Guyanatimes 14 july 2017

4000 youths to benefit from HEYS by 2018 P14

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

Issue No. 3271

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, July 14, 2017

PRICE

Govt to construct 4storey prison at Mazaruni

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Page 3

… 1st phase to start this year – Ramjattan

Jordan P9 roasted over recent Amaila Falls comments

– Jagdeo says he “lacks reason”, comments illogical

241st Independence Anniversary P2 Body of elderly woman fished out of Montrose canal

Frustrated with persistent blackouts

Essequibo businessmen lash out at P7 GPL

– say efforts by power company "grossly inadequate" for Region 2 President David Granger and US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway toast to continued good relations between their respective countries at the reception to mark the Independence Anniversary of the United States. Also in photo are Mrs Rosaura Holloway and First Lady Sandra Granger

Top Cop on prison break

Prisoners waltzed through front gate as Police watched walls

Page 15

Indigenous farmer on P8 bail for illegal firearm

...no space in prison constitutes special reasons – Chief Magistrate

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friDAY, july 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

granted extension Body of elderly woman fished Police to further detain bank robbery suspects out of Montrose canal

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he body of a Berbice woman was on Thursday morning pulled from a canal at Montrose, East Coast Demerara (ECD) after it was spotted by her son-inlaw, who immediately contacted the Police.

The dead woman’s identity was later confirmed as 73-year-old Chandramattie Deonarine of Lot 192 Section C, Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice, but up to the time of her demise, she had stayed with a daughter who resides in Happy Acres, ECD. The woman was reportedly ill, and stayed with her daughter so she could easily access treatment.

However, it was reported that sometime around 01:00h, being in a state of hallucination, the now dead woman ventured out of the home for an unknown destination.

Undertakers removing the body from the scene

The body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour to await a post-mortem.

Speaking with Guyana Times, from Berbice, the daughter with whom Deonarine stayed explained that she last saw her mother about 01:00h during a prayer session.

The distraught daughter further stated that she left

her mother lying on the bed and she went back to her room. Just about 01:10h, she recalled her mother enquiring of the time and she told her.

About 05:10h, when she woke up, she discovered that the elderly woman was not in her room; upon checking, she realised that the front door was open.

“Right away, we thought that she left home, so we went to the police station to find out if anyone found her wandering, but she was not there… My husband went to the Georgetown Hospital and she was not there.” the woman stated.

She noted that as her husband was returning from the hospital, he stopped at several locations along the way to check for her mother, but the ill woman was nowhere in sight.

It was while driving in the direction of his home that he stopped at an intersection and looked into the trench and saw the woman’s body. The Police have since confirmed that there were no marks of violence on the body.

The woman leaves to mourn her six children, siblings, and several grandchildren.

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Suspect: Keron Saunders

Suspect: Jamal Haynes

ue to the burning down of the Camp Street Penitentiary on Sunday last, the five suspects who were expected to be arraigned in the attempted robbery of Republic Bank Limited will have to wait a little longer before they make their first court appearance.

As such, detectives have approached the High Court with a request to further extend the detention period of the suspects until Monday.

The permission was reportedly granted. The five men, including two police officers, remain in custody at the Brickdam Police Station.

On June 4, Jamal Haynes of Norton Street, Georgetown; Keron Saunders of Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara, and the now dead Elton Wray

stormed the Water Street location of the Republic Bank with the aim of committing a felony.

However, something went terribly wrong with the plan, and it led to a shootout with police and the bandits.

During the shootout, Wray and Haynes held two bank staff hostage and made their way into the vendor’s arcade.

Police followed suit, and Wray, who quickly changed his clothing and ended up in a cook shop pretending to be a cook, was shot and killed.

Haynes was also shot and injured. The third suspect, Keron Saunders, reportedly surrendered to police.

Two days later, police investigation led to the arrest of the two police ranks, who have since confessed to being a part of the plot.

Charged with embezzlement

3 former Medi-Care Pharmacy staffers released on bail

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hree women formerly attached to the Medi-Care Pharmacy were on Thursday released on $150,000 bail each when they pleaded not guilty to embezzlement before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Valmattie Ramnarine, 23, and Selene Sookdeo, 20, of Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, were jointly charged for allegedly and fraudulently embezzling in excess of $655,000 between September 16, 2016 and June 2, 2017, property of Medi-Care Pharmacy.

Moreover, it is alleged that Zaheeda Khan and Valmattie Ramnarine between May 4, 2016 and June 15, 2017, while being employed as a clerk or servant at Medi-Care Pharmacy, fraudulently embezzled in excess of $1.6 million, taken into possession by them for, or in the name of the said Pharmacy, property of the named medical company.

Appearing on behalf of Ramnarine and Sookdeo was Attorney-at-Law Marcia Nadir-Sharma who respectfully requested her clients to be released on their own recognisance or be placed on reasonable bail, pending the outcome of trial. The lawyer relayed her clients’ personal information as the court

heard that Sookdeo had no previous brushes with the law and had been under the care of her mother since her dismissal at Medi-Care Pharmacy following the surfacing of the fraud allegations. Ramnarine is a married mother of two children of tender age and is currently unemployed since termination of her services from the Pharmacy.

The Chief Magistrate was heard saying “Happy Birthday Mrs Khan”, as defence lawyer James Bond disclosed that his client’s 43rd birthday coincided with Thursday’s court hearing. The third accused has a fixed place of abode in North Cummingsburg, Georgetown and is a mother of two and was formerly employed at Medi-Care Pharmacy as a cashier, according to her attorney. Bond applied for bail to be set at a reasonable sum on the grounds that his client was a first-time offender who posed no flight risk; in addition Khan was reportedly released on $50,000 station bail following her arrest.

Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore disclosed the incomplete status of the file and requested that the matter be adjourned for three weeks. This case continues on August 4, 2017 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

news

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friDAY, july 14, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Friday, July 14 – 08:30h-10:00h and Saturday, July 15 – 09:00h-10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, July 14 – 07:35h-09:05h and Saturday, July 15 – 08:15h-09:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Govt to construct 4-storey prison at Mazaruni … 1st phase to start this year – Ramjattan

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

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery and heavy rain showers with light cloud cover can be expected throughout the day, while clear skies can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging between South-Easterly to Southerly and East North-easterly to South-easterly between 1.78 metres and 2.23 metres.

High Tide: 07:48h and 20:16h reaching maximum heights of 2.57 metres and 2.49 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 13:48h reaching a minimum height of 0.66 metre.

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President David Granger, accompanied by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, and prison officials during a tour of the Mazaruni Prison back in 2016

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overnment is pushing against criticism that it did not take seriously the prison fire in 2016 and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report. There are plans for the phased construction of a four-storey prison as part of the expansion at Mazaruni, which is scheduled to start this year.

According to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, building a new prison could end up costing the Government $6B. But after the completion of the prison, design by VIKAB Engineering Consultants Ltd -- the Trinidad Company involved in designing the collapsed Supenaam Stelling -the first phase of building the prison at Mazaruni will commence.

“There is a criticism that we have not done anything since the Commission of Inquiry,” Ramjattan stated during a press conference on Thursday. “(But) a lot has been done since the Commission of Inquiry in March.”

“We have gotten the design from Vikab, the consultant that won the design of a new prison at Mazaruni.

This was given and supported by the President since the 29th June. I have (also) supported the new design. So that has started.”

He stated that while it would be costly, the idea is to remove the more serious criminals to a safe place in Mazaruni, in order to deal with the overpopulation problem plaguing the prisons. Ramjattan noted that $276M were allocated for the first phase of the project, which will include constructing the concrete structure.

“And then, (in) next year’s budget, more (money) will be allocated to carry it up. We want a four-storey building, but the construction will take some time. We have to now put it out to bid, as to who will build. This will be a major piece of construction. They will start as of this year.”

Ramjattan noted that the construction phase is slated to last two years and cost approximately $2B. He reiterated that the price tag attached to constructing an

entirely new prison is $6B, money the Government presently does not have. He also spoke of the modernisation aspect of the prisons.

“The modernisation of our prison system was also a consultancy that was awarded to Trevor Hamilton and Associates, international management consultants.

The first question that was asked was selecting one from five options. Whether we privatise the prison system, whether we regionalise it, a combination of both, or keep it in state hands with a board of governors,” the minister revealed.

Ramjattan revealed that Government has opted for keeping the prison system under State control and have a Board of Governors to oversee operations, besides having an Executive Director of Prisons. At present, Gladwin Samuels holds the post of Director of Prisons.

“We have now furthered that governance structure along with the amendments

that governance structure will cater for. (Retired Caribbean Court of Justice Judge) Duke Pollard is the lawyer that is working towards getting the amendments of our prison act to accommodate the modernisation of the GPS as a result of the consultancy we got done by Trevor Hamilton, the Jamaican expert.

“So it is not as if we just sat back and did nothing.

A lot was being done. All of these things, however, cost a lot of money, and we have to take care also of the consul-

ers, the combination of being overcrowded, being uncomfortable, and providing unhygienic confinement created ideal conditions for epidemics and for gangs to prosper and propagate discontent.

Moreover, the CoI found that reducing numbers in prison to manageable levels is the single most important priority for establishing safe, humane and purposeful prisons.

It was further noted that repeat offenders have increased by over 100%, “indicating not only a waste of

What remains of the Camp Street Prison after Sunday’s blaze

tants and the lawyers. So I just want to make that clear: lots of work was being done to have a safer and more secure place for our prisoners.”

Last year March, a fire had raged through the Camp Street Prison and claimed the lives of 17 prisoners.

Afterwards, a Commission of Inquiry which cost the treasury some $13M was ordered

by President David Granger.

According to the report compiled by the commission-

taxpayers’ dollars, but also the need for a more comprehensive and structured partnership within the wider justice system.”

But despite these recommendations, the Director of Prisons himself confirmed that at the time of the fire which gutted Camp Street prison on Sunday, over 1000 prisoners were being housed at the prison. Camp Street Prison was originally built to house nearly half that number.

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friDAY, july 14, 2017

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, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

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Perpetual garbage crisis

he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has, in cavalier fashion, announced that it was able to persuade, in the nick of time, the two biggest solid waste contractors, whom it owes collectively some $300 million in payments dating back to 2016, to resume their collection duties in Georgetown, after both companies (Cevons and Puran Brothers) had pulled their services until their accounts would have been settled.

What was promised to both contractors that gave them the impetus to move forward without receiving any payments from the $300 million owed is yet to be ascertained, but what is pellucid is that the debt still remains over the collective head of the Council like the proverbial Sword of Damocles.

Exacerbating the fact that there still remains debt is the other fact that the debt might not be serviced, since the M&CC is ‘cash strapped’, a position that the Council has admitted it has been in for quite some time now.

It would therefore mean that the Council was able only to postpone the inevitable; because, with no resources at its disposal to clear their debts and with no bailouts from Central Government forthcoming, since they have also publicly declared being financially constrained, it would seem that Georgetown may be dealing with another garbage crisis.

One would recall that it was in 2012 that Georgetown was plagued with unsanitary conditions due to a backlog of waste that had developed under the leadership of then Mayor Hamilton Green, who had announced that the city was under crisis for not paying $48 million (US$235,640) owed to garbage collectors.

Guyana’s history is replete with instances when the Council was unable to satisfy its debts, which in turn precipitated a period of unsanitary conditions that had to be rectified by a subvention from Central Government.

