Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

A life-defining moment Informing relatives of the death of a loved one is never an easy task. If anything, the officials responsible for this unwelcome duty are expected to display care and sensitivity in very distressing circumstances.

However, in the Guyana context no great effort seems to be made by some medical workers and law enforcement personnel to exercise a certain restraint when passing on bad news. Reading or listening to stories of how a mother, wife, husband or father has been notified of the death of a close family member leaves one in a state of amazement as to what training if any these people receive.

For far too long the Guyanese people have allowed bad standards and unprofessional conduct to become the norm; acceptable even. People working in certain professions must be trained in the art of delivering bad news, particularly death notification. Professionals in more than name must seek to acquire the necessary value-added skills to make them more proficient at what they do. Medical and law enforcement personnel must develop their capacity to act appropriately and in keeping with established death notification policy and procedures. It would be interesting to know if these even exist in the local police training manuals.

It ought not to stop there because of the way life is evolving. Refresher courses in these important areas should be mandatory if organisations are not to be seen as abjuring roles and functions that are intrinsic to their relevance.

For the mother of Benedict Bacchus to have been called by the police and told that her son had been killed in a highway accident speaks to the level of insensitivity - albeit spawned by ignorance to which family members are subjected from time to time.

No thought seems to have been given to the woman’s state of health; whether she is hypertensive, or suffering from a heart condition, just a bald message that she had just lost her son; a moment that will forever be imprinted in her memory.

Our professionals must be trained to deliver news which will forever change someone’s life. Therefore it is imperative that a policy with serious consideration as to who, when, and by what means a death notification should be delivered should be formulated with due regard to the impact of critical injuries or sudden death on loved ones.

Among the factors which may be looked at are seniority of the notifying officer; who should give releases to the media regarding the identity of the injured or deceased; how notifying officers are expected to conduct themselves; to what death benefits are the survivors entitled (in line-of-duty cases) etc.

In as much as care and sensitivity should be exercised when communicating with close relatives the notifying officer should avoid conveying a false sense of hope in an already hopeless situation. The probability for resentment and irreparable mental anguish is very high in these cases.

The quality of the initial contact with a survivor is likely to make a significant impact on the way people process traumatic information and therefore no effort should be spared to ensuring that everything is got just right in terms of roles and responsibilities and the language and tone of the message.

Having examined some of the issues surrounding general death notification it is perhaps appropriate to look at the importance of conveying such sad news to survivors of ranks who die in the line of duty. Every aspect pertinent to the approach employed when dealing with members of the public should apply in circumstances involving serving police ranks.

Moreover, policy and procedures must not be only observable in the breach, but practiced giving effective meaning to the concept of a caring administration.

It is to be hoped that the chaplaincy training which Guyana Police Force officers participated in recently, would have covered such an important topic of death notification accompanied by relevant role play and settings.

Information communicated about the death of a loved one must be seen for what it is – a life defining moment.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Letters... Where your views make the news

COUNTRY ABOVE SELF DEAR EDITOR, In February 2013, a few days after the shooting by ‘youth men’ of Mr Oscar Clarke, General Secretary of t h e P e o p l e ’s N a t i o n a l Congress in his home at Plum Park, Sophia, I wrote two letters to the Editor and in one of these (February 5, 2013) I stated: “Times have changed.

I n s t i t u t i o n s t h a t w e re working at the time of Independence were retooled, politicised and centralised and we the people became alienated from grass roots structures (such as Village Councils) because most were unrepresentative of communities. Citizens then spent more time looking after themselves and those with resources created their own safe havens, in splendid isolation from the realities of community life – the i n f i l t r a t i o n b y n a rc o traffickers, the rise of truancy among youth, the increasing incidence of absentee fathers, the dilemma of mothers who, by default, became the breadwinners of the family, the deteriorating infrastructure because of ‘fly by night contractors’, and the rise of subcultures that attracted the youth men and women”.

Almost two years later, the institutions which had become dysfunctional, remain largely so – testimony in great measure,

to the negative consequences of political gridlock and intransigence. The youth men and women have now graduated from being urban ‘Foot Bandits’ who attacked Mr Oscar Clarke in this own home, to ‘young men on bicycles’ - given the name ‘Bicycle Bandits’ by rural residents of new housing areas at Zeelugt, Tuschen, Diamond, Republic Park and elsewhere, to the ‘Car Bandits’ who brutally and callously shot to death a Security Guard at Sterling Products Limited, and to the ‘Hinterland Bandits’ operating by boat and offroad vehicles, who killed a shop owner I knew at Mango Landing, Essequibo River.

The geographical dispersion of these most recent criminal activities is an indication of the increasing intelligence g a t h e r i n g c a p a b i l i t y, mobility, and bare-faced arrogance with which persons bent on criminality seem prepared to counter the deployment of private security guards, law enforcement patrols, road blocks, check points and CCTV cameras.

Those of us reading the daily coverage of criminality that reports on the murders of citizens, such as security guard Wilfred Stewart and shop owner Linden McAlmon, and injuries to many others, may have unwittingly developed a

This is not politics, this is basic business

DEAR EDITOR, It was refreshing to read about a good catch from Mr. Pravinchandra Dave, that seasoned banker, who wrote on the topic of leveraging the opportunity for Guyana on the possible buy-back of the oil debt from Venezuela at a deep discount.

As Mr. Dave correctly confirmed, Venezuela is close to sealing the deal with Goldman Sachs to “front as cash” some 41% of the oil debt due from Dominican Republic (DR) in exchange for Goldman Sachs taking control over 100% of the US$4 billion Petro-Caribe oil debt due from Dominican Republic to Venezuela. But this is no good deal for the people of the DR since they will still have to pay 100% of the debt back with interest.

A better deal as alluded to b y M r. D a v e i s t h a t Georgetown at the highest level should engage Caracas.

I foresee Guyana fronting 50 percent of the oil debt in cash to the Bolivarian Republic in exchange for a full and complete write-off of the oil debt?

This is not politics, this is basic business.

All of Guyana will line up behind the Government if it attempts to seal this deal, since it is the Guyanese people who will gain rather than the merchants of Wall Street. It is time the PPP reaches out to people like Carl Greenidge, Shridath Ramphal, Chris Ram and their own internal negotiators to assemble a team that can see us immediately paying about US$90 million to write-off US$180 million in debt.

That will save the Guyanese people some US$90 million that can be pumped into more programs to improve the well-being of our people.

“Because we care”!

Sase Singh

fatalistic immunity to these e x a m p l e s o f m a n ’s inhumanity to man because of what is being played out in other jurisdictions such as in St Louis and Michigan USA, Mosul in Iraq and Damascus in Syria, and of the death toll from viruses in parts of Africa and from weather related disasters occurring with increasing frequency in many parts of this planet.

But what of the two daughters and unborn child of Wilfred Stewart and their m o t h e r, a n d L i n d e n McAlmon’s children and his wife Maureen? What if we who now read this piece were the victims, and our children, wives, husbands and partners were faced with the trauma of being bereft of their fathers, husbands, wives and partners in this the season of goodwill?

If lower crime statistics are a reasonably accurate indicator that the society should feel safer and more secure, the recent incidents

are cold comfort to the relatives and friends of the victims whose lives have been viciously terminated by those who are interested in quick returns for least effort or who are being manipulated by behind the scenes puppet masters.

Political gridlock has had its debilitating impact on a long suffering citizenry, desperately hoping for respite from the endless vilification, the quirks, the angst and the vitriol emanating from all political camps. This is exacerbated by reported acts of irresponsibility in the management of our national assets, of self aggrandisement and cronyism, downright chicanery and political buffoonery which overshadow the good works, largely unheralded and unreported, being done by committed and conscientious labourers in the public vineyard. The net effect is (Continued on page 23)

We cannot afford to choose sides, and we will not DEAR EDITOR, Please permit me to refer to a letter published by your paper dated December 4, 2014 and entitled “When will UG law students speak up?”

I will attempt to respond to the author’s view from two distinctive but symbiotic positions.

First, as a student-at-law I can say that we always have the capacity to circulate our opinions publicly, but what we sometimes lack is the will. For example, at the height of the AG/Kaieteur News fiasco, students of the Department of Law of the University of Guyana were buzzing with informed and speculative positions and ideas on the matter.

However, for whatever reason we were reluctant to display those positions in the daily print media. I can say with great certainty though, that social media was not spared. Moreover, this is maybe an indication of the way in which we communicate publicly now, regardless of the severity or importance of an issue.

Last, in my capacity as President of the University of Guyana Law Society (UGLS), I can say that a consensus was conducted to determine if we as a student body should articulate publicly on such a delicate

matter as that of the Attorney General and Kaieteur News’ debacle. The majority of students felt that there was no real need to pronounce on the matter via the print media and as such, we could not pen a letter that represented the e n t i r e s t u d e n t b o d y.

Students-at-law were still assured that they could make individual contributions nonetheless.

As an individual I often feel the urge to add my ‘two cents’ when certain issues arise locally, as I have done in the past. Yet, what I have come to realize is that other individuals are hesitant to do the same due to the potential consequences.

Mr. Duncan is correct in his assertions when he refers to the fear of rocking the proverbial boat. I too believe that persons are scared of ruffling feathers, and that has assisted in making us a submissive society. That being said, the UGLS’s approach to dealing with or enunciating on issues knows no fear of political backlash, social discrimination or economic bruises. We will maintain our position to represent the students-at-law feverishly at every level. We cannot afford to choose sides, and we will not.

Patrice Wishart President, UGLS

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

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

Mr. Persaud’s letter contains certain blatant inaccuracies and misinformation DEAR EDITOR, I read with great dismay, a letter appearing in the Kaieteur News edition of the 10th day of December, 2014, under the caption, “Anil Nandlall and his role in fraudulent powers of attorney’, and written by Mike Persaud.

Allow me to state from the outset, I hold no brief for Mr. Nandlall or his conduct in either private practice or while holding the office of Attorney General. I am sure that he can adequately defend himself and set the facts straight, with respect to his involvement in

the said matters.

The letter aforesaid contains certain blatant inaccuracies and misinformation, regarding my Chambers, which I am under a duty to clarify. I set out the facts hereunder: • In or around August, 2010, I was approached in my Chambers by a person who identified himself to me as Mike Persaud and who indicated that he had legal issues pertaining to land in Leguan and he was desirous of retaining me for that purpose.

• At that time, Mr. Sase

Gunraj, Attorney-at-Law, was my junior in Chambers and we both attended to the issues related by Mike Persaud.

• Mike Persaud presented certain documents to us and instructed us that he believed that a Power of Attorney purportedly executed by his late father was forged by his brother, Narine Persaud.

• After obtaining additional instructions from Mike Persaud, Mr. Gunraj and I advised him that an action can be commenced based on the fraud claimed. Mike Persaud specifically instructed that he was not

minded to be the Plaintiff in that action, but opted for his brother, Harry Persaud, to be so named. Harry Persaud had not accompanied Mike Persaud to our Chambers at that time.

• On the 14th day of September, 2010, High Court Action numbered 405-W of 2010 was commenced by Harry Persaud against Narine Persaud. On the said date, an Ex-parte Application for Injunction by Way of Affidavit was filed in the said matter, seeking certain injunctive reliefs.

• On the 21st day of

Power-sharing not practical at this time DEAR EDITOR, I agree with Peeping Tom that power-sharing will not be possible, at least not before the next election.

Nevertheless, those who have suggested powersharing should be applauded for at least trying to find a solution to our debilitating ethnic conflict.

Some of the individuals are very party partisan, with their real goal being that of getting into the corridors of power. But some, like myself, are politically neutral, advocating a genuine political solution to ethnic conflict through “power-sharing”.

Some of the writers are noble in their objective, believing that the parties and the ethnic groups should share power. Others are simply looking for a back door to enter into the government and one can see through their scheme. The concept of power-sharing is not new and has been bandied about since the 1970s. Powersharing is not clearly defined, but essentially it advocates for the political parties to collaborate and cooperate in governance; they act on behalf of their ethnic groups (that elect them).

As I wrote repeatedly, no race should have dominant control in the state like what happened under the ethnic dictatorship that was voted out of office in October 1992.

All the races should have fair representation in government, and there should be equitable distribution of resources of the state, reflecting the demographics. Exactly how this should be done ought to be negotiated by the elected

representatives on behalf of those who voted for them.

There have been numerous dialogues about power-sharing. Governmentopposition dialogues did not lead to power-sharing.

At that time, the PPP called for free and fair elections with the winner getting the Presidency (Chief Executive) and the loser the Prime Ministerial position (ceremonial) with an equitable share of the cabinet based on the electoral results in a united multi-ethnic government. The PNC rejected the offer. The opposition always wanted the top position somehow feeling it had the most support.

During the 1980s, the PNC flatly refused to share power with anyone, claiming it represented (dreaming) all the races in the country with its rigged 80% vote.

The then opposition PPP and WPA could not agree on how power would be shared should an alliance win the 1992 election, with the end result being the WPA leaving itself out of power when it objected to Dr. Jagan as Presidential candidate.

The WPA tried again in 1997 and 2001 with their power-sharing idea and it was rejected by both the PPP and PNC who were more interested in winner takes all, because each felt it could win the election outright.

As Peeping Tom intoned, although the opposition says it wants power-sharing, it is

not genuinely seeking to share power; it wants to be the dominant power because it has one seat more than the government. It is not willing to engage in dialogue to end the prorogation, and agree to some minimum program that would be accepted by all three parties. The opposition wants elections because it feels it can win the election.

While the ideal solution is for all the parties to participate in governance, and it is a goal I endorse, it is not practical for the varied parties to come together now before an election in a national unity government.

One has to be realistic that no party in control of a government will want to share power. No party gives up power. It never happened before, not in any society, and it won’t happen in Guyana just because the combined APNU-AFC has a majority of one seat over the PPP. If one of the opposition parties were in control of the government, would it share power? I think not. That is the reality of governance. So it will be useless to even entertain a discussion on power-sharing.

Power-sharing can work if the parties act matured that

they are truly interested in the development of the nation and not their self-interest or simply interested in capturing and retaining office. Powersharing can work if the parties view themselves as the true representatives of their constituents.

Power-sharing has worked in developed countries like Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Israel, etc. In these societies, the parties act as genuine representatives of their constituents and negotiate for resources on behalf of them. The party of the Waloons don’t pretend to represent the part of the Flemish, and vice versa. The Jews don’t pretend they represent Arabs and vice versa. The party of Germans don’t pretend to represent the party of the French or the Italians, and vice versa.

When the parties in Guyana accept reality that their support comes primarily from ethnic constituents, and that genuine multi-racial governance is necessary, then power-sharing will be given serious consideration. Oneparty dominance will prevail in the foreseeable future, although it is not the ideal form of governance.

Vishnu Bisram

September, 2010, the Honourable Chief Justice (ag) Mr. Ian Chang, granted the injunctions sought.

• Thereafter, a sealed and certified copy of the proceedings, along with a copy of the Order of Court, aforesaid, was served on the Defendant, Narine Persaud, via courier.

• On the 10th day of November, 2010, the matter was heard once more before the Honourable Chief Justice (ag) Mr. Ian Chang, who made the injunctions interlocutory.

• A Statement of Claim was filed in the said matter on the 29th day of September, 2010.

• A Certificate of Non Appearance was applied for and same was obtained on the 8th day of December, 2010.

• A Request for Hearing in Bail Court was filed on the 15th day of December, 2010.

• The matter was fixed for hearing in Bail Court on the 28th day of February, 2011, where Mr. Gino Persaud, Attorney-at-Law, entered an appearance for and on behalf of Narine Persaud, and sought leave to file a Defence.

• On the 14th day of October, 2011, a Statement of Defence was eventually filed for and on behalf of the Defendant, Narine Persaud,

by Mr. Gino Persaud, Attorney-at-Law, after a delay of over 7 months.

• On the 17th day of October, 2011, Honourable Justice William Ramlall, sitting in Bail Court, ordered that the matter take its normal course.

• Since then, we have been awaiting a date for hearing.

The following must also be clearly noted: • Mr. Sase Gunraj, Attorney-at-Law is no longer in my Chambers, but we have maintained a close working relationship and are in contact almost on a daily basis.

• After signing the initial documents at our office,

several efforts were made to contact the Plaintiff, Harry Persaud, without success. On the few occasions that he responded, he made promises to visit our Chambers, but never did.

• Mike Persaud paid a paltry sum as a retainer, as he claimed that he did not cater for legal expenses on his trip and that he will send the balance of the fees upon his return to the United States of America. As far as I am aware, no payment on legal fees was made until a few months ago, when Mike Persaud came and paid another small sum.

• Despite not being fully paid, every necessary legal step that had to be taken in respect of the matters aforesaid was done, in a timely manner.

• As far as I am aware, Mr. Sase Gunraj was not retained

by Mike Persaud, or anyone else to apply for injunctions in September, 2014, as stated

by Mike Persaud in his letter aforesaid. It would be interesting to see the injunction referred to by Mike Persaud in his letter, purportedly granted by Honourable Chief Justice (ag) Mr. Ian Chang.

