Chronicle 20 10 2015

GUYANA

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

Findings of GuySuCo probe out No. 104347

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…Agri. Ministry to submit for Cabinet review P.5

PC to get budgetary support from next year – Granger P.9

The President reviews the books of one of the students of President’s College during his tour of the Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara institution on Monday (Adrian Narine)

Baby killer 8 Total monitoring of airspace coming 3 sends ‘granny’ P.

P.

– as govt mulls drone technology

death threats

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Dharmic Sabha defies declaration of Diwali date

– Pandits Council says Sabha has it wrong

By Narendra Seoraj THE Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha is sticking to their call for Diwali to be celebrated on November 11, despite the official date being proclaimed a day earlier by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

But not all Hindus agree with the Sabha. Some of the country’s most powerful religious leaders and bodies are in agreement with the date proclaimed by the Minister – November 10.

The relatively new Viraat Sabha, which is composed of some the leading pandits who once supported the Dharmic Sabha, is in agreement with November 10, and they have the support of the Guyana Pandits Council.

The Dharmic Sabha has claimed that they have been advising the Guyana government of the dates of the two

Hindu religious organisations for the past 40 years.

But President of the Pandits Council, Rudra Sharma, told the Guyana Chronicle that that is a “fallacy.”

He said that the Dharmic Sabha only started to advise the government of the dates in 1993, and that prior to that, it was the Pandits Council which had advised of the dates for the two festivals the Hindus celebrate.

Sharma pointed out that the Dharmic Sabdha has had its dates wrong in the past.

Regarding the full moon (Purnima) last month, Sharma said the Sabha printed on its calendar September 28, when it fact the new moon was sighted a day before.

According to the Dharmic Sabha, Diwali which occurs annually on Amawasya or the new moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik, is the 15th Tithi in the dark half of

Kartik and the darkest night of the year.

And according to the Panchang/ Patra, this occurs on November 11.

“This coincides exactly with the western astronomers’ calculation of the new moon which is listed for Guyana as occurring on November 11 at 13:47 hrs.

The new moon effect will be experienced as darkness falls, the Dharmic Sabha said, adding that performing Maha Lakshmi Puja on November 11 would, therefore, be on new moon day as prescribed.”

The Viraat Sabha disagrees. It has the backing of notable Hindu leaders such as the widely respected Cove and John Ashram, Swami Aksharananda, Pandir and Doctor Bhudendranauth Doobay (Cardiologist) of Canada and Panditt. Rajin Balgobin.

The Viraat Sabhaa argues that what is explicit, as contained in the Kaashi Panchang/Patra – an annual publication on astrology and Hinduism – is that Pradosh Kaal, Nisheet and Mahaa Nischeet Kaal (all being auspicious times), are present on November 10.

With Amawasya (dark night) ending on 13:47 hrs on Wednesday, November 11, after which, automatically, a new moon begins, Viraat Sabhaa is arguing that this further confirms November 10 as the official day, since the festival cannot be observed in the new moon but it must on the darkest night of the year.

To further support their point, the body noted that the Panchangs/Patras also allude to world zones for these dates. The zone for Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, according to them, shows the festival to be observed on November 10. Trinidad’s Swaha calendar confirms this, they say.

The Dharmic Sabha is, however, sticking to its position, and will be celebrating

A defiant Dr Vindhya Persaud at a press conference Monday

Diwali on November 11, and will continue its countrywide motorcades as scheduled, including the final motorcade being on the date officially proclaimed as Diwali.

The Sabha has prepared a petition that has been sent

around the country for the various Hindus to sign on to, which will further be submitted to Minister Ramjattan for him to rescind his proclamation of November 10 as Diwali and declare the holiday as November 11.

No new wave of crime has hit Guyana – Pres Granger NO new crime wave has hit the country but rather there is a continuation of what started following the 2002 jail break that saw the likes of Dale Moore, Andrew Douglas, Shawn Browne and Troy Dick escaping from prison.

President David Granger on Friday during the broadcast of the Ministry of the Presidency’s “The Public Interest” programme dispelled thoughts that the crime situation in Guyana is out of control. “I don’t think the crime

situation is out of control,” said the President. “I don’t think we are in the grip of another crime wave it is a continuing crime wave; that started to develop around 2001-2002.”

An assessment of the current crime statistics, the President said will illustrate that the statistics provided by the Guyana Police Force are no better than 2001-2002 “when we had people like fine man alive.”

The Police Force, Granger says must be reformed,

empowered and enabled to provide service to the nation more efficiently. He said the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration made a great error when it cancelled the Security Sector Reform Action Plan initiated by the United Kingdom.

Granger said he met with the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister (PM) David Cameron recently and told him of the need to “restore the Security Sector Action Plan.” “Crime will continue to be a problem unless the police force is reformed,” he stressed, noting that there is a need for better equipment, and the force needs to be brought up to strength.

The President revealed that the Police Force is 20 per cent under strength. “We are not trying to get it over strength…my information is that the Police Force is 20 Turn to page 13 ►

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Total monitoring of airspace coming – as govt mulls drone technology A PROJECT that will eventually see the country’s entire national airspace come under surveillance will soon get underway.

The announcement was made yesterday by Chitranie Heeralall, Director-General (ag) of the Civil Aviation Authority, at the opening of an aviation conference.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said the aeronautical surveillance will be done using ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast, in which an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation and periodically broadcasts it to control towers.

Other aircraft can also receive the information, allowing for situational awareness and self-separation. “This technology will track aircraft that fly over our territory, and will aid in search and rescue, as it will provide a closer last-known-position of aircraft that have the requisite on-board equipment,” Nagamootoo said in declaring the aviation conference open.

“This project will continue until complete surveillance coverage of our airspace is accomplished,” he

said. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said that while the government has been reviewing the security sector, during discussions with the relevant agencies of the United Nations, the use of drones was considered.

“This technology, which has come under critical focus in situations of conflict, can be put to use for surveys, research, monitoring of our coastline, and other peaceful purposes; and must be pursued as we continue to advance aviation in Guyana,” the Prime Minister said.

Nagamootoo pointed to the fact that the country’s safety and regulatory oversight capability needs to match the growth of the industry.

“Legislative and regulatory reviews, institutional strengthening and capacity building are areas that must be addressed immediately, and with urgency,” he stated.

Guyana’s level of compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is not on par with the rest of the region, and needs to be urgently addressed, Nagamootoo said, noting that funding is available.

“You know better than I do that this dynamic sector requires one of the highest levels of safety for its sustainability,” he said, in addressing an audience that included industry professionals.

Regarding aircraft accident and incident investigation, Nagamootoo said there is need to strengthen the process of making accident reports available to all stakeholders. He said information and experience sharing is an important step in the prevention of accidents and incidents.

The Prime Minister said that the government recognises the tremendous potential of the aviation sector for development; it creates a ripple effect in other sectors.

“Our hinterland airstrips must once again become the gateways to airlift produce to the coastland and to available and ready markets,” he said, adding: “The health sector needs similar support when our citizens in the hinterland are in need of better medical services available on the coast.”

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure,

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo greets local aviation pioneer Paul Chan-A-Sue at the opening here of an aviation conference yesterday

Anette Ferguson, said the aviation sector provides an estimated 3,000 direct jobs, and is responsible for bringing 81 per cent of tourists to Guyana.

She noted that aviation connects coastland and hinterland communities, and

supports a variety of activities and sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, mining, tourism and social services.

But despite the importance of the sector to national development, she said, the sector faces numerous challenges, such as

a weak regulatory regime; shortage of skilled personnel; underdeveloped search and rescue system; limited international routes and global connectivity; no national airline; and the poor state of hinterland aerodromes.

NA store burglarised, set ablaze

seen inside.

It was later realised that the fire had already been extinguished. Further investigations revealed that a safe was hammered into and the weekend sales removed.

According to Manager of the Supermarket, Sammy Ali, $3.3M were removed from the safe.

A section of the building was also set ablaze, and the entire room damaged.

Several pieces of electrical equipment along with pieces of electronics, including computers totalling in excess of $1M were damaged by the fire. A source close to

the New Amsterdam Fire Service said that the fire did not spread to other parts of the building because there was no oxygen available. It is believed this is so because the building is sealed. The guards were unaware of what transpired. This is the third time for the year that bandits had targeted this business. The Ali family owns two supermarkets and a gas station.

M. Ali & Son Supermarket, Strand New Amsterdam

THREE persons are now in custody after an unknown number of persons broke into M. Ali and Son Supermarket at Strand, New Amsterdam between Sunday evening and Monday morning.

In excess of $3M in cash is now missing and a fire which was set to the building has left more than $1M in damage. Reports are that when workers turned up at the supermarket yesterday morning and opened the building, thick smoke was

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Corporal punishment to be totally banned soon – Dr Roopnaraine

President Granger on territorial integrity...

Teach ‘em from young - to put country before self

By Ariana Gordon PRESIDENT David Granger is all for educating the nation about the importance of safeguarding one’s territorial integrity.

As a matter of fact, he believes that, starting with the children, all Guyanese should be conversant with the Guyana-Venezuela and Guyana-Suriname border controversies.

“I do feel that it is necessary to have in our entire education system a better teaching of our history and geography,” he says.

“And I think that in so doing, there would be better understanding of the need to protect our territory, and to resist attempts by other countries to take over our country,” he told the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday.

Ideally, he would like the history of border claims and conflicts to be taught in schools. “Yes! I believe it should be taught in schools, not to create enemies, but to engender love for our country,” President Granger said.

RESURFACE Over the past few weeks, both neighbouring Venezuela and Suriname have taken it upon themselves to revive age-old claims to Guyana.

In the case of Venezuela, the resurgence stemmed from US oil giant ExxonMobil announcing out of the blue, just before the May 11 general and regional elections here, that it had found a significant a m o u n t o f o i l o ff s h o r e Guyana.

In the circumstance, Guyana lobbied the support of the international community, which resulted in a UN-led investigative team meeting with both Guyana and Venezuela in the hope of resolving the controversy once and for all.

Suriname, on the other hand, in a fit of jealousy perhaps, took up the cudgel shortly after Venezuela did, with the announcement by none other than President Desire Bouterse himself that they had not entirely forgotten the New River Triangle claim; that it was still very much alive and back on their agenda.

LOVE OF COUNTRY It is with the foregoing in mind that President Granger is convinced that having a deeper understanding and appreciation for Guyana’s history and geography would see citizens developing a love for country.

