Guyana Times Thursday May 9, 2019

Strong interest in Guyana at Houston oil conference

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 3918

guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH thursday, may 9, 2019

PRICE

GECOM unilateral appointment case

WHAT'S INSIDE:

CCJ Judge reminds State lawyers that Guyana is a republic, not a kingdom

...President should have explained reasons for rejecting lists – CCJ hears Fraud findings

$80 vat included

Page 7

SOCU will not be dismantled – Granger

Region 6 rice farmers call on P12 Govt for assistance

Guyanese miner shot by Venezuelan during money dispute P7 PUC’s primary function is to protect P13 consumers – President

Troops currently undergoing training on several Guyana Defence Force courses successfully completed the Training Corps Exercise Purpleheart, which ended at the weekend in the Tacama Savannahs, West of the Berbice River. Exercise Purpleheart was designed to allow soldiers to demonstrate their grasp of the principles and practices used in close country warfare. (GDF photo)

Policeman dies after fight at Constabulary Headquarters P 10

When it rains, it pours at P Smith’s Memorial Primary

11

Region 2 Chairperson shocked at condition of Suddie hospital P10

…teachers complain of leaking roof

Cops charged for demanding money from TIP victims, rape Page 8

Policeman charged for stealing P8 phone

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thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

news

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thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Thursday, May 9 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, May 10 – 09:00h-10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, May 9 – 06:45h-08:15h and Friday, May 10 – 07:35h-09:05h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Light to thundery rain showers are expected throughout the day, followed by partly cloudy skies with light rain showers in the evening.

Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 07:17h and 19:56h reaching maximum heights of 2.62 metres and 2.41 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:50h and 13:24h reaching minimum heights of 0.74 metre and 0.60 metre respectively.

wednesday, may 8, 2019

LOTTERY NUMBERS E

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FREE TICKET

01 Bonus Ball

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DAILY MILLIONS

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

GECOM unilateral appointment case

CCJ Judge reminds State lawyers that Guyana is a republic, not a kingdom ...President should have explained reasons for rejecting lists – CCJ hears

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

This argument was put forward by Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, who is appeared on behalf of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. According to Mendes, the appointment of retired Justice James Patterson was not only a departure from tradition, but also procedure.

Mendes pointed out that previous Chairmen were appointed from lists put forward by the Opposition Leader.

He noted that on the face of it, Jagdeo generally submitted eligible candidates to the President and thus, their rejection despite the Constitution requires an explanation.

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

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

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

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

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

Justice Jacob Wit noted that there could have been discussion before the names were formally submitted, where the

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

Mendes emphasised that Jagdeo did his best to comply with the constitutional provisions, by including persons who both fell into the judicial and the eminent persons’ categories. And the Senior Counsel informed the court

GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson

Opposition Leader could have suggested names of possible candidates to the President, as part of prior consultation.

Mendes noted while this could have happened, this was not the case in Guyana.

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

that if the President repeatedly rejects nominees who meet his own stated criteria for selection, then he must explain why so that observers can analyse whether he is abusing his power or not. turn to page 7

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thursday, may 9, 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

Politicisation of State Agencies

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ecently, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government held outreaches in some parts of the country. Those engagements were intended to take Government to the people and it appears they will continue with probably more intensity as elections are in the air. It was precisely elections that triggered the outreaches; elections that should have been held within the three-month period that followed the passage of the No-confidence Motion on December 21, 2018.

Government found ways through the courts to delay the constitutionally mandated elections. However, an appeal, with a possible ruling to so instruct, is about to be heard. That strategic delay provides Government with valuable time as it engages seemingly desperate to appease having been broadsided by Guyanese for failing to deliver on its promises. It has however been successful in implementing draconian measures that have strangled the economy and which continue to burden many.

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

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

One explanation could be that, together in numbers, criticism may be deterred. That may have been realised by the suspicion that some of its dedicated supporters were bussed to those events.

That aside, striking, was the presence of a number of Government agencies, including utility companies for electricity and water.

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

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

Therein lies the real intention within the context outlined.

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

That seems fair as many continue to lament that related concerns at established offices are arduous, time consuming and sometimes unresolved. This has been recurring over the years with some consumers resorting to the media to bring attention to their plight. Discoloured water that is high in iron content, unreliable supply, reportedly indiscriminate disconnections and allegation of billing despite not receiving potable water, are ongoing concerns expressed by some customers of GWI. Frequent power outages, low voltage, power surges that can lead to the damage of appliances, tedious compensation process, high estimated bills as well as accusations of indiscriminate disconnections, are concerns of consumers of electricity. It is safe to posit that the Government cannot be totally unaware of these concerns.

While it can command the presence of both at the outreaches, the question of what was done to bring relief having been in government four years now, surfaces. Many have argued that had mechanisms to improve various aspects of both services implemented and sustained throughout the country, there would have been no real reason for the two agencies to be a fixture at the Government outreaches.

There is no ambiguity that such events are designed with a clear political objective in mind and in the context of the Government’s rush to engage, a different conclusion is virtually impossible to derive.

With that in mind, it also becomes extremely difficult to dismiss the accusations of Government deliberately politicising those two and other State agencies in an effort to foster its own agenda of trying to win people over.

What about the vast majority who will not attend the outreaches?

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

Again, that seems fair to ask, specifically for those who do not support the Government and more than likely will not attend the engagements. While many other questions will be asked, the Government seems committed to “take Government to the people”.

In principle, there is a need for such engagements, but it must not be triggered to just appear to be working for the people especially when there was a seeming reluctance before December 21, 2018.

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

That, however, would not allow for the public relations spectacle that has embodied the said outreaches in an effort to convince of being caring.

Children dance during a cultural performance at the opening of the eighth International Road Federation (IRF) Caribbean Regional Congress at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. The Conference is being hosted under the theme, “Modernising the Region’s Roads for Future Generations” (DPI photo)

Surviving Venezuela Part 1

By Maria Isabel Sanchez

B

lood stains on the ground. That’s how my masochistic relationship with Venezuela began.

It was a spot at a plaza in Caracas where three people had been shot the previous day and someone had placed an image of the virgin, along with some flowers and candles. It was 2002 and I had flown in to cover the turbulent days that followed the failed coup d’état against President Hugo Chávez.

Ever since, things between Venezuela and me have been complicated.

I had gone to the country several times to cover special events, like the death of Chávez and the election of Nicolás Maduro in 2013. And in September 2015 I began a stint as AFP's bureau chief.

From then right up until the end I had no respite -- I started my posting just as the economic crisis deepened and when I left in March, the country was in the midst of the worst blackout it's ever seen.

On paper, my posting lasted three and a half years. But time is different here. A day seems like a week, a week seems like a month, a month seems like a year, a year can seem like a decade. My time there felt like an eternity.

Venezuela has been, without a doubt, my greatest professional and personal challenge – how to understand it, explain it, survive it.

Never-ending queues in supermarkets to buy a litre of oil, corn flour or toilet paper greeted me upon arrival. That and the feeling of constant fear that I’d be stalked by a guy on a mo-

torbike who would point a gun at me to steal my cellphone.

During my time here, I saw a country collapse. I lived the Venezuela of farewells; of depressing hospitals; of empty supermarkets and trucks and trucks laden with food escorted by the military; of constant looting; of barter; of empty shelves and those full of things that most Venezuelans could not buy.

My Venezuela was that of Libudina, an old woman from the Petare neighbourhood in Caracas who was living out her last years in anguish because she could not find medicine for her hypertension and ulcer.

Of seven-month-pregnant Marling who exploded in anger when she learnt that the diapers she needed to buy had been sold out after she had waited for hours in a queue under a blazing

sun.

My Venezuela was one of packages of devalued bank notes that you had to take with you to the market. Of Elizabeth who, buying some eggs with three million bolivares telling me indignantly but with humour “we’re a country of millionaires!”

I admired the Venezuela of Nancy, who sold fried fish and beer at a coastal village at the foot of the mountains and who had to get into a boat and go out on the water in order to catch an Internet signal so that she could process her customers’ credit cards to the gentle rocking of the waves.

I feared the Venezuela of Alejandra, who at age 14 already experienced insane violence as she watched a friend shoot another to death in her neighbourhood, and that of the vio-

lent and chaotic world of Ender, a young miner who knew that he can die at any time among the gold he mined.

I lived the Venezuela of marches and counter-marches; of a polarised country in which one side only thinks of annihilating the other; of clouds of teargas lighting up sunsets; of two presidents; of hunger and opulence; of parallel and contradictory realities.

Whenever I left the country I was invariably and without exception asked about it. Was it true that there was nothing to eat? Did the people support Maduro or the Opposition?

Was there going to be a coup d’état or an invasion?

Was there anything going on to stop the crisis?

I have thought countless times that no matter how much was written about this country, it was never enough, and that no one would ever understand it. And countless times I thought that no matter what you write, everyone ends up reading what they want to believe.

Venezuela is a country constantly on edge. If more than two days pass without the two sides attacking each other, without the Opposition announcing a new offensive to end the Maduro reign, or Maduro promising prosperity during a televised address, you inevitably think that Something is about to happen. And it usually does.

It is a country where calm is suspect and chaos is the norm. This is a country of constant political rhetoric, day and night. Something always happens and it usually ends up turning the situation much worse than it was before. (Excerpt from AFP)

5 Sand trucks traversing Linden Highway major offenders of axle overload – survey finds A news

THURSday, MAY 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

recent axle load survey conducted of trucks which traverse the Soesdyke- Linden Highway has unearthed major axle overloading by heavy-duty trucks. The survey was conducted by a design and consultancy team attached to Beston/ SRKN’gineering, which has been contracted by the Public Infrastructure Ministry to conduct feasibility studies and detailed designs for the major rehabilitation of the Highway.

A team attached to the Public Infrastructure Ministry recently visited the office of the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) along with a design team where various aspects of the project were presented to Regional Chairman Renis Morian and Councillors.

These included an overview of the project, scope of work and initial activities and findings. Project Director and team leader attached to SRKN, Stuart Hughes, explained that one of the key aspects conducted was an axle load survey which was done on both sides of the highway – at Amelia’s Ward and Soesdyke. In presenting the initial findings, Hughes said 36 hours of continuous count was carried out with heavy-duty trucks which were weighed. It was

observed that sand trucks were major defaulters.

“With the assistance of the Guyana Police Force, we stopped the trucks and we directed them unto these weigh pads. And the weigh pads basically wirelessly measured the weight of these axles and transmitted it to the laptop. So we were able to get the actual load of each and every axle for each and every one of these trucks which we stopped at these two locations,” he noted.

Hughes continued that a total of 1199 to 1200 trucks were weighed at the end of a 72-hour period, with a majority being sand trucks at the Soesdyke end. In explaining the relevance of the exercise, Hughes said in designing a road one has to assume a certain axle load, which is 8.2 tonnes.

However, he noted that a sand truck at Soesdyke recorded the heaviest at 19 tonnes. These trucks, he pointed out, recorded higher than fuel and logging trucks.

Hughes said the heaviest logging truck recorded was 16 tonnes axle load.

“The heaviest truck that we recorded which was down at the Soesdyke end was actually 19 tonnes. Going into the Roads Act Chapter 51:02, the Regulation which I found... the actual legal limit as it stands is 7.2

Project Director said when the company submits its pavement design report, it would have to seek guidance from the Ministry as to whether it should go ahead to design based on the findings, or whether it intends to put in place a much more active weight limit enforcement programme on the roadway.

Implications/recommendations

Project Director and team leader attached to SRKN, Stuart Hughes delivering a power point presentation at the RDC. Also in photo is Project Manager attached to the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Dionne Amsterdam

tonnes... basically for every tonne that is actually heavier than the design limit... the damage that’s being done... A 16-tonne truck would be doing 22 times the actual damage. Nineteen tonnes you’re up to thirty something times the actual damage. So, we can design for this, but the question is we’ll end up with a very,

very expensive pavement...

It would be a very, very expensive undertaking,” he noted.

Hughes explained that the company is not required to look at the legal implications of this, but rather it is a task for the Ministry.

He added however that this gives an idea of what is happening on the roadway. The

In explaining the implications, Hughes pointed out further that the company is required to make recommendations. He also called for more control mechanisms to be put in place in moving forward.

“That also is part of what we have to do, we have to recommend a weight control programme to the Ministry...

There clearly must be some control of these trucks that are traversing the highway. It has economic implications, because if it continues like this...you may have a situation where your pavement, your road does not actually last...”, he explained.

Social and Gender Specialist Vanda Radzick who is working along with the team in giving her input made the recommendation for overloaded trucks to be upgraded, noting that this is safer and in keeping with policy.

“One of the things at a

policy level may be to encourage these single axle overloaded trucks to modernise and have a double axle to save the road and distribute the weight. And it’s safer and it’s more within the law. So, law and policy – the designer may make recommendations, but at the end of the day the engineers and designers, that’s not their jurisdiction. It still has to go back to enforcement, law and policy”, she outlined.

Hughes said based on observations, there is a solid foundation to work with but the company just has to come up with a design solution to build on it. He noted that in his 25 plus year career as a civil engineer he has not seen such a fixed pavement as the one he’s seen on the highway.

