Kaieteur News

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December 11, 2012 - Vol. 5 No. 49 - Price $80

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

Jagdeo's radio licences award angers political opposition FIRE DESTROYS NON PAREIL HOME - “Not even a pin we get to save”

Six injured as bus East Canje residents plead turns turtle on East with Govt. for electricity Demerara highway … three robberies committed within a 100-metre radius

Guyanese fined almost $2M after wild meat seizure at Piarco airport

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Jagdeo’s radio licences award angers political opposition Leaders of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday issued stinging criticisms of the Government over its unfair issuing of radio licences.

Representatives of both parties said that the issue was being thoroughly analyzed and further statements and action will follow.

The expressions of resentment from the representatives of the two parties are the latest condemnations being publicly made following the issuing of licences last year to eleven applicants and more recently the launch of the privately-owned Radio Guyana Inc. (RGI) on Thursday last.

RGI is part of a media group which also includes TVG Guyana and the Guyana Times, all owned

by Queens Atlantic Investment Inc in which Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, described as a very good friend of ex-President Bharrat Jagdeo, is a principal.

Leader of the APNU, Brig.

(Ret’d) David Granger, said that APNU strongly criticizes the process in which persons aligned with the former President Bharrat Jagdeo were issued radio licenses.

He said that APNU has always been on the side of liberalizing and de-politicising the licence process.

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop

He said that APNU will champion freedom of the press, and freedom of information as guaranteed under the constitution of Guyana, and will work assiduously to ensure that every Guyanese has access to information and hopefully see the end of the present monopoly.

APNU is currently studying the entire process; examining the rebuttals and statements made

by President Jagdeo and Dr. Ramroop of TVG 28 and will have a more detailed statement shortly.

Mrs. Cathy Hughes of the AFC also reiterated her past condemnations of this act of “favouritism and nepotism” by

Government.

She said that given recent developments, the AFC will present a more detailed statement on the issue within the next twenty four hours.

Radio Guyana was among several radio broadcasters to receive their licences in January.

The others were Matthew’s Ridge Community Council; Little Rock Television Station; Alfro Alphonso and Sons Enterprise; New Guyana Company Limited; National Television Network (NTN); Hits and Jams Entertainment; Wireless Connections; Rudy

Grant; Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting Inc.; and Linden Wireless Communication Network. Radio Guyana, starting as it did last Thursday was the first of the lot to commence operations.

Several organizations which consider themselves as having the capability and the experience to operate Radio stations have been overlooked; and many have complained.

Forty-five such organizations which had applied were told that their applications were scrapped and they should apply all over again with new business plans.

These rejected applicants have charged that the Jagdeo

Government mysteriously and inexplicably refused to grant licences to many entities that had applied long before all of those now granted. Among those with applications dating back a long time were Kaieteur News and Stabroek News.

Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall Sunday last said that he was not happy when he was ignored for a radio licence.

He said that the only reason Jagdeo could give for bypassing him is because of Kaieteur News’s exposure of the corruption that became rampant during Jagdeo’s tenure.

He vowed that he will not sit back and accept this situation.

“I will never allow people

who had no prior involvement in media or Johnny Come Lately being given radio licences before those who had applications in the system, among them Kaieteur News, years earlier.”

He said that he finds the award of these licences not only unacceptable but also dishonest and disrespectful to those who have been ignored.

“This is more an insult, not only to Kaieteur News, but also to the people of this country. I will not take it lightly. I will not allow this situation to slide. I will fight this issue to the end.”

All of the rejected applicants have stressed that Government has to come clean on how those licences were issued.

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will commence payment of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tomorrow. In excess of 60,000 refunds will be paid to employees who would have filed their individual returns along with their respective employers having submitted their employers’ form.

Tax refunds will be issued to eligible taxpayers who will receive refunds of between

$00 to $1000. The GRA urges persons to keep checking the website for their names.

Persons whose names appear on the list are asked to visit the headquarters on Camp Street.

GRA noted that it would be impractical to either mail or ask taxpayers to come in to uplift these refunds, since the fare to get to GRA would exceed the value of the amount.

The GRA will be

publishing the names of approximately 500 eligible taxpayers weekly, and they will have one month to uplift their monies.

Refunds not uplifted by this category of taxpayers will be given as a tax credit against their names.

Persons can also visit the nearest GRA Integrated Tax office in their Region for a list with the names of taxpayers eligible for a refund.

GRA to commence payment of tax refunds tomorrow

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Fire destroys Non Pareil home

By Abena Rockcliffe Christmas has been cancelled for a Non Pareil family of five after a fire, believed to be of electrical origin, destroyed their home.

Last night, the household was under a tarpaulin erected to keep out the rain at the site of the burnt out building.

Only eight-year-old Dashawn Edie was at his lot 103 Section ‘B’ Non Pareil home when the fire began around 14:00 hrs.

Reports are that the child had just gone home from school and was in the process of microwaving his food when he heard loud sounds of “pax pax.”

Luckily, he ran from the house and over to his neighbour ’s yard.

Immediately after, smoke was seen emerging from the middle bedroom on the top story of the house. Within minutes, the entire flat was in flames.

Reports are that the fire

‘Not even a pin we get to save’ spread so quickly that neighbours did not have a chance to save “not even a pin” for the homeowners.

This newspaper understands that the neighbourhood was without electricity and was only energized a mere 15 minutes before the fire.

Neighbours said that there is usually a “voltage problem” whenever electricity returns. They noted that in recent times persons from that section of the community have suffered numerous damaged electrical appliances including refrigerators.

“It got to be an electricity problem that cause this fire.

Nuff, nuff time we does see high and low voltage when light just come on. Up to the other day light come on and I see it come on bright, bright, bright, then I start smell smoke.

“I check, then notice that

one a dem bulb socket smoking and I tell me uncle to turn off the main switch,” said a neighbour who lives opposite.

Reports are that the fire tenders responded promptly.

“GuySuCo truck come fuss then the big one come…Dem come quick, but this fire move through fast.”

When Kaieteur News arrived on the scene, a griefstricken Tonza Edie was sitting on a neighbour’s staircase.

“I use to tell people that I have everything. All I need is a house. Now I don’t have nothing and still don’t have a house.

They say that God don’t give you more than you could bear but this is something else… All me daughter text book that I work hard and buy gone, plus is the original I did buy cause of this pirate thing.

She father don’t give she

Six injured as bus turns turtle on East Demerara highway

The mangled route 44 mini bus A minibus conductor is clinging to life following a horrific accident between the vehicle he was working on and a car. It happened on the main East Coast highway in the vicinity of Ogle last night.

Rodwin Todd, 25, is now a patient at the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital, suffering from massive head injuries as a result of being pinned by the bus BKK 1776. The bus had turned turtle several times after clipping a Toyota Corolla NZE car.

Five other persons, including two pregnant women, who were all passengers in the route 44 minibus sustained injuries and were rushed to the same hospital.

The injured are Natasha Chance, 34, of Ogle; 59-year old Genevieve Carberry, of Beterverwagting; Prudence

All’s that left of the house

Thornhill, 19, of Vryheid’s Lust; Woshana Charles, 34, and her daughter, two-yearold Adeyeini Corbin of Triumph.

Carberry, who is the mother of the bus driver Michael Bacchus, lost her left eye, while the other injured persons are said to be stable.

Eyewitnesses recalled seeing rescuers hauling injured people from the bus after it had rolled over several times along the median that divides the four lane thoroughfare.

They recalled seeing the bus weaving in and out of the traffic while heading up the East Coast Demerara Highway.

Azad Alli, a visitor from Canada who was in the car that was involved in the accident, recalled that he was sitting in the front passenger seat as they were heading up the Coast.

He said that the car was proceeding east slowly on the southern lane of the southern carriageway, when he observed a minibus suddenly appear from the back and tried to squeeze past the car.

“We weren’t driving fast because there were kids in the vehicle…so while we coming, the next thing you know I saw a bus in front of me. The bus just came out from behind us into the left lane and just cut back…he undertook us and probably he didn’t clear our car when he tried to change back in the lane,” Alli explained.

The car he was in was clipped at the front left side, causing it to spin several times, while the driver of the bus lost control and ended up on the median and toppled several times.

“He hooked the front of (continued on page 10)

nothing,” said Tonza Tonza, Dashawn, Jennifer, Vonetta Edie and Lateifa Marks are now homeless.

Tonza said that her

daughter, Marks, is gearing to write Common Entrance come next year. She said that the house belongs to her sister, Marilyn Edie, who resides

overseas. She said that her sister had plans to come home soon to do repairs to the house. “All that gone through the window.”

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

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

The cricket debacle When the government contended that the Guyana Cricket Board had poorly supervised the game locally and had not allowed for transparency in its dealings to the point that there was the suspicion that there were irregular dealings and acts of dishonesty, it decided that the Board, as constituted, had no place in the administration of the game.

The Attorney General moved to the courts and got an order that allowed the government to seize the books. Ever since, it has found that whatever efforts it had planned are not finding favour with the world’s cricketing authorities, including the ruling body, the International Cricket Council (ICC).

What has the Guyana Government done? It fashioned an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to supervise local cricket to the exclusion of the Guyana Cricket Board. Heading this Committee was the man who took West Indies cricket to the heights, Clive Lloyd.

And as if it was a foregone conclusion that the IMC was actually the legitimate body, the government went about selecting a team to represent Guyana. But it was here that it ran into its first hurdle. The cricket lords insist that the management of cricket must be in private hands and that government has no role.

Then came the sanctions. The cricketing authorities decided to apply sanctions. If Guyana persisted with Government running local cricket, then it would have no option but to remove all international matches from Guyana and possibly ban local players from ever representing the West Indies.

This would hurt Guyana, which spent some US$30 million to construct and to maintain the National Stadium at Providence.

Not only is it one of the best Test-playing grounds in the region, it is also one of the best equipped. It allows play within minutes of the heaviest downpour and its boundaries are of international standards.

This is just one of the stadiums built by the regional governments, and then President Bharrat Jagdeo made the point that the ICC and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) cannot expect Governments to provide the facilities and not have a say in the operation of these facilities and in the very sport for which these facilities were built.

But that is just the case. The Guyana Government is finding out that it should have no say in the administration of cricket in Guyana. It did move to the courts to challenge the operations of the Guyana Cricket Board, especially since the organization had become a body with many splinter groups, all claiming to represent the various groups that comprise the Guyana Cricket Board.

None can deny that the Guyana Cricket Board needs a complete overhaul. However, this overhaul is more in the mind than it is likely to be a reality. Using the High Court ruling, the Guyana Government is seeking to table legislation that would give it the right to disband the current Guyana Cricket Board and put another in its place.

The West Indies Cricket Board says that this cannot happen. What is more is that the government wants to ensure that there is an administrative head in the person of the Minister responsible for Sports. One would have expected that with the firm decision by the ICC and the WICB that the government would have kept politicians as far away as possible from the proposed arrangement.

But to its credit the government is seeking political consensus on this decision. It is holding consultations at the widest possible level, having travelled the length and breadth of the country to talk to people about the proposed new face of local cricket administration.

And while all this is going on the existing Guyana Cricket Board is going about its business.

The result is the embarrassing situation of two entities providing the West Indies Cricket Board with two teams to represent this country. And this current cricket board is duly represented on the West Indies Cricket Board. The IMC has no such recognition.

One is getting the feeling that to prove its point, rather than roll over and die, the Guyana Government is going to test the resolve of the WICB and the end result could be either rewarding for the government or embarrassing.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

Those denied radio licences should file a class action lawsuit for being discriminated against DEAR EDITOR, I am convinced that Mr. Harry Gill, like so many other Guyanese at home and abroad, wants only the best for Guyana, and that was why I resonated with so many of his past letters denouncing the corrupt government cabal led by former President Bharrat Jagdeo. But then I was shocked at his abrupt volte face praising the PPP regime, even though nothing major about it has changed except the person occupying the presidency.

In his letter, “The onus is on President Ramotar to right this injustice and avoid tarnishing his reputation,” (KN, December 10), Mr. Gill basically appealed to the President to right the wrong committed by his predecessor regarding the manner in which he issued radio licences to applicants before demitting office last year, because the process that saw a friend of Mr. Jagdeo receive a radio licence was deeply flawed, if not discriminatory!

Not that discrimination ever seemed to bother Mr. Jagdeo, but it is the notion that the wrong has been exposed that is forcing Mr. Gill to now challenge President Ramotar to right the wrong. How that can or will be done is not clear, but I recall when the Jagdeo regime was caught illegally granting tax concessions to Sanata Complex, owned by the same friend who owns the radio station in question, the

regime turned to the PPP parliamentary majority to pass legislation to retroactively right that wrong. Without a PPP parliamentary majority today, President Ramotar cannot ask Parliament to retroactively right the wrong Mr. Gill is asking for, the next best course is for Parliament to take the issue to court and demand an injunction restraining the owner of the new radio station from broadcasting, because the former President discriminated against and or denied other applicants by issuing statements, which he turned around and violated when he issued the radio licence to his friend, Dr. Bobby Ramroop. According to Kaieteur News, “Jagdeo, Ramroop expand media empire,” (December 7), ”Jagdeo, the then head of state, had informed the nation that no new television license would be issued until Broadcast Legislation was introduced and that no television license could be transferred.

But Queens Atlantic had no such problem. As soon as Channel 28 was bought from (Tony) Vieira, it began to transmit. Ramroop changed the name of the station to TVG, implying a transfer of a licence to him, contrary to presidential statements.”

“The radio station is no different,” KN news article continued. “Vieira operated a radio station, but Jagdeo refused to grant

him a licence.

When Vieira decided to broadcast, Valmiki Singh of the National Frequency Management Unit moved against Vieira and seized the equipment.

Vi e i r a m o v e d t o t h e courts and won, but the decision was never handed down until Queens Atlantic bought the television station.

This purchase also provided the entity with a radio station.” In another KN article, “Radio licences granted days before Jagdeo’s departure…Applicants deem Jagdeo’s action dishonest, partisan,” (December 9), Mr. Jagdeo reportedly announced during his last days in office that he was going to liberalize radio.

Less than a week before he left office, he said 10 new licences were granted from 55 applications that had been on file.

When questioned, Mr. Jagdeo said that he was keeping a promise he made and referred questions about the names of the 10 to Dr. Roger Luncheon.

Dr. Luncheon identified Mr. Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, Maxwell Thom who owned Wireless Connection, Rudy Grant, TelCorp, AlfroAlphonso in Region Two and Rockliffe Christie in New Amsterdam.

He promised to release the other names later. He never did. Last week Dr. Ramroop’s station went on air, the first of the 10 to do so.

Given the context in

which Dr. Ramroop acquired his radio station and even his radio licence when there was not supposed to be any transfers/acquisitions before broadcast legislation was passed, there is now a case to be made by all persons who sought to acquire or set up radio stations or obtain radio licences to file a class action lawsuit against the PPP government for openly denying them their rights and openly discriminating against them.

I can readily think of Messrs.

Mortimer Yearwood and Norman Chapman, both of Linden, who applied for licence to operate a radio station in Linden and, after much delay in being granted said licence, went to court and won the right to obtain such a licence, but still never got it. All these people should include in their lawsuit a demand that the licence issued to Dr. Ramroop be suspended and let there be a re-submission of all applications on a level and transparent playing field.

To my compatriot, Mr. Gill, who wrote the following: “Donald Ramotar is fair and just, and a President of all Guyana. I am confident he had nothing to do with this decision. But the onus is now on him to right this frightening injustice, and avoid tarnishing the reputation he has spent his entire life building,” let me be brutally frank and say, (Continued on page 5)

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 5

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

Prof. Jan Carew was respected and admired DEAR EDITOR, I write to condole the passing of literary icon Jan Carew. I knew about him through my studies at CCNY in Harlem. He was well liked and admired by many for his tell-it-like-it-is approach in his writings. He was never a man to hold back his views on social issues, although he did not speak out openly on his personal disappointment on Guyana politics. He praised Cheddi Jagan and was disillusioned with Forbes Burnham, describing him as “depraved”.

Prof. Carew had a huge readership at CCNY where I studied. When I was active in student government, I helped organize, promote and

coordinate lectures for several well known Guyanese and Caribbean nationals. In addition to Carew, other noteworthy Guyanese personalities that spoke at CCNY as visitors during my tenure included Fred Wills, Ivan Van Sertima, Joey Jagan, Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Eusi Kwayana and his wife Tchaiko, and Chaitram Singh.

They all stood out at a time when attention was focused on human rights violations in Guyana and election rigging.

In addition, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and Michael Manley also spoke at CCNY and made references to political abuses and the murder of Dr. Walter Rodney in Guyana.

With regards to Jan Carew, student friends and Professors at CCNY praised his novels which were prescribed in college courses.

Jan was familiar with other Caribbean nationals who studied in England and taught at CCNY, including Ed Scobie (of Dominica), with whom he spent a lot of time while he was on campus.

I first met Dr. Carew during the early 1980s while I was serving in the Student Government. During the few occasions we met, we discussed politics in Guyana.

Prof. Carew was regularly brought to CCNY by Prof. Len Jeffries (then Chairman of Black Studies) during the annual Harlem Renaissance

Those denied radio licences...

From page 4 when it comes to the government and country, President Ramotar is ill-suited for the task at hand. He may be a nice guy and even stand above the fray of corruption, but after one year there is not a single thing of major substance that anyone can point to that could be construed as

a Donald Ramotar brainchild in the area of social, economic or political development.

He is yet to leave his first meaningful footprint in the sands of Guyana’s politics.

M o r e o v e r, because he refuses to confront and correct the corrupt practices of the Jagdeo era, he automatically becomes

a witting accomplice, even one year after being sworn in as President.

The only thing we can do now is pray he receives a divine epiphany and starts leading from the f r o n t ; otherwise Guyanese have to bring pressure to bear on his head.

Emile Mervin

week celebrations which were co-sponsored by the student governments and the Black Studies Department.

I served in both the Undergraduate Student Senate and in the Graduate Students Council and used my presence to advocate for Guyanese, Caribbean and Indian lecturers at CCNY to reflect the diversity of the student body – I succeeded in getting approval for Profs.

Ken Ramchand, Brinsley Samaroo, Chaitram Singh and Anand Mohan (India) to deliver lectures at CCNY. In addition to Prof. Carew, two other prominent Guyanese (Prof Fred Wills, who served as Foreign Minister and Prof Ivan Van Sertima (the great anthropologist) made regular visits at CCNY during my tenure in student governments.

Credit for their presence at CCNY goes to Dr. Len Jeffries and James Small (plus others) who led the student government at one time and was a part time lecturer in Black Studies as well. Small, like myself, promoted and/or sponsored several lectures and I worked briefly under

his stewardship when he was deputy head of Student Life under Ed Evans who was Director of Co-Curricular Life. Small, as well as Evans, spoke glowingly of Profs. Carew, Walter Rodney, Fred Wills and Ivan Van Sertima, describing them as among the best in their fields of endeavour. Their lectures were sponsored or cosponsored by Black Studies (like Prof. Samad Mathias, Ed. Scobie, etc). Their discourses were well attended, impressing the audience with their knowledge.

Jan’s discussion on Guyana’s politics left an indelible impression on me.

He came across as a man of integrity, courage and decency who would not condone wrongdoing. He was deeply disturbed about the murder of Rodney, as indeed several scholars were.

Jan told me the killing of Rodney was a terrible blow to Guyana and to studies on historical issues relating to Africa. Apparently, Jan knew Forbes Burnham well.

