Guyanatime 18 may 2018

8000 housing units to be made available through PPP initiative – CH&PA P10

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, May 18, 2018

Issue No. 3567

PRICE

Piracy massacre

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

“Killer Man” nabbed for fisherman’s execution in Suriname Page 3

– another Guyanese boat captain arrested for deadly attacks

Jagdeo accuses Govt of sneakily altering debt ceiling Page 9

Unemployed man arraigned for murder of market vendor P10

P12 Former Deputy Mayor resigns from city’s Market Committee

– warns amendment could increase Govt’s liability risk Armed P7 robberies, burglaries on the increase – Police

Heritage Month proposals to be submitted by May 27 P11

The annual Religious Liberty Congress, organised by the Caribbean Union of Seventh-Day Adventists in collaboration with the Caribbean Religious Liberty Association, is being hosted in Guyana from May 16-19. In this Carl Croker photo, young leaders perform a skit on the second night which was attended by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, as well as other dignitaries and members of the public

Fisherman found dead with throat slit Page 7

– boat owner, 2 others arrested

Linden-Soesdyke Highway smash-up

2nd victim succumbs Page 14

Consultations on National P13 Child Labour Policy begin

Man drops gun, ammo after P12 seeing Police

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

Piracy massacre

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

Friday, May 18 – 05:00h- 06:30h and Saturday, May 19 – 05:30h-07:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, May 18 – 05:55h-07:25h and Saturday, May 19 – 06:40h-08:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to heavy rain showers are expected in the morning and early afternoon, followed by partly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures will range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 06:21h and 18:55h reaching maximum heights of 2.81 metres and 2.61 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 12:26h reaching a minimum height of 0.32 metre.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018

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thurSDAY, MAY 17, 2018

DAILY MILLIONS 02 12 13 18

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

“Killer Man” nabbed for fisherman’s execution in Suriname

– another Guyanese boat captain arrested for deadly attacks

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urinamese law enforcement officers on Wednesday evening nabbed the notorious “Killer Man” who was fingered in the murder of Guyanese businessman, Somnath Monohar, who was shot and killed during a drive-by shooting in March.

“Killer Man” was arrested by the law enforcement agents after they received information from an informant about his whereabouts.

Based on reports received, the informant who is an enemy to “Killer Man”, was shot to his chest during an attempted execution by the suspect who drove off the scene with another man in his vehicle.

After leaving the scene, they were pursued by Police ranks who were summoned and the duo was subsequently arrested. The injured Police informant is presently in a serious condition in a hospital in Paramaribo.

Only on Tuesday, it was reported that Monohar’s family who travelled to Suriname after his shooting offered US$50,000 as revenge money for his murder. Monohar was killed on March 30 while he and a colleague were standing in front of a relative’s home.

He was shot several times about the body and succumbed to his injured a few hours later.

It is believed that the slain Police rank, Premcharan Ravikan, who was found dead hours after he was allegedly kidnapped

by Guyanese, might have been in possession of critical information about the shooting death of Monohar, apart from being the one who provided the gun to carry out the attack.

He was kidnapped on Saturday afternoon and his body was discovered in the wee hours of Sunday morn-

Dead Policeman: Premcharan Ravikan

ing with five stab wounds and a gunshot injury to his abdomen. His throat was also slit.

Now with “Killer Man” in custody, the Police will make every attempt to get information with respect to the recent piracy attack that has left four dead and 11 others still missing.

To date, “Crackhead” has confessed to killing at least five Guyanese fishermen and disposing their bodies in the Atlantic Ocean. Upon his arrest, he reportedly confessed to killing five fishermen in the recent attacks.

He claimed that he was following orders which were to attack the boat and “get rid” of the occupants. He remains in custody as the lawmen continue their investigations.

However, Guyana Times understands that another suspect in connection with the deadly attacks on April 28, 2018 and May 2, 2018, was arrested in Guyana.

The suspect, Ron Drepaul, a 37-year-old fishing boat captain was reportedly in the company of Nakool Monohar.

Drepaul is the captain of Cristina-1 SK 1221 and was arrested following a description passed on by survivors

Murder suspect: “Crackhead”

Nakool Monohar

of the robberies to the Police.

He operates out of Number 43 Village foreshore on the Corentyne.

Nakool Manohar, however, was arraigned on Friday last at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for three piracy-related offences and is expected to be charged shortly with the most recent attacks.

Meanwhile, following a recent meeting with fisher-

men a Police inspector reportedly stated that a lot of information is circulating but that little information is officially obtained from the fishermen themselves.

As such, he stated “We want to investigate this matter to the bottom, but we depend on you”. He could not disclose details, but the guarantee "that we are right with the research."

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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

Depression and suicide

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hen life has become a burden, too heavy to bear, some persons do not have the courage, or strength, or spiritual fortitude to overcome an urge to seek a place they think may offer escape from their pain or problems.

They think – that is, if they are thinking at all, and not merely acting on primal emotion – that the place they have in mind would provide a final solution to all that is ailing them. Suicide is one of the most selfish and cruel acts that any human being can commit because the lifelong burden of pain and blame that relatives and loved ones carry to their graves robs them also of their lives, or diminishes the quality of their lives.

The link between suicide and depression indicates that intervention in the lives of those who display suicidal tendencies is a dire necessity, because depression is a disease that predisposes suicidal tendencies. Sometimes someone who decides to end his/her life is saved and has a second chance at living their life to the full and natural end. They discover that so many challenges lead to higher places in life that they come to the realisation that their initial response to pain had not been a solution – final or otherwise – but merely a precipitator of problems and a source of unending pain for loved ones.

Persons who had opted for this apparent resolution to their problems, whether they died the same time or many days afterwards, had committed the most selfish act; because they had paid no heed to their obligations to parents and other relatives who loved them, or are dependent on them for anything.

Mainly of recent times, there has been a spate of actual and attempted suicides in Guyana, especially in rural areas; and the authorities seem perplexed as to how to deal with what is emerging as an epidemic, because mental health issues seem to have taken a backseat in the health sector.

There often is need for merely a listening ear to diffuse unbearable emotions and a caring person to advise that this final act of taking one’s own life leaves many unresolved problems for others. The agony of the moment that precipitates that momentous and tragic act that writes the final episode of one’s life by one’s own actions could be gradually reduced to manageable proportions if there is a confidante or someone to whom the afflicted can relate and in whom they can confide.

Research has determined suicide in Guyana is a serious social problem, as Guyana is ranked first in suicides per capita worldwide.

Statistics have revealed that about 40 per cent of people who commit suicide in Guyana ingest agricultural pesticides and thus poison themselves. The most famous case of suicide in Guyana was the mass suicide of over 900 members of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple in 1978, although some sources regard the events as mass murder. Jim Jones, the leader of this cult, and his followers were all Americans who had created a commune in Guyana’s jungles.

Ethnic Indians have been seen to make up the vast majority of suicide victims in Guyana. The ethnic groups categorised as “other” were seen to make up most of the difference. Indians accounted for 48 per cent of all deaths in both years, which is four per cent higher than their population share.

A World Bank report stated that the political process in Guyana is often fought with so much time and energy that “little [is] left to undertake the many policies necessary to facilitate growth and development. Poor governance on the national level, according to an IMF report, has led to inefficiencies and has strained the abilities of local and regional authorities to provide basic services and guarantee rule of law. Distribution of land and water rights, payment of taxes, court cases, and the issuance of gun and driver’s licences are all frequently found to be fraudulent.

This basic ill-governance has fed a sense of mistrust and frustration among the population, reduced investments in constructive economic projects, and has led to the growth of a shadow economy. The report posits that the role of economic insecurity as a leading factor in suicide rates remains a controversial issue in Guyana.

Natural Resources Minister Raphel Trotman; Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee and former President Samuel Hinds display a copy of the book titled Journey Back to Watooka with Author Steve Connolly (second right) displaying another of his books at the launch on Thursday at the Canadian High Commission

Holistic approach required to deal with mentally ill persons Dear Editor, Mentally ill persons are still roaming the streets freely and disrupting life in Guyana, in spite of repeated announcements of plans to solve this problem.

No matter who is the President of the country, no matter which political party is in power, this problem just goes on and on and seems to be growing, year in, year out.

Mentally ill people, some barely clothed, wander our streets on busy business days, interfering with or scaring persons conducting business in Georgetown and other parts of Guyana. In some cases, they attack persons or are themselves attacked, abused, and sometimes even killed.

Our Police are not trained or equipped to handle mentally ill people. They do not have suitable detention facilities for them, nor do they have the legal authority to remove them from the streets willy-nilly. In this scenario, it is unfair to expect our Police Officers to deal effectively with the mentally ill.

Many of the mentally ill resort to shelters for food and rest, but most of these shelters were not specifically established to accommodate and care for the mentally ill, so they are also not equipped to deal with them.

For instance, take the Hugo Chávez Centre that recently had to deal with allegations involving men-

tally challenged inmates.

In this case, I will not rush to judge the administrators because I have been somewhat involved in several shelters for homeless people, drug addicts and mentally ill cases and I know what the administrators have to go through. It is no piece of cake.

Persons who have not visited these centres and observed their daily operations have no idea what the administrators, support staff and counsellors have to go through when dealing with mentally challenged and damaged people.

Furthermore, in these institutions, strict rules and regulations are necessary because there must be order and discipline for inmates to get beds and three meals a day plus access to medical facilities, therapists and so forth.

But many mentally challenged inmates reject the rules and fight the staff because they want to continue doing what they want when they want as if they are still on the street. Many refuse to bathe and create a horrific odour in the institutions.

When the Hugo Chávez Centre was constructed, it was not for mentally ill people, drug addicts or street people, but for those with skills who needed a ‘lend-ahand’ support system.

The Centre was set up to be a supportive institution for persons with marketable skills like tailors, ag-

riculturalists, seamstresses, teachers and cooks.

Mentally ill people should really be in the Berbice Rehabilitation Centre.

There have been horrible cases of street dwellers and mentally challenged people being murdered in Guyana.

There have also been many cases in which the deaths of such persons were suspected to be due to some kind of abuse, but this could not be proved due to lack of evidence.

When the current Government was in Opposition, they pledged to end the problem of pavement dwellers when they got into power. When I saw those pronouncements, I immediately suspected it was just campaign talk. It seems that I was right.

The fact is: for some undisclosed reason, the current Administration did not keep its promise. They have not yet erected even one shelter for street-dwellers and mentally ill persons.

The existing shelters being managed by the current Government were erected by previous Governments.

It is my personal perception that no government has the capacity to end homelessness in Guyana or any part of the world. Many of these people choose to be on the streets because they do not like to be housed in any shelter with rules and order.

This is why it is a sad sight for Guyana to see

drug addicts and other homeless persons loitering on the busy carriageway near Bourda Cemetery. It sends a disturbing message about our country and will obviously not inspire investors and tourists, even though homelessness exists in every part of the world.

To date, we have never approached the Government for any financial support and we have never asked anyone for any assistance.

All this is being done by the grace of God, the members of the organisation, the Guyana Islamic Forum and some volunteers have been providing some resources. There are a few other institutions involved in similar activities.

I believe dealing with this is too humongous a task for Government alone.

The Government needs to launch a multi-dimensional approach involving various sectors of business, Government, non-governmental organisations, etc, to address this matter.

This issue must be addressed in a holistic manner that does not make it appear that there is some political aim to be achieved other than service to our people.

Sincerely, Haji Roshan Khan Sr National Chairman Universal Peace Federation (Guyana)

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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

Was Millie a bilingual macaw or a bilingual parrot?

Dear Editor, A historic magazine was published of Guyana's participation at the EXPO 1967 in Canada and the 'Forward' was penned by one Frank Pilgrim, Public Relations Officer to the Prime Minister.

It was also the event where “Mille” became world famous for swearing in both the French and English languages respectively. I will also add that in commemoration, stamps were produced in four different colours in the denominations of five and 25 cents with “Millie's” photo attached.

