Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Chief Justice (ag) orders NFMU to explain why radio licences should not be quashed The National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) has been ordered by Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang to show cause why its decisions to assign radio frequencies should not be quashed.

The court issued an Order or Rule Nisi of Certiorari directed to the NFMU on the grounds that the decisions to assign the radio frequencies were premised on the unlawful and unconstitutional distribution by then President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The court, in its order, stated that the matter is returnable on May 9.

Broadcaster Enrico Woolford sought the orders or writs through his attorneys Senior Counsel Rex McKay and several other attorneys. The NFMU must be served with a

copy of the originating Notice of Motion and Affidavit of Support and the sealed and certified copy of the order.

The assignment of frequencies executed by then President Jagdeo a few weeks before he left office has ignited a firestorm of protest, widespread criticism and international comment, particularly after Prime Minister Sam Hinds was forced to disclose in the National Assembly who got which frequencies.

Woolford is asking the High Court to declare that Jagdeo’s granting of radio licences was “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, unreasonable, capricious, irrational, procedurally improper, ultra vires, null, void and of no legal effect.” Attorney General Anil

had signed an agreement with then Opposition Leader Robert Corbin in May 2003, saying that no broadcast licences would be issued until the new broadcasting legislation came into effect.

However, Jagdeo went ahead and granted those new frequencies almost one year before the Broadcasting Act came into being. The Broadcast Act came into being at the end of August, 2012.

Woolford is claiming that he applied for radio broadcast frequencies in October 1997.

However, he claimed he never received a response from the NFMU. In documents filed in the court, Woolford claimed that the sole and predominant purpose of issuing 15 frequencies to three

companies was done to ensure “overcrowding of the radio spectrum” and to ensure that the Broadcast Authority would find it easy to refuse applicants.

Woolford stated that Kaieteur News, Stabroek News and Capitol News have for several years prior to the granting of the licences, criticised the government for human rights violations and breaches of the rule of law The three named media houses applied for FM Radio Broadcasting frequencies but none of them got any.

Another challenge is pending in the court. The second action was brought

by National Media and Publishing Company (publishers of Kaieteur News) and the Guyana Media Proprietors Association.

The Central Committee of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) at a meeting on Saturday slammed the recent moves by the parliamentary opposition to slash the $208.8 billion 2013 National Budget by 15 per cent.

This disclosure was made yesterday by Executive Secretary of the party, Zulfikar Mustapha, during a press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown.

Describing the $31 billion cuts as “reckless and indiscriminate”, Mustapha said that those in attendance at the meeting expressed their immense disappointment but at the same time were high in praise for the “robust and convincing” way in which Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, defended the budget in the National Assembly.

Also speaking at y e s t e r d a y ’s press conference was President of the Wo m e n ’s Progressive Organisation (WPO), Ms. Indra Chandarpal, who said that the body is deeply concerned at the parliamentary alliance of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), “to deny our nation and people of over $30 billion in investment contained in the PPP/C 2013 budget.”

In alluding to the $5.2 billion cut to the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated, Chandarpal noted that it is very worrying.

She pointed to the fact that the WPO’s membership consists of primarily grassroots women across the country who are among those likely to be affected.

- appeals to public to take proactive, responsible action

more investor friendly are now likely to deter potential investors, a notion that was amplified by Attorney General, Anil Nandlall yesterday.

“There can be no justification for Guyanese to be kept in a state of underdevelopment, even more so when the resources are available. The actions of the opposition are designed to affect Guyanese of all walks of life, irrespective of race, religion, economic status or political affiliation,” said Chandarpal.

Moreover, she voiced an appeal to the public yesterday to utilise responsible but proactive measures in ensuring that the parliamentary opposition becomes aware of “your strong rejection of their antinationalistic behaviour and the fact that we will not stand idly by and watch the unravelling of the gains we have all worked hard to achieve up to this point in our nation’s history.”

Nandlall is named as a respondent in the case to show why the court should not quash the decision made

by Jagdeo.

The second named defendant is Valmiki Singh of the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), the authority which assigns frequencies.

It was recently revealed that Jagdeo, in the very month he was leaving the Office of the President, granted five radio frequencies to his best friend Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop; the company which publishes the newspaper of the ruling party; another five frequencies to the ruling party and to Telcor, which has as its directors Ruth Baljit, the sister of Minister Robert Persaud and Kamini Persaud, who is the niece of Jagdeo

Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang and wife of Minister Robert Persaud. One frequency each was granted to seven other companies.

In the proceedings, Woolford claims that Jagdeo

PPP slams opposition budget cuts at Central Committee meeting

From left: PPP’s Romel Roopnarine, Anil Nandlall, Zulfikar Mustapha and Indra Chandarpal during yesterday’s press conference.

She said that the parliamentary opposition was well informed that without critical injection of resources from Government the power company will be left with no option but to increase its rate to consumers.

“This will no doubt have a tremendous negative impact on middle and low income families, particularly single parent households,” said Chandarpal. “The WPO finds it astonishing that our opposition has already imbued themselves with the power to slash budgets on the premise that they are not provided with sufficient information but on the other hand we are saturated in the media by the many questions they asked of the Government side for which they are obligated to provide the relevant answers.”

Chandarpal described the opposition’s move as “suspicious” as according

to her it has conveniently ignored the parliamentary mechanism of accountability and transparency.

She noted that the WPO is convinced that the parliamentary opposition

has embarked on an unrestrained campaign of economic sabotage by s t a r v ing Guyanese, particularly the vulnerable, of much needed resources.

“Surely this alliance sees a political opportunity by

undermining our development and a return to economic ruin,” added the WPO President.

She shared her belief that the moves to slash funding to major projects which were intended to make Guyana

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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

An annoyance most unwanted These past days has seen a recurring issue, the overtopping of the seawalls and the flooding of the contiguous areas. Earlier this year, the overtopping was a spectacle. People left their homes to witness the waves as they towered over the seawall and then came crashing down on the other side.

This time around the overtopping was not a spectacle but an inconvenience. As is always the case the highway became impassable so motorists had to be diverted to the Railway Embankment. One is now left to wonder what would have happened had the government, when it was constructing the highway, opted to surface the railway embankment. That having been said, one must now wonder whether the government could not have taken measures to protect the residents against the present overtopping. In some locations there are drains that would channel the water away from the residences. If it is a case of aesthetics then it would mean that the government has placed beauty over protection. But there are other ways of leading water away from communities. Some societies place a high premium on storm drains. These are culverts constructed underground and connected to the various households. Guyana has the technology to construct such underground systems. This is what was done with the sewerage.

When the affected residents think about days past they would be surprised that they are affected by the waters from the Atlantic. Many would say that this is a novelty unless there was a breach. The authorities would say that the overtopping and consequent flooding is as a result of climate change that has spawned global warming.

However, any such effect of global warming would have been more gradual and not as rapid as this seems to be the case. So there must be another reason, something that the authorities who are responsible for monitoring the weather would have charted.

One cannot blame the people for constructing their homes where they are now. They have been there long before the new seawall was constructed. And the authorities should have seen the need for a relief drain when they constructed the new highway. But one can only assume that someone was either being cheap or shortsighted.

Surely this pattern of overtopping will occur at least two other times this year and the people can expect to collect more silt on their floors. They can expect to be replacing their floors and those who have electric points at ground level must be prepared for expensive rewiring. Since the neighbourhood is affluent, perhaps the authorities expect the people to spend their own money on flood protection measures such as building concrete walls around their property. However, that is not a practical solution.

Suffice it to say that there was no warning. Usually, the government would warn of impending high tides and the possibility of flooding. This was not done in this case. One must conclude that the people entrusted with this task were either not working or simply could not be bothered.

This time around there was significant damage. Parked cars were particularly hard hit because salt water is no lover of engines and vehicle parts. As Works Minister Robeson Benn has said, none of the people who suffered loss or damage can expect any compensation from the government.

For one, the flooding was not caused by the government or the state. Yet one must question the failure of the government to protect the people.

In the case of one location, in the midst of the flood the government discerned that a drain leading water away from the community was clogged. Obviously, the government or the regional authorities no longer patrol communities to assess the situation pertaining to the improvement of the community. For example, two years ago the government found that many waterways were blocked or clogged.

Immediately Central Government released some $800 million to clear drains and other waterways and to take measures to prevent flooding.

Perhaps sporadic flooding by an encroaching Atlantic does not deserve such attention.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

The Hururu protest and an absence of legal advice DEAR EDITOR, The blocking of the Hururu to Kwakwani access road by residents of Hururu on the morning of Sunday 21st April 2013 and the subsequent clearing of the blockage on the evening of Thursday 25th April 2013 have left many questions unanswered in the minds of the general Guyanese populace and many of the residents of Hururu themselves.

Why did the residents take such drastic action to make their point?

This could be mainly attributed mainly to the distrust that the residents have for the present council with regard to the current negotiations being held between the Company (BCGI) and the Hururu Amerindian Council for a new lease for 324 additional acres of the reservation land to construct wharf facilities and an access road. Word had circulated that the councilors were travelling to Georgetown on Monday 22nd to sign an agreement to lease the land for a meager sum of $163,000 per month as offered by the company.

Residents are already peeved at the sums being paid for two lots previously leased to the Company. The first lease of 276 acres was granted on the 1st February 2004 to then Aroaima Mining Company for a sum of $500,000 per month for the remainder of 2004 and $1,000,000 per month with

effect from 1st January 2005, subject to review at 1st February 2006 and at the end of succeeding period of three years as from 1st February 2006.

In 2004 this agreement was hailed by the residents as good compensation and one that was subject to periodic review. But fourteen months later on the 7th April 2005 soon after the Bauxite Company of Guyana (BCGI) assumed management of the Aroaima Mining Company, the council agreed to amend the 2004 agreement, which in effect eliminated the triennial reviews and settled to accept the $1,000,000 for the period of validity of the agreement which could have meant twenty five years that is the term of the land lease.

The second agreement was signed on the 3rd August 2005 for a tract of land approximately 2,500 acres in size which encompassed the Kurubuka 22 Deposit. It was agreed then that the Company will pay US$80,000 per annum for the land.

On the 1st April 2006 when BCGI assumed full ownership of the Aroaima Mining Company those two agreements were consolidated into one agreement with the total sum US$140,000 per annum being paid to the Hururu Amerindian reservation for the use of the Hururu to Kwakwani access road and the mining area of the Kurubuka 22 deposit. The review period of that contract

is 9 years and 9 months. So the first review will fall due on February 1st 2016.

The Company paid to the council the stipulated sum of approximately G$2,400,000 per month in cash and kind, and more so in kind than cash, since the agreement was signed.

Two other agreements were entered into with the company. The first was for the supply of electricity to the village. This was provided at the expense of the village.

From 2006 to 2010 the villagers were being charged varying sums ranging from $1M to $1.7M per month for the supply of electricity.

All cables and workmanship were charged to the village and were deducted from their monthly tribute. The wattage of electricity consumed by the village was being charged at a rate of approximately $100 per Kwh the highest rate in the entire country. After objections were raised, the rates were reduced in December 2010 to $54 per Kwh, similar to what is being paid by residents on the coastland.

Were the millions of dollars deducted for the overcharging of the residents for electricity from 2006 to 2010 ever reimbursed to the village? Did the council pursue this reimbursement?

The second agreement was for the provision of a water well and distribution of potable water to the central parts of the village. The Company engaged a

contractor to drill the well.

Several millions were paid for the drilling of the well yet the residents still have to cross the river to fetch water from the neighbouring village of Ladern’s Ville, because the water is unsuitable for consumption.

The village paid huge sums of money for a facility that is virtually useless. These two social agreements have placed severe financial burdens on a village that is rapidly expanding in numbers.

Given the track record of the council in negotiations with the company, it is no wonder that the residents of Hururu wanted to know more of the finer details of the impending agreement that is to be signed between the Bauxite Company of Guyana (BCGI) and the village council of Hururu. In fact they should have been kept informed all the way.

Section 47 (2) of the Amerindian Act states:�If a lease is to be granted to a non-resident or if a lease granted to a non-resident is to be amended, the Village Council shall call a Village general meeting and obtain the consent of at least seventy-five percent of those present and entitled to vote at the Village general meeting.�

Was the Village council seeking this level of agreement from the Villagers?

If they were they could not have had that spontaneous Continued on page 7

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

Ratify this Convention without delay!

DEAR EDITOR, Tomorrow - Labour Day 2013 – Red Thread is launching a campaign for the ratification of an International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention which recognizes that domestic workers are real workers and must have the same rights as all other workers.

The ILO passed this Convention (ILO Convention #189) on June 16, 2011. Since then, there has been real progress in promoting domestic workers’ rights in many countries: · Uruguay, Philippines, Bolivia, Italy, Mauritius and Nicaragua have ratified the Convention. · Brazil has passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights for domestic workers. · Argentina has passed a bill limiting working hours for domestic workers and ensuring they receive paid annual and maternity leave. · India has included domestic workers in legislation against sexual harassment in the workplace. · Nine countries have passed new laws or regulations improving

domestic workers’ rights, including Venezuela, Bahrain, Philippines, Thailand, Spain and Singapore. · Legislative reforms have begun in Namibia, Chile, Finland and the US, among other countries.

In this region, our fellowmembers of the Caribbean Domestic Workers Network in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago are actively campaigning for their governments to ratify the Convention.

In Guyana, as we all know, many, many thousands of women are part-time or fulltime domestic workers. With few exceptions, they face exploitation, some blatant and extreme, some less visible.

Red Thread has been talking to them and listening to their stories, which hit us where it hurts, because some of us were domestic workers and can relate to and have spoken out against the unfairness that was meted out to us, sometimes by big names in this society.

Most of the domestic workers we talked to were unwilling to tell their stories publicly unless they had left

the job. They were too afraid.

Here are three of the stories: F, a single mother of three: “My work load seemed to increase by the hour, the cleaning wouldn’t stop. I work from Monday to Friday with Saturdays and Sundays off for $2000 per day. I didn’t like the way the employer abuse the word please. My boss lady would ask me, please do this and please do that and then what was a favour suddenly turn my job. She didn’t even pay any NIS for me, all she do was promise to find out what she need to do in order to make payments but she never did it.

If I wanted time off, I could only get it for two hours. I had to cook, clean, shop, press the clothes and put out what they have to wear on the ironing board so they can find them easily. If not, they will call me at my home to know what they have to wear on that day and why it is not on the board. I also had was to look after the children aged four and seven years. I just get fed up and leave a few weeks ago. I couldn’t continue to do all

that for $2000 per day, plus put up with the rude manner she want to talk to me at times. I decide to stay at home, make and sell custard block and pay more attention to my kitchen garden. I does usually share the greens with my neighbours, but from now on I will sell until I find a better paid job. I went to Carnegie and I might decide to make snacks to sell”.

T, a mother of five: “Three years ago I worked with a family in the city. My working hours were from 8am to 1pm, Mondays to Saturdays, but I could never leave before 3 pm.

I had to look after two children, one going to nursery school and the other was two years old. I had to get the big one ready for school, pack the lunch kit, get she dressed etc.

The other child I had to bathe, feed, sing to her and ensure she went to sleep before I could do my other chores. When I am at work I am the mother for the day. She don’t have much to do with her mother. I wash the clothes, do the dishes, sweep and mop the house, do the ironing two days per week, including house clothes and

bed sheets. The boss lady did the cooking but I had to walk with my own food. She sometimes offer me lunch and also give me things to carry home like foodstuff and clothes. I got $3,800 for the week. “ G, a grandmother: “I’m financially responsible for my grandson, nine years old. I work with a religious organisation. My working hours is from Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 12.30pm, but sometimes I have to stay on until 2 or 3 pm without extra payments. I do not usually work on weekends or holidays but when they have the regular quarterly special function I have to work.

My job is to clean the four offices, dusting down everything like computer and so on, packing away and sweeping (mopping once per week), washing hand towels everyday and linens once a week by hand.

They ask me a couple of times to serve coffee or tea and now it become my duty. I have to wash the coffee cups and also take the phone calls when the receptionist is not there. My work get much heavier when school close for

the August holiday because of extra activities like camping etc, nuff more cleaning I have to do. I also have to assist with the shopping and packing of the grocery and washing of all the towels used by the campers, all for the same money. I get $20,000 per month (NIS is paid).”

These three stories are just a few examples of the ways domestic workers are exploited. We have made the point so many times before that the often back-breaking caring work women do at home adds value to the economy, but this work is unvalued and unpaid. It is referred to as “non productive” although it produces and reproduces the labour force.

The work that is unvalued and unpaid when we do it with our own families is undervalued and underpaid when we do it for others - that is why domestic workers get so much “eye pass”: long hours of work, more work added to what they were employed to do, verbal abuse, no time off, often no NIS, and even sexual abuse to name a few, all for a little pittance.

Continued on page 7

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

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

The PPP used the budget cuts to rile up and then abandon its supporters DEAR EDITOR, Guyanese people should know better by now. This entire budget cut cussdown and battle is nothing but a grand pretentious masquerade.

The PPP is signalling now it will accept the reduced budget after gallivanting all over this country crying crocodile tears in its strongholds and maintaining it will defy the budget cuts to its dying breath.

This dramatic turnaround from the PPP means one of

two things; either the bunch of Jagdeoites at Freedom House knew all along it would accept the budget cuts or the PPP plans to repeat what it did last year and secretly restore the budget cuts in flagrant violation of Parliament.

Either way, the PPP’s antics by scampering like wild animals all over Guyana and particularly into PPP strongholds weeping, wailing and caterwauling were nothing but a charade, sham, masquerade and a big lie

intended to fool, con, hoodwink and rip-off Guyanese and particularly PPP supporters.

The PPP thinks Guyanese, and its supporters, are a gullible and easily fooled bunch.

To rile up and agitate an entire nation and your supporters in this fashion only to backpedal, turn around and stab them in the back is shameful politics and reveals exactly how the PPP views its voters – as putty to be played with and discarded.

If the PPP stood its ground as it promised its supporters and refused to accept the budget cuts, it would have been doing what it promised.

Instead, it led its constituency down a road laid with deceit. One has to seriously wonder what manner of persons are large and in charge of the PPP to think that to so fraudulently agitate PPP supporters behind opposing the budget cut, only to turn around and stab them in the back, is a

rational and reasonable decision.

People are not playthings.

In a country living on the edge of political and racial division, you cannot play these games of moral prevarication, lying and cheating to your own supporters and expect trust will magically appear. The PPP got its supporters to rouse themselves into fury only to make a mockery of their passion.

This sinister act of the PPP in knifing its own supporters in the back reflects a deep-seated disease in the Jagdeoitecontrolled PPP – the perception that the Guyanese people and PPP supporters are nothing but mere pawns to be toyed with for the gain of the chosen few running things at Freedom House.

The PPP after Cheddi Jagan became a party that has brutally and shamefully used its supporters in a most disingenuous manner to enlarge and enrich the power and wealth of a few in control of the PPP and their cronies.

On the issue of the PPP planning to secretly restore the budget cuts and to spend the money without telling Parliament like it did last year, I find the opposition flagrantly inept and weak in confronting this despicable conduct.

When it discovered the PPP’s misconduct in January 2013, the opposition promised all manner of retribution upon the PPP, but we have seen or heard

nothing. No PPP members were reprimanded or sanctioned.

One has to wonder whether the PPP’s agreement with the reduced budget today is tied to some backroom deal-making with the opposition to let the PPP MPs who spent the people’s money wrongfully in 2012 walk away scot free in exchange for the PPP agreeing to the budget cuts.

One has the wonder whether there was some kind of insider wheeling and dealing between the opposition and the PPP to drop the sanctions in exchange for the PPP accepting the budget cuts.

How does the opposition let the contract worker system remain intact and inept persons who made royal messes at the Local Government ministries get super salaries as consultants with a maid, gardener and paid transportation, while the working class majority of this country line up by the tens of thousands every day paying for transportation to get home from work to be their own maids?

This budget has all the hallmarks of a collusive battering like this nation has not experienced before.

There is runaway political immorality in this country and the working class, poor and those outside of the trough bear the brunt of it every single day of their struggling lives.

M. Maxwell

Ratify this Convention...

From page 5 ILO Convention #189 seeks to correct all this wrongdoing.

It says that domestic workers must have the same basic labour rights as other workers with respect to: · Normal hours of work. · Overtime compensation. · Periods of daily and weekly rest and annual paid leave.

