Kaieteur News

Thursday Edition April 11, 2013 - Vol. 6 No. 15

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Budget deliberations…

Opposition to grill Govt. on 2012 drug purchases Linden nurses protest for gratuity

Kitty seawall stabbing death…

Woman perishes Vendor says deportee as another lorry killed 'bandit' while topples in interior defending her son

APNU, AFC vote to defer estimates, put dent in Government’s plan

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Kaieteur News

Budget deliberations…

Opposition to grill Govt. on 2012 drug purchases Government’s drug purchases are set to come under intense scrutiny again when deliberations on the 2013 estimates of the National Budget begin on Monday.

This year, Government has hiked the estimates for purchases to $4.6B, up $275M above last year’s voted amount.

For the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) $1.8B has been set aside - up from the $1.67B spent last year. The remaining $2.8B is for the different programmes under the Ministry of Health.

This particular expense has been a contentious one for a number of years after revelations that one company with close ties to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, benefitted from billions of dollars in contracts to supply drugs and medical supplies.

Other suppliers have complained that they were sidelined with the prequalification process rigged in favour of New GPC, the company at the centre of the controversy.

According to officials of both A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC), the two opposition parties in the National Assembly, they are highly interested in how government spent the billions last year.

In recent years, New GPC received almost 80 per cent of the total budgeted sum, annually, for drug purchases and other supplies.

Government faced tough

Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop

questions over the drug deals especially after several “incestuous” transactions raised the hackles of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which is controlled by the Opposition.

While government has steadfastly defended the purchases from New GPC, the deal in itself suggested that New GPC was treated in a preferential manner, even being advanced hundreds of millions of dollars. In one case no evidence was found that the company delivered any drug.

There are indications, too, that New GPC was not required to even lodge a performance bond, as is standard practice, leaving Government out in the cold when it came to claiming back monies for non-performance on the contracts.

Earlier this year, it was

disclosed that New GPC had landed another sweetheart deal. In addition to supplying drugs, it charged Government almost $100M over a period of time to rent storage space to the Ministry of Health.

That arrangement only ended last December.

New GPC, in attempting to cover up that lucrative deal, had always been claiming that it was providing free warehousing.

In 2010, New GPC failed to deliver over $200M in drugs.

In early 2010, the Cabinet under the Jagdeo administration questionably decided that New GPC would be the sole supplier of drugs, angering other local suppliers. In recent times, there have been increasing calls for the drugs purchases to be investigated fully but government has refused to budge.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Too many constitutional breaches being allowed – Ramjattan “Government talks scrutiny but does not walk that talk,” said Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, Tuesday evening as part of his passionate contribution to the final of the 2013 National budget debates.

According to Ramjattan many attempts have been made to suggest that the parliamentary opposition does not have the people’s interest at heart but he insisted that when efforts are made to ask for the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission it is an indication that “we care.”

As he made calls for cronyism and corruption to come to a halt, Ramjattan noted that even if there is no proof of such activities it is in fact the place of the Commission to say so. “The kudos will be had for the benefit of the Government...it would be a proud day when the Public Procurement Commission comes and says ‘Mr. Ramjattan what you are alleging is all false’. I would stand up and say of course we need a Commission.”

Ramjattan made a point of highlighting that there has been a plethora of constitutional breaches adding that “we have it there in the constitution but it has not been operationalised.”

He went on to list the Ombudsman position which has been vacant for the past five years and disclosed too that although there is a Public Service Appellate Tribunal its members are yet to be named.

“We have a constitution full of fancy institutions for scrutiny and for the benefit of workers and public servants and the procurement of contracts, and what do we have none being established to the extent that they could start doing their work.”

Ramjattan deduced that the ultimate reason for the failure to establish the constitutional mechanisms is

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan the fact that Government has not been “”walking its talk.”

The AFC leader said that sincere efforts were made by the opposition to have Government incorporate crucial ideas into the 2013 Budget; a move he insisted was premised on the fact that “we are concerned about the people’s welfare. We had made a 10-point plan in relation to what we would like to see in the Budget but yet it is being stated that we do not care for the people.”

According to Ramjattan, when attempts are made to ask for public servants’ increases and a reduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) it is an indication of earnest concern.

“It is not that we don’t have this country at heart.”

And it isn’t only the ordinary citizens that the opposition have been fighting for, as according to the AFC Leader, moves were made to help the private sector as well with whom consultations were had.

He noted that a comparison of taxes in relation to other Caribbean countries and Guyana has revealed that Guyana is probably the most taxed country in the Englishspeaking Caribbean.

“Our rates are over 10 and five per cent...I had urged the Minister of Finance to let us

in as to what is happening to his tax review committee,” added Ramjattan as he disclosed that Government had last year assured that the Committee would have been proactive and derive recommendations.

“Lo and behold we understand that the Committee has not met (or) they have met but there was absolutely nothing done in relation to that tax (review)...”

Requested tax reduction, according to Ramjattan, is in fact going to ensure, when compared to Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica, “on a logical dispassionate arrangement (that) can lead to one thinking that there might very well be a reduction in the amount of taxes collected.”

Ramjattan noted that the business community has informed that once taxes have been reduced taxpayers are more than likely to pay up.

“We have to live with that reality as economists would say...When it is too high, a number of the entrepreneurs and businessmen start hiding; there is evasion and avoidance. “They have been pleading for reduction of corporate taxes and we in the AFC have been pleading for a reduction of the VAT.” But according to Ramjattan, the AFC was last year told in minute details that the reduction of the VAT is not going to help poor people, a claim he slammed as being relative. “It is an argument that I find rather specious, rather illogical but that’s the argument.”

For this reason, the AFC Leader appealed for the reconvening of a new Committee as soon as possible in order to facilitate the analysis “of our taxes just like when we had the actuarial coming in to see what disaster Dr. Roger Luncheon’s chairmanship and the other board members caused to the NIS...to the extent now that the thing will soon go bankrupt.”

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

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GPHC working to improve its services - Renville

GPHC staffers during yesterday’s workshop

Margaret Palumbo presents a certificate to GPHC staffer In an effort to continuously develop the services offered by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), officials there, with the assistance of two international health organizations, launched a three-day workshop on Monday.

The workshop ended yesterday with over 40

participants receiving certificates.

The seminar was organized by the hospital’s Quality Improvement Department in collaboration with Health Qual International and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The main aim of the threeday seminar was for staff to discuss all the challenges at

the health facility and plan the way forward.

“During the workshop, we focused on building a quality improvement programme for the hospital and creating certain standards which we should be able to manage,” the hospital’s Quality Improvement Officer, Yolanda Renville said.

She explained that the group of staffers led by the

Deputy Programme Director for Quality Improvement for Health Qual International, USA, Margaret Palumbo, discussed some of the gaps in the hospital systems and ways in which they can improve.

“Quality Improvement is a very new concept for the hospital so what we did was to have clear directions and guidelines about where we

have to go. We came up with a few quality projects that the different departments would have and we discussed it,” Renville said.

She continued, “The representatives from the various departments will then go back and with the support from management and our Quality Department, they will implement these projects

and improve on what we have.”

“We are basically looking for guidelines in which we need to improve on,” the Quality Improvement Officer at GPHC said.

The certificates presented to the participants were obtained through Health Qual International and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Beware the conmen Confidence tricksters abound. Recently, there were numerous reports of people purchasing goods purportedly using Manager‘s cheques. This is a simple scheme. Guyana remains a largely cash-oriented society but in cases where large purchases are to be made the buyer is asked to provide a Manager’s cheque. This is because the relationship between the company and the buyer is not one that would permit trust to the point of accepting personal cheques.

A manager’s cheque is drawn against a bank and purports to represent that an individual does have money to cover the cheque. This is where the confidence tricksters make their play. They would approach a store and make purchases to a certain value. They would then guarantee payment by a manager’s cheque.

In this electronic age just about anything can be fabricated and made to look like the authentic document.

What makes the scam work is that the cheques are paid close to or after the commercial bank has closed.

The business entity therefore has no way of checking the authenticity of the document.

In this day and age when businesses are quick to grab every penny that comes its way the business houses often become careless.

None of them takes the correct course of informing the buyer that they would wait until the cheque is cleared. They fall prey to a sucker story about being in a hurry. Guyana is not the only country in which people fall prey to schemes.

In every country there are people who set out to live by their by their wits.

In some societies people become victims of identity fraud. Someone steals their name and various forms of identification. They then create accounts and it is years before the real person can re-establish his accounts and the like. Meanwhile the person could be blacklisted, taken to court for debts and even suffer other indignities.

That has not happened as yet in Guyana and with the society being so small it is unlikely that identity theft would ever be a problem.

However there are the bogus cheques and the counterfeit currency. The latter has caused the government to keep making new currency notes with added security features.

Of course, if caught there are severe penalties but not so severe that they would thwart any future scams. These people work in groups and right now there is an individual who has been identified but because the scam is so widespread and because these people have left no forwarding address nobody can contact them.

Crimes of this nature can be avoided; all it takes is responsible behavior. But then with competition comes the rush to seek shortcuts. After the initial reports many others began to come forward.

Until that initial report there was the view that the scam was very limited. It is now recognised that people do not even report to the police because they feel embarrassed.

And they have every reason to be.

The police are constructing a forensic laboratory. With proper staffing and training it should not be too long for the police to be in a position to trace the source of the paper that makes the bogus manager’s cheques.

When all is said and done there are many people with criminal intent. They operate in many corners and the police seem unable to match the wits of the criminals. There are those who openly rob people at gunpoint. Many of these are illiterate and therefore rely on scare tactics and even brute force. Many are very young men, some just out of school.

The police are better able to deal with these because it is often a question of force against force. But when it comes to the confidence tricksters it is another ball game. These are the people who rely on their brain. Because they are not as prevalent as the others the police have a hard time tracking them.

Strange as it may seem they surface for a brief period, rake in a few million dollars and disappear into the woodwork. But by the same token they are so much easier to guard against.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

A tribute to fallen heroes DEAR EDITOR, Guyana lost several towering personalities over the last few weeks. They made enormous impressions on the society deserving of accolades. Most tributes would be dedicated to Pandit Reepu and Dr. Dale Bisnuath who served as Ministers of government.

But also deserving of praises are Mrs. Ramayya and Wendell George and others (unsung heroes) who also helped to uplift lives but were never acknowledged publicly.

Mrs. Ramayya was not a political figure and was not rewarded for her charitable work but she did much more than many politicians for common people. She was a simple, extraordinary, remarkable and highly spiritual woman. Few did as much as her (and Dr. Ramayya) for the poor as well as going to satsanghs to help bereaved families overcome their grief. She was more deserving of recognitions than many politicians who got national awards.

Another individual who stood out among freedom fighters but was never recognized for his struggle was Wendell George. As I was traveling and speaking at universities in India last month, time did not allow me to write to pay tribute to this great soul. Wendell’s service to the freedom struggle, like that of Paul Nehru Tennassee (leader of defunct DLM) and others who fought for the restoration of democracy, should be recognized and he should be honoured posthumously.

These individuals gave a lot of their time, money and energy to free Guyana and were never recognized for their contributions, without which Guyana may very well have remained an oppressive dictatorship. Others are beneficiaries of the struggle waged by Paul, Wendell, Joe Ragnauth (of the US branch of the DLM) and others by individuals of other groups.

Wendell’s contributions to the struggle should be remembered. He was one of the nicest persons I met during the struggle against authoritarian PNC rule. He was a very brave soldier never afraid to speak out against the dictatorship. Like many of us, he was harassed, intimidated and he suffered violently at the hands of government thugs. But he remained steadfast committed and dedicated to the cause of justice and freedom for fellow Guyanese.

Although I was not a regular visitor to the DLM’s office on Robb Street

(choosing instead to spend more of my time at the headquarters of the URP and WPA on Croal Street and having exchanges with PPP warriors at Freedom House), I met Wendell through his association with the DLM. Whenever I visited Freedom House or Michael Forde bookshop, I would pop in at the DLM office to pick up latest literature and for an exchange with Paul or party people. At the DLM office, I also met several individuals (including non-Guyanese) who were committed and dedicated to the struggle for a free Guyana. Several were from Trinidad and I was struck by their commitment to the freedom struggle, motivating me to make generous financial contributions to all of the then opposition parties and cementing my own ties to the struggle in the U.S. It was always a pleasure to converse with Wendell and one learned a lot from his experience fighting the dictatorship and from being a

small trader, especially about the sufferings of the poor and the struggle to get food during the darkest days of banned goods. I also saw him at GUARD meetings and occasionally at the market. He was very passionate about his views and a strong independent thinker not easy to give in to other views or to political ideology. He was a nationalist.

Wendell was one tough cookie. He was not easily afraid of government thugs and of the terror unleashed by the House of Israel. Few who enjoy the fruits of office today suffered like Wendell or like Tennassee (who was stripped and placed on ant nest) or those who committed to the restoration of democracy in our homeland.

Wendell spoke his mind and was even critical of some of my writings. He and his family and the nation suffered enormously at the hands of the dictatorship and Wendell Continued on page 5

Local Government Elections DEAR EDITOR, This perspective does not necessarily coincide with those of several stakeholders who are asking, and indeed shouting, for early Local Government Elections.

One reason their expressions can only be heard as a series of sound bites, is that since November 2011, not one of them, including particularly politicians of any stripe, and egregiously GECOM, has publicly adverted to the

reports of the Elections Observer Teams who converged here, on invitation, in 2011.

The latter’s reports, and moreso that of the local EAB, seem to have been totally ignored. This profound nonresponse is quite unacceptable, since collectively the criticisms and recommendations contained therein, detailed significant defects in the Commission’s planning, organisation, conduct and general

disposition of human and material resources – all of which, incidentally, the Opposition vociferously complained about at the time; but has since failed to reinforce (at least publicly) their initial protestations with the required reference to the relevant Reports.

There must be a contradiction somewhere – in which Local Elections are to be remanded to a repetitiously broken system.

E.B. John

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

Our priorities are all mixed up in this place DEAR EDITOR, The rush is on these days, it seems, to rid businesses and persons found selling pornographic videos, as per the newspaper articles ‘Three held over porn’- Stabroek News, April 5, 2013 and ‘ Police crackdown on pornographic movie sales’, Kaieteur News, April 9, 2013.

In Guyana, it is against the law to market or sell pornography.

I believe, too, it is illegal for TV stations to air such material, though I wonder who these laws are trying to protect. If they are aimed at children—which seems logical—then children can certainly access pornography very, very easily these days, in this internet generation, by just the click of a mouse.

If the law here is so concerned about underage girls and boys gaining easy access to such material in these shops, shouldn’t it be equally concerned about its full availability and access on the World Wide Web? The internet is the place where pornography is quite

accessible; in fact, it is said to be the number one source for such material.

I wouldn’t put it past Guyana to bring such laws shortly that will restrict access to such material on the internet, given the way we seem to be going, along with the Caribbean, living so conservatively. The churches might even start to protest as they did during the casino gambling debate.

So, instead of robbing people of a daily living—and I do see it [selling pornography] as making a daily living (and I believe everyone has a right to make a daily and honest living)—the police and the law should focus on cracking down on the many rum shops that are sprinkled here and there all over the country, many of which are frequented by youth and underage customers.

But these places do good business overseas where the law shows much more consideration for freedom of expression and preference— much more than we ever will

in this land of archaic laws.

Additionally, I believe the law should go after the numerous junk-food eating houses and beverage companies that prepare, market, advertise and sell unhealthy foods packed with salt, sugar and unhealthy fats to the general public, fuelling – pun intended—the fat syndrome taking over our society, instead of cracking down on pornographic video vendors.

We have our priorities all mixed up in this place.

Leon Jameson Suseran

We may never see the likes of Lady Thatcher again DEAR EDITOR, As with Julius Caesar, “The evil that men do lives after them, the good is often interred with their bones...”.

So let it NOT be with Lady Thatcher.

PM Thatcher was a controversial figure, but let us not overlook the fact that, as an unswerving patriot, she restored the respect and status that Britain had lost over the years, mainly through ‘over-militancy’ in the workplace and other countries’ nervousness about doing business with the UK. I saw union power close

A tribute to fallen...

From page 4 made it well known that he does not want to see anyone from the era of the dictatorship ever return to office again to oppress Guyanese. He despised those who were associated with the dictatorship.

Wendell George was among the most decent Guyanese ever lived. He will be sorely missed. My belated condolence to the immediate family and to the extended DLM family that I got to know about through the freedom movement while visiting Guyana during my summer teaching breaks.

I cheer these heroes and those not mentioned for their outstanding contributions in helping to make life better for our nation.

Vishnu Bisram

up. My (Public Service) workplace was highly unionised - in fact, a closed shop, except for the secretarial grades. I was appalled at work practices when I joined in the late 1970s.

For instance, two chaps were putting bookshelves on an office wall, one of them holding the shelf in place, the other fixing the brackets to the wall. While one was at lunch, the occupant asked the other to adjust a screw, to make the load-bearing shelf more secure. He said that he could not; his job was to hold the shelf in place, not to fix screws. One day, I asked a messenger to put my boss’s papers in the In-tray on my desk rather than in a general tray on a desk a few feet away.

She had to report the request to the on-site union rep, so that he could visit and inspect, to grant permission or not. He then gave permission. To me, an unnecessary waste of time.

Shortly after Mrs. Thatcher became PM, our outfit was privatised, union power was curbed and several people lost their jobs.

It was known as ‘reorganisation’. The unions, fighting for their own survival, could do very little to help. The jobs got done with half the staff. Not a pretty sight to see colleagues in despair about their livelihoods being in jeopardy.

However, Britain was once again on the map, at the top of the list of places to do business with.

Many people are ambivalent about ‘The Iron Lady’. I think she meant well and was a breath of fresh air, with her ‘difference’.

