2015 6 4

GUYANA

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

DOUBLE MURDER PRICE: $80

No. 104210 THURSDAY JUNE 4, 2015 GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

Man confesses to killing wife and ‘sweet man’ at Port Mourant

INCLUDING VAT

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DEAD: Ramdat Persaud, alias ‘Buddy’

DEAD: Parbatie Vyrauen, alias ‘Nikki’

GuySuCo CEO sacked – Board Members forced to resign with immediate effect

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Chairman, Shaik Baksh

Board Member, Keith Burrowes

Board Member, Geeta Singh-Knight

Board Member, Badrie Persaud

Sacked GuySuCo CEO, Dr Rajendra Singh

Gov’t approves Live streaming 14-year-old Wakapoa student pregnant 2 $75M for temporary of National 2 Six-year-old sexually abused drainage relief 4 Assembly sittings – Task Force, hotline Ganja smoker jailed 8 numbers established set to start next week Page

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Live streaming of National Assembly sittings set to start next week – Canadian High Commissioner

President David Granger, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge and Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles at the Ministry of the Presidency

THE ways in which Canada can continue to support Guyana’s sustainable development was one of the issues discussed when the country’s High Commissioner Dr Nicole Giles paid a courtesy call on President David Granger yesterday, at his office at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Dr Giles described their discussions as broad ranging, saying that, “We spoke about natural resources d e v e l o p m e n t , a n d g o vernance issues associated with that, and we also spoke about the planned legislative agenda for the Government.”

More importantly, she indicated that the streaming

project that is funded by Canada that will cater for live sittings of the National Assembly being broadcast in real time via the internet, will begin officially next week. The High Commissioner added that, “We are very excited to see that project come to full fruition next week”.

High Commissioner

President David Granger greets Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles at the Ministry of the Presidency, yesterday

Giles is due to depart Guyana in the near future as her tenure comes to an end.

She described her term as “an incredibly rewarding tour of duty.” Dr Giles was accredited as her country’s High Commissioner to Guyana in September 2013.

Dr Giles said one aspect that has never ceased to amaze her is the “incredible talent of the people and the dedication of the people

GRA deems comments on Warehouse theft irresponsible AS police continue their investigations into the recent disappearance of a quantity of foreign alcohol at the Eccles Warehouse, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) wishes to reiterate its call for persons not to pre-empt or stymie the process with unnecessary speculation at this point.

“Unfortunately such careless rhetoric has already been noted,” the GRA said in a statement while pointing out that the Professional Guard Services (PGS) while commenting on the matter in a letter to the press on June 3, 2015, appears to

be certain that a GRA employee was involved.

The GRA said it views this claim “damning and irresponsible” and based solely on hearsay. It is the Authority’s view that Mr Dougal Kirkpatrick, the Chief Executive Officer/ Managing Director of PGS, w h o p e n n e d t h e l e t t e r, should know better than to draw hasty conclusions before the relevant authorities conclude their investigation and to irresponsibly publish the name of senior officers of its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) who are involved in the investigation process.

The Authority said it is not denying that there was a GRA accomplice (or accomplices) involved but with no substantial evidence at present, it would be “unethical to name and blame”.

This is why the GRA said it was deliberate in its initial decision not to disclose the name of the private security firm when the issue was first reported.

“What remains certain is that there was a serious breach in security protocol at the Warehouse and as a result distrust has been created,” the GRA stated.

GRA’s Commissioner General Mr Khurshid Sattaur emphasised that maintaining the integrity of the GRA will continue to be his primary concern. However, he is concerned that such thoughtless actions continue to jeopardise investigations

of Guyana to the country.”

She opined that this nation is one of the few places in the world where someone in her position has the opportunity to work and “feel that every day when you get up, you can have an impact, because you have a partner on the other side of the isle to work with, and that has certainly been one of the most rewarding things of

my two years here. There is something to do every single day. There is always an opportunity to have an impact and make a positive contribution.”

Dr Giles will be returning to Ottawa, the capital of Canada where she will be continuing her service with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

(GINA)

14-year-old Wakapoa student pregnant

– allegedly impregnated by father A 14-YEAR-old student of Wakapoa in the Lower Pomeroon river is five months pregnant. According to reliable reports, the student is currently a patient of the Suddie hospital while her father, who is accused of impregnating her, is in custody at the Charity Police station.

Reports said the matter was brought to light after the child was rushed, and admitted, to the hospital. Police are conducting investigations. Only recently a 13-year-old child of Wakapoa gave birth to twin babies at the Suddie hospital.

Reports said the child was raped and was discovered pregnant after she reported to her teacher that she felt “something” moving in her abdomen while at school. (Rajendra Prabhulall in Essequibo)

Khurshid Sattaur

which are in progress.

The Internal Audit Division of the GRA has since embarked on a comprehensive audit of the warehouse to determine whether other thefts may have occurred and to ascertain possible weaknesses in the system of internal control that could have contributed to and prevented such occurrences.

AT ONDERNEEMING...

Six-year-old sexually abused POLICE on the Essequibo Coast are on the hunt for a resident of Onderneeming Housing Scheme who is wanted in connection with the sexual assault of a sixyear-old school child.

According to reports, the resident (a Rastafarian man), and a neighbour to where the child lives, allegedly sexually assaulted the child. The matter was reported to the Suddie Police station and the child was rushed to the Suddie hospital where she has been admitted. The suspect is said to be on the run. (Prabhulall)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Man confesses to killing wife and ‘sweet man’ at Port Mourant

By Jeune Vankeric

A 26-YEAR-old mason reportedly confessed to brutally killing his reputed wife and her lover at Tain Village in Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice just after 03:00 hrs yesterday.

The suspect told investigators that he was fed-up of being “put on wait” while his reputed wife of two years, Parbatie Vyrauen 38, carried on a relationship with the overseas-based Ramdat Persaud, 59 years.

As a result, he premeditated the horrendous act and waited until the couple had retired before he climbed on two buckets, broke a western window and crawled through. He then lingered for hours in the lower flat which housed the kitchen and when he was certain that the couple had retired, he crept up an inner stairway and into a bedroom where his wife and the man were asleep on a mattress.

Armed with a cutlass, the first blow struck at Parbattie Vyrauen’s neck

DEAD: Ramdat Persaud, alias ‘Buddy’

while her lover Ramdat Persaud sustained an incised wound to his head.

As blood spilled across the freshly painted walls of the new house the injured couple was unable to leave the bedroom.

Apparently, their killer watched them die before fleeing the very way he had entered the house.

He returned to his ‘batchie’ (bachelor ’s quarters) at Kilcoy, another Corentyne location, before going to work at Hampshire Village, where he worked as a mason. He was at work, covered with cement,

Aided by the buckets, the suspect gained entry to the house where his reputed wife slept with her lover

DEAD: Parbatie Vyrauen, alias ‘Nikki’

The house at John’s Settlement in Tain, Port Mourant where the shocking double murder was committed

Surujdai Vyrauen, mother of the slain woman

when he was arrested.

Meanwhile, Eddie Ramdanan, a caretaker, made his usual calls for Ramdat Persaud, shortly after 06:00 hrs yesterday morning, but his calls went unanswered. As a result he went to the western side of the house where he saw two buckets, one on top of the other, and a broken window, where he suspected that someone may have gained entry.

He shouted to a nearby neighbour and relayed his suspicion before the police were notified. The detectives subsequently discovered the motionless bodies of Vyrauen and Persaud, lying on a mattress in a northeastern bedroom.

The two bodies were taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where Dr Vivikanand Brijmohan preformed autopsies.

He said death was as a result of shock and haemorrhage due to incised

wounds.

Meanwhile, at the crime scene relatives of Persaud said he was an individual who never discussed his personal affairs. They had warned him of continuing his relationship with the 38-year-old woman, who worked next door as a domestic help but their advice was ignored.

However, at Vyrauen’s parents' home at Lot 1 Kilcoy Road, her parents, who are American citizens, were appalled at the senseless killing of their eldest child.

Surujdai Vyrauen was scheduled to leave the country on Saturday. She arrived three weeks ago, with the aim of spending some time with her daughter and her two teenaged grandsons.

It was after 19:00 hrs when they last spoke. “(Parbatie) was going to her friend at Tain. I told her to take her eldest son along, as she was taking a quantity of fish and shrimp to be stored in a freezer. The items were to be frozen to facilitate the long distance travel this weekend,” the distraught mother related.

“However, (Parbatie) insisted that she would

go alone, and would be returning at 06:00 hrs on Wednesday but she never returned…This morning several persons called asking for her. I told them she was not there….one of her friends called asking where she slept….The friend say something gone wrong and let me go to her work place…lots of people are outside the house of her friend at (Tain) and they are saying (Parbatie) and her friend were murdered…. My husband and the others went….they say she was killed….,” the mother related while crying.

According to her, the suspect was always trying to blackmail her daughter and would never leave her side, although she attempted to leave him.

In December, Ramdat Persaud sustained an injury to his head, and as a result Parbatie threatened to leave the suspect but he was not leaving.

Reports are that after the alleged wounding, he had fled to Trinidad but returned recently and continued to pursue the relationship.

Relatives said it was after Parbatie had threat-

A slipper left behind at the crime scene

ened to leave him for the much older man that he openly threatened to kill her.

Meanwhile, Persaud was expected to return to the United States on June 22, in order to attend the wedding of his daughter on July 4.

However, his wife and his children are expected here shortly.

Parbatie leaves to mourn her parents, including her father Narinesammy, three sisters and her sons.

The suspect, Ian Boodhoo, is expected to appear before the Magistrate' Court on Friday.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Gov’t approves $75M for temporary drainage relief - Task Force, hotline numbers established

By Leroy Smith

THE Government, through Cabinet, has approved the release of $75M from the Emergency Fund to effect immediate emergency works on several drainage structures and canals as part of a temporary measure to bring relief to residents in the city of Georgetown and its environs ahead of forecasts of continuing heavy rainfall.

This announcement was made by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, during a media conference yesterday at the Ministry’s Kingston office, in the presence of Minister within the Health Ministry, Dr. Karen Cummings and City Mayor Hamilton Green.

The four main priority areas to benefit from the $75M expenditure are Kingstown outfall, Lamaha Street, Sussex Street and Meadow Bank as those are very critical the sites to city drainage. The works are, however, not restricted to those areas and will also see the clearing and desilting of tunnels and internal drains in other critical areas.

HOTLINE NUMBERS Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has established hotline numbers

so persons desirous of reporting a clogged drain or canal or any other condition that can lead to flooding can call 227-1316 or 227-2166.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure was informed yesterday that while there has been a reduction in floodwaters in most areas in Georgetown, some areas immediately outside of the city as well as on the East Coast Demerara still had some amount of water present. Mahaica and Mahaicony, however, up to noon yesterday had a very high percentage of water on the land.

Minister Patterson said Cabinet has also approved the establishment of a multi-disciplinary Task Force which will be looking at the drainage system in the city and its restoration. Earlier this week, the Minister indicated to reporters that the proposal was expected to be put to Cabinet following the flooding caused by several hours of rainfall on Sunday.

The Task Force is expected to hit the ground running within the next four to six weeks.