“Guyana is a beautiful country,” he said. “I would like people to be able to grow up with love for the country.”

With both controversies pre-dating independence, President Granger said, it’s no wonder that the younger generation are unaware of the difficulties Guyana faced in the last fifty years or so.

“The harassment; the loss of investment; and the fact that we had to expend our limited resources to protect our national interest,” he said, “must be understood and appreciated by each and every citizen.”

He said that were Guyanese better informed of

the issues pertinent to the controversies and illegal claims by both Venezuela and Suriname, “the foreign persons who claim our territory would be less inclined to continue their campaign against Guyana.”

Noting that the best defence Guyana can ever hope for against threats to its territorial integrity is a people united, President Granger said: “People are not aware of the Rupununi Rebellion.

An attempt was made to take over almost 57,000 square kilometres in 1969…

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) had to come to the rescue of the nation. Similarly, the same year, in August, an attempt was made to take over 15,000 square kilometres.”

And while he agrees that persons indeed need to be more patriotic, he believes that it is equally important that they are aware intellectually of what obtains.

“Guyanese need to be aware intellectually of what occurred,” he said, so that, emotionally, they would be more committed to ensuring that the territory which we inherited from our fore parents is intact.

“It is more than patriotism: It is self-interest; it is protecting our patrimony. I think better can be done. There is evidence that some people don’t understand the conflicts, and don’t understand why Suriname and Venezuela are so persistent,” President Granger said.

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…says alternative disciplinary measures being sought

EDUCATION Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine has said he is disturbed by the fact that teachers are still administering corporal punishment in schools, and the Ministry of Education (MoE) is seeking ways to eliminate it from the school system.

He said that as a real alternative to corporal punishment, a central counselling body will be established soon, and a trained councillor will be attached to each school. “Children need love, children need care, children need to be happy,” the minister said during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

In recent months, several reports have surfaced of students -- particularly in the hinterland -- being brutalised by their teachers, some of whom have been disciplined by the Teaching Service Commission.

The Ministry of Education had, some year ago, adopted rules and regulations for administering corporal punishment. One rule says that a child should not be flogged for being unable to learn, or for not doing school work; and another rule mandates that no child should be flogged in the presence of other children. Those rules were often breached.

In 2013, the National Assembly had adopted the Report of the Special Select Committee of the National Assembly on the United Nations Human Rights Council with regard to the abolition of corporal punishment in schools. The

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committee had begun work in 2012 following the move to adopt a motion addressing the issue, which was tabled by then Prime Minister Samuel Hinds in August 2012. Hinds had reported to the National Assembly that Guyana appeared before the United Nations Human Rights Council during the first cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in May 2010, and then in September 2010. The second cycle is to take place in 2016.

The PPP government was of the view that parliamentary consideration of this matter would have enhanced the national consultations procedurally. The subject was placed before a special select committee which had organised the national consultations in a complementary, credible way. Several organisations had made presentations before the committee.

National Choir Dr Roopnaraine also disclosed that the Education Ministry is currently setting up a National Choir, which will make its debut performance during Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations. He said teachers from several schools have been asked to select students and submit their names to the Ministry of Education for inclusion in the diplomatic youth outfit that would carry national and folk songs countrywide.

He has also recognised that few children are acquainted with the national songs, and that a majority of children are versed only on the first and last stanzas of the National Anthem, “Dear land of Guyana”.

“This is a failure,” he said; and while some of the great music teachers of the past have passed on, the Ed-

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ucation Ministry, he revealed, will employ the services of some of the pioneers of the past, as well as more recent experts in the field, to recapture what has been lost.

A steelpan fabrication workshop will be held before year’s end to teach Guyanese to craft and produce steel pans here, instead of importing them from Trinidad and Tobago.

Dr Roopnaraine further disclosed that Government is working assiduously to upgrade the education system, making it complete with efficient, effective curriculum delivery, and equipping it with a variety of musical instruments and sports facilities, along with the human resources to carry out its new mandate.

He said he would like to see sports departments installed in every school, as fitness is vital for development.

He listed some of the sport activities being introduced in schools as football, volleyball, basketball, cricket, circle tennis, table tennis.

The MoE has also alerted NCERD in a move to undertake a comprehensive curriculum review, to understand where adjustment is needed to eliminate illiteracy countrywide. The Education Minister is dissatisfied with the way the education system has, over the years, allowed the rate of illiteracy to increase, with many students entering secondary schools being unable to read.

“I don’t know when was the last time (a curriculum review) was done, but I know we are urgently in need of it now,” he said. At the end of the review, the MoE will create a curriculum which resonates with the interests and needs of each child within the education system.

With the conversion of the ‘One Laptop Per Family’(OLPF) drive to the ‘One Laptop Per Teacher’ (OPLT) programme, teachers will be similarly equipped to step ahead with the children, who already are exposed to certain programmes and information, leaving teachers behind.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Findings of GuySuCo probe out …Agri. Ministry to submit for Cabinet review

THE GuySuCo Commission of Inquiry, headed by its Chairman, Mr Vibert Parvatan, has handed over to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. George Jervis, documents detailing its findings and recommendations on the way forward for the sugar industry.

These formalities were completed in the large Boardroom of the Ministry of Agriculture at Regent Road and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive in Georgetown.

Over the past three months, CoI members, guided by their terms of reference, deliberated on the future of the sugar industry through the development of a 15-year plan which is expected to bring the industry back to profitability.

Mr. Parvatan noted that, in going forward, the recommendations by the eleven-member CoI will ensure long-term environmental and economic sustainability.

“We (CoI) are pleased to have completed the study, which took into account critical issues and major constraints affecting the industry…. The CoI team remains thankful to the many organisations and people who assisted the work of the Commission,” Mr. Parvatan said.

Among the works car-

GuySuCo CoI Chairman, Mr. Vibert Parvatan ried out by the CoI over the past three months were: investigation of the current state of cane cultivation; factory operations; and production and marketing of sugar, molasses and other by-products. Emphasis was also placed on human resource capabilities; research and development; diversification of the industry; community obligations; weather events; marketing, finance, procurement; factory performance and management.

Permanent Secretary Mr. George Jervis lauded the efforts of the CoI, describing the members as competent in pronouncing on the future of the sugar industry.

This Commission of Inquiry was composed of the following members: Mr.

Vibert Parvatan (Chairman), Prof. Clive Thomas (financial and economic analysis), Dr. Harold Davis and Mr. John Piggot (agronomists), Mr. John Dow and Mr. Joseph Alfred (factory operations), Mr. George James (sugar processing), Mr. Nowrang Persaud (industrial relations), Mr. Claude Housty (marketing); Mr. Seepaul Narine, GAWU representative; and Mr. Omadatt Chandan, who served as the commission’s secretary.

The document will now be handed over to the Hon. Noel Holder, Minister of Agriculture (who is presently on official business in Cancun, Mexico), after which it will be presented to Cabinet for further deliberations.

Republic Bank launches eighth annual Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme

By Shauna Jemmott REPUBLIC Bank (Guyana) Limited yesterday launched its eighth annual ‘Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme’ preparing thirty-one just-out-ofschool youths for the world of work.

The formal launching ceremony took place at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

Republic’s Managing Director, Mr Richard Sammy, said the programme was specifically formulated to aid the development of youths, and to facilitate their successful transition from school to the work environment.

Since launch of the inaugural programme in October 2008, one hundred and eighty-eight students from across Guyana have benefited.

The programme is a registered participant with the Council for Technical and Vocational Education (CTVET), offers and delivers competency-based education (CBE) certification, and offers a unique experience that contributes towards building successful societies.

The strategy used to train the apprentices is the

modern, internationally recognised competency-based modularised training, and trainees will be assessed in classroom sessions and on-the-job performance by Republic Bank trainers and assessors who have been trained and certified by CTVET. They will, for seven months, be afforded the necessary tools and coaching through practical and theoretical aspects of banking.

Sammy said they will also be taught “basic marketable skills required to improve their career options, and will be provided a preview of what obtains in the world of work”.

He said they will each be qualified as a Certified Bank Clerk with a National Vocational Qualification Certificate issued by CTVET, which can be used when seeking employment for specific entry level jobs, and offers a distinct advantage in their employment pursuits.

He told apprentices they must be actively involved and be committed to the programme in order to be successful. The programme includes community care as they participate in the “Youth Link Care-A-Van” designed to foster social awareness,

empathy, respect, and care for the less fortunate. They will also participate in field trips in which they can enjoy fun-filled and relaxing retreat at a special location, providing opportunity for research building and teamwork, and opportunity to learn about country.

Celine Davis, who manages the bank’s Water Street branch, said youths are special to Republic Bank, and the launch demonstrates the Bank’s commitment to empowering them “to become visionaries and to reach beyond the ordinary and the obvious in their quest for success”.

In delivering the opening remarks at the programme’s launch, Davis said the programme aims at declaring the overall vision for Guyana’s youths, and has, for years, made youths its main focus for support and development through decades of social outreach programmes.

“We are particularly pleased that we have, yet again, been able to bring together a group of participants from across all of the local communities in which our Bank operates,” she stated.

The programme ends in May 2016.

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Guyana

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Cutting noses to spite faces Dear Editor,

EDITORIAL New energy EDITORIAL

initiatives

NO country in the world is or has been developed without energy and technology. The perpetual and regular blackouts that plague Guyana and Guyanese daily make a mockery of all the talk we heard about the “developments” in Guyana by the previous administration.

The historical incompetence and lack of imagination is easily demonstrated by the countless blackouts inflicted upon the citizens of Guyana on a daily basis. The damage caused by these blackouts affects everyone across the nation: our children cannot study, our adults cannot work, businesses suffer, household and business equipment get damaged, real investment is discouraged and social and domestic criminals unleash terror in the blackness. The psychological wounds caused by these blackouts are inestimable; our young and our females are at greatest risk, yet no research has been sponsored or under-taken to deal with this. In fact, there are direct links between blackouts and domestic violence, child abuse, and rape, including that quiet monstrosity called domestic rape. We would know this if we bothered ourselves to read, if we could be bothered to do even a tiny bit of research.