I hope that this clarifies the situation and if Mike Persaud is still of the opinion that my conduct and that of Mr. Sase Gunraj was not above board, he can make the complaints at the appropriate forum, and not seek a trial in the Court of public opinion.

Bibi Shadick Attorney-at-Law

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Kaieteur News

Thursday December 11, 2014

Nandlall’s financial impropriety …

Investigation should be launched Chartered Accountant Chris Ram and Opposition Member of Parliament Carl Greenidge, are jointly calling on the country’s Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, to launch an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds by Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.

Nandlall in a profanitylaced recorded conversation with a Kaieteur News reporter, admitted that he “used money from the government… and pay back long before” Publisher, Glenn Lall “made an issue of it.”

However, after the conversation went public, in a statement released to the press, the Minister said, “I wish to set the record straight …the reference relates to the reimbursement I received for monies I expended on medical treatment.

This reimbursement was approved

by Cabinet in a written Cabinet decision dated 20 June, 2013. This is, and historically has been, an entitlement of every member of Cabinet long before my appointment.”

Ram said that in light of there being a prorogued Parliament, he believes that even greater diligence should be exercised and as such, the financial irregularity should

be properly investigated.

In an interview with this publication, the chartered accountant said that this course of action is without prejudice to the criminal investigation which the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), should be carrying out on what amounts to a clear admission of theft of public funds.

Ram said that there must be concern not only about Nandlall receiving the money but also, who authorized and paid it to him. He said the investigation to be undertaken by the Auditor General needs to reveal the dates for each transaction.

The accountant asserted that Sharma should exercise his powers in this regard, since he might have to ensure the recovery of the public funds as well as cooperate with the police and the DPP in their investigation of this grave impropriety. The Attorney-at-Law said that this should be done forthwith.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Shadow Finance Minister also agreed with calling on Sharma to

investigate the matter.

Greenidge added that the Auditor General has been called upon on several occasions to investigate complaints or activities that are questionable, and actually should not need to be told that this matter needs to be investigated.

As a matter of fact, the former Finance Minister said that the Public Accounts Committee asked Sharma to keep a file on current events, newspaper complaints and public reports that would allow him to expeditiously investigate matters without being asked to, as well as take action whenever the need arises.

“I don’t know whether he has done so but of course as Chairman of the Committee, I am not in a position to say anything to him because the Committee, like the House, is not convened, but as a Member of Parliament one could of course write him and I will do so,” Greenidge concluded.

In response to the alleged misappropriation, which Nandlall had described as an entitlement, Prime Minister

Samuel Hinds in an interview with Kaieteur News, had said that he would not call the monies approved for certain emergencies as an entitlement. Hinds disclosed that such discretion by Cabinet “is not something that is automatic. It is something that would require much review.”

At the time of his interview, Hinds was out of the country and had declined to answer whether the “entitlement” for Nandlall was indeed approved by Cabinet, as he claimed, and if the circumstances surrounding

medical treatment amounted to an emergency.

He said that he was not apprised of all the facts and preferred to have all the “statements and or facts” before him before making any comment in that regard.

He was also asked if there is any entitlement for Cabinet members for monies for medical expenses or emergencies and the criteria governing this privilege. To this he had responded, “I would not call it an entitlement. It is not something that is automatic.

It really is a hard question to

respond to, but what I would say, is that one would have to review the long series of circumstances surrounding the need for money in that kind of situation. It would depend on the nature of the emergency for money to be granted. It’s not like a minister could come and say he has a broken foot or something and just ask for money and it would be approved. The circumstances would have to be examined. It would definitely depend on that.”

Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon was also questioned on the issue at one of his weekly press conferences. He had articulated that there may be a provision that would permit the lending of monies for Cabinet members during a time of emergency.

Meanwhile, President Donald Ramotar continues to brush aside questions regarding the conditions for which the monies were given to Nandlall. He told media operatives at one of his press conferences to forget about the matter. But it still remains a pressing issue for citizens, the Diaspora and even international organizations who continue to call for the requisite sanctions to be leveled against the Minister.

and its construction, has already secured a private investor- ACE Square Investment Inc, owned by two Hong Kong businessmen.

Following the public announcement by Brassington, the two businessmen, Victor How Chung Chan, and Xu Han, are yet to put in the promised US$8M, leading the local businessman to question what exactly is going on as it relates to the financial arrangements for the Georgetown Marriott.

The local businessman is adamant that since the project presents a lucrative option, he would like to invest but is currently being stonewalled

by Brassington.

According to projections of Government, the private

investor who would be plugging US$8M would be pocketing approximately US$46M by the end of 10 years.

The businessman’s offer is similar to one made by Publisher of the Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall.

He said that in a telephone conversation with Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, regarding the Marriott Hotel, he had signaled his intentions to become a small investor in the project.

“His reaction was dismissive,” Lall said. “He said that if a man has expertise in a hotel business and he come to us, we will take him in front of you as he will be more of an asset. To date, we are reading no investor on board, and I am yet to get a

telephone call from the Minister. I am still interested in making the investment,” Lall added.

AHI has, however, publicly announced two investors, none of whom has experience in the industry but rather in mining and lottery.

Brassington, AHI and the proposed Marriott project had come under extreme criticism over the fact that a private investor will only have to invest US$8M to control the US$58M project.

With Brassington’s refusal of local investors who have demonstrated capacity and financial ability, there are continuing questions as the refusal and continuing secrecy over the details.

A local private investor will force details of the financial arrangements to be exposed.

Following years of being unable to secure the financing to complete the project, AHI recently caused to be published in the Official Gazette the fact that it had taken out a mortgage from Republic Bank, with the collateral being the hotel’s land and property.

Under the proposed financial structure for the project, as announced by Brassington, Government through the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) will invest a total of US$4M to own 33 per cent of the project while it will loan the project another US$15.5M to

be repaid at no interest.

According to Brassington, Republic Bank was approached to facilitate a syndicated loan of US$27M while a private investor will invest US$8M and own the majority shares.

This, according to local investors, appears to be a lucrative offer but they are being prevented from putting in their money.

To date, based on information, NICIL remains the only investor in the US$58M Hotel Project, with its equity investment of US$4M. There are also questions at this time, with the fact that the Kingston hotel is significantly completed, where the additional monies came from.

- Chris Ram, APNU

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram

APNU’s Shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge

Locals want $8M Marriott equity With a lucrative offer of owning 67 per cent of the US$58M Georgetown Marriott Hotel by investing only US$8M, there are local businessmen who have expressed an interest in participating in the project but seem to be stonewalled by project director, Winston Brassington.

One such businessman with a proven track record of financial capacity recently related to this newspaper that he had approached Brassington to invest.

He was told, “Your foot too short.”

Brassington at the time indicated to the local businessman that the Government-controlled, Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI), which is managing the hotel

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Thursday December 11, 2014

Brazil truth commission urges end to dictatorship amnesty Brasília (AFP) - A truth commission on Wednesday urged Brazil to scrap an amnesty for torturers, in a final report on the 1964-1985 military dictatorship that says at least 434 people were killed or disappeared by the regime.

The panel made its recommendation to President Dilma Rousseff, herself a victim of torture during the dictatorship.

“We respect and revere all those who fought for democracy,” said Rousseff, struggling to maintain her composure during an emotional speech in which she said today’s generation and the victims’ families deserved to know the truth.

Otherwise, she said, “they will continue to suffer as if their families were dying anew.”

Unlike its South American neighbors, Brazil has not prosecuted military officials for regime-era crimes, because of a 1979 amnesty law, ratified in 2010, preventing it from doing so.

A law signed by Rousseff three years ago created the truth commission, which is

empowered to summon witnesses under oath but not to bring any prosecutions.

Yesterday, the group urged the amnesty be lifted for torturers and those who had willfully violated human rights, adding that the final tally of victims likely is an undercount.

“These numbers do not correspond to the total of dead and disappeared,” a commission statement read.

“These are only the cases it was possible to verify... despite obstacles to the investigation, notably the lack of access to documentation produced by the armed forces, officially listed as destroyed,” it said.

“Under the military dictatorship, repression and the liquidation of political opponents became state policy,” the commission added, insisting amnesty is incompatible with Brazilian and international law.

Brazil had already recognized some 400 deaths or disappearances under the military regime, compared with 30,000 deaths in Argentina and more than

3,200 in Chile.

Regime opponents routinely were jailed and tortured, with some summarily executed, their bodies never found.

The report quoted harrowing testimony from one, Marcia Basseto Paes, a woman arrested in 1977.

“Aside from electric shocks inside the vagina, the anus and on the breasts, they made me dance naked in front of the police,” Paes recalled.

Commission coordinator Pedro de Abreu Dallari said investigators interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses over 31 months in creating the 4,400-page report.

The document, which lists 377 state officials, including now deceased former regime leaders, as being responsible for serious human rights a b u s e s , “describes the history of each one of the 434 dead and political disappeared,” Dallari told a ceremony at the presidential palace in Brasilia.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the report.

Only Latin America and the C’bean meet hunger reduction goals – UN ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Latin America and the Caribbean is the only region on track to meet the 2009 World Food Summit goal of halving the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015, the United Nations reported.

The number of hungry people in the region has fallen to 37 million from 68.5 million in just over 20 years, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in its “Panorama of Food and Nutritional Security 2014” report yesterday.

The region must feed an additional 2.75 million people by the end of 2015 to meet the

goal, a “final push” that would require a faster pace of reduction that the average of 1.4 million people a year over the past two decades, the FAO said.

FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva wrote that the region had already met a similar target set as one of the Millennium Development Goals.

“Latin America and the Caribbean… is the only region of the world that has achieved the hunger target of the Millennium Development Goals, reducing to less than half its proportion of undernourished people since 1990,” he wrote.

Fourteen nations: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay and Venezuela have met the MDG of halving the number of hungry people since 1990.

Four - Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras and Suriname - are 90 percent of the way there.

“Mere economic development” is not enough to address hunger, da Silva wrote, urging governments to expand social protection for the poor, while investing in family farmers to increase production.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

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NO SURPRISE! The problems that are being encountered in the project involving the laying of a fibre optic cable from Brazil should not surprise anyone. From day one, the publisher of this newspaper, Mr. Glenn Lall, had predicted that this project was another dubious scheme foisted on the Guyanese people.

Lall has not said it but we all know that he would be absolutely correct in saying, “I told you so!” There are confirmed reports that the project is in dire straits. Even though the government says that the problems being encountered are not irredeemable, there is a strongly held view that the future of this project is uncertain and that billions of dollars may have gone down the drain.

This project was mired in controversy. The financing arrangements were suspect.

The rationale for the project was questionable. And the capacity of the government to manage a project of this scale and technical complexity was always doubtful.

The funds for this seven billion dollars project came from the sale of the shares

held by the State in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company. These shares represented 20% of the total shareholding of the company which was formed under the PNC. When the issue of the sale of these shares arose, the PNCR asked the government to sell the shares to the workers of the utility.

While it is doubtful that the workers or their unions could have raised the necessary funds, the government could have at least offered to sell these shares to the workers and if the workers could not have raised the necessary funding, then the shares could have been sold to private sources.

Better yet, the government could have gifted the shares to the workers as a demonstration of their commitment to the working class.

There are many who feel that the terms under which the shares were eventually sold to a foreign interest represented a giveaway.

That issue was ventilated in a series entitled The Heist of Guyana published in this newspaper and presently viewable on its online edition.

Dem boys seh ...

Brassington refuse locals in Marriott deal Scampishness is nah you mattie. Old people seh suh. Old people also seh that mouth open and story jump out.

Since last year Brassington seh that he was looking fuh investors who coulda put in de Marriott. Is two kind of investor he wanted. One of dem was to put in US$8 million and own 67 per cent equity in de hotel.

De other was to put in some money through a loan that some people sub dem money and put in as one. It tek Brassington a year and a day fuh get any of de two of dem.

One businessman, when he hear bout putting in US$8 million and getting 67 per cent shares in de hotel he go to Brassington office and seh that he ready fuh put he US$8 million. De man tell dem boys that Brassington tell he how he foot shaat. But every day since then, de man reading de paper and seeing that nobody tek up de offer.

Well he want fuh know how he foot shaat. He go home and measure he foot and he see everything alright. He now want to know if Brassington mekking he a jackass or if Brassington is de jackass. De man seh that he still interested in putting in he US$8million and he waiting fuh Brassington call him.

De waterfalls boss man did tell Ashni Singh that he had some money that he did want to put in de Marriott seeing that dem was looking fuh investors. Ashni more than disrespect de boss man. He tell he “Well you know Glenn, if a man got experience in hotel business we gun have to tek he in front of you. You know bout newspaper and he know bout hotel so he would be able to mek a better contribution than you.

De boss realize that Ashni was mekking him a jackass. Is then he realize that Ashni and Brassington want dem own people. And is not dem boys seh suh, is Brassington seh suh.

Now dem boys seh that dem notice that de people who Brassington and Ashni pick shame. Dem frighten fuh show dem face much less put dem money.

De businessman who want put he US$8 million and de Waterfalls boss man who want put he two cents, ain’t frighten fuh show dem face or put dem money.

Talk half and wait fuh de answer from Brassington and Ashni.

The entire financing arrangement for this fiber optic cable was therefore shrouded on controversy.

For a project of this size it is difficult to understand why the government, which in the past sought international funding for almost anything, did not seek external financing for the project.

The second problem with the project was its rationale.

There was and remains no justification for the government getting into a project of this nature.

The government in justifying the Marriott Hotel project had indicated that the financing for the hotel was outside of the reach of the private sector and the government needed to catalyze the investment.

In the case of the fibre optic cable the same excuse

could not have been used to justify Government investment because GT&T was interested in making such an investment.

In fact, if needs be Digicel is capable of making such an investment. What therefore was the rationale for the government investing in a venture which should have been left to the private sector?

The main reason given by the Jagdeo administration is that the existing service provided by GT&T was not up to standard and the government therefore needed to make the investment.

It was most unconvincing argument because another private operator has since been offering internet services that are superior in speed and cost to that provided by GT&T. Therefore, the private

sector had the financial capacity and the technical means to provide the very services that the government was opting to provide under the fiber optic cable. The rationale of the government in undertaking this investment was therefore questionable.

Finally, it was always doubtful that government could have managed a project of this scale and technical complexity.

It was always going to be a high risk for a government to be undertaking a project of this scale out of the Office of the President when such a project requires a full-fledged, wellresourced and incorporated project implementation unit.

It is not known how many of those persons involved in administering this project had

ever undertaken a project of this scale.

It is not known if any of them had ever undertaken work on a project of such technical complexity.

But even if there was the experience and technical expertise, operating with funds from the Budget was always going to make the administration of a project of this nature very challenging.

The government in undertaking this project entered into a high stakes gambit. The project is now on the verge of collapse. As predicted by Glenn Lall.

Govt. responds to Int'l Human Rights body on protection of KNews/staff Government’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, has responded to the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights, (IACHR) which had ordered the current administration to provide within 15 days, measures it will take to provide protection to Kaieteur News publisher Glenn Lall and staff.

Guyana is a member of the IACHR. The order stemmed from a report to the commission by Attorney-atLaw, Christopher Ram, following the release of a telephone recording between Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Kaieteur News senior reporter, Leonard Gildarie.

It had said, “After analyzing the factual and legal arguments put forth by (Christopher Ram) the commission considers that the information presented demonstrates prima facie that the members of Kaieteur News journal are in a serious and urgent situation since their lives and personal integrity face an imminent risk of irreparable harm.”

Dr. Luncheon was asked yesterday whether Government responded to the Commission. He said that the Presidential Advisor did indeed advise Cabinet that the required submission had been provided to the Commission.

The Cabinet Secretary did admit that the content of that submission was not a matter that was deliberated on at the level of Cabinet.

Notwithstanding, he said that it is reasonable to assume that in the case of such governance matters, the Presidential Advisor on her actions generally, is fully

- silent on details supported by Cabinet.

Dr. Luncheon said that there is no doubt that the submission of the Guyana’s response to the IACHR which took place under Teixeira’s watch is likely to be posted on the Commission’s website, if not then it will be posted on the website of the Office of the President.

The Head of the Presidential Secretariat was asked if on any level he was apprised of the nature of Teixeira’s response, to which he said, “People don’t ask Gail too many questions comrade. I didn’t want to say it that way but indeed …nobody questions Gail with regard to her contributions on these matters so she just announced that Guyana has through the Ministry of Foreign affairs, submitted the response.”

The Commission had said that, given that the present precautionary measures have been granted without having previously requested information from the State, it will review this decision once it receives reports from both parties.

The Commission informed Guyana that it must adopt the necessary measures to protect the lives and personal integrity of (Glenn Lall, Adam Harris and Leonard Gildarie); agree on the measures to be adopted with the beneficiaries and their representatives; and report on the actions taken to investigate the alleged facts that gave rise to the adoption of this precautionary measure in order to prevent their

repetition.

The IACHR had also stated that the requirement of seriousness is met, in light of the alleged threat expressed against the lives and personal integrity of the Kaieteur News personnel, within the framework of their right to freedom of expression.

The commission noted, “In particular, the information presented suggests that the purported threat was oriented toward preventing the members of Kaieteur News from freely exercising their role as journalists, related to a series of reports on corruption cases, among other issues, which allegedly affected high ranking officials within the Government.