In Georgetown all six pumps are now in working condition but there are works which the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) had to carry out on

Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green, Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr. Karen Cummings, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Media Coordinator out of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ms Beverly Alert at yesterday’s news conference social media presence and the previous PPP/C Governwebsite to keep persons in- ment would have spent some formed of the developments $500M to clean-up the city, including many of the works being done currently by the ‘We have to make hard decisions and collectively we have to look at what is better for new Government, Minister the entire City…we will have to make hard political and social changes and we want the Patterson said Cabinet has support of the general public’ - Minister Patterson ordered a forensic audit and when that is completed the was up to yesterday effecting ous Acts, including those that so that citizens are not caught nation will know where their works on the Cummings Ca- address sewage, utilities, the by surprise with respect to $500M went. nal leading to the Muneshwer municipality, heritage sites, works being planned or to be He further stated that at outfall. green spaces and the Sea executed by the Task Force present “this is our responsias they will be called upon to bility now and it’s our baby; Georgetown has thirteen Defence Act, among others. outfalls leading to the DemerA cost was not given for co-operate fully. malnourished, deformed or ara River but only two are not the works done so far to address whatever it is. How it got so is a FORENSIC AUDIT functioning to their expected the issue of flooding over the question for the forensic audiAsked to comment on the tors and we are here to nourish capacity and those are the past few days nor was there a Lamaha Street outfall, which figure confirmed for the work extent of works that had to be it back; so where your $500M needs work on its discharge of the taskforce. However, the done just a few months after went, I cannot say.” pipe, and the Meadow Bank Minister said that with respect south outfall, which is to be to the Task Force, a map of cleared since it has not been the drainage and sewerage netoperating for some time. work of the city will have to be The Task Force will in- looked at and examined. clude persons from all the relevant agencies, including TOUGH DECISIONS the Ministries of CommuniMedia operatives were ties and Agriculture and the told that the Task Force will Georgetown City Council. In determine the level of conaddition, there will be econ- sultations while pointing out omists, lawyers and other that some tough social and stakeholders making up the political decisions would body once the terms of refer- have to be made, in instances ence have been established. of encumbrances and homeMinister Patterson said steads that may be required to the legal framework has to be relocated.

Members of the media at the press briefing be looked at in terms of referTo this end, the Task held by Minister David Patterson ence of the Task Force and so Force will be creating a the discharge pipe for the pump that drains Lamaha Street. Meanwhile, City Hall

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the Guyana Bar Association will also be involved. He pointed to the issue of vari-

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GuySuCo CEO sacked

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

- Board Members forced to resign with immediate effect

- as Govt. assures no closing of Sugar Corporation, workers to get paid THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Dr. Rajendra (Raj) Singh was yesterday dismissed with immediate effect, while all Members of the Board have been asked to tender their resignations, also with immediate effect.

The Guyana Government made the official announcement yesterday and assured the more than 16,000 workers employed in the sugar industry, “that they will be paid and there will be no closing of the Sugar Corporation.”

The moves yesterday comes following another request for a bailout for the ailing sugar industry, this time to the tune of $16B, compounded by increasing losses suffered by GuySuCo over the years, with Dr. Singh at the helm.

The $16B bailout requested by the cash strapped Sugar Corporation also follows a $6B bailout which GuySuCo received last year.

News of the dismissal of Dr. Singh, from the helm of the sugar industry came by way of an official Government missive which said he was dismissed on “the directive of Cabinet.”

Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder issued the letter of dismissal to Dr. Singh which, “takes immediate effect,” according to the Government’s statement.

Shaik Baksh Chairman BOARD SACKED/ IMC INSTALLED It was also announced yesterday too that the members of GuySuCo’s Board of Directors have all been instructed to send in ‘Letters of Resignation’ with immediate effect.

According to the newly installed Government, “Over the years GuySuCo has been sinking further into debt due to ineffective operations both at the financial and production levels.”

It said, “...to ensure that the Corporation continues to survive, the Government will be putting in place an Interim Management Committee (IMC) that will take effect from today and which will oversee the Corporation for at least six months.

Agriculture Minister, Holder, when contacted last evening for the names of the members of the IMC, assured that a team will be in place today, but the names

Sacked GuySuCo CEO, Dr Rajendra Singh

were still being finalised up to late last evening.

The Minister also declined to name any of the persons shortlisted at the time.

COI According to the Guyana Government, before the end of this month, it will establish a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to look in to the operations of GuySuCo and chart a way forward.

Efforts to contact Dr Singh for a comment last evening, again, proved futile.

The GuySuCo CEO was sacked one week after meeting with the recently installed Agriculture Minister Holder, who at the time had requested of Dr Singh to turn over a number of pertinent documentation on the industry.

That meeting had followed a warning by Dr Singh that the corporation would be

Board Member, Keith Burrowes

unable to pay its wages following the end of this month and that Estates across the country will have to be closed, a position dismissed as political gimmickry on the part of the now sacked CEO. The Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) Credit Union had also at the time halted deductions from the salaries of the employees under its ambit, since GuySuCo was unable to account for just about $154M of the workers savings.

Calls to sack GuySuCo CEO from the helm of the sugar industry went unanswered for a number of years even as the previous administration continued to transfer billions of dollars in subsidies, annually in recent years.

The coalesced A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government,

Board Member, Geeta Singh-Knight

while in Opposition had called for a number of years for the GuySuCo Board to be sacked and a comprehensive and realistic turnaround plan implemented.

Those sent packing in addition to Dr. Singh include Board Members, Geeta Singh-Knight, the former CEO of the failed Insurance Company, Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) Guyana; Chairman and Former Education Minister, Shaik Baksh - whose appointment was criticised from the inception; Badrie Persaud, who is also the Managing Director of the Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL), Keith Burrowes and Dr Dindyal Permaul.

ELECTIONS CAMPAIGN Both Dr. Singh and Badrie Persaud, among

Board Member, Badrie Persaud others recently were roundly criticised, since as Heads of State Organisations, they had opted to be Formally Listed as party Candidates in the recently contested General and Regional Elections for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and openly campaigned for the now Opposition party, instead of resigning in the first place, as is the practice and convention.

During a meeting at the now renamed Arthur Chung International Conference Centre with the Heads of State Entities and Permanent Secretaries, Head of State Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, had accepted the resignations of those who had at the time already tendered it and had indicated that others would be assessed on a case by case basis.

(Gary Eleazar)

Septic tank murder trial voir dire ends

- Three caution statements by accused trio were given freely and voluntarily

By George Barclay AFTER the voir dire (a trial within a trial) ended, the original trial began with the star witness Policeman Keven Herbert telling the jury how blood stains and a stench led him to a septic tank where the body of Colleen Forrester was found.

This led to three men being arrested and charged with murder. They are Raph Tyndal, also called ‘Nick’, Anthony De

Paul Hope, also called ‘Papa’, and Kevin O’Neil.

They are charged with the murder of Colleen Forrester between 27th December 2007 and 6th January 2008.

Despite the clear ruling

by Justice Roxanne George that the statements were freely and voluntarily given and are admissible in evidence, defence counsel are pursuing their cross-examination with vigor.

Keven Herbert at the

original trial was about to tender one of the statements when objection was taken by the defence on the grounds that the statement was not obtained in accordance with the judges’ rules, leading to the voir dire to decide the issue.

After the ruling yesterday, he was given the right to say on the day in question that he and other ranks went to a home at 55 William Street, Campbellville where

he saw two of the accused.

They gave him an opportunity to search the home.

He searched the house and in coming down the stairs he was attracted by what appeared to him to be blood stains. He also found two pairs of jeans, two buckets with what appeared to him to be stains, and a stench led him to a septic tank in the yard.

According to him, they lifted up the cover of the septic tank and discovered

the body of a woman wrapped in pieces of a sheet.

The witness said that two of the accused were present when the body of Forrester was found.

He said further that he collected the exhibits, including the buckets and two silver pans and placed marks on them before lodging them at the Alberttown Police Station for examination.

The body was taken to the

Georgetown Hospital and subsequently an autopsy was performed by Dr. Nehaul Singh.

Defence counsel Madan Kissoon representing Tyndal suggested to the witness that his client was not around when the police visited the scene and carried away articles and took the woman’s body out of the septic tank.

The witness agreed that Tyndal was not present.

The hearing is continuing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

EDITORIAL

GUYANA

Is child pregnancy preventable?

RECENTLY a strict and old-fashioned grandmother discovered that her sixteen-year-old granddaughter, whom she had reared with great care and with what she thought was absolute protection against untimely sexual activity, was shocked to discover that the young girl had become pregnant, even as she was attending school.

However, she resigned herself to taking care of the infant, even as she had taken care of her grandchildren when her son had been tragically murdered, and her greatgrand-daughter is now the apple of her eye, but she still mourns the responsibilities thrust upon her granddaughter through her sexual proclivity when she had struggled to provide the young girl with an education that could provide her a good life where she could become self-reliant in the future.

This was a child who had been provided every

protective and educative opportunity by a doting grandmother who was nevertheless a strict disciplinarian, yet what she most feared occurred and her granddaughter is now burdened with unplanned and premature single-parenthood; which begs the question: Where did she fail?

What she did not realise was that the more a child is sheltered from the realities of life the more vulnerable that child is to the predators in society.

Education is the key; but that does not take into consideration the flaming emotions of an adolescent, maybe caught up in the passions of the moment. It is therefore imperative that parents and caregivers recognise that, while abstention until adulthood is the ideal, sexual misadventure is not always preventable so the most basic protection should be made available whereby consequential pregnancy could be avoided.

During colonial times some schools were segregated – with boys and girls attending different institutions of learning. However, that was a logistical nightmare, especially for parents who had to ferry several schoolaged children; so the status quo was changed over recent years.

Not every teenager is as lucky as the teenager with the grandmother who was ready to take responsibility for her as well as her offspring’s care.

The dire consequences are there for all to witness in Guyana’s social landscape.

There was a time when entire communities oversaw the activities of the children as a collective caregiver unit, so the proclivity of youngsters to engage in self-destructive acts was very much curtailed and contained to rare and minor incidents.

Not so anymore, but the only solution to this anomaly in society is a restoration of the community spirit and the standards of yesteryear, where the activities of anyone’s child came under community scrutiny and consequential curtailment, which may not completely eliminate, but will go a far way to reduce teenage pregnancies.

How agriculture can play a greater role FOR the longest while, it has been said that Guyana can be the ‘Bread basket of the Caribbean’. Along the way, many studies and initiatives have been taken, unfortunately, to no avail.

These have shown that there is a way; and I am convinced that the will is there. So, why is it not happening? Recently, there was the ADP (Agriculture Export Diversification Programme), which was to find export markets for quality products put in place, with the intention of achieving this objective and making the well-being of Guyanese farmers better.

Unfortunately, this programme failed miserably.

Three clusters were set up: Fruits and Vegetable, to be overlooked by NAREI (National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute); Livestock, to be overlooked by the GLDA (Guyana Livestock Development Authority); and Aquacul-

- in development of Guyana ture, to be overlooked by the Satyadeo Sawh Aquaculture Centre.

If we were to add the rice, sugar and coconut industries, then one can safely say that the agricultural sector is covered. The rice industry is in a relatively good state.

There have been complaints from some farmers on price of paddy, in some cases justified.

In other cases, because of higher-yielding varieties and good husbandry practices, some farmers are earning 100% on their investments in six (6) months; not justified.

I honestly believe that the GRDB (Guyana Rice Development Board) has been doing a good job in research and paddy production. So good a job, that they have not been able to market

all their excess production on a timely basis.

Guyana trades about 75% of its production, while only 4% of the world’s production is traded.

The sugar industry is a different kettle of fish and is in lots of trouble. But this industry must not be allowed to die, as too many Guyanese are dependent on it and because of the large amount of money recently invested in it.

Bearing in mind the state of the industry, its high cost of production, due to badly maintained factories, and poor husbandry practices in the fields, the options for this industry are: Allow it to die, distribute the land among the present workers, and help them to be productive in other areas.

This is where another ADP can play a very piv-

otal role, i.e., encourage production of a quality product for a secure export market.

Privatise individual estates to different individuals.

Privatise the industry to one individual.

The Government should definitely not stay in control of this industry, as it will be a drain on much needed resources.

The coconut tree is now classified as ‘The Plant of Life’.

If this asset is properly utilised, then there will be lots of benefits to the economy.

For these initiatives to be successful, it is important that the following agencies: NAREI; GLDA and the New GMC (New Guyana Marketing Corporation), which are all in place, must perform effectively.

The members of these boards should be knowledgeable, and committed to the development of Guyana.

