Guyana Times Monday, June 3, 2019

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Hauraruni Girls’ Home gets new library, upgraded computer lab Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3943

THE BEACON OF TRUTH monday, june 3, 2019

PRICE

Berbice woman, baby die in childbirth tragedy

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Transparency most critical component for energy P11 sector

See story on page 14

– contracts being made public very important – Mexican energy professor

Central Bank revises Govt economic growth projections downwards See story on page 3

– 4.4% growth now projected

$80 vat included

GNBA records 165 breaches for 2019 thus P10 far

Miner stabbed, chopped to P8 death – shop attendant arrested

People’s Progressive Party/Civic Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali, over the weekend, distributed over 1000 food hampers to residents in several villages in Region Six, including Cumberland, East Canje and Edinburgh, East Bank Berbice. The donations were made possible by members of the Diaspora and PPP members in Regions Three and Six

New Minister sends personnel dept, Page 11 accountant packing

– accused of exceeding authority

Vigilante beating of truck driverPage unacceptable 7

...those responsible will face the law – Police

Gunmen invade Nandy Park supermarket, escape with cash

Page 2

– proprietress kicked in face during robbery

Bus operators decry state of LindenLethem road, call it “death P14 trap”

P10 Man confesses to slitting throat of friend after drinking spree

2 news

monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Gunmen invade Nandy Park supermarket, escape with cash

– proprietress kicked in face during robbery

T

wo armed men executed a broad daylight robbery on MS Hack and Sons Supermarket at Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara, on Sunday. The robbery reportedly occurred at about 12:50h.

Based on reports received, prior to the robbery, the two men entered the business establishment and enquired about Absolut Vodka but they were told that there was none and

the proprietress, Florence Braithwaite, directed them to a shop over the East Bank Highway.

The men reportedly left but returned a short while later and held Braithwaite at gunpoint as they demanded cash. At the time of the robbery, two workers were in the supermarket. The two men proceeded to assault the woman after which they went into a drawer and collected over 300,000 before making good their escape on foot.

Speaking with Guyana Times, owner of the business, Mohamed S Hack explained that he was heading to the West Coast of Demerara to hand out hampers at a Mosque in observance of Ramadan. Whilst on his journey, he stated that he received a telephone call from his wife who was left managing the business informing him that she was robbed.

“She call and tell me that they beat she up for money and that I must come back”, the man stated. As he arrived home, he was told the men also held up his two workers and took away their mobile phone and jewellery.

The businessman highlighted that after commit-

The supermarket that was robbed on Sunday

ting the robbery, the armed men, who were not masked, walked over the road and went through an alley. The police were summoned to the scene and immediately launched a manhunt for the two men.

Nevertheless, Hack told Guyana Times that this is not the first time his establishment was robbed while noting that he had recently put up his business for sale.

“The only thing left to do is to sell out and migrate… is several times now I get robbed and nothing came out of the police story… It comes a time, I get fed up and can’t take it anymore”,

the frustrated man stated.

This robbery came hours after A & A Home Furnishing, located at Lot 333 Cummings Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, was robbed by two armed men – one of whom was an ex-employee.

The armed men held the employees at gunpoint and ordered them to lie on the ground. However, during the ordeal, the proprietor walked in the store and he was gun-butted.

During the robbery, the suspects broke a television system and disconnected the DVR from the CCTV surveillance system. The men

carted off with an undisclosed sum of cash from the register.

Just a few days ago, the US State Department had warned its citizens about the crime situation in Guyana. In a statement on its website, the Department stated there is a frequency of violent crimes, commonly armed robbery and murder. It specifically highlighted that the police network is hindered to effectively alleviate these incidents due to the lack of resources.

“Violent crimes such as armed robbery and murder, is common. Local police lack the resources to respond ef-

fectively to serious criminal incidents,” the notice stated.

It further advised all travellers from the United States to be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs and to avoid walking or driving in the night.

Persons were also advised not to resist any robbery attempts they might encounter and desist from displaying signs of wealth, such as expensive watches or jewellery.

Meanwhile, one day after that advisory, the Government said that it is incorrect, adding that the country is a “safe place”.

This is according to Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP), Joseph Harmon, who touted Guyana as a safe place to not only visit but invest.

“From the level of the Cabinet, I wish to assure all of our citizens, including those citizens who are abroad and are making decisions to travel to Guyana, that Guyana is a safe place.

Guyana is a safe place to live, it’s a safe place to work, it’s a safe place to invest and that’s the word I wish to give to all persons who might be thinking twice as a result of this advisory”, he added.

news

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Central Bank revises Govt economic growth projections downwards

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

Monday, June 3 – 04:30h and 14:30h-16:00h and Tuesday, June 4 – 05:00h-06:30h.

– 4.4% growth now projected

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, June 3 – 16:40h-18:10h and Tuesday, June 4 – 17:00h-18:30h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Light to heavy rain showers will prevail throughout the day, with sunny intervals in the late afternoon.

Partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 16:42h reaching a maximum height of 2.65 metres.

Low Tide: 10:15h and 22:29h reaching minimum heights of 0.43 metre and 0.59 metre respectively.

saturday, JUNE 1, 2019

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

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FREE TICKET

24 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

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

D

uring his budget speech last year, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had announced that real economic growth is expected to be 4.6 per cent in 2019. However, figures released recently by the Bank of Guyana have downsized this prediction.

According to the central bank in its 2018 Annual Report, Guyana’s economy is actually projected to grow by 4.4 per cent by the end of 2019. According to the report, various productive sectors are expected to record growth.

“The economy is projected to grow by 4.4 per cent at the end of 2019 on account of growth in the major economic sectors. The agriculture sector is expected to increase by 3.2 per cent, due to the increases in other crops by 4.0 per cent, production of rice by 3.4 per cent and the output of sugar by 3.2 per cent.

“The mining and quarrying sector is forecasted to expand by 3.4 per cent due to increases in the production of bauxite by 10.0 per cent and gold by 1.7 per cent. The services industry is estimated to grow by 3.7 per cent on account of higher outturns of wholesale and retail trade by 5.0 per cent and transportation and storage activities by 3.5 per cent,” the report states.

Meanwhile, the report projected that Guyana’s construction and manufacturing industries are projected to increase by 10.5 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively. It also projected that inflation rates would be measured at 2.5 per cent owing to moderate increases in food and fuel prices.

The central bank noted that global growth in 2019 is expected to slow to 3.5 per cent, partly owing to the negative effects of tariff increases enacted by the United States against China. As such, the bank projected that growth in advanced economies is expected to decline to 2.3 per cent.

“Additionally, economic expansion in emerging markets and developing economies is expected to hold steadfast in 2019 at 4.5 per cent. Latin America and the Caribbean is expecting growth of 2.0 per cent in 2019.”

The report states that economic recovery in the Region will be supported by increased demand from external trading partners and the option of better financial conditions rather than the volatile international financial market. It projected overall growth of 2.0 per cent

in the Caribbean for 2019.

Another bank, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), has previously warned that with the prevailing uncertainty in Guyana regarding elections (and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling on last year’s no-confidence motion), political uncertainty can have a significant impact on Guyana’s preparations for first oil and the overall economy.

This warning was contained in the Bank’s country economic review of Guyana for 2018, the year in which a government was toppled after a no-confidence vote was passed for the first time in Guyana’s history.

“Commercial production is due to commence in 2020.

This will increase economic growth and provide windfall revenues for the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana,” the report states, adding that the proposed Natural Resources Fund (NRF) is expected to help manage the risks associated with the burgeoning oil and gas sector.

The Bank explained that this includes minimising negative impacts on traditional sectors.

In the report, it notes that

Guyana’s economy grew by 3.4 per cent for 2018.

However, the banking institution warned of the risks to Guyana’s progress in preparing for the oil and gas sector and indeed, the overall macro-economic outlook if political uncertainty continues.

“Guyana is on the verge of a sharp increase in economic growth, but immediate prospects partly depend on ending political uncertainty,” the report states. “In the November 2018 budget speech, the Ministry of Finance was targeting 4.6 per cent (Gross Domestic Product) growth in 2019.

“However, increased political uncertainty in early 2019 may dampen this momentum,” the Bank added. “The National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited bond issue will push total public and publicly guaranteed debt above 60 per cent of GDP in 2019, but that ratio

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

is projected to decline sharply after 2020.”

These warnings were echoed by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), which has warned about the impact of the political climate on businesses. In fact, the Chamber did a survey earlier this year that found that the political climate has been bad for business.

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019

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

Equality in society

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quality has become the mantra of the day: no one is willing to declare that it is not one’s goal or practice. We know, however, that our world in general, and Guyana in particular, is far away from this goal, and we must ask ourselves, “Why?” The reasons are legion, but one is inherent in the protean nature of the word itself. For instance, almost everyone will agree with the statement, “We are all equally human”, but what does that mean? Isn’t it a tautology? We are not equally tall, strong, intelligent or beautiful. So whither equality? Equality, from this perspective, has therefore to be contingent on the context or criteria wherein we speak. We can choose any area of endeavour or personal attribute and then discuss whether or not we are all equal.

For instance, the Ethnic Relations Commission should be concerned with their equality as citizens of the State: equality in reference to all that the state offers its citizens. The state was founded to secure the rights of all citizens, so when discussing equality from a national perspective, we should ask in which way are the citizens of a country equal. There is broad agreement that if we are all citizens, we are all equal, or we should be equal in the possession of the rights guaranteed by the state.

From a group standpoint, this equality of rights by each citizen translates into a proportionate share of the power in a society. This is a very important connection because, ultimately, it is the power exercised by the competing groups that shape the contours of the political and other struggles in the country. Power is ultimately grounded in the possession of rights.

What this means is that since, for purposes of analysis, we can group humans as any other object by whatever criteria we choose, we can classify Guyanese by gender, class, ethnicity, etc. If rights were equally distributed to all citizens, then no matter how we categorise groups, each group would have equal rights, and thus equal power. However, if the rights were denied to members of a particular classification while others enjoyed those rights, the deprived group is said to be oppressed, in that it does not have an equality of power.

In human societies, oppression has been perpetuated on all fronts: intersectionally, a poor woman may be oppressed simultaneously on the basis of her gender, class, ethnicity, age, religion, and race. Each of these forms of oppression is ultimately debilitating in that they cause pain and suffering and stifle the humanity of the victims; societies have to prioritise their activities since resources are limited.

“Discrimination” is the selection of an individual or a group for treatment not accorded others equally situated.

It is commonly described as a form of oppression. However, there are instances when society may decide to correct a historical wrong, let’s say exclusion of Indian-Guyanese from the Disciplined Forces, by selecting them at a rate more favourable than other groups. This form of discrimination, also labelled less tendentiously as “affirmative action”, is seen as positive, because its intent and effect is not to oppress others.

Non-oppression rather than non-discrimination, is probably a better term for us to struggle for in Guyana.

Even if we are to limit our field of endeavour to the rights of all citizens to have equality of rights, this leads us to other problems. For instance, since men are not factually equal, equality of rights will lead to material inequalities, as those who are better endowed with the badges of societies’ success forge ahead. This dilemma has led many to extend their definition of equality to mean additionally equality of results. Now, while this may be desirable, we have to concede that this goal implies a distribution which is based on some notion of distributive justice that will impinge upon the liberty of many citizens.

Equality from this perspective demands a more extensive and intrusive state, and this can open its own can of worms.

Members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) travelled to New York to be part of Guyana’s 53rd Independence Anniversary celebrations on Sunday. The Golden Arrowhead was hoisted in the presence of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, dignitaries and scores of Guyanese in the Diaspora

Canada closes its embassy in Venezuela …diplomatic visas unable to be renewed under Maduro Government, forcing embassy closure, Freeland says

C

anada is temporarily shutting down its embassy in Venezuela, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

In a press release on Sunday, Global Affairs confirmed all operations would be suspended effective immediately.

Canada will also be “evaluating the status” of Venezuelan diplomats to Canada appointed by President Nicolás Maduro.

Canada is part of a group of countries who believe Maduro’s re-election last year was fraudulent.

Canadian officials have called for him to step down so Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó, who several dozen countries now recognise as Venezuela’s legitimate interim leader, can take over.

“As Venezuela slides deeper into dictatorship, and as Venezuelans continue to suffer at the hands of the illegitimate Maduro regime, the regime has taken steps to limit the ability of foreign embassies to function in Venezuela,” Freeland’s statement said.

“Unfortunately, at the end of this month, Canadian diplomats in Venezuela will no longer be in a position to obtain diplomatic accreditation under the Maduro regime, and their visas will expire. Therefore, we are left with no choice but to temporarily suspend our operations at the Embassy of Canada to Venezuela.”

The US withdrew its remaining embassy staff from Venezuela in March, citing a deteriorating situation.

Venezuela is in the throes of a historic political and social crisis marked by shortages of food and medicine that has driven three million people to flee the country in recent years.

For several months, Canada has advised Canadians to avoid all travel to Venezuela.

Freeland said Canada would still provide consular services through its embassy in neighbouring Colombia. (CBC News)

Venezuela’s economic downfall

Venezuela’s former Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez says that a national movement that includes all elements of Venezuelan political society can bring about the peaceful downfall of Maduro and lead to the economic revival of a country that boasts the world’s largest oil reserves.

Queues that stretch for miles and delays of 24 hours or more at gas stations are the latest burdens to hit crisis-torn Venezuela, which economists say is witnessing the worst-ever economic collapse outside of a war in at least 45 years, despite having the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

Nearly four million citizens have fled the country in desperation as Maduro’s regime clings to power in Caracas, despite the efforts of Venezuelan Opposition Leader Guaidó, who has the backing of the US and dozens of other countries.

“Anyone, Chavista or Opposition, who opposes the

Maduro regime, runs the risk of persecution, exile, kidnapping, imprisonment, and even murder,” Ramirez says.

“People live in a state of fear and hopelessness under a governing political gang that refuses to enable a political solution to the very serious crisis facing our country.

They have led our homeland into a deep abyss.”

Still, there is a way to end the impasse, Ramirez says, one that he hopes will bring about a peaceful transition of power, revive the economy, and allow Venezuela to take its place among the community of nations.

“The way to resolve the political situation is to ask for a huge national movement that includes the military, the Opposition, the Chavistas in order to confront and defeat Maduro,” he says.

“I think we need to agree on some kind of national compromise to defeat Maduro and to heal the country.”

Ramirez recommends the creation of an executive committee, similar to the civil-military movement that helped steer the country following the removal of Venezuelan dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez in 1958.

This executive committee would include technocrats who can handle the economy, along with all key political and security elements in Venezuela.

A proposal for such a committee, he believes, would win over the “silent majority” of the military and

the Chavistas who remain unconvinced that Guaidó alone has the necessary clout to bring about an orderly transition of power.

Ramirez currently lives in exile, but is in contact on a daily basis with the Opposition, the military, and the Chavistas. He has great influence with the latter because of the close relationship he had with Hugo Chávez.

“It requires strategic vision, political stature, greatness, for us to come out of this crisis,” he says. “We need to put aside the hatred, selfishness, pettiness and return to politics and the rule of law so we can give back to the people their sovereignty and power to conduct their own destiny and rebuild our homeland.”

Russia, China, Cuba, Turkey, and Iran all have extensive economic interests, and in some cases political and security interests, in Venezuela.

But, Ramirez says, it is essential that Venezuela regains its full independence and sovereignty and deals with other nations on a basis of mutual respect and equality, including its neighbours in the Americas.

