GuyanaTimes International September 21 2018

INTERNATIONAL

Guyanese continue to impress at Big Apple Cricket Club in NY Page 52

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Jagdeo says oil agreement with T&T lopsided

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com WEEK ENDING september 23, 2018

ISSUE NO. 416

…Govt maintains claims of ‘sell out’ unjustified

See stories inside

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‘NY will always welcome Prima facie case immigrants and refugees made out against 5 with open arms’ suspects in Berbice …Governor Cuomo says in response carpenter’s murder to Trump’s new cap on refugees Page 20

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NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Private sector has pivotal Jagdeo says oil role to play in regional agreement with economic cooperation T&T lopsided - says President Granger

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resident David Granger, on Thursday, said that the private sector has a critical role to play in regional economic integration as he noted that the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) is the way to build more resilient economies, not only in the Caribbean, but also in Guyana.

The Head of State was at the time speaking at the opening of the Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition (GuyTIE ), being held at the Marriott Hotel Guyana.

He said Guyana’s economic development has been constrained, historically, by the small size of its population, small domestic markets and the small range and volume of primary commodity exports and these have made the country’s economy highly vulnerable to exogenous economic shocks.

He noted that the CSME aims, in the long-term, to create a single economic space with an enlarged market producing globally competitive goods

and services; and this can therefore serve as an impetus to trade and cooperation within the region.

“Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, 24 hours ago, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote economic cooperation. We hope to conclude, soon, a framework agreement for economic cooperation with Barbados. We see Guyana’s future in the Caribbean and we see the Caribbean’s future in Guyana. The private sector has a pivotal role to play in regional economic cooperation. The private sector, to fulfill this role, should aim at increasing international trade and at avoiding the dangers of insularity. The private sector should aim at increasing investment and at becoming more innovative in pursuing new markets and improving the competitiveness of its goods and services. Investment is the fuel for wealth creation and employment generation,” President Granger said.

President Granger noted that continued on page 7

…Govt maintains claims of ‘sell out’ unjustified

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he recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Governments of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) has been dubbed a ‘sell out’

by Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo who was critical of the document that was released to the public following the signing at State House on Wednesday afternoon.

Addressing media operatives at his weekly press briefing, Jagdeo said the agreement is lopsided and does not take into account issues that affect Guyana and Guyanese as a whole.

While reiterating that he is a big supporter of regional integration and the single market and economy, Jagdeo, a former President, said that Guyana is also a sovereign state and should stand up for itself when it comes to issues affecting the country.

The Opposition Leader does not feel the excuse given by Trinidad and Tobago about the restriction on Guyana’s honey is reasonable as it affects the local private sector.

Moreover, he said that while the MoU is centered towards Energy sector cooperation, he

noted that other pertinent issues such as treatment of Guyanese passing through Trinidad and Tobago, among others.

Particular concern was raised with regards to the fact that the MoU proposes the setting up of a technical work group between the two countries, when there is none in Guyana.

“These issues have to be on the agenda too. So, when Government goes to negotiation they have to look out for our interest too. So, I would say yes, it was a sell out!”Jagdeo said.

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EDITORIAL

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he concept of sports tourism and the impact it could have on our country’s economy is now being discussed on a wider scale.

So far, Guyana has not put the systems in place to capitalise on this niche market, like some other sister Caricom countries; and it is certainly time that the various stakeholders give some serious attention towards doing so.

Analysts have pointed to the fact that sports tourism is a huge and growing industry, with important economic implications for the sport, the event, and the impact of travel and tourism-related benefits on host destinations. Many believe that sports tourism could become a viable and sustainable component of Guyana’s overall tourism product, and could make a tangible contribution to national development.

Veteran cricket commentator and sports consultant Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira has taken the initiative to compile a list of sports tourism projects in which the tourism sector can invest. Speaking from decades of experience in the field of sports, Perreira posited: “I feel it’s time that the Guyana tourism officials implement a sports tourism programme that would allow Guyana to join the Caribbean nations and the rest of the world in benefiting from this expanding niche market.”

According to Perreira, the success of a sports tourism programme would need the support of a department strictly dedicated to sports tourism, even though situated within the Ministry of Tourism. This department can work alongside other national sports associations, and receive support from organisations with a mandate to promote Guyana through tourism, such as the Guyana Tourism Authority, travel companies, embassies, high commissions, and the national press etc A primary function of a sporting event is to provide the host community with an opportunity to secure high prominence in the tourism marketplace. Therefore, the introduction of sports tourism as a major industry in Guyana is an excellent idea, and it would certainly be in the nation’s interest if the major players involved work seriously towards designing and implementing the necessary programmes and policies that would see Guyana taking advantage of the many opportunities available in the sector.

The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) games are a good example of the tremendous benefits that could be derived from a sporting event of that magnitude. Guyana, through the CPL, has benefited significantly from sports tourism since the inception of the tournament. The games’ economic impact locally has been both direct and indirect. According to CPL, assessment reports compiled showed that the economy received close to US$17 million last season. The net sum was calculated by looking at the influx of tourists to the country, hotel bookings, vending during the games, and the overall spending of persons during this period.

The League attracts some of the best international cricketers from across the globe, which has set the stage for a plethora of thrilling T20 cricket for Caribbean fans and those in the Diaspora.

Each year, the National Stadium at Providence, which is the home ground of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, attracts sold-out crowds.

With tournaments such as these, it is not only the sold-out stadiums that warrant the prestige, but it is a chance to showcase one’s country on the global market, since television viewership would usually span each continent.

Guyana must therefore capitalise on the economic successes of CPL, and work towards further developing sports tourism in general.

The tournament has provided stakeholders here with a perfect opportunity to create a sustained sports tourism initiative.

However, for Guyana to fully benefit, there are a number of challenges which must be addressed urgently. These include ensuring adequate facilities are in place to host high-level games, and investing in training of personnel to ensure that we have the necessary human resources to organise and manage the activities, among other things.

As we had stated before, Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, Barbados and Grenada are regarded as good models of sports tourism. For these countries, sports tourism is a huge market, but they have made the bold decision to pump the necessary investments into critical areas. Guyana could also do the same. In the words of veteran broadcaster Joseph “Reds” Perreira, “Guyana has tremendous possibilities for sports tourism”. CPL and the Amazon Warriors have provided a perfect start.

This shot was taken at Yupukari Village, Region 9, Guyana (Girendra Persaud photo)

Shocking revelations about what occurs in our schools

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n Monday, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) made public that the use and sale of the drug ecstasy was discovered in five schools. Known as a recreational drug, it has harmful side effects, including addiction, and can cause altered sensations. CANU’s announcement might have come as a surprise to many, and is extremely worrying.

What is clear is that some young people have been, and are being, exposed to a drug that also affects the brain, and has reportedly been used as a date rape trap.

Sadly, drug use in some schools is reportedly not new.

Unfortunately, young minds are involved in cigarette smoking and consumption of substances from alcohol to others that are far more harmful.

Some are bold enough to capture the effects of unsavoury activities they engage in afterwards, evident from videos that circulate. CANU’s Deputy Head, Lesley Ramlall, noted that looking at the videos, especially those involving young girls, is really worrying for society.

Clearly, this will now attract attention, and the expectation would be for the implementation of measures to eliminate this illegal practice, especially within the school system. This will not be easy, and Ramlall did allude to the related challenges, honing in on how do you get to the man at the top, the established leader? Law enforcement will have to up the ante in all aspects, including intelligence, to holistically deal with this situation, which has a frightening potential to become a wider problem.

While CANU must be commended for making the discovery and alerting the nation, it raises concerns over how long it might been ongoing; whether the schools were aware, and

whether they have the capacity to aid in identifying drug sales and use within. The drug trade tends to operate within a network, and at this point it may be difficult to know how extensive it may be in the schools, and whether the actual use is confined to the five.

Another reality is that young people would experiment, unfortunately, with harmful things. This is where the Ministry of Education will have to be more innovative to derive mechanisms to build capacity among teachers, so that they can be able to spot any possible sign. Once again, this will not be easy, given the innovativeness of those involved.

That aside, there must be some signs, including changes in students’ behavioural patterns and performances, depending upon the extent of usage. This is not just for ecstasy, but other drugs as well.

The teachers would need to be supported in this fight, and it may very well demand a relooking of policies at a higher level for the implementation of effective combating mechanisms. This would need some urgency, given that some young people, who represent the future, are involved. It will take the involvement of all: parents, teachers, the Ministry of Education and law enforcement.

Crucial is sustained education on the harmful effects of drug use, for which the media should be encouraged to be a part of. It has to be national, given what’s at stake.

Maybe this could be the opportunity for the establishment of a structured school monitoring mechanism with specific responsibility. This has been touted before, for other reasons, where trained personnel could either be stationed or make visits to schools to gauge any related effects.

This will have to be thor-

oughly thought out, for there is the possibility teachers could feel that part of their responsibility is being usurped. They generally look for signs that could indicate a shift in behavior, and try to find a way of having it resolved. With what is now in the news, it begs the question of whether the situation has, in some way, moved beyond the remit of teachers; be it a lack of capacity, or awareness, or frankly being afraid to intervene.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, speaking on the issue, was quoted as saying law enforcement agencies were “losing the battle” now that drugs have ended up in schools. This is a battle that the nation cannot afford to lose, and one which must be consistently and relentlessly fought.

While the stark reality is the battle being lost at this point, it can also be seen as a failure by those in authority.

The Government came into office with a strong security portfolio, and the security minister’s comments, though factual, not only underscore that failure, but hint at a lack at optimism in dealing with the issue.

Granted that Guyana has porous borders, one would want to believe that surveillance has been heightened at ports of entry. The issue again highlights the need for intelligence gathering to be strengthened so as to aid agencies in curbing the situation.

Beyond these shores, some schools in the USA were forced to install metal detectors following an upsurge of attacks on students by students in what was described as gang-related violence. That was after the situation had festered and grown.

Routine searches may not be farfetched to nip the presence of ecstasy in schools.

NEWS 5

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘NY will always welcome immigrants and refugees with open arms’

…Governor Cuomo says in response to Trump’s new cap on refugees

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he United States Government has announced its intention to admit a maximum of only 30,000 refugees in 2019.

According to CBS News, although this would be the lowest refugee cap in U.S. history, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when making the announcement at the State Department Monday afternoon, called the new figures "expansive." He added that they should "not be viewed in isolation" because the U.S. is the world's most generous nation when it comes to humanitarian assistance.

Pompeo suggested that maintaining that high level of U.S. humanitarian assistance was related to the new cap, which he also said "serves the national security interests" of the US. However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo blasted the President Donald Administration over the move saying that the new record low cap on

President Donald Trump

refugees “is an outrageous assault on everything we stand for in this country”.

He said that by shutting the door on the most vulnerable, the President is taking his anti-immigrant agenda to the next level and effectively “pulling the torch down from the

Statue of Liberty”.

"In New York, we will continue to serve as a beacon of hope and opportunity for the entire world. We believe that our diversity is our greatest strength, and we are proud to be home to refugees across the state who are breathing new life into their com-

munities as members of the family of New York.

While President Trump undermines the values that built this state and this nation, New York will always welcome immigrants and refugees with open arms," Cuomo said.

The Trump administration has long said that it would need to move resources to address the backlog in asylum seekers, and Pompeo referenced this, calling it a "daunting challenge." He said there are over 800,000 asylum cases pending.

In 2019 the U.S. plans to process 280,000 asylum seekers, CBS News reported.

According to CBS News, the vetting process for refugees is extensive. It generally takes 18-24 months, and there are many layers.

Despite the long vetting, Pompeo believes the system under the Obama administration was "defective” With humanitarian crises worldwide – in places like Syria, Yemen, South Sudan

Governor Andrew Cuomo

and Myanmar – there are currently unprecedented refugee flows, which are expected to continue next year. That means this shrinking of the U.S. refugee admittance number is a major blow to many refugee organizations.

The cap itself is not the only factor in deter-

mining how many refugees are let into the U.S. Last year's refugee cap was 45,000. But by the end of August the U.S. had only let in 19,899 refugees, meaning that the U.S. will not hit its cap. They are unlikely to even reach half the maximum figure by the end of September.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

These illegal stops by Police President Granger has an should be brought to a halt obligation to engage citizens

Dear Editor, The record-breaking use of expletives by Attorney-at-Law Ryan Crawford should not be the main focus on the incident which took place on the ECD Public Road, and so detract from the casus belli which provoked the outburst.

It is interesting to read of a similar incident which is related by another Attorney-at-Law and a sitting Member of Parliament, Mr Charrandass Persaud. In a letter to the media, he said, “On Friday, August 24, 2018, about 8.50pm, I was stopped at Vigilance at a “roadblock”. No ‘goodnight’, no ‘please’ was offered to me. I was told to produce my driver’s licence.

I must let the public know this because it is our right. A policeman must tell you why he has stopped you. I asked the rank why he stopped me and he simply said he wanted to see my driver’s licence. I refused to give it to him.”

He was taken to the Vigilance, where he was released after it was ascertained that he was an MP. However, when one views the video taken by the policeman, it should be noted that the videoing began as Crawford’s car was approaching. This would seem to suggest an act of premeditation. There is a clear intent to make a post on Facebook should the outcome of the stop escalate into something negative. This is evidenced by the fact that he immediately made the post of FB to garner ‘likes’ and elicit comments. Many persons seek fame in this regard. As a responsible officer, he should explain why he was bent on having a video done while stopping a vehicle for a ‘routine’ search. He should also explain why he took the evidence he collected ‘illegally’ immediately to FB, rather than reporting it to his superiors and allowing them to take the necessary action.

It is also evident that the ‘calm and cool’ disposition of the traffic Police is clearly as a result of the fact that he was doing a recording of the event.

In the case of Persaud, the Police had acted in their usual aggressive, rude and uncouth manner, since no recording was being done. Again, this

would assume that it was the ‘game plan’ in Mr Crawford’s case that the provocation bear fruit, and it did. The Police officer received lots of ‘likes’ on FB. Mr Crawford gave sound legal reasoning, which is backed by what the then Acting Commissioner of Police Mr David Ramnarine had clearly pronounced on in August 2016. He made it clear that the Guyana Police Force has zero tolerance for ranks that set up roadblocks or randomly stop private vehicles without authorisation, and that they can do so only if an offence has been committed; and that ‘willy-nilly’ stops must be discontinued.

Mr Crawford made it clear to the Police officer that there must be reasonable suspicion that an offence is being committed, and it is clear that there was no ‘reasonable suspicion’.

Moreover, our Constitution, in Article 149 (1) and (2), made it clear that no person shall be deprived of his freedom of movement throughout Guyana unless by lawful detention, and since there was no ‘reasonable suspicion’ to detain Mr Crawford, it can be concluded that his constitutional rights have been violated, regardless of how brief it was.

Mr Ramnarine had further stated that some Police would take advantage of ‘soft and weak’ persons and demand money from them if their documents are not in order. Definitely, Mr Crawford cannot be categorised as ‘soft and weak’!

I am sure the multitude of persons illegally stopped by the Police daily have the ‘know-how’ to react in this manner, and would have wanted to act like Mr Crawford, but desisted for various reasons, fear being paramount.

But it is hoped that this much-publicised incident would bring the gravity of these illegal stops and detentions to a screeching halt, and Police Commissioner Mr Leslie James will ensure that this is done, to avoid a similar or worse occurrence.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf RDC Councillor, Region Six

Coretta McDonald made an honest statement regarding teachers’ salary under PPP Govt

Dear Editor, When Ms Coretta McDonald made that bold statement that life for teachers under the PPP/C was better, she was making an honest confession statement on the state of the teachers’ request for a better salary and emoluments.

She was being true to her conscience, as all leaders should be.

Ms McDonald is not a “politician,” she is a trade unionist who is fighting for her workers’ cause, and as such is compelled to speak the truth.

To speak the truth, such individuals like McDonald automatically become a target for ridicule by the ruling elite, and I am afraid to say she might be up for some victimisation also. Such is the horri-

ble reality of a PNC-led Coalition.

Whenever there is an uncaring and deceitful Government, nothing good can come out of anything they do.

The PNC-led Coalition is anti-labour, hence averse to workers’ benefits. This is crystal clear from the proceedings that led up to the strike. From the onset, this Government granted itself a filthy fat raise in its earnings and benefits, and for three long years made fools out of its teachers. It goes to show where this Government’s interest lies; that is, in self-aggrandisement and nothing else.

To add insult to injury is the crass contempt this Government has for its workers; while they were asking

for their just rewards, Government officers were basking in their illegal fortunes overseas. What an atrocity brought to bear on the hard working taxpayers of our country! So here we are, where for the ordinary people it is the horrible life, while the politicians are living it up.

What I would like to tell the PNC Ragtag is that Guyanese are taking keen note of their fortunes under the PPP/C, and comparing it now under this bullying deceit of APNC/ AFC Coalition; and I must admit it does not look good for the Government.

The people of Guyana are not stupid, and they will speak again.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

affected by closure of sugar estates

Dear Editor, From reports appearing in several sections of the media, our Union, and more so thousands of jobless sugar workers, learnt that President David Granger reportedly said, according to a section of the media that “…payment of severance to thousands of ex- sugar workers is drawing funding away from services”. We found the President’s remarks most unfortunate, and we see it as yet another means to find a scapegoat for his Administration’s failure to deliver on its promises and commitments.

Added to that, it serves to remind us about the Government’s uncaring and scant concern for the thousands of Guyanese who have been affected by the APNU+AFC’s ill-considered policy to minimise the sugar industry.

For us, it is saddening that while the President is going around saying that his Administration’s settlement of its statutory obligation to the workers is taking away from other areas, he seems to ignore — maybe conveniently — that he heads the largest and most expensive bureaucracy in our nation’s history.

Today, our people are forced to sustain fifteen (15) Ministries, headed by twenty-seven (27) Ministers who are accompanied by a platoon of advisors, assistants and other support staff.

Today, our people are made to fund a super-salaried Cabinet who, apart from a 50 per cent pay rise, receive superb benefits, such as medical treatment in exotic locales like Ireland; stupendous allowances when travelling abroad; in addition to state-paid various services, including security and not to mention Government-provided vehicles.

Today, our people are footing the bills for the ‘greening’ of perfectly good buildings; the construction of immaculate fences; a rarely used drill square, or the hefty rental of bottom-house drug bond.

Today, while the Administration is ignoring its legal obligations to the beleaguered workers of Skeldon, Rose Hall, East Demerara, and Wales, His Excellency, now the Head of State for

40 months, has reportedly been abroad on more than 40 occasions, and his Administration this year budgeted to expend a billion dollars on overseas travel.

Are these the priorities that the workers’ obligations are sucking from?

But more than that, President Granger, who has said he is very busy with several matters, should heed calls and find the time to visit the communities of the now-closed estates, and engage the workers and their families.

From those visits, he would learn from the people what the closure decision sucked away from them.

From those engagements, he would come to know that workers have serious difficulties to eat; that they are unable to pay their bills; or they simply cannot afford to send their children to school.

From those visits, he would hear about the family separations and their impact; he would come to know of the physiological and physical toll of losing the only job they know about; and he would be told about emptiness that has been created since the closure.

It is indeed dismaying that His Excellency seemingly cannot find the time to visit these Guyanese who are facing the most difficult of times.

We also saw the President saying he didn’t blame the workers, or the Corporation, or the previous administration. We believe it would be disingenuous for the President to cast blame in that direction. The President, we hold, can only point a finger of blame at himself or his colleagues who sit around the Cabinet table with him.

The Government has a moral obligation to ensure that the workers and their communities return to their feet and have a sustainable future, especially recognising that it was their decision that snatched away a livelihood from the people. This is the role of any Government, and the Administration should not ignore this important responsibility.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary

GECOM must act with impartiality

Dear Editor, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is correctly being bombarded internationally and on the local front with respect to the unclear approach used to select temporary and permanent staff.

This in addition to President Granger’s recent disclosure that the tried and proved ‘Carter Formula’ has lost its relevance is a conjured assassination plot on democracy and the freedoms of all Guyanese.

The endless criticisms have been justified and merited, especially from the perspective of the apparent lack of concern being displayed by the leaders of the organisation. These have been prejudicial at best, and strongly in conflict with the neutrality mechanisms in place to discharge the intended responsibilities, roles and functions of the organisation.

As the entity responsible for the administration and conduct of elections in Guyana, the constitutional obligation and core role of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in the execution of its functions is to act with impartiality and fairness in the execution of its duties under Section (162 (1) [b], Constitution (Amendment) Act).

It is not as if GECOM has been without many known problems which are still expected to be remedied; there are indeed many. Further, the concerns have become more glaring based on the links with, as well as the relationship of, persons internal and external to the organisation who are culpable of fraudulent operational practices. Their influence over, and connection with, election works and results affirm that the likes of such elements MUST be permanently divorced from any functional or oversight activity of the commission.

The Auditor General’s recent report bears rich testimony to excessive and indecent practices by some involved in GECOM’s works. What complicates matters further, and creates an untrustworthy conundrum, is the almost immediate posture taken by the new Chairman of the Commission in the face of much public complaints and evidence from the reports of the Auditor General.

In fact, since the imposition of Justice (R’td) James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM, the nation is yet to witness any meaningful approach to create or encourage any firm balcontinued on page 7

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com from page 3

Private sector has...

Jamaica to begin exporting mangoes to US W

President David Granger cuts the ribbon to mark the official opening of GuyTIE as Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon look on.

GuyTIE comes at a time of renewed efforts to re-energise Caribbean economies. He said that the exhibition’s theme, “Made Locally, Trading Globally” and its objective of promoting export-ready firms and linking them with regional and international businesses are all consistent with the objectives of economic integration in the Caribbean.

“We shall continue to pursue regional economic cooperation in order to build greater prosperity and global competiveness. The Caribbean – in an era of trade wars and Brexit – is an important common market.

The combined land space of the countries of the Caribbean Community is almost equivalent to that of Sweden. There is huge potential for increased intra-regional trade.