Under our new government, the people of this nation must be treated with greater respect than in the past. One way to convey this respect is to put in place systems that will ensure constant, dependable, affordable, and clean energy. We must attract new, cutting-edge technologies for use in Guyana. And we need to stop thinking in ordinary ways about Amaila Falls and tilting at windmills. We have already heard the call from our government for research dedicated to finding ways to use our local resources for power-generation: sugar-cane waste, ethanol, coconut husks, “boosie” (given its cohesiveness, this can also be used for infrastructural development), rice shells, recycled cooking oil, wood, etc. This is all useful, if anyone is bothering to do some follow-up work.

The centerpiece of the nation’s energy programme could be Under Water Turrent Turbines (UWTT)! There are people (one or two maybe) who have been acquainted with international innovators, one of whom invented the UWTT. Here are some pertinent facts: Sea water is 832 times heavier than air. This means that each inch of power-generating velocity from wind turbines must be multiplied by 832 times, which then means that the power potential is enormous.

ON Wednesday, October 14, 2015, I received a series of telephones calls from residents of my village, informing me that a person was squatting and fencing the front of a government reserve which is next to the National Bank of Industry and Commerce (NBIC) at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.

As far as I can remember, this person has been attempting to occupy this small piece of land since way back in 2007, and several letters had been published in the press opposing this squatting, since the Hindu community from Anna Regina and Cotton Field has been using this dam to plant and burn their holka.

A petition signed by thousands of residents from these two villages had been taken to the Office of the President for action to be taken.

I also remember that, when I was the acting mayor of the Anna Regina Town Council, this matter had come up at a statutory meeting, when this individual had applied to build a mall but the full council had denied his application, knowing it was a government reserve and the property of the council.

After I had resigned from the town council, this matter kept surfacing, and the individual made several other attempts to occupy this reserve, which is a thoroughfare designed by the then Lands and Surveys Department for maintenance of the sea defence, that in the event of a disaster and the walls should collapse overnight, mobilisation of machinery and equipment can get easy access.

I e-mailed the former president after learning that he was coming to meet with PPP party members at the Reliance

Additionally, wind turbines have been condemned by the best international scientists as requiring too much space and are aesthetically unfriendly and land consuming. Given the constant (twice per day coastal current) and the hundreds of miles of sea water off our coast, we can embed turbines which would provide more dependable power than two nuclear plants, without the potential or inherent risks of nuclear generation. Each turbine can be set 600 feet apart, and 130 feet down. The turbines are therefore invisible and shall not interfere with any naval traffic. Nonetheless, we can have wide ultra-precautionary corridors through which large ships can enter our harbours. Because the underwater turbines are slow (given the heaviness of sea water, they operate at 12-18 RPM), they will not impact negatively on marine life nor bird life. UWTTs are not affected by climactic conditions (unlike out-dated hydro-power and solar panels). Therefore, the power is constant, invisible, clean and perpetually renewable.

The technology can move this nation and its citizens into a new age. The turbines can be made to fit-for-purpose and embedded strategically in all rivers in Guyana. This means constant electricity to all communities in all corners of the nation. They can be anchored using iron and metal waste, thereby minimising cost. This is also environmentally friendly. One notices mountains of iron waste all along the coastal strip of Guyana. This energy source offers 100 years of predictability. We are aware that this new, cutting edge technology is being deployed now in Northern Scotland and Wales, and will be fully operational by 2016.

branch office, and he agreed to meet with me to discuss the matter; but, for some reason or the other, he couldn’t come to meet with me. He sent the former Minister of Health, who was on his party trip, to meet with me and listen to my complaints. The villagers were alerted by me to come and raise their voices against this squatting.

The regional vice chairman arrived with the former minister at my house, and the villagers flocked him in the hallway and started to complain bitterly about the squatting on their holy site, which they have, for decades, been using to plant and burn their holka. The former minister then asked the vice chairman, being the chairman of the land selection committee, how approval could be given for a government reserve -- which is a public ingress and egress -– to be used for squatting, and he told the minister that the committee has rescinded the approval after careful consideration and appeals from the residents of the adjoining villages.

We, the villagers, never knew that a lease for the reserve was being issued secretly by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission. The town clerk told me that she had seen the lease with this individual’s building application when it was sent in for the council’s recommendation. The application was referred to the CH&PA, where it was not approved or recommended, and it was returned to the council. I asked her if she was aware that this person was fencing the town council reserve. She told me she was not aware, but would inform the chairman of the IMC. She told me the NBIC had applied for the same spot to make a play park for children of the surrounding villages, so that in the evenings and on Sundays and holidays they can play and relax, the bank would do all the developmental works at its own expense, plus plant beautiful flowers.

The NBIC application was approved by the town council, she told me, but the political directorate had instructed her to cancel it, as the region had better use for that piece of land, which she did.

I had called the manager of the Lands and Surveys Department in 2007, when I heard that the Land Selection Committee had approved squatting on this thoroughfare. He told me that he had abstained from voting on the matter because he knew that it was against the law to approve squatting on a government thoroughfare.

Anyhow, days after the squatting had begun on the public thoroughfare, I decided to call the regional chairman and REO to inform them of what was taking place. Not one of them was available, one was looking at members of the public and the other was in Georgetown at a meeting.

I called the regional vice chairwoman and informed her of the development. She assured me that the man was wasting his time and money, since he could not get the land for his purposes. I took her word for granted. I reminded the town clerk that if she should look up the statutory minutes during my tenure, she would find that the matter was closed.

What amazed me in 2007 was that the Hindu community, priest and the residents of both Anna Regina and Cotton Field were then up in arms against the squatter, since it was the only place suitable in the village for them to plant and burn their holka.

Now, because of a new coalition government being in place, they are all silent on the matter, and want the government to look bad and corrupt in giving permission to the squatter to fence the thoroughfare leading to the sea defence.

An investigation needs to be conducted into the issuance of this lease. This person is a millionaire and can buy a large plot of land, or apply for any amount of land elsewhere.

Yours faithfully, Mohamed Khan

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Farmer found murdered in home

A 22-year-old cash-crop farmer of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara was found dead yesterday in his home.

Dead is Shiraz Ally, called “Ameer”, whose lifeless body was found in a pool of blood at his Lot 2 Good Hope Railway Embankment home. The man, who had no children and lived alone, reportedly spent most of his time tending to his farm.

When the Guyana Chronicle turned up yesterday at the house, it appeared to have been ransacked while he lay dead in bed.

It was also observed that the mattress on which he lay was soaked in so much blood, that the effluent was beginning to make its way onto the floor and into the yard.

There were also tell-tale signs that something or the other was burnt either in the yard or in the room where the man’s body was found.

Yesterday, police investigators removed, among other things from the crime scene, two knives, one hammer, a lighter, and several packets of cigarettes.

But according to persons who know the deceased well, he was not known to be a smoker, and as far as they

The body of Shiraz Ally on his bed inside his bedroom

Family and friends removing the body of the dead man late yesterday

The dead man’s mother being consoled by family and friends The home in which Shiraz Ally lived alone and where his body was discovered know, he did not have issues with anyone either.

Relatives and friends of the dead man turned up yesterday at his home to pay their respects to, and comfort, his mother, who was obviously overcome with grief at the death of her “baby”.

What the Guyana Chron-

icle observed yesterday after taking a look at the remains of the young man is that because of his built, he may have been attacked by either one or more persons.

He sustained the worst of his injuries to the back of the head, but also had marks of violence on his shoulders.

Public humiliation should not pass for discipline Dear Editor, LET me begin by saying I support GHRA’s objection to the ‘name and shame’ campaign. Quite frankly, it’s shameful that we have a policy endorsing public humiliation as a method of discipline. The principle of “name and shame” is simple: to psychologically humiliate in order to deter others from committing the same crime.

In a society in which shaming persons for their behaviour is more common than not, it is simply another way to encourage shame-hating discourse. ‘Name and

Shame’ ruins an individual’s opportunity to sincerely feel remorseful on one’s own capacity.

Although these methods of ‘correcting’ may seem to work (arguably a shortterm effect), we ought to be very wary of endorsing this archaic method of discipline. I am disturbed by the thrill some get from the idea of embarrassing or instilling fear in others to express moral disapproval.

The measures a society or state takes when it comes to punishing its people define what kind of society or state it is. Rightly, people ought to be corrected or disciplined

accordingly when they err or have committed a horrendous crime; but the principle of justice, that is, what is fair and decent, doesn’t allow for barbaric measures of punishment.

When the state inadvertently sanctions what really seems to be an act of vengeance, it reflects poorly on our justice system. History informs us that this is not the sort of state one would want to live in. For progressive values to flourish, novel approaches to law and order are necessary.

Yours faithfully, Ferlin F. Pedro

Relatives indicated that the man was found face down on the bed, and that police investigators had to turn him over to look for other marks of violence. Police sources also indicated that no signs of forced entry were detected during the initial investigations.

According to his mother, Bibi Shaleeza Hamid, she last saw Ameer on Friday when he visited her at her home, and never left until the following day. Persons in the area also reported seeing the young man on Saturday afternoon and even on Sunday.

It was not until yesterday, when calls to his mobile phone went unanswered, that his mother decided to go over to his home and check on him.

She also confirmed that her son had no issues with anyone, as far as she knew.

She also said she is at pains to figure out what may have caused him to be murdered.

According to unconfirmed reports, one of his neighbours did pay the young man a visit on Sunday, but it is not clear if that person was the last person that visited the home of the deceased.

PPP to table motion to annul salary hike The People’s Progressive Party Civic said that it will be tabling a motion to annul the recent salary hike approved by the government for Cabinet ministers, and parliamentarians.

In a release yesterday the PPP said at a meeting its Members of Parliament held to prepare for the October 22nd sitting of the National Assembly, it was unanimously decided that PPPC MPs will not be accepting the salary increases, as stated by the Leader of the Opposition at a public event at Red House on October 7th, 2015. “Indeed, a motion shall be laid in the National Assembly seeking to annul the unconscionable and astronomical salary increases that the APNU+AFC Cabinet gave to themselves. Furthermore, the meeting decided that it will also table a motion calling on all MPs to make public their tax returns to the GRA over the last 10 years. It was also decided to submit both of these motions prior to Thursday, October 22, 2015 sitting.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Baby killer sends ‘granny’ death threats – promises to show his true colours

By Rabindra Rooplall THE grandmother of the toddler who was shot dead on Sunday at Annandale now fears for her life since receiving death threats from murder accused Marc Angoy, who is presently on the run.

Angoy, 45, is wanted for questioning in the murder on Sunday of one-year-old Ariane Gill, who was shot in

the back in the region of the upper left shoulder.

