Guyana Times Thursday May 23, 2019

International tech P14 firms engage local Private, Public Sectors on business innovation Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3932

THE BEACON OF TRUTH thurSday, may 23, 2019

President fails to declare assets to Integrity Commission ...followed by 716 public officials

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$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Baby found dead in tub...

Teen mother, P father previously investigated

by CCPA

See story on Page 3

Former Best Cop jailed for contempt ...tells Magistrate he is displeased with her tone

Page 7

Minibus driver, conductor P8

charged for rape

Suspected Linden bandit succumbs to injuries P7 …after thrashing by villagers

Sophia man jailed for 21 years P10 for scrap metal dealer’s murder

Essequibo Coast resident captures jaguar This majestic female jaguar, Guyana’s national animal, was captured by a resident of Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast, Region Two on Wednesday

Despite no-confidence motion

APNU/AFC hoping Page for full term in 9 office – Granger

Pensioner’s house goes up in flames

Page 2

APNU-appointed REO padlocks AFC Councillor in room Page 9

P11 Gaming Authority denies victimising investor …says principal previously convicted of money laundering

2 News

thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Pensioner’s house goes up in flames

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The pensioner’s Haslington, East Coast Demerara home on fire

72-year-old pensioner is now left counting her losses after her Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home went up in flames on Wednesday morning.

Joycelyn McBean was at home at the Lot 76 Third Street, Haslington North home with her daughter and four grandchildren when the fire of unknown origin started around 11:00h.

Reports are the pensioner and her family were in the upper flat of the two-storey concrete house when they began to smell smoke.

Guyana Times understands that by that time, another grandchild of the woman, Jevon McBean,

who lives nearby saw part of the top flat of the house engulfed in flames and contacted the Guyana Fire Service.

The young man rushed over to the house where he assisted his relatives to safety. With assistance from neighbours, the family was able to save some furniture and other valuables.

However, by the time the Fire Service arrived on the scene, the upper flat of the building was already destroyed. Part of the bottom flat was, however, saved.

The pensioner is estimating her losses to be in excess of $40 million.

The Fire Service has since launched an investigation.

Essequibo Coast resident captures jaguar

A

jaguar has been captured by a resident of Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Guyana Times understands that the majestic animal was discovered wandering around the village about 03:00h on Tuesday.

Marvin Calvan quickly went into action and captured the animal. The jaguar, a young female, is currently secured in a cage.

Jaguars often roam the area at nights, and residents complain that the animals feed on their livestock.

The Guyana Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Panthera Corporation, aimed at conserving the feline species.

Founded in 2006, Panthera is an organisation devoted exclusively to preserving wild cats and their critical role in the world’s ecosystems.

The jaguar is the third-largest feline in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

In Guyana, these creatures are often spotted along trails or at gaps along the forest edge where roads or rivers run. Sightings are most com-

This majestic female jaguar, Guyana’s national animal, was captured by a resident of Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast, Region Two on Wednesday

mon in the Iwokrama Forest, especially along the main roadway.

Globally, jaguar populations are on the decline, primarily as a result of the loss of habitat and conflict with people. As a result, these animals are listed as a ‘near threatened’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

2nd suspect in biker’s killing arrested

Some of the items found during the raid on Wednesday

Dead: Patrick “White Boy” Fraser

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wo days after a 22-year-old Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident, who allegedly confessed to the murder of Patrick “White Boy” Fraser was charged, a second suspect has been arrested.

The arrest was made when ranks of D Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) swooped down on a Westminister, West Bank Demerara (WBD) house on Tuesday.

According to the Police, the ranks were at the time acting on information when they searched the premises and discovered an unlicensed pistol, seven live rounds of ammunition, a small quantity of cannabis, several pieces of electronic gadgets and other items.

Three males who were

found in the house at time, including the wanted suspect, were arrested and taken into Police custody.

Fraser, 23, was gunned down in Norton Street, Bagotstown, EBD, on May 9, 2019.

It was reported that the young man, who hailed from Republic Park, EBD, was hanging out with a group of friends during which an argument broke out among them and it was at this time that one of the men whipped out a handgun and discharged two rounds in Fraser’s direction, hitting him to the right side rib and the right upper leg.

Meanwhile, the Police stated that although the young man was shot twice, they have only retrieved one .32 spent shell and one warhead. In addition, a pair of slippers and a bloodstained Polo hat were found at the scene.

The first accused in the crime, Kevin Rose, made his appearance for the murder before the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Tuesday morning.

It is alleged that the suspects wanted a gun which the biker had in his possession.

Rose was subsequently remanded to prison and will make his next court appearance on June 4.

news

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THURSday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Thursday, May 23 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, May 24 – 09:00h-10:30h.

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

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

High Tide: 07:00h and 19:33h reaching maximum heights of 2.50 metres and 2.31 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:34h and 13:05h reaching minimum heights of 0.84 metre and 0.74 metre respectively.

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President fails to declare assets to Integrity Commission ...followed by 716 public officials

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he Integrity Commission had flagged a number of public officials earlier this year for failing to make their declarations, and President David Granger is one of the defaulters, having breached the stipulated deadline of May 20, 2019.

The agency recently informed that all public officials were required to make these submissions, in compliance with the Integrity Commission Act. On the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, the President explained that he has not yet submitted his declaration but has made contact with the Commission.

“I’m in touch with the Integrity Commission. I have written to them. I have not submitted all of my declarations. It is taking some time but I am in touch with them and the Commission has heard from me,” he stated.

Reports also surfaced that some Cabinet members are also lagging behind with regards to their submissions.

But President Granger assured that there is a commitment by all Cabinet members to comply. As of now, he displayed concerns over this matter but could not account for the tardiness on the part of these Ministers.

“I am concerned and as I pointed out, my own declaration is being prepared and I do not have a reason why others have not been prepared. I’ve had some challenges over that period of time but I’m actually working on it and the Commission is aware of my interest in ensuring that they are submitted as quickly as possible,” the Head of State told media operatives.

He added, “As far as the Cabinet is concerned, the general rule is that we should all comply. It is just a matter of time. Some of the details may have taken some member’s time. I cannot say if all of them are compliant but that is the policy of Cabinet that every Minister should comply.”

Just a few days ago, the Integrity Commission issued a notice which requested persons to make their declarations.

The document stated, “The Integrity Commission hereby notifies all specified public officers of its inventory update. This updating process relates to the updates of the 2019 Inventory. The inventory concerns specific public officers required to submit declarations. This is in accordance to Schedule 1 of the Integrity Commission Act, No 20 of 1997”.

In addition, it noted that all heads of public officers are required to submit to the Commission; the names, designation, physical addresses, email addresses and contact numbers of public officers.

These documents, the Commission said, can be sent to its Secretariat on Church Road and Fifth Avenue, Subryanville, Georgetown, and also via email.

The Integrity Commission was established with the aim of improving the public’s confidence in the integrity of persons in pub-

lic office by ensuring that they submit their declarations in compliance with the Integrity Commission Act. However, over the years, the Commission would have to publish the names of delinquent public officials in an effort to have them make their declarations.

Defaulters

Some 716 officials were called out for failing to make declarations, as mandated

by Section 19 of the Integrity Commission Act. Among the defaulters on the list were General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, Rawlston Adams; Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), George Lewis; Director General of Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Egbert Field; CEO of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Trevor Benn; Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority, Leslie Sobers; General Manager of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Sherod Duncan; CEO of the Guyana Office for Investment, Owen Verwey; and CEO of Guyana Power and Light, Albert Gordon among others.

A breakdown of the list includes officials from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport; the Cyril Potter College of Education; the Bureau of Statistics; the Dependent Pension Fund; the Environmental Protection Agency; the GPHC; the Guyana Gold Board; the Guyana Oil Company; and the Guyana Power and Light Inc, among others.

Under the law, any public officer who fails to comply with the Commission is liable upon summary conviction, to a fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for a period of

not less than six months or more than one year.

Back then, Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Kumar Duraisami stated that there were 716 public officials who did not submit their declarations to the Commission. As such, five lists of the various categories of public officials were published.

The Chairman noted that while there is a need for awareness on the Integrity Commission, most public officials have a general idea of the Commission’s functions and their obligations. His contention was that there

President David Granger

are some individuals who are willfully withholding declaring their assets to the Commission.

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSday, may 23, 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

Avoiding the reality

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ast Sunday, the Police shot and killed three suspected bandits in Black Bush Polder. Prior, the media would have reported on numerous stories of robberies and brutal assaults on residents there and in other areas in Berbice at the hand of bandits, as cries for help seemingly went unheard by the political leadership.

While the Police must be commended for the action taken at Black Bush and which has led to residents showering praise and noting their relief, it should not be forgotten that the SWAT team was only dispatched a very short while ago to Berbice, long after the spate of crime began.

The lengthy delay in taking action exacerbated fear among citizens and emboldened the criminals. Many asked if the authorities made themselves deliberately oblivious of the ongoing spate of crime or were teleported elsewhere in a time warp. This is noteworthy in the context that the Public Security Minister is expected to be an integral part of routine high-level national security meetings.

There were reports that the Minister debunked that Guyana is in a bad state with regard to crime, as he conveniently made comparison to other countries. Reportedly, he called for an appreciation that Guyanese live in a geopolitical space of Latin Americana and the Caribbean, with interpersonal violence is the highest in the world.

Those sentiments were quickly condemned as many viewed it as justification for the high crime rate here. It was also deemed insensitive with no regard for the pain and suffering of the victims; some of whom were killed. An obvious and simple interpretation of his comments is that it seems alright to be robbed here since the same is happening to others elsewhere.

That’s a journey deep into the realms of absurdity.

One would expect the National Security meetings to discuss status reports on crime, its frequency and the impact of interventions or lack thereof. That implies the Minister and his team are thoroughly briefed on the crime situation, the sentiments of victims and the citizenry as a whole.

He can only claim of being unaware if he is not a part of those meetings which would render his position as Minister useless. As a backup, the media offers a repository of related information. It therefore becomes difficult to accept that the Minister lacks knowledge of the national crime situation and its effect on people. He would be extremely challenged to claim otherwise.

That brings into focus what appeared as a delayed response to the situation in Berbice. The eventual response seemingly stemmed from societal pressure through the conduit of the media. Sadly, it could probably be interpreted that in the absence of such pressure, the SWAT team may not have been deployed.

The question of critical levels was asked before. To repeat; how many crimes must be committed and how many citizens must be beaten or killed before a meaningful intervention by the Public Security Ministry? An answer must be given especially in the context of the seeming attempt to justify the crime rate in citing what happens beyond our borders.

That said, following the Police action at Black Bush, there appears to be a sense of gloating by some officials, including some within the State media. A senior officer there reportedly asked on social media how a small-time Berbice village thief acquired a high-power rifle, bullet proof vest and other weapons and ammunition.

While there may be relevance and which would question the gathering of intelligence, his political insinuation through the question is not subtle. He rides a political horse which boasted of its prowess to deal with crime. It failed abysmally. In that context, one can also ask how five hardened criminals who escaped from the Camp Street Prison became freedom fighters and were adorned by the horse he rides?

The Police’s success in Black Bush must not be used by the State media to try and hide what Berbicians suffered over time.

That aside, platitudes are in order and they must be encouraged and given the necessary resources to combat crime. Citizens want Police to intervene to curb crime. They want bandits to be arrested or killed. They want to live without fear.

Those are not unfair expectations, especially when they pay for such services through taxes. Any appearance of reluctance to take necessary action would not only be a disservice, but a failure to govern in their best interest. By playing up that Berbicians can now rest peacefully cannot hide their inability to do so for a long period in the past.

A few Government defenders in their triumphalist endeavours, are trying to create the impression that the Police action at Black Bush may have caused crime to disappear. There must be no ambiguity; what happened at Black Bush was long overdue and is not a favour to residents. It must be sustained and is crucially needed elsewhere as crime remains high throughout.

Given what continues to play out holistically regarding crime, one wonders whether there is a logical explanation for what appears a hesitancy on the part of the current political leadership to frontally tackle crime. The real answers, if forthcoming, would be very interesting as reality continues to be denied.

Ibises and egrets feeding together on the University of Guyana’s flooded recreational ground

Venezuela’s Opposition pursues diplomacy, keeps open the possibility of foreign intervention

By Anthony Faiola

V

enezuela’s Opposition is engaging in a blitz of diplomacy in the aftermath of last month’s abortive uprising, even as it stokes the prospect of more aggressive tactics taken in conjunction with the United States to achieve their goal: the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Opposition has been reluctant to engage in direct talks with Maduro’s emissaries, citing failed efforts in 2017 and 2018. Yet in an interview with The Washington Post after the failure of the April 30 uprising, Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó said he was open to talks with anyone, except Maduro himself.

Last week, the Opposition put that to the test, sending its own emissaries to Oslo for talks brokered by the Norwegian Government with two senior Maduro loyalists, including Jorge Rodríguez, the Government’s Communications Minister.

Three people familiar with the Oslo talks said the two sides did not meet directly – they exchanged points of view and proposals through diplomatic intermediaries.

No agreements emerged, but further talks between the two sides could take place in the days and weeks ahead, the people said.

Publicly, at least, the two sides remain far apart.

President Maduro this week floated a proposal that the Opposition sees as a nonstarter: early elections for the National Assembly, now headed by Guaidó, controlled by the Opposition and recognised internationally as the nation’s only democratic institution. Maduro’s Government stripped the Assembly of its power in 2017, and Opposition critics say a new election to would serve only to strengthen Maduro’s grip on power.

“Venezuela has a humanitarian crisis with no precedent,” Guaidó said at a National Assembly session on Tuesday. “What is the regime’s response? To make fun of the people by

talking about parliamentary elections, while our proposal has been clear: end of usurpation; transitional government; and free elections. Truly free elections.

That’s what they fear. .?.?.

Because there is no doubt that a free election would open the doors for change in Venezuela.”

Guaidó streamed the session on social media, because national guards surrounding the legislative palace blocked the press from going in.

The international contact group, which includes Italy, Spain, France, Uruguay and Ecuador, dispatched a delegation to Caracas last week to speak with both sides. There were no specific signs of progress.

“It seems as if Maduro is still stuck on the idea that he is constitutional and legitimate, and that hasn’t changed, and until there is a change of tone, there won’t be a breakthrough,” said one person briefed on the talks.

Luis Vicente León, Director of the Datanálisis polling agency in Caracas, called the fact that both sides are agreeing to explore talks a significant step toward a possible negotiated solution to the crisis. He said the first meetings were part of a “longer process.”

“It means both sides are starting to feel exhausted,” he said. The Government is isolated, divided and barely able to govern, he said, while the Opposition has realised that its strategy to oust Maduro by wooing the military and his loyalists has thus far fallen short.

“For now, the talks haven’t been very successful, but they’re just starting,” León said. “The demands of both sides are still too far apart. If I would have to place the probability of success between one and 10, I would still say less than five.”