“Intra-regional exports, at the end of 2014,

stood at a 13.1 per cent of total regional exports of US$22.3 B. The Region’s estimated US$ 4.5B annual food import bill could be slashed. The Caribbean, taken as a whole, has the land, labour and capital to overcome its most severe setbacks to achieving food security,” he stated.

Meanwhile, President Granger said that the Trade and Investment Exhibition is a welcome development and will serve as a platform for local businesses to engage and network within regional and international investors.

Chairman of the Guyana Office for Investment (GoInvest) and GuyTIE, Owen Verwey said the event features 56 exhibitors and over 100 registered buyers and potential investors who have already arrived in Guyana.

GECOM must ... ance and neutral stance required to realise and set at ease the associated concerns. On the contrary, there have been praises emanating from the Chairman of the performances of the incumbent persons, which almost further challenges the Auditor General to take additional independent actions.

The threats to the nation are therefore being amplified under the outlined framework, which also defeats the constitutional intent of having a chairman for the institution who has the “qualities of, or has been, a Judge”.

Had it not been for other extant counter-measures, such as counting the votes at the places of poll, the current approach and signals would suggest in-chamber decisions being made even before the first vote is cast, or witness called.

President Granger, after having reneged on the customary approach of selecting the Chairman of GECOM, has now become the leading advocate against the use of the ‘Carter Formula,’ which essentially brought democra-

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cy to this country. The methods have been acceptable, agreed and constitutionally enshrined approach for the regulation of elections for over 25 years.

The recommended changes in the composition and method of selection of the members of the Elections Commission are another deflection; bent on distracting the necessary and required focus of addressing other critical and problematic areas.

The suggestion that related selection issues can be treated similar to other constitutional commissions lends the establishment of a ‘paper tiger’ position similar to the treatment given by this Government to other commissions. Full autonomy and no less equal balance than is offered by the current Carter Charter must be a determinant.

One cannot help but observe that there is now a trend emerging from the Coalition Leadership of imposing on citizens many legally challengeable decisions.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

hether by coincidence or design, Agriculture and Commerce Minister Audley Shaw on Monday announced to importers in the United States that Jamaica would soon begin to export mangoes to that country, exactly four years to the day of the enabling agreement.

Jamaican nationals in the US who have a habit of pressing their visiting relatives to pack an array of local edibles will be able to buy the popular mangoes in their grocery stores across the States as soon as the final arrangements are in place.

That, presumably, includes an irradiation system, a food safety measure designed to eliminate disease-carrying bacteria, especially from the pesky tropical fruit fly, something the Americans have insisted on.

Mr Shaw, who spoke to the Jamaica Observer's Harold Bailey in New York, where he reopened a Jampro office to spur investments in Jamaica, said mango orchards would be established in a bid to maximise production to meet the expected high demand.

The reopening of Jampro New York makes so much sense that we need not belabour the point, and the decision was only sweetened by the announcement that mangoes would be exported to continental US. It is well known

Agriculture and Commerce Minister Audley Shaw

how difficult it is for local produce to enter the American market because of the stringent restrictions imposed by authorities there, naturally to protect their country from external diseases that could devastate their agriculture.

Getting the go-ahead to export mangoes is therefore no mean achievement and a big breakthrough that could pave the way for other non-traditional produce. The journey to approval by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture began in 2009 and involved amending the relevant regulations.

As a condition of entry, the mangoes must be produced in accordance with a systems approach employing a

combination of mitigation measures for certain fruit flies, soft scale insects, and diseases, and must be inspected prior to export from Jamaica and found free of these pests and diseases.

The mangoes must be grown at places of production that are registered with both US and Jamaican authorities. If a pest or disease is detected at the port of entry in the US, the consignment of mangoes will be turned back and further shipments from that exporter prohibited, until an investigation is conducted and the risk mitigated.

The package carrying the mangoes must not contain any other fruit, including mangoes not qualified for importation into the US. For sure, the

Jamaican imports would not by any means shake the US market, as the volume of mangoes will be relatively low — 261 metric tonnes or less than 0.08 per cent of US mango imports of 349,692 metric tonnes.

Indeed, the US annual production is a mere 3,000 metric tonnes.

Moreover, the Jamaican mango season, March to July, only partially overlaps with that of the US. American importers may benefit marginally in having Jamaica as another source of fresh mangoes.

This is an opportunity for Jamaicans to grab with both hands. Every effort must be made to exclude fly-by-night exporters who could ruin this potentially lucrative trade for Jamaica.

(Jamaica Observer)

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

GECOM procuring 5 high-end vehicles ahead of local polls …Commission maintains vehicles needed

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GECOM’s Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson

wo years after the Office of the Auditor General (AG) unearthed several financial discrepancies relating to the supply of pliers and high-frequency radios, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is seeking a host of luxury vehicles for officers to carry out their functions. The vehicles under question

two ‘new minibuses’.

The bidders for the five luxury vehicles and the two buses will have to submit their bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) at the Finance Ministry’s headquarters in Georgetown on or before October 9. GECOM further explained that this bidding will be con-

ensure that we effectively execute our mandate,” Yarde explained.

H o w e v e r , Government has been advancing its Green State Agenda, which includes policies that encourage the use of energy efficient machinery.

It can be deduced that efficient fuel consumption falls under the agenda. Guyana Times International asked Yarde to respond to concerns that Land Cruisers may not be the most effective vehicles in terms of energy consumption but the PRO maintained that items are needed given the terrain of the country.

“They may not be [the most efficient] but this is Guyana; we have very remote locations and these are the type of vehicles that are needed to go to those locations,” she said.

Speaking on the use of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), Yarde stated that whenever GECOM’s Registration Officers in far-flung areas cannot use the Land Cruisers, the ATVs will be utilised.

A brand new 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser starts at US$84,765

cost around G$18 million each (USD$84,765) but the cost to the taxpayer could amount to be much higher when other taxes are included.

This intended purchase comes less than two months before the Local Government Elections (LGE) which are set for November 12.

“GECOM is located all across the country and our fleet of vehicles that we have are very old. For years they have been overused, some are not even in proper working condition,” an official disclosed on Wednesday.

In an advertisement published on September 19, 2018, in the local newspapers, the elections body invited sealed bids from qualified bidders for the procurement of vehicles in two lots.

The “Lot 1” section seeks five ‘new Land Cruisers’ while “Lot 2” will require

ducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures in keeping with regulations as outlined in the National Procurement Act of 2003.

Guyana Times International sought comments from GECOM’s Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson on the advert for the multimillion-dollar luxury purchases but was redirected to his secretary. Public Relations Officer of GECOM, Yolanda Warde justified the body’s move to procure the items on the basis that such vehicles are needed for the entity to carry out its operations.

“Like anything else, a vehicle is a necessity for the day-to-day functioning of the organisation and so it’s important for us to continue to replenish to ensure that we have working vehicles to

In 2016, Auditor General Deodat Sharma conducted a special audit after there were discrepancies with the purchasing of 50VHF (Very High Frequency) communication radios by GECOM for close to G$100 million. These purchases had occurred prior to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections and raised concerns over the extraordinarily high cost of the equipment.

In April 2015, GECOM spent some G$14.8 million for the purchase of nippers/pliers that was meant to be used on ballot boxes at 2299 polling stations across the country. By division, the unit cost amounted to some G$6600. Checks two years ago revealed that similar pliers were retailing at G$600.

Another Chinese business attacked in Guyana …days after Chinese ambassador raised concerns with Govt

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The Wang Wang Supermarket which was robbed

ays after China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun raised concerns with Government over the increased number of Chinese businesses being robbed in Guyana, another Chinese business has been robbed.

Reports are the Wang Wang Supermarket at Belle West in Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara, was stormed by armed men on Tuesday evening who shot the owner in the process.

When Guyana Times International went to the supermarket, neighbours confirmed that the robbery occurred just after 08:00h on Tuesday. Reports are the man arrived in the area in a black car and stopped a few houses away from the only bridge that leads out of the housing scheme.

According to residents, after the car was seen, a few minutes later, shots were heard and the Wales Police Station was called but no one answered.

“When they start shooting, I hear like it sound about three times and then we tell everybody to close up (the shop which they operated),” one neighbour said.

The owner was shot in his left leg and another bullet grazed one of his hands while the gunmen escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash. He was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he is said to be in a stable condition.

Close associates of the business in-

dicated that the day’s sale was taken along with other undisclosed items.

CCTV footage from several cameras also captured the entire incident and has since been handed over to Police.

This newspaper was told that several spent shells were recovered at the scene.

“The Police come and I see like they inspect the area and collect the shells… We didn’t see is who cause it happen fast,” the associate said.

On Wednesday, the business, which is located a few miles from the public road was opened.

The robbery comes mere days after concerns about robberies on Chinese businesses were raised by Ambassador Cui Jianchun when he met with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

Minister Ramjattan assured the ambassador that Chinese businesses were not being targeted and clearly indicated that this was a misconception.

These concerns were also dismissed

by Top Cop Leslie James who assured that crime statistics and the motives of those caught do not suggest such profiling.

As such, the Ambassador insisted that a meeting with the Chinese business community should be held as early as possible so that a number of concerns and questions can be directly answered.

An investigation into the matter is ongoing.

G$21M fine, 4 years jail for driver in massive Berbice drug bust

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taxi driver was, on Tuesday, jailed for four years and fined G$21.7 million when he appeared at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court and pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking in narcotics.

Magistrate Rhondell Weaver imposed the hefty fine on Jason Chufoon, who on September 14, 2018, at D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, had in his possession 36 kilograms of

Jason Chufoon had in his possession 36 kilograms of cannabis when officers stopped his vehicle

cannabis.

The 29-year-old admitted to the offence as soon as the charge was read to him on Tuesday.

Reports are the drugs were found at about 19:00h on Friday last when Chufoon’s black Toyota Fielder Wagon was intercepted and searched by Police during a mass patrol at D’Edward Village, West Bank Berbice.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 9

Guyana putting Guyana Govt borrowing US$20M measures in place from IsDB to improve power supply against outbreaks, M illnesses inister of

- as Venezuelan migrants continue to arrive

Sherman Lewis, Chairperson, Community Development Council, Smyth's Creek, Region One (at Centre) in discussion with Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings and others

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inister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, on Tuesday, visited villages in the Mabaruma sub-region where Venezuelan migrants are currently residing. The main purpose of her trip was to ascertain the efficacy of health services being delivered to them, the Departmnet of Public Information

engagement was at Khan Hill, Mabaruma where approximately 103 indigenous Venezuelans are staying. There she met with Mabaruma’s Mayor Henry Smith and Town Clerk Barrington Wade.

The officials said the town council is working closely with the task force to better house and provide for these migrants.

The Venezuelan mi-

Some of the Venezuelan immigrants who crossed the border and are residing in Khan Hill, Mmabaruma

(DPI) has reported.

The Minister also sought to ensure that local health authorities in Region One have the necessary protective and preventative measures in place against possible outbreaks, guarding the local population especially pregnant women and children from deadly illnesses and diseases.

Taking into consideration Guyana’s porous borders and multiple cross-over points between the two countries, Minister Cummings explained it is important that Region One is prepared and equipped to deal with eventualities of the continuous arrival of Venezuelan migrants.

The minister’s first

grants are mainly of Warrau heritage. Due to this, the town council is exploring the option of developing five acres of Warrau lands as they are temporarily occupying residential lands and other reserves.

In Smyth’s Creek, along the Barima River, there is an increase in arrival of migrants seeking refuge, living space and food.

As this riverine community continues to see an influx of persons, the construction of shed-like structures (benabs) where families are housed, continues. The last recorded number of persons in the Smyth’s Creek village was 80, DPI said. (DPI photos)

F i n a n c e Winston Jordan and the Islamic Development Bank’s (IsDB) Vice President of Sector Operations M a n s u r Muhtar, on Wednesday, in Jeddah, signed a US$20M agreement for a loan that is expected to go towards the improvement of Finance Minister Winston Jordan and IsDB Vice President of Sector Operations, Mansur the country's Muhtar exchange a handshake after signing the agreement. Also, looking on is Minister power supply of Public Infrastructure, David Paterson [extreme right] and other IsDB officials. through the Guyana Power work plan for the peri- tended however, that said that “this failed apand Light Incorporated od 2018-2022. That plan since the incumbent proach to national eco(GPL Inc.). outlines a pipeline of Administration came nomic management was It was outlined that projects that the bank into power in 2015 the tried in the past. It led to the G$4.2B loan is part can support over the next public debt has bal- a bankrupt country and of the utility company’s five years. The IsDB has looned. resulted in devastating Upgrade Programme, a a resource envelope of In fact, former consequences for our peocomponent of its develover $188B (US$900M) President and Opposition ple. I am sure everyone opment and Expansion that is potentially avail- Leader, Dr Bharrat would recall that the exProgramme for 2014 to able from which the gov- Jagdeo had dubbed ternal debt was over 900 2021. ernment can source. the revelation that per cent of GDP in 1992, Describing the hisThe potential ar- Government had singled which was reduced to 36 toric occasion as a celeeas of collaboration be- its intention to possibly per cent of GDP in 2015.” bration of the first loan tween the IsDB and the borrow approximately Moreover, he predictto be granted, Finance Government of Guyana 220 billion Guyana dol- ed that "this Government Minister Winston Jordan cover several develop- lars (GuySuCo’s $30B would go this route since posited that “It cemented ment sectors including bond and the Islamic the massive growth in our growing relationship agriculture, banking and Development Bank loan the size of the nationand the proactive use of finance, human develop- of $US 900M) as ‘shock- al budgets, primarily on the indicative resource ment, energy and rural ing and cause for worry.’ consumption, could not envelope for Guyana... development.

Jagdeo an econo- be financed by the hefty [the loan agreement] inObservers have con- mist by profession had increase in taxation." corporates necessary reforms and upgrades to reduce losses, and improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply and will, at the same time help to transform Guyana's infrastructural landscape, boost our manufacturing sector and improve the quality of life of our citizens.”

Adding that the agreement could not have come at a more opportune time, the Finance Minister said “This was especially since, Guyana is on the cusp of a historic transformation with the recent discovery of over 4B barrels of oil.”

He further disclosed that the International Monetary Fund described Guyana’s medium-term economic prospects as "very favourable" and predicted GDP will grow by 29.1 per cent in 2020.

“The IMF has commended us on our "prudence and restraint towards borrowing in anticipation of future oil revenues". As such, our public debt stood at a highly sustainable 52.2 per cent of GDP at the end-2017” said Jordan.

During the period 2729 November 2017, the Islamic Development Bank’s (IsDB) mounted a mission to Guyana to develop a medium-term

10 news

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Claims of ‘sell out’ are unjustified

…Guyana’s President says in relation to concerns raised about oil and gas sector

2 women remanded for cocaine bust at CJIA CANU’s Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford however revealed that video footage was obtained of Griffith further implicating herself in the trafficking of the cocaine.

Both women were remanded to prison and will next reappear in court on October 8.

Only on September 13, 2018, 46-year-old Karen Stuffle was jailed for four years by the Chief Magistrate after she attempted to traffic 1.42 kilograms of cocaine on September 9, 2018, at the Cheddi Jagan

Shellon Barrow

President David Granger (left) exchanges with his Caricom counterpart, Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago (right), a signed Memorandum of Understanding on an Energy Sector Cooperation agreement between the two countries at State House on Wednesday (Dexter Ceres)

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s Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Energy Sector Cooperation on Wednesday, both President David Granger and Trinidad Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley assured that there is no ‘takeover or sell-out’ of any sector by either side, but rather a sharing of information and ideas in the sector.

Dr Rowley speaking to the Guyanese press following the signing at State House, said the document contains bilateral arrangements for the cooperation on energy issues such as possible financing and providing entrepreneurial skills as a “good neighbour.”

The Trinidadian Prime Minister expressed disappointed over concerns raised by Guyana’s Private Sector that the MoU allows for a takeover by T&T businesses.

“We are working towards ensuring that we, as a people not just the people of Trinidad and Tobago but the people of Caricom – Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago – do better for all ourselves and to come up against that is disappointing and to the extent that there is any potential takeover which I don’t think is happening or is going to happen,” Rowley said.

The Energy Sector Cooperation MoU, he reminded, is one of two agreements Guyana shared with T&T. The first, which was renewed earlier this year, is a platform to discuss all bilateral cooperation and the second to be signed is for cooperation in oil and gas.

Dr Rowley also reminded that T&T had helped bail out Guyana from its Highly Indebted Poor Country status by writing off billions of T&T dollars in debt.

“That write-off was done against the background of Trinidad and Tobago being encouraged and, as a matter of fact, we did so against pressures and we are not holding that as any quid pro quo (a favour in return). We are treating that as circumstantial and we maintain our position that we are a friendly cooperating neighbour of Guyana,” he said.

President Granger also debunked claims that the signing of the MoU lends to a sell-out of Guyana’s patrimony or natural resources. The Guyanese Head of State said Guyana stands to benefit from Trinidad and Tobago’s decades of experience in the oil and gas sector in areas of production, marketing, dealing with oil spills and international corporations.

He said, “There is no sell-out. There are some unjustified fears that Guyana is giving away the family jewels but that can’t be true. It is simply a means of collaborating. The fears that there is

some giveaway are completely unjustified. I want to set that record straight.”

The MoU signing comes on the heels of concerns raised locally by the observers and stakeholders about the benefits that would redound to Guyanese, more specifically the local businesses within the Private Sector, with the signing of such an agreement.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) was one such body that requested Government to hold off on signing the MoU with T&T, asking that its members be consulted first, as they fear that this could possibly open the flood gates for foreign companies to take over the oil industry.

President of the GCCI, Deodat Indar, said Guyanese businesses are already being sidestepped and instead contracts have been awarded to foreign-based companies to benefit from the local oil sector. But the GCCI wants the local Private Sector to get its “piece of the pie.”

Following the concerns raised, the President had said he would make the MoU public.

The framework agreement for the MoU will come on stream by October 1, 2018. The areas of cooperation as outlined in the MoU include technical assistance in the areas of exploration and production of hydrocarbon resources; the exchange of information on public policies in the area of the regulation, administration and sovereign management of oil resources.

It also includes the exchange of information on Government programmes throughout the hydrocarbon value chain and related experiences; the promotion of training and capacity-building of technical personnel and the development of energy technologies through, inter alia, technical visits, secondments, seminars and presentations.

Further, the promotion of cooperation and exchange of experiences between State-owned petroleum enterprises for the development of joint projects utilising mechanisms convenient to the parties has been listed as an area of cooperation between the two countries.

Importantly also is the development of policies relating to local content; the identification and development of projects throughout the hydrocarbon value chain; the identification of projects in the area of construction and maintenance of plants and infrastructure related to transportation, storage and supply of hydrocarbons and derivatives, among others. (Samuel Sukhnandan)

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wo women were on Tuesday morning remanded to prison following a cocaine bust at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) over the weekend.

Shellon Barrow and her friend, Christine Griffith, were charged for trafficking 1.638 kilograms of cocaine and aiding the trafficking of narcotics respectively.

The women appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Barrow, 35, of Lot 35 Victoria Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, who was reportedly busted by agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Saturday, denied she had the cocaine in her possession.

Her friend, Griffith, age 37, of Pike Street, Kitty, who allegedly delivered the suitcase containing the illicit drug to Barrow, denied that she committed that offence

The cocaine concealed in a false wall of a hard cover suitcase

between the September 14-15, 2018 at the Sunset Hotel, Georgetown.

The court heard that Barrow was intercepted while attempting to board a flight destined for Jamaica with the suspected cocaine concealed in a false wall of her hard cover suitcase.

After being detained, Barrow reportedly implicated Griffith telling the agents that she was given the suitcase by her friend, Griffith.

International Airport (CJIA) by consuming same in her stomach and stashing some in her vagina.

Another woman, Alicia Coppin, was also caught at the JFK Airport in the United States by ranks there with cocaine in her stomach and vagina as well.

She has since been detained.

Rape suspect dies hours before court appearance

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prisoner who was expected to appear at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for the rape of a 16-year-old student died on Tuesday morning after he was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) by ranks after he began vomiting in the Police lockups.

Dead is Stonie Henry, 47, a welder of Lot 539 Mocha Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Reports are ranks observed the man vomiting at about 06:15h, hours before he was scheduled to make his

court appearance.

When questioned, Henry complained of feeling unwell and as such was rushed to the Hospital where he was immediately treated.

However, at 08:00h, the man succumbed. It is suspected Henry may have ingested a poisonous substance; however, this is yet to be confirmed.

His body is presently at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

An investigation has been launched.

news 11

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Political parties in Guyana gear up for November polls T

he two major political parties contesting this year’s Local Government Elections (LGE) on Wednesday confirmed that they are ready and beaming with confidence to participate in Friday’s Nomination Day proceedings which will take place at various locations across the country.

On Nomination Day, political parties, voluntary groups and individuals contesting in Local Government Elections 2018 are required to submit their Lists of Candidates to the Returning Officer in the contesting Local Authority Areas (LAA).

Those lists will be examined by the Returning Officer to determine whether they have been submitted in accordance with the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28:03.

If the list is considered defective, the representative/deputy representative will be notified by the Returning Officer.

If the party, group or individual is not satisfied with the reasons provided by the Returning Officer, they can file an appeal against refusal of approval no later than the 45th day before Elections Day to a Magistrate of the magis-

PNCR’s Amna Ally

terial district.

Speaking with this media group on Wednesday, the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Campaign Manager, Amna Ally, explained that all plans have been completed and the coalition is fully prepared for Nomination Day. “I am happy to report that we have completed all of our arrangements and we are fully prepared… everything is in place and all of our logistics have been sorted out,” Ally said.

She stated that the APNU remains confident that it will be

able to secure a resounding victory at the November 12 elections, even though she admitted that the voters and residents in the various communities will have a huge role to play in handing the party that victory.