Fast forward to 2017, and we are still hearing the same excuses of lack of resources and revenue collection being proffered by the most recent Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green.

Part of the problem might reside in the M&CC being bereft of persons capable of managing the financial affairs of the entity, or who possess the requisite ideas of how the Council could increase its revenue base and collections.

But, then again, efficient solid waste management has been the Achilles heels of the developing countries, simply because of our socialised culture towards waste disposal, which is premised on our inability as a people to collectively address systemic issues, such as how we segregate our waste.

According to a study done by the University of Cambridge, Department of Land Economy, “developing countries have similar patterns of SWM [Solid Waste Management] services which are characterised by lack of planning, poor or no segregation of waste at source, and unscientific and informal disposal systems. Lack of sufficient public and private funds and corrupt public sector are considered among the major bottlenecks to the improvement of the SWM services (Adedibu, 1985; Diallo and Coulibaly, 1991; Gupta et al., 1998; Buenrostro et al., 2001). Further, the negative externalities generated by increasing levels of unmanaged solid waste are exacerbated by the inadequate provision of other basic infrastructure and services such as water supply, sanitation facilities and transportation.”

Our strategy of dumping everything into a landfill and covering it can no longer suffice. The M&CC can generate income if mechanisms are put in place to sort out biodegradable waste that can then be harvested as a form of bio-gas energy or fertiliser. The non-biodegradable waste could then be sorted and processed for recycling, another avenue that has the potential to generate income.

The technology is already being utilised by some of the manufacturing businesses in Guyana.

What is disconcerting is that when the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) was in the Opposition benches, its members had championed similar mechanisms that could be put in place to address the SWM problems that were prevailing under the PPP/C. Now that APNU is in power and that party has total control over the M&CC following the 2016 Local Government Elections, one would’ve have thought that serious steps would be taken to implement the touted plans. Sadly, this is not the case. Unless proactive people and mechanisms are put in place to address our ever recurring issues of SWM, we will be caught in a perpetual garbage crisis.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of State Joseph Harmon in deep conversation at the local celebrations of the 241st Independence Anniversary of the United States of America at the Marriot Hotel on Thursday evening. Backing camera is PPP/C advisor Peter Ramsaroop

Workers as private farmers can turn around sugar industry Dear Editor, In country after country, sugar production in the hands of private cane farmers has shown to be very profitable. It has been so demonstrated in India, Guyana, Trinidad, and in several African and Asian countries, etc. My father and other cane farmers had high productivity, though flooding and drought were serious challenges, on the land because they were motivated to work hard as all the produce belonged to them and not the state. The farmers moved out of cane and rice only after Burnham cheated them of prices and refused to provide support against drought and floods.

Sugar workers can make cultivation profitable if they are in charge of their own crops and run the industry. The sugar workers can transform sugar production if given ownership.

As my Political Science professor on Soviet Union used to say, socialist workers will not go to the farm at five in the morning to cultivate potatoes or milk the cow, and even when they showed up at the farm late they will not work efficiently. But they will tend to farm before five in the morning if they own the land and/or the produce. That was amply demonstrated in Guyana and Trinidad where I did research on cane production during the 1980s and 1990s.

Private cane farming was

more efficiently managed than state farming virtually everywhere.

In India, for example, where cane is privately produced, it is most profitable -no part of the cane is wasted and every part of the cane brings in money. Billionaires have been created from cane farming. The sugar product alone results in a huge profit with all the other by-products (including liquor, cardboard, stockfeeds, energy, ethanol, etc) adding to profitability. Indian sugar companies and workers know how to maximise productivity; they are the experts in sugar production, but Guyana was not interested in Indian companies, preferring Chinese instead.

It is no wonder that several African, and even some Asian countries, where cultivation was losing money, have turned to Indian sugar companies and workers to manage or run and to work in their sugar industries. All of the Indian-managed or Indian-owned sugar companies in Africa and Asia have been running at a huge profit and the workers share in the profits; they get bonuses which serve as an incentive to maximise productivity. And off course, in India, where virtually all sugar cultivation is privately owned, the farmers have a high rate of return on their investment. The farmers mill their own canes, selling it to factories for a profit.

In Guyana and in Trinidad, private cane farming was profitable; government mismanagement and corruption undermined the industry in both countries. Politicians viewed the sugar industry as a cash cow to enrich themselves at the expense of workers. The Trinidad PNM government, for political reasons, closed down the industry. The same is being done in Guyana by the PNCled APNU/AFC government.

But sugar does not have to be closed especially when tens of thousands will lose work with no alternative form of employment.

Government is courting social disaster as I found in my research among sugar workers in Wales Estate.

Sugar cultivation has shown to be profitable when in private hands while under state production it was losing money. In Trinidad, myself and several others suggested that the 80,000 acres of land be distributed to the sugar workers for cooperative farming in cane or other agro products. But government (not PNM and not UNC) was not interested -- sugar workers were taken for a ride, only to be used to build political careers of self seekers. In 2001, Prime Minister Basdeo Panday (a man who built his career off the backs of sugar workers), moved to sell the sugar estate for about TT$6M to his friend Lawrence Duprey (Clico). He did not want to

give it to the workers. We joined the sugar workers in protest. The Attorney General, Ramesh Maharaj, refused to sign the documents authorising the sale saying it reeked of corruption. Maharaj said the estate was worth a hundred times that amount and called for it to be offered to the workers as a co-op at that bargain price. Panday said ‘no’.

Maharaj was fired and replaced by Kamla Persaud Bissessar who would become Prime Minister almost a decade later. Maharaj and two other MPs, Trevor Sudama and Ralph Maraj, came out publicly in 2001 and said they will oppose the sugar industry sale in parliament.

Before the sale document could be signed by the new AG, Panday unwisely dissolved the parliament and called elections which he lost never to lead a government again -- all because he did not want sugar workers to own the industry. A similar fate seems to have befallen the PPP. In Guyana, Ravi Dev and a few of us recognised that sugar cultivation would not be profitable under state ownership. We implored the PPP government to give parcels of the land to workers to form co-ops which we surmised would be financially lucrative. Sugar workers would maximize production and the industry would be profitable.

Continued on page 5

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

Botched bank robbery – a move from ‘white collar’ to ‘blue collar’ crimes

Dear Editor, This is where Criminologists come in handy.

A couple of weeks ago the nation was pondering the anomaly of educated young men, with reasonably good jobs, taking up arms to rob a bank.

It baffled many as to the causative factor and/or the modus operandi behind such thinking. Why would educated men, who can easily get into ‘white collar’ crimes, descend into a realm that is probably out of their element?

Well, the answer is simple. Desperation! The climate for white collar crimes changed drastically when the government changed. Many of the avenues for a “lil’ hustle”, that took place before 2015, were closed when the Granger Administration came into power and began tightening the screws. Banks have now instituted a host of hoops that you have to jump through, just to obtain or deposit your own money. No doubt this mash-up many other bank ‘runnings’. Additionally, the galore of audit reports caused many to virtually cease all (or most) illegal activities, even in ministries and companies that were not subject to any audits.

This ‘new environment’ is causing many people to be very fearful of continuing in their old ways of consistent-

ly engaging in activities that were illegally supplementing their income. So now the white collar type of crimes has been significantly reduced.

With this explanation as the backdrop, one must now understand that folks like the bank robbers, who might have been involved in such crimes, or who thought that their education might have provided an avenue for them to get involved in those white collar kinds of crimes, have now found themselves in a tight spot.

Their desires for ‘big-money’ are the same. Their need for extravagance has not been curtailed. But now, the established avenues for them to thrive have been reduced.

So they default to ‘blue collar’ crimes. These types of crimes are more risky; they are crasser, and they carry more jail time. However, in desperation, one is likely to try anything and I am thinking that that is what happened with those bank robbers. They crossed over into a realm that was unfamiliar to them and they botched the job. The rest is history.

Now, let’s look at a different scenario. Four of the prison escapees abducted a young man. These escapees are all convicted murderers; all of whom have been convicted of

killing more than one person.

Again the Guyanese public defaulted to the presumption that the young man would be killed. In the minds of most of us, he was a goner. What further solidified our suspicions that he was dead, was his race vis-a-vis the race of his abductors. However, Mr Shivtahal is safely home with his wife and son. The convicted murderers did not kill him. (They might have promised to kill him, if he said what they told him not to say, but that is a different story for a different time.)

Again, we have to go into the minds of those four escapees. What would make them not kill Mr Shivtahal? Some say that it’s because he begged for his life and because he has a young son. Well, is it not true that the men – at least one of them – were convicted for killing women and children? If the men did kill those people, some of them must have begged to have their lives spared. So, begging for your life and claiming to have children are not sufficient reasons for convicted killers to not kill you.

The point I am trying to make is that we in Guyana are shooting in the dark. We do not quite know what is driving our so-called criminals (the blue collar ones, es-

Workers as private farmers can turn... from page 4

Ravi Dev carried the battle almost single handedly like Ramesh and Sudama did in Trinidad. But the PPP government, like the UNC government in Trinidad, both of which depended on sugar workers to get into and remain in office, was not interested.

The PPP government did not want to create a new kulak class of workers, and Panday wanted Clico to be recipient of Caroni estate. Dev and others were lambasted similar to how Maharaj and Sudama were reviled even by the very sugar workers they fought for.

Patrick Manning and the PNM government closed Caroni in 2002 rendering the workers jobless and for over a decade they were denied land promised to them. It was Ramesh who went to court and successfully got the land for them although the workers remained ungrateful refusing to support him politically against Panday who did virtually nothing for them.

And in Guyana, the coalition has closed Wales and plan to shut down other estates.

The workers are jobless and their families are suffering.

This could have been avoided if the PPP government had simply listened to those of us who advocated for the sugar workers and who had foreseen what was going to happen to the sugar industry once PPP lost power. Even if PPP had remained in office, sugar would not have been profitable as a state-owned industry.

Sugar supports from the EU under the Lome Protocol had

ended. Sugar production was losing money. The incentive to work efficiently and maximize productivity was/is missing among state workers. They would not put in their best performance for a socialist owned company especially when government was ill-treating them.

Private ownership must be considered as an alternative to turn around the industry.

Government, therefore, should move to distribute the cane lands to the sugar workers to grow cane. Government can be the miller or even that aspect of production can be handed over to private management as some African and Asian countries have done.

Indian companies are the best in the world to transform the sugar industry. Our estate land is ideally suited for cane; other crops may be difficult especially since the estate land culture has been cane. This does not mean other crops should be discouraged. But the infrastructure for cane is still there at Wales.

Government can start on an experimental basis with Wales Estate giving the land (10-15 acres) to the former sugar workers to form co-ops or individually to grow canes to feed a revived modernised mill. Since government wants to divest itself of sugar, the government can invite interested companies or investors to take over and run the closed mill. The prospective investors can also be offered lease land to grow sugar cane; many jobs will be created for the surrounding unemployed. The in-

dustry will be turned around under this proposed scheme.

In fact, this method is successfully utilised in India and several Asian countries.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

pecially). For 7 years I have been speaking on this topic and I have been suggesting that the authorities create a semiformal process that will subject every arrested suspect to an interview. (Not an interrogation, akin to what the investigators have to do). But an interview, conducted by a person, or persons, who have the ability to win the confidence of the detainee. The interview should be designed to unearth modalities of behaviour: de-

fective consciences, emotional immaturity, inadequate childhood socialisations, maternal deprivation, and/or poor moral development.