“I believe we have to be able to agree with some countries to respect our sovereignty and respect our law. The interference of all [foreign] interests in our country is unacceptable. We need to remove the foreign factors within our institutions and put everything in the right place.” (Excerpted from Al

Arabiya English)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, JUNE 3, 2019

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

CJIA contract

Dear Editor, The Kaieteur newspaper is taking readers for fools with its reporting on the issues with the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. All reports seek to place blame for issues with the construction contract in equal portions on the APNU/AFC and PPP/C. This is disingenuous reporting and should not be practised by a news outfit that touts itself as unbiased.

The PPP/C negotiated a fixed price contract on the airport expansion project. For the enlightenment of all concerned, here is the definition of a ‘fixed price contract’: A contract that provides for a price which normally is not subject to any adjustment unless certain provisions (such as contract change, economic pricing, or defective pricing) are included in the agreement.

These contracts are negotiated usually where reasonably definite specifications are available, and costs can be estimated with reason-

able accuracy. A fixed price contract places a minimum administrative burden on the contracting parties but subjects the contractor to the maximum risk with CJIA’s contract arising from full responsibility for all cost escalations. These facts seem missed on the reporters at Kaieteur News.

Therefore, the ‘claims’

by Kaieteur News that they ‘found’ overpriced items in the contract list are of no real value once the contractor delivered the original project at the agreed price.

Now we have the situation where the APNU/AFC have renegotiated the contract for a smaller sized expansion; from six air-bridges to four and at the same time have increased the ‘fixed price’ by US$30 million and counting.

To simplify, I would like to offer an analogy; A contractor and I sign a $500 ‘fixed price’ contract to build a six-piece living room suite.

My brother then takes over dealing with the contrac-

tor and ‘negotiates’ with the contractor to build a four-piece suite instead and takes an extra $300 out of my bank account to pay the contractor a total of $800 for a smaller set of chairs than I originally got a fixed price on. I would say it is quite clear my brother is demonstrably incompetent or possibly engaged in corruption to my detriment.

The side issues of when the contractor is paid and what he delivered at what time is wholly irrelevant to the issue at hand and are nothing but distractions and smoke screens for puny minds. Guyana got a smaller, shabby renovated airport instead of a larger, newer expansion that was negotiated by the PPP/C and for that, the blame must fall squarely on the incompetent and possibly corrupt renegotiation done by the APNU/AFC. Regards, Nalinie Singh

1 year on, questions still remain about CCJ’s impartiality Dear Editor, On May 21st, 2018, sections of the media graciously published my letter which called attention to the linkage between an individual at the Caribbean Court of Justice and the APNU/ AFC Coalition Government.

Now, a year later, questions on the same matter remain unanswered.

I remind that, in 2012, according to an article dated October 13, 2012, it was Senior Counsel Donald Trotman (Minister Raphael Trotman’s father) and retired Justice James Patterson, current Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, who presented the petition for Patterson’s grandson, Mr. Richard Layne, to be admit-

ted to the local Bar. Mr. Layne, whose grandfather’s appointment is currently challenged and is currently before the Caribbean Court of Justice, is currently a Judicial Assistant attached to the very Court.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr. Layne, among other things, conducts research for the President of the Court on all legal matters impacting the work of the Court, and prepares legal opinions and advice to the President on matters brought to the attention of the Court.

The Caribbean Court of Justice is expected to soon rule on the challenge to Mr. Layne’s grandfather’s appointment as the Chairman of GECOM. In Guyana’s case, can we expect a fair de-

Dear Editor, The Ministry of Education must be complimented for their efforts to promote physical activity via sports. Organised sports have many physical, psychological, social and emotional character-building attributes; and of course they also provide opportunities for fun, frolic and friendly competition.

Similar benefits can be derived from activities associated with gardening, carpentry, and simple ‘mechanical’ maintenance (which were ‘staples’ in the curricu-

lum during my school days).

Additionally, attention to such activities can enhance the attraction of careers in agriculture and mechanical trades, which our country needs to realise its true and natural potential.

I take this opportunity to remind our leaders in education and Government to keep the focus on such activities, lest we end up with too many pen & keyboard pushers and too few practitioners for our economic development.

cision on this matter? Will Mr. Layne present an unbiased legal opinion to the Caribbean Court of Justice?

Or will Mr. Layne work in his grandfather’s interest and say ‘to hell’ with our country’s Constitution?

These questions ought to be answered in order to remove doubts as to the fairness and impartiality of the CCJ. Such concerns have been raised not only in respect to Guyana alone, but several other Caribbean islands. It is these very concerns which have seen several Caribbean governments express reservations about making the CCJ their final legal arbiter.

Regards, Todd A Morgan

Broadening the scope of physical activities in our education system

Sincerely, Nowrang Persaud

Careless action by onlookers at crime scenes

Dear Editor, I sat and watched with amazement at the various live feeds of the shootout on Thursday night at Norton Street, Georgetown, between the police and those who are supposedly bandits.

Crime has really escalated and incidents must warrant our attention. What is disgusting is to see the scant regard onlookers have for their lives and that of others. This is a norm in

Guyana and we must desist from this practice. During Thursday night’s shootout, bullets could be heard being rapidly fired and onlookers and media operatives could be seen heading closer to the scene, some walking openly, which placed them in line of being hit by a bullet. Now, while the police are busy doing their job, some of them have to pay less attention to the threat and concentrate on getting onlookers to step

away from the scene. Not only are the onlookers putting their lives at risk, but they are also putting the lawmen’s lives at risk by these careless actions. The onlookers should desist from this careless action. The way they operated, I could have sworn that they were going to deliver the bullets to the targets.

Dear Editor, The Guyana Postal and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (GPTWU) which represents non-management workers within the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT+) continues to be very perturbed with the actions of the management of the company in relation to the continuous violations of the extant Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) between the parties. GTT+, over time, has hired approximately seventy-two Customer Service Representatives within its Call Centre, each on a nine-month contract. This is the largest concentration of contract employees within the company.

The Call Centre Division falls within the Union’s Bargaining Unit.

The CLA clearly states at Article Number 36:1, “Contract work shall be held to a minimum and the Company agrees there shall be no contract work allocated to outside contractors which would result in interference with the employment or promotion of permanent employees”.

This practice by GTT+ is clearly designed to trample on the rights of the workers.

These workers are continuously employed on a contractual basis without any effort on the part of management for confirmation. They are not represented by the Union since they are contract employees. The Union has been engaging the Department of Labour in an effort to have the contracted workers brought on permanently to the establishment, but to date, the

Department of Labour has failed to deal with the issue in a decisive manner. As a result, the Company is emboldened and continues with this violation. Management continues to show gross disrespect to the Ministry by not providing documentation requested by the Department, in addition to not showing up for conciliation meetings, called by the said Department.

The contract employees, whose contract are in total breach of the law are forced to accept the following: > Monthly salary, which is way below what is being paid to permanent employees who are performing duties at the same level across the company. > They are not on the company’s Pension or Group Life Scheme, even though many of them have been working with GTT+ for a number of years. > They are dismissed without due process being allowed.

Those are just some of the infractions that are meted out to these workers without any intervention by the Department of Labour, even though they are aware of all the issues.

The status of these workers needs to be regularised.

There can be no other position on this issue. The Department of Labour must be effective in its mandate by addressing this

issue.

Just recently, the world saw how the matter involving Rusal and GB&GWU was handled. The Department of Labour must not appear to be selective and/or naive when dealing with the multinationals.

The Department of Labour is aware of all the illegalities and infractions being perpetuated by GTT+ but continues to turn a blind eye to the plight of the workers. This violation among others shall be made public and the company must be made to respect the law.

This Union will continue to expose the continued arrogance being displayed by GTT+. This issue of the large influx of contract workers was raised with the Ministry of Labour, now the Department of Labour, over the years.

The membership is calling on the Minister within the Social Protection Ministry with responsibility for Labour, Honourable Keith Scott to address the issues with the authority vested in him at the soonest.

Workers of this country must not be taken advantage of.

Sincerely, Sahadeo Bates

Workers of this country must not be taken advantage of

Regards, Harold Shepherd President GPTWU

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019

Page

Foundation The marks of

Asking for help:

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hen we’re struggling with something, it’s natural to turn to others for help. Helping each other is all part of the giving and receiving that makes up good relationships.

Getting help sounds simple. But it’s not always easy to do. Sometimes we stand in our own way without realising it.

Certain beliefs or ways of thinking can make it hard to see opportunities for help. Here are some examples of the kinds of attitudes that can stand in the way – and ideas on how to get past them.

– many students today appear mature but are actually missing these components erything alone. Accepting help can strengthen friendships and relationships. Everyone feels good when they can support a friend!

For example, instead of thinking: I’d really like to find out how Katy is coping with her parents’ divorce, but she’s so popular and busy I’m sure she doesn’t have time for me.

Change it to: I’ll ask Katy if she has time to talk and let her

Obstacle 1: Believing that needing help is a sign of weakness

Asking for help shows maturity and confidence. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness.

You know what you need and you’re not afraid to reach out for it.

For example, instead of thinking: I don’t want my coach to find out I can’t nail that move in case he thinks I shouldn’t be on the team.

Change it to: I’ll show my coach how committed I am to the team – and how hard I practice – by asking him to share tips on how I can improve.

Obstacle 2: Thinking you don’t deserve help or support

Everyone needs help now and then.

No one can – or should – handle ev-

maturity

know how much her perspective means to me. Maybe some of the stuff that happened to me can help her too.

Be choosy about who you ask to help, though. Share your feelings or a problem with someone who listens and cares – not someone who judges, criticises, or blames you. Most of the time we can guess which way people might

react. But on rare occasions, they catch us off guard. If you do get rejected, it’s not because of anything you did. It’s what’s going on with the other person.

Tell yourself: If Katy says no, she might not be ready to talk about her own experiences. If she’s rude, then I’ll know from t h e start that she’s not friend material.

Obstacle 3: Not speaking up to ask for help

Sometimes you’re lucky enough to have people in your life who see what you need and offer to help before you ask. Usually it’s a parent or a close friend. But sometimes when we need help, we have to ask. The best approach is to be clear and direct, like saying, “I’m having trouble with this. Can you help me?”

For example, instead of thinking: I’m afraid my friends won’t want to hear that my boyfriend pushed me – they already think I’m ignoring their advice about him being too controlling.

And I don’t want to worry my mom. So I’ll just keep this to myself for now.

Change it to: I’ll tell my friends they were right and I’m starting to worry about my boyfriend’s behaviour. I’ll ask them to help me figure out what to do and how to tell my mom. (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

(Continued from Sunday) Signs to look for

So what are the marks of maturity? We all love it when we see a young person who carries themselves well and shows signs of being mature. They interact with adults in an adult manner. Those kinds of students are downright refreshing. Let me give you a list of what I consider to be the marks of maturity.

At Growing Leaders we seek to build these marks in young people, ages 16-24 as we partner with schools.

This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, but it is a list of characteristics I notice in young people who are unusually mature, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. If you are a parent – this is a good list of qualities to begin developing in your child. If you are a coach, or a teacher or a dean, these are the signs we wish every student possessed when they graduate. For that matter, these are signs I wish every adult modeled for the generation coming behind them.

1. A mature person is able to keep long-term commitments.

One key signal of maturity is the ability to delay gratification. Part of this means a student is able to keep commitments even when they are no longer new or novel. They can commit to continue doing what is right even when they don’t feel like it.

2. A mature person is unshaken by flattery or criticism.

As people mature, they sooner or later understand that nothing is as good as it seems and nothing is as bad as it seems. Mature people can receive compliments or criticism without letting it ruin them or sway them into a distorted view of themselves. They are secure in their identity.

3. A mature person possesses a spirit of humility.

Humility parallels maturity. Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself.

It is thinking of yourself less. Mature people aren’t consumed with

drawing attention to themselves. They see how others have contributed to their success and can even sincerely give honor to their Creator who gave them the talent. This is the opposite of arrogance.

4. A mature person’s decisions are based on character not feelings.

Mature people – students or adults – live by values. They have principles that guide their decisions. They are able to progress beyond merely reacting to life’s options, and be proactive as they live their life. Their character is master over their emotions.

5. A mature person expresses gratitude consistently.

I have found the more I mature, the more grateful I am, for both big and little things. Immature children presume they deserve everything good that happens to them. Mature people see the big picture and realise how good they have it, compared to most of the world’s population.

6. A mature person knows how to prioritise others before themselves.

A wise man once said: A mature person is one whose agenda revolves around others, not self.

Certainly this can go to an extreme and be unhealthy, but I believe a pathway out of childishness is getting past your own desires and beginning to live to meet the needs of others less fortunate.

7. A mature person seeks wisdom before acting.

Finally, a mature person is teachable. They don’t presume they have all the answers. The wiser they get the more they realise they need more wisdom. They’re not ashamed of seeking counsel from adults (teachers, parents, coaches) or from other sources. Only the wise seek wisdom. (www.psychologytoday.com)

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Vigilante beating of truck driver unacceptable ...those responsible will face the law – Police – parents, relatives of dead child traumatised, inconsolable

Seven-year-old Ciara Benjamin, who lost her life on the Agricola roadway

T

he persons who severely beat the driver of the truck following the death of seven-year-old Ciara Benjamin on Saturday at Agricola, Greater Georgetown, will face the full brunt of the law.

This is according to A Division Commander, Marlon Chapman, who related that thus far, no arrests have been made.

“Yes, once they are identified we will have them arrested. Everyone who is identified for assaulting the man, we will have them arrested. Despite the circumstances, they cannot beat someone, that is against the law”, Chapman told Guyana Times.

Videos on social media showed that the truck driver was dripping blood as a result of the beating he received. After the beating, he was handed over to the police who took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital to seek medical attention.

However, Crime Chief Lyndon Alves also told this publication on Sunday that it is too early to determine who is responsible for the fatal accident while adding that investigations are ongoing.

“I will not want to pronounce on that until that investigation by the Traffic Department is completed.

That is the confusion because we pronounce without getting the facts and when the facts are revealed then persons would want to say that the police are covering up.”

Relatives struggling to cope with child’s untimely death

However, the relatives of the dead child are still struggling to come to grips with reality.

An uncle, Elijah, told Guyana Times that he met the child for the first time on Saturday when she visited them at their Agricola home.

“It was [the] first time I ever had any encounter with her, the first time I saw her, first and the last time. She came yesterday (Saturday) around 12:00h and spent the afternoon with us and then she left with her aunt.

I can say her parents are not

coping pretty well with this, that is their only child, they are not coping well.”

According to the devastated uncle, the child’s aunt was taking her back to her parents’ home in Kitty, Georgetown, when the accident took place.

The aunt with whom she was with, Samantha Barry, is said to be in a very traumatised state.

“She is blaming herself, you know how human beings operate. You will blame yourself. You will say if you didn’t do this, if you could have done this differently?

Definitely, we are going to look into counselling for her and the parents.”

Need for overhead pass for pedestrians

The man further stated that the area where the accident occurred is prone to accidents.

In fact, he told this newspaper that approximately six years ago, his grand-

The build-up of traffic

“I said ok, I did not know is where, which area, so I said ok you can take her because it is Saturday, you can take her for the walk and then I get the call in the afternoon and that was it. Last thing she tell me was mommy love you and she kissed me”, the woman cried.

According to Thegg, ev-

During that time, a truck bearing registration number GWW 962 was heading to Georgetown when he allegedly swerved to avoid hitting a vehicle and ended up in the path of the pedestrians.

Upon impact, the woman was flung some distance away while the truck re-

mained fixed on the median with the child pinned underneath. A light pole was unearthed as a result of the impact and subsequently collapsed on the roadway.

About one hour later, a forklift and crane were used to lift the vehicle and remove the child’s remains.

Her body was completely severed in two.

Benjamin’s aunt recalled that she had just picked up the child and held her hand as they were crossing the road to go home. However, she claimed that the truck “came from nowhere” and slammed into the child.

