Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

Creating a healthy balance School is out. Last Friday, the Easter term ended.

Thousands of children are now enjoying a much-deserved three-week break from the routine of attending classes.

For the majority of parents, especially in households where both father and mother are working, the holidays present something of a challenge, as to how their children will gainfully spend this period.

In times gone by, especially in the villages, the holidays were periods which children eagerly looked forward to, not only because they represented a break from hard studies, but also because it was a time when they looked forward to playing and having fun, a time to enjoy that wonderful period of our lives, childhood.

In those days, children used to go fishing, or would escape into the backdams to swim in the canals until their skins were covered with a white sheet that foiled their attempts to lie to their parents as to what they were doing all day. The holiday period was also a time for climbing fruit trees and savouring their products, or simply playing games with neighbours and friends.

Things have changed. Not many parents today are too inclined to have their children roving the backdams unsupervised by an adult. And rightly so. Not many adults are keen on allowing their children out of their eyesight; not with the rampant criminal activities that are taking place and the temptations that lie outside of the home.

With the advent of advanced technology, the fun, for many, has moved indoors. This has been both a blessing and problem. No one can deny the educational benefits of some of these gadgets, but children who sit excessively long in front of the television and/or with their smartphones and tablets, etc., have been found to lose out on interacting and playing with their peers, and this restricts the development of their interpersonal skills.

Studies have shown that people who have worked on developing strong interpersonal skills are usually more successful in both their professional and personal lives.

And we all seek success in our career pursuits.

Conversely, parents are also concerned about the physical safety of their children while outdoors. With motor vehicles racing down our narrow roads, with the high incidence of molestation, many parents may feel content to have their children stay at home. In so doing, the children miss out on a wonderful and fascinating part of growing up.

The situation is not made any easier when you consider that many of the accessible outdoor facilities are in a rundown and deplorable condition. In many areas, especially in the squatter settlements and new housing areas, there are limited recreational facilities for our young people.

In recent years, a number of religious and social organisations have been organising vacation camps for children.

Many of the churches now run activities which combine religious instruction with some fun and skill development activities.

In addition, some educational institutes are offering courses intended to challenge children to spend some of their vacation in the classroom learning new things. These schools, particularly during the end-of-school-year holidays, have multiplied rapidly, and once parents can afford the prices charged, there is no want of options for parents to consider during the longest school break, i.e. if the parents are interested.

Some groups also organise classes to develop the physical talents of our children.

It is hoped that increasingly more healthy activities will be offered in the years ahead so that parents can have a wide range to choose from. But it is also hoped that those involved in the organising of these events will not forget that school is out and that the holiday period is as much about the children having fun, playing and discovering their physical environment, than it is about returning to another classroom drill.

Childhood is a time when parents should allow the best of children to bloom, a period when parents should strive to create balance in the lives of their children.

Friday April 18, 2014

Letters... Where your views make the news

These actions would reduce government’s ability to illegally spend the uncut revenue DEAR EDITOR, I took deep interest in the arguments and deliberations put forward by all three sides of the house in the recently concluded budget debate.

It is noteworthy to mention that the opposition has once again had the opportunity to examine, challenge and in some cases cut both the capital and current expenditure estimates of the b u d g e t . H o w e v e r, w h a t h a s disappointed me again, is that the opposition has not appeared to have conducted a similarly thorough review of the revenue side of the budget.

While the AFC has indeed brought to our attention the ‘siphoning off’ of approximately $50B from the consolidated fund by the government from the income side through various state agencies and NICIL, more needs to be done (It is important to highlight that it was the PPP, prior to 1992, which made similar objections to then PNC administration on the misuse of the consolidated fund).

So when the opposition cuts the expenditure side of the budget, there becomes a surplus on the income side,

or a smaller budget deficit. As a consequence, the opposition should have thought of and proposed actions or activities to utilise this excess income or attempt to reallocate this extra revenue.

Such actions, albeit not easy to convince the government, could include some of the ideas they themselves have mentioned over the years, and in their manifestos.

This way, the electorate clearly sees what the opposition would have done if they were in office and gives the ordinary citizen something to look forward to in the budget, rather than seeing so many capital projects which have little or no benefit to the ordinary man or woman, such as the CJIA, road expansion and Amaila Hydro. If the government attempts to disregard the opposition proposals, the electorate will see the true vested interest of the government of using the poor people’s votes to help the rich few!

Now that the budget has been cut by $37 billion on the expenditure side, much of this massive excess income on the revenue side of the budget could easily address some of the measures the

opposition has mentioned in the past, such as increasing the old age pension to a livable amount of $15,000 monthly, reducing the income tax rate from 30% to 25% charged on those employed (bearing in mind this group is the most burdened ever since the implementation of the VAT of 16%), making secondary school examination fees a tax deductible, reduce both commerical and non-commercial (manufacturing) corporate taxes, and subsidizing the Berbice River Bridge toll.

These measures would provide a more balanced approach to the budget and give the electorate a chance of having real benefits, especially when one considers the perks, the array of benefits and super-salaries of some staff employed by the Office of the President and some Ministers who’s total packages amount to over $1Million a month, while the former president is awash in over $3million in pension!

Further, these actions on the revenue side would reduce the government’s ability to illegally spend the uncut revenue!

Ramesh Persaud

Opposition yet to explain how those Budget amendments made their lives better DEAR EDITOR, The Opposition is once again at it, insulting the intelligence of Guyanese.

Since they cannot argue using facts, they chose to play with words. This is their strategy in their desperate attempts to discredit the government’s 2014 national budget and derail Guyana’s development yet again.

They know that they cannot dispute the facts that are staring them in the face so they are resorting to empty rhetoric and semantics.

J u d g i n g f r o m M r.

Granger’s budget presentation one gets the impression that development is an event and not a process.

It is in this context I wish to comment on what Mr. Granger is reported to have said in his 2014 budget presentation. I did not look or listen to his presentation since I was not prepared to subject myself to such torture. · “Budget 2014 must be amended if people are to enjoy a good life”- Granger.

This is a very interesting statement. The Opposition has amended both the 2012 and 2013 budgets. But they are yet to explain to the people of Guyana how those amendments made their lives better. If they cannot prove that their previous amendments have resulted in Guyanese living a better life how can they proceed to amend the 2014 budget

claiming that that is necessary for people to live a better life. What confounded nonsense is this?

Have their deprivation of the Guyana economy in excess of 50 billion dollars over the past two years made any positive impacts on the lives of Guyanese?

Has Guyana come any closer to providing its citizens and business community with cheap and reliable energy by killing the Amaila Falls Hydro Project? · Mr. Granger called for the reduction of VAT. Had Granger took the time to do some simple research he would have discovered that

16% VAT is quite low compared to many countries around the world. If his chief economist, Mr. Greenidge, is an economist, indeed he would have been able to advise him that any reduction will disproportionately benefit the rich.

Greenidge would have also been able to tell him that the introduction of VAT has resulted in the rich paying their fair share of taxes since all the items consumed mainly by the rich carry VAT. With the same breath Granger called for the creation of jobs for school leavers. Could Granger explain how a reduction in

Government’s revenue and f o r t h a t m a t t e r, t h e i r amendment of the national budget will lead to the creation jobs for school leavers? Printing more monies as the PNC did? We know what that led to. · “We now have a new dispensation in which the APNU and AFC can combine to save this budget.

We must now work towards giving our people a good life”- Granger. Is this guy serious? They have been combining to save the budget since 2012 by cutting out all of the Government’s key development projects. The (Continued on page 31)

A problem is looming at this school DEAR EDITOR, I would like to bring to the attention of the Ministry of Education this situation at Essequibo Islands Secondary School.

I observed that there are problems with the teaching there, especially for the Third form students. Mathematics is the most important subject amongst others but unfortunately the school does not have a good teacher. The one in place doesn’t teach the students.

For the past month or more he has not been teaching the class. How will the students prepare for exams when they haven’t been taught? The students have to go to other teachers after school to complete their project and sometimes they have no knowledge of those types of mathematics. Who will the students turn to for help? The rule is if they fail Maths they don’t have a chance to write CXC. How unfair. Those students need help, they need a good teacher.

My second concern is about superstitious beliefs. I would like to know since when that is important and has become part of the education programme? As far as I know, such beliefs border on the funny. They are jokes to be precise. How will that be beneficial for a child getting a job? They have projects pertaining to superstitious belief. Name the story, identify the writer and give documentary. This assignment came from the Ministry of Education.

My last concern is about the principal.

The present principal is about to resign and the next person in line is said to be the same Maths teacher. Now if he cannot teach the students how will he be capable of taking care of the school?

I’m pleading with the Minister of Education to look into this matter and to do something about it. Sincerely, Concerned citizen

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

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

I attended every meeting I was invited to on the Caribbean Press DEAR EDITOR, In reference to the article “Culture Minister bombarded with queries on art fund” (SN – 17, April), I’d like to congratulate the political opposition on the scrutiny it attached to this allocation under the Minister of Culture, Dr. Frank Anthony’s portfolio, even as I recognise their collective lack of capacity in specialized probing of how the monies were spent, and their perennial overlooking of the fact that the Fund, despite Anthony’s promises, remains improperly constituted.

I’d like to thank also both AG Anil Nandlall and Speaker Raphael Trotman for recognizing my avid interest in cultural policy in Guyana, and the latter for suggesting that the Minister seek to engage me as a resource person going forward.

The Minister is reported as saying, in reference to his failure to consult with yours truly, that: “When we started out…he was invited to attend these meetings and he never did and not only did he not attend but what he went on to do was to try to dissuade persons who wanted to bring their work and to have their work published.”

This is of course false – I attended every meeting that I was invited to on the Caribbean Press and ended up hosting one when the Minister failed to keep his promise to provide a venue.

On the issue of my attempting to dissuade writers, I answered Caribbean Press Editor, Dr. David Dabydeen and Reverend Gideon Cecil on that attempt at misdirection, after which they both fell silent, yet the Minister curiously and clearly desperately tried to use this

as a defence on his failure to consult with me on the issues I’ve raised. If he wants, I can make public the e-mails requesting an audience that were sent to his Permanent Secretary, Alfred King as well as Dr. Dabydeen last year, offering the Minister a chance to work to salvage the Press.

Now, the following e-mail was sent Wednesday afternoon, along with the documents referred to therein, to PS King, and was carbon-copied to Director of Culture, Dr. James Rose as well as members of the parliamentary opposition: “In the interest of moving forward, I will attribute the Minister of Culture’s unfortunate and eminently rebuttable claims in Parliament that I have been unwilling to engage the Ministry to poor communication skills on my part in not making my intentions as clear as possible.

I believe that my facilitation of Guyana Prize workshops last year, my selfsponsored participation at CARIFESTA XI, and my uninvited participation in the Creative Industries consultation of last month would negate the Minister’s unfortunate position - with regard to the latter, I’ve attached the group presentation I constructed and presented at the consultation. I will also accept as unfortunate error on his part the claim that I have discouraged writers to submit to the Caribbean Press, considering I have records in my e-mails that would directly contradict that claim.

I will focus instead on, and accept as sincere, his on-therecord willingness to engage all interested and qualified persons, yours truly included, in shaping a proper cultural

policy environment, unless of course I misheard the good Minister.

My primary objectives for engaging the Ministry are: 1) The way forward in crafting and enabling a functional National Cultural Policy, inclusive of a comprehensive policy on Intellectual Property, as well as a Creative Industries Development Action Plan.

This would be in keeping with the Ministry’s indicators for the current budgetary year.

2) The exploration of the establishment of a structured and semi-autonomous committee to run the Sports and Arts Development Fund.

3) Review of the way forward with regard to the Caribbean Press so that it functions as a mechanism to a) develop the capacity of local writers, b) publish their work to as wide an audience as possible and, c) serve as an investment vehicle for the eventual development of a local/regional publication industry. This includes the establishment of two functioning boards, one Editorial and one Management.

4) The facilitation of writing workshops at various levels, and both within and outside of the formal education system. The Minister’s information on the workshops held last year was apparently skewed towards the unadvertised, invitationonly Gaiutra Bahadur workshop, as opposed to the well received and attended drama/fiction and poetry writing workshops. I’ve attached both the advertisement and registration list for the sessions I conducted pro bono in January of last year.

5) An open and transparent process in the (Continued on page 31)

Guard against elements who seek to divide us along ethnic lines DEAR EDITOR, Social facts are facts that exist in the minds and consciousness of people, regardless of how others may try to ignore them. These need not be facts that could be tested empirically but to the extent that people believe that they exist to that extent they are ‘factual’.

A good example of a social fact is the belief in the supernatural. There are so many people who would laugh at you if you deny the existence of evil spirits.

Almost everyone could recount some experience in life which is so bizarre that it often defy rational or scientific explanation.

The same can be said for religious beliefs. No one can prove scientifically the existence of a Heavenly Father, or of some divine being. Yet millions of people believe in the existence of a supreme being and billions of dollars are spent to construct places of worship and to pay the salaries of those engaged in spiritual and religious work.

This is why it is important to separate religion from the state. Our Constitution allows for full separation between the state and religion. The state in Guyana is secular which means that there is no state sponsored religion.

People are free to believe or

not to believe in religion and no one is discriminated on the grounds of religion or ethnicity.

This puts our country on par with the more advanced democracies of the world where there is political and cultural pluralism. Our religious festivals have become widely embraced by peoples of all religious and ideological persuasions. We all take or children and grandchildren to fly kites at the sea wall and other open spaces even though the religious significance of the festival may not be known or embraced by everyone. The same is true of other religious festivals such as Christmas, Phagwah, Diwali, Eid ul Fitr and Youman Nabi which are observed by Christians, Hindus and Muslims respectively.

We are a tolerant society.

The same cannot be said of many other countries where there are great hostility against people who do not share the same religious beliefs or who are perceived to be culturally different. We all remember what took place in Germany during the period when Adolf Hitler ruled Germany. It remains until this day the greatest man made tragedy that ever took place in the annals of recorded history in terms of the

magnitude of deaths that took place in the name of preserving the so-called ‘master race.’

Millions of Jews and other Slavic populations were wiped out by the Hitler killing machines not to mention the tens of thousands more who were tortured and killed in gas chambers because they did not belong to the ‘master race’.

The truth is that there is no such thing as a ‘master’ race or a ‘master ‘religion.

Anyone who advocates such thinking is either mentally deranged or outright xenophobic. Such people are dangerous and ought to be placed behind bars for their entire life.

History is replete of examples where innocent people were made to suffer at the hands of evil men who under the guise of religion or race have committed some of the most heinous against their fellow men. The Rwanda massacre which took the lives of close to a million people is still fresh in the minds of people worldwide. The same (Continued on page 31)

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Friday April 18, 2014

Five alleged kidnappers remanded - Lawyers claim police beatings for confessions, name officers

Dead: Rajendra Singh

NO. 1 Accused: Doonauth Ketwaroo

NO. 2 Accused: Tony Thomas

NO. 3 Accused: Michael Lewis

NO. 4 Accused: Adony James

NO. 5 Accused: Sheldon Chase

By Latoya Giles and Sunita Samaroo

McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. They were not required to enter pleas since the offence is indictable.

