Guyana Times Thursday June 13, 2019

Eco drillship to reach Orinduik Block by June 24 P11

– as company optimistic of 4 billion barrels of oil in block Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3953

THE BEACON OF TRUTH thursday, june 13, 2019

GuySuCo blames NICIL for putting divestment of estates at risk See story on page 3

PRICE

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

State ordered to pay mother of slain P10 Agricola teen $28M

– says NICIL ducking information on sale of scrap metal, other assets

Cabinet not briefed about SARA’s oil blocks probe – Harmon See story on page 11

– but does not foresee independent body investigating same Linden-Lethem road condition

Road users urge President to intervene

Psychiatric P2 Hospital patient choked on meat – PM report

Family of electrocuted man sees hardship P12 ahead P10 Man acquitted of rape in 2014 slapped with 3 new charges

The condition of the Linden-Lethem road operators are forced to traverse in seeking their daily bread

Prison fights stem from demand for contraband – Director …anger management training aimed at reducing prisoner violence See story on page 15

Herstelling family attacked, robbed by gunmen Page 12

Man dies 1 day after smash-up involving Mayor’s vehicle

Page 10

TIP Action Plan 2019/2020 P14 to focus on reintegration of victims

2 news

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Psychiatric Hospital patient choked on meat – PM report ...more staff needed at facility – Head RHC

Dead: Stephon Francis

A

n autopsy performed on the body of 27-year-

old Stephon Francis, who died at the National Psychiatric Hospital in Berbice, proved that he died as a result of choking on a piece of meat.

The post-mortem was conducted by Dr Vivakanand Bridgemohan at the New Amsterdam Hospital on Tuesday.

The dead young man of Kitty, Georgetown, was reportedly involved in a fight at Chalet Four on Sunday evening. During the scuffle, he reportedly fell and was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital

where he died while receiving medical attention.

Police had initially arrested two patients in connection with the man’s death but following the revelation of the post-mortem report, the two men were reportedly escorted back to the Psychiatric Hospital.

The now dead man was taken to the medical facility about a week ago and was admitted a substance abuse patient. This was not the first time he was admitted to the institution.

The National Psychiatric Hospital

Following Sunday’s incident, Director of Regional Health Services Jevaughn Steven told

Guyana Times that 40 per cent of patients at the institution are there for substance abuse.

“We have to take care of them because the court order states that it must be sent to the National Psychiatric Hospital,” Steven related.

Guyana Times was told that persons would normally be remanded to the National Psychiatric Hospital for observation but would be held at the facility until their next court appearance.

However, Steven said that this poses a challenge to the healthcare service.

“In most cases, we find that this person to come through the court system and substance abuse patients have a tendency of becoming violent.”

In an invited comment, one senior police official highlighted that many lawyers would prefer for their clients to be sent to the Psychiatric Hospital instead of spending jail time.

Meanwhile, Attorneyat-Law Joel Edmonds is of the belief that lawyers have to ensure their clients are fit to stand trial in court and more so, noted that the Magistrate has to also ensure the safety of the person on trial.

In addition, another lawyer, Adrian Anamayah

noted that the situation has always been that way.

“Sending persons that are [involved in court cases to the] National Psychiatric Hospital is not for a permanent stay but for them to be evaluated.

However, Head of the Regional Health Committee in Region Six, Zamal Hussain said there is a need for more persons to overlook the system at the National Psychiatric Hospital which should also have better management.

“Prisoners going there should be put in separate areas. We have some persons who are more violent than others so we need to have those persons separated.”

The health committee head noted that $100 million is allocated for the health sector from the national budget just for dietary.

“We need to ensure the persons going there are managed properly.

On several occasions, I have questioned the management. The Minister of Health told me that they are trying to phase out the National Psychiatric Hospital and putting other systems in place. I think they are paying less attention to the hospital and that is the main reason why we are having casualties.”

EBD man to serve jail time for selling ganja A 42-year-old resident of Grove, East Bank Demerara, was sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment and fined $50,000 by Magistrate Faith McGusty when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts on Wednesday.

Alex Pickett, a miner, pled guilty to the charge which alleged that on June 9, 2019, at Ebini Backdam, Mazaruni, Region 7 (CuyuniMazaruni), he had in his possession 81 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The father of one told

the court that “I went selling it, I working for the shopman who does give me drugs to sell.”

Prosecutor Adduni Innis told the court that police ranks were on duty in the backdam, when they noticed the defendant acting suspicious and as such, a search was conducted during which a black plastic bag was found in his possession.

The black bag was subsequently inspected and the illegal plant was found. He was arrested and taken to the Bartica Police Station where he was charged.

news

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THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Thursday, June 13 – 02:00h and 14:30h-16:00h and Friday, June 14 – 03:00h and 14:30h-16:00h.

GuySuCo blames NICIL for putting divestment of estates at risk

– says NICIL ducking information on sale of scrap metal, other assets

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, June 13 – 13:20h-14:50h and Friday, June 14 – 14:15h-15:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Light to heavy rain showers, with some instances of thunder, are expected to prevail throughout the day and evening, with sunny intervals in the late afternoon. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-easterly to North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 13:40h reaching a maximum height of 2.42 metres.

Low Tide: 07:12h and 19:32h reaching minimum heights of 0.75 metre and 0.78 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2019

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SPU Head London

T

Colvin

Heath-

he Guyana Sugar C o r p o r a t i o n (GuySuCo) is blaming the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited/Special Purpose Unit ((NICIL/SPU) for the current troubles with the divestment process, saying that the Unit has left it in the dark about the sales of its own assets.

In a strongly-worded statement in which it accused the SPU of unprofessionalism, GuySuCo criticised NICIL’s approach to the divestment. According to GuySuCo, NICIL has been slothful and because of this, has not executed any major investments with the process approaching its second year.

“NICIL/SPU’s single role was to divest GuySuCo’s assets from the Skeldon, Rose Hall, East Demerara (Enmore) and Wales estates; however, due to its slothfulness and less than credible ‘divestment’ tactics, it has now placed at risk the retooling and restructuring of GuySuCo as it is clearly outlined in the Government of Guyana (GoG) State Paper on the Future of the Sugar Industry,” GuySuCo said in its statement.

“NICIL/SPU, having been unable to divest the assets in a timely manner, convinced its principals that the Bond was an appropriate alternative as an interim financial arrangement; the divestment process is now approaching its second year and NICIL/ SPU has not executed one significant investment.”

In addition, GuySuCo slammed NICIL for the current arrangement that sees it pocketing proceeds from the assets it did divest. GuySuCo claimed that it should be the other way around, so that the Corporation could fund its own strategic plan.

“As a matter of fact, in an attempt to extend the life of the SPU, having been created for the specific purposes above and within a particular timeframe; the agency has now assumed the role and operates as a proprietor and landlord. This is totally inconsistent with its intended purposes,” the Corporation complained.

“Additionally, GuySuCo is still awaiting a full report from NICIL/SPU on all and any transaction(s) which were completed or are in progress in relation to its immoveable and moveable assets, including the scrap metals, machinery, plant and equipment.”

This is telling, as in April

of this year, reports had emerged that scrap metal from GuySuCo worth $3 billion was sold to a mysterious buyer, but the proceeds from the sale were not received by the Corporation.

The Government has been silent on this transaction, with former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin distancing his Ministry from the sale when questioned

by Guyana Times in April.

The Business Ministry has overall responsibility for the scrap metal trade.

Nor is that all. According to GuySuCo, it is yet to be informed by NICIL about the extent of the valuation done

by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) into its assets, information others, including Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, have repeatedly called for.

Since the valuation was done, the report done by PWC is yet to be released to the public. In its statement, GuySuCo questioned whether all the estates, including cultivation and other assets, were valuated.

Cooperation

GuySuCo also refuted recent claims made by NICIL that it has not been cooperating and has been withholding information. It insisted that it has in fact been providing information about the Estates for the divestment process – with the records to back it up.

GuySuCo expressed the view that NICIL/SPU used its June 3 press conference, where the claim was made that among other things GuySuCo has not been cooperating, to distract the public from the slow pace of divestment.

In GuySuCo’s statement, it provided the dates for every

GuySuCo Headquarters

document it handed over and the persons receiving them.

The documents date all the way back to November 20, 2017, when the fixed asset registers for Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates were handed over.

In this and several other cases, the documents were handed over to NICIL’s in-house lawyer Arianne McLean. In other cases, however, the documents were handed over to other employees at NICIL. Other documents include the minutes of board meetings and operating statistics from the Enmore Estate.

GuySuCo even claims it provided the Enmore Estate field map, hectares per bed layout and the Enmore cane nursery size in 2018. Details from other Estates were also provided, GuySuCo said, including information on the soil.

Another allegation refuted by GuySuCo in its statement was the claim that it has requested duty-free concessions for the purchase of luxury vehicles from the $30 billion bond NICIL raised for the recapitalisation of the Sugar Estates. According to GuySuCo, the only vehicles it requested duty-free concessions for were double- and single-cab pickups for normal agricultural use in the sugar cane cultivation.

Even as the controversy continues regarding the divestment of GuySuCo’s assets, concerns have already been expressed about what will happen if Government defaults on the $30 billion bond it arranged last year.

In such a case, bondholders would have the option of levying on NICIL’s portfolio of assets, which include the Marriott Hotel.

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 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

The Enmore Martyrs

S

unday, June 16, 2019 will mark seventy-one years since the shooting to death of five sugar workers at Enmore, East Coast Demerara. The five: Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee, Surajballi and Harry, became known as the Enmore Martyrs following their deaths on June 16, 1948. This year, the anniversary coincides with the universal observance of Father’s Day, which makes for special and possibly painful reflections by their descendants.

The word “Martyrs”, by definition, connotes the ultimate sacrifice that one selflessly makes, generally for the betterment of others and country. The Enmore Martyrs paid with their dear lives for the cause of bettering working conditions for sugar workers.

The arduous task of harvesting cane manually is well known.

One of the workers’ contentions then was that, having cut the cane, loading it into punts some distance away -- referred to as the “cut and load” system -- was an added burden. This back-breaking method, which was introduced in 1945, was clearly unpopular with the workers, who demanded that it be replaced with “cut and “drop”; they cut, and others load.

At the time, social and economic conditions were less than desirable. That saddled workers with poor wages and living conditions on the estates. They also wanted the then Guiana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU) to be recognised as the union to bargain for them. In their minds these were justifiable demands, and having been unable to have them met, they resorted to strike action in April of 1948.

The use of scabs to fill the void the strike had created did not resolve the sugar producers’ dilemma, and as production became seriously affected, they introduced drastic measures in an effort to force the striking workers to return to work. And with the workers feeling betrayed by the union, the Man Power Citizen’s Association (MPCA) that represented them, the situation became exacerbated and ultimately led to what transpired on that fateful day of June 16, 1948.

The context of that incident must not be lost. Those were simple workers who courageously stood up to the authority, demanding that their welfare not be ignored. After all, they were contributing significantly to the enrichment of the masters, who seemed totally unconcerned about the plight the workers were forced to endure.

The deaths of the Enmore five resonated across the country.

That incident was a pivotal moment in our nation’s history and polity.

It profoundly impacted a young Dr. Cheddi Jagan. The strikes prior to the shooting were supported by the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), of which he and his wife Janet were among the founders.

They helped to raise funds, and operated soup kitchens to assist the striking workers and their families. The deaths of the five workers touched him in many ways; and at the gravesite on the day of their funerals, he silently pledged to dedicate his life to the cause of the Guyanese people, to free them from bondage and exploitation.

It was that pledge that propelled and guided him in his relentless struggles for an independent Guyana, and to champion the rights of workers. He founded the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in 1950, and this led to subsequent struggles, which culminated in the return to democracy in 1992.

While the five workers died during their quest for betterment, their sacrifices further heightened awareness of what they had experienced; galvanising sentiments, fuelling hope, and helping to intensify the struggle not just for improved working conditions for sugar workers, but for all Guyanese.

However, following their struggles for advancement on the sugar belt, seventy-one years after, one can venture to question the seeming erosion of the value of their sacrifices by the powers that be. Within the past three years, a number of sugar estates have been closed, plunging thousands of workers into unemployment.

The callous manner in which it was done -- without any apparent consideration for impact assessment studies and alternative employment – has been interpreted as being uncaring for the workers and the dire circumstances it had created. As it is, these unemployed workers continue to experience tremendous difficulties to provide for their families, including the provision of education for children.

The social impact of this mass termination continues to ripple across and beyond the sugar belt, crippling local economies and drastically reversing the gains made in living standards. Many families are hard-pressed to provide three basic but modest meals per day as pressure mounts on the recognised breadwinner.

While the scenario may be different from what had transpired in 1948, there are frightening similarities. Today, the harsh reality is that thousands of affected sugar workers daily face a monumental task to provide for their families, as uncertainty and despondency engulf to the point of strangulation. Given what is unfolding now -- not just for sugar workers, but for all who are affected by the worsening economic situation, and as the quality of life declines -the question of whether the Enmore Martyrs’ sacrifices were in vain seems apt for debate. While such sacrifices are always valued and epitomised as beacons of hope and pillars of strength, the answer for the workers currently affected may unavoidably be a foregone conclusion. Father’s Day, unfortunately, may not bring any respite.

Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Alexander Kurmaz shared a toast with President David Granger at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in observance of Russia Day 2019

Venezuela: Hyperinflation leads to new banknotes for 2nd time in a year

…banknotes of 10,000; 20,000 and 50,000 bolívar denominations will begin circulating today, the Central Bank said

V

enezuela is releasing new banknotes for the second time in less than a year, the Central Bank said on Wednesday, after hyperinflation eroded the effects of an August 2018 monetary overhaul meant to improve availability of cash.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last year cut five zeroes off the currency and prices. The move was supposed to ease shortages of cash that pushed most of the economy toward debit and credit card operations and put heavy strain on digital commerce platforms.

Banknotes of 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 bolívar denominations will begin circulating today to “make the payment system more efficient and facilitate commercial transactions”, the Central Bank said in statement.

The largest of those bank notes, equivalent to about US$8, is more than the minimum wage of 40,000 bolívars a month.

Following the 2018 overhaul, the highest denomination notes were 500 bolívars, which now would not be enough to buy a piece of candy.

Inflation in May reached 815,000 per cent after peaking earlier this year above 1.7 million per cent, according to the Opposition-run congress.

Maduro blames the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nation’s economic predicament on sanctions by the US meant to force him from office.

A man looks at Venezuelan bolívar notes hung to resemble a tree in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 6 (Photograph: Carlos García Rawlins/Reuters)

His critics say the collapse was caused by two decades of incompetent management that squandered hundreds of billions of dollars in oil revenue. (The

Guardian)

Venezuela says 17 arrested and charged over anti-Maduro “coup”

Venezuelan authorities said Tuesday that 17 people have been charged with attempting a “coup” since a failed April 30 uprising against President Maduro.

“There are 34 people being investigated, of whom 17 have been detained and charged” for having “attempted a coup d’état”,” said Attorney General Tarek William Saab.

Fifteen Opposition lawmakers have been stripped of their immunity by the regime-dominated Constituent Assembly for having supported the attempted uprising led by

Juan Guaidó, who heads the Opposition-controlled National Assembly.

Guaidó’s deputy Edgar Zambrano was one of those arrested and charged while the other 14 have either sought refuge in diplomatic missions, fled the country, or gone into hiding.

Surrounded by a group of around 30 military personnel, Guaidó appeared in a video shared on social media on April 30 calling on the armed forces to rise up against Maduro.

But following two days of deadly clashes between protesters and the security forces, the revolt petered out.

Maduro’s Government then began a crackdown on those it says were involved.

Guaidó, who sparked a political crisis in January by declaring himself acting President in a move backed by more than 50

countries, has so far been off limits.

His main ally, the United States, has warned Caracas of the consequences that arresting Guaidó would bring.

Saab also gave an update on detentions relating to an alleged drone attack during a military parade last August that Maduro claimed was an assassination attempt.

“There have been 38 people charged, 31 have been stripped of their freedom while seven are subject to alternative measures,” said Saab.

Rights NonG o v e r n m e n t a l Organisation (NGO) Foro Penal says there are more than 900 “political prisoners” in crisis-hit Venezuela, where a quarter of the 30 million population is in need of aid, according to the United Nations. (AFP)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019

5

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

Let’s get on with it (Part 2) Dear Editor, Only recently, Guyana celebrated its 53rd anniversary as an independent nation and there is the common conventional lamenting and bemoaning that our various peoples seem to be as divided today as ever, no closer together today; that we are poor in a country of so many varied and huge rich natural resources; and with so much land, less than a million people in a country about the same size as the UK. We are/should be rich – even before oil was on our horizon. We are perplexed.

Fellow citizens, perhaps, because I grew up in contact with various groups of our people and have worked in the natural resources and infrastructure sectors, I see these perplexing things differently. I think we are frustrated and disappointed with each other in our seeming lack of progress, because we have been underestimating by a factor of ten or more the demands of coming together and of building our country materially; and in underestimating the demands we have not been ready to give what is required of us, and many of us, after making a start, have backed away and given up too early.

In my years at work, I learnt that when things

are not turning out the way you expected, you should question your assumptions.

Starting this our 54th year of Independence, I encourage us all to review our assumptions as a nation.

