Thursday Edition April 12, 2012 - Vol. 5 No. 14
Online readership yesterday 95,825
Price $80 (VAT Inclusive)
Online: http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Controversial $300M Hydroclave system …
GPHC distances- Actual self cost from purchase still unclear Pg 3
Extension of continental shelf...
Guyana makes oral presentation to UN Public hospitals should provide abortion services Pg 6
TWO CHILDREN PERISH IN LA GRANGE FIRE Pg 7
- APNU
Pg 2
Police arrest 18 illegal Brazilian miners Pg 18
Attorney General makes submission to DPP on Greene's rape allegation...
Chief Justice's decision can’t be appealed Pg 9
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Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
Coastguards lose schoolboy’s body T
he father of the 11-year-old West Ruimveldt boy who disappeared off the Georgetown seawalls on Tuesday, after an outing at the Kingston seawall, has expressed anger at the Guyana Coastguards. According to Roy Success, the Coastguards reportedly spotted what was believed to be the body of his only son, Shemar Success, in the Demerara River. He said that they did not attempt to retrieve it. Instead, he said, members of the Coastguard patrol reported the spotting of the body to the Marine Corps. But by the time efforts were made by the Marine Corps to recover the body, it had already disappeared. Late last evening the
search was continuing for the teen that is now believed to have drowned. The teen’s father told Kaieteur News that he is surprised that the Coastguards did not tow the body in but instead, left it there to float away. The visually stressed Success said that when his son went missing on Tuesday, he gave the Coastguards his cellular number to contact him if they should get any information about his son. They did not call him. Success explained that about 18:10 hours yesterday, he received a call from one of his “fisherman-friend” who “broke the news.” He stated that he immediately went to the Marine centre behind the West Ruimveldt Police
Station. There, he said, that he received the horrifying news. “I am very grateful that they are out there up to now (20:00hrs) searching for my son’s body but I am very upset that the Coastguards did not tow the body in. If they did not want to hold the body they could have simply pulled the body in at the side of the boat,” an angry Success lamented. On Tuesday last, Shemar Success went for an outing at the Kingston seawall with a few friends when he reportedly went for a swim and never surfaced after diving in. The Success Elementary School student recently wrote the National Grade Six Assessment examinations. (Romila Boodram)
Depressed father
Shemar Success: still missing
Public hospitals should provide abortion services - APNU A Partnership for National Unity is calling on Government to extend its services at public hospitals to include the termination of pregnancies, which is a woman’s right in Guyana. This is according to Member of Parliament, Dr. George Norton, during his budget debate presentation in the National Assembly, on Tuesday evening. Dr. Norton said, “It is not enough to put the law on the books…If a woman who needs an abortion cannot afford or cannot access proper medical care in the public domain and is forced to go to unlicenced, incompetent bottom house clinics, this problem would remain.” He stressed that despite Government legalizing the termination of pregnancies more than a decade ago, many women are still losing their lives after having undergone botched
abortions. “When this happens, persons look for all the different wrong reasons to deceive, to shift the blame and to hide the true causes, including the use of ‘lack of education’ on the part of the victim, as was attempted only recently,” Norton said. “This was to explain why an 18-year-old teenaged mother of two, died in December last, after she had an abortion performed on her illegally, by an uncertified physician in an unlicenced clinic.” He stressed that Government is failing women folks by not providing pregnancy termination services in public hospitals. Dr. Norton further explained that the Guyanese mother who wants an abortion must have between $10,000 and $30,000 to terminate her pregnancy at a private hospital.
“Those that don’t have that amount buy nonprescription and prescription pills at times. Others drink various concoctions ‘bush’, and throw themselves down to induce ‘slip and fell’. Some use more drastic measures such as pushing knitting needles or umbrella wire inside themselves,” Dr. Norton emphasized. While some succeed and survive, others endure serious injuries and pay with their lives, he said. He argued that these women do not die because they are unaware that abortion is legal in Guyana but because they cannot afford abortion services. Dr. Norton stressed that just a few doctors are authorized to do abortions in Guyana, none from Guyana’s tertiary hospital, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. “Today, mothers in Guyana with unwanted pregnancies are not much better off than they were decades ago,” Dr. Norton said.
Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Controversial $300M Hydroclave system …
GPHC distances self from purchase The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has distanced itself from the purchasing of the US$1.5 million ($300M) waste processing system and waste disposal truck. Yesterday, GPHC in a statement said that it did not handle the purchase. Instead, this was done by an arm of the Ministry of Health - the Health Sector Development Unit, which is headed by Keith Burrowes. The World Bank had made a grant of US$1.2M ($240M) available for the project. GPHC disclosed that Johs. Gram-Hanssen A/S’s, a Danish company involved in procurement, was awarded the contract for the truck and complete hydroclave system. The bid by the company was US$949,579, which left an
unexplained sum of US$250,421 from the total which Keith Burrowes had disclosed last week to Kaieteur News. The tenders for the project were sent directly to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board. They were evaluated and, in this particular case, the award of the project was approved by Cabinet and the World Bank, GPHC said. Contrary to what Keith Burrowes had stated, GPHC insisted yesterday that the Invitation for Bids was advertised locally. Burrowes had told this newspaper that the project was not advertised locally since the equipment is not available locally. Rather, it was advertised
- Actual cost still unclear internationally, including in the highly-rated UK magazine, The Economist. Burrowes, who has overall responsibility for the project, said that the World Bank had provided US$1M to purchase the system, but US$200,000 more was added to that amount by the time tenders began coming in for the project. GPHC disclosed, yesterday, that initially, seven potential bidders purchased documents. However, only two of the seven companies responded - Johs GramHanssen A/S, and SEEN Environment – Export Division. The initial contract was split between Johs Grams and SEEN Environment, based on
PRICE SYNOPSIS FOR A HYDROCLAVE AS PROVIDED TO KAIETEUR NEWS BY HYDROCLAVE CANADA.
recommendations. SEEN Environment’s part contract was to procure a compactor for US$33,783.35 and the truck for US$129,059 – a total of US $162,842.35 while Johs Grams, on the other part, was to procure a steam autoclave, estimated at US$639,042, a shredder for US$103,223 and training costing US$7,500, totalling US$749,765. GPHC said yesterday that the contractual obligation with SEEN Environment was terminated due to the long delay in signing the contract. According to GPHC, recommendations were made to award the entire contract to Johs Grams. GPHC insisted yesterday
that it was a World Bank HIV/ AIDS Project, and as such, approval was given by that entity to proceed. During a tour of the facility, Kaieteur News was told that to accommodate the installation of the hydroclave system, Government had to construct a shed; an airconditioned waste holding room; electrical works; a gantry to run a steam pipe; and a hot water system, to the tune of $25M. GPHC had said it spent a further $60M of its own money to construct the facilities to house the hydroclave system, training and a one-time airfare for a consultant from Hydroclave Canada. Over the weekend, a quotation supplied to Kaieteur News by Hydroclave Systems Corp.,
Keith Burrowes Canada, revealed that the total cost for the exact model Hydroclave H-150 System is Cdn $761,911.74 (US$759,216.85).
GPHC PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING TABLE WITH THE COMPANY’S ORIGINAL BID PRICES: Description Steam Autoclave Shredder Compactor Vehicle Training TOTAL BID TOTAL AWARD
Original Bids Price (US$) Johs Grams $639,042.00 $103,223.00 $47,329.00 $152,485.00 $7,500.00 $949,579.00 $949,579.00
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Kaieteur News
Thursday April 12, 2012
Letters... Where your views make the 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
It may be a case of monitoring The issue of abortion is back again. Member of Parliament Dr George Norton made a pitch for the Georgetown Public Hospital to become involved in abortions merely because its free service and the professional service offered could save lives. There are not many media reports of people succumbing to botched abortions and this may be because people do not advertise these happenings because of the stigma involved. But then again reporters do not pester the Ministry of Health and the hospitals for information on the major cases that required medical attention. When Guyana opted to review the question of abortion the Ministry of Health drafted and tabled a Bill called the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill. Each Member of Parliament was asked to vote according to his conscience. They were not bound by political party lines. Such voting trends are often invited when the matter is of no direct political interest; and not a partisan issue. A similar pattern of voting was allowed when the National Assembly debated the Bill that sought to widen sexual preferences and again when the state sought to allow for casino gambling. Needless to say, all of these Bills attracted a degree of hostility from the religious community. In the case of the Bill that allowed for Medical Termination of Pregnancies the government was forced to pass legislation that debarred the public institutions from performing abortions. It meant that the private institutions were allowed to perform abortions. However, there were certain conditions attached. The abortionist had to counsel the patient thereby giving the patient a chance to review the decision. He was also expected to keep records that would be submitted to the Ministry of Health. Further, there was a stipulation that abortions would not be performed after a certain period of pregnancy. The reality is that while many seek the services of private medical practitioners many resort to the so-called bottom house operators. There is no counseling, neither is there proper record keeping nor would they guarantee that what would be used be properly sterilized. The real problem is that many women use abortions as a means of birth control and therefore often display reckless behaviour. In recent times some of the poorer women have been choosing to resort to barbaric means to terminate pregnancies with the result that many experience incomplete abortions. The law, as it now stands, does allow for public institutions to aid in such cases. Some of the cases presenting themselves have been nothing short of horrific and to save the lives of some of the women who ended up in the public institutions the doctors have had to perform nothing short of miracles. It cannot be argued that the women seek the alternatives to the quacks because of impecunity because there are nongovernmental organisations to offer such a service because they are aware of the social conditions in Guyana. But there are women who do ignore such services and continue to resort to the quacks and the less than professional abortionists. The numbers of such women have now prompted certain Members of Parliament to call for a review of the law. He sincerely believes that such a review could save lives. Just a few weeks ago there was a woman from a Lower East Coast Demerara village who succumbed from a botched abortion. She suffered a perforated uterus among other complications. It is here that the people who profess an interest in these unfortunate women should first insist that the measures contained in the law are adhered to. In the first instance they should ensure that prosecutions are the norms rather than the exception. In Guyana, it is common knowledge that doctors do not testify against each other. The offshoot is that those who fail to complete the abortion live to continue. There is no monitoring by the special body set up by the Health Ministry; there is no penalty for those who fail to keep records and certainly, there is no inspection of facilities to ensure that they are up to the medical standard necessary for safe abortions. Monitoring of legislation has always been a problem in Guyana. There may be no need for the public institutions to begin to perform abortions. And surely the objectors would be required to come out in protest.
The DPP offers faulty advice DEAR EDITOR, The DPP in Guyana operates without oversight, respect or regard for international norms when exercising her discretion and making decisions to prosecute. The following cases reminds us how easily the DPP’s powers have been and can be abused causing innocent persons to be incarcerated in cases where they are charged with nonbailable offences, or in the case of bailable offences, when they are charged and there is no evidence to support the charge or no reasonable prospect of a conviction. 1. Not so long ago the DPP advised the police to charge Mark Benshcop with the offence of treason, a nonbailable offence. There was no evidence to support the
charge. He was not granted bail and was incarcerated for over 5 years on a charge advised by the DPP. Benschop’s unlawful incarceration of five years only came to an end after a charade by President Jagdeo of granting Benschop a pardon. 2. It was part of Government’s plan to keep Benschop locked up for as long as possible without trial by delaying his trial. The now minister Manickchand ,who is now “worried about the implications of Justice Chang’s ruling on other prosecutions.” (S.N. 4.4.12) was the same Manickchand as lawyer who, with the blessing of the DPP and the Government, made an application to deprive Benschop of an early trial on moral ground that the trial of
an accused person committed by the Magistrate must take place in chronological order from the date of his committal by the Magistrate, even if the accused is charged with a non-bailable offence. Strange enough Manickchand obtained an Order from Justice Jainarayan Singh who granted the application and Benschop remained in prison. Jagdeo appointed Manickchand a Minister. But Justice Singh’s order was later set aside by the Court of Appeal. 3. More recently, the DPP advised the Police to charge Bruce Munroe, Carol Munroe and Leonard Wharton with the offence of Treason, a non-bailable offence. They were therefore incarcerated on the bogus charge without bail. The evidence never supported the charge of
treason and their unlawful incarceration came to an end only when the Magistrate discharged them at the Preliminary Inquiry. Their unlawful incarceration lasted for more than two years. 4. In May 2010, the DPP advised the Police to institute charges against Maurice Smith and Roderick Peterkin for conspiracy to traffic in narcotics, contrary to the Narcotic Substances Act. They applied to the High Court before the charges were laid against them for prerogative writs of certiorari to quash the DPP’s said decision: After hearing arguments for Smith and Peterkin and for the DPP, the Court quashed the DPP’s decision advising charges against Smith and Peterkin and ordered that the police should not proceed (Continued on page 5)
DEAR EDITOR, Rick Ross is arguably one of the most commercial rappers in the Rap music industry today. He has sold millions of albums and has a very hectic touring schedule. His insatiable appetite for collaborations make him one of the most sought after rappers by many in the Rap/ Hip-Hop genre. So much is the star power of Ricky “Rozay” Ross that his sickness makes news headlines. On October 14, 2011, Ross suffered two seizures; they made headlines all over the world. TMZ, CNN, MSN, E News, The Source Magazine, Hot 97 and a number of other
mainstream news outlets carried the Rick Ross stories about his seizures, using a variety of angles. Therefore I find it rather strange that upon expectation in Guyana for the much promoted “Rozay Monday” show, the promoters suddenly declared that Rick Ross would no longer be arriving to perform because he had suddenly fallen ill. Not only had Rick Ross apparently fallen ill, but only the Guyanese promoters seem to know about this illness. A search of all the credible media outlets has not revealed any information about Rick Ross’ medical condition.
All the usual mainstream entertainment sites that cover stars in the music industry are yet to get the scoop on Mr. Ross’ illness. Perhaps the Guyanese promoters may want to contact these media entities and provide them with a scoop to this most interesting story. Many Guyanese were very disappointed that Ricky Rozay did not show up to deliver his odes to the drug trade. I guess they will have to wait for him to feel better before coming to perform like T-Pain and Vybz Kartel did when they missed their initial performance dates. Quite frankly, though, I
DEAR EDITOR, During the election campaign, the AFC said it would appoint four Guyanese from the Diaspora as its M.Ps. The party campaigned on that pledge. I and other Diaspora Guyanese are still waiting for the party to make these appointments. There are several competent overseas-based Guyanese who supported and were affiliated with the party. Most of the party’s funding for the campaign came from the Diaspora. These individuals are still waiting for their appointments as M.Ps to make their contributions to the nation. The party won seven seats. It has disappointed those of us in the Diaspora who expected the party to fulfill its campaign pledge. If the party can’t honur this commitment, how can we expect it to honour other pledges?
It is not too late for the party to honour its commitment. All the AFC has to do is request four of its M.Ps to resign and appoint four of us from the Diaspora and all will be well. Otherwise,
the AFC will give the impression it is no different from the other parties that make false promises to win votes and then abandon its supporters. Vishnu Bisram
do not think that Rick Ross was really missed. Sadly we have a very large population of fickle people who are quick to bounce back from adversities. Reports are that many took the advantage of the ability to enter the event free before the stipulated time the promoters indicated, and made the best of the “Bruck It Down” artiste. I am eager to see if any bans will be instituted by the government-run communications network against Rick Ross’ music. The interesting notion that exists in Guyana is that many are anxiously waiting for the next promotion by this highly favoured promotional company. Based on the fact that the traditional summer jam is fast approaching, I am sure that by the time this spring is over Guyanese would have long forgiven their favourite promotional group and will be queuing up for the set of VIP tickets made available for the next big thing. Richard Francois
Is this the way the government intends to continue to abuse state resources to defame and make libelous statements against citizens? I figure this is another one of their intimidation and defaming tactics. The charge of a child abuser is a serious one and the government must know that such a charge may have the potential to injure a person’s character, and so to make this deliberate and malicious statement against Mr. Nagamootoo is an
unfortunate and wicked thing to do. As a citizen of Guyana I have the right to demand that the editor of the Guyana Chronicle retract the article and offer an apology to Mr. Nagamootoo. I also have a right to let the editor of Chronicle, and the PPP/C government, understand that abusing state resources to attack the character of those who disagree with them is an act of the most brutal of dictators. Lurlene Nestor
Rick Ross’s illness remains a mystery
AFC must honour its pledge to Diaspora Guyanese
An unwarranted attack on Moses Nagamootoo’s character DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana Chronicle headline dated 04/12/12 and captioned, “Moses has lost his way now a self confessed child abuser”, can be described as nothing but a lowdown, dirty and shameless act of the PPP/C government. The PPP/C in a brazen fashion has decided to use AFC Member of Parliament Moses Nagamootoo’s comments, while making his budget speech in the parliament to label him a child abuser.
Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
People-centred development DEAR EDITOR, The Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh has presented yet another Budget to the National Assembly under the theme “Remaining on course, United in Purpose, Prosperity for All”. The Finance Minister deserves full credit for the eloquent manner in which he made his presentation and for his calm and composure, despite some heckling from the opposition benches. I suppose it had to do with his maturity and experience in budget preparation and presentation over the years and his intimate knowledge of the budget details and the knowledge and conviction that this budget, like all previous budgets presented by the PPP/C administration will further enhance the quality of life of the Guyanese people. It is truly to be described as a people’s budget. As the Minister pointed out in his introductory remarks, the Budget comes to the House at an important juncture in our country’s history. For the first time, we have a situation where the governing party does not enjoy a majority in the House, even though by a tenuous one-seat margin. The Minister couldn’t have put it more succinctly when he said: “ The political configuration that emerged from the 2011 elections, whereby the Party in Government does not hold a clear majority, is a domestic novelty even if similar situations have been experienced by other democracies the world over. This arrangement beckons our country into a new political epoch and heralds an opportunity for the nurturing of a new political culture. The prevailing dispensation will test and hopefully prove our resolve as a people, and within this House our respective will to serve as responsible representatives of a deserving people, to work
together in service to the cause of national development.” These are indeed words of wisdom which hopefully would be taken seriously by all members of the National Assembly who cherish the cause of a better and brighter Guyana. It would be counterproductive and certainly not in the best national interest if the Budget is used as a tool to settle political scores and even worse to frustrate the government and by extension the country’s development programme. The opposition has a right and a duty to examine and interrogate the Budget Estimates. This is usually done in a very thorough and comprehensive way at the Committee of Supply where subject Ministers are often grilled on every aspect of details in the Estimates of their respective Ministries. This means that Ministers must be familiar with the Budget details, even though the assistance of technical officers could be sought if considered necessary. It is the subject Minister who is however required to respond to questions posed by parliamentarians, quite a daunting task considering the size and complexity of quite a few Ministries. This Budget builds on the gains made by the PPP/C administration over the years and aims to transform the economy based on the promises made by the PPP/C in its election manifesto and articulated by President Donald Ramotar in his recent parliamentary address. It seeks to lay the foundations for sustained growth and development which could have a transformative effect on the economy. This Budget contained a number of characteristics which marked a significant departure from Budget presentations made under the previous PNC administration.
The DPP offers... From page 4 with the said charges against Smith and Peterkin. 5. In 2007 the DPP advised the police to charge Maurice Arjune, a Manager of NBS, and four other employees of the New Building Society (NBS), with the offence of conspiracy to defraud. The evidence did not support the charge filed against the five accused. The case was dismissed. However, as a result of the charge against them, the accused were dismissed from their jobs after five years and are now seeking damages for their malicious prosecution.
6. In 2011 the DPP advised the police to charge the Registrar of the High Court and a former Chief of Staff with forgery and conspiracy to commit forgery. There again the Magistrate found that there was no evidence on which to commit the defendants. Case dismissed. The moral from the above cases is that innocent persons were unlawfully incarcerated and suffered unjustly because of the advice of the DPP to the police to prosecute them. These are only the cases which have come to light. Legal Analyst
To begin with, lots of emphasis is now placed on human development with significantly larger allocations to the social sectors, in particular health, education, housing and water. This is markedly different from what obtained under the PNC administration when the Budget was highly skewed in favour of the military and para-military, the Foreign Service and Office of the President, which failed to make any significant impact in terms of human development and in terms of wealth generation. This budget, like all previous budgets, will not escape the wrath of opposition politicians who would seek every possible opportunity to, as it were, punch holes into the budget presentation. The fact that the combined opposition enjoys a one-seat majority should not detract from the bigger national objectives which the budget seeks to accomplish in this fiscal year. The Speaker has an important role to ensure the smooth management of the parliamentary agenda. So far, he has displayed a fair measure of objectivity and balance, and the nation looks forward to a healthy debate free of acrimony and partisan interests. This current configuration in parliament will put to a test the extent to which the broader national objectives will take precedence over narrow partisan interests. The Budget Estimates are well crafted, for which credit must be given to the Minister and his team of advisors. It is forward–looking and will certainly result in higher levels of sustainable growth in the economy and in the process, raising the quality of life of the Guyanese people. Hydar Ally
$85.7M for ‘Renewed Interests’ DEAR EDITOR, In the Kaieteur News of Sunday 8th April, 2012 Minister of Education, Ms. Priya Manickchand says there has been ‘renewed interests specifically in the area of Mathematics across the board among teachers, students and parents’ as a result of the G$85.7M CSEC Intervention of 2012. Could the Honourable Minister explain how she knows this? Measuring attitudes and interests is an important aspect of the science of Measurement and Evaluation. It would be enlightening to all in the education fraternity to know about the measurement process used by the Ministry of Education to determine that there have been renewed interests among teachers, students and parents. Was the two-point or five-point Likert scale used? What psychometric scale was used? What sample was it administered to? Additionally, the quotation is comparative in nature. That is, the word ‘renewed’ suggests that a comparison was made between previous interest levels and current interest levels. It was only after a comparative analysis that the Honourable Minister could have deduced that there have been ‘renewed interests’. When was the first interest analysis of students done? The issue here is twofold. Firstly, Guyanese taxpayers are spending too much money for ‘renewed interests’. Was this one of the initial objectives of the CSEC 2012 initiative? I heard from the Minister’s own mouth that the objective of this programme is to have a 20% improvement in 4 months in the pilot schools.
I remember these words well because at the same time there was a ruckus of laughter in the room. As such, it has to be assumed that the ‘renewed interests’ bit is a new objective. It seems the Ministry of Education (MOE) is adding objectives every day. I have never heard of a programme in which objectives are added as the programme progresses. However, it might be a useful strategy for the MOE since one of these must be useful enough to explain the spending of G$85.7M. Secondly, my objections to the Honourable Minister’s comments is applicable to everything that the Ministry of Education does. This Ministry never does anything scientifically; according to established norms. The MOE demands scientific principles from teachers but they in turn never apply those same principles to their own course of action. Here is a better example: a pretest was given in the middle of the 2012 CSEC Intervention and two and a half months later a posttest was conducted. I am guessing that these tests were done to measure the effectiveness of the 2012 CSEC Intervention. The basic principle in a pretest-posttest design is that the pretest should be the first thing done. Since this was not done, then any interpretation of the results will be rightly discredited. Additionally, in a pretestposttest design there must be something done in between, which is called the treatment (usually some form of new teaching methodology). The Ministry of Education did nothing in between. Teachers
taught normally. There was no new teaching methodology. Since there was nothing new, there was no need for any pretest or posttest. Again, money wasted. It is unimaginable that students were subjected to these two examinations, called pretest and posttest, and there was nothing new done between the two. Further, the pretest and posttest was done with all secondary schools in Guyana rather than with the 36 pilot schools of the 2012 CSEC Intervention. Had the pretest and posttest been designed to measure what was done during the programme, it would have been inappropriate to do them in all secondary schools in Guyana. Finally, the pretest and posttest were made up of CSEC questions taken from past papers. This suggests that between the pretest and posttest, all the topics taught were tested. This did not happen in any of the schools in the entire country. This is highly unethical in the principle of measuring students’ ability. I do not blame the Minister for this oversight. I blame those who have advised her. The best thing that the Honourable Minister can do for the education system in Guyana is to apply those proven education principles to the administration of education. A Ministry of Education defined by proven scientific practices will do what the MOE has been unable to do up to now. That is, get returns on investment! Mohammed S. Hussain
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Kaieteur News
Thursday April 12, 2012
Extension of continental shelf ...
Guyana makes oral presentation to UN Guyana yesterday made oral presentations before the United Nations (UN) in support of its application to extend the country’s continental shelf by a further 150 nautical miles. The presentation forms part of the requirements for the consideration of the submissions for an extended continental shelf by State Parties of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Guyana, through Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, made its submission for an extended continental shelf to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on September 6, 2011. The application would not have come without objections from neighbouring Venezuela who says that its age-old claims on a large part of Essequibo, disqualify Guyana from making the application. Venezuela is also questioning the authority of
a section of the United Nations to handle the matter. Guyana, on the other hand, has insisted that the Essequibo claim was settled since 1899. The extension of the continental shelf will allow Guyana to widen its search for oil and even expand its fishing grounds. Minister RodriguesBirkett was accompanied by Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; George Talbot, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations; Keith George, Ambassador of Guyana to the Republic of Suriname; Ambassador Rudolph Collins, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Newell Dennison, Manager, Petroleum Division of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Dr Barton Scotland, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr Snejana Zaric and
Dr Norbert Ott, Scientific Advisers of the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources also formed part of Guyana’s delegation. Last month, the Guyana Government insisted that a claim by neighbouring Venezuela over a substantial part of Essequibo has long been settled. This stance was days after the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry restated its claims to western Essequibo while questioning the authority of a section of the United Nations to handle the matter. According to the Venezuelan government, it is rejecting the fact that the UN’s Commission on the Limits of Continental Shelf (CLCS) is even considering Guyana’s request. This is because the UN’s Good Officer of the Secretary General is already looking into a number of issues between the two countries. However, the Guyana
Government made it clear that Guyana’s submission to the UN’s Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), pursuant to Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the Convention), was done in a manner fully consistent with the provisions of international law, including the Convention. The Foreign Ministry said the move by Venezuela to object to Guyana’s application for the extension was deeply regrettable. “The submission itself was made without prejudice to maritime delimitation with other states in accordance with the provisions of Article 76 (10) of the Convention. The decision of the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to object to Guyana’s Submission to the CLCS is therefore deeply regrettable.” Regarding the issue of western Essequibo, to which
Venezuela continues to lay claim, the Foreign Ministry made it clear that the boundary with that neighbouring country was definitively settled by the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899. Guyana has also informed the CLCS, in its submission, that “there are no disputes in the region relevant to this submission of data and information relating to the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. That statement remains legally and factually correct, the Ministry stressed in its response to statements of Venezuela last month. Following the announcement by Guyana last September that it has applied to the UN to extend its continental shelf, and amidst tensions in Venezuela, the two governments had met in neutral Trinidad and Tobago to agree on the way forward.
Rodrigues-Birkett and her Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro had signed the Trinidad and Tobago agreement in September. Since the announcement of Guyana’s intention to extend its continental shelf, there have been several statements from groups in Venezuela which felt that an age-old claim by that country on a large portion of Essequibo may be under threat. The issue even had Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez warning that he will not allow “some sectors there (Guyana) or here (Venezuela) to create internal conflicts. We will not let that happen.” One fringe group reportedly started its protests to whip up Venezuela’s sentiments by distributing maps of Venezuela showing Essequibo as part of that country’s territory. The rumblings have been serious enough to persuade the two countries to meet.
APNU calls for amendment to budget given Jagdeo’s pension A Partnership For National Unity executive member Ms. Volda Lawrence says that her party will not support this year’s National Budget which merely gives pensioners a $13 per day increase while former President Bharrat Jagdeo gets $100,000 per day. Her statement was just one of her many points raised yesterday as the budget debate continued. Ms. Lawrence said this budget can be likened to an inflated balloon for the 18 percent of Guyanese who fall within the extreme poverty bracket and the 36 per cent who fall within the moderate poverty bracket. “The Honorable Minister of Finance said, “Indeed, in 2011, the domestic economy achieved real growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of 5.4% within which non-sugar (GDP) grew even more rapidly by 5.6%. Significantly, this represented the sixth consecutive year of positive growth in Guyana.” Lawrence said that the Minister did not indicate how this growth would impact on the realization of the sevenpillared strategy. She stated that one would have expected the government to address in a comprehensive manner the seven-pillars set out for the Economic and Social transformation of Guyana to at least remove the very real perception amongst Guyanese that the Government would have
penalized those who did not vote for it or those who just did not vote. The APNU Parliamentarian further pointed out that family members, individuals, and public institutions must meet the challenge for survival of the elderly each day. “The long-term care that is necessary for these individuals more than ever in Guyana, is regarded as a responsibility of the family, even as life expectancy continues to rise and greater demands are made”. Having spoken of the six consecutive years of growth, Ms. Lawrence said that Minister in addressing our most vulnerable groups, made three profound statements for which he deserves three awards. “ $600 per month or rather $20 per day increase for the elderly; $400 per month or rather $13 per day increase for the vulnerable; $10,000 on the tax threshold for persons working for $50,000 a month and below”. She added that the Minister has proceeded without paying any heed to the shifts in age distribution in Guyana, given that the population aged 65 and over, has exceeded 10% of the national population. According to a 2009 World Bank report, persons 60 – 65 years or older have been steadily increasing during the past decade. She further questioned whether the Minister is aware of this
fact and when does he plan to address the issue. “Not many elderly persons in Guyana fall into the category of those who use their wealth and financial capability to head households”. The majority of those who are found in this category, Ms. Lawrence said, would be spending their remaining days somewhere in North America. This, she added, leaves a large percentage of our elderly dependent on family members for support. “Those who depend on pensions to survive must face the high cost for food, medical attention and transportation, amongst others, and most often live below minimum standards”. The budget, she added, offers no hope for them to be relieved from their improvised condition. She further pointed out that the figures for those who apply for Old Age Pension tells a sad story. “There has been a steady increase of some 2,500 plus every year from 2006 to the first half of 2008… A substantial increase of 2,900 from the last half of 2008; in 2009 -3,009, in 2010 – 3,500 and for the first quarter of 2011 some 800 new applications were made”. Given all this and more, Lawrence said APNU proposes that the Budget be amended to offer a minimum of $10,000.00 per month to our Old Age Pensioners. That (continued on page 7)
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Kaieteur News
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Dutch to freeze aid Two children perish in La Grange fire to Suriname govt. - three escape by jumping through broken window over amnesty vote AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) - The Netherlands will suspend all financial aid to Suriname, the Dutch foreign minister said yesterday, in protest over its former colony’s decision to grant amnesty to the suspected killers of 15 opponents of President Desi Bouterse 30 years ago. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that the amnesty vote by Surinamese lawmakers last week was “totally unacceptable”, and warned at the time that the decision would have serious consequences. The Netherlands recalled its ambassador immediately after the vote and in a further sign of protest, Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said yesterday that the government plans to suspend 20 million euros ($26 million) of aid to its former colony. The Netherlands had agreed to provide 1.6 billion euros of aid to its former colony to be used to improve human rights, infrastructure and security. The 20 million euros represents the final tranche which was due to be paid out this year and next. Dutch aid to non-governmental
Desi Bouterse organisations will not be suspended, the foreign ministry said. “The cabinet will make a final decision on Friday,” said Saskia Gaster, a foreign ministry spokeswoman. The Netherlands has earmarked 4.4 billion euros for foreign financial aid this year. Bouterse - convicted in absentia of drug trafficking by a court in the Netherlands - was elected in 2010 and was among those on trial over the 1982 murders. Suriname, a country of around 500,000 people on the northeast shoulder of South America, won independence from the Netherlands in 1975 and is now a gold and bauxite miner with a nascent oil industry. ($1 = 0.7622 euros)
APNU calls for... From page 6 would cost $420M. “Today we are spending $315M and as of May it will be increased to $340M. “All that has to be added is $25M which works out to a minuscule percentage of the one Trillion dollars you allocated to Guysuco and to Guyana Power and Light”. Ms. Lawrence said that the Minister spoke of his Government’s commitment to invest in the Social Sector, but as the old adage states, ‘the taste of the pudding is in the eating. “The Minister should tell this nation, given all that he
said, why the allocation for the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security was reduced by $214.M, and m ore particularly, why the allocation to Social Services – Other Charges decreased by 210.4M$ as against the allocation for 2011? Is this the strategy to reduce or lessen the burden on those in the poverty bracket?” She further questioned whether the Government finds no discomfort in doling out $3M to one person as pension and benefits every month or $100,000.00 per day?