Incidentally, in her memoirs ‘The Downing Street Years’, she pays tribute to President Forbes Burnham, for explaining to her the term “consensus decision” at a conference abroad. As I recall, words along the lines of “Something you have when you cannot get full agreement”. In other words, to me, the majority view. She used the phrase subsequently when visiting another country.

We may never see her like again. She meant well. May her soul rest peacefully.

Geralda Dennison

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Kaieteur News

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Fisherman gets seven years Four dead after ‘bush truck’ overturns… for attempting to murder wife Man claims torture at hands Cammon had recounted the Mohamed Wadikar Ally, called “Dick”, 39, the evidence given by the virtual of dead woman’s husband complainant Ann Singh. fisherman of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice who was indicted on the charges of attempted murder and wounding with intent, was on Tuesday sentenced to seven years in jail by Justice Brassington Reynolds. The victim was Ann Singh called “Snowie”.

He wounded the mother of his children on March 31, 2009 at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. The judge had ordered a probation report after the mixed jury had earlier found Ally guilty on the count of attempt murder.

The report which was read by Senior Probation and Social Service Officer Floyde Rudder stated that the accused was the last of 13 children. He dropped out of school in the fourth form. He lived for most of his life with his siblings since his parents migrated when he was 14.

He did various jobs, including trading, and subsequently migrated to Canada. He was deported from Canada in 2004.

He established a relationship with the virtual complainant in 2005 and they made two children. However the report highlighted that the relationship was full of abuse and the accused eventually became an alcoholic.

They separated on a number of occasions and a restraining order was eventually placed on the accused in 2009.

Despite this he continued to harass and stalk the virtual complainant and was charged on a number of occasions with various offences including

Mohamed Wadikar threatening behavior and assault, and appeared in the magistrate where he was sentenced to various penalties of three to six months in jail and fined $10,000. He was also bonded to keep the peace the last occasion was May 2012.

Earlier defence Attorney at law Sasha Roberts of the legal aid department, who made a belated appearance on behalf of the accused, had made a passionate presentation to the jury. She concentrated her presentation on the fact that there was no evidence that linked her client to the injuries to the virtual complainant.

She stated that there were no eye witnesses, neither was any weapon presented in court. In her plea of mitigation, the attorney at law asked the court to be lenient, stating that her client was very remorseful and expressed his regrets for what happened. He admitted that some mistakes were made and would seek counseling for his bad habits.

He hoped that Singh would forgive him.

State prosecutor Attorney-at-law, Dionne Mc

During the trial the prosecution called five witnesses including Ann Singh. Singh had stated in her evidence that on her way home on the day in question she was in a minibus. The accused was also a passenger. During the journey there was some misunderstanding.

She subsequently disembarked the minibus. A little while after the accused came running down the street behind her. He came up and grabbed her from behind and started to stab her in her back threatening to kill her all the time.

At the time of the incident she was five months pregnant. She was rescued by a neighbour and subsequently taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital where she was treated after which she was transferred to the Georgetown Hospital.

Before passing sentence Justice Reynolds scolded the accused and stated that the probation report hadn’t much good to say about his conduct. You allowed yourself to become addicted to alcohol; you became abusive and seem incapable of helping yourself.”

He was sentenced to seven years in jail.

The judge also commended the work done by attorney at law Sasha Roberts who he stated did a commendable job after taking the job at short notice and coming into the trial at the half way stage.

He also commended the Probation Officer.

New Member of Parliament sworn in APNU Region One representative, Renita Lolita Williams, was yesterday sworn in by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, as the newest Member of Parliament.

Williams’ swearing in, as an MP, comes in the wake of an APNU seat in the House being declared vacant following the resignation of its Region One Representative, Richard Allen, who collapsed in the House on Thursday and had to be hospitalised.

According to the Speaker, he was informed by Calvin Benn, the Chief Elections Officer (ag) that the name of Williams was extracted from the list. Trotman stated that Williams was later declared by Benn as being duly elected as a Member of the National Assembly and took her Oath of Office.

The speaker, in

Newly Sworn in Member of Parliament Renita Williams welcoming the newest MP, told the House that with Williams in the House, Region One remains well represented. He urged her to be committed to the job.

Opposition leader Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, in welcoming Williams, told her that the seat that she has just taken is a heavy burden

and comes under unusual and extraordinary time.

According to Granger he is confident that because of her commitment and service in the region, Williams will be able to discharge her duty at this time.

Alliance for Change leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, also expressed con g r a t u l a t i o n s to Williams. Ramjattan stated that Williams will have to acquaint herself with politics. He also said that he hopes that she will have access to certain documents in order for her to get acquainted with the workings in parliament.

Williams, who hails from Moruca i n t h e B a r i m a / Waini Region, was also welcomed by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds along with Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodriques- Birkett and George Norton.

A ‘B’ Field Sophia man is now fearful for his life and is yet to seek medical attention after the accident in Buckhall last weekend. That accident claimed the life of four persons and he is now being blamed for the accident.

Anil Persaud told this publication that he was on board the ill-fated truck on Saturday. He said that the husband of a woman who died in the accident is claiming that he set up the incident and robbed the woman after the incident.

On Saturday evening last four persons were killed and several others injured when a ‘bush truck’ travelling uphill along the Barama main road overturned several times, hurling some of its occupants down a 67-foot gully.

The dead have been identified as Richard Doobay, 33, of Riverstown; Pamela Solomon, of ‘B’ Field Sophia; Aubrey Evans and George Persaud, 31, of Lot 77 Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.

According to Persaud he has been working with Pamela Solomon and her husband for some time now and this was the woman’s first trip to the hinterland. They

both resided in ‘B’ Field Sophia.

“She come to me and tell me that she want do business in the bush so I was going up with she because I know the area and I does work and sell in the bush.”

Persaud said that after the accident he recalled trying to render assistance to those who were injured but within minutes at least three other trucks were on the scene with other persons pretending to be helping.

“I see people just come and start collecting things that fall off de truck and just walking away and then we went back to Barama and they bring a thing to help move the truck. Then an ambulance come.”

The man said that he was still in shock. Recollections of the accident were very horrific. He left with the other injured persons for Barama.

It was only until the Sunday morning that he returned to the scene of the accident to see what he could salvage.

“Me the GM (General Manager) and two other persons went back to the scene and we ain’t find anything. We see all dem

bags empty and turn over,” Persaud related.

Further the man said that on Monday morning he was on his way to the city with the dead woman’s husband and the hostility started.

“When we de coming down in the car de man start slapping me up and a girl tek a cigarette and go fa bun me in ma eye and I just close me eye but I didn’t tek it fa nothing,” On Monday morning Persaud said that he went over to the woman’s husband to gaff as he would normally do but he was locked in a room and tortured.

“De man start telling me that I set up the whole thing and that I thief all de woman money but I telling them that me ain’t know about no money and meh aint set up no accident. How I gon set up a accident fa four persons dead?”

A report has since been made at the Turkeyen Police Station but no action has been taken. Persaud said that he is fearful for his life as the woman’s husband and some other relatives have been making death threats to him.

The man has since fled the area just to ensure his safety.

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Thursday April 11, 2013

New East Bank Berbice Road for 2014- Ramotar

By Leon Suseran Residents of East Bank Berbice (EBB) will now have to wait until 2014 for a new EBB road. The President of Guyana, Mr. Donald Ramotar, made this recent announcement, even though it was announced in September last year by Regional Chairman David Armogan that a new road would have been “likely” this year (2013). And East Bank Berbicians did not welcome this announcement.

This did not go down well with them so they shut down the entire thoroughfare yesterday (WEDNESDAY).

Cars and other vehicles lined the roadway, blocking entrance and exit into the area.

They were fed up about the “empty promises” made by several government officials concerning the road over the past months; a most recent,

by Region 6 Chairman ,Mr. David Armogan, only September last year.

“It is hardly likely that they will have a new road by the end of the year,” Armogan told the media back then. He added that while the administration sees the venture as a “possible” one, “my understanding is that Cabinet is in the process or has already gotten almost

....Motorists, residents protest and shut down road

“The government can build Marriots and fourlane roads and they cannot build a proper road for us in East Bank Berbice!”- angry resident US$7M from a negotiated loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to do that road project”.

“Hopefully sometime next year [2013] that road project should take off, Armogan stated in September 2012.

But now it seems that this will not become a reality this year and residents and hire car

operators are at their wits’ end since no new road is expected earlier than 2014.

Residents and drivers feel duped again and fuming has begun once more. Yesterday, they fumed and fumed and vented their frustrations.

“The government can build Marriots and four- lane roads and they cannot build a

proper road for us in East Bank Berbice!” said one furious resident. A derilict vehicle was also used to block a section of the roadway, while placards read: “enough is enough!”; “give us a decent road”; and “we need a good road now...are we pigs to live in a hole?”The President, over the weekend, said that he knows the road has been an inconvenience it “affects us economically because that area produces a lot of stuff that comes out of there. He stated that the government has approached the IDB for a loan they [IDB] requested a study be done first before the money is disbursed “so we are trying to accelerate that to try and bring that forward as fast as possible”. He committed to “an outside date” to build “a road that we want to build for the East bank of Berbice would be the beginning of next year—the latest—we are working very hard to see if we can do it this year”. He promised that all of the resources to maintain the road in the meantime, will be used.Impassable stateThe EBB road is in an impassable state. One hire car driver, whose comment was sought, stated that he does not believe that a new road is even possible next year, seeing that that the project will first have to be placed in the 2014 budget, which is usually presented in March or April of any given year.

Tendering processes and

award of contract, etc would take place way after the budget, adding to many delays, the driver stated. “So it’s a long struggle from now until next year. Eight years ago President Bharrat Jagdeo made the same promise to the people at Plantation Highbury and every year they keep renewing the promise, so this seems to be another empty promise”, he stated.The driver is concerned about the destruction of the road by a civil contractor in the area as well. “The irony is that H. Nauth [Contracting] continues to hammer this road with their big eighttonne trucks with loads”.

“This road does not have weight limits”, he complained.

Also, the driver claimed that a cement bagging facility in the area is also damaging the road further. “Each truck carries ten slings of cement and each sling has forty sacks – that is over eighteen tonnes plus the weight of the trucks—ten trucks sometimes ply the road at one time that is over eighteen tonnes on this road!”The driver is asking

the opposition in Parliament “to press the government to divert money to build the EBB road”. “They are building four- lane roads—is that necessary?” he questioned.Motorists shut down East Bank Berbice roadway The East Bank Berbice corridor, over the years, has developed to be Berbice’s main trading and commerce corridor.

The area has four sawmills, a cement packing facility, a fertilizer bagging and blending facility, the two main petrol bonds and terminals which distributes kerosene, gasoline and dieseline to the entire Berbice area.It is also the link to a major housing scheme, several schools, the farming area of Mara and other farflung agrarian- based villages.

It runs in an area in which the sugar company has a large expanse of sugar plantations too. Yesterday, the motorists and residents shut down the roadway and threatened to maintain the shutdown until the President visits the area.

Thursday April 11, 2013

The Guyanese people are tired. They are weary of the political rigmarole that the opposition is subjecting the nation just to prove the point that they have the power over what the government can spend in the economy.

The Guyanese people know what the opposition is capable of. They have felt that power before; they saw its ominous implications last year when workers were almost placed on the breadline.

They have seen the contradictions of the opposition passing the estimates for the health sector and then afterwards enquiring where the money came from to finance pharmaceutical purchases from a certain firm.

They witnessed the refusal of the opposition to pass the supplementary estimates for the specialty hospital. And then they learnt this year that the same opposition is querying the progress with the hospital.

Yes, the same opposition which voted sums last year for the extension of the airport project is now also demanding greater transparency before approving any new funding.

This is an opposition that is mired in political showmanship and brinkmanship.

The problem is that the Guyanese people put them there. And as such the people have to live with that choice until it can be undone. The

Kaieteur News

Guyanese people must be prepared for four more years of turbulent politics within the National Assembly.

This turbulence will not end until such time as a majority government is voted in. In the meantime, the 2013 Budget seems headed for the rocks. But if good sense prevails, it can still be salvaged. A deal has to be struck. The following are compromises that the government should propose to allow for safe passage of the Budget.

1. In relation to the subsidies to GuySuco and GPL, a committee with opposition membership will be appointed to review the development plans of these two entities. This review will form the basis on future subsidies.

2. In relation to the power subsidy to Region Ten, the government will accelerate the appointment of the technical committee agreed upon to review the tariff so that its work can commence.

3. In relation to the property tax measures, the government will maintain the threshold at the existing level of $7.5 M but adjust the base year to 2011.

4. In relation to the tax allowances for first-time home owners, the threshold should be reduced to $10M. 5. In relation to the turnkey initiative to provide homes for 48 professionals, the allotments should be done through a public and

Dem boys seh...

Barbie getting more expansion Barbie getting another boost. De government intend to use he to expand de fishing industry. In fact, when it got to expand anything de government does use Barbie. To expand de radio transmission, was Barbie. He get five frequencies and to help he Jagdeo give frequencies to de party and to he friends and family. Rob Earth wife who also get five channels is he niece. That is real expansion.

Everything is expansion these days. Even de budget expand. But when dem boys check de expansion dem notice that that is de same thing. De biggest allocations going to friends and family.

People didn’t understand till dem boys explain that all de friends and family getting wuk as contract employees and therefore getting de biggest salary. Barbie was de biggest contract employee. He get most of de money to supply drugs fuh de hospital and de Ministry of Health.

Now that dem boys talk and de drugs thing dry up de government trying to get Barbie into fish.

Dem boys seh that he got to get couple trawler and dem hope that he wuk pun one of dem.

Donald support de expansion. Dem boys watch he belly and dem see it expanding. He shirt front done expand. That was a man who use to tek pride in Cheddi ways. But after a time is another time. He tekking pride in expanding everything including some of de things that already expand.

One of dem is Kwame who still expanding in more ways than one. De budget debate come and gone and dem boys seh that Donald expand de ranks of de poor to such a size that de country hardly got room fuh poor people. De only thing that he ain’t do is expand he seat in parliament.

Talk half and check fuh anymore expansion.

transparent lottery so as to avoid cronyism in the allotment process.

6. In relation to the Berbice River Bridge, the government will pay the toll for designated buses transporting only school children across the Bridge.

7. In relation to VAT, the government will ask the opposition to submit a list of ten food items on which they would like the VAT zero-rated.

8. In relation to University of Guyana, the fees will be indexed to the rate of

the US dollar.

9. A pilot programme of school buses will be launched targeting children in some of the large housing schemes.

10. An institutional audit of the Demerara Harbour Bridge will be commissioned to determine whether the sums voted are sufficient to maintain the bridge in working order.

11. The government, with opposition input, will undertake a review of the system of prequalification used to shortlist contractors

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for the supply of pharmaceuticals in the health sector.

12. An audit will be undertaken to determine whether ineligible persons are receiving old age pension.

13. In relation to the airport project, a reputable and external consulting firm will be appointed to ensure that every cent is accounted for.

Even if one-third of the above list is agreed to there is no reason why the Budget should not be passed

unanimously. If on the other hand, there can be no agreement on at least four of the above mentioned items then the only solution will be fresh elections.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday April 11, 2013

Freddie Kissoon Column

Bob Carr and the inexplicable mind of the human being Sigmund Freud is credited with giving humans valuable tools that we can use to advance knowledge. Some of Freud’s theories have been subjected to relentless revisionist methodologies, particularly his concept of the meaning of dreams but it is doubtful that he will ever be dismissed.

He gave philosophy some valuable insights into the mind particularly the role of the subconscious layer of our mental make-up that he referred to as the Id. Yet for all the advancements he made in the field of psychology, Freud in

his final years on earth admitted that he never understood how the mind of women operated. I am still at a loss as to why Freud singled out women. I don’t think the psyche of the female gender is more difficult to understand than men.

I believe homo sapiens in general cannot be easily understood even though another great philosopher, Arthur Koester (whom our late Education Minister, Dale Bisnauth was not fond of; see his critique of K o e s t e r i n t h e P P P ’s n e w s p a p e r, M i r r o r, September 22, 1996)

thought that homo sapiens was essentially a biological animal therefore predictable and deterministic in their behaviour.

Many of the traits of human society are not easily comprehended one of which has beguiled me all my life.

When certain well-known persons die, the ethical tradition is to refrain from critical comments even though that person had a negative existence when he/she was alive.

What confounds me is why would society see it as bad manners for scholars to judge harshly those who

when they were alive, treated their fellow humans harshly?

I guess it all depends on your experience in life. They say people are what they are, based on their life experiences. A nice lady in her golden years may find it offensive to criticize a former Prime Minister or President or Cabinet Minister when their death is announced. But can you ask a mother who lost a child through political repression to adhere to that taboo? Can you ask a wife whose young husband was taken away from her because of the action of a cruel ruler to be

circumspect? Can you ask a s c h o l a r t o observe tradition and avoid adverse comment when that is not the role of a scholar?

It reminds me of the sacred tenets of journalism. A journalist must report the news at it happens. It would be unprincipled if at the funeral of an internationally famous statesman, a large protest rally was held but because of the global standing of the deceased, the journalist would think it improper to report on the protest. In journalism that would be unprofessional conduct.

Journalism is the description of events as they happen. For me as a trained academic, it is the same principle at work. A famous person dies, the scholar needs to do his/her work – analyze.

Things are beginning to change with regards to this incomprehension of human society. I noticed it when Hugo Chavez died and now Mrs. Thatcher.

My favourite newspaper for a very, very long time since my university days has been the Guardian of the UK. I think it is a more independent paper that any other in the rest of the world with the possible exception of the BBC as a media house.

The Guardian (and the BBC) has carried some very critical analyses of Mrs. Thatcher. But the one that has stunned the world was the revelation on Tuesday by the Australian Foreign Minister, Bob Carr that Mrs. Thatcher, after she had retired, made

Frederick Kissoon graphically overt racist comments to him even while his non-white wife was in close proximity.