Guyana does NOT have a crime problem. We have leadership, parental and academic problems which lead to crime. More than 60% of our criminals are repeat offenders and more than a quarter of those locked up are on remand. For 7 years I have been speaking on this issue

and I honestly believe that if the successive governments had listened to me, those 18 guys would not have died last year and we would not have lost our prison and be internationally humiliated, this year. Editor, I will continue to address this issue until Guyana’s criminal justice system makes the necessary and timely changes.

Sincerely, Pastor WP Jeffrey

Strikes do not fall from the sky, being on the frontline dictates bottom-line Dear Editor, I refer to Mr E.B. John’s response in KN edition of July 11th, 2017 to my letter and wish to state categorically that I have zero interest in attacking any person(s) and maximum interest in addressing issues and debunking nonsense.

Editor, Mr John’s response is considered worthless as it did not address a single direct question that was posed to him. From his admission, the “elephant” title arose out of technical & financial reports accessible to him. However, he cleverly conceals some important facts which is typical of a propagandist. Editor, since Mr John opted to masquerade on this issue. I will present some details to my fellow citizens who can formulate their own conclusions: 1. The overseas experts being referred to, is the Diesel Power Company which conducted an audit of Skeldon.

A pertinent question is, why have Diesel Power Experts to audit a Sugar Factory?

Why not use sugar experts?

Interestingly, the Prime Minister’s son-in-Law brought a team of sugar experts who reportedly concluded that Skeldon can become profitable in 18 months. Mr John, have you forgotten that report?

2. The local experts mentioned must be the three (3) Sugar CoI members who Mr John employed to function in GuySuCo’s Executive structure. If we go by GuySuCo’s recent performances in efficiencies, sugar recovery, project implementation, etc, as measurement of their expertise, then it is safe to conclude that these “local experts” need expert guidance urgently.

3. The responsible person to account for the misdeed of a plant that was not commissioned is no other than the present CEO of GuySuCo. His previous employer was the Project Manager who delivered an un-commissioned plant at Skeldon. He even compounded that misdeed by accepting an un-commissioned plant at that moment

of history when he was also the CEO. Mr John, you need to have a conversation with your master Mr Hanoman on this misdeed.

In closing, I will restate my questions to Mr John: (1) As GuySuCo’s Human Resource Director, have you visited GuySuCo’s business frontline recently to experience the conditions under which workers function? Have you crossed a canal and visit workers in-field since 2015 to experience what they experience? Have you ever walked the various floors of Skeldon Sugar Factory to have a feel for the factory?

Mr John, you must know at this late stage of your working life that the frontline dictates the bottom-line. Strikes do not fall from the sky, they are caused. Unfortunately, GuySuCo focuses on effects of strikes rather than examining the causative factors. No wonder it continues unabated.

Regards, Sookram Persaud

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Foundation

Household income impacts on children’s prospects, report finds

Survive your difficult family by being calm – 8 skills for handling any family situation

– household income affects children’s cognitive abilities, and can impact their educational prospects, new research has found

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hildren’s physical health and social and behavioural development are also impacted, with family income proving a crucial factor in children’s home environment.

The report, published by the London School of

Economics and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, also found that household income affects mothers’ mental health, which is significant for child development.

“It’s very well estab-

lished that children from lower income households do worse in many ways than children from households with more income,” said Kitty Stewart, Associate Professor at the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at LSE.

Reasons for this have previously been disputed, Stewart said. Parents from higher income households might be more educated and take a closer interest in their children’s homework.

However, the new report

suggests that financial security plays an important role in a child’s cognitive ability and attainment.

“We can now confidently say

The new report suggests that financial security plays an important role in a child’s cognitive ability and attainment.

that money itself matters and needs to be taken into account if we want to improve children’s outcomes,” said Kerris Cooper, who co-authored the report with Stewart.

“We often focus on gaps

at school – but what the evidence shows is that money doesn’t only make a difference to children’s cognitive outcomes, it also makes a difference to their physical health, to birth weight, and to social and behavioural development.”

The report, which reviewed 61 studies, estimates that closing the income gap between the households of children entitled to free school meals and other, average households could reduce the achievement gap by more than half.

Researchers also found that increasing a household income and investing in education both have similar impacts on children’s attainment at school.

This means that attempts to boost poorer children’s educational prospects might have little impact if household incomes continue to fall. (Telegraph)

By Eric R Maisel, PhD Continued from Thursday

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Discharge techniques

nxiety and stress build up in the body and techniques that vent that stress can prove very useful. One discharge technique is to “silently scream” – to make the facial gestures that go with uttering a good cleansing scream without actually uttering any sound (which would be inappropriate in most settings). Jumping jacks, push-ups and physical gestures of all sorts can be used to help release the “venom” of anxiety and pass it out of your system.

Let’s focus next on dealing with what for some people is the perpetual chaos that defines their life. Many people today are functioning in the middle of exactly that sort of perpetual chaos. They run all day, commuting, handling work-related responsibilities, picking up their kids, shopping for meals, and simultaneously dealing with everything else that life throws at them, from health issues to bill payments to family crises to the state of their yard. Who can stay centred or even catch their breath nowadays? Where is calmness in that picture?

This chaos and overwhelm only increases if you are also dealing with intense family difficulties. Likewise, this perpetual chaos makes an already difficult family situation worse. Maybe you would be able to focus on your child’s school difficulties, your mate’s coldness, or your aging parent’s daily demands if you weren’t also obliged to handle a hundred other tasks, chores, and challenges. Lost in this agitated blur, you may be just able to get items checked off your perpetual to-do list and keep your life marginally afloat – but as likely as not at the cost of your emotional and physical health and with the added unfortunate result that your serious family difficulties go unattended.

What can help is the following simple ceremony.

Take some time each day or a few times each day to do the following. Get a snow globe. Shake it up. Then breathe deeply as you watch the snow settle. As the snow is settling, say or think, “I am settling” or “I am calming down” or some other phrase of your choosing that helps you communicate that you now feel calmer. You can enact this ceremony with an actual snow globe, one that you purchase or have fabricated to your specifications, or you can enact it as a “mind ceremony,” shaking up the snow globe and watching it settle in your mind’s eye.

It is hard to reduce the number of challenging things to which we must attend and it is hard to achieve calmness as we attend to those challenges. A difficult family situation only increases that anxiety and makes it that much harder not to feel anxious. It is, therefore, imperative that you practice and begin to “own” a few anxiety management techniques that work for you. You want to feel confident that you can calm your nerves before, say, having a hard chat with your child or your mate. If you don’t have that confidence and if you don’t know how to handle your nerves, you’re likely to avoid that conversation … once again. Make a concerted effort this week to bring a new calmness into your life by enacting the snow globe ceremony daily and by learning an effective anxiety management technique or two.

(Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

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Frustrated with persistent blackouts

Essequibo businessmen lash out at GPL – say efforts by power company "grossly inadequate" for Region 2 tion at the manner in GPL has dealt with the blackout situation. Lallbacchan said his ice factory has to be powered presently by a privately-owned generator, which is costing him a lot.

Another businessman, Sam Bacchus, also com-

By Indrawattie Natram

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rustrated by constant and prolonged power outages on the Essequibo Coast, several businessmen living in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) vented their anger on Thursday and lashed out at what they claimed were inefficient and grossly inadequate efforts on the part of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to restore electricity to affected areas on the Coast.

With the northern side of the Essequibo Coast hardest hit, the businessmen alluded specifically to residents in Charity who reportedly have suffered up to eight days of complete shutdown (no electricity) without any explanation given by the power company.

At a special meeting held in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) on Thursday morning with staff attached to GPL, several Essequibo businessmen and residents got the opportunity to vent their frustration at the treatment meted out to them

by GPL. They questioned whether GPL would compensate them for their suffering and losses.

Essequibo Chambers of Commerce Chairman Deleep

Essequibo Chambers Chairman Deleep Singh raising a concern with the GPL officials

Singh, representing entrepreneurs, noted that a number of businesses suffered tremendous losses as a direct result of the blackouts.

He requested for the "disconnection team" to avoid visiting the areas in and around Charity, since residents were already very frustrated and angry over the constant outages. Singh said the Charity area, which was hardest hit by the blackout woes, contribute 75 per cent to the Region's economy – and residents are affected.

After listening to what the GPL officials had to say, Singh declared that residents were being treated with "gross disrespect” by the

power company. He demanded that priority be given to the immediate repair of the Wärtsilä plant, which powers the Charity area.

The Chairman of the Essequibo Chambers alluded to the fact that many households were forced to dump food and other perishable items due to the power outages. Singh also called on Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson to speed up the process of acquiring new generator sets so an early commissioning can be done.

The main supplier of ice on the Essequibo Coast at Charity, Kumar Lallbacchan, also expressed dissatisfac-

plained of being forced to run his generators to cut his losses.

Compensation for losses

Government Councillor Julian Cummings acknowledged that the blackouts affected several areas including

water supply, Internet access, as well as banking services.

"When the current off, there is no telephone service, no Internet, no water supply…this is really hard on Charity residents," Cummings told the GPL officials. turn to page 15

8 news

friDAY, july 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Over 50 crime scene pictures presented – as suspected ‘terror gang’ member’s murder trial continues

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olice Detective Desmond Johnny on Thursday appeared at the High Court in Georgetown where a plethora of photographs taken at the crime scene of the murder of pick-up truck occupant Woddet Roberts, along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway in 2009.

Roberts, called “Buck Man”, met his demise during the course of a robbery between November 3 and November 4, 2009 when a gang of bandits evicted and tied up the occupants of a Toyota Tacoma vehicle which was en route to a mining area. Basil Morgan, a suspected member of the Colin Jones terror gang, is standing trial for the murder, but he denied committing the act.

At Thursday’s hearing, 56 photographs from the harrowing crime scene were tendered and admitted into evidence as exhibits. At the conclusion of the presentation of evidence and submissions, the images will be material to the jury’s deliberations when determining Morgan’s in-

search of Morgan’s home, they received information on site to search for guns and ammunition.

Morgan was believed to have been part of the Colin Jones gang that carried out several terror-related crimes almost nine years ago, which included the alleged setting of Murder accused Basil Morgan a fire at a public building – the Supreme Court of nocence or guilt.

Judicature’s Registry deMeanwhile, Police partment. It is believed Commander Ravindradat that after the gang stole Budhram also took the the pick-up truck along the stand on Thursday and tes- Highway, they allegedly tified to being an arresting used it to create mayhem. officer who had put the al- In fact, some members of legation to Morgan back the gang have admitted in 2009. However, un- guilt for some of the offencder cross-examination by es. defence counsel Lyndon David Anthony Watson, Amsterdam, the witness called “Tupac”; Randy admitted that he was not Mars, known as “Ratty”, aware of the circumstances and Jafar Simpson, were all that led to Roberts’ demise sentenced to 19 years’ imwhen he put the allegation prisonment in April 2017 to the accused. Budhram after pleading guilty to further stated that at the manslaughter for Roberts’ time he and other ranks killing. They were additionwent searching Morgan’s ally sentenced for other terhome, they had not known ror-related crimes. Gang in advance what they were leader Jones admitted guilt searching for. He, however, for the 2009 terror acts and maintained that upon the was sentenced to 80 years’ imprisonment for several offences he committed between 2009 and 2010.

