Guyana Times Tuesday June 18, 2019

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Guyana featured on cover of int’l travel magazine

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3958

THE BEACON OF TRUTH Tuesday, june 18, 2019

PRICE

Judgement Day!!!

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

CCJ rulings to determine elections, fate of GECOM Chairman set for today

Wakapao woman dies after suspected poisoning

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– family members being treated at GPHC

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SPU officials implicated in multimilliondollar GuySuCo scrap metal scandal

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– as NICIL staff speak out; blow whistle on backroom deals, kickbacks

Expectant P15 father stabbed to death during brawl

EPA halts P12 DDL's bio gas plant operation – after residents complain of leakages, health risks

The Communities Ministry has launched its Inter-Agency Task Force for the Crafting of an Urban Development Master Plan, which marks the beginning of the national discourse mandated by Government to give priority attention to waterfront development and urban planning, in light of Guyana’s pending oil and gas sector coming alive. In photo are Ministers Annette Ferguson, Ronald Bulkan, Dawn Hastings-Williams, and Jaipaul Sharma; the Director of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Georgetown and other officials

Customers in Visa Card fraud must be fully refunded – BoG Governor

Duo escape P10 from Magistrate’s Court – recaptured, arraigned for robbery

Page 9

Security officer found murdered in guard hut Page 2

Ecstasy usage in school a “frightening situation” – CANU Page 11

2 more confess to killing P11 overseas based professor

2 news

tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Security officer found murdered in guard hut

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security officer attached to the Cummings Electrical Company Limited was found dead in a guard hut on the business premises on Sunday.

The now dead man, identified as 60-year-old Keegan Boston of Lot 520 East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was discovered with a wound to the back of his head.

Reports are that the man was last seen alive about 23:00h on Saturday while executing his duties at the company’s Garnett Street, Campbellville location.

However, Boston was found dead in the hut about 06:15h on Sunday by an electrician attached to the company in the presence of another security guard who was supposed to relieve

Boston of his duties.

According to the security guard, he realised something was amiss when he kept calling out to Boston for him to open the gate, but he did not get a response.

After several minutes, the electrician decided to scale the fence and made the gruesome discovery.

An alarm was raised and the Police were summoned

to the scene. Boston’s body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home, where it was presently awaiting a post-mortem.

Crime Chief, Deputy Police Commissioner Lyndon Alves told Guyana Times on Monday that no one has been arrested for the alleged murder.

He stated that the detectives who are tasked with investigating the man’s death were yet to report whether or not they have been able to retrieve Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from the security cameras at Cummings Electrical Company.

However, the Crime Chief noted that while there were reports which suggested that the security cameras were not functioning at the time of Boston’s demise, the Police still have to pursue every angle possible in determining if

Dead: Keegan Boston

the man was murdered and the motive.

Some staff working at the company had told the media that those security cameras had not been functioning for a while and,

therefore, there would be no footage that could be retrieved that would help the Police in their investigations.

Investigations into the matter continue.

Wakapao woman dies after suspected poisoning – family members being treated at GPHC

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resident of Wakapao, P o m e r o o n , Essequibo is dead and four of her family members are patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital following their suspected poisoning.

Dead is Selena Thomas, 38, of Wakapao, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

She reportedly died at approximately midday on Monday while receiving medical attention at the facility.

Her father is in critical condition, while her husband, father-in-law, and her brother are reportedly in stable condition.

A relative of the family who wished to remain anonymous told Guyana Times on Monday that the family fell ill on Friday after consuming boiled cassava which they reaped from their farm.

She explained that soon after eating the cassava, they complained of stomach pain.

“They were fine. But they ate cassava which they get from their farm. They prepared it as a meal and then they started to vomit and they were getting bad pains to their stomach. It was the only thing all of them eat the morning,” the distraught woman related.

The relative added that they reportedly fed the same food to two of their dogs – both of which later died. It is at this point, they suspected that their farm may have been poisoned.

“Like someone poison the farm. We don’t know why or who, but they suspect someone throw some-

Dead: Selena Thomas

thing in the farm,” the relative contended.

She related that Thomas and her husband both visited the health centre at Wakapao on Friday for treatment; however, they were referred to the Suddie Hospital, but owing to the severity of their condition, they, along with other members of the household, were transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

“They sent them Georgetown, because they couldn’t deal with the situation. It was very serious and Georgetown is better equipped. it’s a very sad situation because it’s not like they eat out. It was produce from their own farm. It’s like we still trying to come to grips with what happened,” she said.

Meanwhile, a nurse at the medical facility confirmed that the family is being monitored for food poisoning and noted that at least one member is in a very critical state.

The nurse added that doctors suspected that the food which they consumed was contaminated.

“So, the doctors believe that whatever they ate was contaminated with some poisonous substance. What or how, we don’t know, but their symptoms are suggesting this, but they are being treated and doctors are doing their best with them,” the health personnel told this publication.

An investigation has since been launched into the incident as officials were deployed to the community.

news

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Tuesday, June 18 – 05:00h-06:30h and Wednesday, June 19 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, June 18 – 17:00h-18:30h and Wednesday, June 19 – 05:25h-06:55h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers are expected during the day into the evening hours followed by partly cloudy skies. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-easterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 17:14h reaching a maximum height of 2.50 metres.

SPU officials implicated in multimilliondollar GuySuCo scrap metal scandal – as NICIL staff speak out; blow whistle on backroom deals, kickbacks

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taff members of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) itself have stepped forward to blow the whistle on a scandal involving the sale of Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) assets without tenders to an exporter with a chequered past.

NICIL’s Special Purpose Unit (SPU) was formed by the coalition Government to coordinate the divestment of GuySuCo assets. But according to the staff who stepped forward on condition of anonymity, certain officials at NICIL/SPU have been making backroom deals with select scrap metal exporters and profiting handsomely

this company when there was no tender out and other legitimate businesses would have approached NICIL, but (were) turned away,” the whistleblower added.

Deals

These disclosures come in the midst of concerns and media reports about another deal NICIL/SPU brokered; this time for the sale of two transmission towers owned by GuySuCo to Bobby Vieira’s Multicultural Communications Inc for a mere $2.1 million. Persons had opined that the towers should have fetched no less than $10 million. One of the towers, reports suggest, have since been leased to another company.

Low Tide: 10:48h and 22:58h reaching minimum heights of 0.56 metre and 0.73 metre respectively.

The National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited office

saturday, JUNE 15, 2019

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from it.

One exporter in particular is an Indian national, who, according to the staff, is related to one of the officials.

This exporter, the staff said, was given the contract to purchase scrap metal from GuySuCo which he proceeded to export out of Guyana by the container load over the past year. This, the staff noted, is despite the fact that the exporter was once implicated in a scandal involving the forgery of customs documents to export scrap metal.

“Given all the media coverage that has been on this agency, in particular over the sale of GuySuCo’s broadcast towers, I’d like to let you know this is only the tip of the iceberg as you would imagine.

“For the year, containers of scrap metal worth millions of dollars but given away for cheap have already been shipped out of the country (by the exporter) that originated from GuySuCo,” the whistleblower said.

He said the officials in question have met with the exporter and his associates right at NICIL’s office, where they discussed various avenues of buying assets from NICIL. Nor is that all. According to the whistleblower, the two officials were paid $10 million and $5 million respectively for facilitating the scrap metal deal.

“After heat came from the media on NICIL and the SPU, these two officials have hastily been taking documents away from our office in an effort to remove traces of this transaction. It is a shame to see the blatant giving away of the assets of

It is understood that GuySuCo officials themselves wrote a letter about the matter to Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, in which they had noted that “we recently saw a draft agreement of sale whereby Mr (Colvin) Heath-London through NICIL is in the process of, or perhaps has sold GuySuCo’s Transmission Tower located at Drill, Mahaicony to a company named Multicultural Communications Inc (Please see attached). Again, that

Scrap metal

property was not vested to NICIL and would be another unlawful act by NICIL”.

In the wake of this transaction, Transparency Institute Guyana Incorporated (TIGI) had called for answers. In an interview with this publication on Sunday, TIGI President, Dr Troy Thomas noted that NICIL/SPU must provide answers on the sale.

“They must answer questions about how that (transaction) was done and whether the laws were followed. And if the laws were not followed, then that would come under SARA (State Assets Recovery Agency) at this point, although there can be other agencies. But we definitely need to make sure that things were done properly

and if they were not done properly, then those responsible must be held accountable,” Dr Thomas had urged.

Since the story broke, Vieira, who has had ties to the coalition Government and served as the assistant events coordinator for President David Granger’s inauguration in 2015, has been directing questions to the relevant authorities.

Repeated attempts by this publication to make contact with NICIL’s SPU Head Heath-London, whose agency has responsibility for divesting GuySuCo of its assets, were futile. Meanwhile, another advertisement has been put out by the entity seeking bids for scrap metal from the estates being divested.

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 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

PNC’s cynicism on the Constitution

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s was highlighted by the shenanigans committed by Moses Nagamootoo and his lackeys before the AFC’s Convention, one of the sad features of political life is the level of cynicism attending our politicians. There is no question that there is much to justify this cynicism. When bands of people, unconcerned about the people who elected them to office, are typified by greed, avarice, and mindboggling incompetence, what is the average citizen to think?

If Guyana is ever to unearth leaders who would work for the nation -- rather than for themselves, as is evident with this PNC-led Government -- we would have to go beyond mere hand-wringing and wishing for patriots to materialise out of thin air, and create enabling political institutions.

While, as the cliché goes, we have to ultimately depend on the integrity of individuals elected to office, we have to start from the premise which has been painfully evident over the past four years: to be human is to have weaknesses. Our institutions have to be so structured as to give incentives to the persons who fall within their ambit to enhance the desired values. In general, people are more committed to following rules that they had a role in crafting. This is commonsense: rules had to have made some sense to us, or we would not have accepted them in the first place.

So where do we begin? One place is to start at the very beginning. In the political realm of any country, institutions all emanate from the Constitution of that country. And in Guyana, it is from this “supreme law of the land” that the political cynicism begins. The Constitution of Guyana has a particularly tainted and cynical history. Ostensibly, its birth was occasioned by the decision of Forbes Burnham to launch Guyana on a socialist path in 1974 with his “Declaration of Sophia”. The 1966 Independence Constitution was “too bourgeois”. The fly in the ointment, however, was that while Mr. Burnham was undoubtedly committed to socialism, he was even more enthusiastically committed to satisfying his drive for absolute personal power. The rigged Referendum of 1978 demonstrated early on that he saw the creation of the Constitution as a mere legal fig leaf to cover his ambitions.

Yet, it is from this Constitution that, today, all our political institutions flow and our political behaviour is shaped, notwithstanding the major amendments to the Constitution following the 1999 Reform Process.

However, it is not only a question that the changes do not go far enough, even though this is not an inconsequential objection; the present document is a mishmash of articles that still hark back to socialism -- articles that are internally and relationally inconsistent; articles that should properly be dealt with by statutory law, rather than being in a constitution, etc.

It is also not the question that the PNC has reneged on its commitment to its partner, the AFC, to alter the Constitution, and has successfully resisted real fundamental change. It is also not the question that they have, further, even resisted implementing the spirit of the changes that have been enacted, and gleefully used the Constitution’s centralised mechanism to lock out other groups from having any real input into the political process.

A Constitution has to be seen as a social contract between the various forces in a country, creating a state with institutions that are just. For the state to be just, we must begin from first principles; a nip and a tuck won’t do.

Avoiding this gives us the concoction we now have governing us, which is flush with contradictions. The PNC politicians, led by David Granger, play fast and loose with the rules, as with the NCM, because they know the rules were generated in cynicism by themselves.

Are we surprised that institutions flowing out of such a flawed Constitution, which is out of sync with our national values, are only observed in the breach?

The people must reject the PNC’s obdurate refusal to implement constitutional change.

Newly-crowned Miss Earth Guyana Faydeha King displays her National Costume on Saturday evening during the grand coronation at the National Cultural Centre. This year, the theme centred around the celebration of flora, prompting the ladies to represent flowers that are native to Guyana. The theme was displayed in its entirety during the costume segment, and it transformed the stage into a garden.

Vatican takes part in dialogue to resolve crisis in Venezuela

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s efforts to find a diplomatic solution to Venezuela’s crisis through dialogue continue, the Vatican has confirmed that the Holy See took part in the meetings in Sweden last week. Though the actual dates or the list of the participants continue to be unknown, the hosting Government has confirmed that several “key international actors” attended.

The Vatican’s interim spokesman, Italian layman Alessandro Gisotti, confirmed the Holy See’s presence to several media outlets, saying that the Church had received the invitation by the Swedish Government to take part in “a meeting that was held these days in Stockholm on the humanitarian emergency in Venezuela”.

Neither the Vatican nor the Swedish Government has given further information on which countries participated in the dialogue efforts or the rank of the representatives. However, a spokesperson for the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, did say that the international body wasn’t involved.

According to an anonymous sources quoted by The Associated Press, the United States Government wasn’t either.

“The Swedish Government has hosted a meeting in Stockholm with some key international actors in support of current efforts to urgently promote a peaceful, political and democratic solution to the crisis in Venezuela, and to al-

An opponent to Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro holds a candle during a vigil for those killed in street fighting in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, May 5, 2019. (Credit: Martin Mejia/AP.)

leviate the plight of the Venezuelan people,” the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Friday.

Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó has channelled the frustrations of angry Venezuelans suffering from food shortages made worse by punishing US oil sanctions, but has been unable to remove President Nicolás Maduro’s grip on power and sway the loyalty of the military.

Guaidó in brief comments during a tour of the western state of Mérida told a crowd that Venezuela’s crisis was being discussed in Stockholm on Thursday, but offered no details.

“This meeting shows clearly that there’s consensus in the world for new presidential elections,” Guaidó said.

Common good

Speaking with reporters on the way back from a trip

to United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis told reporters that the Vatican would be willing to mediate in Venezuela if both sides asked, adding that some preliminary steps had to be taken first, including dialogue efforts that could bring the sides closer to one another.

At the time, Francis also confirmed that Maduro had written a letter to him asking for help in the dialogue process, but that he had not yet read it.

Two days later, on February 7, he reportedly sent a letter to Maduro, addressing him as “Very excellent Sir” and not “President”, to say that while he’s in favour of a negotiated settlement to the country’s political crisis, previous conversations were halted because agreements were not respected.

Both parties to such

talks, the pontiff reportedly insisted according to a leaked section of the letter published in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, must prioritise the common good over partisan aims.

The Pope also wrote that he’s not in favour of “any dialogue” but an effort that sees “the different parties in conflict put the common good above any other interest, and work for unity and peace”.

“Unfortunately, every [attempt] was interrupted because what had been agreed in the meetings was not followed by concrete gestures to implement the agreements … And the words seemed to delegitimise the good intentions that had been put in writing,” the Pope reportedly wrote.

Last month, representatives from the Government of Maduro and the Opposition had dialogue in Oslo, under Norwegian mediation, to analyse the crisis in Venezuela.

According to the United Nations, an estimated 5000 people fled Venezuela each day in 2018, bringing the total of people who’ve left the Latin American country to four million. According to the International Labour Organisation, unemployment in Venezuela this year will be 44.3 per cent, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects an inflation of 10,000,000 per cent for this year, after last year’s record of 929,789 per cent. (cruxnow.com)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

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

Elections in Guyana! The CCJ ruling

Dear Editor, The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hand down its ruling in the no-confident cases this morning at 10:00h.

The matters relate to critical Constitutional cases heard by institution, on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition of Guyana and other stakeholders. There is a general expectation that the decisions will be keenly and anxiously observed across the region, in the international community, and one nationally allowing democracy to breathe in Guyana once again.

On this day of reckoning, the relevance of these decisions will bring our dear country to an uneasy standstill. The foci of Guyanese on several fronts will be to witness firsthand the establishment of a critical restart point, given the repressive suppression the nation has had o endure under the hands of the APNU/ AFC Coalition government within the past four years.