“In addition to the purported threats, it is worth mentioning that the IACHR Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression closely followed up the situation of freedom of expression and of reporters in Guyana, and condemned the reported murder of workers from Kaieteur News in 2006.

“Moreover, concerning the purported context of violence against reporters in Guyana, the allegations presented appear to be consistent with recent information received by the IACHR in that regard.”

The Commission had noted that it considers prima facie that the rights to life and personal integrity of the three identified members of the Kaieteur News journal face a situation of risk.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 11, 2014

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

My libel trial, sewage flood and a failed state I am going to thread carefully here. I will present what Kaieteur News has published and let readers read. I will not say anything further than what the Kaieteur News has published in the Jagdeo/Kissoon libel trial.

In March 2014, TUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis was giving testimony in the libel case when Mr. Jagdeo’s lawyers objected to Lewis’ testimony. They argued that the content of Lewis’ testimony is not in the defendant’s statement of

claim.

Mr. Nigel Hughes disagreed and posited that in the pleadings of justification Lewis’ evidence falls within those pleadings.

Mr. Hughes then said, “I can also amend the defence statement of claim which would then allow the defence to call Lewis and other witnesses which is permissible in law.”

Mr. Jagdeo’s lawyers objected saying that cannot be done. After arguments on both sides, citing authorities,

the judge ruled that Hughes can amend the statement of claim, something that is permitted in law. Mr. Jagdeo’s lawyers then told the Judge they will appeal that particular ruling.

The Judge then gave Mr. Jagdeo’s lawyers leave to file their appeal to a higher court and said in fairness to the plaintiff (Mr. Jagdeo) he will resume the hearing after a decision of the appeal.

Everything I have written here took place in February and March this year and can be seen in the March 27, 2014 issue of this newspaper.

On Tuesday, nine months later, the libel case was called again. The junior counsel for Mr. Jagdeo informed the court that the appeal was never filed. He then gave the court the reason.

He said he was unable to confer with his senior partner.

Commonsense would tell the reader that he meant since March 2014, he has not been able to discuss the appeal

with his senior partner thus, no filing of appeal papers.

The court allowed the junior partner up to December 22 to do what he agreed that he would do in March this year. These are the facts not an interpretation by this columnist. In fact, I will refrain from interpretation. These facts are reported by this newspaper in its March 27, December 9, and I guess today’s edition.

I will leave it at that without interpretation or analysis. As people are wont to say; “let’s leave it at that.”

Leonard Craig and I left the High court after the hearing to go downtown for me to buy a cutlass and a pair of shears (to do my gardening).

As we walked toward our cars, overflowing sewage can be seen outside of the High Court. I first saw this in 1975 when I visited the Arnold Rampersaud murder trial. If anything is permanent in Guyana it is the envelopment

of the High Court by sewage.

Life never changes in Guyana. Life remains always the same in Guyana. Funny how many permanent, horrific fixtures this country embodies. I was twenty-four years of age when I saw the overflowing sewage outside the High Court.

I have a daughter that same age and she can see that identical picture today that her father saw when he was her age.

A cynical mind could joke about this High Court sewage and post funny stories on it (as Guyanese normally do on Facebook) to the effect that what surrounds the High Court outside also takes place inside. Brace yourself for more sewage overflow.

I bought my cutlass and shears and Craig and I went to the Post Office Building to pick up Michael Carrington of the AFC, for lunch. The entire eastern pavement of the Post Office Building is flooded with overflowing sewage. To

Frederick Kissoon say it was depressing is to put it mildly.

When you look at that horrible sight one thing comes into your mind if you are a political analyst – it is a picture of a failed state.

Sewage outside the High Court, sewage outside the Post Office.

People just get on with their life in a failed state and they try to stop the depression with humour. I showed Michael Carrington and Leonard Craig how close they were standing to the sewage. Carrington watched, looked up at me and was smiling broadly. I wondered why he wasn’t appalled as I was.

Then the psychological lesson flew into my mind.

Remember Carrington sees that stuff daily because he has a shoe repair business inside the Post Office building.

The point is Guyanese have become accustomed to the horror and terror that characterize their homeland so they laugh about what they see (rightfully so to stop the depression) and just get on with their lives.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Guyana Ambassador chosen GPL forfeits $$millions annually to lead ACP Group of States to GT&T and cable operators

Guyana’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Community, Dr. Patrick Gomes, was yesterday selected as the new SecretaryGeneral of the African, Pacific and Caribbean Group of States (ACP) for the period 2015 to 2020.

Announcing the selection yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, that Dr. Gomes was chosen at the 100th Session of the Council of Ministers of ACP held at its headquarters in Brussels.

Ambassador Gomes will take office in March 2015 in the fortieth year of the ACP. It was in Guyana, 39 years ago in 1975, that the ACP was birthed through the Georgetown Accord.

Gomes has served as Guyana’s Ambassador to the ACP Group of States and the European Union from February 2005. He is also the Chairman of the Ambassadors’ Working Group on Future Perspectives of the ACP. “For almost a decade, Ambassador Gomes has worked consistently within the ACP to gain beneficial terms of trade and development in the markets of the European Union for ACP’s agricultural commodities and minerals. He has also pursued improved financial support and services for joint ACP-EU institutions such as the Centre for Technical Cooperation in

Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Ambassador Patrick Gomes Agriculture and Rural Development, and has been instrumental in promoting the potential for capacity development of the ACP through South-South and Triangular Cooperation,” the Ministry said.

In thanking the ACP Ministers for the confidence they have exhibited in Ambassador Gomes, Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, said “the ACP is at a critical juncture

and experience and wise leadership coupled with patience are critical if we are to overcome the challenges.

Ambassador Gomes possesses these attributes and together with the support of all of us, I am confident he will not only keep the Georgetown Agreement alive but will make it thrive.”

Government said it views the appointment as an honour for Guyana, the Caribbean and the ACP Group.

Guyana Power and Light (GPL), in addition to the billions of dollars lost through technical and commercial losses, continue to lose millions of dollars each year as a result of cable operators and the Guyana Telephone and Telephone (GT&T) Company utilizing its poles countrywide without paying a dime.

This was confirmed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Power Company, Bharat Dindyal, who yesterday in a telephone interview with this publication said that there is currently no agreement in place with those using the company’s utility poles.

Private Cable operators across the country have over the years taken to servicing homes by using the GPL utility poles to string their cables. This state of affairs has continued unhindered by the power company, which is only now looking to put arrangements in place to secure revenue from the cable operators and from GT&T. Dindyal said that the power company is currently looking to finalise a formal agreement which would then be applied across the board.

Dindyal also pointed out to this newspaper that at present the power company

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Power Company, Bharat Dindyal is unaware of just how many cable operators are stringing cables on its poles.

The power company’s CEO also conceded that at this point in time, he is not in a position to quantify just how much money is lost.

The situation is compounded further with the fact that on an annual basis GPL is handed billions of dollars in subsidies which would mean that the power company is in effect directly subsidizing the operations of the private cable operators.

According to Dindyal, the company is looking to the agreement with the various operators to be in place and signed early next year.

He said that at present the major bugbear is having insurance in place.

Dindyal informed that the power company has already approached insurance brokers who are currently analyzing what options are available to secure the power company in case of losses.

Over 8,000 power poles are in use by a number of local cable companies, including ENetworks, Bartica Communications and Atlantic Cable TV Network (ACN).

Vishok Persaud’s ENetworks has been stringing cables along GPL’s poles across the country. That company and Brian Yong’s Quark Communications Inc. were among two companies given the controversial operational go-ahead to run cable TV services by former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Both companies, along with Global Technology, are now poised to be handed telecommunications once the pending amendments to the current laws are passed.

These licences will also allow both to offer telephone services, mobile services, internet and a host of other high demands.

Corruption is an impediment to development

By Nicholas Peters British High Commissioner to Guyana, Andrew Ayre, asserted the importance of lowering perceptions of corruption if countries with a high corruption index are to develop. “It’s very important that recipients of development assistance clean up their act to the maximum extent as possible,” said the Commissioner in an interview with this publication.

His comments came on the heels of Transparency International’s 2014 Corruption Perception Index, where Guyana was ranked in the “highly corrupt” category. The index shows Guyana lagging far behind its Caricom peers, placing 124th

- British High Commissioner out of a 175 countries.

Meanwhile countries like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago rank much higher.

The only Caricom country ranking lower is Haiti at 161.

According to the index, this would make Guyana the most corrupt Englishspeaking country in the region.

The countries were evaluated on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), with Guyana receiving a score of 30. Last year the country received a score of 28 to reflect marginal improvement.

A key observation that Ayre highlighted was the more corrupt a country, the less is the development within that country.

Commissioner Ayre explained that such a ranking can negatively affect foreign investor interest in a country like Guyana. He said that the cost of doing business is always higher in a country where the perception of corruption is higher, the reason for this being that there is a “risk premium” attached to the nation.

The diplomat said that lenders would look at figures such as the Corruption Perception Index, when determining whether it is worth investing in a low ranking country like Guyana.

However, there has still been investment from nations like the United Kingdom to

developing countries where the perception of corruption is high.

The British High Commissioner defended this position as the UK’s strict belief that “development assistance” should be provided to developing countries throughout the world. The UK official detailed that his country has succeeded in contributing upwards of 0.7 percent of Britain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in development assistance.

Despite this position, countries like the UK have received criticism for investing in highly corrupt countries where the value of their investment is likely to decrease. High Commissioner Ayre explained that the 2008 financial crisis has resulted in

apprehension among UK citizens to give financial aid to corrupt countries. The people feel that they are not getting what they paid for.

“Our citizens do not want to see a scenario where one pound of development assistance becomes 10 pence,” said the UK representative. “They want to see one pound of development assistance equalling one pound of development.”

Therefore, it is very important for countries that want to receive development assistance to “clean up their act” so as to ensure that huge financial investments are solely spent on developing the country’s resources.

The High Commissioner explained that international public support is vital towards obtaining funding for

British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre developing countries.

“To have the public support for such a policy requires that the development assistance is spent on development and not on corruptive ways.”

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Kaieteur News

Thursday December 11, 2014

GPL, Unions deadlocked on joint negotiations for pay increase The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) is sticking with its stance to negotiate separately with two workers’ unions.

Both the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) had been demanding that GPL meet with both to negotiate, but the power company has refused, leading to a walkout on Tuesday.

According to GPL in a statement yesterday, it has two separate and distinct Collective Labour Agreements (CLA) - with NAACIE and with GPSU. NAACIE represents nonmanagerial staff, whilst GPSU is representing managerial staff.

GPL said that these are two distinct and separate categories of staff, each with its own level of responsibility and accountability.

The CLAs would have expired since December 2003.

GPL said it has submitted proposals to both unions to re-negotiate the terms and conditions of the agreements, and invited the parties to enter negotiations, but neither “union appears inclined to do so”.

“Indeed, between October 2013 and August 2014, GPL has written to NAACIE and GPSU a dozen times inviting them to commence negotiations, including negotiations for wages and salaries. Both unions refused to attend meetings.”

As a matter of fact GPL said that the unions have proposed to enter into joint negotiations with GPL. “They have proffered not a single valid or commonsense argument in support of their

argument.”

GPL said it rejected the proposal as, among other things, it has distinct and separate CLAs with the two.

“Each union has distinct certificates of recognition as sole bargaining agents for different categories of workers at GPL.” GPL also said that in the past, it negotiated separately with the two unions and that there is nothing in the existing CLAs or in Law, to require it to agree to joint negotiations.

“GPL has considered the arguments put forward by the unions in their demand for joint negotiations and finds them to be without substance or merit. Non-managerial and management staff negotiating jointly for salaries and wages will likely engender conflicts of interest.”

GPL said that on October 30, it received a notice of ultimatum from both unions giving the company one

GPL and the Workers’ Unions are deadlocked in salary negotiations. month’s notice that they will take the necessary actions they see fit, if the company does not agree to joint negotiations.

Following the ultimatum, the Ministry of Labour intervened, as a conciliator.

“Two meetings were held at the Ministry and both unions and GPL presented their respective arguments. The

Chief Labour Officer declared the matter deadlocked.”

GPL said it again pleaded with the unions and invited them, yet again, on December 9 to commence negotiations.

“Mr. Kenneth Joseph, General Secretary of NAACIE, agreed verbally that his union will commence negotiations on 9th December, 2014. Lo and

behold, representatives of GPSU turned up at the meeting. This was contrary to the letter, spirit and understanding of our letter of invitation to NAACIE and the verbal telephone conversation between our HR Director, Mr. Balgobin Persaud and Mr. Joseph.”

GPL said it expressed its continued desire to start

negotiations, but that GPSU representatives would not be permitted to be present during the negotiations.

“NAACIE refused and left. We reiterate our call to enter separate negotiations with NAACIE and GPSU and will strongly encourage them to participate early so that our staff can be paid in time for the holidays.”

Homicide rates highest in developing Caribbean, Latin American countries - Report A violent situation exists in the developing countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. This state of affairs was substantiated by the Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 which reveals that these territories have the world’s highest homicide rates.

In the Report which was released yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland, seeks to establish that a substantial amount of homicides committed in low and middle income countries were carried out with the aid of firearms.

The revealing publication

is one that was produced through the collaboration of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. It saw participation from 21 out of 35 Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO) member countries.

Among the findings, the Report estimates that 165,617 deaths in the target countries were due to homicide, and three-quarters of these were carried out with firearms (data for 2012). This translates into 28.5 homicides per 100,000 population, more than four times the global homicide rate (6.7 per 100,000) and more than twice the rate of developing countries in Africa, which have the world’s second-

Dr. Marcelo Korc, PAHO Advisor highest regional homicide rate (10.9 per 100,000). ”As a group, developing countries in the Americas share the dubious distinction

of having the highest rate of lethal interpersonal violence in the world,” said Dr. Marcelo Korc, Advisor on Sustainable Development and Human Security at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

“Many of our member countries are taking steps to address this violence, but it remains a huge challenge to implement effective prevention and treatment programmes to lower these rates and reduce the tremendous suffering they represent.”

Among other findings about the Region of the Americas, the new report shows that the highest WHOestimated homicide rates were in Honduras (103.9 per 100,000), Venezuela (57.6 per

100,000), Jamaica (45.1) and Belize (44.7). The lowest homicide rates were in Canada (1.8 per 100,000), Antigua and Barbuda (4.4) and Chile (4.6) while the highest estimated rates of homicide by firearms were in Venezuela (90 per cent), Guatemala (86 per cent), Honduras (84 per cent), Colombia and Panama (80 per cent), and El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago (77 per cent).

It was found too, that firearms are also predominantly used in intimate partner homicides in the Americas. It was therefore established that both globally and in the Americas, 30 per cent of ‘ever-partnered’ women report having experienced physical or sexual violence, or both, at some point in their lives.

This situation prevails although a higher proportion (76 per cent) of countries of the Americas have national action plans to reduce violence than in any other WHO region. This includes 91 per cent with plans to reduce child maltreatment, 86 per cent with plans to reduce intimate partner and sexual violence, and 71 per cent with plans to reduce youth violence.

Highlighted in the Report is the interesting fact that while all countries in the Americas have laws (continued on page 24)

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 21

734 Guyanese deported by Trinidad Escaped prisoner Trinidad (Trinidad Express) -Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has described as “mischievous, malicious and very dangerous” charges of racial and religious discrimination in the arrest of people or racial profiling in the deportation of illegal immigrants by the Government of the People’s Partnership.

Ramlogan said statistics from 2010 to October 2014 showed “the number one country with deportees from Trinidad and Tobago is not the African continent, not India, but Guyana. “The truth of the matter is that illegal immigrants from the African continent were way down on the list at number seven.

The total number of African immigrants that have been deported from 2010 to now is 70 persons. Seventy African deportees in four, nearly five, years, against 734 Guyanese (in the same period).

“So when we run to light a fire, coming on the heels of

the Ferguson experience in the US and we jump to pour kerosene to light a social flame that we cannot control, then we must look to the truth which shall set us free. And the statistics show that we must reject outright that kind of nonsense and absurd allegation against the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.”

There is absolutely no merit, truth or justification in it, he said, adding it was mischievous, malicious and very dangerous in a society such as this.

He said he asked for statistics from the Head of Immigration, Gerry Downes, because he wanted to see if there was any merit in this charge about discrimination against deportees from Africa.

The statistics provided revealed that out of a total of 1,757 deportees between 2010 and now, 41.8 per cent of deportees (734) were from Guyana. He said coming second after “with a big gap”, was Jamaica, the country of

T&T Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan origin of 18.5 per cent of deportees (325 people).

Other Caribbean countries (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Dominica) were third, with 11.4 per cent of deportees; fourth was Asia (China, Indian and other Asian countries), with 10.2 per cent; fifth was Central and South America (5.7 per cent); sixth

Int’l Human Rights Day observed with youth rally

Participant, Maria Stevens leaving a message for equality Human rights champions and members of civil society turned out in their numbers at a youth rally hosted by the Guyana Equality Forum in the heart of the city yesterday.