Fire

After the scene was cleared, there was a sigh of relief but another unexpected tragedy arose when the lorry was set alight at about 18:10h, creating a towering inferno in the middle of the roadway.

Laden with fuel, it burned for hours, blockading the flow of traffic. At one The aunt with whom the child was waiting to cross the road

mother met her demise after she was struck down in the same area.

“There needs to be an overhead pass like they have at the Harbour Bridge and such because this is a busy area and accidents keep happening. It would be better to have one constructed right there…such things could be prevented, we need one at Agricola,” he noted.

The child’s mother, Chrisan Thegg, on Sunday stated that she was at work on Saturday when she received the message that her daughter was involved in an accident.

As she was being confronted by Minister Simona Broomes, she related that she immediately picked up her keys and rushed out but one of her friends held onto her and offered to take her to the scene.

“When I got there I just got out of the car and started running and I just saw her lying there…”

She recalled that her sister-in-law told her that she was going to visit her sister and requested to take her daughter.

ery Sunday she would take her now dead daughter to plait her hair. She was also supposed to assist her with her school assignments.

“I told her yesterday (Saturday)…I said I am going to the mall and we are going to buy the stuff to do your assignment, she was going to make a traffic light so I said we are going to go there and do that today (Sunday). Now this.” The child attended the Canadian School of Arts.

“She was a bright child, very child, she did not deserve that, she didn’t deserve that,” the mother sobbed.

Ciara’s father, Orlando Benjamin, was inconsolable.

The only words he could muster as he broke down in tears about his now dead daughter were “She does run and jump on me. I want to see she. I would give her my place”.

Based on reports received, the child was attempting to cross the road with her aunt, Samantha Barry, at about 16:45h in the vicinity of the Independence Arch at Agricola.

instance, there was a string of vehicles from Diamond on the EBD, to Mandela Avenue.

Pedestrians stood in disbelief as small explosions erupted from the fire. At 18:43h, the Guyana Fire Service was yet to arrive at the scene as fuel leaked onto the roadway, burning uncontrollably and threatening nearby buildings.

Nevertheless, commuters took the risk of crossing the burning truck, in what was described as one of the “most dangerous” situations.

Police presence was observed at strategic points to maintain order on two of the four lanes which were operational. One driver related that he was waiting for three hours to access the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

At 19:28h, firefighters arrived at the scene to douse the burning truck, which was completely burnt.

Investigations into the tragedy continue.

(Kristen Macklingam)

8 News

monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Superintendent denies instructing junior rank to change statement

S

uperintendent of Police Gary McAllister has denied instructing a junior rank to change his statement in the matter of Police vs Maryann Daby, the businesswoman accused of attempting to kill a Police rank.

Superintendent McAllister told the court that he instructed Police Constable John Holder to ensure that his statement was in sync with Police Constable Christopher Kissoon’s, the Policeman Daby is accused of attempting to kill.

Constable Holder was charged in November 2018 with attempting to pervert the course of justice at some time by deviating from his statement dated May 13, 2018 in relation to the charges against Daby.

On Wednesday last, Superintendent McAllister testified before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus. In the past he had also given inconsistent evidence against Daby, resulting in the magistrate declining to tender the firearm the woman allegedly used in her attempt to kill Kissoon.

McAllister told the court that he is attached to the Brickdam Police Station and, during 2018, some of his duties included the pe-

rusal of case files and the provision of directions where needed.

According to him, he observed a number of discrepancies in the statements of Constable Holder and Constable Kissoon. For instance, he said, Kissoon in his statement said Daby pointed a gun at him, while Holder said he did not see Daby pointing a gun at Kissoon.

McAllister said that after realising that both Holder and Kissoon were together that night, he summoned Holder to his office and highlighted the inconsistencies between the two statements.

According to McAllister, he advised the constables that their statements should corroborate, since they were together on the night of the

incident.

He added that at no time did he tell Constable Holder to change his statement.

Rather, he said, he expected Constables Holder and Kissoon to sit together and make sure that their statements were consistent.

After McAllister finished his testimony, he was subjected to cross-examination

by Constable Holder’s lawyer. Police Inspectors Suraj Singh and Prem Narine also testified.

The Magistrate, after listening to evidence of the witnesses, adjourned the matter until July 9, 2019 for continuation.

A few months ago, while giving evidence against Daby, Constable Holder testified that he had lied in his statement.

According to information, Holder gave several statements during the investigation in relation to the matter. Sometime later, he deviated from his statement and told the court that a top ranking officer instructed him to change his statement to support that of his colleague.

25-year-old Maryann Daby, of 127 D’Aguiar Park, Houston, Georgetown, was not required to plead to a charge which alleges that on May 13, 2018 at Albert

Street, Thomas Lands, Georgetown, with intent to commit murder, she attempted to discharge a firearm at Police Constable Christopher Kissoon.

It was also alleged that on May 13, 2018 at the same location, she had a .32 pistol in her possession when she was not the holder of a firearm licence enforced at the time.

It was further alleged that on the same day she had six live rounds of .32 ammunition in her possession when she was not the holder of a firearm licence enforced at the time. She denied the latter two charges after they were read to her.

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

While checking for the source of the gunfire, he reportedly saw Daby firing rounds into the air and, as a result, he confronted her.

Daby allegedly became annoyed and pointed the firearm to his head and pulled the trigger.

Fortunately, there were no more rounds in the gun.

he broke and entered the home of Lloyd Cameron and stole one tablet valued at $70,000, property of Tyra Cameron.

The 27-year-old farmer pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

Prosecutor Adduni Innis objected to bail on

the grounds of the prevalence of the offence and the penalty it attracts.

She further stated that the defendant is known to the Police since he had previous encounters with the law, and he has pending matters in the courts.

She continued by saying that two matters of

similar nature were recently dismissed against him.

Magistrate IsaacsMarcus upheld the Prosecutor’s submission and remanded the defendant to prison. He is expected to make his next court appearance on June 4.

Maryann Daby

Man remanded to prison for robbery

K

eon Acting appeared before G e o r g e t o w n Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus on Wednesday to answer to a break-and-enter charge alleging that between May 24-25, 2019 at Kumaka Water Front, North West District, Region 1 (Barima-Waini),

Lindener Miner stabbed, chopped to death – shop attendant arrested gets 1 O year for assaulting woman

A

Linden man was on Wednesday last jailed for one year by Magistrate Wanda Fortune after he was found guilty of assault, causing actual bodily harm.

The sentence was handed down to the defendant, Dexter Thompson, when he appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s court.

The court heard that on Tuesday, May 28, Thompson assaulted Onika Sampson at Andyville, Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden.

ne man is now in Police custody for stabbing to death 27-year-old Mark Jacobus, also called “Dove,” of Aranaputa Valley, North Rupununi, on Friday evening last. In addition to being stabbed, Jacobus was also chopped about his body.

Based on information received, the suspect and the now deceased were imbibing alcohol with several others in a drinking spree when an argument erupted between the suspect and the now dead man.

The argument quickly turned into a scuffle, during which the suspect armed himself with a knife and stabbed Jacobus to his head.

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

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

Police Commander Kevin Adonis told Guyana Times on Sunday that the suspect and the victim had been well-known to each other.

“We have the suspect in our custody. He, along with the now deceased, and it is said others too, had been drinking that night at a shop. The suspect is a worker attached to the shop that the incident took place at,” he stated.

The Kuribrong area is not new to crimes of a violent nature. Last April, 34-yearold Perion “Redman” Bobb, a driver/mechanic of Lot 23 Caribese Hill, Bartica, was reportedly shot to the stomach at close range, and died immediately.

Police had initially said the killers had abducted another man who had been in Bobb’s truck and had reportedly seen when he was shot. That man had allegedly managed to escape and report the incident to the

Murdered miner Mark Jacobus, also known as “Dove”

Police.

It was later realised that statements given by the miner who had allegedly escaped were “conflicting”, and he was detained by the Police.

It is alleged that Bobb and the miner were shuttling dredging equipment in the Kuribrong Backdam when they saw a truck heading towards them.

Bobb allegedly stopped his vehicle to allow the other truck to pass, and the men in that truck shot him.

Snake oil salesman…

H

…in the Presidency ere we go again!! It’s clear that President Granger is a devout practitioner of the advice given by WC Fields: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit!!” And in this he’s following in the footsteps of that other snake-oil salesman, Forbes Burnham. But that shouldn’t surprise us, should it? He’s publicly sworn to “complete the legacy” of his mentor Burnham.

Take his promise a few days ago on housing: “I would like to leave office where there is not a single homeless Guyanese. Every single Guyanese will have a roof over their head.” Now what else is this but a reprise of Burnham’s “Feed, house and clothe the nation” promise, which he made in 1972 and was to be completed in four years??

And of course we know he failed abysmally with not even one-tenth of the 60,000 houses completed!! And even those were created just for the PNC faithful, mainly in Georgetown. Burnham was in power for another decade after the plan’s ending of 1976, but we know he left the nation even hungrier, more homeless, and more naked than when he was handed power on a platter by outside forces.

And Granger will fail for the same reason Burnham did: a wilful and stubborn disregard of economic realities, and a willingness to believe his own BS. He told his captive audience at Perseverance Scheme – which was launched by the PPP administration! - in what was clearly a campaign stop on state funds, “Housing helps to take (poor people) out of poverty…and it is my mission to completely abolish homelessness in this country.” Now, let us look at that statement a bit closer.

How can being you pull people out of poverty without creating the environment wherein they can get jobs to enable them to pay their mortgages?? Granger and Burnham are putting the cart before the horse, since they’ve both destroyed jobs and squeezed the business sector, which actually creates jobs, with their fiscally repressive policies. What’s going to happen is that these schemes will become as crime-ridden and decrepit as other new schemes, such as Caneville, because of the unemployment level. The spirits of the homeowners who’ll be forced to give up their homes when the Banks foreclose on them will become broken, since they’d have succumbed to the snake-oil patter of people like Granger and sunken the meagre savings into the homes. They would’ve lost “corn and husk”.

But we did learn something from Granger’s patter.

Realising how outrageous his promise must’ve sounded, he said it could be fulfilled, “cause I ain’t leffing for just now.”

Like with Burnham, a rig is in the cards! …and vision problems Prime Minister Nagamootoo took time to inform us in his column this week that he was jetting off to New York.

First class, of course!! But that’s understandable. After all, he’d just completed his only chore: writing that column!!

But the column, captioned “Vision 2040”, was revealing – no pun intended. He boasted that his last eye test showed he had 20/20 vision – normal eyesight. But we know that ain’t so, don’t we? The challenge from Ramjattan demonstrates that he didn’t see the writing on the wall!!

But in boasting of his Govt’s “Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) – Vision 20/40, which was just handed back by the UN Environment Programme Director -- he should know the PNC coalition’s been given a signal that they’re very shortsighted. For if 20/20 is normal eyesight, 20/40 means your eyesight’s been cut by half!! And that’s exactly what has happened to this Government, with their refusal to accept that Jagdeo’s LCDS is light years better for Guyana that the GSDS. Those that have eyes, let them see!! …and integrity The Integrity Commission’s Chair says he’s “unaware” of President Granger not filing his assets report with the Commission - as mandated by the law the Chairman’s supposed to enforce.

And this AFTER the President himself was forced to confess he hadn’t filed!!

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

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

AFC official threatens to shut down NEC with injunction – unless list revised to include wife as delegate

T

he Alliance For Change (AFC) National Executive Conference (NEC) is expected to be hosted on June 15, but internal tensions within the party and pressure of an injunction to halt the proceedings could see this date being pushed back.

According to reports reaching this publication, this pressure emanated from AFC member and Director of the Department of Public Information, Imran Khan.

According to a well-placed source, the non-selection of Khan’s wife, Tamara Khan, as a delegate is at the centre of the tension.

Reports indicate that Khan informed executives of his intention to seek an injunction to halt the NEC if she was not added on the

list. Efforts to contact Khan on Sunday to get his response to the reports were futile.

When contacted on Sunday to confirm the reports, AFC General Secretary Marlon Williams was unaware of the developing situation. However, AFC executive member and Head of the WFC, Beverly Alert, when contacted revealed in a brief interview that the executive is handling the situation. What is unlikely, she noted, is the party giving in to threats.

“I can tell you, the management committee, of which I’m a part, did receive messages from Mr Khan along those lines. But the matter is being handled… I don’t see the management committee giving in to any

AFC member Imran Khan

threats. But [we’re] examining processes, because we’re a democratic party and at the end of the day the democratic process will be subscribed to.”

She explained that before someone is added to the

list of representatives, the names must be selected at the regional level. “In this case, Khan’s name was not submitted by Region Four.”

Much will be at stake for the AFC at this conference.

For some time, there has been speculation from political analysts about divisions in the party, with some members supporting Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to return as President David Granger’s running mate at the next General and Regional elections.

However, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan at a press conference in May announced that he will be challenging his colleague for the post of Prime Minister at the upcoming national conference.

According to the Public Security Minister, if elected, he would be “up to the task”.

He had informed the media

that the selection of leadership in the AFC is based on democratic principles which are nothing new to political parties locally and internationally.

“I have already indicated my interest. There are others I am certain who will indicate their interests. And so it is going to be interesting and it is good to have instead of political parties, the regular rivalry between leaders that you would have in the democracies…so yes, we will be looking forward for it and that will be decided there at the national conference,” Ramjattan had said.

Minister Ramjattan had noted that the electoral process at the upcoming conference will be the deciding factor as to who be running as the prime ministerial candidate at the next General And Regional Elections.

“The prime ministerial

candidate is generally made at the national conference.

And I rather suspect that our next national conference there will be a recommendation as to who will be the PM.” Earlier in January last, President Granger was endorsed by his party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), to run for a second term as President.

In fact, the PNC/R – the larger partner in five-party A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – officially threw its support behind its leader via a letter from General Secretary Amna Ally.

In accordance with the 2015 ‘deal’ in the form of a Cummingsburg Accord between the two parties, AFC was supposed to have the prime ministerial position while the presidential post goes to the APNU.

Energy is the lifeblood of an economy – former BP exec

– says it must be produced with boosting economy in mind

A few members of the Think Tank group

W

hile there is much talk about renewable energy, former BP Executive, Professor Gary Dirks has reminded that energy must be produced not for its own sake, but to provide reliable power for everyone and to boost economic development.

Professor Dirks, who is

the former President of BP Asia-Pacific and China and currently a Director of an institute at Arizona State University, was one of several speakers at the recent University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen and Tain talks.

He noted that oil and gas revenues presented a golden opportunity for Guyana to

transform its economy over the long term.

“The economy of Guyana must grow… this is an opportunity for Guyana to use these resources. Energy is the lifeblood of any economy, no matter how big or how small it is. But you don’t produce energy for its own sake, you produce it for

what it can do.”

“In order for an economy to thrive, one of the first things [energy] has to be able to do is be affordable. It has to be reliable to everybody, not a few. And it has to be accessible,” Professor Dirks pointed out.

Meanwhile, Dirks also spoke about carbon taxes, a measure used for the purpose of taxing companies with high carbon emissions.

This measure and the financial losses it brings is usually intended to deter companies from using fossil fuel and coax them into switching to renewable energy.

“We’re going to have to push the energy system to net zero emissions, not 100 per cent renewable, as fast as we can. That will not be enough. We will overshoot carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We will be required to take carbon dioxide back out of the atmosphere.”

“That means there’s go-

Former BP Executive Professor Gary Dirks

ing to be a price on the carbon, whatever it takes to take it back out of the atmosphere. So carbon taxes are coming. Anybody that’s thinking or planning for energy needs to take that into account.”