Attorney James Bond, who represented Tony Thomas, made allegations of severe beating by the investigating ranks.

According to Bond, his client was dragged from his home last Friday and taken into custody. The lawyer alleged that Thomas received a severe beating at the hands of the lawmen to confess to a crime of which he has no knowledge.

Bond went on to tell the court that the ranks could be identified.

“Your worship I’m instructed by my client that it

was Corporal (name given) and Inspector (name given) who inflicted the beating,” Bond told the court.

The lawyer went on to give the court details of the beating.

“I’m again instructed by my client that a plastic bag was placed over his head and he was struck with an object” Bond said.

The lawyer also made allegations of his client not hearing from his right ear, to which he asked the court to ensure that the man is given a medical and the report be forwarded to him.

He noted that Thomas had no previous antecedents and has an alibi.

“My client is not part of a gang” the lawyer told court

before asking for an early trial date. Attorney Gordon Gilhuys echoed some of the same sentiments as Bond.

According to Gilhuys, his two clients, Ketwaroo and Lewis, were both beaten by the police.

The lawyer told the court that he had visited Ketwaroo on Tuesday at the Vigilance Police Station. Gilhuys said that his client told him that he suffered a “blackout” due to the severe beating that was inflicted on him by the police.

“Senior officers (names provided), I’m instructed, were the ones who inflicted the beating on my client,” Gilhuys told the court.

Gilhuys further stated that plastic bags were placed over his client’s head before he was forced to sign a confession statement.

According to the lawyer, he made a complaint to a cadet officer who was on duty.

Gilhuys said that he had made a request to the police to have his client examined by a medical doctor. The lawyer said that the request was fulfilled, but he needed a copy of that report by the doctor.

Gilhuys went on to state

that on April 14, he visited his other client, Lewis, at the Beterverwagting Police Station. The lawyer said that Lewis had injuries to the head and he had made the request to have him looked at by a medical doctor. Gilhuys sought to seek the court’s intervention in this regard.

Attorney Sidella Ferrell, who appeared in association with Trenton Lake, represented Adony James.

According to Ferrell, she was instructed by her client that he was beaten by the police while in custody. She said that James has vehemently denied any involvement.

The fifth accused, Sheldon Chase, was unrepresented.

Police Prosecutor Steven Telford asked the court for report and fixture. He said that there are about 31 witnesses listed by the prosecution.

Telford also asked the court to note that there were no visible injuries to any of the defendants.

However all the lawyers in response to Telford’s statement, said that not because there aren’t any visible injuries, means they do not exist. The magistrate

Five men accused of murdering businessman Rajendra Singh, who was kidnapped on April 5, last and later found dead in Le Repentir Cemetery, were yesterday remanded.

It is alleged that the men Adony James, 31, of Roxanne Burnham Gardens; Sheldon Chase, 34, a miner, of Pike Street, Kitty; Doodnauth Ketwaroo called “Pumpkin”, 27, of Good Hope, ECD; Tony Thomas, 27, of Bel Air, and Michael Lewis called “Jet Li”, 37, of Sheriff Street, between April 5 and April 9, murdered Rajendra Singh.

The men all appeared before Magistrate Ann

subsequently granted the application for the Ketwaroo, Thomas, Lewis and James to be seen and examined by a doctor.

The matter is expected to be called on May 21.

On April 5 last Singh, his wife Heema, and two employees were about to close his business to go home when two men, while pretending to be purchasers of auto spares, approached them.

They then held their victims at gunpoint, before bundling the businessman into the trunk of his Toyota Ist and driving away.

The vehicle was found abandoned at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara.

Investigators suspected that the kidnappers might be East Coast Demerara residents, particularly since Singh’s car was found not far from where they had focused their attention.

A caller claiming to be one of the kidnappers had instructed relatives of the auto spares dealer to hand over $50M on April 5 - the same day that he was abducted.

They subsequently changed their demand to $25M. Singh was allowed to speak to his wife on April 6 and again on April 7, while demanding the video recording from the CCTV cameras that are mounted around the auto dealer’s business place. Singh was later found dead on April 9.

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

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There should be a national strategy Linden municipal bus park turns shopping mall on fathering - Dr. Faith Harding

One store takes up half of the park with its display of goods covered with tarpaulins Despite numerous concerns raised by citizens of Linden about the erection of two stores in the Linden Municipal Bus Park, the construction is continuing.

So the big question now is “Who is in charge?” It seems as if the owners of the stores are.

With the erection of the structures in the park, the exit is blocked. The entrance is also used as the exit and this sometimes causes a build-up of traffic on the main road.

Even the bus park is congested, especially in the mornings when buses plying the Linden/Kwakwani route are in it, along with the Linden/Georgetown buses.

A Regional Democratic Councillor said the erection of the two buildings in the park is a sore point and it was brought up in the last statutory meeting again because it was referred to the Local Government committee, and the Chairman of that committee did not bring up the issue.

“It is always pushed to the back burner.’

He also stated that the Mayor and Town Council is solely responsible for the

park. The councillor, who asked that his name be withheld, said two other vendors wrote for permission to build similar structures and their application was denied, and he wonders why these two were given permission.

One store takes up half of the park with its display of goods covered with tarpaulins.

According to one driver, the erection of such structures on the park is not in keeping with the by-laws.

“How de Town Council could give dem permission, I don’t know. Look, he (store owner) tek over half de park

and you can’t even go near he thing if you backing up.

Dat is not wha dis park fuh. I believe somebody at Town Council getting pay.”

Vendors are asking why others are being harassed and taken to court for selling on council’s reserve on the grounds that they are obstructing passersby, yet these two massive structures are obstructing the free flow of traffic in and out of the park without any consequences.

Residents are asking the relevant authorities to look into this matter expeditiously.

(Jacquey Bourne)

It is said that a father is a girl’s first love and a son’s first hero, and Dr. Faith Harding, representing ‘The Quick Impact Project’ is of the opinion that there should be a national strategy to address the roles of fathers in societies today.

She was at the time joining several women groups protesting outside of Parliament Building, calling on politicians to put more effort into addressing issues affecting women.

Dr. Harding, who is also a counselor, told Kaieteur News that oftentimes, men are not fulfilling their roles as fathers, leaving women to juggle the duties of both a mother and father.

“The men get away from the women, and leave the women to carry the babies and produce them for these men who are not taking up the needed fathering roles. We need a national project or strategy to get them to understand their roles and responsibilities.”

She said that while the presence of a mother is vital, children also need their fathers, since fathers play a very important role.

“We know it historically that the fathers are important to a girl child…and how can we forget that boys need proper role models?”

Dr Harding said that fathers need to understand the important roles they play

Dr. Faith Harding in the family, and should be properly briefed on how they should fulfill their responsibilities.

Previously in 2010, a similar call was made by the then Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Clarissa Riehl.

In her capacity as a member of the People’s National Congress Reform, Riehl had called specifically on all religious organisations, private and public sectors employers, and the media to encourage fathers to honour their responsibilities and fulfill their role in the lives of their children.

During an observance activity for Child Protection Week, Riehl had said that society has downplayed the important role of the father in the development of a child’s life.

Meanwhile in 2013, under the theme ‘Role of the father in the lives of their children’, the Winfer Gardens Primary School, hosted a father’s forum. This was well attended and spearheaded by Pastor John Smith. He mentioned that there were four P’s in fathering, “being a Prophet, Priest, Protector and Provider.”

He highlighted that the meaning of father is ‘source’ and that it was the hardest job in the world, noting that no university or school prepares one for fatherhood.

Pastor Smith had explained that fathers need to operate with a view of being effective in moulding and guiding their children, as they play vital roles in the development of their little ones.

A father is looked upon as not only the breadwinner, he stressed, but also the one to impose rules and execute disciplinary measures.

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Prime Minister committed to Caribbean Court of Justice ...The people will decide Trinidad Express - Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar gave her commitment in principle to Trinidad and Tobago’s eventual accession to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its highest court of appeal, even as she declared the ultimate decision will be made by citizens through a national referendum.

Persad-Bissessar said on Tuesday evening at the official opening of the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, that accession is inevitable.

But, she said, in Trinidad and Tobago’s Constitution, the UK-based Privy Council as the country’s highest appellate court is “one of the most entrenched provisions”, which will not allow a simple majority to remove.

“Accession to the CCJ is inevitable, not only for T&T but all of us in the Caribbean.

That is inevitable. The question is always one of when. We’ve had a commission set up for Constitutional Reform and the commissioners have suggested that this should be done only after a referendum from (citizens),” she said. This referendum will not be passed by a simple majority, she added, but by at least two-thirds or even

Kamla: Move to CCJ inevitable

Kamla Persad-Bissessar a three-quarters majority.

Yes, there was pressure on Trinidad and Tobago, she said, but with greatest respect, what is the position of the other Caricom nations?

Persad-Bissessar, who was intended to deliver the feature address at the ceremony, ended up defending Trinidad and Tobago’s stance regarding accession—especially since the seat of the CCJ is located on Henry Street, Port of Spain.

As the final speaker of the night, Persad-Bissessar was obliged to respond to what she called “the elephant in the room”, since almost all the previous speakers— faculty dean Prof Rose-

Marie Belle Antoine, Law Association president Seenath Jairam, and president of the CCJ Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron, all noted in their respective addresses the need for a regional Court of Appeal, particularly because of the high quality of the legal fraternity in the Caribbean.

“Although we train our lawyers on Caribbean soil, we still journey to foreign soil seeking justice. The CCJ is at the apex of three Caribbean countries (Barbados, Belize and Guyana), although the accord for (its) establishment was signed by all twelve (Caricom) countries. All signatories committed to the accession ... determinate of the court in the further development of Caribbean jurisprudence and deepening of the regional integration process.

The CCJ stands ready and willing to fulfil its destined role in the economic development and social stability of the region. It stands as a testament to our ability to govern ourselves and develop a body of jurisprudence reflective of our unique Caribbean morals and values. Accession to the appellate jurisdictional court is the next logical step in the region’s evolution,” Byron said in his address.

Friday April 18, 2014

Replace tax - Gov’t document: GCT on petroleum products could boost export sector Jamaica Gleaner - A GOVERNMENT of Jamaica document has said that Jamaica’s export sector could benefit if Jamaica abandons the policy of charging Special Consumption Tax (SCT) on petroleum products, replacing it instead with General Consumption Tax (GCT).

Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips yesterday may unveil whether the Government is heading in that direction when he opens the 2014-2015 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives. The Govern-ment has already conducted an independent study on the matter, and has engaged the IDB to undertake another study.

At present, GCT does not apply to petroleum, but these products, like tobacco and alcoholic beverages, are subject to SCT. The SCT on petroleum has both specific and ad valorem components, which vary by product.

Jamaica collected $35.7 billion in SCT revenue in 2011-2012.

Information released by the Ministry of Finance under the Access to Information Act (ATI) indicates that if the current SCT regime is replaced with GCT, the “after-tax position of exporters will be improved, as exports are zero-rated under the GCT”.

“By reducing the cost of exports, this could make

Dr Peter Phillips Jamaican goods more competitive in international markets,” information contained in the terms of reference for an IDB consultancy on a study on petroleum reveals.

The terms of reference indicates that the Jamaican Government believes that the proposal for the reform cannot be both price neutral and revenue neutral.

“If the proposed reform is price neutral, it will lose revenue due to the zero-rating of exports under the GCT and credits that would be granted to business using petroleum products as inputs,” the document says.

It added that such approach would lead to increased revenues because GCT would be applied on the markup charged by intermediaries selling petroleum products.

The document claims that if the reform is revenue neutral, final customers will face higher prices, based on data collected by the finance ministry and Tax Administration Jamaica.

“The price effect would thus attenuate potential gains in competitiveness. The authorities also worry that the proposal, if adopted, could increase administrative and compliance cost.” It also said that additional revenue loss could result if distributors and

retailers of petroleum products are non-complaint with the proposed GCT. In the last fiscal-policy paper tabled in Parliament last December, as well as in a supplementary memorandum of economic and financial policies presented to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Government said a study would have been conducted by March 2014 on the scope for imposing GCT on petroleum products. The documents said the conclusions of the study would guide possible implementation in financial year 2014-2015.

A blueprint on tax report, which was laid before Parliament’s tax measures committee earlier this year, revealed that the imposition of GCT on petroleum products, while reducing the rate of SCT, means that “there will be increased cost to the consumer”.

The document, however, pointed out that the SCT is an efficient tax and that there may be no need to impose GCT on petroleum products.

The Jamaican authorities say the current structure of taxation on petroleum has been resulting in economic distortions, even though it maximises tax revenue. The document prepared for the IDB states that petroleum products are used in all economic sectors and the GCT exemption has the effect of breaking the GCT chain.

It noted, for example, that the GCT paid by Petrojam for the purchase of oil is not recovered as GCT input as Petrojam sales are not GCT exempt.

“If petroleum products are included in the GCT net, the GCT chain will be restored and Petrojam will be allowed a credit for the GCT it paid on purchases,” the document said.

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Kaieteur News

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Learning from our tragedies There were two unfortunate incidents that took place this past week that, as a society we should take note of, and commit to ensuring that steps are taken to ensure that these never happen again.

The first incident reflects the heartlessness of certain criminals in our country. It was reported that armed gunmen invaded a “wake” house and robbed the victims of cash, jewellery and cellular phones. This is descent into the lowest of low.

How more heartless can the criminals become, when in the midst of a family grieving over the death of a relative, their “wake” house should be stormed and the mourners robbed of their belongings?

This is the sort of incident that enrages the public. What sort of human being would invade a “wake” house, and rob those sympathizing with the grieving family? All

criminals are to be despised, but it takes a most rotten breed of criminals to add to the misery of persons in mourning by robbing them.

This incident brings back haunting memories of what happened to a crippled pensioner many years ago.

The man was mourning his wife when bandits stormed his house and inflicted a merciless beating on him.

Guyana has a population below 750,000 persons and less than one per cent of these are believed to be engaged in criminal activities.

Why should these scoundrels be allowed to make life miserable for the remaining 99% of the population? It is totally unacceptable that hardworking, innocent citizens cannot feel safe attending a “wake” house, much less to walk the streets unmolested.

The police are attempting at the moment to build good relations in Albouystown, an area that is believed to

harbour many criminals. They had an outreach with the citizens who pledged their support for the police.

The majority of the people of this ward are peace-loving and law-abiding. But there is a minute minority that wishes to continue to smoke dope openly and to receive stolen property emanating from outside of the area.