He said cracking was discovered on the asphalted concrete layer which will be dealt with. According to the Project Director, the company has also conducted a geotechnical investigation in order to propose a solution. He added that it has to conduct a technical and economic feasibility report and an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment which will assist the Ministry in obtaining a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. (Utamu Belle)

Staff at GFC requests truth from Minister Trotman Dear Editor, The staff at the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) are now faced with late payment of salaries, no allowances, and even loss of jobs.

The staff was informed in an article in Kaieteur News, dated April 13, 2019, that the Commission is now falling short by up to $1 billion annually to effectively carry out its function and is cash strapped from the closure of

many forestry logging and sawmill operations.

The GFC staff were informed via the media of plans for the restructuring of the Commission. This restructuring would be in keeping with the Government’s national objective of moving towards a ‘green’ economy and alignment with the green state development strategy.

But is this true or is this restructuring an av-

enue to downscale staff numbers? It does not make sense to us staff that the restructuring is aimed at in-

creasing jobs and salaries when the plans for restructuring only came immediately after it was declared

that the Guyana Forestry Commission is bankrupted.

So please Minister Trotman, tell us which one is it really?

Who will be fired and who gets to stay?

Sincerely, T Williams

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thurSday, may 9, 2019

Page Foundation How much food should I eat? The divided

plate and other portion tips

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erving sizes on food labels and recommended amounts on the ChooseMyPlate site are usually given in grams, ounces, or cups. Of course, most of us don’t carry around food scales and measuring cups. So how can we translate those amounts into quantities we can relate to? That’s where the following visual cues come in. (Just be warned: Some might seem small, especially to recovering super-sizers!)

One easy way to size up portions if you don’t have any

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Portion distortion

eople today eat way more than they used to –and way more than they need to. This means that they’re constantly taking in more calories than their bodies can burn.

Unfortunately, lots of us don’t realise that we’re eating too much because we’ve become so used to seeing (and eating!) large portions.

People who consistently overeat are likely to become overweight. They also risk getting a number of medical problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, bone and joint problems, breathing and sleeping problems, and even depression. Later in life, people who are overweight or obese are at greater risk for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.

It’s easy to understand why the food industry tends to serve way more food than is necessary: Customers love to feel like they’re getting the best value for their money! But the value meal is no deal when it triples our calories and sets the stage for health problems.

So what can you do to take back control? A good place to start is knowing about two things that can help you eat smart: serving sizes and recom-

People who consistently overeat are likely to become overweight.

They also risk getting a number of medical problems. mended amounts of different foods.

Help yourself: the truth about serving sizes

Look at the label on any product package and you’ll see a nutrition information section that gives a serving size for that food. Contrary to popular belief, this serving size is not telling you the amount you should be eating. It’s simply a guide to help you see how many calories and nutrients – as well as how much fat, sugar, and salt – you get from eating a specific quantity of that food.

Sometimes the serving size on a package will be a lot less than you are used to eating. In some cases, like vegetables, it’s perfectly OK (and even a good idea) to eat more than the serving size listed on the package.

But when it comes to foods that are

high in calories, fat, or sugar, the serving size can alert you that you may be getting more than is healthy. Let’s say you buy a three-ounce bag of cookies and you eat the whole bag. If the label shows the serving size is one ounce, not only did you have three servings, you also had three times the listed calories as well as three times the sugar.

Eat smart: What’s Recommended

Serving sizes tell you how much nutrition you’re getting from a particular food. They don’t tell you which foods you need to stay healthy, though.

That’s where the US Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate comes in.

MyPlate is divided into four sections with dairy on the side to represent the five food groups:

fruits vegetables grains protein dairy

There’s a website, ChooseMyPlate. gov, that offers guidelines to help people figure out how much of these foods they should eat based on age, gender, and activity level. (kidshealth.org)

measurements is to use your hand as a guide: A clenched fist is about a cup – and a cup is the amount experts recommend for a portion of pasta, rice, cereal, vegetables, and fruit.

A meat portion should be about as big as your palm.

Limit the amount of added fats (like butter, mayo, or salad dressing) to the size of the top of your thumb.

Another great way to visualise appropriate portions is to use the concept of the “divided plate”. Think of your plate as divided into four equal sections. Use one of the top quarters for protein. Use the other top quarter for starch, preferably a whole grain. Then fill the bottom half with veggies (or a combination of vegetables and fruit). None of the foods should overlap – or be piled high! Not only will dividing your plate like this help you keep portions under control, it can also help you to balance your meals.

Portion-control tips

Being aware of realistic portion sizes and using the “divided plate” concept can help you avoid overeating. But sometimes these visual cues can be hard – especially when foods are difficult to measure, like a sandwich. It can also be hard to estimate foods like chips and cookies that you might eat right out of the bag.

More tips for portion control:

Eat your meals on a smaller plate so your meal looks larger. A sandwich on a dinner-size plate looks lost; on an appetizer plate it looks downright hefty.

Avoid taking an entire bag of chips or a container of ice cream to the couch. You’re far less likely to overdo it if you put your snack in a bowl, and sit at the table to eat it.

Don’t eat in front of the TV or other screens.

Try single-serving size foods to help your body learn what an appropriate portion size is.

Eat three well-balanced meals (with vegetables, fruit, proteins, and starch) and one or two healthy snacks at regular times throughout the day. Skipping meals or waiting too long between them can make you more likely to overdo it at the next meal.

Add more salads, other vegetables, and fruit to your diet, especially at the start of a meal. This can help control hunger and give a sense of fullness while controlling calorie intake.

Try not to rush through your meals. Eat slowly and chew well – giving yourself a chance to feel full before you take more. If you do want seconds, go for more salad or veggies.

Be aware that most restaurant portions are three or four times the right serving size. Try sharing meals with friends, ordering an appetizer as a main dish, or packing up the extra to take home before you begin to eat.

Don’t be tempted to go for the giant value meal or the jumbo drink just because they’re only a few cents more than the regular size.

Most important, make it a habit to let your stomach rather than your eyes tell you when you’re done with a meal. The key to maintaining a healthy weight is to listen to your body’s natural signals about when it’s hungry and when it’s full. (kidshealth.org)

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thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fraud findings

SOCU will not be dismantled – Granger P

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

An audit was ordered into the operations of SOCU

by Police Commissioner Leslie James in February following claims of grave mismanagement, which included the misuse of its operational fund.

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

“SOCU is an integral part, an organic part of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Head of SOCU is a police officer … It is going to remain. It’s not going to be dismantled. It has work to

Police Commissioner Leslie James

President David Granger

do. It is not a free agent. It is not a loose cannon and we’ll ensure that public confidence in SOCU is restored,” Granger declared.

He sided with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who recently stated that the Top Cop would be taking action against culpable officials.

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

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

SOCU, which had been

SOCU Head Sydney James

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

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

According to recent reports, the audit concluded with records uncovering serious irregularities, including the falsification of

records, and it has recommended immediate transfers and a fraud investigation of several of the discrepancies, sources say.

Ramjattan told the media last Friday that action would be taken by Commissioner James with regard to the damning discoveries since the Unit is a branch of the Guyana Police Force.

“The Commissioner is the head of SOCU as you

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

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

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

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

GECOM unilateral appointment case

CCJ Judge reminds State lawyers that Guyana is a republic...

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

Not a kingdom

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

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

However, Justice Saunders rebuked the counsel for seemingly implying

that the President can appoint whosoever he wishes.

Saunders reminded the flustered lawyer that constitutional provisions have mandated that the President has to select someone “not unacceptable” from the lists supplied by the President.

Justice Wit noted that based on the State’s arguments, it would therefore mean that the President can appoint whosoever he wants; a situation that previously existed before the constitutional amendments of 2000.

Wit noted that he had difficulty accepting this.

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

playing a guessing game, he doesn’t know what the President wants, so he puts forward lists that are all rejected, not knowing who the President (wants). So the President can always get his man or woman. Is that what was intended by the amendment?” Justice David Hayton asked the lawyer.

Justice Wit noted that the Guyana Constitution allows the President to use his discretion based on his deliberate judgement, not based on his whims. The justice noted that the CCJ must not only deal with the letter, but also the spirit of the Constitution.

But Thorne noted that the lower courts in Guyana had found that even though reasons were not given, the Judge found that the appointment was valid. He was reminded by the Justices, however, the Guyana is “a Republic, not a Kingdom”

and as such, everyone is subject to the law.

Unrestrained

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

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

“How do we know on what basis these names were not acceptable,” Saunders questioned, after being told the President is not enti-

tled to give reasons. To this, Gallop reiterated that the Constitution does not say that the President has to give reasons for making his appointment outside the list.

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

This is despite the fact that Judges give pages of

(from page 3) reasons for their decisions.

However, the President has steadfastly refused to provide substantive reasons for rejecting the list or even exactly who is not ‘fit and proper.’

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

8 News Cops charged for demanding money from TIP victims, rape T thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

It is alleged that 30-yearold Corwyn Mingo of Lot 188 Section C Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD) between June 1 and June 30, 2018 at Makari Top, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) engaged in sexual activity with a Venezuelan female without her consent.

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

All three men denied the charges. Police Prosecutor

…Cheddi Jagan

Corwyn Mingo

Tevin Estrado

Ceon Jones

Gordon Mansfield told the court ranks of the Trafficking in Persons Unit, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, were investigating reports of alleged Trafficking In Persons committed on three Venezuelan women and during the investigations, three Police ranks stationed at Issano Police Station were identified as

persons who demanded money from the women during a stop-and-search operation at Makari Top. The court heard that the women handed over 15 pennyweight of raw gold valued $157,500. According to the Prosecutor, one of the females reported that she was raped by one of the officers. An investigation was conducted during which the

Police Officers were positively identified by the women.

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

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

Eccles man found guilty of murdering mechanic

K

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

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

Guilty: Kenkassie Lynch

Thompson. The State was represented by Prosecutors

Teriq Mohammed, Tuanna Hardy and Abigail Gibbs.

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

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

During the trial, it was revealed that Lynch armed himself with a gun given to him by Liverpool, who waited for the accused some dis-

tance away from the home.

The accused entered the premises of the now dead man, knocked on the door and confronted Lanferman, who had opened the door, shooting him before making good his escape.

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

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

Policeman charged Fisherman slapped for stealing phone with murder charge

A

22-year-old Police Constable appeared on Wednesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on a simple larceny charge.

Ernesto Thomas of Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), stood before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and denied the charge which stated that on March 5, 2019 at the Police Club Ground in Eve Leary, Georgetown he stole one Samsung Galaxy cellular phone and SIM card, property of Carl Saul, valued at $62,000. Saul is also an officer attached to the Sport Secretariat.

The prosecution is contending that the Virtual Complainant (VC) was at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, Georgetown,

Silencing…

D

coaching his football team, during which time he had in his possession his cellular phone. According to the prosecution’s case, on completion of the football training, the VC checked for the phone in his pocket and surroundings, but came up empty-handed. A report was made to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters where an investigation was launched, which led to the arrest of Thomas, who reportedly admitted to finding the phone, discarding the SIM card and selling it to a known individual in Albouystown, Georgetown.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield did not object to bail. Chief Magistrate McLennan released Thomas on self-bail. The case will continue on May 14, 2019.

A

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

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

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

The 21-year-old man was represented by Attorney-atLaw George Thomas, who told the court his client did not shoot Rodney and he was not in possession of a gun. He further stated that his client ran in a northerly direction when he heard the gunshots and rendered assistance to the injured man, taking him to

Georgetown Public Hospital, where he gave Police Officers a statement.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court on April 25 about 09:00h the now deceased man and another man had a misunderstanding. As Rodney was walking along Norton Street, on the northern side of the road, he was confronted by Fraser, along with two other men, who exited a tinted white motor vehicle and an argument ensued. The three men then pulled out their weapons and fired several rounds at Rodney, which hit his left foot. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

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

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

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

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

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

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

But that’s the nub of the problem, isn’t it?? Burnham suffers by comparison with Jagan as so must be silenced!

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

…protests over CJIA’s scandal

Your Eyewitness is waiting with bated breath for the “value for money” audit the Auditor General will be conducting on the new CJIA terminal we were supposed to get for shelling out US$150 million!! Your Eyewitness recently left and returned via this boondoggle and believe him, it’s a crying shame what’s been done to us taxpayers – who will be paying through our noses for the next decades.

And he’s not even talking about the ADDITIONAL $7000 fee imposed just to rub salt into our wounds!!

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

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

Let the audit begin!!

…criminal connections

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

Power flexed??

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

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thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Strong interest in Guyana at Houston oil conference

F

ollowing day two of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2019, GO-Invest’s Chief Executive Officer, Owen Verwey says Guyana has seen a significant amount of interest from the industry. He expressed that the positive response will enable businesses to network with partners “that can help increase their abilities and their resourcing to compete for jobs in the oil and gas sector.” The country’s participation in this major event drives home the fact that Guyana is rapidly emerging as an oil and gas nation, and while the country’s experience in this area is lacking, foreign investors are keen to assist and lend their expertise in our development. Verwey, is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying “each one of them has had four to five business-to-business meetings with businesses that they would have met here and that is really good for an economy like ours and businesses that came here.”