The pronouncements no doubt, put a halt on the excessive attempts of manipulation and abuse of the Guyana legal system

by Attorney General Basil Williams, whose intent is the deliberate delay of the inevitable National and Regional Elections.

President Granger has been accommodative of the sinister ploy. His overwhelming silence is thunderous as the unashamed Basil Williams, plays the lead role of desperately bending legal limits to effect delaying tactics on behalf of the coalition.

Recently, a most slack and irresponsible position was Basil Williams’ request to introduce what he says is new evidence in the appeal dealing with the controversial passage of the December 21 NCM against government.

He advanced this shameful attempt of overreach, although the CCJ had completed hearing arguments almost a month prior.

Thankfully, the

Court rejected his request for leave in this respect.

Concurrent however, is the deepening of the cesspit and ridiculous upsurge of the Coalition Governments miss-management of resources and flagrant uninhibited corruption. The time has come forthwith, to cease this saga of APNU/ AFC coalition encouragement and facilitation of more and more corruption, and dodging and delaying of national elections.

It was of course the APNU/AFC overload and poisoned chalice empty promises, which influenced the Opposition leader successfully challenge of the Coalitions’ failed performances using the NoConfidence Motion (NCM).

The nation will recall that during the debate of the December 21, 2018 Motion, the Coalition Members of Parliament characteristically, did not even bother about answering the Oppositions evidence-based charges.

Rather, they haughtily created a fiasco of unheralded responses based on the Collation having 33 voters compared to the Oppositions 32.

Since the passing of the NCM, there has been marked increases in the display of executive excessive lawlessness, rather than the Government trying to pull their act together. Their uncaring behavior and corruption filled maneuvers in essence, constitutes an acknowledgement of their illegal nature.

It is as if key positioned agents of the government, are themed to conduct major ‘hustles’ in lieu of in exorable expulsions. It is an outright bullish dictatorial affront to the will and constitutional rights of the Guyanese people, which the CCJ’s ruling should urgently ensure and prevent.

The Opposition has been rightfully, hard at work exposing components of the collation’s cover-ups and less than transparent government imbroglios.

Among the recent are sev-

eral highly questionable areas, which the government have signaled either that they do not care or has been excessively silent. There is the vulgar motion of recognition in the National Assembly, of former (deceased) PNC Member of Parliament Abdul Kadir, who was internationally publically denounce and convicted as a terrorist in the USA. This have provided mixed signals of the Governments’ commitments to our past and assented to terrorist legislation. Notably, links to Mr. Kadir is now the subject of serious corruption investigation, according to a popular media caption; ‘Customs Officer suspended after collecting fuel tax in hotel room’.

Another serious matter is the reported confirmation by Mr. Harmon of the Government’s arbitrary firing of PSM staff, and then moving to conduct investigations. The firing of all these senior staff is unacceptable; more so, since Political activists David Hinds as a declared WPA member of the Coalition, described the dismissed staff are being described as PPP ‘moles’.

Further, the public is questioning the allegation that the children of a Senior Minister allegedly received over US $86,000 in 2018, being monies transferred from the Department of Public Service. That already for 2019, the Public Service Division transferred $2, 510,575 to another child of the same Minister who Mr. Granger recently re-assigned to the same Office

of the President. It is time that the Government comes clean about these sums totaling over 20 million dollars.

The re-appointment of the Senior Officer sent on investigative leave because of serious irregularities at the Central Procurement Office, provides more questions than answers regarding the Government’s procurement violations.

Further, the Prime Minister’s decision to reinstate Sherod Duncan at the Chronicle after serious misconduct, are clear signs of the APNU/AFC willingness to condone corruption. At the Ministry of Education, even the printing of our children exercise and textbooks is tainted with serious irregularities. At the University of Guyana, again our people are making serious allegations about corruption.

There is now an environment in which the APNU/ AFC agents are grabbing and taking what they can get from the National coffers and the staff are reporting thief and more thieving.

As our people are prepared for National and Regional Elections there are allegations that are more serious and the issues, which demand be cleared at GECOM or this situation can get very explosive.

Citizens must therefore welcome the CCJ’s rulings on Tuesday and resolve in plurality, to eliminate our oppressors and rid Guyana of the Corrupt APNU/ AFC Cabal with free and fair elections.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

would restore Guyana to a democratic state

Dear Editor, The CCJ will make its ruling today, and all eyes are focused on this event.

The reason for me saying this is that, barring a sweeping or comprehensive ruling, Granger is still in control, which automatically leads to the rigging of the next election.

In that regard, careful attention has to be placed on that aspect of the ruling as to whether the GECOM Chairman remains in office, or not; that is the main issue under consideration.

I am not in the least interested in the 34 absolute majority nonsense passed by The Guyana Court of Appeal.

That, in itself, is a non-issue; 33 is the greater half of a 65seat parliament, and that is final, end of discussion.

The Caribbean Court cannot rule otherwise. Therefore, whether Patterson remains at the helm of GECOM is our main concern. Because, once he remains in office, the floodgates of the PNC are open for a barefaced, full-fledged rigging exercise of the next election. The plans are already in place for this ageold PNC strategy to materialise; which can become a reality if the CCJ makes the horrendous mistake of having him remain in office.

I am optimistic that the Caribbean’s final court had taken careful note of Guyana’s disgraceful electoral history, wherein rig-

ging was a way of life once the PNC was in office. It is a disgraceful part of history that we do not want to relive; we want this dark cloud to be removed from our country.

For that very same reason, Granger handpicked Mr. Patterson for the job. he had this plan all up his sleeves when he rejected 18 names provided by the Opposition Leader and unilaterally appointed Patterson. His motive was as clear as day for that move. Uppermost in Granger’s mind was the fact that, should things come to a head, as they already have, then he should be afforded the grand opportunity to fall back on Plan B, and that is, to hold a fraudulent electoral process with the expressed blessings of his handpicked GECOM Chairman.

This has been the PNC’s modus operandi for 28 years, and if push comes to shove, it would be tried again.

So, to this end, the Carter Formula which is engraved in our Constitution must be reactivated and made to work again. Democracy must take its rightful place again. The rights of the people of this great country must be re-energised and respected again. Other than this, the vision of a new, prosperous and democratic Guyana and CARICOM has been in vain.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

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Foundation

5 reasons to l k for a summer job

Volunteering

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I

t may be tempting to take the summer off and relax, but looking for a job will give you helpful life skills. Finding a job may be hard, but the search will be worth it. Jobs are out there.

Even if you don’t land the job you want, you’ll still gain these skills from the process:

You’ll develop your interview skills

The more jobs you apply for, the better you’ll get at interviewing. Learning to interview well is an important lifelong skill. It can help you get into college and even land a full-time job.

You’ll get better at coping with rejection

You may not get the first job you interview for.

Rejection happens in life

and it can be hard to handle. The more we face rejection, the easier it becomes to move forward and bounce back.

You’ll learn something about yourself

If you get a job that wasn’t your first choice, you might discover a new skill or interest. If you need to save money, you may learn that commitment is necessary to reach your goals. If nothing works out? You may decide to start your own business.

You’ll push the limits of your comfort zone

It’s a lot easier to sit at home doing the same things.

But job-hunting can push you out of your comfort zone.

Experiencing new things can make you more produc-

tive and you might even have fun!

You’ll feel good about yourself

The self-confidence you can build at work will help when you are back in school, applying for college, and getting a job after high school.

If you’re thinking about a summer job, apply

You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. And if you don’t get a job, volunteer.

Volunteering is a great way to gain experience. It looks favourable on résumés for college applications or future jobs.

If you need help writing a résumé to apply for a job, search online. A number of websites offer free tips. (kidshealth.org)

olunteering is an opportunity to change lives, including your own. If you’re feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by the news of a disaster, volunteering to help can be a great way to cope. If you’d like to support a cause, but can’t afford to donate money, you can donate your time instead.

Helping others in need is such an important part of life that many high schools require their students to spend a certain number of hours volunteering in order to graduate.

So how do you go about it?

Find what’s right for you

Unlike school, with volunteering you get to pick what really interests you and who (or what) is most deserving of your time.

Need some ideas to get you started? Here are just a few:

Help kids learn and grow

Become a Big Brother or Big Sister, camp counsellor, or volunteer for an after-school sports program.

Special Olympics games and events are great ways to get to know special-needs kids.

Give back over the holidays

volunteer at your local food bank, or distribute toys

to kids. Your church, temple, mosque, or other place of worship also may be able to use your help.

Play with pets at a local animal shelter

Most shelters depend on volunteers to keep the cats and dogs happy and well exercised. (And when you’re walking rescued dogs, you get a workout too.)

Help the environment

Join a conservation group and help out with river preservation. Take part in a local clean-up day. You don’t have to be an outdoorsy type — if you can’t picture yourself hauling trees up a hill, you could help out in a park office or education centre.

Support a health-related cause

Lots of us are close to people who have a medical problem (like cancer, HIV, or diabetes, for example). It can feel good to donate your time to an organisation that raises money for research, delivers meals, or offers other help to people with an illness.

If you have more than one thing you love, find a way to combine the two. For example, if you love kids and are great at arts and crafts, visit your local children’s hospital and offer to lead art activities for young patients.

Find what fits your schedule

Once you’ve found something that inspires you, decide how much time you want to spend. Local organisations (like hospitals or shelters) often like volunteers to give them a set amount of time every week or two.

But what if school, sports, or other commitments prevent you from devoting time every week?

Many large organisations (especially those related to the environment or finding cures for diseases) have day-long activities. These include walkathons, bike rides, clean-up days, or building homes for those in need.

You can also spend a week, month, or even a whole summer volunteering through a structured internship. The advantage

of these is you get to immerse yourself in the activities and feel a real sense of achievement when you see the results. Because you spend a lot of time together, most people who work on long-term volunteer projects form close friendships.

Sometimes you get to travel, and the organisation may pay your travel and living costs.

Expand your mind

Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills – from working as part of a team to setting and reaching goals. It gives you a chance to discover what kinds of things you’re best at and enjoy the most. A volunteer job that you love can even help shape your ideas about your career goals.

Volunteering also can give you a sense of responsibility because people really depend on you. And it can help you develop a new understanding of people who are different from you — people with disabilities, people in financial distress, sick kids, or the elderly.

Feel good

Donating your time is a great way to feel like you have the power to change things for the better. When people depend on you, it can change the way you look at yourself. You can feel proud of the goals that you’ve achieved for an organisation – whether it’s helping to organise a 10K to raise money for breast cancer or running the race itself.

Volunteering is also a great way to get a perspective on your own life.

Sometimes it’s easy to get consumed by worries about your grades or the fight you had with your friend or parent. And although these things are very important in their own way, sometimes it can be helpful to get some distance and think about other things.

Volunteering allows you to do this. It lets you focus on others and see that your involvement in the world can be meaningful.

Finally, volunteering can help save you from being bored — it gives you a place to be where you can have a good time and keep busy. (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Judgement Day

CCJ rulings to determine elections, fate of GECOM Chairman set for today

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oday, from 10:00h, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will deliver its judgement in a series of landmark cases that will determine not only whether the letter of Guyana’s Constitution will be upheld, but will also set precedents for Guyana and the Caribbean as a whole to follow.

Last week, the CCJ set June 18 as the date for ruling on the three no-confidence motion-related cases before it, as well as the challenge to the unilateral appointment of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman.

The three No-Confidence Motion cases deal with Christopher Ram v The Attorney General of Guyana, the Leader of the Opposition and Joseph Harmon; Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo v the Attorney General of Guyana, Dr Barton Scotland and Joseph Harmon; and Charrandas Persaud v Compton Herbert Reid, Dr Barton Scotland, Bharrat Jagdeo and Joseph Harmon; the last of which deals with Persaud’s eligibility to vote in the House.

Persaud is a former Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament, whose conscience vote in favour of the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against the Coalition Government on December 21, 2018 effectively toppled the Government.

Article 106 (6) of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Meanwhile, Article 106 (7) states that, “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer peri-

Persaud, claiming to have received information that the former MP was bribed for his vote, and had sought to purchase gold in bulk.

That investigation saw Persaud being vilified by Government Ministers and coalition supporters, until Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan admitted a few days ago that there was not enough evidence that a crime had been committed to extradite Persaud from Canada.

The Caribbean Court of Justice

od as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

Seeking a reversal

For a short time, Government had seemed to have accepted the ruling and the constitutional requirements. Meetings had even begun to be held at GECOM with a view to that body preparing for early elections. But ever since Persaud, who is a Canadian citizen, fled to his second home in the wake of threats against his life, the coalition Government has refused to go quietly into the night.

Rather, the Government has utilised every avenue available to it in a bid to reverse its loss in the NCM. The first such attempt was done the next time parliament met after the motion was passed - January 3 - when Government parliamentarians (the opposition boycotted the sitting) sought to have Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, reverse the ruling on the grounds that 34, and not 33, was the majority needed out of 65 to pass the motion.

However, Scotland had

refused, noting that while he has the authority to review and/or reverse previous rulings, he must always act in conformity with the Constitution of Guyana.

It was a decision that was hailed by many as a demonstration of separation of powers at work.

The coalition Government’s next approach was to the High Court.

There, they not only argued that 34 was the majority of 65, but they also argued that Persaud, as a dual citizen, should not have been in the National Assembly in the first place. However, acting Chief Justice Roxane George in January upheld the passage of the motion, ruling that it was validly passed with the 33 majority.

The fallout from her ruling on the dual citizenship issue, however, saw four other dual citizen MPs -- former Ministers Joseph Harmon, Carl Greenidge, Dominic Gaskin and Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine -- resigning from Parliament and Government, only for them to then be rehired by the Government in different capacities. To this day, Government has not come clean on the remuneration packages for these newly created positions.

Meantime, the Guyana Police Force initiated an investigation into Charrandas

Court of Appeal

The Government had better luck at the Court of Appeal, however, where they appealed the High Court ruling. The Court of Appeal’s decision on March 22 via a 2-1 majority, that an absolute majority of 34 votes out of 65 was needed to successfully pass the motion, threw

the Government the lifeline it needed to continue in office.

The ruling came one day after the timeline mandated by the Constitution to call elections had elapsed. It also came in the wake of day one of mass protests from the parliamentary Opposition and its supporters.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the final option for Guyana to adjudicate these matters, was then approached. During several days of rulings, the CCJ heard arguments from both sides. Their rulings are expected to deal with several questions raised.

One of the most important ones is whether the NCM was validly passed with 33 votes out of 65. While the Constitution makes no distinction between whether a simple or absolute

majority was needed, the Government has argued that the Opposition needed an absolute majority.

In addition, another crucial decision the CCJ will have to make is whether Persaud’s status as a dual citizen would have invalidated a previous vote he had taken, something the Opposition has argued it would not have done.

Another ruling would deal with whether Persaud, by not informing the Speaker beforehand that he planned to vote according to his conscience, did in fact go against his party list.

Compelling arguments were made to the effect that MPs are not robots, and forcing them to vote according to the party agenda defeats the spirit and intent of no- confidence motions.

Turn to page 12

Mayor’s office broken into, documents missing

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ore than two weeks ago, the office of the Mayor of Georgetown was broken into and several files containing important documents are now missing.

The break-in was confirmed by a senior Police rank who told Guyana Times that an investigation was launched.

He noted that from all indications no other items were removed from the office. The Mayor as reported in a section of the media confirmed that documents relating to the Local Government Commission were stolen as well as other documents. He noted that he has all confidence in the Police to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

He stated that the perpetrators gained entry to his office via a window from his

City Hall

washroom. He told the media outfit that as a result of the break-in, he instructed that the windows be barred, since there were no cameras.

Since the Mayor took office some time ago, he has had to cross many hurdles, and on more than one occasion, he has been at loggerheads with senior staff at the Council.

Only recently, the Mayor approved a $4.4 million surplus budget to be used in key areas in the city. Also, only last week, the Mayor was in the spotlight when he asked his personal assistant to accompany him to Trinidad and Tobago.

