Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 5

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

The irony of Rohee’s targeting PPP complains it is threatened but issues threats too Police Officer, David Ramnarine DEAR EDITOR, Now that one of brightest stars in the PPP’s universe (yes, the firmament is that dim) has found his voice and vision (he has none) to question the pending promotion of Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, one has to wonder if this is not-and was-an instance of reverse racism; or, at the very least, reverse discrimination.

It is where efforts are underway to make an example of one of their own who is not obedient by first subduing, and then intimidating them.

What do related circumstances say?

A senior officer was present on the ground during shooting related deaths in the Linden Township. What happened next? He was hustled into the equivalent of isolated custody, and given strict orders to make himself scarce, and keep his mouth closed.

Now when the geriatric star was questioned about this whole incident before the Commission of Inquiry, he did his own version of keeping his mouth shut.

All he could say repeatedly was, “I do not recall.” Such is the luxury and curse of age. It affords pretense at doddering frailty.

Then there were the shenanigans that occurred in the middle of the Commissioner’s office. It involved a trafficker’s vehicle parked right outside the window.

Yet nobody saw or heard or knew anything, with what was public knowledge.

Reports are that the offending officer was banished. He was banished for being so boldfaced and for embarrassing the wrong people. Notice he was not banished for a major conflict of interest, lack of professionalism, or an acute deficit of perspicacity; but for embarrassing people, including the character who dares to speak now.

Next, go right to the top of the ladder, and there was the leader caught in a compromising and messy matter involving a paramour, a shakedown, a whole sordid world of official malfeasance.

This time, that same chap trying to deny Mr. Ramnarine his promotion was superseded by the Head-ofState himself who came forward to defend and dismiss what was beyond his limitations.

That same officer is reported to have accumulated the equivalent of a Powerball bonanza. Perhaps, he did hit the jackpot, but could not recall the next disclosure

steps; after all, this is Guyana, and people cannot live on their official pay.

Oh, there were attempts to obscure the heinous torture situations at Leonora and elsewhere, among other incidents, perpetrated by officers of other complexions, one of whom was actually promoted by the same protesting opposition.

There was hardly a word or whimper in any of these instances; except that the propaganda machinery went into high acceleration, as the dominant interest was not in fairness or justice or the gravity of all the situations, but covering tracks. Why? Was there fear of instability in the force? Or is it that there would be allegations of racial discrimination?

Now here are sharp efforts at recrimination

directed at Mr. Ramnarine.

What was his crime?

Speaking out and speaking up; he became too uppity and had to be punished with a hard lesson.

The bigger problem, given o t h e r s o m e t i m e s monstrous failures, was that he is supposed to be loyal to his “clan” and for this he has been singled out. He had to put in his p lace to signal other obstreperous of his type that this is serious business, and will be dealt with harshly.

It is part of the vicious and vindictive continuum of twenty-three years of misrule.

Indeed, leopards do not change their spots. I do trust that the current administration will do the right thing by Mr. Ramnarine and move ahead with his promotion.

GHK Lall

Mark Benschop ready to defend Georgetown DEAR EDITOR, City Hall and Central Government will soon make part of the Le Repentir Cemetery a garbage dumpsite again.

On behalf of Team Benschop, we are publicly registering our dissatisfaction, and will mount an aggressive campaign to end this environmental genocide against residents in the surrounding areas.

Once given the opportunity to manage our capital city (as your next Mayor) in the upcoming Local Government Elections, my team and I will suspend the dumping of garbage in the cemetery with immediate effect.

Team Benschop will also launch a massive health program in all affected areas in order to determine the magnitude of the damage done to residents (especially children) since 2004 to 2010 when City Hall entered into an agreement with garbage contractors to use the cemetery as a dumpsite.

Mark Benschop

DEAR EDITOR, Guyanese should be deeply concerned and troubled by the overbearing vindictive and vengeful influence being exerted on the Granger administration by a group of known individuals who are bent on pushing the Granger administration to take extremist positions that can ignite a fire under the racial cauldron.

Regrettably, there are some in the APNU+AFC coalition administration who are sympathetic to this extremist ideology which has a strong anti-Indian, racist component being peddled by that particular group of individuals who claim to feel a “sense of frustration and betrayal”.

At the knob of their “frustration and betrayal” is their inability, thus far, to gain a tactical advantage over the Granger administration by pushing their extremist, vengeful agenda even threatening the administration that “if they don’t act in the new year” their inaction can undo all their “excellent achievements.”

By this means, they seek

to capture the public’s attention and rally support around their selfish, hostile game plan of playing on the antagonistic passions of the supporters of the APNU+AFC and to lure them into accepting their impoverished and divisive discourse as well as the supremacy of their perspective.

Tacuma Ogunseye, Clive Thomas, David Hinds, Lincoln Lewis and Eric Phillips are the most prominent and belligerent of the lot. They resemble an assembled posse who have set themselves the task of going after the jugular of an number of PPP/C persons who they hate and despise for a combination of reasons but fundamentally, for political and ideologically reasons. This gang is exerting every effort to utilize the coercive apparatus of the state to achieve their vengeful and vindictive ambitions.

What they could not achieve in the past, by threats of armed rebellion and as “freedom fighters” against the PPP/C Indian “coolie” government, now, with an urban based, blackdominated upper middle-

class elite in power, this cabal, through the use of threats and intimidation seeks to force the Granger administration to resort to vengeful and race-based instruments to achieve their objectives.

Posturing at the same time as consummate apologists for the Granger administration they claim that; “The PPP/C administration left major challenges for the new government to resolve.” and that; “Most of the challenges are grave and are impossible for any new government to resolve in the short term.”

Introducing a plethora of anecdotal generalizations and impervious to evidence, Ogunseye for his part, sought to impose as factual and truthful his group’s single-valued interest as a public interest.

He offers not a single shred of scientific evidence or statistical data to corroborate his call for the Granger administration to pursue his vendetta. For example, Ogunseye claims that the APNU+AFC coalition came to power; “At a point in Continued on page 29

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Proposed Cybercrime laws…

Jail time, $$$M fines for child porn sharing, hacking, identity theft Government is steaming ahead with plans to introduce laws to target cybercrime, an area that has been wholly unregulated over the years as the internet became wildly popular and so critical to everyday life.

The Cybercrime Bill 2015 was gazetted earlier this month with government intent on making it an offence for persons to illegally access a computer, illegally intercepting and causing data interference, illegally acquiring data and causing system interference, and using illegal devices.

Government will also be going after computer-related forgery and fraud, identity theft, sharing of child pornography, luring of minors, violation of privacy and spamming.

With regards to pornography, the proposed legislation explains that child pornography will relate to a minor engaging in sexual activity or sexually explicit conduct; a child in a sexually explicit pose; a person who appears to be a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct; or realistic images representing a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Government has introduced tough legislations to target child porn sharing, identity theft and hacking of State computer systems.

It will not include any visual representation produced or reproduced for the purpose of education, counselling, or promotion of reproductive health or as part of a criminal investigation and prosecution or civil proceedings or in the lawful performance of a person’s profession, duties and functions.

With regards to hindering

a computer system, the bill explains that it can mean disconnecting the electricity supply to a computer system; causing electromagnetic interference to a computer system; corrupting a computer system; or inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering or suppressing computer data.

Intercept includes listening to or viewing, by use of technical means, or recording a function of a computer system or acquiring the substance.

Multiple electronic mail messages refer to unsolicited

data message, including electronic mail and instant message, that is sent to more than five recipients at a time.

It is being proposed that any person with illegal access to a computer system for the purposes of securing access to computer data, commits an offence and faces a $3M fine and three years’ jail.

Any person who intentionally illegally intercepts and without lawful excuse or justification any subscriber information or traffic data or any communication that is not available to the public or uses any electromagnetic emission

from a computer system that carries any data, will be committing an offence.

Again, the fine is $3M with three years’ jail on a summary conviction and a fine of $5M and five years’ jail for an indictable one.

With regards to illegal data interference - a person who intentionally and without lawful excuse or justification damages computer data or causes computer data to deteriorate or deletes and alters or copies computer data; or renders computer data meaningless, useless or ineffective; the fine is $3M and three years’ jail for a summary conviction or $5M and five years’ jail on an indictable conviction.

The legislation would also target hackers - a person who intentionally obtains for himself or another person computer data which is not meant for him or the other person and which is

protected against unauthorised access, also faces similar penalties and jail time.

The proposed laws also threaten stiffer penalties for hackers and others that could interfere or affect computer networks of the government facilities or critical infrastructure.

The critical infrastructure refers to computer system, device, network, computer programme or computer data so vital to the State that the incapacity or destruction of, or interference with would have a debilitating impact on the security, defence or international relations of the State.

These could relate to provision of services directly related to national or economic security, banking and financial services, public utilities, the energy sector and communications infrastructure.

New rice varieties to boost productivity in 2016 - Agri. Minister Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder believes that the new varieties of rice released to farmers countrywide earlier this year will contribute significantly to improving the productivity of the commodity over the next few years.

Minister Holder, who recently briefed the media on his Ministry’s performance and achievements since the coalition government was

elected to office, advised that it is foreseen that the (Guyana Rice Development Board) GRDB 12, GRDB 13 and GRDB 14 will continue to expand in acreages in 2016.

Meanwhile, the minister reported that the GRDB will be implementing a proactive programme to manage ‘red rice’.

Similarly comprehensive studies will (Continued of page 23)

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Former St Kitts-Nevis PM accused of corrupt practices to retain power BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) — Evidence suggests that the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) administration, led by the current leader of the opposition, Dr Denzil Douglas, engaged in corrupt practices in an effort to hold on to power, according to the prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Timothy Harris.

During his budget rebuttal on Monday, December 21, Harris told the nation that a number of the SKNLP’s campaign schemes were funded by the government, instead of the party.

Harris said that, shortly after taking office in February 2015, the new government of national unity found it necessary to fix such practices.

“We rejected the notion that state resources should be so callously and shamelessly used to fund partisan political activities,” he said, indicating that, in keeping with the good governance agenda that provides a government that is accountable to the people who entrusted them with leadership, it was imperative to make “changes to the parasitic oligarchy.”

Citing the example of the Constituency Empowerment Office, Harris said it was initiated under the guise of a “government programme”, but used to channel funds with the hope of gaining political mileage. Another case in point, he said, was a local walkway area that was funded by the government, but not promoted as such.

Harris further revealed what he described as wanton

Dr Denzil Douglas waste and misuse of government funds in programmes such as the People’s Empowerment Programme (PEP), where “$163 million was spent to hire 4,000 persons for training but only 130 were trained according to CDB (Caribbean Development Bank),” and the Small Enterprise Assistance Fund (SEAF) t h a t w a s handled at SKIPA, which was used to distribute “$11 million without accountability.”

He said that this provides “clear evidence that the last administration corruptly used public resources to further their narrow partisan interests.”

Harris also exposed that, in an effort to hold on to the levers of power, the Douglasled administration used “over

$100,000 public funds to buy tickets for CPL cricket games,” further explaining that “the last administration tried to fill the park by giving away cricket tickets then asking the Treasury to pay.”

According to the prime minister such corruption and impropriety should never be the practice of any government.

He pledged the government’s commitment to providing a fresh start for the citizens of St Kitts and Nevis, explaining that, after only ten months in office, his government had already made significant changes.

“I pledge to the country that we will govern responsibly and our fiscal management shall be prudent,” he said.

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T&T govt. ends free text book programme PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – Education Minister Anthony Garcia says the government will be suspending the distribution of free textbooks to the majority of students in an effort to cut costs.

Garcia who made the announcement during a radio interview on Monday said the government will save TT$119 million (One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents) by cutting back on this provision.

According to Garcia, the decision was made by Cabinet, following an ongoing series of fiscal adjustments since the presentation of the 2015/2016 budget in October.

Garcia who admitted that the decision was made based on Government’s financial position said the total cost to provide books prior to the decision for the most recent school year would have been TT$138 million.

After the Cabinet’s decision, the new cost for school books is TT$19 million.

In the current system, students are given use of books for the school year, which they must return. The ministry then replenishes the stock of books as some are lost or damaged.

Anthony Garcia This system applied to books from primary school to Form 6.

This year, only ten per cent of the books will be replenished for students in form one and primary school infants.

However, the replacement of special education resources will continue to be fully funded by Government.

Responding to the announcement, president of the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) Zena Ramatali said the education minister needed to give more

details on the matter.

Ramatali also raised concerns about students from low socio-economic backgrounds.

“The well-to-do parents could go purchase books but the people who will be most affected are those from the lower socio-economic backgrounds. We hope the ministry could reconsider. The ones that stand to lose are the children from low socio-economic backgrounds who already attend low-performing schools,’ the NPTA President said.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Venezuela Socialists appeal election of eight lawmakers; opposition cries foul Reuters - Members of Venezuela’s ruling Socialist Party have filed Supreme Court appeals to challenge the election of eight opposition legislators, spurring accusations the party is trying to undermine the opposition’s landslide victory this month.

Losing Socialist Party and allies candidates from six legislative districts also asked the court for injunctions that could block the winners from taking office, potentially stripping the opposition of the two-thirds majority it won on Dec. 6.

The situation has fuelled concerns of a looming power struggle between President Nicolas Maduro and a legislature controlled by the opposition, which accuses him of seeking to chip away at its ballot-box success.

“The defeated leadership has filed six new motions against the will of the people expressed on Dec. 6,” Jesus Torrealba, the head of the opposition’s Democratic Unity coalition, wrote on Twitter.

The opposition says the move is part of a broader Socialist Party ploy to undermine their new advantage, for instance by setting up a

Jesus Torrealba grassroots assembly in the same building as the legislature or naming 13 justices to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court statement dated Dec. 28 did not say on what grounds the former candidates were appealing the elections. Winning the appeal could lead to the elections being repeated.

A court official said nobody was available to comment.

The opposition won 112 seats out of 167 for a 67 percent majority, giving them expanded powers including the ability to sack ministers.

If the eight legislators in question were unable to take office while the court hears a challenge against them, the opposition would not be able to summon a two-thirds majority.

“Nothing will block the

swearing-in of the 112 legislators who favour change,” tweeted Amelia Belisario, an opposition congresswomanelect whose seat is being contested.

Socialist Party leaders in the past have scoffed at opposition complaints about electoral irregularities and repeatedly touted the country’s automated voting system as the world’s most transparent.

Former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost to Maduro in 2013, had electoral challenges shot down by the top court.

Maduro has accepted the results of the vote, but has called for an investigation into what he called an unusually high portion of null votes.