Also participating in the conference, Kester Hudson

Managing Director of local business, Dapper Technologies, noted that it provides local businesses with the opportunity to network and build partnerships.

“Dapper Technologies being exposed to the offshore technology conference 2019, gives us an opportunity to see endless possibilities in the services that we provide… it allows us to network with all the key stakeholders in this massive industry.”

Kester Hudson, Managing Director of local business Dapper Technologies at his booth at the OTC 2019 held in During brief com- Houston, Texas ments, a partner in the Hughes, Fields & Stoby law firm, Greg Clark further noted the expressions of interest in Guyana.

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

OTC 2019 is being held in Houston Texas and is

Women must ‘push back’ against disrespect – First Lady

First Lady Sandra Granger (centre); the founder and producer of the Supa-Stylistics Mother and Daughter Pageant, Ingrid Fung (left) and Dr Sulan Fung (right); and the delegates in all of the categories of the pageant, in the Baridi Benab at State House

F

irst Lady Sandra Granger on Wednesday morning encouraged the delegates in the Mother and Daughter Pageant to be strong and confident and to push back against disrespect in their daily lives.

The First Lady made these comments during a courtesy call the group and organisers paid on her at her State House office.

“Every time you look around, you see the image of women being battered… “If we’re always afraid; we will always be battered and people will begin to believe that it is normal, so we have to begin to start pushing back,” the First Lady said.

The First Lady also advised the delegates to stay true to themselves by holding firm to their values, educating themselves and by cultivating self-confidence so that they can fight against the negative stereotypes of women that are often publicised.

“So, we have to start somewhere… I would like to see that when our young girls grow up, they don’t think of being somebody’s assistant or secretary, they look to becoming Chief

Executive Officer, Presidents and the Ministers in charge,” she said.

Meanwhile, Producer of the pageant, Dr Sulan Fung, said the organisers took the decision to arrange a meeting with the First Lady and the delegates because they view her as a role model for women. “We see her as the epitome of what a Guyanese woman should be and we wanted our mothers, our women, our children to have her as an example,” she said.

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

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

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thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Region 2 Chairperson shocked at conditions of Suddie Hospital

A

fter receiving nunoted that as a wommerous complains en’s advocate, she is very much dissatisfied about the poor serwith the treatment givvices offered at the Suddie Public Hospital, Region en to the high risk mothTwo (Pomeroon-Supenaam) ers and is seeking the the acting Regional assistance of a few busiChairperson, Nandranie nesses to donate chairs for the mothers before Coonjah and Councillor Arnold Adams, who is Mother’s Day. also the Chairman of the Councillor Arnold Regional Health Committee Adams said the Suddie on the Regional Democratic Hospital needs to be Council (RDC) visited the completely rewired since the existing wirregion’s leading health ining was done about 60 stitution on Tuesday afteryears ago and that is noon.

The two regional officausing many electricials have since reported cal problems at the inthat the institution was in- The lone chair at the Maternity Waiting stitution. He added that many pieces of equipdeed in very bad shape and Home, Suddie, Essequibo Coast ment have been damservices offered are of a very The acting Chairperson said aged due to the faulty poor standard.

Speaking with Guyana she was shocked to see the wiring, adding that over the Times following the visit, condition of the only chair past three years, staff have Coonjah said she is very dis- that was given to the High had to sun-dry the hospital’s turbed with the services of- risk mothers to use at the laundry since the dryer was damaged and never fixed. fered to high risk pregnant hostel.

Indigenous mothers com- Adams said on Tuesday mothers, who are housed inside the Amerindian Hostel ing from as far as Region there was a scheduled sitin Suddie because the One (Barima-Waini) are be- ting of the Monthly Health Maternity Waiting Home ing housed in the hostel and Committee Meeting at the contract, which was award- the living condition is “very hospital but no one turned up for the meeting. ed in 2016 and completed in bad”, Coonjah said.

The acting Chairperson 2017 is yet to be furnished.

Hospital laundry drying outdoors after the institution’s dryer was damaged three years ago and never repaired

Greenidge retained at Foreign Affairs Ministry – President

A

mid the recent resignation of former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge due to his dual citizenship status, President David Granger has informed that he will remain at the Ministry to serve in another capacity.

The President told the media on Wednesday that discussions are ongoing regarding the appointment but while a decision is yet to be made, it is expected that the former Minister will contribute to the resolution of the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.

Greenidge was replaced by Dr Karen Cummings, who served prior as Junior Public Health Minister.

“I’ve had several meetings with Mr Greenidge and he will remain in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I’ve had meetings of course, with the new Minister, Dr Karen Cummings, and I am to meet them again to let them know what my decision is,” the President said.

He further stated, “I expect that Mr Greenidge will contribute to the continuity of work in the Ministry

Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge

of Foreign Affairs, especially with relation to the territorial controversy with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Guyana that is ongoing.”

Presently, the case is before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) but it was mentioned that Greenidge may also be given responsibilities for other areas relating to Guyana’s international relations. Nevertheless, the Head of State sought to assure that the Minister’s duties will remain intact.

“There are certain aspects of the international economic relations of

President David Granger

Guyana with other countries that I will ask him to accept responsibilities for. There isn’t two Ministries. It is one Ministry and Dr Cummings is the Minister. The function and everything else that falls within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will come under the Minister of Foreign Affairs,” the President said.

According to a ruling by acting Chief Justice Roxane George in January, it is illegal for persons with a second citizenship to serve in the National Assembly.

This decision was upheld in Guyana’s Appeal Court in March. turn to page 11

Policeman dies after fight at Constabulary Headquarters

A

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

Dead is Carlos Alleyne.

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

Carlos Alleyne

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

Guyana Times was told there was an altercation between Alleyne and a Police Sergeant at the headquarters.

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

Guyanese miner shot by Venezuelan during money dispute

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

Injured is Teon Moffatt of Haslington Village, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

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

Guyana Times was told that Moffatt was heading to his camp when the suspect approached him and blocked his path.

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

However, Moffat allegedly told the suspect that he did not have any gold which led to a confrontation. The

suspect whipped out a .38 revolver from under his jersey and shot Moffatt twice to his upper left leg.

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

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

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thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

When it rains, it pours at Smith’s Memorial Primary …teachers complain of leaking roof

T

A section of the auditorium drenched by rainfall due to the leaking roof

eachers at the Smith’s Memorial Primary School, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, are fuming while at the same time

hoping for urgent attention to be paid to the leaking roof at the institution, which is currently taking a beating on the pupils as the daily downpours con-

tinue.

Guyana Times was told that the leaking roof went unnoticed at the school for months during the dry weather but now that the

Greenidge retained at Foreign...

Apart from Greenidge, three other Government Ministers – Minister of State Joseph Harmon; Business Minister Dominic Gaskin and Public Service Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine were also forced to resign from Cabinet and the National Assembly, owing to their dual citizenship status.

It was previously indicated that all these Ministers, with the exception of Gaskin, will be renouncing their second citizenship. Gaskin is a born Briton and according to the courts, by renewing his British passport he is pledging allegiance to another State.

Last Friday, Minister Cummings was sworn-in to undertake her new re-

sponsibility along with new Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams; Business Minister Haimraj Rajkumar; and new Public Service Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.

This period also saw a reshuffling of Cabinet members with Junior Ministers Annette Ferguson and Simona Charles-Broomes being transferred to their new posts after they were transferred from the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Natural Resources, respectively.

Minister Ferguson was appointed Housing Minister within the Communities Ministry, while Minister Broomes holds the mantle for youth affairs within the

from page 10

Ministry of the Presidency.

Moreover, Minister Valerie Patterson-Yearwood was reassigned as Rural Affairs Minister within the Agriculture Ministry. Her removal from the Housing Department came at a time when much controversy erupted over conflict of interest issues after her husband was awarded several contracts from the very Ministry she headed.

So far, Harmon has been appointed as Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, a position which did not previously exist. It is unclear whether the other two former Ministers will take up other roles within the coalition Government.

rainy season has begun, students and teachers are being forced to move around their classrooms to avoid getting wet.

This publication visited the school on Wednesday morning for an event during which a heavy downpour began, forcing children to shift around in the building.

In fact, the Head Teacher of the school, Iyodele Hamilton, was being interviewed in her office when she too was distracted by a leakage coming from above her.

She explained that the Education Ministry was

informed of the situation since last term and promises were made to have the issue rectified as soon as possible.

According to the Head Teacher, the school was visited on Tuesday by an official who seemed as though he was assessing the situation. She, however, complained that several other parts of the building also leak whenever it rains, especially the auditorium which is generally used to facilitate formal events.

Moreover, the auditorium also houses the Grade Five and Six classes which

are often made uncomfortable by the rainfall.

“We are looking for help in that area, with immediate effect that would be good,” Hamilton shared.

A teacher who did not state her name, informed this publication that the roof was fixed before but the issue seems to be reoccurring. That teacher said she hopes that the pupils and staffers can benefit from a new school in the near future as many school are undergoing repairs.

Efforts by Guyana Times to contact senior officials at the Education Ministry proved futile.

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thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Region 6 rice farmers call on Govt for assistance

By Andrew Carmichael

R

ice farmers on the Corentyne in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) who have been affected by the paddy bug infestation are calling on Government to provide some form of assistance to enable them to go into the next crop.

Some of the farmers have had to dump their paddy after millers rejected it because of the poor quality resulted from the paddy bug infestation; the worst in decades according to some farmers.

When the crop started, farmers were forced to pump water after the regional administration lacked fuel to operate the four pumps in the Black Bush Polder. This was followed by the blockage of the Seaforth Canal, which created more difficulty for some farmers.

Mahindra Singh of Number 46 Village, who cultivated 35 acres of rice, said his loses are about 60 per cent of his crop. “We had a massive infestation of paddy bugs and the paddy was rejected by the mill and some was left in the field.”

He added that what the mill rejected, he had to dump, adding that as it stands there is no alternative. “I can’t go back into the next crop.”

Singh is considered a small-scale farmer but his loses are estimated at $1.5 million owing to the fact that extra funds were used to supply insecticides for the paddy sucking bugs.

Meanwhile, another farmer, Chatterpaul Balram, who cultivated 120 acres at Bushlot Corentyne, explained that the problems commenced shortly after the sewing of the paddy.

He explained that 20 acres were destroys after applying the first application of fertiliser. “No water, all the water dry up,” the farmer said. At that time, he said he contacted officials from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB).

“Since then I haven’t seen them back… Now har-

Some of the dumped paddy

Chatterpaul Balram cultivated 120 acres

Mahindra Singh had to dump all his paddy

vesting time is paddy bug.

I cut one truck load paddy and had to dump it.”

In an effort to protect his rice crop from the destructive bugs, Balram said he applied insecticides

he invested $7 million into the crop. Counting by the truck load, he was hoping to collect about $500,000 per load but in fact because of the poor grading of his paddy, he was only paid at

The quality of rice being produced by the poor quality paddy

more than 20 times, causing an additional burden on his financing.

“All the type of drugs you could think of I use; still yet 60 per cent damage.”

According to Balram,

an average of $150,000 per truck load.

However, this has not stopped him from going into the next crop. He has already commenced plowing the land, preparing it for the next crop.

Julius Singh does not know if he will be able to get into the next crop

“I am not giving up,” the 56-year-old rice farmer who has been farming since the age of 11, said.

“I just waiting to see what the GRDB will do...

If they will assist us with seed paddy or fertiliser or something,” he added.

Another farmer, Julius Singh, who cultivated 100 acres at Cromarty and 60 acres at Kilmarnock, told Guyana Times that the bugs had a feast on his rice despite all of the extra efforts he put in to keep them out.

Now he has not been able to clear expenses from the last crop.

“Onto now, I owe some people. People feel that you don’t want to pay them,” the farmer said. Singh is

not sure if he will be able to go into the next crop. “You don’t have the money, how you gon turn over,” he said.

Singh showed this publication grading slips from a local mill which indicated that his rice was graded as substandard.

“Forty per cent, 60 per cent, 80 per cent damaged; the paddy not good and rice costing real money to plant.

I don’t know what farmers will do this crop. If we could get some assistance from anywhere, we will be grateful,” he lamented.

According to Singh, he is hoping that the authorities at the GRDB will step in and assist the farmers with fertiliser and seed paddy so that they can go back into the next crop.

He noted that as rice farmers they provide foreign exchange for the country and in times like these, the Government should step in and provide assistance.

“I never experience nothing like this with paddy bug. We would see paddy bug which we call “Gandi” but not this much. When you in the field, they hold on on your clothes like if Africanised bees take you over,” he explained.

Farmers have reported that the yield was good considering they reaped between 35-40 bags per acre.

However, this is subjected to the high percentage loss as a result of the paddy bug infestation.

“When you feel that the rice bear good this crop, you can’t get no money off of it because when you go to the other side and reach the mill and they grade your rice is nothing; you stand up right there and see the paddy grade,” one farmer noted.

Rice Producers Association Field Officer, Ramlagan Singh, said more than 30 farmers in the region had all of their paddy rejected and they were forced to dump it; some on the roadside and others on the beach.

He added that most of the paddy was not even fit for birds or animals.