He later told the media that his assistant would have paid for her ticket and other expenses.

8 News

tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

“Soldier Man” acquitted for “Bread Man” murder

Intrigues…

I

…verdict still looms for other accused

S

ubmissions made by defence counsel Nigel Hughes regarding the unreliability and inconsistency of evidence produced against his client, Shaquille Grant, during the trial of the murder of Andre “Bread Man” Alexander proved successful as Grant on Monday exited the courtroom of Justice Navindra Singh a free man.

Justice Singh had heard the submissions made last Friday, and as such, ruled on the voir dire (an investigation into the truth or admissibility of evidence held during a trial) by directing the 12-member jury to return a formal not-guilty verdict in favour of Grant, , called “Soldier Man”, automatically setting him free of the capital offence.

As Grant made his way out of the courtroom, overjoyed family members rushed to embrace him after days of anxiously waiting for a verdict to be delivered.

Deceased: Andre Alexander, called “Bread Man”

Meanwhile, the number two accused, Neville Ford is expected to have his fate determined today as his attorney, Adrian Thompson and State Prosecutors made their respective addresses to the 12-member jury during Monday’s court hearing.

Ford, in an unsworn statement to the court, maintained his innocence of the crime, stating “I am innocent of this charge; I was not at the scene … I don’t know anything about

“Bread Man”’s murder.”

Both Grant and Ford pleaded not guilty to the capital offence of murder at their first court appearance, as the indictment read that on May 5, 2017 in the county of Demerara, they murdered Alexander in the course of or furtherance of a robbery.

The State’s case is being led by Prosecutor Teriq Mohammed, in association with Sarah Martin and Tuanna Hardy.

Guyana Times had previously reported that on the day in question, Alexander, of Lot 394 C Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown and his wife were at their bread stand when two men on a CG motorcycle rode up and ordered three loaves of bread, paying with a $5000 note.

The now dead man was reportedly in the process of making change when the pillion rider whipped out a gun and demanded that the father of two hand over his

Acquitted of murder: Shaquille Grant, aka “Soldier Man”

cash.

Alexander reportedly put up a fight and in retaliation, the suspect discharged two rounds, one of which struck the vendor to the chest.

The bandits then relieved the injured man of an undisclosed sum of cash and bread before making good their escape.

Residents rushed to the scene and found the man lying in a pool of blood. He was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed while receiving medical attention.

Princes Street man gets 1 year for theft

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garbage collector was on Monday slapped with three breakand-enter charges when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Aubrey Price, of Lot 75 Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown, stood before Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus, and pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated between June 11 and June 12, 2019 at Princes Street, Lodge, he broke into a storage bond of Sheron Nurse and stole four cases of Banks beer bottles.

He, however, pleaded

guilty to the charge which stated that on February 15, 2019 at Princes Street, he broke into the home of Marsha Baird and stole a Samsung tablet valued $40,000; two flatscreen televisions valued $216,000; a cellular phone valued $30,000; one laptop valued $100,000 and a Rubis gas cylinder valued $6000.

It was further alleged that on March 15, 2019, at Princes Street, he stole one gas cylinder valued $6000, a charge to which he pleaded guilty with explanation.

The defendant told the

court that he saw the house open and as such, he entered and took the gas cylinder.

He further told the court that he recently served two sentences.

Prosecutor Shellon Daniels objected to bail given the three charges, and asked that the summary application be disclosed.

The facts of the matter presented to the court stated that on February 15, Baird secured her home leaving the mentioned articles in the kitchen, but upon returning home at 16:00h, she discovered her door was

wrenched open.

As she entered her home, she saw that the house was ransacked and the gas cylinder was missing.

A report was made at the East La Penitence Police Station and an investigation was launched. The suspect was subsequently arrested.

Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus sentenced the man to one year in prison for the charges to which the defendant pleaded guilty. He was nevertheless remanded to prison for the other charges and his next court appearance was slated for June 24, 2019.

it was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The charge stated that on June 14, 2019 at LindenSoesdyke Highway, East Bank Demerara, he had 8.3 grams of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield did not object to

bail; however, he disclosed to the court that the prosecution file was complete.

Chief Magistrate McLennan granted the defendant bail in the sum of $70,000, and his next court appearance was scheduled for June 26, 2019 at the Linden Magistrates’ Courts.

Marlon King

Miner granted bail for narco-trafficking

A

miner appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday to answer to a narcotic trafficking charge.

Twenty-six-year-old Marlon King of Lot 608 Ninth Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge when

UG student granted bail for causing accident on Regent Street

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student of the University of Guyana (UG) was on Monday released on $20,000 bail after he was slapped with a dangerous driving charge.

Thirty-two-year-old Dwayne Nurse of Lot 693 Seventh Street, Paradise, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that

on December 25, 2018 at Regent Road, he drove motor car PWW 687 in a manner dangerous to the public.

Nurse, who is studying accountancy at the tertiary level, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Facts presented by Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore

stated that on the day in question, Nurse was proceeding west along Regent Road when he allegedly swerved from potholes and ended up on the southern side of the road causing him to crash into a motorcyclist.

The court heard that the motorcyclist was tossed onto the road surface, causing him to receive inju-

ries about his body. He was then picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he underwent surgery. The matter was then reported, and an investigation was carried out.

The Prosecutor made no objection to bail and the matter was rescheduled for July 12, 2019.

…in AFC f you thought the long knives in the AFC have been sheathed after the humiliating rejection of Nagamootoo as their Prime Minister nominee to the PNC, you just wasted a thought, dear reader.

The games have only just begun!!! And you didn’t need the Chronic’s banner headline about Ramjattan being “elected as number 2” in the party to tell you that!!! That pic of Nagamootoo’s walkout just before the actual vote was worth the proverbial “thousand words”!! That was rage, not just pique!!

Ramjattan was overwhelmingly elected as “Leader” and “PM nominee”, and he’s SECOND?? Second to who?

Chairman Trotman?? And here we thought the AFC was “Liberal” and not “Maoist” - as in Chairman Mao being number one in the CCP!!

That headline was only the opening salvo in Nagamootoo’s war of attrition to retain his position as Granger’s footstool. Did you see that one-man “Guyana Institute for Democracy” lash out at the AFC for daring to reject Nagamootoo? Nagamootoo had flown up to NY to bless the fella’s NY “Independence celebration” and Youth Conference, and obviously impressed with his abject sycophancy to the PNC’s cause.

While Ramjattan isn’t known for his vertebral rigour, and has tried valiantly to suck up to Granger and the PNC -- remember him boasting he’d advised Granger to stick it to Jagdeo and appoint Paterson as GECOM Chair? -- he just isn’t possessed of Nagamootoo’s innate oleaginous and unctuous disposition!! The fella from Whim just prostates to anything even hinting of PNC, and has endeared himself to the rank and file PNC elements, as that Bajan poll showed!! As far back as the 2015 campaign, he gratuitously insisted he wasn’t an “Indian” - even though Granger and Co have always insisted there’s no problem with being an Indian or African Guyanese, since we live in a multicultural country.

Anyhow, expect a groundswell from PNCites launching attacks on Ramjattan: such as being another “Charrandas” (read “traitor”), while extolling Nagamootoo’s “virtues” even as they won’t be able to provide a SINGLE accomplishment of that artful dodger!!

But, in the opinion of your Eyewitness, Ramjattan has a glorious opportunity to make his own destiny: by taking a stand against Police corruption. While some - including this writer - have asked what he has being doing all this time, he can honestly point out that Granger had pretty much expropriated the Security portfolio, and he was kept out of the loop!!

The call for action on Police corruption has now come from within the Force itself, and Ramjattan just has to follow Gandhi and say, “There goes my people, and I have to follow them.

“Since I’m supposed to be their leader”!! …and electoral shenanigans Well, today’s the day: the day Granger and the PNC will find out that they can run, but they can’t hide, from the long arc of justice. Whatever the shortcomings of our Constitution - and there are many, seeing it’s just a MODIFICATION of the Burnhamite abomination from 1980 - the Article that the PNC is running from, Art 161(6) on “no confidence motions”, had been handed down in our Independence Constitution and in an integral part of Westminster government regimes.

It has nothing to do with MPs being “traitors” and “Judases”, as the PNCites have been screaming; rather, it has everything to do with the fundamental principle that representatives of the people can – indeed, MUST - be able to vote their consciences!! On the claim that the “majority” of 65 seats is not 33 - made by a Government that has been governing on that basis for 4 years - your Eyewitness will not even deign to consider that not being rejected!

The only question is when will elections be ordered? …and PNC corruption du jour If it’s another day, it’s another corruption scandal for the PNC! TIGI’s just asked some piercing questions on SPU selling GUYSUCO’s transmission towers to PNC insider Bobby Vieira.

Can’t we follow Israel, where Netanyahu’s wife was just convicted of Fraud and Breach of Trust for overspending on meals?

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

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Customers in Visa Card fraud must be fully refunded – BoG Governor

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ank of Guyana Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga has declared that all customers affected by the Republic Bank Visa Card scam must be refunded in full.

His comments come just days after reports surfaced that the commercial bank would only be refunding customers for unauthorised transactions done in the last three months.

“That is something that we wouldn’t tolerate. If there is a fraud, it doesn’t matter how long that fraud is dated back. Republic Bank or any bank would have to ensure that the customers receive his/her appropriate refund,” Dr Ganga told reporters on the sidelines of an event Monday.

A local newspaper has

reported that customers are claiming that the Bank has only offered to reimburse transactions within the last three months. However, in some cases where customers were scammed, their monies were utilised from transactions dated back longer than three months.

Republic Bank Guyana admitted in a statement on May 15, that its Visa international debit cards were compromised. This was after days of customers taking to social media to complain about missing monies from their accounts.

An investigation has since been launched, and the Bank has assured customers that it would beef up its security.

The Central Bank Governor said he would also

Bank of Guyana, Dr Gobind Ganga

be meeting with the management of the Bank to ensure the situation does not occur again, or if it does, better mechanisms would be put in place to deal with the issue.

“We will be working with the commercial banks to ensure that the Guyanese public are afforded the opportunity to transact business almost risk-free,” Dr Ganga noted.

One customer who had reached out to Guyana Times explained that he visited the Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara branch to do a transaction, but he received a notice saying there were insufficient funds to honour the requested amount. He said this prompted him to conduct a balance inquiry and to his astonishment his account only had $9000. The customer said that he was left speechless, since he was aware that his account had over $140,000.

When he visited the Bank to make a report, he was given a dispute form to fill out. He said that he was advised by the teller that the investigation process for such a claim takes between 60 and 90 days.

He said that he was also informed that the matter has to be investigated by the Bank’s Trinidad branch.

A Republic Bank branch

The customer expressed dissatisfaction with the response by the Bank, adding that when he enquired about reimbursement, he was not given positive feedback.

Meanwhile, another customer said that he too was left shocked when he realised that $2 million was missing from his account. He said an inquiry revealed that money was deducted from his account to pay for several online

purchases.

Another customer said that she went to the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) and found that $60,000 was missing, so she went right away to the Bank. She said she too was given a dispute form to fill out. The young lady slammed the Bank for not being honest with its customers about the hacking incident.

Republic Bank, after its initial statement confirm-

ing the issue, has not provided a public update on the investigation.

However, the financial institution had advised customers to be more careful when shopping online and had urged them to better monitor their cyber activities.

“The Bank also takes this opportunity to remind customers of the need to be vigilant when using their debit cards and monitoring their account activity.”

10 news

tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Linden schoolgirl died from Duo escape from Magistrate’s Court blunt trauma to head – autopsy – recaptured, arraigned for robbery n autopsy performed are too severe to have been

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on the body of 10-yearold June Alexander, who succumbed following a fall at her school proved that she died as a result of blunt trauma to the head caused by blood vessel malformation.

The post-mortem was performed by Dr Nehaul Singh on Monday.

The former Regma’s Primary School pupil died while receiving medical attention on Friday, just days after being placed on life support in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Alexander was transferred from the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) with head injuries on Monday in a comatose state following an incident at the school.

Controversy continues to reign over the circumstances surrounding the death of the child as the family had indicated that they had received conflicting stories as to what transpired resulting in the child’s demise.

Dead: June Alexander

They noted that they were initially told that the child fell and hit her head while playing at school, but they were also told she was running and fell after tripping on her shoe lace as well as, in another version, she was pushed and hit her head.

The family is said to have received a telephone call informing them of the incident on Monday. The child’s mother, Angela Hamilton told Guyana Times that her daughter’s injuries were so severe that she had been in a coma and was considered “brain dead”.

She said she was told by a doctor that the injuries

caused by a fall.

The mother of eight has alleged that the child was constantly bullied at school. The mother said she saw her daughter at the school around lunchtime on Monday and she was not in good spirits as she related that she had been told to remain in class by a teacher.

Family members have since been seeking answers, particularly since they indicated that claims have surfaced that the child suffered from a brain condition prior to her death.

Relatives have since refuted these claims, noting that Alexander was a healthy child prior to her death.

To date, while the ParentTeachers Association (PTA) has offered condolences to the family, the Department of Education in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has been mum on the issue.

The Police had concluded that based on reports received, the child had slipped and injured herself while running.

C

haos broke out at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday after two prisoners escaped while being escorted into the compound by Police, but after running some distance, they were recaptured.

The two men – 24-yearold Navin Ali of Third Street, Alberttown, Georgetown and 20-year-old Ceon Ray of Lot 64 Sussex Street, Campbellville – were charged for armed robbery and were due to make their court appearance on Monday.

Shortly after the vehicle carrying the two prisoners arrived at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, they were being taken out when they fled.

Ali ran in the direction of the Kitty bus park and was accosted by a group of Police Officers who became alerted to the situation on account of gunshots being fired. Ray, on the other hand, ran towards Lombard Street, but quick action by the Police ranks resulted in him being arrested.

Ali reportedly suffered lacerations to his forehead and claimed that he was beaten by the Police ranks. As they stood before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, Ali explained that he was beaten by the Police while Ray told the court that after exiting the vehicle, Ali started to run and he followed suit.

Police stated that the two men on June 15, 2019

Recaptured: Navin Alli and Ceon Ray

at Kingston, Georgetown robbed Tarrell Chu of a quantity of items valued at $17,000. In addition, they were accused of robbing Isan Singh of a quantity of items valued at $56,500.

Ali pleaded guilty to both charges while Ray entered a not-guilty plea.

Stating the facts of the case, Police Prosecutor Quinn Harris explained that the victims were construction workers and on the day in question, they were having lunch at the Kingston Seawall when they were confronted by Ali and Ray, who threatened to shoot if they moved.

The victims did as was requested and were relieved of their valuables. The two suspects then made good their escape.

The victims raised an alarm, and members of a Police Mobile Unit gave chase and managed to apprehend the bandits. The items were found in the suspects’ possession after they were searched by ranks.

The two men were taken into custody and a confrontation was held during which the victims positively identified them as the robbers.

Ali told the court that he normally “clean up” the beach and about a month ago while he was asleep, some men tackled him and stabbed him to his abdomen.

He claimed he was robbed of $15,000 cash and that he reported the matter to the Police outpost at Stabroek and was sent to seek medical attention.

The court further heard that Ali was released from prison on Thursday last, after serving a six-month sentence for armed robbery.

He was also charged seven times in the past.

Magistrate IsaacsMarcus, after listening to both sides, sentenced Ali to two and a half years in prison on each charge. The sentences will run concurrently.

She then remanded Ray to prison. He is slated to make his next court appearance on June 24, 2019.

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ecstasy usage in school a “frightening situation” – CANU …urges teachers to report cases to MoE

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he Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) has commended the teachers and other administrators who report the use of illicit drugs, such as ecstasy, in schools, but, at the same time, urged them to also report the matter to the Education Ministry.

Deputy Head of CANU, Lesley Ramlall recently told media operatives that while his office was tasked with handling such matters, the mere fact that children were involved meant that the Education Ministry must be notified.