However, as a philatelist, avid reader and collector of historic artefacts, I stumbled on something on page 17 of the magazine mentioned above and I would like to agree with F Pilgrim's description 'Millie the macaw.'

The stamp which was produced described “Millie” as a bilingual 'parrot.'

At first glance, I believe almost every human on earth will say or agree that “Millie” is a Macaw. However, if anyone was tasked to prepare a research paper, they will produce one

saying that macaws are specie of the parrot family which is totally accurate.

Did Guyana get it wrong with the description of “Millie” as a bilingual parrot instead of a bilingual macaw?

Could it be considered an error on the stamps and perhaps should be included with other stamps globally in

that category?

I am opened to be schooled by an English major, historian, specialist on the subject of parrots and macaws, general public...

Yours faithfully, T Pemberton

Desperately trying to give the families of Lindo Creek a plausible answer Dear Editor, The people who were killed at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, were "just a bunch a coolies" – no derogatory, demeaning or racial profiling meant here – but to establish a salient point.

My reason for making that blunt statement is to reveal the malice shown by their supporters when they openly speak about the killings at Lusignan, in this regard, I would like the editor to so publish. The higher echelons of the People’s National Congress (PNC) would want to deny these assertions however; the facts at the grassroots level undermine their denial claims.

Their own kind is never careful, nor can they understand, what serious consequences these racially divisive and highly toxic remarks can have on the fragile social harmony that we have in this country. So my advice to The PNC is to reinin their most vocal and unruly supporters.

So, the general notion is, to the families of the Lusignan slaughter show no compassion, while to the families of the predominantly black Lindo Creek slayings, offer plausible comfort.

Interesting! And interesting it is, because the widely touted rumour that the Joint Services, under specific instructions from Jagdeo, carried out those killings, is proven to be a nasty lie as testimony after testimony at the hearings has repeatedly shown.

It is quite clear now that this Commission of Inquiry (CoI) was given a specific mandate; that is, to substantiate a rumour, therefore snoop around for any information that would prop up that theory. But at every turn so far, they are coming up empty handed.

On the other hand, all tes-

timonies point to the fact that Lindo Creek was the brutal reality of the “Fine Man Freedom Fighters" – a murderous gang who were aided and abetted by "Opposition elements."

How did the Rondel "Fine Man" Rawlins gang get their camouflage gear? Where did they get their supplies of arms and ammunition? Who furnished this murderous horde with pertinent information about Joint Services whereabouts? These naked facts the PNC would never want the families to know.

They would rather keep them in the dark for as long as they possibly can. Further to our discussion is the fact that when one of the members of The “Fine Man” gang was recaptured, there was the subsequent killing of "Sagga."

A point of note, “Sagga's” murder came in quick succession to “Smallie's” capture – he too paid the ultimate price for "snitching." Here again is damning evidence that disputes the CoI's claims. Why did “Sagga” have to die?

Questions and more questions!

Could the families of the Lindo Creek Massacre get the message that they are being used by this Administration? Why can't they get the message that they are being taken for a merry ride? The sympathetic Judases are at work in an eddying media circus?

When President Granger said he would like to know the "intellectual authors" behind these killings, this was a subtle way in saying the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Administration ordered the killings. He was saying that the PPP Government under Jagdeo was responsible.

So why flog a dead horse when the information so far clears the former Government and Joint Services of

such wrongdoings? Why don't they do the honourable thing and admit their fault, say that their dearly beloved Rondel Rawlins did it and move on.

So, the charade continues with a CoI that is hard pressed to find an elusive cause, go visit the scene of the murders, show Commissioner Trotman and family members all teary eyed in emotional display.

Ironically, the inquiry team fail to realise that with that cheap political stunt, they had given themselves away.

If an 80-year-old man could have made that trip with relative ease, why couldn't “Fine Man” a bushman who knows

the terrain do the same? Very damning evidence indeed!

In closing, the Lindo Creek – Lusignan Massacres are intricately woven into each other, one cannot be upheld as murder while the other discarded as sheer coincidence, both are of equal importance and should be given the respect, the truthfulness, as well as the judicial review that they rightfully deserve. The present partisan, political masquerade cannot hide this fact; it only exposes it.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Proposed sedition clause is weapon to silence critics

Dear Editor, The proposed sedition clause in the Cyber Crimes Bill does not adequately protect the right to freedom of expression granted by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is far too broad to meet the international standards for restrictions on freedom of expression under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the clause does not serve a legitimate purpose and stifled debate on matters of public interest.

Freedom of speech is now seen as the touchstone of democracy and the ability of individuals to criticise the State is crucial to maintain freedom. Many commonwealth countries that had sedition laws either replaced it or abolished it to revamp their constitutional system.

On August 25, 2010, the Republic of Uganda abolished the sedition laws; Kenya repealed their sedition laws; in October 24, 2007, New Zealand repealed the Crime Act 1961 after many criticised the laws as it hindered freedom of speech and expression against the State; in 2005, the Australian Government introduced the Anti-Terrorism Bill which included more

protection for the media and leeway for freedom of expression; the United Kingdom also replaced the sedition laws to ensure freedom of expression.

While many countries are trying to protect democracy, it is evident that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government in 2018, a modernised era, is implementing laws that would ensure that there would be no criticism of this Government.

Imagine, when the AFC and the APNU were in Opposition, the never stopped criticising the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government, especially Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan, David Granger and others.

I want to join in condemnation of the APNU/AFC coalition Government’s implementation of the sedition clause that denies freedom of expression and urge that Government remove the proposed clause before the passing of the Cyber Crimes Bill.

Respectfully, Zamal Hussain Regional Councillor Regional Democratic Council Region Six

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By Susan Newman, PhD

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hether we like it or not, parenting has become a competitive sport. Kids are measured and tested and compared at their earliest stages – when did she talk? When did he walk? When did she start reading? Did he get picked for the travel team?...

I remember when my son was growing up, the comparisons and comments from friends felt omnipresent. We

Foundation

all want our children to be “stars”. However, too often we forget that children are individuals –you’ve probably heard that over and over –each developing at his or her own pace. Intellectually, most of us accept that.

Emotionally it’s harder to accept.

Social comparison triggers our feelings of envy and anxiety. Friendships easily become fragile and frayed under the best circumstances. However, when a friend

Occasionally, hearing about something a friend is doing with their child may make you realise you really should be working on a skill with your child or giving your child more opportunities to have a particular experience. However, you don’t need to be doing everything all the time, or be on the same learning schedule as anyone else. Be guided by your child, not by your parent friends. Observing and interacting with your child are the best ways to understand his personality, what he is most interested in, and what he is ready for.

Raising children should not be a competition as much as it feels that way. You can’t control what other parents do and say, but you can adjust your own thinking and reactions. Doing so will help you avoid being swept up in the competition and you’ll be less worried and stressed about your own parenting decisions. Throughout your child’s ages and stages, you will be able to enjoy your child and your friends much more.

tells you her three-year-old is reading, you may silently feel like a failure and wonder why your same-age child isn’t reading. These thoughts and feelings can start to negatively impact your mental state, and result in behaviours that begin to affect the quality of your friendships.

5 strategies to handle competitive parenting

I asked my colleague, Dr Alice Boyes, author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit, about how to manage these situations to avoid sabotaging our relationships with other parents.

1. When you feel competitive with your parent friends you can fall into passive-aggressive patterns of baiting and antagonizing each other.

Basically they can become frenemies.

When this happens, you might blame your friend(s), but when you look more realistically at your conversations, antagonising each other is a two-way street.

Try taking a two-week (or month, if you can) hiatus

from saying anything you expect will provoke a reaction in your friends and see if you can break the cycle of mutual antagonism.

2. Competitive parenting is contagious. When you deal with other competitive parents, it’s easy to feel annoyed and anxious that they are triggering your own sense of competitiveness (which lurks just below the sur-

face for most of us!). Instead, try focusing of the positives you get out of the relationship: What are her strengths? For example, a friend might be some-

one who has great ideas for games for entertaining your kids, or she’s fantastic about telling you about resources in your local community that you weren’t aware of, or she gives you new ideas for meals and snacks your child might like. It’s ok for people not to be perfect. A friend’s competitiveness isn’t her most endearing

quality, but focusing on her good qualities protects the friendship.

Research has shown that a huge percentage of our relationships with others are what’s known as ambivalent relationships, meaning

they are the source of both positive and negative emotions. It’s not unusual for parent-friend relationships to have that same dynamic.

3. You can’t stop other parents from bragging, but you can control how you hear it and react. Think about what type of reaction is least likely to encourage future boasting, while not hurting your friendship. The polar opposite reactions of either biting back or gushing will both likely lead to more boasting, whereas a more neutral or disinterested reaction is likely to lead to less bragging... eventually. A trap is that reacting neutrally may lead to a temporary spike in boasting initially. This is known as an “extinction burst.”

When people don’t get the reinforcement they expect, they often temporarily increase that behaviour, trying to get the reaction they want. Once they finally realise they won’t get it, they give up or at least reduce the annoying behaviour to something they do occasionally.

4. Recognise that competitive parenting – whether on your part or from others – is mostly just a sign that people love their kids and want the best for them.

Although there can be psychological issues that underlie competitive parenting, such as people who see their children and their achievements as an extension of themselves, you can also view it as a reflection of how much parents care about their kids. It’s their care and concern spilling over. When you view it this way, you’ll feel less annoyed, less anxious or concerned.

5. Note when you’re overly personalizing things your friends say. Make sure you don’t interpret your friends’ comments as relevant to you (or directed at you) when they’re not. For example, if a friend says “I’m doing X, Y, Z with my child,” it doesn’t mean that you need to do that, or that they’re even suggesting you should be doing the same. We all have our own strengths as parents. (psychologytoday.com)

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Armed robberies, burglaries Fisherman found dead on the increase – Police with throat slit

...serious crime down by 7%

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he Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday disclosed that there has been an upsurge in armed robberies up to the end of April when compared to the same period in 2017.

In fact, statistics released by the Force proved that there has been a 13 per cent increase in the scourge.

In addition, there has been a 26 per cent increase in robberies where no instruments were used. Nevertheless, there has been an overall sev-

en per cent increase in serious crimes at the end of April when compared to the same period last year.

There was also a 32 per cent decrease in robbery under arms where instruments other than firearms were used and a nine per cent decrease in robbery with violence. Also, a 39 per cent decline in robbery with aggravation was recorded as well as a 32 per cent decrease in larceny from the person.

The Police also recorded a 26 per cent decrease in murders, with 26 murders committed for the year thus far when compared to 35 in 2017.

Of the 26 murders, 11

were disorderly, seven stemmed from domestic disputes, six were as a result of armed robberies and two were classified as unknown.

The highest number of murders was committed in C Division (East Coast Demerara) followed

by A Division (GeorgetownEast Bank Demerara), with five and four apiece for D (West Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) and F (Interior Locations).

G (Essequibo Coast and

Islands) and B (Berbice) Divisions recorded three apiece. One murder was committed in E Division (Linden/ Kwakwani).

Meanwhile, a 14 per cent decrease was recorded in the reports of rape, but a 17 per cent increase was recorded for burglary. Finally, the Police stated that they have seen a decline by seven per cent in break and enter and larceny.

All in all, the Police recorded an overall decrease of seven per cent in serious crimes.

With respect to seizures of firearms, the Police have seized 47 illegal weapons for

the year thus far compared to the same period last year. Of those seized, 30 were pistols, nine were revolvers, six shotguns, one a submachine gun and one a rifle.

A whopping 24 illegal guns were taken off the streets in A Division. Nine were seized in F Division, six in B Division, four in C Division and two seized in G Division. One was confiscated in D Division and another in E Division.

Traffic The Police in a release revealed that there was a decrease in fatal accidents by 11.4 per cent up to the end of April, 2018, with 34 people having lost their lives.

Decreases were also recorded for serious, minor and damage accidents.