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14 News

thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

CDC opens oil spill planning and readiness assessment workshop T

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

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

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

CDC Director General,

Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, said the workshop has been organised to complete the assessment so that systematic gaps, lead agencies and deadlines can be identified and established.

He added that the CDC aims to create a sustainable disaster risk management system; noting that as Guyana advances towards becoming an oil producing territory, the probability of oil spills increases significantly. Therefore, simultaneous plans and actions are taking place, the DPI said.

Further, Lieutenant Colonel Craig also commended the stakeholders at the workshop for their commitment and recognition of the need for collaboration.

“We are here today, to take steps to formally develop a national mechanism for oil spill preparedness and response. Over the last couple of months, a number of steps were taken in advancing the oil spill response mechanism. Primarily at the legislative level, the Department of Energy is working with the relevant stakeholders, international bodies and countries to devise and develop new legis-

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

lation for oil spill response.

At the CDC, we are currently developing a Disaster Risk Management Bill and we are ensuring that provisions are also made for oil spill response and preparedness,” he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Craig noted too that the Bill is being drafted by international experts and during this week, it would be available on the CDC’s website and sent to all stakeholders so that they can make recommendations for its en-

hancement and improvement.

“It is our hope that we can have this bill ready by the end of this year. Apart from the bill, what you would find happening is that the Working Group for Oil Spill Response continues to meet every week to further develop the oil spill response plan. We have drafted a general aspect of that plan, which covers the competent national authority, the CDC, outlines roles and responsibilities, and so

GTT+ Star Singing Competition attracts hundreds M ore than 200 contestants turned out at the Duke Lodge Hotel and Little Rock Suites as Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) Plus Star Singing Competition opened auditions in Georgetown and Berbice which were completed over the last two weekends.

The contestants turned out in their numbers as they all aimed to impress the judges to secure a spot in the preliminary round of the competition; bringing them closer to the coveted grand prize of $1 million and a single recording contract with local music producer, Drew Thoven.

The GTT Plus Star Singing Competition has created much hype and excitement, not only in Guyana but within the Diaspora, GTT said in a statement on Wednesday. The company’s Senior Marketing Executive, Tashandra Inniss said the auditions have been a success thus far, stating that “Georgetown and Berbice auditions, there was large turnout which was more than what we anticipated.”

Saiku, one of the judges for the GTT Plus Star Singing Competition, explained that there were only seven contestants who wowed the judges and have

forth. As it relates to the roles and responsibilities, we have identified who are responsible for detection and monitoring; what and who is responsible for reporting, assessments and response. We are hoping to have a good draft of this by June 30, 2019,” he further said.

According to DPI, the Director General pointed out that apart from planning, the Commission is also working to acquire resources to ensure that all

Region 1 miner found not guilty of killing friend

Freed: Trevor Williams

B Some of the contestants who participated in GTT Plus Star Singing Competition at Berbice

been guaranteed a spot in the next round of the competition. “Many persons would have received a yes from all three judges but this does not mean they have secured a spot in the preliminaries; the overall score from the judges will determine this.

When auditions are completed we will have call backs to those lucky few,” the release said.

The three main judges in-

clude local artistes Timeka Marshall and Saiku, and TV Host and Media Personality Joel Ghansham with occasional guest judge appearances.

The GTT Plus Star competition auditions will continue on May 11 at the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) Building and will conclude on May 18 in Essequibo at the Urbayne Oasis Hotel.

GTT is urging interested persons to register at http:// bit.ly/won2c and those interested can visit http://bit.ly/ heRre to see Georgetown auditions.

Berbice auditions will be aired on Thursday, May 9, 2019 on NTN at 19:00h; TVG at 21:00h and Channel 67 at 22:00h and on NCN on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 20:00h, the release said.

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

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

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

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

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

appeared at the High Court on Wednesday.

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

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

Facts presented indicated that on the day in question, the accused found a shotgun which he picked up and took back to his mining camp. Moments later, Raphael, a friend of the accused was trying to open the said firearm but Williams took it from him and also tried to open it during which a round of ammunition went off and hit Raphael in the head resulting in his death.

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

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

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thursday, may 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

M&CC takes composting to schools

Solid Waste Director Walter Narine engaging the pupils of Smith’s Memorial Primary

O

ver the next three weeks, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will be engaging 26 primary schools across the municipality through a new project to teach children how to compost in a bid to better manage waste.

On Wednesday, Guyana Times visited the Smith’s Memorial Primary School, which was one of the first institutions to benefit from this initiative. Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine, who engaged the pupils on composting told this publication that one of the factors which triggered the project is the fact that 50 per cent of waste that ends up at the landfill is organic.

He explained that composting can be defined as the breakdown of organic waste into fertiliser, which can be used to stimulate healthy growth of plants.

He also hinted to the importance of composting as he pointed out that it helps to reduce greenhouse gases produced by humans.

Greenhouse gases are harmful to the protective layer of the earth, called the ozone layer. They are produced from vehicle exhausts among others.

Narine told <<<<Guyana Times>>>> that the said organic waste which ends up in the landfill sites tend to decompose overtime after being buried which then produces methane gas and leachate which are harmful and can pollute the water that we drink among other things.

In this regard, he said the project is geared towards educating the children who will then hopefully spread the message to their parents and friends to compost.

“Over the next year I anticipate that there will be a change or a reduction of organic waste in the landfill,” he shared.

On Wednesday, the Communities Ministry handed over two bins to each of the three schools visited. One will be used to store organic waste such as fruit skins and even left over rice along with others.

The other bin will store gar-

bage that is useless to be thrown away.

Narine said the intent is to have the children use the organic waste in kitchen gardens at the schools which can help them to even become entrepreneurs one day. “Not only will they learn the technique of composting but entrepreneurship because the cash crops that they produce at school, they can sell it to benefit their school so they will learn business,” he reasoned.

The next move according to him is to get into communities and teach persons how to compost their waste as it will in turn also cut the collection costs.

He noted, “It will be beneficial to the municipality because it will reduce the frequency of collection because you don’t want your waste to be collected once a week (because) it starts to give off odor, it attracts rodents, dogs and stuff like that but if you take the organic component out of that waste we can collect twice a week and save costs because that would only be plastic and paper”.

The Solid Waste Director informed that he had been trying to initiate this project for about three years now and is excited to finally see it kick off.

The initiative is a collaborative effort between the M&CC along with the Ministries of Communities and Education.

Head Teacher of the school, Iyodele Hamilton, also said she was happy that the kids are being taught to manage their refuse. She said, “It’s a very good initiative because it’s going to help us with waste management at our school. Indeed we have a problem with waste. While this initiative may not be well-known to persons, its one way of disposal but children are now going to be familiar with this new initiative”.

Hamilton added that the school is excited about starting their kitchen garden. In fact, an area for the farming has already been identified.

The Georgetown municipality has been grappling over the years to properly

manage waste.

Landfill

The Communities Ministry recently expended some $253 million to upgrade the Haags Bosch landfill site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, and legislation is soon to be enacted to benefit its commercial stakeholders.

Last October, Site Supervisor for the Communities Ministry, Lloyd Stanton explained that the solid waste management strategy is currently at the last stages of being finalised. This will lead to the process of legislation being enacted, after which the Haags Bosch landfill site would be ready to welcome commercial stakeholders.

The contract, which was awarded in April 2018, initiated from steps to rehabilitate the dumpsite after a fire had erupted there back in 2015. The landfill was commissioned in 2011 to replace a similar setup at Mandela, Georgetown, which used to pollute areas of the city that are contiguous to the dumpsite.

The Haags Bosch landfill site has since served as the main disposal site for solid waste.

The new Bartica landfill at 14 Miles in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) should also be operational by next year, providing waste management services on a larger scale than the Byderabo site.

This is according to Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall. The Communities Ministry had provided funds back in 2017 for a landfill site to be developed at Bartica. An area at 14 Miles was selected and the Mayor is certain that it will be completed by 2020. For now, there is a site which is operated by private contractors and the Council is monitoring the situation so that activities are carried out in an environmentally friendly manner.

At present, there is no facility to dispose liquid waste, which will add one more function to the new 14 Miles landfill operation once completed.

EU-backed group says it is ready to send political mission to Venezuela

T

he European Unionbacked International Contact Group on Venezuela said on Tuesday it could send a political mission to Caracas to pursue a solution to the country’s ongoing crisis, reiterating its call for fresh elections.

Speaking after a third meeting of the group in the Costa Rican capital San Jose, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said there should be no military intervention in Venezuela and urged all sides to avoid escalating tensions.

“The only way to unblock a stalemate - in which the country clearly is - is to find a democratic, peaceful political way forward that can be inclusive and that can respect the will of the Venezuelan people,” Mogherini told a news conference.

A stand-off between Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition intensified in January when Juan Guaido, leader of the National Assembly, invoked Venezuela’s consti-

tution to assume the interim presidency, arguing that Maduro’s 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Guaido, who Maduro dismisses as a U.S. puppet trying to foment a coup, has won the backing of a number of Western powers.

Mogherini said free and fair elections should be held to break the impasse. To encourage a resolution, she added, the contact group “is ready to undertake a mission at the political level in Caracas.”

“There are a set of concrete options we have worked upon,” she said, declining to

provide further details.

The group’s members, consisting of about a dozen countries from Europe and Latin America, and international governmental organizations, agreed to meet again soon to assess progress and the next steps, she said.

In addition, the group had accepted an invitation to meet with the Lima Group, a mostly Latin American set of nations also seeking an end to the crisis in Venezuela, Mogherini said.

The contact group formed in January, aiming to help create the conditions for Venezuela to emerge from the crisis. (Reuters) Caption: European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini speaks during a news conference after a meeting of the International Contact Group (IGC) to discuss their support for a political solution to Venezuela’s political crisis, in San Jose, Costa Rica (REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate)

Nurses urged to uphold, restore respect to profession

I

nternational Nurses Day will be observed on Sunday and leading up to the day’s celebration, which is also Florence Nightingale’s birth anniversary, a week-long calendar of activities is in place for its observance. Launching the week of celebrations was the Regional Health Department of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Nurses were given the opportunity to embrace this year’s theme of ‘Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit’ with a church service. They were recognised for their ability to balance the work they do while maintaining an exemplary lifestyle.

With the emphasis being placed on upholding and restoring the respect of the noble profession, nurses were urged to wear their uniform with dignity since they work in the most critical division of health-care delivery.

During the event, the nurses were called on to rededicate themselves to their profession.

“There are challenges but I urge you to keep up the good work, the profession requires of you that you must do your best to uphold the profession… Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system… I say to you nurses that you must continue to give of your best to the nursing profession, don’t get weary in well-doing, you will reap if you faint not,” urged Matron of the New Amsterdam Regional

Nurses gathered at the launching of the week-long observation for International Nurses Day

Hospital, Susette August who has served in the profession for several years.

The Department of Public Information reported that nursing is the vocation in the health-care system that employs the largest number of persons and that there can never be too many nurses, she noted.

“Nurses maintain the health and wellness of patients throughout all aspects because nurses not only deal with patients with physical ailments… Patients come to us with social, emotional issues and nurses are trained along this line to assess and to really care for persons with these issues,” she is quoted by DPI as saying.

Sharing similar sentiments at the brief engagement for spiritual upliftment, both Regional Executive Officer, Region Six, Kim Williams-Stephen; and Public Health Ministry’s

representative Alex Foster agreed that nurses make a difference in the world and in saving lives.

An appeal was also made for retired nurses to partner with policymakers to influence young nurses in the profession, to re-instil values that made the profession what it is today. The profession, which is no longer dominated by females, has seen males joining over the years which, according to Foster, shows that being a nurse is about being a person with a desire to save lives.

Nurses Week is hosted in Guyana to raise public awareness of the contribution of nurses in all spheres; to saving lives and building the health system, the world over. It is also observed in recognition of Nurse Florence Nightingale who pioneered the idea of modern nursing.

16 news

THURsday, MAY 9, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GLSC to regularise Region 1 communities T

he Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission has announced it has begun works with a number of communities in Region One (Barima-Waini) to regularise land usage.

Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the GLSC, Trevor Benn, and a team from the Commission, over the weekend visited the region where they met with residents of Matthew’s Ridge, Port Kaituma and Mabaruma, to initiate a process which is expected to be completed within weeks.

This exercise seeks to provide titles for lands that are already occupied, the Commission said in a statement Wednesday.

In the case of Matthew’s Ridge, Commissioner Benn expressed disappointment that none of the residents were issued with titles for their lands even though they have been occupying the lands for decades. This,

A section of the gathering at one of the meetings

he said, is “unacceptable, and it is something that we must correct, I am assuring you this.”

According to the statement, based on the findings from the process during the outreach in Matthew’s

Ridge, a team from the land administration division of the Commission will be deployed during the next few days to begin the regularisation process. “We will be sending a team during the week to work with you to en-

sure that these issues are addressed, so we are urging you to be here when our team is on the ground and work along with them so we can get this thing over with and move on from here,” Benn told the residents.

Commissioner Benn further said the granting of titles to establish rightful ownership to deserving persons would help to improve their quality of lives and the status of their communities.