“We have seen a lot of schools reporting cases directly to us whenever they do encounter such challenges in school and we keep encouraging them to go through the Ministry of Education, because we are dealing with minors. And we don’t believe that we should run into a school just like that. So we are working through the Ministry of Education whenever an investigation has to be launched into a school,” he explained.

Ramlall further explained that the use of ecstasy in the

effective, but we would like to see more, we would like to see much more being done in our school system and that is the educational aspect of it.

So we need the (Education) Ministry to keep working with the various schools and having us on board,” he said.

Suspicions school officials selling illegal drugs to students

CANU’s Deputy Head, Lesley Ramlall

country’s school system still remains a major concern for his agency and it was a “very frightening situation”.

“We have seen from our investigations, when you look at the videos of some of our schoolchildren especially young girls – 13, 14, 15-yearold and their behaviours after consuming ecstasy, it is really, really worrying and frightening.”

According to Ramlall, in

light of this situation and as part of efforts to curb and eventually eradicate the use of ecstasy among students, CANU has been working aggressively with other agencies, inclusive of the Education Ministry, to educate children in schools, their parents and teachers, on the dangers of the use of ecstasy.

“So, we have that programme in our school system…Thus far, it has been

Just last month, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had declared that officials within the school system were suspected to be culprits in the emerging issue of students using illegal drugs.

“We have to talk to some of these school officials too, because we believe that the culprits are within those schools. It is very difficult to

identify them, but we have some suspects,” he had told reporters at a press conference in May. At that time, Ramjattan explained that law enforcement officials have been successful in capturing some persons who were involved in the introduction and/or sale of ecstasy and other illegal substances in certain schools, but there may still be some who are employed in the school environments.

“I would not want to give you all the activities that we have done, but we believe that people inside of the school system might now be indulging and that is why we will still have [illegal substances in schools].

“And all we can do in relation to that is, of course,

when we caught them, we will prosecute and so on. But we are asking those persons not to do those things, it is harming our society, it is harming our children, and we have to have some self-restraint in what you indulge in,” the Minister declared.

“It is endangering our next generation. And we don’t want them and these are bright kids and just for a couple dollars these officials might very well be doing it.”

In February of this year, a 20-year-old private school student was sentenced to three years in prison after he was found to have ecstasy in his possession.

Prior to this, CANU had disclosed that it discovered a drug ring in several city schools.

Taxi driver found dead next to submerged car

2 more confess to killing overseas-based professor

… remaining 2 to face trial

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Dead: Lynsey Grant

Guilty of manslaughter: Orin Mc Crae

F

ollowing in the footsteps of 18-year-old Naomi Adams, who recently admitted to the unlawful killing of Pariedeau Mars, called “Perry”, in 2016, 20-year-old Nikkisha Dover and Orin Mc Crae also confessed to the crime on Monday when they, along with two other accused, reappeared at the Demerara High Court.

Dover and Mc Crae opted to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, which read that on May 12, 2016 in the county of Demerara, they killed Mars in the furtherance of a robbery.

Dover, who had no legal representation on her first appearance, was represented by state assigned Attorney Mohammed Ali while Attorney Adrian Thompson represented Mc Crae. The State was represented by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy in association with Sarah Martin.

After Justice Navindra Singh had accepted the plea of both accused on Monday, he ordered that a probation report be prepared for both of them, given their tender age when the crime was committed. Their sentencing was, therefore, deferred to July 12, 2019.

As Dover and Mc Crae have pleaded guilty, the remaining two co-accused, Timothy Paul Chance and Andre Benjamin are expected to face a murder trial.

Chance’s Attorney, Nigel Hughes requested a date in the new week for the commencement of hearings while a date is yet to be set for the trial of Benjamin, who is also being represented by Thompson.

Initially, the five defendants mentioned were all charged jointly for the capital offence of murder when they made their first court appearance in May of 2016 and were remanded to pris-

Deceased: Pariedeau Mars

on. Adams, called “Shortee”, was the first of the five to plead guilty to manslaughter when she made her first appearance at the High Court. “Shortee” is expected to be sentenced for the offence on June 24, 2019.

According to Police reports, Mars, 75, of Bissessar Avenue, Prashad Nagar, Greater Georgetown, was found bound and beaten in his home on the day in question by his wife. He was subsequently rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Investigations revealed that an accused, who was 17 years old at the time, was known to the now dead man as she would visit his home from time to time. It was further revealed that the said accused confessed to conspiring with her boyfriend to rob the elderly man as he was home alone on the day of the incident.

he lifeless body of a Corentyne taxi driver was on Monday pulled out of the Lesbeholden Canal, Black Bush Polder, Berbice.

The body of 39-yearold Lynsey Grant of Lot 52 Adventure Public Road, Corentyne was found next to his submerged car. The man had reportedly been missing since Sunday afternoon.

According to his wife, Natasa Rambarose, her husband was last seen at Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder about 18:00h on Sunday and was expected home less than an hour later, but did not show up.

“I became a little worried when 7 o’clock reach and I

The car in the canal

didn’t see him coming in.

So, I went into Black Bush Polder Sunday night asking persons if they saw him and the persons told me that he turned back at Mibicuri,” she related.

On Monday, the woman returned to the area in search of the missing man during which she was told that her husband’s car was being pulled out of the Lesbeholden Canal.

The discovery of the body was made by a farmer who raised an alarm and drivers operating the Black Bush Polder route were able to identify their colleague’s body and informed Rambarose. Guyana Times

understands that the couple who had been together for 14 years and have a 12-yearold daughter.

It is not clear how the car ended up in the canal, which is adjacent to the main access road.

Grant had been operating his taxi along the Berbice-Georgetown route, but had given that up to go into the construction field and to operate in the Black Bush Polder as a taxi driver.

However, over the past two months, Grant, who also plants cash crops, at his Adventure home, was not getting construction work and returned to driving a taxi full-time.

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TuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Article IV Mission Statement

Rapid oil field development could affect Guyana’s profit oil take – IMF – as Govt expresses worry about lack of ring-fencing laws – IMF recommends NRF not to use finance budget deficits

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he International Monetary Fund (IMF) has noted that, with the lack of ring-fencing provisions in the Stabroek block Production Sharing Agreement, rapid oil field development could see oil and gas revenue for Guyana being affected.

This is contained in its concluding statement for the 2019 Article IV Mission, which was issued on Monday after an IMF team had spent time in the country and had held meetings with various stakeholders.

“The authorities have indicated their concerns that the absence of a ring-fencing arrangement in the Stabroek Production Sharing Agreement could potentially affect the projected flow of government oil revenues.

“The rapid appraisal and development of multiple oil fields could affect the timing and amount of profit oil to be shared with the government

NRF

A team from the IMF during a previous engagement with the Opposition Leader

from a producing oil field by allocating costs from various fields under development to the producing field,” the IMF warned in its statement.

But, in the same breath, the IMF said the authorities are developing strategies to mitigate such a possibility.

One such strategy, according to the IMF, is a National Oil Depletion Policy to guide extraction and production, as well as clearer ring-fenc-

CCJ rulings to...

Unilateral appointment

Meanwhile, the unilateral appointment case the CCJ heard on May 8 was brought by the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha, challenging the appointment of current Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson.

Patterson was appointed to the position of Chairman of GECOM in 2017, after President Granger had rejected three lists comprising 18 names submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for the post of GECOM Chairman.

Last week, the CCJ rejected a last minute application

by Attorney General Basil Williams to adduce new evidence in the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) cases, on the grounds that the new evidence adds nothing of value and has little relevance.

The “new evidence” has to do with comments made by Charrandas Persaud during a recent Globespan live show, which Government is alleging purports to show he knew that as a dual citizen he ought not to have been in the parliamentary chambers.

and prioritization criteria within the context of the new, long-term Green State Development Strategy. The authorities are committed to considering mechanisms to further improve fiscal transparency, including relating to the management of natural resources.”

From page 7

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has already announced that his party and its supporters would return to the streets should the CCJ validate the vote and invalidate the coalition Government’s legitimacy, in order to pressure the Government to hold the General and Regional Elections it should have held in the first place since March 21, 2019.

On the other hand, Attorney General Williams had intimated, during proceedings before the CCJ bench in Trinidad last month, that a ruling against the Government could result in unrest; a statement that was subsequently condemned by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

All this while, confusion has reigned over GECOM’s ability to carry out elections.

The entity has been accused of deliberately dragging its feet to delay elections, and lawyers have argued that the CCJ should issue an order compelling the commission to hold elections as soon as possible.

Much, therefore, is at stake for Guyana, and the eyes of the nation will be on the Trinidad-based CCJ.

ing rules for new investments.

Ring-fencing is a system which prohibits oil companies drilling multiple wells from transferring costs from one well to the next, thus reducing the overall profit cuts.

In the case of ExxonMobil, the company is expected to use revenue from its production in the Stabroek block to recoup its capital investment. Whatever remains of this is the ‘profit oil’ Guyana

will have to split with the oil company and its associates.

The IMF has also reiterated the importance of Government addressing the weaknesses highlighted in the 2017 Public Investment Management Assessment.

This is especially important, the fund noted, in light of the impending oil and gas sector coming on stream.

“The mission notes authorities’ intent to move to rigorous project selection

The IMF did commend the Government for passing legislation to create the Natural Resources Fund (NRF), which is intended to save and grow proceeds from the oil and gas sector through investments.

At the same time, the IMF warned that certain supporting mechanisms have to be put in place to ensure money from the fund is not consumed by debt payments.

“To ensure fiscal responsibility is achieved, the mission recommends complementing the NRF legislation

with a fiscal framework that constrains borrowing and achieves a balanced budget in the near-to- medium term. To achieve this target, the annual non-oil deficit should not exceed the expected transfer from the NRF. “This would ensure that excessive public expenditure will not lead to debt growing at the same time as the NRF accumulates. It is also necessary to preserve the spirit of the NRF framework, which appropriately aims to save part of the income from oil as net wealth for future generations.”

The IMF has, further, recommended a gradual scaling-up of public spending when the oil revenues start rolling in. This, the Fund noted, is to avoid wasting the money, and to minimise macroeconomic problems related to the ‘Dutch disease’, which the IMF noted often affects economies experiencing large increases in resource-based income.

EPA halts DDL Bio-gas plant operation

- After residents complain of leakages, health risks

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he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has, over the weekend, ordered a halt to the operations of the Demerara Distillers Limited’s Bio-Methanisation Plant, after residents who live in close proximity thereof complained about the health risks involved, among other factors.

During this publication’s visit to the area on Monday, the stench emanating from the plant was almost unbearable, and leaks could be seen accumulated in yards, along the roadside, and in drains.

However, EPA officials were on site, carrying out an inspection and assessing the situation.

It was noted that initial inspections had found that the company was in violation of certain safety regulations, hence the cease order was issued. The company has since agreed to comply with the order, and has committed to working towards an amicable solution.

Residents of the community came out in their numbers to air their concerns over this matter, which has been plaguing them for years. They alleged that several complaints had been made to both Government and the company, but to no avail. The residents accused DDL of having total disregard for persons living in the area.

Radica (only name given) said she has been residing in the community for the past nine years, during which this problem had gotten from bad to worse. She explained that she takes care of her two young grandchildren, and the odour emanating from the plant has

The waste water lodged in a passageway at Great Diamond

been posing health issues for them, as quite frequently she has to rush these children to the Emergency Unit of the hospital.

“It’s (been) going on a long time now, but it’s getting worse now. The scent is too much now. It’s so strong sometimes we have to go outside to get fresh air. We can’t sleep in peace; this thing ah strangle people in their sleep. We pleading for help; it’s too much now.

I have to be taking these kids, spending a set of money at the hospital steady for rash and breathing problems,” she complained.

Another resident, Candace Thomas, explained that she had been forced out of her home, along with her five children, because DDL has erected a fence which goes to the middle of her house.

She said she is not squat-

ting; the area has been regularised and she has paid for her house lot.

“I had to move out! And I’m staying at my mother right through the street. The people put their fence right here, and because I’m so close to the tanks, all the waste water flooding the yard and turning like grey mud. If you only slip there, it meeting to your knee…this is what we are forced to live in. I paid for my lot, and up to now I can’t get any documents from Housing.

Every time we running to them, excuses,” she stated.

Further, Jason December, another resident, said the situation is unfair to the residents, and the company has neither regard nor respect for persons living in the area.

He said he cannot even walk around his yard, because the waste water is continuous-

ly lodged there. He added that the area is a main breeding ground for mosquitoes.

“This is really bad for us!

We fed-up of this! (For) years, we (have been) suffering, and no one seems to care about us.

Smell this place! It stink-stink!

Look at this yard…all here is just mud and black water. Look at the condition of these houses in here! This could be fair?” he questioned.

Residents are calling on the Housing Department to look into the matter and make house lots available for them, since they have no issue with relocating. They urged the authorities and company to put measures in place to support their relocation.

Guyana Times attempted to contact senior management of the beverage company, but to no avail.

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana featured on cover of int’l travel magazine G

uyana has scored the coveted spot on the cover of the June/July 2019 issue of the international Travel Agent Magazine, as the country continues to make leaps in the tourism sector, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported.

The cover of this edition of the magazine features the majestic Kaieteur Falls, the world’s largest single-drop waterfall. The edition features a special report on Guyana, by writer Adam Leposa, who tells of his “firsthand look at the intriguing, emerging destination of Guyana”.

Leposa acknowledged the work being done to improve the local tourism sector. He says, “Guyana, a relatively undiscovered country in South America bordered

by Venezuela, Brazil and

that during their visit they “found a country with a unique, diverse natural environment that included rainforest, savannah and a coastal city, as well as a destination serious about developing a sustainable tourism product”.

In response to this wonderful news, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) issued a release stating “we are proud to be featured in another prominent travel publication that highlights exactly what makes Guyana such a special destination to visit. To be the featured cover story further illustrates that Guyana has become the next hot destination in the global marketplace.”

The GTA noted that this particular piece describes one writer’s journey through Guyana – showcasing our nature, adventure and culture-based product offerings to travel agents across North America and beyond.

“This is just one of many examples of the earned me-

Suriname, has been making moves to promote itself as an ecotourism destina-

tion in the North American market.”

Leposa also pointed out

dia recognition that tourism in Guyana has received over the past year. The multiplier effect results in raising awareness of what we have to offer and increases the credibility of our tourism offerings, which in turn drives demand and results in more visitors,” the release further noted.

Travel Agent Central is an independent news organisation with journalists possessing deep expertise in vacation travel and business travel, covering the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, North America and

South America.

This new achievement comes on the heels of Guyana winning two recent accolades: Best Sustainable Tourism Award from the Latin America Travel Association (LATA) and the Best in Eco-Tourism destination in the world at the International Tourism Market – Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB), in Berlin, Germany. Guyana was also declared one of the top 10 sustainable destinations by the Green Destination, the DPI reported.

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mining company expects to Georgetown Mayor approves create 250 jobs in Berbice $4.4M surplus

T

he Metallica Mining Company has promised to create up to 250 jobs in Berbice when it starts to process bauxite at the old bauxite facility at Everton, East Bank Berbice.

The company, which trades in all complex non-ferrous metals with a focus on commercial recycling of most residues and by-products from mining, is now moving its operations to Kwakwani, Region 10

(Upper Demerara-Berbice) and Everton, Berbice.

In December 2014, Caricom Cement Inc commissioned an $11 billion cement plant at Everton with the aim of providing 500 metric tons annually. At the time, the plant reported that 250 persons were employed and that figure was expected to double.

Back then, the Chairman of the company, Dr Joshua Safeek said it would inject

$1 billion into the Berbice economy annually.

In October 2017, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had promised that the cement company would employ 400 of the workers who were sent home from the closed Rose Hall Sugar Estate.

The cement factory was using the broom and complex owned by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited

(NICIL).

On October 8, 2017 without warning, NICIL placed padlocks on the gate stopping anyone from entering the compound.

Now, the mining company says it wants to reopen the complex for bauxite processing. In fact, the company reported to the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association that it now owns the facility at Everton.