The international mediation efforts come weeks after the failed uprising led

by Guaidó and his mentor, Leopoldo López.

López, the country’s most popular political prisoner, escaped house arrest with the help of Maduro’s

intelligence chief, Major General Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera. That was part of a negotiated plot in which a litany of Maduro loyalists, including the head of Venezuela’s Supreme Court and senior military commanders, were supposed to stand up and press for Maduro’s ouster.

For reasons that remain unclear, those moves never materialised. The outcome – with a gaggle of military men and Maduro’s spy chief turning against him but well short of the mass defections expected – showed both the Opposition and the Government to be not quite as strong as either of them thought.

In the days since, the Opposition scrambled to stay united while the startled international community strengthened calls for a negotiated solution. Even the Lima Group, a regional collective of nations that largely backs Guaidó’s agenda, announced its intention to approach both the contact group and Cuba, which backs Maduro.

Both Maduro and the Opposition, meanwhile, are sending mixed signals. Maduro has pledged to ease tensions and agreed to talk to the countries hoping to mediate a deal. Yet his Government has also imprisoned the National Assembly’s Vice President, Edgar Zambrano, and charged 10 lawmakers with treason in connection with the April 30 plot.

“I will focus all my efforts for Venezuela, to sooner rather than later, reach an agreement with the Venezuelan Opposition,” Maduro said in a televised speech on Monday.

The Guaidó side has also become more aggressive in considering the option of a foreign military intervention to oust Maduro. Guaidó told The Washington Post this month that he would take a hypothetical offer of US military assistance to the National Assembly. And on Monday, his representative to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, met with the US State Department and Department of Defence

to “evaluate joint mechanisms of cooperation and strategic planning to advance in a solution,” Vecchio said on Twitter. He said he was “satisfied with the progress made.”

Maduro claimed victory last year in elections widely viewed as fraudulent.

Guaidó declared himself interim President in January, and has been recognised as Venezuela’s rightful leader by the United States and more than 50 other countries.

As time passes, both sides have much to lose.

Maduro has shown himself unable to halt Venezuela’s economic free fall into the unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has sparked a mass exodus from the oilrich nation. As conditions deteriorate, he risks more internal divisions, especially in the military. Signs of those rifts have already been made evident.

Most recently, his ambassador to Italy, Julián Isaías Rodríguez, resigned Tuesday, saying he leaves his post “without regrets and without money. My wife just sold jewellery her ex-husband gave her to maintain us in front of the US blockade.” He said the “gringos” sanctioned him and he doesn’t have a bank account.

Guaidó risks losing domestic support as his efforts to push out Maduro have faltered. His approval rating slipped five percentage points from February to April, according to León’s polling firm. The fall is not dramatic, but could worsen if Venezuelans fail to see him achieving tangible results, León said.

During last week’s negotiations in Oslo, Guaidó said they were only part of his team’s larger strategy to oust Maduro.

“We repeat it: we are working in all options to end the dictatorship and are advancing in each of them: mediation of countries that approach a solution in Venezuela, international cooperation, and encouraging constitutional backing from our Armed Forces,” he tweeted. (The Washington Post)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSday, may 23, 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

GPL seems to be running the nation “mad” Dear Editor, When the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) took over, I sent a reaffirming letter complimenting and recognising his efforts. Now, with GPL here in Guyana, there is much cause for concern. Things seems to be going from bad to worse in their hemisphere of the provision of quality and effective power supply to the citizens of Guyana.

The constant “blackouts” are a terror to the minds of the Guyanese peo-

ple. For two successive days there were power outages on the East Coast of Demerara. This went on for more than 12 hours. As a result, Guyanese are unable to programme their lives. On one occasion, I can recall on the East Coast of Demerara where I live, there were power shortages 10 times in one day and on another occasion, 20 times in one day. I am thankful that I have a generator to tide me over during these ‘unkind power interruptions” by GPL. But what about the poor persons with-

out the backup services of a generator and what they are going through during this ordeal of being without electricity? Imagine what happens to small businesses and industries in terms of operations and production and how persistent power shortages negatively affect their contributions to the economy of the country?

The disruptions of power supply caused the post in front of my house to “spark”.

When I telephoned GPL to report this incident, a “fancy recorded voice came on

the phone saying “press this and press that”. I was told by this same “fancy recorded voice” that I was number 19 at first, then I became number three in the queue waiting to register my complaint, and after waiting on hold on the line for a long time, as instructed to by the same “fancy voice”, I automatically went to number five on the line instead. And I was not given a chance to air my complaint and to seek redress, imagine my utmost frustration which is nothing compared to the frustrations that

the more poor and in need Guyanese are experiencing at the hands of GPL. The point that I am trying to get at is these large consumer service providing companies do not realise that the inability of persons to reach them reflects badly on them and indirectly on the governing powers of the land, especially so in an elections atmosphere.

I am writing this letter out of deep respect, and a love for democracy and country. I believe in protocol and it pains me to write a letter

like this about the inefficiency of our foremost electrical supplier. The point to note is that many poor people without representation and the ability to complain have their electrical appliances damaged and they do not know how to represent themselves.

We hope and pray that the suffering of the Guyanese people will come to an end and the troubles that GPL is going through will come to an end.

Sincerely, Roshan Khan Sr

President is not compliant with Integrity Commission Act Dear Editor, I am shocked, maybe I should say appalled, and my jaw dropped when I read the Ministry of the Presidency’s release, dated May 22, 2019, that President David Granger is not compliant with the Integrity Commission Act and has not fulfilled his obligations in filing his declarations.

This is the height of hypocrisy and it is the clearest manifestation of duplicity. It is a betrayal of the promised transparency and accountability and it is yet the clearest revelation of how hollow and insincere he and his Administration

have been, as it relates to keeping their word.

Mr President, please remember your word is your bond. Let your ‘yea’ be ‘yea’ and your ‘nay’ be ‘nay’.

Editor, to remind, it is this President who is now residing at Pearl, East Bank Demerara, in a newly built state-of-the-art, well-facilitated and equipped, mansion. He took up residence at this location after May 2015 when he took the oath of office. He should have already filed since June 2015 explaining to the Integrity Commission the source of the resources for such an undertaking, as well as declaring what his liabilities

are. We are now in 2019 and he is still not compliant.

What Guyanese have seen in the past four years is the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition Government: disbanding the Integrity Commission Secretariat; taking actions to evict the Integrity Commission from its home in a building adjacent to State House; taking possession of the records of those who dutifully filed since the passage of the Integrity Commission Act; non-support for the motion tabled in the National Assembly by the People’s

Progressive Party/Civic for declarations to the Integrity Commission to be made public; and a lack of leadership in ensuring that coalition Government Ministers and other politically appointed public officials fulfil their statutory duty by filing their declarations with the Integrity Commission.

To be told today that the President “will file” is insulting to every law abiding citizen of this country.

Editor, it must also be noted that it was only after pressure from the parliamentary Opposition for the establishment of the Integrity Commission and

parliamentary pressure, during the consideration of national budgets, that it was put in place.

In addition to the fact that President Granger has not complied with the law, the primary consideration in the minds of Guyanese is whether, when he does file, the declarations will accurately reflect his assets and liabilities. One also wonders, if this failure is a carryover from the days when President Granger sat in the National Assembly as Leader of the Opposition and did nothing to ensure his team also complied with the law.

Is President Granger

aware that every gift that he receives, valued more than US$50, needs to be declared? Is he in possession of an itemised list of all gifts that he has received since assuming office as Head of State?

Maybe, a goodwill gesture to win the trust and regain the confidence of all Guyanese is for President Granger to not only file with the Integrity Commission, but to also make his declarations public.

Sincerely, Bishop Juan Edghill, PPP/C parliamentarian

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THURSday, may 23, 2019

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very day, people make choices that affect the amount of trash and pollution that gets produced in our world. What can you do? A whole lot, actually. Here’s a four-step guide to being green: Reduce the amount of stuff you use and throw away.

Reuse stuff when you can.

Recycle cans, bottles, paper, books, and even toys.

Enjoy the Earth – walk in the woods, plant a tree, and eat some of the delicious food it produces.

Take your own bags – preferably reusable ones – when you go to the grocery store.

Organise a swap among your friends. What can you swap? Books, toys, even clothes. It’s a way for everyone to get something new without spending any money and without throwing a bunch of stuff away. Set aside some items for your swap when you’re cleaning your room!

Take paper from your computer printouts and use the other side for more computer printing or just to draw or doodle on.

Reduce it!

When you use less of something, you do a good thing for the Earth. For instance, a shorter shower means you used less water and less fuel since your house uses fuel to run the water heater that warmed up the water.

Here’s a list of other stuff you can reduce: Turn off lights you’re not using. Better yet, encourage your parents to switch to energy efficient light bulbs, like compact fluorescent light (CFL) or light emitting diodes (LED). They last longer and use less energy. The CFLs should be recycled and do need to be disposed of properly, though, so make sure your mom or dad helps if one breaks.

Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth.

When you can, walk or ride your bike instead of riding in a car. You’ll use less gas – and get some exercise!

Unplug the chargers for your phone and MP3 player when you’re not using them.

Put your computer to “sleep” instead of leaving it on with the screensaver running.

Reuse it!

Sometimes people call ours a “throwaway society”.

That means that we’re a little too willing to throw away old stuff and buy new stuff. Many times, even if you no longer need something, someone else just might. For instance, if your baby brother outgrows his plastic basketball hoop, why not give it to another family who has a little kid? That’s one less plastic basketball set that they need to buy. It’s also one less large plastic toy that needs to be produced, packaged, and shipped to the toy store.

Here are some other ways to reuse the stuff you have: Choose reusable travel cups instead of disposable paper or plastic cups.

Recycle it!

Tell your mom or dad you want to become “Chief of Recycling” for your household. That means you’ll organise the recyclable items in bins, and help remind others which items can be rinsed and recycled.

By separating plastic bottles, cans, bottles, and more, you’re reducing the amount of trash that goes to the landfill. What’s a landfill? A big mountain of trash, where all the trash trucks go to dump their loads. Recycled goods go instead to a recycling centre, where they can be crushed, broken down, and later turned into new cans, bottles, and paper.

What else can be recycled? Sometimes water can be. For instance, some communities take used water – like from the washing machine and shower – and clean it up so it’s safe to use for watering the grass and flowers.

Enjoy it!

It’s true that trash and pollution are problems, but the Earth remains a huge and glorious place that’s ready for you to explore. You can start locally by visiting the naturally beautiful spots in your area. Go for a hike, visit local nature centres and gardens, climb up mountains, and explore lazy creeks.

Experience the outdoors in all sorts of weather – from a sunny day at the beach or lake to a rainy adventure. And if you’re planning a family vacation, suggest a trip to a national treasure.

But before you travel the globe, take a look at your own backyard. Is there a spot where you could plant a tree or put in a little fruit or vegetable garden? If so, get out there and get your hands dirty. Then you can watch with pride as your tree takes root and your garden plants grow from sprigs to big plants full of ripe, red tomatoes or tiny, juicy berries. Who knew being green would taste so good? (kidshealth.org)

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f you’ve ever watched a hospital show on TV, you’ve probably seen cardiopulmonary resuscitation (say: kar-dee-o-PUL-muhnair-ee rih-suh-sih-TAY-shun). It’s called CPR for short and it saves lives. Let’s find out how it works.

What Is CPR? Cardio means “of the heart” and pulmonary means “of the lungs”. Resuscitation is a medical word that means “to revive” — or bring back to life. Sometimes CPR can help a person who has stopped breathing, and whose heart may have stopped beating, to stay alive.

People who handle emergencies – such as Police Officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, and nurses – are all trained to do CPR. Many other teens and adults — like lifeguards, teachers, childcare workers, and maybe even your mom or dad — know how to do CPR, too.

The person giving CPR — called a rescuer — follows 3 main steps, which are known as C-A-B: C: do chest compressions A: check the airway B: do rescue breathing Chest compressions Someone giving CPR (the rescuer) will probably use both hands, one placed over the other, to press on the person’s chest many times in a row to move blood out of the heart that has stopped beating.

These are called chest compressions and they help move oxygen-carrying blood to the body’s vital organs – especially the all-important brain. A person who goes too long without oxygen reaching the brain will die.

In between each compression, the hands are lifted off the chest to let the chest go back to where it was. This allows blood to flow back toward the heart. In this way, the rescuer can keep the person alive by continuing to supply blood and oxygen to the brain and the rest of the body, until emergency help – like the paramedics – arrives to take the person to a hospital.

Checking the airways After 30 compressions have been completed, the rescuer checks the airway to see if the person is breathing.

Rescue breathing If the person is not breathing, TWO rescue breaths are given. This is called artificial respiration (say: ar-tuh-FIH-shul respuh-RAY-shun), mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing, or mouth-tomouth resuscitation.

To do this, a rescuer puts his or her mouth over the other person’s open mouth and blows, forcing air into the lungs. (Ideally, the rescuer will use a special mask so that their mouths don’t actually have to touch.) Rescue breathing helps to move oxygen, which everyone needs to live, down into the lungs of the person who isn’t breathing. Chest compressions should start again right after the two breaths are given.

Instead of doing mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing, professional rescuers – such as paramedics – will provide artificial breathing for someone by using a mask with a special hand pump connected to an oxygen tank. Doctors in the emergency department will put a tube into the person’s windpipe to pump oxygen directly through the tube and into the lungs.

When should someone use CPR? The steps in CPR (compressions, airway, and breathing) should be used whenever someone is not breathing and when the heart is not beating.

Someone can stop breathing and/or have cardiac arrest from: heart attacks strokes (when the blood flow to a part of the brain suddenly stops) choking on something that blocks the entire airway near-drowning incidents (when someone is underwater for too long and stops breathing) a very bad neck, head, or back injury severe electrical shocks (like from touching a power line) being very sick from a serious infection too much bleeding severe allergic reactions swallowing a drug or chemical (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

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thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Former Best Cop jailed for contempt ...tells Magistrate he is displeased with her tone

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Police Inspector was jailed for a few hours after he was found in contempt of court on Wednesday.

Inspector Prem Narine was jailed by Magistrate Rondell Weaver at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts initially for seven days. At the time of his appearance, he was testifying in a $2.1 million fraud case against Mohamed Ali. Ali was charged for pretending to be Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence and therein collecting $2.1 million under false pre-

tence.

While giving evidence, the Inspector on several occasions asked to see the statement he provided in the matter to refresh his memory. However, things went downhill when the Inspector asked again to see his initial statement and Ali began behaving disorderly in the courtroom.

The Magistrate allegedly shouted at the prisoner to conduct himself properly and told the Inspector in the same tone that he too cannot be constantly requesting his statement to

refresh his memory.

This allegedly angered the Inspector, who told the Magistrate to address him properly, while allegedly uttering other remarks to the Magistrate.