“The objective is to make sure that in a short space of time we can resolve the issues for all of you. I am surprised to learn that almost no one in Matthew’s Ridge has title to their lands. This is depressing and we have to fix that for each of you. You cannot improve your lives if you do not have ownership to basic things like land.

You cannot get a mortgage if you do not have the documents for the land,” Benn told the residents.

Benn further advised residents that while the Commission will be doing all that is within its power to ensure that the community becomes regularized, they also have a key responsibility to cooperate and to pay

all outstanding dues so that the Commission can continue with the execution of its mandate. “You must follow the rules and for those who are entitled, regardless of who you support, once you are entitled, you will get your land. We will do a thorough investigation of the issues raised. These are very serious issues and we want to ensure that in the shortest possible time that we can deal with those issues and get you your titles. Unless you are prepared to work with us then we cannot get anywhere. We need to cooperate,” he said.

As it relates to the issues raised at the town hall-styled meetings in Port Kaituma and Mabaruma, Commissioner Benn assured residents that their issues would be given priority by the Commission; some of those issues date back as far as the 1990s.

PUC’s primary function is to protect consumers – President

…as 2 new PUC Commissioners sworn in

P

resident David Granger on Wednesday swore in two new Commissioners to serve under the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), restoring its full complement of a chairperson and four members.

At a simple ceremony at the Ministry of the Presidency, Dr Leyland Lucas and Verlyn Klass were duly sworn-in, where they will serve alongside Chairperson Della Britton and the other two members.

The appointments came after the resignation of Maurice Solomon who completed his tenure having served for three years.

Speaking at the event, President David Granger pointed out that the role of the PUC lies primarily to protect consumers, while ensuring equitable and reliable services. They are also mandated to abide by the Public Utilities Commission Act and ensuring that companies do so accordingly.

“The Public Utilities Commission is a guardian of the public interest. It has the responsibility to ensure that public utility services are delivered to the people in a manner that is safe, adequate, efficient, unreasonable and nondiscriminatory.

The Commission, in so doing, is tasked with ensuring that the public utility laws are upheld,” he said.

The Head of State added, “The Commission, in accordance with the Public Utilities Commission Act of 2016 is tasked with regulatory, investigative enforcements and other functions conferred by the Act and other public utility laws.”

According to him, the cost of reliable services are sometimes stymied by the geographical nature of Guyana and the density of its population in far-flung areas.

“The country’s relative-

President David Granger (centre) with newly sworn-in PUC members, Dr Leyland Lucas and Verlyn Klass

ly large size, low population density and numerous small, isolated hinterland and riverine communities increase the cost of reliability and quality of such services.

Government has been decentralising access of public services through its policies of regionalisation and local democracy.”

Increased foot traffic

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the PUC, Donna Britton, explained that the agency was operating without a full quorum and some decisions

were delayed. In the recent time, foot traffic has also increased so the agency will be engrossed in providing efficient results.

“I can certainly tell you that our foot traffic has increased… Now that the Commission has been bolstered with new members, we can certainly get the job done in a more efficient manner because in the last four months, I couldn’t make any decisions because we didn’t have the full complement,” she stated.

It was announced that

they will be adopting stringent measures to address and monitor all complaints.

This includes the expansion of services to new areas.

“We have ruled out an aggressive public relations campaign…We are in the process of devising methods to better monitor utilities…

We are certainly going to see how we can use the technology that we have installed to certainly aid in that monitoring,” Britton explained.

Adding to that, Britton shared that two of the main utility companies have showed some positive growth by meeting the stipulated requirements that were set out by the PUC. Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) was required to roll out 350 lines every quarter, which they have exceeded. On the other hand, there has been collaboration with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to reduce backlogs of

complaints filed.

Consumers can capitalise on the newly introduced public relations campaign, which has been visiting a number of regions. On May 16, the initiative will be taken to New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The PUC was established

by Chapter 25:01 of the Constitution and is mandated to regulate all services offered to the general population.

guyanatimesgy.com

thurSday, may 9, 2019

17

Around the World

Iran-US tensions escalate as US House panel holds Attorney Trump imposes new sanctions General William Barr in contempt

The United States announced harsh new sanctions on Iran as tensions surge between the decades-long rivals

T

he United States announced harsh new sanctions on Iran as tensions surge between the decades-long rivals.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday to sanction Iran’s steel, aluminium, copper and iron sectors, which provide crucial foreign currency earnings for its crippled economy. Trump also threatened further action unless Tehran “fundamentally” changed its

behaviour.

The move came after Tehran earlier said it was quitting parts of the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, which Washington abandoned in 2018 and ignited the current crisis.

The metals sector is the Islamic Republic’s largest non-petroleum-related source of export revenue and represents 10 per cent of its export economy, a statement from the White House said.

“Because of our action, the Iranian regime is struggling to fund its campaign of violent terror as its economy heads into an unprecedented depression, Government revenue dries up, and inflation spirals out of control,” Trump said in a statement.

“We are successfully imposing the most powerful maximum pressure campaign ever witnessed, which today’s action will further strengthen.”

After a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in London, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the nuclear deal was “a very important achievement of Western diplomacy”, though Russia and China were also part of the negotiations and agreement.

“Iran does not have nuclear weapons and its neighbours have not responded by getting nuclear weapons,” Hunt said. “It would be a massive step back for the region if it became nuclearised.

A

US House of Representatives panel has voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress amid a showdown over the Mueller report.

Democrats on the judiciary committee took the rare step after Barr refused to submit an unredacted version of the special counsel’s findings.

President Donald Trump has hit back by asserting executive privilege over the report, shielding it from public view.

The White House and Congress accused each other of abusing power.

The judiciary committee

voted 24-16 along party lines on Wednesday to refer a contempt citation against the Attorney General for a full House vote.

Democratic lawmakers put forward the measure after Barr did not comply with a legal order to release the Mueller report minus the redactions.

The 448-page report was released last month with parts blacked out, including information that is classified or linked to pending investigations.

The special counsel did not conclude there was a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump cam-

Royal baby: Duke and Duchess of Sussex name son Archie

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Venezuela’s Supreme Court head rebuffs Pence’s threats of sanctions

V

our country.” enezuela’s Pence said on Supreme Tuesday that the Court head, United States was Maikel Moreno, lifting economic on Wednesday resanctions on a forbuffed the US mer Venezuelan Government’s general who turned threats to sancagainst Maduro in tion members of order to encourage his court if they did other Maduro alnot reject President lies to follow suit.

Nicolás Maduro’s An attempted upGovernment and rising last week back Opposition led by Guaidó, recLeader Juan Guaidó.

The US Treasury Venezuela’s Supreme Court President Maikel Moreno ognised as the interDepartment in 2017 reads a statement in Caracas, Venezuela, January 22, im Head of State by 2018 the United States imposed sanctions and other Western on Moreno and the says Maduro has stacked countries, failed to dislodge seven principal members with supporters. of the court’s constitution“Mike Pence is trying to Maduro, as have a series of al chamber for rulings that submit Venezuela’s top legal US sanctions against his gov“usurped the authority” of the authorities to threats that vi- ernment.

Venezuela’s pro-GovernOpposition-controlled legisla- olate the principles of indeture, the National Assembly, pendence, self-determination ment Constituent Assembly now headed by Guaidó. and sovereignty,” Moreno has stripped Guaidó and US Vice President Mike said in comments broadcast eight other Opposition legPence said on Tuesday that on State television. “We can- islators of their parliamenthe Trump Administration not be blackmailed and we tary immunity to prosecuwould soon sanction the 25 will never bow before a for- tion following requests by the remaining members of the eign government that seeks Supreme Court. (Excerpt from Reuters) court, which the Opposition to violate the sovereignty of

PM Holness calls for decisive action against child abusers

J

amaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in launching Labour Day 2019 celebrations on Tuesday, called on Jamaicans to act decisively against all criminals, especially those who prey on children.

“Do not take the law into your own hands; work with law enforcement to ensure that those who commit such horrible acts against the most vulnerable of our citizens are brought to account under the law,” Holness told a large gathering of political, public service and civil society representatives who attended the function at Jamaica House.

The event marked the launch of both this year’s Labour Day activities, which fall under the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, represented by Minister Olivia Grange, and Workers’ Week activities, which fall under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, represented by Minister Shahine Robinson.

The programme also involves the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, but portfolio minister Desmond McKenzie was unable to attend.

Four national projects for Labour Day were announced: Holland Primary School, St Elizabeth; Barrett Town All-Age/John Rollins Primary, St James; Fair Prospect Primary, Portland; and Papine High School, St Andrew.

The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Child Safety…It’s You, It’s Me, It’s All Ah We”, and the focus is on the safety and security of the nation’s children, and Holness spent a great deal of his speech focusing on the protection of children from criminal elements who prey on them.

He also expressed concerns about road safety, noting that more than 120 children have died on the country’s roads in the past five years. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

paign to influence the 2016 US presidential election.

But Mueller detailed 10 instances where Trump possibly attempted to impede the investigation.

Democrats say they need to see the full report and its underlying evidence to investigate possible obstruction of justice by Trump.

House judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler said afterwards that the vote was a “grave and momentous step”.

He called the Trump Administration’s refusal to provide the full Mueller report to Congress “an attack on the essence of our democracy”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Prince Harry held their two-day-old son as the Duchess looked on

T

he Duke and Duchess of Sussex have named their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Introducing him to the cameras earlier in the day, Meghan said: “He has the sweetest temperament, he’s really calm. He’s been the dream.”

As they laughed, Prince Harry said: “I don’t know who he gets that from.”

The announcement came after the Queen and Duke of

Edinburgh met their eighth and newest great-grandchild for the first time at Windsor Castle.

By deciding to call their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, Harry and Meghan have chosen not to use a title for their first born.

As the firstborn son of a duke, Archie could have become Earl of Dumbarton – one of Harry’s subsidiary titles – or have been Lord Archie Mountbatten-

Windsor, but instead he will simply be Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said it was a “strong indication that they don’t want to bring him up as a formal ‘royal’”.

Talking about their first few days as parents, Meghan said: “It’s magic, it’s pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I’m really happy.”

The duke added: “It’s great. Parenting is amazing.

“It’s only been two and a half days, three days, but we’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy.”

On which parent the baby resembled more, Harry said: “Everyone says that babies change so much over two weeks.

“We’re basically monitoring how the changing process happens over this next month really. But his looks are changing every single day, so who knows.” (Excerpt from

BBC News)

T&T: Raid at home of former AG’s maid

P

olice raided the home of Goomatee Ragbir, the maid of former Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, and arrested two suspects after seizing a small quantity of marijuana.

Guardian Media was on the scene and captured the arrest of the suspects exclusively.

In an interview at her Sir Lamont Avenue, Phillipine home, Ragbir said she has been working with Ramlogan for the past 18 years.

“They ransacked everything, break down the door and they find a few grams of weed. They said we have weapons. This is not true.

We don’t deal with that, but one of the boys does take a smoke, Ragbir said.

She said the Police told her she was going down too,

Police Officers outside the home of Goomatee Ragbir, the maid of former Attorney General Anand Ramlogan early Wednesday morning

and she was

prevented from accompanying the officers during the raid. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, MAY 9, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

Listen to requests, but don’t feel you have to honor them. You cannot buy love, but you can earn respect.

Don’t let anyone take advantage of you.

CANCER

Do something admirable.

By taking part in something you believe in, you will set a standard that will attract support. You can make a difference.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

How you go about getting what you want will affect the outcome. Pay close attention to detail and don’t present what you have to offer prematurely.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Don’t let emotional situations bring you down. Do something that improves your skills, qualifications or relationships with loved ones. Romance will enhance your life.

Don’t follow someone just to fit in. Make no excuses for being who you are.

Concentrate on what you want, and put in the time and effort to make sure you succeed.

Set your sights on your objective and forge ahead.

If someone tries to interfere, take a hard look at their motivations. Stability is the result of honesty and hard work.

Follow the path that seems most appealing. Join forces with people who are just as upbeat as you and who are more interested in gaining experience than offering criticism.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Look at your options, and choose to spend time with people who are practical and who bring out the best in you. Walk away from excess and costly ventures.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Don’t let an emotional matter ruin your day. Take better care of your physical well-being. Spending money will not make you feel better; it will only create more worry and stress.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Make some lifestyle changes. A close relationship should be allowed to grow into something that brings out the best in both parties. Work as a unit, not individually.

Question anyone trying to push you in a direction you don’t want to go. Plan fun activities with the people who bring you the most joy.

How you handle others will directly affect what you accomplish. Participating in a group effort focused on bringing about positive change will help you find a platform to express your thoughts.

thursday, MAY 9, 2019

19

VIVO IPL Edition 12…

Pant lights up an epic game, Capitals progress SCOREBOARD S unrisers Hyderabad played almost the perfect experience game after losing the toss, but made one big mistake in the 18th over to give Delhi Capitals their first win in the 12-year history of IPL playoffs. Capitals played some sublime cricket at times, but nearly bottled it in the end after Rishabh Pant took 22 off the 18th over to turn it into what should have been a cakewalk.

On a slow pitch that was described as “tacky” by both captains, Sunrisers were disadvantaged by having to bat first, but their experience showed in how they found their way to what they thought was a winning total of 162. It looked like that for a major part of the first 17 overs of their defence, but Basil Thampi bowling ahead of in-form Khaleel Ahmed proved to be the gamebreaker.

