Guyana chronicle 16 07 14 by Guyana Chronicle

GUYANA No. 103890

WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 2014

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Four fishermen missing

feared dead

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Skeldon Estate foreman found dead behind ‘back-track’ boat service

Ravindranauth Tirka

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The missing fishermen

Image of Granger and slain gunman removed from Facebook …hours after bandit was shot and killed Page

This photo of Opposition Leader Mr. David Granger and bandit Kevin Fields was deleted from Mr. Granger’s Facebook page shortly after Fields was shot and killed following a brazen robbery on Monday

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Skeldon Estate foreman found dead behind ‘back-track’ boat service –autopsy reveals he died by ‘manual strangulation’

By Jeune Vankeric A FIELD foreman attached to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)’s Skeldon Estate was found dead Tuesday behind a popular back-track boating service at Springlands, on the Corentyne. While the details surrounding the death of 52-year-old Ravindranauth Tirka, alias ‘Engine’, remains sketchy, an autopsy done by Government Pathologist, Dr. Vivikanand Brijmohan at the Skeldon Public Hospital, has since revealed that death was due to manual strangulation. Tirkha was reportedly

discovered face down, blood oozing from his nose, at around 05:30hrs on Tuesday. Reports are that robbery may have been the motive, since his ‘Blu’ cellular phone and gold chain were missing. He did not have any money on him either, which was unusual, but whoever discovered the body did find a silver Casio watch on his person. According to his wife, Radica, better known as ‘Mala’, she last spoke to Rabindranauth at around 18:30hrs on Monday, and he told her he should be home by 19:00hrs. After she noticed that 19:00 hrs had passed, she made several calls to his cel-

lular phone, but they all went unanswered. Tired of waiting up on him, she turned in to bed, but was disappointed on awaking at not finding her spouse beside her. On the advice of their 19-year-old son, she reported her husband sick to his employers, then went to the Skeldon Hospital, where, whilst waiting to be attended to, she received a telephone call from a police officer urging her to return home urgently, as something serious had occurred. Accompanied by family members, she went to the scene of the discovery, where she positively identified the motionless body as that of

Dead: Ravindranauth Tirka

her husband. A sister-in-law, Devika Permaul, told the Guyana Chronicle that it was around 06:00hrs that her next door neighbour called out to her asking whether she’d heard that ‘Engine’ had drowned.

Replying that she hadn’t, Devika quickly got dressed, and, accompanied by said neighbour, went to her sister’s house, where she saw police ranks questioning her nephew. After making enquiries, the tragic story unfolded. According to the woman, Ravindranauth’s face was partially buried in a heap of sand; his pockets were empty; and both his Identification and ATM (Automated Teller Machine) cards were missing. Missing also, as far as she knew, were a gold band worth approximately $200,000 and his cellular phone. Devika said that from all

indications, her brother-inlaw had put up a good fight, as his clothing were askew. She recalled that just Monday afternoon, he told the family he’d received a call from his employers saying that there was a function at the Estate. This was, however, denied hours later by visiting employers, who said they hosted no such event. This newspaper was told that whenever Tirkha wanted to ‘take a drink’, he would tell tall tales, just so he could leave the house unchallenged. He leaves to mourn his wife, two children and other relatives and friends. Police investigations are continuing.

Buxton teen, two-year-old infant missing By Leroy Smith NINETEEN-YEAR-Old Oliva Holloway of 10 Charlie Street, Buxton, ECD and her two-yearold daughter, Divine Holloway have reportedly been missing since Monday. Last evening, Oliva’s mother Janice Roberts told the Guyana Chronicle that

the last time she had heard her daughter’s voice and had seen her granddaughter was on Monday morning, when the teenager was getting ready to leave for work and had sent the child to kiss her goodbye while she was having a bath at the time. The distraught woman said the young child attends the South Road Day Care

Centre while the mother works at the Mothers’ Union Day Care Centre, a short distance away on Robb Street. Roberts said the two did not return home on Monday, and she began to get worried. She even pulled a prank to see if she would be able to get on to her daughter, to see if her daughter would answer her phone and come home. She related that this is not the first time her child had failed to return home, since she did it sometime last month; and persons at the workplace have been

telling her that her daughter and granddaughter might be in Region 3, where the young lady has been seeing a young man. Roberts said she faked a hospital admittance and had her son telephone the young lady, who answered the phone and, after being told by her brother that their mother was sick and in hospital, began enquiring about where her mother was and at which hospital. She was told that her mother was at the Georgetown Public Hospital, but it is not clear whether the young lady had showed

The missing 19-year-old Oliva Holloway

Daughter, Divine Holloway, also missing

up there in search of her mother. Asked about the father of her grandchild, Roberts said the young man whom the teenager claimed is the father of her child has disowned the child from birth, so she is left with the task of caring for the child. Roberts said that she is very concerned about the whereabouts and wellbeing of her granddaughter since she is still a very young girl child. After the teenager had

vanished on the first occasion, she had returned the following morning. Workers at her work place had related to her mother that she had been very friendly with a male, and he had been calling her workplace very often to speak with her. Persons who know the whereabouts of 19-yearold Oliva Holloway and her infant child are asked to contact her mother on telephone number 6667498.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Four Guyanese fishermen missing, feared dead -Vessel shows up at Mahaica foreshore, police suspicious By Leroy Smith FOUR Guyanese fishermen are feared dead after their hands were reportedly tied before they were chopped and beaten with cutlasses and then tossed into Suriname waters, where they ply their trade. The captain of the vessel was the only one who managed to jump off the vessel and swim to shore, and was reportedly rescued by persons in Suriname. This publication was able to confirm very late last evening that the captain of the boat is still in Suriname, having managed to swim to a place called Capernaum, where he made contact with the owner of the boat back in Guyana, and with Suriname officials. While this publication has experienced great hardship to get the names of the missing crewmen, who are feared dead, one source told the Chronicle that, at this point, the only names given for the men are Dane, Gopie and Gomes. This publication was unfortunately not in a position to confirm the name of the other victim involved in this tragic incident. Speaking with Crime

The missing fishermen Chief Leslie James last evening, this publication obtained confirmation that a suspected act of piracy had been reported to the police, and that it is engaging the attention of the police in ‘A’ ‘B’ and ‘C Divisions. He said the first report received by the police in relation to the matter did not come as a pirate attack, by rather a missing person report which was filed by the captain and family. Investigators are very keen on their particular investigation because, despite the act of piracy having taken place in Suriname, the vessel was on Monday spotted drifting in the De Hoop area at the

Mahaica Foreshore, something investigators said is very suspicious given the very strong river and sea currents it has had to endure. It is being suggested in some circles that the persons who attacked the Guyanese fishermen on sea are their own countrymen, and might even be persons from the Mahaica area, who were also fishing in the same area and decided to carry out the act after they encountered difficulty in getting a handsome catch. This publication was told that the men left for sea on July 09, and the missing persons report was filed on Sunday, July 13, when the incident occurred. The owner of the vessel

travelled to Suriname on Monday, returned to Guyana yesterday, and was up to late last evening giving the police statements on the information he received from his captain. The Crime Chief has said that the police in both countries are working closely on the matter. The Chronicle was told that one of the fishermen, a 24-year-old, had three of his fingers chopped off in the attack before the pirates threw him into the water. His relatives also say that he could not swim. The captain reportedly told the boat owner that after the men were thrown into the water, he tried to loose their hands but was unsuc-

cessful. He also related that when he turned around to look for the 24-year-old, he was nowhere in sight. After the owner of the vessel was informed that the boat was spotted drifting in the Mahaica Foreshore area, he made efforts to have it brought to Mon Repos, closer to where he lives. The police are of the view that the men who carried out the act are from somewhere along the Guyana Coast, and efforts are being made to get a hold of fisher folks who would have returned from sea between Sunday night and Monday.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Afghan market car bomb kills 89 in Paktika province (BBC News) AT LEAST 89 people have been killed and dozens injured in a suicide attack at a busy market in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province, local officials say. They say the attacker drove a 4x4 vehicle into the market in Orgun district and detonated the explosives. The market was full of people doing their shopping for the Muslim festival

Ramadan at the time of the attack. No group has claimed the attack, but Taliban insurgents said they had not carried it out. “We clearly announce that it was not done by the Mujahedeen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. Eyewitnesses and medi-

There are fears that the death toll will rise further

cal staff said local hospitals were overrun with casualties after one of the deadliest attacks in months in Afghanistan. The eastern province of Paktika shares a border with Pakistan’s restive and volatile tribal areas. Orgun is one of Paktika’s safest areas, though members of the Haqqani militant network are thought to have a presence there.

Russia derailment: 21 dead Over 25 killed in Nigeria militant attack, government air strike in Moscow metro crash (BBC News) THE DEATH TOLL in Tuesday’s derailment on the Moscow metro now stands at 21, the Russian health ministry says. Scores were injured, s o m e s e r i o u s l y, w h e n a packed commuter train braked abruptly between stations in the west of the city in the morning rush hour. Some of those hurt were carried out of the tunnel on stretchers, with the most serious cases airlifted to hospital. The cause of the crash - one of the worst incidents ever on the metro - is reported to be a power surge. The train derailed between Slaviansky Boulevard and Park Pobedy (Victory Park) stations in the west of the city. Some 50 people were in a serious condition, the ItarTass news agency reported, quoting a health official.

(Reuters) – AT LEAST 26 people were killed when suspected Islamist Boko Haram militants stormed a village in northeast Nigeria and a government warplane opened fire to repel the attackers, local residents and a security source said on Tuesday. The warplane strafed Boko Haram fighters fleeing in pick-up trucks after raiding Dille, near Lassa in the south of Borno State, for several hours on Monday. The attackers fired on inhabitants and burned homes and churches. “I counted 26 corpses yes-

The most seriously injured people were airlifted to hospital uters news agency, said: “The train slowed down “We were trapped and only abruptly, the lights went off, got out by some miracle. and then there was a spark I thought it was the end. of fire and smoke. We were Many people were hurt, blocked in,” one passenger mostly in the front carriage told Russian TV. because the cars ran into Another, quoted by Re- each other.”

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terday evening,” one of the residents, Dauda Illiya, told Reuters. Most of the deaths occurred during the raid but cannon fire from the government jet also killed at least six civilians - four women and two children, residents said. “The pilot was just spraying bullets anywhere ... People were running here and there. Many people were injured from the bullets”, said a local man, Suleiman Haruna. Nigeria’s defense headquarters in Abuja did not respond to a request for comment on the incident, but a security source in Borno

State confirmed the deployment of the military plane. The residents and the security source said 20 militants were killed by local vigilantes who fought back, but this could not be confirmed as witnesses said the raiders carried off their dead in their trucks. Nigeria’s armed forces are facing a fierce offensive in the northeast by the Islamist group Boko Haram, whose marauding bands of fighters have stepped up attacks against towns and villages after kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls in April.

Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan: #BringBackOurGirls ‘political’ (BBC News) NIGERIA’S president has accused activists of “playing politics” after his meeting with parents of the abducted schoolgirls was called off. The #BringBackOurGirls group should be ashamed of

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manipulating “the victims of terrorism”, he said. Mr Jonathan had been due to hold his first meeting with some of the girls’ parents on Tuesday. Islamist group Boko Haram captured more than 200 girls during a raid on their boarding

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school in Chibok in April. Mr Jonathan had been widely criticised for failing to meet distraught parents and not doing enough to rescue the girls. ‘Psychological terrorism’ #BringBackOurGirls was a global campaign launched on social media to secure the release of the girls. Mr Jonathan agreed to the meeting on Monday following an appeal by Pakistani rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Ban Ki-moon: UN to help Haiti fight cholera epidemic (BBC News) UN SECRETARY GENERAL Ban Kimoon says he will try to raise $2.2bn (£1.3bn) in aid money to fight the spread of cholera in Haiti. Mr Ban, who is visiting Haiti, said it was the “moral duty” of the UN to help tackle the disease. More than 8,500 people have died in the cholera epidemic which has swept through the country since 2010. Evidence suggests UN peacekeepers introduced cholera to Haiti, but it has so far rejected compensation claims. ‘Anger and fear’ Speaking at a church service in one of the villages worst affected, Mr Ban said that he was aware that the epidemic had “caused much anger and fear” in Haiti and continued to af-

fect “an unacceptable number of people”. The United Nations is facing three lawsuits in connection with the epidemic, but has claimed legal immunity. A lawyer for the victims said it was an insult to all Haitians for Mr Ban to come for a photo-opportunity when he refused to take responsibility for thousands of deaths. In December 2012, Mr Ban launched a $2.2bn plan to eliminate cholera from Haiti within 10 years, but donors have been slow in coming forward with the needed funds. The UN says it has not yet been able to raise the $400m needed to fund the programme in its first two years. Mr Ban and Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe on Monday launched an initia-

Ban Ki-moon said an “unacceptable number of people” were affected by cholera in Haiti

tive aimed at improving hygiene in rural areas of Haiti, where one in two people lack adequate sanitation. More than 700,000 people in Haiti have been infected with cholera, which is spread by infected sewage, since late

2010. No cases of the bacterial infection, which causes diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and muscle cramps, had been recorded in Haiti for a century until the outbreak started.

Pope urges help for Central American child migrants (BBC News) POPE FRANCIS has added his voice in calls to help thousands of unaccompanied Central American children migrating to the US every month. In a letter read by the Vatican envoy to Mexico, the Pope said the region was facing “a humanitarian emergency.” He urged Central American governments to offer protection to the children and explain the dangers of migrating. The US says in eight months from October 2013, 57,000 children reached the US border with Mexico. President Barack Obama has called for $3.7bn (£2.1bn) in emergency funds. The White House said the money would be used to remove more illegal migrants from the country and open additional detention centres. Last week the governments of Mexico and Central America agreed to work together closely to tackle the people trafficking mafias taking the migrants north. Honduran President Juan Hernandez has blamed the surge in child migration on the US policy on drugs which he says leads to violence in Central American countries.

The number of migrants from Central America to the United States has doubled from last year

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

EDITORIAL

GUYANA

Looking forward to a clean Capital City CITIZENS on the other side of 50 will recall those years when the capital City of Georgetown was a model of cleanliness. A punctilious schedule of daily maintenance ensured that every drain and alley throughout the municipality was cleaned; canals cleared of weed and sundry objects, apart from being desilted, with the many reserves neatly shorn of the grass. Even citizens, understood the necessity of keeping the city clean, since they ensured that household garbage was properly disposed of into bins; neither did they litter. Absolutely, the description of a Garden City had been well merited. But from a time when Municipal workers could have been seen removing garbage on an almost daily basis, and when citizens supported such efforts by ensuring that they practised wholesome habits

- City Hall’s management beset by all kinds of incompetencies, has been criminally neglecting its duties of maintenance. This current Council, still in office because of extraordinary circumstances, is presiding over a city that is almost buried beneath its own garbage pile. Even Le Repentir cemetery has become a frightening jungle, instead of the serene resting place of the dead it once had been. It is as if garbage dumping has become part of an ingrained culture – part of the national psyche, because of the propensity for indiscriminate dumping - everywhere! Even the city waterways, all the canals, are the recipients of the Styrofoam and plastic nightmare, just to name a few, with all the drains choked, and with parapets overgrown with thick vegetation. No doubt, the city floods quickly after every

heavy downpour; and citizens have to be watchful when walking close to grass reserves. This had been an observation from an earlier editorial on the state of the City. Undoubtedly, one must hold the Council culpable for this criminal neglect, especially for not removing the garbage, and general maintenance of the city. However, citizens are equally responsible for this insalubrious state, because of their total disregard for even their immediate environment. Many yards do not have a garbage receptacle, but the garbage is either piled at some point, or disposed of elsewhere. But is this abysmal state of the City going to continue without remedial action being taken? No! For with the announcement of the $500M dispensation towards what can be described as a city-wide clean-up, relief

has finally arrived. This intervention by Government is intended to return Georgetown to its former glory. So comprehensive will this intervention be, that citizens are being involved in the consultations process as to the initiative and the role they can, and are expected to play in the restoration of their City. It is as well that they are involved, since they too are part of the present problem that affects the City. The M&CC must be blamed for a City that is atrocious in its environmental conditions, and this hardly needs repeating as it stare us all in the face! The garbage especially is not being removed daily as it ought to be. But the citizens, including those of commerce and business, are guilty of desecrating the City by-laws: they are seriously guilty of dumping, thereby adding to the threatening hazardous City

woes. What is even worse, a fact already alluded to in a prior Editorial, is the deliberate depositing of builders’ waste in many parts of the City’s drainage system. There are many examples of this flagrant dereliction around our City. These are the same corporate personalities who boldly criticise City Hall for bad maintenance, as is correctly the case. However, they conveniently forget that their desecrating actions continue to undermine an already imperiled City. These citizens, from whom better is expected, and even after construction of their particular building, do not even bother to remove the waste deposits from the drain. Not only would their many suggestions be considered for making

Georgetown a cleaner locale, but it is expected that the errant ones will begin to respect the City as a place where they, like so many thousands, live. The reality is that in this new dispensation to come, it is envisaged that each citizen will play his/her role in making not only their immediate environs healthier, but desist from the insalubrious practices that have caused us all to be traversing its thoroughfares in garbage! That area somewhat in the vicinity of the Central Fire Station is an indictment as to how abysmal a condition our City is now in. What a horrible sight that patch is - with garbage strewn in horribly stagnant water, with vegetation having taken root! A clean capital City reflects a proud nation and citizenry.