He is also wanted for questioning in the wounding with intent of 12-year-old Ashley Wellington, who was shot twice in the left leg, and is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Police yesterday issued a wanted bulletin for the fugitive, whose last known address has been given as

Buzz Bee Dam, Craig, East Bank Demerara.

They are also asking the public to make contact with the nearest police station should he be seen, and have given their word that whatever information they receive will be treated with strict confidence.

Meanwhile, Shenay Northon, the woman at the centre of the tragedy, has told this publication that since the story went public on Sunday and yesterday, she has received several death threats from Angoy. The fugitive even had the temerity to contact her son by way of text message, saying how upset he was at what has been reported.

“He called and told me I am blaming him, and that I will soon see the real thing….

I am asking the police for protection, because I know this man; he is very dangerous,” an obviously petrified Northon said.

Her injured daughter,

Wanted: Marc Angoy

12-year-old Ashley, told this publication that she, too, is scared, since Angoy is still at large.

Angoy, against whom the court has granted a restraining order, paid Northon a visit at her Lot 38 Eastville Housing Scheme home at Annandale, East Coast Demerara, not to see her, but to make good on a promise that he would get back at her for leaving him.

After his shooting spree, he reportedly fled the scene in a blue motorcar, but was last

Dead: One-year-old Ariane Gill

seen just yesterday in Craig, on the East Bank Demerara.

A former member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Angoy, who previously operated a business in the interior, was wanted for murder before, but was later acquitted.

Northon said that after being in an abusive relationship with him for three long years, she finally called it quits two month ago. But according to her, Angoy was having none of it, and reportedly told her that leaving him

Escapee back in custody A REMAND prisoner who spent almost five months on the run in Brazil after escaping from Lethem Police Lockup was yesterday sentenced to five months’

imprisonment by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Daniel Byrd, a 22-yearold labourer of St. Ignatius

Village, pleaded guilty to the charge that he, on May 17, escaped from the Lethem Police Station while being in custody on a criminal charge of break and enter with larceny.

According to the Police facts, Byrd was held at the Lethem Police Station after being remanded by the district magistrate. However, while at the station, the prisoner asked to use the washroom, and while being

would be the biggest mistake she’d ever make.

But Northon was long over him. “I left him because of abuse in every way possible: physical, mental, verbal, and emotional; every way possible,” she told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday.

She said the reason Angoy targeted those two particular children was because he knew how much she loved them; how close they both were to her heart.

“I normally call her ‘Princess’; and he know I care a lot for these two...” Northon said, adding: “We tried patching up the relationship many times before, but he is very abusive.

He even smoke cocaine in the house, and because of his behaviour towards me, my children could not stand it and they moved out.”

Looking back, she said yesterday: “I guess I’ll now have to live with the grief of making a major mistake by allowing the abuse that later ended in the murder of my grand-daughter.” escorted by a constable, he knocked the officer to the floor and made good his escape to the Takutu River and swam over to the Brazil shore.

When Byrd returned to Guyana, he was arrested on October 15, after he was seen walking around in Lethem. When asked by the magistrate about the allegation, Byrd showed no sign of remorse and told her that he still had another matter before the Lethem Court.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 - 10:00 hrs Wednesday, October 21, 2015 - 11:00 hrs Thursday, October 22, 2015 - 12:30 hrs

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

PC to get budgetary support from next year …Granger sees school as future leader in science and technology

President Granger and CEO Ministry of Education Olato Sam meet with staff of President’s college President David Granger tours President’s College with Principal Carolyn Canterbury on Monday

By Ariana Gordon Government is looking to make financial contributions to President’s College come 2016, President David Granger told the media after a lengthy tour and meeting at the East Coast Demerara learning institution yesterday.

The President said he wanted to see the issues facing the country’s premier secondary institution, located at Golden Grove, ECD being addressed. “There are local issues that concern this campus that we would address, and it is now the time that we are still planning the budget for FY (Fiscal Year) 2016 and we want to make sure within that financial year we could give the college as much as possible in terms of financial support to solve the problems which exist here,” said the President following an almost two-hour meeting with members of staff of the College and Education Ministry officials.

President Granger said his visit to the “School of Excellence” was not a policy-finding visit. “It is important to see my visit here as a fact-finding visit, not a policy finding visit,” he told reporters, adding, “I came here to find out what the needs of this college are, and I will do my best to have a meeting with the ministry and see how those needs can be met.” The President, during a tour of the school’s facilities, was briefed

by Principal Carolyn Canterbuy and Deputy Principal Yvonette Chichester along with other staff on what can be termed the deteriorating facilities the children and teachers of the school are forced to work with. “I came here to look at the campus, listen to the staff and learn what the problems were. I walked around the campus, I went into the laboratory, into the classrooms, into the stores, kitchen and dormitories. I want to inform myself about

President David Granger showcases two books on Guyana’s Independence he donated to the school on Monday

the conditions at this college.

President’s College, like other educational institutions is “a very important part of our education system.

“I had an engagement with the members of staff and they raised issues and I will then go to a meeting with the Minister of Education and of course with other officials to see how best some of these issues could be met,” the President said. Granger said it is his intention to ensure that President’s College and all secondary schools across the country are “performing at the optimum, at their highest level.”

He stressed the importance of raising the standard of education throughout the country. “We want to assure parents and students themselves here that we will provide within the limit of our resources, the best possible resources to enable them to achieve high standards, high academic standards.”

The lack of textbooks was just one issue raised by staff of the school, and President Granger has assured that that issue, among others, would be raised with Education Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine.

Insufficient facilities and outdated equipment were also foremost among complaints raised by staff of the school.

The President said: “A lot of things were raised here, which I need to discuss with the Minister of Education, before I give any definitive

Assembly, President Granger beseeched students to explore more studying subjects in the field of Science and Technology. He noted that change was inevitable and Guyana must advance its education sector.

“What you do here will determine what happens to Guyana. That is why I would like to see that President’s College takes the lead as the College of Science and Technology. Change is inevitable… embrace information technology,” he said.

He noted that while the school has excelled in many areas including poetry and sport, developments needed to be made in other areas.

“We have to build highways,

Rajni Persaud, a fourth form Business student at President’s College, presents tokens of appreciation to President David Granger in the presence of a teacher of the school, as Chief Education Officer Olato Sam looks on

answer.

“Yes, textbooks is a problem, but as you can see, the physical infrastructure needs rehabilitation and the personnel, staffing situation … all these things need to be attended to,” Granger added.

For him, the most “important thing” is that the students leaving President’s College are “up to the standards of any other school in Guyana. This is not a college that should be allowed to deteriorate or the standards be allowed to fall,” the President emphasised.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Meanwhile, at a Special

bridges, stellings, factories… and to develop this country … we need engineers, scientists, mathematicians and architects.”

Granger stressed the need to make use of the abundant resources available. “President’s College will take the lead, along with other secondary schools, in opening this new chapter of Science and Technology in education.

“We are moving forward, we are not moving backwards. Bear in mind as we move forward, we need to accept and adopt new technology. We can’t live in the past. We have to look to the future. Right here,

this college is the beginning of a new life; this college is the gateway to changing Guyanese economy,” the Guyanese leader told the students of the school founded by former president Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

Adding that time is ripe for change, the President said it is up to the next generation “to move the economy forward.”

“Education opens the door to empowerment. Education is the gateway to employment, education is the gateway to empowerment,” Granger remarked stressing that “Education is the mother of everything good that you want to achieve in this life, but at the same time you must make sure you do not create what is called education apartheid.”

Granger said there should be no gap in the education system, stressing the need for every student to be properly educated. ‘What we want to do in Guyana is close the gap, what we want to do is remove the inequalities so that everyone has the same access to good education…

What we need to do here and elsewhere in the education system is give all children access to quality education everywhere, not the five top schools, not ten top schools, but 50 top schools. We want to ensure that everyone can benefit from a good education.”

“PC you good?” Granger shouted as he stood at the podium amidst loud screams and applause. “I’ve come here to look, I’ve come here to listen, and I’ve come here to learn. I’ll be back again in November. Today I’ve come to learn from you all. I’ve come to see how the students study and live on this campus.”

He said while he had chosen to visit President’s College, he remained the president of all Guyana. “I am not president of President’s College. I am president of Guyana, all Guyana. So although I love you, I love Guyana too. I have to make sure that the resources of Guyana are available to all regions of Guyana.”

Granger said it was im-

portant that the needs of the school were met, but noted that there were approximately 600 students attending President’s College as against 75,000 secondary school students across the country.

“I am interested in high standards, and nothing will be done during my tenure as president to lower the standards of President’s College,” Granger said to loud applause. He acknowledged that there were many problems in the education system that had to be fixed, and noted that work was being done to have those problems solved.

“I am concerned about conditions upon which children are educated. My visit here today is part of my whole purpose of being president is to make sure that this administration and this President is able to hand over to you the children of Guyana, a country that is better than we found.”

Carolyn Canterbury, Principal of President’s College, dubbed the President’s visit to the institution as a “special day.”

“We view your visit here today as timely and conventional. It is our perception that today’s visit will be recorded as a remarkable and memorable one and it will certainly be added to the history of President’s College.”

Canterbury thanked President Granger for visiting the school and said his visit represented “a beginning of new days here at President’s College. We thank you from the depths of our hearts, we will not disappoint you.”

Over the years, President’s College was deprived of much-needed resources and was deemed a financial burden to the former administration. In September 1985, the school opened its doors to students as the premier secondary institution that catered for the ‘cream of the crop’.

President Granger was presented with tokens of appreciation by Rajni Persaud, a fourth form student who is wheelchair-bound.

In return, the President presented two books on Guyana’s Independence to the School’s library.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Cutlass attacker Five charged for remanded Essequibo cocaine bust WAINI River farmer, Bernard Mathias, who is accused of using a cutlass to severely chop a man with whom he had an argument on October 18, was yesterday remanded to prison until November 17

by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Mathias, 40 of Three Brothers Village, Waini River, North West District, was charged with attempted murder. He was not represented by counsel.

Police prosecutor Deniro Jones told the court that Mathias wounded Orin Mendoza and the victim was still hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The Chief Magistrate remanded the farmer and transferred the matter to the Mabaruma Magistrate's Court.