Home owener Roxanne Douglas (2nd left) and three of the survivors By Leonard Gildarie A West Bank Demerara community was last night plunged into grief after two children were burnt to death during a raging fire at a La Parfaite Harmonie home. Three children managed to escape the quickly spreading flames by breaking windows and jumping to safety on nearby steps. Dead are Andrea James, 10, and her cousin Alonzo Douglas, six of Lot 689 Middle Dam, La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara. Alive are Delon Douglas, 8; Brian Douglas, 10, and Andre, 6. According to reports, the five children were home alone when the fire started in the upper flat of the threebedroom structure. According to Delon, he was in the bathroom when he saw fire on an electrical wire. He quickly alerted his cousins. The flames were quickly spreading. There was no chance to open the doors to the side stairs leading to the outside.
“I break the windows and tell them to jump through,” said a shaken Delon. However, only the three boys managed to jump. Andrea panicked after the flames kept her away from the broken window and she retreated to the rooms. Sixyear-old Alonzo, who was set to celebrate his birthday next month, was trapped in the blaze. The three boys barely managed to escape the spreading flames before the fire took full control. Two of the boys, including Delon, suffered burns. Neighbours could only watch in horror as the building burned. Kaieteur News was told that the fire started shortly after 21:00hrs. The owner of the building, Roxanne Douglas, who lived there with her reputed husband, David,
were both not at home. According to Joel, a teen who shares the home and who was with his aunt Roxanne in the city at the time of the fire, said that they received a call. The two had gone to do some shopping. “We got a call and we could not ride back on the motorbike. We come back in a car.” One neighbour who refused to be identified, said that she saw wires leading to the home sparking and had called the Guyana Fire Service several times. “They said they coming. Now they come after the fire done and two children dead,” the upset woman said. Millions were said to have been lost in the home which was not more than five years old. Roxanne Douglas was said to be taking care of the
children for her brothers and sisters, one of whom lives in Berbice. Douglas is also the Chairperson of the La Parfaite Harmonie Primary School Parent Teacher Association and was said to be an extremely active and popular person in that West Bank Demerara area. “I don’t know how she will take this. She love those children. It is hard…it is not like an old person dead…it is two little children…that hurts,” another neighbour said. One next door neighbour said that she was awakened by her husband who was alerted to smoke and heat. She was too shaken to talk. One fire tender was on the scene but there was not much that could be done. (See more details in tomorrow’s edition)
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Trayvon Martin shooter Huge quakes off Indonesia stir panic, but no big tsunami arrested, charged with murder (Reuters) - A powerful 8.6 magnitude earthquake and a series of strong aftershocks struck off Indonesia yesterday, sending people scurrying from buildings as far away as southern India, but there seemed little risk of a disastrous tsunami as in 2004. Indonesia said it was checking for damage and casualties but remarkably, no such reports had been
received for several hours after the quakes, including in Aceh, the closest province and the area decimated by the disaster eight years ago. However, some areas close to the epicenter are remote so it could take some time to find out if there was any damage. Waves of up to one metre (3.3 feet) high were seen near islands off Aceh, but Indonesia cancelled a warning for fresh tsunamis. It said the worst-hit area was the thinly populated island of Simeulue, off Aceh’s southern coast. The first quake struck at 4.38 a.m. EDT and an 8.2
magnitude aftershock just over two hours later, at 6.43 a.m. EDT. Two more strong aftershocks hit later. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also withdrew tsunami warnings for the entire Indian Ocean after keeping them in force for several hours. Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India were all badly hit in 2004. At least 230,000 people in 13 Indian Ocean countries were killed in the Boxing Day disaster that year, including 170,000 in and around Aceh alone. Last year, an earthquake and tsunami off Japan’s northeastern coast killed at least 23,000 people and triggered the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years after waves battered a nuclear power station. The quakes were about 300 miles southwest of Banda Aceh, on the northern tip of Indonesia’s Sumatra island, the U.S. Geological survey said. The first was at a depth of 20.5 miles.
(Reuters) - A Florida prosecutor filed a murder charge yesterday against the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed unarmed, black teenager Trayvon Martin in a case that has captivated the United States and prompted civil rights demonstrations. George Zimmerman, 28, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Martin, according to Angela Corey, the special prosecutor appointed by Florida’s governor to investigate the racially charged case. Corey said at a news conference yesterday that Zimmerman turned himself in to authorities, who then arrested him. He remains in police custody. Zimmerman, who is white Hispanic, said he acted in self-defence during a confrontation in a gated community in the central Florida city of Sanford on February 26. Police declined to arrest Zimmerman, citing Florida’s “Stand Your
George Zimmerman Ground” law, which allows people to use deadly force when they believe they are in danger of getting killed or suffering great bodily harm. The shooting that took place 45 days ago received only scant local media attention at first and went unnoticed nationally until Martin’s parents and lawyers kept making public calls for Zimmerman’s arrest, eventually leading to a fire storm of media coverage, and celebrity tweets, and a comment from President Barack Obama: “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.” The disputed facts of the
Trayvon Martin case have been picked apart endlessly by television commentators while dominating the headlines and reigniting a national discussion about guns, selfdefence laws and what it means to be black in America. Zimmerman went into hiding shortly after the shooting. Zimmerman’s relatives and supporters say he is not racist and has been unfairly vilified. They said he feared for his life during his altercation with Martin and was justified in using deadly force.
New airline to tap South American market (Jamaica Observer) Jamaican and Trinidadian entrepreneurs are potential investors in an airline carrier aimed at tapping into the South American market. The Brazilian Ambassador to Jamaica, Antonio F Da Costa e Silva Neto, revealed last week that one investment group has specifically set its sights on Brazil, South America’s largest market with a population of almost 200 million. “We are of the understanding that there is one company — which is Jamaican and Trinidadian — that is looking at building an airline for the South American market,” Da Costa e Silva Neto said at a recent Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica breakfast meeting.
“Their idea is to fly from Sao Paulo (Brazil) each day to a different Caribbean destination,” the ambassador said. The disclosure followed an assessment by Da Costa e Silva Neto describing Jamaica as having failed to seriously tap into Brazil’s lucrative tourist market, with just a mere 1,431 Brazilians visiting Jamaica from January to November 2011. The diplomat suggested that the lack of a direct flight between the two countries is an impediment to Jamaica’s attracting Brazilian tourists. “They are still in exploratory stages, but this (business plan) has given us an idea of ways in which we could work around this issue,” he said. The Ambassador did not name the parties involved in
the plan, but a Jamaica Observer source said existing Jamaican airline companies are part of the talks. “Anything of this nature would entail a collaborative effort; Jamaican entrepreneurs are stepping up to the plate,” said the airline industry insider, adding “It is assiduously being investigated, but I can’t speak much to it at this point.” The development comes a few weeks after new airline company Fly Jamaica announced its intention to operate between Kingston and Guyana, located on the northern coast of South America but culturally a part of the anglophone Caribbean. Jamaica Tourist Board figures show that Latin America — South America and Central America —
accounted for 13,400 stopover arrivals to Jamaica, less than one per cent of total visitors, in 2010. Mexico produced the most visitors, with 1,984, followed by Argentina with 1,779 visitors, and Brazil with 1,683 visitors. Da Costa e Silva Neto is confident that the Jamaican tourism industry can improve its showing in the region, especially in Brazil. “I think this country (Jamaica) brings a lot of potential,” he said. “People argue that Jamaica has a lot of the same things Brazil has, such as beaches and so forth,” he said. “Partly true, but Brazilians like to travel, and like to travel to places where they feel good; I cannot see a Brazilian not having fun in Jamaica.”
Thursday April 12, 2012
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VAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM The call for a reduction in VAT is misplaced. Guyana has a lower rate of VAT than many other countries which are not as dependent as Guyana is on Government revenues. Already a large number of basic food items are free of VAT. So what else can VAT be removed from to alleviate the effects on the poor? Whatever else is removed at this stage will help not just the poor but also the rich and therefore given that a large number of items are already zero-rated, it makes no practical sense to reduce VAT. Those who are calling for VAT to be reduced are really not understanding the problems facing consumers. Even consumers themselves do not seem to understand their own predicament. Those who are calling for a reduction of VAT are playing politics with the people of this country. They have gone so far as to say that the president is not keeping his campaign promise as regards VAT. All that the president promised on the campaign trail was a commitment to review the VAT. This was one of the first promises that was implemented after the elections when the president appointed a team to conduct
a review of the VAT. The team is still at it. What is needed, however, is not a reduction of VAT but a commitment to use whatever increase accrue from VAT collections to increase the income of workers. Instead of reducing VAT what is needed is an increase in income for workers. The government has unfortunately been dodging the issue of paying a living wage. This is very disappointing considering that the PPP is supposed to be a working class party. One can recall the insult that was thrown the way of sugar workers when they were offered a three per cent increase years ago, and then told a year after that an increase could not be paid. Then in an election year, the government attempted to buy their votes with an increase which all along the government had been claiming could not be paid. Workers need more money. Pruning may be one way to go but pruning ultimately means reducing the workforce and this is not what is desirable at this time. Cutting out super-salaried employment is also proposed as a solution to the problem. It is however not. First there
Dem boys seh ...
De Chronicle got Moses in tears It look like if de whole budget debate gun be pun de pension wha de Rat getting. Dem boys did expect this because when Shaatie announce how much money dem pensioners gun get he didn’t have to tell de country how much pension de Rat was getting. He think people woulda forget and that dem wouldn’t seh anything. Well people start fuh compare how de budget give dem old people $13 a day while de Rat getting $100,000 a day, and he ain’t got to tun a straw. APNU done seh that dem pensioner got to get $10,000 a month and AFC supporting dem. Is now dem boys understand wha de Waterfalls paper was talking about when it use to seh that some of de money people thiefing coulda go to help all dem old people and de poor people. People thief so much that if that same money had to share wid dem old people dem same old people woulda get $50,000 a month. But dem got other people who instead of talking bout de budget, talking bout who use to do wha and who didn’t do wha. People talk bout abortion. Dem got nuff pregnant people indeed. Irfaat is de one wid de biggest belly but dem don’t have no operating table fuh put he pun to perform any abortion. Is a good thing Brazzy ain’t deh in Parliament. And to think that irfaat telling de opposition fuh put de interest of Guyana first. He and he kavakamites use to put demself first, second and third. Dem use to put Guyana last. Thief man got problem wid everybody. Is a shame. Uncle Donald shame suh till he decide that he gun lef de country while de debate going on. He shame how de Chronicle tun. Imagine dem calling Moses a child abuser when some of dem is rapist like a certain doctor. Some of de real child abuser use to wuk close to de Rat and dem wukking close to Uncle Donald. Moses did tek de paper from Uncle Adam fuh improve it. He now telling dem boys how he sorry because de same paper wha he help putting lash pun he. Talk half and don’t think bout de other half.
is no such thing as a supersalaried worker. Those who are described as super salaried are simply being paid competitive wages. What is needed is not less super salaried workers but value for wages. There are far too many PPP acolytes around who are doing very little for what they are earning. Instead of pruning them, they should be made to work harder. There are many of them who are simply being placed on the state’s payroll and not performing. They should be told that they have to start performing or they will be ditched. There is no room for slackers at this time. The fact that someone is from the ruling party should be no excuse for that person to occupy a senior position and not doing anything. Then there are many pensioners in the employ of the state and they are being kept on because it is said that there are no replacements.
Guyana must therefore be in a bad shape if after 20 years of PPP rule, persons still have to be kept on beyond retirement because suitable replacements cannot be found. There are young people throughout the public service who are being denied upward mobility because of some old geezer whom the government says is irreplaceable. We should be encouraging the government to replace those retirees and also to pay higher wages. It has been disgraceful that the PPP has so far failed to implement a living wage in this country despite all the years of impressive economic growth and huge revenues collected as a result of a move towards a more efficient tax system. The tax system is bringing in more revenues each year. Reducing VAT is not the solution. Instead the VAT rate should remain and there
should be a concerted effort to collect more taxes. But when these taxes are collected, they should be applied to paying workers better instead of ending up in the hands of unscrupulous contractors who rip off the government. While it may not be possible to pay all workers a hefty increase at the same time, the government should begin by paying teachers, nurses and policemen increases. The others should be told that they will have to wait. The resources can be found to pay these categories of workers at least a 50 per cent increase on their basic salaries. No teacher should be carrying home less than $80,000 per month. No policeman should be earning less than $100,000 per month and no nurse the same. The resources can be found to fund these increases. If the government
can find billions of dollars to invest in a hotel; if it can find billions of dollars to build a drainage outfall; if it can find billions of dollars to buy laptops, if it can find billions of dollars to build the Amaila Falls Access Road, it can damn well find the money to pay teachers, policemen and nurses more. It is time for the excuses to stop. The workers of this country deserve better. They deserve higher pay. When workers are paid better there will be no need to reduce the VAT because the workers will come to the realization that it is not VAT that is the problem but their poor earning power.
Attorney General makes submission to DPP on Greene's rape allegation...
Chief Justice's decision can’t be appealed Attorney General Anil Nandlall yesterday submitted a six-page document to the Director of Public Prosecutions outlining his considered opinion on whether an appeal lies against the Chief Justice’s decision in the Henry Greene matter. Speaking on the matter yesterday, Nandlall said that he advised the DPP that in his opinion and in his considered view, an appeal does not lie against the decision of the Chief Justice. The Attorney General explained that the right to appeal is a statutory right; hence if a statue does not confer a right of appeal then none exists. “In relation to that type of matter the Court of Appeal Act says that an appeal does not lie in any criminal cause or matter and the Henry Greene matter falls under that statutory provision and is a provision that has been interpreted by at least two written decision in Guyana”. According to the document presented by Nandlall, “An appeal against prerogative remedies granted by the High Court lies to the Court of Appeal. However, there is one exception. This exception is captured by Section 6 (5) (a) of the Court of Appeal Act, Cap. 3:01. “No appeal shall lie under this section (a) from any order made in any criminal cause or matter.” Further, this provision was interpreted in at least two written decisions emanating from the Guyana Court of Appeal. In both of these cases, civil/prerogative
Ian Chang remedies were sought in respect of matters having their jurisprudential genesis in the criminal law. These cases are Zaman Ali -v- Director of Public Prosecutions [1991] 45 WIR 196 and Re: Barry Dataram, Civil Appeal No. 158 of 2008. It was also stated that in the former case, criminal charges were pending against the Applicant in the Magistrate’s Court. He moved to the High Court to stay those proceedings. His application was refused by the High Court. “He sought to appeal the High Court’s decision. At the hearing of the appeal, an objection was taken that the Court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter because no appeal lies by virtue of Section 6 (5) (a) of the Court of Appeal Act referred to above. According to the document, in deciding whether or not proceedings fall within the expression “in any criminal cause or matter”, the decisive factor is the originating proceeding
out of which the subsequent application arises, not the nature or subject matter of the application itself. Nandlall further stated in his considered opinion that where an application was made to the High Court to stay or adjourn sine die the hearing of information relating to criminal charges and the application was refused, the subject matter of the originating proceeding was “criminal” (i.e. the order sought was so inextricable bound up with the subject matter of the charge that it could not be considered an order in a criminal cause or matter) and no appeal would lie against the order of the High Court judge.”
