Kaieteur News

Thursday Edition August 09, 2012 - Vol. 5 No. 31

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Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

US$$M Chinese ferry docks for first time at Parika p.

7

- Supenaam deadline pushed back to month-end

Sexual assault charge for Bartica residents p.

9 UG Lecturer accused of p.

2 burn mud road fondling female student

Immigration officer dies after giving birth p.

6

…hospital says patient “experienced a cardiac arrest”

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

Bartica residents burn ‘mud road’ One male individual, reportedly a suspect, is now assisting the Bartica Police with their investigations into the burning of several old truck tyres that were strategically placed over a wooden culvert that runs across the Bartica Potaro Road, yesterday.

The section of what has been described as a mud road was also dug out by several residents, and it is believed that this happened on Tuesday night.

The location is approximately one hundred yards away from the Two Miles Primary School.

Motorists and commuters who had passed the area earlier yesterday, prior to the burning, confirmed that the culvert itself had been dug up, and planks placed temporarily over the culvert were pushed aside to the southern shoulder of the road into a gully.

On arrival at the scene, drivers, unable to pass, parked their vehicles behind each other on both sides on the road away from the burning tyres and debris. The suspect was seen in a police vehicle being escorted to the station.

Eyewitnesses said that other residents were involved.

A fire tender arrived a bit later and the fire was extinguished with the debris being cleared. An excavator later arrived and placed sand that was discharged by a truck, into the burnt out (continued on page 6)

Thursday August 09, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 3

QC’s Jonelle James tops CAPE - Overall passes increase by almost 4%

By Latoya Giles Eighteen-year-old Queen’s College (QC) student, Jonelle James, is this year’s top performer at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

James, the daughter of Guyana Defence Force Colonel Sydney James, gained five grade ones, in Biology, Caribbean Studies, Chemistry, Food and Nutrition and Pure Mathematics.

QC also produced several others top achievers, among them, Navindra Baldeo (four Grade Ones, one Grade Three); Christopher Chinnatambi (four Grade Ones, two Grade Twos); Kelly-Ann Persaud (four Grade Ones, one Grade Two); Melodie Lowe (four Grade Ones, one Grade Two); and Raphael Bascom (four Grade Ones, one Grade Two).

Of 17 other top performers who each obtained three Grade One passes, three are from QC; three from The Bishops’ High School; three from St. Rose’s High and one apiece from President’s College and the Adult Education Association.

Females reportedly accounted for 60.7 percent of those who passed.

Other schools presenting candidates were Mackenzie High; New Amsterdam Multilateral; St. Stanislaus College; Mae’s Secondary and St. Joseph’s High.

During a press conference yesterday morning, Education Minister Priya Manickchand revealed that Guyana has registered a pass rate of 86.2 percent as against 82.5 in 2011. A total of 740 students wrote the exams in May at ten examination centres.

The Minister added that

Jonelle James

Christopher Chinnatambi while there was a smaller number of students (627) that went up for the e x a m i n a t i o n l a s t y e a r, writing a total of two thousand, five hu n d r e d and fifty-one (2,571) subjects, on this

Melodie Lowe

Navindra Baldeo

occasion, three t h o u s and and thirty-four (3,034) subjects were written, and despite this, the pass rate percentage was able to climb.

Minister Manickchand explained that the overall performance in 2012, as compared to previous years, provides a much better report.

She gave the respective figures to confirm this.

It was also noted that CXC results are likely to be released by tomorrow.

Gov’t frustrating efforts to issue work permit to UK ballistics expert - AFC The Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday claimed that the government is frustrating its efforts to get a UK ballistic expert to come to Guyana for investigations into the July 18 deaths of three Lindeners who are believed to have been shot dead by Police during protests over electricity tariff increases.

AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes said that he has spoken with the Police Commissioner and the Crime Chief to expedite the processing of the work permit for the expert, who has been named as Dr David Robinson.

He said that the standard form was filled and the UK expert was asked to provide copies of all pages of his passport. However, Hughes said that they have now been informed that the expert has to travel to Guyana before his application can be processed.

As far as Hughes is concerned, the issuance of the work permit should have been as seamless as possible.

He said that the AFC does not wish to embarrass the expert by having him come to Guyana and wait for his application to be processed and then be informed that he cannot get it.

Hughes stressed that he is reluctant to have the AFC spend its money to have an expert come to Guyana and wait for his work permit which is issued by an agency under the Minister of Home Affairs, who does not enjoy the confidence of the National Assembly.

Further, the AFC is

extremely disappointed that the Terms of Reference for the Commission of Inquiry have not yet been finalised, more than a week after the August 2 deadline.

Of greater concern, however, Hughes stated, is what seems to be a complete halt to Police investigations and “curious statements” from the Crime Chief that there could have been phantom shooters located where the Police were.

“We consider that a very dangerous development,” Hughes said yesterday at the weekly press conference of the AFC. He asserted that the party was concerned that the criminal investigation ought to have been completed by now, given that there were witnesses available and the Police ballistics tests were completed.

Hughes said the AFC was

concerned that so far no arrests or interdictions have been made, and the officers who were at the scene at the time continue to serve, as per normal, in the Police Force.

Trinidad-based pathologist, Professor Hubert Daisley, who viewed the autopsies, stated that bronzetipped rounds were used in the killing of the protestors and that the weapon used seemed to have been a handgun.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement) Seelall Persaud has said that only four shotgun cartridges were unaccounted for from the ammunition that police ranks had at Linden.

This newspaper was also informed that the Crime Scene ranks were never instructed to scour the area for ballistic evidence or to swab the hands of all the ranks who were at the scene of the protest.

TOP PERFORMERS …..

Jonelle James -This young lady is no stranger to being in the spotlight. She was a top performer two years ago at the CXC examinations. Relatives in Guyana broke the news to James who is presently on vacation in the United States.

Navindra Baldeo expressed surprise at being among the top students.

“I’m very surprised and a bit excited” Baldeo told Kaieteur News. He said that his preparation for the exam started months before.

He recounted that he also

took extra lessons and his friends, teachers and parents played a major part in his success.

His future ambition is to become a doctor. He also disclosed that he has a scholarship to the University of the West Indies.

Christopher Chinnatambi also said he was very excited and quite pleased with his results. “I studied for hours….I had to do it in a very disciplined way” he told Kaieteur News. He intends to further his studies at the University of Guyana. He would like to become a chemical engineer or cardiologist.

Melodie Lowe was thrilled and obviously satisfied with her results. She said that she loves to read and that is one of the major things which helped her.

Lowe said that she also took extra lessons to help in her weak areas. She intends to follow a career in medicine.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

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

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

EDITORIAL

Keeping criminals in high office Societies do not take lightly to criminals. To begin, society from time immemorial reserved the right to deal in special ways with criminals. In some societies the punishment for a criminal act is considered harsh by the western world.

Other criminals suffer different fates. Because society abhors criminality, it actually built special enclosures for these criminals. These enclosures are called jails. It separates its thieves into categories. There are those who physically rob people. In Guyana, depending on the extent of the robbery, some were whipped.

The United Nations designed a series of rules which it said were based on humane treatment, and whipping was discontinued, although in recent times there were judges who actually sentenced some people to a whipping. The only tool that has been consigned to history is the cat-onine tails. This reportedly had crippling effects.

A criminal conviction is a stigma. Many of us are loathe to employ a criminal, regardless of how minor the crime was.

Once there was word that one was convicted, employers would not employ, and it is not that Guyana has a surfeit of manpower. The situation is such that even if remotely one is associated with a criminal that person, if he holds high public office, would resign.

It is here that Guyana seems to differ in a major way. For one, while the law is said to be for everyone, Guyana seems to have laws for some and another law for others. There was the case of the government Minister who not only discharged a loaded firearm at an individual, but hit the individual with his firearm. He was never prosecuted. Instead, he was sent overseas to serve in a diplomatic capacity.

There were cases of individuals who were fingered in corruption, but unlike what would happen in the more developed countries, the person fingered in corruption is not even sanctioned. Examples are too numerous.

Just recently, a Minister of Finance in a developed country resigned because his wife was found with a huge sum of cash contrary to the law. The Minister was in no way involved, but decency dictated that he quit in the face of a criminal act.

Presidential spokesperson, Kwame McCoy was convicted of a serious criminal activity on Tuesday. Using his office as a shield, he physically acted against people with his firearm. The matter ended up in court and even there he lied. He claimed that he had surrendered the firearm to a policeman, but in court the policeman denied any such allegation.

For starters, the act of attacking harmless people with a forearm warrants a revocation of the firearm licence. This has not been done. It must be that there is one law for McCoy and another for the rest of the society.

His employers, among them the President of the country, never sought to have McCoy proceed on leave, which is the natural thing to do. Even policemen at the centre of investigations in certain countries are sent on leave pending the investigation. McCoy was not even asked to demit office or to recuse himself from duty.

The nation must admit that until recently, there would not even have been a criminal prosecution. People in the government were apparently immune from prosecution.

President Ramotar removed any such restrictions with the result that McCoy had to face justice. He was convicted.

The nation now awaits the decision by Office of the President. Is it prepared to keep a convict in its employ?

Surely that will not go down well with the rest of the society.

But McCoy should have done the decent thing and resign from the time the charges were laid. He placed the onus on his employers. He, by no stretch of imagination, could be considered one who associates with decency.

He was fingered in a child molestation issue, and Office of the President allowed him to remain in the high profile employment, although the United States saw the matter for what it was and revoked his visa.

McCoy must not be allowed to interface with the public under the umbrella of one employed by the highest office in the land.

David Granger and the sainthood of Forbes Burnham

DEAR EDITOR, David Granger’s ascension to political power and prominence has been accompanied with a dangerous revisionist attitude to history and the truth.

First, Granger recently tried to deny Cheddi Jagan’s stronger claim to the father of the nation through the independence struggle by coming up with a bogus everyman theory.

Now, David Granger is attempting to recast Forbes Burnham as a saint. If this was some intellectual lightweight doing this dirty dance with the truth, the regular Joe like me would be inclined to regard it as mere fluff.

But this is coming from an intellectual heavyweight and known historian. Granger knows fully well the perfidy of revising history and unbalancing the truth with prejudiced perspectives, myopia and plain old deceit.

When I read of Granger’s soaring rhetoric on Forbes Burnham at Burnham’s death anniversary, I realized that in his quest to rewrite history and to erase the dark days of tyranny, murder, deprivation, thuggery, electoral robbery, corruption, malnourishment and incompetence under and

by Forbes Burnham’s PNC, David Granger has missed the

wider implications of his intellectual chicanery.

These psychic con games have repercussions beyond damage to Granger’s credibility. They jeopardize the nation’s political reality, the PNC/APNU and by extension, the Africans it claims to represent.

Guyana is a deeply racialized country with an eight-month old minority governance situation.

That minority government situation was achieved largely by a split in the Indian vote with Indian progressives shunning race voting and backing the AFC; a portion of PPP voters staying home; Amerindian and mixed voters supporting the PNC through APNU for the first time and Amerindian and mixed voters staying home and not voting for the PPP like they did in previous elections.

The bottomline is that those who rejected racial voting gave us this current dynamic. Playing conniving games with historical truth will threaten this formula and dynamic.

Indians, Amerindians and the mixed know the truth about Forbes Burnham, which is why they rejected the PNC during Burnham’s days.

They know that Burnham was a frightening political sinner and a failed leader.

This pretentious fawning over Burnham by burying the truth will trigger defensive psychological responses from some of those critical voters whose actions gave this country minority government. You cannot play these games without paying a price in votes.

The problem with the kind of narrative Granger gave on Burnham is suggests to the casual onlooker that the PNC/ APNU has no sense of contrition about its past atrocities. That the PNC/ APNU has no shame and no apologetic bone in its body.

As the most mistrusted party in Guyana, this kind of biased infatuation with a destructive personality will restore troubling belief systems in voters who were able to break away for the first time in 2011.

One would think that after the Linden fiasco where the PPP has been openly questioned about whether it wanted to ignite racial strife in Guyana, the PNC/APNU would have more sense and situational awareness to not rock the boat and imperil the goodwill it received from the Linden fallout.

To make these outlandish assertions of sainthood for Burnham who was nothing but a power-drunk tyrant will play right back into the hands of the PPP, which failed to get what it may have wanted from Linden but is actually getting the same result from the PNC/ APNU’s barefaced one-eyed and jaundiced views on Burnham and the recent everyman theory on father of the nation.

Only a party and leaders with a barefaced disregard to the truth, in awe of its horrendous past and completely out of sync with realpolitik awareness would deliver such tripe with a straight face in exactly the kind of political tightrope we have in Guyana.

To take these intellectually deceitful steps in mocking historical truth while knowing fully well that crossover votes are vital for the PNC/APNU to ever gain power democratically is plain tomfoolery.

One has to wonder that if Burnham is seen in such glowing light by the supposed agents of change within the PNC/APNU like Granger, what kind of government we will get from the PNC/APNU if it ever regains power?

Does this outrageous (Continued on page 5)

Corbin cannot make me a scapegoat DEAR EDITOR, At the end of his inglorious and disastrous period as Leader (sic) of the People’s National Congress Reform, Corbin needs to cover up and camouflage his disgraced and failed leadership of the party by scape-goating me and others.

