Guyanatime 20 june 2018

Adolescent mothers to be P17 reintegrated into school system

…over 6000 pregnancies recorded in 2 years Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Issue No. 3599

PRICE

Venezuela's refusal to face ICJ

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Favourable decision for Guyana still has weight – former Foreign Affairs Minister Investment concessions

$80 vat included

Zeelugt P14 woman allegedly raped, husband assaulted during robbery CC&PA denies rape allegation against officer

Page 3

P10

Movietowne claims ignorance of breached agreement Page 2

– competitor questions whether duty-free fraud occurred

Bandits invade home of elderly couple, escape with motor car P10

Police called in to probe fraud at Health P9 Ministry

P9 Man who allegedly pushed girlfriend out of car granted $500,000 bail

The Education Ministry on Tuesday launched its Inclusion Professional Development Course at Lachmansingh Primary School, Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. The initiative aims to help hundreds of students with disabilities in Region Five who do not have equal and equitable access to educational opportunities

Venezuelans among highest number of foreign TIP victims Page 7

Miner dies after pit collapses at Imbaimadai Page 17

Guyana-born Dr Narendra Singh receives honorary law doctorate P13

2 news

wednesDAY, june 20, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Investment concessions

Movietowne claims ignorance of breached agreement – competitor questions whether duty-free fraud occurred

M

ovietowne has distanced itself from any suggestion it had anything to do with what equipment China Harbour Engineering (CHEC) used on its construction; after concerns were raised that the construction company breached a previous Investment Development Agreement (IDA).

In an interview with Guyana Times, Movietowne investor, Derek Chin, described the allegations against his project as unfounded and “pulling at straws”. For one, Chin explained that all steel and aluminium used in the project was certified by the Trinidad-based Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI).

Scaffolding, he noted, was brought from Trinidad.

Trinidadian sub-contractors, he related, were used for plumbing, electrical work and Information

do not get involved in underhand business. You can bank on that. There are still people around who do good things and take pride in their businesses. Our brand and name is very important to us. Anyone can tell you about the MT story and our impeccable reputation and record from Trinidad.”

CHEC

The Movietowne construction project

Technology. Chin stressed that other things like glass, escalators, elevators and generators belonged to Movietowne. According to Chin, he could not be responsible for what equipment a contractor owns and uses on his work site.

“We don’t know their in-

ventory of equipment! They are contracted to do the job.

We don’t tell them how to do it or what to use,” an incredulous Chin said. “CHEC are the contractors and are responsible for equipment. We brought in scaffolding from Trinidad. Tools I wouldn’t know. Cranes were owned

by CHEC.” “Our only concession was duty-free on cinema and kitchen equipment.

Nothing on steel, cement, bricks, tiles, paint, etc. We also built the side road and bridge at no cost to the taxpayers of Guyana. It’s a public road. Rest assured we

Back in 2014, China Harbour Engineering (CHEC) had signed a US$30 million agreement with Movietowne to construct the entertainment facilities, restaurants and commercial space. At the time, CHEC was already contracted to do the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and extension project.

During a recent tour of his facilities, however, Chin had spoken out about challenges facing the Turkeyen construction project. The Movietowne proprietor had noted that these challenges were costing the company and interactions with Government have dwindled.

The businessman had said Government should be more involved in discussion with the Private Sector and work hand in hand, since they are the ones who are the drivers of the economy.

In light of Chin’s complaints about processing delays and red tape, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) came out in a statement distancing itself from the perception that it is behind the delay in Movietowne’s construction.

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia, in a statement to the media on Monday, noted that the resulting articles imply tardiness on his entity’s part.

According to the tax entity, it has in fact assisted the company in clearing its goods.

“In mid-2017, the principal of Movietowne first met with the GRA to discuss the issue of concessions, and at that meeting, requested that concessions be backdated to the commencement of construction. The GRA advised that concessions cannot be backdated and should have been applied prior to the commencement of construction.”

“The GRA also advised the principal that equipment currently being utilised in the construction of Movietowne, was in breach of the terms of another Investment Development Agreement (IDA), since, based on the said IDA, equipment earmarked for use on another major project was being utilised in the construction of Movietowne,” Statia had said.

Statia claimed that instead of terminating the IDA on the basis of the breach, the GRA agreed to allow both projects to continue. He claimed that there was an understanding that the available remedies un-

der the said IDA would be enforced after the projects are completed.

He went on to explain that Movietowne submitted an IDA application to the Guyana Officer for Investment (Go-Invest). The company, Statia related, was advised in September 2017 by the GRA that only concessions in line with those granted to competitors in the industry would be allowed.

This supports Chin’s subsequent statements to this publication in an interview in which he denied receiving preferential treatment. But while the GRA did not say who brought over the equipment or what other project it was supposed to be used for under the other IDA, Giftland’s Chief Executive Roy Beepat linked CHEC to the matter in a letter to the media.

Beepat, whose company is considered Movietowne’s main competitor, questioned whether CHEC used its duty-free concessions acquired for the airport project to also do work on Movietowne… and whether Movietowne was complicit in this arrangement.

“GRA has stated that there was a breach of the China Harbour contract and they have misused their concessions and duty-free equipment to supply these to Movietowne,” Beepat had said in his letter to the media.

“Isn’t this fraud on the Government, if concessions were granted for the Timehri airport then how can the materials and equipment end up at Movietowne?

It is in the public’s interest to have a detailed list of these and what fines are being levied for this transgression. Was Movietowne aware of this arrangement? A thorough investigation by the CID [Criminal Investigations Department] is required here to determine intent”.

In addition, Beepat noted, “Mr Statia mentions that “equipment“ was used

by China Harbour on the Movietowne project, he does not mention materials, having paid hefty duties and VAT on all my imports not related to the Cinema component, I would be grateful for the proof that cement, steel, escalators, elevators, glass, shop fronts, doors, washroom , electrical, plumbing and all other items which we paid duty for including our generation sets were equally duty-paid by China Harbour and Movietowne. As it appears that China Harbour worked at that time period with inbuilt duty-free concessions, it would be reasonable to surmise that this would have applied to these other items as well, having shown that they had already done this with “equipment for Movietowne.” (Jarryl Bryan)

news

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wednesDAY, june 20, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Venezuela's refusal to face ICJ

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 20 – 10:00h-11:30h and Thursday, June 21 – 11:30h-13:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 20 – 09:25h-10:55h and Thursday, June 21 – 10:30h-12:00h.

Favourable decision for Guyana still has weight – former Foreign Affairs Minister

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Light cloudy skies are expected in the morning with sunny intervals in the afternoon. In the evening, light rain showers are expected to give way to partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-easterly to easterly and East North-easterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 09:57h and 22:37h reaching maximum heights of 2.35 metres and 2.31 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 03:28h and 14:02h reaching minimum heights of 0.91 metre and 0.86 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, June 16, 2018

LOTTERY NUMBERS E

04 12 14

19 23 24

21 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2018

DAILY MILLIONS 08 12 18 20 22 LUCKY 3 1 2 3

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Afternoon Draw DRAW DE LINE

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

Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Henry Jeffrey

N

ow that Venezuela has made known its intention not to participate in the matter before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the border controversy with Guyana, the Government of Guyana has also announced its intention to proceed with the case and is requesting that it rule in its favour.

As a matter of fact, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Monday evening that under Article 53 of the Statute of the Court, “whenever one of the parties does not appear before the Court, or fails to defend its case, the other Party may call upon the Court to decide in favour of its claim.” Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Henry Jeffrey said while this may not be a binding agreement even if the ICJ rules in Guyana’s favour, the decision could still be useful for many reasons. He said it will give Guyana some standing, especially since the decision would come from the highest world court. “If for instance there is a problem and Venezuela tries to invade and have to end up at the United Nations (UN) Security Council, I suppose the outcome of this would have some bearing. But I don’t think Venezuela will agree to any decision that is made,” Jeffrey told Guyana Times on Tuesday.

The Venezuelan Government issued a statement on Monday outlining its decision not to participate in the United Nations Secretary Generalchosen procedure regarding its claim over the Essequibo region. This announcement followed several months after the decision was made

by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to refer the matter to the ICJ as a means of resolving the ongoing controversy.

“It would be useful in the sense that if the court give you a positive decision it would be useful in terms of future discourses maybe at the UN and partners…If they try to invade Guyana or anything this might be a useful decision at the UN Security Council and it

would have bearing on the UN,” he added.

However, the former Minister reasoned that there is nothing in international rule to compel Venezuela to participate in the court matter, and as such, he believes Guyana should maintain a cordial relationship with their Spanish-speaking neighbour, in an effort to avoid an escalation of the issue.

Another observation made by Dr Jeffrey is the fact that Venezuela has made its intention know even before the matter was taken to the ICJ. “Venezuela said long ago that they wanted nothing to do with it, but they (Guyana) went ahead.

But there was always a 90 percent chance that they would have gone to the ICJ. They (Guyana) knew that Venezuela would not have gone to the ICJ,” he added.

The former Foreign Minister has long argued that Guyana should not stop bilateral talks with Venezuela and shouldn’t use the border controversy to develop any bad blood with the neighbouring country. “The Guyanese and Venezuelans will live together for the longest while, regardless (of) where the border is. Guyana has a position on the border, so there will always be discourse,” he opined.

Revisiting his suggestion that talks between Guyana and Venezuela continue, the former Minister said talks should never cease because Venezuela has already made its position clear that it will not accept the decision of the International Court of

Registrar of the International Court of Justice, Philippe Couvreur and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

Justice (ICJ) on the border controversy. Within that context, he said, Guyana must still find a way to continue to exist within the same space that borders the two countries.

On March 29, 2018, Guyana filed an application requesting the World Court to confirm the legal validity and binding effect of the 1899 Arbitral Award regarding its boundary with Venezuela.

This application follows a decision by the UN Secretary General earlier this year in choosing the ICJ as the next means of resolving the controversy that arose as a result of the Venezuelan contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899 about the frontier between British Guiana and Venezuela was null and void.

According to Guyana’s application to the World

Court, for more than 60 years Venezuela has consistently recognised and respected the validity of the binding force of the 1899 Award and the 1905 Map agreed by both sides in furtherance of the Award.

The UN Secretary General’s authority to choose the ICJ as the means for resolving the controversy is rooted in the Geneva Agreement of 1966, negotiated just before Guyana attained independence.

On January 30, 2018, Secretary General Guterres concluded that the Good Offices Process – which the parties had engaged in for almost 30 years, but failed to achieve a solution to the controversy – and chose the ICJ as the next means of settlement, for which Guyana has long been advocating.

(Samuel Sukhnandan)

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, june 20, 2018

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

Single-parent homes

T

he issue of fathers and their roles and responsibilities in the family, and society as a whole, took centre stage last Sunday when Guyana joined other countries, mainly those in the West, in celebrating Father’s Day. Normally, once Father’s Day approaches, religious organisations and other social groups utilise the opportunity to re-emphasise the need for fathers to take up their responsibilities more seriously so as to help create and build stronger family units.

It is generally accepted that when both parents are present in a home and carry out their roles fully in nurturing and providing the necessary guidance and support for children; they (children) turn out to lead more responsible and progressive lives as adults. On the other hand, when families disintegrate and one of the parents is missing from the home, there are lasting negative effects on children, especially in cases where such disintegration happens when the children are very young.

In Guyana, while there are no readily available statistics, it is believed that there is a huge percentage of children growing up in single-parent headed homes; in most cases without the much needed guidance and support of a father figure. Even in some cases where the fathers are present, they do not play an active role in their children’s early years of development.

No one can deny the importance of fathers in helping to nurture and care for children, especially in their early stages of development.

According to a new UNICEF analysis, more than half – or 55 per cent – of children aged between three and four years old in 74 countries – approximately 40 million – have fathers who do not play or engage in early learning activities with them.

UNICEF Director of Data, Research and Policy Laurence Chandy said that what these numbers show us is that fathers are struggling to play an active role in their children’s early years.

The UNICEF analysis, which uses Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) data on parenting behaviours, looked at whether children aged three and four engaged in any play and early learning activities with their fathers. The activities include having their father read to the children, tell them stories or sing with them; taking them outside, playing with them; and naming, counting or drawing with them. The MICS is the largest collection of comparable data on parental behaviours in the world.

Certainly, much more could be done to encourage more fathers to play an active role in their young children’s development. The relevant government agencies, religious and community organisations must continue to highlight the importance of love, play, protection and good nutrition for the healthy development of young children’s brains.

According to UNICEF, advances in neuroscience have proven that when children spend their earliest years in a nurturing, stimulating environment, new neural connections can form at a once-in-a-lifetime speed of 1000 per second.

These connections help determine their health, ability to learn and deal with stress, and even influence their earning capacity as adults.

Research also suggests that exposure to violence and a lack of stimulation and care can prevent neural connections from occurring; and when children positively interact with their fathers, they have better psychological health, self-esteem and life-satisfaction in the long-term.