As such this small minority, oblivious and uncaring about the bad reputation that they are giving to their area, are attempting to bring an end to the police patrols by claiming police harassment. And you can bet that some naïve politicians are going to jump on their bandwagon.

The majority of the people of Albouystown want their area to be improved. Property values are at the lowest in that area because of the public perception about what takes place in that community.

Helping to reduce crime in the area and improving the

Gunman caught trying to enter Albouystown house by ladder The police can now boast that their persistent presence in Albouystown is bearing fruit following the apprehension of an attempted house burglar and the recovery of a firearm.

Significantly, the suspect was arrested unhurt, although he reportedly discharged rounds at the police.

According to the police, at about 11:00 hours on

Wednesday, businessman Rafeek Singh, 35, and his wife Bibiwattie, were alerted to noise at the back of their home at Albouys Street, Albouystown.

On checking, Rafeek Singh was confronted by a man climbing up a ladder in an attempt to gain entry to his home.

Upon seeing him, the man discharged a round, forgetting that police were all

over the area.

The ranks responded to the sound of the gunshot and on approaching the scene, they too reportedly came under fire.

The police, without giving much detail, said that the man was subsequently arrested and an unlicenced .45 Smith and Wesson pistol with five live rounds and three spent shells were recovered.

reputation of Albouystown will increase the value of properties there, while also making life better for residents. With increased security, the businesses community in that area - and there are many small bottomhouse establishments in Albouystown - will do brisk business.

However, those who are who are now no longer able to smoke drugs openly on the roadways or to walks around with ice picks, knives and guns, or to transport stolen property through the area, will try to create animosity with the police, so that the patrols can cease. They must not be allowed to succeed.

The second sad incident that occurred this past week was the death of a four-

month-old child at a day care centre.

This throws into focus the system that we have in relation to maternity leave.

There is no way that any fourmonth-old child should be in a day care centre and there is no way that a sick child should be admitted to such a centre. I am not blaming anyone here, but there needs to be some changes to ensure that something like this does not happen again.

A four-month-old baby should be at home with his or her mom. Instead of three months’ maternity leave, every mother should be entitled to six months leave.

Secondly, every child admitted on a daily basis to a day care centre should be thoroughly examined by

trained medical personnel to determine whether they have any illness.

That child should not have been admitted, even if it was only a cold that he was suffering from, because the virus that led to the cold could have been transmitted to other children.

There needs to be a strengthening of regulations governing day care centres and at the same time, no child below the age of six months should be admitted to such a facility.

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Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

At some point a human has to have decency I was part of a picketing group outside Parliament, last week, that was calling upon the Speaker to ban Priya Manickchand from speaking, unless she directly apologized to Jaipaul Sharma. Walking past the pickets was a lecturer I met at UG, but hadn’t seen since my contract termination at UG on January 2012.

Sukrishnalall Pasha passed directly in front of me, so I stopped him and we ended up chatting for almost forty minutes. UG, of course, was one of the topics. At one point in the conversation, I asked if he had a higher degree. He answered in the affirmative and I enquired about the name of the university. He said it was Manchester School of Economics in the UK. I asked him to look me in the eyes and tell me if in any conceivable way you can compare what you see at that school and what that college has; what that college offers its staff and students, to what the University of Guyana has

and looks like. I will not publish his answer, but move directly to a very important letter that appeared in the Monday edition of the Stabroek News written by someone who signed her name as Hema Persaud.

Captioned, “What a contrast with Jamaica,” the missive describes a trip to Jamaica and how she saw Jamaicans cleaning their country from the parapets to the beaches to the tourist sites.

The writer didn’t state why they were cleaning. I will now.

It isn’t that they are exceptions; it isn’t because they want special treatment; it is because that is how a country should look like. At a picnic site with your family, you put the soda can in the bin so that the Europeans and South Koreans that visit your beach will not think that you are uncivilized.

In Guyana, we are living out a horror tale that if not stopped, then the next generation of this country will not be fit to be part of modern

civilization. We have university lecturers, business people and private tourist officials, among others, who live in Guyana, the dirtiest country in the world, where educational institutions from nursery to tertiary are abominations to look at. Yet these soulless folks praise the work of the central government every day.

I see university lecturers who returned to UG after studying at ultra-modern foreign institutions praising UG, its administration and the Guyana Government. They compliment an institution that is literally dying. What kind of people are these? I see people lauding the government for lifting up tourist standards, when Guyana has no tourist standards and is overrun by rubbish. What kind of humans are they?

Let me say without fear of contradiction – if you bring an ordinary, just an ordinary South Korean or German and just show him two streets in

Georgetown, he is going to demand to be flown out. No country in the Third World looks so sickening.

I am glad that China Central Television (CCTV) is on air. Each day, they have a long section on Africa titled, “Africa Live.” You should see the streets of the countries of the African continent.

Not one capital on that continent comes close to being as nightmarish as Georgetown looks.

Every day businessmen in Guyana heap monumental panegyrics on the PPP Government, a government that has been in power for 22 years, yet no public school has a clean toilet (not one); no public gallery has a clean bench to sit on; the less said about the resources of UG the better; there isn’t a clean, modern office in any police

station, including Eve Leary and Brickdam.

The two Chinese ferries have been in Guyana about two years now, but I am betting anyone that those toilets have become unbearably stink All Guyanese should read Hema Persaud’s letter. It is yet another reminder that no young Guyanese that sets foot out of this country is going to come back. None is going to return, because when they make the comparison, they see a juxtaposition of a modern world and a rotting hell hole.

What do people apart from the ‘Bajans’ and Trinidadians who scorn us, say about a nation that can watch their country in such a mess yet be so shameless in their applause for a government that has not

Frederick Kissoon performed at all? What do you call these people prostitutes, slaves, lost souls, sickening opportunists?

But surely, a saturation point must come when you say, “I can’t take this anymore”. Where are the children of these soulless prostitutes, these decayed humans, these semi-civilized citizens? Don’t these children have any sense of decency so that they can caution their parents?

Dem boys seh...

Cane cutter gun strike next when ants bite dem Today is de holiday call Good Friday.

That is de day when some people in de world mourning. That is de day when some of dem does pray fuh things to happen.

Dem boys praying fuh de Lunch Man. He talk how he sick and he moving closer to de Creatah.

He promise dem boys that de few more morning he got on earth he gun only talk de truth. He start fuh repent, and one of de things he seh is that he regret how much he lie fuh de previous president. Then he lie fuh Bobby and Brazzy. Now he repenting, and this happening in Holy Week.

But that is not de only thing that ketch dem boys eye and ears this week. De other Bar Rat at GPL seh that he want 10,000 pole.

Dem boys find out that he ain’t want dem fuh GPL. When de newspaper report that he want 10,000 pole, dem boys seh was a slip of de tongue. Really, he was looking fuh a 10-inch pole fuh de fat crook.

He and Jagdeo did tell de nation how dem gun modernise de sugar industry. Then dem seh how dem spend over US$200 million pun de Skeldon factory. That amount of money that dem spend pun one factory alone mek dem cane cutter believe that dem didn’t have to go in de cane field fuh cut cane. Dem believe that dem gun fly in plane fuh chop

cane. Jagdeo and Brazzy lead dem cane cutter up a gum tree.

Dem boys know this when a snake bite one of dem cane cutter in de field. He was de one who holler and seh that he didn’t believe that he had to go back in de cane field by foot. He call pun dem sugar worker fuh strike and dem strike. Dem cane cutter also believe that all de money wha dem seh dem spend woulda get rid of every dangerous reptile, including that same snake wha bite that cane cutter.

Dem boys seh laugh is laugh and fun is fun. Dem cane cutter want some good lash.

Cane cutters of all people striking because a snake bite one of dem colleague.

That is like a school teacher shutting down de entire school because chalk get in she eye, or a newspaper pressman get vex because ink touch he finger.

Dem boys seh that fuh too long de politicians treat dem cane cutter like babies.

Dem boys don’t need dem. Is de politicians that need dem fuh dem vote.

De politicians got to get serious wid dem cane cutter, because de next thing you gun hear is that de entire sugar industry shut down because a few ants bite one of dem pun he li’l toe.

Talk half and tell Bar Rat that dem boys got de 10-inch pole wha he looking for. And dem boys got a lot.

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Sale of Easter spots will be reversed, if unauthorised - Minister

By Zena Henry Town Clerk Carol Sooba might have to return monies collected for the purchase of spots on the seawall for the Easter holiday activities, since Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker says he is prepared to have the Town Clerk withdraw the initiative if it is found that she is selling the space without the permission of City Hall.

Whittaker told media operatives during a press conference yesterday that he is unaware that Sooba had been selling the seawall spots, and the little he knew about the issue was that which was published in the media.

He said that no complaint has come to his office from the Mayor or any Councillor, but if it is found that the Town Clerk is selling spots, and against the consent of the Council, the ongoing sale will have to cease.

“I have learnt that it is not a Council decision. In that respect, our intention is to engage the Town Clerk on the matter, but for now I am guided by what is in the press.

If it is not a Council decision, we will be engaging the Town Clerk to find out whether what

Minister within the Local Govt. Ministry Norman Whittaker was reflected in the press is true, and if it is correct, then we will ask the Town Clerk to reverse that decision.”

The Minister was also asked whether moves would be made to have Sooba reverse several other decisions which were not approved by the Council. He stated that the Town Clerk

does not have to wait on a Statutory meeting to make certain administrative decisions.

When asked about the Town Clerk’s unauthorized decisions to use $500,000 of Council’s money; and to fire solid waste contractors without the Council’s permission among other things, Whittaker pointed out that, “there are certain administrative decisions, for example, an REO does not have to wait for the RDC to have a Council meeting before he takes certain decisions...

It’s the same thing... So there are certain decisions that, administratively, the Town Clerk can make.”

In relation to a statement made by the Town Clerk (ag) which was felt to be “offensive and blasphemous”

by Christians, Minister Whittaker said that he is unaware of any such information.

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At a press conference on Tuesday, the Town Clerk stated, “Now… the most modern…thing that I’ve seen in the news is that ‘oh it’s a Christian holiday’…and the Council wants to have the Christians and others celebrate so that we should not sell spots…That’s the newest one we have to deal with.

Well, all the people should wear their long gowns, the Christians with their Bible, and go out to those spots and fly their kites and resurrect Jesus Christ.”

Minister Whittaker said he could not comment on that because he is unaware that that would have been said by the Town Clerk. “I don’t know that she said that,” the Minister stated.

However, Mayor Hamilton Green and the

majority of Councillors remain firm that no permission was given for the sale of spots on the seawall for Easter Monday. The Mayor had expressed anger at the Town Clerk taking it upon herself to charge persons for commercial and recreational activities during the religious holiday.

He said that the sale would not be authorized and warned citizens on Tuesday, “not to pay one cent” for the use of the seawall between the Bandstand and UG Road.

Sooba had stated however that the sale of spots commenced three weeks ago and would end tomorrow.

The Council is again faced with this scenario, since in February they had to speak out against exorbitant prices for Mashramani spots.

Although the Town Clerk was

Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba successful in raising more money than the previous year, several major companies declined to purchase spots this year.

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Kaieteur News

Dr. Luncheon returns to office - says stricken with gastrointestinal cancer After spending about two months at home “recuperating”, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon has returned to work at the Office of the President. It was revealed that his workload would be scaled back while assisting to build the capacity of an understudy.

In a seemingly pleasant mood, Dr. Luncheon revealed to media operatives during yesterday’s postCabinet press briefing that he has gastrointestinal cancer.

According to research, gastrointestinal cancer is referred to malignant conditions of the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs of digestion, including the esophagus, stomach and biliary system.

While hesitating to use the word “convalescing”, Dr. Luncheon said he concedes there was some element of convalescence for him to be back at work. Even though his health has deteriorated, he has taken the approach not to do anything of “an interventionist nature”.

He made it clear that “the vintage Luncheon has not returned to work”, and as such the workload and length of time have reduced. He reflected that in 2012 he was

Friday April 18, 2014

E.B.D Public Road four-lane expansion…

Who is really responsible for installing the concrete drains?

Concrete drains (at left of photo) installed on the western carriageway in Lot Two

Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon, forced to stay away from work for about two to three months due to illness.

With his usual sense of humour, Dr. Luncheon said this is his second strike with death and though he is no gambler, “you know they say three times you are out.”

He believes that any sensible administration would be looking for a replacement owing to the responsibilities shouldered by him. Capacity building of a possible replacement is ongoing to allow transition.

He thanked everyone for their support and assured those present of his love for Guyana.

Cabinet recently gave its no-objection to the award of contracts for the construction of reinforced concrete drains from Prospect to Diamond, even though contractors executing works in the said stretch are responsible for already installing concrete drains.

Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon, during yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, stated that the reinforced concrete drains will be installed as supporting infrastructure for the fourlane highway. According to a source, contractors Gaico Construction and BK International are responsible for Lots Two and Three, respectively. And their contracts provide for the construction of drains.

The source noted that the contractors are installing concrete drains and the evidence is there. It was

pointed out that road works have been held up at the ‘high bridge’ area near Demerara Distillers Limited, because the drains are yet to be installed.

“If the drain is not constructed before the road, sand and other building materials would wash away,” the source said. According to Dr. Luncheon, “the reinforced concrete drains will be installed in Lots Two and Three, from Prospect to Diamond ‘high bridge’, and from Diamond ‘high bridge’ to Diamond Housing Scheme entrance respectively”. The contract to install the drains in Lot Two is expected to cost almost US$700,000 and the Lot Three contract is valued at approximately US$400,000.

According to Dr. Luncheon, the contracts awarded to GAICO Construction and BK International did not cater for the installation of the

concrete drains. He said the contractors are not obligated to install the drains once they are not provided for in the contracts. He stressed that the drains are independent of the actual construction of the four-lane expansion but represent a support infrastructure that carries a separate cost.

When questioned, he conceded that the construction of the drains could be and should be part of the construction of the road.

He however emphasized, “This is not an uncommon practice to have certain maturation in the execution of the project dealing with the road itself and then you bring in the drain to support drainage requirements.”

In April 2013, the Ministry of Public Works had confirmed that the cost for the road-widening project had increased due to design

modifications. Apparently, the original design provided that the Providence to Diamond road be constructed with earthen drains, but the engineers later decided that concrete drains would be a better option, though there will still be earthen drains in certain sections.

According to an engineer, other modifications were also included in the contracts.

And, these have been finalized in Lots Two and Three. Lot Two was awarded to Gaico Construction to the tune of US$5,802,640.

However, with the adjustments to the design, the contract may cost an additional US$800,000.

Meanwhile, BK International’s original contract sum was US$3,444,060.

The modifications in this section are costing Government approximately US$800,000, the engineer said.

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 13

$37.4B budget slash blocks governmental mismanagement - APNU A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) says that its slashing of the 2014 budget was to prevent governmental mismanagement.