His stint as leader of the PNC will go down as the darkest period in the history of the PNC. He reversed most of the gains achieved by Burnham and Hoyte, and he did it at the same time with alacrity and arrogance.

Apart from being a YSM Executive member in the early 70’s, I held no other position in the PNC… elected or otherwise.

Two YSM Congress elections were rigged to rob me of the positions of Chairman and then General Secretary. Since the 70’s, I have always operated on the fringes of the PNC recognizing since then that my God-given special superior ability was never going to be allowed to blossom and grow – that is why I organized the 2002 struggle in support of the Kwakwani people under the umbrella of the People’s Solidarity movement.

The mistake I made at the

time was to allow Corbin and others to be involved, but I was acting on the instructions of Mr. Desmond Hoyte.

However, my conscience is clear and my heart is pure, concerning the 2002 struggles and the tragic event of July 3, that saw two comrades losing their lives and many others being injured (Corbin said in his Congress address that eight persons lost their lives on that tragic day 10 years ago).

I have written about these events and will publish at a time of my choosing and no

baiting by Corbin will preempt me. Suffice to say that it was Corbin who was aggressively pushing me to give myself up.

It was Corbin who, on the night of July 3, 2002 first said to me, at the Square of the Revolution, that I will be charged with treason.

I have deliberately stayed out of this current Linden struggle, because I saw betrayal looming on the horizon. Corbin, however, will not succeed in his attempt to direct the anger of the people of Linden against me.

I supported the PPP at the

last elections purely for economic reasons. I felt we in Linden and Region 10 need a five year breathing space to bring real economic development to the region and Linden… by any means necessary. The people of Region 10 rejected my entreaties – so be it.

My first, my foremost, and my only political support is and always will be to and for the people of Linden and Region 10. My record of achievements cannot and will not be erased by Corbin.

Phillip G. Bynoe

Lindeners and the President’s letter DEAR EDITOR, After three weeks of the Linden protests, a letter was penned in your newspaper August 8th from His Excellency, Donald Ramotar.

As a born Lindener, I found the content extremely troubling and felt like I am no longer part of Guyana.

The President first referred to the three Guyanese who tragically lost their lives as “your citizens” as if to say these Lindeners do not belong to the Guyana he governs but only to Linden.

It gives me the impression that Linden is a sovereign state separated from the rest

of the country. Two paragraphs later he used the word inclusion.

President Ramotar also lists the main companies in Linden for employment. It is a fact that over 20,000 eligible workers are in Linden. The bauxite company employs less than 600 workers and a call centre less than 300 persons. Clearly this shows the state of this once vibrant town and what the Government think about the development of Linden they so promote and support.

The President of Guyana (should I include sovereign Linden?) used the word

extremist. First of all, blocking roads and bridges are not extreme by any stretch of the imagination. It happens in many parts of the world including USA and United Kingdom. What is extreme was the shooting of protesters.

Mr. President, there has been no developments in Linden for years. I expected a message of hope and sincere regret for the tragedy of July 18th, 2102 but what I read was a message of defiance and blame game which I have grown accustomed to since your Presidency began.

Citizen of Linden

Thursday August 09, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 5

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

Religion divides us Will President Ramotar let Rohee go?

DEAR EDITOR, The letter by Shabnam Alli and Raymond Chickrie under the heading “The 1911 ‘battle’ for Islam in British Guiana” in the daily Kaieteur News, must be commended as we need to know more of our history.

More must be told of the ‘true and correct’ history of our land as I believe that unless we are educated on our past, we are more inclined to repeat it. However, I would like to ask the writers to address other concerns.

Firstly, is it the intention of the writers to separate the Christians and the Muslim populations?

This letter has the potential to do that and bring division among these groups.

I hope that the religious leaders will preach peace and harmony to their followers as they celebrate this holy month of Ramadhan.

Secondly, the writers made an excellent point in the failure of the British to ‘reconvert’ Muslims in Hindustan (which I perceived to be India).

Here we need to address the issue of the conversion of Hindus to Muslims by the Sultans who went to India for doing just that.

We must know that the Sultans did not try to ‘convert’ the Hindus but actually forced them on the point of life or death.

The choice of the Hindus then was to cut their ‘churkee’ from their head, give it to the Sultan, and convert to Islam or face death. It was either the churkee or their head. It’s hard to accept this, but the Hindus ‘cut their churkee’ and converted to Islam. Those

Hindus who refused to cut their churkee had their heads cut off.

This part of our history is missing and no one seems willing to address this issue.

Unless we look at this issue is a holistic way, we will not be imparting the truth to our audience. When we look at the forced conversion of Hindus to Islam, the work that the missionaries did to lure Hindus and Muslims to convert to Christianity, it pales in comparison.

Should we now ask all Muslims of Indian descent to return to their root and convert back to Hinduism?

If you are insinuating that the Africans who converted to Christianity goes back to their religion, then the call for all Indian Muslims should be the same.

I am saying all this because in life there is only two things that we cannot change, one being our age group and the other, our ethnicity. We can change anything else as our history has shown. So let’s move on with our life, whether we profess to be Jews, Christians, Hindus , Muslims, or anything else. No one has come back from the dead and tell us we should accept one religion over the other.

Religion, I must confess, has been one of the factors in the world that continue to divide us. It seems to me that the more educated we become in ‘our’ religion, the more divisive we get. Unless we return to common sense principles, we will continue to divide ourselves for no justifiable reason.

Happy Eid greetings to all.

Charles Sugrim

DEAR EDITOR, It has been more than two weeks now since the people have spoken, through their P a r l i a m e n t a r y representatives, and register their lack of confidence in Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee.

The no-confidence motion, passed against Minister Rohee in the National Assembly, came after the gunning down of three Lindeners and the shooting and wounding of many other peaceful protestors.

Despite the fact that a noconfidence motion was passed by the Parliamentary majority, the President and the PPP/C government seem to be on a mission to disregard the views of the people.

Their persistent and consistent public comments in support of the Minister and their stated intention to keep him in office flies in the face of decency and morality. I also believe that the action of the PPP/C government with respect to the treatment of citizens continues to be very

disrespectful, to say the least.

We have witnessed this same kind of unhelpful posture during the days of the infamous ‘death squad’ and then Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj. During that notorious crime-strapped period, the PPP/C government and then President Bharrat Jagdeo demonstrated contempt for the people and vowed to keep Gajraj in office, but the people did not allow it… they protested day and night against Gajraj and after months he was forced to leave. Today, it appears that

David Granger and the...

From page 4 perspective on Burnham mean we will get Burnhamstyled leadership from these very men who see nothing wrong with his leadership and who actually see such leadership as brilliant?

If this is the case with PNC/APNU, could voters really trust the PNC to be any different now from then?

At a bare minimum, political and situational awareness would have dictated Granger adopt a more honest assessment of Burnham.

Granger did not because he admires Burnham who is his idol. Burnham promoted Granger to head of the GDF above other senior candidates making the army politically subordinate to the

PNC and Burnham. This is not the first time Granger has panegyrized Burnham to canonization. It will not be the last. I fear that Granger’s infatuation with Burnham is rooted in his view that Burnham did nothing wrong and led admirably and that Granger would have no

problem in using power like Burnham. That is the danger Granger and the relics from the Burnham era in the PNC/ APNU represent to Guyana.

In another letter, I will expose the myth about Burnham and Jagan and how they miserably failed Guyana.

M. Maxwell

history will be repeating itself in Rohee’s case.

I wait to see whether President Ramotar will let good sense prevail and respect the vote of the people and dismiss Clement Rohee, or will he follow in the footsteps of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, as in the case of Ronald Gajraj, and let protest and public pressure force Clement Rohee out.

Rohee’s performance in office can only be described as wholly incompetent, let the wishes of the people prevail.

Lurlene Nestor

Page 6

Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

Six years later …

Motive for slaughter of Kaieteur News pressmen remains unknown August is generally regarded as the month of sunshine, trips to the creeks, Bar-B-Ques and overseas vacations. But for the past six years, August represents a period of deep sorrow and reflection.

It was in the month of August that a marauding gang of vicious, misguided and illiterate youths stormed the Eccles, East Bank Demerara printery of this newspaper and slaughtered five employees.

Chetram Persaud, Eion Wegman, Richard Stewart, Mark Maikoo and Shazeem Mohamed were all ordered to lie face down and shot at point blank range at the back of their heads, in what can be described as a ritualistic slaughter.

Many would readily recall the Agricola, Lusignan and Bartica massacres - events which have left an indelible stamp of criminality in Guyana.

But how many recall the horror endured by the families, friends and colleagues of those five pressmen who paid the ultimate price to protect press freedom in these parts of the world.

Never before has there been such an attack on the press locally and the deaths of the five Kaieteur News

Shazeem Mohamed pressmen should serve as the catalyst to ensure that press freedom remains sacrosanct.

Last year, Senior Reporter Dale Andrews gave a vivid recollection of the events of August 8, 2006.

Such was the impact of his account that we have decided to repeat a significant part of it:“I have witnessed the slaying of criminals, some in the most brutal ways, and the slaughter of innocent civilians.

I have seen the slaughter at Buxton when ‘Baby Arthur’ went berserk, the massacre at Lusignan of 11 persons and yet none of them hit me with the force that the slaying of my colleagues did.

In all the other mentioned cases I was compelled to take

Richard Stewart

Chetram Persaud

Eion Wegman

Mark Maikoo

photographs of the scene but on August eight, 2006, for some strange reason, I could not bring myself to even take out my camera from its case.

The 2011 anniversary passed without a word of the killing, and while it appears as if we had forgotten, I have concluded that that was deliberate as none of us who were employed with the company on August 8th 2006 and are still with the newspaper today, wanted to bring up the subject.

But we could not remain silent for long and soon the memories of what happened on that fateful day came vividly back to me.

It was in the height of the crime wave that had begun four years prior, and that night I left the office to go up to Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara to investigate a shooting incident between gunmen who were holed up in that village and members of the security forces.

In hindsight, I brought myself to think that that was a decoy, for when all the mayhem was taking place on the East Bank, the absence of the security forces was quite conspicuous.

While on the East Coast, I had gathered the information for my story and excited I contacted the newspaper Editor, who at the time was Gwen Evelyn, to tell her that I had the major story for the day.

To this day I still remember her response to me: ‘Boy you better leave that

story and come back to the office.’

‘Why? I asked incredulously.

‘You ain’t hear? They go in the press and kill all the pressmen,’ was Gwen’s reply.

I remember my feet getting very light and driving becoming very difficult after hearing those words.

I did not ask who were killed and assumed that my good friend Harry was among the dead.

As it turned out, Harry along with the security guard was the only survivor of the massacre.

He later told me that while all of them had secured themselves in a toilet when the gang stormed the facility, he was the only one who remained inside when the gunmen ordered them out.

He related that the others (continued on page 18)

Immigration Officer dies after giving birth …hospital says patient “experienced a cardiac arrest” A 22-year-old immigration officer died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday, shortly after she had given birth to a healthy baby girl.

Omadara Anthony of Calcutta, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) died around 10:00 hrs at the hospital, a little over one hour after undergoing a caesarian section. The GPHC claims that the woman suffered a heart attack after the baby was born.

The woman’s mother, Hatty Anthony, told Kaieteur News that her daughter was admitted to the institution on Tuesday afternoon, after complaining of continuous abdominal pain. She was taken to the theatre around 08:45 hrs yesterday.

“I took her there to the hospital on Tuesday and we were continuously calling her to make sure she was okay and she was texting and talking good, good; I don’t know what happened,” the elder Anthony recounted.

The weeping mother, who became a grandmother yesterday, said that instead of being happy, she now has to mourn for her daughter.

“She was okay, she was healthy, I don’t know what happened with her all of a sudden,” the woman shouted as she was leaving the hospital’s compound.

The relatives said that they are not aware whether the woman had any complications during her delivery, but they claimed that she talked with them a few minutes before she entered the theatre.

“She talked with us, she BBM (Black Berry Messaged) her cousins and so,” the mother claimed.

Omadara Anthony’s brother told this publication that he was at the University of Guyana when his mother called and told him about the shocking demise of his sister.

“I was at campus when

Dead: Omadara Anthony my mother called and told me about her death, so I rushed down here. I heard that she gave birth via caesarian section this morning. They told me that the baby was alive.”

Meanwhile, the hospital in a press release said that the patient arrived at its Pre-natal unit at 14:10h on Tuesday and “was immediately received by a doctor who planned and administered medication accordingly”.

“The foetus’ maturity level was at 39 weeks and she had a steady heart rate. The patient was continuously monitored and at 08:45h on August 8, 2012, she was transferred to the operating theatre for a cesarean section.

At 08:52h a live baby girl was extracted. However, the patient experienced a cardiac arrest immediately after surgery. Several attempts were made to resuscitate the patient; unfortunately she succumbed. The body has since been taken to the morgue and hospital authorities are now awaiting the results of a post mortem.

Moreover, efforts are being made to garner information about her medical history since she was not registered at the institution’s ante-natal clinic.”