Burnham cannot be compared with Jagdeo WHEN will Freddie Kissoon experience enlightenment? He is now trying to get in on the Rodney Commission of Inquiry. This man behaved as though he ‘knew it all’ as regards the assassination of Dr. Rodney. He threatened that he would not have anything to do with the ongoing inquiry and this was a pompous position he took. The reason is that in no facet of politics was this man a major player. He is more like a gleeful Brian Lara fan who keeps boasting

that he was around when Lara made his 400 not out. Kissoon is not privy to any special knowledge. Has anyone even made mention of him thus far? I think he is feeling how insignificant he truly is. However, he goes on with his empty rantings. I see he wrote in the K/News that, “It is not credible Rodney was assassinated by state actors and Burnham didn’t know about it.” Is this supposed to be any kind of deep analysis? I think not, but why I am taking him up is

that he is claiming that his statement that Burnham “... was a seriously committed nationalist, who cared intensely about the life and condition of the working people. He was committed to the preservation of the African race but he was not racist against East Indian people.” First problem I have is that I need facts regarding what he did for the working people. The sugar workers were always on strike and at one juncture, Burnham had to call on his army to go out and cut

the cane. Then he emptied the kitchen of the Indian work force – dhal, potatoes and flour, mainly Indian staples, were banned. This had a terrible impact on Hinduism as well. So I cannot see how Freddie’s Burnham was so nice, compassionate, worker-oriented and patriotic. The next thing is that of comparing Burnham with Jagdeo. Just for starters, I am going to ask Freddie to go to the international community and let the ones in leadership come out and say who was confided

in (more) and why. The magnitude of Bharrat Jagdeo is extra immense that Burnham pales in comparison. Then what nonsense is Freddie talking about ‘lust for power.’ If Burnham had not died so early, Guyana may have never ever enjoyed ‘fair and free’ elections. Desmond Hoyte, Burnham’s successor was less power crazy, but he too was not really for ‘fair and free’ election. I tell people that Jagdeo never even hinted at disenfranchising the people and always pushed for ‘fair and

free’ elections. I can go on to other areas of comparison, but my point will be the same. It is that only under the PPP leaders can Guyana be termed a democratic nation. The fact that so many people now have loud mouths and that they can even abuse ‘freedom of speech/expression’ is more than enough to set apart this Government as one that is most respectful of its people. BALDEO MATHURA

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Security sector has other priorities BUSINESSMAN shoots gun-toting assailant dead. That was the most recent incident; in a similar incident that occurred not very long ago, just last week, one bandit was caught in the act of robbery but was wanted in connection with two previous robberies. That means the police never hunted for him. Police do not really hunt these bandits down. How else to carry out PNC’s plan to “make the country ungovernable”? Reports state that he had over half a million dollars,

as can be seen from his Facebook pictures, with his fake IDs and Republic Bank visa card. The money in this account should be frozen immediately. Did he work for it? Did he sweat for it? Did he take grief from a supervisor for it? This is what I said in my recent letter, published yesterday, that they think your hard earnings you worked all your life is theirs, so they come with guns to take it back. This is why business people are fed up, sick, tired, and are frightened to death

of these terrorists coming with guns to take it all away from them; and in some cases they take your life too. Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and the PPP Government cannot stop this, because the Security Sector has other loyalties. This is the one and only way to stop these terrorists - dead in their tracks to make Guyana a beautiful and safe country in which t o re s i d e a n d c o n d u c t business.

What happened to a ‘Good and Green Guyana’, Hammie? WE, as Guyanese citizens, have once again become the victims of deceitful two-faced politicians who tend to change their faces to hide their true identity whenever they would need the support of the humble Guyanese citizens. Once they get our support, they tend to turn their backs immediately on us and our well- being. I personally think that these actions are shameful and degrading. Over the years, one of the main issues that Guyanese have been facing throughout the city was the excessive build-up and non-removal of garbage, which is one of the main reasons for numerous diseases that have threatened the lives of Guyanese over the years, and one of the main causes of the continuous flooding that we are seeing throughout our City.

Do these threats that the Guyanese people are facing have a solution? Yes, they do, and although the responsibilities of solving these environmental problems lie in the hands of the Mayor and City Council, their attitude towards doing so has been unsympathetic, although the Government has constantly assisted them by presenting to them the necessary funds that they need to carry out these tasks. Over the past week, we have continued to witness the unprincipled actions of the Mayor and his councillors, whether it was he refusing to comply

with the Government in aiding to work as a team to get the city cleaned up, or it was the fact that he decided to leave an important meeting that was kept to find solutions for the garbage problems in Guyana. These devious actions by the Mayor have once again shown a great deal of his character, as they did in the past. Having a friendly environment is not just necessary, it is a must have, because it is something that can prevent a lot of viruses and diseases from affecting ourselves and our kids. LANCELOT ADAMS

Onward, upward, may we ever Revelations of Opposition go - indeed hypocrisy shock their TED KING

supporters THE hypocrisy of some members of the Opposition is shocking, and I have the PNCR in mind here. I refer to what is coming from the mouth of Vanessa Kissoon and how it is being treated so very lightly. The lady is very firm in shedding light on the reason for her demotion and general harassment within the ranks of the People’s National Congress (PNCR): “At this time, I prefer not to go into the details of the incident, save to say that I was assaulted at Congress Place, and I was not the aggressor…” Now this assault declaration has some merit to it. I go back now to what

took place within the party, as regards the use/misuse of the PNCR’s facilities in Linden. The drift most people are getting is that the male top brass of the party are not too comfortable with a feisty, independent and outspoken woman, especially one who is not shy in exposing shady business and suspicious behaviour. It is indeed quite shocking to see that the very people in this set up, namely David Granger and Oscar Clarke, who were once championing the cause of gender equality and mutual respect, are now showing a different side. This PNCR would always pounce on Government for not doing enough

about women and for being slow and lenient, as regards Tr a ff i c k i n g i n P e r s o n s (TIP), and yet its leading members are practicing a form of discrimination that all Guyana is against. This Ms. Kissoon is now suffering, and only because she is for transparency and accountability in her party. I think that she is learning the hard way what the PNCR is all about. Here is a classic case of what the PNCR is all about. Prior to this period, when Mr. Robert Corbin was at the helm, it was the same kind of ‘in-closet’ and ‘undisclosed’ nature of business that bothered many. The terrible thing is that this woman is being

pushed around. She was demoted (most likely as a move of revenge) and now her obvious disciplining and sidelining are not being discussed in a legal and democratic in-party manner. Granger is still not commenting on the matter and neither is Basil Williams. I think that this case should attract the attention of the many strong women we have here, who are against the subjugation and disrespect of women. To think that some of these PNCR people are considering leading this country is quite a scary thing. ATTIYA BAKSH

ON July 11th 2014, with the beginning of operations in and out of Guyana by Copa Airlines, we have once again seen the upward scale in which Guyana has been heading over the past two decades under the PPP/C administration. To have yet another international airline of such magnitude to be willing to invest in our country’s economy says a lot about Guyana’s developmental potential. The Government of Guyana has once again welcomed, with open arms, yet another international investment that will benefit the citizens of our country over the years to come. This strategic move by the Government will create more jobs for the Guyanese people, increase tourism for our economy’s sake and, most importantly, play a credible role in attracting more international investors. This new business venture by Copa Airlines may seem as only a business

move by many people; but for me, it is more than just an investment plan. For me this move that our Government has made by allowing yet another international company to invest on our soil will show the world that Guyana still has lucrative areas to invest within, and most importantly, that Guyana is a good country with which to partner. As a young citizen of this beautiful country, I have faith that the future of myself; my family and my kids are luminous under this PPP/C administration. Their continuous commitments towards the well-being of the Guyanese people and Guyana over the years have shown a great deal of selflessness and consideration for our citizens and I’m grateful that many Guyanese are to have such a forward thinking Government fathering our country. LANCELOT ADAMS

Improving soil health for increased productivity and quality, a priority of new agri strategy THE promotion of soil health is to be a major priority of the Ministry of Agriculture over the next seven years. At the recent launch of the ministry’s strategy 2013-2020, strengthening of soil health as an important part of increasing productivity and quality was identified among 25 priority areas. These are the areas the Ministry will focus on as it moves towards realising a 2020 vision of agriculture becoming a national facilitator for food and nutrition security, economic opportunities and for environmental sustainability. The focus on soil health will be on promoting prudent utilisation of biological, chemical and physical methods in an eco-system agronomic approach that allows for the pursuit of agriculture in a sustainable manner whilst at the same time protecting the soil and the environment, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said. “We are well aware that 33 percent of the global soil is now regarded as degradable and could no longer support agriculture, and 33 percent of the soil Agriculture Minister being used today in agriDr Leslie Ramsammy culture globally are also vulnerable for degradation. We want to practice agriculture in a safe way, in a safe environment so that it does not create harm to our people, but also preserves the integrity of our soil and water,” Minister Ramsammy said. He explained that maintenance of soil health through improved soil fertility management (improved soil nutrient and pest management practices) will be ensured through research at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI.) Focus will also be on ensuring the implementation of an affordable and practical Integrated Soil Management ( ISM) programme that will not only emphasise the management of nutrient flows, but also other important aspects of soil health, such as maintaining organic matter content, soil structure and soil biodiversity. In this regard, a programme for Site-Specific Nutrient Management will also be introduced and a GIS Map for soils developed for long-term usage. The Ministry will also focus on encouraging local farmers to pay close attention to the biological activity of microbes and macro-fauna that contribute to healthy soil, even as it seeks to educate farmers into taking into consideration the complex interaction between environmental factors, such as temperature, moisture, acidity and the chemical components

of soil and biological activity. To this end, there will be the development of training and awareness programmes and the introduction of new technologies and techniques to address biological inputs, organic matter inputs, inorganic matter inputs, tillage and use of pesticides. Every agriculture extension worker and farmer is set to benefit from these awareness and training programmes. Minister Ramsammy noted that the sugar, rice and cash crop industries have already been investigated in the use of bio-fuel fertilisers towards reduced costs (purchase of fertilisers and chemicals), and also towards practicing agriculture that is safe and sustainable. He noted that to support such a focus, especially for the laboratories, professionals in the field would be necessary, hence another priority focus of the ministry’s agriculture strategy 2013-2020 of accelerating agriculture development in Guyana by focusing on securing an agriculture workforce through human resources development. In this regard, the Guyana School of Agriculture and the Agriculture Department of the University of Guyana will be elevated in prominence, the minister explained. “The building of human resources through the Guyana School of Agriculture, the University of Guyana, the Port Mourant Training Centre, and the Technical Institutes of Guyana are critical as we mechanise agriculture in Guyana. We recognise the great difficulty that rice and sugar face for labour and need to reduce cost, we recognise the large scale production of corn and soya and other products will require mechanisation. How do we prepare our young people to work in an environment of greater mechanisation? These are the areas the strategy will focus on,” Minister Ramsammy said. A curriculum review would be conducted at the GSA and the Agriculture Department of UG to ensure their programmes are in line with the Vision for Agriculture 2020. Additionally, the curriculum review for the GSA will consider the introduction of a degree programme for agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture will also pursue enhanced collaboration with international training institutions. Programmes such as a new Introduction to Bio-Energy and the Technical Cooperation programme is expected to be explored with McGill University in Canada. The National strategy for agriculture in Guyana 20132020 is built on the premise that agriculture is central to food and nutrition security, to sustaining economic growth, for further building Guyana’s export portfolio, for providing opportunities for entrepreneurs and creating and sustaining employment, livelihoods and wealth generation for Guyanese. Whilst the sector is already effectively playing these roles in the country and, indeed, agriculture has played a crucial role in moving Guyana up from a least developing, highly indebted country in 1990 to today being a low middle income country, the agriculture strategy looks at facilitating Guyana’s further climb up the development ladder by ensuring that agriculture becomes an even more productive sector. (GINA)

Cornelius murder trial jury hears how…

Broken love affair led to Bowman’s murder By George Barclay THE mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes where 19-year-old Samuel Cornelius is on trial for the murder of Anfernee Bowman heard that Bowman had been struck with ill-luck when his girlfriend had left him and had fallen in love with Cornelius. Bowman, late student of the Guyana Education Trust College and a lessons class mate at a school in Aubrey Barker Street, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, is said to have become enraged at the loss of his girlfriend to Cornelius. The young men had been classmates and friends up to February 27, 2012, when Cornelius, threatened with harm by his new rival, had called on class mates to make peace among them. One prosecution witness who testified yesterday before Judge

Diana Insanally and the jury disclosed that the deceased and the accused had been good friends. Under cross-examination by defence counsel Mr. Mark Waldron, the witness said the accused had told him that Bowman had plotted to beat him, and the accused had asked the witness to intervene. But the witness admitted that he did not intervene. According to him, after leaving class that evening, he had passed on the road a group of persons that included Bowman and had said nothing to them. Witness said the accused was later going home when he was attacked by a gang of men. Some witnesses denied this, but the resulting effect was that Bowman was fatally injured that night, receiving three stab wounds, one of which injured his heart. The trial is continuing; and Mr. Mark Waldron is defending while Miss Natasha Backer is prosecuting

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Rohee welcomes commitment for meeting of Security Oversight Committee By Vanessa Narine HOME Affairs Minister Mr. Clement Rohee has welcomed the commitment given by Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Raphael Trotman, to convene a meeting of the Parliamentary Security Oversight Committee. Last week, Trotman, who is tasked with convening a meeting of the Oversight Committee, told the Guyana Chronicle that this will be done before the House goes into recess in August. Rohee, in an invited comment on Monday, said he did “see something in the press this morning in effect to the speaker. He has committed to reconvening a meeting of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee into the security sector before parliament goes into recess. I was pleased to see that.” However, Rohee said he “still hold the view that that body is an extremely important body, where all the parliamentary bodies can sit and discuss matters of policy, in respect to the security sector, make recommendations in respect to the security sector, and invite experts for views on the various aspects of the security sector.” The Home Affairs Minister added that the heads of the joint services should also be invited when the Committee meets to field questions and suggest recommendations relative to the advancement of the sector. “I think that our country needs that kind of body. These are the types of institutional bodies…that we need to help give effect to good governance in our country,” Rohee said. Since the commencement of the 10th Parliament, the combined Opposition has tabled numerous questions on the security sector and moved a few motions demanding the appointment of Commissions Minister Clement Rohee of Inquiry (COIs) to investigate alleged breaches in the sector. Additionally, former Attorney-General (AG) Doodnauth Singh in 2009 tabled the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2009 in the National Assembly. The Bill was intended to amend the Constitution by inserting a new Article 119 D, providing for a Standing Committee called the ‘Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector’, which would have responsibility for the policies and administration of the country’s disciplined forces. The move was in keeping with an agreement made by National Stakeholders during security consultations in March last year. The original recommendation was made by a Special Select Committee reviewing the report of the Disciplined Forces Commission. The issue had also been the subject of discussion at the level of the Parliamentary Management Committee. There are currently four sectoral committees responsible for economic services, social services, natural resources and foreign relations.

Victim’s refusal to testify frees rape and indecent assault accused JUSTICE Rishi Persaud was yesterday obliged to direct the jury to return verdicts of not guilty to rape and indecent assault in favour of George Orecht after State Prosecutrix Miss Mercedes Thompson told the Court that the DPP was no longer in a position to offer evidence against the accused. The victim, who was called, testified that she no longer wished to testify in the matter; and that this decision was not due to any pressure being brought against her. She said she had done this voluntarily. After discharging the accused, Justice Rishi Persaud told him, “You have your conscience to live with.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Old Kai: Chronicles of Guyana…

Image of Opposition Leader Granger and gunman Fields removed from Facebook …hours after bandit killed

WHY did the David Granger Facebook account suddenly take down an image of the Opposition Leader and gunman Kevin Fields hours after he was killed during a robbery? Old Kai cannot say he was surprised to have come across an image of Opposition Leader David Granger and gunman Kevin Fields which was tagged to the dead man’s Facebook page from Mr. Granger’s site back in 2012. I am not imputing that there is a direct relationship between the two, as the image was taken at a funeral of Fields’ friend, Shaquille Grant, who ironically was killed by Police ranks during a confrontation in 2012 which eventually sparked the politically instigated Agricola public road violence. However, what has aroused suspicion is the fact that hours after the youth was killed on Monday, the image of Granger and the youth was inexplicably taken down from Mr. Granger’s Facebook page, and as a result it is no longer available on Field’s timeline. The only logical conclusion is that whoever is in control of Mr. Granger’s FB page felt there was need to hide this link from the public, only after Fields was killed and not before; because, as pointed out earlier, the image was posted since 2012. Why the sudden desperation to cover this up and disassociate himself from the young man, when two years ago

he was eager to associate with him in front of the cameras? Was he ignorant of what this youth was up to, bearing in mind that upon perusing the young man’s Facebook page, there are some quite disturbing posts, including arsenals of weapons and ammunition. Also, a revolver from one of his posts bears a striking resemblance to the one he used to commit the robbery. There are images of him with masks and a Rastafarian wig among other accessories; then there are the wads of cash and jewellery. There are also gruesome images of Fields and presumably his friends torturing This photo of Mr. David Granger and bandit Kevin Fields was reported desomeone, whom they hogtied. leted from Mr. Granger’s Facebook page shortly after Fields was shot and They seem pleased to be pic- killed following a brazen robbery tured burning their victim with cigarettes as they posed for the camera. Then there is a photo this evidence, were they still ignorant of what was going on shopped image of himself, bearing the ‘hot skull’ logo, which or did they just conveniently ignore it, waiting for another is the name of a gang operating out of the community which incident so they can exploit it politically? the Police had warned about sometime back. These are very pertinent questions, as if Mr. Granger was All of these disturbing posts occurred over the past few seriously concerned about these youths, especially in areas years, and there is a particular chilling post where he warned where his party has a significant presence, one would have that whatever harm he does, do not hold him responsible as it thought that he would have been working in earnest to help is the work of his ‘demon.’ For this he is rebuked by an uncle, them. Rather than cutting the budget for programmes that who states that he is ashamed to call him his nephew because seek to provide training and employment for young people, of his lifestyle. It also appears that his step-father had warned he would have been advocating for more such programmes. him about his lifestyle which would result in his demise; but the Rather than sit in the National Assembly and sneer at step-father came in for attacks from other family members for those who picket outside against their budget cuts which his efforts in trying to straighten the lad out. In fact, there were would see them jobless, he should have been working along those who were encouraging him not to flaunt his riches and with Government. Rather than attacking the outreach iniarsenal of weapons on the social media, so as to attract attention. tiatives of the Guyana Police Force to improve community What this illustrates is that over the past four to five years relations, through sports and other activities, Mr. Granger of being active on the social network and documenting his and his party should have been out there in the communities activities, countless persons commented on his posts but there encouraging these youths to get involved. were only two individuals who opposed his actions, those being But that is not going to happen. Old Kai has his step-father and his uncle. He was however unapologetic in come to the conclusion that they will sit and wait stating that he will not stop the life he was living. until another youth is killed to go and parade Thus what we can confirm now is that there were persons, around, beating their chests for the cameras and especially within his community, who were aware of what he issuing press releases, simply to use the grief to rile was up to. At least one of the two individuals who attempted to up their bases against the Government; and when get him to straighten his life came in for abuse. it does not suit their cause, they will simply do as This photo of Opposition Leader David Granger And this brings me back to Opposition Leader David Grang- they did on Monday evening, delete the link with and slain bandit Kevin Fields is still making the er who claims he is genuinely concerned about the youths in Kevin Fields. rounds on the social media, attracting a lot of this country. comments and discussions It is public knowledge that Agricola is a stronghold of the PNCR, but even more so, the party has one of its offices in that community; so are we to believe that the party members in that village were ignorant of what youths such as Kevin Fields were up to, especially since his lifestyle was no secret? Let us bear in mind that the issue of youths being involved in crime and gang activities in that particular village is nothing new, as pointed out above, Mr. Granger himself was present at the funeral of Shaquille Grant in 2012, and the party had publicised that they were conSlain bandit Kevin Fields in a photo taken off his ducting outreach exercises in Part of Kevin’s arms cache as revealed on his Facebook page Facebook page the community. So despite all

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Sheriff SheriffStreet Streetshooting... shooting...