In addition: · They must receive a written contract of their employment terms and conditions, · They are entitled to minimum wage coverage where coverage exists, · They must have conditions no less favourable than other workers, re social security protection, including maternity benefits. · They must enjoy the promotion and protection of their human rights and fundamental rights at work including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. · They must be protected against all forms of abuse, harassment and violence.

· They have the right to a safe and healthy work environment.

Article 3 of the Convention also says that member states of ILO must take measures to promote the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour and the abolition of child labour.

This article can be useful in the fight against trafficking since one of the main ways that young girls and women are lured by traffickers in Guyana is by offers of jobs as domestic workers both here and in other countries.

Domestic workers in Guyana need the protection of ILO Convention #189.

Domestic workers must have the same rights as all other workers.

We call on the Government of Guyana - ratify this Convention without delay!

Joycelyn Bacchus Joy Marcus Halima Khan Susan Collymore Andaiye For Red Thread

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Letters... Where your views make the news

Govt. and relevant stakeholders must resolve to deal with our transportation woes DEAR EDITOR, Transportation is fundamental for the development of the economy of any country. In developed and some developing nations, millions have access to reliable and efficient travel by autobus, railway, ferry, cars and other means.

Guyana, a large country with a relatively small population, defies the laws of averages and is a paradox.

Unfortunately we scrapped our railway system, abandoned the use of a wellregulated city bus system – the large yellow motor transport, as well as discontinued the Georgetown to Vreed-enhoop ferry service.

The mini bus or van succeeded the regular bus service and some of the operators deserve kudos because they respect and obey the traffic laws. However, the majority of mini bus operators create a nightmare with their bizarre actions: speeding, playing loud vulgar music, overcrowding, beating the traffic light and operating without a conductor. As a matter of fact these small buses are inadequate for the commuters at the rush hours, going to or from work.

Hence we see them resorting to overcharging and overloading – very dangerous and unethical practices. Obviously large buses should be urged to return to the roads.

In conclusion, Guyanese in

the Diaspora would verify that in the USA, Canada, Britain and perhaps the Caribbean, transport is usually reliable to the point of using it to reach work punctually. There needs to be a well-regulated bus and ferry service. The Demerara River should be dredged to have the ferry service resumed. Travelling in the small speed boats is hazardous and uncomfortable. The roads need to be in better condition.

The traffic department should be enlarged so that policemen can deal with speeding and drunken drivers. The laws should be revised to deal with blatant traffic offenders.

Malcolm Maynard

From page 4 rebellion.

This third land lease that the company requires is for an area of 324 acres to establish an access road to the river from the Kurubuka 22 mine and to construct a wharf facility at that location.

Residents claimed that the offer the Company made to the council was for the sum of G$163,000 per month. This is far less than they are paying for the Hururu to Kwakwani roadway The Hururu to Kwakwani roadway is utilized by the residents of Hururu, residents of Kwakwani and the Company. There are no restrictions on the use of this road. The new road to the waterfront and wharf facilities would be exclusively private to the company, yet they are offering less than they pay for the Hururu to Kwakwani road.

Even worse, without any written agreement, the Company has already bulldozed a road to the waterfront. They have ventured outside of the limits of the mining lease, destroyed valuable marketable logs and covered over felled logs of residents. This is in violation of section 49 (2) (d) of the Amerindian Act which states:”the miner shall take all reasonable steps to avoid (i) damage to the environment: (iv) damage to or disruption of the flora and fauna; (v) disruption of resident’s normal activities.”

All of that without a written agreement to venture outside of the mining lease, without payment of any compensation to the village for that tract of land or to the affected residents. Yet the Company in its “Message to Hururu Amerindian Villagers” in section 12, boasts of being “a law abiding Company, established and ruled by the law of Guyana” and considered the actions of the villagers “as illegal and

piratical”. In true Guyanese terms we would refer to that as, “pot telling kettle e bottom black.” Yet the Councilors were preparing to travel to Georgetown to possibly enter into an agreement for low rates for the new tract of land that the company required.

These disconnects between the residents and the Village Councilors prompted the residents to take measures into their own hands. On Sunday morning they blocked the Hururu to Kwakwani road forcing the company to take the longer route to transport their workers to Kwakwani via the Bamboo Landing trail. Should the residents have blocked the road in breach of an agreement with the company? How many of the residents knew of the fine details of the agreement?

What they knew was that they were being restricted from accessing their work area and that the Company was about to be rewarded with a cheap contract and they wanted none of that.

On the reopening of the road and a fresh round of negotiations, the word is that the Company has decided to unilaterally impose a fine on the Village to recover the Company’s losses.

It is claimed that the sum stated is $750,000 per month for a questionable number of months. So the management of BCGI has assumed the role of Guyana’s high court to award compensation unto themselves, they too have taken the law into their own hands, a most lawabiding Company.

The same company that unilaterally derecognized the workers’ trade union in this country and where the Government cannot rectify that breach of our labour laws by a foreign Company.

It must be pointed out that the land lease agreements that are in effect were entered before the Amerindian Act Chapter

29:01 was enacted. So there are now other issues there that the AmerindianAffairs Ministry, The Hururu Amerindian Council and the Bauxite Company of Guyana need to address.

Of crucial importance is the issue of tribute payable for minerals obtained from village lands. Article 51 (1) states: “A miner shall pay the village tribute of at least seven percent of the value of any minerals obtained from village lands from small or medium scale mining”.Article 51 (2) states: “A miner shall negotiate in good faith with a village the amount of tribute to be paid for minerals obtained from village lands from large scale mining and in the case where the village has refused its consent such tribute shall be agreed between the Minister and the miner before the mining activities commence” .

BCGI would fall under the category of large scale mining. It is mining bauxite and bauxite is an aluminum ore and is the main source of aluminum. Stripping has commenced at Kurubuka 22 so in effect mining has commenced. What is the agreed amount of tribute to be paid for minerals obtained from the Hururu Amerindian village lands? This issue needs to be addressed now rather than have the residents disrupting the company’s activities to ask for answers.

Throughout these negotiations the councilors have never had legal advice; they have always trusted the Amerindian Affairs Ministry to act in their best interest.

This needs to be corrected and the village needs to have access to legal advice when negotiating any contract, more so when negotiating with a foreign company whose representatives are not fluent in the English language.

Victor Kersting

The Hururu protest and an...

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Radio/cable licence giveaway reaches US Congressman Representatives of media proprietors in Guyana yesterday took their protest over the PPP government’s wholesale giveaway of Guyana’s airwaves to family and friends of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, to the United States Congress.

The media owners yesterday met in New York with US Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of the Eighth Congressional District in Brooklyn. Congressman Jeffries sits on the Appropriations and Judicial Committees of the United States House of Representatives and is a rising star in the US Democratic Party.

The Guyanese delegation comprised owner of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, owner of

Hoyte/Blackman TV, Dr. Noel Blackman and Mr. Charles Griffith of the Guyana Media Proprietors Association. The group was joined by Rickford Burke, President of the New York based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID).

The delegation informed the Congressman that former President Bharrat Jagdeo abused his powers and acted extra-constitutionally when he used his office to grant radio, television and cable broadcast licenses to his relatives, close friends and supporters while refusing to grant such licence to legitimate media entities that applied for over ten and 15 years in many instances.

The Congressman expressed grave concern

over the discriminatory issuance and consolidation of broadcast licences in Guyana and said that such monopolization was a breach of democratic values and press freedom. It blocks the freedoms of expression and choice and threatens democracy.

Congressman Jeffries said that the issues were of particular concern to thousands of Guyanese in his district in Brooklyn and Queens and that as a consequence he will collaborate with other members of Congress and the Congressional Black Caucus to urge Secretary of State John Kerry to address and resolve this matter within the context of the broad array of policy options available to the

Meeting with Congressman , Hakeem Jeffries (left) are Dr. Noel Blackman (second from left), Charles Griffith of the Guyana Media Proprietors’ Association, and Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall.

US. The Brooklyn Congressman left all options on the table for discussion; including a review of aid budgeted to Guyana under appropriations to the State

Department as well as an examination of the Government of Guyana policy that grants licences to companies in Guyana that are basically pirates who openly steal US broadcast and

copyrights as well as intellectual property rights for which they unconscionably then charge the Guyanese public exorbitant costs.

T h e s e things violate US federal law.

E-governance project geared for large-scale commercial operations The investment of US$32 million in an e-governance project would facilitate large scale commercial operations as well. This was announced yesterday by Alexei Ramotar, who manages the project.

“There would be excess bandwidth,” he told reporters at the Office of the President, which manages the funding for the project.

That “excess bandwidth”, he said, could be sourced to large organisations.

Those “large organisations” could include commercial ventures, added Kwame McCoy, the project’s Information Officer.

However, Ramotar and McCoy both insisted that no decision has been made by the government whether it would indeed facilitate commercial operations using a tax-funded project. Ramotar did say that the government is not into retail.

Ramotar said that the

project is expected to be completed by September this year and would not overrun the US$32 million budget.

The E-Government Project consists of the setting up of a Data Centre, a transmission network and the data network.

The Data Centre, or the control centre, is being housed in the compound of Castellani House in the same building that is used for the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Transmission Network stretches from Moleson Creek on the Corentyne Coast to Charity on the Essequibo Coast. The cable runs from Lethem in the Rupununi through Linden to Georgetown.

It consists of a fiber network and microwave network. Fiber will be available from Lethem to Georgetown, Moleson Creek to Parika, while microwave will be available from Moleson

Creek to Charity. From Parika to Moleson Creek the network allows a fallover from fiber to microwave for all sites.

By way of the Access Network, all major Government facilities in the coverage areas will be connected via fiber and or 4G wireless Cellular services.

According to handouts provided to the media, approximately all major Government agencies and offices are within the coverage area.

The Project team said the network is designed to be easily extendable and will provide a range of services such as “E-Health” allowing for video consultation, movement of information from one health center to another and tracking disease outbreaks.

Regarding security, the project would allow quick transmission of information including video and data between police stations.

- but Ramotar says no decision yet In education, the project would set up an “E-library” which would allow for access to textbooks and other teaching aids that can be used by students and schools, thereby lowering cost.

Poor families who cannot pay for the internet would be hooked up to the internet at community centres in various areas, such as in the hinterland. The project came about following an audit which showed that the government’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure was weak.

In 2009, the Government signed an agreement with China’s Huawei Technologies

Ltd, which advanced the project.

Through the EGovernment project, the government is seeking to enhance the Government services offered to the people but also radically transform the ICT infrastructure of Guyana and bring it more on par with the rest of the Caribbean.

The project team said that over the course of the project several changes were made.

The biggest changes were switching from WiMax and EVDO technologies to LTEAdvanced and using a modular data centre approach over the traditional data centre.

The infrastructure will be

using Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology to provide a robust and easily scalable backbone network.

The system is designed for 10 years use before upgrades are required. This is the primary link connecting Guyana, through Brazil to the internet.

The project will then deploy Fiber and LTE Advanced cellular sites to provide access for users in the major population centers.

It is estimated that all major Government offices and institutions will be within the coverage area serving an estimate 40,000 to 60,000 households.

SAG Officials for Regional Shipping conference in the Bahamas Strategies for strengthening shipping associations across the Caribbean will be on the agenda of the12th annual Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference to be held in the Bahamas from May 13.

Members of the SAG will be among shipping industry executives from Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Latin America who will be meeting to discuss growth expansion and mutual cooperation among members.

The conference is being held by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) and the venue is the Grand Lucayan Beach and Golf Resort on Grand Bahamas Island and the Guyanese delegation will be led by Mr. Desmond Sears, President of the SAG. Sears disclosed that the Conference will be of special interest to the SAG because

the topics to be discussed will cover a wide range of issues and trends in the maritime sector.

The CSA has said that participants will be exposed to the latest trends and technological developments which will be widely deployed in marine terminals of the future.

Presentations will cover international trade, corruption and the readiness of marine pilots for the opening of the expanded Panama Canal and the massive ships which will consequently be servicing regional ports.

“Alternative energy and the economics of cargo by sea will also come under the microscope. It will be of particular importance to ships owners and shipping lines.”

Advances in marine port technology and the implications for productivity and staffing will also be

discussed when the topic ‘Automated Terminals’ is presented.

Operators of marine terminals, including regional port authorities, the CSA release said, will find great interest in a presentation by the Inter-American Development Bank to the regional shipping industry.

Presentations will also be made by the two terminals which won the CSA’s 2012 Caribbean Port Awards N.V.Havenbeheer, Suriname and Sociedad Portuaria de Cartagena (SPRC) in Colombia. The Surinamese and the Colombians will be sharing ideas and strategies which made them winners of the CSA’s annual awards.

National shipping associations and their contribution to development and potential for facilitating growth, the CSA said, will also be discussed.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 9

AFC HAS APNU ON A STRING

During the Budget debates, the AFC had APNU just where and how it wanted it: around its middle finger and hanging from a string. Since the elections of 2011 the AFC has skillfully manipulated APNU and used it to achieve its ends.

The AFC was not interested in compromise over the Budget; neither was the government. The PPPC has always operated on the basis that it enjoys sovereign responsibility for the management of the financial affairs of the country, a position that it felt was reinforced by a ruling from the Chief Justice that the Opposition in the National Assembly can either reject or approve the Budget in its entirety but cannot cut the Budget.

Armed with this understanding, the government was unwilling to concede any ground when it came to the 2013 Budget.

Based on this unwillingness to concede any ground, APNU’s objectives would have been better served by simply not approving the Budget in its entirety. This would have at least forced the government

into negotiations as it did last year when the main Opposition party was able to wrest significant concessions from the government, all of which came to nothing after APNU was lured into a trap by the AFC. Last year, APNU showed a willingness to negotiate a compromise over the Budget.

In fact ever since the last elections, it indicated a willingness to have a tripartite process over the Budget.

APNU also this year wrote the President on talks about the Budget and it is therefore obvious that it was always open to negotiations with the government.

Despite the intransigence of the government, it remained in APNU’s interest to reject the Budget in its entirety and therefore bring the government to the negotiating table where it could have wrested concessions from them.

Instead it opted to go the way of the AFC in claiming that it had a right to cut the Budget.

But what compromises were achieved by cutting estimates from the Budget? Who wins and who loses when the Budget is cut?

APNU did not gain any

Dem boys seh...

Donald still mekking joke Donald should really revisit this radio frequency thing. If he really believe that this thing gone blow over like every other issue he got to think again. De matter now reach de United States Congress. A Congressman listen to de story and everybody know that dem people don’t mek joke wid press freedom.

Dem suh serious that dem got in dem constitution that no law shall pass that gun affect de operation of de press. That is how serious dem people does tek this thing and dem expect everybody fuh tek it just as serious.

Dem don’t mek joke like people in Guyana. Dem boys seh that people in Guyana mek so much joke that thing fuh cry dem laughing. In de heart of de city some people shoot up de police and people talking how one of dem police who get shoot run all de way to de Brickdam Police Station. He run and lef he colleagues.

Dem boys also hear that de gun dem had wasn’t wukking. One policeman barely get to fire three shots at de people who attack dem and de gun jam. It tek dem in de station a year and a half fuh clear it.

It got to be a reason why de police does give dem ranks gun that don’t wuk. Dem frighten that dem same police gun shoot people like dem head ain’t good.

Rohee mekking joke too. De camera that suppose to help fight crime didn’t capture de shooting because it point along Regent Street. All it ketch is people running away from de bullets.

Donald should call in de man who set up dem cameras and mek he pay fuh all because dem same cameras was to show vehicles coming into de city and dem that leaving. De cameras don’t even see that because dem boys hear that de car end up in Turkeyen.

De man who kill de girl at Plastic City didn’t mek joke fuh let he bowels go off. He was to go to court at a certain time fuh face de murder charge. That is when he bowels go off. He reach de court two hours later.

Dem boys seh that it had to be a powerful bowel movement.

Talk half and think bout dem joker in de place.

ground on this score, and in fact if as anticipated the cuts are restored, APNU loses corn and husk.

It should not have allowed itself to be led along by the AFC. The AFC was not interested in wresting any concessions from the government. The AFC was not interested in compromise.

If it were, it would have gone a different route on the question of what the Opposition can do in the Committee of Supply.

It would have been far more advantageous to the AFC for it to adopt the position that the Chief Justice was right and that the Opposition had no power to cut the , but can only approve or reject it in its entirety. It should have then rejected the Budget in its entirety.

The only option that would have then been available to the government would have been to come to the negotiating table and

amend the Budget to take into consideration the demands of the Opposition.

The AFC was however, never interested in such a position. It had two objectives in mind. The first is to strengthen its political position in relation to both APNU and the PPPC. It ensured this year that APNU was not going to go it alone by locking that party into a corner from which it cannot retreat. APNU can never now exercise the option of rejecting a Budget in its entirety. It has weakened its own position in relation to negotiating with the government.

It matters not that the government was inflexible.

The government would have had to become more flexible if the Budget was rejected. The 10 per cent preliminary increase in wages for workers, a further increase in old age pensions, a review of the NIS, GPL and GUYSUCO, and

increased subventions for the University of Guyana, all went down the drain because instead of forcing the PPPC to the negotiating table where it would have had to this time make concessions, APNU allowed itself to be outfoxed by the AFC into supporting Budget cuts.

In those cuts, the AFC revealed its true objective.

The AFC was not into paring fat or promoting greater transparency and accountability. It wanted to slash some of the major projects. This was its ultimate objective.

It wanted to punish the PPPC for daring to go ahead with the Marriott Hotel Project and it was unconcerned about the collateral damage that it inflicted such as when its cuts of the airport project also affected other proposed expenditure.

There will never be a hydroelectric facility in Guyana, nor the airport be

improved. Nor will there be a specialty hospital. The AFC says that it was trying to prevent the government from incurring a heavier debt, as if these projects would not have allowed Guyana to reduce its balance of payments and improve its debt sustainability by the returns they would have yielded.

It is crystal clear to everyone what the AFC is after and whose interests it was serving by cutting major projects. As for APNU it came out empty- handed as it opted to play second fiddle to the AFC, the second time it has allowed itself to be outsmarted by the AFC.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Freddie Kissoon Column

The stupidity of the South African Government If service to the cause of African liberation in the continent is the criterion by which the South African Government confers the Oliver Tambo Award then Forbes Burnham of Guyana deserves it more than most of those who previously had it given to them.

If the Oliver Tambo Award is bestowed on human beings who have contributed meaningfully to the cause of human freedom then none of the recipients in the past comes within a billion miles of deserving it.

What is quite clear is that

the Tambo Order is not offered to humans that have specifically contributed towards greater freedom for human civilization. It is not a prize that concerns itself with such ethereal details. It is designed to honour those who made a very positive impact on the freedom of the peoples of the African continent.

Therefore we can leave this part of the discussion.

The Nobel Peace Prize is for those who serve the total interest of humanity.

Now if the Tambo Order is for service in the cause of

Africans how can you not give it to Forbes Burnham?

Forbes Burnham does not merit any prize that honours persons for their outstanding contribution to freedom in general in the world but certainly to Africa specifically.

He was a politically fantastic Third World planner.

He was ahead of his time on the invention of pathways that can lead to Third World development. But he had no respect for the sacred, decent, humane, democratic use of power. Despite all his patriotism towards his

country and the continent of Africa, he was an unapologetic embracer of absolute power. It destroyed him and that was a sad day for the people of Africa because he did care for the African people.

He was a dictator that denied people their freedom, turning a blind eye to his government’s involvement in murder. There is no philosopher or genius scholar in this world that, with a decent face, can successfully defend Burnham as a leader who ran Guyana.

I know about Burnham’s

obsessive mind because I was a victim of his naked power. They say that he who didn’t feel it cannot understand it. I felt it so I knew who Burnham was.

One suspects that the Tambo Order was withdrawn because of Burnham’s involvement in the murder of Walter Rodney. If that is so then the South African Government is more stupid to withdraw it from Burnham when the very prize has been conferred on those who killed their opponents.

The circumstances of Rodney’s death are undergoing revisionist assessment. It is emerging that Burnham had intelligence that Rodney was planning his overthrow. Those who were around at the time knew that.

It would appear that Burnham fearing a trial and maybe a jail sentence or even death during a revolution, decided to assassinate Rodney.