Another top Socialist Party leader called for a criminal investigation into alleged vote buying.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

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REPORT TO WHO? I am not certain that what I am reading has been accurately reported. It cannot be.

I really cannot see how the government is going to order the Financial Investigative Unit (FIU) to report on what it was doing for the past five years. If this is what the government plans to do, then Guyana is going

down that slippery slope in which there is little respect for the independence of independent institutions.

When the PPP was in government and had tried to pass legislation to be compliant with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the opposition, which held the majority in the

National Assembly, vetoed the legislation.

This action by APNU and the AFC placed Guyana’s financial system at risk of being blacklisted and subject to sanctions. One of the reasons given for not approving the legislation was that the then opposition wanted an independent Financial Investigative Unit.

Dem boys seh...

You can’t bluff Soulja Bai Guyana don’t need terrorist laws. De country got people as soon as you look at dem you know dem is terrorist. When you listen to dem or when you read what dem write de country should execute dem without a trial.

Read de letter wha de Pee Pee Pee send out yesterday.

De letter describe how five black people threatening dem and want Soulja Bai administration investigate and jail dem fuh all de wrong things dem did to de people.

Dem same five black and much more people did calling fuh jail all of dem long before elections.

Suh when dem holler is bluff. Dem boys want Soulja Bai fuh know that. Dem boys also want Soulja Bai fuh know

that he got dem behind cutting spike nail. That is how it biting.

In de letter dem trying to mek de issue look like a racial issue. But all Guyana know nutten dem can do or seh that can change dem fate. It already plotted out and that is de Creatah wuk. Not even Soulja Bai can help dem.

But is not only 5 black people calling fuh jail dem.

Dem got 55 ‘coolie’ people who nah only want see some of dem in jail but to de gallows. Leading de pack is de boss man fuh de Waterfalls paper. He is de one who start exposing dem lawless behavior and open skullduggery.

Dem boys seh that space ain’t deh fuh name de 54 more.

Dem gun just give you 4 more—Chris Ram, Goolsarran, Badal and Freddie.

Dem want this thing to come over as a racist threat.

And in de same statement dem threatening all Guyana.

Dem want people to know that dem got 32 seats in parliament and dem control 7 out of de 10 regions in Guyana.

In short dem telling Soulja Bai that dem gun tek way de 32 seat out of parliament and lef dem right deh wid dem 33.

And dem gun tek way de seven region dem control and carry dem to Suriname.

Talk half and read through de line about de threats dem mekking to Guyana.

APNU and the AFC were unwilling to compromise on the issue and refused to give its support to the legislation.

It stuck to its position and Guyana found itself having to launch a strong lobby to avoid being blacklisted.

No sooner did the APNU/ AFC coalition win the elections, it rushed to pass legislation which granted autonomy to the FIU, thus insulating it from political control. The legislation affirmed the independence of the FIU. It is therefore frightening to now learn that the very coalition which has pressed for the independence of the FIU, and which desired it to be freed of any form of political control, is now seeking to ask that unit to account for its actions.

The FIU should refuse. It has no obligation to make any such report known to the government or to anyone in the government.

It is the custodian of highly sensitive information about suspicious transactions, and while the government may not be asking it for details about these transactions, the

government has no right to demand that the FIU report to it. The FIU should refuse to do so. It has been granted by the parliament powers of independence and cannot be supervised by any officer of the government.

The FIU should only be allowed to report to two entities. The first is the Public Accounts Committee, and in this regard it should only report on the use of finances provided by the government.

It should file its report about its activities to the National Assembly and not allow itself to be drawn into reporting functions to any government operatives.

The second is the uncreated Anti Money Laundering and the Countering the Financing of Terrorism Authority.

It is understandable that the government will want to know in a general sense that the FIU is working. There are established mechanisms such as those mentioned above for this to occur.

But the FIU is not permitted to report directly on its activities to any government official. This would make it subject to political control, the very

thing that the coalition government was seeking to avoid.

It was APNU which in June of this year rushed legislation through the National Assembly which created an Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Authority. That ten- member authority is allowed to give advice (not instructions) of a general nature as to the policy to be followed.

The FIU may provide information to the Authority so long as this does not compromise its independence. It shall submit financial estimates and returns. This is what the law provides.

There is nothing in the law that states that the FIU has to account to any government official what it has been doing for the past five years. If there is any person who feels that the FIU has to so account, that person should disabuse himself of herself of that belief.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

The APNU-AFC regime in 2015: A brief note There is bound to be exasperating criticism of the post-May dispensation for one manifest reason - the expectation is enormous.

People want to see the transformation of Guyana against the background of the Jagdeo tyranny.

Deep structural damage has been done to Guyana under the Jagdeo leadership.

The evidence against the post-1999 PPP leadership of abusive and corrupt conduct is so sickening that no other President, from the PNC or PPP, would have even contemplated such conduct much less engaged in it.

It is against this backdrop that the Granger/ Nagamootoo team came into power. The expectation of the Guyanese people was gargantuan.

Even sugar workers who voted for the PPP in May 2015

had a genuine desire for the Coalition to fix GuySuCo. Seven months cannot be the yardstick to judge the performance of the coalition.

To give the coalition a fail grade could be bordering on academic dishonesty if you are an intellectual.

I would submit that only a pro-PPP propagandist would argue that the coalition has been a failure or performed badly or was undemocratic.

But the dispassionate intellectual could also be accused of analytical bias if he/she gives a stellar grade for the coalition’s seven months in office.

There were lapses that could have been avoided; behavioural patterns that do not augur well for the future; moments of constituency betrayal; unthinking strategies that were almost

suicidal; shades of the politics of insecurity.

The remainder of this essay is a brief elongation of these five characteristics.

First, the lapses. The damage done by the secretive salary increase is permanent.

I don’t think there is a coalition fanatic out there that has not reflected on that opportunism and concluded that the APNU-AFC leaders are not what they portrayed themselves to be while in opposition.

The coalition aficionado will be more careful in the future. The salary increase was an assault on the nationalist credentials of politicians, who are expected to make sacrifice for the building of a country that was ruined by authoritarian domination.

To add a touch of immorality, I knew that many election campaigners were refused state employment

after the election, when in negotiations they called a figure that many APNU- AFC leaders howled at. It was alright for them to collect their workable income, but not others.

Secondly, behavioural patterns. We have seen in 2015 in the new regime, banal, old politics of cowardice and lack of self-confidence. In the era of the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal, Ministers ran, literally hid from the press. The automatic response was “the Minister is not there,” “the Minister is at a meeting,” “sorry no comment.”

The coalition is practicing the identical culture. People voted for a new set of leaders who would show courage and be forthcoming with the media, the opposition and civil society.

They wanted leaders who would speak their minds, speak candidly, and give the nation information the people

are entitled to. Only Clive Thomas is in front and by billions of miles.

Thirdly, constituency betrayal. We are seeing subtle shades of the movement away from the promises of the campaign. I will not dwell on the egregious contempt shown for the people in the extension of the barriers around Parliament. I have dealt with that in my columns and in television interviews.

There is no enthusiasm after May 2015 for changes in the marijuana laws.

Consultations with society, which the PPP frowned upon, seem to be a thing the coalition finds useful.

The Guyana Human Rights Association says the coalition’s meaning of consultation seems to be the same with the PPP’s Fourthly, unthinking strategies. Here the analysis applies to the AFC only. Only a naïve person believes that the AFC picked up substantial African and Amerindian votes at the last election.

It was the AFC’s Indian votes that sent the coalition over the fifty percent mark. If the AFC is going to survive

Frederick Kissoon in 2020 and beyond, it has to capture Indians away from the PPP. But its choice of the Minister of Agriculture was hopeless, insane and incredible. This was terrible strategizing, the worst you can think of.

Unbelievable, too, is the fact that the Minister is not in the AFC leadership, and told the AFC he is not by nature a political person and doesn’t like politics.

The AFC’s choice is equivalent to APNU putting a Hindu priest from Port Mourant to do groundings with Buxtonian youths.

Finally, the politics of insecurity. As 2015 nears its end, this newspaper has reported that Ministers are being instructed not to be openly critical of their Cabinet colleagues. Isn’t this what the PPP calls democratic centralism?

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Bids opened for external audit of water improvement programme During yesterday’s session at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), bids were opened for a firm to provide an external audit into the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI)’s Water Supply and Sanitation Infrastructure Improvement Program (WSSIIP).

The WSSIIP was one of two agreements signed between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in 2014, with the other being for improving power supply. The agreements totaled US$96M, with US$31.7M expected to go towards financing the WSSIP. The programme’s mandate was to increase the percentage of households with 24-hour access to water and water pressure, in keeping with national standards. It was also intended to reduce wastage and improve the number of homes with improved access to drinking water and sanitation arrangements.

The program’s target areas were in Regions three, four and six, with proposed civil works to include the construction of three new Water Treatment Plants; in Uitvlugt, Region Three, Diamond in Region Four and Sheet Anchor in Region Six. It was expected to also include the expansion of two existing water treatment plants in Georgetown; namely in Sophia and Central Ruimveldt and the rehabilitation of the shelter-belt water treatment facility in Georgetown.

There were four firms bidding for the project yesterday.

Bids were also opened for a consultancy for hydrogeological and geotechnical investigations, at the proposed Bartica landfill. This comes in the wake of the old site, which has been in a deplorable state.

The old garbage site has long been flagged as expired, with many of the opinion that it should have been closed a long time ago. There have also been concerns about the health concerns that the old site presented. However, there was also some delay in acquiring a permit for the new site.

Under the Regional Democratic Council, Region No. 10, bids were opened for the upgrade of the main access road in Victory Valley, Wismar, and Linden. The engineer’s estimate was $14,245,649.

Bids were also opened for an upgrade of the Access road at Christianburg-Wismar Secondary School. The estimate for this project was $15,446,270.

And finally, there were bids for the rehabilitation works to be done on Upper Greenheart Street.

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Wednesday December 30, 2015

GuySuCo to get involved in sale of electricity Given the impressive production achievements of the sugar industry, Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) , Dr. Clive Thomas, is hoping to raise the bar a little higher for 2016.

Yesterday, the economist said that GuySuCo is hoping to increase its production target by five percent over the 2015 figure. Last week, GuySuCo achieved 231,145 tonnes. This was 3,702 more than its projected target of 227,443.

The Chairman said, “I am really happy about this. I am not here for more than six months and this has happened but I could not have done it without the effort that was put in by all. It is proof that the removal of political interference has tremendous benefits. I know that we can do better than this come next year.”

The long awaited report on the Commission of Inquiry into the sugar industry is also expected to be laid in the National Assembly today.

Sets 240,000-tonne target for 2016 - Chairman Dr. Thomas said that while the recommendations for the industry are “extreme”, he cautioned that those working in the sector should not be worried for one bit whether the sector would be closing shop.

“Indeed the changes that are coming will be radical but it is necessary because you cannot expect to be doing the same thing every year and getting different results. But we aren’t c l o s i n g s h o p . We a r e concerned about the survival of this industry but more importantly bringing it to good health.

We are trying to move towards value added products coming out of the sugar assets…we are trying to use the assets of the industry in a more creative way.”

Dr. Thomas said that he is working towards recovering Skeldon’s co-generation plant which was sold to

Skeldon Energy Inc. (SEI).

He said that the former CEO of GuySuCo, Rajendra Singh sold the company’s generation facilities to Skeldon Energy Inc—a Special Purpose Company jointly owned by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), for US$30m, only to have it buy back power to run the factory.

To date the sugar company has also only been paid US$19M of the agreed US$30M and SEI has since indicated that it could revise the outstanding US$11M amount.

Dr. Thomas told Kaieteur News that it is imperative that the plant be recovered as it is a major supplier of power and basically the lifeline of the factory.

“It is such a major producer of power that it supplies 90, 000 households in Berbice. We a r e i n

discussions with having that sale being reversed from being the property of GPL. It is an important pillar for GuySuCo. We are hoping to get it for next year. We want to be able to sell GPL power.

We are getting ripped off with the plant being in the possession of another company.”

The GuySuCo Chairman explained that high on the entity’s list of priorities is moving towards the diversification of the sugar industry especially as it regards refined sugar.

He noted that GuySuCo is still working to achieve a breakthrough with a new upgraded sugar called, “Enmore Crystals.”

“This product will help to

GuySuCo Chairman, Dr. Clive Thomas give us some leverage to sell our sugar for more. This packaged sugar is only being done in small quantities for the markets in Canada, USA and Britain.”

The GuySuCo Chairman said that the Board and Management believe that the packaged sugar will do better than “the ordinary sugar sold in the transparent plastic bag.” He noted that samples are already being taken to the three markets he outlined, among other places where contacts are made.

Dr. Thomas said, “We are trying to penetrate the market with small quantities and build up as time goes. We are basically doing this to see how we can get a higher price for our sugar. And so far, it has been receiving favourable reviews from our international contacts, so we are looking to see how this works out but there are other plans in the pipeline for the diversification of this product and bringing the industry back to good health.”

Wanted for businesswoman’s murder…

Escapee’s body found in Demerara River The body of Robin Maxwell Thomas, who broke out of the Mackenzie Police Station on December 8 with alleged accomplice Stafrei Alexander, has been found in the Demerara River.

Officials said that Thomas’ badly decomposed corpse was found in the vicinity of West Watooka, near the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge, about a week ago.

But he was only positively identified about a day ago after detectives matched the victim’s thumbprint to prints of Thomas they have on record.

Kaieteur News was told that police were unable to ascertain the cause of death due to the badly decomposed state of the corpse.

Thomas was said to have provided police with information about the murder for which he and three others were charged.

The victim’s mother, Cheryl Hilliman, told Kaieteur News that a policeman visited her West Ruimveldt home at around 21.00 hrs on Monday.

She said that the rank informed her that her son had drowned, and gave her two phone numbers for the Commander of ‘E’ Division.

She said that yesterday, she contacted her brother who called the ‘E’ Division Commander.

“He called the Commander

DEAD: Robin Maxwell Thomas and he (the Commander) say it is my son (who was dead), and they said that they know it is him from his thumb print.”

Relatives were told to visit the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary today to see the body.

Thomas’ mother said that he has a scar under the right eye and a birthmark on his left buttock.

Robin Maxwell Thomas, 22, of West Ruimveldt, and Stafrei Hopkinson Alexander, 30, of Lot 129, Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, broke out of the Mackenzie Police Station on December 8.

The men reportedly escaped by smashing a hole through a cell wall. Thomas and Alexander along with Aiden Bowen, of Blueberry Hill, Wismar, and Anthony Primo, 29, of 153 Laing Avenue, were charged for the

Corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Say no to it.