Guptill goes big in Powerplay Sunrisers knew this pitch would be difficult to score on in the middle overs so Martin Guptill had the license to play big shots while the ball was new. He tucked into Trent Boult, whom he was facing for the first time in a competitive T20 match, after having dismissed Ishant Sharma from his presence. Ishant bowled a pretty good sixth over - the most difficult over statistically - but was let down by some nervous fielding.

Sunrisers made their way to 54 for 1 in the Powerplay, but Guptill kept on with his aggressive intent. He strikes at over 8.5 an over against legspin in all T20 and at above 9 an over in the IPL, but when he went after Amit Mishra in the seventh over, the lack of bounce and pace meant he only managed to hit the shot off the toe end, offering a simple catch to deep square midwicket.

Sunrisers 56 for 1 in the seventh over.

The spin choke Axar Patel and Mishra against a predominantly right-hand batting unit on a turning track was always going to be a difficult proposition. Had Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson tried anything too fancy, there was a very good chance Sunrisers might have lost the game in this spell. They chose to respect the bowlers and wait for the quicker ones to come back. Mishra, second-best among all bowlers when it comes to balls per boundary this season, bowled his four overs without conceding a single four or six. The middle overs produced just two boundaries, but Sunrisers did well to lose just one wicket in this period. Sunrisers 104 for 3 in 15 overs.

The final kick Now Sunrisers finally got pace on ball. Capitals had in their ranks Ishant and Boult, whose economy rates at the death are among the five worst of the bowlers who’ve bowled more than 40 overs in this phase in the IPL. Ishant went for 11, Boult for 14, and almost everybody in the lower middle order played a role in taking

Sunrisers to 162. It was a good score on a low pitch, especially if there was no dew and if Sunrisers could limit the damage in the Powerplay.

Shaw steals Powerplay Prithvi Shaw has been dismissed 10 times inside the Powerplay this season, the highest for any batsman, but there is a good reason for it: he has stuck to his role selflessly. Shikhar Dhawan is the one to bat through, Shaw the one to create the impact in the Powerplay. And he created some impact in this Powerplay by taking 39 off 24 balls. This involved dismantling Bhuvneshwar Kumar and hitting three fours off a Khaleel over.

Sunrisers were forced to bowl Rashid inside the Powerplay; his excellent sixth over went for just six, but Capitals had scored 55 in the first six.

Sunrisers claw back The towels were out - although they weren’t unduly in use - and the pitch seemed to have quickened up, but Sunrisers managed to stay in the hunt. Deepak Hooda got an over to produce the bonus wicket of Dhawan. Sunrisers now didn’t go looking for wickets. They tried to take the game deep, waiting for Capitals’ inexperience to show up. It turned up in the 11th over when both Shreyas Iyer and Shaw - 56 out of the 87 scored till then - fell in the same Khaleel over.

The Rashid gambit Williamson was in no mood to sit back now. He had new batsmen at the wicket, and he went all out with Rashid. Even though his third over didn’t bring a wicket, Williamson took the bold call to finish his quota off with five overs to spare. Rashid repaid the faith, bowling a double-wicket maiden, taking out Colin Munro and Axar Patel. With 52 required off the last five and a lot of monsters of botched-up chases in their closet, Capitals were somewhat the underdogs now.

Thampi ahead of Khaleel Two more good overs followed. Now it was 34 off three overs.

Khaleel had two left, Bhuvneshwar one. It would have made sense to bowl them, but Williamson took the gamble of going with Thampi. Not only was the choice of the bowler wrong, he also executed poorly. He bowled length from round the wicket.

Before this innings, Pant had hit 13 sixes off pace this IPL, all over the leg side. It would have made sense to bowl over the wicket and angle it away from his arc; this played right into Pant’s hand.

It was now down to 12 off 12 after the carnage in this over.

Never straightforward with Capitals Now Capitals began to mess up. First Pant got out trying to finish it with a six, leaving his side five to win off seven. Then

3

Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings (20 overs maximum) WP Saha † c Iyer b Sharma 8 MJ Guptill c Paul b Mishra 36 MK Pandey c Rutherford b Pa ul 30 KS Williamson (c) b Sharma

28 V Shankar c Patel b Boult 25 Mohammad Nabi c Patel b Paul 20 DJ Hooda run out (†Pant) 4 Rashid Khan c †Pant b Paul 0 B Kumar not out 0 Basil Thampi not out 1 Extras 10 (lb 2, nb 1, w 7) TOTAL 162/8 (20 Overs, RR: 8.1) Did not bat: KK Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-31 (WP Saha, 3.1 ov), 2-56 (MJ Guptill, 6.3 ov), 3-90 (MK Pandey, 13.3 ov), 4-111 (KS Williamson, 15.5 ov), 5-147 (V Shankar, 18.3 ov), 6-160 (Mohammad Nabi, 19.4 ov), 7-161 (DJ Hooda, 19.4 ov), 8-161 (Rashid Khan, 19.5 ov) BOWLING O M R W TA Boult 3 0 37 1 I Sharma 4 0 34 2 AR Patel 4 0 30 0 A Mishra 4 0 16 1 KMA Paul 4 0 32 3 SE Rutherford 1 0 11 0

Delhi Capitals Innings (target: 163 runs from 20 overs) BATSMEN

PP Shaw c Shankar b Ahmed

56 S Dhawan st †Saha b Hooda

17 SS Iyer (c) c †Saha b Ahmed 8 RR Pant † c Mohammad Nabi b Kumar 49 C Munro lbw b Rashid Khan

14 AR Patel c †Saha b Rashid Khan 0 SE Rutherford c Mohammad Nabi b Kumar 9 KMA Paul not out 5 A Mishra obstructing the field 1 TA Boult not out 0 Extras 6 (b 1, w 5) TOTAL 165/8 (19.5 Overs, RR: 8.31) Did not bat: I Sharma Fall of wickets: 1-66 (S Dhawan, 7.3 ov), 2-84 (SS Iyer, 10.2 ov), 3-87 (PP Shaw, 10.6 ov), 4-111 (C Munro, 14.1 ov), 5-111 (AR Patel, 14.4 ov), 6-151 (SE Rutherford, 18.1 ov), 7-158 (RR Pant, 18.5 ov), 8-161 (A Mishra, 19.4 ov) BOWLING O M R W B Kumar 4 0 42 2 Mohammad Nabi 4 0 29 0 KK Ahmed 2.5 0 24 2 Rashid Khan 4 1 15 2 Basil Thampi 4 0 41 0 DJ Hooda 1 0 13 1

some nervous swings and one obstruct-the-field later, it was all twos. Two balls, two runs required, two wickets in hand. Keemo Paul, though, managed to hit the fifth ball wide enough of deep midwicket to take Capitals through to the second Qualifier against Chennai Super Kings. The animated celebration of Ricky Ponting, who has won just about everything there is to win in cricket, showed how much it meant to them. (ESPN cricinfo)

Champions League

Tottenham storm into final after stunning comeback

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ucas Moura scored a dramatic 96th-minute winner to cap an astonishing Tottenham fight back against Ajax and set up an all-English Champions League final against Liverpool.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Spurs made the worst possible start in Amsterdam when a towering fifth-minute header by 19-year-old Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt doubled the advantage for Erik ten Hag’s exciting young side.

Tottenham hit the post through Son Heung-min before Hakim Ziyech doubled Ajax’s lead on the night with a sweeping finish after an assist by former Southampton winger Dusan Tadic.

That left Spurs 3-0 behind on aggregate yet, in another pulsating semi-final, Mauricio Pochettino’s side scored twice within five minutes in the second half.

Moura reduced the deficit with a composed finish before the Brazilian’s shot on the turn levelled the scores on the night and left Spurs requiring one goal to reach the final in Madrid on 1 June.

In a frantic finish, Vertonghen headed against the bar before Moura completed his hat-trick with a left-foot shot from 16 yards deep into stoppage time on a famous night for Spurs.

It will be the second all-English Champions League final after Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow in 2008.

Pochettino could not contain his emotions at the final whistle and shed tears of joy as he celebrated wildly with his players on the pitch.

The Argentine, who celebrates his fifth anniversary in charge

of Spurs later this month, was on his knees after a night that rivalled the jaw-dropping drama of Liverpool’s incredible semi-final victory over Barcelona on Tuesday.

Harry Kane, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, also joined his team-mates on the pitch as they celebrated in front of their 2,500 travelling fans.

Spurs looked dead and buried when Ziyech made it 3-0 on aggregate before half-time yet they somehow pulled themselves together to reach a first Champions League final.

Moura was the inspiration, producing three clinical finishes, the third after former Ajax player Vertonghen headed against the bar from four yards with four minutes of normal time remaining.

Moura deserves a statue- Eriksen Lucas Moura “deserves a statue” after his hat-trick took Tottenham into an all-English Champions League final, says team-mate Christian Eriksen.

Ajax led 3-0 on aggregate - but Moura’s goals, including a 96th-minute winner, took Tottenham through on away goals to face Liverpool on 1 June.

“It was a ridiculous game; we were really far down, we tried to fight back, we were just lucky,” said Eriksen.

“We had to fight. We are relieved.”

The Danish playmaker added: “Today it was non-tactical, more of a fight and heart performance, heart and Lucas Moura he’s how we won the game.

“He deserves it, it has been a rollercoaster of a season, for him to get us in the final, I hope he gets a statue in England after

this, we are blown away.

My players are heroes – Pochettino Mauricio Pochettino, who has been Tottenham’s manager since 2014, was in tears at the final whistle - and again during an emotional post-match interview on BT Sport.

He said: “The emotion is amazing, thank you to football. My players are heroes - in the last year I was telling everyone this group are heroes - in the second half they were amazing.

“Thank you to everyone who has believed in us. To describe this in words is difficult.

“They are all heroes but [Lucas Moura] was a superhero. It’s difficult to compete at this level. I am so grateful to be a coach: to be in football and to live this type of football.

“We showed we love the sport and football. Today was amazing. It was a joy to watch this kind of game.”

Liverpool fightback motivated us - Rose Tottenham’s fightback came 24 hours after Liverpool overturned a three-goal first-leg deficit to beat Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield in the other semi-final.

Spurs full-back Danny Rose said his side had been motivated

by Jurgen Klopp’s team.

“We saw Liverpool last night, and it goes to show it’s not over until it’s over.” said Rose.

“The gaffer mentioned Liverpool’s display at the hotel before the match. The gaffer doesn’t mind us losing but we have to lose the right way.

“We’re lucky we’ve gone through and we look forward to the Champions League final.” (BBC Sport)

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Into the heart of Velocity’s 5 for 0 collapse M SCOREBOARD ithali Raj-led Velocity registered a three-wicket win over Trailblazers in Match 2 of the Women’s T20 Challenge. After opting to bowl first, the Velocity bowlers did extremely well to restrict the Trailblazers to a modest 112-6. Opener Shafali Verma’s 34 and Danielle Wyatt’s 46 powered Velocity’s run-chase;they got over the line in 18 overs.

15-year old Shafali Verma, one of four uncapped players chosen to play in the competition, batted aggressively to score 34. She often charged down the track and created her own momentum; the teenager drove down the ground and employed the slog sweep to good effect, and scored 30 of her 34 runs on the leg-side. She was dismissed in the tenth over when she charged down the ground once more, buthad to reach out to a delivery that was fired wide outside the off-stump, didn’t get enough bat and only manged to spoon a catch to point.

While most batters favoured the leg-side, Danielle Wyatt was fluent through the off-side; the England all-rounder collected three boundaries through cover and two boundaries through point. She hit two sixes too – off HarleenDeol and Stafanie Taylor – both over wide long-on. Wyatt dominated the third wicket partnership with captain Mithali Raj; she contributed 30 runs in the 48-run partnership, before she was dismissed with her team two runs away from a win.

There was a dramatic collapse following Wyatt’s dismissal; Velocity lost four more wickets on the same score to slip to 111-7. However, Sushree Pradhan collected a brace through thirdman to complete the job.

The Trailblazers, who were sloppy in the field in the opening match, yet again grassed several opportunities; at least four catches were put down in the field. Deepthi Sharma would be the most successful bowler in the match; she finished with figures of 4 for 14.

Earlier in the afternoon, Smriti Mandhana collected two boundaries with fluent drives through mid-off but perished for 10 when she edged a wide delivery to the wicket-keeper.

The other opener Suzie Bates added 35 runs for the second wicket with HarleenDeol in what would be the biggest partnership of the Trailblazers’ innings; Bates (26 from 22 balls)

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Deepti Sharma picked up three wickets to give Velocity an almighty scare

was dismissed in the ninth over when she holed out to longon.

Deol then took control of proceedings. The two things that stood out about her innings was how busy she was at the crease and how decided she was with her footwork; she danced down the track frequently, but also used the depth of the crease on occasions. Deol’s 43 (off 40 balls) contained 19 singles, 2 twos and 5 boundaries.She was dismissed in the 18th over when she came down the track and attempted to hit over the top, but didn’t get enough power and was caught at the edge of the ropes at long-on.