He was then ordered to exit the witness box and to take a seat, but he reportedly began to raise his voice at Magistrate Weaver. The Magistrate then warned him again, but the Inspector allegedly walked out of the witness box and walked out of the courtroom. A Police Constable was told to arrest him for contempt, but

the Inspector blatantly told the Constable that he was of a higher rank and could not be arrested by him. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to the Camp Street Prison for one week.

However, as he was awaiting transport to the prison, the Inspector began complaining of feeling unwell and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he remained a patient under Police guard.

His lawyers subsequently moved to the High Court to have the sentence reduced to a few hours.

Inspector Prem Narine

Suspected Linden bandit succumbs to injuries ‌after thrashing by villagers

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suspected bandit on Tuesday succumbed to injuries after he was caught and beaten by residents in Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

Dead is 37-yearold Leonard Moriah of Silvertown, Wismar, Linden. Moriah was taken for medical attention on Tuesday following a sound thrashing from residents after he broke and entered and stole a number of items from a house at Block 22, Wismar, Linden.

A post-mortem exam-

ination (PME) conducted on Wednesday revealed Moriah died from blunt force trauma to the head and abdomen.

According to Police, at about 03:45h on Tuesday, the suspect broke into the Lot 330 Block 22, Wismar home where he allegedly stole an Acer laptop valued $120,000, two speaker boxes valued $13,000, an IPhone valued $30,000 and a Samsung J2 Prime cellphone valued $33,000. The Police report stated that the family retired to bed at about 21:00h on Monday.

Dead: Leonard Moriah

One of the occupants of the home reportedly woke up to use the washroom at about 03:45h and saw the suspect, who was reportedly armed with a firearm in the house. An alarm was raised and neighbours rushed out to lend assistance.

The residents tried to relieve the suspect of his firearm, which resulted in him being shot in the region of his left knee. He was apprehended and handed over to the Police after which he reportedly informed ranks that he was beaten by residents in the area.

At the scene Police re-

portedly found a Smith and Wesson semi-automatic pistol, a magazine with five live rounds of ammunition, along with a black bag, a pair of nippers, two knives, gloves, a face mask and a wire stripper. The firearm was lodged into Police custody and investigations launched into the incidents.

E Division Commander (Linden-Kwakwani), Linden Lord on Wednesday said several persons have been questioned in relation to the incident and a file will be prepared for legal advice on the way forward with the matter.

8 News

thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Minibus driver, conductor charged for rape

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minibus driver and a conductor were hauled before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday on a rape charge.

Keron Adams and Roy Roach stood before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, who read the charge to them.

It is alleged that on October 30, 2018 in Georgetown, Adams engaged in sexual penetration of a 12-year-old child, while Roach was charged with causing the child to have sexual penetra-

Roy Roach and Keron Adams

tion with Adams.

Adams, 19, is a conductor

on a Route 48 minibus and resides in D Field, Turkeyen,

Greater Georgetown, while Roach is the 41-year-old driver of the said minibus.

The prosecution is contending that the 12-year-old was a passenger in the minibus when Roach drove to a house in Georgetown and locked the child in a room with Adams.

The matter was held in-camera on Wednesday, and the two men were remanded to prison. The case will continue on May 29, 2019.

Duo charged for breaking into Albouystown shop

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cleaner and a driver were remanded to prison on Wednesday by Magistrate Faith McGusty when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a larceny charge.

Compton Fernandes, 47, of Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Latchman Sukham, 43, of Albouystown, Georgetown denied the charges that between May 20 and May 21, 2019 at Albouystown,

Georgetown, they broke and entered the shop of Shanelle Prince and stole two gas bottles valued $17,000 and one Samung music set speaker valued $96,000.

The prosecution is contending that a relative of

the owner was passing the business establishment when that person noticed that the shop was opened.

Upon checking, the two men were discovered in the shop and an alarm was raised.

Fernandes and Sukham were both arrested.

Prosecutor Ceon Blackman objected to bail on the grounds of the prevalence of the offence and also stated that the men provided incorrect addresses to the Police.

Magistrate McGusty upheld the prosecutor’s submission and remanded the two men to prison. The case will continue on June 5, 2019.

Woman on bail for fraudulent conversion

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mother of one was taken before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday to answer to a fraudulent conversion charge.

Diana Vickram of Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara (ECD) pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to her by Magistrate Faith McGusty. The charge stated that the 22-year-old on February 26, 2019 while being solely entrusted with a gold chain valued $120,000, property of Murish Charran, fraudulently converted it to her own use.

In court on Wednesday, Vickram denied receiving any item from the Virtual Complainant.

Prosecutor Ceon Blackman did not object to bail; however, he requested conditions be attached to the granting of pre-trial liberty.

The defendant was released on $50,000 bail. As a condition of her bail, Vickram will have to report to the Vigilance Police Station once per week until the completion of the trial.

The case will continue on June 5, 2019 at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.

Descent into the abyss…

T

…via PNC neuroses

o read about the goings on at GECOM’s meetings is like looking at Eugene O’Neil’s classic Long day’s journey into night. In the latter, the dysfunctional Tyrone family’s fatal flaws of addiction and alcoholism erupt in every act, and with depressing regularity, all end up in frustration as the ties of togetherness become increasingly frayed.

With GECOM, the fruit of Granger’s fatal unilateral choice of Patterson spills over in rancour and bitterness at every meeting – as the former pulls the strings to prolong the life of his Government.

Each in its own way, is a tragedy and from the beginning, we know what the ending will be – and it ain’t gonna be pretty. After all, alcoholism, drug addiction and elections rigging to hold onto power are all compulsions that have a logic of their own – a logic that drags everyone around into a vortex of destruction. In O’Neil’s case, he knew what he was writing about – pretty much a history of his own selfdestructive family. And in our case, those of us like your Eyewitness who lived through the first, long iteration of the PNC that ended in the destruction of everything we held dear, it’s like “déjà vu all over again”!!

Just look at the latest Act in the GECOM tragedy. With the CCJ’s decision on the NCM looming over the political system that was thrown for a loop when the PNC did a volte face and refused the NCM that was validated by the Speaker – who Granger had also appointed – GECOM ignored the warning signals thrown their way by the august Justices. The latter wanted to know why the hell, after the said approval by the National Assembly of the NCM, GECOM didn’t crank into action for the constitutionally mandated General Elections in three months!!

And ditto when the said approval was affirmed by the High Court in the person of our eminent Chief Justice – after the PNC clutched at the “half-person” straw thrown their way! Well more of GECOM neuroses were exposed at this last meeting. Seems the legal counsel of GECOM informed the CCJ there was no need for an appearance of her body, since, having no skin in the game, would comply with whatever decision was handed down.

All hell broke loose as Patterson and the PNC Commissioners laced into her. And now we know why GECOM sent up miserable Marcus to the CCJ. And was crucified!!

But even more damning was the legal counsel’s circulated opinion that there really was no need for a house-to-house exercise!!

How dare she offer her opinion, without being told by the PNC what that is!!

…on GECOM’s racial discrimination

The pathology of the PNC’s condition was best described

by Walter Rodney. It emanated from Burnham – its “founder leader” – who was afflicted with a “reverse” Midas Touch.

Unlike the original Greek King, everything Burnham touched turned to “sh*t”!! Rodney defended his seemingly harsh diagnosis of Burnham and the PNC’s condition by pointing to the destruction of lives emanating from their actions.

And today, we can appreciate Rodney prescience when we examine GECOM’s operations run by Granger’s handpicked appointee, Patterson. After a complaint was filed with the ERC that GECOM’s hiring policies were racially discriminatory, Patterson was summoned by the ERC to explain their hiring practices.

Patterson showed up but climbed up on such a high horse, he had to be rebuked. To every question, he answered, “don’t know” but would get back to the ERC with the data requested.

The man – who was supposed to be a “fit and proper” Judge – never did!!

Touched by the PNC, he’s willing to close his eyes to racial discrimination!! Ka-Ka everywhere!!

…in other Commissions

Just like GECOM, the Forestry Commission’s being “touched” by the PNC, after a “task force to reorganise and restructure” the body was launched.

Addressing concerns by present staff about his personal AFC appointee Clayton Hall, Trotman dismissed them as “misguided”!!

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

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thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

APNU-appointed REO padlocks AFC Councillor in room

Region Two REO Dennis Jaikarran

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showdown between the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) appointed Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dennis Jaikarran and Alliance For Change (AFC) Regional Councillor, Nathram in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) ended with the Police being called to the Regional Democratic Council Office.

Reports are on

AFC Councillor Nathram standing in the locked office before the Police arrived on Wednesday Wednesday, Nathram was fice.

Guyana Times was told in an office, which is under the Regional Finance that Nathram then said he Department and located in- called the Police, who went side the Regional Compound to the compound and finalin Anna Regina, Essequibo ly opened the door. The AFC Coast, but it was padlocked Councillor said since the last within the building by sitting of the RDC where he Jaikarran. questioned the attitude of According to Nathram, the REO towards the acthe was inside his office when ing Regional Chairman, the REO placed a padlock on Nandranie Coonjah – after his office door from the out- the REO failed to recognised side, locking him in the of- her – there has been high

Despite no-confidence motion

APNU/AFC hoping to full term in office – Granger

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ith the possibility of general elections drawing nearer, President David Granger has signalled that his Administration is still hoping to complete their full term in office.

In 2015, the coalition Administration took office, indicating that elections would be hosted in 2020.

However, in December 21, 2019, a No-confidence Motion was tabled and passed in the National Assembly, tumbling the Government.

Since then, the Government moved to the courts to challenge the validity of the motion, saying a 34 majority is needed for it to be successfully passed.

On Wednesday, President David Granger, said the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) is hoping to complete a full term in

office, a decision which lies with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

“I know there have been challenges but we would like to complete our term depending on what GECOM tells us,” he stated.

The President’s statement came as a surprise to many, as GECOM’s elections readiness itself has been called into question and has since also engaged the attention of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George, in January, upheld the December 21, 2018 passage of the Noconfidence Motion, ruling that in Guyana’s 65-member National Assembly, a majority is 33. This, however, was appealed by Attorney General Basil Williams.

At the Court of Appeal, while Justice Rishi Persaud had dismissed the appeal

and concurred with the ruling of the High Court, his colleague appellate Judges allowed the State’s appeal.

Both Justices Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Dawn Gregory opined that while 33 was the majority of the 65-member National Assembly, the successful passage of a No-confidence Motion required an “absolute majority” of 34 and not the “simple” 33 majority that has been used to pass ordinary business in the House.

Following the ruling, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo stated that the Constitution of Guyana is pellucid on what number of votes is needed for the passage of a no-confidence motion; it is a majority of all elected parliamentarians – the majority of 65 is 33 votes.

Turn to page 14

tension at the office. At the RDC meeting, the REO had tried to rebut the Councillor but was asked by Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt to take his seat but this did not go down well with him. The REO then stormed out of the meeting and instructed the regional administration employees to follow him.

Nathram on Wednesday claimed that since the incident at the RDC, the REO has instructed the security guards not to allow his vehicle to enter the compound.

However, Jaikarran said he wrote Nathram about two

weeks ago, indicating that he needed to vacate his office to facilitate renovations. He said he told the Councillor that he will be temporarily housed inside another office until the renovation work is complete. According to Jaikarran, Nathram is not complying and he was forced to put a padlock on the door because there are very important documents and equipment stored in the said office space. Police at Anna Regina have since taken a statement from Nathram and an investigation has been launched.

Meanwhile, speaking

with Guyana Times, several other Councillors on the RDC said the feud between the APNU and AFC regional officials has been affecting the work of the RDC which is seeking to better the lives of the people of Region Two. One Councillor noted that several statutory meetings are being cancelled because of the pettiness of the two officials. The Councillor added that this is stymieing the mandate of the RDC, while another Councillor added that they are fearful Region Two will be dragged into a political battle as is with the case of the Region Five RDC.

10 news

thurSday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

City Hall asked to pay legal fees racked up by former Town Clerk

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he already cashstrapped Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is now being asked to pay legal fees racked up by former Town Clerk Royston Clerk, who was fired earlier this year over gross misconduct at the local organ body.

Attorney Maxwell Edwards is making the claim for consultancy services he provided to King at a rate of $250,000 monthly. This agreement between the now fired Town Clerk and the lawyer was brought to light by the current Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe, at a statutory meeting on Wednesday.

She informed the Mayor and Councillors that Edwards is making claims for consultancy services provided to City Hall based on an agreement he had with King. The attorney reminded the Council of the monies owed to him in a recent correspondence.

Edwards had represented King during a 2018 Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations of City Council.

After the probe, conducted by retired Justice Cecil Kennard, it was found that King was guilty of gross misconduct, and was later fired from the Council in January 2019.

One of the 31 recommen-

Royston King

dations from the CoI report was that criminal charges be laid against King. If he was found guilty of several offences, a request was made for law enforcement agencies and the Auditor General to continue with the probe.

Prior to his dismissal, King was sent on administrative leave on September 21, 2018 to facilitate the inquiry.

The CoI report concluded that King leased lands to Quick Shipping Incorporated at Lombard Street, which are owned by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). Throughout that time, the company argued, payments of $625,000 were made on three occasions but there were only receipts at the Council for two disbursements.

King appeared before the one-man Commission after being subpoenaed and positioned that he was “un-

aware” or couldn’t “recall” most of the incidents.

Moreover, the management of the Giftland Mall had also informed that King had a special arrangement between the City Hall and the enterprise, whereby he would waive taxes.

MCG Investments Inc Consultant Ray Hugh represented the owner of the Mall, Roy Beepat, and exposed that a meeting was convened between the duo, whereby it was agreed that all rates and taxes, including penalties and interests would be waived completely for the years 2015 and 2016.

Giftland Mall would only be required to pay a sum of $11,467,500 after the interests and penalties would have been waived. This was after a letter was issued, stating that the Mall owed $44,255,183 to the municipality.

King reportedly issued a letter sometime after, stating that the agreement ‘no longer stood’ because of the lapse of time and ‘certain circumstances’.

The Town Clerk admitted that he did attend the meeting, but only at the behest of the Finance Sub-Committee who thought of it as the best way of obtaining whatever sum was owed. King also refuted claims about the waiving of outstanding rates and taxes.

Testimony to the CoI

pointed that then Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and the Town Clerk were not working collectively to meet the needs of the city. This was shared by CoI Chairman, Justice Kennard, who told the LGC and media operatives that neglect has been one of the key traits shared by senior officials.

“I’m convinced that the Town Clerk and the Mayor are not working in the best interest of the city…To sum it all, most of the woes of the City Council has been due to neglect and mismanagement by the top officers of the Council,” he posited.

Justice Kennard, in his report, had stated too that the former Town Clerk was guilty of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and misappropriation of funds. He also stated that King performed the duties of Treasurer and other officers of the Council, which were not his designated duties.