Armed bandit’s Facebook postings trigger several searches ––assailant was not issued with firearm license By Leroy Smith UP to noon yesterday, police from ‘A’ Division and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) were conducting several searches at various locations at Agricola, East Bank Demerara, in the aftermath of the shooting death of armed bandit Kevin Fields. The searches, this newspaper was informed, were triggered by the dozens of photographs on Fields’ Facebook page displaying a firearm license, several different firearms and magazines and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest. Crime Chief Leslie James told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that the firearm license featured on the Facebook page of the young assailant looks like the ones issued by the Force, but based on the records of the police, there has been no reports of licensed firearm holders having their firearm license missing or stolen. The Crime Chief said that the police are continuing their investigations into the matter, and are looking to enhance the images on the dead man’s Facebook page to ascertain whose firearm license he was posing with, and how he may have obtained the document. Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Leslie James said that sleuths are also following up questions raised by the Republic Bank Card which is featured in one of the photographs, and the large amount of cash and other items he displayed. On his primary photograph on Facebook, Fields poses with several one and five thousand dollar notes, beverages, a bank card, firearm license and a condom in a wrapper. Other photographs on the man’s Facebook page include him posing as a masked bandit

while wearing what appears to be a bulletproof vest, displays of several firearms and other articles reflecting life in the fast lane. Meanwhile, other investigators working on the case have made it clear that they are not able at this time to determine if the bandit who was shot on Monday was the same person who recently snatched close to one million dollars from a woman in a pharmacy who was trailed from a city bank by a gunman and an accomplice. Investigators said that while the clues all seem familiar, the police just cannot go around pinning murders and robberies on persons who are deceased without doing proper investigations. On Monday, Fields was shot dead after snatching a bag containing $1.7M from a businessman who was making a purchase at Ramchand Auto Spares on Sheriff Street. This publication was told that the businessman had earlier visited another business establishment in the city where he made a purchase before travelling to the Sheriff Street store. After the bandit snatched the bag of money and ran out of the store, he was pursued by the businessman. The bandit discharged a round and the businessman, who is a licensed firearm holder, returned fire, hitting his assailant in the process. Sources said that Fields was already on the Honda CG motorcycle with his accomplice when the businessman shot him off the bike. The accomplice then rode away, and according to unconfirmed reports, returned to the scene and spent a short while before moving off. Persons in the area were very much in support of the actions of the businessman who was able to represent himself with his firearm.

The incrimating photo on Fields’ Facebook Page that set alarm bells ringing

PAHO, UNAIDS convene meetings in Georgetown THE prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in adolescents and youth across the Region was a major agenda item when the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) convened a three-day meeting in Georgetown last week. The meeting also examined plans to move the Region forward towards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and congenital syphilis. Globally, young adults under 25 years of age account for the highest rates of new infections of STIs, including HIV. Reaching members of this vulnerable population in the Caribbean, especially adolescents aged 10-17 years, of age is challenging. This is due to many factors, including laws requiring parental consent for young people to seek sexual reproductive health care and counselling, obtain birth control and be tested for HIV. Attendees shared best practices of successful

youth programmes in their countries and discussed challenges they face. Programmes aimed at encouraging teens to wait before they become sexually active, to protect themselves when they do become sexually active and to reduce the number of sexual partners they have aim to reduce the risk to these young people. The meeting identified a number of activities to move the Region towards lower infection rates, including advocating for legislation changes and protecting youth from stigma and discrimination, which puts their health at risk. In order to be validated for EMTCT, countries will need to submit reports demonstrating less than two percent of children born with HIV for two consecutive years. While different countries across the Region have different programmes, they are all guided by the same overall goal and will be measured under the same criteria. A technical working group is being reconvened to provide technical support as the region moves forward with the EMTCT initiative. The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines work on a four-pronged approach toward the elimi-

nation of mother-to-child transmission. These are: prevention of HIV in young women; prevention of unintended pregnancies; prevention of mother-tochild transmission; and support for families affected. Elimination will be accomplished by providing pregnant women with anti-retroviral therapy during their pregnancy (Option B), and for life in some cases (Option B+) and by providing the newborn babies with preventative drugs. Women are also counselled on their options for early feeding and are supported in healthy feeding practices whether they choose to breastfeed or to administer formula. Attendees of the meeting included representatives from PAHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV (PANCAP), and the countries of Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Among the attendees were members of the youth community who shared their views and stressed the importance of psycho-social support for teens.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Education Minister engages parents of first-time schoolchildren

Waiakabra family rendered homeless in escalating land feud

– urges them to be their –forced to sleep under tree during heavy rainfall child’s first teacher

By Asif Hakim

MINISTER of Education Priya Manickchand on Tuesday interacted with several parents of first-time schoolchildren at a PTA meeting. The meeting was attended by Assistant Chief Education Officer Ms. Ingrid Trotman, Headmistress and teachers of the South Road Nursery School, and approximately 67 parents of children who will be attending that institution. Speaking at the meeting on Tuesday, Minister Manickchand urged the parents to be their child’s first teacher. She said that every parent must teach their children the alphabet, basic colours and Name of school

Polly’s Nursery South Road Nursery

shapes, and to identify letters before they enter school. She further advised the parents to spend lots of time with their children, using articles at home to teach them, and to take them on outings and to teach them to name places. “Taking your children to the zoo, museum, park and seawalls will boost your children’s learning skills, get your children to exercise, let them watch educational movies and most important teach them both their names and your names,” Minister Manickchand told the parents. She told the gathering that the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Education has put a lot in place for the students, such Date

Time

July 14, 2014 10:00h

as the Learning Channel, snacks, textbooks, exercise books, trained teachers and the new $10,000 vouchers which would be distributed before the new school year starts. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is urging parents and guardians of children who are now entering nursery school to make a special effort to attend a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting that will be arranged by the schools to which the children are placed. The schedule for PTA meetings in Georgetown are as follows. Persons in the other regions are asked to check with the school at which the child was placed in their respective region. Venue

Polly’s Nursery

July 14, 2014 16:30h St. Stanislaus College Auditorium

Headstart Nursery

July 14, 2014 13:00h

Headstart Nursery

Houston & Agricola Nursery

July 14, 2014 10:00h

Agricola Nursery

Turkeyen Nursery

July 14, 2014 10:00h

Turkeyen Nursery

South Ruimveldt Nursery

July 14, 2014 10:00h

South Ruimveldt Nursery

Happy Hearts & BelAir Nursery

July 14, 2014 10:00h

Happy Hearts Nursery

Stella Maris Nursery

July 14, 2014 16:00h

Stella Maris Nursery

Ascension Nursery

July 15, 2014 10:00h

Ascension Nursery

J.E. Burnham & Gacestock Nursery

July 15, 2014 10:00h

Gacestock Nursery

Precious Jewels Nursery

July 15, 2014 16:30h

Precious Jewels Nursery

Starters Nursery

July 15, 2014 10:00h

Starters Nursery

St. Gabriels Nursery

July 15, 2014 10:00h

St. Gabriels Nursery

Sherman & Carmelita Nursery

July 15, 2014 10:00h

Carmeilta Nursery

St. Christopher Nursery

July 15, 2014 09:00h

St. Christopher Nursery

Enterprise & Lodge Nursery July 16, 2014 10:00h

Lodge Nursery

Selman Fraser & Albouystown Nursery

July 16, 2014 10:00h

Selman Fraser Nursery

Liana & Roxanne Burnham Nursery

July 16, 2014 16:00h

Liana Nursery

C Field Nursery

July 16, 2014 13:00h

C Field Nursery

Alexander Village Nursery

July 16, 2014 10:00h

Alexander Village Nursery

East Street Nursery

July 16, 2014 16:30h

East Street Nursery

Smyth Street Nursery

July 17, 2014 12:00h

Smyth Street Nursery

Sophia Nursery

July 25, 2014 10:00h

Sophia Nursery

Earnest Edwards (extreme right) with some members of his extended family

By Ravin Singh EARNEST Edwards who had been living on Block Six Waiakabra, Linden/ Soesdyke Highway and his extended family comprising eighteen others have been homeless since July 4 after an individual known to him as Pitchan Bharat demolished their

extended family of nineteen up until it was demolished on July 4. In 2008, however, Edwards noted that Bharat visited him at his address and demanded that he vacate the premises. “He also threaten me, telling me that I need to go in the interior and find a place in my Mission,” the distressed man said.

This then led to the destruction of the three properties on Friday July 4th. Assisted by the regional councillor, Edwards then moved to investigate the matter with the court and more particularly with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission to gain possession of legal documents which would have supported

One of the demolished houses

three houses. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, a dismayed Edwards said that he had been living at the said address with his family since 1992 after he developed the land which was “bush” at the time. He said that years of work have been put into what Block 6 is now from when he had first arrived. Edwards explained that with the support of his family, he was successful in building three houses which served as a shelter for his

“I told him I am not leaving the land, and he said that he has money, and will see to it that he will spend money and get me out of the place. He told me he owns the whole area but I ask him where was he all the time I was living here and he didn’t answer me,” Edwards said. Edwards then received a letter from a Court Marshal, addressed to Pitchan Bharat, directing that all buildings on Block Six Waiakabra will be destroyed because the place had been occupied illegally.

a legal claim of the land by Bharat. This was futile, however, as the document received by him from the Lands and Surveys Commission indicated that there was no legal ownership of Block 6 Waiakabra. The letter stated: “Your correspondence on the above mentioned subject (Status of Plot six Waiakabra Soesdyke/Linden Highway), received on July 8, 2014 refers. Please be informed

Turn to page 12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

GPF and CANU officers undergo specialist training overseas THE Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) on Monday said that the following persons attached to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), MOHA and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) have attended or are attending specialist training overseas, as listed below. GUYANA POLICE FORCE 1. Corporal 16630 Handel Moses attended “UNLIREC’S 2nd Regional Armoury Management Training Course (AMC) for Caribbean States” from June 2-13, 2014 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The aim of the course was to bolster the capacities of Government Armourers in the specific technical skills and management processes necessary for the safe, effective and efficient accounting, inspection, repairs, maintenance, storage, security and destruction of firearms and ammunition. 2. Assistant Superintendent Ludvick Scotland, Assistant Superintendent Gary Mc Allister, Superintendent Hugh Jessemy and Superintendent Wendell Blanhum attended the “Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Training Course on “Criminal Investigative Techniques” from June 9-13, 2014 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago ; and Sergeant Phillip Bowman, Corporal Darmendra Inder-

ing Course” from July 7-11, 2014 in the United States. The training course equipped the officers with the necessary skills and techniques required to execute their duties effectively as bodyguards.

Crime Chief Leslie James

paul, Deputy Superintendent Michael Kingston, Inspector Nolan Burnette and Inspector Chabinauth Singh attended the “Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Law Enforcement Training Course on “Interview and Interrogation” from June 1620, 2014 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 3. Senior Superintendent of Police Leslie James, Head of the Criminal Investigations Department, Guyana Police Force attended a Workshop /Seminar on “Tourism Security and Safety” from June 11-13, 2014 in Mexico City. The workshop/seminar included panels on specialised services for the tourism sector such as Tourism

Coordinator Task Force on Fuel Smuggling and Contraband and Head of CANU James Singh

Security and Protection; Search and Rescue in case of natural disasters or accidents. 4. Detective Corporal 18168 Richard Ramotar of the Criminal Investigation Department attended an “Intelligence Gathering and Analysis Course” from June 16-27, 2014 in Jamaica. The aim of the course was to familiarise participants with the basic principles and methodologies related to gathering, analysing and disseminating criminal intelligence. The course also provided insight into how criminal intelligence may be used in any law enforcement

Floyd Mc Donald

organisation for determining and solving crime. 5. Head of the Criminal Investigations Department, Leslie James attended the “Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Law Enforcement Critical Infrastructure Symposium” from July 7-10, 2014 in Miami, Florida. The symposium focused on sharing and exploring law enforcement best practices related to critical infrastructure and identifying commonalities between both infrastructure sectors and countries which facilitate economies of scale and set the stage for future multilateral engagements. 6. Corporal 17568 Cobena Edwards attended the “Bodyguard Train-

Waiakabra family rendered... that the Commission has no Lease on record for Plot 6 Waiakabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway” and was signed by M. S. Hutson, Manager Land Administration (ag), For Commissioner of Lands and Surveys. This, along with a letter from the court, which was contradictory, was also presented to the Guyana Chronicle. That letter read: “UPON READING the Application by way of Summons on the part of the above-fourth-named Plaintiff filed herein on the 8th day of January, 2014 and the Affidavit of the Plaintiff sworn to on the 8th day of January, 2014 and filed in Support thereof AND UPON HEARING Attorney-at-Law for the Plaintiff IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that leave be and is hereby granted to issue a Writ of Possession directing the Marshall of

the High Court to remove the defendants, ANTHONY EDWARDS, WENDY EDWARDS and EARNEST EDWARDS from occupation of Lot 6 being portions of state land situate in the rear of Soesdyke and Hyde Park on the western side of the Soesdyke Linden Highway on both banks, Madewini River, Right bank Demerara River in the county of Demerara, Guyana, as described in plan dated the 10th April,1976, dran by P.T. Fung & A. Mahabal, Government Surveyors better known as Lot 6 Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke, in the County of Demerara, in the Republic of Guyana, pursuant to the order of the Honourable Madame Justice Diana Insanally dated the 23rd day of November, 2009.” Both letters along with other documents comprising a summons to Edwards, a

petition made to the Chief Justice, a letter from the Attorneys-at-Law representing Bharat and other materials were submitted to this publication to solidify Edwards’ claim that Bharat has no legal ownership of the said land. The tearful husband, father and grandfather detailed his living experience and the struggle he endured through the years to provide his family with the basic comfort of having a roof over their head. He noted that his grandchildren would usually walk miles to attend school and since the demolition of their house, they were unable to attend school. This information was reiterated by his son-inlaw who also stressed how hard he had worked in developing the land from what they described as “bush.” He said too that Edwards has cultivated crops - fruit trees,

CUSTOMS ANTI-NARCOTICS UNIT 7. Mr. James Singh, Head, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) attended the “XXXI International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC)” from June 1719, 2014 in Rome, Italy. The conference brought together high level drug enforcement officials from more than 100 countries to discuss issues such as global drug trafficking organisations, precursor chemical control, the nexus between drugs and terrorism financial facilitators, demand reduction and intelligence sharing across multi-national law enforcement agencies. MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS 8. Mr. Oliver Profitt, Research Officer of the Ministry of Home Affairs attended the “Third National Correspondents Technical Workshop of the Continuous Reporting Septum of International Migration of the Americas (SICREMI)” from June 24-25, 2014 in Antigua, Guatemala. The objective of the

workshop was to improve the quality of information on migration at the international and regional levels, through analysis and discussion of technical issues related to the production of national reports and exchange of experiences in the field among the participating countries. 9. Mr. Floyd Mc Donald, DSM, Coordinator, Task Force on Fuel Smuggling and Contraband attended the “Meeting of the Executive Body of the South American Council on Citizen Security, Justice and Coordination of Action against Transnational Organised Crime” from June 25-26, 2014 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Coordination of Police Actions and Criminal Pursuit in relation to Transnational Organised Crime and General Consideration of the advances and projection of the Action Plan of the Council, among other matters, were discussed. 10.Major General (ret’d) Michael Atherly , MSS will be attending the “Working Group of Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism for the Sixth Evaluation Round Drafting Session for Institutional Strengthening” from July 29-31, 2014 in Washington, D.C. Institutional strengthening in the areas of national drug authorities, drug plans and strategies and observatories on drugs will be discussed. (Michel Outridge)

From page 11

coconuts, mangoes, oranges and an eddoe farm on the land which serves as part of their income. Edwards also recalled, shockingly, that on the night of the destruction, his entire family, comprising of nineteen members were forced to sleep under a tree while it rained heavily. His twoweek-old grandchild was also exposed to the inclement weather conditions since they had no other alternative. FIGHT FOR JUSTICE He estimated the total damage to be approximately $3M, including the houses and electrical appliances. He said that they had suffered tremendously and his fight is not against Bharat but for justice. In that light, he is currently engaged in a series of legal actions, including court procedures, where he will make his appearance shortly

A broken television set which was tossed out carelessly

to justify his cause and seek justice. In attempting on several occasions to make contact

with Bharat, this publication failed even as his number was not listed in the telephone directory.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

TravelSpan makes emergency landing at JFK

–soon after delayed takeoff By Leroy Smith

AFTER what was said to be an almost two-hour delay at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport on Monday night before takeoff, a TravelSpan flight to Georgetown with 213 persons onboard, including crew members, was forced to return to the airport soon after takeoff as the aircraft encountered mechanical problems. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday morning, several passengers and their relatives related that there was no clear explanation from the airline about the delay at JFK before takeoff. EMERGENCY LANDING They claimed that when the plane finally took off, fire was seen on one of its wheels and the pilot had to return to JFK for an emergency landing. And when the plane returned to the airport, persons were forced to go back to their homes after TravelSpan told them that they would be informed when they would be able to travel to Guyana. The flight was scheduled non-stop to Guyana.