The Trailblazers were 34-1 in the powerplay, added 39 for the loss of two wickets in the middle nine overs, and finished with 39 runs in the final five overs.

For Velocity, Ekta Bisht (2-13, no boundaries conceded)

Trailblazers Innings (20 overs maximum) SW Bates c Krishnamurthy b Bisht 26 S Mandhana (c) c †Verma b Pandey 10 H Deol c Krishnamurthy b Kerr 43 SR Taylor c & b Pradhan 5 DB Sharma c Matthews b Kerr 16 BS Fulmali b Bisht 2 D Hemalatha not out 1 SC Selman not out 8 Extras 1 (b 1) TOTAL 112/6 (20 Overs, RR: 5.6) Did not bat: S Ecclestone, RS Gayakwad, RV Kalpana † Fall of wickets: 1-15 (S Mandhana, 2.1 ov), 2-50 (SW Bates, 8.1 ov), 3-68 (SR Taylor, 13.1 ov), 4-100 (DB Sharma, 17.3 ov), 5-100 (H Deol, 17.4 ov), 6-103 (BS Fulmali, 18.4 ov) BOWLING O M R W S Pandey 4 0 18 1 KR Zanzad 4 0 23 0 E Bisht 4 0 13 2 HK Matthews 2 0 22 0 AC Kerr 3 0 21 2 SD Pradhan 3 1 14 1

Velocity Innings (target: 113 runs from 20 overs) HK Matthews b Sharma 5 Shafali Verma c Gayakwad b Deol 34 DN Wyatt c Sharma b Gayakwad 46 M Raj (c) b Sharma 17 V Krishnamurthy run out (Ecclestone/†Kalpana) 0 S Verma † not out 0 S Pandey b Sharma 0 AC Kerr b Sharma 0 SD Pradhan not out 2 Extras 9 (lb 1, w 8) TOTAL 113/7 (18 Overs, RR: 6.27) Did not bat: KR Zanzad, E Bisht Fall of wickets: 1-25 (HK Matthews, 4.5 ov), 2-63 (Shafali Verma, 9.1 ov), 3-111 (DN Wyatt, 16.5 ov), 4-111 (V Krishnamurthy, 16.6 ov), 5-111 (M Raj, 17.1 ov), 6-111 (S Pandey, 17.3 ov), 7-111 (AC Kerr, 17.5 ov) BOWLING O M R W SC Selman 2 0 14 0 S Ecclestone 4 0 13 0 DB Sharma 4 0 14 4 RS Gayakwad 3 0 28 1 SR Taylor 2 0 24 0 H Deol 3 0 19 1

and Shikha Pandey (1-18, 15 dot balls) were the pick of the bowlers. Amelia Kerr (3-0-21-2) and Sushree Pradhan (3-114-1) were the other wicket-takers. (ESPN cricinfo)

Nadal brings teenager Auger-Aliassime back down to earth the world No 1, Naomi Osaka, who had to work a little harder to beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and 23 minutes on Court Manolo Santana.

It reflects Osaka’s growing clout at the gate that she got the main stage on clay ahead of Halep, the reigning French Open champion, and the scoreline suggests the schedulers made the right call. Osaka declared her recovering abdominal strain “fine”.

To get to Osaka, Halep must beat the world No 9, Ashleigh Barty, who won her 11th match in a row in dousing the challenge of Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Court 4. It will be centre court or bust for Halep or Barty from here to the weekend.

Osaka clarified the impression she gave in a recent interview that she is wary of the grass of Wimbledon.

“I’m kind of not giving it a fair chance,” she said. “It’s usually because the first tournament I play I’m really nervous on it. I don’t like moving because it scares me.

“But then, by the time Wimbledon comes around, I’m fine on it. And then I get, like, pretty good with my serve. But the last two Wimbledons I played, I lost in the third round and the people [she lost to, Venus Williams and Angelique Kerber] made it to the finals, so I was sad. It’s just kind of me being a little bit bratty, but I guess I’ll see what happens this year.”

Dutch footballer Van der Laan sacked for throwing Ajax ‘sickie’ Raphael Nadal shares a moment with his teenage opponent after the match

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rodigies abound in tennis but there was no denying proven class on Court Manolo Santana on Wednesday as the 32-year-old Rafael Nadal quelled the clamour growing around the Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime and moved into the third round of the Madrid Open, a tournament he has won five times.

Auger-Aliassime, who helped his country beat Germany in Madrid in the junior Davis Cup final four years ago, soaked up the early pressure, then put perhaps too much faith in his booming ground strokes as he racked up 30 unforced errors. He fought doggedly to save five match points but, after an hour and 37 minutes, Nadal prevailed 6-3, 6-3.

Moving with zest and ripping his forehand, Nadal eased concerns about a stomach bug and his stuttering clay season before his next challenge, Frances Tiafoe, who is moving on from prodigy class and who had too much for the veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber over three sets on Court 5.

“It’s been a tough few days with the stomach virus,” Nadal said immediately afterwards. “He’s a great opponent and will be a great player.” As for Tiafoe, he said:

“Frances is electric and fast, can play very aggressive.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No 8 seed, spoke up for youth when he beat the 30-year-old Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, 10 years his senior, 6-2, 7-5, and elsewhere there was gathering gloom for the 30-year-old Juan Martín del Potro on a grey day, when the improving young Serb Laslo Djere bided his time in a fascinating three-setter to beat the injury-hit Argentinian 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, his second top-10 scalp.

Kei Nishikori, 29 and never far from the physio’s table, looked fit and strong downing rank outsider Hugo Dellien 7-5, 7-5, although he wasted a swag of his 24 break points, and said: “It’s something to work on.”

A day after breaking Johanna Konta’s clay stride, Simona Halep ignored a lingering cold to inflict a double bagel on the 20-year-old Viktoria Kuzmova, winning 80 of the 100 contested points. “I think it was the best match that I have ever had,” Halep said of a 48-12 points differential.

The Romanian, who first played here nine years ago and has won the title twice, remains on schedule for a semi-final against

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hen a friend handed Jordie van der Laan a ticket for the first leg of Ajax’s Uefa Champions League semi-final against Spurs last week, the temptation was too great.

Van der Laan, a 25-year-old striker with second-tier club Telstar, decided to travel to London.

“I just called in sick and of course it wasn’t the best decision. In the end someone found out,” he told the BBC. The club decided to terminate his contract by mutual consent.

“He tricked us,” complained technical director Piet Buter.

“In all he was away from the club for four days. At our request to go to the club doctor he reacted by saying he had an appointment with his GP,” he told a local paper. “The next day his excuse was that he was in bed with a fever.”

Van der Laan was not the only Ajax fan who failed to show up to work last week. A Dutch reporter was slapped by a supporter outside the Spurs ground, apparently because he was angry that fans who had called in sick were being filmed.

‘My team’s group-chat exploded’ No-one realised Van der Laan had flown to London last Tuesday to see Ajax beat Spurs 1-0, to set up a tantalising second leg at the Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

And initial reports said that friends and colleagues only found out when they saw his

face appear three times during TV coverage of the match.

“My team’s group-chat exploded. They fell about laughing,” he was quoted as saying by the Volkskrant newspaper. Friends spotted him on TV from as far afield as Denmark and Mexico.

But Telstar trainer Mike Snoei had already suspected something was up and when he said he wanted to visit Van der Laan, the player admitted he was on his way to see Ajax.

Van der Laan said Telstar’s season was as good as over and as he had not been selected for some time his chances of playing in the next match against Young PSV the coming Friday were thin.

“I hadn’t expected it would get so out of hand. I didn’t show up for training on Tuesday and it got noticed. But in my discussion with Telstar it was agreed it wouldn’t get out,” he told local broadcaster Omroep Brabant.

Telstar were unimpressed.

“The trainer said it was incredibly stupid of me, and with one more game ahead he decided it was best to terminate my contract,” he told the Volkskrant.

On Monday the player tweeted: “So don’t I deserve a ticket for Wednesday’s match now?

After all I am free, aren’t I?” His former club has decided not to take legal action - as long as he does not make it look like Telstar was to blame.

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Rupununi FA Champions League quarter-finals…

Strikers FC, Tabatinga FC advance

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he preliminary round of the Rupununi Football Association (RFA) Champions League has been completed and the knockout stages have commenced.

For the women, Strikers FC moved into the quarter-final round, with Tabatinga FC advancing into the male semi-finals.

In the first match-up in the female quarter-finals, Strikers FC dominated Titans United for the entire match as they pummelled them 3-0. The opening encounter saw the Strikers dominate from the get-go as they wasted no time in breaching their opponents’ defences to further advance in the tournament.

In the male match-up, Tabatinga FC dominated Titans United as they wiped the floor with their opponents, cruising to a 6-1 victory. The fixture continued as both teams opened the first 30 minutes with an equal display of offence and defence. However, Joel Nieuenkirk gave Tabatinga their first goal in the 31st minute, but the Titans responded compliments of Ben Realine in the 35th minute to take the score to 1-1. Ten minutes later, Travis Franklin gave Tabatinga the lead once again closing out the first half 2-1. In the second half of the game, Tabatinga’s Nick Adams scored the third goal in the 59th minute to further extend the lead. To add insult to injury, Stephen McDonald took the game away The victorious Strikers FC from Titans United as he registered a hat-trick of goals in the 62nd, 63rd and 81st minute respectively, to hand his FC, Titans United, Kanuku Harpies, Flash FC, Paiwomak Warriors and Gladiators FC (defending champions) while side victory.

Meanwhile, the female teams competing in the tourna- the male teams comprise Sun Parakeets, Paiwomak ment are Sun Parakeets, Guyana Rush Saints, Strikers Warriors, Titans United, Kanuku Harpies, Jaguars FC,

The victorious Tabatinga FC

Guyana Rush Saints, Strikers FC and Tabatinga FC (defending champions).

The quarter-final action will continue with matches 3 and 4 on May 11 and 12 respectively. The quarter-finals will be played on a home-and-away basis (first leg and second leg). The team with the highest aggregate of goals will progress to the semi-finals of the RFA Champions League.

The RFA Leagues kicked off in February this year with 24 clubs battling for top honours.

Jofra Archer may have punched his World Cup ticket with fiery spell on damp day

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ledging allegiance to England over his native sunkissed Barbados may have had several advantages for Jofra Archer, but the weather would decidedly have gone into the “cons” column.

On Wednesday, however, as a wet, stop-start day’s play drew to a close after just 19 overs had been bowled, it was the rain that ensured Archer was the man of the contest, conceding just six runs in a four-over spell of such ferocity that this incomplete, unsatisfying day of cricket may be the one that finally punches his ticket to the World Cup. The start was delayed by an hour and a quarter due to rain that never really went away, and Eoin Morgan’s decision to bowl first was the easiest one he’ll get all summer.

Chris Woakes bowled the first ball of the match, but the action and excitement all lay at the Pavilion End with Archer steaming down against Imam-ul-Haq. Late movement with nearly every ball at pace often in excess of 90 mph repeatedly squared up Pakistan’s leading runscorer of the past 18 months, and a wicket looked imminent.

It arrived in Archer’s next over, with Fakhar Zaman getting an outside edge to the

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type of delivery Imam had - in hindsight - intelligently been beaten by so regularly, and England began to take charge straight away. With Archer’s end tied up so mean-spiritedly, all Imam and Babar Azam could do was find the occasional release shot when Woakes bowled, but with the batting firepower at England’s disposal, a full game looked like it would only ever produce a result in favour of the hosts.

That impression appeared vindicated even further when Babar fell victim to an uncharacteristic soft dismissal just as the pair began to get going, Liam Plunkett drawing the outside edge off the final ball of the 12th over. With Pakistan’s run rate well below four at this point, Morgan even had the cheek to bring in Joe Root as the first spin option.

Shortly after, however, the heavens opened once more and the rain was accompanied by hailstones this time, with the ground staff caught on their heels as the pitch took a peppering. That was, in effect, the end of all serious cricket for the day, even though the players did come on for another couple of overs half an hour later. By this time, the game had been reduced to 41 overs apiece, but the idea that many overs would have been bowled comes across as mildly mirth-

ful now.

The only blot on an ideal 19 overs for England came off what ended up being the last ball of the contest when Adil Rashid beat Haris Sohail with a googly as the batsman charged down the wicket, only for wicketkeeper Jos Buttler to fluff the stumping that looked fairly routine.

That was the cue for the rain clouds to gather once more.

In the ensuing hours, the skies kept playing hide and seek with the sun, tormenting spectators and TV viewers with the fleeting prospect of more play.

That was never to transpire, much to (one would imagine) Pakistan’s relief, who get a clean slate as the sides do battle all over again on Saturday.

Jofra Archer celebrates after dismissing Fakhar Zaman

Thomas’, Harper’s explosive power take Regal over the line against Fisherman

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he action continued over the weekend as the in-form Regal Masters battled Fisherman Masters in their 20-over affair at the Gandhi Youth Organisation Ground on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

The Regal Masters have continued to dominate softball cricket in Guyana, but facing Fisherman Masters would have been no easy task, as the teams were well acquainted with each other. But Regal had the upper hand in this matchup as they featured the likes of Eric Thomas, who continues to destroy bowling line-ups at the top of the order and David Harper, who has proven himself at the back end of the innings.