On Friday, UG launched its Think Tank initiative which will see players from across the country brainstorming to tackle energy-related issues in Guyana.

At the launch at

the Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown Campus, it was explained that the major focus of the group will be on how Guyana, which is becoming a major oil and gas producer, can maintain its pristine environment, energy sustainability and more importantly making Guyana a model energy country.

Think Tank will bring together a number of players from Guyana, both in academics as well as industry experts, to “think” about the energy problems of the energy future here. Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the tertiary institution, Dr Paloma Mohamed said that the challenge this group has taken on is no easy task.

Five of the main persons who form part of the group are Verlyn Klass; Former Dean of the University, Thomas Singh; Former Head of Department of Chemistry, Patrick Ketwaroo; Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vishal Persaud and Dean Calvin Bernard.

10 news

monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GNBA records 165 breaches for 2019 thus far …accessibility for PWD limited compared to other countries

T

he Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has recorded 165 infringements from television and radio broadcasters over the past five months.

This was revealed at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Friday last, thus resulting in a significant number of scrutinised cases for 2019.

These include profanities, inaccurate reporting, graphic details, substance abuse or irresponsible host-

ing during general audience time.

In January, the figures showed that there were 39 infringements, followed by 40 in February and 49 in March. There was a decline in this trajectory with just 22 in April.

While the statistics for May are yet to be analysed, it is estimated to be about 15 or 20.

Chairman of the GNBA, Leslie Sobers posited that while the Authority is work-

ing with stakeholders to reduce these numbers, they are also encouraging local content.

“The collective effort and common vision has to embrace the desire to provide a service that enhances order and the public good. It is time that we move away from the old model of being profit orientated without invigorating local talent, local conversations and young enthusiasm,” he explained.

During last year’s ITU

Man confesses to slitting throat of friend after drinking spree

O

ne man is now in custody and has since confessed to the murder of 30-year-old Godrell Joseph of Kamarang River, Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven) during a drinking spree Friday last.

This is according to “F” Division (Interior locations) Commander Kevin Adonis, who confirmed that the suspect told investigators there had been an old grievance between him and the now deceased.

Joseph had allegedly cut the suspect across his face some time back, and as the two men were out on Friday,

the suspect, who was under the influence, sought to exact vengeance.

Joseph was seen with his friends at a bar at the Kamarang Water Front area on Thursday last around 20:00h. The group of men were said to have been imbibing alcohol for a lengthy period.

However, Joseph’s body was later found lying in a pool of blood on Friday.

Upon first glance, there were a wound to the right side of Joseph’s neck.

Two men who were identified as friends of Joseph, and who were reportedly in

his company on Thursday night, were arrested for questioning in relation to the murder.

A Police source told this newspaper on Friday that a post mortem has already been conducted on Joseph’s body, and it has been determined that the cause of his death was an incised wound to his neck.

Despite the man confessing to the crime, investigations into the matter continue.

However, the suspect who is presently in Police custody is expected to be arraigned for Joseph’s murder in this new week.

Accessible America forum, The GNBA Head revealed that provisions for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) were limited in Guyana when compared to other countries. For this, closed captioning was introduced by some broadcasts.

“It was decided that we would approach our broadcasters, encouraging them to run closed captioning on some of their programmes, especially the news and perhaps, have a signing at one major newscast per day to facilitate persons with hearing impairment,” the Chairman told stakeholders.

Provisions are made in Chapter 36:05 of the PWD Act for these systems to be implemented. There is also a penalty for non-compliance.

Presently, there are some 19 registered television stations and 20 radio stations, a majority of which are easily accessible. Going forward, the entity has signalled intentions to establish fines for infringements. However, these figures are yet to be finalised.

Adding to that, broadcasters who display a decent track record with full compliance will be given recognition by the agency with added benefits.

“We intend to publicly recognise broadcasters who demonstrate that desired level of consciousness and

GNBA Chairman Leslie Sobers

are fully compliant. Such recognition will not only be applauded but will have real value for the recipient”, Sobers stated.

Throughout these engagements, broadcasters are reminded of their requirements when disseminating information to the public.

On Friday, they were also educated on self-monitoring. When airing live shows, these agencies are required to implement a delayed time lapse to cater for any interference, which may be deemed as an infringement.

Just a few days ago, the Authority informed that errant broadcasters will soon be hauled before the courts.

Persons would not be placed before the courts for broadcast content but rather for broadcasting illegally since many of them have not re-

newed their licenses.

“Those broadcasters who never had a broadcasting licence and are broadcasting, whose licences have expired and have not renewed their licences but are still broadcasting and those who owe the Authority millions of dollars and are refusing or failing to pay, are the ones that will be brought before the court. GNBA continues to function as a professional entity and within the parameters of the broadcasting legislation,” the GNBA said.

The GNBA is constitutionally vested with the authority to monitor the content that is aired or transmitted to the general public and also has the power to penalise broadcasters who are in breach of these requirements.

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

New Minister sends personnel dept, accountant packing

– accused of exceeding authority

J

ust over three weeks after being appointed Public Service Minister, Tabitha SaraboHalley reportedly sent the entire personnel department and the accountant packing on Friday.

According to information received, the Minister claimed that the depart-

ment is moving in a different direction and that the services of the old staff will no longer be required.

A source related that the Minister does not have the authority to dismiss any staff member.

“As far as I know, a Minister does not have the authority to dismiss any

staff… it is [the] duty of the Permanent Secretary to do so. To make matters worse, she had the police escort them out of the building at Lot 164 Waterloo Street as if they were criminals,” the source recalled.

Some of these staff members, he noted, have been working at the Ministry for

the past fifteen years. The source posited that the other staff members, as well as those sent packing, were in tears as they were being escorted out of the building.

“The Minister then sent the driver into the accounts department to collect money and changed the locks at the Department of Public

Service and only she has the key to the building and all the offices.”

It was reported that Minister Sarabo-Halley had been requesting the files of all staff members and making judgments based on the information she gathered from the files.

The source added that

Transparency most critical component for energy sector

– contracts being made public very important – Mexican energy professor and technically very robust Agency, Petroleum agency or a downstream agency; And the third one is being done by the market, by the participants. Here the technical part becomes very critical, because at the end this is the agency that represents the Guyana Government and State”, the professor stated.

The Mexican Energy specialist elaborated that in terms of negotiations, the

Jose Pablo Rinkenbach, Corporate Finance & Energy Investment Professor at ITAM, Mexico

I

f Guyana is to create an energy sector that is geared at being productive, efficient, and sustainable, then one of the most critical issues that must be taken into consideration is transparency.

This was according to Professor of Corporate Finance and Energy Investment at ITAM and CBMEX in Mexico, Jose Pablo Rinkenbach, who was at the time speaking at the recently held “Tain Talks” on Energy, Oil and Gas at the Pegasus Hotel.

The profession said his country, which has years of experience in this industry, recognises the importance of ensuring transparency in its operations.

“We experienced -- and I think it is probably one of the most important things -that transparency is a critical issue. At the end, making public all the contracts becomes very, very important. It gives a lot of robust system for the Government that everything was transparent, and it protects both the Government and the companies,” he said.

He explained that another lesson which Mexico has learnt over the years, and which can be valuable to Guyana, is to focus on national development rather than “talking about national content.”

“When you talk about national content, you tend to focus only on developing factors and not on developing people; and you need to focus on educating -- having better competencies and having better persons in terms of capacities.

A lot of the breakthroughs that are being experienced in the oil and gas business are in Artificial Intelligence, where you make more optimization on algorithms etc -- how you drill faster -- and that has to do with software, with people, not with hardware. Focusing only on national content tends to have a focus on the past; you need to look at the future.”

According to Professor Rinkenach, Guyana needs to ensure that it has a very robust regulatory framework for management of the oil and gas sector, especially since a lot of focus is going to be placed on energy simultaneously.

“That means recognising that the Energy Sector needs to have three pieces.

The first one is planning, the second one is regulation, and the third one is operation; and it has to be done by different agencies that have autonomy in terms of budgetary and also in terms of operations. Normally, the planning is being done by an Energy Ministry; the regulatory by an independent

technical conversations with operations, the recurring costs, issue of right amount of royalties etc., must also be addressed with a very technically robust methodology that can come from very experienced human resources.

Additionally, he noted that information is regarded as much more important than a resource base when dealing with the Energy Sector.

“Because, at the end, the information develops at a faster pace; the development of the resources. You have to decide who has the property rights of the information?

What are the rights and obligations? I mean, how the information can be accessed, shared, or delivered by the Government? What are the schemes to generate new information, etc?” (Kristen Macklingam)

Public Service Minister Tabitha Sarboo-Halley

the Minister seems to be confused about her role as a Minister and in only three weeks, she has taken control and oversight of every aspect of the day-to-day running of the DPS. “The Minister is not supposed to be involved in that,” the source said.

Minister Sarabo-Halley stated that she did not wish to offer a comment on the matter at the time when contacted.

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mahdia returns to normalcy after severe flash flooding – Mayor

T

he mining town of Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), has returned to normalcy after it was hit by the recent flash flooding.

The flood had inundated some 25 homes, creating discomfort and panic for residents of the mining town.

Mayor David Adams, when contacted, told Guyana Times that the water had receded and the town has returned to normalcy while adding that the Centre for Disaster Control (CDC) has stepped in and assisted affected residents with hampers and other items.

A team from the CDC headed by Captain Salim October conducted assessments at several locations which were hit the hardest by the flash flooding. Most of

Several areas were inundated last week

those affected were in houses built close to creeks and outfalls, despite warnings not to do so. The flash flood was as a result of torrential rains.

Cleaning kits were distributed to affected households and additional supplies were mobilised and deployed to the region.

The CDC, through the National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS), is continuing to monitor the flood situation in various regions across the country.

Currently, the focus is being placed on Aishalton and Sand Creek in the Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo region and Mahdia.

As the rainy season continues, authorities are monitoring the situation closely to ensure that lives and properties remain safe as far

Mayor David Adams

as possible.

The Mayor noted that the Council is in the process of discussing the relocation of those affected persons. He added that they will commence interviews for the allocation of house lots in

the area in close proximity to the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court, which is being constructed.

Those lots were already identified and will be given to the affected residents free of cost, the Mayor said.

The flash floods affected low lying parts of Mahdia and has highlighted the need for regularisation of properties in affected areas.

Adams pointed out that the residents are being encouraged to relocate and occupy the other areas. He explained that a regularisation plan for the construction of homes is in the future plans for the mining town, which will prevent the recurrence of homeowners being affected by the seasonal flash floods.

Meanwhile, residents

have held miners liable for disrupting the drainage network in the area.

Guyana Times has been informed that every time it rains, the water would drain from the hills and exit the land via creeks in the valleys.

However, due to mining activities, the creeks are blocked, providing no pathway for the water to recede.

As such, this causes an accumulation of water, which affects households in close proximity to creeks.

“Usually, miners in the creek cause blockage, and so when the rain run off the mountain, it go cause the flooding. It ain’t get enough passage for the water pass through.

Mining cause blockage in most of the creek, so that’s what does

really cause the flooding but the water does normally run off in a day. It don’t normally remain,” this publication was told.

Residents are certain that if actions are taken to preserve these natural landscapes on a regular basis, the possibility of flooding would decrease.

One resident who has observed this activity, Rohan, told this publication that there has been mild rainfall over the past days, which has posed no major threat.

While the area is prone to flooding during the rainy season, this was the largest flash flood seen in years.

Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Ministry has pledged to desalinate the creek waters to provide for easy drainage.

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Hauraruni Girls’ Home gets new library, upgraded computer lab

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman posed with the group of students from the University of Guyana who undertook the project at the Hauraruni Girls’ Home. Also in picture are Regional Representative of Region Seven, Kamal Persaud (extreme right); Pastor Deoram Timram (extreme left, back row), Attorney-at-Law Mirian Andrew-Ming (to the Pastor’s immediate right) and UG student Matthew Moriah (3rd from left)

T

he prospects of spending longer hours reading is one the young residents of the Hauraruni Girls’ Home, situated along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, is quite excited about. And the possibility of this happening in a more comfortable environment is even more inspiring.

“I think it is great! Really great!” exclaimed a 16-yearold resident of the home as she told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the now enhanced facility is much more comfortable and welcoming.

Her 10-year-old house mate said, “I would enjoy coming here to read and study more.”

On Saturday last, the home commissioned its newly refurbished library, the result of a project by thirdyear Public Management students of the University of Guyana. As a criterion for

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman sat alongside Attorney-at-Law Mirian Andrew-Ming during the commissioning of the Library of the Hauraruni Girls’ Home

graduation, these students were required to identify a project in a community of their choice, look at ways to improve or develop this project, and work together to complete a structured plan.

According to Matthew Moriah, who spoke on behalf of his group, this particu-

lar project at the Hauraruni Girls’ Home was done to make a different impact.

“A project that is sustainable…,” he said. “The aim was to create a sustainable environment for educational development for children,” he explained.

He said his group had

Newly repainted Hauraruni Girls’ Home

visited three orphanages, and after careful analysis, had chosen the Hauraruni Girls’ Home, which is a place of refuge for young girls who have been neglected and/or abused.

This home was established in 1982 by the late Reverend Philip Mohabir, Founder of the Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches in Guyana.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman and his wife were welcomed guests at the commissioning ceremony, having personally contributed to the project.

Asked to make brief remarks, the minister told the young ladies that sometimes one goes through painful and difficult situations in life, but God is always there.

He assured that he stands ready to support the development of the home in his personal capacity.

“I have been touched by what I have seen, and I would like to thank the students of the University of Guyana for choosing this place to make it your project.” he stated.

Attorney-at-Law Mariam Andrew-Ming delivered the feature address on behalf of the Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock. She applauded the university students for the project, and advised the young women of the home to continue to flourish and grow.

“The world literally depends on us to continue to flourish and grow. Across Guyana, we see women lead-

ing every day; we see super women, powerful and elegant. We have a lot farther to go. You are the future; you will lead us there.” she noted.

Also present at Saturday’s commissioning was the Regional Representative of Region Seven, Kamal Persaud, who represented the Office of the Prime Minister. Persaud presented hampers of clothing, footwear and games to the home from a number of private donors.

Along with the library, which was relocated from its old location in the building, the computer room received some minor upgrades. The entire exterior of the home received a facelift, and a new signboard was erected at the entrance from the highway.

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Berbice woman, baby die in childbirth tragedy open her there was a big clot and the baby died in her and they will have to take her to Georgetown Hospital because they had to remove her womb because it was separated from somewhere…”

She said even though the doctors told her that the baby was already dead, other sources confirmed that the baby, Alegdeo Junior Ofield, lived for about one hour after delivery.

“A baby doesn’t be delivered dead and they go and bathe the baby and dress it

H

from…all the blood that they give to her, she just keeps bleeding out.”

The relatives were further told that Reid suffered three heart attacks but it was the third that took her life.

The family is calling for a thorough investigation into what transpired at the New Amsterdam Hospital with respect to the medication that was administered to Reid.

The woman leaves to mourn four children.

told by doctors that the pill Reid was allegedly given is used to induce labour but because of the quantity she was given, it caused an adverse reaction.

“It dislocates the placenta and the placenta started to move and that is why she went into shock. The doctor said she was actually brain-dead because her organs started to shut down.

He said they gave her blood and the blood started coming out back because it was not clotting because the body was not working well.”

Fall

There are reports that Reid had a fall and was taken into emergency surgery.

On Thursday, however, doctors performed a caesarean section to deliver the baby.

The woman’s sister, Vanessa Sampson, claimed that on Thursday she received an urgent message to report to the hospital. As she arrived, she was met by four doctors who informed her that her sister had a seizure and was rushed to the operating theatre.