FIVE persons charged with trafficking in narcotics were yesterday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

In custody are: Gordon Williams, called ‘Monkey Harry’ (52) of 12 Perseverance and 25 Section ‘C’ Street, Barima, Essequibo Coast; Marlyn Laurna Scott (49), a well-known business woman of 25 Section ‘C’ Street, Barima, Essequibo Coast; Marlon Scott (28), a miner of 503 Respect Street, Onderneeming, Essequibo; Damien George (32) of Second Phase Sandhill, Onderneeming, Essequibo; and Dennis Mohabir (50) of 68 Shell Road, Kitty. All appeared before the magistrate charged with trafficking narcotics in the form of marijuana and cocaine.

The five accused pleaded not guilty to the charges which read that on Satur-

day, October 17 at Perseverance, Essequibo Coast they were found in possession of 3.841 kilograms of cocaine. Additionally, Williams and Marlyn Scott both denied that they were found in possession of 23 grams of cannabis sativa for the purpose of trafficking, and Marlon Scott denied a charge which read that on the same occasion he was found in possession of 30.5 grams of cannabis sativa for the purpose of trafficking.

According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones, ranks of the Criminal Investigations Department-Narcotics branch, while acting on information received travelled to Essequibo where they launched an operation which saw the premises where the drugs were found placed under surveillance.

On the day in question, the ranks went to the house to conduct a search, and when

they entered they saw the five accused sitting around a coffee table, with the cocaine in the center of the coffee table. The ranks also seized US$4,010 and GYD$258,800 during the raid. A further search of the house resulted in 23 grams of cannabis being found under a pillow in a room that was being occupied by Williams and Marlyn Scott, and 30 grams of cannabis being discovered on the person of Marlon Scott.

Williams was represented

by Attorney Glen Hanoman and Marlyn Scott was represented by Attorney Mark Waldron while the others were unrepresented.

Prosecutor Jones objected to bail citing that there were no special reasons given. Bail was refused and the five accused were remanded to prison.

The matter was transferred to the Suddie Magistrate’s Court for October 29.

High Court trial for murder accused THE shocking murder case of 75-year-old pensioner Joyce Lewis who was found dead in her North Ruimveldt home with her hands tied, throat slit and underwear below her knees has been handed over to the High Court for trial.

Junior Williams, also known as Kevin Alfred,

was committed to face trial at the higher court, being committed by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan yesterday.

Williams, was absent at his trial hearings because he would disrupt the court and hurl abusive slangs at the magistrate. On one occasion the prisoner even attempted to forcefully

leave the stand and became violent in his attempt to do so. The magistrate kept her composure and proceeded with the matter after informing Williams that she would do so in his absence.

Williams was held and charged for the murder after he was linked to the crime scene by the Police fingerprint system.

Remanded on escape charge A 19-YEAR-old boy accused of escaping from police custody while he was under investigation was yesterday remanded to prison by City Magistrate Alex Moore.

Leroy Neil of Lot 207 Coldingen, East Coast Demerara was charged for escaping from the Alberttown Police Station, pending a

charge, during which he escaped from lawful custody on October 14, 2015. Neil denied the charge.

According to Police reports the accused was pulled over by a traffic rank for riding his motor cycle without a license and helmet and was taken to the Alberttown Police Station.

Neil however explained that while being at the station he paid a police officer $10,000 for unlocking his handcuff and was sent away but was later re-arrested at his sister’s home in Albouystown .

He was nevertheless remanded and will make his next court appearance on November 20.

$100,000 for gun, ammo accused A MAN from East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was released on $100,000 bail

by Magistrate Alex Moore when he appeared before him on a charge of having an unlicensed revolver and ammunition in his possession.

Devon Garraway of 317 East Ruimveldt pleaded not guilty to the charges which stated that on Sunday, September 6 at East Ruimveldt,

he had in is possession a .32 revolver along with 24 matching live rounds, without being the holder of a firearm licence.

Corporal Shawn Gonzales, prosecuting at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, said that the 24-yearold Garraway was arrested by the police during a sting operation and a subsequent search of his person unearthed the gun and ammunition.

Garraway in his defence said that the gun and ammunition did not belong to him.

He said he was sent by his roommate to uplift a package which was supposed to contain clothing and food items.

The police prosecutor did not object to bail but requested that it be set at a substantial amount.

Garraway will make his next court appearance on November 11.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

120 Lindeners enlist as volunteers for 50th anniversary celebrations THE GUY50 - National Commemorative Commission (NCC) with support from the Volunteer Support Platform (VSP) held another Volunteer Drive, this time in Linden Region 10 where over 120 persons were registered.

The activity is a build-up from the first drive which was held on October 10.

Since then there has been an influx of persons expressing their interest in volunteering for Guyana’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2016, a release from the Education Ministry said.

On Thursday another drive will be held in Region 6 at the Vryman Erven Training Centre. Registration will

Lindeners signing up as volunteers for Guyana’s 50th Anniversary celebrations

commence at 10:00 am. Persons interested in volunteering can register for the following categories: academia, ceremonial, commemorative, entertainment, infrastructure, youth, diaspora, and heritage and indigenous culture.

The volunteer drive is a continuous one, as such citizens can uplift and submit forms at the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport on Main Street. Forms can also be downloaded from the Ministry’s website – www.mcys.gov.gy. Additionally, the Volunteer Support Platform (VSP) can be contacted on 227-7575 for more information on the registration process.

Mexico helping Guyana preserve historical archive

Participants at the training session with the Mexican Archivists

TWO experts in the field of archiving were brought here, courtesy of the Mexican government, to advise on the digitisation of historical documents for the purpose of making them available to the public Online.

According to a release from the Mexican Embassy, while here, the experts also carried out a diagnosis of the local collections, and taught an introductory course on conservation and possible actions for implementation.

Participants in the training activities had

the opportunity of learning about possible conservation strategies, and the work of the General National Archives of Mexico.

The workshop primarily focused on designing a management strategy to meet the needs of preservation and dissemination of the documental collections, with materials dating back to the 18th Century.

During their meeting with Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry, the two experts brought her up to speed on the work they did during their visit to the

National Archives of Guyana.

This project, the release said, “is an effort to support Guyana in the conservation of its historical documental heritage, which is vital to ensure the right to access information and which supports the sense of national identity through documents that record the history of the country.”

It’s also part of a joint effort among the General National Archives, the National Archives of Guyana and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation

in the hope of strengthening human resources in Guyana via the transfer of the knowledge and experience of Mexican specialists.

With this contribution, the release said, the Government of Mexico reiterates its commitment in the field of cooperation with Guyana.

This project is part of a series of commemorative activities being carried out

by Mexico and Guyana in the following months to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Independence.

No bail for airport robbery suspect ANOTHER shot airport robbery suspect was yesterday remanded to prison after being arraigned before city magistrate Ann McLennan for discharging a loaded firearm and being in possession of a gun and ammunition.

Colace Collinson, a 23-year-old miner of Lot 148

South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara is suspected of being part of a crew trailing travellers from the airport into the city. He was shot after a confrontation with the police.

According to the charge, Collinson while being in Kitty in the company of others on October 7, discharged a loaded firearm at off-duty police

officer Prim Narine.

It is also alleged that he was found with a .32 revolver with three live matching rounds. He denied all the charges and was remanded to prison until October 28.

Last Wednesday, Shawn Thom, 37-year-old taxi driver of 138 Third Street, Alberttown, appeared before the

Chief Magistrate on a similar charge and had to be assisted into court by officers. He was shot to his right foot. He also denied the allegation and was remanded to prison.

According to reports, policeman Narine was escorting his family from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport when he noticed a suspicious

car trailing him and alerted ranks at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Then as Narine, a Kitty resident, pulled into his driveway he saw the suspect’s car parked a short distance away in a dark corner. The CID ranks and Narine were approaching the hire car when Thom

allegedly opened fire at the lawmen who returned fire, wounding the suspect in his right foot. Though they disarmed him he managed to escape. However he was later nabbed in a house at Tucber Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice while being treated by a woman for a gunshot wound.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Global financial crisis significantly affecting collective bargaining ILO says...

FIGURES from a new ILO database on industrial relations show that collective bargaining has come under pressure in many countries since the start of the global financial crisis in 2008.

The new IRData tool includes indicators on trade union density and collective bargaining coverage in 75 countries. It was launched together with a brief highlighting the major trends on collective bargaining.

According to that brief, collective bargaining coverage varies significantly from country to country.

When analysing the impact of the global financial crisis on collective bargaining, the brief looked at a sample of 48 countries, and showed that, on average, there was a 4.6 per cent

drop in collective bargaining coverage between 2008 and 2013, compared with an average decline of 2.3 per cent in union density for the same group of countries.

In countries where coverage has declined, this was mainly due to the cessation

of national general agreements, a roll-back in policy support for multi-employer bargaining, and policy-induced decentralisation (e.g. legislative changes that: prioritised company over multi-employer agreements; introduced the possibility

for companies in trouble to opt out of sectoral agreements; and allowed for the recognition of non-union bargaining representatives at the enterprise).

The sharpest declines (by an average of 21 per cent) were seen in countries hardest hit by the crisis, such as Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal and Romania.

But while many countries experienced a decrease in coverage, there were ten countries that advanced in the opposite direction and extended coverage. This was the case for example in Finland, where the social partners signed a national general agreement; and in The Netherlands, where collective bargaining expanded and collective agreements

were extended in new sectors.

Then there is a small group of countries (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France and Italy) where bargaining coverage remained stable.

These are countries where collective bargaining was a key element of the crisis response, including through the negotiation of “job saving agreements”.

“Collective bargaining can play a key role in translating growth into social progress,” says Philippe Marcadent, Chief of the ILO’s Conditions of Work and Employment Branch.

“Governments should be at the forefront of promoting collective bargaining and the use of social dialogue as the means to that end. This includes guaranteeing an enabling legal framework that recognises, promotes and upholds the rights of unions and employers’ or-

ganisations to have their voices heard, as well as specific measures to promote collective bargaining.”

The brief looks at other issues, including the level at which collective bargaining takes place.

Multi-employer bargaining at the sectoral or national level remains the most inclusive form of coverage.

The reason collective bargaining coverage in some countries exceeds trade union density is because of the inclusive practices of unions, employers (having signed a collective agreement, applying the terms to union and non-union workers) and of governments (extending collective agreements signed by representative parties to all employers in a branch or sector).

No significant difference can be found between collective bargaining coverage for men and women.

Tourism Ministry partners with Guyanese woman admits U.S. M&CC to restore Georgetown $400,000 credit card scam A GUYANESE woman has admitted trafficking more than US $400,000 worth of fake credit cards in grocery stores across New York and New England after an investigation by the Secret Service.