One woman said that passengers who came from far away had to find their own means from the airport and to return when the airline finally got their act together. Meanwhile, contacted yesterday morning by the Chronicle, Station Manager David Goberdhan said that the flight had on board 205 Guyanese and was en route to Georgetown when the mechanical problem was detected. He denied, however, that the flight was delayed by more than two hours. According to Goberdhan it was for fifteen minutes but passengers have said that the airline knew it was having problems with the aircraft and kept them on the ground while they sought to address the issue. Passengers have said that the problem which the aircraft experienced in the air is the very problem the company was trying to fix on the ground that caused the delay. They were told that the aircraft was having some problems and engineers were working to have those rectified. COMPRESSOR FAILURE Goberdhan yesterday explained that the problem the plane experienced was with one of the compressors inside the plane which failed and caused them to return to JFK. He maintained that at no time was there any fire on the

wheel of the aircraft, pointing out that the compressor which is inside the plane has nothing to do with the wheel or any outward appearance. The TravelSpan senior manager said that passengers who had to return to far locations away from the airport were given accommodation while others made their way home to return. He said that for those who were forced to take transportation to travel back and forth from the airport, they have the option of filling out a voucher for a refund of their taxi fare, something that TravelSpan caters for in cases like the one that developed Monday night. This newspaper was told that the airline will be utilising its most recently acquired airbus to have the passengers brought to Guyana and they were to be checked in at JKF sometime between 18.00 hours last evening for the flight to Guyana. He further explained that by 06:30hrs this morning, the passengers should be on home soil at the Cheddi Jagan International. The airline’s office in Georgetown, which usually commences operations at 08:00hrs, was filled with travel agents yesterday from as early as 04:30hrs as they sought to make contact with passengers regarding the new travel arrangements and the moves to get them to Guyana.

Police in contact with Suriname counterparts over latest piracy attack By Michel Outridge FOLLOWING the recent piracy attack in neighbouring Suriname involving Guyanese fishermen, three of whom have been reported unaccounted for, Crime Chief Leslie James said yesterday that they have launched a probe and are awaiting cooperation from their counterparts in the Dutch-speaking country. He said that a report was received and filed by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) stating that a boat captain (name not given) recently left the Meadow Bank wharf in the city on a fishing expedition with a crew of three men. James stated that the information received has been sketchy, but they are working with what they have so far. The fishing vessel and crew left for a fishing expedition in the Berbice area but ended up in Suriname waters where they were reportedly attacked by pirates, who boarded their boat and began chopping them, James said. The Crime Chief stated that the Captain reported that he was thrown overboard and managed to stay afloat before he was rescued but could not say what happened to the crew of three. He said that it is believed that the crew members were badly chopped and thrown overboard and run over by the boat the pirates used. In their attack they reportedly took away the ‘catch’ of fish and a quantity of fish glue that was stored on the fishing boat. James said the Captain upon being rescued contacted the owner of the fishing boat, a man called ‘Feroze’, and related the incident. The fishing boat with one en-

gine intact and the other dislodged was found adrift at De Hoop, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, with a blood-stained mattress, among other things. The boat is being processed by sleuths and is lodged with the police. WAINI AREA PIRACY Meanwhile, on July 5, 2014 a group of fishermen, who hail from the East Coast Demerara, were attacked and robbed of their engines in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Waini area while they were fishing. Speaking on the basis of anonymity, one of the owners of the three fishing boats told this publication it is very difficult for them to replace two 48 horsepower engines, two Global Positioning System (GPS) units and three cell phones. Three fishing boats were in the Region 1 (Barima/Waini) area closest to the Pomeroon River when a small red boat equipped with an engine with two masked gunmen onboard came up alongside the fishing boats and demanded that the crew take off their engines and GPS units and other valuables and hand them over to them. Although the crew members were not hurt the incident has left them a bit ‘shaken’ but since fishing is their livelihood they will return to the waters as soon as they can replace their engines which cost $960,000 each and the GPS which is valued at $23,000 each. After the incident, the boats were left to drift but they were rescued by passing fishing boats and were taken to Charity Police Station, where a report was lodged. The pirates, however, were not interested in their catch but demanded the boat engines and then sped off.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

GPF/MWH begin work on Agricola Community Centre ground By Asif Hakim

WORK has begun on the Agricola Community Centre ground that was part of the police impact project in collaboration with the Ministry of Works and Hydraulics (MWH). When Guyana Chronicle visited the ground Monday, Agricolans were engaged in building the fence while a worker from the Works Ministry was filling the ground with sand by means of a Bobcat. Police ‘A’ Division Commander, Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken, and Officer in Charge of Sub-Division # 2, Deputy Superintendent Khali Pareshram, together with an engineer from the Works Ministry were at the ground inspecting the works. A worker on site told this publication that work on the fence surrounding the ground is moving apace and is currently about 10% completed, but should be finished in two weeks’ time. Another worker said the crew is working diligently with help from Agricola residents, who are fully cooperAn overall view of the ground

See page 15

Commander Hicken and Works Ministry Chief Engineer make their way into the ground

From left are OC of Police Sub-Division # 2, Deputy Superintendent Khalil Pareshram; Commander Hicken; Works Ministry Chief Engineer, and residents of Agricola

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Forensic lab heralds further evidence of national development

- Dr. Luncheon THE Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) is the latest of a series of national developmental projects brought into fruition after significant investments and a strong political resolve by the Administration to enhance the country’s capacity to better address issues of security and crime fighting. The $1.049B edifice is the first of its kind in Guyana. It was constructed under the Citizen Security Programme (CSP) which resulted from a loan agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). In terms of equipment, the forensic capabilities of this new facility can rival that of any other modern laboratory in the Region and further afield. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on July 14, Secretary to the Defence Board and Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon spoke of the unprecedented level of physical, social and economic transformation by the PPP/C Administration, particularly during that 20062011 period. This laboratory is only the latest of the series of developmental projects undertaken over the past 10

years. The HPS said this facility, which has been long in the making, heralds further evidence of national development and that, “it is really an index of our perseverance and consistency that we sowed the seed in 2006 - 2011, and here today, we are welcoming the growth of that seed…this national institution will flower and bear fruits that will be a testimony of all of the inputs that has been made by so many.” He explained that the lab forms part of a bigger picture, which is the development of science and technology in Guyana. This facility along with the One Laptop Per Family project, the E-Governance project, and the resuscitation of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) all attest to the specific recognition to the science and technology and its contribution to national development. He also spoke of the impacts of criminal activities to the national development and said that recognition that prosecutions and investigations at the national level would be promoted was a driver in the previous PPP/C Administration in bringing this project into being.

The Guyana Police Force has elements of a forensic laboratory, which it inherited in 1987; however, that facility does not have the capacity to adequately meet the needs of the country, which is why the Force had to rely heavily on sending samples overseas to be tested. The lab will allow for a high level of confidentiality, credibility and integrity among law enforcement agencies and the public, and will contribute significantly to the sector’s overall capacity in terms of addressing crime scene findings; thereby leading to more cases being solved and more prosecutions.

GPF/MWH begin work on Agricola Community ...

From page 14

ating with the police to see the work completed. Commander Hicken has voiced his desire to see Agricola having a sporting facility of its own. He said he has known Agricola as

a community that does well in sporting activities since in the days when he used to work in the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) of the GPF, when he used to be in the community every day on patrol.

The Chronicle has been made to understand that mesh and timber for the project were donated by the Works Ministry, but sand and dirt were donated by the Police ‘A’ Division.

Work at the Agricola Community Centre ground is ongoing

The Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Biodiversity action plan to be revised – will allow Guyana to adhere to international obligations

A section of the stakeholders during consultation on the draft National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

MINISTER of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Robert Persaud, yesterday urged stakeholders to work assiduously on the revision of the draft version of Guyana’s Third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). He described the NBSAP as vision-less and entreated stakeholders to do more to ensure it cater to the needs of Guyanese and fulfill international obligations. The minister made the remarks at the stakeholders’ consultation on the draft NBSAP to promote the conservation and sustainable management of Guyana’s biodiversity. The consultation was organised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the national focal point to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD). The objectives were to present the revised NBSAP, seek stakeholders’ feedback and input in their review for the implementation of the NBSAP. The minister pointed out that while much has been done with respect to protecting and preserving Guyana’s biodiversity, more needs to be done to ensure that the new strategy and action plan is futuristic. “I am deliberately being provocative because I don’t just want you to accept what is before you, I am personally not satisfied, it needs to be innovative,” the minister stated. He said there was need for the document to take into account current and future economic activity expressing pleasure at the diverse participation which the consultation attracted. Among those present were several Regional Chairpersons, and EPA and biodiversity institutions’ staff. Acknowledging that a lot has been done to put Guyana in a good position in relation to protecting and sustaining biodiversity, some of which have gone unnoticed, he said “we will continue to press on because it is not about getting recognition; it is about getting the job done.” Pointing to existing policies such as the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and the many international protocols and conventions which Guyana has signed onto, the minister observed that the NBSAP is needed in a form for the country to uphold those obligations.

Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud addresses stakeholders during the consultation on the draft National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan yesterday Seeking to update Guyana’s efforts at meeting these obligations, the consultation sought the stakeholders’ input into the strategy towards the revision of the NBSAP. This would help to integrate Guyana’s obligations towards national development and sectoral planning frameworks through a renewed and participative ‘biodiversity planning’ and strategising process. The overall goal of the NBSAP is to promote and achieve the conservation of Guyana’s biodiversity, to use its components in a sustainable way, and to encourage the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of Guyana’s biodiversity. Guyana signed the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (UNCBD) in June 1992 and subsequently ratified it in August 1994. The Convention on Biological Diversity provides a global legal framework for action on biodiversity. The Convention brings together the international stakeholders every two years, or as needed, to review progress in the implementation of the Convention, to adopt programmes of work to achieve its objectives, and provide policy guidance. Eleven meetings have been held to date. The UNCBD is dedicated to promoting sustainable development and recognises that biological diversity is about more than flora and fauna and their ecosystems – it is about people and the need for food

security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment. The main goals of the Convention are the conservation of biodiversity; sustainable use of the components of biodiversity; and sharing the benefits arising from the commercial and other utilisation of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. These goals are addressed through work on Agricultural, Inland Waters, Marine and Coastal, Forest, Dry and Sub-humid Lands, Island and Mountain Biodiversity. Other areas of work cover the rapidly evolving field of biotechnology, address technology development and transfer, benefit-sharing and bio-safety. The United Nations General Assembly, recognising the importance of biodiversity, encouraged countries to use the 20112020 Strategic Plan in the elaboration of the post 2015 development agenda. Having ratified the Convention, Guyana as a Party, has committed to implementing the UNCBD and the decisions taken at the Conference of Parties. In developing updated/ revised NBSAPs, countries do not need to have a national target for each global target in the CBD Biodiversity Strategy. The Guyana NBSAP will therefore be updated/revised to address national priorities and aligning these within the ambit of the global Biodiversity Strategy framework. (GINA)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Guyana to amend Intellectual Property laws - Attorney General endorses recommendations made by Registry of Deeds of Patents and Trademarks

AS a follow-up to a planning and assessment mission on intellectual property (IP) carried out in February 2014, by Mr. Paul Regis, Head of Caribbean Unit, World Intellectual Property Organisation, to the Ministry of Legal Affairs and other IP stakeholders in Guyana, the Honourable Attorney General endorsed the recommendations made by the Registry of Deeds of Patents and Trademarks for an IP action plan for Guyana over the next 2-3 year pe-

laboration and advocated the appropriateness of the theme of the workshop for examining the concept of IP in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy. He said societal realities needed to be taken into consideration so as to formulate effective IP policies in line with the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development priorities. Minister Nandlall recognised the need for the IP laws of the country to be updated and underscored the importance of the overarching CARICOM regional integration process to be taken into Attorney General Anil Nandlall addressing the workshop

Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Registrar of the Registry of Deeds and Trademarks and Patents, Azeena Baksh riod which would entail capacity building programmes. The first of a series of awareness raising programmes geared towards Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises was launched on Monday at the Guyana International Convention Centre. From July 11 to 12, the Registry of Deeds and Trademarks and Patents, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Government of Guyana, co-organised with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) of Geneva, Switzerland, a Workshop on the Use of Intellectual Property as a Tool for the Growth and Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. The workshop was opened by Mr. Anil Nandlall, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs. The aim of the meeting was to sensitise the target audience to the importance of IP as a tool for development and to showcase best practices and examples of its use in the business strategy. In his opening remarks, the Attorney General expressed thanks to WIPO for its col-

consideration in that context. He further added that amendment to IP laws was not unique to Guyana and proposed that regional solutions be explored in the area of IP. In closing, Minister Nandlall urged participants to take a regional perspective into considerations in their deliberations during the workshop and expressed hope that there would be numerous recommendations for enhancing the national IP system, coming out of this forum. Key speakers at the workshop were: Mr. Paul Regis, Head, Caribbean Unit, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean; Ms. Azeena Baksh, Registrar, Registry of Deeds and Trademarks and Patents; Ms. Wendy Hollingsworth, Science, Technology and Innovation Consultant, Barbados; Mr. David Orozco, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies/MBA Programme Director, College of Business, Florida State University and Mr. Teni E. Housty, Attorney at Law, Fraser, Housty & Yearwood, Georgetown.

Participants at the workshop

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

A happy state of mind promotes physical well-being By Parvati Persaud-Edwards

ACCORDING to renowned health guru, Dr. Joseph Mercola, the feeling of happiness – whether you equate it with optimism, joy, well-being, personal achievement or all of the above – goes hand-in-hand with healthier habits. People who are in good spirits tend to eat better, exercise more frequently and get better sleep than those who are not. This could be, in part, because leading a healthy lifestyle helps you achieve your goals, leading to happiness. It could also be that such habits lead to better health,

which in turn lends itself to a better mood and happiness. Beyond these rather common-sense associations, however, is intriguing research that suggests there’s something more about happiness that makes you healthy. Beyond its tendency to occur alongside better eating, exercise, and other healthy habits, it appears a positive mental state may have a much more direct effect on your body. Positive thoughts and attitudes are able to prompt changes in your body that strengthen your immune system, boost positive emotions, decrease pain and chronic disease, and provide stress relief. One study found, for

instance, that happiness, optimism, life satisfaction, and other positive psychological attributes are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. It’s even been scientifically shown that happiness can alter your genes! A team of researchers at UCLA showed that people with a deep sense of happiness and well-being had lower levels of inflammatory gene expression and stronger antiviral and antibody responses. This falls into the realm of epigenetics— changing the way your genes function by turning them off and on. It could be, however, that the type of happiness matters. In one study, par-

Dr. Joseph Mercola ticipants answered questions about the frequency of certain emotional states, covering two different categories or types of happiness known to psychologists as: 1) Hedonic well-being (characterised by happiness gleaned from pleasurable experiences); 2) Eudaimonic well-being (originating with Aristotle, this form of happiness comes from activities

that bring you a greater sense of purpose, life meaning, or self-actualisation). Perhaps people who are happy are less impacted by everyday stressors, and this ability to deflect stress is responsible for many of the gains to their health. Past research has also similarly found that positive emotions –including being happy, lively, and calm -- appear to play

a role in immune function. One study found that when happy people are exposed to cold and flu viruses, they’re less likely to get sick and, if they do, exhibit fewer symptoms. However, the state of our minds is not necessarily something we can control, because incidences, situations and the people in our lives can devastate our sense of self and purpose in life, thereby creating synergies that fill one’s being with negative energies that degenerate into depression of the spirit. The best solution to this is a re-conditioning and/or purifying of the spirit through meditation – and in Guyana the Brahma Kumaris, located in High Street Kingston, Georgetown, have excellent programmes in meditation designed to calm the mind and bring peace and solace to the spirit; as well as attendance at one’s individual choice of church. Congregation, worship, or satsangs often provide some degree of healing to souls shattered by their circumstances and/or the people in their lives.