The activity which attracted citizens from all walks of life, marked the observance of International Human Rights Day, which was commemorated under the theme, “Human Rights 365!” This observance is celebrated annually on December 10.

International Human Rights Day was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1950, and is observed to highlight the fundamental rights that all

people are entitled to as a global community.

The day has since been chronicled as one where Governments, the UN system and civil society organisations organise a myriad of activities. This year, the Guyana Equality Forum (GEF) – the unified voice for a number of local organisations – organized a youth rally to commemorate this day.

P a r t i c i p a t i n g organisations included Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association’s youth arm – Youth Advocacy Movement; Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN); Volunteerism

Support Platform of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Stella’s Sisterhood of Support and Service Foundation (S4); Guyana National Youth Council; Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD); Deaf Association of Guyana; Youth Challenge Guyana; Guyana National Youth Council; Volunteer Youth Corps; Help and Shelter; and the Guyana Business Coalition, among others.

These organisations which work in the field of human rights and community development, told participants that human rights (continued on page 24)

was Caricom countries (excluding Guyana and Jamaica), 5.7 per cent.

Speaking in the Senate on the Precursor Chemicals Bill, Ramlogan said: “We have a tendency in Trinidad to call upon the law enforcement officers to do their duty and enforce the law... and when they do... the very same people criticise and condemn them. The latest trend is if you arrest anybody—racial profiling, religious profiling. I don’t know what they expect the police to do.

“It is high time that we stop this hypocritical behaviour in Trinidad and Tobago and allow the law enforcement agencies to do their job as we were trained to do.”

The Attorney General said one has to be careful about pouring scorn on reports from security agencies in the country. He said on the African continent there was a “huge opium/ heroin trade” and there was piracy on the high seas, therefore “one cannot bury one’s head in the sand”.

Ramlogan said Trini-dad and Tobago could not remain nonchalant in the face of entrepreneurial drug cartels which have already tried to use countries of the Caribbean to divert chemicals.

He quoted a 2006 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report which stated: “Trinidad and Tobago has an advanced petrochemical sector, which requires the import and export of chemicals that can be diverted for the manufacturing of cocaine hydrochloride. Precursor chemicals originating from Trinidad and Tobago have been found in illegal drug labs in Colombia.”

He said in a 2007 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Training Manual, an example of diversion was cited. “A Mumbai-based exporter presented to the Narcotics Commissioner of India a No Objection Certificate from the Competent Authority of the importing country for export of two million ephedrine tablets to Trinidad and Tobago. Suspicion led to enquiry, which confirmed that the actual quantity permitted in the NOC was 200,000 tablets only.”

He said according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report 2014, cocaine supply indicators showed that the Central and South America and the Caribbean seizures in 2011-2012 amounted to over 70 per cent of global total.

“This is a damning statistic and certainly supports the need for stricter controls on cocaine production,” he said.

recaptured

With the assistance of residents a regular criminal who had escaped from the New Amsterdam Prison a few days after he was remanded has been recaptured.

The man, Khemraj Panday, 20, of Victoria Street, Cumberland, was caught with three others a few days ago.

Panday was strangely taken out of the penitentiary to do chores.

He was remanded with the three others on a number of charges, including break and enter and larceny. On Friday morning while doing work outside the confines of the prison he managed to escape.

A manhunt was subsequently launched for the fugitive. A number of prison and police officers were deployed in the neighbouring villages. Panday, Doodnauth Bissondyal, Takurdyal Bissondyal and Parvis Etwaroo were caught whilst in the act of breaking into the business premises at West Canefield on November 23.

Residents spotted the

man in the neighbouring village of Fort Ordnance and alerted the law enforcement officials, who were able to capture the man who was sitting alone under a house on Tuesday.

Panday and his cohorts were also charged with break and enter in November.

Takurdyal Bissondyal was also charged with being in possession of house breaking implements on November 23.

When he was caught he was found with a nipper in his hand, a padlock and knife in his pocket and a bag on his back.

They appeared before Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus at the Reliance Magistrate’s court and were remanded to prison until January 7, 2015.

The bandits are all known to the authorities and have a number of matters of similar nature pending in the magistrate’s court. They were out on bail when they committed the latest acts.

Most troubling communicable disease facing health sector ...

From page 20 a challenge and those communities are spread far and wide so they pose some amount of challenge to really get those things under control," asserted Dr. Edwards.

He went on to note that "it is not easy to say that you are going to have treated water delivered to all of those communities as, according to him, such an activity may not be feasible for the sparse populations these communities contain. Some communities, he noted, may have as much as 200 persons.

However, the possibility of digging wells in such com-

munities is an option that has been embraced. An unfortunate outcome though is that these wells can also become contaminated.

However, Dr. Edwards noted that continued efforts will be made by the Health Ministry to sustain and even surpass gains in the areas of Communicable Diseases in the New Year.

As Communicable Diseases Director, Dr. Edwards has oversight responsibility for all factions of dealing with communicable diseases within the public health sector ranging from HIV to vector control.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

SALON Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal and Sacha cosmetics. Call: 647-1773/660-5257 ACCOMODATION SIGNATURE INN: Luxury Suites & Apartments. Free Wi-Fi & Breakfast; AC & Self Contained Rooms @ 83 Laluni Street Queenstown.

Tel: 592-226-2145

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045

Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, City Taxi Service (since Canada and England. Tel: 1968), 8 Vlissengen Road, 626-7040; 265-4535.

Newtown -24hrs service – Call: 225-8600, 226-1088, 227- Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact 1101, 226-7150 Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206 Eddie’s Taxi Service, 6 Repairs, sales & spares air Vlissengen Road, Newtown. conditioning, microwaves, 24hrs service Call: 226-0606, washer, fridges & stoves.

225-1513 Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032, Contract Cars Call City Taxi 647-2943 Service; lot 8 Vlissengen REPAIRS AT LOW COST: Road, Tel: 660-1100 FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS- CALL: 6294946 OR 225-4822 Real Deal Realty & Advisory Services: for all your real estate needs – Contact:2231440; 626-4489; 660-7672 TO LET Address – 7 Durban St. We repair fridge, freezer, AC, Lodge: 2 bedrooms washer, dryer Call Omar: 231apartment for rent – Tel:687- 0655,683-8734 5324 2015 Calendars Personalised One two bedroom bottom flat and beautiful designs @ apartment @ C/Ville also City Printery, 58 Ornaque & Business Space @ C/Ville – Robb Streets -Tel: 225-4968, 621-3345 Call: 650-0716/667-7836 TAXI SERVICES

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DOLLY’S CAR RENTAL CALL: 225-7126/ 2263693 DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM/ WWW.DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL.COM

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Rooms in Alberttown & rooms & apartments in Eccles. Call: 225-3234 Bedroom bottom flat apartments; preferably single person – Call: 689-6965 CAR RENTAL

Thursday December 11, 2014

PROPERTY FOR SALE 1 Massive 2- story concrete house & land @ Public Road, Vreed-En-Hoop, can be used for business or residence Call:626-2237, 602-3294 Two storey business property at the corner of Ketley and Howes Street Charlestown – Call:623-9679 Property @ Meadowbrook Drive: four bedrooms, 3 bathrooms – Tel:664-5199; 675-7043 One unfinished house in West Minister - $4.5M- Call: 661-0618, 601-3469 (size: 20X47)

LAND FOR SALE Parika (Butcher Shop Street) – One (1) Lot 38' X 150' $ 7m - Contact 650-0402 - for serious inquiries Blankenburg @ The Back Of Gas Station (3) Lots @ 75' X 76' Each. $20M for all 3 Lots.

(1) Lot for $10m - Contact 650-0402 One residential land at Herstelling -$4.5M – Tel:6610618; 601-3469

2 STORIED 3 BEDROOMS CONCRETE & WOODEN PROPERTY ON LARGE LAND 300FTX40FT, IN BERBICE, NEAR CANJE BRIDGE. CALL MAX: 6098132, 672-8569

Christmas Sale! 2003 Toyota Premio - $2.2M; never registered – Tel: 617-2891

Property at Block 8 Tuschen; lot 334 – Call: 660-0493

Toyota Prado, Price$5.5M Neg. Call: 643-2403

VEHICLE FOR SALE

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

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WANTED Drivers with lorry licence apply @ Wieting & Richter Ltd. Experienced Roti/Puri cooks, Pastry makers, kitchen assistant; apply at Hack’s Halaal – Lot 5 Commerce Street One experienced bus driver; must be 45 years or older; zone 45 – Contact:666-9534 Experienced truck driver, for the interior – Contact:2269768.

Female worker needed, 3 CXC subject or sound secondary school education- Call: 6121607 One manager to work at an out of town Hotel – Call: 2269768, 642-7963, 629-0037 Bartenders to work at an out of town hotel – Call:226-9768 Receptionist, maid to work shift at Hilton Crest Hotel – 25yrs and over, must be experienced – Call:223-6284 1 Female cleaner to work in snackette & bar , must know to cook, age 20-35yrs – Tel:647-7432, 223-5798 Bartender, kitchen assistant, waitress, ASAP @ Streem Café & Bar : Oronoque & Robb St. Must have ID – Phone: 658-6873 (apply In person) Shop assistant to work in the interior salary $80,000 – Tel:688-5409; 664-5199; 6757043 One live in domestic to work in Diamond; age 25-45 – Salary $60,000 – Tel:6885409; 664-5199 Hire car driver @ Gem’s Taxi Service – Call: 667-9013, 2255075 Contract cars & hire car drivers at Atlas Taxi Service – Tel:218-5593; 218-5594 Girls to work as waitresses in bar – Tel:256-4096 Experienced taxi drivers with valid hire license – Call: 2310250 or 231-0260 One puri maker – Call: 2269561 One assistant salesgirl @ E.C.D – Call: 644-9802 One Nail Technician specialized in Nail Art design, Air Brush and also Hair Extension. Tel: 231-6000 VEHICLE FOR SALE AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 PRR IST, Body Kit, mags, music, chrome, kit, crystal HID Lights - $1.7M, Best Offer- Tel: 617-7113 One Toyota Raum : TV; Alarm, remote start ; PRR 8782 – Call:670-7243 (Continued on page 23)

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Palestinian minister dies after confrontation with Israeli police (Reuters) - A Palestinian minister died yesterday shortly after an Israeli border policeman shoved and grabbed him by the throat during a protest in the West Bank, an incident Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described as barbaric.

Ziad Abu Ein, 55, a minister without portfolio, was among scores of Palestinian and foreign activists who were confronted at an Israeli checkpoint while heading to a demonstration against Jewish settlements in the occupied territory.

Around 30 Israeli soldiers and border policemen fired tear gas and sound grenades at the group and a scuffle

ensued in which a border policeman pushed Abu Ein and grabbed his neck firmly with one hand. Footage of the incident and pictures taken by Reuters do not show Abu Ein responding with any violence.

Minutes later the minister began to look faint and fell to the ground clasping his chest. He died on his way to hospital.

It was not clear what caused his death. An autopsy is being carried out with Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian pathologists present, with the results expected later on Wednesday.

The incident comes at a time of heightened tension between Israel and the

Palestinians, following months of violent unrest in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Hoping to head off any escalation as well as a possible erosion of security cooperation with Abbas’s forces, Israel reinforced troops in the West Bank. It also issued an apology.

“We are sorry about his ( A b u E i n ’s ) d e a t h , ” Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said in a statement.

He said Israel was investigating the incident as well as taking part in the autopsy. “Security stability is important for both sides and we will continue coordinating with the Palestinian Authority.”

Palestinian minister Ziad Abu Ein (L) scuffles with an Israeli border policeman near the West Bank city of Ramallah (REUTERS PHOTO) PROTESTS Clashes broke out in a refugee camp near Ramallah and an Israeli soldier shot and critically wounded a Palestinian youth, Palestinian medics said. Ramallah shops were shuttered for the day in

protest at the minister’s death.

Israel’s army spokesman said the march toward the settlement involved “approximately 200 rioters” and was stopped by its forces using “riot dispersal means.”

Footage shows the marchers

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

A WELCOME RELIEF AT ST. JOSEPH HIGH DEAR EDITOR, Thursday November 27th I and my wife, along with the parents of some 92 graduates, descended on St. Joseph High School to experience a pivotal milestone in the lives of our children.

My only regret is that I didn’t walk with some sandwiches, as it did last some hours, and the grumblings of hunger were less than subtle, but the ideals and symbolisms of the moment sustained us to the

last ecstatic moment of this refreshing ritual.

That to me began with The National School of Music’s mini steel orchestra’s rendition of ‘The Breeze and I’. I want to applaud these young people for their musical interludes and the work done by Pan masters Ras Camo Williams and Andrew Kendall with these talented youth.

It was refreshing and hopeful for Guyana, that if this school embodies and mirrors

in other schools the natural potential of the next generation, then we will transcend with an innate integrity, in defiance of the negative values thrown at us by those who have governed this country over the last twenty years; we will rise above this dark period of our history.

But like all things, everything has a beginning, and of this beginning, I can only summarise from my experience as a parent of

COUNTRY ABOVE SELF

From page 4 that the deficit in governance and the acts of criminality are taking their toll on the morale and tolerance level of peace loving Guyanese.

Incidents of violent crime, road kills, domestic violence, white collar crime and corruption, fragmentation of family units and degradation of the cohesiveness of communities, are symptomatic of a more insidious malaise in the national character. It is facilitated by the political grandstanding and unwillingness to cede ground in a magnanimous national effort to resolve systemic issues plaguing the society.

It contributes to the growing disillusionment among many of our youth and recent graduates from secondary and tertiary institutions, who despair of realising their true potential as individuals and as professionals in the country of their birth.

If this is truly a season of goodwill and we are sincere in our exchanges of greetings and good wishes, then we should also look forward expectantly to some morale-

boosting manifestations of the highest levels of statesmanship, political astuteness, receptivity to advocacy and magnanimity, in the cause of national unity and Guyana’s development for all.

This should be complemented by all faithbased organisations practicing a model of liberation theology - the kind that took root and blossomed in our region during the 1970s and 1980s, that will identify with good governance, and finding creative solutions to the issues that affect the poor, the vulnerable, the homeless, the jobless, the traumatised women and children, and the marginalised in our society.

I republish for emphasis, an extract of what I wrote in February 2013: “We must accept our collective responsibility now and demonstrate that we have the capacity, commitment and desire to uplift this country we call home. We must empower ourselves to arrest the slide and demand much of ourselves and those in authority, who have been elected to serve us”.

As the Head of the UN Children’s Fund is reported to have said last Monday: “The world is more divided politically among and within nations than ever before…and…the foundations of the future would be built in the hearts and minds of children, not the physical infrastructure of schools”.

I am not a pessimist. I have experienced positive occurrences in different parts of our country and witnessed at firsthand how these have impacted on the lives and livelihoods of people. But there should be no denying that there are systemic issues to be resolved by our collective efforts.

Now is as good a time as any for us to re-group, reengage and re-double our efforts at shaping a caring, enlightened and civil Guyanese society that will work in unity and harmony with unselfish and responsible leaders at all levels who can be relied upon to put institution, village, district, region and country, above self.

Joseph G Singh Major General (retd)

children, comparing St. Joseph to other schools like St Gabriel’s of similar ilk though of a different category, and then to those where dismal management can be remembered. History credits the victory of battles won; primarily to the leadership of the commanding General, likewise, my experience of Saint Joseph rests with the dictates and strategies of its Commanding General/Headmistress, Ms. Gail Primo.

At the graduation it was the students who had summarised what parents had discussed over the years, in the speech by the Valedictorian, young Saquan Jack. He captured the essence of those parental observations, known to many parents when we were in school - the simplicity and uniformity of dress; that you entered the school on the merits of work done, and that ‘cool’ was not ‘in’ at School.

The Headmistress and her staff maintained the values that de-emphasised the hyped trivia imposed due to the nouveau riche whose experiment with indulgence includes their unfortunate children, having a serious impact on all levels of our social ethos.

It was this posse at St. Joseph that in this case arrested the escaping innate delinquency of adolescence, that society moaned at the bus parks, instilling an alternative perspective, to dig into your studies and achieve substance. My wife couldn’t understand why the Headmistress wouldn’t agree with her in the case of having to buy the school’s recommended footwear that was available, when this footwear was in fact, a Chinese leatherette and

cardboard rip-off that could not be stitched or even pasted for more than a few days. The Headmistress stoically advised her to buy more than one pair, because they’re cheap. We eventually laughed it off consoling ourselves that definitely the ‘Bush Clarks’ and ‘Yachtings’ from back in our day, were not made in China.

The saddest part of the Graduation was the subtle announcement that the Headmistress was retiring due to age. This is a young woman, with a successful philosophy, which has led to a considerable boost for Saint Joseph High, in a country where ‘failure’ is not even ashamed of itself anymore, and where a glaring ‘DunceCap’ is in our face daily.

Are priorities really channelled in the Nation’s interest? I could call without hesitation, ten horribly bad decision makers in high office who should be immediately exiled to the ‘Settlement’.

If by her own satisfaction Ms Primo is leaving, and I was managing education, I would have made it attractive so she could stay on for a few more years, rather than lose crucial skills, when the nation requires such expertise.