It is asinine for anyone to exonerate Burnham from the plot. The bold, graphic facts that have permanently damaged Burnham’s credibility were the attitude of the State hours after the death.

Leaflets were circulated in Georgetown accusing Rodney of trying to blow up the jail. That was a lie. The GDF officially denied Gregory Smith was ever in the force.

That was a lie. Burnham made no attempt to arrest Smith but charged Rodney’s brother.

Smith lived happily in French Guiana while Burnham supporters did nothing to clear Burnham’s name. They didn’t want to and they couldn’t.

Frederick Kissoon Burnham was involved.

Whenever Burnham’s name comes up, the murder of Rodney comes up.

Burnham made a tragic mistake. He should have arrested Rodney if he had the evidence of treasonable activity. I believe he had the proof but he chose not to lock up Rodney but to kill him. For that, he cannot and must not be seen as a leader that contributed to greater freedom in the world.

Rodney was a good man who did not deserve to die.

He remains one of my heroes.

He always will.

On the criterion of the Tambo Award, Forbes Burnham deserves it. He was a gigantic contributor to the liberation phenomenon in African more than the majority of the awardees who received the prize before. When you read the list of recipients, then in deferring the Order, the South African Government has insulted the people of Guyana and African people in the entire world.

I do not like or will ever like Forbes Burnham. I adore Walter Rodney but the indisputable fact is that based on involvement n freeing the people of the African continent from white domination, Forbes Burnham’s record is fantastic.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Page 12

Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

NIS processed 43,978 sickness benefits claims in 2011 - Annual report During 2011 a total of 43,978 claims were made and processed for sickness benefits. Of that number 22,784 were disallowed and 21,194 were paid out. This information was contained in the National Insurance Scheme 2011 annual report.

Another 7,704 or approximately 34 percent were for spells of less than four days. It was further noted that 7,757 claimants were paid full wages by their employers and another 432 provided insufficient information for the processing of their claims.

According to the report 2,674 of the persons who submitted claims did not satisfy the qualifying conditions for the receipt of benefit. Of the remaining claims unpaid, 163 claimants had submitted duplicate claims, and 1,689 were late submissions. It was further noted that 295 had received payments for the maximum period of 26 weeks and 388 were over the age limit of the benefit.

In addition, the report stated that three were overpaid on pervious claims and 86 had submitted invalid medical certificates. A total of

1,593 were invalid claims.

In relation to the 21,194 claims which were paid 12,535 or approximately 59 percent were men and 8,659 or approximately 41 percent were women.

A further analysis showed that 20,049 of the claimants were employed and 1,148 were self employed.

The ages of the recipients ranged from 17 to 60 years old.

An age analysis revealed that 10,283 or approximately 49 percent of the recipients were between the ages of 21 and 40 years, whereas 10,625 or approximately 50 percent were in the 41 to 60 age group.

Additionally the report stated that some 286 or approximately one percent were between the ages 16 and 20 years old.

The average age of the male recipient was 42 years and the female was 38 years. The report stated that an analysis showed that some 6,463 arose from workers in the sugar sector; while another 14,731 were combined form the other remaining industries.

Industrial benefits branch

‌.

A total of 2,695 claims for injury benefit were processed during 2011. Of this total, 848 were disallowed and another 1,847 were allowed. An examination revealed that 36 related to claimants who had submitted duplicate claims. Another 15 related to claimants whose medical certificates were deemed invalid.

An additional 65 claimants did not provide sufficient information for the processing of the benefit. It was further noted that 270 related to claimants who were incapacitated for less than four days and another 54 claimants had submitted their claims late.

In addition to that, some 50 were as a result of the c l a i m a n t ’s non incapacity to work and 162 were related to claimants who were paid full wages by their employers.

Further, of the 1,847 spells which were paid 1,810 were terminated upon full r e c o v e r y of the insured persons. The average duration of these spells was approximately 14 benefit days.

Another bit of reckless driving. This driver drove his car into the trench at Lamaha and Middleton Streets. No one could say what caused the accident but there were many who saw the lighter side.

Some quipped that the car was feeling hot so it decided to cool off.

Regional authorities save 5,000 acres of rice, 2000 residences

Vigilant work executed by the Region Two National Drainage and Irrigation A u t h o r i t y Department(NDIA), on Sunday managed to save approximately 5000 acres of rice lands and over 2000 residences from a major overflowing of water from the Demerara River.

Logs were installed and the broken sluice door at Windsor Castle was replaced with a temporary one which currently allows water to be discharged from the inland area.

Head of the Drainage and Irrigation Department and Regional Vice Chairman, Vishnu Samaroo, who was at the site, said that materials

were mobilized for the Windsor Castle sluice to assist with the situation.

Samaroo explained that the bottom half of the sluice door was damaged by the high tide around 4:30 hours Sunday morning causing sea water to flow onto rice lands and residential areas.

The tide, however, receded and as such stop logs were added.

Farmers in the vicinity of Windsor Castle also assisted in the sealing process. The double door sluice has been serving 5000 acres and another 2000 residents in the area. Junior Agriculture Minister, Ali Baksh, inspected the broken sluice and cautioned about the creation

that has been blocking the smooth flow of water in that area.

Baksh said that next to the sluice there is a buildup of sling-mud, which stopped the flow of water.

Two hymacs and a pontoon have also been mobilized by the Ministry to assist in desilting.

The Minister said that the machinery is helping to clear the outfalls in the area at locations such as Anna Regina, Lima, Walton-Hall and La Union.

Vice Chairman Samaroo has requested that the machinery remains in the Region to continue desilting, since other sluices are in a critical condition.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Aftermath of seawall overtopping…

years of similar scenarios, emergency works continue as the Ministry of Public Works clear silted and weed-choked drains and canals yesterday.

Coastal Guyana was continuing to be drenched with flood waters due to extremely high tides combined with severe winds.

As a result, on the East Coast Demerara the Sunday seawall lime between Subryanville and Conversation Tree would be relocated. That area attracts a huge garbage pile-up that clogs the drainage system, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn said yesterday.

Benn explained that each Monday, the Public Works Department deploys sanitation crews to clean garbage left behind from persons who party on the seawall Sunday evenings.

The surrounding drains would normally be filled with garbage.

The litter prevents water

from the high tide from exiting the drain into canals that feed into the Liliendaal and Kitty pumping stations. He said that the longer term measures to beat back rising sea levels would be to plant mangroves.

Acknowledging that in the surrounding areas residents are in some distress, he said that from Subryanville to Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara the people have been the worst affected.

High tides caused over topping of the sea walls between Liliendaal and Vlissengen Road, on the Rupert Craig Highway and parts of Bel Air, Subryanville, Skeldon, Den Amstel, Leonora and Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara.

Yesterday, excavators were deployed to key areas to bring relief to flood-stricken communities. The afternoon tide, which peaked at 6 PM, was expected to be 3.1 meters.

Yesterday, the northern carriageway of the Rupert Craig Highway remained

closed to vehicular traffic, as clean-up activities continued.

Sandbags were being placed to the affected thoroughfare along the stretch.

Engineers and other personnel were busy overseeing the clearance of outlets to avoid further flooding. Yesterday, there was a parallel drain dug to channel flood waters to the Liliendaal pumping station where it was being pumped into the sea.

Residents disgust Residents of Bel Air Gardens, Subryanville and sections of Kitty expressed their utter disgust at the threeyear annual occurrence which has cost them millions of dollars and frustration.

Salt water damaged many of the electrical appliances of the residents in these areas.

In an interview with Kaieteur News yesterday residents of Bel Air said they pay taxes through their noses and they are disgusted with the stress and frustration that comes

with the over topping.

“The sea wall needs to be raised six feet more and the gutters need to be widened.

However, politicians do not see solutions! They need to be proactive and spend taxpayers’ money properly since it’s the taxpayers’ interest that needs to be dealt with,” one frustrated man said.

Another woman who decided to take the reporter on a tour her home to show the damage she sustained during the flooding, said that she awakened to her rugs floating in the lower flat of her house and to damaged electrical pumps and appliances.

“This has been happening for the past three years! What have they learnt? We could have kicked this country a long time and go abroad. But my husband is a professional and is patriotic that’s why we are still here.”

Another resident noted that after the water was almost knee high then the authorities sent an excavator to clear a nearby canal. “This is all last minute measure! Why was the canal not maintained and cleaned properly in the first place?”

The flooding was especially bad for business at

the Ocean View International Hotel. While the overtopping waters caused a great deal of unease to commuters, it was not comparable to the damage that the owner of the Ocean View International Hotel and Convention Hall, Mr. Jacob Rambarran, experienced. He is now counting millions of dollars in flood damage.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 15

GPSU reiterates policy implementation for public servant benefits Expressing how unimpressed it is with the provisions made in this year’s budget, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has identified recommendations needed to be implemented for the benefit of public servants.

GPSU head, Patrick Yarde, reiterated calls for policy implementations which he said are needed to ease the woes of public servants.

Previously, he spoke on the policies of state sectors which he believes seem to squander taxpayers’ money and making survival for state workers overbearing.

“There is an obsession by the Government to depreciate permanent and sustainable jobs in the Public Service and replace them with contracted employees.”

Speaking about an apparent influx of contract workers, Yarde said, “Their policy of undermining workers’ security of tenure as well as the implicit institutional memory of public service personnel is shortsighted, narrow and anti national. This backward political approach in dealing with the essential national workforce must be eradicated.”

On the issue of public sector modernization, the union head insisted that funds

be made available to continue and complete the Public Sector Modernisation Project with specific focus on certain areas.

“This is an enlightened and scientific way to develop and maintain access to quality public service that is relevant and supportive to the consumer needs and broad base national development,” Yarde posited.

There needs to be more job creation, he suggested.

“Initiating projects that would contribute to creating sustainable and quality jobs should be primary focal point of all national budgets which must have as main feature initiatives encouraging entrepreneurship and self employment facilitation and development.”

“The GPSU believes that it is shameful that after working for so many years in persistent poverty, senior citizens and retirees should be condemned to abject poverty, while in retirement.

GPSU had proposed for inclusion since Budget 2012, provisions for a minimum increase of 50 percent on all pensions payable by the State, while indicating that the NIS be encouraged to do likewise.

Further, the GPSU is of the view that the “Termination of

GPSU President Patrick Yarde Employment and Severance Pay (Amendment) Act No. 7 of 1999”should be repealed and provisions of the original “Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act No. 19 of 1997” be fully reinstated.

Action should also be taken to amend the Pensions Act, Chapter 27:02 to enable public service workers to earn gratuities and/or pensions, should they offer their resignation after a minimum of seven years service.”

Yarde reiterated that the income tax threshold should be $100,000 per month; the income tax rate should be reduced from 33.3 percent to 20 percent on taxable income.

“There should be a nontaxable allowance of $40,000

per month for dependants, especially to facilitate the delivery of proper care and upbringing of our youth. This should be manifested in a practical, realistic and tangible manner and not the lip service approach as is the case.”

Yarde continued that, “There should be a nontaxable allowance of seventy five thousand dollars $75,000 per month for students who are dependants and are pursuing tertiary level,” such as the University of Guyana, Government Technical Institute etc.

Value Added Tax (VAT), Yarde urged, should be reduced to eight percent. In this regard, it should be noted that all the political parties currently in Parliament made 2011 Elections campaign Manifesto promises to review the VAT. “This is the second Budget since the election and Government is still to satisfy its promise of a VAT review.

“Allocations should be made for the payment of increment in the Public Service facilitating upward movement in pay bands and thus eliminating bunching of all employees at the minimum of the salary scales. This would go a far way to boosting workers’ morale and create a basis for improving efficiency and productivity.”

Lusignan bar murder…

Victim died of single incised wound to neck A post mortem examination has revealed that 50-year-old Lusignan fisherman, Madan Sahadeo, died as a result of a single incised wound to his neck.

The post mortem was done yesterday at the Georgetown Public Hospital

by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh.

Sahadeo was on Sunday evening knifed to death while at Seeta’s Bar, Lusignan, East Coast Demerara. Meanwhile charges are likely to be laid against a man called ‘Skinny’ who was arrested shortly after the incident on Sunday evening.

According to reports, ‘Skinny’ who hails from Strathspey, East Coast Demerara was earlier in the night involved in an argument

Dead 50 year-old Madan Sahadeo with Sahadeo and was seen inflicting a wound to Sahadeo mere seconds before the latter collapsed outside the bar and died.

This publication was told

that Sahadeo and ‘Skinny’ were both consuming alcohol at Seeta’s Bar on Sunday around 18:00 hours when an argument erupted. The men were arguing about who was a better fisherman. At some point the argument became heated and ‘Skinny’ drew a knife and reportedly slit Sahadeo’s throat. According to reports Sahadeo staggered and then collapsed at the bridge leading to the bar. He was left there for almost two hours without any help.

Residents of the area told this publication that not even the owners of the bar offered any help not even to summon the police or apprehend the perpetrator. Persons who were at the bar continued imbibing as the suspect in the matter calmly left the area.

This publication was told that passersby who noticed Sahadeo contacted relatives who were at a wedding in another East Coast Village.

However, relatives thought that Sahadeo was merely injured and needed to be taken to the hospital.

Unfortunately by the time the man’s relatives arrived at the scene he was already dead.

Reports are that it was only at that point that the police were informed of the incident and when they arrived they were forced to order the owner of the shop to close. Several persons who were still consuming alcohol at the bar when the police arrived were detained to assist with investigations. Acting on information received the suspect was arrested.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

GTU against abolition of corporal punishment As far as the issue of corporal punishment goes, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has said that it is totally against the abolition of what might very well be teachers only tool to better mold future generations.

According to the GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, the body’s stance comes in light of the overwhelming cases of teachers being continuously assaulted by their students.

One Corentyne, Berbice teacher even lost her baby after she was assaulted by a relative of one of her students.

Corporal Punishment is something that has been much debated in homes, schools, among neighbours, friends, and as of recently, in the highest forum in the landthe National Assembly.

Since the subject is one of a more “touchy” nature, the consultation process has been quite lengthy, and still continues.

McDonald opined that the abolition of corporal punishment may prove to be disastrous for teachers, especially the many who are at risk when it comes to the more hostile children sitting within the confines of their classrooms.

While it may not be

“ethical”, corporal punishment may very well be one of the only tools that teachers have to protect themselves against a generation today that has less, if any, regard for morals.

McDonald recalled that back in the days, elderly people were respected. She explained that during those days, any elderly person could have scolded a child for his or her wrongdoing, but children of today have way less regard for seniors.

A mother of five, and grandmother of two, Mavis Braithwaite, is of the opinion that teachers being assaulted is unacceptable, and that something should immediately be done to put an end to this “catastrophe”.

She too believes in the existence of corporal punishment, noting that had it not been for her fear of lashes from both her teachers and parents, she would not have been able to read or write.

“The same people who believe that we should do away with corporal punishment, they and all used to get licks in school, and I want them to genuinely ask themselves where they would’ve been without a few lashes…They should think back to the delinquents of

- says alternative methods not effective enough

GTU’s President, Colin Bynoe their time, and remember the incidences where the lashes here and there proved to be beneficial for them,” the woman said.

It has been duly noted that years ago, students strove to ensure that they did their homework, and be on their best behaviour, with the hope of not having to face the wrath of their teachers and the famous “bamboo whips”.

With this in mind, some are of the view that the

GTU’s General Secretary, Coretta McDonald elimination of corporal punishment would be the first step in advocating the decline of civilization.

Braithwaite added that should the situation of utter disregard for respect and morals continue, Guyana will definitely find itself in a bad state.

One man who claims to be a Christian Preacher had more than enough to say. “There are bad students, disobedient ones, and beyond rude ones; there are bullies, but not the kind of school bullies we had back in the days. These are now big men and women.

Bullyism in schools is now at a dangerous level.

“Children have knives and all sorts of weapons that they walk around with in schools; ice-pick is the most popular these days,” the man said.

The man who also claims to be a fourth form teacher of a reputable high school in Georgetown, said that he has had firsthand experience of some students even doing drugs in schools in their classrooms, and has urged

that the Education Ministry launch an investigation into something that serious.

He added that high school students, especially the “big men”, are more well-known at “marijuana junctions” than in libraries.

“Before we move to take away corporal punishment from schools, we need to revise what is best for the students themselves. Our children while in schools are exposed to delinquents, who very much need guidance.

I remember just a few months ago where students were being murdered by their fellow students one after the other,” the man said.

He added that had corporal punishment been enforced, such incidents would not be occurring as repeatedly as they do today.

While some parents are of the opinion that their children should be punished for misbehaviour, others were skeptical about having “other people” hit their children.

“I don’t want my child coming home with her hands all bruised up,” one parent said.

During a previous interview, McDonald had said that while corporal punishment should be legal, it should also be governed by strict laws to ensure that teachers do not move from executing corporal punishment, to becoming abusive.

President of the GTU, Colin Bynoe, pointed out that corporal punishment entails a girl being given a few lashes in the palm, while a boy should be given those lashes on his buttocks.

Ms. McDonald is of the opinion that growing cases of violence in schools, can be attributed to the breakdown in family life where parents are working to make ends meet, and not finding the time to discipline their children.

“While parents go out

there to make a living, not finding time to discipline their children, it is the teachers who are saddled with that responsibility, and they need something that they can use to establish their authority in the classroom. We always say that the school doesn’t make the child, because each child goes to school with his or her own attitudes and issues,” McDonald said.

In an effort to address the issue of badly behaved students and the threat that some of them pose to the safety of teachers, McDonald said that GTU is working towards starting a campaign to have meetings with residents of various communities to have them realize that it takes a community to raise a child.

“We need to get people to understand that being selfish isn’t going to get you anywhere. You won’t find somebody scolding a neighbour’s child these days, because everybody living too selfishly- you handle your child, I handle mine. Even aunts and uncles don’t scold their nieces and nephews anymore, because the first thing they gon say is that- me ain’t able fuh she tell me nothing fuh hollering pon she child.

“So that’s the way it is, and unfortunately, it is causing a strain on the school system, and it is affecting teachers. Teachers are terrified of even asking certain of their students a question…so what is this becoming to…” McDonald said.

During the course of last year, teachers were even advised to react accordingly, to students who try to assault them.

Ultimately, the Guyana Teachers’ Union is of the belief that no alternative measure is effective enough to deal with abusive and overly misbehaved students.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday April 30, 2013

‘Glamour Girl’ is now a centenarian Colombians fined for illegal entry

“Well I’m a 100. Imagine that …” exclaimed the glamour girl, who happily said that in her earlier days, she had many boyfriends and did not pass up on the “drinks.”

However, that lifestyle did not inhibit Dorothy Ivy PileRoth from attaining the coveted age of 100. She celebrated the milestone with a simple ceremony yesterday at Uncle Eddie’s Home at Jackson Street, Tucville.

The niece-in-law of the late Walter Roth, after whom the famous museum was named, does not see herself as a role model but as someone from which young people can learn a few key principles.

Though the meek yet humorous Roth experiences challenges with her hearing and sight, she still managed to sit with Kaieteur News for a candid interview.

Born on April 29, 1913 at Plantation Tuschen, she is the daughter of Emma Maria De Lapara and Joseph Ernice Pile who produced 12 children during a long lasting marriage.

As she took a stroll down memory lane, she spoke about her husband, Walter Jerald Roth whom she remembered to be sweet, caring and a fine looking gentleman. But suddenly, she took a detour from reality and told Kaieteur News with much vigor “Don’t fatigue me with that anymore.”

In her still bubbly spirit, Mrs. Roth said that she wished she could still have her favourite drink “ Rum and ginger or Rum and coke” but sadly she has no other choice but to settle for a plain old “Icee cream soda.”

As the corners of her lips turned into a glowing smile, she said, “Oh my! How I loved icing cakes and planting

Dorothy Ivy Roth flowers when I was 20.Though I have no children I am content with my life. It is filled with countless beautiful moments.”

She recalled those golden days of her youth when she did the foxtrot at the Portuguese Hall and the Assembly Hall. Once again she exclaimed that those were sweet memories but “Don’t fatigue me with that anymore.”

Members of the Uncle Eddie’s home along with some distant relatives who visited her on the special occasion, told Kaieteur News “She is a woman filled which much history. She is a celebrity in our eyes and not to mention what a diva she was in her youth. Her dressing was sophisticated. She was envied by the very best as she lived a high class life and is known to be a personal friend of Janet Jagan.