Speeding continues to account for most of the road deaths followed by pedestrians crossing in the path of approaching vehicles. Three people were killed as a result of driving under the influence of alcohol and three as the driver was inattentive. One person was killed as he failed to conform to signs.

A total of 29,064 cases were made out against errant drivers from January to April, 2018.

Meanwhile, the Police Force wishes to publicly acknowledge the unwavering support it has been receiving from all sections of society in the fight against crime which, without a doubt, is responsible for the reduction of serious crimes and all categories of road accidents.

– boat owner, 2 others arrested

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fisherman was found dead in a boat with his throat slit at Number 65 Village, Corentyne, Berbice on Thursday, suspected of having been murdered by a colleague following a misunderstanding.

The dead man has been identified as Devanand Jailall, called “Shetty”, a fisherman of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

According to information received, the now dead man and a colleague had a misunderstanding, which quickly escalated into a fight.

During the scuffle, both men reportedly armed themselves with knives, but the now dead man was overpowered by the suspect who dealt him several stabs to the body, including his hand, neck, and chest.

Upon realising what he had done, the suspect attempted to stop the bleeding and as such, wrapped the injured man’s neck with a bed sheet. At the time of discovery of the body, the sheet was still wrapped around Jailall’s neck.

The boat’s owner, Alex Younge, also called “Roberto”, reportedly told Police he went to the station to report the matter immediately after receiving the news. Nevertheless, the owner and two other men

Sister of the now dead man, Dhanmattie Rampersaud

were arrested and were being interrogated. The main suspect has fled.

Jailall was taken to the

Skeldon Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

D h a n m a t t i e Rampersaud, a sister of the now dead man, told reporters that her brother had gone to visit her and his son at her Port Mourant home, but they were not at home.

The woman further noted that her sister-in-law called and informed her that her brother was found with his throat slit and without hesitation, she rushed to the scene.

When she arrived there, the body had already been taken to the Skeldon Hospital.

It is still unclear why the men were arguing. (Andrew Carmichael)

The boat in which the fisherman was found with his throat slit

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Terror…

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...in Gaza and Guyana

he world should wake up to what’s going on in the Gaza strip...but sadly the story will only be told from the standpoint of the Israelis. And this is something that we in Guyana should wake up to. Long before we heard of “fake news”...there was the slanted news written by those that controlled the media in the North. The only thing was, we didn’t know that the news was invariably so one sided that for all intents and purposes it was really PR for the favoured party.

The New York Times, for instance, is owned by the Schultzberger family...of impeccable Jewish ancestry.

Now the Schultzberger family would’ve never been thought to be biased since they had also had such impeccably Liberal credentials. They could definite the gold standard for news reporting since no one questioned their claim to be printing “All the news that’s fit to print”. But from the moment the State of Israel was founded, it had a friend in the New York Times.

The slanting comes in two forms – first there’s the actual distorted reporting...which wasn’t used too much since it could be caught fairly easily. But even then, who would be there to match the reach of the Times to circulate the real deal? “Silencing” was and remains the preferred technique. Here, the story of the ‘other’ is not told...or told in such a sketchy way that the fleshed out story of the favoured party always elicits the greater sympathy. For instance, today you will read in great detail about individual personalities and perspectives of the Jewish side ...like Netanyahu and his army career.

We will read and hear about his family and their fears and hopes. But who on the Palestinian side gets a comparative granular treatment. In fact, the Palestinian leaders are all “terrorists” who are reigning terror on poor Israel. Yet of the dozens of Palestinians killed in the face off over the opening of the US Embassy at Jerusalem, most were killed by sniper fire...but they’re not terrorists.

In Guyana we have a similar situation of silencing with our 5700 sugar workers who have been fired and the 2000 who’ve been let go by private cane farmers who’ve lost their market. We hear in great detail in the Chronic – the paper of the people of Guyana – about the losses of GuySuCo; even today about some favoured business associates. But where have they taken the time to write about the tragedy that’s unfolding in the sugar belt?

What the authorities are doing in precipitating the same dynamics as in the Gaza strips.

One where the youths will have nothing to lose even if they take on the authorities with slingshots.

...and anti-constitutionalism

Constitutionalism describes an order where man is governed by the rule of law as spelled out in great detail for those that will govern the state in the Constitution. But what we’ve seen unfolding in Guyana is a determined and sustained attack on the notion of “constitutionalism” by the PNC-led Government in general and President Granger in particular.

The most recent is the latter’s dealing with appointment of the two highest judicial posts of the land – the Chancellor and the Chief Justice as if it were a tennis match. And this is not a coincidence since the Judiciary is the guardian of the Constitution – and the rule of law. The Constitution spells out the procedure for appointment of these two officials – one that was inserted specifically to ensure there was consensus in filling these critical positions.

The President proposes names and the Opposition Leader must agree. If he doesn’t, then it is up to the President to do one of two things: submit new names or make acting appointments. In the latter instance, it is obvious even though consensus wasn’t reached, the unilaterally appointed individual (s) should not be an outlier.

And President Granger’s choice of Benjamin isn’t just an outlier – but an Army officer trained by Granger.

This will not do!! ...and the roundabout Have you, dear reader seen roundabouts in operation?

It’s like a comet plunging into a planet’s gravitational field and being hurled out.

As one writer said, Guyanese just don’t have the discipline to control that “hurl”.

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

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Jagdeo accuses Govt of sneakily altering debt ceiling – warns amendment could increase Govt’s liability risk

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recent decision made

by Government to raise the current debt ceiling guarantee to $50 billion has been criticised by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who claimed that this move will increase the Government’s liability risk. Jagdeo said although the decision was made in Parliament, he noted that it was done sneakily.

The Opposition Leader claimed that after Speaker of the House, Dr Barton Scotland indicated that Private Members Business was done for the day, he packed up and left, only to find out later that the issue was reopened. “What they did last week in Parliament, surreptitiously, at the last hour,” he explained.

According to him, the amendment could be applicable to the loans that Government has taken. “I suspect this is to facilitate the $30 million bond and maybe the bridge across the Demerara River (New

Demerara River Crossing),” he stated. But Jagdeo said he is still convinced that these are huge financial risks.

While Finance Minister Winston Jordan tried to convince the National Assembly during its last sitting that Government will do better in repaying this $30 million bond, Jagdeo argued that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government managed to secure a lower interest rate for Marriott.

“In the case of Marriott’s failure to service the loan, then the Government will have to step in and service the loan. The intention was to sell that project in the first place. So once you sold that property it was the private developer’s responsibility to service the loan and not the Government,” he added.

Jagdeo, an economist, explained further that in that case, the hotel’s assets would be used to collateralise the loan. And in case where the person who owns fails to pay, the bank can levy on the

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

property.

He said, “But he (Jordan) has now brought that into the Treasury. The loan was collateralised using the assets of the Marriott by taking the loan and bringing it to the Treasury.”

The former Head of State is suspicious that Government will do the same for the $30 million bond that they are negotiating for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

During the last sitting of the National Assembly on May 11, Government used its one seat majority to pass a motion that extends the ceiling for the State to guarantee debts, to up $50 billion, for any project upon which the Government wishes to embark upon.

While the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) was in Opposition, it had rejected a motion to raise the debt ceiling to the required level with respect to the Amaila Falls Hydro Project and as such, the project was killed.

Jagdeo outlined that in relation to the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, the PPP Government was not guaranteeing a debt but was guaranteeing contingent liability.

In other words, Government would have only become liable if the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) refused to buy the power or pay for the power bought under a Power Purchase Agreement.

Essequibo man injured in Mother’s Day accident discharged

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20-year-old resident of Bethany Mission, Supenaam Creek, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) was on Thursday discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) following his involvement in a vehicular accident on Mother’s Day. The young man, Yoni Thomas, admitted that he was “taking a few shots” with his friends to celebrate the occasion and on his way home, he was struck by a vehicle.

As such, he was rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital but due to the extent of his injuries, he was transferred to the GPHC where he underwent CT scans among other medical examinations. The young

Injured: Yoni Thomas

man was being treated for a fractured skull.

Thomas’ mother, Ramona Thomas said she is

still trying to put the pieces together to understand what exactly happened on that night she almost lost her second child.

She added that she heard conflicting versions of what actually transpired.

According to her, the driver who committed the crime drove off the scene but he was later arrested.

The mother explained that the driver subsequently ended up at the Suddie Hospital with his girlfriend, who was injured during the accident.

Persons who recognised the vehicle then made contact with the Police, which resulted in his arrest.

Ramona Thomas is now calling for the driver to face the full brunt of the law.

Jagdeo said by providing a Government guarantee through the debt ceiling amendment, the Finance Minister has shifted the liability onto the Treasury.

His party in a press statement on the issue had said that the passage of the bill paves the way for Guyana to once again be on the road towards “financial and economic bankruptcy.”

In February 2018, it was disclosed that the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited’s (NICILs) Special Purpose Unit (SPU) was seeking $30 billion in loans via a syndicated bond to support GuySuCo and its remaining estates.

The funding, it was outlined, would cover a fouryear period and will provide capital, support infrastructure maintenance and upgrades at Albion, Blairmount and Uitvlugt.

The monies are also expected to go towards devel-

oping new co-generation capacity for the estate operations and the national electric grid. Government has since secured this loan.

Additionally, in early April 2018, Minister Jordan said “Guyana has not received any loans from the Islamic Development Bank [IsDB]”; however he noted that “the IsDB has a resource envelope of US$900 million that is potentially available from which the Government of Guyana can borrow.”

In response, Jagdeo said that the coalition Administration was pawning the future of Guyana.

He said the debt accumulated from 2015 to 2018, plus the $30 billion from Republic Bank, coupled with the US$900 million which the PPP predicts Government will borrow from the Islamic Development Bank, doubles the total debt which the PPP had left after 24 years in Government. (Samuel Sukhnandan)

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

8000 housing units to be made available through PPP initiative – CH&PA

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he Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) on Thursday launched its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative with the aim of delivering over 8000 units to low and moderate-income earners as part of its housing solutions in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) by 2021.

Chief Executive Officer Lelon Saul said the PPP model was aimed at addressing the shortfall in housing units on the supply side, particularly for low to moderate-income families.

He noted that the current rate of delivery was woefully inadequate, adding that there was an urgent need to address the issue of affordability and access to mortgage financing.

“Housing continues to be a mirage for large proportion of ordinary Guyanese despite ongoing initiatives.

The current rate of delivery is woefully inadequate.

Undoubtedly, there is an urgent need to address the issue of affordability and access to mortgage financing.

Current data shows that there is a strong preference for built units and we recognise at the current rate

Minister within the Communities Ministry, Valerie Adams-Yearwood and CH&PA CEO Lelon Saul (seated centre) with the seven shortlisted housing developers and other CH&PA staff

of production we will not be able to address the demand in a timely manner, thus birthed the Public-Private Partnership model,” Saul said.

Saul noted that home ownership would no longer be an elusive dream, highlighting that there were many low to medium-income individuals who were allocated house lots and were yet to commence building.

“Several factors are contributing to this undesirable state. Apart from access to mortgage financing, slothful pace of infrastructural development and low confidence in building contractors are also contributing factors. The Public-Private Partnership model is not touted as the panacea, but

in a great way, it will benefit our citizens. Our citizens will benefit from lower cost units, units that are durable, built to international standards, and are constructed in record time,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Communities Ministry, Valerie AdamsYearwood said the Government has embarked on an ambitious plan to provide housing for low-income earners, State employees and young people within the price range of $4 to $10 million.

She further stated that the PPP initiative provided an avenue for the partners and others to become viable partners to contribute to the development of Guyana.

“We carried out a sur-

vey and [in] that survey we learnt that more than 9000 have a preference for various types of housing units rather than the house lots and I envisage that the PublicPrivate Partnership will help us to respond to that demand,” Adams-Yearwood said.

CH&PA Project Manager Omar Narine while providing an overview of the project said in 2016 they conducted market research for potential contractors, consortiums, and financiers to execute infrastructural developmental works, construction of social facilities, and construction of building units.