Some 938 health care workers receive Canadian implemented AIP training since 2008 – Dr Ramsaran

By Sandy Agasen HEALTH Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran on Thursday tendered a written response in the National Assembly to an enquiry from Dr. Karen Cummings, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament, regarding the ‘Advance in Labour And Risk Management’ (ALARM) training done by the Ministry of Health for the period 2008 to 2014. The response detailed that, in 2007, the ALARM International Programme (AIP) was implemented in Guyana through the collaborative efforts of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC), the Pan-American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Country Office for Guyana, and the Ministry of Health. Dr. Ramsaran indicated that for the years 2008/2013, a total of 938 health care workers have been trained in the ALARM International Programme (AIP) to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Dr. Ramsaran noted that health care workers have been trained as Medexes, midwives, doctors, midwifery tutors and health visitors, and training of these personnel has been done in all regions of Guyana. He said the number of health care workers trained in 2008 was 141; 2009 was 171; 2010 was 115; 2011 was 37; 2012 was 85; 2013 was 330, and 2014 was 84. The goal of the ALARM International Programme (AIP) in Guyana was to provide the local partners (Ministry of Health’s Georgetown and New Amsterdam Training Centres) with the technical expertise, guidance and support necessary to implement the AIP within their training centres, while encouraging the development of obstetrical and midwifery professional associations in Guyana. The project included development of action plans for implementation of AIP; training of health professionals, including training for AIP instructors; and a comprehensive evaluation of the benefits and limits of the delivery of AIP.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Muslim community hosts delegation from int’l charity organisation

THE Guyanese Muslim community benefitted recently from a visit by a delegation from the international charity organisation, Friends of Humanity International Inc. (FHII), headed by its Director of Volunteer Programme, Sister Naima Khan-Ghany. While here, the delegation was based at the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, and distributed millions of dollars in foodstuff, children’s school supplies, clothing and medical supplies. The group, which included several medical students, also conducted screening and medical outreach in communities across Guyana. FHII is a Florida, USA-based organisation, committed to providing help to the needy in a transparent and accountable manner, overseen by a committed and dedicated team of directors/workers. The organisation is headed by Mohamed Javed Qureshi. Sister Naima Khan-Ghany stated that the group has organised similar projects in several other countries, but their visit to Guyana is their first of what is hoped to be a long partnership with the Guyanese nation. FHII is a non-profit registered organisation in the USA and is com- A representative of the Friends of Humanity International group during one of their mitted to assisting to alleviate hunger medical outreach initiatives here

and suffering. Their motto is to help people beyond colour, race or creed. Its youth division, Youth Volunteer Board (YVB), is very active in promoting the ideals of FHII and is headed by Sister Afeefa Abdool-Ghany, a high school student in the USA. One of its main programmes is “Adopting Global Communities” and the Guyana visit is part of that plan. Sister Niama and the group conducted a medical outreach as well as distributed hampers at Masjid Najm (Georgetown), Zeelught (Essequibo), Shaheed Orphanage, Anna Catherina and the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG). The delegation also met with representatives of the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA), CIOG, Guyana Islamic Trust and the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex. Sister Niama and the group, who were housed at ACIC, expressed great satisfaction at the outcome of their first visit to Guyana and the hospitality of the people, especially those from the ACIC. Meanwhile, she and her group have identified several projects in Guyana which will be pursued with the Board of FHII and she is thankful to the Guyanese community for its warmth and kindness. The visitors also took time to tour Guyana and meet with many other persons in their outreach activities. Naima expressed her group’s intention to continue working with Guyanese organisations, both Muslims and non-Muslims.

National Parks Commission continues to improve facilities, revenue growth By Sandy Agasen NATIONAL Parks Commission (NPC) continues to record growth in revenue over what obtained in the previous years and in 2012, it had surpassed the projected sum by $21M. The main goal of the NPC is to manage the natural and cultural resources of the National Parks on behalf of the people of Guyana through conservation, education and awareness while affording the opportunity for open-air recreation for future generations. The National Parks Commission was established in March 1972 to manage and control and develop park areas and work in collaboration with the Local Government Authorities in the establishment of new parks. The Commission is governed by the National Parks Act, No. 23 of 1977. Currently, the NPC takes responsibility for the National Park, Botanical Gardens, Zoological Park, Joe Vieira Park and Kaieteur National Park. MORE VISITORS According to NPC’s Annual Report 2012, the growth over the past years was primarliy as a result of increased visitations at Kaieteur National Park, among other ventures. The significant increase of visitors over the last year is a solid indicator of the growing international awareness of the site as a tourist destination of great appeal. The Commission achieved its highest ever visiation at Kaieteur National Park in 2008.

SMALL BUDGET The NPC in 2008, despite its small budget, accomplished many achievements. In that year, with the support of the Government of Guyana, the staff, associates and donors made the Commission a stronger and more viable institution. In 2008, the rehabilitation of the stadium in the National Park was done and the Government funded the installation of a walk-in cold room at the Zoological Park, worth over $2M. This was done to increase food storage capacity for the animals at the zoo. Funding was also received to rehabilitate all the lawn maintence equipment. Government support has enabled the NPC to make changes on the road to improvements in addressing the maintenance and resource protection. In 2012, the NPC completed the Play Land rehabilitation with the support of a series of donors, the lead group being the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown. The Play Park was expanded to include a benab and washroom facilities and was also designed to accommodate differently-abled children. Many other activities of this nature were done over the past years to improve the infrastructure of the Park. In November 2012, the NPC in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Guyana Police Force launched the Operation Safe Park initiative, which was designed to boost security at the Botanic Gardens and the National Park. The Commission also received donations and assistance from many local businesses. For the National Parks Commission, 2009 and 2010 were

very productive years but there were many challenges due to the small budget. This increase in revenue was attributed to the increase in visitations to the Kaieteur National Park, Zoo and the increase in landscape service requests. EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS Several initiatives were undertaken in expanding the awareness aspect of the Commission. The National Park, over the years, is particularly focused on improved signage – littering, animals in the Parks and smoke free zones. In 2012, Tree Labels were installed in the gardens, identifying the names of the trees, scientific names, family and country of origin. The Zoological Park offers a Wildlife Education Programme for Primary and Secondary Coastal Schools – The Nature School. Under the NPC, the Zoological Park holds an annual camp called “Zoo Camp”, which runs for four weeks. The camp is designed to have children engaged in meaningful fun exercises, while at the same time learning something that has an impact on the society and environment. The NPC in 2009 under the Kaieteur National Park provided training and capacity-building for the staff of the Commission. This allowed for the staff to perform at a higher level with improved output and efficiency. During 2012, the Botanical Gardens had many improvements, including the revetment of the manatee pond and land reclamation. The waterway was cleaned by MACORP (Machinery Corporation of Guyana) through the loan of an excavator. The Botanical Gardens is now well known for its bird collection and is constantly growing as the premier bird-watching site in Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

PPP will not shake hands and say thank you to those who abuse Guyana’s sovereignty

Lest it be cast as ‘namak harams’

THE ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Monday declared that the “intellectual skunks” who never cease to distort history -- the combined Opposition -- want the Government of Guyana to shake hands and say thank you to those who “abuse and mock” Guyana; or be cast in the role of “namak haram.” (treacherous). Issuing a statement on the matter, The PPP expressed its views on the breach of the fundamental principle of diplomatic behaviour by the former United States Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt. Its statement said the U.S. Ambassador breached the international comity which states that: “One State, to the greatest extent possible, (must) recognise the legislative, executive or judicial acts of another.” The PPP questioned whether the U.S. ambassador was acting on his own, or was acting in accordance with the imprimatur of the U.S. State Department. The party’s statement followed the ensuing fallout that occurred after the former U.S. Ambassador was upbraided earlier this month for ‘crossing a red line’ with his comments. Ambassador Hardt had been one of the most vocal persons in the diplomatic corps, calling on the current administration to hold local government elections. He had been vocal to the point where he criticised President Donald Ramotar for “selectively” abiding by Guyana’s constitution, even as the country awaits long-overdue local government elections. It was this comment that constituted a ‘red line’ for the Government, and resulted in then Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Priya Manickchand taking Ambassador Hardt to task at a US Independence celebration held at his home, where he repeated his call for the “restoration of effective, elected local government” in Guyana. The PPP party reiterated that Manickchand’s statement had the approval of the Government of the Republic of Guyana, as was clarified by Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon. The party said Manickchand had full power to make her address. At last Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly, Minister Manickchand was “booed and heckled” by the combined Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC); but the ruling party has stated that according to the video footage, it was the usual suspects, the individuals who spend their days

and nights plotting and planning ways and means of seeing the back of the PPP/C Government, who had engaged in heckling the minister. “In accordance with the practice of Diplomacy, diplomats are sent abroad to engage in advocacy for, and to advance the interests of, their country. The ultimate aim is to influence others to support their views. In other words, to make them their allies,” the statement said. The PPP explained that Guyana hosts several ambassadors, high commissioners, delegates and resident representatives representing their governments and international organisations. These individuals enjoy the basic privileges and immunities offered, and are guaranteed by the Government of Guyana; but with the exception of a few sporadic statements that can be described as undiplomatic and interference in the internal affairs of our country, the majority of diplomats here in Guyana have held steadfastly and honourably to convention and the orthodoxy of diplomatic practice. “The former U.S. ambassador carved out for himself the role of the elephant,” the party said. The statement also mentioned, “As regards the claims that Manickchand’s staunch representation of our country’s sovereignty and dignity being a “cuss down,” “vulgar” and “undiplomatic,” all this is nothing more than useless twaddle by a few posturing messiahs and untrustworthy egoists, who probably pay no taxes, have no certificate, nor make any tangible contribution to improving the wellbeing of the Guyanese working people. “Like peacocks strutting the diplomatic circuit, this useless bunch display pretentious airs as traffickers of modern ideas, when in fact they are nothing more than a gathering of gurus of fathomless ignorance.” In response to the claims made that the PPP depreciated the help rendered by the U.S. to return democracy in 1992, the statement pointed out, “The PPP has always made reference to the strong support extended first and foremost by U.S. Congressman and Senator above all, the former President Jimmy Carter, and later by President George Bush. That’s part of our history, only ignoramuses would not know that.” “What must never be forgotten or downplayed is the decisive, arduous and central role played by the Guyanese people at home and abroad in forcing the PNC to hold free and fair elections,” the ruling party said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

PPP calls on AFC to stop playing games -responds to 10-point demands with demands of its own By Sandy Agasen

LAST month, the Alliance For Change (AFC) issued a release with ten demands which it said must be met by the Government and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in order to avoid a no-confidence motion it has spoken of bringing against the Government in the National Assembly. According to the release, the AFC said if the 10 demands were not met, it would take steps to table the motion of a no-confidence against the Government, which may garner the support of the main Opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). The ruling Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Monday acknowledged receipt of the ten-point demand made on President Donald Ramotar and the Government by the Alliance For Change (AFC), and has stated that it is now meeting those demands with a ‘ten-point demand’ of its own. Calling on the AFC to stop playing games with the welfare of the people and nation of Guyana, the PPP urged the AFC to put the nation first over its politics of self-interest, if it indeed has Guyana and Guyanese at heart. In a statement, the PPP noted that the AFC is developing a proclivity for making brazen demands on the Executive of Guyana under the guise of having the interest of Guyana and its people at heart. The PPP, expressing its concern about the outcome of the new set of demands that were made by the AFC, said, “Our Party remains cognisant of the terror that was unleashed on innocent Guyanese along part of the East Bank Corridor following a previous demand/ultimatum (made) by the AFC. “During that fateful afternoon, many were beaten and robbed, and denied their constitutional right to freedom of movement. Law enforcement officers were also subjected to the wanton abuse that ensued.” UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT The actions of the AFC in the National Assembly are demonstrative of the scant regard the AFC has shown for the welfare of Guyanese, the ruling party has said. The PPP is now demanding that, instead of making demands, this Opposition party should endeavour to unconditionally support the Government’s policy and programme, and show that it is indeed genuinely concerned about improving the lives of Guyanese. The statement said, “It is in this context that the PPP demand of the AFC, if it is indeed genuinely concerned about improving the lives of Guyanese, then it must forthrightly put national interest over its own blatant partisan self-interest in which (its members) wallow. “This self-interest was very evident with regard to the construction of the Marriot Hotel and the Specialty Hospital. It is no secret that the owner of a major hotel in Guyana is a lead financier of the AFC.” According to the ruling party, this fact was made public by the financer himself; therefore there is no doubt that the AFC demonised the Marriott in order to save the interest of its financer. The party also noted that the AFC has been vehement in its support for competition in other areas, but is conveniently opposed to the same in the hospitality sector, which is not unsurprising. Evidence of the proclivity of the AFC’s self-interest was seen in regard to the Specialty Hospital, of which the Leader of AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan, was part of the team of a bidding company which was not awarded the contract, the ruling party has said. The PPP ten-point demand includes support for the Specialty Hospital, the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, the CJIA Expansion Project, the passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Bill, the Customs Amendment Bill, Restoration of the budget cuts, the Amerindian Development Fund, Support for reforms in the Security Sector, support for Cabinet to retain its no-objection role even with establishment of the PPC,and Support for Government’s developmental policies. The PPP calls on the AFC to meaningfully use its Parliamentary position to ensure that the demands made are realised, if it wants to remain truthful to the development of Guyana and its people. “Our Party calls on the AFC to meet these demands in the interest of our country and its people, since the benefits

that would be derived are known to all. The AFC cannot escape being responsible for denying Guyanese such benefits,” the statement said. AFC 10-POINT DEMAND Included on the list of demands by the AFC are that the Government should set a date for the holding of Local Government Elections this year, and there must be “immediate” establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), and appointment of all members of the Integrity Commission. The AFC is also demanding that the Government performs

a forensic audit of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL), and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Moreover, the toll at the Berbice River Bridge must be reduced, and a new bridge must be constructed across the Demerara River. The AFC party further demanded that Government appoints broad-based boards for state media, and for all Opposition parties to have access to those media houses. There must also be a halt to illegal spending of funds without approval of the National Assembly, and job opportunities must be created, even as a tax reform plan must be introduced and implemented.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Roundup of Berbice matters with Jeune Bailey Vankeric

Berbice Police sponsor young athlete for CUT Games in T&T THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) is equally about helping persons fulfill their potential as it is about solving crimes, laying charges and prosecuting cases. And this was evident

Reid is expected to participate in the Under-14 javelin event. During the presentation, held at the school’s auditorium, Commander Joseph commended the teen on his

society. “The police have to be involved in almost every aspect of activity that takes place, and we are always willing to assist and work along with any organisa-

Commander of Police ‘B’ Division, Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph, hands over the sponsorship package to Perry Reid. Sharing the moment are, from left, Assistant Superintendent Harvey John, Reid’s mother Paula Jackman, Headmistress Claudia Bobb-Blackman, and Physical Education Teacher and Coach Royston Mc Donald

when Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph; officer in charge of the number three sub-division of West Coast Berbice, Assistant Superintendent Joshua Harvey– John; and other senior ranks of the GPF left their respective offices to travel to Belladrum, West Coast Berbice to make a cash presentation to 13-year-old Perry Reid, an old student of Belladrum Secondary School, who has been selected to represent Guyana at the upcoming Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) athletics championship, which is slated to be held in Trinidad during the August vacation.

selection to represent his country and county (Berbice). “You are in a privileged position at an early age, and you should go forward and become a role model,” Commander Joseph asserted. The Commander, who incidentally hails from the village of Belladrum, reminisced on his younger years when he was also an aspiring sportsman specializing in athletics and cricket. “I know how difficult it is at times for young athletes to make it to the top. So it is our desire to always assist persons, especially youths, who are willing to make a positive contribution to

tion to help. That is why, when I was approached for assistance, I hadn’t much difficulty in giving my full support and that of the division,” Joseph stated. Acting Head Mistress of the school, Ms Claudia Bobb-Blackman, expressed gratitude to the Commander and his ranks for their quick response to the request, and encouraged the other students to strive for excellence even as they try to emulate their school mate. Reid expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the donation and assistance, and promised to make everyone proud of his performance.

Two new Justices of the Peace sworn in

NEW Amsterdam Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on Tuesday last swore in two Justices of the Peace (JP) in Mohamed Abdool Akeel and Mohammed Ahmad, who both solemnly declared that they would bear true faith and allegiance to the people of Guyana as they faithfully execute the office of Justice of the Peace without fear, affection or ill-will; and

that in the execution of the functions of that office, they would honour, uphold and preserve the Constitution of Guyana. The court room was initially cleared for in-camera cases, but the police were not fully prepared to commence prosecution at that specific time, thus the magistrate took the opportunity to commission the Justices of the Peace. This swearing-in ceremony

had no witnesses, except for the court staff and police ranks executing their duties at the court. Another person, Rafeek Chhaidan, was expected to be sworn in as well, but he was absent at that specific time. The newly commissioned officers are expected to serve within Region Six. They were roundly congratulated by the Magistrate.