“She is very frank. Many

people do not know that the porkknockers in the Guyana Museum were actually made by her. She made them out of balata and the hats she made from limes that she sliced in half and turned the two halves inside out.”

However, the outspoken centenarian did inform this newspaper that she still reminisces about her many lovers.

With a light chuckle she stated, “Oh my, I have had so many lovers, I really don’t know where to start. But I have a secret; I was in love with a guy overseas named Estorga.

I loved him dearly. He has my heart.

Moreover, when asked what is her advice to young girls she said, “These young girls always wearing some tight up clothing. They give no mystery. But they don’t listen to old people like me.

But don’t bother me about that anymore.”

Two Colombians, Yelson Castillo and Barquen Vallejo Fuis Hernan, were detained when they entered Guyana illegally on April 26, at Springlands, Corentyne.

The defendants who appeared before Magistrate Alan Wilson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday, pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that they entered into Guyana by sea and disembarked without the permission of the Immigration Officer.

The prosecution stated that on that date, the defendants who are Colombian nationals were outgoing passengers to Brazil through Lethem. It was here that they were asked to produce their passports.

It was observed by an Immigration Officer that their passports did not have an entry stamp. As a result, both were arrested, taken to CID Headquarters and questioned.

Both defendants claimed that they entered the country in order to reach Brazil, where they would proceed to Colombia.

Man at the gate: Yelson Castillo, man in green shirt : Barquen Vallejo Fuis Hernan Through an interpreter, Castillo told the court “I ran away because my two brothers were murdered in Colombia and after the cartels threatened me and I have been scared. I stayed in Suriname for one year and I heard my mother is very, very ill so I was going back to Colombia when the police apprehended me.”

Hernan told the court that after Castillo’s brothers, who were also his cousins, were killed, he became frightened that he may be next. He expressed that his only request is to return to his homeland.

The two defendants were subsequently fined $30,000 each and an order was made for both to be deported.

Barbados trafficking in persons…

Relatives warned not to speak to media or police Relatives of the five young women, who have alleged that they were trafficked in Barbados, were yesterday warned not to contact the media or the police. However the relatives did not heed that warning since they contacted Kaieteur News late yesterday afternoon. This newspaper was told that the relatives received the warning from officials from the Ministry of Human Services. Kaieteur News understands that the relatives had to meet with the officials today and were given the warning. Relatives yesterday told this newspaper that it was confirmed today that the 17 year old girl who was arrested, was pregnant. Further, at that meeting yesterday, a relative showed the Ministry officials copies of a consent form which was sent to the girl’s grandmother in Barbados.

Officials also lambasted the aunt of Clarissa Reid. Kaieteur News was told that Graclyn Reid was warned not to “run down” her family. Relatives further told Kaieteur News that just before the story broke in Barbados; the young girls had transferred money to them here in Guyana.

Relatives have the receipts to confirm this. Relatives of the five Guyanese women on Saturday said that they are convinced that the young women are lying about what really happened. Graclyn Reid, whose 19-year-old

niece is involved in the matter, had stated that she is convinced that the young girl is lying. According to Reid, her niece made similar allegations last year against another aunt.

The woman told Kaieteur News that her niece has implicated three persons who have no knowledge about “trafficking her”.

Reid further told Kaieteur News that her niece was in Barbados for over six months.

The woman said that her niece would call, text and send money to her from Barbados. “She used to call her family, send money and everything…She never one day said nobody was keeping her against her will,” Reid told Kaieteur News.

The woman further told Kaieteur News that it was no secret that her niece would go into Guyana’s interior and work. Reid further said that if something was wrong her niece would have said so from the inception. The woman said that she is convinced that her niece is probably the person who concocted the “trafficking” in person’s allegation. “I know my niece...She’s a corrupt person. I know it got to be she who is making the rest of the girls say that they were kidnapped,” the aunt said.

The woman said that she could not comprehend why her niece would be lying on innocent people.

The mother of the 17-year-

old girl said that she was unaware that her daughter was doing anything of that nature. The woman told Kaieteur News that she had sent her daughter to her mother who resides in Barbados. “I sent her to Barbados on vacation…I didn’t know she got caught up in that,” the mother stated.

The woman told Kaieteur News that she would speak to her daughter regularly and she never mentioned being kept against her will. She further stated that her mother was arrested following the incident.

According to the woman, her mother who is 76 years old woman has been charged in connection with the suspected trafficking of the five Guyanese women. The Barbados Nation on Saturday confirmed that Joan Fernandez, of Eagle Hall, St Michael, was charged Friday and was scheduled to appear before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court. This is the latest development afterAmelia Joseph and Keenon Chase appeared in court last week are facing 30 charges of suspected involvement with the trafficking of five Guyanese women here, aged between 17 and 21 years old. Chase has been remanded to HMP Dodds while Joseph, who is pregnant, was granted bail. The five women were caught in bathing suits after a raid on a Nelson Street bar last Thursday led by the police new Sex Crimes and Trafficking Unit.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

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PM: Jack must clear name first (Trinidad Guardian) Making it clear that no one controls her, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Saturday night rejected the contention of former minister Jack Warner that some members of the Cabinet influenced her to accept his resignation. She made this clear during a news conference at Piarco International Airport on her return from an official visit to Canada.

Many people in T&T say she was “controlled by Mr Warner,” the Prime Minister said. “I don’t know if it is because I am a woman and people think that I am weak or something, so I was controlled by Mr Warner and I was his puppet, and now they say I am controlled by some other persons,” PersadBissessar said. “I want to make it very clear, the only people who control me are those who belong to the electorate, the citizenry of T&T, no one else.”

Responding to questions on Friday’s resignation of

Warner as MP, PersadBissessar said she accepted his resignation based on the findings of the Sir David Simmons-led Concacaf Integrity Committee. PersadBissessar said that report influenced her to accept Warner ’s resignation as national security minister a week ago. She also said Warner ’s claim that her decision to accept his resignation was influenced by certain ministers was not true and that he was contradicting himself.

Persad-Bissessar said she read in the newspapers “where Warner says that he voluntarily resigned, but on the other hand he is saying that some ministers forced me, made me accept the resignation.” She said his claim was “an oxymoron because you cannot have (say) that you voluntarily did this and then accuse ministers of influencing my mind as to what is to be done.”

The Simmons report, delivered at the recent Concacaf congress in

Panama, concluded that the association’s former leaders, Warner and former general secretary Charles “Chuck” Blazer, were “fraudulent in their management” of the body. The report noted that Warner had failed to disclose that the US$25.9 million (£17m) Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence was built on his land, while Blazer received US$20 million (£13.3m) from Concacaf.

Warner had claimed the response from both within and outside the party in the wake of the report led to his ultimate resignation. On Saturday, the PM also confirmed that last week Sunday was not the first time Warner had offered his resignation. She said he also did so shortly after a Reuters report claimed he was being investigated by the FBI and IRS and that his son was cooperating with US authorities in the probe. She said she advised Warner then to respond to the report.

“He did so then and he said he is willing to resign from

any or all of those positions.

At that time I did not accept his resignation because I still held the view that I could not act on newspaper allegations,” PersadBissessar said.

Asked if her discussion with a US official in Washington days after that incident influenced her decision to accept Warner’s latest resignation, she said: “What happened thereafter, what was different to two weeks ago to last Sunday when I accepted the resignation, was the report by a very eminent jurist (Sir David Simmons, chairman of the Concacaf Integrity Committee).

“So this was no longer a newspaper report, an opinion of journalists, not that I have anything against those, but every Monday morning somebody makes an allegation...do I then fire a minister, asking him to step down. We don’t operate like that. “I don’t think any Government can operate like that because allegations do

Health sector to benefit from J$2.5b EU grant MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica - Jamaica is to benefit from approximately J$2.5 billion in grant funding from the European Union (EU), to boost the delivery of maternal and paediatric health care in public health institutions islandwide.

Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson, who made the disclosure on Saturday (April 27), said the allocation is expected to further advance the government’s efforts to meet the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for significant improvements in these two key areas.

Addressing the North East Regional Health Authority’s (NERHA) staff

awards and fundraising dinner at the RIU Hotel in St Ann, Dr Ferguson the administration’s efforts to boost maternal and paediatric health care with the EU grant, will entail the establishment of six high dependency units for newly born babies, and five high dependency maternal units across the Ministry’s four Health Regions, over the next five years. Dr Ferguson also announced that approximately J$186 million has been earmarked by the Ministry to repair and upgrade several public health institutions, under the purview of the North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA), this year. These institutions, he advised, are

situated in St Ann, St Mary, and Portland.

Heading the list, the Minister informed, is the Claremont Health Centre in St Ann for which J$30 million has been earmarked to continue work to develop the institution into a Centre of Excellence. This, he pointed out, is in addition to an initial allocation of J$25 million, made last year.

Dr Ferguson said some $16 million will be allocated to rehabilitate the operating theatre at the Port Maria Hospital, in St. Mary, which, he advised, will also assigned a new ambulance, to be delivered in September.

The Minister further advised that another $9 million has been earmarked to

Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson commence work on the construction of a new health centre in Port Maria.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar not represent what may be the reality.”

She added: “It was the report presented by former (Barbados) Chief Justice Simmons and others who put their report forward and I felt in all of the circumstances I would want to accept that offer of resignation. That is what changed in that period of time.” The PM said she felt Warner’s resignation now offered him an opportunity “to clear his name.”

She said she also did not “understand why when Sir David Simmons was doing his investigations, Mr Warner did not put out his side of the story, because I read in the report that he did not cooperate and I was concerned about that.” “Why? Why didn’t he?” she asked of Warner’s refusal to respond to the allegations before the commission.

“If he had further information that was different, I found it a little surprising that he did not use the opportunity to put those forward and perhaps now he has a little more time in which

he could put his case on his side to these matters in the public domain.”

Asked if she would also allow Warner to contest the forthcoming by-election on a UNC ticket as he desires to, Persad-Bissessar said the former minister will have to go through the normal party process. She said she was not prepared to say more on the matter, adding the party will decide on it in due course.

“It is not only an issue about the seat, because we all know Mr Warner has been a very good MP but there were other issues which came into the pot and into the mix and those still remain not yet dealt with and still outstanding and swirling around. So we see the way forward and put God in front and do what is right,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar was met at the airport by Labour Minister Errol McLeod, who acted in her absence, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, Works and Local Government Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan and others.

Life is meaningless without a voice.

Jagdeo’s deed with respect to radio/ cable licences has given life to only those who matter to him. The citizens of this country must understand that this action is an attempt to turn them into robots. We must wake up and live.

Let our voices be heard!

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

US tries new aerial tools in Caribbean drug fight (AP) — Drug smugglers who race across the Caribbean in speedboats will typically jettison their cargo when spotted by surveillance aircraft, hoping any chance of prosecuting them will vanish with the drugs sinking to the bottom of the sea.

That may be a less winning tactic in the future.

The US Navy last Friday began testing two new aerial tools, borrowed from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, that officials say will make it easier to detect, track and videotape drug smugglers in action.

One of the devices on display aboard the highspeed vessel Swift is a large, white balloon-like craft known as an aerostat, which is tethered up to 2,000 feet (600 metres) above the ship’s stern.

The other tool on board for tests in the Florida Straits is a type of drone that can be launched by hand from the deck.

Together, they expand the ability of Navy and Coast Guard personnel to see what’s beyond their horizon,

A balloon-like craft known as an aerostat is shown attached to the back of the US Navy high-speed vessel Swift docked in Key West. The US Navy on Friday began testing two new aerial tools, borrowed from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, that officials say will make it easier to detect, track and videotape drug smugglers in action. according to officials from both military branches and the contractors hoping to sell the devices to the US

Government.

The devices should allow authorities to detect and monitor suspected drug

shipments from afar for longer sustained periods, giving them a better chance of stopping the smugglers.

They also should allow them to make continuous videotapes that can be used in prosecutions.

“Being able to see them and watch what they are doing even before we get there is going to give us an edge,” said Chief Chris Sinclair, assistant officer in charge of a law enforcement detachment on board the Swift, a private vessel leased to the Navy that is about to begin a month-long deployment to the southwestern Caribbean, tracking the busy smuggling routes off Colombia and Honduras.

Crews practiced launching and operating both systems before a small contingent of news media on board the Swift, managing to bring back video of vessels participating in a mock surveillance mission as well as radar and video images of the fishing charters and sailboats that dot the choppy seas separating Cuba from the US mainland.

The drone, officially a Puma All Environment

unmanned aircraft system from Aerovironment Inc of Simi Valley, California, splashed into the water on one landing and had to be retrieved. On the second round, it clacked noisily but intact on the shifting deck of the 321-foot ship. Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris, commander of the Navy’s 4th Fleet, said the devices are necessary at a time when the service is making a transition to smaller, faster ships amid budget cuts.

The aerostat, formally the Aerostar TIF-25K and made by a division of Raven Industries Inc of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is filled with helium. It’s an old technology, models of which have been used for decades, but it’s packed with cameras and sensors that expand the ship’s radar capability from about five miles (eight kilometres) to about 50 miles.

That can help teams in an onboard control centre to identify larger ships, which now would appear as just dots on the horizon, from as Continued on page 21

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

‘No fear of Warner’

(Trinidad Express) Congress of the People political leader Prakash Ramadhar said Sunday he was not afraid of former minister of national security Jack Warner’s platform plans to “deal” with him.

“Many people have threatened to deal with me over the years, I wait to be dealt with. I fear nothing,” Ramadhar said after a membership meeting yesterday at the party’s Operations Centre in Charlieville.

Ramadhar was referring to statements Warner made during his “Straight Talk” session in Felicity on Thursday where he said he planned to “deal” with his detractors, including Ramadhar and People’s National Movement political leader, Dr Keith Rowley.

“Whoever want to deal with me, let them come. We stand for what is right in this society, some say I am weak, but strength is not shouting or threatening, strength is about getting the work done,” he said.

COP political leader Prakash Ramadhar

Jack Warner

“All the tsunamis people was expecting…I will run from nothing and we know talk is cheap,” Ramadhar said.

Ramadhar said the party discussed Warner’s vacant seat of Chaguanas West, but has not yet decided on whether to field a candidate for that position.

“We will look and speak amongst ourselves first to see if it is in the interest of the party and in the interest of the country to possibly field a candidate in Chaguanas

West,” Ramadhar said.

Ramadhar said while the party would collaborate with the rest of the People’s Partnership to plan out who would be contesting what seat, “no part of Trinidad or Tobago is off-limits to the COP”.

“If at the end of our discussions we believe that in the interest of the people of Trinidad and Tobago for the COP to run for that seat, we will negotiate for it. However,

if we feel that it may cause more difficulties than it would bring solutions, well then we would have a different view,” he said.

With the party gearing up for local government elections, Ramadhar reiterated that the PNM was “no option” for the people of the country. “ We h a v e a l r e a d y started to forget what they have represented, why the decay of our society has fallen into, they are directly responsible in a large part for it,” he said.

He admitted that the COP members were “working behind the scenes” to change the quality and values of the Government.

“A lot of mistakes have been made but we remain committed to the people of Trinidad and Tobago to fix those things,” he said.

The party, Ramadhar said, was also finalising its redesigned constitution, which is expected to be ratified in July which now includes a disciplinary section for members.

Page 21

US tries new aerial...

From page 20 far as 15 miles (25 kilometres) away.

The Puma, meanwhile, can be sent out to inspect a vessel flagged by the larger aerostat and give a “God’s eye view” of what’s happening on board, a job usually handled by a plane or helicopter, said Craig Benson, director of business development for the company.

Both the aerostat and the drone have been used widely by the US Government for overseas actions, but Harris and others aboard the Swift said neither has been used before by the Navy to conduct counter-drug operations.

Unmanned aerial devices, however, are not new to the drug fight. US Customs and Border Protection operates 10 Predator drones, including two based in Cape Canaveral, Florida, that patrol a wide swathe of the Caribbean through The Bahamas and down to south of Puerto Rico.

It deployed one to the Dominican Republic last year for six weeks and has considered using one in Honduras. The others are

used along the northern and southern borders of the United States.

The US military has long been deeply involved in counter-drug operations in the Southern Hemisphere, coordinated by a multiagency task force based in Key West, Florida. Navy ships and Air Force jets use their radar to track and run down smugglers, though for legal reasons the actual arrests are carried out by the Coast Guard, civilian agencies or officials from other countries. In March, the military said it would reduce patrols and sorties in Latin America and the Caribbean because of the automatic spending cuts imposed by Congress, another argument for increased use of aerial surveillance devices like the aerostat and drone, officials said.

Representatives on the Swift from both contractors declined to say what their systems cost. But they said each can be run at a fraction of the cost of the fixed-wing planes or helicopters usually dispatched to check out suspected smugglers.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Syrian prime minister survives Damascus bombing, six die (Reuters) - Syria’s prime minister survived a bomb attack on his convoy in Damascus yesterday, as rebels struck in the heart of President Bashar al-Assad’s capital.

Six people were killed in the blast, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Previous rebel attacks on government targets included a December bombing which wounded Assad’s interior minister.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the bombing, which he described as a “terrorist attack.”

As prime minister, Wael al-Halki wields little power but the attack highlighted the rebels’ growing ability to target symbols of Assad’s authority in a civil war that, according to the U.N., has cost more than 70,000 lives.

Assad picked Halki in August to replace Riyadh Hijab, who defected and escaped to neighboring Jordan just weeks after a bombing killed four of the president’s top security advisers.

Monday’s blast shook the Mezze district soon after 9 a.m. (2.00 a.m. EDT), sending thick black smoke into the sky.

The Observatory said one man accompanying Halki was killed as well as five passersby.

State television showed firemen hosing down the charred and mangled remains of a car. Close by was a large

People stand near debris and a damaged vehicle after an explosion at al-Mezze neighbourhood in Damascus April 29, 2013, in this handout photograph distributed by Syria’s national news agency SANA. REUTERS/SANA/Handout white bus, its windows blown out and its seats gutted by fire. Glass and debris were scattered across several lanes of a main road.

“Dr. Wael al-Halki is well and not hurt at all,” state television said.

It later broadcast footage of Halki, who appeared composed and unruffled, chairing what it said was an economic committee.

In comments released by the state news agency SANA but not shown on television, Halki was quoted as condemning the attack as a sign of “bankruptcy and failure of the terrorist groups”, a reference to the rebels

battling to overthrow Assad.

Mezze is part of a shrinking “Square of Security” in central Damascus, where many government and military institutions are based and where senior officials live.

Sheltered for nearly two years from the destruction ravaging much of the rest of Syria, it has been sucked into violence as rebel forces based to the east of the capital launch mortar attacks and carry out bombings in the center.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS Assad has lost control of large areas of northern and eastern Syria, faces a growing

challenge in the southern province of Deraa, and is battling rebels in many cities.

But his forces have been waging powerful ground offensives, backed by artillery and air strikes, against rebelheld territory around the capital and near the central city of Homs which links Damascus to the heartland of Assad’s minority Alawite sect in the mountains overlooking the Mediterranean.

As part of that counteroffensive, Assad’s forces probably used chemical weapons, the United States and Britain have said.

However, the transAtlantic allies, whose 2003

invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein was based in part on flawed intelligence about an Iraqi program of weapons of mass destruction, have been cautious in their accusations.

Ban said yesterday that investigators have been gathering and analyzing available information on alleged chemical attacks in Syria, but full access to the war-torn country is essential for a “credible and comprehensive inquiry.

Assad’s government has refused to give the U.N. inspection team the kind of unfettered access inside Syria that Ban is demanding. As a result, the team has yet to deploy to Syria.

A Western diplomat said British officials had shown the head of the U.N. inspection team, Ake Sellstrom of Sweden, evidence on which London based its assertion that there was “limited but growing” evidence of chemical weapons use possibly the nerve agent sarin - by Syrian troops.

But Sellstrom found the evidence inconclusive, said the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

President Barack Obama repeated U.S. concerns about Syrian chemical weapons in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, the White House said, adding that the two leaders agreed to stay in contact.

The United States is trying to determine the facts around alleged Syrian use of chemical weapons. Last week U.S. officials said they had “varying degrees of confidence” that such weapons were used in Syria, which if proven with certainty could trigger unspecified U.S. action against the Syrian government.

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki Despite congressional pressure to do more to help the rebels, the U.S. president has made clear he is in no rush to intervene on the basis of preliminary evidence.