He noted that following the publishing of an Expression of Interest, they received more than 20 proposals and they would have successfully evaluated seven of those. Narine explained the seven companies have already submitted their de-

sign layouts which are being evaluated.

“They (design layouts) are with the Planning Department and they are being reviewed and in the next two to three weeks, we are expected to close that process and head to the next phase of this initiative. The critical information was provided to the private partners,” Narine said.

“The next step is after the design layouts we would be

reviewing financial proposals and the different housing options presented by you the partners…after that is the selection of the contract and the best suited one will be selected based on the negotiations at that stage,” he added.

The shortlisted companies are Reno Vess, Namalco, Mohamed Ramit and Sons, Green Heart Tree Energy, Eco Energy, FTM, and China Dillian.

(Lakhram Bhagirat)

Unemployed man arraigned for murder of market vendor

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hirty-year-old Malcolm Brown of Belmonte, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was on Thursday arraigned on the murder of Fareez Yaseem, who was stabbed at least 12 times during an attempted robbery on Monday last.

Brown was not required to plead to the charge when it was read to him by Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court.

The father of three was killed during a confrontation with Brown, who was attempting to break into a storage bond.

Reports are the now dead man was awakened by a sound emanating from the lower flat of the house and went to investigate.

As he walked down the

Dead: Fareez Yaseem

flight of stairs, he reportedly saw the suspect trying to gain access to the bond resulting in a confrontation and ultimately, a scuffle between the men.

It was during the scuffle that the suspect whipped out a knife and dealt Yaseem several blows to his body.

Guyana Times was told that the injured man fell into a drain and died almost immediately while the perpetrator made good his escape, but reportedly left his pedal cycle and a slipper behind.

Acting on information, the Police subsequently arrested Brown and after interrogation, charges were instituted. Brown will make his next court appearance on June 8, 2018.

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Eureka to provide offshore medical care to oil and gas industry

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he Eureka Medical Lab has teamed up with Atlantic Offshore Medical Services to provide occupational health and safety services to the oil and gas industry.

This was announced on Tuesday evening at the health institution’s Thomas Street, Georgetown location as it launched its Fast Track service.

Eureka Medical Lab Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Boyle said, “You heard me mention Eureka Atlantic Offshore Medical Services, it’s not magic, it’s reality … AOMS (Atlantic Offshore Medical Services) has joined with Eureka to establish or form Eureka Atlantic Offshore Medical Services. We are going to be providing occupational health and safety services to the oil industry and, of course, to others as well and this entity will afford Guyanese and others, of course…the opportuni-

ty to have state-of-the- art medical services…”

At the launch, First Lady Sandra Granger congratulated the medical institution on its major achievement, noting that “the sky and the seas are the limit for Mr Boyle and his team”.

Eureka’s Fast Track is a new service that was launched with the intention of providing a more comfortable service with little or no delay at an additional cost.

The service seeks to provide faster results for phlebotomy and ultrasound tests, which will help customers to escape long lines and save valuable time.

In doing so, the customers will have access to the onestop centre from 07:00h to 22:00h on a daily basis, except on Sundays and selected holidays.

The new service, which was made available from Wednesday, ensures speed, security, and privacy. It al-

Heritage Month proposals to be submitted by May 27

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A presentation at last year’s Heritage celebrations

head of Amerindian Heritage Month, annually observed in September, the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry has published a request for proposals to be submitted for activities for the monthlong celebration, as well as a theme.

According to the Ministry’s Communications Officer, Alethea Grant, the proposals must be sent in before May 27. She noted the importance of the public’s participation in proposing not only the activities for the celebrations, but the theme as well.

Grant told Guyana Times, “We are meeting as a committee and we are still in planning mode. We hope to get new and vibrant ideas for this year’s Heritage celebrations.”

The outstanding proposals submitted will be featured in this year’s Heritage activities. The call for proposals is nothing new to this Ministry since Grant said it usually did this every year.

Persons seeking to submit their proposals can do so by clearly labelling their packages “Heritage 2018” before dropping them

off at the Ministry’s 251252 Thomas and Quamina Streets, Georgetown office.

The Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry launched the annual Heritage Festival at the Umana Yana, in Georgetown last year, under the theme “Guyana’s first peoples; sustaining a rich cultural environment”. The launch was done in the spirit of International Day of World Indigenous Peoples.

It saw the participation of all six ethnic groups at its many activities.

Amerindian Heritage Month grew out of the commemoration of the day Stephen Campbell became Guyana’s first Amerindian Member of Parliament on September 10, 1957. On September 10, 1995, then President Cheddi Jagan officially designated September Amerindian Heritage Month.

The official opening of Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations usually takes place at the Umana Yana on the first day of September.

Every year a Heritage Village is selected, which becomes the focus of festivities.

First Lady Sandra Granger cuts the ribbon to open the new facility

lows customers the privilege of making appointments to better save and manage their time.

Boyle reiterated the convenience of the service while adding that he hoped

to make it a 24-hour service in the future.

The new facility is being launched due to him receiving a significant amount of calls, requesting faster service.

“In Fast Track, it’s a very simple structure that allows one person to do all of those details that is to take your data; of course you make your payments, and then we take the sam-

ples and the results, of course, will be fast-tracked as well.”

He stated that Fast Track would also be safe, since security guards would be on the spot, as well as CCTV. Boyle also announced that in a few weeks’ time, he anticipated beginning “exotic tests” at the facility which include testing for alpha-fetoprotein, folic acid, Vitamin D along with a few others, at a fraction of the cost it was previously being done for, since they were able to acquire advanced equipment.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence noted the importance of the services to the ordinary citizen as well as politicians.

“This move works directly in sync with the Ministry’s health vision which seeks to make Guyanese the healthiest in the Caribbean,” Lawrence added. (Devina Ramdass)

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Former Deputy Mayor resigns from city’s Market Committee

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ormer Deputy Mayor and Alliance For Change Councillor Lionel Jaikarran has confirmed that he resigned his post as Chairman of the Georgetown City Council’s Market Committee on Monday amid what he referred to as a “lack of cooperation” from Town Clerk Royston King to properly implement a proposal for the relocation of vendors across the municipality.

Jaikarran, speaking with Guyana Times on Thursday, said that he has already handed in his formal resignation which took immediate effect after he was unable to deal with the frustration of having to deal with an inept and non-cooperative Town Clerk.

He particularly became frustrated with what he referred to as the “runaround” from the city’s administration whenever time sensitive and critical decisions had to be made with respect to the work of the Committee.

Jaikarran said over

AFC Councillor Lionel Jaikarran

the past few months, the Committee was making attempts to relocate vendors from the Stabroek Market Wharf, after the Public Infrastructure Ministry had indicated its intention of beginning rehabilitation works at the vending site in the coming months.

“I was Head of the Market’s Committee and we were trying to reposition vendors from the Stabroek Market Wharf be-

cause the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is going to start renovating that area, shortly. For the last three to four months, five months, the Town Clerk is not cooperating with us. The administration is not cooperating,” he explained.

He explained that the Market Committee was tasked with providing a list of places to the Council for the merchants to be relocated. However, without the administration’s assistance, the task proved futile.

“They asked us to come up with a list of places to put these vendors but they’re not giving us any suggestions. Now we’re not admin so we don’t know what the Council owns and what the Council doesn’t own. So it got to the stage where we were doing site visits and we kept going around in circles and I got very frustrated with that. That’s not my way of doing things,” he explained.

Back in 2017, Jaikarran was elected Deputy Mayor over his predecessor, Sherod

Duncan who had often been very outspoken against the actions of the Mayor, Patricia Chase Green and Town Clerk Royston King.

However, when Jaikarran continued down the same path as Duncan – being critical of City Hall – the AFC Councillor was “blocked” from being re-elected in 2018.

Following the Mayoral election earlier this year, Chase Green had taken her place at the head of the horseshoe table and opened the floor for nominations

for the position of Deputy Mayor and both Duncan and Chase Green’s PNC colleague, Councillor Oscar Clarke, rose to nominate their candidates.

However, Clarke was allowed to nominate his choice, which was Councillor Peter, and Duncan, who intended to nominate Jaikarran, had to take his seat.

Immediately Councillor Ivelaw Henry rose to second the nomination after which both Duncan and Councillor Tricia Richards both stood up resulting in the Mayor

asking one of them to be seated.

When they both remained standing, she was asked to recognise one Councillor and she chose to listen to her other PNC colleague, Richards, who then successfully moved a motion for nominations to be closed resulting in Duncan being denied the opportunity to speak.

It was that scenario that initially signalled some amount of bad blood between the coalition partners.

Husband, wife found with marijuana

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Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) couple are expected to appear at the Providence Magistrate’s Court later today, on a joint charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

According to information received, Police on a mobile patrol in the Diamond-Grove communities on Wednesday evening, went to the home of a 38-year-old grocer at Lot 382 Grove and conducted a search.

However, in the presence of the man’s 44-yearold wife, a parcel containing 134 grams of cannabis concealed inside PVC pipe was discovered. They were both told of the offence and arrested.

Man drops gun, ammo after seeing Police

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olice are now hunting a male who reportedly managed to evade them on Thursday after dropping a parcel containing a pistol and several live rounds of ammunition along the Mabura Trail, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

According to information received, ranks in

the E Division (LindenKwakwani) were conducting an exercise at Mabura and about 14:15h, a male was seen approaching on a motorcycle.

Upon seeing the ranks, the suspect reportedly dropped a taped parcel, turned his motorcycle around and sped away.

Ranks attempted to pursue him, but to no avail.

The parcel was retrieved and upon checking, it was found to contain a 9mm Taurus Pistol and four live matching rounds of ammunition. The weapon was lodged as the Police continue their hunt for the rider.

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Minibus driver arrested Consultations on National at home after accident Child Labour Policy begin

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ollowing an accident on Tuesday morning in the vicinity of Demico House, Brickdam, the driver of the minibus implicated was arrested at his home and was expected to make his appearance in court on Monday.

Twenty-five-year-old Francine Ramdass, a student of the ER Burrowes School of Art was reportedly struck down by the driver, whose name was given as Eugene while she was on the pedestrian crossing.

The injured student was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by the driver, who subsequently fled the scene.

Ramdass sustained several lacerations on her knee, arm and lips, and was currently suffering excruciating pain.

She told Guyana Times

The injured Francine Ramdass

that she was on her way to class when the accident occurred. The student recalled that while she was partially conscious, the driver came out of his minibus and checked for damage before rendering any assistance to her.

Meanwhile, the injured young woman complained of the sloppy treatment she received at the country’s leading health institution.

Ramdass posited that she stood and waited for several minutes before being attended to, although she was in pain.

She added that when she finally got to see the doctor, the woman just looked at her and said she was “okay”.

The student further explained that she had to inform the doctor that her knee was hurting before she was examined.

Upon examining the young woman, the doctor reportedly took several pieces of gravel out of her knee.

Ramdass complained that her wounds were partially cleaned and were not dressed by the doctor, since there was no medical gauze or plasters.

The student said she subsequently visited the Diamond hospital where the wounds were treated.

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he Social Protection Ministry through the Department of Labour has finally begun consulting stakeholders on the National Child Labour Policy.

Members of the Public Sector, Private Sector, religious groups, and other organisations were involved in a discussion where recommendations were made on various areas the policy should cover.

The consultations also included representatives from the Ministry’s Child Care and Protection Agency, Trafficking in Persons Department, Gender Affairs Bureau, and Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit.

Assistant Chief Labour Officer Karen Vansluytman-

Assistant Chief Labour Officer Karen Vansluytman-Corbin during her remarks at the national child labour forum

Corbin explained that in keeping with Convention 138 and 182 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which deal with minimum age and address the worst forms of child labour respectively, the Government has several key pieces of legislation in place to combat forms

of child labour, such as the employment of young children.