His remarks have been carried around the world. He said that Mrs. Thatcher warned him years ago that he must not let Australia become overwhelmed with Asian immigrants.

He went on to describe how Mrs. Thatcher pointed to the example of East Indians going to Fiji then they became a majority and swamped the indigenous Fijans.

Forty years ago, the media would not have carried Mr. Carr’s revelation one day after the death of a former British Prime Minister.

I chose not to follow that ethica l t r a d i t i o n w h e n Chavez died. My column the next day was a critical evaluation of his authoritarian. populist rule. In that article, I argued that there was nothing special about Chavez.

He was a plain, simple Latin American caudillo like all the other autocrats that went before him, including the Castro brothers.

My assessment of Dale Bisnauth and Reepu Daman Persaud is forthcoming. I guess it is too early yet. You have to respect the dead.

Woman steals $4 million, given bail with conditions

A 23-year-old ex -cashier of Guyana Lands and Surveys was made to surrender her travel documents, report to Corporal Mark Garnett at C.I.D. Headquarters every Friday and post $650,000 bond for the charge of larceny by clerk.

Treadecia Lewis, who resides at 76 Clay Brick Street, Den Amstel, faced Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court and pleaded not guilty to the allegation.

Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick stated that between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012, the defendant whilst being employed as a cashier at Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, stole $4,684,918. An audit that was conducted of the records of the organization

revealed that on 48 occasions, she would have collected sums of money and converted it to her own use.

Police investigated the matter and after receiving advice from the DDP, the officers were instructed to allow the defendant to pay back the money by the first week of April 2013.

Lewis, who did not honour the terms of the agreement, was arrested and charged for the said offence.

Counsel Greenidge who represented the defendant requested reasonable bail due to the fact that she has a 10-month-old infant and is the only provider for that child.

The Prosecution did not object to bail, based on the fact that the defendant has cooperated with the police fully. The matter will be back in court on April 19.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

Early results anticipated for NGSA

By Rehanna Ramsay Plans are in pipeline for advancement of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, said as she announced that the paper marking process of the annual grade six examinations has begun.

This declaration was made during a press briefing Monday, where the Minister also disc l o s e d t h a t t h i s year’s results are slated for public knowledge at an early date as work is underway to improve the assessment process.

“The marking of the National Grade Six examinations have begun at different locations, and as we do so we try to maintain very high level of integrity of the exams as well as try to maintain the levels that we have had previously. Of course, as we go along we try to improve systems. We are trying to announce the results of the exams earlier this year and for sure we will be able to announce earlier next year.

They’re things that we have to put in place that we begun to put in place but it takes for these to mature but this year we should be coming in a little bit early.”

The Minister also highlighted the issue of the conduct of some private institutions as it relates to the writing of the grade level examinations.

- As paper marking process commences

place where although we want to be able as country to offer the various types of education in terms of public/ private and so on, we are coming to have to regularise the types of education being offered.”

The Minister also expressed confidence in the examiners involved in the current paper marking process.

“The persons marking the papers are all Guyanese. We did not import anybody to mark the papers…. we have very competent people. A lot of these persons are teachers

who are working outside of teaching in a classroom.

This is an extra job for them but they are also helping us out in the system also.”

The Minister reassured that those students of La Parfaite Harmonie Primary school, who were affected by the recent fire, will be accommodated to complete the sitting of their National Grade Six examinations.

“The La Parfaite Harmonie students will be able to write their grade six exams at an area conducive to sitting examinations.”

APNU, AFC vote to defer estimates, put dent House later in the budget. He pointed to the in Government’s plan the afternoon and this pushed private sector and other The government yesterday lost its battle to have the consideration of the budget estimates begin yesterday.

Consideration of the estimates means that the National Assembly would have to go through the budget proposals line by line and either approve or disapprove. The Opposition used its majority vote to decide that consideration of the estimates should begin on Monday, allowing it time to decide what it will cut.

The opposition has signalled its intention to weed out projects it says will continue to fester corruption and excesses.

In a Business SubCommittee of the Parliament, the opposition outnumbered the government and had its way.

Once the matter was taken back to the full House, the opposition again outnumbered the government thus stopping the government in its tracks.

The deciding vote belonged to Renita Williams from Moruca in Region One.

She was sworn in as a new Member of Parliament within the Opposition Coalition APNU following the resignation of Mr. Richard Allen.

Mr Allen’s absence from the House in the wee hours of today resulted in a protracted process as the Government sought to have its way and force the consideration.

In a bold move, Tuesday evening, the government called out Dr Vindhya Persaud from her father’s wake so that it could have a solid position to force the consideration of the estimates to begin from today. With 33 seats, the opposition has a one-seat majority in the House.

However with Allen ill, that majority had disappeared.

Dr. Persaud in the House evened up the numbers for the government.

With even votes on both sides, as Parliamentary rules go, the motion was not carried and was returned to the Business Sub Committee.

Ms. Williams’ swearing in to replace Allen put the opposition at full strength in

consideration of the estimates to Monday.

The intention of the government seemed clear – if consideration of the estimates began today, it would rob the opposition of its power to cut certain items.

The opposition is required to give a 24-hour notice of its intention to cut spending.

The government was especially jittery about the estimates of the Home Affairs Ministry and the Office of the President, which were cut down in last year’s budget.

And so, the government’s plan, if it had its way, was to have those estimates for Home Affairs and the Office of the President, considered first and force it through to approval with the opposition being powerless to cut.

But that plan can no longer go through. The government is left to do as the opposition says – that’s to wait on Monday and hold its breath for the budget cuts.

The Finance Minister said that the opposition is standing in a very lonely place when it comes to their denial of support for the

Bank seizes nonfunctioning Mahaicony Rice Mills Receivers on behalf of the Demerara Bank Limited (DBL) yesterday moved in on the Mahaicony Rice Mills seizing its assets for non -payment of monies owing.

Kaieteur News was told that the private company which has been dormant for close to two years now reportedly owes some $600M and has failed to fulfill its obligations of repayment.

The company has for years faced financial difficulties.

This latest move by the bank is as a result of that struggle.

The Mahaicony Rice Mills, once the largest rice operator in the country, faced issues of non-payment to farmers and had its license suspended. Sources said that it is unsure of the path of the

Education Minister as she interacts with NGSA examiners.

As such Manickchand said that the future of the types of education currently offered in Guyana will be regulated.

“Now I know that we will have some private schools jumping up and saying that we have been perfectly modeled schools.

That may be true for some private schools but we can no longer continue to exist in an environment where we have some who are good and some who are not. But all continue to exist.

I think we are coming to a

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stakeholders welcoming the measures contained in the budget.

Dr Singh said that the government would be the last to say that everything is perfect in Guyana.

He said that every day the government wrestles with reality that there are things to fix.

The Finance Minister denounced the objections by the opposition as “unsubstantiated,” arguing that they were saying no just for the sake of saying no, disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing.

He expressed hope that there might still yet be time.

He said that whilst there was the opportunity for political rhetoric, the critical time is when the Speaker will put the vote for the passage of budget item by item.

The Finance Minister expressed the hope that the opposition would use the time between now and the consideration of the estimates to reflect and recognise that every single measure in the budget is good for Guyana.

company’s owners since there has been no indication of repayment. It is even unclear whether the company is seeking to reopen for business in light of what has occurred.

In March, farmers were to receive $53M for payments due. SeaRice Caribbean Guyana purchased Mahaicony Rice Mills Limited’s assets at Paradise and Vilvoorden. According to Fitzroy McLeod, Financial Controller of that company, SeaRice Caribbean inherited the debts.

Other payments, owing to the government and to the Guyana Cooperative Financial Service by the rice mill were said to have been paid off.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday April 11, 2013

Linden nurses protest for gratuity

By Jacquey Bourne Nurses and ancillary workers of the Linden Hospital Complex staged a protest in Linden earlier yesterday. Chanting “No money, no work”, the protestors, mainly women began their protest action in front the Linden Hospital Complex, Watooka, around 9.30am.

They walked three miles to Central Mackenzie where they spent some time in front the LEN Building before continuing to Co-op Crescent then hiring a bus around 11.30am to take the protest action to Georgetown.

The protest action of the Linden Hospital Complex workers stemmed from nonpayment of their gratuity.

According to one of the protestors, they are contract workers within the Linden Hospital Complex and are not entitled to pension but receive a gratuity every six months.

She said that over 70 workers, most of them nurses, did not receive their gratuity last month.

Additionally, the protestors are disgruntled that some workers – mainly supervisors - received their gratuity on time last month-

Linden nurses and hospital workers in protest action on Republic Avenue.

end while the more than 70 workers did not receive such payment.

As the protest intensified so did the chants. “Who must go? Management,” the protestors shouted as they carried placards that read: “Injustice to Nurses”, “No money, no work”, “No more delay”, “Wuk yuh like a donkey, pay yuh like a junkie”.

One agitated protestor said that they were protesting the actions of the management of the Linden Hospital Complex. The

protestors pointed to other issues, including reduction of the gratuity of employees who become pregnant.

The worker said that the National Insurance Scheme pays 70 percent of a worker’s salary if that worker is on maternity leave but that worker would suffer a substantial reduction in gratuity when that worker goes on maternity leave.

One protestor further stated: “If you’re sick for one day, they take away three months from the gratuity. So, it’s a lot of things with

management. We are not going to tolerate it anymore.”

Noting that the government has adopted “playing delaying tactics”, the protestors said that since they did not receive their gratuity at last month’s pay day, every time they threatened industrial action they were promised a speedy resolution.

She said their representatives met with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health in Georgetown last Friday and were promised that payment would have been made this Tuesday.

However, the workers were later told that the government only had $1M available for payment and the workers should determine

who among them were most in need of money. The disbursement of $1m would then be made to those who were identified as being currently most in need of money. According to the protestors, the very thought is an insult since they are hard working essential workers and are entitled to the sixmonthly gratuity payment without added condition.

Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran said the nonpayment is a mild administrative blunder which could be rectified. He claims that the names of the nurses were not submitted by the supervisors on time and measures have been put in place to deal with the errant supervisors if any is to be blamed. He said they are

working to have the payments ready by month end.

The Minister added that the Linden Hospital Complex will soon be having a neonatal ICU installed so that their millennium goal of reducing mortality will be achieved.

He also said that nurses will be trained specifically for this unit.

This unit is the brainchild of Dr. Narsingh who spent most of his life in Linden as his father was the Chief Medical Officer of the Hospital years ago.

Meanwhile, yesterday in the National Assembly, the matter was raised by APNU’s Vanessa Kissoon. Kissoon said that it was unsatisfactory that the Ministry cannot get the matter sorted. According to the Member of Parliament the matter was raised last Friday and that she had spoken to the Minister of Health.

Minister of Health Bheri Ramsaran in response to Kissoon, described her complaint as a simple administrative matter. He said that many nurses understand the glitch.

After giving that explanation, the Minister described Kissoon’s action as “seeking attention during dog season”.

This caused uproar in the ranks of the joint opposition and the speaker quickly reprimanded the Minister. He described the statement as very discriminatory.

Tumatumari hydro plant holds solution to Mahdia power troubles Provision of electricity via the Tumatumari hydro plant is being touted as the more feasible solution to Mahdia and neighbouring communities’ power woes, says Mark Crawford, Region Eight Chairman.

Crawford believes that the provision of a subvention by Government to help finance electricity generation at the Mahdia Power and Light Company is only a short term solution.

He said that the Tumatumari hydro facility has the capacity to produce 1.5 Megawatts of electricity. That can supply Tumatumari, Micobie, Konawaruk Junction, the Housing Scheme, Mahdia and Campbelltown with power.

Residents living along the road from Konawaruk Junction to Mahdia could also benefit.

At the moment power supplied to Mahdia by the Mahdia Power and Light Company is being rationed because its small generator is not working. Even when the generator becomes operational it is unlikely that

the company would be able to provide 24 hours of power, daily. According to Crawford, he was briefed of the power situation by the Manager of the power company, Courtney Handy. Moreover, the company is managed by a board that is effective, he added.

However, the supply of electricity for less than 24 hours to residents is totally unacceptable. He said that the business sector is seriously affected by the rationing of electricity.

“I received many complaints from a lot of business persons that their businesses are encountering lots of problems because of the load shedding and to add insult to injuries, while they are receiving less electricity their light bills remain the same.”

“The water supply is also affected since many persons have wells dug to supply them with water through the Salbura Water System. This system is incapable of supplying the entire area with potable water at this juncture.

These wells use electric

pumps to pump the water,” he said.

According to Crawford, some places affected are the school that has a well, hotels that use air conditioning units and fans and workshops that used electric tools.

Crawford related that with hydro power many of the inconveniences experienced would be drastically reduced.

Some expected benefits are reduced electricity cost, reduced green house gases (emission), saved foreign exchange on 180 barrels of fuel monthly that is needed for the large generator at the power company, and a more reliable form to supply of electricity, “I believe that no effort should be spared by the Government to assist the developers of the Tumatumari Hydro since it will benefit the interior tremendously.

“I believe that the time has come for the Government to practise what it preaches, and if it so cares for the people in the interior as it ought to, it should spare no effort in assisting the developers,” he added.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

E-governance transmission tower...

Consultations begin today at BV, residents reject location Now that the erection of Government’s transmission towers in some communities along the East Coast Demerara is being rejected, consultations will be held from today, something the Administration should have done in the first instance.

This consultation process was initiated by Region Four Chairman, Clement Corlette. It serves to inform residents of Government’s E-governance project under which the transmission towers are being erected.

In a letter to the Regional Executive Officer, Deolall Rooplall, dated April 9, 2013 Corlette requested the usage of certain schools for the community meetings. The meetings are expected to be held from April 11 to April 18.

Today’s meeting is to be held at Beterverwagting Secondary School from 16:00hrs.

In Beterverwagting the tower is located at the Regional Democratic Council’s Stores Compound, Triumph.

Residents’ resentment to the project lies with the locations selected by

Government at Plaisance and Triumph/Beterverwagting to erect the towers. The absence of consultations and sensitization has resulted in many unanswered questions and assumptions.

Erection of the tower on Plaisance playground attracted protest actions and saw residents clashing with Government Officials. In Triumph/Beterverwagting the transmission tower is being erected on State property- the Regional Democratic Council’s Stores Compound, Triumph.

However, its proximity to houses has residents worried about health risks attached to the tower. In addition, the pile driving phase of construction works has caused distress to some buildings. In fact, one resident complained that one column of her house has visible cracks.

According to a Triumph resident, Rama Harnarine, she received a letter a few weeks ago from Office of the President informing her that the Government’s Egovernance transmission tower would be erected in the compound adjoining her

residence. Harnarine said that prior to that letter there was no public consultation and claims that a Senior Government official told her “if consultations were held, the erection of the towers would take four years because everyone would object to something.”

The woman said that on Tuesday around 17:30hrs the contractor commenced driving timber piles and continued yesterday.

Apparently, that exercise is over but its effects of cracked columns and possible foundation damage are worrying residents.

She compared the vibrations to an earthquake.

Her dogs were also scared and are now traumatized.

Harnarine said that she related her worries about the transmission tower in terms of her health to the Senior Government official but was told that the tower is not harmful. She does not want the tower near to her house.

There are other locations within the Triumph/ Beterverwagting area where the tower could be constructed, she said.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Miner loses finger in freak accident Alex Junior Holmes, 23, a miner of Supenaam, Essequibo Coast, lost his left index finger after he jumped off of a truck that was transporting a group of men into the gold field. The incident occurred on the Barama trail around 14:00 hours, Tuesday, and came a few days after the tragic accident at 113Km in the Cuyuni District, which claimed the lives of four persons, including a woman.

Holmes, who was subsequently admitted a patient at the Suddie Public Hospital, said that he attempted to jump off of the truck at a Police Outpost called 70km with the intention of lodging his name with the police when the incident happened.

As a result, Holmes added, his wedding band

came into contact with the racket of the truck and remained stuck.

Holmes said that he and a group of men were heading into the gold field where he

had worked for a number of years now. But, prior to venturing into the back dam on Tuesday, Holmes said that he was scheduled to make an initial trip on Saturday.

Guyana-born New York cop dies in accident Patrick Prince, a Guyanaborn New York Police Department (NYPD) officer died after he lost control of his vehicle that slammed into a tree last Thursday.

Relatives said that Prince was on his way home after ending his shift in the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville, Brooklyn, when the accident occurred in the early hours of the morning.

He wanted to be a cop since he was a kid, but an NYPD officer’s dream-cometrue ended Thursday before his rookie year was up.

“He was a good person, and a good son,” his heartbroken mother, Claudette Prince, told the Daily News while scrolling through family photos on an iPad at her Flatbush home, her teary eyes staring at photos of her son in his uniform.

“He always wanted to be one of the city’s finest,” his mother said. “He took the exam when he was 18, the first chance he got.” He had to wait until he was 21 before he could join the NYPD — which he finally did in July.

Prince was driving west on Kings Highway in East Flatbush when he lost control of his car. Drifting off the road, the car slammed into a tree near Beverly Road. at 4:15 a.m., sources said.

First responders desperately tried to get the officer out of his mangled vehicle, a witness said. “They had to cut him out of the car,” said the man, who did not want his name published. “It took about 10 minutes. It was bad.” He was taken to Brookdale University Hospital, but could not be saved. No one else was hurt

in the accident.

Hours after the crash, the pain of losing the young cop just as he was realizing his lifelong ambition spread throughout his family.

“He said he was going to make detective,” said Prince’s mother, confident he would have reached the goal. “We were proud of him. My father was a police officer. His father’s father was a police officer back in our country,” said the mother, an immigrant of Guyana.

He graduated from Kingsborough Community College in 2010 with a degree in criminal justice. To put himself through college, he became a security guard, said his aunt, Marilyn Prince.

Recalling the first time her nephew put on his security guard uniform, the aunt said, “He said it just felt right”.