STILL ON THE RUN: Stafrei Alexander April 4, 2015 murder of businesswoman Shevon Gordon, who was shot near her One Mile, Linden premises.

Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine, who was acting as Crime Chief at the time, had told Kaieteur News that “not enough vigilance was exercised” by the on-duty personnel.

Ramnarine said that according to information, the ranks were in the Enquiries Office at around 02.00 hrs and when they checked the lockups they observed a hole in the concrete wall.

“For anyone to dig a hole in a concrete wall, is that they went in there with some instrument, and it sends a message that they were not searched, and that their cell was not searched,” he said.

“It is clear that there was a supervision problem and that enough vigilance was not exercised. I know that there will be an investigation.”

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 13

DPP examining additional files received on Westford fraud case The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has said that as of Monday, the chambers had received four additional files regarding the fraud investigation into the activities of former Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford and her assistant, Margaret Cummings. These files came from the police.

The DPP chambers also clarified that up to last Wednesday, the Chambers had received only six files. On December 9, last, the Guyana Police Force had returned seven of the 24 files to the DPP, for legal advice.

On December 24, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had said to members of the public, who might have been getting antsy about the status of several cases against former government officials fingered in wrongdoing, that as far as he was aware, Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, had sent all the requested information to the DPP. Harmon had stated that Government was awaiting the DPP’s final action in the case.

He had also stated that in Westford’s case the files were submitted to DPP Shalimar Hack, who had requested additional information.

He said that the DPP was an independent office, which would make its findings known in a timely manner.

Dr Westford and her assistant are being investigated in connection with a $500M-plus fraud from

state funds that were discovered missing shortly after the May 11 General Elections and the change in Government. Dr Westford, and her assistant, Margaret Cummings, were both questioned in the matter.

In September, police investigators wrapped up the matter and sent the 20-odd files to the DPP for advice on the way forward. However, the DPP wanted more clarity and details on a number of issues and returned the files to the police.

The Ministry of the Presidency had filed an official complaint to the police in late July after finding more than $120M missing from the bank accounts of the Ministry. Investigators eventually stumbled on some $400M more missing from the bank accounts.

The police, to whom the matter had been handed over, had dispatched a special team to the Ministry of the Presidency to examine records of the payments.

Several staffers as well as their former Minister and her assistant, were questioned during the probe.

Investigators had initially looked at 2014 transactions at the Ministry but went back to 2012. The monies were transferred from the Office of the President and were to be used for training workers in the various Regions.

However, there was no evidence that the Regions

Deportee cons woman of $100,000 - court hears A Guyanese who was recently deported from Barbados, was yesterday ordered to pay the sum of $100,000 to a woman he admitted to fleecing over four years ago.

The man, Trevor Carter, 45, of Henry Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown fraudulently converted the sum of BBD$1,000 given to him by one “Orel” in order for him to deliver to a relative of the individual, Natasha Divine a/k Jenel. The money is the property of Divine.

Failure to compensate Carter will see him spending three months in jail.

Police Corporal Deniro Jones presented the case of the prosecution. He told the court that Carter and the complainant are known to each other. Jones said that during 2011, Divine’s relative gave the money to Carter for him to take to the woman in Guyana.

According to the prosecutor, the complainant never saw or heard from Carter until December 7, when she saw him walking through Henry Street, Werk-en-Rust. Jones said that Divine approached the man and asked him for the money.

However, Jones stated that Carter told the woman that she should come for the money the following day.

The matter was reported to the Brickdam Police Station and Carter was arrested and charged. The court was told that the man admitted to taking the money.

When given a chance to explain his side of the story, Carter claimed that he had given the money to a friend, who was travelling to Guyana, for him to give it to the woman. He alleged that he was made aware that the friend had not delivered the money to Divine after speaking with her via telephone. He said that he was willing to compensate Divine. He explained that he was willing to give the woman $75,000 on Saturday when he uplifts his salary.

But the Magistrate instructed him to repay all the money immediately or go to jail.

were in receipt of any money.

Dr. Jennifer Westford and her assistant, Margaret Cummings, were questioned by police and released on bail.

Police sleuths would have wanted to know what role, if any, the two played in the withdrawals.

In July, both women appeared in court charged with the illegal transfer of eight vehicles belonging to the State.

They were placed on a total of $2M in bail. Several persons from the Public Service Minister, who were involved in preparing documents for payments, were questioned.

Former Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford

The Minister’s co-accused, Margaret Cummings

Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Hack

Page 14

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Police unaware of disciplinary action against Asst. Commissioner Ramnarine The Guyana Police Force says there is no pending disciplinary matter against Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, even as former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee insists otherwise.

The Force in an official statement yesterday, in response to concerns raised

by Rohee on Monday, said, “The Guyana Police Force wishes to state that it is unaware of any disciplinary matter pending against Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, DSM.” Former Home Affairs Ministe r R o h e e i n a statement on Monday, had expressed concerns about persons with pending disciplinary matters may be

recommended for promotion. He had singled out Ramnarine as one of the persons who is likely to be promoted despite a pending disciplinary matter against him.

The matter Rohee is referring to has to do with a request made in 2012 by Rohee to then Acting Commissioner of Police, Leroy Brumell, to institute disciplinary action against Ramnarine, who he accused of breaching force regulations.

Ramnarine had ruffled a few feathers when he publicly announced that he had not received any money to provide meals for his ranks during the 2011 General Elections, from the funds

allocated for such purpose by the government.

He embarrassed the then administration by stating that he was advised to beg members of the business community for assistance to feed his ranks.

Rohee, the then Minister of Home Affairs, obviously irked by Ramnarine’s outspokenness, immediately asked acting Commissioner Brumell to initiate disciplinary action against the Assistant Commissioner.

Brumell did write to Ramnarine, demanding an explanation of the circumstances that led to him breaching the police Standing Order when he went public with his views on the alleged misappropriation of

Asst. Commissioner David Ramnarine

Former Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell

Former Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee

monies allocated for elections duties.

Ramnarine did respond and according to a senior police official, that matter died a natural death, and the former Home Affairs minister is seeking to curtail the upward movement of the outspoken Ramnarine.

But Rohee is maintaining that the matter is not dead.

“I stand by what I said in my statement. Brumell writing to him (Ramnarine) does not end the matter. As far as I am aware, the matter was not brought to a closure. If the police are saying that they are unaware of any disciplinary matter against Ramnarine. I am standing by what I said,” Rohee told Kaieteur News

yesterday.

This newspaper contacted former Commissioner Brumell last evening and he explained that he did send the matter to the Police Service Commission after receiving a response from Ramnarine.

He stated that at the time, there was a problem constituting a tribunal to try the matter.

“We had to have a senior man to make up the tribunal to try the Assistant Commissioner, and we did not have the full component of officers to do it. So I sent it to the Police Service Commission for advice on the way forward and I can’t really recall if they had responded,”

Brumell told this newspaper.

At the time, the force did not have a deputy commissioner, a rank above Ramnarine’s, who could have headed the tribunal to try an Assistant Commissioner.

Both Brumell and Seelall Persaud carried the same rank as Ramnarine.

However, it was noted that Brumell and Persaud subsequently became Deputy Commissioners and yet Ramnarine’s matter wasn’t tried.

“Then again, almost four years would have elapsed, and you can’t have a man held up for so long without a trial. What happened to natural justice?” another senior officer asked.

MV Kanawan back in operation following engine trouble

The Chinese built ferry M.V. Kanawan Transport and Harbours Department (TH&D) Chinese built Motor Vessel (M.V) Kanawan is back in operation, after encountering mechanical problems on Sunday.

TH&D officials confirmed yesterday, that the Roll OnRoll Off ferry, which was gifted to the Guyana Government in 2011, has been back to work since Monday morning.

General Manager of the Transport and Harbours Department, Marcelene Merchant, told this newspaper the vessel is back to its regular schedule after the minor incident on Sunday. The passenger ferry

malfunctioned again on Sunday while it was enroute to Supenaam, Essequibo, following its departure from Parika.

The “heavily laden ferry” is said to have departed Parika Stelling at around 12:00 hours carrying some 255 passengers and 42 vehicles on board.

But while in the vicinity of the Chalmers Area, Essequibo, the boat’s overboard water suction through which water enters to cool the main engines became blocked with sediments. Kaieteur News understands that consequently, the engine began overheating,

subsequently shutdown.

TH&D reported that ensuing efforts to clear the suction pipes and restart the engines proved futile. As a result, the Department personnel at the Parika Stelling were contacted.

They immediately chartered and dispatched six water taxis from Parika to transport the passengers onboard to the Parika Stelling.

The vessel with the vehicles on board was later towed to Parika.

“In spite of this unfortunate incident, the officials of the department worked relentlessly to ensure that the passengers were Continued on page 15

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 15

Investigation continues into Manchester brawl Investigations are continuing in the fatal fracas on Sunday evening at the “Dutty Party” outside a popular Manchester, Corentyne night spot.

The melee, which blew up over a woman, left two men dead and three hospitalized with injuries, one critical. The two dead men are Mark Simon, 28, of Liverpool, Corentyne, and his friend Kempton Gray, 23, of Alness, also on the Corentyne.

Simon was hacked to death outside the night spot during the brawl. But although Gray was present, the circumstances surrounding his death, remain unclear.

According to information the fight broke between the now dead Mark Simon and Bhiron Robertson who were both involved in a relationship with a woman called Ann, or “Fluffy Tail” of Alness.

The woman, it is understood, had a relationship with Robertson before moving on to Simon.

She subsequently left Simon and went back to Robertson.

During the night she was reportedly partying with her old “fling”, Simon, when Robertson turned up around 23:30 hours.

A heated argument ensued and both men armed themselves, Simon with a cutlass and Robertson with a knife. They began inflicting injuries on each other, forcing other persons to intervene some to part while others joined in the fight.

Simon reportedly bled profusely from his injuries and died on his way to the hospital.

His rival was chopped about his body and is in a

critical condition in the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Those still hospitalized are Bhiron Robertson, called “Bouse” 31, and Samuel Fraser, called “Charlie”, 32, both of Liverpool, and Gary Tyndall of Courtland, Corentyne.

Gray reportedly assisted in taking Simon to the Port Mourant Hospital. At the hospital, he was pointed out to the police as one of the persons involved in the fight.

Gray, obviously wanting to avoid being taken into custody, hurriedly left the hospital.

No one could say exactly how Gray got his injuries but it is believed that he was attacked while heading home after the incident.

Investigators revealed that they got a call from an unknown caller, informing them that an injured man was in a yard at Clifton. When they went to the yard they found Gray lying on a step in the yard with injuries to his body and breathing faintly.

He was rushed to the hospital by the police.

Speaking to the media yesterday, Commander of Police ‘B’ Division Assistant Commissioner Christopher Griffith stated that from information received Gray was already injured when he was first seen at the hospital earlier. He said that the police received information that a man had entered a yard and was trying to enter a house at Clifton Village. The man was injured and bleeding.

It was discovered that the injured man was Gray who had earlier slipped away from the hospital. Police believe that Gray was injured in the melee and lost a lot of blood whilst walking on his way

MV Kanawan back....

From page 14 always safe.” TH&D said in the release.

The department also noted that according to their investigations thus far, there is no evidence that the Captain was under the influence of alcohol as reported in some sections of the media.”

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, has since joined the General Manager of the Transport & Harbours Department Marcelene Merchant to express their regret about the incident. The officials reaffirmed their commitment to preventing the recurrences of such incidents.

Just last year, the two Chinese ferries, the MV Sabanto and the MV Kanawan, faced a series of misfortunes.

In April, 2014 a truck transporting goods to Supenaam rolled off the Kanawan and sank in the Essequibo river; a few months later the Captain of sister vessel MV Sabanto lost control of the ferry and it ran aground at Wakenaam. The vessel was grounded for a number of days.

Earlier this year, Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, disclosed the two ferries which currently ply the Parika/Supenaam route generate insufficient to cover the operating cost, particularly their fuel for the daily trips.

As such, the Transport and Harbours Department of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is tasked with applying a large portion of its budgetary allocations to ensure the continued service provided by these two vessels.

The Minister disclosed that while the department is supplied with an annual budget of about $400M, the majority is used for the two ferries. This works out to just about $30M monthly.

home. They also believe that he became weak and tried to seek help in the yard.

Gray’s father, Garfield, told this newspaper that he was at home when he received a call from his son, informing him about the brawl. The man said that his son also informed him that he was leaving the hospital since he was fearful of being attacked or arrested.

The elder Gray stated that sometime around 02:00 hrs he received another call from his son who told him that he was in the vicinity of Tain and Bloomfield and was coming home. The man said that he told his son, “Boy, suppose something happen to you”.

He subsequently got a call around 05:00 hrs that the ambulance had just taken his son to the hospital and that

“he deh bad.”

The man said that his son succumbed not long after.

He stated that when he visited the mortuary he observed that his son had a stab wound to his abdomen, a cut on his hand and a blow to the back of his head.

Police are questioning one of the injured men who they believe could shed some light on how Gray met his death.

Police are continuing investigations and have taken statements from a number of persons.

Robertson remains under police guard in the hospital while the others also remain hospitalized.

At Simon’s home, his family declined to comment.

They received a call about the incident and subsequently learnt of his death.

DEAD: Mark Simon (left) and Kempton Gray

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Countering infections not an easy task - CMO Dealing with infections in a hospital setting is no easy task. This assertion was amplified by Chief Medical Officer (CMO) within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, during an interview with this publication.

He disclosed that an outbreak of an infection in the neonatal unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has since seen strategic measures being engaged to prevent a reoccurrence.

He said that while it is important that all sections of health delivery settings confirm to certain standards, special effort is currently being focused on the neonatal unit.

To help address the problem, Dr. Persaud said that the services of a consultant were retained who was able to assess the unit and make needful recommendations.

“We want that throughout the public health sector but we have started

with the Neonatal Unit. Some of the recommendations include: changing the cleaning agents, reemphasising the importance of hand-washing and good, safe and clean practices in the delivery of health care,” informed Dr. Persaud.

Health officials had long acknowledged that the GPHC had been plagued by a sepsis which develops from infection.

Sepsis is the presence of harmful bacteria and their toxins in the body tissues typically caused by the infection of a wound.

A visiting United Statesbased Family Physician, Dr. Lisa Singh, had earlier this year observed the situation at the GPHC and had even then regarded it a “troubling development.” One of Dr. Singh’s relatives passed away at the hospital and it was later found that it was a result of sepsis. “I would challenge anyone to do an audit on the deaths of patients and see how many are dying of

sepsis. They will see what the cause is – the lack of hand washing and aseptic techniques,” asserted Dr. Singh who claimed to witness the unhygienic operations of some medical staff while visiting her relative at the GPHC. But based on Dr. Persaud’s disclosure, the hospital has commenced effective measures to reduce the prevalence of infections.

