2015 6 25

GUYANA

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

Government to table amended AML/CFT Bill today

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No. 104231 THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2015 GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

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INCLUDING VAT

Minister Joseph Harmon

– as Opposition claims Bill non-compliant with FATF recommendations

GuyOil facilities abused by previous Gov’t officials

– Minister Harmon says investigation ongoing 10

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Rare fish with ‘human teeth’ discovered

Unidentified man shot after opening fire on policeman, GDF member 9 Brazil plugs hydro project, Lethem road during 9 meeting with PM Page

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The bizarre Pacu fish has what looks like human teeth

– by baffled fisherman

Cabinet awaits IDB feasibility study on Amaila Falls project – Minister Harmon

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Brazilian Ambassador Lineu Pupo de Paula meets with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Crime being 8 addressed in a systematic way

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– Minister Harmon

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Rare fish with ‘human teeth’ discovered – by baffled fisherman A BIZARRE fish with what looks like human teeth has been caught by baffled fishermen after they discovered it in a lake thousands of miles from its home.

A news report in the UK Mirror written by Kara

O’Neill Ron, stated that Rossi and his son Frank were fishing in a lake in Delran, New Jersey in the United States when they caught the odd-looking fish.

At first, the pair thought the fish might have been a

piranha.

Frank said: “I’ve never seen anything like that before in the lake. It was different.”

But on closer inspection, the fish’s teeth weren’t pointed and sharp like a piranha’s - but actually blunt like a human’s.

Ron added: “We did pull the bottom lip down to see what they looked

like and they have almost human teeth.”

After some research, Ron and Frank discovered that the fish was actually a Pacu - that is usually found thousands of miles away in South America.

Pacu are actually related to piranhas - but unlike their meat-loving cousins, they are actually omnivorous.

The bizarre animal was first thought to be a piranha before the fisherman realised its teeth were much more reminiscent of a human’s But how they have ended up in a lake in New Jersey is still something that has the fishermen baffled.

A spokesperson from the Department of Environmental Protection

said “Many times, these fish are deposited into lakes by pet owners.

These fish do not survive in colder water, so we encourage people not to release it into the wild.”

Husband missing after Essequibo teenager in GDF vessel collides critical condition in GPH …after motor cycle accident at Anna Regina with family boat A COLLISION between a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard boat and a private family boat at St John’s in the Lower Pomeroon River has left one person missing.

According to reports

from the Pomeroon, Orcen Benjamin was taking his wife, who is a teacher, and their young child to school in his boat yesterday morning when the accident occurred.

Reports said the boat piloted by Benjamin was hit by

the Coast Guard vessel that was proceeding to Charity and he was thrown overboard and disappeared under the water.

His wife Simone Benjamin was rushed to the Charity Hospital and admitted.

The young child escaped unhurt but a search is ongoing in the river for the body of Benjamin.

Police are conducting investigations into the accident. (Rajendra Prabhulall)

A N I N E E E N - y e a r- o l d Essequibo teenager is battling for his life in the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after sustaining serious injuries to his head and feet in a motor cycle accident Sunday night.

According to reports the teenager known as “Eon” and “Buddy” of Exmouth Village, Essequibo Coast was a pillion rider on a motorcycle

late Sunday night when it crashed into a speeding car on the Anna Regina Public Road near the high bridge. Reports said the motorcyclist escaped with minor injuries but the pillion rider “Buddy” lost consciousness after sustaining serious injuries to his head.

Reports said “Buddy” in an unconscious state and the motorcyclist were both picked up from the

public road and rushed to the Suddie Hospital where they were both admitted.

“Buddy” was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he is battling for his life.

Reports said the motorcyclist reportedly took self-discharge from the Suddie Hospital.

Police investigations are ongoing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

US$150M for CJIA expansion not enough – Minister Harmon THE US$150M allocation for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion project is insufficient, and Minister of State in Ministry of The Presidency, Joseph Harmon, during a post-cabinet briefing said the project could require another US$65M if the current design model is continued by the David Granger Administration.

Harmon, speaking with reporters yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, said Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson has advised Cabinet, that

“based on investigations which he, and a technical team had done, it would appear that the US$150M identified for that project was far below that which was required to complete it.”

Harmon went on to explain that the technical team identified areas for additional funding which amounted to some US$65M. Those included terminal equipment, navigation aids, and updates to other infrastructure around the complex, as well as US$250,000 for the relocation of the Guyana Defence Force Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Department.

The minister then went on to defend the position taken by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and the Alliance For Change (AFC), who were critical of the expansion works in the 10th Parliament.

“The statements made by us were always tended to the view that we needed an expanded runway, we needed some better facilities, and we needed a transparent process by which things were done,” Harmon said.

Harmon disclosed only US$30,000 has been spent on the project so far. He add-

Cabinet awaits IDB feasibility study on Amaila Falls project – Minister Harmon MINISTER of State in Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, told reporters yesterday that a team from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) was yesterday expected to submit their findings on the feasibility of the Amaila Falls hydroelectricity project.

“I am pleased to report that, as of now, the IDB Vice-President, Mr. Alexandre Rosa, and Manager for the Caribbean Department of the IDB, Mr. Gerald Johnson… are in the country and we expect that we will have some report on the status of the economic feasibil-

ity study of the project that was to be done by the IDB,” Harmon said.

While the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and the Alliance For Change had given limited support to the project during the 10th Parliament (2011-2015), Harmon said this was due to the demand, by the two parties, for an economic feasibility study done on the project.

The content of that report, Harmon noted, will underpin Cabinet’s position on the project that has long been on the agenda of Guyana’s Parliament.

As an aside, Harmon

was asked what mechanism was used by the Government to prioritise the reviewing of projects started under the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government. He said those were “projects for which sums of money have been spent, [and those] on which we are paying fees to the international banks on these contracts itself.”

Meanwhile, Harmon disclosed that the Government of Guyana has until early July to submit a mandate letter to the IDB indicating its commitment to continue the Amaila hydroelectricity project.

ed that according to Public Infrastructure officials, “that was no more than six percent of the work done, even though at least 22 percent of the project cost had already been spent.”

Cabinet, according to Harmon, has mandated the Public Works Minister to review the project with the hope of coming up with a different model.

“One which will see the expansion and extension of the runway to satisfy the international requirements for large-type aircraft landing and operating out of the Cheddi Jagan International

Airport, and a modified airport terminal, which would allow us to complete the project within the funds that are available,” Harmon noted.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported in January of this year, the US$150M project was being funded by the Government of Guyana through the EXIM Bank of China. GINA also reported that China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) will be executing the work at the value of US$138M. While noting that this Administration will hon-

our Guyana’s obligations in the contract, Harmon was optimistic about relations between Guyana and China following courtesy calls by officials from the People’s Republic of China, as well as the General Manager of China Harbour Engineering Company, on separate occasions.

Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson is expected to present another report to Cabinet on the status of the project; that report will be reviewed and, according to Harmon, Cabinet will make its decision.

Proposals being examined to address piracy

– Minister Ramjattan tells Upper Corentyne Chamber Executives PIRACY has been a sore issue for fishermen, especially in Region 6, and the Ministry of Public Security has begun looking at addressing the crime.

Among the proposals being considered to deal with this scourge is allowing fishermen to carry arms when they work.

Public Security Minister, and Second-Vice President, Khemraj Ramjattan, speaking to executives of the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce yesterday, spoke of this measure as one of several to address the issue of piracy on the Corentyne River.

He explained though the fishermen will be allowed to go out to sea with their firearms, when they return, the police will take charge of the weapons and ammunition. The procedure will be repeated when the fishermen go back to fish.

“I am keen on something like that because when you are out on the ocean it’s like olden times in America, like you (are) out on in the west and you have only a six shooter revolver to defend yourself,” the minister said.

He further explained that the ministry has to have practical solutions because measures such as having the “Coast Guard vessels watching how you fish” would not be possible, as it would be expensive. “So too is having helicopters in various parts of Berbice to respond to calls from fishing boats....just the elementary helicopter costs millions, much less the sophisticated type,” the minister pointed

out.

“What we would need are some practical solutions,” the minister said, as he identified measures such as ensuring better response time by the police and coast guard units. In this instance, the minister noted that the latter’s metal shark boats will be put to use. Efforts will also be made to ensure that boats are equipped with radio systems so that their positions could be tracked.

The minister noted that all these things require additional expenditure on both the part of Government and the fishing community, but what is needed is to ensure “we get it right.”(GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

As factions fight, Yemenis suffer hunger, disease, fear (Reuters) EIGHT-YEAROLD Abdullah Ali lay screaming in pain in a Sanaa hospital on Wednesday as a doctor cleaned his torn face, the victim of a worsening war that threatens millions of Yemenis with starvation and homelessness.

“We were at home when air strikes hit the missile base on the mountain near our house,” Abdullah’s father Musleh said by his bedside, describing an air raid on an arms depot a month ago that sent missiles raining across part of Yemen’s capital.

“Shells from the base started flying over the houses. We tried to make our escape but, when we were in the street, a piece of shrapnel hit my son. Thank God the doctors were able to remove it, but he needs more help.”

A country that was already by far the poorest and most unstable on the Arabian Peninsula is now, after three months of conflict, in the grip of a humanitarian disaster.

Cut off from the world, living under bombardment from a Saudi-led coalition

and beset by fighting between multiple battalions and militias, Yemen’s 25 million people are prey to hunger, disease and an ever-present fear of death.

“The most terrifying thing, worse than anything we’ve suffered in this war, is the indiscriminate shelling that falls on us every day,” said Saleh Hashem, a retired teacher from Aden.

In war-torn districts of the southern port city, mountains of rubbish fester in heat of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), helping to fuel an outbreak of dengue fever that has infected over 3,000 people nationwide, according to the United Nations.

Snipers flit across rooftops and tanks heave into the abandoned streets, spitting out shells seemingly around the clock as residents huddle indoors.

“You don’t know where it will come from, and you know it could kill you and your family any moment, just as it kills women and children every single day,” Hashem said.

W h e n Ye m e n ’s

A medic attends to a patient at a government hospital in Sanaa, Yemen, June 24, 2015. Reuters/Khaled Abdullah now-dominant Houthi movement advanced toward Aden in late March, a Saudi-led alliance of Arab states began bombing in a bid to restore the elected president, who is backed by Saudi Arabia and has fled to Riyadh.

While the intervention held up the Houthi advance, it failed to push the militia back again, leaving large numbers of civilians trapped between battle lines across southern Yemen.

The Houthis say their advance is part of a revolution against a corrupt government and against Islamic militants.

Saudi Arabia, determined to thwart any arms deliveries to the Houthis, has imposed a near total blockade on a country heavily reliant on

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of Ramadan - meant to be a time of joy and plenty - with rice, bread and canned fish.

And, after a wave of deadly car bomb attacks

imports, reducing supplies of food, fuel and medicine to a trickle. Some families are breaking their daily fast for the Muslim holy month

claimed by Islamic State on mosques in Sanaa, many of the faithful in the capital say their prayers at home.

Three thousand have perished in the war, over a million have fled their homes and more than half of the population do not have reliable access to food, according to U.N figures.

“Yemen is also dependent on imports for 90 per cent of its food. What food and fuel does make it in is then not being distributed to where it is needed, because it is blocked by fighting on the ground,” Britain’s international development secretary, Justine Greening, said this week.

“Thousands of Yemenis have already lost their lives in this latest wave of violence - but millions more are at risk of starving by the end of the year.”

With half of Yemen’s population under 18, the trauma of war is taking an especially heavy toll on children.

Kurdish militia wants Syrian rebels to lead attack on Islamic State HQ ocratic Union Party (PYD), indicated there is no imminent offensive on Raqqa city by the Kurdish-led forces that have made swift gains against the jihadists backed

by U.S.-led air strikes.

Backed by smaller Syrian rebel groups, the Kurdish YPG militia moved to within 50 km (30 miles) of Raqqa city on Tuesday with the capture of the town of Ain Issa in northern Syria, backed by U.S.-led air strikes.

Driven from areas north of Raqqa, Islamic State was reported to be reinforcing its positions near the city on Wednesday, digging trenches and bringing in truck loads of weapons.

But Moslem, whose party holds sway in Syria’s Kurdish areas, said it was up

A KURDISH militia leading an attack on Islamic State strongholds in Syria so far has no plan to extend the assault to the group’s de facto capital of Raqqa city, and such an advance should be led by Syrian rebels, a Kurdish leader said on Wednesday.

The comments by Saleh Moslem, leader of the Dem-

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to rebel groups fighting with the YPG to decide on any advance on Raqqa itself.

“We spoke to the YPG leadership. They don’t have a plan toward Raqqa so far.

This (decision) is linked to the revolutionary forces in Raqqa,” Moslem said in a telephone interview.

“When they are ready to free Raqqa, to liberate it, perhaps the YPG will decide to support them. But the YPG have not made a decision in this regard so far,” he said.

The YPG has emerged as the only notable partner on the ground to date for the U.S.-led alliance bombing Islamic State in Syria, and has fought several successful campaigns against the jihadists with air support.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

BLACKMAIL Kamla: I refused to be blackmailed

(Trinidad Express) PRIME Minister Kamla PersadBissessar said Tuesday night corruption accused Jack Warner is releasing tapes because she refused to be blackmailed in exchange for his reinstatement to the Cabinet.

Persad-Bissessar said she was made aware of the information on the tape immediately following the resignation of Warner as national security minister, but refused to give in to his demands and give him back his job.