Chief of Staff has discretion in bonus payments— Defence Board says The Guyana Defence Board has backed Commodore Gary Best in his decision to withhold annual bonuses from ranks under his command, citing that withholding soldiers’ bonuses is at the discretion of the army head as a disciplinary measure.

In a response to a lawsuit brought against the Chief of Staff for the non-payment of annual bonuses, Commodore Best was asked to reply to the legal action brought against him by Major (ag) Lesley Ramlall; Captain Rono Joseph; Captain Harold Fraser and Coast Guard Lieutenant André Cush, who is being represented by Attorney-at-law Abiola Wong-Inniss.

It’s alleged that the whole

saga started when Major (ag) Ramlall was denied his bonus because he had court proceedings brought against him within the GDF. In Ramlall’s lawsuit against the Chief of Staff, he said that in January he was charged following allegations pertaining to the performance of his duties while he was attached to the GDF Credit Union in 2011, but the charges were undetermined.

In that said document, Ramlall along with the other suing officers charged that while the Chief of Staff was withholding the bonuses of soldiers who had disciplinary action brought against them in 2011, none of the officers in this matter had any brushes with GDF authorities during the stated period, thus

making the Chief -of -Staff’s action void.

It was for the alleged disciplinary action in 2011, that the Chief of Staff decided to withhold the soldiers’ bonuses.

Apart from the bonus issue, Major (ag) Ramlall also filed court proceedings to have legal representation during his period before military courts and to suspend his probation from the force’s credit union.

Kissoon has however responded to this matter stating that according to military procedures in the United Kingdom, it was advised by the army’s legal advisor, Major (Hon) Melissa Yearwood-Stewart, that legal representation for Ramlall (Continued on page25)

Thursday April 11, 2013

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Woman perishes as another lorry topples in interior For the second time in less than a week, a truck accident in Guyana’s interior has claimed the life of another person.

This time the victim is 35year-old Angela Lawrence who was pronounced dead at the Matthew’s Ridge Hospital after she was pinned by the truck in which she was traveling on Tuesday.

Police in a statement said that around 16:00 hours that day, the driver of motor lorry GPP 5582 was proceeding along the trail at Longhill, North West District, when he lost control of the vehicle which toppled.

Lawrence, who hails from Mabaruma, NWD, and who was in the cab of the vehicle was pinned and later pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Three other persons Benny Boyer, 43 of Mabaruma, Mark Allen, 16 of Port Kaituma and Eon Williams, 18 of Haimaracabra, Moruca, were air dashed to the city and are in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The driver of the truck is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

Tuesday’s accident comes just three days after a similar tragedy occurred along the Buck Hall, Essequibo trail.

On that occasion four persons who were in the tray of a truck perished after they too were pinned when the vehicle turned turtle.

Several other persons have perished in similar circumstances, which have led the Guyana Police Force to advise owners and drivers of pickup vehicles and motor lorries, that the practice of transporting passengers in the tray of their vehicles is constituting a road safety

concern.

According to the police, persons are only allowed to travel in the trays of motor pick-ups and motor lorries under special circumstances.

The driver must ensure that seats with safety restraints are securely fixed to the bed of the tray and that the required permit to so transport persons is obtained from the Police Divisional Certifying Office.

“This advisory is to attend to the safety of persons who are vulnerable, should there be a road accident as in the case where on July 7, 2012. Motor lorry GNN 2826 was travelling along the Sand Trail, Cuyuni, with five persons in the tray.

While the lorry was descending a hill, the driver lost control. The motor lorry turned turtle pinning Orin Hutson, 20, of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, who was in the tray and who later succumbed to his injuries,” the police said.

Also on December 17, 2012, motor Pick-up GPP 5011 was conveying a number of persons in the tray. While negotiating a turn at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, the driver lost control of the

A Corentyne cattle farmer is taking six persons to court for suspected cattle rustling.

Shromanie Ramsammy, of Williamsburg, and several other cattle farmers in the area suffered a major blow last October. They were left $3M poorer after rustlers broke into their cattle farm and carted off 15 cows. The rustlers transported the cattle to a bushy area in the Nigg backlands (a village away) and slaughtered them, taking away the meat and leaving the heads, intestines and entrails behind. The incident occurred on October 24, 2012.

A blue Canter truck was spotted, though, by some residents near the cattle farm at the time. A search party left the village and found the remains of the animals at the location, about one mile south

of the public road.

According to Ramsammy, who lost seven head of cattle, she believes that she knows who the perpetrators are and she is taking them to court later this month.

Six persons in the area were drinking at a restaurant “and they discussed how they did the act”, she said.

Police arrested one of the persons who, while being questioned, “talk out the whole story”. The individual, she claimed, related how the animals were killed and the meat transported to Georgetown to be sold.

Ramsammy has secured the services of Attorney-atLaw, Ryan Crawford, and the court date has been set for April 26 at the Albion Magistrate’s Court.

Hugh Denhert

Farmer taking cattle rustling suspects to court

vehicle which spun around throwing the occupants out of the vehicle. Rohan Simon, 18, of Vevay, Mahaica sustained injuries later died.

The Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force will be taking the appropriate measures to ensure that drivers/operators of pick-up vehicles and motor lorries comply with the safety requirement.

So far this year the police have recorded 31 road fatalities, nine more than the corresponding period last year.

The road fatality figures do not include most of the fatalities that occur in the

interior.

According to a senior police official, deaths that occur as a result of accidents occurring on trails or roads not gazetted as public roadways are not added to the road fatality figures.

“By definition, fatal accidents are those which occur on public roadways. If a person dies from an accident in your yard, it is not considered a fatal accident in our books,” the official stated.

Motorcyclists with seven, make up the largest category of road users who have lost their lives up to the end of March.

In addition, six

pedestrians, six pedal cyclists, five drivers of motor vehicles are among the others who have been killed in road accidents.

According to the police, speeding continues to be a major contributory factor to fatal accidents and was the cause of 21 of the 26 fatal accidents recorded at the end of March 2013.

Drunk driving is also another worrying factor that resulted in road accidents and fatalities.

Traffic Chief, Hugh Denhert, told this newspaper that the police will be clamping down heavily on

drunk driving even if it means affecting the business of nightspots.

He said that the police cannot be everywhere all the time and the onus is on drivers to ensure they comply with the law.

He also called on barkeepers to assist in this area.

“I was in New Mexico at a drinking place and the barman restricted us. He saw that we had consumed enough and stopped selling us. In Guyana you could be staggering or falling down going to the bar and they would still sell you more liquor,” the Traffic Chief stated.

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Thursday April 11, 2013

Auditor testifies in NICIL and Guyana Stores case - Brassington to be re-examined on the adjourned date A new witness, Leslie Veerasammy, an auditor attached to Nizam Ali and Company, testified in the High Court on Tuesday, when the legal issue between Guyana Stores Limited (GSL) and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments (NICIL), continued.

NICIL and the Government of Guyana are suing the Guyana Stores Limited (GSL) majority shareholder, Royal Investments Inc, to recoup monies claimed following the privatisation of the company.

NICIL/the Privatisation Unit moved upon claims that GSL failed to pay an outstanding balance of US$2 million o f t h e p u r c h a s e price of US$6 million for the acquisition of GSL. The matter was subsequently called up before the High Court in the latter part of 2010.

According to NICIL, under the terms of the privatisation agreement, the balance was due by September 2002; however, Royal Investments Inc, (GSL) which acquired 70 per cent of the company shares in the sale, failed to

make this payment. In June 2004, NICIL, the government holding company, initiated legal action against Royal Investments Inc for the recovery of the US$2 million plus interest.

When the trial continued on Tuesday before Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire, Veerasammy testified that he is a certified accountant and holds the position of partner at Nizam Ali and Company.

During this period of 1999-2000, the witness claimed that the firm with which he has been employed for the past 15 years was chartered to conduct audits on behalf of Guyana Stores Limited. At the time,

Veerasammy claimed that he was the audit manager of the company. He testified to having knowledge of the net current assets of the Company at the time it was taken over by Royal investments.

Several financial documents were produced in court and shown to the witness, which he recognized. The witness was shown the financial records of GSL for the years 1998, 1999, and 2000.

As Veerasammy continued his testimony, it transpired that while there were profits for the aforementioned years there was a noteworthy loss.

Several documents were also shown to NICIL’s Attorney,

Rafiq Turhan Khan.

The witness was then cross-examined by Senior Counsel Edward Luckhoo, who in association with Senior Counsel Rex Mckay, represent Royal Investment Inc. However under cross examination, the witness was unable to say whether the company had borrowed money for the purpose of dividends as suggested to him by senior counsel, Edward Luckhoo.

During the crossexamination the witness was required to answer questions regarding the financial records of the years 1998, 1999, and 2000.

At the conclusion of cross examination of the auditor, NICIL’s Attorney Khan indicated that he would like to re-examine Executive Director and Head of the Privatisation Unit NICIL, Winston Brassington.

Brassington, as Executive Secretary of the Privatisation Unit, managed the

privatization of Guyana Stores in October 2000.

In the information pack for investors, Brassington had listed a number of agencies and distributorships which formed part of the business of Guyana Stores.

On the last occasion the court received a series of tentative answers from the executive director.

In response to a list of questions posed by the senior counsel about the subsidiaries of Guyana Stores Limited (GSL) in which Royal Investments was interested, Brassington stated he simply didn’t know.

The Senior Counsel nevertheless, informed the court that Senior Counsel Rex McKay, who was absent, may wish to further crossexamine Brassington, who negotiated the privatisation of GSL and was under crossexamination by Luckhoo.

Brassington is expected to return to the stand today.

Mother of 14-year-old rape victim speaks out - Says suspect paid her daughter $1000 to keep quiet The mother of a 14-yearold girl who was brutally raped on March 27, last, at Kwakwani, Berbice River has broken her silence.

She said that her daughter was raped since Phagwah Day, she reported the matter to the police but nothing was done.

Yesterday, a very disturbed mother visited Kaieteur News and explained her plight. She said on Phagwah Day last, her 14year-old daughter left home and went by her seamstress (a few houses from where she is living) to make some adjustment to a pair of jeans.

“She told me that she went into the house. The seamstress’s brother was lying on the chair and she asked him for her (seamstress). He told her that his sister was in the bedroom and when my daughter went into the bedroom he went to the back door and locked it and then went into the room and pushed her on the bed,”

the mother explained.

The woman added that the 35-year-old man proceeded to rape her daughter and when he finished he gave her $1000 and asked her not to tell anyone.

“When my daughter came home, she didn’t tell me anything; she was scared.

She told me a week later. That was when she developed an infection and couldn’t walk. I had to take her to the doctor.

Her private parts burst up, she couldn’t walk,” the mother of eight stressed.

According to the mother, the doctor at the Kwakwani hospital did not want her to call in the police. “He said it was a just a STI (Sexual Transmitted Disease) but when I took her to Linden Hospital right away they said she has to undergo surgery.”

The mother has since informed officials at Child Care Protection Agency and an investigation has been launched.

Prisoner escapes by scaling fence A prisoner scaled the Timehri, East Bank Demerara Prison walls yesterday and escaped on foot after being left unsupervised.

The inmate was identified as Levi Stevens.

Reports disclose that the prisoner who managed to climb over the fence at 8:00 hrs was left unattended while fetching cement blocks. The cadet officer and female supervisor on duty have given statements to the prison directorate.

An investigation and a search have been launched.

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Thursday April 11, 2013

Kitty seawall stabbing death…

Vendor says deportee killed ‘bandit’ while defending her son

By Michael Jordan A seawall vendor has come to the defence of a drug addict who killed Jamal Harris last Monday after Harris and an accomplice attempted to rob her son while armed with a handgun.

The vendor, who is known as “the burger queen”, said that her son sustained a head injury during the attack, and was detained for several hours without medical treatment. The drug addict who came to her son’s rescue has been detained and was reportedly still in custody to yesterday.

It is unclear whether he will be charged, for what the vendor feels is a clear sense of self-defence.

“It could have been them (my son and the addict) who were killed…If they (the robbers) had come to you what you have done?”

The woman told Kaieteur News that the family owns a number of stalls on the seawalls and have been vending there for about five years. She lived for some time in Venezuela and her children have both Guyanese and Venezuelan citizenship.

She said that on Sunday,

her son and a 45-year-old deportee and drug addict who assists them, were at one of her stalls. During the early hours of Monday, her son and the ‘junkie’ identified as Naresh Jaisingh, reportedly observed two men walking from a westerly direction towards them.

She said that her son became uneasy and indicated that they should pack.

But she said that before they could pack their goods, one of the youths walked up to her son and said “Give me all you got.”

According to what she was told, the robber tried to draw a handgun from his waist, but the gun became snagged.

She said that the teen alleged that he immediately grabbed the gunman and threw him to the ground. It is alleged that the robber’s accomplice then struck her son behind the head with a bottle, picked up the firearm which had fallen, and fled in the same direction from which the robbers had approached.

The vendor’s son reportedly was scuffling with the youth who had attacked him when the drug addict

stabbed the robber.

Kaieteur News was told that the wounded man fled behind his accomplice. The victims reportedly then saw a black vehicle heading towards the fleeing men.

They reportedly shouted to the occupant to keep driving, since the men had just robbed them. However, the driver stopped and two robbers then entered the vehicle which drove off.

The vendor said that her son, who was bleeding from his head injury, caught a taxi and headed home. The woman said that she then accompanied her son to the Georgetown Public Hospital and when they arrived there, they saw the same black vehicle, with lights on, in the compound.

According to the vendor, a hospital staffer asked her son if he was at the hospital in connection with the vehicle occupant, and her son explained that the occupant of the vehicle had robbed him.

They were reportedly then told that the person who had brought the wounded man to the hospital had fled the scene.

She said that instead of treating her injured son,

Dead: Jamal Harris police ranks took him to the Kitty Police Station. The family was reportedly then told to locate the individual who had stabbed and killed Jamal Harris. They eventually located the deportee and he willingly accompanied them to the Kitty Police Station, where he was detained. She alleged that her son was kept in custody, without medical treatment from around 03:00 hrs until afternoon, when he

was released.

A daughter of the vendor alleged that Jamal Harris and three other youths had purchased from their stall a few days before his death.

Investigators have been gathering information which indicates that the Toyota Raum was used in several robberies along the seawall.

According to the vendor, police have told her that bandits using the vehicle had robbed about nine persons at the seawalls in one night.

Police sources also told Kaieteur News that a young woman alleged that she and her boyfriend were in a car near the seawall last month when two young men who were armed with knives attacked them.

She is said to have told police that the robbers relieved her of a BlackBerry phone and the vehicle keys.

It is alleged that a black

Toyota Raum, with the same licence number as the one that Harris rented, then drove to the scene and picked up the robbers.

The owner of the vehicle told Kaieteur News yesterday that Harris had rented the vehicle the same day that this robbery occurred.

Police had detained two bothers whose relatives own the vehicle, but have since released them.

Detectives are said to be trying to locate the individual who took the wounded Harris to the GPHC. Harris’s relatives and his girlfriend insist that he was no criminal.

His mother, Yvette Smith, told Kaieteur News that information provided by an eyewitness indicated that her son was killed when he unwittingly went to pick up some friends who were committing a robbery on the seawall.

Two bodies dragged from Berbice River

…two others missing Police on Wednesday brought ashore the second body…two others missing found floating in the Berbice River. The body of Shakeel Anthony Plass, 14, of Patrick Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam was identified by his mother Sandra and other relatives. The Plass family is still looking for the bodies of Shandell Anthony Plass, called Blacks, 41, Shakeel’s father. He is also of Patrick Dam, Angoy’s Avenue. They are also looking for Bates Bender, 43, of Bagotstown, Upper Berbice River, and who is the brother in law of the senior Plass.

According to a relative of the Plasses, Blacks, in the company of his friend, Rudy, and his son, Shakeel, left home on Thursday to drop Bates to his home at Upper Berbice River after he was recovering from a foot ailment.

The family believes that the mishap occurred sometime during their

Shandell Anthony Plass. journey. The body that was found on Monday was identified as Rudolph Singh, 49, called Grease or Monkey Man, of Levi’s Dam, Angoy’s Avenue. According to his sister, Sonia Bahadur, the father of three who lives alone, would normally accompany his friend, Bates Bender, of Upper Berbice River and spend about two

weeks with him due to his foot ailment.

So when he left on Thursday it never came to their mind that anything was amiss until Wednesday morning when the family received a call that it seems like the boat in which her brother would travel had capsized and that they should visit the mortuary to identify his body.

His body was identified about 13:00 hours by one of his daughters who recognized his clothing and from his toes that had an unusual cut. A police source revealed that while traveling to recover the bodies they saw a dead cow floating in the river with its feet tied together.

Detectives are looking for clues to see if the tied cow was linked to the boat mishap that claimed the lives.

Police are still looking for the bodies of Shandell Plass and Bates Bender and the boat. A post mortem is expected to be conducted on Thursday before the bodies are handed over to the families.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

Barbados says Shanique Myrie an undesirable visitor

Shanique Myrie PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – CMC — Queen Counsel Roger Forde has defended the Barbados Government immigration policy, insisting that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals must first be able to pass the test to enter the island in the first place in order to be allowed to benefit from the CARICOM free travel initiative.

Forde was making his final arguments yesterday before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that is hearing the case in which Jamaican national Shanique Myrie claimed that she had been discriminated against because of her nationality when she travelled to Barbados on March 14, 2011.

Myrie, 25, alleged that when she travelled to Barbados she was also subjected to a body cavity search, detained overnight in a cell and deported to Jamaica the following day.

Myrie is also alleging that she was subjected to derogatory remarks by a Barbadian immigration officer at the Grantley Adams International Airport and is asking the CCJ to determine the minimum standard of treatment applicable to CARICOM citizens moving around the region.

Her lawyers have asked the CCJ, which has reserved its ruling in the matter, to order Barbados to pay substantial compensation to their client.

On September 27 last year, Jamaica was granted leave to intervene in the matter.