A U.N. team of experts has been waiting to travel to Syria to gather field evidence, but has yet to win agreement from Syrian authorities who want it to investigate only government accusations of chemical weapon use by rebels in Aleppo province.

Russia, which has criticized Western and Gulf Arab support for the antiAssad fighters, said that attempts by Western countries to expand the U.N. inquiry to cover rebel accusations of Syrian government use of chemicals in Homs and Damascus mounted to a pretext to intervene in the civil war.

The U.N. said in February that around 70,000 people had been killed in Syria’s conflict.

Since then activists have reported daily death tolls of between 100 and 200.

Five million people have fled their homes, including 1.4 million refugees in nearby countries, and financial losses are estimated at many tens of billions of dollars.

The Beirut-based U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia estimates that 400,000 houses have been completely destroyed, 300,000 partially destroyed and a further half million have suffered some kind of structural damage.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Lawyers, public chant “hang him” as Bangladesh building owner led to court (Reuters) - Bangladeshi lawyers and protesters chanted “hang him, hang him” yesterday as the owner of a factory building that collapsed last week killing nearly 400 people was led into court dressed in a helmet and bullet-proof jacket, witnesses said.

The drama came as rescue officials said they were unlikely to find more survivors in the rubble of the building that collapsed on Wednesday, burying hundreds of garment workers in the country’s worst industrial accident.

Heavy cranes were being used to lift huge concrete blocks from the wreckage of Rana Plaza, where 385 people are now confirmed to have been killed. The building housed factories making clothes for Western brands.

Eight people have been arrested - four factory bosses, two engineers, building owner Mohammed Sohel Rana and his father, Abdul Khalek. Police are looking for a fifth factory boss, David Mayor, who they said was a Spanish citizen.

Rana, a local leader of the ruling Awami League’s youth front, was shown on television being brought to Dhaka in handcuffs after he was seized in the border town

of Benapole by the elite Rapid Action Battalion following a four-day manhunt.

Rana was arrested by police commandos on Sunday, apparently trying to flee to India.

“Put the killer on the gallows, he is not worth of any mercy or lenient penalty,” one onlooker outside the court shouted.

The court ordered that Rana be held for 15 days “on remand” for interrogation.

Khalek, who officials said was named in documents as a legal owner of the building, was arrested in Dhaka on Monday. Those being held face charges of faulty construction and causing unlawful death.

Bangladesh does carry out the death penalty for murder and for most serious categories of manslaughter.

Hundreds of the mostly female workers who are thought to have been inside the building when it caved in remain unaccounted for. A fire overnight further hampered the last desperate efforts to find survivors.

“We are giving the highest priority to saving people, but there is little hope of finding anyone alive,” army spokesman Shahinul Islam told reporters at the site.

About 2,500 people have

Venezuela opposition leader charged with spurring violence (Reuters) - A Venezuelan court charged retired General Antonio Rivero yesterday with inciting post-election violence in the latest political flash point in the bitterly divided nation.

Opposition leaders say Rivero, a member of the Popular Will movement that is a driving force of Venezuela’s opposition coalition, became new President Nicolas Maduro’s first political prisoner when he was arrested over the weekend.

Authorities say he was one of those behind a wave of violence, on the day after Maduro’s disputed April 14 election, that represented a coup attempt and killed nine people.

Rivero, who was an ally of former socialist President Hugo Chavez until 2008, was charged with “conspiracy” and “public instigation” at a Caracas court after authorities showed a video of him helping coordinate protesters in the capital’s streets.

“This is part of the persecution the government has carried out, to spread fear,” opposition leader and losing presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said, calling for Rivero’s release and an end to alleged harassment of his supporters.

“If they continue like this, they are going to have to jail 8 million Venezuelans.”

Though his case appears to be losing steam and has not garnered much support from other Latin American countries, Capriles plans to challenge the presidential vote both in local and international courts.

He has asked for a full vote recount, alleging thousands of irregularities and accusing Maduro of “stealing” the election.

A political party allied with the government said on Monday it had evidence of corruption by construction companies linked to Capriles’ family that it would present to state prosecutors and the country’s top court.

been rescued from the wrecked building in the commercial suburb of Savar, about 30 km (20 miles) from the capital, Dhaka.

Late on Sunday, sparks from rescuers’ cutting equipment started a fire in the debris as they raced to save a woman who may have been the last survivor in the rubble.

Her body was recovered on Monday afternoon.

“We could not save her, even though we heard her voice this morning,” a tearful rescue worker told reporters at the scene.

Officials said the eightstorey complex had been built on swampy ground without the correct permits, and more than 3,000 workers - most of them young women - entered the building on Wednesday morning despite warnings

that it was structurally unsafe.

A bank and shops in the same building closed after a jolt was felt and cracks were noticed on some pillars on Tuesday.

The collapse was the third major industrial incident in five months in Bangladesh, the second-largest exporter of garments in the world behind China. In November, a fire at the Tazreen Fashion

factory in a suburb of Dhaka killed 112 people.

Such incidents have raised serious questions about worker safety and low wages in the poor South Asian country, which relies on garments for 80 percent of its exports. The industry employs about 3.6 million people, most of them women, some of whom earn as little as $38 a month.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

South Africa’s Mandela frail in first TV footage in months

Recovering: Nelson Mandela was said to be in ‘good spirits’ but appeared expressionless on camera (AFP/Getty Images) (Reuters) - Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela made his first television appearance in almost a year yesterday, looking thin and frail in his Johannesburg home where he has been resting after a bout of pneumonia.

The veteran leader stared mostly straight ahead, his face showing little expression in the footage of a visit from

President Jacob Zuma and other officials, shown by state broadcaster SABC. The 94-year-old was in good health and good spirits, the ruling African National Congress said after the Monday visit, in the first update on his condition since he was discharged from hospital in early April.

The footage showed Mandela sitting next to Zuma

with a pillow behind his head and his legs propped up under a blanket.

“After receiving a briefing from the medical team, the national officials are satisfied that President Mandela is in good health and is receiving the very best medical care,” the ANC said.

Zuma and the other leaders had found “Mandela

On the mend: The former president is being cared for by a large team of medical experts. Sitting next to Mr Mandela is President Jacob Zuma (AFP/Getty Images) in good shape and in good spirits”, the party added in a statement.

Mandela spent more than a week in hospital being treated for a recurring lung infection identified as pneumonia the third health scare in four months for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

He stepped down as president in 1999 and has not

been politically active for about a decade.

But he is still revered at home and abroad for leading the long campaign against apartheid and then championing racial reconciliation.

Mandela’s lung problems date from his time as a political prisoner when he contracted tuberculosis. He spent 27 years on Robben

Island and in other jails for trying to oust the whiteminority government.

Television stations showed still images of Mandela smiling broadly during a visit by Hillary Clinton to his country home in August.

The last video footage of Mandela showed his birthday celebrations in July last year.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 25

Plaisance Bus Park cop killing ...

Police draw blank with CCTV footage Footage from closed circuit television cameras mounted in the area where Police Corporal Romain Cleto was shot dead on Saturday night has failed to provide investigators with clues about his killers.

Kaieteur News understands that the cameras are not positioned to cover the area where the shooting occurred, leaving investigators still guessing about the identities of the gunmen.

Cleto was killed when he approached a suspicious loo k i n g To y o t a C a r i n a motorcar that had stopped at the junction of Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic, near the Plaisance Bus Park.

Two other policemen, Constable 21240 Randy Haley was shot and injured in his left arm, while

- suspect turns self in with attorney

Romain Cleto Constable 21144 Anil Persaud was treated for glass splinter injures and sent away on Saturday night.

A usually reliable police source said that the cameras are focused on Regent Street

area and the only images gathered from the time of the shooting were of people running and ducking for cover.

Investigators have spoken to several persons who were reportedly in the vicinity at the time of the shooting, but they have so far been unable to get anything positive on the identities of the killers.

On Saturday night, several persons recalled seeing the policeman coming out from his patrol vehicle and approaching a car that had stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection of Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic.

They all recalled hearing several deafening explosions, followed by the sound of the

car speeding away.

Seconds later, they saw the policeman lying motionless on the ground with blood pouring from a wound in his head.

“This is a busy area and there were several people out there when the shooting took place, and if up to now they (police) can’t get a t r a c e o f t h e c a r, t h e n something is definitely wrong with our law enforcement when it comes to catching criminals,” a source with previous law enforcement experience stated.

Meanwhile, police continue to detain three persons, including an Albouystown man who turned himself in with his lawyer yesterday morning.

Police say that the man who is a known character surrendered himself after police made several enquiries for him at his home.

The police said that they were acting on information.

Attorney at law Gordon Gilhuys confirmed that he took his client Rayburn Harvey into the Brickdam police station yesterday.

Th e a t t o r n e y t o l d Kaieteur News that he does not know what evidence the police have against his client.

“The police are rounding up everybody.

Everybody getting lockup,” Gilhuys, a former police officer told this newspaper last night.

Investigators are also carrying out tests on AK47 and 9mm spent shells recovered at the scene.

So far the police have not

been able to match them to any other crime scene.

It is believed that the 9mm spent shells came from the weapon of a policeman who had returned fire at the cop killer.

However, a report out of Brickdam Police Station was that the only policeman to return fire managed to discharge three rounds before the weapon jammed.

The policeman reportedly ran all the way to the Brickdam Police Station.

And two days after Cleto’s death, officials from the police welfare department visited his relatives to offer their condolences on behalf of the force.

Kaieteur News understands that the police will hold a wake for the slain cop at the Brickdam Police Station, while the funeral will take place on Thursday.

63-year-old remanded for murder of Plastic City teen

By Rehanna Ramsay A large crowd swarmed the square of the Vreed - enHoop Magistrate’s Court yesterday to await the arrival of 63-year-old Fitzroy Josiah, who is accused of cold bloodedly knifing to death, his 14-year-old stepdaughter last Wednesday.

However, Josiah reportedly had an episode of diarrhea, which prevented him from being transported with other prisoners in the usual fashion. He arrived at the court about two hours later in a white police pickup truck, escorted by several heavily armed ranks.

The crowd of mainly women became visibly enraged at his appearance “Murder, murder!

He wicked. He molest and kill that girl,” some yelled, while others screamed, “We want justice!”

Josiah was remanded to prison after he appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court on an indictable charge of murder.

Although he was not allowed to enter a plea, the accused appeared unaffected by his surroundings as he stood in the prisoners dock and inaudibly muttered to himself throughout the hearing. Several persons flocked the courtroom at the reading of the charge.

The mother and several of the teenaged victim’s relatives were also present.

They cried inconsolably during the hearing According to reports, Josiah, murdered Fenella Samuels on April 24, at the Best Foreshore at a location called Plastic City.

sections of people gathered to get a glimpse of the accused At one point, when asked by the Magistrate to provide details of his personal life, Josiah replied that he is “married to the devil and has one child” He will make his next court appearance on May 31, 2013.

The 63 year-old, West Demerara resident allegedly stabbed his stepdaughter Fenella Samuels to death. He inflicted stab wounds to virtually every part of her body.

The teen‘s mother and younger brother, who are said to have witnessed the crime, will possibly be called upon to testify in the case.

The mother told Police that she ran out of the house to get help when the man attacked her daughter.

The elderly man then escaped and had gone into hiding but was subdued by law enforcement officers after he was spotted a day after the attack, in the Vreed-en-Hoop area.

Several other reports came-up over the weekend which suggested that the man was linked to similar crimes and to at least one other murder. According to reports, over the past decade, Josiah was implicated in numerous crimes against women but was never indicted in those

matters due to a lack of evidence.

One of his alleged victims, Emily Ann Bollers, Josiah‘s former reputed wife was found murdered with stab wounds about her neck and body, back in 2001. The woman’s relatives to this day say that the man was

Murder accused Fitz Josiah responsible for her death.

The dead woman’s sister travelled all the way from her home in Loo Wood Demerara River to witness yesterday’s proceeding.

“This man killed my sister and he ain’t get one day jail. I know how these people feel; that’s why I come to show

dem support. They need all the support they can get cause I know how they feel. I am begging for justice for them.”

According to the woman, the horrifying memories of how her sister met her demise came up after she learnt of the Samuels killing.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Amidst protests, South Africa defers posthumous award to Burnham -reports The South African government has reportedly suspended granting a national award to former Guyana President, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, in the wake of pressure from several quarters.

Burnham, through his daughter Roxanne Van West Charles, was set to receive the posthumous award of the Order of the Companions of O R Tambo, on Saturday as part of South Africa’s celebrations of Freedom Day celebrated on April 27.

Burnham ruled Guyana for 21 years before his death in 1985, at age 62. He has been time and again linked to the murder of Walter Rodney, a Guyanese historian, political activist and scholar, who was killed by a car bomb in 1980.

It was this accusation and a petition that reportedly caused the South Africans to rescind their decision. There has been no official word from that government on the postponement.

South African official news statements made no mention of Burnham’s award following the event Saturday and Kaieteur News was unable to immediately make contact yesterday with his daughter.

However, a circulated email purportedly sent by Diedre Viljoen, Minister (Plenipotentiary) of the South African High Commission in Canada to the Van West Charles family, indicated that the South African government has decided to defer the posthumous award “indefinitely”.

The instructions came from Mandla Feni, Protocol and Ceremonial Services of

Former President, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham the South African Presidency.

It was sent Tuesday to the High Commission in Canada and forwarded to Burnham’s daughter on Wednesday.

On April 22, Chancellor of the National Orders, Dr. Cassius Lubisi, announced that Burnham would be honoured for “his dedication to the liberation of his country, Guyana, as well as the African continent.

He established diplomatic relations with many African countries and expressed solidarity with the liberation movement and freedom fighters in South Africa. This solidarity with the leaders of the ANC strengthened relations between Guyana and South Africa.”

The award had drawn strong criticisms from Jamaican scholars Dr.Rupert Lewis and Dr. Horace Campbell.

There has not yet been any official comment from the

People’s National Congress Reform, a party that Burnham founded.

The change.org website hosted a petition to President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, condemning the choice of Burnham as the intended recipient of O R Tambo Award. In total, 38 persons, locals and foreign nationals were set to be honoured Saturday.

“Even a cursory investigation reveals that Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, a late President of Guyana, was disastrous for Guyana and its people, as head of a corrupt, brutal and murderous regime, replete with election rigging, illegal referendums and an imposed Constitution in 1980.

Internationally, it is also known that Burnham was an agent of imperialism, associated with the foreign policy goals of the US, France and other colonial powers,” the petition said. Almost 100 persons signed that petition to the South African President.

“It is an embarrassment that the Government of South Africa made the decision to confer this award. The award is an affront to the legacy and memory of Walter Rodney, Father Darke, Ohene Koama, Edward Dublin, and the numerous others who paid with their lives or liberty for challenging the increasing repression of the Burnham government.

“Neither Rodney’s assassination in June 1980, nor the other murders of that period have been investigated to this day, despite numerous calls.”

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Linden Town Week kicks off Linden Town Week was officially declared open by Chairman of the Town Week Committee, Ian Halls, Sunday evening after the usual pomp and ceremony despite the inclement weather.

Among those in attendance and offering words of encouragement and congratulatory messages were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Leader of the Opposition David Granger, and Region Ten Chairman Sharma Solomon.

Solomon, reflecting on the theme of Town Week, “Coming Clean in 2013”, which he called most appropriate, noted, “We must recognize that it is the responsibility of each and every one of us as Lindeners to ensure that in coming clean, it is a coming clean of our consciousness and personal ethics, towards ourselves and towards Linden as a whole.

He added that the achievements of the town should be reflected on, as Town Week is celebrated. “I want to say to you, that that is more important than what we do in terms of entertainment; that is what we come together every year to celebrate.

“We must start to make that coming clean conscious

effort, to ensure that we promote the lifestyle, culture and the ethics of our town, in a clean, productive and friendly way. I can only say that every year that we can progress, that we look towards ourselves internally, to ensure that we bring out the best in ourselves.

Solomon said that Linden Town Week was being celebrated against the backdrop of the struggle of the town in 2012, and the tragedy of July 18 and beyond.

He however noted that the struggle of 2012 does not define Linden. “We have made our point, and that should be our rights and the justice that we deserve, be threatened, we’re prepared to defend those rights.

Delivering the feature address was Attorney Tracy Gibson, who in quoting Jack McCall in his book “Small Town Survivor Manual” said, “You can change the future of your community or you can allow whatever happens to happen. You can create your own destiny; however the cost is high. It means molding the society into a group willing to give of their time and energy to make things happen. “It means believing in yourself and your

organization.”

Gibson, reflecting on the history of Linden, said, “Coinciding with the anniversary of our country’s status as a Republic, Linden marks its 43rd anniversary this year. Forty-three years ago, three villages, Wismar, Mackenzie, and Christiansburg were unified as a township and renamed Linden.

It all began in 1959, with three Scottish friends, Messers Spencer, Blount and Patterson who settled not far from here, building the foundations of a community that was proud of its roots, which had been transplanted into Guyanese soil.

Others soon followed including many freed African slaves, and Germans that had been recruited as alternative labour for the plantations following emancipation.

Linden grew from a settlement in the middle of the jungle to wood and zinc shanties to bricks and mortar buildings at the pace of an historical wink of an eye, powered by the discovery of bauxite, Mackenzie, Wismar, Christiansburg, soon grew into a bustling dusty town.

Apart from the capital city no other town has grown faster.

(Enid Joaquin)

identification.

According to the police in a statement, the deceased is of mixed descent, fair complexion, about 5’6" in height, thin build, plaited h a i r, suspected to be in his late thirties and was clad in a white “Leo” brief and

barefooted. A rakhi was tied on his left hand and a pair of grey denim pants was lying nearby. Anyone who may be able to assist with the identification of the deceased is asked to contact the police on 225-6411, 227-1152, 2267065, 227-1149, 911 or the nearest Police Station

Body found opposite Rubis Gas station

The blood stains on the road yesterday.

The body of a man was discovered by the police around 03:00am yesterday on the East Bank Demerara Public Road, opposite Rubis Gas Station. There were bruises and lacerations on it.

It was taken to Lyken’s Funeral Parlour awaiting

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 27

Driver disappears after truck nearly Jaguar capture brings relief to East Coast Dem. cattle farmers topples from Harbour Bridge

The Crane rented from John Fernandes which was used to extract the truck from its precarious position A truck driver is on the run after the vehicle he was driving, GHH 2756, almost toppled into the Demerara River from the Demerara Harbour Bridge, yesterday.

The truck was carrying crush and run material for road construction to be delivered to GWI branch on the West Coast Demerara.

The truck almost toppled over the eighth span of the Demerara Harbour Bridge after the engine failed while driving up a ramp on the East to West thoroughfare of a section of the bridge.

Reports disclosed that the truck subsequently reversed and almost toppled over the bridge before the driver regained control.

The driver disappeared from the scene after the accident. This occurred at 14:30 hrs, and commuters were frustrated because they were forced to wait for

approximately two hours at each side of the bridge.

General Manager of Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC), Rawlston Adams, said that a call was received that a truck was hanging precariously on span eight. He said that upon investigation it was discovered that the truck loaded with crush and run almost toppled over the side of the bridge.

“We assessed the situation and it was advised at that time to shut down the entire bridge because we were concerned that the vibrations from other vehicles and the tide would have toppled the truck into the river or onto the pontoon.”

A call was made to John Fernandes to rent a crane to retrieve the truck that was dangling precariously on the side of the bridge, Adams said that the driver of the vehicle

who fled the scene would have to pay for the services rendered by John Fernandes since that company was one of the only ones that had the crane capacity to handle the job. The truck was subsequently reversed off the bridge and was parked at the Georgetown entrance pending the arrest of the driver. Adams said that there was no major structural damage to the Harbour Bridge. However, the power cable attached to the retractor span was damaged and will have to be replaced.

Thanking the police and John Fernandes for the assistance rendered, the General Manager of Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation said he is thankful it was not worse. This publication has been informed that the owner of the truck turned up at the scene and took possession of his vehicle.

The long reign of a 250pound jaguar in the East Coast Demerara backlands was halted on Sunday night when the animal was finally killed by a group of frustrated cattle farmers.

This was after the farmers had already lost about 40 head of cattle over a six-month period. The large male cat, which had been wreaking havoc in the East Coast Demerara backlands between Ann’s Grove and Buxton, was killed aback of the village of Nabaclis around 19:00 hours on Sunday.