The combined Opposition cut $37.4B from the $220B budget.

The coalition asserts that if that action was not taken, it would have led to severe damage to the country’s economy.

This was explained to media operatives yesterday at the coalition’s headquarters on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, by APNU’s leader Brigadier David Granger, its Chief Financial Spokesman, Carl Greenidge, and Shadow Minister of Local Government, Ronald Bulkan, Granger in his opening remarks said that APNU has exercised careful and diligent scrutiny of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration’s Estimates of Current and Capital Revenue and Expenditure for the Public Sector for 2014. And after careful deliberation and debate, it disagreed with several proposals which could have led to “ g o v e r n m e n t a l mismanagement of the

Ronald Bulkan MP

Carl Greenidge MP

economy”.

While it approved the majority of provisions, Granger said that the Partnership was opposed to those programmes which had the potential to do harm to the system. The five programmes which met with firm disapproval by APNU included Office of the President: Programme 011 (Current) - $1,355,928,000, Office of the President: Programme 011 (Capital) $3,846,901,000, Ministry of Finance: Programme 031 (Capital) - $22,284,231,000 and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs: Programme 161 (Current) -$1,142,500,000.

He noted as well that

agencies such as the Government Information Agency (GINA) and the National Communications Network (NCN) and projects such as the Specialty Hospital, the CJIA Expansion Project and the Amaila Falls Hydro Project would be affected by the decision of the combined opposition. “ C o n s i d e r i n g government’s failure to provide sufficient details on the projects combined with the fact that the 2014 budget did not adequately provide public sector funding for the economic development, education, employment, physical infrastructure, social protection and public security

Father of four remanded for cocaine in mail A car parts importer was yesterday afternoon indicted for drug trafficking following the discovery of cocaine in a mail bag at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) a few days ago.

Niron Wilson, 35, was charged with possession of a narcotic for the purpose of trafficking.

He appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The charge states that between April 9 and April 11 at the Guyana Post Office Corporation, on Robb Street, he trafficked 647 grams of cocaine.

The accused pleaded not guilty and submitted an application for bail through his lawyer, Madan Kissoon.

Kissoon informed the court that his client is a businessman who imports car parts. He said that he is a father of four – two 17-yearolds and a 12 and 13-year-old.

Kissoon told the court that Wilson who resides at 38 North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, has never been charged or placed before any court. He said that his client has a valid passport and is

Accused Drug Trafficker: Niron Wilson willing to abide by any term or condition the court deems necessary for bail.

According to the lawyer, his client was detained on Monday by an investigating rank along with Clive David who had already been arraigned on Wednesday.

“Your worship, it was on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day that they sought to have him charged.”

Kissoon argued that as it relates to special circumstances for bail “no narcotic was ever found or

has ever been in the possession of my client.”

His application, however, was met with sharp objections from the Prosecution (spearheaded by Corporal Deniro Jones) who opined that based on their facts, no special reasons were raised by the defence counsel for Wilson to be granted bail.

Jones indicated that the defendant was positively identified by Clive David who indicated to the police that Wilson had “given him the envelope to pass.”

“Further investigations were conducted and the handwriting on the envelopes was sent for analysis and it proved to be the defendant’s handwriting.” This, the Prosecutor claimed, showed his knowledge of the substance.

However, the defence attorney sprung to his feet vehemently arguing that it does not show possession.

“The offence is not writing on an envelope. At no point was this substance found in my client’s possession,” he contended.

Magistrate McLennan upheld the objections put (Continued on page 14)

of the country, APNU had no choice but to disapprove of certain budgetary allocations.”

Bulkan, who also serves as the Partnership’s Regional Development spokesman, reminded during his presentation that the 2014 budget was fashioned without consultations with the Opposition. This, he said, was an unwise move. He reminded that the budget debates highlighted the absence of consensus on key projects.

As it relates to the Amerindian Development Fund, he made it clear that the Partnership is not against the $1B provision or even one that is greater.

“We are not against their development either, but we are opposed to misappropriation. When we examine the details, $798M of the money allocated was to be provided for a monthly stipend to youths. But reports from throughout the hinterland show that the money was not being spent for its intended purpose (career development) but

rather used to introduce politics into the community.”

He said that he was disappointed that the Amerindian youths were manipulated and brought to protest within the vicinity of the Parliament.

Greenidge also informed that the Opposition had concerns with regard to monies that were spent without the approval of the National Assembly. The Former Finance Minister said that the Partnership was also concerned about certain allocations which included no clear details or justification in the budget.

He said that government also undertook an approach to undermine and embarrass them. He explained that government placed 14 items under one heading but “there was a trick”.

Greenidge explained to members of the media that within those 14 items there would be about one or two projects that the government is aware the Opposition disapproves of and have cut the provisions for them in previous years. Those

Opposition Leader David Granger controversial projects were placed between several other projects which both sides of the House agreed to be important.

Greenidge said that government after doing that then dared the opposition to cut it. The politician said that the combined opposition had no choice but to disapprove of the programmes altogether.

He reminded that had this course of action not been taken, the country’s economy without a doubt would be open to “colossal mismanagement”.

Page 14

Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

Aviation funding could be restored under supplementary appropriation - Ramjattan

By Zena Henry While funding to improve the country’s local aviation sector is pivotal and necessary, leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan has pointed out that since the legal decision of Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang does not permit opposition members to oppose individual items they believe are unnecessary for the country, other items bundled in the package are falling victim to the opposition’s scissors.

Speaking specifically to the cuts suffered by the

aviation sector, Ramjattan said that funds in that area were severed as a result of being under the same heading as the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) extension project - one that the opposition has opposed from the inception. The CJIA project attracted more than $6B to be expended on the upgrade, expansion and modernization works, while $235M is allocated for the rehabilitation of hinterland airstrips.

Ramjattan used the cuts to the Office of the President to explain that since allocations to the National

Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA) were “bundled up with the OP”, the office suffered cuts.

It is in that light, he said, the local aviation sector suffered as a result of the cuts. He added, however, that should those items which were cut as a result of the other unwanted items it was bundled with be returned under the supplementary appropriation to the National Assembly, “then we will vote for it.”

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Finance point man Carl Greenidge also explained that items were cut

Father of four remanded...

(From page 13) forward by the Prosecution and remanded Wilson.

The case will be called again on May 19 at the said court before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-

Beharry.

Based on reports, Police Narcotics Branch ranks were conducting a routine search when the illegal substance was unearthed in several envelopes in a mail bag.

The bag was about to be loaded onto a Caribbean Airlines flight bound for John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

On Monday last customs officer Clive David was taken into police custody following a thorough investigation into the drug bust.

Wilson was later fingered in connection with the drug bust.

from the sector since they were placed with items that the opposition did not believe are immediately beneficial to the country. He echoed the opinion that according to the CJ’s High Court ruling, the opposition is unable to cut line items from a sector, thus making it unavoidable that the whole sector has to be voted down. This is what occurred with the local aviation, the publication was told.

APNU’s Shadow Minister of Public Works and Hydraulics, Joseph Harmon, had urged also that the allocation toward local aviation is grossly insufficient. He said at the time that there were great expectations for debates over what has been allocated for the “growing” domestic air services sector.

Harmon was adamant that the whole sector needs to be reviewed, especially in the areas of oversight, safety and security. The Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) is however peeved at the sums being voted down for the sector. It is also upset at the sum which was allocated for the local service,

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan especially since it had presented a five-part proposal for the government’s consideration that was also accepted by the National Competitive Strategy Council.

The Association’s members in a joint statement said they felt disappointed that the recommendations which were urged by the Industry for the sector’s development received minimal recognition.

Among the issues raised was the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Civil Aviation Authority in

order to achieve and maintain a Category One US FAA/ IASA status, which would allow direct flights from the country. The AOAG had also called for the implementing of recommendations for development, and accommodating larger aircraft and sufficient budgetary funding to support an efficient maintenance and rehabilitation programme.

The AOAG proposed $1.5B to improve the interior airstrips since they claimed that not only are the landing grounds pivotal to get to certain areas, but it will also determine which aircraft will go to those areas, since poor conditions create unsafe circumstances and affect the function of planes.

Opposition members have stated continuously that they do not believe Guyana is ready for the lavish spending that is taking place at the CJIA, and that the country’s tourism growth does not coincide with the project.

They have urged for additional consideration to the local aviation sector, while suggesting gradual development for the international airport.

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 15

GPHC nurses receive training in Palliative Care

Ann Read (centre, left) and Jan Smith (centre, right) flanked by nurses at the GPHC By the end of July, some 70 nurses from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) will complete training in Palliative care.

Palliative care is medical care for people suffering from serious and chronic illnesses such as cancer, cardiac diseases including congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney failure, and many more.

Palliative care focuses on symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and depression. It also helps you gain the strength to carry on with daily life. The goal is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and their family.

Spearheading the threemonth programme is Ann Read, a retired palliative care nurse from the United

Kingdom and her colleague, Jan Smith, a clinical nurse specialized in palliative care.

According to Read, three years ago, she came to Guyana and spent nine months training nurses from the GPHC on palliative care.

She added that she has returned to do the same with the help of her colleague and best friend, Smith.

“I have decided to come to this hospital because it is a major health institution, and if we can establish a system of palliative care here, it can be spread to other hospitals,” Read stressed.

She further revealed that next Tuesday she will be speaking to a group of doctors on palliative care for one hour.

Apart from the training, Jan Smith handed over several text books on palliative care to the Georgetown Medical Library, located in the GPHC’s

compound.

“I am a retired nurse with a Master of Palliative Care degree, so I have a lot of text books and I have decided to bring them out because I am no longer using them, and this hospital is very short on resources on palliative care,” Smith noted.

She added that once she returns home, she will gather a few more of her old text books and send them to the GPHC so that doctors and nurses can use them to the fullest. “I am also planning to get some books from my colleagues as well to send here,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the GPHC, Owen John, the Assistant Director for Nursing Services thanked the duo for their contribution and taking the time out of their busy schedule to offer such timely and much needed training to the nurses at the hospital.

Two teenagers who were recently nabbed by publicspirited citizens in response to the cries of a Royal Castle delivery man, yesterday faced two armed robbery charges when they appeared before a city Magistrate.

Akeem Hatton, 18, and Roger King, 17, are the two who were handed over to the police shortly after they allegedly mugged a Royal Castle Delivery man on Tuesday last (April 15).

At the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, they jointly faced two counts of armed robbery.

The charges, which were read to them by Magistrate Ann McLennan, alleged that in Georgetown on April 15, armed with a knife, they robbed Derek Jones of his $45,000 BlackBerry cellular phone as well as Royal Castle’s $8,300 delivery bag and $50,860 in cash.

King, a Regent Street Store bond clerk and Hatton, a mason, were not called upon

to enter pleas to the charges as they were laid indictably.

Both submitted bail applications. Representing King was Attorney Madan Kissoon, who told the court that his client resides at 749 Sixth Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, and has never been convicted by any court.

Kissoon claimed that no item was found on his client during police investigations.

He argued that King posed no flight risk to the court, since he is not in the possession of a passport. He said that his client is willing to abide by any condition the court deems necessary for bail.

Furthering his application, the lawyer beseeched the court to consider King’s age and be lenient with him by granting bail in a reasonable sum.

Hatton who was unrepresented by legal counsel told the court that he resides at 237 Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown.

Their applications, however, were met with sharp objections from the Prosecution. Corporal Deniro Jones contended that the nature, gravity, as well as prevalence of the offence were sufficient grounds for the accused to be denied their pre-trial liberty. He said too that the address King provided to the court differed from that he had previously given to the police.

The Prosecutor stated that the items were recovered, inclusive of the victim’s cellular phone, by publicspirited citizens who apprehended them and handed them over to the police. Notwithstanding the applications by the defence, Magistrate McLennan upheld the objections submitted by the Prosecution and remanded the accused.

They are scheduled to appear before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry at the said court on May 23.

Accused teens remanded for delivery man robbery

Jan Smith (left) hands over a book to Nicholas Corbin, Training and Development Manager at the GPHC

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

Businessman fatally shoots squatter during altercation Errol Lindo’s house that was dismantled

Some of the protesting residents yesterday What remains of the businessman’s car

An overseas-based businessman is now in custody following the shooting to death of a man whom he claimed was an intruder and was squatting on his land. Dead is Errol Lindo, 52, of High Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, Caracas, West Canje, Berbice.

According to reports the businessman, Charles Henry called ‘Wheels’ or Charles Bristol, a former national volleyball player, claims ownership to a vast piece of land situated in the High Dam, Caracas area aback of Angoy’s Avenue.

Henry has for years been having many problems with a number of persons who have been squatting on the land and have been refusing to remove, despite many court orders and notices of removal.

According to residents, one such person, Errol Lindo, has been living on the land for over 20 years and has been refusing to move. His

(Lindo’s) house was well furnished and was locked up for a number of months.

According to residents, Lindo was known to the authorities and had abandoned the house for about two months and was living in Black Bush Polder with his relatives.

Around 11:00 hrs on Wednesday last, Henry arrived at the location in his car PGG 4048 with some men and started to dismantle the house. Residents in the area telephoned Lindo’s sister, who arrived some time after, and an altercation ensued between her, the land owner and the men demolishing the house.

A phone called was made to Lindo. He arrived at the premises around 17:00 hrs and proceeded into the yard which was being occupied by Henry and his workmen. An altercation ensued between the men, during which time residents stated that they

heard what sounded like three gunshots and Lindo fell to the ground. The police were summoned and arrived at the location within minutes.

The critically injured man was picked up by the police and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was admitted for emergency treatment. He succumbed around 20:45 hrs.

In the meantime, Henry and his workmen were confronted by a hostile crowd that had gathered at the scene.

The men fled and Henry took refuge at a nearby residence.

In the interim, the angry residents set fire to the man’s car, a silver grey Toyota Carina 192 bearing registration number PGG 4048. He was rescued by the lawmen, who had to call for reinforcements as the crowd got more hostile. The fire service was also summoned to extinguish the fire on the car which by then was completely burnt. The car was

also turned overturned.

Henry was taken into custody and his firearm was lodged.

However, Henry, who it is understood has retained the services of two prominent attorneys, and his workmen, are giving a different account of what took place.

He is claiming that he is the Power of Attorney for the land which is owned by his family. He also stated that he was granted an injunction

against the squatters to have them removed. He is also alleging that he was first attacked and threatened by Lindo’s sister who approached with a cutlass in a hostile manner.

The businessman is claiming that when Lindo arrived he was engaged with somebody else and the man attacked him with an axe. He said his workmen called out to him just in time to watch out. He said he spun around and saw the man approaching him with the weapon. He immediately fired a shot which hit the man who was still advancing towards him. He was in a corner and could do nothing else than to fire twice more.

He said he was seeking assistance to put the wounded man in his car to take him to the hospital when “the crowd got out of hand”.