Also, there must be a

small independent group, to oversee these bodies, to make sure that they carry out their mandates.

BENI SANKAR, A.A.

Plea for Guyana to enjoy travel-free visa to EU countries PLEASE permit me to comment on the caption ‘St. Lucia welcomes visa-free travel to Europe’, in the Stabroek News, Monday June 1 edition.

It was noted that the European Union had decided to allow nationals of St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago and two other ACP countries to enjoy visa-free travel to 26 countries of the European Union.

This is a plea to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Guyana Government to respectfully pursue dialogue with the EU to review the agreement that will allow Guyanese nationals to earn travel-free options to those countries. It is quite difficult at the moment to travel to any of the EU countries unless you can wait 20 working days to acquire a travel visa to those countries before travel.

Thanking you for your urgent consideration and action in this matter.

HAZEL HALLEY-BURNETT Professional Social Worker

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Extend to the past President Jagdeo and the PPP/C their well-deserved appreciation IT was good that Guyana’s National Stadium was there, such a grand, marvellous venue for the occasion, to host the inauguration of President David Granger. I was half expecting that the MC would have extended some words of appreciation to past President Bharrat Jagdeo for boldly and courageously pushing forward against criticism from many directions to have that facility built and available.

Always a stickler for sustainability, past President Jagdeo sought and obtained significant assistance from the Government and people of India, trimming the design to minimise first cost, and putting off some things which were added at later stages - the stadium lights, the professional stage and paving the internal parking areas.

He urged the design and layout for multiple uses – football, concerts and fairs, etc. Even the unpaved parking lot has been pressed into use as a building material storage and soil-blending area. We have in Guyana, now, one of the best and most utilised stadiums awaiting Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary!

It was with similar attention to detail that past President Jagdeo led the construction of the Guyana International Conference Centre (with assistance from the Government and people of China), thus having it available for proud naming as the Arthur Chung International Conference Centre (not an inappropriate name).

And, earlier, in a similar way he had led in Guyana eventually satisfying the commitment made by the then President Burnham in 1973 to provide a headquarters for CARICOM. Jagdeo, matching from our own funds a grant from the Government and people of Japan, was adamant that we do the best within our means and circumstances and at the same time adequately satisfy the needs of form and function. Do you recall the controversy then about the CARICOM Headquarters building? It may yet become the next facility for proud naming!

Jagdeo needed to be bold and brave; the faint-hearted would make little headway, particularly in Guyana and with a new vision. Often, one has to press ahead differently from what many might be calling for. Henry Ford, a pioneer in the mass production of motor

vehicles, was said to have remarked that if he had listened to the farmers, he would have bred a stronger horse; and listening to the city dwellers, he would have bred a faster horse.

Perusing the many commentators on the intractable social, political and economic conditions in Guyana and their interconnections, one thinks of the Gordian knot that no one could unravel. As we were taught, young Alexander the Great refusing to submit to and to be befuddled and delayed by its complexity, took up his sword and cut through the knot.

One must recall too, the context within which past President Jagdeo had to manage: the extremely difficult social, political and economic background - the slogan and practice of ‘Slow Fyah, mo Fyah’ following the PPP/C win at the 1997 elections which led even before any of the claimed degeneration of the PPP/C, to the proclamation of “freedom fighters” and the gunmen whose capture seemed to pose conceptual difficulties for a number of the then leaders of the nation’s security forces.

The nation was put under great tension. Extending trust beyond the closest cir-

cles seemed to be courting suicide.

There was much forcing and cutting through required to advance the Guyana economy and society to where they are today.

And there would have been much bruising and hurt along the way.

Of course, not all such forceful ventures would be successful. I have been from early, a cautious, ‘safebet’ person and I do recall about 1973 in my bauxite days, being pointed to a book then popular, ‘Up the Organisation’. The author, perhaps tongue in cheek, argued that any CEO that is having a success ratio greater than one in three in his proposed initiatives is likely being too cautious and may be missing truly game-changing possibilities for his company.

Mr Editor, the charges were laid again that the PPP/C had neglected the development of the hinterland.

What is one to think of the regular, daily number 72 and 94 minibus services to Mahdia (from about 1996) and to Lethem (from about 2006), putting movement between these places and the coast within the reach of many more Guyanese and thus facilitating increased social and economic activ-

ities and coastland - hinterland linking? And there are new roads and transportation services within Region 1 and Region 7. There are greatly improved education and health services and the grant of PV solar home systems to every home across the hinterland, ensuring a degree of electrification where a micro-electricity grid is not economic.

The opening up of those roads and the branch to Karasabai and through to Monkey Mountain and Kato in Region 8 are stories to be told at another time, stories of how partnering was developed between the Government and relevant stakeholders. Today, too, many hinterland locations can be contacted by cell phones.

What could be the basis of these charges of neglect?

Mr Editor, my final question arises from the part of the programme ‘Spotlight’ which I saw a few nights ago. There was much pontification about the maturity of political groups and countries evident in the way they behaved on learning of the results of their national elections. Favourable mention was made of political groups in another developing country, but not a word on our Guyana situation:

how the PNC behaved in the run-up to, during and after the 1992 elections which brought the PPP/C to office. There was much the same for our 1997 elections with, as mentioned before, the addition of the ‘Slow Fyah, mo Fyah’ slogan.

The commentator’s silence was thunderous in not raising obvious comparisons with our PPP and PPP/C response, to the change in Administration on the declaration of the 2015 elections (which we earnestly dispute even if no one else cares) and to the manipulated results of the elections from 1964 to 1985, when we covered our faces with our hands and cried our hearts out.

What are we of the PPP and PPP/C to think when our contributions and sacrifices to keeping people, nation and country whole seem to be viewed askance?

The PPP/C, at the wicket or in the field, in or out of office will continue to be the best team, the ‘A’ team, for the people and country of Guyana.

CDE SAMUEL A. A. HINDS Former Prime Minister and President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana

Young Cadet Corps should have military aspect

I HAVE noted the many pronouncements of His Excellency President David Granger. He has recently said that the Young Cadet Corps will be re-introduced to help with youth empowerment. He also indicated that the Corps will be voluntary and without the military aspect.

I beg that the President reconsider the modus operandi of the scheme with a view to including the military aspect. A Young Cadet Corps in these times, without the military factor, will be yet another ordinary youth scheme, most of which have failed during the past decades.

A large percentage of the youth in Guyana has grown up

in a lawless, undisciplined era.

Many have come from broken homes in which parental authority is absent or weak.

Some of them have no regard for rising up early in the morning, working steadfastly, and respecting those in authority.

They have seen lawlessness in Government, lawlessness in communities, and lawlessness on the streets. And so, they practise what they see and have grown accustomed to. Teachers, guardians, parents, religions organisations, policemen and social workers can attest to this.

From giving some of my time voluntarily in trying to empower young people over the years, the most recent is with a group in the Sophia

area, I can also attest that discipline is one of the key ingredients lacking in the youth population.

I have never been a member of the Young Cadet Corps or any military organisation. The closest I have come to the military was a threemonth compulsory National Service stint while attending UG. Yet, I believe that the military aspect in the Cadet Corps will be most effective and beneficial in cultivating young people’s lives.

The President might have been conscious of his military background and so tried to ensure that he is not seen as militarising everything.

However, he should take solace in the fact that the Ca-

det Corps will be voluntary.

Those who apply will do so with the full knowledge of the curriculum of the Young Cadet Corps.

My propensity towards the inclusion of the military aspect is also based on dozens of applications in my possession from young people in one section of the Patterson/Turkeyen Area. They have applied to be members of the Young Visionaries Youth Organisation. Many of them, in school and out of school, have indicated that they want to learn some trade or to join the Police Force, Army, or Fire Service.

Many of them do not have the entry-level requirements to enter any of the forces. A

Young Cadet Corps with a military component will facilitate the best of all worlds for them: skills they desire to learn; an introduction to the military; and the discipline to be better citizens.

That having been said, I now present an option.

In these times of tweaking things, we neither have to stick to the exact model of the past or throw out parts of the model all together.

We can tweak the Young Cadet Corps to give entrants the choice to sign up for a militarised pathway or the non-militarised one. Additionally, the APNU+AFC Youth Arm, I suppose, that carried out a successful campaign on social media, can

initiate discussion on whether or not the military aspect should be included in the Youth Corps.

Further, a quick survey can help to clarify the way forward. Empirical evidence empowers any process. We all might be surprised as to the number of parents and even young people who may well say yes to a youth corps with the military aspect.

It would be better if we survey views, rather than err on the side of abundant caution.

LENNOX CORNETTE Communications Specialist

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Ganja smoker jailed

Narco trafficker gets two years, nine months – had told cops 'Is a spliff I got, I ain’t doing nothing wrong'

A 35-year-old labourer was yesterday sentenced to one year imprisonment at the Providence Magistrate’s Court for smoking marijuana.

Appearing before Magistrate Leron Daley, Nigel Boumbery of Lot 268

Grove Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, pleaded guilty to the charge that said on June 2 at Grove, he smoked marijuana.

Police Prosecutor Michael Grant said that on the day in question, the police

were on patrol in the area when they saw Boumbery at a corner smoking what appeared to be cannabis.

The police approached him and told him of the offence. He replied: “Is a spliff I got, I ain’t doing nothing wrong”.

A DRUG trafficker of Lot 3029 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was yesterday slapped with two years and nine months' imprisonment by Magistrate Ann McLennan after being convicted for trafficking in cocaine and marijuana.

Oswald Moses, 38, was found guilty after being on trial over the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

The first charge said that on March 1, at Georgetown, he had in his possession 15 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The other charge said that on March 3 at Leopold Street, also in the city, he had in his possession 232 grammes of marijuana.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges on his first appearance in court and was denied bail throughout

his trial.

H o w e v e r, t h e c o u r t found that Moses had physical control of the prohibited drugs.

He was sentenced to two years, nine months on each charge but they will run concurrently. He was also fined $45,000 for the cocaine offence and $317,350 for the marijuana charge. (Geeta Rampersaud)

By Clestine Juan

total of $6,348, property of Christopher Dharamraj.

Bearam, 20, of Lot 77 Norton Street, Lodge pleaded guilty to the charge. The officer explained that he and another colleague were assisting Dharamraj to transport the beverages when they decided to take some of the stock to keep a “lil swing’’ for their graduation from college.

However, according to Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones, on the day in question at about 06:30 hrs, the defendant was assisting to remove the beverages from the hotel, which Dharamraj

was in charge of, when it was alleged the defendant took the articles and stashed them in a nearby drain.

Jones explained to the court that the hotel employees alerted Dharamraj after they saw the defendant placing the stolen beverages in the drain. The matter was reported and the charge was instituted.

The magistrate, in her ruling, told the officer that “next time you want something you have to ask.”

He was also warned that failure to pay the fine will result in three weeks imprisonment.

Levi Williams fined $40,000 Cop fined $15,000 for stealing – admits possession of knife, resisting beverages from King’s Plaza arrest and disorderly behaviour

CHIEF Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday fined a man $40,000 for the possession of a knife, resisting arrest and disorderly behaviour.

Levi Williams admitted that on June at Stabroek Wharf, Georgetown, he was in possession of one black bayonet, without reasonable explanation.

He also confessed that he resisted arrest by Constable Devon Layne, a city constable acting in the execution of his duty.

The unrepresented man also pleaded guilty to the charge that said on the same day at Stabroek Wharf, he behaved in a disorderly manner.

The prosecution stated that on the day in question, the constables were observing him for some time, since he was acting suspiciously. They approached him but he hurried to the back of the wharf as the

constables rushed behind him. He was apprehended and a search was carried out on his person when the knife was found on him.

According to Williams, he was given the knife by a miner to sharpen it. He further told the court that the constables did not identify themselves, so he thought he was being abducted and as such he tried to resist them. He further stated that he never tried to escape and if he did, he would have dived into the river.

He was fined $20,000 on the disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest charges and for possession of a dangerous weapon he was also fined $20,000.

