Guyanatime 30 january 2018

UG, GTI, GL&SC to sign MoU to enhance land surveying

…8 new surveyors sworn in Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

PSC pushes for health centres to remain open in sugar belt guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3466

P5

See stories on pages 3 and 7

PRICE

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WHAT'S INSIDE: Body on roadway

Sex workers arrested P10 as probe continues

Over 42 P10 lbs ganja unearthed in separate busts

…workers endure chaos, scorching sun for severance payment Sugar workers standing outside the locked gate of the East Demerara (Enmore) Sugar Estate as they wait their turn in the hot sun to collect their severance package on Monday (Dexter Ceres photo)

Wife killer jailed for 80 years Page 7

Lone gunman robs security guard Page 2

$70B lost in tax evasion

GRA to provide incentives for informants – as entity seeks to crack down on tax fraud Page 12

Brazilians busted with illegal firearm, P2 ammo Jury acquits ex-female soldier of murder P8

NDCs, P13 citizens urged to help alleviate mosquito infestation

2 News

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Brazilians busted with illegal firearm, ammo

T

The illegal firearm and ammunition uncovered during the raid

hree men, two of whom are Brazilians, were taken into custody following the discovery of an illegal firearm and ammunition during a raid conducted between January 26 and 28 at Central Rupununi, Region Nine.

The Guyanese, 43, of

South Rupununi, was found in possession of eight ammunition components; and the foreign nationals, aged 43 and 48 years respectively, were found with a twenty-eight-gauge, single-barrel Borta shotgun and five live cartridges. The men are expected to be charged shortly.

Lone gunman robs security guard

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lone gunman robbed a security guard attached to the Advance Security Services on Monday, relieving him of his mobile phone and a sum of cash.

Security officer Jairam Singh, 65, was riding his bicycle along Church Street, Georgetown when the perpetrator rode past him and made a sudden stop in his path.

The perpetrator then whipped out a handgun from his pants waist, pointed it at Singh, and ordered him to hand over his valuables. The scared security guard was relieved of his

phone and close to $5000 which he had in his pockets before the perpetrator made good his escape.

The matter was reported to the Police, and an investigation has been launched.

Duo committed to High Court for carpenter’s murder

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wenty-eight-year-old Afabian Yankana and Akeem Yamar, charged for the murder of carpenter Raul Rodriguez, who was stabbed to death in front of Demico House, Georgetown in January 2017, were on Monday committed by City Magistrate Judy Latchman to stand trial in the High Court.

The magistrate found that a prima facie case had been made out against the accused by Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves, representing the state.

Reports are that on the day of his demise, the late father of three, resident

Afabian Yankana and Akeem Yamar

of Lot 64 Leopold Street, Georgetown, had reportedly had an altercation with his attackers and was stabbed to his chest.

After being stabbed, Rodrigues had reportedly run from his attackers, but subsequently collapsed in front of Demico House.

He was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Yankana, a bus conductor, was arrested by Police shortly after, and was charged with the offence of murder, while Yamar was later arrested and similarly charged.

Accused cellphone thief remanded

G

odfrey Smith, 36, appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman to answer to a simple larceny charge.

It is alleged that on January 26 at Ruimveldt,

Georgetown, he stole a Samsung cellular phone valued at $80,000, property of Rachael Williams.

The prosecution is contending that the Virtual Complaint was at a bar when she saw

Smith’s hand in her bag.

Williams said upon making that observation, she summoned the Police after which Smith was arrested.

The father of four in his defence told the court that

he did not steal the woman’s cellular phone and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Prosecutor Orvin Moore objected to bail.

Smith was remanded until February 12, 2018.

3 Workers endure chaos, scorching sun for severance payment news

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

Tuesday, January 30 – a night retraction at 04:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Wednesday, January 31 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, January 30 – 14:15h-15:45h and Wednesday, January 31 – 15:45h-17:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Sunny conditions with some cloud cover can be expected throughout the day, while partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 2.68 metres and 6.25 metres.

High Tide: 15:51h reaching a maximum height of 2.75 metres.

Low Tide: 09:24h and 21:55h reaching minimum heights of 0.63 metre and 0.43 metre respectively.

…still uncertain about their future

By Samuel Sukhnandan

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s scores of sugar workers gathered outside the compound of the East Demerara Sugar Estate to collect their severance package on Monday many of them expressed deep dissatisfaction with the process that was implemented by the management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Factory, maintenance and workshop workers were the first to receive their severance payments, but most of these ex-GuySuCo employees described the process and time it took to get paid as exhausting.

Guyana Times understands that cane harvesters will start to receive sever-

Several ex-GuySuCo male and female workers stood in the scorching sun for hours to receive their severance ter the compound even when Monday. Lawrence was fired keep it in the bank. their numbers were nowhere in December after 25 years However, there were closed to being called. of working with GuySuCo. some workers who raised “I feel happy about ev- concerns over the fact that erything that worked out only some of the severance Future Despite these concerns, here,” he told this publica- payment will be distributed workers who were lucky to tion. Asked what he plans now. Ray Anthony was one to do with his severance, of those workers who felt he Lawrence said he plans to was cheated.

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Ex-sugar workers expressing displeasure at the manner in which they had to wait to receive their payments

ance from today.

When this newspaper arrived at the East Demerara Estate, several workers had already assembled at the entrance, where they met a security guard and were each given a chip with a number.

But the order in which the payment was done was not pleasing for some workers, as they believed that people should not have been forced to wait for long periods in the scorching sun.

“You done work all them time deh in the sugar industry, and you can’t come out here and get no order. No manager is out here to see you or this body; this is what is going on. ‘Y’all come by numbers’, and workers for this and that will be escorted in groups or something,” one ex-worker said.

Another said he is not pleased with the time frame that was given to collect severance.

“The time they have here: from 1-3 (13:00-15h), that’s insufficient. At least 9-3 (09:00-15:00h) would have been better. Some of the people would have gone from here already. How much people could you deal with from 1-3?” he asked.

The payout was set to last from 13:00hrs to 15:00hrs, but workers were concerned that there was no one present to coordinate how persons are allowed to go into the compound.

There also were concerns over some ex-workers being given permission to en-

get early numbers said they were pleased with the quantum of their severance, and spoke about future plans; but for others, their future is uncertain.

A former factory worker, Lloyd Lawrence, said he feels satisfied with the amount he has received as severance on

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, january 30, 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

Maths Camps C

hildren deserve every opportunity for success, and education paves the way for this success. While for many children in Guyana access to education remains a challenge, the Ministry of Education is facing the challenge head on by instituting a series of programmes aimed at ensuring that students have the best possible chance of excelling. The Education Ministry, realising that students have, over the years, been struggling with Mathsematics, has now introduced a Maths Camp specifically aimed towards improving overall performance at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). The Ministry has realized that, over the years, students have been struggling in this particular subject area.

The initiative has attracted the participation of over one thousand students, and is being held at three locations in Georgetown. Participants will, no doubt, be encouraged to further develop their problem-solving and analytical skills while fostering their passion for the subject. In addition, such a programme would also broaden participants’ understanding of core concepts learned during the school year.

Ministry officials have emphasised that the main purposes of the programme are to tackle difficult Mathsematical topics and concepts, and to share effective methods to address same, with emphasis on problem-solving techniques.

The initiative is expected to see Maths coordinators and monitors, along with teachers from the various schools, organising and being actively involved in this exercise. The intervention entailed a number of aspects, such as training for teachers in content and methodology; and according to the Ministry, over 1000 teachers were trained in this regard.

The camp also presents the opportunities for parents to assist, and learn strategies to help teachers; thereby focusing on a more collective impact. Many research studies have identified various ways of collective participation in education, providing specific channels through which everyone can be involved in children’s education.

Indeed, there are many benefits to this approach, and we cannot overstate the significance and benefits of a more collective participation in education, which is a winning strategy in improving educational access and quality.

Education is a vital human right, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every girl and every boy should have the right to a quality education so that they can have more chances in life, including employment opportunities. Such an initiative can also provide a platform for young people to socialise and collaborate to solve Maths problems.

Last year, Cabinet approved the sum of $48 million to roll out a nationwide Mathsematics programme aimed at enhancing the competency level of students in primary schools. The programme would focus on training teachers in content and methodology, facilitating fortnightly cluster meetings in all regions, the recruitment of Mathsematics coordinators and monitors, the training of officers and school administrators to supervise the teaching of Mathss, preparing and administering a diagnosis assessment of pupils in hinterland schools before training, enhancing public relations and parental involvement in education, and acquisition of support material for students.

Additionally, over a year ago, the STEM Guyana Project launched its Grade Six mobile Maths app, which was created to help the more than 14,000 children of Guyana taking the Grade Six exam each year.

STEMGuyana is a 50-member Diaspora group which partners with local stakeholders to prepare young people to use their creativity, brilliance, and innovative spirits to create technological solutions for problems in their community. With such initiatives in the pipeline, and through partnerships with organisations like STEMGuyana, the Education Ministry is taking a step in the right direction, and ensuring that literacy and numeracy remain a priority for all of Guyana’s children.

Students of West Field Prep showcased an amazing performance titled “Cries of Hope” at the National Cultural Centre on Monday.

The dance was done in the Social Commentary category and was performed by children ages 8-10. Primary schools in Georgetown took part in the Education Ministry’s Children’s Mashramani Competition being held under the theme “Let’s Cooperate and Celebrate Republic 48”

Who issued the lease for reserve land?

Dear Editor, There is a stretch of reserve land that borders the right-hand side of the Montrose main road. On November 27, 2017, residents of Montrose were taken aback by the fencing of a large portion of reserve land by a businessman and his wife.

The reserve land is a major part of the drainage system for Montrose and the adjoining areas. It is through this stretch of land that water flows to access the outfall which channels the water to and through the koker via the Montrose pump. This reserve thus plays a crucial role in draining heavy rainfall or any overtopping of the sea defences.

A massive piece of developmental work is being undertaken by the businessman’s family. Their development of this reserve compromises an already de-

Work in progress on the reserve

pressed drainage system. In an effort to ascertain whose property the reserve belongs to, we shared our concerns with the Hon. Minister of State, Mr Joseph Harmon; the staff of the Regional Democratic Council Region Four, Triumph; Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; Senior Communications Officer of GuySuCo, Audreyanna Thomas; and the staff and councillors of the Better Hope NDC, in whose jurisdiction Montrose lies. So far,

there has been no favourable response to the compromising of the drainage system in a world of climate change.

The residents of Montrose would prefer not to be the recipients of flood-relief and sanitation hampers.

We learnt from Audreyanna Thomas, the staff/councillors of the Better Hope/LBI NDC and the staff of the Ministry of Communities that a lease was issued. This lease was issued and is held at the Better Hope/LBI NDC. It

is unclear for what purpose the reserve lease was issued, but what we can say is that it is to our detriment. We, the residents of Montrose, would like to know whether this stretch of reserve land is owned by the sea defence Council, Better Hope/ LBI NDC, GuySuCo, or if it is property of the region.

Further, we would like to know who issued the lease?

Sincerely, Residents of Montrose

Private health care is unaffordable for majority

Dear Editor, I would like to add to a letter by Mr Nowrang Persaud, captioned “The private hospitals should take over the public hospitals” (Jan 28) by sharing my concerns about the dreadful healthcare system in our country. To this end, I must highlight that our private hospitals are no better than those run by our Government. They are all third rate. Due to this, our loved ones die way too early.

It is no secret that our hospitals, including the private ones, do not have essential drugs, equipment,

skills and other resources that are needed to effectively handle our medical needs.

Complicating this heartbreaking situation is the sad reality that our health care professionals often act like dictators. Arrogant doctors even ridicule dying patients and turn them away when they ask questions about their medical conditions.

This is exactly the case at our private hospitals. I was deeply disappointed to have experienced how doctors at a popular private hospital in Georgetown go into temper tantrums when patients

ask questions. Our doctors must know that patients have a right to ask questions. Our private hospitals even take us for a ride but we are forced to use them.

Private health care is also unaffordable for the majority of us. Often times than not, we do not have the dollars necessary to buy comprehensive medical services or to continue to pay for long-term medical care.

As a result, we are forced to discontinue necessary medical treatment.

In spite of such a distressing and grave situa-

tion, the APNU/PNC/AFC Government turns a blind eye and selfishly takes care of its own medical needs through high quality foreign medical insurance while it continues to trample our health care system. This Government even hires its political backers without appropriate qualifications in health sector. Clearly, our government is callous, but many continue to support it because of issues such as race and politics.

Sincerely, Annie Baliram

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

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News UG, GTI, GL&SC to sign MoU to enhance land surveying

…8 new surveyors sworn in

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t the swearing-in ceremony for eight new land surveyors, Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) Commissioner Trevor Benn said that they were in the process of inking Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to further enhance the Land Surveying programme at the Government Technical Institute (GTI) and introduce a Land Administration Diploma programme at the University of Guyana.

“Both signed on to work with us and the Board of Directors approved of this exercise and we are about to sign MoUs with those institutions to ensure that we can continue to support all of our budding surveyors and land administrators,” Benn noted.

The eight newly-minted Sworn Land Surveyors are Kitfai Sue; Orvil Parris; Romario Denhart; Kevon Williams; the lone female – Moyica Dodson; Mahendra Sahadeo; Brentnol Bart and Bhgeshwar Murli.

Commissioner Benn not-

From left (sitting): Examiner and Board Member, Magistrate Dylon Best; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) Commissioner Trevor Benn and GL&SC Secretariat Manager Durwin Humphrey. From left (standing): Sworn Land Surveyors Romario Denhart, Orvil Parris, Kitfai Sue, Moyica Dodson, Mahendra Sahadeo, Brentnol Bart and Kevon Williams

ed that the role of a land surveyor was integral to the execution of the Commission’s mandate. He added that over the years, Mathematics and Astronomy were two of the subject areas with the lowest pass grade and they have taken steps to correct that with extra classes being offered.

He also noted that they

Vegetables thief remanded to prison

K

elvin Andrews of Kitty, Georgetown was on Monday remanded to prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman after he denied stealing $11,200 worth of vegetables from the business premises of Harry Narine at Alexander Street, Kitty.

The charge alleges that

veyors are required to provide honest, impartial and fair service,” Harmon advised.

Examiner and Board Member, Magistrate Dylon Best said that despite the myth of favouritism in the selection of land surveyors, the Board was bound to treat everyone fairly and did not condone favouritism.

the 25-year-old was caught on CCTV camera stealing the fruits and vegetables belonging to Harry Narine.

The court was informed that Andrews is presently on $60,000 bail for a break-and-enter and larceny charge.

He will make another court appearance today.

would be seeking to introduce an internship programme for prospective land surveyors before they are sworn in.

“In 2018, however, it is going to be the beginning of a new era for surveyors in Guyana and this is resulting in the Land Surveyors Profession Act that was assented to in 2014, but for which we have been able to bring effect to some aspect of it at this time. The Act provides for the registration of land surveyors, the regulation of the practice of surveying and the administering of penalties in accordance with what is set out in the Act,” he informed.

“Surveyors will be now only able to conduct surveys legally if she or he has a certificate of registration begin-

ning in 2018. Certificates will reflect whether the surveyor is a government or private surveyor. This is so because for Government surveyors you are entitled to free registration, but for private surveyors there is a fee involved in the registration process,” he added.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who also has responsibility for the GL&SC, urged the new land surveyors to ensure that they act in a manner that further enhance the image of the surveying profession.