The Lancet’s Series, Advancing Early Childhood Development: from Science to Scale, launched in October 2016, revealed nearly 250 million children under five were at risk of poor development due to stunting and extreme poverty.

The Series also revealed that programmes promoting nurturing care — health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, security and safety, and early learning — can cost as little as 50 cents per capita per year when combined with existing health services.

International organisations, such as UNICEF, have embarked on a campaign to encourage governments and the Private Sector to increase spending and influence policies to support early childhood development programmes that focus on providing parents with the resources and information they need to provide nurturing care to their children.

As stated by UNICEF: “We must break down the barriers that prevent fathers from providing their babies and young children a conducive environment for them to thrive, including love, play, protection and nutritious food. We must ensure that all parents have the time, resources and knowledge they need to fully support their children’s early development.”

These two men paddling down the black water conservancy separating Canal Number Two Polder from the savannah (Photo by Deopaul Somwaru)

Effective staff selection involves more than qualifications and experience Dear Editor, The local media has recently been inundated with controversial debate/discussions on the pros and cons of the selection processes for the position of Deputy Chief Elections Officer at the Guyana Elections Commission.

My professional interest in human resources management has naturally been piqued, especially as it seems to me that the concern has been too narrowly focused on just two criteria, namely; formal/academic qualifications and prior work experience.

Effective staff selection,

especially for positions at the professional and supervisory or managerial levels typically requires attention to several additional criteria and processes.

For example: competencies and skills in written and oral communications, interpersonal relationships, motivation, supervision and management of staff, acquisition and oversight of financial and material resources etc. Objective assessment and comparative/ relative evaluation of these criteria often require ‘third party’ interventions such as in-house and/or external selectors facilitated by recruit-

ment professionals and reference-checks.

Some organisations/ employers ‘outsource’ the ‘shortlisting and/or selection processes’ to independent professional recruitment firms or individuals who employ various selection methods such as assessment centres with simulation exercises, oral and written tests and practical presentation exercises.

I am amazed to see, for example, how often people are selected for positions which require them to make public presentations and/or written submissions/reports without them being actu-

ally screened on their competencies in these activities by first asking them to do ‘mock’ written and oral presentations. (These days when CVs and Applications are written for candidates by paid professional writers, it is foolhardy to depend on the submitted applications/ CVs as examples of the analytical and writing competency of candidates).

The use of ‘independent’, professional recruiters appears even more necessary for ‘politically-sensitive’ appointments.

Sincerely, Nowrang Persaud

When was the law against hauling long piles drafted?

Dear Editor, Recently the Traffic Department commenced to place drivers before the courts for trucking long lengths of piles. Frankly, I have been dealing with truck owners and drivers for some years now and I have never seen the enforcement of such a law.

I wondered if when this law was drafted, whether we had these hauler trucks in existence.

Never-the-less, the drivers upon being charged are being told that they must apply for the transportation of long lengths. I am not sure of the purpose because apparently it is being automatically being granted just like the Road Service

Licence. These just take up man hours of the owners and the Police Officers in addition to stationary.

In any event, according to those who complained to me, they applied and obtained the licence as requested.

Apparently the Officers did not inform them that even if they obtained the permit, they would still be charged as these trucks have to transport piles of very long lengths. The permit only allow for 12 feet extra.

The construction of bridges, buildings and wharves need piles as long as 80 feet.

The usual length is 65 feet.

So figure this out. The hauler trailer extends to 40 feet.

Add 12 to this and you get 52 feet.

The enforcement of this law would affect the construction industry. It would affect Government’s road projects, since bridge construction would need long piles. It would cause the construction and rehabilitation of wharves to cease. Drivers would be out of work.

Owners of trucks would not be able to make their payments to the bank. The owners of forestry concessions would not be able to pay for their equipment and those who work in the logging industry would be unable to feed their families and send their children to school.

Without the piles, the buildings, bridges and wharves’ construction would come to a standstill and more

workers laid off. Aggregate demand would reduce fewer taxes to the Government, less royalty to the forestry Commission, etc.

I spoke to a senior officer in theTraffic Department.

He says speak to the Government as they were instructed to enforce this ‘law’.

I hope the Public Security Minister, the Commissioner of Police and the Traffic Chief would read this letter.

All for the development of a sound economy and the good life for all.

If it was not so serious, I would have put LOL at the end.

Regards, Rajendra Bisessar BSc Sociology, LLB

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, june 20, 2018

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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

Pirate murders highlight Pensioners experience plight of victims’ families hardship to collect payments

Dear Editor, The recent pirate attack against Guyanese in Suriname sent shock waves throughout our country and we are still trying to come to terms with its implications for our citizens' peace and security.

Ordinary fisher-folk with families to provide for were brutally murdered at sea by a sadistic band of pirates, reportedly on a revenge mission for their ringleader.

No other than His Excellency, President David Arthur Granger described the attack as a great tragedy. It is now time for us to heed the lessons of this great tragedy and try to soothe the pain and sorrow, especially among the victims' families.

The alleged ringleader was arrested, as were other suspects. I must point out that these arrests clearly belied the false belief by some Indo-Guyanese that those from their race are not cruel people and that AfroGuyanese are the main perpetrators of violent crimes.

I have seen their comments on the Internet and heard them with my own ears, blaming AfroGuyanese for all the violent crime in society. I hope this puts that matter to rest once and for all. Crime is not about race. Often, it is about getting money without working and doing what it takes to get it.

What sort of people could look at other helpless human beings and attack them so viciously and cold-bloodedly? Imagine the

scenario: a band of pirates, armed with guns and cutlasses, hop aboard fishing vessels with defenceless men and proceed to beat them, chop them like fish and throw them overboard.

In their zeal to ensure that the men drowned, they even tied batteries to their legs. Their hearts were hard, even as the victims, no match for this gang, begged for their lives or struggled against the waters into which they were hurled. It would be hard to do this to an animal, much less a human being.

The victims were husbands, sons, brothers, uncles and friends, struggling in rough conditions to earn a dollar at a job not many people want to do. What could they have done to deserve such horrible deaths?

The media has reported that the attacks were in revenge for the drive-by shooting of one pirate’s brother.

However, it is not clear if those attacked were implicated in that incident. From what has been reported so far, these were premeditated cold-blooded murders.

The entire incident begs the question: What could have spawned this level of cruelty? Were they brutalised as children? Did they grow up seeing this level of brutality meted out by adults against others?

What will their children grow up to be like? It’s mind boggling.

Persons do not become capable of such savagery overnight. This could not have been the first time these criminals had execut-

ed such brutality and force against other human beings.

One of the suspects’ Facebook posts showed photos of him with guns, drugs and money, photos which were exposed in the media, even a photo of him sleeping with a gun at his side.

I think about the families of the murdered men.

Some might have had young children. What are they going to do now to survive?

Our country does not have a strong welfare system to deal with situations such as these.

I remember writing to the late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, as well as his successor late President Dr Cheddi Jagan, suggesting that a fund be set up for situations like these. My idea is to put State funds aside for emergency access by poor families that lose breadwinners suddenly.

I suggested it because there are far-reaching consequences when the breadwinner of a family dies suddenly. The consequences on the family can be dire and the effects can filter down to their villages, communities and even the country as a whole.

The sons of such persons can turn to lives of crime; daughters and wives can engage in immoral acts and lives of crime as well, to get money.

When I originally made this suggestion, it was for

the families of accident victims who were killed or injured. I suggested then that the money can be garnered by introducing a supplementary fee for the registration of vehicles. In terms of a monetary fee, I suggest $500 or $1000. This money can be put towards a welfare fund for families of victims of crime and accidents.

The Government can start the fund with some seed money from a grant taken from our tax dollars.

I give them permission to use my tax dollars for this purpose.

People in certain occupations, like cane cutting, fishing, taxi driving and so on, can also be encouraged to take out life insurance, showing them how a policy can benefit their families in the event of their demise.

They should also be urged to pay their NIS contributions as their families can benefit if they die.

As the situation stands, people are murdered and their families only benefit from a pittance from the Ministry of Human Services. I don’t mean to knock what the Ministry is offering; it is preferable to them getting nothing.

However, I believe we can do better so that our people can have the good life that President Granger’s Government is striving for.

Sincerely, Roshan Khan Sr

Dear Editor, Some form of action needs to be taken by the Ministry of Social Protection to avoid the unbearable punishment that keeps recurring when old age pensioners have to collect their monies. The pensioners are made to endure several challenges when they turn up at the Suddie Post Office to collect their monies at the beginning of every month.

From as early as 06:00h on the first day, senior citizens can be seen conveying in front of the building, scattered sitting or standing by the roadside parapets or under trees waiting on the doors to open. However, when the gate is opened, there are limited seating accommodations in the compound.

Most seriously affected in the ugly state of affairs are many Amerindians, including women, living in the backlands having to cover long distances walking out, possibly without a meal like many others as well to be attended to.

As recent as two Fridays ago, payments did not commence until shortly after 10:30h. With the long wait, some pensioners left out of frustration in a situation where there is not even drinking water.

On the same day as would usually happen, all the pensioners could not have been paid because the money ran out; this causing further hardship and inconvenience to return the other day.

From my own experience, the next pay day, I went to collect my pension at 07:30h and saw dozens of pensioners already there waiting, but upon enquiring, I was told that payments will be made later in the day.

Eventually, they started to pay at 10:45h.

The pensioners deserve better and should be paid promptly – the only way to end the problem once and for all.

Sincerely, Balram Persaud

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wednesDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

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Foundation

"Can you give tips on how to stay connected when you feel irritable? I'm not yelling, but I’m not as respectful as I think I should be." – Katherine

W

e all have irritable days, when we find ourselves reacting to our child with impatience. We know what respect and compassion look like, but somehow we can’t find them at that moment. We might feel so fed up that connecting is the last thing we feel like doing.

As long as you catch yourself, apologise, and get yourself back on track, the humans who love you will forgive you. In fact, the way you repair those small relationship ruptures will teach your child some essential lessons about life and love.

Katherine's question shows that she already knows the answer for those irritable times: Reconnect with your child, so you're more emotionally generous and she's more cooperative.

The hard part, of course, is that we can't reconnect until we first shift out of that irritable place. So start by shifting gears.

Here's how.

Notice your own impatience You feel irritated, like your child is being a problem. And maybe she is. But instead of using that as permission to get mad, use it as your red flag that you need to stop and shift gears. Remind yourself that when you're feeling really good, you respond to her with more emotional generosity.

What if your child is being really difficult, maybe even impossible? You can't change your child directly, but you can change your own reaction. The more you can react with understanding, the more likely your child will calm down, too.

Remember, those are your emotions. Your child may be triggering them, but as you're always telling your child, it's your job to manage your own emotions.

The only choice you have here is whether to make things better or worse. Can you choose love?

Summon up all the compassion you can for yourself Okay, you aren’t at your best right now. Maybe you’re being brusque or irritable or whining or snappish. That’s not a sign that you’re a bad person. It’s a sign that you need some help.

Your job is to be the grown-up in the situation and give yourself that help! (As opposed to taking your upset out on someone else.) That starts with giving yourself some nurturing. Start by speaking tenderly to yourself, reassuring yourself.

Just be with yourself for a few moments You’ll notice annoyance or impatience, but take a deep breath and look past your judgments (“Why can’t he just behave?!”) to the fears behind your anger (“What if he's still doing this when he's 20?... If I were a better parent, this wouldn’t be happening… What if I've ruined my child?”)

Behind our annoyance there's usually fear or grief or hurt or powerlessness. The secret is that once you hold yourself with compassion and let yourself feel those emotions, they start to evaporate. Just don’t take action based on those feelings. That urgent need to set your child straight right now? That means you're in fight mode. Instead, take a deep breath, hug yourself, and allow the more vulnerable feelings underneath to surface.

This is one of the most important steps toward emotional wholeness and healing you can take – just feeling those yucky emotions that come up in the course of your everyday life, instead of hiding in little addictions like screens, food and shopping. Many of these feelings are triggered by baggage that goes back to our childhoods.

Every time you simply love yourself through an emotion by letting yourself feel it without acting on it, you're dissolving it, emptying it out of your emotional backpack. You're actually rewiring your brain.

F

ind ways to read, write, and tell stories together with your child. Always applaud your young reader and beginning story writer! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.

Tell family tales Children love to hear stories about their family. Talk about a funny thing that happened when you were young.

Create a writing toolbox Fill a box with drawing and writing materials. Find opportunities for your child to write, such as the shopping list, thank you notes, or birthday cards.

Be your child's #1 fan Ask your child to read aloud what he or she has written for school. Be an enthusiastic listener.

Move your body to shift the emotion Take ten deep breaths. Shake out your hands. Jump up and down. Do a yoga stretch. Put on music and dance for five minutes. If you find yourself yawning or trembling, that's just emotion leaving your body. Think of all that emotion as "energy in motion" and just let it move through you and on out.