The Department will continue meeting with stakeholders across the country to discuss their opinions and concerns about what should be included in the policy. turn to page 14

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Indian Heritage Expo set 2nd victim succumbs for May 26 at Leonora Linden-Soesdyke Highway smash-up

A member of the Indian Cultural Centre giving a glimpse of what can be expected at the exhibition

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he Guyanese of Indian Ancestry Association (GIAA) on Wednesday evening launched the Indian Heritage Expo 2018 at the Indian Monument Gardens, under the theme “Embracing Our History - Regaining Our Cultural Identity”.

The keynote speaker, Dr Seeta Shah Roath told the gathering that the expo is a celebration of the many ancestors from which unique cultures were birthed, and more so, a reflection of what has been accomplished over the years in every sector.

“We hear a lot about

agents of change but we are the agents of continuity for future generations and we have to continue to do this or as in some other countries, our legacy will go downward instead of being celebrated, expanded and enjoyed by future generations”, Dr Roath stated.

Additionally, one of the coordinators of the event, Praem Rambharak, explained that the event was planned with the intention of seeking to highlight all aspects of Indian culture and the need for Guyanese to embrace their cultural identity,

The minibus involved in the accident

as mentioned in the theme.

The expo is expected to attract some 5000 persons and will feature a variety of Indian food, fashion, dances, craft, and music. The popular Guyanese cricketer, Veerasammy Permaul will also be in attendance.

While the organisers have promised to have an entertaining exhibition, they have called on corporate Guyana to support the event.

The exhibition will be held at the Leonora Synthetic Track, West Coast Demerara on May 26.

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ollowing the tragic Linden Highway accident which occurred on Mother’s Day, another passenger in the minibus succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The passenger, Quinton Odle, 42, of 137 Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara, reportedly took his last breath at about 13:00h on Thursday. He was being treated for spinal injuries among others.

Odle is the second person to have succumbed to injuries from the horrific two-vehicle smash-up on Sunday last which has left at least 18 persons injured.

Hours after the accident, six-year-old Arianna Hughes of Lot 23-44 Rohan Housing Scheme, Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) succumbed to her injuries.

She sustained severe internal and head injuries as a

result of the head-on collision.

Her mother, 31-year-old Shennelle Hughes; along with Jada Enmore, nine; Tyrese Arthur, four; Prem Persaud, 46; Lakeram Persaud, 21, and Rookmine Persaud all remain patients at the medical facility nursing head injuries and broken bones.

An accident victim, Prem Persaud, 46, of Caneville, Grove, EBD, who is currently nursing broken legs at the Georgetown Public Hospital told Guyana Times on Thursday that his family was on a creek outing when tragedy struck.

“We left early from the creek…whilst going now we see this car that was swaying all fashion coming and we just like stick up in the corner like and de car run in and lash we… we whole family went in de bus,” the man cried.

The father of four, who is

Prem Persaud’s injured legs

lucky to be alive, said he is expected to undergo surgery on one of his legs. He said that his wife, Rookmin (only name given) is also hospitalised.

The victims were occupants of minibus BHH 8451 when it collided headon with the motorcar in the vicinity of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

It was reported that the driver of the motor car, Shennelle Hughes, drove into a pool of water thus causing her to lose control of the vehicle. She swerved directly into the path of the oncoming minibus which was heading in the opposite direction.

Several persons from both vehicles sustained injuries and were rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where they were treated, but those persons with the more serious injuries were transferred to the GPHC. (Devina Ramdass)

Consultations on National...

When the policy is completed, a national action plan will be put in place.

Additionally, institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations against child labour were established and all key international conventions concerning the is-

sues ratified.

According to the United States Department of Labour, “In 2016, Guyana made a moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

The Government reformed the Inter-Ministerial

from page 13

Taskforce on Combating Trafficking in Persons, began developing a National Action Plan and Policy on Child Labour, and finalised the 2017–2018 National Action Plan on Combating Trafficking in Persons.

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

COTED must position itself Vanderhyden praises bicycle patrol to address rapidly-changing as effective means in fighting crime trade environment – Chair

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he rapidly-changing trading environment demands that the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) of Caricom find an “appropriate mix of methodologies and strategies” to address the Council’s expanding agenda.

This is according to Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration Minister, Chet Greene, who is chairing the 46th Meeting of COTED. In remarks at the opening session of the meeting at the Caricom Secretariat on Wednesday, in Guyana, the Minister referred to both internal and external trade matters that could impact the Community’s progress towards sustained economic prosperity.

These include the implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME); market access for products; the review of the Common External Tariff (CET); the CARIFORUMEuropean Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA); the future of trade with the United Kingdom after Brexit and the impasse between the US and China.

“Colleagues, there are a number of other issues that will impact on our respective industries, which we must pay particular attention to. These include the impasse between the USA and China, reports of Turkish imports (particularly flour) into the Region, and the importation of fake goods from various countries,” Greene stated.

He further said that geopolitical decisions were causing changes within the external trade and manufacturing environment, which would certainly have an im-

Linden bicycle patrol ranks outfitted in new uniforms

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COTED Chair, Antigua and Barbuda Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration Minister Chet Greene

pact on our industries and market.

‘The Council must position itself to examine the real and potential impact of these matters, and take proactive concrete steps to remedy them. Colleagues, we cannot afford to be reactive, our respective industries and businesses are depending on us to confront and deal with these issues in a decisive way.

“Who else is best suited to safeguard our interest,” the Minister queried rhetorically. He pointed out that the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas mandated COTED to promote, evaluate, establish, and develop policies, programmes, and measures that protect and preserve the Region’s trading environment.

In his remarks, the Minister urged the Meeting to find mechanisms to settle longstanding issues and to address the new and emerging matters on the agenda. He said that the rules of procedures of COTED

– which would have been discussed at the meeting – would help to deal with the longstanding matters.

“Colleagues, if we are to seriously settle these longstanding issues for the benefit of our respective Private Sector, we must consider the provisions of the Treaty outside of a Member State’s right to take those matters to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). I am reminded of an old adage, “it’s the Private Sector that trade, and we create the enabling environment and set policies”. Let us not, therefore, create obstacles or prevent the free flow of trade between our respective countries,” the Minister said.

“Let us not hand this over to anyone, but work within the provisions of our Treaty, and other foreign and domestic relations to address these issues,” he said.

The meeting of regional Ministers with responsibility for trade concluded on Thursday.

Division (LindenK w a k w a n i ) Commander Anthony Vanderhyden believes that the implementation of bicycle patrols in several areas in Linden has been beneficial in the fight against crime in those areas.

Presently, the Division has 10 bicycle patrols that operate in Central Mackenzie, Amelia’s Ward and Wismar.

Five are based at Central Mackenzie, two at Amelia’s Ward, and three at Wismar.

They operate during the day, taking reports associated with traffic cases and minor matters such as physical fights.

Vanderhyden said the patrols are also in close contact with the nearest Police Station via radio sets in the instance of more serious cases, noting that in such cases, the necessary personnel are sent to the scene.

“The bicycle patrol is very effective, especially in the commercial [areas] and places where hire cars would operate. They are able to deal with situations on the spot, congestion, accepting of reports. Anything more than them, they will call to the main station,” the Commander added.

Recently, as part of a countrywide initiative, the Linden bicycle patrols were

outfitted in new special uniforms which make them more identifiable.

The Commander said the initiative was also in keeping with the Force’s policy and would help to foster good Police public relations in an effort to fight crime.

“This is an initiative of our Commissioner and it is a change for the Division... it’s a new look so that we can have that partnership with the members of the public in dealing with crime. So, this new look in Linden, it helps in being more identifiable and fostering better relations,” he said. (Utamu Belle)

UG, National Library host exhibition on work, life of Cheddi Jagan

Prominent Linden businessman and LCICD Executive Stephen "Steve" Bovell passes on

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rominent Linden businessman and Linden Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Development (LCICD) Executive Member Stephen “Steve” Bovell has died following health-related complications.

Bovell was the proprietor of Demerara Bakery, situated at Burnham Drive, Wismar, Linden, which he founded more than 20 years ago. Bovell, who was known to have a heart condition, reportedly passed away on Tuesday evening.

The LCICD in a release stated: “The President and members of the Linden Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Development extend heartfelt condolences to the wife, children, and oth-

Prominent Linden businessman Stephen Bovell

er relatives and friends on the passing of Mr Stephen Bovell. We pray that God strengthen you all in this

time of bereavement and may his soul Rest in Peace.”

Scores of persons in Linden, including residents, officials, and members of the business community have also expressed grief and shock over the businessman’s passing.

Former Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland noted, “If there was one person I could have called upon last minute to support any initiative I was undertaking in Linden as Mayor, to give me some history of Linden or things of Linden, to ask about the quality of some infrastructure projects – it was Steve Bovell,” Holland noted.

Bovell is survived by his children and many relatives. He will be laid to rest during the week.

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Some of the artefacts on display at the exhibition

he University of Guyana, in collaboration with the National Library, hosted a two-day exhibition on the life and work of the late Dr Cheddi Jagan at State House in Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.

The event began on Tuesday.

The exhibition was one in a series that will be held across the country to mark

the centenary birth anniversary of the late President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Essequibians, especially schoolchildren, were given a chance to learn more about the man who sacrificed his entire life for a free and just Guyana.

On display were books he wrote, speeches, journals, addresses, letters, newspaper articles, pamphlets,

quotations and videos compiled by the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre. There were also photographic displays on the contributions made by this great son of the soil.

One of the most-talkedabout documented his visit in 1993 to Singapore, where an orchid was renamed after him, the “Dendrobium Cheddi Jagan”.

news

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friDAY, may 18, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jagdeo calls for Minister Patterson’s brother to be investigated – Minister promises not to influence the outcome of the case

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iven recent reports that the brother of Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson was charged in Grenada for trafficking narcotics, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has suggested that Government launch an investigation to determine whether he was given certain privileges here.

Jagdeo was responding to a question posed to him in relation to whether the brother of the Public Infrastructure Minister should be investigated. It was explained that relatives of Ministers and other top Government officials are usually given special privileges when travelling.

“This is what the Government should launch a full investigation into. Since this is a clean Government that does not tolerate drug dealing,” the former Head of State told the local media.

Derrick Patterson, the younger brother of Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, was arrested by Grenadian Police and arraigned in court on charges of cocaine trafficking.

Derrick Patterson at court on Monday (Photo by The New Today)

According to reports from The New Today, a Grenadian news agency, Patterson was remanded to Grenada’s Richmond Hill Her Majesty’s Prison after appearing in court before Chief Magistrate Tamara Gill at the St George’s Number One Magistrate’s

Court on Monday.

It is understood that Patterson was charged with trafficking a controlled drug; a total of 2.325kg of cocaine, with an approximate street value of $232,500, that was found in his possession on May 2.

Jagdeo noted that ques-

GPSU mulls legal action against GGMC over union dues

From left: Mortimer Livan, Dawn Gardener and other executives of the GPSU during Thursday’s press conference

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he Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) said it plans to take legal action over the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) over the alleged withholding of union dues from employees for several months.

The GPSU has denied that GGMC workers have opted to end their membership with the Union. In fact, GPSU executive Mortimer Livan debunked a newspaper article that sought to draw that conclusion.

“Completely contrary to the headline story there has been no breakaway from GPSU representation,” Livan told a news conference on Thursday, while explaining that no resignations were ever submitted.

He explained that union dues are statutorily deducted from members’ salaries and handled by the agency concerned and afterwards handed over to the union.

Liven said the handing over exercise has not taken place for some months now, and

the GPSU is not assuming that GGMC workers did not pay dues.

However, the GPSU executive noted that the dues were deducted from workers’ salaries premised on the authorisation they submitted to the GPSU which instructed management to make the deductions. This, Livan said, was in keeping with the rules of the GPSU and to pay the unions such amounts.

But that is not the case, as the Union claimed it has evidence that these amounts that are being deducted from the GGMC are being “arbitrarily and unlawfully withheld.”

Another GPSU executive, Dawn Gardener said although it was reported that the workers made the request to have the monies deducted, the GPSU has not received any letter of resignations.

