorney said the overarching consideration was the extreme prejudice to which it exposed his clients.

Singh and Brassington are already before the courts on similar charges, for which an interim stay has been granted by Justice Holder, but the charge for the sale of the Sanata Textiles Complex was filed after the stay granted, despite being almost identical in form to the previous.

The charge alleges that Singh and Brassington, while performing the duties of Finance Minister and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NICIL respectively, between October 26 and December 20, 2010, acted recklessly when they agreed to

Former Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

the sale of the Sanata Textiles Complex to QAII. According to the charge, the 18.976-acre property was sold for G$697.8 million, but it was valued at G$1.04 billion.

However, according to privatisation documents published by NICIL, the property was valued at G$245 million by the Government’s Chief Valuation Officer, but QAII paid G$809.5 million for the property – more than three times the Government valuation.

According to documents seen by this newspaper, upon Cabinet’s approval, QAII embarked on its promised programme of reclamation, clean-up and investment. On May 30, 2007, QAII had requested and received a valuation of the property from the Government Assistant

Valuation Officer, which proposed G$330.375 million (land G$269.200 million; improvements G$119.175 million). On June 7, 2018, NICIL had commissioned a valuation from the private firm of Rodrigues Architects Ltd, which posited that the property be valued at G$1,042,403,500 (land G$209.650 million; improvements G$832.753 million).

NICIL also obtained on June 27, 2007, a valuation of the land and its improvements from the Government’s Chief Valuation Officer, which came in at G$245.175 million (land, G$130 million; improvements G$115.175 million).

QAII was responsible, at its expense, for the asbestos clean-up and removal of scrap, which alone incurred a cost of above G$400 million.

The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) had previously brought charges against the two former Government officials in April. The two men were arraigned on charges of allegedly selling several plots of land on the East Coast of Demerara to National Hardware Guyana Ltd for over G$598 million. In addition, the charges include selling land to Scady Business Corporation at a cost of G$150 million, and to Multi-cinemas Guyana Inc at a cost of G$185 million.

Many political and social commentators, even those in the legal fraternity, have ar-

Former head of the NICIL Winston Brassington

gued that the charges against the two former Government officials may be unconstitutional on the basis that they are not “public officers” in accordance with the Constitution.

Following these events, former Finance Minister Sasenarine Kowlessar, who served from 1999 to 2006, was taken in for questioning at SOCU’s Kingston, Georgetown head office, and was interrogated for close to five hours before being released on G$200,000 station bail.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said the decision to charge the duo for the sale of the lands was nothing more than a “frivolous” attempt to keep the campaign promise made by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to jail members of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Resort tragedy: Family calls “Lookout man” arraigned for allegedly for thorough investigation murdering pandit, son into teen’s death

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Charged: Orlando Douglas

hirty-year-old Orlando Douglas of Garnett Street, Georgetown was on Tuesday afternoon arraigned before a Georgetown magistrate, charged with the murders of 61-yearold Pandit Deonarine Liliah and his 28-yearold son Omkar Liliah, allegedly committed between July 7 and 10 at the Liliahs’ home at Delph and Craig Streets, Campbellville, Georgetown during the furtherance of a robbery.

Douglas was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Attorney representing Douglas, Melvin Duke, argued that his client had been randomly picked out of a crowd that had gathered at the scene of the crime on July 10. He charged that Douglas was not found with any tools or weapons, and contended that the accused is being tortured to make certain “confessions” regarding the matter.

The Police Prosecutor, however, told the court that the accused was found in possession of a mobile phone that belonged to one of the dead men.

Douglas has been remanded to prison until July 31, when the case is set for recall.

A tale of horror

It was previously reported that Douglas, who is known to the Police, was caught selling two mobile phones on Leopold Street, Georgetown on Friday

evening. Upon checking the phones, it was discovered that the handsets belonged to the now dead pandit and his son. As such, the young man was arrested and interrogat-

him to die in a pool of blood.

The killer then ransacked the house in search of money and jewellery, and as he was packing the loot, the pandit reportedly returned home, only to find his son’s bloodied and lifeless body lying on the floor.

Before the pandit could raise an alarm, the killer confronted him and stabbed him to death.

With both men dead, the suspect claimed, his accomplice left the house with two bags containing personal belongings of the now dead Liliahs.

They eventually met up on Sheriff Street, Georgetown with the intention of splitting the loot, but he instead was reportedly given two phones.

On the day of the discovery, the younger Liliah’s body was found lying face down on the floor in a pool of blood with a red jersey wrapped around his head. There were three stab wounds to his

A

post-mortem examination conducted on the body of 18-year-old Ronaldo Gomes has confirmed that his death resulted from his being struck by a boat last weekend while swimming at a resort on the LindenSoesdyke Highway.

Conducted by State Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh on Wednesday morning, the autopsy found that the teenager died as a result of asphyxiation and incise wound to the neck.

Gomes’s body – hands and neck – bore marks that are consistent with injuries caused by the propeller of an outboard engine.

Based on the findings of the autopsy, it was determined that the impact of the boat had caused the teenager to lose consciousness, and he subsequently drowned.

The lifeless body of Gomes, called “Naldo,” of Norton Street Wortmanville, Georgetown, was pulled from the black water at a private resort almost two hours after he had gone missing. Thereafter, it was discovered that the teen’s face was disfig-

Dead: Ronaldo Gomes

ured, and upon enquiring, relatives were told that he had come into contact with a jet-ski earlier in the day.

Although that had been the case, the rider of the jet-ski had not reported the incident. It was not until a search had been launched for the teen that someone reportedly told personnel at the resort that the teen had come into contact with one of the jetskis.

Guyana Times International understands that the teenager’s body was recovered at the same spot where he had been struck by

the jet-ski.

The late teenager’s mother, Paula Williams, had called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of the former student of both the Business School and School of the Nations.

“If you are in a boat driving, and it hits even a coconut shell, the driver will know he hit something… What is more worrying too, is the fact that when an alarm was raised that my son was missing, there were no life guards and workers of the resort present to help look for him,” the aggrieved mother told this newspaper earlier this week.

However, after the post mortem had been conducted, relatives were told by the Police that any step forward would have to be via private actions.

“They said if we want (to) go ahead, we can take legal action against [the resort],” a cousin said. The family is adamant that they will not let the matter go until they get justice for the teenager.

PPP to name presidential...

from page 3

Dead: Pandit Deonarine Liliah and Gopaul Liliah

ed, during which he reportedly told detectives that the plan to rob the Liliahs had been in the pipeline for quite some time.

He confessed that, on July 7, he and an accomplice had gone to the pandit’s premises, and after staking it out for some time, executed their plan.

The young man reportedly told detectives that he kept guard a short distance away, while his accomplice scaled the fence and entered the pandit’s home through a front door.

He told detectives that his accomplice realised that the younger Liliah was at home alone, and he and the now dead man reportedly had a scuffle, during which he stabbed the young man several times, and left

back, one each to the left and right side abdomen, and two to his chest.

The elder Liliah was found lying on his back in the living room. He was clad in a pair of white long pants and a multi-coloured jersey, and his face was covered with a multi-coloured jersey. He had sustained four stab wounds to his abdomen, four to his left side, one to the lower back, and one to the right hip.

There was no sign of forced entry into the home. However, CCTV footage collected from nearby buildings revealed that a male had scaled the fence and had entered the premises through a front door. After some time, he was seen leaving the house with two bulky bags and a bucket.

Charles Ramson Jr

what will happen, is not all of these people will rally around the person we chose and we move on to win the election,” he said.

Various concerns have been raised about the process which will be used to select the next presidential candidate for the PPP, but Jagdeo, has made it clear that the system used since 1992 will remain the chosen one. “There is a longstanding tradition: The congress selects the central committee and the central committee choses the candidate,” Jagdeo had a told a previous news conference.

He said this system, which was introduced by the party some 25 years ago under the leadership of the late Dr Cheddi Jagan, still obtains today. “So I doubt that is going to change for these elections, because that is the position. I tell you this because it seems as though

many people, in speculating about how the candidate would be chosen, are not aware of this process,” he explained.

He maintained that the party remains committed to the highest levels of transparency, accountability and democracy as it undertakes the process of selecting its next presidential nominee.

“That’s the process we have used, and from all indications, that is the process we will use again to select the next candidate; unless the central committee itself decides to change that procedure,” he added.

Jagdeo said the chances of people entering the race for the candidacy are possible, as this has been a longstanding practice of the PPP. “But at the end of the day, it is how many votes you muster there from the 35 (central committee members) that will matter in a democratic fashion. That person will emerge as the candidate.”

While the PPP General Secretary has explained that anyone from the party would be allowed to compete for the candidacy, he reiterated that the prospective contender would first have to be nominated.

There are several persons who are reportedly interested in being the party’s top candidate. So far, junior member and former Member of Parliament, Charles Ramson Jr. has publicly announced his candidacy for the position. Also, a number of former government ministers under the PPP, including Anil Nandlall, Irfaan Ali and Frank Anthony, have been expressing an interest to lead the PPP into the next elections.

It is also believed that some women candidates may join in the race to be nominated. These include party stalwart Gail Teixeira and MP Dr Vindhya Persaud.

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PNC heavyweights face off over Chair, Vice Chair posts A head of its congress, nominations for several top positions within the People’s National Congress (PNC) party were announced on Tuesday to help define the line-up of contenders as the race heats up.

According to PNC General Secretary Amna Ally at a press conference on Tuesday, incumbent Chairman Basil Williams, Vice Chairman Volda Lawrence and Executive member Joseph Harmon remain contenders for the chairmanship; and there are eight nominees.

When it comes to vice chair-

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton

manship, there are Volda Lawrence; Joseph Harmon; Director of Sport, Christopher Jones; Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton; Junior Public Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson; former PNC Parliamentarian James Bond;

Citizenship Minister Winston Felix, and overseas-based Cosbert Roberts.

No one has however dared to challenge incumbent party leader David Granger for the party leadership post. Asked to account for the proliferation of old and familiar names in the nomination pool, Ally insisted any party member could run.

“We welcome new faces; we welcome younger faces…

Anybody! We don’t have a barrier whether we want old and experienced people, or young and new. Once you’re a member of the party, you are qualified… you can run for any position,” she said.

The nomination process, however, is a daunting one for such new faces. Explaining the process, Ally noted that an accreditation committee would eventually be combing over the list of nominees to ensure they are ‘fit and proper.’

“For example, in the regions, if they are accustomed to ten faces, they might only nominate ten people. The process is, after we would have received the nominations, the accreditation committee will verify whether these are fit and proper people; whether they would have satisfied the membership criteria and (are) eligible for election,” explained Ally.

“These things are based on our party’s constitution,” the long-time PNC member added.

“After that happens, the returning officer takes over with the list of nominees, and he will conduct the elections.”

Director of Sport Christopher Jones

Former PNC Parliamentarian James Bond

Junior Public Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson

The race

Opposition Leader and now President, David Granger, and current Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge.

Observers and political commentators have since outlined that the dynamics playing out within the PNC for the position of Chairman point to the existence of factions within the party.

In fact, Dr David Hinds, an executive member of the Working People’s Alliance, one of the parties that make up A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), expressed his opinion publicly that the developments indicate that a faction within the traditional party faithful want Williams ousted from the chairmanship, possibly based on his performance.

Harmon’s entrance, he noted, indicates the presence of a

newer, more coalition-minded faction in the party.

“Two challengers to Basil Williams for (chairmanship) of the party, one can assume the general membership of the PNC may be dissatisfied with Williams’s tenure, and they may be looking for someone new,” Hinds related.

“In the last week, we’ve had Volda Lawrence throwing her hat into the race. I think that Lawrence and Williams are vying for the same kind of vote amongst PNC members. So it means (her) very entry into the race is an indication that that faction seems to think Williams is unable to win, and so they turn to Lawrence,” Hinds said.

The PNC’s Biennial Delegates Congress to elect persons to these new posts is slated for August 17-19, 2018.

On June 21, 2018, longstanding party stalwart, State Minister Joseph Harmon, announced his candidacy in a short statement. He had disclosed that the PNC holds its Congress biennially, at which time all positions of leadership (inclusive of Party Leader and Central Executives) are up for voting.

This announcement was made days after the PNC had held its second General Council Meeting for the year, on June 16.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence’s candidature was announced on June 30, 2018 by party activist Christopher Jones, Director of Sport, via his social media page.

Back in 2012, Lawrence had contested for the leadership of the party alongside then

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

G$300M hotel opens in Berbice The new hotel located on Main Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice

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G$300 million hotel was on Sunday opened in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

The new hotel, which is located on Main Street, New Amsterdam, has 30 rooms and is equipped with an indoor swimming pool and bar, sports bar, conference hall, and restaurant.

The Leisure Inn is now one of the landmarks of New Amsterdam.

Although the Inn was opened this year, its foundation is 10 years old. Co-owner Kesha Phillips explained that the family acquired another business property and the focus went to that building giving it priority.

Speaking at the launching on Sunday, New Amsterdam Mayor Winifred Haywood called on other hotel owners to step up.

“We cherish the hotels that were here over

the years, because we recognise that they were here and they were giving us a service. We thank you for what you have been doing, but now you need to step up.”

Meanwhile, Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association President Ryan Alexander noted that the idea to have the facility established was what he called, ‘thinking out of the box’.

“Leisure Inn has started the purpose of transforming New Amsterdam’s landscape for the future and has undoubtedly raised the bar of the hospitality industry in Berbice,” he declared.

The hotel is the first in Berbice to cater for differently-abled persons. Two rooms have facilities for persons who are differently abled and have the space to accommodate those persons.

news 21

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Another attempt to smuggle ERC will contraband into NA Prison remain E independent – Chairman

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thnic Relations Commission (ERC) Chairman, Dr John Smith has appealed for the independence of the recently-reconstituted body to remain intact as members find their footing.

He made this call at Saturday’s engagement with media operatives, and urged those practising the profession known as the fourth estate that they should be wary of “fake news”.

While calling for responsibility in journalism, he told media personnel that the ERC was answerable to the Speaker and Members of Parliament.

“Let us work together to produce harmony.

We are not answerable to and do not have a subject minister and that make us apolitical. We answer to the Speaker and the Parliament and we are supposed to send reports every year, so from that standpoint we want to continue,” Dr Smith stressed.

The ERC Chair highlighted that caution must be observed in reporting, especially in the age of social media and electronic media where information is dispersed much faster.

The comments were echoed by Guyana Press Association (GPA) President Nazima Raghubir, who stressed that in this light, political leaders needed to be held accountable for their statements as information is passed on even if a media house decided not to publish.

Meanwhile, Dr Smith praised the return of the ERC after its eight-year hiatus. Its previous incarnation was formed in 2004. Dr Smith said that even before the current body got into action, the Mae’s Schools situation with the Indigenous student erupted. He, however, said that he was pleased that the matter was resolved even before the ERC was able to address it. Earlier this year, the student was told he was “inappropriately dressed” when he turned up in traditional wear for the school’s Culture Day. “Before we could get our feet wet, we were faced with the situation at Mae’s School and ev-

ERC Chairman, Dr John Smith

erybody began to ask where is the ERC?” Dr Smith related.

The ERC was conceptualised after protests following the 1997 General Election. As part of the Herdmanston Accord brokered by Caricom and signed on January 17, 1998, the ERC was established as a constitutional body by Constitutional Amendment (#2) Act of 2000, which was assented to by the then President on August 11, 2000.

It has four broad functions: “Investigative, conflict resolution, education and public awareness, and research and development strategies”.

Among its functions as outlined in Article 212D of the Constitution are to provide for equality of opportunity between persons of different ethnic groups and to promote harmony and good relations between such persons and to promote arbitration, conciliation, mediation and like forms of dispute resolution in order to secure ethnic harmony and peace.