“They say when they

Baramita youth allegedly kills self after row with reputed wife

T

he lifeless body of a young father of two was found hanging with a rope tied around his neck hours after a row with his reputed wife on Sunday.

Dead is 24-year-old Johnny Henry of Baramita.

He was discovered by his mother at about 16:00h about half a mile from his house. It is believed that he committed suicide after a confrontation with the mother of his two children hours before the discovery.

His reputed wife reportedly left the home about three weeks ago and despite him asking her to return, she refused.

However, he reportedly went to her again on Sunday

At the hospital, a doctor allegedly told relatives that they received the patient brain-dead and she did not respond to treatment.

Carlita Matthews, another sister, told Guyana Times that when she reached the hospital, Reid had no pulse and her blood count was low.

“When she arrived at the Georgetown Hospital, she was taken into surgery to remove fluid from the body and to implant packs because doctors could not identify where the blood was coming

Bus operators decry state of LindenLethem road, call it “death trap”

Karen Shondell Reid and her dead baby

ours after the tragic death of her newborn, a mother of five succumbed while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Friday.

The child was reportedly delivered at the New Amsterdam Hospital on Thursday but the mother had to be transferred to the GPHC due to complications.

The dead woman has been identified as Karen Shondell Reid, 40, of Lot 42 Sheet Anchor East Canje, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

According to the now dead woman’s 14-year-old daughter, her mother claimed that she was prevented from eating and was only given water and cream soda on Thursday.

“She said she was hungry and they gave her three tablets and she showed me them and say that the nurse told her that she has to drink the three Cytotec tablets. She said that the doctor and that they have to give her more tablets” the teenager stated.

According to Tracy Limpkin, a cousin, they were

with clothes and have a sheet around it. If a baby born dead they leave it just so,” she said.

Meanwhile, Reid was eventually transferred to the Georgetown Hospital on Friday evening.

Another sister of the now dead woman reportedly accompanied her to Georgetown. She explained that during the trip, Reid was seemly in pain but before they arrived at the hospital she had stopped responding.

Dead: Johnny Henry

and after she refused, he was seen running in the bushes. Out of concern, his mother went in search of her son only to find him handing from a tree. Investigations are ongoing.

The present condition of the Linden to Lethem road, which bus operators are forced to traverse seeking their daily bread

T

he Linden to Lethem trail is yet again in a deplorable state as the rainy season persists.

The minibus operators plying the Lethem and Mahdia routes have complained bitterly of the deteriorating conditions of the trail which they are forced to use to transport passengers and goods as a means of earning their daily bread.

The bus operators who reached out to Guyana Times on Sunday described the trail as a “death trap” and bashed the Public Infrastructure Ministry for paying zero interest in conducting long-term repairs to that trail which is the only access to those areas.

The trail has been in a deteriorated state for years and worsens during the rainy seasons after which minor substandard repairs are done on certain patches and the problem continues to recur.

A route 72 bus driver, Keith Daniels, on Sunday

told Guyana Times that he was forced to park his minibus due to the condition of the road since the risk of making a trip is way more than its gains.

“To be honest, since Wednesday I ain’t make a trip. The last trip I make last week I had to come and take my bus to the mechanic and spend a set of money which I didn’t even make.

This trail just getting bad to worse. Destroying people bus. The Government need to do better than what they are doing. The small man punishing in this place. You struggling to get load to go up and when you do, you are faced with that trash for a road. We got families to feed and we gotta pay mortgage and even pay for the same bus that destroying in that mud. This could be fair,” he argued.

Meanwhile, another driver, Kendall Richardson, who also reached out to this publication, called for the Government to put mea-

sures in place for urgent and long-term repairs and maintenance of the road.

He said that the drivers are suffering since they are forced to use the road in the present state as best as they can in getting passengers into and out of Mahdia just for an income to take care of their needs. He stated that at times, the buses get stuck and are left to wait for several hours until a truck or pick-up passes for them to seek assistance in getting their bus pulled from the mud.

This, he said, is unacceptable and called on Government through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to come up with a plan to commence repairs to the road soon.

Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams in an invited comment said that the trail is in its usual state, however, vehicles are still able to traverse.

He explained that during the rainy season,

some attention needs to be paid to the trail on a particular stretch between Mahdia and Mabura which is in dire need of repair.

He noted, however, that there are no plans in place for such rehabilitation works by the council.

“Getting in is very difficult and some works have to be done in the short term to offer relief to those traversing,” he said.

Meanwhile, it was recently announced by the Public Infrastructure Ministry that sections of the damaged road in Mahdia were being repaired after the recent flash flooding. The bridge at Red and White, which had been washed away, was replaced by wooden planks until those works are executed.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson had told this publication that the pathway was opened for vehicular traffic on both lanes.

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

VOX POPULI

I SAY...

What the people say

The Ministry of Education through its ongoing truancy campaign is battling with getting vulnerable children off the streets and into the school system. What can be done to prevent truancy?

Lester Indarsingh “Teachers need to show them more parental love. Both my parents were teachers and it was as if they had all these extra kids who were treated as their own.”

Parmanand Kandhai “Adopt the technique that the swami school uses. Call their homes and find out the reason for their absence once time has elapsed.”

Emily Hendricks “Having a truancy campaign is one major move to end this plague, but making it more widespread across the country is one more effort to decrease truancy in all regions of Guyana. Because children, especially in the hinterland regions, are more vulnerable to staying away from school, as well as those on the coast and banks of Demerara.”

Davika Seeraj “Some students choose truancy by default because they have nowhere to go and no support at home. Create a safer environment for them to dwell and for those who have nowhere to go, build centres to support them.”

Jacquey Bourne “First they have to look at home situations. Most of the truants or school dropouts are from single-parent homes and so it is hard for some parents on a meagre income to maintain 5 and 6 children.

So the bigger ones drop out to assist. The Government needs to look into that and assist the parents so that children can be in school.”

Wendy Hernandez “I would suggest that the Ministry secure more funding to have schools built in areas/ regions where truancy is most high. This should be done together with sending education personnel into the area to monitor the situation.”

Vickanand Deokie “Truancy is a wide aspect of society that cannot just be curbed.

We need people in all communities to assess the situation and find what works for each person.”

Caesar McAlmont “I think more needs to be done on a social level. More attention needs to be paid to this issue so as to find out from parents and guardians why this is happening. Then there needs to be efficient systems put in place to curb the situation.”

Keisha Bacchus “Reintroduce the $10,000 cash grant to parents and provide uniform and other school supplies for vulnerable children to ease the burden off parents that can’t afford.”

Meena Baljit “The Government should be more vigilant and send out social workers into communities to address the existing issue.

Also, the Government needs to assist parents with cash to send their children to school.”

Toll gate to be erected to monitor alcohol in Baramita village

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he community of Baramita located in Region 1 (BarimaWaini) recently received $1 million to construct a toll booth in order to control the quantity of alcohol and other illicit substances, and monitor visitors entering the village.

This project is part of the village’s 2019 capital works under the Presidential Grant programme.

Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock and Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams along with Special Assistant on Projects and Community Development to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Martin Cheong, handed over the cheque to Toshao Sharmine Rambajue at a community outreach at the Baramita Primary School.

According to Toshao Rambajue, the initiative is part of the Village Council’s effort to bring some order in the mining community.

It will also assist in further

Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock hands over the cheque to Toshao of Baramita, Sharmine Rambajue in the presence of Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams, and Special Assistant on Projects and Community Development to the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, Martin Cheong

curbing the many social ills that are affecting Baramita as well as increase revenue at the Village Council.

The Department of Public Information (DPI), reported

that the facility will be managed by the Village Council and the funds garnered will go towards maintaining the road and other village projects.

Minister Alllicock commended the Village Council for moving ahead with the implementation of the facility and emphasised the importance of maintaining law

and order within the village.

The Minister reminded the residents that the Amerindian Act of 2006 empowers village councils to implement rules for the community.

“We have been assisting the village in establishing their Village Improvement Plan and their village rules… I am happy to see you moving in this direction, it will help to prevent some of the social issues in this community… we are here to support you in doing these things.”

Additionally, the Village Council received a computer along with accessories and a printer for the school, and a guitar for the cultural group.

Minister Hastings-Williams noted that this initiative is part of Government’s mission to provide all the necessary tools the children need for their education.

“Education is very important, once you have education you can contribute to the development of this rich community,” she told the

many students present at the meeting.

Baramita is the largest indigenous settlement in Guyana with a population of about 4000 people spread across 22 satellite villages.

Its main economic activities are mining and traditional farming and hunting.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, JUNE 3, 2019

Regional

State elections set to offer relief Venezuela finally admits to awful for harried Mexican President state of economy M exico’s President was expected to score comfortable election wins on Sunday in the first test of his popularity since taking office, despite a weak economy, rampant violence and troubled relations with his US counterpart Donald Trump.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s party is tipped for victory in state gubernatorial races in Baja California on the US border and in the central region of Puebla, the two biggest posts among dozens up for grabs.

Opinion polls give his leftist National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) a commanding lead against a divided Opposition in both states, even as clouds have

A voter carries a child as she casts her ballot at a polling station during midterm elections in San Andres Azumiatla, in Puebla state, Mexico, June 2, 2019

gathered on the horizon because of a potentially calamitous trade row with Trump.

Trump said on Thursday that he would hit all Mexican

exports to the United States with an escalating five per cent tariff from June 10 unless Mexico stops a surge in illegal immigrants from

Central America reaching the US border.

Lopez Obrador sent his Foreign Minister to Washington to try to broker an accord, and hinted on Saturday that he could agree to toughen migration controls to reach a deal, forecasting “good results” from bilateral talks due next week.

Around 80 per cent of Mexico’s exports go to the United States, giving Trump plenty of leverage to put pressure on Lopez Obrador, who took office in December.

Since assuming the presidency, Lopez Obrador has repeatedly vowed to root out political corruption, which he says is a legacy of his adversaries’ years in power.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

J’can legislator in US pays tribute to Seaga

A

Jamaican-born legislator in the United States has joined nationals at home and in the Diaspora and others throughout the world in paying tribute to former Jamaica Prime Minster Edward Seaga, who died in a Miami hospital on Tuesday.

Seaga, Jamaica’s fifth Prime Minister, was ailing with cancer. He died on his 89th birthday.

“It is with great sad-

ness that I join Jamaicans both in Jamaica and across the globe in the Diaspora in mourning the death of the Honorable Edward Seaga, the fifth Prime Minister of our beloved nation,” New York State Assemblyman Nick Perry, the Jamaicanborn representative for the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Saturday.

“I express my sincere and deepest condolences to his wife, Carla, his four children and grandchildren.

“Mr Seaga was a consummate public official, dedicated to the people he represented,” added Perry, stating that Seaga “fiercely” advocated for his constituents for “the four decades plus he held political office”.

“Upon his election to Prime Minister in 1980, Mr Seaga helped bring stability

to not only Jamaica but (to) the entire Caribbean region, navigating Jamaica through the turbulent, unpredictable decade of the 1980s,” Perry continued.

“Upon his departure from the Prime Minister’s Office in 1989, inflation and unemployment had both fallen across the island, and Jamaica was experiencing modest but steady economic growth. (Excerpt from CMC)

T&T: Fraudulent Persad-Bissessar upset over UNC leaks immigration stamps sold to A Venezuelans shake-up inside the United National Congress (UNC) could see the newly-installed Senator, Ashvani Mahabir being removed from his Senate seat. Mahabir was appointed to the Senate just two weeks ago to replace Attorney Gerald Ramdeen.

Ramdeen resigned after he and former Attorney General Anand Ramlogan were arrested and questioned by the AntiCorruption Investigations Bureau last month.

Guardian Media has learnt that Opposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar raked her membership over the coals at the caucus meeting on Friday night for “leaks” and then pulled Mahabir into a private meeting.

He was not seen on the compound after the two met.

The UNC held its caucus meeting on Friday night at the M Rampersad building in San Fernando and Guardian Media understands that Mahabir was asked questions about a leak of confidential information related to the April debate on the new appointments to the Police Service Commission (PSC).

According to party insid-

T

Ashvani Mahabir

ers, the UNC shared information about their plan for the debate and that information was shared with one of the subjects mentioned in their debate proposal.

Guardian Media was told that during the meeting, Persad-Bissessar spoke at length about leaks, but kept her meeting with Mahabir very quiet afterward.

Senior members of the UNC were also kept in the dark.

“I had not asked her (Persad-Bissessar) what she was speaking about, but she was extremely upset about it,” one senior insider said.

Mahabir did not respond to several calls to his mobile.

Persad-Bissessar did not respond to calls or texts. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

obago Police are tracking the origin of fraudulent immigration extension stamps sold to some Venezuelans recently.

Several Venezuelans in Tobago have been charged and appeared in court in the last two weeks for having the fraudulent extension stamps on their passports.

The most recent development was last Friday.

The rash of fraudulent extension stamps sprung up in recent weeks as T&T has experienced an influx of Venezuelans. Most have been coming to try and register in T&T’s amnesty exercise which continues until June 14.

Registration will allow Venezuelans who are here legally and illegally to stay in T&T and work for a year.

The exercise continued at centres in Port-of-Spain, Duncan Village, south Trinidad, and Scarborough.

However, last Friday at the Scarborough court

a Venezuelan national appeared to face a charge of having a fraudulent immigration extension stamp in his passport, Immigration and Tobago police officials confirmed.

He told the court he had “given his passport to someone” who had obtained the stamp for him. Officials said he had no attorney and pleaded guilty. The offence is seen as tampering with a legal instrument, they added.

The man was fined $3000 and sternly reprimanded by the Magistrate who said it was a very serious offence to have such fraudulent items in an official document and a strong message had to be sent to those who try to do it.

Two weeks prior to that, Tobago Police said four Venezuelan men also appeared in the Tobago court charged with having fraudulent immigration extension stamps on their documents.

(Trinidad Guardian)

V

enezuela’s central bank has unexpectedly published data on economic growth and inflation. It is the first time in years that official figures on the economy have been released. Regular updates stopped in 2015 as President Nicolás Maduro’s Government plunged the country into severe economic crisis.

Last summer the IMF said it expected inflation in Venezuela to soar by one million per cent by the end of 2018. The central bank’s figures don’t quite show seven-digit-inflation, but they do admit to a period of destructive hyperinflation.

According to its account, by the end of last year the annual rate of inflation had reached 130,000 per cent,

up from about 860 per cent a year earlier and 260 per cent at the end of 2016. For April 2019, the most recent data, annual inflation was at 282,973 per cent.

The IMF forecasts inflation to be 10,000,000 per cent by the end of this year.

By contrast, the central bank shows hyperinflation easing somewhat, and says monthly increases in the inflation rate are now about 30 per cent, versus 200 per cent at the start of the year.

Bloomberg also reports a slowdown, saying it has been mostly engineered by the Maduro regime, which has forced banks to hoard cash at the central bank that people would otherwise use to buy US dollars on the black market. (Excerpt from Quartz)

US institute inducts Rihanna into ‘Wall of Fame’

Rihanna

T

he Washingtonbased Institute for Caribbean Studies (ICS) on Saturday inducted Barbadian pop icon Rihanna into its “Wall of Fame” as Caribbean nationals there celebrate National Caribbean American Heritage month.

ICS said that Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is “one of the biggest pop stars to emerge from the 2000s”.

Born on February 20, 1988, Rihanna grew up in the parish of St Michael in Barbados and began singing in primary school.

“New York music producer Evan Rogers heard Rihanna perform while vacationing on the island and brought the then 16-yearold to the United States to record demos and shortly after, Def Jam’s acting

president – Jay-Z, signed the young Barbadian. The Barbadian pop sensation is now the recipient of eight Grammy Awards from 24 nominations.