Bartica residents burn ‘mud road’ From page 2 road cavity. The latter vehicle got stuck as it attempted to pass the location, on the northern shoulder of the road.

Arrangements were also made to place a load of ‘Crusher Run’ material on the said location temporarily, until other works such as putting a tubing culvert and digging a drain to the northern shoulder were completed yesterday. At around 10:50 am yesterday vehicles had already commenced traversing the area.

Bystanders claimed that this incident occurred as a result of the current poor state of the Bartica/Potaro Road Surface (One to Five Miles), and also by the perception of slow reaction towards addressing this issue immediately by the Local Administration.

Previously, residents living along the road had formed themselves into a delegation and had met with local administrators in an effort to speed up the response in effecting temporary works to the road’s

surface from One to Five Miles, they were informed that financing for this exercise has been approved and the process is currently in its mobilisation phase.

Also it was noted that the magnitude of the budgeted expenditure (around $80M) for this project means it will have a direct bearing under the administration of Central Government, which is just waiting for a break in the current rainy weather pattern to commence works.

(Edward A. Persaud)

Thursday August 09, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 7

US$$M Chinese ferry docks for first time at Parika - Supenaam deadline pushed back to month-end One of the multi-milliondollar Chinese-built roll on roll/off ferries ‘Kanawan’ yesterday made its maiden docking at the Parika Stelling, which had to be specially modified to receive it.

According to reports, the inaugural mooring has been declared “very successful” despite a minor snag as the

crew members attempted to secure the vessel.

The ferry took just over half hour to be properly moored at the facility but this has been described as to no fault of structural failures or inadequate preparation.

“It was the first time…It’s not an easy thing to moor a vessel that size for the first

time,” explained an informed source.

The vessel remained moored all day as inspections were made on the facility’s structural integrity among other checks.

This publication understands that the ‘Kanawan’ will make several such moorings in the coming

days utilising the “falling and washing tides.”

The vessel can be moored from either end, where it can load or offload, and this too will be tested in the coming days utilizing the varying river conditions.

WESTERN END All however, is not as well on the other end of the

A close-up view of the roll on/roll off facility at the Parika stelling

Essequibo River, at the Supenaam Stelling.

This facility still remains under construction, thus unable to receive the vessels.

This publication understands that the works on the western bank of the Essequibo river have been pushed back to the end of this month. The vessels will continue to make trial runs at the Parika end, until the construction is completed.

The Supenaam Stelling has been plagued with troubles from the inception, with the most recent failure seeing the Link Bridge failing

to attach properly to the Stelling.

The long awaited Roll on Roll Off Ferries, ‘Sabanto’ and ‘Kanawan’ arrived in Guyana in December last and have since been awaiting the completion of the necessary infrastructure at the two stellings.

The two vessels were acquired from China, and funded by a US$17M grant from the Chinese Government. Each ferry has three decks and can hold up to 800 persons, 44 cars, and 20 trucks, and can travel at a test speed of 12.5 knots.

Page 8

Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

Syrian troops push back Blair is “deeply worried” rebels in Aleppo offensive UK may leave EU – paper ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - Troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad assaulted rebel strongholds in Aleppo yesterday in one of their biggest ground attacks since rebels seized chunks of Syria’s biggest city three weeks ago.

Assad must win the battle for Aleppo if he is to reassert his authority nationwide, although diverting military forces for an offensive to regain control there has already allowed rebels to seize large swathes of countryside in the north.

Aleppo, at the heart of Syria’s failing economy, has taken a fearful pounding since the 17-month-old uprising against Assad finally took hold in a city that had stayed mostly aloof. “We have retreated, get out of here,” a lone rebel fighter yelled at Reuters journalists as they arrived in Aleppo’s Salaheddine district. Nearby checkpoints that had been manned by rebel fighters for the last week had disappeared. Syrian state television said government forces had pushed into Salaheddine, killing most of the rebels there, and had entered other parts of the city in a new offensive.

It said dozens of “terrorists” were killed in

the central district of Bab al-Hadeed, close to Aleppo’s ancient citadel, and Bab al-Nayrab in the southeast.

But a rebel spokesman in Salaheddine, the southern gateway to Aleppo, denied Assad’s troops had taken full control. “Syrian forces are positioned on one side of Salaheddine but they haven’t entered and clashes are continuing,” Abu Mohammed said.

One activist with the rebel Free Syrian Army, who asked not to be named, said insurgents had fallen back to the nearby neighborhood of Saif al-Dawla, which was now under fire from army tanks inside Salaheddine and from combat jets.

The intensity of the conflict in Aleppo and elsewhere suggests that Assad remains determined to cling to power, with support from Iran and Russia, despite setbacks such as this week’s defection of his newly installed prime minister.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based opposition watchdog, said more than 60 people had been killed across Syria so far yesterday, including 15 civilians in Aleppo. It put Tuesday’s death toll at more than 240 nationwide.

Jamaica wants to join in Shanique Myrie suit Jamaica Gleaner - The Jamaican Government wants to become a party to the suit brought by Shanique Myrie against the Barbadian Government.

It is now seeking leave to enter the proceedings before the Caribbean Court of Justice, CCJ. Myrie’s lawyer, Michelle Brown, told our news centre that the government has indicated that the court action

has implications for Jamaica and Jamaicans and it wants to protect those interests.

Miss Brown says Myrie’s legal team has accepted the government’s petition.

The Barbadian Government reportedly submitted its legal arguments on the application on Friday and the CCJ is now reviewing the document.

If Barbados objects to the application then a hearing will be held to determine if the Jamaican government can be a party to the court action.

Shanique Myrie is alleging that she was sexually assaulted by a Barbadian immigration officer last year.

Myrie claimed that she was also subjected to forceful and brutish language by the officials at the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport on her arrival.

In April, the CCJ awarded legal cost to Myrie after the Barbadian government conceded that she had a case.

The matter was expected to go to case management but that has been put on hold pending the application by the Jamaican Government to intervene in the proceedings.

BERLIN (Reuters) Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair told a German newspaper he was “deeply worried” Britain might opt to leave the European Union in a referendum, particularly if too many powers were transferred to Brussels without democratic legitimacy.

Talk of Britain leaving the EU was once far fetched, but the euro zone debt crisis and the prospect of the currency bloc forging a closer political union have convinced some senior UK politicians it is time to demand a new relationship with Brussels.

Current Prime Minister David Cameron said last month it was a “perfectly honourable position” to call for an immediate referendum on Britain’s EU membership something polls show a majority of British people would vote to reject - but that he would never campaign for an “out” vote because leaving the EU would not serve British interests.

Blair told Die Zeit it was clear that the euro zone crisis would lead to a “powerful

Tony Blair political change of the EU”, adding: “And on this point, I am deeply worried that Britain could decide by referendum to leave the whole process.”

“If more competences are transferred to the EU, then its democratic legitimacy must be built up too,” he said, according to a German transcript of the interview which is due to be published on Thursday. “Britain must play a strong role in this.

Because we need a balance between European institutions and the nation states.” “If this is done wrongly, we could create a

political crisis that could become just as a big as the euro crisis. People will not go along with the abolishment of the nation state.”

Cameron has tried to stave off demands for an immediate vote on Britain’s EU membership by holding out the prospect of a referendum some time in the future and by promising a new relationship with the EU. He vetoed a new EU fiscal treaty in December, forcing euro zone states to set their new rules outside the formal EU structure, while using its institutions.

Sceptics say EU regulations shackle Britain’s $2.5 trillion (1.59 trillion pounds) economy and that leaving the 27-nation bloc would allow London to restore its sovereignty while saving billions of dollars in membership dues.

However, supporters of membership argue Britain would lose influence if it left the EU, its biggest trading partner, and that its economy would still be influenced by rules made in Brussels anyway.

Jury in Bakr sedition trial sequestered Trinidad Guardian - The jury in the sedition trial of Jamaat-al-Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr has been sequestered. The decision to sequester the jury, for a little over a week, was made Tuesday afternoon by Justice Mark Mohammed, who is presiding in the trial.

Mohammed told the jury that the decision was in his discretion as trial judge, and was not spurred by any action on the part of Bakr or the prosecution.

He repeatedly advised them not to hold the decision against Bakr when they were arriving at their verdict. After Mohammed’s announcement, the jurors were escorted to their homes by a group of marshals to collect their personal belongings. One of the jurors told Mohammed the

sequestration would be inconvenient for her. She was eventually discharged and replaced by an alternate juror.

The jurors were then taken to an unidentified hotel in Port-of-Spain, where they will stay until next week Friday, when the trial is scheduled to end.

Mohammed explained to the jurors that their communication with relatives would be limited during this period. They are also expected to be prevented from reading newspapers and watching television. The jurors will also be guarded by a team of specialist police officers.

The nine-member jury and five alternates will return to court next Monday, when Mohammed is expected to begin presenting his summation of the case to them, after which they will deliberate on it. During yesterday’s sitting of the trial,

Yasin Abu Bakr special state prosecutor Dana Seetahal, SC, addressed the jury on issues that the prosecution is relying on in the case.

In her two-hour address, Seetahal identified several sections of Bakr’s controversial 2005 Eid-ul-Fitr sermon which she claimed proved the four criminal charges against him. The charges are communicating a statement with a seditious intent, endeavouring to provoke a breach of the peace and two charges of inciting others to demand money by menace.

Seetahal also contradicted claims made by Bakr ’s attorney Wayne Sturge, in his closing address, that contentious parts of Bakr ’s sermon had their origins in the Qu’ran. In presenting his address last week, Sturge appealed to the jurors to acquit his client.

“You cannot convict a man for saying what his God has said,” Sturge said. The trial will continue on Monday after legal arguments are concluded this week.

Thursday August 09, 2012

It is said that the lifespan of an individual should not exceed three score and ten, that is, a man should live at least seventy years.

Anything more than that he should count himself lucky.

Glenn Lall believes that he will be going strong and healthy long after he touches seventy. He became a granddaddy recently and I thought that I would ask him to come and join the senior citizens club, but he protested furiously saying that he was still a young man. Whatever, congratulations are in order to Guyana’s newest granddad!

Many of us would wish to live to seventy, especially in Guyana, where the chances of living beyond sixty is not that great given the country’s life expectancy which even

Kaieteur News

though rising is still not high.

The problem is that by the time you attain the age of seventy, your children would have already been adults with their own kids, you would have retired and therefore have a great deal of time to spend socializing, but not with many people keen to be around you for any long period.

That is the fate of most senior citizens. The good thing though is that with so much free time you can go outdoors and find a quiet, peaceful place to relax, especially in the evenings, which is always so beautiful, yet so unappreciated in Guyana.

One of the places that I really enjoyed going in the past because it was relaxing, breezy and often had lost of elders in the evenings was the

Georgetown Seawall, near to the Bandstand.

Going to the Seawall on weekends used to be an enjoyable experience. Not anymore!

The place is dirty, but that is not the reason why the Seawall on weekends has lost its appeal for the elderly.

These days it seems that very little priority is being given to the needs of the elderly. One of the few places that they can find to really relax, the Georgetown Seawall is a nightmare, especially on weekends.

I am not here referring to the Georgetown Seawall from Sherriff Street stretching eastwards. That stretch is filled to capacity on Sunday evenings mostly with young people patronizing the many food and drinks bars at that

Dem boys seh ...

Sam Blinds fetch peas and rice to Jamaica Old people does seh dat there is a time and place to do things.

If you gun guh to a fancy restaurant they gun expect you to eat with knife and fork.

When yuh hear de national anthem, yuh gat to stand up straight. When yuh enter a room acknowledge dem who inside.

Is just like dem politicians, when dem go to certain events dem does wear clothes that suit de occasion.

Tek Sam Blinds for instance. He gat clothes for all occasions. Dem boys see he with dashiki, khurta, dowti and he even gat clothes fuh dem Chinese function. He does even fold he hand like dem Chinee.

But is when Sam went to Jamaica this week fuh dem 50 years anniversary that dem boys realise that Sam is a special person. He is truly de ambassador fuh de Guyanese people. Imagine

Sam sit down with a set a big shot like Louis Farrakhan, Colin Powell, Jacob Zuma and Portia Simpson-Miller.

Dat is like sitting with royalty. You can’t get better than that.

Well de Jamaican people putting on a great show and all dem big one paying keen attention. All ah dem but one!

Guess wha Sam doing?

De man tek out a plate with peas and rice with fry fish and start eating. Farrakhan watching he sideways and turn up he nose, cause like de fish de smellin like it off.

But Sam like Bharrat Ramroop, he ain’t care wha people think. If yuh see how he watching de food like is last he gun get.

Dem boys see he wid de plate and tek he picture. It was a nice picture. It all over de internet…pun Facebook, pun Twitter, and even pun BBM, de man now more famous than Barack.

He like de exposure.

Is de same exposure that plenty people getting now.

Dem boys down in Linden block de road and dem get exposure. Dem mek even the President writing letter to de papers.

Now dem boys at Bartica join in. Yesterday, dem boys light fire pun a mud road to Potaro. How dem do dat…nobody know. Dem boys hear dem chanting ‘slow fyah, mo fyah’.

Dem protesting how de road bad. Dem had de firemen busy. As soon as dem light fire pun de road, the fireman out it. De firemen dem get bassidy running up and down.