Addressing the Chamber at its 87th annual luncheon, Metallica Chief Operations Officer Andre Archer said they were hoping to produce cement, chemical, abrasive and proppant grades at Everton within the first five years of operation.

It is the hope of the mining company to create jobs both at Everton and Kwakwani.

The company aims to rehabilitate the Everton processing facility as well as the kiln/dryer equipment and the loading and offloading facilities.

Woodlands Hospital celebrates 50 years of service to Guyanese

O

ne of Guyana’s reputable private medical institutions, the Woodlands Hospital on Sunday celebrated its 50th anniversary.

On Sunday, the celebratory event kick-started at the Marriott Hotel, where doctors participated in the Medical Education Seminar to discuss their field of work, in a bid to assist Guyana’s medical sector.

This was also done to amplify the quality of services being offered by practitioners.

The Hospital, in a release, stated, “Throughout our history, Woodlands Hospital’s mission has been the provision of excellent patient care in response to the behavioural health-care needs of the community we serve. In keeping with our strategic goal to advance medical care in Guyana, we will be hosting our largest Continuing Medical Education Seminar or CME.” Guyana Times understands that more than 500 doctors from across

Guyana were expected to benefit from the anniversary CME. “[CME] is a critical feature in the development of medical professionals nationwide as it assists them in maintaining competence and acquiring knowledge about new and developing areas of their field,” the release said.

The areas targeted included bron-

chial asthma, benign prostatic hypertrophy and the application of thoracic surgery for general practitioners.

Over the years, the Hospital has established a fully functioning accident and emergency unit, with other departments for gynaecology, paediatrics and radiology among others.

budget for city

Director of Solid Waste Management, Walter Narine

F

or the first time in over 30 years, the municipality of Georgetown has a surplus budget of $4.4 million which will see monies being pumped into three major areas to improve the city’s overall functions.

Director of Solid Waste Management, Walter Narine took to social media to share the good news.

Guyana Times understands that the three main areas of focus will be drainage through the Engineer’s Department, public health, and solid waste management.

Narine, in his post, noted, “We are confident that with the provisions in this year’s budget, the citizens of our dear city will benefit tremendously: more green spaces will be created and we will be on our way to restoring the city as the Garden City of the Caribbean.”

The city has been grappling over the years with properly managing its solid waste.

In fact, it was only in March of this year that the outstanding balance of $80 million owed since 2018 to solid waste collectors contracted to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) was finally paid.

On November 25, 2018, the collectors Puran Brothers Disposal Services and Cevons Waste Management withdrew their services after months of operating without payments.

Immediately after the withdrawal, services were provided by five agencies namely: Granderson, Trash Tech, Tri Star, C&S Services, and Garbage Eaters.

The deadlock between the Council and contractors had many implications on the collection process within the capital city as residential and commercial areas were piled high with garbage just a few days after this decision was taken.

As such, both solid waste collectors met with Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan and officials of the M&CC, and it was promised that payments would be made – putting an end to the long-running saga between collectors and the cash-strapped Council.

Back in January, Central Government had intervened to bail out City Hall by disbursing $100 million to the contractors. At that time, the total owed amount was pegged at over $160 million.

Over the years, Government has bailed out the cash-strapped City Hall on several occasions.

Guyanese nabbed attempting to smuggle 34 live birds into US

F

rancis Gurahoo, a Guyanese living in Connecticut, USA was on June 17 caught at John F. Kennedy International Airport with 34 live finches in his carry-on luggage.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has said that the 39-year-old Gurahoo was travelling into the United States from Guyana on Sunday, when Airport employees discovered the 34 live finches in his carry-on bags. Each bird was hidden inside a plastic hair curler.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, finches are used in singing contests in Brooklyn and Queens, and individuals bet on the birds with the best voice.

Gurahoo allegedly said he had planned to sell the finches for about US$3,000 each for a total of about US$100,000. (CBSNewYork)

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Expecting father stabbed Corrupt practices of Police in Berbice Ramjattan urges authorities to to death during brawl but was seen leaving when the suspect whipped out a knife and dealt him one blow to the chest.

The dead man’s mother, Nithem Camala Surijmohan, told Guyana Times that she had last spoken with her deceased son at about 20:00h on

wife, Narimon Sattar, is still in disbelief.

“I went to the mortuary and saw my husband, and I still didn’t believe that he (was) dead, because my husband and nobody don’t get problem. My husband is a very quiet person; he don’t pick problems with people.

A

Dead: Patrick Nelson

man who had been expecting his first child later this year was on Sunday evening stabbed to death during a brawl at a popular shop at Limlair, Corentyne Coast, East Berbice.

Dead is 25-year-old Patrick Nelson, also called “Boy,” of Lot 5 Second Street, Limlair, Corentyne, Berbice.

Based on reports received, the young man was stabbed once to his chest, and he collapsed and died.

In a visit to the village on Monday, Guyana Times was told that the late Patrick Nelson, with his brother and cousin, was at a shop on Sunday evening when the suspect entered thein, reportedly in an intoxicated state, to purchase an item but the shop owner refused to sell him.

This reportedly angered the suspect, and he stated to misbehave. Nelson’s cousin reportedly upbraided the suspect and an argument erupted between them.

Nelson, who was also under the influence of alcohol, intervened in that argument,

Mother and sister of the late Patrick Nelson consoling each other

Sunday, before he left to go out on the road. She recalled receiving a telephone call from another son at about 23:00h, informing her that Nelson had been stabbed to death.

She said that, without hesitation, she rushed to the scene, only to see her son lying in a heap of sand covered in blood. She is of the opinion that her son might have survived if the Police had taken him to the hospital. She explained that when the Police arrived on scene, they instructed that no one should touch her son.

The late Patrick Nelson had been expecting his first child later this year. His

You really got to do him something, and even then he does ignore you. He always wanted a child, and this is his first child and he wouldn’t see it. I don’t believe I lost my husband; he was my life partner, my friend, my company and everything.

We work together and a walk together,” the grieving wife declared.

The late Patrick Nelson leaves to mourn his six siblings, along with his mother and wife.

The suspect, who lives two Villages away at Hogstye, has since been arrested and is expected to be charged with the heinous crime.

come forward with information

R

egional authorities in Berbice who are in receipt of information that the Police had colluded with the three bandits who were killed in Black Bush Polder are being asked to come forward with the evidence.

This challenge was put forward by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who told Guyana Times on Monday that, as is customary whenever a member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is implicated in wrongdoing, an investigation has to be conducted. He explained that upon receipt of reports that Police ranks have been feeding information to the now dead bandits, a probe was immediately launched.

“However, the investigation is still ongoing, but I want the Regional Chairman, the Head of the Chamber of Commerce in Berbice, and all those other important persons responsible for running that region to contact me directly with the information they have, so that this matter can be dealt with accordingly.

We want to ensure that the investigation is accurately conducted, and (we want) to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible,” Minister Ramjattan said.

Ramjattan said he is scheduled to meet with Police Commissioner Leslie James today (Tuesday), and he expects to be notified about the preliminary findings of the allegations made against junior and senior ranks.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

“Once I get the preliminary report, then I shall be in a better position to pronounce on this matter.

Of course, when I am briefed about the investigation, I will be able to provide more information about this. It is a very serious matter,” he declared.

Ranks in Berbice have quite recently made some damning allegations against their colleagues, one of which is that a detective rank had been closely connected with the criminal network that had terrorised and traumatised residents in East Berbice between April and May of this year.

According to a Police source, the detective rank in question is a lance corporal who had been stationed at the Rose Hall Town Police Outpost but was transferred to the New Amsterdam Police Station when the damning allegations surfaced. He allegedly is still on active

duty even as investigations continue.

This particular rank had allegedly been associated with the lately deceased criminal Kelvin ‘Kelly’ Shivgobin, who was recently shot and killed in the backlands of Black Bush Polder during a shootout with the Police.

It is further alleged that the relationship between this Policeman and the now dead bandit dates back to when Shivgobin had been arrested and charged for the murder of a businessman. Sources allege that this detective had been one of the ranks investigating that murder case, but the matter was dismissed in April 2018 and Shivgobin was set free after the magistrate had declared that there was not enough evidence to keep him in custody.

Some months after Shivgobin had been released, new evidence had surfaced to have him rearrested, but this had never happened.

This publication was also told by senior regional authorities that the alleged corrupt rank is “being shielded” by a high-ranking officer who is presently stationed outside of ‘B’ Division.

Additionally, there are reports that when the three bandits were shot and killed in Black Bush Polder recently, the cellphones that were found in their possession contained numbers of Police ranks in the call logs and the contact lists of the phones.

85 medical grads urged to become entrepreneurs

Students of the graduating classes of 2015-2017 and 2017-2019 put on their best smiles as they pose for a last group photo with their Programme Coordinators

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s Guyana prepares for first oil next year, 85 young persons -who, after undertaking as many as two years of study in various medical fields, graduated from their courses with honours -- were on Monday urged to exploit the country’s resources and become entrepreneurs in their respective fields.

Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Kesaundra Alves, representing Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, gave them this charge during their graduation ceremony, which was held at the National Cultural Centre.

Decked out in their royal

blue graduation gowns, these smiling young persons listened keenly as they excitedly waited to receive their certificates and prizes.

Thirteen persons from five administrative regions graduated from the Pharmacy Assistant training course.

Another 15, coming from seven regions, were certified as X-ray Technicians. Eighteen persons from six regions graduated as Environmental Health Assistants, while 39 graduated from the Medical Laboratory Technician programme.

Alves encouraged them as follows: “Our education system has a way of preparing us to look for a

job. I think that’s a problem throughout the Caribbean, so we all go to school and get a good education to get a good job. But I want to tell you that we need to step outside the box, and we need to look at entrepreneurship”.

She explained: “You have so many people coming into the country, so many come to exploit what is ours, and we have to know (or) prepare ourselves to exploit it too… If you’re a pharmacy assistant, become a pharmacist.

Open pharmacies in the various Regions. Look for opportunities to become entrepreneurs; and create jobs, don’t just look for jobs”.

A similar challenge was given to the graduates who

were certified in other areas.

Director of the Division of Health Sciences Education (DHSE), Seraiah Validum, reminded the graduating class of their importance, as she shared statistics which show that most patients are often seen by Lab Technicians among others, before they are seen by doctors who then diagnose a patient based on a report from those professionals.

She, also, urged them to exercise patience in the work field, despite situations and challenges they face.

Training coordinators each gave a brief report on the different programmes; thus it was explained that Environmental Health

Assistants began their course on April 28, and they underwent studies in communicable diseases and vector control, food safety, sanitation, and public health legislation among several other things. Valedictorian for this class was Candace Wallace.

The X-ray Technician course began in September 2017 and wound down on February 2019. Young people between the ages of 17 and 24 participated herein, and were trained and then attached to GPHC and the Medical Centre to obtain hands-on experience.

Wicliffe Garnett was the top scorer for her class.

The Pharmacy

programme required 15 students to excel in five areas, including Pharmacology, Pharmaceutics and dosage forms, Pharmacy Law and a few others. About 88 per cent of persons in this course were able to graduate.

Tamra Carter was the Valedictorian for her class, while Bibi Wazeeda Khan was valedictorian for the Medical Lab Tech course of 2015-2017, and Darshanie Rohit was valedictorian for the same course of study for the 2017-2019 class.

Each of the graduates will be stationed at health posts in their respective Regions, since they have obtained contracts with the Public Health Ministry.

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

Regional

Guatemala’s ex-First Lady faces battle Venezuela gives Russia control of new for presidency after 1st round win

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ith votes tallied from 98 per cent of polling stations, preliminary results from Sunday’s election gave Torres 25.70 per cent of the vote, followed by conservative Alejandro Giammattei with 13.92 per cent, the electoral tribunal said.

Torres said on Monday she would work to forge alliances to win the runoff, which is due to be held on August 11. The national vote was split between 19 contenders.

“The country needs unity: To unite the countryside with the city, to unite the workers with the business community, and also in civil society, in all sectors,” she told reporters.

The next President fac-

Sandra Torres, presidential candidate for the National Unity of Hope (UNE) talks to the media following the first round of the presidential election, at the official voting result centre in Guatemala City, Guatemala, June 17, 2019

es the daunting task of curbing drug gang violence that has ravaged Guatemala and helped spur illegal immigration to the United States, souring relations with

President Donald Trump, who has pledged to stem the flow of asylum-seekers across the southern border with Mexico.

The Trump

Administration on Monday cut hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras over the three countries’ immigration policies.

The prospect of losing aid has caused alarm in Guatemala, where the legacy of its bloody 1960-1996 civil war still casts a long shadow over the country’s chequered development.

Results from Guatemala’s congressional election on Sunday suggested its next legislature would be divided. Torres’ UNE party had won 18.1 per cent of the vote on the national list with about 97 per cent of returns counted. No other party managed even 10 per cent. (Excerpt from Reuters)

gas deposits near T&T

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report carried by a pan-Latin American news organisation, Panam Post, is stating that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has given Russia two gas deposits near Trinidad and Tobago.

The report says that Maduro offered up 100 per cent of the project and all gas rights exploited.

The article says this is further evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin is challenging the US Government in the region, and reinforcing his plans to stay in the South American country.

According to the report, Putin approved the plans on Thursday, June 13, whereby

the Russian Governmentcontrolled Rosneft company would enjoy the option to export all the gas extracted in both deposits.

These are the Patao and Mejillones deposits, located to the north of the Paria peninsula and which are part of the Mariscal Sucre Project, in north-eastern Venezuela, close to Trinidad and Tobago.

Rosneft already participates as a minority partner in several joint oil production projects in Venezuela, such as Petrovictoria, Petromonagas and Petromiranda, in the Orinoco oil belt, as well as Boquerón and Petroperijá, in the state of Zulia. (Excerpt from

Trinidad Guardian)

As promised, Trump slashes aid Antigua Govt warns Digicel, Flow to Central America over migrants over sharing spectrum space

U

S President Donald Trump’s Administration on Monday cut hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, after Trump blasted the three countries because thousands of their citizens had sought asylum at the US border with Mexico.

The plan will likely encounter stiff opposition in Congress.

Lawmakers, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have chafed against the President’s repeated decisions to disregard spending bills passed

by Congress, some of which he has signed into law himself.

Lawmakers who opposed the plan said it was cruel to cut off aid to countries grappling with hunger and crime and that the move would be counterproductive because it would more likely increase the number of migrants than decrease it.

“As feared, a presidential tantrum will limit our nation’s ability to actually help address the challenges forcing people to flee to the US,” Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said on Twitter.

Trump has made reducing illegal immigration one of his signature policy pledg-

es, both during his presidential campaign and two and a half years in the White House.

Congressional aides said the Administration told them it would reallocate US$370 million in aid to Central America that lawmakers had approved for fiscal 2018, and suspend an additional US$180 million Congress had approved for fiscal 2017.

All of the money for those years has not yet been spent.

The Administration said in March it would cut aid to the three countries after Trump expressed unhappiness with their immigration policies. (Excerpt from Reuters)

branch – was reportedly stopped and searched while attempting to board a flight at the Airport.

The Jamaican man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was also preparing to board the flight.

The two were searched and officers reportedly found

a quantity of drugs strapped to their bodies. They were arrested and taken into custody.

It is unclear if they were travelling together. The report also did not state the type of drugs found in their possession. (CMC)

P

rime Minister Gaston Browne says foreign-owned telecommunication companies Digicel and Flow could “jump high or jump low”, but they will have to share the spectrum space in Antigua and Barbuda.

Last month, the Irishowned Digicel defended its decision to secure a High Court order preventing the Government from sharing any of the 850 MHz spectrum it has been allocated with the State-owned Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA).

But speaking on his private radio station, Prime Minister Browne told listeners that Digicel and Flow, formerly the British telecommunication giant Cable and Wireless, would

Prime Minister Gaston Browne

not survive any spectrum war against APUA and his Administration.

He said his Government was prepared to buy out Digicel operations there.