“She is a businesswoman, too, and is a co-owner, with various other music artists, in the music streaming service Tidal,” ICS said.

It noted that Rihanna, in 2006, formed the Believe Foundation to help terminally ill children. “She frequently performs in charity concerts to create awareness about social issues and to raise money to help the underprivileged,” ICS said. “So far, she has helped to raise money for children in need, cancer research and Haiti earthquake victims.”

In 2018, the Government of Barbados appointed Rihanna as an ambassador – promoting education, tourism and investment. (CMC)

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monday, JUNE 3, 2019

17

Around the World

Algeria’s constitutional council 3 explosions hit Kabul killing 1 and injuring 17 cancels presidential election

The constitutional council said it had received only two candidates, both of which it deemed invalid [Ramzi Boudina/Reuters]

A

lgeria’s constitutional council has said it will be impossible for it to hold elections to choose a successor to ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika early next month as planned after the only two candidates were rejected.

The council said in a statement on Sunday that it rejected “the candidates’ applications” and subsequently declared “the impossibil-

ity of holding presidential elections on July 4”.

It did not set a new date for the presidential election, asking interim President Abdelkader Bensalah to organise a vote at a later date, State television said.

The move will likely extend the rule of the interim President, who was meant to stay only until the vote to elect a new President after Bouteflika ended his 20-year rule in the wake of

mass protests.

Bensalah, the former upper house speaker, had been appointed as interim leader until July 9.

Demonstrations have since continued, with protesters demanding Bensalah’s resignation and an end to the dominance of the elite who have ruled Algeria since it won independence from France in 1962.

On Friday, hundreds of thousands again took to the streets of Algiers and other cities to call for Bensalah’s removal and that of Prime Minister Bedoui, who was appointed

by Bouteflika days before he stepped down.

The July vote had been backed by Algeria’s army chief, General Ahmed Gaid Salah, who has been managing the transition. Salah, who earlier supported Bouteflika, has called for the impeachment of the longtime leader. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Israel strikes Syrian targets near Golan Heights In a tweet, the Israel soldier had been killed in

I

sraeli aircraft have struck Syrian army targets after rockets were fired at the occupied Golan Heights, the Israeli military said.

Three Syrian soldiers were killed in the overnight strike, Syrian state media said on Sunday.

Israel seized the Golan from Syria in 1967 and later in effect annexed it, in a move not recognised internationally.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel “would not tolerate” any firing into its territory.

Defence Forces (IDF) gave details of the latest strike which targeted Syrian positions in the Mount Hermon area, which borders the Golan Heights.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli military said it was unclear who had fired the rockets but added that the Syrian army was responsible for attacks launched from the territory it controls.

On Monday, IDF said it had attacked a Syrian anti-aircraft system that fired on one of its warplanes.

Syrian state media said one

that incident.

In March, President Donald Trump officially recognised Israeli sovereignty over the area, overturning decades of US policy. In response, Syria has vowed to recover the area “through all available means”.

Syria has always insisted that it will not agree on a peace deal with Israel unless it withdraws from the whole of the Golan. The last US-brokered direct peace talks broke down in 2000, while Turkey mediated in indirect talks in 2008. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

T

hree explosions struck the Afghan capital, including a magnetic bomb attached to a bus carrying university students that killed at least one person, officials said.

The bus explosion wounded 10 people, Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said on Sunday.

Two roadside bombs were detonated about 20 minutes later, wounding seven more people, including five security forces in the same residential area of western Kabul.

Several houses and shops around the blast sites were damaged. Security forces

blocked all roads leading to the areas.

Wahidullah Mayar, a spokesman for the Public Health Ministry, said at least four women were wounded in the bus bombing and had been taken to hospitals.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Kabul attacks. Both the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) launch regular assaults in the capital.

Eight Afghan police were killed on Saturday and seven others wounded in a Taliban suicide attack in the eastern Ghazni city, provincial police spokesman Ahmad

Khan Seera told AFP news agency.

On Friday, a Taliban car bomber killed at least four Afghan civilians and lightly wounded four US troops in an attack on a US convoy in Kabul.

A day earlier, at least six people were killed and 16 more wounded in an ISILclaimed suicide blast outside a military academy in the capital.

Eight Afghan police were killed on Saturday and seven others wounded in a suicide attack in the eastern Ghazni city, provincial police spokesman Ahmad Khan Seera told AFP news agency. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Venice crash reignites calls for cruise ship ban

A

cruise ship crash in Venice has reignited calls for large vessels to be banned from the city’s Giudecca canal.

Four people were injured on Sunday when the MSC Opera - a 275 metre long (900ft) ship - collided with a dock and a small tourist boat after losing control.

Critics say such ships pose a conservation risk to the lagoon city, pollute its waters and mar its beauty.

Ministers said the crash proved the need for a ban on liners, and that they were working to resolve the problem.

Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli agreed, writing on Twitter (in Italian) that the incident was proof that big ships should not travel on the Giudecca.

The Giudecca, which

Cruise ship crashes into dock and tourist boat in Venice

leads to the popular St Mark’s Square, is one of Venice’s major waterways.

Critics say waves created by cruise ships on the canal erode the foundations of the city, which regularly suffers from flooding.

Some have also complained that they detract from the beauty of Venice’s historic sites and bring too many tourists.

Venice’s port authority called for action to resolve the issue of high cruise ship traffic.

The Government has previously tried to resolve

the cruise ship debate.

In 2013, it banned ships weighing more than 96,000 tonnes from the Giudecca canal but the legislation was later overturned.

In 2017, the Government announced that it would divert larger ships away from the historic centre.

However, the plans were expected to take four years to come into force.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro on Sunday urged immediate action to open the alternative channel, known as the Vittorio Emanuele. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Hungarians protest over Government Indian officials see little chance overhaul of academic bodies of finding missing climbers alive

H

ungarians took to the streets of central Budapest on Sunday to protest plans to overhaul the country’s leading scientific research body, which they see as part of a wider Government attempt to curb academic freedom.

Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who took power in 2010, has tightened controls over public life, including the courts, the media, universities and scientific research, putting him on a collision course with the European Union.

In its latest move, the Government has said it plans to strip the 200-yearold Hungarian Academy of Sciences of its network of research institutions and hand over their buildings and assets to a new governing council. News website Index. hu reported on Tuesday that the Government was now drawing up draft legislation for the plan.

The academy said

T

People protest outside the Hungarian Academy of Sciences against Government’s plans to overhaul the institution in Budapest, Hungary, June 2, 2019

on Wednesday that the Government wanted “total political control” of vital research.

The Government has said it wants to shake up funding of research institutes to encourage more lucrative and innovative research.

The planned new Government council for the Academy - to be chaired by Innovation and Technology Minister Laszlo Palkovics

- would set out areas of research that would receive funding, website Index.hu said on Tuesday.

While popular protests and diplomatic problems accompanied most of those moves, including a massive march of several tens of thousands of people in support of CEU two years ago, the Government ultimately has gone ahead with its plans. (Excerpt from Reuters)

wo Indian air force helicopters conducted reconnaissance missions around the Nanda Devi mountain in the Himalayas for eight missing climbers without success on Sunday and survivors are unlikely to be found, two State Government officials said.

The rescue effort for the climbers - four from Britain, two from the United States, and one each from Australia and India - began on Saturday when they did not return to their base camp on Friday, but it may take days to trek to the avalanche-hit area where they were last known to have been.

The first helicopter reconnaissance earlier in the day had spotted tents but no human presence.

A team of 10 to 15 rescuers, comprising police, disaster response personnel and administrators has also been sent out to track down survivors, said Tripti Bhatt, an

Climbers pose for a picture before leaving for their expedition in Munsiyari town in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India May 13, 2019

official of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

But the casualty rate in the region is almost five times higher than on Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, and the rescuers would need at least three or four days of walking to get to the avalanche site, officials said.

Jogdande said there will be another aerial survey on

Monday. Only if “any evidence is found” that the climbers may have survived will the rescue mission by foot, currently at the base camp, proceed toward the direction identified by air.

He added that the weather conditions were difficult and the terrain too risky and vast for the on-foot team to look for the climbers without a very specific idea of where they were. (Excerpt from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

MONday, June 3, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

Listen to what’s being said or offered before you decide to get involved in someone else’s project. You are best off following your dreams and focusing on what makes you happy.

CANCER

Look for creative ways to stay in shape. If you enjoy doing something physical, turn it into a workout routine. The compliments you receive will encourage you to do more.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

Make a change that counts. Go the distance and take pride in what you do.

Shortcuts will be frowned upon by influential people.

Stick to the rules.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Do what you do best and avoid getting involved in situations or conversations that can lead to trouble.

Finish what you start in order to maintain a good reputation.

Helping others may be tiring, but the rewards will be worth your while. An interesting conversation will spark your imagination and open up a window of opportunity.

Focus on what you need to accomplish. Make the necessary changes and do your best to avoid situations that could set you off or lead you into indulgence.

Choose love over discord.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Be open to suggestions and learn all you can from someone who has more experience or higher credentials than you. A meeting, business trip or lecture is favored.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

A positive change is heading your way. Discuss matters pertaining to a joint venture or lopsided partnership. Use reason to get good results.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Trust only what you know to be factual. Evading issues will only make matters worse. Do your best to stick to time-tested guidelines and rules.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) Saturday’s WORD – DENIAL

solution for SATURDAY’S puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Stick to your plans. Don’t worry if someone decides to take a different path.

Domestic changes will be good investments and will please someone you love.

Don’t depend on others when you can make your own opportunities. If you wait for someone to honor a promise or proposal, you’ll be disappointed. Be prepared to do the work and reap the rewards.

Keep your life simple and your conversations truthful.

Don’t make promises you cannot deliver. Physical activity will help you gain strength as well as confidence. Focus on health and fitness.

monday, june 3, 2019

Joshua sensationally beaten by Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden

Andy Ruiz Jr with the IBF, WBA, WBO & IBO heavyweight belts after beating Anthony Joshua

A

ndy Ruiz Jr produced one of the biggest shocks in the history of heavyweight boxing to rip Anthony Joshua’s IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles from him and tear up the division’s proposed plot lines.

In a truly remarkable fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Ruiz floored Joshua four times en route to a seventh-round stoppage, which stunned this famous arena and handed the Briton his first defeat as a professional.

Joshua was a 1-25 favourite with bookmakers, with 22 wins - 21 by knockout going into the fight. He will now join the likes of Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson as dominant champions to suffer losses which brought the sport to a standstill.

“I got beaten by a good fighter,” said 29-year-old Joshua. “It will be interesting to see how far he goes, but this is all part of the journey.

“He’s a champion for now, I shall return.”

This was no fluke, no punch from the ages, it was the breakdown of a fighter who looked shattered from an early stage.

After flooring Ruiz with a left hook in the third round, Joshua hit the canvas when a right crashed against his temple. By the time a sensational three minutes was up he had been down again thanks to a flurry when cornered.

It created an electric buzz amongst the 19,000 or so in the arena. Just what was happening? Were they going to see the unthinkable?

Ruiz, 29, was not even supposed to be here. He took the bout at six weeks’ notice and tickets were being collected by fans 24 hours before the bout which

still had the name of Jarrell Miller - Joshua’s original opponent - printed on them.

By the seventh round, when Joshua touched down under a flurry of shots again, the game looked up.

Seconds later he was down on all fours again and spat his gum shield out, perhaps to buy time.

He simply did not have it. The bout was waved off and all that was planned for the glamour division was ripped up thanks to a man who had been dubbed unglamorous because of his rounded physique.

Ruiz, from appearance to pedigree, was an underdog in every sense of the word.

When Britons wake up on Sunday morning, they will read of a truly iconic upset.

his late stand-in, this was not the Joshua the travelling 8,000 strong army of British fans had grown to know.

In the sixth round there were warning signs. After a smart left hook and right hand combination from Ruiz early on, he went on to take pot shots at Joshua’s head, with the champion seemingly too fatigued to even muster a guard while

come back. It’s now down to the rematch and winning that fight.

“To get back to the heights he has been, he must win that rematch.”

For now, all talk of facing Tyson Fury or WBC champion Deontay Wilder can stop.

Ruiz, who now has 33 wins and one loss can temporarily bask in the glory of his glorious night. He joins James ‘Buster’ Douglas who humbled Tyson in 1990 - and Hasim Rahman who beat Lewis in 2001 as men to land colossal upsets.

Lewis of course responded by winning a rematch.

Ruiz though showed plenty here to suggest Joshua will have to find plenty to do the same.

Ruiz was calm and calculated in staying away from Joshua’s obvious power early on. When he stepped forward he did so with conviction and threw plenty, ensuring he got shots off to justify the risk of making himself vulnerable.

Not the Joshua Britain knows

Ruiz, American born but with Mexican parents, becomes Mexico’s first heavyweight world champion, just as he said he would.

When Joshua sat down with the media on Wednesday, virtually every question directed at him was about his future, not this bout.

He said he was “seeing the bigger picture” and maybe therein lies the problem.

After six fairly tentative minutes from both men he scored his knockdown from a crisp left hook as the pair boxed up close. Normal order appeared set to play out.

Moments later when he himself hit the deck, we were taken back to his titanic struggle with Wladimir Klitschko. The night was on a cliff edge, simply do not blink.

And from that first knock down, he never appeared comfortable. Whether it be stamina, a lack of focus or a lack of preparation for

Rafael Nadal and RogerFederer advance at French Open

R

afael Nadal and Roger Federer stayed on course for a semi-final meeting at the French Open as both coasted into the last eight with straightset wins.

Eleven-time champion Nadal beat Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Londero 6-2 6-3 6-3 in two hours 13 minutes.

Federer beat another Argentine, Leonardo Mayer, by the same scoreline.

He plays Stan Wawrinka next after his fellow Swiss prevailed in a marathon fiveset wrestle with Greek sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Nadal will face either Japan’s Kei Nishikori or France’s Benoit Paire.

On past form, Nadal would have greater reason for optimism should he meet Federer in the last four, having won all five of their matches at Roland Garros.

Federer, whose sole Roland Garros title came in 2009, is yet to drop a set in the tournament, after straightforward wins over Lorenzo Sonego, Oscar Otte and Casper Ruud, ranked 74th, 144th and 63rd in the world respectively, and Mayer never looked likely to dent his progress.

Victory assured Federer another piece of tennis history as he matched American great Chris Evert’s record of 54 Grand Slam quarter-final singles appearances in the Open era.

Wawrinka digs deep to meet old foe

Referee Mike Griffin starts the count after Joshua is floored by his opponent

his legs appeared confused below him.

And then came the finish, mainly built from punch volume as Ruiz overwhelmed his vulnerable opponent with two knock downs in quick succession.

The crowd seemed frozen.

Surely not? Yes, it was over.

There will be questions because Joshua is his own biggest analyst. For now, there is only disbelief.

Rematch before the year is over

Joshua was down on two cards and up on one when the stoppage came but, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, he will get his chance to rectify things in a rematch in London, in November or December.

“This will devastate him,” said Hearn. “He will

When he did take shots after being floored, he took them and ploughed on gamely.

This bout changed his and his five children’s lives financially. The rematch will do so even more.

“This is what I have been dreaming about and I cannot believe I made my dreams come true,” he said.

“That was my first time getting dropped on the floor but it made me want it even more.”

From starting boxing aged six, to being taunted and doubted because of his weight, he has now come up trumps to deliver the ultimate ‘I told you so’ moment.

He rightly said “the sky is the limit now”, while Joshua will look back on a US bow which was wrecked.