“I believe that surveying is an exact science and, therefore, it cannot be who is right or who is wrong, it is what the science says. If it says this is a boundary, this is the boundary and it is

not because your client pays you more money that you will say ‘look, this is not the boundary; that is the boundary’. That is professional dishonesty and we have to guard against that and sur-

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guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

By James Lehman, MSW

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By Kristen Lee, EdD

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few years ago, the semester was winding down, and my students started winding up. They might as well have all been holding up “Will Work for A” signs; the collective angst was palpable. It was like the song "Under Pressure" was stuck on repeat in everyone’s heads: Pressure, pushing down on me Pressing down on you, no man ask for Under pressure, that burns a building down Splits a family in two Puts people on streets…

Late one night, one of my 4.0 diehards called from her hospital bed. She’d been hit by a car, but was afraid if she missed class, it would jeopardise her grade. I started side-eyeing the phone — you'd think she would’ve called her priest, sister, life coach, or significant other first. Instead, she had me, her professor, on speed dial.

Despite my pinky swear and earnest attempts to convey that she wouldn’t be penalised, and the repeated emphasis that she should not come to class, she signed herself out of the hospital and showed up to class black-eyed and concussed. She was the definition of “extenuating circumstances” and “medical emergency” in the syllabus, but she did not want to risk her A. When I expressed concern, she seemed miffed, like I wasn’t appreciating her commitment to excellence.

Bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah Bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah Pressure…

This is one of too many situations I’ve

encountered that keep me up at night, wondering how to get the song out of their heads.

It's the terror of knowing What this world is about Watching some good friends Screaming, "Let me out!"

Pray tomorrow takes me higher Pressure on people, people on streets...

A new study affirms that the pressure to be perfect is doing a number on today’s college students.

The study, authored by Thomas Curran, PhD, and Andrew Hill, PhD, is the first to

examine group generational differences in perfectionism, which they define as "an irrational desire to achieve along with being overly critical of oneself and others."

Their findings from 164 samples derived from the 41,641 American, Canadian, and British college students completing the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale indicate that we should be concerned for our millennials. Between 1989 and 2016, the self-oriented perfectionism score increased

by 10 per cent, socially prescribed increased by 33 per cent, and other-oriented increased by 16 per cent. Curran and Hill explain that "Meritocracy places a strong need for young people to strive, perform and achieve in modern life… young people are responding by reporting increasingly unrealistic educational and professional expectations for themselves.”

They suggest this as one of the reasons that perfectionism is rising among millennials.

In a hyper-competitive market, it would seem sacrilegious to expect our students not to compete with each other, even though research affirms that obsessive ladder climbing can lead to disastrous falls.

The issues at hand require all hands on deck – policymakers, leaders, educators, parents, students, and concerned citizens. We can’t afford the constant backdrop of "Under Pressure."

Our students – at every level of education – need new playlists. Here are some suggestions: Your mental health is more important than your grades.

You don’t have to fake it till you make it.

You’re not a robot or a machine.

You don’t have to be the best to be good enough.

Listen to what your brain, body, and soul are telling you.

Stop comparing yourself.

It’s not worth it if you get sick.

You’re not a human doing — you’re a human being. Perfect is dry, boring, and unsustainable. Connection is our only way out of this mess. Let’s figure this out together.

(psychologytoday.com)

hy do some kids turn to bullying? The answer is simple: it solves their social problems.

After all, it’s easier to bully somebody than to work things out, manage your emotions, and learn to solve problems. Bullying is the proverbial “easy way out,” and sadly, some kids take it.

Look at men who beat or intimidate their wives and scream at their kids. They’ve never learned to be effective spouses or parents. Instead, they’re really bullies. And the other people in those families live in fear – fear that they’re going to be yelled at, called names, or hit.

Nothing has to be worked out, because the bully always gets his way. The chain of command has been established by force, and the whole mindset becomes, “If you’d only do what I say, there’d be peace around here.” So the bully’s attitude is, “Give me my way or face my aggression.”

Aggression can either take the forms of violence or

emotional abuse. I’ve seen many families that operate this way. I’m not just talking about the adults in the family, either – there are countless children who throw tantrums for the same reason: they’re saying, “Give me my way or face my behaviour”. And if you as a parent don’t start dealing with those tantrums early, your child may develop larger behaviour problems as they grow older.

Ask yourself this question: How many passive bullies do you know? They usually control others through verbal abuse and insults and by making people feel small. They’re very negative, critical people. The threat is always in the background that they’re going to break something or call somebody names or hit someone if they are disagreed with. Realize that the behaviour doesn’t start when someone is in their teens –it usually begins when a child is five or six.

Portrait of a bully

Bullying itself can come from a variety of sources. One source, as I mentioned, is bullying at home – maybe there are older siblings, extended family members or parents who use aggression or intimidation to get their way. I also think part of the development of bullying

can stem from some type of undiagnosed or diagnosed learning disability which inhibits the child’s ability to learn both social and problem-solving skills.

Make no mistake, kids use bullying primarily to replace the social skills they’re supposed to develop in grade school, middle school and high school.

As children go through their developmental stages, they should be finding ways of working problems out and getting along with other people.

This includes learning how to read social situations, make friends, and understand their social environment.

Bullies use aggression, and some use violence and verbal abuse, to supplant those skills.

So in effect, they don’t have to learn problem solving, because they just threaten the other kids.

They don’t have to learn how to work things out because they just push their classmates or call them names. They don’t have to learn how to get along with other people – they just control

them. The way they’re solving problems is through brute force and intimidation. So by the time that child reaches ten, bullying is pretty ingrained – it has become their natural response to any situation where they feel socially awkward, insecure, frightened, bored or embarrassed.

Here is what an aggressive bully often looks like: He doesn’t know how to get along with other kids, so he’s usually not trying to play with them. When you look out on the playground at recess, he’s probably alone.

He’s not playing soccer or kickball with the other children; he’s roaming around the perimeter of all the interactions that take place at school on a daily basis.

And whenever he’s confronted with a problem or feels insecure, he takes that out on somebody else. He does this by putting somebody else down verbally or physically. A child who bullies might also throw or break things in order to feel better and more powerful about himself. When the bully feels powerless and afraid, he’s much more likely to be aggressive, because that makes him feel powerful and in control. That’s a very seductive kind of thing for kids; it’s very hard for them to let go of that power. (Excerpt from empoweringparents) To be continued

news

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tuesDAY, january 30, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

PSC pushes for health centres Wife killer jailed for 80 years to remain open in sugar belt …to collaborate on hosting job fair in communities

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Deceased: Donessa Barker

A section of the gathering at the forum on Monday

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hile remaining firm on its position to oppose the closure of the sugar industry, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) says it will now push to have health centres serving the sugar belt remained open.

PSC President Eddie Boyer urged the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) not to close the health centres that serve sugar workers and their families in various communities.

This call was made at the opening of a Business, Financial and Investment Forum and Clinic held at the Enmore Community Centre on Monday for ex-sugar workers.

The PSC Head said that his organisation was deeply concerned about the developments taking place and would lend support wherever necessary to allow sugar workers the opportunity to get new jobs.

“We are not supportive of closure. We fought that to the end and we are still fighting it. Now, I am going to ask that the health centres remain open for a long period, even when workers get their severance,” he said.

Boyer added that he hoped issues pertaining to the National Insurance Scheme were also being ironed out in the transitioning process, so that workers do not lose out on their entitled benefits.

In addition to that, the PSC Head stated that while there were opportunities, GuySuCo would have to assist in the process of getting some of these workers new jobs, as many of them are unskilled.

“The Private Sector needs people and if we can pluck them out of here, fine.

We are here because anything to do with sugar workers and GuySuCo, we will continue to be on board,” he said.

Meanwhile, GuySuCo Corporate Communications Manager Audreyanna

Thomas said the forum and clinic would expand to other areas in the sugar belt providing them with some support.

Thomas said the event was mainly focused on helping the ex-sugar workers to decide on how they would spend or invest their severance to form meaningful small businesses and development.

PSC President Eddie Boyer

She said the institutions would help the workers and guide them on how best they could reinvest this “capital” (severance) they received after being fired. She said opportunities to take new and old loans would also be encouraged. This, she said, is part of GuySuCo’s Economic and Resilience programme.

Several companies, including all the major banking institutions, were on the ground to assist.

At the same event, Chairman of the Trade and Investments Committee of the PSC, Ramesh Dookhoo announced that his organisation would be hosting a job fair for displaced sugar workers.

The first event would be hosted on Wednesday, January 31 at the Patentia Tarmac, West Bank Demerara in collaboration with the Region Three Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Dookhoo said while the fair would be primarily for these workers, it would also be opened to other persons

who were generally having a tough time finding employment.

He encouraged persons attending the event to walk with evidence of their academic qualifications, recommendations, NIS card, TIN certificate and police clearance.

If this spin-off event proves successful, the PSC plans to host similar exercises in communities that will be impacted by the closures of sugar estates across the country.

Some 20 local manufacturing and services companies are already onboard to participate in the fair. They include: National Hardware, Banks DIH, and Gafoors.

In November, GuySuCo announced plans to dismiss thousands of workers. So far, some 4000-plus workers have been sent home.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) claims that the downsizing and subsequent closure of sugar estates would lead to the loss of more than 15,000 jobs, and the potential threat of poverty for 50,000 to 100,000 people.

The Special Purpose Unit (SPU), which forms part of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), has been mandated to conduct evaluations, surveys and inventory assessments before any steps were taken to actually sell the estates.

The SPU has since solicited the assistance of an international financial company to undertake these assessments as part of the plans to downsize the industry. While one local company has expressed an interest, there have been no other reports that other companies here may want to buy the estates.

However, Minister Cathy Hughes has been quoted in the media as saying that several international oil companies have expressed an interest in buying some of the closed estates.

ust over one week since facing trial for his wife’s murder, Miguel “Allan” Barker was on Monday afternoon found guilty of committing the offence of murder by the unanimous decision of a 12-member jury, and was subsequently sentenced to 80 years’ imprisonment by High Court Justice Navindra Singh.

The judge had started computing Barker’s sentence at a base of 60 years, but took into consideration the fact that the accused had shown no remorse when the jury returned the verdict, as he opted to maintain his innocence. Barker later changed his mind, indicating that he was “sorry for what happened,” but Justice Singh observed that Barker had premeditated the crime, as he was seen at the house of the attack on a previous occasion.

State Prosecutor Tiffini

Lyken, in her address to the court, reminded that six stab wounds had been inflicted upon the deceased Donessa Barker, called Vanessa. Lyken also observed that some of the wounds the woman had received were in self-defence.

She drew attention to the instrument that was used, and noted that a 4-year-old child is left without a mother, while the woman’s relatives are still dealing with the open emotional wounds they had sustained from Donessa Barker’s death.

In a plea of mitigation, defence attorney Maxwell McKay said his client is a father and is a “very religious person”. However, Justice Singh added 10 years to the sentence for premeditation, and another 10 years for the case being a domestic violence matter.

After the sentence was announced, the woman’s relatives were seen sobbing and consoling each other, while Barker was led off into custody with no show of emotion.

The convicted murderer and his late spouse Donessa had shared a rocky relationship, which included extensive arguments, multiple allegations of infidelity, and reported physical violence.

Things escalated on the evening of April 29, 2015 when Barker dropped a knife after threatening his wife late that night, and climaxed the following afternoon when he was seen jumping out of the window after stabbing his wife to death.

Miguel Barker was unanimously found guilty

The woman is said to have died from incised wounds, and it was proven that she was stabbed to the chest. On the night of the crime, the Barkers were reportedly heard arguing prior to the stabbing at the Inner Bagotville, West Bank Demerara home where the couple was staying.

Persons nearby had attempted to rescue the woman, and had rushed her to hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries. Her husband had however fled the scene and was found just days after at Sophia, Greater Georgetown. He had always denied that he was responsible for his wife’s killing.

Before the woman’s death, the couple had been married for almost two years. The State was represented by Prosecutors Lyken, Narissa Leander and Abigail Gibbs. (Shemuel Fanfair)

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tuesDAY, january 30, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IN THE COURTS

Jury acquits ex-female soldier of murder …State to appeal decision

Murdered housewife Donna Taylor

O

ne day short of three years since Agricola, Greater Georgetown housewife Donna Taylor was murdered at her home, the accused, former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Private Abiola Jacobs was unanimously found not-guilty by a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown on Monday.

This result came after just over two hours of deliberations, but it is expected that the prosecution will appeal the decision following reports that one of the jurors allegedly grew up in the same area as Jacobs.

However, when the verdict was returned before Justice James BovellDrakes on Monday, the court upheld the jury’s unanimous decision and the Judge announced that Jacobs was free to go. After the words “not guilty” were

announced, there were contrasting expressions from the relatives of Taylor and Jacobs who packed the courtroom to capacity.

The Taylors were speechless with astonishment as they moved their heads from side to side in disbelief. Meanwhile, Jacobs’ relatives praised the heavens, saying that the verdict was a result of prayer and divine intervention.

After being freed, Jacobs in high heels ran out of the court onto South Road before jumping for joy and embracing several relatives and well-wishers as she trotted and skipped along Croal Street. In much jubilance, she also hailed many passengers in passing minibuses who recognised that she was freed as the Taylors left the court despondent.

On the night of January 31, 2014, Donna Taylor was discovered with her throat slit, hands bound behind her and her shirt wrapped around her neck. The jury considered the testimony of main witness Samantha Sabbatt, a Briton, who narrowly escaped with her life as she was a guest of the Taylors. She had admitted that she had an intimate relationship with her friend’s son, Bertram Taylor Jr, at the time she was staying there, but stressed that she never encouraged him to separate from Jacobs.

Jacobs was the estranged

Abiola Jacobs became a free woman on Monday

girlfriend of Bertram Taylor Jr. Sabbatt had recounted that on the night Taylor’s motionless body was found, she was in the bedroom of the upper flat of the home when she heard footsteps, voices and a male later shouting for her to open the door, moments after the lights were switched off. She had also testified, via Skype from London, England, that she had climbed up and peeped through the lattice work and had seen Jacobs in the light of the street lamps that shone into the house.

She had also claimed that when the lights came on, she jumped through the window onto the veranda and sustained injuries in a bid to save her life. On February 1, 2014, Sabbatt recalled at-

tending a confrontation with Jacobs where she told her: “Sweet girl, you never saw me.”

However, Sabbatt had issues with the consistency of her recall which was highlighted by the defence which had suggested that the main witness changed her story from the time when she was interviewed by Police and at preliminary proceedings at the Magistrates’ Court. At certain points, she was sure that she saw Jacobs and at other points she said she saw a shadow which she believed to be that of the defendant.

The jury had also considered the testimony of Taylor’s daughter, Marcelle Collymore, who claimed that the accused and her mother had a fight on the day of her mother’s demise.

This was also confirmed in the evidence of Police Superintendent Joel David who similarly testified that Jacobs informed him that she spoke with Taylor on the day of her death.

Superintendent David had also corroborated that the survivor of the attack (Sabbatt) had placed Jacobs at the scene of the crime.

Jacobs was represented

by Defence Attorney Adrian Thompson while State Prosecutor Mandell Moore led the prosecution’s case with assistance from fellow State Counsel Lisa Cave.