“I have confidence in the people we are putting forward… We have a good team of candidates even though some of them are not party members,” Ally remarked when questioned as to the quality and kind of persons being put forward by the coalition of parties.

Ally, who is also the General Secretary of

the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), which is the largest single party in the coalition, said their campaign strategy is sound and well-thought out.

She also advised those candidates going forward to be confident and put in their best performances, given the importance of Local Government Elections.

Ally poured cold water on remarks from other LGE contenders that they possess the ability to unseat the PNC or the wider coalition in several areas because of its poor performance at the Local Government and Central Government levels.

Meanwhile, executives from the main Opposition Peoples Progressive Party are upbeat and ready for Friday’s proceedings, which will see the Party submitting its own List of Candidates in almost all of the various Local Government Authorities who would like to be elected.

PPP Executive Secretary and parliamentarian Zulfikar Mustapha confirmed that the party is ready since it has tied up all of the necessary preparatory works.

“We have been ready

PPP/C’s Zulfikar Mustapha

for a while now and we remain humble and committed to the task of Government for the people and by the people.

We believe in LGE and its ability to impact the lives of residents at all levels of the community,” he remarked.

Another PPP campaign manager for the Georgetown Area, while at Freedom House on Wednesday said that the levels of optimism within the ranks of the Party are high because the Party’s membership understands what is at stake.

“People are taking this election seriously because they are tired

of the mismanagement and hardships they are currently facing at the hands of FLAP-NU… sorry I mean the APNU,” the manager remarked.

With less than 51 days to go before Local Government Elections (LGE), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has received and approved a total of 62 symbols from groups and individuals contesting in the elections.

GECOM has confirmed it is in receipt of symbols from seven political parties, an increase compared to the three from 2016 that contested.

(Michael Younge)

12 news

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Hall probe Jagdeo invokes presidential City Mayor Green offers ‘no comment’ immunity during A SOCU questioning

– as Unit continues investigation into allocations

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Former President Bharrat Jagdeo being questioned by the media outside SOCU headquarters

rue to his word, Opposition Leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo showed up at the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Camp Street headquarters, on Monday, where he sat down for an interview with investigators probing the Pradoville land distribution.

Before Jagdeo arrived, SOCU’s British Advisor Sam Sittlington and State Counsel Leslyn Noble could be seen entering the building. Jagdeo was accompanied by his Attorneys, Sase Gunraj and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall.

At the conclusion of a rather brief session, Nandlall informed the press that the former President’s immunity was invoked.

“As you know the Executive President of Guyana under the Constitution is immune from answering any questions about decisions made while he is acting in that capacity.

The questions related to when Mr Jagdeo was the President and chair of Cabinet. As such, we invoked that article that immunised him from questioning and any legal process whatsoever.”

Article 182 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana states, “…the holder of the office of President shall not be personally answerable to any court for the performance of the functions of his office or for any act done in the performance of those functions and no proceedings, whether criminal or civil, shall be instituted against him in his personal capacity in

respect thereof either during his term of office or thereafter.”

According to Jagdeo, however, a full defence will be filed in an affidavit if or when the matter reaches the courts.

In that defence, he explained, all issues relating to the Pradoville land will be answered.

“At this stage, like the other members of the Cabinet, we chose the right to be silent and in this case, I chaired the Cabinet in an official capacity. It’s the same questions you have seen publicised,” Jagdeo explained.

According to Jagdeo, nothing was said about charges being laid. But he posited that there is a possibility that the matter will be dragged out until closer to elections. He noted that a date for another interview was not set.

Moreover, both Jagdeo and Nandlall pointed out that a defence, in writing, exists for many of the questions raised about Pradoville in public documents.

“Please recall also that about two years ago, they filed civil proceedings against several of the allottees of that housing scheme, through Rex McKay. And we filed our defences in that matter and we never heard back from it. It’s still in the system,” Nandlall recalled.

Questioned

On Wednesday morning, former Public Works Minister Robeson Benn and former Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir found themselves the latest to be questioned at SOCU’s headquarters.

The duo was rep-

resented by former Education Minister Priya Manickchand, who disclosed that she, too, was called in for questioning regarding the matter on Tuesday.

In March 2017, former President Bharrat Jagdeo and former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, were arrested, while several other former Government Ministers under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration were detained by SOCU officials who were probing misappropriation of State assets.

The arrest and detention was in connection with an ongoing probe into the acquisition of lands at “Pradoville 2”, among other things. Days after that, President David Granger declared that the former Guyanese Leader should not have been treated the way he was.

In the past, SOCU has detained several former prominent Government officials in regard to their connection with the Pradoville 2 scheme. The reason these persons are being questioned is because they purchased property at the Sparendaam seawall area.

The current Administration contends that the transaction is a criminal act because of the belief that the land was sold below market value.

However, the PPP has argued that subsidised housing has always been part of the legacy of the PPP, and that countless Guyanese have benefited from lands sold below market value.

ctions taken by the Local Government Commission (LGC) to launch a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the spending and other operations at City Hall has left quite a stir, as officials of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) are retreating from sharing their observations.

The Inquiry was requested along with the fact that Town Clerk Royston King be sent on administrative leave, which will take effect from September 21.

“I have no comments,” were the words of Mayor Chase Green as she remained tight-lipped when confronted by sections of the media for a comment at Monday’s statutory meeting.

The Town Clerk also displayed similar sentiments, as he also refused to comment on the matter.

This move comes just two months ahead of Local Government Elections where a new executive body will be elected to oversee the activities at the Council.

However, it was claimed that this was necessary since numerous complaints were made by staffers of the Council and other agencies, regarding the expenditure and decisions which were taken by the Council.

During the meeting, Mayor Chase Green read an excerpt from the letter that was issued by the LGC which stated that the organisation “took a decision to carry out an

investigation based on multiple complaints and adverse reports received from workers of the municipality and a number of agencies with respect to the administration of the municipality of Georgetown.”

Headed by Justice Cecil Kennard, the public hearings will commence on September 24 and are expected to conclude on October 31. The necessary actions will be taken by the Commission after conclusions are drawn from the Inquiry.

Over the years, City Hall has complained over lack of funds which is a mere contradiction to its excessive spending.

Concerns were raised over this issue, noting that while the building is in need of repairs, millions of dollars have been squandered excessively.

This year, G$57 million was allocated to the Council by Central Government to facilitate community projects.

Additionally, some G$58 million was used to buy furniture for the office of the Town Clerk and other large sums were set aside to purchase vehi-

cles and machinery for the said office.

King’s office was also given G$4 million for overseas trips and G$550,000 for local travel expenses; all approved by the Council.

Electricity charges also spiked this year from G$5 million to G$9 million.

The excessive spending continues with another G$17 million which was allocated to the Council’s ‘City Week’ celebration a few weeks ago. This even comes in light of the fact the funds are desperately needed to restore City Hall’s building since sections of the structure have been deemed as “unsafe” with many anticipations that the historical structure is soon to crumble if it is not restored.

Despite these large sums, King mentioned in April that the Council is running on a shoestring budget, calling for staffing restructure. At that time, the average monthly revenue of City Hall was between G$78 and 80 million, while its monthly wage bill was G$112 million.

Teen slapped with murder charge on 16th birthday

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imothy Vanmaalson, who turned 16 on Tuesday, was remanded to prison after he was charged for the murder of a 72-year–old and appeared at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court.

Vanmaalson was not required to plead to the indictable charge of murder when he stood before Magistrate Peter Hugh. It is alleged that the teen killed Krishnachand Dabee of Lot 149 Annandale South, East Coast Demerara, on August 27, 2018.

Reports are the man’s body was discovered at about 19:00h on August 27, 2018, by his daughter and Police.

Guyana Times International had previously reported that the pensioner’s daughter, a lecturer at the University of Guyana, made several attempts to contact her father but the telephone went unanswered and she went to the Vigilance Police Station and made a report.

In responding to the report, a team of Police ranks went to the house at Annandale with the daughter and there they found the senior Dabee lying face up with injuries to his right eye and to the back of his head.

The Police have since confirmed that one of the rooms in the house was ransacked and from all indications, Dabee

Murdered: 72-year-old Krishnachand Dabee

was killed during a robbery.

In court on Tuesday, the matter was heard in camera. The teen was remanded to prison until October 8. The case was transferred to the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.

Outside of the court on Tuesday, relatives of Krishnachand Dabee gathered as they tried eagerly to get a glimpse of the teen’s face while shouting remarks at him for the gruesome act he reportedly committed.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guidance counsellors needed in Guyana’s schools – rights activist

– says ecstasy bust in school system must prompt serious discussion

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he discovery of the illegal drug ecstasy in schools in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) have prompted much worry, with one child rights activist urging the authorities to take serious action to prevent reoccurrences.

According to activist and Rights of the Child counsellor Nicole Cole, Government must “walk the talk” of placing guidance counsellors in as many schools as possible, if it is truly serious about protecting the nation’s children. She pointed out that children spend many hours in schools and the environment must be safe at all times.

“Children need safe spaces and places to grow and develop and once the school environment becomes flooded with dangerous, harmful drugs then there will be another public health problem burgeoning, which is addiction. Our society already has a huge alcohol abuse problem and a survey has shown that consumption of alcohol can start as early as 11 years old.”

“The absence of counsellors, poor parenting coupled with rampant child neglect may have led to the use of harm-

Rights activist Nicole Cole

ful drugs such as ecstasy being used by children. What this points to is the need for a public health response which has to be preventative as well as curative! There is need for drug rehabilitation services because ‘drug addictions’ are the end result of drug abuse and misuse,” she noted.

Back in 2016, then Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine had declared that

having counsellors in every school is crucial. In sections of the media, he was quoted saying that a central counselling unit was established in the Education Ministry in order to have trained counsellors in schools across the country.

“The Rights of the Child Commission had visited the then Minister of Education, Dr Roopnaraine and endorsed his utterances on placing guidance

counsellors in schools but all that now appears to be a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained,” Cole observed.

Calls to current Education Minister Nicolette Henry to ascertain the status of this plan went unanswered.

“Worrying trend” The Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) had announced a “worrying” trend whereby date-rape drug ‘ecstasy’ is being sold to students in at least five schools across Regions Three and Four.

The date-rape drug is making its way into schools after being already popular among many affluent members of society, according to CANU Deputy Head, Lesley Ramlall. The anti-drug enforcement agency is reportedly working with education officials to address the illegal practice.

“A lot of people are using it for their sexual enhancement and now it’s trickling down to our youths in schools. The disturbing thing is that when you look at some of the videos that the children have in their phones, especially of our girls, is really worrying for us,” Ramlall said.

While it was not revealed if or how many of these affluent individuals of society were

charged; Ramlall says CANU is working on tracking down the drug mules and is not inclined to carry out full-fledged investigations in schools.

“We will not get into any school without the invitation of the Ministry of Education.

In all the schools we found the ecstasy, the children admitted to the use of it, the selling of it.

We have gone to the other step of arresting persons who are selling this to the school children,” the CANU official outlined.

In the meanwhile, CANU will collaborate with the Education Ministry and Regional Education Officers to combat the growing trend of drug use in schools which investigators believed is linked to the many explicit videos of young girls which have been surfacing online. The production and distribution of such material is prohibited under the recently enacted cybercrime legislation.

All of these matters were raised at Monday’s CANU staff training in Georgetown where Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had called on parents to closely observe the activities of their children.

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‘Worrying trend’ of date-rape drug ‘Ecstasy’ being sold in Guyana’s schools

CANU Deputy Head Lesley Ramlall

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he Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) has announced a “worrying” trend whereby daterape drug ‘Ecstasy’ is being sold to students in at least five schools across Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) and Region Four (DemeraraMahaica).

The anti-drug enforcement agency is working with education officials to address the illegal practice. The date-rape drug is making its way into schools after being already popu-

lar among many affluent members of society, according to CANU Deputy Head, Lesley Ramlall.

“A lot of people are using it for their sexual enhancement and now it’s trickling down to our youths in schools. The disturbing thing is that when you look at some of the videos that the children have in their phones, especially of our girls, is really worrying for us,” Ramlall said.

While it was not revealed if or how many of these affluent individuals of society were charged; Ramlall says CANU is working on tracking down the drug mules and is not inclined to carry out full-fledged investigations in schools.

“We will not get into any school without the invitation of the Ministry of Education. In all the schools we found the ecstasy, the children admitted to the use of it, the selling of it. We have gone to the other step of arresting persons who are selling this to the school children,” the CANU official outlined.

In the meanwhile, CANU will collabo-

Labourer dies after drinking carbon tablets instead of “wind tablets”

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46-year-old labourer is now dead after he allegedly drank carbon tablets given to him by a friend on Sunday. The dead man has been identified as Gary Sulavan of Lot 4 Duncan Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

Based on information reaching the Guyana Times International, on the day in question, the now dead man left home around 11:00h and returned about 20:00h with a bottle of tablets which were supposed to be 'Garlic Extra 1000mg'.

He however, consumed the tablets and around 22:00h soon after which he started to vomit and compliant of feeling unwell.

The man’s wife immediately contacted the ambulance service and took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted but took his last breath at about 00:45h on Monday.

The bottle and contents were taken to the hospital by the deceased’s wife where it was discovered to be that of carbon tablets and not tablets for wind.

The man’s body is presently lying at the GPHC mortuary awaiting Post Mortem Examination.

The friend who had given the tablets to the man was arrested and is presently in Police custody assisting with investigations.

rate with the Education Ministry and Regional Education Officers to combat the growing trend of drug use in schools which investigators believed is linked to the many explicit videos of young girls which have been surfacing online.

The production and distribution of such material is prohibited under the recently enacted cybercrime legislation.

All of these matters were raised at Monday’s CANU staff training in Georgetown where Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan called on parents to closely observe the activities of their children.

“Parents need to have more discipline in relation to what their children do and do not do...

I’m not interfering with family life [but] I’m pleading with people.

When they go to a party and they’re partying plenty, what are they doing at the party; are they doing ecstasy with their friends and other family members?” he questioned.

Ramjattan told CANU agents that their

work is instrumental in cutting the profits from the drug trade which was described as a “big monster”. He further stated that marijuana cultivation is appealing to many citizens in the riverine communities, while adding that some drugs can sell for as much as $70,000 or $80,000 United States dollars by the time the prohibited products hit the North American market.

CANU says it will continue to collaborate with stakeholders in

combating the narcotics trade which includes marijuana, cocaine and synthetic drugs such as ecstasy, heroine and crystal meth.

On this note, the agency stated that the seizure of heroin was made via drug mules at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). It was revealed that from January to August 2018, CANU seized 104 grams of heroin and 100 grams of crystal methamphetamine while it disclosed marijuana seizure was 534kg

660 grams.

CANU said it also confiscated 161kg 870 grams of cocaine during the same period.

This year’s staff training was held under the theme “Stemming the flow of narcotics through capacity building and inter-agency collaborations”. Some of the identified agencies were the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Joint Services.

Ramjattan stands with Police …says citizens should allow Police to do their work

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ollowing the expletive-laden clip showing Attorney Ryan Crawford berating a junior Police rank for stopping him without proper cause, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said law enforcement ranks should be allowed to carry out their duties as long as they suspect an infraction has been committed.

The Minister made the comments at a Police event on Monday where he told ranks they should always operate as professionals in spite of the circumstances.

“Members of the public will cuss you down but you just courteously, professionally and cautiously and with integrity continue your work… in the course of time, you will see yourself becoming respected by the same public after a while,” Ramjattan encouraged.

The Vice President also told reporters that while he personally knows Crawford, he does not feel the Attorney’s response to being stopped was the correct approach.

“The Police have a difficult job and if we are stopped and Police say just wind up your glass, I want to see if the tint is a little too dark as against the light, what you’re going to do, cuss the Policeman? I don’t think that that is the appropriate thing to do but indeed the policy is that you have to have reasonable suspicion before you can stop someone.”

“Before he (the Policeman) could even ask if he had tint permission, the tirade happened so I don’t know if the Policeman is wrong. We have already told Policemen they must generally stop as a result of some formation in their minds that there is some suspicious activity,” the Public Security Minister

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

outlined.

He related that many drivers operate their motor vehicles without the requisite permission to use tint. On this basis, he believes that a courteous citizen should realise that a Police rank is doing his/her work. According to the Public Security Minister, it was random searches that caught about 30 persons with illegal guns.

The Minister then suggested that aggrieved members of the public take their complaints against Police through the available channels such as the Office of Professional Responsibility. That body was only reconstituted last week when retired Justice William Ramlall was appointed Chairman. Ramjattan said that through the hundreds of complaints about errant Police Officers, several ranks were sent packing.

The Police Officer who recorded the video alleged that the attorney’s vehicle was pulled over because he could

not initially see the driver. However Crawford refused to wind-up his window and demanded that the junior rank tell him what offences he committed.

“You tape who you got to tape. You go and tell every one of them [expletive] Commanders, the [expletive] President, Vice President, whoever the [expletive] you want to tell. I have a right to travel on this road freely without [expletive] interference unless I break the [expletive] law. I did not break the law,” the attorney expressed.

He had also refused to produce and documents as seen in the viral video.

Crawford has since apologised for his language which was condemned by the Guyana Bar Association.

The Association, however, agreed with their colleague that police should only stop motorists when there is reasonable suspicion.

Commander of C Division (East Coast Demerara), Calvin Brutus, has since called for an investigation to be launched into the incident. Reports are that the incident occurred at Mahaicony on the East Coast of Demerara when Crawford was operating a silver car with registration plates PNN 8482.

At the end of the clip that went viral, Crawford drove off from the scene without producing his documents.

The matter has attracted the attention of many Guyanese and has significantly divided opinion. While some have expressed the need for more becoming behaviour, many have expressed frustration at constant random stops from Police ranks on the roadways. One letter writer even suggested that the attorney should be disbarred. (Shemuel Fanfair)

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Teachers’ salary increases: Union says further strike action not ruled out pected to broker a new multi-year agreement for the period 2016 to 2020.

The last agreement expired in 2015.

In the meantime, the Department of Labour through the Social Protection Ministry said it will be nominating a

T

vised also, that it would be informed of future developments on the matter in due course.

The Education Ministry on Friday, September 14, 2018, rejected the GTU’s proposed arbitrators without giving reasons,

GTU proposed former Home Affairs Minister Jeffrey Thomas; former Foreign Affairs Minister Rashleigh Jackson and an experienced arbitrator, Aubrey Armstrong.

McDonald said the GTU thinks the Ministry’s rejection of

ers.

The Union said they were willing to accept a ‘substantial’ payout from the Government even after the GTU rejected Government’s request for teachers to agree to a debunching payoff of G$200 million for

GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald

he nation’s teachers are likely to resume industrial action if no progress is made soon at the level of arbitration to fasttrack the issue of wage increases.

This is according to General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) Coretta McDonald who said on Tuesday that this process is dependent on the Labour Department.

“We are guided by our Constitution and the Constitution gives our members the authority to dictate what happens.

So, when all of this recent information would have been said to our members, as well as our attorney, they will decide what we will do after… so we have not ruled out further strike action,” she said when asked about the next course of action.

McDonald said while it is not the first option to take strike action, if they are given no choice, they

may have to head down that road again, but this time on a larger scale.

“The GTU is hopeful that the sole issue will be resolved in a matter of a month or two months.

We are going to continue to be vigilant, very vocal and we will continue to have our members updated on what is happening” McDonald told this publication.

Following the last meeting, McDonald said the GTU had written the Education Ministry indicating that they are still willing to have talks again with the Department of Labour about naming someone to chair the arbitration panel.

She said, “It says to propose, and proposals on many instances, are not accepted. So, we will wait for the proposal to be made and for the invitation to be made for that meeting. And we will listen for the name to be mentioned.”

The panel will be ex-

Teachers protesting outside the Education Ministry on September 4, 2018

chairman on behalf of the Education Ministry, to head the arbitration panel for the Ministry and GTU. The Department of Labour on Monday said the two parties have failed to agree on a common chairman, and in keeping with the provisions of the extant Collective Labour Agreement between themselves, the Education Ministry sought the intervention of the Social Protection Ministry to nominate the chairman.

Moreover, the Social Protection Ministry said it agreed to satisfy the request of the Education Ministry and has since written to the President of the Teachers’ Union indicating its acceptance of the Ministry’s request.

The Union was ad-

Cops slapped with assault, wrongful detention charges

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wo Police ranks that reportedly assaulted and wrongfully detained a man who visited a drinking spot they co-own, found themselves before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Thirty-two-year-old Mahendra Singh of Pike Street, Kitty; and 30-year-old Christopher Dhanraj of Section “C” Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), both denied the allegation read to them by the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Singh, an Assistant Superintendent denied that on August 15, 2018, at Diamond Housing Scheme, he wrongfully detained Perry Barker, while Dhanraj, a Corporal for the past 11 years, denied that he assaulted Singh.

The court heard that on the day of the incident, an argument ensued among the three men and it is alleged that Dhanraj dealt the Virtual Complainant (VC) several cuffs after which Singh proceeded to lock him in a bathroom.

The man was however able to escape from the bathroom and proceeded to make a report to the Police.

They were both bailed in the sum of G$20,000 and are expected to make their second court appearance on September 24. Following the men’s

Police Corporal Christopher Dhanraj being escorted out of the courtroom by Police Officers

court appearance, they were allowed to walk down the regular entrance to the court rather than through the chute.

Additionally, Police ranks stationed at the court in an attempt to conceal the identities of the officers, approached reporters there and attempted to dissuade them from taking photos or videos of their colleagues.

resulting in the Union also rejecting the Ministry’s arbitrators during the second meeting held last week to put an end to the ongoing teachers’ salary impasse.

The two officials which Government proposed were Permanent Secretary of the Telecommunications Ministry, Derrick Cummings and Human Resources Manager of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Glenndon Hariss.

On the other hand,

their nominees speaks to the fact that they are not prepared to have neutral professionals sit on the panel.