He said during a visit to Guyana, he went to visit Forbes and gave him an earful over his lust for

power and the murder of Rodney. Jan made it clear to Burnham who he (Jan) thought killed Walter. He did not mix words on Burnham’s abuse of power and how he was viewed by the population and internationally. Jan said he refused to eat or drink anything Burnham offered and after the visit, when Forbes offered him his chauffeured car to drop him home, Jan rudely declined telling Forbes: “I don’t want to be shot under mistaken identity”.

That was the end of the relationship between the two as Burnham did not take kindly to Jan’s outspoken terse language. Prof. Jan said to me: “I told him like it is.

That is how I felt. He ought to go like other dictators did”.

With regards to his writings, the Black Midas stands out.

It captures Guyana in transition from poverty to wealth and the failure of the government to manage the wealth for everyone’s benefit.

All of his novels made for good reading. He is still well admired at CCNY and will be remembered for a long time.

Vishnu Bisram

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

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

Our right to private radio stations is constitutionally guaranteed DEAR EDITOR, I write to commend and support Guyanese who have taken a principled stand against Bharrat Jagdeo’s vindictive decision to grant radio licences to some and deny it to others during the last days of his 12-year misrule of Guyana (Radio licences granted days before Jagdeo’s departure…Applicants deem Jagdeo’s action dishonest, partisan, KN 12/9/12).

I also call upon President Ramotar to show his regard for fairness and national harmony by reversing Bharrat

Jagdeo’s miscreancy and disclosing the name of each individual or organization that was granted a radio licence by Jagdeo. When the PPP was in opposition it railed about the PNC’s monopoly of radio in Guyana, and by insinuation and declaration, raised expectations that a PPP government would without delay or favour allow private radio stations.

Well, we now know that the PPP, as is the case on issues of transparency and accountability, was all talk.

But we would not have been disappointed if we had

been guided by the PPP’s support for radio monopoly in communist countries rather than by its self-serving wailing about the PNC, whose action on radio was in conformity with that of the PPP. Times are different, though, and we will not allow any government to self-servingly dictate the amount and variety of means by which we will access information. Our constitution guarantees, and our courts have affirmed, our right to private radio stations; and we will have them, now!

After Justice Ian Chang made a constitutionaffirming ruling that forced a reluctant PPP government to consider its years-long practice of studiously ignoring applications to operate private radio stations, many Guyanese thought that the granting of licences to the litigants and other unapproved applicants was a fait accompli.

B u t B h a r r a t Jagdeo mocked the court by refusing to establish any mechanism to ensure that the court’s ruling would be instituted, and highlighted his mockery by granting licences to organizations and persons that are either known friends of Mr. Jadgeo or supporters of the PPP, and were also more recent applicants than many or all of those who sought the court’s intervention and/or were denied licences.

President Ramotar came to office and has established a body to consider applications for radio and television licences. But many believe that the newlyestablished Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is nothing more than a transparent attempt

to mask the PPP’s selfserving disregard for our constitution and courts. Their belief is based on the GNBA’s first act, requiring new a p p l i c a t i o n s from all unapproved applicants, including those litigants in the case decided by Justice Chang.

With such an inauspicious start and a government dominated presence, I believe that the GNBA has inspired very little confidence in its ability to fairly or competently discharge its constitutional responsibilities. I fail to see how the GNBA’s chair Bibi Shadick, who is scandalously unqualified in both matters of communication and business, can make proper judgments about the quality of business plans that must be submitted with each application. What kind of contribution can we expect from such a firmly established political hack?

Do we really believe that Ms. Shadick would be more concerned with granting licences to applicants interested in disseminating information for the convenience and benefit of our country than she

would be with those interested in disseminating information for the benefit and convenience of the PPP? Or have we forgotten that the PPP arrogantly believes that the fate of our nation is inextricably linked to the fate of the PPP? We are stuck with the ominously comprised GNBA and all that it portends for constitutionally-guaranteed press freedom in Guyana.

But we are not hopeless and without choice, for the constitutional right to freedom of the press is one that we should and must exercise, even if the government doesn’t want us to. So, as a people, we have to decide if we will continue to allow our governments to pass new rules and regulations to vitiate court decisions they find to be inconvenient or to nullify constitutional provisions they find to be constraining.

We also must remember that Guyana and its resources belong to all of us and we as a people must never remain silent when our leaders act as if our nation’s resources are their personal property, to be distributed without disclosure as they see fit.

Lionel Lowe

The attack on TI on its findings of corruption is unconscionable DEAR EDITOR, It is now clear for all to see that the Ramotar Government is turning out to be as uncaring as the Jagdeo regime. After a year in office, Mr. Ramotar has not even offered an outline of his economic programme, his plan to create the new jobs, his plan to reduce corruption, crime and the trafficking of illegal drugs. I t i s o u r considered opinion that there is a solid reason for this – there is absolutely no Ramotar plan.

This five-year term is being driven by the Jagdeoites whose agenda it is to tax more, spend more, cream-off more, and expand the divide between the rich and the poor.

For too long, the PPP government has allowed corruption to run rampant among their henchmen without putting an end to it and when faced with that question, a key operative stated that “the absence of the Public Procurement

Commission does not mean the public procurement system is dysfunctional.”

This suggests that the PPP is in denial.

It takes some brass to attack the Constitution to defend the lawless. In Section 212 of the Constitution, it clearly states that the Public Procurement Commission shall “monitor public procurement …. conducted i n a f a i r, e q u i t a b l e , transparent, competitive and cost effective manner according to law”. The principle and intent of this clause in the Constitution is absolutely clear, so why should the Guyanese people accept such poppycock coming from those in authority? Why is President Ramotar tolerating this continued abuse and violation of the law?

This is good enough reason for the opposition to cut significantly from the budget until the Public Procurement Commission is established.

The PPP’s refusal to deal with corruption is more evidence of denial which is particularly expressed in Ms. Gail Teixeira’s hollow and unsound response to the findings of Transparency International (TI) that Guyana is the most corrupt country in the Caribbean.

For a senior operative of the PPP to say that Transparency International interviewed only four persons in Guyana shows how callous, uncaring and wicked the corrupt PPP is. The Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal has never been serious about weeding out corruption. It is very shameful and embarrassing to even think that this group heads a government.

It is also very sad that they have turned their malice and venom on TI rather than attempt to address the issue of corruption which has become a blight on the nation.

Isn’t this an abuse of power?

Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 7

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

The crass, vulgar, shameless and disgraceful attack on Transparency International DEAR EDITOR, Attorney General Anil Nandlall has joined the pack of attack dogs that jumped on Transparency International (TI) on the publication of its 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Because Mr. Nandlall is a member of a profession which calls itself learned, is known for its members researching before speaking, and speaking with a certain sense of responsibility and decorum, I thought it might be useful to examine how Mr. Nandlall’s statement stacks up against those standards.

Mr. Nandlall accused TI of: 1. Failing to disclose “the empirical data or sources that they examined to arrive at those conclusions”.

2. Not stating the methodology as to how the organisation ended up at its findings (sic).

3. Not disclosing who they spoke to, which institutions organisations or which documents they

consulted.

4. “Gross dereliction” by arriving at baseless disclosures.

5. Failure to say where corruption exists, be it at the government, public or private sector.

6. Failure to examine the institutional mechanisms which are in place constitutionally, legislatively or departmentally.

7. Being insulting and disrespectful to Guyana and Guyanese.

Points 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all on the same issue: that Transparency International did not disclose vital information and sources.

If Mr. Nandlall had taken the elementary research step of going on TI’s website he would learn that the basis for inclusion of a country/ territory in the CPI is a minimum of three of the CPI’s data sources.

The website also identifies CPI’s 2012 data sources as: i) African Development Bank (ADB); ii)

Bertelsmann Foundation (German non-profit foundation); iii) International Institute for Management Development (IMD); iv) World Competitiveness Yearbook; v) International Country Risk Guide (ICRG); vi) World Bank; vii) World Economic Forum (WEF); viii) World Justice Project; ix)) Economist Intelligence Unit, x) Global Insight; xi) Political Economic Risk Consultancy (Asian); xii) Transparency International Bribe Payers Survey; and Freedom House (no, not that one).

If Mr. Nandlall had acted more responsibly, he would have learnt that in the case of Guyana, there were four sources: ICRG, WB, WEF and Global Insight and that a country’s score on the index is a simple average of its data sources.

Point 5 is even worse in terms of Nandlall’s research efforts. I find it embarrassing that the Attorney General of this country does not by now know that the definition of

corruption in the TI lexicon is “misuse of public office for private gain”.

Perhaps he is more familiar with relevant examples such as Pradoville 1 and 2; the misuse of duty-free concessions; and paying out of the Treasury so-called advisors to the President and the Local Government Minister to work at Nandlall’s party Freedom House.

Mr. Nandlall should and could have served his and the country’s interest by challenging the local Institute to start speaking out on private sector corruption including tax evasion and money laundering.

He must be personally aware that members of his and other professions as well as aggressive law firms not only engage in these practices for their own direct benefit but also in aiding and abetting others to do so.

Once Mr. Nandlall understands my comments on points 1 to 5 above, he will realise that point 6 is not

relevant to his argument. I cannot believe that the holder of such a distinguished public office does not recognise that in his attempt to discredit others, he ought not to be relying on laws that are on the statute books but not in operation.

Any person would know that rather than prevent and punish, it actually perpetuates corruption if the Procurement Commission is not established ten years after it became a mandatory constitutional requirement; if there is an Integrity Commission without commissioners; an Access to Information Act not brought into force sixteen months after passage; and a Judicial Review Act not brought into force two years after passage.

On disrespect and insult, readers might wish to consider whether Mr. Nandlall’s failures do not amount to an insult to his own intelligence, that of the legal profession and to the expectation of Guyanese to

have an Attorney General who is informed, responsible, temperate and accurate.

Finally, I researched the recent publications of leading newspapers in Zimbabwe and Pakistan which had much worse ratings than Guyana in the 2012 Index.

In fact, in the case of Pakistan, the 2012 CPI was sensationally misreported by stating that Pakistan was the “33rd most corrupt country in the world”.

That report wrongly assumed that all the countries of the world were covered in the survey. Some twenty countries were not.

Yet I could not see any article or statement in which the governments of Pakistan and Zimbabwe engage in any attack on Transparency International or their national chapters, let alone the crass, vulgar, shameless and disgraceful manner in which Mr. Nandlall, Ms. Gail Teixeira, the PPP/C and the PYO have done in the case of Guyana.

L. C. Ram

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Tuesday December 11, 2012

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CORRECT THIS ERROR The Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) has a schedule of Budget agencies. One of those agencies happens to be the Supreme Court.

However, according to the Constitution of Guyana, the judiciary is supposed to be funded by a subvention agency and not treated as a Budget agency.

The listing of the Supreme Court as a Budget agency in the schedule of the FMAA was clearly therefore an error.

That error may have been a product of the haste with which the legislation was passed in order to qualify for the substantial debt relief from the international community.

The contradiction between the FMAA and the Constitution was first borne out in a letter written in 2003 by shadow Minister of Finance for the PNCR, Mr.

Winston Murray, to the then Minister of Finance, Sasenarine Kowlessar.

The PNCR walked out of the debate on the Bill after its attempt to have the legislation referred to a Select Committee was refused.

The government was obviously in a hurry to receive the debt relief and used its majority to railroad the legislation through the House.

That being said, the fact that the schedule to the Act treats the Supreme Court as a Budget Agency and not a subvention -receiving institution, does not vitiate the legislation.

In fact, the schedule itself is subject to change and can be easily amended by the stroke of a pen. The subject minister can amend the Schedule of the FMAA by making the appropriate Order.

The government should do the right thing and issue

Road fatalities down The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a release, yesterday, announced a welcoming nine per cent reduction in road fatalities by the end of November, with 98 casualties compared to 108 last year.

Moreover, there continues to be reduction in the other categories of traffic accidents as well.

Pedestrians are the main road users that are affected with 29 such persons having lost their lives on the roads, in addition to 17 pedal cyclists, 14 motor cyclists and 20 drivers of motor vehicles

up to November this year.

According to the report, speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents.

Speed caused 70 of the 90 fatal accidents up to November.

Traffic enforcement by the police has resulted in a total of 63,439 cases being made against errant motorists of which 13,664 cases were for speeding.

An additional five road fatalities have been recorded so far for the month of December 2012.

Dem boys seh ...

Irfaat tek clerk wuk Irfaat mek de news. Big and bold de radio man announce how Irfaat seh that he meet he target. And is not that he got a budget wha got target. Is house lot he share out. Dem boys want to know if that is wha a government Minister reduce to—sharing house lot like if he ain’t got wuk. And to think that de man can boast.

Rob Earth should boast bout how much forest he give way and Leslie should talk and boast about how much cow he jump. Dem is thing fuh boast about. De man wid de hammer can boast bout he target too—how much toilet he knock down but he ain’t boasting.

De land sharing thing is something a clerk should mention, not a Minister but dem boys know why. De man know how much money he did set as he target to collect and when he pass that he know that he had to shout and tell de world. He only claim is land he talking bout.

That is why dem boys seh that when de New Year come dem gun cuss all dem Minister who ain’t got wuk to do and who going about claiming all kind of thing.

De Donald is another one but he ain’t claiming no target.

De other day he go to see how de Marriott coming. Dem boys seh that he done organize a room because he planning just in case he wife put he out. She done seh that people claim how he ain’t doing nutten and she agree wid dem.

Since he tun president he stop doing house wuk an all.

All he doing is following in de Rat footstep and he never had cause to do house wuk. He never had a house till now and he don’t live inside.

Brazzy meet he target fuh de Marriott money but he keeping he mouth shut because if he only talk he gun have to explain wheh de money come from. But dem boys know; dem peep de Rat account.

Talk half and wait fuh more boasting.

the Order that would allow for the amendment to the Schedule of the FMAA so that the judiciary can receive a subvention rather than be treated as a Budget agency.

The fact that this contradiction in the schedule goes against the grain of the Constitution neither nullifies nor renders inoperable or unlawful any of the provisions of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. The error should be corrected and there is no need for a mole hill to be made into a mountain on this score.

The fact that the judiciary is treated as a Budget Agency has not led to the cutoff of all funds to the judiciary. And this is the difference in the effect of the erroneous listing

of the Supreme Court as a Budget Agency and the decision of the combined opposition to cut funding for a constitutional commission, the Ethnic Relations Commission in this year’s Budget.

The judiciary has not been unencumbered by being listed as a Budget agency. But the Ethnic Relations Commission was forced to shutdown its operations because of the denial of funds by the combined opposition, in what must be considered one of the most disgraceful acts in Guyana’s legislative history.

When this decision was challenged, the Court was only being asked to pronounce on the constitutionality of the cuts.

The Courts can only adjudicate on what is before it and since there was no challenge to the constitutionality of the schedule of the FMAA, it is misconstrued to argue that the court ought to have recognized the contradiction between the FMAA and the Constitution.

The FMAA was not being challenged. What was being challenged was the decision of the combined opposition to cut funding for the Ethnic Relations Commission.

The opposition never brought an action before the Courts challenging the decision of the government to list the Supreme Court in the FMAA as a Budget Agency.

In fact, this very opposition passed the

appropriation for the judiciary in this year’s Budget. Did they not see the contradiction in so doing?

If the government fails to amend the error in the FMAA and to treat the judiciary as a subvention agency, the opposition should challenge this in court.

But such a course of action can be avoided if the government does the right thing and issues an Order correcting the mistake, and ensuring that in next year’s Budget the judiciary is given a subvention.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===

A little learning is a valuable thing I am constantly reminded that when I write to bear in mind that Guyana has a young population (almost seventy five percent under the age of 35). It means that when I use famous quotes that are hundreds of years old or refer to Guyanese or international figures that are long gone, our younger folks would need some elaboration.

The title of this article here is a variation of a highly popular saying that has been made fashionable more than a hundred years. It was the English poet, Alexander Pope (1688-1744) who wrote; “A little learning is a dangerous thing Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring

There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain And drinking largely sobers us again.”

Since Pope wrote his observation, it has become part of human discourse. Its usage is always and inevitably cynical.

One person, quite offended by another who has no proper education likes to pretend that he or she is an expert, would retort in an insulting way by telling the person, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” It is also used lightly among friends. I have varied Pope’s wise quote using a context that will be explained below.

In this poisonously divided country, you find political activists, politicians

themselves, commentators (like the two who will be mentioned below), and even intellectual defenders of their respective organizations sprout the most sickening fictions and pass them off as facts. Some of these distortions have become hackneyed.

The list includes the greatness of Forbes Burnham, the greatness of Cheddi Jagan, the wonderful achievements of the PNC Government, the superb accomplishments of the PPP regime, the good nature of PPP leaders, the bad nature of PNC leaders and the list goes on.

These people have an agenda. Their propaganda

Six injured as bus turns turtle on East Demerara highway From page 3 the car and next thing we were in a roller coaster.

The bus flip over and all I saw were bodies lying around…half out of the bus, it was terrible,” Alli said, adding that the bus was “jam packed, overfull.”

The visitor said that he

had heard about the way Guyanese bus drivers use the roads and last night he had a firsthand experience.

“I was in it and that is why I said it was like a roller coaster,” Alli stated.

As news of the crash spread, scores of people converged at the hospital to

ascertain if their relatives were among the injured.

Relatives of the badly injured conductor were hoping and praying that he would somehow overcome the injuries he received. They have placed their faith in God and the medical staff at the hospital.

has a purpose. But it is their right to make lofty claims about people and places that the historical record does not support and are at variance with graphic sociological facts. It is no one’s business to deny them these acclamations of fiction.

People have a right to embellish their opinions.

People have the privilege to call their opinions the truth.

What we do in a civilized society is not to banish them or hurt them. We reply to them so that the innocent can know the truth.

We intellectually confront them so knowledge can be acquired by the innocent mind. That little knowledge becomes valuable because it guides people into making their choice on how to vote and which party to support apart from opening their eyes to reality.

Two Sundays ago in KN, this is what Ravi Dev wrote; “The figures show that there is no correlation between ethnicity and economic standing.” If the world at this very moment should become shrouded in total darkness and you can’t even see your fingers if you put them in front of your eyes, one thing you

can see for sure is the ethnic imbalance in the ownership of resources and assets in this country.

There is an ethnic imbalance in the army, the police, the lower echelons of the public service, land ownership, property ownership, possession of wealth, the export trade, the retail trade. We can analyze their evolutionary basis and we can discuss palatable solutions but to deny these facts is equivalent to extreme moral lawlessness.

Then there is Rickey Singh. In a column captioned, “Guyana’s season of fun politics: Speaker among lead actors,” Singh accuses the opposition AFC and PNC of misusing their majority of one (a recitation he borrowed from the PPP), and made the point that a democratically elected government headed by a president that is “part of the parliamentary process of governance” is not going to allow for a continuation of parliamentary manoeuvres by opposition parliamentarians.

As in the Dev piece, this is where a little knowledge becomes precious. Rickey dismisses the majority of one as if it is not a majority but in

Frederick Kissoon the same breath tells his readers that the government of Guyana was democratically elected.

Now this is a subtle juxtaposition but I doubt that Singh is intellectually equipped to get away with it or fool anyone.

In castigating the opposition behaviour in Parliament and at the same time reminding readers that the Guyana Government is elected then the intention is to subliminally paint the opposition as unelected.