Additionally, it can investigate complaints of racial discrimination and make recommendations on the measures to be taken if such complaints are valid, and where there is justification, therefore, refer matters to the Human Rights Commission or other relevant authorities for further action to be taken. Meanwhile, the ERC is also mandated to promote equal access by persons of all ethnic groups to all public or other services and facilities provided by the Government or other bodies.

ven as authorities are trying to curb the smuggling of contraband into the various prisons across the country, another attempt was made to ferry in illicit items into the New Amsterdam Prison on Wednesday morning.

According to Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, the incident occurred about 04:16h. He revealed that a bag containing a quantity of illicit items was thrown over the prison’s fence into the compound.

However, attentive ranks stationed inside were able to retrieve the items.

Among the items found were: three parcels of suspected marijuana, 32 packs of cigarettes, two bottles containing white and brown rum, bamboo wraps, and a lighter.

Samuels noted that the Police were called in and an investigation has since been launched.

The smuggling of contraband items into prisons remains a perennial problem within the system. Nevertheless, authorities have been working to curb the practice and these efforts have re-

Some of the illicit items thrown into the NA Prison compound

sulted in several prison officers being caught facilitating the illegal trade, which is said to be “big business”.

In fact, Director Samuels disclosed during a press conference earlier this month that five prison officers have been relieved of their duties after they had been implicated in the May 1, 2018 incident in which a parcel containing cannabis had been thrown into the Lusignan Prison Holding Bay area. “…We also have five officers who have been interdicted from duty following the May 1 matter at the Holding Bay, where our CCTV footage would have revealed that

a number of what is suspected to be contraband items were thrown into the Holding Bay facility… Based on the reviews we would have conducted, it is clear that the officers were working in collusion with each other in order to facilitate the movement of the suspected contraband into the prison,” he explained.

Samuels further disclosed that legal advice has been sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions on the way forward, and he has decried the behaviour of such ranks.

“It is quite disturbing, it is quite embarrassing, to have to face these situations on a daily basis; but this is not a situation whereby the prison administration is failing to act. The reality of it is, despite we would do vetting and so forth, these prison officers are drawn from communities… and for some strange reason, despite they’re given their dos and don’ts, they allow themselves to be sucked into the financial gains that these activities can bring you,” he said.

Miss Guyana launches special needs summer camp

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tudents from the Sophia Special Needs School will be engaged in six weeks of physical and academic activities as Miss Guyana World 2018 launched her “Healthy Wholly Summer Camp” to tackle mental health issues on Wednesday.

The summer camp was organised in collaboration with the National Sports Commission, the Social Cohesion Ministry and other stakeholders, with the aim of strengthening the mind and body of these students through physical activities, which can significantly improve their physical and mental health.

Miss Guyana World 2018 Ambika Ramraj noted at the launch of her Beauty with a Purpose campaign initiative, that these activities coincided with her platform to spread more awareness on the importance of addressing mental health issues. For her, sports and physical activities are the best way to do so and thus, the children will be occupied with these engagements over their August vacation.

“Today (Wednesday), we take action to commit to giving these children an opportunity for a successful life. We want to help them to better

themselves and better their futures through the use of sports, physical activities and different aspects such as some forms of academic programmes and hands-on activities that they may develop further on into careers,” she said.

Ramraj explained that sport could assist these persons with establishing a disciplined and focused mindset while improving their mental well-being.

“We know that mental health has no colour, age, religion, status or other dividing factor. Mental health can affect every one of us and it is important for us to stand to fight against such an ill in society,” she emphasised.

“Our young people often times do not have the voice to speak for themselves. They often have to deal with mental health issues in silence, and some may not even know that they’re dealing with it,” she added.

Meanwhile, Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton underscored the importance of pageantry in the eradication of many social issues.

“I have long recognised the role that pageantry has played in our society and today reaffirms my strong

Miss Guyana World 2018 Ambika Ramraj at the launching of the “Healthy Wholly Summer Camp”

belief that pageantry can have a significant impact on the alleviation of many social issues,” Minister Norton said.

“I’m even more glad and appreciative of the fact that the programme is being introduced to the Sophia Special Needs School,” he later stated.

Throughout the six weeks, coaches and other partnering stakeholders will work with the children on different aspects of their development.

The summer camp will run until August 24. The organisers are also encouraging interested persons to make a pledge towards this cause.

Former Gold Board accountant slapped with fraud charge

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former Guyana Gold Board (GGB) accountant was on Wednesday slapped with six counts of fraud and taken before city Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Rosanna Ramnarine was allegedly fired in November 2017, after an audit of the GGB allegedly unearthed a major fraud involving herself

and a clerk at the agency.

The prosecution is contending that the 35-yearold former accountant defrauded the company of over G$1 million between the period of February 1 and June 30, 2017.

It was previously reported that the former accountant and her clerk during their alleged fraudulent activities documented that miners paid less money than they actual-

Rosannna Ramnarine

ly did to the Gold Board.

They were sent home as the Special Organised

Crime Unit (SOCU) was investigating the matter.

On Wednesday, Ramnarine was released on G$50,000 bail for each charge. She will return to court on July 23, 2018. As a condition of bail, the former accountant was ordered to lodge her passport with the court and report to SOCU’s headquarters every Friday until the conclusion of the matter.

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Huge labour problem at Albion Estate

...may not meet 2nd crop target

BY ANDREW CARMICHAEL

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he Albion Estate on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice has vacancies for 600 workers of various categories, and may not be able to meet its target for the second crop, which is expected to commence within a few weeks, if most of those vacancies are not filled by then.

G u y S u C o Communications Manager Audreyannna Thomas made this disclosure at the Albion Community Centre while addressing a community meeting on plans for the entity.

“Albion Estate has a huge labour problem.

Last crop attendance, Albion was about 60 per cent, we need you to help

The Albion Sugar Factory

to improve attendance for the second crop; we would like to get attendance up to 100 percent,” she said.

She also spoke of the 600 vacancies which currently exist at that sugar estate noting that the focus of the outreach is on the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo’s) Strategic Plan 2018-2021. The plan, she explained, is essential to what will be done at the three estates remaining under GuySuCo - Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion - between this year and 2021.

At the turn of the year, 1181 employees of the Rose Hall Estate in East Canje Berbice and 1851 employees of the Skeldon Estate in the upper reaches of the Corentyne Coast were made redundant.

Thus a total of 3032 sug-

ar workers of the East Berbice Estates were without jobs at the turn of 2018.

Regional Chairman David Armogan also addressed the meeting held at the Albion Community Centre. He noted that people have lost confidence in the estate, and although a job shortage exists in the region, the Albion Estate may have difficulty filling those 600 vacancies.

Saying management needs to instill confidence in the workforce, Armogan added, “You sent home thousands of workers, and now you are short of 600 workers. What that tells me is that there is a lack of confidence by the workers. Because they don’t trust the estate’s management, they are moving to other forms of employ-

ment. What many of them did was to take the little pay-off that they got and invested it in something (so) that they can make a few dollars more, because they do not believe… The psyche in their head is telling them that the estate might not last much longer.”

Thomas said the Albion Estate is very critical to the development of Region Six. It maintains the drainage and irrigation system from Bush Lot on the Corentyne Coast; provides employment to a large number of residents of the region; and benefits many businesses by providing emergency services to the community.

Armogan had told those in attendance that a business plan is a course of action that a company is embarking on in order to achieve a certain goal. “The other aspect of a plan is that it has to be worked by people; a plan cannot operate by itself,” the Regional Chairman said.

Some 5700 workers from Skeldon, East Demerara (Enmore) and Rose Hall Estates were dismissed after GuySuCo had terminated their employment in 2017. Before then, over 1000 Wales

Corporate Communications Manager Audreyannna Thomas and Regional Chairman David Armogan

Estate workers were similarly dismissed when the entity officially ceased operation in December 2016. These moves were in keeping with what Government has said were “cost-cutting measures”.

However, the David Granger Administration has been strongly criticised for not having an holistic approach to the age-old industry, as many stakeholders, civil society groups including the private sector, and opposition politicians called for social impact studies to be conducted before closures.

In December 2017, the Special Purposes Unit (SPU), which falls under the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), officially took over operations at Skeldon; East Demerara

(Enmore), Rose Hall and Wales. It was announced that the SPU was overseeing divestment plans, by way of either selling off or restarting factories with minimal staff to attract investors – both domestic and foreign.

NICIL’s Special Purpose Unit (SPU) Head, Colvin HeathLondon, has recently confirmed that over the next few months, special emphasis would be placed on transforming GuySuCo’s economic misfortune into a situation wherein a fully self-sufficient, viable and competitive enterprise operates.

He has since announced securing G$30 billion, being sought in the form of a syndicated bond, to support GuySuCo and its remaining estates.

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Berbice pensioner dies Take action now to save Berbice after son allegedly Bridge from bankruptcy sets home on fire …PPP urges Govt

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he burnt remains of a 72-year-old man were removed from the debris of his burnt-out Berbice home after his son allegedly set the house ablaze.

Dead is James Pertam Lachmansingh, of Lot 9 A Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice.

Reports are the former rice farmer shared the home with his 20-year-old son.

Guyana Times International was told that on Saturday, the son, who is reportedly a known drug addict, started the fire on the veranda and it quickly spread to the kitchen. He left the burning building and stood on the road as the fire spread.

At the time, his father was sitting in the living room watching television. This publication was told that the pensioner suffered from a medical condition, which limited his mobility. As such, he was unable to escape the inferno.

According to an eyewitness, the smoke was initially seen coming from the kitchen area, but by the time neighbours were alerted and rushed to the building, flames had already consumed the door and they could not enter.

Meanwhile, a fire unit from the Onverwagt Fire Station responded quickly.

The firemen braved the heat

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Dead: James Pertam Lachmansingh

to enter the building, but the pensioner had already perished. The man’s burnt body was found lying on the kitchen floor.

However, they were able to prevent extensive damage to nearby buildings, one of which had already ignited when they arrived.

A close relative who spoke with this newspaper related that the man’s son had developed a habit of beating his father whenever he was denied money to purchase marijuana.

Both the Police and the Guyana Fire Service are investigating the matter.

Lachmansingh leaves to mourn four children, two of whom are overseas, and five siblings, all of whom are overseas. (Andrew Carmichael)

he Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has called on the Government to stop blaming it for the troubles the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) finds itself in, indicating that the current Administration is in a position to save the company from bankruptcy.

The BBCI recently proposed a 150 per cent increase in its tolls in order to meet its expenses. The Company said the increases were necessary, so it could make enough money to operate, conduct maintenance works, and pay dividends to shareholders.

The new tolls proposed by the BBCI will see cars and minibuses paying G$8040 to cross the bridge; pickups, small trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles G$14,600; medium trucks G$27,720; large trucks G$49,600; articulated trucks G$116,800 and boats G$401,040.

In a statement on Friday, the PPP called on the Government to take responsibility for its actions accusing it of decimating the local economy in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

“Thousands of workers were put on the breadline and, therefore, any toll increase will be an unconscionable burden on the backs of the users of the Bridge.

The Government can address this issue and maintain the viability of the Bridge by doing ei-

The Berbice Bridge

ther one of two things: provide a subsidy for the financing shortfall in the Bridge cash flows, and/or buy out the investors in the Bridge,” the PPP said.

Additionally, the PPP reminded that in 2014 the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) used its one-seat parliamentary majority to pass a motion to reduce the tolls on the bridge. One year later when the APNU/AFC came into Government, it further reduced the bridge tolls “without making provision to fund capital repayment scheduled to commence in 2014 – a fundamental breach of the Concession Contract.”

In accordance with the Berbice Bridge Act passed in Parliament in 2006, the Government entered into a

Concession Agreement with the privately-owned BBCI with one important section being the Toll Formula to calculate tolls. No changes in tolls were projected until 2014, the year the Bridge Company was scheduled to start repaying the principal on its debt; up to the end of 2013, only interest was being paid on its debt financing.

The PPP said it was willing to make public its 2006 financial model, which had toll increases in two years – 6.4 per cent in 2014 and 17.3 per cent in 2017 (compared to the 150 per cent that is now proposed), with these increases coming almost eight years after construction of the Bridge started.

“There is no shortage of project documentation for the continued on page 24

24 news

A basic ‘cut and paste’ …Jagdeo says of APNU/AFC Govt’s Green State Development Strategy

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

IMF sounds warning to Guyana …says country at risk of external financial shocks

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n reiterating his disapproval of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) that was created to replace the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said it would only put pressure on the treasury, and if the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) returned to office, it would be automatically scrapped.

Jagdeo described the draft strategy, which he has had a look at, as one that was a basic ‘cut and paste’ of best practices from around the world, essentially lacking the ability to attract funding for Guyana.

“It will add cost. I disagree with its fundamental premise. The premise which brings cost to the country versus earning money for the country…

The LCDS was an economic strategy. It earned money for Guyana. The GSDS is so far about expenditure from our treasury. That is why conceptually, we disagree with it.”

Jagdeo, the mastermind of the LCDS, which secured him international recognition and led to him being conferred with the “Champion of the Earth” award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said that under the LCDS, there were specific areas that were targeted for development purposes across Guyana.

“We said we are going to spend US$10.5 million on Amerindian land titling. It solved a problem. Two, we will spend US$17 million on ICT (Information Communication Technology) in the hinterland. We would spend x amount of money like US$80 million on the hydropower by buying down equity,” he explained.

Further, the Opposition Leader said there were also plans to create a centre for biodiversity studies and establish an adaptation plan. He said, “We searched into crops that were flood and bug resistant. We set aside money for small loans and grants too to individuals in various sectors. It was about 20 initiatives and

President David Granger

we were earning money doing that, we weren’t taking money from taxpayers’ money.”

As such, the former Head of State argued that the GSDS was more about cost to the Guyanese public. “Right now, they are talking about planting trees and all of that. They missed the whole point that that was an economic strategy to adjust to the future.

That’s why conceptually, we have a major difference,” he added.

Reference was also made to the fact that several foreign consultants were hired to review the strategy for advice and further input, including requesting the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to be part of it.

Jagdeo, who was the first President of that body, said he has seen a lot of what has been used before in the GSDS, in addition to that of the work being done by UNEP. “The speeches would tell you, (David) Granger… the first year he went into Parliament.

He keeps saying one thing over and over again. It does not change.

Same old thing,” Jagdeo stated, noting that the GSDS would not bring any substantial benefits to Guyana, but rather put pressure on taxpayers’ dollars.

Jagdeo noted that the Strategy has not received the approval of the National Assembly, while noting that it was still at its conceptual stage. Nevertheless, he said, “That is a political initiative of Granger until it has parliamentary approval as far as we are concerned. In all likelihood, we will scrap

it as soon as we get into office, because it makes no sense. It will only add cost. That’s all.”

A number of renewable energy farms and facilities form the thrust of Government’s goals in the GSDS. The Government plans to build a solar energy plant to the tune of US$3.8 million. The farm, to be funded by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), will be constructed at Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni). It was indicated that construction of this farm would be completed by the end of 2018.

Government has also secured funding from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to establish solar photovoltaic (PV) farms at Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini) at a cost of US$1.8 million; Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) to the tune of US$2.6 million; and Matthews Ridge, Region One (Barima-Waini) at a cost of US$2 million. It has also secured a line of credit of approximately US$15 million.

The Government has been heavily criticised for the GSDS that has been touted as a blueprint to developing a “green economy”.

The Opposition has described the document as a hollow one. But with Government recently getting the green light to access funds from Norway for its renewable energy initiatives, questions remain over exactly what policy document was presented.