‘Stripper’ charged for attempting to snatch purse

A

man of unsound mind who admitted to being a stripper at a South Road, Georgetown hotel was on Monday brought before city Magistrate Judy Latchman charged for attempting to snatch a woman’s purse.

Stephen Henry, of Herstelling, East Bank

Demerara (EBD), denied that on January 26, 2018 at Hunter Street, Georgetown, he attempted to snatch a purse valued $10,000, property of Lemanka Douglas.

According to Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore, the Virtual Complainant (VC) was sitting at a car wash waiting for her car

to be cleaned when she felt the accused pulling at her bag.

She raised an alarm and he attempted to escape, but was subdued by public-spirited persons.

Henry’s mother, however, told the court that her son was of unsound mind and provided documents to

Magistrate Latchman confirming this.

As such, Magistrate Latchman ordered that the defendant be evaluated at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

He was placed on $70,000 bail and was expected to return to court on February 19, 2018.

Repeat offender charged for stealing rum

R

epeat offender Shawn Cornelius, 18, who on a number of occasions was before the courts on larceny charges, was on Monday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on a charge detailing that between January 21 and 22, 2018, at Bus Park, Port Kaituma, NWD, he broke and entered the shop of Latoya

Tobin and stole alcohol and other alcoholic beverages to the value of $25,000.

The Prosecution is also contending that on January 28, at Port Kaituma, Cornelius escaped from lawful custody.

The teen admitted to the offence of larceny, and told the court he was “high” on drugs when he stole from the virtual complainant (VC).

He also told the Chief Magistrate that while in Police custody, the officers had refused to give him meals, and that had prompted him to escape.

He was later found at his mother’s residence, hiding near a tree.

Cornelius was remanded to prison, and his sentencing has been set for February 4.

Ranger remanded for narco-trafficking

C

ollins Thompson of Charity, Essequibo Coast was on Monday remanded to prison when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan

to answer a charge of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The 50-year-old ranger of Region Two denied that

he had in his possession 19 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He was reportedly found with the cocaine at a Police Outpost.

The man, who claims to be a malaria and dengue patient, is scheduled to appear at the Bartica Magistrates' Courts on February 15.

Bitch slapped…

M

…Bulkan inister of Communities Ronald Bulkan’s head has to be spinning. And why not, dear reader?

After all, he was just bitch-slapped in public by Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green!! This wasn’t your average bitch-slapping, where the weak, openhanded blow is just accompanied by hair-pulling and face scratching. No…this one was delivered with such ferocity and force that Bulkan was knocked right out of his buckta!!

Now, in this matter, your Eyewitness has to be fair… and it does look to him like Bulkan was just asking for it!

Whether Bulkan’s into S&M or anything like that, your Eyewitness can’t say, since he never did complete that psychiatrist correspondence course!!

Imagine, Bulkan had the temerity to tell Her Worship the Mayoress she couldn’t convert some playground into house lots for her and her close associates, like the Town Clerk!!

Can you believe it? Who the heck does Bulkan think he is? Head of Local Government or something? The Mayoress (?) didn’t mess around: she told him bluntly to quit with the “so-and-so meddling”. Quoting by-laws and suchlike, she told the Minister where to get off – that is, to go jump into a lake!! Your Eyewitness isn’t too au fait with the highways and by-laws of the Garden City, but from what’s been going on (down?) since the Mayoress took over from Hamilton Green (no relative, one assumes) the law is whatever the lady says it is!!

Remember when the same Bulkan approved some by-laws to have the parking meter scam approved? At that time even the Attorney General and the Finance Minister insisted the contract wasn’t kosher and should be headed off at the pass. The Mayoress, on the other hand, had asserted that what she did was hunky-dory, and Bulkan meekly went along!! So if she now insists the laws governing our fair city allow playgrounds to be doled out to the Mayoress and her cohorts, who’s your Eyewitness (or Bulkan) to say otherwise??

But really, folks, the Mayoress knows there are both formal and informal sources of power, and with the PNC, of which both Bulkan and the Mayoress are executive members, the lady has the inside track on the REAL power switch. Bulkan is mere window dressing – like Nagamootoo – to mamaguy the world into thinking the PNC has changed its stripes. But he’s not a “born PNC”, like the Mayoress.

And that is why the Mayoress can publicly bitch-slap him silly: she knows that in the real pecking order she outranks him by miles. Bulkan better wake up and smell the coffee…it’s been brewing not only at City Hall, but in the offices of all governmental offices.

Only those who are born PNC wield real power!! …Oil watchdog One of the peculiar characteristics of Guyanese officialdom is how quickly supposed “watchdogs” become “lapdogs”. Take this Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI) that’s supposed to ensure the Government in general, and the Minister of Natural Resources in particular, stay on the straight and narrow where our oil interests are concerned.

The head of this local body - now officially recognized by the international body - is one Dr Rudy Jagopat. He just insisted he can’t comment on the universal accusation (even the IMF!!) that something (many things!!) stinks to high heaven with our oil contract!! He said civil society’s doing a good job, and they should keep it up!!

Now, if the watchdog can’t comment on an accusation that goes to the heart of his function, why do we need him?

Well, that’s where the “lapdog” tag comes in! What else can you expect from a fella (where’d he come from?) who’s been working out of Trotman’s office from the beginning?

Watchdogs fed by their targets are bitch-slapped into lapdogs!! …into bassidiness If you were ever wondering about the effects of prolonged bitch-slapping – used to create the “Stockholm Syndrome”, dear reader -- all you have to do is follow the utterances of Ramjattan.

They mumble inanities like “It’s God’s work” to explain PNC firing sugar workers!!

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

News

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PAC to begin work Crime spree CoI Work to commence by February 1 – Harmon on AG Report

…as Committee awaits presentation of 2015 Report

T

he Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly is expected to begin its work on the 2016 Auditor General Report in a matter of weeks, during which time the Government’s latest fiscal indiscretions will be put under the microscope.

During an interview with Guyana Times, PAC member and Member of Parliament (MP), Juan Edghill related that work was still being done on the preceding 2015 Report. He noted that another meeting would have to be called at the Committee level to finalise the report.

Edghill explained that during the last sitting of Parliament, the Committee was able to clear the backlog of reports dating from eight years ago. As such, the Opposition-chaired PAC dispensed of the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Auditor General Reports.

Regarding the 2015 Report, Edghill stated that it was close to completion.

“That (2015) report is being prepared to send to the Parliament and the 2016 Auditor General Report, which was tabled in Parliament at the end of September, we’ll start examining now. Within weeks, the Public Accounts [Committee] should start moving (on that),” Edghill assured.

“But we have to have a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, for them to bring the report to us and approve it. The Committee completed its work on the examination of the 2015 Report and it is

flagged the fact that the consolidated fund of Guyana was in overdraft.

At the end of that year, the Fund reflected an overdraft of $67.5 billion and the cash book, $86 billion. In 2015, the Fund was overdrawn by $42.6 billion.

According to the Auditor General, the difference of $18.5 billion between the bank and the cash book was

PAC member Juan Edghill

now for the Clerk to do the write-up, format the report, and get our approval for it to be sent to the House.”

Once the report is submitted, the Finance Ministry will have 90 days to account for the financial anarchy found by the Auditor General to have occurred since 2015 and documented in his report. This includes abuse of Guyana’s Contingency Fund and widespread overpayment of contractors.

At the time of the examination, the Committee had been the scene of turmoil with several accounting officers having to be cautioned and evicted from the Parliament’s chambers for being untruthful to the Committee. In the wake of this, there was a major reshuffling of Permanent Secretaries among various Ministries.

Efforts to contact Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, were futile.

The General

2016 Report 2016 report

Auditor had re-

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs

due to a deposit of $6.7 billion not being debited to the cash book. There was also some $22.7 billion in unpresented cheques. It was also revealed that deposits totalling $5.3 billion were not credited to the bank account, while debit advances of $1.6 billion were not credited to the cash book.

In its response, the Ministry affirmed that the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003 makes provisions for the account to be overdrawn in order to make up for cash shortfalls while implementing the Budget.

T

he Government is all set to establish yet another Commission of Inquiry (CoI), this time to probe killings during the period 2002 to 2008.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Monday disclosed that the Commissioners were slated to be appointed during this week and work was expected to commence on or before February 1.

Harmon, during a brief interview with reporters, noted that there would be a series of CoIs to probe specific killings, especially the Lusignan and Bartica massacres, along with the numerous murders in Buxton.

He noted that every year commemoration ceremonies were held to mark the anniversaries of the killings and Government took the decision to get to the bottom of the issue. “So, during the course of this week, we will launch an inquiry into one period of the killings and you can rest assured that by the 1st of February that will commence on this inquiry,” he added.

At his post-Cabinet press briefing on Friday, Harmon explained that the Coroner’s Inquest Act requires that an inquest be held into any unnatural death, and that was not done for those persons killed during that “troubled” period.

Additionally, President David Granger has long been calling for a CoI into extra-judicial killings in Guyana.

As a matter of fact, while in Opposition, the President in 2014 had tabled a motion in the National Assembly for the establishment of a CoI to

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

investigate the incidence of criminal violence in Guyana from 2004 to 2010.

During a televised programme in 2016, the Head of State had disclosed that in keeping with the promise he made as Opposition Leader, steps were being taken to compile the information needed for the probe to be held.

Meanwhile, even as the coalition is adamant about probing the killings during the 2002 to 2008 era, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Opposition had raised concerns, noting that Government should launch investigations dating back to the 1970s and not only the 2000s.

In fact, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had accused the coalition Government of being selective in its calls for investigations and suggested instead that the probe be done into all the murders and all the missing weaponry.

Since coming into office in 2017, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration has spent

$175 million on 11 CoIs. In the case of the 2015 CoI into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), it was disclosed that $51.8 million was expended. The CoI into the public service cost taxpayers $40.1 million while the 2016 CoI into the education sector cost $26.7 million. The inquiry into the 2016 prison disturbances cost $12.2 million, while the CoI into last year’s fire at the Drop-in Centre cost $1.3 million.

Inquiries into conditions of veterans and the discovery of a foreign aircraft at Yupukari cost $14.8 million and $8.3 million respectively; and the inquiry into allegations made against the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) by Barry Dataram cost $1 million. The CoI into the October 2016 collapse of a mining pit that killed Keon Wilson cost $5.1 million and in the case of the inquiry into the release of a private vessel in Guyana’s waters, a total of $8.2 million was spent.

The sum of $5.4 million was spent on the CoI into the alleged presidential assassination plot.

Government has, for some time, faced accusations that it has ignored recommendations made by some of these very CoIs, such as the inquiry into the state of GuySuCo. Among other things, this CoI had produced recommendations that no estate should be closed. Government has, in fact, already stated it would forge ahead with closing all estates except Blairmont, Uitvlugt and Albion, thus rendering this piece of advice redundant.

10 news

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Over 42 lbs ganja unearthed in separate busts P

olice in B Division (Berbice) have confiscated some 18kg (more than 42 pounds) of marijuana and arrested two drivers following two separate drug busts.

The first incident took place at Bath Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB) were Police acting on intelligence stopped and searched

parcels were opened in the presence of the driver and the illicit substance was found. It was subsequently weighed and amounted to 9.07kg (19.95lbs).

The driver was taken into custody and was being processed for court.

Meanwhile, in the second incident, a 23-year-old man was taken into custody af-

The marijuana that was found at Bath Village, WCB

22-year-old had breached a Police cordon that was erected in front of the Fort

Wellington Police Station causing ranks to take evasive action.

However, the Police went in pursuit of the vehicle, which later crashed into a tree at Number 23 Village, WCB. On approaching the crashed vehicle, Police saw two men exit and board another car which sped away from the scene.

Again, the Police gave chase and the car reportedly turned into a street at Number 27 Village, but later veered off the road and ended up in a nearby trench.

Two males were reportedly

seen exiting the vehicle and subsequently escaped down the dark street.

At that point, the driver, who is employed with a water company, was arrested after he was caught attempting to dispose of a bag containing 19 parcels of compressed marijuana. The parcels were later weighed.

The Police are making every effort to arrest the two other men who escaped from the scene.

Body on roadway

Sex workers arrested as probe continues

A The illicit substance that was found at Number 27 Village, WCB

a Toyota Carina 212 motor car driven by a 20-year-old man.

During the search, the ranks found five well-taped parcels hidden in a black shoulder bag on the back seat of the motor car. The

ter 9.17kg (20.16lbs) of compressed marijuana was found in a car he was driving at Number 27 Village, WCB. Information reaching Guyana Times revealed that the car driven by the

s investigations continue into the death of 20-yearold Hemchand Dalchand, also called “Rakesh,” whose body was found along the Oleander Gardens Public Road, East Coast Demerara, the Police have arrested two male sex workers.

Guyana Times understands that one of the men was picked up on Sunday evening and the other was arrested on Monday morning at his Station Street, Kitty home.

Reports are that the now dead man was reportedly engaged in a heated argument with the sex workers on Saturday evening during a show at the Ogle

Dead: Hemchand Dalchand, also called “Rakesh”

Community Centre Ground.

However, upon his arrest, “Otesha”, one of the male sex workers, told me-

dia operatives that he was arrested based on an eyewitness report, but he does not know the young man and had nothing to do with his death.

The post mortem performed on the young man showed he had died from multiple injuries consistent with a vehicular accident, but the Police suspect that foul play might have been involved, based on preliminary investigations.

The arrest of the two sex workers was confirmed by “C” Division Commander Calvin Brutus.

Dalchand’s semi-nude body with several marks evident was found in a pool of blood in the vicinity of the Oleander Gardens Public Road, East Coast Demerara just before midnight on Saturday. Initially, it was suspected that he might have been beaten and left to

die.

Following his discovery, the Police retrieved the young man’s vest and a pair of green slippers at the seawall. He was last seen leaving home with a few female friends to attend a show a short distance away.

The friends reportedly informed Police that the young man left shortly after the heated argument with the two male sex workers.

Attempts to get a comment from the dead man’s relatives have proved futile.

An aunt who answered the telephone claimed that the young man’s parents reside in Sophia and she was not willing to speak to the media. She noted, too, that his parents are reluctant to speak with the media.

Meanwhile, the Police are interrogating the two suspects as they continue their investigations.

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tuesDAY, january 30, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$70B lost in tax evasion

GRA to provide incentives for informants

– as entity seeks to crack down on tax fraud

By Jarryl Bryan

from moneys provided by Parliament for the purpose of such rewards to such persons as he may think fit, in order to secure the efficient protection of the revenue and for the prevention, discovery, suppression, and prosecution of offences against the customs and inland revenue laws…and regulations relating to mining and State laws.”

I

n a bid to crack down on the billions it is losing to tax avoidance and other assorted criminal activities, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will be using recently passed laws and other legislative avenues to build its intelligence network. It is understood that this includes providing financial incentives to whistle-blowers.

According to GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia, this practice is one supported by the law.

“It’s allowed in law. We just have to put things in place and the Minister has to sign off on it, and then we’ll be able to pay them,” he stated recently. Also providing information on this plan was head of GRA’s Custom and Trade Administration, Lancelot Wills.

According to Wills, the Witness Protection and the Protected Disclosures Act are the most relevant laws to the issue. He also noted that the Revenue Protection Act had a role to play in the regulatory framework.