In light of these findings, King appeared before the Local Government Commission (LGC) to answer to the findings of the report and was also requested to present dialogue on other matters. However, his refusal to discuss the accusations which were brought against him triggered a decision on the part of the Commission to dismiss him with immediate effect.

Baby found dead in tub…

Teen mother, father previously investigated According to the grandby CCPA mother, she left the 15-year-

T

he West Berbice teen mother – whose ninemonth-old baby was found dead in tub filed with water on Monday – along with the baby’s father were previously investigated by the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA).

Guyana Times was told that the CCPA was called in after the teen, who was 14 years old at the time, had left her mother’s home and had gone to live with her then 16-year-old boyfriend. When she became pregnant in late 2017, the Police were called and the 16-year-old boyfriend was arrested. Following his arrest, the CCPA provided counselling for the pregnant girl, who also received support from her mother. The baby was born in August 2018 and lived with his mother.

This publication was told that after the investigation was completed, legal advice was sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

However, the charge of statutory rape was not recommended given the age of the two teens. As such, the pregnant 14-year-old moved back home with her mother.

Reports are the toddle reportedly crept to the bathroom which is situated outside the house and fell into the tub of clothes. The child’s body was found by his grandmother, Surojdai Trim, called “Navita”.

old mother and her child in the lower flat and went to take a nap. According to the grandmother, her daughter was lying in a chair and the child was playing on the floor.

She related that about 30 minutes later, she awoke and saw her daughter asleep but did not see her grandchild.

She said she began looking for the toddler and as she peered into the bathroom, she saw her grandson’s body in the tub. Trim said she raised an alarm and tried to revive her grandson, but was advised by neighbours who had gathered to put the child down and call the Police, since he was already dead.

Guyana Times was told that the Police arrived several minutes later and the baby was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police are investigating the matter.

Meanwhile, the CCPA has been providing the baby’s mother with counselling and arrangements were made since last year to have her return to school. However, the girl has reportedly not been fulfilling her part of the arrangement.

The young mother also did not show up at the CCPA office in Berbice to sign documents to have a caregiver take care the child while she went to school.

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thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

of State pledges to recognition, Gaming Authority denies Head elevation of legal fraternity victimising investor P …says principal previously convicted of money laundering

General Manager of the Guiana Holding Inc, Superbet, Shrikant Kisoensingh

T

he Guiana Holding Incorporated, trading as Superbet, recently complained that it is not being granted its renewal of licences owing to victimisation on the part of the Guyana Gaming Authority.

The Gaming Authority, however, on Wednesday denied stymieing the investor.

In response to Superbet’s General Manager Shrikant Kisoensingh’s statements, the Gaming Authority explained that the certificate of good standing, which is required by the agency, was not produced by the trending gambling attraction but is necessary to qualify the business for their licence renewal.

According to the Gaming Authority, the certificate of good standing is just one of

nine requirements needed by a business when applying for a Betting Shop Licence. The others include an approved building plan; approval letter from the Central Housing and Planning Authority; a fire safety certificate from the Guyana Fire Service; receipt of deposit made to the Accountant General; copy of certificate of incorporation; copy of identification of Directors; copy of Tax Identification Number (TIN) certificate; and a completed application form for trade and miscellaneous licences.

Before 2018, a letter of good standing from the Authority did not form part of the process but was later introduced to ensure due diligence for the purpose of Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), it added.

Further, it added that the Gaming Authority is the supervisory authority of casinos, lotteries and betting shops for purposes of the AML/CFT Act (as amended) while the Guyana Revenue Authority is the licencing authority for betting shops.

Section 9 (2) of the Tax Act, gives the power to licence for betting premises to the Guyana Revenue Authority.

According to the state-

ment issued by the agency, it had informed all applicants for the good standing certification of the purpose and time frames in which the activities can be concluded.

Additionally they were told that this process is in keeping with Section 22 of the AML/CFT Act (as amended), the Gaming Authority said.

“The certification they were advised, can be withdrawn, if any evidence is uncovered in the future, that points to any breach of the AML/CFT Act 2009 (as amended).The time frame is in keeping with internationally recognised standard, which range from as little as six months for organisations, such as, Superbet, to as long as 18 months. This is dependent on the depth of investigation needed to be conducted,” the Authority stated.

It noted that Superbet had applied for their good standing certificate on September 14, 2018 and during the course of the Gaming Authority’s due diligence in January 2019, was provided with information, that one of the principals of Guiana Holding Inc, was convicted of money-laundering and served a four-year sentence. turn to page 13

resident David Granger has pledged continued recognition and elevation of members of the legal fraternity.

The Head of State was at the time speaking at a ceremony where five lawyers were presented with their Instruments of Commission, appointing them Senior Counsels.

“The conferral of the honour of Senior Counsel has become balanced. Three women, who are ‘learned in the law’, were conferred with the title in 2017 – the first time in our history that women were so recognised.

Another outstanding female attorney-at law was appointed a Senior Counsel last year. This year, we honour two eminent female members of the profession,” the President stated.

The two female lawyers, who were elevated to senior counsel were Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack and Carole James-Boston.

They, along with Stephen Fraser, Rajendra Poonai and Robert Ramcharran, were announced as Senior Counsels on December 31, 2018. Their appointments were made effective from January 1, 2019.

Addressing the gathering at Wednesday’s ceremony, President Granger told the new Senior Counsels that the parchment they received may fade with age,

President David Granger (third from left) with the five new Senior Counsels after presenting them with their Instruments of Commission at State House on Wednesday

but the honour that it represents will fortify their profession.

“Your preferment will enrich your practice with the passage of time,” he said.

According to the Head of State, the conferral of the Senior Counsel title is not a personal favour or political reward but is done on the basis of merit and is uncontaminated by arbitrariness or capriciousness.

“The eminent women and men before you today deserve the designation of Senior Counsel by virtue of their erudition, experience and expertise,” he asserted.

President Granger further stated that it is his duty to ensure that the conferment of the title of Senior Counsel would be made annually, with regularity and

consistency. Failure to confer these awards, he added, would constitute a dereliction of these duties.

This year’s conferral of silk is the third such appointment done by President Granger. In 2017, the Head of State appointed Neil Boston, Charles Fung-AFat, Justice Roxane George, Llewelyn John, Rafiq Turhan Khan, Vidyanand Persaud, Rosalie Robertson, Justice Claudette Singh, and Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Basil Williams, as Senior Counsel.

The following year, Kalam Azad Juman-Yassin, Fitz Le Roy Peters, Andrew Pollard and Josephine Whitehead were conferred with silk.

Prior to these appointments, the last conferral of silk was done in 1996.

12 News

thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sophia man jailed for 21 years for scrap metal dealer’s murder

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fter facing two trials and both ending in a hung jury at the Demerara High Court, Rondell Bacchus of C Field, Sophia Squatting Area, Greater Georgetown, on Wednesday opted to plead guilty to the charges of murder and three counts of robbery related offences, halting another re-trial.

The accused, originally charged with murder, stood before Justice Navindra Singh and pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, which stated that on July 24, 2008, in Georgetown, he unlawfully killed scrap metal dealer Akbar Alli.

The second charge stated that on the said date and location, the accused being armed with a gun robbed Alli and his wife, Rameena Bibi Hydar, of over $2.1 million. The other charges read that on August 15, 2008, at Georgetown, Bacchus had in his possession a .38 colt revolver along with six matching rounds of ammunition without being a

Jailed: Rondell Bacchus

licensed firearm holder.

Bacchus pleaded guilty to all the charges after it was read to him. Attorney Nigel Hughes in association with Ashley Henry and Ronald Daniels represented the accused, while the State’s case was led by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy, in association with Teriq Mohammed and Abigail Gibbs.

In a plea of mitigation, defence attorney Hughes asked the court to be lenient with his client as he would have had extensive time to re-think what he did and is remorseful for his actions which caused a life to be lost.

Meanwhile, Bacchus is a statement told the Judge that he did not come to waste the court’s time but rather accept the responsibility for the offence, as well as to apologise for what he had done.

Justice Singh before sentencing the accused advised him that he should prepare himself for his release back into society as he is still young and can contribute to society. As such, Bacchus was sentenced to 16 years, eight months for the offence of manslaughter, three years for armed robbery and one year each for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, which is to run concurrently.

According to reports, on the day in question, around 13:00h, Alli withdrew about $2.1 million from a city bank and went with his wife to another city bank after which he proceeded to Brickdam to transact business with an auto dealer.

He parked and along with his wife, exited the vehicle, when two men rode up on a motorcycle and snatched the bag containing the money which his wife had.

The men then rode away, but Alli gave chase, and one of the bandits shot him in the chest. The injured man was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he eventually succumbed.

Albouystown man on trial for killing minibus driver

Dead: Elvin Lorrimer

Murder accused: Terry Cromwell

erry Cromwell of King Edward Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, on Wednesday appeared at the Demerara High Court before Justice Navindra Singh and an empanelled 12-member mixed jury for the commencement of the trial into the shooting death of a Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) minibus driver in March on 2016.

The 26-year-old accused faced the indictment, which stated that between March 21 and 22, 2016, in the vicinity of the Linden minibus park, he murdered Elvin Lorrimer.

To this charge he pleaded not guilty. In this trial, the State’s case is being led by Prosecutors Abigail Gibbs in association with Teriq Mohammed and Tuanna Hardy.

Among the witnesses that took the stand on Wednesday to give evidence were Judah Lorrimer, son of the deceased; Police Constable Richard Randy; and Kelvis Thomas, crime scene photographer.

Lorrimer Jnr in his testimony told the court that on the day in question, he received two phone calls, one of which alerted him of the incident involving his father. The court further heard that as a result of same, the younger Lorrimer informed his family and they visited the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) but were however unable to see the elder Lorrimer.

Meanwhile, under cross-examination, the witness admitted that he was aware that his father was experiencing “money problems” with another male, as this matter also reached the

courts.

Police Constable Richard Randy related to the court that around 18:00h on March 22, 2016, he received a phone call and as a result of same he visited the GPHC Mortuary where the family of the deceased had identified his body.

The court was informed that a post-mortem examination (PME) was conducted on the dead man’s body in the presence of Constable Randy, who stated that PME results revealed that the elder Lorrimer died as a result of multiple gun shots wounds.

On the other hand, the crime scene photographer during his testimony disclosed that after receiving a phone call on March 21, 2016, he visited the scene of a suspected shooting. During the said visit, he took pictures of the area which were used as exhibits in the trial.

According to reports, the elder Lorrimer was standing on the roadway at the Linden minibus park on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, around 21:00h, when two men rode up on a CG motorcycle, one of whom discharged rounds at him before riding away.

Lorrimer was hit to his chest and left foot, and was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

Cromwell was arrested after an eyewitness positively identified him as being one of the men on the motorcycle on the night in question. It is unclear whether the rider of the bike, who was held for assisting Cromwell in escaping, is still in custody and whether he would also face charges.

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thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

ECD schools’ regional PTA resuscitated

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he Education Department in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) has resuscitated the regional Parent Teachers Association (PTA). The Association had previously aided in the effective execution of issues and concerns facing schools on both the East Coast and East Bank; however, some five years ago it became dormant.

Acting Regional Education Officer, Tiffany Harvey, welcomed the resuscitation of the East Coast body after elec-

tions were held at the Department’s boardroom in Triumph, East Coast Demerara. The regional officer has since noted that the schools involved have all expressed excitement over the initiative, stressing that she firmly believes it will help in creating and crafting a culture where every stakeholder feels included in what is taking place. This, she said, will aid in reducing and or eradicating several difficulties and challenges confronting a number of schools, as the body would be able to inculcate various methods and

The newly elected executive body of the East Coast PTA

systems, thus supporting the respective schools in enhancing its environment

53rd Independence anniversary

Culture Department to host flag raising concert on Friday

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he Culture Department’s second annual flag raising concert will be hosted on Friday at the Stabroek Market Square in observance of Guyana’s 53rd Independence anniversary celebrations.

Among the exciting local artistes expected to perform at the concert are Jomo Primo; reigning Chutney King, Steven Ramphal; Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts; Michelle “Big Red” King; Young Bill Rogers and Gavin Mendonca among others.

At a press conference

hosted on Wednesday at the Culture Department’s office on Main Street, Georgetown, a few of the artistes promised an exhilarating time.

Primo told Guyana Times that the event is perfect for persons who are visiting to get a glimpse of Guyana’s rich culture as the event will be showcasing only local talent. It will feature soca, chutney, calypso and even gospel music.

Coordinator of the Independence celebrations, Andrew Tyndall, was keen to note that security will be provided as he noted too that last year’s concert had

thousands of attendees and no incidents were recorded.

Following Friday’s concert will be a flag raising and youth rally on Sunday at D’Urban Park, beginning at 10:00h.

The one-hour programme will see the participation of 5000 students from various regions in the rally, as well as the choir. This year is the first year that so many youths are participating, Tyndall told the media.

He explained that the Department is seeking to develop patriotism among the young people at an early age.

for all to learn.

The Education Department head stressed

that her intentions for both the East Coast and the East Bank are they would remain very active as she foresees the PTAs playing a critically important role in advancing education within the region. She disclosed that after the East Bank’s election, there would be another election to elect a regional body.

Harvey further disclosed that various stakeholders would be invited to forge relationships with the Department as they seek to advance the work and objectives of the Department.

“We want to engage the

Police, we want to engage the hospitals, we want to engage as many stakeholders as possible to enhance the delivery of education in Region Four and I firmly believe that with the PTA body on board we can get it done,” Harvey declared.

Those elected to serve are Charles Greaves of St Pius Primary as President; Vice President, Deonarine Dutt of LBI Primary; along with the other committee members from schools such as LBI Secondary, Presidents Collage, Golden Grove Secondary, among others.

Gaming Authority denies...

Following these discoveries, the Authority said it enhanced it due diligence and issued a letter to Guiana Holding Inc to seek clarification on February 14, 2019.

The agency reportedly responded on March 4, 2019, and the Gaming Authority took steps to verify the information.

“The response from Guiana Holding Inc and additional information received by the Gaming Authority on April 5, 2019, during the verification process, after careful analysis, led to determination, that an AML/CFT audit of Superbet operations was necessary to de-

termine the veracity of the information received. This would allow the Gaming Authority to make an informed determination on the issuing of the good standing certification.”

According to the statement, this was communicated to Guiana Holding Inc, on April 23, 2019, and they have in principal, agreed to the audit.

The Gaming Authority has been in the process of organising the audit team, it stated, adding that a non-disclosure agreement has been sent to the said organisation for signature and for submission of a proposal and cost. A deadline of July 31, 2019, has

from page 11

been set for the conclusion and submission of the audit report.

The outcome of the audit will determine the Gaming Authority’s position on the issuing of the good standing certificate, the agency said.