“The GPSU wishes to state that it has been persistent in its representation of the workers of the GGMC

in a range of matters pertaining to their conditions of service,” she explained.

Gardener said repeated requests have been made for the GGMC to engage the Union on critical health and safety matters. However, the Union is still awaiting confirmation of a date of such a meeting.

The GPSU official said once the meeting is finalised, it intends to raise various work-related issues which prevailed because of the negligence and incompetence of the former branch executives.

“We stand, as well, prepared to engage our members at the GGMC on such matters as they would wish to discuss with us and continue to work with in pursuit of solutions,” she added.

The Union has already written the GGMC to meet and discuss this issue.

However, if the matter is not resolved, the GPSU plans to proceed with legal action in two weeks’ time.

tions about whether the coalition’s campaign for the May 2015 General and Regional Elections was financed by drug money are ones that will have to be answered.

“These are the same people who accused the PPP of being in bed with drug dealers, they have it right in their own home… what are they going to say now?” he said in relation to Patterson’s brother’s arrest.

While Jagdeo did not call for Patterson’s resignation because of his brother’s actions, he recalled that Rashleigh Jackson, a former Government Minister resigned when his son was busted with drugs.

However, he added that there are grounds for a call for his resignation based on his actions at the Public Infrastructure Ministry.

Jagdeo also noted too

that news of Patterson’s arrest did not come to light locally until weeks after the fact. “This came up almost three weeks after it happened…this incident happened since May 2,” he said.

Shocked

Meanwhile, Minister Patterson finally broke his silence on the matter on Thursday evening in a post on social media. The Minister said members of his family were shocked to learn of his brother’s arrest.

“My mother, my sisters and I are deeply distressed and concerned and are anxious to learn the full details of this unpleasant development,” he stated.

He continued, “Our position is that Derrick is a matured adult of 47 years and he must bear full responsibility for the consequences of his actions. Neither I

nor any other member of my family can take responsibility for his own, deliberate actions.”

Patterson said while his family hold out hope that there may have been a mistake, “he must face the consequences if he is found guilty in a court of law. We have no reason to believe that he will not be treated fairly by the Grenadian legal system.”

Further, the Minister said he and his family will give him all the support they legally can, but we will not condone any proven illegal conduct.

“As a Minister of Government, I would like to assure the Guyanese public that I have not and will not attempt to influence the outcome of these serious allegations made against my brother in any way whatsoever.”

IDAHOT 2018

“Fundamental rights and freedoms must not be trifled with” – Lewis

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eteran Trade Unionist, Lincoln Lewis, on Wednesday said fundamental rights and freedoms are of paramount importance and ought not to be trifled with, adding that marginalised groups need to continue being vocal while intensifying their efforts to ensure the structural deficiencies are corrected.

“As an organised demographic, where you are not only citizens but workers and voters, you’re urged to intensify the use of your power to ensure the structural deficiencies in society are corrected. Those who seek your vote must know support is contingent on moving to eliminate systems that militate against you,” Lewis said, while addressing a gathering at the Canadian High Commission’s reception to commemorate International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT).

This year IDAHOT is observed under the theme “Alliances for solidarity.”

Lewis said history is the testament to suffering of marginalised groups and it is a struggle that must not be viewed with disdain.

“Your right to exist, participate as equal members of society and to be so treated is equally important as others. Respect for the heterosexual orientation of one must too ensure respect for the diverse orientation of others. I don’t have to like your orientation nor you mine in order to respect each other consistent with protected human rights and freedoms,” he noted.

“And this brings me to the issue of laws in our statute books that criminalise conduct which today has been decriminalised among consenting adults consistent

Veteran trade unionist Lincoln Lewis

with universally acceptable tenets. Evidently, you are aware of the clauses in the Criminal Offences Acts which run contrary to safeguarding your constitutional rights. These laws were instituted by the British colonial authority. Britain has since excised them from their statues yet Guyana holds on and justifies their existence. Over the years, I have observed voices raised in condemnation and highlighting their archaic nature. Your voice must not be still or grow weary until modernity is attained,” Lewis added.

The trade unionist said progressive societies are moving forward and Guyana must get in line and proceed and urged the LGBT community to not give up the fight.

Meanwhile, Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chattergee committed her Government’s support to ensure that everyone has access to equal rights.

She noted that through international assistance,

Canada supports the advancement of LGBTQ2 human rights. This, she noted, includes providing training to LGBTQ2 human rights defenders and working with local grassroots community organisations.

“We understand that countries are at different stages of acceptance and engagement on this issue.

However, we should never forget that the human rights of all persons are universal and indivisible, and these include the human rights of LGBTQ2 persons,” the diplomatic stated.

In addition, she believes that all countries should commit to decriminalise same-sex conduct; combat violence and discrimination that target LGBTQ2 persons; and support the work of grassroots LGBTQ2 organisations.

Despite repeated calls for the decriminalisation of the anti-buggery laws, the Government is adamant that it would have to go to the people in a referendum.

guyanatimesgy.com

A

fter months of planning, Guyana Carnival kicks off this evening with the official launch at Palm Court, followed by Timeka Marshal’s pool party dubbed “4TM” at Tower poolside, Main Street, Georgetown.

The event will feature the Guyanese songstress and will include Deejays Shizzle, Blank, Clyclone and Richie Das. It will be a night of lots of booze, bikinis and babes and is one you just cannot miss.

The action continues on Saturday evening with “Destraction” , featuring the queen of bacchanal, Destra and queen of dancehall, Spice, at the National Park. This is one of the highly anticipated events of Guyana Carnival, 2018. Both artistes can work the crown and engage their fans fully. They are also known for their electrifying performances.

Another highly anticipated event is “Tuesday on the Rocks” slated for the Marriott Hotel’s parking lot on May 22, featuring Kes the Band and Ravi B. Many are also excited about the “Mawning” breakfast party on May 24 at the Marriott beach front, as well as the “Friends at Sea Cruise” on May 23. “Wet” Wednesday is slated for the University of Guyana, Greater Georgetown and the “Big People” party is set for the same day at the National Park.

Some other notable events are “Come Out to Play – Bright Colours” on May 19, “Shell Down Monday” on May 21 and the “Bare Skinz” Pool Party on May 22.

Carnival chasers and locals have already started booking tickets for many of the major events, such as “RevelNation” on the night of May 25; a concert that features headliners such as Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin and Fayann Lyons. This event, which is expected to be electrifying, will be held at the Guyana National Stadium.

In addition, on May 25

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he village of Waikabra on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway will come alive on Sunday, May 27 as Misha’s Restaurant and Bar presents an after Carnival “Cool-down”. The bar is located five minutes before the Splashmin’s Resort.

However, after a long 10-day action-packed Carnival, the place to be is on the Soesdyke Highway for the wash-down. The event which is promoted by the owners of Misha’s Restaurant and Bar – Sham and Michelle Mohammed – will feature several local artistes who can set a stage on fire. The line-up includes reigning Carib

friday, MAY 18, 2018

as well, there will also be the “Stink and Dutty” Moving J’Ouvert, the “Scorch Duck Work” and the Miss World Pageant. The J’Ouvert is slated for the National Park while the Miss World Guyana is billed for the Pegasus Hotel.

On May 26, Independence Day, all roads will lead to Georgetown for the road tramp. This starts at Thomas Lands and the revellers will head to D’Urban Park and back to the National Park. Several bands are already booked for the road tramp. These include Pulse Entertainment and others.

After the parade on May 26, the fun continues at “Soca Rave” where thousands are likely to converge in the National Park to witness Patrice Roberts, Kerwin Dubois, Niala Blackman, Blaxx, Ravi B, KI and many others.

Meanwhile, on May 27, the “Suits Boat Cruise” and “Kool Out Cooler Fete” will culminate the 10 days of revelry, fun and excitement.

Apart from all the regional and international artistes, many of our local singers will also be a big part of the revelry, with their recent hits taking centre stage for the Carnival season. These artistes include Michelle “Big Red” King, Jonathan “Lil Red” King, Timeka Marshal, Jomo “Rubber Waist” Primo, Kwesi “Ace” Edmundson, Trevon Vibes, Brandon Harding, Lil Corwin, Jay Anderson and Drew Thoven among others.

Guyana Carnival is slated for May 18 to 27. The organising committee has already released tickets for all of the events and these can be purchased at the following locations – Tower Hotel, Giftland Mall, Nigel’s Supermarket, Exclusive Styles, Clairan’s and That Look Boutique.

Soca Monarch, Brandon Harding; reigning Chutney Monarch, Bunty Singh; former Chutney Monarch, Vanita Willie; Ilaman; Carlvin Burnette; Trevor Vibez; Kady Krish and the Mighty Pakuri.

Also in attendance will be the Kuru Kuru Dance Group and members of a Brazilian band. Music will be provided by Black Stone Higher Level Entertainment, with juggling by Deejays Magnum and Tanquilo. The session starts at 14:00h and ends at 22:00h.

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, may 18, 2018

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F

rom the very start at Carifesta X in 2008, Mark Kazim has always been full of surprises. Today, he is known as the popular “Lo Li” who has become a cultural phenomenon. However, what you may not know is Mark is an award winning actor who takes versatility to whole different level.

From a blind father in “The Blind Truth” to a gangster in “The Golden Scheme” to a sexual predator in “Imprisoned”; it is clear to anyone who is a fan that there is no role he cannot dominate. Mark Kazim has been featured in countless stage performances, endless commercials, several movies and is a currently a lead actor in local comedy group “Reactors”, local sitcom “Days Like Dese”, Guyana’s biggest comedy show “Nothing to Laugh About (NTLA)” and is one of the hottest stand-up comedians in “UNCENSORED”.

Mark however, has a degree in Computer Science and after graduating from the University of Guyana, he chose not to follow any professions in that field.

Instead, he ventured into sales and marketing

and took his first job at the National Communications Network where he became one of the top sales representatives in the

business.

This Charlestown born actor/comedian is passionate about being a positive influence which makes him a great cast member for “Nothing to Laugh About”. Kazim was added to the cast for NTLA Part 2 and has transformed before our eyes. His acting has only gotten better and it is clear that greater things are yet to come for him.

Kazim is also co-host and co-producer of “Love and Laughter” – a weekly television programme focused on drama and comedy aired on Channel 9 and Channel 28.

This young thespian is married and is the father of two beautiful girls. His dedication and commitment is evident in the care and attention he invests in his family.

The talented young man always keeps his audience wanting more and he promises to do the same all four nights of “NTLA 11” slated for June 1-4 at the National Cultural Centre.

In his famous words, “Lo Li gonna rock your world baby!”

s Guyana prepares to celebrate the nation’s inaugural Carnival in observance of Independence Day – May 26 – a number of activities are planned for not only coast landers but all those from the various regions.

On Saturday evening, the New Amsterdam Stelling Road will be a hive of activities as a concept party titled “Splinters All Black Edition” is held. The event is promoted by Set 4Life Entertainment in collaboration with Caribbean Nation Group.

The highly anticipated event will fea-

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he Aracari Resort, Versailles, West Bank Demerara, will come alive on May 26 in sound and great festivity when Epic Events Entertainment again stages its “Settlement Disputes Car & Bike Show”.

To be staged on the lawns and tarmac of the resort, this much anticipated events will see the ‘Clash of the Titans’ for sure, as some of the hottest and posh vehicles face off for hot prizes, as they compete in sound, colour, creativity, presentation and so much more.

Fans are urged to come out and see fierce clashes as SUVs, car, bikes, buses, and other dash-

ing automobiles takes centre stage to determine which one is indeed the hottest in the categories in which they battle.

Already word is out on a few surprises to be sprung by entrants from the West Demerara District, but they will have to make way for competitors representing Georgetown, East Bank Demerara and other areas.

With fantastic cash prizes and trophies to be won, fans are urged to come out in their numbers to support their favourite vehicle and crew.