After answering to three charges, the Chief Magistrate told Williams that in default of paying the fines he will have to spend two weeks in jail.

In-law on murder charge after Kaneville stabbing

By Clestine Juan A 21-year-old man appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly yesterday accused of murdering his cousin-in-law Jason Ramatar of Lot 723 Third Field, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara last Sunday after he was stabbed to the throat.

Ryan Van Lange was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on Sunday, May 31, he murdered Ramatar at Kaneville. Ramatar, 24 years, was a father of one.

Van Lange, of Lot 69 First Street, Kaneville was represented by attorn e y - a t - l a w, M r. D e x t e r Todd. The lawyer noted that a motion was filed in the High court in relation to the matter.

MURDERED: Jason Ramatar

Todd said the police are proceeding with the matter although the file was never sent to the Director of Public Prosecu-

tions (DPP) for advice.

T h e P r o s e c u t o r, I n spector Michael Grant, told the court that on the day in question the family had a birthday celebration and around 03:00 hrs the deceased and the defendant had a heated argument over the purchasing of more rum. It was alleged that a fight ensued and the accused armed himself with a kitchen knife. He then confronted Ramatar and dealt him three stabs - to the mouth, neck and throat.

Ramatar was rushed to the Diamond Hospital, East Bank Demerara where he succumbed to his injuries. The accused was arrested and investigations led to the murder charge. The matter was adjourned until June 8 for statements.

A POLICE officer found himself on the wrong side of the law yesterday when he appeared before City Magistrate, Ann McLennan, accused of stealing beverages from King’s Plaza Hotel on Main Street, Georgetown.

Kevin Bearam, attached to the Tactical Services Unit (TSU), was fined $15,000 for the offence. The court heard that on March 28 he stole 21 bottles of Banks beer valued $4,500, 10 Malta worth $1,920 and 2 one-liter bottles of Pepsi, a

Voir dire in Woolford wife murder concluded

By George Barclay JUSTICE Brassington Reynolds who is presiding in the Woolford murder trial concluded a voir dire yesterday where it emerged that the injured woman in answer to a question had said “Tony bore me” and that is admissible in evidence.

Charles Anthony Woolford, called ‘Tony’, is on trial for the murder of his wife Latoya Woolford.

When called to testify yesterday, Telia Rayside, cousin of the dead woman, said that on the day in question she was in the upper flat of her home when she heard her cousin’s children screaming.

Witness said that she went to the lower

flat where her cousin lived with her husband and saw her cousin holding her ‘tummy’ (belly) and screaming and running.

She added, “I asked her what happened.” At this stage Prosecutrix Thompson, enquired, what she told you?

However, before the witness could answer defence counsel Mr Peter Hugh objected to what the witness was about to say on the grounds that it was hearsay.

The judge sent the jury out of sight and hearing and conducted a voir dire to decide the matter.

The result was that the judge found that the answer ‘Tony bore me ‘ was admissible in evidence.

The hearing is continuing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

DR ROOPNARAINE SAYS…

President’s College to be revived – funding for Critchlow Labour College to be restored

By Tajeram Mohabir PRESIDENT’s College will be restored to its former glory, Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine has said, promising that under his tenure he will work to lift the standards of as many schools as he possibly can.

The school founded by then President Forbes Burnham, was opened in 1985, but unfortunately the President died before its opening.

It was intended to be an elite school with the top two per cent of pupils who sat the Secondary School Entrance Examination (SSEE) (the name of the Grade Six Assessment then) being awarded a place there.

Today, this criterion is no longer enforced. President’s College now has a different focus, allowing entry to pupils in far-flung communities who did well at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

These students reside at the college but non-resident students, particularly those in

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

Civic (PPP/C), which was in power at the time, for the poor state of the school.

“It is disgraceful, and a reflection of the approach to education by the PPP/C that the Minister of Education allows this premier school of excellence to show such signs of neglect and abandonment, just as Guyana prepares to observe Education Month 2013,” the party had said.

But then Education Minister Priya Manickchand had dismissed the contention as “a very political, self-serving statement.”

the catchment area of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, who meet the requirement, also attend the top school.

Though the school remains one of the top schools on the East Coast of Demerara, its standards have rapidly deteriorated and is now a far cry from the true purpose behind its establishment.

Some two years ago, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) blamed the People’s Progressive Party/

PROMISES She nevertheless promised some fundamental changes in management of the school, which she promised would bring significant improvements.

However, the promises were nothing more than promises.

Dr Roopnaraine told the Chronicle that he would like to see the school refurbished, revived and re-energised.

“I like the design of Pres-

ident’s College; some will say that it was for the glorification of the President. The President himself benefited from a real good education and he understood the importance of quality education. I would like to see President’s College return as a top school in Guyana. It will be returned to the inspiring institution it was, guaranteeing the children the best, the best that the country can offer,” the minister said, pointing out that “I will be very happy to do it.”

But he said that President’s College will not be the only school for improvement, pointing out that his intention is to create as many top schools as possible in the country, so as to cultivate a culture of excellence in the education system.

Dr Roopnaraine, who was Principal of the Critchlow Labour College but was forced to resign after the PPP/C Administration withdrew the annual subvention, also said that the grant will be restored to the college.

The Critchlow Labour College was established in

President’s College will be restored to its former glory, says Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

The Critchlow Labour College

1967 as the education arm of the trade union movement.

It was named after the late father of the local trade union movement, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow The college provides pre-university courses in industrial relations, business,

sociology and a Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate programme for school leavers who need to obtain those qualifications.

There were plans to introduce associate degrees, but these had to be halted because of funding issues.

Reports of ‘Killer Bees’ at several East Bank locations cause alarm

By Shirley Thomas

THERE have been several reports over the past few days of Africanised or ‘killer bees’ taking up unwelcome refuge on properties, including schools, on the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, with sporadic cases detected around Georgetown as well.

Over the last two days, the Mocha Nursery and Friendship Primary Schools, both on the East Bank of Demerara were reportedly invaded and bee-catchers had to be hurriedly dispatched to the rescue.

But the biggest shocker in this scheme of things, this newspaper was yesterday told, is that the Ministry of Agriculture has long disbanded its ‘bee unit’, so that anyone or any entity faced with a bee emergency and wishing to urgently have the bees removed, must be prepared to find within the vicinity of $17,000 to $20,000 to have the bees disposed of.

On Tuesday, a woman whose house is under construction and nearing completion in the new Grove Housing Scheme, made a shocking discovery that a swarm

of bees was on the ‘fascia board’ of her roof. That discovery came at a time when workers were just preparing to attach gutters to the roof.

Wishing to have the bees removed and the job expedited, she contacted the Ministry of Agriculture, only to be told that the ministry no longer has a bee unit. She was however, given the names of two contact persons who would do the job, but she would be required to foot the bill.

She contacted the men who turned out to be the genuine and trusted experts who would normally undertake such a task, but who, at this time are in great demand, with not a moment to spare.

After directing them to her building and stating where the bees were spotted, they both said it was highly likely that the bees would have gotten into the ceiling which was constructed of PVC material, entering through the grooves on the sheets. They suggested that at least one of the galvanised sheets would have to be removed to verify if the bees are also in the ceiling, with a view to removing them.

The woman said she learnt that earlier in the week, a neighbour

had been cleaning his yard and what looked like marabuntas were raised up and were chased away.

She is wondering if, on leaving the neighbour’s yard they had moved over to her premises.

Africanised bees acquired the name ‘killer bees’ because they will viciously attack people and animals. When disturbed, they become incensed and resolutely pursue and possibly kill persons or other moving creatures within their path. They are known to have attacked many people in Guyana and in some cases killed others.

Citizens have expressed concern over the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture’s bee unit has been disbanded.

Meanwhile, an official who has been involved with bee-keeping and control for several years, contends that what is required is a national response to the control of bees, and that the onus should certainly not be on citizens coming under attack, and who sometimes may not be able to afford the cost of having them subdued and removed.

This newspaper understands that so prevalent is the problem

of bee invasion at times that, shortly after the unit was disbanded, the bee-catchers would sometimes get more than 80 calls in one day, but given that they are the only two experts recommended by the ministry, they are unable to fulfil the demands.

Over the last few days, well over 20 calls have been received, this newspaper understands. The fact that they have been unable to respond to all the calls, suggests that there may be nests in the waiting, which, if disturbed, can prove disastrous.

Meanwhile, this newspaper attempted to get a comment from the newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Mr Noel Holder, but was told that he was at a meeting. Advice was however, sought from an official at the ministry in relation to the payment of fees for

the service and were advised that exemption would be given if the bees are gathered at a spot that is: near a road or a school; near the homes of the aged; or where schoolchildren daily traverse on their way to and from school.

The location of the house now under discussion at Grove is on a corner lot at a four-corner junction. Even though neither of the two bee-catchers introduced made any mention of any possible exemption from payment, the woman is hoping she would benefit from such exemption for which she would qualify, on the grounds of the above information.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Pardoned prisoners not yet released

– Director of Prisons says re-integration programme being planned

By Michel Outridge AGAINST the backdrop of President David Granger's pardoning two dozen prisoners convicted for non-violent crimes, Director of Prisons Welton Trotz yesterday told this publication that there has been no release yet.

He explained that they are working out a programme whereby those prisoners, both males and females, will be smoothly re-integrated into society and which will also prepare them to be gainfully employed upon their release.

After they are released,

Trotz said the programme will cater for follow-up checks to take place so as to review their progress.

He noted that the prisoners who will be released are those who were convicted for non-violent crimes, ranging from threatening language, common assault and possession of small quantities of marijuana (cannabis sativa) that is, under a gram.

“The release of the 60 prisoners will obviously ease the overcrowding of prisons generally, which will allow more manoeuvring of those incarcerated, so to speak,” Trotz commented.

He said with the release

of the men and women between the ages of 18 to 25 years, society will ultimately benefit, since they will be skilled employees and will be able to make their contributions to the society.

A day before Guyana’s 49th Independence anniversary, President David Granger had announced that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration intends to, on an annual basis, grant ‘presidential pardons’ to prisoners who were sentenced for misdemeanours (non-violent crimes).

It was disclosed during a special interview at the

Welton Trotz, Director of Prisons

Ministry of the Presidency with a section of the media, that President Granger’s coalition Government will pardon 60 convicts, between the ages of 18 to 25.

President Granger said, “I believe that young people should be in school, not in jail, and I have asked that emphasis be placed on young persons, and for petty non-violent offences, and sentences of short duration.

“Sometimes a man [may be] in jail for stealing a cell phone, go your way and sin no more…,” the President said, adding that the offences are “really petty,” and the offenders “pretty young.”

“I hope they get back in school, get work, and get on with their lives. They do not belong in jail. They belong in school, at home with their families, be happy,” President Granger said.

He explained that at first he particularly asked for pardons for especially female convicts, “but apparently the

females have not been misbehaving at the same rate as the males.”

The President told the media that “it turns out that there is a small number of females too who had actually committed minor offences.”

Questioned about concerns that will be raised over why no reintegration programme for those who will be pardoned, President Granger said: “Most of them are young, most of them are misdemeanours, which are non-violent, and I do hope that we can re-integrate them by ensuring that we get them training programmes.” He noted however, “…the longer they stay in prison, the more difficult it would be to rehabilitate them.”

St. Agnes and St. Angela’s Primary to be closed until Monday – No school today and tomorrow PARENTS and guardians of the St. Agnes and St. Angela’s Primary Schools are asked to note that there will be no school today and tomorrow (Thursday, June 4 and Friday, June 5, 2015).

The closure of the two schools is to facilitate the cleaning of sewage facilities which malfunctioned and caused disruptions to class sessions.

The Ministry apologises

Thursday, June 4, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Friday, June 5, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Saturday, June 6, 2015 - 05:30 hrs

for the inconvenience caused and commits to ensuring that both schools will be ready to welcome its students and staff on Monday, June 8.