“Owing to the magnitude of (effects) that could follow a disclosure of such nature, it may be treated under either regime. We intend to implement a system of pro-

Fraud

GRA Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia

tection of revenue by way of information gathered in accordance with the law,” Wills related.

The Protected Disclosures Bill 2017 was passed on January 18, while the Witness Protection Bill 2017 was passed the next day. In them are provisions for a witness protection programme, administrative centre, and stiff fines for blowing covers. The Revenue Protection Act of 1933 is actually more concise where paying informants is concerned.

According to Part 2 of the Act, “The Minister may authorise the payment

Workers endure chaos...

From page 3

“It is unfair; because, if we want to do a business, since the time the estate close to now, we ain’t receive no money. If we want to invest, we can’t invest half-severance. If we were given we whole severance, we could have been able to invest in something,” he explained.

Anthony argued that there are bills piled up from since December, and with the piecemeal manner in which the severance is being paid, workers will mostly likely not be able to utilize it properly.

A female worker was all in smiles when she exited the estate compound with her cheque on Monday. Asked what plans she has for the future, the woman said she would stay at home. She said she has given close to three decades of service to the GuySuCo as a factory worker.

Some persons have said they plan on starting small businesses, such as poultry rearing, cattle rearing, agriculture, and establishing small shops, among other small business ideas.

However, a majority of the workers have said many of them are still jobless and is not sure when they are likely to get new jobs. Most of them have spent all their

working lives employed by GuySuCo. Fired sugar workers who are eligible to receive $500,000 or less in severance pay are being paid in full; and the others who would be paid 50 percent of the amounts due to them. This amount is close to 1,600.

The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) had put Government on blast for its decision to pay the sacked sugar workers their severance payments in two tranches. A move by Opposition Leader Dr Bharat Jadgeo, as well as others had on multiple occasions outlined it as being illegal.

According to Jadgeo, the Government knew that over 4,000 severance letters were issued even before the Budget 2018 was passed, and had made no provision for severance, hence the move to approach the National Assembly recently for additional funds.

In what is described as the largest retrenchment by a private or public corporation in recent history, state owned GuySuCo, as part of its plans to restructure the sugar industry, has dismissed in excess of 4,500 sugar workers from various estates.

At a press conference held last week, Statia had related that the entity had lost 40 per cent of its revenue for last year, or some $70 billion, through tax evasion. He complained that the situation exists at all levels, and has implications for overall budgetary allocations.

“If we collected $170 billion last year, 40 per cent is $70 billion. And if you collect $70 billion more, I’m sure the Minister of Finance

Customs Chief, Lancelot Wills

would be able to balance his budget. I’m also sure that all the capital projects we would like to have and see started would be completed.

But you have tax evasion at all levels.”

At the level of customs, he noted that there is a lot of under-invoicing. “Or if they

don’t do that, they would use incorrect codes. If you could actively collude with the broker, you would see a simple analysis would show that people have been using incorrect descriptions to get past that. We have lost all discipline. Value systems have broken down. And it’s countrywide… we have to face it.”

According to Statia, the entity has been dealing with the problem by utilising its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division, and going after defaulters. In addition, more staff rotation has been employed. Asked about the status of these cases, Statia related that several individuals were presently before the courts.

Vehicle smuggling

There is also the issue of vehicle smuggling. Statia related that over 2000 vehicles have entered Guyana from Suriname but did not return. Purchasing the vehicles and then bringing (them) over with false num-

ber plates is a practice designed to cheat the system of duties.

“You found that thousands of vehicles were being imported from Suriname and Brazil and were not going back and (were) using old registration numbers,” Statia related. “You also found that people were abusing the process using fake vehicle numbers, fake diplomatic numbers, and all these things. The other day I saw a DPL 501. Nowhere in the United States Embassy (are there) 501 vehicles.”

Statia affirmed that the Government has not abandoned a project to introduce number plates with special security features, but rather that it was put on the back burner as conflict arose regarding jurisdiction.

According to the Tax Chief, there was some uncertainty as to whether his entity should handle the project or the Ministry of Public Security. He noted, however, that the project should get under way in 2018.

Challenges faced by Marudi miners remain sectoral issue – Harmon

…even as miners threaten showdown with Romanex

S

mall miners in Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are threatening a showdown with the Canadian company Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd if the Government does not intervene and come up with a viable solution to the ongoing dispute over mining in the Marudi Mountain.

However, despite these threats and pleas, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said that the issue remained a sectoral one and would be dealt with by the Natural Resources Ministry.

“Marudi has been in the news for many years. (Natural Resources) Minister (Raphael) Trotman has made some clear statements on the Marudi issue, but I can’t say that it is something that has engaged the level of Central Government as of right now. It is still a sectoral issue within the Ministry of Natural Resources; at this point in time, the statement made by Minister Trotman will be the statements the Government will support,” Harmon said in an invited comment.

In a letter to the press, Rupununi Mining Association President Marlon Johnson outlined that mining activities in Marudi Mountain were at a standstill affecting thousands of people. He explained that Romanex had acquired the rights for the concession for decades now, but has not started any mining. Since the apparent abandonment, the small miners in the area started working two mountains that contain gold and that gold is found in the rocks, which means that it has to be processed with crushers.

He added that there were currently 70 crushers working, each employing a minimum of five persons. Johnson, in his letter, stated that over two years now, they have been waiting to have the issue addressed with promises from both Minister Trotman and President David Granger.

He related that there were several persons who have had their properties sized by the banks because they were unable to pay their loans.

Flashback: Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman with the miners during an outreach

“The way I see this situation is that we are at a breaking point now, and everyone is getting desperate. There are talks of rioting against the company in order to recommence working,” he stated.

“Romanex owners are calling the small miners ‘savages’ and ‘hungry belly’ and other names to that effect; and as I have mentioned before, these people have really been stretched out, and they are at breaking point now. The miners have decided that if they cannot get the appropriate approval from the Government by the end of the new week, they will go ahead and start back working with or without approval!” he further stated.

In April of 2016, Minister Trotman initiated a mediation process among the Amerindian villages of Aishalton, Awariwaunau, Karaudanawa, Achiwuib, Shulinab, Maruranau, Shea and Potarinau; miners and Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd. Following the mediation, an agreement outlining solutions to the dispute was signed by the overseas mining company, Toshaos of the Amerindian villages, the Rupununi Miners Association and the Guyana Women Miners Organisation.

One of the agreed terms of this agreement is that the company, on commencement of exploration and mining, would accommodate miners seeking to mine in the area, provided that they abide by

the rules of the company and the laws of Guyana, including the non-use of mercury in their recovery.

In September 2016, Trotman formally ordered the reactivation of the mining licence of Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd, thus paving the way for that company to undertake exploration and mining activities in the Marudi Mountain area.

Since July 2016, the residents have been complaining of a breach in the agreement. The concerns were raised by residents with Minister within the Natural Resources Ministry, Simona Broomes during an outreach to the South Rupununi. Broomes had met with 200 residents and said that the residents informed her that the situation had worsened since they signed an agreement to resolve the issue with Romanex.

Further, the residents indicated that aside from the breach in the agreement, there have been increased illicit activities such as trafficking in persons and drugs.

Since then, the Government is yet to take any corrective step to remedy the situation.

The residents say that they are being forced to close down their shops and other businesses since there are little business opportunities for them.

They are reiterating their calls to have the issue addressed. Repeated efforts to contact both Natural Resources Ministers proved futile.

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tuesDAY, january 30, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Garbage collection needs more NDCs, citizens urged to help disciplined approach – residents alleviate mosquito infestation

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onsultations on the proposed garbage collection fee continued on Monday with residents of Agricola and McDoom, Greater Georgetown calling for a more disciplined system.

On Monday, the consultation was held at the Agricola Community Centre with Mayor Patricia Chase Green, Solid Waste Director Walter Narine, Councillor Welton Clarke and other City Council staff.

The residents did not hold back on sharing their views on the issue of garbage collection, highlighting that litter was indeed a problem in the area.

“Littering is a big concern in this area,” one resident stressed.

Unlike the previous consultation, all the residents in attendance were of the opinion that implementing the $200 garbage collection fee would not be a problem. However, this acceptance came on one condition. Several residents stated that there was a need for discipline on when the garbage disposal companies came to collect their garbage.

“Our garbage day is on Thursday, sometimes they come till Sunday night,” a resident explained.

Similarly, residents noted that there were also instances of the companies misplacing bins or in some cases taking them.

Aside from those concerns, the Council representatives were also asked what other measures were taken before resolving to implement a fee. Narine in response noted that the rates and taxes would usually be used to cover those costs, but these have not been increased since 1994.

He went on to say that re-evaluating and possibly raising those rates and taxes was something that they would need to address with the Central Housing and Planning Authority in the future.

In her address, Mayor Chase Green asked the residents to carefully consider the plight of the Council, noting that prices for groceries have changed from 1994 to now, but the rates and taxes have remained the same. She also brought to light scenarios where businesses have rented parts of their buildings to smaller businesses. “We were collecting one bin from them,

now we’re collecting seven and eight,” she lamented.

The first garbage consultation was held on January 18, at City Hall. That meeting garnered mixed responses from central Georgetown residents – some accepted that the proposed fee was reasonable, while others opposed it. The consultations came after Town Clerk Royston King prematurely announced that he would like to collect fees for garbage collection. He was instructed by Mayor Chase Green to hold at least one public consultation before bringing the matter to the full Council for a vote. In a subsequent City Council meeting the Town Clerk had stated that he would like to go into communities to consult with the residents there, Agricola being the first on that list. Among the other communities to be visited are Cummings Lodge, and South and North Ruimveldt.

GPSU calls for establishment of Safety and Health Committee

…to help alleviate workers’ woes

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uyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) Representative Maurice Butters is pleading with the administration of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to establish a Safety and Health Committee.

Butters noted that this would help to alleviate issues presently being faced

by Linden part-time sweeper/cleaners, who recently downed tools over the lack of work and safety gear, among numerous other issues.

Butters had indicated that the cleaners are frustrated with the way they are being treated by the regional administration, noting that requests to the administration to provide proper working gear were not heeded. According to Butters, the administration, through which the sweeper /cleaners are employed, has been turning a blind eye to the plight of the employees. He said despite efforts to put the Committee in place the regional administration appears to be uninterested. "We're trying to set up a Safety and Health Committee. The workers’ representatives have been

Maurice Butters

turning up at every meeting, but the management representatives are not turning up, so they can constitute the Safety and Health Committee. And the administration is fully well aware of it. Letters were made to them, calls were made to them and visits were made to them, yet they don't want to put the Safety and Health Committee in place. You see if the Safety and Health Committee goes in place, it will help to alleviate the problems these cleaners are facing at the schools,” the GPSU representative stated.

The female employees, who stood outside the RDC building last Wednesday holding plac-

ards, made demands for their positions to be "regularised" so that they can be paid at least the minimum wage, as they pointed out that the current $24,740 they receive presently is insufficient.

The protesters also made demands for the provision of working gear and improved working conditions.

The GPSU representative claims that despite an announcement by the Minister of State regarding the fate of sweeper/cleaners, the administration claims it has no knowledge of this announcement.

Butters added that compounding the situation is the fact that sweeper/cleaners in Georgetown, who were in similar position, have since benefited from regularisation.

"We brought to their attention that (Minister) Harmon would have made a public statement, and based on that statement, they should have been more proactive in making calls and enquiries on what is the situation, so they can fall in line with the announcement made by Harmon; but they choose to sit back and wait for somebody to tell them,” he said. (Utamu Belle)

irector of Regional Health Services in Berbice, Jevaughn Stephens, is calling on Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to play their part in alleviating the mosquito infestation across the country.

The insect is common in Regions Six and Five, particularly before the rainy season. Stephens explained to the Department of Public Information (DPI) that though environmental health officers were equipped with the necessary skills to reduce the occurrence of this vector, NDCs must ensure that certain practices and behaviours were maintained to alleviate the infestation.

“We have met with NDCs and asked them to assist us to ensure that within their

Director of Regional Health Services, Jevaughn Stephens

NDCs there are no clogged drains, there is a reduction of overgrown bushes where mosquitoes mostly breed, properly covered drums, and properly disposal of solid waste,” Stephens underscored.

In most instances, when these measures are not maintained, the department is forced to use fogging as a last

resort to control the mosquito population. According to Stephens, the vector control department has a staff complement of 12 officers and is equipped with three vehicles and two fogging machines.

The fogging exercise is now extended to the 16 NDCs and three municipalities. “So the process takes longer than we would have anticipated, but we’re calling on the NDCs to play their part so that going forward, we can have this done differently,” Stephen reiterated.

Two weeks ago, fogging commenced in the New Amsterdam area. Stephens encouraged that citizens play their part also and practise hygienic measures such as having bins in which to store their refuse and weeding their parapets.

Guyana/India meeting

Renewable energy, cultural exchange MoUs to be signed

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enewable energy, cultural exchange MoUs to be signed A high-level delegation headed by Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge is in New Delhi, India for the Guyana-India Joint Commission and InterMinisterial Consultation, which will provide the opportunity for the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries, particularly on the political and economic fronts.

The Joint Commission last met in 2008 and according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who made the announcement last Friday, the visit would provide the opportunity for engagement and discussions on a wide range of issues such as climate change and the global perspective on meaningful economic exchanges.

“It will also deal with collaborations in areas such as oil and gas; Information and Communication Technology [ICT]; agriculture; and [the] Greening of Bartica Project.”

It is expected that two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) will be signed, the first for new and renewable energy which will include solar energy, small hydros, biomass, bio-energy and wind energy.

The second, in the area of culture, will facilitate exchanges in music, dance, theatre, literature, mass media and youth programmes up to the year 2020.

The Minister of State informed that during the visit, Guyana will also sign and ratify the Framework Agreement on the establishment of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which was launched in Paris by the President of France and the Prime Minister

of India in 2015 under the auspices of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC).

The ISA is the platform through which “sun-rich” countries collectively address current challenges in the use of solar energy.

The Guyana-India Joint Commission and InterMinisterial Consultation commenced on Sunday and would conclude on February 3.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman; Director General of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Audrey Jardine-Waddell; Technical Officer and Head of the Multilateral Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Troy Torrington, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahender Sharma are also part of the delegation.

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tuesDAY, january 30, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Human impacts threaten FFTP boosting housing in Region 5 mangroves’ existence

Community volunteers, NDC officials and mangrove rangers who participated in the workshop last Saturday

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he National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has been implementing various promotional tools to educate persons about the importance of the country’s mangroves resources.According to Deputy Chairman of the Better Hope/ La Bonne Intention National Democratic Council, Ramkarran Boodram, some trying issues were highlighted during a one-day workshop held by NAREI, which saw more than 23 community volunteers, (NDC) officials and mangrove rangers in attendance last Saturday at Cove and John.

Boodram noted that while he’s satisfied with the restoration of the mangroves within his NDC, garbage dumping within the mangrove forest continues to be a significant challenge.

Making reference to Bette Hope, Vryheid's Lust, Brothers/Montrose and Chateau Margot villages, he noted that garbage dumping, mangrove harvesting, and

Miner hospitalised after Bartica crash

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head-on collision on the Four Miles Public Road in Bartica, Region 7 over the weekend has left 22-year-old miner Conroy Cox of Lot 99 Third Avenue, Bartica nursing extensive head injuries and a broken foot in the High Dependency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Cox reportedly was driving an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) with two other males as passengers, and was proceeding north along the Four Miles main road when he tried to negotiate a turn and ended up in the path of a land cruiser.