Prior to this requirement, Superbet has been operating in Guyana for more than five years. The business now has over 175 locations across Guyana, which bring in income for over 500 persons.

Kisoensingh’s lawyer, Anil Nandlall, has already said he is ready to represent his client in the court as he feels he is being victimised.

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thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Female taxi driver died International tech firms from strangulation engage local Private, Public Sectors on business innovation

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Murdered: Indira Bipat

he post-mortem examination (PME) conducted on the body of 47-year-old Indira Bipat who was discovered on Sunday morning in a ditch at La

Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), gave the cause of death as strangulation, compounded by blunt trauma to head.

Bipat, of Lot 18 Samaroo Dam, Pouderoyen, WBD, who is a part-time taxi driver, left her home at about 17:30h on Saturday afternoon in her family’s Silver-Grey Toyota Axio bearing registration number PXX 4114.

After the woman failed to return home that evening and the following morning, her son told Guyana Times that he filed a report at the Vreed-

en-Hoop Police Station.

While there, the young man revealed that he received a report from a female friend informing him that a body of a female had been found in a ditch at La Parfaite Harmonie.

As such, the family rushed to the scene and their worst fears were confirmed.

According to Derick Bipat, the car is yet to be recovered. While Police have since launched an investigating, no one has been arrested.

The woman leaves to mourn two children.

AG yet to respond to claims of misconduct – President

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ttorney General Basil Williams has been silent since allegations of misconduct surfaced some weeks ago and President David Granger on Wednesday told the media that he has instructed the Attorney General to respond to the issue. However, this has not been done.

“I’ve asked the Attorney General to respond to me. He hasn’t done so in writing but I have seen a copy of it,” he said.

The allegations were compiled in a letter and were addressed to members of the Government. The letter revealed that 19 lawyers resigned from the Legal Affairs Ministry since 2015. The employees, who wrote the letter, also levelled allegations of gross misconduct against the Attorney General.

“It’s (the letter) anonymous and we have to be very careful with anonymous letters. If somebody had evi-

Attorney General Basil Williams

dence, they would put their name to it and defend that evidence but if it’s a fake letter, anybody can write anything but I’ve seen it,” Granger positioned.

Along with the accusations, the employees called for a thorough probe into the operations of the Ministry, judging from alleged mismanagement and the substantial number of cases lost by the Attorney General’s Chambers.

According to the letter, lawyers in the AG’s Chambers have to contend with a difficult and even toxic and abu-

sive working environment.

Some of those lawyers who left the Chambers include former Registrar and Solicitor General, Sita Ramlall, who was forced to move to the High Court last year over her pension and gratuity being withheld. Former Deputy Solicitor General Prithima Kissoon also sued for wrongful dismissal.

The Attorney General had come in for much criticism, previously for his comments on Kissoon, with commentators bashing the manner in which he dealt with the matter.

In a letter to the Editor published in local newspapers in 2017, the former Deputy Solicitor General’s father, prominent Attorney Jailall Kissoon, pointed out that this is the first time in legal history that an AG has levelled such a blast of terror and fear upon the Judiciary or his own legal officer.

A

s Guyana’s oil and gas sector matures rapidly, it is crucial that local businesses become more innovative so as to provide efficient and improved ways to deliver the desired quality of service to both Guyanese and foreign end-users.

Spearheaded by Starr Computer Inc, the transformational seminar geared at educating local organisations on innovation in products and services was officially opened on Tuesday at the business’s Brickdam headquarters. Businesses that operate in the areas of healthcare, warehousing, retail, hospitality, manufacturing and asset management are among those targeted.

Speakers featured at the event include Elo Touch Regional Sales Director Carlos Corredor and Informatik Solutions Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Software Engineer Luis Santiago, along with Bluestar General Manager Luis Fernando.

In opening remarks, Starr Computer President Mike Mohan reiterated that local businesses should change the way they deliver services so as to keep up with today’s innovation-based world.

“There’s a lot of disruption taking place today, with the oil and gas technology changing the way we work, live, and play.

And with the oil and gas very close to its production stage, it is really very important that the businesses in Guyana begin to transform the way they do business and move towards the

Elo Touch Regional Sales Director, Carlos Corredor

Informatik Solutions Chief Executive Officer and Software Engineer, Luis Santiago

direction of better automation of better quality of services,” Mohan stated.

Elo Touch Sales Director Corredor, in his presentation, remarked that significant opportunities for product markets existed in Guyana, as he showcased the range of hardware and software equipment offered by the company.

“We see great opportunities in this country; we see great opportunities in the market and the retail and point-of-sale opportunity that we pretty much manage, so this is an example of the influx of people, of companies that have opportunities that are coming in the near future, with the oil and gas industry and everything that’s part of that ecosystem,” Corredor noted.

Meanwhile, Informatik Solutions CEO Santiago touched on the software that was interfacing with multiple manufacturers’ hardware to generate the desired results, noting that significant change would come about as a result of Guyana’s oil and gas sector.

“So, Guyana is about to go in a very interesting

part of its history … as oil and gas come in and starts to develop, a lot of funds are going to become available suddenly, which means that a lot of investments is going to be happening suddenly and that’s going to make a lot of changes happen really fast at the same time,” he stated.

Santiago further explained that his company played the role of advising and empowering local businesses on ways to prevent disruption.

“This person that is Guyanese, that is local is endangered: they’re going to be displaced probably.

Who is telling what to do to prevent that disruption?

And this is where this partnership come in, we want to empower those local entrepreneurs to not only think about Guyana as its market, but actually to develop themselves in a way to be globally natured,” he detailed.

Some of the solutions offered by these companies include: point-of-sale, payment processing, security and biometrics, and auto identification (ID) software.

APNU/AFC hoping...

The Opposition has since moved to the CCJ, which recently heard the case. The three Noconfidence Motion cases deal with Christopher Ram v the Attorney General of Guyana, the Leader of the Opposition and Joseph Harmon; Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo v the Attorney General of Guyana, Dr Barton Scotland and Joseph Harmon; and Charrandas Persaud v Compton Herbert Reid, Dr Barton Scotland, Bharrat Jagdeo and Joseph Harmon.

On December 21, 2018, AFC Member of Parliament Charrandas Persaud voted in favour of the No-confidence Motion against the Government, during the debate on this matter, held in the National Assembly.

Since the December 21, 2018 passage of the motion of no- confidence against the APNU/AFC coalition, calls have been

made by various stakeholders, including foreign diplomats here, for the

from page 9

Government to abide by the Constitution and set a date for elections.

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thursday, may 23, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt denies ulterior motives behind GFC task force …optimistic of recommendations for improving agency

the committee experienced in human resources management to undertake a task such as this? And finally, how were the members of the task force

The Guyana Forestry Commission head office, Kingston, Georgetown

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he Natural Resources Ministry has hit back against suggestions that the task force Government established to reform the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has nefarious political motives.

According to the Ministry in a statement, the task force’s mandate will be to reorganise and restructure the Commission, which has been plagued by criticisms over administrative concerns and complaints from staff.

“The Ministry of Natural Resources has taken note of the letters and commentaries regarding the functioning of the task force and wishes to reiterate the Cabinet’s direction on this matter … The task force’s mandate shall include, but will not be limited to, an examination and evaluation of current job descriptions and performance standards, personnel procedures, conditions of employment and appointment, wages and salary structures and payroll administration,” the statement said.

“It will further aim at improving the efficient performance and effective management of the Commission by identifying training and development opportunities for staff. The

task force is expected to submit to the Minister of Natural Resources a work schedule with timelines and a preliminary report that would complete this assignment no later than July 2019. “ According to the Ministry, the task force was established in keeping with the national objective of moving towards a ‘green’ economy and the consequent realignment of critical agencies of the State. As such, the proposal for the restructuring of the GFC was approved by Cabinet.

“Consequently, a task force has been established jointly between the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Board of Directors of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to address the reorganising and restructuring of the Forestry Commission. “ “The task force will include the technical and administrative talent and personnel of the MNR, the Board, and the Commission, who will examine the structure and functioning of the GFC to make recommendations to the Minister of Natural Resources Hon Raphael GC Trotman, who, in turn, is mandated to present a report to Cabinet.”

According to the statement, the Convener of the Task Force is the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Project Coordinator Clayton Hall.

“The Ministry expects that this addresses misguided remarks about the task force having an ulterior and devious political purpose, and clears up any uncertainties and awaits the preliminary report and work schedule,” it added.

There have been letters written by staff of the GFC, who have expressed concern over the restructuring effort. In one such letter, the staff member wrote that when Hall was confronted with probing questions during an April 26 meeting with staff, the meeting ended abruptly.

“Several GFC staff asked questions that were of high concern on the minds of staff: would the monitoring division and resources management divisions be merged as pre-empted by Hall’s early submission of his desired structure of the GFC? Would staff be dismissed and left hopeless and helpless?

“What would happen to the families of these staff? Is it a witch-hunting exercise aimed at getting rid of specific persons? Is

chosen and is there a clear terms of reference for the committee’s work?”

According to the staff, a showdown ensued during which Hall was asked

by Commissioner James Singh to withdraw certain comments made in the meeting to staff, who were also on the verge of walking out.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSday, may 23, 2019

Regional

Venezuela turns to Russia, Jamaicans face prison time if caught Cuba, China in health crisis wasting water as drought continues

Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado holds a briefing on the country's health situation in Geneva, Switzerland, May 22, 2019

V

enezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s Government is increasingly turning to allies Cuba, China and Russia to offset a health crisis caused by US sanctions, a Minister said on Wednesday.

Venezuelans have been suffering dire shortages of medicines and health equipment for several years as it has spiralled

into economic chaos and political conflict.

The Opposition blames that on economic incompetence and corruption by the leftist movement in power for two decades, but Maduro says US economic sanctions are the cause.

In Geneva for a World Health Organisation (WHO) assembly, Minister Alvarado said Western sanctions had led to the freezing of five billion euros in assets, including gold in the Bank of England and funds in major institutions like Citibank.

That would cover Venezuela’s medical needs for six years, he told a news briefing.

“Today we can certainly say that the main health problem is the criminal blockade that we are victims of by the United States,” Alvarado said.

“What are we doing in Venezuela to overcome this

situation? We do not stay with our hands crossed.

We are strengthening our alliances with countries such as Cuba, China, Russia, Turkey, Palestine, and Iran.”

Sanctions were hurting the whole population owing to insufficient foreign currency for medicine imports, and some diseases, including measles, had re-emerged, the Minister said.

“The greatest threat that we have is the threat of war that the US Government imposes on the Venezuelan people,” he said.

President Donald Trump’s Administration has not ruled out military action to remove what it and dozens of other nations consider an illegitimate government that rigged a 2018 election.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Medical marijuana products approved for importation into Barbados

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he Health and Wellness Ministry has approved five marijuana-based drugs to be placed on the National Drug Formulary, the list of affordable generic and brand-name medications offered by the Barbados Drug Service (BDS).

The BDS will procure the medications and doctors will be able to prescribe them. But there will be no smoking al-

lowed.

News of this came Tuesday from Health and Wellness Minister, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, who said the decision followed recommendations from the Barbados National Drug Formulary Committee.

He made it clear that the smoking of marijuana would not be part of the process since there was no scientific evidence to

suggest that there were any benefits in terms of ailments.

“The Drug Formulary Committee made a strong recommendation on this … so that was ruled out from day one, and that was presented to Cabinet and it was accepted, and we are going to stay with that until any other information is made available to the Ministry to suggest otherwise,” he explained.

The Health and Wellness Minister told the audience that a training seminar was mandated by Cabinet in order to ensure that high standards were set as the project advanced.

He said that he had been made aware that there were stores in Bridgetown that were already selling the products. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

T&T: Corporation Chairman detained

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Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation Chairman Glen Ram at Tuesday’s parliamentary oversight committee meeting

fficers from the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) have detained Glen Ram, Chairman of the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation, for questioning.

A Police source from the Eastern Division confirmed to Guardian Media that charges are expected to be laid for corruptly soliciting and receiving funds.

A source, who asked not to be named, said

Police Officers visited the Corporation's offices at Ranns Plaza on High Street, Rio Claro, around 10:00h Wednesday and escorted Ram out of the building.

Contacted for a comment, the United National Congress (UNC) Public Relations Officer, Anita Haynes, said she was still trying to clarify the circumstances surrounding Ram's detention.

(Trinidad Guardian)

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eop le w h o w aste wa t er i n Jamai c a a m id an o n g o i n g d rought cou l d be f i n e d or fa ce t i me be h i n d b a rs.

The Na t i o n al W ate r C om m ission ( N W C) ha s m oved to make i t a p rosecut a b l e o f f e n c e to eit her wa st e w ate r o r use excessi v e amo u n ts of it s p ot a bl e w ate r f o r non-essent i al p u r p o se s.

I n a p ro h i bi ti o n n o t ice p ub lis h e d i n th e newsp a p ers T u e sd ay , which t a ke s e f f e c t o n Frid a y, t he N W C sai d

th at mo r e str i n g e n t w ate r c o n se r v ati o n me asu r e s mu st n o w be o bse r v e d an d th e l i mi te d p o tabl e w ate r av ai l abl e sh o u l d be r e se r v e d f o r e sse n ti al u se s su c h as d r i n ki n g , c o o ki n g , w ash i n g , bath i n g an d san i tati o n .

So me o f th e br e ac h e s o f th e p r o h i bi ti o n o r d e r ar e u si n g N W C- su p p l i e d w ate r i n d r o u g h t- af f e c te d ar e as f o r : w ate r i n g o f g ar d e n s, l aw n s, g r o u n d s an d f ar ms; r e f i l l i n g o f tan ks, p o n d s, o r sw i mmi n g p o o l s an d / o r f o r u se o th e r th an

n o r mal d o me sti c se r v i c e s; w ash i n g o f v e h i c l e s by th e u se o f a h o se ; w ate r i n g o r w ash ing r o ad w ay s, p av e me n ts, p ath s, g ar ag e s; an d an y p u r p o se w h i c h may r e qu i r e th e u se o f a c o n si d e r abl e o r e x c e ssi v e qu an ti ty o f w ate r .

P e r so n s w h o br e ak th e l aw may be p r o se c u te d ; an d i f c o n v i c te d , th e y ar e l i abl e to a f i n e i mp o se d by th e p ar i sh c o u r ts o r i mp r i so n me n t f o r u p to 30 d ay s i f th e y f ai l to p ay th e f i n e . (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Mexico aims to slow Central American migrant flows from 2020

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exico aims to slow a surge in US-bound Central American migrants from entering its territory from next year once a regional development plan begins taking hold, a senior Mexican official said.

Mass migration from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador has strained relations between Mexico and US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to close the US border with Mexico if its Government does not stop the flow of migrants.

The United Nations Economic Commission

for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on Monday presented a development plan for the three countries and Mexico that seeks to address the migration surge by reducing violence and boosting economic growth.