Morgan’s trial continues before High Court Judge, Justice James Bovell-Drakes.

Indigenous farmer on bail for illegal firearm ...no space in prison constitutes special reasons – Chief Magistrate

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olice Prosecutor Arvin Moore objected to bail on the grounds that no special reasons were provided by the defendant to which Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan responded that the current situation of the prison system is sufficient reason for Indigenous farmer Samuel James of Baramita, Region One (BarimaWaini), to be released on bail for the non-violent offence allegedly committed before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday afternoon.

James was allegedly busted with a 16-gauge shotgun while not being the holder of a firearm licence, on July 11, 2017, at William Place, Baramita when Police acting on information visited his home and conducted a raid therein leading to the discovery of the firearm in the bedroom between “two posts”. This is according to the Prosecution’s case.

As the prosecution granted the application of the Administrative Justice Act (AJA), a not guilty plea was entered by the court on behalf of the accused who was heard saying, “I’m sorry, it is not my gun.”

He was released on $50,000 bail and the matter was transferred to the Matthew’s Ridge Magistrate’s Court to be heard on August 9, 2017.

No accident this...

A ...on prison breakout

fter being briefed by his Minister of Public Security, his Prime Minister, his Minister of Public Infrastructure, and assorted prison bigwigs while examining the remnants of the carnage, Prezzie concluded that the Camp St Prison breakout “was an accident waiting to happen”. He was played; it’s now clear it was anything but “an accident”. This was a carefully organised plan involving dozens of prisoners, and it was executed to perfection.

But the question arises: Where was the intelligence apparatus - otherwise known as “snitches” that’s standard fare in all prisons? The snitches finked on Barry Dataram, didn’t they? Well at least we’re told that’s why he was moved to Mazaruni. But we were also told that snitches ratted on the Lusignan and Bartica mass murderer Mark Royden Durant. So how come he and his crew weren’t transferred out?

Was Dataram’s snitch so much more credible? Or was that another feint to throw the prison officials into a false sense of security for the real deal?? But that would mean these officials are more gullible than babies taking candies from strangers, wouldn’t it? Or conniving. Since when has there been a prison breakout involving only one prisoner? But we now hear there will now be a “mother of all CoIs” into the razing of the Camp Street jail.

We weren’t able to even implement the 70 recommendations on penal reform that flowed from the presumably “garden variety CoI” after the March 3, 2016 fire and 17 deaths….and we’re now gonna be taking on a slew of new ones? What’s the point? But if the terms of reference are limited specifically to finding out how come this breakout plan - which everyone and their uncle in and out of Camp St seem to have known about, excepting the authorities --then maybe we might get somewhere.

Fact of the matter is that the breakdown in intelligence gathering isn’t confined to the Prison Service. Collusion and connivance between crooks and custodians of the law are the order of the day. We must find out how come guns were so freely available to the bandits inside the prison. We must find out how come prison doors were left wide open. We must find out how come gasoline was available to have ready at six different locations. But, most of all, we must find out how come the authorities couldn’t even get a whiff of even one of these plans.

The entire judicial system is geared to winnow out individuals who’re a threat to the rest of society, and keeping them out of circulation.

When a fella who participated in the two largest mass killings in the history of Guyana can simply waltz out, something better give!

…SWAT

Your Eyewitness has already expressed consternation that the much-touted SWAT team wasn’t deployed when armed inmates were gunning down and chopping wardens at the Camp St jail with impunity. Basically, we had a band of bandits - surpassing the ones who broke out on Mash Day 2002 - who held guards pinned down with a series of diversionary moves, and then broke out.

This was grist for a SWAT mill.

The moment the warden received the call about fires at Camp Street, the SWAT team should’ve been deployed to throw a cordon around the jail three streets away. They have enough personnel to do that - if they were on alert as their SOP demands they be at all times.

A week ago, the SWAT team also wasn’t deployed at the Republic Bank robbery … but maybe we can excuse them then, since the private guards immediately rose to the occasion.

But at Camp Street, what was the excuse? The situation started developing since 4pm, and wasn’t contained till 5 hours later.

Another CoI?

…holed up behind Buxton?

As a card-carrying member of the Fineman Rawlings gang, “Royden Williams” is very familiar with the Buxton backlands.

Is this going to be a repeat of 2002? Any “politically sophisticated wild man” in the wings??

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

S RAIGHT

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friDAY, july 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jordan roasted over recent Amaila Falls comments – Jagdeo says he “lacks reason”, comments illogical

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What are oil and gas upstream activities?

(This is the first in a six-part series of articles focusing on the oil industry. The intention is to try and explain the entire value stream, oil strategy, and recommended action for the Guyana oil sector)

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am of the belief that if the ordinary man in the street understands what is happening, then he will hold the feet of whoever wins the 2020 elections to the fire. The bottom line remains that the post-2020 Government must be held accountable by ensuring that the oil revenues are managed responsibly and with the best interests of all the people in mind.

Right now, from what I am observing under this Grangerled PNC regime, they are far from transparent and accountable in the oil related negotiations. So my plan is to bring oil related information to the man in the street to stimulate debate on the issue. Today I shall write about upstream activities in the oil and gas sector.

What are upstream activities in the oil and gas sector?

Most oil and gas companies are organised according to functionality; meaning, a range of operations suited for a specific purpose. The most upstream segment of the oil and gas functionality is known as “EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION” (E & P). The E & P function encompasses activities related to searching for, recovering, and producing crude oil and natural gas.

In Guyana’s case, Exxon told us on May 20, 2015 (immediately after the change of Government in the May 2017 elections) that they made a significant discovery in the 26,000sq.km prospective offshore oilfields called the “Stabroek Block”.

The reliable estimate of these aggregated discoveries in that “Stabroek Block” is now reported at some 1.2 billion barrels of crude oil. It is comforting to know that within that geographic vicinity of Guyana’s discoveries is a proven oil reserve in Venezuela of some 300 billion barrels of oil. My conclusion: Exxon is on to something really big here, but they are in no haste to get to the finish line. Guyana is in Exxon’s long-term strategy as they march right back into Venezuela post-Maduro.

What is also of importance here is that the Granger-led PNC regime is not even rolling out their thought set on the production of natural gas. Is it all going to be burnt off? Is there no economic value to be secured for Guyana from the natural gas? In 2011, the AFC financier Mr. Badal had an excellent idea to run a natural gas pipeline from Trinidad to Guyana to transform GPL into a reliable and cheap supplier of energy. Why are we not considering running a pipeline from the “Stabroek Block” to GPL to realise that dream and bring an end to blackouts?

Upstreaming in the oil industry is all about the wells. What is key to this entire theme is how to design, construct, operate and manage these wells efficiently. Upstream activities are very capital intensive in nature, and require less staff and more equipment. Therefore, this functionality is a critical contributor to the “DUTCH Disease” (DD) phenomenon. If we cut off the Guyanese people from participating at the upstream level, Guyana can be a primary candidate for the DD. Thus the policy makers, especially Minister Trotman, must think out of the box on conceptualising how the nation can more actively participate in midstream and downstream oil and gas-related activities.

In the upstream functionality, the scope and opportunity for Guyana to secure the greatest possible return on its investment by way of the sovereign land is extremely low. The real money is in the midstream and downstream activities. We shall explain that midstream, downstream and DD concept in another column.

The game plan of Exxon is to pull out as much profit as it can at the upstream functional level, and take the raw product elsewhere for further processing. This strategy is Exxon’s gain and Guyana’s loss.

Exxon can only accomplish this strategy by leaving behind the smallest human and environmental footprint as they can in Guyana. Bottom line: when the time comes, they want to be able to cap and leave the area without any major “after-cost”.

All they are interested in is crude oil, because they have enough active plants at the midstream and downstream levels in other parts of the world that can process the crude to create the targeted value-added revenue that are multiples of the price of raw crude oil.

I trust the readers have gotten a grasp of the extent of the looting that is about to happen if the Government does not create the investment climate for the construction of an oil refinery in Guyana.

Next share week, Iyour shall thoughts move to exploration.

Please at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has taken Finance Minister Winston Jordan to task over comments he made at a recent public event about the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project (AFHP), which he said lacked veracity and did not conform to logic as reasons for halting the project.

While Jagdeo admitted that the coalition Government’s intention not to pursue the AFHP has been made known before, he accused Jordan of providing insubstantial evidence and reasoning as to why the now Government has decided not to continue with the project’s full implementation.

The Opposition Leader was making reference to Jordan’s speech made at a recent Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) event. While many people were frowning over the speech, according to Jagdeo, policy-wise, it lacked substance and vision. “Not a single attempt to address any of the concerns of the manufacturing sector and the services sector in a tangible way, just platitudes,” he added.

The AFHP, which formed part of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), was the brainchild of Jagdeo, and was commissioned in 2009. And having taken up office in 2015, the now Government had repeatedly stated its disapproval of resurrecting the project.

But the former President believes that the coalition Government has killed the project, although it was set to provide Guyana with a massive source of electricity. “This is the year we would have turned on the switch and hydropower would have flowed through the country,” he said.

No debt

Jagdeo reminded that arrangements under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government would have guaranteed that the Government would not

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

have incurred any debt for this project.

In fact, part of the financing was expected to come from a Norwegian grant to buy equity into the project. The remainder would have been private funding from the contractors, who were expected to sell power to Government, some through equity and some through a loan.

Jagdeo said, “But we would have bought power at half of the price that we were generating power at 2012 because of the price of oil at that time which was about 20 cents per kilowatt hour…we would have bought power at 10 cents per kilowatt hour.”

Although there were concerns about some technical

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

issues with the project, Jagdeo explained that these were dealt with.

An evaluation found that a reservoir could have been constructed to facilitate the continuous flow of power, in the event the dry season stepped in.

Addressing the issue of alleged corruption associated with the AFHP, which Jordan sought to address during the Private Sector event, Jagdeo said although there were some concerns raised about the then contract associated with Fip Motilall, he has repeatedly called on the Government to release the evaluation report done by a technical team when the bids were received.

“They have a copy of the

report and you would see that the politicians had no role in evaluating the bid. We gave it to the lowest tender and I saw some pictures of the road, the roads done by that contract are holding up strongly,” Jagdeo further added.

The allegation that PPP/C Government sought financing for the project through multilateral banks is untrue, Jagdeo said, explaining that his Government never approached any multilateral financial institution except the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for some equity, but not on a major scale. He said most funds were expected to come from the Private Sector.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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friday, july 14, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

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sif Nawaz Production is celebrating its 20th year of existence in fine style on Saturday, July 29 at the Guyana National Stadium with an event called “Chutney Evolution 2K7”.

The event will be done in three segments – the first will be a kid’s fun park and will feature amazing and engaging activities for the entire family such as face painting, bouncy castle, trampoline and there will be several cartoon characters to add to the excitement. This commences at 14:00h.

The second part will be a concert

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featuring some of the best in the chutney business. These include reigning International Chutney Monarch, Ravi B, Bollywood singing sensation Bindu Kohli, Trinidad’s superstars Kavita Maharaj; Chutney ambassador D Hitman; singing sensation Jesh Ramnanan, De Sexy Reshma Ramlall; rising star Aykeel Ali, sexy Shelia, Joel Gansham, Celia Samaroo and the Shakti Strings Crossover Band.