Give yourself a hug Acknowledge yourself for your courage in being willing to face those upsets that were making you irritable. Express gratitude for that red flag (your own impatience) that helped you do this small healing and get back on track before a major firestorm erupted. Take a deep breath and remind yourself "She's acting like a child because she is a child....There's no emergency...What would love do?"

The steps are easy — notice, choose compassion, feel, move, hug!

But actually doing them is some of the hardest work we do – taking responsibility for our own reactions. The good news is that you're rewiring your brain, so it gets easier every time you do it. And you'll notice over time that your irritable moments are less and less frequent. Which gives you lots more room for joyful connection. (psychologytoday.com)

One more time with feeling When your child has sounded out an unfamiliar word, have him or her re-read that sentence. Often kids are so busy figuring out a word they lose the meaning of what they've just read.

Invite an author to class Ask an author to talk to your child's class about the writing process. Young children often think they aren't smart enough if they can't sit down and write a perfect story on the first try.

Create a book together Fold pieces of paper in half and staple them to make a book. Ask your child to write sentences on each page and add his or her own illustrations.

Do storytelling on the go Take turns adding to a story the two of you make up while riding in a car or bus. Try making the story funny or spooky.

Point out the relationship between words Explain how related words have similar spellings and meanings. Show how a word like knowledge, for example, relates to a word like know.

Use a writing checklist Have your child create a writing checklist with reminders such as, "Do all of my sentences start with a capital?

Yes/No." Quick, quick Use new words your child has learnt in lively flash card or computer drills. Sometimes these help kids automatically recognise and read words, especially those that are used frequently. (readingrocket.org)

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Venezuelans among highest number of foreign TIP victims

Acting Coordinator of the Ministerial Task Force on TIP Oliver Profitt poses with participants at the training exercise on Tuesday

A

majority of the 68 cases of human trafficking recorded by the Guyana Police Force from January to May of 2018 were Latin American nationals, with Venezuelans heading the list.

This revelation was made by acting Coordinator of the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking In Persons (TIP), Oliver Profitt on Tuesday, who explained that the alleged victims are mostly adults.

Profitt, who spoke to media operatives on the sidelines of a training exercise for officers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), said this issue is being closely monitored.

“Most of our foreign alleged victims are from Latin American countries. The Dominican Republic was showing up a lot before, Brazil was showing up too.

But now we are seeing more Venezuelans.”

In the US (United States) State Department Trafficking in Persons 2017 Report, it said Guyana is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour in mining, agriculture, forestry, domestic service and shops.

The report stated that for the past five years, women and children from Guyana, Brazil, The Dominican Republic, Suriname, and Venezuela have been subjected to sex trafficking in mining communities in the interior and urban areas.

Profitt made reference to a raid which was conducted by the Police Force earlier this year, where 41 alleged victims were rescued; 35 of which were found to be Venezuelans.

According to Profitt, Guyana has recorded 68 cases of alleged TIP already for 2018. Police statistics also recorded 41 alleged TIP cases in 2014, 51 in 2015, 98 in 2016 and 50 in 2017.

Meanwhile, although there has been some level of success in tackling this issue and Guyana recently moving to a Tier 1 country, the TIP coordinator explained that there are still some challenges.

According to Profitt, one of the major challenges is being able to secure successful prosecutions, mainly due to the fact that most times the alleged victims are deported.

He said, “Let’s say for example we have an alleged victim from overseas, the time it takes to investigate and prosecute, sometimes mostly adults, and wouldn’t be interested in sticking around or staying through the entire process. And what you find in Guyana and almost all other nations, a victim’s testimony is paramount to achieving a successful prosecution.”

In most cases, the victims would have families back at home and would need their support in order to stay through the process. If they don’t have the support, then it is more than likely that they often times return to their home country and the cases are left unsolved.

But the acting TIP coordinator said the Ministerial Task Force is looking to increase prosecution rates through training, information sharing with other countries and alternatives to obtaining testimonies.

“What is positive is that even if alleged victim returns home, there is a provision for the use of Skype; of video testimony from their

home territory. So we’re trying to tap into these options to make ourselves a bit more successful in the future…,” Profitt explained.

As such, a proposal has been drafted which looks at various options of improving the current process. The Task Force also plans to work more closely with other countries to collaborate on these issues.

The Social Protection Ministry has been the lead agency responsible for tackling trafficking and overseeing the work of the AntiTrafficking Unit (ATU).

The US had recommended Guyana provide additional protection for victims, to enable them to testify against traffickers in a way that minimises re-traumatisation; record the number of cases reported to the trafficking hotline to promote a rapid investigative and victim assistance response; and provide training for diplomatic personnel on human trafficking.

Recommendations were also made to have funding of specialised victim services; vigorously investigate and prosecute sex and labour trafficking cases; train law enforcement, judicial officials and frontline responders – especially those working outside the capital – on victim identification and referral procedures and finalise the written identification procedures to better guide law enforcement officials.

In 2016, the Government reported 19 trafficking investigations, 19 prosecutions, and two convictions; compared to 15 trafficking investigations, seven prosecutions, and one conviction in 2015; and seven investigations, four prosecutions, and one conviction in 2014.

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EBD man granted $500,000 reduced bail on causing death charge

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amanand Jagdeo, 44, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was on Tuesday granted $500,000 reduced bail when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.

Jagdeo was previously placed on $1 million bail after he denied that on February 22, 2018, at Peters Hall Public Road, EBD, he drove motor car PRR 4395 in a dangerous manner, thus causing the death of Alexander Akia.

However, on Tuesday, his attorney made a successfully application for bail to be reduced before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

It was previously report-

Qualifications…

N

The Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts

ed that Jagdeo was speeding along the Peters Hall Public Road when he collided with the pedal cyclist.

As a result of the impact, Akia’s leg was severed from his body. He was rushed to the Georgetown

Public Hospital where he succumbed while receiving medical attention. The matter will continue on July 3.

…on ICJ’s jurisdiction? ot surprisingly, even as it’s undergoing a Statemeltdown, Venezuela continues with its stubborn rear-guard action to prevent a settlement on the border controversy it precipitated in 1962 when it claimed the “full and final settlement” it signed on to in 1899 was “null and void”.

Since then, this claim of ‘we wuz robbed” by perfidious Albion (Britain) has become an article of faith of all succeeding Venezuelan governments and has even been incorporated into their Constitution.

Over the last few years, as we know, Guyana has slowly made progress by sticking to the terms of the Geneva Agreement which Venezuela signed in 1966 and which spelled out the measures to settle the controversy.

We had a Mixed Border Commission…but that didn’t get anywhere.

We had several other interventions – including a moratorium – then lastly, the UN Secretary General “Good Officer Process” which the Venezuelans just allowed to drag on and on and on for decades!!

Didn’t matter to them…but it certainly crimped our development efforts!! Back in the 1970s, Burnham’s big dream of launching a mega-Hydro-electric project in the Mazaruni was stymied by the Venezuelans who blocked us from World Bank funding. Whether we highlighted it or not, this Venezuelan obstreperousness was the reason our oil potential remained ‘potential” up to the turn of the century…while Venezuela raked in the big oil bucks.

The present PNC Government had to concede the strategic wisdom of Janet Jagan to offer Exxon 600 blocks in the Stabroek field in 1999, as a deterrent to Venezuelan revanchism.

Be as it may, as per the terms of the Geneva agreement, “If the means so chosen do not lead to a solution…the Secretary General of the United Nations shall choose another of the means stipulated in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations.” Guyana petitioned the UN Secretary General to send the matter to the ICJ for a judicial Settlement – one of the options of Art 33.”

The Secretary General agreed and now Venezuela has the nerve to say the ICJ has no jurisdiction over the case since it (Venezuela) hasn’t consented!

But Venezuela is disingenuously forgetting that Article 36 of the ICJ just doesn’t say, “The jurisdiction of the Court comprises all cases which THE PARTIES refer to it”.

It goes on to include: “and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations or in TREATIES and conventions in force.” This standard “Compromissory clause” kicks in because Venezuela agreed to the Geneva Agreement!!

Venezuela can’t have its cake and eat it too. While there’s no world government to compel its acceptance of the ICJ’s impending judgement…the rest of the world will!!

And that’s what matters. …at GECOM The points raised by the PNC partisans on GECOM – their three Commissioners and Granger’s unilaterallyappointed Chairman – on the appointment of a DCEO would be laughable, if their consequences weren’t so dangerous for Guyana. The PNCites are saying don’t bother with the assessment scores of the two candidates – which they themselves helped compile – just throw it out and let the Chairman pretend he’s Solomon!!

The PNCites claim their decision has nothing with the fact their choice is a PNC-partisan – nah!! It has to do with her “academic” qualifications versus those of the other candidate. And this is where the asininity of their position is revealed. It’s a matter of trite law that so called “facially neutral criteria” for employment MUST be relevant to the job!! Or they just become means for weeding out individuals who may be more capable of ACTUALLY doing the job!

As in this case, where the non-PNC candidate has over a DECADE of experience with ELECTIONS…and the PNCite has ZERO!!

O judgement, thou art fled to brutish beasts!! …of (Chief?) Justice Patterson GECOM’s Patterson said it was a ‘slip of the pen’ when he claimed he was once “Chief Justice” of Grenada.

With his pronouncement on the ‘gonads” of the Opposition Leader, is he now arrogating medical credentials??

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

9 Police called in to probe fraud at Health Ministry S News

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enior employees at the Public Health Ministry were Tuesday morning warned about the presence of Police Detectives and the internal auditors from the Finance Ministry, who will soon begin investigations into the “misappropriation of funds and the blatant attempts to steal” public funds within the Health Ministry.

This warning was sounded by Health Minister Volda Lawrence during a frank discourse with senior officials at the Ministry on Tuesday morning.

During the internal meeting, Minister Lawrence raised questions about “bla-

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

tant attempts to steal” and other brazen dishonest acts perpetrated by employees, a statement from the Ministry

detailed.

To this end, she noted that the Guyana Police Force and officials from the Finance Ministry will carry out open investigations into ongoing corrupt practices by staff members.

“Fraud has been going on a long time at the Public Health Ministry," Lawrence pointed out. She went on to caution programme managers who appeared stunned by her revelations, adding “I am advising you to check what you sign and ensure it meets the regulatory requirements and it is in keeping with your programmes.”

Moreover, the Public Health Minister said, “I will

not compromise on the issue of accountability within the public health sector.”

Furthermore, she did not hide her distaste for employees who have been “sabotaging the Ministry left, right and centre.”

Some workers have even been sending missives on internal MoPH matters to persons outside the public service structure, Lawrence revealed. She indicated that letter writers will shortly have the opportunity to “bring the evidence” to support their claims.

Less threatening but equally toxic, the Minister noted, is the issue of insubordination, which is rife

among some categories of employees.

“Some parts of the MoPH train have been derailed (and) the madness has to stop,” Minister Lawrence posited.

This comes one day after the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday flagged officials from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) over the lack of accountability for drugs warranted to the region. Sums totalling $135 million were transferred by two interdepartmental warrants to the Public Health Ministry for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies on behalf of the region. In the case of $60 mil-

lion, a financial return received indicated the full amount was expended. But the cost was not stated. In the case of a second warrant at a cost of $75 million, the administration received a ‘Nil’ financial return.

This is not the first time such an issue has obtained within the Ministry.

There continues to be irregularities, not only at the various regional administration levels, but within the public health sector as a whole. Several healthcare facilities, both primary and at the community-level, are plagued with drug shortages and discrepancies over its procurement process.

Man who allegedly pushed girlfriend out of car granted $500, 000 bail T

wenty-one-year-old Rick Sewcharran who is accused of allegedly pushing his girlfriend, Sasia Adams, out of his moving car which resulted in her death was on Tuesday released on $500,000 bail when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts slapped with a manslaughter charge.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge. The Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident was represented by prominent Attorney Sanjeev Datadin in association with former State Prosecutor Siand Dhurjon.

In his bail application, Datadin told Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan that his client has been cooperating with Police ever since his arrest.

Noting that his client has no prior brushes with the law, the Attorney related that based on what he was told, the female opened the car door and fell out.

He observed that there was CCTV footage of what he deemed “an unfortunate incident”. Moreover, the Attorney stated that there was no evidence that his client acted deliberately to cause the woman’s demise. Datadin noted that Sewcharran was interviewed by Police for more than three hours and that he led them to the scene and recounted what happened.

Although the prosecution had no objection to the accused being allowed his pre-trial liberty, Sewcharran was ordered to lodge his passport and report to Alberttown Police Station every Friday. The 21-year-old will next appear in Court One on July 13, 2018.

Adams, an Essequibo native, resided at East Street,

Accused: Rick Sewcharran

Deceased: Sasia Adams

Georgetown and she succumbed to head injuries on June 12 after falling out of a moving car at Lamaha Street, Georgetown. Based on initial reports, her boyfriend reportedly told Police that the teen fell out of his moving vehicle around 20:00h on June 10, two days prior.