The challenges to achieve this goal are ever present, confided Dr. Persaud. “The hospital deals with all kinds of wounds.” He said that even soil and terrain can lend to wounds being highly contaminated even before they reach to the hospital environment.

“Every accident we have on the road can be contaminated,” said Dr. Persaud as he took solace in the fact that efforts to clean up the country can help the efforts to reduce infections.

“Thankfully for the clean-up campaign; it is helping.

People may not understand how that’s linked in but believe me it is...all the stuff thrown about, garbage and sewage can have an impact on what we eventually see and have to manage at the hospitals when it comes to w o u n d s , ” a s s e r t e d t he CMO. He, moreover, noted that the effort to help reduce infections is not merely the task of the hospital or the Ministry of Public Health but rather it must be a collaboration of all of society.

“It is a general societal problem that we all have to help addressed,” Dr. Persaud asserted.

It is believed that the remedial efforts employed at the GPHC have already started to yield results.

The Public Health Ministry had earlier this month announced that there has been a significant decrease in the deaths of babies born at the GPHC, a state of affairs that was attributed to reinforcement of preventative measures at the hospital.

According to information received the administration and doctors of the GPHC have been working closely

with the Ministry of Public Health and with advice and support from the Canadabased Charity Organisation – Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK).

The measures which have been reinforced to curb the incidence, include the full sanitization of the maternity block at the hospital, and the closure to some rooms of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as well as special areas, in order to house and provide care for high risk babies.

Additionally, mothers have been encouraged to remain with their babies to access further neonatal care.

Proper infection control and strict guidelines for clean clothing, gowns, masks and shoe covers have been reinforced for all personnel.

One hundred percent hand washing with appropriate solutions has also contributed to the significant reduction in the number of neonatal deaths, the Ministry has revealed.

This has, moreover, according to the Ministry, allowed for a seven per cent mortality rate in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in November. Months earlier,

Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, Chief Medical Officer the mortality rate had been averaging 35 per cent for NICU admissions.

It was revealed, too, that Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton, along with technical officers will continue to engage the doctors of the GPHC and the GHTK to ensure the continued decline in the number of neonatal deaths.

The Minister applauded Dr. Sara Singh as well as the paediatric physicians, nurses and other staff of the NICU for championing the reinforcement of these measures with support and guidance from GKTK.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 25

Fire at Haags Bosch Landfill Site…

Contractors did not adhere to requirements - Temporary holding area to be operational soon Communities Ministry The Ministry of Communities is blaming Solid Waste Contractors, BK International Inc and Puran Brothers Disposal Services, for the uncontained blaze at the Haags Bosch landfill site, Eccles East Bank Demerara.

The spontaneous combustion last Sunday afternoon led to several sections of the site being shutdown and residents of the neighbouring communities dealing with the adverse effects of the heavy grey smoke that is currently polluting the atmosphere as a result of the smoldering refuse.

Garbage trucks were almost immediately redirected to the Lusignan dumpsite, East Coast Demerara.

While temporary relief has been granted in the situation, officials of the Ministry are laying the blame for the blaze, which has

rendered the site inoperable, squarely on the shoulders of the firms contracted to manage the solid waste firm.

The Ministry, in a press statement yesterday noted that preliminary investigations revealed that the contractors did not adhere to the Operations Management Requirements as stipulated under Section 15.6 of the signed agreement regarding fire prevention and firefighting.

The contract for the construction and management of the landfill site was awarded to BK International and Puran Brothers Disposal Services in 2010.

According to the information, the unhealthy situation does not surprise the Ministry, since there is “evidence of poor management techniques and inadequate security measures”, among others

Thick smoke emanates from the blaze at the Haags Bosch landfill site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara. employed by the contractors.

Kaieteur News understands that the aforementioned factors together with the unventilated landfill; the failure to provide daily earth cover have contributed to the significant buildup of methane gas which when ignited continues to burn in an uncontrollable manner. This has resulted in the fire.

Local Gov’t Commission to be established early next year Two years after laws were passed providing for the establishment of a Local Government Commission, the body is now expected to be operationalised in early 2016. This will be in time to provide oversight to the new local government organs (LGOs) that will take effect, following the March 18, 2016, Local Government Elections.

Parliament approved the

creation of the Local Government Commission in 2013, with the expectation that it would have to play a supportive role to the Ministry of Communities as it relates to dealing with such issues as staffing of LGOs and disputes among local authorities.

The previous Minister with responsibility for Local Government, however, never issued a

Commencement Order for the Local Government Commission Act to take effect and for the Commission to become operationalised.

In a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan disclosed that funding for the Local Government Commission would be (Continued of page 30)

The release noted that during the initial stages of the fire the contractor was assisted by the Guyana Fire Service, which requested the contractors to provide, in accordance with the conditions of the contract, additional resources needed to enhance their capacity to control the blaze.

These included the following: three high capacity pumps (6 inches diameter) to enhance the flooding of the site in several locations where the fire exists; two heavyduty crane, drag-line or long boom excavators to excavate the waste pile in an effort to

reach the bottom where the fire may be located and water hoses (6 inches diameter and 450-ft in length).

The statement outlined that “despite numerous engagements with the assigned contractor the supply of the items was delayed.

This hampered the Guyana Fire Service’s capacity to arrest the fire”.

The Ministry of Communities has noted that the site, which has been operating as a dumpsite from day one, is closed and can only be reopened when the situation is addressed.

The Ministry is partnering with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure in an effort to bring urgent relief to affected communities. The Communities Ministry says it is monitoring the situation closely since it is aware that residents of the neighbouring communities are being adversely affected.

Meanwhile, a temporary holding area located at Haags Bosch has been identified to accommodate waste generated within the Municipality of Georgetown and its immediate environs.

This is expected to be operationalised shortly.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Miss Guyana World ready for nation’s Golden Jubilee, gets grand welcome home

Ms. Punch interacts with some of her fans upon arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport yesterday.

By Mondale Smith Hot on the heels of winning the talent segment and placing in the top ten of the Miss World contest, Lisa Mary Johanna Punch has no plan to be left out of the nation’s 50th Independence celebrations come the New Year.

The US-based talented beauty still basking in the glow of “one of the most surreal experiences” of her life as Guyana’s ambassador, arrived on home soil to a much

deserved honorable welcome.

Punch was greeted upon touchdown at the Cheddi Jagan International airport by an ecstatic crowd which had gathered to welcome her with hugs and kisses galore.

She eagerly afforded photo opportunities to the scores who sought them and even made time for interaction with babies.

Her next stop was a courtesy call on the Minister within the Ministry of

Education, Nicolette Henry, at the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, Main Street where after congratulatory discourse the two engaged in conversation about the experience and plans for Guyana’s 50th Independence celebrations in 2016.

The Georgetown Mayor’s office in the City Hall Compound was next. There, she was greeted by councilors who presented her with a large bouquet by

Ms. Punch paying a courtesy call on the Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry.

Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Green and a plaque from Mayor Hamilton Green.

“Honoured and so blessed is how I feel to be able to be in this position to have represented Guyana and be called Miss Guyana on the world stage…. I’m grateful to be receiving all the things that I have done so far and I’m so proud to be Guyanese,” the ever smiling Punch said.

Mayor Hamilton Greene said that while he couldn’t give the Keys to the city to a citizen of the City; a plaque is worth the same gesture on the City’s behalf to the beautiful song bird.

“This plaque is to show appreciation on behalf of the City and it celebrates a young woman who has done us proud at the international level.”

The Mayor also expressed the hope that it will be an encouragement to others to do likewise with their sound beautiful mind,

brain and body.

LISA ON THE REEL: INDEPENDENCE PLANS, ABOUT BEAUTYAND CRITICS In the company of her younger brother, John Jr, who is also a budding singer and her chaperone, Natalia Thomas, said that it goes without saying that she will be very much involved in the Nation’s Golden jubilee.

Commenting on the issue of what she will be doing for the Independence anniversary, Punch told Kaieteur News, “I will be singing of course and whatever else is needed for me to do I will make myself available to do.”

Of the pageant experience, Punch expressed the wish that many persons could get to experience something as grand “so that they would be able to better appreciate their country more.”

When asked about beauty and brain power in one package she said, “Many

young ladies go up there and they are all very beautiful and intelligent but we just don’t give them the chance. If we can just give them the chance to represent us it would benefit us and backing our girls is the best thing you can do for their confidence.”

Even though she had knowledge of some of the negative comments being leveled against her she said she did not allow them to distract her from what she was there to accomplish.

Addressing criticism, Lisa exposed the reality of there being “no social media, Facebook, Twitter, no Instagram…I had no access to it, thank God, and he knew why he placed me there, no negativity all positive things I was receiving.”

Lisa’s ‘Prevention of teenage Suicides Guyana Organization’ established in 2014 placed fourth in the Miss World pageant ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ segment. Moving Continued on page 27

Miss Guyana World Lisa Punch is honoured with a plaque and a bouquet

by Mayor Hamilton Green and Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Vendor charged with Christmas Day murder A fifty four-year old vendor has been charged with the murder of Owen Frederick, a/k ‘Fluffie’ who was stabbed to death on Christmas Day at James Street, Albouystown.

Mark Trevor Greaves of Albouystown was remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for the indictable offence.

He will make his next court appearance on January 18.

According to reports, Fredericks, who hails from Berbice, was stabbed to death during an altercation with the accused. It was reported that Fredericks was stabbed to the neck and chest with a knife. He was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

MURDER ACCUSED: Mark Trevor Greaves The incident occurred around 15:00hrs on the day in question.

Both men are said to be drug addicts and did odd jobs for a living.

Man attacks relative with cutlass - victim given compensation

Darren Chowtee A resident from Leguan Island, Essequibo, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday, after assaulting his relative with a cutlass.

Darren Chowtee, 36, of lot 7 Richmond Hill, Leguan, Essequibo, pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that

on December 26, at Leguan, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Takeram Persaud.

The Magistrate ordered him to pay $75,000 as compensation to the victim.

Failure to pay the fine will see him serving a six- month prison term.

According to the prosecution, on the day in question at 21:50hrs, Chowtee went into a local bar armed with a cutlass, confronted Persaud and dealt him several lashes about the body. The confrontation came about after Chowtee heard of the victim making threats to his brother.

The court heard that Chowtee threatened to sever the complainant’s neck.

The matter was reported and Persaud was treated at the Leguan Public Hospital.

His injuries are not lifethreatening.

Persaud told the court that he and his attacker have agreed to settle the matter.

Miss Guyana World...

From page 26 forward she said her group will continue the organization with a view to building a safe haven. Additionally, her group plans to continue school tours locally aimed at building young peoples’ self esteem.

“We are just going to spread positivity and be a living example of what believing in yourself does. A student who is pursuing a degree in performing arts in New York, Punch said she is continuing with more focus on school and will also be pursuing a degree in Social Sciences, Criminology and Psychology online at the University Of Guyana.

“I’m gonna be on campus in New York and Online here but my music career will always be my passion.”

ADVICE TO GIRLS AS 2016 RECRUITMENT BEGINS To aspirants for the 2016 Miss Guyana World, Punch said, “Be prepared for anything knowing that you have to work very hard to see the results of it. Be yourself and remain humble…People will love your original personality whether you are an introvert or extravert just be yourself and people will love you for who you are.”

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

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PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461.

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VACANCY Full & Part time & Seasonal, local & international work available, training provided $5,000 plus daily – Call: 6221957/ 233-6517, www.jobfairworldwide.com Qualified Accounts, bond clerks, drivers @ Rosignol, Bond clerks & drivers @ Melanie- Call: 330-2399; 3302772; 623-5920 1 Security guard to work nightly, apply in person at Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling.

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Immediate vacancies exist for at least 12 workers to work @ Ice Factory, MeadowbankCall: 231-1408/ 642-9191 Salesman with his own transportation-Call: 610-1111 Mature live in housekeeper, serious enquiries only –Call: 697-8797

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 2 Storey @ Robb Street Building, top flat furnished, 3 bedrooms apartment for living/office/storage, bottom flat for business-Call: 227-2454 One 3 bedrooms apartment, one master room, two bathrooms, kitchen, dining, laundry rooms. Call: 671-1474 Apartments @ Nandy Park, free WiFi, fully tiled & renovated -$90,000 negotiable – Call: 227-5194 1 Two bedrooms apartment next to UG, young couple, UG students or foreigners, no children-Call: 222-3896;660-6416 Spacious 2 bedrooms apartment in Festival CityAsking $80,000- Call: 619-2141 Two bedrooms house “A” Field Sophia, fully grilled off Road Parking, CCTV, $50,000 monthly with 2 months securityCall: 693-2237; 219-0211

LAND FOR SALE Providence house lots, size 50ftX100ft -$7M –Call: 6002031; 233-5535 Transported land with fruit trees, fenced, fill high -$4.3M @ Richmond Essequibo Coast, next to School–Call: 682-5230; 628-9696 Residential house lot at Kuru Kururu (First Hill on Highway from Junction) 100X100-Call: 680-6136

EDUCATIONAL Registered for Phonics, Reading, Spelling etc, classes for all ages, private tutoring also offered –Call: 675-4379 RISING STAR DAYCARE, KINDERGARTEN & AFTERSCHOOL CARE. Lessons for Grades 1-11: Phonics, reading, Nursery – Call: 690-9378

Letters...

Where your views make the news

NCN’s mischief continues but...

From page 4 such as cannabis for personal use. How could a person who smokes cannabis get the same sentence as a person who was charged for trafficking large quantities?

What section 4 (i) does is force a person to plead not guilty, because if he or she plead guilty for small quantity of cannabis for personal use, the sentence is 3 to 5 years in jail. It also creates a cost of up to $350,000 in lawyer fees.

It also forces some parents to try to pay a bribe to officer to prevent they child from going to jail.

The state cost for keeping a person in jail for three years estimated at $20,000 a month.

That is $720,000 for his or her sentence, for16 grams of cannabis, which worth just about $1000. This does not make sense.

When a person is guilty of smoking cannabis, a crime against his or her own self, he or she is sentence to live with criminals, a place where you learn further to commit crime. Cannabis is also sold in the prison system.

In my opinion, persons found possessing cannabis, with no evidence that he or she is selling cannabis, should pay a fine and be ordered to do community work in the local government authority area where he or she lives. Jailing a person for smoking, taking them away from family is a harsh penalty.