Georgette Jackman, 37, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Oct. 16 in Albany to conspiracy to commit access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and trafficking in counterfeit access devices.

Jackman, a citizen of Guyana, provided counterfeit credit cards to two other people as part of a scam involving approximately 47 Price Chopper Stores in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut, according to an announcement by the

Department of Justice. From February 2012 to January 2013, Jackman provided hundreds of counterfeit credit cards with stolen account numbers and fake names to Jamese Williams and Terry Nicholas, both of Brooklyn, prosecutors said. The three carpooled as they went from grocery store to grocery store to use their counterfeit credit cards to buy US $435,465 worth of gift cards, which would go to Jackman. Jackman awaits sentencing, currently scheduled for Feb. 18 in Albany. Jackman faces up to 17 years of prison time and also faces deportation when she gets out. The Secret Service, founded in 1865 to combat counterfeiting, investigated the case.

No new wave of crime...

From page 2

Minister Hughes along with Director General at the Tourism Ministry, Donald Sinclair sharing a light moment with Mayor Green and Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green

THE Ministry of Tourism has joined hands with the Mayor and City Council on the ongoing Georgetown restoration project.

Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes on Monday met with the Mayor of the City Hamilton Green to discuss the way forward.

Speaking to members of the media at City Hall, Minister Hughes highlighted the importance of restoring Georgetown to its former glory given that it is important for any vision of developing Guyana’s tourism sector.

“Partnering is very important, therefore, a very important part will depend on working in partnership with City Hall and to em-

phasise the importance of Guyana’s Capital City,” said the minister.

Lauding the efforts of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) so far, she recognised the clean-up works being done along the streets and in the alleyways, as well as the restoring of cemeteries around the city. The minister further explained that they will be embarking on a project of their own, which is the restoration of Camp Street, given that they are one step away from the street, being housed at the Colgrain House, which itself is an historic site.

“For these and other projects, the business community will be approached soon, so as to garner as much support

as possible, so that the initiatives could be executed properly,” Hughes told the forum at City Hall. She announced too that her ministry will be working to put some of the historical sites on the map and have them listed as UNESCO Heritage sites.

Meanwhile, Mayor Green welcomed the support of the ministry, as he expressed how it would impact the city in a positive way. They have so far cleaned various alleyways, cemeteries and numerous other initiatives which are visible to the eyes of the nation. These cleanup initiatives will continue as all Guyana head into the celebration of their 50th Independence Anniversary.

per cent under strength.”

The Police Force, the President added needs to be deployed into areas where serious crimes occur. He gave the example of the hinterland region. “I’d like the public to know that the Commander ‘F’ Division (Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budhram) is now based at Bartica. We intend to give him boats, aircraft to do his work properly.”

The President is optimistic that Guyana would become safer in the future.

“So we expect that in the fullness of time the country would be safer. We need a police force that could prevent gun running, people trafficking; a police force

that is out there and actively enforcing the law,” Granger added assuring that he is “not particularly worried.”

The crime situation he stressed “will not get better unless the police force gets better.” As a result, a National Security Committee (NSC) has been established to work towards boosting both the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defence Force (GDF). That committee meets every week to devise ways and means of ensuring the crime situation does not get out of control.

It comprises President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, Police

Commissioner Seelall Persaud, Chief of Staff Mark Philips and Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Basil Williams. “I think some of the measures you have seen, like the gun amnesty, will eventually work. So, we are working on it, we are not ignoring crime,” Granger assured.

The President added that “it is the Police Force under the Police Act which has the responsibility for maintaining law and order.”

The Defence Force is merely a back-up to the police force he said. Nevertheless, the two forces will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that citizens are safe.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

CDC’s institutional capacity to be strengthened

CDC, Ministry of Health and Joint Services personnel who have benefited from specialised training in Disaster Risk Management from the Florida National Guard

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is in the process of re-strategising, so that it can be more effective in its operation, Director General Chabilall Ramsarup said.

During the year, the CDC continued to strengthen na-

tional capacity, by networking with a number of other government agencies, such as the Ministry of Social Protection, to ensure disaster plans and policies are updated. Colonel (retired) Ramsarup in a recent interview with the Government Information

Agency (GINA) indicated that his organisation is in the process of boosting its institutional capacity. “We are looking at re-organising… we are getting the support from the new government and we’re hoping that by year-end, we will see some

strengthening of the CDC… in the meantime, we are promoting the Volunteer Corps in the CDC,” Ramsarup indicated.

He added that the Region 6 Volunteer Group has significantly supported the works done over the year, in the Amerindian Satellite Villages of Siparuta and Orealla. Ramsarup was high in his praise for the tremendous assistance that the main body has been receiving from the volunteer component, adding that he hopes to establish the group in all the other regions.

Already there are active volunteer groups in Regions 4, 6, and 9. “I was surprised, when I went to Lethem, there were some volunteers

Region 6 CDC volunteers and Orealla/Siparuta teams during a recent simulation exercise

who did a lot of work in bringing the communities together, and trying to solve some problems,” Ramsarup explained.

The Director General explained that the CDC and disaster is not a one-agency issue, and that this has been evident via the support that has been forthcoming from a number of other government agencies, which all

play pivotal roles, during times of national disaster.

Recently, President David Granger, in delivering a “Total National Defence Policy,” to enlisted ranks of the Guyana Defence Force, indicated that a Civil Defence Corps will be established to support the work of the CDC, to boost capacity to respond to and manage disasters.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Platini defends $2M FIFA fee, says he undercharged - Le Monde

PARIS, France (Reuters) Michel Platini said the two million Swiss francs (£1 million) he received from FIFA, a payment which has cast a cloud over his bid to become president of the world football body, was legitimate reward for genuine work.

In an interview with Le Monde newspaper published yesterday, the head of Europe’s powerful UEFA football federation reaffirmed his determination to run for the top job and said the money was for work he did for FIFA president Sepp Blatter from 1998 to 2002.

Most of the payment, which is being investigated by the Swiss authorities, was only made in 2011.

Both Blatter and Platini have denied any wrongdoing over the affair, just one of the controversies roiling the scandal-plagued FIFA. Platini provided an extensive account of how that advisory work and related payments were agreed with Blatter, telling the newspaper he had never been good with finances and that he had even short-changed himself in the case in question.

Platini said he had asked

President of UEFA football federation Michel Platini for one million francs a year for the work which included reform of the global competitions calendar, work on subsidies for the poorest federations, funding for football projects and a lot of travel with Blatter.

“I’ve not used lawyers or negotiating agents for ages,” the former French soccer star told Le Monde. “It was a man-to-man thing.”

Platini said that Blatter had explained that his contract would stipulate an annual sum of 300 000 Swiss francs because that was the top salary rate at FIFA at the time. The rest of the agreed one million a year would be paid at a later date.

Over four years, such a catch-up payment would have totalled 700 000 francs a year, or 2.8 million Swiss francs.

Platini told Le Monde that when years later he was asked to send a bill for money still due to him, he mistakenly remembered a contract salary sum of 500 000 Swiss francs a year rather than 300 000. He therefore sent a bill for a total of only two million francs for the four years in question.

Blatter and Platini were suspended for 90 days on October 8 after Switzerland’s attorney general’s office initiated criminal proceedings against Blatter over the 2011

payment to Platini.

Platini played down the impact on his election chances of the debate over the 2011 payment.

“I don’t think I’ve lost many votes, and people who know me know I can look at myself in the mirror. I’m bullet-proof,” he said.

“I just hope I’m not going to be prevented from running. They’re just upset that a footballer rather than a pure politician wants to run things. Well, I don’t like losing. Above all when it’s over an issue that isn’t an issue.”

Competing against Platini for the FIFA presidency are Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein and former Trinidad and Tobago midfielder David Nakhid.

The president of Asian soccer, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, is also expected to do so before the October 26 deadline for the vote four months later.

FIFA was plunged into the worst crisis in its history with the indictment by U.S. authorities on May 27 of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives. The U.S. and Swiss authorities are running corruption investigations that include examining the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

GFF suspends Technical... from back page

who is the GFF’s TMS Manager, is in the middle of the Slingerz/GFF fiasco with regard to the eligibility issues of the club’s players.

Slingerz FC was fined $200 000 and had three additional points deducted from their tally in the STAG Elite League, for not taking the field on October 15, against the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

The club was told by the GFF that four of their players were ineligible and after attempts to have the game replayed which did not find favour with the Federation, Slingerz FC did not take the field for their game.

The result of their players being ineligible came after Buxton United raised an alarm following their 2-0 defeat suffered at the hands of Slingerz FC. However, sources close to the situation stated that it would have been impossible for Buxton United to be privy with any information within the TMS if France did not allegedly leak the information.

The GFF did not issue a statement through its Communications Department on France’s suspension but Chronicle Sport in a subsequent edition will seek clarification or justification from the Normalisation Committee Chairman or General Secretary Deidre Davis.

All-rounder Anisa... from back page

West Indies reached the target of 150 in 46.5 overs.

Earlier, Mohammed and Hayley Matthews’ off-spin had fetched two wickets apiece in a disciplined bowling effort after West Indies chose to field. Taylor chipped in with an economical 1 for 25 in ten overs as well.

Nain Abidi made 48 and Bismah Maroof 28, but the innings failed to kick on after the latter retired hurt on 81 for 2 in the 24th over. Pakistan were eventually dismissed for 149 in 46.1 overs. (ESPN Cricinfo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

ICC considering ‘different India prefers colour’ balls in Test matches Jadeja to

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering the use of “different coloured” balls in all Test matches.

A pink variation will be used in the first day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand in November, but day-time matches use only a red ball.

A red ball can be difficult to see when floodlights are used, like in England’s draw with Pakistan on Saturday.

“It may be that we use a different coloured ball for all Tests,” said ICC chief executive Dave Richardson.

Though the pink-ball Test between Australia and New Zealand is scheduled to take place under floodlights, restrictions are currently in place on how red-ball cricket

continues under artificial lighting.

These are enforced by the umpires, with no consultation to the players, as occurred on Saturday, when England were denied the opportunity to hit the 25 runs required for victory under floodlights in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s not ideal for the game,” added former South Africa wicketkeeper Richardson. “How we solve it I’m not so sure. We’ve tried various methods “We are pinning some hope on developing a ball, a different-coloured ball.

At this stage it would be a pink ball.