Since last year the farmers had long suspected that a large cat was responsible for the deaths of their animals, since paw tracks were always

the sawmill compound where they were scrutinized and the neatly packed packages containing the drugs were discovered.

The multimillion-dollar bust led to several suspects being detained, among them a Dutch National, Edgar Boesenach, whose local address is listed as Coralita Avenue, Bel Air, Georgetown; Ousmond Ghanie, called Raymond of Lot 48 South De Kenderen, West Coast Demerara; and Dominic Walsh, of Lot 1 Soesdyke/Linden Highway. Keith King was the last among the suspects to be arrested. In court, it was alleged that King procured Ramnauth Ragoo to transport six pieces of lumber from Grove, East Bank Demerara to Soesdyke. The pieces were found to contain packets of cocaine.

Attorney At Law, Joel Hanoman, who represented

King, presented his special reasons to the court in order to secure bail for his client. He told the court that the defendant is the owner of two businesses, K&P Pawnshop and K&P Boutique, both located on Alexander Street, Kitty.

He added that when his client was arrested in March, he was released on his own recognizance and has been upholding the conditions of the Police to report to them as agreed. The lawyer stated that there isn’t enough evidence to even charge his client but that officials probably felt pressured and consequently instituted the charge.

Prosecutor Oswald Massiah then argued that the lawyer did not present any special reasons but rather general information which certainly would not warrant the granting of bail in such a case.

Cattle farmer Marlon Anderson holds up a leg of the large cat as he explains its capture to other curious villagers.

Businessman remanded in the ‘cocaine in lumber’ case

Appearing yesterday before Magistrate Alan Wilson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court was a deportee now businessman, Keith King, of Lot 12 Bel Air Avenue, Lamaha Springs.

The defendant was yesterday charged with possession of an illicit drug for the purpose of trafficking between January 25 to February 20, last. Bail was refused and the defendant was remanded until May 7, and ordered to report to the Providence Magistrate’s court. At an established sawmill at Soesdyke/ Linden Highway Junction, units of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, the police and the Guyana Forestry Commission, reportedly found some 360 kilograms of cocaine in “Lumber boxes.”

It was noted that the narcotics were scheduled to be shipped to the Netherlands (Holland) through Guyana

Keith King Timber Products Inc. investigations were allegedly started by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) which became suspicious due to the company’s continuous disregard to comply with established policies. As a result of other investigations into a container containing the drugs, about seven other shipments were detained and taken back to

visible near the abandoned carcasses.

But the farmers never actually set eyes on the killer until Sunday.

Marlon Anderson, one of the affected cattle farmers, told Kaieteur News that he went into the backlands where he and others normally left their cattle to graze to check on the animals.

“I see de fresh tracks and I come out back and get help because I know he deh around.”

Anderson explained that they later returned to the area where the tracks were seen and using a dog to lure the cat, they set up an ambush for it. Sure enough the jaguar fell for the bait. “While he coming, de dog mek a sound and we doctor he when he come fuh de dog,” Anderson told Kaieteur News, adding that it

would have been difficult to take the animal alive.

When the animal was brought out to the village, several residents stared in amazement at its size. Many of them, especially those who rear cattle were relieved at its demise. “This thing deh since last year. Is about 40 cows he done throw down,” he added.

However, despite the euphoria that prevailed at the large cat’s slaying, the farmers are still wary that it may not be the end.

There were reported sightings of a large female jaguar with her young one roaming a section of the backlands.

Farmers have indicated that they will be applying for licences to carry shotguns to protect their animals, which they are forced to rear in the backlands of their villages.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Nurses protest shabby conditions at West Dem. Hospital - Say pigs and dogs live in the compound

The protesters yesterday

Nurses of the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) early yesterday staged a sit-in at the health institute’s compound to register their disapproval with the conditions they are being forced to work under.

Bearing placards, the protesters stood quietly outside the Accident and

Emergency Unit awaiting the outcome of a meeting between the acting administrator, Sanjay Persaud, Region Three Regional Executive Officer, Donald Gajraj, and a representative from Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).

“No proper nurses’ toilet and unsafe nurses’ room”;

“No shoes and uniform allowance since January 2012”; “No privacy for patients, Poor waste disposal,” were some of the sentiments displayed on the placards yesterday.

The protest saw more than 30 nurses in the protest line. Very few were attending to patients. Although the

nurses who were protesting were hesitant to speak, they hinted that “poor working conditions is one of the reasons and that “there are dogs in here biting us up and no water to drink.”

When Kaieteur News approached a senior nurse who was in charge of yesterday’s shift for a

comment, she hid in her office and told her assistant to say she was not in despite her being spotted peeping at the demonstrators from her office window.

The hospital administrator could not be reached yesterday for a comment but according to Gajraj, “the union was here

and we have solved the issue.” He terminated the interview by saying he was in a meeting.

A nurse, who preferred not to be named, said, “The hospital should employ people and not wild animals.

The administration does not know how to speak with people, they bark.”

Tuesday April 30, 2013

DTV CHANNEL 8 08:25 hrs. Sign On 08:30 hrs. This Morning 09:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 10:00 hrs. Roseanne 11:00 hrs. The View 12:00 hrs. Prime News 12:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 13:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 14:00 hrs. The Talk 15:00 hrs. Criminal Minds 17:00 hrs. Charmed 18:00 hrs. World News 18:30 hrs. Nightly News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Alliance on the Move 21:00 hrs. NCIS: Los Angeles (New Episode) 22:00 hrs. Golden Boy (New Episode)

Kaieteur News

23:00 hrs. Sign Off MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 Sign on 05:30hrs - Dharma Kai Awaz: The Voice of Dharma 06:00hrs - Islamic Perspective 06:30hrs - News Update 07:00hrs - DAYBREAK 08:00hrs - Dabi’s musical 08:30hrs - Avon Video & DVD: Avatar 09:00hrs - BBC World News 09:15hrs - Top Notch Music Break 09:30hrs - Caribbean Temptation Music Mix 10:00hrs - Amanda’s music break 10:30hrs - Future Vision Music Hour 11:00hrs - Comfort Sleep Musical

11:30hrs - The View 12:00hrs - Weekly Digest 12:30hrs - The Young and The Restless 13:30hrs - Days of Our Lives 14:00hrs - General Hospital 15:00hrs - Katie Couric Show 16:00hrs - The Bold and The beautiful 16:30hrs - Cartoons 17:00hrs - Birthday & other greetings 17:15hrs - Death Announcements/ In Memoriam 17:30hrs - CNN News 18:00hrs - Pulse Beat: Presentation of Ministry of Health 18:30hrs - Ma Ke Mahema 19:00hrs - Focus On GRA 19:30hrs - News Update 20:30hrs - DJ Stress Quiz

Tuesday April 30, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): You don’t want to wait any longer for your creative project to take off. Although it might feel as if you’re going to explode, it could help to ease the pressure if you express some of your bottledup energy.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): There’s no need to let your anger get the best of you today, even if you feel stuck in a relationship with a tough boss or controlling partner.

Instead of fighting to hold your position, practice compassion by trying to understand someone else’s plight.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Your drive to express your true inner nature is stronger today than your need to be clever. Still, you may feel thwarted by your own fear.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): You might feel as if you have been tested long enough, but unfortunately the challenge is not yet over.

Quitting prematurely is not advised because you stand to gain a lot if you can stick to your current position without retreating.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): You may be so busy at work today that you are pulled away from handling an important family issue.

Although you need to fulfill your professional commitments, don’t use your job to avoid a difficult situation at home.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): It’s possible that you have bitten off more than you can chew and reality is demanding that you meet all of your responsibilities.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): Your boss or some other authority figure could prevent you from making real progress today. You might not understand why your forward motion is being thwarted.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You have recently been riding a positive wave of energy, but today it might seem as if you don’t have anything left to give.

Unfortunately, it may not be that easy to walk away from your current obligations because you don’t want to let anyone down.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): Other people’s demands on your time can make you weary now because you don’t feel like your actions are enough to satisfy anyone ... no matter how much you do.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): If one more person asks you to do something else today, you might just toss in the towel and quit. It’s not that you’re irresponsible ... it’s just that you’ve had enough heaped upon you already.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): The weight of your judgments is heavy enough now to motivate you to alter your daily routine. You’re in a good position to evaluate your recent decisions, as long as you’re flexible enough to leave additional room for change.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): You may feel very strongly about what you want to do with your time today, but it’s smarter to rein in your personal desires and do what’s expected of you.

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Page 29

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Guides are subjected to change without notice

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Letter to the Sports Editor

Page 31

Cummings Wins Scotia Bank Charity Golf

What does Raj Singh have to gain?

DEAR EDITOR, I read Raj Singh’s article in the Kaieteur News of Monday 22nd April, 2013 and the Stabroek News of Thursday 25th April, 2013 and feel compelled to respond since he continues to deliberately mislead the public.

On the day of Justice James Bovell Drakes’s ruling I was in court along with many others including Raj Singh and Anand Sanasie.

Emily Dodson and Anil Nandlall represented the Bissoon/Harper faction and Roysdale Forde appeared for the Mangal/ Raj Singh/ Sanasie faction.

Justice Bovell Drakes, after listening to all the arguments, stated that he was sending the matter to trial, and as a consequence made Mangal’s application for an injunction interlocutory.

Further, he restrained them from taking advantage of the injunctive relief given in the order.

On a query from Ms. Dodson, Justice Drakes explained that his order was just like an injunction on both sides. He then instructed Mr. Forde to advise his clients accordingly. Forde agreed.

On this basis Mr. Chetram Singh refused to accommodate Raj Singh’s participation at the illegal 2011 GCB elections where only the Essequibo Board and Black voted.

Despite this clear ruling Raj Singh continually disregarded this order and a number of other orders including the Chief Justice’s, and Justice Diane Insanally’s rulings.

It is mind boggling that Raj Singh, reportedly a successful Insurance businessman, who lives in both Guyana and Florida, and also reportedly conducts his business in both of his residential locations, would seek to be involved in such high level lawlessness.

Why is he exposing his integrity and credibility on a voluntary sports organisation in which he has no “grounding”? It is not known that he organises any cricket in Florida, and he

certainly is not organising any cricket at the Club or association levels in Guyana.

It would be useful for Raj Singh to explain his contribution to the development process of cricket in Guyana or elsewhere, since he has staked his name and reputation on the line to be an executive of the GCB which is heading a Demerara Cricket Board.

Ironically, he seeks to condemn Roger Harper and Bissoondyal Singh whose track records for playing and administering cricket along with the development of young cricketers within their associations has been exemplary. Any reasonable, rational, objective Guyanese could attest to the work they have done in the Georgetown and East Coast areas. Work which the Raj Singh/Sanasieled group has hijacked and will eventually destroy.

Raj Singh has no time for order and development. His time is consumed in hostile takeovers of cricket boards, and forming private companies.

An investigation of the persons elected to the illegal GCB (and DCB whenever the “secret” is revealed) will reflect persons of the ilk of Raj Singh, cricket nonentities, who never did and cannot contribute anything meaningful to our cricket.

So again the question is what is Raj Singh’s motive?

Certainly it cannot be for the love of cricket. There is no evidence to support this theory. There must be something else.

Maybe it is time our cricket administration be subjected to a thorough investigation, so that we may be able to ascertain, if the ‘Warner’ type illegalities “money in – money out” syndrome has engulfed our national game.

It would be indeed interesting to hear from Raj Singh what is so compelling, what is the motivating factor that drives him towards exposing his credibility and worthy achievements to a possible life long sentence of embarrassment. Only Raj Singh can tell us.

Winston G Boston

Andre Cummings (centre with trophy) along with fellow prize winners and officials of the LGC and sponsors Scotia Bank after the presentation.

Forty five golfers braved the inclement weather for a worthy cause as they battled in the Scotia Bank Annual Charity golf tournament Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Club.

Andre Cummings was declared champion in his second major tournament win having won the Players Championships two years ago.

Cummings clinched victory with net 69 from gross 86 playing off 17 handicap after the players braved heavy showers to complete the tournament.

The consistent Kishan Bacchus secured the second position with net 70 winning on a countback from Haresh Tewari who also shot net 70, but Bacchus was better on the back nine.

Manuff Arjune captured two prizes, the best gross of 77 and Nearest to the Pin. Cummings for his effort

was the Scotia Bank Trophy and $150,000 to be donated to the charity of his choice.

Bacchus clinched $100,000, while Tewari copped $75,000.

The charities that were earmarked for donations were St. Ann’s Orphanage, Joshua House, Step by Step Foundation, Red Cross, Ptolemy Reid

Rehabilitation Centre and Cheshire home.

Yog Mahadeo, newly appointed Secretary of the LGC, lauded Scotia Bank for organizing the tournament annually giving golfers the opportunity to compete for attractive prizes and at the same time playing for a worthy cause.

He thanked the

management of Scotia Bank for continuing to support the development of golf in Guyana.

Scotia was represented by Country Manager Amanda St. Aubyn and Marketing Manager Jennifer Cipriani who assisted in the presentation of prizes and pledge the Bank’s continued support in the future.

Blatter happy with process...

From page 38 such as staffing and time schedules for installation… the use of GoalControl 4D in Brazil is subject to final installation test at each stadium,” the statement continued.

England midfielder Frank Lampard’s disallowed effort in a 4-1 loss to Germany at the South Africa 2010 World Cup persuaded the FIFA chief to introduce the technology, though he had earlier thought

it was unnecessary.

Lampard’s effort had clearly crossed the goal-line, and was dramatically confirmed with video replays.

The technology was first used in football during the Club World Cup in Japan last December.

The English FA has also contracted a company to install the technology in its leagues, but UEFA has rejected the idea, claiming it’s too expensive.

The US Major League has also rejected implementation of the technology.

In essence, GLT is a method used to determine when the ball has completely crossed the goal-line with the assistance of electronic devices and at the same time assisting the referee in calling a goal or not.

The objective of GLT is not to replace match officials, but to aid their decision making.

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Review: Singh has proven will to prevail

By Edison Jefford Notwithstanding the challenges basketball and its administration in Georgetown faced over what can be called a tumultuous last three years, the new Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) President, Michael Singh, has proven the will to prevail.

Against immeasurable odds that included insufficient sponsorship and funding; mobilising clubs; shortage of referees and

public apathy, owed to the game’s slow resurgence, Singh completed the first quality Division I League in Georgetown in recent times.

The budding Sport Administrator, who is also the Colts Basketball Club President, has shown the type of resolve the sport needed in the Capital City to lift it out of oblivion. His offensiveminded approach has ensured winning points for Georgetown holistically.

In the face of challenges,

Singh’s predecessor, Banks DIH Executive, David Carto, had chosen to give up the post via resignation, even though it was popular perception that he would have gotten so much done with the backing of the local beverage company.

However, that was not to be; Carto tried some things to his credit, including a League, which was incomplete. When faced with the omnipresent problems of sports, in this instance, basketball and its

administration in Guyana, Carto passed the ball in crunch-time.

Founder of Knights Basketball Club, former junior national Guard and former Vice-President of the GABA, Kester Gomes, received the pass and single-handedly tried to finish the play, but that again fell through after other officials resigned, leaving Gomes alone in the game with no option but to rally the association through regulation time.

It is against such background that Singh came to office this year with a fragmented association to augment; little basketball activity in Georgetown; no corporate interest in the game, and a host of other administrative and structural issues to address.

In short, the game in Georgetown needed a leader to move it forward in ways that would have an inspirational impact on its base, invoking widespread momentum.

The stakeholders namely clubs believed that Singh was the man for the job and unanimously sent him into the game.

Singh immediately went on the offensive. He scored his first points when he invited the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) for an exchange game against Georgetown at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, which was well-received in the basketball community.

The forum was organised to announce the reinvigoration of basketball in the City in the form of 36 Division I, and 55 Division III games in two extensive Leagues, which spanned three months. After much trial, the rest is now history. The Division I League is completed and the Division III League is 15 games away from completion.

Singh battled pass the above mentioned (second paragraph) issues, and forever changed the game in Georgetown; GABAaffiliated Division I clubs exactly know how they are placed; who are the better teams and how competitive, comparatively, they are in the division. Coaches and clubs are in a position now to address what they would

Photo of Michael Singh in claude

Michael Singh have observed as weaknesses. The spin-off of such an extensive playing programme should produce development.

Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan and his Trinity Grid Holdings Pacesetters went 7-1 to top the Division I League, claiming the enviable place as Georgetown’s number one team for the 2013 Season. It was a changing of the old guard when Colts, Pepsi Sonics, and Ravens finished with 6-2 records that were separated with a tiebreak based on the result of the game when those teams played each other.

Colts secured the second place as Sonics and Ravens followed to determine the top four teams in Georgetown; Leagues grew competitively as they shook off the rusts from inactivity and became well-oiled machines, giving life to a sport on the precipice of death.

Singh added a number of entertainment components to the Leagues at several intervals whenever funds arose and transformed Burnham Basketball Court into a haven for enthusiasts.

His resolute attitude and will to prevail has ultimately rebranded basketball with vibrancy.

The future will tell if that is a feature embedded in the character of his leadership.

President commissions...

From page 42 planned for the week which will includes community projects, visits to schools and the less fortunate home and assisting Kids and the elderly. One of the main focus, he stated is helping the youths of the area.

The Chesney Cricket Club was once one of the leading cricket clubs in Berbice. The club, which is one of the member clubs of the Berbice Cricket Board, has not been playing first division cricket for a while due to migration and other factors, with a number of the top players shifting to top Berbice clubs Albion and Port Mourant.

However, it has been a constant feature on the second division scene in the ancient county. Many players from the area that would have represented the Albion and Port Mourant Cricket clubs, Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies have come from the area - Players such as Narsingh Deonarine, Davendra Bishoo and the Daniram brothers, Sudesh and Sunil and Imran Khan among others come to mind.

The ACS team will tangle with their local counterparts from Chesney today in a feature cricket match at the Chesney ground. Former cricketer and overseas based Guyanese and cricket board official Prem Manbodh is coordinating the activity. (Samuel Whyte)

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

RHTY&SC host Gala 23rd Awards Ceremony and Luncheon - Delbert Hicks & Shemaine Campbell are cricketers of the year The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) on Sunday last honoured over 30 of its members for outstanding performances in 2012 during a Gala Awards ceremony, described by an overseas based Guyanese as one befitting an International event.

Former national player Delbert Hicks copped the prestigious cricketer-of-theyear award and walked with over $400,000 in prizes that included a full year’s supply of cable television complements of E-Networks.

West Indies player Shemaine Campbell copped the female cricketer-of-theyear award, while National Under-19 Captain Shawn Perriera was named runner-up cricketer-of-the-year. A total of over $2.2m worth of trophies, prizes and gifts were handed out.

Addressing the capacity audience consisting of club members, sponsors, officials and friends of RHTY&SC, Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster described the period January 2012 to March 2013 as a resounding success despite numerous challenges faced by the organisation.

The long serving Secretary in a comprehensive Report stated that the highlights of the past year was the Test debut of Assad Fudadin and the First International century by a female Guyanese cricketer, scored by Shemaine Campbell.

Other achievements by leading youth and sports organisation was winning several Berbice tournaments, copping the Berbice Cricket Board’s Club of the Year Award, receiving the IOC Award for Sports, hosting the Busta Champion of Champions tournament, Annual Cricket Academy and the Republic Bank Summer Camp.

Among the other 175 programmes/activities held by the dynamic organisation was the Patricia Miniz Educational Trust Fund, Annual Magazine, Tribute to Heroes, Mother and Father of the Year, Basil Butcher Cricket Trust Fund, Western Union Junior Ambassador programme and a $2M Charity Programme for Christmas 2012.

The club also distributed millions of dollars worth of clothing, educational materials and sports gear to the less fortunate and fellow NGOs, while raising over $5M for the Berbice Cricket Board.

Guest speaker Justin Nedd, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, praised the Club for its remarkable achievements and called it a role model organisation which every other club and national sport organisation should emulate.

Nedd stated that GT&T was proud to be associated with the RHTY&SC and urged the Management to always strive for excellence.

The recently appointed CFO speaking on the theme: “The Importance of Discipline”, advised the younger members of the club that discipline is the foundation of success as no sportsperson has ever been successful without discipline.