(BBC Sport)

19

In contrast to Federer’s routine victory, Wawrinka’s gruelling 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 6-4 3-6 8-6 victory stretched over five hours and nine minutes as momentum swapped between him and his 20-yearold opponent.

Tsitsipas spurned eight break points in the final set, taking just five of 27 opportunities in the match, as he failed to tee up another meeting with Federer, who the Greek stunned in a dramatic Australian Open last16 win in January.

Wawrinka saved three break points at 5-5 in the fifth set before converting the second of two match points with a floated backhand that clipped the outside of the line.

It is the longest match of this year’s tournament, surpassing French pair Benoit Paire and Pierre-Hugues Herbert’s second-round tussle by 36 minutes.

Wawrinka is the last man to beat Federer at the

French Open, knocking out his compatriot en route to the title in 2015.

Federer has missed the tournament each year since then in an effort to preserve his body and prolong his career.

Wawrinka has had his own fitness concerns, with a knee injury threatening his career after 2017 Wimbledon. He slipped outside the top 250 after a firstround defeat at last year’s French Open but has since fought his way back to his current ranking of 28th.

Konta into quarter-finals

British number one Johanna Konta continued her charge through the French Open by impressively beating Croatian 23rd seed Donna Vekic to reach the quarter-finals.

Konta, seeded 26th, won 6-2 6-4 in baking conditions at Roland Garros.

She is hoping to emulate Jo Durie and become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since 1983.

The 28-year-old will play last year’s runner-up and American seventh seed Sloane Stephens in the last eight.

“To be able to win a match like this against a tough opponent is a great feeling. I felt I played well throughout the match,” said Konta after reaching her first Grand Slam quarter-final since Wimbledon in 2017.

“To win like that in front of a crowd like that gives you goosebumps.”

Konta is enjoying a superb clay-court season, reaching WTA finals in Morocco and Rome, and has continued to build on that form in Paris with some assured performances.

She wrapped up victory over Vekic on the first of her three match points when the Croat hit long.

Konta is not alone in being a quarter-final debutant at this year’s French Open.

Croatian 31st seed Petra Martic and Czech 19-yearold Marketa Vondrousova are both in the last eight at Roland Garros for the first time and one of them will be Konta’s semi-final opponent if she is victorious in the next round.

Neither player has made it to a Grand Slam quarter-final before, but Martic reached this stage after beating Kaia Kanepi 5-7 6-2 6-4, while Vondrousova came through after a 6-2 6-0 win against 12th seed Anastasija Sevastova. (BBC Sport)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monday, june 3, 2019

Neymar denies rape accusation

B

razilian football star Neymar has denied an accusation that he raped a woman in Paris.

According to a police report filed in São Paulo, the woman alleges that the attack took place in a hotel in the French capital, where Neymar plays for Paris St-Germain (PSG).

Neymar sought to prove his innocence by posting what he says is an exchange of Whatsapp messages between the pair.

He is now in Brazil training with the national team for the Copa América.

What are the allegations?

According to police documents, the woman - who has not been named - got to know Neymar on Instagram and he suggested they meet in Paris.

He provided her with an air ticket from Brazil to France and a reservation at a luxury hotel in Paris.

When Neymar came to the hotel on 15 May, he was “apparently drunk”, the woman alleges.

After conversation and embraces, “at some point, Neymar became aggressive, and through violence, engaged

in sexual intercourse against the will of the victim”, the police document states.

The woman returned to Brazil two days later, without reporting the alleged incident to French police, because she was “emotionally shaken and afraid to register the facts in another country”, the document continues.

What does Neymar say?

In a statement released after the accusations became public, the footballer’s management condemned “the unjust accusations and, above all, the exposure in the press of an extremely negative situation”.

The statement said Neymar had been the “victim of an attempted extortion” and “evidence of attempted extortion and non-rape will be submitted to the police authorities”.

Neymar directly addressed the allegations in a seven-minute video on his Instagram page.

The unmarried footballer posted the video alongside the caption (in Portuguese): “Due to extortion, I’m being forced to expose my life and my family..”

Speaking in Portuguese, the footballer said: “I’m very

upset but from now on I’ll expose or tell all about what happened with that girl. It was an intimate thing but I have to open myself up to prove that nothing exceptional happened. “ W h a t happened that day was a relationship between a man and a woman, within four walls, like with any couple. And the next day nothing much happened. We kept exchanging messages.

She asked me for a souvenir for [her child].”

During the video, the 27-year-old shows what he claims to be a long series of WhatsApp messages with the woman, including photographs of her in her underwear.

He says he had to make them public to “prove that nothing really happened”.

Neymar’s father, Neymar dos Santos, also dismissed the allegations, telling Band TV in Brazil on Saturday that “it is clear that it was a trap”.

Is Neymar ready for the Copa América?

The PSG forward has been stripped of the captaincy of

Carapaz wins Giro d’Italia

to make cycling history for Ecuador

R

ichard Carapaz became Ecuador’s first grand tour champion by winning the Giro

dren on to the podium when they collected their trophies. The winner’s parents had also flown over from Ecuador – the first

Brazil, following recent disciplinary issues.

French football authorities

b a n n e d Neymar from three matches after he hit a fan following PSG’s defeat by Rennes in the Coupe de France final last month.

He was also reportedly involved in a dressing room brawl.

The Copa América - South America’s national team championship - takes place in Brazil from 14 June to 7 July, with the hosts taking on Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru in Group A. Neymar had to stop training on Tuesday when he suffered a knee strain, although the injury was not thought to be serious. (BBC News)

Gustafsson retires after submission loss in Stockholm

L

ight heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson announced his retirement after a submission loss in his hometown at UFC Stockholm on Saturday night.

Gustafsson was submitted via rear-naked choke by veteran fighter Anthony Smith in the fourth round.

Afterward, Gustafsson left his gloves in the Octagon, a traditional sign of retirement.

“The show is over, guys” Gustafsson, 32, said. .”.. It feels like I don’t have it in me anymore, to be honest.”

“It feels like I do mistakes that I shouldn’t, so I just have the feeling it’s the time now. I don’t want be a journeyman. I don’t want to do this because I’m getting paid. I just want to do this because I love it and I want to be at the top.”

Gustafsson (18-6) has been on a downturn over his most recent fights, losing the past two and four of the past six.

Alexander Gustafsson

Smith (31-14) was coming off a loss to Jon Jones and said he broke his left hand during the fight.

Jones, who had a classic win over Gustafsson in 2013, praised Gustafsson on social media afterward.

“Honestly I don’t believe you but if you’re serious, thank you for everything,” Jones tweeted. “You held the division to a standard and made us better. Go kick (expletive) with that Family.” (Reuters)

World Rugby Sevens Series: Fiji win in Paris and claim 4th series title

d’Italia while Chad Haga of the US was fastest in the final stage’s individual time trial.

Carapaz, who rides for Movistar, keeled over his handlebars with emotion at the Arena di Verona after the 17km (10.5mile) test. The 26-year-old has worn the leader’s pink jersey since winning the gruelling 14th stage on 25 May. “This is the biggest moment of my sporting life,” he said. “In this final time trial I just suffered from start to finish until I reached the arena of Verona. It’s fabulous to win the Giro d’Italia.”

He finished the three-week race 1min 5sec ahead of the home favourite Vincenzo Nibali and 2.30 in front of the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, who leapfrogged Mikel Landa into third spot.

Carapaz and Nibali brought their chil-

time they had been on an aeroplane.

Haga had told his wife to stay at home in the US. “Maybe that was a mistake,” he said as he smiled through tears of joy.

“This is for everyone who believed in me and supported me and sacrificed for me. I gave everything and to finally win … it’s very special.”

It was Haga’s first stage victory in a grand tour, moreover. “I started this morning believing strongly I could win. I saved my legs these past few days. Watching Roglic and Nibali on TV, I had to convince myself that they were tired,” he said. He finished four seconds faster than Victor Campenaerts and six ahead of Thomas De Gendt. Britain’s Simon Yates clocked 23min 7sec to hold on to a top-10 place, finishing eighth overall. (The Guardian)

O

lympic champions Fiji sealed their fourth World Rugby Sevens Series title as they won the season-ending Paris Sevens tournament in style.

Victory in the last four against series runners-up USA 33-14 was enough to confirm Fiji’s status as champions.

They then produced a superb display in the final to see off New Zealand, who finished third overall, 35-24.

Beaten semi-finalists USA and South Africa completed the four sides to earn direct qualification for Tokyo 2020.

“To round it off as we did is pretty special,” said Fiji

coach Gareth Baber.

Captain Josua Vakurunabili said he told his team to “make people back home and your family proud”, adding: “I said ‘if you want to be a history maker, don’t let this moment pass you’.”

England, who lost to Fiji, Ireland and Argentina in the pool on Saturday, beat Japan 52-7 in the Challenge Trophy quarter-finals before losing 41-28 to Canada in the final four.

Canada went on to beat Ireland 28-12 in the Challenge Trophy final, as Scotland saw off Japan 31-26 in the 13th-place play-off.

England can still secure

Great Britain a place at next year’s Games in Tokyo via a European qualifying tournament in July.

Meanwhile, Wales retained their place in the World Rugby Sevens Series despite struggling in the final leg in Paris.

Richie Pugh’s side lost 2621 in Pool B to Kenya, who were in the relegation battle with Wales along with Japan, and then lost their Challenge Trophy quarter-final 31-12 to Canada.

But Japan’s earlier defeat to England at the same stage meant Wales remain among the elite top-14 nations. (BBC

Sport)

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Cat Ruler rules, Red Jet prevails at Ryan Crawford Memorial

D

espite morning showers across the Corentyne Coast, the action-packed horse racing event rode off on Sunday last at the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports facilities. In the two major events of the day, Cat Ruler and Red Jet won their respective races in style.

Opening the event was the L2&Lower class category that saw Flo Jor reigning supreme and Red Jet running second. In the second race of the day it was all Silver Charm defeating Perfection (second), Uptown Boss (third) and He is in control (fourth).

In the third race of the day, the 1100 meters L3 (Unclassified) race, Isabella, rode by Kevin Paul was the dark horse completing the win. Isabella out ran Brock Gun (second), Joyful (third) and Dessert Storm in the excited race. The fourth race of the day, the 3 year old maiden was arguably the most anticipated event.

Horses that won the race in this category prior to this was barred from running since this class ca-

enticing race of the day.

This one-day horse racing that saw the purse of the events being unknown was held for the lat Mr and Mrs Crawford were proudly sponsored by beverage giants Banks DIH Ltd., Jumbo Jet, Collin Elcock, NTN Television Station, Annirude Constructions, Fazal Habbibula and special mentioned was also extended to Mr Hookumchand of GUYOIL. (Brandon Corlette)

tered for first-timers. The likes of Ebony Prince and Mark were not allowed to race. After the delay, the race began with Cat Ruler rode by Renaldo Appadu, started in last position and was gapped by the two other horses that took part in the event.

Cat Ruler of Gideon Horsing Stables, showed his class running in finesse to win the race and closing in the gap set early on in the race. Caricom Boy

Final-round charge at Memorial primes Woods for US Open 223-7230-1 (Ext 55) Tiger Woods

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T

iger Woods made a final-round charge at the Memorial tournament on Sunday before stumbling with two late bogeys in Dublin, Ohio.

Nevertheless, his fiveunder-par 67 dispelled any doubts he might not be ready for the U.S. Open starting at Pebble Beach on Thursday week.

Woods lit up Muirfield Village with seven birdies in 11 holes at a venue where he has won a record five times.

Although his momentum was halted by a bogey at the 14th, where his approach nestled down in deep greenside rough, he was a picture of contentment afterwards.

“I played really well today,” Woods told CBS television.

“I hit the ball so crisp and so solid and made some nice putters there on the front nine and had things rolling for a little bit.

He finished at nine-under 279 and will have a week off to hone his game before heading to Pebble Beach, the seaside California course where he won the 2000 U.S. Open by an astonishing 15 strokes.

Woods won the Masters in April, his 15th major title, but missed the cut at the PGA Championships at Bethpage two weeks ago.

He was feeling under the weather at Bethpage and clearly was a little rusty after not having played a tournament in more than a month.

The 43-year-old was determined not to go into the U.S. Open under-prepared, and his trip to the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial served its purpose.

Woods is second on the all-time major championship victory list, three behind Nicklaus.

“I wanted to have something positive going into the Open and kind of sneak up there with a nice little top 10 possibly,” Woods said of his goal on Sunday.

“I was never going to win the tournament with where I was at. I wanted to get to double digits today and I did. I just didn’t stay there.”

German Martin Kaymer started the final round at 15 under par, two strokes ahead of Australian Adam Scott and four clear of a group including American Patrick Cantlay. (Reuters)

succumbed to finish second while Princess Celine rode in third positon.

The tension rose when the J&Lower race got underway; the favorite and home town horse, Massapequa Doctor was outrun by Red Jet in the tightest of finish. Hundreds of supporters were treated when Red Jet at 111 weight by Jockey Ross, ran first while Massapequa Doctor (second) and Release the Heat (third) completed the most

Hussain, Mahindranauth...

Three representatives of Torginol Paints - “Pioneers of the Paint Industry” in Guyana, (website: torginolpaints.com), - were on hand to congratulate the winners. They are Messrs Jairaj Rajpat, Robert Singh and Manager Rajesh Ramgolam.

from page 23

After congratulating the winners of the day’s tournament, they reiterated Torginol Paints’ commitment to continuing support of golfing in Guyana and the Lusignan Golf Club.

Torginol Paints is a member of the Continental Group of Companies, with

headquarters and factory located at 9-12 Industrial Estate, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana, (Tel:592- 226-4041/43), and with two outlets in Regent Street, Georgetown as well as several Distribution Centres and Dealers scattered across Guyana.

22

monday, june 3, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

England look to increase Pakistan’s woes

England registered an emphatic 104-run win against South Africa in the World Cup opener

E

ngland will return to their batting paradise Trent Bridge, where they have twice registered the highest OneDay International total, for World Cup 2019 Match 6 against Pakistan on Monday. Sarfaraz Ahmedled Pakistan suffered an embarrassing seven-wicket defeat to the West Indies at the same venue on Friday.

Some disciplined bowling from the West Indies bowlers saw Pakistan fold for a paltry 105 in 21.4 overs in batting-friendly conditions at Nottingham, where re-

cord-setter England scored 444/3 against Pakistan in 2016 and 481/6 in 2018.

Even though Eoin Morgan's men started their campaign with an emphatic 104-run win against South Africa, England may recall fast bowler Mark Wood for the match against Pakistan.

England, in the light of Pakistan's problems against short-pitched bowling, might unleash Wood in partnership with the Sussex speedster Jofra Archer.

"We're aware of what went on yesterday," England assistant coach Graham

Thorpe said Saturday.

"The West Indies bowled very well, they looked like they roughed Pakistan up," the former England batsman added.

"I think it (drafting Wood) will be discussed, to be honest.

Wood has bowled a mere 13.1 overs since the start of the season amid fears his longstanding left ankle injury could flare up again.

But his ability, in common with Archer, to top speeds of 90 mph meant England thought he was worth the risk at the World Cup.

Pakistan have not had much to celebrate lately

England have risen to the top of the ODI rankings since their woeful first-round exit at the 2015 edition mainly as a result of piling on the runs.

But they showed they were more than 'flat-track bullies' with a score of 311 for eight on an awkward surface at the Oval before an attack led by Archer overwhelmed the Proteas.

Scoring 500 in an ODI was once viewed as impossible but, given their recent record-breaking exploits, England could go close if they bat first at Trent Bridge on Monday.

Pakistan, who've lost their last 11 ODIs -- including a recent 4-0 series defeat by England -- are braced for short-pitched stuff with Wahab Riaz defiantly insisting: "If people want to bowl us bouncers, then we will have no problems with that."