Sent into bat first, the lefthanded Thomas proved his worth once again with the bat as he brought up a classy 53 inclusive of two boundaries and four towering maximums.

After Thomas was dismissed, Regal continued to rally strong

Eric Thomas scored a match-winning 53

in their style of play as they upped the aggression to leave their opponents confused.

Harper, following in the footsteps of Thomas, blasted a quick-fire 43 that included three boundaries and two sixes to propel his side closer to the 200 mark. However, Fisherman managed to restrict Regal in the later overs despite Fazleem Mohamed’s 36 and Mohendra Arjune’s 22 to have Regal post

David Harper played a quick-fire innings of 43

191-5 off their allotted 20 overs. Bowling for Fisherman was Puran Singh, who claimed two wickets.

Needing 192 for victory at a net run rate of 9.6 runs

per over, Fisherman started their chasing, but managed to lose a few wickets along the way. They attempted to carry on, but scoreboard pressure was too much, as they folded

for 144 in 18 overs. The chief tormentors for the Regal side were Unnis Yusuf, Harper, Parsram Persaud and Fazleem Mohamed, all of whom bagged two wickets piece.

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AAG logistics boosted by computer donation

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he Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) was given a significant boost on Tuesday as it continues in its quest to better the level of athletics in Guyana.

The Association was the recipient of two computers, which, according to AAG President Aubrey Hutson, will go a long way. The presentation was made by David Thomas on behalf of the Guyana Overseas Based Sports Association, of which he is President.

In making his presentation, Thomas, who has had a long relationship with the AAG, noted that over the years, they have noticed the need for multiple computers.

“We recognise that there was some help needed to make track and field and the efforts of recording the results easier, we saw that some computers were needed for the AAG,” Thomas explained.

To this end, he disclosed that the Overseas Based Sports Association made it its duty to provide the much-needed equipment. In the same breath, Thomas pledged the Association’s and his own commitment to assisting in any way possible when Guyana hosts the 2021 CARIFTA Games.

“A few years ago, we were able to give one, this year we’re able to give two and

now that we’re sure according to the word of the Director of Sport; we will do our level best and whatever it takes to make the CARIFTA Games a success,” Thomas said.

On the receiving end of the timely gesture was AAG President Hutson, who explained the sacrifice that had to be made in order to ensure track meets were properly conducted.

“The AAG really and truly welcomes this gift. Over the past few years, it was my office computers that had to be used at the track and it would deprive my business of the resources. I think Mr Thomas recognised this and the first computer to date is still being used on our fully automatic timing system,” Hutson shared.

Oozing gratitude, Hutson noted some instances in which the two computers would come in handy.

“Now that we have two more, we can utilise them in the meet management service.

So, if we have two meets going on, on the same day, at different locations, they can be used. So, thanks a lot,” the AAG President said.

Furthermore, he disclosed that the two computers would also be utilised to computerise the Athletics Association’s system, set

David Thomas is all smiles as he hands over one of the computers to AAG President Aubrey Hutson

up online registration for local athletes and make meet results quickly available to the media and the public. The computers will no doubt be in action at the Association’s next

track and field meet – the Independence Championships on May 18 and 19 at the Leonora Track and Field Centre. (Jemima Holmes)

Baptist Church Under-15 Tournament…

Nationwide softball cricket tournament bowls off on May 18

Singh's hat-trick kicks off tournament

T

he inaugural 592 Beer, i-Cool Water 10/10 Softball Cup was launched at ANSA McAL Corporate Head Office, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and is expected to begin on May 18.

The tournament, which is open to all teams across Guyana, is being sponsored under the 592 Beer and i-Cool Water brands and is organised by the Demerara Softball Cricket Association.

According to Samuel Kingston of the Cricket Association, there is a registration fee of $12,000 per team, which allows teams to participate in the tournament and to also receive one case of 592 Beer, one case of i-Cool Water and a pack of tournament balls ahead of their opening match.

Kingston further stated that a special yellow supreme ball is the official ball of the tournament.

The balls are only available at Trophy Stall in Bourda Market or at the match venues on match days.

According to the organiser, the use of any other ball by any team will result in immediate disqualification of that team.

Teams to show early interest include Farm XI, Speed Boat All Stars, Omesh XI, De Hoop AllStars, Success All Stars, Super Stars, Lusignan All Stars, Regal All-Stars, Park Rangers, HS All Stars, Ariel All Stars, Boots All Stars, Grill Masters XI, Canje All Stars, Corriverton All Stars, Edinburgh All Stars and Young and the Restless.

Registration is still open and teams may contact

The teams, before they took to the field

R

The sponsors and organisers are all smiles at the launch of the inaugural tournament. From left: ANSA McAL Marketing Assistant Gabriell Lopes, 592 Beer Brand Coordinator Seweon McGarrell, Samuel Kingston and ANSA McAL Business Unit Head, NonAlcoholic Division, Errol Nelson

the following persons to sign up. In West Demerara, Omesh on 675-7961, on the Essequibo Coast, Patrick Rooplall 6715697, in Berbice Roy Jaferalli and in Georgetown and East Bank Demerara Samuel Kingston on 692-8815.

Matches will be played in Berbice and Georgetown.

obin Singh scored three for Potaro Strikers against debutants Byderabo to launch the second annual Under-15 Knockout Tournament.

The Tournament is being promoted by the Bartica Baptist Church and its partner, Victory International Ministries, in collaboration with the Bartica Football Association (BFA).

The youngsters from Byderabo, in their first association football match, under the guidance of former national player Christopher George, gave a good account of themselves, but were no match for their opponents of Potaro Strikers FC. Though Byderabo played with heart, they faltered in the field and gave away goal scoring moments that could have benefited them in the long run. Eventually, Potaro tightened the reins and were able to stifle the debutant club from scoring any goals.

The match ended 7-nil in favour of Potaro Strikers, who also booked their spot in the semi-finals.

In the second match, Beacon FC defeated Agatash FC five goals to nil to advance to the semi-finals with Potaro Strikers.

The match opened, with Beacon dominating both the first and second half of the tournament. They played with a tight defence, restricting their opponents from having any chances of registering a goal.

Despite making substitutions Agatash

could not deny the fact that Beacon were the superior team, as they watched their chances of victory slip away.

At the opening ceremony, Bartica Baptist Church Pastor Stephen Gomes said that his church and its partner, Victory International Ministries, hoped to continue the initiative on a yearly basis, and make it better going forward. He stressed the importance of discipline, fair play, and good spirit of the game among the young players.

BFA President Alden Marslowe, when asked about its partnership with the church, said, “Firstly, the Association looks forward to repeating this partnership on an annual basis … (for) the development of the sport locally. Partnering with the church helps to foster greater discipline in our youth programme, because the church is a representative of good morals in society. So, while we work to promote sports for our young boys and girls, we also create a mixture of activity and discipline. The church is an excellent partner to help us along those lines.”

At the end of the week-long tournament, the winners will receive trophies and medals while all participating teams will receive a ball and one set of football uniforms each.

The tournament will conclude on May 12, 2019.

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, may 9, 2019

23

Hand-in-Hand 3-Day Inter-county tournament…

No play possible on opening day of Demerara- Berbice clash – Essequibo 27-1 after rain ended day’s play at Everest

I

t was a frustrating day at the Lusignan Community Centre Ground as the virtual final between Berbice and Demerara was affected by the inclement weather, without a ball being bowled.

The second day of the final round between these two heavyweight teams will commence today, Thursday, May 9 from 9:30h if weather permits.

Heading into the second day today, Berbice, leading the tournament with 17 points, will remain a confident unit in successfully defending their inter-county title, but Demerara, with 16.3 points, remain tough opponents.

In this current 3-Day intercounty tournament, Berbice will be aiming to capitalise on the familiar venue at the Lusignan Community Centre where they won their second-round clash against

Essequibo.

Demerara will be eying a victory to dethrone the champions Berbice in a match that is effectively a two-day encounter after a rain-hit first day. With an armoury of Ashmead Nedd, Sachin Singh, Qumar Torrington and Robin Williams among others, the city side will be eager to outplay Berbice.

Joel Spooner, a disciplined off-spinner, has been their in-form player who will be seeking to make a final impression for his team.

It will be an equal contest since Berbice are equally impressive with the likes of Windies U-19 selectees Kevlon Anderson and Kelvin Umroa. The tournament’s leading run-scorer, Alex Algoo and his opening partner will be eyeing a solid start with the bat, if weather permits.

Table leaders Berbice are led by Kevlon Anderson

The pitch at Lusignan has a bit of moisture since rain

has been around the East Coast on the previous days,

but with the efficient ground staff present, play will be

possible once the rain stays away.

West Front Road, Future Stars, Tiger Bay shine on Corona elimination night T he first round of eliminations in the Corona Futsal tournament has been completed and now teams will battle to finish at the top of their group in hopes of copping an initial monetary prize.

The second elimination night got off to a nail-biting start with a clash between the club and ward.

California Square thought they had an early advantage over Pele when Mishack Barritla found the back of the net in the fifth minute. However, their celebrations were short-lived after James Mc Aulay levelled the scores in the sixth. To Pele’s dismay, two minutes later, Ryan October of California Square hit the target for his team’s second goal and the win.

Game two was one of the most thrilling encounters of the night with eight goals scored in total.

Randolph Wagner netted a hat-trick with goals in the third, 16th and 18th minute while Michael Pedro (7th) and Colin Nelson (9th) contributed one each for West Front Road’s five. Try as they might, the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) came close, but could not compare with two goals from Ronnel Peters in the seventh and 14th minutes and one from Kevin Baptiste (10th).

A late surge of energy from Paul Norton and Ryan Dowlin, with goals in the 16th and 17th minute respec-

tively, proved futile for Broad Street as Mocha made light work of their experienced opponents. A brace from Adonei Rutherford and singles from Teon Jones and Lyliton Ramsay accounted for Mocha’s four while Broad Street only managed two goals in reply.

Order and Discipline were left quiet as a church mouse after enduring a 6-0 thumping from Future Stars. Almost the entire Future Stars line-up comprising Kevin Solomon (15th minute); Jamal Cozier (4th); William Europe (7th); Shamar Fraser (14th); Wayne James (17th) and Julian Bamfield (9th) netted one goal each for the resounding win.

Beacon edged out a hopeful and fighting Sophia in the penultimate game. Darien Dickson netted a brace in the sixth and 15th minutes while Shane Morris (14th) and Wesley Greenidge (7th) had one each of Beacon’s four. Joshua Kamal had the lone reply for Sophia with a consolation goal in the 16th.

The clash between Tiger Bay and Eastveldt was truly fitting for the final game of the elimination round.

Eastveldt’s Leslie Woolford started the scoring as early as possible in the first minute of play. Keome Gravesande then equalised the score in the second minute, but Mace Assanah regained the lead for Eastveldt with a goal in the 3rd.

It was at this point that Tiger Bay buckled down and reall y got their gears go-

ing: Deon Alfred netted the first of what would eventually turn out to be a hattrick in the fourth minute.

Solomon Austin and Alpha Fletchman netted the first of their two each in the seventh and ninth minutes to hand Tiger Bay the lead by the half. Another three goals in the second half meant that Tiger Bay would seal the 8-2 victory.

The Petra-organised Corona tournament is expected to continue with the round-robin stage this weekend. The teams that will feature in the round-robin groups are Tucville, North East La Penitence, Leopold Street, Back Circle, Sparta Boss, Bent Street, California Square, West Front Road, Mocha, Future Stars, Beacons and Tiger Bay. (Jemima Holmes)

Home at last! Pollard named as Trinbago marquee player

K

ieron Pollard will finally have the opportunity to don the red and black outfit of the Trinbago Knight Riders after he was announced as the team’s marquee player for the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The 2019 edition, which will bowl off on September 4 and run until October 12, will see Pollard suiting up for his home team for the first time in CPL’s seven-year history.

Previously, the explosive all-rounder captained the Barbados Tridents for the first five years of CPL, from 2013 to 2017 before his brief stint as the St Lucia Stars Captain in 2018.

Making the announcement on Wednesday was Venky Mysore, Director of TKR, who disclosed that the franchise is happy to have their son of the soil and is looking to add more Trinidadian players to

the team.

“We are delighted to welcome Pollard back home, and it’s great to continue our efforts to bring as many Trini boys home as possible. I can’t wait for the reaction of the fans when Pollard takes the field at our opening game on September 4.”

Pollard will be hoping to boost an already power-packed TKR line-up as they seek to add to the three championships they have won in the last four tournaments in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Pollard has played in 474 T20 matches, so he brings a vast amount of experience to the Knight Riders squad, from CPL and from tournaments around the world.

The rest of the Trinbago Knight Riders 2019 squad will be decided at the Hero CPL Players Draft, which takes place on May 22, 2019.

thursday, MAY 9, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Hand-in-Hand 3-Day Inter-county tournament…

No play possible on opening day of Demerara, Berbice clash Page 23

– Essequibo 27-1 after rain ended day’s play at Everest Page 23

Page 23

West Front Road, Future Stars, Tiger Bay shine on Corona elimination night

Home at last!

Pollard named as Trinbago marquee player

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