SEWAGE PROBLEMS Students of St. Agnes Primary School on Church Street, Georgetown had to be sent home yesterday after the school was affected by a stench from sewage overflows arising during the recent flood.

St. Angela’s Primary is also facing a similar sewage problem.

The Chronicle visited St. Agnes Primary while students were in the midst of being dismissed and the prevailing stench proved that it was impossible for anyone to continue working there.

Moreover, the school had not being properly sanitised after the flood and so its facilities were not ready to accommodate students and teachers.

The teachers expressed their concerns over the recurring sewage problem and are hoping that a solution will come about soon.

The Grade Two and Four exams are slated for next week and unless this situation improves, the students will be facing an environmental challenge in writing their exams. These two exams play a vital role in the final results of the National Grade Six Assessment.

Meanwhile, parents and guardians of the Chateau Margot Primary school are also asked to note that school will be closed today to allow for flood waters to recede and for the cleaning and sanitisation of the facility.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Haags Bosch sanitary landfill in ‘unacceptable state’ – Communities Minister – IDB support still in limbo

By Ravin Singh “UNACCEPTABLE” was the term used to describe the sorry state of the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill (HBSL) by Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, in an interview with this newspaper recently, during which he disclosed that the continued support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is still uncertain.

Located just behind the Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara (EBD), the sanitary landfill was a proj-

ect embarked upon by the then Government of Guyana (GoG) in an effort to relocate the historical Mandela dumpsite which had posed numerous environmental and social problems for neighbouring communities.

According to the Government at that time, the project entailed provision for: ● Institutional strengthening and capacity-building ● Public awareness and community participation ● Construction and operation of Haags Bosch Sanitary

Landfill ● Waste collection and disposal from NDCs ● Treatment and disposal of healthcare and hazardous waste Against this backdrop, the $5B project was proposed with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) offering to provide US$20M (Gy$4B) in aid. The additional $1B was to be financed by central Government.

Signed in 2007, the loan agreement between the GoG and the IDB did not bear fruit until the latter part of 2011 when the project com-

An aerial view of the Haags Bosch landfill site

menced.

To this end, construction giant BK International supported by Puran Brothers Disposal Services was awarded a US$9.7M contract where the two entities were tasked with constructing the landfill and operating the site over a five to nine-year period.

But it was reported in 2013 that the sanitary landfill which was initially designed to facilitate 6,000 tonnes of solid waste per month was processing in excess of 10,000 tonnes per month while its construction was still a work in progress.

Intended to last for 26 years, the rate of usage at the facility had projected a sig-

nificantly reduced lifespan.

Given this development, the Communities Minister explained that the facility is currently in an “unacceptable state” while solutions are being sought to combat these problems.

He further added that an ongoing assessment of the conditions at the landfill is being pursued by the ministry in an effort to bring things to normalcy.

Additionally, he explained that it is uncertain whether the IDB will continue to lend support in seeing the successful completion of the project. Making an assumption, based on the posture of the financial institution currently, the Minister said, would be “premature.”

Recently, reports surfaced indicating that the IDB was signalling their intention to withdraw from the project after it was discovered that the project had contained a number of discrepancies, which needed urgent clarifications.

When questioned by the media, the Minister revealed that there have been “intended indications” to withdraw from the project on the part of the IDB, but a definitive position would not be verified.

Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan

Following a meeting held recently by the Minister and officials from the Ministry and the IDB last week, it was still unclear as to whether the bank was willing to continue its efforts to see the successful completion of the project.

As a result, another meeting is scheduled where further deliberations between the two bodies will determine the way forward for the project.

The landfill is expected to facilitate garbage disposal from Georgetown and some 15 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).

E’bo rice farmers cultivate over 6,000 acres – for autumn crop FARMERS on the Essequibo Coast have sown more than 6,000 acres with rice for the autumn crop.

According to reports from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) office at Anna Regina, most of the sowing is taking place in the front lands along the Essequibo Coast.

Reports said the amount of acreage that is expected to be put under cultivation will surpass 38,000. Over the past days, farmers in the highland areas have utilised the rainy

weather to back-blade and level their fields for sowing.

The regional administration has also released water from its conservancies and main canal to irrigate fields in the low and highland areas.

Meanwhile, farmers in the Cozier area are still preparing their fields for sowing. More than 6,000 acres are cultivated for each crop at Cozier, even though these lands were originally designed for cash-crop farming due to the richness of the soil.

The yield at the end of the last crop was more than 1.5 million bags of paddy.

(Prabhulall)

An irrigated field ready to be sown at Anna Regina

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Braving rains…

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Lindeners kick-start ‘Come on Scene, Keep it Clean’ campaign

By Joe Chapman

SCORES of Lindeners, young and old, braved the early morning rain on Sunday to launch their ‘Come on the Scene, Keep it Clean’ campaign spreading across sections of communities including the main thoroughfare in Mackenzie, on Republic Avenue, from the BOSAI North Gate through Coop Crescent.

The idea was birthed some two years ago, but

was given new life after President David Granger’s call to “clean up” the garbage-ridden Capital city, Georgetown. The campaign was triggered by a youth group and was supported by Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, who called on residents to come out in their numbers to kick-start the clean-up exercise.

Reycia Nedd, Public Relations Officer of the Linden Hospital Complex and representing the youth group, stated: “Basically

the exercise went well, because we had a lot of persons who came out to support (and) we still have a lot of persons who are working at the river wall. We have about nine other communities who have joined the clean-up campaign today, so I would label today’s exercise a success…but it does not stop here; it continues.”

Ms Nedd added: “We have gotten a lot of support from corporate Linden; also, we have been able to secure some monies

through one of the relevant ministries which pledged $4M to the exercise. The ministry has also pledged 200 trees that will be planted around the communities. What is going to happen after today’s exercise? We are looking to streamline this exercise into a Linden beautification programme, so once that comes on board it is going to be an ongoing exercise where we will be doing education, going around the market educating vendors how to dispose [of] their garbage properly.”

She said BOSAI Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc. has also committed to donating some of those big dumpsters and “we want to see this dump site at the front of the Linden Mackenzie Market extension removed.”

Those dumpsters, Ms Nedd said, will be placed at strategic locations where persons can go and dump and Council then comes and carries the

stuff away. The targeted areas are Block 22, Silvertown, West Watooka, Wisrock, Victory Valley, Christianburg and Retrieve.

When the beautification project was launched in 2013, there were entities such as Republic Bank and Courts who had pledged their support. “So we expect them to come on stream,” Nedd posited.

Another member of the youth organisation, Ms Dawn McCammon Barke, said: “I want to stress that if one sees their friends littering, to call them out to stop that and the laws concerning that should be implemented. We also have a Facebook page that is up and running, so when we see somebody littering we have ‘a Hall of Shame’ that will help to curb the situation.”

She stressed: “We will be having a Hall of Fame for those [who] place their garbage in the bins and those who are littering will be placed in the Hall of Shame on our Facebook

‘Come on The Scene, Keep it Clean’ exercise in central Mackenzie along Republic Avenue

page. I would like to encourage residents to keep their surroundings clean; if it is your parapet cut it down and don’t wait for the Council to do it or somebody to clean it up for you. Dispose of your garbage properly and don’t throw it openly.”

Ms Barke continued: “We also have open places like the Cenotaph where we will put in some benches for persons to have recreation and other open spaces included across the river by the site for the monument.”

What was noticeable was the support given by local businesses whereby trucks were on the scene and took away the debris. Much work was evidently done in central Mackenzie where the traffic is usually heavy and the task was huge, yet the cooperation was commendable and so was the support by those who worked at times in the rain to clear the parapet and pavement.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Burnham Drive in Wismar

The ‘Women Power’ Youth Group in Linden where Ms Reycia Nedd is second left and Ms Dawn McCammon Barke is third from right Republic Avenue in Linden

Stakeholders review country’s fisheries, aquaculture monitoring programmes THE primary stakeholders in fisheries, aquaculture and environment, yesterday gathered at the Regency Hotel, to give their input on an important assessment project, addressing the issue of improving sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures and environmental monitoring programmes in Guyana.

The activity is part of a larger regional project, ‘Support to the Caribbean Forum of ACP States in the implementation of commitments undertaken under the economic partnership Agreement: Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Measure’, commonly referred to as the SPS project.

It is financially supported by the European Union (EU) under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) project, and is being implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in partnership with other major agencies in the Region, including the CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the National Committee for the Application of Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Measures in the Dominican Republic. The CRFM, being CARICOM’s sole fisheries body is responsible for the fishery component of the project.

Deputy Executive Director CRFM’s Secretariat Dr Susan Singh-Renton explained that the 10th Economic Partnership Agreement specifically seeks to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of CARIFORUM states, in addressing their obligations in complying with the sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures of the EU. She said that in doing this, it is expected that the SPS project is going to help CARIFORUM states achieve overall competitiveness for their products on the international market, whilst at the same time address the need to protect national resources such as plants and animals, and guard human and environmental health.

She noted that, “Whilst the fisheries sub-sector has great economic potential, we have not been realising those benefits, simply because of insufficient capacity to respond to international health and sanitary requirements.”

Dr Singh-Renton therefore pointed out that the SPS challenge is thus a complex one, as its spans the entire food system network at the country level and also across the Region.

She explained though that in this complexity, the project has identified three common threads for which interventions will be taken, namely national and regional legislative framework, SPS government systems and capacity building.

She pointed out that the national consultation is linked to the capacity building component and is specifically dealing with environmental monitoring programmes for fisheries and aquaculture for establishing good standards with SPS. To achieve this, two key experts from Iceland, both with

- as part of larger regional project

extensive experience in the area of food quality and assurance, are engaging the primary stakeholders in discussion. Dr Singh-Renton explained that Guyana is the first of eight countries visited, where the two experts will undertake an assessment of the situation on the ground, so as to understand both the strengths and the weaknesses, and after the evaluation, develop a proposal to address the area that requires improvement.

She said once CRFM receives the assessment and proposals from the expert team, these will be returned to the country for review and feedback, and following this consultation activity, CRFM will have a proposal that it will seek to begin implementing. She explained that the implementation will include development – and delivery - of a training programme, in addition to some strengthening of laboratories.

Meanwhile, Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana, Ambassador Robert Kopecky, said the fisheries sector is a fundamental source of livelihood and substance for the Region, and is an important contributor to food security, poverty alleviation, employment, foreign exchange earnings, development and stability of rural areas and coastal communities, culture, recreation and tourism.

He noted that in Guyana, the sector contributes to food se-

In photo, from left, are Ambassador Robert Kopecky; Dr. Susan Singh-Renton; Consultant Expert from Matis Ltd. Icelandic Food and BioTech R&D, Helga Gunna Laungsdo`ttir; Chief Fisheries Officer, Ministry of Agriculture Denzil Roberts and another consultant expert from Matis Ltd, Margeir Gissurarso

Deputy Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Secretariat, Dr. Susan Singh-Renton addressing participants at the stakeholder consultation curity with over 30,000 tonnes of river and sea food consumed nationally. It contributes to the economy as over 60,000 tonnes of fish are exported yearly. It aids employment, with over 5000 employed directly in the industry. He noted that fisheries and aquaculture make up over 6 percent of Guyana’s GDP. He said the SPS project enables the EU to share best practices and to give support to answering the many calls for a common fisheries policy standard in the Region.

“The fish potential, given the topography of your country, is naturally here, and I deeply believe that sustainable good fishery for the future is the way to go for Guyana, in terms of employment, GDP contribution,” he counselled.

Meanwhile, Chief Fisheries Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Denzil Roberts, said the sanitary aspect of the industry is extremely important, especially to Guyana that is seeking to penetrate more global markets.