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Finance Minister Winston Jordan

ith Guyana’s balance of payments deficit on the rise, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is warning of the need for the Government to be prepared for external shocks on the financial market.

This is contained in the report from the IMF Executive Board following the conclusion of its Article IV consultations.

The report was released a few days ago. According to IMF, Guyana’s vulnerability is due to the reliance placed on so few exports.

“The exchange rate should play a more active role in cushioning external shocks going forward. Guyana remains vulnerable to external shocks given the concentration of its exports in a few commodities and its reliance on imported oil in the short term,” the group stated.

As it is, facilitating a robust commercial sector is crucial to enhancing not only traditional exports but opening up new export opportunities. According to the IMF, this should be a pri-

mary goal of the government.

“Enhancing competitiveness and supporting inclusive growth should remain a high priority. Greater efforts are needed to lower the cost of doing business by addressing infrastructure-related bottlenecks, reducing energy costs, and cutting red tape.”

“Increasing female labour force participation and bridging the gaps with the hinterland can boost growth and help spread its benefits more widely,” the IMF team also advised the Government.

Balance of payments

The balance of payments is statistical data on a country’s fiscal transactions, including imports and exports. To therefore record a deficit, Guyana would have had to spend more on imports, among other things, than it earned from exports.

According to the 2017 macro-economic report, Guyana’s overall balance of payment in the 2017 fiscal year showed a deficit of US$69.5 million.

This is a hike when com-

pared to US$53.3 million the previous year.

On the one hand, the current account shows a deficit of US$287.4 million for the year 2017.

But in the previous fiscal year, the report notes, this was just US$12.4 million. The report admits that this is because of a negative balance on the merchandise trade account.

“The further weakening was due to the negative balance on the merchandise trade account.

Merchandise exports were slightly lower than projected, mainly on account of lower export earnings of gold and other exports in the last two months of the year.”

When Finance Minister Winston Jordan presented the 2018 Budget last year, he had announced that merchandise imports were estimated to grow by 9.6 per cent. This had been attributed to increased imports of mining machinery, chemicals, fuel, and lubricants.

According to the report, imports exceeded the Government’s projections.

“Imports were slightly more than the US$1.59 billion projected at the time of the presentation of the 2018 Budget. As a result, the merchandise trade deficit of US$196.2 million was considerably higher than the projected deficit of US$147.2 million.”

“Notwithstanding, the deficit on the services account was lower than estimated. The improvement in the services account more than offset the weaker balances on both the non-factor services and unrequited transfers accounts,” the report states.

Take action now to...

Berbice Bridge BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer) model. Under this model, a 21-year concession was issued to the BBCI, whose ownership and financing involved most of the local private banks, insurance companies, pension funds, the NIS, and corporate investors of Guyana,” the PPP said.

More than G$8 billion was raised in the form of bonds, subordinate debt, preferred shares, and common shares (common dividends have never been paid). Government, with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), built the access roads. The project did not receive any Government guarantee.

Just Thursday, Public Infrastructure Minister David

from page 23

Patterson said he would be bringing Cabinet’s attention to the toll increases proposed by the BBCI. The Minister made the statement on the heels of the Public Infrastructure Ministry saying it rejected the proposed increases while alluding to the APNU/AFC’s campaign promise of reducing the tolls.

The ownership structure of the BBCI is made up of ordinary share capital of G$500 million owned by private investors and preference shares of G$950 million owned by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). The Bridge has a wide cross-section of investors including various pension schemes, insurance schemes, local banks as well as private companies and NIS.

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“Official bullying”

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he fracas that occurred at the New Thriving restaurant’s parking lot and involved allegations of a guard pointing a gun at Junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes – an allegation that has since been debunked by video footage — reinforces the need for the existence of a strong ministerial code of conduct.

This is according to Dr David Hinds, who also expressed disappointment that so far only one official, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, has publicly addressed the matter.

Hinds, who is also an executive member of the Working People’s Alliance – a party within the coalition Government — has expressed that while he is mindful that errors of judgement happen, the behaviour of the minister is a worrying one. He expressed the belief that had the minister been a private citizen, she would not have behaved in the manner depicted in the surveillance video.

“It is one of the worrying characteristics of the top echelon of this

ample,” Hinds chided.

While a Code of Conduct for Ministers was gazetted last year June, it was heavily criticised for being weak. Specifically, the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) had stated, after reviewing the draft, that some of its most critical recommendations, including penalties for specific breaches, have been ignored.

David Hinds

Government and (of) previous ones. They seem intoxicated by the power they have, and use it simply because they have it and could use it. Part of it, I think, has to do with their unfamiliarity with political power that is born of a lack of proper preparation for high office,” Hinds declared.

“I have read where some defenders cite the minister’s hard work and forthrightness as her assets. But effectiveness as a minister is not licence for bullyism. At the very least, the Government, the President and the party to which the minister is affiliated should publicly disassociate themselves from such behaviour,” Hinds cau-

tioned.

He stressed the importance of leadership by example from those in leadership positions, and noted that throwing one’s weight around as a minister and then telling a story that is at odds with the available facts is, at the end of the day, “official bullying.”

“In the final analysis, this episode reinforces the need for a serious Code of Conduct for Ministers. It also signals that those entrusted with public power must manage it better. Our country is mired in lawlessness and incivility at all levels, and if we are to pull ourselves out of it, those who are in leadership positions must lead by ex-

The parking lot saga

Minister Simona Broomes had claimed that she and her driver, whose name has to date not officially been released to the media, had been victims of verbal assaults and threats by two security guards who were attempting to bar her from parking in a specific section of the establishment.

Minister Broomes had also alleged that one of the guards had pointed and “crocked” a firearm at her and the driver of her SUV vehicle at some point during the incident. She claimed she was fearful for her life and safety as a result of the actions of the guards; who, following the incident, were arrested and

…President, PNC should publicly disassociate themselves from Broomes’ action – Hinds

detained by Police ranks before being released on their own recognisance.

But since the release of CCTV footage last week, it has become clear that the version of the story told by Minister Broomes is different from what was depicted on camera. This has caused much criticism to be unleashed

“No parking” sign from the spot. And as her driver moved the vehicle forward, it almost struck one of guards who stood in front of it. The driver then exited the vehicle again, and another exchange followed.

Asked last week whether the Police have found any proof to substantiate the claims

Junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes

on social media against the APNU/AFC official.

Video footage has displayed Broomes and her driver becoming enraged upon being told that they could not park in the specific area. Broomes was seen stepping out of the vehicle and throwing the

made by Minister Broomes that a gun had been aimed at her during the ordeal, Crime Chief Paul Williams has declined to make any definitive pronouncement.

Police are, however, expected to wrap up their investigations soon.

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Patterson maintains ‘draconian increases’ in Berbice Bridge tolls will not be allowed

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midst calls for Government to rethink its decision not to grant toll increases to the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI), Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has declared that Government will not, under any circumstance, allow the draconian increases being proposed by the BBCI. “The Government’s position remains the same. We think that the proposed cost by the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI) is way in excess (of reasonableness), and would be burdensome to the citizens of Berbice in Regions Five and Six,” Patterson has said.

In a Department of Public Information report, Minister Patterson further added, “We are not — at this time or at any time at all — contemplating raising the tolls to those levels: 300 percent! We obviously will continue to engage the BBCI for alternative solutions, save and except passing it on to the consumers.”

Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes has said the Berbice Bridge was badly conceptualised and is doomed to failure.

He says the bridge also stands at an inappropriate location.

“The Berbice Bridge was (always) a financial disaster. The numbers never added up, they still do not add up. They want to carry the fares up, it becomes a political issue; but the reality for us in Guyana is (that), had we initially run the numbers, the bridge wouldn’t be located where it is today; it would be located down the river, where it was narrower and more feasible… If we had really run the numbers, we would have ended up with a permanent, fixed-span

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

bridge rather than a floating bridge,” Hughes has said.

Both Minister Patterson and Attorney-at-Law Hughes were present at the National Toshaos Council’s 12th Annual Conference being hosted at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre under the theme “Preserving Our Past, Protecting Our Future”.

BBCI Chairman Dr. Surendra Persaud recently called on Government to allow the company to increase its tolls to keep the Berbice Bridge afloat.

The bridge was constructed under a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) scheme, a public-private partnership venture.

Construction of this bridge under the Bharrat Jagdeo Administration was heavily criticised, because a few private investors were allowed almost total control of the bridge although they had invested only a fraction of the almost G$9.5 billion (US$45 million) used to build it. The Government of Guyana is the bridge’s largest investor, but can take control only after 20 years.

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Agreeing…

U …on elections goals?

nder fire from the Opposition – both for his appointment and his decision on the Deputy CEO of GECOM – Rtd Justice James Patterson made some conciliatory noises, saying that “elections count for nothing if they aren’t “free and fair””. Was he trying to placate the Opposition as he addressed employees of the elections body who were being trained for the imminent LGE? But in his remarks, notwithstanding the laudatory sentiment, Patterson simply emphasised why he was objectionable to the Opposition in the first place. He noted, “I have discovered since they declared me to be chairman of the outfit, what an important part GECOM plays in the public forum of this country.” He only discovered this NOW?? Where was he for the last two decades?

Ummmm!! Well, actually, he was in Grenada where he claimed he was “Chief Justice”, but later when confronted with the evidence – or really the LACK of evidence – he then claimed his pen had “SLIPPED”!! If his pen slipped to claim such an elevated position that was never achieved, why shouldn’t the Opposition be worried his pen may slip to give the PNC a victory they never achieved??

But let’s take him at his word on his realisation of the importance of GECOM as a lightning rod for much of Guyana’s political discussion – and deconstruct that realisation. It means that while Burnham and the PNC were rigging elections to remain in power, the Opposition’s struggle for “free and fair” elections – which dominated politics between 1968 and 1992 – didn’t touch his consciousness!! And the only reason this could’ve been so was because at the very best – like the Caricom leaders who were also struck mute – Patterson had bought Burnham’s “excuse”. That if it wasn’t the PNC, then the “Indian” PPP would get into power.

At the very worst, he could’ve been a dyed-inthe-wool PNC – as we discovered Granger was since a mere lad in short pants – after his confession to that overseas PNC group!! So yes, Mr Patterson, GECOM looms VERY large in our political discourse for very good reasons. Most non-PNC Guyanese – and some PNC ones – are CONVINCED rigging’s in the air. Those who lived through the past riggings can smell as well as see the signs.

We know Burnham had contemplated bringing in St Lucians to swell his constituency…so folks are leery the missing Haitians and Cubans may be the latest “fillers”. Burnham had padded the voters’ list with underage teenagers and with the now-revealed PNCite Felix given the Births and Deaths portfolio from Ramjattan, can you blame the present paranoia??

The ERC should demand Patterson testify!! … on Disciplined Forces’ rotten apples Imagine the following headlines in only ONE DAY’S NEWSPAPER: “Joint Services rank, three others found with ganja at Demerara Harbour Bridge”; “Cop being detained after Soesdyke club shooting”; “Lusignan Prison search uncovers more phones, drugs and weapons” and “Constable held with over 45 lbs of ganja at Cove and John”!! And the same day the Police announce that this year robberies have increased in our country once again!!

Well, if those in charge of “protecting” us have fallen to the “get rich quick by any means necessary” syndrome, what’d you expect from the career criminals out there? In fact, the forces of “law and order” are literally giving the criminals a run for THEIR MONEY!! But the rotten apples are also located higher in the barrel.

When this government took office, they boasted that because of the dominance of personnel from the Disciplined Forces in their ranks, Guyana’s security threat would be neutralised.

Now think why that ain’t so!! …on source of pharma corruption Finance Minister Winston Jordan explained that the Tender Board couldn’t very well be blamed for the latest scandal in the sole sourcing of pharmaceuticals for the GPHC. How could they withhold approval when the G$367 million in drugs was described as an “emergency”?

So why not charge the person who declared the emergency??

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Ethnic relations body engaging various stakeholders in Guyana

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Commissioners and representatives of the Muslim constituency

aving been re-constituted on February 22, 2018, and with its first statutory meeting held in late April, the ERC is in the process of reintroducing the body to foster awareness of its twenty-four (24) functions listed in Article 212D of the Constitution, and to seek possible inputs from stakeholders in support of the delivery of its mandate.

The Commission met on Tuesday with representatives of the Hindu, Christian and Islamic constituents at the Herdmanston Lodge in Queenstown, Georgetown; and in fruitful engagements, pertinent concerns were raised, suggestions were offered, and firm commitments were made to work together in the struggle of promoting harmony and good relations across the country.

The constitutional body also met

on Monday last with Commissioners appointed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to serve on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This has been part of the process of investigating the employment practice of GECOM, as requested by the PPP appointed Commissioners Sase Gunraj, Bibi Shadick and Robeson Benn.

The ERC has already met with President David Granger; Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo; the Private Sector Commission, and the Ambassador and team from the European Union (EU).

Other meetings scheduled for this month include with the Inter-Religious Organisation and other religious bodies; cultural organisations, and representatives of women and youth constituents.

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Bartica man jailed for 28 Man denies trying to murder years for murdering mechanic father-in-law …after being asked to move out from house

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S

Accused: Sudesh Rambhajue

udesh Rambhajue will next Monday answer to allegations that he attempted to murder his father-inlaw, Latchman Narine Persaud, on September 18, 2015 at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo.

Rambhajue had been charged with felonious wounding committed on Narine Persaud, but at Tuesday’s arraignment before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court, he denied both counts.

The defendant did not have legal representation, but the court nevertheless empanelled the matter, giving the accused almost one week to obtain the services of an attorney to defend him in court.

Rambhajue told the court he could not afford to retain an attorney and requested that the State provide representation for him. However,

the court’s view was that such charges do not necessarily require the State to provide legal counsel.

Prosecutor Seeta Bishundial is leading the State’s case, and is assisted by fellow attorneys Narissa Leander and Tiffini Lyken.

It was previously reported that Narine Persaud claimed to have been attacked by the suspect after he had asked him to move out from his house. However, Persaud explained that after Rambhajue had ignored his request, he sought to repeat it when he saw the man approaching his home on the evening in question.

Narine Persaud reported that the man became annoyed, and stabbed him before fleeing the scene.

Several witnesses are expected to testify when the matter is heard next week.

Dead: Puranand Baljit

wenty-two-yearold Ryan Jones, also called Rayon Jones, was on Tuesday sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon to 28 years’ jail for killing a 24-year-old mechanic on June 9, 2016 when he burglarised the mechanic’s home at Madewini, Timehri. The victim, Puranand Baljit, had been stabbed 10 times, and died as a result of his injuries.

Jones, of Fourth Avenue, Bartica, who was recaptured after escaping from the Lusignan prison in an outbreak that occurred in 2017, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter on Tuesday, after being originally indicted for murder committed in the furtherance of a robbery. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the capital offence.

He was represented by Attorney Maxwell McKay, while State Prosecutor Mandell Moore appeared for the State.

Jones admitted he

had entered Baljit’s room by climbing through a window, and had stolen the victim’s laptop and cellphone. However, Baljit suddenly awoke and confronted him, and Jones stabbed the man with a knife he had taken to the scene, the court was told.

Baljit’s father related to investigators that on the night of his son’s murder he had heard screams coming from his room. He later discovered his son lying in a pool of blood. Jones, who had fled the scene, was apprehended two days later at the Georgetown seawall in the company of a female; and according to court records, Jones had sold the stolen items, worth several hundred thousand dollars, for only G$5,000.

He told Justice Kissoon on Tuesday that he was running his whole life, and didn’t know why; but he now knows the truth, and it has set him free. He also expressed remorse for his actions while also saying that he has one

life to live and one judgment to face.