The 25 years old law needs to be amended and sections of the act need to be enforce such as establishing and funding rehabilitation centers. We as a government need to face this problem of jailing a person for smoking cannabis, head on, debate the Act and have a conscious vote.

For 25 years now, the Parliament only had two conscious votes, the Abortion Act and the Casino Act. Allowing members to debate the bills are very important in a Democratic state.

I must say that the AFC joined the coalition to remove the previous government, to make Guyana a better place for all Guyanese. As such we need to look at our social problems.

AFC member (name supplied)

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 29

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

Marijuana debate goes to another level DEAR EDITOR, Re: Brother Rooplall: “The foolishness of a fool is his folly”!

Psalms 68: v 4. “Sing unto God, sing praises to his name, extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah and rejoice before him”! him”! In publicly advocating in the print media for the repealing of the sentencing (3 years) for marijuana, and the decriminalization, makes me a rastaman.

Well my beloved brethren, in both instances, moreover the latter you are wrong, since I’m not a rasta! Rather, from a personal perspective I am not bounded to any religion, yet still I’m not an atheist! I give credence to the Almighty God; whom I worship in

“spirit and truth”; acknowledge Jesus the Christ, as His Only Begotten Son, while beholding his physical manifestation as the embodiment of the heavenly father; by extension, “the greatest man to trod earth”!

Philosophically it’s Garveyism I embrace.

On a daily basis part of my daily devotion, entails a reading from the Holy Scripture; listening to evangelistic pastors and other lay persons, preaching the word of God; in addition, to viewing T.D Jakes and Brother Farakan. I never refused to accept a biblical tract, or literature, since it’s “knowledge I seek, along with wisdom and understanding”, also on a daily basis, within

the Stabroek News I read the quotations from Sai Baba. What does this make me Dudhnath? “Judge not, lest ye be judged”!

Editor, “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother”! Please my brethren, in humanity, apart from publicly advocating that you re-read my letter four more times, to fully comprehend the content.

Also, I would advocate you read K.N: Columnist, Freddie Kissoon’s Column (25.12.15), “A song for the Guyanese people on this day.”

A special dedication to Rooplall; along with George Benson’s “The Greatest Love of All.” In erstwhile, I must commend the brother for the lone bright spot of radiance in his missive captioned “An

exchange on Ganja” (K.N – 25.12.15). “In appreciating my penmanship at authoring a very edifying letter to the Editor”- published in K.N (22.12.15).

Thereafter, instead of dealing with the issues of substance I had previously raised. Brother: Dudhnath shifts gear into the overdrive, accelerating into “pettiness and gutter penmanship”! In remonstration, Rooplall’s previous letter prior to his most recent publication was carried in (SN 12.12.15) “Marijuana should not be legalized”.

As a consequence, if Stabreok News fails to carry my response, which subsequently Kaieteur News published. Am I as a layman,

PPP complains it is threatened but...

From page 5 the country’s history of unprecedented social, economic and political crisis.”

But Ogunseye should be reminded of the McIntyre Report which analyzed Guyana’s economic decline during the 1985-1991period.

That Report stated; “Real GDP had declined by an average ten percent in 1982-1983 as a result of sharp contractions in the bauxite sector and decline and stagnation in most other productive sectors.

Economic decline eased up in 1984, but the economy remained stagnant through 1987 with a per capita gross domestic product of only US$500. Guyana was one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.”

The report added: “There was a steep increase in commercial arrears and the total public sector external debt reached almost US$1.9 billion by 1989 or more than twice its level at the beginning of the 1980’s.

Measured by the usual indicators of debt to GDP and debt to exports, Guyana became one of the most heavily indebted countries in the world.”

Is this the “crisis situation” Ogunseye refers to when the APNU+AFC attained office in May 2015?The red herrings Ogunseye threw into his “analysis” through his foolish assertion that the PPP/C mobilized its “supporters to squat on government lands on the East Coast”; “encouraged sugar workers to down tools”, and is “exploiting historic racial insecurity” isaimed at justifying his call for the Granger administration to “take appropriate action in the New Year….”

Ogunseye‘ calls on the Granger administration to:

“Bring an end to the retreat in its publicly stated policy to bring justice to wrongdoers of the previous regime.” He goes on to dictate to the Granger administration to “charge and prosecute PPP wrong- doers” But Ogunseye doesn’t stop there he demands: “A mental boost for APNU+AFC supporters who are outraged and angered by the apparent reluctance by the APNU+AFC government to bring the PPP/ C wrong doers to justice.”

He claims that APNU+AFC supporters view the non-action by the Granger administration as a indication of “political weakness” because they had been led into believing that “justice would have been dispensed swiftly and fearlessly.”

Consequently, Ogunseye laments that the APNU+AFC supporters are; “Deeply disappointed that this has not been the case and find it hard to understand why government is taking no initiative in this direction.” He therefore goes on to advise the Granger administration that they better “protect its self interest by going after the PPP/C wrong-doers”. There is no other way out of this growing political dilemma” he warns.

Assuming the role of an ideological mentor for the Granger administration, Ogunseye pushes the administration to lead a posse in the role of a Clint Eastwood and to “hang em high” for “crimes” committed but for which no evidence exists.

Ogunseye urges the Granger administration to engage in political stalking and to round up those “found guilty” by his group.

As far as he is concerned; forget about a court of law, just unleash a series of political trials. He sees no role for the criminal justice

system and rejects the time bound principle that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty (not by Ogunseye or Clive Thomas or a section of the media but by a Court of Law).

Ogunseye must realize that political trials have grave political implications, particularly for a political party with thirty-two seats in the National Assembly; controlling seven of the ten Regions and with mass support and who are convinced that Gecom, acting in consort with operatives in the APNU and AFC cheated their party out of office.

Hundreds of thousands in this country will have no difficulty believing that Ogunseye and his ilk found their special purpose in life, which is, to throw gasoline on a fire.

David Hinds and Tacuma Ogunseye are singing from the same hymn sheet after all they are both members of ACDA and the WPA which is part of the APNU. Hinds for his part, commenting on the recent huge salary increases gifted to government Ministers said; “Government misread the feelings of its supporters and this is worrying”.

This he claims, “Show that government is out of touch with realities on the ground.”

His colleague Ogunseye echoes similar sentiments but in the context of the need to “bring to justice the wrong doers of the PPP/C government.”In this connection, Ogunseye claims that; “APNU+ AFC supporters are angered by the apparent reluctance of the government to respond in kind (to the PPP’s aggressive politics). He then asserts; “it would be a grave political mistake for the APNU+AFC leadership to

underestimate its supporters’ demand for justice on behalf of the nation.”

What influence do these two individuals have on the Granger administration and Granger himself is anybody’s guess. They both want to achieve the same objective but from two different perspectives. This political extremism germinating within the APNU+AFC must be rejected. Ogunseye is correct when he said;”There is need for a correct assessment of the balance of the social and political forces in the country.”

The truth is, were this analysis to be done on a scientific bases it would certainly not give him much comfort nor would its outcome be supportive of his extremist, intolerant views.

I strongly recommend that Ogunseye and his ilk view the movie; ‘V’ for Vendetta.

Others who care to should do so. Produced and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski; the moral of the movie is that unless people speak out and hold government accountable nothing is done to stop theft of their civil liberties.

The PPP will never allow the APNU+AFC government to strip the Guyanese people in general and the leaders, members and supporters of the PPP in particular of their civil and political rights.

Having had their fundamental right to elect a government of their choice stolen from them once again; the PPP will not now or ever allow the APNU+AFC nor the extremist elements within and outside the coalition to deny it its Constitutional rights.

The PPP fought too long and hard to now allow this travesty to come to pass.

Clement Rohee General Secretary People’s Progressive Party

can be faulted for the misspelling of the brother’s surname, which in the opinion of the publishers by my standards may have been wrong? Thus, their perceived correction.

Is it in the realms of “brevity”- meaning, briefness a terminology used by Rooplall in four instances, caused him to misspell four names? Sealy- “Sealey”, Kaieture“Kaieteur”, Etophaia- “Ethiopia” and Jaah- “Jah”! That aside, the member of the Bahai Faith, whose in-depth teachings I am au-fait with, accuses of being wrong to advocate he’s a Hindu, based on his name in its entirety. Editor, my question! Are you a Hindu, as your name suggests?

Should any Grade 6 student, preparing for English paper 1 and 2, at next year’s examination, fails to detect the absurdity, they ought to be demoted to grade 5.

While “a little bit of learning, at times can be dangerous,’ and in Rooplall’s case overtly so I do hope at no given juncture, he interacts with nation’s youth, relating to tuition, since it definitely will have adverse effects in the molding the young minds.

By the way, how does Dudhnath’s “friend from Ethiopia, who never touched marijuana/weed” enter the discussion? Moreover, when no reference of such was previously alluded to!

Once again, in choosing the lesser of the two evils, would the brother support “repealing transgender laws, or decriminalizing marijuana?

From a spiritual/religious perspective, what does the Bahai Faith preach/teach about transgender relationship and same sex marriage?

“His eyes were flaming red, the smoke that proceeded from his nostrils; the cloud was a covering, and the flame, for a light.” However, with the brethren definitely having something against marijuana, which he is free to express.

At the same time, if the brother does care about humanity, he should be concerned about

our nation’s economic standpoint, via the national treasury. Is it financially prudent to have 500 individuals incarcerated for 3 years and be fed thrice daily?

With the nominal cost of $ 2,250 per individual daily, excluding other expenses of which I’ll add $750, totaling $3,000! For a period of 3 years; please do the math.

Brethren, this substantial figure, I’ll leave to the Hon. Minister of Finance and internationally acclaimed economist, Dr. Clive Thomas to ascertain, which part of our economy; be it health-care, public infrastructure or education will better be served, for the nation’s benefit.

While not foregoing, the Hon. Opposition Leader. For the public’s perception, what is the rational in bragging of “Dudhnath”, as being maybe the only surname spelt that way in the entire world”?

My brethren, I’ll place a wager that given the high level of illiteracy, prevailing in Guyana’s rural areas, 7 decades ago, devoid of primary education.

This could have led to late and incorrect date of births and registrations; moreover, due to single parentage in some instances, and the inability to read and write along with home births. I do hope Rooplall Dudhnath, is not a product of this unfortunate circumstance.

Should I be victorious, I wouldn’t accept his cash donation, which can be equated to “thirty pieces of silver”.

Once again, I must reiterate after 30 years, way back from 1977, I have ceased smoking marijuana. And I never did it in front of my child (ren). As for the food “better is a dinner of herbs, where in love is, than a fatted ox, with hatred.”

On a specific occasion, I can prepare for you a vegetarian meal, which may not be obtained in “a premier restaurant. “Illuminate, radiate, be not a starless, moonless and dark cloudy night!

Lester Sealey

Page 30

Kaieteur News

$587M Berbice drainage pumps...

(From page 18) their livelihoods, and as drainage is linked to the livelihood of most of the Guyanese people, emphasis is being placed on establishing proper drainage systems, lest Guyanese suffer the similar fate as citizens of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay recently did.

Minister Holder indicated that agriculture in Guyana accounts for more than 33% of total employment and 20% of the Gross Domestic Product.

“There has been increasing investments in agriculture… Support to small farmers and other domestic investors, has increased production and created wealth for small holders and rural communities. ..This strategy is crucial to poverty alleviation and wealth creation,” Minister Holder indicated.

He added that water management is a critical area of focus for the Ministry of Ag-

riculture since almost all agriculture is practiced in the low lying regions of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

“Hence the need to be able to adapt to climatic changes where our water resources and management are concerned. Moreso the height of the El Nino period, we are still faced with some occurrences of heavy rainfall that can cause flash floods in many high risk areas.”

He added: ”Because of these reasons, the Ministry of Agriculture, and particularly the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) concentrate on best practices in the drainage and irrigation sector. In 2015, NDIA received $1.6Billion to manage, provide, improve and extend agricultural water resource capacity. This is one of the largest shares of the Ministry’s budget in recent past and it is still inadequate,” Minister Holder explained.

Additionally, Region Six was allocated $ 170Million for the maintenance of D&I works, which is a 14% increase from 2014. “This government will continue to carry out all necessary works to be done in Region Six, especially in agriculture and particularly in drainage and irrigation.”

David Armogan, Regional Chairman for Region Six, indicated that the commissioning of the two pumps constitutes a timely intervention which will seek to boost the overall production of agriculture in the areas.

Armogan reasoned that farmers will be in a position to yield more as the pumps will ensure flooding does not affect their investment, which generally works out well for the farmers, the region and by extension the economy. He however, urged residents to be mindful to employ proper methods of disposing their solid waste.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Successful C-Section delivery continues at GPHC – Fifth mother delivers twins, one stillbirth The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation yesterday recorded four uneventful Caesarean Section (C-Section) deliveries and a fifth mother delivering twins, with one stillborn baby.

Due to the quick response by a team of diligent doctors and nurses led by Dr. Lucio Pedro, Head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, a 27-year-old mother and her baby is now recovering in the Maternity Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The mother of one delivered a baby yesterday via Caesarean Section (CSection) while the other was stillbirth. She is now recovering in the Caesarean Section Room while the infant is nursing an incubator in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The Buxton resident, who was due to deliver twins in February 2016, started

experiencing severe pains while at work yesterday. She was rushed to the GPHC where she was diagnosed with placental abruption, i.e. separation of the placenta from the wall of the womb during pregnancy, especially when it occurs prematurely.

She was immediately transferred to the Main Operating Theatre where doctors managed to resuscitate one of the babies.

The mother, who works at a popular clothing store, attended Antenatal Clinic at the Ann’s Grove Health Centre where she was advised to discontinue work for a few months until the babies are born. There, she was forewarned about the complications she is likely to develop during her pregnancy from extensive fatigue. Her employers however refused to comply with the request; hence forcing her to stay on the job.

Public Health Minister, Dr.

George Norton in an invited comment stated that it was unfortunate that one of the twins was stillborn. He expressed total disappointment and disgust that employers, particularly in the private sector, fail to recognize the severity of pregnant mothers not adhering to recommendations and advise given their physicians.

He further noted that while it is always painful for any death, the Ministry of Public Health will seek to investigate and implement laws to penalize employers who openly disregard the medical proposals and conditions of their employees.

The Public Health Ministry will continue to work towards achieving the United National Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 which is to reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio.

Local Gov’t Commission to be...

(From page 25) provided for in the 2016 National Budget. This, he said, would allow for the commencement of the operationalisation of the Local Government Commission, thereby ensuring it comes into being at the same time as the new councils.