Why we need to reply to people like Dev and Singh is to create knowledge for those who don’t know and need to know about what is taking place in their country. Singh carefully avoided telling us that the President didn’t win a majority in the general elections.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

‘Cobra’ transferred from Georgetown Prison after 23 months in solitary confinement Twenty-three months in solitary confinement must have finally taken its toll on high profile murder accused, Tyrone Kacey Rowe, called ‘Cobra’, who cracked early Sunday morning. He allegedly attacked a Prison Warder with a knife and another sharp instrument commonly called a ‘jukka’.

From all indications, Rowe, who is awaiting trial for murder, cracked under the pressure of the lengthy confinement and attacked the Warder although he was reportedly handcuffed and shackled. He was eventually subdued by other warders who went to the assistance of their colleague.

The attack forced prison officials to relocate Rowe to Timehri where he will be strictly monitored.

Rowe, for whom a wanted bulleting was issued by the police following a spate of robberies and murder, buckled under the sheer weight of the relentless pursuit by the police and surrendered on September 2, 2010.

However, his unstable nature soon landed him in trouble while he was incarcerated at the Georgetown Prison.

He became involved in numerous fights with fellow inmates as well as prison authorities and the only

Tyrone Rowe called Cobra means of containing him was to place him in solitary confinement.

The solitary block is described as a set of concrete cells, each one no more than six feet by three feet, sometimes fitted with a mattress, with virtually no

view of the outside.

A prisoner spends almost 24 hours less about 15 minutes to empty his waste, in his solitary cell.

Rowe’s stay in solitary lasted beyond the normal time and he began developing mental and medical complications, prompting his mother, Donna Beete, to seek the assistance of the media three months ago.

When this newspaper contacted Director of Prisons Dale Erskine on the matter in September, he indicated that Rowe was a “special case” prisoner and his solitary confinement was for “his own safety”.

He however made good on a promise to ensure that his medical complications were addressed with the proper intervention.

Yesterday, Rowe’s mother expressed fear for his life after she was denied a visit to him at the prison.

The frustrated woman left the prison after hours of waiting only to be told later that the high profile prisoner was seen being whisked away in a vehicle by heavily armed security personnel to a location on the East Bank of Demerara.

A senior prison official confirmed that Rowe was taken to Timehri and assured that his mother will be duly informed by prison authorities.

Cops seek taxi driver who allegedly raped health worker - victim reportedly lured to desolate spot Police are looking for a taxi driver who allegedly beat and raped a young health worker.

Sources who are privy to the complaint said that the young woman alleged that she was subjected to the brutal ordeal last week Monday after being lured to a desolate spot on West Bank Demerara.

A close associate of the alleged victim expressed outrage that police have so far failed to arrest the culprit, even though he is apparently not in hiding.

The associate is also concerned that the suspect might flee to the interior.

But a police official told Kaieteur News yesterday that ranks visited the suspect’s home but failed to locate him.

The official said that they have taken a statement from the alleged victim and a medical report seems to confirm the allegations of rape. Kaieteur News was told

that the suspect is about 43 years old and resides on the East Coast of Demerara.

It is alleged that the health worker visited a relative in the city last week Monday.

She left around 22:00 hrs and flagged down a taxi with the intention of going to the Stabroek Market area to catch a bus that would have taken her to West Coast Demerara.

Instead, the driver allegedly headed to the Demerara Harbour Bridge after reassuring his passenger that he would drop her straight home, since he too, was heading in that direction. But it is claimed that after crossing the bridge, the driver headed along West Bank Demerara.

Realising that the man was luring her away from her home, the health worker began to protest and attempted to use her mobile phone to call a relative.

It was then that the driver allegedly began to punch her in the face and snatched away her phone. He reportedly then drove to a secluded area where he allegedly sexually assaulted the woman.

Kaieteur News was told that after the ordeal, the taxi driver took her to his home where she was allowed to bathe. He then dropped her close to her home, after attempting to persuade her not to make a report about her ordeal.

It is alleged that the victim immediately used her mobile phone to contact a relative.

She subsequently underwent a medical examination and gave a statement to police at La Grange Police Station.

According to a source, the victim also took police ranks to the area where she was raped. Kaieteur News understands that officials from the Ministry of Human Services have also been notified about the incident.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Guyanese fined almost $2M after wild meat seizure at Piarco

Trinidad airport officials seized over 700lbs of wild meat on Friday imported from Guyana.

Two Guyanese nationals, aged 60 and 32, were over the weekend fined a total of TT$60,000 (G$1,980,000) for being in possession of nine duffel bags containing a quantity of wild meat.

The two men appeared before Comptroller of Customs Fitzroy John and were given until yesterday to pay the fines.

According to reports, about 08:00hrs on Friday, officers of the Customs Preventative Branch were on duty at Piarco International Airport in the baggage hall when they observed two Guyanese nationals with nine duffel bags.

The men, according to the

Trinidad Newsday, were ordered to hand over the bags in which gutted and cleaned carcasses of wild hog (quenk), lappe (a type of forest rodent) and deer weighing over 700 pounds with a street value of TT$80,000 were found.

The wild meat had not been declared, causing the Customs Officers to notify Game Wardens from the Forestry Division. The nine duffel bags containing the seized meat were removed to a place for quarantine, and will be burnt as directed by the Comptroller of Customs.

The sale of wild meat is big business in Trinidad

especially with the Christmas season in full swing. Police sources said the illegal wild meat industry sees millions of dollars exchanging hands as one pound of wild meat (depending on the type of animal) could be sold for as high as several hundred dollars.

Sources revealed that the two Guyanese nationals asked for time to pay the fines imposed on them, and were given until the end of today to do so. Newsday understands that the bags of wild meat were brought into the country to be sold to locals for the Christmas Season.

Electrical device caused Nesha’s Flower Shop blaze -Fire Chief

An electrical device that someone failed to unplug is believed to have caused the fire that destroyed the building housing Nesha’s Flower Land on Sunday.

Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle disclosed, yesterday, that investigators have unearthed evidence that a glue-gun was left unplugged in a work-room where the floral arrangements are made.

The building is located at Lot 78 Church and Carmichael Streets, Cummingsburg.

“It appears that a gluegun was inadvertently left plugged in; we don’t know if it overheated or if it caused a short circuit,” Mr. Gentle said.

The Chief Fire Officer said that investigators were told that employees of the flower shop were in that section of the building where floral arrangements are made, up to noon on Sunday. He said that initial reports had suggested that vagrants who sometimes lit fires in the compound might have caused the blaze.

Eyewitnesses said that the fire started around 17:13 hours at the back of the two-

Nesha’s Flower Land storey building.

Fire Chief Marlon Gentle, who was at the scene, said that after receiving the call, two units were dispatched from the Central Fire Station and a third from Alberttown.

He explained that it appeared that a lot of combustible materials were stored in that section of the building.

Flower shop owner, Nesha Deonauth, told Kaieteur News that she had been operating the business for the past 17 years. According to Ms. Deonauth, she lost over $10M in art work, including

sculptures, some of which she was scheduled to exhibit soon. The flower shop owner also lamented that she had recently imported a large quantity of material for the Christmas holidays, since she had already received numerous orders for the festive season. Priest of the St. George’s Cathedral, Father Terry Davis, told this publication that the building is owned by the Diocese of Guyana but was rented to the owners of the flower shop.

Davis said the building is more than 50 years old.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 13

GWI seeks $1.7B in water rates The country’s water provider, GWI, wants an overhaul of its tariff structure that could put $1.7 billion more its coffers, but its new Chief Executive Shaik Baksh was found wanting when called to explain why, recently.

The new tariff structure aims to ensure that all water consumers pay their fair share and would help to dig the utility out of the financial pit it is in. The new tariff structure, which creates new categories of billing, does not necessarily mean that consumers will pay more for water; in some cases consumers may actually end up paying less.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has to approve the new tariffs and met with Baksh and other senior executives of the board yesterday asking them to justify the need for the new tariff structure. But Baksh was forced to return to his office without a clear indication that the new tariff structure would be approved.

Baksh and his team are expected to return with the answers to outstanding questions from the PUC. After the hearing, Baksh refused to answer questions from Kaieteur News regarding the financial state of the

GWI CEO Shaik Baksh at the PUC hearing Friday. entity.

He could not definitely say how many consumers the utility has and admitted, after prompting by PUC Chair Justice Prem Persaud that the database is in a mess.

Baksh said that the utility has 184,000 consumers, but was later forced into admission that that figured seemed exorbitant.

“We have to clean up the database,” Baksh stated.

Justice Persaud said that it was unfair to the public that the utility cannot get its information correct.

With regard to unmetered customers in hinterland areas such as Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Matthews Ridge, Mahdia, Lethem and Ituni, GWI said that “due to economic reasons” it would not be practical to bill customers through the general system of billing, which means that there will be some level of crosssubsidization by customers on the coastland.

Justice Persaud wanted to know the amount of money that is used in running the water systems in these areas,

so it could be known how much consumers on the coast are subsiding hinterland operations.

Baksh attempted to gloss over the question, saying that the operational costs of GWI does not make a distinction between hinterland costs and coastland costs.

Justice Persaud insisted that consumers, some of whom are struggling “to pay through their nose”, should know how much it costs to produce water in the hinterland and how much it costs on the coast.

Stumped on the response of Justice Persaud, Baksh was told by the chairman of GWI, Ramesh Dookhoo, that expenses are in fact isolated, and Baksh then undertook to provide the information to the Commission.

GWI is asking for approval of a consolidated tariff regime that allows for the establishment of a definitive methodology for categorizing customers; differentiation between treated and non-treated water; billing of unmetered customers at a rate that is closer to the costs of their average consumption; rates for the various Tariff Bands for the supply of Water; approve the Rates for the

various Tariff Bands for Sewerage Services; the introduction of ‘Security Deposit’ for new subscribers and customers who would have had their services disconnected for nonpayment; and ancillary service charges, such as a penalty if meters are damaged.

For this year, GWI is projecting loss at $3.4 billion.

If the new tariff structure is approved, GWI could halve the amount of its losses.

C u r r e n t l y, o p e r a t i n g costs amount to $2.5 billion, and its fuel bill is another $2.4 billion.

Electricity charges, which account for more than 60 per cent of GWI operating costs, burn up the revenue collected by the utility. Baksh said that GWI is attempting to cut t h e e l e c t r i c i t y b i l l , b y, among other things, resizing pumps. He told the Commission that current monthly savings from these energy saving initiatives add up to $12 million.

The utility is seeking consideration from the PUC for the introduction of an automatic review of the water rates based on changes in electricity rates.

The proposed formula for

such increase is annual cost of electricity divided by total costs multiplied by the percentage of the increase in fuel/electricity.

This will be applicable in the absence of a direct Tariff increase approved by the PUC once there is increase in Electricity Tariffs.

Baksh is contending that GWI is looking to make metering more attractive to customers. According to GWI, more than half of the water it sends out through the pipes is not paid for.

The CEO said that expanding metering is the surest way to ensure that everyone who uses water pays, and pays the fair amount.

Baksh said that the utility is attempting to make metering “attractive” to consumers. Currently, only 40 per cent of customers have a meter from which their water usage is charged.

A c c o r d i n g t o G W I ’s strategic plan, 95 per cent of customers should have meters by the end of 2016.

If that happens, the project is that GWI would be able to meet all of its costs with revenues that are collected through the metering system.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Housing Ministry warns scam artists

A section of the house lot allottees

By Leon Suseran Minister of Housing, Irfaan Ali, has warned houselot applicants who may have secretly applied for more than one house lot, to leave the process immediately or face the consequences. He was addressing house lot allottees at the Ministry of Housing and Water’s ninth One-stopshop for 2012, where more than 560 house lots were distributed in Berbice.

The one-stop shop was held on Friday at the Port

An applicant pulls her number for a house lot from an envelope Mourant Community Centre Ground. The lands are located in the Kilcoy-Chesney, Corentyne area.

Ali told the applicants that many people try to manipulate the process to acquire more than one house lot.

“We have a clause that if we find such persons who would have misinformed us in the application, or we find that they manipulated the system, we will not only be repossessing the land, but

also forfeiting the monies they would have paid down for the land.

“That is a clause of the Agreement of Sale. We are giving a complete list of the allottees to the Region and NDCs so that persons can have the opportunity of giving us any information they think is necessary”.

“Sometimes the wife applies and then the husband applies…and they don’t declare any of this information on the forms”. He

mentioned the “simple clause that basically says that any information that you would have supplied on that form, that is not true and correct or information that you have manipulated, if we find any of that information—and trust me, we will find.

“In Region Five, we found many cases. So if you know that you already have a house lot, please leave the process now.”

He added that between 2010 and 2011, more than

10,000 house lots have been allotted. In the system currently, there are 1,552 house lots.

Ali added that infrastructure has cost the government $1B “and the level of subsidy the government is putting into Kilcoy/Chesney is 73 per cent or a total of more than $750M”.

He added, too, that the remainder of applicants for house lots will be allocated their portions next year. The

Minister stated that this is significant to national development “since it adds to the wealth of the country; it adds to the improvement in family lives and livelihood; adds to empowerment of people; enhancement of communities; it creates tremendous economic wealth and has the greatest trickledown effect in terms of growth and development and it is an important generator of jobs”. The next one-stopshop is billed for Region 4.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 15

Duo remanded for cocaine Female soldier alleges rape in army, wants matter investigated in drinking straws - Says there’s a covered up plot Two persons are facing drug related charges in connection with the December 6, drug bust at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Both men, O’Brien White and Adrian David, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine- Beharry on an allegation that they attempted to traffic in more than 21 kilos of cocaine secreted in drinking straws which were painted in the colour of macaroni noodles.

The duo entered a plea of not guilty as their Attorney Peter Hugh made an application for bail. They were remanded and are scheduled to face the court again on December 14.

Five persons were initially held after the detection of the drug was made at the airport, among them were the two accused.

The narcotics were found between a quantity of drinking straws disguised to be macaroni noodles scheduled for a Canadabound shipment. This publication was told the

O’Brien White Adrian David discovery was made by agents from the Police AntiNarcotics Unit as they carried out a routine inspection at a cargo bond at CJIA. Reports are that among the items checked during the examination were 68 boxes of mangoes and several boxes containing packets of macaroni noodles.

The ranks became suspicious of the weight of the noodles and decided to carry out a thorough

investigation.

Upon emptying the packets, it was discovered that among the contents were a number of drinking straws sprayed in the colour of noodles and packed with a white powdery substance.

This was subsequently tested and confirmed to be cocaine – a total of 21 kilogrammes.

The mailing address listed as 44 Mount Crescent, Ajax, Ontario, Canada, and the sender – O’Brien White of 12 Plantation Walk, West Bank Demerara.

$80 million housing scam trial postponed … prosecution witnesses a no show The case against Ballkarran Lillie and Danica Griffith, the two persons charged with the $80 million house lot scam has been further deferred to January of next year.

Wo r d r e a c h i n g t h i s newspaper is that the case was postponed given that the file is still with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Further, the witnesses in the matter are yet to come forward.

Griffith, a 19-year-old clothes vendor from Campbellville; and Lillie, 25, of Lot 26 North East Grove, East Bank Demerara are both facing several fraud related charges stemming from a multimillion-dollar house lots racket.

The matter was initially fixed for trial on November 19 but was put off until Novembe r 3 0 w h e n t h e prosecution stated that they were still not in possession of the file and requested a new date for the commencement of trial.

As such, the matter which is being heard by Magistrate Leron Dailey was fixed for January 7, 2013.

Meanwhile, police are at standstill as it relates to the

arrest of the alleged mastermind of the crime. Police have since issued a wanted bulletin for the main suspect who has been identified as Prem Persaud called Prem Rampersaud.

Recent reports suggest that the ringleader of the crime may have fled the jurisdiction.

Housing Ministry officials informed Kaieteur News that the Ministry had received what appeared to be credible news that the suspect at large “slipped out of the country using a brother’s passport.”

The sibling reportedly lives in Canada and is said to have a striking resemblance to the suspect.

The two accused made their initial court appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and were slapped with three charges of obtaining money by false pretense.

According to the charges, the duo acquired an amount totaling over $1 million fro m Bhena Stanislaus, Latchmie Manbodh, and Ramkumar Rajban as down payment for bogus house lots purporting to show that they were genuinely issued by the Central Housing and

Planning Authority.

At this time, police noted that 18 additional charges of the same nature were likely to be instituted against the accused.

To date no additional charges have been tallied against them.

Both Griffith and Lillie were remanded to prison after their first appearance.

They were subsequently released on $1.7 million bail each after their attorneys, Rexford Jackson and Paul Fung –A- Fat, made renewed applications for bail.

Before the defendants were permitted to answer to the charges defense counsel Rexford Jackson held that the case against his client (Griffith) is one of a mistaken identity.

Earlier this year, Housing Ministry Authorities uncovered the massive house lot fraud after complaints started to pour in at the Ministry where applica n t s reported difficulties in obtaining their house lots.

Investigations led to the arrest of two accused who were later placed on an identification parade and pointed out to authorities.

They were subsequently charged.

A female soldier is claiming that she was raped by her Captain while being a part of a military police training course at an interior location. She says that the issue is being covered up by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and not being addressed accordingly by the Police.

The rape was reported to the Brickdam Police Station twice, and to the upper echelon of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

The traumatized 22-yearold said that the issue was made a joke in the army.

Persons blistered her and made fun of the allegation which occurred in November 2011. Thus, the victim requested a transfer to the Coast Guard.

Indentifying the perpetrator by name, the young lady said that on the first occasion of rape, she blamed herself because the ordeal happened when she was under the influence of alcohol and was not aware of what really transpired until the following day.

She continued: “He (the captain) say we will go and take a drink with them boy, and we went at a bar at the airport in Timehri. I got drunk!

I could have only remembered things in between. I then was placed in his jeep to relax.”

She explained, “He then asked me if I wanted to wash

my face and he carried me into the officers’ accommodations. He then tell me I could spend the night and I would go home in the morning, I didn’t see anything wrong with it since it is somebody I trust and he is my senior.”

After waking up in the Captain’s quarters, she said the officer was asking her questions about if she was willing to have a relationship with an officer. “He then began pushing himself on me and I pushed him off, and then he force me to have sex.

He was stronger than me!

After he was finished he then locked me in his room and c o m e b ack for me and dropped me off at Timehri bus shed…He even told me if I tell anybody nobody will believe.”

She said that she never disclosed the event to any relative since she was having issues with her family, something she confided in the said officer when she first joined the GDF in 2010. The young lady said she then confided in her boyfriend who is also in the Army but begged him bitterly not to tell anyone.

She said that the officer called her two days later apologizing and requesting a relationship, an offer she

refused.

“I put the entire ordeal behind me and said I would treat him like a friend.

That was also another mistake, since he carried me again and got me drunk in the city and he carried me to the seawall last May and then he drove to Camp Ayanganna. Right away I wanted to run away but people would have noticed and I would have looked even more embarrassed; he forced me into his barrack and it happened again.” she lamented.

The depressed young lady said that she then severed all communications with the Captain and reported the matter to the Chief of Staff and was later assigned a counselor.

A few months later she reported the matter to the Brickdam Police Station after she realized the issue was being covered up in the army.

“No police and Army official contacted me and it looks like they are ducking the story…This man working and watching me and laughing and behaving like if everything normal.”

The Chief of Staff was not in the country, his deputy was also not in office so there could have been no official reaction to queries on the matter.

Kitty man remanded for cocaine in fish food

Gilbert Andre Bristol, 36, of 54 Garnett Street, Newtown, was yesterday refused bail for allegedly attempting to export 233 kilograms of cocaine found in a quantity of fish food.