However, the court has sentenced Jones to serve out his sentence without the possibility of parole.

Jones was 20 at the time he committed the crime, and he admitted to knowing the deceased prior to the incident.

According to the particulars of the case, after confessing to Police, Jones had taken ranks to an abandoned house where he had stashed the murder weapon and clothes which had stains suspected to be blood on them.

His lawyer, in a plea of mitigation, stressed that Jones had always cooperated with Police,

tim was killed. No relative of either the victim or accused was present in court.

Justice Kissoon, in considering the sentence, told the offender that the court would normally hand down life imprisonment owing to the nature of Jones’s offence, but would not in this case, as he was 20 when he killed Baljit.

Nevertheless, the judge considered that the defendant went to the victim’s home with the knife in his possession.

In computing the sentence, 10 years were added to the base of 14 years and 5 months on account of aggravating factors. This gave 24 years, 5 months, but

Jailed: Ryan Jones

and had had no additional matters other than the murder case and escaping from the Lusignan Prison in July last year.

However, Prosecutor Moore called on the court to consider why the vic-

Justice Kissoon added 3 years and 7 months for the brutality meted out to the victim; and in the end the sentence amounted to a prison term of 28 years.

(Shemuel Fanfair)

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Guyana Govt taking new measures to reduce rising infant deaths

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

I

n the wake of concerns expressed by the parliamentary Opposition about the rate of neonatal deaths, the Government is adamant that it has been investigating every such death. Moreover, the Georgetown Public Hospital as the premier public health facility has been taking the most high-risk cases.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence informed the National Assembly on Friday that because of this, the Georgetown Public Hospital would have a higher mortal-

ity figure than other hospitals. That being said, she stressed that Government has managed to reduce these numbers.

The Health Minister further explained that there was no increase during the period June 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, rather, the numbers followed along the same trajectory. Of the 1155 admissions to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), there were 119 deaths of new-born babies, representing 10.3 per cent of the total admissions. In addition, between January and April 2018, there were 32 deaths of new-borns.

Indeed, Government is cognisant of the seriousness of the situation. In an interview with this publication, Lawrence was asked what the Ministry was doing about this very situation. She had noted that they would be incentivising home care givers. According to the Minister, they thus hope to get more women into the hospitals where they can get professional care and where their natural births can be supervised.

“We take care of them until they deliver,” she had explained. “We find

that that is safer than bringing her when she’s ready to deliver or when she’s already in a crisis.

We’re also going to work with the attendants.

Most times, these women are in the hands of a home attendant or family attendant. Because that’s tradition, it’s been going on for many, many years.”

“So what we’re going to do, we’re going to work with the home attendants and give them an incentive for every woman they bring to the centre. We are going to encourage them to do traditional birthing, but under the supervision of a practitioner.”

Lawrence noted that most of these deaths seemed to come from the Indigenous demographic. She revealed that last week she, public and private personnel met with specialists brought in by the Pan-American Health Organisation at Aruwai for a period of three days.

Besides measures to get caregivers involved, she had said that they would also be purchasing some new drugs and kits that can be used in compressing and reducing haemorrhages. She also reflected on what her

Ministry has been doing thus far.

“I know that prior to my becoming the Minister of Public Health, that there have been several attempts to ensure they arrest this issue. We thought we had moved forward last year, but we did not. We missed a few things.”

“As a result, this year there was a discussion specifically on us putting our resources together, because no woman should be dying in giving life ,irrespective of where she is,” the Minister declared.

Deaths

In 2016, it had been announced that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a G$1.6 billion loan to fund a programme to help reduce

maternal, perinatal and neonatal deaths in the country.

The Bank had said that the programme, which seeks to improve the quality of care at 140 health facilities across Guyana, will benefit some 140,000 women and 9000 babies annually.

It had pointed out that despite progress achieved during the last decade, Guyana’s maternal and infant mortality rates were among the highest in the Region, with a maternal mortality rate estimated at 121 per 1000 live births and an infant mortality rate of 22 per 1000 live births.

The IDB had said that the operation draws from the IDB’s experiences with the Mesoamerican Health Initiative and in-

corporates lessons learnt from evidence-based biomedical and operational interventions. It will closely monitor results to ensure that those interventions can contribute to the success of the programme.

The total cost of the project is G$1.6 billion (US$8 million), of which G$800 million will come from the IDB’s ordinary capital resources and G$800 million from the Fund for Special Operations (FSO) of the Bank.

The loan from the Bank’s ordinary capital was said to have a sixyear grace period and a 30-year term, while the FSO funding had a term of 40 years with a 40year grace period and a fixed annual rate of 0.25 per cent.

Brothers charged for raping 11-year-old girl E ighteen-year-old Caozuyag Menug and his 15-year-old brother appeared on Monday in Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan’s Court on a charge of raping an 11-year-old girl.

They reportedly engaged in sexual penetration of this under-16 girl between October 1 and 31, 2017 at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The court heard that another teen, a 13-year-old male, is also shortly expected to be charged with the said of-

fence.

The trio reportedly held the girl against her will and began to feel her breasts and vaginal area. The girl reportedly put up a fight, and the trio allegedly held her down and raped her.

Thus the matter was reported to the Police.

The brothers were each released on G$70,000 bail, and will return to court on July 27.

Personal trainer jailed for sexually assaulting teen

T

wenty-seven-year-old Michael Sampson, personal trainer of a 14-year-old female, was on Monday found guilty of sexually assaulting this female, and has been sentenced by City Magistrate Judy Latchman to four years’ imprisonment.

The charge Sampson had faced had alleged that he sexually assaulted the lass on February 19, 2018 at Delhi Street, Prashad Nagar. The 14-yearold female had reportedly been at Sampson’s home on the day in question, and he allegedly had touched her inappropriately. The matter was reported to the Police, and he accordingly was charged.

Sampson had initially denied the allegation, and had been placed on G$75,000 bail pending his trial.

Michael Sampson

FEATURE 35

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Q

The Robot

uite often, smaller communities are underestimated in relation to what they have to offer and in order to break that mindset, Shahad Hussain has created the Crabwood Creek STEM Club to show the small Region Six community has the potential to shine.

STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, is not a new concept, but it is now really taking off in Guyana, and is an absolute necessity for the technology age.

With this in mind, the 22-year-old Shahad began following the work of STEMGuyana and when time came for him to start studies at the University of Guyana, his dream of being a part of the STEM league became a reality.

In January, STEMGuyana cofounder Karen Abrams was offering coaching sessions at the Public Telecommunications Ministry, and Shahad

was lucky enough to be selected for that.

After that session, he returned to Crabwood Creek and immediately got a team together and started the Crabwood Creek STEM Club.

“I was always interested in STEM. I am particularly biased to engineering and I completed the GuySuCo Apprenticeship Programme in mechanical and electrical engineering and that is what inspired me to go after my dream of STEM,” he said.

According to Shahad, his love for STEM and Robotics was cemented when Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield spoke at his apprenticeship graduation in 2016. During Lowenfield’s speech to the graduands he encouraged them to go after the STEM field and position themselves and their communities to make their mark.

Now the Crabwood Creek STEM Club has five members, just enough to participate in STEMGuyana league

competitions. Shahad says that for now the aim is to build a repu-

plete the challenges and get more students aware of the STEM aspect of things. I want them to say that coming from a small community does not mean that you can’t dream big. I want them to know that they can compete and be a part of anything that they want to,” he said.

With the Education Ministry pushing for the implementation of STEM in the school

STEM. He said while the immediate goal was to secure sponsorship and donations to expand the reach of the Club, the near future would see them going into schools to educate the children.

“I would like to see different facilities offering robotics and Scratch coding classes to get the youths involved. Technology is rising and we want to educate everyone. Also,

Speaking about the challenges relating to starting up a STEM Club, Shahad said time management was key as well as a stable and powerful Internet connection, in addition to the resources needed to acquire equipment for robotics as well as programming.

When asked what drives him, Shahad had this to say: “The passion that I know that I am making a differ-

The team with Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes

tation for the Club and then expand to accommodate more members of the community.

“The aim for the future is for me to com-

The Crabwood Creek team at the Robotics Expo

curriculum, Shahad says that before that is done, it is the intention of his Club to ensure that every student within the community has a foundation in

the schools should be a part of the leagues and then persons from school would have some knowledge going into the STEM field,” Shahad said.

Robot building

ence. I want to make this place better and for the youths to transition without much issues.” (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

36 FEATURE

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Coach Melissa Gordon

I

f we are to go by the predictions of the development pundits, then within the next decade 80 per cent of jobs will require some sort of technological skill, so with this in mind the Belladrum STEM Club was birthed.

The Club was the idea of Lelon Saul, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority.

Saul, who hails from Belladrum, West Coast Berbice, wanted to position the youths of the community to take advantage of the opportunities of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) age.

However, initially he could not find someone to manage the Club.

According to co-founder Melissa Gordon, the idea really got implemented after she attended a training seminar with

STEMGuyana founder Karen Abrams.

“I attended that training and after that, the other Coach, Tyreke Wilson, he is a Computer Science student at UG. The two of us are working together. He came on board and we are launched the Club.”

When they launched the Club over three months ago, they started with over 20 students, since the intention was to focus on the secondary school youths, but soon after they started, primary school students started to show up.

Melissa told the Sunday Times that presently they have over 60 students on roll explaining that they could not turn away the primary school children since the intention is to afford everyone the chance to take advantage of the opportunities.

“We would meet twice per week. Primary on Saturday and Secondary on Tuesday and Saturday from 2:30pm to 5:30. We are running two programmes in one. They are doing the Scratch programming and robotics,” she said.

Students who are in Form Three and below are being taught Scratch programming while the older students learn robotics, which is much more technical. However, the Club would soon be switching things up with students learning both robotics and Scratch programming. The Club is housed at the Community Development Centre Building with most of the equipment for the functioning being donated by local and overseas donors.

“All the materials we are working with has been donated and some people overseas came forward and donated stuff and so on.”

When asked about the impact of the Club,

Melissa said that judging from the response of members, it has been “impactful”.

“The way the world is working everything is moving towards technology and they would have realised that and the parents also, and so it is important that we get them there. They are very excited and enthusiastic and they are learning. We have people from out of Belladrum coming here and it’s from as far as Mahaicony,” she said.

“We are hoping to get them into Information Technology and we are giving them the fundamentals they need for

Some members of the Club

them to move on, so we’re hoping that with the knowledge they would have gained that they are going to take up study in IT that’s going to help them. We are hoping that we can get some great inventions coming out from them that we can use in the near future to solve some of the problems.”

At the recently-completed Robotics Expo, the Club had a successful run and showed off four robots. One of the robots tackled the garbage problem by being able to recognise recyclable waste while another had the ability to pick up any form of waste.

But the one that was most impressive was the demolition train robot that had the ability to not only demolish but also clean up. This caught the attention of Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes, who commended the group, noting that City Hall could utilise that robot.

For now, the Club is focused on making the members the best version on themselves while positioning them to take advantage of every afforded opportunity.

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

Introduction to Robotics

Some members at the Robotics Expo

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WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Members of the Dynamic Tassa Troupe

By Rupadai Seenaraine

M

usic is an art that is used to determine the cultural identity of many people and it has evolved throughout the centuries since its existence. In fact, we see changes every day in the way it is portrayed to suit varying audiences.

Tassa drumming is one such musical art form that has nestled its way into Guyana via the indentured immigrants and has evolved throughout the region. While the practice is something that many enjoy on celebrative occasions, it is something that is also appreciated by all who would dance according to the beats of the different instruments that are used to create one unique sound.

Furthermore, while it is popularly seen with persons who invest all of their time into perfecting these beats, those who haven’t heard of the idea of a fashion designer, comedian, technician, photographer and chemistry student as versatile musicians are up for a treat.

The Dynamic Tassa Troupe is a group of young lads who are known for their heart

Blessing the drums

throbbing performances and according to them “it pushes the boundaries of all rhythms”. For them, they have experimented with modern beats and have now been able to bring a change to the stage by incorporating chutney, soca and calypso rhythms into the olden style of drumming.

But this is just a part time activity that the lads have incorporated into their busy schedules and professional careers.

This is a mere hobby and their fulltime job still awaits when their weekend is over.

In fact, the nine of them are quite talented and are responsible for a different component which compliments their performances.

Currently, the group consists of Ray Khan, the fashion designer who is recognized for branding their group with his remarkable taste in clothing; Navindra Jaimangal, the interior decorator and floor specialist; Chanshekhar Jaimangal, the guy who is titled as the jack of all trades for his ability to pursue numerous musical instruments; Mohan Singh, the comedian and actor; Deepak Rupchand, the one with

a quick notch for instruments such as the keyboard and guitar; Chanderpaul Jaimanjal, an outstanding chemistry student; Jagdeo Persaud, the barber and Subhash Haimraj and Kevin Somwaru, the guys behind the camera that captures their unforgettable moments.

But this journey of theirs which began some nine years ago started some time ago when practicing musical instruments was just a leisure activity. While ruminating on their journey which has brought both admiration and fame, the guys explained that it was never planned.

Three of them, who are brothers, recalled the day that they were given their first sets of instruments about nine years ago by an uncle who saw their passion for drumming.

“Our love for tassa and music grew with each event or play out we encountered. The bonds between this group also grew a lot and we now cherish each other as brothers more than just band mates,” one of them said.

From then, practice sessions were happening every day and folks were

treated to their performances at cultural programs and small venues, after which they would include other tassa enthusiasts and developed exceptional pieces of music.

However, in 2014 the group was officially formed and they branded themselves under the name The Dynamic Tassa Troupe. From their recollections from then onwards, the group recalls participating in a number of events on the

coast and the interior locations, at pageants and motorcades; weddings and fundraisers.

“We played for a lot of events and to say the truth we enjoy them all, just going out there and just having fun with our clients. But if we had to narrow it down to some of the best ones, we would say working in Karia Karia.”

They have participated in innumerable events in the past but just a few months ago

marked their first participation in a competition. At the Dubraj Tassarama 2018, they secured the second place while stealing the prize for the Best All Round Performance. They were part of the Miss Earth Pageant just a few days ago and are currently participating in Drum Festival Competition 2018 which is set for July 15. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

38 feature

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Angel and Makenna

vices for the world.

Estonia, a nation of 1.3 million people, is home to 14,000 tech startup companies; Guyana has a little more than half their population, so a target of 5000 Guyanese tech startups in 15 years is what

S

STEMGuyana co-founder Karen Abrams during her presentation

TEMGuyana cofounder Karen Abrams generated much interest in the organisation’s model for STEM engagement of Guyana’s youth, which she presented to

an energetic audience at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) eighth Annual Meeting.

Abrams, whose presentation was titled “Robots In The

Caribbean”, showcased STEMGuyana’s activities in four quadrants: preparing the robotics national team, creation of social good apps, the training of STEM

Some of STEMGuyana team members

club trainers and expansion of the STEM club network throughout the country, and the management of a national robot building and Scratch coding competition throughout the country.

Abrams made the point that, “STEMGuyana is working with partners to make investments today which will pay off in 10, 15, 20 years. We want our young people to be prepared to provide technology ser-

we’re aiming for. STEMGuyana is working with partner organisations to make long-term investments in Guyanese youth.”

The presentation was also well received by leaders of Indigenous groups who expressed interest in making the programme accessible to their communities.

Additionally, representatives from several Guyanese communities and Caribbean countries expressed interest in replicating the STEMGuyana model in their respective communities and countries.

STEMGuyana recently received the first tranche of a $2 million donation from GTT, which will be used to sponsor its upcoming robot exhibition and the expansion of STEMGuyana programmes across Guyana and the Caribbean.