Minister Bulkan noted that the Commission would have responsibility for regulation and oversight of all local authorities. According to the Local Government Commission Act 2012, which allowed for the Commission to take effect, the Commission has the powers to monitor and review the performance and implementation of the policies of all LGOs, including

taxation and protection of the environment. It will also monitor, evaluate and make recommendations on policies, procedures and practices of all organs in order to promote effective local governance.

It also has the power to investigate any matter under its purview and propose remedial action to the Minister, whenever or wherever necessary; to monitor and review all existing and proposed legislation, policies and measures relating to local government organs. It reports to the minister on the need for any amendment; to examine and propose ways of enhancing the capacity of LGOs, and to hear appeals

instituted by employees dismissed by any LGO. The establishment of the Commission was identified as part of the Local Government Reform process, where the vision was that “we should de-politicise the functioning and the workings of the local government system,” Minister Bulkan noted. In this regard, by creating an autonomous constitutional body, it therefore takes politics out of the day to day oversight and management of the working of the LGOs. The Ministry of Communities however will not be totally divorced from the general management of LGOs as it will still have broad responsibilities for the operations of the councils.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Israel’s Olmert to become Iraq’s Abadi plants flag in Ramadi first leader to go to prison to mark Islamic State defeat JERUSALEM (AP) — Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who claimed to be on the cusp of a historic peace deal with the Palestinians just a few years ago, now is set to become the first Israeli leader to go to prison after the Supreme Court upheld a bribery conviction against him yesterday.

The decision capped a seven-year legal saga that severely undermined the last serious round of peace talks and propelled hard-line Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to power. In some ways, yesterday’s decision was a success for Olmert. The fivejudge panel dismissed the most serious bribery charge against him and reduced his original prison sentence from six years down to 18 months.

He is set to report to prison on Feb. 15.

“A stone has been lifted from my heart,” a visibly relieved Olmert told reporters.

“I said in the past, I was never offered and I never took a bribe. And I say that again today.”

But it nonetheless served as a reminder of what might have been had he managed to complete his term before the scandal forced him to step down in early 2009.

Olmert was a longtime fix-

Ehud Olmert ture in Israel’s hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians as deputy prime minister a decade ago. He played a leading role in Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

He became prime minister in January 2006 after thenPrime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke — and subsequently led their newly formed Kadima Party to victory in parliamentary elections on a platform of pushing further peace moves with the Palestinians.

In a recent interview broadcast on Channel 10 TV, Olmert said his political trans-

formation began while he was mayor of Jerusalem during the 1990s and early 2000s. He said the wide gaps between the city’s Jewish and Arab neighborhoods led him to conclude that the continued occupation of millions of Palestinians was unsustainable.

A gifted orator, Olmert broke a series of taboos while in office — warning that Israel could become like apartheid South Africa if it continued its occupation of the Palestinians and expressing readiness to relinquish control of parts of the holy city of Jerusalem under a peace deal.

He led his government to the Annapolis peace conference in November 2007 — launching more than a year of ambitious, but unsuccessful U.S.-brokered peace talks with the Palestinians. Olmert enjoyed a warm relationship with then-President George W. Bush.

Olmert has said he made unprecedented concessions to the Palestinians during those talks — including a near-total withdrawal from the West Bank and an offer to place Jerusalem’s Old City under international control — and was close to reaching an agreement at the time of his resignation.

Iraqi army needs Kurds’ help to retake Mosul – Zebari Reuters - The Iraqi army will need the Kurds’ help to retake Mosul, the largest city under the control of Islamic State with the planned offensive expected to be very challenging in a region home to rival religious and

ethnic groups, an Iraqi minister said. Mosul, 400 km (250 miles) north of Baghdad, has been designated by the government as the next target for Iraq’s armed forces after they retook the western city of Ramadi, the first major success of the U.S.-trained force that initially fled in the face of Islamic State’s advance 18 months ago.

Retaking the mostly Sunni city of Mosul would

be hard as the local and regional players in northern Iraq have diverging agendas. The region is a mosaic of different ethnic and religious groups lying between Turkey, Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan.

It would effectively mark the end of the caliphate proclaimed by Islamic State in adjacent Sunni areas of Iraq and Syria, Iraq’s Finance Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters in an interview.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi walks with his security detail in the city of Ramadi, yesterday. REUTERS/Stringer BAGHDAD (Reuters) Iraqi Prime Minister Haider alAbadi planted the national flag in Ramadi yesterday after the army retook the city center from Islamic State a day earlier, a victory that could help vindicate his strategy for rebuilding the military after stunning defeats.

If the Anbar provincial capital can be fully secured and re-populated, it would be the first major success for the U.S.-trained force that fled 18 months ago as jihadist Islamic State militants surged through northern and western Iraq.

Security forces must still remove explosives planted in streets and buildings and clear out fighters in some densely built-up areas, and much of the infrastructure needs to be rebuilt.

Three mortar rounds landed about 500 meters (0.3

miles) from Abadi’s location during his visit, three security sources said. The prime minister was not in danger but was forced to leave the area, they said. Abadi had arrived in Ramadi by helicopter. He moved through the city with the Anbar governor and top security officials in a convoy of Humvees, crossing a floating bridge used by the armed forces last week to retake the city center.

He met soldiers at the main government complex captured by counter-terrorism forces on Monday and planted the tri-color flag outside the building.

He had announced the visit to Ramadi himself on Twitter and declared tomorrow a national holiday in celebration. The army’s apparent capture of Ramadi, in the Euphrates River valley west

of Baghdad, marks a milestone for the forces, which crumbled when the hardline Sunni Muslim militants seized a third of Iraq in June 2014.

In battles since then, Iraq’s armed forces had operated mainly in a supporting role beside powerful Iranianbacked Shi’ite Muslim militias.

Hisham al-Hashimi, a Baghdad-based analyst who has worked with the Iraqi government, said the retaking of Ramadi suggested Abadi’s strategy of heavy U.S. air support while sidelining the Shi’ite militias, which have served as a bulwark against Islamic State but drawn objections from Washington, could be effective.

“Ramadi is an example that the regular army wishes to promote for upcoming battles of liberation,” said Hashimi.

Islamic State ruling aims to settle who can have sex with female slaves Reuters - Islamic State theologians have issued an extremely detailed ruling on when “owners” of women enslaved by the extremist group can have sex with them, in an apparent bid to curb what they called violations in the treatment of captured females.

The ruling or fatwa has the force of law and appears to go beyond the Islamic State’s previous known utterances on slavery, a leading Islamic State scholar said. It sheds new light on how the group is trying to reinterpret centuries-old teachings to justify the rape of women in the swaths of Syria and Iraq it controls.

The fatwa was among a huge trove of documents captured by U.S. Special Operations Forces during a raid targeting a top Islamic State of-

ficial in Syria in May. Reuters has reviewed the document, which has not been previously published, but couldn’t independently confirm its authenticity.

Among the fatwa’s injunctions are bans on a father and son having sex with the same female slave; and the owner of a mother and daughter having sex with both. Joint owners of a female captive are similarly enjoined from intercourse because she is viewed as “part of a joint ownership.”

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

PNP Highlights Achievements On Election Anniversary…

Chang Says Portia Failed

Kevin O’Brien Chang The Gleaner - The People’s National Party (PNP) is highlighting what it calls improvements in the economy, education social services, healthcare and technology on the fourth anniversary of its December 2011 election win.

The PNP won 42 of the 63 seats in the December 29, 2011, ousting the Jamaica Labour Party from power.

According to PNP general secretary, Paul Burke, the administration has recorded achievements in housing and road infrastructure.

He has also cited achievements in energy through the

Portia Simpson Miller

provision of alternative sources, respect for Jamaica on the international scene and the provision of what the party calls high-scale employment for Jamaicans.

But the four-year tenure of the PNP has seen several clashes with civil society groups over governance issues.

There have also been a string of scandals including the dead babies issued which forced Simpson Miller to carry out a minor shuffle of her Cabinet.

The Opposition Jamaica Labour Party has also consistently criticised the government for the slow growth rate

throughout the life a deal with the International Monetary Fund.

Meanwhile, Political analyst, Kevin O’Brien Chang says Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller’s leadership over the past four years has been a failure.

He notes that while some government ministers have performed well, Simpson Miller has been missing in action.

According to Chang, Simpson Miller has not engaged the public or taken tough decisions including firing non-performing Cabinet ministers.

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Wednesday December 30, 2015

Argentines march against feared public job cuts Buenos Aires (AFP) Argentina’s new President Mauricio Macri launched a public sector review yesterday that workers fear could lead to mass job cuts, prompting thousands to demonstrate in protest.

In a decree published in the official journal, Macri ordered a revision of public administration work contracts issued under his leftist predecessor Cristina Kirchner.

It was the latest in a rapid series of reforms Macri has launched since he took office on December 10 after beating Kirchner’s allies to the presidency.

Yesterday’s decree ordered state administrators to “revise the public tender and personnel selection processes” within six months.

Thousands of people marched to the labor ministry in Buenos Aires yesterday in protest against the measures.

The demonstration was called by the major public sector union ATE after the government announced the planned review last week.

The government said it would revise 24,000 public sector work contracts and

Mauricio Macri 11,000 tenders dating back to 2013.

A report by newspaper La Nacion estimated that hiring in the public sector multiplied by 54 percent during the 12 years of government by Kirchner and her late husband and predecessor Nestor.

Macri’s victory marked a major shift in Argentina, where the populist “Peronist” movement has dominated politics for decades.

The demonstrators on Tuesday also protested against the devaluation of Argentina’s peso, which Macri has allowed to float

freely on the market after four years of foreign exchange controls.

Macri said that move was needed to boost imports and the economy, but his opponents warn it will cut poorer Argentines’ spending power.

Tuesday’s decrees also included a series of controversial judicial measures and appointments.

The president himself was on holiday in the south of the country with his family as the latest decrees came out, two days before the start of the legislature and judiciary’s summer recess.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Russell plays small starring role Russia unlikely to compete in as Thunder remain unbeaten Rio, European Athletics chief says SYDNEY, Australia (CMC) — Andre Russell’s small all-round cameo helped Sydney Thunder to remain unbeaten in the Big Bash League with an uncomplicated seven-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers here Monday.

Asked to field first at the Sydney Showground Stadium, Thunder limited Strikers to 117 for nine off their 20

overs, with West Indies pacer Russell producing a key spell of two for 28 from his four overs.

Captain Brad Hodge topscored with 34 from 33 deliveries with two fours and two sixes while Adil Rashid got 25 from 18 balls and Mahela Jayawardene, 21 from 31 deliveries.

In reply, Thunder were propelled by opener Jacques

Kallis’s 49 from 48 deliveries while Aiden Blizzard struck 35, in a 66-run first-wicket stand.

Russell arrived in the 15th over to blast two sixes in 17 off seven deliveries as the hosts sped to their target with 21 balls remaining in the contest.

Thunder currently sit top of the standings with six points from a perfect three outings.

Bishoo survives injury scare MELBOURNE, Australia (CMC) — West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo is recovering from a minor shoulder injury and is expected to be fit in time for the third Test match against Australia.

The 30-year-old suffered

some discomfort when he fell during training two days before the start of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day and was ruled out of selection for the match.

He had scans on his left shoulder on Sunday morning

and the results showed a slight sprain.

Bishoo will, however, remain with the team and should be available for selection for the final Test of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which starts on January 3.

Wednesday December 30, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Put your thoughts into action. Get out and enjoy some entertainment. You can sort out any differences you have in an amiable manner.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You will be misinterpreted if you get involved in other people's problems. Selfimprovement could bring amazing results. You won't have to look for the action.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You can make headway in the workforce if you put your mind to it. Don't let others put unreasonable demands on you. You need to fulfill your needs and present your talents.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may find it difficult to communicate. Try to be understanding. Losses are likely if you have left your financial affairs in other people's hands.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may want to put your creative thinking cap on. Put your energy into behind the scenes activities. Use your quick wit to win points and friends.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You should be setting up interviews or sending out your resume today. Abstain from getting involved with married individuals. Your diplomacy will be of utmost importance today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You can meet new and exciting lovers through work related projects. Get busy on those home improvement projects that you've been procrastinating about. Focus on forming business partnerships.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Opportunities for travel and communication are evident.

Take time to find out if anyone has a better suggestion before you make arrangements for the whole family.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your charm will be captivating. Get down to business and do the work yourself. Don't be afraid to make a move if you aren't happy with your emotional situation.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Good friends will give you honest answers. Don't hesitate to talk to your partner about rekindling your relationship.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may find that children are not as accepting as you have been. Be sure to keep communication open with those you live with.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) It will be important that you have your priorities straight.

Try to stay calm and do the best you can. A need to express yourself may come out in creative ways.

Russia’s national team athletes conduct training at their ground in Sochi, Russia, November 14, 2015. (Reuters/Kazbek Basayev) LONDON (Reuters) European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen does not expect Russia to return to international competition in time for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Russian athletes were banned indefinitely by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report alleged widespread corruption and a state-sponsored drugs culture in a sporting superpower.

An IAAF inspection committee is due to visit Russia in January to oversee the country’s reform process and ensure the criteria set out by the sport’s ruling body are met.

The committee will report back to the IAAF Council at the earliest at its meeting in Cardiff, Wales, on March 27, less than five months before the Olympics.

“For the moment they have to fulfil the conditions, but I cannot really see them competing in Rio,” Hansen, whose body includes Russia as a member federation, told Athletics Weekly magazine on Tuesday.

“They must have a cultural change. They must get rid of all those people from before.”

European Athletics, which oversees the sport in Europe, works with the IAAF world governing body on doping and medical issues.

However, the organisation will have no influence on the decision to reinstate Russia as an IAAF member, which will only be made on the recommendation of the world ruling body’s inspection team.

Norwegian Hansen believes that Russia’s Athletic Federation (ARAF), which has confirmed it will co-operate fully with the inspection

team, will work hard to change the culture.

“We know some good people in Russian athletics and I’m sure they will be elected. We hope that some new people will come in who really understand that this must be changed,” he said.

Russian athletes will not

be able to compete in the world indoor championships in Oregon in March.

Russia has also lost the hosting rights to next year’s race walking World Cup and the world junior championships which were scheduled to take place in Cheboksary and Kazan respectively.

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Wednesday December 30, 2015

Pakistan rejects Azhar Ali’s Wada expects allegations on resignation over Amir return Peyton Manning to be investigated (Reuters) Pakistan has rejected one-day captain Azhar Ali’s offer to resign over tainted team mate Mohammad Amir’s presence at a Lahore training camp, the country’s cricket board said on Tuesday.

Amir’s return to the selection mix after serving a fiveyear ban for spot-fixing in the 2010 Lord’s test has polarised Pakistan cricket with several of his team mates resenting his reintegration.