Others speak of us and we speak of ourselves as a divided people – as if we were once one, or that it is so easy, so natural for us to be one. This has been both misguided and misguiding, for we were never one: we are a people coming together from our very distinctively different starting points and becoming one takes time, it is a task for a number of generations.

Fate may well have set us up as one early trial case, in preparing for a world becoming one. It is in making the experiences in facing and overcoming many common challenges and difficulties over a number of generations that people bind themselves together as one.

In this regard, I am heartened that calls in the early 1960s in each of our two major race groups to opt for partition did not get far and our peoples are more alike today than at the time of our Independence.

The challenges of coming together as one people of Guyana are very subtle and go to the core of our being hitherto, to the marrow

of our bones In Guyana, we have had no significant history of hostility between our three main religions – Hinduism, Christianity and Islam – but they still largely set the framework within which we meet and socialise and it is within this socialisation that we get to really know each other and form strong bonds.

I recall coming home for summer work during 1965 (the year after our worse year of troubles of 1964), travelling to Mahaicony on the East Coast railway, in a third class carriage, I grew somewhat uneasy when the conversation turned to religion, and was greatly relieved when the sole IndoGuyanese in our group said that all our religions called us to live essentially the same way, as brothers in peace and love, but, he asked, how are we to come together when our children are not getting together to know each other better in our schools and in our religions.

For some decades now I wished that there would have been a course of readers, one for each grade from kindergarten to graduation at UG, which would present in steadily greater detail and depth, the festivals, rituals, beliefs of the reli-

gions of our fore parents, all in one book – so that every one of us Guyanese would become and be known to be knowledgeable of and comfortable with the other religions; and religious differences should be less of a hindrance to our socialising across the board.

Perhaps we should be forgiven for having been as enthralled with the stories of our varied, extensive, abundant natural resources and large size, as Sir Walter Raleigh was with the story of the Golden City of El Dorado.

As one who has worked in the natural resources and infrastructure sectors all my life, I early learnt that the relevant hard-nosed facts told a different story.

In the 1970s I learnt that the average growth rate for our forests, because of the highly leached nature of the sands and laterite soils, is a very low 8 to 10 cubic metres per hectare per year; about 20 for Africa and as much as 80 for some of the best planted pine forests on the sides of the Andes in Chile.

In Linmine in about 1988, in a working lunch with investors and planners for the Omai gold mine, we learnt that that mine was feasible because employment costs including train-

ing of workers to the required level of competence was estimated to be 8 to 10 per cent of total production costs, whilst for such an operation in a developed country, employment costs would be 20 to 30 per cent of total production costs.

There were still occurrences like Omai in developed countries but there they were not economically attractive. Omai was a situation about training and utilising workers competitively.

In a similar manner, as we think of our oil future, we should note all the facts.

I noted that Professor Clive Thomas in his articles proffered a projected cost of production of our Guyana shore at US$30 to 40 per barrel.

Dr Henry Jeffrey informs us in one of his columns that there is still very much oil in Saudi Arabia with a projected cost of production of no more than US$10 per barrel. One should imagine oil prices will continue to move up and down providing us with an income that would be changing from time to time.

We have been wrong in our assumption that our large size, more than 40 times that of Trinidad & Tobago and more than 100 times that of Barbados should give us a proportion-

ately great advantage: but it is the reverse. Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago have a population density more like the UK. It is we with our much much lower population density who are at a great disadvantage.

I see the new Guyana person, knowledgeable of and at ease with our history and the handed down practices, religions and cultures of our six ancestral peoples, dipping into our one large national pot, freely taking whatever meets his/her need; a person contributing to Guyana and the world and at ease in Guyana and in partnership with the world.

We have unveiled today in this Gallery of Presidents, the photographs of the eight Presidents that we have had in our 53 years of Independence. We certainly wish that we would have made more progress in the growth and development of our people and country, but we have been making experiences and learning along the way and here is where we are today.

Let’s get on with it: Let’s get on with it.

Respectfully, Samuel A A Hinds Former President and former Prime Minister

TIGI column on oil block investigation misleading Dear Editor, The two recent columns produced by TIGI and published in the Stabroek News have featured attention-grabbing headlines; but after unpacking the lengthy sections of legal jargon and quotations, I still struggle to see any clear-cut case of illegal activity being made.

I would be the first to admit that I have no legal training, meaning that TIGI’s columns make for some very thick reading; but I believe I can distill everything down to two points, in layman’s terms 1): The then minister responsible for petroleum does not have proper “discretion” to grant blocks the size of the Stabroek, except under “special circumstances”; and 2): the “special circumstances” the Government has used

to defend the award do not meet that definition.

If this is an accurate summary of the argument, and I believe it is, then I have to confess that I do not see TIGI’s legal case.

Everything seems predicated on an opinion or judgment call, rather than on clear-cut legal wrongdoing.

Take the argument concerning “discretion.” TIGI cites lengthy statements from legal scholars, yet nothing I have read clearly shows that any violation of that discretion occurred.

The problem is that it’s all about how you interpret the language, specifically the “special circumstances” provision, which seemingly allows for a broad range of undefined discretionary activities.

The most recent column

illustrates this clearly. TIGI included various quotes given in different contexts. All of these statements essentially say the same thing: “discretionary doesn’t actually mean discretionary.”

‘He said’, ‘she said’ is dangerous ground for legal arguments, though.

TIGI’s contention that the security situation regarding Venezuela did not, and does not, constitute

a “special circumstance” is susceptible to the same problem.

Ultimately, the letter of the law allows the minister to make that decision. TIGI may have an opinion on the status of Guyana’s national security at any given time, but its opinion alone does not determine what is legal or illegal.

The question I cannot stop asking myself is: If TIGI

is confident that it has an airtight legal case, why isn’t that body making the case in court? It’s fine to publish the columns and state opinions, but why isn’t TIGI moving to bring any legal case? Is it perhaps because there is no case to bring?

TIGI is meant to be a transparency watchdog. It is tasked with sniffing out corruption and seeking greater openness in governance.

Its columns in the Stabroek News to date seem to veer away from encouraging greater transparency and towards an agenda focused on political and legal advocacy.

That’s fine, but TIGI should be clear with the public that it’s now pushing an agenda, and not simply calling for greater transparency.

Sincerely, Donald Singh

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THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019

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Foundation

Why do people get depressed?

D

epression affects people of every age, economic situation, and race. Even though depression is common – especially in teens – some people get depressed but others don’t. Why?

There’s no one reason for depression

Lots of things influence whether a person gets depressed. Some of it is biology — things like our genes, brain chemistry, and hormones. Some is environment, including daylight and seasons, or social and family situations we face. And some is personality, like how we react to life events or the support systems we create for ourselves. All these things can help shape whether or not a person becomes depressed.

Genes

Research shows that depression runs in families. Some people inherit genes that contribute to depression. But not everyone who has a family member with depression will develop it too. And many people with no family history of depression still get depressed. So genes are one factor, but they aren’t the only reason for depression.

Brain chemistry

Chemicals called neurotransmitters (pronounced: nur-oh-TRANZmit-urs) help send messages between nerve cells in the brain. Some neurotransmitters regulate mood. When a person is depressed, these neurotransmitters might be in low supply or not effective enough.

Genes and brain chemistry can be connected: Having the genes for depression may make a person more likely to have the neurotransmitter problem that is part of depression.

Stress, health, and hormones

Things like stress, using alcohol or drugs, and hormone changes also affect the brain’s delicate chemistry and mood.

Some health conditions may cause depression-like symptoms. For example, hypothyroidism is known to cause a depressed mood in some people. Mono can drain a person’s energy. When health conditions are diagnosed and treated by a doctor, the depression-like symptoms usually disappear.

Getting enough sleep and regular exercise often has a positive effect on neurotransmitter activity and mood.

Daylight and seasons

Daylight affects how the brain produces melatonin and serotonin. These neurotransmitters help regulate a person’s sleep–wake cycles, energy, and mood. When there is

less daylight, the brain produces more melatonin. When there is more daylight, the brain makes more serotonin.

Shorter days and longer hours of darkness in fall and winter may lead the body to have more melatonin and less serotonin. This imbalance is what creates the conditions for depression in some people — a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Exposure to light can help improve mood for people affected by SAD.

part of life. When a problem crops up, take action to solve it.

Remind yourself that setbacks and problems are temporary and solvable. Nothing lasts forever.

Build a support system. Ask friends and family for help (or just a shoulder to cry on) when you need it. Offer to help when they need it. This kind of give and take creates strong relationships that help people weather life’s storms.

Being positive and resilient isn’t a magic shield that automatically protects us from depression. But these qualities can help offset the other factors that might lead to trouble. (kidshealth.org)

Life events

The death of a family member, friend, or pet sometimes goes beyond normal grief and leads to depression. Other difficult life events — such as when parents divorce, separate, or remarry — can trigger depression.

Whether or not difficult life situations lead to depression can depend a lot on how well a person is able to cope, stay positive, and receive support.

5

Family and social environment

For some people, a negative, stressful, or unhappy family atmosphere can lead to depression. Other high-stress living situations — such as poverty, homelessness, or violence — can contribute, too. Dealing with bullying, harassment, or peer pressure leaves some people feeling isolated, victimized, or insecure.

Situations like these don’t necessarily lead to depression, but facing them without relief or support can make it easier to become depressed.

Reacting to life situations

Life is full of ups and downs. Stress, hassles, and setbacks happen (but hopefully not too often). How we react to life’s struggles matters a lot. A person’s outlook can contribute to depression — or it can help guard against it.

Research shows that a positive outlook acts as a protection against depression, even for people who have the genes, brain chemistry, or life situations that put them at risk for developing it. The opposite is also true: People who tend to think more negatively may be more at risk for developing depression.

We can’t control our genes, brain chemistry, or some of the other things that contribute to depression. But we do have control over how we see situations and how we cope.

Making an effort to think positively – like believing there’s a way around any problem – helps ward off depression. So does developing coping skills and a support system of positive relationships. These things help build resilience (the quality that helps people bounce back and do well, even in difficult situations).

Here are three ways to build resilience: Try thinking of change as a challenging and normal

ways to help yourself through depression

I

f you feel depressed, it’s best to do something about it — depression doesn’t just go away on its own. In addition to getting help from a doctor or therapist, here are 5 things you can do to feel better.

Exercise Take a 15- to 30-minute brisk walk every day — or dance, jog, or bike if you prefer. People who are depressed may not feel much like being active. But make yourself do it anyway (ask a friend to exercise with you if you need to be motivated). Once you get in the exercise habit, it won’t take long to notice a difference in your mood.

In addition to getting aerobic exercise, some yoga poses can help relieve feelings of depression. Try downward-facing dog or legs-up-the-wall pose (you can find these poses on yoga websites). Two other aspects of yoga — breathing exercises and meditation — can also help people with depression feel better.

Nurture yourself with good nutrition. Depression can affect appetite. One person may not feel like eating at all, but another might overeat. If depression has affected your eating, you’ll need to be extra mindful of getting the right nourishment. Proper nutrition can influence a person’s mood and energy. So eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and get regular meals (even if you don’t feel hungry, try to eat something light, like a piece of fruit, to keep you going).

Identify troubles, but don’t dwell on them Try to identify any situations that have contributed to your depression. When you know what’s got you feeling blue and why, talk about it with a caring friend. Talking is a way to release the feelings and to receive some understanding.

Once you air out these thoughts and feelings, turn your attention to something positive. Take action to solve problems. Ask for help if you need it. Feeling connected to friends and family can help relieve depression. It may also help them feel there’s something they can do instead of just watching you hurt.

Express yourself With depression, a person’s creativity and sense of fun may seem blocked. Exercise your imagination (painting, drawing, doodling, sewing, writing, dancing, composing music, etc.) and you not only get those creative juices flowing, you also loosen up some positive emotions. Take time to play with a friend or a pet, or do something fun for yourself. Find something to laugh about — a funny movie, perhaps. Laughter helps lighten your mood.

Try to notice good things Depression affects a person’s thoughts, making everything seem dismal, negative, and hopeless. If depression has you noticing only the negative, make an effort to notice the good things in life. Try to notice one thing, then try to think of one more. Consider your strengths, gifts, or blessings. Most of all, don’t forget to be patient with yourself. Depression takes time to heal. (kidshealth.org)

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THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

SOCU probe

Legal advisor requests additional statements – Ramjattan

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fter legal advice was sought for the probe of misappropriation of funds at the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), a request was made for additional statements to be obtained before making a final judgment.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan made this disclosure on Wednesday, stating that the officials asked for these statements, which were currently in the process of being procured.

“The officers have asked for further statements to be taken and that I think is what is being done now, when it went up for legal advice,” Ramjattan stated.

When asked if there should be increased reporting to his office of crimes committed, Ramjattan stated, “I do not believe so.

Operational matters are what the Commissioner will deal with. If I’m to know all the facts … I will be muddled. Every day, you have crimes being committed and

I don’t have to be the one to know all the inside information.”

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

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

President David Granger recently commented on the issue, pledging that disciplinary measures would follow if necessary, but maintained that there would be no dismantling of the Unit, although the audit found a slew of financial irregularities and internal fraud at the agency.

As he gave reassurances that steps would be taken

Police Commissioner Leslie James

to restore the image of the Unit, he maintained that SOCU would continue its operations while reminding that it was not a “loose cannon”.

“SOCU is an integral part, an organic part of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Head of SOCU is a Police Officer…It is going to remain. It’s not going to be dismantled. It has work to do. It is not a free agent. It is not loose cannon and we’ll ensure that public confidence in SOCU is restored,”

Granger declared.

He supported recent statements by Minister Ramjattan that the Top Cop would be taking action against culpable officials.

These actions, he had noted, can include transfers and dismissals.

“I have taken note and I agree with the Minister of Public Security that in event that there has been any impropriety or misconduct, disciplinary action be taken … The Police Commissioner and the Minister of Public Security presumably will take the necessary actions to ensure that the Unit continues to enjoy the confidence of the public.” he said.

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

Ramjattan had previously disclosed that action will be taken by Police Commissioner James with regard to the damning discoveries since the Unit is a

SOCU Head Sydney James

branch of the Guyana Police Force.

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

The Public Security Minister explained that in having an agency where persons were not serving the purposes that they were contracted to function in,

the first essential step was rebranding SOCU. “Institutions can get rotten. What a Government does is through its leadership at the various units, ask for audits, get the things right and move on and put the correct people in places that can remedy the defects that were occurring, and that is what you do in any institution. That is what the people do with Governments and that is the self-redeeming feature of democracy and that is the self-redeeming feature of institutional democracy,” he stated.

In the past, SOCU had several of its cases tossed out the window by the courts, including a number of charges against former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) executives and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Directors. In light of these revelations of widespread fraud and financial irregularities within SOCU, the Opposition had called for the Unit to be closed down.

US diplomat urges Berbice chambers to play role to ensure success of NRF

US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch

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S Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch has called for the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association to ensure the success of its sovereign wealth fund known as the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) as Guyana prepares for first oil in 2020.

Ambassador Lynch issued the call at the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association’s 87th annual luncheon on Wednesday in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

Ambassador Lynch noted that the Chamber of Commerce needed to embrace its role in engaging with stakeholders and lobbying for expertise as well as information sharing and transparency as Guyana developed its lucrative petroleum industry.

She says the Chamber

can also play a role in ensuring that the NRF is properly managed and that Guyanese benefit significantly.

"As you are aware, Guyana recently accomplished a major milestone of its own, by establishing the Natural Resource Fund , this is also known as a sovereign wealth fund which was set up to invest revenues from oil and gas and other natural resources, in order to protect and boost the national economy," the Ambassador said.

She added that if implemented immediately and efficiently, it should provide Guyana with the opportunity to invest in long-term future as well as today's infrastructure, health, education, security and even agriculture.

“I must congratulate the people of Guyana for taking this important step and doing so before first oil production and before all profits begin rolling in next year."

Worldwide, it is estimated that US$2 trillion to US$3 trillion are under the control of sovereign wealth funds.

"Even though management of the wealth fund is primarily a public sector responsibility, its operation on success is heavily dependent on the productive sector partnering in administration and oversight of the plan,” the diplomat highlighted.

She noted that studies have shown that the most

A section of the gathering at the luncheon on Wednesday

effective sovereign wealth funds are independent, transparent, inviolable and nonpartisan.

"I keep telling people that this is an exciting time to be in Guyana; it's also a critical time for Guyana’s future.

That future starts now and I look forward to the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association and other Private Sector agents playing a vibrant role in modelling it by creating a robust framework in implement the Fund and manage the risk associated with it," the Ambassador added.

Moreover, Regional Chairman David Armogan called on businesses to take advantage of opportunities in the sector.

“We have seen in our Region that certain parts of the sugar industry were closed. The rice industry has not been doing so well.

Today, we are seeing the repercussions of that. We have seen the businesses have suffered some form of decline in sales hence affecting your ability to employ persons," Armogan said.

The Chairman acknowledged that times have changed, adding that difficult circumstances called for new approaches.

"We have to be innovative in our ways and utilise this difficult period to come up with new challenges and new

projects. Already we are seeing companies from abroad coming here to pick up the challenges that we ourselves should be taking up."

Meanwhile, Chamber President Errol Azar told the gathering that persons throughout the region have been feeling the harsh reality of the closure of the sugar estates in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

In December 2017, Government closed both

the Rose Hall and Skeldon Sugar Estates. However, despite that, Azar said there was some good news and indicated it was not just good news for the business community.