The Clubhouse Story

Now that we are aware of the impact of STEMGuyana and the amount of interest its model is generating, let us look at the softer side of things.

STEMGuyana team member Farnaz Baksh wrote this piece titled “The Clubhouse Story”: Angel is a dedicated member of the Sports Hall STEM

Club (usually visits every Saturday) while Makenna was a new student visiting yesterday.

I met Makenna sitting in a corner of the room; it was her first time trying to learn Scratch programming.

She was a bit shy but quite open to answering all of my questions [She doesn’t have a favourite subject Preparing at a robot

school; she loves everything.

When I told her that she could create her own web and mobile apps, her eyes opened with excitement and she asked “HOW?!”

I shared her excitement and answered the best I could. A short while later, Makenna was stuck on creating her first Scratch program, so I told her there is another girl across the room who can help since she’s been creating programs for a while now. I introduced Makenna to Angel and Angel to Makenna.

A few minutes later, Angel was helping Makenna; they were creating a conversation program between two persons and had my teammate Ryan Benschop voicing the male character. We transitioned the clubhouse room into a recoding studio for 5 to 10 minutes so they could finish their Scratch coding challenge.

Angel and Makenna became friends yesterday and two innovators have joined the STEMGuyana family.

They also learned about collaboration and teamwork yesterday. With such enthusiasm to learn, I’m sure they will go on to help change Guyana and the world for the better! (Taken from STEMGuyana website)

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

news 39

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Pensioner found guilty of raping girl, 10

S

ixty-six-year-old pensioner Abdool Jamil has been found guilty on two counts of child rape by a 12-member jury at the Sexual Offences Court on Monday afternoon.

After deliberating for almost four hours, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on the first count; which stated that Jamil had sexually penetrated the underage girl on May 30, 2014 at a West Coast Demerara village. A jury verdict in proportion of 10-2 found him guilty on the second count; which accused him of committing a similar act days after the first had been committed, on June 2, 2014.

Jamil, who had been on bail prior to being found guilty, did not have much reaction to the jury verdicts.

However, when he exited the court, he bowed his head away from the cameras. The girl whom he raped was 10 years old at the time of the incidents, and allegedly was known to him.

According to the facts of the case, the child’s mother had travelled to attend a funeral in Linden and had left her young child in the care of

2014, and he proceeded to sexually penetrate her again. However, after the second occurrence, the girl ran away to relatives and detailed to them what had transpired. Thus Jamil was arrested and charged.

His case came up before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at

Abdool Jamil

a female relative. Jamil, however, dishonestly informed this female relative that the child’s mother had instructed that the child be left in his care.

It is understood that on the night on May 30, 2014, when the child was sleeping under his care, he raped her. The child allegedly stayed with him until June 2,

court last week, and the matter was concluded on Monday. However, the offender’s sentencing has been delayed because his lawyer, Clyde Forde, has asked that a probation report be prepared and presented to the court.

The judge has allowed the request and has adjourned the mat-

ter to August 13, 2018 for presentation of the said report, after which the pensioner will be sentenced.

Jamil has been remanded to prison. State Counsel Lisa Cave presented the prosecution’s case over the last several days.

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Defying the odds to be on the ICT frontier D

espite not receiving the level of expected support, the Buxton STEM Club is pushing through to ensure it is positioned to take advantage of the opportunities offered

by Guyana’s booming Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry.

The Club was started in February of this year as part of the initiative to push STEM education.

The Club was launched at the Buxton Secondary School with the students being really excited to learn programming and robotics. According to STEMGuyana Coach Horace Mosely, they have six active students in the Club and they have all been exposed to Scratch Coding as well as robotics building.

Horace, being a Buxtonian, said he was extremely excited to be part of a team that was pushing the STEM initiative in his community. When speaking about the impact of the Club, he said that he has been approached by a number of organisations to aid them in the establishment of their own STEM Clubs.

“It actually has a great impact, because, currently, I have over four places that reached out to me in Buxton to start STEM groups. They will be starting STEM groups and this is Churches and we have two other youth fellowships and two other Clubs. It’s technology, and children and technology is moving really fast right now,” Horace said.

Like every new initiative, there are quite often challenges and for

Students being taught Scratch Coding

the Buxton STEM Club the challenge was the lack of support – lack of support from the teachers at the Buxton Secondary School and facilities, given the lack of commitment. Coach Aisha Peters said that the lack of support resulted in them having to move over to Melanie in order for them to complete the tasks set out by STEMGuyana.

“Parents didn’t get their permission slip in time after we would have dropped it off and so we didn’t get

much support there when it comes to permission to have the kids go over Melanie to have the project completed. Well, the thing is most of the kids we worked with is from Buxton, so the facility was a big deal and even though they had, we didn’t had like teachers who were willing to stay back and help us out with gaining access to the room and things like that.

We had 10 students and more were interested, but the [lack of] access to

facilities, that caused us not to accommodate all of them,” Aisha explained.

At the end, however, they were able to complete the tasks assigned by STEMGuyana in just three days. There were times when the team lost motivation, but as Aisha explained the level of determination exhibited by the students was the driving force.

“Determination to learn because they were very involved and they were texting and calling parents to get permission and to see how they can get out and all the different things, so it was their determination that gave us the courage to go forward in aiding and assisting in completing the challenges. We started late and then they finished all four challenges within three days, so the kids actually motivated us when we were not like feeling it, because without their support we could not have made it.”

The aim of the Buxton STEM Club is to go bigger and better. The Coaches want to get the school involved as well as the teachers. The immediate plan is to raise funds to purchase their own Robotics Kit for the children, since the one they used in the competition was loaned by STEMGuyana. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

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P

aruima is an Amerindian settlement with a population of about 800 persons and is located in the Upper Mazaruni District of Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Paruima is said to be the only Arecuna speaking community in Guyana.

The journey to get to this scenic village is a long one from Georgetown but worth every second of the ride there.

If you are up for an adventure you can take the approximate 1 hour 15 minutes flight from Ogle to Kamarang as opposed to the direct flight to Paruima.

If you opt for option one you will not regret any of it since you will enjoy the scenes at the Kamarang Airstrip and the river leading to another village just outside of the Paruima. This village, the natives call Falls Mouth.

It takes about 7- 8 hours on a low tide due to huge rocks formations and fallen trees in the Kamarang River in order for you to get to the village. Is recommended that your captain be a skilled one with knowledge of the river or someone preferably one from the Paruima village. Along the way, you will pass a lot of different Amerindian settlements and enjoy the views of mountainous

terrains, dense forests, huge volcanic rocks, fallen trees, all kinds of birds, turtles, otters, and so much more fun than being in the plane for a few more hours.

Upon arriving to the Falls Mouth drop off, a 20 minutes hike through a mountainous forest like terrain leads you to another part of the Kamarang River where a 20 minutes canoe ride takes you to the lovely village of Paruima. There you are greeted by the warmest of smiles and words of welcome from the villagers.

Our photographer, Subhash Haimraj, writes, “Surrounded by mountains, forests and rivers the village is alone worth all the long travels.�

The Paruima and Panasima Falls are scenic waterfalls in that territory, and, located in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region between Guyana and Venezuela, the area also hosts stunning views of the Kamarang River leading to Venezuela. There are also huge rock formations between which children enjoy playing hide and seek.

Paruima Village also contains a place of worship, sports ground, and a college named the Davis Indian Industrial College.

(Photos by Subhash Haimraj)

Travel & Tourism 41

The Panasima Falls

Drying laundry by the riverside

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

The Paruima Seventh Day Adventist Church

A typical house

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The Guyana Annual:

cation. Additionally, and a more populist move, was the return of various competitions, a hallmark of this annual tradition. However, the return of the competition aspect was a move to add value in that many of the existing and new competitions were named in honour of local exponents in various art forms, obviously ac-

knowledging their in contribution and legacy.

The full list of competitions offered by this issue of The Guyana Annual are as follows: Dr. Puran Singh Open Short Story, Sheila King Writing Short Story for Children, Bobby Fernandes Award for Photography, Stephanie Correia Award for fine Arts, David De Caries

inspiration for emerging writers! And continuing into the magazine proper with the (return of the) judges’ reports. The reports served many purposes including the main purpose which is of grave and great interest to the competitors. These reports contained notes of interest for the custodians in arranging various com-

Award for Journalism, Bertram Charles Award for Drama, Hawley Harris Award for Cartoon, and Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh Oil and Gas Essay Competition. This extensive range of competitions warranted a huge amount of work in each stage of production especially at the adjudication stage which was executed by capable hands namely Dr. Joyce Jonas (Open Short Story), Mr. Alim Hosein (Open Poetry & Sheila King Writing Stories for Children), Mr. Subraj Singh (Open Poetry & Junior Poetry), Ms. Elfrieda Bissember (Stephanie Correia Fine Art), Ms. Denise Hopkinson-Braam (David de Caires Journalism), Mr. Paul Harris (Hawley Harris Cartoon), Mr. Wellesley Davis (Bobby Fernandes Photography), Messrs Christopher Ram & GHK Lall (Tulsi Dyal Singh Oil & Gas), and Ms. Mosa Telford (Bertram Charles Drama).

It was ‘no idle boast’ that this issue is ‘bigger and better’ for instance the book is much thicker and weightier (on many counts). Beginning with the cover which featured a Guyanese literary heavyweight, one of Guyana’s most prolific and ‘original’ novelists, Wilson Harris – what an

petitions especially in regards to the photography, art and drama. One of the judges also raised the need for Guyana to standardize its creolese.

And of course, the prize money packages were bigger and better. That apart for the winners to see his or her name in print, especially for the first, was worth the effort. And all of these things come courtesy of The Guyana Annual which is ‘now snugly into its second century of life’ (Dr. Singh).

And the winners in sequential order are:

1. Scott Ting-A-Kee 2. Francis Farrier 3. G a b r i e l l e Mohamed Stephanie Correia Fine Art 1. Jermana de Freitas 2. Walter Gobin Bobby Fernandes Photography 1. A m a n d a

Guyana Times Journalist Jarryl Bryan receives his award for the Photography Competition by

Petamber Persaud

T

he subject/thrust of the Editorial for the 2018 issue of The Guyana Annual is ‘no idle boast’ and the custodians of the magazine have ensured that this issue lived up to that declaration in every aspect of production including brainstorming stages which moved from actual meetings into the realms of virtual meetings. In fact, the use of the internet played a notable role in the production from announcing the start of production to uploading the rules and reg-

ulations of competitions and submission of entries to publishing the shortlists to offering the magazine for sale.

It was ‘no idle boast’ that this issue is ‘bigger and better’ by many furlongs. For one, it has placed control into the broad spectrum of a management committee as against leaving it to the confines of a single editor/individual. This is not to cast aspersions on the ability of the single party but the installation of a management committee was a move to add more value to the publi-

Open Short Story 1. Andrew Hutson 2. Rae Wiltshire 3. Malcolm De Freitas Junior Short Story – 1. Analise Samaroo Hon Mention Lucas K. C. Jonas Sheila King Writing Stories for Children – 1. K a t h l e e n Henriquo 2. David Thomas 3. A d e l a j a Dalrymple Junior Poetry – 1. Hadiya Mcbean 2. Brianna Gopie 3. Abike Barker Open Poetry

Richards 2. Dwayne Hackett 3. Jarryl Bryan David de Caires Award for Journalism Hon Mention - Lucas K. C. Jonas Dr.Tulsi Dyal Singh Oil & Gas Essay 1. Omari Joseph 3. V i s h a n i Ragobeer Hon Mention Joenitta Arthur-Mckenzie Bertram Charles Drama Rae Wiltshire Hawley Harris Cartoon Prize Hon Mention – Chabilall Persaud Hon Mention – Walter Gobin Launched in December 1915, the magazine is still a vibrant presence in the lit-scape of this country.

In fact, this magazine is the only such outlet and springboard for local writers and artists.

The 2018 issue of The Guyana Annual was launched on Thursday, May 24, 2018, coinciding with Guyana’s Independence celebration, signalling respect for our creators of ideas and images.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 2260065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

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A fatal flaw…

I

…of the Broomes syndrome

t’s clear that President Granger – avuncular as he pretends to be – is willing to tolerate the crassest of behaviours from his ministers. But to your Eyewitness, if Guyana can even aspire to the HOPE of a civilised future, there’s got to be a line drawn somewhere in the sand, which Government ministers and officers cannot cross. Especially when the behaviour goes beyond crass.

And “I is” Broomes’ vulgar display at the Providence New Thriving crosses whatever “Code of Conduct” Trotman might’ve been talking about back in the day.

Remember that? It was drafted, then handed over with great ceremony to PM Nagamootoo, then passed on to a special committee, and then passed on to the parliamentary bureaucracy etc etc. It warned, “Public office holders have a duty to…act with PROPRIETY on all occasions.” That duty was situated within the wider principle of “honour”!

So against the deafening silence in official censure of Broomes, maybe there’s good reason why the Code of Conduct was allowed to die stillborn. But aren’t there some common principles of decency that might guide Granger?? How about the claim that he’s “God fearing” and an upstanding member of the church? Isn’t one of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour”?

And isn’t this the lowest of the low behaviour that Broomes has displayed AFTER her gutter performance at Providence? This is a woman who not only LIED on two lowly guards who were only performing their duties – but gave FALSE TESTIMONY against them!! In biblical hermeneutics, there’s a difference between “lying” – which may sometimes be permitted – and “FALSE TESTIMONY”, which is absolutely forbidden.

In the latter instance, of which Broomes’s testimony is the paradigmatic example, the person is actually

Big and Bad Broom

S

atiricus wondered how he’d ever win. Not only did he have to defend his KFC party and leaders Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat to his friends; he had to squeeze his nose and do the same for the Pee an’ See and their four partners in their APANU coalition within THE Government coalition. As he ambled into the Back Street Bar, he breathed a sigh of relief most of those partners didn’t really exist!!

“Hey Sato!!” yelled Hari, as soon as he espied his pal.

“Like your hungry Minister is a VERY angry Minister!!”

“What the heck are you talking about?” asked Satiricus, with feigned ignorance. It was exactly what he’d feared.

“Buddaaaay! Yuh na hear?” said Cappo in surprise.

“Yuh Ministah behave real braadar w’en she bin ah New Strivin’ fuh chicken fry rice!”

“Which Minister?” asked Satiricus, raising his eyebrows. “And why’d she get angry?”

“Who else would create a riot for food?” asked Hari, who was unusually animated. “No other than ‘I is Broomes’, of course!!”

“Yuh know de place, rite, Sato?” said Bungi. “De parking lat deh away fram de Restaurant.”

“Yes,” acknowledged Satiricus, nodding his head.

“Well, de gyard tell ‘I is Broomes’drivah fuh park in de parkin’ lat,” picked up Cappo. “But de bady g’ard, move out de “no parkin’ sign fram near de door and park right deh!!”

“So what this has to do with the hungry Minister ‘I is Broomes’?” enquired Satiricus, innocently.

“Well dat is w’en “I is Broomes” jump out de SUV and knack dong de no-parkin’ sign she-self!!” said Bungi with glee.

“Really?” said Satiricus non-committedly.

“Is where you guys pick up these Ministers?” asked Hari exasperatedly. “The bush?”

“As a matter of fact, she does come from Bartica,” said Satiricus. “And she spent a lot of time in the bush.”

“Wha’ me na like,” said Cappo seriously. “She tell lie pan dem gyard. Now dem guh get fyah.”