However, alternative versions of what transpired during the incident surfaced as the still conscious Adams had related to doctors that she fell down. Another account had her jumping from the moving car.

The post-mortem exam-

ination conducted by veteran State Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh indicated that the woman died as a result of blunt trauma to the head. No mention of her dying from injuries consistent with a vehicular accident was disclosed or reported.

Investigators revealed that it appeared as though the woman was struck to her head and then pushed out of the moving car, resulting in her sustaining severe head injuries. The now deceased woman was employed at the Ramada Hotel as a front desk clerk.

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CC&PA denies rape allegation against officer

I

n light of an article that was published in Guyana Times on June 19, 2018, under the caption, “Teen allegedly molested by CC&PA Office”, Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene, vehemently denied that an officer of the Agency was the perpetrator.

During a telephone conversation with Guyana Times on Tuesday, Greene explained the officer who was implicated in the matter is the one conducting the investigation. She could not release information on the perpetrator but is adamant that her officer is not involved.

The mother of the child however, is attached to another department within the Social Protection Ministry.

She explained that an investigation was launched into the matter the moment it was reported to the officers at the CC&PA. She further stated that investigations have been completed and handed over to the Police for further investigation.

“As we speak, the files is with the Police who will have to send same to the Director

Child Care and Protection Agency Director Ann Greene

of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who will determine the way forward…,” she explained.

However, she reprimanded Guyana Times for the “erroneous” and “misleading” article and more so threatened to take legal actions.

She is of the belief that such articles put a damper on the work of the Agency.

“We have been working around the clock in making sure children who were abused are protected and we will continue to make sure that is done…I am disappointed in the article…,” she related.

With respect to the complainant, she explained that the CC&PA officers would have met with and updated them on the issue.

The 13-year-old victim has reportedly told relatives of the instances when she had been molested by her mother’s lover, but was ignored after he denied the accusations when confronted.

The teen continued to complain to relatives that the man would constantly attack her, but she was on several occasions forced to remain silent.

An aunt explained that

her niece confided in her school teacher, who later reported the matter to a family member.

“When she told her mother, (her mother) ignored her and tells her to stop lying, so she felt frustrated and depressed and wanted to kill herself. One day she decided to call her father (my brother) and tell him what was happening, and he give me the phone because he couldn’t deal with it”.

The woman said the following day she visited the CC&PA to file a report, but was later told that she has to file it in the jurisdiction in which the incident occurred.

Following the allegation being reported, the Form Two student was examined by a doctor, and it was confirmed that she had been sexually violated.

The aunt claimed that several weeks have elapsed since the matter was reported, and nothing has been done.

The teenager is visibly traumatised; and according to the aunt, the teen is suicidal, since she blames herself for what had happened.

Bandits invade home of elderly couple, escape with motor car

T

hree armed men in the wee hours of Tuesday morning broke into the home of an elderly couple at Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, and escaped with cash, jewellery and a motorcar.

Based on reports received, at about 01:45h, 61-year-old Frederick David was awakened by the three

men as they stood by his bedside. The men were armed with a cutlass, a shotgun and a knife respectively.

The elderly man was ordered to lie on the floor and his hands and feet were bound. He was also gagged.

His wife remained asleep during the ordeal.

The armed men then ransacked the couple’s home

and packed away one 40inch TCL flat screen television, two gold rings, two BLU mobile phones, one Samsung Galaxy mobile phone, two Dell laptops, and $25,000 in cash. They reported placed the items in the man’s car bearing registration number PVV 1491 and made good their escape.

After the men left, the el-

derly man managed to untie himself and called out to his wife who subsequently alerted the neighbours. The Police were summoned and it was discovered that the bandits gained entry into the home through the back door of the house.

The crime scene was dusted for fingerprints as investigations continue.

Selections S

atiricus was feeling quite chipper. For too long recently, he’d been placed on the back foot by the fellas at the Back Street Bar, where he was now headed. His KFC party, being part of the Government, he’d had to defend them on one thing or another. And to make matters worse, his leaders, Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat, weren’t even uttering a squeak on these contentious issues to help him out. But here it was, Grain Ja’s Pee-an’-See appointed at GECON, Patta-son was telling it like it is!!

“You got to hand it to Patta,” Satiricus enthused as he sat down and reached for a beer, “he’s honest!” “’Anest about wha’?” asked Bungi.

“Well, he pointed out that all the Pee Pee Cee Chairmen of GECOM after 1992 were Indian, so what’s wrong with Granger picking him, an African, as Chairman, now,” said Satiricus.

“Leh me aks you somet’ing, Sato,” said Cappo, giving Satiricus an appraising look. “Fram whe’ de Pee Pee Cee pick de Indian?”

“Why, from the list provided by the Pee-an’-See leader of course!” said Satiricus.

“Den a de Pee-an’-See pick de Indian Chairman, na?” asked Bungi with a smile.

“Well, if you put it so,” said Satiricus. “But Patta has no bitterness. He even said “Dood”, the second Chair, was his friend!!”

“Sato, right there you should know Patta is lying through his teeth!!” said Hari in his quiet but firm style.

“Lying? What do you mean?” demanded Satiricus.

“That’s a serious charge!”

“My friend, any friend of Doodnauth, the second Chairman, would NEVER call him Dood?” said Hari conclusively.

“Really?” said Satiricus sceptically. “What would they call him?”

“Doods, my friend, Doods!” said Hari. “Never Dood!!

Patta is claiming a friendship that never existed!!”

“Sato, lemme tell yuh somet’ing,” said Cappo slowly.

“Fish and cast-net nevah ah friend!! Doods bin a wan WAPA man and Patta always bin a wan Pee-an’-See!!”

“How you know that?” demanded Satiricus.

“De fuss lis’ Hyte put up in 1995 bin gat Patta name!!” said Bungi, slapping the table.

Satiricus fell silent.

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wednesDAY, june 20, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

AFC to discuss LGE plans at upcoming executive meeting A

fter much back and forth between the two coalition partners, the Alliance For Change (AFC) will this weekend discuss whether or not it will be contesting the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) alone or together with the majority coalition party, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

According to the AFC, the party will be hosting its third quarterly National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for 2018 this Saturday at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, in Greater Georgetown.

“This NEC will focus exclusively on the party’s position, plans and preparations for the upcoming Local Government

Elections…,” the AFC said in a statement on Tuesday.

The party’s representatives from all 10 administrative regions and from the Diaspora are scheduled to attend the one-day meeting.

Having felt it was disadvantaged in the 2016 Local Government polls with regards to the allocation of candidates, the

President David Granger (left) and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

AFC had been mulling whether it should contest the LGEs alone this time round. However, the party subsequently initiated discussions with its coalition partner to discuss the way forward.

Last month at a press conference, the AFC said the party has proposed nine major points to be negotiated; the upcoming Local Government Elections being the first.

However, this publi-

cation was reliably informed that the AFC is demanding 60 per cent of the total seats secured after the Local Government Elections which is expected in November of this year.

This demand comes after AFC Councillors in the Georgetown municipality has been sidelined by the APNU’s Councillors on a number of issues inclusive of the controversial parking meter project.

The 2015 Cummingsburg

Accord only catered for arrangements between the two parties regarding the General and Regional Elections. To this end, the AFC proposed as part of the nine points up for negotiation that an agreement on LGE be crafted.

The minority coalition partner detailed some of its positions for negotiation in the LGE Accord. The AFC’s NEC, after a May 1 meeting, had allow additional time for the two coalition partners to have a definitive written agreement in the form of a Local Government Elections Accord.

LGEs are scheduled for mid-November and Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan recently told Guyana Times that the exact date will be announced in two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson assured that the entity has done its ground work and is now awaiting the announcement of the date to be fully prepared for the Local Government polls.

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Guyana-born Dr Narendra Singh receives honorary law doctorate

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ecognised for his extraordinary humanitarian contributions and as a healthcare leader, Schulich alumnus and physician, Dr Narendra Singh, received an honorary doctor of laws from the Canada-based York University on Monday during the morning Spring Convocation ceremony.

Dr Singh has devoted his career as a physician to global paediatric and neonatal healthcare. He recently retired as Chief-of-Staff at Humber River Hospital in Toronto, Canada to direct his efforts full-time to the Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK); an initiative he founded in 2009 that has drastically reduced infant mortality rates.

He credited his achievements to a strong support system.

“I’m receiving this honorary doctorate of laws, but I’m somewhat conflicted since my success… is the combined effort of many people, some in the audience today… and so I would like to share this degree with them,” Singh said in his address to the convocation.

Musing over how to inspire a generation in the age of advanced technology, with “everything at their fingertips,” Singh chose to focus on what he learned from a long life and career.

He spoke to the graduates about the life lessons he learned on his own journey to success, and highlighted three main points: the importance of family, personal qualities for success, and the importance of giving back.

Two guarantees in life, he suggested, are that everyone will experience good times

Dr Narendra Singh received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the Canada-based York University on Monday during the Spring Convocation ceremony. Also in photo are Chancellor Greg Sorbara and University President and Vice Chancellor Rhonda L Lenton

and bad times. He then asked the graduates “when adversity strikes, and it will strike, my question to you is who will be there?”

He spoke of his own support from his parents, and how after completing specialty medical training, he was offered an exciting job in the United States, but took a less exciting opportunity closer to home in Ontario to be near his parents and two brothers.

Though his career could have taken a drastically different turn had he accepted the position offered in the US, he believes he still did well and attributes his success to putting family over career.

“I will say to you unequivocally: your career will flourish if you’re happy and surrounded by loved ones like you are today,” he told the graduates,

urging those who doesn’t have the same fortune of nearby family to find and build their families.

“We are all connected and the stronger and healthier our relationships are, the more grounded, resilient and, ultimately, successful we can be,” he said.

Dr Singh also spoke of personal qualities that drive success, including good interpersonal skills and humility, and shared a personal memory of his to highlight that.

He recalled as a child in Guyana, at age six or seven, being one of the lowest ranked students in the class.

Remembering the support of his family and how he did initially struggle, he also recalled that with hard work, his grades began to improve.

“My point is that when you

“Otisha” gets reduced bail from Chief Magistrate

C

ommercial sex worker Otis Pearson, more popularly known as “Otisha”, was on Tuesday granted reduced bail when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Pearson was previously placed on $300,000 bail when he was charged for engaging in sexual activities with a 14-year-old boy last month.

That charge alleged that on December 24, 2017

at Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown, Pearson engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16. Pearson, who resides at Lot 61 Station Street, Kitty, was not required to plead to the charge.

Earlier this year, Pearson came under fire when he was heard saying to the media that he has a little boy for every day of the week. Just a short time after, an image began to circulate on social me-

dia which showed Pearson in a close embrace with a young boy.

The Childcare and Protection Agency (CC&PA) immediately launched an investigation into the matter and a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions who recommended that charges be laid.

Pearson is now on $200,000 bail and is expected to return to court on July 16.

look at people who have done really well, finally, in their lives, their grades don’t necessarily explain all of it,” he said.

Singh also urged graduates to let their accomplishments speak for themselves. “Consider team success, not personal success; sing the praises of others, not your own,” he said.

Giving back is also a driver toward success, according to Dr Singh, who runs a charity to save the lives of infants. “Being successful also means helping others to achieve their success … so make sure that you leave room in your life for giving back,” he noted.

And, while make a big contribution is important, Singh circled back to the sentiment that family is the stepping stone to a happy, fulfilling and

successful life. “Give first to your family with your time and attention. You only have one chance. Invest in your family, hone your skills and wait for the right time to do the big things,” he said.

The honorary degree was conferred before graduates in the Faculty of Health, including students belonging to the first cohort to graduate from York’s Global Health programme.

“It is a marvellous synergy that someone with such an outstanding body of work in global health is here as we celebrate our first graduates of the global health programme,” said York University Chancellor, Greg Sorbara of Singh.

Only recently, Singh was sitting in the audience among students when he graduat-

ed from the Schulich/Kellogg Executive MBA programme.

He commended the programme Dean, Dezsö J Horváth, and faculty for making it the number one executive MBA programme in Canada and noted the programme’s global high ranking.

In addition to leading Guyana Help the Kids, Dr Singh is also a consultant paediatric intensivist at Doctors Hospital of Renaissance in Texas, USA. He has received numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal of Canada; the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Award “Prix de Excellence/ Specialist of the Year”; and the Professionalism Award from the Government of Guyana.

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wednesDAY, june 20, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

between UMU Zeelugt woman allegedly Negotiations and Business Ministry raped, husband assaulted “Not a done during robbery deal” – Gaskin

P

olice in D Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) have arrested two of three persons who are suspected of terrorising a Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo family in the wee hours of Tuesday.

According to reports, the suspects reportedly raped the wife, while her husband was badly beaten. The men also threatened to kill the couple’s toddler, who was crying during the ordeal.