He explained that Government making arrangements to sell the Rose Hall and Skeldon Sugar Estates meant there was interest from investors.

"They are finalising the agreement… one of the stip-

ulations is that sugar must be maintained at the estate so the people will be able to get back their jobs."

The Chamber President also spoke about plans to develop a deepwater harbour in Region Six and also plans to have the Berbice Mining Enterprise Factory at Everton resuscitated as a mining company has already purchased the facility and is making arrangements to have it operational soon.

8 News

thursDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS Husband slapped with several charges, including abduction of wife

Martin Baker

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he man who allegedly dragged his wife out of a friend’s house and took her to a location on the East Coast of Demerara

was on Tuesday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Albion Magistrate’s Court.

Martin Baker, 50, a labourer of Warren Village, East Coast Berbice, was not required to plead to an abduction charge.

The police stated that Martin abducted Dhanmattie Sumara with intent to cause her to be secretly confined – contrary to section 4 of the Kidnapping Act, Chapter 10:05.

He was also charged with malicious damage to property, common assault and threatening behaviour committed on 27-year-old Dhanmattie Sumara of Warren Village.

The charges were read to him by Magistrate Alex

Dhanmattie Sumara

Moore. He is expected to return to court on July 12, 2019, for a police progress report.

It was reported that on June 4, Baker went to the

friend’s home at Warren Village, and after not being allowed into the house, he broke open the front door.

He had gone to get his reputed wife who went to the friend’s house for protection.

The woman was reportedly dragged from the house against her will. She was also reportedly lashed several times with a cutlass as she was being dragged through the streets. Three days later, the couple was found at a house in Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara. The man was arrested and charged.

The woman, however, held out that she was not abducted and that she went to the East Coast of Demerara willingly.

1 given 3-year sentence, another remanded on robbery charge

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wo men jointly slapped with a robbery charge appeared on Wednesday before Georgetown Magistrate Faith McGusty; where one of them -- 21-year-old Brian Pompey of Buxton, East Coast Demerara -- pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, while David Williams entered a notguilty plea and was remanded to prison.

The charge against the two defendants stated that on June 8, 2019, at Regent Street, Georgetown, while being in the company of others, they robbed Parimdra Chatterpaul of a cell phone and cash at the Plaisance mini-bus park.

Pompey told the court

Brian Pompey

he is currently unemployed, having recently lost two jobs; and on the day in question he saw two men committing a robbery on the victim, and he joined in by pushing his hands in the man’s pocket,

from whence he took away $700 and the mobile device.

Prosecutor Annalisa Brummel told the court that the victim was waiting on a minibus at the intersection of Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic when he was attacked, pushed to the roadway, and relieved of the items.

Pompey and Williams were subsequently apprehended, and during a search on their persons, the phone was found hidden in Williams’s crotch.

The two were taken to the Brickdam Police Station, where Pompey admitted to the offence while Williams maintained having no knowledge about the robbery.

After listening to

David Williams

the facts of the matter, Magistrate McGusty sentenced Pompey to three years’ imprisonment, and remanded Williams to prison. His next court appearance is slated for June 19.

“Broke man” gets 3 years for robbing gas station A regretful 22-yearold armed robbery accused was on Wednesday sentenced to three years’ imprisonment

by Georgetown Magistrate Faith McGusty after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

The charge against Shawn Bascom detailed that on June 9, 2019, at Falls Gas Station at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, while being in the company of another person, he robbed Zheng Teng Fei of $500,000 cash, property of Chen Yeng.

Police Prosecutor Ceon Blackman told the court that on the day in question, the victim, a supervisor at the service station, had exited the establishment with the bag containing the money, and was proceeding to the pumps when he was approached by Bascom and another person. He was choked

Shawn Bascom

and relieved of the bag before his assailants made good their escape.

The Prosecutor added that Bascom was subsequently apprehended and handed over to the Police.

Upon his arrest, Bascom told ranks at the station, “No risk, no reward”.

Given opportunity to speak, Bascom told the court, “Two weeks now I ain’t finding no work. Me sol-

dier seh he gon link me with a work, so we meet up the night…I was high, frustrated, and I just needed some cash; so I went and grab the money from a Chiney man”.

Bascom added that it was his accomplice who had snatched away the bag, but he was the one who had been beaten and handed over to the Police.

In tears, he told the court that he did not mean to hurt anyone, and that he now just wanted to go see his four-year-old daughter for Father’s Day. The remorseful man continued, “I wasn’t in my right mind because I was under the influence. I won’t do it again”.

Before sentencing Bascom, Magistrate McGusty told him, “He who takes the benefit must also take the burden”.

Sweeping …under the carpet One of the reasons why folks have to step warily when they’re around the PNC is: the PNC have swept so many scandals under their carpet that you just can’t walk straight!!

Who knows what you may stumble over? President Granger seems to believe in the “out of sight, out of mind” school of disaster management; rather incredible for an old soldier, don’t you think?

When we were little kids, we believed that when we closed our eyes, the vase we’d just crashed disappeared; but our mothers’ ministrations with the whip taught us otherwise!

But not Granger, when it comes to the misdeeds of his administration. Take corruption, which he vowed to eliminate. The whale looming under that section of the PNC’s carpet of course is the “negotiation” of the oil contract

by Trotman with the consortium headed by ExxonMobil.

And it’s not just the insulting, paltry US$18 million bonus when it should’ve been ten times that amount; there’s the insult of boasting that he’d DOUBLED the royalty from one per cent to two per cent!! So, rather than one crumb, we should be thankful for getting two crumbs. The Ghanaian President must be snickering at Granger every time he sees him, since he can’t avoid THAT blue whale under the carpet!!

Just look at the bonus, royalty, share of profits, taxes on the oil companies’ profits HIS government was able to extract! And yet Trotman hasn’t been subjected to any investigation…unlike in the case of the Ghanaian first oil contract.

While other corrupt actions: such as the Jubilee Stadium; the sole-sourced, non-tendered DHB design contract; the giveaway of seized vehicles; the sale of the sugar assets as scrap metal; monies deposited into private accounts etc, might pale into insignificance compared with the billions of US dollars lost in oil, they’re important because they have a “demonstrator effect” at every level of government, including out in the regions.

“If the big ones can dip their hands into the till, why not us?”

Another bump under the PNC carpet is Granger’s refusal to discipline any member of the administration for conceded transgressions. Take the serial sorties on the wild side by Simona “I is” Broomes, who might’ve left the bush, but clearly the bush hasn’t left her! There was her hauling those working girls from Bartica to Georgetown just because she had a beef with the hotel owners. Wasn’t that the job of the Police? Then came the “boom out” from the hallowed chambers of Parliament, and the infamous “fried rice” fracas at New Thriving that put one poor guard in jail.

The country still awaits the promised inquiry.

The problem is that bumpy carpets have now become the norm with the PNC. …the NAM busts You could’ve knocked your Eyewitness over with a feather after he saw the pic of the Ghanaian President laying a wreath at the Non-Aligned Monument (NAM) at Company Path. Your Eyewitness passes that spot practically every day, and he’s hard pressed to believe his eyes! Such a transformation in a matter of days? Jeez! Maybe if the M&CC had some ‘big name’ guests over the years, who knows, City Hall wouldn’t be falling down today?

But back to the Non-Aligned Monument. Of course the Ghanaian connection is that the then President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, was one of the five leaders of that seminal movement in the sixties, when the Less Developed World had tried to chart a path between the two superpowers - the US and USSR – who were competing for world dominance. Ghana, Guyana and Indonesia have since had their governments removed; Yugoslavia broke into pieces; and India plodded along.

Finally, the USSR collapsed, leaving one superpower standing -- the mighty US of A! …prices upwards The Bank of Guyana has just released some info that caps the depressing news on the economy for ordinary folks who’ve been hard hit by massive rising unemployment: prices of basic foodstuffs have headed upwards.

Granger’s PNC continues to map Burnham’s disastrous trajectory; this time, with inflation.

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

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ThursDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Audit Office looking to finalise report on D’Urban Park

― as info submitted by Ministry being verified

A

fter much delay owing to its difficulty accessing pertinent information, the Audit Office of Guyana (AOG) is in the process of finalising its report into the controversial, multi-million dollar D’Urban Park Project.

In a brief interview with this publication, Auditor General Deodat Sharma confirmed that they are in the process of wrapping up the probe.

He revealed that of late, the Public Infrastructure Ministry submitted some information to his office, which is being verified.

“I think lately they did submit some information, which I’ve passed to my engineers to look at to see if those are the records.

I’m about to finalise the report with the response, so I will incorporate what I have and issue the final report,” Sharma said. On the question of possible criminal liability, Sharma was in support of a “wait and see” outlook.

Funding for the D’Urban Park Project has been a contentious issue,

with money from the Lotto Fund being used by the APNU/AFC Government in the project. In his 2015 report, the AG had listed some $36.5 million in Lotto Funds being used for rehabilitative works.

As a consequence, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Irfaan Ali, had previously requested that further probing be done by the Auditor General.

Ali had stated that these requests were in relation to follow-ups from the findings that had been included in the AG’s 2015 Report. In his 2015 report, the Auditor General had said that following checks on the accounts, it was found that while Government transferred $1 billion of the Lotto money to the Consolidated Fund in 2015, it held onto just over half a billion dollars to remain under the control of the Ministry of the Presidency and it spent $305 million on various activities.

But the audit into the D’Urban Park Project has always been hindered by

Guyanese appointed to senior UN post

Catherine Pollard is the UN’s next Under Secretary General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance.

G

uyanese national Catherine Pollard has been appointed as the next United Nations Under Secretary General for Management Strategy, Policy, and Compliance.

She was appointed by UN Secretary General António Guterres to succeed Jan Beagle of New Zealand.

A statement from the UN said that Pollard brings to the position over three decades of experience in human, financial, information communications technology and support operations and services, and has a proven record of transformational leadership in the UN system.

She is currently Under Secretary General for General Assembly and Conference Affairs, a position she assumed in 2015.

Her previous leadership roles include Assistant

Secretary General for General Assembly and Conference Management and Assistant Secretary General for Human Resources Management.

Pollard joined the UN in 1989 as Chief of National Executive Projects at the United Nations Development Programme.

She then served the United Nations in various capacities, including as Chief Budget Officer for the United Nations Operations in Yugoslavia and Central Headquarters, Chief of the Budget and Finance Section of the United Nations Volunteers, Director of the Peacekeeping Finance Division in the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts and Chief of Staff in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

(Caribbean360)

a lack of access to pertinent information, with the Audit Office being forced to write to the Public Infrastructure Ministry requesting documents.

The controversy surrounding the D’Urban Park Project exploded when it was revealed to the public that now Public Service Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine sat as a Director of a secret company, which was established to collect funds from private companies to develop the Jubilee Park.

This information was initially omitted by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson when he was being drilled by Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) in the National Assembly in 2016.

A d d i t i o n a l l y , Opposition parliamentarian Juan Edghill

D’urban Park

has been behind efforts to have the Public Procurement Commission investigate the D’Urban Park Project. In a letter to the Commission’s Chairperson, Carol Corbin, Edghill had identified aspects of the Project the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was most concerned about.

The Opposition had noted that despite promises to the contrary, no account of donations received between September 2015 and January 2016 was made public. It, therefore, queried the procurement process used for works on the project.

The scope a private company has to engage

contractors and receive funding for a public project also came into question. The party queried the budgeted and actual cost throughout the project, as well as the final cost. In addition, the party had demanded information on what payments were made to individuals and contractors up to June.

10 news

ThursDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

State ordered to pay mother Man acquitted of rape in 2014 of slain Agricola teen $28M slapped with 3 new charges

T

Dead: Shaquille Grant

he mother of Shaquille Grant, who was shot and killed by police ranks in 2012, is now expected to receive a sum of $28 million, which the state agreed to pay at the conclusion of the 2014 lawsuit heard before Justice Gino Persaud at the Demerara

High Court on Wednesday.

Shonette Adams, through legal representation of Attorney Nigel Hughes, had filed the lawsuit on December 28, 2014, against the state and police ranks involved in the shooting to death of her son which occurred on September 11, 2012, at Agricola, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

It was maintained in Adam’s lawsuit that Article 138 of the Constitution was violated for her now dead son, hence she sued the state over the wrongful death of her son, breach of his fundamental right under Article 138 of the Constitution of Guyana, not to be deprived of his life intentionally, and for assault and battery.

Meanwhile, for each of the mentioned claims, Adams had further petitioned for excess monies

which included: exemplary damages, costs, interest and such further or other order as seen just by the court.

According to reports, on the day in question, police ranks acting on information received went to the East Bank Demerara community and were allegedly shot at by a gang of teenagers, this resulted in them retaliating, and as such claimed the life of Grant in the process.

After the fatal shooting, three police officers namely: Terrance Wallace, Warren Blue, and Jamal Lewis were jointly charged for the capital offence of murder.

In addition, ex-policeman Wallace, who faced a High Court trial was acquitted in 2015 of the murder charge, while his other accomplices, Blue was killed in the course of a robbery, and Lewis is still on the run.

― confesses to raping women

H

aving received a second lease on life when he was acquitted of a rape charge in 2016, the 22-year-old Leon Jordan will now face the full wrath of the law after confessing to three counts of rape in his appearance before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court on Wednesday.

Jordan opted to enter guilty pleas when the charges were read to him, the first of which detailed that on February 2, 2012, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16 years.

The second charge detailed that on January 13, 2013, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration of a child aged 14 years; and the final charge detailed that, on October 25, 2016, he engaged in sexual penetration of a 24-year-old woman.

The defendant told the court it is better that he tells the truth, adding that pris-

Leon Jordan

on is not a suitable place for persons like him.

After Jordan had pleaded guilty to the offences, Justice Reynolds ordered that Jordan should undergo psychiatric evaluation because he needs professional help. A probation report was also ordered compiled.

Jordan will be sentenced on June 26, 2019 in the Sexual Offences Court.

The convict was represented by Attorney-at-law

Maxwell McKay, while prosecutors Seeta Bishundial and Abigail Gibbs had represented the state.

Jordan was acquitted back in 2016 after a 12-member jury empanelled before Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry had found him not guilty of a similar offence he had been accused of committing. In that matter, he was accused of sexually molesting a 16-year-old girl on October 24, 2014.

Man dies 1 day after smash-up involving Mayor’s vehicle

The vehicles involved in the smash-up

O

ne day after a vehicle assigned to the Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine slammed into three other vehicles along the Turkeyen Public Road, one of the drivers succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The dead man has been identified as 53-yearold Mitford Cambridge of Middle Walk, Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Based on information received, the man took his last breath on Wednesday afternoon.

The Mayor was not in the vehicle at the time of

the smash-up but the driver, Joel Bond, told traffic ranks that he fell asleep, causing the vehicle to collide with the concrete median and subsequently into three parked vehicles in the vicinity of MovieTowne.

Cambridge was reportedly sitting in his car at the time of the accident and would have sustained severe bodily injuries. He was picked up and rushed to the GPHC where he was admitted and remained a patient until his demise.

The Mayor’s driver was also taken to the medical facility to be treated to lacerations to the head and body.

Mayor Narine departed Guyana for Trinidad on Tuesday morning to attend a Global Covenant of Mayors (GCOM) for Climate Change and Energy in the Caribbean.

Just under a month ago, seven parked cars were badly damaged as a result of a speeding car which lost control on the vicinity of Liliendaal on the East Coast of Demerara.

11 Cabinet not briefed about SARA’s oil blocks probe – Harmon news

ThursDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

– but does not foresee independent body investigating same

Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon

W

eeks after reports surfaced that State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) has launched an investigation into the award of oil blocks to various companies, Cabinet is yet to be briefed on the matter.

The probe is being conducted into the award of oil blocks under the previous Administration. In light of this development, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had called for a reputable international and independent firm to conduct these investigations, if the Government believes it is needed.

However, when contacted on Monday, Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon was unable to say if the request will be considered.

“I won’t be able to say. As you know, SARA is an independent agency and they operate their own entity…The matter has not been dealt with at the level of Cabinet to determine how they will proceed with what they are doing,” Harmon explained.

“So, I can’t say whether, in fact, that is something they are pursuing, but I think they would be in a better position to advise on what course of action,” he further added.

On May 22, an article appeared in New York-based Bloomberg website, in which SARA Director Professor Clive Thomas is quoted as saying that there is a pending probe into the award of oil blocks and licenses to various companies.

“We’re investigating the issuance of the licenses, for example, and the various blocks. We’re building up a case. This is an area of investigation into how the blocks were allocated and the decisions that were made.”

“We’re at an investigatory stage so we can’t libel persons by saying that we found proof of anything. There’s enough evidence for us to want to continue the investigation,” Professor Thomas is quoted as saying in the article.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has already warned that reports of such

Head of SARA, Professor Clive Thomas

an investigation have the potential to harm the investment climate in Guyana.

“It’s dangerous for our investment climate, destroys investor confidence and it creates that level of uncertainty that we don’t need right now. We haven’t produced a drop as yet. And you already want to send bad signals to the international community? It’s highly improper, irregular and totally disturbing,” Charles Ramson Jr – the Chamber’s point-person on the petroleum industry – had expressed during a recent press conference.

The issue about reexamining oil contracts signed under the previous Administration comes at a time when there is a huge visiting Ghana delegation, led by their President Nana

Akufo-Addo to Guyana.