Yesterday, as a result of the shooting, residents in the area staged a protest through the streets of New Amsterdam calling for justice.

They stopped at the Central Police Station, and in front of the man’s business place, Bristol’s Mini Mall.

Investigations are continuing. Errol Lindo was fingered in the disappearance of seven months pregnant neighbourhood policewoman, Gould Marcell Amsterdam called ‘Massa’, 37, a mother of three.

The woman who lived with her three children in a two-bedroom cottage at Caracas, Vryheid, West Canje, disappeared last year and has not been seen or heard from since.

Lindo, who it is reported was the father of one of her children, was taken into custody for a number of days.

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 25

$1.1B was for propaganda, not development From page 23 make promises to the Amerindians regarding the settlement of the matters, “however, what we frequently see is that little or no attention is paid afterwards.”

Williams claimed that the government, through the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, mobilized Amerindians from Regions One and Nine to protest against the combined opposition, specifically targeting Amerindians in the Opposition, namely Dr. George Norton, Dawn H a s t i n g s a n d Sydney Allicock of APNU; and Valerie Garrido-Lowe and June Marcello of the Alliance For Change, for the disapproval of the funds towards Amerindian Development.

“This I deem as an insult

to us, the representatives in the National Assembly…As reported, I was told that the persons who are on the protest line are persons paid as CSOs by the PPP/C Government” She noted too that it was further reported that the young people claimed that they were deceived, since they were told that they were coming to meet with leaders of the Opposition parties regarding the disapproval of the Amerindian Fund and were surprised when they were advised that they would be protesting outside of Parliament.

“I am appealing to my Amerindian community leaders in all the regions in Guyana, the time has come when we as a people, with 10 per cent of the population, should stand up to the PPP/C

Smash-up leaves one...

From page 3 Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo; Pooja Singh, 11, and Asheanna Dudnauth, 11, both of Ruby Backdam, East Bank Essequibo, were eventually taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for further attention.

Most of the injured complained of pain to their heads although it was evident that some of them had other injuries about their bodies.

The least injured among the lot was Satyanand Ganesh, who was discharged from the hospital and allowed to head to school to write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

All of the injured children, this publication understands, were on their way to write the NGSA at the Academy of Excellence at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara.

Rajesh Ganesh, in a conversation with this publication, as he waited to be xrayed at the GPHC yesterday, said that although he was sitting in the front passenger seat of the minibus he could only recall hearing a loud impact.

“I can't remember anything. All I know is that I hired the bus and I gave the driver $4,000 to throw (in) gas and like when he reach 100 yards

away from the gas station, I bend down to change the CD because he (the driver) was playing music.”

According to Ganesh, after the collision he lost consciousness and awoke at the Leonora Diagnostic Centre.

He disclosed that he had hired the minibus to take him to Enmore on the East of Demerara to purchase bags before taking him to collect fertilizer.

“I left early to give my son, Satyanand and his friends, Pooja Singh and Asheanna Dudnauth a drop to their school.”

While those injured remained hospitalised up to press time yesterday, by early yesterday afternoon, relatives and friends of the dead man were making preparations for a wake.

His reputed wife Khemrajie, was in a distraught state as was his 96-year-old mother, Umaria. He resided with the two at Parika Backdam.

The two women were being consoled by family members and neighbours yesterday as they came to grips with the reality of Balraj's passing. His death represents the passing of all seven of the children born to his mother.

Balraj also leaves to mourn his two children, 25year-old twins Stephon Balraj and Chan Smith.

government and tell them that enough is enough…The time for political gaming with Amerindians should cease.”

Williams is adamant that Amerindians must be able to decide what is best for themselves and their communities.

“The time for handouts is over…Amerindians deserve a decent and good life.”

According to the APNU Member of Parliament, there are currently several pressing matters facing the people in

region one, such as unemployment for the youths, deplorable roads and bridges and poor infrastructural works.

“Rather than the Government taking $1.1B to be disbursed amongst a selected few to do its propaganda work, it should seek to have the monies utilized in developing the various communities in addressing the areas alluded to earlier.”

Williams emphasised that government should have been

seeking to utilize the funds with the construction of technical institutes and vocational centres in the various Amerindian communities.

“Government should seek to utilize such funds towards scholarship programmes, to provide Amerindians with opportunities to access entry to the Carnegie School of Home Economics, Government Technical Institute or other skillbased institutions… Government should utilize such funds

to provide proper water/land transportation, so that those vulnerable and underprivileged young people can get to and from school on a daily basis.”

“If the Government is serious about development, then it should ensure that APNU's suggestions are met.

Once this is done, Amerindians would be able to return to their respective regions and aid in the development of their people and by extension their villages.”

Page 30

Kaieteur News

PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale.Call:627-5416 Two Storey concrete building. Price$32M, E.C.D. Call: 661-9431 FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

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Space Available for rent at UG Road, for any type of business – Call:623-3404

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SALON

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Friday April 18, 2014

CAKES & PASTRIES: Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery; also edible images and Wedding dresses for sale.

Call: 670-0798

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LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (Continued on page 31)

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Letters... Where your views make the news

Opposition yet to explain how those...

From page 4 question I would like to ask him is, have their actions in saving the budgets of 2012 and 2013 led to improvements in Guyana?

This is yet another example of Granger’s and the Opposition’s flawed logic and confounded nonsense. Mr. Granger, the majority of Guyanese are intelligent people. You are insulting them. · “No single party knows everything” - Granger. Very true, but it seems that the opposition doesn’t even believe in what they are saying. They willfully ignore the Government’s invitation to participate in the budget preparation.

They instead want to establish a Parliamentary committee where they dominate to prepare the budget. It seems they believe that they know everything. Maybe they do.

They know everything about how to destroy a country and its people’s future. History has proven this to be correct. · Mr. Granger said that

APNU knows the micro-economic fundamentals.

Didn’t his chief economic advisor, Mr. Greenidge advise him that if you want to improve the micro-economic fundamentals you have to work on the Macro-economic fundamentals in the first instance? But then again, this is asking too much of Greenidge. If he is aware of this very basic economic principle he would not have made Guyana bankrupt when he was the Minister of Finance.

The question therefore is what Mr. Granger thinks will improve the micro-economic fundamentals? Is it cutting from the national budget every year, all of the government’s critical development projects?

What confounded nonsense are Granger and the Opposition dishing out to the Guyanese public.

Mr. Granger must once again be reminded that Guyanese are intelligent people. He must not forget that Guyanese students for the past five plus years has

been outperforming the entire Caribbean. · Mr. Granger said that it is only through the majority side the executive can be made aware of the real situation on the ground affecting the people.

This is a most interesting statement because their actions since 2012 have proven beyond any doubt that they are totally ignorant of the real situation on the ground.

When they kill the Hydro Power Project, were they not aware of the fact that the high cost of electricity is affecting every single Guyanese?

They surely were not because they were only thinking about Linden where electricity is free and the cost is a non-issue.

Were they not aware of the cost of highly specialized medal care to ordinary Guyanese and how many lives could be saved when they denied funding for a specialty hospital in Guyana?

Were they not aware of the cost of air fare to Guyanese when they denied funding for

the expansion of our main Airport? This list can go on.

What do the answers to these questions make Mr. Granger and every member of the opposition? The answer is plain and simple – hypocrites. · Granger said that the National Assembly has an obligation to provide leadership to provide a better budget.

But how can irrational and vindictive chopping of the national budget be described as responsible leadership? · According to Granger the national Assembly has a duty design plans and strategies to overcome the economic, political and social challenges it must forestall any folly that might prolong the nightmare of poverty that can lead us down the path of deeper destitution. What are the strategies and follies that Mr. Granger is talking about?

The Hydro Project? The Specialty Hospital? Expansion of our main airport? Infrastructure in the hinterland?

Or is he talking about himself and the entire opposition?

Faruk Mohamed

I attended every meeting I was...

From page 5 selection of national contingents to represent Guyana at various festivals and other events in the region and further afield.

6) The establishment of a national film production regime, separate from but still linked to the creative industries component of the National Cultural Policy. This

would include the establishment of a National Film Commission.

I look forward to working with the Ministry and all other stakeholders in achieving the above-stated objectives and am willing to meet with the Minister and/or his representatives at the earliest convenience, preferably over the next week or so. While I

personally have no reservations about continuing the present mode of engagement, I believe that cooperation with the Ministry benefits the overall environment - in the interest of transparency, I’ve attached a basic CV so you can have some indication with regard to where my skills might best be employed. It also includes my contact

information. I anticipate, in earnest, your reply.”

Now I expect that his unfortunate and untrue statements in Parliament, now on record, will be the last time that Minister Anthony seeks to claim that I am unwilling or I am tardy in engaging him on aspect of his portfolio, Culture in particular.

Ruel Johnson

Guard against elements who seek...

From page 5 is true of the mass genocide that took place in Bosnia under the name of ‘ethnic cleansing.’ And more recently there is the ongoing conflict in Nigeria and the Central African Republic where religious and tribal differences turned deadly. In the case of Nigeria a Muslim extremist Group that styled itself Boko Haram has launched an attack on all western norms and values including the teaching of the English Language and western education as a whole.

And we must not forget the bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York

allegedly by Muslim extremists which claimed the lives of over two thousand persons which included a few Guyanese.

This is why we have to be on guard against elements in our society who seek to divide us along ethnic lines.

The PPP/C administration has established the Ethnic Relations Commission to address issues of ethnic insecurity in our society but the work of that Commission is being stymied by the parliamentary opposition which refused to vote money for its proper functioning.

The PPPC administration must be commended for

putting in place measures both at the legislative and administrative levels to address the issue of ethnic insecurity and racial hostility.

Under the Racial Hostility Act anyone found guilt of inciting racial hostility are liable to severe fines and imprisonment if convicted by the courts. There is a saying that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. There is

no shortage of good men and women in Guyana and the world at large. Let us all take a stand against religious and ethnic intolerance.

Hydar Ally

(From page 30)

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We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar

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TOURS Special Trip to Suriname April 24th - 27th 2014, Special Package Contact Ravi: 6240622. Spaces are limite d

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Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

Search for Malaysia jet refocuses on drone scans of sea floor

The Bluefin-21 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is craned over the side of the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield in the southern Indian Ocean during the continuing search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force yesterday.

REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Footage taken by a deep-sea drone should determine sooner than previously thought whether a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean is the final resting place of a missing Malaysian jetliner, Australian search authorities said yesterday.

After the U.S. Navy robot submarine Bluefin-21 completed its first full scan of the seabed some 2,000 km (1,240 miles) west of the Australian city of Perth, authorities said they had reduced the search area based on further analysis of what they believe may be signals from the plane’s black box.

It came as an air-and-sea search was expected to be scaled down almost six weeks after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared from radar screens mid-flight with 239 people on board.

A series of “pings” recorded this month have led searchers to the remote stretch of ocean in the belief that the signals may have come from the plane’s black box recorders.

However, with no pings received in more than a week and the black box’s battery now 10 days past its approximate expiry date, authorities are relying on the Bluefin drone.

Last Tuesday, a U.S. Naval spokesman said the drone would take up to two m o n t h s t o s e a rch its designated area, but yesterday the Australian Joint Agency Coordination Centre said that was now incorrect.

“Since the US Navy provided comment some days ago, the underwater search has been significantly narrowed through detailed acoustic analysis conducted on the four signal detections made by the Towed Pinger Locator,” the JACC said in a statement.

The analysis had created a “reduced and more focused underwater search area”.

“The current underwater search efforts are being pursued to their completion so we can either confirm or discount the area as the final resting place of MH370,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, a separate lead in the search, a sample taken from an oil slick picked up in the area, had been analyzed and was found not to be aircraft engine oil or hydraulic fluid, the JACC said, suggesting it was not related to an aircraft.

L a s t M o n d a y, t h e search coordinator, retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said the air and surface search for debris would likely end in three days as the operation shifted its focus to the largely unmapped area of ocean floor.

However, authorities said yesterday up to 10 military aircraft, two civil aircraft and 11 ships would still search an area totaling about 40,000 square km (15,450 square miles).

That w o u l d s u g g e s t searchers, under pressure from the families of those on b o a r d t h e p l a n e , s till

hold some hope of finding floating wreckage.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was quoted by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday as saying that “we believe that (underwater) search will be completed within a week or so. If we don’t find wreckage, we stop, we regroup, we reconsider”.

Asked by Reuters yesterday to clarify Abbott’s comments to the newspaper, his office said he was only suggesting that authorities may change the area being searched by the Bluefin-21 drone, not that the search would be called off.

Malaysia’s defense minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, vowed that the search would continue even if there could be a pause to regroup and reconsider the best area to scour.

“The search will always continue. It’s just a matter of approach,” he told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur.

He said Abbot remained in close contact with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and the two had spoken yesterday to discuss the search.

“They’ve been looking for 40 days and haven’t found anything floating yet,” Geoffrey Dell, Associate Professor of Accident Investigation and Forensics at Central Queensland University, told Reuters.

“You’d have to start s a y i n g t h e r e ’s e i t h e r nothing to find or let’s move elsewhere,” he said.

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Friday April 18, 2014

Putin fields question from U.S. fugitive Snowden MOSCOW (Reuters) Edward Snowden, the fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor who leaked details of U.S. intelligence eavesdropping, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin a question yesterday during a televised call-in show.

The exchange was the first known direct contact between Putin and Snowden since Russia granted the American asylum last summer after he disclosed widespread monitoring of telephone and internet data by the United States and fled the country.

Snowden, who has been given refuge in Russia, was not in the studio where Putin was speaking. He submitted his question in a video clip, and it was not immediately clear if he was speaking live or if it had been recorded earlier.

Snowden, wearing a jacket and open-collar shirt and speaking before a dark background, asked Putin: “Does Russia intercept, store or analyze, in any way, the communications of millions of individuals?”

He also asked whether

Edward Snowden Putin believes improving the effectiveness of investigations justifies “placing societies .. under surveillance”.

He was speaking in English, and Putin had to ask the anchor for help with a translation of the question.

Putin, a former spy during Soviet rule, raised a laugh among the studio audience when he said: “You are an exagent. I used to have ties to intelligence.”

Turning to Snowden’s question, Putin said Russia regulates communications as part of criminal investigations, but “on a

massive scale, on an uncontrolled scale we certainly do not allow this and I hope we will never allow it.”

He said the Russian authorities need consent from a court to conduct such surveillance on a specific individual “and for this reason there is no (surveillance) of a mass character here and cannot be in accordance with the law”.

The televised exchange allowed Putin to portray Russia as less intrusive in the lives of its citizens than the United States and enabled Snowden to suggest that he is concerned about surveillance practices not only in the United Sates but in other countries, including the one that is sheltering him.