Further, reference was also made to the matter involving Barry Dataram, where the High Court granted certain prerogative remedies quashing proceedings filed in the Magistrate’s Court intended to extradite Dataram from Guyana to the United States of America to face criminal charges in that country. Several other cases were carefully highlighted in Mr. Nandlall’s submission to the DPP. Having examined those, it is excruciatingly plain that the Chief Justice’s decision in the Application by Henry Greene, cannot be appealed. The DPP’s recommendation which was (continued on page 14)
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THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Scotland in the UK; Georgetown in Guyana The Government of Scotland will have a referendum in 2014 to determine if the Scottish people want to have a sovereign Scotland. Decades ago, there was such a vote in Quebec to determine if that French province should leave the Canadian federation. The referendum’s yes vote lost by two percent Guyana’s historical evolution and political culture are vastly different from the UK’s and Canada’s so there certainly will be no cry for separation from any region or ethnic group in this country. But in Guyana, the Westminster system exists in a bizarre and convoluted form. How long it will survive will depend on a party named the
People’s National Congress (as distinct from APNU). In Guyana, there are ten regions, the largest being Region Four. Since 1992, the ruling party has won a majority of votes in every national and regional election but has never won the plurality in Region Four and has never acquired a majority of ballots in the whole of the capital city. Yet the Westminster system gives the central government complete dominance over Region Four and the ruling party exerts a bruising hegemony over the capital city. After five victories for the ruling party and a consistent pattern of its budgetary domination of Region Four and the Georgetown City
Council, the analyst is bound to inquire about the future of the PNC. I’m making a distinction here between the PNC and APNU; the latter is a coalition in which the PNC is the backbone. If the alliance falls apart, there will still be the fulcrum which is the PNC, the point being APNU may come and go but the PNC will be there as a national institution. It would appear that changing demographics in Guyana could propel the PNC to an election victory in the future. All political observers point to a statistical reality in Guyana in that the East Indian number has decreased to the point where that number is exceeded by the combination of other ethnic
groups. But why talk about the future when the possibility existed in the 2011 campaign that the PNC could have clinched victory if 130,000 registrants did not stay away. Leave out those who migrated, it still leaves you with a whopping percentage of absentees. My point on this page months before the election campaign began, was that a majority of those noshow registrants would be PNC supporters. What has caused them to stay away? There are many factors but two needs to be highlighted. Both of them are strongly intertwined. I start with the hackneyed explanation that is really common place in Guyana and that is, the PNC is no longer a
radically inspired opposition movement. There is no need to dwell on this situation. It is a topic that has been exhausted. The variables employed to analyse this enigma are numerous and space will not allow for it. Let us move to the more potent analysis – the five losses of the PNC. Is it possible that a sizeable group of persons abstained because they saw their party as losing again and foresee that this will be the pattern in the future? It is really a terrible crisis facing the PNC that should scare them in another election. Whereas in every CARICOM country there has been changes in ruling parties the past ten years, Guyana is the exception. The PPP has won the Executive office the past five polls. The next election may be worse for the PNC. After five defeats, that 130,000 figure may jump higher. It is possible that PNC voters will say that if their party could not have won in 2011 where its chances were greatest, could it ever win. And thus they will not go out to vote or may still be so annoyed with the PPP that
Frederick Kissoon they may move en masse to the AFC? Whatever scenario it is – abstention or movement towards the AFC - the PNC stands to lose big time at the next poll unless it starts to improvise. Earlier I said the two factors are intertwined. Perceiving their party to be dormant, maybe PNC voters don’t go out in prodigious numbers on polling day. If the PNC becomes radical again, it is possible that the hopes of their constituencies will rise? And they could see their party winning an election thus a colossal turn out in the next election. Then there is the David Hinds adumbration. He posits that the PNC’s only chance of survival depends on the struggle for inclusive governance or powersharing. Can the PNC survive after a sixth loss in 2016?
Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
Dental laboratory sues Stabroek News for $10M
Manager of well-known Kitsingh Dental Clinic and Lab located at Peter's Hall, East Bank Demerara, Cobeer P ers aud, has filed an njunction against one of Guyana's independent newspaper, the Stabroek News. The injunction stemmed from an article published in he Stabroek News, captioned “Man complains of nightmare tooth extraction”, which Persaud believes was libelous and malicious. On March, 12, last, Stabroek News published the article which contended that city businessman, Nigel Reid, claimed that he spent more than thirty minutes on he dental chair having his gum operated upon at the said dental clinic. The article stated that the area surrounding Reid's tooth which bled for several hours, was what appeared to be pieces of the tooth. H o w e v e r, P e r s a u d refuted this, stating that when he man visited, the dentist advised him that the tooth was very strong and an extraction was not necessary. He added that the dentist explained to Reid that the ooth needed to be filled. “It was he who insisted hat he wanted it extracted”, Persaud had said. The article further ndicated that Persaud went on to explain that during the extraction process, a small hammer was used to knock around the affected molar
tooth. Another article was published in the said newspaper following this. It was captioned- “X-ray, p h o t o s d i s p ro v e t o o t h extraction patient's claim – clinic official”. This article stated that “An x-ray and pictures taken from different angles refuted claims by the city businessman Nigel Reid that his tooth extraction resulted in extraneous damage”. The article stated that an x-ray of the area was also done and there was nothing to suggest that Reid's gum was torn or that any fragments of the tooth remained. The newspaper article stated that Persaud had advised the man to visit another dentist of his choice for a second opinion and he (Reid) was refunded his $2,000 taxi fare and given free antibiotics and pain killers. The second article did, however, contain a repetition of the first claims made by Reid. And as such, the injunction is to prohibit the Stabroek News from printing anything regarding the matter or about Dr. Persaud and his clinic, until the verdict is presented in the High Court. Persaud will be represented by his Attorneysat-law Mr. Euclin Gomes, Mr. Sase Gunraj and Mr. Manoj Narayan. He is demanding the relief in the sum of in excess of $10 million.
Fisherman disappears overboard in
Pomeroon River
S
earch parties have been deployed along the Pomeroon River in search of fisherman Lakeram Bagwandin, who fell overboard from a fishing vessel around 04:00 hrs yesterday morning and never surfaced. Reports are that the man was aboard the “Noble Sun”, a fishing trawler owned by Rasiawan Doodnauth, some 17 miles off Charity and about 25 miles off the Pomeroon River mouth when the incident occurred. Kaieteur News understands that those on
board the “Noble Sun” searched the area for the missing fisherman, but failed to find his body. At 13:00 hours yesterday afternoon, Doodnauth reported to the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center (MRCC) of the incident and as such the MRCC is presently coordinating search and rescue efforts. Doodnauth has also redirected his other fishing vessels to assist in the search. Attempts to contact relatives of Bagwandin and Doodnauth last evening for further information proved futile.
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Kaieteur News
Regent Street businessman interrupts raid on his property
A
n ongoing property dispute has caused a Regent Street businessman to lose close to $4M in cash and goods. The man, Mikhail Rodriquez is calling on the relevant authority to properly investigate the circumstances surrounding the unlawful removal of goods and cash from his store. According to Rodriquez, upon arriving at his store which is located at Lot 104 Regent Street on Monday, he saw several men removing items from his business establishment. Rodriquez explained that he has been renting the store for well over nine years. The man said that he went up to one of
the men, whom he recognized as a member of the Guyana Police Force and stationed at the Brickdam Police Station, he said. Several attempts to question the men failed, so he called in the police. The businessman said that the police arrested all of the men and impounded the Canter truck which was packed with his goods. The businessman said that he managed to get a few of the items back. Rodriguez told Kaieteur News that he did not get back a canister with money and documents that was in the back of the store. According to the man, the canister contained
approximately $800,000. Rodriquez said that there is an ongoing property dispute between the owner of the building he rents and another businessman. He said that back in January he was threatened, and the matter was reported. The police have launched an investigation into yesterday's incident. Up to press time it was unclear if the men that were arrested earlier yesterday morning were still in custody. A n d s i n c e t h e intervention of the police at Mr Rodriquez's instigation the businessman has been receiving death threats. These too have been reported.
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An earlier picture of what the store looked like
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Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
Brazilian businessman shot, robbed of $180,000
…gunman left his photograph behind Dosreis in ICU
A
gunman may have risen above the police radar after he dropped a cellular phone with his photograph during a robbery Tuesday night at Alberttown, Georgetown. His victim, a 45-year-old Brazilian of 113 'C' Third Street Alberttown, Georgetown, is nursing a gunshot wound to his chest in the Incentive Care Unit (ICU) at a private hospital in the city. Reports are that around 19:00 hours last Tuesday, the businessman, Arley Jefferson A'guair Dosreis, was entering his premises when a “Rasta man” grabbed his bag, containing $180,000 in cash and his driver's license along with Identification Card, from behind and shot him. The injured man was immediately rushed to the private hospital where he is now a patient. Yesterday, the businessman said that he remembers what transpired and could clearly identify his shooter. The 45-year-old man recalled heading toward his gate with his five-year-old
daughter when he “felt” a shadow. He said before he could have turned, the man had already grabbed his bag, shot him and ran away. His wife, Vime Dosreis, told Kaieteur News that she was in her home when she heard the gunshot. She explained that she did not “take the shot” to mean anything. “I didn't take it to be anything serious because he (Arley Dosreis) would sometimes light bombs whenever the dogs are making noise,” the woman claimed. She said that it was when she saw her husband entering through the back door with his hands on his chest shouting for “thief” and told her “let's go to the hospital” that she became aware of the situation. “I didn't know what to do; I started to panic and went down to the ground,” she recalled. The businessman was subsequently rushed to the hospital by his wife and friend. The bandit's cellular phone was discovered and handed over to the police at the Alberttown Police Station. (Romila Boodram)
Chief Justice's decision can’t be appealed From page 9 challenged was that Greene should be charged with the offence of rape – “a criminal cause or matter”. The above mentioned cases clearly establish that the fact that the charge was not filed is wholly immaterial. The jurisprudential nature of the allegation is criminal and if the process commenced, was taken to its procedural conclusion, it would have resulted in the institution of a charge of rape, Nandlall said.
Therefore, an appeal does not lie. However, Nandlall in responding to question of whether or not the DPP can reformulate charges for the embattled commissioner, said that it is her prerogative. Nandlall explained that the DPP has the right to seek an opinion from any other legal mind if his opinion is rejected. “She can seek a second opinion and if it is different from mine then the appeal can be filed.”
Thursday April 12, 2012
WANTED Waitress for bar, preferably from East Bank, 19- 23 yrs. Call: 233-5477/643-2090 for interview. Experienced Tractor drivers to work on Logging concession. Call: 261-2553 1 Maid, 1 handyman to work at hotel. Apply in person @ 12 Henry Street. Tel: 2236284 Technical series Inc Industrial Site Eccles, 1 accounts clerk, Tool room clerk, 1 Industrial electrician, apply in person. Call: 6144358 1 male or female to look after layer birds in the interior. Tel: 688-0197 East Coast Guyoil wanted day & night pump attendants, washman, manager, office assistants & sales girls. Call: 684-2838, 671-3983 Watchman/ handyman. Call: 225-0188, 225-6070 One live in waitress age 1825 yrs salary $40-50,000 monthly. Call: 222-4890
Kaieteur News
SALON Make up courses, artist trained & certified in Trinidad: 660-5257,647-1773 Cosmetology courses. Tel: 225-6026, 682-2604 Quality yourself in Cosmetology or nails, make up, Register, Limited spaces. Call Abby: 216-1950, 6197603, 666-5241
Wanted experience workers for land dredge. Call:6188800 1 handy boy to work, living accommodation and meals free. Call: 228-5655, 628-1756
Carpenters, masons, labourers, bulldozers& excavator operator, truck drivers. Call: 681-0685, 6263644 1 graphics artist, 1 clerk, 1 cashier, apply at 51 Jarrods . Main Street, Georgetown. Call: 226-1058 One live in domestic. Contact:670-0222 Female workers needed 3 subject or sound secondary education. Age 18-28yrs. Call: 225-7307 Taxi drivers. Call: 225-3234 Maid/Helper cosmetologist. Tel: 227-4799, 223-5451.
WE FILL OUT PASSPORT & VISA FORMS:USA, UK & CANADA TEL#231-5789
We refill HP cartridges for $1,800. Call:650-7699 VACANCY Sales girls & Cashier. Call: 226-0881, 226-1316 1 refrigerator & washing machine technician/ trainee. Call: 683-8734, 231-0655 Have an interest in customer service? Then be apart of Q! Call:220-0401, 225-6466 House keeper at Land of Canaan E.B.D, shift system. Call:266-5243 General workers Georgetown location. Call: 225-6337
Trinidad work permit enquires. Call: 614-4705/675-8352 VISA FOR USA, CANADA OR THE UK! Non immigrant visa application processing. 225-0762, 18 Garnette Street VISAPLUS Repairs, sales & spares, air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & Stoves. Ultra Cool: 225-9032, 647-2943 Repairs to gas stoves, deep fryers, washing machines, electric stoves. Call: 6866209
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property in Pomona, Essequibo Coast, two storeys -30x50. Price negotiable. Call: 690-4673 1 Two storey house Ave ‘A’ Diamond HS, Asking price $20M. Call: 643-5161, 2160968 Diamond-$18.5M, Atlantic Garden-$18M, Mahicony$60M. Steve: 699-5490 West Coast-$7.5M, East Bank-$12M, East Bank (Public Road)-$13M, Albertown-$25M. Diana: 227-2256, 626-9382 Section K-$60M, Bel Air$90M, Sheriff Street-$150M, Ave of Republic-US1.1M. Diana:227-2256, 626-9382 Lot 9 Johns St. Port Mourant Berbice house with 12 rooms, on 16 Acres Land. Call: 337-1500
Looking for a Job? Office, domestic & need assistance. Contact: Angela:694-0096 PEN PAL Single Indian male, 43 seeking Indian female 35-42 for companion. Call: 6182782
Modern electronics offers home service of all electronics equipment TV, stereo system, other household appliances. Call:625-1203, CRS automativeparts@gmail.com 6 weeks Dressmaking course. Morning & evening. Call Sharmela: 225-2598, 6410784
WANTED Drivers for car/van/canter, 3 years experience. Call: 2250188, 225-6070
One live in or out maid & experienced sales girls. Call: 264-3356, 253-3149, 668-3985 Mason, painter, security guard, maid. Call: 225-3234 1 general domestic to work in Georgetown Mon-Sat. Call:614-7267 E & N Beck 3 Princess & Ketley Sts, Charlestown, Machinist/Crankshaft, Machine operator. Apply in person.
EDUCATIONAL Princeton College Forms 15 CXC Adults Lesson for students. S.A.T.-Phonics etc. Call: 690-5008/611-3793
Games for PS2-$900, PSP$900, PS3-$2600, Xbox 360$2600, Xbox 1-$2000, WII$1600.Call: 672-2566, 265-3231 One Honda Civic PHH. Call: 683-6666, 650-6450 PS2-PS3-PSP-WII- Games, consoles, controls. Call: 6666661 1 overhauled & repainted Ford 5000 tractor with Boughton Winch. Call:6619318
Toyota Starlet 2 E Turbo engine with gearbox and ECU: Call: 624-7155.