Monday's match will also be an important test for what World Cup organisers insist will be improved procedures after thousands of frustrated fans were left queueing for hours on Friday, in some cases missing the entire Pakistan innings, as they waited to collect their match tickets.

Squads

England: Eoin Morgan (c), Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, James Vince, Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Liam Dawson, Tom Curran, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Joe Root Pakistan: Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Haris Sohail, Babar Azam, Imamul-Haq, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain

RHTY&SC continues to invest heavily in the education sector

S

ince its formation in 1990, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, has placed special emphasis on the importance of Education by investing heavily to assist students to achieve their educational goals.

The ten cricket teams of the Club have continued the longstanding tradition by making donations to a youth who wants to write several CSEC subjects but had dropped out of school at a young age, and to twelve students of the Rose Hall Town Nursery School.

RHTY&SC Asst Secretary/CEO, Simon Naidu, has said that the main agenda for Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation in 2019 is the promotion of its highly successful Say NO/Say Yes Campaign, which targets all youths in Berbice. The main objective is to promote the message that encourag-

es one to: “Say No” to alcohol, tobacco, drugs, crime and suicide; and “Yes” to: sports, religion, education and culture.

The ten cricket teams of the RHTY&SC: Poonai’s Pharmacy Under-12 and Under-13, Farfan & Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Metro Female, and Gizmos & Gadgets Under-21 and First Division, donated financially to 18-year-old Govindan Sahadeo of Port Mourant to assist him to fulfill his dream of writing several subjects at the CSEC Level.

Shahdeo was forced to leave school because of the ill health of his father, and had to take care of his younger siblings. Today he wants to complete his education with the objective of joining the medical profession.

A close friend of Sahadeo’s approached

RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster for the Club to assist Sahadeo with funds for text books, and the recent National Awardee readily agreed. The ten teams were then mandated to assist, and they handed over $20,000 to Sahadeo.

In handing over the cheque, Naidu praised Sahadeo, an employee of the Port Mourant Hospital, for having the courage to complete his education, and said the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club is willing to assist in the future. Sahadeo, expressed gratitude to Foster, the teams for their investment into his future and promised to make them proud.

The team also handed over $50, 000 worth of educational materials to management of the Rose Hall Town Nursery School.

Much-needed items would be donated to twelve students of the school based on dis-

cipline, attitude, and the financial income of their parents.

Additionally, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and the teams donated over $100 000 worth of trophies, medals and prizes to several schools across Berbice on requests for upcoming graduation and fundraising events.

Naidu said the Club would continue to invest in youths, and disclosed that a major sponsorship would soon be unveiled for the Say No/Say Yes Campaign. The sponsor would be an investor in Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector. Under the sponsorship, the 10 cricket teams would publish thousands of youth booklets for free distribution across Guyana; host a Berbice wide Essay Competition, and print thousands of Say No posters, among other things.

Dominic Thiem accuses Serena Williams of Trump: NBA legend West to showing 'bad personality' in press-room row receive Medal of Freedom

D

Dominic Thiem

ominic Thiem says Serena Williams showed "a bad personality" after he was told to end a French Open news conference to make way for her.

A tournament official told the Austrian fourth seed to leave the room while he was speaking to reporters on Saturday.

"Every player has to wait.

It shows a bad personality, in my opinion," Thiem told Eurosport.

Tournament director Guy Forget has apologised to Thiem, who faces Gael Monfils in the fourth round on Monday.

23-time Grand Slam champion Williams was keen to fulfil her media obligations as soon as possible after her surprise third-round loss to fellow American Sofia Kenin, saying "put me in another room, smaller, but now".

Thiem complained to a tournament official at the time of the incident.

"What the hell? But it's a joke, really. What's the point of that, that I have to leave the room because she's coming?" he said.

The 25-year-old added on Sunday that he believed former world number one Williams had contravened the players' usual protocol.

"I wasn't angry or frustrated. Maybe for a couple of minutes or so. It is just the principle," he said. "It doesn't matter if it is me who sits in there, even if a junior is in there.

"I am 100% sure Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal would never do something like that."

Federer said he understood Thiem's frustration, adding that players who had won their match, as Thiem had just done against Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas, are usually given priority over those exiting the tournament. (BBC SPORT)

J

erry West is an NBA legend, both as a player and as an executive.

And soon, he’ll be a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient as well.

President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday night that West would be receiving the honor.

“The Great Jerry West will be receiving our Nation’s highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his outstanding career, both on and off the court. Happy Birthday Jerry!” wrote Trump.

West turned 81 on May 28.

No date has been announced for the ceremony for West, who won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of

Jerry West

Fame in 1980.

He played his entire 14year career (1960-74) with the Los Angeles Lakers, earning All-Star honors each of those seasons.

His Lakers reached the NBA Finals nine times, but due to the dominance of the Boston Celtics at the time, he only won one title as a

player, in 1972.

A two-time NBA Executive of the Year, West was part of the front office for eight title-winning teams — six with the Lakers and then with the Golden State Warriors in 2015 and 2017.

West currently serves as a consultant for the Los Angeles Clippers. (Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, june 3, 2019

Shakib, Mustafizur condemn

South Africa to 2nd loss

and the early assault dented the confidence of the whole South African bowling unit. The two premier pacers Kagiso Rabada and Ngidi - were driven and pulled with ease as both openers settled down quickly. However, short balls also consumed both batsmen as they fell to Andile Phehlukwayo and Chris Morris.

After ten overs, Bangladesh were 65 for 2 with two of their most experienced players at the crease. Shakib and Rahim scored 142 for the third wicket in the next 23.3 overs and laid the platform for the finishers to capitalise.

Lack of wickets in the middle overs meant South Africa failed to contain the runs towards the end. Shoddy fielding too helped their opposition while the bowlers lacked ideas and any sort of direction.

Both Shakib and Rahim did well to put Imrah Tahir under pressure but the legspinner - playing his 100th ODI - bounced back to bag two. Tahir also helped South Africa

S

outh Africa’s frustration continued at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as they suffered their second loss, going down to Bangladesh by 21 runs at The Oval on Sunday (June 2). Set 331 and the highest chase in a World Cup game ahead of them, South Africa never really threatened to bag the game even though they got close and ended with 309 for 8.

Bangladesh’s highest-ever ODI total was set up by half-centuries from Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim before a clinical bowling show helped them record their second win over South Africa in a World Cup. South Africa lacked intensity, were poor on the field and were also hampered by the injury to Lungi Ngidi - who walked away after bowling just four overs because of a left hamstring issue.

It was the fifth ball of the seventh over where one small moment symbolised South Africa’s frustration on the field. Tamim Iqbal had defended the ball back to the bowler where Ngidi got in an unnecessary throw which deflected off the bat and went to third man. Earlier in the over, Soumya Sarkar had dispatched the pacer wide of mid-on with two authoritative front-foot pulls. Ngidi wanted to made a statement with his aggressive gesture but the statement had already been made by the Bangladesh openers as they threw punches without any hesitation. As things would pan out, Tamim, who had adopted the go-slow approach, pulled the final ball of the over for four and changed gears to put South Africa under more pressure.

Put in, Bangladesh raced past 50 inside eight overs

T

he greatest upset of the Corona 2019 Futsal tournament was staged in the wee hours of Sunday morning as two teams booked their spots in Saturday’s final showdown.

After two exhilarating showdowns, Tiger Bay and Back Circle were the two teams left standing; and judging by both team’s performances on semifinal night, it is safe to say that the tournament’s final game will be nothing short of spectacular.

The first of the two semifinal games saw 13 goals being scored in total, with Deon Alfred going above and beyond the call of duty to lead his team to an emphatic victory. The first goal came in

Bangladesh Innings (50 overs maximum) T Iqbal c †de Kock b Phehlukwayo 16 S Sarkar c †de Kock b Morris 42 S Al Hasan b I Tahir 75 M Rahim † c van der Dussen b Phehlukwayo 78 M Mithun b I Tahir 21 Mahmudullah not out 46 M Hossain c Phehlukwayo b Morris 26 M Hasan Miraz not out 5 Extras (lb 9, w 12) 21 TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 6.6) 330-6 Did not bat: M Saifuddin, M Mortaza (c), M Rahman Fall of wickets: 1-60 (T Iqbal, 8.2 ov), 2-75 (S Sarkar, 11.4 ov), 3-217 (S Al Hasan, 35.1 ov), 4-242 (M Mithun, 39.4 ov), 5-250 (M Rahim, 42.1 ov), 6-316 (M Hossain, 48.6 ov)

South Africa Innings (target: 331 runs from 50 overs)

pull things back just a bit with the wicket of Shakib and Mohammad Mithun but dropped catches left Faf du Plessis and his side ruing their mistakes. Mahmudullah, who was dropped on 11 with the score on 280, ended with 46 off 33.

South Africa were squeezed in the field and the pressure showed. Mahmudullah’s drop resulted in 54 runs being scored in the last four - and that’s where the match changed.

Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram’s sedate start too didn’t help South Africa as Bangladesh continued to stay ahead. De Kock was dismissed with 49 on the board as he charged out with the ball within Rahim’s reach. The run out

Alfred’s 7 lead Tiger Bay to the Promised Land

By Jemima Holmes

SCOREBOARD

BOWLING L Ngidi (4-0-34-0) K Rabada (10-0-57-0) AL Phehlukwayo (10-1-52-2) CH Morris (10-0-73-2) AK Markram (5-0-38-0) I Tahir (10-0-57-2) JP Duminy (1-0-10-0)

Corona Futsal Tournament…

the 9th minute off the boots of Deon Alfred, giving Tiger Bay the lead, but only for a short time. Two back-to-back goals from Jamal Cozier and William Europe then handed Future Stars the lead by the 11th minute.

However, Deon Alfred was relentless in his pursuit of the goal, and was eventually rewarded in the 12th with an equalizer.

Alfred found the back of the net twice more in the first half, and Jamal Cozier and William Europe each netted once more, to push the score to 4-4 when the first half had expired.

In the second half, Deon Alfred and his marksman feet continued his superb scoring, while the usually confident Future Stars began to fall behind. The last goal from Future Stars came off the boots of William Europe in the 22nd. On the other hand, Alfred went on to take his personal tally to 7, with goals in the 24th, 27th and 38th minutes.

And a successful shot

3

from Keoma Gravesande put the cherry on top of the cake for Tiger Bay, as they sealed an 8-5 win.

Feeding off the hype of Tiger Bay’s stellar performance, Back Circle came onto the playing surface with determination and a win on their minds. Even at such a crucial stage, Back Circle were able to hold their nerve and play a composed game, but the same could not be said for last year’s champions, Bent Street.

After what felt like forever to the expectant fans who had filled the National Gymnasium to capacity, the first goal came in the 13th minute, compliments of Back Circle’s Quasan Mc Allay. A few minutes later, National Player Trayon Bobb took their tally to two.

Bent Street, who were having an off-night, saw their strikers fail to find the back of the net on numerous occasions.

Two more goals from Bobb and Mc Allay put Back Circle in a commanding po-

sition, as they had reached four while Bent Street were yet to net a goal.

Bent Street’s consolation goal came off the boots of Sheldon Profitt in the 33rd, but the lone strike was not enough to return the former champions to this year’s final.

Given the way Saturday night’s events unfolded, Back Circle and Tiger Bay will be the two teams to battle for the $500,000 grand prize in the final on Saturday, June 8. Meanwhile, Bent Street and Future Stars will have a shot at redemption as they vie for the $125,000 third place prize. Second and fourth place will pocket $250,000 and $75,000 respectively.

Additionally, the tournament’s MVP will ride out on a brand new Hero motorcycle, compliments of Rose Ramdehol and Hero.

The Corona Futsal tournament is sponsored by Top Brandz Distributors, and is coordinated by the Petra Organization.

23

Q de Kock † run out (†M Rahim) 23 AK Markram b S Al Hasan 45 F du Plessis (c) b M Hasan Miraz 62 DA Miller c M Hasan Miraz b M Rahman 38 HE van der Dussen b M Saifuddin 41 JP Duminy b M Rahman 45 AL Phehlukwayo c S Al Hasan b M Saifuddin 8 CH Morris c S Sarkar b M Rahman 10 K Rabada not out 13 Imran Tahir not out 10 Extras (b 4, nb 1, w 9) 14 TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 6.18) 309-8 Did not bat: L Ngidi Fall of wickets: 1-49 (Q de Kock, 9.4 ov), 2-102 (AK Markram, 19.4 ov), 3-147 (F du Plessis, 26.4 ov), 4-202 (DA Miller, 35.1 ov), 5-228 (HE van der Dussen, 39.1 ov), 6-252 (AL Phehlukwayo, 42.5 ov), 7-275 (CH Morris, 45.5 ov), 8-287 (JP Duminy, 47.1 ov) BOWLING M Rahman (10-0-67-3) M Hasan Miraz (10-0-44-1) M Saifuddin (8-1-57-2) S Al Hasan (10-0-50-1) M Mortaza (6-0-49-0) M Hossain (6-0-38-0)

saw du Plessis coming out at No. 3 with the pressure mounting. Markram made steady progress before he was bowled

by Shakib in the 20th over.

The biggest blow, however, came in the 27th as Du Plessis was bowled by Mehidy Hasan. The South Africa captain had cruised to 62 off 53 but in a moment of madness charged down the track to a flat one and was bowled after being defeated by the turn. Rassie van der Dussen made up for his slow start and ended with 41 off 38 but he fell trying to up the ante.

South Africa needed 103 in the last ten overs but the finishers - JP Duminy, Phehlukwayo and Chris Morris weren’t able to pull off a late heist. Duminy, however, produced some late hits to entertain the small pockets of South African fans who were on the day easily outnumbered. (cricbuzz)

Hussain, Mahindranauth champions in Torginol Paints Golf tournament

L

usignan Golf Club President Aleem Hussain painted the course “Winner” in his flight for the Torginol Paints annual exciting Golf Tournament on Saturday June 1 st at the Lusignan Golf Club, while Mahindranauth Tiwari ensured that he also put up the colours in his flight.

Played in two flights of handicaps 0–13 and 14–28, the tournament was rich with the friendly rivalry and exciting challenges that are characteristic of tournaments at the LGC. Hussain, Patrick Prashad and Dr Philbert London ensured that their desire to stay in the Winners’ Row was realized!

In the 0–13 flight, winners were: Aleem Hussain (72/10) – 1st;

Kassim Khan (who broke a tie with the third place winner by one stroke in the back nine) (73/9) – 2nd; and Patrick Prashad (73/9) – 3rd.

Striving hopefuls were Ayube Subhan (75/13); Mike Mangal (76/10) and Mohanlall Dinanauth (76/6).

Speciality prize of Nearest the Pin was won by Kassim Khan.

In the 14-28 flight, a fierce tie played out a little too late in 6th position between Shanella Webster-London (79/15); Rabindranath Persaud (79/17) and Balgobin Ragnauth (79/21).

The winners in this flight were: Mahindranauth Tiwari (67/15); Lekhnarine Shivraj (71/17); and Dr Philbert London (72/24).

Fourth and 5th placers were Maurice Solomon (75/24) and Guillermo Escarraga (77/21). turn to page 21

monday, june 3, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Page 23

Shakib, Mustafizur condemn

South Africa to 2nd loss Corona Futsal Tournament…

Alfred’s 7 lead Tiger Bay to the Promised Land

Cat Ruler rules, Red Jet prevails at Ryan Crawford Memorial Page 21

Page 23

Corona Futsal semi-final action at the National Gymnasium

Red Jet and Massapequa were the centre of attraction in the main event

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