Adding some flavours to the show will be the Eshara Dance Troupe and the Shelita Dancers. Crown Vibes will be in charge of the sounds and light-

ing. However, the third segment will be the grand fireworks at the stroke of midnight followed by a champagne toast that will epitomise the promoter’s heartfelt gratitude and vehement respect for all its supporters – past, present and future.

There will be a special VIP section as well as a VVIP setting for sponsors and special guests, as well as the typical economy category for those thrifty concert-goers. Meanwhile, tickets for the event cost $1000 for general admission and $3000 for the VIP experience. Tickets for the event can be uplifted at regular ticketing locations.

goes to New York City

ne of Guyana’s biggest chutney shows titled “Clash of the Titans” has taken off and landed in New York City and has been creating quite a buzz.

The event, which can be described as epic, will be held for the first time in New York on August 12 at the Amazura Concert Hall, 90-12 144th Place, Jamaica, N e w York.

With this show being hosted for the first time on international soil, the promoters, Fire Fest Promotions and Guyana Tunes are making sure that it will be one that will leave an indelible mark on the hearts of those who attend.

Several artistes are all hyped and ready to perform at the event including reigning International Chutney Monarchs Ravi B and Omardath Maraj; former

Chutney Monarch KI; Guyana Baboo Terry Gajraj; Nishard M; Neeval Chatelall; Mahendra Ramkellwan; Nisha B; Adrian Dutchin; Ranjeev; Dheeraj and others. In addition, the Karma Band, KI Band, The Gemini Band and members of the Shiv Tahal Dance Company will be at the event.

Guyana’s own Party Boss, WR Reaz, will be the official emcee. Tickets are now available for the event.

guyanatimesgy.com

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friday, july 14, 2017

he 17th Annual Lake Mainstay Regatta & Stage Show is set for Sunday, August 13 at the magnificent freshwater lake along the Essequibo Coast.

The main attraction will be the “clash of the daredevils” and will feature Neil Gonsalves and team from Essequibo and Dave Scott and team from Bartica.

On the day of the event, there will be 13 categories of power boat racing. These include the 3-15 HP; 2-40 HP; 3-90 HP; 2-200 HP and 3-Open HP for male and females.

Blaze Anthonio

In addition, there will be the 1-200 metres male and female canoe races and the 1-200m race for swimmers. There will also be a memorial race in the 90-HP category in honour of Orin Bell who lost his life a few years ago.

While it will be fun on the water top, more than $3 million in cash prizes and trophies will be up for grabs.

Meanwhile, after the races, all attention will be placed on the stage show and beach party with live performances by some of Guyana’s best artistes.

These include Blaze Anthonio,

Roger Bowen

Bunty Singh

Roger Bowen, Bunty Singh, Kadi Kish, Trevon Vibez, Poonam Singh and Aamir Khan. The emcee for the evening will be Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones. Also in the house will be the Pream’s Mega Sound and Essequibo’s top deejays.

During the day, there will be the children fun park comprising merry-go-round, trampoline and bouncy castle attractions.

There will be several wellstocked food and drinks bars.

Admission for the event cost $1000 for adults and $500 for children. More at the gate and the action kicks off at 10:00h.

Poonam Singh

for GFC Ground on July 22

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n what is promised to be a night of musical warfare, Mackeson and Empire Media Inc have once again teamed up to host the highly-anticipated “Art of War 2017” billed for Saturday, July 22 at Guyana Football Club Ground, Bourda.

This event, which is in its second year, has already created a social media craze, with fans all hyped and ready for the battle.

It will feature nine of Guyana’s elite DJs and Selectors who will do battle for $750,000, one trophy and one year’s bragging rights.

Competing DJs and Selectors are defending champions Platinum and Skinny Hype, Dillon and Charley, Turf Teacha and Tall Boss, Antsman, Keston, Mystro, Dauren from Berbice; Chinese Assassin out of Essequibo and Spotlight Sound of Linden.

There will be four rounds in the clash: Round 1: Declaration of War (Anything Goes including Dub-plates) 2 Elimination – 10 Mins Round 2: Engage the Enemy (Anything Goes including Dub-plates) 2 Elimination – 8

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Mins Round 3: Dead Artistes Round (Only dead artistes can be played no Dub-plates) 2 Elimination – 10 Mins Round 4: Final Round: Tune for Tune – Vocal Artistes Only. First to 5; No Dub-plates The “Art of War” clash will be judged by the fans while the rules will be enforced by the host/emcee. The crowd will be asked to judge by show of hands. Not by voice or noise.

Early juggling will be provided by Father Moey, Determine, Immortal Sound, Frequency Sound, DJ Unruly, DJ Supreme, and TRS Sound.

Tickets are $1500 and will be available soon at Nigel’s Supermarket Depot, White Castle Fish shop and Korner Kick Restaurant and Bar. Gates will be opened from 18:00h and the clash starts at 21:00h.

For more information you can like the Facebook page – ‘Empire Media Inc’, follow them on Instagram @empiremediainc or call David Williams on 687-0989 or Eusi Davis on 862-233-0494.

Aamir Khan

Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones

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okolo Aresa David is delegate number 11 in the upcoming Miss Guyana Renaissance Pageant billed for the National Cultural Centre in August. This 32-year-old Berbician described herself as energetic, charismatic, ambitious, and focused. Nokolo Aresa is one born to be an executive who can rise above mountains with determination and a fighter with a true passion for something and will give everything for it.

The proud mother is currently employed at the Guyana Revenue Authority as a publication officer, but on weekends, she works at HGPTV as a receptionist. Playing board games, travelling, interacting with people and shopping are the many hobbies she enjoys in her free time.

Along with six subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, she is the holder of a diploma in Accounting and Business Management from the International University.

In addition, she also possesses a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the said university.

The quote she embraces is “We can be only what we think we can; we can have only what we think we can have.

What we do, what we are all depend on what we think.”

One reasons for joining the pageant is to develop a wealth of knowledge and experience of ‘life’ and she sees the pageant as giving her the opportunity to learn more from the other contestants.

In addition, it allows her the opportunity to be a voice for our seniors, which is one of her interests, as the pageant will be focusing on senior citizens this year. And finally, the pageant allows her the opportunity to contribute her “grain of sand” to address other social issues such as domestic violence.

14 news 4000 youths to benefit from HEYS by 2018 friDAY, july 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Junior Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe along with Finance Ministry Secretary, Dr Hector Butts; youth entrepreneur Natucha Harris and others at the launch

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ome four thousand youths of the hinterland will benefit from the Government’s Hinterland Employment and Youth Services (HEYS) programme by next year.

This is according to Junior Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Valerie GarridoLowe, who was at the time speaking at the launch of the second HEYS programme.

The 2017-2018 chapter of the programme will be executed in 100 villages across

Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine with 2000 youths set to benefit.

HEYS was first launched when the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry partnered with several other Ministries and Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) for the development of residents of the hinterland areas.

Minister Garrido-Lowe said that although the programme has not had a 100 per cent success rate, its purpose to build capacity of the

youths in the hinterland areas has been accomplished.

The Minister who has responsibility for youth development said, “This programme is training them, showing them, giving them ideas to achieve their full potential in business, in leadership because you have public speaking and the life skill components. And I can tell you that many of them who could not speak before and they will tell you too they were not brave, but now they

can express themselves. So, this programme is really doing what it is supposed to do in the hinterland.”

Finance Ministry Secretary, Dr Hector Butts, in his brief remarks, noted the importance of the programme and the role it would eventually play.

“We are expected to present a budget that reflects harmony in terms of the elements identified in moving the country forward and not because it is our responsibility, but we have to ensure that funds identified for the programme are there and that the funds are managed in an efficient and proper manner,” Butts said.

Delivering the feature address at the launch, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock said those who have thus far benefited were testimony that the programme was achieving its purpose.

Allicock recognised that hinterland youths could now become entrepreneurs and further contribute to society.

He said, “We can today

celebrate the fact that our young Indigenous citizens who benefited from this programme thus far are a living testimony to the positive outcome of Government’s investment, the Ministry’s programme execution and their own commitment and hard work. We can now speak of having young, skilled and enlightened entrepreneurs in Indigenous villages and communities all across Guyana; something that two years ago we could not do.”

The longevity of the more than 350 enterprises that were established under the HEYS programme was also highlighted, and Minister Allicock said he believed that the Ministry “should in the very near future establish a monitoring and evaluation

unit. This unit is necessary for ensuring that all of our programmes and projects are centrally monitored and that qualitative reports are delivered in a timely manner”.

At the launch, one young woman who benefited from the first HEYS programme spoke of her achievements.

Natucha Harris, a 17-year-old, was able to construct her own home, commence cash crop farming, and establish a mobile snackette, whose operations involve “taking snacks in a boat and paddling up the streams and down.

I also barbecue chicken on Saturdays that I rear and although I am very exhausted at the end of the day, deep down in my heart I know it’s an honest labour.”

Thomson Foundation launches search for best Young Journalist 2017

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homson Foundation, in partnership with the United Kingdom’s Foreign Press Association (FPA), is inviting young journalists from around the world to submit their most compelling stories.

Now leading into its fifth year, the Young Journalist Award is Thomson Foundation’s annual journalism competition, dedicated to finding and inspiring ambitious and emerging journalistic talent from across the globe.

Previous winners have each possessed the most important traits necessary to be successful in journalism: a unique voice, a fresh perspective and a strong passion not only for their subjects, but also for their craft.

Loyal supporters of the Foundation – the world’s longest established international media development organisation – would already know how the award works, but here are the details for newcomers.

Search for new talent

The competition is open to journalists aged 30 or under from countries with a gross national income per capita of less than US$20,000. Those who meet the criteria are welcome to submit a portfolio of three published pieces of work produced in the 12 months preceding the deadline for submissions, which is August 18, 2017. They can be in any format – print, audio, video, multimedia or a combination of all four.

An esteemed panel from the Foundation — all highly experienced journalists with-

in their own right — will tackle the substantial, scouring through hundreds of entries from young journalists from across the globe, which, in previous years, have included Africa, the Indian subcontinent, China, South America, parts of Central Asia and the Middle East, for stories that are revelatory, prompt public debate and have led to, or have the potential to lead to, positive change in society.

A shortlist of 12 is drawn up and the final decision is left to the Foundation’s international supreme court. Last year, Thomson welcomed three independent FPA judges from Italy, Switzerland, and Australia.

While only three finalists can make it to London to attend the prestigious gala awards night in November, along with a host of other potential award winners and leading figures from the world of journalism, there is space to salute the longer shortlist of 12 on the Thomson Foundation website and social media channels.

“This is the start of a fascinating period for the Foundation, because we are privileged to get access to a rich mix of compelling stories from across the world,” says Thomson Foundation chief executive Nigel Baker.

“Previous winners have moved on and up in their careers, won other distinguished awards and continued to unearth news that has had a serious impact on their communities and countries. We look forward to assessing the latest tranche of submissions.” (Thomson Foundation)

news

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friDAY, july 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Prisoners exited front gate while Police were watching walls – Top Cop on prison break

The fugitives, who are considered armed and dangerous

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uring the disastrous sequence of events that led to prisoners escaping and the wooden Camp Street prison being razed to the ground on Sunday, it was the armed forces’ focused attention on the walls of the prison that allowed the escapees to walk right out the front door.