Maximiliano Reyes, Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister responsible for Latin America and the Caribbean, said the first priority was to cut the rate at which migrants leave the three key countries, all of which suffer from high levels of violence and poverty.

“We hope that this year we can start with

some steps (from the ECLAC plan) so that next year we can bring down the rate,” Reyes said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.

We can get to a turning point as of month 13 or 14 from when we start applying public policy steps agreed.”

The ECLAC plan proposes raising investment to at least 25 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in the targeted Central American countries, better integrating their energy networks, improving education and ramping up local welfare spending. (Excerpt from Reuters)

LIAT loses appeal, must pay dismissed employee more than US$1.5M

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egional airline LIAT has failed in its effort s to avoid paying more than US$1 million to a former employee in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) who was forced out of the company, after almost five decades of employment, because of his age.

The Antigua-based company had appealed a decision by a jury in February to award William Cherubin US$1,551,320 in damages. But Justice Douglas Brady of the USVI Superior Court has dismissed the appeal and ordered the airline to pay the money.

Cherubin took the cash-strapped airline to court claiming he had been fired because of his

age – contrary to LIAT’s claim that it was because of poor performance – which was in contravention of the Virgin Islands Civil Rights Act which prohibits discrimination of employees on the basis of age.

He was 71 years old when he was dismissed on June 4, 2015, without notice, with the company accusing him of violating company policy on three occasions. During his 47 years at the company, Cherubin had risen from a job as a ticket agent to manager of ground operations.

Justice Brady said in his ruling that “the totality of the trial evidence was sufficient to permit a jury to inference that LIAT’s proffered reasons [for Cherubin’s dis-

missal] were false”.

“Evidence of Cherubin’s emotional pain and suffering following his termination was sufficient that the court cannot find that the jury’s verdict was seriously erroneous as against the clear weight of the evidence,” he said.

“Accordingly, the court will not interfere with the jury’s award and LIAT’s motion for a new trial will be denied.”

During the trial, it had been disclosed that four years before Cherubin was fired, LIAT offered employees over the age of 62, including Cherubin, a retirement package in exchange for their voluntary resignations.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSday, may 23, 2019

17

Around the World

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom Trump refuses to work with Democrats until they end probes quits Government over Brexit

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House [Jim Watson/AFP]

U

S President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will not negotiate policy with congressional Democrats while they continue to investigate him.

In a hastily-arranged appearance in the White House Rose Garden, Trump

said it was impossible to negotiate on infrastructure or other issues while the enquiries continue.

“You can’t do it,” Trump said.

Trump complained about the investigations after he abruptly ended a meeting with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer and others that was supposed to be about an infrastructure plan.

The President blasted the Democratic leaders after Pelosi accused him of engaging in a cover-up.

“I don’t do cover-ups,” Trump said, declaring that Democrats had to choose whether to investigate him or work together on the country’s priorities.

Trump appeared behind a sign that listed the cost of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe and Trump’s slogans of “No Collusion” and “No Obstruction”.

Senator Tom Carper, a Democrat who attended the meeting, told Al Jazeera that Wednesday was a “real missed opportunity”.

“We need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time,” Carper said.

“There’s going to be investigations of this administration for a while and to say that we are not going to engage on infrastructure and other things because of those investigations, I don’t know how realistic that is. It’s disappointing.”

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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ommons Leader Andrea Leadsom has quit the Cabinet, saying she no longer believes the Government’s approach will deliver Brexit.

Her resignation comes amid a backlash against Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan from Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs).

Several Cabinet Ministers have told the BBC that the PM cannot stay, with one saying it is “the end of the line”.

In a letter to Leadsom, the PM wrote she was “sor-

ry to lose someone of [her] passion, drive and sincerity”.

May also said she disagreed with “the assessment you now give about our approach” to Brexit.

Leadsom previously ran for Tory leader, but withdrew, clearing the path for May to become Prime Minister.

As Commons Leader, she was in charge of organising Government business and had been due to announce when the Prime Minister’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill would be introduced to Parliament.

C

pected to begin preparation for shipment in the coming days.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said on Wednesday that Canada would cover the full costs of the preparation, transfer, shipment, and disposal of the waste and complete the transfer by the end of June.

Last week, Manila recalled its ambassador to Ottawa after Canada missed a May 15 deadline to retrieve the rubbish – part of a growing row over the longstanding irritant.

“As a result of this offending delay, the President has instructed the appropriate office to look for a private shipping company which will bring back Canada’s trash to the latter’s jurisdiction,” Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters on Wednesday.

“If Canada will not accept the trash, we will leave the same within the territorial waters or 12 nautical miles out to sea from the baseline of any of their country’s shores.”

News)

Chagos Islands dispute: UN backs end to UK control

Canada to take back rubbish sent to Philippines anada says it will take back tonnes of waste shipped to the Philippines, causing a diplomatic stink.

The federal Environment Minister’s announcement came shortly after Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the rubbish sent back.

The Philippines has filed several diplomatic protests over the refuse that was shipped between 2013 and 2014.

A private company contracted by Canada is ex-

Her resignation is the 36th by a minister under T May – 21 of them over Brexit – and comes a day before the United Kingdom votes in the European elections.

The move came after a day of drama at Westminster in which anger grew at the Prime Minister’s attempt to win backing for the bill – the legislation needed to implement the agreement between the UK and European Union on the terms of Brexit. (Excerpt from BBC

One of the Chagos Islands – Diego Garcia – is home to a US military base

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he United Nations has passed a resolution demanding the United Kingdom return control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

In the non-binding vote in the General Assembly in New York, 116 states

were in favour and only six against, a major diplomatic blow to the UK. Fifty-six states, including France and Germany, abstained.

Mauritius says it was forced to give up the Indian Ocean group – now a British

overseas territory – in 1965 in exchange for independence.

In a statement to the BBC, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said Britain did not recognise Mauritius’ claim to sovereignty, but would stand by an earlier commitment to hand over control of the islands to Mauritius when they were no longer needed for defence purposes.

The US, Hungary, Israel, Australia and the Maldives were the States voting with the UK against the resolution.

It comes months after the UN’s high court advised that the UK should leave the islands “as rapidly as possible”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

China: US resembles “Don Quixote” Outrage over Pakistan child murder in seeing other powers as threats

Farishta went missing on May 15, but Police did not formally register a case until May 19

T

he family of a 10-year-old Pakistani girl who

was abducted and murdered have said they were ignored by Police when they tried to report her missing.

They say Police told them the child might have eloped, and they were made to carry out errands for officers.

Farishta vanished in Islamabad on May 15 and a body believed to be hers was found on May 20.

Police are investigating if she was raped and tortured, and protests are being held to demand justice.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

The individual Police Officers involved deny wrongdoing.

Hundreds protested in central Islamabad on Tuesday calling for justice.

The case has been compared to the rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Ansari in January 2018 – which sparked outrage and protests across the country. Calls for action are being made on social media, under the hashtag #JusticeFor Farishta. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

C

hina told the world’s main disarmament forum on Wednesday that US foreign policy was destabilising, baffling and redolent of Don Quixote, the Spanish fictional hero, whose misplaced determination leads him on a series of doomed endeavours.

“The Cold War mentality has come back to

U

fraud and embezzlement charges, including accusations of attempting to extort Nike.

He has denied all the allegations.

The indictment announced by New York Prosecutors on Wednesday said Avenatti was accused of using “misrepresentations and a fraudulent document purporting to bear his client’s name and signa-

ture to convince his client’s literary agent to divert money owed to Avenatti’s client to an account controlled by Avenatti”.

“Avenatti then spent the money principally for his own personal and business purposes,” it adds.

The money alleged to have been diverted amounted to about US$300,000. (Excerpt from BBC News)

this is truly baffling,” he said.

Li was responding to US calls for other nuclear powers to accept shared standards on nuclear weapons transparency, which he said represented an attempt by Washington to bully weaker powers into accepting a USdesigned set of rules. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

India set to count votes after marathon general elections

Stormy Daniels’ ex-lawyer charged with defrauding her S lawyer Michael Avenatti has been charged with defrauding Stormy Daniels, the porn star he represented in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, federal prosecutors say.

They say Avenatti, 48, took the money Daniels was supposed to get from a book deal.

The high-profile lawyer already faces a number of

drive the security strategy and policy of a major power,” China’s disarmament Ambassador Li Song told the Conference on Disarmament, a long-stalemated arena for arms talks at the United Nations in Geneva.

“In particular the US keeps saying other countries make it feel unsafe –

Exit polls have predicted a clear majority for PM Narendra Modi in the 545-member Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament [Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP]

I

ndia will count votes on Thursday after its seven-phase elec-

tions drew to a close on May 19, with incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi tipped to win a second term in office.

More than 67 per cent of 900 million eligible voters cast their ballot in the mammoth elections – spread over six weeks – the highest-ever voter turnout in the country’s independent history.

Exit polls have predicted a clear majority for Modi in the 545-member Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament.

Elections were held for 542 constituencies, as polls in the southern constituency of Vellore were

rescinded. Two seats are nominated by the president.

The party or coalition that wins a simple majority (272 seats) is invited to form the Government.

The MPs from the winning coalition then select the country’s Prime Minister.

With results of the world’s largest election barely hours away, the big question on everybody’s mind is: can Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) beat anti-incumbency and form a second consecutive government? (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSday, may 23, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

Chitchat will draw interest and suggestions from people who think the same way as you. The input you get will encourage you to rethink a personal decision.

CANCER

Take care of unfinished business, financial, health or legal issues to ease your stress and clear your schedule so you can spend more time with a loved one.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

Just do it. Put your plan in motion and keep moving forward. Recognize that you can accomplish more if you work alone. Someone will meddle in your affairs if you are too accommodating.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Think big, but stick to what’s actually doable. Avoid conflict at all costs. Gather information and focus on personal growth. Positive change begins within. Trust in your ability to excel.

How you help others will make a difference. Don’t take on others’ responsibilities when you can teach people how to take care of things themselves.

Look for an opportunity to expand your interests.

You’ll learn if you observe what others do and listen to what they say.

A change in attitude will give you the spark and enthusiasm you need to achieve your goals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

How you handle stress will affect the way others treat you. Don’t let your emotions get out of hand and lead to regrettable actions. Think before you make a move.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

If you do or learn something new, you will spark your imagination and be encouraged to make a positive lifestyle change. Romance is encouraged.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Remember what you’ve done in the past to find a way to bypass any obstacle that stands in your way.

Believe in yourself.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Listen to what others have to say, but when it comes down to taking care of business, do what works best for you. A personal change will fetch positive results.

Call in a favor if it will help you bring about the changes you want to make.

Offer something in return to ensure that you will not feel indebted.

Mingle and network with people who share your beliefs, but know when to walk away from someone who is trying to take advantage of you. Don’t believe everything you hear.

thursday, MAY 23, 2019

19

Eastern Conference Finals: Toronto Raptors beat Milwaukee Bucks to tie series

T

he Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 120-102 in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals to tie the series 2-2 on Tuesday night.

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, 33, scored 25 points including 18 in the first half to level the series. NBA All Star Kawhi Leonard, 27, managed 19 points despite limping following a knee injury sustained in game three.

The result marks just the second time this season the Bucks have lost consecutive games.

Meanwhile, the Raptors had a 19-point lead in the third quarter, and carried a 13-point margin entering the fourth. “We have had to rely on him so much, and when everybody steps up, it takes the load off him,” Lowry said of his team-mate Leonard.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of Leonard’s injury: “I mean, yeah, we were concerned. I think he’s fine. You know, he logged a lot of minutes. He’s certainly tired, like a lot of guys in this series are. You know, he looks ok to me.

“I think there are a number of guys out there that aren’t 100% on both sides of the ball.

But, again, he’s got tremendous will. He’s got tremendous desire, and there’s one time I was

Kawhi Leonard

Giannis Antetokounmpo

trying to give him an extended rest there and he didn’t really want it. So he must be OK.” Bucks pair Khris Middleton and MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo combined for 55 points at the Scotiabank Arena. Bucks’ post-season record had seen them lose just one game heading into game three. “I think defensively, just tonight didn’t feel like where we need to be defensively,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

“They got to good spots. They shared the ball. They passed it. They made open shots.

They made some high-degree-of-difficulty shots, so that’s a bad combination. They’re making open looks and then they’re making tough ones, too.”

Game five will be played on Thursday in Milwaukee, with the winner of the best-of-seven series set to face reigning champions the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. (BBC sport)

French Open 2019: Roger Federer returns, Rafael Nadal still favourite

R

oger Federer returns to the French Open for the first time in four years to challenge Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s bids for more records. Nadal is chasing a record-extending 12th Roland Garros title, while Djokovic can become the first man in the Open era to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once for a second time.

Federer, 37, missed the 2016 event with a back injury and skipped the past two clay-court swings to preserve his body. The event in Paris begins on Sunday. Swiss Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, reached the Madrid Open quarter-finals this month in his first clay-court tournament in three years. “I feel good about my game. I feel good on the clay,” he said.

Federer appears to have shaken off the leg injury that forced him to pull out of his Italian Open quarter-final last week, coming through a practice session on the Philippe Chatrier show court at Roland Garros on Tuesday without any strapping. Serbia’s world number one Djokovic is expected to provide the sternest challenge to Spaniard Nadal, while American Serena Williams will aim for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title in the women’s singles - if she is fit.

Former world number one Andy Murray is not playing as he continues his recovery from a hip operation, leaving Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund as Britain’s leading hopes.

Nadal ‘finally’ wins a title Beating Nadal, the 17-time Grand Slam champion, on clay is widely considered the ultimate challenge in men’s tennis and, once again, he is the favourite at Roland Garros. The 32-year-old triumphed in Paris last year to become only the second player to win the same Grand Slam 11 times, following Margaret Court at the Australian Open between 1960 and 1973.

Despite dominating clay-court tournaments in the build-up to the French Open in previous years, Nadal had not reached a final this year until his triumph at the Italian Open on Sunday. He did not drop a set on his way to the final, where he beat Djokovic 6-0 4-6 6-1 to

Roger Federer won his only French Open title in 2009, beating Sweden’s Robin Soderling in the final

claim his first title since August.

“You were asking for titles. Finally, I have a title,” Nadal said after his 81st tournament win. “For me, the most important thing is feeling myself playing well and healthy, with the energy that I need. If that happens, the experience is that I’m going to fight for titles sooner or later. “I’m happy to reach that level in the last tournament before a Grand Slam.”

Who can stop the King of Clay?

Top seed Djokovic, 32, is bidding to hold all four Grand Slam titles for the second time in his career - after following Australian Great Rod Laver in becoming only the second man to achieve the feat in 2016.