“Well the tape don’t tell lie,” said Hari. “Maybe I is Broomes might get fired?”a hol’ yuh breat’” said Satiricus, looking hard at Satiricus.

giving evidence against another person; which may, at a minimum, harm him; or, at worse, even doom him! If it weren’t for the camera footage, there’s no question the incarceration of those two guards could’ve stretched from 16 hours to sixteen years!! And this is a woman who was willing to do this to folks whose taxes paid for the food she just couldn’t wait to wolf down in the Chinese restaurant!!

Could Broomes sink any lower? Yes! Asked in the corridors of Parliament about the incident, Broomes brazenly asserted, “I don’t know what you’re talking about”!!

But what about President Granger? Wasn’t it Jesus Himself who warned: “For what shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” …of the military mind The Broomes’ fracas is acting like a Rorschach Test for officialdom – not just Granger. Just consider the reaction of the Acting Crime Chief to the outrage – he blamed the guards, who were the victims!! “…if you see a certain vehicle within a certain standard and class right there and then it speaks out to somebody, even if you want to rate the person as for whatever it is: whether the person is drug lord, whether the person is a minister, whether the person is a businessman, whether the person is a gold miner or whatever it is; from the time you see a vehicle of certain standard, it is supposed to arouse your attention and alertness, rather than from a normal vehicle.”

And what after the attention’s gained, like with Broomes? “…from the time she would have identified herself as a minister, he, as a security guard, his tone ought to have changed and he should have said, “Excuse me. Sorry, I did not know you were a minister”!!

Now you know the military mind!! …for Guyana Once we recognise our “betters” – even a drug lord – we mere citizens better spring to attention and salute!

And imagine, we now have a military type in every Government department!!

Facing the music

S

atiricus was happy with the way things were turning out. He didn’t have to face the firing squad of his buddies at the Back Street Bar nowadays, since the leaders of his KFC party were keeping low profiles. The fellas, on the other hand, thought they’d become irrelevant now that they’d been discarded like used tissue; but that was neither here nor there.

“Suh wha mek yuh leadah Grain Ja a run fram dem reporta?” demanded Cappo, as soon as they’d polished off their first beer.

“Firstly, he’s NOT my leader,” said Satiricus with a smirk. “Our KFC’s just in a coalition with his Pee an’ See!” “Really?” said Bungi, as his eyebrows nearly reached his hairline in surprise. “Suh how come Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat a talk ‘bout de man like ‘e a Kim Jong?!!”

“But why don’t you answer the question why Grain Ja don’t want to face reporters?” asked Hari quietly.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to answer questions about “I is” Broom?” suggested Satiricus. “Would you want to talk about a relative who acts like a ‘bad woman’?”

“Well, if ah me fam’ly, me cyaan do nuttin ‘bout she,” said Cappo. “But “I is” Broom na Grain Ja family.”

“Yes Sato,” piped up Bungi. “Grain Ja can fyaah she any time!”

“But you do know Grain Ja is from Bartica, and so is the Broom, don’t you?” pointed out Satiricus. “Maybe they ARE relatives!”

“Even if dem a fam’ly, ‘e sh’u’d still fyaah she,” said Bungi firmly. “She mek ‘e haan drap!”

“Maybe it’s not just “I is” Broomes,” suggested Hari.

“The reporters might ask him who he prefers to become Chair of the Pee an’ See.” “Yuh mean who guh tu’n Pressie afta de nex’ election!” butted in Cappo.

“Ev’rybaddy know ‘e gat fuh pick de army bai!” chuckled Bungi.

“That’s Grain Ja’s real family!!” said Hari. “He doesn’t want to say power will be kept in the family!!”

“An’ dat Nagga Man an’ Rum Jhaat ah dead meat!” chuckled Cappo, looking slyly at Satiricus.

Remembering…

T

…fallen Police

he Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and the Commissioner of Police (ag), David Ramnarine, spoke at the annual ceremony “honouring” Policemen killed in the line of duty since 1913. The number is 63. One suspects that the organisers began their body-count from 1913 because the numbers killed from the GPF’s formation in 1839 to that point could be counted on the fingers of their hands.

But what your Eyewitness found surprising was the studied refusal of the two speakers to mention our very recent history, when the most Police ranks were murdered in the history of Guyana. In a ten-month period of 2003, for instance, FIFTEEN Policemen were murdered – and most of their relatives would’ve been in the audience. Wouldn’t they’ve wanted to know why their loved ones were killed by the so-called “Freedom Fighters” formed around five prison escapees??

After all, they hear and read ad nauseam about the Police and other armed gangs killing 400 black youths. Even if that number’s correct – and it’s not — if so many Policemen were also killed, don’t they deserve an equal-opportunity mention? One hears from the partisans of the “400” about Policemen acting outside of their remit and becoming judges, juries and executioners. But in the absence of any comment by the partisans of the Police (Ramjattan and Ramnarine?) about who were most of those 400, one’s left to conclude they were innocent choir-boys out picking daisies!

Such a one-sided narrative implicitly and explicitly demonises the Police, and has to demotivate the conscientious ones from vigorously performing their duties. Is this a factor that contributes to the extraordinary number of law enforcement officials who have been caught recently making “runnings”?

Another missing part of the narrative is what happened to all those youths who were willingly recruited into the services of the “Freedom Fighters”? Like being lookouts and snitches.

Are they now all grown up and continuing the traditions they were exposed to? Are we now still reaping the harvest from the poisoned tree that was planted in Buxton and other communities, like Agricola? If your Eyewitness were Ramjattan (Yikes!!) he would’ve invited Basil Williams and Winston Felix (then CoP) and asked them to explain their (in)famous taped conversation about the Agricola Massacre.

He’s sure the families of the dead Policemen from that era would’ve liked to know exactly what went down there…since it’s just another iteration of what happened to their loved ones.

But, instead, we had what was just another “heading off” of the Guyanese people from discovering the roots of the cancer, which is still metastasising and lurking to strike when deemed necessary.

Like if the PPP were to win in 2020. …Nagamootoo Twist Poor Nagamootoo. Like Dickens’ famous hero Oliver Twist, he just can’t seem to forget his childhood travails. In his Chronic Column, which constitutes his singular duty as Prime Minister of our fair land, he whines once again about how he was wronged in the fifty years he was in the PPP. If he’s to be believed, the only conclusion one can reach is the wanker’s got to be a masochist to stick it out so long!!

But the narrative’s unfortunately VERY selective. He rails against a “gang of eight” that controlled the PPP’s 15-member Executive Committee after the passing of Cheddi Jagan; which, led by his arch-nemesis Jagdeo, wronged him constantly…until he couldn’t bear it any longer, so he joined the PNC to oust the PPP! But who was it who orchestrated the numerous expulsions from the PPP, which he described, before Jagdeo came on the scene? Wasn’t it Jagan himself? Why doesn’t Nagamootoo describe him as a “Gang of One”??

Or the “Gang of Two” in the PNC, that neutered him!! …or forgetting?

Trotman, Senior Minister of Natural Resources, on behalf of the AFC, says they’re waiting for an investigation into the (taped exploits) of his Junior Minister, Simona “I is” Broomes, boss at the Amazonia Mall in Providence.

Can’t he just review the tape with “I is”??

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Conscripted by (western) modernity

By Ravi Dev

S

ome years ago, taking my son to write his CAPE Literature exams, he waxed enthusiastically about the poet Olive Senior, whose “Gardening in the Tropics” was an assigned text.

The Jamaican, of mixed racial and cultural heritage, used the everyday West Indian activity of “gardening” as an extended trope to analyse the brutal colonisation of the Caribbean by the Europeans, and their influence in the formation of our identities.

Gardening does involve “rooting out”, “discarding”, “cultivating”, “nurturing”, “grafting”, “hybridity”, and so many activities that are also at work in cultures and relationships in the construction of identities. Call it “hegemonisation”, “discursive practices”, or what you will; all of us have been — and continue to be –“cultivated”, whether we like it or not.

Even when we were uprooted from homelands in Asia, Africa and Europe, we were all already “hybrids” that had been variously constituted. The North Indians of the Bhojpuri belt, from where I originated,

for instance, were the ‘workin-progress’ of continuous invasions for thousands of years, of which the Moghul invasion and its Islamic world view was only the most extensive.

The music and the religions and their culture of the people were dramatically “cross fertilised”. The British presence in the century before the end of Indentureship had already begun to have its impact, not only in the famines that made millions hungry and homeless and willing to seek their fortunes across the “Kala Pani”, but also, for instance, so many lower casted enlisted into their armies.

In the Caribbean, the Indians and Portuguese and Chinese indentureds would encounter the Africans, who had been subjected to hundreds of years of European imposition of culture and religion – forcibly and not so forcibly.

While, against all odds, the Africans retained elements of their cultures in Africa — they were drawn from all across West Africa – it was into their “creolised white-bias” culture, as described by RT Smith, that the new arrivals would be exposed in the Caribbean.

As the anthropologist David Scott wrote, we have all been “conscripted by modernity” – which of course is teleologically western.

The Africans were expected to inculcate “English culture”, even though their humanity was denied. This was interesting, since most of the overseers they interacted with were Irish and Scottish, who had themselves been “colonised”.

The indentured servants inevitably imbibed much of their new culture from the African creoles, who preceded them in the plantation, and who were

expected to “season” them into the new dispensation. Think about eating “boil and fry”, and holding “wakes”.

Out of this experience with independence, we were told that we were “One People; One Nation; One Destiny”.

However, in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean, people of African origin sought to counter the European hegemonic cultural imposition with the ideologies of “Black Power”, “Negritude” and “Pan Africanism”, all of which privileged the African culture as the “root” of the tree of “national culture”.

But reviewing the broad sweep of Caribbean history, Senior sought to make the point that there is no “pure” origin and no “one root” that we can discover on which to construct our Caribbean identity.

She borrowed the metaphor of the “rhizome” – with its multiplicity of roots that privilege no one root for Caribbean identity from the Martiniquean Edouard Glissant. He was consciously reacting against the construct of “negritute” and of “hybridity” that had been proposed to describe French Antillean identity. The for-

mer excluded all others, such as people of Indian origin and the French, and the latter still privileged the “African root”.

Glissant himself had adapted the image from the French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, who introduced the rhizome as a metaphor for “multiplicity,” rather than a “multiple”. In a more abstract plane than Glissant and Senior, Deleuze and Guattari emphasised “there are no points or positions in a rhizome, such as those found in a structure, tree, or root.

There are only lines.” They also emphasised that we need to stop focusing on sameness, since what holds all existence together is difference, not resemblance.

I am happy that CXC had chosen a text like “Gardening in the Tropics”, which can help make our (reflective) young people move away from the binary of “African” and “Indian” — which enviably creates divisions — and towards a more fluid, permeable conception of self, in which “Guyanese” can be a mosaic rather than hierarchical strata of dominator and dominated.

“I am broken but trying to fix myself”

By Lakhram Bhagirat

I have known Ricky (not real name) for over two decades and we are great friends. When I first approached him with the idea of sharing how violence in the home affects the children, he was more than willing to assist, but his mother was not that enthusiastic. So in order to preserve her identity, we have changed Ricky’s name and this is his story.

“She would scream while we watched helplessly as he would cuff and kick her about her body. It became a norm because we expected it every Saturday night when he came home drunk. But it got worse as the years went on and the number of us increased.

It was bad and I try to bury those memories,” Ricky tells me during our chat.

Ricky is now almost 30 and he says the scars caused by witnessing his mother being abused runs deep. Now he battles his inner demons, finding it hard to love anyone; much less have a relationship, get married or even have children of his own.

Taking me back to his younger days, Ricky said he would pray that his mother does everything right and that his father would not notice if she slips up, especially on a Saturday. Being the middle child, Ricky was often neglected by his father and there was only so much his mother could have offered.

His mother met his father when she was only 19 years old and he was 22.

They quickly fell in love and could not wait to be married so they eloped and within the first year, they had their first child and shortly after came the second one. His father was not an educated man and his mother was forced to drop out of school because of poverty but she had the potential to do exceptional things if the opportunity was there.

His father worked as a gardener for a number of years and shortly after Ricky was conceived, his father’s life started to go downhill. He became hooked on drugs and the abuse intensified. The number of children also increased by two.

Ricky says he would still ask his mother why she stayed and the answer remains the same to this day. “I had to stay. I never wuk a day in my life and I had five children, so where I coulda tek them and go? I stayed with he because I had to depend on he,” she would say and that was exactly what she told me when I asked her.

However, everything came to an abrupt end about one year after Ricky’s youngest sibling was born. Their father emptied the house, took everything and moved back home with his mother. When he left, Ricky’s mother was forced to immediately begin job hunting to take care of the children and she did exactly that. To this day she is there for them financially and emotionally whenever they need her.

I asked Ricky to give me one good memory he had with

his father and after a long pause he began to say “I remember one time, it was my birthday and it was a Sunday so he drink up good the night before and come home and cuss up and fight up but the next day he called all my cousins to celebrate my birthday. My mother wanted to be happy for me but she was sad because she knew we had no money to cook anything nice or even bake a cake. She told him that and by that time, he was already drunk again so he took the kero stove and throw it out the window and she had cooked pumpkin and rice, he took that and throw it away. The cussing started. She cried silently. I was shattered and I cried not because I wanted a cake but because I knew what was coming next.”

Ricky said after that incident his father left home and came back later even more drunk.

This heightened drunk state forced the mother and her children to flee the house through a window, so as to protect the children and herself from the impending beating.

When I asked Ricky how this affected him, he smiled. He told me that to this day his single status tells so much about him. He related that he knows nothing about a relationship and certainly lost faith in the institution of marriage.

“Quite often the children of domestic violence is not so much talked about. Because

I am a male, society does not expect me to be affected but I slipped into depression. I lost faith in love and I am lonely but society doesn’t care about that,” he said.

Ricky says he was able to battle with the violence but engrossing himself in his books which saw him excelling academically. He also created an alternative family in his head where the parents are loving

and life is good.

He is now grown and afraid to start a family of his own because he cannot get over the psychological trauma. He is in therapy. He wants to be a father and a good husband.

“I am broken in ways that are hard to mend but I am trying real hard to fix myself.

I will be fixed and life will be better,” he assured me.

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

You've got that look again It is a sure thing ... there will be pain I try to make things calm, quiet and fast You try to justify, lie and buck pass Please don't put me in a box It doesn't hurt anymore, that's just how it goes I can cope; survive as long as the world never knows Keep my cards to my chest and my true feelings very near But you are getting more powerful, your greatest weapon; my fear Please don't put me in a box A moment of clarity, I'm not protecting them, like I think My greatest failing, my babies, I begin to sink Do to me what you can; they are my reason to fight Tear up all the carpets, there's no where left to put this out of sight But, please don't put me in a box There are agencies a plenty desperate to stand by our side They promise to make a difference; there will be a change of tide Stop, shock horror there is a pigeon hole on reserve Wasn't expecting that, a real ball with a curve Why are you putting me in a box?

I have rights, and a voice, how loud must I be before I am heard This is all mixed up, not me, the system; crazy and disturbed Now it's you with that look again And I've got shame, isolation and even more pain Why are you putting me in a box?

48 Bollywood

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s latest Instagram photo is all about family love

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n Tuesday, Abhishek Bachchan shared a lovely family photo of himself, wife Aishwarya Rai and daughter Aaradhya Bachchan from their summer holiday. While the photo was showered with love by fans, there were some who wondered why Amitabh Bachchan is missing from the family portrait. Well, the wait is over as Fanney Khan actor Aishwarya has now posted a photo which features Aaradhya and Amitabh.

The photos have been shared by the former beauty queen with the caption, “London love” Out of the two photos, the one which has Aaradhya giv-

ing a warm hug to her grandpa Amitabh is heartwarming.

Amitabh j o i n e d Aishwarya and Aaradhya after returning from Russia where he watched FIFA World Cup matches with son Abhishek.