Forde told the court that Myrie’s statement contained several inconsistencies and that there is no evidence to support her claim of discrimination.

He said several parts of the statement she gave could not be verified and on that basis alone, her entire testimony should be dismissed.

The Queen’s Counsel told the court that people had a right to stay in Barbados for six months under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy

(CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services within the region, if they were able to first pass the test to enter the country in the first place.

Forde urged the CCJ, which also acts as tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the 15-member regional grouping, that a regional heads of government conference decision in 2007, which states CARICOM nationals should be allowed into member states for six months so as to develop a feeling of belonging to the region, is not binding because it was never written into local law.

Forde argued that the conference decision, even if it is determined to be binding by the CCJ, cannot trump the ability of Barbados’ border officials to thoroughly determine the desirability of any CARICOM national seeking to enter the island.

He told the court that Myrie gave immigration authorities an address and telephone number of a person with whom she claimed she would be staying during her stay in Barbados, but when the host was contacted she indicated that she was allowing Myrie to use her address and phone number, but would not be responsible for her accommodation.

Forde said that, instead, a man arrived at the airport to pick up Myrie, even as Myrie claimed she did not know him.

He said this situation, coupled with Myrie’s personal conduct, brought officials to deem her as an undesirable visitor.

But three of the six-panel CCJ judges disagreed that it was a fundamental issue, even as the Barbados lead lawyer maintained that the

Jamaican was not telling the truth.

In her submission to the CCJ, attorney Gladys Young, who is representing CARICOM, said that on entry into any CARICOM country, Caribbean citizens would get an automatic six-month stay.

However, she explained that the member state can refuse entry on the basis of undesirability or in order to prevent the person from becoming a drain on the public purse.

In further explaining the term “undesirable” the attorney said that while there is no parameter in the CARICOM treaty for assessing personal conduct, if it is found that there is a genuine serious and sufficient threat, then the person may be refused entry.

Myrie was initially granted permission to enter Barbados, but that clearance was cancelled less than an hour later after investigations by senior immigration officer Merlo Reid showed she had lied about who her host would be in Barbados.“Merlo Reid did not reject Shanique Myrie because of the colour of her shoes or the colour of her hair. He did not deny her entry because she was a Jamaican. He denied her because it was discovered she was untruthful,” Forde said.

The CCJ, established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court, held sittings in Jamaica and Barbados and Myrie’s attorney Michelle Brown Monday urged the judges to completely believe the entire testimony of Myrie because the woman’s evidence had remained consistent and accurate throughout the process of the hearing before the CCJ.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada - CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has named Dr. Cecile La Grenade, a United States trained food technologist, as the Grenada’s new Governor General.

In a nationwide radio and television broadcast on Tuesday night, Mitchell, whose government came to office seven weeks ago after sweeping all the 15 seats in the general elections, said the first ever female Governor General will replace Sir Carlyle Glean “who has expressed the desire to step down at the earliest convenient date.

“The government has put the motion in train, with a view to having a new Head of State in place in the very early days

of May,” Mitchell said, noting that “with more women in our parliament than ever before, it is fitting that we will have our first female Governor General.

“It is also fitting their her appointment will come at a time when we are paying tribute to the country’s’ first female governor Dame Hilda Bynoe, who regrettably passed away this week.”

Dame Hilda, who died in Trinidad after a prolonged illness, will be buried in that Caribbean country and Mitchell described her as “this proud daughter of our nation”.

He promised that “the appropriate national tribute will be paid to her in the coming days”

New Governor General for Grenada

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Prime Minister warns Grenadians of challenges ahead ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – CMC - Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has said that his seven-week old government has been able to reverse a lack of confidence in the local economy, but warned Grenadians that “these are early days and there are obviously many challenges ahead”.

In his first radio and television broadcast since his New National Party (NNP) swept the February 19 general election, Mitchell was also critical of the policies adopted by the former Tillman Thomas administration prior to leaving office.

Mitchell, who announced that the 2013-14 budget would be presented on April 16, said that several Cabinet decisions “were purported to

Dr. Keith Mitchell have been made just days before the elections including contracts for works and services with significant financial implications.

“In what must be a first and a new low for this country, several Cabinet

decisions with unconfirmed minutes greeted me on my arrival in the Office of Prime Minister. This is highly improper. Clearly, none of these decisions is legal and binding on Government.

“These actions confirm our worst suspicions, while in Opposition.

The then government, clearly in political freefall and facing certain defeat at the polls, was desperate and was prepared to do anything to cling to power,” he told the nation, adding that “included a spending spree and a wanton disregard for all principles of democracy and good governance”.

Mitchell said that the closure of the parliament for six months had also affected the country negatively.

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Thursday April 11, 2013

Strike costs St Lucia govt. over EC$3M CASTRIES, St Lucia CMC — A three-week-old strike by civil servants has cost St Lucia well over EC$3 million, according to Cabinet Secretary Darryl Montrope.

The Government started to assess the financial cost of the work stoppage, when the strike came to a halt on Tuesday.

According to Montrope, preliminary figures for the Customs Department alone indicate that the Government lost over EC$2 million in

revenue at an average of EC$200,000 a day.

The Cabinet Secretary said that apart from Customs — the Inland Revenue Department, the Ministry of Commerce and the Registry were the worst affected during the strike period.

He said with respect to the Inland Revenue Department while government was able to meet the revised fiscal target for the month of March it was

clear that more funds would have been collected had the full work force been present.

In addition Montrope said it must be noted that despite the fact that the workers were away from their jobs they were still being paid.

“The fact that the workers were paid even while off the job should also be part of the calculus of the impact of the strike.

We have not arrived at the final value on the impact of the strike because some

workers were in and out of work during the three weeks.”

He said the government would also assess the impact of the strike on the business community.

The Cabinet Secretary said while the strike did not have a crippling effect, the government is pleased that civil servants have r e t u r n e d to work, adding that it was in no one’s interest for there to be industrial unrest especially at this time.

Chirp, Chirp! Chavez heir turns digs into imagery

Nicholas Maduro CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela (AP) — As Sunday’s presidential election draws near, Nicholas Maduro is turning the insults of those who belittle him into campaign props.

In fact, Maduro’s political foes may be unwittingly helping the man Hugo Chavez tapped as his successor emerge from his mentor’s enormous shadow and build an image of his own.

To be sure, Maduro still constantly invokes the socialist Chavez, who died of cancer March 5. One website, madurodice.com, even counts the mentions. It’s up to nearly 7,000 since early December.

But sprinkles of brandnew Maduro symbolism are starting to appear at campaign appearances, alongside the sea of Chavez T-shirts, dolls and billboards.

Take Maduro’s past a bus driver, which backers of opposition candidate Henrique Capriles have

ridiculed.

At one rally this week, Maduro aides handed out cardboard models of a bus showing him smiling behind the steering wheel. Street graffiti has sprung up showing Maduro, hand on the wheel.

Maduro, Chavez’s longtime foreign minister, also laughed it off when opponents started calling him a “big plantain,” a common Venezuelan insult for tall, bumbling oafs.

Maduro, who towers over nearly everyone, pulled out a plantain during a rally Tuesday in the coastal state of Vargas. Smiling broadly, he slowly peeled it and took a big bite.

The crowd cheered.

One man jumped up and down while frantically waving his own plantain.

At other rallies, some women have started sporting fake black mustaches, like Maduro’s real one.

The interim president also has turned to self-mocking on the little bird issue.

The opposition derided him last week after he claimed Chavez’s spirit appeared to him in the form of a little bird that flew around his head inside a wooden chapel.

Maduro now begins speeches with convincing imitations of a chirping bird.

On Tuesday, he even wore a straw hat topped with a fake canary.

His backers, who probably include not just a few bus drivers, love it.

Just as they loved the folksy way Chavez created his own near-religious cult.

Magnitude 5.5 quake shakes Honduras, no damage reported EGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - An earthquake shook the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa yesterday, causing alarm, though there were no initial reports of damage in the Central American country.

The U.S. Geological survey said that the 5.5

magnitude quake struck 160 km (99 miles) north of Tegucigalpa, 7 km (4 miles) from the northern town of San Juan Pueblo.

A spokesman for emergency services in Honduras said there were no immediate reports of damage.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

Brazil tries to curb influx of Haitians BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — An increase in the number of Haitian immigrants entering Brazil has led the government of the Amazon state of Acre to decree a state of “social emergency.”

Governor Tiao Viana decreed a state of emergency on Tuesday to get the federal government to help curb the influx of immigrants and provide aid to those already inside Brazil, the government’s website said.

“It is the formal recognition of the seriousness of the situation,” Viana said on signing the decree. “It is the recognition of our incapacity to solve this problem alone and of our need for more support.”

Since the 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, more than 4,000 Haitians have entered Acre, said a government statement.

It added that in the past three years Acre’s state government has provided US$1.5 million in humanitarian aid for the Haitians while the

federal government has put up US$350,000.

Acre’s Justice and Human Rights Secretary, Nilson Mourao said that 1,100 immigrants entered the state in the past few days.

He said that besides Haitians, immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Senegal have also entered Brazil through Acre.

“Nowhere else in the world do illegal immigrants receive the kind of treatment we offer,” Mourao said. “But I fear it will encourage the practice of human trafficking.”

The governor’s brother Senator Gorge Viana said Wednesday that Brazil’s National Refugee Committee and the United Nations should send missions to Acre to deal with what he said was a “very serious situation.”

Many Haitian immigrants work legally in the construction sector in projects related to the 2014 Wo r l d C u p a n d 2 0 1 6 Olympics.

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PM: We’ll sweep local govt. polls with ‘magic’ Trinidad Express - The People’s Partnership still has the magic to sweep the local government elections later this year, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said.

Persad-Bissessar placed her party in election mode on Monday night at the United National Congress (UNC) meeting at the Barataria Regional Complex, as she announced nominations for all positions are open.

On July 26, she said, the term of local government councillors and aldermen will come to an end and thereafter within 90 days local government elections must be held.

The People’s Partnership Government currently controls 11 local government corporations, while the People’s National Movement (PNM) commands three.

A confident PersadBissessar declared, “We intend to win all the 11 corporations which we now hold, and we will contest the other three now held by the PNM Opposition, with a view of winning those as well.”

She stressed her

Government remains strong despite the naysayers.

Persad-Bissessar recalled, “After that faithful day May 24, 2010... they say Kamla wouldn’t last one week, Kamla wouldn’t last one month, Kamla wouldn’t last six months... we’ve had some stumbles, some hiccups along the way, but we held together as one and so we are not going to give up!”

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, she said, thought the coalition would dissolve and he would assume power quickly.

“Unfortunately for him, we are still here three years later, strong, and the only thing he has been able to achieve, quite frankly, was to remove his boss, Patrick Manning,” said PersadBissessar. Rowley, she added, was getting desperate because his strategy backfired.

“We are still here! Beware now that he is now prepared to surrender his leadership to one of our former members— the MSJ (the Movement for Social Justice)—in the hope that the magic of the Partnership can work for him,”

Kamla Persad-Bissessar she said.

“Well I’m very sorry for you, Mr Rowley, when (David) Abdulah left, he left the magic formula of unity behind. We still have it and we will win with it, while you blend the balisier with the MSJ symbol of your new leader!” Persad-Bissessar said.

The Prime Minister urged her people to go forth and spread the news that the Government was strong and stable and “that your Prime Minister is a woman of courage and determination,

that your ministers and MPs are servants of the people and that the Partnership is here to stay”.

The PNM, she said, must never be given a foothold in the upcoming elections. “No vendors being danced around by indecision! No secret $60,000-per-month consultancy being danced around after getting caught!” she said.

She also took a jab at the imbroglio at the recent PNM local government screening, where an alleged altercation took place between Laventille East/Morvant MP Donna Cox and Kwesi Antoine, councillor for the San Juan/ Laventille Regional Corporation.

“No cover-up about slap and violence and cursing in the screening process! We will not have that in the Partnership. We will not screen vagabonds and pretend that nothing happened in order to fool you!” said Persad-Bissessar.

“In fact, there was screaming, I am told, instead of screening at Balisier House!” she added.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Thursday April 11, 2013

Obama budget aims to kickstart deficit-reduction talks WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - President Barack Obama proposed a $3.77 trillion budget yesterday that combines controversial cuts to social safety net programs with tax increases on the wealthy.

The package is meant to lure Republicans to negotiate a broad deficit-reduction plan, but the details mirror a proposal Obama laid out last year that was rejected by Republican leaders.

Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2014, which begins on October 1, would trim the deficit over three years by requiring people making more than $1 million annually to pay more in taxes while enacting spending cuts that would replace the “sequester” reductions that went into place last month.

It has little chance of becoming law.

Many Republicans reject Obama’s push for tax increases and many Democrats oppose cuts to the popular Social Security retirement program.

But both sides want to

lower the deficit, which Obama’s budget projected would fall to 744 billion in 2014, or 4.4 percent of gross domestic product, from an estimated $973 billion in 2013.

The president said his proposal - particularly the healthcare and pension program cuts painful to his fellow Democrats - meant he had moved in Republicans’ direction.

“When it comes to deficit reduction, I’ve already met Republicans more than halfway,” Obama said in remarks at the White House.

“So, in the coming days and weeks, I hope that Republicans will come forward and demonstrate that they’re really as serious ... about the deficits and debt as they claim to be.”

Obama’s budget aims to achieve $1.8 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years.

Added to the $2.5 trillion in deficit cuts from past efforts, the total would be above the $4 trillion reduction both parties have said would be an acceptable goal.

The ratio of deficits to

GDP would fall to 2.8 percent in 2016, below the 3 percent level economists say is necessary to put debt on a path to shrinking as a share of the economy.

Republicans largely dismissed Obama’s proposal.

John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives and Obama’s main opponent for deficit talks, said Obama’s proposed cuts to entitlement programs such as Social Security were praiseworthy but not sufficient.

“I would hope that he would not hold hostage these modest reforms for his demand for bigger tax hikes,” Boehner said.

“The president got his tax hikes in January, we don’t need to be raising taxes on the American people. So I’m hopeful in the coming weeks we’ll have an opportunity, through the budget process, to come to some agreement,” he said.

Obama’s hope is to build a coalition of lawmakers willing to move toward his position, although most

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the budget alongside acting Director of Office Management and Budget Jeff Zients, in the Rose Garden of the White Hose in Washington, yesterday. REUTERS/Jason Reed observers see that as unlikely.

He has invited 12 Republicans to dinner at the White House yesterday.

Both sides were unable to prevent some $85 billion in across-the-board “sequestration” spending cuts from going into effect March 1.

Obama’s budget proposal would replace those cuts with his original deficit-reduction proposal from December.

That offer included $930 billion in spending reductions and some $580 billion in tax

revenues.

Obama’s budget revives his call that wealthier people help more with deficit reduction. It would require those making $1 million a year or more to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes, after gifts to charity.

Controversially, it also proposes using a less generous measure of inflation to calculate cost-of-living benefit increases for the beneficiaries of some federal programs. This change would have the effect of shrinking

payments to some who receive the popular Social Security retirement programs.

Although Obama has pledged to shield some of the most vulnerable beneficiaries, the proposal has drawn strong opposition from some fellow Democrats and groups representing labor.

In line with proposals from his State of the Union address, Obama’s budget includes spending on policy priorities such as infrastructure and expanded pre-school programs.

IMF chief says easy monetary policy should stay for now

NEW YORK (Reuters) Global growth is likely to remain tepid this year and central banks should keep their easy monetary policies in place, the head of the International Monetary Fund said yesterday.

“Thanks to the actions of policymakers, the economic world no longer looks quite as dangerous as it did six months ago,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told the Economic Club of New York.

But while there were signs that financial conditions are improving, Lagarde said those changes are not yet translating into improvements in the real economy.

“In present circumstances, it makes sense for monetary policy to do the heavy lifting in this recovery by remaining accommodative,” Lagarde said ahead of meetings of global finance chiefs in Washington next week.

“We know that inflation expectations are well anchored today, giving central banks greater leeway to support growth,” she added.

She said a three-speed

Christine Lagarde recovery is underway, led by fast-growing emerging economies, followed by countries such the United States that are on the mend, and with the euro zone and Japan trailing.

In January, the IMF trimmed its 2013 forecast for global growth to 3.5 percent from 3.6 percent, and projected a 4.1 percent expansion in 2014. It said the world economy grew 3.2 percent in 2012.

Lagarde said the exceptionally loose monetary policies of central banks in advanced economies is a

concern for emerging economies, which fear a sudden reversal of the large capital flows that have flooded their economies in recent years as investors have sought higher yields.

“Right now, these risks appear under control,” Lagarde said, but she urged emerging economies to boost their defenses to deal with the possible repercussions should central banks start to exit from quantitative easing.

The IMF chief welcomed the unprecedented burst of monetary stimulus announced by the Bank of Japan last week to revive the country’s economy. She urged Japan to deliver a credible fiscal plan to lower its public debt, “which looks increasingly unsustainable”.

“Japan needs a clear and credible plan to lower public debt over the medium term,” Lagarde said. “It needs comprehensive structural reforms to shift the economy into higher gear.”

Lagarde said the ‘fiscal cliff’ in the United States had been avoided, but that it is vital now for the Obama administration to put in place credible, medium-term plans to cut debt.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

Syria, North Korea top G8 meeting in London

Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague walks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) at the Foreign Office in London yesterday.

REUTERS/Paul J. Richards/pool LONDON (Reuters) Western and Middle Eastern nations trying to help the Syrian opposition in its war against President Bashar alAssad will meet in Turkey on April 20, a U.S. official said yesterday as G8 foreign ministers gathered in London for a summit.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will attend the meeting of the so-called Friends of Syria “core group” in Istanbul, said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

The G8 talks, which began in London over dinner yesterday and were due to end today, will also be the first chance for the ministers to discuss face-to-face the failure of last week’s meeting in Almaty on curbing Iran’s nuclear program.