Azhar, along with former captain Mohammad Hafeez, initially refused to join the camp ahead of next month’s limited-over matches in New Zealand but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the ODI skipper would stay on.

“Azhar Ali met the chairman PCB (Shaharyar Khan).

He tendered his resignation,” PCB said in a statement.

“The chairman didn’t accept his resignation, Azhar Ali agreed and he will continue as captain,” it added.

Amir, fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif and former test captain Salman Butt served jail sentences in Britain after being found guilty

Pakistan’s Azhar Ali looks dejected after being dismissed. (Action Images via Reuters / Jason O’BrienLivepic) in 2011 of various offences of corrupt behaviour.

Former captain Imran Khan has backed Amir’s return to international cricket but test skipper Misbah-ulHaq feared the bowler’s come-

back would prove a big distraction for the team.

According to local media reports, former captain Shoaib Malik has been assigned to guide Amir on his comeback.

BBC Sport - Allegations that American football legend Peyton Manning took human growth hormone should be investigated, says the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

Wada also described the allegations, which Manning dismissed as “complete garbage”, as “very concerning”.

Al Jazeera reported that Denver Broncos quarterback Manning was treated with human growth hormone (HGH) during his recovery from neck surgery in 2011.

Its source - Texas-based pharmacist Charlie Sly - has since recanted.

The Al Jazeera documentary linked players from the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) with performance-enhancing drugs.

“Al Jazeera’s allegations are very concerning, particularly as it relates to the NFL’s and MLB’s testing programmes,” David Howman, director-general of Wada, said in a statement.

“While the NFL and the MLB are not signatories to the world anti-doping code, in recent years Wada has

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has described the allegations as “complete garbage”.

(Getty images) been working with them and other professional leagues in the United States to try to bring them closer to Wada’s programme.

“As it relates to the particular allegations by Al Jazeera, Wada expects that they will be carefully investigated by the relevant authorities and that, if warranted, necessary and appropriate

steps would be taken.”

The NFL collective bargaining agreement, ratified in 2011, banned HGH but players were not tested for it until 2014. No NFL player has tested positive for HGH. MLB said it would investigate allegations made in the documentary that several of its players took banned hormone supplement Delta-2.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 37

Finn strikes as England close on victory DURBAN, (Reuters) – England’s Steven Finn took three wickets as South Africa, chasing an unlikely 416 for victory, struggled to 136 for four on the fourth day of the first test on Tuesday and were staring at the prospect of likely defeat.

England snared openers Dean Elgar and Stiaan van Zyl as well out-of-form captain Hashim Amla to give themselves a strong chance of winning the opening match of the four-test series against the world’s topranked side.

They added a key wicket in the penultimate over to boost their hopes greatly when a rising delivery from Finn forced Faf du Plessis to edge a catch to Alastair Cook at slip after a stonewalling innings of nine off 66 balls.

“We tried to apply pressure in the last session and I charged in as hard as I could.

You have to hammer away on a good length and the odd one will jump up,” Finn told reporters.

England might have also had the prize wicket of AB de Villiers but wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow missed a chance to stump him off a viciously turning ball from Moeen Ali. De Villiers was 37 not out at the close with nightwatchman Dale Steyn on nought.

South Africa must bat through three sessions and 90 overs on Wednesday to save the test. They still require 280 runs to win.

“We are going to try our best to protect our wickets and stay in as long as we can,” South Africa off-spin-

England celebrate the wicket of South Africa’s Faf du Plessis (not in picture) during the first cricket test match in Durban, South Africa, December 29, 2015. (Reuters/Rogan Ward) ner Dane Piedt said.

Ben Stokes bowled Van Zyl for 33 after South Africa had made a positive start in a fluent opening stand of 53.

Amla (12) went cheaply again when he was caught by Bairstow flashing at a short ball from Finn.Elgar, who made an unbeaten century in the first innings, was caught in the slips edging a full delivery from Finn for 40.

England were bowled out just after lunch for 326 in their second innings, Bairstow topscoring with a quickfire 79 off 76 balls in a display of perfect

timing on a slow surface before he holed out in the deep to end the innings.

Bairstow was forced to take risks as he ran out of partners and Piedt claimed his first five-wicket haul.

England, resuming on 172 for three, lost four wickets before lunch and the last three inside the first hour of the afternoon session. Joe Root, unbeaten on 60 overnight, added 13 to his score before guiding a Kyle Abbott delivery to Van Zyl at first slip while James Taylor made 42 before being stumped.

South Africa had to do without the w o r l d ’s b e s t

bowler Steyn in their attack after his shoulder

spasm failed to clear up overnight.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Cavs use long-range bombs to block out Suns Reuters (The Sports Xchange) - Guard Kyrie Irving scored 22 points in 24 minutes and hit his team’s 17th three-pointer just before the shot clock buzzer with 21 seconds left as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the fading Phoenix Suns 101-97 on Monday.

Guard J.R. Smith scored 17 points including five threepointers for the Cavaliers (209), who avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season after back-to-back road losses to Golden State and Portland.

Forward Kevin Love had 16 points and seven rebounds and guard LeBron James added 16 points and seven assists for Cleveland, who made 17-of-41 threepointers in the game.

Forward T.J. Warren had 13 of his season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter for the Suns (12-21), who have lost five in a row and 16 of the last 21 games overall.

Brandon Knight had 18 points and Jon Leuer and P.J. Tucker had 14 each for Phoenix.

Two days after losing to the 2-29 Philadelphia 76ers, the Suns put up a much better fight but suffered the same result.

Down by as many as 11 in the second half, Phoenix inched within one at 96-95 on

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives to the basket against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) a three-pointer by Knight with 1:27 left.

The Suns had a chance to take the lead but another Knight three-pointer was

wiped out by a Tyson Chandler offensive foul with 46.6 seconds left.

Cleveland had a disjointed possession but James

saved the ball from going out of bounds before Love found Irving for a long three-pointer that gave his team some breathing room.

Irving had seven points and a steal in seven first-quarter minutes and the Cavaliers led by as many as six.

Cleveland hit 12-of-19

shots in the quarter but led only 34-30 thanks to seven points from Leuer and six from Tucker and rookie guard Devin Booker, making his first NBA start.

The Suns used a 9-0 run early in the second quarter to take a 39-36 lead on two free throws by center Alex Len with 9:17 left. Warren had 10 points off the bench in the quarter.

But the starters came back and Cleveland reasserted control, with threepointers by Love, Smith and guard Matthew Dellavedova as part of a 13-1 run that gave the Cavs a 58-49 lead with two minutes left.

Love led all scorers with 13 points at the half and Irving added 11. James had eight points and five assists and Cleveland led 60-54.

Cleveland pushed its lead to 11 points early in the third quarter on a 21-foot jumper by James before the Suns reeled off a 15-6 run and then got as close as 74-73 on a dunk by forward Mirza Teletovic with 4:36 to go.

Again, the Suns could not get over the hump.

Cleveland closed with seven straight points capped by a layup and two free throws by Irving and led 8173 after three quarters.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 39

GFF awaiting CFU confirmation on players selection to Adidas MLS Player Combine - Somerset, Lanferman relish shot at MLS Pele FC’s Jumane Somerset and Delon Lanferman of Alpha United said that the MLS Combine is something every top Guyanese player should at least be given a chance to attend.

The two returned to Guyana last week after participating in December 17 – 20 MLS Combine in Curacao; an event organised by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) through their partnership with USA’s Major League Soccer.

After joining other players from within the confines of the CFU and competing in front of professional scouts, Somerset and Lanferman are now awaiting confirmation from the GFF, who will be informed by the CFU if one of, or both Guyanese players were good enough to gain an invitation to the annual Adidas MLS Player Combine

in Florida on January 8 – 13, 2016.

“It was a wonderful experience and I hope other players will get a chance to at least be seen,” Somerset said in an interview upon his return.

Somerset, 22, is described as one of Guyana’s top defenders, but the player is also yet to make his Golden Jaguar debut.

Pele FC finished third in the STAG Elite League (Genesis) and conceded a total of 14 goals in their 16 matches played. Only league champions Slingerz FC (9) and Alpha United (11) conceded fewer goals.

“It wasn’t easy at all, and I think that I did my best. The coaches were hard on us and treated us like professionals.

Apart from doing drills, we played a couple of games against a local side,” the Pele FC defender said.

Asked about the level of

play, he added, “I honestly expected more but I think our league level was way higher because I had a more difficult time marking players like Lanferman, (Vurlon) Mills and Daniel (Wilson) but I think I did my best so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

Meanwhile, for Lanferman, it was something he said that could not have come at better time in his career.

Lanferman finished the League (Genesis) as the highest goal scorer (11), one more than Pele’s Gregory Richardson.

He played a pivotal role in his club’s success this year, despite them finishing second behind Slingerz Football Club.

The 20-year-old Lanferman is yet to make his Senior National team debut, though representing Guyana at the U-20 and U-23 levels.

“The level wasn’t all of

Blatter gives up on FIFA, says fighting for his honour - Bunte

Reuters - Banned FIFA president Sepp Blatter feels “abandoned” by the global football body and will now focus on clearing his name, the 79-year-old Swiss told German magazine Bunte.

FIFA’s watchdog last week banned Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini for eight years for ethics violations. Both men immediately denied any wrongdoing and said they would appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I now no longer fight for FIFA,” Blatter, who led football’s governing body for 17 years, said according to a preview of an interview with Bunte. “They abandoned me.

I am now only fighting for myself and my honour.”

Blatter had come out swinging against the ban, holding a news conference to tell reporters that he was sorry only that the president of FIFA was being treated as a “punching ball”, adding: “I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA.” He told Bunte that he was re-energised by the “false claims” against him. “After Christmas I will start to fight back,” Blatter said.

The inquiry by FIFA’s ethics committee began after

GFF 3rd VP Ms. Thandi McAllister with Delon Lanferman (left) and Jumane Somerset prior to their departure. that as I was expecting and I think it was good for me and Jumane because we were playing all the time so it was nothing new, but it was exciting,” Lanferman said. The CFU/MLS Combine caters for players between the ages of 18 – 22 years-old and is an annual showcase of Caribbean football talent organised jointly by MLS and

the CFU, with the inaugural Combine being held in January 2014.

The Combine provides opportunities for Caribbean players to be observed by MLS scouts with the hopes of being invited to the MLS Combine, an invite-only showcase event held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida prior to the annual MLS SuperDraft.

The Combine is part of an agreement between the two entities as they try to promote football development throughout the Caribbean region Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson is the first and only Guyanese player so far to be signed by an MLS club following his 2009 deal with the Colorado Rapids.

Ashmead Nedd inspired...

FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures after he was re-elected at the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, May 29, 2015. (Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann) the Swiss attorney general’s office opened criminal proceedings against Blatter over a 2 million Swiss franc (£1.36 million) payment to Platini in 2011.

Switzerland’s prosecutor is also investigating FIFA’s award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals to Russia and to Qatar, a small, wealthy desert country with no real football tradition.

The ethics committee said it had not found evidence that the payment, made at a time when Blatter was seeking reelection, constituted a bribe,

which meant the men were spared potential lifetime bans.

In the United States, prosecutors have indicted 27 current or former football officials over allegations that they ran bribery schemes connected to the sale of television rights for football competitions. These include eight former FIFA Executive Committee members and the current heads of both the North and South American federations.

Blatter’s full interview with Bunte will be published on Wednesday.

(From page 37) Curry, played his debut first division match for DCC against Police when he was only 13 and since then his cricket has progressed at a rapid rate.

“Many people helped and advised me with my cricket but my dad is at the top of the list because not only he is my father but he played for Guyana and is a qualified Coach, so even if I don’t want to listen to him as dad I have to do what he says as DCC Coach,” Ashmead said with a smug look on his face.

Although he was selected for Guyana at the U-15, 17 and 19 levels as a spinner he has the ability to develop into a competent all-rounder and disclosed that Chris Barnwell, Trevon Griffith and Paul Wintz, all senior cricketers at DCC, have advised him with regards to his cricket.

“DCC President Alfred Mentore (a former National youth opener) has paid a keen interest in our (youths) development at DCC. He also arranged for the club to buy my ticket to get to Trinidad and

paid for my Visa application,” Ashmead informed.

The slimily built Ashmead, who is taller that his dad, one of the best Guyanese off-spinners in the last 25 years, explained that once he gets to Trinidad that the Academy will stand all of his expenses for the tour to New Zealand.

Young Nedd favors the slog-sweep and says his most enjoyable way of getting a wicket is clean bowled. He also disclosed that his favorite cricketer is Joe Root because of the way he plays his cricket.

Ashmead said his most memorable day in Cricket was when Guyana won the Regional U-15 title in Jamaica last year, while he says his worst day in cricket was when, as DCC Captain his team was beaten in the GCA’s Brain Street U-15 final by Transport Sports Club.

“As a parent and a Coach I am very proud of Ashmead success. I never told him to play cricket he just picked up a bat when he was very young and got hooked on the game

and once I noticed his interest in wanting to play it seriously, I stepped in as both a father and a Coach,” Garvin Nedd said.

Garvin, who seemed a bit frustrated by what is happening to Guyana and West Indies cricket administratively, said he was not only proud of his son but of so many players that have come out of the DCC’s ‘Garvin Nedd Nursery’ programme.

Nedd singled out players like West Indies under-19 selectee Tevin Imlach and Kemo Paul adding that it would not surprise him if DCC’s Sherfane Rutherford, who just missed out on West Indies U19 selection, is picked in the Jaguars squad for next month’s NAGICO Super50.

At 14, Ashmead has already played for Guyana at the U-19 level and with four more years remaining at this level and his level-headed approach to life and cricket he could be one from the new generation of players that will help West Indies climb back to the glory days of the 1980s.

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Wednesday December 30, 2015

Australia defeat West Indies by 177 runs, seal series MELBOURNE (Reuters) Australia’s bowlers had to work hard for their wickets but completed an emphatic 177-run victory before the close of day four of the second test against West Indies on Tuesday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and captain Jason Holder built a brave 100-run stand after tea to slow Australia’s march at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but all-rounder Mitchell Marsh broke the partnership with some fiery pace bowling and took 4-61 to complete the triumph.

Chasing an imposing 460-run target for victory, the West Indies batsmen battled hard in sublime conditions but were bowled out for 282 in the penultimate over of the day.

Having beaten New Zealand 2-0 at the start of the home summer, Australia captain Steve Smith celebrated his second series win in charge following the retirement of Michael Clarke.