Putin’s refusal to hand Snowden over to the United States, where he is wanted on espionage charges, added to strained ties between Russia and the United States that have now been even more badly damaged by turmoil in Ukraine and Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Snowden was granted asylum for at least a year.

Divers struggle in search for South Korean ferry survivors Rescue boats sail around the South Korean passenger ship “Sewol” which sank, during their rescue operation in the sea off Jindo, April 17, 2014.

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

MOKPO/JINDO, South Korea (Reuters) - Rescuers struggled with strong waves and murky waters yesterday as they searched for hundreds of people, most of them teenagers from the same school, still missing after a South Korean ferry capsized 36 hours ago.

Coastguard, navy and private divers scoured the site of the accident, about 20 km (12 miles) off the country’s southwestern coast.

Earlier, rescue teams

hammered on the hull of the upturned, mostly submerged vessel, hoping for a response from anyone trapped inside, but they heard nothing, local media reported.

The vessel, carrying 475 passengers and crew, capsized on Wednesday during a journey from the port of Incheon to the holiday island of Jeju.

Coastguards recovered five more bodies late yesterday, raising the death toll to 14 people. Another 179

passengers have been rescued, leaving 282 unaccounted for and possibly trapped in the vessel.

One parent, Park Yungsuk, told Reuters at the port of Jindo, where rescue efforts are centered, that she had seen the body of her teenage daughter’s teacher brought ashore.

“If I could teach myself to dive, I would jump in the water and try to find my daughter,” she said.

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

Stumbling block in Calder Hart case: Key file lost Trinidad Guardian -The Urban Development Corporation of T&T’s (Udecott) inability to locate documents critical to its multimillion dollar lawsuit against its former executive chairman Calder Hart and three of its former executives, may potentially weaken its chances of successfully proving its alleged negligence in the management of a controversial mega-project.

The issue arose when the claim seeking to recover almost $65 million for its alleged breach of fiduciary duties in relation to the still incomplete Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), came up for hearing before Justice Andre des Vignes in the Portof-Spain High Court Wednesday.

Attorneys representing Udecott, Hart and the former executives — former chief operating officer Neelanda Rampaul, former vicechairman Dr Krishna Bahadoorsingh and executive manager, Business and Financial Operations, Ricardo O’Brien — were initially scheduled to come together at Wednesday’s hearing to decide on a trial date for the case. But when the matter was called, attorneys for the former executives indicated their counterparts representing Udecott had failed to comply with deadlines for disclosing key evidence in the claim, set by Des Vignes and the Appeal Court during previous hearings in December and earlier this year. The attorneys indicated that without the documents, including a special report into the

operations of Udecott in managing the projects, it would be difficult for them to plan their clients’ defences.

“I can’t prepare a case in a vacuum,” Bahadoorsingh’s attorney Colin Kangaloo said. Despite Des Vignes’s suggestion that they proceed with their submissions in preparation for the pending trial while awaiting the results of Udecott’s ongoing search for the documents, the attorneys held firm to their position that they could not continue until the issue was dealt with. In the lawsuit, Udecott alleges that the executives breached their duty to exercise skill, care and diligence in the management of the BLCA project.

Since it was filed in May 2012, the lawsuit has been hit with several delays, caused by two ammendments to the initial claim, as well as several procedural applications for both parties.

Searches continue Conceived in 1999, the stadium, part of the Tarouba Sporting Complex, was expected to be completed in time to host matches for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup at the cost of $500 million. A combination of multiple delays, cost overruns and increases in the price of building materials led the final cost of the project skyrocketing to almost twice its original estimate. The money Udecott is seeking to recover, $65,680,978.88, represents the balance of the advance payments made to contractor Hafeez Karamath Ltd for the project.

In response, Udecott’s lawyer Lesley Ann Lucky-

Samaroo indicated she and her team had already done extensive searches of their client’s records and were only able to disclose the documents they were able to locate. She also denied her client’s inability to find the documents was a deliberate ploy in the case. Des Vignes did not seem to be satisfied with their efforts.

“We accept your best intentions but they have not searched everywhere.

Therefore, there are still a few places that can be searched,” he said. During a hearing of the case in December last year, Des Vignes gave Udecott instructions on what documents should be disclosed and a timeline for doing so, while warning that sanctions would be applied for non-compliance with his order.

After lengthy discussions on the issue yesterday, the executives’ attorneys agreed to file submissions on the possible legal sanctions for Udecott, which they initially said may include striking out segments of the corporation’s case where the missing documents were referenced.

At the end of the hearing, the attorneys for the executives asked if their clients needed to be present at the next hearing of the case - a requirement under the Civil Proceedings Rules 1998 -, which Des Vignes chose to dispense with when attorneys agreed that the clients’ presence was not necessary until the trial began. Lucky-Samaroo chose not oppose the application for the waiver. The case will be next heard on September 17.

‘Blatant and outright lies’ - ‘Jack’ Warner dismisses newspaper articles about Centre of Excellence Jamaica Gleaner - Former football executive Austin ‘Jack’ Warner has dismissed as political, a newspaper article that CONCACAF was seeking compensation from him over the purchase of the Centre of Excellence in Trinidad. Media reports in T&T said that CONCACAF had filed three documents in the country’s High Court challenging Warner’s rights to ownership of the Centre, which also comprises a Stadium and a swimming pool. The media said Warner, a former national security minister, is reported to be seeking a purchaser for the Centre of Excellence on the

international market.

Warner has claimed the land on which the Centre of Excellence stands was a gift from former FIFA president Joao Havelange. However, in a statement, Warner says he had been aware of the newspaper article by former Cabinet colleagues long before it was published. He described the articles as nothing more than blatant and outright lies. Warner says he would sell all his worldly possessions for one dollar to anyone who can come forward with evidence to support that the Centre is being sold by him to any consortium of businessmen, local or foreign.

Austin ‘Jack’ Warner

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Pistorius trial adjourns until May, state mauls forensic expert From page 37 could be confused with the sound of a gunshot, Nel asked: “Do you need to be an expert to do that? What expert skills did you use, wielding a bat? So your expertise was wielding a bat?” At another point, Dixon confessed to being a “layman” with no professional experience in blood spatter analysis, forensic pathology or ballistics. After asking Dixon for another of his findings,

two days before South Africa goes to the polls for a national election.

Defense advocate Barry Roux is expected to call his next witness once the trial resumes.

Before the shooting, Pistorius was one of the most revered figures in sport, a man who had his lower legs amputated as a child but who reached the semi-finals of the 400m at the London Olympics in 2012 running on carbonfiber prosthetic ‘blades’.

Nel added: “I use the word ‘finding’ loosely”.

The defense has sought to prove that some of Pistorius’ neighbors mistook the sound of the track star breaking down the door with a bat for that of a gunshot. Pistorius says he broke the door in a frantic effort to save Steenkamp after realizing he had shot her.

The trial, which has garnered massive domestic and international attention, is due to resume on May 5,

Friday April 18, 2014 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) If you find yourself second-guessing plans you made earlier, Aries, perhaps for a plane trip, try to look objectively at your concerns.

You don't have to cancel everything if you have money worries.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Things could be up and down for you today, Libra.

You might experience some confusion as a result of communication snafus or computer glitches that affect financial issues you're trying to solve.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You might find yourself wrestling some ongoing, unresolved issues that could interfere with your ability to do your job. Be mindful that you're a bit brittle today, particularly if you're working on financial matters, Taurus.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You might be feeling a little tense because you and your partner are grappling with some thorny financial issues right now, Scorpio. You could be frustrated because you need to postpone some purchases or investments until the cash starts flowing more freely again.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) There is a possibility that you'll fall into a bit of a regression today as old feelings of anxiety or inadequacy surface.

Although you've reached a good place in terms of selfconfidence, some old childhood fears could resurface.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) OK, up and at 'em, Cancer! You might feel like you're walking through sand today, but you really need to shake your booty and get the blood flowing.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You could be startled to find that your artistic talents, although dormant for a while, are called into service today.

A particular undertaking of those around you could benefit from your gift in this area.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) This could be a tough day for you emotionally. It might surprise you to find that some very old, deep-seated feelings get churned up in the course of investigating a subject of keen interest to you.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) The workplace could be very hectic today as a colleague prepares to leave on an important business trip, Sagittarius. Nerves could be strained and tempers short.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You'll want to respond to your creative juices, which will be flowing freely today, Capricorn. Don't suppress the urge to sing, compose, paint, or write. You'll be in the full flower of creativity, so make the most of it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Tugs on the home front could be pulling you away from attending an event with friends that you've been looking forward to for some time.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Cool heads will be needed today, Pisces, as tempers may flare at work because of frustration with ongoing problems. You might need to take the lead in keeping everyone calm by facilitating clear and open communication.

Friday April 18, 2014

Rio workers end strike but issue pay talks warning Reuters - Workers at the main venue for the 2016 Olympics ended a two-week strike on Thursday (yesterday) but a full return to work will only come next week and they will strike again if pay talks prove fruitless, union officials said.

The first of about 2,500 workers returned to Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Park on Thursday morning after contractors agreed to increase the value of the daily lunch vouchers given to each employee.

The union had also sought double pay for overtime and weekend shifts as well as bonus payments for employees with exemplary attendance records. Both sides agreed to keep negotiating on those points.

“The strike is over,”

Antonio Figueiredo Souza, president of the local construction workers union, told Reuters. “We believe that the consortium will advance with talks but if they don’t then we will strike again.”

The unions and the building consortium responsible for the job said the stoppage will not compromise delivery dates for the Olympic Park, the site of 16 events in 2016.

However, the strike was another warning to Brazilian organizers who are under pressure from the International Olympic Committee to speed up preparations for the Games, the first to be held in South America.

Rio was chosen as the host city in 2009 but it has been slow to get going. Work

has not even started at the second biggest venue, the Deodoro complex where 11 events will be held. Officials finally announced the tender for the Deodoro complex on Thursday, estimating the cost at about 804 million Brazilian reais ($357.78 million).

The Games’ infrastructure budget was announced earlier this week and came in at 25 percent more than originally envisaged - surpassing that of 2012 Olympic hosts London by almost one billion pounds ($1.68 billion).

The budget of 24.1 billion reais covers 27 projects in urban development and public transport, including eight billion reais for a newlyadded fourth metro line for Rio, Brazil’s second largest and increasingly congested city.

The cost of the Games is expected to rise further once other costs have been added. ($1 = 2.2472 Brazilian Reals) ($1 = 0.5949 British Pounds).

Everest CC to host Preysal of Trinidad in T20 fixture on Sunday As part of its Centennial anniversary celebrations, Everest Cricket Club Masters will take on Preysal Masters of Trinidad and Tobago in a T20 affair on Sunday starting at 13:00 hrs.

Teams; Everest - Rajesh Singh (Captain), Sheik Mohamed, Basil Persaud, Hemraj Garbarran, Ravindranauth Seeram, Lennox Cush, David Harper, Rakesh Gangaram, Ronald Jaisingh, Sudesh Persaud, Rohan Sarjoo, Johnny Azeez, Asif Khan and Paul Parsram.

Preysal - Wazzard Ali (Captain), Rajendra Dilraj, Ramesh Dookran, Ramesh Maraj, Rohan David, Matthew Alexander, Anthony Rangoo, Linton Ramdeen, Shiva Kanhai, Imraz Ali, Desmond Ramkissoon, Dilip Ramnauth, Tyabali Khan, Naresh Ramissoon and Keetash Sookhai. Trophies have been sponsored by Trophy Stall and Tiger Sports.

There will also be a softball competition commencing at 09:00hrs and concluding at 12:00hrs also on Sunday followed by a curry festival.

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

Djokovic cruises, Nadal claims 30th clay win in a row Reuters - Novak Djokovic lost just one game to join Roger Federer in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals after Rafa Nadal breezed to his 30th consecutive win on clay yesterday. Nadal barely broke sweat in his 61 6-3 thrashing of Italy’s Andreas Seppi while Federer recovered from a break of serve in the first set to beat Czech Lukas Rosol 6-4 6-1.

Champion Djokovic demolished Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 6-0 6-1. The Serbian is on the same side of the draw as Federer and heading for a semi-final with the Swiss fourth seed.

“I’ve had more time, compared to last year, to practice on the clay courts and to get my game to the level where I want it to be,” Djokovic told reporters. “I’ve lost only two games in the first two matches. It can’t be better than this, for sure.”

Spaniard Nadal, whose eight-year reign as champion was ended by Djokovic in last year ’s final, extended his proud record in Monte Carlo to 50-2 with his win on centre court. The world number one will meet compatriot David Ferrer in the last eight after the sixth seed made easy work of Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, winning 6-4 6-2.

“That is going to be a very tough match,” the eight-times French Open champion said about the

Rafael Nadal all-Spanish duel. “David is a tough, tough player on any surface but here on clay, (he is) always a big challenge. I play a lot of matches against him, very tough ones.”

Federer will face JoWilfried Tsonga after the French ninth seed shook off a mediocre start to celebrate his 29th birthday with a 5-7 6-3 6-0 victory over Italy’s Fabio Fognini.

“I’ve seen Jo play different kinds of quality matches lately so I’m not quite sure how he’s going to play, how aggressive, how passive,” Federer said. “I have to make sure I play aggressive myself and not become too passive just because we’re on clay.”

Djokovic, seeded second, will face Guillermo Garcia-Lopez after the

Spaniard provided the shock of the third round with a 4-6 6-3 6-1 comeback win over fifth seed Tomas Berdych.

Djokovic has taken just 45 and 47 minutes to win his opening two matches in the tournament.

Third seed Stanislas Wa w r i n k a r e a c h e d t h e q u a r t e r - f i n als without hitting a ball after his thirdround opponent Nicolas Almagro withdrew injured.

“I woke up t h i s morning with a severe pain in my left foot that prevented me from even walking n o r m a l l y, ” Almagro said.

Australian Open champion Wa w r i n k a advances to meet eighth seed Milos Raonic after the Canadian beat 11th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-4 6-3.

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NAMILCO One Love Football Classic

GDF and Alpha to clash for 1.2M first prize Defending champions Guyana Defense Force (GDF) and multiple national champions Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United have earned the right to face off for the 1.2 million first place prize in the final of the 7th NAMILCO One Love Football Classic knockout tournament.

The two sides earned contrasting wins in their respective semi-final matches which were contested on Wednesday evening last at the Georgetown Football Club ground.

Alpha were 3-2 winners over a young and stubborn Fruta Conquerors unit while the Army boys prevailed over Riddim Squad 2-1 in extra time, all the goals scored from the penalty spot.

Alpha started their quest for victory very offensive minded and if that stance were to intimidate the Fruta side, they had to think again. The young Conquerors side was up to the task of taking on the highly rated Alpha side much to the delight of the fans from both teams.

Alpha cantered into the lead when the game was just 6 minutes young compliments of a Sheldon Holder strike. Ten minutes later, Conquerors, attacking the North Road goal was awarded a free kick just outside the area on the right side.