Guyana Times understands that the couple was asleep when sometime around 02:30h, the husband was suddenly awakened after being struck to his head.

He was then confronted by the three suspects, who ordered him to remain quiet and demanded cash and

jewellery.

The man complied, handing over just over $10,000 along with a ring he was wearing. By that time, his wife and two-year-old son were awakened as well. It was reported that the men began physically assaulting the husband and then turned their attention to the

wife, whom they allegedly sexually assaulted.

Moreover, during this time, the couple’s toddler was crying loudly and the men placed a knife to his neck, threatening to kill him if he did not stop screaming.

The boy’s mother managed to console the frightened child.

Nevertheless, the perpetrators then held the family of three at knifepoint and escorted them to their car.

“It was further alleged that the suspects placed the victims in their (victims’) vehicle and drove away but the vehicle broke down and the perpetrators escaped,” the Police said.

The matter was reported to the Police and the victims were taken to seek medical attention, where they were treated and sent home.

Based on statements obtained from the victims, the Police said the suspects were identified. As of result of this and from intelligence gathered, investigators arrested two males who reside in the same community.

They remain in custody and are being interrogated.

“O

ur Consumer A f f a i r s Department met with the Minibus Association just to hear their concerns… but I don’t set fuel prices and I’m not the Minister responsible for fixing minibus fares”. Those were the words of Business Minister Dominic Gaskin as he was questioned by reporters on Monday, as it relates to the woes of the public transportation sector.

The Minister said the Consumer Affairs Department within his

UMU President Eon Andrews

Ministry met with the United Minibus Union (UMU), “just to hear their concerns and they have provided a proposal to the Consumer’s Department, to me”.

The Minister went further to say, “We just intervened from a consumer point of view to find out what the real concerns were and to engage them because it’s an important sector… and we can’t have people out there protesting when all that is required is some sort of proper engagement”.

In the same breath, the Minister sought to clarify that he is not responsible for setting fuel prices and bus fares. Moreover, he said the proposal which was submitted to his Ministry will be shared with the respective Ministers who will then carry the burden of introducing

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin

the said proposal to Cabinet.

“They have provided a proposal, I will share it with the responsible Ministers and then some one of them will make a proposal to Cabinet as to what we should do because there are a number of options and different options come under different ministers’ responsibilities so it’s not a done deal as yet,” Gaskin posited.

Along with the proposal for a fare hike, the President of the UMU, Eon Andrews also reportedly requested the ban on used tyres to be lifted and the introduction of a five-year moratorium on the importation of minibuses among others.

The fare increase proposal comes at a time where minibus and taxi drivers have been protesting and even striking about the climbing gas prices.

Desperate to get the attention they need, drivers blocked the Vryheid’s Lust access road along the East Coast railway embankment.

Several tyres were burnt, and an old car was set on fire to garner the attention needed, with the hope of having the fuel crisis addressed.

Several protests were also organised by drivers of the various routes subsequent to this incident. Gas station prices for fuel have increased rapidly, from $215 per litre to prices ranging from $230 to $250 per litre.

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Ramsammy’s Ruminations The Panama rice market fiasco – Agriculture Minister guilty of misconduct in office

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illers who supplied rice to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) for shipment to Panama since early 2017 have not yet been paid an amount in excess of $2 billion. This translates to farmers not being paid. My sympathy is 100 per cent with the farmers. The Agriculture Minister is, as usual, AWOL, missing in action, hiding behind spurious excuses such as he is unaware of what the issue is. He seems to be oblivious of any agriculture matter and only appears to be present if there is something good to talk about. Every time there is a problem, he is absent, not available and, often, pleads no knowledge of the problem.

For example, when questioned about the financial status of Dr Leslie Ramsammy the Sugar Workers Pension Fund last week, he pleaded ignorance. The Panama rice non-payment problem dates back to early 2017, yet the Minister refuses to address it, a clear example of misconduct in office.

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) introduced a new criminal offence – misconduct in office. But it appears to have limited its utilisation to charge former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Ministers and officials. The truth is that clear misconduct in office is evident every day in this APNU/AFC term. We can identify misconduct in office every single day since May 2015. I was going to highlight this week the misconduct in office of Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson in the management of the new proposed Demerara River Bridge, a project that was already articulated in the 2013 and 2014 national budgets. By now the Demerara River Bridge should have been nearing completion. But the Minister has royally bungled the project. After spending more than $100 million on a feasibility study and tendering for another floating bridge, he is now informing the nation that he and his government have changed their minds and will now pursue another expensive study for a high, non-floating bridge. I will discuss the Demerara River Bridge misconduct in office later and, instead, highlight the Agriculture Minister's misconduct in office.

The Panama rice deal was one that I personally worked on.

In early 2013, I visited Panama and, with help from the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), met with officials of the incoming government in Panama. I informed the then Guyana President, Donald Ramotar, of the possibility of a government-to-government rice deal between Guyana and Panama. Fortunately, an Organisation of American States (OAS) meeting was being held in early 2014 in Colombia and President Ramotar was attending. It would be the first international meeting for the new Panamanian President. As Guyana's Minister of Agriculture, I met with President Ramotar before he left for the Colombia meeting and requested that he arranged to meet with the Panamanian President to discuss the possibility. He and the Panamanian President agreed that such South-South cooperation is essential. The Panamanian President preferred a governmentto-government arrangement because he believed his government could supply rice at cost in Panamanian supermarkets.

I was dispatched to Panama immediately after President Ramotar returned to Guyana and the Panamanian President was gracious and generous with his time. We met and he instructed his Minister of Agriculture to immediately arrange a meeting between my technical team and his and to formalise a contract for 50,000 tonnes of rice per year, preferably in packaged form.

The price was lower than the price from Venezuela, but higher than any other market Guyana was dealing with. Within weeks of that meeting, we shipped the first 5000 tonnes of rice to Panama.

This arrangement had to overcome the difficulties inherent in existing arrangements between the US and Panama, with the US supplying almost 100 per cent of rice in Panama's supermarkets.

The GRDB was put in charge of the arrangements with Panama.

The arrangements were simple – the GRDB will contract Guyanese millers to supply the rice in accordance with standards established

by Panama and the GRDB will pay the millers for the rice they supplied. This meant, essentially, that the Guyana Government will assume payment to the millers through the GRDB and will replace the funds upon payment from Panama.

This is a concrete example of how the PPP/C Government facilitated the rice industry, often providing payments to farmers, until payments were made by importing countries and buyers.

APNU/AFC has abrogated this responsibility. Under its reckless policies, it has reduced the GRDB to a toothless poodle. The independence and effectiveness of the GRDB is under assault from this government. It is why the present CEO of the GRDB has to hide from the media and the millers because his minister is AWOL. His minister is guilty of misconduct in office, a misconduct that is placing an onerous burden on the rice farmers. This misconduct is especially egregious because the rice industry is helping to keep the economy from negative growth.

Panama rice deal

“Millers should not use farmers as a bank” – Holder

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griculture Minister Noel Holder and Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) General Manager, Nizam Hassan, have finally responded to the growing concerns of stakeholders in the rice industry who are affected by non-payment from buyers in Panama.

This swift response on Monday came one day after a report in Guyana Times that detailed the extensive delays regarding payments.

However, in an article published by the Department of Public Information (DPI), it contended that Government was not responsible for farmers being owed for rice shipped to Panama.

In fact, DPI quoted Minister Holder as saying while the rice industry is doing well, “millers should desist from using the farmers as a bank.” He explained that for the most part, transactions are done through an established letter of credit, noting that the Panamanian market offers a 30 per cent increase in price for rice.

“Given the existing arrangement and the fact that it is not an irrevocable letter of the credit agreement, the millers evidently want to enjoy both sides of the coin. They want both the increased prices as well as the terms outlined in the line of credit agreement.

Millers have the option of paying farmers from funds they have or arrange payments through established banking agreements and are urged to do so since the law stipulates that farmers are to be paid two weeks after paddy is supplied to the millers,” a section of the DPI report noted.

GRDB General Manager Nizam Hassan, who has not been entertaining calls from this newspaper for the past several months, also told DPI that “the Board is not in possession of the funds and is currently working with officials in Panama to ensure that the outstanding balance will be made available for payment at the earliest possible time.”

The General Manager further told the Government’s official media outlet that millers are aware that when they supply the Panamanian market, they will receive payments from the GRDB when it is received from Panama. He added that the market with Panama is a Government market that pays a higher price, but, is however “sometimes” delayed due to “Government processes”.

“Millers are owed for the two contracted supply – the last contract for 2017 and the first contract for 2018

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

and not for contracts for any previous years,” Hassan further told State media.

It was further reported that many small millers, who supplied rice under the past two contracts, were recently paid by the Rice Board to the tune of US$1,270,901 from its own resources.

“Additionally, GRDB recently received US$550,000 from Panama, which is currently being paid to millers.” The General Manager further pointed out that reports of millers securing private deals through the Mexican market has nothing to do with the Board.

“Shipments to the Mexican market are done in a private capacity, henceforth; the Board is not handling any monies for rice supplied to that market,” Hassan asserted, which was understood and published by this newspaper.

It was reported that many in the industry abandoned the 2014 PanamaGuyana arrangement after the GRDB was not forthcoming with payments.

Sources indicated that millers secured private deals through the Mexican market and according to reports; one ship recently sailed to the Latin American country and another is reportedly on its way with rice. However, it is from these very deals that many farmers felt they could be paid, thus questioning why millers are reluctant to hand over payments,” this publication reported on June 17, 2018.

These clarifications were repeatedly sought by Guyana Times but Hassan would often avoid calls. In 2014, Guyana inked a deal with the Government of Panama for 5000 tonnes of rice to be shipped there on a monthly basis. The recent

non-payment is adversely affecting farmers across the country who said their ability to sustain their livelihood as rice producers is under threat.

Millers alleged Hassan has been telling them he has to check with the Agriculture Minister to enquire about their payments.

Guyana Rice Millers Association (GRMA) head, Leekha Rambrich observed earlier this year that even though the GRDB is accessing the money from buyers, the entity had an obligation to pay millers.

“GRDB signed a contract with Panama to supply this rice and not the millers. And GRDB is responsible for paying the millers.

So that question has to be referred right back to him (Hassan),” Rambrich stated in February 2018.

Guyana exported some 540,000 tonnes of rice for 2017, which saw its highest numbers since 2015 when 535,000 tonnes was recorded. However, farmers have seen reduced earnings for their paddy with the loss of the PetroCaribe rice deal which was cancelled by Venezuela in 2015.

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wednesDAY, june 20, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Miner dies after pit collapses at Imbaimadai A

miner was on Tuesday morning killed after a mining pit in which he was working caved in at Imbaimadai, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The dead man has been identified as Almo Adams. Police Divisional Commander, Kevin Adonis when contacted confirmed that the now dead man was “jetting” when the walls of the pit came crashing down.

The officials stated that Adams was trapped under the mud. His co-workers rushed to his rescue but took some time to pull him

from under the mud. He was subsequently taken to the Imbaimadai Health Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 10:00h. Adams’ body has been transported to the Bartica Hospital Mortuary and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

In January, 23-year-old Handel Payne, also called “Daggie”, of Kaneville Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was killed after a mining pit collapsed at 35 Miles Konawaruk Backdam, Region

Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

It was reported that Payne and others were working in the mining pit when a section of the mud wall collapsed behind him, trapping him beneath the debris in the mid-section. He reportedly fell unconscious by which time the water began to rise rapidly. He was submerged and subsequently drowned.

He was later pulled out and rushed to the Mahdia Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Adolescent mothers to be reintegrated into school system …over 6000 pregnancies recorded in 2 years

UNICEF Representative Sylvie Fouet presenting the policy to Education Minister Nicolette Henry

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fter over one year of research and consultations, the National Policy for the Reintegration of Adolescent Mothers into the Formal Education System was on Monday released to the Education Ministry.

With this initiative – that will be implemented soon – many adolescent mothers will be given an opportunity to complete their formal secondary education and the system will also be used as a preventative measure whereby stakeholders will be sensitized to ensure that the policy is effective.

Present at the launch of the policy framework document was the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative, Sylvie Fouet, who highlighted that Guyana is second on the list for the highest number of teenage mothers in the Caribbean and Latin America, with about 97 births for every 1000 teenage girls. It is also in close range with The Dominican Republic which tops he list.

Some alarming statistics according to her reveal that, “Teen pregnancy is about 20 to 22 per cent or about one

out of five teenage girls below the age of 19.”

Among the 15 factors that lead to teenage pregnancies as highlighted in the study, it was revealed that some of them include school dropouts, lack of knowledge and difficult relationships with parents and family members, poverty, incest, exploitation and sexual abuse.

During interactions with teen mothers, most of them had thoughts of illegal abortion and abandoning their newborn child.

Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson highlighted that unsuccessful attempts by the Education Ministry to bring awareness in the past could be blamed on the lack of a framework document to use as a guide when dealing with such situations.