The GTU recently called off a nationwide strike after the Government gave in to arbitration during the second round of conciliation talks, being mediated by Minister Keith Scott.

At that time, some 4000 teachers were on strike after several talks failed between the two parties with regards to a salary increase for teach-

2018/19.

The Union similarly rejected the G$700 million cap that was placed on salary increases which was for 2018 only.

Government also wants the clothing allowance to remain at G$8000, a figure the GTU said was given in 2011. As for the Whitley Council Leave, teachers still have to wait four years before getting their one-month off, even though the GTU appealed for that period to be reduced to three years.

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Prima facie case made out against 5 suspects in Berbice carpenter’s murder Alleged mastermind: Marcus Bisram

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fter Magistrate, Charlyn Artiga announced that a prima facie case was made out against the five men charged for the killing of Berbice carpenter; Faiyaz Narinedatt, Attorney for the accused will now be required to lead his defence.

The Attorney, Sanjeev Dadatin had made a no case submission for his clients, however, after overruling same, Artiga made her ruling.

As such, Datadin is now expected to lead his clients’ defence on September 28 at the Number 51 Magistrate's Court.

The five accused Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob are accused of murdering Narinedatt between October 31 and November 1, 2016, at Number 70 Village, Berbice.

The killing was allegedly masterminded

by Marcus Bisram who is currently fighting extradition in the United States (US).

Narinedatt’s lifeless body was found on the Number 70 Village public road, Corentyne on November 1 with marks of violence about his body.

Initially, it was reported that the man was involved in a hit and run. His relatives however, denied that this was so and as such made repeated calls for the matter to be closely investigated.

It was only after a post-mortem examination revealed that the man died from a fractured skull but had also sustained a fractured spine and other injuries that an investigation was launched.

That investigation revealed that the day before he was found dead, Narinedatt had attended a party in Number 70 Village, which was hostcontinued on apge 21

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Human rights body disappointed with Govt’s Green Paper on management of oil revenues

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Head of GHRA Mike McCormack

he Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has expressed deep disappointment with Government’s Green Paper for the management of anticipated oil revenues, stating that it lacks context and does not cater for Guyana’s most precious resource, human capital.

Head of the GHRA, Mike McCormack said his organisation has studied the document and while particular emphasis is placed on making education a high priority, it has not taken into account how Guyanese will benefit directly from the revenues of oil.

“We are disappointed with the green paper because it has no context… education has been a high priority in the use of oil revenues, no one disagrees with that but what it doesn’t say is all vulnerable export for the last 50 years have been educated people,” he stated.

In giving his opinion, McCormack said the reason why educated people are leaving, is mainly because they don’t see a secured and happy future in which they can achieve here. He said this view could be changed if the revenues from oil are spent to improve the lives of people.

He said too that the Association is not in favour of having a politically run fund, because they will not be favourable in delivering. He said that technical expertise should be sought to ensure that it is properly managed and resources are properly spent.

But more importantly, the GHRA head said while there is much to talk about how the revenues from oil will be spent, he said the discussion must also include what can transpire in 2020. McCormack reminded that year is critical as it is also an election year.

“Nobody is discussing the fact that 2020… with a political situation in which obsession with gaining power could become serious. The business community, faith-based organisations and trade unions must have strong consensus that whoever wins the elections, as an agenda policy we need to support that. We need to ensure there is stability,” he added.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has already raised concerns over the total control of the Natural Resources Fund by the Finance Ministry.

The green paper sets out preliminary plans on how the Government hopes to manage the revenue from oil and other natural resources, with clear objectives of the Natural Resources Fund.

The Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) was laid in the National Assembly in August which sets out preliminary proposals to stimulate discussion, also points to possible courses of action open to the SWF legislation.

Jagdeo reminded that he had initial objections to Government’s plans for the Fund but now that the green paper has been made public, he finds the plans to be even more worrying.

The document states that the Finance Ministry will be responsible for the overall management of the Fund, including requested withdrawals in the annual budget proposal. “…calculating the fiscally sustainable amount; drafting the investment mandate; entering into the operational agreement with the Bank of Guyana [BoG] and drafting the annual report and reporting on the Fund through the annual budget,” the document said.

As such, Jagdeo said he disagrees with Finance Minister Winston Jordan’s total control for various reasons, but zeroed in on Jordan’s silence on the signing bonus from ExxonMobil.

“This is the same Minister who lied to the country about the US$18 million signing bonus, saying that Guyana never received it and never asked for it. He lied to Guyanese for over a year. And it is the same Minister who will now have full control.”

Further, the green paper states that the BoG will be the operational manager of the Fund. Jagdeo has already expressed deep concern about this proposal. Although the Government has catered for a representative from the Opposition to sit on the Fund, he has already objected to this proposal, stating that politicians should not be included.

“We don’t want politicians… we, ourselves, to manage this money. This Fund has to be independently, technically managed… not by politicians again and stored at the Central Bank. We have a problem with that model. It departs radically from best practices, like Norway and the other countries,” he had stated.

Now that the green paper has been laid, it paves the way for the proposed legislation on the SWF to be laid in the National Assembly which looks at addressing two main issues: stability of the economy and saving for future generations. Advice was sought from international agencies, including the Commonwealth Secretariat, among others.

Foreign companies should not lead process in oil audits, says Gaskin

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ith the recent announcement made by the Department of Energy to hire an overseas firm to assist with the auditing of the pre-contract costs for oil recovery, outspoken economist and social commentator, Ramon Gaskin, has said although Guyana lacks the capacity, no overseas company should be allowed to take full charge of this audit.

Gaskin’s argument is premised on the fact that only Guyanese will have Guyana’s interest at heart. He questioned whether there is any guarantee that an overseas firm, especially one that may have connections to oil companies operating in Guyana, will look out for Guyana’s interest.

“I do not have any confidence in any overseas company to look out for the interest in Guyana,” he said, while recalling that a few years ago; a Canadian-based company was hired to look into the tax regime of the gold mining sector and did nothing for Guyana.

“The only thing they came up with was to reduce the royalty of Omai, a Canadian company operating in Guyana.

Therefore, I am saying, I have zero confidence. We have to have Guyanese to look out for Guyana’s interests. We cannot go to that route again,” he asserted.

Gaskin, a former presidential advisor, believes nothing is wrong with hiring an overseas company to assist Guyanese in understanding the more complex issues in oil and gas, but he thinks Guyanese should remain in charge of the entire auditing process.

He said, “Guyanese have to be in charge. We cannot put foreign people to audit the foreign people, they are all the same. We’ve had that experience before. We cannot go there again.”

Head of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe told sections of the media that the plan is to hire an overseas company that would assist both the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Auditor General’s Office to conduct the audit of the pre-contract costs.

The controversial US$460 million pre-contract costs that ExxonMobil has charged Guyana is yet to be audit-

Economist Ramon Gaskin

ed. Finance Minister Winston Jordan is aware of the concerns that the sum is inflated and has noted that there is nothing much that could be done at this time.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has responded to a request for help to audit all costs to be recovered by ExxonMobil.

GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia said the IMF will be lending its expertise to

and credits relating to the contractor’s activities under the Petroleum Agreement.

This means all books of accounts, accounting entries; material records and inventories, vouchers, payrolls, invoices and any other documents, and correspondence will be requested and checked thoroughly.

Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram had called for the US$460 million pre-contract costs to be audited. Based on his examination, he said the numbers were not adding up.

Ram said ExxonMobil is represented by three companies as the contractor for the Stabroek Block – Esso, CNOOC, and Hess. Using the financial statements of Esso and CNOOC, the only ones which were publicly available, he pointed out a few important things.

He highlighted for example, that the combined expenditure of Esso and CNOOC at December 31, 2015, was G$26 billion with reported losses of G$21 billion, giving a total of

An oil rig offshore Guyana

audit the controversial pre-contract costs.

Statia said the IMF and the World Bank would be training GRA officers in the areas of petroleum accounting, cost recovery audits and other tax-related matters. He said help would also be provided to develop a risk assessment strategy for the sector.

It has been reported that the IMF and other institutions will be tasked with auditing, examining and verifying all available documentation and records necessary for charges

G$47 billion. In United States dollars, using a $200 exchange rate, Ram said that gives a total US$245 million, well short of the $460 million that the Government accepted in the Agreement with ExxonMobil.

To make up the total of US$460 million, Ram said Hess alone would have had to spend, in contract costs, some US$215 million or approximately G$46 billion, which he opined would defy logic. Ram stressed that the only satisfactory and acceptable resolution of this matter is a special audit independently undertaken.

Prima facie case made...

The five accused Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob are accused of murdering Narinedatt between October 31 and November 1, 2016, at Number 70 Village, Berbice.

from page 20

ed by Bisram who allegedly made sexual advances towards him that were rejected.

This allegedly angered Bisram.

The suspects allegedly dealt the now deceased man a severe beating before his unconscious body was placed in the trunk of a car and dumped.

Bisram who had fled the US was detained their after an arrest warrant was issued for him.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

SOCU to question Govt Ministers over controversial bridge contract T

he Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has given the parliamentary Opposition a commitment that members of the coalition Government will be questioned concerning the controversial LievenseCSO Harbour Bridge contract.

This is according to Opposition Leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who spoke to the media following his ‘interview’ at SOCU headquarters on Monday, where he was questioned by investigators probing the Pradoville land distribution matter.

Upon his arrival at the Unit’s head office, Jagdeo told the press his motive for appearing included setting a precedent for the current Government. He explained that the parliamentary Opposition has several matters involving the coalition it would like investigated.

After his meeting, the Opposition Leader informed the media that SOCU has committed to having current Ministers questioned for one of those very matters; the contract for a feasibility study of the

new Demerara Harbour Bridge.

“One thing that is pleasing about the interview is that at the end of it, I asked whether SOCU will be proceeding with the case I filed against Patterson.

The answer was yes. So I asked whether SOCU will interview him at his office or here and I was told he would be called here for an interview and other members of the Cabinet will be invited here. So we’re very pleased about that, that the same standard will be used.”

‘So hopefully next week you’ll start seeing members of the Government coming to SOCU to answer for the contract that was awarded illegally with the complicity of Cabinet. We also indicated to SOCU that we have five other cases to send to them.

Because the [Director of Public Prosecutions] DPP had indicated we need to go through the Police first, when she nolle prossed the charges,” he explained.

In light of this, Jagdeo was expectant that over the next year and a half, Cabinet Ministers would make regular visits to

President David Granger along with his Cabinet Ministers

SOCU to answer questions, providing that the Unit acts in a professional and impartial manner.

The contract in question was awarded to Dutch company, LievenseCSO, for a feasibility study into the new Demerara River bridge. The Opposition requested that the Public Procurement Commission investigate the award of the G$148 million sole sourced contract.

In its report on the matter, the Commission flagged Public Infrastructure Minister

David Patterson for requesting from Cabinet that the contract be sole sourced, instead of being processed through the Procurement Board as the law says should be done. It was subsequently announced that SOCU would be investigating the contract award.

No specifics

When contacted afterwards, however, SOCU head Assistant Commissioner Sydney James was reluctant to state exactly who the Unit would interview.

Asked directly whether current Cabinet

Ministers would be questioned, he would only venture to say that the Unit would question anyone it has to.

Besides the LievenseCSO contract, a probe has been requested by Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira; and another by Opposition parliamentarian Juan Edghill, had also written to the PPC to request probes into the D’Urban Park project and the Sussex Street drug bond. In a letter to the Commission’s Chairperson, Carol Corbin, Edghill had iden-

tified aspects of the project the party is most concerned about.

Edghill, a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), noted that despite promises to the contrary, no account of donations received between September 2015 and January 2016, was made public. It therefore queried the procurement process used for works on the project In the case of the Sussex Street, Albouystown bond, Edghill also approached the PPC to call for an investigation into the contract inked between the Public Health Ministry and a known financier of the coalition Administration.

The former Government Minister had wanted the Procurement Commission to investigate specifically how a contract for a bond for the storage of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies was solesourced from an entity that did not own and/ or operate such a facility and further “how was the company’s primary Director, Larry Singh, made aware that a drug bond was needed”.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Deadly piracy attack survivor receives death threats

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ne of the s u r v i vors of the April 27 and 28 deadly piracy attacks in Suriname that left at least 15 people dead, is living in fear after allegedly receiving death threats from the alleged mastermind.

Darmandew Persaud, called “Achie Boy”, had told investigators that his attackers had tied an anchor to his neck, while beating and chopping him multiple times about his body before throwing him overboard.

He also claimed that he was able to identify some of his attackers.

Four boats with a total of 20 fishermen – all Guyanese – were victims of the attacks during which some were burned with hot oil, attacked with cutlasses and forced to jump overboard with anchors tied to their bodies at Wia Wia Bank in the Atlantic Ocean.

Persaud claims that although he survived that attack by swimming until he was rescued, he is still fearful for his

Ryan Crawford to face 5 charges F

Darmandew Persaud, called “Achie Boy”

life and that of his family. “Fyah” send message saying that he gon chop me up.”

The man said he has been accused of providing information to the media and the Police on the alleged piracy attack.

Persaud told this publication all he had done was report what transpired at sea.

“I see who chop me and I called their name. I ain’t do anything wrong,” he explained. Persaud said the message was delivered by a lady who has a close relationship with the alleged mastermind of the April piracy attacks.

Nakool Manohar,

called “Fyah” was on May 30, 2018, charged with the murder of one of the fishermen who died in the gruesome April 27, 2018 piracy attacks in Suriname.

Persaud said he has not reported the threats to the Police but would have informed Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan while he was in Berbice on Saturday.

A total of 10 people are still missing from the piracy attacks. Five bodies of the fishermen were recovered and several persons were charged for the heinous crime.

ollowing many calls by the public to have Attorney-at-Law, Ryan Crawford will face five charges on Friday following the social media broadcast of a video in which he verbally abused an officer, repeatedly using expletives.

Police said he will be charged with the following offences: (1) Prohibition of Tinted Glass; (2) Failure to Produce Driver’s Licence; (3) Driving an Unfit Motor Vehicle; (4) Use of Obscene Language and (5) Riotous Behaviour Last week, the lawyer came under fire after the video which was posted by the Officer showed him heatedly refusing to comply with the requests of the Officer, which was to hand over his motor vehicle’s documents and to wind up his tinted car window.

After being stopped on the East Coast Demerara (EDC) road Crawford proceeded to

question the Officer as to his reason for doing so.

In the almost four minutes long video, the lawyer repeatedly used profanity at the Officer telling him “you can go and tell each and every one of the commanders, the President and Vice President, you go and tell whoever you want…” before driving off.

“C” Division Commander, Calvin Brutus had since launched an investigation into the matter.

Following the posting of the video, Crawford had taken to his Facebook page to make fun of the incident even going as far as to marketing himself.

The Bar Association however, in a statement to the press condemned Crawford’s actions imploring him and its other members to conduct themselves in a professional manner.

It was only after same that the lawyer

issued a public apology but added that he was not sorry for questioning arbitrary authority.

His apology stated; “I am not trying to justify my behaviour. My language was not proper as an officer of the courts nor as a member of the Bar of Guyana. I apologize for my language, but I’m not sorry for questioning arbitrary authority”.

In his apology, Crawford also stated that his frustration was the cause of his expletive rant noting that he was only attempting to get his point across which is that he was illegally stopped.

The matter has attracted the attention of many Guyanese and has significantly divided opinion. While some have expressed the need for more becoming behaviour, many have expressed frustration at constant random stops from Police ranks on the roadways.

24 news

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Guyanese fear 2020 elections could be rigged – Opposition Leader W

ith the legitimacy of the last Regional and General Elections being challenged by the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and with renewed talks on the ground over the upcoming election cycle, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said that fears of rigged elections are legitimate.

He said recently, these fears expressed by various pockets of people across the country are not unreasonable and points right back to previous rigged elections, which occurred in Guyana under the leadership of the People’s National Congress (PNC).

Jagdeo, General Secretary of the PPP, said too that some of the key players during that period in the 1980s are still prominent in the current Government. He said this gives more reasons why citizens across Guyana may have that level of fear about election rigging.

But the former President said such fears are compounded by the fact that President David Granger unilaterally appointed a Chairman of the

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), in the person of retired Justice James Patterson, 84, who is accused of being aligned to the PNC. “What we have said to people is that because of that fear, we have to work harder, be more vigilant and block any attempt to rig… that is what we are doing now,” he stressed. The PPP General Secretary has in the past called on Guyanese to be alert and work hard toward pre-

venting this.

Jagdeo has vowed to fight against any form of election rigging. He has accused the coalition of allegedly crafting certain strategies that have the potential to jeopardise the entire electoral process, citing the appointment of Patterson as the GECOM head.

“We expected this; we have lived with this a very long time. But they (Government) are not going to deter us from fighting aggressively for free and fair elections. They are not going to break our spirit with these appointments. And there will be consequences,” he had stated.

He said if the Government chose not to live by the rules and took power without observing the rules, then the PPP would not be bound by any rules, because it would basically be a freedom struggle. “It changes from a struggle within an established democracy to one of fighting for freedom.”

Although he believes that the stage is being set to rig the 2020 elections, Jagdeo has made clear that such a task could not stand in an open and

President David Granger

democratic society. “There will be an attempt given the nature of the PNC, an attempt to try to tamper with the elections,” he added.

The PPP has also raised concerns in relation to Government’s attempt to allegedly pad the Voters’ List.

Only recently, Jagdeo also raised concerns again about thousands of Haitian nationals who arrived in Guyana, but many of them have not left the country. He alleged that they may have been trafficked.

He also raised concerns

over Government’s moves to create new townships as a means of trying to tamper with the current system and create an avenue for them to allegedly tamper with the votes.

Although this has happened previously, the PPP still managed to sweep a major victory at the last Local Government Elections (LGE). The next LGE is set for November 11.

But President David Granger has brushed aside suggestions that he would follow in the footsteps of the late President Forbes Burnham.

Burnham was accused of rigging elections to stay in power.

He ruled Guyana from 1964 until his death in 1985.

“I have never rigged an election in my life; I have no intention of ever doing so… I am not aware that rigged elections was an ideal of Forbes Burnham,” he said. Granger has repeatedly pointed to the ideals of Burnham, but said as far as the rigging of elections was concerned, “I don’t see how that is applicable to anything that I have said or intend to do.”

Ramkarran says lawyer’s outburst inexcusable but understandable

C

Attorney Ryan Crawford

alling out the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for some of its members’ habits of stopping motorists and soliciting bribes, a Senior Counsel (SC) and former Speaker of the National Assembly has joined the Ryan Crawford debate.

In his weekly column, Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran revealed that he too has been stopped on multiple occasions. He complained about the practise commonly known as a shakedown; when Police randomly stop vehicles and then solic-

its bribes from the hapless drivers to make the ‘matter’ go away.

“A Police stop is often accompanied by the inevitable request for a raise. Despite the criticism of this type of Police activity, nothing has ever been done by the authorities to restrain it,” he wrote.

“At one time drivers were stopped after they crossed on the green at traffic lights and accused of crossing on the red.”

“They paid up in panic there or after the Police entered the vehicle and told them to

drive to the Police station. Driving to the Police station is frightening. It involves hours of sitting on a bench.

When eventually you are dealt with, a hefty dose of bail is imposed.

If you don’t have the sum, you have to communicate with a family member to secure bail.”

Ramkarran observed that these persons may then be invited to attend court, where they are told that no case has been filed. This, he noted, can come after the victim wasted a day at the court.

“On several occasions in the past, the Police authorities have announced that Policemen have no right to request a vehicle owner to go to the Police station for a minor offence. This, of course, (is sometimes not) observed by traffic Policemen who continue to hold on to drivers’ licences and demand that the drivers go to the station.”

“I have been the victim of most of these forms of harassment and so have family members and friends who have called me for assistance and advice. So have most of the thousands of drivers on the road. A traffic Policeman’s position is seen as a lucrative one.”

Apology

Meanwhile, Attorney Ryan Crawford himself issued an apology on his social media page. In the apology, he expresses regret for using expletives during the stop but added that he would continue to oppose Police who overstep their authority.

“On September 13, I was singled out from a line of vehicles travelling about 25km by a Police Officer who was standing on the opposite side of the carriageway along the vicinity of the Mahaicony Public Road.

After complying with the officer to stop, I was ordered to the side of the road where I waited. At all times, my two front (windows) were down.”

Crawford recounted that after a lengthy wait without being given an explanation for the stop, he became frustrated at being detained. He noted that that frustration led to the expletives while making his point to the officer that it was an illegal stop. Crawford also alluded to things being said prior to the filming.

“As a practising attorney in both civil and criminal courts, I have seen and heard of the plight of citizens of this country at the hands of some in the Police Force.

Ralph Ramkarran, SC

My frustration has been brewing for a while. I’m still dealing with matters started 18 years ago by my father SC Marcel Crawford, in the court.

There are so many more important issues not being addressed.”

“I am not trying to justify my behaviour,” he continued. “My language was not proper as an officer of the court or as a member of the Bar of Guyana. I apologise for my language but I am not sorry for questioning arbitrary authority.”

The incident first came to light when the officer, who made a video recording of the stop, posted it to social media.

In the video, Crawford could be seen arguing strenuously against

the stop before driving away.

The matter has attracted the attention of many Guyanese and has significantly divided opinion. While some have expressed the need for more becoming behaviour, many have expressed frustration at constant random stops from Police ranks on the roadways.

The Bar Association in a release shied away from addressing Crawford’s incident specifically, though it warned the public of their rights when being stopped. The Police have also said that an investigation was carried out, with some reports indicating that the file was sent to their legal advisor.

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US identifies two Trinidadian nationals as financiers of ISIS

W

ASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The United States has named two Trinidad and Tobago nationals as financiers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“While coalition efforts have led to the collapse of ISIS’s self-declared caliphate, Treasury continues to aggressively target financiers supporting ISIS’s radical agenda. We are sanctioning individuals involved in financial facilitation to obstruct and deter ISIS financial operations in regions across the world,” said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

“Our actions coincide with the 10th meeting of the Counter-ISIS Finance Group (CIFG), which includes 52 countries and international organisations committed to disrupting critical sources of ISIS revenue to permanently prevent ISIS from accessing the international financial system.”