Bristol pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on Friday December 7 at the Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) Wharf, he attempted to traffic in 233 kilograms of cocaine.

He was represented by Attorney at Law Latchmie Rahamat who asked that her client be sent on bail since he suffers from a medical condition that requires special treatment that may not be available at the Georgetown Prisons.

Rahamat contended that her client has no previous convictions or pending matters.

She said that Bristol, a father of two minor children is into construction as well as the import/export business.

However, Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Oswald Massiah argued that whatever the defendant’s illness may be,

Remanded Gilbert Bristol the Prison Authority is well geared to handle it. The Prosecutor also noted that no documentation was given to the court to support the lawyer’s statement. Massiah then opposed the bail application.

Providing the facts of the

case to the court, Massiah said that the accused who holds a licence to import and export goods, made arrangements to ship fish feed to Hong Kong, China.

The product was bought from an East Coast of Demerara Enterprise and on December 7, while in the process of shipping the 1500 bags of fish food, the scanner used by Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) workers detected something unusual.

CANU ranks were summoned and further checks revealed that at least eight bags contained the illegal substance.

The bags, Massiah said, were checked, weighed and tested in the presence of the defendant who was later charged for the offence.

A statement released from the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) earlier last week, revealed that the quantity of cocaine pellets is worth approximately $2 billion.

The drug was hidden between 1500 bags of fish food destined for Angel International Logistic Limited, Hong Kong, China.

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Murders Female soldier alleges rape in army, wants matter investigated continue to climb A female soldier is claiming that she was raped by her Captain while being a part of a military police training course at an interior location.

She says that the issue is being covered up by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and not being addressed accordingly by the Police. The rape was reported to the Brickdam Police Station twice, and to the upper echelon of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

The traumatized 22-yearold said that the issue was made a joke in the army.

Persons blistered her and made fun of the allegation which occurred in November 2011.

Thus, the victim requested a transfer to the Coast Guard. Indentifying the perpetrator by name, the young lady said that on the

first occasion of rape, she blamed herself because the ordeal happened when she was under the influence of alcohol and was not aware of what really transpired until the following day.

She continued: “He (the captain) say we will go and take a drink with them boy, and we went at a bar at the airport in Timehri. I got drunk! I could have only remembered things in between. I then was placed in his jeep to relax.”

She explained, “He then asked me if I wanted to wash my face and he carried me into the officers’ accommodations.

He then tell me I could spend the night and I would go home in the morning, I didn’t see anything wrong with it since it is somebody I trust and he is my senior.” After waking up in the Captain’s

quarters, she said the officer was asking her questions about if she was willing to have a relationship with an officer.

“He then began pushing himself on me and I pushed him off, and then he force me to have sex.

He was stronger than me! After he was finished he then locked me in his room and come back for me and dropped me off at Timehri bus shed…He even told me if I tell anybody nobody will believe.”

She said that she never disclosed the event to any relative since she was having issues with her family, something she confided in the said officer when she first joined the GDF in 2010. The young lady said she then confided in her boyfriend who is also in the Army but begged him bitterly not to tell anyone.

She said that the officer called her two days later apologizing and requesting a relationship, an offer she refused.

“I put the entire ordeal behind me and said I would treat him like a friend.

That was also another mistake, since he carried me

again and got me drunk in the city and he carried me to the seawall last May and then he drove to Camp Ayanganna.

Right away I wanted to run away but people would have noticed and I would have looked even more embarrassed; he forced me into his barrack and it happened again.” she lamented.

The depressed young lady said that she then severed all communications with the Captain and reported the matter to the Chief of Staff and was later assigned a counselor.

A few months later she reported the matter to the Brickdam Police Station after she realized the issue was being covered up in the army.

“No police and Army official contacted me and it looks like they are ducking the story…This man working and watching me and laughing and behaving like if everything normal.”

The Chief of Staff was not in the country, his deputy was also not in office so there could have been no official reaction to queries on the matter.

If the trend continues, Guyana’s murder figure at the end of the year could surpass that of last year.

Police statistics have revealed that up to the end of November this year there was a five percent increase in murders over the last year ’s figure, with a total of 125 compared with 119 for 2011.

Already so far for the month of December there were no less than four murders.

Of the 125 murders, 55 were of the disorderly type, 10 were committed during armed robberies, 24 were domestic related and nine were execution type.

The other 27 are so far undetermined.

A Division (Georgetown and its environs) continues to be the leading division in terms of murders with 36, followed by the interior division with 29; a significant decline from the 40 recorded last year.

Overall, there has been a decrease of one percent in serious crimes at the end of November

in comparison with last year, this is despite the perception that crime is on the increase as a result of several daring armed robberies.

The total number of reports of serious crimes made by November 30 this year was 3,478 compared to 3,507at the end of November last year.

Some of the offences m o n i t o r e d a r e m u r d e r, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping.

According to the police, robbery under arms increased by 22 per cent up to November 2012, with 968 reports compared to 796 for the same period in 2011.

The statistics indicate an increase of 15 per cent in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearm, and a 33 per cent increase in armed robberies where instruments other than firearm were used by the perpetrators.

East Canje residents appeal to Government for electricity …three robberies committed within a 100-metre radius.

Residents of Betsy Ground, East Canje, are once again calling on the relevant authorities to quickly fix the street lights in some sections in the area. An out of control speeding beverage truck broke one of the lamp posts in half in early August. The accident plunged sections of the village into darkness. For over four months the post cannot be replaced.

That section of the village continues to be in the dark making it easy picking for criminals. During the past months three robberies and one case of attempted robbery were committed in the area within a 100-metre radius.

On October 3, businessman Maurice Sookraj, had his business premises broken into by a known character. This was the sixth time that Sookraj’s business place and home had been robbed. He fired three shots at the bandit who managed to escape leaving his cap and his house breaking implements behind.

On Friday October 19, four masked and armed bandits dressed in black entered the business premises of S. Baljit and Sons.

This business which is operated by Rajbali and his

family, was robbed of cash, jewelry and other materials.

The bandits escaped.

On Sunday, three bandits were injured in a gun battle with police after a failed robbery attempt on Guysuco Field Foreman, Rajesh Parsram and his family. The three were Deonarine Seecharran called Popcorn, 20; Zafir Abdul, 22; and Keshwar Narrinarine, 30. A fourth man said to be the driver of the escape vehicle was also arrested.

Numerous reports have been made to all the relevant authorities including GPL officials, the N e i g h b o u r h o o d Democratic Council, The Regional Administration and the government, but all to no avail. No one at GPL or the Regional administration knows when the situation will be rectified.

In the meanwhile the three bandits who were shot and wounded during a shootout with police in East Canje, Berbice on Sunday morning following a foiled robbery at the home of 78 -year -old remigrant Guyanese Nankumarie Sookhoo and her son- in- law Guysuco Field Foreman Rajesh Parsram are all well known characters.

In June, Seecharran who seems to be the ring leader, was among a gang of four charged with armed robbery committed on a Cumberland, East Canje resident. In excess of $1.8 million in cash and jewelry were stolen on that occasion. They were initially refused bail, but were subsequently granted bail in the sum of $600,000.

According to the victims of that robbery the men were armed with AK47 rifles. The men were also picked up by a getaway car from which they switched into another car. The men were followed and captured at Seecharran’s residence at Edinburgh.

The three wounded bandits are now patients in the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The police initially recovered a number of shotgun pellets from the residence of Parasram and a shotgun barrel along with an empty 12-gauge shotgun casing at the cemetery. They subsequently recovered the rest of the shotgun in the cemetery.

A fourth man, Parmanand Joseph of Johns, Corentyne, Berbice who was the alleged driver of the getaway vehicleHC 1390 was intercepted in the area and is in custody.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 17

$38M owed to Guyana passengers - EZJet Suspended air charter, EZjet Air Services, has criticized Government over its decision to grant Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flag carrier status, and vowed yesterday to return to full operations by Easter next year.

EZjet now says that it has found investors. Already, nearly two-thirds of all its stranded passengers have since been refunded.

The outstanding sum due to passengers in Guyana is approximately US$190,000 ($38M) with 300 passengers still to get refunds, EZjet said.

EZjet denied that 3,000 passengers are owed and said that travel agencies are also processing refunds.

However, the company declined to say how much is owed by the travel agencies.

It also claimed it is owed US$260,000 ($52M), pointing out that it has a US$200,000 cash bond posted with the Government.

EZjet was pulled from the skies by the US Government in early November after Swift Air, an aircraft operator, complained to the Department of Transportation there that it is owed a large sum of money. Guyana and Canada reportedly followed shortly

- cusses Govt. for granting CAL flag carrier status former employer, Promise Healthcare which runs a number of hospitals.

EZjet’s CEO, Sonny Ramdeo after and also suspended EZjet from selling tickets.

The EZjet office in New York was closed and upset passengers have been demanding their refunds.

The company, in asking f o r p a t i e n c e y e s t e r d a y, said that its Chief Executive Officer, Sonny Ramdeo, is very much in charge and cooperating with the FBI in their investigation relating to t h e a l leged diversion of US$5.4 million by his

RAMDEO IN CHARGE The EZjet statement yesterday said that Ramdeo is managing the refund process and coordinating day to day activities with staffers and travel agencies who are facilitating passenger refunds.

Regarding the situation in New York, the company said that audits are being carried out on passenger ticket sales and baggage charges, reconciling travel agent and passenger accounts, and refunds to more passengers began yesterday.

In Toronto, Canada, to which EZjet had also been flying, all “passenger payments for not-flown flights are being held in trust by the Canada quasi-agency TICO. All reimbursements to passengers who paid more to return home to Toronto on Caribbean Airlines are also being paid by EZjet Canada.”

Passengers in Trinidad will start receiving refunds

next week, EZjet said.

Meanwhile, the company in a separate statement, stressed that it is a slap in the face to Guyana that Caribbean Airlines was granted flag carrier status.

The company said it flew more than 500 New York flights since it started last December, transporting twothirds of the passengers travelling the route with Guyana.

“As a result of EZjet’s entry into the New York market, Guyana passenger counts grew to 110 per cent, because more passengers could afford to travel. EZjet’s passengers benefited from record-setting ultra low fares, down one-half from their previous low record.”

CAL IS A COPY-CAT EZjet accused Caribbean Airlines of copying them and even deliberately lowering seat costs. EZjet said that it complained to the Government of Guyana over the unfair competition from Caribbean Airlines but to no avail.

“Within one month after

EZjet suspended its flights, Government granted Guyana’s national airline status to Caribbean Airlines.

So, no need to thank Guyana’s EZjet for low fares, instead better to thank Guyana’s newest airline, Caribbean Airlines.”

EZjet also questioned whether Caribbean Airlines paid Government any money to become Guyana’s national airline. “Nothing, and surely not the $50 million that Caribbean paid to the Government of Jamaica for the same privilege.”

EZjet in signaling its restart for next April is also demanding that Government stop Caribbean Airlines from operating non-stop flights from Georgetown, instead of their home in Port of Spain.

The airline also wants government to ensure that Caribbean Airlines does not unfairly compete by selling seats below cost, instead of at a competitive price.

“Given even the semblance of level playing field, we can still have a Guyana airline flying Guyana

passengers.”

Since starting its flights last year, there have been questions about EZjet; its source of financing and whether its financing structure would have allowed it to survive.

Government and EZjet accused Kaieteur News and Opposition politicians of scaring away passengers.

Ramdeo, its CEO, resigned after a US healthcare company sued EZjet and the official for allegedly stealing over US$5.4M and passing some of the monies through the bank accounts of the airline.

Government had said at the time of EZjet’s suspension last month that there may be some 25,000 to 30,000 advance bookings for the months of November and December 2012.

There has since been revelations that the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been questioning Ramdeo.

The official, a Guyanese from Windsor Forest, has not been seen in Guyana since EZjet was suspended.

Page 18

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Grove/Diamond NDC gets new building - Gov’t/ PNCR in court over ownership

Grove/ Diamond NDC gets new building Even as the legal matter over the ownership of the Grove/ Diamond Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) is pending, Government has reconstructed the facility as part of the Ministry of Housing’s Community Road Improvement Project (CRIP).

General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Oscar Clarke, and Region Four Chairman, Clement Corlette, are clueless about the state of the legal proceedings even though it

was the PNCR that took Government to court over the ownership of the building last year.

The conflict between PNCR and Government erupted last year, months before the National Elections were held. The top flat of the building would have housed the campaign office of the PNCR while the NDC office was located at the bottom flat.

The PNCR had reportedly argued that they have been using the building as a meeting place and as an area

elections campaign command office for years.

According to Attorney General Anil Nandlall, the PNCR was squatting in the building and had to be removed. He noted that Government ejected the PNCR and the case is currently pending. However, no injunction has been filed to prevent Government from carrying out works on the building.

As such, Government was able to move ahead with reconstructing the NDC

The old Grove/ Diamond NDC building building as an obligation under the CRIP, which is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

While the building is being reconstructed operations of the NDC are being conducted at Diamond Community Centre Ground building, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

According to the NDC’s Overseer, construction of the

building is completed but landscaping works remain. It was noted that the Ministry of Housing has to officially handover the 40-foot by 25foot structure to the NDC. The overseer said that he was recently appointed and is unaware of certain details of the project. Construction works to the building began mid-year. It is anticipated that

by early next year the operations of the NDC will be relocated to the new building.

The staff also related that construction works to roads in the old Grove Housing Scheme are being executed under CRIP. In fact, when the ownership of the NDC building erupted necessary road development works in Grove were stalled.

This destitute, according to vendors at Merriman Mall, was lying on the corner for hours as members of the health sector failed to render him assistance. They said that around 8:30 yesterday morning, the man, who seemed sickly, was heading along north on Alexander Street when he collapsed on the roadway.

The man, they said, starting frothing at the mouth and appeared to be in excruciating pain. A crowd then gathered, hampering vehicular traffic for some time.

Despite numerous calls to the Georgetown Public Hospital no one came to the sick man’s attention. Attempts were also made to contact the police but nothing materialized.

The vendors said they were repeatedly told by the hospital that there were no vehicles available. When Kaieteur News arrived at the location around 14:30 hours, the destitute was still lying on

the roadway. He was hardly moving, and even when he did, he made it look difficult to do so.

Calls to the city hospital

by Kaieteur News were

answered with excuses of unavailability of rescue vehicles. The dispatcher said, “Madam if we have no vehicles, I cannot send what we don’t have.”

No ambulance: Walk or creep to the hospital

Road fatalities down The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a release, yesterday, announced a welcoming nine per cent reduction in road fatalities by the end of November, with 98 casualties compared to 108 last year.

Moreover, there continues to be reduction in the other categories of traffic accidents as well.

Pedestrians are the main

road users that are affected with 29 such persons having lost their lives on the roads, in addition to 17 pedal cyclists, 14 motor cyclists and 20 drivers of motor vehicles up to November this year.

According to the report, speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents.

Speed caused 70 of the 90

fatal accidents up to N o v e m b e r.

Tr a ff i c enforcement by the police has resulted in a total of 63,439 cases being made against errant motorists of which 13,664 cases were for speeding.

An additional five road fatalities have been recorded so far for the month of December 2012.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 19

IMF uncertainty blamed for rising debt

John Jackson (Jamaica Gleaner) Financial analyst Errol Gregory says the uncertainty surrounding the signing of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a possible reason for the increase in the country’s debt stock.

Gregory, responding to a Sunday Gleaner report which pointed out that Jamaica has racked up $81.9 billion of

additional debt during the period January to September 2012, said: “What we are seeing is that people are just waiting and seeing, and in the interim, the Government just has to borrow to fund its expenditure.”

Data gathered from diGJamaica.com has revealed that the nation has, up to September, incurred billions of dollars in new debt.

The nation ended 2011 with debt in excess of $1.63 trillion according to the Debt Management Unit of the Ministry of Finance. At the end of September 2012, calculations estimate the nation’s debt has grown this year by about five per cent to $1.71 trillion.

Jamaica has added debt at the rate of $299 million per day or $12.5 million per hour, or $207,000 per minute or, finally, almost $3,461 per second.

Gregory said that as the

Barbados ripe for investment - Envoy (Barbados Nation) Being ranked the least corrupt CARICOM country by Transparency International should result in Barbados’ being a more attractive option for overseas investors.

This was the view of John Beale, Barbados’ Ambassador to the United States and Organization of American States (OAS), as he responded to the report released last Wednesday by Transparency International on perceived levels of corruption in more than 175 countries’ public service.

“For CARICOM, that is good to know. But more importantly, if we are 15th in the world . . . [about] which I am not surprised, and being ahead of places like Japan and the United States and Britain, I think that it is an outstanding position to be in,” he said.

Barbados was ranked first in the Caribbean and 15th in the world with a score of 76 out of 100 – a better score than many developed countries, including Belgium, Japan, Britain and the United States.

country waits for an agreement with the IMF, the Government must devise a strategy to engender growth.

“We know we need the IMF agreement, but many of us are saying that we need it in the context of a strategy as to how we going to generate growth and that is what seems to be absent.

Ultimately, we will have to put a strategy in place to grow the economy.”

URGENTNEED It is a point on which economist John Jackson

agrees. He said while he has not done the calculation to cross-reference those figures gathered by diGJamaica.com, one thing which is clear is that there is an urgent need for the country to reduce its debt.

“Whether it’s $10 per minute, second or whatever it is, it doesn’t really matter.

We know we have the debt and as long as the Government runs a fiscal deficit, the debts will grow,” Jackson said.

He added: “We have to reduce the fiscal deficit, that’s what the IMF agreement is

aiming to achieve. We need to get to a level where the debt is going at a slower pace than inflation. That’s the only way we can reduce the impact of the debt.”

Christopher Zacca, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, also said it is imperative that the Government finds a way to reduce the debt.

Zacca said that he is hopeful that if and when the impending IMF agreement becomes a reality, the Government will be able to

Errol Gregory turn around the country’s fortune.

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Stop trying to corrupt us, cops tell public (Jamaica Observer) According to Assistant Commissioner Selvin Haye, head of the constabulary’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), 47 civilians have been arrested since the start of the year for corruption in comparison to 27 last year.

The figure represents a 57.4 per cent increase.

“A large number of persons are still involved in corruption and are trying to corrupt members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” he said, appealing for this to end.

Haye was addressing journalists during a press conference at the Police Officers Club in Kingston last week.

“Members of the public, stop trying to corrupt our members. I am calling on the society to assist us in clearing up corruption. Don’t add to

Head of the police Anti-Corruption Branch, Assistant Commissioner Selvin Hay makes a point while his deputy, Superintendent Gloria Davis-Simpson, looks on. the problem by trying to corrupt our members,

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

please,” Haye pleaded.

Haye’s deputy, Superintendent Gloria DavisSimpson, said corruption was embedded in the Jamaican psyche and if there was not a paradigm shift, the efforts of the ACB could be

seriously scuttled.

“If there is no change in the culture, then the problem of corruption will persist,” Davis-Simpson said.

Haye, who took over the reins of the ACB from Assistant Commissioner

Justin Felice in August, said the constabulary had formulated a new AntiCorruption Strategy to last until 2015.

He said cops were more confident about collaring people who attempt to bribe them.

“Our members are also becoming more confident in taking action on their own. Our members are now taking on the situation in a more robust manner,” he said.

Since January 1, a total of 54 cops have been arrested on suspicion of corruption, while 39 of that number have been charged. Police report that one gazetted officer (ranks between inspector and commissioner), four sergeants, 15 corporals, and 26 constables from the JCF and the Island Special Constabulary Force have been nabbed by the ACB dragnet.