The event begins at 13:00h sharp.

he Indian Cultural Centre, located at Lot 67 New Haven, Bel Air, Georgetown, will be screening the Bollywood movie “Saajan” on Saturday, May 19, commencing at 17:00h.

During childhood, Aman (Sanjay Dutt) is an impoverished and lame orphan who is befriended and adopted by a very wealthy family headed by Mr Varma.

Varma has one son called Akash (Salman Khan). As Akash and Aman grow up as brothers, they bond very closely.

Akash’s personality is more care-free, flexible and gregarious and he turns into a ‘roadside Romeo’ and a womaniser, while Aman grows up to be more serious, and has a hobby of writing marvellous poems which

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ture former International Chutney Monarch, Ravi B; Trinidadian singing sensation Shal Marshall; and member of the Heatwaves Band, Carlvin Burnette. The trio is known for their energetic performances and will not disappoint their fans.

Juggling for the night will be done by the versatile Deejay Gully Ras and Selector Diamond out Fusion Sound, Deejay Keifer and Deejay Dauren along with Deejay Marlon.

Advance tickets cost $1500 but patrons will pay $2000 at the gate. The event is sponsored by Corona among others.

are successfully published and turned into best-sellers; all under the pseudonym “Sagar”.

Gradually, Aman becomes popular and wellknown all around town and has millions of fans. One of his fans is a pretty young woman by the name of Pooja Saxena (Madhuri Dixit), who frequently writes letters to correspond with her idol – “Sagar”.

One day, as a twist of fate would have it, none other than Akash meets Pooja (and being the vivacious womaniser) falls head over heels in love with her.

The film became the highest-grossing film of its era.

That is just a sneak peak of the movie but the public is invited to witness how it unfolds. Admission is absolutely free.

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friDAY, may 18, 2018

Indian Premier League 2018…

Williamson special in vain as de Villiers, Moeen keep RCB alive

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ane Williamson's rousing 81 off 42 balls - his eighth fifty-plus score in IPL 2018 threatened to bring Royal Challengers Bangalore's campaign to a screeching halt, but Mohammed Siraj defended 19 off the last over, which also included the wicket of the Sunrisers captain, to keep his team alive.

Facing an IPL record chase of 219 at the venue of their title triumph two years ago, Sunrisers slipped to 64 for 2 in eight overs. Williamson then manipulated the fields and the bowlers expertly to bring Sunrisers to within touching distance of a magical win. With Sunrisers needing 20 off the last over, he jumped across off stump and scooped Siraj's first ball straight into the lap of Colin de Grandhomme at the edge of the fine leg boundary.

Siraj did not quite nail his lengths but got away with four runs and a leg bye off the last five balls.

Earlier in the evening, AB de Villiers had also manipulated the fielders and bowlers expertly along with Moeen Ali in a 107-run stand off 57 balls, which formed the centerpiece of RCB's 218 for 6.

Parthiv Patel was reprieved first ball at cover by Deepak Hooda, but he added just one before top-edging Sandeep Sharma to fine leg. Virat Kohli began with a straight drive for four off Sandeep and swatted Rashid Khan to the mid-

wicket boundary, before being bowled attempting a slog sweep off a googly. RCB were 44 for 2, in six overs, of which de Villiers had made 29.

De Villiers found his groove right away when he jumped outside leg, created swinging room, and cut his first ball that was only fractionally short to the right of backward point. It was a portent for how things would unfold. De Villiers slog-swept Shakib Al Hasan to the midwicket boundary and then hit back-to-back fours off Siddarth Kaul, the second of which brought him a 32-ball fifty.

It wasn't a one-man show, however. Moeen introduced his big hits and crisp timing to the IPL after warming the bench for more than three-quarters of the season. Both batsmen launched into Thampi - they took 36 off 12 balls but it was the left-handed Moeen who was more comfortable against Rashid.

He forayed down the track against a Rashid wrong'un and hoisted the ball over the long-off boundary before belting a legbreak over his head. There were some mishits, too, which cleared the boundary as RCB moved to 144 for 2 in 14 overs. Against the run of play, however, the

97 kph, de Grandhomme reached out for the ball and scythed it flat and hard over cover. Thampi ended up conceding 70 runs in four overs - the most expensive figures in the IPL. It took a blinding one-handed catch from Rashid to dismiss the New Zealand allrounder, but by then RCB had motored past 200.

Sarfraaz Khan also did his bit with an unbeaten 22 off 8 balls as RCB pillaged 69 off the last five overs.

Alex Hales was on 19 when he pulled Umesh Yadav flat and hard to deep square leg, where Southee dived forward and wrapped his fingers underneath the ball to claim an excellent a low catch. The soft signal was out, but TV umpire C Shamshuddin somehow ruled it not out. After adding four runs, Hales drilled Mohammed Siraj towards mid-on, where Kohli threw himself to his left but dropped the difficult catch.

RCB then needed de Villiers to pluck a catch out of thin air to get rid of Hales. When the opener swatted one over Moeen Ali played perfect concert with midwicket, the ball seemed destined to sail over the against AB de Villiers boundary until leapt to his h i m .

W h e n right, stretched out his right Thampi hand and came away with floatthe ball. All of this done with the balance of a tightrope ed one w i d e walker. Yuzvendra Chahal had taken a more straighto u t forward return catch to disside off at

set pair fell fell to Rashid in the next over.

The last time these two teams met in Hyderabad, De Grandhomme showed signs of his power with 33 off 29 balls. He showed his entire range on Thursday and peppered the short boundaries at Chinnaswamy Stadium with four sixes. Not even the slower cutter was safe

miss Dhawan for 18 off 15 balls.

The highlight of Williamson's stellar run this season has been his game awareness. That came to the fore when he cranked up the tempo and struck five boundaries in six balls after Hales' dismissal. The pick of the boundaries was a perfectly paced shovel-flick between wide long-on and midwicket.

Just like that, Williamson raised a fifty off 28 balls. By then, Manish Pandey was going at less than a run-aball. The re-introduction of de Grandhomme in the 15th

over provided him the release. From 6 off 12 balls, he went to 21 off 16 balls with two fours and a six.

Pandey then glanced Chahal past short fine leg in the next over to help narrow the equation to 55 off 24 balls. An over full of wide yorkers from Tim Southee left Sunrisers needing 49 off 18 balls. With Williamson in imperious form, they were in with a good chance, but he faced only eight balls in the last five overs before his dismissal and Pandey could not find his timing in the end. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Royal Challengers Bangalore Innings (20 overs maximum) PA Patel † c Kaul b Sandeep Sharma 1 V Kohli (c) b Rashid Khan 12 AB de Villiers c Dhawan b Rashid Khan 69 MM Ali c †Goswami b Rashid Kh an 65 C de Grandhomme c Rashid Khan b Kaul 40 Mandeep Singh c Dhawan b Kau l 4 SN Khan not out 22 TG Southee not out 1 Extras 4 (b 1, lb 1, w 2) TOTAL 218-6 (20 Overs, RR: 10.9) Did not bat: UT Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, YS Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-6 (PA Patel, 0.6 ov), 2-38 (V Kohli, 4.5 ov), 3-145 (AB de Villiers, 14.2 ov), 4-149 (MM Ali, 14.4 ov), 5-176 (Mandeep Singh, 17.1 ov), 6-210 (C de Grandhomme, 19.2 ov) BOWLING: Sandeep Sharma

(4-0-40-1), Shakib Al Hasan (4-0-35-0), Rashid Khan (40-27-3), S Kaul (4-0-44-2), Basil Thampi (4-0-70-0) Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings (target: 219 runs from 20 overs) S Dhawan c & b Chahal 18 AD Hales c de Villiers b Ali 37 KS Williamson (c) c de Grandhomme b Mohammed Siraj 81 MK Pandey not out 62 DJ Hooda not out 1 Extras 5 (lb 2, w 3) TOTAL 204-3 (20 Overs, RR: 10.2) Did not bat: Shakib Al Hasan, SP Goswami †, Rashid Khan, S Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, Basil Thampi Fall of wickets: 1-47 (S Dhawan, 5.1 ov), 2-64 (AD Hales, 7.6 ov), 3-199 (KS Williamson, 19.1 ov) BOWLING: UT Yadav (4-0-310), TG Southee (4-0-45-0), YS Chahal (4-0-28-1), Mohammed Siraj (4-0-43-1), MM Ali (2-0-211), C de Grandhomme (2-0-34-0)

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sports

GFF defends itself against criticism

O

wing to a number of persons voicing their disapproval of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) recently, the President of the Federation has come out to refute the comments.

“We have noticed a section of the media has been particularly critical of the work of the Guyana Football Federation and seems to have been locking their focus on all matters we consider salacious and can blind the good efforts of the GFF,” President Wayne Forde said on Thursday morning at the Federation’s office.

Noting that he respected the rights of the media, Forde described the situation as “unfortunate”. Much of the controversy has surrounded the Federation’s Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme. The programme is aimed at selecting young talent and bettering their performances through training and education.

In the GFF’s eyes, the programme is highly successful and is testimony to the hard work that the Federation has been doing over the past two and a half years. “Of course, that goes against my work and the vision we bring to football development in Guyana and the exceptional work that the Technical Director has been doing,” Forde said.

Speaking directly to the work that is being done, Technical Director Ian Greenwood stated that sceptical persons were welcome to visit the ATC sessions at any one of the nine stations, while praising the GFF’s

efforts. “It is important that we emphasise that the level of activity that this institution has been involved in for the past two and a half years is completely unprecedented.”

Additionally, Greenwood cited the increase in certified coaches available to the football arena. “We’ve done a lot of work with CONCACAF to have registered coaches. We now have 50 licensed coaches in the country; from 0 to 50.” He disclosed that there were also three trained CONCACAF instructors. These instructors are available to the academy and school programmes.

In citing another example of the strides that are being made by the GFF, Youth Development Officer Brian Joseph said: “In terms of camps, we’ve moved from a situation where Guyana is operating a camp only prior to a tournament.”

He disclosed that the Federation was now in the habit of hosting continuous camps months prior to any competition.

101st Giro d’Italia…

Sam Bennett wins stage 12

– Yates retains lead

Ferrari wing mirrors banned by FIA

T

Sam Bennett kicked in early to win in style on the Imola circuit

splits in the peloton as the roads filled with standing water and spray kicked up from the wheels.

Quick-step Floors' Italian sprinter Elia Viviani, winner of two sprint stages in the Giro's first week and one of the favourites for this stage, was one of those caught out, and Bennett's Bora-Hansgrohe team went to the front of the main group to drive the pace on.

Yates was being well protected by his MitcheltonScott team-mates as the pack approached the final 15 kilometres on the racetrack.

Tim Wellens was the first to make a move but was caught with 10km to go

GFF President Wayne Forde

Ferrari’s curved wing mirrors were seen to have given them an aerodynamic advantage

I

reland's Sam Bennett won a sprint finish on the Imola racing circuit to take stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia.

In dire conditions, what should have been 214km of build-up to a bunch sprint instead became another thriller.

And the 27-year-old Bennett judged his move to perfection to take the win from Danny van Poppel and Niccolo Bonifazio.

Britain's Simon Yates, who won Wednesday's stage into Osimo, maintains his overall lead on Tom Dumoulin at 47 seconds.

Bennett, who also won stage seven into Praia a Mare, becomes the first Irishman to win multiple stages at one of the sport's Grand Tours since the great Sean Kelly at the Giro of 1988.

He said: "It was a tough finale. I didn't know how much energy the two riders in front had left at the end.

"I decided to go early - I didn't know if I could hold it but I think I caught a few by surprise so that worked to my advantage."

Heavy rain had begun to fall with just over an hour of racing to go, and caused

21

as lightning strikes flashed in the darkening sky.

The course then left the circuit for a brief climb and Carlos Betancur and Diego Ulissi were the next to make a move, holding a slim six-second lead on a twisty, sodden descent before Matej Mohoric went to the front.

But Bennett's power took him clear as he launched a long sprint with 400 metres to go, with none of his rivals able to stay with him.