This particular tape, featuring allegations of corruption against former minister of the people Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh and his instructions to Kristyan Gokool to go to her official St Ann’s residence (which he has denied), was made on August 2013, about four months after Warner resigned from the Government.

Responding to questions sent by the Express Tuesday by text, enquiring whether she was privy to the information on the audio tapes before it was aired by Warner, Persad-Bissessar said: “Yes. Immediately after he had resigned from my Cabinet on my request, when in the face of damning allegations about FIFA (including the Sir David Simmons Report),

I requested that he go and clear his name. I was made aware of what was being alleged, in an effort to blackmail me into taking him back into Government. Indeed, the allegations featured in the Chaguanas by-election.”

Contrived and bogus allegations

Pressed on her blackmail statement, Persad-Bissessar said: “In light of all of these bogus and contrived allegations, what am I left to assume? As you are aware, he has been bragging that he has files on members of my Government, and immediately after his resignation and more recently, he has been coming to the public with contrived and bogus allegations. He asked to be reinstated in his Government position or else he will bring down my entire Government.”

Former minister of national security minister Gary Griffith is on record as saying he held informal talks with Warner to bridge the gap between him and the People’s Partnership.

When the Express contacted Warner yesterday, asking if he attempted to use the recording to get back his job or form an alliance with

the Partnership in the upcoming elections, he denied doing this.

Warner said: “I never ever bargained with Ms Persad-Bissessar or anyone else re these disclosures.

There are only three people who I have given a copy of the tape—the Integrity Commission, about two years ago; a lawyer, three weeks ago; and Mark Bassant (TV6 reporter), two weeks ago.

Kamla has no favours that I want, now or ever. Finally, I do wish to reiterate to the national community that the worst is yet to come.

“I never sent emissaries at any time to talk with Kamla but she did, and let her deny that and I will prove it.”

Arrest a plot by Partnership

Warner resigned as national security minister on April 21, 2013, following a damning report from chairman of the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Associations on Football) Integrity Committee Sir David Simmons, which revealed multimillion-dollar financial mismanagement by Warner and former Concacaf general secretary Chuck

Blazer. Both men have been indicted by the United States on corruption charges.

Warner is on $2.5 million bail to cover eight criminal charges, on which he and 14 people are wanted in the United States in connection with allegations of bribery, money laundering, corruption and wire-fraud conspiracy, arising out of investigations conducted by the US government into operations at FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association).

But according to Warner, his arrest was a plot by the Partnership to silence him in the upcoming general election.

Declaring on May 27 “the gloves are off”, Warner also blamed the Partnership for him spending the night at the Frederick Street prison after he was unable to secure bail.

Since then, Warner has held two news conferences, airing voice recordings directly aimed at Persad-Bissessar and the People’s Part-

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar nership.

Warner, who first made the claim of a marijuana find at Persad-Bissessar’s private Phillipine residence, held a news conference on June 16 to defend his claim, insisting she was out of the country at the time of the discovery and wanted to resign when told of the discovery.

Persad-Bissessar has denied wanting to resign her job as Prime Minister and described Warner as “delusional”.

Warner also threw out the question “Who is Kristyan?” to Persad-Bissessar last Wednesday, at a political meeting in San Fernando.

Warner said: “Kamla, for your sake and the country sake, tell them who is Kristyan. That is all. Tell the country who is Kristyan, Ka-

mla. I go further to tell you to tell Jit Hardeen, a special reserve police (SRP) officer; ask him to tell us who is Kristyan because if she does not and he does not in two weeks’ time I will.”

Persad-Bissessar has said Kristyan Gokool is her neighbour and has attended functions at her home and the official residence at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

Investigations by the Express have found Gokool bought a $6 million mansion next door to Persad-Bissessar’s private Phillipine residence but has never lived in the house.

Persad-Bissessar has denied knowing Hardeen but said she was informed he was the driver of Ramadharsingh.

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Editorial A recurrent nightmare in human social dynamics Y AHOO reported that a Washington daycare worker is under arrest after the father of a 5-year-old girl walked in on the man raping his daughter, according to police.

The report stated that, looking for his daughter, the father walked into a classroom at Kid’s Country childcare on 1st Avenue South in Normandy Park and found the 31-yearold male teacher with her, crouched behind a bookshelf, officials said. The man allegedly told him that he was just having a “tickle fight” with the little girl, according to Q13 FOX. Once they left, his daughter allegedly told her father that her teacher had touched her inappropriately, and he called Child Protective Services.

After CPS workers interviewed the girl, who they described as bright and articulate, they went to talk to the teacher.

The kind of conversation to be had again and again WITH all the political conversations occurring in Guyana currently, it was vastly refreshing to witness Guyana’s first ‘Carbon Conversation’ on Monday evening at which the key speaker was the renowned Dr. Suresh Narine. I extend congratulations to him and his team for putting together the well received and certainly thought provoking event.

As a young professional Guyanese interested not just in the trajectory of our economy, but in our impacts on our environment, Dr. Narine’s presentation highlighted the fulcrum of the carbon crisis: climate change, economic development, environmental stewardship and the consumption of resources in local and global perspectives, allowing his audience to fully note Guyana’s interrelatedness with the rest of the World’s problems.

I found the most notable point in the presentation to be the possibilities underscored by the professor for Guyana’s natural resources. In a time when the University of Guyana is not adequately qualifying its students and job opportunities are somewhat scarce, to hear our future can be so vivid, and to hear why and how it can be illustrious was a breath of fresh air.

Guyana is on the brink of an oil boom and our future will only be bright if we properly prepare. While the education sector without a doubt needs to facilitate current and future generations to meet the needs of the black gold industry, we must not forget our environmental responsibilities which should be intrinsically linked to our economic growth.

I implore both Dr. Narine and the sponsors for such events to create more opportunities for Carbon Conversations that will engage the younger generation for their ideas and solutions, particularly in an environment moderated less formally to fully facilitate audience participation. Let their substantial presence to the first conversation be an indication of their interest that is not wasted.

LALETA RAMDIAL

When asked to explain the allegations, the man allegedly admitted to touching her underneath her underwear, but said it was accidental.

The Kid’s Country employee is now in King County jail and awaiting the likely charge of first-degree child rape.

Incidences of this nature proliferate worldwide in every society and even developed countries like the USA has not been able to effectively deal with this scourge.

In Guyana laws have been enacted to protect the vulnerable in society, but most of these predators are protected – most often because of the fear and/or the age-inhibiting inability of the victims, the complicity of the mother because she herself is fearful of consequences, especially if the perpetrator, or the wish to protect the child molester from the mandatory jail terms for such offences.

What then could a society do to protect the innocents who

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Guyana

are voiceless and absolutely vulnerable?

Education is the key. There is a dearth of information to the general public as to the measures persons should take if they suspect that a child – or anyone is being molested sexually, or abused in some way.

There ought to be an inundation of pertinent information that could guide the society in the rights and wrongs of certain actions and the steps members of the public could take to deal with such situations: Even if it is merely a suspicion it is always better to be safe rather than take the cautious route and a victim cannot find succor from horrendous circumstances and actions that colour their lives black.

Society needs to be au fait with the course of action open to the public for a holistic approach involving all stakeholders so that perpetrators of such heinous crimes become aware that there is zero tolerance for abusive and predatory actions because, in the words of national poet Martin Carter “All are involved.”

Petition of ‘No Confidence’ in UG’s Vice Chancellor WE the community of workers of the University of Guyana, do hereby and hereon sign this petition as a Vote of No Confidence in Professor Jacob Opadeyi in his capacity as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Guyana. We affirm that we have no confidence in his ability to administer the affairs of the University of Guyana, the premier educational institution of Guyana.

Whereas Professor Opadeyi, having responsibility for the day to day management of the institution is deemed responsible for the following infractions which are either: illegal, based on the Laws of Guyana; against the Statutes of the University of Guyana; or, unethical and opposed to the best interest of the University of Guyana: 1. Blatant disregard for the Terms of Resumption Agreement signed March 2, 2015 by the University Administration and the two staff unions; 2. Eroding the powers of the Academic Board as prescribed in the statutes of the University of Guyana; 3. Compromising academic quality and integrity for the sake of cutting costs; 4. A dictatorial, vindictive, micromanagement leadership style that is characterised by dishonest and deliberately misleading communications; 5. Altering terms and condition of work without consultation with employees; 6. Failure to honour contracts with employees, including illegally withholding legitimate payments due to staff; 7. Circumvention and breach of university financial systems, practices and procedures;

8. Financial mismanagement and impropriety including, but not limited to, system override at the bursary; 9. Repeated failure to meet legal obligations to transfer deductions from workers’ salaries to various bodies; 10. Failure to provide a safe and healthy working environment; 11.

Unreasonable and inhumane treatment of staff; 12.

Failure to provide faculty and workers with basic tools of the trade; 13. Failure to provide appropriate spaces, facilities and equipment for effective teaching and learning; 14.

Exorbitant executive cost and size with little consideration for UG’s indebtedness; 15.

Poor productivity of the Executive; 16.

Unjustly and dishonestly staining the public image of the University and its staff; 17. General failure to act in the best interest of the University.

With consideration for the aforementioned infractions and in the interest of the University of Guyana and the nation it serves, we petition the Council of the University of Guyana to remove Professor Opadeyi as a matter of urgency. We further petition the Minister of Education, The Honourable Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, and His Excellency David Granger, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, acting through appropriate parliamentary and consultative mechanisms, to ensure that the Council of the University of Guyana acts in the interest of the University and the nation of Guyana.

DR. MELLISSA IFILL

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

PPP Leaders must stop behaving like spoilt brats

THE leaders of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) need to stop behaving like spoilt brats, identify its 32 elected members and go to Parliament.

The press conference Mr. Clement Rohee holds on Mondays only serves for the public to see him pout, sulk, grumble, accuse, threaten and withhold information. These press conferences are only delaying the inevitable, which Mr. Rohee knows. The elections are over, the results have been declared and it is time to govern. Apart from making Guyana a laughing stock, PPP’s constituents are being denied representation and, important constitutional actions are in limbo.

For example, the chair of the Public Accounts Committee is a Member from the Opposition. Another example is the appointment of persons to the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) awaits the involvement of the Opposition. There is rampant corruption in the award and management of contracts and procurement which has reached unprecedented proportions within recent years, resulting in Guyana being ranked the most corrupt in the English speaking Caribbean.

The PPP, which has always said there is no truth in the claims that their Government was corrupt, should have an interest in seeing the PPP/C working, given that the party has already accused the month-old Government of being corrupt. The PPP is famous for saying ‘provide the evidence of corruption,’ they must now let the PPP/C function so the evidence can be shown.

The continued inexcusable reasons not to attend Parliament won’t cut it. Mr. Rohee would remember three years ago, even though the APNU expressed concerns about the votes cast and counted, we went to Parliament to represent the people’s interests and hold the Government to account. The PPP/C must act in similar manner. Mr. Rohee cannot forget it is the PPP who had chosen to cut short its term. The party must accept the consequences of its action.

If the news is true that former President Bharrat Jagdeo will be the Leader of the Opposition in the 11th Parliament, we can look forward to interesting times. There is no doubt Mr. Jagdeo is capable of performing in a manner befitting the august house. However, there exists serious doubt that Mr. Jagdeo has the ability to contain his unbecoming campaign ‘buse-out style, which is a spillover of the style that characterised his Presidency when talking to people he considers lesser or thinks he can crush.

From insulting the elderly and media personnel, demonising the military, playing the race card, equating his lifestyle to Dr. Cheddi Jagan to thinking he is the best thing that happened to Guyana, Speaker Dr. Barton Scotland has to brace himself for the sporadic outbursts. It will also not be easy on Mr. Jagdeo’s ego that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will be looking across at him from the other side of the House and calling the shots from the Government side.

Messrs Jagdeo’s and Rohee’s emotions aside, the Opposition has a meaningful role to play in society. The PPP needs to do what it was elected to do by going to Parliament, representing the people that elected them and discharging their other constitutional and Parliamentary responsibilities as Guyana’s new Opposition.

VANESSA KISSOON

Guyanese Partook in India led Global Yoga Day

GUYANESE Americans partook in yoga exercises across New York and Florida at various locations on the first International Yoga Day held last Sunday as authorised by the United Nations. Neither rain nor sun deterred the enthusiasts on Yoga Day in NY or elsewhere. The event was praised by the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon, who also partook in the exercise at the world headquartes after meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Guyanese swore that yoga provides them with peace of mind and a calming of the nerves and freedom from stress.

The Yoga Day garnered unprecedented worldwide participation with tens of millions participating in it.

The UN secretary General expressed his thanks to Minister Swaraj who flew in to NY for the event on the commemoration of the first International Day of Yoga.

Ban warmly greeted Swaraj at the posh Manhattan Hotel with “Namaste, kya haal chaal hain” as he shook her hands. Yoga is meant to engender a “sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature” and it is believed it could “even help with the modern-day challenges of climate change”.

At the UN last September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the global community to adopt a resolution for an international day of yoga as an “invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition” to the world. The Modi resolution was supported by Secretary General Ban Ki Moon

and it was unanimously accepted to be observed annually on January 21. People from virtually every country partook in exercises. Swaraj met with people of varied nationalities, including Guyanese, praising them for participating in the exercises and promising them health benefits especially that so many people suffer from non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart ailments. Yoga helps to fight these diseases.