The 15-time Grand Slam champion, who won in Paris in 2016, warmed up for the tournament by winning the Madrid Open and reaching the Rome final. “Nadal, number one favourite, without a doubt, then everyone else,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic also identified Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem and Italian 11th seed Fabio Fognini, both of whom beat Nadal on their way to winning the Barcelona Open and Monte Carlo Masters titles respectively, as possible threats. Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, 20, is the rising star on the ATP Tour and, having beaten Federer in Melbourne and Nadal in Madrid, the sixth seed will be fancied to make a challenge in Paris. (BBC sport)

Caleb Ewan sprints to victory once again on stage 11 of Giro d’Italia C aleb Ewan picked up his second stage win of the 2019 Giro d’Italia as the Australian took the honours on what could be the last bunch finish of this year’s race.

The Australian won stage 11 for LottoSoudal in a drag race of a sprint in Novi Ligure, the hometown of the Italian great Fausto Coppi. Tuesday’s winner Arnaud Demare of Groupama-FDJ came home second to take the lead in the points classification ahead of Bora-Hansgrohe’s Pascal Ackermann, who had to settle for third on the day. Ewan had jumped on to Ackermann’s wheel on the final approach and bided his time before launching again. “[Ackermann]s one of the quickest here and he was the first sprinter that came past me,” the Lotto-Soudal rider said. “My guys got me in a good position and it made my run a whole lot easier. I could just sit there and then time my sprint to perfection. “My team have done a great job all week and I’m a little bit more relaxed going into the stage with one win already. When you’re more relaxed you save more energy and everything seems to fall into place more easily.”

But there was more frustration for Italian champion Elia Viviani, who could only manage fourth place as he was caught out of position. The Deceunick-QuickStep rider now looks set to leave the race with three sec-

ond-placed finishes to his name as he turns his attention to the Tour de France.

The sprint finish meant no change to the general classification, with UAE Team Emirates’ Valerio Conti keeping the pink jersey with an advantage of 1min 50sec over race favourite Primoz Roglic of Team Jumbo-Visma. Mitchelton-Scott’s Simon Yates remains in 13th place, more than fiveand-a-half minutes off Conti’s time.

It was a sprint which almost appeared to play out in slow motion as they rode into a headwind down the long final straight at the end of a 221km stage from Carpi which had hardly been raced at a rapid rate. Three riders, Marco Frapporti (Androni-GiocattoliSidermec), Mirco Maestri (Bardiana-CSF) and Damiano Cima (Nippo-Vini FantiniFaizane), had been allowed to go clear, building a lead of around six minutes on the old Roman road of Via Aemilia.

But with the sprint teams massing on the front, aware this was their final chance, they were finally reeled in with 26km to go as a cagey battle for position began. Ackermann had launched his sprint first but though he faded, he can be happy with third place given the injuries he sustained in a late crash on Tuesday. All the same, he must now hand over the points leader’s ciclamino jersey to Demare, with the Frenchman moving 11 ahead in the standings.

Caleb Ewan bided his time before sprinting to victory on stage 11

Yates and others with time to make up will now look to Thursday’s stage as the more mountainous tests begin with a 158km stage from Cueno to Pinerolo, highlighted by the late ascent of Montoso, a category one test. Those sprinters with an interest in the

points classification may well be the only ones to take the start given the climbing to come as there are few other rewards open to them between here and Verona, and many of them have eyes on the Tour de France in July. (The Guardian)

20 Windies suffer defeat in 1st WC warm-up match GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursday, MAY 23, 2019

S

teve Smith extended his pre-World Cup (WC) purple patch, but a concerning head knock to Usman Khawaja soured Australia’s first-up win in the United Kingdom. In an unofficial practice match against West Indies at Hampshire’s secondary ground on Wednesday, Smith was supreme in posting 76 off 82 balls – his third straight halfcentury (albeit all of which have come in practice games) since returning to the national set-up.

But Australia are set to sweat on the fitness of Khawaja, who retired hurt after being struck by a brute of a bouncer from Andre Russell, before being taken to hospital for scans on his jaw.

Smith was out to Carlos Brathwaite with 21 runs still required, but Marsh (55 off 59) and Maxwell (18 off 12) guided Australia home with 11.4 overs to spare.

Captain Aaron Finch earlier scored 42 off 47 balls before chipping one to mid-on.

In what was tipped to be a run-fest, Australia’s bowlers exploited an at-times spicy pitch to engineer an early collapse of 5-46 before the Windies recovered to set their opponents 230 to win. Opener Evin Lewis (50 off 56 balls) posted a half-century, while Carlos Brathwaite (60 off 64) cracked three sixes in a spirited rearguard.

Spinners Adam Zampa (142 off nine overs) and Glenn Maxwell (2-14 off three) sparked the Windies’ stumble, while Pat Cummins (2-36 off nine) had batters jumping and weaving with a series of welldirected short balls throughout the innings.

Fellow pacemen Mitchell Starc (2-34 off 8.2) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (2-25 off six) were the other multiple wickettakers.

After Finch won the toss and elected to bowl first on a sunny morning, wicketkeeper Alex Carey reeled in a superb onehanded catch off a Cummins

3

SCOREBOARD

West Indies Innings E Lewis lbw Maxwell 50 S Hope c Carey b Cummins

21 D Bravo b Coulter-Nile 5 S Hetmyer c Cummins b Coulter-Nile 11 N Pooran c Marsh b Maxwell

5 S Ambris c Behrendorff b Starc 37 A Russell b Zampa 5 C Brathwaite c Marsh b Behrendorff 60 F Allen c Carey b Cummins

12 R Reifer not out 4 A Nurse c Marsh b Starc 11 Extras 8 (6wd, 2lb) Total 229 (Overs: 46.2) FOW: 1-39 (Hope 6.5); 2-58 (Bravo 11.3); 3-74 (Hetmyer 13.5); 4-94 (Lewis 18.4); 5-97 (Pooran 20.3); 6-104 (Russell 21.3); 7-178 (Ambris 35.6); 8-213 (Brathwaite 41.3); 9-215 (Allen 42.4); 10-229 (Nurse 46.2) Bowling short ball to give Australia their first wicket.

Sharing the new ball with Starc, fellow leftarmer Jason Behrendorff copped some early stick. Shai Hope (21) pumped him for back-to-back sixes over longoff, while Lewis deposited him onto the concourse of the neighbouring main ground.

Lewis’ six very nearly struck a forklift driver preparing the main ground for Australia’s official warm-up games against England, on Saturday, and Sri Lanka, on Monday.

Six-hitting star Russell couldn’t repeat his recent Indian Premier League heroics, as Zampa knocked back his offstump to remove him for just five.

In a good sign for his recovery from elbow surgery, Smith was thrown the ball and bowled two overs of leg-spin, conceding 11.

From 6-104, Brathwaite played an important hand for the Windies. He forced an extended delay in play when

M Starc (8.2-0-34-2) J Behrendorff (9-0-65-1) P Cummins (9-0-36-2) N Coulter-Nile (6-0-25-2) A Zampa (9-1-42-1) G Maxwell (3-0-14-2) S Smith (2-0-11-0) Australia Innings A Finch c Holder b Reifer 42 U Khawaja retired hurt 5 D Warner c Pooran b Thomas 12 S Smith c Pooran B Brathwaite 76 S Marsh not out 55 G Maxwell not out 18 Total 3-230 (38.3 overs) FOW: 1-47 (Warner 8.5); 2-100 (Finch 17.2), 3-209 (Smith 35.1) Bowling K Roach (4-1-15-0) A Russell (3-0-17-0) C Brathwaite (8-0-58-1) O Thomas (6-0-34-1) F Allen (10-1-68-0) R Reifer (5-0-17-1) A Nurse: (2.2-0-10-0) he deposited Behrendorff, who got hit for five sixes in total, onto an adjacent golf course, before holing out on the very next delivery.

Australia rested Nathan Lyon, Marcus Stoinis and Kane Richardson for the game, though they’re expected to rotate their

15-man squad through the three practice games.

Veteran opener Chris Gayle also sat out the match, but him

aside, the Windies fielded their entire touring party, including some reserves not named in their squad.

Bartica Football Association…

“The standard of football that was on display is very high,” says Marslowe

I

n December 2018, Alden Marlowe was elected the President of the Bartica Football Association (BFA); as such he has continued to push the Football Association to higher heights, hosting tournament after tournament in his bid to develop the Association.

The BFA recently concluded its GFF-KFC Under-20 Knockout Tournament after a week of exciting matches at the Bartica Secondary School Ground. The competition saw Potaro Strikers come out victorious after defeating the in-form Lazio FC 1-0. As winners of the competition, the Potaro Strikers FC will now go on to represent the Bartica Association at the National Playoffs from May 31 to June

9. The competition featured some of the top football clubs in Bartica such as Potaro Strikers, Lazio, Beacon, Rivers View, Mil Ballers, Wolves United, Rising Stars, and Agatash United.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive interview, Marslowe, when asked his view on the culmination of the successful tournament, said, “The tournament is a developmental initiative of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) in partnership with the franchise holders of KFC. The Bartica leg was definitely a success, because we were able to identify the best of that age category to form the BFA Under-20 squad. The standard of football that was on display is very high and yes we are very

Evin Lewis returned in maroon colours with a promising halfcentury

The victorious Potaro Strikers with BFA President Alden Marslowe

pleased with the outcome.”

Marslowe also related that the BFA has recently recommenced its football leagues in three categories namely the senior, Under-17 and Under-15. He also noted that they were hoping to run off an Under-20 league after August. The BFA President stated that for the year 2019 the Association was pursuing youth development through football as its main objective.

He relayed that the only way this could be done is by organising more clubs and more competitions, and by making football a way of life for the young men and women.

The BFA is hopeful that at the end of the year, they will have a good structure in place to support their objectives.

thursday, may 23, 2019

21 Curtains close on Hamilton Green 9-a-side Inter-Ward Cup on May 27 guyanatimesgy.com

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O

I n t e r- Wa r d / V i l l a g e 9-a-side Knockout Football Tournament have identified Monday, May 27 as the new date for the final of the annual event.

The final, which was pushed back owing to circumstances beyond the organisers’ control, will be played at the Den Amstel Ground, West Coast Demerara.

According to coordinator Lennox Arthur, they were busy preparing to ensure that spectators have a great time throughout the day with action set to kick off at 15:00h with the quarter-finals and semi-finals, before the final is played.

The opening salvo will see Timehri with players such as Seon David, Colwyn Cort and Sheldon Holder in their line-up taking on Vreed-en-Hoop that will be spearheaded by Curtis Garraway, Trevon Abrams and Jamal Mounter.

Tyrone Khan’s Soesdyke then take on De Kinderen in what is anticipated to be an exciting affair. Khan will be supported by the likes of Delon Smith and Alvin Adams, while

Colin Henry, Steffon Coleman and Romel Medas.

Mocha and Liliendaal then square off in the next encounter with the Stewart brothers Orville and Dorville and Kevin Gordon expected to be in the former’s line-up while Anthony Sancho, Otto Jones and Akeem Saul will lead the latter.

Pouderoyen will then engage Bagotville in what is anticipated to be a scorching contest. Kevin Humphrey, Michael Thomas, and Keron Boyce will lead Pouderoyen while Corwin Wright, Mark Chester and Brian Fredericks will try to orchestrate a win for Bagotville.

Anthony and Ashley Hardin and Maxwell Trapp will be the lynchpin for Goed Fortuin in their skirmish against Bourda Blues, who will have in their side the likes of Lenox Cort, Tevin Curry and Joshua Brathwaite. Sophia then go up against Mahaicony and while the former is highly favoured to win, some pundits believe it will be an interesting clash. Peter and Ernie Smith and Jermaine Nedd will lead Sophia while Delbert Wilson, Sheldon

Toney and Bertie Shepherd are the key players for Mahaicony.

Hosts Den Amstel Back Street then collide with Charlestown and this encounter should bring out large home support.

Den Amstel have a star-studded line-up that includes national player Delon Lanferman, Kevyn Murray, Kobe Kingston and Dwayne Wilson while Charlestown can also boast of a similar potent lineup, which will be led by Keiron Solomon, Jamal Cozier, Jermin Junor and Devon Charles.

The final game of the quarter-finals is between Uitvlugt and Zeelugt which, no doubt, will see the former heavily favoured to advance.

National player Trayon Bobb, Jamaal Harvey, and Seon Bobb will represent Uitvlugt while Zeelugt have Avery Fraser, Dillon Schultz and Jason Peters to rely on for victory.

Teams will be battling for a chance to claim the John Fernandes $300,000 first prize and Prime Minister trophy along with hampers from Ricks and Sari. The second-place team will take away the Courtney Bennsponsored $100,000, third

Delon Lanferman

Jermain Junior

$60,000 put up by Techno Mills and fourth $40,000 donated

by Ready Mix along with the respective trophies. All the trophies have been sponsored

by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

Also at stake are the individual reward for the Most Goals – a Dinette Chair from China Trading, while the runnerup will be presented with a Lazy Boy chair from AH&L Kissoon, while the Best Goalkeeper will

claim the Minister of Natural Resources trophy.

Among the sponsors so far are Techno Mills, Ready Mix, Sattaur Gafoor, EC Veira, BEV Enterprises, BK International, IPA, New Thriving, Ricks and Sari, E-Networks, Starr Computer, NAMILCO, Cummings Electrical, National Sports Commission, Star Entertainment, Alfro Alphonso, the Guyana Police Force, Guyoil, the Minister of State, the Prime Minister and the Legal Affairs Ministry.

GWA hosts successful 3-day camp

T

he Guyana Wrestling Association (GWA) concluded its first wrestling camp, held at the New Amsterdam Town Hall.

The camp was an introduction to wrestling for participants.

More than 30 persons participated in the camp, ranging from age four to 17.

The participants had the opportunity to learn the basics of wrestling through games, which incorporated the fundamentals of wrestling, and some basic moves which kept them engaged, excited and focused. The camp was an overall success, which was hosted by coordinator Kerryanne Edwards, Charles Johnson, Byron Lindie and Marcello Small, the GWA President.

The purpose of the camp was to sensitise parents and children about the sport of wrestling; its origins, technique, types and rules, and the many benefits of

being a wrestling athlete. This programme will be introduced to different parts of Guyana in the coming months and years.

The GWA has also set up its Inter-School Wrestling Committee in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and plans to have one in every Region in Guyana in the near future.

These committees will oversee wrestling in the respective Regions.

The Association plans to have several other camps over the following months, as it plans to introduce in Guyana Greco-Roman, Freestyle, Beach and Women Wrestling. Also Pankration, a sporting event introduced in the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. In the future, the GWA further plans to have school and club tournaments, followed by the inter-school championship, followed by a

Participants who completed the three-day camp

national championship to select a national team, which will then represent Guyana on the international stage.

The Guyana Amateur

Wrestling Association has extended much appreciation to J’s Supermarket, Banks DIH Ltd, J’s Printery, Bob & Sons Variety Store, Chenick & Sons

Supermarket, Candy Boss, Michael Khan, Jason Rose and staff of the New Amsterdam Mayor & Town Council.