Bennett's win narrows Viviani's lead in the points classification, with another sprinters' stage to come on Friday before the race takes on the fearsome Zoncolan climb on Saturday. (BBC Sport)

he controversial wing mirrors used

by Ferrari at last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix have been banned by Formula 1.

The sport's governing body, the FIA, did not approve of the way the mirrors were mounted to the halo head-protection device on the car.

Teams may still mount mirrors on the halo following a rule clarification, but they must have only an "incidental or minimal" aerodynamic effect.

The FIA felt Ferrari's mirrors gave them too much aerodynamic gain.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finished fourth and Kimi Raikkonen retired after 25 laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in a race won by Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

In future, any team that wants to mount wing mirrors on the halo must do so with only a single mounting, or any secondary one must satisfy two criteria: 1) It must provide a "meaningful structural contribution to the mounting system", which teams may be asked to demonstrate to officials 2) It must be "mount-

ed to the lower and/or inboard surface(s) of the mirror housing" Ferrari's secondary mount was above the mirror and formed an outward-leaning curve that had the effect of a small wing, smoothing the airflow rear of the structure.

The FIA said it "acknowledged that the rules currently in force with regard to mirrors are not perfect, and will strive to propose a more complete set of rules in terms of mirror position, mountings, visibility, etc. in the near future, with the aim to get a unanimous support for such changes for 2019".

The FIA has also been investigating the operation of Ferrari's battery in its role within the hybrid section of the team's power-unit.

There are questions over the specifics of the architecture of the system that supplies energy to the MGU-K the motor that recovers and re-deploys energy on the rear axle.

The FIA is seeking an explanation as to how the team's system works, although there has been no official suggestion that Ferrari are doing anything wrong.

(BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

friDAY, may 18, 2018

Inaugural Under-14 league launched

O

il giant ExxonMobil, in collaboration with the Petra Organisation and the Education Ministry, has set out to establish Guyana’s first Schools’ Under-14 football league.

The competition, which will cater to both boys and girls, is expected to kick off on June 2 and will conclude by the end of July.

With over 20 schools in and out of Georgetown already on board, the male and female competitions are scheduled to run concurrently with both boys and girls playing on a split field.

Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca is of the view that ExxonMobil’s sponsorship would allow the organisation to fill a void between the pee wee and senior school competitions.

“For one, ExxonMobil is on board and I think their contribution and support will now fill a void that

Members of the head table during the launch of the inaugural Under-14 schools’ football competition: the Education Ministry’s Nicholas Fraser, Petra’s Troy Mendonca, ExxonMobil’s Kimberly Brasington, and the GFF’s Brian Joseph

we’ve been fighting for over the past three to four years, in terms of filling the gap between our Under-11 and our Under-18 tournament,” Mendonca stated.

Mendonca also disclosed that they were looking at having 24 male teams as opposed to eight female teams.

ExxonMobil Public and Government Affairs Guyana

Senior Director Kimberly Brasington noted that the company was elated to be on board with such an initiative, stating, “We are lucky as a company; ExxonMobil is proud to be here. And while it’s the inaugural U-14 Tournament, it’s also ExxonMobil’s first instance in sponsoring football.”

Additionally, the Guyana

Football Federation (GFF) Youth Development Coach Brian Joseph revealed that this competition would pave the way for larger competitions to come later in the year.

“This particular tournament is going to serve as a real good platform for some things that we’re going to have later in the year,”

Joseph said.

The Federation is expecting to participate in the Under-14 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) male and the Under-15 CONCACAF female championships.

With regard to the female competition, Joseph stated that this Under-14 event would create a great

p o o l of female players who have been difficult to identify in the past.

So far, a total of 23 schools have expressed interest in the competition: Annandale Secondary, Marian Academy, Christ Church Secondary, Chase Academy, Dolphin Secondary, East Ruimveldt Secondary, Lodge Secondary, Mae’s Schools, St George’s Secondary, Friendship Secondary, Kingston Secondary, Vergenogen Secondary, Queenstown Secondary, School of the Nations, Uitvlugt Secondary, South Ruimveldt Secondary, St Rose’s High School, Tutorial Secondary, the Bishops’ High School, Charlestown Secondary, Ann’s Grove Secondary, Buxton Youth Developers, and Tucville Secondary.

Bounty Colts headed Mathews, Lakmal fit for West Indies Tests to Suriname S

T

hree-time Road to Mecca Champions Bounty Colts will be travelling to Suriname this weekend to participate in a five-team invitational tournament sanctioned by the Suriname Basketball Association (SBA).

As such, Bounty Farm Ltd has found it appropriate to continue injecting sponsorship into the already successful team.

Speaking on behalf of Bounty Farm, Manager Andrew Xavier noted that the company saw the need for sponsoring athletes and it was happy to be doing so.

“Their chances are good and we’re always happy to support worthy causes especially when it comes to athletes. ‘Cause you know in Guyana, athletes need quite

a

Colts’ Shelroy Thomas receiving the sponsorship cheque from Bounty’s Andrew Xavier

bit o f

spons o r ship when it comes to these events.”

The Colts and Bounty Farm have had a fruitful relationship for over 10 years. “I think it’s going to be a very great partnership; I can see it going on for much longer in the future,” Xavier stated.

Acting on the Colts’ behalf, Shelroy Thomas explained that the team has a very good chance of coming out victorious in Suriname. “I think that we can extend our dominance overseas, so this trip to Suriname will definitely give us that opportunity and we’re looking for it.”

The team are grateful for the company’s continued support over the years. “I know the players will make the most of the trip and we thank Bounty Farm on behalf of the Colts Basketball Club for their contribution,” Thomas said.

ri Lanka will have two of their senior players Angelo Mathews and Suranga Lakmal fit and available for the Test series in West Indies in June.

Both players had been named in the travelling squad, but the selectors were concerned with their match fitness. However, following an eight-day training camp, SLC now believe both players will be ready for the first Test in Port of Spain from June 6.

Mathews last played for Sri Lanka in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Dhaka in January, where he aggravated a recurring hamstring problem. That resulted in him missing the remainder of the Bangladesh tour as well the Nidahas Trophy in March, before returning to domestic action last month.

Lakmal, meanwhile, has been in and out of the side in recent times, either through injuries or due to selectors managing his workload. The 31 year-old fast bowlerwas rested for most of the Nidahas Trophy, after which a side strain ruled h i m o u t o f

last month's Super Provincial four-day tournament. He has since returned for the Super Provincial Limited Overs matches.

Lakmal's return strengthens a depleted Sri Lankan fast bowling line-up, with Lahiru Gamage, Lahiru Kumara, and the uncapped pair of Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha the only other quicks on tour.

Mathews may have been expected to share in the workload but SLC confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that 30 year-old will only be used in his capacity as a batsman, while Lakmal's workload too will be managed on a game by game basis.

"Mathews will not be bowling, while Lakmal's inclusion [in the third Test] will depend on how much he bowls in the first two games," said Chief selector Graeme Labrooy. "That however depends on the selection committee on tour, and how much of a workload he undertakes.

Angelo Mathews celebrates his eighth Test hundred

23

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, may 18, 2018

Stuart content with school cricket’s progress

– weather a huge setback G

uyana Cricket Board (GCB) Territorial Development Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart said he was pleased with the development of the ongoing National Secondary Schools’ Cricket League.

Speaking with the ex-Guyana/West Indies pacer on Thursday, Guyana Times Sport was told that the GCB executive was thus far happy with the progress made to date regarding the schools’ competition which has been around for a few years.

Stuart said that among some of the positives to come out of the tournament this year, the organisation and dedication shown by some of the participating schools stood out as major improve-

GCB TDO Colin Stuart

ments.

“I think we found that some schools like Queen’s College, Bishops’ High, St Stanislaus and others have their teams ready ahead of the competitions. Team who don’t emphasise much

on the sport is due to no Physical Education teachers at the schools or other teachers have to facilitate.”

However, the former speedster said that it was owing to those hurdles that the GCB has implemented the foundation course which helps teachers to be more familiar with the sport; thus creating a healthier learning environment for the students.

With the tourney running during the week, Stuart highlighted the weather as a major obstacle in running off a smooth tournament.

He said rain has forced a number of play-offs around the country to be rescheduled and confirmed that two matches which were recently postponed would be

NSSCL action

played this weekend.

Concluding the interview, the ex-Windies player said that overall he was impressed with the dedication shown by the players, teach-

RDC School Cricket Competition

Balkisshun’s D ton headlines Demerara win

emerara stormed to a massive 178-run win over Bladen Hall on Wednesday when the Regional Democratic Council (RDC)/DEVCON/Lloyd Britton/Regional Executive Officer (REO) Inter- Secondary School Cricket Competition continued.

Batting first at the Everest Ground, Demerara chalked up 215 all out with P Balkisshun slamming a majestic 139 from

just 80 balls with 18 fours and four sixes. K Sutton (5-27) and S Yaw (3-32) were the outstanding bowlers for Bladen Hall.

It was a nightmare start for Bladen Hall, who could not get out of the blocks and were mowed down for 37 all out , with A Thomas the top-scorer with 8 as S Cudjoe sliced through the batting line-up to end with figures of 6-23 while P Armorgan grabbed 2-0.

GCB/DMLAS/NSC/NSSCL

Khemraj, Samaroo star as Cummings Lodge humble Bladen Hall

C

ummings Lodge whipped Bladen Hall Secondary School by 107 runs when action in the East Coast Demerara Zone continued this week at the Enterprise Ground.

In a match shortened due to rain, Cummings Lodge, having won the toss and electing to take first strike, compiled 160 for 4 off just 20 overs with Andrew Samaroo slamming 66, while Daveanand Khemraj made a polished 53. Bowling for Bladen Hall, Shawn Cujoe, Roberto Thomas and Travis Mc Pherson each took one wicket.

In reply, Bladen Hall Secondary struggled to 53 all out off 13 overs, with Roberto Thomas being the only batsman to reach double figures with 13, as Andre Geer starred with three wickets. Andrew Samaroo and Daniel Gulab took two wickets each.

On Friday, East Coast Demerara Zone matches will continue with Annandale Secondary opposing the Institute of Business Education (IBE) at the Enterprise Ground, commencing at 10:00h.

Andrew Samaroo (left) and Daveanand Khemraj (right) struck match-winning fifties for their side

ers, and schools in general.

Stuart added that he hoped the improvement will continue in the future as they continued to revamp cricket from the grass-

roots level. Meanwhile, the NSSCL is currently in its countrywide playoff stages, where winners of each zone or district will play each other.

GCB 75th anniversary prayer breakfast set for Friday I

n celebration of its 75th anniversary, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) will be hosting a prayer and breakfast gathering from 10:00h.

T h e Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Pavilion will host the event, which is set to welcome the Board’s monumental anniversary celebrations. Friday’s activity will see a gathering of players, umpires, scorers, and other cricket officials.

Also, staff from the Department of Sport and other dignitaries are expected to grace the mini gala. The prayer session will pay homage to the three primary religions in Guyana: Hinduism Christianity and Islam, and will be facilitated by religious figures.

Meanwhile, the grand raffle drawing will take place on the last match day of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup tournament, set for November 18, 2018.

Final Drawing Prizes for raffle: 1st Prize: One Motor Car 2nd Prize: One Jailing Motorcycle 3rd Prize: One 60? TV 4th Prize: One Return Ticket to New York (VISA NOT INCLUDED) 5th Prize: One Gold Necklace 6th Prize: Round Trip for 2 to Kaieteur Falls 7th Prize: One Laptop Computer 8th Prize: Day Trip to Arrowpoint Resort

friDAY, may 18, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 22

Inaugural Under-14 league launched Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca receiving the sponsorship cheque from ExxonMobil’s Kimberly Brasington

Indian Premier League 2018…

Williamson special in vain as de Villiers, Moeen keep RCB alive

AB de Villiers

Pg 20

RCB now have 12 points from 13 games in IPL 2018 (BCCI Photo)

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