“With the globalised world, the increasingly high demand for sanitary standards by the importing country, we the export countries have to follow and meet those standards, because if we do not, our access to markets will be very restricted, because it is a very competitive market,” he said, reiterating the importance of the consultation. (GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

No increase in flood related illnesses – Dr. Cummings gives assurance Health Ministry on top of situation GOVERNMENT Ministers have been working tirelessly to ensure that measures have been taken, and initiatives implemented to deal with the various consequences of the recent flooding in parts of the country, as a result of several hours of heavy rainfall early Sunday.

Flooding generally brings with it water borne diseases, but Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings has reported that there has been no increase in serious illnesses as a result of the flooding.

The Minister was at the time addressing the media in the boardroom of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Wight’s Lane, Kingston,

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings at yesterday’s news conference

Georgetown where Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green updated the media on the current situation following the flood on Sunday.

The Ministry has ensured that adequate quantities of medications are available at all the health centres, in the event of a sudden rise in water borne diseases, which can be caused if individuals come in contact with the contaminated water. Vector borne diseases, as well as diarrhoea and leptospirosis (bacterial infection) can emerge in flooding conditions. “ We a r e h a v i n g a multi-disciplinary team set up to tackle the public health concern as it relates to the

recent flooding the country experienced (and) I am very happy for the implementation of the Task Force, that Minister David Patterson alluded to that will be coming on board in about two weeks’ time,” she told reporters.

She also noted that the implementation of this Task Force to tackle specifically the drainage system is commendable.

According to Dr Cummings, this initiative will also provide, for citizens, public health. “I think when we work together more things are achieved.”

“From the Health perspective, we would like to assure citizens that with the implications that come along with flooding, the ministry

has everything in place to handle the situation,” she assured.

Minister Cummings is also urging that citizens pay heed to good health practices such as cleaning their surroundings, using protective gear when necessary, boiling all drinking water and avoiding contact with flood water.

It is also advised that citizens utilise mosquito nets and repellents to avoid the contraction of vector borne illnesses.

Minister Cummings advised that in the event of an emergency, and or serious situation regarding health issues, persons can contact the Ministry of Public Health on its hotline number, 227-1316.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

FIFA whistleblower Blazer ...

From Backpage

CONCACAF tournaments run in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The 70-year-old, now said to be seriously ill, revealed that he had accepted payments for the CONCACAF affiliated Gold Cups (equivalent to the European Championship or the African Cup of Nations) for a decade.

He claimed: “In and around 1993 and continuing through the early 2000s

I and others agreed to accept bribes and kickbacks in conjunction with the broadcast and other rights to the 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2003 Gold Cups.”

Blazer agreed to cooperate with the U.S. investigation which has engulfed FIFA in the past week and led to Blatter’s resigning on Tuesday after 17 years at the head of world football.

Last week 14 persons were indicted on charges of racketeering and money-laundering. Four others

Windies crash for ...

From Backpage

boundary in the fifth over and banging Starc square on the off-side for his second four.

Bravo, meanwhile, also flourished, gathering his first boundary by stroking Hazlewood through mid-off before pulling the same bowler over mid-wicket two balls later.

However, despite looking in little trouble, he played back to off-spinner Nathan Lyon in the third over after the first drinks break and edged to a diving captain Michael Clarke at slip.

Hope followed 21 deliveries later after striking five fours off 54 balls, driving at a wide delivery from Johnson to be taken by Shaun Marsh diving away to his right at gully.

Debutant Shane Dowrich, on 15 and Marlon Samuels, three, took West Indies to lunch at 85 for three but three quick wickets in the space of 20 balls in the first half hour after lunch, set in motion a now familiar rapid West Indies decline.

Dowrich went first, dragging on to Hazlewood in the second over after the break to the third ball he had faced.

Hazlewood struck again in his next over when Jermaine Blackwood (2) pushed the ninth delivery he faced into the hands of

Clarke at third slip and Samuels (7) perished in the next over, top-edging a hook at Starc to Hazlewood at deep long leg.

Holder and captain Denesh Ramdin (19) then put on 30 for the seventh wicket, temporarily lifting the hosts’ hopes.

However, Ramdin fell to the third ball after the first drinks break of the session, playing back and on to one from Johnson which kept a trifle low.

At 121 for seven West Indies were desperately searching for a saviour but found none. Holder sparred at a wide one from Starc and was gobbled up by Marsh at gully and Jerome Taylor (6) and Shannon Gabriel (2) succumbed without major resistance.

Taylor then struck as early as the third over, getting one to bounce sharply on David Warner, to claim the left-hander to a catch at point

by Blackwood off a leading edge for eight with the score on 13.

Marsh then nicked Holder to Bravo at first slip to fall for 19 and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo snared the prized wicket of Clarke, caught at the wicket for 18, to hand Ramdin his 200th dismissal in Tests.

Debutant Adam Voges, on 20, and vice-captain

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES 1st innings K. Brathwaite c wkp. Haddin b Hazlewood 10 S. Hope c Marsh b Johnson 36 D. Bravo c Clarke b Lyon 19 S. Dowrich b Hazlewood 15 M. Samuels c Hazlewood b Starc 7 J. Blackwood c Clarke b Hazlewood 2 D. Ramdin b Johnson 19 J. Holder c Marsh b Starc 21 J. Taylor c Voges b Smith 6 D. Bishoo not out 9 S. Gabriel c Clarke b Johnson 2 Extras: (w-1, nb-1) 2 Total: (all out; 53.5 overs) 148 Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-63, 3-75, 4-85, 5-87, 6-91, 7-121, 8-133, 9-144.

Bowling: Johnson 13.5-2-34-3 (nb-1), Hazlewood 15-7-33-3 (w1), Starc 15-5-48-2, Lyon 6-1-20-1, Watson 3-1-11-0, Smith 1-0-2-1.

AUSTRALIA 1st innings D. Warner c Blackwood b Taylor 8 S. Marsh c Bravo b Holder 19 S. Smith not out 17 M. Clarke c wkp. Ramdin b Bishoo 18 A. Voges not out 20 Extras: (nb-3) 3 Total: (3 wkts, 30 overs) 85 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-38, 3-61.

Bowling: Taylor 8-0-19-1 (nb-1), Gabriel 6-1-20-0 (nb-2), Holder 7-214-1, Bishoo 9-1-32-1.

Position: Australia trail by 63 runs with seven wickets intact.

had already been charged, including Blazer.

The U.S. Justice Department alleges they accepted bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150 million over a 24-year period.

The FIFA scandal has led to question marks being placed over the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar, with many commentators suggesting the bidding process for those tournaments should be held again. (London Evening Standard) Steve Smith, unbeaten on 17, steered the Aussies to the safety of the close.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Djokovic ends Nadal’s remarkable reign in brutal fashion

Serena overcomes French Open doubts

By Pritha Sarkar PARIS, France (Reuters) - It was sharp, quick and brutal as Novak Djokovic finally dropped the French Open guillotine on Rafa Nadal - ending the most remarkable of Roland Garros reigns in ruthless fashion yesterday.

The champion, who was rumoured to have red clay pumping through his veins after ruling the Paris slam for nine of the last 10 years, tamely surrendered his crown at 18.12hrs local time.

A double fault ended the most miserable of miserable days for the Spaniard, with Djokovic proving that even players of Nadal’s stature can be turned into mere mortals.

The manner of Djokovic’s 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 execution was impressive enough but unfortunately for the Serb, no one was running out on court to hand him a gleaming trophy for condemning Nadal to only his second defeat at Roland Garros.

For this was merely a quarter-final.

To get his hands on the Musketeers’ Cup and complete the coveted career grand slam, the world number one will first have to tackle Andy Murray - a 7-6(4), 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 winner over David Ferrer - and then win the final on Sunday.

A match befitting the final of any grand slam stage came two rounds too early due to Nadal’s slide down the rankings.

While injuries and appendicitis kept Nadal off court during the second half of 2014, 2015 has not exactly been a stellar year by his own high standards - he arrived in Paris without winning a European claycourt event for the first time in over a decade.

Nadal’s woes meant he entered Roland Garros ranked seventh, which set him on the path to a horror 29th birthday date with Djokovic.

The traffic-stopping 44th showdown between the two was dubbed ‘The Superbowl on clay’ by John McEnroe but there was nothing ‘super’ about it during the opening exchanges because within a blink of an eye, Djokovic

Novak Djokovic

was 4-0 up.

As Djokovic unleashed an assortment of lethal backhands, forehands and volleys, McEnroe exclaimed: “Nadal unbelievably has no idea what he’s doing - that spells trouble.”

There was trouble with Nadal’s forehand, there was trouble with his usually reliable top spin and there was trouble with his serve.

“Novak had me under control most of the time. He was better than me. That’s it, simple,” said the sixth seed after suffering only his second loss in 72 matches in Roland Garros.

“I’m gonna fight. I lost in 2009 (to Robin Soderling) and that was not the end. I lost in 2015 and this is not the end,” added Nadal, who produced only three forehand winners during the two-hour, 27-minute mauling.

Even when Nadal came back to level the set at 4-4, his shots seemed to lack the firepower that in the past left countless opponents gasping for air.

Djokovic, who had lost six previous French Open tussles against Nadal, stayed cool and collected throughout the contest to notch up his 21st win against his Roland Garros nemesis.

“It’s definitely a big win, a match that I will remember for a long time,” said Djokovic.

“At the end of the day, he’s human. I understand that people are questioning his game. But if you need a reminder of who he is, you just look at his career stats and grand slams that he won.”

Djokovic’s next test will be against a player who also boasts a 15-0 record on red dirt this year.

Murray’s triumph over Ferrer ended a miserable day for the Spaniards, who will not feature in the last-

four here for the first time since 2009.

While Djokovic harbours hopes of becoming only the eighth man to win all four majors, Serena Williams showed that she is primed to win a 20th grand slam singles title.

After surviving three tough three-setters, she subjected poor 2012 finalist Sara Errani to a 6-1, 6-3 hammering to prove that it will take a brave woman to deny her a third title in a city she calls her second home.

Standing in her way to a final date on Saturday is surprise Swiss semi-finalist Timea Bacsinszky, who toppled little-known Belgian Alison van Uytvanck 6-4, 7-5.

By Julien Pretot PARIS, France (Reuters) If there were any lingering doubts that Serena Williams could claim a third French Open title at this year’s tournament they were swiftly dispelled in an expertly-executed quarter-final victory over Sara Errani yesterday.

The world number one, a Roland Garros champion in 2002 and 2013, had been troubled in her three previous rounds, but a 6-1, 6-3 crushing of the Italian claycourt ace showed the American was still a clear favourite to claim another Suzanne Lenglen Cup. Williams will now face the 23rd-seeded Swiss Timea

Ajmal dropped from Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka Tests (REUTERS) - Pakistan have dropped off-spinner Saeed Ajmal from their squad for the three-Test series against Sri Lanka this month and have recalled opening batsmen Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood.

The 37-year-old Ajmal, once Pakistan’s most potent wicket-taker, has struggled since returning to international cricket from a ban for an illegal bowling action.

He was ineffective in the limited-overs series against Bangladesh before he was left out of the team for the subsequent two-Test series.

Shehzad and Masood were left out of the Test series in Bangladesh, which Pakistan won 1-0.

Fast bowlers Rahat Ali and Sohail Khan and batsman Sohaib Maqsood are yet to recover from their injuries and missed out on selection, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

“Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan and Sohaib Maqsood are still on the rehab after sustaining injuries and it is hoped that they would be available for selection in the near future,” chief selector Haroon Rashid said.

“Selection committee has also kept its options open in case of need for the 16th member keeping in mind the extreme weather conditions in Sri Lanka.”

The first Test begins at Galle from June 17 and Pakistan will also play five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.

Squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan, Ehsan Adil.

Bacsinszky, who beat Belgian sensation Alison van Uytvanck 6-4, 7-5, for a place in Saturday’s final, where either 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic or Czech Lucie Safarova awaits.

Having lost the first set in her three previous matches at Roland Garros, Williams was hoping to get off to a better start which she did, setting the tone by breaking in Errani’s first service game.