East Bank-$12M, East Bank (Public Road) 15M-45M, Kingston-16M, Bel Air-45M. Diana: 227-2256, 626-9382
NARS lipgloss, eyeshadow & Clinique lipgloss. Tel: 6698374. Satellite phone with minutes. Call: 614-4705/675-8352 One CG 125 HOADB Series CG 1549. Price $140,000 negotiable. Call: 697-0296
LAND FOR SALE Transported- Land of Canaan. Tel: 266-0014/6698139 Lot 20 St. John’s street and Savannah Road, New Amsterdam, 85’x60’. Call: 232-0417, 615-2085 Land V/Hoop 2 acre school, housing, factory etc. Call: 658-0115
New Dell laptops, Mp3/Mp4, car music transmitter, card reader. Call: 642-6664 One 2002 Tundra, low mileage and one welder 4 cylinder with Perkins engine 400amps. Call: 685-8962, 6115114 Titan parts, engine DIFF etc. Call:648-2075 Official Movie Cinema Projector for home or business, 3D/HDMI/Blu ray. Call: 233-6631, 233-6517, 6221957 2 American 8ft Slate pool tables, business complete setup, 3 freezers, 22 Cubic ft. Call: 233-6631, 233-6517,6221957
Progressive auto rental, cars from $3,500 per day. Call: 6435122, 656-0087, www.progressiveautorental.com Al’s Car & Pick up Rental. Call:698-7807
Learn Spanish. Call: 6731232
Transported land (37’x732’), Bagotsville, WB. Call:6600036, 223-1719 Gold and Diamond land concession. Call: 223-1719/ 600-0036 Large Restaurant food warmer. Call: 223-1719, 6000036 Playstation 2& X-box $30,000 each with 2 games. Call: 223-1273
Register now for full time & adults CXC classes. Call: 6835742, 227-7627 Professional tutoring in designing & dressmaking. Call: 627-3257
1 Cannon HD Camcorder. Call: 673-1232
Fully furnished home in Diamond ‘A’ neg. Call:6194682, 687-2806
CAR RENTAL
One skilled lathe operator attractive rates. Call:613-3091
Roofing shingles $5,995 per bundle. Call: Mr.Skepmire: 227-5195
Craig Street, Campbellville, $42M; Bel Air Pk $48M. Phone: 621-6888
Get your US Non-Immigrant Visa application process. Contact:643-0855
Live in/live out babysitter/ clerk/domestic. Call: 2250188, 225-6070
FOR SALE Dell computers complete with LCD from $49,000, Dell. Future Tech. Call:231-2206, 644-6760
Spares for washer, microwaves, fridges, stovetimers, gear boxes, pumps etc. Contact:225-9032, 6472943
Custom brokerage. Call: 6613043
Live-in domestic and waitress salary $50,000. Call: 610-5043 Pooran Sanchar General Construction Services, 4 able bodied labourers, 1 driver. Contact us on: 2653586, 665-3550, 617-8369
ONLINE SHOPPING NO COMMISSION, WEEKLY S H I P M E N T S , AFFORDABLE RATES, FREE PRIVATE MAILBOX T E L # 2 3 1 - 5 7 8 9 FREIGHTLINKEXPRESS@ GMAIL.COM
We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer. Omar:231-0655,6838734
Carpenters to work with limited supervision with own tools 225-0188, 2256070 One male or female to work in Interior; 1 Shop Assistant. Call: 663-4476
SERVICES Permanent &Visitors Visa Applications Professional Immigration Consultant Room E-4 Maraj Building 225-6496/662-6045.
Page 15
MASSAGE American style massage services. Call: 609-4036
P.S.G.C.S workers in farm at Yarrakabra. Apply at Lot 122, Covent Garden Island E.B.D. Call:265-3586
TO LET Furnished two bedroom apt Eccles E.B.D. Tel: 698-3644/ 602-5089 Short term apartments. Tel: 667-1549 One two bedroom house by itself Haslington E.C.D. Call: 220-2940, 663-9816 Lamaha Gardens -$90,000, Section K-$120,000, Bel Air –US1700, Regent StreetUS1200. Diana: 227-2256, 626-9382 Building-16000 sqft , yard50000 sqft, can be used for Bond, factory etc. Contact:225-7643, 225-7493 1 bedroom apartment, 24,000 monthly at Charlestown. Call: 675-1364 or 223-3958 TO RENT One Bobcat Skid Loader for rent. Please contact: 610-3575
FOR SALE New blackberry Torch (9800) Black/White/Red available, $90,000. Accessories included. Call: 680-1722 Proactive sets $25,000, with skin test. Call: 233-6631, 2336517, 622-1957 Club seating brand-new 10 full leather (metal security detectors) forsale $10,000 each. Call: 233-6631, 2336517, 622-1957 Commercial stove, 2 commercial deep fryer with thermostat. Call: 233-6631, 233-6517, 622-1957 Stationary supplies $200,000 for only $100,000, Toyota Allion $2.8M, (New) never registered. Call: 233-6631, 233-6517, 622-1957 Nissan Titan 4Million D6 Bulldozer $1.5Million as is. Call: 233-6631, 233-6517, 6221957 Pit-bull pup, top breeds $100K, $150K. Call:233-6631, 233-6517, 622-1957 Nikon 5100, DSL Camera $300,000 price. Negotiable. Call: 233-6631, 233-6517, 6221957 Complete club music 10 set up 51 Million as is. Call: 2336631, 233-6517, 622-1957 Bluray player $30,000, Pioneer, food warmers, glass & aluminum, cheap $100,000. Call: 233-6631, 2336517, 622-1957 One brandnew playstation 3 $100,000. Call: 233-6631, 2336517, 622-1957 (Continued on page 20)
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Kaieteur News
Thursday April 12, 2012
Bynoe flays teachers Computer technician missing after first trip to interior for unprofessionalism …says they use Facebook during working hours The President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Colin Bynoe, has come down hard on teachers for unprofessionalism and what he termed ‘Cyber Misuse’. He was addressing the opening of the Third Biennial Conference of the union in New Amsterdam on Tuesday evening. Bynoe underscored the importance of teachers dressing appropriately to demonstrate professionalism in front of students but charged teachers not to distract students with their “plunging necklines and other forms of dress that are suggestive and distractive to our students”. He cautioned male teachers to “not display [their] chest hairs”. Lessons, he noted, should be properly prepared and planned “with all the necessary materials available that are needed for that lesson”. The union leader also cautioned educators not to get too emotional with students lest “we face charges of misconduct”. The union, he noted, has been plagued with “too many
complaints of unprofessionalism on the part of some of our teachers”. Bynoe added that some of these complaints pointed to lack of respect for authority, poor deportment, “and alarming levels of unpunctuality and absenteeism”. “What is even more alarming is the large number of teachers involved in these practices”, he said. He flayed what he termed ‘Cyber Misuse’ by some teachers “whose names can be easily recognized by their former head teachers [and] who can be seen posting comments on Facebook and other social networks during working hours.” He said that what is even more alarming is that these teachers are not involved in educational discussions in their postings and that the evidence “reveals nude pictures are sometimes posted and even foul language written [on Facebook]”. “This type of behaviour,” he cautioned, is “very unacceptable and must cease immediately”. “Let us embrace such
technology, [and] do so for the uplift of the teaching profession”. Bynoe then blasted the government and those in authority. He said that not all rehabilitations of schools have led to improvement of teachers’ working conditions. “Several thousands of our teachers are forced to work under sub human conditions: new schools are built but no provisions have been made for staff rooms. “Schools have been built without any electrical connection. Teachers are also saddled with insufficient seating accommodations and above all, poor construction of buildings by many contractors”. The union leader said that many teachers are affected by dusty concrete floors and poorly ventilated buildings with insufficient lighting. He urged the government to blacklist defaulting contractors entrusted with the maintenance and construction of schools, many of which were not done to standard. Bynoe then blasted the (continued on page 18)
Police still awaiting post mortem examinations in two suspicious deaths Police on East Coast Demerara are still anxious for the results of post mortem examinations to point them in a definitive direction in their investigations into two recent mystery deaths in the district. Progress into the investigations was stalled as the expected post mortem examinations were not performed yesterday. Kaieteur News understands that problems at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary prevented authorities from executing their duties. Investigators are still to determine how to proceed in the probe into the death of 14year old Dexter Marshall, of Two Friends Village. Marshall died early Sunday morning after a ride on a merry- go-round at a fair in the neighbouring village of Ann’s Grove. Family members and some eyewitnesses believe that he was electrocuted by a malfunctioning electrical system that was powering the merry-go-round. However, the operator of the merry-go-round, who was briefly detained by the police, has insisted that his
Dexter Marshall equipment is not the cause of Marshall’s death. The police in a statement had said that initial investigations revealed that about 12:30am on Sunday, Marshall was at the fair when he began to feel unwell and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he subsequently died. His relatives are almost convinced that he died on the spot while clinging to the merry-go-round. According to Marshall’s
mother, Zephene Pollard, shortly before her son’s demise, a few persons had reported to the merry –goround operator that sparks were seen coming from a section of the apparatus. “Other people feel de current and dey tell he dat de thing sparking and shocking and de man ain’t pay no attention,” Pollard told this newspaper. Another villager informed that at least four persons spoke of feeling the current through the metal frame of the merry-go-round. And on Tuesday the body of 41-year-old Yoyodan Handersan, called Khrishna, of Enmore, was pulled from a drainage canal in his village, hours after he was reported missing. According to his sister, Linee Hardath, Handersan was reported missing since 18:00 hrs on Monday. They believe that he was the victim of foul play and fingered a man with whom he had a long standing feud. The dead man’s body bore several bruises. Kaieteur News understands that several persons were questioned but no one has been detained.
Family members of 40year-old David La Rose have now become worried that something might have gone terribly wrong after the man left to take up a job in the interior since early August last year. He has never contacted them since. The 142 Sixth Street, Alberttown resident left his home to take up a job in the interior after receiving a phone call from an unidentified person on August 3, 2011. It was his first trip to that region. After days had passed and they had not received a telephone call from David, his differently-abled father and overseas-based mother became uneasy, wondering where their son could be, and in what state. The Computer Technician’s family is now being forced to assume the worst, since they believe that it is unlike David to not make contact with his family after such a long time. The man’s youngest brother, Dale La Rose, said
- family fears the worst
Missing: David La Rose that David would not have spent such a long time away from home, especially in the interior. And that even if he was there, he would have at least informed his family that he was alright. The distraught man added
that David would not have stayed away till now, especially since their brother’s wedding is merely days away. “David ain’t stay suh. He would’ve at least called me. Everybody stressed out because we ain’t know how and where he deh. And he wouldn’t have missed his own brother wedding,” La Rose said. Young La Rose explained that his family, especially his parents, are even more worried since they have already lost one son. Yesterday was their son Carlos La Rose’s death anniversary. He was murdered 17 years ago, but his family is still grieving. And to put them out of their latest misery, the La Roses are asking anyone knowing the whereabouts of David La Rose, to kindly make contact with them on telephone numbers-673-7169, 225-8133, or inform the nearest police station.
GGMC ranger found dead, tucked in latrine at Buck Hall Mystery surrounds the death of a 35-year-old Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) ranger whose body was found inside the pit of an abandoned latrine in the community of Buck Hall, Essequibo. Clive Daly, of Lot 754 ‘B’ Field Sophia, was found on Tuesday afternoon tucked inside the six and a half feet deep hole, with his head reportedly bashed in. Cameeze Daly, the dead man’s wife said that she was only told of her husband’s situation on Sunday, three days after other relatives had received word that the man was missing. Mrs. Daly said that her relatives hid the news from her knowing that she suffered from high blood pressure. Ever since the revelation, she had been suffering from sporadic black outs. The mother of three said that her husband left for the interior three weeks ago, on March 29. She received the news of her husband’s demise when her mother-in-law, Doreen Mc Clennan, told her that she had some bad news… that her husband had been missing for three days. Daly said that she last spoke to her husband around 06:00pm the day he left. She said he told her that they had reached Buck Hall and would be spending the night before
GGMC Ranger Clive Daly heading to a place called Sulphur Rose the following day. Mrs. Daly said that her husband sounded tense at the time he called, “as if something was bothering him, so I ask if everything was okay and he answered yes.” She, however, continued that it was her bother-in-law who was making checks and keeping abreast with the situation of her husband. News from him she said, is that Daly was at the time in the company of another worker and his boss. He said that the boss reportedly left Daly and the other worker alone and went to purchase parts for a fourwheel motorbike. When he
returned and asked for Daly, the worker had reportedly told the man that Daly was in the toilet. Days passed, the woman said and the family did not know Daly was missing. It was not until the elder brother who works at the airport received word about the man’s absence that checks were made. Mrs. Daly said that her husband was found when a search party had gone out looking for him. She said that a search was launched prior to that but the persons came up empty handed. At the time of the discovery, Daly said that her husband’s swollen body was found standing upright, in three feet of water with garbage covering his head. She said it appeared as if the killer had used the sitting board of the toilet to beat her husband on the head so that he could fit into the hole. Daly’s brother-in-law said that Clive was lying face down in the water when he was found. Mrs. Daly further said that her brother-in-law learnt that Clive was playing pools with a man whom family members said they were able to identify since he had visited their home before. She said that he was believed to have been the last person to see her husband alive. Daly continued that since (continued on page 17)
Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Canada opens up to Sand Hill duo on trial for murder attract skilled workers CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - The Canadian government said on Tuesday that it will ease immigration rules for skilled workers as it looks to alleviate labour shortages in the oil, mining and construction industries. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the government will modify its Federal Skilled Worker Programme, which has been skewed towards professionals, to try to attract trades people and other skilled workers that are in short supply in Canada during the current commodities boom. The new system will also increase the role of employers in the immigration system, allowing them to fill vital jobs faster. “In the past it would be virtually impossible for skilled trades people to get past our rigid economic immigration programmes,” Kenney said in a speech to a Calgary business audience. “They would need post-secondary
degrees and high levels of language proficiency. This meant ... skilled workers couldn’t get in.” Kenney said the new programme will be based on job offers from Canadian employers that can show that the would-be immigrant has credentials and experience equivalent to Canadian certification standards. Immigrants admitted under the new plan would not be required to be as fluent in English or French as professional applicants must be, though some language requirements would still apply. According to Ministry data, skilled workers currently make up just three percent of all foreign skilled workers emigrating to Canada. Kenney said he expected the new rules to attract “several thousand” skilled workers initially, and then become more popular. “Over time, if there’s sufficient demand from
Canadian employers, it could grow into the tens of thousands,” he said. High prices for oil, metals and minerals have sparked an investment boom in Canada, squeezing the available supply of skilled labor and forcing employers to import temporary foreign labor to fill staffing gaps, a measure that Kenney said may be less needed as more skilled workers emigrate to Canada. “The temporary foreign worker programme is there for acute and short-term labor shortages and that will probably always be in some demand,” he said. “But I hope that by better linking the permanent immigrants with labor shortages there will be less dependence on the temporary foreign programme.” The government expects the new programme to be in place later this year. (Reporting by Scott Haggett; Editing by Peter Galloway)
Accident on pedestrian crossing child bed-ridden, culprit in USA Little Adrika Croker could not have enjoyed her Easter holidays because she has been bed-ridden for almost a month. The eight-year-old Tucville Primary School student of YY8 North East La Penitence, Georgetown was struck down by a motor cycle on March, 14, last. She was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s pediatric ward for almost two weeks with abrasions and a fractured pelvis bone. The motorcyclist was detained by the police for three days and was subsequently released. He is said to be in the United States of America now. Yesterday, little Croker told Kaieteur News that “little by little” she recalled what transpired that day. She said that she was standing on the “white line” in front of her school, waiting to cross the road when a bus stopped. She recalled hearing the conductor telling her to “go over the road.”
Adrika Croker “When I was walking over the white line, the motor bike come and knock me.” she recalled. Her father, Okessht Croker, told this publication that the cyclist visited his daughter once in the hospital. The cyclist’s spouse saw her once also. He said that after that
“one time” no one had visited her again. Meanwhile, eight-yearold Ashley Gouvia of Kingely Village, East Bank Berbice, who was struck down by a pickup on her way to the #29 Primary School on March 27, last is said to be in a “fine” condition and recuperating at home.