I can well remember a teacher at Saint Pius who had laboured with my eldest child, enabling her to ace Common Entrance, and before I could formally thank her, she had migrated to a more lucrative working sphere.

I close by again saying thank you to Ms. Primo and her Staff, and I sincerely wish her all the best with her future endeavours, to abridge and emphasise the Chief Education Officer ’s reference,” she still has much to give”.

Barrington Braithwaite

moving peacefully toward the demonstration, although at one point an Arab man struck an Israeli soldier with a flag.

Abbas described the incident as “a barbaric act which we cannot be silent about or accept”. He announced three days of national mourning and said “necessary steps” would be taken after an investigation, but did not elaborate on whether security ties with the Jewish state would be affected.

(From page 22)

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BMW 318i - $2.2M neg.

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Page 24

Kaieteur News

Jilted lover ‘slapped’ with threatening behaviour charge Gavin Primo from Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer a threatening behaviour charge Tuesday morning at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

It is alleged that Primo on December 8, used threatening behaviour towards Samantha Ferina at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara. Primo was unrepresented and pleaded ‘not guilty’.

Police Prosecutor Dinero Jones said that on the day in question Ferina was in a (#50) minibus when Primo came up and dragged her out of the vehicle. Ferina managed to escape his grip and returned to the bus.

Primo then reportedly picked up a bottle and threatened to ‘lash’ her. Public

spirited citizens apprehended him, reported the matter and Primo was then arrested and charged. According to the defendant they were in a relationship for eight years.

They parted ways two months ago. He also said that he is 39 years old and resides at 81 Holmes Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.

Primo told the court, “I never said that I’d lash her; she threw me out the house. I hear she was seeing someone else and I just wanted to talk things through. I didn’t expect things to come to this.”

The presiding Nagistrate placed Primo on $10,000 bail and ordered that he be bonded to keep the peace, stay 50 feet away from Ferina until the completion of the trial. The matter has been adjourned to December 15.

Homicide rates highest ...

From page 12 regulating firearms less than two-thirds have special firearms control programmes such as gun buy-backs or firearms collection and destruction programmes.

In order to reduce levels of violence, the Report recommends 18 “best buy” p r o g r a m m e s , including: programmes to reduce the availability and harmful use of alcohol; laws and programmes to reduce access to firearms; school-based programmes to teach children and adolescents “life-skills” such as non-violent conflict resolution; efforts to change gender norms that are supportive of violence against women; programmes to improve parenting in families at risk of violence and public information campaigns to prevent elder abuse.

“One of the conclusions that can be drawn from this Report, is that we continue to need more and better data on interpersonal violence, and this is true of the Americas as well as other regions,” said Korc.

“It is critical to know the dimensions and specific characteristics of interpersonal violence to better inform policymaking and the design of effective plans and programmes. To really work, plans have to be based on good data.”

PAHO, founded in 1902, is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It works with its member countries to improve the health and the quality of life of the people of the Americas. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of WHO and is part of the Inter-American system.

Hinterland farmers remanded on gun and ammo charges Two Kamarang residents, Jaimi Edwin and Nash Granes appeared in handcuffs at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court Tuesday afternoon to address separate charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition without being licensed firearm holders.

It is alleged that Nash Granes, on December 4, at Paruima Village, Upper Kamarang River, had in his possession one 16-gauge single-barrel shotgun and one round of matching ammunition without being a licensed firearm holder.

Granes pleaded ‘not guilty’ to both charges against him.

On the day in question at around 9:10 at Paruima Village, Upper Kamarang River, acting on information the police went to the home of the defendant and told him of their suspicions. He took the police to the nearby bushes and handed over a 16-gauge

road and he too had only seen when the police were leaving the street.

Madramootoo said that she is very confused as to why the police would enter her home. "I'm at home and my husband is a fisherman. I don't know what they want with us," the woman argued. She explained, however, that her home was not the only one searched, since the cops reportedly took with them a young man and his motorcycle.

Madramootoo said that she went to the Ruimveldt Police Station with her husband. There the police did not take a report but questioned whether she could identify the officers. The Ruimveldt Police Station told Kaieteur News that no one came to make any such report.

single barrel shotgun with a matching round. Granes was told of the offence and was later arrested and charged.

Granes was represented

by Attorney-at-Law Brian James who told the court that his client is 42 years old, married, a father of six and works as a farmer to maintain himself and his family. However, he has a pending assault matter in Kamarang.

His Lawyer also told the court that his client never admitted to being in possession of the ammunition or firearm.

Police Prosecutor Dinero objected to bail for Granes based on the penalty attached to the charge.

While Jaimi Edwin on December 4 at Paruima Village, Upper Kamarang River, allegedly had in his possession two live rounds of 16-gauge ammunition

Jaimi Edwin without being a licensed firearm holder. He also pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge against him.

The court heard that Edwin, who was also represented by James, is 41 years old, single and also works as a farmer. He has had

no previous brushes with the law. James added that it is a tradition at Christmas to go hunting and gather food for the family.

In Edwin’s case he just had the ammunition and used someone else’s firearm. For all those reasons the Attorney requested his client’s pretrial liberty and bail in a reasonable sum.

Police Prosecutor Dinero Jones objected to bail, given the nature and gravity of the offence, he also stated that no special reasons were given.

Hunting is not a suitable reason to have been in possession of the ammunition without the proper licence, he argued.

The presiding Magistrate remanded them both until December 15. The matters have been transferred to the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court.

Int’l Human Rights Day observed ...

From page 21 is everybody’s business.

GEF is a coalition of civil society movements fighting for the rights of all and its administrative duties are executed by SASOD. Speaking to Kaieteur News, SASOD’s Advocacy and Communication Officer, Schemel Patrick said it has become practice for the group to host activities in commemoration of International Human Rights Day. She said “we are most known for a ‘Walk for Equality’ but this year we decide to have a Youth Rally.”

The rally, Patrick explained, provided an opportunity for youthfocused organisations to

Riverview mother accuses police ...

From page 20 distance away, said that the police went into her home and searched it. One neighbour, she said, told her, 'You got nuff cleaning fuh do.”

The woman continued that she had no idea that the police were heading to her home when she saw them. She became very upset when she remembered her money and noticed it missing when she checked.

Madramootoo said that the $100,000 with which she had planned to do her Christmas shopping this week was hidden in a drawer in her bedroom. When she got in, the vanity drawer with the money was the only one opened.

She continued that her husband was not home at the time of the police raid. According to her, he had gone up the

Thursday December 11, 2014

But Madramootoo said that she made a report to the Police Complaints Authority and made it clear that neither she nor her husband has any problems with the law. The woman was even more upset that the police broke into her home- in her absence- and caused two of the boards in her door to become loose.

Parts of the woman's home were also being painted in preparation for the holidays.

She said that the cushions for her couch were thrown about the living room while her recently laid vinolay was destroyed because of the displacement of her chairs. The kitchen was also upturned she said.

Madramootoo said that the Police Complaints Authority took her report and promised to return a call.

discuss the work that they are doing and to engage, educate and empower youth.

She reflected that the global focus for Human Rights Day is “Human Rights 365” but the GEF has narrowed it to focus specifically on youths and as such a number of these organisations were invited to participate as well as to attend the rally.

The rally was one which featured enthusiastic bikers and skaters, information booths, a cultural concert, a mural painting and a photo booth, among other things.

The information booths, Patrick explained, were there to provide an opportunity to educate people on what the groups have been doing.

The mural was one which encouraged persons to leave their human rights message.

The photo booth was one of

SASOD’s initiatives which launched its Instagram page (SASOD Guyana) yesterday and was encouraging persons to send photos with an equality message so they can share it on the page.

The cultural concert was one which featured a humble group of drummers from the Diamond Special Needs School.

The group, comprising of five hearing impaired students, managed to awe the crowd with their rhythmic performance.

“Everything,” the Advocacy and Communication Officer, “ties into the global theme Human Rights 365” which reminds that every day of the year, we are all equal everywhere.

She said the theme for the Youth Rally, however, was “Youth voices matter:

Educating, Empowering and Engaging youth.”

Patrick opined that the activity was an excellent opportunity to sound the message of human rights.

This activist is of the view, however, that Guyana still has a far way to go to realizing the full potential of human rights.

She told this publication that there is a need for a national advocacy on human rights and no one should be excluded from it.

“That (human rights) is something for everyone and we need to be more cohesive in advocating for human rights…There is always room for more, but civil society is doing quite a lot now and the Guyana Equality Forum is doing its part.”

The Youth Rally, which started at 14:00 hrs, concluded at 18:00 hours.

Police arrest gunman on Corentyne …dragnet led to the arrest of three others More praise is being showered on the Berbice police for arresting four men and confiscating a gun that the men were carrying.

An alert policeman was able to intercept a car in which the four suspicious men were. They made an attempt to escape but one was captured. The others were nabbed even as they attempted to bribe cops to retrieve a gun.

According to reports, around 10:15 hrs on Tuesday a policeman was on patrol duty in the vicinity of Craig Street, Queenstown,

Corriverton, when he noticed four known characters travelling in a grey motor car.

The vehicle was stopped and the men were ordered out for searches to be conducted.

As the men exited, one man made a dash and threw away a Black Bag. The others also made a dash for it. The police retrieved the bag and was able to chase and capture one of the men. The bag was later checked and found to contain a .38 revolver.

The driver also drove the car away. The one man was over powered and taken to the Springlands Police

station. He told investigators that he didn’t know the men and had only stopped the car for a lift.

Subsequently, according to information some known characters made contact with the cops to make an arrangement to retrieve the gun at a cost.

The arrangement was made and an agreement was struck. As the characters turned up for the agreed deal, the three known characters were nabbed and taken into custody.

The driver and some others remain at large.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

Jamaica paying more cash upfront for PetroCaribe oil Jamaica Gleaner - The dramatic fall in world crude prices has curtailed Jamaica’s oil bill, but it also means that oil refinery Petrojam Limited has to pay a larger portion of the bill in cash.

Under the PetroCaribe arrangement with Ve n e z u e l a , J a m a i c a i s now paying for 50 per cent of oil imports upfront, up from 40 per c e n t , s a i d Wi n s t o n Wa t s o n , the group general manager for P e t r o j a m ’s parent c o m p a n y, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica.

Watson confirmed the shift to 50 per cent cash-50 per cent financing even while insisting Monday that “nothing has changed”, but he declined to state the period when the increase took effect.

Petrojam has a 90-day credit facility for up to 23,500 barrels of oil per day with Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA),

which itself is a 49 per cent minority owner of Petrojam through subsidiary PDVCaribe.

The balance of the refinery’s needs are made up from cash purchases on the spot market. Petrojam can process up to 35,000 barrels per day.

The price that Jamaica pays for PetroCaribe oil has never been disclosed, but it has some association with world prices.

Up to August, Jamaica’s mineral fuels bill had fallen by US$48 million, or 3.3 per cent to about US$1.4 billion, according to Statin’s most current trade data.

The PetroCaribe arrangement requires beneficiaries of the facility to pay for 40 per cent of the oil upfront when the price is above US$100 p e r b a r r e l ; 50 per cent when it falls within a range of US$80 to US$100 per barrel; 60 per cent at US$50

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We will do all we can to ensure citizens’ safety, says the PM …Nigerian rebels spent a year in this country as tourism students

Winston Watson to US$80 per barrel.

On Jamaica’s schedule, full payment kicks in only if oil the oil price falls below US$15 per barrel. The delayed portion of the payment is transferred to the PetroCaribe Development Fund as a long-term loan repayable at one per cent over 25 years, and the loan proceeds are used to fund development projects and budgetary support for the government.

Trinidad Express - Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar said Wednesday evening her Government would do all in its power to ensure the safety of Trinidad and Tobago citizens.

She said National Security Minister Gary Griffith was speaking on behalf of the People’s Partnership Government when he said he was not deeming all illegal immigrants as national security threats, but there were some who posed a risk to the nation and that is why the ministry is intent on clamping down on the situation and offering status regularisation.PersadBissessar was speaking to the media at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts in San Fernando, where she attended Cedar Grove Private School’s Christmas concert.

Her grandson, Kristiano, is a pupil at the primary school.

Kamla PersadBissessar Persad-Bissessar was responding to reports that Nigerian rebels who were involved in military attacks against the Nigerian government spent a year in this country as tourism students.She said, “I think the Minister of National Security has spoken on the matter, which is the position of the Government, that we will do

all we can to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.

From what I read in the article, it is supposed to be a stay for one year, so that one year has expired.”

Persad-Bissessar said she was aware there were some other students in Trinidad and the authorities would continue to monitor the situation.

Last year, the head of Special Branch wrote to former national security minister Jack Warner, raising an alarm about the presence of 66 rebel Nigerians, advising they could cause havoc in this country.

Persad-Bissessar said Wednesday night she was aware of the letter sent to Warner, and the matter was being monitored constantly.

“I do recall a copy of that letter being brought to our attention. Minister Griffith was then our advisor with respect to NSC matters.

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Jamaica’s PM under fire for Brazil dictatorship probe urges prosecuting military, companies multi-million housing trust spend (Reuters) - A “truth commission” investigating a b u s e s d u r i n g B r a z i l ’s 1964-85 dictatorship called for the prosecution of former military officers and some private companies for their role in human rights atrocities, in a long-awaited report yesterday.

The probe’s leaders presented their 2,000-page report to an emotional President Dilma Rousseff, herself a former Marxist militant who was jailed and tortured by the regime in the 1970s.

They identified 377 people, including some generals, as responsible for what they described as crimes against humanity, including the systematic use of torture, rape, forced disappearances and murder of the military’s opponents.

About 200 of the alleged perpetrators are still alive.

Unlike some other Cold War-era dictatorships in South America, Brazil’s military officers never faced trial, in part because they negotiated an amnesty law several years before leaving power that protected them from most future prosecution.

But leaders of the truth commission said the 1979 amnesty law should not apply to crimes against humanity.

Their detailed accounting of abuses did not initially appear to contain any unexpected bombshells, in part because much of the report’s content was released beforehand.

Instead, the greatest impact may lie in its recommendations - primarily, that the amnesty law be

changed, ignored or otherwise put aside so that trials can go forward.

Rousseff did not comment on that possibility in her speech, but aides have told Reuters that she won’t support any efforts in Congress to change the l a w, b e l i e v i n g B r a z i l ’s hard-won democratic stability is more important than her personal past.

“The new generations deserved to know the truth,” Rousseff said on Wednesday. “But the truth shouldn’t be confused with seeking revenge. It shouldn’t be a motive for hate or settling scores.”

The report included a new estimate of people killed or disappeared, up to 434 from 362 previously.

Kerry, Netanyahu to meet in Rome for Middle East talks (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Rome on Sunday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on developments in Israel and the West Bank, the State Department said yesterday.

“John Kerry will travel to Rome on Sunday to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu on developments in Israel, the West Bank, Jerusalem and region,” department

spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Twitter.The talks come as Israeli politicians campaign ahead of March elections.

Psaki said the meeting will include discussions on various proposals at the United Nations to create a Palestinian state.

Jordan circulated a Palestinian-drafted resolution to the 15-member council last month calling for Israeli

occupation of Palestinian territory to end by November 2016. France, Britain and Germany are also drafting a resolution.

“There are a growing number of countries that are pushing for action on this issue at the U.N.,” Psaki said, adding: “This warrants discussion with Israel, the Palestinians and key members of the international community.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is facing increasing pressure from the Parliamentary Opposition and local interest groups to dismiss the board of the stateowned housing agency, the National Housing Trust (NHT), following its decision to purchase a cash-strapped tourist attraction called the Outameni Experience.

The debacle began in late October when news broke that the NHT had acquired the nine-acre property for J$180 million (US$1.6 million) nearly two years e a r l i e r.

The Opposition had raised concern that the agency, which is mandated to provide low income housing to the Jamaican populace, had no business purchasing the failing tourist attraction, and described the transaction as a ‘bailout’ extended to the former owner, businessman Lennie LittleWhite.

Five weeks after the debacle began, the Prime

Portia Simpson Miller Minister and members of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) reveled in the victory of a by-election in one of its stronghold constituencies in the west, at about the same time that a small group of protesters staged a peaceful protest near the headquarters of the NHT and called on the government to act in the interest of transparency and accountability.

The attraction is located near Falmouth in the western end of the island, on the

outskirts of the tourist mecca of Montego Bay. The NHT was established by the government in 1976 and legally requires all working Jamaicans over the age of 18 to pay statutory deductions of 2.5-3% of their income.

These statutory payments entitle the payee to borrow funds from the entity to purchase or build homes.

However, the NHT’s decision to purchase Outameni and subsequent efforts by the government to justify the transaction has drawn the ire of opposition members.

Public outrage has been further fueled as more news emerged that a large percentage of NHT contributors fail to qualify for any type of mortgage, despite years of payments to the agency.

Mrs. Simpson-Miller, whose office has oversight over the NHT said she was not made aware of the multimillion purchase until it was revealed in the news in October.