While the two men were away, Aishwarya took her darling daughter to Paris and even shared photos on her Instagram account. The actor made her debut on the photo-sharing app in May and since then it is Aaradhya who finds the maximum space on her mommy’s account.

On the work front, the actor is awaiting the release of her film Fanney Khan also starring Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao. The film is slated to release on August 3. Amitabh too has Thugs Of Hindostan and Brahmastra in his kitty and Abhishek’s next Manmarziyan will hit the theatres on September 7. (Indian Express)

A

fter Gold, Brahmastra and Raw: Romeo Akbar Walter, Naagin fame Mouni Roy is all set to romance Rajkummar Rao in Made In China.

As per reports, Mouni will play Rajkummar’s wife in Dinesh Vijan’s quirky comedy Made in China. The Naagin actor took to social media to share the news of the film. Trade guru Taran Adarsh also shared the news and wrote, “#NewsAlert: Mouni Roy to play Rajkummar Rao’s wife in quirky comedy #MadeInChina…

Directed by Mikhil Musale… Produced by Dinesh Vijan… Starts Sept 2018 in Mumbai, followed by Gujarat and China.”

Mouni Roy and Rajkummar Rao’s Made In China will revolve

P

around a Gujarati couple. The film will go on floors in September and the shooting will take place in Mumbai, Gujarat and China.

A source told Mumbai Mirror, “Rajkummar Rao plays a struggling Gujarati businessman and Mouni a Mumbai girl who moves to Ahmedabad after marrying him. She’s a simple housewife, living in a lower middle-class locality, feisty and crazy about Raj. She’s by his

aying tribute to actor Rita Bhaduri, who died of a kidney ailment on Tuesday, her friend and classmate from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), actor Zarina Wahab, referred to her as “one of the most spirited and kind people”.

“We were together in the 1973 batch of FTII and stayed in touch all these years. An accomplished actor, Rita maintained a childlike enthusiasm for work after all these decades in the industry,” Wahab said.

side through his struggle and pushes him to go to China when the opportunity calls. Raj, who wants to give her the best, crosses the Great Wall hoping to become a successful entrepreneur.

It’s the couple’s fascinating journey.”

Helmed by Gujarati director Mikhil Musale, Made in China marks Rajkummar Rao’s second collaboration with Dinesh after Stree.

(Indian Express)

A veteran actor known for her roles in films such as Julie, Ghar Ho Toh Aisa and Hero No 1, Bhaduri, 62, was in hospital for the last few days. Her funeral, held on Tuesday afternoon at a cremation ground in Andheri East, was attended by actors such as Neelu Kohli and Satish Shah.

After actor Shishir Sharma broke the news of

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Before ‘Dhadak’, here are some rare pictures of Janhvi Kapoor

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anhvi Kapoor is making her debut in the Hindi film industry with Shashank Khaitan’s directorial Dhadak. Also starring Ishaan Khatter, the love story will be out in the theatres this Friday. Ever since the announcement of the movie, cinephiles have been excited to watch the young Kapoor on the 70 mm screen. Her photos from her gym sessions, dance classes, family outings and now the promotions of Dhadak have created quite a stir among her fans.

As we scrolled through her many fan pages on social media, we get hold of the 21-year-old actor’s never-seenbefore photos. Janhvi has always been a stunner. Be it her de-glam avatar or her diva avatar, the young actor hasn’t failed to impress.

Janhvi essays the role of a Rajasthani girl Parthavi in Dhadak.

The movie is an official adaptation of Marathi blockbuster Sairat starring debutants Akash Thosar and Rinku Rajguru. The film was directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Nagraj Manjule.

Janhvi has often sent the paparazzi into a frenzy. Talking about all the attention she gets as soon as she is in the public eye, she told indianexpress. com, “Although, I am thankful and flattered with this kind of attention, I know I have done nothing to deserve it.

Hopefully, after this film, people will appreciate me enough. Then, I will feel I have earned it a little bit but as of now, I know it’s not me. I can’t be attached to it. I can’t take it too seriously.”

Janhvi, the elder daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, has the pressure of taking forward the legacy of her late mother. When we asked the debutant about her mother’s first reaction when she expressed her wish of being an actor, she recalled, “There were a lot of sounds. There was a lot of ‘Aiyyo!’, but I think she knew that the bug had bitten this poor girl.”

Now if Janhvi will live up to the expectations of the audience or not will be known on July 20 when Dhadak will out in the cinemas. (Indian Express)

A

mitabh Bachchan’s daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda has finally made her acting debut. And no, it’s not for a film or a show, in case you were wondering. The father-daughter duo have shared screen space in a Kalyan Jewellers commercial.

The one-and-a-halfminute ad features Amitabh as an old man who has come to return a pension that was not written in his name. He is accompanied by his daughter, played by Shweta. In the video, Shweta looks lovely in a simple, traditional attire with her hair behind her in a neat bun. The commercial showcases the sweet bond of a father and his daughter.

While Shweta has previously appeared on shows such as Rendezvous with

Simi Garewal and Koffee with Karan, she had never in all these years donned the greasepaint unlike her parents Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, and her younger brother Abhishek Bachchan.

Both Amitabh and Shweta took to Twitter to share the video. While Shweta posted a tweet that said, “Here is our little labour of love xx @ SrBachchan.”

Amitabh posted the commercial on his Twitter handle with a

her death on social media, several people from the industry posted their tributes to Bhaduri.

Actor Anil Kapoor tweeted, “Rita Bhaduri was one of the finest actresses that #FTII gave us. I had the honour of working with her in Ghar Ho to Aisa, Beta & Viraasat & I’m really saddened to hear about her passing…She will be dearly missed by her friends, family & fans.”

Anupam Kher tweeted, “Rita

post that read, “Emotional moment for me .. tears welling up every time I see it .. daughters are the BEST !!”

On the work front, Amitabh Bachchan has his plate full. The Shehanshah of Bollywood is currently filming the supernatural flick Brahmastra with Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. The veteran actor will also be seen in Thugs of Hindostan, which stars Katrina Kaif and Aamir Khan in pivotal roles.

(Indian Express)

Bhaduri was affectionate, helpful, jovial, bright and full of life. It is sad and unfortunate that we sum up a person only when he or she is gone. I wish we met more often.”

Bhaduri also had an incredible body of work in television. She was part of ‘Chunauti’ on DD National apart from other popular teleseries such as ‘Kumkum’ and ‘Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai’.

(Indian Express)

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

It’s a wrap for Priyanka Chopra’s Isn’t It Romantic, here’s everything that happened on the last day

Hollywood 49

Vin Diesel’s Multi-Facial proves he is much more than just a ‘Fast and Furious’ guy

H

A

fter a quick visit to India to kickstart her Bollywood project, Priyanka Chopra had flown back to New York to wrap up the much-awaited Hollywood project Isn’t It Romantic. And, it seems the last day on the sets was nothing less than a party for the entire cast and crew.

Priyanka even shot for a fun song as we see her dancing and laughing out loud in the latest photos.

The actor shared a photo on her Instagram profile where we see the entire star cast of the film. Apart from the Desi Girl, the photo has Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth and Andy Bovine among others.

Rebel took to Instagram and shared a photo along with a long note. She wrote, “Second last day of shooting ISN’T IT ROMANTIC in New York with our leader @straussschulson and producer Gina Matthews x These guys are so talented, I’m so lucky to have them in my movie. Liam’s a stud muffin obviously, who’s so funny too! Priyanka

crushes everything she does whilst looking impeccable at all times. Adam is just the best (Fat Amy & Bumper 4 ever) and I respect him so much and adore working with him. Just announced Emmy Nominee Betty is just a phenomenally talented person who is also the sweetest and Brandon will have you dying laughing and needs to be in 100 more films so please look out for that handsome guy xx” Liam also shared a photo and wrote, “Had the best time filming with this bunch! A truly great group of people. So many laughs. Can’t wait for everyone to see it next year on valentines weekend!”

Isn’t It Romantic is an upcoming American romantic comedy directed

by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox, Katie Silberman and Paula Pell.

The film will head to the theatres on February 14 next year. (Indian Express)

ollywood star Vin Diesel is primarily known for his high-octane action movies such as The Fast and the Furious film series and the xXx movies.

And more recently, the actor has garnered the love of fans with his voiceover for the Marvel character Groot. However, not many know that Vin’s skills are not only limited to starring in movies where he is required to show-off his physique whilst driving expensive vehicles.

In 1995, Vin had featured in a short film called Multi-Facial, which he had directed, written and produced. The film was partly auto-biographical in nature as it was inspired by Vin’s struggles to land an acting job. The 20-minute-long film begins with Vin saying, “Nowadays to find a good girl, forget about it” in a heavy Italian-American accent. In the shot, Vin is seen dressed in a white vest, black pants and a black fedora. Within the next few minutes, the actor speaks of “his girl” and how he once mistakenly punched a gay man for ‘eyeing’ his girlfriend.

In the next sequence, it is revealed that the aforementioned monologue was a performance for a panel of casting directors. In Mult-Facial, Vin plays

I E

van Rachel Wood and Sterling K Brown are in talks to join the cast of Disney’s sequel to 2013 musical fantasy animated adventure film Frozen. Evan Rachel Wood was last seen in the second season of HBO’s Westworld, while Sterling K Brown appears in NBC’s family drama This is Us. Frozen was a smash hit, raking in almost 1.3 billion worldwide, with more than 400 million dollars in the domestic market. It also took home two Oscars – one for Best Animated Feature and the other for Best Original Song (“Let It Go”). It also won the Golden Globe and BAFTA award for best animated film.

Frozen also received positive reviews. It holds a 90% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus reads, “Beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs, Frozen adds another worthy entry to the Disney canon.”

Frozen was based on the fictional kingdom of Arendelle. It is ruled by two sisters, the older of whom escapes the palace to the snowy mountains because of her fear of being stigmatised due to her magical cryokinetic powers. The younger sister goes in search

of her with iceman, his reindeer and a talking snowman, Olaf. A 21-minute Frozen short Olaf’s Frozen Adventure was released with last year’s DisneyPixar musical-animated film Coco.

Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, and Josh Gad are set to reprise their voiceroles as Elsa, Anna and Olaf, respectively. Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck will also return to direct. The voice recording had begun last year. Josh Gad had last year posted an image with the directors with the caption, “Nothing is more exciting than getting back in the booth with this incredible team. Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez along with John Lasseter and the amazing people at @disneyanimation have created a story that carries on the incredible legacy of the original #Frozen and continues to build and expand on the characters and themes in new and exciting ways. Unfortunately, that’s all I can tell you right now. But, rest assured #Frozen2 is on the way and damn is it going to be special.

11.27.19” Frozen 2 is scheduled to be released on November 27, 2019. (Indian Express)

Mike who cannot catch a break.

Either he is too light, or he is not dark enough for the parts he auditions. They like his tapes, but when he appears in person, he is just not good enough.

Towards the end of the film, Mike delivers another monologue where he recounts how his father was a theatre person who had wanted him to follow his dreams of making a name for himself in the

world of cinema. In this audition as well, Mike meets the same fate. He is told he is talented, but that they are looking to cast a man with dreadlocks.

Multi-Facial is a well-cut and welldirected film that points out the problem of the entertainment industry, and of the obstacles that artistes face while trying to get their one major break.

For a script that was reportedly written over a night, Vin has done a fairly good job. Multi-Facial was insightful, in parts moving and showed that Vin is much more capable than he lets on. In fact, according to reports, Vin got his first breakthrough thanks to Multi-Facial. It is said that acclaimed director Steven Spielberg first noticed Vin in the short and especially wrote a part for him in Saving Private Ryan.

(Indian Express)

t would be a dream come true for millions of action movie fans around the world.

Two of the biggest ac-

action-packed summer blockbusters but there is a difference. Dwayne’s flicks are more effectdriven and CGI-heavy

ly awaiting the release of Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The film is due for release on July 27 and has already re-

tion stars in the world starring together in a film. Both Tom Cruise and Dwayne Johnson want it. It is only a matter of time before we see them sharing the screen to save the world from a warlord or an army of aliens or something like that. Or maybe face each other in a titanic battle à la Batman v Superman.

Both Johnson and Cruise have made a name for themselves by starring in big-budget

while Cruise prefers practical effects and real stunts in his movies.

In an interview with ET Canada, Tom Cruise was asked whether he would like to work with Dwayne Johnson.

Cruise’s reply was immediate. Without hesitation, he replied, “Sure.

Absolutely. It’d be fun.”

Strangely, the interviewer kept calling it “great” while Tom insisted on calling it “fun”.

Cruise is current-

ceived glowing reviews.

It boasts of a 93% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Dwayne Johnson, who will be seen next in Skyscraper, quoted the tweet and wrote, “Haha oh trust me brother.. the “fun” we would have is a massive understatement. Second only to the fun, the world would be watching us on screen together. One day we’ll make it happen. Pumped up for #MI6Fallout .”

(Indian Express)

50 sport

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Repsol, CPL partner ahead of summer’s Biggest Party

Hero CPL COO Pete Russell and Repsol Guyana Country Manager Ryan Ramjit sign a league-wide sponsorship deal for the 2018 tournament

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he Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is delighted to welcome Repsol as a partner for the 2018 tournament, with a special focus on the seven games to be played in Guyana.

CPL COO Pete Russell and Repsol Guyana Country Manager Ryan Ramjit sign a league-wide sponsorship deal for the 2018 tournament Repsol will not only be partnering with CPL for the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ five home matches, but also for CPL’s two play-off games, which will be played in Guyana for the first time. All match-

es will be played at the Providence Stadium across August and September.

Repsol will also have a presence at the other 27 league matches which will be played across the tournament’s six other locations. Repsol are one of the top companies in the oil and gas industry. They are present across the entire value chain: exploration and production, transformation, development, and marketing of energy that is efficient, sustainable, and competitive for millions of people.

As a global brand with a Caribbean presence, they are a perfect fit for

CPL, which has games in six different Caribbean countries.

Speaking about the partnership, CPL Chief Operating Officer (COO) Pete Russell said: “We are delighted to welcome back Repsol this year and to expand our partnership across the entire league.

Repsol are a fantastic company and are superb at what they do.

“As with last year the principal focus of our partnership will be in Guyana, where the fan support for CPL is second to none.

Repsol are an important part of the Guyanese economy and through our partnership, we will ensure local fans get to see plenty of high-quality cricket, whilst the investment in staging the games ensures the local economy gets a significant boost.”

“Repsol is pleased to sponsor the Caribbean Premier League, and we are proud to support Hero CPL in bringing worldclass cricket to Guyana,” Repsol Guyana Country Manager Ryan Ramjit said. “As a West Indian, I am proud that Repsol made the investment to bring this exciting cricket format to the people of Guyana and the wider Caribbean.”

‘Book your spot’

…Guyanese fans urged to secure tickets early for 2018 CPL games

Fans at the CPL Guyana Office located at 238 Camp and Quamina Streets, Georgetown

G

uyanese cricket enthusiasts are now able to book their spot for the Guyana leg of the 2018 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Ticket sales for the first three Guyana Amazon Warriors home games of the Hero CPL commenced on Thursday, July 19 at the CPL Guyana Office located at 238 Camp and Quamina Streets, Georgetown. The CPL office is opened from

08:00h (8am) for ticket sales and will remain opened until 17:00h (5pm) on weekdays.

On Saturdays, patrons can uplift their tickets between the hours of 09:00h (9am) and 13:00h (1pm).

It is no secret that the “Biggest Party in Sport” will attract a large crowd and as such, cricket fans are being urged to purchase their tickets as early as possible in order to avoid the last-minute rush as the time winds

down to match days.