At Rajpath, Delhi, Yoga Day claimed two Guinness World Records – for largest number of participants in a yoga lesson (30,000) at a single venue and for the most number of nationalities (36,000 from 84 countries) represented in a See page 8

The GTUC will determine its battle and will not be used by the PPP IN February 2002, out of concern about the degeneracy in our society, a decision was taken to start a national conversation on rights and the rule of law.

This was influenced by the PPP-led Bharrat Jagdeo Government that was at the time transgressing workers/ citizens’ rights and violating laws with impunity.

Those perceived not to be supporters of the PPP or expressed alternative views to that of the PPP were targeted in a sustained manner.

As the conversation became intense in the society and citizens empowered, the PPP adjoined itself claiming that their actions were constitutionally driven. This society did not experience constitutional adherence from the PPP but constitutional mis-interpretation and misapplication to justify their dastardly acts. Representatives of the PPP are today raising concerns as to respecting time-honoured principles, international charters, conventions and laws. And for some reason it makes the national discourse interesting.

From my vantage point as a trade unionist, it is interesting to note the PPP’s cogent arguments and presentations on accountable Government and industrial practices, which indicate that this party knew all along what is right but took a conscious decision to do wrong.

The PPP Government engaged in a process of violating laws, transgressing rights, discriminating against groups and individuals based on race, political association and friendship. They raped the national coffers, showed contempt when asked to account and divided the country’s patrimony among themselves and friends.

Conscious of the positions being adumbrated today by the PPP and more so aware of the destruction they have wrought on families, communities and our society, they have earned what is rightly theirs by being in the Opposition, where they can reflect and repent for their wrong doings. Governance is about the people and their development. It is guided by constitution, laws, international charters and conventions, inclusive of time-honoured principles. Because the

PPP demonstrated no respect for these tenets, Guyana was brutally mismanaged by Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar.

As a people, we ought not to allow the wrongs of the Jagdeo and Ramotar Governments to be repeated now and in the future. What was wrong under the PPP cannot be right now under this Government.

The world, even the most powerful country, speaks to governance grounded in human rights and trade union rights are human rights. The trade union must embrace rights in its totality. Even if this requires being at odds with supporters of political parties because the trade union has a social responsibility not only to workers at the work place, but to the communities within which they live.

As citizens/workers it is in our interest to appreciate that worker/management relationship is not guided by gut feeling or perception; it is managed by a body of rules and laws emanating from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, international charters, national constitution and laws, collective labour agreement and time-honoured principles.

The establishment of ILO in 1919 by the world’s major powers was premised on recognition that there are three major groups that determine development in society. These are Government, employers and workers. And it is for this said reason every convention or recommendation that is developed by this institution has the input and agreement of the three parties. The governing body of the ILO comprises Government representatives, trade union representatives and employer representatives.

And at every strata of the organisation the three groups are represented.

Over the years, this society is seeing a consistent effort to marginalise the input of labour and to utilise labour in a way that is counterproductive to its very own interests. The emergence of the new Administration and consequent actions on

and in the labour section from the very absence of a named Minister of Labour in a country which birthed trade unionism in the Caribbean, are issues which the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) will be looking at and will speak to in a more comprehensive way at the right time.

Having said that, the recent concerns expressed by Juan Edghill, regarding the voice of the General Secretary of the GTUC on the issue of rights, due process, human dignities, Kwame McCoy et al, is noted. Hearing this coming from this agent of the PPP validates that the PPP knew what was right but ignored the tenets of good governance to govern with an iron fist and marginalise those who were dissenters and not perceived as natural supporters of their Government.

On the issue of dismissals of employees and known PPP hacks masquerading in the Government service as contract workers, GTUC is aware that Edghill, the PPP on whose behalf he speaks and surely Kwame McCoy et al, know the processes involved in settling industrial and other disputes. They are advised that it is their right to follow through on these. The public will be following with keen attention.

The work of the GTUC will continue without fear or favour and will remain guided by time-honoured principles under this new Administration. GTUC will determine its battles and will not be used conveniently by the PPP. Though over time, it is possible that we are likely to share common interests and positions, such will only be premised on the principles that labour holds faithful, and which are enshrined in our Constitution, ILO Core Labour Standards, universal declarations and charters.

LINCOLN LEWIS General Secretary GTUC

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Crime being addressed in a systematic way – Minister Harmon

Courtesy Call: New Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine has been meeting a number of education stakeholders and on Friday last he met with leader of the World Bank Task Team, Ms. Hongyu Yang at his office. Ms. Yang informed Minister Roopnaraine about the World Bank’s ongoing education projects in Guyana, which cover Nursery, Secondary, Teacher Education and the University of Guyana. The World Bank says it looks forward to continue working with the Ministry of Education on current and future projects. In photo, Dr. Roopnaraine is seen meeting Ms. Yang

From page 7 single yoga session.

Yoga was held all over India and the globe with tens of millions participants, young and old. Every country, including some Islamic nations, partook in the yoga exercises. And in India, several Islamic scholars and mullahs supported yoga. All of India’s overseas missions held yoga exercises, including in Guyana.

In Delhi, Prime Minister’s Modi’s words on the size of the crowd participating in yoga was: “Had anyone ever even thought that Rajpath could become Yogpath?” The majestic Rajpath usually showcases the mosaic that is India during Republic Day celebrations, a tradition going back 65 years with a foreign dignitary as Chief Guest; President Obama and First Lady Michelle were the Chief Guests last January.

Yoga exercises, developed in India in ancient times, are very popular in the West with countless Americans engaged in the art. Spiritual expert Dr.

Deepak Chopra notes that there are yoga studios all over the U.S. and Europe, including in places one would never have thought about. Medical doctors recommend yoga for a healthy lifestyle. Yoga breathing exercises, meditation, and stretching are said to provide peace of mind leading to a healthier lifestyle.

There are numerous yoga institutes in Hollywood and Bollywood. Famous Hollywood and Bollwood stars practice yoga, including Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce Knowles, Reese Witherspoon, Jane Fonda, Charlize Theron, Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Aniston, David Beckham, Brooke Shields and George Clooney, Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena, Amitabh, Hema Malini, Jeetendra, Madhuri Dixit, Bipasha Basu, Shilpa Shetty, Manisha Koirala, etc. Madonna told publications she practices yoga for two hours daily.

Beyonce posted a stunning image of herself on Instagram showing off her flexible, yoga-fit body in a blue bikini. Many of them have

found solace and a healthy lifestyle in the ancient Indian discipline. They have inspired their fans to follow in their footsteps to practice yoga.

Reports out of Paris say hundreds gathered for yoga exercises under the famed Eiffel Tower in the backdrop and thousands more partook in exercises in towns and cities across France. Ditto all over Europe, Asia and Latin America (including Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Brasilia, Rio).

A t t h e U N , S e c re tary-General Ban Kimoon, who, along with his wife, performed yoga and stretching his body and forming varied shapes. The SG said: “I feel like yoga can promote physical dexterity; it can also promote diplomatic dexterity. In my job, I have to be agile all of the times”.

Ban Ki Moon said he felt a “certain peace of mind” in performing Yoga. He complimented Prime Minister Modi for taking the initiative to spread the practice of yoga far and wide across the world. “It is already

immensely popular and is good for health and does not discriminate ... to varying degrees all can practise it”.

The President of the UN Assembly, Sam Kutesa, said “an estimated onethird of humanity around the world would be participating in the celebrations, which was a true test of its popularity”.

Swaraj said: “Yoga was neither a religion nor should it be seen as belonging to any particular religion. It is a science, the science of well-being, the science of integrating body, mind and soul, the science of actualising our true potential”.

She added: “At a time when ethnic conflicts and extremist violence are threatening to destabilise societies, yoga can serve as the perfect antidote to stem such negatives”.

Being such a powerful antidote to violence, Guyanese at home should embrace it perhaps as a way to help solve their ethnic conflict.

VISHNU BISRAM

MEASURES are being implemented to deal with the apparent recent “spike” in crimes, by introducing immediate steps across the country, according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon.

At his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday, at the Ministry of the Presidency, he said that Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan is working with the Guyana Police Force to address the issue through various steps. “Increased number of patrols particularly in divisions ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’, resources previously identified for community policing groups will be directed towards the central task of crime fighting by the Guyana Police Force,” the minister explained as some of the steps to be taken.

Where police ranks were engaged in business not central to the “core functions of the police force”, they will be removed and put on the street to ensure that there are more “boots on the street”. This move will ensure better response and reaction to emergency calls and result in a more efficient police force, Minister Harmon stressed.

“We have to ensure that we provide Guyanese with the atmosphere of security that they require”.

Minister Ramjattan, who is also a Vice President, has informed Cabinet of his decision to spend at least two days in Berbice, visiting stations, meeting and talking to police ranks and ensuring that they are provided with the necessary resources to fight crime, including piracy endemic to Berbice.

According to Minister Harmon, his Cabinet colleague is “coming down from the east, all the way to the west” as he personally engages police ranks at stations and outposts across the country. (GINA)

GAWU OKs resumption of credit union transactions with GuySuCo THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) Co-operative Credit Union has resumed its activities with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the union said in a press release yesterday.

According to GAWU, this is in keeping with the Memorandum of Agreement between the parties to recommence deductions of contributions in favour of the Credit Union from workers’ earnings with effect from work-week July 5th – 11th, 2015.

The Credit Union and GuySuCo have agreed to continue to address the settlement of the outstanding sum of money owed to the Credit Union which totalled on 31st May 2015, $188,045,825.

According to the release, it is the firm understanding of the Credit Union and GuySuCo that workers’ savings henceforth at the end of each month will be remitted to the Credit Union and thus no further indebtedness to the Credit Union should ever arise.

Members who look forward to the continued service of the Credit Union will welcome, undoubtedly, the decision and hopefully will spare no efforts to re-authorise the Corporation to facilitate their savings in the Credit Union, the release concluded.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Brazil plugs hydro project, Lethem road during meeting with PM

Brazilian Ambassador Lineu Pupo de Paula meets with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

BRAZILIAN Ambassador to Guyana, Lineu Pupo de Paula, during his recent courtesy visit with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo stated that the development of a hydro project in the Mazaruni River and the paving of the Linden to Lethem road are of paramount importance to both countries.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo told the Guyana Chronicle that he is grateful for the continued support from Brazil and hopes that their relationship can be renewed and strengthened over the coming years.

He disclosed that both parties have discussed projects of mutual benefit and he also highlighted that recently Guyana has embarked upon the introduction of Portuguese in the school system.

This, he noted, will bridge the language barrier that exists at present between the two countries.

Nagamootoo added that the two countries in the past had an agreement on the exchange of technical skills and he urged that this be continued, since “we can benefit from each other.”

The Brazilian Ambassador explained that there are many important subjects to discuss. “We share a friendly relationship and have been working together for many years.”

The Ambassador noted that the two countries share common interests in many sectors and during their discussion he has raised many of these and is very hopeful that the discussion was fruitful.

He mentioned that “we have common interest in projects in infrastructure” and with this we can improve both countries.

Ambassador de Paula highlighted that Brazil is in great need of energy and with the construction of a hydro project in the Mazaruni

River, the north of Brazil will benefit.

He lauded the introduction of Portuguese into the educational system and he noted that the Embassy of Brazil also offers classes for persons desirous of learning the language. “This will bridge the language gap we have right now,” he said.

LINDEN TO LETHEM ROAD One of the projects that the Ambassador hopes will be a priority is the paving of the Linden to Lethem road.

He noted the possibilities that will be made available should the road be paved. “This is a project that we want to help with,” he emphasised.

Ambassador Pupo de Paula started his diplomatic career in 1981 and has served in Germany, Ecuador, Argentina, El Salvador, United States of America and Honduras.

Unidentified man shot after opening fire on policeman, GDF member A GROUP of persons, including a policeman and a member of the Guyana Defence Force, were at the Butcher Pool Hall at Middleton Street, Georgetown, at about 23:00 hrs Tuesday night when two armed men approached and discharged rounds in their direction.

Paul Chow, 31, of Railway Line, Kitty, who was

in the group, was hit to his chest and right jaw.

The policeman and the soldier returned fire and one of the armed men was hit about his body, while his accomplice managed to escape.

The man, who is so far unidentified, was taken to the GPHC where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body is at the GPHC mortuary.

He is of African descent, with Rastafarian hairstyle, appears to be in his 40s, fair complexion, about 5’9” in height, of medium build and has a tattoo on his back marked “Spine Doctor”.

Paul Chow has been admitted to hospital.

The Police Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting investigations into the incident.

Women’s health needs still not adequately met, according to new articles in the Pan American Journal of Public Health …PAHO’s Director calls on the countries of the Region to develop a new Women’s Health Agenda in order to achieve comprehensive care appropriate for the health problems that most affect them

Washington D.C (PAHO/ WHO).- Women’s health needs are not being adequately met by current social and health policies in the countries of the Americas, according to scientific articles published in the latest issue of the Pan American Journal of Public Health of the Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

Original research articles highlight the multiple health problems the women of the Region face, particularly those with fewer resources and among indigenous and rural populations. Other articles focus on the persisting gaps in health systems in responding to these probl e m s . S p e c i f i c a l l y, t h e Journal explores a variety of subjects ranging from women’s health throughout the life course, reproductive and sexual health, g e n d e r- b a s e d v i o l e n c e , non communicable chronic diseases, infectious diseases, and mental and occupational health, to the adaptation of quality health services required to respond to health promotion, prevention, and rehabilitation needs during d i ff e r e n t s t a g e s o f l i f e and in several regional contexts.