RFA Champions League…

Tabatinga, Paiwomak, Strikers, Saints advance to semi-finals

T

he preliminary rounds and knockout stages of the Rupununi Football Association (RFA) Champions League have been completed, and the semi-finals have commenced.

Tabatinga FC’s male team and Strikers FC’s female team have both qualified for the semi-finals. In the first matchup of the male quarter-finals, defending champions Tabatinga FC booked their spot in the semis as they edged Titans FC at the Aishalton Ground. The encounter saw both teams attempting to break each other’s defences, but it was Tabatinga that emerged victorious as they were able to keep their opponents at bay to take the 4-3 win. Tabatinga FC advanced 9- 5 on aggregate to the RFA semi-finals. In the other semi-final fixture, Paiwomak Warriors thumped Sun Parakeets 4-1 to advance 6-2 on aggregate to the semi-finals. At the start of the match, Paiwomak dominated in the first 45 minutes of the game. Despite

the Parakeets scoring a consolation goal, Paiwomak were able to maintain their three-goal lead.

In the female quarter-final matches, Strikers FC battled the in-form Titans FC in a nail-biting thriller. The fixture commenced with Titans flexing their muscle early on in the game, but the Strikers managed to get their act together before it was too late to score the first goal giving them a one-goal lead.

The second goal soon followed to leave the Titans in shock as they ran out of time on the clock. Strikers FC advanced 5-0 on aggregate to the semi-finals.

Guyana Rush Saints then booked their semi-final spot via walkover.

The female teams competing in this tournament are Sun Parakeets, Guyana Rush Saints, Strikers FC, Titans United, Kanuku Harpies, Flash FC, Paiwomak Guyana Rush Saints Warriors and Gladiators FC (defending champions); while the male teams are Titans United, Kanuku Harpies, Jaguars Sun Parakeets, Paiwomak Warriors, FC, Guyana Rush Saints, Strikers FC and Tabatinga FC (defending champions).

The Rupununi Football Association Leagues kicked off in February last with 24 clubs battling for top honours.

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thursday, MAY 23, 2019

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Hero Caribbean Premier League Draft 2019

Tridents pick up Hales, Malinga dons St Lucia’s colours A

lex Hales was a happy man after being picked up by the Barbados Tridents as first pick during the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League draft at the Gfinity eSports Arena in London.

The Tridents wasted little time in using the very first pick of the draft to snare the big-hitting England batsman, who, speaking later during the draft, said he was thrilled to be heading back to an island he described as one of his favourite places to play cricket for what will be his first taste of the biggest party in sport.

Alex Hales was the Barbados Trident’s top pick

The St Lucia Stars are looking to make an impact after a couple of tough years and look to have done some good business.

There will also be a real Sri Lankan flavour to the Stars’ 2019 line-up. Lasith Malinga, match-winning hero for Mumbai Indians at the recent IPL final, was snapped up in round one of the draft and will be joined in the St Lucia camp by two of his countrymen in power-packed all-rounder Thisara Perera and the livewire keeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella.

T h e Stars also secured J o h n Campbell, who has been making a real name for himself with the West Indies in 2019, and Rahkeem Cornwall for their 17-man squad.

Two-time defending champions TKR understandably saw little reason to make

wholesale changes. They were the only franchise to take full advantage of the option to retain or acquire six players ahead of the draft, with the high-profile addition of Kieron Pollard already confirmed before the news came that his old mate Dwayne Bravo would again be leading the Trinbago charge.

The leading run-scorer in the 2018 Hero CPL Colin Munro was also retained, along with the versatile and dangerous Sunil Narine and one of the breakout stars of last year’s tournament, USA quick Ali Khan.

The Knight Riders then moved to bring back more familiar faces in rounds five and eight of the draft in Denesh Ramdin and Khary Pierre.

New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham continues a fine tradition of Kiwi talent at the Knight Riders, while the exciting Muhammad Hasnain adds further bowling depth to a squad that will have eyes firmly fixed on a third straight Hero CPL title and fourth overall.

Mackenzie High vs Multi battle

Selected primary school athletes get free tickets …AAG fully-automatic timing system to be used

Shawn McNeil, at left, hands over tickets to Watooka Day Primary School Head Teacher, Miss Granderson in the presence of other pupils

T

he organisers of the first ever Mackenzie High versus Multi track and field championships – Team McNeil/Cameron – are making it possible for 120 athletes from primary schools in Linden to witness the clash on Sunday at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

Team McNeil/Cameron was earlier this week busy distributing to each of the six schools – St Aidans, Christianburg, One Mile, Wismar Hill, Amelia’s Ward and Mackenzie Primary – with tickets to give their top athletes.

This gesture was to help the promising athletes at the Under 12 level come and see their more prominent athletes on display and some of the older ones who would have

helped District 10 to be the dominant force they have been over the years and are at present.

Some 80 athletes drawn from the two schools will be in contention on Sunday and the event is whipping up interest among their various followings and this will be a must see event, as bragging rights at the end of the day will be at stake.

The Amateur Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), which governs the staging of track and field locally, has given the green light for the meet and will also be making their presence felt with the use of the internationally recognised fully-automatic timing (FAT) system to record the performances of the athletes at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

Having bagged Hales early and announced Jason Holder as their marquee player, the Tridents continued to make waves with some high-quality additions. Pakistan left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz was retained and is joined in Barbados by two international team-mates.

Hard-hitting all-rounder Asif Ali, whose impressive ODI form against England recently has earned him a World Cup spot, was a round-three pick while canny left-arm spinner Imad Wasim could prove an inspired choice down in round nine of the draft.

West Indies pair Ashley Nurse and Shai Hope were retained, while Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane is another exciting addition for the Barbados franchise.

The headline news for Jamaica Tallawahs was the return of the "Universe Boss" himself, Chris Gayle, and the prospect of him lining up with Andre Russell – arguably the world’s biggest T20 star right now and an easy choice for retention – is a mouthwatering one.

Glenn Phillips’ impressive form last season saw him retained, as too were fast bowler Oshane Thomas and all-rounder Rovman Powell.

Chadwick Walton – leading run-scorer back in 2017 – was a round-three pick, while the latest Afghanistan spin sensation Zahir Khan arrived in round five.

Meanwhile, The St Kitts and Nevis Patriots retained Evin Lewis, Carlos Brathwaite and the platoon’s best soldier himself – Sheldon Cottrell, while South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen also returns. Fabian Allen also stays with the Patriots after being drafted as a marquee player in round two.

Sri Lanka’s left-arm fastbowling all-rounder Isuru Udana was the Patriots’ firstround pick, while Englishman Laurie Evans was picked up in round six. Former Guyana Amazon Warrior Rayad Emrit brings plenty of experience to the bowling attack, while Devon Thomas is also no stranger to Hero CPL crowds.

Each completed squad is made up of 17 players, including a minimum of nine senior West Indian players, two emerging West Indies players, a maximum of five overseas

sta rs , a n d an ICC Americas player.

Lasith Malinga showed that he still has what it takes in the IPL final

Pestano thrilled with maiden CPL call-up

By Brandon Corlette

A

mong the eight Guyanese selected for the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW), Clinton Pestano was the lone player to earn a maiden call-up for his home franchise. Pestano was snapped up in the penultimate round of the Caribbean Premiere League (CPL) draft that occurred on Wednesday in London.

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) player, who was also awarded as the RHTY&SC player in 2018, is among the five Berbicians in the GAW squad. His county teammates are Anthony Bramble, Shimron Hetmyer, Veerasammy Permaul and Romario Shepherd.

During an exclusive interview with the Guyana Times Sport the 26-year old right arm fast bowling all-rounder expressed his satisfaction with this selection. Pestano told this publication that he must thank God for this opportunity.

“When I heard the news I was overjoyed, excited and grateful,” Pestano noted.

The humble lad from Skeldon, Berbice has been a regular member for the Guyana Jaguars team and has shown great capabilities being a three-dimensional player. Pestano's greatest achievement thus far in his blooming career is certainly his hat-trick, where he accounted Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard in three balls in a Regional Super50 match.

Pestano told this re-

porter that this call-up will continue to motivate him as he continues his quest of seeking improvements in his game. “I will continue to put in the hard work in the gym and since CPL is a new experience for me I will have to be mentally strong,” Pestano disclosed.

The fiery fast b o w l e r who is among an elite group to grab hat-tricks in Regional Super50 cricket, was discreet in stating his tournament goals but he assures that he will give his utmost best when given his opportunity in the starting XI. Pestano, who played nine Firstclass matches and 10 List A matches, had a bright 4-day campaign in the 2018-19 season.

He finished with 22 wickets in seven matches with a best bowling figure of 4-31. He has shown his worth with the bat where he recorded a Player-of-theMatch performance in the 4-day tournament against Windward Islands. Pestano six wickets in the match and recorded his maiden half-century, a career best of 69 batting at number five for the champion team, Guyana Jaguars.

Pestano who is currently keeping himself in prime shape, is with the Cricket Guyana Inc (CGI) Academy programme Monday through Thursday. This is

a programme that continues to produce players and Pestano is thankful for the continued initative put in place by CGI. He further extends gratitude towards the management of the Guyana Amazon Warriors management for giving him the opportunity to play at this level.

Clinton Pestano

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, MAY 23, 2019

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Shadab Khan highlights 17-member power-packed GAW squad – 8 Guyanese selected

Guyana Amazon Warriors

By Brandon Corlette

T

he Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) squad was officially announced on Wednesday at the Gfinity eSports Arena in London. Shadab Khan, the 20-year-old Pakistan leg-spinner, headlined the draft for the Guyanese franchise when he was snapped up in the opening round of the draft. Among the 17 players drafted to GAW, eight of the players from Guyana were selected.

Nicholas Pooran, the marquee player, was among the second round draft picks while Pakistan’s senior statesman, Shoaib Malik, was the third-round draft pick. Guyana’s Shimron Hetmyer was the fourth-round draft while Australia’s Ben Laughlin and Chris Green completed the first six round of drafts.

Laughlin has only played five One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20I) for Australia. The 36-year-old Laughlin has represented Australia since January 2013, but has since dominated T20 leagues globally, including the IPL and Big Bash. The right-arm medium pacer has played 137 T20 matches and has 167 victims with a bowling average of 22.47. His experience at this level has earned him selection and his best bowling figure is 6-28.

Green, who was a utility player in 2018, has been recalled for GAW duties; in 2018, he had 10 wickets in 11 matches at a stellar economy rate of 6.27. The 25-year-old Green is yet to make his international debut for Australia, but his exploits in the Big Bash has exposed him to T20 leagues around the world. Green has 57 T20 matches to his name and 44 wickets, and his off-spin bowling in the power-play overs has proved valuable for any T20 franchise.

Keemo Paul, who was picked up in the seventh round, is expected to be an important member of the team. His IPL teammate, Sherfane Rutherford, who was picked up in the eighth round, will add the x-factor in the GAW unit, along with Shimron Hetmyer, who scored 440 runs in 2018. The Guyanese trio will be certain picks in the starting XI. Jamaican batsman Brandon King was also snapped up; the classy right-hander has shown great promise in the regional arena. The 24-year-old has played for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in 2018 when he played only seven matches and scored a career-best 60. Romario Shepherd, Guyana’s impact player in the regional tournaments, has been drafted in the tenth round.

Shepherd, one of five Berbicians in the GAW team, played three

matches in 2018 for the GAW and had a best bowling figure of 3-29. Odean Smith, the eleventh-round pick, is an extreme fast bowler who hails from Jamaica, but plays for Trinidad and Tobago in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) regional tournaments.

The 22-year-old Smith has played two T20Is for Shadab West Indies in 2018 against Pakistan, but has shown Khan promise in both aspects of his game at the regional level. Keagan Simmons, one of two Trinidadians in t h e set-up, is a 20-year-old left-handed opening batsman who represents West Indies U-19 and had a fruitful season scoring the second highest score (166) for a Windies U-19 player. Chandrapaul Hemraj, who played for St Lucia Stars last season, has earned selection for the GAW after some promising innings in regional cricket and ODIs. Hemraj played two matches in 2018 and had a high score of 37.

Seasoned campaigner Veerasammy Permaul was picked up in the round 14 after Raymon Reifer was a right to match by Barbados Tridents. Permaul, the left-arm spinner, featured in only three matches in 2018 for GAW, but over the years he has proved a capable bowler. Anthony Bramble made his return to the GAW team after playing his last match in August 2016.

Bramble has made strides, graduating the CWI regional tournaments as the most successful wicket-keeper in successive years. The 28-year-old Bramble has also featured in the Global T20 league in Canada where he was captain of the Windies B team.

Clinton Pestano has earned his maiden call-up after a great start to his regional career. Pestano has achieved a rare feat, picking up a hat-trick in the Regional Super50 against a star-studded Trinidad and Tobago team. The final round draft was the ICC Americas player, Saurabh Netravalkar, who is a left-arm seamer from the United States of America. He has featured in the 2018 squad, but has never played a match.

The GAW draft was conducted by team operations manager, Omar Khan, Head Coach Johan Botha and team owner, Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop. The full 17-member squad reads: Shadab Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik, Shimron Hetmyer, Ben Lauglin, Chris Green, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Brandon King, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Keagan Simmons, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Veerasammy, Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Clinton Pestano, and Saurab Netravalkar.

ExxonMobil lends hand in refurbishing Waramuri Village recreational ground

O

il and gas giant ExxonMobil Guyana continues to make its presence felt in the land of many waters, especially in the sports arena, as the company has ventured into yet another project that will directly boost sporting activities in

the Region One (Barima-Waini) area.

ExxonMobil Guyana has partnered with the Silver Sands Sports Club in the Waramuri Village, Region One to refurbish the recreational ground that serves the community. After weeks of refurbishing works, the facility was

Waramuri residents look on as two teams engage in friendly competition

commissioned on Saturday last, May 18, 2019.

President of Silver Sands Sports Club, Rowena Williams revealed to those present at the ground’s commissioning that this has been a dream of several senior citizens of Waramuri.

She went on to state that the refurbishment

was truly a community effort.

Meanwhile, Senior Director, Public and Government Affairs, Deedra Moe and Community Relations Manager, Suzanne De Abreu represented ExxonMobil Guyana at the event.

Delivering brief remarks, Moe indicated that ExxonMobil Guyana is pleased to partner with the sports club on such a useful facility.

“It is an opportunity to promote

exercise, to promote youth development through sports… and really an opportunity to gather as family and friends as a larger community, working together and being one,” she continued.

ExxonMobil Guyana has made an overall contribution of about GYD$ 10 million over two years to refurbish the sports ground and supply equipment.

Two teams compete in a game of volleyball after the commissioning ceremony

thursday, MAY 23, 2019

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

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Shadab Khan highlights 17-member power-packed GAW squad – 8 Guyanese selected

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