De next place dey might protest is by De Rat and Brazzy, because everbody want pension like wha dem two getting.

Talk half and keep dreaming ‘bout a massive pension!

location, the air being violated with loud music coming from boom-boom boxes. They leave an awful mess when they are finished.

It is disgusting and one of the reasons why it will take more than economic development to be a place people can feel proud about.

There is a need for an overall change of attitude as to how we keep our environment. Until there is that change of attitude things are not going to get better.

When the crowds moved from the Georgetown Seawall near to the bandstand to their present location on Sunday evenings, the former location was a zone of tranquility where the older folks could go and relax.

A visit to the area any Sunday afternoon will however shock and terrify you. What used to be a nice place to relax is now a fun park, a vendors’ arcade and beer garden, all in one.

The area where families could go and sit and relax is now taken over on weekends by trampolines, inflatable slides, merry-go-rounds and

Page 9

tents vending beer and other beverages.

Vendors are driving their vehicles on the wall. It is hard to find a bench to sit on; the vendors are strategically locating their stalls near to the benches so as to make use of these benches placed there for the public.

The area is chaotic, noisy and stressful, not what it was created and maintained to be for so many years. It is not for senior citizens.

Our children need a place where they can go to jump on their trampolines, slide down the inflatable slides, buy their ice cream cones and popcorn while the parents sip cold beers.

But that place cannot be the Georgetown Seawall.

That sort of activity should be taken elsewhere. The seawall should be a place where families and especially the older folks can go and relax. It should be noise-free and have little vending.

The only vending that should be allowed should either be registered concessions, and the number of businesses being granted

such concessions should be limited, as well as those vendors who walk and sell.

All those tents and trampolines and go-carts and slides and music sets need to be taken elsewhere.

Mental health contributes to longevity and there is very little that happens on the Georgetown Seawall on Sundays that contributes to good mental health - no wonder the life expectancy, while much improved, has not yet reached three score and ten.

The authorities, particularly the Georgetown City Council, need to take charge of the Georgetown Seawall. One has to ask just how many of the city’s fathers and mothers actually go to the Georgetown Seawall on weekends to relax.

If they did so often, they would have seen what is taking place and done something to restore sanity to the location

Sexual assault charge for UG Lecturer accused of fondling female student Almost two months after he was accused of fondling a female student, University of Guyana Lecturer Alvin Bowen could appear before a Magistrate as early as tomorrow on a sexual assault charge.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has advised the police to institute the charge after perusing all the statements in the matter.

The DPP’s advice was sought after the police granted station bail to the Lecturer in the sum of $50,000, two days after the allegation was made.

Yesterday the DPP informed this newspaper that she had returned the file with her advice to the police since August 2.

Bowen was arrested after the female student alleged that he had fondled her during a private lecture session in his office at the Turkeyen Campus.

According to reports, the victim and another student had solicited the assistance of the lecturer to provide them with extra lessons so as to improve their grades.

The lessons were reportedly held in the lecturer’s office. But on the day in question, only the victim turned up.

The victim told police that Bowen requested that she come close to him and when she did so, it was at that point that the alleged fondling started, with the lecturer placing his hands around her

waist and raising her shirt up.

It was alleged that the Lecturer began caressing the student’s back and even tried to put his hands in her jeans.

The student claims to have pulled away from him, picked up her bag, and hurriedly fled the room.

The student said that she immediately contacted her mother, who subsequently accompanied her to the Sparendaam Police Station where a report was made.

The Lecturer has denied the allegation even as the student maintains her story of what transpired.

“It’s a case of her word against his word. Only the two of them were in the room,” a (continued on page 17)

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Khurshid Sattaur is asking me to pay taxes on money I do not work for One day after I wrote my Sunday column on Khurshid Sattaur’s pursuit of Nigel Hughes on Mr. Hughes’s taxes, Mr Sattaur wrote to me accusing me of tax evasion and demanding that I pay taxes on a $250,000 monthly salary that Mr. Sattaur says I work for at the Kaieteur News.

I urge readers to note that his demand came one day after my article was written.

Commonsense dictates that Mr. Sattaur will have to take me to court, because I do not receive and never earned that monthly sum from the Kaieteur News. Mr. Sattaur obviously will have to produce his evidence in court. He cannot get such proof from this newspaper

because I have never earned that amount. I will leave it to the judge to decide the case based on what Mr. Sattaur produces in court Khurshid Sattaur should know that I am not easily intimidated. I have been a political activist since I was sixteen and I am sixty and have not allowed myself to be frightened or bullied by people who are on the wrong side of justice and history.

This writer can come up with names of billionaires who are barefaced evaders of income tax, but Mr. Sattaur chooses to come after a virtual working class earner like me. I am no longer employed at UG and I have no other full-time job. So why me?

My history can hardly

miss Mr. Sattaur. I was an activist against the PNC Government since the days of Mr. Burnham and since then I have survived. And I have survived the tentacles of people like Mr. Sattaur because I have history on my side. No one in my long years as a human rights activist can accuse me of any form of dishonesty.

I worked for 26 years at UG in which I taught over ten thousand students, and there was never ever a single complaint against me by a student for any type of violation.

I worked at UG through the twelve years of Mr. Jagdeo’s presidency, and I am sure there was the meticulous check on me during my years of strident criticism of Mr. Jagdeo and

his Government. But the Jagdeo regime could not find even an infinitesimal speck of evidence that I did something wrong in my teaching career.

All they could invent against me at UG was that I hardly did research. Of course my research was beyond their comprehension. What they couldn’t understand, they denied its existence. My research at UG was greater than any effort of all their supporters on the academic staff.

And it is my latest research effort on the ethnic base of the exercise of power under Mr. Jagdeo that will provide the basis for my argument when the Jagdeo libel case against me resumes on the morning of September 7. My research will be presented in court and it will prove my statement of ethnic discrimination. I have survived as a human rights activist for over forty years because I am not and have never

been a moral offender. No one in this entire country can point an accusing finger at me for any type of moral wrongdoing.

Most of all I would like the world to know that I have never been accused of beating my wife.

I know of those who do not like me, try to victimize me, yet these people are barefaced wife-beaters and continue to do so, and the Guyanese society does not know about it.

They have never been exposed. The national organizations that these people are in, and the international organizations that they members of, would be shocked to know about this depravity. I wonder why I have never exposed these people’s appalling behaviour So in the final analysis, I have survived all kinds of oppression, because history is on my side. I suspect from the time I wrote in my column that Mr. Sattaur should have informed the public why Roger

Frederick Kissoon Khan’s lawyer, Mr. Simels came to Guyana and met with him and what the discussion was all about, Mr. Sattaur has taken on the role of a politician.

I honestly don’t know why Mr. Sattaur feels that I will not have my day in court.

I will reserve my right in any case in this country that I feel is politically motivated, to go straight to the Caribbean Court of Justice. I end with a repetition of a statement made to me by Khurshid Sattaur outside Survival Supermarket on Sheriff Street when my car broke down. He yelled, “Freddie yuh gat to buy a new car.” If I was a big earner as he thinks I am, I would have done so a long time ago.

Thursday August 09, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

Thursday August 09, 2012

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Kaieteur News

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Brandnew American made Crosely 10.5 cu ft Refridgerator for sale $75,000. #697-5677

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Live and work in Canada, Get Canadian Certification as a Caregiver Call: 227-4881 or 416-674-7973 Register now at Community College $15,000 per term at Form 1 Call: 227-0218

Page 15

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(Continued on page 20)

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

DDL, three unions sign historic Technical team to draft future of Linden power tariffs multi-year wage agreement Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and the three Unions operating in the company on Friday last signed a historic five-year Collective Labour Agreement, which set out increases in salaries and other benefits for employees in the various bargaining units, for the years 2010-2014.

The signing ceremony, which took place in the boardroom of the Ministry of L a b o u r, saw representatives of the three unions: Clerical and C o m m e r c i a l Wo r k e r s ’ Union (CCWU); Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU); and Guyana Labour Union (GLU); and of the management, affixing their signatures to the Agreement, which was countersigned by the Chief Labour Officer (Ag).

Speaking at the ceremony were Field Secretary of the CCWU, Sherwood Clarke; General Secretary of the GAWU, Seepaul Narine; General Secretary of the GLU, Carvil Duncan, and Human Resources Director of DDL, Moneeta Singh-Bird.

The parties in their comments noted that DDL and its unions have led the way in the industrial relations arena, since they were the first to sign multiyear, multi-union agreements for increases which were performance-related, instead of across-the-board.

It was also highlighted that the parties have been able to negotiate and reach settlement without the involvement of the Ministry of Labour.

The Company and its Unions first signed multi-year, multi-union agreements in

2003, and that arrangement continues to date.

Chief Labour Officer (Ag), Charles Ogle, in commending the parties, spoke of the spirit of maturity and consensus dis p l a y e d in the negotiations.

He noted that the Agreement, in his estimation, was a good one, since it captured the principles of performance based pay and it also contained an escalator clause in the event the national inflation rate changed significantly.

Under the performancebased wage package, average performing employees would earn increases slightly higher than the national inflation rate, and employees who performed better than average would receive higher increases.

Drowning at Fun Park…

Survivor discharged from hospital, police still to take statement Almost three weeks after two lads were pulled from a Fun Park creek, police are yet to take a statement from the survivor.

As a result of the incident one lad, 14 year-old Kevin Ram died while, Raradev Nanand survived the ordeal.

Nanand was hospitalized for almost two weeks. According to the teen’s father Rakesh Nanand, to date the police have not yet taken any

statement from his son with an aim of finding out what transpired on the day in question.

On July 22, last, 13 yearold De Willem Secondary School Student, Kevin Ram was pronounced dead at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre after he was pulled out from the creek.

The two boys disappeared under the water at around 15:30 hours,

Largest feed producer ...

From page 12 kept prices highly competitive by operating at margins below its industry standard.

“This has stimulated the growth of the local poultry industry as many families find poultry rearing a profitable venture. In fact poultry rearing is the single most effective economic activity, contributing to poverty alleviation all across Guyana. In this respect we are very happy about the pivotal role this company has played in reducing poverty.”

The company asked for its customers' “understanding and continued support”.

The price increase will spell more bad news for consumers, with chicken being a main part of the diet of Guyanese.

Government has already issued temporary licences for the importation of one million pounds of chicken and 500,000 pounds of pork as local farmers, unable to raise working capital, among other critical factors, started to pull out of production. This was

highly evident last year.

Government had met with the feed producers and the large scale farmers in an attempt to find solutions.

Chicken prices on the coast are touching a high at $400 per pound while the hinterland has been hard hit and in some cases consumers are paying as much as $1,000. The Linden protests have further exacerbated that situation.

Poultry farmers have especially been complaining of poor quality chicks and feed in recent times also which has led to a discouraging high number of mortalities.

Many farmers, facing losses from underweight chickens and the high mortality, and saddled with debts to financial institutions, have just plain given up.

The inevitable feed price increase is but the latest in bad news for consumers.

Guyana Stockfeeds Inc. is the largest feed producer but there are a number of other smaller ones…the latter mostly for their own consumption.

moments after they had ventured out into the deeper section of the creek.

According to an eyewitness, one of the boys first went into the water and as he went further out he encountered difficulties.

The other boy saw him and tried to assist and he too experienced trouble in the deep water.

A lifeguard saw one of the boys splashing in the water and quickly realized that he was in danger and together with another man who was on a jet ski went to their assistance.

They were able to pull him to land where a nurse and a doctor who there at the time did routine resuscitation procedures that revived him.

He was subsequently rushed to the Diamond Hospital where his condition was stabilised.

But no one knew at the time that another boy had gone under.

It was not until someone said that another boy was missing that a search was carried out.

Apology On the 13th January 2012, Kaieteur News published a letter which had been written to our editor, of and concerning Mr. Lakeram Mangar, which contained allegations against Mr. Mangar which proved to be untrue and defamatory.

Kaieteur News apologises to Mr. Mangar and regrets the embarrassment which was caused to him.

A technical committee is being tasked with recommending the way forward for electricity tariffs in the town of Linden.

The establishment of the team was agreed to during negotiations between the government and the people of Linden, being represented by a team h e a d e d b y R e g i o n Te n chairman Sharma Solomon.

The government’s imposition of electricity rate hikes in the town sparked a protest which is now dragging into its fourth week.

Aubrey Norton, a member of the negotiating team from Linden, said that the agreement for the establishment of the team does not mean the government has agreed to withdraw the tariff increases and to continue to stick to its language of the increases being “on hold.”

There has also been no agreement of returning the town of Linden to normalcy until there is agreement on other issues such as the return of the TV station to

- Town not ready to return to normalcy yet the town, a regional land selection committee and an economic development plan for Linden.

The members of the committee could be named by tomorrow when the next meeting takes place.

Three members of the committee would be nominated by the Linden team and the government would propose another three.

A sticky point could be an agreement on a consensus chairman.

The technical team would be tasked with examining all aspects of electricity generation, distribution and tariffs in Linden.

The committee would review the existing provision and consumption of electricity in the Linden community, including the history, the costs, the tariff structure, and the subsidies.