“There is no doubt that women in the Americas and worldwide have gained ground over the past few decades in many spheres. Health is no exception,” stated the Dir e c t o r o f PA H O / W H O , C a r i s s a F. E t i e n n e , i n t h e J o u r n a l ’s e d i t o r i a l .

Among the advancements she mentions are the decline in the number of preventable deaths and the increased life expectancy among women, increased access to contraceptives, improved ability to control fertility, better prenatal care, and earlier detection of breast and cervical cancer. However, she added that “progress has been uneven on many issues that affect women’s health.”

PAHO’s Director calls on the countries of the Region to develop a new

women’s post-2015 health agenda in order to achieve comprehensive care that will appropriately respond to the health problems that most affect them. “A prioritised agenda would make it possible to sort out the problems, assess their real magnitude and develop research and health strategies to solve them,” she stated. Etienne added that accomplishing this “will require a broad, intersectoral, interdisciplinary debate among countries, stakeholders and civil society.”

“Women in our Region are facing old challenges – like maternal mortality and violence – as well as new ones, like the increase of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer,” stated Suzanne Serruya, Director of the Latin American Center for Perinatology, Women’s and Reproductive Health (CLAP) of PAHO/WHO. “A new agenda would a l l o w u s t o r e o rg a n i s e and prioritise problems that directly affect women’s health and strengthen the actions and strategies needed to resolve them.”

The 24 articles that have been published in the Journal cover topics and experiences in different countries in the Region closely related to the reduction of maternal mortality, the relationship between maternal mortality and socioeconomic factors, femicide, domestic violence, sexual violence, HIV infections in adolescents, breast cancer mor-

tality trends, the inclusion of midwives in health systems, and protection for the right to health in obstetric services. All the articles are available at: www.paho.org/journal “The year 2015 marks three relevant actions at the global level, such as the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the final draft of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Serruya. “For this reason, this year represents a decisive moment to redefine the women’s health agenda as an essential human right,” she concluded.

The findings of the Journals’ articles support the previous work in the women’s health field, mainly the 2009 WHO report, “Women and health: Today’s evidence, tomorr o w ’s a g e n d a , ” w h i c h states that:

● Severe inequalities between men and women are still persistent, both between high and low income countries, as well as within countries. ● Women represent an important burden of chronic diseases, injuries, and mental health disorders. ● Sexuality and reproduction are central aspects of women’s health. ● Women’s health must be understood from childhood. ● Health systems are not fulfilling their obligations toward women.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

GuyOil facilities abused by previous Gov’t officials – Minister Harmon says investigation ongoing

MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon confirmed yesterday that an investigation has been launched into the reported abuse of fuel from the state owned Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil).

The Minister stated that the facility was being abused by the former Government officials and some, along with their relatives, were still abusing it and as such a decision was made to ensure they are no longer able to access the facility.

The Minister explained that some of the vehicles that were accessing the credit facility for Government were not Government owned. He added that the state owned company has been, “religiously” submitting invoices for

payments and the ministries have already been informed of what they should be looking for. Minister Harmon stated that those officials from the former Administration who accessed the facility, along with family members and friends, will have to reimburse the state for the fuel they have collected. “We have asked GuyOil to provide us with all of these accounts and these statements, and those persons who were drawing fuel and isn’t paying for it, they’re going to have to pay for it. It is as simple as that!” All of the new ministers have been advised and Minister Harmon said that there will be a “central clearing house for these when they come to the ministries and we will decide how we are going to approach it”.

Fate of unfinished Gov’t building on High Street still to be decided THE unfinished multi-storeyed state-owned property at Lot 44 High Street, Werk-en-Rust, just north of Sussex Street, has been described by Minister of State Joseph Harmon as “a sore thumb that has actually been sucking monies out of the public purse”.

Speaking to the media yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency, Mr. Harmon indicated that the fate of the building is still to be decided. This will depend on a report being compiled by the Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, on projects and other infrastructural works. This status report, the Minister said, will determine what Government does with the multi-million dollar structure.

Construction began on the building in 2010 at a cost of

some $600M at the old Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) headquarters on Princes and High Streets.

It was originally designated for the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. There was a change of plans to accommodate the Ministry of Health after a fire destroyed the main building of that ministry some years ago. Months later, it was reported that the building would instead facilitate other Government departments.

The unfinished building currently requires substantial repairs to its interior and exterior. There are still windows and doors to be installed. Ceiling and other interior repairs such as cubicles, and other work spaces are undone. (GINA)

Peru mass grave contains bodies of 17 ‘killed in 1980s’

(BBC News) PROSECUTORS in Peru say they have found a mass grave containing 17 bodies high in the Andes, in the Ayacucho Region.

The bodies are believed to be those of local farmers kidnapped by the Shining Path rebel group in the 1980s.

Forensic experts said it was clear the 17 had been killed but not by whom.

Almost 70,000 people were killed in the two-decadeslong conflict between the Peruvian Government and the Maoist rebels, according to figures by Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Prosecutor Honorio Casallo Diaz said investigations carried out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission suggested the farmers had been abducted in the 1980s from the town of Vilcashuaman by members of the Maoist Shining Path guerrilla group.

They had been missing ever since.

This was a common practice by the Shining Path to boost

their ranks.

However, it is not clear whether the 17 were killed by their Shining Path captors or by members of the military, who often targeted locals they suspected of collaborating with the guerrillas.

Ayacucho was the heartland of the guerrillas and farmers were often caught between the two warring sides.

The Shining Path posed a major challenge to the Peruvian state in the 1980s and early 90s.

After the capture of its main leaders its influence was greatly reduced.

In December 2011, one of its remaining leaders admitted defeat.

However, remnants of the group are still active in the jungle areas of Peru producing and smuggling cocaine.

Earlier this month, the US treasury department designated the Shining Path a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker”.

According to the Minister, the reported abuse demonstrates a pattern set by the previous PPP/C Government. “It falls into a pattern of serious abuse by the previous Administration and during the course of next week, I will release information about some of the former officials who have been abusing their positions in the state.” It was also revealed by Minister Harmon that the GuyOil Board of Directors will be changed, following a review by this weekend, with the process to identify new members currently ongoing. “I can assure you that it wouldn’t take too long, particularly those boards which have that kind of influence and power over the lives of Guyanese people,” he stated. (GINA)

Conductor gets 48 months after snatching $186,000 cricket band

A MINIBUS conductor of Lot 43 Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown, was jailed for 48 months on Tuesday by City Magstrate, Judy Latchman on a larceny from the person charge after he changed his not guilty plea and admitted stealing a cricket band.

Kelvin Washington on March 13 at Regent and Alexander Streets, Georgetown, stole one cricket band worth $186,000, property of Portia Jacobs.

He was remanded to prison on his first appearance before Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on April 2, after he denied the charge.

According to the prosecution, on the day in question at around 11:00 hrs Jacobs was in a taxi when the accused approached her and snatched her gold band.

Washington was later pointed out by the taxi driver whom Jacobs was travelling with at the time.

However, he changed his plea after the trial had commenced and two police witnesses testified in matter.

The convict had previously been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by Magistrate Latchman in 2013, after he was found guilty on trial for attempting to commit a felony. Washington attempted to steal a shoulder bag and its contents from Dawn Murray on August 22, 2013 at Georgetown.

On that occasion, Murray was walking in Georgetown when she felt a hand on her bag. She turned around and caught Washington red-handed, and raised an alarm. At that time a police officer in plain clothes gave chase and apprehended Washington.

Cops seized 2 million in smuggled ganja (Trinidad Express) TWO Venezuelans are among five men arrested in Cedros for possession of two million dollars worth of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

The two foreigners and the three Trinidadians were detained by police early Tuesday morning by officers who acted on a tip off.

According to police at around 2 a.m. a party of police

officers led by Sargeant Ramgoolam Deosaran, and including PCs Singh and Boodoo, received information and went to Southern Main Road, Coromandel Village.

Police said they intercepted a Mazda Familia wagon in which the five men were travelling.

Officers searched the vehicle and allegedly found 50 packets of compressed marijuana in the vehicle.

The suspects - two men of Williamsville aged 19

and 29, a 30-year-old man of St Augustine, and two Venezuelans aged 34 and 39 - were arrested.

They were taken to the Point Fortin Police Station where the marijuana was found to weigh 28 kilogrammes.

The suspects were charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

The Venezuelans were expected to be interviewed

by Immigration authorities.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Government to work closely with Iwokrama towards strengthening its agenda PRESIDENT David Granger has given a commitment to working closely with Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, with the aim of restructuring the agenda, following a meeting with the Agency’s Head, Mr. Dane Gobin.

Mr. Gobin, along with Conservationist, Major General Joe Singh (ret’d), and Minister

of Governance, Mr. Raphael Trotman, were a part of the discussions with the President yesterday.

According to Minister Trotman, the discussion was centred on how Government could sustain the centre as it has had some challenges in recent times.

“We are looking to see how we can actually reshape the agenda for its work, how we

can make it more a place of excellence, and of education, for not just Guyanese, but for the Region and students coming to Guyana to study, and most importantly how do we preserve this for Guyana.”

Minister Trotman said he is of the belief that Guyanese are not fully aware of Iwokrama and have never fully bought into it and embraced it, “so the new thrust would be making it

Head of State David Granger, with Chief Executive Officer of Iwokrama, Mr. Dane Gobin, (at right) Major General (rt’d) Joe Singh (at left) and Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman at the meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday

part of our patrimony that we can be proud of, that we would want to visit it, to support it financially, protect and preserve it, so we are excited about the discussions and hopefully a paper will be presented to Cabinet shortly on the way forward.”

Iwokrama was given as a gift to the Commonwealth by then President Desmond Hoyte, which was endorsed by President Jagan when he came into power.

Dedicated as a place for research “to develop, demonstrate, and make available to Guyana and the international community systems, methods

and techniques for the sustainable management and utilisation of the multiple resources of the Tropical Forest and the conservation of biological diversity”, the Iwokrama rainforest is located in the geographical heart of Guyana.

It comprises 371,000 hectares of forest (1.6% of Guyana’s landmass and 2% of Guyana’s forests).

The Iwokrama Centre was established in 1996 to manage the forest area, following the signing the year before of an international agreement between the Guyana Government and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Enshrined in an Act of the Guyana Parliament, the agreement gave the Centre the mandate to “promote the conservation and the sustainable and equitable use of tropical rainforests in a manner that will lead to lasting ecological, economic and social benefits to the people of Guyana and to the world in general.”

The Centre has the task to test the proposition that conservation, environmental balance and sustainable economic activity are mutually reinforcing, that it is possible to use a forest without losing it. (GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

East Canje businessman ‘Bolo’ on felonious wounding charge murder PI underway – said it was ‘four of them on me alone’ THE Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the death of East Canje businessman, Terrance Mc Lean, has commenced before Magistrate Sherdel Marcus Isaacs, with the testimonies of three witnesses at the New Amsterdam Court.

Detective Constable Kevin Hope, Assistant Superintendent Ronald Alli and Elvis Christendat were led in their evidence by Police Prosecutor Sergeant Phillip Sherrif.

The witnesses were cross-examined by Defence Counsel Peter Hugh.

Goldsmith Deon Sunthgolam, who had made his initial court appearance before Magistrate Rhondel Weaver, was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was refused bail.

Police alleged that Sunthgolam, a business partner

Deon Sunthgolam

Terrence Malcom Mclean

of the now deceased businessman, fatally wounded him between December 1 and 3 last.

The bloated, decomposing remains of the sixtytwo-year old entrepreneur was discovered in his house at Lot 6 Sheet Anchor Village, Canje, just before

08:00 hrs on December 3, 2014.

The discovery was made by one of his sons, Fredrick, who had gone in search of him after failing to make contact with him via his mobile phone.

The PI is expected to continue on June 25.

AARON Mohabir, known as ‘Bolo’, was on Monday granted $100,000 bail after police instituted a charge of felonious wounding against him.

Mohabir was previously charged with attempted murder but that charge was withdrawn against him and a lesser charge was filed.

The 21-year-old defendant was not required to plead to the charge which was amended to read that on February 28, 2015, at Angoy’s Avenue he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Ajay Kissoon with intent to maim, disfigure or cause grevious bodily harm.

At his initial court appearance Mohabir said four persons had attacked him.

“Maam, three of them rushed to me and I ran away. I did not do him anything. It was four of them on me alone. I ran in my uncle’s yard then into a neighbour yard. Then I went to my mother at Edinburgh Village, (East Bank Berbice). I was afraid to go to the station cause it was my first incident.”

Police Corporal Desiree Pilgrim, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant, a resident of Friendship, Berbice River, fled from the scene, and it

was through intense police investigations that he was arrested days after the alleged incident.

The facts revealed that the defendant and the virtual complainant are friends and together they were at a wedding house, where they were consuming alcohol.

However, an argument erupted between the defendant and others, while Kissoon who acted as a peace maker was stabbed to his abdomen. He was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was admitted and treated. The matter is fixed for statements on July 17.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Government to table amended AML/CFT Bill today -as Opposition claims Bill non-compliant with FATF recommendations

THE APNU+AFC Administration will today table an amended version of the Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT) Bill in the National Assembly.

Responding to a statement by the former Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandlall, that the 2015 Bill is “incompliant with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)” recommendations, Minister of State in Ministry of The Presidency, Joseph Harmon, asked, “Why would we put something in there for cheap political value?”

He emphasised that it is the law that they are talking about, it’s not just some joke, neither is it a promise to do something, but this is the law which they are talking about.