“A factor that must not be discounted is that many adolescent pregnancies maybe a consequence of forced sex, rather than consensual or risky sexual behaviour and therefore we have a responsibility to protect those girls.”

Brief remarks were also

Lindeners benefit from soap manufacturing workshop

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everal residents in the mining town of Linden benefited from a soap manufacturing workshop, which was organised by the Small Business Bureau (SBB).

The exercise, which targeted registered members of the Bureau, commenced on Monday, June 11, 2018 and wrapped up on Friday, June 15, 2018, with a total of 27 persons taking advantage.

The exercise was spearheaded by Consultant Melissa Younge who is currently involved in the business of liquid soaps locally.

During the course of the exercise, participants learned the art of making mainly beauty bars, using local ingredients such as cocoa and Shea butter, turmeric, coconut oil, avocado, honey, oats, olive oil and coffee. They were educated in both theoretical and practical forms.

Skills Development Administrator with the SBB, Darren Sills, said the exercise is the first of a set of training organised for participants by the Bureau and

Some of the participants and the locally-made soaps

upon completion, they will move on to the business practices segment in part two of the training programme.

He explained that the aim of the training is for the participants to be well rounded business people at the end of the exercises.

“This is also the first phase of the training with these clients, in terms of building their capacity as business owners. So, we’re going to start with this, showing them the trade and then in the following months we’re going to work with them on business tools; how to work with customers, how to fix their records, how to draft

business plans,” he noted.

Sills said other trades may also be incorporated by request.

“Providing they want to do something other than soap, what we’re doing going forward is we’re going to be introducing other trades as by the request of the groups... the plan is to get them confident enough to walk into their own businesses with the skill,” he explained.

The exercise will be taken to Georgetown and Lethem in the coming months. The Bureau has also conducted similar exercises in the areas of sustainable forestry, mining and cosmetology.

given by Education Minister Nicolette Henry who noted that this is a way of modernising education in Guyana.

“Teenage pregnancy is a complex issue which has multiple contributing factors that are common knowledge

to many. It is a symptom of a bigger societal sickness. It is now just a health issue, but a development issue that is deep-rooted in poverty, gender inequality, violence, child forced marriages, and power imbalances between teenage

girls and their partners,” she said.

In 2015, some 3712 girls were reported pregnant while in 2016, a total of 3032 were recorded. In both cases, the age range was between 15 to19 years.

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wednesDAY, june 20, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Esau and Jacob road in deplorable state …hundreds of rice farmers, residents affected

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undreds of rice farmers and residents called on the Government of Guyana and the Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to combine their resources and repair/ upgrade the deteriorating Esau and Jacob road which they claim has resulted in immense discomfort and undue hardship for their families.

The farmers gathered at the road – which is located in the Burma Rice Milling Community at Mahaicony, Region Five – on Tuesday morning in the scorching sun to protest and call for the Central Government to respond to their pleas with urgency since they would have

Some of the rice farmers who staged the protest action on Tuesday morning

been lobbying various entities over the past year and a half to no avail.

Former Region Five Regional Chairman Rabindranauth Bisnauth,

Police Officer stabbed 8 times by high school student

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Police Officer is now in a stable condition after he was stabbed eight times with a knife by a high school student. The incident took place on Monday evening in New Amsterdam.

The injured Police Officer, Constable Randy Claxton, 32, of Central Police Station, was at the time of the incident performing his duties. He is attached to the Anti-Crime Motorcycle Patrol Unit.

Reports are he and another Constable from the Unit were on patrol in the vicinity of Main and Pitt Streets, New Amsterdam, when they observed close to 10 men in a group smoking what appeared to be marijuana.

Injured: Constable Randy Claxton The officers reportedly came off their motorcycles and approached the gang. However,

one of them ran but was eventually apprehended.

Meanwhile, the teenager who was part of the gang, reportedly approached the Police Officer with a knife in his hand and despite being told to put down the weapon, he attacked Claxton, stabbing him once to the back of his neck, four times to his back, two to the left side hip and once to his left forearm.

The teenager then made good his escape. The officer was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was treated and admitted.

The Police have since made several attempts to apprehend the teenager but up to press time, he was still on the run.

who is also a rice farmer, speaking with Guyana Times during an interview in the backlands, said famers who utilise the main access road and the Burma Rice Mill road to transport their produce from their farms to the market places and mills are frustrated by the deplorable state of the roads.

“These roads are in a state of disrepair… They are in a bad condition and we have been calling on the Government and RDC to lend more assistance to their upgrade and maintenance...

This Esau/Jacob Road is impassable,” he reiterated, as he explained that close to half a million bags of paddy are usually transported via the road before arriving at the various market places and mills.

Bisnauth said the hundreds of affected farmers are working and cultivating more than 7500 acres of rice land which span the area.

“I know that the RDC may be constrained by its budget, but we want the Ministries of Agriculture and Public Infrastructure to come together and get the road fixed,” the former Regional Chairman said.

Other farmers who were present also explained that there are two major potholes in the main access road which have made it even more impassable over the past six months.

Section of the Esau and Jacob road, Burma, Mahaicony

“Look at the condition of this road… When will they fix it…. Will they wait until someone dies or another accident occurs,” one farmer reasoned. He said he was concerned that the authorities were dragged their feet on the matter, even as the residents and farmers continue to suffer and face continued hardships while traversing the road on a daily basis.

Another farmer said vehicles and heavy-duty trucks experience difficulty traversing the road, especially during the rainy seasons.

“This road is damaging all of your vehicles and you have to constantly spend a lot of money on parts because it brucking it up as soon as you drive,” the farmer maintained, as he called for proper road works and maintenance to be undertaken.

“I have been farming for years and this road is the main one that people utilise…

It is a long, long, time since them come and look at it… they don’t really care about people welfare… God forbid

if someone should happen to someone at the back here,” he said, as he demanded swift action and an end to excuses for inaction.

Asked whether there were any recent accidents along the road, the farmers responded in the affirmative.

“Only recently a truck carrying fertiliser get stick up on the road and all the fertiliser end up in the drain plus it does tek long to reach certain parts of the road,” another reasoned.

The farmers claimed the matter was also discussed with the Regional Executive Officer and other top rice board officials, but to no avail.

The clearly frustrated farmers said they expected a team of officials and Ministers to visit the area and to come up with a strategy for fixing the deplorable main access road, if Government is truly seriously about promoting its grow more campaign and improving the condition of farm to market roads. (Michael Younge)

“Nasty Man’s” trial

Accused professes his innocence

Teenage mothers benefit – claims he never heard of Warlock from education workshop A

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he Public Health Ministry’s Food Policy Division on Tuesday commenced its first inaugural education session with pregnant teenagers in Georgetown.

The four-day event is being held at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, under the theme, ‘Help Me So I Can Help You – An Exploration of Opportunities Available to You’.

The sessions will focus on safe motherhood, healthy diet and meal planning, anaemia, early childhood development, and breastfeeding, along with empowering teens to return to school or to further develop themselves after they would have given birth.

According to Dr Trevor Freeman, a physician attached to the Adolescent Health Care Unit, it is a known fact that babies born to teenagers are more likely to have lower birth weights, increased risk of infant mortality and an increased risk of some congenital anomalies.

As such, Freeman explained that it is important that both mother and child are given the best nutrition during pregnancy.

“Nutritional needs are high in adolescence as the

Teenger mothers at the Sophia Exhibition Site for the educational session on Tuesday

body grows and develops… when a teenager becomes pregnant, she needs all the help and support she can get,” the doctor stated.

He further noted that the four-day programme is aimed at alleviating teenage pregnancy and enabling them to take control of those factors that inhibit social and health development so that they can achieve their full potential from adolescence to adulthood.

The programme also seeks to create model centres of excellence to carry out health promotion interventions for teenage mothers and their children.

Nevertheless, awareness

activities regarding iron-deficiency anaemia are ongoing at the Ministry’s Food Policy Division.

Only recently, a new policy was put in place to ensure teenage mothers have the opportunity to go back to school while receiving support at home and from their respective communities.

The policy manual was as a result of collaboration between the Education Ministry and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

It, however, had the input of other important stakeholders such as the Public Security Ministry, Social Protection Ministry and faith-based organisations among others.

fter just over one week on trial for the alleged shooting to death of Dexter Griffith at East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, on September 29, 2015; the accused, Delon Henry, called “Nasty Man”, is likely to know his fate in the coming days.

At Tuesday’s hearing, the prosecution closed its case and defence called no witnesses.

However, the defendant took the stand in an unsworn statement, telling the court that he knows nothing of the murder allegation and that he does not know the place called Warlock where the shooting occurred.

“I come from till up de East Bank. All de officer dem question me and I said I did not know about this murder. I did not shoot anybody,” Henry observed.

Before taking his seat, Henry claimed that the Police assaulted him, noting that he has always denied killing Griffith.

However, Police Corporal Munilall Persaud testified earlier that he assisted Police Inspector Simeon Reid in conducting the photographic identification parade on October 6, 2015, at Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown.

Persaud told the court that he laid out 16 photographs, noting that witness Keswhan Griffith, brother of the deceased, selected the number

Delon Henry, called “Nasty Man”

‘10’ photo which was that of Delon Henry. The detective claimed that at no time did he or anyone in his presence assist the witness in his selection of Henry’s picture.

The younger Griffith had testified earlier in the trial that he witnessed “Nasty Man” shooting his brother on that fateful night. One day before he participated in the ID parade, he saw the picture of the suspect in the State newspaper and made contact with Police.

When Corporal Persaud was cross-examined by defence Attorney Adrian Thompson, he maintained that he had no concern with conducting the ID parade the next day with Griffith after the witness related what he saw the day before. Persaud said if he had a problem with his senior’s in-

structions, he would comply and then complain but he saw no need to make a complaint against Inspector Reid.

Meantime, Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers who conducted Henry’s Preliminary Inquiry, read the evidence of former Police Constable Maxwell Grant who resigned after never assuming duties after proceeding on leave. According to Grant’s deposition that was tendered at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, the Constable’s evidence confirmed that five spent shells were recovered from the scene.

Grant had related that the evidence was retrieved, placed in bags and handed over to then Police Sergeant Eon Jackson who has tendered the exhibits at the Magistrates’ Courts. However, Jackson, the ballistics expert, revealed on Monday that he was unsuccessful in his attempts to locate the spent shells.

The case concludes before Justice Sandhil Kissoon who will soon put the matter to the jury to deliberate on Henry’s fate.

According to reports back then, after being shot, Griffith reportedly walked a short distance in an attempt to escape from Henry but eventually fell unconscious to the ground, while his assailant escaped.

Prosecutors Lisa Cave and Orinthia Schmidt are prosecuting the State’s case.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

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Djokovic cruises at Queen's, Andy Murray set to return dream set to become reality N T

Russia's knockout-round

wo games. Six points. Eight goals scored, one conceded. This World Cup is going better than even the most optimistic Russian could have dreamt. Talking to fans of the host nation ahead of the tournament, expectations were low, even if Group A didn't look impossible to qualify from.

But Russia is on the brink of the knockout rounds for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union after beating Egypt 3-1. It would take a mighty Saudi Arabia upset and a huge swing in goal difference to stop them advancing and their involvement at least until the end of June lends the tournament a boost in terms of local interest.

The confidence flowi n g through the Russia side was palpable. Backed b y the home crowd and the boost of a 5-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in the opening game, they went close twice in the sixth minute against Egypt through Sergey Ignashevich's header and a shot from Aleksandr Golovin, before Denis Cheryshev shot just over 13 minutes later.

The opening goal, scored two minutes into the second half, came when Golovin scuffed a long-distance shot – or was it a cross? – into the penalty area and Ahmed Fathi, under pressure from striker Artem Dzyuba, inadvertently diverted the

ball into the corner of his own goal.

Emboldened, Russia pounced again with two goals in three minutes to seal victory. First, a neat Cheryshev finish – his third goal of the tournament – came after from a clever pass from Mario Fernandes, before Dzyuba turned score r himself.

This isn't a Russia team t h a t contains o v e r whelming quality – just one of the starting XI plays outside his home country – and it isn't ambitious in terms of playing style. But Coach Stanislav Cherchesov has them well-organised in a 4-4-1-1 formation and, with Golovin and Cheryshev providing flair and an aging defence holding up, it doesn't look like a side that will be going down without a battle.

A run to as far as the semi-finals goes, a la hosts South Korea in 2002, that remains unlikely, but just making the knockout stage will be deemed a major success. (ESPN) Denis Cheryshev

ovak Djokovic made a strong start to his Wimbledon preparations with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Australian qualifier John Millman at Queen's Club on Tuesday, while Andy Murray prepared to return to action after almost a year on the sidelines.

Djokovic is a lowly 22nd in the ATP rankings after an embarrassing French Open quarter-final defeat against Italian journeyman Marco Cecchinato extended his wretched run in 2018.