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Cuba to provide more aid to Antigua & Barbuda

Antigua & Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne, left, meet with President of the Republic of Cuba, Raul Castro in Havana. (Photo courtesy Office of the Prime Minister) STJOHN’S,Antigua–Prime Minister Gaston Browne used the occasion of the 5th CaricomCuba Summit on Monday to hold lengthy discussions with President of the Republic of Cuba, Raul Castro, from whom he obtained promises for tangible aid for Antigua & Barbuda.

A government communiqué indicated that immediately, Cuba would send two engineers to evaluate the country’s water

catchment infrastructure, with the aim of improving the system.

Additionally, President C a s t r o a l s o approved 17 scholarships in medical specialisation, more medical scholarships, and 15 mathematics tutors/lecturers at the Masters and PhD Levels, who will lecture at secondary schools and the soon to be established University College of Antigua & Barbuda.

Mount St John Medical Centre will be receiving technical support, with the aim of developing the institution’s capacity in medical tourism.

The release also said both leaders agreed to the establishment of a pharmaceutical factory in Antigua & Barbuda to supply the OECS and wider region.

The training of physical education and sports personnel in a train the trainers programme is also part of the agreement.

Prime Minister Browne was accompanied to Cuba by Health and Environment Minister, Molwyn Joseph; Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Charles Fernandez; Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Colin Murdoch and Foreign Service Officer Janelle Matthew.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

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New batch of Cuban 2015 Budget preparations Medical Professionals ongoing - Finance Minister join local health sector

Members of the new batch of Cuban Medical Professional at the Orientation Ceremony, yesterday.

A new batch of Cuban medical professionals has been enlisted in the local health sector, as part of efforts made by the Cuban Government to continually assist with the improvement of health care systems in Latin America and Africa.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s Regional Health Service Department hosted an orientation ceremony at the Regency Hotel and Suites, welcoming and introducing a new batch of 32 health care professionals to the local health care system.

Among those in attendance at the ceremony were Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Director of the Cuban Medical Brigade (CMB)and coordinator of the programme, Dr. Midalys Oreto Hernandez, Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Julio C. Gonsalez Marchante.

The session provided the team of nurses, doctors and health care providers with an overview of the local health vision and regulations for health care workers, cultural practices in the local field of medicine, an understanding of health care services, delivery systems, organizational chain of command and basic information in other aspects of the health care in Guyana.

The lectures were delivered by officials of the MOH and other specialists.

In her remarks, Dr. Hernandez said that Cuba’s Medical Internationalism Programme has been providing medical assistance to foreign countries since 1963, owing to a wealth of human resources in its health sector.

Dr. Hernandez said that the country has since forged international cooperation and solidarity with many peoples.

In Guyana, she said that there are more than 170 medical Cuban collaborators working in at least six regions of the country.

The new batch of Cuban health care workers consists of doctors, nurses, laboratory specialists, and X-ray workers.

The CMB Director said that the new workers will be replacing collaborators who have completed their mission in Guyana. Dr. Hernandez noted that each attaché was allowed to serve a two –threeyear stint before returning to Cuba.

In addition to helping structure Guyana’s healthcare system, the collaborators are also responsible for the final year training of medical students, who started their studies in Cuba at the Latin American

School of Medicine.

The event marked further strengthening of bilateral agreement between Guyana and Cuba.

“Today is a special day where the friendship relationship between Cuba and Guyana continue consolidating. We are officially receiving 32 Cuban collaborators who start their mission as part of the CMB in this fraternal country. We are fulfilling our part in the commitment stated in agreement between our two governments,” Dr. Hernandez said. The professionals were urged to continue showing the professionalism, commitment, humanism and sensitivity which characterizes Cuban professionals of the health field.

The Director congratulated the team for accepting the noble task but noted it is not without its challenges.

“It is necessary to remind you of something. We are conscious that you are aware of the need to permanent studies and seeking information, to know the culture of this nation, its clinical picture to constantly investigate.”

Dr. Hernandez urged the workers to continue contributing to the elevation of health care in Guyana.

Kerry, Netanyahu to meet in Rome for Middle East talks (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Rome on Sunday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on developments in Israel and the West Bank, the State Department said yesterday. “John Kerry will travel to Rome on Sunday to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu on developments in Israel, the West Bank, Jerusalem and region,” department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Twitter.

The talks come as Israeli politicians campaign ahead of March elections. Psaki said the meeting will include discussions on

various proposals at the United Nations to create a Palestinian state. Jordan circulated a Palestinian-drafted resolution to the 15member council last month calling for Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory to end by November 2016.

France, Britain and Germany are also drafting a resolution.“There are a growing number of countries that are pushing for action on this issue at the U.N.,” Psaki said, adding: “This warrants discussion with Israel, the Palestinians and key members of the international community.”

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh yesterday said that despite the lack of dialogue with the political opposition, preparations for Budget 2015 which are constitutionally due by the end of the first quarter of the year are continuing.

This, however, depends on the evolvement of the Parliamentary situation.

Whatever the outcome, the Finance Ministry will be ready to produce a budget when called upon to do so, Minister Singh said.

Speaking on ‘Political Scope’ on the National Communications Network with Wanita Huburn, Minister Singh agreed that in Budget 2014, the many positive outlooks for Guyana’s economy and projections were boosted by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) predictions which balanced the country’s performance over the past eight years.

Commenting on the 2015 Budget presentations, Minister Singh explained that the cycle begins early each year. The private sector continues to display confidence in the economy, and other contributions towards the budget come from workers and householders, a Government statement said.

The Minister also observed that a commitment

by Government to the country has seen a lot of technical work already done.

This includes meetings with Ministries and other units with the budget preparation team working towards the expectation of the requirement to produce a

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh budget. With the ruling party maintaining its commitment to dialogue, engagement and consultation, Minister Singh explained that the President has remained consistent in making himself available for this purpose, but the political opposition has consistently rebuffed this, as their most recent move has indicated.

The Minister pointed also to the opposition rejections of talks before the 2013 budget, and rejection of talks on the Amaila Falls project which met the same fate after an initial meeting. “The unavailability of the opposition for talks is beyond dispute,” he stated.

However, this unwillingness by the political opposition to engage the government does not hinder the preparation of the 2015 Budget.

Minister Singh said that Government is aware of the requirements of the opposition through various

means such as public statements, and calls made in previous budget debates all leading to an accumulation of information on what are their views.

Observing that the Opposition has cut every budget presented in the tenth parliament, Minister Singh noted that they have never presented any alternative which the administration could accept instead. He highlighted the ‘bundle of objections’ which were laid without alternatives and adjusting priorities.

Reiterating the need for the Amaila Falls project, he noted the abundance of criticisms without any credible alternative being put forward.

The administration has had continued engagements with various sectors and stakeholders which allow input into the Budget preparation. He said that there is significant input from nongovernmental sectors including the private sector and labour groupings. These bodies bring forth national priorities for the country’s economy.

All the national policy documents have benefited from national consultations and the administration will remain close to those stakeholders who contributed, he stated.

While hesitating to put a figure forward, Minister Singh observed that the growth prediction for Guyana’s economy is positive.

He said that with regards the sugar sector, the administration will continue to support it and assistance through the national budget will continue as necessary.

U.S. tells North Korea rights abusers ‘you cannot hide any more’ (Reuters) - The top U.S. human rights official took to a stage with two young North Korean defectors yesterday and warned North Korea the United States would step up pressure on the country to end human rights abuses and that perpetrators “cannot hide anymore.”

Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary of state for human rights, said he and Robert King, the State Department’s special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, had been given specific instructions by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

“Our charge from our boss is to step it up and do more,” he told an audience at the State Department on U.N. Human Rights Day.

Gesturing to a satellite image of a North Korean prison camp, Malinowski said the United States would do everything it could to highlight abuses in North Korea and warned the camp’s commanders and senior North Korean officials, “we see this, we see you, we know who you are and what you are doing ... you cannot hide any more.”

“The message to these individuals is, ‘do not be part of this, because one day there will be change on the Korean Peninsula and we know your names and you do not want to be associated with that.’”

King and Malinowski appeared with North Korean defectors Park Yeonmi and Joseph Kim, who gave

harrowing accounts of their lives in North Korea and their escapes from the country.

Park, 21, who now lives in South Korea and Kim, 24, who is now an American citizen studying in New York, made emotional appeals to China to stop sending defectors back to North Korea, saying they faced imprisonment or death.

Malinowski’s warnings came as the United Nations Security Council prepares in coming days to discuss North Korean human rights following a report from a U.N. Commission of Inquiry in February detailing wideranging abuses, including systematic torture, starvation and killings comparable to Nazi-era atrocities.

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Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

SA Invitation XI v West Indians...

Cottrell grabs 5-16 before Samuels (103*) and Smith (83*) If South Africa’s Test outfit thought taking on West Indies was going to be easy, Stiaan van Zyl will tell them it might not quite so simple. He was the only member of the squad playing in Benoni, where the tourists dominated an Invitation XI with both bat and ball.

Left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell claimed 5-16 that sliced through the South Africans batting. Cottrell’s first wicket came in the sixth over and he barely stopped plucking them all the way through to the 37th, when the last man fell shortly after the second session began.

Jerome Taylor supported with 2-12 as the hosts fell for 125 on day one of the threeday warm up game yesterday.

By the close the West Indies had reached 217-2 with Marlon Samuels, the dominant partner, unbeaten

Set-up dominant day for visitors on 102-ball 103, with 76 of his runs coming in fours, while Devon Smith, the leading run scorer in the WICB Four-Day Franchises, not out on 83 off 144 balls, with a six and 12 fours. The Carribean side are enjoying a lead of 92 runs with eight wickets standing.

Van Zyl was not one of Cottrell’s victims, though. He was dismissed by Jason Holder, after scoring just 23.

Interestingly, van Zyl batted in his regular No.3 spot, not the No.7 position he is expected to occupy during the first Test in JP Duminy’s absence or the opening position he is targeting in the long term. The South African Invitation side’s batting lineup didn’t contain any other big names and it showed when it was their Number

eight, Aviwe Mgijima who top-scored with 35. The only other contribution of significance came from Under-19 World Cup winning wicketkeeper-batsman Clyde Fortuin, who scored 34.

In reply, the West Indian batsmen were put on the back foot by Rory Kleinveldt.

His two early wickets got rid of Kraigg Brathwaite (12) and Leon Johnson for a duck but the visitors soon recovered, as Smith, called up to the squad to replace Chris Gayle, and Samuels shared in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 182, which came at a rollicking 5.20 runs per over.

Kleinveldt and Dolphins quick Daryn Dupavillon were the only Invitation bowlers to concede less than four runs an over.

Thursday December 11, 2014 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) If you've been thinking about executing legal papers of any kind, this isn't the day to do it.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Money matters look uncertain and a bit deceptive.

This isn't a good day to enter into any kind of investment program, negotiate salaries or commissions, or change banks.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) There is more than meets the eye to a money situation today. There could be errors in your financial records, or someone may not be telling the truth about an important item.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today, you probably aren't going to feel very friendly. You're most likely to want to sequester yourself at home and not see or speak to anyone.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) New people may come into your life today. If you get bad vibes from one of them, trust your instincts! Signs are that you will meet at least one new acquaintance who isn't trustworthy.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Self-control is the word for today. Others' unethical behavior could trigger some long-buried anger that might make you want to lash out at those responsible.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You might wake up feeling a little under the weather, perhaps too tired to go anywhere, and you'll want to stay in.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Anger and resentment caused by past hurts could come up today, at times tempting you to burst into tears.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you might get the feeling that someone in your family is hiding something.

The atmosphere might be strained and somewhat tense.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Someone you think of as a friend may prove less than trustworthy today. There are indications of deception all around you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept.

22) Gossip you hear today might make you angry. You're likely to sense it isn't true.

Take nothing at face value today. Check the facts before making any judgments.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Something underhanded is going on. Unethical people could be trying to manipulate certain situations in order to turn them to their own benefit.

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Jaguars roared proudly...

From page 35 was possible. This is the first time a First-Class competition was scheduled for this time of the year and not surprisingly most games were affected by the adverse weather while pitches which made ‘playing through the line’ problematic and inept shot selection by most of the batsmen, contributed to the low scores.

Devon Smith (334), Deonarine (306) and Johnson Charles (262) were the only batsman to reach 250 runs.

Smith, Clarke flatten India...

From page 32 and the debutant legspinner Karn Sharma tallied over four.

The lowest any of them conceded was 120.

Smith was in so much control he did pretty much whatever he wanted to. He slogged Aaron just past the bowler’s head for four, he made room and drilled Shami through the covers, he reverse-swept Karn from outside leg stump.

He did offer a simple stumping chance when he missed a charge at Karn, but Wriddhiman Saha, having kept for 109 overs, could not collect. Smith was reprieved again off Karn, on 161, when Ishant put down a diving chance at long leg.

Clarke swept the next ball straight to square leg, and Mitchell Johnson walked in.

The only plus for India was that he had a bat in hand, and not the new ball.

Scores: Australia 7 for 517 (Smith 162*, Warner 145, Clarke 128) v India.

Man City...

From page 33 beyond the visitors’ defence numerous times.

City, though, were dangerous too, with Nasri enjoying plenty of the ball as both sides played attacking football while looking fragile defensively.

With Bayern leading at the break, Roma were on their way through with a goalless draw and City knew they had to score to stand a chance of making the last 16.

And they did just that through Nasri’s unstoppable strike on 60 minutes which went in via the near post.

The inevitable Roma pressure followed but, thanks to Hart’s brilliant save from Manolas’s header and Martin Demichelis’s goal-line clearance, City soaked up the pressure before Zabaleta doubled the lead with his first Champions League goal.

Permaul (33), Khan (21), Bishoo (21) and left-arm spinner Alston Bobb (20), Daimon Jacobs (18) and Nikita Miller (17) all spinners, were the only bowlers to reach 15 wickets.

There were 19 five-wicket hauls recorded with Permaul and Bobb taking two each.

The Region seems not ready for Four-Day Franchise Cricket with just Guyana (Reifer) and T&T (Ramnaresh Sarwan) buying overseas players.

Bad light stopped play although the WICB mandated that all matches be played at International venues where lights were available.

However, bad light should not have been an issue since the playing conditions clearly states “If in the opinion of the umpires, natural light is deteriorating to an unfit level, they shall authorize the ground

authorities to use the available artificial lighting so that the match can continue in acceptable conditions.

The lights are only to be used to enable a full day’s play to be completed as provided in clause 16.

In the event of a power failure or malfunctioning lights, the provisions relating to the delay or interruption of play due to bad weather or light shall apply.”

It is hoped that next year, for the second phase, more promotion is done by the respective Boards to attract larger crowds and that all of Regional Boards sing from the same hymn book when it come to the playing conditions.

Guyana played excellent all-round team cricket and seem on course for their first Regional First-Class title since 1998.

GRFU outlines road...

From page 37 must. Nascimento said it will require a minimum of US$50,000 to take Guyana’s rugby to where it should be, adding that the team’s performance over the years have justifiable cause for such support. Meanwhile, Nascimento called on the media to continue its support for the Union

and asked that the Government and corporate community be given the necessary credit for their assistance.

Green, who is a member of the National Sports Commission apologised for the absence of officials from the Sport Ministry and NSC and blamed himself for their no show.

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Thursday December 11, 2014

Smith, Clarke flatten India on rainy day

NBA Roundup:

Lakers top Kings, 98-95 (Associated Press) LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored nine of his 32 points in the final 3:14, leading the Los Angeles Lakers’ fourthquarter comeback over the Sacramento Kings.

Carlos Boozer added 15 points for the Lakers, who snapped their three-game skid by rallying from a 12-point deficit in the second half.

After Bryant tied it at 92 with a breakaway dunk and a clutch 3-pointer, Jordan Hill’s layup on a sharp pass from Bryant put the Lakers ahead 94-93 with 1:39 to play.

The Kings went back in front on a driving layup by Darren Collison, but Bryant hit two free throws for the lead with 34 seconds left before Rudy Gay missed an open 3-pointer for Sacramento, which has lost six of eight.

CAVALIERS 105, RAPTORS 101 CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James scored 35 points, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 48 seconds remaining, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 105-101 on Tuesday night for their eighth straight victory.

James’ jumper from the top of the key gave Cleveland a 102-99 lead and tied him with Mark Price for the franchise record for 3-pointers at 802.

James scored 10 points in the fourth quarter as Cleveland rallied from a 10point deficit early in the period. Dion Waiters scored 18 points and Kevin Love had 17. Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross each scored 18 for Toronto. Kyle Lowry added 16, but only scored two in the fourth quarter as he was hounded defensively

by Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova.

Toronto shot 14 for 21 in the first quarter and led 63-55 at halftime. Valanciunas had a strong first half with 14 points and nine rebounds.

GRIZZLIES 114, MAVERICKS 105 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Marc Gasol scored 30 points, Mike Conley added 22 and the Grizzlies withstood 18 Dallas 3-pointers.

Gasol, who was limited to only two points in Sunday’s win over Miami, was 9 of 14 from the field and 12 of 13 from the line as Memphis won its second straight. Zach Randolph had 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Tony Allen scored 13 points.

Chandler Parsons led the Mavericks with 30 points, going 10 of 18 from the field and 6 of 10 from 3-point range.