Ghana is currently going through a similar situation where its Government has undertaken to review and possibly revoke 12 petroleum agreements. Reports are that the reason for this exercise is because of the inadequate compliance of the firms with their obligations.

In Guyana’s case, SARA is said to be investigating the award of concessions in the Canje Block offshore Guyana to JHI, Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas, and Ratio Energy in March 2015, a few months before the national elections.

JHI Associates Inc (JHI) and Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas Inc (MOGI), in a joint statement issued recently, made it clear that when they acquired the Canje Block, it was very much a high-risk investment on their part.

According to the companies, negotiations for the Canje Block began in March 2013, with the Canje Block licence itself being awarded on March 4, 2015 – before it was announced that explorer ExxonMobil struck oil.

“On May 20, 2015, the Liza-1 well was announced as a ‘significant discovery’. Over 40 wells had been drilled offshore in the Guyana-Suriname Basin prior to Liza-1, and none encountered commercial quantities of oil or gas,” the joint statement had said.

Former President Donald Ramotar

The companies also confirmed that despite the fact that they are in the centre of SARA’s investigation, they have not been contacted by the agency. In addition, SARA has not contacted

them to request any information.

“Neither company has been notified of any pending investigations into the award of the licence for the Canje Block. Both companies welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with duly authorised agencies of the Government of Guyana at any time,” the joint statement had added.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had also welcomed the probe but contended that it cannot be independently and impartially carried out by SARA. “…if the Government wants to do that, the Government should hire a solid international firm with a reputation and not have Clive Thomas do this, who is a member of their party,” Jagdeo had posited.

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thursDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Herstelling family attacked, robbed by gunmen

By Kizzy Coleman

A

Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD) family is now terrified after they were beaten and robbed when gunmen invaded their home on Tuesday evening, carting off with close to $2 million in cash and jewellery.

Fifty-eight-year-old, Bibi Shaneeza Alli along with her son, 32-year-old Mohammed Alli, her daughter-in-law, 29-year-old Ameena Hassan and grandson, 13-year-old Saliman Alli were all at home when the incident occurred.

According to reports, the three gunmen carried out their attack by pretending to be customers. The family operates a grocery shop at their home.

Guyana Times was told that Hassan was in the shop, which is located in front of the house when a man entered and requested a pack of cigarettes.

However, another voice was heard coming from the side of the shop saying “they don’t sell cigarettes”.

An alerted Hassan reportedly decided to lock the shop door, however, in doing so, she was immediately confronted by another man who had already entered the yard.

Hassan and her 13-yearold son, who was also in the shop at the time, were both accosted and taken into their house. It was at that time that Mohammed Alli and Bibi Alli were held at gunpoint.

Mohammed Alli told this publication that he was laying on a bed in the living room when he was attacked and his phone was taken away.

Startled, the man relayed that he was then instructed to lay on the ground and Saliman Alli, who was at the time screaming, was placed next to him.

He recounted that he had

The house where the robbery occured

some cash next to him which one the men took but later asked for more.

“They ask me for the rest which I give them because I does sell plantain chips so I had put some money to dry because it got wet in the rain so I give them all” the man disclosed.

The child was at this time reportedly screaming as the differently-abled teen could not understand what was occurring.

The father of the child, Mohammed Alli, revealed that after hitting the teen to

his mouth, one of the gunmen placed a cloth over his face which they tied to muffle his screams.

After doing this, Hassan was escorted to the back of the house by another gunman who went in search of Bibi Shaneeza Alli.

According to the 58-yearold woman, she heard sounds and upon looking up, she saw one of the men with a gun pointed to her daughter-in-law’s head. In tears, the woman told this publication that she was extremely terrified.

“I pee up! The man then come and collect me and said if I scream, he will kill me so he took me into my daughter-in-law’s bedroom and he brought she in to” the woman revealed.

While inside the room, the woman revealed that the gunmen demanded valuables which she refused to hand over. As such, she was severely beaten about her face and body which caused her to fall semi-unconscious.

“I started to see blur, because the licks was too much and after that, even though me tell them that I will cooperate, them still beat me… my daughter-in-law end up handing over plenty money after they threatened to kill the Bia (Saliman Alli)” the woman recalled.

One of the perpetrators reportedly went into another room where he found close to $1 million and a large quantity of jewellery including eight gold chains and rings, a cricket band,

twelve gold rings and several other electronic items.

“The money I was saving for long because my son gave me permission to build behind his house and now all gone…I don’t know what I will do, I have to start all over” the woman cried.

After gaining access to the cash, the three gunmen reportedly quickly escaped the scene of the crime.

The police were called and the women were escorted to the hospital where Bibi Alli received several stitches above her left eye.

The traumatised family is calling on the police to carry out proper investigations since up to press time the family was awaiting their return to dust for fingerprints.

“The police them aint really helping we, they came into the yard joking and laughing and up to now we waiting on them to come back for fingerprints like they promised”.

Ramjattan defends Duncan’s reinstatement ... says penalty was “too extreme”

C

hairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan has supported the reinstatement of party member, Sherod Duncan at the Guyana Chronicle, even though an audit found that he is guilty of several breaches of financial regulations, including spending large sums of money without approval.

“I think he should have been reinstated a long time ago,” Ramjattan told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.

Ramjattan is the second top AFC official to have supported the move by Prime

Minister Moses Nagamootoo – a party executive – to overturn a decision of the Board of Directors to dismiss Sherod Duncan.

During Duncan’s period as General Manager of the newspaper company, according to an independent audit, there were some 20 breaches of financial regulations.

In one instance, Duncan took an overseas trip costing over $700,000 even though there is no documented approval for such an event and to date, documents were not brought forward to support these expenditures.

As such, the Board of

Directors, by majority vote, decided to terminate his services. This was after he was allowed a hearing in the presence of his lawyer. But Ramjattan believes the penalty was too extreme.

“I rather suspect that that decision to terminate for expenditures of a CEO were too extreme a position,” the AFC Chairman said.

He added: “I have a distinct disagreement with the former Chairman, I think she has resigned now. [She said she] acted properly, I do not believe so”.

Following Nagamootoo’s move to overturn the Board’s

decision, the Chairperson, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, and three Board members have resigned.

AFC Leader Raphael Trotman is on record defending Nagamootoo’s decision to overturn the decision of the Board.

“I did personally feel that the process with Mr Duncan could’ve gone or should have gone another way… I had seen the audit reports quite frankly and I thought that while there may have been some breaches, they were not breaches, in terms of theft of monies. There might’ve been some circumvention of some systems

and I thought Mr Duncan being off the job for several months, perhaps a reprimand or some form of disci-

pline [could’ve been taken].

I found that dismissal was the harsher side of the penalties,” Trotman had stated.

But Duncan’s return has caused some uneasiness among staff at the Guyana Chronicle newspaper, prompting them to submit a petition to President David Granger for help.

In the petition, which was submitted on Monday, the workers described Duncan as a bully and pointed to instances where he has unilaterally and unnecessarily hired external persons to do the jobs of persons already working with the company.

together with Tullow and Total, have comprehensively interpreted the nearly 3000 km2 of 3D seismic data we shot over and beyond Orinduik and have selected the first two targets that we feel will allow us to accelerate the Block's development. With the Stena Forth now mobilising westwards to Guyana waters, we are on course to drill a pair of potentially transformational wells for the company, for the Block partners, and for Guyana.”

Eco Atlantic’s Chief Operating Officer was confident that its interpretation of its data supported a relatively high chance of success, estimated at over 40 per cent for both the Jethro and Joe prospect.

The company said that despite the outcome of the first two planned wells, it has enough capital for a multiwell drilling campaign and was confident that hydrocar-

bons are on the Block in the wake of good quality sands like those on the Stabroek Block. Consequently, Kinley maintained that the main risks are the quality of the seal and the presence of a trap.

“Thanks to our successful US$17 million placement and subscription in April, we have a cash balance today of over US$35 million so we are in the fortunate position of being fully funded to drill up to six additional wells on Orinduik, across the fifteen identified prospects…the two wells will test both the Upper and Lower Tertiaryaged turbidites, while Jethro will also be drilled down to the Cretaceous section.”

“Our focus is on nearterm oil production and we have ordered our exploration programme around risking, development and deliverability of oil for the people of Guyana and our stakeholders," Kinley remarked.

Sherod Duncan

Eco drillship to reach Orinduik Block by June 24

– as company optimistic of 4 billion barrels of oil in block

T

he Stena Forth oil exploration drillship has left West Africa en route to Guyana where it will spud the Jethro Lobe prospect offshore the English-speaking South American nation by the end of June, Eco Atlantic Oil and Gas announced on Monday.

This is according to the company in a release.

According to the company,

the Stena Forth drillship is expected to reach Eco's Orinduik Block on or around June 24, 2019.

The ship is being mobilised for Eco and its partners, Tullow Guyana BV ("Tullow") and Total EP Guyana BV ("Total"), for a committed two-well campaign. The first exploration well is to be drilled on the Jethro Lobe prospect, as announced on December 5,

2018. The second well is the Joe prospect, a few kilometres away.

To date, Guyana has confirmed about 6 billion barrels of oil under the Atlantic Ocean due to 13 discoveries on the Stabroek Block

by ExxonMobil. Eco Atlantic Oil and Gas estimates there are about 4 billion barrels of oil on its Orinbduik Block.

According to Eco Atlantic, the Stena Forth was actively drilling for Tullow on an existing contract immediately prior to its transition to Guyana and is fully crewed with experienced personnel, allowing a smooth transition and less rig-up and training time.

Eco noted that it boasts a cash balance today of approximately US$35 million and is funded for its share of up to a further six potential new exploration or development wells in addition to the Jethro Lobe and Joe wells, following a placing and sub-

scription completed on April 10, 2019.

ECO's Chief Operating Officer, Colin Kinley, was quoted as saying: "The mobilisation of the Stena Forth is the final stage of a long, conservative and quality controlled process to plan and drill the initial two wells on Orinduik. The Block licence was applied for in March 2014 and was awarded to Eco and Tullow in January 2016 with a first well commitment for 2021/2022.

“With 13 discoveries, so far totalling over 5.5BBOE (billion barrel of oil equivalent) on Exxon's adjacent Stabroek Block in the past three years, and with our strong commitment to Guyana, the joint venture partners have since expedited and significantly expanded their work programme far beyond and ahead of the committed requirements.”

Kinley added: "Our team,

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thursDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Family of electrocuted 47 educators participate man sees hardship ahead in diversity workshop – was sole breadwinner of five children, wife

Dead: Oliver Anthon

By Davina Ramdass

T

he family of 32-yearold Oliver Anthon, a father of five who was electrocuted on Tuesday while installing metal poles at the Guyana National Stadium, foresees difficult times ahead as he was the sole breadwinner.

Also dying in the tragic accident was 17-year-old Krishna Chand of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

Anthon’s mother-in-law, Denise Adams, said she is not sure how the children will be taken care of as Anthon was the sole breadwinner in the family. With a teary eye, she told Guyana Times that this will be the first year his children will be spending Father’s Day without him.

The woman noted that the family members are now forced to make alternative plans to sustain themselves.

Her daughter, she noted, recently completed a beautician course and will now have to seek employment to maintain her five children.

However, Adams recalled the moment they received the dreaded news

and broke it to the children.

“When the news came to them when their mother come back and say y’all father, we not getting him back anymore, they all was crying, they faint and we just trying to get them to calm down.”

The woman added that the company has not yet reached out to the family although they are looking forward to some sort of compensation, owing to the fact that they are not financially stable at this time.

“Anthon’s mother died when he was young and he don’t have no father neither and from de time me know she and he so much years now since they married is just the two of them. Family don’t really come around so,” the mother-in-law cried.

Nevertheless, she noted that Anthon was a jolly person for the time she knew him and was always nice to be around.

She recalled when he left for work on Tuesday, he called his wife complaining of feeling unwell and a few hours later they received the call, informing them that he was electrocuted and had died.

Mother of the late Krishna Chand, Gaitree Persaud

Dead: Krishna Chand

Meanwhile, over in Lusignan, ECD, family members of Krishna Chand, also known as “Sanjay”, were preparing for the wake.

His inconsolable mother, Gaitree Persaud, explained that she was about to run an errand when she received the news of her son’s demise.

“I went and buy three jeans for my other son and the jeans was tight and I was getting ready to go and exchange it Tuesday. After I finish bathing I went upstairs and the phone was ringing…my son called, the other one and he said mommy why you don’t answer the phone…and he say Sanjay get in accident. Me say bad?

He deh hospital? He say no mommy, he dead”.

As tears trickled down her face, Persaud explained that her other son works with the same company but was not at the site at the time of the horrific incident.

The now dead teen had worked with the company for about eight months, but relatives were not sure whether or not management offered any assistance.

She recalled that her son was very loving. He leaves to mourn his two siblings.

The mother cried, “He was

a very good child. He was very friendly to people.

Everybody liked him for the fun that he makes”.

It was reported that on the day in question, Chand and Anthon were part of two separate teams that were contracted by the Public Security Ministry to erect poles to facilitate CCTV cameras.

However, at about 13:20h while erecting one of the poles, tragedy struck.

Guyana Times reported that Chand had the wire to do the job wrapped around his neck, while Anthon and another worker were holding the metal pole which was attached to a lift on the canter.

The top of the pole reportedly came into contact with the high voltage GPL

Mother-in-law of the late Oliver Anthon, Denise Adams

wire, causing Krishna and Anthon to be electrocuted.

Altaf Amroa, 24, of Lot 96 West Half, Lusignan, ECD, who is also a technician of Smart Teck Solutions, and Brian Culley, 53, a porter of Lot 9 Vigilance, ECD, also received injuries but were treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

S

ocial studies educators along the coastland were on Wednesday facilitated by the Social Cohesion Ministry for a two-day workshop on awareness of behaviours that contribute to bettering relationship between individuals.

Labelled a Diversity Workshop, the 47 participants were allowed to explore the negative internalised attitudes which impact the way they perceive themselves or other persons, commonly referred to as “self-understanding”.

Guyana is a diversified land with persons of different ethnicities. As such, they were assisted in understanding some of the challenges which arise from a varied population as well as developing cross-community understanding.

Acting Programme Coordinator, Natasha Singh Lewis explained that this is a contribution to nation building and creating a unified Guyana.

“The department wishes to add our contributions to national building as our vision speaks to a unified Guyana where diversities are embraced and conflict resolved, networks and collaboration with stakeholders strengthened, equity promoted and decision-making processes results in equal opportunities and benefits for all,” she explained.

According to the Programme Coordinator, the workshops would have commenced last year, with the aim of inclusivity for all educators. As such, the coastland region will be completed by September

and the facilitators will then move onto the hinterland communities. For some regions, social studies teachers will also be included.

Singh-Lewis reiterated, “It is our goal and it is our plan that we would be able to complete all of the coastland region, then use the Christmas term to complete the hinterland region. So by the end of 2019, we would have covered the Diversity Education and Improvement Training for all of the Heads of Department for social studies, countrywide.”

She added, “We know that across Region Two, we would not be able to gather 40 or 45 Heads of Department because of geographic location. We would be able to extend the training to the social studies teachers.”

Just last April, a diversity training exercise was held with the Rastafari Core Group.

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton had said that the events were introduced after it was recognised that there is a need for more introspection in an effort to promote the Rastafarians’ notion of “love, fairness and acceptance” regardless of differences. This, he said, is important in improving the Rastafarian movement locally and the world over.

He emphasised the need for members to accept others’ cultures despite differences.

Going forward, educators across the country will benefit from these engagements, which will be further passed down to other students.

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ThursDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

TIP Action Plan 2019-2020 to focus on reintegration of victims

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he 2019-2020 National Plan of Action for the prevention and response to Trafficking In Persons is built on the four P’s: paradigm of prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership, and seeks to tackle issues associated with TIP. The plan was launched on Wednesday at the Public Security Ministry and seeks to bring awareness on TIP by educating the public on the work that is being done by the unit in this regard.

The action plan focuses on training and awareness, protection, reintegration, prosecution and legal research and through the partnering agencies such as the Guyana Police Force, Social Protection and Public Security Ministries, strategies outlined in the action plan will be implemented.

The Social Protection Ministry believes that training and awareness, sensitisation, protection and reintegration of victims with emphasis on improving local and international partnerships are critical elements in tackling this scourge.

Deputy Director of Social Services, Abike Samuels in her remarks noted that this is only one of the pletho-

The 2019-2020 National Plan of Action for the prevention and response to Trafficking In Persons launched at the Public Security Ministry Wednesday. In picture: Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and members of the TIP task force agencies

ra of social issues in which her Ministry is actively involved. She said TIP is a multidisciplinary issue and as a result, a multi-stakeholder response is necessary.

Samuels added that coordination at regional, national and international levels is the only way to tackle this issue and highlighted her Ministry’s significant devoted resources to this fight annually.

“We are committed to leveraging every resource we

have to confront this threat and to support victims and survivors and to hold traffickers accountable for their crimes,” she added.

She highlighted the challenges involved as the situation worsens as a result of the influx of foreigners at our borders who are at risk of being exploited by unscrupulous persons.

She disclosed that in 2018, the unit recorded and assisted some 156 victims of TIP and referred 93 to other facilities for support.

“A main objective of the unit is to ensure that victims are empowered to testify against their perpetrators and progress is being made in this regard We have made significant strides in Guyana and we are hoping that by the end of 2010 we would have a significant reduction or total elimination in cases,” she said.

Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan in his feature address, reiterated Guyana’s progress in this regard and

stated that these successes should be highlighted.

He pointed out that despite the challenges faced, 17 persons have been charged for TIP and three for other offences relating to this crime. Three have also been convicted.

Ramjattan noted that his Administration is aware of the dangers of human trafficking and acknowledges the effects not only for victims but also for the economy and workforce at large. As a result, they will

continue to coordinate jointly in the implementation of a plan to combat this modern-day slavery.

However, the partnering agencies and stakeholders are committed to working together in the implementation and execution of the strategies outlined in the action plan and are anticipating more success stories.

The 2017-2018 period saw collaborative gains made through awareness sessions, training courses, victim protection, responding to reports of Trafficking In Persons to name a few.

Many of these collaborative efforts were facilitated through the Task Force’s Sub Committees and arrangements are in place for these sub-teams to increase in intensity during the new reporting period.

The 2019-2020 period is also expected to see further improvements through the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures due to a collaborative project through the International Organisation for Migration, Social Protection Ministry and Public Security Ministry and a Code of Conduct through grant functioning from the Caribbean Development Bank.

Linden-Lethem road condition

Road users urge President to intervene

E

ven as the minibus operators who ply the Mahdia to Georgetown route were forced to park their buses due to the deplorable condition of the only access road, road users on Wednesday took to social media calling on the President and Ministers responsible to intervene in order to bring a

long-term solution to their plight.

A bus operator, whose minibus was stuck on the trail for several hours on Wednesday morning, posted a video of the dilemma and blasted the Government for their clear lack of concern or interest in the citizens of this country.

The man, (name

withheld) lambasted Government for heavy taxes they are enforcing on citizens and questioned what is being done with taxpayers’ monies.

“What y’all doing with the taxpayers’ money? It is not right; this is an injustice to humanity for the Ministers to be enjoying the benefits of taxpayers’ money

while the taxpayers suffering tremendously. There is no consideration for the people,” he argued.

He urged the relevant authorities to seek new ways of tackling this issue and suggested that they offer contracts to small contractors, giving them responsibility for sections of the road and holding them accountable for ensuring the job is done and maintained at a proper standard.

“They should consider this and make sure the contractors put a visible signboard with all relevant information so people will see who is doing the work and give and they should give a warranty. It would seem as if it’s a conspiracy with these contracts,” he added.

The operator called on the Public Infrastructure and Communities Ministers to look into the situation urgently while calling on President David Granger to use his office to address the wrongdoings in those Ministries.

“How long more we gotta suffer… I’m begging Mr Granger please use your office to see what is going wrong and what is going right and address it because there are more wrongs than right and because of these Ministers’ attitudes, development can’t come about,” the operator stated in the video.

Other minibus operators who ply the routes were forced to halt their services

until the weather pattern and the state of the road improves. The road, according to the operators, is almost

there are no plans in place for such rehabilitation works by the council.

The minibus operators,

impassible as a result of the persistent heavy rainfalls.

On Monday, minibus owner Calvin Drakes told Guyana Times that his driver was forced to park the bus because the road had become worse over the past few days. This was the case with at least four other operators who said they cannot continue to operate given the circumstances.

Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams had said there have been no improvements in the condition of the road and although the rehabilitation of the road does not fall under his council, no works can be done due to the persistent rainfall.

Adams last week explained that during the rainy season, some attention needed to be paid to the trail between Mahdia and Mabura, which is in dire need of repair works.

He noted, however, that

since last week, have complained bitterly of the deteriorating condition of the trail which they are forced to use to transport passengers and goods as a means of earning their daily bread.

They described the trail as a “death trap” and bashed the Public Infrastructure Ministry for paying zero interest in conducting longterm 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.

To date, there has been no response from the Public Infrastructure Ministry to this issue and efforts to get a comment from Minister David Patterson proved futile.

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thursDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Prison fights stem from demand Ramjattan says will win PM nod for contraband – Director

…anger management training aimed at reducing prisoner violence

A

s the Guyana Prison Service continues to combat the smuggling of contraband in the penitentiaries, it reported the presence of these items has caused much uproar among prisoners, resulting in physical altercations.

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels made this disclosure on Wednesday, during a graduation exercise for inmates who have successfully completed an anger management training exercise.

He noted that prisoners would seek assistance from their family members to deliver prepaid credit to cellphones. If they do not receive the benefits, this causes fights and other violent activities.

“There is the issue of demand for contraband.

There have been instances whereby persons who are in possession of illegal cellphones – a major problem which we have been facing for a number of years. Their families are caused to top-up those phones with credit and then when someone does not receive the required benefits for the credit their families would have placed in those phones, those situations too would result in fights,” said Samuels.

In March, an early-

The graduating inmates with officials of the Prison and facilitators

morning raid at the New Amsterdam Prison by members of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Prison Service unearthed several contraband items.

The items found include three cellphones, a Rambo knife, a shaving set, three improvised weapons, 11 phone chargers, four metal spoons, a quantity of wire, two nail clips, a pair of scissors, 25 cigarette lighters, two memory cards, one adapter, 13 construction nails, 27 razor blades and one gram of cannabis.

Training

The Director of Prisons admitted on many occasions, prisoners are involved in altercations just before their stint is completed.

For this, they are again sentenced. He reiterated

that in the past, attacks would result in some persons being hospitalised for days.

Wardens and other officers are sometimes subjected to these threats.

The 12-week training provided tools to cope with behavioural issues which can be used as life lessons.

Samuels stressed, “The Guyana Prison Service has placed much focus on the need for such training programmes. While some of those persons who are graduating will not be immediately reintegrated back into society, you will understand that this training will also serve to help those inmates to better cope with their period of imprisonment.”

Officer-In-Charge at the Prison, Nicklon Elliot noted that because of such training

initiatives, there has been a reduction in violent crimes in the lockups. While contraband is one of the causes of such altercations, it is not the only reason.

“There would have been a reduction in prisoner violence at the location, and those persons who are part of the programme would have become mentors for the others at the location. The location is one that is dynamic in terms of its condition and that by itself would cause a lot of conflict among prisoners,” Elliot stated.

While they are seeking to implement this programme on a larger scale, the availability of space is a constraint. Ever since the 2017 fire which destroyed a major section of the lockups, the remaining space was utilised for other purposes.

“This training is all about bringing about behavioural change, which is something that is not only needed for prisoners, but something that is needed for many members of society,” he said.

Last September, 32 inmates from the New Amsterdam Prison were recipients of certificates after completing a similar workshop by the Solutions Training Consultancy and Counselling Services (STCCS).

GAWU complains to IMF about lack of transparency in sugar estate divestment – as IMF team in Guyana for Article IV consultation

A

team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in Guyana for its annual consultations, and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) was given a chance to express its concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the divestment of the sugar estates.

In a statement, GAWU revealed that it met with the IMF on Monday and aired its concerns about the divestment process. A major concern of the Union was the lack of transparency, with GAWU complaining that its repeated requests for information, including a divestment plan being constantly alluded to by policymakers, has been met by deafening silence.

“We pointed out that the divestment would possibly be the largest in the nation’s history yet the Guyanese people were none the wiser about the value of the assets being put up for sale,” GAWU stated.

“Turning to the plans to recapitalise the operable estates, the GAWU reiterated its concerns about the apparent absence of a plan to guide the large sum secured. We shared that on several occasions, we asked the GuySuCo about its plan only to receive deafening silence.”

According to GAWU, it shared its worries with

the IMF team that despite its good- intentioned best efforts, GuySuCo and the Government at large continue to shut it out from being knowledgeable about the Corporation’s plans.

“The GAWU expressed that it recognised President David Granger just last week referring to a plan.

We noted that the President had said, according to media reports we saw, that

“We reminded the IMF that its 2017 Article IV report on Guyana had urged the Government to ensure that displaced sugar workers be protected by appropriate safety nets. We pointed out that since the estate closures, many affected remain hard-pressed and finding themselves in difficult and miserable situations.

“We shared that in

The two sides meeting on Monday

the Corporation was not operating by guesswork or hunches.”

Other concerns GAWU shared had to do with the welfare of sugar workers.

According to GAWU, the State has rendered no assistance to workers and communities affected by the closure of the sugar estates, other than the severance payouts.

The Union reminded that even with that, it had to approach the courts to get Government to honour its legal obligation of paying severance.

some instances, children’s schooling has been truncated and families have disintegrated.

Moreover, the opportunities for employment remain almost non-existent,” GAWU revealed of its meeting with the IMF. GAWU noted that during the engagement with the sixmember IMF team, its views were sought about what was taking place in other areas of the agricultural sector.

The Union noted that it expressed its views on the rice, poultry and fishing

industries and the oil and gas sector.

“On that matter, the GAWU shared its view that it appeared we were least prepared at this time to effectively deal with the (oil) industry and what it could bring to the proverbial table.

We also shared view about the possibility of inequality between the oil and non-oil sectors of the economy and its ramifications for wider societal issues.

“The team welcomed our forthright expressions and committed to examining our suggestions in finer detail. The GAWU, for many years now, has been interacting with the IMF during its annual country visits. We have found those interactions as worthwhile and provide us yet another opportunity to represent our members and the workers of Guyana generally,” the Union said.

The IMF usually holds bilateral discussions with members every year under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement.

During these discussions, a staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies.

Upon returning to headquarters, the staff prepares a report that forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

at AFC conference – yet no agreement with APNU and no agenda

AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

he Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC) – the minority party in the coalition Government – Khemraj Ramjattan is confident going into this weekend’s National Conference, where he will be contesting for the Prime Ministerial post.

A confident Ramjattan, who had announced back in March that he would be challenging current Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo for the post, told reporters on Wednesday that he was unaware of any other candidates vying for the post.

“I am confident. I don’t know of any other persons indicating their interest,” he noted.

But in a subsequent social media post, however, AFC Executive Member Imran Khan explained that the Prime Ministerial post was not up for election at this weekend’s conference.

“There may be motions submitted which speak to the issue, but there is no election scheduled for Prime Ministerial candidate,” Khan stated.

In accordance with the 2015 Cummingsburg Accord, signed between the two parties to form the governing coalition, the AFC will have the Prime Ministerial position while the Presidential post goes to A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

The Accord has a lifespan of a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years, and was focused primarily on the General and Regional Elections. However, the AFC back in 2017 was pushing to have the ‘deal’ reviewed and revised, and had even set up a committee to lead those talks, which never panned out.

However, the APNU’s point man for the negotiation of the Accord, Carl Greenidge, had stated last November that there were no immediate plans to modify the agreement since it has been working well.

In fact, after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting back in January, the minority party in the coalition Administration also reiterated its commitment to the coalescing pact. But this is despite the AFC in recent years coming under fire for the submissive role it has been playing since joining

forces with APNU. This led to the minority party contesting the November 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) on its own. The AFC then contended that it was still a force to be reckoned with after garnering between four and 10 per cent of the popular vote.

Nevertheless, Ramjattan told reporters on Wednesday that the party’s performance would be among the issues on the agenda to be discussed at this weekend’s conference.

“All the aspects of the organisational and structural works have been put in place. Lots of nominees for positions, lots of delegates will be coming from all the regions. Lots of motions – I don’t want to tell you what the motions are all about. But the questioning of how we performed over the two last years and a number of other things which happen at a party’s congress or conference (will take place),” the AFC Chairman posited.

It was noted too that some 300 participants are expected including Diaspora members from the Caribbean and the United States.

Meanwhile as the AFC irons out the issue regarding its Prime Ministerial candidate, the majority APNU arm of the coalition has already thrown its support behind President David Granger for a second term.

Back in January, Granger was endorsed by his party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – the largest party in the fiveparty APNU. Granger is the leader of both the PNCR and the APNU. The AFC had subsequently thrown its support behind the President’s return as presidential candidate for the coalition.

Despite this, however, there is talk of the AFC being sidelined by the APNU and two top officials within the PNCR being considered for the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Attempts by Guyana Times to contact AFC Leader Raphael Trotman for a comment on the relationship between the two coalition parties ahead of this weekend’s conference were futile.

T

16

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019

Regional

Venezuela crisis: Migrants missing Mexico says sale of presidential after boat reportedly sinks plane will curb illegal migration

Many Venezuelans have fled the crisis-hit country to the island of Curaçao (file photo)

T

hirty-two Venezuelan migrants are missing after the boat they were travelling on sank on its way to the island of Curaçao, a politician said.

The group left a village in the north-western Falcón state on a speedboat on Friday. Relatives said they had not heard from the group since.

It was the third Venezuelan migrant boat to capsize in recent weeks.

Some four million people have fled Venezuela since 2015, according to the United Nations.

A severe years-long economic crisis has resulted

in high unemployment and shortages of food and medicine, and hundreds of thousands of people are said to be in need of humanitarian aid in the oil-rich country.

"No-one has been in touch with their families, which makes us fear the worst," said Opposition politician Luis Stefanelli, who accused the Government of "criminal negligence" for not deploying teams to search for the missing”.

Venezuelan authorities have not yet commented.

The Dutch island of Curaçao is about 64 kilometres (40 miles) off the Venezuelan coast.

Stefanelli said each person had paid US$400 (£313) for the crossing in a country where the monthly minimum wage is around US$6.70.

Two other boats carrying migrants sank on separate journeys to Trinidad and Tobago in April and May, leaving more than 50 missing in total.

Last week, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said the exodus from the country meant that Venezuelans were now "one of the single largest population groups displaced from their country".

Meanwhile, The Associated Press has reported that Venezuela has introduced new bank notes as inflation soars.

The central bank says the new Bolivar bills of 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 will gradually start to circulate on Thursday as a way to make payments and transactions "more efficient". (Excerpt from BBC News)

US citizen charged for defrauding Caribbean immigrants in work permit-green card scam

A

New York resident has been charged with defrauding immigrants from Jamaica and St Kitts, taking more than US$8000 from them under the pretence that he could get them green cards and work permits, and then threatening to report them after they asked back for their money.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez Tuesday announced that James Archibald, 55, has been charged with grand larceny, scheme to defraud, immigration assistance ser-

vices fraud, and related charges, for allegedly stealing US$8520 from three undocumented immigrants who hired him to process work permits and green card applications with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

“This defendant is accused of preying on some of the most vulnerable members of our society who were victimised as they attempted to comply with federal laws,” Gonzalez said.

Archibald, a resident of Canarsie, Brooklyn, New

York, was arraigned before Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Joseph McCormack on a 10-count criminal complaint in which he is charged with third-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, first-degree immigration assistance services fraud, and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. He was released without bail and ordered to return to court on August 8, 2019.

Archibald faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

T&T, Cuba commit to strengthening friendship

P

Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla signs the visitor's book at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's during a meeting with Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley

rime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has met with Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, and they discussed ways of enhancing mutual cooperation between the two countries.

The meet took place at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s on Wednesday.

A statement by the Office of the Prime Minister said that both parties committed to continuing to strengthen the historic bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

"We ratify the common will to continue strengthening the relations of brotherhood and the economic-commercial ties and cooperation

among our nations," the Cuban Foreign Minister wrote on his Twitter account.

He said the meeting demonstrated a clear will to strengthen relations in various areas such as health and agreed on various issues on the international agenda.

Prime Minister Rowley expressed his appreciation for the cooperation provided

by Cuba in various areas.

Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago established diplomatic relations on December 8, 1972 and since then both countries continue to maintain ties of brotherhood and agreements in various sectors such as commerce, health, and transportation.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

M

exican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has pledged to use profits from the sale of his presidential plane to fund efforts to curb illegal migration.

The move comes after Mexico and the US reached a deal to avoid US tariffs in exchange for Mexico doing more to halt Central American migration to the US. During his campaign, the leftist leader pledged to sell the plane and use

the money to help poorer communities.

He said the estimated value of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is US$150 million.

During the presidential campaign in 2018, Lopez Obrador – who is known in Mexico by his initials AMLO – pledged to sell the plane, which was originally purchased for US$218 million.

He told supporters that he would fly commercially instead, and followed through on that promise

only days after taking office.

The plane has been on sale for the past several months and has been sitting in a California warehouse. Mexico is also seeking to sell 60 government-owned planes and 70 helicopters.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Lopez Obrador was asked about his agreement with the US, which includes deploying Mexico's national guard force to its southern border with Guatemala. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Brazilian Senate committee shuns Bolsonaro's decree easing guns law

A

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during a ceremony of the 154th anniversary of the Riachuelo Naval Battle at the Marine Corps Headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, June 11, 2019

Senate committee on Wednesday rejected Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s decree that significantly loosened laws banning the ability of citizens to carry guns.

The full Senate still needs to vote on the matter. Regardless of whether Senators reject or approve the measure, it still must go to the Lower House for a vote.

Bolsonaro issued the decree despite Brazil’s record murder rate, nearly half involving firearms.

For the decree to be killed, both the Senate and the Lower House must re-

ject it. If either of the bodies approves the decree, it will stand.

Making it easier for private citizens to carry arms was a top campaign promise for Bolsonaro, who took office on January 1.

In May, Bolsonaro signed a decree to ease restrictions on gun imports and increase the amount of ammunition a person can buy.

Shortly afterwards, Federal Prosecutors sued the Government, seeking an injunction against the bill, arguing it "endangered the public safety of all Brazilians". (Reuters)

Mexico violence: Journalist Norma Sarabia shot dead

A

crime journalist has been murdered in southeast Mexico, local media report, the sixth reporter to be killed in the country this year.