The 31-year-old, hampered by an elbow injury last year, has failed to reach the semi-finals in any of his last five Grand Slam appearances. Djokovic hasn't earned a major title since completing his career Grand Slam by winning the 2016 French Open.

Dogged by rumours that he no longer has the motivation to return to the top, the 12time Grand Slam winner decided to start his bid for a fourth Wimbledon crown by accepting a Queen's wild card.

With Wimbledon starting on July 2, Djokovic was desperate to improve his lacklustre 14-8 record in 2018.

And, in his first appearance at Queen's since 2010, Djokovic was quickly in the groove on grass as he romped to a first-round win in 65 minutes. Breaks in the fifth and seventh games sealed a one-sided first set.

Barely tested by the world number 63, Djokovic broke twice in the first five games of the second set

to see off Millman with ease. A sterner test lies in wait for Djokovic in the second round against 2017 ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov.

Later on Tuesday, former world number one Murray will finally step onto the court for a competitive match for the first time since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat against Sam Querrey 342 days ago.

Troubled by a serious hip injury, Murray hobbled away from the All England Club at the end of that painful day, heading for 11 months out of action. The 31-year-old Scot underwent hip surgery in January after pulling out of the Australian Open and endured several aborted comeback attempts before finally declaring himself fit to play at Queen's. Murray has won Queen's a record five times and has never lost t o Kyrgios in his five meetings with the volatile Australian.

But the two-time Wimbledon champion, whose ranking has plummeted to 156, insisted he didn't expect to make a flying start after so long on the treatment table. "In terms of my expectations, they are extremely low. I'm not expecting to win against Kyrgios," Murray said.

"I don't think it would be right to think that way after such a long time out, but obviously I want to be competitive." (NDTVSports) Novak Djokovic

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

FIFA World Cup 2018: Campbell among stars following Blatter to defy ban and Women’s T20 Championship attend event, meet Putin – Super50 bowls off on Thursday Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter

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isgraced former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter will defy a ban to attend two World Cup matches and also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, his spokesman said on Monday.

Blatter is being investigated

by Swiss Prosecutors for alleged corruption during his 17-year reign at the head of FIFA. The 82-year-old was suspended for six years by FIFA in February 2016 from any football-related activity over a 1.8-million-euro (US$2 million) payment to Michel Platini.

Blatter was replaced at the head of FIFA by Gianni Infantino. Despite his ban, Blatter has on several occasions said he would respond favourably to an invitation from Putin to come and see

the World Cup in Russia. The former FIFA boss was seen at a five-star downtown hotel in Moscow where he posed for photographs with fans.

Blatter’s ban does not prevent him attending games and he was expected to see Portugal play Morocco today at Luzhniki Stadium. He is also expected to meet with President Putin during the week.

Contacted by AFP, FIFA said it had no comment on Blatter's trip; the Swiss national is slated to fly to Moscow ahead of the Portugal-Morocco Group B match in the Russian capital.

He is also scheduled to attend Brazil's Group E match against Costa Rica in St Petersburg on Friday before returning to Switzerland. (AFP)

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uyana Women’s Captain Shemaine Campbell emerged as one of the top players, following the conclusion of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Women’s T20 Championship.

Despite hosts Jamaica winning the Blaze T20 title, they were numerous top performers who were individual heroes despite the luck of their respective teams.

Although Guyana won a few games, it was good to see their all-round skills being exhibited among the best ladies in the Caribbean and in Windies cricket.

Campbell, in particular, has been a top player for most of her career but did enough to get the selectors’ attention as she ended with 152 runs, with a highest of 61. The all-rounder finished second behind Barbados star player Hayley Matthews who topped the run-getters chart with 173 runs.

With November set to host the first ever stand-alone

ICC Women’s T20 tournament, it was crucial for the ladies to get themselves in ideal form leading up to the event. The championship also enabled selectors to keep a detailed report of those likely to be in contention for possible spots in the Windies Women’s team.

Others who starred in the T20s included the veteran of the Windward Island; Juliana Nero who chalked up 132 runs, Windies Women’s skipper Stafanie Taylor who scored 109 runs and Trinidad and Tobago’s Stacyann King who ended with 97 runs.

Despite their star-studded bowling attack, only one lady from the Guyana team featured in the Most Wickets category; Erva Giddings. The former West Indies and current national women’s pacer exhibited her hostility with the ball prior to the championship; where she performed well during the domestic inter-county tournaments.

Giddings, who grabbed four wickets against the Leewards on Monday during the T20’s final round, ended with 8 wickets along

with Jamaican Roshana Outar Cordel Jackson from the Windwards.

The real stars with the ball were Vanessa Watts and Chedean Nation who claimed 9 wickets each.

With the T20s done and dusted, the ladies will take the opportunity to shift formats as they prepare for Thursday’s opening round of the Super50 with Guyana taking on Leewards, B a r b a d o s p l a y i n g Windward Islands while hosts Jamaica square off with the Windward Islands. (Clifton Ross)

Stafanie Taylor

“The rhythm seems to be coming back” – Steyn

D

ale Steyn is slowly getting back to his best and just in time for South Africa's tour of Sri Lanka. With only about a month left for the first Test in Colombo, the 34-yearold fast bowler has been getting "overs under his belt" playing for Hampshire in county cricket, and said his "rhythm seems to be coming back".

Steyn began his stint going for 80 runs in 10 overs in a List A game against Somerset.

Then he got through 26 overs in a First-Class game against Surrey and picked up a couple of wickets along the way. And most recently, he helped secure victory in a one-day game against Yorkshire with figures of 1 for 34 in seven overs. The wicket was of India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, caught at first slip as a result of extra bounce.

"The body's fine, body feels good," Steyn told Sky Sports. "I've got no problems.

I'll have a look [at my bowling footage] in the computer when I g e t

back up [to the dressing room].

One thing is I've got overs under my belt; the rhythm seems to be coming back. I've got a good followthrough going on which means there's good pace at the crease and I'm hitting the crease nice and hard. Yeah, everything seems to be ticking over nicely."

Injuries have plagued Steyn over the past couple of years, limiting his appearances for South Africa to only one match in 18 months. He suffered a fracture to his bowling arm in November 2016 and was benched until January 2018, when he played the first of a three-Test series against India.

But things didn't go quite to plan.

"I love playing cricket," Steyn said. "I guess it's my job as well, but I also love playing it.

I've been out for two years now.

I broke my shoulder and then really bad luck, rotten luck really, I came back and my first game back, I landed in a foothole and tore a little muscle in my heel. I've never had a foot injury in my life. So just rotten luck.

"I'm just chomping at the bit to get out and play. I went for 80 the other day, but I absolutely loved it. It was great to be back out and playing again and I felt this is where I needed to be rather than petting my dogs and driving and getting stuck in traffic and doing the rehab thing. I need to be on a cricket field, so I'll play for as long as this body can hold."

In any case, he is chasing a few records, not least the one for most

wickets by a South African bowler in Tests. Steyn is three short of beating Shaun Pollock's mark of 421.

"I'd love to play all formats.

Like I said, I love playing cricket. I think Test cricket is the pinnacle.

I'd love to try and play 100 Test matches, I don't know whether I'll get there. I'm at 86, so that's about 14 more, but being a World Cup year, there's a lot of white-ball emphasis right now.

So I think we've only got five Tests until around this time next year.

"So if I'm going to look to play the 100 Test matches, I'm going to be around for the next three years. That's 38. I think I can do it. The body seems fine.

I've always been fit. It's a mental thing. How long do you actually want to do it for. If you've got a family and if you've got kids – which I don't but I do have a girlfriend and two dogs that miss me – and how much are you willing to give up. I think AB [de Villiers] hit the nail on the head.

He's got two young kids and he's looking at life after cricket right now. He's reached that point, but I'm not there right now."

Steyn is also keen to play alongside an exciting crop of young fast bowlers. "[Kagiso] Rabada is so special. [Lungi] Ngidi's coming through nicely. I just hope there's a spot there for me when we get to Sri Lanka. In those conditions, you're always looking at playing possibly two spinners.

“So, good headache for the coach to have. When you get the opportunity to represent your country, you go and you make the most of it. I'm looking forward to going out there with some serious talent. The Proteas have someone to look forward to in Ngidi, but Rabada's been special for about two years now already. We all know that."

(ESPNcricinfo)

Dale Steyn

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21

Bairstow and Hales condemn Australia to heaviest defeat

…after record-smashing 481 for 6

E

ngland thrashed the highest score in the history of ODI cricket to set up the most crushing defeat – in terms of runs – ever inflicted upon Australia.

On the same Trent Bridge ground where they plundered the previous record – 444 for 3 against Pakistan in August 2016 in the most recent completed ODI on the ground – England thrashed 21 sixes and 41 fours in becoming the first side to reach 450 in ODI history. Only once in the 56-year history of List A cricket – when Surrey scored 496 for 4 against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007 – has any side scored more.

The result means England have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Australia have now lost five ODI series in succession and eight of their last nine ODIs against England.

The foundation of England’s total was high-class centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales and the quickest halfcentury in their ODI history from Eoin Morgan. For Bairstow, in magnificent form, it was his fourth ODI century in six innings and his sixth in 19 since his recall less than a year ago.

With Roy murderous against the short ball – he played a hook in the opening overs

SCOREBOARD England vs Australia England Innings JJ Roy run out (Short/†Paine) 82 JM Bairstow c Richardson b Agar 139 AD Hales c Agar b Richardson 147 JC Buttler † c Finch b Richardson 11 EJG Morgan (c) c †Paine b Richardson 67 MM Ali run out (†Paine) 11 JE Root not out 4 DJ Willey 1 Extras (b 1, lb 8, nb 3, w 7) 19 TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 9.62) 481/6 Bowling: B Stanlake 8-0-74-0, JA Richardson 10-1-92-3, AC Agar 10-0-70-1, AJ Tye 9-0-100-0 GJ Maxwell 2-0-21-0, MP Stoinis 8-0-85-0, AJ Finch 1-0-70, DJM Short 2-0-23-0

Australia Innings DJM Short c Ali b Willey 15 TM Head c & b Ali 51 SE Marsh c Plunkett b Ali 24 MP Stoinis run out (Bairstow/†Buttler) 44 AJ Finch b Rashid 20 GJ Maxwell c Plunkett b Willey 19 TD Paine (c) † c Hales b Rashid 5 AC Agar c & b Rashid 25 JA Richardson st †Buttler b Ali 14 AJ Tye not out 5 B Stanlake st †Buttler b Rashid 1 Extras (lb 10, w 6) 16 TOTAL all out (37 Overs, RR: 6.45) 239 Bowling: MA Wood 7-0-38-0, DJ Willey 7-0-56-2, JE Root 2-0-190, MM Ali 5-0-28-3, LE Plunkett 6-0-41-0, AU Rashid 10-0-47-4,

that travelled far enough to require a visa – and Bairstow in the sort of form that makes a length delivery an opportunity to drive or pull, they posted an opening stand of 159 in 19.3 overs; the 10th highest opening partnership against Australia in ODI history.

A day after he had admitted – quite rightly – that he was likely to be the man to make way once Ben Stokes returned, Hales provided a strong case for his retention with a 62-ball century, the sixth-fastest in England’s history, all of which have come since the 2015 World Cup. It looked, for a while, as if England might reach 500.

Despite losing Bairstow, heaving down the throat of deep midwicket, and Jos Buttler, deceived by a slower ball, Morgan thrashed a 21ball half-century. Having recovered from the back spasm that kept him out of the Cardiff match, Morgan not only recorded the quickest fifty in England’s ODI history, but passed Ian Bell’s record to become England’s most prolific ODI run-scorer in the process.

Au stral i a’s reply started well enough.

D’Arcy Short carved David Willey’s first ball for six and his second for four, while Travis Head brushed off a painful blow from a Mark Wood bouncer (Wood

exceeded 91 mph in that first spell) to help Australia keep up with the rate for the first 12 overs.

But that vast target required endless risk-taking. And after Short chipped one to mid-on, Head poked a return catch to Moeen Ali and Shaun Marsh lofted to long-on. Aaron Finch, attempting to repeat a six clobbered over long-on, was deceived by one nicely held back by Adil Rashid and Marcus Stoinis attempted an unwise second to Bairstow’s arm in the deep. By the time Glenn Maxwell was brilliantly caught at long-on by a leaping Liam Plunkett, it was clear this was to be a rout.

Never had England won by such a large run margin in ODI cricket.

England’s spinners – a key point of difference between the sides in this series – finished with seven wickets between them. (ESPNcricinfo)

Alex Hales

National hockey team suffer crushing losses in Trinidad G

uyana’s national men’s hockey team had a dismal weekend as they lost their threematch friendly series in the twin-island republic.

Coming off of a loss in the first game, the local boys went on to suffer defeats in the second and third matches.