A brilliant backhand passing shot handed Errani an immediate break back but Williams was in the groove and dominated the rest of the match.

“I definitely felt more in control, and I felt I had to be again, going up against a player who plays well on this surface in particular,” said Williams, who has only been in three previous semi-finals at the French Open.

The American, however, says she is not feeling the strain of chasing her 20th major singles title.

“I’m not putting too much pressure on myself.

I’m surprised I’m still in the tournament, so this is really cool for me,” she said.

Williams would not have expected to be facing a semi-final against baseliner Bacsinszky, who became the first Swiss woman since Martina Hingis in 2001 to reach the last four at Roland Garros.

“For me, it doesn’t matter who I’m going to be playing against. I just want to have one or two or three tactics and try to put them in the game,” Bacsinszky said.

On the other side of the draw, left-hander Safarova, seeded 13th, will start as favourite against seventh seed Ivanovic.

Safarova’s flat, powerful forehand proved too much too hot to handle for 2014 champion Maria Sharapova in the fourth round.

Ivanovic, however, has matured since winning here in 2008 and seems to have gained in composure.

NOTABLE DATES

ON Saturday June 4, 1988 Barrington Cambridge successfully defended his Guyana junior welterweight title following an eighth-round technical knockout (TKO) of Marcelle Daniels. Cambridge was a solid seven years older than Daniels.

He had defeated Patrick Farley by disqualification in his previous fight and later engaged in two clashes with Anthony `The Pearl’ Andrews and a similar number with Michael Benjamin. He lost and won against both. All four times the Guyana welterweight title was on the line.

Cambridge was 23 years old when he turned pro in 1981. Roy Smith was his first scalp while Simeon Thomas and William Gordon followed in close succession. Cambridge had his last of 28 professional fights on December 30, 2006 in Barbados.

The former national junior welterweight and welterweight champion lost by TKO in round two to St Lucian-born Christopher `Shaka’ Henry at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Barbados.

During his career which saw him fight 229 rounds, Cambridge, who will turn 58 in July, defeated the likes of Keith `Creature’ Adams, Dennis `Kid’ Dalrymple, David Noel, Steve Asson, Keith `Crusher’ Thomas and Pascal David among others.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

FBI to investigate Russia, Qatar World Cup bids

By Mark Hosenball and Katharina Bart NEW YORK/ZURICH, (Reuters) - The FBI’s investigation of alleged corruption at FIFA includes scrutiny of how football’s governing body awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 competition to Qatar, a U.S. law enforcement official said.

The review would be part of a probe that goes beyond the allegations of bribery in a U.S. indictment of FIFA officials announced a week ago, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

U.S. authorities said at the time they were investigating a $150M (£98M) bribery case while Swiss prosecutors announced their own criminal inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 bids.

Russia and Qatar have denied wrongdoing in the conduct of their bids. In the case of Qatar, there was some surprise that the tournament was awarded to a small desert country with no real football tradition and where daytime summer temperatures can top 40 degrees Celsius (104F).

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah said there was no way Qatar would be stripped of its right to host the cup because it had had the best bid.

Michel Platini

Diego Maradona

Zico

“It is very difficult for some to digest that an Arab Islamic country has this tournament, as if this right can’t be for an Arab state,” he told Reuters in an interview in Paris. “I believe it is because of prejudice and racism that we have this bashing campaign against Qatar.”

For its part, Russia dismissed concerns it might lose the right to host the cup. “Cooperation with FIFA is going on and, most importantly, Russia is continuing preparations for the 2018 World Cup,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said.

Among issues the FBI is examining is the stewardship of FIFA by its longtime president Sepp Blatter, who unexpectedly announced on Tuesday he was resigning shortly before it emerged that he too was under investigation by U.S. law enforcement.

U.S. authorities said last week that their investigation would continue.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said when she announced the indictments that the Department of Justice looked forward to continuing to work with other countries, while the case prosecutor Kelly Currie said the indictment was not the final chapter in their investigation.

A source close to FIFA said it was Blatter’s advisers who had told him he must quit. Critics pointed to the widening criminal probe, disquiet among sponsors, and pressure from European football body UEFA as possible reasons.

Earlier, the international police organisation Interpol put two former top FIFA officials on its wanted list at the request of U.S. authorities.

Interpol issued wanted person alerts for Jack

Warner, a former president of CONCACAF, which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, and Nicolas Leoz, the ex-head of South America’s football federation.

The others subject to the “red notices” - which are not arrest warrants - are Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, and Jose Margulies, a Brazilian who headed two companies involved in broadcasting football matches.

They are among FIFA officials and sports media and promotion executives named in the U.S. indictment.

South Africa denies $10M World Cup bribe SOUTH Africa has denied paying a $10M bribe to secure the 2010 World Cup, in the wake of a U.S. inquiry into corruption at world football body FIFA. Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula said the money in question was above board and intended to support football in the African Diaspora in the Caribbean.

The FIFA scandal erupted last week when U.S. prosecutors indicted 14 persons.

On Tuesday, president Sepp Blatter said he was to step down, just days after he had been re-elected for a fifth term.

Of the 14 persons indicted by the U.S. on charges of racketeering and money-laundering, seven were senior FIFA officials, including two vice-presidents. The seven were arrested in Switzerland as they awaited the FIFA congress that re-elected Mr Blatter and are currently awaiting extradition to the U.S. The U.S. Justice Department alleges the 14 accepted bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150M (£97M) over a 24-year period U.S. officials quoted in the New York Times also said on Tuesday that Mr Blatter, 79, was under investigation as part of the inquiry. They said they hoped some of the FIFA figures charged would help to build a case against him.

INTERPOL ALERTS U.S. officials allege South Africa paid a $10M bribe in exchange for support for its 2010 World Cup bid from former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and several other members of the North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

But in a press conference yesterday, Mr Mbalula said South Africa “categorically denied” the allegation, adding that the money went towards an approved programme to help the development of football in the Caribbean.

The money went into a fund controlled by Mr Warner. (BBC Sport)

BRIBE DENIED FIFA has denied that another senior official, Secretary General Jerome Valcke, was involved in a $10M (£7M) payment approved by the South African Football Association that lies at the

heart of the U.S. investigation.

At a news conference in Johannesburg, sports minister Fikile Mbalula confirmed the payment to Warner during South Africa’s successful bid for the 2010 World Cup but denied it was a bribe.

Mbalula said the cash was intended for football development in the Caribbean, Warner’s home region.

Valcke said yesterday he was not guilty of corrupt practice relating to the payment and he saw no reason to resign.

U.S. legal authorities announced last week they are investigating alleged bribery and corruption at FIFA going back 24 years at the same time as Swiss prosecutors revealed their probe into the award of the next two World Cups.

Blatter announced his decision to step down on Tuesday - six days after police raided a hotel in Zurich and arrested several FIFA officials, and four days after he was re-elected to a fifth term as president.

Blatter has not been charged and FIFA did not respond to a request for comment on his being under investigation.

An election to choose a new president will probably not take place until at least December. Blatter, meanwhile, remains in his position.

FIFA executive committee member Kozo Tashima of Japan told Japanese media that Blatter should go at once.

LEADERSHIP CANDIDATES Among potential candidates to lead FIFA, UEFA chief Michel Platini, a former French international football star, is the favourite.

Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who withdrew from last week’s presidential election after winning 73 votes to Blatter’s 133 in the first round, stopped short of confirming he would run again. Asked if there should be a fresh start at FIFA, he told Britain’s Channel 4 News: “I’m willing to help.”

Chung Mong-joon, billionaire scion of South Korea’s Hyundai conglomerate, said he would consider running.

Possible candidates also include Domenico Scala, the independent chairman of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee.

Others could include former Brazil international Zico, Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, Jerome Champagne, a former French diplomat and FIFA deputy secretary-general, and German Wolfgang Niersbach, an ex-media chief at FIFA.

Pele wants ‘honest’ FIFA

BRAZILIAN football legend Pele has called for “honest people” to clean up world football here after the shock resignation of FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter.

Speaking to the BBC on the sidelines of the New York Cosmos friendly match with Cuba in Havana, the 74-year-old three-time World Cup winner said FIFA must change after the corruption scandal that has rocked football’s governing body.

Pele, who had previously voiced support for Blatter following his re-election, described the football chief’s stunning fall from power as “unfortunate.” “Everybody asks about Sepp Blatter,” Pele told the BBC. Of course, everybody was very surprised, not with Sepp Blatter but with FIFA. I mentioned before he was the president for 20 years, unfortunately what happened, happened with everyone.

Brazilian football legend Pele My position is, like a player, I want to see football put people together and stop wars. That’s my position. What happened with the corruption this is not my problem.” FIFA now faced a critical period as it seeks to clean up its image. It’s an important time for FIFA. FIFA must change now as it moves forward.”

“I think everything in life changes. Football changes, life changes. It’s important to have honest people. To organise anything you have to have good people,” he signed off.

Pele was in Cuba to attend his former club’s landmark game with Cuba, the first visit to the Communist-ruled island by a professional American sports team for 16 years.

The Cosmos ran out 4-1 winners.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

Elite League will strengthen Guyana’s football - Bolton

By Kizan Brumell TECHNICAL Director of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Claude Bolton has disclosed that the inaugural Elite League will boost Guyana’s football in the future. He made this statement during a press briefing hosted in the Federation’s Boardroom yesterday.

Bolton said, “You cannot have a strong national team without having a league; it is proved that a league strengthens and better prepares national teams. This is why we are proud to have the Elite League which will develop Guyana’s football in the future.”

The inaugural GFF Elite League was recently launched with eight teams invited to participate, all of whom have already met with the federation on the league.

In keeping with the new mandate issued by CONCACAF, the GFF invited applications for Elite Club Licence from all member associations to be submitted by May 12.

According to the GFF, a total

of eleven applications were received and were passed through the criteria for obtaining the licence before a decision on the final eight clubs.

The technical director mentioned too that the federation is still formalising the structure of the tournament and will have a development shortly.

Meanwhile, the Lady Jags, Guyana Senior Women’s National Team, are progressing slowly towards their Olympic Qualifiers.

Guyana are drawn in Group Four in the Caribbean Zone of the 2015 Women’s Olympic Qualifiers, which will be hosted in St Kitts and Nevis from August 21 to 25, and are fixed to take on the hosts and Cuba.

Bolton told the media representatives present that there are obvious financial restraints that prevent the preparatory stages for the women but they have received some accounting assistance to create an innovative approach to stretch their finance in the most

Claude Bolton constructive way.

The GFF is currently still in the recruiting process to get the best female footballers to represent the nation. It was revealed that a camp is scheduled to be held in Toronto, Canada from June 18 to 23 to iden-

tify potential players.

No squad has been identified by the federation for the qualifiers but Joseph ‘Bill’ Wilson and Mark Rodrigues have been tasked with the jobs of head coach and technical director respectively.

Muirhead: Dispute between WICB and BCCI could be resolved before month end ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) - A dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over an abandoned series could be resolved before the end of June, WICB CEO Michael Muirhead has indicated.

Muirhead is reporting that discussions between the WICB and BCCI have been progressing well and a final agreement could be reached later this month during a meeting in Barbados.

The BCCI is claiming US$42M in compensation after West Indies cricketers, led by Dwayne Bravo, abandoned the Test and ODI series in India last year.

“Discussions have been going very well,” Muirhead

WICB chief executive officer Michael Muirhead was quoted by the Express in a brief telephone interview.

“When we meet in Bar-

bados this month we are hoping to have a resolution finalised and documented.

Beyond that I can’t say

anything.”

Last year, tensions between the BCCI and the WICB erupted when Windies pulled out of the fivematch series after the fourth ODI in Dharamsala on October 17 due a pay dispute.

The BCCI subsequently slapped the US$42M claim on the WICB and also suspended bilateral relations with the WICB until the dispute is resolved.