Two masked men on a motorbike shot Norma Sarabia several times outside her home in Tabasco state, newspaper Tabasco Hoy reported.

She had worked for the outlet for 15 years,

most recently as a correspondent in the city of Huimanguillo.

Activists say more than 100 Journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2000.

Most of the cases are believed to be linked to drug cartels and political corruption, and the vast majority of the killings go unpunished.

The gunmen fled after killing Sarabia in

Huimanguillo on Tuesday night local time.

Mexican media described Sarabia, who also contributed to other local outlets, as devoted to journalism and a popular figure in the city.

"We deeply regret her death and we sympathise with her family," Tabasco Hoy editorial director Hector Tapia said on Twitter (in Spanish). (Excerpt

from BBC News)

US Coast Guard sued on behalf of J'can fishermen

T

he American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Wednesday announced that it will be suing the United States Coast Guard on behalf of four Jamaican fishermen who were held for five weeks in 2017 on suspicion of smuggling marijuana.

The Atlantic reported that according to the lawsuit filed on Wednesday,

the men went missing after setting out for sea from the village of Half Moon Bay. The union alleges that the US Coast Guard officers had snatched them off their boat on suspicion of marijuana smuggling, then held them at sea for more than a month, shuffling them among various vessels en route to the US to face trial.

The ACLU claims that Coast Guard officers chained the fishermen up on decks exposed to the elements, fed them little, and denied them contact with their loved ones.

When they finally reached a US courtroom, they were never convicted of a drug crime, since the ACLU says no drugs were ever found on the boat.

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019

17

Around the World

Uneasy calm in Hong Kong after New Ebola outbreak in DRC is ‘truly day of violence over extradition bill frightening’, says Wellcome Trust director

Protesters are hit by Police water cannon during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong, China, June 12, 2019

H

ong Kong riot police and protesters braced for possible further clashes across the city’s financial district on Thursday after a day of violence over an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial.

Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray in a series of skirmishes on Wednesday to clear demonstrators from the city’s legislature.

It was some of the worst violence in Hong Kong since

Britain handed it back to Chinese rule in 1997 with a guarantee of extensive autonomy and freedoms, including a separate legal system and freedom of speech.

The extradition bill has sparked unusually wide concerns, both locally and internationally, that the bill risks further encroachment from Chinese officials and threatens the rule of law that underpins Hong Kong’s international financial status.

As of 10 pm on Wednesday evening, 72 peo-

ple had been hospitalised, including two classed as serious, according to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

Hong Kong’s Chinabacked Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned the violence late on Wednesday and urged a swift restoration of order.

While acknowledging the controversy, Lam has refused to postpone or withdraw the bill, which she and her officials say is necessary to plug “loopholes” allowing the city to be a haven for criminals wanted on the mainland.

Lam has said the courts would provide human rights safeguards in vetting case-by-case extraditions to mainland China.

Amnesty International joined local rights groups in condemning the use of police force on Wednesday as excessive, while a spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva said it was following the situation closely. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

Brexit: MPs reject Labour plan for no-deal vote

M

Ps have rejected a Labour-led effort to take control of Parliament’s timetable, blocking the latest attempt to stop a no-deal Brexit.

The Commons opposed the move by 309 votes to 298.

If passed, it would have given opponents of a no-deal Brexit the chance to table legislation to thwart the UK leaving without any agreement on the October 31 deadline.

The result of the vote was greeted with cheers from the Tory benches.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded by shout-

ing “you won’t be cheering in September”.

Ten Tory MPs, mostly pro-Europeans, rebelled against the Government by backing Labour’s motion.

Conversely, eight Labour MPs - mostly Eurosceptics or MPs in constituencies which voted Leave at the referendum - defied party instructions and voted against it.

A key factor for the Government was the support of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionists, who have voted against Theresa May during previous Brexit votes.

No deal would mean the

UK leaving the EU without any agreement about the “divorce” process.

Overnight, the country would be out of the single market, customs union and institutions such as the European Court of Justice and Europol.

There are fears about widespread disruption in such an event - to trade, travel and the functioning of the Irish border, in particular.

The opposition said the Commons defeat was disappointing, but it still believed there was a majority in the Commons against a no deal and it remained “determined to win this fight”. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is already the second deadliest in history

T

he head of a major medical research charity has called the latest outbreak of Ebola in central Africa “truly frightening”.

Nearly 1400 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, the Director of the Wellcome Trust, said the epidemic was the worst since that of 201316 and showed “no sign of

stopping”.

A five-year-old boy has also died in neighbouring Uganda, the first case of Ebola reported in the country.

The Ugandan Government is now reporting seven other suspected cases of the virus.

In a statement, Dr Farrar said the spread was “tragic but unfortunately not surprising”. He warned that

more cases were expected, and a “full” national and international response would be needed to protect lives.

“The DRC should not have to face this alone,” he said.

Since the first case of Ebola in the DRC last August, nearly 1400 people have died - around 70 per cent of all those infected. The outbreak is the second-largest in the history of the disease, with a significant spike in new cases noted in recent weeks.

Only once before has an outbreak continued to grow more than eight months after it began - that was the epidemic in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, which killed 11,310 people.

Efforts to contain the spread have been hindered by militia group violence and by suspicion towards foreign medical assistance.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport wounds 26

Y

emen’s Houthis have fired a missile at Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport, wounding 26 civilians in the building’s arrivals hall, according to the Saudi-UAE-led coalition fighting the rebels.

In a statement on Wednesday, the coalition said a projectile hit the arrivals hall at Abha airport, causing material damage. Three women and two children were among the wounded, and were of Saudi, Yemeni and Indian nationalities, it said.

Eight people were taken to hospital while most were treated on site.

The attack could amount to a war crime and proved that the Houthis have ac-

quired “advanced weapons from Iran”, the coalition said, vowing to take “urgent and timely” measures in response.

There was no immediate response from Iran, which has denied arming the Houthis.

Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that the Houthi forces launched a cruise missile attack on Abha airport, which is about 200km north of the border with Yemen and serves domestic and regional routes.

The alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore the internationally-recognised Government

of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi that had been forced out of power by the Houthis.

The rebels on Wednesday insisted they had the right to defend themselves in the face of five years of Saudi-led bombing and an air and sea blockade.

The Abha attack comes as the Saudi-UAE-led coalition intensified air raids on Houthi positions in the northern Yemeni province of Hajjah.

The rebels have also stepped up drone and missile attacks on the kingdom amid tensions between Iran and the United States, Riyadh’s main ally. (Excerpt from

Al Jazeera)

Rouhani: Japan wants to India unveils Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft for moon-landing mission keep buying Iranian oil

Indian scientists work on various modules of lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 at ISRO Satellite Integration and Test Establishment in Bengaluru [Chris Thomas/Reuters]

I

ndia has said it will launch its second lunar mission in mid-July, as it moves to consolidate its status as a leader in space technology by achieving a controlled landing on the moon.

The mission, if successful, would make India only the fourth country behind the United States, Russia and China to perform a “soft” landing on the moon and put a rover on it. China

successfully landed a lunar rover in January.

The unmanned mission, called Chandrayaan-2, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, will involve an orbiter, a lander and a rover, which have been built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The mission is scheduled to launch on July 15 onboard ISRO’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III. It will cost about 10

billion rupees (US$144m), ISRO said on Wednesday.

After a journey of more than 50 days, ISRO’s lander will attempt a “soft”, controlled landing near the lunar South Pole around September 6.

Once it touches down, the rover will carry out experiments while being controlled remotely by ISRO scientists.

Chandrayaan-1, India’s first lunar mission in 2008, cost US$79 million and helped confirm the presence of water on the moon.

The Chandrayaan-2 was originally planned as a collaboration with Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, but in 2013 India scrapped the tie-up due to technical differences with the Russian programme.

In March, India said it shot down one of its own satellites, making it one of only four countries in the world to possess this technology.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shakes hands with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during a welcome ceremony in Tehran, Iran, June 12, 2019

I

ranian President Hassan Rouhani said after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tehran on Wednesday that Japan wants to keep buying Iranian oil, as tension between Tehran and Washington stokes fears of fresh conflict in the Middle East.

Abe himself did not mention Japan’s currently suspended purchases of Iranian oil, however, instead focusing on the need

to avoid any unintended clashes in the region.

Abe’s visit is the first by a Japanese leader to Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“Armed conflict needs to be prevented at all costs.

Peace and stability in the Middle East is indispensable not only for this region but for global prosperity. No one is hoping for war,” the Japanese leader said.

To slash Iran’s oil exports, Washington has re-

voked waivers since May that had allowed some countries, including Japan, to continue buying Iranian crude and has effectively ordered countries to stop purchasing Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own.

Despite pushing for imports to continue, Japan has stopped importing oil from Iran for now to avoid US sanctions.

On a visit to Japan last month, US President Donald Trump welcomed Abe’s help in dealing with Iran, highlighting what he called the “very good relationship” between Tokyo and Tehran.

Strains between Washington and Tehran have sharply increased in recent weeks, a year after the United States abandoned a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

Lessons from the past will help you recognize a problem you face. A heartto-heart talk with a loved one will encourage honesty and produce a plan for the future.

Make things happen. Your intelligence and stamina will encourage others to help you reach your goal. Be sure to offer something in return so that you don’t feel beholden.

Don’t let an outsider interfere in your life. An offer is useful only if it comes to fruition. Don’t commit to anyone or anything before you find out what’s involved.

Your intuition will not let you down. Alter your life to eliminate negativity and promote the confidence required to pursue your dream. Loving yourself is a good place to start.

Observe how others react to changes taking place and consider how to best offset any mayhem that threatens you.

Stick to your plan to find a way to achieve positive results.

Do whatever it takes to resolve an emotional issue.

Refuse to let anyone manipulate you. Do what feels right and best for you. You are in charge of your happiness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Self-improvement should be a priority. Evaluate your current state of mind and find out what it will take to lift your spirits and boost your confidence. Romance is highlighted.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

If you speak up, you will make headway. If you want to do things differently, make a move or change your lifestyle, now is a good time to make it happen.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

You know what’s best for you, so don’t let someone else dictate what you should do. A healthy, moderate lifestyle will keep you moving in the right direction. Love is in the stars.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Make changes that will add to your comfort and bring you closer to the people you love. An agreement will be honored.

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Consider your motives before you make a change.

Trying to please someone else by doing things you don’t want to do won’t help your situation. Do what makes you happy.

Take better care of your health. Walk away from extreme situations or people who are taking advantage of you. Spend more time with people who are positive and willing to help.

thursday, june 13, 2019

19

David Warner hundred enough for Australia as Pakistan comeback falls short A

wild, seesawing game that always seemed just a little too far out of Pakistan’s reach proved to be just that at the end, with Australia wrapping up a 41-run victory that was far nervier than the scorecard suggested.

It came about thanks to a century from David Warner at the top end, coupled with generosity to the point of self-sacrifice from Pakistan, both with the ball and in the field.

Australia were so far on top in the first half of the first innings that talk of 350 and 400 rolled easily off the tongue, until a vintage performance from Mohammad Amir curtailed them to 307, his five-for bowling out a side that hadn’t lost a single wicket for 22 overs.

Pakistan, in response, oscillated between dismal and distinguished. Babar Azam looked princely for a knock that lasted all of 28 deliveries, and an 80-run partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez looked to have put Pakistan on top. But another collapse -- this one entirely of Pakistan’s own making -- followed, before a late rearguard by Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz put the fear of God into Australia. They usually win such games, however, while Pakistan tend to find a way to lose them. In that sense - but strictly in that sense alone - this was business as usual.

This was such a disjointed game that it’s hard to know where to pick it up and thread it all together. Was Warner’s knock -- the shackles that had bound him so tightly in the match against India (mostly) thrown off -- The innings that set the tone for the day?

Certainly not, in all frankness. Pakistan dropped catches, allowed overthrows, and committed in the field errors which were criminal enough to have interested the local constabulary, not just Mickey Arthur.

In the meantime, they had Shaheen Afridi endure one of the worst games of his career, undoing much of the good work the excellent Amir had done at the other end with the new ball.

At first change, Hasan didn’t enjoy a much better day either, and with no semblance of a plan Pakistan’s bowlers were following, Aaron Finch and Warner made hay for the best part of half the innings.

Finch benefited the most from sloppiness in the field, which saw Asif Ali put him down in the slips. It was a position he should never have been fielding in, but Babar was deputising at point for Shadab Khan, controversially left out altogether in favour of an all-seam attack and Hafeez and Shoaib Malik in the middle order.

Wahab also saw Warner put down by the same man at third man, an even easier take, if possible; and with Hafeez struggling badly against Finch and Glenn Maxwell, Pakistan were running out of players to turn to.

Amir was superb, in sharp contrast to his team-mates. He seemed to know exactly what would work on this surface, and that is a trait of Amir’s that hasn’t quite been appreciated of late, especially with the focus being more squarely on why he wasn’t picking up wickets. He managed to fulfil roles of both container and strike bowler in one; and boy, did he need to. It wasn’t until his final over, wherein he took two wickets and bowled Australia out, that he completed

his five-for; remarkably, the first of his ODI career. In an innings that saw 307 runs scored, his figures read 10-2-30-5.

Pakistan might have taken heart from that second half of the first innings, but all of that seemed to have been lost in the lunch interval.

Australia started tightly, save a first-ball no-ball that shouldn’t have been called. By the third over Fakhar Zaman’s patience had run out, and he lashed out at Pat Cummins, only to succeed in slicing the ball to third man, in a similar position to where Asif had put Warner down a couple of hours earlier. Richardson on the boundary was far more ruthless, and Pakistan immediately found themselves on the back foot.

Babar was the big hope, and if shots counted for more based on their elegance and beauty, Pakistan might have wrapped this up in the 28 balls he was around.

They fetched seven fours, each more graceful than the last, and it appeared as if this would be the day Babar stood tall in a World Cup game and became the de facto leader of this young side. What he did instead was painful to see, no matter who you supported, throwi n g away a start of that kind by pulling loosely at a short delivery that carried to fine leg.

The following partnership was the last time Pakistan could aspire to win the game through normal cricketing strategy. Imam and Hafeez were well in control in the middle overs.

Mitchell Starc had been seen off, a n d when brought back, was seen off David once more. But Australia perWarner sisted with tactics they had clearly worked on, Cummins frustrating Imam down the leg side until the opener swiped at one and gloved through to Alex Carey instead.

Hafeez’s dismissal was even more farcical, with the righthander holing out off a knee-high Finch full toss on the midwicket boundary; and when Shoaib and Asif fell within the next three overs, a big defeat looked inevitable.

What followed was what will in hindsight make this game memorable, a breezy cameo from Hasan, taking Pakistan to 200. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Wahab then found themselves batting out time for a while, before suddenly appearing to realise they had taken the game deep, and with run rate not really an issue, were in with a shot of winning it.

That was when Wahab took the attack to Maxwell, using a concoction of luck and brute force in waking the heavily pro-Pakistan crowd up to the same epiphany. The target was under 50, the asking rate under seven. Would this finally happen for Pakistan?

Australia, however, had quashed such a revolution just last week, when West Indies came much closer to threatening an unlikely win. As they had done then, they turned

National players in Brazil…

the ball over to Starc. In his second over back, he coaxed a feathered edge from Wahab. It was so faint that Finch nearly didn’t review Australia’s unsuccessful appeal. Amir was beaten by a low full toss a couple of balls later, and Pakistan’s back had finally been broken. There was even time for a comedy run-out to cap off things.

It was a fitting way for things to end, with a clutch Australia having signed off the game in nerveless, ruthless fashion. The last sight for Pakistan was their captain stranded in the middle of the pitch, bails being dislodged by a direct hit. It might just have been 41 runs, but in that moment, the contrast couldn’t have been captured more accurately. (ESPN cricinfo)

3

SCOREBOARD Australia Innings (50 overs maximum) AJ Finch (c) c Mohammad Hafeez b Mohammad Amir 82 DA Warner c Imam-ul-Haq b Shaheen Shah Afridi 107 SPD Smith c Asif Ali b Mohammad Hafeez 10 GJ Maxwell b Shaheen Shah Afridi 20 SE Marsh c Shoaib Malik b Mohammad Amir 23 UT Khawaja c Wahab Riaz b Mohammad Amir 18 AT Carey † lbw b Mohammad Amir 20 NM Coulter-Nile c †Sarfaraz Ahmed b Wahab Riaz 2 PJ Cummins c †Sarfaraz Ahmed b Hasan Ali 2 MA Starc c Shoaib Malik b Mohammad Amir 3 KW Richardson not out 1 Extras 19 (lb 10, nb 3, w 6) TOTAL 307 all out (49 Overs, RR: 6.26) Fall of wickets: 1-146 (AJ Finch, 22.1 ov), 2-189 (SPD Smith, 28.4 ov), 3-223 (GJ Maxwell, 33.4 ov), 4-242 (DA Warner, 37.5 ov), 5-277 (UT Khawaja, 42.1 ov), 6-288 (SE Marsh, 44.3 ov), 7-299 (NM Coulter-Nile, 46.2 ov), 8-302 (PJ Cummins, 47.3 ov), 9-304 (AT Carey, 48.3 ov), 10-307 (MA Starc, 48.6 ov) BOWLING O M R W Mohammad Amir10 2 30 5 Shaheen Shah Afridi10 0 70 2 Hasan Ali 10 0 67 1 Wahab Riaz 8 0 44 1 Mohammad Hafeez 70 60 1 Shoaib Malik 4 0 26 0

Caster Semenya calls on IAAF to focus on dopers

Norville, Hackett, Benjamin adapting well – after return victory C S ese Norville, Ryan Hackett and Kelsey Benjamin, Guyana’s three national football players who are on a one-month pre-season training with the Brazilian second-division side Madureira Esporte Clube, are said to be adapting well to the environment and sessions, despite being exposed to new and challenging training routines.