“If we can use it for daynight Test cricket, if the quality is good enough and it stays in decent enough

Harbhajan for South . Africa Tests

ICC chief executive Dave Richardson condition, long term we can use that different-coloured ball for all Test matches.”

Yesterday, Richardson was quoted in the Times suggesting a “greeny-yellow” ball could be used, but the 56-year-old clarified these comments in a press conference.

“I was just talking about a different-coloured ball, and said ‘pink, yellow, green, whatever’ - nothing specific.”

(BBC Sport)

NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) - All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been recalled to India’s squad in place of spinner Harbhajan Singh for next month’s first two Tests against South Africa, the country’s cricket board said yesterday.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja, 26, dropped for the recent series in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, has been in prime domestic form, picking up 24 wickets in two matches in first-class cricket.

Vincent ex-wife testifies against Cairns THE ex-wife of Lou Vincent, the disgraced former New Zealand cricketer, has told Southwark Crown Court in London that Chris Cairns was “very confident” that he would get away with match-fixing because “everyone was doing it in India”.

Cairns, who denies two counts of perjury and perverting the course of justice, also told other players that they would “never play cricket again” unless they agreed to take part in fixing, according to testimony from Eleanor Riley, who was married to Vincent until the couple’s divorce in 2012.

Riley was recalling a conversation with Cairns in a restaurant in Hale, near Manchester, in 2008, when her ex-husband was playing for Lancashire and Cairns for Nottinghamshire.

After raising her concerns with Cairns about Vincent’s activities, who she said had a “tendency to talk to anyone who listened” she said she was also reassured

by Cairns’ wife, Mel, whom she had met for the first time that evening.

Orlando Pownall QC, Cairns’ defence lawyer, put

it to Mrs Riley that she had been mistaken in her recollection of the conversation with someone she had apparently just met, and suggested she was “infected” by alcohol. Mrs Riley, however, pointed out that she had just eaten a five-course meal.

“When I’ve had a large meal it doesn’t matter how much I drink, I’m as clear as a bell.”

Asked by Sacha Wass, QC, the crown prosecutor, whether she had any reason to lie about the conversation with Cairns, Mrs Riley replied: “No, not at all. I certainly wouldn’t come to a perjury trial to lie.”

She added that she and Vincent had not separated on good terms, and when asked if she had any reason to support her ex-husband, she replied: “None at all.”

Her first exposure to match-fixing had come in April 2008 when Vincent rang her in tears, claiming that Cairns had asked him to match-fix but that he hadn’t been able to follow through.

“He said he had been approached by a man with a suitcase in Abu Dhabi. He (Vincent) said he refused, and told me that part of the training was how to handle

Former Kiwi all-rounder Chris Cairns denies two counts of perjury and perverting the course of justice. situations like this - being approached for match-fixing.”

Five days later, however, Mrs Riley claimed that Vincent had changed his story.

“He was crying. He told me that he had lied, that he had taken the money for the match-fixing. He told me that he had stuffed a game up. He just hadn’t played how he was supposed to play.

“He said that he was working with Chris - Chris Cairns.”

Vincent had previously testified that he had been “under direct orders from Chris Cairns to get involved in fixing” and that he had on one occasion been threatened with a cricket bat after failing to fulfil his side of the deal.

Prior to giving her evidence, Mrs Riley was given assurances by the court that she would not be charged by police for her knowledge of the money that Vincent had received for match-fixing.

However, this was not part of an immunity deal for her to give evidence.

She did claim, however, that Vincent had given his evidence in order to escape charges, adding that the ICC had written him “a letter to stop him from going to jail” in exchange for coming clean with the “big names”. Riley also agreed with Pownall that Vincent “hated” Cairns, because he believed he owed him money. The trial continues.

(ESPN Cricinfo)

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja., The left-handed batsman has also scored 91 and 58 in two innings.

The 35-year-old Harbhajan, who has played 103 Tests, bagged four wickets in the two matches he played in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The Indian selectors included off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who suffered a side strain in the first one-day international against South Africa in Kanpur earlier this month, in the Test squad.

Ashwin, the leader of the spin attack, was, however, not picked for the last two one-dayers. India trail 2-1 in that series.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was named in the Test squad even though he is ineligible for the first match after being suspended for misconduct againt Sri Lanka.

Sreenath Aravind has been drafted into the squad for the last two ODIs, replacing fast bowler Umesh Yadav who proved expensive during the first two matches and was dropped for Sunday’s third game in Rajkot.

The final two ODIs will be played on Thursday and Sunday before the first Test of a four-match encounter begins on November 5 in Mohali.

Test squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Lokesh Rahul, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma ODI squad for last two matches: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Sreenath Aravind, Gurkeerat Singh, Amit Mishra, Harbhajan Singh.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Shiv Sena attack derails India-Pakistan cricket talks

A MEETING between India and Pakistan’s cricket board chiefs in Mumbai has been cancelled after a protest by far-right Hindu nationalists.

Dozens of Shiv Sena party activists broke into the office of the cricket board just before yesterday’s talks.

Shiv Sena blames Pakistan for militant attacks in India and is opposed to any engagement with it.

Earlier this month, the party forced the cancellation of a concert by Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali. And last week, Shiv Sena activists doused the head of an Indian think-tank in black ink in protest at his support for the launch of a book by a former Pakistani foreign minister.

The party said the ink attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni was a form of “peaceful protest” against Pakistan. Mr Kulkarni called the incident “an attack on democracy”.

Yesterday morning, Shiv Sena activists or Shiv Sainiks broke into the office of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where the BCCI chief Shashank Manohar was scheduled to

IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla has condemned the attack. meet his Pakistani counterpart Shahryar Khan to discuss India’s participation in Pakistan’s home series in December.

Police said a number of protesters had been detained.

Unconfirmed reports suggest a meeting between the cricket chiefs could take place in Delhi.

Rajeev Shukla, chairman of Indian Premier League (IPL) and a senior BCCI official, condemned the attack: The Shiv Sena is a junior coalition partner in the Maharashtra state government, which is ruled by India’s governing BJP. It was founded in 1966 to

keep south Indian migrants out of Maharashtra state and to halt the spread of Islam.

Over time, it has acquired a reputation for promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism while allegedly targeting minorities, especially Muslims.

India and Pakistan last played a Test series when Pakistan toured India in 2007, although they did meet in a bilateral limited-overs series in 2012-13.

Because of security fears in Pakistan, the country is due to host India’s December tour in the United Arab Emirates. (BBC Sport)

Umpire Dar withdrawn from India-South Africa series

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar has been withdrawn from the ongoing series between India and South Africa, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced yesterday.

The ICC said it decided to remove Dar from the series after protesters stormed Indian cricket’s headquarters, demanding his removal.

“Under the present circumstances, it will be unreasonable to expect from Aleem that he will be able to perform his duties to the best of his abilities,” the ICC said in a statement.

“As such, he has been withdrawn and his replacement will be announced in due course.”

Dar, a member of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires, had been appointed to officiate in each of the five oneday internationals between India and South Africa.

He stood in the first three matches but will skip the last

Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar two with the ICC confirming the decision was made as a direct result of the protests.

“The ICC has made the decision following yesterday’s incident in Mumbai where a group of extremists stormed the Board of Control

for Cricket in India offices, and threatened to prevent the umpire from standing in the fifth ODI on Sunday.”

The fourth match is scheduled for Chennai on Thursday and the fifth for Mumbai on Sunday.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Amateur boxing card planned for New RHTY&SC to host Silvercity hard court Saturday double-wicket

By Joe Chapman

AMATEUR boxing hits Linden this Saturday when the Pocket Rocket Gym, in collaboration with the Police ‘E’ Division Commander Clifton Brutus and Junior Stephenson of Fresh from the West Groceries, puts together a 10-bout card at the New Silvercity Secondary School hard court in Wismar.

According to Orlan ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers, the main organiser, there will be an invasion of two gyms from Georgetown and in addition to the boxing there will be a doving competition among footballers to entertain the crowd prior to the showdown which starts at 19:00hrs.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport, Rogers said, “We are bringing two gyms from Georgetown - Harpy Eagles and the Forgotten Youth Foundation.

Superintendent Brutus has come on board as a part sponsor, along with Junior Stephenson of ‘Fresh from the West’ business along with the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym.” The card is made up of juniors and Under-15 categories and we are looking have at least ten bouts.

Commander Brutus said in an invited comment, “After learning of this planned activity and what it entails, we decided to come on board because we view it as a good initiative and we see that it involves youths in a meaningful way, hence to focus their attention away from idleness and becoming involved in crime.”

The `E’ Division input will be to sponsor the meals, the medals and the preparation of the venue and also in terms of logistics.

According to Superintendent Brutus, Rogers has been around for a while and currently he has been

competition for juniors

Police Commander of ‘E’Division Superintendent Calvin Brutus hands over sponsorship cheque to Orlan ‘Pocket’ Rogers for Saturday night’s amateur boxing card at the New Silvercity Secondary School hard court in Linden training some youths from Victory Valley and the surrounding communities at the Community Centre ground in Victory Valley.

Superintendent Brutus added, “So we want to keep that partnership and we want to be a part of the endeavour in the future as well, because it will be useful for us and useful as well for the com-

munity. We have never been involved in boxing; we have been in football on more than one occasion, in cricket and circle tennis so this is our first venture in the area of boxing.”

This is the first of many promotions Rogers plans to have in Linden. He returned to his home town earlier this year.

RHT Gizmos and Gadgets to clash with Albion in Tenelec final

A RESPONSIBLE half-century from Assad Fudadin, coupled with four-wicket hauls from Rajiv Ivan and Shawn Pereira, led Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets to a resounding semi-final victory in the 2015 Bobby Deonarine and Tom Gruntzel-sponsored Tenelec Inc 50 overs 1st Division tournament.

In glorious sunshine and on a sun-baked dusty Area ‘H’ outfield, the hosts won the toss and batted first.

They enjoyed a solid opening partnership of 67 from Vidal Crandon and Fudadin. Crandon went first, off the bowling of national U-19 all-rounder Kassim Khan for a boundary-filled 37.

The consistent Jason Sinclair joined Fudadin and together they put on exactly 100 for the second wicket

Rajiv Ivan before Sinclair was bowled

by Kevin Ramdeen for 42.

Ramdeen kept a check on the RHTY&SC’s progress by getting the wickets of Ivan for 14 and all-rounder Clinton Pestano for no score.