“I have already sent

a message to the owner of Digicel to tell him that APUA is willing to buy them. So let’s talk. If that’s the way we need to resolve it and we are waiting for them to get back. So if one has to go, it will not be APUA; they better recognise that”.

Browne said he recognises that the telecom space “is somewhat overcrowded because the market is so small, it really probably justifies a monopoly or at best two players, so if one has to leave…it won’t be APUA. “So between Digicel and Flow they need to make up their mind,” Browne told radio listeners, as he blamed the former administration of having “literally displaced APUA and gave Digicel all of the lucrative spectra”. (CMC)

J’can man, T&T cop held with drugs at Piarco Airport US calls on Haitians to respect the rule of law

A

Jamaican man and a Trinidadian Policewoman were held with narcotics at the Piarco International Airport on Saturday.

It’s reported that the woman – a Special Reserve Police Officer, who is attached to the mounted

South America power cut: Argentina investigates “unprecedented” outage

A

rgentina is investigating what caused a massive power cut that hit nearly 50 million people.

President Mauricio Macri called the outage “unprecedented”, promising a thorough inquiry.

Almost all of Argentina, neighbouring Uruguay and some areas of Paraguay woke up to darkness on Sunday.

The disruption hit public transport while hospitals were forced to run on gen-

erators. Power had largely been restored by the end of the day.

Argentine officials said it began with a failure in the country’s “interconnection system”, but that the exact cause was unknown.

Energy Minister Gustavo Lopetegui said it was unlikely that a cyber-attack was responsible, and that it would take 10-15 days for the results of the investigation to be published.

Despite the massive outage, he said the country’s

electrical network was “very robust”.

The power cut hit almost all of Argentina’s 44 million population, with just one province not connected to the main system spared.

Uruguay’s 3.4 million inhabitants were also affected. The two countries share a power grid.

Local elections still took place as scheduled in Argentina, with local media showing voters using their mobile phones for torches.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Demonstrators march and ride motorcycles past burning tyres during a demonstration against the ruling government in Port-auPrince on June 9, 2019

T

he United States has called on Haitians to respect the rule of law in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country even as President Jovenel Moise is scheduled to meet with various stakeholders later today to discuss the way forward.

Moise has planned a meeting with representa-

tives of the trade union movement, religious, academic, as well as civil society organisations among others as Opposition forces continue to demand his resignation from office.

The US State Department said that there was need for a fully functional government, noting that ‘only a legally consti-

tuted government can submit a long-awaited budget and pay attention to the key issues faced by the country such as corruption, electoral reform, insecurity, and economic growth.

“We encourage legally-elected representatives to engage in a sincere and inclusive dialogue that can lead to a consensual strategy for the future of Haiti”.

“The United States strongly encourages citizens, political parties and civil society organisations to express themselves peacefully and recommend a responsible exercise of this civic right,” Washington said, noting that democratic changes must be made through the ballot box.

Last week, the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, said it is concerned about the deteriorating socio-economic and political situation in the country. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

17

Around the World

Egypt’s ousted President Mohammed US denounces “nuclear blackmail” as Iran plans to breach uranium limit Morsi dies during trial

I

E

gypt’s former President Mohammed Morsi, ousted by the military in 2013 after one year in office, has collapsed in a courtroom and died, officials say.

A top figure in the nowbanned Islamist movement Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi had just addressed the court from a cage at a hearing on charges of espionage.

Morsi, who was 67, had been in custody since his removal after mass protests.

The Muslim Brotherhood said the death was a “fullfledged murder” and called for crowds to gather at the funeral.

Activists and his family had long complained about his prison conditions, saying Morsi was not receiving treatment for serious health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and was constantly being held under solitary confinement.

Morsi collapsed moments after addressing the court in Cairo at a hearing related

ran said on Monday it would soon breach limits on how much enriched uranium it can stockpile under a 2015 agreement rejected by the United States, in a new point of contention with Washington which accused Tehran of “nuclear blackmail”.

Tensions between Iran and the United States are rising more than a year after President Donald Trump announced Washington was

Egypt’s former President Mohammed Morsi

to charges of espionage emanating from suspected contacts with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which had close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

He spoke for five minutes from a soundproof glass cage which officials said was designed to prevent him disrupting proceedings. The cause of death was not immediately confirmed, but Egypt’s public prosecutor said an initial report showed no signs of

recent injuries on the body.

Last month, his family said authorities had repeatedly denied access to him and that they knew little about his health conditions, a situation that “violate[d] constitutions applied all over the world”.

In March last year, his youngest son, Abdullah, said officials were “doing this on purpose, since they want to see him dead ‘from natural causes’ as soon as possible”.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Nigeria suicide attack: Triple blasts kill at least 30 in Borno

T

hirty people were killed in a triple suicide attack in northeast Nigeria on Sunday, emergency services reported, marking the biggest mass killing this year by suicide bombers.

Three bombers detonated their explosives outside a hall in Konduga, 25 kilometres from the Borno state

capital Maiduguri, where football fans were watching a match on TV. “The death toll from the attack has so far increased to 30. We have over 40 people injured,” Usman Kachalla, head of operations at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said on Monday.

An earlier toll from the

blasts said 17 were dead and 17 others were wounded.

The attack happened around 21:00h (18:00 GMT), Ali Hassan, the leader of a self-defence group in the town, said.

The owner of the hall prevented one of the bombers from entering the packed venue. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

withdrawing from the nuclear deal.

Fears of a confrontation increased last Thursday when two oil tankers in the Gulf were attacked, which the United States has blamed on Tehran. The US military on Monday released images that it says show Iran’s Revolutionary Guard removing an unexploded limpet mine from one of the tankers.

The 2015 accord, which

Iran and the other signatories have maintained following Trump’s decision, caps Iran’s stock of low-enriched uranium at 300 kilogram enriched to 3.67 per cent.

But Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Monday: “We have quadrupled the rate of enrichment (of uranium) and even increased it more recently, so that in 10 days it will bypass the 300kg limit.” (Excerpt

from Reuters)

Doctors in India strike over violent attacks by patients’ families

A

bout 800,000 doctors across India went on strike on Monday to demand better working conditions, following years of complaints about violent attacks from patients’ families.

A brutal assault on a junior doctor in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, appears to have been the final straw.

Paribaha Mukhopadhyay was walking down a corridor at NRS Hospital with a colleague when a group of men attacked them.

Neither doctor had been involved in treating Mohammed Sayeed, 75, who died at the hospital on June 10, but his outraged relatives attacked the first doctors they saw, turning the hospital briefly into a battleground, according to witnesses of the assault

Doctors protest outside a public hospital in Agartala (Jayanta Dey/Reuters

photograph)

Mukhopadhyay suffered a fractured skull and needed a craniotomy.

Doctors at different hospitals have gradually been joining the strike out of solidarity, and on Monday almost all the country’s doctors walked out to demand better protection.

“The events in Kolkata

were just a flashpoint. This has gone on for too long. We have a right to security as ordinary citizens. This violence against doctors is not acceptable in any civilised society,” said Dr Rajan Sharma, the Presidentelect of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). (Excerpt from The Guardian)

China stands by Hong Kong leader Vatican considers ordaining after days of street protests older married men in C remote parts of Amazon hina redoubled its support for Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Monday after days of protests against a planned extradition bill, and a source close to Lam said Beijing was unlikely to let her go even if she tried to resign.

Lam’s attempts to pass a bill that would allow people in Hong Kong to be extradited to China for trial triggered the biggest and most violent protests in decades

in the former British colony, now under Chinese rule.

As the crisis entered its second week, demonstrators and Opposition politicians braved intermittent rain to gather near the Government’s offices and urge her to kill the bill and quit.

The upheaval comes at a delicate time for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is grappling with a deepening US trade war, slowing economic growth, and regional

strategic tension.

Hong Kong has been governed under a “one country, two systems” formula since its return to Chinese rule in 1997, enjoying freedoms not granted to the mainland, including an independent judiciary but short of a fully democratic vote.

Many residents are increasingly unnerved by Beijing’s tightening grip and what they see as the erosion of those freedoms. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

Raids hit North Korean defectors’ ‘Underground Railroad’

T

The Amazon region represents a pastoral and environmental challenge, the Vatican says

he Vatican has raised the idea of ordaining older married men as priests in the Amazon’s remote areas where there is a shortage of clergy, in what could be a historic shift, the BBC’s religion editor Martin Bashir reports.

The issue was raised in detail in Pope Francis’ landmark Encyclical on the Environment – Laudato Si –

published in 2015.

He wrote that the region was confronting such challenges that it “requires structural and personal changes by all human beings, by nations and by the Church”.

The document outlines areas for discussion at the forthcoming Amazon Synod which will focus on the region in October; bishops and Indigenous peo-

ple from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are due to attend the event in Rome.

These nations comprise 33 million people and are the source of one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, onefourth of all oxygen and more than one-third of global forest reserves. (Excerpt from BBC News)

A

decade after leaving her family behind to flee North Korea, the defector was overwhelmed with excitement when she spoke to her 22-year-old son on the phone for the first time in May after he too escaped into China.

While speaking to him again on the phone days later, however, she listened in horror as the safe house where her son and four other North Korean escapees were hiding was raided by

Chinese authorities.

“I heard voices, someone saying ‘shut up’ in Chinese,” said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her son’s safety. “Then the line was cut off, and I heard later he was caught.”

The woman, now living in South Korea, said she heard rumours her son is being held in a Chinese prison near the North Korean border, but has had no official news of his whereabouts.

At least 30 North Korean escapees have been rounded up in a string of raids across China since mid-April, according to family members and activist groups.

It is not clear whether this is part of a larger crackdown by China, but activists say the raids have disrupted parts of the informal network of brokers, charities, and middlemen who have been dubbed the North Korean “Underground Railroad”. (Excerpt from Reuters)

18

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tuesDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Knowledge you have accumulated will help you manoeuvre into a position that will give you more power or responsibility. Be sure it’s what you want before you accept. Romance is highlighted.

An incident will stir up TAURUS emotions. Consider what (April 20- you want to happen and look May 20) for a practical way to get what you want. Put a proposal together and schedule meetings.

dilbert

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Trust what you see, not what you hear. Take a step back if someone wants you to take on an expensive habit or get involved in something you cannot afford.

CANCER

If you look for change, you’ll find something that suits your needs. Greater involvement in making the rules will help you control a situation that could affect your community.

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

SUDOKU

Stop worrying about what others do or say, and concentrate on what you want to achieve. Alter your life for the right reasons, not because someone else is pressuring you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You can be a leader, a follower or simply do your own thing. You have a choice, and it’s up to you to step up and do what’s in your best interest.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

If you research your family history, you will discover surprising information that will alter your beliefs and the choices you make.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Jump at a chance to head in a different direction.

Whether it’s a geographical, vocational or personal change, let your intuition guide you. Satisfy your curiosity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Keep a low profile and a sharp watch. Someone you least expect will misrepresent you or create a dilemma that will make you look bad. Don’t give anyone reason to talk about you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

You can win points if you are willing to meet someone halfway about some of the changes taking place at home or in your personal life.

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Look for modest opportunities. It doesn’t matter how good a deal sounds; if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle or budget, it isn’t going to be worthwhile.

Do what you do best and avoid anyone trying to entice you to be indulgent or wasteful. Call on someone you have helped in the past to assist you.

tuesday, june 18, 2019

19

Woodland fends off Koepka to claim US Open G

ary Woodland held his nerve to claim his first major with a three-shot victory at the US. Open on Sunday, bringing Brooks Koepka’s two-year reign to an end.

Woodland had not managed a top-10 finish in his first 27 majors before last year’s PGA Championship, where he tied for sixth, but he handled the final round with the composure of someone who had been playing for golf’s biggest prizes his entire career.

Ending his round in style with a birdie at the last, Woodland carded a two-under 69 to keep Koepka from becoming the first man in more than a century to sweep three straight US. Opens.

“Just glad it was over,” smiled Woodland. “I didn’t let myself get ahead at all today.

“Didn’t ever let myself think the tournament was over.

“So I just stayed in it.”

World number one Koepka went down fighting, finishing with a three-under 68 to leave him three short of Woodland’s winning total of 13-under 271.

Justin Rose began the day one shot back of Woodland but the Englishman crumbled on the back nine with three bogeys for a three-over 74 and a tie for third at seven-under with Xander Schauffele, Chez Reavie and Spain’s Jon Rahm.

It was a remarkable display of determination and guts by the 35-year-old Woodland, who seven times before had held a 54-hole lead in a PGA Tour event and seven times could not close the deal.

As Woodland made the turn with a two-shot lead, faint cracks in his composure began to show as Koepka trimmed the advantage to one with a birdie at 11.

With tension building with each shot, Woodland kept his

cool and collected his first birdie of the back nine at the par five 14th to reclaim a two-stroke advantage and turn the US. Open into a two horse race.

Rose, who saw the red-hot putter that had come to his rescue so often during the week suddenly turn cold, had his bid for a second US. Open title seriously wounded with backto-back bogeys at 12 and 13 and then killed off completely with another at 15 that dropped him five off the pace with three to play.

Down to the closing two holes and a relentless Koepka had one last opportunity to put pressure on Woodland with a birdie at the 18th that would have left his opponent clinging to a one-shot lead coming home.

But Koepka watched his nine-foot putt slip by the cup, settling for a par to give Woodland some breathing room.

“I hit a good putt, it just dove right across the front,” said Koepka. “Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do.

“I thought it would be nice to put some pressure on him, one shot going into the last hole.

“Nothing I could do. I gave it my all. I give it my all every time and sometimes it’s not meant to be.”

A maiden major now within his grasp, a relaxed Woodland capped off his round in spectacular style, rolling in a 30-foot birdie at the last to trigger a standing ovation and chants of “Gary, Gary”.

Tiger Woods, a three-time US. Open winner, had ended the third round 11 shots back of the leader but still gave himself a chance of winning a 16th major on Sunday.

Those slim hopes disappeared quickly when he bogeyed four of his opening five holes.

Woods hit back with six birdies, including one at the 18th,

for a two-under round, his lowest final round at a US. Open in a decade but still 11 back of winner. (Reuters)

Roy to miss 2 World Cup matches after hamstring tear confirmed

Raptors parade trophy through Toronto, uncertainty lingers

T

wo weeks from now, the Toronto Raptors’ roster might look as different a s Danny Green’s combed-out mohawk with looming decisions from Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol and Green that brought an air of uncertainty to Monday’s street party in Ontario.

As the Raptors gathered with mobs of fans Monday to celebrate their NBA championship, the next chapter for the Raptors will be on hold as a series of decisions that shape the future of the franchise are made.

Leonard will opt out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent. The Raptors expected this bit of paperwork even before Leonard was acquired from the San Antonio Spurs last summer. What they won’t know until at least June 30 is whether Leonard ever will wear a Toronto uniform again.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and others are known to have serious interest in signing Leonard. Of course, the Raptors hope he will choose to stay put after carrying the franchise to its first title.

“I don’t think there’s any other player of his caliber right now in the NBA,’’ Gasol said. “He’s on a pedestal by himself.’’

Gasol also has a player option he could decline. If Leonard leaves, the exodus behind him could be devastating.

“Let’s not be foolish,’’ said Green, whose tightly wound mohawk was unfurled for Monday’s festivities with the top of the hairline about seven feet off the ground. “His decision affects a lot of guys’ decisions. He can change a whole organization.’’

Leonard’s words following the Finalsclinching win at Golden State are being analyzed, parsed and recycled in Toronto, where fans are hopeful he’ll be back.

In an interview last week that took place

Gary Woodland held off Brooks Koepka and claimed his first major title

Jason Roy was forced from the field with a hamstring injury against West Indies

J Buses carrying the Raptors brought new meaning to the expression “moving at a snail’s pace”

after the Raptors celebrated with beer and champagne in the locker room, Leonard said the victory was something “the Raptors can build on.”

Some took the separation of Leonard from the Raptors as a sign he’s as good as gone, likely to his home state of California and the Clippers.

Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said everyone is guessing at this point, and he’s not even sure Leonard knows where he’ll play in 2019-20.

“I don’t really know,’’ Nurse said. “I know he’s got to make a decision here really soon, couple of weeks. I think he had a good season and people like him here, and we can give him a good deal.’’ (Reuters)

ason Roy will miss England’s next two World Cup matches, against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, and will be assessed on an ongoing basis in the lead-up to their clash against Australia at Lord’s next week, after it was confirmed that he had suffered a hamstring tear during the eight-wicket win over West Indies at Hampshire Bowl on Friday.

Roy may yet be joined on the sidelines for the Afghanistan game by England’s captain, Eoin Morgan, who also left the field on Friday with a back spasm. Although Morgan’s condition has since improved, the ECB medical team will monitor him over the next 24 hours before a decision is taken ahead of the toss at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The double setback is a blow to England after their most convincing victory of the World Cup to date. Roy sustained his injury while sprinting after a ball in the covers during West Indies’ innings, and underwent an MRI scan on Saturday in London, in which the tear to his left hamstring was confirmed.

It is the second time this season that Roy’s progress has been disrupted by injury - he missed much of Surrey’s Royal London campaign in April and early May after suffering a back spasm while batting against Essex.

Since his return to action, however, he has been England’s outstanding performer with the bat, picking up the Player of the Series award against Pakistan after making two fifties and

a hundred in three outings, before setting up victory over Bangladesh in Cardiff last week with a formidable innings of 153 from 121 balls.

In Roy’s absence, as well as that of Alex Hales - his long-term understudy who was axed from England’s World Cup plans prior to the tournament due to two failed drugs tests - James Vince is set to slot in alongside Jonny Bairstow at the top of England’s batting order.

Given that England beat Afghanistan convincingly in a World Cup warm-up at The Oval last month, the management may well be tempted to give Morgan more time to regain full fitness as well, after he was forced to address the media standing up at Hampshire Bowl, due to his discomfort, on Friday.

In Morgan’s absence, the captaincy would pass to Jos Buttler, while Moeen Ali - who missed out against West Indies - might be the likeliest replacement in the XI. At this stage - with five group-stage fixtures still to be played ahead of the semi-finals and final - it is highly unlikely that England would be considering any replacements to their original squad, given that neither Roy nor Morgan would be permitted to return at a later date once their injuries had healed.

Joe Denly, who was replaced in the 15-man squad on the eve of the campaign, is one of the players on standby in the event of a long-term injury. (ESPN Cricinfo)

20

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tuesday, june 18, 2019

Fruta Conquerors, Buxton United, Dynamic FC win big in KFC U-20 S

even teams have, over the past weekend, booked their respective spots in the upcoming semifinal playoffs of the KFC Under-20 Independence Cup tournament, which is slated to take place on Saturday.

With seven games scheduled to decide the quarterfinal teams that would participate in the inaugural Under-20 tourney, spectators at the Guyana Football Federation’s National Training Centre a t

Providence have been treated to several high-scoring games as each team sought to get one step closer to the

$500,000 prize.

Timehri Panthers dispatched their East B a n k Demerara F A

New Amsterdam United edged Amelia’s Ward out of the competition with a lone goal

Ato Boldon inducted into ICS Wall of Fame

counterparts, Soesdyke Falcons, in a 5-1 affair. Tyrone Khan, Shawn Steele, Tyrone Burnette, Shoran James and Shannon Samnauth each scored one goal for Timehri; while Soesdyke’s consolation goal was netted by Johnathan Bailey.

Linden’s Botofago FC overcame West Demerara runners-up, Den Amstel, with a solid team effort. After a quiet first half, Botofago’s Andre Mayers opened up the scoring in the 45th; and Marlon Duke, Kelroy Anthony and Shane Haynes followed with one each.

Anthony Benn, with 2 goals, was the lone marksman for Den Amstel.

Dynamic FC had their way with Potaro Strikers FC, resulting in a 5-0 victory.

John Gonsalves led the way with a brace; and Julius Hamilton, Dequan Douglas and Linden Bowman each netted one for the Dynamic win.

The final game

on Saturday saw a lone goal coming from New Amsterdam United’s Keon Williams playing against Amelia’s Ward Panthers, granting United entry into the quarterfinals.

On Sunday, Fruta Conquerors vanquished Cougars FC with an 8-0 win.

Nicholas Mc Arthur was the star with four goals scored; while goals from Reshaun Ritch, Simeon Hackett, Nicholai Andrews and Leon Richardson completed the eight.

Following Fruta Conquerors’ lead, Buxton United drilled eight goals into Queenstown FC’s net. Kifembe Goodman began the party in the 7th; and thereafter, Troni Semple netted a brace while Jemar Harrigon, Jerome Harrigon, Kobe Durant and Omari Glasgow contributed one each.

Juel Caesar and Christian Bacchus saved face for Queenstown with one goal each.

Santos FC recorded a 3-1 win over Pouderoyen FC to be the last team to enter

Brazil authorities put freeze on Neymar mansions amid tax dispute

Potaro Strikers were no match for Dynamic FC, who won their encounter 5-0

the quarterfinals. One goal each from Ryan Dowding, Ronaldo Rodrigues and Randy Roberts got Santos through the storm, while Pouderoyen’s consolation goal came off the

boots of Stephon Jupiter.

The quarterfinals are expected to be contested on Saturday June 22, and Rupununi FC will join the competition.

Mbappe will “200%” be at PSG next season, says President

Kylian Mbappe

F

Ato Boldon

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oted broadcaster and coach, Trinidad and Tobago’s Ato Boldon said he is elated to have been entered into the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) Wall of Fame.

ICS is dedicated to building bridges between Caribbean Americans and the US population at large. Together with partner organizations from industry, government and civil society, their objective is to provide education and advocacy and action on issues impacting Caribbean peoples to enable their growth, and prosperity in the ever-changing global marketplace.

Boldon, a four-time Olympic medallist and successful broadcaster, is the coach of Jamaica’s Briana Williams, the double 2019 World U20 champion. However, Boldon has enjoyed successful careers in politics and coaching as well as several other pursuits.

“He is widely viewed as one of the all-time leading sportsmen in the history of the Caribbean, as well as one of its most internationally-recognizable spokesman,” the ICS said in a statement.

The 45-year-old Boldon was a former opposition spokesman in the TT Parliament and continues to be one of the best track and field and sports analysts for NBC Sports.

NBC said Boldon joined its Olympics broadcasting team in 2008 and served as a track and field analyst for NBC’s coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games. Boldon continued in that role during the 2012 London Olympic Games and most recently, he served as an Olympic correspondent at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang.

He also wrote, produced and directed the film Once in A Lifetime: Boldon in Bahrain.

“I appreciate all awards because it means people recognize what you work tirelessly on,” he told Sportsmax.TV. “I have worked very hard to become a good broadcaster, so any time that gets acknowledged, I’m elated.”

Boldon joins other Caribbean luminaries like actress Sheryl-Lee Ralph and Rihanna who have been inducted into the ICS Wall of Fame. (Sportsmax)

P

Neymar Jr

aris Saint-Germain striker Neymar’s off-pitch woes continue to mount, as Brazilian tax authorities put a freeze on dozens of his mansions and other properties amid a long-running tax dispute, local media reported Monday.

The Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported that Brazilian authorities blocked 36 properties in Brazil as they seek 69 million reais ($18 million) in back taxes. They claim that amount is due in connection with Neymar’s 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona.

The action means Neymar can use the properties but not sell them.

Folha cited an unspecified court ruling as approving the action by Brazil tax authorities. It was not immediately possible to locate the ruling.

Brazil’s tax agency did not respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for Neymar did not have comment.

In addition to his tax fight, Neymar in recent weeks has been accused of rape, an allegation that Brazilian police are investigating.

A Brazilian woman accused Neymar, 27, of raping her at a Paris hotel last month. He denies the allegation and says the relationship was consensual.

On Sunday, a report in L’Equipe said that Paris SaintGermain are prepared to sell Neymar, as chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi warned that irresponsible behavior from players won’t be tolerated anymore. (Reuters)

rance forward Kylian Mbappe will “200%” still be at Paris St-Germain next season, says the club’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

Mbappe, 20, has been linked with a move away from the Parc des Princes this summer, just a year after his permanent move from Monaco.

“I will not let go of this ‘crazy’ player,” Al-Khelaifi said.

He also said “nobody forced” Brazil forward Neymar to sign for PSG amid rumours he is unhappy at the club.

In an interview with France Football, the PSG president said: “I want players proud to wear our jersey, not players who do the job when it suits them.”

World Cup winner Mbappe scored 39 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions for PSG last season, having played for them the previous season on loan from Ligue 1 rivals Monaco.

He recently said he felt he was at a “turning point” in his career and it was time “to take on more responsibility”, and has been linked with moves to Liverpool and Real Madrid.

“He wants to be more involved in our project to grow with the team, the club. But I explained to him that the responsibilities, it does not ask,” Al-Khelaifi said.

“We must go get them, sometimes even tear them away. We do not wait, we provoke.

“As he is very intelligent, I am sure he understood. Will he

still be at PSG next year?

I am not 100% sure but 200%.” ‘ H e c a m e knowingly’ Al-Khelaifi o n Neymar Neymar’s contract in the French capital expires in 2022 but he found himself frequently in hot water last season.

In May, French football authorities banned Neymar for three matches after he lashed out at a fan following defeat by Rennes in the Coupe de France final. He was also reportedly involved in a dressing room incident with his team-mates after a loss to Montpellier.

In May, the 27-year-old was stripped of the Brazil captaincy for the Copa America, just eight months after being handed the armband.

“Those who do not want, or do not understand, we see each other and we talk to each other,” Al-Khelaifi said.

“There are of course contracts to be respected, but the priority now is total membership of our project.

“Nobody forced him to sign here. Nobody pushed him.

He came knowingly to join a project.” (BBC Sport)

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Golden Jaguars to be outfitted by Capelli Sport during Gold Cup tourney T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has announced that it has entered a partnership with international sportswear and teamwear brand producers Capelli Sport, who now are exclusive suppliers of uniforms to the Golden Jaguars team as they represent the GFF at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup tourney, which has begun and will run until July 7, 2019 in the USA. This initial partnership has led to positive discussions regarding a long-term commitment between Capelli Sport and the GFF, and there are plans for additional exciting details to be released following conclusion of the 2019 CONCACAF Golf Cup Competition.

Capelli Sport was founded in 2011 by its president, George Altirs. Its mission is to provide sportswear of quality, functionality and design for high-level performance on the field. Altirs’s more than 30

years in the apparel, fashion and accessory business with parent company GMA Accessories has led to the creation of Capelli Sport.

The brand’s innovative world-class training gear, equipment and uniforms have yielded many global recreational youth club, and collegiate, semi-professional, professional and international level sports partnerships.

In eight years of operation, Capelli Sport has become the partner, and official outfitter, of a number of internationally recognised sporting organisations, professional clubs and international teams.

Currently, Capelli Sport distributes its worldclass training gear and apparel in more than 25 countries worldwide.

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is a biennial tourney (held every two years) in which 16 nations participate, having qualified to so do through each of

21

A replica of the Golden Jaguars’ Capelli uniform

CONCACAF’s three sub-regions of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Guyana’s Golden Jaguars will make their first ever appearance in the Gold Cup competition this year, following qualification in March 2019. With a cohesive group in place, the team has made great strides in development of the sport, including this historic moment for the country.

On the national scale, the GFF is the premier football entity, and it works to promote football by providing educational, physical and total development initiatives among youth and adult programmes.

Commonwealth League in New York…

Shivpersaud’s 50 gives WCWCC 5th win T

wo of Zeeburg Cricket Club’s (ZCC’s) most senior players, Yutesh Dhanpaul and Balbiner Shivpersaud, have been drafted into the Commonwealth Cricket League currently being played in New York. This duo, having successfully represented the ZCC in local tournaments staged in 2018 and 2019, now represent the West Coast Warriors Cricket Club (WCWCC) in the New York League.

In the Warriors’ fifth match -- a 30-over affair against the in-form Madras Cricket Club, played at Whitestone Ferry Park in the Bronx -- the ever reliable Shivpersaud took his team over the line with an unbeaten half century.

With the match reduced to20 overs per side because of inclement weather, Madras CC won the toss and decided to bat, thinking to capitalise on the condition of the pitch before further degradation should occur through the vagaries of the weather. They never got things going, and lost wickets at regular intervals, which pegged them back and forced them to go on the

defensive.

Leg-spinner Chanderpaul Persaud was the Madras CC’s chief destroyer, bagging 4 for 14 as he used the advantageous conditions to torment batsmen with unplayable googlies and leg-spin deliveries.

Denish Singh was the only batsman to offer him resistance, top-scoring with 29; while Madras CC could muster only 113 runs in their allotted 20 overs, losing 9 wickets in the process.

Needing a paltry 114 for victory off 120 balls, Warriors openers Balbinder Shivpersaud and Rajendra Khan took to the crease, and began dealing in boundaries and maximums. Their aggressive play forced their opponents into a corner, as no delivery could bamboozle either of them.

Despite playing on a sticky wicket, the Warriors were able to triumph, finishing their innings on 114 without loss in 13.3 overs, with Shivpersaud and Khan remaining unbeaten on 56 and 40 respectively.

Balbinder Shivpersaud and Rajendra Khan had an unbeaten 114-run partnership

RECEIVING Beacons reign supreme in Bartica Guinness "Greatest of the Streets" tourney YOUR

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eacons FC edged out Police FC in a keenly contested final game of the 2019 Guinness “Greatest of the Street” championships in Bartica on Sunday, and are now the official holders of the title and accompanying bragging rights.

The night began at the Bartica Community Centre Basketball Court with the "Plate" semi-finals being played, in which Goal Raiders and Rivers View defeated Prison Officers and Potaro United respectively to advance to the Plate Final, wherein they contested for ownership of the $60,000 on offer.

The Guinness Championship Semi-Finals then followed, with Police defeating Mighty Ruler following a draw in regulation time and kicks from the penalty mark.

Walking Boyz then tried unsuccessfully to waltz into the finals, losing 3 goals to 1 against Bartica powerhouse Beacons.

In the respective finals, Goal Raiders defeated Rivers View 1-nil to take the Plate

Prize, while a fast-paced championship final saw Beacons FC overcoming the energetic Police FC by 1 goal to nil.

In the end, Goal Raiders pocketed the $60,000 for their win in the Plate Finals.

Beacons were also crowned new champions, and pocketed a total of $400,000; while runners-up Police received $150,000.

In an invited comment, Coordinator of the Bartica leg of the event, Alden Marslowe, said: “This tournament never fails to bring the residents of Bartica together; and that was evident in the great numbers that came out to view the games and create a party atmosphere at the venue.

The community of Bartica is a major

supporter of Banks DIH Ltd; and so, to have the company return to

give back in such a meaningful was is always well received.

Bartica Football Leagues continue to keep pace with seniors, under 17 and under 15.”

With Beacons now winning the competition, they will represent the zone at the National Championships.

This tournament was the third staging of the Guinness

The victorious Beacons team

Greatest of the Street Football in Bartica. Major sponsors of this event were Banks DIH Limited under their Guinness Brand, and Colours Boutique.

22

tuesday, june 18, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2019…

Jaguars enter the wilderness against USA W

hen the lights go on in the Allianz Field Stadium in Minnesota this evening, the Golden Jaguars, hailing from the proverbial jungles of Guyana, will find themselves facing the National Soccer team of the USA -- defending champions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup -- before approximately 19,400 expectedly partisan faces.

For the boys from the ‘Land of Many Waters’ that will mean 19,400 hearts they will have to win during the course of 90 minutes.

More importantly, the Golden Jags will need to break the hearts of 11 persons: members of the soccer team of the USA. On March 23, 2019, at the Leonora Track and Field Centre, Guyana sealed their debut participation at one of the most lucrative tournaments in the CONCACAF line-up with a 2-1 win over Belize, who had a similar mission. That win allowed the Guyanese XI to ink their names on the Gold Cup schedule, after ending the Nations League in 7th place overall.