GGMC ranger found dead ... From page 16 the find, no one has been able to make contact with the boss man who is still to return to the city despite the date of his return being overdue. She said that previous contact with the man proved that he was trying to avoid persons from visiting the area and with this revelation she believes that something is
very fishy about the man’s story. Daly said that a more senior person at the GGMC whose name was given, reported that there was no need to buy parts for any motorbike since there were many four-wheelers available to the workers. That same boss, Mrs. Daly said, also revealed that
after making checks it was found that purchases were never made for any bike. Daly said that her husband was a loving and respectable person and she would like the perpetrators of her husband’s death to know that he was loved and the family does not intend to take his death lightly.
Murder accused Elmo Benedict (left) and Dave Banwari Two men who hail from Sand Hills on the Berbice River are on trial for murder. The men, Dave Banwari, 32, and Elmo Benedict, 30, are on trial in the Berbice High Court before Justice James BovellDrakes and a mixed jury for the murder of Rakesh Rajaram which allegedly occurred on March 1, 2008 at Sand Hills, Berbice River. The case which commenced on Thursday April 5, last, has so far seen a number of witnesses testifying including retired detective sergeant Charles Brown, detective corporals Lawrence Thomas, Dharmendra Inderpaul and crime scene detective Corporal Curtis Cort. The officers in their various submissions gave details of their involvement in the case. During the evidence on Wednesday a caution statement purportedly made by Elmo Benedict was admitted into evidence. A cutlass purportedly used during the commission of the crime and
photographs allegedly taken were also presented. The men were led in their presentations by Prosecutor Attorney at Law Rhondel Weever. Reports had revealed that the deceased had fled his Kortbraat home, East Bank of Berbice, following a default in his affiliation arrears. He relocated to Sand Hills. He was employed as a coal miner. He sought refuge at the home of a known family in the area and after a while became involved with a teenage daughter of his host. Rajaram’s involvement with the teenager angered her parents, since she was already involved with someone else and they ordered him to leave, which he did. However, he stayed in the area and constructed a shack not too far from his former host. Some time later, it is understood that Rajaram, armed with an improvised shotgun, abducted the girl from her home and took her to a clump of bushes in the area.
It was also revealed that some time later, residents were alerted as to what transpired, and armed themselves and went in search of the now dead Rajaram. An altercation ensued and Rajaram was seriously injured resulting in his death. The teenager was taken home, along with the improvised gun and two cartridges; which were handed over to the village captain who is also a Rural Sergeant. The accused were subsequently arrested and charged. A preliminary inquiry was concluded in 2010 in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s court, by Magistrate Omeyana Hamilton who found that a prima facie case was made out for the capital offence of Murder. Attorney at Law Raymond Alli is representing Benedict while state appointed attorney Rabindranauth Singh is appearing for Banwari. The matter is continuing.
Lady Northcote back in operation The Lady Northcote which caught fire almost a month ago is back in operation and has already made a return trip to the North West District. This is according to General Manager of the Transport and Harbours Department, Ms Marcelene Merchant. According to Ms. Merchant, the repairs on the vessel were successfully completed during the last week of March and the vessel has since made a return trip. On March 28, last, the Lady Northcote left Port Georgetown around 10:00hrs en route to Port Kaituma,
North West District. In mid March around 16:00 hours, the Captain of the vessel was forced to contact officials at Port Georgetown for assistance to bring the vessel into the Transport and Harbours, Kingston Wharf, after fire broke out in the engine room. Transport Minister Robeson Benn has said the fire was caused by a diesel leak. “The vessel was entering Port Georgetown to moor at the goods wharf when there was a leak of diesel from a faulty valve on an exhaust manifold. That caught fire, burned the window of the
pipes to the fuel tanks and the entire engine room caught a fire”. Benn further explained that because of the leaking fuel on the one engine, the captain was forced to stop the second engine, hence the need for the boat to be towed to Port Georgetown. However, all 45 passengers and 13 crew members were safe and no injury reported. A car which was on the deck on the vessel was slightly scorched. He said that all of the passengers were fitted with life jackets as there was more than enough for everyone onboard.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday April 12, 2012
Land of Canaan accident Power surge hits RHTY&SC hard victim continues fight for life ...bandits struck twice only weeks ago Faith Evelyn, one of the remaining four victims of the two-vehicle crash at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara (EBD) early last month, is said to be in a stable condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Evelyn, 19, of Mocha Village, East Bank Demerara, has been a patient in the hospital’s High-DependencyUnit (HDU) for almost a month, nursing a broken right arm and injuries to her spine. She was previously in the Female Surgical Ward for about a week but her condition had turned from worrying to critical. Her father, Timothy Evelyn, had told Kaieteur News that he was told that his daughter suffered ruptured intestines. The 19-year-old girl and four of her friends were involved in an accident between two cars on March 4 last. Evelyn and her friends were rushed at the GPHC. One
Evelyn when she was in the Female Surgical Ward of her friends, Marvin Wray, 27, who was driving the car, was instantly admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he succumbed a week later. Her remaining three friends were treated and later discharged.
Kaieteur News was initially told that the driver of the car that collided with the one Evelyn was travelling in, had escaped from the scene. However, a source said that the driver was hospitalized and the police are still investigating.
Bynoe flays teachers ... From page 16 body which hires, fires and disciplines teachers, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) for what he called “cake shop” approaches that are not in keeping with [the TSC] constitution mandate. He said that the TSC, which is responsible for disciplining errant teachers sometimes, executes this role “with great inconsistency”. “Rules are created to suit some cases and when this happens, several persons are disenfranchised”. He talked about Administrative Appointments of teachers whereby five teachers were blocked from being promoted because of their age. Also, he spoke about a few teacher vacancies in 2011 that were not advertised by the TSC but were mysteriously filled. “Senior vacancies were out for 2011, and vacancies were not advertised for certain positions
in a few schools, but persons were promoted to these positions….these “cake shop” approaches by the TSC are not in keeping with their constitutional mandate” and he urged that all vacancies be advertised so that everyone will be aware of them. Bynoe reminded teachers that the TSC reported that 164 teachers were recommended for dismissal, among them several Head Teachers. “Some teachers had to be interdicted from duty and some dismissed for charges of child abuse and vulgar and inappropriate behaviour, as well as inappropriate relationships with students”. He urged teachers to desist fromsuchpracticesimmediatelyand exhibit a high level of accountability. The GTU president noted with concern that several parts of the April 2011 GTU/Ministry of Education multi- year agreement have not been
implemented to date, including the debouching of class sizes, the Housing Revolving Fund and the return fare for teachers serving in the hinterland. “The`DebouchingCommittee has already decided on the range for payment as per salary scale. It is now the responsibility of the Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry to put the full cost of this exercise to the Ministry of Finance”, he urged. He mentioned the case of teachers in Region Nine being told that they have to choose which two [school] terms they wish to travel out of the region. “It seems as though some Regional Educational Officers have a different agreement than the one signed by the GTU and MOE” and reminded those guilty that if the situation is not corrected, the GTU will support its members in taking the necessary action. Bynoe expressed the need for teachers to deal with a smaller number of students in the classroom so that “students can realize their full potential” and individual attention. “The present studentteacher ratio does not cater for a child-centered approach to learning, thus many of our learners are not receiving individualized attention that is necessary for effective learning”. He called on the Ministry of Education to take cognizance of this matter and implement small classroom sizes by September 2012. The conference continues until Friday in New Amsterdam.
As if losing over $2M worth in items to bandits a few weeks ago was not enough, a power surge in the Rose Hall Town area on Tuesday afternoon resulted in several appliances belonging to the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club being damaged. Secretary and CEO of the club, Mr Hilbert Foster described the power surge as one that rubbed salt in the wounds of the already dire situation that exists at the club as a result of the bandit attacks. He recounted that about 1:58 pm while in the office, “There was a loud noise from the lights in the office and smoke started to come from the two fans that were working. Then they stopped working immediately”. The television set that was being used to select songs for the club’s TV programme and a DVD Player “which was playing some soft music all went off—a total shutdown — When I tried to use the cordless phone to call somebody, I recognized that was dead as well”. Foster noted that of the six bulbs in the office, only one remained working, and “all of the rest blow up after a loud explosion”. He added that two fans are down. “We lost the CD player which is
worth about $80,000; the TV set $70,000; the cordless phone $15,000; the refrigerator and DVD player”. He said that he found out that the entire area was affected by similar events since he spoke with persons in the area, including one of the club’s Under- 15 cricket players. “They were watching TV and their [TV] set also blew up as well because smoke came from it. “Later on we heard that several other persons in the area were badly affected”. According to Foster, it is believed that the surge was caused by a faulty transformer located next to the Rose Hall Town Market. Foster stated that he called the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) call centre and an operator asked him to “go in and full up some forms but whether we are going to get the money back is another matter because many people told me that it is a waste of time”. “This is another blow for us because we lost $2M the other day and then our water trestle came crashing down, too and the tank burst.” “We want to know what the hell is going on because all the good work we are doing…this is just adding to the general feeling of frustration for the
members of the club… “Hopefully GPL gets its act together because it is very hard for a Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) to be giving out so much and to be suffering so much…Hopefully some sponsors will come on board and give us some funds”. In addition to the loss, another NGO sister organization in the area, the St Francis Community Developers, managed by his brother, Alex Foster, lost a printer after smoke was seen coming out of it. Hilbert noted that they, too are also assessing their losses. They lost fans too. GPL Regional Manager, Mr Ayube Bacchus, stated that preliminary reports from his engineers have suggested that kites became entangled with the low voltage wires, thus shortcircuiting the transformer and burned the neutral. “But I cannot confirm or deny it…I have to see it in writing but that is the preliminary verbal report….the transformer failed.” He is urging persons who lost appliances during the event to fill the claim forms and the company will make an assessment on those claims and forward these to Georgetown.
The Bartica Police operating in tandem with the Guyana Geology Mines Commission found 18 Brazilians engaging in illegal mining activities in the Puruni Mining District on Tuesday. The arrests followed a sting operation conducted that day. Some of them were
in the country illegally while others were working without the necessary legal work permits. They were escorted to the Bartica Police Station and then to Georgetown under Police escort for further processing on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Bartica Police are continuing their
investigations into the discovery of the body of an unidentified man in a pit latrine at Sulphur Creek Backdam, in the Cuyuni Mining District on Tuesday. A team of policemen that had left Bartica on Tuesday is still in the area conducting their investigations . (Edward A Persaud)
Police arrest 18 illegal Brazilian miners
Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 19
The Abigail Column Six years of sobriety end in shock and uncertainty DEARABIGAIL, ‘Robert’ and I met four years ago and fell head-overheels in love. Due to his hectic work schedule, he stopped attending church meetings. Robert is intelligent, a hard worker, handsome and my best friend. He prided himself on his sobriety, so imagine my shock when I found an empty liquor bottle buried in the bin and three more under the bed. I never thought I’d see the day when
he would relapse, but he has. I am devastated. I didn’t know what to say to him or how to react, because I have never been down this road. I told Robert I knew he was drinking again. I could barely hold back my tears because I knew what a huge personal setback this is for him. He said he didn’t want to discuss it, so I didn’t push. What am I supposed to do when the man I love has relapsed? My heart aches for him. I’m trying to be supportive, but I am clueless. Helpless Dear Helpless,
The first thing to do is recognize that this is Robert’s problem, and only he can fix it. If you plan to stay involved with him, understand that it is not unusual for someone with a substance abuse problem to fall off the wagon from time to time. There will be meetings for you to attend so you can learn to avoid falling into the trap of trying to “save” or enable Robert, because in order for him to get better he must experience the consequences of going back to drinking. This is not easy to do with someone you care about, and you will need all of the support you can get.
Thursday April 12, 2012 ARIES (MAR 21 - APR 19): You might have planned to make a particular purchase today, Aries, but a quick check of your financial situation could reveal that it would be better if you waited until your next payday. ******************************** TAURUS (APR 20 - MAY 20): A lack of physical and mental energy as well as motivation could have you in a lethargic mood today, Taurus. You won’t feel like doing much of anything. ******************************** GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN 20): Usually you enjoy talking with others, Gemini, but today you won’t even want to answer the phone. Your physical stamina and mental energy are low, and you could feel out of sorts. It might help if you go for a walk sometime in the afternoon. ******************************** CANCER (JUN 21 - JUL 22): A group of friends might want you to go out with them today, Cancer, but you probably won’t feel up to it. Your financial situation could also require a little belt-tightening now, so you may not feel you can justify the expense. ******************************** LEO (JUL 23 - AUG 22): Today you could feel full of energy and eager to get out for some exercise, Leo, but other responsibilities might threaten to keep you from doing it. The resulting frustration could zap all your energy and put you in a lethargic mood. ******************************** VIRGO (AUG 23 - SEP 22): Your energy is probably pretty low today, Virgo. You won’t feel like socializing, nor will you feel like staying in and reading or watching TV.
LIBRA (SEP 23 - OCT 22): Career and financial goals could seem completely stalled, Libra, and this could have you depressed, frustrated, and in something of a panic. Don’t fall into this trap. This isn’t a permanent condition. You’ll be back on track in a few days. ******************************** SCORPIO (OCT 23 NOV 21): A colleague could be in a very bad mood, Scorpio, and therefore not the easiest person in the world to deal with. In fact, today he or she could resist working at all, and you might feel obligated to take up the slack. ******************************** SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 - DEC 21): Plans to go away on vacation or perhaps a business trip could be put on hold today, Sagittarius. Events you might have been scheduled to attend could be temporarily postponed. ******************************** CAPRICORN (DEC 22 JAN 19): This isn’t a good day to visit the racetrack, Las Vegas, or any store that sells lottery tickets. Stay away from the stock market, too, Capricorn. Speculation of any kind now could be risky at best and disastrous at worst. ******************************** AQUARIUS (JAN 20 FEB 18): Aquarius, you’re likely to want to retreat into your bedroom and slam the door today. You won’t feel like talking or socializing with anyone, not even those closest to you. ******************************** PISCES (FEB 19 - MAR 20): This might prove to be one of those days in which it’s very hard to get anything related to work or communication off the ground, Pisces.
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Page 20
Kaieteur News
(From page 15)
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Pele baptize Amelia’s Ward, hammer them 6-1 in GFF Super League The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Super League continued with three games on Sunday, at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground. In the opening game,
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Milerock and Victoria draw 3 all , Alpha United and BK Western Tigers 1-1 Linden’s Milerock and Victoria Kings played to an exciting 3-all draw which had the sprinkling of spectators on their feet. Milerock got on the score sheet first when Ray Bobb Semple broke the ice in the 44th minute and the score-line stayed that way until the half. On the resumption, Ronnick Veloza made it 2-0, netting in the 55th minute, before Victoria Kings replied through substitute Bernard John, who scored in the 62nd minute. Veteran Winston Pompey slammed in a double in the
70th and 73rd minute to put Milerock on their back foot, but as true champions they regrouped when the versatile “Red Headed” Steve Brewley equalised in the 77th minute which ensured that the points were shared. In the second encounter, the hapless Amelia’s Ward newcomers to the Super League received a baptism of fire when Pele battered them by 6 goals to 1. Marvin Joseph found the nets thrice in the 7th, 26th and 33rd minutes. National midfielder Kanata Manning
Dwight Peters
Marvin Joseph
scored in the 51st minute, Stellon David hit in his in the 76th minute and Travis “Zorro” Grant sealed the deal in the 81st minute to baptize the new comers. Amelia’s Ward lone goal was scored by Delon Luke in the 53rd minute.