Haye said the ACB has noticed a worrying rise in police personnel participating in extortion. Since the start of

the year, seven cops have been collared on suspicion of extortion.

“We are seeing less incidents of bribery on the street. We are seeing an increased number of our members being arrested for extortion,” he said.

The branch has also been integral in setting up training in polygraph testing and six cops have recently attended training courses in Canada, which has been contributing to the constabulary’s capacity-building and inhouse training.

However, Haye said the police would not rest on its laurels as there was a lot more work to be done to stamp out the scourge of corruption.

“We are still seeing signs that corruption is still here, we still have more work to do.

There are still members who believe they can outsmart the good guys,” he said.

Yesterday, the world celebrated the United Nations-sanctioned World Anti-Corruption Day under the theme ‘Act Against Corruption Today.’

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Double murder rocks Jamaica fishing village

Police from the Major Investigation Taskforce probe the scene of a double murder in the Causeway Fishing Village in Portmore, St Catherine.

(Jamaica Observer) The Causeway Fishing Village in Portmore, St Catherine was Sunday the scene of a brazen midday shooting which left two fishermen dead, and dampened Christmas for their fellow fisherfolk.

Up to late Sunday evening police had still not revealed the names of the two slain fishermen, one of whom vendors said was chased and peppered with bullets as he screamed.

It was not clear how the other fisherman — who vendors called ‘Bigga Belly’ — died, but his body remained slumped in the village four hours after the incident. Investigators were still scouring the scene for clues at that time.

The murders were committed shortly after 1:00

pm, one vendor said, recalling a volley of shots that killed his two friends. According to one vendor, the younger victim, whose name was given only as ‘Anthony’, was asleep when one of the gunmen pushed a hand in his pocket.

Anthony immediately jumped up and slapped his attacker’s hand away. This drew the gunman’s wrath, the vendor said.

“Dem pump three (shots) inna him and when him run go out a road dem pump two more inna him and him drop,” said the man, making reference to the busy Dyke Road.

The bandits then made off with at least one igloo filled with fish, and an undetermined sum of money, the vendor said, bemoaning

his friend’s killing.

“Di man dem (victims) don’t even see the rest of the December,” he said, his tone sombre.

“This yah shooting yah dampen everybody spirit,” interjected another fisherman, standing among a group discussing the murders.

The incident renewed calls from the fish vendors for the authorities to implement stronger security measures at the village. They claimed that “police only patrol the village when suppen happen. And the entrance leave too free; not even a sleeping police in the road,” one man said.

Also Sunday, crowds of residents gathered at a scene in Frazer’s Content in Spanish Town, St Catherine, where gunmen shot dead another man, shortly after 2:00 pm.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — The three-yearold Barbados-based CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) has approved EC$95.58 million (US$35.4 million) in assistance to member states to date, through its country assistance programmes (CAPS).

This was revealed last week by CEO, Lorne McDonnough, as he and Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines signed an agreement for EC$8.8 million (US$3.262 million) in additional support for the development of that country’s new Argyle International Airport.

The CDF’s mission includes strengthening and deepening the CSME process and McDonnough urged CARICOM member states to ensure it remained capable of providing sustained assistance over time, in order to ameliorate disparities and

provide assistance to disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors.

He stressed, “We at the CDF, for our part, are committed to tight fiscal management and transparency. We have a small but motivated staff and, with the support of the national executing agencies, will ensure that our programmes will be relevant, effective, efficient and sustainable.”

St Vincent and the Grenadines was the first member state to benefit from a CAP and McDonnough was satisfied with the progress.

The additional loan will support the acquisition of more vehicles and equipment to transport the aggregates and base laying material to the worksite. He also revealed that, specifically, the concessionary loan to the International Airport Development Company would be delivered in two tranches on terms similar to

the initial loan, namely at a nominal interest rate of three percent per annum for 12 years, with a grace period of two years on interest.

McDonnough stressed: “The Argyle International Airport, when completed, will contribute to the reduction of disparities as prescribed in Chapter Seven of the Treaty and notably change the lives of the citizens of St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

He added that the CDF was pleased to have had its board approval of the additional facility in less than six months and that the goal was to facilitate the satisfaction of export demand for agricultural output and tourism services at reasonable cost to the beneficiary.

The CDF has signed other agreements with the governments of Belize, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis and will follow suit in the coming month with Dominica and Guyana.

CARICOM Dev. Fund approves EC$95.58M in assistance

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Tuesday December 11, 2012

Strauss-Kahn, NYC hotel maid settle civil lawsuit (Reuters) - Dominique Strauss-Kahn and a New York hotel maid who accused the former International Monetary Fund chief of sexually assaulting her agreed yesterday to settle her civil lawsuit against him for an undisclosed sum, ending one chapter of a scandal that cost him his job and derailed his political career in France.

At a brief hearing in New York State Supreme Court in the Bronx, Justice Douglas McKeon said the terms of deal, which includes

settlement of a countersuit filed by Strauss-Kahn, would remain confidential.

Strauss-Kahn, 63, was not required to appear in New York and remained in Paris. His accuser, Nafissatou Diallo, was present as the judge had ordered, wearing a green blouse with black pants and a gray and white scarf around her head.

“I thank everybody, and I thank God,” Diallo said in a brief statement outside the courthouse after the hearing.

“Ms. Diallo is a strong

and courageous woman who never lost faith in our system of justice. With this resolution, she can now move on with her life and we thank everyone for their support and prayers,” her lawyer, Kenneth Thompson, said.

Strauss-Kahn’s New York lawyers, William Taylor and Amit Mehta, said in an emailed statement: “On behalf of Mr. Strauss-Kahn, we are pleased to have arrived at a resolution of this matter. We are grateful to Judge McKeon whose patience and

forbearance allowed this agreement to be formulated.”

MORE LEGAL HURDLES AHEAD IN FRANCE The agreement ends Strauss-Kahn’s U.S. legal woes, but he faces more court dates in France.

The U.S. scandal erupted in May 2011 when Diallo, 33, told police that Strauss-Kahn attacked her in his suite at the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan.

She alleged that a naked Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom of his $3,000-a-

night suite and forced her to perform oral sex.

The accusation led to a frantic scramble by police in New York to arrest StraussKahn as he sat aboard a jet at John F. Kennedy International Airport waiting to take off for France.

The scandal forced Strauss-Kahn to resign as head of one of the world’s most influential international finance organizations and wrecked his hopes of running for president in his native France. Prosecutors initially expressed confidence in the evidence, including DNA that showed a sexual encounter. But they dropped the case in August 2011 after developing concerns about Diallo’s credibility, including what they said were inconsistencies in her account of what happened immediately following the incident.

Judge McKeon said a separate lawsuit filed by Diallo against the New York Post over the tabloid’s report that she was a prostitute had been settled as well. Terms of that were also not released.

Accusers in such cases often hide from the glare of publicity, and many media

Dominique Strauss-Kahn outlets, including Reuters, protect their identities by not revealing their names.

But Diallo, the daughter of an imam from Guinea, broke her silence in July 2011, while the criminal investigation was still active, revealing her identity in interviews to Newsweek and ABC News.

She filed her civil lawsuit just weeks before the charges were dismissed, claiming Strauss-Kahn forced her to perform oral sex and caused her physical and emotional damage.

Strauss-Kahn filed a countersuit against Diallo for defamation. He said the sexual encounter was consensual but admitted it was a “moral error.”

Cairo faces rival protests over constitution crisis

(Reuters) - Opponents and supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi’s plans to vote on a new constitution will take to the streets in central Cairo later today, risking more violent confrontation after last week’s deadly clashes.

Leftists, liberals and other opposition groups have called for marches to the presidential palace in the afternoon to protest against the hastily arranged referendum planned for Saturday, which they say is polarizing the country.

Islamists, who dominated the body that drew up the constitution, have urged their followers to turn out “in millions” the same day in a show of support for the president and for a referendum they feel sure of winning and that critics say could put Egypt in a religious straitjacket.

Seven people were killed and hundreds wounded last week in clashes between the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and opponents besieging Mursi’s graffiti-daubed presidential palace.

The elite Republican Guard has yet to use force to keep protesters away from the palace, now ringed with tanks, barbed wire and concrete barricades, but a decree issued

by Mursi late on Sunday

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi gives the armed forces the power to arrest civilians during the referendum and until the announcement of the results.

Leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahy, one of the most prominent members of the National Salvation Front opposition coalition, said Mursi was driving a wedge between Egyptians and destroying prospects for consensus.

As well as pushing the early referendum, Mursi has angered opponents by taking sweeping temporary powers he said were necessary to secure the country’s transition to stability after a popular uprising overthrew autocratic former president Hosni Mubarak 22 months ago.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Asia to surpass North America, Europe by 2030 (Reuters) - China’s economy is likely to surpass the United States in less than two decades but the Asian country is not expected to take on the superpower role of the United States in gathering coalitions to deal with global issues, U.S. intelligence analysts said on Monday.

By 2030 Asia will overtake North America and Europe combined in global power based on gross domestic product, population, military spending and technological investment, a new intelligence report said.

“China alone will probably have the largest economy, surpassing that of the United States a few years before 2030,” it said.

“Meanwhile, the economies of Europe, Japan, and Russia are likely to continue their slow relative declines.”

The report, “Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds,” was issued by the National Intelligence Council, an analytical arm of the U.S. government’s Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In addition to U.S. intelligence analysts, the report includes the views of foreign and private experts and can be seen here www.dni.gov/nic/ globaltrends.

It is the fifth report of a series - the previous one was

released in 2008 - that aims to stimulate “strategic thinking” among decision makers and not to predict the future. The reports intentionally coincide with presidential election years to offer insights on global trends to new administrations.

Despite the economic power of China, the United States is expected to retain its superpower status because it still is the only country able to pull together coalitions and mobilize efforts to deal with global challenges, analysts said.

“China isn’t going to replace the U.S. on a global level,” Mathew Burrows, counselor to the National Intelligence Council, said at a media briefing. “Being the largest economic power is important ... (but) it isn’t necessarily the largest economic power that always is going to be the superpower.”

China recognizes that it cannot play that role of organizing across regions and across state-nonstate boundaries, he said.

The health of the global economy increasingly will be linked to progress in the developing world rather than the traditional West, the report said.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION Economic growth in

emerging markets was expected to drive technological innovation and flows of companies, ideas, entrepreneurs and capital to developing countries will increase, the report said.

“During the next 15-20 years, more technological activity is likely to move to the developing world as multinationals focus on the fastest-growing emerging markets and as Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, and other emerging-economy corporations rapidly become internationally competitive,” the report said.

“Technology will continue to be the great leveler. The future Internet ‘moguls’ - as with today’s Google or Facebook -sit on mountains of data and have more real-time information at their fingertips than most governments.”

That data will enable private companies to influence behavior on as large a scale as government entities.

The widespread use of new communications technologies will mean social networking will enable citizens to join together and challenge governments, as seen in Middle East, but will also provide governments “an unprecedented ability to monitor their citizens,” the report said.

(Reuters) - EU foreign ministers, meeting the leader of the Syrian opposition yesterday, moved towards full recognition of a new coalition ahead of a diplomatic gathering aimed at bolstering aid for rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad.

In part because of concerns about the presence of radical Islamists among the rebels, the European Union did not offer full recognition to the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), as Britain and France have. The bloc also has called on the grouping to become more inclusive.

But the EU offered to “continue engaging with and to support the Coalition” as it worked towards creating “a credible alternative to the current regime” of President Bashar al-Assad.

“It is the right time to upgrade the SNC today,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters in Brussels, where foreign ministers had

gathered.

“We think it will be an important means to promote the process of erosion in the regime of Assad.”

Recent steps towards full recognition show how the formation of a united Syrian opposition has galvanized overseas support for the rebels.

Mouaz Alkhatib, a popular Damascene preacher, was in Brussels ahead of the Friends of Syria meeting scheduled for tomorrow in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to announce Washington’s backing for the new Syrian coalition at that meeting.

Alkhatib said he expected to get a decision tomorrow from the EU over whether it would recognize the coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. “This is under discussion because the European countries each have their own point of view and they are debating the

issue,” he told reporters after he left midway through the ministers’ meeting. “They will give the final answer in Marrakesh.”

The EU - whose leaders yesterday received the Nobel Peace Prize for its promotion of stability and democracy reminded Alkhatib of his responsibilities.

“The EU encourages the Coalition ... to remain committed to the respect of the principles of human rights, inclusivity, democracy and engaging with all opposition groups and all sections of Syrian civil society,” the ministers said in a statement.

Alkhatib gave them “some very clear assurances about the inclusivity of the National Coalition”, according to British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

These assurances included the coalition’s desire to represent all people living in Syria, and included references to Kurds and Christians living there, he said.

EU moves closer to full recognition of Syria opposition

POST ARAB SPRING In the Middle East, the youth who drove the Arab Spring will give way to a gradually aging population and with new technologies starting to provide the world with other sources of oil and gas, the Middle East economy will need to increasingly diversify, the report said.

The United States, one of the world’s biggest energy consumers, could become energy independent in the next two decades, the report said. “The U.S. has regained its position as the world’s largest natural gas producer and expanded the life of its reserves from 30 to 100 years due to hydraulic fracturing technology.”

But the key for the Middle East will be the political landscape.

“On the one hand, if the Islamic Republic maintains power in Iran and is able to develop nuclear weapons, the Middle East will face a highly unstable future,” the report said. “On the other hand, the emergence of moderate,

democratic governments or a breakthrough agreement to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could have enormously positive consequences.”

Islamist terrorism might end by 2030, but terrorism is unlikely to disappear completely because states may use such groups due to a “strong sense of insecurity,” the report said.

“With more widespread access to lethal and disruptive technologies, individuals who are experts in such niche areas as cyber systems might sell their

services to the highest bidder, including terrorists, who would focus less on causing mass casualties and more on creating widespread economic and financial disruptions.”

Future wars in Asia and the Middle East could include nuclear weapons, the report said.

Countries with nuclear weapons might consider exploding a device to wipe out an opponent’s ability to use electronic systems that cannot operate in a radiated environment, rather than to harm people, the report said.

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Iranian nuclear challenge must be tackled in 2013: Israel (Reuters) - Iran is getting ever closer to being able to build a nuclear bomb and the problem will have to be confronted in 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday.

Israeli officials would like the United States to take the lead in a military assault on Iran’s nuclear sites, but say in private they would go it alone if necessary, describing a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat to the Jewish state.

Speaking to foreign journalists, Netanyahu said Israel was sticking to the red line he laid down in September, when he told the United Nations Iran should not have enough enriched uranium to make even a single warhead.

“I made clear that once Iran crosses that enrichment threshold, the chances of us effectively stopping Iran’s nuclear weapons program would be reduced dramatically,” he said.

“Iran is two and a half months closer to crossing this line and there is no doubt that this will be a major challenge that will have to be

addressed next year.”

Iran denies accusations

by Israel, the United States and many Western governments that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, saying its ambitious nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.

Israeli experts have said Iran could have enriched enough uranium to produce just one bomb by the spring or summer of 2013. In an effort to deter Tehran, Western powers have imposed increasingly tough economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

“The sanctions on Iran are hurting the Iranian economy.

There is no question about that. But we have not seen any evidence that sanctions have stalled Iran’s nuclear weapons program,” Netanyahu said.

“Israel is more capable of addressing this challenge than it was when I took office four years ago,” said Netanyahu, who looks on course to win re-election in a January 22 national ballot.

Israel has one of the largest air forces in the world

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Egypt army gets temporary power to arrest civilians (Reuters) - Egypt’s government has temporarily given the military the authority to arrest civilians to help safeguard a constitutional referendum planned for Saturday, the official gazette said.

The order, gazetted late on Sunday, said the military would support police and liaise with them to protect “vital institutions” until the referendum result is declared.

referendum only,” the military source said.

“The armed forces secured polling stations during previous elections when it was in charge of the country,” the source said, referring to 16 months of army rule after Mubarak fell.

“Now the president is in charge. In order for the armed forces to be involved in securing the referendum, a law had to be issued saying so,”

democracy”.

A military source close to top officers said the statement “does not indicate any future intervention in politics”.

A military council took over after a popular revolt ended Mubarak’s 30 years of army-backed rule last year. It then handed power to Mursi, who became Egypt’s first freely elected leader in June.

The military has not intervened in the latest crisis.

The decree gave army officers the right to make arrests and transfer detainees to prosecutors.

Despite its limited nature, the edict will revive memories of Hosni Mubarak’s emergency law, also introduced as a temporary expedient, under which military or state security courts tried thousands of political dissidents and Islamist militants.

But a military source stressed that the measure, introduced by a civilian government, would have a short shelf-life.

“The latest law giving the armed forces the right to arrest anyone involved in illegal actions such as burning buildings or damaging public sites is to ensure security during the

the source added.

Presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said the committee overseeing the vote had requested the army’s assistance. “The armed forces will work within a legal framework to secure the referendum and will return (to barracks) as soon as the referendum is over,” Ali said.

On Saturday, the military urged rival political forces to solve their disputes via dialogue and said the opposite would drag the country into a “dark tunnel”, which it would not allow.

A statement issued by the military spokesman and read on state radio and television made no mention of President Mohamed Mursi, but said a solution to the political crisis should not contradict “legitimacy and the rules of

The army statement said the military’s duty was to protect national interests and secure vital state institutions.

“The armed forces affirm that dialogue is the best and only way to reach consensus,” it added. “The opposite of that will bring us to a dark tunnel that will result in catastrophe and that is something we will not allow.”

Hassan Abu Taleb of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies said Saturday’s army statement suggested the military wanted both sides to talk out their differences, but discounted the chance of direct military intervention.

“They realize that interfering again in a situation of civil combat will squeeze them between two rocks,” he said.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and is believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal.

Iran’s nuclear facilities are well protected and dotted around the vast country, posing a massive challenge to the Israeli military which does not have the reach of the United States or as powerful conventional munitions.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Police intimidate main witness in Shaquille Grant murder PI - People’s Parliament The People’s Parliament has spoken out in defence of alleged robbery under arms accused, Romel Bollers, citing the strange circumstances under which it said the star witness in the Shaquille Grant murder trial was arrested.

“They are claiming that the youth’s detention was a deliberate act to interfere and intimidate witnesses who giving evidence against murder accused, police officer Terrence Wallace.”

Bollers was placed before Magistrate Leslie Sobers last Friday for an armed robbery allegedly committed on Amrita Bacchus. The youth was placed on $100,000 bail for reportedly robbing Bacchus with an ice-pick on December 3, relieving the woman of two cellular phones. Bollers and his supporters are however contesting the circumstances under which he was arrested.

The Agricola resident said that on Wednesday last, he received a phone call at his home from a woman claiming to have a package sent to him from Trinidad and Tobago.

“She said that somebody name Jermaine send some package from Trinidad and

From left with white shirt Fredrick Kissoon, Shonette Adams, Romel Bollers, Carol Bollers and Tyrone Talbort Tobago for me. I asked her if she sure cause I don’t know anybody name Jermaine from Trinidad and Tobago,” Bollers said. Bollers said that the caller insisted that the package was for him and that he should go to the Princess Hotel to collect it. Not being positive on what was happening, Bollers said that he told the woman that his mother and sister would collect the package, but the caller insisted that he

(Bollers) should collect it.

Later that day, Bollers said he convinced the woman to meet him at the Agricola entrance where he could uplift the item. As he walked to the main road, Bollers recollected seeing the Bagotstown woman whom he recognized, standing on the four-lane road, getting onto her cell phone.