Ian Allen was entrusted with the shot and was clinical in beating the wall and goalie Ronson Williams to neutralize proceedings. Alpha was keen to restore the advantage and that was achieved in the 18th minute when Mark Miller netted the first of his double

Eusi Phillips which he completed in the 23rd minute to give Alpha a two goal cushion, 3-1.

On the stroke of half time, Conquerors narrowed the advantage when Daniel Favourite found the back of the nets. The final 45 minutes did not produce more goals and the game ended 3-2 in Alpha’s favour.

GDF are very lucky to have won their match after squandering multiple chances while Riddim Squad did not make use of the opportunities that came their way.

Even when the GDF were reduced to 10 men following the expulsion of their Captain Kevin Agard late in extra time for his second bookable offense mere minutes apart (90+16 and 90+28), Riddim Squad could not capitalize on that advantage , losing a tough game.

The first 45 minutes went by without the deadlock being broken as both teams were focused more on playing compact in midfield as they

sought to keep each other at bay. But as the game matured, the offensive runs became more prevalent.

With activity being increased in the attacking third and the increasing physical nature of the game between two sides boasting stocky players, the chances of penalties increased and that is how the game panned out.

It was the GDF that would have been awarded the first kick in the 53rd minute and Eusi Phillips made no mistake as he buried his shot past custodian Dorville Stewart.

Happy feelings began flowing in the Army camp and naturally so.

But six minutes later, the momentum shifted to Riddim Squad when they won a kick from the spot. Dependable scorer and Captain Sceyon Hope put the ball into the back of the nets. The remaining minutes of regulation time failed to see either team going ahead, GDF missing many chances, Riddim Squad, a few.

Well, the pattern of scoring in regulation time was continued in extra time, 11 minutes into the first period, GDF were awarded another spot kick, Phillips again stepped up and made no mistake, it was the 101 minute.

The final and third place games will be played on Sunday April 27 at the GFC Ground with Alpha taking on the GDF for the top prize of 1.2M cash, the loser is guaranteed $600,000; Conquerors and Riddim Squad will clash in the third place game with the winner taking home $400,000 and the loser, $200,000.

Pistorius trial adjourns until May, state mauls forensic expert Reuters - The murder trial of Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was adjourned on Thursday (yesterday) until May 5 after the state wrapped up three days of punishing crossexamination of a forensic expert brought by the defense.

Judge Thokozile Masipa granted the state’s request for a postponement to avoid conflicts with other cases.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel nicknamed “The Pitbull” for his aggressive style tore into defense witness Roger Dixon, questioning

his credibility and expertise.

Pistorius, 27, is on trial for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, whom he shot dead with four rounds from a 9mm pistol on Valentine’s Day last year in his plush Pretoria house.

The track star insists he killed the 29-year-old law graduate and model after mistaking her for an intruder hiding in the toilet.

Dixon, a forensic geologist and former police officer, testified that Steenkamp was standing at an angle to the door with her arm out in front of her, suggesting

she was reaching for the handle, when Pistorius shot her dead.

The testimony challenged the version of the state, which has sought to portray Pistorius as a gun-obsessed hothead who murdered Steenkamp after an argument. But Nel heaped scorn on Dixon’s expertise, prompting Masipa to tell the advocate to restrain himself.

When the geologist s a i d o n We d n e s d a y h e tested the sound of a cricket bat hitting a wooden door to see if it (Continued on page 32)

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Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

Bangalore’s arsenal blazes to victory The Royal Challengers Bangalore overcame the Delhi Daredevils by eight wickets in what eventually turned out to be an easy run chase for the Garden City franchise. Thanks to a masterful big-hitting display from Yuvraj Singh and skipper Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers achieved the 146run target with 3.2 overs to spare.

Earlier, RCB won the toss and asked DD to take first strike. Kohli’s bowlers vindicated this decision by shaking the Daredevils’ top order early on. Mitchell Starc accounted for former Royal Challenger Mayank Agarwal’s (6) wicket in the third over of the innings. Soon after that, Albie Morkel, in his first game in an RCB jersey, got rid of the dangerous Dinesh Karthik (0), who could only manage a golden duck. And then, before Manoj Tiwary (1) could stabilise the faltering DD innings, first change bowler, Varun Aaron, had him caught behind. With the scorecard reading 17 for three in 4.1 overs, JP Duminy joined Murali Vijay in the middle.

The duo only managed to

add another 18 runs to the total over a three over stretch.

Thereafter, Vijay’s (18) innings came to a surprise end off Yuzvendra Chahal’s first delivery of the night; the young leg-spinner bowled a straighter one that snuck past the opener’s defense. Thanks to the constant pressure exerted by the RCB bowlers, DD were tottering at 49 for four at the halfway stage with Ross Taylor taking guard opposite Duminy.

However, that was the final dent the RCB bowlers made in the DD line-up. Both Duminy and Taylor then set about resurrecting an innings that had gone astray in the first half. In the process, they managed to get their eye in, and then, in the last five overs, dispatched the opposition bowlers to, and sometimes over, the fence.

They were particularly harsh on Ashok Dinda, who ended up with forgettable figures of 4-0-51-0. Even Starc came in for some stick in the death overs as both DD batsmen rode their luck with miscued shots and occasional edges running to the boundary.

Thanks to Duminy’s (67*) innings-boosting half-

century and Taylor’s (43*) firm hand on the other end, the Daredevils posted a competitive 145 for four in their quota of 20 overs. For RCB, Chahal was the pick of the bowlers as his incisive four-over spell cost just 18 runs and accounted for a key wicket on a pitch that turned out to be batsman-friendly.

In response, the touted RCB line-up also suffered a jolt up front, when Nic Maddinson (4) edged Mohammed Shami to the ‘keeper. Kohli then joined forces with Parthiv Patel, and the pair dug RCB out of a hole. They added 56 for the second wicket in seven overs to put the run-chase on track. Patel (37), however, missed one from Rahul Sharma and ended up getting bowled just when he looked set to take charge of the innings.

RCB’s most expensive buy – and arguably the most experienced campaigner in their ranks – Yuvraj Singh then stepped up to the plate. A couple of misjudged shots later, the southpaw settled in and almost immediately proved his worth to his new team.

With Kohli initially leading the way with his trademark fluent strokeplay, Yuvraj seemed comfortable playing a vital supporting r o l e . H o w e v e r, a s t h e innings progressed, both batters showed just why they are counted among the best chasers in the business.

With an assortment of boundaries – including three sixes in one Sharma over – they batted DD out of the game. Yuvraj Singh’s (52) first innings in RCB colours saw him post a 29ball half-century.

Meanwhile, Kohli (49) just fell short of yet another 50 in the T20 format. Yuzvendra Chahal for his economical figures of 4-0-18-1 was named manof-the-match. Bangalore 146 for 2 (Yuvraj 52*, Kohli 49*) beat Delhi 145 for 4 (Duminy 67*, Taylor 43*) by eight wickets.

Match 3 – CSK v KXIP today Abu Dhabi set to host King size battle It will be a battle of the Kings when two-time champions and IPL 2013 runners-up Chennai Super Kings square off against Kings XI Punjab in Match 3

of Pepsi IPL 2014.

The MS Dhoni-led CSK are perhaps the most consistent outfit in the IPL; they have contested in the Playoffs in every one of the six seasons so far, have won the championship on two occasions and finished second on three other occasions. The team owners exercised the option of retaining five key players prior to the 2014 Pepsi IPL Player Auction – MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo, apart from Suresh Raina.

As a result, they have maintained the nucleus of the team that has done well over the years. With a calm leader in MS Dhoni on the field and the serene Stephen Fleming managing the players off it, one can be sure that CSK will be best equipped for battle.

KXIP have never made it to the final four since the inaugural season of the IPL. The franchise owners and team management have made some very good buys at the 2014 Pepsi IPL Player Auction and they will be hoping the players they have chosen will be able to

deliver the goods.

Kings XI Punjab were immensely impressive in their choice of players at the 2014 Pepsi IPL Player Auction. Along with David Miller and Manan Vohra – who they retained – they have a good mix of Indian youngsters, experienced hands and overseas players with proven credentials. The one player to keep an eye on is Virender Sehwag, who has more than just one reason to deliver the goods; apart from throwing his hat back into the ring as he aims to regain a spot in the Indian team, the Delhi Dasher will also be keen to prove that he still has a lot to offer even if he is no longer the swashbuckling opener of the past. Since rediscovering his form in IPL 2013, Mitchell Johnson has steamrolled opponents in various formats. He has bowled quick, has be e n a c c u r a te and incisive. And in a format where he has to bowl only four overs, expect him to go full throttle.

Including their two victories last season, Chennai Super Kings have an 8-4 winloss record against Kings XI Punjab.

BCB names Inter County U-19 squad - Elizabeth Styles coaching camp on this weekend The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Junior Selection Committee under the chairmanship of Leslie Soloman has named a strong

22-man Under-19 squad for the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board Inter County tournament.

Sharaz Ramcharran has

been named Captain with West Indies Under-19 and senior Guyana opener Shimron Hetmyer will serve as deputy.

A two-day coaching programme sponsored by Elizabeth Styles, organised by the Special Events Committee of the BCB will be held tomorrow and Sunday under the supervision of Coaches Micheal Hyles, Hubern Evans, Albert Smith and Winston Smith.

The main aim of this twoday clinic is to prepare the players both physically and mentally for the tournament.

Players are being urged to report to the Albion Community Centre Ground tomorrow and Sunday at 12:00 noon with their gear and appropriate attire.

The full squad reads: Sharaz Ramcharran (Captain), Shimron Hetmyer (Vice Captain), Balchand Baldeo, Leon Andrews, Ashkay Homraj, Viendra Gooniah, Arif Chan, David Latchaya, Hakeem Hinds, Parmanand Ramdhan, Martin Singh, Grisean Grant, Dimitri Cameron, Nial Smith, Nicholas Seenarine, Deon Esau, Kassim Khan, Daniel Lewis, Nicholas Cameron, Nick Ramsaroop, Shivnarine Srikissoon, Avishkar Sewkarran.

Friday April 18, 2014

Kaieteur News

GAPF shortlists 11 for 8th NAPF Caribbean Powerlifting C/ships

Page 39

Barbados name unchanged 4-Day squad Bridgetown, Barbados Fresh from retaining the WICB first-class title dubbed the President’s Trophy, Barbados have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the semi-final match against Jamaica for the Headley/ Weekes Trophy at Kensington Oval, April 19-22.

Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel

Steffie De Nobrega

Chittra Ramlochan

Kimberley Mars-Loncke

Germain Snagg

Mariano Jeffrey

Osmand Mack

Leon Rupertie

Paul Adams

Tyrone Eusibio

Colin Chesney

Karel Mars

Two-time defending powerlifting champions Guyana is expected to be represented by an 11-member team at the 8th NAPF Caribbean Islands Powerlifting Championships, St Croix, US Virgin Islands from July 8 – 13.According to a release from the federation, the final team is subject to change following scrutiny by the GAPF Executive.

Returning from last year’s team are Colin ‘Mr. Clean’ Chesney, Anis Ade-Thomas, Paul Adams, Karel Mars and Kimberley Mars-Lonke who is one of three females selected. While the other selectees are new to the Caribbean level of competition, the GAPF is expressing confidence that Guyana will retain the overall championship title as the best in the Caribbean.

Athletes were selected based on their participation and performances at the Senior National Championships held in

November last year. At last year ’s championships, Guyana won 6 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Male team Name Category Leon Rupertie 59kg Male Open Tyrone Eusibio 66kg Male Open Paul Adams 74kg Male Open Osmond Mack 74kg Male Open Anis Ade-Thomas

83kg Male Open Germain Snagg 83kg Male Open Mariano Jeffrey 93kg Karel Mars 105kg Colin Chesney 120kg Female team Steffie De Nobrega 52kg Female Open Chittra Ramlochan 72kg Female Open Kimberley Mars-Loncke 84kg Female Open

Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse, Omar Phillips, Kevin Stoute.( ( Management: Hartley Reid (manager), Henderson Springer (coach), Dr. Jacqueline King (physio), Rodney Ashby (analyst), Shannon Lashley (trainer).

Patrons will be accommodated in the 3Ws Stand and are reminded that they are not allowed to bring

into Kensington Oval any glass bottles, knives, firearms or other offensive weapons and any drink coolers must be able to fit under the seat.

The price of admission is $5.00 but BCA members who are in good financial standing will, on presentation of their current Member’s passbook, be admitted free of charge. School children 16 and under will also be admitted free of charge.

Brazil unveils $10 billion infrastructure budget for Rio Olympics Reuters - Brazilian authorities unveiled an infrastructure budget of 24.1 billion reais ($10.76 billion) for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, 25 percent more than planned, as they try to reassure the world they can deliver facilities on time.

The budget covers 27 projects in urban development and public transport, including 8 billion reais for a newly added fourth metro line for Rio, Brazil’s congested second largest city, where getting around town is an ordeal.

Other initially envisaged projects were excluded, such as the upgrade to Rio’s international airport Galeao, which has been handed to private operators. Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes said the higher budget was due to the inclusion of new projects and inflation, which has blown up costs by 30 percent since Rio won hosting rights for the event in 2009.

Paes said 57 percent of the infrastructure costs would be paid for with public funds, coming from federal, state and municipal governments, and the rest would be private. The total cost of Rio 2016 has risen to 36.7 billion reais, which does not include more than half of the 52 projects or

facilities that will be used exclusively for the games and still require approval.

So far, only 24 projects have been budgeted at 5.6 billion reais. Additionally, the organizing committee’s budget has risen 27 percent to 7 billion reais. This operating budget was originally set to include up to 1.4 billion reais in public funds but officials changed their minds in response to public outcry over the high cost of stadiums and other projects required by the Olympics and 2014 World Cup, which kicks off in June.

SLOW PACE The Rio 2016 organizing committee estimated in 2009 that the games would cost 28.8 billion reais in total. With just over two years to go, the International Olympic Committee and world sporting federations last week criticized the Brazilian government for the slow pace of work, and some asked about contingency plans should Brazil fail to deliver.

Construction work at the Deodoro Olympic Park, where eight events will take place, has yet to start, and the pace of progress at other venues is slow. The terms of the tenders for Deodoro would be published on Thursday and

work was scheduled to start in the second half of this year, Brazilian officials said.

“We have no room to spare with Deodoro. We cannot make a single mistake here. But there is still time to get it done,” Paes said at the budget announcement, flanked by Brazil’s Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo.

Competitors have criticized the filthy waters where sailing events will take place in Rio’s Guanabara Bay, yet the budget for infrastructure includes little work to clean up pollution in the bay. A strike over pay at the Olympic Park in coastal Barra da Tijuca, one of the main venues, continued on Wednesday. Some employees returned to the construction site but union leaders convinced them not to work.