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named Emraan Ali and Eddie Aleong as those assisting in financing the operations of the terrorist group.

It said in the case of Ali, the Syriabased dual US and Trinidadian national was designated for acting for or on behalf of ISIS. “Ali has been involved in money transfers from Trinidad and Tobago to Syria in support of ISIS. As of January 2017, Ali would receive and provide funds to Trinidadian ISIS fighters. For several years, a number of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago in Syria received money transfers

through Ali. In the summer of 2015, Ali lived at an ISIS guest house in Syria and had been assigned to Raqqah, Syria,” OFAC outlined.

It said that Aleong was designated for assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of ISIS. “As of March 2018, Trinidad-based Aleong facilitated money transfers to ISIS members in ISIS-controlled territory. As of January 2017, a Trinidadian ISIS supporter possibly planned to work with Eddie Aleong, to transfer funds to Emraan Ali, who would then provide the funds to Trinidadian ISIS fighters in Syria.”

The Treasury Department said that the designations are part of the broader United States government’s ongoing and concerted efforts to disrupt ISISrelated financial activities around the globe.

It said throughout 2018, the Departments of the Treasury and State targeted ISIS branches, facilitators, and networks in Bangladesh, Iraq, Somalia, the Philippines, and across West and North Africa.

“The US government will continue taking disruptive action to prevent ISIS from exploiting the financial system to fund its operations,” it said adding that as a result of the action “all property and interests in property of these persons subject to US jurisdiction are blocked and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them”.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Cussing…

A

…and reporting

ll Guyana’s all agog over the video of a lawyer “cussing out” a traffic cop who stopped his car and demanded he produce his driving licence. Now, every Guyanese who’s driven a vehicle on our roads would’ve experienced this arbitrary “stop and demand” by traffic Police. And felt their bile (and rage) boil up in their throats as they realise it’s nothing more than a shakedown for a “raise”. That they could be hauled to the Police station and forced to endure sitting for hours on the station bench like a common criminal forces most drivers to “pay up” and “move on”.

Even though there have been numerous articles, letters, debates over the airwaves on the subject – all of which confirmed that you aren’t supposed to be stopped unless the cop had “reasonable cause” to so do — the practice continues unabatedly. It has to be that the Police, in general, don’t see the need for curbing the practice. Some have asserted that the loot is shared with supervising officers.

Well, for all those long suffering and abused motorists – including your humble Eyewitness — lawyer Crawford just struck a blow for their emancipation from this Police tyranny! With great aplomb, Crawford demonstrated the verbal facility lawyers should develop after five years of legal training. And as his colleagues at the bar should’ve noted, it isn’t just about using big words: Crawford showed the subtlety that just intonation could impart to words by riffing on the single “F” word and its various tenses. Mostly, he used the form of the present participle “F***ing.

Now, your Eyewitness isn’t going to get into the debate as to the “propriety” of using such “cuss” words. Some felt that, as a lawyer, he shouldn’t have descended “into the gutter”. But why should this be so? Anthropologists show that all cultures have cuss words – and gestures like sticking up the middle finger! So it must be a human response to certain social circumstances, no? Well, the psychologists tell us that cuss words are typically “transgressive” and offensive, but allow us to vent strong emotions about something that affects us.

The words are usually about taboo subjects in the public realm – sex, bodily waste and religion.

But your Eyewitness was intrigued by the representation of the cuss word in the Guyanese dailies. Unlike the London Times, for instance, which would use the word fully spelt out when quoting someone – like Crawford – the local newspapers used the first letter of the word, followed by asterisks – eg F***! The question your Eyewitness has is: why is this, the asterisked version, considered less offensive? And studies have shown that it is so with most people.

So, if Crawford had yelled, “F-asterisk you!” to the cop, would it be okay?

But it wouldn’t have been as cathartic for him, would it? …and Ethnophaulism Well…well…well! Your Eyewitness learnt a new word today, and in of all places, the Chronic.

A member of the ERC revealed that after three years in the making, their newly constituted body — meant to diffuse the racial hostilities that are always on the verge of boiling over — will be taking radical corrective action. And what’s that action?

Fighting ethnophaulism!!

If, like your Eyewitness, you just ejaculated, “What the heck is that?”, let him save you a peek into your dictionary – it’s an ethnic slur. Now a slur’s different from a cuss word – discussed above – in that it caricatures some identifiable feature of the group being derided. Like the “N” word being connected with colour. The ERC official wants “to develop a glossary of words that should not be used; (with) legislation in place that if that is done, that the authorities step in.”

So, in addition to traffic Police shaking us down, we’ll now have “slur Police”? …those Trinis Your Eyewitness is happy he’s explained the cathartic effect of cussing. So don’t sweat about all the cusses you let loose on those Trinis last night, when they carried on against our Warriors!!

You feel better, don’t you?!!

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By Lakhram Bhagirat

“I

was scared because I didn’t know what is happening and what will happen. When they told me that I may lose my sight, I was depressed and I was about seven years old at that t i m e .

Just i n

Grade Two and I was shame because I didn’t want my friends to laugh at me…” the now 17-year-old Anjalie Sookra tells me.

Anjalie was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease after her parents discovered she had problems with her vision.

Stargardt disease is the most common form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration. The progressive vision loss associated with Stargardt disease is caused by the death of photoreceptor cells in the central portion of the retina called the macula.

The macula is responsible for sharp central vision — for tasks like

reading, watching television, and l o o k ing at

faces.

According to experts, visual awareness may decrease slowly at first, accelerate, and then level off. Stargardt disease is usually inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. It is inherited when both parents, called carriers, have one gene for the disease paired with one normal gene.

There is currently no treatment available for the disease.

Now that we have

a fair idea of Analia’s condition, let

u s g e t to know her and how she overcame and continues to overcome obstacles in her everyday life. She hails from the East Berbice village of Tain and is the first child of her parents Pradeep and Mohini Sookra.

She explains that that her childhood was one that was “normal” with lots of fun and friends but she al-

ways knew that something was wrong with her sight.

“While growing up and playing with my friends and so on, I always know that there is something with my eyes because I would always have to hold the book close to m y

eyes and sit in front of the class. But then at that age I thought it was all normal because but after I went to the doctor I know I was different,” she explained.

Anjalie attended Tain Primary and while there, she said the challenges in in gaining a proper education were plenty. She would always have to sit in front of the class as well as had a lot of difficulties reading, hence resulting in her not being able to perform well academically.

“I was an average student in school because of my sight. I know I had the poten-

feature 33

tial to do better but I am satisfied with my performance.”

After completing the National Grade Six Assessment, Anjalie gained a place at Berbice High School and started a new chapter of her life. Adjusting to the pressures of secondary school as well as growing up was one she took in stride. She explained that while she is unaware of any teasing, she made some close friends.

“I made some very good friends and they helped me with my studying as school work. They never treated me any different and I am happy for that.”

Anjalie sat this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination and gained Grade One to Three passes in nine subjects. When I asked her how she was able to accomplish this, Anjalie told me that it was with extremely hard work as well as determination.

“I used to study hard and make sure that I understand everything that I was taught. I also had my friends and parents who helped me a lot. I am glad with the subjects that I passed and am now able to follow my dreams,” Anjalie said.

Now Anjalie is a student at the University of Guyana’s Tain Campus pursuing her studies in social work.

She explains that she chose that field because she wants to help people who are in similar positions as she is. She says her condition not only limits her learning capabilities but her mobility as well.

“I wish I can drive so it would ease the burden on my parents.

They don’t want me to go anywhere on my own and they would take me everywhere. I wish that there would be a little more independence.” (Times Sunday Magazine)

34 FEATURE

By Shemuel Fanfair

A

s time goes by, how can a mother stand to bear the burden to daily care for her once sprightly and promising son without harbouring feelings of great dismay over the fact that at present, he cannot respond audibly whenever she speaks to him? This is the battlefield of emotions Lot 22 Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, mother of five Sharon Davidson faces, two years after her

son; Shamar Henry, was struck down three houses away from their family home.

On May 29, 2016 Henry, as positive as any child could be, was on the cusp of his 13th birthday.

However, his life and the lives of his family members would never be the same after Henry was one of two persons who was struck by a motorcar operated by Donald Downer, who was said to be speeding at the time of the accident.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Both lives were altered as the other individual involved in the accident -- Wazir Ali, lost a leg; but for Shamar, he never regained his mobility or his speech after the accident on that fateful day.

Speaking with Sunday Times Magazine, his mother, Sharon, said above all, she wishes that her now 15-year-old son -- who is her youngest child -- would look up and speak to her. Davidson pointed out that she is

Sharon Davidson looks to her youngest child, Shamar Henry, who has not spoken and walked since his May 2016 accident

The lad’s mother holding some of his medications

thankful that he can now move his head and blink his eyes.

Her day starts out about 05:00h everyday and the first thing she does is make porridge for Shamar. Thereafter, Davidson would shower her son, feed him and then prepare meals for the rest of the family. The mother noted that she has to feed him again at 11:30h, 16:00h and 20:00h in all liquids since he is fed through a feeding tube.

“Every day is one thing. He uses a pack of 10 pampers a day because he urinates a lot and I don’t want him to get anymore rashes because I have to spend a lot of money buying different creams to stop the itching,” she told Sunday Times Magazine.

Davidson recalled vividly that it was a Sunday afternoon around 15:15h when her son was struck by the speeding car. Just before the accident, a group of friends called her son out to play a game of football and she said she was lying in bed when she heard people calling out that Shamar was hit. Rushing over to the scene, she noted the fears that filled her mind when Shamar was lying on the Goed Fortuin Public Road in his older brother’s arms. At this point, all she could do was frantically stop an approaching taxi to get help as she was only concerned with saving her injured son’s life.

After Downer’s speeding vehicle struck both pedestrians, the lad suffered from four fractures to his skull and internal injuries.

“The driver leave and go away and he is a pastor. He left and go to the station but he didn’t render any assistance. I was right here on this bed when I hear people shouting Shamar, Shamar.

We get and car and rush he to hospital… then I ask what happened,” the woman remembered.

But as she was speak-

ing to this publication, her eyes seemed filled with sadness as she stared at her son, recalling the horrific events of May 2016.

Even now, these feelings remain persistent in her thoughts as she tries to see the light of a better day.

“Many days I want to holler and scream… to see how he deh but I thank God he alive and is a 100 per cent better than how he was before…he didn’t have any medical problem before… he would always be running and jumping up in the yard when the day came,” Davidson said with a restrained smile.

He was first taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital but his condition was so severe that he was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Shamar’s mother said a Cuban doctor’s preliminary assessment was that her son could be brain dead which made her want to scream to the top of her lungs but she nevertheless persevered with hope that things would improve.

She recalled that when she first brought him home, Shamar was severely underweight and would wear pampers fit for a two year old. She said the biggest part of his feet were his knees and even today, he does not have the body mass as he once did.

“I feel bad because it’s my son and all the fatigue and strain left on me. The man who hit him down never gave me any compensation,” she said, adding that her faith was especially challenged because of this.

Davidson noted too that she would sometimes see Downer in a nearby supermarket as he reportedly appealed his oneyear prison term. He was earlier found guilty and sentenced to 12 months jail by former Wales Magistrate Clive Nurse at the conclusion of trial.

When it comes to her

financial state, the woman indicated that she can barely make ends meet as she spends around $25,000 a month in pampers and thousands more in milk, anti-itch medication and vitamins. She had stopped his therapy sessions due to financial constraints but hopes to have him back in therapy by June which will cost $4000 for eight days.

Davidson said she gets $8000 in public assistance and $16,000 in child support from the teen’s father.

The mother noted too that she can’t work anywhere but she supplements her income by selling at a small shop in front of her yard with her daughter. Davidson takes Shamar to the West Demerara Hospital to get treatment for seizures and according to her, a doctor explained that it goes off like if wires are sparking in Shamar’s brain. But all is not lost as the woman is hopeful for a turnaround in her son’s situation.

“I am hoping and praying that he’s able to walk and talk and gets healed physically and mentally…

If I had money I would have gone out of the country to seek help but all in all, God has to be the final help. God got to help he; man could only suggest this and that,” she said.

“It’s a terrible strain and a loss because I want to hear his voice.

Sometimes I stand up, fed up and talk to him and I ask him if he understand me and he winks his eye but I am hoping that he will walk and talk but everything takes time,” she stressed.

The mother said her second born son was in a recent car accident at Hand-in-Hand in Vreeden-Hoop where his shoulder was broken but he is recuperating. Sharon Davidson can be reached on mobile number 6811404. (Times Sunday Magazine)

NEWS 35

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

T&T PM to relook at ban on honey transshipment T

rinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley has committed that his country is looking into the 80-year-old law which restricts Guyana from transshipping honey exports through the twinisland nation.

The 1935 T&T law prohibits the transportation of honey within one mile of the country. In fact, back in 2015, Laparkan was fined US$3000 by Trinidad and Tobago’s customs for facilitating the shipment of honey. The authorities had also seized the quantity of honey which was in-transit there. Apart from Guyana, Grenada also faces similar troubles with twin-island laws.

However, Dr Rowley, in responding to questions following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Energy Sector Cooperation between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, told media operatives on Wednesday that while he was not aware that Guyana was also affected by the restriction, he assured that steps are being taken to address the matter.

“We did discuss it this morning (Wednesday) and the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have agreed

“T

that we will look at it.

Without talking out of turn, once we are satisfied that there are no phyto-sanitary risks that we should ignore or should not ignore, we will look at it with an eye to furthering the business with Guyana without risking the bio-di-

and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement, the twin-island republic is mandated to treat with its Caribbean Community (Caricom) trading partners fairly, and, as such, must take the necessary steps to ensure that its laws are in compliance

T&T Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley

versity of Trinidad and Tobago,” the T&T Prime Minister asserted.

With that said, Dr Rowley nevertheless pointed out that his Government will be guided by the technical outcome of the matter.

Trinidad and Tobago has been strictly defensive of its Beekeeping and Bee Products Act and regulations, given its vibrant honey sector.

But under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas

o see her after she was raped and the trauma she was going through makes my heart hurt and it is something I can never get over. I am trying to be there for her but she looks a bit dazed most time but we will get over it in time,” says Joylyn Shepherd.

Ms Shepherd is a 43-year-old mother of two and just a month ago, a close relative of her was brutally raped during a burglary. Because of the covenants governing the identities of rape victims, we are unable to identify Ms Shepherd’s relative that was abused. The perpetrator is out on bail and the family is now living in fear of a reoccurrence or even worse threat to life and limb.

She said that to be raped means to be broken in uncountable ways and invaded in all forms. That is what tend to break down victims resulting in their silence and cases going unreported. And if victims report rape then they are more than often shamed by society.

“After this incident then the reality hit home about the way we deal with rape and the people who are raped. This incident happened after there was plenty rape in the area and nobody cared enough to raise some awareness. I don’t want this to happen to anyone else again so that is why I am on this mission to raise awareness,” she said.

Ms Shepherd is currently raising awareness by reaching out to Organizations advocating for better representation of the issues that women are

with regional and international obligations.

To this end, the issue has been discussed and deliberated on at several regional meetings. In fact, the May Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting held in Guyana was the most recent engagement on the issue and Chairman of that meeting, Antigua and Barbuda’s Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister, Chet Greene,

was reported as saying it is now left up to the twin-island nation to enact the necessary legislations to facilitate the trade.

“We would be guided by the technical outcome.

The last time we raised this matter at Caricom, we agreed that the Caricom protocol, having been checked, should prevail and Trinidad and Tobago would obey the protocol,” Dr Rowley indicated.

However, T&T’s Agriculture Minister, Clarence Rambharat, who accompanied Prime Minister Rowley on the one-day visit to Guyana, in a subsequent interview defended his country’s strict legislation on honey outside of Trinidad, saying that the country has been able to maintain its honey, which is a thriving sector, disease free and the importation of any disease would cause a significant impact.

“I’m not afraid to say we’re very defensive of honey because we have a very strong sector and good record in honey…

[But] we’ve committed to have another look at the law to see if we could create that environment in which we could allow in-transit, once it doesn’t stay in the country, and it’s something we have to look at,” he posited.

To this end,

T&T Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat

Rambharat outlined that Trinidad will have to conduct an assessment to ascertain the risks of honey being transshipped to the islands from Guyana. He noted that similar tests have been ongoing over the past two years following Grenada’s complaints to COTED. The T&T Agriculture Minster explained that the country has agreed upon a particular approach with Grenada and they are in the process right now of doing a risk-analysis in both countries and this is being done in collaboration with the Caribbean Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA).

Meanwhile of recent, Guyana has amped up efforts to boost its api-

culture industry by producing honey on a large scale. To this end, 25 youths and women beekeepers had undergone training last year with assistance from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

They aimed to add honey to the country’s list of produce while reducing imports at the same time. According to a statement from the CDB in January, Guyana’s apicultural industry is currently producing 11,300 gallons of honey annually, but the local demand is greater and as such, the country imports over 4000 gallons from markets such as Jamaica and the United States each year to make up the shortfall.

faced by. Additionally, she is going on educational campaigns to speak with women and young girls about the effects of sexual assault as well as picketing the Magistrate’s Court where the case is ongoing.

“My end game is to ensure that we have an educated population where more people are aware of what it is when someone is raped. I want to create a safe space for women and girls who are victims of abuse in all forms, so that they know that they are cared for and loved,” Ms Shepherd explained.

In 2015, rape rate for Guyana was 41.9 cases per 100,000 population. Though Guyana rape rate fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to increase through 2010 - 2015 period ending at 41.9 cases per 100,000 population in 2015. Earlier this year, the Guyana Police Force recorded an increase in the number of rape cases.

Ms Shepherd said that the statistics is what troubles her and that she has sat silent for far too long. She explains that her she only became fully aware of the issues at hand when it hit too close to home when her family member was assaulted.

“I have my eyes set on the future goals and I will ensure that it is achieved. I want to make sure that when I am finished that every girl knows that they should not be violated by anyone. Women are not to be raped. They are to be loved for, cared for and allowed to fulfil their dreams.” (Times Sunday Magazine)

36 NEWS

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

2 killed after mining pit collapses in Guyana T wo miners lost their lives after they were reportedly covered by mud and stones when a mud pit in which they were working caved in at the Mowasi Backdam, Konawaruk, Potaro, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Dead are Deon Sproston, called “Jersey Joe”, 36, of Lot 133 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and a miner only known as “Shawn”. The incident occurred at about 20:00h on Monday evening.

Guyana Times International understands the two men and other persons were working the walls of the pit with metal detectors searching for gold while it was raining heavily.

While working, a large portion of the pit wall suddenly broke off and fell on both men, covering them alive.

Reports are the other workers, who managed to escape unhurt, quickly sounded an alarm and with the aid of others, began to dig for the men.

However, the men were eventually located and pulled some two hours later. They were rushed to the Mahdia District Hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

These latest deaths have brought the death

A mining pit in Guyana’s interior

rate to seven for this year.

In January, 23-yearold Handel Payne, also called “Daggie” of Kaneville Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD) died after the mining pit in which he was working at 35 Miles, Konawaruk Backdam collapsed.

Information reaching Guyana Times International revealed that Payne and others were working in the mining pit when a piece of the mud wall collapsed behind them, striking Payne in the mid-section. He reportedly fell

unconscious by which time the water began to rise rapidly. He was submerged and subsequently drowned. He was later pulled out and rushed to the Mahdia Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

In April, a miner named Kevin Adams, 25, of Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) died at Chinese Creek Backdam, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) after a pit caved in and buried him alive.

One month later, in May, Ken Ranny, 20, a

resident of Kamarang, Upper Mazaruni River, died after he was covered by mud after the wall of a mining pit in which he was working collapsed at

Pepper Camp Backdam, Upper Mazaruni River.

Again, one month later, in June, miner Elmo Adams died after he too was covered alive af-

ter the walls of a pit in which he was working caved at Imbaimadai, Upper Mazaruni.

Back in 2015, 10 persons died in a mining pit in the Konawaruk area after it collapsed. The incident saw 17 miners being buried under a pile of dirt and rubble but seven managed to escape alive with varying injuries.

The others remained trapped under the dirt where they perished.

The 10 miners were Leyland Jones, Jason Trotman, Vick Bernard, Frank Bernard, Desmond Martins, Raymond August, Brian Bank, Trevon Phillips, Nanmore Kurt and another man identified only as “Michael”.

The deaths were blamed on heavy rains in the area, improper mining design and poor safety practices at the mining camp.

Trinidad school teacher gunned down (Trinidad Express)

J

ust over 24 hours after gang violence in Maloney Gardens led to the deaths of two men, a school teacher was gunned down on Tuesday night.

The latest victim is a school teacher identified as Jeremiah Franklin, of Building #15, Maloney Gardens.

At about 11.25 p.m. on Tuesday, Franklin was gunned down by unknown assailants.

Franklin had just completed his usual routine of tending to a garden outside of the building where he lived and had gone to a nearby parlour.

On his way back to his home, he was killed.

Over 20 spent shells were recovered.

Franklin was not known by police to be involved in any illegal activities. A senior officer told the Express: “He is known as ‘Teach’ and thing in the community. He gave free lessons to children who were struggling in the area, academically. He was well known and he was well loved.

He was always one of the more vocal ones in the area, and would always call on the youth to put down their guns.

There is no motive for this right now. “Right now, at best, one of the angles that police are looking at is that he was killed to send a message to persons

Jeremiah Franklin

in that building. There is a war, so to speak, going on between two groups of young men in that building community. Persons from one building are sending a message to the persons from the other building.

But it seems that people with no connections, innocent bystanders if you will, are getting caught up in the escalating violence”.