Tickets for the 2018 Hero CPL cost: RED AND GREEN STANDS – G$5000 ORANGE STAND – G$3000 GRASS MOUND – G$2500 The first three home matches are scheduled to be played at the Providence Stadium as follows: Thursday, August 9 – Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Kitts Patriots at 18:00h (6:00pm) Saturday, August 11 – Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Lucia Stars at 16:00h (4:00pm) Sunday, August 12 – Guyana Amazon Warriors v Barbados Tridents at 18:00h (6:00pm) Patrons are also advised that tickets for the other games on September 8 and 9 and the playoff matches are not yet available and those ticket sales will be announced in due time.

Windies, Bangladesh face off at Providence on Sunday

W

est Indies touched down in Guyana on Tuesday night as they seek to keep their momentum from the Tests going into Sunday’s first One-Day International (ODI), which is expected to set alight the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

The squad minus big guns “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle and “Dre Russ” Andre Russell, who were part of the T20 Canada Cup and will be arriving soon, landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Tuesday night.

Flocked by members of the coaching staff, commentary and logistics teams, the Caribbean side, fresh off a 2-0 Test series win over the Bangladeshis, will now commence a lengthy training session as they get themselves adjusted to the 50-over format.

Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Treasurer Anand Kalladeen, who was present to receive the team, said the return of international cricket to Guyana since 2017 was fantastic for the sport.

He pointed out that while Bangladesh might not be highly rated, they were still a very dangerous and competitive cricket team. Kalladeen noted while Guyana has

Homeboys Devendra Bishoo and Keemo Paul during their arrival in Guyana on Tuesday night (Clifton Ross photo)

been doing well cricket-wise over the years, it is still an international competition-starved cricket nation, thus the two matches would play a significant part in the return of foreign cricket to Guyana.

The GCB Board Member further pointed out that the GCB, as well as the country, and, by extension, the Stadium were fully prepared to host the upcoming scheduled matches. He added that while regional cricket was not the same as international cricket, the logistics and mandates of running such a schedule properly were always a

priority.

The team has commenced training and will continue their fine-tuning ahead of Sunday’s opener, which bowls off at 09:00h. The second and final ODI, the daynight historic match, will bowl off on Wednesday, July 25 from 14:30h.

Meanwhile, tickets are on sale at the GCB head office on Regent Street, with the Green and Red Stands cost G$5000 while the Orange Stand and Grass Mound tickets cost G$3000 and G$2000 respectively. (Clifton Ross)

Sport 51

WEEK ENDING JULY 22 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

“It was a wonderful Guyana’s Elite League to benefit from capacitytournament” building initiatives

“I

- Guyana’s Steven Jacobs says of Global T20 Canada

t was a great experience playing in the inaugural Global T20 Canada and I [am] happy to be on the winning side as well.” These were some of the words from allrounder Steven Jacobs after his team, Vancouver Knights lifted the trophy on Sunday at the Maple Leaf Ground, King City, Steven Toronto.

Jacobs The former West Indies youth skipper and Guyana firstclass player Jacobs stated that the team played excellent cricket from the commencement to the conclusion.

“I think we just went out there and played our natural as well; the tournament was competigame; it was a wonderful tournament tive, but I enjoyed it and glad we were especially playing with and against the victorious side in Canada,” Jacobs players from around the world,” the mentioned. off-spinner related.

Jacobs finished the tournament in a Vancouver Knights were led sucdisappointing manner having only takcessfully by the “Universal Boss”, Chris en two wickets with his off-break conGayle whose performances were also ceding 101 runs from 10.3 overs. instrumental to see his side pocketing The other four participating the lucrative US$500, 000. Knights got teams were: Montreal Tigers, Toronto the better of West Indies B by a comNationals, Winnipeg Hawks, and fortable seven-wicket margin.

Edmonton Royals. Guyanese wickTheir win was led by Canada playetkeeper/batsman Anthony Bramble er Saad Bin Zafar, who constructed captained the runners-up team while a well-calculated, unbeaten 79 while Sri Lanka ace pacer Lasith Malinga South African Rassie van der Dussen led Montreal Tigers and West was also at the end when the momenIndian Darren Sammy skippered the tous boundary was struck.

Nationals combination. Royals were Jamaica speedster Sheldon Cottrell led by Pakistani Shohail Tanvir while proved impressive in the championAustralian David Warner took care of ship game, snaring four wickets, inWinnipeg Hawks in the absence of ofcluding the initial breakthrough, but ficially named captain Trinidadian Zafar claimed the man-of-the-match Dwayne Bravo. award after collecting two wickets with Jacobs will now be heading to the his left-arm orthodox spin.

Caribbean Premier League’s eighth “Obviously, you want to win the edition and is set to represent Jamaica tournament, so we had to play hard Tallawahs when the action starts on from the first match, because you have August 8 in the Caribbean and Florida. got a lot of quality players on show (Ravi Madholall)

…as GFF President Forde wraps up successful trip to Brazil

T

he Guyana Football Federation’s Elite League will benefit from significant capacity-building partnerships as a direct result of a recent three-day visit by GFF President Wayne Forde to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he met with the respective Presidents of Vasco da Gama and Botafogo FR football clubs.

This initiative will see the introduction of an elite referee programme, a player exchange programme, and the recruitment of a Coach Instructor to build capacity among the Elite League Coaches and Coaches across the country.

“Over the couple of weeks, we will be formalising some relationships that will see an elite referees’ programme being introduced, which is a key programme I’d like to commence,” said Forde following the July 6-8 trip.

Referee courses will be offered for both males and females, and local match officials will be exposed to professional football in Brazil.

“We will also see a player exchange programme; we are looking at bringing players at

GFF President Wayne Forde shares a warm moment with Botafogo FC’s President, Nelson Mufarrej

the developmental/transitional level in some of the professional clubs and maybe some of the lower divisions to play within the Elite League and taking some of our U-20 players to the Brazilian clubs. I’m trying to get as many as 30 U-20 players into Brazil.

The goal is to get around 30 U-20 Guyanese players playing in Brazil first and foremost, and secondly, bringing good Brazilian talent and professionalism into the training and playing setup of the Elite League.”

Additionally, Forde said coach education and development was a key pillar of the GFF, which would also be prioritised: “The GFF will be hiring a Brazilian Coaching Education Instructor to work with the Coaches within the Elite League in particular and other Coaches around the country.”

Apart from these concrete measures, Forde also discussed other developmental opportunities with the Presidents of the two leading football clubs in Brazil.

returns to West Indies ODI Guyanese athletes gearing up for CAC games Russell squad for first time since 2015

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(ESPNCricinfo)

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Guyana Olympic Association President KA Juman-Yassin flanked by a small portion of Guyana’s CAC contingent

he Central American and Caribbean (CAC) championships are one of the largest stages that local athletes are able to grace every year.

The CAC Championships allow athletes to compete and rub shoulders with fellow sportsmen and women from all across the Central American and Caribbean region. These encounters help to build the skill of local athletes while occasionally exposing them to a higher level of competition and in some instances, allowing them to make a name for themselves.

As the Championships officially open today (Thursday), Guyana are expected to be represented by a whopping 98-member contingent, inclusive of 79 athletes and 19 officials. Guyana will be represented by 10 sport disciplines, namely: bad-

minton, boxing, taekwondo, squash, cycling, table tennis, hockey, athletics, rugby and swimming. The large contingent is being supervised

by Deion Nurse, who is the Chef-de-Mission and Phillip Fernandes, who is acting in the capacity of his assistant.

While several of the athletes are still on Guyanese shores, others have already departed.

Currently, in Barranquilla, Colombia, the national table tennis team is pushing in as much practice sessions as possible.

The national rugby team, “the Green Machine”, are continuing rigorous practice sessions at the Parade Ground until their departure on July 25.

On a different note, the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) is preparing to send its first-ever competitors to the CAC Women’s Chess

Championships, which are scheduled for July 27 to August 3 in Barbados. It is not the first time that Chelsea Juma, 12, and Sasha Shariff, 14, will be representing Guyana. They were both part of the Carifta chess team earlier this year in Suriname.

Shariff will also seek to improve her tactics during this tournament in preparation for the World Chess Championship in Batumi, Georgia later this year.

Additionally, the likes of Kerwyn Clarke and other bodybuilders are preparing for their shot at the CAC competition on July 22 in Mexico.

The Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding Federation has recently concluded its senior championships over the past weekend, and based on that competition, the bodybuilders are in shape for Mexico.

llrounder Andre Russell is set to play his first ODI for West Indies since November 2015 after being named in a 13-man squad for the three-match series against Bangladesh beginning on July 22 in Guyana.

Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and batsman Kieran Powell also earned recalls while Marlon Samuels, Carlos Brathwaite, Nikita Miller, Sheldon Cottrell and Kesrick Williams were dropped from the ODI squad, after they played in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe to clinch a spot for West Indies at next year's World Cup. Russell's last ODI for West Indies came nearly three years ago against Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Colombo.

He scored 41 off 24 balls but also suffered a leg injury that kept him out of the following two matches in the series. That match is the only ODI Russell has played since the 2015 World Cup. He had been suspended for a year in January 2017 after he was found guilty of an anti-doping violation.

Russell was charged with failing to file his whereabouts paperwork three times within a year, which amounts to a failed doping test under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.

After the ban, he returned to 50-over cricket for Jamaica in the Regional Super50 tournament but

withdrew himself from consideration for the West Indies squad for the World Cup Qualifier in March, allegedly because he wanted to regain his confidence in the format first. Instead, he chose to play in the Pakistan Super League during the same time frame.

"Great to have Dre Russ back as well," West Indies coach Stuart Law said in a CWI press release announcing the squad for the Bangladesh series. "His explosive power and energy will breathe life into an already motivated squad."

Aside from the five players dropped, Kemar Roach was rested for the ODIs in what the selectors described as managing player workloads in the lead-up to next year's World Cup. Roach was also rested for the second Test against Bangladesh after picking up a hamstring strain in the first Test and was replaced in the squad by Joseph.

West Indies ODI squad

Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell In: Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Andre Russell Out: Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick Williams

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Ali Khan to replace Beaton in TKR line-up T

he Trinbago Knight Riders have sought long and hard to fill their bowling line-up ahead of the 2018 instalment of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and as such, have announced the addition of USA fast bowler Ali Khan.

Khan will join the team prior to TKR’s first game on August 8 and will be replacing Guyanese Ronsford Beaton, who will miss this year’s tournament as he continues remedial work on his bowling action.

The right-arm fast-medium bowler is in fact no stranger to the

Clarke flexes his way to Mr Guyana title

Hero CPL arena. Back in 2016, the 27-year-old made his CPL debut on the Guyana Amazon Warriors side. On his very first delivery of the tournament, Khan snatched the wicket of legendary player Kumar Sangakkara. Additionally, he was first selected for the USA team in 2016 and has become a regular for his national team since.

The Pakistan native will be in top shape, having just finished his stint in the Canada Global T20, where he played for the Winnipeg Hawks.

Khan will have the opportunity to entertain his home crowd with his bowling when in the USA when

TKR take on Jamaica Tallawahs at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida on Sunday, August 19.

Speaking of Khan joining the squad, Venky Mysore, Director of TKR, said: “Ali Khan has shown that he is a rapidly-improving bowler of real potential, and we are excited about him joining TKR for the 2018 tournament. We are sure he will be a real asset.”

The Trinbago Knight Riders will kick off the 2018 edition of the Hero CPL on home turf at the Queen’s Park Oval, facing the St Lucia Stars on August 8.

Vancouver Knights demolish West Indies B in Global T20 final Chris Gayle and team celebrate their inaugural victory in the Global T20 Canada league

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Kerwyn Clarke receives his prize after copping the coveted title

ast year, Kerwyn Clarke had his pet title snatched from him after reigning as the Senior Bodybuilding Champion and Mr Guyana for four years. However, on Sunday evening, the senior bodybuilder made sure that he would take home the accolade once again.

On stage with four other successful bodybuilders, Clarke came out flexing his biceps and triceps with one goal on his mind, winning.

With last year’s Mr Guyana, Bruce Whatley absent, it was a no-brainer for Clarke who flexed his way to the top. Speaking on the win, he noted that he was grateful to everyone who has been a part of his journey. “First and foremost, I’d like to give thanks to the Almighty; I’d also like to extend sincere gratitude to Mr Ross, my training team, my family, and Fitness Express,” he stated.

The well-decorated bodybuilder went on to share a little about the expectations he had for the competition. “This year’s competition wasn’t as expected, I was most disappointed in the turnout, I was expecting a higher intensity of competition on the stage from my fellow counterparts. And I was expecting also the reigning Mr Guyana, Mr Whatley to be here on stage so that I could have taken it from him rightfully.”

Nevertheless, Clarke noted that he was now focused on his Central American and Caribbean (CAC) championships campaign,

stating, “It didn’t happen that way, but I am still very thankful and I’ll just set out to CAC, which is my next venture.”

In another instance, another bodybuilding crown was snatched back by its previous owner. Emmerson Campbell reclaimed his title of Mr Physique after showcasing a well-oiled body and flashy smile. The title was stolen in the 2017 competition by Yannick Grimes.

Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding Federation President Coel Marks highlighted that the event was a success despite a few hiccups along the way. “In terms of attendance, we did see that we as per normal had great numbers at the show. We had a few hiccups in terms of the hosting and venue and technical difficulties with the audio, but the show must go on and we were able to host another successful bodybuilding event in Guyana,” he stated.

The President of the Federation also disclosed that his team will work harder to improve the competition in the coming years, stating: “We hope that we are able to continue doing so, going forward next year and make it more robust and make sure that we continue to fulfill our mandate as bodybuilders in Guyana.”

The winners at Sunday evening’s competition will now set their sights on the CAC championship, which is scheduled for July 27-29 in Mexico.

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he Vancouver Knights have stamped their name in T20 history after they handed down a seven-wicket thrashing to the West Indies B team in the inaugural Global T20 Canada on Sunday at the Maple Leaf King City Ground with 15 balls to spare.

Saad Bin Zafar hit an unbeaten 79 to help the Chris Gayleled Vancouver Knights clinch v i c t o r y .

Vancouver reached West Indies 148-3 with B batsman Nicolas 15 balls Pooran bats to spare during the Global in reply T20 Canada final to West Indies B’s 145 all out in 17.4 overs.

Zafar plundered eight boundaries and three sixes in his match-winning 48-ball innings. Zafar and Rassie van der Dussen joined with Vancouver in trouble at 22-3, and with Gayle already back in the pavilion for just two runs.

Zafar and van der Dussen advanced Vancouver to 100-3 in 13.1 overs with the run-rate down to one-a-ball, and shared an overall fourth-wicket stand of 126.

Van der Dussen hit the winning boundary to finish 44 not out off 41 balls.

Zafar hit 14 runs – a six and two fours – off the last three balls of the 11th over by Guyanese Sherfane Rutherford – and a further two boundaries against Derval Green

(2-20) in the next over as the run chase began to look comfortable.

Earlier, West Indies B struggled with the bat after losing the toss in the last game of the six-team competition. Brandon King and Rutherford went back cheaply.

Rutherford,

who hit a scintillating 134 not out in the first Qualifier match against the same opponents, failed to reproduce that innings, as he was taken for 14. All-rounder Fabian Allen provided the only serious resistance with a 23ball 41, including three fours and three sixes.

Jamaica-born Sheldon Cottrell took 4-29 for Vancouver and leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed 3-24.

The tournament in Canada brought together some of the most exciting players in the T20 format, the quickest version of international cricket. The drawcards included Australians Steve Smith and David Warner, who are serving 12-month bans from international cricket imposed by their national association for their involvement in a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March.

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