The committee would also consider arrangements to

provide electricity to the Linden community and the tariffs to sustain such arrangements within a sustainable time frame.

In addition, the committee would examine R e g i o n 1 0 ’s e c o n o m i c circumstances, inclusive of the affordability of increased cost.

Part of the duties of the committee would be to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the integration of the supply of electricity in the Linden area into the national grid and examine and make recommendations on cost saving measures and options for alternative energy, including the facilitation of conservation education and conservation.

The Technical team will report to the two sides fortnightly and will present their final report within 60 days.

Two remanded on ganja charges Two men, who reportedly had large quantities of cannabis at different locations in the interior for trafficking purposes, were on Tuesday last remanded to jail after appearing before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The accused, Mark Solomon of East Rumiveldt and Mark Collins, who the court was told resides on the East Bank of Demerara, were both arraigned on drug possession charges - accused of having the narcotics for purpose of trafficking.

Solomon, after hearing that on August 5 at the Bartica Stelling, he had 912

grammes of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking, denied the charge.

Prosecutor Denise Griffith- Jacobis told the court that the police were acting on information received when the accused was arrested.

She said the police conducted a search on Solomon’s person which resulted in the discovery of the illicit item.

No special reasons were attributed to the accused allegedly having the drugs.

The court thus ordered that the unrepresented Solomon make an appearance at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court where the matter will be called

again on August 16.

In the meantime, Mark Collins was charged separately for reportedly having 444 grammes of cannabis in his possession.

He was also accused of having the drugs for trafficking, but that was at Mazaruni, Essequibo, on August 5.

He too was unrepresented, and denied having any drugs. He was remanded to jail after the court heard that the drugs were found during a search at a police check point.

Collins will answer to the charge when he makes his next appearance, also at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

Security guard hangs self in funeral parlour A security guard attached to th e S u d d i e F u n e r a l Parlour, for the past six months, used the confines of the facility to take his own life.

Workers at the funeral home yesterday morning made the alarming discovery of the body o f P r a d e e p Singh,also known as Goat Foot,a security officer and resident of Ondeerneeming.

According to one of the dead man’s colleagues, as he approached the parlour he noticed a window to the building was open, while the

main door was closed.

The man said as he ventured inside the building he found Singh hanging from what appeared to be knotted bandages.

Gomes said he immediately told others at the parlour what he had discovered and then a message was relayed to the police at Anna Regina.

Prew a t t i e S i n g h , t h e dead man’s eldest daughter said her father had attempted to take his life at their home on Tuesday, but one of his younger daughters had taken the

rope from him.

She recounted that she last time saw her dad was around 13:00hrs on Tuesday.

A post mortem examination will be performed later this week.

Meanwhile,62-yearold,Bharat Sancharie, of Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast lost his life Tuesday night, after he ran into a canal, on the Zorg-En-Lyght Public Road.

Sancharie was returning to his residence around 2200 hrs, after he had attended a cremation earlier in the day.

Thursday August 09, 2012

Kaieteur News

Linden requires no ‘Dear John and Jane’ letter - Ramotar must visit the town - Nagamootoo The agitation in Linden over the hike in electricity tariffs does not require a “Dear John and Jane” letter to the people of Linden from President Donald Ramotar, the Vice Chairman of the Alliance for Change Moses Nagamootoo said yesterday.

“He (the President) didn’t have to resort to letter writing.

This is not a love affair…”

Nagamootoo stated. “This is a political engagement that requires his presence there.”

As far as Nagamootoo is concerned, President Ramotar’s appeal would have been best read in the town itself.

The people of Linden began a protest against the imposition of the tariff hike on July 18 and on that very day three protesters were gunned down by Police. The protest is now stretching into its fourth week.

The President issued an open letter to the people of Linden in a paid advertisement in yesterday’s newspapers in which he appealed to them to restore the town to normalcy.

Neither the President nor any of his senior government Ministers have visited the town since the protest began.

Nagamootoo did not agree with the President’s seeming one-sided position that he would not visit the town unless the roads are cleared.

Further, he said that the association of the word “extremist” with the letter as

AFC Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo regards the protest in Linden, constitutes not only a hindrance to peace and orderliness, but could very well fuel it.

He said for the President to lump so-called “outsiders” and refer to them as extremists was in fact doing the same thing that the Americans did during the Vietnam war, that of putting Vietnamese against each other.

Nagamootoo said that this “Vietnamisation of Linden” would not help to solve the problem.

He said that the President is sending mixed signals by saying that there is a hold in the tariff hike while at the same time propagating that there has to be a gradual increase of electricity rates in Linden.

Further, Nagamootoo said that Ramotar’s Ministers are using the media to stigmatise Lindeners, suggesting that the people of the town are deliberately trying to avoid paying their share for utility services.

Rather than seeking to diffuse the situation, Ramotar has added to the agitation, Nagamootoo opined.

Nagamootoo said that the President has not acted on the no-confidence Parliamentary vote against Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, which could have helped to ease the tension.

Further, Ramotar said that the business community and the people of the interior regions affected by the protests in Linden should come out and support the cause of the Lindeners and call for a just resolution to the problem.

He said that others are suffering because “a callous and senseless government” has brought on electricity tariff increases in Linden without adequate consultation, without examining the level of poverty in the town and the ability of the town to pay those increases.

Report suggests city owed in excess of $12B The recent publicly disclosed report done by Ramon Gaskin that reflected numerous irregularities within the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), reveals that the outstanding rates and taxes owed to it is in excess of $12B. A section of Gaskin’s report presented to the Ministry of Local Government indicated that the Council seems to be taking a “lackadaisical” approach as it relates to the collection of taxes from commercial enterprises. The report stated that the monies include penalties accumulated from interest rates.

However, Mayor Hamilton Green in speaking to this newspaper yesterday disclosed that the Council’s hands are tied as it relates to that issue in particular.

Green said that the Council has taken many to court for outstanding rates and taxes and there are several cases pending for the last six to seven years.

He explained that all the Council is permitted to do as it relates to penalising citizens owing rates and taxes, whether private or commercial, is to pursue it as a court matter.

Green claimed that moves have been made to retrieve outstanding monies.

According to him, the M&CC is at a disadvantage as it has, on numerous occasions, addressed the issue of prolonged court cases, however “our concerns are seemingly not being taken seriously”.

Green disclosed that many years ago, the Council

Shooting of post-election protesters…

Witness identifies senior police officer as ordering ranks to open fire Prosecution witness, 75year-old Sarah Johnson identified Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Errol Watts yesterday as one of the police officers who ordered subordinate officers to open fire on herself and persons who were protesting following the 2011 General Elections.

Johnson appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday to give evidence in the trial involving two senior members of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU); Superintendent of Police Lyndon Alves and ASP Watts.

The charge against the officers states that in December last year, they inflicted grievous bodily harm on five persons, among them former Member of Parliament Joan Baveghems, Attorney-

at-law James Bond and retired Brigadier Edward Collins.

Yesterday’s hearing saw Johnson giving her testimony while being led by special prosecutor Llewellyn John.

The woman said that on the day in question she was walking with her friend Joan Baveghems when she saw two police officers heading towards them.

The woman said that Watts (who was pointed out in court) ordered that the junior ranks arrest them. She said she refuted the officer’s order and asked how male ranks could arrest them, when a female rank is supposed to do such.

Johnson said Watts then ordered the ranks to open fire on the people around.

Johnson said she received two pellet shots to her right leg. The woman said she looked at her leg and noticed

that her pants were bloody.

She said she along with Baveghems - who was also hit on the leg - flagged down a car which was used to transport them to the Georgetown hospital.

Johnson also said that she received medical attention, medication for her wound, and a medical report outlining the specifics of her injury.

Joan Baveghems had a l s o t a k e n t he stand to continue her evidence-inchief.

She had returned to court to tender the medical report she was scheduled to produce to verify claims pertaining to injuries she too received as a result of the police shooting.

That however was not done by the court, as the Magistrate advised that foundation evidence was not

Page 17

put forward by the prosecution which could warrant the medical report being tendered. The refusal of the report by the court came as a result of objections put forward by Attorney-at-law Patrice Henry who is representing the senior officers.

In addition to evidence already given by Baveghems, the woman when questioned said that following the shooting she had difficulty walking. Baveghems said it took almost two weeks before the wound, that left a scar on her leg, healed.

On Aug 16 when the matter is scheduled to be called again, prosecutor John is expected to present the medical report of Johnson and to also lay the foundation evidence which would approve the tendering of Baveghems’ medical report.

engaged in a meeting with the then Chancellor Desiree Bernard and Chief Justice Carl Singh to discuss the time taken to close related cases.

Green said that the two judges were “sympathetic” towards the Council’s plight and measures were brought forward. However, today “we remain as we were.”

“We had asked for a municipal court so that our matters can be addressed as priority. This would include matters of littering, as opposed to having to go to court and wait for murder cases to call. That hasn’t been granted either.”

Green also mentioned that the Council spoke to the Ministry of Local Government about implementing legislation to expedite the process of collecting outstanding taxes, such as possible seizure of properties.

The Mayor disclosed that the cases pending in court mostly comprise commercial entities. The report stated that “many large commercial enterprises owe the Council millions of dollars but there is no aggressive and concerted action to recover these monies.”

Green pointed to the issue

of businesses not paying the “correct amount” of rates and taxes since evaluation of the buildings to ascertain rates to be paid is not done.

The Ministry of Finance is tasked with the evaluation of buildings so that reflected rates can be paid to M&CC. Evaluation of buildings is supposed to be done just after they are completed and every five years thereafter. However, the Mayor said that the absence of this has caused some to pay rates below property value.

Green said that the Council has “on umpteen occasions” addressed the matter with Ministry of Finance and disclosed that as recent as late last year a meeting resulted in the Ministry saying it would recruit special officers to perform such duties, but Green said the Council “does not know what has happened with that promise”.

Green said that he is not certain that the figures reflected in Gaskin’s report are factual.

However, if so, he said the Council would be relieved of a substantial amount of financial constraints if those monies are collected. ( Abena Rockcliffe)

Sexual assault charge for ...

From page 9 source told this newspaper.

Bowen is also said to be a Pastor. Following the allegations, Vice President of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), Dr. Melissa Ifill was non-committal on any position.

“We would never support the violation of any of our

students. If it did occur we would expect the University and the authorities to treat it in the sternest manner.”

Dr. Ifill added that the UGSSA will have to speak to the Lecturer and will be prepared to offer any support.

This newspaper was unable to ascertain the present status of the Lecturer.

Page 18

Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

Berbice blackouts due to maintenance on transmission lines, faulty transformer - GPL

By Leon Suseran Guyana Power & Light Inc. (GPL) has informed Berbicians that annual maintenance works on two of their main transmission lines (from Onverwagt in the West to Canefield and the other from Canefield to Number 53 Village) and problems being encountered with a transmission transformer at the Canefield Power Station, have resulted in the recent spate of power outages.

Berbice has been experiencing short, but frequent power outages during all times of the day and night for weeks now and the GPL Regional Manager, Ayube Bacchus, explained the causes.

Bacchus explained that the outages would not last very long, since the ‘spurious trips’ are relatively short-lived and the generators are powered back up within half an hour.

However, the far-flung areas, like Upper Corentyne and Crabwood Creek, located very far away from the power stations, are at a disadvantage and their power

would take longer to come on back.

“We were forced to move one of our feeder lines from Canefield to Number 53— that’s a very long line and heavily- loaded— and that is our link between 53 and the Corriverton area and Canefield,” he stated.

As a result of the two main transmission lines being taken down for maintenance, the interconnectivity that the Berbice grid once enjoyed between the Onverwagt and Canefield Power Stations (to share power as needed) is no longer there.

“The generators would trip whenever severe load comes on the system, and coupled with the limitations of the F3 Feeder, we have these trips from time to time and it takes a longer time to re-power back the system.

The F3 is a very heavilyloaded feeder and it takes about one and a half hours to two hours to reach the Corriverton customers, especially Moleson Creek.”

“We intend to put back the two lines sometime in the next week so that we can provide a better service. The

company notes the inconvenience to customers, but we assure them that the situation will turn for the best and not the worst, and we are working towards that to improve the reliability in supply in the Berbice area, by putting back the two lines and transformers.”

“Transmission lines enable us to move power very quickly from one location to another, and shift large power, and therefore power back consumers in a very short period of time.

But with this present scenario, it takes a little bit longer, as much as 2 hours, but we have everything under control, and the public should not panic.”

Bacchus dispelled rumours of a generation shortfall.

It was pointed out that the power company’s work is being made more difficult by frequent inclement weather.

T h e Area Manager emphasised that the weather has a very significant effect on the transmission and distribution systems of GPL.

“There are times when lightning strikes bring our systems down and when heavy wind does that also.

Trees and branches are blown and get on the power lines and trip us out”.

He added that if it were not for certain protection systems in its transmission network, the company would suffer lots of damage and financial losses.

“Once there is a problem out there, our protection takes that area out and separates it.

Those protection systems are our eyes and ears out there.

We don’t know what’s happening out there and those systems would alert us and tell us there are problems.”