North Korean threats of war also will be high on the agenda of the Group of Eight nations - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia - meeting.

Britain was expected to call for more help for the Syrian opposition but there are no signs of a major shift in policy.

Leaders of the Syrian

National Coalition (SNC) were present on the sidelines of the G8 meeting and were expected to hold talks with those foreign ministers willing to meet them.

During a lunch meeting earlier in the day, Syrian opposition members said they needed more humanitarian assistance and Kerry talked about the importance of the opposition becoming better organized, a senior U.S. official told reporters.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, in a statement issued after the talks, said Britain was committed to finding a political solution to the crisis.

“We discussed what further assistance the UK could provide to save lives in Syria, and how we could work together to ensure this support was channeled most effectively,” he said.

The United States, which on February 28 said it will for the first time give non-lethal aid to Syrian rebel fighters and more than double its aid to Syria’s civilian opposition, has so far chosen not to provide arms to the rebels and did not make any commitments at the lunch, the U.S. official said.

“He didn’t promise

Pentagon looks to cut 40,000 to 50,000 civilians over five years WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The Pentagon is looking to reduce the size of its nearly 800,000 civilian workforce by 40,000 to 50,000 employees over the next five years, mainly through attrition as it closes bases and consolidates healthcare facilities, the department’s comptroller said yesterday.

“I would hope that given the time to prepare, we could do this through attrition, but

we aren’t far enough along to really know for sure as to how we do it,” said Undersecretary of Defense Robert Hale, the Pentagon’s comptroller.

Hale said the employee reductions were tied to Pentagon plans to close excess bases and consolidate healthcare facilities, which were proposed yesterday and would have to be accepted by Congress before going into effect.

anything,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters travelling with Kerry.

During a more than onehour meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, another U.S. official said there was no sign of any change in Moscow’s stance on Syria.

“It certainly didn’t sound like they have changed their position a lot,” said the official, who added that Kerry and Lavrov’s talks on Syria were relatively brief and that the Syrian civil war was expected to be among the main topics of conversation at yesterday’s dinner of G8 foreign ministers.

The radicalization of elements of the divided opposition has tempered the enthusiasm of some Western nations for supporting the rebels militarily. Iraq’s al Qaeda wing said it had united with Syria’s al-Nusra Front, a kindred group.

Michael Stephens, a Dohabased analyst for security think tank RUSI, said the presence of SNC leaders at the G8 meeting was designed to help the coalition shore up its international legitimacy after the Arab League recognized it as the sole representative for Syria.

“It shows there’s a graduated process, where they went from laughing stock to being approved by the Arab League to being listened to by G8 leaders,” he said. “There’s a groundswell of support that appears to be building up behind them.”

Page 23

Cameron: “Iron Lady” Thatcher made Britain great again

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron (C) speaks during a special session of parliament in London yesterday. REUTERS/UK Parliament.

LONDON (Reuters) British Prime Minister David Cameron led tributes to Margaret Thatcher yesterday, remembering a divisive and combative leader who transformed the country and set a political course still followed today.

In a special session of parliament, Cameron said his fellow Conservative “defined and overcame the great challenges of her age” after a remarkable journey from the family grocer’s shop to the highest office in the land.

But in death as in life, Britain’s first female prime minister sharply divided opinion and was accused by opponents of destroying working class communities with “brutal contempt”.

It was the first time parliament had been recalled from holiday for the death of

a public figure since Queen Elizabeth’s mother died in 2002, underlining the importance of a leader who won three elections and reshaped British politics.

“She drew the lines on a political map that we here are still navigating today,” said Cameron, wearing a dark suit and tie. “She made the political weather, she made history and let this be her epitaph ... she made our country great again.”

Thatcher, who died at 87 on Monday from a stroke, overturned post-war political consensus, winning battles over union reform, nuclear arms and state ownership of industries, Cameron added.

“She certainly did not shy from the fight and that led to arguments, to conflict, yes even to division,” Cameron said. “But what is remarkable,

looking back now, is how many of those arguments are no longer arguments at all.”

In an emotional session scheduled to last for up to seven hours, members of parliament who are still fiercely divided over Thatcher debated her legacy and traded anecdotes and jokes. Opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband said she was a “unique and towering figure”. However, some in his party went on the attack, condemning her as a heartless free marketeer who unleashed an age of greed that undermined British society.

“Too many industries, too many working class communities in the north were laid waste in those years,” said former minister Michael Meacher. “And many of those are still desolated today.”

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Kaieteur News

Thursday April 11, 2013

Qatar, Libya give Egypt five billion South Korea increases surveillance as North moves missiles dollar boost amid IMF talks (Reuters) - Arab allies Qatar and Libya gave cashstrapped Egypt a $5 billion (3.2 billion pounds) double boost yesterday as the Arab world’s most populous nation struggles to secure an IMF loan to ease its deepening economic crisis.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim alThani said after talks with Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil that Qatar would provide an extra $3 billion on top of some $5 billion the Gulf state has already given Cairo, and would extend gas supplies to Egypt this summer as needed.

He told a joint news conference that Qatar, the biggest financial backer of Egypt’s Islamist-led government, “did not ask for anything in return” for its aid.

Hours later, Egypt’s state news agency MENA reported that neighbouring Libya had signed an agreement to give Cairo a $2 billion five-year interest-free loan “to support the Egyptian economy and the state budget and foreign currency reserves”. There was no immediate official

confirmation from Libya.

Kandil said in a statement on his Facebook page that Qatar would buy $3 billion worth of Egyptian government bonds. He dismissed media reports that relations with Doha were strained over a series of tax and regulatory issues affecting Qatari banks seeking to acquire assets in Egypt.

The new financial injections will buy Egypt time as it seeks to avert social unrest over fuel shortages and food price increases during a long, hot summer in the run-up to parliamentary elections expected in October.

Before the loans, foreign currency reserves had dwindled to a low of $13.4 billion in March, less than needed to cover three months’ imports.

MENA quoted a finance ministry official as saying the Libyan deal would strengthen Egypt’s hand with the International Monetary Fund delegation, which has been in Cairo since last week.

But Western diplomats said it was no alternative in the longer run to an IMF deal,

which could unlock up to $15 billion in multilateral and bilateral lending, and improve confidence for foreign and domestic investors.

Planning Minister Ashraf al-Araby said Cairo may ask the IMF to increase a previously requested $4.8 billion loan to help cover an increase in its budget deficit.

An IMF would require Egypt to make politically sensitive reforms of costly fuel and food subsidies and raise some taxes.

Araby acknowledged there would be social costs to implementing reforms required by the IMF but if Egypt did not reach a deal with the global lender it would be forced to resort to even stricter austerity measures.

Qatar has already provided $5 billion in loans, grants and deposits since Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Mursi was elected last June.

The government has already announced power cuts and energy saving measures such as closing Cairo airport’s two main runways for four hours every night during the summer.

Japan Self-Defense Forces’ personnel stand near PAC-3, Patriot Advanced Capability surface to air missiles deployed at the compound of Defense Ministry amid a tense situation over North Korea’s possible missile launch in Tokyo, yesterday (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa) SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Korea said yesterday there was “very high” probability that North Korea, engaged in weeks of threats of war, would launch a medium-range missile at any time as a show of strength despite diplomatic efforts to soften its position.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said South Korea had asked China and Russia to intercede with the North to ease tension that has mounted since the U.N. Security Council imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea after its third nuclear arms test in February.

But all was calm in the South Korean capital, Seoul, long used to North Korean invective under its 30-year-old leader Kim Jongun. Offices worked normally and customers crowded into citycenter cafes.

Seoul stocks edged up 0.77 percent from a four-and-a-halfmonth low hit earlier in the week, though trading was light with threats from the North still clouding the picture. The won currency gained 0.3 percent.

Other officials in Seoul said surveillance of North Korean activity had been enhanced.

Missile transporters had been spotted in South Hamgyong

province along North Korea’s east coast - a possible site for a launch.

North Korea observes several anniversaries in the next few days and they could be pretexts for displays of military strength. These include the first anniversary of Kim’s formal ascent to power, the 20th anniversary of rule by his father, Kim Jong-il, who died in 2011, and the anniversary, next Monday, of the birth of the young Kim’s grandfather, state founder Kim Il-Sung.

The near-daily threats to South Korea and the United States of recent weeks were muted in the North’s state media on Wednesday, with the focus largely on the upcoming festivities.

State television showed mass gatherings, including women in traditional flowing robes, listening to addresses, laying flowers at monuments and taking part in a culinary competition.

The North’s KCNA news agency said people were “doing their best to decorate cities”. Another dispatch reported a “production upsurge” in the coal, steel, iron and timber industries, with figures showing a

quarterly plan set by authorities had been “overfulfilled”.

In Washington, Admiral Samuel Locklear, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific region, said the U.S. military believed North Korea had moved an unspecified number of Musudan missiles to its east coast.

The trajectory of the missile, if launched, is unclear as the North has failed to inform international bodies - as it did in previous instances - of the path it is expected to take. But it is unlikely to be aimed directly at the South.

The Musudan has a range of 3,500 km (2,100 miles) or more, according to South Korea, which would put Japan within range and may even threaten Guam, home to U.S. bases. South Korea can be reached by the North’s short-range Scud missiles.

The U.S.-South Korea Combined Forces Command in Seoul raised its “Watchcon 3” status, a normal condition, by one level to boost monitoring and increase the number of intelligence staff, a senior military official told the South’s Yonhap news agency.

Thursday April 11, 2013

In a crucial step towards developing a successful HIV vaccine, researchers have been able, for the first time, to stimulate immune cells that can produce broadly neutralizing antibodies: a feat that has eluded vaccine researchers for decades. The exciting results are published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

It is widely accepted that a successful vaccine against HIV/AIDS would have to elicit antibodies to prevent infection from a wide spectrum of HIV strains. So far, no candidate vaccine for HIV has been able to produce such antibodies.

Leonidas Stamatatos, Andrew McGuire and their team of researchers at Seattle BioMed, in collaboration with colleagues at The Rockefeller University, the Scripps Research Institute and CalTech, wanted to understand why that was the case.

A major goal of an HIV vaccine is to stimulate B cells to create antibodies that can effectively block HIV from entering a human host cell.

The first generation of antibodies — called “germline antibodies” — are partially embedded in a B cell’s membrane. If a germline antibody binds to a protein (called an “envelope protein”) on

Kaieteur News

…as researchers overcome crucial obstacle

the surface of HIV, even weakly, then the B cell is activated and begins producing antibodies not only on the surface of B cells, but also in the bloodstream.

Activated B cells evolve to produce antibodies with even higher binding affinity to HIV, eventually resulting in a “mature” antibody. Some mature antibodies can bind to envelope proteins of many different HIV strains and prevent them from infecting

cells. For this reason, these antibodies are called “broadly neutralizing antibodies.”

These are the antibodies a vaccine needs to elicit.

A small number of people infected with HIV naturally produce broadly neutralizing antibodies. By sequencing the DNA of their mature antibodies, Stamatatos and McGuire were able to deduce what the originating germline antibodies likely looked like.

They then tested how

well the mature and germline antibodies bound to the envelope protein of different HIV strains from around the world. Some of these envelope proteins have been tested previously as vaccine candidates, but they did not elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies.

While the mature antibodies were able to bind 80-90% of these diverse envelope proteins, the germline antibodies did not bind at all. This indicated that a problem with previously tested HIV vaccines is that they do not bind to germline antibodies on B cells that ultimately give rise to mature, broadly neutralizing antibodies. Without this first binding step, the immune response to HIV is stopped before it can even truly begin.

Next, they turned to the structure of the HIV envelope proteins to determine why they were able to bind to the mature antibodies but not the germline. They discovered that several sugar molecules, called glycans, which HIV adds to its envelope protein to evade the immune system, were blocking the germline antibody from binding to and activating B cells.

After engineering an HIV envelope protein that lacks specific glycans, McGuire

Page 25

and Stamatatos ran their binding tests again. This time, the germline antibodies were able to bind the modified HIV protein. They also verified that the modified HIV protein was capable of starting the process of antibody maturation in B cells, kicking off an immune response that could eventually result in broadly neutralizing

antibodies.

“We have overcome the first obstacle to elicit one type of anti-HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies through vaccination,” explains McGuire. By administering the modified HIV protein as a vaccine, the immune system could become equipped to combat the real virus when it is encountered years down the line.

Chief of Staff has...

From page14 was allowed to observe the proceeding and advise the accused, but no participation in the actual proceedings was allowed.

All parties will however return to court on April 18 when the applicants are expected to reply to the Chief –of -Staff.

Commodore Best, however, ended up before the courts over claims that his action to withhold bonuses was arbitrary, unlawful and without cause. Over 100 officers were said to have been affected.

The Guyana Defence Board has however cited that the army head has the right to determine who would access the Presidents annual bonus, since the sums meant for the varying forces were not handed over by the President with stipulations.

The matter has however caused a huge stir as other ranks of joint service organizations such as the Fire Service, Police and Prisons have indicated their interest in the outcome. Several senior officers related that never before had their agencies withheld any of the bonus payments from any staff member for whatever reason, and the court proceeding may very well have implications for future bonus allocations.

Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, had also stated during one of his weekly press briefings that in the case of the decision by the President, “it had never been elevated to the level of an across the board measure…it has never been; it is a discretion that is exercised after the review of annual performances of the joint services.”

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Thursday April 11, 2013

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

DTV CHANNEL 8 08:25 hrs. Sign On 08:30 hrs. This Morning 09:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 10:00 hrs. Roseanne 11:00 hrs. The View 12:00 hrs. Prime News 12:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 13:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 14:00 hrs. The Talk 15:00 hrs. Without a Trace 17:00 hrs. Charmed 18:00 hrs. World News 18:30 hrs. Nightly News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 21:00 hrs. Person of Interest (Repeat) 22:00 hrs. Movie: Memoirs of a Geisha 23:00 hrs. Sign Off

MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 Sign on 05:30hrs - Dharma ke Awaz: Voice of Dharma 06:00hrs - Islamic Perspective 06:30hrs - News Update 07:00hrs - Day Break 08:00hrs - Dabi’s Musical Hour 08:30hrs - DVD Club music hour 09:15hrs - Top Notch Music Break 09:30hrs - Caribbean Temptation Music Mix 10:00hrs - Amanda’s Costume Jewellery Music break 10:30hrs - Future Vision.

Music hour 11:00hrs - Comfort Sleep Musical 11:30hrs - The View

12:00hrs - Village Talk: 12:30hrs - The Young and The Restless 13:30hrs - Days of Our Lives 14:00hrs - General Hospital 15:00hrs - Katie Couric Show 16:00hrs - The Bold and the Beautiful 16:30hrs - Cartoons 17:00hrs - Birthdays and other greetings 17:15hrs - Death Announcements/ In Memoriam 17:50hrs - CNN News 18:00hrs - Sitcom 18:30hrs - Jai Santoshi Ma 19:00hrs - Soul Melodies with Trans Globe 19:30hrs - News Update 20:30hrs - Winners Row Quiz 21:30hrs - Let’s talk Tax 22:00hrs - English Movie: Abducted: The Carolina

Guides are subjected to change without notice

Thursday April 11, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): You’re driven to express yourself in a straightforward manner and there isn’t much that will stand in your way.

Although you enjoy the pursuit of romantic love, y o u might be overly aggressive without even realizing it.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): Personal loyalties may come to the forefront now that the Moon is back in your sign, motivating you to make a tough choice.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): You may be ready for some excitement today, but a quiet little voice reminds you that frivolous diversions are not what you need at this time.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): A relationship conflict may intensify now, which puts a damper on your day.

However, it probably won’t be serious enough to derail the train of success. You could be making steady progress in your career, but change and growth happen slowly.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): You are eager to display your big heart in a way that shows everyone how much you have to give. However, this grand gesture can act like a double-edged sword because others also see how much you need.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): You may appear cool on the surface because you’re tempted to downplay your feelings so others don’t get caught up in your emotional drama.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): When things grow too intense, you often like to lighten the conversation and put others at ease. But you can still find meaning today from the magical spaces created in a close friendship or romance, even if you are more comfortable balancing out the energies.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You may feel as if you’re riding a roller coaster today as you get bounced around by your changing moods.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): You have a powerful inner resolve that you can rely on now, no matter what is happening in your outer world. Your life is changing quickly these days, but you may not fully understand how it affects your future.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): You are blessed with the extra endurance you need to hold your position today on the stormy seas of change.

Meanwhile, your current situation is forcing everything around you to shift.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): Although your day-today world is filled with busyness and excitement, you are growing weary of having to be so responsible.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): Your best application of today’s powerful energy might be to spend it in silent contemplation, but you won’t likely have the luxury to take a personal retreat.

Page 27

White Story 23:00hrs - News update 22:30hrs - English Movie: Abducted: The Carolina White Story continues Sign off

Page 28

Kaieteur News

Thursday April 11, 2013

Tropical Rhythms Beach Volleyball Classic winners receive their prizes The respective winners of the Berbice Vo l l e y b a l l A s s o c i a t i o n “Tropical Rhythms Beach Volleyball Classic” 2 vs 2 competition on Tuesday received their prizes including trophies and cash incentives at a simple ceremony held at the New Amsterdam Office of the Ansa McAl Trading Company. The first, second and third place finishers in the male category and the first place winner in the female division were

presented with their accolades.

The competition, which was played on Easter Monday at the No 63 beach, and was sponsored by Ansa McAl and organized by the Berbice Volleyball Association, saw fifteen male and five female teams participating in the one day knockout event.

At the presentation ceremony the first place winners - Noresh Jairam and Rohan Dhanpat as well as third place finishers Errol Chase and Leven Butchey

Adams, Lowden...

From page 35 that breaker (7-2), a vast improvement for the younger player from his three previous matches.

The battle for supremacy in the Men’s Singles is between top two seeds and best friends Anthony Downes and Jeremy Miller who will square off for the title.