Teen’s body found afloat in the Canje River after father calls out his name THE body of 19-year-old Dennis Denzil Williamson eerily surfaced in the Canje River just after 06:30hrs on Tuesday last after his father Patrick purportedly called out to him, reminding him of an appointment he had to attend a welding class. The former student of Vryman’s Erven Secondary School had been an experienced joiner, and had been hoping to secure a certificate in welding when he had gone missing on Sunday during a swimming extravaganza with relatives and friends at “Bashmin’s” at Mount Sinai in the Canje River, which had been interrupted by the onset of a freak storm that had resulted in heavy rainfall, uprooting trees and collapsing houses. Patrick Williamson and a search party left his Levi Dam home in Angoy’s Avenue in a wooden boat in search of his eldest son. As they approached the Bashmin’s area, about two hundred metres from the Canje River Bridge where the teen was last seen, his father Patrick shouted, “Dennis! Dennis! Show yourself! You got to attend the workshop today!” Within seconds, his father spotted his head just above the water; and the accompanying rescuers moored the boat alongside the body to free it from the clutches of a fallen tree. It is believed that had his body not been trapped by the tree, it might have drifted into the Canje Creek, and subsequently into the Berbice River, before being taken out into the Atlantic Ocean. Apart from an abrasion to the abdomen, his remains were without marks. A post-mortem examination conducted on Wednesday confirmed that death was due to asphyxia. Meanwhile, his grandmother Megan Sulker related that her grandson had been employed by ECHO Woods as an Operator. After returning home a few weeks ago, he decided to go swimming with his relatives and friends at Bashmin’s. It was disclosed that on Sunday, at around midday, he, along with some of his siblings, cousins and a number of other youths, went swimming at ‘Bashmin’ in the Canje River. During the swimming, his two brothers – Darren, aged 10 years, and Donald, aged 13 years

The late Dennis Williamson

-- were experiencing some difficulty, and he brought them ashore before returning to the waterways. The boys reportedly stood shivering during the storm, waiting for Dennis to come out of the water for them to return home. After several minutes had elapsed, persons began enquiring about Dennis Williamson, and then it was discovered that he had gone missing. A search party was quickly mobilised, but without success. The body has since been handed over to his father for burial. Dennis Williamson leaves to mourn his parents - Patrick and Carolyn; siblings -- Diana, Donald, Darren and Dwayne; other relatives, and a host of friends.

Accused rapist complains of being sodomised in the N/A Prison B E R B I C E P o l i c e a re awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in relation to an alleged sodomy committed on a 40-year-old remand prisoner who hails from the Amerindian Reservation of Orealla. Astonishingly, this offence was reportedly committed by two high-profile remand prisoners on June 25, last behind the walls of the New Amsterdam Prison. The alleged victim,

experiencing tremendous discomfort, reported the dastardly act to wardens at a later date, confessing that he was greatly ashamed to reveal the incident. His alleged attackers, aged 28 and 23 years old, are respectively facing charges of robbery-under-arms and break-and-enter and larceny. The victim’s account of events is that on June 25, they were in the cell when the 23-year-old viced him whilst his fellow inmate

removed his pants and sodomised him. Although an alarm was not raised, a report was made to wardens on the following morning, and the victim was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where a medical practitioner confirmed that he had been sexually violated. According to information received, the victim was recently remanded following charges of attempted rape.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Roundup of Berbice matters with Jeune Bailey Vankeric

N/A Deputy Mayor accuses Kaieteur News of slandering his character DEPUTY New Amsterdam Mayor Harold Dabydeen has come forward to debunk an article published in the Kaieteur News under the caption ‘Persons allege being fleeced by N/A M&TC official.’ Further, he is seeking an apology from the publishers of the offending article. Mr Dabydeen, while responding to the matter in relation to Mrs. Kaisree Ramphal of Canefield, East Canje, the Power of Attorney for Mr. Balkarran Samaroo, said the matter was not a ‘Deed of Gift’, but it was in relation to the estate of Sookdeo Samaroo, who died on March 21, 2011. Ms Ramphal had alleged that she had given

the official $200,000 since 2011 to investigate and correct a Deed of Gift for a property at Number Six Village, West Berbice; but Dabydeen denied receiving any money from the woman on his own behalf, although he admitted that he had collected the sum in question on behalf of the now deceased Attorney-at-Law Frank Fraser. “Kaishree Ramphal did approach me to have a probate and vesting of estate. She asked me to find out from Mr. Fraser, who at the time had instructed me to do the necessary things and to issue receipts on his behalf, and I forwarded everything to him,” Dabydeen said.

Deputy Mayor of New Amsterdam, Mr. Harold Dabydeen

“He [Mr. Fraser] had commenced with the matter,

which was filed in the High Court. I understand that the matter was stalled as the issue of a Deed of Gift had surfaced, one which was properly executed by the deceased person to another person. Subsequently, the Attorney-at-law died,” Dabydeen stated. Displaying copies of the receipts issued, Dabydeen confessed that they were indeed issued by him, but insisted they were made on behalf of the late lawyer. It was observed that the receipts were not signed on behalf of Fraser, as should have been done if the monies were for Fraser. It was detected that the receipts bore the lone name of Dabydeen, indicating that

the monies may have been solely intended for him. Responding to those observations, Dabydeen said the sums of money had been handed over to Fraser, who commenced his work. Another complainant, Dhanmattie Jaikissoon of Lot 66 Alness Village, Corentyne, is alleging that she consulted Dabydeen after her mother died and left the family in a land dispute. “He had to put in for a transport for me. He told me he would charge $180,000 and I would get the transport,” she claimed. But the Deputy Mayor said he was brought to the consciousness of the article after a telephone call. Subsequently, he recalled con-

tacting Dhamattie Jaiksoon, who denied ever speaking to the named reporter from Kaieteur News. Nevertheless, the woman confessed to other reporters from the print media that she had indeed paid Dabydeen several sums of money over a ten-year period. While she is still awaiting her transport, she is seeking a refund from Dabydeen. He currently owes her $100,000. Dabydeen contends that the article written in the Kaieteur News is unprofessional, with the newspaper publishing s land erou s statements about him collecting money fraudulently.

BERBICE COURT ROUNDUP with Jeune Bailey Vankeric

Alleged Child East Bank hire car driver charged with alleged rape of 15-year-old abductor gets bail at High Court

ALLEGED child abductor Bibi Hussain, called Debbie, who had previously been remanded to the country’s lone female penitentiary in New Amsterdam after being charged with abducting a nine-day-old baby, was granted $300,000 bail after she successfully petitioned Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Berbice High Court through her attorney Rodwel Jugmohan, because she had been denied her pre-trial liberty at the lower court. Jugmohan argued that the offence which his client faces is bailable, and failure to grant her bail constituted a breach of her constitutional rights. State Counsel Ms Renita Singh had objected to bail being granted Hussain on grounds that the offence for which she has been charged is serious in nature, and that the petitioner lives at Mahdia, a small community in the Potaro-Siparuni community of

Region Eight. On May 16, the accused had allegedly visited and befriended Mc Lean at the Skeldon Hospital when McLean was a patient there. Subsequent visits made at Mc Lean’s home at Number 68 Village Corentyne resulted in the accused offering to take Mc Lean and the baby boy shopping in a bid to celebrate the child’s ninth day. But on May 24, 2014, Hussain allegedly abducted Sandra Mc Lean’s baby boy with intent to deprive Mc Lean of her baby. Hussain had reportedly disappeared with the baby after assuring Mc Lean that she would take care of him whilst Mc Lean went to purchase fish on Hussain’s behalf. Nine days later, the police, acting on information, found Hussain and the baby at a house at Chesney Front Village in Albion, Corentyne, where she was pretending that she had given birth to the child.

KESTO David of Heatburn Village, East Bank Berbice, who allegedly engaged in sexual penetration of a 15-yearold schoolgirl, appeared before New Amsterdam Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs Marcus to answer the indictable charge of rape. The 29-year-old chauffeur was not required to plea to the charge, but was ordered to post bail in the sum of $175,000. David, a neighbour and family friend of the virtual complainant’s, would customarily transport the teenager to and from school,

and to wherever she requested, for the consideration of a fee. On March 27, 2014, he was allegedly requested to take the teen from her home to an Internet café in New Amsterdam, where she did some research. Sometime afterwards, she informed him by text messaging that she was ready to return home. They commenced their journey to the East Bank with another passenger joining the vehicle; and David allegedly drove past the teen’s home to drop off that passenger.

‘CHARGED’: Kesto David

Thereafter, he drove to a desolate area in Belle Vue Village, where he removed the teen’s clothing and engaged the teen in penetrative sex.

When she returned home, the teen informed her sister what had transpired, and a subsequent report at the Central Police Station and a visit to the New Amsterdam Hospital resulted in the chare being instituted against David. The teen’s sister informed the Magistrate that the teen, who has since left the New Amsterdam jurisdiction, had not been counselled, and she expressed hope that measures could be instituted for the teen to receive professional help. The case has been fixed for a July 18 report.

Main witness in Errol Lindo murder hearings dies suddenly POLICE sources have confirmed that 43-year-old Dolly Rahaman, a main witness in the Errol Lindo alias Son-Son murder trial of Charles Henry, called Charles Bristol, died suddenly at the New Amsterdam hospital as a result of pneumonia.

Rahaman, sister of the deceased 51-year-old Errol Lindo, late of Lot 1 Caracas Village, West Canje Berbice, had submitted statements alleging that she had witnessed the murder of her brother following a confrontation between himself and Businessman Charles Henry,

alias Charles Bristol, which led to him sustaining fatal gunshot injuries to his body. Lindo had responded to a telephone call from his sister on April 16, 2014 when he had travelled to West Canje and had seen a demolition team under direction of Henry destroying his home. He

died at the New Amsterdam Hospital hours after being shot, even as medical practitioners valiantly fought to save his life. Police are reportedly awaiting determination of Rahaman’s post-mortem examination before charting the way forward.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

BERBICE COURT ROUNDUP with Jeune Bailey Vankeric

Fazal Mohammed’s trial for murder of Buddy Muknauth produces hung jury DENYING that further instructions would bring a change in their verdict, the mixed jury deliberating in the seven-year-old murder trial of Fazal Mohammed, called 'Boy' and ‘Mangoose’, failed to arrive at a decision which would either

convict or free the murder accused for the death of Shahid ‘Buddy’ Muknauth. After deliberating for two hours, the forewoman reported that the jury had failed to arrive at a verdict because nine persons favoured the prosecution’s case, while

three disagreed with their peers. C o n s e q u e n t l y, M o hammed, who had initially requested to plead to the charge, had a change of heart, and was remanded until the next session of the Berbice Assizes.

In her opening address before Justice Navindra Singh, State Prosecutrix Ms Renita Singh had stated that on August 20, 2012, Anita Persaud, mother of sevenyear-old Shahid ‘Buddy’ Muknauth, was hospitalized after consuming kerosene oil

Fazal Mohamed

following an argument with her husband; and Shahid Buddy Muknauth’s care had been left in the hands of his twelve-year-old sister. Following Persaud’s discharge from hospital, she unsuccessfully enquired about the whereabouts of her son, Buddy Muknauth. The following day, Detective Sergeant Zoanna Johnson was on duty at the Springlands Police Station when, at 10:00hrs, Anita Persaud visited the Criminal Investigation Department to make a report, as a result of which the plainclothes cop went to Number 68 Village and contacted Fazal Mohammed at a rum shop. After an allegation had been put to him, he responded that on August 20, 2012, at about 14:00hrs, he had seen Shahid Buddy Muknauth; and after giving him something to eat, he had taken Muknauth to the Number 68 Village Public Road, from where he had sent him home. A subsequent visit to the home of Mohammed’s sister, Pinky, resulted in the woman denying that she had seen either Mohammed or Muknauth, or that she had offered them food. Mohammed was arrested and taken to the Springlands Police Station, where he was placed in custody and a missing person report with respect to Shahid Muknauth was lodged. The caution statement attributed to the accused, which was deemed free and voluntary, has recorded the accused admitting to taking the seven-year-old boy to a secluded area and beating him that day. Crime Scene Investigator, Detective Corporal Dwayne

Harvey, through whom the caution statement had been admitted, recalled receiving information and as a result going to Number 68 Village, Corentyne where, in a clump of bushes, he had seen the body of a male East Indian of about eight years old lying in a swamp, nude and facing upwards. Anita Persaud had identified the body as that of her missing son, and thereafter, Pathologist Dr Brijmohan had visited the scene to conduct a post-mortem examination on the body. According to the pathologist’s report, Shahid Mohammed’s body was found in a spread-eagled position floating in a pool of water surrounding by shrubs and trees. The body was in moderate state of decomposition, with greenish discolouration to its surface. The cause of death was determined to be multiple injuries. Following an initial appearance before Justice Brassington Reynolds last month, Fazal Mohammed experienced a change of heart after he was brought to the Berbice Assizes, where he was expected to plead guilty to his murder indictment. During the Goal Delivery, Senior Superintendent of Prisons Linden Cornette had revealed that Mohammed was one of four inmates of the New Amsterdam Prison who had requested to plead when their cases came up for hearing. However, Defence Attorney Mr Raymond Ali told Guyana Chronicle that his client wished to maintain his innocence, and would instead plead not guilty to the charge.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Perseverance ‘turn-key’ housing scheme coming around nicely –50 houses currently under construction By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally MINISTER of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali said on Monday that the ‘Turnkey 1000 Homes’ project at the new Perseverance Housing Scheme, located directly behind the Guyana National Stadium, is moving apace. Giving the press an update onsite at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara, the

five minutes to reach this location. It’s a new highway connecting the existing East Bank Public Road to what we call a ‘collector’s lane’ right here in Perseverance.” He also indicated that there will be five entrances coming into Perseverance as well as the highway from Diamond to Ogle on the East Coast. The Housing Minister

Minister of Housing & Water Irfaan Ali updating the media Monday on the ‘Turnkey’project at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara

Housing Minister said that he is delighted with the progress of the turnkey homes project, which is part of the development along the East Bank corridor. “This project started construction in May of this year and is moving at a rapid pace. Even though it rained, because of good drainage construction we can still carry on.” He added that the project is not without any hindrances but these are minimal. He noted that the 2014 Budget caters for more turnkey homes and the Ministry has seen an increasing interest from applicants for the move-in- ready homes, and so provision has been made to meet the demand. ACCESSIBILITY Meanwhile, in addressing the view that the project is being constructed ‘way at the back’, Ali cleared the air by observing that “all of us just came down the road, and it only took us about

said, however, that there will be no more land development beyond this section. “This is the last phase of land in terms of depth, after this the land is not earmarked for housing because it is moving closer to the conservancy.” 400 JOBS This project, Ali informed, created 400 direct jobs for Guyanese. “This one project since the starting of this year would have contributed directly to employing 400 persons.” Minister Ali indicated that there are currently 50 houses under construction, and these houses have already been allocated to the applicants. “With the allocation, these new owners can monitor the works being done,” he explained. This is the first phase being constructed in the 4th segment of this project. “The demand for the turnkey homes is tremendous and more persons now prefer this type

of home ownership,” Ali stated. The Housing Ministry launched the ‘Turnkey 1000 Home’ project in June 2013 with the promise that it would work aggressively to push construction. The 1000-homes initiative is the latest in the successful turnkey concept started by the Housing & Water Ministry in 2011 in a strategy to assist low-income earners to become home owners. The initiative will see the ministry constructing two-bedroom homes for $4.9M and three-bedroom homes for $9M, and these homes will be sold to qualifying beneficiaries.

Some of the houses under construction (Photos by Rebecca Ganesh-Ally)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

3 year-old girl awakes in coffin at her funeral

A THREE-YEAR-OLD Philippine girl woke up at her own funeral after doctors declared her clinically dead, only to be again pronounced dead later by a health officer. According to the United Kingdom’s (UK) Daily Mail, the girl was pronounced dead on Friday, July 11 and her fam-

ily arranged a funeral. A relative heard movements during the ceremony and opened the coffin to find the child’s head moving. However, the joy would be short-lived as the child was again pronounced dead on Monday, July 14. Dr Mary Silyne Asor-Ca-

bahug, the Municipal Health Officer of Aurora assessed the child’s condition but found no signs of life and made the final pronouncement, the Daily Mail said. Dr Asor-Cabahug further advised the family to bury the body as soon as possible to prevent disease.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Giant two-pound African snails seized at Los Angeles airport

(REUTERS) - U.S. CUSTOMS inspectors at Los Angeles International Airport seized a shipment of several dozen live giant African snails, considered a delicacy in Nigeria but also voracious pests that can eat paint and stucco off houses, officials said on Monday. Weighing nearly 2 pounds (0.9 kg) each, including their shells, and measuring about 6 inches (15 cm) in length, the 67 snails arrived from Lagos, Nigeria, in two plastic baskets with paperwork describing them as being for human consumption, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said. The mollusks appeared to be packaged as a personal shipment and were marked as destined for an address in San Dimas, California, about 30 miles (48 km) east of Los Angeles, agency

spokeswoman Lee Harty said. No attempt was made to conceal or smuggle the snails, the largest such shipment ever seized at LAX, she said. But the creatures are prohibited from entry because they are deemed

a highly invasive pest that pose a serious threat to U.S. agriculture, the environment and public health, the agency said. According to Customs and Border Protection, the giant snails can consume more than

Confiscated Giant African Snails are shown in this handout photo released to Reuters on July 14, 2014. Credit: Reuters/U.S. Border Patrol/Handout via Reuters

500 types of plants, and will even munch on the exterior of homes if fruits and vegetables are not available. They also can carry several parasites harmful to humans, including one that can lead to meningitis, Harty said. After they were intercepted by customs officials at the airport on July 1, specimens were sent to a local U.S. Department of Agriculture lab and then on

to USDA mollusk specialists in Washington for further examination. Experts identified the creatures as belonging to the giant African snail species, known by the scientific name Archachatina marginata. They also are commonly referred to as giant African land snails, West African snails, West African land snails or banana rasp snails. Each of the mollusks, with

striated brownish-orange shells, can easily fill the palm of a person’s hand. They can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) in length and may live up to 10 years in the wild, experts say. The entire collection confiscated at the airport was eventually turned over to the USDA, which disposed of the snails through incineration, although no garlic or butter was used, Harty said.