Bacchus said, too, that many blackouts being experienced in Berbice are duplications of problems being experienced by faults in the feeders. “We’re not saying it’s an excuse, but it makes our work difficult.”

ANGOY’SAVENUE INJUNCTION Bacchus recently visited Angoy’s Avenue in New Amsterdam, a squatting

GPL Regional Manager, Ayube Bacchus district, which has not yet been connected to the GPL grid in Berbice due to an injunction filed a few years ago by the New Haven Coop Society in the High Court, preventing the government from going into the area to put in place more developments.

The Area Manager asserted that “until the injunction has been discharged we are in a difficult situation to go in and provide

power in there”.

One of the challenges, too, he noted, is that the GPL network is already in Angoy’s Avenue, “and some people, prior to this problem, who were there before, got power, because the network was there and they benefited from that, but with the new arrangement (the injunction), they have to show proof of legal ownership and it puts us (GPL) in a very difficult situation”.

GPL, is willing he said, to go into the district to provide electricity, “even though GPL is being viewed as the badguy we are not the bad people… we are willing to provide the power in there, provided they (the residents) meet the requirements of what the company’s policies are”.

“I am optimistic that the issue will be resolved. It’s only a matter of time before the people will be able to enjoy a basic supply of electricity.”

The area has seen a spike in population over recent years, even as many persons steal electricity and run illegal power connections.

Motive for slaughter of Kaieteur News pressmen ...

From page 6 had complied with the gunmen’s request thinking that they were only going to be robbed and then left alone.

They were dead wrong.

Harry said that he watched through a crease in the door and saw his colleagues’ “feet jumping”, with each passing gunshot as the life was snuffed out of them.

I could only imagine how he felt after the men had left and he emerged to see his five workmates lying dead only a few feet from where he was hiding.

I could also only imagine how those workers who turned up late for work that night must be feeling.

While returning to the city I tried to imagine the scene, since our office was separate from that location.

Upon arrival there I was greeted by employees whose demeanour I still cannot describe to this day. My boss Glenn Lall was livid and could not hold back the tears.

However he remained steadfast that we print the newspaper for that day.

When I entered the pressroom, the bodies of the five press men were still lying on the ground and there was the overwhelming.

No one went home that night; we all stayed until day

clean, obviously in shock of what had transpired. I doubt that any one of us who were there could have slept that night.

But we all returned to work the next day, defiant in the face of the adversity that could have flattened us.

I guess we all took strength from the publisher, who despite his obvious feeling of loss, remained steadfast in his approach to the entire episode.

The days that followed were like a dream, with funeral after funeral to be attended.

When it was all over we buckled down to see what the police will come up with in the form of justice for our fallen heroes.

Soon enough a number of persons from the Agricola community were arrested and their ages were a shock to almost everyone.

One of the alleged killers was no more than 13 years old, while none of them was above 18.

What struck me was the fact that the 13-year-old, of all the accused, showed absolutely no remorse.

He and two others were eventually committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murders.

Incidentally, the reported gang leader Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles who was also facing

the court was killed after his short lived escape from lawful custody.

As for the publisher of the Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, nothing will erase the memories of that tragic night.

‘I never got over it and I don’t think that anyone who experienced what I experienced could forget such a tragedy. It will be a lasting sore within me. Every now and again I remember. These were not employees, they were more like family, the Kaieteur News family,’ Lall said.

‘My heart goes out to their loved ones and from time to time I will offer them words of comfort.

It is sad and hard for their loved ones and I hope they are holding up, and they should take comfort that their relatives did not die in vain,’ the publisher added.

To date no one knows the real motive for the killings but it is widely viewed as a direct attack on the freedom of the press.

Today, the entire staff of Kaieteur News as well as those former staff members who had shared that painful moment will remember those who paid the ultimate price for the maintenance of the free press.”

May their souls rest in peace!

Thursday August 09, 2012

Kaieteur News

GASA names 27 member...

From page 23 lost to other disciplines during the 2010 & 2011 pool closures. GASA informs that the team is however in the rebuilding phase and with ample support from parents and the

association the swimmers could be well back on track in the next year or two. The new interest in the Learn to swim programmes boosted by the Ministry of Sports, and our continued dialogue for the

Franklyn only active player among overlooked seniors From back page last year. However, despite his form, he was excluded from the senior men’s team identified to compete in the Dominican Republic this month.

The other excluded players, Idi Lewis and Godfrey Munroe have not played competitive tennis since 2010 for varying reasons.

There has been a furore among aficionados who are questioning the strength of

the selected team and the selection of US-based Paul David.

The GTTA official reason for the non-selection of the three players, given t h r o u g h D r. P r a d e e p Balram, its selection committee Chairman, as stated in other sections of the print media, has been the non-participation of t h o s e p l a y e r s i n G T TA listed tournaments.

development of our sport along with other club programmes should result in a bigger pool of swimmers to choose from as happens in the other competing countries, GASA states.

Preparations are continuing for Team Guyana under the guidance of Coaches Shyka Gonsalves (& under and 9-10 age groups); Stephanie Fraser and Isabel Couso Fals of Cuba who are in charge of the athletes from 11-12 & upwards. The Land Conditioning Coach is Seon Erskine. The swimmers have now entered their tapering phase in preparation for the Meet.

Team Management comes from Jean La Rose (Manager) with assistance from Debra Sanmoogan, Joy Hopkinson and Kamala van Lange, all parents of swimmers.

Thursday August 09, 2012 ARIES (MAR 21 - APR 19): Getting involved with secret intrigues could prevent you from realising your full potential. It’s better to keep everything above board, especially regarding writing projects, scholastic endeavours, and overseas dealings. ********************************* TAURUS (APR 20 - MAY 20): Pay no attention to friends who are trying to goad you into reckless behaviour.

True, you have a reputation for being somewhat predictable, but there’s nothing wrong with that. ********************************* GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN 20): Beware of taking an autocratic attitude towards others, or they’ll come to resent you. Whilst it’s true you’re the most talented member of the group, it’s also true that your peers are jealous of your abilities. ********************************* CANCER (JUN 21 - JUL 22): Forcing your opinions on others isn’t helping your case. If you really want to win somebody over, present the facts and then make a strategic retreat. ********************************* LEO (JUL 23 - AUG 22): Even someone with your animal magnetism can’t have everything you want. If someone is withholding their affection, accept the situation with good grace or you’ll make the situation even worse. ********************************* VIRGO (AUG 23 - SEP 22): It feels as though a close friend or romantic partner is trying to start an argument.

You won’t be able to avoid this conflict.

LIBRA (SEP 23 - OCT 22): If you’re grappling with health problems, you need to make some lifestyle changes.

There’s a good chance you’re suffering the effects of getting stuck in a rut. ********************************* SCORPIO (OCT 23 NOV 21): Your inner child is about to throw a tantrum, and there’s nothing you can do to avoid it. This situation has come about because you’ve continually denied yourself pleasure. ********************************* SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 - DEC 21): Conflicts at home are making it difficult for you to relax. You can’t change a roommate or relative’s behaviour, so don’t even try.

If you live on your own, straighten up your abode. ********************************* CAPRICORN (DEC 22 JAN 19): Transportation and electronic problems could wreak havoc with your day.

Car trouble or a computer meltdown could make you see red.

Burn off stress at the gym. ********************************* AQUARIUS (JAN 20 FEB 18): You’ve never been materialistic, but that doesn’t mean you should be totally irresponsible with money.

Resist the urge to go on a shopping spree, even if you do feel sad or depressed. ********************************* PISCES (FEB 19 - MAR 20): You’re tired of being hemmed in by a bunch of silly rules and regulations. That doesn’t give you carte blanche to lash out at others, though.

Page 19

Richard Williamson works...

From page 22 determined Allicock who was long touted to possess more skill and pluck. Williamson proved the pundits wrong.

They say out of sight is out of mind, but Richardson is staunch in his belief that a man can accomplish great things irrespective of where he was born and his current station in life. At 19 years of age, and with just one fight to his name, he is already dreaming big and vows that Guyanese will hear much more from him as he continues to lace up his gloves in preparation for imminent fistic encounters.

His determination was evident when Kaieteur Sport paid an unannounced visit to the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym (PRBG) and discovered that Williamson was the only boxer in camp. He was taken through his paces by Rogers and he appeared focused and determined as he followed his coach’s shouted instructions.

We learned that Williamson is training for his second bout, against Esan Rose, on September 2 next.

Rogers is adamant that once he remains focused, Williamson will achieve much in the sport. Already, Williamson has adapted one of the oldest psychological ploys of the trade—verbal warfare as a prelude to fistic

warfare. “I have already set my sights on international accolades and Rose will get a taste of this,” he said while showing clenched fists.

Mindful of the many boxers that have lost their way through complacency and an unwillingness to apply themselves to their task, Williamson said that he plans to stay in the gym.

Already, he has his sights on bigger accomplishments and listed several names he wishes to add to his list.

Those names started small — Prince Slowe, Selwyn Lett, Hewley Robinson and

eventually climaxed at Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry.

With such lofty ambitions Williamson knows that he will have to really apply himself to his training. That is why he remains in the gym, working assiduously towards his goals. Many boxers could attest to the power of the sport to transform one’s life.

It did for Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Rahim Rahman and a plethora of other pugilists.

Williamson is assured that the sport could also be a redeeming factor in his life and continues to work hard while awaiting his destiny.

Page 20

Kaieteur News

(From page 15)

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Olympics beach volleyball: Third straight gold for American pair BBC Sport - Misty MayTreanor and Kerri WalshJennings won their third consecutive Olympic beach volleyball gold with an emphatic win over fellow Americans Jennifer Kessy and April Ross.

May-Treanor and WalshJennings have never lost a match at the Olympics and have only ever dropped only one set. They were always in control and won 21-16 21-16 in just 36 minutes.

Brazil’s Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva beat China’s Chen Xue and Xi Shang 1121 21-19 15-12 for bronze.

May-Treanor, 35, said before the Games that she would retire after the tournament, but 33-year-old Walsh-Jennings intends to

continue playing. Kessy and Ross started brightly to take an early lead but the champions soon rallied to take the first set.

Roared on by a capacity crowd, including double Olympic champion Laura Trott, May-Treanor repeatedly flung herself around the back of the court to make point-saving interventions, while partner Walsh was an impassable force at the net.

Walsh brought up match point with another huge block at the net and the match was sealed when Ross served out. “It’s hard to stay on top,” said May-Treanor after confirming her retirement.

“This is so special. Winning the first gold, we were young and it was sweet, but we didn’t

Aries Merritt claims 110m hurdles Olympic gold BBC - Aries Merritt stormed to Olympic 110m hurdles gold in a new personal best of 12.92 seconds as reigning champion Dayron Robles pulled up.

Merritt’s consistency was in evidence again as he dipped more than a 0.1 secs clear of American compatriot Jason Richardson in silver. Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment took bronze with Britain’s 22-year-old Lawrence Clarke a fine fourth.

Merritt was out fast and stretched away from world champion Richardson.

“I trained for this, very intensely,” said Merritt. “I was trying to treat this as much like a practice session as possible, where I have no pressure. The gold means everything. This is a dream come true.”

Robles had looked below his best in his semi-final and

was later disqualified from the final, his title gone to Merritt down the track as he abandoned his race before 50m.

Clarke had qualified for the final with a personal best earlier in the evening and delivered in style after his teammate Andy Turner had failed to progress from the semis.

Clarke said: “I can’t believe I came fourth in the Olympic Games. I clashed arms with the South African [Lehann Fourie] and he’s built like an American footballer, so maybe I would have run a PB, but I couldn’t have got a medal - 13.12 secs for bronze is ridiculous.

“I treated the semi like a final and ran a personal best. I’m really pleased I was here. The crowd was amazing. My coach, Malcolm Arnold, has taken me from running 15.3 secs to 13.3 secs. I can’t thank him enough.”

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From back page bend before easing down for the night’s best time of 20.01, with Spearmon and Lemaitre in hot pursuit. “We had a tough one. We couldn’t jog 20.1 (seconds) like some other guy. We were running,” Spearmon said.

European champion and this year’s Olympic 100 metres finalist Churandy Martina of the Netherlands also qualified.

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really take it all in. “Winning back to back is very difficult, but to go for a ‘three-peat’... you couldn’t write this script.

I’m proud of the journey Kerri and I have taken.”

The pair disbanded after their win in Beijing, with May-Treanor rupturing her Achilles on the American version of Strictly Come Dancing and WalshJennings having two children.

But they decided to rekindle their relationship over lunch and have steadily returned to form in time for May-Treanor’s final game.

She insisted: “This is my last Country China United States Great Britain Korea Russia France Germany Italy Hungary Kazakhstan

match. Volleyball is not my career any more. It’s time for me to be a wife and a mum. I want to share time with my family. Athletes sacrifice so much, my mind and body says it’s time.”

Walsh-Jennings, nicknamed ‘Six Feet of Sunshine’, admitted her third Olympic gold was laced with sadness.

At high school, the 17year-old Walsh asked the then Misty May for her autograph and the pair went on to dominate the sport together. “Misty is the best there has ever been and she is like my sister,” WalshJennings said. “She has changed my life. Our journey is done and that crushes me.

It is bittersweet. We are undefeated in three Olympics and that says a lot.”