This is according to Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, who was asked during a press conference on Thursday at the Public Security Ministry about the whereabouts of his ranks when the prisoners escaped the inferno and proceeded to hijack a vehicle.

“The security on the perimeter of the Georgetown prisons was directed at prisoners escaping through the walls of the prison and not on the front gate, which the prison controls,” he explained. “What happened on the day in question is (the) fires in the buildings of the Georgetown prisons.”

“So there were several places that were burning,” Persaud explained. The prison officers at the front gate were overpowered and five men came out of that gate, headed down Camp Street, and hijacked a car in which four of them escaped.

“The other one went back into the prison.”

Detailing the difficulties Police ranks faced while trying to control the situation, Persaud admitted that the Police on the streets guarding the perimeter of the prison were so focused on the walls they “didn’t even notice persons passing them on Camp Street”.

“That wasn’t their focus and it happened very quickly,” the Top Cop said. “So in the circumstances, it is

understandable that they could have eluded the attention of those ranks,” he contended.

A group of prisoners on Sunday afternoon staged an attack on the prison officials and set the Camp Street Prison alight. Reports are that the prison escapees exited the front gate armed with guns and other weapons.

The fire began in the south-eastern side of the Prison, and as the smoke spread throughout the building, prisoners were heard shouting for help from Durban Street, as the building was placed on lockdown to prevent more criminals from escaping.

Shortly after, the angry prisoners were heard rattling the grilles and hitting the zinc fence that surrounds the prison.

However, pandemonium broke out when the prisoners in the smoke-consumed buildings began hurling large stones in their numbers through the vents in

the upper floor, at the hundreds of civilians and Police Officers who had surrounded the location.

As Police sought to set up barricades around the apparent “war zone” to protect civilians, a few disobedient spectators received minor injuries from the stones thrown in their direction.

Moreover, spectators were seen running as gunshots were being fired at them randomly, during an apparent shootout with prisoners in one of the buildings and the Police outside.

Officials from the Army were seen crouching behind objects with large rifles as they avoided and retaliated towards the shots fired at them from the criminals,

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

who were attacking while being in the almost completely burnt building.

In the aftermath of the disaster, which has attracted international attention, a number of prison officers were injured; one, Odinga Wickham, fatally. Police have issued wanted bulletins for Mark Royden Durant, Uree Varswyck, Stafrei Hopkinson Alexander, Cobena Stephens, Cornelius Thomas and Desmond James.

Durant, also known as Royden Williams and “Smallie”, was charged along with several others for the 2008 mass killing at Bartica. The other escapees were also imprisoned for murder.

A manhunt is currently underway for these fugitives.

16 news

friDAY, july 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fire guts East Ruimveldt homes – several homeless

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fire suspected to be electrical in origin has completely destroyed a section of terraced houses in East Ruimveldt, leaving one family homeless and another forced to return to the ruins.

At around 14:30h on Thursday, the upper flat of one of the homes situated on Trench Road, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown went up in flames, resulting in it being gutted while the adjoining apartment suffered damage.

A woman and her son are now homeless, while the family of seven residing in the now damaged home has no choice but to continue dwelling in the ruins.

Speaking to Guyana Times at the scene of the incident was Yannick Grimes, a local bodybuilder, who explained what transpired.

“Like around 2:30this afternoon, my mom was in front standing…then she start shouting, ‘Fire! Fire!

Fire’!” Grimes relayed.

He noted, “When I proceeded to the house, I saw smoke coming from the roof.

I ran to the door and kicked it down and actually saw the flames upstairs.”

He went on to say that even though they attempted to save the building, the thick smoke prevent them

woman said she was still in a state of dismay over her loss.

However, based on reports received, the woman was identified as Cynthia Johnson, who shared the home with one of her sons, Percival Johnson.

Unfortunately, neither of the two was at home at the time of the fire.

The Guyana Fire Service was present to extinguish the fire, and as such, an investigation has been launched.

Essequibo businessmen... from page 7

The section of terraced homes affected by fire

from going any further into the building.

However, Grimes revealed, “We actually saw a fan on the floor. Probably that’s what caused the fire, cause the fan had flames.”

Also speaking to this newscast was the owner of the damaged residence, Andrew Forde, a pump attendant attached to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.

“Well, I was sleep, and my son wake me up and tell me, ‘Fire! Fire in the neighbour house!’ and me and my neighbour went over and kick down the door and start

doing bucket brigade and try to control the fire till the fire reel come,” the man told media operatives.

Forde then indicated that it was the efforts of the community and prompt response from the Guyana Fire Service which aided in the aversion of what could have been massive disaster.

“If they didn’t come, this whole place would’ve burn down, cause it start spreading in the two other buildings next door.” The affected man expressed his distress in that even though his home was not entirely damaged, his family has still suf-

fered a great loss following the fire, which started from the adjoining building.

“Well, the fire affected me, cause everything soak.

Everything inside soak; we gotta clean from top to bottom,” Grimes stated.

The pump attendant noted, “We ain’t got nowhere else to sleep; we got to sleep right there. We got to try to clean it out, bail out the water and make we-self comfortable, cause we got nowhere else to go.”

Meanwhile, this newspaper was unable to speak to the owner of the completely destroyed home, as the

Chairman of the Charity/ Ursara Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Beatrice Mittelholzer suggested that GPL rent generators so as to ensure residents of Charity get electricity.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer for GPL (Technical Services), Elwin Marshall said the company was “deeply concerned” over the plight of residents and apologised for the unreliable power supply. He explained that the generator sets have suffered major mechanical problems, which resulted in the power outages. He, however, assured that the company was moving in the direction to convert the South field to temporarily supply from Anna Regina to Charity. Marshall said that at present, GPL was trying to install a 60-cycle supply on the Essequibo Coast by splitting the South feeders.

He, however, cautioned that during ‘load shedding’ periods, there may be some technical issues which residents would be informed about.

Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt noted that for far too long Essequibians have been quiet about the power outages and as such, urged persons to not be afraid to state their concerns at the meeting. Ramdatt also expressed frustration at the manner in which the company has dealt with the power outages, explaining that no public advisory was sent. The Regional Chairman said the power outages have also affected the Suddie Public Hospital, damaging many electrical equipment among other things. Also attending the meeting were GPL’s Manager at Anna Regina, Ben Field, and its Operations Director, Har John.

friDAY, july 14, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

US prepares new St Lucia’s Agriculture Minister resigns amidst controversy sanctions on Chinese W firms over North Korea ties – officials ith a cloud of controversy hanging over his head, St Lucia’s Agriculture Minister Senator Jimmy Henry called it quits Wednesday.

The surprise move came 24 hours after the Opposition St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) called on Prime Minister Allen Chastanet to clear the air on allegations

Flags of US and China are placed for a meeting in Beijing, China June 30, 2017

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rustrated that China has not done more to rein in North Korea, the Trump Administration could impose new sanctions on small Chinese banks and other firms doing business with Pyongyang within weeks, two senior US officials said.

The US measures would initially hit Chinese entities considered "low-hanging fruit," including smaller financial institutions and "shell" companies linked to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, said one of the officials, while declining to name the targets.

It would leave larger Chinese banks untouched for now, the official said.

The timing and scope of the US action will depend heavily on how China responds to pressure for tougher steps against North Korea when US and Chinese officials meet for a high-level economic dialogue in

Washington on Wednesday, the Administration sources told Reuters.

President Donald Trump and his top aides have signalled growing impatience with China over North Korea, especially since Pyongyang last week test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, which experts say could put all of Alaska in range for the first time.

US officials have also warned that China could face US trade and economic pressure – something Trump has held in abeyance since taking office in January - unless it does more to restrain its neighbour.

The so-called "secondary sanctions" now being considered are a way for the United States to apply targeted economic pressure on companies in countries with ties to North Korea by denying them access to the US market and financial system. (Excerpt from Reuters)

that a government minister had been stopped and searched at the George FL Charles Airport.

“If there are allegations that a government minister is under surveillance for a very long time [and] the allegations continue that he was actually stopped at an airport and searched, the Prime Minister of this country

must come out and say that is not true,” SLP spokesman MP Ernest Hilaire had said.

The SLP’s claim was, however, shot down by National Security Minister Hermanguild Francis, who denied knowledge of any such investigation regarding Henry and suggested that the allegation was political mischief.

Top cop Milton Desir also told reporters that he gave no order to investigate Henry.

In a 96-second video statement, Henry stayed clear of the SLP’s claims as he explained his decision to step down to his constituents and expressed gratitude to his ministerial colleagues. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Rwanda killed 37 petty criminals, Mexico gun Human Rights Watch says attack on children's party R in Tizayuca kills 11

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asked men burst into a children's birthday party in the Mexican city of Tizayuca in central Hidalgo state, killing 11.

Police said they had found three children alive at the scene, but all 11 adults at the party had been shot dead.

It had taken place in a tent set up by the host outside their home in a residential area of the city.

Mexico has recently seen a surge in violence linked to disputes between drug cartels.

In May alone, 2186 killings were recorded – approximately 70 a day.

A recent trend has seen hit men murdering whole families, including children.

(BBC News)

wandan authorities have summarily executed "at least 37" people accused of committing minor criminal offences, instead of prosecuting them, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

The Government in Kigali denies that any extrajudicial killings took place.

Most of the alleged victims were accused of theft - in one case stealing bananas.

Others were accused of smuggling marijuana, illegally entering the country, or using illegal fishing nets.

Human Rights Watch

says the executions took place between July 2016 and March 2017 in western Rwanda.

They believe it is part of an official strategy to "spread fear, enforce order and deter any resistance to Government orders or policies".

Witnesses told HRW the fate of one man, accused of stealing a cow, was decided in a community meeting.

Fulgence Rukundo was questioned about the stolen cow, then taken to a community meeting with the district mayor.

One witness described

what happened next: "When the meeting was finished, the soldiers walked Fulgence to a small field near a banana plantation. There were many of us following; some were primary students.

We wanted to see what would happen... A soldier told him to stand up and walk, and another soldier told us to leave. At that moment, I heard three shots."

The report by HRW also alleges that, in another case, two men were killed by civilians after local officials encouraged them to do so. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

UAE Minister says demand to shut Al Jazeera dropped

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audi Arabia and three other Arab countries that have imposed a political and economic blockade on Qatar are to drop their demand that the Al

Jazeera Media Network be shut down.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Qatar

on June 5.

A UAE Minister says Emirates sought 'fundamental change and restructuring' and not shutting down Al Jazeera. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, july 14, 2017

ARCHIE

Emotional deception and manipulation should be in(March 21- telligently dealt with. Added April 19) discipline and experience will help you handle matters in a unique and clever manner.

Make love, not war.

ARIES

Going on trips, organizing TAURUS family gatherings and taking (April 20- part in community events are May 20) favored. Extend your friendship or a helping hand and you will enjoy feedback and rewards offered in return.

dilbert

Put your emotions to GEMINI (May 21- work. Do something physical June 20) that will allow you to blow off steam. Don’t let anyone take advantage of your generosity or enthusiasm.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

WORD GAME

Plan an outing or day trip and discover interesting people, places and things to do.

Don’t sit back and let life pass you by. Use your skills in new and exciting ways.