‘Cannibal nurse planned to kill girl with axe’, court hears (BBC News) A MAN with a cannibalism fetish planned to kill a 14-year-old girl with an axe before eating her, a court heard. Nurse Dale Bolinger, 57,

used the online Dark Fetish Network (DFN) to discuss beheading and eating women and girls for sexual gratification, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

He bought an axe in Broadstairs, Kent, in September 2012, the day before he was due to meet the girl, it was said. Mr Bolinger denies at-

tempting to meet a child under 16 after sexual grooming. The court was told an email address being used by

Dale Bolinger had been chatting online to a girl in Germany, the jury at Canterbury Crown Court heard Mr Bolinger was traced by the FBI. Prosecuting, Martin Yale told the jury they were investigating internet chats about the rape, killing and cannibalism of women. Det Con Nicola Griffith, from Kent Police, told the court the FBI had passed

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014 chat logs on to detectives containing online conversations on DFN. Mr Yale read out chat logs between Bolinger and other users to the court, in which he allegedly referred to beheading a 14-year-old, eating children while their mothers watched, and cooking and eating a pregnant woman and her foetus. Many of the conversations involved discussions of eating children, which the court was told he referred to as “nice veal”, including eating a newborn female baby. The court heard how Mr Bolinger’s online profile listed his interests as “cannibalism, mainly the hunting and preparation of young but sometime not so young women”. ‘Prepped for the table’ Jurors heard that Mr Bolinger, formerly of Canterbury, thought he had been chatting to a 14-year-old Mexican girl called Eva, who was living in Germany. During their chats he proposed to meet her at Ashford International station and discussed the sexual acts he would perform before and after her death. Mr Yale said: “He said he would murder her with an axe or a cleaver and then he

would eat her.” Jurors heard that Mr Bolinger told the girl: “The idea of making love and then eating you is a very great turn-on. “I have been called a very generous lover and I would be very generous to you before I prepped you for the table.” But Eva, whose identity has never been established, did not arrive and Mr Bolinger went home. ‘Ate humans’ claim He said he had only gone to Ashford station because he feared for the girl’s safety. Mr Bolinger ’s trial heard how he claimed to have eaten a 39-year-old woman and a five-year-old child during chats with other users on the Dark Fetish Network. While searching Mr Bolinger’s phone and computer, police found indecent images of children with titles including “dinner; one in, one waiting”, “the BBQ”, “the BBQ2” and “the BBQ3”, the jury was told. He was arrested by Kent Police in February following liaison with FBI officers in the United States and charged seven months later. The trial continues.

Mr Bolinger was due to meet Eva at Ashford International station, but she never arrived, the court heard

Man dies after jumping into bonfire at Utah festival (REUTERS) - POLICE in Utah are investigating after a man killed himself by jumping into a 30-foot (9-meter) bonfire during an arts and culture festival on the weekend in the desert west of Salt Lake City, local media reported. More than 1,000 people were watching as the man ran past safety barriers and leapt into the blaze on Saturday night at the Element 11 event, which has ties to the Burning Man festival held each year in northern Nevada. The festivities include the construction of giant wooden models, which are then torched. Video taken by a spectator showed the man running into the flames, followed by screams and shrieks as onlookers took in what had happened.

Grantsville Police Lieutenant Steve Barrett told The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper that friends of the 30-year-old said he told him he planned to kill himself by running into the burning effigy, which was shaped like a character from the children’s book, “Where the Wild Things Are.” He said security officers at the event, Grantsville firefighters, and individuals in the crowd had been unable to stop the man jumping in, nor rescue him after he had. Police did not respond to messages seeking comment. Neither did event organizers, but one told local broadcaster Fox13 that the festival would re-evaluate its security procedures following the incident.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

GGMC to resolve BOSAI’s royalty dispute – Board Chairman

CHAIRMAN of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Mr. Clinton Williams has reported that the Board will make a definitive decision in relation to the royalties’ dispute with the bauxite company, BOSAI Minerals, within a fortnight. An update on BOSAI and the bauxite industry was requested by Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Robert Persaud, who appeared before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources on July 14. Member of Parliament for APNU, Mr. Joseph Harmon, is contending that Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI) is indebted to Guyana for more than US$50 million in royalties for its bauxite operations here, and Government said it has been trying, with little success, for more than a year to get the Chinese-based firm to pay up. Harmon had made the claim during a Parliamentary Sectoral Committee meeting in November 2013. At the time, the GGMC and the legal team attached to the Ministry had been working to resolve the issue for more than a year. The APNU Member of Parliament remained unconvinced that the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has a handle on the royalties that the company is supposed to pay Guyana for its bauxite extraction. He also raised concerns over a

Minister Robert Persaud

three-year moratorium on the payment of royalties to the Government. This sparked an investigation to be launched into the matter by GGMC. “We are working hard to bring closure to the issue surrounding royalty payment. I assure you that it is a matter engaging the attention of the Board,” Williams said. Williams stated that according to information received, the Company has been paying taxes to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). He said this has to be looked at since there is a provision for either to be done. He added that the GGMC is in the process of invoicing Bosai and a definitive decision will be delivered within 10 days. Meanwhile, Minister Persaud pointed out that the issue was not a simple one to resolve, considering the legal and other implications. He nevertheless called on the GGMC to make it a priority to bring closure to the issue.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - 08:30 Thursday, July 17, 2014 - 08:30 Friday, July 18, 2014 - 09:30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Aries - March 21 - April 19 Just this once, rather than argue about the final outcome, you'd much rather sit down and work things out peaceably. It's not exactly what others expect from you, but it might work to your advantage. In fact, they probably think you're being especially mellow because you've got this new tactic up your sleeve. Whatever helps you keep the peace is for the best, right? Taurus - April 20 - May 20 If it smacks of being cheap or shallow, you can't tolerate it now -- and that goes double for people who aren't spiritually inclined. Your best bet is to surround yourself with those you know to be fond of intense, penetrating conversations. Don't let yourself settle for anyone's company if they're not willing to dive deep! Gemini - May 21 - June 21 Things go easily for you now -- and if you're out shopping, that goes double! You're able to find exactly what you want for the right price at the right time. Forget about catalogues, online stores or anything that doesn't involve direct, hands-on contact. You need to physically experience what you're about to purchase -- by seeing, touching, tasting or listening to it. Cancer - June 22 - July 22 Get ready to raise some eyebrows, because the intensity of your feelings undoubtedly escapes from your mouth -- even if it's a big secret -- as soon as anyone involved comes within shouting range. The good news is that whatever you say really needs to be said, so the ends definitely justify the means. When the issue arises, be brave, be blunt -- and be as gracious as possible. Leo - July 23 - August 22 For the first time in a while, there truly is peace on earth -- at least in your corner of the world. All your loved ones, including family members, friends and assorted dear ones are only too happy to compromise, cooperate and put their own needs second to those of the others. That happens to be your usual way of doing business, but try not to act too shocked -- just be grateful. The universe is smiling! Virgo - August 23 - September 22 Your curiosity run high in all departments, which means you're ready to start investigating those issues you have avoided lately, consciously or unconsciously. In the meantime, get ready to ask hard questions of yourself and of others, and to be surprisingly satisfied with the answers. You're ready to make changes, so get to work! Libra - September 23 - October 22 Your daily rituals take on an entirely new meaning now. You enjoy every step you take, even if you've taken it a thousand times before. You should also enjoy each new experience and learning new tricks. This might start out to be a rather routine kind of day, it certainly doesn't end up that way. The universe is smiling on you! Scorpio - October 23 - November 21 Take advantage of this great personal energy, no matter where you happen to be or whom you're with when it all begins to shine. You can get busy doing exactly what you want to do -- even if you only take one baby step today, it's a start, and you're at least on the right track -- which is more than many of us can say. Let your instincts guide you. Sagittarius - November 22 - December 20 Your emotions and your need to get things done are in perfect sync today, so there's not a moment to waste. Get busy doing whatever you want (or need) to do, and take your future exactly where you want it to go. You know where you want to be tomorrow, and thereafter, so what's the hold-up? Dig deep in your psyche, take time to see what's down there, and act on it. Capricorn - December 21 - January 19 After days of mulling something over deeply, you're finally ready to tell the world about it -- and your timing is perfect. The universe is on your side, ready to assist in any way it can. That means you should definitely start dialling, texting, IMing, and so on -- and start letting your people in on the secret. It's only fair! After all, you'd expect nothing less from them. Aquarius - January 20 - February 18 You may feel a small internal struggle taking place now. That doesn't mean it's unpleasant, just that what you're thinking may be at odds with what you're feeling -- or with what you feel is necessary. There's just one thing to do: Let go and let the universe take over. Your instinct is second to none, so you should know when it's safe to come out.

Pisces - February 19 - March 20 Someone you may not have heard from in quite a while turns out to be in the neighbourhood, and you should both be delighted to bump into one another. Don't hesitate to make the first move -- after all, good friends are hard to find, and this one is probably no exception. If you feel the urge to hold out, just be sure not to ignore the phone when it rings.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Johnson says... From back page

“My apologies for following up on anything that Denesh and Hafeez would have said but while I think there are a lot of words that can be used to describe captaincy, one of the words which I wish to leave with you here today is Challenging. “It is a very challenging task. Denesh said to you earlier that he was not fortunate to have such exercises being done when he was a young cricketer, but I think for me growing up as a youngster, I was very fortunate,” said Johnson who is known to be a very fluent spokesman. He added, “The club I played with, namely Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) had seven national players in their first division team at the time so coming up I learnt a lot of things from them which aid in my captaincy of the Guyana Under-19 team. Even though I did not get the senior team captaincy until this year, my lessons learnt over the years have helped me. But I do wish to say that it is a very challenging task, as you need a strong character to lead a team since you are dealing with 15 persons with

different characters and you must have a strong character in order to come through for them.” Prior to Johnson giving his remarks, Ramdin, who was recently appointed captain of the West Indies Test team, said a good captain must have the passion to drive and lead the team from the front, adding that it is a plus for the captain to know his players, as only then he can get the best out of them. “I must say how pleasurable it is for me to be here today and share my knowledge on captaincy with you. You are all an esteemed group, for when I was a young player, I did not have this opportunity so I am sure that whatever you learn would take you through your career as you go, whether you are a captain or just a player,” said Ramdin. He added, “As a captain, you must have the passion and drive to lead the team, knowing your players as well, so that when you go out to fight you have them backing you, even as you urge them to give you of their best at all times.” He told his audience, some of whom are students and can

be seen in their uniforms, that education is very important, as it also helps in the manner they conduct themselves on and off the field of play, even as he challenged them to take things one step at a time. “You need to take things one step at a time and don’t look too far ahead, and before I go I wish to leave a quote with you as well: ‘Opportunities are like heart beats, you cannot afford to miss one’ ” said Ramdin. Hafeez was brief. “As a leader, you have to be a good human being, for if you are not a good human being, you cannot be a good leader. You also need to think positively and not negatively at all times.” He said that while an individual can go to www. google.com and learn how to be a good leader from various experts on the topic, he believes that Lloyd is the better person to talk with on leadership, since he has led the West Indies team at a time when they needed it. Hafeez reminded the audience that if they are not thinking positively, then all they would have learnt on the topic = leadership would be in vain. He wished them all the best in their future endeavours in their respective sport.

Germany welcomes conquering heroes home TENS of thousands of German football fans have given a heroes’ welcome to the World Cup-winning team in Berlin. The main celebrations were at the Brandenburg Gate, where players displayed the cup on a large stage while performing an impromptu dance. Many had gathered since dawn to welcome the players who touched down from Brazil yesterday morning. Huge crowds lined their bus route into the capital. It was the fourth German cup win and the first since

reunification in 1990. The team’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday’s final sparked delirious scenes across Germany, which culminated in yesterday’s celebrations in central Berlin. The team arrived in an opentop bus emblazoned with the years they have won the competition - 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014. The BBC’s Lucy Hockings in Berlin says there was a carnival atmosphere in the city, with thousands taking the day off to witness the spectacle even though

yesterday was not officially a holiday. Speaking on the stage near the Brandenburg Gate, coach Joachim Loew paid tribute to his team and the German people for their part in the victory. “For our sakes the fans suffered with us. They were nervous with us. In the end they cheered with us. Without you we would not be here,” he said. Mario Goetze, the man who scored the winning goal on Sunday, said the experience of winning the cup was “dreamlike”. (BBC Sport)

Racing Tips

10:40 hrs Tenor

Irish Racing Tips

08:55 hrs Cunning Fox

Catterick

11:10 hrs Kodafine

Killarney

09:30 hrs Aldric

09:00 hrs Miami Carousel

11:40 hrs Clear Mind

12:40 hrs Special Tiara

10:05 hrs Clear Sailing

12:10 hrs Glennten

13:10 hrs Dance With Another

10:40 hrs Kept Secret

12:45 hrs Edgeware Road

13:45 hrs Port Merrion

Uttoxeter

14:15 hrs Midnight Game

09:20 hrs Gran Maestro

14:45 hrs Baby Whizz

Race 2 Indiana Moon

09:50 hrs Nathan Pride

15:20 hrs Our Man Zebo

Race 3 Appealing Beauty

15:55 hrs McLaren Vale

Race 4 Minnie Punt

09:30 hrs Defence Council 10:00 hrs Innocently 10:30 hrs Stout Cortez 11:00 hrs Lady Frances 11:30 hrs Irondale Express 12:00 hrs Rocky Two

10:20 hrs Yasir

Lingfield

10:50 hrs Rogue Dancer

09:10 hrs Malarkey

11:20 hrs On The Record

09:40 hrs Leaderene

11:50 hrs Sudski Star

10:10 hrs Annaluna

12:20 hrs Bumble Bay

American Racing Tips Delware Race 1 Moon Map

Race 5 It’s A Plane South Africa Racing Tips

Race 6 Inspired by Grace

Greyville

Race 7 Quimby Pete

08:20 hrs Roy Royale

Race 8 Brother Leo

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Analysis - Attention to detail, milkshakes fire German glory By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) - The omens were not good. In late May, as the Germany football team gathered at their World Cup training camp in Italy, news broke that manager Joachim Loew had been stripped of his driver’s licence for six months after a series of speeding tickets. Days earlier, Kevin Grosskreutz, a versatile defender, had been caught urinating in the lobby of a luxury hotel in Berlin. Two other players, attending a public relations event, had been involved in a high-speed car crash that seriously hurt two pedestrians. The troubled start fuelled public panic about Loew’s coaching strategies. The training camp, designed to get the players ready for the tropical heat of Brazil, was beset by cold temperatures and heavy rain. Then, in a friendly against Armenia before their departure for Brazil, Germany lost Marco Reus, one of the team’s best players, to an ankle injury. With a “golden generation” of some of the best soccer players Germany has ever produced, there is little doubt the pressure on the 54-year-old Loew was building as he set off for Brazil. Eighty-one million Germans - desperate for a fourth world title after wins in 1954, 1974 and 1990 - felt it was time for the sharply dressed, mop-haired manager to deliver or quit. The ‘Bundestrainer’ – as Germans call the head coach - had taken his talent-laden team to the semi-finals of their last four major international tournaments, but failed to win a trophy. That was just not good enough in a country where the World Cup has been an integral part of post-World War Two identity ever since the 1954 ‘Miracle of Berne’. That improbable triumph, historians say, gave the broken, bombed-out nation such a boost it helped spark West Germany’s eco-

nomic miracle. So how did Germany overcome all their problems and go on to beat hosts Brazil in a sensational 7-1 semi-final thrashing before edging Argentina 1-0 in extra-time in the final? The answer: attention to detail, ignoring distractions and milkshakes. Talking to reporters after arriving at Germany’s Brazilian base in Santo Andre, an isolated town on the Atlantic shore, Loew outlined his thoughts. “I’ve been around long enough to realise that some of these same kinds of debates repeat themselves from tournament to tournament,” he said. “Obviously people are going to have different opinions on the lineup and on the tactics. But I’m going to try to stay away from of all that.” SIX WARM-UPS More than any other squad at the World Cup, Loew and his players treated each of their six matches as warm-ups along the way to the final they always seemed confident of reaching – and winning. Victories in the group stage and the early knockout phase brought not celebrations but a quiet round of banana milkshakes at the German compound. Loew repeated a simple sporting mantra after each win - victory was meaningless unless they won the cup. With customary German thoroughness, Loew and his coaches were as well-prepared as possible. They spent two years focusing on every detail from tactics to vegetation. A team of 50 students at the University of Cologne compiled an enormous database of information about every team, their strategies and their players. German staff took care to make sure the grass on their training pitch near their compound was ‘South American’ and identical to that used in Brazilian pitches. Loew picked the base because it was two hours flying time from the bright lights of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where many of