MEDAL TABLE Rank Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 36 22 18 76 2 34 22 24 80 3 22 13 13 48 4 12 7 6 25 5 11 19 22 52 6 8 9 11 28 7 7 15 10 32 8 7 6 4 17 9 6 2 3 11 10 6 0 1 7

OLYMPIC SCHEDULE - AUGUST 8 05:00 AM Men’s Pole Vault Qualification 05:00 AM Women’s Hammer Throw Qualification 05:10 AM Men’s Decathlon 100m 05:45 AM Men’s 5000m Round 1 06:10 AM Men’s Decathlon Long Jump 06:35 AM Women’s 800m Round 1 07:50 AM Men’s Decathlon Shot Put 1:00 PM Men’s Decathlon High Jump 02:05 PM Men’s Javelin Throw Qualification 02:15 PM Men’s 110m Hurdles Semi-finals 02:45 PM Women’s 1500m Semi-finals 03:05 PM Women’s Long Jump Final Medal event 03:10 PM Men’s 200m Semi-finals 03:45 PM Women’s 400m Hurdles Final Medal event 04:00 PM Women’s 200m Final Medal event 04:15 PM Men’s 110m Hurdles Final Medal event 04:30 PM Men’s Decathlon 400m (All times are Guyana times)

Russian Antyukh takes women’s 400 hurdles gold LONDON (Reuters) Russian Natalya Antyukh secured the Olympic women’s 400 metres hurdles gold medal on Wednesday when she dug deep to hold off American Lashinda Demus.

Antyukh, who won bronze in the 400 metres in

Athens in 2004, came into the race as the fastest this year and surpassed that by clocking a personal best of 52.70 seconds.

World champion Demus (52.77) tried valiantly to close in the final strides with Czech Zuzana Hejnova taking bronze in 53.38.

Stunning Shields batters her way to dream...

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From page 21 she added, before later changing her mind.

Interestingly, her opponent in Thursday’s final is Russia second seed Nadezda Torlopova, who at 33 is almost double her age.

“It’s wonderful. I feel kind of shocked. I’m thinking in my head ‘is it really true, am I going to fight for gold tomorrow,’ and yeah, I’m not dreaming any more it is real and I

believe I can beat anybody so I have just got to grab it.”

While the Rocky comparisons are inevitable, Shields prefers links to former welterweight and middleweight world champion Sugar Ray Robinson, one of the all time greats of the sport who died before Shields was born.

With the pressure of being the last American fighter left at the London Games, Shields turns to Robinson for peace.

“I like to call myself Baby Robinson, after Sugar Ray Robinson, I feel like I fight like him. “Robinson is someone I have been looking up to forever. Whenever I am stressed out, I watch his tapes, I watched him against Jake LaMotta last night.”

With women’s boxing making its Olympic bow in London, Shields’ exciting style has surely helped to cement the sport as a staple

of future Olympics and at 17 she could easily fight in another three Games.

But money is on her mind.

“2016 sounds pretty good right now but I don’t know yet. I have a family to feed. I have a little brother, little sister, mom, dad, my brother in prison and I want to try and look out for them. I’m going to see how everything goes and get this gold medal and go from there.”

Thursday August 09, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Asafa suffered acute injury Basketball: Spain beat France Jamaica Observer - LONDON, England The results of a Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown that Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell’s groin injury was aggravated during Sunday night’s men’s 100m finals which saw him hobble across the finish line in eighth place in 11.99 seconds.

Team physician Dr Winston Dawes who accompanied the athlete to seek medical treatment on Monday, told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday morning that the MRI showed an “acute” injury and said he had advised the athlete and his coach, Stephen Francis that they “get it sorted out once and for all.”

There were reports circuiting that Powell also suffered back issues but Dawes said “there could be back aches” as “everything is interconnected in that area.”

He said the best thing for the powerful athlete was to cancel his other races for the season and get his injuries sorted out properly.

Powell the former World Record holder and two time World Championships 100m bronze medalist was seeking his first individual medal at the Olympics after anchoring the men’s 4x100m team to gold and a then World Record four years ago in Beijing, China.

His problems with the groin injury is well known and he eportedly flew to the United States the morning before the semi-finals and finals of the men’s 100m at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Trials in June after the first rounds on Thursday night.

He won his semi-final race, beating Yohan Blake but was third in the finals behind Blake and Usain Bolt, pulling up just before the finish line.

in bad-tempered clash

Caster Semenya reaches 800m semi-final for South Africa South Africa’s former world champion Caster Semenya has qualified for the 800m semi-finals on her Olympic debut.

The 21-year-old, who was subjected to a gender test following her win at the 2009 Worlds, went through in two minutes 00.71 seconds.

Britain’s Lynsey Sharp, American Alysia Johnson Montano and Kenyan defending champion Pamela Jelimo also all comfortably qualified.

Sarah Attar, Saudi Arabia’s first woman track athlete, was last in her heat.

She was given a standing ovation at the Olympic Stadium as she went over the finishing line.

Sharp, 22, was chosen ahead of four other British athletes who had run faster qualifying times, but she said her controversial selection had not been weighing on her mind.

“I’ve said all along that I tried to block it out and not take it as added pressure,” said Sharp, who ran 2:01.41 to advance. “I’m in great shape.”

Semenya became global

Officials try to separate the players of Spain and France after a hard foul by France’s Nicolas Batum during their men’s quarterfinal basketball match. REUTERS/Mike Segar (Reuters) - Spain broke open a fierce defensive battle in the final minute to beat France 66-59 and reach the semi-finals of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament in a badtempered contest that threatened to turn into a brawl.

Back-to-back fouls for unsportsmanlike behavior were assessed against France’s Ronny Turiaf and

Caster Semenya news when she was asked to take a gender test by athletics’ governing body IAAF in the aftermath of winning her world title.

Doubts were raised over her gender because of her muscular physique, running style and sudden improvement in times.

Semenya was suspended for 11 months by the IAAF but was cleared to return to the track in July 2010.

She won silver at last year’s World Championships in Daegu despite a back problem.

“It was a tactical race,” said Semenya, who carried South Africa’s flag at the opening ceremony in London, after her 800m heat.

“I wanted the race to be a fast one.

“I have to run a sub-two (minutes) race to be a contender.”

Olympics table tennis: China beat South Korea to men’s team gold China completed a clean sweep of table tennis at the Olympics as their men’s team took gold by beating South Korea 3-0 in the best-of-five contest.

Ma Long and Zhang Jike won their individual ties before the latter and Wang Hao earned victory in the doubles.

China have now taken gold in the men’s and women’s individual events as well as the men’s and women’s team events.

Germany, who won silver

in Beijing four years ago, claimed bronze this time around after beating Hong Kong 3-1.

The men’s team contest brought the curtain down on the table tennis at London 2012 and it only served to enhance China’s stranglehold on the world game.

Ma was first up against South Korea’s Ryu Seungmin and the Chinese player won his tie 3-1 to give his country control of the match.

Some of the most eyecatching play came in the next

match between Zhang and Joo Saehyuk.

The defensive Saehyuk’s ability to get the ball back from unlikely p o s i t i o n s a n d J i k e ’s attacking game made for an enthralling contest.

Individual gold medallist Zhang won the contrast of styles 3-1 to put China 2-0 up in the match.

Zhang and Wang, who was the individual category silver medallist, wrapped up the win as they beat Ryu and Oh Sangeun.

Nicolas Batum after hard hits at the end of the game, and players from both teams had to be restrained by officials from going after each other.

The victory put Spain into the semi-finals against Russia, who beat Lithuania 83-74 in the opening quarter-final.

Spain and Russia will meet on Friday with the winners advancing to the gold

medal game and the losers playing for bronze on Sunday.

Marc Gasol led Spain with 14 points, while Tony Parker and Boris Diaw scored 15 points apiece to pace France.

Defending champions the United States play Australia, and South American rivals Brazil and Argentina meet in Wednesday’s later quarterfinals.

Stunning Shields batters her way to dream final LONDON (Reuters) Feeling disrespected by her Kazakh opponent, American boxer Claressa Shields unleashed a barrage of blows to win an Olympic slug fest on Wednesday which only fuelled the comparisons to the sport’s film legend Rocky Balboa. The 17-year-old fighter from Flint, Michigan, tagged as one of the dangerous cities in America by the FBI, romped to a 29-15 success in her women’s middleweight semi-final against Kazakh Marina Volnova to set up a gold medal bout on Thursday .

Having edged a flying opening round 7-5, the last American boxer standing took umbrage at Volnova’s reaction and rained down furious rights and lefts at a bristling pace to wow the crowd at the lively ExCel arena.

It was much more enjoyable that her original conservative plan. “The game plan was initially just to go to the right and jab and box but she didn’t respect me when I did that so I turned it into a fun game and started banging with her and I got the best of it,” Shield told

Kazakhstan's Marina Volnova fights Claressa Shields of the U.S. during their Women's Middle (75kg) semi-final boxing match at the London Olympic Games REUTERS MURAD SEZER reporters.

“I was able to pick my shots, make her miss a lot and it was fun. I was able to put my combinations together, land my hard clean shots, punch straight, I was able to do a lot of things people don’t see women doing. “I think I got the best of every round. I did pretty good first round, she was trading in the first, I’m like ‘I’m supposed to be hitting her she ain’t supposed to be hitting me’.”

Shields’ rise from Flint, which had the second highest murder rate in

America last year, to an Olympic final draws comparisons to the scripts of the Rocky films of the 1970s.

In the box office success which led to several sequels, the lead character scraps his way out of poverty with an exciting blow-for-blow style to fight for the heavyweight championship. Shields is a fan. “I’m a lot more sharper than what I was, I swing wide and I fight like Rocky Balboa.

I watched all the Rocky films, when he fought the Russian that was my favourite,” (Continued on page 20)

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Thursday August 09, 2012

Richard Williamson works while he awaits boxing accolades

By Michael Benjamin Boxing will always occupy a revered place in local sports history as will the many pugilists that have sweated and bled in their quest for fistic accolades.

Admittedly, most of the prolific punchers practiced their trade in the Capital City hence the misconceived notion that pugilists from the rural communities are incapable of etching their names in the rich annuls of boxing history.

However, if the truth be told, one would be astonished at the large numbers of boxers that have defied the odds, existent in the rural communities and rose to the challenge.

Berbice, for example, has produced the likes of Al Thomas, Ramesh Best, Robin ‘Albion

Prince’ Lall and a plethora of other renowned fighters.

Over the past decade or so the Berbicians simply disappeared from the fistic scene until Orlon Rogers migrated from Linden to the Ancient County. In a relatively short time, the man who his supporters fondly dubbed ‘Pocket Rocket’ formed a gym and so christened it after himself.

Ironically, Rogers is not one of the high profiled pugilists, yet he seemed to have a magical touch as a coach. The evidence of his prowess can be seen in the products of his institution. Jamal Eastman, Joel Williamson, Shaquille Simon, Julian Blair, Keon Williams and Bontam Seeraj are all boxers groomed by Rogers who, as the popular joke making its rounds around

the boxing circles goes, ‘could not differentiate a left hook from a fish hook.’ Today, thanks to the expert tutelage provided by Rogers, these boxers have positioned themselves as competent forces among their peers.

Maybe, Rogers’ success story is most evident in the exploits of Richard Williamson, a native of the depressed Angoy Avenue in New Amsterdam. Also referred to as Cow Dam, many have promoted the view that nothing good comes out of this community. Williamson entered the boxing fray not in the least oblivious of the ‘stain’ of being born in that area. Within the first three months of his involvement, no one would believe that he had never donned gloves before. His slick movements,

staunch determination and application certainly belied this fact. True to prediction, Williamson was the shining star of the gym. He travelled to Barbados and procured a silver medal in the Ronald Wilson Goodwill Games and then repeated that feat in another tournament in Trinidad and Tobago. With 44 wins from 64 fights, the Berbician was all set to make his Olympic debut and was a part of the team scheduled to travel to Brazil for the trials when he was inexplicably omitted from the squad. The youngster appealed to all who would listen for that opportunity to serve his country, all to no avail. The selectors of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) cited inadequate funds and stuck to their 4 man selection team.

Roger (left) was hard at work with his protege, Richard Williamson at the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym Tuesday evening last Frustrated, hardly begins to explain Williamson’s psyche and he opted to strip off his shirt rather than wait around and hope for another four years. The young man immediately stamped his

authority in the professional ranks with a hard fought victory over Delon Allicock in the July edition of Friday Night Fights. He made things look easy against a (Continued on page 19)

WICB Under-19 Tournament James gunning for new 400m Round-up final day Following are the summarised results on the third and final day of the third round of matches in the WICB Regional Under-19 3day Championship on Wednesday in Barbados.

At Pine Basin: Match drawn. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 375-7 decl. (Jeremy Solozano 160 not out, Vikash Mohan 45, Nicholas Pooran 94) and 124-3 decl. (Jeremy Solozano 54, Stephen Wharwood 40, Nicholas Pooran 26) GUYANA 245 (Ricardo Adams 102, Mohan Ramdeen 47, Chanderpaul Hemraj 31, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 23; Anthony Simmons 4-45, Adrien Daniel 3-30, Philton Williams 3-46) and 117-4 (Chanderpaul Hemraj 40, Brian Sattaur 30; Jovan Ali 2-24).