The next thing he noticed was a police van and police officers starting to advance

him with guns drawn. Bollers said he became fearful and turned back into Agricola.

When he heard guns cocked, he said he took off running, taking refuge in the nearby primary school. With guns still drawn, Bollers said the police stormed into the school.

Some teachers from whom he sought aid placed their hands in the air and said, “Officers don’t shoot, don’t shoot.” With that, Bollers said

he was arrested and placed in the police jeep.

The youth said knowing that he is the star witness in the murder case, he informed ranks that he was scheduled to appear in the Shaquille Grant murder matter the following day.

He however said he was ignored and thus missed the court session. In a special press meeting at the Red Thread Headquarters on Princes Street, the People’s Parliament condemned the police action calling it victimization and insisting that it was a “Disturbing and dangerous turn,” in the Shaquille Grant murder PI. Romel Bollers’s mother, Carol Bollers, said that the caller had been calling her home for prolonged periods trying to contact her son. She said she has no idea how the woman got her home number, but she declined to identify herself.

Political and Human Rights activist, Fredrick Kissoon, said that the police action does not seat well with justice and the rule of law. He suggested that the incident is threatening the integrity of the Grant murder trial.

Shonette Adams, Shaquille Grant’s mother, opined that the police are trying to kill the murder case by driving fear into the witnesses in order to have them abstain from court.

Another witness, Jamal Henry, she said, expressed fear for his life and has stopped attending the court hearings.

Tyrone Talbort, another member of People’s Parliament called on relevant stakeholders to condemn the police actions. He charged that people’s human rights were being jeopardized by being police targets. No citizen he said should have to adjust their actions or behaviour because of police harassment.

Those protesting the police’s action believe that the act was no coincidence.

They are convinced that the ranks acted in accordance to orders of top ranking persons. Bollers however said that he is not fearful of the police; he said he just wishes that he could be comfortable when walking the streets. Bollers is expected back at Providence Court of December 28.

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Tuesday December 11, 2012

14-year-old rape victim cries out for assistance ...identifies sister’s boyfriend as perpetrator A 14- year- old girl of Number 59 Village on the Corentyne wants help. On Friday she related a horrible tale of being raped two nights earlier by her sister’s boyfriend. She said that the incident occurred in their kitchen.

Further, the 28-year-old male threatened the young lady that he would not marry her sister if she tells anyone about the incident. He is scheduled to get married soon to her 17- year- old sister, a union the girl stated would bring financial stability to the family.

The teen (name given), who was crying throughout the interview, alleged that the male (name, phone number and address given) visited the home around 20:00 hrs while her parents and sister were out Thursday evening, and made sexual advances towards her.

“First, he walked up and he come and hold me. Then I told him to leave me and he squeezed my mouth and he pushed me down and haul out me clothes and he forced himself on me in the kitchen,” the young lady said.

She said that her mother

was out with her sister and her father was out painting someone’s house. “After he left, I bathed and told my mom and she told me not to tell anyone…He had already told me if I talk, he won’t marry my sister”.

The child then telephoned the Number 51 Police Station, just a few blocks away but she alleged that her efforts were in vain since there was no response. There was no one there sympathetic enough to lend her an ear.

“I called them last night (Thursday night) at Number 51 and a lady police told me she coming just now and unto now, she never come…I told them that my sister‘s boyfriend came to my house and he forced himself on me”.

The girl is crying out for attention and help in the matter. She is also threatening suicide since no one seems prepared to do something about her plight. She noted that the male would visit the home often to see her sister but he never made any advances prior to Thursday.

“My sister likes him but if she likes him, what he got to do that to me for?” she cried.

“I feel disgust! I feel like a

slut!” she stated. “My mom, daddy everybody knows but no one wants to talk”.

Kaieteur News has since informed a female rank at the Number 51 Police Station on Friday, who promised to “inform the Senior Officer in Charge”. Further checks with the station on Saturday, Sunday and yesterday (MONDAY) did not provide any information that anything was really being done about the matter.

No officer was really prepared to say if any followup was done after this newspaper informed them about the matter on Friday.

This newspaper was also not sure whether the police did make contact with the child.

When KN once again contacted the Number 51 Police station on Monday, the unnamed rank who answered the telephone could not say if anything has been done about the report made on Friday. “I don’t really know, you know”, he said.

He then referred this newspaper to the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam and stated that he has “no knowledge of any such report”.

Postmortem confirms Berbice caneharvester died from fractured skull Dead: Troy Liverpool

Troy Liverpool, the cane harvester who died around 00:15hr on Friday, days after being struck down by a policeman on the Corentyne died from a fractured skull and internal bleeding in the brain.

This was confirmed yesterday during an autopsy

by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh.

Kaieteur News understands that Liverpool’s brain was swollen and the bleeding was excessive.

Liverpool, 38, of Lot 22 Queen Street, Courtland Village, Corentyne was reportedly struck from behind while walking with the mother

of his child on the Fyrish Public Road in Berbice. The driver was identified as Inspector Michael Grant, who is also a prosecutor on the Upper Corentyne.

There are reports that after the accident, Grant attempted to drive away but was stopped by angry onlookers, who forced him to return to the scene. The officer was placed under close arrest and the day before Liverpool passed away, he was transferred to the Brickdam Police Station.

According to Liverpool’s family members, neither the police officer nor his family

ever visited them and offered their condolences.

Ann Crandon, the dead man’s aunt, and other reliable sources claimed that the rank was transferred to the Brickdam Police Station and is working “General Duty.”

However, when Kaieteur News contacted the Police Commissioner, Leroy Brumell for a comment, he said “Police don’t fire officers just like that.”

According to Brumell, the matter is being investigated and when the investigation is completed a file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution for advice.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

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PUC’s role likely to widen with impending telecoms legislations – Justice Persaud ...but limited clout could bring back monopoly With the possible passage of a Telecommunications Act and an Amended Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Act in the National Assembly, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Justice Prem Persaud, is eyeing a challenging year ahead.

However, Justice Persaud, during an interview, yesterday, insisted that the PUC is prepared for the challenge. As a consumeroriented body, the Commission’s functions are currently of a regulatory, investigatory and enforcement nature.

It also has the power to undertake other functions as conferred on it by the existing PUC Act but according to Justice Persaud “we are waiting to see what the new legislations would be to see what clout we will have in them.”

He anticipates though that the PUC will have a more

extended supervisory role once the legislations evolve, allowing for open competition in the telecommunication sector.

As a result he expects that the Commission will have to embrace an even more efficient mode of operation.

The anticipated legislations are designed to govern the operations of the telephone service providers – the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (landline and mobile) and Digicel Guyana (mobile).

At the moment GT&T has the monopoly on the service, a state of affairs which will be remedied with the passing of the Bills needful to reform the sector.

Although a ruling of the High Court earlier this year declared that the GT&T held monopoly is both unlawful and invalid, Justice Persaud warned that the PUC remains the only authorised body to pronounce on unfair

PUC Chairman, Justice Prem Persaud competition.

It was with this in mind he related that the PUC was forced to have Digicel withdraw a promotion following the ruling which saw it slashing international calling rates by 80 per cent.

“As a result of the ruling Digicel decided to introduce certain rates which would have breached our order...we had to let them know that if they want to reduce their rates below a certain point they have to come to us. Despite

President’s College teaching void to be filled with CPCE graduates - REdO Plans are apace to strengthen the teaching capacity of one of Guyana’s senior secondary institutions, President’s College, in the wake of recent complaints purportedly made by parents and students.

This is according t o Regional Education Officer (REdO), Ms Barbara Andrews, who without admitting that there was a void, said that vacancies will be effectively filled when the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) graduates a number of teachers later this month.

Based on a missive published in last Wednesday’s Edition of this newspaper entitled ‘A worrying situation at President’s College’ which was supposedly authored by parents and students attached to the institution.

Students of fourth through sixth forms have been without teachers for the subject areas of English A and B, Biology as well as Communication Studies.

Referring to the lack of teachers as “a matter of grave concern” the author(s) of the letter insisted that the situation is rather frustrating and requires intervening measures.

“We are at the end of the school term and still some classes are without important teachers…” the missive outlined.

It adds, too, that

“They (students) might have had a teacher in third form but at this crucial time some fourth and fifth formers have not had instruction for the year so far and no one seems to care.

“Efforts were made to speak with the Principal but this one is perpetually busy or not there. Never seen a Principal so busy who cannot attend to the concerns of the students.

She, as a History teacher, is also, guilty of not fulfilling her classes.”

It was further highlighted that there are “lots of things that are out of place there and I hope that the authorities can do something about it.

Noticeable is decline in discipline not only with the teachers but the children.

Just walk in the compound between 9:00am and 4:00 pm.”

Several efforts by this publication to contact the Principal of the institution to offer a comment on the reported state of affairs were met with claims by her Secretary that “the Principal is busy…She is at lunch…She is in a meeting.”

However, speaking to this publication via telephone the REdO revealed that while there are such reports of teacher shortage at the secondary education institution, the school has been furnished with teachers

year-round even though some might have been recruited for temporary placement.

She anticipates that “almost all” of the existing vacancies of the school could be filled from the expected graduated batch of CPCE teachers.

As such, the possibility exists that teachers could be brought on board through the services of the Te a c h i n g Services Commission which is tasked with promoting, placing and disciplining teachers.

Andrews said that a document regarding the need for teachers for the Region was being prepared on Thursday in order to be sent to Central Ministry.

Commenting on the matter too, Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, said that based on his knowledge there have been adequate teachers at the educational institution. However, he noted that if there was any worrying shortage the board-governed school has the latitude to advertise and hire teachers.

He disclosed that the school like any other school will be eligible for new appointments when the New Year commences.

Through the services of the TSC teachers are usually appointed during the months of January and September.

what the Courts rule the law is still there that you are still under the PUC...” he insisted.

Currently there are fixed ceiling and flooring rates prescribed by the PUC, guiding the operations of the two entities. The companies are allowed to offer rates between $7 and $32 but the average rate currently charged by both is about $20.

“They can fix their rates for whatever purpose that they want provided they stay within that space,” Justice Persaud disclosed.

Aside from the Digicel’s slashing rate incident, the Chairman said that “there was fair competition over the past

year so there was no other intervention...We are always watching them especially the promotions.”

He speculated that with the ending of the existing monopoly consumers are likely to benefit considerably from various plans and programmes which are expected to come into play.

H o wever, if the new legislations do not allow the PUC clout to ensure fixed rates, Justice Persaud opined that a possible monopoly could again loom.

Without the power to influence rates “what can happen is that a very prosperous company can come in and

reduce the rates to about $1...that company may reduce its rates to such an extent that another company cannot compete; so one can run the other out of business and raise back its rate then bring back into effect a monopoly.”

It is for this reason, he explained, that the year ahead could prove to be a challenge since diligent efforts will have to be made by the PUC to oversee with a view of ensuring that undue advantage is not taken by one company on the other.

“We have to be after them, checking their records and files and receive and deal with complaints vigilantly...”

Psychiatric evaluation ordered for man who attacked schoolboy Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, today, ordered a psychiatric evaluation for John Williams, the man who allegedly attacked Kenneth David, a 15-year-old student of the Brickdam Secondary School.

Williams responded to his name but when given an opportunity to plead to the charge, the accused stood in the dock and shook his head as if to nod a negative answer.

As such a not guilty plea was recorded for him.

The man who appeared to be in a daze stood silently in the dock throughout the remainder of the hearing. He is scheduled to return to court on Monday December 17.

Earlier last month the teenager escaped with his life following a vicious attack by the mentally challenged man outside Parliament Building.

According to reports, David was walking along Brickdam, just outside the Parliament Building with his younger brother when, without

warning, he came under attack by Williams.

David, of Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara, received several sutures to close two lacerations to wounds he sustained in his head during the attack while he was on his way to school.

The incident, which according to eyewitnesses was unprovoked, has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many who are now calling for urgent action to remove persons of unsound mind from the streets.

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Tuesday December 11, 2012

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Guides are subjected to change without notice

Tuesday December 11, 2012 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You might pursue the path that appears to engage less conflict, even if you’re willing to handle the intensity of your feelings. Although you are tempted to choose the easy way out, you probably won’t be able to enjoy yourself until you address an unresolved emotional issue.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A coworker or friend may react strongly to your stubbornness today, but an unexpected confrontation might not make much of a difference.

Keeping your emotional turmoil to yourself makes the situation easier to manage.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You don’t need to wait until the end of the year to make a resolution. In fact, an important decision today could set you on a positive course that significantly improves your lifestyle.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your tenacity is one of your greatest strengths, so don’t be afraid to hold on to a feeling that’s important to you now.

This need for emotional security can be the basis for enduring love, especially if you tend to worry about changes you cannot control.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) If it feels like you’re running into an immovable wall of emotion, don’t think that you can crash your way through the resistance today.

Navigating relationships isn’t about getting your way; it’s about recognizing someone else’s desire to participate in controlling the course of events.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your highly focused passion can be a real lifesaver today because you don’t have a lot of time to waste.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may feel as if you’re caught between your desire to be real now and your natural tendency to put others at ease.

However, your emotions continue to deepen today, even if you try to gloss over any unexpressed negativity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Be as natural as you can today, rather than trying to fit yourself into someone else’s expectations. With so many planets currently in your emotional sign, it’s crucial to express yourself as clearly as possible.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You may be on the edge of spiritual renewal as rational Mercury enters your philosophical sign today, followed by the Moon tomorrow.

But this metaphysical reawakening doesn’t require you to go to church or practice specific rituals.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may start off fairly certain about what’s happening, but grow less sure of yourself as the day continues. Even a little dance with doubt can make it progressively more difficult to separate your fantasies from your perceptions.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You should be able to maintain a clear perspective on your current reality now as long as you concentrate on outer events. It’s always wise to set goals and focus on accomplishing them.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The thought of embarking on a trip is quite enticing now and you may be intent on finding a way to escape your responsibilities.

However, you’re less concerned about actually going anywhere in the present moment; you are happy just planning for the future.

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‘Scores Even’ scores another thumping victory Jumbo Jet Stable flies away with c/ship honours with five victories

Connections of the Simple Royal racing stable celebrate the Score’s Even victory after claiming the Good Wood Racing Service trophy and $1M prize in the feature B class event.

By Samuel Whyte The Score’s Even owned

by Dennis De Roop of the Simple Royal Stable continues to distance itself from the rest of the field as it truly stakes its claim as one of the top racehorses in the country with another impressive victory to win the feature B class event when the Bush Lot United Turf Club held their race meet at the Club’s entity, Sea View Park, Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice.

In front of an appreciative crowd, Score’s Even, a Kentucky bred animal from the United States, once again ridden by veteran Jockey Desmond Ramkissoon, showed its opponents who is the boss for its second consecutive win and third victory in six starts.

Victory was sweet but not as easy for the champion horse as Score’s Even had to endure a grueling and testing time from California Strike of the Shariff Stable with Jockey Colin Ross on mount. From the start of the race it was evident that the two animals would have distanced themselves from the rest of the field in the 1500M event.

The race started at a blistering pace as the two animals went after each other early and continued throughout at a searing pace with the lead changing hands constantly. Score’s Even made a move coming in to

the homestretch as it went to full throttle and opened a slight lead which it maintained till the end with California Strike having none of it and chasing all the way to the finishing line. The Score’s Even took $1M and the Goodwood Racing Service trophy with Marathon Man and Grande De Roja rounded out the money.

The Shariff stable had things its way in the D3 and lower 1200M event as it scuttled away with the top two positions as Diamond Dazzling ridden by Blake and Dubai Duchess with Ross in control taking top honours. The win was worth $500,000 and the Banks DIH Trophy with Rena Del Café and Home Bush baby placing third and fourth.

The Jumbo Jet stable took charge in the Three year old 1500M event with Serenity ridden by Rad Drepaul winning from stable mate Rosetta to take the $450,000 and the F. Yunas family trophy up for offer with Red Cloud third.

It’s My Turn with Rad Drepaul on mount took its turn in winning the $350,000 first prize and the Dennis De Roop trophy in the Two year old 1000M event for Guyana and West Indies bred horses from stable mate Silver Jet with Junior in another one two for the Jumbo Jet connections from Ameera’s Joy and The Wild Grinder.

The winning ways

continued for the Jumbo Jet connections when Appealing Harvest ridden by Junior rode away with the G class 1000M race in a close finish from Traditional man, Damascus Dream and Captain Crook. The win was worth $300,000 and the Da Silva Family Trophy.

She So Special also of the Jumbo Jet stable with Junior again in the saddle was in winners row in the Two year old Guyana bred

Melissa Chattergoon (right) and connections of the Jumbo Jet stable receives the Dennis DeRoop trophy in the Three year old event for Serenity’s win.

1000M event, winning from Silent Night and Easy to win, taking away the $200,000 and Innovative Construction trophy.

There was another win for the Jumbo Jet stable as I Want Revenge again with Junior winning in the ‘I’ class 1000M gallop taking the $170,000 top money and RRT Enterprise trophy from Mona Lisa, East To win and Pixie Fire.

Pixie Fire of the

Manroop stable blazed to victory in the J class 1400Mrace ahead of McGyver 11, Mr Cool and Summer Breezer for the win worth $150,000 and the Chichester family trophy.

The K class 1000M event with a first prize of $80,000 was won by Sugar Boy of the Sooklall stable.

The Jumbo Jet racing stable came big with five wins to fly away with the champion stable accolade

with Jockey Junior riding away with the champion jockey award; they were rewarded compliments of Tr o p h y S t a l l , B o u r d a Market.

Over 80 horses took part in the day’s activity with some $7M in prizes and trophies up for grabs.

The day’s activity was incident free with the police coming in for special commendation for doing an excellent job.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

CSA to appoint Black African selector Cricinfo - Cricket South Africa will soon - possibly as early as next year - appoint a black African selector in accordance with their transformation policy, in an attempt to better represent the country’s demographics.

South Africa’s population is more than 80% black African but they are largely underrepresented in cricket.

“We want to transform and reflect the demographic of our country as best as possible. A black African selector is needed to help address representation on all levels, which includes management,” Jacques Faul, acting CSA chief executive told ESPNCricinfo.

He clarified that the move should not be seen as one which will push the case for black players only. “Just as white selectors don’t only select white players, so would black selectors not only select black players,” Faul said.

ESPNCricinfo understands that former fast bowler Makhaya Ntini is the frontrunner for the position, even after his criticism of the

team make-up ahead of the Australia tour. Ntini was quoted saying reserve wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile would have played for the national team if he was white, but Tsolekile brushed off the remarks. Despite being nationally contracted in February and identified as the replacement to Mark Boucher, Tsolekile has not played a Test because AB de Villiers has been promoted to the role of the permanent keeper.

In Perth, South Africa played their 200th Test since readmission but in that time, only five black Africans have represented the country.

Of those, Ntini played 101 Tests but the other four: Mfuneko Ngam, Monde Zondeki, Tsolekile and Lonwabo Tsotsobe have less than 20 between them and South Africa have not fielded a single black African in Test cricket in the past year.

It is a record CSA wants to change. “I don’t think people realise what a big gap Ntini left when he retired from international cricket. He was a great role model and

- Makhaya Ntini likely to be frontrunner obvious choice for the Test team,” Faul said. “It is important for us to improve on this statistic. We hope that in the next 200 Tests we will be able to do that.”

CSA does not enforce a quota system but state in their policy they intend to make cricket a “truly national game.” They fund an academy at the University of Fort Hare which Ngam runs, exclusively for black African cricketers to further that aim.