In the feature clash, which was easily the best game of the day, Alpha United and BK Western Tigers played to a 11 draw. Alpha drew first blood when national striker Dwight Peters scored in the 3rd minute which signaled a goal spree in the making, however, BK Western Tigers regrouped and Paul Giles equalised in the 41st minute. The score remained unchanged in the second half with both teams squandering many chances. Meanwhile, games in the Super League continue on Sunday with four matches scheduled for various venues. Up at the Blairmont ground, Rosignol United and Western Tigers who are both in 2nd position with 10 points will lock horns at 16:00 hrs. At the Uitvlugt ground from 15:45 hrs, Den Amstel and Amelia’s Ward clash with both teams currently locked on 9 points each. At the BV ground, a double header is scheduled with Victoria Kings and Seawall clashing from 13:45 hrs, while Buxton United and Pele will bring down the curtains from 15:45 hrs.
Mayor’s Cup semis set for tomorrow
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Thursday April 12, 2012
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The semifinals in the Mayor’s Cup Annual Knockout Inter-Ward football Fiesta will be played tomorrow, starting at 18:30 hrs, at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground. The action will see West Ruimveldt and Bourda collide in what is expected to be a fierce battle judging from the two teams’ previous performances in the tournament. Dwayne Alli, Devon Millington, Philip Rowley, Nedd Fraser and Sherman David will lead West Ruimveldt. Bourda team will be gunning to pressure West Ruimveldt with their strong line-up which includes striker Roy Stanton who scored in the quarter-finals in the 79th minute against Kuru Kururu,
Keshawn Blackman, Keon Solomon, Allan Spence and Ronell McClean. The second match at 20:30hrs will be a skirmish between Wortmanville and West Ruimveldt Estate and will see top football players spearheading both teams. Forefront players for Wortmanville are Pernell Shultz, Eon Alleyne, Colin Edwards, Dellon Williams, Joshua Brown, Paul Daniels and Royan Morrison. West Ruimveldt Estate will be coming out with their ‘A’ game to earn a spot in the final and also to stamp their authority against the Wortmanville boys. The Pedro brothers (Hubert and Michael), Michael Oie, Stellon David and Randolph Morrison will
lead West Ruimveldt Estate in the battle against Wortmanville. Banks DIH Ltd has donated the top prize of $500,000, while Digicel took care of the second prize of $250,000. Beepat and Sons has donated $150,000 for the team finishing in the third place, while the Guyana Beverage Company provided the $100,000 fourth prize. Several other corporate entities have also contributed to the success of the tournament, including MACORP, John Fernandes Ltd, Nazar Mohamed of Mohamed’s Enterprise, Lombard Street, CIDI, General Equipment Guyana Ltd, New Thriving Restaurant, Sterling Products and Courtney Benn Construction Company.
Australia win thriller in fading light From back page caught at deep point for 18, was a blow, and the departure of Hussey in Roach’s next over kept the game alive, but it wasn’t enough for West Indies. They were left to rue a couple of important dropped catches, particularly the captain Darren Sammy’s failure to hang on to a chance when Shane Watson had 4. Watson cut Roach viciously to gully and the ball fizzed through Sammy’s hands, and while it was a fearsome stroke it was certainly a catch that should have been taken. Ed Cowan was also reprieved when he edged Sammy and the keeper Carlton Baugh, standing up to the stumps, couldn’t glove the ball. Cowan and Watson compiled a 75-run stand after David Warner was caught behind off Sammy for 23, but their partnership was notable for the snail’s pace at which it
was built in the early stages. Cowan went to tea on 11 from 61 balls and Australia needed another 131 in the final session, and their lack of urgency seemed at odds with Clarke’s aggressive declaration. The tempo lifted after tea and the dropping of Watson proved costly as he started to find the boundary and on one occasion cleared it. He was caught at deep backward square leg for 52 when he topedged an attempted pull off Deonarine and Cowan followed soon after for an agonising 34 from 100 balls when he pulled Deonarine straight to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at midwicket. Ricky Ponting was bowled by a ball that stayed low and Clarke chipped a catch back to Deonarine, before Hussey and Wade steadied the chase. Australia had been favourites when they bowled West Indies out in an extended
opening session in which the hosts added 77 to their overnight total for the loss of their last five wickets. The last specialist batsman, Deonarine, added only one run to his score and was the first to depart, lbw to Harris for 21. It was precisely the start the Australians needed if they were to give themselves time to chase down a target, and they had another perfect chance soon afterwards when Sammy skied a chance to long-on. Nathan Lyon put down a sitter to give Sammy a life on 12, and nobody was happier than Lyon when Sammy played on to Watson for 14, accidentally kicking the ball on to his stumps as he tried to prevent it rolling back. Baugh chipped a catch to mid-on from the bowling of Hilfenhaus (4 for 27) for 23 and West Indies were in trouble at 116 for 8. Fidel Edwards defended
solidly for a while before he played a surprisingly rash stroke and skied a catch to mid-off for 3 from 17 balls to give Peter Siddle his second wicket, and that brought the No.11 Devendra Bishoo to the crease. Bishoo defended calmly and together with Roach set about eating up time and adding some important runs to the total. Their 23-run stand pushed the session beyond the scheduled lunch time but eventually ended when Roach was bowled by Harris for 25. That left the Australians with 192 to chase in two sessions and they were good enough to do so - just. West Indies were left to wonder what could have been. (Scores)- Australia 406 for 9 dec and 192 for 7 (Watson 52, Deonarine 4-53) beat West Indies 449 for 9 dec and 148 (Hilfenhaus 4-27, Harris 3-31) by 3 wickets.
Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 21
GT&T 10/10 NATIONWIDE SOFTBALL CRICKET TOURNEY... Smart returns to Windies Women’s team Defending champs Wolf Warriors continues impressive run; Super-16 round looms for S/Lanka series Among three Guyanese picked for home series
Treymane Smart
Twenty-six year old Berbician fast-bowling allrounder Treymane Smart is set to make her come-back to International cricket against Sri Lanka on their tour to the West Indies from April 25. Smart who played the first of her 15 ODIs in October 2009 was suspended by the ICC from all cricket and cricket-related activities for five months after being found guilty of violating an antidoping rule after written and oral legal submissions as well as testimony from Smartt, who plead guilty. A random urine sample collected in September last year, which was tested at a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), was found to contain a prohibited substance called Furosemide. The tribunal accepted that the substance wasn’t used to enhance performance or mask the use of another performance-enhancing drug, “but that she had failed to satisfy the high levels of personal responsibility implicit upon her as an international cricketer subject to anti-doping rules.” Smart, who also played 12 T/20 Internationals, used the drug for the swelling of her knee. The hard-working and talented all-rounder scored 24 and had 0-16 when she last represented Guyana last August in the Regional Women’s tournament in Barbados and returned to club cricket two weeks ago with a three-wicket haul for Memorex Bermine at the first division level. Smart expressed delight on being recalled and said she was confident of the West Indies ladies continuing their good run and making a
meaningful contribution herself. Shemaine Campbell and Subrina Munroe, both Berbicians, are the other Guyanese in the Caribbean side, while 19-year-old Trinidadian all-rounder Amanda Samaroo, makes her return to the regional side for the first time in three years. Three players from recent matches are unavailable – Britney Cooper has an injured finger and will miss the series, while wicketkeeper/batsman Kycia Knight and leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne are unavailable due to exams in Barbados. Seventeen year-old Jamaican Wicketkeeper/ Batter Natasha McLean is the only new comer in the 14member squad which will again be led by Trinidadian Merissa Aguilleira. Squad: Merissa Aguilleira (captain), Stafanie Taylor (vice-captain), Shemaine Campbell, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Pearl Etienne, Stacy-Ann King, Natasha McLean, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, Amanda Samaroo, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt ITINERARY (Venues to be confirmed) April 25: First One-day International – Barbados 27: Second One-day International – Barbados 29: Third One-day International – Barbados May 1: First Twenty20 International – Barbados 2: Second Twenty20 International – Barbados 6: Third Twenty20 International – Trinidad 7: Fourth Twenty20 International – Trinidad 9: Fifth Twenty20 International – Trinidad
The battles were furious and many, but only winners advanced when competition in the 3rd GT&T 10/10 Nationwide Softball Cricket Tournament continued last weekend around the country. There is certainly no room for pretenders with over $30Million in cash and other prizes up for the taking as the competition heats up. Teams were pushed to the hilt in the respective zone finals contested last Saturday and Sunday watched by sold out crowds. West Demerara – On Sunday over in West Demerara, national defending champion Wolf’s Warriors sealed their Super 16 spot with an easy 8-wicket win over Ocean View XI; dismantling their hapless opponents for 69 in 9.1 overs and then reach the victory target, ending on 70-2. The previous day saw Wolf Warriors defeat Super Street by 7 wickets, having bundled them out for 42 with Devanand Persaud taking 315 off 2 overs. Wolf Warriors made 46-3 in 5.3 overs. On Sunday in the Zone semi-final, Wolf Warriors blasted Leonora Youths by 8 wickets. They made 94-2 off the allotted overs with skipper Amreth Jairam returning to hammer an unbeaten 50 off 18 balls (6x6) after snaring 3-14 from 2 overs which limited Leonora Youths to 90-8 in 10 overs. Imtiaz Hack offered some resistance by clobbering 52 off 28 balls as wickets tumbled all around him. West Bank Demerara Up on the West Bank of Demerara in a very exciting match, last year’s Super 16 qualifier Speedboat Sports Club maintained their dominance after squeezing past Invaders XI by 4 runs to qualify for the next round. Speedboat Sports Club batted first and made 77-9 in 10 overs; Mahendra Singh hit 22. In reply Invaders found it tough in the face of some tight bowling, frustration eventually took its toll as the batters in trying to go over the top, lost their wickets. They eventually ended on 747 in their 10 overs; Shazim Hussain claimed 3-12 from 2 overs. On Saturday, Speedboat took care of CRAG Accounting Firm ‘A’ by 6 wickets. After limiting CRAG Accounting Firm ‘A’ to 54-8 in 10 overs, they knocked off the runs for the loss of 4
wickets in 4.5 overs. Last year ’s Super 16 qualifier from the East Bank Zone, Farm XI again made it through, once again at the expense of the team they defeated last year at this same stage, Digital Technology XI in a thriller to start the day, at Wales Community Centre Ground. Farm XI batted first and posted 108-5 in 10 overs; Patrick Khan led with 27 and Raul Reid 24*, the two featured in a partnership of 51 off 28 balls. They then restricted the opposition to 100-4 to win by 8 runs. On Saturday, Farm XI demolished their opponents, V&A General Store and Craig Vipers by 114 and 81 runs, respectively. Georgetown - In the Georgetown Zone Regal XI unseated Trophy Stall XI by 17 runs in another match that was a see saw affair. Regal XI batted first and scored 97-4 in 10 overs; the consistent Patrick Rooplall hammering 64 off 20 balls with 7 sixes. Trophy Stall XI replied with 80-4; Balram Roopnarine pegging them back by bowling a maiden and capturing a wicket in over number 8 after Trophy Stall were seemingly cruising at 683 in the 7th over. On Saturday, Regal XI defeated Builders Lumber Yard and Assassin XI convincingly. In the Lower East Coast Zone, Rockaway Auto Sales ‘A’ enjoyed more success by hammering Jaguars by 73 runs, cantering into the Super 16 stage. Rockaway Auto Sales ‘A’ XI batted first and reached 118-6 in 10 overs; Devanand Samaroo led with 27 off 9 balls (2x6 2x4). In reply, Jaguars were sent crashing for 45 in 9.3 overs; Mahendra Ramlakhan was the most unplayable, returning figures of 3-7 from 2 overs; Jagdesh Deosarran backed up with 315 from his 2 overs. On Saturday Rockaway took care of Trophy Stall ‘B’ easily while also cruising past Shooting Star XI. East Coast – Mahaica - At Helena, Mahaica Raiders X1 showed they are the team in form, dismantling Enmore Cricket Zone to book their place in the Super 16 round. Enmore Cricket Zone were inserted and found the going tough as they were limited to 71-9 of their 10 overs; Imran Alli made 28, Marvin Babb took 2-2 in 2 overs. In reply Mahaica Raiders XI cruised to 75-2 in 8.3 overs;
Babb returned with the bat to lead the victory charge with 23*. Mahaica Raiders earlier in the day disposed of KB&B Contractor XI by 40 runs. North Essequibo - At the Imam Bacchus Ground, Affiance Storm first got the better of Cottonfield Wild Oats XI by 27 runs in a repeat of last year’s Zone final. Affiance Storm also took care of business against Pomeroon Oil Mills by 8 wickets to advance to the Super 16 stage. Pomeroon Oil Mills batted first and posted 74-8 in 10 overs. Affiance Storm replied with 76-2 in 6 overs. Earlier skipper Latchman Rohit slammed 49 (4x6) to pilot his team to victory over Cottonfield Wild Oats. South Essequibo - In South Essequibo Rising Star Super Sixers rose to the occasion by defeating Tsunami XI by 6 wickets in the Zone final, earning a Super 16 berth. West Berbice - D’Edward Sports Club triumphed over Firepoint by 33 runs to claim the top spot in that Zone. Earlier, D’Edward Sports Club made light work of Pick Up XI by 7 wickets. At Port Mourant,
Universal Solutions Tigers, last year’s semifinalists from the Central Corentyne Zone, destroyed Yakusari Carib Cricket Club by 10 wickets to march into the Super 16. Yakusari were skittled out for 32 in 4.3 overs; the Tigers racing to 34-0 in 2.3 overs. The much anticipated clash between Memorex and Celebrity Times saw the former triumphing by a mere 2 runs in a thrilling finish to the preliminary rounds in the Ancient County. Scores - Memorex 118-7, Roy Jafferally 38. Celebrity Times 116 all out in 9.5 overs, Erashad Farouk 33. Female category - On the distaff side which ended on Saturday, Wellwoman of the Georgetown Zone, 4R Lioness of Lower East Coast and Trophy Stall Angels of East Bank all defeated their respective opponents. Meanwhile, the GT&T promotions continued at the various venues with Bluey Max thrilling the fans at the Everest Ground on Saturday and Wales Community Centre Ground on Sunday as they craved for more of the novelty games discounts on Blackberry handsets among the other giveaways.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday April 12, 2012
Hamilton leads Bulls Wigan Athletic breathes fresh life over Knicks, 98-86 into Premier League title race (AP)-The Chicago Bulls thought they were finally getting their whole team back together for the final stretch. Instead, Derrick Rose was out again. The Bulls came out on top, anyway. Richard Hamilton scored 20 points, Luol Deng added 19 and Chicago beat the New York Knicks 98-86 Tuesday night even though they were playing without their superstar point guard again. Hamilton had 18 points in the third quarter to help Chicago stay ahead after building a 12-point halftime lead. Kyle Korver added 14 points and three blocks, and the Bulls prevailed despite Carmelo Anthony’s 29 points for New York. ‘’That’s what I’ve been doing my whole career,’’ Hamilton said. ‘’But on this team, I’ve got to pick my moments. There are so many guys on this team that can score.’’ With their star sidelined again, this was a good time for Hamilton to step up. Rose’s latest injury is a sprained right ankle, which he suffered in Sunday’s overtime loss at New York. He lobbied to play after warming up before Tuesday’s game, but the Bulls improved to 16-7 without him. ‘’I just think it was the smart thing to do in this situation,’’ Coach Tom Thibodeau said. ‘’If we’re going to err, we’re going to err on the side of caution. He wanted to play and we felt it was best that he didn’t.’’ The league’s reigning MVP, Rose was injured in the first half Sunday after returning from a 12-game absence because of a groin problem. Deng had 10 rebounds and hit 3 of 6 3-pointers while trying to contain Anthony. Korver was 3 of 5 from long range and had 11 points in the fourth quarter. Hamilton played just 20 minutes because he’s missed most of the season because of injuries, but he was his usual active self, running off screens and wearing out the opposition. He certainly made the most of his time, particularly in the third. The Knicks got to 53-50 early in the quarter, but Hamilton answered with a 20footer and two free throws. Deng then made a 3 to make it a 10-point game, and the Bulls stayed in control after that. ‘’(Hamilton’s) putting a lot of work in,’’ Thibodeau said. ‘’He’s getting more comfortable. You can see his rhythm coming around.’’ In results of other
Richard Hamilton #32 shoots under pressure from Baron Davis. matches: Boston beat Miami 115-107; Charlotte lost to Cleveland 90-103; Orlando lost to Washington 85-93; Philadelphia beat New Jersey 107-88 and Sacramento lost to Dallas 100-110.