The Guyana Football Federation then switched gears to ensure that the team, led by former Jamaican national player Michael Johnson as Head Coach, was afforded every opportunity to be prepared for the task at hand -- taking on the USA, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago in Group D. Team members have been together since the beginning of June, as they embarked on a period of encampment which included playing two friendly international matches against host Bermuda, and Haiti in Costa Rica.

The team’s preparations continued in Minneapolis, USA and now St. Paul, Minnesota ahead of tomorrow’s opening clash against the host and defending champions.

Johnson is steadfast in his belief that his charges are well prepared for the task at hand, citing that they have been living together and getting to know each other both on and off the field of play.

“For the last few days, we’ve had a chance to really batten down and deal with what we expect, as we know the team now; and this has allowed us to be more precise in our work, and more detailed, from an analytic point of view, both in and out of possession and how we’re going to approach this game,” he detailed.

Acknowledging that at this level experience is always needed, Johnson also said there is need for youthful legs, especially in areas where you might be able to hurt the opposition.

“The team’s been picked appropriately for this game; and more likely than not, it could change for the next one. But we feel (that) what we’ve got at our disposal…we are in a very, very good place with hours left before the big game,” he has said.

The experienced Johnson, who had represented Jamaica at the Gold Cup, zoomed in on the fact that for most of the players, this is the biggest stage at which they have ever played; and he says that with this realisation comes anxiety, nervousness, and a tinge of excitement.

“But we’ve been able to handle that as a staff. You know, I’ve talked to them about my experiences in big games, and how you approach them. But we all know (that) once the whistle blows the nervousness goes, the anxiousness goes because now you are in it;

The Golden Jaguars during a practice session

and that’s what we all can’t wait for now,” he explained.

As chief tactician, Johnson said the build-up has been tremendous and the players are ready to go, even as he reiterated that the challenge is being embraced by both players and management.

He ended his conversation on the note that qualification for this, the highest level of competition in CONCACAF, is a massive achievement; and he posited that they want to go one step further.

“I think (that) we, by our own professionalism, by our own expectations, are putting more pressure on (ourselves) internally than probably anybody else. I’ve seen statements that don’t give us a chance; written us off. we won’t score a goal, easy game for America. But, internally, I think there is an inner belief and a real resilience that that’s the case (we can win); and I think that’s where the pressure comes from us in our own environment: thinking we can do a lot better than the so-called armchair pundits, press, players from America and coaching staff have said,” Johnson confided.

Captain of the team, Sam Cox, commenting on the tournament, noted that his colleagues, as a collective, would have been excited ever since the draw was made, and he said the occasion would be fantastic for the players and country, as it presents the ideal platform for Guyana’s name to be put on the world stage in front of 40 million viewers.

“It’s going to be a brilliant occasion! It’s a different experience

for all of us, a situation that we’ve never been in. We’ve had the NationLeague games, World Cup Qualifiers in the past, but never have we been to a major tournament; so it’s been a complete different experience to what we’ve had before. I feel the boys and I are mentally prepared. We know that we are in a very tough group, but we feel that if we apply ourselves properly, we can surprise a few people. We can compete and, hopefully, we can gain the respect of a lot of people along the way,” Cox said.

He closed his remarks on this note, “We are going to do our talking on the pitch.”

Kick-off time in this feature match is 21:00hrs in St. Paul MN and 22:00hrs in Guyana. Trinidad and Tobago would face off with Panama in the Group D opening clash.

Schedule: Saturday, June 22 – FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH (Group D) 5:30 pm Guyana v Panama 7:30 pm USA v Trinidad and Tobago Wednesday, June 26 – Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS (Group D) 6:30 pm Trinidad and Tobago v Guyana 8:30 pm Panama v USA

Republic Bank renews sponsorship of RHTY&SC

A

s part of their personal development programme, the 10 cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, have, since 2000, organised an annual Summer Camp for students preparing for secondary school tuition when the new school year begins.

Republic Bank (Guy) Ltd, under the auspices of its Rose Hall Town branch, has been the official sponsor of this summer Camp for all of the 18 years it has been in existence; and earlier this week, the Bank renewed its sponsorship of this activity for the 19th consecutive year.

Secretary/CEO of the RHTY&SC, Hilbert Foster, MS, has said this year’s Summer Camp will commence on Monday, July 15, and end on Friday, August 9; and a maximum of 60 students, drawn from several schools in the Rose Hall Town catchment area, would be catered for.

Among the schools targeted are Rose Hall Town Primary, Port Mourant Primary, Belvedere Primary, Cropper Primary, Tain Primary and Auchlyne Primary.

The main objective of the Summer Camp is to assist grade six students to successfully transition from primary level education to secondary level education. Other objectives include promoting the ‘Say No/Say Yes’ message; teaching them the art of playing cricket; imparting the importance of education and discipline; and informing on the importance of being positive role models.

Foster also disclosed that classroom work will be conducted by a senior educator employed by the club, while he and Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu will be responsible for the lecture series.

Cricket Coach Delbert Hicks will work along with the students in several one-hour sessions as part of the Club’s “Say Yes to Sports” effort.

Classes will be held from Monday to Friday,

from 08:30 hours to noon, with students being taught English, Maths, Social Studies, Integrated Science, Geography and basic Spanish. Each child attending and successfully completing the camp will receive a school bag and educational materials, while the overall Best Student and Top Student in each subject will each receive a special prize.

Awards will also be given to the Most Disciplined Student, Most Improved Student, and for Best Attendance. Among topics to be lectured on by qualified personnel are: Importance of Education, Importance of Discipline, Choosing Friends, Suicide/ Depression, Personal Hygiene, Manners in the Classroom, Career Choices, Public Speaking, Basic Public Manners, and Peer Pressure.

During the special cricket coaching sessions, emphasis will be placed on physical fitness, and batting and bowling as the Club promotes the importance of sports as an alternative to a life on the road.

Parents who are desirous of having their children attend the camp are invited to call the Club on 337-4562, or visit its offices at the Area ‘H’ Ground to register. The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club will provide all the necessary educational materials free of cost.

Assistant Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu has hailed Republic Bank longstanding support of this leading youth and sports organization, and has declared the bank one of the club’s main foundations for its unmatched record of achievements.

He praised the Bank for also co-sponsoring the RHTY&SC’s Annual Awards Ceremony, Annual Youth Review Magazine, and Cricket Academy, among other programmes.

The Summer Camp, Naidu has said, has, over the years, enabled more than 700 grade

six students to transition from primary level to secondary level education, while 39 of them have since been playing cricket at the club.

Students have gone on to become career nurses, accountants, teachers, bankers and

public servants among other areas, Naidu disclosed, as he expressed gratitude to the Bank for being a remarkable friend of the club and a major supporter of its initiatives to promote education.

RHT Republic Bank Branch Manager Doodmatee Bhollaram handing over the sponsorship cheque to RHTY&SC Assistant Secretary Simon Naidu

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, june 18, 2019

23

Shakib, Liton ace 2nd-highest World Cup chase to down WIndies

Shimron Hetmyer

B

angladesh fought valiantly and produced a clinical chase to down West Indies by seven wickets, polishing off 321 in 41.3 overs, in Taunton.

Shakib Al Hasan’s century was the bedrock of the joint second-highest successful chase in the World Cup with the allrounder scoring an unbeaten 124.

Bangladesh have a habit of pulling the rabbit out of the hat when pushed against the wall. They did it against New Zealand in the 2017 Champions Trophy and on Monday (June 17) it was the West Indies bowling that took a resounding thrashing.

Set a challenging chase, Bangladesh openers -

Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal - came out all guns blazing, scoring at more than six runs per over in the first six. The opening stand fetched 52 before Sarkar was bounced out. After a 69-run stand between Tamim and Shakib it took a moment of brilliance from Sheldon Cottrell to run out the former. Having pushed the ball firmly towards the bowler, Tamim took off only to see Cottrell stick his hand out and smash the stumps with a throw darting past the diving striker.

Mushfiqur Rahim was caught behind as Bangladesh slipped to 133 for 3 in the 19th over with their hopes firmly pinned on Shakib. As it turned out, even after three consecutive fifty-plus scores, Shakib was in no mood to give up his start. The West Indies bowling was one-dimensional with a clear lack of plan.

West Indies have banked on short pitch bowling in the tournament and continued the barrage against Bangladesh as well. This time, though, the plan didn’t quite work out as Shakib feasted on the back of length ball like a man possessed with an insatiable hunger.

Pulls and hooks were brought out with ease and when the bowling was tight, the third man area was exploited to keep the scoreboard moving. And when the ball was pitched up, he crunched them past the

bowler with panache. Andre R u s s e l l , playing despite knee injuries, was wayward and so was Oshane T h o m a s .

Shannon Gabriel tried to change things up but the execu-

and Cottrell’s bowling didn’t match up to his fielding heroics.

Even with more than 100 runs to go, West Indies had given up and it showed.

While Shakib continued to

3

SCOREBOARD

West Indies Innings (50 overs maximum) CH Gaylec † Rahim b Saifuddin 0 E Lewis c sub (Rahman) b Al Hasan 70 SD Hope † c Das b Rahman 96 N Pooran c Sarkar b Al Has an 25 SO Hetmyer c Iqbal b Rahman 50 AD Russell c † Rahim b Rahman 0 JO Holder (c) c Mahmudullah b Saifuddin 33 DM Bravo b Saifuddin 19 O Thomas not out 6 Extras (lb 6, w 16) 22 TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 6.42) 321-8 Did not bat: SS Cottrell, ST Gabriel Fall of wickets: 1-6 (CH Gayle, 3.2 ov), 2-122 (E Lewis, 24.3 ov), 3-159 (N Pooran, 32.2 ov), 4-242 (SO Hetmyer, 39.3 ov), 5-243 (AD Russell, 39.6 ov), 6-282 (JO Holder, 43.4 ov), 7-297 (SD Hope, 46.6 ov), 8-321 (DM Bravo, 49.6 ov) BOWLING M Mortaza (8-1-37-0)

tion wasn’t up to the mark

M Saifuddin (10-1-72-3) M Rahman (9-0-59-3) M Miraz (9-0-57-0) M Hossain (6-0-36-0) S Hasan (8-0-54-2) Bangladesh Innings (target: 322 runs from 50 overs) T Iqbal run out (Cottrell) 48 S Sarkar c Gayle b Russell 29 S Al Hasan not out 124 M Rahim † c †Hope b Thomas 1 L Das not out 94 Extras (b 1, w 25) 26 TOTAL (41.3 Overs, RR: 7.75) 322-3 Yet to bat: Mahmudullah, M Hossain, M Saifuddin, M Miraz, M Mortaza (c), M Rahman Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Sarkar, 8.2 ov), 2-121 (Iqbal, 17.3 ov), 3-133 (Rahim, 18.6 ov) BOWLING SS Cottrell (10-0-65-0) JO Holder (9-0-62-0) AD Russell (6-0-42-1) ST Gabriel (8.3-0-78-0) O Thomas (6-0-52-1) CH Gayle (2-0-22-0)

make the bowling look me-

dio c r e , Liton Das (94 not out), brought in for this game, played the perfect supporting cast.

Shakib’s century came on the last ball of the 34th over as he drilled a full ball past sweeper cover.

Bangladesh needed just 74 by then and to make things worse, Das too started opening his arms after a gritty half-century. The 37th over started with three consecutive sixes leaving the equation to just 28 in the last 12 overs.

Earlier in the day, Shai Hope made a scratchy 121ball 96 but it was the brisk half-centuries from Evin Lewis (70) and Shimron Hetmyer (50) that propped up the total. Put in, Chris Gayle endured a 13-ball duck but West Indies recovered after Lewis and Hope scored 116 for the second wicket. West Indies had just 32 runs in the first ten overs but cruised past 100.

The second-wicket stand was broken by Shakib in the 25th over.

Nicholas Pooran made just 25 and West Indies

were in all sorts of bother at 159 for 3 in the 33rd over. West Indies, however, were propped up by the fearless approach of Hetmyer. He raced to 44 off just 18 deliveries and struck a 104-metre six to deflate the bowlers. Though he did slow down, he was able to match Shakib Al Hasan plays a shot for 4 during his knock of 124

Alex Carey’s record of the fastest half-century in this World Cup playing 25 balls.

The Bangladesh revival, after West Indies looked set for 350, was started by Mustafizur Rahman. He first got rid of Hetmyer and then had Andre Russell edging the second ball he faced to the ‘keeper. Jason Holder too continued to attack and raced to 33 off 15 - a short stay that saw him strike a 105-metre six. At the start of the 44th over, West Indies were 274 for 5 and with Darren Bravo and Holder firmly set.

The promise though of a big finish came crashing down as Holder’s wicket led to a slide. Bravo struck a six to nudge the score past 300 and some wayward bowling from Mohammad Saifuddin gave West Indies a score that seemed comfortable for a win. (Cricbuzz)

Afghanistan fairytale runs into harsh reality of World Cup U

psets have long been a part of the World Cup whether it was Sri Lanka, then a non-Test nation, beating India back in 1979, Zimbabwe seeing off Australia in 1983 or Ireland defeating Pakistan in 2007.

But the chances of Afghanistan joining that proud list at this year’s edition appear to be receding fast.

Theirs is one of the great fairytale stories of modern sport, with cricket introduced to the war-torn country by returning refugees who had learnt about the game in camps in neighbouring Pakistan.

Twenty years ago, the idea of Afghanistan competing at a World Cup would have seemed outlandish.

Yet such has been their progress they are now a Test nation and are appearing in their second World Cup. But this edition has been a chastening experience for Afghanistan, with the qualifiers having lost all four of their matches ahead of their daunting clash against hosts England at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

For all the talent of spinners such as Rashid Khan,

Afghanistan seek their inaugural World Cup victory

Afghanistan have not put enough runs on the board -- a problem exemplified by their failure to chase down 187 in 41 overs against Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan have not always helped their own cause in other ways as well.

Asghar Afghan, their long-serving skipper, was stripped of the captaincy leading up to the World Cup. Their last match of the tournament, against South Africa, saw Najibullah

Zadran -- who scored the team’s only half-century in an opening loss to reigning champions Australia -- was inexplicably omitted.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Shahzad, Afghanistan’s experienced wicketkeeper-batsman, was sent home early from the tournament with a knee injury, only to insist upon his return that he would have regained full fitness within a few days.

Modern video analysis means that few players are ‘unknown’, reducing the

chances of shock outcomes.

“Looking for the spin”

England beat Afghanistan by nine wickets in a warm-up match, a result that disguised how watchful they were against Rashid’s leg-spin.

But a used pitch, which should assist Afghanistan’s spinners, will be in operation in Manchester.

“We are looking for the spin, every game,” a smiling Gulbadin Naib, the Afghanistan captain, told a

pre-match press conference at Old Trafford on Monday.

“Spin is key for Afghanistan, the last three years, how we play our cricket.

“If there’s a little bit of spin there, maybe it’s a good day for Afghanistan.”

England captain Eoin Morgan said he was right to remain wary of Afghanistan.

“They are a strong side and I’ve said before that they will beat teams at this World Cup,” Morgan said.

“They haven’t done it yet,

so t h a t makes the game a tougher challenge.

“Their three spinners are their strongest component.

It’s a challenge we’ll have to overcome.

“Look over to their nets and they are practising against quicks, while in our net we’re practising against spin. It’s a challenge for both sides.”

The relentless nature of an round-robin World Cup format has worked against Afghanistan.

One justification used by the International Cricket Council for cutting the number of teams at a World Cup to 10 was to reduce outright mismatches.

“We’re learning,” said Naib. It’s a tough format for us, especially here in the World Cup. “We are looking to win matches, trying to make some good upsets. But it’s a tough tournament -- it’s high-class, world-class cricket.” (AFP)

tuesday, june 18, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2019…

Jaguars enter the wilderness against USA Page 22

Page 23

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