Franklin was an “avid gardener” and was always outside tending to his plants at late hours of the night.

Police say it was possible that Franklin was targeted simply for being outside and it was perceived that he may

have known or seen the shooters from Monday night’s incident which claimed the lives of 34-year-old Ramon Cyrillo and 36-year-old Azizi Jelani McKenna.

According to police reports, at about 8.25p.m on Monday, Cyrillo and McKenna were in the vicinity of Building #2, in Maloney Gardens, when they were shot by two armed men.

Both men died at the Arima District Health Facility.

McKenna was shot five times while Cyrillo was shot 11 times.

The murder toll now stands at 391.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

37

38 FEATURE

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana, the land of many waters, has undergone years of transformation so here is a look back in the past.

Passengers boarding a British Guiana Airways plane

An aerial view of the Queen’s College during the 1950s

An aerial view of Linden

The Demerara Harbour Bridge under construction

Water Street, Georgetown 1920s

Flasback to the days of Public Transportation System

The Strand, New Amsterdam in the 1950s

Wismar, Linden back in the day

NEWS 39

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Tax break or bust – Jamaica company hunting $1b sugar write-off (Jamaica Gleaner)

A

s Seprod grapples internally on whether to hang on to its sugar operation, the company is chasing a tax break to offset the losses that continue to mount in the near decade that it has owned the Golden Grove factory in St Thomas.

Seprod CEO Richard Pandohie said Tuesday that the company has approached the tax authorities, through the Ministry of Finance for a $1 billion break, which equates to a quarter of the $4 billion losses wracked up by the sugar operation over time.

A day earlier at the company’s annual general meeting, Pandohie advised shareholders that the next 12 months would be crucial in determining the fate of the factory, which was founded back in 1924, and acquired by Seprod and partner in 2009 under the sugar divestment programme pursued by the Jamaican government.

Pandohie personally took charge of the turnaround effort over the last two years, but says while there has been improvement in some areas, profitability was not among them.

“Yes, we have reduced the cash burn but that is very little consolation for an operation that continues to destroy value,” he said.

“Management can confidently say to its

Richard Pandohie, CEO of Seprod Limited

board and its shareholders that the haemorrhaging will not go beyond the next 12 months.”

Pandohie said management has put in all reasonable efforts to achieve a break even position, but said the company had not determined the particular route to be taken to put an end to the haemorrhaging.

Pressed on the options available, the Seprod boss told the Financial Gleaner that the company was seeking to write off the Golden Grove losses against tax liabilities. The only other option, he said, was to shut down the Golden Grove Sugar Factory.

“We have gone to the government and said to them that we want the

City resident nabbed with cocaine in fridge

A

Georgetown man who was arrested by the Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Saturday last with a large stash of cocaine hidden in his refrigerator found himself before the Chief Magistrate for the offence.

Andrew Jordan of Lot 15 Craig Street, Campbellville stood before the Magistrate, Ann McLennan and denied that on September 15, 2018, he had in his possession some 100 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

According to facts presented to the court by State Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford, on the day in question ranks of CANU,

acting on intelligence, went to the contractor’s home and conducted a search which led to them unearthing the drugs hidden in his refrigerator.

However, his representing Attorney Stanley Moore made an application for his pre-trial liberty to be granted explaining that his client is not the sole occupant of the house where the drugs were found.

The accused was refused bail by the Chief Magistrate due to the serious nature of the offence.

The matter was set down to next be heard on October 8, 2018.

ability to take the losses to the group level. If that happens, then we’ll continue the operation because at that point the destruction of value would not be to the same extent. If that happens we will stay open. If that doesn’t happen, within 12 months we will exit the operation,” Pandohie said Pandohie said the government has said that because Golden Grove has ‘approved farm’ status, the company can offset its losses against taxable income.

However, Seprod is wary of following the advice without official correspondence confirming that it was an agreed course of action.

“We want that in

writing to go forward.

I am very hopeful that it can happen. We just need it in writing and we need to be very sure,” the CEO said.

If Seprod brings down the shutters at Golden Grove it would deal another body blow to the parish. Some 150 persons got pink slips recently as Seprod shuttered its Serge Island dairy plant.

Shareholders pleaded with management at the meeting not to swing the axe.

“The sustainability of St Thomas until it is built out into a different place needs to be preserved, but I don’t think the parish can afford to lose two factories at this point,” Pandohie said.

40

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Barbados switches to e-passports (CMC) — Barbados has announced that it is phasing out the machine-readable passport in favour of the electronic passport, following a recommendation by the International Civil Aviation Authority as the new standard to be adopted for travel document issuance.

Chief Immigration Officer Wayne Marshall said that the e-passport was a biometrically enabled passport with a chip and antenna in the cover that increased the security features.

most countries.

However, it is a standard which all Caribbean countries will have to meet over time. Once fully implemented, individuals would not have a choice as to if they should get an e-passport or not, as the machine readable passports would be phased out.

Marshall also recommended that people wait until their passports expire before applying for a new passport.

“There is no urgen-

“It would be more difficult to replace an epassport because there is a chip in the actual cover. Anyone seeking to replicate the passport would have to remove the chip and ensure that it has the same information as on the biodata page,” he said.

Marshall said that the chip would capture the same biometric information — facial representation and biodata — as the machine-readable passports.

However, he noted that the computer chip in the cover could not be easily accessed, replicated or changed, thereby enhancing the security feature of the passport.

Marshall said that the more security features a passport had, the more accepted it was by countries around the world.

“Barbados is moving towards it because of the security features and to maintain the high standard of the Barbados passport,” he said, adding that the island ranks highest among Caribbean countries that do not require a visa for entry into

cy to get the e-passport versus the machinereadable one because it will be used in a similar way. The machine-readable passport will be accepted even though the e-passport is in circulation,” he said, indicating that the application process was the same for those persons renewing or applying for passports for the first time.

The adult e-passports will be valid for the usual 10-year period, while the children's would be for five years.

Last month, Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced that his country would be adopting the e-passport.

“We have taken the decision to proceed with the issuance of electronic passports in Dominica... The only reason why we have not signed the agreement with this international firm is because we had an existing agreement for the machine passports that [was] not affirmed. So we had to go through this legal contract to look at the escape clause,” he said.

NEWS 41

42 NEWS

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana's new Top Cop receives GPF’s highest award

C

ommissioner of Police, Leslie James was conferred with the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) highest honour; that is the Disciplined Service Star (DSS) by Commander in Chief of the armed Forces, President David Granger.

Previously awarded the Disciplined Services Medal (DSM), James’s new honour was given following consultations

by Granger with the Chairman and Members of the Advisory Council of the Order of Guyana.

Additionally, Colonel Trevor Earl Bowman, Inspector General of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was awarded with the Military Service Medal.

The conferrals took effect from September 12, 2018.

James was on August 30 appointed as the new Commissioner of Police with immediate effect by President Granger.

The appointment

Leslie James being sworn in as Commissioner of Police

was made following consultations with the

Opposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

It was outlined that the Disciplined Services

Medal previously awarded to James will

be withdrawn.

Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition kicks off

T

he Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition GuyTIE, which is the country’s first ever business-to-business event, on Wednesday, began with a Cocktail Reception to welcome delegates, at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown.

Over 100 buyers from across the world and 55 exhibitors were received by the Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin and other GuyTIE organisers, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported.

“I welcome all visitors to Guyana. We are here to show off our

Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin engaging with some of the buyers.

Guyanese hospitality. I hope your visit here will be a useful one and beneficial to your businesses. I want to thank the steering committee for pulling together such an event,” Minister Gaskin said.

The minister expressed optimism that fruitful partnerships will be es-

tablished.

The delegates were also treated to a number of cultural performances.

The event is a collaboration between the Government of Guyana and several private sector organisations. (DPI photos)

Dancers from the National School of Dance performing a cultural piece at the GuyTIE Cocktail Reception

GuyTIE stakeholders, buyers and exhibitors at the Cocktail Reception.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

43

44 NEWS

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Major shake-up coming for management of Guyana Prison Service

T

he Guyana Prison Service, looking to recompose from the 2016 March riots and the July 2017 fire and jailbreak at the Camp Street Penitentiary, is currently on the verge of undergoing major shake-up of its management structure.

Acting Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, told Guyana Times International in a recent interview that the structure of the Prison Service has to be reviewed in order to improve its management.

“We’ve already gone through the consultancy in terms of that being done, so we’re just waiting now [for] the proposal on the table to be approved; and hopefully this is done, which will see the provision for larger intake of persons especially at the supervisory and managerial levels,” he told this newspaper.

The 2016 riots resulted in 17 inmates

being burnt to death, while several others along with prison staff were injured. Last year’s fire destroyed most of the building at the Camp Street jail, leaving only one standing, while several inmates took advantage of the jailbreak and escaped.

Samuels explained that these incidents occurring over the past two years have significantly affected the Prison Service and further hampered the Service’s ability to conduct the required staff training.

“Our Training School has actually been out of use since 2016 because we had to reconfigure the use of the Training School to meet current needs.

However, we recognised the need to tackle that, and several systems are being put in place in terms of ensuring that the training needs of staff are met, so that they’re not affected by that in terms of upward mo-

Director of Prisons (ag) Gladwin Samuels

bility,” he asserted.

The Prison Director posited that, over the past few weeks, there has been significant advancement in terms of recruitment. Some 32 persons are currently undergoing a 13-week training course, while, at the same time, an additional 33 persons are in the process of being recruited.

“That will take care of all persons at our entry-levels. While we have some vacancies existing at the top,

there’re several criteria that persons have to fulfil in terms of being eligible for upward mobility, which we’re currently addressing,” Samuels explained.

He outlined that in order to facilitate upward mobility, the Prison Service offers internal training, while there are also promotional exams as well.

Additionally, the Service is encouraging its officers to improve their academic qualifications by facilitating

their tertiary education pursuit, which is also a pre-requisite for promotion.

Asked whether there are qualified persons within the organisation who can be considered for upward mobility at this point in time, the Prisons Director responded in the affirmative.

“Yes, there are several persons who, based on the internal training we would have offered and based on their academic qualifications, [are

qualified to be promoted]. Despite we’re not attracting as much qualified people as we would like, there are quite a few persons who have joined and who have been around for some time, especially those who are furthering their education at the various technical institutes and the University of Guyana,” Samuels stated.

Even as these efforts are being undertaken to strengthen the capacity of the Prison Service in order to make it more effective in fulfilling its mandate, authorities are struggling with curbing the smuggling of contraband into the prison system. It is believe that this perennial problem still remains because of the involvement of both prison and Police officers in facilitating the illegal trade, which is said to be a “big business”.

Trinidadian arrested after unlawfully boarding US passenger jet F

LORIDA, United States (CMC) — A Trinidad and Tobago national, who entered the United States from Canada, was arrested today (Thursday) after he jumped a secu-

rity fence at Florida's Orlando Melbourne International Airport and boarded a passenger jet.

Airport authorities said that the student pilot boarded the air-

craft that was undergoing maintenance at the time.

They said the suspect, who has a Florida driver's license, parked his vehicle, climbed a fence, ran across the

tarmac and got into the American Airlines Airbus A321.

“There obviously

Airport police arrived on the scene within minutes and apprehended the man.

believe in this instance our security worked just fine,” she told reporters.

The Trinidadian

seemed to be planning involved,” said spokeswoman Lori Booker at a news conference.

She said the 26-yearold man parked his car curbside, with the engine still on, jumped a fence and boarded an American Airlines plane that was out of service.

Booker said an airport worker saw the man jet on the plane and called police.

Melbourne police have since taken him into custody. The car was placed on a flatbed truck and towed away.

All flights were suspended while authorities conducted a security sweep of the airport.

The airport has since reopened.

Booker said only two flights were affected.

“We are now a fully functioning airport. We

was a part-time student at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, where he studied aviation management and had completed some flight training, school spokesman Adam Lowenstein said.

The university is cooperating with authorities, he said, declining to provide the suspect's name.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

45

46 Feature

by

Petamber Persaud

T

here are many endearing characteristics of the Indigenous People of Guyana. Some of those features are captured in ‘Encyclopaedia of the Guyanese Amerindians (Including other South American Native Terms, Issues and Events)’ compiled by Lal Balkaran. Most fascinating for me are the legend, folklore and myth, notwithstanding the other interesting features of the people.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Preserving our literary heritage

Yurokon put a curse on the tribe that would see the m e n hunti n g t h e hard way and

fruits’.

How So Stories

There are many entertaining ‘just/how so’ stories like how the frog comes to be croak-

Here are a few samples:

A Creation Story.

Amalivaca and his brother, Vochi, created the world according to Carib folklore. But the legend bears more on Amalivaca who was sent to earth to restore peace and harmony which was disrupted by their father while attempting to be like a human being singing and dancing.

The Origin of Pain and Suffering

It is said that Yurokon went to a party with her child where she was served pepperpot that was extremely peppery. In order to ease the burning in her mouth, she went to drink water from a nearby creek. Returning, she discovered someone had thrown her child into the pot. Consequently,

the women having pain in childbirth, and their offspring suffering many diseases.

The Origin of Fruits and Vegetables

‘A tapir once found the mythical tree that bore a variety of fruits and vegetables’ on which he fattened himself while the Amerindians were starving. They tried but failed to uncover the secret of the tapir.

However a forest spirit named Tamosi appeared and advised the people ‘to cut the tree down and distribute its parts to everyone who planted them from which spring cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, bananas, papayas and a variety of tropical

ing from the forks of trees, how alligator got its scale, how come birds got their colours, how come owl likes darkness, and how come kiskadee got the white bandage on its head.

That’s about legend, folklore and myth of the Indigenous peoples but what are the facts about these peoples? According to the introduction to the book ‘Amerindian culture… is a process of accommodation with nature…they never hoard…nothing is wasted…their concern for ecology and the environment and the balance of nature is part of their belief system…ecology is woven seemingly into the fabric of their cul-

ture’.

Other facts can be found in sections of the book marked ‘Time Chart of Amerindian Related Events’ showing ‘chronologically all major Indian-related events in Guyana …from 18000BC right down to 2001 AD’; ‘Map of Guyana showing distribution of the current nine Amerindian Tribes’ which are Ackawaois, Arawaks, Arekunas, Caribs, Makushi, Patamona, Wai Wai, Wapishanas, and Warrau; ‘Map of Guyana showing distribution of some extinct Amerindian tribes’; ‘Amerindian villages in Guyana’ numbering 131; Amerindian population in Guyana between 1891 – 1968’.

Some of those facts are substantiated through the profiles of men and women who contributed to the well being of the indigenous people and the shaping of their way of life like Gravesande, Schomburgks brothers, Brett, Hilhouse, Waterton, Cary Elwes, MacLintock, Peberdy, McKenna, Brett, Im Thurn, Roth Melvilles, Ogilvie, Hart, Stephen Campbell, John Bennett,

Basil Rodrigues, Guy Marco, George Simon, Stephanie Correia, David Campbell, Jean La Rose among others.

There are many books attesting to the above facts like ‘British Policy Towards the Amerindians in British Guiana, 1803-1873’ by Mary N. Menezes, ‘The Animism and Folklore of the Guiana Indians’

by Walter Roth, ‘Canoe and Camp Life in British Guiana’ by Barrington Brown, ‘Indian Notices’

by William Hilhouse, ‘The Marches of El Dorado’ by Michael Swan, ‘Wanderings in South America’ by Charles Waterton, ‘Uncle Basil: An Arawak Biography’ by Justin Greene-Roesel, among others.

Under ‘expectations’, the compiler hoped that this work makes an ‘important contribution to global culture in general and …a greater understanding of Guyanese Amerindians’.

Which brings us to the main reason for the making of this book which is to serve as a guide to ‘[s] how the broad historical, anthropological and geographical setting of…in-

digenous peoples’ and to ‘profile the events, people and issues that have shaped their lives over the years’.

An ‘Encyclopaedia of the Guyanese Amerindians (Including other South American Native Terms, Issues and Events)’ is ‘a re-titling and updated edition’ to ‘A Dictionary of Guyanese Amerindians (and other South American Native Terms): An A-Z Guide to their Anthropology, Cosmology, Culture, Exploration, History, Geography, Legend, Folklore and Myth’. This encyclopaedia did just what it set out to do and for this it is a commendable work.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 2260065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

What’s happening:

New Arrivals: Monsoon on the Fingers of God (poetry) by Sasenarine Persaud; Red Hibiscus (novel) by Scott Ting-A-Kee; Aftermath of Empire: The Novels of Roy A. K. Heath (literary criticism) by Ameena Gafoor. (Times Sunday Magazine)

47

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Lies, dammed lies…

Y

…and Ramjattan

our Eyewitness was intrigued by the headline in the Chronic – “Ramjattan allays security fears of Chinese business community”. Now, he’d been reading almost every day of another “break and enter” of a Chinese business…and not only in Georgetown, but all over our fair land. He’d wondered if the Chinese were now seen by the burglary fraternity as the “easy marks” of Guyana. One Chinese business had been robbed four times in as many months!

Not so long ago, when the “troubles” (as labelled by Granger) were in their full swing, the target of choice had been the Indian business community. They’d been robbed – and dozens kidnapped, killed, or given a sound gun-whipping for good measure. The official explanation offered then was that Indians weren’t being targeted…they were simply seen as “having the money”! It was the local variation of the answer by a bank robber who was asked why he robbed banks.

“That’s where the money is!” he answered.

So, are the Chinese businesses now seen as “where the money is”? It’s a fact that in quite a lot of locales across the country, they’ve replaced the Indian “momand-pop” groceries with new, large and highly visible supermarkets. They’re also open during all sorts of late hours to harvest as much cash as possible, and as such, it would appear there might be some validity to the claim by the Chinese business community that they’re being targeted.

But yet, the headline blared: “Ramjattan allays security fears of Chinese business community”!! Now, the word “allay” means ‘to dispel”, and your Eyewitness wondered how the heck Ramjattan was able to effectuate this legerdemain of removing the fears of the Chinese business community!! Did he hand out machine guns to them? Did he tell them about his 2am curfew? Was he going to hook them up to his special Quick Response hookup, and deploy his SWAT team at the first buzz of the alarm?

So, your Eyewitness delved into the article for answers. Seems Ramjattan had resorted to the tactic he’d introduced the moment he was made Public Security Minister – take cover under statistical and semantic contortions!! What he told the Chinese Ambassador was, “The crime statistics and the motives of those caught do not suggest any such profiling (of being targeted). Those (Chinese) who are victims are generally as a result of opportunistic criminals who prey on those who may not have been alert and (are) vulnerable”!!!

And this “allayed” the fears of the Chinese businesses? All their fears disappeared as soon as they were told by Ramjattan they’re burgled at random, and not “targeted”??

So what to make of the Police Statistics claiming that “break and enter” had DECREASED by 5 percent??!! …and Arbitration Your Eyewitness had warned about getting complacent after the GTU forced the Govt to accept binding arbitration, didn’t he? It’s not that he’s clairvoyant; it’s just that he’s been around the PNC for a bit. And you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. Once it became clear the “fix” wasn’t in on giving salary increases in exchange for votes in 2020, he knew the PNC was going to play hardball.

So, imagine, after the GTU had objected to the Government appointing Keith Scott as “Conciliator” — since he collects a paycheck from the said Government every month — the Government goes and nominates two other employees for the Arbitration Panel chair — Dereck Cummings, PS at the Public Telecommunications Ministry; and Glendon Harris, Human Resources Manager at the GRA!!! So, their mouths (and consciences) aren’t muzzled like Scott’s??

The GTU, on the other hand, proposed Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashleigh Jackson; Former Government Minister Jeffrey Thomas; and Aubrey Armstrong, the 1999 arbitrator on the GPSU’s salary demands.

Imagine, these PNC-friends are unacceptable!! …and Parking Meters So we’re now told the Cabinet will now be considering the amended Parking Meter Contract.

Which part of the contract being “void ab initio” don’t they get?

Can’t Basil Williams explain even this?

POLITICAL HINDU: The “mixing politics with religion” challenge

By Ravi Dev

I

have proposed the notion of “Hindu politics”, which immediately raises the “mixing politics with religion” objection. While Gandhi notably pointed out that those who say religion should not be mixed with politics know neither politics nor religion, it is rather trite to point out that “Hinduism” has been defined as a RELIGION by our persecutors. It is now seen (even by its adherents) as such, and in the milieu in which we operate, it is dogmatically asserted that such a mixing is taboo. That environment, however, has been shaped by the archetypal religion Christianity, which was “secularised” during the European Enlightenment. It therefore does not have to justify all its beliefs that are now pushed by supposedly neutral STATE institutions – political, social, cultural, economic etc.

The irony, of course, is that Hindus actually practise “Sanaatan Dharma” — which by definition and performativity is “secular” in its deepest sense. But if Hindus were to enter politics or try to form a political front explicitly along its tenets, we would be denounced as “fundamentalists”, “medieval” and backward.

The Hindu’s major challenge is to demonstrate the secular nature and practices of Sanaatan Dharma – to its own adherents more than anyone else.

On a personal note, I can remember my reflexive recoil when I returned to the Caribbean in 1989, after my sojourn in New York, to enter politics as an “Indian”. A Trinidadian friend who had studied at Benares Hindu University asked me, “Why not as a Hindu”? The recoil was not only caused by the thought of breaking the “religion-politics” taboo…but to do so with a religion that was seen as irremediably “backward”. Hindus had been conscripted by a “modernity” that was monopolised by the West.

I went on to eventually form what was the first explicitly “Indian” political party in Guyana – ROAR Guyana Movement — which was itself denounced as “racist” for challenging the norm of the nation-state that insists on one hegemonic culture, notwithstanding politicians paying lip

service to “multiculturalism”. In the Caribbean, the hegemonic culture is an African-European “Creole” melange undergirded by Christianity, and Indian/Hindus are not accepted as legitimate contenders for power in any arena of national life.

But how can Hindus address this challenge?