Ntini was due to start an academy in the Mdantsane township in the Eastern Cape for the same purpose but has not been able to secure sufficient funding to get the project off the ground.

Failed endeavours like that are what CSA hopes to avoid in future. Their transformation policy thus “recognises the fact that, although now all South Africans are equal under the constitution, serious inequalities still exist in terms of creating opportunities and

providing facilities and adequate coaching for cricketers of colour. The transformation charter carries the responsibility of capacity building in all communities and thus making cricket a truly national game.”

Faul said CSA are encouraged by the “black African talent within the franchise system.” Players such as batsman Khaya Zondo from the Dolphins Temba Bavuma, left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso from the Lions and wicketkeeper batsman Mangaliso Mosehle from the Titans are on the national radar, with Phangiso likely to be picked in the Twenty20 squad to play New Zealand.

The new selector will not be in place in time to pick those squads, though. South Africa are expected to name their T20 and Test squad for the New Zealand series on Thursday.

Makhaya Ntini, the former South Africa fast bowler, is likely to be the frontrunner for the selection panel position © Getty Images

Banks Beer / GFA KO Cup

Kwakwani Strikers, Eagles United advance to next round in preliminary phase After waiting for some amount of positive vibration in local football which has been reeling from a plethora of negative vibes, fans converged in their thousands to witness the start of competition in this year’s Banks Beer / Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Knockout Cup which opened on Sunday evening with a double header, at the GFC ground.

When the dust settled after the completion of the two matches, Kwakwani Strikers (RUSAL) and Eagles United advanced to round two of the preliminary phase after registering wins over Banks All Stars and Victoria Kings respectively.

The two will now clash in the undercard of another double header slated for tomorrow at the same venue with the winner set to clinch one of two spots available to enter the main draw in the tournament. In the feature clash, Ann’s Grove All Stars will do battle with Botofago of Linden.

The opening encounter saw Kwakwani Strikers (Rusal) led by a 69th minute strike from Ronald Christopher beat Banks All Stars by the lone goal.

Both teams squandered several opportunities to take the lead and the half time whistle sounded with the game balanced at nil-all and fans expecting a better second period display.

However, once again, both teams failed to take advantage of the near chances, before Christopher netted the solitary goal of the encounter.

In the second match of the evening, it was a case of youth versus experience when underdogs Eagles United clashed with Victoria Kings with the youthful unit from Region 10 taking it to their opponents from the East Coast of Demerara, Victoria Kings who they eventuall defeated 2-1.

From the time the referee’s whistle sounded, Eagles United displayed superior technical skills and executed some good passes, while Victoria Kings lacked the usual synchronicity and had to depend on their greater experience to wather the early onslaught.

Nevertheless, they did capitalize on the lone opportunity that came their way when Aubrey Gibson caught the Eagled United goalkepper off guard and

booted in the game’s first goal in the 55th minute.

Undaunted by the setback, Eagles United continued to attach in search of the equaliser and got it through Randy Small in the 69th minute.

Small’s goal came courtesy of a free kick they had won.

Eleven minutes later Allister Johnson scored their second goal and even though Victoria Kings worked relentlessly for the equaliser they were unable to find an equalizer despite their best efforts.

Eight teams are contesting the preliminary rounds and two will join the fourteen other teams in the knockout round.

The others are: Sunburst Camptown, Houston Stars, Gerogetown Football Club (GFC), Northern Rangers, Santos, University of Guyana, Riddim Squad, Beacon, Fruta Conquerors, Flamingo, Black Pearl, Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Net Rockers.

The round of sixteen kicks off on Sunday, at the GCC Ground, Bourda right after the opening ceremony.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Manny Pacquiao will not give up boxing, despite pleas from family

Manny Pacquiao is ignoring pleas from his mother and wife to stop boxing (Getty Images) Manny Pacquiao is ignoring pleas from his mother and wife to stop boxing following his defeat

by Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez.

The former eight-division world champion was knocked out by Marquez in the sixth round of their non-title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Pacquiao, 33, listened to his wife Jinkee and mother Dionisia make tearful appeals for the Filipino to quit. But he said: “I’m looking forward to a rest and then I’ll be back to fight.”

The defiant stance is at odds with the wishes of his wife Jinkee. In a television interview she said: “When you see your husband get

hurt, you cannot even sleep.”

And when asked if she wanted her husband to retire from boxing, she said: “You know the answer to that. He knows what I am asking him.”

Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia made a separate appeal to her son, asking him to give up boxing and concentrate on his other interests - including his work as a congressman, hosting a television game show and Bible preaching. “I have long asked you son, it is time to retire because you started boxing at such a young age. I always pray that he will stop.

I asked God to tell my son to stop,” she said.

Pacquiao, who started fighting professionally at the

age of 16, insists his defeat was not a sign of a decline in his ability. He added: “I am OK. I just got over-confident in this fight. That is part of the game - sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

The knockout was Pacquiao’s second successive defeat after a controversial loss to Timothy Bradley in June. That was his first defeat in seven years and came despite the Filipino fighter landing 94 more punches.

Mexican Marquez, 39, floored Pacquiao to record his first win over the Filipino in their four-match rivalry.

Pacquiao had won the previous two encounters, with one drawn.

Andrew Wong wins motorcycle on offer at Grass Track Race Meet Andrew Wong (right) displays the motorcycle.

Several weeks of competitive motorcycle Grass Track racing at venues countrywide culminated with Andrew Wong emerging victorious when the final stage of the Grass Track Race Meet Series concluded at the Cane Grove Neighborhood Democratic Council Ground Sunday afternoon.

Wong, sponsored by El Dorado Trading, under the

management of Bobby Rasul, for his efforts claimed the 2012 model of a 125CC Yamaha, 2stroke motorcycle after defeating a field of 5 other racers including Andy Rajkarran, Vassie Barry, Peter Toolsie and Jerry DaSilva.

The motorcycle was donated by Neil Persaud of NGRC club of the United States.

Over the weeks of activity, the riders competed at

several venues including the Good Fortuin Community Centre Ground WCD, the Cane Grove Community Centre Ground ECD, Mahaica Community Centre Ground ECD, Hampton Court Essequibo and the Cane Grove Neighborhood Democratic Council Ground.

The competitors were required to compete over 10 laps at each of the meets.

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FIFA responds to Lumumba The World Governing body for football FIFA has responded to a letter written to that entity by Odinga Lumumba, President of Alpha United FC and Presidential Advisor to the Government on Empowerment.

The letter which was copied to the CONCACAF, the GFF and GFA was sent by FIFA Deputy General Secretary, Markus Kattner.

Following is the full text of the letter dated December 4, captioned: Current situation of football in Guyana.

Dear Sir, we refer to the matter of the reference and acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated 20, November 2012, the content of which received our full attention.

First and foremost, we thank you for your profound concern in the current situation involving the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Georgetown Football association (GFA) and for your efforts in attempting to bring harmony to Guyanese football.

In this respect, we inform you that FIFA is aware of the concerns and vision in bringing a prompt resolution to the matter.

However and in relation to your envisaged proposal to single-handedly set an ultimatum for the involved parties to resolve their differences, we must draw your attention to the following points. * In accordance with art. 10 of the FIFA Statutes, the GFF has been admitted by FIFA as the sole Association responsible for organizing and supervising football in Guyana.

This principle is embodied in arts. 1 and 2 of the GFF constitution; * In accordance with art. 13 of the FIFA Statutes, the GFF is bound to comply with the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions

of FIFA and must ensure that its own members comply with such Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions. This principle is embodied in art. 12 of the GFF Constitution; * In accordance with art. 18 of the FIFAStatutes, leagues or any other groups affiliated to a member of FIFA shall be subordinate to and recognized by that member. This principle is clearly embodied in art. 16 of the GFF Constitution. * In accordance with art. 7 of the FIFA Statutes, all officials must observe the Statutes, regulations, decisions and Code of Ethics of FIFA in their activities. This principle is embodied in art. 6 of the GFF Constitution.

In view of the cited legal precepts and in earnest of the preservation of due process and hierarchical order in the administration of football in Guyana, we strongly recommend not proceeding with the intended course of action described in your sent correspondence, as it may bring adverse results and consequences that may ultimately hinder any resolution of the situation in Guyana.

Please be informed that FIFA and CONCACAF are currently working in bringing together all involved parties with the view of finding an amicable and prompt resolution to this present matter and are planning a joint mission to Guyana in early January 2013 with that aim. We thank you for your attention to the above.

Yours Sincerely, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Markus Kattner Deputy General Secretary CC: CONCACAF, GFF, GFA

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

GCA\Noble House Sea Foods second division 2 day tourney

Watkins stars as GDF beat MSC by 169 runs - GNIC, MYO chalked wins

Marcus Watkins Guyana Defence Force defeated Malteenoes SC by 169 runs when the Georgetown Cricket Association\ Noble House Sea Foods 2nd division 2 day competition continued last weekend.

At GYO, GDF in their first innings managed 227 before they were bowled out in 34 overs. Terry Fraser 76, Randy Lindore 29 and Travis Blyden 25 were their leading batsmen as Antonell Atwell grabbed 6-58.

MSC in their first innings could only muster 166 in 39 overs. Atwell top scored with 58 while Jimol Norton supported with 48. Jeremiah Harris picked up 3-38, while there were 2 wickets apiece for

Raja Aaron and Dennis Legay.

GDF then declared their second innings on 207-3 after facing 29 overs. Watkins was their leading run scorer with 94(15x4,3x6), Francis Mendonca chipped in with 26 and Blyden 25. Atwell took 369 to end with match figures of 9-127. Set 269 for victory, MSC were bowled out for 89 in 20 overs. Aaron 3-10, Legay 3-12 and Harris 2-15 were the main wicket takers for the winners.

Scores GDF 227 and 207-3 declared, MSC 166 and 89 all out.

At GNIC, the host defeated Transport Sports Club by 102 runs. GNIC took first strike and were bowled out for 67. Devoughn Nandan, Ewart Samuels and Clyde Hoyte picked up 2 wickets each. Keron Morris ensured TSC took first innings points with a fighting 46 but no other batsman offered resistance as TSC fell

for 117 in 31 overs in their first innings. Sookdeo Premchand snared 5-56, while Jermin Grovesnor captured 3-13 and Orlando Kurten 2-9.

GNIC posted 253 all out in 60 overs, batting a second time. Warren Green made 47 and was supported by Earl Brown 44, Andrew Chung 29, Grovesnor 26, Premchand 25 and Jason Melville 21. Offspinner Azim Azeez was the pick of the bowlers with 5-30 and Joshua Wilson claimed 350.

TSC needed 203 for victory fell for 102 in 24.1 overs. Hoyte showed some fight with 23 as Grovesnor bagged 5-41 and Rawl Murrel grabbed 4-47.

Scores: GNIC 67 and 253; TSC 117 and 102.

At MYO, the home team got the better of GYO by 241 runs. MYO batted first and rattled up 234-9 declared in 48 overs. Asraf Ali led the batting with 75, while Richard

Latiff contributed 59 and Abdool Kumar 24. M. Sultan and N. Dhanraj had 2 wickets each. GYO in response were bowled out for 138 in 38 overs with D. Kowren scoring 56 and R. Hoyte 27. Naveed Ali was the chief destroyer with 4-28, Saheed Gittens had 3-47 and Latiff 2-28. In their second innings MYO declared on 210-9. Gittens slammed 75 and was ably supported by Asraf Ali 51 and Latiff 24. M. Sultan grabbed 5-27. Set 307 to win the game GYO were skittled for 65 in

19.5 overs. Shafeek Ishmile captured 4-8 and Imtiaz Pooran 206.

Scores: MYO 234-9 declared and 210-9 declared; GYO 138 and 65.

At YMCA, Everest took first innings from Third Class.

Everest batted first and managed 194 all out in 54 overs. Ryan Dhanraj scored 69 and Kevin Ramdeen 64 as Trevor Hussain and Alvin Castello snared 3 wickets apiece while Samuel Mohabir took 2-25. Third Class in their first turn at the crease were

bowled out 131 in 54.5 overs.

Govinda Muniram scored 43 and Andrea O’Neal made 42 as left arm spinner Javed Rasheed captured 6-67 and Ramdeen 4-16.

Everest declared their second innings at 80-6 in 16 overs. Ramdeen led with 34 and Steve Ramdass 27. Castello and Samuel Mohabir claimed 2 wickets each. At stumps on the final day, Third Class in pursuit of 143 managed to secure a draw scoring 66 but not before 6 wickets fell in 9 overs.

(Zaheer Mohamed)

Banks Malta Supreme Cycle Road Race set for Berbice this Sunday

Sales and Marketing Manager Joshua Torrezao hands over Check to Captain Neil Reece while Coach Randolph Roberts looks on Cyclists in Berbice will once again have a chance to test their mettle on Sunday 15th December when the Flying Ace Cycling club teams up with beverage giants Banks DIH Limited to stage the inaugural Banks Malta Supreme 40-mile cycle road race.

The sponsorship amount was handed over on Friday last at the Banks DIH Berbice head office at Main and New Street, New Amsterdam.

Doing the honours at the simple presentation ceremony was Berbice Sales

Manager Joshua Torrezao. He stated that sponsoring the race is part of the company continued assistance in giving back to the community especially at the festive season.

This is the second cycle race being sponsored by the company for Berbice cyclists in collaboration with the FACC following the successful staging of the ‘Aqua Mist’ race earlier this year.

The Malta Supreme is a new product on the market and the organizers plans to

Crawford is GCU & SA President

Shannon Crawford was elected as President of the Georgetown Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association when the body held its Annual General Meeting recently at CCWU. Nigel Dugid is the Vice President, while the Secretary is Arleigh Rutherford. Eddie Nicholls will serve as the Treasurer and Montgomery Chester the Assistant

Secretary Treasurer. Heuvel Cunha will perform duties of the Public Relations Officer.

Ryan Banwari, Hortence Isaacs, Delvin Austin and Colin Stuart are the committee members.

In a brief remark Secretary of the Association, Rutherford said they are looking forward to build on the foundation laid by the past executive.

make this an annual event.

The race will ride off from in front of Banks DIH New Amsterdam Branch at Main and New Streets in New Amsterdam and proceed to Adventure on the Corentyne before returning to its place of origin.

Prizes will be awarded to the first six finishers in the open category, while the first two juniors, the first two females, first veteran and first four beginners will be rewarded.

The female cyclists will cover ten miles, while all the others will go the full distance.

Coordinator and Coach of the club, Randolph Roberts, thanked Banks DIH for their continued assistance especially towards the FACC. Roberts also took the opportunity to thank other sponsors and donors who would have assisted the club through the year including Water Chris Hotel, Guyana Beverage Company, Hand in hand, Kings Jewelry World, the Guyana Police Force, A. Ally and Sons, Furniture World and Stretch ‘D’ Dollar Supermarket among others.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 37

McDonald wins but charities benefit as GASP stages ‘Scrabblers Give Back,’ tournament National Scrabble Champion, Abigail McDonald led from the front when she scored an impeccable 6 points with a positive spread of 405 to emerge at the top of the heap when the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) staged ‘Scrabblers Give Back,’ a tournament organized to raise and donate said funds to two local charitable organizations.

McDonald was in full flow, defeating newly elected President, Leon Belony (47) Grace Hercules (67) and James Krakowsky (43) during the pre-lunch period before coming back in the post lunch period to clean up her predecessor, Fred Collins (96), Yvonne Murray (33) and Wayne Cave (120).

Belony rebounded from the loss to McDonald to register victories against Michael Benjamin (164), Orlando Michael (88), Cave (96), Collins (205) and Grace Hercules (10). Murray also started her day on a positive note, defeating Benjamin by 74 points. She then surrendered the second game to Cave (41) before ending the pre-lunch sessions with a 49 spread victory over Hercules.

Colin Chichester was her first post-lunch victim (20) before

the loss to McDonald. She then closed off the day with a crunching defeat of Collins (162). She also clinched the prize for the best player outside of the top ten rankings.

Despite the competitiveness of the tournament, the players were actually focused on the development of residents of two orphanages, the Plaisance based St John’s Bosco Boy’s Orphanage and the St Ann’s Girl’s Home, Thomas Street, Georgetown.

Meanwhile, the players were able to accrue more than $60,000 along with toiletries and other items which were handed over at a simple ceremony at the tournament venue after the activities had concluded. “We make a living from what we get but we make a life from what we give,” quoted Secretary/ Treasurer, Prudence Edwards as she handed over the money accrued from the venture to Sister Denise Lyttle and Sheila Profitt, the representatives of the two beneficiaries, St John’s Bosco Boy’s Orphanage and the St Ann’s Girl’s Home, respectively. “This is a donation from our hearts,” concluded Ms Edwards even

GASP members and executives join Mr. Belony (2nd right) after the handing over ceremony.

Also in photo are Denise Lyttle and Sheila Profitt (2nd & 3rd right). Ms McDonald is 5th right. as she indicated that the GASP executives wished to make the activity a yearly occurrence.

“Christmas is associated with the birth of Jesus Christ and is a season for giving,” exhorted Ms McDonald. “We at the GASP, though of varied beliefs and spiritual adaptations have a common urge to give. We will be incorporating the efforts of

GCA\Hadi’s 1st division 2 day cricket

Mohamed 7wkt haul, Chandreka’s century give Everest first innings points Off spinner Zaheer Mohamed snared 7-43, while opener Rajendra Chandreka stroked an unbeaten century as Everest grabbed first innings points from host Georgetown Cricket Club when the latest round of matches in the Georgetown Cricket Association\ Hadi’s 1st division 2 day tournament finished last weekend.

GCC in their first innings were bowled out for 144 in 58 overs. Alex Ramalho top scored with 35 while Almando Doman made 34 and Jitendra Sookdeo 29. Mohamed proved almost unplayable, Picking up 7-43.

Everest in their first innings declared on 350-7 in 77 overs. Chandreka slammed 124 (13x4)and got support from Ryan Ramdass 53(7x4), Troy Gonsalves 51(8x4), Mohamed 37, Dianand Roopnarine 37 and Tagenarine Chanderpaul 23.

Raj Nanan took 3-92.

GCC in their second innings finished on 186-6.

Gavin Singh led with 86 while

Rajendra Chandreka Doman made 56 not out; Mohamed picked up 2-35 to end with match figures of 978 as the game finished as a drawn encounter.

At GYO, the host defeated TSC by 162 runs.

GYO in their first innings made 164-9 declared with Earl James top scoring with 68 and Wayne Narine 50. Kevin Ross snared 6-52. The visitors were then skittled out for 73 in response. Joshua Ram made

27 as Earl James grabbed 7-17 and Wazeer Mohamed 2-10.

GYO in their second turn at the crease declared on 1626. James showed his all round ability with a top score of 96; Ross continued his fine showing with the ball by capturing 5-37.

Set a victory target of 253, TSC were bowled out for 91 with Wayne Proctor getting 37. Abdool Rahim and Ravi Singh claimed 2 wickets each for GYO. At GNIC, the host lost first innings honours to Malteenoes Sports Club in a drawn game. GNIC scored 171 all out in their first turn at the crease. Ejaz Mohamed led the scoring with 85 as Kelon Carmichael snared 6-19. MSC in reply scored 235 with Carmichael top scoring with 60 and Shaquille Williams assisting with 45. Desmond Butts captured 5-40. GNIC in their second innings closed on 123-5. Elton Baker made 35 and Krishna Arjune 33.

Carmichael had 2-37.