Jameer Nelson had a season-

high 18 points.

TRAIL BLAZERS 98, PISTONS 86 AUBURN HILLS, Mich.

(AP) - LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Wesley Matthews scored 19 points, and Portland earned its fifth straight victory.

Detroit lost its 13th in a row, one short of the franchise record set in 1979-80 and tied in 1993-94. Those were both aging teams, with the second group marking the end of the Bad Boys era at the Palace.

The current Pistons haven’t had a winning season or won a playoff game in seven years.

Greg Monroe had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit, which only got 40 points from its starting lineup.

JAZZ 100, SPURS 96 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Derrick Favors scored 21 points, Gordon Hayward added 20 and Utah snapped a nine-game losing streak.

Enes Kanter added 12 points and 15 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season, while Alec Burks chipped in 14 points for Utah, which lost all four games against the Spurs last season.

Tim Duncan had 23 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio. Kawhi Leonard added 16 points for the Spurs, who played without starting point guard Tony Parker.

Utah outrebounded San Antonio 43-37, although the Spurs had a 62-50 advantage in points in the paint.

PELICANS 104, KNICKS 93 NEW ORLEANS (AP) Tyreke Evans scored 27 points, Anthony Davis had 18

and the Pelicans handed the reeling Knicks their ninth straight loss.

Omer Asik had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday scored 13 points for New Orleans, which won its second straight to pull back to .500 at 10-10.

Amare Stoudemire scored a season-high 26 points and Carmelo Anthony had 17 for New York, which kept the game close into the fourth quarter before fading down the stretch, as the Knicks have done often this season.

Pablo Prigioni scored 17 for the Knicks, who fell to 419 with what was also their 10th straight road loss.

THUNDER 114, BUCKS 101 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 23 points in his first home game of the season, leading Oklahoma City to the victory.

Durant, the reigning MVP, missed the first 17 games with a broken bone in his right foot, and then played three road games before making his home debut. He also had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Russell Westbrook scored 28 points for the Thunder, who have won five of six after starting the season with a 312 record. O.J. Mayo had 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 17 for the Bucks, who have lost five of six.

HEAT 103, SUNS 97 PHOENIX (AP) - Chris Bosh scored 10 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, including seven straight down the stretch, and Miami snapped a four-game losing streak.

Michael Clarke and Steven Smith hit hundreds on a day marred by rain and bad light. (GETTY IMAGES) ESPNcricinfo - Michael Clarke battled through severe back pain to make his 28th Test hundred, Steven Smith scored his fifth and the pair punished India’s inconsistent bowlers on a second day badly hit by rain yesterday.

The pair racked up 163 for the sixth wicket through three long interruptions in play, hitting 21 fours in the 30 overs they batted together.

Poor light ended play four deliveries after Clarke

fell for 128.

Clarke, who had taken injections after retiring on 60 in the 44th over on day one, accompanied Smith out under gloomy skies in a start delayed by ten minutes.

He winced as he pulled and hobbled more than he ran initially. Unable to lean fully forward, he stood on the crease and hit the fast bowlers. He used his feet to spin, dragging himself to the other end if a run was available, or lurching back to

the crease if it wasn’t. His mobility improved gradually, but even late in the day, he was gingerly taking the twos.

India were unable to test even a half-fit Clarke. Their fast bowlers had been too full and wide at the start of the match. Yesterday morning, they pulled their lengths back too much.

Ishant Sharma, their best bowler on day one, started short and wide to be put way for four by Smith.

Mohammed Shami did the same first ball of the next over, and Clarke helped himself this time. Both batsmen brought up emotional hundreds.

Clarke celebrated quietly with an intensely expressive face after coming through a bouncer burst from round the stumps on 98. Smith walked up to where 408, Phillip Hughes’ Test cap number, had been painted on the ground and stood there to look up at the sky.

Smith then set about the Indian bowling with even more purpose and aggression, powering boundaries in limited-overs fashion. India had conceded 51 in the 12.2 overs leading into the first interruption.

Between the second and the third, they leaked 50 in 7.3.

Varun Aaron went for nearly six runs an over, Shami five, (Continued on page 31)

Russian athletics chief ‘could withdraw from position’ BBC Sport - Russia’s athletics chief could step down until an investigation into claims of doping and cover-ups is concluded.

A German TV programme claimed doping in Russian athletics was rife and that Valentin Balakhnichev was implicated.

International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack said: “I’ll deal with Valentin.”

Diack said Balakhnichev could be suspended, but added: “He could say, ‘I withdraw from my duties until an investigation is concluded’.”

Balakhnichev - also the IAAF’s treasurer - has called the claims “a pack of lies” but the world athletics body’s ethics committee is investigating the allegations.

Diack told told L’Equipe that he does not expect the Russian federation to be banned.

The German documentary also contended that the corruption extends beyond Russia, implicating the IAAF in a cover-up.

The BBC has not independently verified the documentary’s allegations and is awaiting responses from athletes targeted in the programme.

WTA AGREES TO $525M ‘GAME-CHANGING’ DEAL

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, right, looks to shoot as he is pressured by Sacramento Kings’ Ben McLemore during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP PHOTO/JAE C. HONG)

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has agreed a 10-year $525 million rights deal with digital media company PERFORM that will see 2,000 main draw singles matches broadcast each year, the governing body said Tuesday.

The deal, described as “game-changing”

by WTA chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster, is the largest live media rights and production venture in the history of women’s sports, according to the WTA. “This is a game changing and historic moment for our fans and for women’s sport,”

said Allaster in a statement. “Our new broadcast strategy to produce all 2,000 main draw singles matches in partnership with (broadcast distribution partner) PERFORM will deliver exponential global exposure for our players, tournaments and partners.”

WTA Media, together with tournaments, will produce all main draw singles matches and the semi-finals and finals of all double matches from 2017 to 2026. Plans also include additional magazine shows and significant offcourt content to support the WTA’s mobile, digital and social media strategy.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 33

Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition

‘I’ve worked very hard!’

Alia Atkinson says record Warriors, N/Ruimveldt too stubborn for favourites gold did not come easy Jamaica Observer - GOLD medallist and joint world record holder for the short course 100m breaststroke, Alia Atkinson, says she hopes her victory on Saturday last in Doha, Qatar will assist in breaking the stereotype associated with non-traditional sports, not only in Jamaica, but across the world.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer from her home in Florida Tuesday, an elated Atkinson said: “I am very hopeful that my personal success in Qatar will ignite others, especially those in the so called non-traditional sports to try even harder because now they can see for themselves that significant achievements can be attained.

“But let me stress that it takes a lot of work, in fact very hard work, mixed with very heavy doses of patience. I have had disappointments, I have had some good results and it all came together in just over a minute in Doha. I have worked really hard for my achievement in Qatar.”

Commenting on equalling the world record, Atkinson said it is a definite fillip and a nice addition to her résumé.

“I was astonished when the results came: Alia Atkinson first. For a moment or two before, I was thinking, oh no, second again like in the 50m breaststroke.

“But it was Alia Atkinson first and then the joy and all

- Leopold Street, Sparta Boss play for third

Alia Atkinson says record gold did not come easy. the other emotions associated with victory came out. It was a signal moment not only in my career, but in my life. A moment one can never, ever forget,” said the 25-year-old.

Atkinson has been heavily featured in the international media following her record-equalling swim.

She led the CNN sportscast and was featured prominently on the BBC with most media houses showing the now unforgettable smile of joy and relief when she realised she had actually won gold. As to the response from fellow competitors and officials in Doha, Atkinson said she was truly overwhelmed.

“Yes, I received congratulations from almost everyone around at the time.

Even the officials who have been with the tour for a while seemed to be even more excited,” she said.

So what’s next for the world record holder? “Now I have to take a rest. The season is over and will start again in February 2015 with the US Grand Prix races. But for now it is rest, rest and more rest,” Atkinson said.

Regarding sponsorship, Atkinson said she was very happy to receive sponsorship from the staterun Sports Development Foundation, which has helped immensely. She also praised GraceKennedy, a Jamaican company for which Atkinson is an ambassador for its assistance.

Atkinson, however, singled out her parents for their unwavering support.

“Without my mother and father nothing would have been achieved. They have stood by me through thick and thin. There was never a doubt. They have sacrificed a lot for me, and I am forever grateful,” she said.

Festival City Warriors and North Ruimveldt produced dogged performances, before holding their nerves in the penalty shootout to boot favourites Leopold Street and Sparta Boss out of championship contention when semi-final action in the Georgetown Zone of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition ended on Tuesday evening, at the National Cultural Centre Tarmac.

Appearing in the first semi-final in front of another large turnout, Festival City Warriors led by Eon Alleyne, Solomon Austin and Daniel Favourite proved more than a handful for former champions Leopold Street who they held to a goalless draw in regulation and extra time, before edging them 1-0 in the penalty shootout.

Leopold Street’s O’kanie Fraser signaled his intentions as early as the opening minute when he let fly a ripper that sailed marginally outside the upright.

However, Alleyne and company never looked overawed and mounted a few incursions of their own, but competent defending kept the contest even.

Fraser urged his team on, but even the usually silky skills of Omallo Williams, who showed flashes of brilliance could not penetrate the brickwall defence that the

Warriors constructed and the teams went to the break levelled at nil-all.

On the resumption, both teams treated the fans to some enchanting football with Fraser and Williams combining beautifully, while Alleyne and Favourite dazzled with their interchanges, but in the end no goals materialised even in the allotted extra time.

The final result saw the Warriors squeeze home following a solitary penalty strike after some luckless shooting.

In the other game, previously unbeaten Sparta Boss was frustrated by a well organised North Ruimveldt unit and went down 2-1 on penalty kicks after regulation and extra time failed to detach a nil-all stalemate.

Sparta Boss, with their leading goalscorers Devon Millington and Sheldon Shepherd in the side, stumbled into a rock solid defence marshalled expertly by the experienced Gerald Gritten and failed to breach the goal despite both teams creating several opportunities.

Gritten was a tower of strength at the back, while his counterpart Jerome Richardson was equally impressive forcing the game into a

shootout to arrive at a winner.

North Ruimveldt is an excellent penalty shooting team, while Sparta Boss, a two-time Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ champions were never tested prior to the matchup.

Millington was substituted shortly before the final whistle sounded and this came as a shock to many of their supporters.

North Ruimveldt who scored their first and last spot kick outlasted their opponents to enter the championship game and spark wild celebrations among their supporters.

Both North Ruimveldt and Festival City Warriors will battle Sunday night at the National Park with the winner set to take home $500,000 and the winning trophy to go with a place in the national playoffs set for next year.

The runner-up will pocket $300,000 and a trophy and a place in the national playoffs, while Sparta Boss and Leopold Street will meet in the third place playoff for $200,000 with the loser guaranteed $100,000.

Meanwhile, the Skills Challenge is ongoing for a top prize of $20,000, while a Fair Play Award of $50,000 has been introduced in this year’s edition.

World Anti-Doping Agency to investigate TV allegations

Man City win to secure last-16 spot BBC Sport - Manchester City qualified for the Champions League last 16 for a second successive season as a win at Roma put them through alongside Group E winners Bayern Munich.

Samir Nasri scored from 25 yards after the break before Pablo Zabaleta fired in from close range.

Earlier Joe Hart tipped Gervinho’s strike wide before touching Kostas Manolas’s header onto the post. Bayern beat CSKA Moscow 3-0 to confirm City’s qualification.

It completed a remarkable turnaround for the Premier League champions, who looked to be heading out of the competition after failing to win any of their first four games.

However, a 3-2 home win over German champions Bayern, which included a Sergio Aguero hat-trick, kept

Joe Hart punches the ball away in Man City's 2-0 win over Roma in the Champions League. (getty images) alive their hopes of making the last 16 - and they took full advantage with a stunning display in Rome.

City, who had to win a European match in Italy for the first time, were without skipper Vincent Kompany,

who failed a late fitness test, the suspended Yaya Toure and injured top scorer Aguero.

They struggled early on with ex-Arsenal striker Gervinho’s pace causing Zabaleta problems, and the

Ivory Coast international was only denied an opener by Joe Hart’s fingertip save. The forward was looking a far more dynamic player to the one who frustrated Gunners fans so often as he raced (Continued on page 25)

BBC Sport - The World Anti-Doping Agency is to investigate allegations made in a series of German TV documentaries.

Wada said they had reached the decision after “careful review” of the footage. It was claimed a top British athlete escaped investigation after athletics’ governing body, the IAAF, chose not to look at 150 suspicious blood samples.

“The allegations require close scrutiny,” said Wada president Sir Craig Reedie.

German broadcaster ARD reported claims from an anonymous member of the IAAF’s medical commission that there was no targeted testing of athletes who had returned abnormal blood samples between 2006 and 2008.

As well as three unnamed British athletes, including one well-known figure, it is alleged that many of the samples involved were from Russian competitors with athletes from Kenya, Germany, Spain and Morocco also implicated.

The Russian Athletics Federation has threatened legal action against ARD, rejecting its allegations as “lies”.

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 11, 2014

Mackeson ‘King of the Rim’ 3x3 Basketball Championship

South Africa prosecutors will seek murder conviction against Pistorius

Den Amstel ‘A’ to represent West Coast in Super Eight Final Den Amstel ‘A’ team will represent West Coast Demerara next week Friday at California Square, East Ruimveldt in the Mackeson ‘King of the Rim’ 3x3 Basketball Final after bouncing away with the ‘best of the west’ title Tuesday night at Den Amstel.

Den Amstel ‘A’ forward, Michael Clarke nailed a huge jumper just outside the threepoint mark, (which is counted for two points in 3x3 basketball), inside the final minute of the deciding game against Uitvlugt Giants to secure a place in the final.

Den Amstel ‘A’ beat Uitvlugt Giants 10-8, compliments of Clarke’s jumper, which broke a deadlock heading into the final minute. Den Amstel ‘A’ had topped Group ‘B’, while Uitvlugt Giants headed Group ‘A’ when the competition moved for one night to the western half of the Demerara River at the Den Amstel Community Centre Basketball Court. Eight teams spanning the West Coast registered to compete Tuesday night for

the one place that was up for grabs for a chance to play for the $500,000 first prize or $300,000 second place purse, which will be decided at California Square next week Friday.

Den Amstel ‘A’ began their campaign negatively when Den Amstel ‘B’ edged them 7-6 on their home-court in the first round. However, Den Amstel ‘A’ rebounded to squeeze past Invictus 12-11 in extra time after regular time produced a 10-10 deadlock.

Invictus had beaten Tuschen Woodcrest 8-7 in the first round while Tuschen Woodcrest whisked past Den Amstel ‘B’ 9-8 in the second round, leaving the four teams in the group with a win and a loss. The FIBA (International Basketball Federation) rule of dividing the highest win by games played for an average was invoked to decide the two teams coming out of the group.

Den Amstel ‘A’ played Tuschen Woodcrest in the group final with the former winning 7-2 and moving forward to the West Side final.

The other group was more easily decided with Uitvlugt Giants and Guyana Fire Service Training School ‘A’ setting themselves apart as the two teams to beat in the group.

Fire Service ‘A’ opened with an 8-1 thrashing of Fire Service ‘B’, while Uitvlugt Giants got past Uitvlugt Warriors 12-9. However, Uitvlugt Warriors beat Fire Service ‘A’ 5-0 in the 10minutes game to put itself in contention in the group.

Uitvlugt Giants continued its unbeaten record in the preliminary round with a 12-4 drubbing of Fire Service ‘B’, which forced Giants into the group final. Warriors and Fire Service ‘A’ played for the other group final place with latter winning 7-6 in the end.

In the other group finals, Uitvlugt Giants beat Fire Service ‘A’ to play Den Amstel ‘A’ with the rest now being history. The Mackeson ‘King of the Rim’ 3x3 Basketball competition continues tonight at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court in Linden.

PRETORIA (Reuters) South African prosecutors yesterday won their bid to appeal the culpable homicide verdict handed down to athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and will now seek a murder conviction.

The decision could leave Pistorius open to a prison sentence of at least 15 years if he is convicted of murder.

“I cannot say the prospect of success at the Supreme Court is remote,” Judge Thokozile Masipa said in granting the appeal.

The Olympic and Paralympic track star, aged 28, is currently serving prison time after being convicted in October of culpable homicide after a seven-month trial. He has admitted killing Steenkamp on Feb.14, 2013, by firing four shots into the locked door of a toilet cubicle in what he said was the mistaken belief an intruder was hiding behind it.

Masipa said during sentencing that the state failed to convince her of Pistorius’ intent to kill when he fired.

But state prosecutor Gerrie Nel said in his application to appeal that the

Rohan, Ramchand Auto spares softball cricket Over-40 and Female Champions

(ABOVE) Floodlight beat Mike’s Wellman by eight wickets in the over-40 final after dismissing Wellman for 131 all out despite 26 from Terrence Daniels and 23 from Hardat Heranadan last Sunday at DCC. Imtiaz Mohamed snared 4-18 for Floodlight, who replied with 132-2 with Ramesh Narine stroking 84 and Richard Persaud making 37.