He was disappointed, however, that his bowlers let three wickets go begging by over-stepping the crease, adding needless burden to the task of securing victory on an unresponsive pitch.

“We probably let ourselves down a little bit, obviously with the no-balls,”

he told reporters.

“I don’t think we dropped our level, it was a tough wicket to take wickets on. You really had to grind it out and work extremely hard.

“We got the job done.”

West Indies captain Jason Holder, who top-scored for his side with a defiant 68, said the loss “hurt” but he was comforted by h i s team’s improvement from Hobart, where they were thrashed by an innings and 212 runs and roundly condemned for a perceived lack of effort.

All the West Indies’ top seven batsmen made starts in the second innings but only Holder and Ramdin made it past 50.

More concerning, their bowlers could take only six wickets in the match and allowed Smith’s men to pile on 551 runs in the first innings.

“We probably showed a lot more belief when we went into bat,” Holder told reporters.

“Obviously our bowlers still need to be a lot more disciplined.”

Smith declared Australia’s second innings closed at 179-3 before the start of play on day four but it was slow going, with only opener Kraigg Brathwaite falling for 31 in the first session.

By tea, three more wick-

ets had tumbled and victory was in sight for the Australians.

Spinner Nathan Lyon, named man-of-the-match after taking seven wickets, dismissed West Indies’ last specialist batsman in Jermaine Blackwood for 20 shortly after the break and Marsh had Ramdin caught behind for 59.

Lyon returned to bowl Carlos Brathwaite for two, knocking off a single bail, leaving the last three batsmen to deal with the new ball.

Although Holder soaked up another half-hour with fellow paceman Kemar Roach, he spooned a catch off Marsh straight to mid-on in the day’s 87th over and it ended quickly from there.

After dismissing Roach, paceman James Pattinson ran in from long leg to complete a fine catch after Jerome Taylor slogged Marsh high into the sky, and the Australians celebrated finishing their work a day early.

Scores: Australia 3 for 551 dec (Khawaja 144, Smith 134*, Burns 128, Voges 106*) and 3 for 179 dec (Smith 70*, Khawaja 56) beat West Indies 271 (Bravo 81, C Barthwaite 59, Lyon 4-66, Pattinson 4-72) and 282 (Holder 68, Ramdin 59, Marsh 4-61, Lyon 3-85) by 177 runs.

Denesh Ramdin plays a sweep shot, Australia v West Indies, 2nd Test, Melbourne, 4th day, December 29, 2015©Getty Images

Letter to the Sports Editor

Government must intervene to LABA Basketball game restore credibility to the GCB ends in forfeiture and win for the Raiders

Retrieve Raiders advanced to the final of this year’s Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s Malta Supreme Christmas Open basketball championship final via a forfeited result for them when their opponents Amelia’s Ward Jets refused to continue their game Monday night with the scores reading in the second quarter 21-10 for the Raiders with 8 mins 17 secs left.

The other semifinal be-

tween Half Mile Bulls and Victory Valley Royals had to be pushed back to last night after the first quarter ended 11-7 for the Bulls due to rain at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.

It was an abrupt end to the first semifinal contest where the unbeaten Raiders were ranked number one after ending the preliminary round with an unblemished record. The Jets, who lost to Raiders in round robin play, complained that the MSC

surface was not proper to play on after some rain during the contest. But the court was not wet according to the game officials and after giving Jets some time to consider the conditions, the team through its captain Parrish Cadogan said they would not continue.

Secretary of the LABA Joseph Chapman said that he personally intervened before the game was called off as he explained that the game officials were the ones making the call and would determine if the conditions for play were good.

Chapman said that the Jets bluntly refused to continue their game in the presence of scores of fans who were watching the encounter.

The LABA official said that the matter will be dealt with soon by the association and sanctions will most likely follow.

Dear Editor, The successful passage of the Cricket Administration Bill in 2013 through Parliament has had no legal effect to date regarding the democratic and transparent function of the Guyana Cricket Board. In fact the GCB is still being micromanaged by a selected few who remains defiant against the will of the majority of stakeholders of cricket within the three counties.

Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, who is the current Minister of Education with responsibility for sports, supported the Bill when in opposition.

However, there has been no public pronouncement from him regarding the implementation of the Bill which shall pave the way for free and fair elections.

The Government must signal its intentions early and firmly thus ensuring that the national sport is not tainted with illegality, given the many audits that have been done at several state institutions.

The state of West Indies cricket is at the cross-roads and while there is optimism for the future, it will require

strong leadership at the level of every territorial Board for any significant advancement to be made in an effort to reversing the flagging status of the team.

The GCB is without such leadership as the Board is being managed like a private club. Notwithstanding the plausible success of the various national teams, I am of the firm view that the organizational structure of the GCB is lacking the quality and experience it deserves for the long term success. As a result the continued isolation of the Berbice Cricket Board along with other key stakeholders including East Coast Cricket Board, Georgetown Cricket Association and even Linden from institutional participation including consultation have rendered the GCB as being a toothless tiger.

It seems as though decisions are being made by an exclusive few, some of whom have never held a bat, yet they affix their signatures as a matter of policy for the future of the players. Is there a functioning Cricket Development Committee of the GCB? I

doubt it since the manner in which tournaments have been conceptualized and implemented leaves much to be desired.

The just concluded franchise league had three matches planned for Essequibo. Instead only one materialized which the Essequibo team won. Why the other two matches weren’t held which would have given the team home advantage just like the other teams?

The Essequibo Cricket Board is the only legitimate body within the structure of the GCB (BCB continues to boycott the GCB, while there is no constitutional DCB), yet the ECB has no voice to prevent the manipulation of tournaments even when they are to the disadvantage of its own players! I am therefore imploring on the Government to act swiftly towards resolving the various issues as it relates to governance so that the credibility of the GCB can be restored from the negative image it has currently created.

Yours Faithfully, Elroy Stephney.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 41

Foster, McKenzie rule roost at AAG Cross Country Guyana Defence Force (GDF) middle distance queen, Andrea Foster ran away with the Under-20 Girls’ 6km title, while Running Braves Matthew McKenzie won the male category of the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) Cross Country race last Sunday at the National Park.

Foster ran 24:33 to beat Running Braves’ Claudrice McKoy (24:36.05) and Maria Urquhart (25:45.81), and Super Upcoming Runners’ Mearisha Carter (42:12.77) respectively, while McKenzie defeated Mercury Fast Laners’ Troy Hestick (26:33.52).

In the U-18 Girls’ 4km race, Running Braves’

Ashmead Nedd inspired to play cricket by watching his dad bowl Leaves for New Zealand today

Garvin Nedd stands proudly with his son Ashmead at the club where he learnt to play cricket.

By Sean Devers National youth left-arm spinner 14-year-old Ashmead Nedd will leave Guyana today for Trinidad where he will join the rest of the Tony Hartford U-17 Academy team of Trinidad & Tobago for their tour of New Zealand from January 1-26.

The talented Nedd, who will turn 15 on January 10 whilst in New Zealand, was selected by Scouts from the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board and the Academy due to his showing in the Regional U-17 tournament in Tobago this year and the youngster plans to make the most of this opportunity by performing with both bat and bat.

He is looking forward to bowling in an International setting to give him the experience of playing in foreign conditions.

Ashmead was born to Garvin and Roxanne Nedd and grew up in Alberttown.

Nedd would be at the famous DCC in Queenstown as a toddler and literally grew up at a venue which Lance Gibbs, Clive Lloyd and Roy Fredericks, three of the

greatest West Indies Test players called ‘home’.

It was at DCC that he first developed an interest in cricket from seeing his father, a national youth and First-Class off-spinner, bowling. It was also his father, the national U-17 Coach that changed young Nedd from a left-arm seamer to a spinner.

“Dad told me if I bowled spin I would get more opportunities to make teams since in Guyana not many fast bowlers were picked because of the slow pitches here that favor spinners,” Ashmead remembered.

The teenager attended the St Gabriel’s Primary and later Tutorial High and Chase Academy. He loves playing football and is quite good at it as was shown when he represented Tutorial in the Digicel School’s Football competition. Nedd was also outstanding with both bat and ball in the National Secondary School’s Cricket League as he helped Chase Academy to North Georgetown Zone title.

Ashmead, whose favorite dish is Roti and (Continued on page 35)

Mariah McKenzie won in 18:15.86 ahead of Mercury’s Latoya Perreira, who completed the distance in 19:20.22. Samuel Lynch won the Boys’ race in 14:47.11 ahead of Nathan Saul (15:23.08) and Timmeon Spencer (16:14.08) in that order.

Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School’s Serena Williams won the Under-16 Girls 4km race in 17:05.03 ahead of team-mate, Sheama

Ty r e l l ( 1 7 : 3 7 . 9 0 ) a n d Guyana Defence Force’s, Leyanna Charles (19:16.47) respectively.

In the Boys’ category, Jeremy Garrett ran 14:49.43 to win ahead of Daniel Melville (15:23.08) and Kevin David (15:48.00) in that order.

Christianburg/Wismar S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l ’s Shaquka Tyrell claimed the Girls U-14 2km race in 7:00.6 ahead of Kissanna

Glen (7:11.59), Aaliyah Headley (7:21.73) and Crystal Hutson (8:02.34) in that order.

Benel Ogle won the male race in 7:11.19 ahead of Matthew Abrams (7:28.91) and Christianburg Marvin Williams (8:22.41) and Marlon Williams (8:42.38) respectively.

Dorway Logan won the 6km Masters’ race in 25:33.90 ahead of Franklyn Archer (27:45.81).

Andrea Foster

Page 42

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 30, 2015

UDFA GT Beer semifinals on tonight at MSC ground Winners Connection face Topp XX, Net Rockers oppose Silver Shattas

Marmalaque Davidson Winners Connection

Shawn Daniels Topp XX’s

Net Rockers Denzil Pryce

Silver Shattas Colwyn David

It’s a ding-dong affair tonight when the defending champions Federal Winners Connection will be challenged by a determined Topp XX side and Net Rockers face the upstarts Silver Shattas in semifinal clashes in this year’s Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) GT Beer third year-end soccer championship at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

To start the epic night’s proceedings at 6.15pm will be the clash involving the champions Winners Connection and Topp XX. This is a virtual final for some who may consider this clash to be one that can determine the eventual winner. That being said Topp XX know that they must be at their best to s u p p l a n t t h i s Wi n n e r s Connection side which for the past two years have won this championship.

Their coach/ player Collie Hercules has decided to come off the bench to allow himself time to, most likely, finish the game, as he conserves on energy and watches his youthful bunch, hopefully, make an early impression.

But this would mean the forward line of Shawn ‘Dash’ Daniels and Terrence Aaron being able to handle what the defence of Winners Connection will have to offer.

Also the midfield of Topp XX is strong with Hercules adding to the presence of starters Travis ‘Chicken’ Waterton, who is a solid player, Quacy Johnson and Ryan Noel, while their defenders are Monty Simon, Ruel Williams and Oswald Benjamin to name a few.

However, the champions are confident with their front line being led by the experienced Rawle ‘Boney’ Gittens and young

Marmalaque Davidson, at midfield there will be the capable Keon Sears, Gary Thompson and Chris Young while the defence has veteran Marlon Maxius, upcoming Derrol Dainty and Linden Nicholson.

The second semifinal at 8.15pm brings together the Silver Shattas side which is still concerned about their fitness coming up against the running Net Rockers who demolished Milerock 5-1 in their last game.

While the Shattas have some talent this will be a testing for them and how they respond will determine the manner of the outcome of this important game.

They will rest their hopes on the courageous goalkeeper Kellon Adams who will have his work cut out; and just ahead of him leading the line of defenders is the Shattas c a p t a i n L e o n ‘ Wo o d y ’ Clement. The midfield is centered around Jesse Waldron and the forward line is their most potent area with Rawlston Fraser, Colwyn David and Ronald Matthews taking care of business.

Net Rockers will spare no time in attacking this Shattas side and with the possible return of central defender Omeion Wills, along with Deshawn Joseph they will be assured of some steadiness in their play.

Their schemers are Orande Wills and Jermain Fordyce and taking care of their offence going forward are Shane Luckie and Denzil Pryce.

The Net Rockers coach ‘Ax-man’ Wills said no stones will be left unturned as they seek to reach the final, but at the same time they will attack with caution as they are not underrating any opponent.

The final is set for Friday, January 1, 2016.

Wednesday December 30, 2015

Coach Dos Santos (standing back row, right) among other Coaches and some of the participants in the Pee Wee Clinic in Bartica.

Coach Santos Football Clinic concludes today in Bartica The ‘Coach Santos’ Developmental Soccer Organisation’s football clinic for boys and girls will conclude today in Bartica.

The overseas-based Guyanese, Michael ‘Coach Santos’ Dos Santos, had organised the one-week clinic for 2-8 year old children.

The clinic that started on December 23 attracted over fifty boys and girls for the Pee Wee Soccer Clinic. The main objectives of the clinic was for the children “to have fun and develop a love for the sport football”, a release indicated yesterday.

The children, who gained 90% and over at the Christmas Term Examination, received one size-3 football each. They include: Abeva Jones, Kyle Harper, Zico Dos Santos, Maliah Dos Santos and Giovannie Tracey.

The ‘Coach Santos’ Developmental Soccer Organisation had teamed up with Phoenix Sports Club

and organised a one-week clinic and two tournaments for the Under-13 boys during the Summer.

The clinic was as a result of queries from parents to further hone the skills of children.

The ‘Coach Santos’ Developmental Soccer Organization would like to thank all the parents that signed up their kids and the following sponsors: Hart’s Mineral Company, Treena’s Exquisite Touch, Mommy & Me Kids Store, Elise Couture Boutique, Indulgence Boutique, Beverage Depot (Bartica), Charles Jones Mining, Davenand Seenarine Mining, K & M Mineral, Hack’s Variety Store, Avon Pinky Bradford, Natasha Harper, Nicola Daniels, Nadira Delima, Wazim Kassim, Nixon Harper, Red Earth (USA), Ravindra Boodhoo (USA), Marlon Sanasie (USA), Shenny Moses, Vashie’s N i t e C l u b a n d Ry a n Richards.

Kaieteur News

Page 43

t r o Sp

Australia defeat West Indies by 177 runs, seal series

Nathan Lyon was Man of the Match for his seven wickets Š Getty Images

Jason Holder lofts the ball on the leg side, Australia v West Indies, 2nd Test, Melbourne, 4th day, December 29, 2015ŠCricket Australia/Getty Images

UDFA GT Beer semifinals on tonight at MSC ground Winners Connection face Topp XX, Net Rockers oppose Silver Shattas

Blatter gives up on FIFA, says fighting for his honour - Bunte Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210