At Weymouth: Match drawn. BARBADOS 106 (Akeem Jordan 24, Darnell Greenidge 23; Christopher Powell 5-22) and 68-6 (Kemar Brathwaite 20 not out; Delbert Gayle 2-14) JAMAICA 248 (Aldaine Thomas 91, Delbert Gayle 29, Tristan Coleman 25, Raghni Francis 24; Marlon Welcome-Goodman 3-62, Chad Williams 2-35, Neil Persaud 2-35).

At Desmond Haynes Oval. Match drawn.

LEEWARD ISLANDS 179 (Darren Hobson 69, Akeem Saunders 46; Preston McSween 4-50, Larry Edward 3-61) and 70-5 (Shawn Tuitt 30, Akeem Saunders 27 not out; Larry Edward 323) WINDWARD ISLANDS 147 (Jerlani Robinson 46; Deno Baker 3-30, Colin Archibald 2-24, Tristan Hanley 2-25).

Day of Interaction set for Port Mourant Sunday The second Day of Interaction for 2012 organized by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/National Sports Commission in partnership with the Regional Democratic Council Region #6, Municipalities and Neighborhood Democratic Councils is scheduled for Port Mourant Community Centre Ground, Corentyne on Sunday August 12.

An anticipated one thousand athletes and officials from across the region will take to the venue to compete in a number of sports disciplines including softball cricket, football, table tennis, volleyball, domino, circle tennis, chess, draughts, track and field, cycling, basketball, boxing and karate.

Port Mourant Community Centre Ground is the home for outstanding Guyanese

Cricketer in the likes of Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Alvin Kallicharran, Joe Solomon, the Nagamootoo brothers among many others of the present generation.

The day’s activities will commence with an Opening Ceremony which will include a March Past of athletes and officials. Remarks will be made by the Regional Chairman, Mr. Permaul Armogan, Director of Sport Mr. Neil Kumar and Dr. Frank Anthony, Hon. Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport who will declare the proceedings open. Special prizes will be awarded for the largest contingent, the best banner and the best uniformed group.

To complement the programme, there will be an Information Corner which will include activities from the

Ministry of Health, the Youth Department (Achievement Booth) and from NGOs. The Day of Interaction is expected to be non-alcoholic.

There will be no selling/ consumption of alcohol beverages during the activities, in or around the venue.

At the completion of the activities, trophies will be awarded to the winners and runners-up for their outstanding performances.

To encourage the further development of sports in the region, sports gears and equipment will be presented to individuals, clubs, schools and various communities.

It is expected that Regional and Political Officials and a few sports Personalities of Berbice will grace the activity with their presence.

PB at U-23 games or IGG

By Juanita Hooper This athlete can say he crept from the bottom of the ladder, elevating himself from the last rung to the first, to be the best local 400 meters junior athlete and the second senior athlete behind Guyana’s local Olympian Winston George.

He is Guyana’s present junior 400 meters record holder in the outdoor segment. The record which was once held

by Tai Payne was broken by Stephan James at the 14th IAAF World Junior Championship in Barcelona, Spain.

The record, which now stands at 46.99 seconds, saw James, President’s/Jefford Classic II 200 meters gold medalist winning his heat which allowed him to qualify for semi-finals at the Games to achieve a new personal best (PB) time.

The Charlestown Secondary School student speaking with Kaieteur Sport disclosed that he has been training in the United States of America after the conclusion of the IAAF World Junior Championship to develop himself for his upcoming games. James is currently under the watchful eyes of US-based Kadecia Baird coach, Shaun Dietz.

Local coach of the athlete, Julian Edmonds, who disclosed that James’ performance came at the right time in his career, can say that his prayers for James are surely fulfilling.

- athlete currently in US training

Stephan James during one of his training sessions in the United States on a synthetic track.

Edmonds firmly stated that his aim was to get James out of Guyana since the country does not have the facilities presently for track and field athletes, “I am hoping to get Stephan out of Guyana at least by this year end. Guyana does not have any facility of the sort to encourage and move

upcoming athletes to the next level in sports.”

Lamenting on the situation, Edmonds revealed that James, has achieved most of his goals under the worst condition, “Running a 400 in the National Park for our club is like running 200 meters back to back to complete the 400 meters,” the coach disclosed.

The present junior record holder is of the view that he could have done better at the Barcelona Games but was unable to get the best of his sturdy legs after experiencing unusual cramps before the 400 meters semi-finals, “I think I could have done better in my race but while warming up I was experiencing unusual cramps in my feet.”

He added that his Coach (Dietz) explained why he was experiencing the cramps, “He said that my body was not used to the synthetic track.”

James however accomplished one of his short term goals (break the junior record) which he sketched out for the athletic season, “I feel happy that I achieved my shot term goal,” he said.

He confidently stated that his short term goal will be to break his record before the year ends at either the South American Under-23 Championship in September (Brazil, Sao Paulo) or in the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) which is slated for French Guiana.

Thursday August 09, 2012

Kaieteur News

18th Goodwill Swimming C/ships...

GASA names 27 member team

A

s Guyana prepares to host the 18th edition of the Goodwill Swimming Championships that involves three other Caribbean countries, the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) has named a strong 27-member team to represent the Land of Many Waters.

Over the years, the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname have been the countries that have been dominant but the Guyanese swimmers would be seeking to put up a strong showing this time around with home advantage on their side.

The date for all the action is August 17 – 19 and the venue is the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal, Railway Embankment. The other country set to participate is the Land of the Flying Fish, Barbados.

According to a GASA press release, the local swimmers have been training almost daily for this Meet since February and

during time trials which was used as the basis to select the team of twenty-seven (27) swimmers who’ve all made the qualifying times.

The Team is as follows: Girls 8 & Under – Donna Carter and Naomi King Boys 8 & Under – Leon Seaton and David Scott Girls 9-10 – Sarah King and Alyssa Nurse Boys 9-10 – Nkosi Beaton and Nathon Hackett Girls 11-12 - Accalia Khan and Nikita Fiedtkou Boys 11-12 – Dylan Nurse, Kevin Dare and Joseph De Nobrega Girls 13-14 – Onika George and Jamila Sanmoogan Boys 13-14 – Omar Adams, Omari Dunn, Hannibal Gaskin and Shane Pulmyere Girls 15-17 – Britany Va n L a n g e , S o r o y a Simmons, Athena Gaskin and Steffi DeNobrega Boys 15-17 - Joseph Seguina, Omali Dare, Selwyn Miller and Angel Rodrigues

It was stated that Accalia Khan, who made the qualifying time would not be able to compete due to an injury.

GASA noted their joy in having a number of out of town swimmers on the team including Selwyn Miller of the Chinese Landing (Region 1); Angel Rodrigues of Santa Rosa, Moruca (Region 1) and Nikita Fiedtkou, Kevin Dare, Shane Pulmeyer and Omali Dare of Linden (Region 10).

Guyana is hoping to field as many relay teams as possible as this would boost the chances of the Team gaining valuable points. The experienced Soroya Simmons will Captain the female team while Omari Dunn has been named Captain of the male Team.

While each country can field up to 40 swimmers, Guyana will not make this total as a number of the experienced swimmers can no longer compete within the age group limit of these games and some competition swimmers were (Continued on page 19)

Golfers battle Saturday in Tony’s Auto Spares tournament

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olfers will battle in the Tony’s Auto Spares Medal Play tournament Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Club starting at 12:30 hours.

President of the Lusignan Golf Club Jerome Khan said the maintenance is ongoing to ensure that the Course is in top shape for competition this weekend following weeks of rain which has left the playing surface soggy.

The President said the LGC is extremely pleased to welcome Tony’s Auto Sales of Lyght Street, Alberttown on board as a sponsor for this year.

Approximately 40 players will be vying for top honours and attracted prizes provided by the sponsors. Prizes will be awarded for the Best Gross, Nearest to the Pin, Best Net first, second and third places.

Among the players expected to be on show are Carlos Adams, Clifford Reis, William Walker, Chatterpaul Deo, John Tracey, Brian Hackett, Troy Cadogan, Dr Ram Singh, Mohanlall Dinnanauth, Patrick Prashad, Ronald Bulkan, Colin Ming, Maurice Solomon, Kishun Bacchus, Andre Cummings, Lakeram Ramsundar, Muntaz Haniff, Christine Sukhram, Fazil Deo, Mighty Raja, Mike Mangal, Rawle Moore, Mike Guyadin and Fazil Haniff.

Tee off is at 12:30 hours.

Meanwhile, the date for the Guyana Open, the Club’s premier international tournament has been announced. The twoday tournament sponsored by local beverage giants Banks DIH Limited will take place on November 3 and 4 and is expected to attract a large contingent of overseas golfers.

Page 23

Part of Guyana’s twenty-seven member team that will compete at the 18th Goodwill Swimming Championships.

t r o Sp Allyson Felix wins 200m gold for United States at London 2012

Bolt coasts into 200m final

Ecuador's Alex Quinonez, Jamaica's Usain Bolt, Brazil's Aldemir da Silva Junior and South Africa's Anaso Jobodwana compete in their men's 200m semi -final during the London 2012 Olympic Games REUTERS LUCY NICHOLSON.

L

Allyson Felix of the U.S. runs between Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown and compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the women's 200m final. REUTERS EDDIE KEOGH

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BC Sport Allyson Felix raced to Olympic 200m gold in a time of 21.88 seconds, to win the title at the third attempt.

The three-time world champion beat a strong field to register her first Olympic gold over the distance after two silvers in 2004 and 2008.

The American came from behind in the final straight to pip Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to first place. Fraser-Pryce ran a personal best 22.09 to take silver, with Carmelita Jeter of the United States third in 22.14 secs.

“It has been a long time coming,” said Felix. “I’ve waited so long for this moment and I am just overjoyed. There are so many people I love here tonight and I am just overjoyed to share it with them.”

Veronica Campbell-

Brown, who won the title in 2004 and 2008, finished outside the medal placings in fourth. The Jamaican duo of Fraser-Pryce and CampbellBrown got off to a flying start, leaving the rest of the athletes trailing.

But Felix, in lane six, finished the stronger, while Fraser-Pryce held off Jeter to take second.

Felix, 26, went into the

race buoyed by the fastest time in the semi-final, having been the only athlete to run under 22 seconds.

She took that form into the final to banish her disappointment of previous years against a high-class field in which L o n d o n 2 0 1 2 ’s 4 0 0 m champion Sanya Richards-Ross finished fifth.

O N D O N (Reuters) Jamaican Usain Bolt hardly had to break sweat on Wednesday as he coasted into the men’s 200 metres final where he will bid for an unprecedented Olympic sprint doubledouble.

Bolt, 25, will be joined in t o d a y ’s g o l d m e d a l showdown by compatriots Warren Weir and his most likely title rival Yohan Blake, as well as America’s one representative Wallace Spearmon.

“I’m ready. This is my

favourite event so I’m looking forward to it,” Bolt told reporters after blitzing the first 100 metres to allow a gentle jog on the home straight for a heat- winning time of 20.18 seconds.

“You can’t work too hard, you’ve got the finals. That was the aim, you can’t push too hard.”

The world’s fastest man sped to the 100m and 200m titles in Beijing in 2008 and on Sunday secured the former event once more in scintillating style. Victory in today’s final would make him unquestionably the

Franklyn only active player among overlooked seniors

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hristopher Franklyn is the only active player among the overlooked seniors for the upcoming Caribbean Championships in the Dominican Republic. Franklyn underlined his eligibility when he won the Lily Yip Open 2400 Category in the United States.

In the Open event, Franklyn beat Chui Lim Ming 3-2 and Claire Xiao 3-0 and lost to top seed in group, Wang Yutian

3-0. In the quarterfinals, Franklyn lost to Suzi Wang 3-2. In the 2400 group, he beat Leslie Liu 3-0 and Kevin Buente 3-0 before losing 2-3 to Wang Ling Bo. In the quarterfinals of the 2400 group, Franklyn beat Judy Hugh 3-1, Larry Bao 3-2 in the semis and Wang Ling Bo 3-0 in the final. Franklyn’s performance was impressive given that he had not played competitive tennis in Guyana since early (Continued on page 19) Christopher Franklyn

sport’s greatest ever sprinter.

Asked if he could break the 19.19 seconds world record he set in Berlin in 2009 Bolt said: “It’s a possibility. I can’t say but the track is fast so it’s going to be a good race.”

Although Spearmon, who finished third in Beijing in 2008 but was then disqualified for stepping out of his lane, is likely to battle it out with former European champion Christophe Lemaitre for bronze, Bolt did not rule out a Jamaican 12-3. “It’s going to be hard.

Wallace Spearmon is there and he’s been there before,” said Bolt, who even managed a smile to camera once he was in the blocks at the start of his race.

“There’s a lot of people there who are going to come and try and spoil the party so we’ll see,” he said, adding that he had managed to do some skipping in the warmup area having had his rope confiscated before Sunday’s final.

Blake, this year’s fastest man, also looked impressive, running a strong (Continued on page 20)

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