I believe we are at a historic juncture, where the time is ripe for such a challenge by those of us who practise Sanataan Dharma. The Liberal political project of democracy – which came out of the European Enlightenment struggle against Christian theocracy – is in crisis because its contradictions have been exposed by the demands of the values of that same democracy. I do not have to elaborate on this statement, since the evidence abounds around us; and its proponents have been forced to assert themselves in defence of the beliefs of Christianity, which provides the scaffolding for Liberalism and its stranglehold on “modernity”.

But this challenge was addressed over fifty years ago in Bharat by a practitioner of Sanaatan Dharma, Deen Dayal Upadhya, but was hidden under a bushel because of the dominance of Enlightenment prejudices in the ruling class of Bharat. In four simple lectures, he propounded his theses of “Integral Humanism”, which is based on our ancient insight that man cannot be sustained by bread alone: the four ends of human life – the chaturvidha purush arthas” of kama, artha, dharma and moksha — must all be given their due emphasis in undertakings at all levels of society.

From a standpoint of fulfilling the imperatives of democracy, Deen Dayalji’s theses show that the procedural aspect of the ballot – one man, one vote – is hollow when its substantive aspects since the development of the integral man are ignored. The notion of the principles of “Dharma” guiding the physical needs (kama)

and the psychological needs (artha) of man towards his ultimate fulfilment (moksha) can be basis of the Hindu secularisation of politics for the 21st century World Enlightenment.

We have to pick up the utterances of Rishi Deen Dayalji, and as he advised, interrogate the contributions of the European Enlightenment and also our own ancient teachings, then apply those that make sense to the new times, places and circumstances that confront the world.

“Modernity,” which was ushered in and appropriated by the European Enlightenment, would now be shared or even surpassed by a post-modern; indeed, Sanaathan or eternal, world view.

48 Bollywood

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Thugs of Hindostan’: Sunny Leone’s wax statue unveiled at Delhi’s Amitabh Bachchan is commander Khudabaksh Madame Tussauds

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unny Leone is the latest Bollywood celebrity who has joined the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Virat Kohli, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor and others at Madame Tussauds wax museum in New Delhi. The actor on Tuesday unveiled her wax statue in Delhi.

At the unveiling of her wax statue, Sunny said, “I am very happy and completely in awe of my statue. So many people have worked for a long time to get my wax figure in correct shape.

I really appreciate the hard work. It is an amazing feeling. I am glad to be chosen for this incredible honour.”

Sunny Leone’s husband Daniel Weber looked equally excited.

He shared a video of himself posing with Sunny’s wax figure.

Talking about the wax statue, Sunny had earlier said, “I am thrilled and grateful to Madame Tussauds for creating my figure.

Having my own wax figure is completely overwhelming. This is the first time I have under-

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gone a sitting and I must thank the entire team for making it a unique and memorable experience.

I am equally excited to see ‘me’ at the attraction.

Madame Tussauds is a ‘one-of-a-kind’ attraction and I am so thrilled to be chosen for this incredible honour.”

Sunny Leone’s wax figure has been made with the aroma of her signature perfume and was hand crafted from over 200 measurements and photographs taken during sitting sessions with the Bollywood actor. (Indian Express)

fter the logo of Thugs of Hindostan, the makers of epic action-adventure film have introduced superstar Amitabh Bachchan as Khudabaksh. Shared by Aamir Khan on his Twitter handle, the motion poster has Amitabh in a larger than life avatar. With a sword in his hand, an armour on his body, a turban on his head and passion in his eyes, senior Bachchan could not have got a better look than this for his thug avatar.

After looking at the motion poster, the wait for this long in the making project has just got difficult.

The official description of his character reads, “Wading through storms & battles, the commander of Thugs has arrived. Amitabh Bachchan as #Khudabaksh.” In the poster, Khudabaksh aka Amitabh is seen as a commander of a massive ship as he gets ready for war. A dramatic background score sets the mood of the teas-

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riyanka Chopra is having the time of her life with her fiancé Nick Jonas. She is often spotted with Nick and her new family at various events. The couple is currently in Dallas, Texas.

In the Bollywood actor’s latest photo, we can see that Nick is now sporting a moustache which is clearly working for him. Priyanka is sporting cowboy boots and looks every bit the diva she is. Nick’s brother Joe Jonas can also be seen with the engaged couple.

Priyanka posted the photo on Instagram with the caption, “Stay cool. @nickjonas @joejonas #cowgirl”. Joe also shared the same photo with the caption, “Stay Cool Kids ” Priyanka also shared a photo where we can see that

Priyanka and Nick were accompanied by a large crew.

She shared the photo with the caption, “Ranch life #crew”.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas got engaged at Priyanka’s residence in Mumbai in August. The two are yet to make an official announcement about their wedding plans but sources suggest that the wedding might happen in October in Los Angeles.

On the work front, Priyanka is working on Shonali Bose’s The Sky is Pink where she will be seen alongside Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim. Priyanka is also awaiting the release of Isn’t It Romantic? which is scheduled to release in 2019. (Indian Express)

er right. According to the makers, The Vijay Krishna Acharya directorial is the first Bollywood film to have the sea as the backdrop of the narrative.

Sharing the teaser, Aamir tweeted, “The biggest thug of all !!! Love, a.” After looking at Amitabh’s character poster, the expectations from Aamir’s look in the magnum opus has increased manifold. The leaked photos of Aamir from the sets of the film have fans of Mr Perfectionist already marvelling about his unrecognisable transformation. Now, if that is his look in the movie or not will be known shortly.

Thugs of Hindostan is based on Philip Meadows Taylor’s novel Confessions of a Thug and the cult of the Thuggee. It also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles. Scheduled for Diwali release, the film will hit the theaters on November 8. (Indian Express)

bhishek Bachchan is set to reunite with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in his next film titled Gulab Jamun. The Anurag Kashyap directorial is in its pre-production stage and would bring the Bollywood couple onscreen together after eight long years.

Their last outing was Mani Ratnam’s Raavan in 2010.

like Kuch Naa Kaho, Guru, Umrao Jaan, Dhoom 2 and Sarkar Raj together. The two Bollywood biggies, who tied the knot in 2007, have a six-year-old daughter Aaradhya Bachchan. Sharing on how Aaradhya would probably react to seeing her parents onscreen in Gulab Jamun, Abhishek said, “She will be fine. She has not seen our films. She has seen

On the sidelines of promoting Manmarziyaan recently, Abhishek also spilled some beans about Gulab Jamun, which reportedly will go on floors early next year. In an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com, AB said, “I look forward to it. When we are going to do it, we haven’t decided yet. It’s called Gulab Jamun. It’s a beautiful script, a very sensitive script, written by first time director called Sarvesh Mewara. When it is going to start, we haven’t decided but we look forward to doing it.”

Abhishek and Aishwarya have done films

the odd song here and there. She is too young, she is only six.”

Abhishek made his comeback to films after a hiatus of two years with Manmarziyaan, which also starred Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal. His last one was 2016 film Housefull 3. Junior Bachchan has remained busy with his kabaddi and football teams during this gap.

On the other side, Aishwarya returned to film after the birth of Aaradhya in 2015 with Jazbaa. She went on to be a part of movies like Sarbjit, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and the recent Fanney Khan. (Indian Express)

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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isney has released the first full length trailer of Emily Blunt starrer Mary Poppins Returns.

The sequel to 1964’s Mary Poppins, this Rob Marshall (Into the

good-old, classic fluffy Disney Christmas movie – full of joy, laughter, music and a little bit of nostalgia. Based on P. L. Travers’s books, the original Mary Poppins became a phenomenon.

cal film, there is more. A lot more.

The synopsis states, “In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next

Captain Marvel trailer: Brie Larson’s superhero descends on earth

C Woods and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) directorial is as much a sequel as it is a reinvention of the franchise. This is just the latest attempt on the part of Disney to revive classic franchises and give them a modern spin.

Just like the last reinvention, Christopher Robin, Mary Poppins Returns too seems to have themes along the lines of rediscovering childhood, reviving the child inside us, nostalgia and so on. The trailer reveals some of the plot, and this seems like the

It grabbed an incredible five Oscars and is widely believed to be the best live-action film produced

by Walt Disney.

Everything about the upcoming film screams magical. Emily Blunt looks just about perfect in the role that Julie Andrews made popular.

The angel nanny Mary Poppins has come once again to take care of the Banks children — who are now adults. She is as sassy, as brusque, and sings just as well. The trailer shows only a bit of the latter, though, and one hopes, being a musi-

generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and LinManuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light— and life—to the streets of London.”

Mary Poppins Returns releases on December 25. (Indian Express)

aptain Marvel’s trailer is out!

Brie Larson’s superhero has descended on earth after a long, long wait. While the trailer is pretty short, it gives an idea as to what fans can expect from the film. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel introduces the most powerful superhero in the MCU (according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige) through the perspective of Nick Fury, then a young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with both eyes intact.

Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel is shown falling on earth after her aircraft crashes. Fury says in a voiceover, “War has a universal language. I know a renegade soldier when I see one. Never occurred to me that one might come from above.” Danvers is then shown wandering confusedly in a public place, as though not recognising where she is.

Then, she roams around what seems like the S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, with a cap that has the symbol of the agency. “So you’re not from around here?,”

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seller of the same name

by Kevin Kwan.

The story follows New Yorker Rachel Chu (Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore where she learns that he is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthi-

est families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors.

The screenplay has been penned by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, and a sequel of the film is already in development.

The film is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros Pictures.

(Indian Express)

Fury asks her. “It’s hard to explain,” Danvers replies. As suspected she is having troubles remembering the life she had on earth before she got her powers and became the member of the Starforce, an interstellar organisation that is led by Jude Law’s still mysterious character. “I keep having these memories. I see flashes. I think I have a life here. But I can’t tell if it’s real,” she tells Nick Fury.

Later, she is seen punching an old woman, and we can assume the old woman is a Skrull shapeshifter. Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson and Jude Law make fleeting appearances. The conflict between the Skrulls and the Kree is also teased. Even the pager-like device that appeared in the post-credit scene of Avengers: Infinity War is seen briefly.

The trailer ends with Captain Marvel appearing in the classic red and blue costume. The movie hits screens on March 8, 2019. (Indian Express)

Emma Thompson: Rowan Atkinson is our modern-day Charlie Chaplin

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on M Chu’s smash hit film Crazy Rich Asians will release in India on September 21. The film, which features Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Nico Santos, Lisa Lu, Ken Jeong, and Michelle Yeoh, is based on the acclaimed worldwide best-

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ctress Emma Thompson says English actor-comedian Rowan Atkinson is our modern-day Charlie Chaplin. The actors have worked together in films The Tall

(Margaret) Thatcher and (Theresa) May. She is the darkest version of those politicians who use their office because the power appeals. By the time we get to meet her, she is desperate,” she said.

Guy, Love Actually and most recently Johnny English Strikes Again.

Speaking of Atkinson, Thompson said in a statement: “I’ve worked with him on and off for years, and I’ve admired him for years. I really do think he’s a remarkable presence in our cultural pantheon.”

“He’s our Buster Keaton (late actorcomedian), our modern-day Charlie Chaplin really. You don’t need to hear him speak, he’s just funny,” she added.

Thompson plays the role of a Prime Minister in Johnny English Strikes Again. “She’s a real mix. She’s

“She is making quite catastrophic decisions. Even though this is a comedy and is silly, it has been interesting to think, well what if you did hold that kind of power. This PM feels herself to be very important, and as she senses that slipping away, it makes her desperate, like a caged animal.”

Johnny English Strikes Again is the third instalment of the Johnny English spy comedy series, with Atkinson returning as the accidental secret agent.

It will release in India on September 28. (Indian Express)

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

CPL 2018 takeaways: Associate stars shine bright; Smith and Warner, not quite

-Continuity pays off for TKR

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ne of the most amazing things about Trinbago Knight Riders' third CPL title in the space of four seasons is how they've done it by virtue of a settled core to maintain team chemistry. The draft and auction regulations for many of the world's T20 franchise leagues can lead to excessive chopping and changing from season to season, making some teams unrecognizable from one season to the next, but that hasn't been the case for the Knight Riders.

Twelve squad members who took the field during their 2017 title run were back again in 2018. When newcomers were forced to be chosen, due to the unavailability of Shadab Khan and Ronsford Beaton, management chose their replacements shrewdly as Fawad Ahmed and Ali Khan were the team's top two wicket-takers in 2018, helping TKR to repeat as champions. Unsurprisingly, the team with the secondfewest changes - Guyana Amazon Warriors with nine players retained was TKR's opponent in the final, showing the value of keeping faith in a strong nucleus.

Associate stars shining bright

The CPL has been a trailblazing league when it comes to offering opportunities to Associate players. Since the 2016 season, there has been a mandate to draft at least one North-American player from an Associate country as part of the squad. That commitment to helping develop players beyond the Test world continues bearing

Warner had a horrid time with the bat playing for Winnipeg Hawks in Canada, but, at least, he could say that his team made the playoffs. However, in the CPL, another wretched start for St Lucia Stars doomed them to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row, and Warner only managed one half-century in his nine innings. Perhaps his most significant contribution was highlighting how poor the umpiring was at times during the league phase as his glove-before-wicket dismissal provided an early catalyst for DRS to be brought in for the semifinal and final. fruit.

USA's Timroy Allen was the main beneficiary in 2016, serving as a key player in six matches for the champion Jamaica Tallawahs.

Steven Taylor, who had been part of Barbados Tridents squad as an ICC Americas pick for Barbados Tridents before parlaying exposure from the Regional Super50 into a handsome USD 30,000 contract in 2017 with Guyana Amazon Warriors, while Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi also fetched highpriced draft slots for Guyana and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots respectively before Afghanistan were got Test status later in the year.

In 2018, Nepal's Sandeep Lamichhane and USA's Khan continued the trend in spectacular style. Lamichhane was one of the standout bowlers over the first two weeks of the tournament, taking seven wick-

ets in five matches with a sparkling 6.23 economy rate. Forget Associate status, few from any country were better than Khan for TKR this season as he finished jointthird with 16 wickets, vaulting him to the top tier of bowlers in demand for 2019.

Russell stands up for Jamaica

Tallawahs captain and very proud Jamaican Andre Russell earned himself plenty of brownie points in his homeland when he stated in no uncertain terms what he thought of team ownership's decision to shift home games from Sabina Park to the Central Broward Regional Park (CBRP) in Florida. Following the first of what would be three straight "home" losses in Florida, Russell went on full blast to slam the decision to play those games away from Jamaica, essentially conceding home-advantage.

Tallawahs won two matches in front of sellout weeknight crowds of 15,000 at Sabina Park.

When Russell and his charges moved to Florida later that week to finish off their home slate, they were greeted by hostile crowds, heavily in favour of Amazon Warriors and TKR. Their final match was played in an eerily quiet setting with just 700 fans in attendance to see Tallawahs lose in a stunning fashion to Barbados Tridents, despite seven wickets in hand.

It was hard to tell which a worse atmosphere was for Tallawahs in Florida, the roar of the opposition fans in the first two games or pindrop silence through the third. Regardless, Russell and team owners - Worldwide Sports Management Group may have a tricky decision to make this offseason in light of WSMG's agreement with the

CBRP guaranteeing at least three major cricket events at the stadium per year. If Russell has his way, the CPL may go back to using Lauderhill as a neutral site venue, shared equally by teams as it was in 2016 and 2017, rather than a "home" away from home for Tallawahs.

Sandpapergate curse continues

The summer of franchise barnstorming for Steven Smith and David Warner has not gone as planned for either player. Smith was a headline selection in the inaugural season of the Global T20 Canada, but his Toronto National side finished in last place. His presence in the Barbados Tridents side produced equally dismal results as the 2014 champions continued their streak of missing the playoffs for a third consecutive year, notching just two wins to finish with the wooden spoon in CPL 2018.

DRS for 2019

At least a dozen doozies were missed by the umpiring crews during this season. CPL administrators finally conceded that the issue had become an epidemic when the decision was made to use DRS technology for the semi-final and final. Even that was a curious call as it meant the first half of playoff matches in Guyana were without it, which cost TKR in their qualifier loss to Amazon Warriors when a pair of lbw decisions against Brendon McCullum and Denesh Ramdin inside the Powerplay stood a very high probability of being overturned.

The IPL and PSL have already instituted DRS across the entire season. Bringing DRS in for the last two matches of the CPL 2018 playoffs was a positive step forward. Instituting it for the entire season in CPL 2019 will be even better.

(ESPNCricinfo)

Dinanauth, Harry star in Jorge Medina Farewell golf tournament

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competitive yet sentimental day of golf was played this past Sunday when members of the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC), including winners Mohanlall Dinanauth, Bridgelall Harry and Miguel Oviedo, bade club member and MACORP CEO Jorge Medina farewell.

The event was very well attended by golfers, who came out in great numbers to honour a most beloved colleague and say farewell to an ardent golfer who had contributed in a huge and significant way to improvements of the Golf Course and to standards of play in the game.

At the end of the well-supported tournament, played under the now common Flights Format, it was former Guyana Open champion Dinanauth, with 69/5, who starred in the 0-9 Handicap. He was followed closely by Club President Aleem

Winners row! Jorge Medina (centre) is flanked by (from left) Kassim Khan, Paton George, Bridgelall Harry, Miguel Oviedo, Mohanlall Dinanauth and Aleem Hussain

Hussain (70/9); with good performances coming from Mike Mangal 73/8, Kassim Khan 74/8, and Munaf Arjune 75/8.

In the ‘B’ flight, (h/caps 10 – 18,) the two winners were: 1st – Harry 67/16 and 2nd – Club Vice President Paton George 68/18. Also in keen contention were Fazil Haniff and Ian

Gouveia, both returning 73/15; and Club Executives Aasrodeen Shaw and Rabindranath Persaud, both returning 74/15.

While the ‘C’ flight was ruled by the two winners, who were: 1st –Oviedo 69/28, and 2nd – Imtiaz Subhan 70/22.

Other close contenders for the flight were the honour-

able Jorge Medina 71/28, Mark Lashley 72/24 and Clifford Reis 75/25.

During the prize-giving ceremony, Medina expressed his delight and appreciation to the Club members for the great camaraderie and sportsmanship he had experienced over the years.

He expressed delight that his successor, Guillermo Escarraga, was also an ardent golfer, and expected that, through him, the great support of Macorp would continue towards the Golf Club.

The Colombian Medina — quiet, dignified, friendly, a stickler for high standards — also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Macorp Guyana, and was accredited by the Government of Guyana as the Honorary Consul of Colombia. During his more than two decades of distinctive

service in Guyana, his passion for golf made him a greatly beloved personality on and off the golf course.

To show the sincere and abiding appreciation for his personality and sterling contribution to the Club during his time here, the honourable Jorge Medina was given a crystal plaque of appreciation, as well as he awarded a certificate conferring on him life membership of the Lusignan Golf Club.

On hand at the informal farewell gathering that followed the tournament were current US Ambassador Perry Holloway and his wife, former Prime Minister of Guyana, Samuel Hinds; Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan – an old golf buddy of Medina; and the wives and children of several golfers of the Macorp family.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

How a Dhoni masterstroke Guyana’s National turned Kedar Jadhav's Chess Champion career around withdraws from World Olympiad

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S Dhoni is a man of many twists.

In 2013, he turned around Rohit Sharma's limited-overs cricketer by slotting him as an opener. Rohit responded immediately with a match-winning 83 in an ODI against England in Mohali. Two years later, he comforted a shattered KL Rahul, who had just made 1 and 0 on Test debut in Melbourne. He was persisted with, even promoted to open the batting - Dhoni had just retired a Test earlier and he responded with a century.

In January 2016, he handed Jasprit Bumrah an ODI debut less than 24 hours after he had landed in Australia to be part of the T20I series. Bumrah wasn't supposed to play the ODIs, but was slotted in after India had failed to defend 300-plus thrice in four matches. They had nothing to lose, and Bumrah impressed upon initiation. Later that year, Rahul's ferocious IPL ball-striking earned him a No. 4 slot under Dhoni's captaincy during a T20I in Florida. He smashed an unbeaten 51ball 110.

One of his last out-of-the-box moves before giving up the ODI captaincy was to hand Kedar Jadhav the ball in the nets in Dharamsala when New Zealand toured in October 2016.

Up until then, Jadhav had just nine wickets in nine years of representative cricket across formats, and had bowled less than three balls per match on an average. But all that was to change soon.

The late arrival of lunch forced players to stay on in the nets, working in batches. While the regular spinners Amit Mishra and Axar Patel were elsewhere, Jadhav was thrown the ball. Dhoni liked what he saw immediately and employed him purely as a partnership breaker in the series. It may have been an innocuous move then, but that quirk may have just helped India narrow down their search for an ideal No. 6 at next year's World Cup. Make no mistake, Jadhav is a batsman, a finisher, but it's his bowling utility that has now been looked at as key in India's jigsaw.

In the Asia Cup fixture against Pakistan, he proved his bag of simple yet effective tricks could lend the balance that India dearly missed in England. After losing Hardik Pandya to a back injury midway through the match, they needed someone to fill in at least five overs.

Jadhav stepped in and bowled nine miserly overs to finish with career-best figures of 3 for 23.

"If you've to play in the Indian team, as long as you keep contributing, you should be happy. Since the time Dhoni asked me to bowl in the New Zealand series, my life has completely changed and I feel confident about it," Jadhav said. "My bowling is all about trying to read the batsman. My plan is to bowl stumpto-stump, if you score, it's fine but if you miss, wickets are there for me."

One of the key aspects of Jadhav's bowling is his understanding of his limited skillsets. He bowls with a low arm, bowls very slow, leaving

Kedar Jadhav celebrates with Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni after dismissing Steven Smith (BCCI file photo)

the batsmen to force the pace most times, and thrives because the angle from which he delivers the ball facilitates low bounce even on good surfaces. It makes many wonder what it takes to deliver such miserly spells match after match. Is it the efforts put in at training?