After the head-on collision, Cox was rushed to the Bartica Hospital, but had to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital because of the extent of his injuries.

The other two passengers of the ATV were treated at the Bartica Hospital for minor injuries.

grazing of livestock are three main human impacts affecting mangrove forest along the East Coast Demerara foreshore.

“Household waste and shrimp waste (are continually being dumped in these areas. The NDC is currently engaging residents through a series of community meetings. It is expected that these issues would be highlighted with a view to finding appropriate solutions,” Boo the dram explained.

Chairman of Haslington/ Golden Grove NDC, Royston Kingston, expressed that his NDC is faced with similar issues and this is having a negative impact on their mangrove resources.

Although the instances have been reduced, farmers continue to graze their livestock within the mangroves.

Also, there have been reports of harvesting mangroves for fishing poles and garden poles.

The Mangrove Action Committee, a volunteer group under NAREI, identified a number of interventions to be implemented during 2018 that will seek to address these issues. They include public awareness and education programmes on the importance of mangroves, targeting youths through environmental clubs, and engaging the relevant government agencies such as EPA. It should be noted that mangroves are protected under the Forestry Act, and as such it is legal to destroy mangroves without permission from the Guyana Forestry Commission.

Russia “will target US midterm elections” – CIA chief

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everal West Berbice residents will soon benefit from low-cost housing, compliments of Food For The Poor (Guyana) Incorporated (FFTP).

With over nine hundred applications on the list within Region Five, FFTP has already embarked on a housing project in the Union/ Trafalgar area on the West Coast of Berbice. This project will see approximately sixty families receiving two-bedroom houses outfitted with toilet and bath, as well as a water tank.

The development in the Union/Trafalgar area would be the second of its kind to be embarked upon by FFTP on the West Coast of Berbice.

A similar venture, the New Hope Housing Project, was executed in 2016 aback of Onderneeming, which now houses forty-three families.

The land was acquired from the Hopetown

Multipurpose Co-op Society, and funding for the project was provided by an American businessman to mark the forty-third anniversary of his marriage.

Each homeowner was granted time to pay for the land on which their home is constructed, and an agreement was made for the title to be handed over once full payment was received.

A new FFTP housing venture will soon occupy a parcel of state land at Union – Number Thirty South, which originally fell under the purview of the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA/ADA).

However, the plot was handed over to the Community Development Council (CDC), which in turn decided to make the land available for much-needed housing development in the area.

According to Field Officer

service,” he told the BBC. “We are going to go out there and do our damnedest to steal secrets on behalf of the American people. And I wanted to get back on our front foot.” A year into the job, Pompeo says his mission has been to unleash and unburden the CIA. It is an agency operating in an unpredictable world one in which intelligence assessments can be the basis not just for military action, but also political controversy. Asked if his concerns extended to the upcoming US mid-term elections in November, he replied: “Of course. I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that, but I’m confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election [and] that we will push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won’t be great.” (BBC)

Colin Reynolds, works are currently in progress to survey the land and to design the housing scheme. Reynolds said the next phase, which is likely to begin in another four or five weeks, will see construction of the homes.

The project should be completed in approximately five months, following which the utility companies, Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), will supply electricity and water to the homes.

One of the policies of FFTP states that a family must have access to land before the organisation can assist. Also, the houses are required to be of a standard size and design. Since the organisation has over nine hundred applications on record, it would conduct assessments to identify the families whose needs are most urgent.

Secure Transaction Regime project to make accessing finance easier – Gaskin

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Mike Pompeo

he director of the CIA expects that Russia will target the US mid-term elections later this year.

Mike Pompeo told the BBC there had been no significant diminishing of Russian attempts at subversion in Europe and the US. He also said North Korea may have the ability to strike the US with nuclear missiles “in a handful of months”.

The US intelligence community has said that it believes Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Pompeo, who briefs the president most mornings, dismissed as “drivel” recent claims that US President Donald Trump was not up to the job. The director’s conference room on the seventh floor of the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia, is lined with pictures of former directors and the presidents they served. “We are the world’s finest espionage

Food For The Poor housing units

ith aims to make access to finance easier in 2018, the Business Ministry in collaboration with the Legal Affairs Ministry is embarking on a Secure Transaction Regime project.

According to Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin, the project will allow for easier access to financing, using movable property as collateral. He noted the ministries are still working on having the legislation passed sometime this year.

Minister Gaskin explained, once the legislation is approved, persons will then be able to use movable properties such as fridges, televisions and stereo sets as collateral for credit when accessing finance.

“What we are trying to do is make things easier for persons to borrow money and invest in businesses…it will take some time to transform an entire nation…but we will continue to work so that Guyana becomes a place where credit is easier for businesses to get,” the Minster is quoted by the Department of Public

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin

Information as saying.

To this end, Minster Gaskin is encouraging persons and businesses to engage in more formal purchases when conducting transactions. He said formal documents, along with the moveable property, will be required when accessing finance.

He said once the project starts, the ministry will roll out a sensitization campaign so persons across the regions can understand what the project provides and how

they can benefit from it.

He noted the Consumer Protection Department and the Consumer Affairs Commission will also engage in the public awareness campaigns.

According to the Business Minister, the Secure Traction Regime project is one that builds on an earlier government initiative from 2016.

He added that in 2016, the government amended the Credit Reporting Act to allow lending institutions to report to the Credit Bureau on transactions without seeking authorisation from customers. The amendment allowed the Credit Bureau to collect data from a number of credit providers, including banks and utility companies.

The Secure Transaction Regime will see the establishment of a modern electronic registry for registering movable property; the training of staff; improved levels of security, better risk management, reduced traction cost, and time when conducting businesses.

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Argentine President bans nepotism

Argentine President Mauricio Macri

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rgentine President Mauricio Macri has announced Government job cuts aimed at reducing the deficit and attacking a patronage system in place for decades.

Ministers will be forbidden from employing close family, and those currently in posts will have to leave.

One in four positions appointed by ministers will also be cut and government employees will not receive pay rises this year.

The government expects to save $77m a year with the cuts.

Macri who has just returned from meeting other world leaders at the World

Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said the government could not be excluded from his austerity drive.

"Change is serious. What we have proposed is much more than economic change, it's cultural change," he said.

"We want to change the culture of power in Argentina. We all have to concede something for the benefit of the greater whole."

Within hours of his announcement, several close relatives of ministers had left their jobs.

The new order focuses on national Government and does not appear to include

local and state levels.

On a long list of those expected to leave are the labour minister's wife and two sisters, and the interior minister's wife and father.

There have been years of complaints in the press and in congress over nepotism in government.

Last year two bills were introduced by congressmen attempting to address the issue and aimed at targeting biased treatment and hiring practices in government.

Analysts say President Macri himself may also be trying to deflect criticism for putting his own allies and supporters in government roles after having for years accused former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's administration of corruption and cronyism.

Coming from one of the richest families in Argentina, he is often in the spotlight when a government decision benefits his companies.

President Macri is seeking re-election next year.

He has promised to press ahead with unpopular austerity programmes as part of market reforms.(BBC)

“Spurned lover” shoots 4 at car wash A spurned lover shot his ex-girlfriend, her boyfriend and two others dead at a US car wash, family members say, before turning the gun on himself.

Suspect Timothy Smith, 28, is on life support with a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, say police.

The four were shot dead on Sunday morning at Ed's Car Wash in rural Melcroft, Pennsylvania.

One of the victims, Chelsie Cline, 25, recently ended a relationship with the suspect, said her sister.

Cline's half-brother, Seth William Cline, 21, Courtney Sue Snyder, 23, and William Scott Porterfield, 27, also died in the attack.

All four had just pulled up at the car wash in two vehicles.

Another woman survived the shooting with minor injuries from shattered glass, Police said.

The gunman wore body armour and was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a 9mm handgun and a 308 rifle, according to Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower.

Police have not divulged a motive for the killings.

Cline's half sister told the Pittsburg TribuneReview that she believes she and the gunman used to be in a relationship.

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Barbados commits to eliminating corporal punishment

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he Barbados Government Monday said it remains committed to eliminating corporal punishment in keeping with its agreement to protect the Rights of the Child.

Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite, in discussions with the new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr Aloys Kamuragiye, said he believes the time has come to eliminate corporal punishment even as he admits that greater discussion and dialogue are needed on the issue before it is accepted by society.

“We need to go to the churches and society and show them the alternatives… We need to re-socialise our people,” Brathwaite said, noting that teachers were already stating that the present generation was more difficult than those before.

And, while acknowledging that it would not be an easy matter to deal with, Brathwaite re-emphasised that he believed in doing what he could to ensure that young people had a second chance.

“One error should not define a child’s life,” he maintained.

Kamuragiye urged stakeholders to assist in bringing about the necessary change, saying “it takes people with passion who are committed.

“Where change happens it takes commitment,” he said, noting that it was also important to monitor the im-

ried in November, but had been having difficulties.

"I'm not going to hold that against him," she told the newspaper of the alleged affair. "I'd give anything to have him back."

According to local media, four days before the shooting Cline had shared a message on Facebook that said: "After this week, I (really) need to get taken out… on a date or by a sniper either one is fine (with) me at this point". Smith commented: "I could do both", according to local media. (BBC)

Barbados Attorney Adriel Brathwaite

General

pact of the efforts over time so that an account could be given of the change being produced in communities.

Kamuragiye commended Barbados’ efforts so far in a number of areas, including the draft Juvenile Justice Bill, which also contains proposals to raise the age of criminal responsibility for children from 11 to 12.

But, at the same time, he lamented what he described as the high prevalence of violence against children throughout the region, particularly in the areas of sexual abuse and neglect.

“We have to do something against the widespread violence against our children,” he added.(CMC)

UNC claims Govt in secret deal with Sandals

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he Opposition UNC is claiming the PNM administration has entered into a secret deal with multinational hotel resort chain Sandals International to enter the Tobago market.

The party cited a written response by Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe to a parliamentary query

by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal.

Cudjoe also stated that No Man’s Land in Tobago has been placed in the hands of a special-purpose company chaired by Neil Wilson.

Wilson is the former chairman of the Tobago arm of the PNM. (T&T Newsday)

Kamla Persad-Bissessar

US, Mexico explore placing armed US air marshals on flights

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But she said the suspect had become obsessed with Cline, leaving beer on her car and sending her flowers.

She said the shooter seemed to be "kind-hearted", though he was obsessed with guns, according to the newspaper.

Police described Cline as Porterfield's "companion", reports the Pittsburgh PostGazette.

Porterfield's wife, Jenna Porterfield, 24, said police had told her he was cheating on her with Ms Cline.

Mrs Porterfield said she and her husband only mar-

15

exico and the United States are looking into whether armed US federal air marshals could be deployed on commercial cross-border flights, according to a document seen by Reuters and a Mexican official, as Mexico deepens security ties with its neighbor.

Since Donald Trump took office, US and Mexican officials have said that Mexico has tried to improve cooperation with its top trade partner on security, immigration, and foreign policy, hoping to convince the US president to take a softer stance on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

In 2003, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the United States, Mexico agreed to place Mexican security agents on certain flights, but said it would never allow US officials on board its commercial airlines, let alone armed.

However, in a January 18 meeting in Mexico’s foreign ministry, officials from both countries agreed to “study the convenience of negotiating an agreement for the deployment of Federal Air

Marshals on commercial flights,” according to the official Mexican document seen

by Reuters.

US Federal Air Marshal Service spokesman Thomas Kelly declined to answer questions on the proposed agreement, but said air marshals “are armed Federal Law Enforcement Officers with the mission of in-flight protection of U.S.-flagged aircraft, crewmembers and passengers.” Mexico’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Mexican official with knowledge of the plan said the hardest part of the negotiations would center on allowing US officials to carry arms, given that the use of weapons by foreigners in Mexico is sensitive and tightly regulated.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) places sharp-shooters on domestic and international commercial flights to and from the United States to prevent militant attacks.

The Mexican official said it was still to be decided if the air marshals would fly on just US-bound flights,

Mexico-bound flights, or both. There is no set date for when the agreement might be struck, or come into effect, the official said.

It was not immediately clear if the marshals would travel solely on US-owned airlines or also on Mexican carriers. The document shows that Mexico and the United States have agreed to several other security measures to tackle “transnational criminal organisations.”

The two countries plan to create a bilateral investigative body for probing international criminal groups.

There are also plans to negotiate a maritime drug seizures treaty, and use ships and radars for specific operations. The two nations also want to deepen efforts to eradicate opium and marijuana plantations.

Additionally, the document showed that Mexico and the United States agreed “to identify specific transnational criminal organizations, map their business models in both countries and design a joint operational strategy to combat them.”

(Reuters)

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018

Regional

Venezuela’s Maduro launches Missing Mexico teen found election campaign with more after 5 days reggaeton, less Chávez M

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro gestures next to his wife Cilia Flores as they arrive for an event with supporters in Caracas, Venezuela, January 26, 2018

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enezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, who pitched himself as the “son” of Hugo Chávez to appeal to voters ahead of his 2013 presidential win, has all but scrubbed mention of the late socialist leader from his campaign for re-election this year.

Chavez is barely anywhere in Maduro’s new campaign song or logo, unveiled in recent days ahead of presidential elections slated to be held before the end of April in the cri-

sis-torn country.

Maduro’s campaign logo features a big ‘M’ emblazoned in the yellow, blue, and red Venezuelan flag colours.

“Together we can do more. Nicolás Maduro, president,” reads the slogan promoting the former bus driver and union leader.

During the 2013 race to replace Chavez, who died of cancer, Socialist Party billboards usually featured the charismatic late presi-

dent’s face and the slogan, “From my heart, (I want) Maduro president.”

And while the new campaign song, a catchy mix of reggaeton, merengue and rap, makes a brief reference to Chávez by mentioning his nickname “comandante,” the song is squarely focused on Maduro.

“Nicolas Maduro, a driver of victories, is guiding Venezuela to peace and glory!” goes the song, publicised on Maduro’s Twitter feed, with the chorus urging, “Everyone with Maduro!”

That’s a far cry from the 2013 campaign song, which kicked off with a recording of Chavez naming Maduro his political heir and featured the chorus: “Chavez, I swear to you, I’ll vote for Maduro!”

The shift highlights how Maduro, although widely disliked due to a brutal economic crisis that has sparked malnutrition and disease, is seeking to carve out his own political image away from his far more popular predecessor. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

Jamaica: St Catherine school coach accused of abducting, raping student

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30-year-old athletic coach from a St Catherine-based high school is to appear before the St Catherine Parish Court today following accusations that he abducted and raped a female student last month.

Reports from the Police are that about 14:00h on December 13, 2017, the coach offered the female stu-

dent a ride to the bus stop after she completed track and field training.

The accused reportedly drove past the child’s bus stop and onto a dirt track off the Spanish Town bypass, close to the El Prado Verde housing scheme in St Catherine, where he sexually assaulted her.

The matter was report-

ed to the Police on December 19, 2017 and an investigation launched.

The Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) arrested the accused last Monday and charged him with abduction, indecent assault and rape of the 16-year-old female student. (Jamaica Observer)

arco Antonio Sánchez, the Mexican secondary school student whose disappearance five days ago triggered protests, has been located.

Marco, 17, was found on Sunday evening wandering Melchor Ocampo, north of Mexico City, near where a court had released him the previous evening.