Refuse to let anyone put demands on your time. You are best off working quietly on your own so that you can finish what you start without interference.

What you do for others VIRGO (Aug. 23- will make you feel good and Sept. 22) will be appreciated, even if some recipients aren’t accommodating. Kindness, compassion and courtesy will ease stress and impress onlookers.

A steady pace and the inLIBRA tent to finish what you start (Sept. 23will help you avoid criticism Oct. 23) and interference. Distress will result if you trust someone with a personal secret.

SUDOKU

Taking short trips, explorSCORPIO ing educational pursuits and in(Oct. 24- teracting with interesting people Nov. 22) will help you make better choic-

es. Don’t feel the need to live a conventional lifestyle. Let your bohemian imagination take over.

Complications with conSAGITTARIUS tractors, investors or domes(Nov. 23- tic situations will mount if Dec. 21) you aren’t quick to size up situations and make alterations to counter any ongoing expense or problem.

A passive approach to CAPRICORN what others are doing will (Dec. 22- help you remain an observer.

Jan. 19) Don’t let temptation drag you into an unstable situation that could lead to a loss.

YESTERDAY’S WORD -- BLOTCHES

solution for Last Published Puzzle Put in extra hours if it AQUARIUS will help you ease stress and (Jan. 20give you the option to enFeb. 19) joy the rest of your weekend.

Romance or family togetherness late in the day is favored.

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

Double-check your moPISCES tives and those of others be(Feb. 20March 20) fore you make a promise or commitment to someone.

Charm and friendly gestures will be misleading.

friDAY, july 14, 2017

Venus eclipses Konta

19

Tour de France 2017

Froome cracks to reach Wimbledon final as Bardet wins stage 12 V

enus Williams became the oldest woman in 23 years to reach a Wimbledon final as she defied her age and a despondent home crowd to inflict a crushing defeat on British hope Johanna Konta on Thursday.

Eight years after her last Wimbledon final and more than two decades since Martina Navratilova became the last 37-year-old to reach the same stage, Williams produced the sort of attacking performance that led her to five titles in her heyday.

Her 6-4 6-2 semi-final win over the Briton was a clinical execution and set up a Saturday showdown with Garbine Muguruza, whose own ruthless demolition of Magdalena Rybarikova whetted the appetite for an intriguing final.

It will be Williams’s ninth at

Wimbledon and the stage for a potential eighth grand slam crown and having defied the odds to reach this point, few would now bet against her.

Konta was looking to become the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon final since Virginia Wade in 1977, but her hopes were crushed as Williams picked her off at crucial points.

The American, who has dropped only one set all tournament, was too strong for her opponent from the baseline and was able to produce booming serves whenever Konta threatened.

After initially going toe-to-toe with Williams, Konta was unable to generate any sort of sustained pressure and ended the contest a clear second best, losing eight of the final 10 games. (Reuters)

Root expects seamers to shine as England remain unchanged J

oe Root said England will be unchanged for the second test against South Africa on Friday at Trent Bridge, where he expects his seam bowlers make a greater contribution than in the series opener last week.

Moeen Ali was the star of the England bowling attack in the first test victory at Lord’s, taking 10 wickets in a test match for the first time. He was well supported by fellow spinner Liam Dawson, but seamers took just six wickets in both South African innings combined.

England’s pacemen bowled just ten overs between them in the tourist’s second innings, but Root expects Mark Wood, James Anderson, Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad to have more of an impact this time around.

“We’re going in with the same team,” Root said on Thursday as his side look to build on their 1-0 lead in a four-match series. “It gives us a great balance if spin does come into it later in the

England will be seeking to seal the series in the upcoming Test

game, but it might be that our seamers play a bigger part this week and that excites me. When they get the opportunity they’ll still be pretty fresh coming into the second innings later on in this game.”

Broad has particularly fond memories of England’s

last visit to Trent Bridge where Broad also plays his county cricket - as Australia were skittled out for just 60 in 2015, with Broad starring, taking 8-15.

“We’ve got great memories of here, and Stuart’s excited for another opportunity to bowl on his home

ground,” Root said.

“We’ve played some good cricket here in the last four or five years, and we want to make sure that continues this week.”

The second test gets under way on Friday, before the teams then meet at The Oval and Old Trafford. (Reuters)

Stage winner Romain Bardet is third in the general classification

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ritain’s Chris Froome lost the leader’s yellow jersey to Fabio Aru as France’s Romain Bardet won stage 12 of the Tour de France in Peyragudes.

The Team Sky rider cracked on the brutal uphill finish, finishing seventh, and Italy’s Aru pounced to take the race lead by just six seconds.

Bardet climbed to victory on the 214.5km stage to move third overall.

Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran was second on the stage, followed by Aru and Froome’s Team Sky teammate Mikel Landa.

“It was a tough day for me in the final metres and my team-mates had done such an amazing job,” said Froome.

“But I didn’t have the legs to finish it off, it’s as simple as that. No excuses.

I just didn’t have the legs on the final kick.”

British champion Steve Cummings made a long solo break on the 50th anniversary of the death of compatriot Tom Simpson but was caught inside the final 10km on the penultimate climb.

Britain’s Simon Yates moved up to sixth overall after finishing ninth on the stage and retains the best young rider’s white jersey.

For the majority of this

first day in the Pyrenees - the second longest stage of this year’s Tour - Team Sky successfully employed their familiar tactic of sitting at the front of the peloton, keeping the pace just high enough to neutralise attacks by defending champion Froome’s rivals.

All seven of Froome’s remaining team-mates were still in place at the foot of the highest climb of the day - the ‘hors categorie’ Port de Bales - before Landa and fellow Spaniard Mikel Nieve guided their leader into the final few kilometres.

New Zealand’s George Bennett attacked in the final kilometre and although Landa reeled him in, Aru then kicked.

He distanced Froome as Uran and Bardet bridged the gap before the Frenchman found enough power to haul himself up a section with a gradient of 16% to win.

Uran and Aru followed two seconds later but Froome was still struggling in visible pain behind, eventually losing 22 seconds to stage-winner Bardet and with it the yellow jersey to Aru. Whether Froome’s style simply did not suit the punchy 2.4km final climb, or whether there are issues with his form this year, remains to be seen.

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

fridAY, july 14, 2017

Cornwall eyes George relishing Westbrook Windies call-up link-up at OKC A for England series

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ntigua and Barbuda all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall is hopeful of being selected to the West Indies squad for the upcoming tour of England.

The Windies will travel to England next month for three Test matches, five ODI games, and a lone T20 international, still with faint

Rahkeem Cornwall

hopes of securing automatic qualification for the 2018 World Cup. The talented Cornwall has been in impressive form regionally, playing a total of 30 first-class matches in which he scored over 1000 runs at an average of 22.50. The player has also been handy with the ball as he has 141 wickets, with a wicket every 50 balls.

He averages 24.49.

Despite being recognized for his huge potential Cornwall is yet to earn a call-up from the selectors at the senior level, but he remains committed to continuing to perform well.

“I think once you step up to the next level you just have to work hard at your game and once you know what you can do then you have to keep working on it and strengthen yourself and do what you have to do. I am hoping the selectors will give me a chance but if not I will be with St Lucia for the CPL,” Cornwall told the Antigua and Barbuda Observer.

fter joining Oklahoma City Thunder from the Indiana Pacers, Paul George is hoping to take the pressure off Russell Westbrook’s shoulders.

Paul George revealed he has already been in contact with Russell Westbrook as he eagerly anticipates linking up with this year’s NBA MVP at Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was confirmed last week that George had been traded to the Thunder by the Indiana Pacers, with Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis moving in the opposite direction.

Like many observers, George himself conceded his surprise at joining the Thunder, but cannot wait to get started alongside his new team-mate, who set a new record of 42 triple-doubles last season.

“I thought I was going to, like, four or five other teams that were pretty active in the trade. When I found out it was OKC I was quite surprised, but at the same time I was happy about the trade,” George said.

“I was thrilled, I was looking forward to it. All I wanted was a chance and an opportunity to play for something special and ultimately win a championship and right off the back I think I get that here, playing along-

side Russ.

“We’ve had a lot of time to talk. Right after the trade I called him that night and we kind of talked and went over the excitement of playing alongside one another. Yesterday we got a good time, we had a lot of time to talk.

“It wasn’t even about basketball. Just vibing together and getting to know one another and, I think, creating a friendship there.”

Asked about the prospect of playing with Westbrook, George hopes he will be able to release some of the pressure on the MVP’s shoulders.

“For myself, just running the floor, creating space for him to operate. He’s so hard to stay in front of, he’s going to attract double teams night in and night out, almost every possession.

“So I think for myself it will be easy to space the

Paul George (left) and Russell Westbrook

floor and be a knock-down shooter for him. And I think the opposite. I demand double teams and [I am] a guy teams scout for and try to prep for.

“I think both of us... he doesn’t have to have the pressure of shouldering all that workload and have to

feel he has to do it alone, as he’s never had, but I don’t want him to have that pressure at all.

“I think we’ll work really well. I’m excited about this journey with him, and I’m excited to rep those three letters. (Sportsmax)

Lewis Hamilton says Silverstone is must-win race

Lewis Hamilton has won the last three races at Silverstone

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he Mercedes driver said he skipped W e d n e s d a y ’ s Formula 1 event in central London because he wanted to be as well prepared as possible for his home race.

“The championship is the most important thing but a very close second is your home grand prix,” Hamilton said.

“I want to win the British Grand Prix. I have not won the last two races.

The pleasure it would give me, you can’t measure that.

It’s always a must-win.”

Hamilton is 20 points behind title rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari after finishing fourth in last Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, where a gearbox penalty left him eighth on the grid.

He made the decision not to take part in the London event - which featured F1 cars being driv-

en in Trafalgar Square and Whitehall and was attended by the other 19 drivers before race day in Austria.

“I heard it was an amazing event,” he said. “I love the British fans. I have made no secret of that.

Hopefully the real fans know that when they come here. “I am happy with how I’ve performed but the intensity of the season is weighing heavily on everyone. I am wanting to be the best prepared I can be.

“This is the closest battle I’ve ever had in a championship. It’s going to be hardest to win so you make sacrifices. You have to do what’s right to make yourself the best prepared you can be.” Hamilton has won the last three British Grands Prix and if he wins this weekend he will tie with Alain Prost and Jim Clark’s joint record of five wins.

He said: “It is the home of motorsport. The history and the turn-out we have is incredible. I have grown up watching Nigel Mansell win here and Damon [Hill] and Johnny [Herbert].

“There is no other race that has the atmosphere this race has, because of the fans. You want to be the one who delivers for them - look out and see the British flags and there is no better feeling.”

Hamilton said the faster 2017 cars would make the track more demanding than ever and predicted a close battle between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

“It’s going to be rapid,” he said. “I think none of us are quite prepared for just how fast. The g-force levels are going to be one up at each corner. It’s going to be a spectacular weekend.”

(BBC)

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Warriors’ management, Hamzah Eastman Education Ministry ink continues fine form in stadium agreement Anguilla Cycling meet L ong having established himself as one of Guyana’s leading cyclists, Hamzah Eastman continued his fine form on the overseas circuits when he copped a podium spot in Anguilla.

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Antiguan Robert Marsh and Sherwyn Osborne also of Anguilla closed out the top six in that order.