The meeting, between WICB and BCCI, will take place on the sidelines of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Annual Conference which will take place in Bridgetown, June 22-26.

“It will be separate,” Muirhead explained.

“This is a BCCI and WICB issue and we will deal with it with BCCI.

CONCACAF Champions League

Central FC to clash with LA Galaxy

MIAMI, United States (CMC) – Caribbean Football Union (CFU) champions Central FC will face a tough preliminary campaign in the CONCACAF Champions League, after being drawn in Group D of the competition.

The Trinidad and Tobago club will do battle against Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy and Comunicaciones FC of Guatemala, in the first round which kicks off in August.

Organisers said the full schedule of the group stage would be announced within weeks.

Central FC will have their hands full, especially against the likes of LA Galaxy, who were semi-finalists in the 2012-13 Champions League.

The upcoming outing will be the Galaxy’s fifth in the Champions League and it comes on the heels of a disappointing performance last season, when they bowed out at the quarter-final stage at the hands of Club Tijuana.

Comunicaciones FC, meanwhile, have been one of the most successful clubs in Guatemala, with a record 30 league titles and eight Copa de Guatemala cups.

Central FC qualified for the Champions League after reaching the CFU Club Championship final last month. They went on to win the competition, beating fellow T&T outfit W Connection 2-1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

W Connection, meanwhile, have been drawn in Group A alongside Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa and Mexican outfit Santos Laguna – the champions of the Clausura competition.

Santos Laguna were losing finalists in the 2011/12 Champions League, and also the following year.

Jamaica’s Montego Bay United FC, the third-place finishers in the CFU Club Championship, will do battle in Group H, in a tough draw against MLS club DC United and Panama’s Arabe Unido.

Reigning champions Club America of Mexico, who captured their sixth CONCACAF Club title in April by defeating Montreal Impact of Canada, will feature in Group E alongside CD Walter Ferretti of Nicaragua and CD Motagua of Honduras.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday June 04, 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 Tuesday’s quiz: 112 Tests WI: Jackie Grant; AUST: Bill Woodfull (Adelaide, 1930-31) Today’s Quiz: Name the Test-playing nations that have been involved in tied Tests to date?

Put these in order beginning with the man who has scored most Test hundreds against Australia?

Shiv Chanderpaul; Ritchie Richardson; Alvin Kallicharran; Larry Gomes Answers in tomorrow’s issue

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday June 4, 2015

World football cannot continue under this cloud of suspicion – Urling

By Stephan Sookram

CHAIRMAN of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalisation Committee Clinton Urling says that the sport of football cannot continue to live under the current suspicion of corruption.

Urling, speaking yesterday during a press conference at the body’s Section K Campbellville head office said that the recent upheaval at the regional and international level has caused the sport to be taken with a pinch of salt.

“Football cannot survive under the current cloud of suspicion, mistrust and the perception that prevail in the public long term. Football on the field will always survive, you know we have a slogan that says let football play and football can always be played but there are other dimensions to football.

“The administrative part of it is important and that’s where we seem to be having all the trouble; everybody wants to be in charge but nobody wants to discharge the ethical responsibilities that are required to do so,”

Urling pointed out.

The Normalisation chairman added that he was shocked by the recent arrests of Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Associations of Football (CONCACAF) president Jeffrey Webb as well as several others.

“For us at the federation, all the allegations especially the ones relating to the CONCACAF officials came as a huge shock and surprise for us,” the football boss added.

He further noted, “His arrest (Webb) has created an enormous vacuum in the CONCACAF family; he has since been dismissed from the position and has been replaced temporarily by acting president Alfredo Hawit (the general secretary of the Honduras association) and he is being supported by a small committee - a committee of three which will ensure that competitions that are or were planned under CONCACAF will continue.

“The members that will run will come from the Mexican federation, I know the United States federation and the Canadian federation.”

Urling contended that the recent indication by

FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday to resign was also something that came as a shocker.

“Tuesday’s announcement (by Blatter) was prodigious, that was a colossal surprise for everybody.”

Blatter was elected for a fifth term in office last Friday after he beat out challenger Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, the candidate that Guyana chose to vote for. Urling explained that this was due to the fact that reform was needed, especially at the top.

“We made it public that we supported Prince Ali’s candidacy. The decision for us came down to who we felt best would take global football forward. I don’t believe that Mr Blatter is corrupt, I don’t think the institution called FIFA itself, based on my observations, is as corrupt as the media portrays it to be but Mr Blatter being president of FIFA, we felt that his moving forward as president would have created or sent mixed signals and also presented an ominous situation for other member associations where we would have been judged harshly as being perceived as one of these corrupt organisations

‘Magic’ Khan attacked in Albouystown … out of boxing for months NATIONAL amateur lightweight boxing champion Imran `Magic’ Khan is set to have a lengthy unintentional hiatus from the sport after suffering injuries to his left hand last Sunday in Albouystown.

Reports reaching this newspaper stated that the 21-year-old policeman was chopped about the body following an altercation in his hometown.

Khan suffered deep cuts to his left hand and would be laid up for months. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where doctors immediately treated him and discharged him the following day.

Khan was assaulted while in front of the Harpy Eagles Gym where he started boxing. According to an eye-

witness, Khan had an argument with a man in a yard in Albouystown. The man left and returned with three men and viciously attacked him.

He couldn’t do anything.

When they left it looked like his whole hand had come off.

One gash to the hand required over 30 stitches.

Khan is no stranger to controversy. In January 2012 he was stabbed on the left arm following another incident in Albouystown.

The talented fighter was named joint Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year for 2011.

That same year he won bronze at the ALBA games in Venezuela after defeating Kenny Canon of the host country 4-1. He was also named the Boxer-of-the-Year by the Guyana Boxing Association for the same period.

National amateur lightweight boxing champ Imran ‘Magic’ Khan The lanky Harpy Eagles fighter was a gold medallist at the inaugural Goodwill Games hosted last year by the GBA and over the years competed in both the bantamweight and lightweight divisions with ease. He was recently left out of a GBA team that travelled to Tijuana, Mexico for the Pan Am Qualifiers.

led by Mr Blatter,” Urling said.

NO DEALS! When quizzed if Guyana was offered any extra deals by any of the two contenders during the recent election, Urling responded in the negative.

“No. It’s ludicrous to even consider that either Mr Blatter or Prince Ali would offer a bride to any MA (member association) favours in return for a vote,” Urling bluntly refuted.

“I’ve never heard of that happening and I can tell you outright, it has not happened and if it had happened then we would have out-rightly rejected it and made a public pronouncement,” the local business man said.

Urling was also asked about the possibility of Guyanese officials being implicated in any of the scandals but responded by saying that he had no clue who the United States Department of Justice is pursuing.

He has, however, said that there will be more arrests in the coming days and the recent arrests were “just

GFF Normalisation Committee chairman Clinton Urling and former FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein at the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich. the tip of the iceberg”.

The recent scandals rocking the sport at the regional and international level have seen several high-ranking members of FIFA and CONCACAF arrested over allegations

ranging from racketeering and conspiracy to corruption and bribery. Blatter says that a special meeting will be held between December 2015 and March 2016 to appoint his successor.

Former White House Fellow ready to help Guyana’s football development ERIC Phillips, former White House Fellow under former U.S. President George Bush, says that he’s ready and willing to help shape the development of Guyana’s football.

Phillips replaces Stuart May, who, along with Chairman Clinton Urling, Dr Karen Pilgrim, Tariq Williams and Rabin Chandarpal, was placed by FIFA to manage Guyana’s football affair with specific mandates until September of this year.

Currently a Lecturer in the Department of Business and Management at the University of Guyana, Phillips has served internationally as Chairman of the Board, CEO, MD, VP, COO, Programme Director and Engineer in seven countries.

In the USA, he served as the Project Manager at AT&T Bell Laboratories for the US$15 billion FTS2000

integrated telecommunication project which allowed him, among other factors, to successfully compete to become a 1990-91 White House Fellow.

“What I hope to bring to this team is support for the Normalisation process so that Guyana becomes more prominent in soccer (football)” Phillips said, while addressing the media yesterday.

Being a member of the group that worked with FIFA in Guyana to help revise Guyana’s football constitution, Phillips noted that he also plans to bring his “management skills, my access to corporation because funding is critical and I’m looking forward to bringing other leadership skills that I have experience in over the years”.

His background in sport ranges from (Phillips) being a 3rd Degree Black Belt to

Eric Phillips

representing Guyana internationally in football, athletics and table tennis.

The Berbician has a Degree in Chemical Engineering from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada and an MBA in Marketing and International Business from New York University.

He was selected as one of 14 fast track MBA/engineers/leaders to spend fourteen months at Stevens Institute of Technology and AT&T Bell Laboratories in the Communications Training Programme (CTP) for Telecommunications Engineering.

Eric Phillips is a 199091 White House Fellow; the only Caribbean-educated Fellow of the 700 that have existed.

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Former White House Fellow ready to help Guyana’s football development See story on page 23

FIFA whistleblower Blazer admits bribes were accepted

F

ORMER FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer told a U.S. federal judge that he and others on the governing body’s ruling panel agreed to receive bribes to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup. Prosecutors unsealed the transcript yesterday of the 2013 hearing in U.S. District Court during which Blazer had agreed to plead guilty to racketeering and other charges.

Blazer, the former ‘No. 2’ official of football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, said, “I and others on the FIFA executive committee

… Over awarding of 1998 and 2010 World Cups

Ex-FIFA executive turned FBI informant, Chuck Blazer. (Picture: Reuters)

agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup” Blazer also said he arranged bribes around 1992 in the vote for which country would host the 1998 World Cup. “I agreed with other persons in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with the selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup. I and others agree that I or a co-conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeer-

ing activity. Beginning in, or around, 2004 and continuing to 2011, I and others on the FIFA executive committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup,” Blazer said in his testimony.

He added “While acting in our official capacities we agreed to participate in a scheme to defraud FIFA and CONCACF on the right to honest services by taking undisclosed bribes.”

Bribes and kickbacks, according to Blazer, were also commonplace in the See page 19

Windies crash for 148 on opening day

R

Jermaine Blackwood is caught at slip off Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood on day one of the first Test at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica. (Photo by WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography)

… but bowlers fightback

OSEAU, Dominica (CMC) – Life for West Indies in the post-Shiv Chanderpaul era began disastrously when they were bowled out for 148 in their first innings, on the opening day of the first Test against Australia here yesterday.

Opting to bat first in good conditions at Windsor Park, West Indies were cruising at 63 for one before lunch but dramatically lost their last nine wickets for just 85 runs to be all out at tea, ten minutes into an extended second session.

Opener Shai Hope topscored with 36 and Jason Holder, at number eight, got 21, but no other batsman made it past 20.

And with Chanderpaul, who boasts 11 867 runs at an average of 51, axed by selectors prior to the

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series, there was no middle or lower order fightback as the Aussie seamers clinically crippled the Windies innings.

New-ball bowler Josh Hazlewood, in only his fourth Test, picked up three for 33 while left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson grabbed three for 34. Mitchell Starc, also a left-armer, provided support with two for 48.

West Indies bowlers, however, took some of the shame off the lethargic batting display, fighting back gamely in the final session to claim three wickets, to leave the tourists on 85 for three, still 63 runs in arrears.

With much of the build-up to the series overshadowed by the controversial dropping of the veteran left-hander Chanderpaul, West Indies would have been hoping

to quickly turn the page with a solid performance.

Instead, they found themselves in an all-too-familiar situation, where Chanderpaul’s powers had been repeatedly showcased over 164 Tests.

Hope and Kraigg Brathwaite (10) eased through the first half-hour in adding 23 before the right-handed Brathwaite feathered a defensive prod though to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin off an innocuous delivery from Hazlewood.

The Windies recovered well through a 40-run stand between Hope and Darren Bravo, who made 19 from 26 balls with three fours.

Hope appeared in good touch, pulling Johnson to the square leg See page 19 THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015