He added: “If this is Mr. Nandlall’s advice to the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic that this is what we are likely to do, all it does is portend a state of mind of the former Administration that says that law-making was about gimmicks.”

Additionally, the Government, he stated, is not about gimmicks, as they are serious and want to make it very clear that money launderers and terrorists are put on notice about this.

He alluded to the fact that they are going to do whatever it takes to ensure

that the law is tightened up, as “we said on more than one occasion that there were too many gaps left in the previous legislation…there were large-enough holes that a shark could swim through.”

Therefore, the Minister of State stressed that the need to tighten those things up and that is what they are doing in the Parliamentary Select Committee, in the 10th Parliament and this is what they are going to bring in the National Assembly, “a tightened law to ensure that we satisfy the national obligations and send a very clear message to money launderers that their time is up.”

Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) yesterday during a press briefing raised their concerns that the 2015 Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill is not compliant with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations, and also disclosed that it will not attend Parliament to discuss the Bill with the Government.

The PPP/C’s Gail Teixeira said that the Bill in its current state contains several inaccuracies, as she pointed out that the PPP/C was presenting a compliant bill, but the former Opposition APNU+AFC is not.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon Teixeira noted that the amendment to Sections 8 & 9, deals with the establishment of an AML/CFT Authority to which members will be appointed by the National Assembly. The amendment also pertains to the removal of the minister’s power to appoint the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the power of the President to dismiss the director and place these powers in the Authority.

The amendment as stated, said Ms. Teixeira, appears to undermine the autonomy of the FIU. As stipulated by FATF Recommendation 26, the FIU should have sufficient operational independence and autonomy to ensure that it is free from undue influence or interference. The assigning of responsibility for oversight

US Embassy’s Charge d’ Affaires Bryan Hunt of the operations of the FIU to the AML/CFT Authority effectively eliminates the operational independence and autonomy. Additionally, it does not comply with the requirement of Recommendation 26, she added.

She noted too that the APNU+AFC Government is aware of the contentious areas of the Bill and should take steps to rectify them and not risk the country being blacklisted to “save face,” adding that “the PPP should not be used to save face.”

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall explained that taking away the power of appointment from the President and giving it to the National Assembly provides an ideal set-up for there to be corruption in the appointment of the head of the unit.

“This Bill takes politi-

Former AG, Anil Nandlall

PPP/C’s Gail Teixeira

cally exposed persons and makes them managers of the FIU,” Nandlall stated, pointing out that it is better to have one politically exposed person handle the affairs of the FIU rather than have 65.”

Moving away from that, Nandlall disclosed that the Charge d’ affaires of the United States Embassy, Mr. Bryan Hunt, is in no position to decide whether the AML/CFT Bill is compliant with the FATF recommendations, because he does not serve in the capacity of a member of the FATF. That was in response to Hunt’s recent statement that he is “confident that Parliament will approve the legislation by the September deadline, since it has been in limbo for years.”

Hunt was quoted as saying in the Saturday, June 20,

2015 edition of the Guyana Chronicle that, “we fully support the Government in that objective. It’s going to be very important that the legislation is passed by the September deadline for submission to the Financial Action Task Force before its October meeting,” Hunt expressed optimism about the current format and structure of the Bill, saying “[It] has been reviewed by a number of international bodies.” He continued, “If the bill were to be passed in its current form, then it would be fully compliant with the recommendations that have been put forward by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), and the global Financial Action Task Force.”

PPP/C cleared to file elections petition after seeking leave from High Court

ACTING Chief Justice Ian Chang has granted leave for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to file an elections petition after an ex-parte application was submitted by the Party to the Supreme Court.

The following statement was issued by the PPP/C last evening: On Tuesday, PPP/C Member Ganga Persaud submitted an ‘ex-parte application for leave to file an elections petition’.

Legal procedure dictates that before the elections petition can actually be filed, the Party must seek permission from the Court to file the petition.

By submitting an ex-parte application, the Party is submitting an application

for leave/permission to be granted to move forthwith filing the elections petition.

According to PPP/C Executive Member Anil Nandlall, now that leave is granted, the elections petition will definitely be filed before the week is over.

In the application for leave, which was by way of an affidavit, Persaud identified Anil Nandlall, former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister; Priya Manickchand, former Education Minister; Bibi Shaddick, Pro Chancellor of the University of Guyana; Adrian Anamayah; Charles Ramson Jr; Latchmi Rahamat and Euclin Gomes as the Attorneys to represent him in this cause.

The elections results disclosed by the Guyana Elections Commission

(GECOM) show that the PPP/C gained 202,694 votes while the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) gained 207, 200.

The other contesting political parties: the Independent Party, the National Independent Party, The United Force and the United Republican Party gained 344, 262, 1080 and 432 respectively.

Since before the elections results were officially declared and gazetted, the PPP/C made several requests to the elections body for a total recount of the ballots, but to no avail.

In the application submitted to the court, the Party identified a long list of particulars which led to the conclusion that Elections

2015 were massively rigged in favour of the APNU+AFC coalition.

Some points noted were that “valid ballots were wrongly deemed as rejected”; “Statements of Poll [SoPs] used to ascertain the results contain arithmetic errors”; “multiple voting by persons”; “persons whose names were not on the OLE were allowed to vote”; “persons impersonated and voted for those persons”; “ballot attendants and polling agents of the PPP/C were prevented from accompanying the ballot boxes”; “fraudulently concocted SOPs” and “Returning Officers of nine of the ten polling districts unlawfully refused requests

by PPP/C agents to conduct a final general count”.

The application further

pointed out that a GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, attested to many of the irregularities and discrepancies observed.

It also highlighted that even the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield acknowledged that there were at least 490 stations affected by the fake SOPs and despite this, he went ahead and announced the preliminary elections result.

Subsequent to that incident, a PPP/C delegation met with GECOM officials to discuss the irregularities and it was then the Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, gave an undertaking to open 21 boxes to verify the results.

According to the application, two GECOM Commissioners informed the PPP/C

that the decision to open 21 boxes was later recanted with no reasons given.

Meanwhile, amid these allegations of rigged elections, the international community, elections observers and other stakeholders have accepted the results, with some having conceded that the elections were free and fair.

Despite the negative atmosphere in which the PPP/C dwells [deals] with calls from all sections to quit its mantra of rigged elections, the Party is still holding out and maintaining that Guyanese were robbed of their right to a free and fair democratic process and that Guyana is now being governed by a “de facto” Administration.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

ECHO welcomes Gov’t probe into Bai Shan Lin, mining sector THE Environmental Community Health Organisation (ECHO) has said that it welcomes the recent announcement of an investigation into the operations of Bai Shan Lin and the mining sector, specifically as it relates to the deaths of miners.

In a press release, ECHO said that for quite some time now it has been calling for this level of Government interest in the local extractive sector, and the way those involved in this sector have been exploiting Guyana’s natural resources in a crude and unsustainable manner, unmindful about the current state of global and local ecologies, unprecedented environmental events, and the future of Guyana’s wider society.

With reference to Bai Shan Lin, ECHO said that it hopes the investigation will be sufficiently in-depth, “to unravel very subtle but harmful details of its contract with Guyana, and the impact it has had on the natural environment and the economy, particularly since the company is shipping raw logs from Guyana with no value-added interest.”

Noting that the natural assets of Guyana belong to all Guyanese, the environmental organisation asserted that Guyanese have a right to know how these assets are being exploited, by whom, and who are benefiting from the revenues. ECHO added: “It is quite wrong for any Government to disperse of the patrimony of Guyanese without proper consultations, and effective systems to facilitate transparency, accountability, and, in this case, environmental integrity.”

Emphasising that it welcomes the move by Government, the body said that it “hopes that the process and substance of the investigation would positively re-shape the contours of the extractive sector, raise environmental awareness, and promote high standards, environmental ethics, and great economic benefits to us and future generations.”

Night shelter resident charged with stealing from Queenstown Masjid A NIGHT-shelter resident was yesterday placed on self- bail by City Magistrate Annette Singh for stealing toilet tissue and bleach from the Queenstown Masjid.

Neil Madas, 38, admitted that on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at Queenstown, Georgetown, he stole two roles of toilet tissue and a bottle of bleach to the value of $600.00, property of Aslam Baksh.

The facts of the case stated that the virtual complainant (VC) Mr. Baksh was at the Queenstown Masjid on Church Street, Georgetown, when he was informed by the security officer at the front gate that a man went into the masjid and stole some items.

The VC then confronted Madas and found the articles in his possession.

Madas explained that he was cleaning and he thought the detergents were garbage and put it aside for himself. He added that Baksh asked him about the items and then made a big fuss about it, stating that he had stolen it.

Based on the explanation given by the unrepresented man, a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

However, with no objection from police prosecutor Adoni Inniss, he was released on his own recognisance and the matter was adjourned to Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

More state vehicles outstanding

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- Minister Harmon urges persons to return them or Gov’t will go after them AS police investigations continue into the alleged misappropriation of state-owned vehicles, eight from the Public Service Ministry have been returned to the Ministry of the Presidency, according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

He revealed that between June 19 and 20, five vehicles were returned, and “all except one drove in on their own steam”. Three vehicles were returned before June 19. The set of vehicles was reportedly transferred in the waning days of the previous Administration at the behest of former Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford, to several individuals.

At a post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister Harmon opined that the persons who returned the vehicles probably took the opportunity to take advantage of the limited amnesty offered by Government, to have persons return state assets before they are prosecuted. “I believe some persons took that very seriously and decided to bring them in”. An audit, one of several being undertaken to account for state assets, revealed that vehicles had been transferred, just prior or after, the May 11, 2015 General Elections.

A State Asset Recovery Programme has been set up to ensure the return of state assets, wherever they may be located.

The unit is headed by Professor Clive Thomas and persons who will function in that unit have been identified.

He said that offers to assist in this effort have even been obtained from persons residing overseas, “people who know where things are. In fact every morning you (are) getting reports about two vehicles gone somewhere, they take off the number plate and somebody throws canvas over it, but we will get to all of them”. It was pointed out by Minister Harmon, that in one day alone, in May, 28 vehicles were transferred.

The State Asset Recovery Unit will examine all of the cases and decide on how they will proceed. “That is why I said to all persons who have Government assets to bring them in. I don’t want to come after you because I want to look forward”.

He emphasised that Government is interested in looking forward to the future and is not interested in looking back, “I don’t have time for looking back, so help me, help this Government in looking forward by bringing in the assets, because we’ll have to send people behind you, if you don’t!” (GINA)

Sophia man granted $40,000 bail for two charges

FIFTY-year-old, Cedrick Dash a known figure to the court, yesterday made another appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer charges of assault and provoking a breach of the peace.

The defendant of Lot 77 ‘D’ Field North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the two charges before Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Details of the assault charge stated that on Sunday, June 7, 2015, at North Sophia, he unlawfully assaulted Felicity Benjamin so as to cause her actual bodily harm.

It is also alleged that on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at North Sophia, he behaved in a manner which provoked a breach of the peace.

According to Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, on the day in question around 17:45 hrs, Dash approached Benjamin and dealt her several lashes, causing her to

receive injuries. Dash then relieved the victim of her jewellery and cash, both local and foreign, altogether valued at $65,000.

Contrary to what the prosecutor related, Dash said on that day he and his son were on the road, when he saw Benjamin.

He further stated that Benjamin hit him and he consequently pushed her.

The police prosecutor opposed bail on the grounds that Dash was on bail for another offence when this incident allegedly occurred. Mangru said Dash has a pending matter before another court and if granted bail, he may tamper with the witness, Benjamin.

However, the prosecution’s objection was overruled by the chief magistrate and Dash was placed on $40,000 bail. The matters were transferred before City Magistrate Annette Singh for Monday, July 27, 2015.

Miner refused bail for possession of narcotics A TWENTY-eight-year-old miner of Lot 83 James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, was on Monday refused bail for possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Lennox Smith made his appearance before Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and denied that on Wednesday, June 20, 2015, at Region 9, he had in his possession four grammes of cocaine for the purpose.

The court heard that on the day in question, the police were on mobile patrol when they observed Smith walking in a certain manner. As a result, Smith was stopped and searched and a red Swinger match box concealing the prohibited substance was found in his crotch. A further search revealed a Ziploc bag in his pocket which also contained more of the illegal substance. Smith was told of the offence and cautioned,

during which he remained silent.

Representing Smith was Attorney-at-Law Mr. Jerome Khan, who requested that bail be granted in a reasonable sum, while taking into consideration the lengthy period until the next court hearing at the Lethem Magistrates’ Court. Khan argued that a search was conducted on Smith but nothing was found on him, adding that it was nothing but a set-up.

Bail was opposed by Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru on the basis that special reasons raised by counsel were not sufficient for the accused to be granted bail. However, after considering submissions by both the defence and the prosecution, Smith was refused bail and the case was referred to the Lethem Magistrates Court for Monday, September 7, 2015.

Unity fisherman remanded over Father’s Day robbery A FISHERMAN of Unity, Mahaica, was yesterday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry after being accused of robbery on Father’s Day. Zahir Mohamed pleaded not guilty to the charge that said on Sunday, June 21 at Unity, Mahaica, he stole from

Indroutie Narine $168,000 in cash and three cartons of cigarettes. In addition, he allegedly made use of personal violence on Narine.

The prosecution’s facts were not presented to the court and the matter was transferred to the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court for July 3.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Thieves swipe $1M in goods from Anna Regina electronics store THIEVES on Tuesday night raided another electronics store at Anna Regina, carrying

off more than $1M in equipment.