This is the report brought back from Brazil following a visit by GFF President Wayne Forde on Sunday last to view the international friendly match between FC Madureia and the Qatar National Team that is preparing for the Copa America tournament.

In an invited comment from the players, it was disclosed that training is progressing well, even though intense and challenging as new regimens are being learned.

“It is different and challenging from (what had obtained) back home, but we’re coming through and getting there,” Norville said,

while Benjamin and Hackett concurred.

While the language difference has been another challenge, these players are gradually learning it to aid their communication with the team, and even showed off some of the words and phrases learned to date.

Although part of the Madureira Esporte Clube squad, they did not play in the match, which ended 2-1 in favour of Qatar. The coaching staff, however, are very pleased with the players’ overall conduct and behaviour thus far exhibited.

After their one-month attachment, and based on their performance, the players could each potentially land a professional contract with the club.

This attachment initiative is a result of a visit made by the Guyana Football Federation President to Brazil in May, where he met with Brazilian Football Federation (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol – CBF) President, Rogerio Caboclo.

Pakistan Innings (target: 308 runs from 50 overs) Imam-ul-Haq c †Carey b Cummins 53 Fakhar Zaman c Richardson b Cummins 0 Babar Azam c Richardson b Coulter-Nile 30 Mohammad Hafeez c Starc b Finch 46 Sarfaraz Ahmed (c) † run out (Maxwell) 40 Shoaib Malik c †Carey b Cummins 0 Asif Ali c †Carey b Richardson 5 Hasan Ali c Khawaja b Richardson 32 Wahab Riaz c †Carey b Starc 45 Mohammad Amir b Starc 0 Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 1 Extras 14 (lb 4, nb 1, w 9) TOTAL 266 all out (45.4 Overs, RR: 5.82) Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Fakhar Zaman, 2.1 ov), 2-56 (Babar Azam, 10.5 ov), 3-136 (Imamul-Haq, 25.1 ov), 4-146 (Mohammad Hafeez, 26.6 ov), 5-147 (Shoaib Malik, 27.3 ov), 6-160 (Asif Ali, 29.6 ov), 7-200 (Hasan Ali, 33.5 ov), 8-264 (Wahab Riaz, 44.2 ov), 9-265 (Mohammad Amir, 44.4 ov), 10-266 (Sarfaraz Ahmed, 45.4 ov) BOWLING O M R W PJ Cummins 10 0 33 3 MA Starc 9 1 43 2 KW Richardson8.4 0 62 2 NM Coulter-Nile 9 0 53 1 GJ Maxwell 7 0 58 0 AJ Finch 2 0 13 1

aster Semenya has told the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to focus on catching dope violators, after her first race following an appeal against that governing body.

The double Olympic 800 metre champion has appealed against the ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which approved the IAAF’s plans to set a new testosterone limit for female athletes who want to compete internationally in events between 400 metres and a mile.

Semenya can temporarily run, because the ruling has been suspended by the Swiss Federal Tribunal, and the appeal against that ruling is pending. She is battling to defend her 800 metre title at the World Championships in Doha later this year, and has been included in South Africa’s provisional squad.

“I’m not an idiot. Why will I take drugs?

I’m a pure athlete. I don’t cheat. They should focus on doping, not us. I’m never going to take drugs,” she said after winning the 2,000 metres’ event at the Meeting de Montreuil in Paris on Tuesday.

“I always run every day. For me it is my daily bread. I really don’t have time for nonsense, for messages for anyone. I made it clear a long time ago that I am going to focus on myself, and not (on) anyone.

“They [the IAAF] have a problem with me, I don’t have a problem with them. That is their business to worry, not mine. I came here to deliver, and I have delivered.

“I am not going to talk about the appeal.

I am not the lawyer; all I can answer with is my performance. What I do best is perform, and my actions will speak louder than words. I am just going to keep doing what I do best. People will provoke you, but for me negativity does not exist,” she declared. (The Guardian)

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thursday, june 13, 2019

Guyana to host Regional U-19s in 2020 – CWI issues discussed at AGM

I

t has been officially confirmed that the Regional Under 19 tournament, to be hosted by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) in 2020, will return to St Vincent and the Grenadines for a second successive year. This and other issues surrounding cricket in the West Indies were discussed at the Cricket West Indies’ (CWI’s) Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the Sandals Grande Resort in Antigua last Saturday and Sunday.

The following reports were received and decisions were made: ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2019 An update was given by Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, and CEO Johnny Grave on various matters related to the preparation and operation of Team West Indies, including the pre-World Cup tour to Ireland to participation in an ODI TriSeries with Bangladesh and Ireland.

Directors expressed overall pleasure at how the team and its management were working together and performing, and President Skerritt expressed pleasure at receiving positive feedback from numerous and various stakeholders about the apparent commitment and aggressive style of play of the WI players.

He said fans and past players alike were relieved to see the team being rebranded as “West Indies”.

Women’s Cricket Update Cricket Director Adams also reported on the Women’s Team tour to Ireland and the UK. He said the ladies had performed impressively in Ireland, but, as expected, were encountering much more of a challenge against the highly-ranked England women’s team.

Directors expressed the need to find funding for further investment in Women’s cricket development, so as to uncover and prepare a wider pool of competitive female cricket talent.

High Performance Centre and Team Selection System review WICB Vice President Dr. Kishore Shallow reported on his trip to Ireland as guest of the Tri-Series organiser, where he

engaged with Irish Cricket officials and the West Indies Team management, captain, and players.

He expressed pleasure at his visit to Cricket Ireland’s High Performance Centre, which he felt was employing some useful best practices which could possibly be adopted here.

Dr Shallow also updated the Directors on progress made at two meetings already held by the Team Selection System Review Task Force.

Emerging Players Camp Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, expressed satisfaction with the impact of the three-week High Performance Camp for outstanding young players, and President Skerritt reiterated the new Board’s policy of giving greater priority to, and making increasing investment in, cricket development.

Adams expressed pleasure at his recent visit to the camp, and his interactions with the youngsters.

Upcoming India Tour The Directors received a report from CEO Johnny Grave on matters related to finalisation of venues, and approved the proposed tour schedules for visits of both the India Senior and India A teams.

India will play three T20, three ODIs, and two Test matches against the West Indies. Those will be hosted in Fort Lauderdale, Guyana, Trinidad, Antigua, and in Jamaica.

India ‘A’ will play five one-day and three four-day games.

These fixtures will be hosted by Trinidad and Antigua.

Annual West Indies U-19 Tournament This year’s U-19 tournament has greater significance, as it would be used to select the squad that would participate in the ICC U-19 World Cup, which would be played in South Africa in January 2020.

This tournament will feature only 50-Over cricket; and in addition to the six matches to be played, the top 24 “future stars” will play an additional three 50-Over games, “The Best vs The Best”, which will assist the selectors in naming the World Cup squad.

Due to the importance of the tournament, together with

the continued legal uncertainty surrounding the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), the Directors have approved a proposal for this year’s event to be hosted in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and to postpone the previously agreed hosting by Guyana to 2020.

Commercial Director Dominic Warne updated the Board on efforts to implement the new policy of rebranding and uplifting public awareness of the youth tournaments, and to seek major sponsorship in order to achieve greater investment and sustainability.

Commercial matters The Board also addressed a wide variety of commercial matters, including the future of ticketing and online sales; team kit supply and merchandising; the media rights market; potential sponsors; and improving communications with fans and the media.

Governance The Board approved the terms of reference and composition of the Governance Review Task Force, as presented on behalf of Task Force Chairman Don Wehby. The following four persons will join Mr. Wehby on the task force: Charles Wilkin QC, Deryck Murray, O. K. Melhado, and Professor Hilary Beckles.

Other board committees were also approved, and an announcement will be made to the media.

Organisational matters The Board also received an update on the revised strategic plan, negotiations with WIPA, a draft MOU with professional franchise teams, and the hosting of a proposed Global Cricket Conference which it is hoped will become an annual event.

The Guyana Situation The President and CEO reported on their visit to Guyana, during which they had met with various stakeholder groups, including the Government.

The Board also received an update on the status of various legal matters concerning the Guyana Cricket Board. (CWI)

Windies Women seeking Rishabh Pant to join Indian squad consolation win to avoid whitewash as cover for Shikhar Dhawan

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Windies Women in a drinks’ break during the second ODI

T

he Stafanie Taylor-led West Indies Women will meet the England Women in the third and final One Day International (ODI) match today, Thursday June 13, 2019, at the County Ground in Chelmsford from 9:00h local time.

After suffering heavy defeat in the first two matches of the series, Windies Vice-captain Hayley Matthews has expressed disappointment at the results, but explained that the team is focused on playing positive cricket while sticking to their game plan, because they intend to end their series with a consolation win.

The batting performance in both the previous matches was ordinary. In the first match, the West Indies Women were bowled out for 110 in pursuit of 319, suffering their worst defeat in cricket.

The rain made things worse for the Caribbean team in the second ODI. With their batting going downhill, West Indies Women scored only 87 runs from the 28 overs they faced, losing 6 wickets in the process. They have hitherto lacked intent and application throughout the series, and England picked up two points for qualifying for the ICC World Cup, to be held in New Zealand in 2021.

Heather Knight and her England team are confident of repeating their domination of the Caribbean ladies in today’s final ODI. The England batters have looked a class above their opponents. Amy Jones has scored 109 runs in two matches, while Captain Knight has 108 runs to her credit, and Tammy Beaumont has 93.

West Indies only batter to surpass 50 runs in the two matches thus far is the Jamaican Chedean Nation. Shemaine Campbelle, the lone Guyanese in the team, has had a top-score of 29 in the second ODI, and should be hungry for a big score heading into the three-match T20I Series against the same opponents.

The West Indies bowling attack has been led by leg-spinner Afy Fletcher who, with five wickets, has thus far taken the most wickets in the tournament. Hayley Matthews has also taken five wickets.

The English bowlers have shared their wickets collectively throughout the series.

Laura Marsh has four and Kate Cross has three.

After the final ODI has been played, the West Indies Women will play three T20 Internationals starting from Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

ishabh Pant will fly in this week to join the Indian squad as cover for Shikhar Dhawan, who suffered a hairline fracture after being hit on the left thumb in the match against Australia on Sunday.

Pant is one of the standbys named by the selectors in April when the 15-man squad for the World Cup was announced. The selectors have worked out that KL Rahul can perform Dhawan’s role should he fail to recover, which is the rationale behind choosing Pant, a middle-order batsman, as cover. Rahul was originally picked as the third opener in the squad, but sneaked into the XI last minute as No. 4.

Dhawan is currently India’s only specialist lefthand batsman in the squad, and he disrupted Australia’s bowling plans during his century earlier this week by negating leg-spinner Adam Zampa.

This purported advantage against leg-spin in the middle overs is another significant reason why selectors have opted for the left-handed Pant.

At a media briefing at Trent Bridge, India’s assistant coach, Sanjay Bangar, hinted that Dhawan would sit out the next three or four matches.

Bangar said that having a left-handed batsman in the top order is always an advantage, but Dhawan’s sitting out is something India would need to just cope with, until he is declared fit.

“Shikhar will definitely be missed in the next three to four games, but we have great back-up for each position,” Bangar said. He said Dhawan is a “precious player”, and hence the team management decided not to rule him out straightaway.

“We’ll be observing him, and around the 10th or 12th day, we’ll get to know where he stands; and we’ll be in a better position to take a call, because we don’t want to rule out a precious player like Shikhar straight. So we would like to wait and assess (his form) after 10-12 days.”

Bangar said.

He said it is only appropriate to get Pant to be with the squad immediately. “The thing is: (within) 10 or 12 days, we’ll be taking a call on the status of Shikhar. Until that point, just to make sure that if and when the replacement is required - and I’m saying if and when - then it is always good to have the replacement player coming in and practising with the team as a standby.”

Rishabh Pant has been called up as cover for Shikhar Dhawan

Pant has played five ODIs since his debut against West Indies in October last year, and averages 23.25. He was part of India’s squad during their Home Series against Australia this year, but Dinesh Karthik’s experience and wicket-keeping had edged him ahead of Pant when the World Cup squad was named.

“It’s definitely a case where we have debated at length and all of us in unison felt that either Rishabh Pant or DK (Karthik) will only come into the playing XI if Mahi (Dhoni) is injured,” selector MSK Prasad had said of the decision. “If it is a crucial match, like a quarter-final or a semi-final, or like an important game, wicket-keeping also matters. So that’s the only reason that we went ahead with Karthik. Otherwise, Pant was almost there,” he explained.

India had on Tuesday opted to retain Dhawan and monitor his recovery, rather than name an official replacement for him. He has already been ruled out of the two matches India are scheduled to play later this week: against New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Thursday, and against Pakistan at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Dhawan had travelled to Leeds to consult specialists, where the fracture was ascertained.

ESPNcricinfo understands the selectors have got a positive signal from the medical team that Dhawan is likely to be fit to play in the latter half of the tournament, closer to the June 30 match against hosts England

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Several venues sold out ahead of next week’s games T

he Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) yesterday announced that tickets to the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup group doubleheader to be held at Houston’s BBVA Stadium have been sold out.

Additionally, tickets to the Group ‘C’ doubleheader to be held in Los Angeles’ Banc of California Stadium, and those to the Group ‘D’ doubleheader to be held at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, are almost sold out.

BBVA Stadium joins Minnesota’s state-of-the-art Allianz Field as a sold out venue. Minnesota officially sold out in December of last year, the fastest sellout in tournament history.

The doubleheader in Houston on June 21 will feature the national teams of Honduras, El Salvador, Jamaica and Curaçao in the crucial second game of round-robin group play. El Salvador will face Jamaica at 7:00 pm ET, followed

by Honduras taking on Curacao at 9:30 pm ET. The same teams will head to Banc of California Stadium on June 25 to close out the group stages.

The Group ‘D’ doubleheader in Kansas City will feature the United States vs. Panama, while Trinidad and Tobago open the day’s play against Guyana, as all four teams battle to head to the next stage of the tournament.

Taking place every two years, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is the region’s premier national team competition. It includes North, Central America and the Caribbean, and crowns the region’s best national team while celebrating soccer, sportsmanship and culture.

The 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup is sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company, Camarena Tequila, Cerveza Modelo, Nike, Scotiabank, Toyota, and Valvoline. The tournament will be broadcast nationally on the Univision and FOX family of networks and transmitted on radio

in Spanish by Fútbol de Primera Radio Network, and broadcast by television partners in countries around the world.

This means that Guyana’s Golden Jaguars will make their CONCACAF debut and play their group games in front of sold out crowds.

The Guyanese senior men’s national team was drawn in Group ‘D’ of the 2019 Gold Cup, alongside USA, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. They will play their opening game against defending champions USA at Allianz Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Their second game will be played at First Energy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Jags will close out the group stage against their Caribbean counterparts Trinidad and Tobago at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Guinness "Greatest of the Street" Football

Bartica play-off set for tomorrow

T

he 3rd staging of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Street’ Bartica football tournament will take place from June 14 to 16 at that town’s Community Centre Basketball Court, and the winning team would advance to the National Finals which would be played in Georgetown in August.

The eight teams set to participate are defending champions Disconnection Crew, Goal Raiders, Almanac Kings, former champion Rivers View, Jones Avenue, Falmouth, Potaro Strikers, and Mighty Ruler. The zone will feature 16 teams battling for the coveted title and a place in the grand finale on June 16th.

The opening night features elimination matches, with the respective winners advancing to the group stage pegged for June 15th.

The two finishers from the two groups will progress to the semi-final round. The subsequent winners would then progress to the final, with the losers facing off in the third place playoff.

Similarly, the four teams that fail to make the semi-final stage will battle in the Guinness Plate Championship, slated for

“All systems are in place," says Marslowe

the final night.

According to President of the Bartica Football Association (BFA), its coordinator Alden Marslowe, “All systems are in place for a wonderful tournament. The teams have really caught on with the street football, and everyone has really gotten into it. This is the third year, and we have seen tremendous growth.

We have had three privately run street football tournaments earlier, and the teams are definitely catching on to the format.”

Further, he revealed that the tournament has witnessed a record number of entries, which supports the belief that it is growing in popularity and overall interest.

“We have had more teams enter than (in) previous editions, especially from the outline communities; which is great for the event.

The anticipation is there from the public. Bartica is a football community, and I expect another great tournament, with quality action”, Marslowe declared.

Lee Baptiste, Guinness Brand Executive, similarly declared everything geared and ready for another great edition of this phenomenon that is known as the

Flashback: Scenes from the Guinness "Greatest of the Streets" Bartica Championships held at the Bartica Community Centre Tarmac

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Championships.

He noted that he anticipates three nights of exciting action as teams battle for bragging rights and the chance to represent their zone at the coveted National Championships.