Mayor Paes said the facility, originally built for the 2007 Pan American Games, was still “on schedule”.

Brazil is racing to finish soccer stadiums in time for the World Cup, a prestigious event its leaders hoped would signify the South American nation’s emergence as a world power but now risks being an international embarrassment that could get worse if the Rio Olympics are similarly troubled.

An aerial shot shows the Olympic Stadium, which is closed for repair works on its roof, in Rio de Janeiro March 28, 2014.

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Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

GBA 8-member team competing Heat playoff run could decide at Suriname Easter Int. tourney James’ future in Miami

The Guyana team that will be competing in Suriname An eight-member team representing the Guyana Badminton Association at this year’s Annual Suriname Easter International tournament will be aiming to better last year’s medal tally of eight. The team, under Manager/Coach Gokarn Ramdhani left these shores yesterday for the neighboring country where competition is expected to serve off today at the Walter Amo Sports Hall, Paramaribo and end on Monday.

The Guyanese will be

competing in the Under-15 and 19 singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Open Singles.

At last year’s competition, Guyana competed in the Under-13 and 17 categories.

Name Position Category Chris Persaud Assistant Manager/Player Open Narayan Ramdhani Captain/Player Under-19 & Open

Jonathan Mangra Vice Captain/Player Under-19 Ronald Chang Yuen Player Under-19 Hemraj Beharry Player Under-15 & 19 Priyanna Ramdhani Player Under-15 & 19 Ambika Ramraj Player Under-19 Krystal Peters Player Under-19

Reuters - The Miami Heat may not be entering the playoffs as the top seed but they are still very much the team to beat, and anything less than a third consecutive NBA title could lead to the breakup of their Big Three.

No club has won three straight titles since the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s, and the 16-team field for this year’s playoffs, which begin on Saturday (tomorrow), has no shortage of contenders for the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

The San Antonio Spurs, who were a whisker away from winning last year’s NBA Finals, and the Indiana Pacers, eager to avenge last season’s loss to Miami in the Eastern conference finals, are just two of the many teams feeling good about their chances.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces in 2010 with the goal of creating a dynasty in Miami by stockpiling NBA titles but enter the postseason facing questions about team chemistry and depth.

Anything less than a championship could determine whether James, Wade and Bosh make themselves available to the highest bidder this offseason as they have earlytermination options in their respective contracts.

Unlike last year, Miami failed to secure the top seed in the East, which means they will not have home-court advantage after the second round. That could prove costly as Miami were forced to seven games in last year’s conference final and NBA Finals.

Wade, 32, missed a quarter of this season with various injuries given a style of play that has punished his body over the years and his health may be Miami’s biggest concern as they navigate a playoff schedule that offers little time for rest.

LeBron James But James, who was named the most valuable player in each of the last two NBA Finals, has proven himself as a big-game player who can rise to the occasion.

However you slice it, the Heat are a dangerous team stocked with veteran talent and a proven track record of winning tough games.

Miami will open their playoff campaign on Sunday against a seventh-seed Charlotte Bobcats team that they beat in all four regular season meetings. The Pacers had the best record in the East and boast one of the league’s top defenses along with a potent mix of size, speed and versatility, but they struggled the last couple months and will need to regroup.

While Indiana should get by the eighth-seed Atlanta Hawks in the first round, a potential second-round series with a Chicago Bulls team that also has a stingy defense could prove difficult.

The Toronto Raptors, fresh off a franchise-record 48-win regular season, will open their first playoff series in six years when they host the Brooklyn Nets.

Whichever team represents the East in the NBA Finals will be in tough against the Western conference representative.

The West is so deep that the 49-33 record of the Dallas Mavericks, who earned the conference’s eighth and final

playoff seed, would be good enough for third place in the East.

The Spurs, who appeared to have their fifth championship in hand last year until squandering a fivepoint lead in the final seconds of Game Six, returned this season to secure the NBA’s best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

In one of the most dominant runs in NBA history, the Spurs have captured four championships since 1999 and, despite critics calling them too old, will not be taken lightly. San Antonio open their playoff versus Dallas on Sunday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a popular pick to represent the West in the final given the scoring prowess of Kevin Durant, sidekick Russell Westbrook and one of the league’s most underrated defenses.

Add into the mix that they lost to Miami in the 2012 Finals, had their championship dreams crushed last year due to an injury to Westbrook and have been playing second fiddle to the Spurs in the West for years, the Thunder could be ready to bring a first NBA title to Oklahoma City.

Up first for the Thunder will be a Memphis team that reached last year’s West final.

The Los Angeles Clippers, coming off a franchise-record 57-win regular season, will also be liking their chances when they bring a solid front court and mix of veteran and young players into their series versus the Golden State Warriors.

The Houston Rockets, who have one of the NBA’s top centers in Dwight Howard and the best shooting guard in James Harden, should ease by the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round but then face a possible matchup against the Spurs. The NBA playoffs will conclude in June.

Trinidad adds Colombia to June schedule Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad & Tobago will face Colombia in a preWorld Cup on June 1 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Trinidad & Tobago Football Association (TTFA) announced Thursday (yesterday).It will be the fourth all-time encounter between the sides and the first since the Colombians posted a 2-0 win in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Caribbean power will also take-on host Argentina in La

Plata on June 4 and Iran, four days later, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

TTFA President Raymond Tim Kee expressed delight that his organization was able to put together a schedule with such high-profile opposition.

“This is by every means our World Cup group and I think it’s speaks volumes of our ability as a country and as an association to line up matches of this caliber against three world class opponents,” Tim Kee told TTFA Media.

According to TTFA General Secretary Sheldon Phillips, the matches will be used to prepare for regional competition.

“We want to give our national teams and players the best opportunities possible when it comes to preparations and experience,” Phillips expressed. On September 8, 1999, in a friendly played in Miami, Trinidad topped Colombia, 4-3, on two goals

by Stern John.

Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

Page 41

Which disciplines will represent us at the Commonwealth Games?

Despite the scarcity of information pertaining to which associations have submitted their respective choices of names vying for places to represent Guyana at the upcoming Commonwealth Games scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland in July Kaieteur Sport takes a look at some of the disciplines that have the best chance of making the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) shortlist.

Among the front runners that could possibly be aiming to gain the consent of the GOA are Squash, Rifle Shooting, and Boxing, while hockey and table tennis should also be strong contenders.

The customary automatic selection of athletics should not be so automatic after all since no one of repute has emerged since Aliann Pompey won gold in the 400 metres at the 2002 Games in Manchester, England.

Guyana has a solid opportunity to gain at least a medal in Squash with current

Nicolette Fernandes

Caribbean and national champion Nicolette Fernandes expected to spearhead our quest along with Australia-based Sunil Seth, while Alex Arjoon should be given the opportunity to compete on the bigger stage.

Rifle shooting should also bring some glory with Mahendra Persaud and Lennox Brathwaithe all experienced and excellent shooters at the highest level of the sport and Guyana’s 5th place finish at the last Games in New Delhi should at least give them plenty confidence if they gain the nod of the GOA. Boxing has not regained the stature that it once held, but the local body has been offering consistent exposure to our young pugilists and they should be given the opportunity to repay the Guyana Boxing Association and the other stakeholders for the faith that they placed in them.

Table Tennis from all accounts performed creditably, but there are too

Lennox Braithwaite

Timehri Falcons FC to host fund-raising bar-b-que & lunch tomorrow

T

he Timehri Falcons Football Club (TFFC), in an effort to raise funds for the continued development of the club will be hosting a take-away bar-b-que and lunch tomorrow at Lot 105 Soesdyke, Roxanne Dey’s residence.

According to President of the club, Ms. Roxanne Dey, patrons would receive one juice or drink of their choice with their purchase and she is urging club members and supporters to come out and support a worthy cause.

The club which has been resuscitated just over one year ago has been constantly seeking to fulfill its mandate of producing rounded players in every regard. They are currently competing in the East Bank Football Association / Stag Beer division-one league and claimed the second place in the just concluded Trophy Stall Under-15 tournament behind winners; Grove Hi Tech.

Tickets cost $1000 with bar-b-que being served from

many strong teams within the Commonwealth so their selection should only come if the funds are available.

The hockey team which recently returned from Uruguay following a

commendable third place finish deserves the chance to test their skills at another high level competition.

India, England and Australia are all powerful nations in the sport and while they will

be difficult to beat, especially since we do not play a lot of outdoor hockey, it is worth the investment in them.

Guyana sent one of its largest ever contingent to

leave these shores to the last Games and the results were definitely not encouraging so it would be interesting to see which disciplines will be selected to represent us at the upcoming Games.

Page 42

Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

COP Inter-Division T20 cricket

Blacks shine bright for TSU at Eve Leary

By Sean Devers The Commissioner of Police (COP) Inter Division T20 Cricket competition sponsored by C. Persaud Dental Clinic and Laboratory continued yesterday with Tactical Services Unit (TSU) getting the better of Officers at Eve

Leary and ‘D’ Division beating ‘G’ Division at the Guyana Defense Force ground.

The G3 is among the most powerful assault weapons and yesterday at the Eve Leary ground 25-yearold left-hander Ronald Alli brought his with him as he

launched a consorted attack on TSU bowlers in an explosive 28-ball 82 (6x4 6x6) to spearhead Officers to an imposing 165-3 from their 20 overs.

However, TSU maintained their tactical position with much lighter artillery as a classy 82 from

44 balls from 24-year-old Stephon Blacks led them to 167-3 from 16.2 overs for an exciting three-wicket win in brilliant sunshine.

A large and vocal crowd urged on both teams as they battled for $200,000 winners’ prize on a slow track and slightly heavy

outfield after TSU won the toss and asked Officers to bat first.

Officers were off to a solid 43-run start before Vishal Jaigobin (28) was bowled by Quintin Sugrim in the seventh over.

Linden Lord, who retired hurt for 18 added 20 with the rampaging Alli before Lord retreated to the pavilion with the score on 63-1 to bring Ravendra Boodram to the crease. While Boodram, who finished unbeaten on 25 with just two boundaries, played the supporting role, Alli fired away with all guns blazing and the pair brought up the 100 in the 14th over with an array of audacious shots.

Alli, a former Berbice under-15 player, lofted Linden MaKay for consecutive sixes before he drove Sugrim exquisitely to the cover boundary, whipped him disdainfully through mid-wicket for four and finished off an expansive over with a scorching four pasted extra cover.

Alli who escaped from the TSU clutches a number of time rode his luck before he was finally held at point off Black at 152-2 to finally break the 89- run partnership.

Shiv Bacchus (1) was run out off the final ball of the innings to spark premature celebrations among the Officers supports.

Although not as brutal in his attack, Blacks took calculated risks and pierced

the field with perfect precision after Police first division Football Goal Keeper Kevin Allicock (11) was LBW at 21-1. Kenton Grumble, who played some aggressive shots in an entertaining 32, was run out after hitting two fours and two sixes at 75-2.

The Officers were unable to put the shackles on the free flowing left-handed Blacks who reached the boundary eight times and cleared it twice in his scintillating exhibition of graceful stroke-play. But by the time he was bowled by Colin Sullivan at 157-3, victory was 10 runs away Rawle Haynes finished off the contest in emphatic fashion with a couple of glorious boundaries off successive balls.

The action continues tomorrow with ‘A’ division facing TSU at Eve Leary from 09:30 hrs and ‘E’ division taking on ‘B’ division at the same venue from 14:00hrs. At GDF, ‘D’ division opposes ‘F’ division from 09:30hrs The runner-up team will collect $150,000 while the third placed side will take away $100,000 with the Most Valuable Player l receiving $25,000. Several other cash incentives will be up for grabs for other outstanding performers.

The competition concludes on Sunday with the semi-final and Final at Eve Leary.

Ronald Alli in action at Eve Leary yesterday

Kaieteur News

Friday April 18, 2014

GCA/Brain Street U-15 tourney

TSC, DCC A and B, GNIC successful Transport Sports Club (TSC), Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) A and B teams and Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) came out victorious when the latest round of matches in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/Brian Street U-15 limited overs tournament concluded yesterday.

A t M u s l i m Yo u t h Organisation ground, TSC defeated Bel Air Rubis by 46 runs. TSC took first strike after winning the toss and were bowled out for 103 in 27.4 overs. Devon Allen scored 22, Daniel Scott 16 and Colin Barlow 12. Extras contributed 38. Off spinner Alex Chunilall grabbed 5-33 while Nand Sanicharan claimed 2-24 and Vishal Moorchan 2-26.

Bel Air Rubis were skittled for 57 in 21.5 overs in reply. Chunilall made 13, Beesham Sharma 11and Bisham Mohabir 09.

Anthony Antonio captured 3-7, Mark Baptiste 3-9 and Joel Spooner 2-20.

A t G a n d h i Yo u t h O rg a n i s a t i o n , D C C A overcame Malteenoes Sports Club by six wickets. GYO fell for 74 in 28 overs, batting first. Ronaldo Mc Garrell was only batsman that offered any resistance w ith 2 2 ( 3 x 4 ) ; S a g a r Hathiramani snared 3-1, Ashmead Nedd 2-7, Darian Dickson 2-16 and Kristoff De Nobrega 2-24.

DCC A replied with 77-4 in 15 overs. Alphius Bookie stroked 33 not out (6x4) while Hathiramani made an unbeaten 15. Andrew Persaud took 2-7.

Alex Chunilall At Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), the home team went down to GNIC by 102 runs. GNIC rattled up 171-5, taking first strike after their innings was reduced to 30 overs due to rain.

Christopher Campbell top scored with 48 not out (3x4), Joshua Persaud scored 37 (4x4), Kurt Lovell 30 (2x4) and Rickey Dass 21 (1x4).

Stephon Wilson picked up 226.

The home team was sent packing for 69 in 24 overs in response. Wilson 16 and Stephan Ward 15 were the only batsmen that reached double figures. Dass bagged 3-10, Persaud 2-9, Haifa Walters 2-12 and Paul Thomas 2-16. At DCC, the hosts B team thumped Everest by six wickets.

Everest scored 104 all out in 21.1 overs after taking first knock. Zahir Bristol led with 28 (4x4) and Kishan Bhola 20 (2x4). Osafa Green captured 4-13 and Rawl Douglas 4-33. DCC B replied with 106-4 in 30 overs. Anthony Roopnarine slammed 40 (3x4) while extras supported with 33.

Kishan Singh had 2-22.

(Zaheer Mohamed)

Page 43

t r o Sp NAMILCO One Love Football Classic

GDF and Alpha to clash for 1.2M first prize P.37

One down! Sheldon Holder (3rd right) scores Alpha’s opening goal against Fruta Conquerors in their quarter final clash.

Bangalore’s arsenal blazes to victory P.38

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Yuvraj Singh and Captain Virat Kohli celebrate after winning match 2 of the Pepsi IPL Season 7 against the Delhi Daredevils

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