However, the lower order rallied their team to an impressive 254 for 8 off their allotted overs.

Fudadin top-scored with 68. Bowling for Young Warriors CC Ramdeen took 3 for 54 off 10 overs and Khan 2 for 41.

Shawn Pereira In reply, the visitors lost Berbice Under-15 opener Alex Algoo early by the runout route for one.

They never really recovered except for a few promising starts from national senior opener and West Indies Under-19 player Shimron Hetmyer with 45, Kassim Khan 36 not out, former national youth batsman Seon Hetmyer 27 and playoff centurion Waheid Edwards 20.

They ended on 193 all out in 42.5 overs. Doing the damage for the hosts were

Assad Fudadin Rajiv Ivan with 4 for 34 off 10 overs and Shawn Pereira 4 for 39 off 10 overs.

Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets will now play neighbours and arch rivals Albion Community Centre Cricket Club at a date and venue to be announced.

Both clubs are asked to note that the Berbice River Bridge final is now confirmed for Saturday October 24, 2015 at the Port Mourant ground from 09:30hrs.

THE cricket developmental committee of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC) would be hosting a double-wicket competition for the club’s junior cricketers from the Under-13 to Under-19 level.

The tournament, the brainchild of the club’s secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster would be played over a period of 4 (four) days in the afternoon practice sessions at the club’s area ‘H’ ground.

Foster and club coach Collis Butts would spearhead the hosting of the tournament which would include at least 20 pairs of players.

The double-wicket tournament is one of several new ideas that the RHTY&SC would be undertaking as part of its effort to develop the players and for them to gain experience.

The other proposed programmes include six-a-side cricket tournament, individual cricket tournament (one player versus another), playing matches versus friendly sister clubs of the RHTY&SC and playing developmental “B” teams in all tournaments organised by the club.

Special emphasis would also be placed on hosting

and visiting clubs out of the Ancient County.

Among the junior cricketers expected to be part of the double-wicket tournament are Jason and Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Denzil Sinclair, Brandon Prashad, Surendra Budhoo, Joel Pike, Joshua Gobin, Brandon Corlette, Sylus Tyndall, Joshua Wilson, Keith Simpson, Simon Naidu, Chanderpaul Govinda, Quinton Crandon, Chad Munroe, Samuel Lewis, Rudradeo Ramotar and Avinash Seenarine.

Foster explained that one experienced junior cricketer would be paired with and inexperienced player and stated that special emphasis would be placed on developing a culture of working together for success. The winning pair of cricketers would each receive a trophy and cash prize.

Meanwhile, the RHTY&SC is inviting interested young cricketers to join the club as early as possible.

Membership is free and the Club members enjoy a wide range of benefits including cricket gear, educational assistance and personal developmental programmes.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Tuesday October 20, 2015) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Rangana Herath-10/147 (2) Devindra Bishoo-4/143 Today’s Quiz: (1) Who are the WI that scored half-centuries in the first Test of the current series against SL? (2) Who are the WI batsmen dismissed for ‘ducks’ in the first Test of the current series against SL? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Calvin Ming secures F1600 podium

By Stephan Sookram

OVERSEAS-based Guyanese racer Calvin Ming finished on the podium in his debut outing for the United States-based Pelfrey team in the Final round of the F1600 Championship series for 2015.

In the second race of the round, the Guyanese produced an exhilarating drive in the cold damp Pittsburgh track to help his team take the overall constructors championship in his first competitive f1600 drive.

He finished behind the team’s Jordan Cane and ahead of team mates Robert Megennis and had managed to please the Team Pelfrey, since all the other competitors have driven on the Pittsburgh race track many times before.

Calvin Ming in his Team Pelfrey F1600. (Photo by Jlofoto.net©2015)

Calvin Ming (L) stands atop the podium alongside race winner Jordan Cane (C) and Robert Megennis (R). (Photo

by Jlofoto.net©2015) Speaking after the race spot, the Guyanese said, “It was a really good race from the go, as soon as they

dropped the flag, I tried to stay up with the lead pack.

That was my whole objective for the race.”

“But as the race progressed, I realised that I could keep up with these guys so I started trying to make moves and pick everyone off one by one and hopefully make it stick,” continued Ming.

Ming was invited to drive for Team Pelfrey as the substitute for their other driver

GFF slaps Slingerz FC $200 000 fine, points deducted THE Normalisation Committee (NC) of the GFF deliberated on the non-appearance of Slingerz Football Club for their October 12, STAG Elite League fixture against the GDF and noted that the club violated Article 4 (19) of Rules and Regulation of the League.

According to the rules that govern the League, ‘A No-show is when a team wilfully does not appear at a game without a specific agreement approved by the GFF’.

Should a club be found guilty of deliberately withdrawing itself from the game, the rules state that “a 3-0 loss, a 3-point deduction from their standings and a League fine of G$200 000, of which 50% is awarded to the aggrieved club”.

The club had made a decision not to take the field against the GDF, after being told by the GFF in a letter from the General Sec-

retary Deidre Davis on the day of the game, that the St Vincent and the Grenadines trio, brothers Winslow and Jolanshoy McDowall, Keith James and former Grove Hi-Tech striker Domini Garnett, were not eligible to further participate until the approval of their transfer.

The players would have played in every match so far for the ‘West Side’ club and the club’s General Manager Collin Aaron told the GFF’s General Secretary his team had no ineligible players on its registration list submitted to the Federation.

“The ITC request for the above-mentioned players was confirmed by all stakeholders within the FIFA TMS Transfer Matching System within the GFF Transfer Open Window Period.

“However, it was the GFF that was encountering internet problems during that time that caused the GFF TMS Manager Mr (Lyndon) France not having access to accept the ITC request, despite I brought him over to the Kashif & Shanghai Office to login and he was still encounter-

ing problems getting into his TMS Account,” Aaron said to the GFF in his letter.

Aaron was of the view that “it would be unfair at this time after five rounds of the Elite League to now tell us (Slingerz FC) that the players are ineligible due to the GFF negligence in the entire process”.

Slingerz FC are down to face the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) at the GDF ground tomorrow and the club had hinted on their facebook page that they are withdrawing from the league.

Elite League points standing as of round seven:.

who was unavailable for the weekend and as such has turned heads on his debut performance.

In the first race on Saturday, Jordan Cane, Robert Megennis and Calvin Ming finished 1st, 2nd and 7th respectively.

He had qualified in 10th

out of 21 competitors, but was put back to 12th on the starting grid.

The two-position penalty resulted from him doing an extra lap yesterday during practice and Ming said that he did not see the chequered flag at the end of the practice session.

Samuels reported for suspect action again

MARLON Samuels, the West Indies all-rounder, has been reported for a suspect bowling action during the first Test against Sri Lanka.

He will be required to undergo a testing process within 14 days, but he can continue to bowl in international cricket until the results are known.

Samuels bowled 27 overs in Sri Lanka’s only innings in Galle and picked up the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne.

This is the third time that Samuels’ action has been reported, the first being back in 2008 when he was called for a suspect faster ball after the third Test against South Africa in Durban. He was later suspended from bowling in international cricket but after remedial work on his action, was permitted to bowl in September 2011.

He was once again reported at the end of the second day of the second Test against India in Mumbai in November 2013. He was subsequently allowed to bowl the off-break delivery but not his quicker ball.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday issued a statement confirming the news.

“Samuels’ bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He is required to undergo testing within 14 days, and, during this period, Samuels is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the testing are known,” the statement said.

Sport

24

CHRONICLE

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

CHRONICLE Sport last evening learnt that the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has suspended its Technical Development Officer Lyndon France.

Attempts to contact a representative from the GFF to ascertain the grounds on which the long-serving football official was suspended or the length of his suspension proved futile, but an Association representative

confirmed that France was relieved of his duties.

The official said that they had spoken to France after the Normalisation Committee (NC) Chairman Clinton Urling had met with all the Associations affiliated to the GFF last evening and stated that there was an issue which forced the NC to suspend the official of the GFF for three months.

Chronicle Sport under-

stands that France also serves as the GFF’s Transfer Matching System (TMS) Manager

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Fraser’s late goal propels GDF to 2-1 win over Pele FC

... Buxton United down GFC 2-1 to secure second league win DELROY Fraser’s late goal propelled the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to a 2-1 win and hand Pele FC their first loss in the STAG Elite League at the Base Camp Ayanganna ground on Sunday night.

In the opening game of the double-header, Buxton United dominated the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) to walk away 2-1 winners.

Watched by a huge crowd at the venue, Fraser scored in the second minute of stoppage time (90+2 minutes) to give the Army their second official win of the league.

and is part owner of the Buxton United Football Club.

It is alleged that France,

see page 19 Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson registers his seventh goal in as many matches.

AN UNBROKEN eighth-wicket stand of 44 between Kyshona Knight and Anisa Mohammed helped West Indies level the

International one-day series at 1-1 against Pakistan.

Left-arm spinner Anam Amin’s four strikes had reduced the hosts to 106 for 7

in the 34th over. Captain Stafanie Taylor had contributed 49 before becoming Amin’s second victim.

Player-of-the-Match Ani-

sa, however, backed up her 2 for 24 with an unbeaten 19 off 42 balls, while Kyshona Knight made 28 off 65 as

see page 19

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Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, six minutes into the contest gave Pele FC an early lead and their fans a sense of another victory on the horizon.

It was Richardson’s seventh goal in as many matches played in the league - the most by any player in the league.

Omallo Williams could have doubled the league for Pele FC but his header from a Richardson cross hit the woodwork, much to the dismay of their fans.

Eusi Phillips pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 20th minute after a Pele player was blown for a handball in the ‘box’.

Richardson, who enjoyed a good night on the pitch for Pele, could have added to his goal but the GDF custodian was called into play to deny the former Major League Soccer (MLS) player.

The scores were deadlocked with a goal apiece and both created their chances to score.

Richardson in the 67th minute again came close to scoring but the goalkeeper tipped his effort over the bar.

Fans had already starting to make their way out of the venue when the fourth official showed three minutes of stoppage time to be played but Fraser had other plans.

Meanwhile, Clive Andries (14th minute) and Denver Dennis (38th minute) scored to give Buxton United the win.

Curtez Kellman scored in the 86th minute for GFC. It was the East Coast club’s second win in the STAG Elite League as they moved to six points from their seven games played so far. For GFC, it was their fourth loss.

They won one and drew the other two matches.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015