Guyana’s momentum seemed to have been building in the second match until they were forced to play short of a player after Rayon Branford received a yellow card. Trinidad saw the opportunity to infiltrate the Guyanese defence and took the opportunity, netting two goals in quick succession before the halftime whistle blew.

Guyana’s closest goal-scoring opportunity came when a penalty was awarded to Edmond Chinian after he was fouled inside the scoring box. However, the expectant hearts of the Guyanese players dropped when the shot was deflected wide by Andrew Stewart.

Trinidadian Tariq Marcano, however, continued his ‘player of the match

worthy’ momentum when he set up a number of goal-scoring opportunities for his team. The crucial match-up eventually ended on a 4-0 score in favour of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Guyanese team came out stronger in their third game, showing a level of competitiveness that they had not displayed in their first two encounters.

Unfortunately for the local team, Trinidad were one up quickly in the first half and then surged to a 2-0 lead thanks to a goal off of Medroy Scotland’s stick. Capitalising on an impressive counter attack by Jamarj Assanah, Guyana’s captain, Robert France got the local team’s first goal on the board.

Shaquille Daniel and

Marcus James later lengthened the Trinidadian lead after scoring two goals apiece. The Guyanese hopes were raised near the end of the third quarter when they moved the score to 4-2 owing to a successful penalty.

Guyana’s hopes were shortlived after Daniel added another goal to Trinidad’s tally, resulting in a 5-2 win for the twin-island republic.

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

Long-awaited National Sport Policy draft released T

he cries of sportsmen and women from all across Guyana have been answered as the Social Cohesion Ministry, which covers the portfolio of sport, released a draft of the long awaited National Sports Policy (NSP) on Tuesday.

Athletes, especially those of international calibre, have been calling on the Ministry to speed up the process since the promise of such a policy was made in 2015 as part of the A Partnership For National Unity’s (APNU) election manifesto.

The NSP draft has been in generation from November 2016 to June 2018 and focuses on a number of crucial areas that have been stifling the development of sport in Guyana.

Several of those areas are

national, regional and internationally applicable laws, collaboration among national agencies on sport programmes and projects, sport governance, administration, management, organisation, education and educational institutions, medicine, financing (funding, sponsor-

ship, incentives), tourism, manufacturing, intellectual property rights, elite athlete development, the media, overseas offices, Diaspora support, and anti-doping.

The Policy aims at raising Guyana’s sport fraternity to a level where, “Sports in Guyana is no longer

viewed only as a casual pass time, leisure or recreational activity, but as an entire sector which services the fundamental needs and requirements of the Guyanese athlete, from the amateur to the elite.”

As such, implementation of the Policy would mean that sport will be fostered not only at the organisational level but also in schools.

In this instance, the common practice of only track and field in schools will be put aside and students of every primary and secondary school across the 10 administrative regions will be exposed to all sport disciplines and it is the hope of the Policy that adequate facilities will be established to foster that change.

Another key aspect of the Policy mandates that there will be “… awareness of and support for people with disabilities (PWDs) to access sports.” A feature that

Director of Sport Christopher Jones

would be a table turner especially since para-cycling athlete Walter Grant-Stuart has found it difficult to receive participation funding even after bringing home a gold medal.

Additionally, the Policy will focus on allocating fi-

nancing and funding for national sport organisations and federations hosting competitive games in various sport disciplines and geographic areas, compulsory physical education in schools and anti-doping.

The NSP is available for viewing online and is open to input and suggestions from sporting organisations and citizens. Despite consultations being a lengthy process, this is a procedure that was assured by Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton in an invited comment with Guyana Times Sport.

As recent as last week, Boxing Coach Terrence Poole called for the swift implementation of the National Sport Policy so as to provide a basis so athletes who have medalled in international engagements could have ‘tangible rewards’ when they return to Guyana.

“Papo” Haniff crowned inaugural El Dorado golf champ

Winners: Aleem Hussain (second from left); Balgobin Ragnauth and Richard Haniff (fifth & sixth from left respectively); Nazeem Haniff (eighth from left); and Avinash Persaud (fifth from right and partly hidden). Also in photo are DDL’s Sales Manager, Mark Chinapen (second from right) and former Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony (seventh from right)

S

easoned golfer Nazeem “Papo” Haniff walked away winner of the inaugural El Dorado Golf Championship after storming the Greens during last Saturday’s invitational.

The hugely attended pre-Father’s Day El Dorado Annual Golf Championship saw the former coach emerging winner, with a Net 68 as well as the Nearest to the Pin award.

Best Gross went to reigning eighttime Open champ Avinash Persaud (75), with other Net score winners being: in 4th place – Richard Haniff 69/11; 3rd place – Aleem Hussain 69/11; and 2nd place – Balgobin Ragnauth 69/21.

Haniff, a former Guyana Open Men’s Champion some eight years ago, said “My game is coming back good,” as he signalled intentions ahead of the Guyana Open Champion set for November 2018.

In addition to the tie of Net 69 for 2nd, 3rd and 4th places, the Net scores up to 72 showed just how keenly con-

tested the tournament was, despite the fact that’s the grounds while payable, were not completely dry.

Close Net scores were returned by Patanjalee “Pur” Persaud 70/18; Munaf Arjune 71/9; Kassim Khan 71/9; Patrick Prashad 72/9; Troy Cadogan 72/25; Avinash Persaud 73/2; Lekhnarine Shivraj 73/18; and Brian Hackett 73/19.

Meanwhile, Eldorado Brand Manager, Maria Munro, who officially opened the tournament, wished the golfers a great game while expressing the company’s pleasure at being involved with the Lusignan Golf Club and their commitment to continued support in the Club’s development.

Also, the five finalists of the Miss World Guyana pageant, just concluded on May 26, 2018, including winner Ambika Ramraj, first runner-up Tracy Smith and second runner-up Joylyn Conway, were on hand to help distribute prizes and hampers.

Chandimal suspended for 1 Test; could miss 4 more S

ri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been suspended for the third and final Test of the series against West Indies, after he was found guilty of changing the condition of the ball during the second Test.

What's worse for Sri Lanka, Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and Manager Asanka Gurusinha, could miss between two to four further Tests after being charged with "conduct contrary to the spirit of the game" after their side had refused to take the field for almost two hours on the third morning.

Chandimal had been charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for ball tampering while the Test was on after video evidence indicated that on the second day's play, he was taking sweets out from his left pocket, putting them in his mouth, before applying saliva to the ball within the space of a few seconds.

Chandimal pleaded not guilty then and later attended a hearing with match referee Javagal Srinath, his team management and other match officials at the end of the match in which the video evidence was used and the Sri Lanka captain admitted putting something in his mouth but wasn't able to recall what it was, according to the ICC release.

Srinath, as a result, handed Chandimal the maximum punishment available under the code, which was two suspension points and a fine of 100 per cent of his match fee.

"After reviewing the footage of the incident, it is clear that Dinesh applied an artificial substance to the ball, namely saliva containing the residue of something he had in his mouth, an action which is prohibited under the ICC

Code of Conduct," Srinath said in the release.

"The footage shows that upon receiving the ball, Dinesh took something from his pocket and put it into his mouth. After sucking or chewing whatever he put in his mouth for a few seconds, Dinesh then proceeded to spit on his finger and polish the ball with his saliva which would have contained the residue of the artificial substance that he had in his mouth, on two separate occasions.

"During the hearing, Dinesh admitted to putting something in his mouth but couldn't remember what it was, which I found unconvincing as a defence and the fact remains it was an artificial s u b -

stance.

"In the

after viewing the footage did they impose five penalty runs, and change the ball.

Part of what Sri Lanka's team management had objected to was the timing of the match officials' charge.

They were only told roughly 10 minutes before the scheduled start on day three that a player stood accused of ball-tampering. They made the case that the issue should have been dealt with on the previous day itself. Both Sri Lanka's team management and the Board in Colombo have since been tight-lipped on what their other objections could possibly have

Dinesh Chandimal

pre-series briefing held on the back of the ICC Cricket Committee recommendations, both the sides were explicitly told that the match officials would be extra vigilant towards all aspects of fair play, including changing the condition of the ball and as such it is disappointing that this has happened."

It is understood that Sri Lanka had objected to the match officials' initial charge partly on technical grounds, and this was the reason they stayed off the field for two hours. Although the tampering had occurred in the third session of the second day, the umpires had only viewed the corresponding footage before play on the third morning, and only

been.

Long before the hearing had taken place, the

Board had issued a release stating that it would "take all necessary steps to defend any player, in the event any unwarranted allegation is brought against a member of the team".

Chandimal has the right of appeal – an appeal that must be lodged within 48 hours. But it is likely that SLC's focus will now move to the more serious "spirit of cricket" charge. If found guilty there, Chandimal, the coach and the manager could all stand to miss both Tests against South Africa in July, in addition to further ODIs. The charge is a Level 3 offence and breaching that carries an imposition of four to eight suspension points.

One thing that complicates Sri Lanka's situation is that there is no strong leadership at SLC at present. The Board is effectively defunct because the previous administrators had failed to hold elections before their term elapsed. SLC is presently under a caretaker "competent authority", appointed by the nation's Government, while fresh elections are organised. These charges have arrived at a time in which SLC leadership is especially inexperienced.

The ICC's imposition of a suspension on Chandimal, when it had not suspended Faf du Plessis for a very similar offence in Hobart in 2016, is understood to be down to a change in ICC policy. Following the ball-tampering incident involving Australia in Cape Town earlier in the year, match officials have been instructed to impose the harshest possible penalties to ball-tamperers. In any case, the playing conditions relating to tampering are in the process of becoming more stringent anyway, even if those new rules will not come into effect until the end of the year.

The loss of Chandimal for the third Test is a serious blow to Sri Lanka.

Even if an appeal is lodged, it is unlikely any further hearing can be held before Saturday, when the third Test is due to begin. Not only had Chandimal been in form – he made a hundred in the second Test – there are few captaincy options in the squad. It is possible that Rangana Herath, who was dropped for the second Test, will return to lead the side in the third (he has been stand-in captain on five previous occasions).

Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal is now the official Vice Captain of the team, is another option. (ESPNcricinfo)

Giddings, Campbell shine in Leewards 8-wicket thumping

G

uyana skipper

Shemaine Campbell

23 Paul to replace Hetmyer for Sri Lanka Test series guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

Shemaine Campbell and Erva Giddings led the 8-wicket drubbing over Leewards in the final round of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s T20 Championship.

The 5th and final round of the Twenty20 format saw the Guyanese ladies finishing on a high note, after the veteran pacer Giddings dismantled the Leeward Islands attack to end with 4-18 from her four overs which was instrumental in their opponents being mowed down to a measly 50 in 17.5 overs.

Guyana’s star-studded bowling attack was again lethal as Subrena Munroe, Tremayne Smartt, Akaze Thompson,

Sheneta Grimmond

and leftarm spinner Kaysia Schultz; chipping in with a wicket apiece.

Leewards dismal batting outing was headlined by top-scorer Saneldo Willet who scored 11, as everyone else failed to pass 5.

Chasing a meagre total,

Guyana wrapped up their chase in empathic style; racing to 53-2 in 10.1 overs.

The chase was led by Captain Campbell, whose form in the T20s will have the selectors’ head turning, after she top-scored yet again; this time with three 4s and a six in her matchwinning 28.

Meanwhile, Leann Kirby’s 46 saw her claim the player of the match award as Trinidad romped to a 7-wicket win over the Windward Islands while Roshanna Outar was declared Player of the Match in hosts Jamaica’s 4-run win over Barbados, which helped them capture the T20 Blaze Title.

Erva Giddings

Keemo Paul

D

ynamic all-rounder Keemo Paul will replace his Guyanese countryman Shimron Hetmyer in the Windies Test Squad for the remainder of

illness, so he can be at his best for the warm-up match versus Bangladesh.”

The 20-year-old Paul, who was Hetmyer’s deputy when they won the U-19

Shimron Hetmyer

the Test Series against Sri Lanka.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday confirmed that Hetmyer, the aggressive left-hand batsman, will return home to Guyana where he will recover from a recent illness. While there, the former Windies World Cup U19 winning skipper will continue his preparations to return for the 2-Day practice match against Bangladesh in Antigua.

Head Coach of the West Indies Team, Stuart Law, commenting on the situation said “Hetty is a big part of our future and now we want him to recover fully from his

World Cup a few years ago, has made tremendous strides in his brief time on the international circuit, having played a number of ODIs and T20s for the Windies senior team.

Paul has also been a strong performer in the longer version of the game for the Windies A team and should serve as an ideal replacement for his fellow Guyanese.

Meanwhile, the host lead the three Test series 1-0 following the draw in Test two and will look to seal the series when the final Day/ Night Test bowls off on June 23.

wednesDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Chandimal suspended for 1 Test; could miss 4 more

Pg 23

Paul to replace Hetmyer for Sri Lanka Long-awaited National Sport Policy Test series draft released Pg 22

Pg 23

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