Police in Mexico City had arrested him on Tuesday for allegedly stealing a mobile phone he was using.

His whereabouts were unknown for five days and a city-wide alarm was raised.

Hundreds of people took part in a march in Mexico City calling for his safe re-

turn.

The teenager was arrested by Police on Tuesday while taking photos in Azcapotzalco, in north-western Mexico City.

Officers accused the student of stealing the mobile phone he was using to take the photos and took him away, a witness said.

His parents contacted the local prosecutor’s office in Azcapotzalco the same day, but were told their son had been released by the officers.

Yet when they did not hear from their son, they began to fear he had been abducted.

Mexican security forces have been accused of com-

mitting human rights abuses in the past, including torture and murder.

In one of the most infamous cases, 43 students disappeared in the Mexican town of Iguala after a confrontation with the security forces. One of their bodies was later found.

Mexico City’s human rights commission has demanded that Police open an investigation into what happened to Marco Antonio Sánchez.

Four of the officers involved in his arrest were questioned. Two of them are in detention and are being investigated for allegedly failing to follow due protocol. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Colombia’s President suspends peace talks with ELN rebels

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he Colombian Government says it is suspending peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN), a left-wing rebel group.

It comes after attacks over the weekend in northern Colombia left seven Police Officers dead and 47 people injured.

The Government says that the group was behind the three bombings.

The group has admitted carrying out the worst attack, but not the others. The Colombian Defence Minister said that all three attacks were related.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said talks were being suspended because of a “lack of coher-

President Juan Manuel Santos said the rebel group was not matching its words to its actions

ence on the part of the ELN between its words and actions”.

The ELN is the country’s second largest rebel group. It has fewer members than Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary

Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The Government signed a revised peace agreement with the FARC in November after four years of negotiations in the Cuban capital, Havana. (BBC News)

Haiti Police investigating issuance of fraudulent cheques T&T: Prison officers stay off the job involving some colleagues

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rison officers fearing for their lives have started staying away from duty in the wake of the murder of their colleague Davendra Boodooram, who was killed after leaving work at the Port-of-Spain State Prison on Friday.

Others claim that their lives were being threatened.

In an interview Sunday, one of Boodooram’s colleagues said some officers were staying away from duty and even contemplating tendering their resignations.

“I spoke with him one hour before it happen. He said he going and take a liedown. It could have been me or anybody. They are scared to go to work and it have nothing to protect them.

Right on Frederick Street a man get lick down. We come like targets, men not keen to come to work. We like sitting ducks. It not making sense getting killed for a few dollars,” the prison of-

Prisons Commissioner Gerard Wilson

ficer said.

Prisons Commissioner Gerard Wilson on Sunday said, “All officers are at risk, myself included, but I am prepared to die for what is right.” Wilson said prison officers needed to be vigilant as he noted the threats made on social media.

“No officer is immune to what is happening, not even me and there are some who

are not afraid and some who are concerned for their family, but some are being told to leave the job.”

Wilson said he did not get an official report, but learnt that five prison officers stayed away from duty on Saturday.

“The strength was okay, I do not want to divulge the numbers, but the prison executive has been doing all within its power. There were certain officers being targeted and we liaised with the Police and it was done.” he said. (Excerpt from Trinidad

Guardian)

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he National Police of Haiti (PNH) said it has been able to recover nearly Gourdes 50 million (One Gourde=US$0.015 cents) over the past three months as a result of various acts of corruption, including payments to persons who are no longer affiliated with the police service.

The PNH said that nearly 19,000 cheques are made out monthly for the payment of salaries to staff who have resigned, abandoned their positions, are absent or deceased.

The authorities said they had taken steps to exercise greater control over the situation and have been carrying out rigorous verification for several months.

PNH Director General Michel-Ange Gédéon said that for the last three months, these verifications and investigations have enabled the PNH to recover nearly Gourdes 50 million in cheques given to both Police Officers and administrative staff.

Gédéon said at some police stations where the cheques were handed over

to the beneficiaries themselves, several hundred checks were returned, the financial amounts have not yet been recorded.

Gédéon said this activity showed that Police officials are involved in the fraud and he was determined to clean the police service of those officials that tarnish the reputation of the Police.

He is also promising to have these officers face the full brunt of the law and that investigations are under way to determine and identify the leaders and their accomplices. (CMC)

More than 50 homes destroyed in blaze in Bahamas shanty town

B

ahamas Police say they are conducting investigations into a fire at an area known as “The Mudd” on Sunday that destroyed several homes, leaving more than 100 people homeless.

Chief Superintendent

Kevin Mortimer, the officer in charge of the Abaco district, said the blaze may have been deliberately started and that Police and volunteers throughout Abaco responded and battled the fire for over three hours.

“We suspect it being lit by someone, but we are not certain as yet. We are conducting some inquires as time progresses,” he said, even as the Police said they believe at least 60 homes in the shanty town area had been destroyed. He con-

firmed that there was no loss of life and that a team from the Department of Social Services and other government and civic agencies was scene interviewing residents to determine how many homes were destroyed. (Excerpt from CMC)

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

FBI Deputy Director quits after Trump criticism

T

he Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Deputy Director, whom US President Donald Trump repeatedly accused of political bias, has resigned.

Andrew McCabe was forced to step down ahead of his official retirement date in March, reports CBS News.

His exit from the top law enforcement agency comes a week after a report that Trump wanted him out.

It was also reported last week that the President had asked McCabe during an Oval Office meeting whom he voted for.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee

The President complained that Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s wife had received donations from “Clinton puppets

Sanders told Monday’s daily press briefing: “This decision was not made by the White House.”

“The President wasn’t part of this decision making process,” she added.

McCabe briefly became acting FBI Director Last May after Trump fired its previous chief, James Comey.

Comey had been overseeing the bureau’s investi-

agenda.

The two-day conference that started on Monday has been given the name “Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue”. It will be the first round of negotiations to take place in Russia, Syrian President Bashar

al-Assad’s main ally.

The United Nations envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura will be attending the talks, along with representatives from the Syrian, Iranian and Turkish Governments.

Meanwhile, the main Opposition bloc – the Syrian

gation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump eventually nominated Christopher Wray as the new FBI Director, and he was confirmed by the Senate in August.

Wray recently threatened to resign after being pressured by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to fire McCabe, Washington DC news outlet Axios reported last week.

McCabe, 49, who was already expected to step down in early 2018 upon becoming eligible for his pension, is now on leave ahead of his official retirement date, CBS News reports. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Syria talks: Could Sochi bring peace via new track?

R

ussian-sponsored diplomatic talks over the future of Syria have begun in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, but experts predict the summit will merely attempt to enforce a political solution that is in line with the Syrian Government’s

India estimates 21M of its girls are ‘unwanted’

Negotiations Commission (SNC), also known as the Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC), announced it will boycott the conference, claiming it is an attempt to undercut the United Nations’ (UN) effort to broker a deal. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

China dismisses ‘absurd’ African Union HQ spying claim

C

hina has dismissed reports it bugged the African Union (AU) headquarters as “preposterous”.

Kuang Weilin, the Chinese Ambassador to the AU, told reporters in Ethiopia the “absurd” claim in France’s Le Monde was

es, who claimed the alleged transfer was taking place late at night [link in French], and was only spotted in January 2017 due to the spike in activity between midnight and 02:00, despite no-one being in the building.

It was suggested the alleged data transfer had been

German shock at car exhaust tests on humans and monkeys

German carmakers have already been hit by a damaging scandal over cheating in emissions tests

T

he German Government has denounced experiments funded by German carmakers in which humans and monkeys reportedly inhaled diesel exhaust fumes.

German media say the health impact research was done by EUGT, a body funded by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW. Such tests could not be justified, the Government said, demanding details. A minister called them “abominable”.

Daimler also condemned them. VW is embroiled in a scandal over software that gave false diesel exhaust data.

In 2015, VW admitted having fitted “cheat” devices in the US that made their engines appear less polluting than they actually were.

EUGT was dissolved by the carmakers last year. The initials stand for European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector.

“These tests on mon-

Indian society should reflect upon its preference for sons, the report authors said

T

ulation because the preference for sons led to sex-selective abortions and more care was given to boys.

Tests to determine a foetus’s sex are illegal in India, but they still take place and can lead to sex-selective abortions.

The cultural preference for male children has even led one newspaper to list scientifically unfounded tips for conceiving boys, including facing west while sleeping, and having sex on certain days of the week.

The states most affected by son preference were Punjab and Haryana, while the least-affected was Meghalaya. (Excerpt from BBC News)

The Chinese built the African Union headquarters, which opened in 2012

“very difficult to understand”.

He spoke out three days after the newspaper published an article claiming data from the Chinese-built AU building was being copied to Shanghai.

The article said the discovery resulted in all the AU servers being switched.

Le Monde spoke to a number of anonymous sourc-

taking place since 2012, when the building, in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, was opened.

Officials also brought in security experts from Algeria to sweep the entire headquarters for potential bugs, the newspaper said, leading to the discovery of microphones in desks. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

keys or even humans cannot be justified ethically in any way,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert.

Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks called the experiments “abominable” and expressed shock that scientists had agreed to conduct them.

Social Democrat politician Stephan Weil – a VW supervisory board member – called them “absurd and abhorrent”. “Lobbying can be no excuse whatsoever for such testing,” he said.

On Thursday, the New York Times reported that the EUGT research was designed to counter a 2012 decision by the World Health Organisation to classify diesel exhaust as a carcinogen.

It said that in 2014, EUGT had exposed 10 monkeys to fumes – in an air-tight chamber – from several cars, including a diesel VW Beetle. The testing took place at a lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Kremlin accuses US of meddling in election

A

he desire among parents in India to have sons instead of daughters has created 21 million “unwanted” girls, a government report estimates.

The Finance Ministry report found many couples kept on having children until they had a boy.

Authors called this a “subtler form” of son preference than sex-selective abortions but warned it might lead to fewer resources for girls.

Son preference was “a matter for Indian society to reflect upon”, they said.

The authors also found that 63 million women were “missing” from India’s pop-

17

n expected US report that could sanction Kremlin-linked oligarchs is an attempt to influence Russia’s March presidential election, Moscow has said.

The US treasury report is expected to detail the closeness of senior Russian political figures and oligarchs to President Vladimir Putin, who is standing for re-election.

US officials accuse Russia of meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.

Kremlin representatives have repeatedly denied the allegations.

Putin’s spokesman said the forthcoming report would be analysed.

Last year, US President Donald Trump enacted new sanctions on Russia, but he accused Congress of overreaching itself and preventing him from easing penalties on Russia in the future.

The US President has repeatedly rejected any allegations that his campaign staff

colluded with Russia to help him defeat Hillary Clinton at the November 2016 presidential election.

The allegations voiced by the US intelligence community are currently being investigated by Congress and a special investigator.

Dmitry Peskov said the US report was a “direct and obvious attempt to influence the elections” on 18 March.

However, he added that he was sure the list would not affect the vote.

The Kremlin has pledged to help limit further damage to Russian oligarchs and businesses that could be on the list.

Last year, President Putin reportedly met top businessmen behind closed doors to discuss the issue.

Last week, the boss of Russia’s VTB bank, Andrei Kostin, told the Financial Times that if the US slapped more economic sanctions against Russia it would be “a declaration of war”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018

ARCHIE

Channel your energy ARIES wisely. Don't take on respon(March 21- sibilities that don't belong to April 19) you. Being taken advantage of will only lead to resentment. Consider your options carefully and, above all, keep the peace.

Don't jump just because TAURUS someone else does. Think and (April 20- do things that further your May 20) own interests. Protect your home, family, position and reputation.

dilbert

You'll be tempted to take GEMINI (May 21- a last-minute trip or make a June 20) hasty decision that could affect your prospects. Stop and think. Uncertainty should be a warning sign to sit tight.

Don't mix emotions and money. If you must make a (June 21- decision regarding health or July 22) a settlement, try not to be objective. An opportunity will only turn out well if you are moderate.

CANCER

Peanuts

Make the most of your LEO day. Your energetic approach (July 23- to relationships and physiAug. 22) cal challenges will change the way you do things. Motivation and perseverance are highlighted.

Keep moving and don't VIRGO stop until you have taken (Aug. 23care of all your responsibiliSept. 22) ties. Falling short or neglecting something important will not bode well with someone depending on you.

Calvin and Hobbes

Make personal adjustments LIBRA (Sept. 23- that will boost your confidence Oct. 23) and make you feel and look

great. A promising offer will be made because of the way you present and promote your skills and experience.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

TODAY’S WORD — UNFEELING

An opportunity you are SAGITTARIUS given should be looked at cau(Nov. 23tiously.

Don't feel pressured Dec. 21) to make a hasty move. A snap decision will lead to regret.

Live within your means.

(UNFEELING: un-FEEL-ing: Unsympathetic; callous; insentient.)

Average mark 28 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 45 or more words in UNFEELING? The list will be published tomorrow.

Partnerships will disCAPRICORN appoint you if you are too (Dec. 22- quick to agree or follow someJan. 19) one who decides to make a

YESTERDAY’S WORD — ASTONISH anti saint sans sash satin shin shoat shot snit

stain stash stoa than thin this toss oasis oast

oath nosh into iota hint hiss hoist host hosta

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Learn all you can from SCORPIO people who have more expe(Oct. 24rience or knowledge about Nov. 22) something that interests you.

What you discover will make a difference to your future.

last-minute change. alone, if necessary.

Stand

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle An unexpected turn of AQUARIUS events should be handled (Jan. 20cautiously. Keep your perFeb. 19) sonal information a secret.

Double-check any information you receive. Get the facts before you make a move.

Discuss your ideas and inPISCES tentions. Sharing with oth(Feb. 20ers will help you gain support March 20) and the help you need to follow through. A financial opportunity looks promising if your expectations are realistic.

TUESDAY, january 30, 2018

19

“I have never turned my back on West Indies cricket” – Bravo D

wayne Bravo has hit back at Cricket West Indies (CWI) for building a perception that he isn't interested in playing one-day internationals.

The 34-year old allrounder hasn't played one in nearly four years, but he insists that such a situation arose because of a lack of clarity from the selectors regarding his role in the team as opposed to his not wanting to play ODIs. In addition, Bravo has also called out the chairman of the panel Courtney Browne for purporting that the two of them had been in contact with each other.

While announcing West Indies' squad for the 2019 World Cup Qualifiers, Browne was quoted in a CWI release saying, "Dwayne Bravo was not contacted as he had indicated previously that he is no longer available to play cricket for the West Indies."

Bravo, however, was firm

that he has never expressed any desire to end his West Indies career; at least not to CWI or the team management. "Let me make it clear that I have never had any conversation in last six months with the chairman or anyone from board about any West Indies cricket," he told Cricbuzz. "The only time we spoke about cricket was during the T20 series in Dubai 2016 when he said I was poison to West indies cricket and bad influence on young players, ridiculously.

"What I said recently in an interview with a journalist in the Bangladesh Premier League was that, however, I don't see myself playing 50-overs cricket again, despite my interest, because of the lack of communication from the board.

So I would challenge the chairman to say otherwise."

A similar situation arose last year when West Indies were deliberating on a squad to play England. In August

2017, Browne had ruled out the possibility of Bravo's inclusion, despite the board offering to relax the rules and pick even those players who didn't take part in the oneday domestic tournament, on fitness grounds but that he may be considered for a spot in the future.