Here the winning Floodlights pose with their trophy. In the female final, Trophy Stall Angels thumped Mike’s Wellwoman to win by six runs as Trophy Stall reached 80-8 in 10 overs with Kavita Yadram getting 14.

Wellwoman were then restricted to 74-8 in 10 overs although Amanda Bobsemple hammered 20 and Abena Parker 18. Yadram crowned a good game with 2-15.

(BELOW) Ramesh Sunich and his Trophy Stall Angels take time out for a photo after the game.

South African Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius is led to a prison van after his sentencing in Pretoria October 21, 2014.

(REUTERS/Mike Hutchings) judgment was “shockingly inappropriate” and argued that even if Pistorius did not know Steenkamp was behind the door when he fired, he showed intent to kill whoever was there.

In granting the application, Masipa said the prosecution’s points were questions of law and should therefore go to the Supreme Court of Appeal for consideration. South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the decision.

“Our argument was that he should have been convicted of murder. That is, of course, what we would like to happen,” NPA spokesman Nathi Mncube said.

The NPA was criticized over the original conviction against Pistorius and faced further disdain this week for bungling the murder case against British national Shrien Dewani, who was cleared on Monday of conspiring to kill his wife during their honeymoon in Cape Town.

The matter that will be heard next year will evaluate if Masipa’s ruling based on the legal principle of ‘dolus

eventualis’ was correctly applied and if prosecutors succeed, they can demand a stiffer sentence.

Masipa’s original decision to rule out murder was criticized by several legal experts and the Women’s League of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) as an erroneous interpretation of the law. By the time the appeal is heard before a panel of South Africa’s most senior judges, Pistorius, who did not attend the appeal process, could be out of prison as his five-year sentence only requires that he serves 10 months behind bars and the balance under house arrest.

Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated as a baby, became one of the world’s most celebrated athletes after he became a Paralympic champion then took part in the 2012 Olympics and other international events.

The killing of Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, led to one of the most sensational trials in South Africa’s recent history and cost him his reputation and his fortune.

Lightning strikes Peruvian footballer BBC Sport - A Peruvian footballer was struck by lightning during a cup semifinal, sustaining burns to his legs and causing the match to be abandoned.

Joao Contreras, 21, of Sport Aguila was hit during his side’s Copa Peru tie against Union Fuerza Minera.

A linesman was also struck at the same time and both are now recovering in hospital.

Fuerza Minera described the incident on their Twitter

account as “a terrible fright”.

The club added: “Thank God those affected are out of danger.”

The lightning strike occurred with the second leg of the semi-final poised at 11, Fuerza Minera having won the first leg 6-3.

There has not yet been any official confirmation of when the match will resume, but Fuerza Minera suggested on Twitter that the second half was likely to be played on Thursday or Friday.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 35

WICB Four-Day Franchise Cricket...

Jaguars roared proudly in first phase

By Sean Devers The Guyana Jaguars played consistently good cricket in every session except for that one unforgettable morning of the final day of their third round encounter against Barbados Pride, when set 69 to win, they slumped to their second lowest total ever and were bowled out for 67 to suffer an unbelievable two-run defeat.

That apart, it was an almost flawless performance by the Jaguars, who roared to three wins in the first four games in the first phase of the WICB Four-Day FirstClass Cricket Franchise before the tournament took a break for Christmas.

On a slow, spin friendly Providence track the Jaguars whipped the Windwards and Leewards as Narsingh Deonarine scored back-toback centuries (110* & 139) and Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul and Deonarine conspired to spin webs round the opposition batsmen.

Deonarine reminded his critics of his class after a nightmare season earlier this year which ended with him losing his place in the team.

The left-hander from Albion batted brilliantly as he sent a strong message to the Clive Lloyd led Regional selectors and was rewarded with selection in the 30-man Provisional World Cup squad.

He was also among the wickets and his five-wicket haul against the Windwards in the opening game put him among just three others who had scored a century and claimed five wickets for Guyana in the same match.

Roger Harper achieved this feat three times.

Shiv Chanderpaul made 62 as the Jaguars fell nine short of a 300 total, a score they would reach twice in the first four games as the batsmen consistently provided scores for their bowlers to successfully defend.

Opener Trevon Griffith is a wonderful talent and the best fielder in the Jaguars team but he needs to concentrate harder to get bigger scores. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Keon Joseph, who have not played as yet, should get their chance to impress since this is a long season with 10

TOURNAMENT NOT PROPERLY PROMOTED

Narsingh Deonarine

Devendra Bishoo

Veersammy Permaul

Vishaul Singh

rounds of home and away matches.

Wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble’s responsible 73 rescued his team from 139-6 to a 250 plus total after West Indies Under-19 opener Shemron Hetmyer played with refreshing maturity to fall three short of a maiden half-century to leave Jaguars scenting blood against the Bajans going into the final day. What transpired after that was due to sheer reckless batting and was described as ‘complacency’

by Vishaul Singh on his Captaincy debut.

Earlier in that game, Permaul’s career best 8-26 had put the Jaguars on course for what seemed to be an emphatic victory after the Berbician had bettered his 836 from the previous game.

Out to prove that the unexpected win by Barbados was just a rare bad session this season, the Jaguars ripped the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to shreds with a commanding innings and 60-run mauling in Portof-Spain in their first game away from home with Singh leading from the front with an accomplished 141.

Rajendra Chandrika (60), Bajan Raymond Reifer (58), Chris Barnwell (65*) and Permaul (50*) all contributed fifties as the Jaguars made 492-8 declared.

Bishoo had seven wickets in the match, while Permaul had 4-15 in the second innings when Essequibo fast bowler Ronsford Beaton, who bowled with pace, even on the ‘dead’ Providence

pitches, had two wickets off consecutive balls in a testing opening spell on the penultimate day of the game at the Queens Park Oval.

Bramble is also the leading Keeper with 16 dismissals while Carton Baugh (12) is the only other Keeper to reach 10 dismissals.

The first phase of the season saw generally substandard scores as the bowlers, especially the spinners, wreaked havoc on the batsmen who seemed incapable of concentrating for prolonged periods.

The Jaguars were easily the most consistent batting team with two totals over 250, one over 300 and another close to 500.

Deonarine (2) and Singh were among the seven batsmen to score centuries with Devon Smith, Kraigg Braithwaite, Royston Chase, Orlando Peters and Johnson Charles, who scored the highest (151) being the others.

Permaul’s 33 wickets were 12 more than legspinners Imran Khan and Devendra Bishoo, who have the second most scalps with 21 each. Permaul showed all-round ability with his unbeaten 50, his second First-Class half-century, and earned for himself a pick in the World Cup 30-man squad.

Bishoo had 21 wickets but lacked the type of control he showed when he was named emerging player of the year just after the last ICC World Cup and failed to take five wickets in any innings. All-rounders Reifer and Barnwell were both

steady but lacked penetration with their medium pace but could be key players when the Regional Super50 starts on January 15 in T&T. Deonarine and Devon

Smith were the only batsmen to reach 300 runs while the Jaguars, despite their unexpected defeat to Barbados, maintained their lead throughout the first phase and had accumulated

57 points at the break.

Jamaica, who face-off with Guyana at Sabina Park when the Four-Day format resumes on February 6, occupy the second spot on 50 points while Barbados are third with 44. The Windwards Volcanoes (26), Red Force (24), and Leewards Hurricanes (10) follow in that order.

The Umpiring in the matches involving Guyana was poor and so too was the promotion of the competition, even in Trinidad which arguably has the most vibrant marketing agencies in the Region, resulting in small crowds attending the games right across the Region. NCN Radio in Guyana provided ball by ball commentary for the first time in years for Regional First-Class cricket and NCN’s new CEO Molly Rampersaud Hassan played a major role in ensuring this (Continued on page 31)

Page 36

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 11, 2014

BCB/NBS building 40-Over second division cricket final...

D’Edward rally to take competition D’Edward Cricket Club of West Bank Berbice are the champions of the New Building Society Second Division 40–Over Cricket Competition for teams, after holding their nerve to win an exciting final against Corriverton by three wickets Sunday last at the No. 69 ground.

In a match reduced to 28overs-a-side due to a late start resulted from overnight rains, Corriverton, a first time finalist, lost the toss and were inserted by their opponents. They enjoyed a good start of 39 runs from Errol Byass and Jeremy Moore. However, with the introduction of medium pacer Heeralall Bridgelall, Corriverton lost Byass for 11 off Heeralall who picked up another wicket immediately.

Another medium pacer Navin Rampersaud got into the act and took two quick wickets including Moore for 24 to see them slip from 39

without loss to 53 for 4.

No. 5 batsman and skipper Jermain Reid stopped the slide with an intelligent innings of 41. He firstly put on 35 for the fifth wicket with Victor Pedro (3) and 24 for the sixth wicket with Gary Phillips (6) to take the score to 113 in the 19 over. They collapsed as off spinner Devendra Lalsa picked up three wickets and former Berbice Under-19 leg spinning all rounder Kevon Jawahir two wickets to reduce Corriverton from relatively comfort of 113 for 5 to 123 all out in 22.5 overs with Jermain Reid top score of 41. For D’ Edward, Lalsa took 4 for 27 from 5 overs, Jawahir 2 for 18 from 4.5 overs, Rampersaud 2 for 30 from 6 overs and Bridgelall 2 for 31 from 40 overs.

When D’Edward replied, Corriverton opening pacers Jermain Reid and Victor Pedro picked up early wickets to have them reeling th

Mr. Rana Persaud, Manager of NBS hands over the winning trophy to D’Edward Captain Jaipaul Heeralall in the presence of other staff of NBS, players from the victorious team and BCB officials.

at 12 for 3 by the 5 over. The skipper, Jaipaul Heeralall came to the crease and quietly started to pull D’Edward from the jaws of danger by firstly putting on 56 for the 4 wicket with Jawahir (12) in 9 overs and th

th

43 for the 5 wicket with Lakeraj Sookra in 8 overs before he fell for 33 at 111 for 5. Two quick wickets followed at 121 including Sookra for 33. However, D’Edward reached home safely at 124 for 7 in 25.4 th

overs. Bowling for Corriverton, Reid ended with 2 for 18 from 3 overs and left arm spinner Faoud Bacchus 2 for 19.

At the presentation that followed, D’Edward collected the winning trophy

Hing, McKinnon win GNRA Yearend Practical Pistol C/ships

Participants at the GNRA Yearend shoot take time out for a photo.

N

ational Smallbore Captain Dale Hing and leading hand gun shooter Ryan McKinnon won the Production and Stand divisions respectively when the Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) Smallbore section ran off its Yearend Practical Pistol shooting championships last Sunday at the Timehri ranges.

The programme consisted of three stages which were categorized

into Standard and Production division. Shooters with stock firearms with no modifications shot under the production division while shooters with modified firearms were placed in the standard division according to the I.P.S.C. rules.

Stage one of the Production division saw Hing coming out ahead of Randy Sarjoo who finished second while Ray Beharry placed third. McKinnon was also victorious in the Standard Division at the first

stage beating into second position Gordon Richards while Murtland Smith finished third.

At Stage Two Production Division, Beharry turned the tables on Hing while Sarjoo placed third.

McKinnon was beaten into second position by Stage Two Standard division winner Joshua Ramlakhan while David Dharry came in third.

Stage Three proved to be critical for the shooters but in the end Hing

and McKinnon won their respective categories.

Beharry finished second in the Production division while Rajiv Latchana was third, while in the Standard Division Dharry was second and Dr. Johan DaSilva third.

The overall standings were: Production – Hing first place, Beharry second and Sarjoo third, while in the Standard McKinnon placed first, Dharry second and Richards – Third.

and $60,000 in cash, Corriverton $30,000 for the runner up prize. Devendra Lalsa was the man of the match for his effort and collected a trophy and $5,000. He was also the best bowler with Corriverton captain Jermin Reid being the best batsman. There were several other cash incentives for overall performances leading up to the final.

Mr Hubern Evans, Vice President of the BCB, thanked the New Building Society for their continued sponsorship of this very important competition that involved close to 100 teams.

He said that this competition helps with the village cricket and unearths lots of new talent that first division feeds off. He added that this helps to promote healthy lifestyles for persons of all ages.

Anil Beharry, Vice President, BCB and senior manager of the sponsor, said that the board continues to organise cricket at all levels and that has created confidence in sponsors and all stakeholders. He made special mention of Mr Carl Moore for the smooth running of such a big tournament. Mr Rana Persaud, Manager of NBS Rose Hall Branch said that the Society was also pleased with the way the competition was run and was impressed with the wide media coverage. He said that he is confident that the Society will continue to support Berbice Cricket, which is run in a transparent, accountable and professional manner.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Kaieteur News

GRFU outlines road map for further success - needs US$50,000

nd

President of the Union Peter Green (2 right) makes a disclosure in the presence of Patron Christopher ‘Kit’ Nascimento, Secretary Terrence Grant and Head Coach / player Theodore Henry at Olympic House yesterday.

R

iding high on the wave of success, the Guyana Rugby Football Union held a Press Briefing at Olympic House yesterday to r e p o r t o n t h e t e a m ’s o u t s t a n d i n g performance and to say thanks to all the entities including Government who had joined together to offer critical support to the Union to make participation in this year’s NACRA Sevens Tournament possible.

Present at the Briefing were President of the Union Peter Green, Secretary Terrence Grant, Patron Christopher ‘Kit’ Nascimento and Head Coach / player Theodore Henry.

Nascimento, who is the patron of the Union has been instrumental in gathering large funding for the team, opened by stating that the NACRA victory was just the first step in the team’s quest to make it to the 2016 Rio Olympics, but disclosed that the team will be participating in the IRB Hong Kong Series which according to him is one of the premier Sevens tournament in the world.

Nascimento said it is important for the team to attend the Hong Kong event since it will serve as good preparation for the NACRA qualifiers set for June in the USA. The Patron of the Union reminded that while Guyana is undoubtedly the best in the Caribbean and Central America, they face more formidable challengers in USA and Canada who they will face in the NACRA qualifiers.

“Canada and the USA will be part of the qualifiers and we have to be ready to beat those teams and right now I feel we are not ready, but we could be if we get the necessary funding,” Nascimento opined.

Additionally, Nascimento said while Henry has done a fine job with the team, for Guyana to reach the next level and compete against higher ranked nations it will require getting the services of an Elite Coach, while attendance at competitions such as the Elite Men’s Sevens in Las Vegas, USA should be a (Continued on page 31)

Pepsi Hikers Diamond Mineral Water Int’l Indoor Hockey Festival champs

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EPSI Hikers returned to former glory with a win in the men’s division of the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival, beating a determined Old Fort 5 – 0 last Sunday at the National Gymnasium.

Goals from Robert France 2, Shane Samuels, Jamarj Assanah, Andrew Stewart saw the champs home.

Here the winning Pepsi Hikers team take a photo op after they claimed the DMW hockey men’s division title.

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Meet Team Bond O

n Saturday, Team Bond will take on Team Toney in Respect the Game Inc., Charity Basketball Event at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from 7pm; we introduce some of the local celebrities and personalities that will be putting on basketball uniforms Saturday night as part of Team Bond, an interesting compilation from Attorney-at-Law, James Bond.

Team Bond has drafted national forwards, Ryan Gullen (Ravens), Royston Siland (Pacesetters), Jermaine Slater (Ravens) and the high-flying Tyrone Hamid (Ravens).

Point guards, Travis Burnett (Pacesetters) and Rodwell Fortune (Ravens) along with shooting guards, Jarrell Allen (Berbice), Ryan Stephney (Ravens) and Chris Williams (Linden) have also been drafted to help Team Bond overcome the opposition.

In addition, the seasoned players will have as adequate backup, Javed Ali (Chief Executive of the Slingerz Sound), Faizal Khan (Guyanese football aficionado), Malcolm ‘Mr. Wickedee’ Ferreira (radio host 94.1 Fm) and Nuriyyih Gerrard (radio host 94.1 Fm).

Curtis ‘Casual’ Armstrong (radio host 98.1 Fm), Chad Ramsarup (Journalist), Edison Jefford (Sports Journalist), Christopher Barnwell (Guyana and West Indies cricketer), Cardella Hamilton (model), Joel Browne, Herman Liverpool and Roger Yearwood (Attorney-at-Law) were also all included in Team Bond with National Coach, Mark Agard.

Faizal Khan

Mark Agard

Chad Ramsarup

Cardella Hamilton

Curtis 'DJ Casual' Armstrong

Malcolm 'Mr. Wickedee ' Ferreira

t r o Sp GUINNESS ‘GREATEST OF DE STREETS’ FUTSAL COMPETITION

Warriors, N/Ruimveldt too stubborn for favourites - Leopold Street, Sparta Boss play for third

Part of semi-final action between Sparta Boss and North Ruimveldt on Tuesday evening at the National Cultural Centre Tarmac.

MACKESON ‘KING OF THE RIM’ 3X3 BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP...

Den Amstel ‘A’ to represent West Coast in Super Eight Final

Den Amstel ‘A’, Michael Clarke (airborne) elevates against the opposing, Uitvlugt Giants in the paint for a lay-up Tuesday night at the Den Amstel Community Centre court when the Mackeson 3x3 Basketball competition continued in West Coast, Demerara.

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