(BBC Sport)- Wigan Athletic breathed fresh life into the Premier League title race and increased their own hopes of survival with victory over leaders Manchester United at DW Stadium. Shaun Maloney’s fine 20yard finish early in the second half reduced United’s lead at the top of the table to five points as Manchester City closed the gap with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion. And more importantly from Wigan’s point of view, it was a win that moved them out of the bottom three and was richly deserved as their traditional late season improvement gathers considerable momentum. United looked to have opened up a decisive gap over City during the Easter period - but this was a listless, almost complacent performance that on occasions reduced manager Sir Alex Ferguson to visible anger in his technical area. They still hold an important advantage over neighbours City - who also brought about a five-goal swing in goal difference with their win - but this was a timely and painful reminder that significant work remains to be done before a 20th title can be confirmed. It was a display epitomised by Wayne
Rooney’s poor performance before he was removed by Ferguson midway through the second half, even as United desperately sought an equaliser. Wigan boss Roberto Martinez demanded a “perfect” performance from his team after feeling they were denied at least a point by poor officiating in the defeat at Chelsea. And after winning at Liverpool and beating Stoke City recently, his side produced another outstanding display. Man City 4-0 West Brom Manchester City closed the gap on Manchester United at the top of the Premier League to five points with an emphatic home win over West Brom. Sergio Aguero struck twice to give City a commanding lead before setting up Carlos Tevez to side-foot home his first goal since May last year. David Silva’s superb chip completed the rout for the dominant home side. Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat at Wigan lets City back into a title race they were seemingly out of before kick-off. The manner in which Roberto Mancini’s side trudged from the pitch following their 1-0 loss at Arsenal at the weekend was indicative of a side who believed
Shaun Maloney their hopes of a first Premier League crown were over. However, City’s Italian boss had refused to concede the title, pointing to how Chelsea closed the gap between themselves and United from nine points to three prior to facing the Red Devils three games from the end of last season. And Mancini’s belief was rewarded as his side took West Brom apart at Etihad Stadium, as Wigan were doing them a favour at the DW, and reversing the goal difference advantage in their favour by a margin of three in the process. Wolves 0 Arsenal 3 Early goals from Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott earned Arsenal victory over 10-man Wolves in a game that was largely decided within 11 minutes. Sebastien Bassong saw red for bringing down Walcott, with Van Persie dinking the penalty over Wayne Hennessey. Walcott then played a
neat one-two before shooting low into the net. Wolves went closest when Wojciech Szczesny saved Kevin Doyle’s header after the break, but Yossi Benayoun then converted to seal the win. QPR 3-0 Swansea Joey Barton scored on his return to help earn QPR a twopoint cushion above the relegation zone as Swansea slumped to a fourth straight defeat. The captain marked his recall with a sublime finish after Swansea failed to clear Adel Taarabt’s free kick. Swansea were poor and Jamie Mackie added a second for QPR with an effort which deflected off Angel Rangel before Akos Buzsaky made it 3-0 from 25 yards. Wayne Routledge had the visitors’ best chance but blazed over from 12 yards. Barton had deliberately been left out of the previous game against Manchester United, a 2-0 defeat, to avoid picking up a suspension.
Pollard power too much for Rajasthan (Cricinfo)The scoreboard might not tell you that but Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals gave IPL 2012 its first close highscoring game as Wankhede Stadium cheered. The 27-run margin did not do justice to Rajasthan Royals for the way they went after an asking-rate of nearly ten an over against a quality bowling attack. This after Kieron Pollard had muscled his way to his highest IPL score and propelled Mumbai Indians to the highest total of this IPL season so far. Pollard’s all-round performance, 64 off 33 deliveries and 4 for 44, left in the shade a dazzling innings of 76 off 42 from Owais Shah, which had rudely threatened to gatecrash what had shaped up to be Pollard’s night. Till the end of the 14th over, as Shah kept peppering the onside rope with boundaries, Royals had an almost even chance. But in a game where no bowler apart from him went for less than seven an over, Lasith Malinga uprooted Shah’s off stump with a yorker off the first ball of the 15th. While Munaf Patel and
Pollard ended with four wickets each, it was Malinga’s over that turned the game in Mumbai Indians’ favour. While Malinga stood out with figures of 4-0-13-2 in a match where 367 runs were scored, it was Pollard who towered above everyone with his all-round performance. Pollard’s assault with the bat helped Mumbai Indians pull away from Rajasthan Royals after the visitors had clawed back with Brad Hogg’s two wickets in four balls. Pollard’s power also left an important innings from Ambati Rayudu in the shade. Pollard came in after Hogg, on IPL debut, had dismissed Rohit Sharma and Richard Levi with fizzing leftarm legbreaks. By the time he was dismissed, Pollard had carted Royals’ attack with 64, and Mumbai Indians had rocketed from 68 to 164 in the space of 52 balls. Pollard had no role to play in his first boundary, Hogg’s googly beating the batsman on the forward push and going between the wicketkeeper and first slip. It was Rayudu who took on Hogg in the 11th over, slogsweeping for six over midwicket.
Kevon Cooper’s meeting with his Trinidad & Tobago team-mate was much awaited, but Pollard lofted his first ball from his fellow allrounder for six over long-on. Still, Royals had somehow managed to keep the expected torrent of runs down and Mumbai Indians were going around eight an over after 13. Johan Botha came on in the 14th, and Pollard dispatched his first four balls for boundaries. Botha dragged the first delivery short, tossed the second one up and went wide of Pollard with the third. It made scarce difference to Pollard as he swung all three deliveries between deep midwicket and long-on. His power showed off the fourth ball as even a leading edge beat the sweeper to the deep extra cover rope. Twenty-three runs came off that Botha over, and the pressure on Royals had increased significantly. Pollard threatened to do an encore of the Botha over in the 17th against Ankeet Chavan, hitting his first delivery so hard that it deflected off the non-striker’s stumps to the straight
boundary even as umpire Aleem Dar barely got out of the way. The next two balls also disappeared for boundaries but Pollard found long-on off the last ball. Harbhajan Singh ensured Mumbai Indians did not falter after Pollard’s departure and left Royals with a mountain to climb. Munaf removed Rahul Dravid and Shreevats Goswami off consecutive deliveries in the second over to make the ascent appear steeper. Shah and Ajinkya Rahane, though, almost did a Pollardand-Rayudu with an 82-run stand off 57. Rahane signalled the start of the fightback with a chipped four over mid-off and a six over deep midwicket in Munaf’s next over. Shah put up a display of sustained calculated hitting, moving around in his crease and using the angle of the deliveries into him to swing for boundaries on the on side. Rahane’s fall off Pollard in the 12th over hardly mattered to Shah. Thirty-five runs came off the next two overs, bowled by Harbhajan and Pollard, the latter pulled and slogged for consecutive
Kieron Pollard boundaries. The equation came down to 64 needed off 36. Harbhajan had saved two overs of Malinga for the death. He was forced to bring him on slightly earlier, but Malinga delivered immediately, Shah backing away too far outside leg to a yorker, which was right on off stump. Botha followed in the same over, and though Cooper and Ashok Menaria tried, Pollard struck thrice in the 18th over to ensure the night would be only his.
Thursday April 12, 2012
Kaieteur News
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YBG launches second Regional Conference - ahead of seventh edition of NSBF By Juanita Hooper Yo u t h B a s k e t b a l l Guyana (YBG) launched the second edition of its Regional Conference at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall yesterday with Coordinator, Chris Bowman stating that the National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) is necessary to preserve the game. Bowman disclosed that he was extremely grateful for the support YBG has received since it was formed. The YBG Coordinator was speaking in the presence of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, Director of Sport, Neil Kumar and sponsors. “Basketball in Guyana will not have a future if YBG does not preserve the heritage of the game. Sports in Guyana will not have a
Coordinator of the National School Basketball Festival, Chris Bowman (3rd left) addressing the media in the presence of sponsors Reps., Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony (centre) and Director of Sport, Neil Kumar ( 3rd right). future if we do not make intentional, long term investments in school sports,” Bowman said, adding that children are the future. Anthony, in his remarks, stated that he is pleased to attend YBG events as they always present a high level of individual creativity. The minister said that the Regional Tournament will
be a key factor in indentifying new talent in the sport. “We can harvest these talents so one day they can represent our country,” Anthony said, adding that the Ministry will looking to develop school sports generally. He commended Bowman for sustaining and maintaining the event on an annual basis.
Third Hugh Ross Classic Body Building Show...
Fazia’s Collection & H. Mohamed General Store on board again
Fazia’s Collection Sales Representative Velinca Brescenio (left) hands over the cheque to HRC’s Sponsorship and Finance Officer Dexter Garnett in the presence of Master Isaiah Anderson and Douglas Wiggins. At left Manager of H. Mohamed’s General Store, Ransford Goodluck also made a presentation on their behalf.
F
azia’s Collection of America & Longden Streets and H. Mohamed General Store, Licence Firearm Dealer & Importer of Robb Street have both renewed their commitment to support the Hugh Ross Classic Body Building & Fitness Show, which is in its third year. Fazia’s Collection has been on board with the HRC from its inception and they have noted their satisfaction with the staging of Guyana’s leading body building show. Handing over the cheque to HRC’s Sponsorship and
Finance Officer Dexter Garnett at Fazia’s Collection Main Store yesterday was Sales Representative Velincia Brescenio who said that the entity was happy to be associated with the show for another year. Brescenio noted that F a z i a ’s C o l l e c t i o n contribution is always assured as it is their way of giving back towards the development of sports, and in this case, bodybuilding, in Guyana. Over at H. Mohamed’s General Store in Robb Street, Manager Ransford Goodluck handed
over his entity’s contribution to Garnett stating that this was the second year that they are on board with the C l a s s i c ’s . G o o d l u c k , congratulated the HRC committee for bringing off the show once again stating that it was also very good that they will be bringing off some Regional events wher the best athletes will be selected to compete at the finals set for July 28 at the National Cultural Centre. The Regional shows are fixed for Berbice, Linden and Georgetown, next month.
The NSBF started in 2006 with just a few teams competing for supremacy. However, the event has grown to the extent that YBG was forced to conduct regional competitions (conferences) so that the best teams will ultimately clash for the title in the NSBF. Anthony, who sees the tournament as a positive venture, urged the corporate citizens of Guyana to be involved in sport activities; “one of the only ways we can effectively teach physical literacy is to go back to our school system,” the minister told the gathering. Digicel’s Sponsorship Manager, Gavin Hope stated that history has shown that Digicel is always involved in
sports, especially school sports. He promised to continue supporting YBG, and other sport organisations that are willing to develop sports at the grassroots level. Hope said that the aims of YBG “jumped out at him” and mentioning the growth that Digicel has noticed in the tournament. B a n k s D I H Representative, Jenifer Khan revealed that the company is sponsoring the tournament for the seventh year. Khan stated that it was a pleasure to see students enjoying healthy sport and urged parents to support their children in the tournament. The occasion also had representatives from
Edward B. Beharry which is also among the sponsors of the event under its Champion brand. Ashim Alley who spoke on behalf of the company, stated that it is important that the children follow their dreams in sports. The goals of the tournament are to develop and maintain a wellcoordinated national schools basketball championship for boys and girls; to improve on the existing basketball infrastructure in schools and communities across Guyana; to encourage physical and mental wellness through youth sport and to emphasize leadership, citizenship, scholarship and athletic excellence in young.
t r o Sp
Australia win thriller in fading light Ben Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris celebrates Australia’s 3-wicket win against West Indies yesterday at the Kensington Oval.
Shane Watson
Ryan Harris appeals and has Narsingh Deonarine lbw yesterday at the Kensington Oval.
(Cricinfo)-Five years after Australia won the World Cup in a farcical finish in the dark at Kensington Oval, they again celebrated a victory there in fading light as the first Test went to the wire on the fifth afternoon yesterday. Set 192 to win in two sessions, the Australians started their chase slowly and were almost derailed by middle-
order wickets, but Michael Hussey’s calm and rational approach ensured they narrowly outpaced the setting sun to win by three wickets. In a tense conclusion, Hussey was bowled by Kemar Roach for 32 from 26 balls with three runs still required, but Ryan Harris and Ben Hilfenhaus saw the Australians home and
denied West Indies a satisfactory outcome despite them dominating the first three days. Hilfenhaus struck the winning run with a single scrambled to the off side and a direct-hit at the bowler’s end was sent to the third umpire, who found Hilfenhaus in his ground by a few inches. All the while, the players were keeping an eye on the
Court orders Attorney General and Minister of Sport to return DEB Essential Inc. property
T
he High Court, in a session presided over by Judges Madam Dawn Gregory-Barnes and James Bovell-Drakes on April 10, has ordered Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, to return all property belonging to DEB Essentials Inc., the company formed by members of the previous Guyana Cricket Board as part of their commercial arm. Anand Sanasie and Fizul Bacchus were the plaintiffs identified by the court documents as filing the motion to have the High Court force the government officials to return their property. The Order stated, “…IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND DIRECTED that the First and Second Named Respondents
(Attorney General and Minister of Sport) do return and or deliver to D.E.B. ESSENTIAL ORGANISATION INC., at its registered office at Lots 221-222 Regent Road, Bourda, Georgetown, Demerara, Guyana, within 48 (Forty-Eight) hours of the service of this Order on the said First and Second Named Respondents: (a) A l l B o o k s , r e c o r d s , computers, computer hard drives, flash drives, and any other media whatsoever, computer records, cheque books, deposit books, accounting records, minutes of meetings, correspondence received, and copies of correspondence dispatched, used by or to or for the credit or use of the purported Guyana Cricket Board; and (b) Any documents or records
relating to any of the items as aforesaid or to any goods, chattels, cash, funds held in bank accounts, movable and immovable property whatsoever;…” The parties are due to return to court on April 16 to deal with additional matters in this ongoing court battle between the officials of the former Guyana Cricket Board and the government. Several members of the GCB, including President Ramsay Ali, resigned after recent action by government saw police searches of several members homes and offices being conducted, which served as the ‘last straw’ that resulted in the officials quitting in the bitter battle. Several court matters over the past few months were highlighted by the locking of the GCB offices and subsequent cutting of the locks
by the respective parties along with the formation of an IMC headed by Clive Lloyd, former legendary West Indies Captain, to run the game locally. Intervention by the WICB and several meetings between them and government along with CARICOM’s involvement as mediator also formed part of the saga. The government had moved and seized documents and equipment in its effort to scrutinise the financial records of the GCB after accusations of financial misconduct were levelled. This order is the latest segment of the saga of claims and counter claims. Despite all a Guyana team was still permitted and funded by the WICB to participate in the Regional 4-Day competition in the interest of the game and players.
umpires, who were keeping an eye on the light and under the new ICC rules have complete authority to determine whether play continues or ceases. By the last few balls the shadows had completely enveloped the ground but there was just enough time for the Australians, who celebrated a victory that was set up by Michael Clarke’s gutsy declaration behind on the fourth day. It was a decision that indicated Australia would attack in the final few sessions and by dismissing West Indies for 148 before lunch on the last day, they gave themselves hope. West Indies were not out of the contest either, and four wickets to Narsingh Deonarine gave them more that a slim chance, as the Australians still needed 52 runs with five wickets in hand when Clarke became the fourth of Deonarine’s victims. But Hussey used the finishing skills that have made him such a valuable O D I p l a y e r, r e v e r s e sweeping to find gaps and twice clearing the long-on boundary off Deonarine to bring the target within reach. The loss of Matthew Wade, who cut Roach high and was (Continued on page 20)
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