"The person who actually spoke to me was captain Jason Holder, during Caribbean Premier League," Bravo said, "And it was him I told that after just coming back from my 2017 Big Bash League injury my body wasn't ready to play oneday cricket in England, but when I'm stronger I would consider playing one-day cricket in 2018."

Bravo last represented West Indies in September 2016 but remains a popular figure in T20 franchise cricket. He is currently in Australia, with the Melbourne Renegades, who have made it to the playoffs of the Big Bash League.

On Saturday, he was bought

by Chennai Super Kings to play the IPL for USD 1 million approx.

"What I would like the Caribbean people to be aware of is that since India 2014 saga [when West Indies left the country midway through the tour over a contract dispute with the board] I never said much about West Indies cricket, because I am living my life stress free, enjoying my cricket around the world," Bravo said. "Yet my name is still being called up in West Indies cricket controversy."

While the CWI signed a temporary truce with their cricketers last year, and have now instituted whiteball contracts, the board made it clear that playing the domestic one-day tournament was still a requirement. Last week, the CEO Johnny Graves told ESPNcricnfo that Andre Ruseell, Sunil Narine and Chris Gayle would play some

matches in the this year's Super50 season. These players, Graves said, would then be available for ODI selection in the future, based on form and fitness.

It is not clear whether Bravo and the selectors have had any conversations about him featuring in domestic cricket again. He hasn't played a List A match since January 2015, and even as a one-day international player, he averaged a middling 25 with the bat but did markedly better with ball in hand, as 199 wickets at 29 apiece suggests.

"I was dropped from the Test team at age of 26, in 2010, before I retired in 2015 after being fed up of asking the selectors when I'd play again," Bravo said. "I was dropped from the one-day team before the 2015 World Cup. I have never turned my back on West Indies cricket, it is them who have turned their back on me." (ESPN Cricinfo)

Dwayne Bravo last represented Windies in September 2016 but plies his trade as a T20 specialist globally

Windies selection still on Ramdin’s radar Despite last playing for Windies in 2016, Denesh Ramdin’s form in the just concluded First-Class championship leaves him eyeing a recall (AFP)

By Akeem Greene

F

o r m e r Windies Test captain Denesh Ramdin is still interested in playing for the Caribbean side should he be given the nod by the Courtney Browneled by selection committee. According to Ramdin in a recent exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport he was told by selectors to make runs and he answered that call by being the four-day championship’s second leading run-scorer. In ten matches in the 2017-18 season he had a tally of 799 runs at an average 61.46 including three centuries, four half centuries with a best knock of an unbeaten 132. Devon Smith led the charts with a record 1,095 runs.

“If selected yeah; they told me I need to get runs and it’s just to continue to work towards that. Focus on my game and keep getting runs.”

While his native Trinidad and Tobago Red Force had an abysmal season, finishing bottom of the six-franchise points table, the right-handed batsman who was axed from Test captaincy in September 2015 af-

ter 15 months on the job, showed his imperious form.

“It was not a bad season; was decent but I still believe I could have gone unto get one more century and some more runs closer to the 1000mark but hopefully I can learn from this since I gave away my wicket in a couple of matches,” the 32 year-old disclosed.

The wicketkeeper batsman, who took over the top spot from the long-serving Darren Sammy, led Windies in 13 Tests — winning four, losing seven and drawing two until current captain Jason Holder took over the mantle. As captain, he managed 472 runs at an average of 22, and a highest score of 57.

While Holder’s individual performances with bat and ball have gradually improved, his captaincy reign is suffering; the 21 matches in charge has come with four wins, thirteen losses and four draws (only series win came against Zimbabwe in 2017).

In the 50-over format, they have lost 34 matches with just 11 victories, which left the team battling for a spot at 2019 World Cup due to being relegated to qualifiers.

“The guys need to take the opportunity and play it more seriously; what we are lacking at the moment in the Test format is more experience and we saw that in New Zealand. The conditions are obviously different, they need to adapt quickly to international cricket,” contended the player who last wore the maroon cap in 2016.

Having played 74 Tests, 139

One Day Internationals and being the man behind the stumps in two winning World T20 teams (2012 & 2016), Ramdin feels the combination of technical flaws and players not grabbing their chances has caused the continued downfall.

“Good players can adapt to short

“We miss guys like [Sunil] Narine who would be able to pick up wickets in the middle but it is what it is, the selectors have a job to do and they try to pick the best possible team to go out there.”

While not occupying his usual position behind the stumps which

The 32-year-old Trinidadian is still considered to be one of the better glove-men in the region (WICB Media Photo/Randy Brooks)

bowling, cutting and pulling will help you last longer. In the 50-over format guys in the middle order need to get the good starts and carry-on and the bowling department picking-up wickets with the newball and closing off the innings.”

gave the likes of Amir Jangoo and Steven Ketwaroo some glove time, the man they call “Shotta” will resume that role for the upcoming regional Super50, which according to him is another opportunity to press for re-call.

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018

N

ow that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 player auction is over the next item on the calendar is the opening match which is set for the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 7.

The final of the eightteam showpiece is scheduled for May 27 at the same venue. Defending champions Mumbai Indians will play the tournament opener, and their opponent will be revealed when the IPL releases the match schedule.

Ahead of the 11th edition of the tournament, we look at the teams vying for top honours.

Chennai Super Kings Total players: 25 Number of overseas players: 8

be lacking a spark, and on the other extreme a whole host of rookies. Dhoni will need to find a happy mix of both to revive Super Kings after two years on the sidelines.

Delhi Daredevils Total players: 25 Number of overseas players: 8 Openers: Colin Munro, Jason Roy, Gautam Gambhir, Prithvi Shaw, Manjot Kalra Middle-order batsmen: Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell Wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant, Naman Ojha Allrounders: Chris Morris, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Gurkeerat Singh, Daniel Christian Wristspinners: Amit Mishra,

Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, David Miller, Manoj Tiwary Wicketkeepers: Akshdeep Nath Allrounders: Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis, Manzoor Dar Wristspinners: Mujeeb Zadran, Pardeep Sahu Fingerspinners: R Ashwin, Mayank Dagar Fast bowlers: Ankit Rajpoot, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Andrew Tye, Ben Dwarshuis Kings XI Punjab don’t have a proper wicketkeeper.

Akshdeep Nath keeps wicket, but in the XI above, whom could he replace? The keeping duties are likely to fall on KL Rahul, who has done the job for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the past, but he isn’t the most reliable. Of their overseas

have four great first-choice overseas players, but if there are injuries - and two of them are injury-prone - the bench strength is extremely weak.

Their Indian batting hinges on Uthappa and Karthik, because the rest are unproven and inexperienced. They don’t have a solid captaincy option either.

And they have three Indian fast bowlers, two of whom are Under-19 players and the other being Vinay Kumar. With only 19 players in the squad, their back-up cupboard is bare. How did this happen?

They began the auction with INR 59 crore in the purse, but the first four players they bought on Saturday were really expensive, and at the start of bidding on the second day Knight Riders had only INR 7.6 crore to buy at least six players.

That meant that most other franchises could outbid them - and that’s what happened whenever Knight Riders tried to buy an Indian fast bowler or quality overseas back-up.

Their 2018 season will hinge on whether Russell, Lynn, Narine, Starc and Mitchell Johnson can go through it uninjured.

D’Arcy Short, Rahul Tripathi Middle-order batsmen: Steven Smith, Aryaman Birla Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Prashant Chopra Allrounders: Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Jatin Saxena, Mahipal Lomror Wristspinners: Zahir Khan, Shreyas Gopal, Midhun S Fingerspinners: Ankit Sharma Fast bowlers: Anureet Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dushmantha Chameera, Ben Laughlin After being known as the ‘Moneyball’ team for years, Rajasthan Royals went and bought the two most expensive

their squad and most others, Royal Challengers Bangalore have so many options for so many slots. Their challenge this season will be to find the right balance for their team, and pick smartly according to the conditions. McCullum or de Kock? One or two out of Moeen, de Grandhomme, and Woakes? Nathan CoulterNile or Southee, or neither?

And which of the many Indian quicks? The only players who are certain in the XI are Kohli, de Villiers, and Chahal; and perhaps Sundar and Umesh.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Total players: 25 Number of overseas players: 8

Mumbai Indians

Total players: 25 Number of overseas players: 8

After a two-year suspension, the two-time former champions Chennai Super Kings are united again

Openers: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, M Vijay Middle-order batsmen: Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Sam Billings, Dhruv Shorey Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, J Narayan Allrounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Monu Kumar Singh, Kshitiz Sharma Wristspinners: Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir Fingerspinners: Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner Fast bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Kanishk Seth, Mark Wood, Lungi Ngidi On day one of the auction, Chennai Super Kings bought a lot of old hands, players tried and tested and those their captain MS Dhoni had played with and against. The average age of their squad was 33 and they did not have an uncapped player. On day two, they bought a glut of uncapped players - eight, and most of them at base price and overseas fast bowlers Mark Wood and Lungi Ngidi - who don’t have experience of Indian conditions. So on one extreme they seem to have players who have been there and done that, and may

Rahul Tewatia, Sandeep Lamichhane Fingerspinners: Jayant Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem Fast Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult, Sayan Ghosh Delhi Daredevils have a batting line-up full of explosive batsmen and will bank on a couple of them coming good in almost every game. What they lack is an overseas batsman who is reliable in Indian conditions - Munro and Roy are unproven, and Maxwell was hit-or-miss last season and someone lower down the order who can shore up a bad start. Most of their players have high strike-rates and when it comes off it will be spectacular.

Another area of concern is the Indian fast bowling: they have Mohammed Shami, but he is injury-prone and has rarely played a whole IPL season.

Their overseas fast bowling is ace.

Kings XI Punjab Total players: 21 Number of overseas players: 7 Openers: Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle Middle-order batsmen:

players, Marcus Stoinis and Andrew Tye are in form, but David Miller and Chris Gayle can be hit-or-miss. Miller didn’t have a good 2017 IPL season, and Gayle is on the wane Kings XI picked him up in the third round of bidding at base price. There were no other takers for him. They have a similar issue with Yuvraj Singh, who has never had a stellar IPL with the bat and is well past his prime. And their batting bench strength is thin. Also, they have no proven captain.

:7

Kolkata Knight Riders Total players: 19 Number of overseas players

Openers: Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Cameron Delport Middle-order batsmen: Shubman Gill, Ishank Jaggi, Nitish Rana, Apoorv Wankhade, Rinku Singh Wicketkeepers: Dinesh Karthik Allrounders: Andre Russell, Javon Searles Wristspinners: Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav Fingerspinners: Sunil Narine Fast bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Vinay Kumar, Mitchell Johnson Kolkata Knight Riders

Openers: Evin Lewis Middle-order batsmen: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, JP Duminy, Siddhesh Lad, Sharad Lumba Wicketkeepers: Ishan Kishan, Aditya Tare Allrounders: Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Tajinder Singh Wristspinners: Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar Fingerspinners: Anukul Roy, Akila Dananjaya Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman, Pat Cummins, Pradeep Sangwan, Jason Behrendorff, MD Nidheesh, Mohsin Khan Mumbai Indians have a pretty solid first XI: they bat deep and have a lot of bowling options. They are thin on specialist spinners though, only four to choose from in the squad and all rather unproven.

The opening slot could also pose a problem because they have only two specialist openers in the squad, unless their captain Rohit Sharma wants to fill in. Jasprit Bumrah is a terrific quick, but beyond him the Indian fast-bowling options are slim. Their allround options will be the envy of a lot of the other franchises.

Mumbai have historically had strong back-ups for all roles, but that isn’t really the case this time around, and a lot will depend on how the first XI goes.

Rajasthan Royals Total players: 23 Number of overseas players: 8 Openers: Ajinkya Rahane,

The Mumbai Indians are the only team to win three titles in the IPL

players at the 2018 auction - Ben Stokes and Jaydev Unadkat. Their first XI looks pretty great: solid batsmen, big-hitting batsmen, terrific allrounders, really fast bowlers (Jofra Archer comes in with lots expected from him), and two Indian seamers who have good IPL records. Their spin stocks are a bit slim, but they have enough first-XI talent to make up for that. Their bench strength beyond the untested D’Arcy Short, who broke the run-scoring record for a BBL season this year, is not that strong, though, and Royals will hope their Australian and English players stay available for most of the season.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Total players: 24 Number of overseas players: 8 Openers: Brendon McCullum, Manan Vohra Middle-order batsmen: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Pavan Deshpande Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock, Parthiv Patel Allrounders: Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes, Aniruddha Joshi Wristspinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, M Ashwin Fingerspinners: Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi Fast bowlers: Kulwant Khejroliya, Umesh Yadav, Aniket Choudhary, Navdeep Saini, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mohammad Siraj, Tim Southee What a hard XI to pick!

Apart from Indian batsmen, who are in short supply at

Openers: David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan Middle-order batsmen: Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Sachin Baby, Ricky Bhui, Tanmay Agarwal Wicketkeepers: Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami Allrounders: Shakib Al Hasan, Carlos Brathwaite, Yusuf Pathan, Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Nabi Wristspinners: Rashid Khan Fingerspinners: Bipul Sharma, Mehdi Hasan Fast Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Chris Jordan, Billy Stanlake Sunrisers went on a shopping spree and ended up with 16 players on the first day of the auction. They had a solid squad that needed a few finishing touches for it to become truly amazing. They did not quite manage that on day two of the auction.

Sunrisers would have liked another high-quality Indian batsman - but so would most other teams because they are in short supply - but what they are really missing is a proper finisher, who can take the end overs for more than ten an over. They tried to buy back Ben Cutting but lost him to Mumbai. They do have Carlos Brathwaite as a powerhitter, but playing him in the XI will be tricky for balance, and especially if the opposition have quality spinners to counter Brathwaite. And Yusuf Pathan seems to be past his prime. (ESPN Cricinfo)

sports

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21

Everest Masters reign E in Suriname

verest Masters are on tour in neighbouring Suriname and beat Snellen Park in their feature match last Friday as they continue their preparation for the upcoming tour to Holland.

Played in Suriname, hosts Snellen Park won the toss and batted first but were soon bowled out for 63 in 19.4 overs with only Sunil Singh scoring 17 showing any pedigree.

Everest Masters bowlers shared the wickets evenly with Rakesh Gangaram leading the way with 2 for 8 from three tight overs and was supported by Ucil Armstrong with 2 for 10 from 3 overs and captain Rajesh Singh with 2 for 13 from 4 overs.

Everest Masters then reached 64 for 1 from 12.5 overs for the easy win. Opener, Sahadeo Hardaiow scored 39 and was later named Man of the Match.

Basil Persaud who was at t h e crease when the winning run was scored, finished on 11 not out.

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Sanchez set for United league debut at Spurs

F

or all the talk of Manchester City’s stellar season, Manchester United have enjoyed an even happier new year with five successive wins plus the sneaky signing of Alexis Sanchez from under their neighbours’ noses.

Jose Mourinho’s team face what promises to be their toughest test of 2018 at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, a game where the focus will inevitably fall on Sanchez’s league debut after his impressive start in the 4-0 FA Cup win at Yeovil Town.

“Five victories makes a happy camp,” said Mourinho, who must decide whether to keep Sanchez on the left or bring back Anthony Martial and fit the Chilean in elsewhere.