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A happy occasion for Cricket in Guyana. Minister Nicolette Henry receives the signed agreement from Guyana Amazon Warriors Operations Manager Omar Khan in the presence of Permanent Secretary Melissa Tucker and Anthony Xavier the General Manager of the National Stadium

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uyana Amazon Warriors Operations Manager Omar Khan in the presence Education Minister Nicolette Henry on Thursday inked an agreement for usage of the National Stadium at Providence for the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) . The agreement which was signed in the boardroom of the Ministry’s Main Street location also had the attendance of Permanent Secretary Melissa Tucker and Manager at the Stadium Anthony Xavier.

The signing is an annual occurrence since the inception of League in 2013. It caters for the Warriors being able to use to the facility to train and also for CPL to host matches in Guyana. Minister Henry told Guyana Times Sport that she welcomes the agreement since it will help the govern-

ment build with the respective stakeholders.

“It signals progress in the negotiations and I’m happy to see that we are able to have four matches here in Guyana”, she stated. Henry added, “The Government, Ministry of Education, Department Youth Culture and Sport is pleased to have this opportunity to partner with CPL and all other stakeholders to make this a reality”.

Likewise, Khan contended that the agreement is important since it allows the squad to begin their necessary preparation. “It is a significant part of the process in terms of us getting ready for the hosting of our CPL games here in Guyana. Without the stadium agreement in place and having access the facility it would hamper our preparation since our camp starts on July 25”,

Khan posited. He further elaborated, “I want to thank the Government of Guyana and the Honourable Minister for having the support and giving us the Stadium to use for it plays a great part in the success of the tournament”.

The Warriors will have four home matches from August 17 to 22nd.

On the 17th, they play the Jamaica Tallawahs; after which they play arch-rivals Trinbago Knight Riders two days later. The Warriors then clash with the Barbados Tridents on the 20th, and then have their final home match against the St Lucia Zouks on the 22nd. The fifth edition of the league will run from August 4 to September 9 with the Warriors’ opening their account against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on August 5 in Florida.

Hamzah Eastman (3rd right) poses with his trophy

in Anguilla’s 18th Annual John T. Memorial Cycling race on Sunday. Competing in the Elite category 7-lap event, Eastman finished in a time of 3hrs56m32.44s to take second behind Curacao’s Hilliard Cijntje who pipped the Guyanese to take first in 3 hours 56 minutes 30.94 seconds. Barbadian Russell Elcock finished third with 3a time of hrs56m33.14s while Anguillan Hasani Hennis,

ished 7th among a field of 21 cyclists. His time was 3hrs8m19.17s for seventh.

The St Maarten duo of Dick Luttekes (2hrs53m21.78s) and Mark Maidwell (2hrs58.45.80s) copped first and second place respectively.

Antigua’s Sean Weathered came in third behind Maidwell while Antoine Landeford, Patricio Carty, and Otis Cotton all of St Maarten closed out the top six.

Petra/ Corona Football Tournament…

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– Police, Western Tigers obliterate opponents

T

he Petra Organised Corona Football Tournament continued on Wednesday evening and soggy conditions did not hamper a flurry of goals as 29 were scored in the three matches held at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC), Bourda.

The upset of the night was Camptown’s 1-0 win over the host.

Ozei Small struck the only goal of the match in the 43rd minute after which his team withstood a barrage of shots of goals by the opposition to secure a vital three points in their opening fixture.

The other two matches were more a one-sided affair, with Police and Western Tigers dominating their opponents.

Police Force FC netted 14 goals in their humiliation of Beacons FC. Quincy Holder helped himself to goals in the 7th, 37th, 39th and 45th minutes while teammate Anthonio Wallace also added strikes in the 21st, 47th, 70th and 78th minutes.

Stephan Ramsey notched up a hat-trick to further doom Beacon

Andrew Murray

with goals in the 34th, 84th and 42nd with teammates Dwain Jacobs adding two in the 72nd, 81st and Jermaine Granderson in the 13th minute.

Beacon’s lone goal scorer was Christopher Galloway who net-

ted in the 43rd minute.

In another high scoring game, the Western Tigers mauled new comers Black Pearl FC 13-0.

Tigers’ Winger Hubert Pedro opened the scoring in the 3rd minute and added another in the 37th while striker Devon Millington struck in the 10th and 29th minutes.

Andrew Murray Jr would heap further misery on the Black Pearl team with his helmet-trick coming in the 15th, 55nd , 80th and 83rd minutes.

Linden Pickett in the 22nd, Dwayne McLennon in the 33rd and 59th, Mark Gritten 56th and Darren Benjamin in the 79th were the other goal scorers for the Western Tigers.

The tournament will continue on this evening at the same venue with another triple header commencing at 17:00 hrs. when Pele FC clash with Eastveldt.

A t 19:00 h r s .

Flamingo will do battle with Santos FC after which the final match will see Northern Rangers against Riddim Squad at 21: 00hrs.

The tournament is being played on a round-robin knock-out phase where there will be two groups of six teams. The top four from the respective group will advance to the knock-out phase.

The teams are playing for first place prize of one million dollars and championship trophy while second to fourth will pocket $400,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding accolade.

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

fridAY, july 14, 2017

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Street’ Football…

Riveting action expected tonight at Pouderoyen Tarmac A

nother action-packed night of football is anticipated when the Colours Boutique/ Guinness Greatest of the Street National Football playoffs continue today with six more matches at the Pouderoyen Tarmac, West Demerara.

The Linden leg proved a tough hunting ground for teams from Berbice, East

Coast Demerara and one Georgetown squad as they suffered elimination.

Tonight’s programme will kick off with Plaisance of East Coast Demerara squaring off with Broad Street Ballerz of Georgetown at 19:00 hours.

Show Stoppers of West Demerara will tackle River View of Bartica to be fol-

lowed by Money Team of West Demerara coming up against Sparta Boss of Georgetown while Back Circle of Georgetown will face off with Hustlers of West Demerara.

The winner of the Plaisance/Broad Street Ballerz will face the winner of Back Circle versus Hustlers clash while the winner of Show Stoppers/

It was high intensity at the Mckenzie Market Tarmac in Linden last Saturday when the tournament got underway

River View will take on the winner of Sparta Boss/ Money Team for places in the semi-finals.

Two teams from the mining town - Dave and Celina All Stars and Silver Bullet have already booked their semi-final places following the successful staging of the Linden leg last weekend at the Mackenzie Bus Park tarmac.

The teams eliminated were New Amsterdam Kings and East Bank Gunners of Berbice, Melanie and Buxton Diamond of East Coast Demerara, Tucville of Georgetown and Swag Entertainment of Linden.

The semi-finals, third place play off and final will take place on Saturday at Demerara Park, opposite Thirst Park.

Director of Sport

Christopher Jones as well as senior executives of Banks DIH Limited and Colours Boutique have been invited to witness the finals at Demerara Park.

Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste disclosed that all systems are in place for the finals and he anticipates another exciting two nights of competition in West Demerara and at Demerara Park.

“It has been a long road for the Guinness Greatest of the Streets this season with Zone meets in Georgetown, East Coast Demarara, West Demerara, Bartica, Linden and Berbice and we will now witness “Who will be made of more” as we crown the 2017 champions,” he added.

Winner of the tournament will receive $800,000 and the Championship trophy, while the second, third and fourth place finishers will pocket $400,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively along with trophies.

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, july 14, 2017

Bravo,Cameron apologise ─ Player now free to represent Windies I

t’s now official. West Indies batsman Darren Bravo will now be available for selection to the West Indies after an enforced hiatus sparked by a now infamous tweet eight months ago.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Thursday confirmed that the 28-year-old batsman Bravo is available with immediate effect to play in all forms of cricket, following his apology to CWI and the President, Dave Cameron.

“On the 11th day of November 2016, after viewing statements made about me by Mr. Dave Cameron, President of the Cricket West Indies, on a television sports programme, I tweeted a response which referred to the President which was, in retrospect, inappropriate,” Bravo said in a statement released through Cricket West Indies.

Darren Bravo

“As I have always tried to uphold the best traditions of West Indies Cricket and its players, I now therefore wish to withdraw the comment made on my Twitter account and apologize to the President of CWI and to all WINDIES fans.”

Bravo said now wants to focus on resuming his international career. “I look forward to continuing to play a

positive role in both the West Indies’ senior men’s team and regional cricket, as well as helping to grow and develop cricket in the region at all levels,” he said.

Cameron also issued an apology as part of the agreement to put the matter behind all the parties concerned.

“In early November 2016, I gave an interview to SportsMax

TV during which I discussed player retainer contracts and the grades of contract that had been awarded to certain players. In the course of the interview I stated that Darren Bravo had previously been on an ‘A’ contract, which I have since been advised is not correct. I apologize for the misstatement, and wish to assure Mr. Bravo that there was no insult or offense intended towards him,” Cameron said in the statement.

“Darren is a senior cricketer who has been a valuable part of the WINDIES set up for a long time, and I would hope to see his game continue to progress and mature, at both regional and international level.”

The West Indies are next scheduled to tour England from August 17-September 29.

(SportsMax)

23

FIFA whistleblower Chuck Blazer dead at 72

C

Chuck Blazer

huck Blazer, the former executive of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), whose revelations of corruption within football’s world governing body FIFA, helped bring down it’s long-serving president, has died.

He was 72.

Blazer, who was said to be ailing from diabetes-related illness, coronary artery disease and rectal cancer, was banned from football for life in 2015 following his admission that he and other members of the FIFA executive accepted bribes to vote for the hosts of the 1998 World Cup in France and South Africa in 2010.

His revelations subsequently opened investigations into suspected corruption that eventually brought down FIFA President Sepp Blatter and other powerful members of the football’s world governing body.

For more than two decades, Blazer and former CONCACAF President Jack Warner transformed the confederation into a global powerhouse, significantly helping to grow the sport in the confederation. Media reports said that in part through Blazer’s efforts FIFA chose the U.S. to host the 1994 World Cup. He was named to FIFA’s powerful executive committee in 1997, and he remained there until 2013. (SportsMax)

Big names could be returning to West Indies cricket

A

Keiron Pollard

Dwayne Bravo

proposed relaxation of an existing Cricket West Indies policy is clearing the way for the return of several of the region’s biggest names.

Players like Chris Gayle, D w a y n e Bravo, Sunil N a r i n e , and Keiron Pollard, and the suspended Andre Russell, could all be back in the West Indies squad in the near future as CWI looks to move away its policy regarding player availability for regional cricket.

The policy stated that

players have to participate in regional cricket to be eligible for West Indies selection. Information reaching SportsMax.tv suggests that when the new round of contracts are awarded in October, white ball contracts will be offered to players which will offer greater levels of security and allows them to be more flexible with their schedules.

An amnesty has also been proposed to those who have not been involved in regional cricket, giving them the chance to represent West Indies once more.

(SportsMax)

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

FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Warriors’ management, Education Ministry ink stadium agreement

Pg 23

Permanent Secretary Melissa Tucker and Warriors’ Operation Manager conduct the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding

Petra/ Corona Football Tournament…

Camptown stun sloppy GFC

Hamzah Eastman continues fine form in Anguilla – Police, Western Tigers obliterate opponents Cycling meet Pg 21

Pg 21

Part of the action between GFC and Camptown on Wednesday evening

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