Not really, if you go by Jadhav's words.

"Honestly, I bowl one or two overs before the match at training. I don't bowl much at the nets. I feel if I try and become a bowler, I will lose whatever I have. So I stay within limits," he laughed. "Upfront when your fast bowlers bowl well, that means batsmen will try to score runs off the spinners. It gives us more opportunities to take wickets, so it works."

The Jadhav of today is far from the bowler who first shone through in 2016. There was a period last year when Jadhav psychologically feared being injured every time he stepped onto the field. Recurring fears of twinging a hamstring or turning his ankle prevented him from being swift in the infield. Cue in a few angry gestures from Virat Kohli when Jadhav conceded easy singles, and murmurs of a lack of fitness. In reality, it was the fear of injury that kept weighing him down, and not without cause.

In the last six months alone, he's injured his left hamstring three times, the last of which, on the opening day of the IPL, left him needing surgery in London in June. He's now returned after three months of intense rehabilitation, and is more confident. "I don't have it in my mind that I will get injured again," Jadhav said. "In the last four months, I've learnt a lot about training and fitness, and it has definitely made me a better cricketer. Previously, when I got injured and underwent rehab, I would take it easy and feel I'm fit and there's no chance of an injury. Many times, I skipped my routines as a result. But after the third injury, regardless of how I feel, every day I start my day with training: both gym and running. So that gives me confidence that I'm getting stronger and fitter every day, and that helps me on the field."

Bowling aside, he is aware his primary role is that of a finisher with the bat. In 42 matches, he's been needed to bat on just 23 occasions.

Out of these, he's been unbeaten eight times, facing 25 balls or more only thrice. Yet, when he's had the chances he has grabbed them, none more famous than his brutal counter-attacking ton during the course of a double-century stand with Virat Kohli that scripted a miraculous win for India against England; after being reduced to 63 for 4, Jadhav made a 76ball 120 as India chased down 351.

Jadhav understands he needs to score runs to get the World Cup ticket. "Batting, my role is that of a finisher. Everyone has a role, we've been given specific roles, so there is a plan and we follow that. I know if I stay till the end I can perform better and win games for India."

Kohli, who batted with him in that Pune ODI, will vouch for that. (ESPNCricinfo)

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Wendell Meusa

uyana’s National Chess Champion Wendell Meusa has announced his withdrawal from Guyana’s 10-member team scheduled to participate in the 43rd World Chess Olympiad to be held in Batumi, Georgia.

Tight-lipped about the reason for his decision, the champion has issued a statement which reads, “Due to personal problems and problems with the Guyana Chess Federation, I have decided to pull myself out of the National Team that will be departing for the 43rd World Chess Olympiad. My family and my integrity (mean) more to me, so I’ve decided to do this. I will be having an interview with the press tomorrow to enlighten the general public more about the reasons for my decision. I deeply apologise for

any inconvenience I may have caused, and would like to thank all those who have continuously stood by me through everything. My best wishes of success go with the team.”

The nine remaining members of this team, consisting of 16-year-old Nellisha Johnson, 14-year-old Sasha Shariff, National Female Champion WFM Maria Varona Thomas, CM Sheriffa Ali, Attorney-atlaw Yolander Persaud, Anthony Drayton, Taffin Khan, Loris Nathoo and Glenford Corlette, are scheduled to depart for Georgia today to participate in the international competition.

The 43rd World Chess Olympiad will run concurrently with the FIDE Congress wherein the World Chess Federation would elect its new president.

GFF Elite League III…

Top runners run into draws T

he in-form Fruta Conquerors took on the dogged defending champs Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in the first battle of a double-header as action in the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) Elite League III continued at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground on Tuesday night. But contrary to popular expectation, they were held to a 1-1 draw.

In what many thought would be an exhibition of domination, considering the Conquerors’ stupendous form, each team proverbially broke an arm and a leg in trying their best to penetrate the other’s defence; but this was futile, as the half time score of 0-0 would suggest.

Undaunted by the self-sacrificing army men, Conquerors managed to score a goal in the 66th minute when Domini Garnett pierced that back of the GDF net.

But in the face of almost certain defeat, the valiant GDF miraculously produced an equaliser in the three minutes of extra time the referee had added to the game when Sherwyn Caesar planted a bomb deep in the Conquerors’ domain a mere second before the final whistle.

In the other match of the night, Western Tigers FC battled Den Amstel to a 1 – 1 draw as well.

Scores remained level at half-time, but 14 minutes into the second half, Ryan Adolph managed to slip one in to give the Tigers the lead.

Den Amstel needed to make something happen fast, and in the 79th minute it did, when Jamaal Harvey scored the equalizer.

The rest of the match was straightforward, as both teams defended well to end the night even.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

CONCACAF Men’s U20 C/ship…

Newly-appointed Head Coach ready to work with team “for best possible results” Wayne Dover

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ayne Dover, Guyana’s former Senior Men’s National Team Coach, has been named Head Coach of the National U20 team as preparations begin for Guyana’s participation in the 2018 CONCACAF Men’s U20 Championships in Florida, USA from November 1 – 22, 2018.

Other members of the 14-man squad are Assistant Coach Oneal Heywood, Striker Coach Gregory Richardson, In-Possession Coach Vurlon Mills; Out-of-Possession Coach Anthony Benfield, Goalkeeper Coach Phillip Carrington and Coach Developer & Head of Sports Science Wilson Toledo. Other members are Team Doctor, Physiotherapist, Head of People and Culture, Performance Analyst and Head Scout, Team Operations Coordinator and Equipment Manager.

Dover said he is happy to contribute to the development of such a crucial group in Guyana’s football. “I’m happy and excited about the appointment, so I thank the Guyana Football Federation for their con-

tinued faith in me as a coach. They have seen the importance of having me involved in the development of Guyana’s football, and I’ll try to do my very best to help that process. Being appointed the Head Coach will give me that opportunity, and I’ll work diligently with the group for the best possible results we could achieve over that period,” Dover said.

While the players’ squad will be announced in the new week, Dover said the squad will be crucial to inform the senior team. “The U20 group of players, we can safely say, is our golden generation of footballers; hence there will be a very careful process by the GFF to harness this group of players, who definitely will form the senior national team in the not-too-distant future.

This team will augur well for the projection that the GFF has for the 2026 World Cup Campaign”, he said.

Technical Director Ian Greenwood mentioned, “We have a talented combination of staff tasked with preparing players for the upcoming U20 championships, but with the ultimate goal is pushing players into the Senior Golden Jaguars squad,” he said.

“There is clear alignment with the senior team’s campaign in the Nations League and the key messages to be delivered to the U20 players. The staffing structure allows players to receive position-specific coaching on the various moments of the game, with specialist coaches delivering the national coaching and playing philosophy. The wealth of international playing experience among the staff is vital as we prepare this current crop of exciting and talented young players.

There is a clear pathway for national team players to engage in a career in coaching, which is now clearly evident,” he explained.

Guyana takes on Guatemala, Cayman Islands, Curacao and El Salvador on November 2, 6, 8 and 10 respectively.

Guyanese continue to impress at Big Apple Cricket Club in NY

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he Guyanese contingent continues to impress at the Big Apple Cricket Club (BACC) in New York, putting in standout performances in the Eastern American Cricket Association Division One T20 on Sunday, September 16.

The double-header saw BACC do battle with, and completely dominating, the Gladiators CC and Scorpions CC. The first match was against the Gladiators; and BACC, in opting to bat, made a commanding 196-2, with Guyanese Martin PestanoBelle coming off an unbeaten 113 in the previous game to frustrate the opposition by adding 106 alongside his opening partner Khaleem Bux, who made 74; the duo combining for a partnership of 196.

The Gladiators were then sent in to bat, and they were restricted to 108 for 7 in 20 overs. Guyana’s Winston Forrester led the bowling attack, bagging 3 – 9 from 4 overs, with support from Trevon Garaway, who chipped in with 2 – 27 runs.

In the second match of the day, BACC demolished Scorpions, bowling first and

Martin-Pestano-Belle

restricting them to 126 for 7 in 20 overs.

Yet again, Forrester was among the wickets, while Garaway, Pestano-Belle and Jamal Romain claimed a wicket each.

In reply, BACC chased

their target of 128 in 9.2 overs, with the captain, former youth Guyanese player Jamal Hinckson, blasting 67 as Pestano-Belle chipped in with 29 and Forrester was not out on 25.

'Anderson knows the England dressing-room will never be the same' - Michael Vaughan

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Jimmy Anderson

ichael Vaughan fears that Alastair Cook's Test retirement could trigger an exodus of England's remaining senior players, in the wake of James Anderson's emotional farewell to his "best mate" at The Oval last week.

Anderson had seemed on the brink of tears in the immediate aftermath of England's victory in the fifth Test against India, as he acknowledged the end of Cook's 12-year England career - a stint that included 130 shared appearances in the same Test team.

And while Vaughan believes that even this England team will one day be saying "Alastair Who?" as they find new men to replace Cook at the top of the order, he added that Anderson's emotions reflected the fact that life for him personally in that dressing-room will never be the same again.

"I thought Jimmy was more emotional than Alastair," Vaughan told ESPNcricinfo at a Laureus event at The Oval. "[Cook] was as cool as ice. How he coped with the week, and just watched the ball and reacted, is how he coped throughout his career. Many cricketers get affected by the external messages, he just controlled what he can control.

"But you could see the true light of Jimmy Anderson," Vaughan added. "On the pitch you see him as a grumpy bugger, he doesn't smile a great deal, he gets into the odd confrontation - which I like - but off the field he's a normal human being which came across at The Oval.

"His eyes were blubbing up and he was about to burst into tears.

And that is what sport brings you to, when you've been with someone for so long and been through so much, in terms of great series wins and some negative times as well. When you see your pal leaving and know it's the last time you're going to spend a few hours in the dressing room with him."

Vaughan himself knows all too well the emotions that sport can generate, after his own tearful resignation as Test captain in the summer of 2008. Vaughan never played for England again after that announcement and recognises how quickly former teammates can become strangers when their days in the dressing-room are over.

"As much as they say they'll go back in and invite Alastair in for a drink, it's never the same when you're not a part of the team," he said. "You might go in and say hello, you might go in and make a speech, but it's never the same place again and I think Jimmy knows that."

Anderson himself has set no definitive date for his retirement and, with another stellar haul of 42 wickets at 20.54 in 2018, he is still at the peak of his powers at the age of 36. However, he also admitted last week that the end could come at any time, much as happened in 2006-07 to Glenn McGrath, the man whose tally of 563 Test wickets he overtook last week.

"I hope Jimmy goes on, because his body and his bowling, from what I've seen, gets better and better," Vaughan added. "But he knows it will have to come to an end soon, and I hope what Alastair did doesn't trigger one or two into thinking they should do the same because Jimmy and Stuart Broad still have a lot to give."

Next week, England will name their Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour - their first for more than 12 years without Cook at the top of the order - and Vaughan expects Surrey's Rory Burns to be given the first chance to fill the opening vacancy for the first Test in Galle, alongside the under-pressure incumbent, Keaton Jennings.

"In terms of numbers over the past 12 years, you can't replace Alastair Cook, but in terms of what he's delivered over the past couple of years, you probably can get close because he'd be the first to admit he hasn't been at his best," said Vaughan. "Players are always replaced, you always talk about how impossible it will be, but there will be someone who plays in a year or two's time and then, I dread to say it, it will be 'Alastair Who'?

"Cook will always be remembered by us in cricket for being great, but you move on, you have to. That's what Joe Root has to do with a new opening partnership.

He has to give faith to whoever he's selected to go out there and face the new ball, and get better starts. That's been the problem.

Sort that area out at 1,2 and 3, and they'll be a fantastic team.

"Rory Burns, I've seen his numbers," Vaughan added. "He must be able to play the moving ball because you can't succeed in county cricket without it.

"But Keaton Jennings has now had a number of opportunities to know exactly what Test match cricket is, and as much as it's been doing a bit in a tough couple of summers, let's not make excuses. He had five Tests against India and one against Pakistan, and he should have got a substantial score.

"He'll go to Sri Lanka knowing he's got three games to keep his Test career." (ESPNCricinfo)

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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ecalcitrant teams in the Limacol Knockout Football tournament would figuratively be given the boot when contention for the top eight spots in the tournament begins; thus the Buxton Stars and Santos Football teams have each secured critical wins on Tuesday evening to ensure they do not suffer that fate.

With teams now fighting to avoid elimination, both Buxton Stars and Santos FC have secured two-goal wins which have placed each in a comfortable position to stay in the competition and contribute to their goal difference tally.

In Tuesday night’s first encounter, Buxton Stars came up against Riddim Squad who were literally on a rampage. In their previous match, Buxton had proven they can score, but were

unfortunate to suffer a loss. This time, the East Coast team pulled out all the stops to ensure their dreams of being in the final 8 would stay alive.

Riddim Squad came to the encounter playing an unusually lackluster game, missing key opportunities at setting great plays, or even scoring a goal.

The back-and-forth of attacking play went on for much of the first half, until Buxton’s Cuesy Parris, in the 43rd minute, astounded both Riddim Squad and the spectators by firing home a long ball goal.

The newfound momentum allowed Buxton to begin the game’s second half on a high note, leaving Riddim Squad breathless and frustrated. Buxton’s second goal came in the 60th minute when Kenroy Green imitated his team mate Parris, and the win was eventu-

ally sealed for Buxton at 2-nil.

This win has placed Buxton on the same 3 points as Riddim Squad, but the latter still holds the advantage in goal difference. They each have one more match in the bag.

The later matchup saw both teams, Santos FC and Beacon FC, needing a win to cement their spot in the tournament. Beacon started out with their usual style, gunning for the goal at all costs. Their aggressive play, however, did not prove as fruitful on Tuesday evening as it did in previous games, because they were up against a calmer, more strategic Santos team, which was able to produce better plays.

This composed style resulted in a goal for Santos from Dellon David in the 40th minute. After the half, Ronaldo Dover added to the Santos’

tally with one in the 63rd, to put his team up by two.

Beacon finally got their breakthrough in the 79th minute, pulling things back by one; but they were not able to find an equalizer in the final 11 minutes of play, and Santos were able to record a 2-1 win against Beacon.

Santos have now secured their spot at the top of Group ‘C’, but Beacon will have to wait it out to determine their qualification.

Players will return to the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue this evening, where Pele FC will play Mahaica Determinators at 18:00 hrs and Georgetown Football Club (GFC) go head to head against Riddim Squad at 20:00 hrs.

Daren Sammy supports Windies Women in ICC WWT20

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aren Sammy, one of St Lucia’s most prolific international sport stars will join the WINDIES Ambassador Programme to lend his support of the WINDIES Women for the upcoming ICC Women’s World T20.

According to a media release from Cricket West Indies (CWI), Sammy, captain of the winning WINDIES Teams for the 2012 and 2016 World Twenty20 Championships has confirmed his participation and will make appearances during September to November as part of the campaign to promote the tournament.

Sammy has expressed delight to be involved in this project, “It is an honour and a huge pleasure to join the team for the ICC Women’s World T20. This is going to be a great event for our region and for our women, who have for generations helped to build our communities here in St Lucia and across the West Indies. In doing so, they have made an outstanding contribution to our cricket.”

Sammy went on to say

Cricketers Daren Sammy (right) of Saint Lucia and Stafanie Taylor of Jamaica. (File photo)

“this tournament will also go a long way to boost women’s cricket. The sport is on the rise and we want to see it grow even more when the tournament comes to our doorsteps. As a proud son of the soil, I just want to play my part in this wonderful

campaign called #WatchThis as we prepare to host the cricketing world.”

He emphasized that “of course I will be on the side of Stafanie and the WINDIES team as they seek to defend their title, but we also welcome the nine other teams

and wish them the very best.

I am urging everyone to come on board and join us for 23 exciting matches at these three amazing venues.”

As part of his role as an Ambassador, Sammy will be included in a variety of public activities to include commu-

nity activities, photo sessions at venues and will make appearances with the players where applicable, CWI stated.

The Daren Sammy Stadium is one of the three locations used during the event and Sammy is scheduled to be on location to meet and greet fans and players on match days.

Tournament Director, Jennifer Nero is elated that Daren has decided to support the campaign and sees the partnership “as one that will add value to the campaign and will serve as a catalyst to mobilize fans to attend the matches in all three countries. We look forward to working with Daren.”

The ICC WT20, the first stand-alone event of its kind is scheduled for November 9 – 24 and will also be at the Providence Ground, Guyana and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua.

WINDIES Ambassadors are current and past players who, as leading figures of the game, bring significant added value to CWI campaigns, events and commercial programmes.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

CPL names Tournament XI - Hetmyer hailed as young talent

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fter a month and a half of explosive cricket played throughout the Caribbean and Florida, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has presented a power-packed playing 11 who have shone bright over the course of this year’s league.

Director of the Hero Caribbean Premier League, Tom Moody, and Commentators Mark Butcher, Daren Ganga, Ian Bishop, Danny Morrison and Michael Slater have consulted to produce the list of stars, because, in all fairness, no one has had a better view of the game than this group.

The team comprises five overseas players, while the six remaining Caribbean players are a mixture of the old favourites and new heart-throbs.

The power packed batting lineup begins with Trinbago Knight Riders and Hero CPL’s leading run-scorer for 2018, Colin Munro. With 567 runs, a century and countless match winning half-centuries to his credit, Munro is deserving of the top spot.

He has been paired for the opening partnership with the equally dangerous Glenn Phillips of the Jamaica Tallawahs. Phillips has a season tally of 457 runs.

It is widely believed that a team’s best batsman is placed at three; in this instance, that position has been awarded to none other than one of Guyana’s

very own, 21-year-old Shimron Hetmyer, who come into the team as one of three under-25-years-old players to no doubt have lit up every venue at which he played.

Recording his first CPL and T20 century this season, the young man ended with 440 runs.

With the team having space for two more batsmen, the selection committee turned to another 25-and-under player who has shown his worth this season --

The full

team of the tournament is as follows:

1. Colin Munro 2. Glenn Phillips 3. Shimron Hetmyer 4. Rovman Powell 5. Darren Bravo 6. Kieron Pollard 7. Andre Russell 8. Ali Khan 9. Imran Tahir 10. Oshane Thomas 11. Fawad Ahmed Rovman Powell, who has many a time led the Jamaica Tallawahs home. His tally this season is 330 runs.

And what would the side be without the inclusion of a Bravo brother? In this case Darren Bravo, for his knock of 353 runs, which has earned him his spot.

The team’s batting is extended by their two all-rounders and potential captains, Andre Russell (163 runs and 14 wickets) Jamaica Tallawahs captain, and St. Lucia Star’s Captain Kieron Pollard (330 runs and four wickets).

In the bowling department, only the cream of the crop was chosen, with each of the chosen ones copping more than 15 wickets.

TKR’s Ali Khan (16 wickets), GAW’s Imran Tahir (16 wickets) and Jamaica’s Under 25 player Oshane Thomas (18 wickets) are joined by the tournament’s leading wicket taker, TKR’s Fawad Ahmed with 22 wickets.

Speaking on the composition of the team, Hero CPL’s Director Tom Moody stressed on the exposure that the young talents have gotten this year.

“We have seen some outstanding performances in this year’s Hero CPL, but what has stood out is the emergence of young local talent. The perfor-

Shimron Hetmyer shows off his superb batting style

mances of both Hetmyer and Thomas have been a highlight of the tournament. They are both set for a bright future with the Windies”, Moody stated.

Lady Jags’ ranking improves across FIFA, CONCACAF and CFU

Guyana’s senior women’s football team – the Lady Jags

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he senior women’s football team commonly known as the “Lady Jags” has moved 35 places up the FIFA Women’s World Ranking to 83, entering for the first time the top 100 bracket of countries in the world.

This movement has resulted in the team being placed eight among the CONCACAF member associations, and fourth in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) following re-launch of the programme in 2017.

In an invited comment, Head Coach of the “Lady Jags”, Dr. Ivan Joseph, said this is a first step in a continuous effort to raise the bar on women’s football.

“This is a great first step

to validate the work of the Federation, and what our female athletes have put into the programme. Our coaching staff look to continuing our efforts to advance the Lady Jaguars’ standing at the international level,” Dr Joseph declared.

Ian Greenwood, Technical Director of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), said this is a positive step in the right direction. “The relaunch of the Lady Jags programme required an innovative approach, and we are very confident under Dr. Ivan and his experienced staff it will continue to grow. The recent rankings show a very positive push in the right direction, but also highlights that we must

be consistent in our women’s development programmes, as we still have a long way to go on this journey.”

The International Women’s Coordinator and Coordinator of the International Supporters Group (ISG), Paul Beresford, noted that this new ranking is an achievement of the targets established by the ISG; which are, achieving top 100 in the FIFA Rankings, top 10 in CONCACAF, and top five in CFU respectively. I would like to thank the GFF for their innovative approach when faced with the challenge of relaunching a programme that had been dormant for two years, and the confidence placed in the coaching and support staff, especially Coach Ivan

and his team, and members of the International Supporters Group (ISG) during this initial period.”

“This is a fine example of what is possible when we believe in a mission that is beyond the might of one person, said President Wayne Forde.

“The collective strategic focus of the Executive Committee, the GFF International Support Group (ISG), our technical staff, parents, and most importantly our courageous young women, has produced early dividends which have certainly elevated the credibility and direction of our Women’s programme.

“The GFF-Scotiabank Academy Training Centres (ATC) are injecting a higher

percentage of quality players into our national programme, which will result in the creation of many more scholarship opportunities for our girls in the coming years. This is truly a proud moment for our nation,” Forde declared.

Since the relaunch of the women’s programme, the “Lady Jags” have been engaged competitively in two tournaments – the CFU Women’s Challenge Series and the CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s Qualifiers.

The team placed third in the CFU Women’s Challenge Series in March, and tied nil-all against Barbados in May 2018 in their final qualifier match of the latter tournament.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 23 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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