The Women segment swings into action on Saturday, at the Diamond Hardcourt.

Meanwhile, former Pegasus Open Ladies champion Carol Humphrey has formally accepted the invitation to play in the tournament at the last moment.

Her acceptance was received by the tournament committee, which now brings the ladies draw to four players.

Winners, BVA officials and Ansa McAl Marketing Manager share the moment. received their trophies and cash from senior representative of the company’s Berbice operations.

The second place pair of R. Jaggernauth and T. Jaggernauth was unavoidably absent.

Also on hand to receive their prizes were the top female combination of Vashti Pooran

and Darshanie Pooran.

After the presentations ceremony tournament coordinator and BVA Treasurer Godwyn Allicock thanked Mr. Mark Bhikai, the Berbice Regional Manager of Ansa McAl, and the management and staff of the company for sponsoring

the competition and expressed the hope that next year’s competition will be bigger and better.

The next event on the BVA calendar is a “B” Division competition which is slated for Sunday April 21st at the Eaglets Volleyball Court in Reliance, East Canje.

That competition is for newcomers, school teams and Masters players.

Berbice’s top teams (PMTC1 & PM Jags) as well as all players who represented Guyana last year and participated in the Tradewinds Tanker Tournament will be debarred.

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Guyana Boxing Board of Control ‘Firestorm’...

Softball cricket finals set for Blairmont Settlement Howard Eastman set to defy the odds cricket ground today against Jamaican Sakima Mullings The finals of the 10/10 male and female softball cricket competition organised

by Attorney at Law Tajenarine Ramroop for teams in Blairmont and Ithaca villages will be played today at the Blairmont Settlement cricket ground beginning at 16:00hrs.

Six male and two female teams were involved in the competition which was played on a round robin basis with the top two teams emerging to contest the finals. The teams that participated are Blairmont No 1, 2, 3 and four, Ithaca and veterans; The teams in the final are Blairmont No 1 and Blairmont No 4. The female teams are made up of players from Blairmont N02 and 3 settlements.

In the preliminary matches Blairmont No 1 played unbeaten winning all five of their matches, while Blairmont No4’s only loss was to the

hands of Blairmont No1.

According to Mr Ramroop who was a former magistrate the main idea of organising the competition is to keep the youths off the street and off of drugs, Alcohol and other illicit activities. Trophies and cash incentives will be presented to the top two teams in both the mal e and female categories, while a number of individual awards will also be presented to the top performers including most valuable player, best batsman, best bowler, best young emerging player, while prizes will also be given to the man of the match in all the preliminary matches.

A number of other activities have been organised by Mr. Ramroop including a tapeball competition involving Police, Blairmont Community Centre, Blairmont Settlement, De Edward and Ithaca.

Georgetown Turf Club stages Gymkhana event April 21 Late last year, the organizers of the Georgetown Turf Club (GTC) had staged a Gymkhana event that titillated the animalistic veins in those that witnessed the event. Indeed fans were treated to thrills, spills and unbridled fun to the extent that they had called for more.

In keeping with its social responsibilities to provide entertainment for their fans, the management of the GTC has once again organized a similar one day event at its Mocha Arcadia EBD facility on Sunday April 21 next. Attendees will be treated to a variety of events with two major races, the Unclassified and the Open cart horse race over a distance of 1200m and a non winner’s event.

Activities get underway at 12 noon and organizers have disclosed that there will be music and a well stocked bar. GTC management is urging Guyanese of all walks of life to attend the event so as to ensure the reinvigoration of the sport.

Taffin Khan carts off spoils...

From page 34 Otherwise the Georgetown contingent carted off the lion’s share of the prizes including Saeed Ali of Richard Ishmael Secondary (2nd) and Roberto Neto of Diamond Secondary (3rd).

Omar Britton Grant of Bishop’s High was adjudged the Best Under-16 Player, while Joshua Seepersaud was adjudged the Best Junior Player out of Berbice.

The other point standings read: Anthony Drayton (5 ½) Kriskal Persaud (5), Ron Motilall and

Saeed Ali (4 ½ each), Roberto Neto, Joshua Seepersaud and Omar Britton Grant (4 each). The cash prizes and trophies were presented by Banks DIH representative Mr. Fawaz Harry. The event attracted twenty-four chess players. Banks DIH had unselfishly donated over $100,000, the largest by any singular sponsor to date.

The executives of the GCF wish to extend sincerest gratitude to their benefactor as well as administrator of the Tain Campus for making the competition possible.

By Michael Benjamin In boxing parlance, when a boxer seeks redemption he is usually attempting to reassert himself on the fistic scene, or in other words, reclaim respect. Many regard boxing as a sport for youngsters and heckle those that attempt to ‘live’ past a certain age. ‘Big’ George Foreman defied his critics and in 1994, at a solid 45 years of age, defied conventional wisdom and knocked out a far younger Michael Moorer (who was 27 years old then) to claim the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight crown.

Pundits view Foreman’s feat as phenomenal but many other pugilists (though not as high profiled) would have defied age and continued trading punches way beyond the expected age and benefitted from their efforts.

Howard ‘Batersea Bomber’ Eastman is one of the fighters that no one has been able to definitively analyze.

Considered an eccentric individual, Eastman’s professional career commenced in March 2004 in the United Kingdom when he scored a first round TKO over John Rice. The ‘Battersea Bomber’ as he was dubbed, had a phenomenal start to his professional career, chalking up 32 wins before experiencing a controversial loss to William Joppy in November for the World Boxing Association middleweight title.

By then Eastman had become a household name in Guyana and around the world and many will remember his

trademark stock of hair and beard, dyed white that portrayed him as an aged man; his dexterity in the square jungle defied the notion.

Eastman’s sojourn in the United Kingdom netted him a plethora of prestigious European belts including the European Boxing Union middleweight title, the British Boxing Board middleweight title and the WBA Intercontinental middleweight title among other prestigious accolades. The Joppy loss was his first outing in North America and signaled a turning point in his career. He returned to the United Kingdom and reeled off nine consecutive victories inclusive of six abbreviated bouts. On January 19, 2005 Eastman returned to the USA and suffered his second loss, this time to Bernard ‘Executioner’ Hopkins for the World Boxing Council middleweight belt. He fought seven bouts in quick order but lost 5 of them and then decided to return to Guyana to continue plying his trade.

Denny Dalton was his first local opponent and Eastman scored a lopsided unanimous verdict before defeating Andrew Lewis, Leon Gilkes and Trinidadian Kevin Placide. Kwesi Jones presented some problems for Eastman and won their 4 rounds encounter. Eastman then experienced fluctuating fortunes both locally and internationally, winning a few and losing some.

If there is one thing that can be said about Eastman, it is that he’s no quitter. He has blazed the trail and just when the naysayer had written him

off, he rebounded with sterling performances that defied his critics.

He fought Simeon Hardy in June and October last year and though he lost the first fight he rebounded with a classical display in the second and many were aghast when the decision went against him.

It was the last time that Eastman had entered the ring and the memories were truly inspiring.

Now, the ‘Battersea Bomber’ returns to the ring with renewed resolve to take on Jamaican, Sakima Mullings in a 12 rounds welterweight bout on a card dubbed ‘Firestorm,’ that nets the winner the World Boxing Council Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBACABOFE) and the World Boxing Association Fede Caribe ( W B A F E D C A R ) welterweight belts.

Eastman has spouted confidence but he will do good to remember that Mullings had registered a crushing knockout victory over local pugilist, Winston Pompey when they fought in Jamaica in ‘The Contender’ series, the Jamaican version of the Guyana Fight night card, last year. The Jamaican will be bristling with confidence and provided he comes to the fight with the tools of the Pompey bout one could just envisage the ensuing hectic battle. In a subsequent article we will have a deeper analysis of Mullings who seems to be an idol in his hometown.

In the meantime, fans could gear up for an action packed card that also features triple champion, Clive Atwell, up against Venezuelan,

Howard Eastman Raphael Hernandez for the vacant WBCCABOFE featherweight title, while Mark Austin matches gloves with Gladwin Dorway in a highly anticipated clash for the local welterweight belt.

These two were scheduled to face off late last year but Dorway had failed the medical examination and was ordered to undergo stringent tests as a precaution. He has since received the green light and is set to preserve his unbeaten record. Austin is no slouch and Dorway will find that despite losing several bouts, to seasoned opponents, Austin still has the sting to serve up his first loss. The prize is the local welterweight belt and as they say in boxing, Dorway’s ‘O’ might go.

Otherwise, Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry will also be in action and puts his local bantamweight title on the line against Hewley Robinson in a 12 rounds scrap, while Syrian boxer, Mahmood ‘The Extractor’ Loul starts the night’s proceedings in a 4 rounder against Berbician, Derick Richmond in a super/ middleweight bout.

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Kaieteur News

GTTA satisfied with Caribbean C/ship showing

GTTA President, Godfrey Munroe (right) among parents and coaches pose for a photo moment with some members of the National Juniors, Cadets team (seated) following their return from the Caribbean Championships in Trinidad.

The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) yesterday exuded satisfaction in the performance of the national Junior and Cadet team that recently returned from the Caribbean Championships in Trinidad and Tobago with seven bronze medals and an overall placing of fourth among those participating countries.

GTTA President, Godfrey Munroe, at a press briefing at the National Gymnasium said he is very pleased with the performance, but

noted that there is much room for further improvement. Guyana had placed fifth overall in the competition last year.

“I’m pleased with the performance of the team given certain circumstances; our team only got together for two weeks prior to the competition and most of the players just graduated to higher categories; some of the players who dominated in the 13-and-Under went up to the 15-and-Under etc..,” Munroe

said.

“I think the team did well, but there is a lot of work to do and we want to bring the team together more often so that the deficiencies the Coaches pointed out can be worked on.

We have a good core of young athletes,” he added. Munroe said the local team was very competitive and the association wants to ensure that they can become better over time.

The three-time national champion pointed to exposure as a means of ensuring that the players become better.

“What you would find is that teams such as Puerto Rico and Santa Domingo would have all the exposure, and as such, would have better rankings and seeding than us and that is something we must change,” the GTTA President lamented.

He thanked the management of the team for the disciplined work they put in to ensure that they were recognised among the top tier in Trinidad. The team management comprised coaches, Idi Lewis, Linden Johnson and manager, Deirdre Edghill.

Lewis also believed that while Guyana did not get a gold or silver medal, the team definitely improved from a year before.

“Last year only Chelsea (Edghill) won a medal and this year everybody chipped in; those teams came ready for the competition, so for our team to compete and even beat them shows that we have a lot of talent to work with,” Lewis said. Edghill revered the experience, calling it “great” and said that she took a lot away from the games that she either won or lost. Munroe closed with an expression of thanks to the sponsors and the media for contributing to the team’s development.

Thursday April 11, 2013

The football community has...

From page 35 environment that will build confidence and trust. The suggestion Powell offered was clear, it had to be proactive and from within. Moving forward meant acknowledging that the solution is within the leaders themselves.

How applicable to our own situation that haunts the current executive of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) who continually refuse to be financially accountable, but still want to hold the reins of power. The eminent US diplomat was right in his pronouncement and as we head to the polls tomorrow to elect a new Football Federation President, those with the mandate to vote ought to pay heed to the instructive words of none other than a man whose views are respected worldwide.

The football community has suffered for too many years under leadership that has ignored opposing views and paid scant regard for accountability and the welfare of players.

To not be able to simply tell this nation the extent of the agreement to switch the Mexico game and to give a full account about the financial gains, unmistakably represents what the GFF is and always has been.

The obvious solution to this protracted problem is to vote them out of office and I’ve advocated in previous articles there should be no survivors.

No one will be inclined to substantially support the GFF should remnants of the current executive somehow survive, since as Powell said, “Money does not go where it will not be safe, where it will not draw a return, and where people are not confident.”

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 31

NAMILCO/Bakewell T20 Champion of Champions Tourney...

West Berbice – The Prince of Berbice Cricket Cricket fans in the Ancient County of Berbice are gearing up for what is anticipated to be a cracking debut competition, the NAMILCO/ Bakewell/RHTY&SC T20 Champion of Champions tournament which will bowl off on Sunday April 21.

Kaieteur Sport will be featuring all eight teams that will be contesting this tournament which will see the biggest first prize for any tournament in Berbice going to the winner.

Today we are pleased to feature West Berbice, a side that is regarded as the Prince of Berbice Cricket.

Yes, you might be wondering why West Berbice is being referred to as the Prince of Berbice Cricket, this is primarily because they have been coming close to winning (competitions) on numerous occasions but not going all the way.

The team is however aiming to change that from this year. They have reached numerous semifinals but have not made the final grade.

Quite recently, the West Berbice lads made it to the semifinals of the Carib Beer T20 Cup but were beaten

once again at this stage by the Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets (RHTG&G).

West Berbicians will open their quest for a place in the final of this inaugural competition when they oppose Young Warriors at the Albion Community Centre Ground on Sunday April 21.

Their biggest obstacle to success has been their inability to dominate high standard spinners on helpful pitches and as such they’ve always struggled against Albion and RHTG&G. Former senior Berbice player Arthley Bailey serves

SHABAZZ ENDORSES MAJOR - Calls him a sincere brother, one who crosses all political and racial barriers Former Guyana Technical Director and Head Coach of the Golden Jaguars Jamaal Shabazz has come out in total support for Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major’s candidacy for President of the Guyana Football Federation. Major is the person who came up with the idea to bring Shabazz to Guyana’s football in 2005 when the Golden Jaguars rose to prominence making a huge impact in Caribbean football.

Then again in 2011 Major again insisted that Shabazz be brought back resulting in Guyana’s historic qualification to the semifinal round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, last year.

“Shanghai has my total support and endorsement to become President of the Guyana Football Federation.

He brought me to Guyana and introduced me to a people and a country that I love very dearly and has always been a sincere brother to me in all aspects of my life,” stated Shabazz.

“Every time I think about Guyana and our football it drives me to tears, the love and brotherhood that we built in our work, I thank Almighty God everyday for the opportunity he has given me to meet a brother like Shanghai and all the wonderful people that I met in my work here,” stated an emotional Shabazz.

Always a man quoting from the scriptures, Shabazz stated, “Jesus, peace be upon him, has given us a yardstick from which we can choose our leaders. He said by their fruits you shall know the trees.”

“When you look at the fruits of Shanghai over the

Brandon Bess

Kwasie Mentore

Keith Fraser

as Captain and main batsman and would be supported by Kwasie Mentore, the versatile Keith Fraser, the hard hitting Troy Halley, Steffan Adams and Travis Perry.

National pacer Keon Joseph is expected to be the spearhead of the bowling attack along with former Test player Brandon Bess.

Medium pacer Erwin Johnson, Darius Nedd and Travis Perry are all capable with the ball while off spinners Carlston Nurse,

Devon Downer and Steffan Adams will offer support to the quickies.

The full squad reads: Arthur Bailey, Keon Joseph, Kwasie Mentore, Steftan Adams, Keith Fraser, Brandon Bess, Troy Halley, Erwin Johnson, Griesan Grant, Gladwin Johnson, Darius Nedd, Carlston Nurse, Devon Donener, Karren Mentore, Keno Gravesande and Travis Perry.

Managing the team will be veteran David Black.

Arthley Bailey

St. Lucia instructors in Japanese Karate Organization

Jamaal Shabazz

Aubrey Major

years you see a man that has worked tirelessly for his people.

Way back in 1990’s he brought the likes of Collie Hercules, Charles Pollard, Jermaine Scott and company to Trinidad, which has opened doors for so many players from Guyana to become professionals,” added Shabazz.

“As recent as three months ago Shanghai had a hand in teenagers Trayon Bobb and Daniel Wilson and veteran Walter Moore, signing contracts in Europe.

His vision and passion for the game and his country is what we need right now if Guyana is to transform into the footballing giant that it has shown the potential to become,” The former Technical Director stated.

Shabazz, who now coaches his native Trinidad and Tobago, national senior team, felt that Shanghai’s pedigree crosses all political, social and racial boundaries.

“Shanghai has the respect of the Government, the Opposition parties, the Africans, Indians, Portuguese and the Amerindians. He is respected

by the rich and is loved by those who are needy. His personality is just what Guyana needs at the moment.”

“He is a man for the people, the players, the coaches and if we are honest, his time has come he has earned this right to be President,” added Shabazz.

Asked whether Shanghai had the sway to bring him back for a third stint in Guyana, Shabazz was non committal.

“I love Guyana and the way you have accepted me and I will always be close. But my time has passed and Shanghai had the vision for us to groom Wayne Dover, even when others in the GFF did not want him, Shanghai stood up for Dover.

“If I am to pinpoint two persons who played a special part in the success of my work with the Guyana National team, I would say Wayne Dover and Aubrey Shanghai Major. Guyana does not need a third coming of Jamaal Shabazz but you need an Aubrey Shanghai Major for President.

“I fully endorse Shanghai and his slate for the Guyana Football Federation elections,” added Shabazz.

St. Lucia top Shito-Ryu Karate instructors are now official members of the International Seishinkai Karate Federation (ISKF) of Hokkaido Japan. Sensei Benny Chitolie (Chitolie Martial Arts Institute) and Sensei Paul Clery (Blue Dragon Karate Dojo) were approved by Soke Katsumi, Okubo, 10th Dan head of ISKF. They both have over thirty years each of karate experience and are now bonafide traditional karate experts. In addition, they are founding members of St. Lucia’s most active and largest umbrella karate body- the Association of Professional Martial Artists (APMA).

APMA is the St. Lucia representative to the prestigious World United Karate Organization (WUKO).

Sensei Chitolie recently completed a WUKO Referee’s course and was promoted to National Referee making him his country highest ranked official. The karate experts both hold the grade of Sandan (3rd Degree

Paul Clery and Darryl Williams Black Belt) in Shito-Ryu Karate having passed all requirements. Their Shito-Ryu Karate instructor is Sensei Darryl Williams, 7th Dan ISKF/WUKO.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday April 11, 2013

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

Keith O Jeer wins Berbice Football Association Elections Many questions remained unanswered after the completion of the second edition of the Berbice Football Association (BFA) rescheduled elections which were held on Tuesday at the BFA office at Main and Wapping Lane in New Amsterdam.