He urged the attentive audience that, listening to positive advice is very important and also to develop a culture of respect for self and others. A clearly impressive Nedd stated that it was a privilege to be a guest speaker at an Awards ceremony which exceeded his expectations and expressed his desire to visit the Club in the future.

Other speakers at the ceremony were Club President Keith Foster, former Test great Basil Butcher, BCB Secretary Angela Haniff, Avie Lindie of Metro and former President of BCB Malcolm Peters.

The elder Foster, who is also President of the Berbice Cricket Board, expressed gratitude to every sponsor of the Club while noting that more exciting initiatives are in store for the Club as more visionary programmes would be unveiled in the near future.

He also cautioned his members not to become lazy and visionless as success tends to make people complacent.

Test player Basil Butcher expressed the view that in all his life as a player, he has never experienced an organisation that matches the unbelievable work of the RHTY&SC and urged the Club to share its experience with other Clubs and Boards.

Former National Under-19 player Lloydel Lewis speaking on behalf of the Awardees said that being a member of the RHTY&SC was a special privilege and that the club not only molds you into a solid player, but it allows you to develop an all round personality with special emphasis on discipline, personal development and a

The Awardees display their prizes in the presence of many of the sponsors following the presentation ceremony. strong faith in God. Lewis expressed gratitude to the Management for honouring him and his peers while pledging that together as a unit, the cricket teams would perform even better.

The Club also presented all journalists, well-wishers and sponsors with special gifts as a token of appreciation, while the entire audience of 200+ persons, were treated to a special luncheon after the ceremony.

Among the gifts and prizes were jewellery, electronic gadgets, bicycle, trips, household and kitchen utensils, hampers, designer clothing, footwear, cosmetics sets and educational materials. Eon Hooper received $100,000 worth of jewellery for his benefit year; Shemaine Campbell received a special plaque from the Trophy Stall for her International Century, while Renwick Batson received a special $80,000 gift for his achievement on becoming the highest run scorer in the history of the club.

Members of the Club, led

by Vice President Renwick Batson and West Indies player Shemaine Campbell, at the end of the ceremony surprised Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster with a collection of prizes and expressed gratitude to him for being a Positive Role Model and Father Figure who always works beyond the call of duty.

The full list of awardees are: FARFANAND MENDES LTD AWARD – UNDER-15 1. Bowler of the Year: Joshua Gobin 2. Batsman and Cricketer of the Year: Brandon Prashad BAKEWELL UNDER-17

1. Batsman of the Year: Brandon Prashad 2. Bowler of the Year and Cricketer of the Year: Shailendra Shameer PEPSI UNDER-19 1. Batsman of the Year: Arif Chan 2. Bowler of the Year and Cricketer of the Year: Shawn Perriera UNDER-21 1. Bowler of the Year: Shailendra Shameer 2. Batsman and Cricketer of the Year: Clinton Pestano METROFEMALE 1. Bowler of the Year: Erva Giddings 2. Batter and Cricketer of the Year: Shemaine Campbell BAKEWELL SECOND DIVISION 1. Batsman of the Year: Jason Sinclair 2. Bowler of the Year and Cricketer of the Year: Eon

Hooper GIZMOS AND GADGETS FIRST DIVISION AWARDS 1. Bowler of the Year: Shawn Perriera 2. Batsman of the Year: Delbert Hicks PEPSI INTERMEDIATE 1. Bowler of the Year: Eon Hooper 2. Batsman and Cricketer of the Year: Jason Sinclair GENERAL 1. Most Promising Player: Askay Homraj; 2. Most Discipline Players: (A) Daniel Lewis (B) Devin Baldeo; 3.

Most Improved Players: (A) Veramootoo Senwasie (B) Joshua Gobin 4. Fielder of the Year: Loydel Lewis; 5. Worker of the Year: Eon Hooper; 6.

Most Committed Member: Plaffina Millington; 7. Most Committed Player: Dominic Rikhi; 8. West Indies Players:

(A) Assad Fudadin (B) Shemaine Campbell; 9.

International Century: Shemaine Campbell 10. Benefit of the Year: Eon Hooper; 11. For Long and Dedicated Service: Renwick Batson; 12. For Long and Dedicated Service: Esuan Crandon; 13. For Long and Dedicated Service: Moonish Singh; 14. Record Holder (Most Runs): Renwick Batson; 15. Best All Rounder (2012): Renwick Batson; 16.

Runner-Up Cricketer of the Year: Shawn Perriera; 17.

Cricketer of the Year: Delbert Hicks; 18. Outstanding Service as a Manager: Patrick Lewis OTHERS 1. Micheal Hyles; 2.

Mark Papannah; 3. Leon Wiggins Jnr.; 4. Terry Pike; 5.

Joyce Wiggins; 6. Agnes Crawford; 7. Sohan Harry

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Amateur boxers to receive stipend Thursday - team expected to be named for Cuba tourney

Steve Ninvalle Six of Guyana’s elite amateur boxers will on Thursday collect the first

disbursement of a monthly $25,000 stipend complements of the Guyana Olympic Association. Stipend is part of a $5M injection into the sport by the GOA, which is headed by President K. Juman Yassin, and will run until 2016.

President of the Guyana Boxing Association Steve Ninvalle said yesterday that the boxers have signed an agreement and will receive their cheques on Thursday.

The boxers identified are: Middleweight Dennis Thomas, Welterweights Ron Smith and Eon Bancroft, light weight Steffon Gouviea, bantamweight Imran Khan

GNRA & Great Britain...

From page 39 “Like what happened to us in Antigua a couple years ago.

But all in all our preparations have been pretty ok. We would have preferred to shoot two four-man teams against the British but they have asked for two five man teams instead and we have obliged.”

The eight member Guyana team for Barbados will include USA based Sigmund Douglas.

and female middleweight Theresa London.

Ninvalle again applauded the effort of the GOA and Mr. Yassin, claiming that stipend for boxers formed an important part of the GBA Road To Brazil four-year plan. Meanwhile, Ninvalle informed that GBA executives, will be meeting soon to select a team to attend the Roberto Balado and the Cardova Cardin Boxing Tournaments which will be held from 4th to 11th and 15th to 22nd June respectively in Cuba.

The team is scheduled to be in the Spanish speaking island for approximately one month.

However, the participation hinges heavily on the acquisition of sponsorship.

“It is extremely important that our boxers attend such competitions. We just cannot continue to fight at home against local competition and expect to make an impact on the world stage or return with medals at major international

Some of the amateur fighters down to receive the stipends along with two other during training yesterday. From left - Steffon Gouviea, Dennis Thomas, Clairmont Gibson, Dellon Charles, and Malika London go through their paces. competitions. If we are serious about participating at the next Olympic and medaling, then we must start now,” Ninvalle declared.

The team of elite fighters for Cuba is expected to be drawn mainly from those receiving stipends and will be accompanied by a manager and a coach.

Amir Khan sets sights on world title fight next after beating Julio Diaz Amir Khan (left) beat Julio Diaz in their fight over the weekend (Getty Images)

BBC Sport - Britain’s Amir Khan wants his next fight to be for the world title in the United States in December.

The former world light-welterweight champion recovered from being floored by Julio Diaz to secure a hard-fought win over the Mexican on Saturday.

“There are a few names we’re looking at,” he said. “I want to face the likes of Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson. “I want to regain the world title and then jump into the ring with Floyd Mayweather and other big names.”

Speaking to BBC Sport, Khan added: “I think my next fight will be in the States. Most title holders are in America and not many like to travel. “It’s difficult to get a fight in England. They’re not like me who will travel to another country, even when I’m world champion.”

The Bolton fighter added that he expected to find out the identity of his next opponent in the next couple of weeks.

Khan lost his WBA and IBF lightwelterweight titles to Peterson in 2011, before losing his next fight to Garcia in July. The 26year-old returned to winning ways with victory

over Carlos Molina before beating Diaz at the weekend.

Peterson faces Lucas Matthysse in May, with the winner fighting Garcia. The eventual victor is likely to fight Khan in December.

Khan said he would now take a “nice, long break” ahead of his wedding next month before beginning training again - with an eye on spending more time in the United States.

“I think we’ll look at more frequent camps there,” he said. “I fight twice a year and if you take such big gaps off, you miss half of the year and it’s wasted. So the plan is to spend more time away on camp.”

Despite suffering a heavy knockdown against Diaz, Khan insists it was just a mistake on his part and has no plans to change his style. “I was off balance and just got collared at the same time,” he said. “It’s a learning curve. If I was on balance I would have been fine.

“I wasn’t really hurt from the knockdown.

I knew I’d made a mistake. Overall, I was happy with my performance. The pace of the fight was good but I’ve still got a few things to work on.”

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Raging official assaults player in Russian reserve soccer match MOSCOW (Reuters) Match officials often face a torrent of abuse from angry players and on some occasions the attacks can turn violent.

Rarely are the roles reversed, yet Chechen linesman Musa Kadyrov lost his composure in a Russian fixture on Sunday and launched a vicious assault on one of the players.

The incident occurred at the end of a Russian league reserve game in Grozny between Amkar Perm and local side Terek when a raging Kadyrov dropped his flag and ran onto the pitch, attacking startled defender Ilya Krichmar.

“The ref blew the final whistle and I started walking to our bench, when suddenly someone came from behind, pushed me to the ground and began kicking and punching me,” the 18-year-old Amkar player told reporters.

“Terek players then joined the attack. Someone grabbed

me by the throat, another hit me... bloodying my face.

“Thank God, my team mates came to the rescue.

Special thanks to Vlasov from Terek. We had known each other from a youth academy in St Petersburg and he helped me escape.”

Kadyrov said Krichmar had insulted him but the player denied the allegation.

“We weren’t happy with the officiating, words had been exchanged but I had never said anything personal about him or his mother,” he said. “I know how sensitive Chechen people are.”

Former FIFA referee Alexei Spirin, who was working as an assessor of Sunday’s match, was left shocked by the episode.

“In all my refereeing career I have never seen anything like it. This guy (Kadyrov) should not be a referee,” Spirin said.

“He had no clue about rules, even worse, attacked a

player. On a scale of one to 10, I’d give him a zero and I’m writing a special report. He should not be allowed to officiate again.”

Krichmar was asked if he would attend the Russian Cup final in Grozny on June 1 if invited by Chechen officials.

“No, I would not go. I could still feel some hatred there after the (Chechen) war, although we had no problem with security in Grozny,” Krichmar said.

“We always had bodyguards with machine guns around us. The food was good as well, but...”

Sunday’s incident was the latest in a series of violent attacks on players in Russian soccer.

Krasnodar striker Spartak Gogniyev suffered a broken nose and fractured ribs after being attacked by Terek officials at a reserve game in Grozny in November 2011.

Gogniyev was handed a six-game ban and $1,600 fine

Kadyrov takes a few swings at Amkar defender Ilya Krichmar (lifenewsru)

by the Russian FA for pushing the referee. The world players’ union FIFPro, however, slammed the decision to punish the player.

Former Montenegro striker Nikola Nikezic lodged a complaint with FIFA and UEFA in 2011, saying he had been forced to end his contract with Kuban Krasnodar after being beaten up and threatened with a gun.

Tobago to host U-17 tournament Trinidad Express - Tobago will once again host the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Under-17 tournament, from June 29 to July 8. The WICB approved the dates and host countries for the regional youth tournaments when the Board of Directors met at Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, on Friday and Saturday.

The Under-15 Championships will be hosted by Jamaica from July 10-26, while the Under-19 tournament is scheduled to take place from July 10 to August 10 in the Leeward Islands.

The inaugural Under-17 tournament took place in Tobago last year, with Jamaica edging out hosts Trinidad and Tobago to clinch the title.

Page 36

Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 37

Mumbai almost self-destruct in tense win The glorious uncertainties of T20 cricket are also heavily reliant, sometimes, on mediocrity.

Mumbai Indians were the relieved team at the end, having, only just, prevented Kings XI Punjab from pulling off a heist that, had it been achieved, would have left the hosts embarrassed.

Mumbai Indians had no business allowing the game to be decided in the final over, after having dismissed a threatening David Miller which left Kings XI to chase

26 off the final two overs with just one wicket in hand. Kings XI still needed 17 in the last bowled by Dhawal Kulkarni.

Six out of eight deliveries bowled in that over were full tosses, one of them was given a no-ball and another should have been - it was clearly above the waist - but wasn’t, neither by Asad Rauf at square leg or AK Chaudhary at the bowling crease.

Praveen Kumar dispatched a juicy full toss on the pads for six off the

David Miller pulls during his innings of 56 (BCCI)

penultimate ball to bring the equation down to five off the last delivery - also a full toss but spooned a catch to Sachin Tendulkar.

It completed a nerve-wracking win for the hosts, but left many wondering what might have been had the umpires, or even Kulkarni, who was fortunate not to have bowled to a more accomplished batsman, got their act right.

The end had a touch of the bizarre, and was anticlimactic, as the umpires tried to double-check if the final delivery was a no-ball as Mumbai celebrated; it turned out to be comfortably below the waist with Kulkarni’s foot well behind the line.

The most relieved of all of Mumbai’s players, presumably, will be their captain Rohit Sharma. At the stroke of the midnight hour, he turned 26, and it would have been a birthday he wished he would have forgotten had Kings XI won.

All the more because he had played a critical role in getting Mumbai to 174 after his team’s scratchy start, with just 48 coming off the first nine overs.

It is not often that Kieron Pollard plays second fiddle during the death overs of a T20 innings, but rotating the strike was all he needed to do as Rohit took over the role of aggressor.

So cleanly did Rohit - who scored his fourth half-century this season - strike the ball,

Softball Cricket League 12/12 cricket championship

Inclement weather forces postponement Semifinals and finals pushed back to next Sunday Heavy rainfall over the past few days has inundated the Everest Cricket Club Ground and forced organizers to postpone activities in the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) 12/12 championship to this weekend.

Last year’s GT&T nationwide 10/10 softball champions, Regal XI, Speedboat, Memorex XI and Trophy Stall have all earned their places in the semifinals after dominating their respective groups.

Playing out of Group B on the opening day last Saturday, Speedboat XI defeated Recharge XI and Farm XI and are scheduled to play Group C winners, Regal XI. That team has advanced after defeating Bartica Challengers and Cotton Field Wild Oats last Sunday.

The other semifinals affair will pit Group A winners, Memorex XI, who defeated Herstelling and Smith’s XI in their preliminary round encounters, against Trophy Stall. The latter team had topped Group D, with victories over Universal DVD Titans and Hillfoot Vipers.

Several worthwhile contenders are in the forefront for the Man-of-the-Series prize

including Speedboat XI’s Greg Singh (126), the only batsman to register a century so far.

Regal XI, Patrick Rooplall (*99) and Memorex’s Shimron Hetmyer (*82) are also in the frontline for the prize.

Spectators will also be a part of the action when they participate in a raffle which will be drawn on the final day of the tournament. A grand prize of one Daewoo double door refrigerator can be won by a lucky spectator who may purchase tickets for $100 each. Other prizes on offer are a three-piece living room suite, one 32" LCD Sony Bravia television set, a Royal four-burner gas stove and a G-shock mountain bicycle. Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to charitable organizations.

Several corporate entities have teamed up towards the success of the tournament including Dilo Enterprise, DC Promotions, Five Star Minerals, El Dorado Trading and Ryan and Reuben Mahadeo (all out of Bartica).

Those enterprises out of Georgetown are Star Party Rentals, Regal Stationery and Computer Supplies, Romain Car Wash, Bank of Baroda, Ravi Sarwan and Trophy Stall.

he cleared the boundary by a distance his unusually subdued partner today has acquired a reputation to match, albeit with much lesser effort. During their unbeaten stand of 88, of which 72 were scored in the last five overs, Pollard scored at less than a run a ball and hit just one six and a four. At the other end, Rohit looked a figure of assuredness, though against some insipid Kings XI bowling that included a spate of extras, full tosses and deliveries bowled down leg.

In the final over of the innings, which went for 27, David Hussey, captaining in place of a dropped Adam Gilchrist, sinned by bowling length and was smashed by Rohit for three sixes, one ending in the top tier behind midwicket, and two fours. Just as some fortune for Mumbai in the final over of the chase, this too proved decisive.

Kings XI appeared to be in the game even after losing two early wickets and then Shaun Marsh to a stunning one-handed catch from Pollard on the long-on boundary. Hussey and David Miller counterattacked, the

former helping snatch 32 in the last two overs of the Powerplay.

The introduction of spin, Harbhajan Singh’s miserly spell that included three wickets, and Hussey’s dismissal slowed down the innings considerably, but Miller continued to give Mumbai a scare with timely blows over the fence, two of them off Pollard followed by

Rohit Sharma scored 79 off 39 balls (BCCI)

one each off Mitchell Johnson and Kulkarni. His innings of 56 ended when he struck Johnson straight to extra cover in the 18th over, but little did anyone know what was in store.

Scores: Mumbai Indians 174 for 3 (Rohit 79*, Smith 33) beat Kings XI Punjab 170 (Miller 56, Hussey 34, Harbhajan 3-14) by four runs.

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Kaieteur News

Blatter happy with process to select GLT provider

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Tarmac XI beat Raheem XI in feature 20-over tapeball contest Despite a five wicket haul

by Dwayne Allicock and a fighting half century by Wazeer Mohamed, Tarmac XI still managed to defeat Raheem XI by 53 runs in a feature 20-over tapeball match played on Sunday at the National Park Tarmac.

Batting first after winning the toss tarmac XI posted 158-6 off their allocation of 20 overs with Kenny Persaud scoring 48, Shoaib Mohamed 26 and Lloyd Henry 23.

Allicock snared 5-23 while Wazeer Mohamed and John Champagne had 1 each. In reply, Raheem XI found the going tough and lost wickets at regular intervals; they were eventually bowled out for 105 in 19 overs.

Mohamed stroked nine fours and one six in scoring 51. Kenny Persaud grabbed 3-34 for Tarmac XI who collected a trophy for their efforts. The game was sponsored by Raheem XI.

GNRA appealing for corporate support ahead of Caribbean c/ships (From left) CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb, Jesus Martinez, Jamaica’s Lincoln Sutherland, Carlos Ruiz, Joseph Ursulet, Ariel Alvarado and FIFA President Joseph Blatter at the CONCACAF Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (PHOTO: CONCACAF/MEXSPORT) Jamaica Observer - FIFA has reiterated that it will test the novel and much deliberated concept of goal line technology (GLT) in

football, following what its president deemed a fair and transparent process to select the technology provider.

Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter

says a German company, GoalControl GmbH, has been awarded the contract following a tender process started in February to

introduce the system at the Confederations Cup set for Brazil in June.

“Three companies from Germany and one from Britain had made bids to offer the technology. We are not obliged to give one, so it was open for everyone to decide…

FIFA will now introduce one system that will be used at the Confederations Cup,” said Blatter, during a round table with reporters at the 38th CONCACAF Ordinary Congress in Panama City last week Friday.

If successful, the system will be introduced at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. It is said that the cost of installing the technology in each stadium will be approximately US$260,000, while it will cost US$4,000 to operate it at each game.

With 12 host cities earmarked to host matches, the total cost of implementing the system at the next World Cup would be about US$3.1 million.

GoalControl’s technology, which uses 14 high-speed cameras — seven at each goal — beat out three other bidders in CAIROS, GoalRef and Hawk-Eye for the contract.

“The final decision was based on criteria relating specifically to the tournaments in Brazil, including the company’s ability to adapt to local conditions and compatibility of each GLT system in relation to FIFA match operations,” FIFA said in a statement.

“The respective bids were also judged on cost and project management factors (Continued on page 31)

- public is invited to witness matches at Timehri Ranges The Guyana National rifle Association (GNRA) is appealing to corporate Guyana for support ahead of the undisputed Kings of Fullbore Shooting in the C a r i b b e a n ’s d e f e n c e o f their Short and Long Range titles next month in Barbados.

Speaking at a press briefing yesterday at Olympic House, Secretary Ryan Sampson and Team Coach Paul Slowe both made a call to corporate Guyana to lend support to the team to ensure that the full 8-man side goes to Barbados. Sampson noted that they {GNRA} sent out numerous letters but to date only a few responses would have been received, which

includes the Patron of the GNRA, His Excellency President Donald Ramotar and The Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport.