The winner of the

championships will pocket $400,000 and the winner’s trophy, besides earning the right to represent the zone at the National Championships. The runner-up team will collect $150,000 and a trophy, while the third and fourth place finishers will walk

away with $100,000 and $75,000 respectively, besides trophies. The winner of the Guinness Plate Championship will receive $60,000.

Major sponsors on board this event are Banks DIH under their Guinness Brand, and Colours Boutique.

"Jumbie" to host big Father’s Day dominoes tourney D

ominoes players and game enthusiasts are this Sunday expected to converge at the Turning Point Sports Club at Perry Street, Tucville, Georgetown to participate in a big Father’s Day competition being organised by Senior Organising Secretary of the Georgetown Domino Association, Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire.

A key figure in the growth and popularity of this sport, Wiltshire will stage this annual oneday event in recognition of Father’s Day, and teams from across the country are being invited to participate in the competition.

Prizes up for grabs total in excess of $200,000, with the winning team set to receive $130,000 cash, while second and third place finishers will take home $60,000 and $20,000 cash respectively, along with hampers.

The “most valuable player” (MVP) of the finals will also collect one hamper.

Entrance fee is $10,000 per team, and all domino teams and lovers of the sport are being invited to celebrate the occasion.

Wiltshire has assured that food and drinks will be on sale throughout the day, while teams are being asked to walk with a good

pack of dominoes.

All GNDA rules will be in effect during competition, and interested teams can contact Wiltshire on tele#659-8672 for more information.

At a simple ceremony held at the Trophy Stall premises in Bourda Market yesterday, staffer Tanda Crossman presented Wiltshire with the winning trophy, compliments of proprietor Ramesh Sunich; and, in brief remarks, Wiltshire thanked Trophy Stall for again demonstrating its commitment to development of the sport, and more particularly sports in general.

Trophy Stall representative Tanda Crossman presenting the winning trophy to Mark "Jumbie" Wiltshire at the Trophy Stall’s location yesterday

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thursday, june 13, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

West Indies v England a clash of the ages

– Archer’s presence intensifies match Jason Roy

By Brandon Corlette

A

n

y

England/ Jofra W e s t Archer Indies clash in cricket has always been attended by much intensity.

Is because of the history between the English and the Caribbean?

The two teams are again s e t to clash, in the 19th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup tomorrow, Friday June 14, 2019, at 5:30h local time.

Within this contest there is a sub-plot, in that current English pace sensation, Barbadosborn Jofra Archer, will be playing against some

of his original countrymen.

Since the 2015 World Cup, England have been a different team, defeating teams at home and away in bilateral series; but the World Number one ODI team have failed to beat the West Indies in their last bilateral series in the Caribbean. The five match series ended 2-2 earlier this year.

That performance showed the extra flair the West Indies team brings to the table on every occasion they meet England.

Tomorrow’s encounter would either be no different, or spicier, since it is a World Cup fixture, and West Indies have been playing good cricket of recent.

Like South Africa, England are chokers at World events, but they have played differently this World Cup, even breaking Bangladesh’s winning streak in World Cups; and despite their loss against Pakistan, they remain favourites to win the tournament.

The West Indies will, however, fancy their chances after some spirited efforts thus far.

They, after all, have had their own fairytale story in England, winning two World Cups and defeating England in a Champions Trophy final.

It will be fitting to relive the last moment these two teams met in an ODI. It was on March 2, 2019 when the West Indies levelled the five-match series against England with a commanding seven-wicket victory. The hero

of that match was the furious fast bowler Oshane Thomas, who snapped up his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. England were blown away for 113 in St Lucia, while Chris brought a Gayle force of his own with an explosive 77 scored from a mere 27 balls. It was the perfect ending to the series for the Caribbean side and for Gayle, who scored 424 runs in four innings. His masterclass series had 39 sixes, two half-centuries and two centuries.

England’s performance in the fifth and final ODI against the West Indies earlier this year did not reflect their series performance. In the opening ODI, they completed their highest ever run-chase in ODIs and the third highest in history. From England’s perspective, captain Eoin Morgan had a good series with the bat, scoring 256 runs, while Jos Butler, Joe Root and Jason Roy had centuries of their own.

These players will be confident of adding to their tallies. Root, Buttler and Roy have already had centuries in this World Cup, but the West Indies bowlers have been breathing fire. They have bumper barraged Pakistan and shaken up Australia. Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas and Sheldon Cottrell have been the destroyers, bowling with pace. Thomas and Cottrell have five-wicket hauls against England, which were taken earlier this year.

All the stats between these two teams may be irrelevant tomorrow, as the team that plays the better cricket would likely be victors of this scintillating clash. The man who bowled

Chris Gayle

t h e fastest b a l l in the tournament thus far, Archer, will be up against his countrymen, and his presence will Oshane make this Thomas contest more interesting.

H e has been England’s X-factor in the six matches he has played in his blooming ODI career, and he has been the talk of teams meeting.

Will Gayle and company enjoy his bowling, or will Archer “hit the target” with his pace?

T10 a good experience for all Jaguars Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club players, says Captain Johnson Horse Meet set for Caricom Day

The winning T10 champions, Guyana Jaguars

F

resh from winning the inaugural UDECOTT/ Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board’s T10 tournament, Guyana Jaguars captain Leon Johnson has declared it was a good experience for his team to play T10 cricket, especially against such seasoned T20 stars as Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Keswick Williams and Kieron Pollard. He made this observation even as the Jaguars recorded exceptional performances in this newest format of the game.

Speaking exclusively with this reporter, the arguably most successful Regional captain shared some positive sentiments after the T10 experience.

“It was a good experience for us all. It was our first time playing this format, with the exception of Sherfane Rutherford,” he explained.

“The team did exceptionally well, considering we came up against a very strong North Tobago side comprising of seasoned T20 players”, Johnson added.

The performances of Guyana’s Christopher Barnwell and Trevon Griffith were among the positive developments the Jaguars took away from the tournament. The formidable Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) duo were impressive in their power hitting against some big names in T20 cricket.

In the final match, played at the packed Brian Lara Cricket Academy ground, the Guyana team revenged itself against the North/Tobago team with a 26-run win. Guyana scored the most runs of the tournament, aggregating 130-7 from 10 overs.

Barnwell, who looked solid and sound, top-scored in the match with 44, while Chanderpaul Hemraj scored 27 and Anthony Bramble scored 25.

Keemo Paul displayed some brilliant death bowling against the final two wickets to restrict the North/Tobago team to 104-5 in 10 overs.

Barnwell played the innings of the tournament when he scored 57 from 16 balls in playing against the South/Central team. And his DCC club mate Griffith exhibited an array of reverse sweeps and sweetly timed shots in all his innings.

Guyana had one defeat earlier in the tournament, against the same North/Tobago team, when they were tasked with scoring 93 runs in ten overs, but fell short by 12 runs, finishing on 80-8.

Former West Indies ODI batsman Chanderpaul Hemraj scored 36 runs in that match, while Keemo Paul had 2-10.

Hemraj displayed impressive hitting as he powered the ball over the ropes with consummate ease. Anthony Bramble, who has looked a more complete player in recent times, has also had a good experience with the bat, scoring quick runs for his team. Sherfane Rutherford who has had experience in this T10 format playing for the Bengal Tigers, was among the 13 players that had a great experience.

Guyana Jaguars Head Coach Esuan Crandon and National Under-19 Coach and Cricket Guyana Inc. Academy Coach Julian Moore were on the triumphant T10 Guyana team. (Brandon Corlette)

Part of the action that took place on June 2 (Brandon Corlette Photo)

T

he Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facility at Alness Village on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice will be hosting one of its many horse racing meets on July 1, 2019.

With several entries already confirmed for the card, which consists of six categories, the day promises to be an exciting one.

Feature event of the meet is the 3-YearOld races set to be run over a distance of 1300 metres. A winning purse of $240,000 and trophy are being competed for.

Other events listed on the card would see the ‘J and Lower’ horses racing over a distance of 1000 metres for a first prize of $200,000 and trophy. The race for the ‘2-Year-Old’ horses, to be run over 900 metres, would carry a winning prize of $150,000 and trophy.

There is an event for horses classified ‘L1 and Lower’, to be run over 1000 metres

for the package of $100,000 and trophy. The ‘L2 and Lower’ race, which is to be run over 1000 metres, would reward the winner with $80,000; and the ‘L3 Unclassified’ animals would be competing for a top prize of $60,000 as they duke it out in their 1200-metre journey.

The races will be run under the rules of the legislative draft of the late Marcel Crawford. All bookings must be done with a deposit of $5000. If there are less than five horses in a race, the prize will be reduced.

All entries close on June 28. For further information, persons can contact Marcel Crawford Jr on 678-5342 or 600-7690.

Individual trophies and other incentives will be given to riders who have performed exceptionally well.

The Club is asking all to note that Celso Crawford has henceforth been banned from the race track because of disorderly conduct.

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thursday, june 13, 2019

23

India set to play at Providence on August 6 and 8

Ashley Nurse celebrating the prize scalp

T

he Virat Kohliled India team will play West Indies on August 6, 2019 in one T20 International and a One Day International (ODI) on August 8, 2019. West Indies will begin their bid to become World Test champions during the India Tour of the West Indies, and will be sponsored

by MyTeam11 and co-powered by Skoda and Kamla Pasand.

Windies and India will play two Tests – from August 22 to 26 at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, and from August 30 to September 3 at Sabina Park in Jamaica – during the five-week Tour, which also includes three Twenty20 and three One-Day Internationals.

The two Tests open the new ICC World Test Championship, which will be played over the next two years, having been introduced to give greater con-

text and competition in the “Ultimate Test” of the game, combining strategy, skill and endurance.

“The West Indies and India have a long and colourful rivalry, and the MyTeam11 Series will bring more thrilling competition across every format of the game,” said Cricket West Indies Chief Executive Officer Jonny Grave. “We’ll be seeing some of the World’s best players go head-to-head in T20Is, ODIs and then in the new World Test Championship.

West Indies fans, young and

Only one of the two T20Is produced a result when the two sides played at this venue three years ago before sellout crowds, with the second match ending in a no-result due to rain and a technical delay.

In the first match of the series, India’s K.L. Rahul scored the second-fastest T20I century off only 46 balls, eventually finishing on 110 not out for the highest international score in the venue’s history.

The two teams also posted the highest international innings totals in the venue’s histo-

‘live’ and in person,” said CWI Commercial Marketing and Communications Director, Dominic Warne. “This continues our plans of growing our audience and the game’s appeal in North America, to increase participation and investment back into the West Indies.

“The MyTeam11 Series will provide a chance for a growing audience in the United States who follow the West Indies to experience the fast-paced action of the T20 format,” he declared.

The last of the three T20Is

West Indies and India Captains at the coin toss

Team India

old, will have the opportunity to see some incredible cricket.”

The MyTeam11 Series starts with three T20Is, with the first two matches being contested back-to-back on the weekend of August 3 and 4 at the Broward County Stadium in the city of Lauderhill in the American state of Florida.

ry for a World record of 489 runs, with the West Indies winning by one run, thanks to an even hundred off 49 balls from left-handed opener Evin Lewis.

“We’re excited to bring two more T20Is to Florida, giving the West Indies diaspora in North America the opportunity to watch the team play

MATCH SCHEDULE Sat, Aug 3: 1st MyDream11 Twenty20 International – Central Broward Regional Park, United States (10:30 am start) Sun, Aug 4: 2nd MyDream11 Twenty20 International – Central Broward Regional Park (10:30 am) Tue, Aug 6: 3rd MyDream11 Twenty20 International – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana (10:30 am) Thu, Aug 8: 1st MyDream11 in the MyTeam11 Series will One-day International – be played on August 6 at the Guyana National Stadium National Stadium in Guyana, (9:30 am)

Sun, Aug 11: 2nd MyDream11 One-day International – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad (9:30 am) Wed, Aug 14: 3rd MyDream11 One-day International – Queen’s Park Oval (9:30 am) Sat, Aug 17 to Mon, Aug 19: Tour Match – Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua (9:30 am daily) Thu, Aug 22 to Mon, Aug 26: 1st MyDream11 Test – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua (9:30 am daily) Fri, Aug 30 to Tue, Sep 3: 2nd MyDream11 Test – Sabina Park, Jamaica (9:30 am daily)

The MyDream11 ODI series concludes with matches on August 11 and 14 at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. Online sale of tickets for the matches will be available from June 24 via

the “Buy Tickets” button on the CWI website, www.windiescricket.com. Local box office sales start approximately two weeks in advance of each leg of the Tour.

where the series also transitions to the 50 overs-a-side format with the first ODI taking place on August 8, the first time in three decades the two sides will contest an ODI in the South American nation.

KFC “Independence Cup”

Santos, Pouderoyen focused on the gold

C

ome Saturday June 15, fourteen local teams will begin their bid to become the inaugural KFC ‘Independence Cup’ champions. For the management of two of those teams, this Under 20 tournament and the opportunity it presents is integral to the progression of the team and its players.

The Under 20 tournament which is being sponsored by the fast food giants KFC, in collaboration with the Guyana Football Federation, seeks to fill a gap between youth football and the senior stage.

For Santos FC, the runner ups in the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) leg of the Intra- Association competition, the team will now be focusing on producing a stronger team for this week’s game against Pouderoyen FC. Santons went down to eventual Georgetown Champions Fruta Conquerors in the final and this for Coach Earl Paul was a clear indicator that the team needs to put in more work.

“Training hard. In the first round our senior players weren’t coming out and train and they need to do so,” Paul explained.

He went on to explain the peculiar position the team was in during those initial rounds.

“In our list, we have six more spaces and if we got our players to register, we would have had a stronger team. We had to use some of our Under 15 players because at the time, they were training. Against Conquerors we had a weaker team but we still gave them a fight.”

However, Paul intends to turn that situation around as they prepare to take on Pouderoyen in the Intra- Association leg of the competition.

“In this round we will have a stronger team that can compete with anybody to win the tournament,” he said.

In order to do so, Paul is of the opinion that rigorous training will whip the players into shape.

“This week we’re going to put in some fitness work and be ready for Saturday or Sunday, whenever is our game.”

On the other hand, Pouderoyen FC’s coach, Adio Wright, has a similar formula for success and shared that his team has also been putting in the practice work to achieve their goals.

“We’re training and practicing a lot. We had a lot of sessions night and day,” Wright said.

After holding Den Amstel to a stalemate during regulation time of the West Demerara Football Association final, Pouderoyen went on to defeat their opponent 5-4 at the penalty mark.

For Pouderoyen FC, that win was an indication of the potential that the Club holds and as such they are excited about what the future holds.

“The guys are very enthusiastic about the future and we set our tone from the beginning of this competition. We already achieved one goal, the next goal is to win this entire tournament and make a name for our self and our association,” The upbeat coach also expressed international aspirations for his group of promising players.

“We think that our players deserve a chance to be on the national teams and this is a great opportunity to make that point clear.”

Wright also had positive things to say about the nature of the tournament, stating: “It is very important for the youths because our club base is mostly focused on youths and it is very good

for development. It is good for them to move from one stage to another and to get the opportunity to play football in all parts of the country against the best.”

The Intra- Association action will kick off on Saturday, June 15 and the final is scheduled for July 1, 2019 at the GFF’s National Training Center, Providence.

In the upcoming weekend, Timehri Panthers will come up against Soesdyke Falcons FC in the first encounter. New Amsterdam United

will take on A m e l i a ’s Ward Falcons while Botofago FC battle Den Amstel. Potaro Strikers will go toe to toe with Dynamic FC and Fruta Conquerors will face off with Cougars FC. Buxton United are slated to battle Queenstown United FC and Pouderoyen FC will take on Santos FC. (Jemima Holmes)

Nial Smith impresses with wicket of Pollard in Central T20 Super League

T

ucber Park and former Guyana Under-19 fast bowler Nial Smith has had a good showing in the Central T20 Super League (CSL) played in Trinidad & Tobago recently. Smith bowled with venom against Keiron Pollard to take his team, Barrackpore United Sports Club, to their second consecutive semi-final on Monday last. In the low-scoring T20 thriller, Barrackpore United scored 140 all out in 18.4 overs.

Jyd Goolie was the mainstay with a top-score of 56 from 42 balls. Bowling for Kieron Pollard’s Bamboo All Stars was Terrence Hinds, who had 2-20 in three overs.

In reply, Pollard and his team were restricted to 112-8 in 20 overs. Player of the match, Smith, dominated the Trinidad and Tobago players with

his bowling, registering a top-spell of 3-18 from four overs.

Pollard was surprised by the pace of the Guyanese bowler, but he hit 25 from 18 balls while Dave Samooj top-scored with 27 from 18 balls.

Smith was the main reason for the Barrackpore United Sports Club’s 28-run win.

Smith has been on his quest playing cricket in Trinidad and Tobago, and has been turning in some solid performances. Speaking to this reporter, Smith explained that he was at his best bowling Yorkers consistently, as the West Indies T20 star Pollard struggled to find his groove. Asked if there were nerves around, he added there was a bit, but said he kept focused and was able to put out the lights of Pollard. (Brandon Corlette)

thursday, june 13, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

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India set to play at Providence on August 6 and 8 Page 21

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Guyana to host Regional U-19s Several venues sold out ahead in 2020 of next week’s games

The Golden Jaguars will be looking to make their mark in front of the sold out crowds

– CWI issues discussed at AGM

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