Coach Joachim Loew of Germany lifts the World Cup trophy with his team after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) Germany striker, added tain Lahm, considered by gen Klinsmann, Loew did physical fitness special- many to be the world’s best the other 31 teams set up. not to speak to journalists ists, a psychologist and right back, into midfield for He also wanted his playon the plane journey to the urged the team to play the first four matches. ers to be in a tropical part of World Cup. Brazil to get ready for the Germany struggled at more open, attacking socOnce in Brazil, report- cer. That was credited times and the criticism scorching afternoon condiers were fed information in with helping Germany to escalated. When a reporter tions they would experience. tightly controlled daily news the European Champion- accused Loew of appearTo blot out distractions conferences. further Germany struck a ship final in 2008 and the ing to be content with the Only the odd player and semi-finals of the World shaky 2-1 extra-time win deal with a German develoccasionally an assistant Cup in 2006 and 2010. oper in Brazil to build them over Algeria in the last 16, coach were sent up to answer a spanking new 14-villa luxBut after Loew’s enter- Loew snapped. questions. Loew attended taining squad lost yet anury compound they dubbed “Should I really be disjust two in five weeks and other semi-final at the 2012 appointed that we made it to ‘Campo Bahia’. even bluntly told the report- European Championship the quarter-finals?” he said. The fortress, erected in ers that he was not reading to outsiders Italy, the mood the middle of a poor town An opinion poll showed German newspapers – and began to turn. of 800 residents, was pro93 percent of Germans wantneither were his players. tected by high walls and Loew had made whole- ed Lahm to return to full back The manager was spotted sale changes before the It- and Loew moved him there armed guards. almost every day jogging or aly match. When Germany for the final three matches. Some 30 kilometres (18 walking along the beach. miles) and a 15-minute fer“No, I don’t have a lost, critics said Loew was “That’s where he lets off guilty of over-coaching and closed mind when it comes ry-crossing from the nearest steam,” said captain Philipp was a control freak. city of Porto Seguro, the to advice,” Loew said. “A Lahm. camp’s isolation meant no In Brazil he decided he team needs to improve distractions, no sponsors, no would not get burned like their performance through NEW PHONES well-wishers and no journalthat again and re-jigged his the course of the tournaThe players also got new high-scoring team to give it ment. That’s the art that a ists to stir dissent. cell phone numbers before more defensive strength by team needs to master.” “We’re glad that none the tournament, effectively including four towering cenof you tried to climb over After the victory over cutting off their media con- tre-backs, sacrificing speed Argentina, Loew smiled for the walls and sneak into the tacts. camp,” team manager Oliver and crossing proficiency for the first time in weeks and “Sorry, I don’t have my a tighter defence. Bierhoff told reporters on the said he was keen to fulfil his cell phone anymore so I eve of the final. “The condiThe move was poorly contract, which has another can’t get your text messag- understood and widely two years to run. tions for the team to focus es,” Loew told one exasper- criticised. The German and concentrate were ideal.” “This is something for ated tabloid reporter. Loew and his players public wanted attractive, eternity,” he said. “We’re Klinsmann’s assistant high-scoring play and as- the first European team kept their distance from coach from 2004 to 2006, sured victories. the 100 or so German reto win the World Cup in Loew was part of a revoluporters who followed the In the eyes of many, South America. It took 10 tion in the German team. team. Unlike his predecesLoew also committed a car- years of hard work to get Klinsmann, a former dinal sin by putting his cap- here.” sors Rudi Voeller and Juer-

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

St Clair to meet Brazilian next month … Dharry and Eastman also to feature By Calvin Roberts THE LAST time 39-yearold Gairy St Clair, now a resident and citizen of Australia, fought here in his homeland was in 1999 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), when he faced and defeated via a points decision, Alrich Johnson, just over two months after he defeated Vincent Howard at the same venue to take the national super featherweight title. Now 15 years later and a father of six children with the oldest being 20, and a ring record that reads 46 (18ko)-122, St Clair is making preparations to return to the square jungle in Guyana to keep a ring date against Brazil’s Roger Dos Anjos Souza at the CASH, tentatively set for August 30. “It’s been a long time coming. I always wanted to come back home and fight but certain circumstances prevented that from occurring. However, I think now is the ideal time to come back and fight and with the people showing their support to the sport, what a better time than now. “I have been fighting all around the world and even winning a world title in Johannesburg, South Africa, so I am really happy to come back home and fight; this is the per-

fect opportunity and my opponent is a good fighter who has fought some of the best the sport has to offer, so for me this will be the biggest thing,” said St Clair. Asked to comment on the sport in Australia, his adopted homeland, the soft-spoken St Clair said, “Any young fighter who wishes to be in the rankings will find it difficult, but if you are looking to become a champion, then you can go to Australia and get fine tutoring in the sport. “At the moment, I am basically working with some fighters on fitness and health which is my forte, but one of the things hampering me a lot is getting a visa to go back to the USA even though I am a citizen of Australia.” He added, “I have been busy. Everyday I am in the gym teaching boxing and working out but my career is not over as yet, even though I am 39 years old, there is still a lot of fight left in Gairy St Clair. When I get in the ring with young fighters, they are amazed at the skill and techniques that I still possess and realise it is not easy for them. “I am starting back by coming to Guyana and putting in a good performance and then look to step up and get another world title. I want to do this for my country and also by giving back to the

Gairy St Clair sport … I know I had my time but I am not finished as yet, still have a couple more fights left in me but at the moment I am focusing on the young boxers.” However, he did outline that when he entered the square jungle Down Under, he endured some tough and dubious decisions, especially before he became a citizen, but having learnt more in the ring, fans were chanting for him whenever he entered to do battle. “I have learnt and studied the craft of boxing more now,

so when I step in the ring in Guyana, fans can expect and will be seeing a much smarter Gairy St Clair and expect to see the art of boxing against an opponent for whom you must be sharp and filled with technique. His (Anjos Souza) record reads 10-0, with all his victories coming via knockout which means he is a fighter who means business and gives no quarter to his opponent, so I am looking forward to the bout earnestly with the hope of making the Guyanese people happy,” said St Clair.

Amla poised to lead South Africa into new Test era By Nick Said CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) - South African Test cricket will usher in a new era under captain Hashim Amla today, when the country’s first permanent non-white skipper leads the side out against Sri Lanka in Galle. Top order batsman Amla replaces the colossus Graeme Smith, who led the side for a decade and elevated them to the number one Test ranking in world cricket, a status they only recently lost to Australia. Both men share similar traits regarding their will to win but in terms of personality, it would be hard to find two people from more opposite ends of the spectrum. Smith was bullish, controversial and his bristling selfconfidence often mistaken for arrogance. He was a born

leader. Amla, a devout Muslim, has a quiet demeanour, comes across as a little too humble at times and has shied away from leadership positions in limited-overs formats in recent years. That has led to him being known in the South African dressing room as the ‘Silent Warrior’. The 31-year-old was initially not in the running to replace Smith with the job looking secure for vice-captain AB de Villiers, who was groomed for the role by former coach Gary Kirsten after being handed the captaincy for the one-day side. However, doubts over de Villiers’ ability to keep wicket, lead the side and be a batting mainstay led selectors to opt for Amla instead. The latter’s role will be to nurture a side that has lost

some major talent and big personalities in the recent past. Apart from Smith, allrounder Jacques Kallis and wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher have also retired in many ways the spine of the Test side for the past 15 years.

GOOD FORM Where Amla and Smith are similar is that both lead by example on the field - the weight of their runs and ability to turn in match-winning performances - earning them respect the world over. Amla also comes into the first match of the two-Test series in good form gained during a spell with English County Surrey, where, ironically, he replaced Smith after the latter injured his knee. His scores of 109, 101 and 48 as an opener in the three-match ODI series, won

by South Africa ahead of the Tests, highlight his fine touch, but were achieved without the burden of captaincy. That will be the biggest worry for the South African selectors with Amla and de Villiers now - the two batsmen expected to get most of the runs for the team. It was never a problem for Smith. In fact, he revelled in the responsibility of scoring important runs for the side at his opening position and his strength of character allowed him to do that. Amla’s mental strength is less obvious, but should not be discounted. His shoulders are less broad, his personality less fierce but he remains a warrior. The Sri Lanka Tests are South Africa’s first since the 2-1 home series defeat by Australia in March.

Asked to comment on the work that is being done by president of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) Peter Abdool, St Clair showered praise on the man who also stewards the World Boxing Council/Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBC/ CABOFE). “When you look at the state of professional boxing before Mr Abdool took over and where it is now, where we have several CABOFE champions, you need to tip your hat to him, since managing boxing is not an easy task, especially if you don’t get help from sponsors. “You not only have several champions, but there was a time when he held a card every month, giving boxers a chance to build their record and later challenge for a WBC/CABOFE title and that is good not only for the sport

but the GBBC as well, so I say thanks to him,” said St Clair. Meanwhile, Abdool in an invited comment with Chronicle Sport, applauded St Clair for the sporadic efforts he is making to give back to the sport, adding that should St Clair become a promoter, he hopes the people come out and support his cards in the same manner they supported the GBBC cards. Abdool also informed that apart from the St Clair/Anjos Souza contest, United States-based Elton Dharry may match gloves with another Brazilian in Reginaldo Martin Cardello, while he is looking to have Dexter Marques take on Richard Williamson and Howard Eastman clash with Jamaica’s Tsetsi Davis in a rematch of their Wray and Nephew-sponsored Jamaica Contender Series.

First black woman to win Olympic gold dies

Coachman was a national heroine when she returned by boat from the London Olympics in 1948. THE first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal, Alice Coachman Davis, has died in the U.S. at the age of 90. A U.S. track and field legend, she set a new Olympic record, winning gold in the high jump at the 1948 London Games. She died in hospital near her home in Albany, Georgia, on Monday, three months after suffering a stroke. Ms Coachman’s athletic achievements pre-dated the civil rights era, which meant she was barred from public sports facilities because of her colour. She won her first national title at 16 and went on to win 25 track and field championships before retiring, aged 25, after winning the Olympic gold medal. She was inducted to the USA Track and Field Hall

of fame in 1975 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004. Olympic historian David Wallechinsky said that on her return home to Georgia from London, she was honoured with a long motorcade. However, the black and white audiences were segregated at her official ceremony in Albany. In the 2004 interview on her career, Ms Coachman reflected that she could have won even more Olympic medals, but the Games were not held in 1940 or 1944 because of World War Two. “Alice CoachmanDavis has inspired generations of athletes to be their best and she will be missed,” U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said in a statement.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

Digicel hosts Amazon Warriors inter-action session By Calvin Roberts TELECOMMUNICATIONS service provider Cellular Plus (Guyana) Incorporated, also known as Digicel, yesterday saw their Avenue of the Republic outlet buzz with activity, when six members from the Guyana Amazon Warriors, paid a visit to interact with the public, take pictures and sign autographs. New Zealand’s James Neesham, Sunil Narine, Navin Stewart, Krishmar Santokie, Christopher Barnwell and Veerasammy Permaul, all joined Digicel’s Sponsorship and Events Manager Gavin Hope at the location, to meet, greet and mingle with customers and staff. Said Hope, “We wanted to bring some of the Amazon Warriors players to interact with members of the public, sign autographs and

take pictures, with our stars as well, but it is more than that. “We want Guyana to come out and support the Guyana Amazon Warriors, with their first game being on Thursday (tomorrow) against Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, followed by games against the Zouks and Tallawahs, but we want all of Guyana to know that the stars are here.” He said Digicel is strongly behind the Amazon Warriors as is all Guyana, as they seek to go one better and take home the title this year, having lost out to the Christopher Gayle-led Jamaica Tallawahs in last year’s final. Hope said Digicel will be having several giveaways and in-stand activities at the games, including Top-Up giveaways, Digicel cheer leaders, tassa and African drums, promising full entertainment for cricket

Calling all Warriors! From left, Christopher Barnwell, James Neesham, Veerasammy Permaul, Sunil Narine, Krishmar Santokie and Navin Stewart, strike a pose with Digicel’s Sponsorship and Events Manager Gavin Hope (partly hidden 4th from left) and staff of Digicel’s Avenue of the Republic outlet. (Photo by Adrian Narine) fans expected to throng the venue by the thousands in support of the Amazon Warriors on all playing days. Meanwhile, Neesham, who was a late replacement for his fellow countryman

Corey Anderson, yesterday in an invited comment, said the Amazon Warriors have a very good chance of lifting this year’s title, based on the composition of the team. “I think that we have a

very strong team. It is all about taking it one game at a time as every team has a strong player of its own, but once we play to our individual game, then we can come out over the other teams.

The Amazon Warriors will have another practice session at the Guyana National Stadium this morning, ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Red Steel.

GCB illegal elections still before the court … Procedural issues to be addressed as BCB pursues injunctive relief CONSEQUENT to the Full Court ruling and related reports in sections of the press, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is compelled to clarify the issue in order for the public to have a full understanding of the matter. Justices James BovellDrakes and Justice Roxane George in their judgment dealt solely with the issue of the late filing of (2) documents relating to the BCB’s exparte application by way of affidavit for an interim injunction to block the illegal/ purported Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) executive from acting. The substantive matter of the illegal GCB elections held in January 2013 was not a part of this judgment as that is still before the Hon. Court. The BCB categorically maintains its position that the persons who are holding themselves as officials of the GCB (Anand Sanasie, Raj Singh, Drubahadur, Fizul

Bacchus et al) have imposed themselves as the Executive of the GCB and in consequence the BCB does not recognise that body to be in charge of the administration of cricket in Guyana. Anand Sanasie’s proposal to extend an olive branch to the BCB is therefore a tainted attempt to ingratiate himself with a legally-constituted, effectively-run and progressive Board that continues to make a tremendous contribution to the development of cricket in Guyana. Berbice cricketers feature prominently in the selection of national teams at all levels yet for four (4) years the BCB has not received a cent from the disbursements of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for the development of cricket in Guyana. The illegal GCB has not produced any financial report over the past four (4) years and ipso facto has not accounted for the tens of millions of dollars remitted

by the WICB. Sanasie and his clique are once again attempting to mislead the public by stating that the subject court ruling “allows the GCB to operate unhindered as it pronounced on the legality of its elections of January 2013, which was challenged”. This is a total fabrication as the matter of the illegal GCB elections is still before the court and until such time as there is a determination in that court matter, the BCB holds those persons operating as the GCB Executive to be an illegal body. Anand Sanasie’s inference to the press that there is no further court matter in relation to the GCB is yet another pathetic attempt by this individual to mislead the public and specifically the sponsors. Further and contrary to the purported GCB’s press release, the subject court ruling has not pronounced directly or indirectly on the Demerara

Cricket Board’s (DCB) participation in the said elections nor the status of the persons holding themselves out as the DCB Executives. There are two (2) active injunctions regarding the administration of the DCB. The BCB takes this opportunity to thank the multitude of cricket fans in Berbice in particular and the rest of Guyana in general who continue to support our struggle against the illegal regime which has hijacked Guyana cricket. We also wish to thank the many corporate citizens and our sponsors for their continued support. While the BCB is actively challenging the illegality of the GCB, we look forward to President Donald Ramotar’s assent to the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill which will pave the way for free elections and the return of transparency and democracy to Guyana cricket.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday July 16, 2014) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

Brendon McCullum (2105 runs)

(2)

Dinesh Ramdin; Darren Sammy

Today’s Quiz: (1) How many Int’l T20 games Christopher Barnwell has played? When did he contest his first? (2) Between Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, how many sixes have they struck in Int’l T20 cricket to date? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 16, 2014

CCC dropped from regional first class competition

Jason Holder ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) - Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) have been dropped from the regional first class competition, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has announced. The decision to exclude CCC was made during a board meeting in Antigua over the weekend, according to a statement issued by the WICB on Monday. However, the WICB approved a recommendation for CCC to compete in next year’s NAGICO Super50 tournament. “The Board approved a rec-

ommendation for the WICB First Class Competition to consist of the six premier regional teams – Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Islands,” said the statement released by the WICB. “The Board approved a recommendation for six teams along with the Combined Campuses and Colleges along with other invitational teams to participate in the 2015 edition of the NAGICO Super50”. Last year, the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) expressed its concern over initial moves by the WICB to exclude CCC from regional competitions. A number of players representing CCC are reported to have expressed their concerns to the WIPA and the proposal has been criticised in some quarters. The decision is said to be a part of WICB’s new thrust to restructure regional competitions, and among other things, make them more financially viable. Cricketers who have played for CCC include Jason Holder, Chadwick Walton and Carlos Brathwaite.

Results of fifth round Regional U-17 matches SCARBOROUGH, Tobago, – Results of the fifth round of matches in the Regional Under-17 Championship here yesterday. Results: At Mt Pleasant: Leewards beat Guyana by 18 runs Leewards 244 for nine off 50 overs ( Kofi James 104; Sherfane Rutherford 3-51, K eemo Paul 2-42, Renaldo Ali-Mohamed 2-57, Akenie Adams 2-26 Guyana 226 all out in 48.0 overs. Keemo Paul 57, Sherfane Rutherford 39 ,Kofi James 3-30, Jaidel Richardson 2-32, Tyrone Williams 2-33 At Bon Accord: Trinidad & Tobago beat Windward Islands by 7 runs

TRINIDADAND TOBAGO 184 all out off 46.4 overs ( Keagan Simmons 40, Brandon Maharaj 40; Ryan John 3-30, Darel Cyrus 3-46) WINDWARDS 177 all out off 48.4 overs ( Ryan John 52, Anil Matthew 34 Joshua Mann not out 28; Kirstan Kallicharan 3-32, Nathaniel Mc David 2-21, Dejourn Charles 2-13) At Shaw Park: Barbados beat Jamaica by 7 wickets Jamaica 121 all out off 31.3 overs ( Brad Barnes 39, Michael Frew 23, Malik Thompson 21; Dominic Drakes 3-30, Tremaine Harris3-20) Barbados 127 -3 34.3 overs ( Dikembe Wilson 51 not out, Teshawn Boyce 32 not out)

Sport CHRONICLE

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

CCC dropped from regional first class competition See story on page 43

Johnson says captaincy is a challenging task … Lloyd, Hafeez and Ramdin also contribute By Calvin Roberts GUYANA’S 2014 West Indies Cricket Board Regional four-day captain, Leon Johnson, yesterday afternoon told his audience at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Captaincy Seminar held at the National Resource Centre, that the task is a challenging one to handle. Present at the function, which saw

over 150 captains and aspiring captains from across Guyana of both genders, were Dr. Frank Anthony, Director of Sport Neil Kumar who chaired the proceedings and gave the welcome remarks, Permanent Secretary Alfred King and Guyana’s cricket legend Clive Lloyd, who received a standing ovation and round of applause on entrance. Turn to page 39

At top, from left, Mohammed Hafeez, Leon Johnson, Denesh Ramdin, Omar Khan, Dr Frank Anthony, Clive Lloyd and Neil Kumar share the head table, while at the bottom, the participants of the MCYS Captaincy Course pay rapt attention. (Photo by Adrian Narine)

Germany welcomes conquering heroes home See story on page 39

The German team show no signs of jetlag as they greeted adoring fans. (BBC Sport) Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Wednesday, July 16, 2014