Entities and persons desirous of contributing can make contact with the GNRA Secretary or Treasurer Ryan Sampson or Lt. Col. Terrance Stuart via Olympic House, High Streets. Meanwhile, the association is extending an invitation to members of the public to travel to the Timehri Rifle Ranges situated at Yarrowkabra, Linden Soesdyke Highway, to witness the competition against the British team from today until Thursday.

RMA sponsors Kaitan for Telesur 10k The Rupununi Miners’ Association (RMA) has sponsored the outstanding local distance athlete, Samuel Kaitan for the May 1 Telesur 10km Road Race in Suriname.

A release said that the RMA continues to support the development of sports in Region Nine.

“Despite the harsh conditions and tribulations, the Rupununi Miners Association (RMA) is facing in Marudi, the RMA is sponsoring one of the best athletes in Region Nine,” the release stated.

“Although the Miners of Rupununi are presently being denied the opportunity to take home gold, they are of the firm

Samuel Kaitan belief that Samuel Kaitan will be bring home gold for Region Nine and Guyana,” the release added. Kaitan is a schools’ champion and a known distance performer, placing highly at the renowned South American 10km Road Race and several other events in Guyana.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

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GNRA & Great Britain Rifle Team takes aim at Timehri Rifle Ranges - 3 day individual & team c/ships starts today

By Franklin Wilson They are regarded as the best Fullbore shooters in the world but would have lost to the undisputed Kings of the Range in the Caribbean – Guyana - in Jamaica in 1996.

We’re talking of the Great Britain Rifle Team which touched down at the Timehri International Airport last evening from Jamaica and will be taking aim at the Timehri Rifle Ranges from today against the Guyana National Rifle Association in a specially arranged Three-day Fullbore Shooting Championship.

The 13-member Great Britain Team is on a Caribbean four-nation tour which will culminate in Barbados next month with the Australia Cup. An opening ceremony is set for the 300 Yards Range at 13:00hrs where Commodore Gary Best is expected to

deliver feature opening remarks and fire the first shot to signal the start of individual competition which is anticipated to be fierce at both the 300 and 900 yards ranges.

Tomorrow, individual competition will continue at the 500, 600 and 1000 Yards Ranges while on Thursday, the final day, the Team competition will take centre stage with each country providing two five-member teams. Guyana’s two teams will be picked following the conclusion of the individual championships tomorrow afternoon.

Team one will comprise the top five shooters from the individual meet with the other best five, constituting team two.

The Great Britain side also has a number of female shooters who will be also be

competing.

No stones have been left unturned to ensure a successful competition according to the GNRA which hosted a Press briefing yesterday at Olympic House, High Street.

Team Coach Paul Slowe informed that the competition against the British is a build up to the Caribbean Championships in Barbados next month where Guyana will be defending the Short and Long Range titles.

“This is a highly anticipated tour but is a build up to Barbados where the British will also be to contest the Australia match. We expect to do good against this high powered team but we are not taking things lightly. We are prepared in terms of our training.”

Slowe, who has been named Captain of the 10-man West Indies Team that will contest the Australia match, said that Guyana’s preparation has been geared towards peaking in Barbados.

“We are at this stage

The GNRA Team at yesterday’s presser from right, Secretary Ryan Sampson, PRO Troy Peters, VP & Coach Paul Slowe, Captain Mahendra Persaud, Treasurer Lt. Col Terrance Stuart and 2013 Champions Ransford Goodluck. prepared to make sure we do our best, we do not want to sell ourselves short and we will not be complacent, having dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s. These guys are coming from Jamaica and will go to Trinidad and Tobago before Barbados, so we want to make sure our logistical arrangements are top notch.”

The Guyanese are the undisputed champions of Fullbore shooting in the Caribbean having won five

times in the last six years (2012 in Guyana); they narrowly lost the 2011 championships by 2 points in Antigua & Barbuda.

Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud in his remarks re-emphasized that the Great Britain team is very strong made up of world class shooters but Guyana can only do one thing, “Perform our best on the day.”

“We have five ranges to test our skills against theirs, one advantage we have and

it is home turf. Hopefully it acts up as it has been doing for the last couple of months; the range has changed a lot and gotten more challenging but we have been getting the hang of it.”

Persaud also mentioned that while Guyana are the Caribbean champions and other countries see themselves shooting for second place, that’s not always the case since they can have off days and bad days also.

(Continued on page 34)

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Watson, Sampson keep Royals’ citadel intact

Chris Gayle topscored for Royal Challengers with 34 (BCCI)

ESPNcricinfo - For the second time this season, Rajasthan Royals promoted a wicketkeeper to No. 3, and stunned the opposition to set up a win. Chasing 172, with Shane Watson, Brad Hodge and Owais Shah yet to bat, Kerala’s 18-year-old Sanju

Samson scored 63 off 41, leaving Royals 56 to get off 34 balls, which Royals chased but not without the mandatory inexplicable drama that is the IPL’s USP. Watson, who left the chase all but finished, had been instrumental in keeping

Royal Challengers, who have now lost all their four away matches, down with the wickets of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli among his three.

The game began with Royals presenting Gayle spin when hostile short bowling has only managed to trouble him. Gayle raced away, but Watson got him for 34 off 16 with an innocuous-looking delivery angling away from him. From 44 for 1 in four overs, Royal Challengers went without a boundary for 6.1 overs. The run rate fell, and when AB de Villiers and Kohli tried to correct they both holed out.

With the innings not going anywhere, R Vinay Kumar gave them a fighting target with three sixes of James Faulkner in the final over, two of those off slower balls. Faulkner had had a good birthday until then with two catches a run-out. Vinay would try to turn the game around in the last over of the next innings too, but that’s for later.

In the chase, Royals stayed with their plan of using Watson lower down the order.

Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya

Rahane opened, and got them off to a swift enough start, but it was Samson who pinched Royal Challengers. There might have been the odd slog, but a major part of the innings relied on cricketing shots.

The standout was successive sixes over extra cover to welcome Murali Kartik. He would have hoped he had not recovered from his illness in time for this match.

Those sixes took Royals to 60 for 2 in 7.2 overs, and the chase was on its way.

Watson played the second fiddle while Samson went at it, reaching 25 off 21 by the time Samson fell. Watson and Hodge went about with the pursuit coolly until Hodge seemed to have killed off the chase with two sixes of Ravi Rampaul in the 18th over. If you though 18 off 15 was the done thing, though, you haven’t watched enough of IPL. Watson top-edged RP Singh in the next over, but six off six was easy enough.

However, Hodge tried to finish it off in one hit, and was bowled to leave five to get off four. Owais Shah then managed to get run out at the non-danger end, and we were smack in the middle of an IPL implosion. Back to same lastover characters: Vinay and Faulkner.

Faulkner took the single, and then Stuart Binny pulled a four to beat the team that carries his home city’s name.

Scores: Rajasthan Royals 173 for 6 (Samson 63, Watson 41) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 171 for 6 (Gayle 34, Watson 322) by 4 wickets.

Shane Watson picked up three wickets for 22 runs off his four overs (BCCI)

Sanju Samson plays a shot through the offside (BCCI)

Amyans prevail at Guyana Darts Association Nationals Darts Championship It was truly a family affair when Hemwattie Amyan and her son, Christopher Fulton, threw with precision and won the top prizes when the Guyana Darts Association staged the National Women’s and Men’s 501 Singles Darts Championship at the Malteenoes Sports Club, Thomas Lands, Friday evening last. Amyan defeated Rosetta Hiralall 3 – 2 in the best of 5 games, while Christopher defeated Anthony Bissoondyal 3 -1 in a best of 5 duel.

Hiralall won the first game but a resilient Amyan rebounded with a victory in the second.

Hiralall surged ahead once again in the third game but a determined Amyan showed the mettle of which champions are made to draw level in the fourth.

The fifth and final game could have gone either way as the two matched each other dart for dart in a close contest where fortunes swayed. In the end, Amyan called on her experience to emerge victorious. Shondell Hyles then defeated Cynthia Amyan, the other losing semi-finalist, 2-1 to seal off the third place. Amyan received a trophy and cash, while Hiralall and Hyles received cash prizes. In the men’s category, Christopher Fulton defeated Anthony Bissoondyal 3-1 to take their best of 5 contest after the former player won the 1st, 2nd and 4th games. Both players exhibited remarkable prowess but in the end the ever improving Fulton demonstrated acute precision to surge ahead. Lallchand Rambharose then defeated the other losing semifinalist, Sherwin Greene, 2 nil to seal off the 3rd place. National men’s singles champion Sudesh Fitzgerald, was an early casualty to Rambharose 2-1. Fultan received a trophy and cash, while Bissoondyal and Rambharose received cash prizes.

Prior to the singles competitions, Lallchand Rambharose and Anthony Bissoondyal had teamed up to take the ‘luck-of-the-draw’ doubles competition, while Sherwin Greene and Hemwattie Amyan finished second, while Sudesh Fitzgerald and Andrew Balchan placed third.

The competition was sponsored by Trophy Stall of the Bourda Market.

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 41

VILLA HIT SIX TO RAISE SURVIVAL HOPES BBC Sport - Christian Benteke’s second-half hattrick lifted Aston Villa’s hopes of Premier League survival and brought Sunderland’s revival under new manager Paolo Di Canio to an abrupt halt as the Black Cats were thrashed at Villa Park.

Di Canio described this vital meeting of the strugglers as Sunderland’s “Champions League Final” - but it turned into a nightmare as they were dragged right back into the relegation fight along with north-east neighbours Newcastle. The home victory, and emphatic winning margin, also made it a bad night for Wigan as they now lie five points adrift of Villa, albeit with a game in hand.

Villa’s goals, coupled with Newcastle’s 6-0 home defeat

by Liverpool, also mean the Midlanders leapfrog Alan Pardew’s side on goal difference.

And to make matters worse for Sunderland, the influential Stephane

Sessegnon was given a straight red card in the second half for a challenge on Yacouba Sylla, prematurely ending his season at this vital time. Ron Vlaar’s thumping shot gave Villa the lead on the half-hour only for Danny Rose to equalise almost instantly for Sunderland.

Andreas Weimann restored Villa’s advantage before half-time to set the stage for the powerful Benteke to demonstrate once more the quality that has made him such an outstanding purchase by manager Paul Lambert following his £10m summer arrival from Belgian side Genk.

The 22-year-old striker tormented the Sunderland defence with a 17-minute hattrick and Gabriel Agbonlahor added further polish to Villa’s goal difference with the sixth two minutes from time.

The joy around Villa Park at the final whistle in recognition of this crucial win was in sharp contrast to the

desolation of Di Canio and his players.

When the first goal arrived after 31 minutes, it came from an unlikely source.

Sunderland struggled to clear under sustained Villa pressure and when the ball came to Vlaar 25 yards out, the powerful defender sent a low drive beyond the grasp of keeper Simon Mignolet with the help of a slight deflection off Carlos Cuellar.

Villa barely had time to celebrate before the visitors were level. Rose, as he had done previously, moved forward at speed and took Danny Graham’s pass perfectly in his stride before sending a composed finish past Brad Guzan. The positive attitude of both sides was to be admired, if not their defending, and Villa were back in front seven minutes before the interval. Sunderland were caught short at the back as Villa struck on the counterattack, Matthew Lowton’s perfect pass inviting a superb

American Cricket Society team of New York on Guyana tour - Meets President Donald Ramotar

President Donald Ramotar poses with some of the members of the touring American Cricket Society cricket team of New York.

The American Cricket Society (ACS) team of New York, USA, which is presently on a two weeks good will tour of Guyana, took the opportunity on Sunday to interact with President Donald Ramotar during the president’s visit to the Corentyne area to commission the refurbished Chesney Sports Club ground and pavilion. However, the team’s tour is being hampered by the inclement weather.

The team, which is made up of predominately Guyanese, was formed in 1981 and started to compete in 1982. According to former captain Zamin Amin, who was also a former national U-19 player in Guyana, they have been dominating the cricket scene since their entry into the game in their adopted country. Presently they are the 40 overs and 20/20 cricket champions in New York and are a member of the Eastern American Cricket Association which has about 18 teams and a number of leagues.

The team is presently being captained by

former national U-19 captain Karan Ganesh and includes a number of former national U19 players. Ganesh is presently a member of the USA senior team.

The highlight of their visit is expected to be a feature 40 overs cricket match against the Chesney Cricket club today at the recently re-commissioned Chesney Sports club ground, beginning at 11:00 hrs. They are hoping the weather improves so that they could get a few matches under their belt.

The cricket season in the USA runs from May to September. Their league starts next Sunday and their first match is in two weeks.

The full ACS team reads - Karan Ganesh captain, Zamin Amin, Terry Hastoo, Tamesh Balwant, Haryman Joseph and Diant Roopnarine, who would have all represented Guyana at some stage, while the other players are Telston Johnson, Clain Williams, Suresh Wazim, Hasant Amin, Bobby Deonarine, Ralph Ogle and Barbadian Dwain Smith. Prem Manbodh is the manager.

Christian Benteke rises above the rest to head home one of Villa's goals. (Getty Images) first-time touch and finish from Weimann.

The second half belonged to Benteke as he took Sunderland’s defence apart and may just have opened up the route to safety for Villa.

He scored his first 10 minutes after the restart, stooping to head home after Mignolet had failed to deal convincingly with Agbonlahor’s shot. He then demonstrated his power

in the air with a towering far post header from Ashley Westwood’s corner.

It was turning into a dreadful night for Di Canio and and Benteke was the tormentor-in-chief. He scored his third with 18 minutes left, collecting another deflection off Cuellar to fire in from the angle.

Benteke’s name rang around Villa Park and he was

given a deserved standing ovation - and a flamboyant embrace from Lambert - when he was replaced by former Sunderland striker Darren Bent late on.

With Sunderland in complete disarray, Agbonlahor got the goal his industry and endeavour deserved as he raced clear to round Mignolet and complete the almost perfect night for Aston Villa.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday April 30, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY’S NBA PLAYOFFS GAMES Heat 88, Bucks 77 LeBron James had 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and visiting Miami pulled away in the fourth quarter to complete a four-game series sweep of Milwaukee.

Ray Allen scored 16 points off the bench and Udonis Haslem added 13 as the reigning NBA champions rolled into the Eastern Conference semi-finals despite playing without All Star guard Dwyane Wade, who sat out with an ailing knee.

The Heat will play either Chicago or Brooklyn in the next round.

Monta Ellis scored 21 points and Mike Dunleavy chipped in 17 for the eighth-seeded Bucks, who followed the script of the previous two games by staying close through three quarters before the top-seeded Heat turned on the jets. Miami led by as many as 11 points in the second quarter but Ellis scored seven straight points as Milwaukee cut the deficit to 45-41 at the half.

The Bucks were within five at the end of three quarters and trailed by two with 9 1/2 minutes to play when the Heat delivered the knockout blows.

Allen buried a pair of three-pointers and Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier each connected from long range before James capped a 19-5 burst with a conventional threepoint play to extend the lead to 86-72 with 4:54 remaining.

---Celtics 97, Knicks 90 (overtime) Reserve Jason Terry scored nine of his 18 points in the final 91 seconds of overtime as hosts Boston averted a four-game sweep despite blowing a 20-point second-half lead.

Paul Pierce scored 29 points and Jeff Green added 26 as the Celtics fought off a stirring comeback to force Game Five of the best-ofseven Eastern Conference series tomorrow at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 17 rebounds for Boston.

Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points and Raymond Felton had 27 for the Knicks, who led only once - at 84-82 with 1:18 to play in regulation - and trailed 59-39 with 9:25 left in the third quarter. Terry put the Celtics ahead to stay by burying a three-pointer with 1:31 left in the extra session. After Anthony sliced

the deficit to one, Terry hit a short jumper and buried two foul shots for a 95-90 edge with 20.4 seconds left.

Pierce scored eight points in a 73-second span late in the second quarter to help send the Celtics into the break with a seemingly commanding 54-35 lead. A three-pointer by Green pushed it to 20 early in the third quarter before Felton scored 16 points in a 26-9 burst to pull New York within 68-65 entering the final 12 minutes.

The Knicks played without Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith, who was suspended one game by the NBA for elbowing Terry in the face in the fourth quarter of Game Three.

---Spurs 103, Lakers 82 Tony Parker scored 23 points and visiting San Antonio routed Los Angeles to complete a four-game sweep of the Western Conference playoff series.

Kawhi Leonard and DeJuan Blair scored 13 points apiece and Tim Duncan added 11 as the Spurs broke the game open early and sent the Lakers to their first opening-round postseason sweep since 1967.

Second-seeded San Antonio will face Denver or Golden State in the next round.

The injury-depleted Lakers, already missing their top four guards and starting forward Metta World Peace, went down meekly and saw center Dwight Howard ejected after picking up his second technical foul for arguing a non-call in the opening minutes of the third quarter.

Pau Gasol scored 16 points and Andrew Goudelock added 14 for Los Angeles.

The Spurs allowed the Lakers to hang around for the first quarter, leading by eight, but Gary Neal came off the bench and knocked down a pair of three-pointers in a personal 80 run to put San Antonio ahead by 14 en route to a 52-34 halftime edge.

The Spurs had only three turnovers in the first half compared to 16 for Los Angeles.

---Warriors 115, Nuggets 101 Stephen Curry took over in the third quarter and finished with 31 points and seven assists as host Golden State took a 3-1 lead over Denver in the best-of-seven series.

Curry hit six three-pointers and went 10for-16 from the field for the Warriors, who will

Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) shoots against the Milwaukee Bucks. AP Photo/ Morry Gash

try to close out the series at Denver today.

Jarrett Jack added 21 points and nine assists and Carl Landry scored 17 off the bench.

Ty Lawson scored 26 points and Andre

Iguodala had 19 for the Nuggets, who committed 23 turnovers leading to 33 points.

Denver has allowed an average of 118.7 points in the last three games - all losses.

President commissions multi-million dollar pavilion at refurbished Chesney Sports club

President Donald Ramotar being assisted by overseas based and local residents cuts the ribbon to commission the newly constructed pavilion courtesy of the Government of Guyana.

Residents of Chesney/ Kilcoy area on the Corentyne Coast, including scores of overseas based Guyanese and some foreigners, on Sunday turned out in their numbers at the Chesney Sports Club ground and joined President Donald Ramotar and delegation as he commissioned a newly built multimillion dollars pavilion, courtesy of the Government of Guyana.

The president and his delegation also took the opportunity to rededicate the refurbished and fenced play ground.

The occasion was the opening ceremony of the second Chesney/ Kilcoy reunion which includes a week of activities. Over 100 overseas based Guyanese mostly from The United States, Canada, England and the Caribbean including many former cricketers have returned home for the reunion.

Speaking at the ceremony President Ramotar who was accompanied by Ministers Anil Nandalall and Leslie Ramsammy and Regional Chairman David Armogan took the opportunity to welcome the overseas visitors to Guyana and congratulate them for what they are doing in remembering their home

country. He gave the assurance that the government will stick with them and assist in wherever possible.

Also speaking at the ceremony was Attorney General Anil Nandalall who deputized for the Minister of Sports.

President of the overseas chapter and one of the founding members, Zamin Amin, thanked the government of Guyana for coming on board with them to make the occasion the success it is. Amin a former national U-19 cricketer, who still plies his trade in the USA with the American Cricket Society team, which is also touring Guyana, stated that the first reunion was held in 2010 and this is their second such activity. He said that the idea of the reunion came about after a group of cricketers who are also former residents of the area came together and decided to do something tangible for those back home. Also accompanying the group and speaking to the media was Bobby Deonarine who has been sponsoring a number of first division cricket competitions in Guyana.

He said that they have a packed programme (Continued on page 32)

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

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t r o Sp

RHTY&SC hosts Gala 23rd Awards Ceremony and Luncheon

- Delbert Hicks & Shemaine Campbell are cricketers of the year

The Awardees display their prizes in the presence of many of the sponsors following the presentation ceremony.

Amateur boxers to receive stipend Thursday - team expected to be named for Cuba tourney

Some of the amateur fighters down to receive the stipends along with two other during training yesterday. From left - Steffon Gouviea, Dennis Thomas, Clairmont Gibson, Dellon Charles, and Malika London go through their paces.

Amyans prevail at Guyana Darts Association National Championship

Cummings wins Scotia Bank Charity Golf

GNRA & Great Britain Mumbai almost Teams take aim at self-destruct Timehri Rifle Ranges in tense win -3 day individual & team championship start today Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210