According to reports, the Future Electronics

store which is located in a section of the Republic Plaza shopping centre at Anna Regina was broken

Scattered electronics equipment on the floor of the store at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast

The ripped out steel grill and the hole in the concrete wall of the store at Anna Regina

into Tuesday night and a quantity of Blackberry and other cell phones along with laptop computers, watches, DVD portable players and flash drives were stolen.

Owner of the electronics store, Govinda Harrinarine, known as ‘Ajay’ said he had secured his business place Monday afternoon and left for home but on Tuesday at around 8:00 am upon opening the door of his store he saw electronics items scattered on the

floor and a hole some two feet in width in the solid concrete wall.

According to Harrinarine, the thieves ripped out a steel grill protection from the concrete wall and probably used a heavy object like a sledge hammer to knock out several concrete blocks to gain entry into the store.

He said the police were informed and they quickly rushed to the scene and started investigations. Harrinarine estimated his losses at more

than a million dollars.

Meanwhile, only two weeks ago another electronics store owned by Anil Singh in the Anna Regina Market was broken into. Thieves stole electronics equipment, including cell phones and laptop computers valued more than $3M. Residents are calling on the police to have more patrols at night, especially in the commercial centre of Anna Regina. (Rajendra Prabhulall)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Hygiene Hut makes first anniversary donation to GRC

CITY gift store ‘Hygiene Hut’ yesterday reached out to the Guyana Relief Council (GRC) with its promised first anniversary donation. The store had pledged charitable assistance following the end of its anniversary promotion in May to the non-governmental organisation.

The GRC frequently assists victims of fires and natural disasters. Administrative Officer of the Relief Council, Lynette Carter, yesterday expressed gratitude to Managing Director Shiv Nandalall upon receiving a cheque for the monetary donation at the Regent Road store.

“Every little contribution we get helps us to be able to meet the needs of persons who experience disaster and we hope other agencies follow the example of Hygiene Hut in giving back to the community,” Carter said.

Nandalall reminded that

Hygiene Hut’s Managing Director Shiv Nandalall presents a cheque to Administrative Officer of the Guyana Relief Council, Lynette Carter

it must never be the intention of a business enterprise, however small, to focus only on its own profit-making objectives. “We as a society must remember those around us, especially the ones who become victims of circumstance,” Nandalall observed.

“It is therefore mandatory that our young and budding operation begins to

honour its social obligations at an early stage,” he added.

Hygiene Hut in collaboration with cell phone firm TELCO Solutions ran off its first anniversary promotion from April to May. Both DIGICEL and GT&T subscribers making purchases at the Regent Road facility received free top-up with their purchase.

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IAS 2015 to be held in Vancouver, Canada, July 19-22

Thursday June 25, 2015 - 11:00 hrs Friday June 26, 2015 - 12:30 hrs Saturday June 27, 2015 - 13:30 hrs

(Geneva, Switzerland) - THE 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre from 19-22 July, 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This biennial forum is the largest open scientific conference on HIV/AIDS- related issues and is expected to gather some 6,000 delegates from across the globe.

IAS 2015 will be a unique opportunity for all those involved in the global response to HIV, including scientists, clinicians, public health experts, community leaders, and media professionals, to meet and examine the latest scientific developments in HIV-related research, and explore how such developments can be realistically applied in implementation programmes.

IAS 2015 is organised by the International AIDS Society (IAS), in partnership with the University of British Columbia (UBC) Division of AIDS, based at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care. The Division was created in 2007 to bring together, enhance and expand the research, training, service delivery and administration that have evolved over the last two decades within the UBC Department of Medicine and Providence Health Care.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

ARIES You might find that something or someone is purposefully trying to make things difficult for you today. It might seem like you’re trying to get a handle on the issues, but somehow things are slipping through your fingers. Don’t make any major decisions, and certainly don’t try to herd people into corners.

Let others have their freedom and consider simply riding out the storm.

TAURUS Lay low today. Don’t try to force any answers from people. Eat a healthy breakfast and stay away from caffeine. Relate to people on an intellectual or philosophical level and discuss the meaning of life. If you’re looking for sympathy, you may need to wait a couple days. People aren’t in the mood.

They just want to be left alone.

GEMINI Inspire others to come out of their shells today. Have them join you on the sunny side of the street. Share your cheer with other people and lead them into boisterous discussions about the world. You will be on cloud nine, with a great deal of strength behind your happy-go-lucky emotions. Keep things light and don’t worry about tomorrow until it comes.

CANCER Keep your cool if something goes wrong today. Don’t be so impatient about fixing a problem that you end up doing something rash. You may do more damage than you would if you just let things sit for a couple days. Mull over the situation, talk it out with others, and approach the issue at another time with a different frame of mind.

LEO Play the lottery today. The concept for you is profit with no effort. The windfall will come when you least expect it. The less you try to shape things, the more they will generally flow in your favour. Enjoy the day and don’t sweat the details. Things will work themselves out. People may be quite emotionally charged, but don’t let their behaviour throw you off balance.

VIRGO If you meet someone new today, break him or her in gradually. Don’t spill all the beans at once. Let the person warm up to your intense emotional nature before you unleash it full force. People are going to need their space, so make sure you allow enough room for emotional and physical freedom. Think about taking a long trip or short vacation of some sort.

LIBRA Spare no emotional or monetary expense today. Whatever you put into this day will come back to you tenfold. Feel free to indulge and delight in your fun-loving nature. This day speaks of freedom from restraint of all kinds. Break the chains and explore new worlds in your mind and your physical surroundings.

Don’t say no when the adventure bus comes around to pick you up.

SCORPIO Today isn’t a day to stay inside and sulk. Put the past behind you and move on. Grab opportunities with both hands and rev your engine into high gear.

Stop looking at what lies behind and focus on the wide-open horizon in front of you. This is an excellent day to turn up the heat and start brewing some new adventures. Transform your life into an action movie with you as the star.

SAGITTARIUS Get your favourite music out of the closet today. Have a dance party in your living room and liven things up with some freshly cut flowers on your table.

This is a great day to direct your energies outward into the world. Go on a radical adventure that you didn’t think was possible. Plough headfirst into new projects and let your good luck carry you through. Don’t worry about the details.

CAPRICORN It may be extremely hard for you to make decisions about anything today.

Don’t stress about work or the things you need to get done. With today’s aspects, it’s a day that shouldn’t be filled with sour energy from the past. You experience a rebirth every time you wake up in the morning. Venture forth into new adventures!

AQUARIUS Today should run quite smoothly for you. You will find that there’s a great deal of power fuelling your emotions and that you’re able to take that power to the extreme. Use your strong, dynamic nature to win the hearts of others.

Lead the charge toward good-natured fun. You will be laid-back, easygoing, and adventurous. Take a long-distance trip in your mind.

PISCES Don’t get upset if people don’t take you quite as seriously as you’d like today.

It’s in the nature of the day to keep things light and uplifting. Come out of the intensity of the last couple days and laugh out loud. Don’t stress over things you don’t understand. Go with the flow and keep smiling. You can’t go wrong as long as you join in the good cheer and merriment of the day.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Cuba down Guyana 2-0 in CFU Olympic Qualifier Group 2 opener GUYANA went down 2-0 to regional powerhouse Cuba in their first game at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Olympic Qualifiers, played yesterday at the Antigua Recreational Ground.

The Guyanese conceded both goals in the first half with Cubans first finding the net in the seventh minute through Frank Manuel Lopez and in the 41st minute off the boot of Darian Perez.

Guyana started with Anthony Whyte between the uprights and a defensive line-up that featured Joshua Brown, Daniel Whyte, Les Charles Critchlow and William Europe.

In the midfield, head coach Jamaal Shabazz turned

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Vaal 08:15 hrs Cel;tic King 08:50 hrs Kwinta 09:25 hrs Easy Street 10:00 hrs Dalalaat

to English-based Kadell Daniel, Alpha United’s Daniel Wilson, GFC’s Kareem Knights and Trayon Bobb who plays in the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League with Caledonia AIA. Up front, Bobb’s teammate at Caledonia Pernell Schultz and Den Amstel forward Dellon Lanferman were responsible for getting the goals.

With only one team making it out of the group, yesterday’s encounter was a must-win for the Golden Jaguars who will now face Antigua and Barbuda on Sunday.

The Guyanese will wrap up their campaign against Aruba on Sunday, June 28.

10:40 hrs Panchatanta ENGLISH RACING TIPS Newmarket 09:00 hrs Dark Forest 09:35 hrs Avocadeau 10:10 hrs Plucky Dip 10:45 hrs Holland Park 11:20 hrs Double Up 11:55 hrs Cilento 12;30 hrs Imtiyaaz NEWCASTLE 09:10 hrs Gifted Master 09:45 hrs Mr Globetrotter 10:20 hrs Dance And Dance 10:55 hrs King Of Picts 11:30 hrs Outlaw Torn 12:05 hrs Galilee Chapel 11:40 hrs Quest Of Colour 13:15 hrs Myboydaniel NOTTINGHAM 09:20 hrs Pyjama Party 09:55 hrs Markstein 10:30 hrs Krafty One 11:05 hrs Aprovado 11:40 hrs Thesme 12:15 hrs Cadmium IRISH RACING TIPS Leopardstown 13:20 hrs Zunera 13:50 hrs Fisherman’s Blues 14:20 hrs Catalyst 14:50 hrs Liffey View 15:20 hrs Grecian Tiger 15:50 hrs Dancing Noretta AMERICAN RACING TIPS Belmont Race 1 Justenuffdior Race 2 Prima Storm Race 3 Carameaway Race 5 Andrew’s Got Up Race 6 Extensible Race 7 Spa City Fever Race 8 Drama King Race 9 Vinceremos

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

A ‘new Bolt’ sprints into Berbice sport nationality controversy High

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON, England (Reuters) - Whether he is a “plastic Brit” or a legitimate new member of “Team GB”, teenage sprinter Zharnel Hughes is the latest face of one of the most contentious issues in world sport -- nationality switches.

Jamaican Bolt as he pushed the world record holder all the way to finish second over 200 metres in New York. His best time over the distance of 20.15 seconds has immediately put him top of the British rankings this year.

His target is to run for his new country in the 2016 Olympics.

But Hughes’ arrival,

Athletics of course, is far from alone when it comes to flying the Union Jack flag of convenience as the dressing rooms of England’s national cricket and rugby union teams can seem more southern hemisphere than southern counties.

However, anyone thinking this is a British issue is

Zharnel Hughes (L) of Kingston College crosses the finish line ahead of Javaughn Minzie (C) of Bog Walk High and Tyler Mason of Jamaica College, to win the 100 metres Class 1 (Under-19) final of Jamaica’s Inter-Secondary School Boys and Girls Athletics Championships. (Reuters/Gilbert Bellamy) Hughes, 19, has held a British passport since his birth on the Caribbean island of Anguilla, a British overseas territory not recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

So on Tuesday, he became one of five athletes to switch allegiance to Britain proper.

The move might have gone generally unnoticed but for the fact that Hughes is very, very fast, the latest in an admittedly long line of sprinters to carry the burden of being described as the “next Usain Bolt”.

Earlier this month he was, in fact, the next after

while seemingly boosting Britain’s medal chances, has not been universally welcomed. World indoor champion Richard Kilty tweeted “Good for fans to see home-grown talent representing GB ... oh wait” - becoming embroiled in a Twitter row on the issue.

Also “becoming British” on Tuesday was American sprint hurdler Cindy Ofili, who follows in the footsteps of older sister Tiffany Porter, whose switch in 2010 brought the term “plastic Brit” to the fore.

They have a British parent.

Two more Americans and a Swede completed Tuesday’s switch.

sorely misguided. Nations the world over are plundering whatever feeder source they can to further their own ends.

New Zealand’s rugby relationship with the Pacific Islands is a complicated one but the bottom line is that the All Blacks are routinely strengthened by a conveyor belt of talent from the likes of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, whose proud sons will appear in the colours of around half the 20 teams in this year’s Rugby World Cup. FINANCE RULES For most of the islanders the switch is a straight-

forward financial one, just as it is for Kenya and Ethiopia’s leading human export - talented endurance runners.

Three of them filled the medal places at the European cross country championships last year, with Turkey (gold and silver) and Spain basking in the reflected glory.

In recent years more than 50 top class Kenyan runners are estimated to have transferred allegiance to Qatar and Bahrain alone while France has swept up a similar number largely from north Africa.

And the United States regularly embraces newly passported athletes - think tennis great Martina Navratilova.

Each sport has different rules regarding eligibility and many of them have tightened them up after controversies.

Irish soccer enjoyed its most successful period during the late 1980s and early ‘90s when the national team was packed with players selected on the basis of dubious distant relations.

Those mostly English players, some of whom later confessed to have absolutely no connection, were widely welcomed, at least while the teams were winning.

And while a sportsman or woman competing in the colours of a nation is easy to recognise and identify with, things are less clear cut in sports such as motor racing.

The Union Jack might fly above the podium when Lewis Hamilton wins a Formula One grand prix yet he races for Mercedes and has lived in the tax havens of Switzerland and Monaco for the last eight years - so of course last year he was voted Britain’s sports personality of the year.

Expert Test Match Special team for Ashes series CRICKET correspondent Jonathan Agnew will team up with commentators Ed Smith, Henry Blofeld, Simon Mann and Jim Maxwell.

Former England stars Michael Vaughan, Geoffrey Boycott, Graeme Swann, Vic Marks, Phil Tufnell and Alec Stewart will be

providing their analysis and insight into the key moments throughout the series.