(Zaheer Mohamed)

the business community in future ventures so that the beneficiaries may receive something tangible,” she concluded.

“Despite the short notice and inadequate time allotted

to us to make this venture a success we were able to pull it off,” disclosed Mr. Belony.

He feels that this is largely due to the hard work and dedication of the members of GASP and congratulated

them accordingly.

The players will meet soon for the final tournament of the year and will also host their yearly interaction activity on a date also to be decided upon.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

FROM THE USA WITH LOVE...

Local boxing gyms benefit from largesse of American Embassy

By Michael Benjamin Local history is replete with amateur boxers that have toiled selflessly, in the process procuring lucrative accolades for Guyana.

Nevertheless, boxing administrators have bemoaned the lukewarm type of support rendered towards their continued development.

Despite this, executives of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA), remained optimistic of a change of fortunes and yesterday afternoon might have hit pay dirt when the Ambassador of the United States of America, Brent Hardt and other staff members of the US Embassy, journeyed to the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG), Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, and handed over a set of boxing gears to President of GABA, Steve Ninvalle, to aid

in the development of local pugilists.

The items include boxing gloves, groin protectors, punching bags, hand wraps and mouth guards among others and Mr. Hardt presented the gift in the presence of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Frank Anthony and government official, Odinga Lumumba.

Mr. Hardt noted that boxing is a ‘sweet science’ while pointing out its relevance in the development of young people even as they engage in productive activity.

He referred to the American society where hundreds of thousands of young men and women have viewed the sport as the catalyst to personal development. He also made mention of Muhammad Ali, who has earned the sobriquet ‘The Greatest’ and who had that emblem properly

conformed upon him during the World Boxing Council’s 50th Convention in Mexico City last week.

The American ambassador said a police officer noticed that Ali was crying and enquired of the reason. Ali had related that someone had stolen his bicycle. He told the officer that he wanted to learn to fight and consequently enrolled in a boxing gym. The rest is now history.

Mr. Hardt pointed out that this episode underlines the ability of the sport to positively influence the lives of participants. “I am also aware that Guyana has produced many outstanding fighters,” he said while singling out former World Boxing Association welterweight champion, Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis and 1980 Moscow Olympics bronze medalist, Michael

Parris. While the latter boxer was notably absent from the proceedings, the former

The significant touching of the gloves by Ambassador of the United States of America, Brent Hardt (2nd left) and President of GABA, Steve Ninvalle (2nd right) signals the new partnership and donation as Odinga Lumumba (right) and Minister Frank Anthony look on. A small portion of the donated gear are on the table in the foreground pugilist made a late entry and interacted with the members of the head table and later on, his colleagues.

Mr. Hardt further noted that boxers are positioned to learn skills critical to self growth even as they maintain discipline, enhance their self confidence and build strong characters. “It is my fervent hope that this gift leads to the establishment of a closer relationship and cooperation (with the GABA) and I await positive feedback,” exhorted Mr. Hardt.

Mr. Ninvalle viewed the occasion as a significant milestone saying that to his recollection this is the first time in the history of the sport that GABA has been able to foster such relations with the

Americans. He also shares the view that boxing has paid its dues to the nation and is deserving of such support.

“This gift will certainly help us as we negotiate the rocky road ahead,” assured the GABA boss.

He later revealed that the gears would be shared among three gyms, the ALBG, Rose Hall Jammers of Rose Hall Berbice and Michael Carryl Boxing Gym, Linden.

Mr. Anthony was also pleased with the gift and told Mr. Hardt just so. He said that government had realized that boxing was worthy enough of investment and acted accordingly. He said that his government has installed the necessary elements to foster continued development of

the sport. He cited regular competition and special focus on the nursery. Mr. Anthony also pointed out that government has invested in the services of a Cuban coach who is currently in Guyana on an initial one year attachment. He said that he was indeed grateful for the assistance rendered by the Americans. “We envisage that this kind of partnership will foster development and we anticipate that this will be a fruitful relationship,” concluded Mr. Anthony.

Shortly after the handing over ceremony, the ambassador and his team were taken on a conducted tour of the facility and entertained when the nation’s Simon Pures engaged in several rounds of fistic fury.

Table Tennis action set for Gymnasium this weekend

Table Tennis players will be back in action this weekend when the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) stages a “C” Class Open Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at the National Gymnasium commencing at 11am on each day. Players will be competing for trophies and medals that Ramesh Sunich of The Trophy Stall, Bourda Market, has sponsored. The GTTA will provide the other structures for the successful staging of the tournament, including umpires, tables and balls among other resources.

The deadline for entry is on Friday and players will be required to pay a small entrance fee; all senior national players are debarred from competing in the tournament.

Meanwhile, in other table tennis news, Gibran Hussein Safaraz, the one-arm wonder from Berbice, participated in the Mike Dempsey Para Table Tennis Championships

(Classification 1-11), which was held recently in the USA. Safaraz, who won the last two Berbice Open Singles Championships and several other national titles, left Guyana on November 23 to participate in Mike Dempsey Memorial Para Table Tennis Tournament, which was played in San Diego, USA November 29December 1.

Safaraz teamed up with Argentina’s, Dario Neira in the teams’ events, and finished fourth in the Class 10, and reached the last 8 in the singles competition.

In addition, national junior table tennis player, Chelsea Edghill has left for Trinidad & Tobago to participate in the T&T Senior Men and Women Super Singles Table Tennis Tournament, which is expected to be played during December 9-12.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 39

13th Balram Shane Memorial Fund Raising Match

Albion defeat Port Mourant by 80 runs Albion Cricket Club hammered Port Mourant Cricket Club by 80 runs to win the 13th edition of the Annual Balram Shane Memorial Fund Raising Match played at the Albion Sport Complex ground on Sunday last.

A well crafted 67 from the bat of Jonathan Foo guided Albion to 179 all out in 49.5 overs after they were invited

by Port Mourant’s Captain, Yougindra Harrinarain to bat.

Albion began slowly on the difficult track and soon found themselves in trouble 100-7. Former West Indies opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon 2, Sharaz Ramcharran 2, Kandasammy Surujnarine 31, Andy Mohan 7 and Albion Captain Devendra Bishoo 12 all back in the pavilion.

An excellent unbeaten 35 from young David Latchaya, who joined forces with Jonathan Foo, saw the pair putting on a valuable 57 run

partnership before Foo departed caught at long on for a composed 67 (3x6).

A valuable 9th wicket stand of 20 between Latchya and Balchan Baldeo (5) ensured Albion reached a decent target of 179.

Harrinarine Chattergoon and Captain Yougindra Harrinarain took 3 for 37 and 2 for 34 respectively for Port Mourant which began their reply in miserable fashion when Satesh Dwarka sent back Harrinarine Chattergoon (4) and D. Thakurdeen (0) to the pavilion.

Thereafter, Port Mourant were never allowed to settle, Sewnarine Chattergoon accounting for both Mackenzie (4) and Arjune (2), Port Mourant struggling at 20-4 in 9.5 overs.

Zamal Khan hit 22 and Mahadeo 29, the two featuring in a 20 run partnership but their contributions were not

enough to save Port Mourant from defeat as they were sent packing for 99 in 32.2 overs.

The Port Mourant batsmen had no answer for the spin of West Indies leg spinner Devendra Bishoo, National Under-19 leg arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and National Under-17 Sharaz Ramcharran.

At the simple presentation ceremony, sponsor of the day’s event, Mr. Deonarine Balram thanked the teams, other sponsors and donors for their contributions over the last 13years. He said that he was looking forward for their continued support in the future.

Special mention was made of Geddes Grant, President of Port Mourant Cricket Club Mr. Godfrey Persaud, Mr. Vemen Walter and Mr. Orvin Mangru who were credited with developing the event over the years.

DCB President Raj Singh donates cricket gear to Akshaya Persaud

President of Demerara Cricket Board Raj Singh presents the bat to Akshaya Persaud.

The President of the Demerara Cricket Board, Raj Singh last Sunday presented promising national U-15 and U-17 cricketer Akshaya Persaud with a GM bat and a pair of Slazenger batting pads.

The gears were obtained from friends of cricket in the US and the UK namely, Rick Lilman of Lehigh Acres of Florida and Victor Outar from the UK. Mr. Outar had also donated a bowling machine

2 years ago to the Demerara Cricket Board and hails from LBI on the East Coast of Demerara.

Mr Lilman is the captain of the Lehigh Indians Cricket Club in Florida and hails from the ancient county of Berbice and they have promised to continue supporting cricket and the youths in Guyana.

Akshaya was selected and represented Guyana at both the Under 15 and Under 17 regional tournaments

played in Trinidad this year and performed creditably in the batting and bowling departments.

15 year old Akshaya originates from the Cornelia Ida area on the West Coast and is one of the brightest prospects in the area.

Akshaya promised to continue training so that he can develop into a better player. He attends the Swami College in that area and is in 4th form.

Also recognized were Mr. Godfrey Persaud – President of PMCC and Mr. Imtiaz Bacchus President (ag) of Albion Cricket Club.

The competition was first organized in 2000 in memory of the late Balram Shane, father of Deonarine Balram.

Over $5million have been raised for both clubs over the past 13 years.

Secretary of Albion Cricket Club Mr. Vemen Walter also extended his club’s gratitude to Deonarine Balram noting that the event would have contributed to Albion producing four Test players (Narsingh Deonarine 2005, Sewnarine Chattergoon - 2008, Devendra Bishoo - 2011 and Veerasammy Permaul - 2012) in recent years.

Prizes were given awarded to the Best Batsman and Man-ofthe-Match - Jonathan Foo, while the Best Bowler prize was earned

by Harrinarine Chattergoon.

The match was won ten (10) times by Albion, twice by Port Mourant with one being rained out.

Devendra Bishoo posing with the winner’s trophy

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Zeeburg are WDCA/ND&S Furniture Store 40 over champs Under bright sunshine and a party atmosphere the Zeeburg Cricket Club emerged victorious in the final West Demerara/ND&S Furniture Store 40 over cricket competition when the defeated Mc Gill Superstars by 8 wickets at the Zeeburg Cricket Ground on Sunday last.

The large and vocal crowd was entertained by some heavy hitting from both sides as the Mc Gill Superstars of Number One Canal Polder found it difficult to contain former under-19 player Balbinder Shivpersaud who scored 76 not out with eight fours and four sixes.

Batting first the Mc Gill Superstars started slowly but managed to score 170 due to some superb hitting from Rajiv Balgobin who scored 69 with seven sixes and four fours.

Naresh Bedasie also contributed 32 with five sixes.

In reply Zeeburg needed only twenty one overs to overhaul the total, scoring 171

for the loss of only two wickets. Shivpersaud was supported by Yutesu Dhanpaul who scored 34 with three fours and three sixes.

Bowling for Mc Gill was tedious as only Jevon Hector managed to contain the batsmen conceding only fifteen runs in the four overs he bowled while snaring one wicket.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony Vice President of the West Demerara Cricket Association, Anand Sanasie, urged the players to remain focused and disciplined on and off the field.

He further informed all present that this competition marked the end of the 2012 season and, beginning in January, youth coaching programmes will commence at Wales and Zeeburg grounds for under-15 players. He thanked the competitions committee and sponsors for their continued dedication to

Anand Sanasie and Raj Singh with the Zeeburg Team. the development of cricket.

Zeeburg collected a trophy and Fifty Thousand

dollars, while Mc Gill Superstars received a trophy and Twenty Five Thousand

Dollars for the runner up position. The Man of the Match trophy, taken home by

Shivpersaud, was donated by Trophy Stall of Bourda Market.

Tuesday December 11, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 41

Caribbean Cup Football...

Antigua stifles Trinidad 2-0; Haiti tops Dominican Republic 2-1 St. John’s, Antigua Trinidad & Tobago found itself on the brink of elimination from the Caribbean Cup after falling 20 on Sunday to Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

The result left the eighttime Caribbean champion with only a single point from two Group A games, while the host bounced back from a 2-1 loss to the Dominican Republic to secure its first points.

Haiti, which defeated the Dominican Republic in the evening’s first match, is in first place with four points.

In an even first half, both teams played a waiting game as a premium was placed on denying, rather than producing, opportunities.

The action was principally wedged in the midfield and the forwards were left mostly anonymous.

Quinton Griffith gave the home supporters something for which to cheer, conjuring

a moment of magic in the 51st minute to give the Benna Boys a 1-0 lead. The 20-yearold defender collected a rebound of his own free kick and lashed it past Williams from 20-yards out.

Randolph Burton nearly doubled the advantage a few moments later, hitting the crossbar after being on the receiving end of unselfish service by Tamorley Thomas.

Kevin Molino tried to bring the visitors on level terms in the 65th minute with a low volley that James handled easily. Devon Jorsling hit the crossbar just a few minutes after.

Antigua secured the needed insurance goal in the 73rd minute and it had the dependable Peter Byers to thank. The 28-year-old forward got into the box and after a hesitation dribble, slipped a shot past Williams for his second tally in two Caribbean Cup games.

Group A, which was expected to be tightly

contested, concludes play with a Tuesday doubleheader.

In the opener, Trinidad & Tobago will need to beat the Dominican Republic to have any hope of progressing.

Immediately afterwards, Antigua will take on Haiti.

The top two teams will advance to the semifinals and book tickets to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Meanwhile, the battle for Hispaniola lived up to the hype as Haiti earned the bragging rights with an exciting 2-1 win over neighbor Dominican Republic in the opening match on Sunday.

The win vaulted Haiti into first place in Group A with four points.

Against the run of early play, Haiti took a 10th minute lead, when Leonel St. Preux found himself unmarked in the six-yard box to slot past goalkeeper Miguel Lloyd.

The resulting celebration was cut short, however, as the Dominican Republic pulled level two minutes later

Fitness training experts from Holland conduct Seminar From left, Andrew Houtveer, Gisa ter Haar and Rhinus van der Zeitjden

Three Fitness training experts from Holland, who visited Guyana for the Flex Night International Bodybuilding and Fitness Show on Sunday last, conducted a seminar on training and nutrition.

The venue for the event was the Herdmanston Lodge and it was attended by members of various gyms around Guyana, sports representatives of the Guyana Olympic Association and Directors of Flex Night Incorporated.

The Seminar was organized by Flex Night Incorporated in collaboration

with officials of the Suriname Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation who were in Guyana as part of the Suriname delegation’s participation in the Flex Night International event.

The presenters, Andrew Houtveer (International Coach), Rhinus van der Zeijden (International Fitness, Bodybuilding Coach & Consultant), and Gisa ter Haar (European Fitness Champion), addressed a wide range of exercise and nutrition issues involved in training for a sporting discipline.

Gisa ter Haar did a presentation that highlighted

the training, family and competitive aspects of her life in Holland, paying keen attention to the diet and training regimens needed for contest preparation.

Andrew Houtveer and Rhinus van der Zeijden dealt in depth with the more technical aspects of high intensity training and sports nutrition. The pair then fielded a wide range of questions from the attentive audience.

The officials from Holland winged out of Guyana early on Monday morning to keep other coaching and lecture engagements in Europe and the Middle East.

through Kerbi Rodriguez. The 23-year-old attacker easily beat Frandy Motrevil after the Haitian goalkeeper pushed a shot from Jonathan Faña Farias into his path.

The first-half action did

not end there, however. A defensive error by the Dominicans in the 39th minute allowed Jean-Philippe Peguero to pounce and easily beat Lloyd to give Haiti a 2-1 lead. It was Peguero’s first

goal of the finals and his sixth of the competition overall.

Following the break, both teams made every effort to maintain an entertaining brand of play, though the second half produced no additional goals.

Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club amends race for Boxing Day meet The Kennard Memorial Turf Club amended one race on its Boxing Day programme which is being staged in collaboration with Carib Beer and the Ramnarayn family of New York at their club’s Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne location, December 26.

The 2year Old race for Guyana Bred horses has been changed from an Open event to one that caters for only non-winners. The event will run for 6 furlongs and will see the winner collecting $250,000.

The feature attraction, the B & Lower, will be contested over a one mile distance with the winner becoming an instant millionaire, carting off $1.2M, while the second place finisher receives half that amount. The third and fourth places receive $300,000 and $150,000 respectively.

Turfites will also be thrilled with the race in the D3 & Lower over 6 furlongs with a top

purse of $500,000 and a second place prize of half that amount. Jockeys finishing 3rd and 4th receive $125,000 and $63,000 respectively.

There will also be the H & Lower, I/3 contest, and the J & Lower among others.

Entries close on Sunday, December 16 and late entries will not be entertained.

Events are conducted under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority and owners of horses must pay at least $5,000 for each horse at the time of entry. If not paid the horses’ names would not appear on the official programme.

Owners and trainers are also reminded that they could have their horses registered through Justice Kennard (2261399, 225-4818, 623-7609), Roopnarine Matadial (325-3192), Ivan Dipnarine (33103160, Lionel Moonsammy (614-5812) or Isabelle Beaton (325-3007, 693-7812).

t r o Sp

Samuels’ blitz gives Windies T20 victory Mahmudullah is bowled

by Sunil Narine (WICB).

Darren Bravo cuts during his 51 (WICB).

Marlon Samuels gathers run on the leg-side (WICB).

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Marlon Samuels made sure West Indies signed off their tour of Bangladesh on a triumphant note with a confident, 18-run victory over the hosts in a T20 International on Monday here.

Samuels reproduced the same explosive batting that helped them the Windies win the World Twenty20 Tournament two months ago, slamming three fours and nine sixes in a brutal, undefeated 85 that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award and propelled the visitors to 197 for four from their allocation of 20 overs, after they chose to bat on

a flat Sher-e-Bangla Stadium pitch.

He put on 66 for the third wicket with Darren Bravo, whose 41 from 28 balls included five fours and two sixes, after West Indies stumbled to 30 for three in the fifth over before leading an assault in the closing over to add 76 – unbroken – for the fifth wicket with Lendl Simmons.

The Windies claimed just one wicket, as Tamim Iqbal, not out on 88, and Mahmudullah, not out on 64, shared 132 – unbroken – for the second wicket, but failed to take Bangladesh over the finish line.

The Caribbean side underlining

their status as the reigning World T20 champions with steady, if not penetrative bowling supported by athletic fielding.

The match brought to a close the six-week trip to Bangladesh for West Indies which included a 2-0 Test series victory and 2-3 One-day International series defeat.

Chris Gayle again fell cheaply, when Rubel Hossain bowled him for six in the third over, and Smith fell in similar fashion to the same bowler two overs later.

Bravo entered and signalled his intentions from the very first delivery he faced, a languid extra

cover drive for four, and dominated the stand with Samuels.

The left-hander was stumped, charging off-spinner Sohag Gazi in the 12th over, and after Kieron Pollard was bowled by Ziaur Rahman for 15 in the 15th over, the Windies were 121 for four.

Samuels changed the course of the innings with his subliminal batting, hitting left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak for two sixes before closing with vicious assault on Rubel, crashing 29 from the final over, condemning the Bangladesh fast bowler to concede the second highest number of runs in a T20I.

A change of ends for Kemar Roach brought West Indies a breakthrough, when Anamul Haque was caught at mid-off for 22, after he shared 47 for the first wicket with Tamim.

The Windies met defiance from Tamim and Mahmudullah for the rest of the innings – but Gayle four overs that cost 18 pulled things back for the visitors in the crucial middle overs and ushered West Indies to victory.

Scores: West Indies 197 for 4 (Samuels 85*, Bravo 41) beat Bangladesh 179 for 1 (Tamim 88*, Mahmudullah 64*) by 18 runs.

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