Returning Officer Hilbert Foster did a commendable job in getting the election of officer bearers together. At the end of the process incumbent Keith O Jeer was returned as president following a 6-4 victory over former national player and president of Cougars football club Phillip Carrington.

The BFA was instructed to hold fresh elections after much confusing reigned at the conclusion of the first process. However the situation was a little improved from the last process.

This time five clubs were allowed to vote from the original two that were allowed

on the previous occasions.

Rosignol United, Corriverton Links, Cougars, Monedderlust and New Amsterdam United were those that were allowed to exercise their franchise.

However there was much uncertainty if the BFA will be allowed to participate in the upcoming GFF election after the financial statement was not passed. Based on the rules they should not be allowed.

It all started when clubs were not sure whether it was a special meeting for election purpose or was it the reinvention of The AGM or the continuation of the last one.

Before the election of officer bearers a financial statement was circulated showing transactions for 2012.

This caused much uproar and the meeting was adjourned for 10 minutes to allow members to peruse the

Keith O'Jeer

document.

At the reconvening of the meeting there was much bantering over the document with members contending that it was incomplete and did not reflect the through financial position of The BFA. They also queried how come there is a document for 2012 and none for 2010 and 2011. The

GFF Super League continues

Konata Manning

Michael Phyll

Two matches were contested on Sunday last, at the Buxton Community Centre Ground in the Guyana Football Federation Super League where Buxton United Sports Club needled fellow East Coast side BV Triumph United compliments of a Michael Phyll 15th minute goal.

Up at the Wisburg Ground, in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden, the visiting Pele FC defeated home team Milerock 2-1.

Milerock were sailing comfortable having taken the lead in the 27th minute through a Ron Fiedtkou goal.

Enjoying the home advantage, the Linden side were able to keep the Pele team at bay for a lengthy period and would have been sensing possible full points but that was not to be as the relentless Pele finally cancelled out Milerock’s advantage when Konata Manning drew them level in the 77th minute.

Stellon David

Pele’s more experienced players ended up making the difference between the two sides.

Having drawn level, the visitors did not look back. Veteran Stellon David made sure they left Linden with maximum points when he rocked the nets for the winning goal in the 81st minute.

On Sunday, five matches will be contested.

At GFC, Pele will meet BV Triumph United from 18:00hrs followed by a clash between Western Tigers and Buxton United.

Up in Linden at the Wisburg Ground, Amelia’s Ward Panthers comes up against Uitvlugt Warriors at 14:00hrs with feature play between Milerock and Den Amstel Porknockers.

The other fixture is set for the Ancient County of Berbice at the Blairmont Community Centre Ground and will feature Alpha United and Rosignol United from 16:00hrs.

Following is the latest Points Standings: Team Alpha Pele Western Buxton United Rosignol United BVTU Milerock Uitvlugt Amelia’s Ward Den Amstel

P 10 12 10 11 11 12 12 10 11 9

W 8 6 6 5 3 3 4 3 2 1

D 1 3 2 2 5 4 1 1 3 4

L 1 3 2 4 3 5 7 6 6 4

GF 40 14 18 10 15 14 12 9 9 8

GA 4 8 13 11 27 18 19 25 20 16

GD +36 +6 +5 -1 -12 -4 -7 -16 -11 -8

Points 25 21 20 17 14 13 13 10 9 7

document was not adopted with Cougars and Monedderlust moving a seconding a motion to have the document examined at a special meeting.

Before the election of officer bearers, although it was decided that only the president Clay Flats of Monedderlust FC could vote at the meeting although a number of members of the club including the secretary were present at the meeting.

This was so after it was noted that the club had sent a letter stating that only the

president or vice president is authorized to vote. The vice president was absent and the president vote was equivalent to two ballots.

After the election and installation of the new executive members which was done by returning Officer Hilbert Foster much confusion followed.

President O Jeer then reconvened the old meeting using the new executive.

He then proceeded to – the acceptance of new members, AOB and introduction of motions moves which were unprecedented since a new body was in place and the meeting should have ended.

This move caught the members by surprise, as they wanted to know the status of the BFA following the disapproval of the financial statement. O Jeer then stated that it was a new body in place and he is introducing a motion to accept the financial statement as it is. This caused much raucous with members on the floor querying what was going on.

There is no body in place, general council has to decide, and there must be 14 days

notice, were some of the remarks hurled as the gathering descended into chaos.

Those elected to serve are Keith O Jeer of Rosignol president with Clay Flats of Monedderlust first vice president and Mark Adams of Hope football club second vice presidents. Long serving Secretary Joseph Simon returned to his post with Michael De Souza of Corriverton Links occupying the Treasurer position.

The August brothers’ of Mylon and Noel of Monedderlust occupies the positions of Assistant Secretary Treasurer and Director of Female Football respectively.

Upon arrival at the meeting place the media was told that they are not allowed in. A man standing at the door stated that he was the security officer and said he was given instruction from one Mr. Simon to stop all unauthorized persons from entering. It took the intervention of former national player Neil “Grizzly” Humphrey to intervene to diffuse the situation. (Samuel Whyte)

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Kaieteur News

Wisden chides ‘arrogant’ Pietersen Kevin Pietersen (AFP)

ESPNcricinfo - Wisden has turned on Kevin Pietersen, terming him arrogant, self-pitying and isolated, for his part in the furore which destabilised English cricket last summer.

There have been more trenchant Notes by the Editor than those which grace the 150th edition of the Almanack, published today, but Lawrence Booth reserves his sternest criticism for Pietersen’s behaviour during England’s Test series defeat against South Africa.

“Cricket, some suspected, existed only as an extension of Pietersen’s whims (and unlike team, cricket definitely

has an “I” in it). Emboldened by a lucrative new Indian Premier League deal, he was arrogant, attempting to bulldoze over the terms of his central contract. He was selfpitying, claiming he had never been looked after. And he was a man apart, sending silly texts to the South Africans,” Booth writes. Those texts were regarded in much of the media last summer as a national scandal. Perhaps in the use of the term “silly” Wisden has stumbled upon a greater truth. Wisden, condemning the rift as a “mishmash in many genres”, does not spare ECB officials from criticism, concluding:

“Only the dressing room knew just how troublesome Pietersen had become; for outsiders to lecture Andy Flower on man-management was plain ludicrous. But as his exile dragged on, the ECB began to look petty, if they showed their faces at all.

“Pietersen’s pursuit of Twenty20’s riches at the expense of the Test side - the format which had made his name - was unattractive, although those attitudes can filter down from the top. If there was a have-cake-andeat-it feel to his simultaneous grouse about excessive cricket and his yearning for IPL, it was hard to ignore a wider truth: a bloated schedule has asked the players to make unfair choices.

“The dilemma is not going away, however much English cricket wishes it would.”

Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year - an award specific to the English season and winnable only once - are Hashim Amla, Nick Compton, Jacques Kallis, Marlon Samuels and Dale Steyn. The Leading Cricketer in the World award goes to the Australian captain, Michael Clarke.

Thursday April 11, 2013

‘Screw’ Richmond Memorial Schools Football Tournament

Christianburg / Wismar hammer LTI - New Silver City also in winners’ row

Goalscorers for Christianburg / Wismar Secomndary School pose for a photo op following their 6-1 demolition of Linden Technical Institute.

Defending champions Linden Technical Institute suffered a third consecutive loss in the 5th edition of the Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Memorial Schools Football Tournament after going down to four-time finalist Christianburg / Wismar by a 6-1 margin.

In the other game, New Silvercity continued their winning ways with a 3-1 win over Harmony Secondary.

Here are the results: Game1 New Silvercity Secondary School 3 – 1 Harmony Secondary School

Scorers Kristoff Stanton (N.S.S.S.) – 18th Min. Kurd Johnson (H.S.S.) – 26th Min. (PK) Oneil Gentle (N.S.S.S.) – 40th Min. Hakeem Aaron (N.S.S.S.) – 69th Min. Game 2 Christianburg- Wismar Secondary School 6 – 1 Linden Technical Institute Scorers Marmarlaque Davidson (C.W.S.S.) – 1st Min., 63rd Min. Mario Batson (C.W.S.S.) – 7th Min. Yonnick Simon (C.W.S.S.)

– 9th Min. Shane Lukie (C.W.S.S.) – 27th Min. Nigel Caesar (C.W.S.S.) – 64th Min. Jumaine Saul (L.T.I.) – 69th Min. Play continues today with two more matches, at the Wisburg School Ground.

In the fixtures: Linden Foundation Secondary will come up against New Silvercity Secondary in the first game and that will be followed by the clash between Marcia Craig’s Educational Institute and Mackenzie High School.

Kickoff is 14:30 Hrs.

Taffin Khan carts off spoils in Malta Supreme One-Day Rapid Chess Tournament

Taffin Khan (extreme right) and Ron Motilall (2nd right) show off their winnings after the tournament concluded Senior National Chess Champion, Taffin Khan drew his game in the seventh sitting against Ron Motilall and eventually amassed 6 ½ points to take the honours in the senior category when action in the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) MALTA SUPREME OneDay Rapid Chess Tournament concluded at the UG Tain campus, Corentyne, Sunday April 7 last.

Motilall also performed credibly and

scored 4 ½ points to take the top honours in the junior category ahead of Saeed Ali, also with 4 ½ points but losing out on the tie system.

National Junior Champion Anthony Drayton opted to compete among the seniors and finished just behind Khan, while former national senior champion, Kriskal Persaud closed off the podium spot in this category.

(Continued on page 29)

Thursday April 11, 2013

Kaieteur News

::: Letters to the Sports Editor :::

Page 35

Assuria Invitational Tennis Classic...

SUPPORT ALFRED KING Adams, Lowden to clash for Men’s over 35 title FOR GFF PRESIDENT DEAR EDITOR, Please publish our letter in your widely read newspaper. Football is one of the premier sport disciplines in Guyana.

However, the Football fraternity is disgust and tired of allegations of corruption.

Never can we support Aubrey “Shanghai” Major of the Annual Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament in Guyana.

The Organisers of the “Kashif and Shanghai” tournament never supplied an audited Financial Statement.

They always owe people after the tournament. Twenty three years of no accounts.

We also see pictures in the press with them receiving ‘big cheques’ but never

revealed the amount that they received from a single sponsor. In recent years their support has been dwindling.

So we must not support Aubrey Major.

The Georgetown Football Association is trying and did well against the Aubrey Major/Klass Corruption.

However, we in Guyana, Linden, Berbice, West Demerara, Georgetown and East Coast must vote with the Guyana Referee Association for Mr. “Clean and Thorough” Alfred King.

Alfred King is a highly successful President of the Referee Association. He certainly motivate, plan and organize so that our Referees are better prepared for all the challenges.

Alfred King knows football. He has a reputation in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport to be accountable to the Auditor General and people of this country.

King’s influence to solicit from corporate citizens is always followed by accountability, transparency and genuine mileage.

We will call on the Guyana Football fraternity to support the Gentleman with a vision, a man with integrity for the position as President of the Guyana Football Federation.

We further recommend that there must be a term limit for the Presidency.

David Stoby Daniel Richmond Basheer Khan

GFF Elections - A new breeze of democracy is blowing DEAR EDITOR, The GFF Elections is in the air, on Sat 13th April 2013, Guyana will have a new Football President, thanks to Bin Laden and Jack Warner.

A new breeze of democracy is blowing, thanks to Mr Matthias and the GFA. The fight to the ascendancy is intensive, Presidential Candidates are ‘wheeling n dealing’, giving out Uniforms, Fixing G r o u n d s , having sumptuous dinners, giving out balls, and the perks and such goes on.

The Candidates - Mr Aubrey Major, Mr Alfred King, Mr

Christopher Matthias & Mr Ivan Persaud all have their strengths and weakness.

I think the most likely and capable candidates are King and Matthias.

Major has a speaking problem and is not a capable person to represent Guyana at any forum, imagine him chairing a meeting of the General Council and short cutting all the correct procedure and principals.

Imagine him addressing the CFU Congress about Guyana’s Development.

Persaud has his limitations, he is a technical man but not Presidential

Qualities, He can’t command the respect amongst the hierarchy, he has his limitations and is not Presidential Material.

King and Matthias can do the job, both are good and experience Managers and they know to manage people and have the feel for the job, they both have the backings of many quality businesses and prominent persons.

I will however give King the edge because of his personality.

He has no baggage and is a people man.

King for President Theresa

The football community has suffered for too many years

By Rawle Welch In a recent article, I had reason to remind a critic of mine that in life the process of learning is continual, meaning that even as we get older, there is still that craving and in some instances the need to learn more.

I say this because even though I’ve been in the media for some time, there are a lot of things about the profession and in the wider sphere of life that I still need to know about.

Likewise, there are quite a few writers whose uncomplicated articles I really enjoy since they are usually very edifying and motivating.

One of them is Secretary General of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee Brian Lewis, whose stirring articles have been an inspiration to me.

Lewis writing in the Tuesday’s issue of the Trinidad Guardian under the caption ‘Sport makes a positive difference’ spoke of some of the challenges that face sport, while offering some solutions to those challenges. However,

there was a particular piece in the article that caught my attention, since I found it strikingly related to the current situation here.

Two of the major sport disciplines in Guyana - football and cricket - have been plagued by accusations of financial wrongdoing which have left many followers and stakeholders frustrated and understandably reluctant to offer their support.

Lewis in his article gave a quote from Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State, during a visit he made to Africa in June 2001. According to Lewis, during Powell’s visit he told African leaders who appealed to him for American investment dollars, that they needed to change their ways.

Why? Powell told them, “Money does not go where it will not be safe, where it will not draw a return, and where people are not confident.” He further advised that it was the responsibility of the leaders to create the (Continued on page 30)

Top seed Carlos Adams trounced Rudy Grant 6-1, 6-0 to set up a mouth watering clash against Berbician Godfrey Lowden for the Men’s Over 35 singles title in the Assuria Invitational Tennis Classic.

Playing the lone match on Monday evening at Harry Panday’s place Bel Air Park, Adams defeated Grant on the back of his superior play in cold, damp conditions.

The top seed started strongly by holding his serve at 40-15 to open the first set of the match, before he subsequently broke Grant to lead 2-0. Adams held serve in the third game and followed that up with a service break in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.

Grant began to place his serves in strategic areas of the service box to hold at love, at which point he began feeling comfortable on the courts heading into the change over. That feeling though was short lived as he simply could not handle Adams’ powerful ground

Carlos Adams

Leyland Leacock

strokes and the latter duly wrapped up the set.

That performance was followed by an even more devastating display that the error prone Grant had no answer for as he failed to win a single game, handing Adams a straight sets triumph.

The loss meant that Grant dropped to a 1-2 win/loss record in the round robin competition, while Adams 30 remains on course for a titanic clash against second seed Godfrey Lowden on Sunday.

In other action, #3 seed in the Men’s Singles group Leyland Leacock needed two tie break sets to get past Daniel Lopes.

Lopes played aggressive from the onset to force the tie break which remained even up until the fifth game. That was the most critical point in the opening set tie break, which the third seed eked to inch ahead 3-2 and take it (75).

The same strategy was applied by Lopes in the second only for him to lose (Continued on page 28)

t r o Sp

Baugh leads Jamaica fight back with unbeaten half century

By Zaheer Mohamed Wicketkeeper batsman Carlton Baugh slammed an unbeaten half century to lead Jamaica’s fight back on day one against host Guyana in their West Indies Cricket Board Regional 4 day tournament at the Providence National Stadium yesterday; the visitors were 204-9 after facing 71 overs when bad light stopped play with Baugh on 78 and Sheldon Cotterell on 03.

Jamaica won the toss and elected to bat but pacer Keon Joseph ruined their decision when he had Danza Hyatt taken by Veerasammy Permaul at short mid wicket for a duck at 3 in his second over.

Brenton Parchment failed to capitalise after he was put down by Assad Fudadin at third slip off Joseph, but the Berbice fast bowler got his reward for maintaining a decent line and length when he had Parchment caught by Stephen Jacobs at second slip in the fourth over with the score on four. Without addition to the score,

Ronsford Beaton, who like Joseph extracted pace and bounce from a lively Providence pitch, induced Nkrumah Bonner (01) to edge one behind.

Tamar Lambert was then bowled by Joseph without scoring at 12-4 before Jermaine Blackwood and David Bernard Jnr restored sanity to the proceedings with a fifth wicket stand of 46. However Permaul who later sustained a hand injury, trapped Blackwood leg before for 37 (1x4, 54balls), while leg spinner Devendra Bishoo had Bernard Jnr stumped for 29 (2x4, 52b) as the Jamaicans slipped to 88-6.

Carlton Baugh Jr and Nikita Miller then took the score to tea at 150 for 6 with Baugh who brought up his fifty off 83 balls on 54 and Miller on 25.

The pair continued to frustrate the Guyanese after the break by adding 27 more to the total before Miller was leg before wicket to Steven Jacobs for 42 (5x4, 81b) at 177. Andrew Richardson was then trapped in front by Bishoo for 01, while Odean Brown who got off the mark with a six off Bishoo but the

Carlton Baugh turns a delivery from Stephen Jacobs on the leg.

caught by Leon Johnson at first slip for 07 off the same bowler at 194.

Baugh who was very watchful and middled the

ball well, played some handsome shots on both sides of the wicket, stroked six fours, and along with Cotterell will resume the

battle today for the Jamaicans when play starts at 09:30 hrs.

For the Guyanese, Joseph finished with figures

of 3-49 off 14 overs, while Bishoo has so far taken 3-51 off 16 overs; Beaton, Permaul and Steven Jacobs had one each.

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