And they will be joined in the commentary box by former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath, who has already predicted a 5-0 whitewash for the tourists.

(BBC Sport)

Jim Maxwell is the ABC’s (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) most experienced cricket commentator.

dismantle Canje Secondary 11-0 ... Patentia, Bladen Hall, Chase Academy, Belladrum and St Mary’s also advance BERBICE High School (BHS) made their intentions known as serious contenders to this year’s Digicel Schools football tournament title, when they literally dismantled a wretched Canje Secondary School 11-0 yesterday at Burnham Park.

Derrick Taylor hammered in five goals while Shemron Arrindell netted a hat-trick and a brace from Tozi Aaron helped the Ancient County’s top institution to advance to the next round.

Watched by a vocal crowd at the venue, BHS got the go-ahead in the 16th minute when Aaron found the back of the next then Taylor netted his first of five goals to double his team’s lead five minutes later.

Goals rained on Canje Secondary when Arrindell scored in the 24th minute and then four minutes later, the player got his second of the game to put the scores 4-0.

Aaron completed his double in the 37th minute then Taylor got his second in the 42nd minute against a pitiful Canje Secondary.

Canje Secondary were never in the game and in fact, only could have watched BHS pound on their defence in the onslaught as Taylor ran riot to finish off his five-goal spree.

Meanwhile, Patentia Secondary crushed Goed Fortuin 7-0 when the two sides met at the Leonora Sports facility.

Chase Academy won via ‘walkover’ against Kingston Secondary at the Ministry of Education ground; so too did St Mary’s against Houston Secondary at the Tucville ground.

On the East Coast of Demerara, Bladen Hall edged President’s College 6-5 on sudden-death penalty kicks after the two sides ended their regulation 0-0.

At the Number 5 ground, Belladrum Secondary were adjudged the winner after Number 8 Secondary forfeited the match.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Tenth-seeded Nadal lurks as a dangerous Wimbledon foe

By Pritha Sarkar LONDON, England (Reuetrs) - Former Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal could be heading for a clash with one of his Big Four rivals as early as the fourth round after the Spaniard was seeded 10th for the grass-court championships yesterday.

Nadal’s indifferent form this season means he has dropped to 10th in the world, his lowest ranking in over a decade, which means he could run into holder Novak Djokovic, second seed Roger Federer or number three Andy Murray in the last 16.

Grass-court performances over the past two years carry extra weight in the men’s Wimbledon seedings but Nadal, champion in 2008 and 2010, has failed to benefit as in 2013 he lost in the first round while last year he fell in the fourth.

After two indifferent seasons on grass, when Nadal failed to win a match at any Wimbledon warm-up event, the 14-time grand slam champion seems to have found his feet again on the lush green surface after winning this month’s Stuttgart title.

While the Spaniard lurks as a dangerous foe, the other main contenders are

RAFAEL NADAL

in form with Murray claiming his fourth Queen’s Club title on Sunday while Federer will hope to follow up his eighth Halle title by winning Wimbledon for an eighth time.

World number one Djokovic, seeking a third Wimbledon crown, decided not to play in any of the warm-up events.

Serena Williams, who also opted to stick to her usual schedule of not playing any lead-up events, was named top seed ahead

of defending champion Petra Kvitova in the women’s field.

Russia’s Maria Sharapova was seeded fourth while 2014 runner-up Eugenie Bouchard is a lowly 12th.

American Williams, who has failed to get past the fourth round since the last of her five Wimbledon titles in 2012, is bidding to hold all four majors at once by winning the crown.

Zackary Persaud takes GOA badminton tournament THE annual Guyana Olympic Association’s Olympic Day activities saw the Guyana Badminton Association run off the GOA Future Badminton Tournament at the Marian Academy for the Under-11 players who are the stepping stone to the future of badminton.

The Under-11 Boys Singles 1st place went to Zackary Persaud. In the Quarterfinals Abeva Jones defeated Nixon Williams: 21-15 while Omar Samad defeated Narendra Singh: 21-4.

Semi-final action saw Zackary Persaud defeat Abeva Jones: 21-10 and Omar Samad beat Etan Bianchini: 21-17. Per-

saud defeated Samad: 21-7 for the final.

2nd place went to Samad and 3rd place to Jones.

In the Girls’ Quarters, Raquel Choochee-nam defeated Zarah Watson: 21-7.

In the semis Lesha Singh trounced Amelia Balram: 21-5 while Choo-chee-nam bettered Reba Ramlall: 21-17. In the final, Lesha Singh defeated Choo-SheeNam: 21-7. Choo-chee-nam had to settle for second and 3rd place went to Reba Ramlall.

The presentation will be made at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall today at 18:00hrs. (Stephan Sookram)

Aussies name XI for their opening tour match England ‘must not be CHRIS Rogers and Shaun Marsh will go head-to-head in a battle to partner David Warner at the top of the order in Australia’s first official match of the Qantas Tour of the British Isles.

Australia yesterday named the XI who would play the first match today against English county side Kent at the Spitfire ground in picturesque Canterbury.

Shane Watson and Mitchell Marsh will both play in the middle order with both all-rounders pushing their claims for a berth in the starting XI for the first Test against England in Cardiff on July 8.

The XI gives few clues to the selectors’ thinking regarding the fast-bowling make-up, with Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle – the unit that led Australia to a five-nil Ashes whitewash on home soil in 2013-14 – all given starts.

Warner is rested from the match, as are middle-order batsman Adam Voges, wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon.

Lyon’s absence means his recently revealed new ‘mystery ball’ will stay under wraps for at least another week, and ensures leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed will play this match as the sole spinner in the Australian XI, having not played since Australia’s warmup match in Antigua ahead of the two Tests

against the West Indies.

Australia will play a second warm-up match, against county side Essex, starting next Wednesday, July 1.

Kent captain Sam Northeast said he expected large crowds to see the tourists in action over the four days of the match, and

Australia leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed vowed his side would not be taking it easy on the visitors.

Australian XI: C. Rogers, S. Marsh, S. Smith, M. Clarke, S. Watson, M. Marsh, B. Haddin, M. Johnson, R. Harris, P. Siddle, Fawad Ahmed.

afraid to lose’ Ashes

- Michael Vaughan

ENGLAND must not be afraid of losing if they are to beat Australia and regain the Ashes, according to former captain Michael Vaughan.

England’s bid to avenge a 5-0 defeat in 2013-14 begins on July 8, with every ball covered live by Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online.

“They have to take Australia on with the mentality of ‘we don’t care about losing’ because that will make the Aussies fear them more,” said TMS pundit Vaughan.

“If they have any kind of worries or concerns, then they will get walloped.

Alastair Cook’s side will take on Australia with new coach Trevor Bayliss in place after displaying a revamped positive approach in the Test and limited-overs series against New Zealand.

And Vaughan, who led England to Ashes success in 2005, says he can see parallels between this summer and that successful campaign of 10 years ago.

“I can sense the country is really enjoying cricket and the way England are playing,” said Vaughan.

“If England can play in the same spirit as we’ve seen in the ODI series, even though the Ashes are a different format, they have a chance of causing a shock.

“My concern is England haven’t played

Former England captain Michael Vaughan this way for long enough. In 2005 we played it for 18 months; it was embedded into our brains. I don’t know if this England have done it for long enough to trust themselves.”

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

India beat Bangladesh to avoid whitewash

DHAKA, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Brisk half-centuSuresh Raina, whose 21-ball 38 ensured a 300ries from India’s Shikhar Dhawan and captain Ma- plus total for India, was the most successful bowler hendra Singh Dhoni helped set up a 77-run victory with his part-time off-spin and picked up 3-45 in against Bangladesh in the third and final one-day his eight overs. international and stave off a 3-0 whitewash.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up two Opener Dhawan’s 73-ball 75 and Dhoni’s 69 off wickets while giving away 35 runs in his full quota of 77 balls laid the founda10 overs. tion for India’s 317-6 in Earlier, India lost Rohit their 50 overs after BanSharma (29) after a decent gladesh captain Mashrafe start but managed to mainMortaza won the toss and tain a healthy run rate on put the visitors in to bat the slow Mirpur surface with threat of rain in the through a 75-run stand for evening. the second wicket between The rain, however, did Dhawan and India’s Test not arrive and Bangladesh, captain Virat Kohli (25). who had comfortably won Left-handed Dhawan the first two ODIs of the looked in sublime touch three-match series, were and hit 10 fours in his bundled out for 240 in 47 knock before he mistimed overs. a pull shot against Mortaza Soumya Sarkar gave straight to Nasir Hossain at Bangladesh a rollicking mid-wicket where the fieldstart in their chase deer timed his jump perfectly spite losing his opening to complete the catch over partner Tamim Iqbal his head. (five) in the second over Dhoni then combined and the hosts crossed 50 with Ambati Rayudu (44) inside seven overs. for a fruitful stand of 93 But paceman Dhawal for the fourth wicket before Kulkarni, who also dis- Shikhar Dhawan strokes the ball through the off side falling to Mortaza, caught missed Tamim, pegged in his 73 ball 75. well by Mustafizur Rahman Bangladesh back by sendin the deep. ing back the dangerous Raina then provided the Sarkar after his 34-ball 40 that included five fours and late assault with three fours and two sixes to help set two sixes. up a steep chase for the hosts.

Barring Tamim, most of Bangladesh’s recognised Mashrafe took three wickets but gave away 76 batsmen got starts but none of them managed to con- in his 10 overs while left-arm paceman Mustafizur vert them into meaningful contributions and got out picked up two more wickets to take his tally to 13 trying to keep up with the required run rate. wickets in his debut series.

Liverpool sign Brazil striker in £29M deal LIVERPOOL have signed forward Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim on a five-year deal for a fee of about £29M. The 23-year-old’s deal is subject to a medical, which will take place after he returns from Chile, where he has been playing for Brazil in the Copa America.

Firmino, who has scored 47 goals in 151 games for Hoffenheim, becomes the Reds’ second most expensive player.

The Anfield club made Andy Carroll their record signing when he joined them for £35M from Newcastle in 2011.

They also paid Southampton £25M for Adam Lallana in 2014,

Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino

and have already brought in Burnley striker Danny Ings, goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, defender Joe Gomez and midfielder James Milner this summer.

The Reds have so far resisted two offers from Manchester City for England forward Raheem Sterling.

Firmino, who has spent the last four and a half seasons in the Bundesliga, was on target for Brazil in their 2-1 Copa America victory over Venezuela on Sunday.

In the absence of Neymar, who has been suspended for the rest of the tournament, Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, who is already a Liverpool player, are set to start again in Saturday’s quarter-final against Paraguay. (BBC Sport)

NOTABLE DATES

ANDREW Murray was 27 years old when he challenged American Robert Frazier at the Foxwood Resort in Connecticut, USA. The 10-round fight was held on June 25, 1999 and ended in the only draw the southpaw Murray had in a career that was in its 12th year when he died.

Known as `The Eagle’, Murray started professional boxing on February 10, 1990 and won by TKO over Alonzo Clarke in Bridgetown, Barbados. Later that year he lost his fight to Pascal David.

The southpaw would rebound to have a 16-fight winning streak which included securing the Commonwealth welterweight title ANDREW MURRAY in October 1993 and the World Boxing Association Fedelatin title one year later.

In August 1995, Murray teamed up with promoter/manager Odinga Lumumba and trainers Maurice `Bizzy’ Boyce and Lennox Daniels to travel to France for his first world title crack. The Guyanese challenged WBA welterweight champion Ike Quartey of Ghana and was TKOed in the fourth round.

His last fight was held on September 25, 2001 and also ended in a TKO defeat. Murray died on January 26, 2002 after being involved in a vehicular accident on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway and left a record of 27 victories, seven losses and one draw.

GUYANESE-born USA-based Steve `Lion Heart’ Frank made short work of Tracy Muse when the two met on June 25, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Muse was unbeaten in five fights when he came up against the Guyanese.

However, Frank took full control and won by TKO in the second round. The fight was a preliminary on a card promoted by Don King and headlined by Azumah Nelson versus Lupe Suarez.

In January 1996 Frank challenged undisputed middleweight king Bernard `The Executioner’ Hopkins.

The result was Hopkins’ quickest TKO victory as the fight was stopped at 24 seconds of the first round. Frank won the NBA super middleweight title in September 1997 and quit the sport thereafter.

His younger brother Raul kept the family name flying having twice challenged for the International Boxing Federation welterweight titles. The elder Frank concluded an 11-year career with a total of 17 wins, four losses and one draw.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Barbados Tridents post second CPL win BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - Barbados Tridents posted a comprehensive 16-run win over Jamaica Tallawahs to record their second straight victory in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at Kensington Oval here on Tuesday.

Dwayne Smith slammed a half-century and Robin Peterson, with significant breakthroughs in a three-wicket haul, were key contributors as the champions outplayed the challengers in front of a packed oval.

Smith featured in two half-century partnerships, the foundation to Tridents 161 for 4 after they won the toss and elected to bat.

Tallawahs lost Chris Gayle cheaply and slid to 50 for three before Chris Lynn and Horace Miller staged a recovery until wickets tumbled again, leaving them 145 for nine when the overs ran out.

Tridents started briskly with Smith and Dilshan Munaweera producing a half-century for the first wicket which ended when

Man-of-the-match Robin Peterson took three wickets to derail Tallawahs’ run chase.

Munaweera was bowled by Rusty Theron for 24.

Smith, who executed a number of skilful shots that earned him five fours and two sixes, top-scored with 56.