“The real headache is when you don’t have the good players so when you have so many injuries, you are in trouble,” said Mourinho. “When almost everybody is available and the quality is high, these are the good problems.”

The manager’s most pressing headache may lie in defence where he will seek to stop Harry Kane from adding to his 30 goals this season.

“They have some of the best players in the country, a very good manager and a very difficult opponent,” Mourinho said.

Spurs, who lag eight points behind United in fifth place, hope Christian Eriksen will return to bolster their midfield at Wembley.

Premier League leaders City look to protect their 12-point lead at home to a West Bromwich Albion side buoyed by their unexpected 3-2 FA Cup win at Liverpool.

(Reuters)

Beckham unveils Miami Major League Soccer team F

ormer England captain David Beckham has launched his long-planned Major League Soccer team in Miami.

Beckham exercised an option in his contract with former side LA Galaxy to buy an expansion franchise in 2014.

The as yet unnamed team is set to play at a 25,000-seat stadium in the city's Overtown neighbourhood.

"I'm excited to bring this great team to this great city - it has been a hell of a journey," said former Manchester United midfielder Beckham, 42.

"I promise you the team we will bring into the league will be the best team."

Miami was officially granted an expansion side by MLS commissioner Don Garber at an announcement ceremony on Monday.

Beckham was congratulated in a video featuring his four children, wife and former Spice Girl Victoria, 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and other celebrities including Will Smith, Jay Z and Jennifer Lopez.

Beckham, who joined LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007, becomes the first former MLS player to own a team in the league.

"I joined the Galaxy because I realised the long-term potential in this league," he said.

"I moved from Real Madrid to a league that wasn't fully established yet - that was a big move and one I knew was going to be a big challenge but an exciting challenge.

"Commissioner Garber came to me and sat down and explained the plan of this league and where he wanted to take it - I was in from day one"

Los Angeles FC will join city-rivals Galaxy in 2018, bringing the total number of teams to 23, with the league planning to increase to 28.

Nashville were awarded an expansion club in December.

Beckham, who won 115 England caps, retired from football in 2013 after a five-month spell with Paris StGermain, choosing Miami as the location for his MLS team later that year. The city has not had a football team since Miami Fusion folded in 2001.

The launch follows four years of disputes over the site for a stadium in southern Florida, with residents having opposed multiple locations.

Beckham's team of investors purchased the land to build a stadium in December 2015, following three failed attempts to buy a suitable site.

The Miami-Dade government was subsequently sued by wealthy businessman Bruce Matheson, who claimed it had sold the site below fair value and without a competitive bid process. The lawsuit was dismissed in October, although Matheson has said he will appeal.

The other partners involved in the team include former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, Bolivian-American businessman Marcelo Claure, South Floridian businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas and Japanese entrepreneur Masayoshi Son. (BBC Sport)

Englishman David Beckham who joined LA Galaxy in 2007 is the first former MLS player to own a team in the league

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018

Paul relishes

"Gayle storm" challenge

…“I want to bowl to Chris Gayle and get him out”

By Akeem Greene

G

uyana Jaguars all-rounder Keemo Paul is eager to get down to business when they face Jamaica Scorpions and their marque batsman Christopher Gayle in the upcoming Regional Super50. While many bowlers may quietly shiver over the thought of running into the big-hitting opening batsman, the 19 year-old Paul is quite the opposite.

“I am looking forward to playing against these guys; I have been telling the guys [teammates] I want to bowl to Chris Gayle and hopefully get him out. We have our team plans and we will go out there and look to execute; we have been looking at them for many years now and I just have avoid bowling to their strengths.”

Jaguars face the 2017 runners-up and fellow Group ‘B’ opponents on February 8 and 16 in day/night match-

es at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua in what could be the clash of the zone.

Interestingly, during the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League, the Guyana Amazon Warriors right-arm medium-pacer played two matches against Gayle and his St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and did not concede a boundary which is not what a lot of other bowlers can boast about.

“I just want to give my best; I have been training hard and I got a good practice game where I found some form so I just want to carry it into the matches.”

During their practice match prior to departure on Sunday, the batsman smoked an unbeaten 20-ball 48 against the ‘Rest XI’. It comes on the heel of a remarkable four-day season where he took 42 wickets (most by any seamer) at an average of 18.69. He surpassed 50 First-Class wick-

Keemo Paul’s success in the four-day tournament has given him the confidence of replicating similar feats in the Regional Super50

ets in just 13 matches and notched his maiden ton in belligerent manner against the Scorpions.

Though having 11 List A matches under his belt, none has been for Jaguars,

with all exposure coming via the Windies Under-19, Paul is cognisant the shorter version will call for a greater degree of skills.

“It’s a different version, a shorter version so I got to

make fewer mistakes with the no-ball and other stuff I’m working on. I want to be consistent. More so being aggressive is my game but whatever situation calls for I will play that role,” the

Saxacalli-born explained.

He is a part of six youthful changes the selectors made from their 2017 squad, changes the players believes can help in delivering the ‘double’ for the four-time First-Class champions.

“I won’t say we are new players since we train together for the past year and the mood in the camp is great, expectations are very high so we want to go out and deliver and win the tournament for Guyana.”

To break the title jinx which started after 2005, Paul outlined, “Team unity and just wanting it this year and fighting it through and putting up 110% every time we play.”

Jaguars are also aligned with English County side Kent, Unites States and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

They begin their campaign on Wednesday against Kent at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground from 09:00h.

Ramdin, Archer picked for PSL

– Brathwaite goes to WC Qualifiers

Q

u e t t a Gladiators picked Sussex's rising sensation Jofra Archer as a replacement for allrounder Carlos Brathwaite who will miss the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and will instead play for West Indies in the World Cup qualifiers in March.

Archer's Sussex team-mate Tymal Mills was roped in by Karachi Kings in place of former Australia quick Mitchell Johnson, who had pulled out of the tournament, citing personal reasons.

In a replacement draft

held in Lahore o n Monday, all six franchises tweaked their roster, replacing play-

Windies T20 Captain Carlos Brathwaite

Jofra Archer is a 22-year-old former Windies U-19 player

ers unavailable for various reasons ahead of the third edition of the league, scheduled to be played from February 22. Only five players who had been originally drafted in will miss the tournament in its entirety - Johnson, Brathwaite, Luke Wright, Angelo Mathews and Colin Munro. The other replacement players have been brought in as cover for players who are partially available.

Two days after being picked up by Rajasthan Royals for USD 1.125 million in the IPL auction, Archer grabbed the spotlight again. A 22-year old allrounder from Barbados who plies his trade at Sussex, Archer extended his county form into the Bangladesh Premier League and then the Big Bash League. He claimed a double-wick-

et maiden on BBL debut for Hobart Hurricanes and continued to impress with his rapid pace. In addition, he has a strike-rate of 143.93 with the bat, which makes him an exciting prospect.

England opener Luke Wright, meanwhile, pulled out of the PSL because of fitness concerns. Wright had played for Quetta in the first two seasons, before being selected by Karachi this season. They replaced him with another England opener in Joe Denly who was the top scorer in the Natwest T20 Blast in 2017 and later went on to play for Dhaka Dynamites in the BPL and the Hurricanes in the BBL. "Sadly I've had to pull out of the PSL this year," Wright tweeted. "I've been carrying niggles all winter and they aren't getting better so, to be fair to both Karachi Kings and Sussex, I respectfully have to miss it.

Great tournament. Hope to play in it next year."

SLC denied a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Mathews, forcing Lahore Qalandars to pick New Zealand's Anton Devcich instead. Lahore also drafted in West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin to replace Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman, who will be available for a few games before joining the Bangladesh side. Islamabad United brought in Sri Lanka allrounder Asela Gunaratne, England quick Steven Finn and West Indies batsman Chadwick Walton to replace JP Duminy, David Willey and Alex Hales.

"We brought in an extra keeper (Ramdin) as back up for Umar Akmal, in case we want to play Umar as batsman only," a Lahore Qalandars spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. "We had originally picked Mitchell McClenaghan to fill in for Mustafizur's absence, so we have an extra fast bowler if we need one."

Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan - who are both part of defending champions Peshawar Zalmi's squad - will also

only be available for the first four games of the tournament. They will then join the national team for a tri-series that also involves Sri Lanka and India. Quetta's Mahmudullah, also unavailable for the same reason, was replaced by Australia fast bowler John Hastings.

Peshawar also brought in Dwayne Smith and Liam Dawson as cover. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Denesh Ramdin goes as replacement for Mustafizur Rahman

tuesDAY, january 30, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

23

Bishoo, Singh, Hetmyer retained …as CWI releases new contract structure

C

ricket West Indies has introduced a new system of different contracts for Test and limited-overs international players, effective from July 1. The system will have three categories: all-format contracts, redball contracts, and whiteball contracts.

Only five players - Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Devendra Bishoo - have been contracted for all formats, while six have been given red-ball contracts and five others white-ball contracts.

The new measures come in the wake of an increasing number of players opting out of the national team in favour of T20 tournaments. Most recent-

L

ly, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Darren Bravo opted to skip the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe to play the Pakistan Super League.

"The new retainer contracts aim to incentivise our players to play cricket for the WINDIES and be contracted to CWI," Johnny Grave, the chief executive officer of CWI, said.

"All the new contracts offer increased remuneration to our WINDIES men's team as well as enhanced medical and insurance policies.

All future contracts for all of our professional cricketers will start on the same date, July 1, which will become the start of our cricketing year."

Under the new arrangement, a maximum of 11

Windies during training on their recent tour of New Zealand (CWI Photo)

all-format contracts can be awarded. For red-ball and white-ball contracts, the aggregate can go up to 11, and the total number of contracts is capped at 18.

Four new development contracts can also be of-

fered to players in the redball and white-ball categories. These contracts cater to those players yet to establish themselves in the XI but who are likely to be selected in the year ahead.

The process of select-

ing players was completed last July, ahead of the issue of domestic contracts to the 90 regional professional cricketers on August 1. While the national men's team is officially on contract till September 2018,

the new retainers will be issued to both national and regional players on July 1, to ensure all professional cricketers start their new contracts on the same date.

List of retained players All-format contracts Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Devendra Bishoo Red-ball contracts Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Jermaine Blackwood, Miguel Cummins, Jomel Warrican (Development Shimron Hetmyer, Kieran Powell, Vishaul Singh) White-ball contracts Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Jason Mohammed, Evin Lewis, Rovman Powell (Development - Kesrick Williams). (ESPN Cricinfo)

Investing in RHTY&SC is a worthwhile venture – Bakewell’s GM

ong time sponsor of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, Bakewell continued its investment into the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC), MS with General Manager

Rajin Ganga stating that investing in the Club is a worthwhile venture.

Bakewell, a sponsor of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS since 2000 handed over a cheque for $179,000 towards the con-

struction of two new pitch preparation rollers and the expansion of the two cricket sight screens at the Area ‘H’ Ground. Bakewell, Ganga said is very proud to be associated with the club and was even prouder to assist in its

continuing efforts to make positive differences by offering sports and education as an alternative to a life on the road.

Ganga, also pledged his company’s support in the future as Bakewell was as-

GFF/Pele Alumni Frank Watson U15 League – EBFA

Persaud’s blitz helps Herstelling trounce Diamond 13-1 D

amien Persaud rocked the nets on five occasions while Solomon Austin tucked in a helmet-trick and Shoran James a hat-trick to lead Herstelling Raiders to a huge 13-1 drubbing of Diamond United when play in the East Bank Football Association leg of the GFF/ Pele Alumini Frank Watson U15 Intra Association League continued with day two action last Saturday last at the Grove Playfield.

Also recordings wins on the day were Grove Hi Tech with second of the league when they eased past Diamond Upsetters 2-0; Samatta Point/Kaneville FC defeated Friendship All Stars 3-1 while Agricola Red Triangle took full points from Mocha Champs who did not show up for their clash.

However, it was Herstelling Raiders who stole the show on the day with a thumping display.

Shoran James opened Herstelling’s account in the first minute of the 70-miunte match, his strike signalled the attacking intentions of his team form the

onset.

Solomon Austin, who ended the just concluded Ralph Green sponsored Under-11 League with 8 goals in 7 matches continues to display a flair for scoring by hitting four to help his team to a big win. Austin doubled Herstelling’s lead with his first in the 2nd minute and put away two more in the 3rd and 26th minute, taking them to a comfortable 4-0 advantage.

The goal spree had just started, before the half time whistle; Damien Persaud netted his first in the 28th

while James achieved his second in the 29th minute as Herstelling sat comfortably 6-0 up heading to the half time interval. It was

Solomon Austin

Shoran James

always going to be a tough ask for Diamond United to come back from this juncture.

Grove Hi Tech notched up their second win in as many matches when they beat Diamond Upsetters 2-0, both goals coming off the boot of Yohance De Florimonte in the 27th and 42nd minute of the match.

The win takes Grove to

Damien Persaud

six points and to the top spot on the points table after also beating Kururu Warriors, 4-1 coming from a goal down.

Saturday’s final match saw Samatta Point/Kanville FC recording a comfortable 3-1 win over Friendship All Stars which gifted the Samatta Point side their opening strike by way of an own goal in the 6th minute.

It was the only goal of what turned out to be a very competitive opening 35 minutes as both sides held their own, toughing it out.

In the 51st minute however, Samatta Point were able to double the advantage when Denzil Garraway found the back of the nets.

The lead was further increased when Jaden Forths converted in the 59th minute, taking the lead to 3-0.

Friendship was able to score a consolation goal in the 65th minute off the boot of Vishaul Lalchan.

RHTY&SC Organising Secretary Ravindranauth Kissoonlall receives the donation from Bakewell’s Natasha Bhikhari

sured that its funds are always well used and accounted for.

RHTY&SC Secretary/ CEO Hilbert Foster along with Vice President Mark Papannah and Organising Secretary Ravindranauth Kissoonlall received the donation and expressed gratitude to the Company for its continued investment and confidence.

Foster explained they would be placing special emphasis on its internal cricket developmental programme” so that the club would continue producing cricketers of the highest standard.

The entire outfield of the Area ‘H’ Ground is currently being under graded while the pitch was relaid with crush and run as its foundation. For the first time in its history, the Area ‘H’ Ground would have two pitches - one for practice and the other for games.

Special effort is also being

made to construct an indoor cricket practice facility by the end of 2018. Bakewell’s investment, would assist the RHTY&SC to construct one light roller and a heavy roller, which would be used to properly prepare the two cricket pitches. The two sight screens would be expanded by at least eight feet to cater for the new pitch.

Bakewell since 2000 has been the official sponsor of the Under-17 and Second Division Cricket Teams and also co-sponsors for numerous programmes/activities during the calendar year including the Annual Award Ceremony, Annual Youth Review Magazine, Monthly Senior Citizens Programme, Cricket Academy, Naeem Nasir Memorial Cricket Tournament, Christmas Village, Christmas Charity Project, Mother of the Year Programme, Say No/Say Yes Campaign and Tribute to Heroes.

TUESDAY, january 30, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 20

Mumbai Indians are the most successful team in VIVO IPL with titles in 2013, 2015 and 2017

Shimron Hetmyer

Bishoo, Singh, Hetmyer retained

Pg 23

Devendra Bishoo

…as CWI releases new contract structure Vishaul Singh GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Sport: sport@guyanatimesgy.com Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 SALES AND MARKETING - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.