He shared in a solid half-century partnership for the second wicket with Shoaib Malik who batted responsibly throughout the innings to be unbeaten on 43.

But the Tridents opener, Smith, could do little to dig out a delivery from Andre Russell which was pitched in the block hole.

Tridents’ innings received another boost in the closing overs as a result of an inspiring cameo from Jonathan Carter who scored 17 which included two sixes off Krishmar Santokie.

Tallawahs found them-

selves struggling with just 50 runs on the board, three batsmen back in the dug-out nearly halfway through the chase.

Gayle, attempting to hit a delivery from Rayad Emrit out of the stadium, skied the ball to cover as Jason Holder back-pedalled a few yards to take a fine catch.

However, it was the outstanding Peterson with his

Tiger Sports provides balls for CARICOM Championship TIGER Sports of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, owned by former national wicketkeeper/batsman Sheik Mohamed, has agreed to provide four boxes of white balls for the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)- organised CARICOM Championship.

Presenting the balls to Hubern Evans, BCB executive and former national all-rounder, was Javed Mohamed, the son of former national wicketkeeper/batsman Sheik Mohamed.

Young Javed, himself a former national youth player, said that he and his father follow the work of the Berbice Cricket Board very closely and are always impressed with the amount of energy the board members put into their cricket.

He added that they both love the game very much and will always give back to help produce not only cricketers but good sports ambassadors in general.

Evans in response thanked Sheik Mohamed and his family for their kind gesture.

He encouraged all Guyanese to shop at Tiger Sports for there is always good quality, great bargains and handsome discounts.

According to the BCB, proceeds from the CARICOM Championship, which will be held on July 5 at the historic Albion Sports Complex, will be used mainly to organise a very important three-day cricket competition.

Eight top T20 first-division teams in Berbice will compete in a 10-over knockout competition with the final of 20 overs to be played under lights for a top prize of $80 000 and a trophy. The runners-up will receive $40 000 and a trophy with the losing semi-finalists copping $15 000 each. The man-of-the-match in every game will be rewarded. Action will commence at 10:00h.

spin bowling that rocked the top order taking two wickets in three balls to send the visitors into turmoil.

Peterson first removed Chadwick Walton for 23 as the opener lost his stumps while attempting to play a tossed-up delivery.

Then he conspired with Carter behind the stumps to dislodge the bails of Mahela Jayawardene who was

not to the pitch of the ball while attempting a cover shot.

Lynn and Miller teamed up to repair the innings by putting on a half-century stand for the third wicket.

But when Peterson, who finished with top figures of three for 26, cut short the reign of Lynn for a wellplayed 37, highlighted by a couple of fours and sixes, the momentum had swung decisively Tridents’ way.

The last five wickets tumbled for just 44 runs as Kieron Pollard and Ravi Rampaul upset the lower order with two wickets apiece while Emrit also bagged two.

An enterprising cameo

by Santokie in the final over brought Tallawahs within range of victory.

Santokie, scored 13, and his consecutive sixes off Emrit brought Tallawahs within 17 runs of the target with three balls remaining.

But Emrit held his nerve, removed Santokie, while Nikita Miller faced the final delivery without scoring.

The participating teams are Upper Corentyne/ Skeldon, Port Mourant, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Albion, Young Warriors/Rose Hall Centre, Police/Bermine, Blairmont/West Berbice and Bush Lot/D’Edward. The Board said that the teams were selected in such a manner that all the top players in Berbice will be on show.

The BCB is appealing to all cricket-lovers in Guyana and in the Diaspora to come on board to further enhance the game in the Ancient County. The Board is also calling on former Berbice players for assistance.

Contact can be made on phone numbers 333-2375, 6554140 or 623-6875.

Emails can also be sent to abeharry1970@yahoo.com and roshaniff2001@yahoo.com.

Many gate prizes will be up for grabs for fans, with a well-stocked bar and musical entertainment.

To promote the game, 15 passes will be given to each of eight schools in the Lower Corentyne area.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday June 25, 2015) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) &AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Rodney Marsh (1970-1984) 96 Tests/355 dismissals (2) Peter Sleep (1979-1990) 14 Tests/31 wickets

Today’s Quiz:

Hubern Evans, executive of BCB, collects two boxes of balls from Javed Mohamed, son of Sheik Mohamed of Tiger Sports.

(1) West Indian Deryck Murray once captained the WI in a Test? When and where?

(2)Which WI player contested all of his 19 Tests at different venues?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 25, 2015

Red Steel take aim at Tridents winning streak

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel will take aim at Barbados Tridents’ two-game winning streak, when the two teams lock horns in an anticipated high-octane affair in the Caribbean Premier League here today.

Tridents, the defending champions, have started on a high, winning both their matches in the tournament to date but Red Steel head coach Simon Helmot believes his charges have the ability to bring this successful run to an end, in the 20:00hrs encounter at Kensington Oval.

“They’ve won their two first scheduled matches, and they are the team to beat especially on their home turf in front of their home crowd.

However, I think the wicket and the ground are certainly going to suit our style of play.

“We have a good combination of spin and pace and a batting outfit which I think can match any team,” Helmot said yesterday.

“Like any game of T20, you just need to play at your best and execute your skills

Kieron Pollard roars after taking a wicket against Guyana Amazon Warriors last Saturday at Kensington Oval. as best you can. I thought we were a little off with our bowling execution in (the opening game) and I think the intensity in the field was probably lacking in that first half of the last match where I thought we came back quite well and the catches and runouts were taken.

“If we can play to the best of our ability I’m sure we can match it here and beat the Tridents.”

Red Steel’s campaign got off to a rocky start on

Sunday when their opening game against St Lucia Zouks ended in a no-result, after rain ended the contest prematurely.

Set 180 for victory at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium in St Lucia, Red Steel were ten without loss after five deliveries, when the game was washed out by heavy rain.

Despite this setback, Helmot said Red Steel were still in high spirits.

“We have a fantastic unit.

There’s a lot of fun and en-

joyment, lots of smiles and laughter as well as some serious hard work,” Helmot said.

“We had a fantastic session yesterday at Kensington Oval where the guys worked very hard … the guys enjoy playing under lights in front of capacity crowds and they are really pumped and ready for tomorrow’s game.

“We’re fortunate; we believe we have depth in our squad that can be picked at any time depending on the opposition that we’re playing. We’re very confident but we’re certainly very respectful to the talent and depth of the opposition.”

Tridents have been superb, beating Guyana Amazon Warriors by 49 runs last Saturday in the tournament’s curtain-raiser before seeing off Jamaica Tallawahs by 16 runs on Tuesday.

On both occasions they won the toss, batted first and then defended their totals admirably, but Helmot believes Red Steel are capable of putting the hosts under pressure.

“I think the Tridents are obviously very good depthwise in their batting order.

GBTI Open Tennis Championship

Ramdyhan/Dey set up ladies doubles final against Humphrey/Gentle THE tennis fraternity over the years had its fluctuation in establishing prominence in the sporting landscape of Guyana.

To u r n a m e n t s s u c h as GBTI Open create that platform to launch the next representative of Guyana at a Grand Slam or even the Olympics.

The past and present generations must meet so that skills can be sharpened and knowledge of the game passed on.

A familiar face has returned to the home courts of GBTI Open 2015; Carol Humphrey is representing the Ancient County of Berbice in her quest to take the Ladies title.

She is well known for her trick serves and tactical strategies that break her opponents mentally and now she’s paired up with doubles partner, Afruica Gentle, in their first round match of the Ladies Doubles against Non Pareil’s top ladies players, Kizzy Richmond and Denise Barrington.

Barrington/Richmond succumbed at 0/6, 2/6 to Humphrey/Gentle’s powerful shots and graceful volleys.

Areta Dey and Nicola Ramdyhan The sage council of Hum- as well as the second which phrey tempered young Gentle ended at 6-4. The final will be who at times got sporad- more challenging when they ic with big forehand shots duel against Carol Humphrey which created unnecessary and Afruica Gentle. errors.

The Over-35s Men’s SinShivani Persaud and gles veterans did not disapKalysia Fraser, U-14s girls, point in the match between held their own against Nicola Russian Vladimir Permyakov Ramdyhan and Areta Dey, and local Steven David-Long girls 18s, in the Ladies Dou- in a match that had a touch of bles Open. every possible variables.

Persaud and Fraser The game plan of Damade a good team since vid-Long to have his oppoboth have a calm demean- nent taken out of his comfort our but the level of energy zone rewarded him with the to maintain the momentum first set, 6-4. was lacking at times.

Permyakov mentioned The two took a 3/0 lead that the court was slower to over the 18-year-olds in the the surface he usually plays first set and kept a lead until on and he eventually settled the score was 5-5 but the and secured the second set experience of Ramdyhan and 6-1, which threw the game Dey denied them the win. into sudden death. In the end, The set closed at 7-5 in the Russian won the game favour of the senior players 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

He plays the No.1 seed, Godfrey Lowden, in the semi-finals.

After being on court for three hours the night before, Kester Abrams returned to contend in the Men’s Doubles Open with partner, Bishan Dalip against Orande Dainty and Khawn Rodney.

Dainty and Rodney gave a challenge to their opponents. However, the first set slipped from their hands.

Abrams and Dalip were able to stay in their hitting range at the baseline and force lengthy rallies which resulted in errors from the other team.

They wrapped up with a win of 7-5, 6-2 and will face top seeds Anthony Downes and Jason Andrews in their next match.

The last match of the night was played by Harry Panday and Joseph De Jonge against Charles Adams and Romario Chanderballi. Adams and Chanderballi had great shots but failed to consistently stay in the rallies. Panday displayed his 35 years of experience on the tennis court with solid backup from De Jonge to prevail 6-1, 6-3.

Like ourselves, they’ve got a good mix of pace and spin and they’re well led,” he pointed out.

“Kieron Pollard has been a successful captain and player in many formats all around the world. He’s coming off success last year in the CPL and he also backed it up with a win with the IPL with Mumbai. Kieron is not only a great player in his own right but he’s also been a leader in successful teams.”

He added: “We believe that, like with any team, if you can put them under some pressure, make sure we’re really aggressive in the field

and show real desire and intensity, we can put pressure on their batting unit.

“Whenever you play a good side, you can’t afford to be bogged down, you can’t afford to be dictated to so we’ll be looking to put our strategy in place so the game can be played on our terms.”

Red Steel will depend on the all-round talents of South African star Jacques Kallis, his compatriot Cameron Delport and aggressive Pakistani batsman Kamran Akmal.

The Bravo brothers, Darren and Dwayne, along with leg-spinner Samuel Badree, will also be key to any Red Steel victory.

Cox delighted about International début despite disappointing outcome ENGLISH-based defender Sam Cox has described his international début as an unbelievable experience which he will remember for the rest of his life.

The Boreham Wood club captain almost missed out on making his first appearance for Guyana after being ruled out of the first leg of their World Cup qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines, due to a delay in receiving his Guyanese citizenship.

But the former Tottenham Hot Spur protégé finally secured his Guyana passport and marked his international debut on Monday by winning manof-the-match as he set up two goals in their 4-4 home draw in the return leg.

Guyana were agonisingly knocked out on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw but the 24-year-old was ecstatic to win his first cap.

Cox, who played at rightback for Guyana, said that “It was a fantastic feeling. To get my first international cap is something I will never forget and is a proud moment for me.”

The energetic defender added, “To have made my debut with the performance I did, I couldn’t have asked for Sam Cox in action at much more. I have met family members I’ve never seen be- the Guyana National fore and overall it’s been an Stadium. unbelievable experience.”

Speaking about playing at the Guyana National Stadium, Cox pointed out: “The atmosphere was outstanding with music being played during the match and the crowd was a lot more vibrant.”

The only disappointment was Guyana’s near miss after being eliminated in the second round of the CONCACAF qualification process for the 2018 World Cup but Cox insists the future is bright for the country.

“It was a huge disappointment not qualifying for the next round but we have a talented group with players such as Neil Danns and Matthew Briggs so it’s a great little squad. Guyana football is definitely on the up,” said Cox Wood team-mate Ricky Shakes scored his third international goal in the first leg 2-2 draw and also came off the bench in the return game.

The start of Cox’s international career has capped an unforgettable summer after leading Boreham Wood to promotion following the Conference South play-off final triumph last month.

Sport CHRONICLE

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

Red Steel take aim at Tridents winning streak See story on page 27

Berbice High dismantle Canje Secondary 11-0 ... Patentia, Bladen Hall, Chase Academy, Belladrum and St Mary’s also advance

See story on page 23

The victorious Berbice High School following their 11-0 drubbing of Canje Secondary at Burnham Park.

Cuba down GMR&SC’s Lifetime Guyana 2-0 in CFU Member Pat Holder pays courtesy call on Olympic Qualifier President David Granger Group 2 opener See story on page 22

FORMER motor racing champion and lifetime member of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Pat Holder paid a courtesy call on the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, H.E Brigadier David Granger.

Holder, a former cyclist, motorbike racer and official race starter for the GMR&SC took the time to meet with His Excellency at the Ministry of the Presidency.

He is also a power boat champion and National Awardee. The now 81-year-old Holder presented President. Granger with a trophy he won in 1949 in his second race as a cyclist as a token of his appreciation for the President.

The President in turn thanked Holder for the gesture.

Holder oftentimes opens the GMR&SC events by taking the lap of honour, as one of the longest living members of the organisation. (Stephan Sookram)

President David Granger collects the trophy from GMR&SC Lifetime Member Pat Holder.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015